Japan Donates $200K to New Orleans

Japan Donates $200K to New Orleans
Japanese Region Repays Favor by Donating $200,000 to Children's Art Initiative in New Orleans

M. C. Rove

There are some things white people just shouldn't do. And they don't come much whiter than Karl Rove.

Homeowner Stares Down Wreckers, at Least for a While

In China:

Homeowner Stares Down Wreckers, at Least for a While

More Corps Competence

So, the levees were as much as 5 feet below where the Corps thought they were (New Orleans is sinking -- who knew??)

Corps contests latest levee report

Japan is Different

The low crime rate in Japan is legendary. But here is a story that says it all. A museum in Tokyo decided it was unnecessary to guard, or even cover, a huge block of gold valued at $2M.

$2M in Gold Stolen From Japanese Museum

Squirrel Removal

On a lighter note, I have had problems with squirrels getting into my attic. Here is an innovative solution: Squirrel Catapult 3

Halliburton moving to Dubai

Houston may be losing another corporate citizen ( Halliburton's New Digs ). I suspect they will be welcomed much like Michael Jackson ( Michael Jackson surfaces in Dubai ) . A wag in the New Orleans newsgroup summed it up: Looks like Haliburton is on the lam.

$26M in Defective Pumps from Bush Cronies

I'm continually amazed by the giant taxpayer rip-off that is the Bush Administration. Seems 26M worth of defective pumps were sold -- and installed! -- in New Orleans after Katrina. And they came from a former business partner of Jeb Bush and large Republican donor. Seems this company has other shady deals in it past and is under investigation for other fraunds against the US taxpayer.

Corps Placed Faulty Pumps in New Orleans

Ethanol Fraud

A good article on the current rush to replace dirty old mideastern oil with nice, clean midwestern corn. Unfortunately this is all a huge fraud, and a scam on taxpayers and consumers. There is probably lots of similar information around, but this one covers it pretty well: There Are Big Problems With Ethanol, Namely Corn Supply. I guess the only sensible thing to do at this point is buy Archer-Daniels Midland stock.

Transposition

I saw these two headlines, somewhat bleary-eyed, and swapped the (very similar) first words of the headlines. I wasn't shocked at hearing that Bush had fallen into a gorge, since trouble seems to follow him these days. But I was pretty sure that he was in South America this week, not India.

Bush to Meet With New Mexican President
Bus Falls Into Gorge in India, 18 Dead

Strike at Big Shipyard Is Yet Another Effect of Katrina

Strike at Big Shipyard Is Yet Another Effect of Katrina

Next time try saying….

I was abducted. Here’s a funny story about an Israeli ambassador in El Salvador who was found in a compromising position. The best line is about police having to remove a rubber ball from his mouth before he could speak.

Jesus Might Be Alive and Well in Houston

My Savior is a cigarette-smoking, scotch-drinking, ex-jailbird, ex-junkie Puerto Rican in Houston. No, really. Jim Avila from ABC news reports:

Jesus Might Be Alive and Well in Houston

Jose de Jesus Drinks, Smokes and Claims to He's the Second Coming

Vanishing Louisana Coastline

I was shocked a couple of years back when I had a look at Google Earth / Google Maps satellite views of the Louisiana coastline. It certainly doesn't look the way that they show it in textbooks and on weather maps. This great little flash movie tells the whole story in less than 10 minutes. For fun zoom in and see how many canals have been dredged (by oil companies?).

The Rise and Disappearace of Southeast Louisiana

Top Secret: We're Wiretapping You

An interesting article from Wired News. Government secrecy meets government bungling. I guess the old saw might be true: the only thing worse than an inefficient bureaucracy is an efficent one.

Top Secret: We're Wiretapping You

New Orleans Files $77 Billion Claim Against Army Corps

New Orleans Files $77 Billion Claim Against Army Corps

Bush Notes Frustration in Gulf Coast Recovery

From today's New York Times:

Bush Notes Frustration in Gulf Coast Recovery