Brown Got Railroaded? Not likely.

I know its a little late to still be bitching about Hurricane Katrina, but this really pisses me off. Anyone who says that FEMA's response was the best they could do given the information they have is dead wrong. Marty Bahamonde, a FEMA official testified before a Senate committee earlier this month. And he says he was in the thick of it, in the Superdome, with people dying and shitting in hallways and starving to death. Luckily he had his blackberry that was amazingly still working. He sent the word out soon as the situation got bad. He was met with a polite thank you or nothing at all. He did, however, get a directive from FEMA director Michael Brown's press secretary, Sharon Worthy, regarding His Holiness's eating schedule. From
USATODAY.com:

"Worthy wrote that 'it is very important that time is allowed for Mr. Brown to eat dinner' in Baton Rouge. She went on to express concern that Brown should be allotted plenty of time in his schedule because 'restaurants are getting busy.'

Bahamonde, who received a copy of the e-mail at the time, wrote a reply that said, 'OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!', according to an e-mail transcript. 'Just tell her that I just ate an MRE and (went to the bathroom) in the hallway of the Superdome along with 30,000 other close friends so I understand her concern about busy restaurants.' "

Michael Brown should be held personally responsible for the deaths along the Gulf Coast. I know that one man can't save everyone's life, but his job was to manage federal emergencies. Isn't that what FEMA stands for? Of course part of the blame rests on the shoulders of N.O. Mayor Ray "Come help or I'll curse" Nagin, or LA Governor/Deer-In-Headlights Kathleen Blanco. They knew the city was one storm away from devastation, but did they get everyone ready? Part of the blame also goes to the residents of New Orleans who stayed. Poor, homeless or whatever, you have to do what you can to survive. It has nothing to do with money. And finally, the blame also goes to Hurricane Katrina, for breaking the levee. Had the levee not broke, things would not have been so bad. I'm sure somewhere along the line, somebody knew the levee would not hold, but emergency officials probably had no reason to think it wouldn't.

Like they say, hindsight is 20/20. The city needs to learn from the mistakes of the past, and not repeat them.

What do you think? Hit comments and release your inner Michael Moore.

The Little Dragonfly 

What do you think of...

the use of corsets Sounds painful.
Star Wars, the movie The greatest ever. This tuesday the final DVD comes out. You know I'm gonna be the first dork in line at Best Buy. Overall, Star Wars is a pop culture phenomenon, that changed the movie industry, and it was a big part of my childhood. The special edition of 'Office Space' comes out tuesday as well. I'mma have to get that one too.
the possibility of a bird flu epidemic Get A flu shot and have some Tamiflu ready. I don't think human to human transmission of it is possible, so unless you're the South Park Chicken Lover, You probably will be alright. The poultry industry had a small outbreak in the early 80s, and they put up certain safeguards. Still, better safe than sorry.
actor Kelsey Grammer ('Frasier') I always thoght him and his brother were gay on the show, despite their lusting after the opposite sex. In real life, Grammer has a hot wife.
Horror fiction I dunno, I would have to read a book to form an opinion on that subject, and I can't make that kind of commitment in this post-9/11 world.

1. how did you celebrate hallowe'en as a child? did your mother make your costume, did you go trick-r-treating with friends, etc? My mom would either make me a costume or just go buy me one. I grew out of trick-or-treating fairly early. Mostly because it involved walking, even though it was for candy.

2. what was your best (or most memorable) costume growing up? My mom made me a cool Stormtrooper uniform. It was basically a white shirt and pants with a design drawn on it with a sharpie. I went as Gene Simmons when I was 8, even though I hadn't heard one song by Kiss, I still thought he was cool.

3. a lot of evangelical christians refuse to celebrate hallowe'en because they feel it is "satan's holiday." how do you feel about that? I feel its presumptuous to put an apostrophe in halloween. In the dictionary, there's no apostrophe, and in every place its written you don't see one. How ghey. Anyway, people who think Halloween is satan's holiday are foolish. The holiday is about dressing up and eating candy, and going to a party maybe. Thats it, nothing else. My baby's going as a dragonfly, is she a devil worshipper now? The christians who are against it obviously have not learned the history of the holiday.

