ACoE Negligence Caused Katrina Flood

It's been called a conspiracy to blame the Corps rather than the storm for the flooding, but after 4 years of painstaking research into Corps documents NOLA residents have been vindicated. This got a lot of air-play today. Rightly so.

From the AP:

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain a navigation channel led to massive flooding in Hurricane Katrina.

U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval sided with five residents and one business who argued the Army Corps' shoddy oversight of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet led to the flooding of New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward and neighboring St. Bernard Parish. He said, however, the corps couldn't be held liable for the flooding of eastern New Orleans, where one of the plaintiffs lived.

Duval awarded the plaintiffs $720,000, or about $170,000 each, but the decision could eventually make the government vulnerable to a much larger payout. The ruling should give more than 100,000 other individuals, businesses and government entities a better shot at claiming billions of dollars in damages.

Joe Bruno, one of the lead plaintiffs lawyer, said the ruling underscored the Army Corps' long history of failure to properly protect the New Orleans region.

"It's high time we look at the way these guys do business and do a full re-evaluation of the way it does business," Bruno said.

I am sure the ACoE (Army Corps of Engineers) will appeal the ruling. They owned up (a little) in a NY Times story two years ago, but wouldn't take full responsibility on their own. The Corps could have done the job right and none of this - especially the flooding - would have happened. People would have homes and communities today.

This could be very expensive for the Feds. Next move is theirs. At least the truth is out now and cannot be buried anymore.

Now, to honour of the city of my birth I am about to indulge in a Sazerac cocktail to celebrate this long-over-due court ruling. Cheers!

And so it goes.
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It's All Over...Except It's Not!

So, Nor-Ida blew through and headed west and north respectively. The Severe Weather Alert issued Saturday afternoon was right on the money. As the winds died down to a breeze the ocean was anything but calm. The waves remained between 4 and 5 ft high well into Sunday, as predicted, making high tides dangerous and unpleasant.

The inconvenience finally ended when the coastal highway was reopened Monday afternoon. Some folks are having to cope with the debris and clean up as the waters recede, while others were unable to return to their homes until today.

The backyard here is covered in marsh grasses and other stuff pushed up from the high winds and tides. It stinks and will probably take another day or two to dry out so it can be removed.

I took a drive through some of the reopened communities and back roads this morning before work and was amazed at the depth of the water still present. I never thought some of these towns would have been at such risk, but now I know why they were evacuated so quickly. Not a pretty picture.

The weather has been beautiful since Sunday, but rain is in the forecast for Thursday so the area is enjoying a brief sigh of relief. Everybody has stories to tell and pictures to share showing what they coped with and are taking it all in stride with good humor. Well, what else can one do? You put on your big girl panties and DEAL!

Interestingly enough, friends in Louisiana and Mississippi wrote to tell me that they received virtually NO rain or winds from Ida before she moved northeast. They were shocked by the pictures I posted and told me it reminded them more of a hurricane than a nor'easter. I must say, at times it felt like a mild hurricane, bringing back many memories from childhood.

The really sad news is that a few beachfront homes were lost (no life lost) and three fishermen have been missing since just before the storms hit.

I talked with some "old timers" today and they said this one was the worst in over a decade, and that the combination of the two storms was the worst they could remember. Always listen to a waterman. That's enough for me.

It's cocktail time. Cheers!

And so it goes.
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Prejean, Obama, Dobbs, and Palin

From CNN (Cajun Nutworld News)

To lighten things up a bit as the tides rise once again. What a week of mostly stoopid self-promotion and sad news.

Carrie Prejean (fake tits and phony christianist) actually made 8 "biggest mistake" solo sex tapes. After her non-storm-off, OK removing the mic and earpiece then remaining seated in front of the camera like a vase of tainted flowers, of the Larry King show, apparently coached by her trainers, I mean handlers, the "inappropriate" behavior seems to have been all hers. Well, the folks at Vivid-Celeb Entertainment (porn) are drooling to sign her up and make her a star.

President Obama had the nerve to show his face at the ceremonies for the dead and wounded at Fort Hood. He even gave a speech. Dubya wouldn't go to such extremes. No sir, he would have done a fly-over to express his concern. That Obama ain't no real American! As a Republican friend has said, bless his demented heart, "That man is too smart to be a President, so he'll become a dictator." Like I said, bless his demented conspiracy theory heart.

