WTF Jamie?

I have been so caught up with the disaster that I forget that football starts this week. Below I posted a link to the Clemson vs Texas A&M game day experience which I found was a good read and a nice little break from all the horror stories that bitch Katrina has caused.

Now I am a Clemson man and my blood is as orange as they come but I just don't know another school with such a great hospitality and rich traditions as A&M. I hope my Tiger brethren greets the Aggies fans with as much respect as they showed our fans last year and that Saturday is a day when two great football schools share a love for the game and all that surrounds it.


http://www.thetigernet.com/view/story.do;jsessionid=0DA8543BC5E81F07AEC2CFEC1DC13183?id=4878

Turns out the Bush administration cut funding to Louisiana and New Orleans that would have addressed the issues with the levees there.

http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001051313

In early 2004, as the cost of the conflict in Iraq soared, President Bush proposed spending less than 20 percent of what the Corps said was needed for Lake Pontchartrain, according to a Feb. 16, 2004, article, in New Orleans CityBusiness.

Here is another:

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4200/is_20050606/ai_n14657367

A sobering wake up call to how they don't care about the people. The war debt is adding up and not just in dollars. When will they listen and when will they learn?

If it was up to Pat Robertson we all can only pray unless it it is not a good investment for Pat. Well Pat remember this guy who you wanted killed? Here is a man who will act. Wonder which one Jesus would view as the more rightous?



Venezuela President offers fuel, food to hurricane-hit US

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050829/wl_afp/usweathervenezuelaoil_050829235602

The main road out of New Orleans heading to Mississippi has collapsed! Water is still poring into the city and everyone there has to get out. All hospitals and shelters have be cleared.

These news clips (below photo) were more than I was prepared for.














(cut and paste to view)

javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/us/2005/08/30/sot.katrina.man.loses.wife.wkrg');

javascript:cnnVideo('play','/video/us/2005/08/30/meserve.ems.lok.cnn.cnn','2005/09/06');

As I said yesterday I have been captivated by Katrina. She was nothing short of a monster. So big that the outer bands were felt here in Atlanta.

At first I was just in awe of what a powerful force of nature she was. Then I worried for all the people who could not escape he wrath. I was angry at President Bush for taking away the National Guard when they are so needed here. Now I am in a state of shock. This is really bad.

New Orleans is under 10 plus feet of water in some places. The lake is pouring into the city and people are trapped in their attics and on their roof top and no one can save them. The water in the streets is full of gasoline, household chemicals, and what not. There are bodies found floating in the streets. There are numerous gas leaks everywhere.

The cost for this storm will be felt by everyone. Gas prices have just hit another all time high. major funding will be needed to rebuild the areas destroyed. I hope everyone will be willing to give even more. Please consider giving:

American Red Cross (800) HELP NOW (435-7669) English; (800) 257-7575 Spanish

In my lifetime I never thought I would see any single event that would have had killed so many people and have such far reaching consequences.

Now I have seen two.

http://www.clemson.edu/cuad/tiger-rag.wma

I have to admit I am totally captivated by Hurricane Katrina. I have spent the last few hours watching Anderson Cooper and Rob Marciano (who I would watch if they were reading stereo instructions but that is another story), blow around in giving updates on her power. This is a huge storm. I hope that she weakens before anymore damage is done.

I have this fascination with hurricanes or it may be the other way around. Back in September of 1989 I was starting my second year living in Sumter. My parents divorce was almost completed and my mother had just bought a house (it was a big deal cause I spent a great deal of my life growing up in a trailer on the farm in Wilson) and even though the adjustment was not smooth I was starting to be ok. *Side note* I grew up on a farm where my grandparents lived in a house next door and I really never knew there was a stigma about living in a trailer because it was very much home to me.

Anyway my Mother was dating someone in his mid 20's back then and now when I think about it he was younger then than I am now so that freaks me out!!! Well I remember sitting in the house watching the news that Hurricane Hugo was headed for the South Carolina coast. This storm was one of the biggest in some time and was going to at least be a category 4 when it hit. All of a sudden my mother flipped, called my dad and told him to meet her halfway so we could stay with him. My mother sent us 40 miles closer to the storm!!!!! I can remember how dark everything was that night headed to Wilson and how it seemed to be raining leaves everywhere. Well my dad had us stay at my grandparents house and we stayed up till almost midnight trying to see what was going to happen. My dad stood guard as we one by one fell asleep. In typical Jamie fashion I slept though the whole thing (just like the earthquake in 03) the next morning I woke up to the strangest blue grey colored sky. There were huge trees down everywhere and our swing set had blown up against the back door pinning it shut.

As it turns out the storm had made a direct hit of Charleston and ridden up the river and lake system that ends less than 10 miles from the farm. No one had predicted this course and the two counties by us were the worst hit outside of the Charleston area.

We were lucky that everyone was ok and we did not have very much damage. I remember seeing how much others had lost. We went almost 3 weeks without school, power and running water. No big deal to an 11 year old but today I would be begging for a warm shower.

A few years later Hurricane Andrew wiped out Homestead Florida, where my Mother spent most of her teenage years. It was the most costly storm in history.

When I moved to Atlanta the last thing I was worried about was Hurricanes. That was until 2004 when 3 tore into Florida and moved right into Atlanta with in a month. Causing trees to fall, major flooding and once again me in the dark.

Bring on them Aggies. I am less than a week from heading to the greatest little town in the world for a weekend of friends, drinks and CLEMSON FOOTBALL!!!!!!


Here is a photo of the new Hill endzone video scoreboard.

Thanks wannabeleader for the funny.

