Except for Bush's smile being rather a disturbing rictus, imo, sure. I also liked life better when "What's Goin' On?" didn't feel so goddamn current.

It truly is the apocalypse...again.

Michelle Malkin is criticizing the administration and calling for the FEMA director's head.

Literally? Because I'd be OK with that...

Disturbing update from Trashy Diva's own blog. (Sorry it's allcaps.) I can't vouch for the veracity of this story, but it is coming from people who were still in New Orleans as of Thursday. And - yeah - I haven't seen any shots from Uptown. And now I'm wondering how many of the dead will have bullet wounds:

********

Saturday, September 03, 2005

THE REAL STORY THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING ON CNN

OKAY, PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS IF YOU ARE EASILY OFFENDED. THIS IS THE SHOCKING REAL STORY OF THE LAWLESSNESS IN NEW ORLEANS IS AS FOLLOWS:

ALL OF THIS INFORMATION CAME FIRST HAND FROM ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO REMAINED IN THE CITY UNTIL THURSDAY NIGHT....

HERE ARE THE BACKGROUND FACTS:

THIS ALL TAKES PLACE AROUND OUR HOUSE, APARTMENT, AND MAGAZINE STREET SHOP. THE AREA I AM SPEAKING ABOUT IS ALL AROUND THE 2000 BLOCK OF MAGAZINE STREET AND SURROUNDING AREA. (THIS IS NEAR THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT YOU SEE ON CNN), AND RIGHT AROUND WHAT USED TO BE THE ST.THOMAS HOUSING PROJECTS. THIS ENTIRE AREA REMAINED ONE OF THE FEW DRY AREAS THROUGH THE HURRICANE. BECAUSE IT WAS DRY, LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE FLED THE WATERS TO THIS AREA-SOME GOOD FOLKS/SOME BAD FOLKS.

OUR EMPLOYEE (SHAY) DID NOT SLEEP FOR 5 DAYS. TO SURVIVE, SHE AND HER HUSBAND JOINED UP WITH ANOTHER GROUP OF SURVIVORS. SHE WAS FORCED TO STEAL GAS AND SUPPLIES (FOOD & WATER) FROM LOCAL UNINHABITED BUILDINGS (AND OUR SHOP & HOUSE), CARRY A GUN, HELP PATROL THE STREETS AND PROTECT THIS GROUP OF SURVIVORS IN ORDER TO BE PROTECTED BY THIS GROUP AS WELL. WHAT WAS SHE BEING PROTECTED FROM? READ ON...

WHAT YOU ARE NOT HEARING FROM THE MEDIA IS THIS...THE LAWLESSNESS IS TOTALLY OUT OF CONTROL. THERE WERE (AND ARE) ROAVING GANGS OF HEAVILY ARMED THUGS (APPARENTLY MORE TOGETHER AND ORGANIZED THAN THE POLICE/MILITARY). THESE BUCK WILD GANGS WERE RUNNING THE STREETS WITH GUNS AND THRILL KILLING EVERYONE THEY SAW ON THESE STREETS-FOR FUN. WE ARE TOLD THAT THEY WERE BREAKING INTO ALL THE APARTMENT BUILDINGS AROUND-RAPING ALL THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN AND THEN KILLING EVERYONE INSIDE BY GUN OR KNIFE. WE KNOW THAT THIS INCLUDES THE JOSEPHINE APARTMENT BUILDING ON ST. ANDREW.

WHAT WE ARE ALSO NOT HEARING FROM THE MEDIA IS WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL OF THE PRISONERS FROM ORLEANS PARISH PRISON (OPP). WE ARE TOLD THAT THERE WERE many! ESCAPES AND THAT SOME WERE POSSIBLY SET FREE DUE TO FEAR OF STARVATION. YOU'VE SEEN SOME OF THESE PRISONERS ON TV, BUT TRUST ME, THIS IS A MASSIVE AND VERY SERIOUS PRISON. SO WE HAVE THESE NICE FOLKS RUNNING THE STREETS-ORGANIZING THEIR GANGS AND HELPING TO CAUSE ALL OF THIS VIOLENCE.

THERE ARE TRULY DEAD BODIES LITTERING THE STREETS. WE HAVE RECEIVED A CONFIRMED REPORT THAT THIS IS SO. JUST TODAY, ROBYN GOT A CALL FROM A FRIEND WHO WAS IN NEW ORLEANS TODAY AND STATED, THAT YES INDEED THERE ARE BODIES EVERYWHERE AND IN PARTICULAR, ONE DEAD BODY STILL IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE (RIGHT OFF MAGAZINE ST. ABOUT 1 BLOCK FROM OUR SHOP). THERE ARE SEVERAL MORE BODIES UP JACKSON AVE (IN THE STREET) AND EVEN MORE IN THE SURROUNDING STREETS.

SO, WERE ALL THE PEOPLE AT THE CONVENTION CENTER FLEEING THE WATERS? NO. SOME WERE FLEEING THE MURDERERS & RAPISTS SEVERAL BLOCKS AWAY ON MAGAZINE STREET AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS. HAVE YOU SEEN ANY FOOTAGE OF UPTOWN? NEITHER HAVE WE. WHY? MY THOUGHTS ARE UNTIL THEY GET THE MURDERED PEOPLE OUT OF THE STREETS-YOU WON'T BE SEEING ANY UPTOWN SHOTS, AT ALL.

THIS IS NO EXAGGERATION. THIS INFORMATION COMES FROM RELIABLE FRIENDS WHO STAYED THROUGH THE STORM AND HAVE NOW ALL GOTTEN OUT TO SAFTEY.

SO HOW DID OUR EMPLOYEE GET OUT?

SHE BORROWED ALL OUR MONEY LEFT AT THE SHOP (ABOUT $400) AND BRIBED SOME GUYS WITH A CAR TO TAKE HER AND HER HUSBAND OUT OF TOWN. ONLY PROBLEM- NO PETS ALLOWED.

SO UNFORTUNATELY, CURRENTLY 2 OF OUR DOGS ARE STILL THERE WITH NO IMMEDIATE MEANS OF RESCUE.WE RECEIVED ALL OF THE ABOVE INFORMATION RIGHT BEFORE WE WERE GOING TO LEAVE TO GO TO NEW ORLEANS TO COLLECT OR THINGS & PETS. THANK GOODNESS FOR THE INFORMATION, BUT WE ARE STILL WORKING ON A WAY TO GET OUR PETS OUT IN THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS, (continued...)

( continues...) BEFORE THEIR FOOD AND WATER RUN OUT.

TO BE CONTINUED...

PS. MOST THE FIRES THAT YOU ARE SEEING ARE NOT ACCIDENTAL. ARSON IS RUNNING RAMPANT.

David, would you consider posting links rather than transcripts?

That way those of us who are obsessively trolling for updates (me, for instance) can follow the links, while those of us who aren't can skip on past.

How can she know much of what she is saying is true though?

If I heard a rumor, say that an armed gang was systematically raping and murdering anyone could find, in that circumstance I'd probably believe it or at least act accordingly -- but how would anyone know if it were true? How can she know the fires are arson as opposed to accidents?

I'm sure there will be bodies that were shot, but my guess is it won't be more than a few.

Of course, only time will tell.

I have similar doubts as Trudy -- not that the woman is not reporting what she hears as true fact, but in this highly scary situation, a handful of guys riding around with guns once becomes 'roving gangs' by word of mouth. (OTOH, she might well have seen the bodies with fatal gunshot wounds.)

That Chrysler Snoop Dogg commercial gets more non sequitur every time I watch it.

Oh, and tomorrow, the A's get their first look at King Felix.