Hurricane Katrina

[Kitiara]

They need to get some dutchmen over to teach them how to put their fingers into the holes in dykes!

That is no longer a good and decent phrase to speak in public.

  Political Correctness annoys me.

Back to topic:  Reg, I hope you are safe. Get back in touch when you can.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Apologies, it really never occurred to me!  Maybe it's because I would never dream of using that term for a lesbian in the first place!

[Kitiara]

Not a problem to me, but some may have had one. I wouldn't use it either. I have had friends who referred to themselves that way (which always seemed weird). It is just one of many perfectly fine words I have had to expunge from my vocabulary because new definitions make the old ones impossible to use. Never know when people will be offended accidentally. For the record, I took no offense at your statement, and knew how it was meant, but noticed the double entendre and thought you might like to be informed of a possible miscommunication.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Oh well, poor Peter the little Dutch boy will have to save his village some other way!

(And if you happened to live in or near the Fens, I'm afraid you have no choice but to use the word in its intended sense!  There is no other that will fit the bill. I do wish people would stop hijacking words for their own particular use - if you want a new word, what's wrong with inventing one?)

[gali]

When I was a little girl, I read a book named "The Heart" from D'Amichis, and there was a little boy who puts his fingers in the hole of the leaking wall, and saves  the town from flood. It was heroic scene, although far from being real. But I liked the scene, and remember it till today.... I didn't know that there is a Duch boy too....

Kitiara, I don't think ZZ meant to offend somebody, or to laugh at the suffer of others. But when somebody mention "flood" - this is the first conotation you make..., if you have read the book.

We all are concerned about the hurican and the many people who suddenly became homeless. It's terrible that the human race didn't overcome the Nature, in spite of all the inventions of the 21th century.

May be indeed we need a little boy to put his finger in the wall's hole....

[Kitiara]

Kitiara, I don't think ZZ meant to offend somebody, or to laugh at the suffer of others. But when somebody mention "flood" - this is the first conotation you make..., if you have read the book.

Not a problem to me, but some may have had one. I wouldn't use it either. I have had friends who referred to themselves that way (which always seemed weird). It is just one of many perfectly fine words I have had to expunge from my vocabulary because new definitions make the old ones impossible to use. Never know when people will be offended accidentally. For the record, I took no offense at your statement, and knew how it was meant, but noticed the double entendre and thought you might like to be informed of a possible miscommunication.

I thought that meaning was clear. I was just pointing out a possible interpretation.
This side discussion has gone on too long. I think next time I'll just keep my big mouth shut.

[ZephyrZodiac]

Well, anyway, to return to New Orleans and other places which suffer from flooding, parts of the UK among them, most problems could be avoided by not building on flood plains!  With old, historical areas like NO it's understandable that a) people then were more concerned about easy access to the sea, and b) the sea levels weren't quite so high as they are now, but with areas which were until recently just farmland and have now been bought up and used for housing, it's just plain stupidity!  The British need to accept, like most other people in the world, that unless you have quite a high income, you can't expect a semi-detached or detached house with a large garden and should settle for apartment buildings in more crowded areas!  And the government needs to legislate more forcefully in these kind of matters so builders have to build the kind of housing which is necessary rather than that which people want.

[lindaetterlee]

Anyone Heard from Reg?

I am from Alexandria La.  We only received rain and wind but new orleans is devistated. In our city there are over 5000+ refugees staying in selters, not including those staying ith relatives. A normally small and borring town is suddenly quite larger.

Honestly being from here, i can not imagine rebuilding a city a large as new orleans.  Is anyone else on here from LA or MS?


LINDA

[Sandilou]

I watched the footage on Sky News and then on Fox News; the situation looks horrendous.  I pity everyone involved there at the moment.  A clean up campaign doesn't even look possible for now.  Hope Reggi is ok and has a dry, solid home to return to.

[J. M. Pescado]

Meh, there *IS* no New Orleans anymore. If they're going to build something there, hopefully they'll have the sense to build it PROPERLY this time so it is not DESTROYED every other year. Why don't people ever learn?

In any case, at the moment, apparently, New Orleans no longer exists, and is now a giant ruin full of looters and rioting. It even sounds fun now!

Definitely an improvement, I'd say.

[laeshanin]

Well, I hope Reg is is fine and the pc has survived. Sounds like it was a real bitch.

We did have a hurricane in Birmingham (UK) about a month ago which was pretty awesome and left a lot of damage in its wake. Apparently, Blighty has a lot of hurricanes but they don't amount to more than a damp fizzing, and something with more destructive power is rarer than rocking horse shit.

I do not talk to meteorolgists unless necessary as too much time in their company makes me lose the will to live...

[ZephyrZodiac]

The tail ends of hurricanes often do their fizzling out along the south coast, I think.  I believe they sort of follow the gulf Stream across the Pond!

[reggikko]

Meh, there *IS* no New Orleans anymore. If they're going to build something there, hopefully they'll have the sense to build it PROPERLY this time so it is not DESTROYED every other year. Why don't people ever learn?

In any case, at the moment, apparently, New Orleans no longer exists, and is now a giant ruin full of looters and rioting. It even sounds fun now!

Definitely an improvement, I'd say.

Yes, I am quite alive and safe near Shreveport, LA. Pescado, New Orleans most certainly does still exist and WILL be back. You don't know how tough and stubborn people are down here. As to the fucking scum looters, they will surely get theirs. AND for the record, New Orleans has NEVER, EVER been destroyed by a hurricane and it won't be this time. Damaged, yes. We would never allow our city to be destroyed. We're not made to give up, ever.