Lou Dobbs (appropriately dressed in sack cloth and ashes) finally suffered enough harassment from illegal (and legal) immigrants, and left that other CNN. Now stop those cheers. He'll probably start his new show at FOX in 3.. 2.. 1.. What else is an elderly bigot to do? Move to Mexico? Well, life is cheaper there - in every sense of the word.

Sarah (moose tracks) Palin's new book comes out soon. She's taking it on the road to towns with 4 or 5 traffic lights; keeping it low key, dontcha know, so as not to be badgered about the many discrepancies already uncovered by world news organizations and other media. YouTube and the blogs - especially The Mudflats - will have a field day. Pass the popcorn.

That's all I got here. I'm tired of bad news, bad weather, and being wet. Besides...It's Happy Hour!

And so it goes.
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New: Severe Weather Alert

More? Again? Yes! It ain't over yet.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A COASTAL FLOOD WARNING FOR DORCHESTER, WICOMICO, AND SOMERSET UNTIL 6 PM. A COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR QUEEN ANNE'S, TALBOT, AND CAROLINE UNTIL 7 PM, FOR INLAND SUSSEX AND THE DELAWARE BEACHES UNTIL 11 AM SUNDAY, AND FOR WORCESTER AND ACCOMACK UNTIL 12 PM SUNDAY....STAY TUNED TO WBOC AND WBOC.COM FOR UPDATES.

Unfortunately, I am unable to receive local channels with the DISH network.

Image from 11/12 on Rehoboth beach facing north with the Henlopen Hotel is the background.

h/t redwaterlily

More later.
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Nicknamed "NORITA" - Almost Over...

But the clean-up will have to wait until the flood waters recede. I am fine, but the entire area is not. Won't be for a while, either. (Click the image to embiggen.) We're still under a State of Emergency.

Many towns were evacuated and remained so at 9 am. There are downed trees and limbs scattered about. A few houses were lost to the ocean, more than a few lost to the bay, and abandoned cars on flooded roadways. The roadways were ordered closed, but you know the stoopid takes the low road (no pun intended) and a few numbnuts choose to go where they clearly shouldn't - they did - almost.

The restaurant was full of evacuees Thursday night for dinner and yesterday for lunch. The 60+ mph wind gusts couldn't keep them away. They shared stories, consoling one another, sipping coffee or margaritas and grateful to be around other folks. Some people weren't ordered to leave until the water was already knee-high; that's when panic set in. Only those with high-riding SUVs could get out. And they took others with them. I am sure there will be more stories like these as time passes.

BTW, this was not merely the remnants of Ida, but a one-two punch. Ida dropped lots of water and moderate winds - and moved north overnight Wednesday. What we were dealing with the last 2 days was a dangerous Nor'easter coming in off the ocean. No breathing space...That is what created such pandemonium. The winds howled and grew increasingly stronger. Friday was a struggle against sustained winds of 37 mph, gusting to 60+ mph. Today I learned that the combined storms have been given a nickname = NORIDA! It certainly fits.

No after shift cocktail yesterday, just anxious to get to the apartment, if possible. I almost didn't make it to due to the overflow from the marshes through a low spot in the road making its way to a pond on the other side. And it wasn't high tide yet. It was 4:15 pm, high tide was at 5:50 pm. I drove very slowly and prayed a lot that I wouldn't get stuck. I didn't. Exhausted and tired of being wet and tired. Hung the work drag in the tub to dry, threw on sweats, made a desperately needed cocktail, didn't bother to consider cooking supper until after a second cocktail.

The final dangerous high tide - 4 ft. above normal, according to NOAA - is receding (water was high onto the back yard lawn) and the debris is thick. It will have to dry before being removed.

Winds have calmed down, as a light rain continues to fall. I am staying put today. It will take at least 24 hours for my bones, and clothes, to dry.

More photos here. The most recent are displayed first. Click through to view older shots. Above is the Boardwalk Plaza Hotel on Thursday before the full impact of the nor'easter hit a day later. Our recently replenished beach is all but gone.

It's going to be a long winter. Is it 5 o'clock yet?

More later.
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Update: More than 50 roads in Kent and Sussex counties are closed or have high water from coastal flooding this morning, the Delaware Department of Transportation reports. Story and list of roads HERE.

h/t Redwaterlily

Caturday - High Water Edition

And there is more than enough of it!

More later.

Katrina Recovery: Obama Administration Actually Helping

You may remember that Rep. Cao, a Republican from Louisiana, was the only Republican to vote for the Health Care Reform Bill. As if that didn't get him into enough trouble with party leaders, now there's this from Think Progress:

Last month, President Obama visited New Orleans for the first time since taking office and touted his administration’s focus on assisting the area’s still on-going recovery effort four years after Hurricane Katrina. “I’m pleased to report that we’ve made good progress,” he said. “We’ve got a long way to go, but we’ve made progress.”

