Wonkette
- The memory of 2005’s disastrous 17-hour highway clusterfuck still ripe in their minds, many Houstonians choose not to evacuate Hurricane Ike. [AP]
- Many media pundits thought Sarah Palin’s interview with Charlie Gibson showed her lack of knowledge about certain key topics; others found Charlie Gibson “anti-religious.” [Washington Post]
- A new power-sharing agreement in Zimbabwe wil have Morgan Tsvangirai’s party leading the cabinet and the police, while Robert Mugabe retains control of the military. [Wall Street Journal]
- Everything you ever wanted to know about Cindy McCain’s painkiller addiction. [Washington Post]
- The Obama campaign says, “Everybody chill out, we will get meaner or whatever.” [New York Times]
- And for their first move in their new “aggressive” campaign offensive, David Plouffe released a memo. [The Hill]
Rick Perry, trying hard to completely avoid reckless hyperbole, said that one and a half million people will die if they do not evacuate.
I’ve gotta say, though. This whole idea that McCain/Palin represents 4 more years of Bush/Cheney proved to be somewhat off the mark. Turns out Bush/Cheney were just the opening act. McCain/Palin are the headliners. And if you thought “War With Iraq” was a danceable hit, wait till you get a load of Bonzo Palin’s 90 minute drum solo in “War With Russia.” It’ll blow your fucking mind… literally!
YOUTUBE EXCLUSIVE: Raw Footage of Sarah Palin practicing for her interview with Gibson!!!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiTOCH4ha00
Goodbye Houston.
facehead:
Well, at least it’s not a Rick Roll.
Dude, she got checked by Charlie “Where’s your American Flag pin, Barry?” Gibson. And the question wasn’t even that hard. Joey B. would have knocked that shit out of the park. The answer would have taken until Columbus Day, but whatevs.
Serolf Divad: awwwwwww, I prefer to think of it as a maverickroll.
How long until the military and police are having gun battles in Zimbabwe?
SuperRounder: At least he would have also somehow woven a reference to Scranton and not scared the fuck out me when I pictured him having to take over as prez.
I love that WaPo is reminding the public that Johnny first blamed Cindy for the Keating shenanigans. What a guy!
Great photo of Cindy higher than a kite at the WaPo link.
SuperRounder: Yeah, well, those of us who could actually understand Joe’s answer would be proud. Unfortunately, those who support Caribou Barbie and McGrampy will see any difficult question as “dissing” her. Don’t you know she’s got family issues she has to deal with thus cannot be memorizing things about Georgia and such? Anyway, Georgia is Sonny Perdue’s problem!
superfecta: Yeah, that was special. And the drugs. Missed a great opportunity there, Cindy! See Ford, Betty.
Did you see the National Weather Services’s advisory? OMG, and these guys are NOT given to hyperbole:
“Persons not heeding evacuation orders in single family one- or two-story homes will face certain death.”
Folks in Galveston, Webster, Texas City, all of Liberty County, all of Bolivar Peninsula, Pasadena, the other low areas around there, please leave….and don’t just go up to Houston, either. I know from personal experience living down there what a pain in the arse it is to evacuate and how the traffic is. This one is the real deal, looks like.
When I lived in Galveston, people digging new gardens or excavating for pipes or foundations would find human bones from time to time. The police would come and make sure they were old. The bones were from the 1900 storm where thousands of people died. Some were buried in graves, some were buried any old place, and a LOT were taken off shore in a barge and dumped, but the bodies washed back on to the beaches. I can’t imagine how horrible that must have been.
Galveston is a great place to live, but you do NOT screw around when a hurricane is coming.
In other morning news, new Obama and McCain ads here: http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/09/new_ads_obama_presses_change_m.php
Dear McCain,
Fuck off and finally die.
<3
d
Well, Charlie is anti-religous.
You can never question anything anytime anywhere. Peace be to the Lord. Amen.
InKnockYouUs: That’s how she looked at the convention. She’s either still on them or she’s had a lobotomy.
Poor Cindy, the pill-popping whippet.
You’ll get no sympathy from from Mooseburger’s kin, who snort coke by the snowdrift.
From the Washington Post: “Aides confirmed that Palin and her husband, Todd, have been assigned Secret Service names: hers is Denali, after the Alaska national park and wildlife preserve that includes Mount McKinley; his is Driller, a nod to his work as an oilman on the state’s North Slope.”