The word itself, "Halloween," actually has its origins in the Catholic Church. It comes from a contracted corruption of All Hallows Eve. November 1, "All Hollows Day" (or "All Saints Day"), is a Catholic day of observance in honor of saints. But, in the 5th century BC, in Celtic Ireland, summer officially ended on October 31.

The story goes on to say that you dress up because the souls of those who died the previous year are looking for a body to possess, but they can't find you if you're dressed up. So to all you Christians out there who don't like halloween, LIGHTEN UP, AND EAT SOME CANDY.

4. as an adult, do you ever dress up for hallowe'en? Occasionally. I did last year:

5. do you give out candy every year to trick or treaters, or do you turn off your lights and pretend you're not home? I've lived in apartments up to now, so I usually turn out the lights and pretend I'm not home. One time while living in an apartment, I walked to the dumpster to throw away my trash, and on the way back I noticed some kids were knocking on my door. I waited across the parking lot for 15 minutes just to make sure the coast was clear and I could go back inside. What a dick I beez.
This year I live in suburbia in a house, so we're gonna give out candy, if we don't eat it ourselves first. We carved pumpkins tonight which will be our decoration.

6. let's say you were going to a very exclusive, chi-chi costume party for grown-ups. You had unlimited funds to purchase/rent/make your dream costume. what would you go as? tell us about your perfect costume.
Probably a really really accurate Darth Vader costume with the voice changer and breath sounds thingie. Either that or Britney Spears.
7. what's the best hallowe'en costume you've ever seen, either on the 'net, on TV/movies or in real life? Oprah Winfrey, she's pretty scary.

8. every year, i have to purchase the hallowe'en costumes the day of hallowe'en because mr. laura will eat my candy beforehand. do you have a hard time NOT eating the hallowe'en candy before you give it out? ;) Hell yeah. I put our candy bowl on top of the fridge, but that's kinda useless cuz while you're scoping out whats in the fridge, you just reach up and grab a fun-sized Twix™ brand cookie bar.

So Brave, So... Brave.

We Didn't Start The Fire

monday madness

1. diamonds or pearls? Diamonds. Only Barbara Bush wears pearls.
2. paperback or hardcover books? Whichever has the most pictures.
3. carpet or hardwood floors? I got both in the casa, but I think hardwoods are nice.
4. dogs or cats? I'm not a pet person, but I think dogs have the edge.
5. fluffy or firm pillow? Fluffy
6. fine point or medium point pens? Medium Point. It makes nicer lines.
7. clocks a little fast or on time? A little fast, just cuz I'm lazy.
8. mahjong or spider solitaire (or other)? Neither, I'm not a fag.
9. wall calendar or desk calendar? Both, again cuz I'm lazy.
10. 'Survivor' or 'The Amazing Race?' Neither, I'm not a fag.

1. What fire-related music moment do you think tops them all? Jimi Hendrix lighting his guitar on fire, Keith Moon's drum set exploding, Michael Jackson's jheri curl catching fire during a Pepsi commercial, or Left Eye of TLC setting her boyfriend's house on fire? If you can think of one I didn't list that's even better, let's hear about it! Richard Pryor catching hissef on fire while smoking crack. He then ran down the street on fire. I can just hear that noise that he'd be making!

2. Is there a CD/LP/mp3 in your collection that you'd like to watch burn down to nothing? It could be a current album that you're embarassed to own, or an album you bought in the past that you regret buying. I don't usually buy CDs for this very reason... the last shitty one that I bought was "Ace Of Base." I'm quite embarrased about that.

3. What musical performance, either live or recorded, do you think was so smokin' hot that the fire brigade should have been called? Any by Prince. He'll put anyone else to shame, except for like Hendrix or the Beatles. OH, and here in the "colonies" we call the "fire brigade" a "fire department."

4. Ok this isn't a match question, but sort of related. Have you ever held up a lighter during a concert? If not, would you ever and what band would you do it for? Nah, too cliche. Maybe if I was going to a Skynyrd concert, or a Klan Rally.

Prince Needs A New Hip

I was sad to hear this.

Pop superstar Prince is facing painful hip surgery to help him cope with discomfort brought on by years of performing in high-heeled boots.

