The article linked above (I'll link it again for reference)

[link]

Is craziness. NO was (is?) a really fucked up place post-Katrina. I can't believe sheriffs were pointing guns in people's faces like that. Damn.

Flying Spaghetti Monster: The Game!

My mouse pointer won't show up when I have it over the game. But still fun!

I love how you're supposed to avoid the school administrators.

Whee! A bugmenot that worked on the first try. (I often have to go through about a dozen.)

Bush's speech on MONDAY, delivered at 10 am, as Katrina was lashing the Gulf Coast -- [link]

In the speech, which is focused on many other things (which shows he was focused on other things, not on Katrina), note the two (total, two) paragraphs on Katrina and what he says, specifically:

"I know my fellow citizens here in Arizona and across the country are saying our prayers for those affected by the -- Hurricane Katrina. Our Gulf Coast is getting hit and hit hard. I want the folks there on the Gulf Coast to know that the federal government is prepared to help you when the storm passes. I want to thank the governors of the affected regions for mobilizing assets prior to the arrival of the storm to help citizens avoid this devastating storm.

"I urge the citizens there in the region to continue to listen to the local authorities. Don't abandon your shelters until you're given clearance by the local authorities. Take precautions because this is a dangerous storm. When the storm passes, the federal government has got assets and resources that we'll be deploying to help you. In the meantime, America will pray -- pray for the health and safety of all our citizens.

Also, I love the fact that if you just google "spaghetti," the third result is for the wikipedia entry on Flying Spaghetti Monsterism.

When the storm passes, the federal government has got assets and resources that we'll be deploying to help you.

not only does this seem to be an evil lie-- "has got" seems like annoyingly folksy poor usage to me....

I love it when corporate marketers get creative (another Tribune story):

No 'Bean' today: Millennium Park closed

Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. paid $800,000 to have the city close the 24.5-acre downtown park so thousands of car dealers and corporate personnel could make it their own...

Representatives of one of Toyota's biggest competitors, General Motors, were taking advantage of any public ire over the park's closing.

They stood outside Millennium Park, handing out goodie bags and offering free rides to the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, Navy Pier, Water Tower Place, John Hancock Building and the Museum of Contemporary Art.

I'd be pissed too, considering how much us taxpayers paid for the giant silver bean.

WTF, Jesse?

Also, if you can't be bothered to keep track, I don't think you get to expense the damn tip.

OK, one more post on FSM: Help the Cause

Media-Whore FSM needs a strong believer who "gets" what we are doing, willing to be in the spotlight (tv/radio) expressing our views. Academic credentials will be helpful as far as giving credence to our beliefs.

Academic Support The next phase of the project is the Enlightenment Institute, a FSM think-tank that will seek to gather evidence in support of our priori assumption that the FSM created the universe (because this is clearly legit scientific methodology). Specious reasoning is encouraged. All areas of science must be covered. We're in brainstorm mode. Get in contact with me.

On the pirate-front Anyone with a sturdy pirate-ship willing to help spread the word of Him, please let me know.