Does anyone know what Obama’s SS name is??
Serolf Divad: I thought it would be more like a remix of “Bela Lugosi’s Dead” and Technotronic’s “Pump Up The Jam” with WALNUTS! playing The Count and brunette Alaska Barbie dancing it off in the video, with global nuclear explosions in the background. Call the RIAA, we’re going to need cross company, cross the board marketing to handle the volume of purchases (of survival goods [and urns to hold the ashes of the dead]). Such a proud night for American Neo-Feminism, which is to Feminism what Neo-conservatism is to Conservatism.
Ike was supposed to hit Texas. So why is my street flooding 40o miles away? Must be those Democrats the caused the Global Climate What-Not… damned lefties. Get off my lawn with that boat!
petals: Renegade, or so I hear, is Obama’s secret name.
petals: Renegade. Michelle’s is Renaissance.
Terry: With you 1000%. Get out now if you are in an evac zone. Head to freakin’ Dallas or something (or go drinking in Austin, great bars!), but leave the shoreline. Vet of six FL hurricanes here. Used to live on a barrier island, switched off to the intercoastal after my flippin’ house washed away in 2004.
Barry’s hard-hitting ads are so-so. Maybe Cindy will have a very public relapse sometime in the next 4 years so that I’ll have some shadenfreude to give me comfort during the McCain administration–before the ‘nucular’ war, that is. Democrats are like the Cubs. Their chances always look pretty good until September. It’s like the voting public has a stupid switch that gets tripped right before they make a collective good decision.
“his is Driller, a nod to his work as an oilman on the state’s North Slope.”
SURE that’s why.
president palin seems as good as any other empty suit in politics. who is this guy mccain?
Sussemilch: “pill-popping poppet” is more alliterative and poetic. *cough* Sorry.
petals: Driller?
Look, everyone: low-hanging fruit!
InKnockYouUs:
Here you go… enjoy..
Terry: i understand the joad house is vacant in oklahoma.
“Everybody chill out, we will get meaner or whatever”
Brain enema’s for all.
lazyb: Sorry to be so chatty this AM, but yeah, you’re right. I’m currently reading “What’s Wrong with Kansas?” Amazing how they managed to get people to vote against their own economic interest.
Yuppers, just convince them that someday you’ll do something about “babykillin’” which we all know is worse than, well, ANYTHING, and the nutjobs will vote you in.
I’m getting too old to care so much about this sh*t. I’ve fought the good fight for years. I think I may just start writing checks and leave the emotion out of it.
By and large, the R’s are good for me. 15% beats the h*ll out of 33%!. I’m too old for kids, so no worries about RvW, don’t have any of my own, so not worried if they’ll pollute the earth for the next generation. I’ll be dead before climate change floods the coast. If things get really dicey, I can afford to evacuate to Canada or an island.
But if y’all are under 30, you may really want to get off the computer and DO something, because it’s your life they are going to f*ck up royally.
petals: “Denali”? Ewwww. Isn’t that also the name for a ginormous General Motors suv? That seems appropriate.
I wish Barry’s secret service name was “Passenger 57″ or “Mr. Tibbs”.
Godless Liberal: Hmm, are the McCain’s Viagra and Vicodin?
TGY: Maybe that’s Cindy’s SS name..in a perfect world.
O Rosey the riveter, Rosey the…
Pssst.
What.
Fundraising for Mccain. Autographed picture of him in his jet. 50 bucks.
No.
Take it anyway…throw it in the air.
Okay. Rat-a-tat…boom…crash.
Niiice. Gimme another one.
How bout 50 cents.
petals: and these are, of course, a reference to the top of the line vehicle model she drives, and to his capacity as the possible father of 5 kids…maybe more, maybe less…
petals: From the Washington Post: “Aides confirmed that Palin and her husband, Todd, have been assigned Secret Service names: hers is Denali…”
Which would be an anagram for, oh, I don’t know…DENIAL? Never knew the Secret Service had a sense of humor.