I do want to emphasize something on the looting situation. This is being carried out by a very small faction of urban project dwellers. For the most part, most people in New Orleans, black or white, would never dream of behaving in such a cowardly and despicable manner.

BTW, all indications are that my house is intact with no water damage. My best friend is still in the city and I have no idea whether she is alive or dead. I don't know if all of my family got out. Thousands of people have likely died. I realize that the spirit of MATY is very irreverent, but I simply won't be able to bring myself to return here and read smart-ass comments. Pescado, I know it's your way, but I'm asking you to please not make light of this situation. It's a nightmare for those of us who live down here. It's a horror that I've never before experienced and I hope never to in the future.


Anyway, I just wanted to let anyone who was wondering that I and my immediate family are safe. I have no idea when we may be able to return home. Anyone who would like to email me may do so at justmeinla@cox.net.

[RainbowTigress]

I am so glad to hear you are safe, reggikko.  I was actually concerned about you today as I watched the goings on in New Orleans on TV.  The gas stations here are price gouging and everyone is crowding into them trying to fill up.  One station closed down because they ran out of gas.  But this is nothing compared to what you all are going through.  I'm glad you are ok, and please know that there are some of us here that genuinely care.  **Hugs** if you want them.

[cabelle]

I'm also relieved to hear that you are safe, reggikko and that your house is ok (as I'm sure many others here are too). I've been watching the news and I'm just heartsick at all of the devastation throughout entire the gulf area. I asked my daughters' vice principal today if we can set up a donation can for Red Cross in the office like we did for the victims of the tsunami. She needed to clear it with the principal first but was sure it wouldn't be a problem so it should be set to start tomorrow. And from what I hear on the local news you can count on as much help from Northern CA as we can muster. You will not weather this alone, I promise you. *hugs*

You'll continue to be in my thoughts and I hope you'll soon receive good news about your friends and family that you haven't been able to get in contact with yet.

[Jaayar]

Reggikko!
You have been in my thoughts for the last few days and I am so glad to hear from you and that you escaped the worst of the devastation.
One of the news bulletins here, in the UK, suggested that the majority of the looters were doing it out of need rather than greed. If this is true, then I can understand why they are doing it because I suppose that if I had a hungry family to feed, I would do it any way I knew how.
I hope and pray that all your friends and relations are alive and well.
BTW, how are you enjoying life without the Sims?

[witch]

good to see you back online reggikko! I've been following the news too, it somehow makes it personal when you know of someone directly affected by disaster.

We had bad floods and landslips here last summer, that was only mild compared to the hurricane, but still distressing to the community involved.

I hope it's not too long till you are settled back in your own home, good it's OK.

blessed be

[Katze]

I'm glad you save thought about you for the last few days, when you see the devastation on TV you wonder how anyone can escape that, but the human spirit is really resilient,  I know they will rebuild that city again and make it stronger.
We don't have to deal with hurricanes up here in Canada, I can't imagine going through that.

[ZephyrZodiac]

I think really there's no truly safe place anywhere when it comes to weather!  But some places definitely get larger doses, and all at once, which makes it much harder to deal with.

And unless something is done to stop the rise in sea levels, I'm afraid it will get worse, not better.

Like everyone else, I'm glad you are safe and well, Reggikko, and I hope you've had good news about your friends and family still in the city.

[Kitiara]

I think everyone else already said it all, but I just wanted to state that I, too, am very happy to hear that you are safe. Stay well.

[Brynne]

Add me to the list, Reg! Very relieved to hear from you.
It's such a tragic situation and I'm pulling for you and all of the New Orleans area. This is so unreal.

[ElviraGoth]

Ditto to what everyone else said, reg.  Was hoping you grabbed a computer so we'd hear from you when you had a chance.  Have been thinking about you all week, hoping you'd gotten far enough out of town and wondering what you were going to have left at home to go back to.  The traffic lines they showed on tv that were heading out of town made me think that a lot of people probably were going to get stuck on the highway.  Glad you got out early enough to be safe.

Hope you hear soon about your loved ones.  A coworker of mine has a boyfriend whose son is in Baton Rouge and he (boyfriend) hasn't been able to reach the boy to find out how he's doing, either.  It's unbelievable how much damage there is there.  May whatever Supreme Being you pray to (or not) be with you and yours.

[Renatus]

I'm really glad that you're okay, reggikko.

[J. M. Pescado]

I'm glad you save thought about you for the last few days, when you see the devastation on TV you wonder how anyone can escape that, but the human spirit is really resilient,  I know they will rebuild that city again and make it stronger.

I don't call that "spirit", I call that "stupidity". I mean, look at Florida. This shit happens EVERY FRIKKEN YEAR. The entire state is razed to the ground practically on a yearly basis, but they never learn and always build the same crappy buildings and wonder why they all sink into the sea every year. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Then again, how much do you expect from people who have problems operating a voting machine, anyway?

These people live in willful denial of the obvious fact that anything that happens once happens ALL the time, and you should plan accordingly. Remember: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Reggikko may have lucked out this time, but that doesn't mean she should get complacent. Start installing that pressure dome right now.

[Marvin Kosh]

It's vaguely reminiscent of the kid's story about the three little pigs.