I laughed so hard, I nearly peed myself

Yeah, yeah. I'll get to the serious post about Mississippi in a moment. Or something, First, I want to send you to this site, which you've probably already seen, as you're a LotR fan, too, and win at the internets, like, ALL THE TIME, whereas I am the PERENIAL LOSER. Still, it is sehr amusing, Dear Reader. Click-click!

It's Banned Book Week

Go read something that would piss someone in authority off. I suggest something from the list of banned books which can be found at this site.

Attention, Octopuses

You've seen and are fully aware of this, correct? No, it is not an octopus, but I do believe giant squid is on your list of demigods, neh?

"Two Americas" by John Edwards

Um, before I get to the post on the 1927 flood, I wanted to post this, which was in an e-mail I received on the second of this month. I wanted to post it then, but I kept getting distracted.

The incompetance of the DNC in forcing this man to the sidelines and shutting him up during the campaign was unbelievable. I'm really hoping that Dean can scour out the nimrods who keep good men like Edwards from speaking their minds in order to become more like the Republicans in power.

At any rate, on to the e-mail, which is eloquent. Please do read.

Dear [Sugar Kat],

During the campaign of 2004, I spoke often of the two Americas: the America of the privileged and the wealthy, and the America of those who lived from paycheck to paycheck. I spoke of the difference in the schools, the difference in the loan rates, the difference in opportunity. All of that pales today. Today - and for many days and weeks and months to follow - we see a harsher example of two Americas. We see the poor and working class of New Orleans who don't own a car and couldn't evacuate to hotels or families far from the target of Katrina. We see the suffering of families who lived from paycheck to paycheck and who followed the advice of officials and went to shelters at the Civic Center or the Superdome or stayed home to protect their possessions.

Now every single resident of New Orleans, regardless of their wealth or status, will have terrible losses and life-altering experiences. Every single resident will know and care about someone who was lost to this hurricane. But some, ranging from the very poorest to the working class unable to accumulate a cushion of assets to rely upon on a very, very rainy day, will suffer the most because they simply didn't have the means to evacuate. They suffered the most from Katrina because they always suffer the most.

These are Americans some of whom who left everything they possessed behind in order to save those they loved. These are Americans huddled with their children or pushing a wheelchair between rows of those too beaten or weak to stand. In this moment, we have to remember they are part of us, Americans who love their country and are part of our national community. In this moment, it is hard because our hair is clean and our clothes are washed and our eyes are not glazed with hopelessness. But these are our brothers and sisters, and we have to remember this not just for them, but for us. We must finally recognize that when any of us suffer, we are all weaker; it affects us all.

Commentators on television have expressed surprise, saying they think that most people didn't know there was such poverty in America. Thirty-seven million Americans live in poverty, most of them are the working poor, but it is clear that they have been invisible. But if these commentators are right, this tragedy can have a great influence, if we listen to its message.

The people most devastated have always lived on a razor blade, afraid of any setback, any illness, any job loss that could disrupt the fragile balance they achieved paycheck to paycheck. They didn't leave New Orleans because they couldn't leave. Some didn't leave their homes because they wanted to protect the hard-won possessions that made their lives a little easier.

The government released new poverty statistics this week. The number of Americans living in poverty rose again last year. Thirteen million children -- nearly one in every five -- lives in poverty. Close to 25 percent of all African Americans live in poverty. Twenty-three percent of the population in New Orleans lives in poverty. Those are chilling numbers. Because of Katrina, we have now seen many of the faces behind those numbers.

Poverty exists everywhere in America. It is in Detroit and El Paso. It is in Omaha, Nebraska and Stockton, California. It is in rural towns like Chillicothe, Ohio and Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Nearly half of the children in Detroit, Atlanta and Long Beach, California live in poverty. It doesn't have to be this way. We can begin embracing policies that offer opportunity, reward responsibility, and assume the dignity of each American.

There are immediate needs in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, and the first priority is meeting those, but after that, we need to think about the American community, about the one America we think we are, the one we talk about. We need people to feel more than sympathy with the victims, we need them to feel empathy with our national community that includes the poor. We have missed opportunities to make certain that all Americans would be more than huddled masses. We have been too slow to act in the face in the misery of our brothers and sisters. This is an ugly and horrifying wake-up call to America. Let us pray we answer this call. Now is the time to act.

