Qualis artifex pereo

From The Times of London:

By his own admission, things are going badly for Sheriff Harry Lee and his crisis management efforts. Outside his mobile headquarters truck, two officers grip a stepladder while a third stands on the top rung waving his mobile telephone in the air, searching for a signal. Inside Sheriff Lee, of Jefferson parish in New Orleans, is sitting at a table, fuming. He is doing his best to alleviate the biggest catastrophe he will ever witness, but lacks even the most basic of resources.

Some of HDTD's readers will know of my long-standing interest in the peculiarities of Southern politics, and will not be surprised that I actually have Harry Lee's biography. Like many Southern lawmen, he's been a little, um, controversial. Here's the official online version, and an article about the man. But man, is he pissed off now:

"It�s not getting better -- it�s getting worse," he says. "This is probably the largest national disaster in the history of the US and the co-ordination that should be in effect all these days after the event just isn�t happening. It�s lack of proper planning and lack of co-ordination. There are plenty of Indians, but no chiefs." "My chief deputy said some of the other deputies are quitting on us. They want to be with their families. Well, I want to be with my family too but you don�t quit in the middle of a crisis," he said. "My daughter rang me, crying. She said, �Daddy, can�t you leave?� I said �Yes, I can point my car west and step on the gas, but can I go and leave these people here? No, I cannot."

Meanwhile, Fats Domino is missing. Update: Fats Domino has been found, and my friend Dana's grandfather (who was in a New Orleans nursing home) has been found! They're both OK.

But our president has a new guitar! Oh, it makes him so happy! Do you think he will play it for us?

Comments

[Patrick Banks]

You'd think his handlers would have anticipated the inevitable Nero comparisons such a photo op would engender.

Good God, you just can't parody that man.

[Christine]

You might find some of the comments in this blog interesting with respect to the NOPD.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/2005/09/01/

[Christine]

You might find some of the comments in this blog interesting with respect to the NOPD.

http://www.livejournal.com/users/interdictor/2005/09/01/

(reposted to make the link live)

[Patrick Banks]

Looks like Fats Domino is okay: http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/01/katrina.fats.domino/

I know he's just one famous dude and there are thousands of people along the Gulf Coast who aren't as lucky as he is. Still, for some reason the news that Fats is still alive fills me with joy.

[Graeme]

That picture: did the photographer set it up so that it looks like a white serpentine tongue is emerging from Bush's lips, or was it an accident?

[Randy McDonald]

Condoleezza has been shopping for shoes in your city, it seems. She's on holiday.

[Carlos]

Yes, and someone bitched her out about it, and she had security remove them.

Rice, according to people who knew her from her university position, is a fine example of the Peter Principle at work. It's no surprise to me that she's chosen to emulate Imelda Marcos at this time.

Goddam, I am sick of the B-team screwing things up. This isn't about partisanship, it's about competence. Even Custer had a plan.

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