The pint-sized When Doves Cry singer is thinking twice about a full hip replacement, according to sources close to him, because, as a Jehovah's Witness he's against the blood transfusion part of the operation.

The 47-year-old star is on medication as he attempts to battle the pain of his bad joints, according to US tabloid National Enquirer.

First of all, I'd take anything from the Enquirer with a grain of salt. Also, it does make sense that years of walking in heels, dancing, etc would take a toll on the brother's hips.

If this is true, I think its ridiculous that he doesn't want blood transfusions. That is retarded. Those religions who will forego medical treatment for religious reasons should be tried for murder. Do they really think that God doesn't want them to live or feel better? How could they sit there and deny their children medical care, even watch their kid die, because the church tells them its the law.

Prince should either wise the hell up, and get the operation or sit out the rest of his life in a wheelchair in pain.

My grandmother always said, "Why buy the cow when you get the sex for free?"

The latest interview with aging hipster Madonna got me thinking. In the interview with "This Is London." She told them she's a stern disciplinarian with her children, and won't even let them watch TV:

"My kids don't watch TV. We have televisions but they're not hooked up to anything but movies. TV is trash. I was raised without it. We don't have magazines or newspapers in the house either."

Apparently that fake accent has gone to her head. Did she forget what got her to the top of the entertainment world? The very trash TV, newspapers and movies she now despises. Now everyone has a right to change their mind, and everyone has a right to raise their kids like they want. But you gotta dance with the one that brung you to the dance, Mo. The Kabbalah's making her mental. Why can't she just be a Scientologist and wait for the aliens to come? What a hypocrite. "I write childrens books, I'm a perfect mother now" Whatever. Wasn't there a picture in your "Sex" book getting d.p.'d by Big Daddy Kane and Vanilla Ice? or something like that. It take much more than an old lady dress and a fake accent to cover up such a phony. And her music sucks these days too. How hard is it to hear a song at a club, then pay a producer to make an identical song and sing over it? She's become the Artist formerly known as relevant. I guess she still has some popularity, I'm writing about her, ain't I?
Look at her contemporaries from the 80s... Prince don't curse any more and is a holy roller, and his songs were considered dirty back in the day. But he still sings "Dance Music Sex Romance" and the like. And look at Michael Jackson, he's just as freaky now as he was back then. You don't see him coming out against wearing one glove and high-waters with sequined socks. And he's stayed true to his backing of men sleeping in beds with young boys.

In other news, I know very little about sports... but I do know what an integral part the New Orleans Saints are to Louisiana and that region. There's talk that the team's temporary home, San Antonio, is trying to keep the Saints there. The team's longtime owner, Tom Benson, has lived there for years. For once I agree with N.O.'s numbskull mayor Ray Nagin, he said, "We want the team back, but we might not want its owner back." I say if someone's gonna kick a city when its down, they deserve that bunch of losers. Its disrespectful to a town that has already gone through so much. New Orleans over the years has bent over backwards for Tom Benson. I remember numerous times growing up that he threatened to move the Saints to a stadium just over the Mississippi state line or to somewhere else. I hope this isn't another ploy to get more money out of the city. When the Saints do get back to the Superdome, its going to be virtually brand new, since the hurricane and the evacuees destroyed it. But hey, what do I know, I don't give a shit about football, I just hate to see another bad thing happen to my hometown.

I'm anxious to check out the 10th anniversary DVD of Mallrats... If I can watch it.

Which one?

1. Lemonade or Iced Tea? Ice Tea, no self-respecting southerner would drink anything else.
2. DVD or VHS? DVD. VHS going the way of 8-Tracks, Mood Rings, and Beta (which was a better format).
3. Gold or Silver? White Gold.
4. Baseball or Tennis? Neither. Both are as boring a watching paint dry.
5. Spring or Autumn? Spring. Autumn sounds like a white trash lady's name.
6. Diet or Regular? Both.
7. Hearts or Stars? Stars
8. Snail Mail or Email? Definately E-mail
9. Shop: Online or In-Store? Online of course.
10. Credit Card or Check? Credit Card.

Question of the Day

If any one of the holidays had to be celebrated twice in a year, which one would you want it to be? Christmas. People take half a day off from being assholes and tolerate their relatives with some modicum of love. And you get presents. And you get to see the Andy Williams Christmas Special.