Borat: That’s hilarious how we’re not allowed to ask any questions even slightly straying into religion, now. As if the press didn’t spend a zillion years on Obama’s church, its craaaazy preacher man or whether or not he was a Mooslim. Fair is fair, Barbie. Don’t be a whiner.
petals: I don’t think that’s what “Driller” refers to. He’s a father of 5, after all.
shoeho: Well we gots no money (well at least not enough to benefit from Gramps & co)and I have 2 kids but I am old as dirt and am getting that sinking feeling. I’m not giving in action-wise, I’m sending Barry my little bits of money, and have volunteered to do lawyer-stuff on election day, but it’s hard to keep the happyface on it all these days. Will someone at least please have a decent fucking riot if this election gets snatched again?
ok, time to ‘hope’.
Serolf Divad: Thanks for the Cindy bliss-out pic. I mean, who can blame her?
shoeho: Where you at? I’m in Martin County.
Shit, I’m already way late to the “Driller” conference. Michelle’s and Barry’s names are so…poetic, though. *sigh*
Cogito Ergo Bibo: palin, a mooselim?
hers is Denali, after the Alaska national park and wildlife preserve that she intends to rape and pillage, because we have to leave all options on the table when dealing with National parks that are hellbent on destroying us.
“driller” is just so sexed-up…where’s the mystery?
To recap: Asking Palin to clarify a statement about God and war = anti-religious.
Getting all hysterical because Obama went to a school with mooslems in = not ant-religious.
Any questions
Walter Sobchak: ME TOO!!!!
lazyb: Yeah, well….I just get really depressed when I click on all my poll bookmarks and see Barry behind Walnuts. Sigh. This is getting way too scary. Will simply hit the vodka early. Hell, it’s Friday, right?
“… she did herself little to no harm and came across as a real person put in an unreal situation which is pretty much the reality of things.”
Actually, the reality of things, Jonah, is that she is really in waaaay over her head and you are a waste of time, resourses, air, space and cheetos.
Damn, dude/dudette. We should start a club. Did you get flooded out by Faye? I live off Savannah and it was like the freakin Abyss over there for a few days.
shoeho: Wow, now you’re getting the Repug mentality down… “Fuck ya’ll, I’m too old for it to effect me”
Walter Sobchak: Nah. Palm City.
grendel: Yeah, but unfortunately, I have a conscience. My little “Fuck, why do I care anyway?,” rants only last until my latest shot of Absolute kicks in. Then I start sobbing.
“The memory of 2005’s disastrous 17-hour highway clusterfuck still ripe in their minds, many Houstonians choose not to evacuate Hurricane Ike.”
Ike, shmike! What’s the big deal here people? If they want to stay when people are telling them to leave, I say get yourself some of your favorite beverage, turn on the Weather Channel, and let the good times roll! I’m sure they know what they are doing. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s only Texas.
masterdebater: As a former resident of Lake Jackson, TX, I’m surprised how many people are actually evacuating, considering the general level of hubris and idiocy in that population. remember, this is Ron Paul’s home district.
Freeport, Jamaica Beach and Galveston are just going to get slammed. The retards (and I say that with all due respect) staying in their homes in Surfside, Quintana or on Galveston Island are going to get hit hard.
Texas City and the Houston Ship Channel (20% of US refining capcity) are going to be storm surged and probably shut down for at least a week. Dow and BASF in Freeport (they mostly make plastic) are probably going to shut down for a couple weeks, and you can forget about the refineries on Chocolate Bayou.
sorry for the long post, but here are a couple samples from http://blogs.chron.com/hurricanes/
Reality of Ike sets in for Galveston family
Tommy Fields and his family planned to ride out Hurricane Ike in their apartment on Galveston Island. But then reality set in this morning.
At about 9:30 a.m. this morning, Fields, his girlfriend Martha Vernon and their 2-year-old son were in their pajamas packing up their car to leave.
They had planned to stay, but when they woke up this morning and saw the forecasts and giant waves crashing over the 17-foot seawall they decided to evacuate. They live in an apartment building next to the San Luis Hotel.
Fields, 26, a corrections officer for Galveston County Sheriff’s Department, has lived in Galveston all his life.
“It’s going to be bad,” he said. “It hasn’t even been raining, and it’s flooded in Galveston already.”
The family was heading to Pearland where they have relatives.
“I’ve been crying all night,” Vernon said.
– Lindsay Wise 9:52 AM 9/12/08
Storm surge worries change surf shop owner’s plans
Although he earlier had said he would ride out Hurricane Ike in living quarters above his business, Surfside Beach surf shop owner Bingo Cosby now says he’s heading for higher ground.
“They’re talking about 15 feet of water,” he said from his home in nearby Oyster Creek this morning.