- John

Look it up in your Funk & Wagnall's

Generally, when my grevious ignorance of legal terms and concepts raises its ugly head, I was able to send off an e-mail to my brother, who would send back a pithy and helpful response. Unfortunately for me, my brother was promoted and moved to civil law from habeas corpus, so he has absolutely no time to repair my faulty education. This is not good, as there are some points I'm a little fuzzy on which were discussed during the Roberts hearings. Rather, they were raised by the senators of the committee and Roberts dodged and weaved like a legal Casius Clay, only without the punching. Ah! I thought. I shall have to look it up in my Funk & Wagnall's! Unfortunately, I don't have my own copy of the venerable dictionary and I don't know where Mom put hers, so, off to Wikipedia! I post the following to help those who may not have a law degree and were also listening to the hearings.

Stare decisis: Stare decisis (Latin:[?stare? ?dekisis], Anglicisation:[?sta??i d??sa?s?s], 'to stand by things decided') is a Latin legal term, used in common law to express the notion that prior court decisions must be recognized as precedents, according to case law.

This doctrine is not held within most civil law jurisdictions as it is argued that this principle interferes with the right of judges to interpret law and the right of the legislature to make law. Most such systems, however, recognize the concept of jurisprudence constante, which argues that even though judges are independent, they should rule in a predictable and non-chaotic manner. Therefore, judges' right to interpret law does not preclude the adoption of a small number of selected binding case laws."

Habeas corpus: "In English Common Law habeas corpus is the name of several writs which may be issued by a judge ordering a prisoner to be brought before the court. More commonly, the name refers to a specific writ known in full as habeas corpus ad subjiciendum, a prerogative writ ordering that a prisoner be brought to the court so it can be determined whether or not he is being imprisoned lawfully.

The words habeas corpus ad subjiciendum are Latin for 'You (shall) have/hold the body to be subjected to (examination)', and are taken from the opening words of the writ in medieval times. Other habeas corpus writs also existed, e.g. habeas corpus ad testificandum ('You (shall) have/hold the body to bear witness', for the production of a prisoner to give evidence in court.

Known as the 'Great Writ', the writ of habeas corpus ad subjiciendum could formerly be used not only in criminal cases, but in cases of imprisonment for private debt. In many jurisdictions today the writ can also be issued against private individuals."

Other Latin legal terms can be found here, which is a useful resource for the lay person trying to follow some of the denser discussion at the hearings. It's your country, it's your laws, it's your Constitution. You should be able to understand what the people who represent you are saying when they discuss them.

Coming Up Next... A posting on the Mississippi flood of 1927 which you may find certain events during the aftermath to be eerily familiar.

Whee!

I believe, on the internet, this is called sporking. I may be wrong. But it's awesome, truly, whatever it may be.

Mark Twain: Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses

Friedman is pissed off

As well he should be. He's been more than a bit of an ass for the last few years, but it's good to see him rant at the right people for once. (Article requires free registration at The New York Times.)

Osama and Katrina - New York Times:

[...] An administration whose tax policy has been dominated by the toweringly selfish Grover Norquist - who has been quoted as saying: "I don't want to abolish government. I simply want to reduce it to the size where I can drag it into the bathroom and drown it in the bathtub" - doesn't have the instincts for this moment. Mr. Norquist is the only person about whom I would say this: I hope he owns property around the New Orleans levee that was never properly finished because of a lack of tax dollars. I hope his basement got flooded. And I hope that he was busy drowning government in his bathtub when the levee broke and that he had to wait for a U.S. Army helicopter to get out of town. [...]

Editorial by The New Republic

The New Republic Online: Katrina:

[...]

