Uh oh...

[sperry]

Good luck Joel... that place is a mad-house right now. Hopefully your Aunt's place is above water.

[MikeK]

Some pics here

[AtomicLabMonkey]

My uncle's family is all from NO, and fortunately they all got out in time. One of his sisters worked at a hospital there, and said they had to evac the hospital because it was being looted while it was still in service, while they were trying to care for wounded & dying. The staff fled because they were afraid for their own safety.. those looters deserve to be shot in the face.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

It sounds completely lawless there from news reports... the few police that are there are having to siphon gas to run their vehicles, and guard what care centers & supplies they can..

[sperry]

www.cnn.com has a story about snipers preventing a hospital evacuation. What sort of sick fuck decides "this situation isn't already bad enough, let's shoot at the sick and injured".

Normally I've extremely opposed to the US military operating on US soil... afterall that's what the police and National Guard are for. But if the stories we're hearing are true, I wouldn't mind seeing 30 or 40 Blackhawks full of Marines descend upon the city.

If you're a big enough fuckwad to shoot at fellow citizens during this crisis for fun then fuck you and fuck your civil rights. IMO, you're a terrorist and there should be a .223 with your name on it and a fucking Marine behind the trigger.

It makes me absolutely sick to think that in the absence of enforceable law, people decide to go Lord of the Flies. If that's really human nature, then as a species, we're fucked.

I remember Loma Prieta, Northridge, and 9/11... people came together and worked to help each other. WTH is wrong with you fucktards in New Orleans? Is this what happens when there's enough warning to evacuate? All the smart people get out of town, leaving just the idiots who decide to make a living hell even worse? I feel really sad for the good people that were too poor to leave who are now living not only in a disaster area, but in a war zone.

[sperry]

God damn this pisses me off!

I hope that when the disentery rages across that city, all the fucktards that are preventing the medical professionals from doing their jobs all shit themselves to death.


...breath Scott... deep breaths.

[Nick Koan]

That is pretty fucked up. That is really fucked up

I mean, thats bad. Even LA didn't get that bad during the last few 'big ones'

[AtomicLabMonkey]

That's the "dirrtah souf" coming together to help each other through a crisis. Bunch of idiots. I guess it doesn't help that most of the people left after an evac order are usually extremely poor and pissed off at "the man" to begin with, so they just start tearing shit up once law enforcement disappears.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by AtomicLabMonkey

That's the "dirrtah souf" coming together to help each other through a crisis. Bunch of idiots. I guess it doesn't help that most of the people left after an evac order are usually extremely poor and pissed off at "the man" to begin with, so they just start tearing shit up once law enforcement disappears.

I didn't realize that poor = stupid... but I'm starting to think there's a real coorelation. Only fucking idiots that are pissed at "the man" shoot each other and the people trying to help them to get bad at said "man".

"Oh yeah you rich white muthafuckas!? I'm gonna cap my homey's ass, and blow up the firetruck that's putting out the fire at my house! That'll fucking show you, you cracka-ass-crackas!! Oh and don't even *think* about trying to bring me food and medicine, or I'll blow you away and go steal a TV that won't work for 6 months until you guys turn my power back on."

[Dean]

That's what amazes me. Looting for sustanance is one thing, and understandable to an extent, but TVs and other non esential/luxury items is F'ed up.

This reminds me of War Of The Worlds....

[doubleurx]

Originally Posted by nKoan

That is pretty fucked up. That is really fucked up

I mean, thats bad. Even LA didn't get that bad during the last few 'big ones'

I'm pretty sure that the damage and devistation from this is equivenant to all the quakes since 1906. I'll take earthquakes any day over tornadoes and huricanes.

The news on this area is unbelievable. Talk about devistation and so many people taking advantage of it is embarrassing for our country.....................again!

[MikeSTI]

dont get me wrong, the idiots will be dealt with.

My wife and I were watching as looters would take all the electronics out of the stores and couldn't help but think to ourselfs "where the hell you going to use, store, or sell that". I'm sure the police, once they get back in there, will have no trouble finding the more notorius looters. They shouldn't be hard to find, thier the only ones that thought thier electronics where important enough to move.

bastards!!!!! Now the stores can claim even higher losses!!!! Go Go super insurance premiums

[Dean]

Speaking of insurance... I bet in the next 6 months there will be thousands of "water damage" salvage title vehicles showing up on eBay... May be a good time to pick up a dedicated race car chasis for anyone looking to go that way.

based on some of those pictures, we could have a whole new class. SBM... School Bus Modified....

[AtomicLabMonkey]

This is classic...

[cody]

[M3n2c3]

Originally Posted by sperry

I didn't realize that poor = stupid... but I'm starting to think there's a real coorelation. Only fucking idiots that are pissed at "the man" shoot each other and the people trying to help them to get bad at said "man".