Now anyone who knows me knows I am not a religious person. I have always had issues with organized religion because all of them find a way to blame others and exclude people. It is like a spiritual country club.

Anyway I remember watching the Omen and the big plot was that the next anti-Christ was would surface from politics. hmmm. Also that he was surrounded by power people who protected him. Ok someone call an exorcist for America.


This week I have been really thinking how crazy this country has become and how I wonder if we are at some kind of cold civil war. I decided to just make a quick list instead of rambling forever:

* radical fundamentalist Islamic = radical fundamentalist Christian
think about it for a second. Is there really a difference?Pat Robertson calling for the assignation of an elected official( he is such a Christian). Extremist calling for the killing of abortion doctors and judges. Who are the terrorist? This is scary stuff!!!!!!

* Ok I don't think you should be able to use the words freedom or democracy if you do not understand what they mean. Am I wrong but isn't the reason we are in Iraq is to promote these ideas? So when Americans exercise these rights at home we are called terrorist and un-American....WTF?

* On that subject apparently the head of the American Legion has called to arms to stop any anti-war movements using any means necessary? Ok he might want to clarify that statement cause to me that sounds like a call for aggression in order to deny freedom of speech. Very America. Me being me I sent him an email:
Dear Mr. Cadmus,

I have to say as a past supporter of the American Legion I was extremely alarmed when I read your comments about using whatever means to stand against anyone who opposes the War in Iraq. Isn't the reason we are fighting this war is to ensure democracy and isn't democracy the ability to speak freely even if it is critical of government policy? I am afraid that stances like these only bring America closer to civil disruption and shows the world that democracy is not a real idea but just an empty phrase.I also find it a bit hypocritical that you can support this war but in 99 the legion refused to support the President with the troubles in Yugoslavia.

Please support democracy in the US and in the world.

Sincerely,

James in Atlanta


Before you question my stance as a supporter, I use to volunteer with a civic group in high school that supported them and I bought too much of their crappy candy.

* My last rant of the day is how the government has spent billions on Iraq, and more importantly thousands of lives only to let the new government to become less of a democracy and offer less rights them when Saddam was in power??? Once again WTF? I can not believe that the government is ok with this constitution draft. After all the cost don't you think we could get at least this one detail right?

While I am ranting I thought I would share this email I sent to Michele Malkin. I will never understand why a minority woman would not only support a group that uses her but why she is so hateful. I just am tired of waiting for change and I even if my opinion doesn't cause her to stop and think about the words she speaks, at least I spoke out. I for one support freedom of speech but if you say something mean and hateful then you really miss the point.

Dear Ms. Malkin,

I have to say I am extremely alarmed by the fact that you feel compelled to tell the nation that you know more about Cindy Sheehan's son that she does. All she is asking for is some answers to help with her grief. We as a country owe her that. She has paid a higher price than you or I. I don't understand how our country has become so hateful and mean spirited that we would dishonor a mother who has lost her son to war. It is people like you who make me question the direction of this country. This country was founded on the right to question government and to embrace different opinions but the comments you made this week were nothing short of hateful and shameful.

You should be embarrassed.

Sincerely,
James in Atlanta

First, sorry for my absence but I just haven't been in the blogging mood for a while. Leave it to something with the GOP and the hypocrisy of how they control government to bring me back.

Why can the GOP continue to lie with no repercussions? Clinton lied about a blow job and they were all over him like ants at a picnic. We are not talking sex acts here today. This is the death of our citizens with no remorse or explanations. I for one am sick of it. Americans HAVE to unite for change. These slimy, greedy fascist control freaks say one thing and do the other, they lie, cheat and steal from us and call themselves patriotic.

Back when Clinton decided to do something about Bosnia the Republicans were screaming about no war. Thanks for the info from the Daily Kos ( http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/8/17/144732/740 ) we can read how hypocritical they are:

Quotes from when Clinton committed troops to Bosnia:

"You can support the troops but not the president." --Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Well, I just think it's a bad idea. What's going to happen is they're going to be over there for 10, 15, maybe 20 years." --Joe Scarborough (R-FL)

"Explain to the mothers and fathers of American servicemen that may come home in body bags why their son or daughter have to give up their life?" --Sean Hannity, Fox News, 4/6/99
"[The] President . . . is once again releasing American military might on a foreign country with an ill-defined objective and no exit strategy. He has yet to tell the Congress how much this operation will cost. And he has not informed our nation's armed forces about how long they will be away from home. These strikes do not make for a sound foreign policy." --Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA)

"American foreign policy is now one huge big mystery. Simply put, the administration is trying to lead the world with a feel-good foreign policy." --Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"If we are going to commit American troops, we must be certain they have a clear mission, an achievable goal and an exit strategy." --Karen Hughes, speaking on behalf of George W Bush

"I had doubts about the bombing campaign from the beginning . . I didn't think we had done enough in the diplomatic area." --Senator Trent Lott (R-MS)

"I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today" --Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

"Victory means exit strategy, and it's important for the President to explain to us what the exit strategy is." --Governor George W. Bush (R-TX)


Go ahead and just say anything and as along as you are a Republican no one will hold you accountable for lying. I for one will NEVER trust these people.

Clinton tried to stop the terror from happening and the GOP stopped him by the most vicious personal attach ever seen. The GOP got it wrong and we paid the price.

I will say one thing for Clinton, he would have spoken with he fallen soldiers families with respect because he cares, he has a heart unlike the current administration. That is why he will always be loved no matter how hard the GOP tries to tarnish his reputation.

Bush, and the GOP have failed us and the worse part is they don't care.