I wonder if any progress has been made on closing the breaches.

The Corps of Engineers and the National Guard are trying to come up with a plan that will plug the holes effectively. They're saying that it may not be until tonight before they can start.

WWL is saying "hundreds" of looters -- but the police can't do anything because they're too bust rescuing people and the police cars are low on gas. Also, the jails are inoperable.

How does this happen to a highway? I don't get it.

Well, my guess is the roadbed of the highway is only "loosely" attached to the supports in order to allow for expansion and contraction of the roadway due to temperature changes.

Same think happened to the Escambia bridge during Ivan. Waves and wind basically shoved sections of roadbed (they're just plunked down, I think) off their piers.

Yay, Stephanie!

wow. I had never seen that before. Thank you both for your explanations.

You know, I am usually completely appalled by looting, but I can sort of understand it in such an utter disaster. Some people are opportunists, but some are probably just panicked. Everything's a wash. I can't see the cops bothering about it, except and unless when it's otherwise hindering emergency response.

There was a vendor in here today who was an utter ass about New Orleans. He said that those who stayed were fools who shouldn't be upset about what happened to them, because what did they expect?

I tried to explain that some people couldn't evacuate -- they didn't have cars or money or were sick or had children and no cars or money or whatever. His response? They could walk.

Then he launched into one of those, I'm old and we walked everywhere barefoot because no one could afford shoes or cars or even a mule.

I refrained from throttling him and yelling "Where would they walk to! What about when Katrina hit! Dumbass1"

Yay, Stephanie!

I've been watching Battle of the Network Reality Stars on Bravo, which is oddly fascinating actually. Richard ( Survivor ) Hatch won the Simon Says competition, which seems to be cosmically correct to me.

I don't mind so much the looting food & diapers--but jewelry? Blue jeans? These people could be helping others, or doing SOMETHING productive--like staying out of harm's way and NOT wading in toxic waste water stealing things that are not theirs--and totally useless besides.

I refrained from throttling him and yelling "Where would they walk to! What about when Katrina hit! Dumbass1"

Wait, he was a vendor, right? Heh. GREAT sales attitude.

I cannot understand the reasoning employed by *those who had the ability and opportunity* to leave, but didn't. But it's cold, calling anyone going through this utter nightmare--for whatever reason--a fool. And you know, once the Superdome started leaking and until the levees gave, I was starting to think those who stayed, provided they weren't in the original flood zones, were probably better off.

I tried to explain that some people couldn't evacuate -- they didn't have cars or money or were sick or had children and no cars or money or whatever. His response? They could walk.

WTF? Oh my word. You should have clocked him, askye.