Now I remember why I left here...

[Roger Stouff]

...it's because most of you are smarter than me and know more about me than I do. I apologize and I won't forget again.

[cs]

Roger, I reckon they are smater than me also, but that is okay. At least I build boats, may not be to their standards, but it is good enough for me.

So I reckon that while they moan and groan and show their smarts :rolleyes: I'll just hang around and keep building boats.

How is that nice looking boat of yours doing?

Chad

[Memphis Mike]

Stick around Roger. We're all just glad you are still alive.

We could use the voice of reason that you have often provided in the past.

[huisjen]

It's only because we have you surrounded by hidden cameras.

Dan

[Wild Dingo]

eh??? :eek: whassup mate?? No ones smarter than you are my friend and none no more than you... you are wise in your own areas of expertise and smart in your own ways...

What the hell happened???

For my 2 bobs worth... I think your one of the best here Roger Stouff a gentle kind man of your people and a man worthy of respect kindness and dignity... which I hope I give you with our every meeting which I hope will be more often than recent times here.

[Tar Devil]

Originally posted by Roger Stouff:
...it's because most of you are smarter than me and know more about me than I do. I apologize and I won't forget again.:confused: Because I post opinions contrary to yours? :confused:

Rog, I don't know how I could've been any more polite...

Later,

Phil

[Billy Bones]

Roger, I've always liked you and missed you while you were gone. But if you came here to the bilge for solace, you won't find it. And I know from bitter experience that you have better places to spend your energy right now. See ya.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Roger, I would not worry, if I were you.


No jaunt into the bilge is complete, these days, without a crushing disappointment from Andrew Craig-Bennett, it seems. What a small person you've become, in the tragic fashion of all old farts hiding behind a long forgotten liberal doctrine. Sweet! ;)

[brad9798]

Are you being funny? Or obtuse? :confused:

Or, are you just taking the ball and going home!

:confused: :rolleyes:

[Billy Bones]

That really was a gem, wasn't it? Anyway, thanks for proving my point. But this is about Roger, who is in a tough spot right now. Although since he has internet access and presumably electricity he's a lot better off than he sounds.

[John of Phoenix]

Roger's article -

"We have all sat on pins and needles and watched events unfold in New Orleans and surrounding areas since Hurricane Katrina barreled ashore leaving a swath of destruction in her wake.

It is overwhelming and horrifying what has happened from New Orleans to Alabama. Many of us — myself included — are still awaiting word from loved ones. We probably all know someone who has significant losses.

It has been nearly two days since the hurricane departed and as I sit glued to the television several glaring questions come to my mind.

We are seeing local authorities and volunteers doing all that they can do. We are seeing the Coast Guard and local agencies pick up people from their roofs by boat and helicopter. Mayor Ray Nagin is telling us that they are pushing floating bodies aside in an effort to waste no time getting to those survivors they can. People are screaming for help from their attics, unable to break through the roof, and the rise in flood waters Tuesday probably killed many of them.

All of which begs the question: Where in God’s name was FEMA? The National Guard? The military?

Hurricane Katrina struck Monday morning and National Guard only moved in en masse early this morning. FEMA announced late last night and early this morning they are moving in their forces. Their director was here earlier, surveying the situation, as if he had to prove to himself that this was a disaster?

It’s incomprehensible and reprehensible. Katrina entered the Gulf last week, and as early as Sunday everyone in the world knew a mega-powerful hurricane had her eye on the Gulf Coast, on New Orleans, that most vulnerable of cities. Was nothing done to prepare for instant mobilization the instant the winds subsided enough, the moment there was a safe opportunity for personnel to get into the disaster area?

Two days later FEMA is moving in and the majority of National Guard are moving in and there’s not a glimpse of a Navy hospital ship on the gulf horizon, no word of the Army airlifting in tons of emergency supplies?

All we knew until now is that President Bush cut short his vacation to monitor the situation with Katrina. I am sure that was most reassuring to those thousands of people virtually imprisoned in the Superdome.

Only this morning did CNN announce that disaster victims "soon will get help from a massive federal relief effort led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Pentagon."

Wednesday morning! Again, I want to know why did it take so long? Didn’t they know there was a Category 4 and then 5 storm bearing down on the Gulf Coast?

And more importantly: How many lives were lost due to such gross negligence?

Do not fault the troops. Fault the commanders. The massive and impressive power — and money — of the United States Armed Forces and it’s corps of engineers, builders and equipment might have been able to repair the levees that caused the second inundation, fleets of helicopters and amphibious vehicles might have rescued many who are now dead.

This morning on WWL-TV state OEP managers were saying, quote, "Hold on. Help is on the way." They spoke of the "feeling of helplessness." Two days later, as FEMA and the military at last is on the way.

I could go on but you get the idea. We shouldn’t be surprised. A poor southern state, like our neighbors in Mississippi, shouldn’t expect treatment any better.

I am impressed with Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin. The mayor holds no punches, is blunt and sometimes stark and jolting. He needs to be. The cameras are only telling part of the story. Who can guess what horrors await as the days unfold?

