A little bit of catching up to do around the internets ...
Katrina Compounded
It may not be front-page news in the nation's capital, but here in south Louisiana, where it still seems as if every other house has a FEMA trailer parked in its front yard, the recent release of the Army Corps of Engineers' interim hurricane protection plan dominated headlines, and not just because the report cost $20 million. What, after all, is $20 million in a national climate of want more, spend more? No, the real problem is simply this: The report, despite its hefty price tag, is useless.
And here I thought Joel Osteen had the richest book deal!
Our rightwing Houston blogging friends discovered the Metro Rail over the weekend. How cute as they marvel over an accident NOT happening. I hope for their sake that the blood pressure from the stress has now subsided. Anne's got the most observations posted at bH and about the most succinct response possible is that this girl ought to get to Houston a bit more often. I'm not sure how they manage traffic around any trains that run through Spring, but here in Houston, it's ill-advised to turn into a lane while a train is in motion. Not that it doesn't happen ... but most folks just let that big old hunk of moving metal get out of the way. Yeah, I had a good laugh over that while I inhaled my chocolate shake from the Ben & Jerry's that Anne couldn't seem to find. Sedosi wonders where the InterLeft was on this excursion. Umm, dude ... ask Kevin. I'm sure my invitation was lost in the mail. That said, I'm on the rail during peak hours on any given day of the week. Whaddaya wanna know?
Maybe for good reciprocal measure, I'll run a few observations about the stop Kuff & I had at a Dairy Queen somewhere between here and Ft. Worth. I mean, heck ... we were there and not one cow got tipped!
Over in Iraq, there's this: In an About-Face, Sunnis Want U.S. to Remain in Iraq ... can't say that was tough to see coming. Problem is that I expect Bush to at least announce some troop withdrawals by Election Day ... if only to demonstrate a bit of movement, if not progress. That's going to take a bit of contortion on the part of the administration to pull off, but it's not like they haven't managed it before. Besides, those folks in the Republican base ... they'll buy anything. Mark my words.
Hezbollah/Lebanon/Israel ... that's one foreign policy topic that you'll get something of a respite from me on. There is, however, one fair observation to make, and that's essentially one that EJ Dionne and Steve Chapman have already made from different points of the spectrum: the Bush foreign policy is being proven horribly wrong by the fruits it bears.
But more to the point of H/L/I ... just bomb the hell out of Hezbollah strongholds to the fullest extent they can be targetted and let whoever's left among that insipid group deal with the fact that Israel's gonna be around for a long long time so that they get used to it. If it takes a threat against Syria to get someone moving, so be it ... just be prepared to back it up.
On the subject of the MetroRail excursion undertaken by the bH crowd - their trip and the ensuing discussion did more to discredit the obvious bias on their part than to "expose" any problems with the MetroRail.
Of course, when I try to make that argument, I'm called a liberal troll.
I get the feeling I may be joining Greg on the list of those banned for attempting actual dissent on bH.
Wear it like the badge of honor it truly is, Bobby.
You Texans are soooo cute when you try and deal with public transit!
Greg, someday I am going to show you around Boston and let you experience the raw, unabashed joys of riding the Green Line to the Kenmore Square stop right before a Sox game...
That will give you a story to tell over cold frosties!
And yet, it will still pale in comparison to the alternative, which is trying to drive the streets of the Back Bay with 38,000 people wandering every which way...
I've been to DC a couple of times, and each time I am in complete awe of the mass transit system there.
One of these days, I'm going to have to check out New York and/or Boston.
I pretty much got half my sleep onboard DC's subways while interning with the PPI. I've also managed to see the best of Toronto via their subway system. Both very easy-to-navigate.
I think by the time I try and even wrap my mind around a visit to Boston will be whenever that silly Big Dig is made safe for mankind to be anywhere near.
On the subject of the Katrina report by the Corps of Engineers - I write with some authority on this, having spent several years as a Corps project manager. One thing they do very well is write meaningless and costly reports. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that 90% of the work produced by the Corps, no matter which administration is in charge, is wasted. I left after several years, tired of the all nonsense I was being paid (very well) to write.