Ron -- Execllent thinking on this

TRO

-Think early, think often.
-When it is bad, don't yell at the people who are trying to help. It doesn't help. (The Mayor complainging about the ACE.)
-Air stands over all the elements, but Water is the strongest. It destroyes Earth and Fire with equal ease, mock it not, for you are a puny mortal.
-Humanity's hubris before Nature is amazing. My mother would have strangled me if I treated her like we do Nature. One should not forget who is charge.

And finally....
-Everyone needs a little dutch boy, living in a closet or something, just in case. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

personally i feel bad for the innocents who are displaced or killed from these events.

but i have no pity or remore for the lowlife scum who die because its only nature (and hopefully a few well armed citizens and national guards) cleaning out the filth who take advantage of this situation to go rob gas stations and sneaker stores like animals.

if you need to steal food or fresh water to survive thats one thing but if you get caught stealing sneakers while peoples houses are being torn apart i can only wish them the most agonizing death.

Personally I don't think we are being harsh. I realize that many in New Orleans/Biloxi are poor and were unable to leave. For those, I do feel sorry. But many many were able and did not prepare. I saw a woman crying on fox news today, sitting in her suv -- crying somebody help us please. I'm sorry, I find it difficult to feel pity for someone like that. She obviously had the capability and means to leave, but didn't. We all live in areas that can be struck by tornados, earthquakes or some other natural disaster. The smart ones prepare and the rest get interviewed on cable news. It never ceases to amaze me that a lot of people only buy a few days of groceries at a time and then have to go out when a hurricane or snowstorm approaches and panic buy. It doesn't take a lot of time to prepare for an emergency, even one where you are sick and out of work for a few days. Many people don't even have over the counter aspirin in the house until they get a headache and have to go out. There is just no excuse for that kind of lack of preparation.

Not disagreeing with anything you said. But I had to laugh at myself when you got to the part about groceries on hand. I eat out nearly every meal. I think I have a jar of peanut butter. But no bread. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I'm one of the ones stocking up (not in a panic, but my cart might look like it) when the hurricane watch goes up. I have plenty of water stored, but no food. Yes, I know I should, but it'd just go bad... it's easier for me to buy it when I need it. Which, of course, leaves me starving if something should happen that isn't foreseeable.

My peeve is the looters.

If you have the ability to steal, you have the ability to help. If you are looting, you just nominated yourself for evolution.

Air stands over all the elements, but Water is the strongest. It destroyes Earth and Fire with equal ease, mock it not, for you are a puny mortal
Can I use this as my signature, I was really moved by it?

sure, why not

No offense Susan, but don't you live below the biggest active volcano in N. America? Same thing, a potential danger zone.

Doug's family members and ETS posters Cliff and brother Peanut are in NO and Loisianna. I am praying for them in all my manifestations of faith. Record oil prices went up even more. I'm walking a LOT lately. Robert Kennedy Jr wrote an insipid article of Nhah!,Nhah! we told you so about Global Warming and as an environmental radical I'm glad I shook Barry Goldwater's hand as a child and not JFKs. My old outfit has motor lifeboats cruising up the streets of New Orleans. Wierdest thing I ever did was tow a dead cow back into shore with hilarious repercussions. I can't imagine boatpushing in that mess.An arrogant, garritrooper, ex marine officer acquaintance is fuming because his son wants to join the USCG now and help people. www.majorsurplusnsurvival.com is allready putting together a flood emergency kit to market, merely peeling off the dusty labels from the earthquake,tornado,urban unrest labels of yesterday. lessons? Hurricanes and Tsunamis cause ripples all around the earth, literally and with us.