But this is America. The words were not a protest only against the flood. They were a protest also against the aftermath of the flood, which was not a natural catastrophe but a human one. Americanism is also the conviction that the wretchedness of large numbers of Americans is unacceptable, an offense to the American idea, a spur to American action. We take care of our own, and our efficiency is a measure of our decency. But when our efficiency fails us, we must conclude that our decency failed us, too. "No insignificant person was ever born," Bush unforgettably declared in his first inaugural address. How significant, exactly, were the persons who waited for days for relief and rescue from the Superdome and the Convention Center and the other makeshift purgatories, while the rest of the country watched their dehumanization on television? We did not take care of our own, not swiftly, not fiercely, not as if nothing in the world was more important to us. The natural fury that caused this misery should have been met with a human fury to alleviate it. It was not.

More, the American belief in American decency is, to a large extent, a belief in American government. For all the suspicion of power upon which this country was founded, the view of government as a force for ill has never really prevailed in America, because it would have defeated the American hunger for justice. American history over the last hundred years is a stirring tale of government in the proud and largely effective service of compassion. Consider also the ironic history of the Bush administration, the many times that human need, real and imagined, at home and abroad, has required it to betray its philosophy of small and limited government. Sometimes "we" cannot take care of our own; only our government can. In times of emergency, the power of the federal government may be a beautiful thing. When Bush finally flew to the devastation, he said: "In America, we do not abandon our fellow citizens in our hour of need. And the federal government will do its part." Its part? But this is America. Sometimes the federal government's part is the whole, or most of it. This should have been so in the early hours, when the local and state authorities showed their fecklessness. [...]

Very good editorial, explaining the American reaction to what happened. You may or may not agree with what The New Republic has to say, but you might recognize yourself in sections, if not all, of this piece. (Site requires free registration.)

Molly Ivins talks about the aftermath of politics and lack of responsibility

Molly Ivins - Molly Ivins: Events in New Orleans are a reminder of why government matters - sacbee.com:

This is not "just politics" or blaming for political advantage. This is about the real consequences of what governments do and do not do about their responsibilities. And about who winds up paying the price for those policies.

Jimmy Breslin tells it like it is

Black and white and wet all over
BY JIMMY BRESLIN

September 4, 2005

This is a review of the performance of George W. Bush in tight times in this nation. It might explain the single solitary most catastrophic collapse of American government in all of our times. [...]

[...]

He barely seemed to understand there was a hurricane for the first three days. He was in Coronado, outside San Diego, and in his speech, he managed to mention New Orleans, by saying that people should not return to their homes until rescue crews could do their work.

Nobody had to be told not to return to their homes because they don't have homes to return to, and no bus fare to go anywhere.

He then told Americans to send donations to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. How marvelous! His administration sends billions and billions of tax money to his personal war in Iraq to shoot up Fallujah for the third or fourth time since he started the war with his lies, and now he wants everybody to go out on the street and give forty dollars to hurricane charity.

[...]

Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.

I can't find the Newsday article, or else I'd just quote and direct you there. If anyone can find it for me, please post the link in comments, and I'll edit this down to a reasonable size and set up a link. Thanks. And thank you, Mr. Breslin, for speaking the truth.

EDIT 9/8: Found the article. Please read it in full over at the linked site.

Senator from Louisiana calls bullshit

Nice to see her grow a bit of a spine since the Anderson interview.

From The Roots :: Pulling the Bush Out:
Sat Sep 3rd, 2005 at 07:05:42 PM EST

U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., issued the following statement this afternoon regarding her call yesterday for President Bush to appoint a cabinet-level official to oversee Hurricane Katrina relief and recovery efforts within 24 hours.

[...]

“I understand that the U.S. Forest Service had water-tanker aircraft available to help douse the fires raging on our riverfront, but FEMA has yet to accept the aid. When Amtrak offered rains to evacuate significant numbers of victims – far more efficiently than buses – FEMA again dragged its feet. Offers of medicine, communications equipment and other desperately needed items continue to flow in, only to be ignored by the agency.

“But perhaps the greatest disappointment stands at the breached 17th Street levee. Touring this critical site yesterday with the President, I saw what I believed to be a real and significant effort to get a handle on a major cause of this catastrophe. Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment. The good and decent people of southeast Louisiana and the Gulf Coast – black and white, rich and poor, young and old – deserve far better from their national government."

[...]

