UPDATE: Well, dear Nathan lost, getting roughly 32% of the vote, compared to Brunstetter’s 44%. He’s a two-time loser now, having lost his bid for NC Congress in 2004 (Note to Nathan: you can take down these websites after a couple of years). Name on Ballot Party Statewide Ballot Count Peter Samuel (Pete) Brunstetter REP 4,423 Nathan Tabor REP 3,167 … Read More
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?
A new report says that FEMA is beyond repair: Crippled by years of poor leadership and inadequate funding, the Federal Emergency Management Agency cannot be fixed, a bipartisan investigation says in recommendations to be released Thursday. ….Describing FEMA as a "shambles and beyond repair," [Republican Senator Susan] Collins said the overall report "will help ensure that we do not have … Read More
More Kellie
Getting ready for work this morning, I had the local Fox affiliate on in the background. Joining the Fox crew in the studio was voted-off American Idol finalist and North Carolina native Bucky Covington. And shortly before 8:00, live from Hollywood via satellite, they conducted an interview with Kellie Pickler, who had only had one hour of sleep last night … Read More
Experts Agree
…well, most of them. Global warming behind 2005 hurricanes The record Atlantic hurricane season last year can be attributed to global warming, several top experts, including a leading U.S. government storm researcher, said on Monday. "The hurricanes we are seeing are indeed a direct result of climate change and it’s no longer something we’ll see in the future, it’s happening … Read More
Comet Chunk To Hit Earth On May 25, 2006, Killing You (And Your Pets)
So don’t make any plans. And that put-off task of refinishing the deck? Don’t bother. Seems pointless. UPDATE: Don’t worry. The guy predicting this is a wacko. He predicts the comet will hit the Earth and destroy most of it. How does he know? Because he "received a telepathic message from extraterrestrial friends". Still, there really is a comet, and … Read More
Scotty: Beam Me Outta Here
Just breaking: We won’t have McClellan to kick around anymore
Katrina Kids Sing Praises Of Bush, FEMA
From the Wall Street Journal: At the annual White House Easter Egg Roll, children from the stricken Gulf Coast region serenaded First Lady Laura Bush with a song praising the beleaguered Federal Emergency Management Agency. To the tune of “Hey Look Me Over,” about 100 young children from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama sang: “Our country’s stood beside usPeople have sent … Read More
Ship Afire
CNN is reporting that the Star Princess cruise ship is on fire. They’ve probably turned off their webcams, but here are the live Star Princess cams (one from the bridge, and one from the chapel). They supposedly update every minute (reload this page to see).
From The Producers Of Katrina…
Enjoy the 2005 hurricane season? That could be peanuts compared to what the 2006 season has in store, including, dire predictions about major devestation to Northeast cities. "There are now indications that the Northeast will experience a hurricane larger and more powerful than anything that region has seen in a long time," said Ken Reeves, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.com. "The … Read More
Videotape Shows Bush Lies And Incompetance
The Associated Press had obtained footage from a videoconference on August 28, the day before Katrina struck. Bush, as well as many federal, state and local officials were participating. It also obtained the transcripts of seven days of briefings that followed. The AP story says it all: Bush didn’t ask a single question during the final briefing before Katrina struck … Read More
Yeah. It’s Not Like We’re Going To Be Hit With Hurricanes Or Something…
Governors of both parties said Sunday that Bush Administration policies were stripping the National Guard of equipment and personnel needed to respond to hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, forest fires and other emergencies.” Following a recent Pentagon budget proposal to cut 20,000 Guard members, “all 50 governors signed a letter to the president opposing any cuts in the size of the National … Read More
North Carolina Blogging
Majikthise echoes the sentiments of Kos and others who point out that bloggers may have a more significant role to play in local elections rather than national ones. She points out that North Carolina, particularly the Triad region, formed one of the first blogging communities designed to affect and influence local politics. It has become, in essence, the role model … Read More
Brownie To Talk?
Ex-FEMA Director Michael Brown is now saying that he wants to turn over his correspondence with Bush to congressional investigators unless Bush specifically tells him not to and agrees to cover his legal fees. Up until now, he’s been respecting the Bush Administration invocation of "executive privilege". "Unless there is specific direction otherwise from the president," writes Brown’s lawyer, "including … Read More
Katrina Response
The new Bush budget cuts $15 million in state and local grants to, in part, help communities create evacuation plans. And his cuts to the Army Corps of Engineers projects leaves the North Carolina coast vulnerable.