This is too good...

[Pierre Levesque, AIA]

Since there's a lot of misinformation (and disinformation) out there right now here's a factual timeline of the events leading to Katrina's landfall staring with Friday, August 26...

[RicodJour]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch:

Having had more than a few encounters with the police in NOLA while living there, I was surprised, but pleased, to hear of the work they were doing down there...initially. Then I started reading about the cops who just up and split, now I'm starting to read accounts from people that had to deal with them. Unfortunately, these accounts are more along the lines of what I would have expected from them.

I know it only takes a few bad apples, but these actions are despicable. When there's ineffective leadership giving direction to the guy in the street, it turns into, "I have the gun, now shut the f*ck up." I hope these accounts are few and far between - it tarnishes all of the good work that most of the guys are doing down there.

R

[noel]

I read an article today telling how they picked 50 of the out of state firefighters to do the photo op. 1400 ems, fire, hazmat personell were at a fema meeting where they were told what they would do, which was to hand out fliers with fema's phone number on it. This whole thing just stinks.

[gruhn]

Aye. And it's _the_police_. Now, I don't actually expect much from them any more. The kid who came by and took our robbery report was nice. But then, I drive a fair bit for work and the number of traffic violations they pull is pretty bad sign. Remember when NYC did the "not a real crime so we aren't in actual danger" campaign. Giving out tickets for broken windows and tasteless door knobs. The idea was "stop the small stuff and the big stuff will vanish." Well, if the cops are doing the small stuff....

SIDE NOTE: I used to go "Wait, I'm not sure what is and isn't OK here." Well, looking to a cop for a good example isn't an option. Do what the cops are doing and there could well be a ticket involved.

Sacred oath. The cream of the crop. The best of the litter. The few the proud the... whoops. Anyway, these are people to hold to a HIGHER standard. If out in the neighbourhoods there's only a few normal people being bad apples then the number of cops being bad apples should be FAR SMALLER than "a few".

One fears (suspects) that the problem is not an exception but rather inherent.