The looting was expected, but remains unbelievable. Call me what you will, I don’t believe armed authorities should be wasting time arresting looters. That’s all I’m going to say, you can probably figure the rest out yourself.

All the good people in the storm’s affected area are in our prayers and thoughts. We are all thinking of you and hoping your losses are minimal. The state’s residents are, as always, reaching out with neighborly helping hands to those displaced. We are among the best people in the world when it comes to putting aside all other considerations and helping each other out. Our own experiences in past hurricanes here have proven it time and again, when people said things like, "We’ll worry about that later, let’s just get it done." Doesn’t matter what the specifics of that sentence are. It’s the momentum that counts.

Maybe we’re that way here because we’ve become accustomed to the fact that nobody else is going to help us, the poor southern stepchildren. Or at least not very quickly. That the rest of this nation has reaped the rewards of dredging the shell out of our bays, creating oilfields along out of marshes, building levees and channels to protect the precious interests of people who don’t even live here — all of which led in part to the magnification of this calamity. The only blessing that may come out of this horrific tragedy is that the feds may finally take Louisiana coastal erosion seriously.

But based on past experiences — probably not."

Fair winds friend.

[Wild Dingo]

Bloody hell John he wrote that in his local newspaper? Good on him!!! Excellent article Roger

Were not gettin a whole lot on it down here... just an occasional peice showin people on roofs and such... damn! Sounds bloody terrible :(

Rog mate theres ****eloads of people thinkin of you mob at this time... just some of us cant do a bloody thing other than "think of you" and hope all is well and will improve

[Alan D. Hyde]

Roger, although I don't wholly agree with your comments, your piece IS well-written.

I hope you & yours, your friends & neighbors, all of our fellow Americans hit by Katrina, come out as well as possible.

What you're seeing in delayed reactions, bureaucracy, and so on, is inherent in most big democracies...BUT... as Winston Churchill once said---

"I had studied the American Civil War fought out to the last desperate inch. American blood flowed in my veins. I thought of a remark, which Edward Grey [the British Foreign Minister] had made to me more than 30 years before [as the United States entered World War I]." Grey had said that the United States was like "’a gigantic boiler. Once the fire is lighted under it there is no limit to the power it can generate.’"

Being so big, it takes some time to raise a boil.

Alan

[ 09-01-2005, 05:48 PM: Message edited by: Alan D. Hyde ]

[Jack Heinlen]

I was glad to see you.

I can't advise about staying. There are interesting discussions, and tremendous ugliness. It's up to you, but I hope you stay.

[MarkC]

Although since he has internet access and presumably electricity he's a lot better off than he sounds. :rolleyes:

well your just a gem! :mad:

[Gary E]

Ditto what Wild Dingo said...

Stay Roger,,,your insight is welcome and refreshing

I looked on the map where Franklin is.. looks like a pretty area...

[ 09-01-2005, 06:09 PM: Message edited by: Gary E ]

[Meerkat]

Roger; As late as Monday evening, I was thinking to myself that NO had dodged the bullet. There were not reports of levee breaks or wide-spread flooding.

I, and I think a lot of other people, were quite surprised to wake up the next day to pictures of wide-spread flooding and reports of levee breaks and the like on Tuesday. Even by the end of the day, it wasn't completely clear to me that this was going to turn into the disaster it's become, especially as news started coming out of other devestated areas.

I think this storm caught some people off guard. It was fairly wimpy over Florida and strengthened and moved quickly on to the Gulf Coast.

Even if it had been anticipated, it takes time for large bureaucracies to respond. It looks to me like large-scale aid is going to show up within 72 hours of yesterday - tomorrow should see a lot more people getting help. (One should mention that the poorer people are, the harder they are to help, IMO.)

I hope you won't depart - there are a lot of good people here. Some of them even post from time to time... ;)

[formerlyknownasprince]

Hang around Roger. There's always plenty who don't tolerate different viewpoints but diversity of thought is what makes the world go round. I think you can and should take criticism as an indicator of success - at least you have provoked thought!

I reckon your article is spot on. I've had a couple of people want to kick my head in when I espoused similar views to yours about Australia's response to the Bali bombing and the tsunami relief. Our Foreign Minister should have been fired. We had a private citizen sending his doctor into Bali on his bizjet well before any Govt response (I seem to recall something like 24 - 30 hours).

One un-sung benefit of this site is the cultural sensitivity and tolerance that I believe it brings to the 98% of those who post and show evidence of a brain. I know I offended you a couple of years ago - and the realisation that I had done so has changed my behaviour.

There's always a minority who will take a shot at the person rather than justify a viewpoint. Geez mate - in one post alone this week I've been called a "whinging dipstick", a "shmarmy crawler" and more - just because I suggested that playing by the rules wasn't cheating. The people who need to edit their comments out when they sober up are easily classified. I find it easier to leave their original comment hanging around their neck.

Stick around.

Ian

[MarkC]

I reckon your article is spot on. I do as well.