1. What's your favorite scary movie? Scary book? They make scary books? Any of the Hannibal Lecter Series. Other scary movies like Freddy, Jason, etc are predictable and not scary at all.
2. Who is scarier, Freddy Kruger(nightmare on elm street), Jason(friday the 13th) or Michael Myers(halloween)? Well none of them really. If I had to pick, I'd say Freddy Kruger, cuz he's not really real, so if you kill him, he'd just come back.
3. Do you believe in wherewolves, vampires and or zombies? No. However, I believe in wolves (I've seen them), I believe in people who have severe allergies to the sun (I've seen them on TV), and people who are braindead but still walk around (I know many of them personally).
4. Are you superstitious? Why or why not? A little. Like keeping good luck charms and Karma.
5. Are you afraid of the dark? Nope.
6. Who is your favorite movie monster? Bette Midler.

The Flathead Symphony. Cool.

an experiment in multitasking: updating

an experiment in multitasking: updating the page, feeding abby, all in the middle of big lots.

My useless opinions on...

The art of Pablo Picasso: Cool. Eyes on one side of the face, neat-o.
Health Insurance: Its a necessary evil these days. HMOs get you coming or going. I have some socialized medicine thing. They do everything but stamp a bar-code on your forehead. But I'm glad I have some kind of insurance, even though they can't make me better. "Just get rest, take vitamins." Thanks a lot, Dr. Sawbones.
the year 1937: The year my first wife, Suzanne Pleshette, was born. How great is that year?
Ants: I hate them. They mess with my lawn, they bite you. Spray em Squash em Kill em.
Ballroom Dancing: Good for people born in 1937.
Do you have a preferred writing utensil? What happens if someone borrows it but doesn't bring it back?
Black pens. The secret to getting your pen back is to not give them the cap. People hate pens without caps. Plus people who see that you're not giving them the cap think you don't trust them, and will usually not ask to borrow a pen from you again.

---

This page shows you how you stack up against famous people... heightwise, of course. Because I'm a full foot taller than the late great Nell Carter, but she towers over me when it comes to talent.

I'm sick of it all.

"Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own" Tough, you think you've got the stuff You're telling me and anyone You're hard enough You don't have to put up a fight You don't have to always be right Let me take some of the punches For you tonight Listen to me now I need to let you know You don't have to go it alone And it's you when I look in the mirror And it's you when I don't pick up the phone Sometimes you can't make it on your own We fight all the time You and I...that's alright We're the same soul I don't need...I don't need to hear you say That if we weren't so alike You'd like me a whole lot more Listen to me now I need to let you know You don't have to go it alone And it's you when I look in the mirror And it's you when I don't pick up the phone Sometimes you can't make it on your own I know that we don't talk I'm sick of it all Can - you - hear - me - when - I - Sing, you're the reason I sing You're the reason why the opera is in me... Where are we now? I've still got to let you know A house still doesn't make a home Don't leave me here alone... And it's you when I look in the mirror And it's you that makes it hard to let go Sometimes you can't make it on your own Sometimes you can't make it The best you can do is to fake it Sometimes you can't make it on your own

3 parachutes for the cast of Seinfeld

You've been given 3 parachutes, but there are 4 people who need them. Who will you not give one to: Jerry, Elaine, George, or Kramer?
Elaine's gotta go. Its Jerry's show, you gotta have him. Kramer is hilarious, and would never hurt anyone intentionally... unintentionally sure... but he's the most considerate of the group (which ain't saying much). Costanza has to live, if nothing else because it would make him more miserable. Elaine is a self-centered bitch who never contributed anything to the group... even though that was pretty much her character.

01. Can you remember where you were in life ten years ago? If you could travel back in time and whisper something to yourself ten years ago, what would it be? Ten years ago I was a college student in my senior year, interning at a tv station, learning my trade. Life was beautiful. I partied, I worked hard, I studied hard, I had some great friends, I lived at home, I had very few bills, it was great. There are many nights drinking in Mexico that I can barely remember. As for what I'd whisper to myself, it would probably be winning lottery numbers, Super Bowl winners, and some stock tips.