But conservatives such as Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) criticized Obama’s visit calling it a “drive-through daiquiri summit,” while others “criticized the president for not touring the battered wetlands.”

Yesterday during an interview with Rep. Joseph Cao (R-LA) — the lone Republican to vote for the House health care bill last week — Washington Times radio channeled the GOP criticism. “He didn’t even stick around very long during his trip,” the host said. But Cao defended what the administration has done for the area:

CAO: Well, I just want to set the record straight, that even though the President only visited New Orleans once since his election, it was a brief stay, but this administration has been tremendous for the people of the 2nd district. Secretary Napolitano has been down here three or four times, the secretary of HUD, the secretary of Education, they have been down here numerous times. [...]

So I guess for me, it’s not that important to have the visit of the President, its much more important for me that I have a good working relationship with the administration and have the commitment…from the administration to push all the recovery issues of the 2nd District forward and they have been doing that in the last 9 months.

Paul Rainwater, the executive director of the state-run Louisiana Recovery Authority, agrees with Cao’s approach. “I would say it’s more important to have your cabinet secretaries down here,” he said last month. Indeed, the White House said there were 22 visits by senior administration officials to the area from March to August, 13 of them by cabinet secretaries.

Nine months into the Obama Administration there have been many visits and meetings helping to move recovery forward. Four years of Bush paying lip service to NOLA didn't get much of anything positive accomplished. His promises were hollow; most of his rhetoric were lies.

Listen here:

And so it goes.

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Atlantic Assault

That's what this update is all about.

National Weather Service offered the title which couldn't be more on the mark, and just broadcast a warning for the Atlantic coast from Virginia to New Jersey through tonight and into Friday evening.

High tide tomorrow morning will be the highest of this storm. We can expect winds reaching 60 mph as the storm slowly moves west - very slowly - too slowly.

NOAA Warnings are HERE.

The lights just flickered. I'm off this thing.

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Another Dark and Stormy Night

I wish Snoopy was here to keep me warm and dance with me.

This is night #3 and there is no let up in either wind or rain. Many back roads (including the road to my apartment) are under water in places and the beaches are in serious trouble. The high tide this evening has brought the marshes up onto the back lawn. The winds have been gusting at higher speeds than the previous days and there are tree limbs everywhere.

I've lost power twice so far, which isn't fun when everything here needs juice to function. The power went out sometime overnight and I woke up cold and achy thanks to the arthritis, unable to enjoy a hot shower and shave. Left for work early so I could at least keep warm. Unless, of course, the power went out in the entire area.

I've just arrived from work at job #1 where I had to keep the door locked all day because the wind kept blowing it open causing the alarm to go off every few minutes. Besides, no one in their right mind was out shopping today. My work drag is drip drying in the bathtub and I am more than ready for a festive cocktail.

Tonight, I've got plenty of candles and am heating up some turkey chili from the freezer - just in case - ah, comfort food. I just heard the weather report and the winds are gusting up to 50 mph, that's near hurricane force. I knew they were stronger than yesterday, but had no idea they were that strong. With such rain and winds there is no satellite signal, so I can't watch the Weather Channel for updates.

The remains of Ida are suppose to linger until sometime on Saturday. The day at job #2 tomorrow should prove interesting. The restaurant is 2 blocks from the Atlantic.

I guess I'll just hunker down with a blanket, cocktail, and a movie and pray the power doesn't go off again.

And so it goes.
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Cole Porter + Lisa Stansfield = A Classic

After almost 20 years this video still holds up well. It was part of a special TV concert with a focus on AIDS titled "Red, Hot, and Blue" and while it aired in the US, many performances were cut from that version. Happily, this stunningly orchestrated number wasn't one of them. One of my fave Porter tunes. Cole Porter's "Down in the Depths":

The concert videos featured Annie Lennox, k.d. lang, U2, Aaron Neville, and many others. Check it out.

And so it goes.
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Don't Ask, Don't Give: A Boycott

John and Joe over at AMERICAblog launched this boycott earlier today. The cosponsors are some of the best around. It seems the effort is being picked up by (gasp!) traditional media outlets. Yeah, shocking, I know. Here's the deal.