(emphasis mine)

Oh, perfect

This is just... really fucking brilliant. Homeland Security won't let Red Cross deliver food. Who wants to set up a pool on how soon Brown gets a medal for his severe incompetance from Georgie-boy?

Great oogley moogley

I nearly titled this post "Holy crap," but that's giving this trinket more importance than it deserves.

Apple - iTunes - Harry Potter:

A Broomstick-worthy iPod

Of course, you’ll want to take your Harry Potter audiobooks everywhere on an iPod. Why not make it an official Hogwarts iPod? For a very limited time, you can purchase The Complete Harry Potter audiobook box set bundled with a collector’s iPod from the online Apple Store.

You’ll be the envy of wizard and muggle alike with this color-display, 20GB iPod emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest. Designed by author J.K. Rowling herself, the crest illustrates the four houses that make up Hogwarts — Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw — and the Latin motto “Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus.” (“Never tickle a sleeping dragon.”) This magical iPod lets you sync all six Harry Potter books and still have plenty of room left over for your favorite tunes.

I love the Harry Potter series to the point of fanaticism, but, honestly, this is ridiculous. Stoopidly ridiculous. Even rat creatures wouldn't buy this. No, not even if you offered them quiche.

Also, the U.S. audio books aren't half as good as the U.K. ones. Stephen Fry roundly kicks Jim Dale's narrating ass.

Barbara Bush: First Lady of Sympathy and Tact

Barbara Bush: Things Working Out "Very Well" for Poor Evacuees from New Orleans:

Accompanying her husband, former President George
H.W.Bush, on a tour of hurricane relief centers in
Houston, Barbara Bush said today, referring to the
poor who had lost everything back home and evacuated, "This is working very well for them."

Why the NAACP button above?

New Orleans Left to the Dead and Dying - Yahoo! News:

The overwhelming majority of those stranded in the post-Katrina chaos were those without the resources to escape — and, overwhelmingly, they were black.

Oh, shit

Supreme Court Full Coverage on Yahoo! News

My condolences to his family (as if they'll ever read this).

But I'm afraid I'm going to be selfish here and think about my future as a citizen of this country and of the future of my country. And my thoughts are best summed up by the subject line of this post.

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Reporters' log: Katrina's aftermath

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Reporters' log: Katrina's aftermath - Jon Sopel, reporting from Gulfport, MI:

...

President Bush spoke about not allowing bureaucracy to get in the way of saving lives.

Dealing with bureaucracy as countries effected by the tsunami in the Indian Ocean found, can be absolutely critical so that the people who need aid most, get it first.

Why couldn't he have said this days ago?At least he's saying it nowToo little, too late?

President Addresses Nation, Discusses Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts:

...the magnitude of responding to a crisis over a disaster area that is larger than the size of Great Britain has created tremendous problems that have strained state and local capabilities. The result is that many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they need, especially in New Orleans. And that is unacceptable.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Reporters' Log: Katrina's aftermath

BBC NEWS | Americas | Reporters' Log: Katrina's aftermath - Adam Brookes, reporting from New Orleans:

I went to the Superdome and there are about 15,000-20,000 people. The pace of evacuation there is unbelievably slow. We seem to see columns of buses going in but the number of people going out does not seem to change. There are helicopters which throw food and water out and men fight over the relief aid. So the elderly and mums and pregnant women don't get anything. It's an extraordinary situation.

At either end of the centre are armed troops and police but nobody is walking up and down the crowd that are outside. They are not trying to figure out who to give water to, baby formula, or antibiotics. We discovered this morning that a number of children are starting to go down with diarrhoea which I think may be the most serious development overnight.

Elsewhere at the Convention Centre, there isn't a bus in sight. The only thing you see out of 2,000-3,000 people is police cars going through pointing shotguns. These are unbelievable conditions. Words begin to fail me.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Reporters' Log: Katrina's aftermath

BBC NEWS | Americas | Reporters' Log: Katrina's aftermath - Daniel Lak, reporting from Biloxi, MS:

...

It is total mayhem. I have been to many disaster zones in Asia and a few in Africa and I must say considering the resources available here and all the rhetoric we've heard from Washington the situation here is much worse than comparable situations for these sort of crises in the Third world. It is quite frankly an indictment.