I recall reading well before our recent New Orleans disaster, -how this City, -below Sea Level, -was so prone to exactly the disaster which has now occurred. (Refer also to the October 2001 Scientific American Article mentioned in another post.).

Metro wide Emergency Preparedness should have included for one thing, -a good supply of Rafts, Boats, etc. (Of course such would have to be well secured from the preceeding Hurricane itself.).

Variously Prepared or No, -What has unfortunately occurred, has now occurred.

I've now heard talk rangeing from eventually Rebuilding New Orleans, -to abandoning it, -calling it a Loss.

The latter is Not an option, -unless the matter absolutely cannot be helped.

America and Americans do Not give up and in!, -just like that! Had a Hurricane obliberated Her say sometime in the 1800s, -She'd have sooner or later, -more like sooner, -Bounced Right Back! Chicago's Recovery from it's Great Fire of those times, -is just one example along such lines. London as well. As with they, -New Orlean's Spirit Lives On!, -it doesn't just go out like a Candle, Light Switch, etc. It's Fitting and Behooved of U.S. to Couple this Spirit of Her's, -with it's Tangible Reconstruction and Recovery.

This will of course take some Time, -and not be Cheap or Easy.

But as with NYC only 4 years ago as regards 9 -11, -We Don't just chuck off, and let our own Special Things or People Down, -just because someone else, -or something else, -does.

I've long had a small but Definite Yen, -to someday go to New Orleans, -and Check Out and Experience Her for myself! (Though NOT at Mardi Gras Time !!!, and all that Disordered Craziness! ) I've never yet been able to do so. Now, when or if I ever do, -She and the Experience will not be the Same. Even at Her Hopefully Recovered Best!

So towards this End Goal of Her Reconstruction and Recovery, -and to all extents Realistically Feasable over time, -I suggest that we "Fill Her Up". To literally Fill this Below Sea Level Bowl *Up* to Sea Level (at least), or Better. To so bring in Rock, Soil, Dirt, and whatnot, -from elsewhere. Fill the "Watersump" in, Eliminate that nagging Possibility and Problem, -and so Rebuild our City on the Gulf!

I am not talking of doing so in it's rather few, Higher Elevated, *Non* Flooded Areas, -I am not advocating doing any of this, -to any extent that it may be Unrealistically or Otherwise Unfeasable.

But to Any and All Extents that it CAN be Feasably Done, -Let's come to Rebuild our New Orleans so!

DON'T make the same Mistake again, -and Rebuild Her in the Bottom of the Same Old Bowl! (That's one Wrong Thing our 1800s Forefathers would have been somewhat likely to do!). No!, Fill Her Up! And only *then* go about a Good Ole Standard Reconstruction. That's what my "Fill Her Up" Proposal, is all about.

Of course, -there comes a point where the more you fill, -the Greater Weight can cause more of a Sink. Let's judiciously work out the Best Arrangement possible there, then.

And again, -"Don't just Write Her Off!, -Just like That!", -either! We owe both New Orleans and Ourselves, -More and Better than that!

On "Another" but related matter, -I Realize that there is Plenty More than just New Orleans Alone, -involved here. There's Biloxi, Gulfport, Mobile, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Cajun Country and the Bayou, the New Orleans Suburbs (I wonder how many *More* People than NO's Half a Million *This* is?!), -and a Thousand or more Small Towns, and who knows how many Isolated Country Folk!, -are *Also* Seriously and Adversely Affected. This in No Way Minimizes or Negates New Orlean's Misfortune and Disaster, -but it is to say that She is not the only one to tragically receive such. Let's of course Work toward *All* their Relief and Recovery, as well!

They too *are* also in the Hearts and Minds of many. Good and Great! But just a Friendly Reminder to Any of whose it may Not so much be!, -under an Understandable Enough New Orleans "Eclipse".

To the extent Realistically Possible and Economically Feasable, -Let U.S., over time, -Rebuild and Revitalize *Both* New Orleans and the Rest of the Affected Gulf, -in a Far Better and Prepared Way, -than Before!

One of the First things to do along such lines, -is to Fill such Low Lying Bowls and Saucers, -Up.

OK, -We Can't and Shouldn't do so toward the whole Bayou Wetland. But maybe we *Can* Come to do so, -as regards the New Orleans Basin. [color:"black"] [/color] [email]ScottRezaLogan[/email]