Earlier today, we launched "Don't Ask, Don't Give," a donor boycott of the DNC:

Joe and I are launching today a donor boycott of the DNC. The boycott is cosponsored by Daily Kos, Jane Hamsher of FireDogLake, Dan Savage, Michelangelo Signorile, David Mixner, Andy Towle and Michael Goff of Towle Road, Paul Sousa (Founder of Equal Rep in Boston), Pam Spaulding, Robin Tyler (ED of the Equality Campaign, Inc.), Bil Browning for the Bilerico Project, and soon others.

Since the post went up, we've received coverage across the spectrum of media. Kerry Eleveld wrote a great piece at The Advocate. Ben Smith picked up it up, as did Atlantic Online.

Salon reported on the issue:

The tensions between the LGBT community and the administration have been constantly bubbling under the surface, and at times there have been open battles. Though the White House made some moves to at least quiet the most public of those fights, they've still been unable to bring the gay activists who'd normally be a solid base of support back into the fold.

Now, the fighting's back out in the open, as two prominent gay bloggers -- John Aravosis, who's previously written for Salon, and Joe Sudbay of Americablog -- have announced that they're organizing what they're calling a temporary donor boycott of the Democratic National Committee. Joined by another high-profile figure in the movement, Michelangelo Signorile, they're asking people not to donate "until the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is passed, Don’t Ask Don’t Tell (DADT) is repealed, and the so-called Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is repealed."

It will be interesting to see how the White House responds, if at all. And it will also be interesting -- and instructive -- to see how members of the LGBT community, and voters of all kinds, respond. The gay organizations haven't been at the forefront of the opposition to Obama; instead, it's been people like Aravosis and Signorile leading the charge. Success now might help them further supplant the traditional power structure in the community.

The best response from the White House would be to work on passage of ENDA and the repeal of DADT and DOMA. It was, after all, what Obama promised.

We'll have more later...including the blog reaction.

I can get behind this one. I've not gotten any response from my senator, Tom Carper, regarding his recent voting record on many issues, so I am ready for some belt-tightening at the DNC. Are they? Follow the link and sign the petition.

Check out the blog for updates.

More later.
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TWTWTW

If you don't remember that title, it's OK, I am old. "That Was The Week That Was" (also known as TW3) was the title of a British TV show - long ago in a galaxy far away - with David Frost and some of the best (though virtually unknown in the US) writers in the UK.

Anyhoo, it seemed appropriate for this post because it has been one mad whirlwind week here. Averaging 11-hour workdays Sunday thru Thursday was exhausting. Finally got a break yesterday after only 7 hours so I had enough energy to cook myself a nice supper and listen to music a bit.

Job #1 was more boring than ever this week. For 2 consecutive days no one entered the store. I had plenty of time to type up appraisals, fix the printer, print appraisals, and watch the ancient fax machine heave it's last sigh. Then on the third day a few people came in and actually purchased a few baubles from me.

Tuesday was a long day. Doing laundry at 6 am, quick grocery shopping at 8:30, then off to work by 10. Lunch business at job #2 has diminished a bit, too. Tuesday was especially slow and boring. I thought I broke the waterfall in the entryway; a false alarm. I was asked to work a few extra hours into the evening because the boss had a bunch of loose ends that needed tying up before he could relieve me. The dinner crowd really picked me up. Between 5 and 7 pm (when I finally left) the place was hopping; every booth was occupied and the front tables by the glass doors were full of large, happy parties of 6 or 8. It was exciting, but tiring. I didn't even have enough energy to sit and enjoy an after-shift cocktail. It probably would have made me sleepy, anyway. Just wanted to come home and crash. Did I mention that Tuesday was a long day?

Sill, there was a memorable bright spot that I will have fun with for months to come. Believe it or not, since I began working at job #2 in April, last Wednesday was the first day I worked with an all hetero - all male - staff and it was truly bizarre, to put it mildly. More testosterone in the air (and crotches) than a locker room. Talk about young horney toads! No, don't. It ain't pretty.

Well, you can imagine their surprise when 2 very butch, very ugly cross-dressers arrived for lunch. They were not flamboyant but dressed tastefully for an afternoon lunch. The waiters were scared to death and no one wanted to serve the two well dressed, but oh-so-homely customers. I put an end to the debate by allowing two servers to handle the table. I suppose they thought there was safety in numbers. I mean, what did they think was going to happen? It was great fun.

When one of the servers smiled nervously and said, "Hi guys, would you like to start off with a cocktail?" the uglier of the two leaned into the servers' space and in a stage whisper said, "That's 'ladies' dear, and I believe we would like two margaritas." The servers turned bright red before stumbling over each other to get to the bar, or just as far away from that table as possible in the shortest amount of time. The diners were clearly thrilled that two handsome young men, instead of one, would be taking care of their dining experience. I. Love. My. Job.