"Oh yeah you rich white muthafuckas!? I'm gonna cap my homey's ass, and blow up the firetruck that's putting out the fire at my house! That'll fucking show you, you cracka-ass-crackas!! Oh and don't even *think* about trying to bring me food and medicine, or I'll blow you away and go steal a TV that won't work for 6 months until you guys turn my power back on."

I believe this is the same mentality that prompts a dirty couple with yellow stained "Corona" t-shirts and a grubby baby propped on the lady's hip to drive up to my store in their hoodless GMC truck and proceed to spend their welfare check on PSOne games. . . and then ask if we take food stamps for our Nintendo candy. It's just pure stupidity.

Originally Posted by Dean

based on some of those pictures, we could have a whole new class. SBM... School Bus Modified....

I'm game. . .

[AtomicLabMonkey]

I don't know what's wrong with those fucking people. If I was stuck there after the flooding started I would have found some way to paddle my family's asses out of there, rather than sit helpless waiting for hypothetical people I don't know to come rescue me. To paraphrase something I read the other day, people in war zones like Kosovo will hike for days over snow-covered mountains with babies strapped to their backs, carrying everything they own to get to some kind of safety, yet here they just sit on their asses like petulant children (and end up shooting at the very people trying to come help them!?). WTF?

I was listening to the commie radio station for some amusement (Air America) and I couldn't believe what I was hearing... "oh they're not being rescued because they're poor & black... why did the president make this disaster happen... if I was in a situation like that I'd be crazed too..." WTF????? I could not believe my fucking ears that they were actually making excuses for the behavior of the looters & criminals. It wasn't just this talk show host either, it was a U.S. congresswoman talking too. I'll call it like it is, those who are down there paddling their rafts around with AK's strapped to their backs, looting and shooting & raping whoever gets in their way, are fucking animals, not people. They don't deserve any rescue, they deserve a bullet right through the skull. That pisses my shit off to no end...

[sperry]

The welfare system in America has produced a generation of people that believe "it's only wrong if you get caught" and can't help themselves if necessary. I'm not saying that welfare itself is evil, but it really should only be applied to people that would rather not have it.

A reporter stopped a looter early on Tuesday and asked him "why are you doing this?" The reply "'cause I can". The reporter replied, "but it's wrong!". "Yeah, well if it was wrong, the cops would be here to stop me." The presence of the police does not make it wrong... the fact that it's stealing during a crisis makes it wrong!

Is this behavior really human nature? Are we really animals that steal, kill, and rape as soon as societal bounds are relaxed? Was Lord of the Flies right? I know I would *never* resort to actions like that, no matter how stressful the situation. Am I somehow the exception? What makes those people act like that? What indeed is wrong with those people?

I'm with Austin, we need to get the good people out of there and leave the rapists, murders, and looters. Let God deal with them... maybe He'll send a second storm through the area. It worked 4000 years ago right?

[Dean]

Austin, how do you really feel?

I agree completely. They knew it was coming. They should have put together food and water for at least a week before it hit, or followed the evacuation order and gotten the F out!

It does make me think about my preparedness around the house if ther was an earthquake here.

I've got 5 or so days worth of gas for the generator, but probably not enough non-parishable food or water as I should.

It also makes me wonder if I should have a hand gun a shotgun, and some training to protect what I do have?

I hate to think that way, but this sure has opened my eyes.

At least our experience with earthquakes in terms of response was better during Loma Prietta (SP?). People mostly helping out, but only 50 dead as I recall, and not nearly the "services" disruption as New Orleans.

The other huge problem I have with New Orleans is that the people in Gulf Port and Boloxi were basically wiped off the map, where is the coverage of that? Guess they don't count. Whinny people with wet feet get coverage.

[AtomicLabMonkey]

I've already got the handgun & shotgun, and now I want a rifle too for long-range work...

[sperry]

BTW: I got a text message from Glen this morning...

Originally Posted by Glen

How u not goin b drunk a 9am... In Memphis... Fuck pop copy... Bitch!

Looks like he's okay. And drunk in Memphis? Austin, did you ever talk to him?

[sperry]

Also BTW: IGT is matching donations to the Red Cross from IGT employees as well as spending $1M to help.

I donated $50 on Sunday and IGT's going to double that for me. So for the rest of you IGT employees on the board (Nick, Mike) if you plan to donate, do it through work!

[AtomicLabMonkey]

I still haven't been able to get through to his NO cell number, all those circuits are still down.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by AtomicLabMonkey

I still haven't been able to get through to his NO cell number, all those circuits are still down.

I read on some news report that the NO cell numbers are back up and running, but I can imagine they're extremely crowded w/ people making calls. You'd probably get through if you just kept redialing him for a bit.

[sp00ln]

Originally Posted by sperry

So for the rest of you IGT employees on the board (Nick, Mike) if you plan to donate, do it through work!

Sorry for the OT, but how many of you do actually work at IGT? Im trying to squeeze in there as well... crazy