02. You inherit a large piece of land and decide to build a theme park a la "Disneyland, Sea World, etc.) What would you name your theme park and what would your mascot be? PornLand The mascot would be a cartoon dick with a smiley face on it. Dickey would be his name. His girlfriend, Smelly Pussy, is a cat with a funny lisp. Their neighbor is Dirty Beaver, she's a nosy, yet lovable little lady. Among the attractions: the noon nude parade through Downtown PornLand, "Its a Smut World, after all," where you can sample pornography from around the world (Stay away from Germany, unless you have a strong stomach), The Lesbian Log Ride, and Bukkake Mountain.

04. What would someone absolutely HAVE to know about you if they were considering sharing a room with you? Don't touch my shit.

05. According to the song White Rabbit, "one pill makes you larger and one pill makes you small". If you were offered these pills today, which pill would you take and why? That songs sucks. Jefferson Airplane sucks. Jefferson Starship sucks. Starship sucks. 'We built this city' sucks too.

BeliBlog: Four For Friday Archives

Q: What are four (4) of your favorite words? Fuck, Cumquat, Yes, Queef
Q: What are four (4) things you hope to do this weekend? Sleep, heal this illness, laundry, introduce Abby to vegetables!
Q: What are the four (4) things you say most often? Fuck, Cumquat, Yes, Queef.
Q: What are four (4) things you wish you could do right now? Sleep, heal, stop worrying, run a marathon
Q: What are four (4) things that turn you on? naked ladies... 4 of them.
Q: What are four (4) things you know you can't do? go back in time, fix past mistakes, live up to expectations, sit ups.
Q: What are your four (4) favorite things to do? Play with Abby, Sleep, anything creative, fuck.
Q: What four (4) sounds or noises do you absolutely hate? Bodily excretory noises, ringing phones, SMPTE Tone, other peoples cryin kids (mine never cries ;) )

What I'm gonna wear for Halloween...

Thank God for Target :)

Damn Spammers

If you read the comments, you'll notice that there's spam in there now. So, now you have to type in a verification word if you leave comments. If you hate spam, hit comments and release your inner Federline.

Things I don't give a shit about, but yet they will be plaguing the news for days:

• Britney & Cletus are on the rocks. Good. "Its like I'm raising two kids." Thats just scary.


• Nicky And Jessica are on the rocks. Good. Another two Rocket Scientists.


• "Tom-Kat" is expecting. Great, the psychologists of the world are all simultaneously high-fiving each other.

Question of the Day

"You've been given 3 parachutes, but there are 4 people who need them. Who will you not give one to:
Tom Cruise, Jessica Simpson, Paris Hilton, or Kevin Federline?"
For the good of mankind, I'd throw out the parachutes with no one in them.

---

There are some points in my life when I think "what else can life throw at me?" then I think of those who inspire me, and I think, "Bring it on." Like my Dad says, You can't keep a good man down.

Separated At Birth?

Zoë & Abby

Zoë reading to Abby. Aren't they the cutest? Taken Sept. 25, 2005 at my house. Click for a bigger version.

Saturday Night Dead

2. How many photos that you have taken yourself are hanging on display in your home in a size of 8x10 or larger? (The print, not the frame!) None that are 8x10... but there are a few of Abby that I took that are framed, but 4x6. She really is photogenic... :)

3. How far do you live from your job? What is your commute time like? Has the distance prompted you to consider alternative transportation because of gas prices? 38 miles. >:( My commute time is usually 38 minutes because I speed, and at 3am, ain't nobody in the way. I would definately take public transportation if it was available, but MARTA don't reach the sticks where I beez.

4. Take this quiz: What decade does your personality live in?



what decade does your personality live in?

quiz brought to you by lady interference, ltd


5. What is the funniest, most original Halloween costume you've ever seen?
I dressed up as a nightstand and put a lamp shade on my head and dubbed myself the "One Night Stand." Top That!

6. What is your favorite paragraph in a literary work? This might be a thought, or a message, or a descriptive passage which has remained in your consciousness throughout the years. Be sure to post the name of the book and author.

Ezekiel 25:17. 'The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyrannies of evil men. Blessed is he, who in the name of charity and good will, shepards the weak through the valley of darkness. For he is truly his brothers' keeper and finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the lord when I lay my vengeance upon you.'