It was priceless to watch these macho men bitch-slapped into little boys by two guys in drag. I laughed for the 2 hours the couple enjoyed many margaritas and fajitas; noting the looks of terror from the servers as the diners' voices grew deeper with each margarita. None of the other diners batted an eye or ran screaming from the room, but the servers were near combustion as the two helped one another with coat and shawl and left the building. The boys rushed to the front windows in time to see the two walking (staggering?) across the avenue arm-in-arm. I said, "This is Rehoboth, fercrissakes, you acted like you've never seen a guy in a dress before." One server said in low tones, "oh, I've seen them, just never had to wait on them or be close to them before." I shook my head and walked away. And they call me queer! Needless to say, they were quiet until the end of the shift.

Friday's lunch business was busier and great fun - with no drag queans. As mentioned above, it was also a short workday. So, before heading back to the apartment I enjoyed an after-shift cocktail entertained by the bartenders bickering and bitching like two old married queans. Well, they are queans, but not married, at least not to each other. They reminded me of The Bickersons of yesteryear. Their routine set me laughing and after a week of leftovers I was in the mood for a fresh, home made meal last night.

After slipping out of work clothes, sipping a festive martini, I set to work. Supper consisted of roasted chicken breast stuffed with asparagus, cheese, and diced salami. On a bed of buttered rice with a salad on the side. Heaven!

Another bonus was going into work later than usual this morning. It's a three-day weekend which meant the town is full again and it was believed that 3 of us would be needed at the store. We weren't, so only working 4 hours has made my day. I am free to get inspired by a recipe for a pork shoulder roast; one that will freeze well, for multiple meals. Any ideas? Leave a comment and I'll give it a shot.

And so it goes.
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Trailer: My Dog Tulip

I want to see this film. The animation is brilliant and the story, a classic. Here's a bit of background from Band of Thebes:

At prep school Joe Ackerley was so extremely good looking he was nicknamed Girlie, and decades later he named the love of his life, his Alsatian, Queenie. So why is his classic book called My Dog Tulip? Because the editors of the magazine that bought first-serial rights worried that Queenie would inspire jokes about Ackerley's homosexuality and they insisted he change her name. Other revisions went the right way. In 1952 (after his parents' deaths) he rewrote and expanded his 1932 memoir Hindoo Holiday to be more open about gay exploits in India. Earlier he had served in two tours of duty in WWI, including two serious injuries, nearly two years as a prisoner of war, and surviving the death of his older brother who had been their father's favorite. Later, he became editor of the BBC magazine The Listener, where he could promote the works of many nascent gay writers including Auden, Isherwood, Larkin, King, and Spender.

There's no telling when (if) this film will play in the area. Here's the trailer.

h/t Band of Thebes
More later.
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Caturday at the Movies

More later.

Election 2009, and What?

So, there were good things and not so good things to come out of this election cycle. To me, the worst of the worst were the dumbass 'pundits' mouthing their usual drivel, gazing into their crystal balls, making dire pronouncements but seemingly unable to respond to a direct question with a straight forward answer.

Same idiots, different election (not to be confused with this blog's header). Why do the networks give these people a forum? They haven't visited the real world in many election cycles, so why bother.

And to drag Douglas Feith ("the fucking stupidest guy on the face of the Earth") out of his troll cave to air his insipid views was like urine in the snow. After all, the schmuck was canned by Georgetown University for his blabbery and make-it-up-as-you-go-along tactics leading us into Iraq.

I watched as much as I could stand until I began to feel like Malcolm McDowell in Clockwork Orange viewing all those horrid films - eyes locked open. I had an insatible desire to pour bleach in my eyes. I shook it off, changed channels to something frivilous, had a dish of ice cream, brushed teeth and went to bed.

It's important to realize that the Maine "YES 0n 1" campaign was lavishly fundied by the Roman Catholic Church who were clearly successful in scaring the bejeesus out of voters, much like the rightwing Repubs are attempting to frighten everyone about the Health Care Plan and Public Option.

It is my opinion that we need more educated, enlightened voters to spur us into the 21st century mindset. Well, I can dream, can't I? However, with the garbage being spoon fed to the electorate by the media and pundits, I fear there is little hope. Maybe the next generation, if we can wait that long.

What did we expect from an election day that took place during a full moon? Class? Anyone?

Never mind.

And so it goes.
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