Day: September 9, 2005

New Orleans Photojournal

Chris 3 Comments

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This guy’s photos of the Hurricane Katrina, both before and after, are incredible. You can get a feel of how this disaster evolved through his lens.

PROLOGUE: On Sunday August 28 I woke up at 5 in the morning to go to my morning job at the Chateu Sonesta Hotel. The night before, we had been warned that Hurricane Katrina was preying her eyes upon us. In the history of New Orleans, there has NEVER been a direct hit by a hurricane. In everyone’s mind, this hurricane would follow the same path that hundreds of past storms had done before. However, because of the size of the storm and ferocity which it tore through South Florida, the citizens of the The Big Easy prepared themselves as best they could… this is my tale of the events…

(via Monkeyfilter)

What Happened to the Man Who Cussed Out Cheney?

Chris 17 Comments

In case you were wondering:

Dr. Ben Marble, a young emergency room physician who plays in alternative rock bands and does art on the side, needs our help. Since he was the one who told Dick Cheney to “go fuck yourself” on Sept. 8, that’s the least we can do.

Marble is a complex guy, to say the least. Some of the lyrics he writes can be considered harsh by some – personally what I’ve heard is very much on target – but he has a softer side as an organizer of breast cancer fund-raisers, not to mention an ER doctor.

When he, like thousands of others, lost his home due to Hurricane Katrina last week, it was the single most traumatic week of his life. That led to his Sept. 8 confrontation with the man who best represents the worst of the most callous, heartless, shittiest administration in U.S. history.

(via Crooks and Liars)

Friday Afternoon Cat Blogging

Chris 13 Comments

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I tried to get Cynikitty to take a picture in the sink for the Cats in Sinks website earlier in the week. Judging from the scars on my arms, it would be an understatement to say that it didn’t work out very well. Next time I will try with the water off.

Cynikitty’s links of the day are:

Bonsai Kitten: Dedicated to preserving the long lost art of body modification in housepets.

Viking Kittens: We come from the land of the ice and snow…

And last but not least, Man’s Best Friend (embedded quicktime video): This video clip may not be about cats, but is extremely touching.

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Pictures from the Heyday of Hawaiian Hotel Rooms

Chris

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Oh, oh! Pure concentrated tiki bliss.

In the 1960s, many hotels in Hawaii produced postcards showing what the interiors of their rooms looked like. Besides being good advertising to the relatives of the tourists who mailed these back home, the postcards unwittingly captured a moment in Hawaiian history that doesn’t exist anymore. The vintage rattan furniture, colorful bedspreads tiki lamps and tapa wall hangings are all relics of a bygone age. The only thing that remains unchanged is the view of Diamondhead out the windows.

(via Humu Kon Tiki, my new favorite blog)

Easter Islanders raising a Moai into place

Chris

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I thought I’d share some amazing photos of an Easter Island Moai Raising that took place during Thor Heyerdahl’s (first?) visit to Rapa Nui. These photos come straight out of my hardcover American edition of Aku-Aku by Thor Heyerdahl.

In the book, Thor convinces the Mayor of Rapa Nui to teach him his ancestor’s secret of moving and raising the giant Moai statues into place. Over eighteen days, the mayor and his crew show Thor how it was done.

(via Humu Kon Tiki)

How Reliable Is Brown’s Resume?

Chris 3 Comments

Sigh.

Before joining FEMA, his only previous stint in emergency management, according to his bio posted on FEMA’s website, was “serving as an assistant city manager with emergency services oversight.” The White House press release from 2001 stated that Brown worked for the city of Edmond, Okla., from 1975 to 1978 “overseeing the emergency services division.” In fact, according to Claudia Deakins, head of public relations for the city of Edmond, Brown was an “assistant to the city manager” from 1977 to 1980, not a manager himself, and had no authority over other employees. “The assistant is more like an intern,” she told TIME. “Department heads did not report to him.” Brown did do a good job at his humble position, however, according to his boss. “Yes. Mike Brown worked for me. He was my administrative assistant. He was a student at Central State University,” recalls former city manager Bill Dashner. “Mike used to handle a lot of details. Every now and again I’d ask him to write me a speech. He was very loyal. He was always on time. He always had on a suit and a starched white shirt.”

(via Atrios)