Reality-BasedTM Political Numbers from Nicholas Beaudrot
Electoral Math
Reality-BasedTM Political Numbers from Nicholas Beaudrot
| Home | Lie Back and Think of the Vatican
Neat Tricks: Tired of walking around with your work ID badge yoked around your neck, branding you like a farm animal? Stick it in your ski jacket's season pass holder, then zip the holder back into your coat. Now you don't have to worry about losing it at all, since it's practically sewn into your clothing? Of course, this technique only works when it's cold outside, which is a nice segue into ...
Ess Eh Dee: ... the gray skies on Thursday that likely marked the end of summer. Lack of sunlight slows the production of something (melanin?), whose absence has been known to correlate with clinical depression. If this sort of thing bothers you, check out the product lines from Full Spectrum Solutions.
In large crises such as Katrina, the best thing most people can do is throw money at the problem. Shipping individual items to New Orleans is not effective from a logistical standpoint, so unless you have a truckload (literally) of sleeping bags, diesel generators, or other much-needed supplies, you're better off just writing a check. I know, it doesn't feel the same as giving your time or specific goods, but for the people responding directly in the crises, it's the best thing they can ask for. Going forward, though, you can find other ways to contribute besides your checkbook.
The best way to offer your labor rather than your money is to become a trained disaster volunteer. Check with your local American Red Cross for details on training sessions.
Also, fax your Senators and ask them to pay closer attention to upper level FEMA appointments more seriously. Former Bush FEMA Director Joe Allbaugh's primary job qualification seems to be ... that he was Chief-of-Staff to then Governor Bush and Campaign Manager for Bush-Cheney '00. (Note: in the Clinton White House, political hacks were given jobs that ... well, ought to go to political hacks; communications staff, speech writing, political direction, etc. They were not given real nuts-and-bolts, da-job-of-da-FEMA-director-is-ta-take-out-da-gaaahbage positions. Advantage: Clinton). Explain the risk of major disasters in your state or district ... floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, nuclear meltdowns, whatever ... then point out that this job, while seemingly really basic stuff, is something that requires an experienced professional to steer the ship.
Update: It appears that the current FEMA director ... was once an assistant city manager with emergency oversight responsibilities somewhere in Oklahoma. Also, he was once general counsel for the International Arabian Horse Association. I swear to God I'm not making this up. Meanwhile, former FEMA director James Lee Witt is doing what he does best. Advantage: Clinton. Again. The Job of the FEMA Director is to manage emergencies. So far, Mike Brown has been in front of cameras talking about how FEMA didn't expect this many people to "choose" to stick around in the event of a hurricane. Has anyone noticed the income distribution of the folks left.
Update II: The Mayor of New Orleans has had enough. I suppose there was no chance we could authorize money to rent every bus Greyhound had within two hundred miles by this point in time?
| | technorati
Last
updated by Nicholas Beaudrot on 10:57 02 September 2005
