Probably Correct

Oz slippers stolen, Big Gay Al suspected

Link: Dorothy's Ruby Slippers Stolen From Museum.

A pair of ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" and insured for $1 million is missing from a Grand Rapids museum.

Doom for New Orleans?

     Over the years, my experience has been that doomsayers are almost always shown to be wrong.  We can only hope that, with landfall predicted in the next few hours, Katrina has second thoughts.  Tens of thousands remain in NO, at the Superdome as refugees, and in their homes, making what may be their last great act of defiance.

     If you pray, the next few hours may be a good time for you to exercise that franchise.

Link: Experts Expect Katrina to Turn New Orleans Into Atlantis, Leaving Up to 1 Million Homeless.

When Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans on Monday, it could turn one of America's most charming cities into a vast cesspool tainted with toxic chemicals, human waste and even coffins released by floodwaters from the city's legendary cemeteries.

Liveblogging Katrina

Link: CNN.com - Miles O'Brien's hurricane blog - Aug 28, 2005.

CNN's Miles O'Brien is blogging on Hurricane Katrina from Louisiana where tourists and residents are bracing for the worst.

NWS' Worst Case Scenario

Link: Hurricane Katrina Eyes New Orleans | Blogs of War.

MOST OF THE AREA WILL BE UNINHABITABLE FOR WEEKS...PERHAPS LONGER. AT LEAST ONE HALF OF WELL CONSTRUCTED HOMES WILL HAVE ROOF AND WALL FAILURE. ALL GABLED ROOFS WILL FAIL...LEAVING THOSE HOMES SEVERELY DAMAGED OR DESTROYED.

THE MAJORITY OF INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS WILL BECOME NON FUNCTIONAL. PARTIAL TO COMPLETE WALL AND ROOF FAILURE IS EXPECTED. ALL WOOD FRAMED LOW RISING APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL BE DESTROYED. CONCRETE BLOCK LOW RISE APARTMENTS WILL SUSTAIN MAJOR DAMAGE...INCLUDING SOME WALL AND ROOF FAILURE.

HIGH RISE OFFICE AND APARTMENT BUILDINGS WILL SWAY DANGEROUSLY...A FEW TO THE POINT OF TOTAL COLLAPSE. ALL WINDOWS WILL BLOW OUT.

AIRBORNE DEBRIS WILL BE WIDESPREAD...AND MAY INCLUDE HEAVY ITEMS SUCH AS HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES AND EVEN LIGHT VEHICLES. SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND LIGHT TRUCKS WILL BE MOVED. THE BLOWN DEBRIS WILL CREATE ADDITIONAL DESTRUCTION. PERSONS...PETS...AND LIVESTOCK EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL FACE CERTAIN DEATH IF STRUCK.

POWER OUTAGES WILL LAST FOR WEEKS...AS MOST POWER POLES WILL BE DOWN AND TRANSFORMERS DESTROYED. WATER SHORTAGES WILL MAKE HUMAN SUFFERING INCREDIBLE BY MODERN STANDARDS. THE VAST MAJORITY OF NATIVE TREES WILL BE SNAPPED OR UPROOTED. ONLY THE HEARTIEST WILL REMAIN STANDING...BUT BE TOTALLY DEFOLIATED.

FEW CROPS WILL REMAIN. LIVESTOCK LEFT EXPOSED TO THE WINDS WILL BE KILLED. AN INLAND HURRICANE WIND WATCH IS ISSUED WHEN SUSTAINED WINDS NEAR HURRICANE FORCE...OR FREQUENT GUSTS AT OR ABOVE HURRICANE FORCE...ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS.

If you didn't think....

     ...that the entire Cindy Sheehan deal was custom-designed for the media, take a look at these two photos.

Link: lgf: How Phony Can They Get?.

Why am I not surprised?

Everything is W's fault.  Including hurricane damage.  Freakin' asshats.  Who the heck do these people think are marshalling the evacuation of NO?  Who were those guys wearing NG uniforms passing folks into the Superdome?

Link: Daily Kos: Political Analysis and other daily rants on the state of the nation..

Unfortunately, the citizens of the state of Louisiana are about to face the full force of Katrina without the benefit of their National Guard troops to protect them. This is a direct consequence of President Bush's bad decision to invade Iraq. Bush's decision to fight terrorism by taking the battle "over there" is about to hit home.

And then, of course, there's the DUmb

NOW I believe in camera phones

Link: New York Daily News - Home - Hunt perv caught in a flash.

When a pervert exposed himself on a Manhattan subway last week, Thao Nguyen reached for her secret weapon - her camera phone. The quick-thinking 22-year-old snapped a shot of the smirking sicko, took it to cops and then posted it on the Internet.

Katrina and New Orleans

     Some years ago,  Carroll and I and daughter Anna and her husband Carey spent a weekend in New Orleans.  Daughter Jennie housesat for us while we stayed in a B&B in the French Quarter.  About 9AM on Sunday, I went in search of a phone (our B&B was without one) to call Jennie and check in, wish her well and like that.

     The only phone I could find was outside of a small corner bar, a pay phone.  As I was speaking with Jen, I looked into the bar and saw, looking back at me, about two dozen bearded leather boys.  I looked away and saw their motorcycles parked along the sidewalk.

     Uh-oh.  I am not a brave man.  I ended the call and beat feet back to the safety of the rental.

     I guess we'll know in the next day or so what the result will be as Hurricane Katrina comes ashore along the US Gulf Coast.  It may or may not hit New Orleans.  But if it does, as a Force 4 storm, it could be disasterous.

     Norlinz is entirely below sea level, with the Mississippi on one side and Lake Ponchartrain on the other.  If these two bodies of water meet, it could be all over.  A FEMA study of the results of a F4 storm on the city done a few years ago spoke of the city being flooded under thirty feet of water, with rampant chemical and oil spills and disease and as many as 100,000 dead.

     I always enjoyed our trips to New Orleans, less as the city has become rougher over the years, but I wish the city well with Katrina.  I wouldn't mind one more authentic muffaletta...

Lap dances = lawful expressive conduct

Believe it or not, I've never been in what they call a "gentleman's club".  Had the chance once but declined the opportunity.  Now, though, that I know I've missed out on lawful expressive conduct and not just some whore shaking her goodies at me and expecting a five-spot for the favor, I have to wonder what else I've missed.

Link: Mo. Law Banning Lap Dances Unconstitutional - Yahoo! News.

"The state may not limit persons of majority age from engaging in lawful expressive conduct protected by the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution without a substantial and direct connection to adverse secondary effects, a showing that has not been made," Callahan said in the declaratory judgment.

Don't think so...

I've been to the Grand Canyon a few times, even flown over and through it in a six-seater.  Just getting near the edge was enough...walking out over it on a glass walkway?

NOT!

Link: Grand Canyon to Get Glass-Bottomed Walk - Yahoo! News.