Oyster Creek is another part of Brazoria County where storm surge water is expected. “There’s already 2 feet of water in the streets,” he said of Surfside Beach.
Cosby said he was about to load up his three dogs and head for San Antonio.
“Man, there’s water everywhere,” he said.
– Richard Stewart 9:49 AM 9/12/08
Frightened, but riding the storm out in Galveston
As she walked along Galveston’s seawall this morning with her husband, John, Ginger Saracco gasped as a big wave slammed into the rocks, tossing foam high into the air.
“Yeah, I’m really frightened,” she said. “I’ve been in blizzards and tornados, but never a hurricane. It’s frightening, but if the Lord’s going to take you, he’s going to find you wherever you are.”
The couple decided to stay with John’s elderly parents and extended family after their plans to leave were muddled by confusing forecasts in the past few days.
“We were planning to go to Austin and then the newscasters said the storm had changed track,” Ginger said.
By the time the mandatory evacuation order came Thursday, “it was just too late - too late to go,” she said.
John said he stayed for Hurricane Alicia in 1983.
“It was like a train running over the roof,” he said.
He added that he lost everything in that storm, but now believes his family is living in a safer place.
They will hole up together in their apartment at the old Galveston News Building near the Strand and hope for the best, even though the area already is flooding.
The brick structure was built in 1843 and survived the great storm of 1900, which swamped Galveston Island and killed an estimated 8,000 people.
“It’s got, like, 3-foot-thick masonry walls,” John said. “It was built to hold printing presses and stuff like that, so it’s very structurally sound. We’ll be OK.”
“God willing,” his wife said.
A few feet away, at the edge of the seawall, there’s a monument to the victims of the 1900 storm: A man, woman and child in a tight embrace. With one arm, the man clutches his family. With the other he reaches toward the sky.
- Lindsay Wise
Posted by Burke Watson at 09:33 AM
By far the worst:
http://blogs.chron.com/hurricanes/2008/09/tired_of_running_they_plan_to.html
Tired of running, they plan to ride out this storm
David Holmen, along with his wife, uncle and three children, decided to ride out the storm in their Galveston home on Wimcrest Road, about 10 miles inland.
They have placed their generator and supplies in their attic, planning to keep an eye on the water level and hope for the best.
“I think we are very, very well prepared,” said Holmen’s wife, 35-year-old Gena Anderson. “I think we have pretty much everything we need.”
The family’s experience evacuating for Hurricane Rita in 2005 influenced their decision, said Holmen, 36. They were “tired of running” after being stuck for 17 hours on the highway and watching tensions flare as people fought over supplies at gas stations.
“I saw someone pull a gun out,” Holmen said.
His uncle, 40-year-old Pete Moralez, added, “It wasn’t so much Mother Nature as human nature that scared us.”
The family’s home was built in 1959 and, Holmen hopes, is sturdy. But, he noted, “I have already got water standing in my streets.”
The family stood near the seawall before 8 a.m. today, watching waves crash. Some were so large they scared 10-year-old Angelena.
“She started crying and said ‘Let’s go,”’ Holmen said.
The whole family, after seeing a headline predicting “certain death” for some in coastal areas Thursday night, wondered if they should go.
In they end, they did not.
– Lindsay Wise
Posted by Burke Watson at September 12, 2008 08:30 AM
Serolf Divad: Hasn’t everyone had a Vicodin habit at one point or another? And appeared at a spouse’s press conference glassy-eyed and drooling a bit?
Considering Palin flubbed a couple of questions, I immediately went to non-lefty blogs waiting to see the reaction of those very same pundits pointing out the deer-in a-headlights moment and, of course, got nothing. Nothing! Instead, I got a blunch of blather about how she answered prepared answers with confidence.
We’re doomed, people, we’re domed.
So, I guess it’s left up to me to ask: Why does God hate Galveston and Houston?
masterdebater: 110 people died in the panicked evacuation before Rita (which didn’t bring so much as a drop of rain to Houston). Houstonians are (mostly) not being told to leave. People who live in coastal communities are being told to leave, and most of them are.
Laughing at the misfortune of others is not snarky, it’s Republican.
Big Al1317: Tom Delay
onosideboard: I really do apologize. I would never have made fun of them, you know, if they didn’t live in Texas. Oh, and calling someone a republican? That’s just low.