Gulf Coasters, Be Safe!

[mjzee]

3 hours ago, JSngry said:

Is the Astrodome in any kind of condition to be used as a shelter, even temporarily?

Nope; it's full of asbestos.

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, mjzee said:

Nope; it's full of asbestos.

whoa....

[J.A.W.]

At the same time, at the other end of the world (roughly), there's also a major disaster going on: extremely heavy rains and floods in Nepal, India and Bangla Desh, with the death toll now over 1,000. I get news mails from the Washington Post and NYT every day, but hardly anyone is reporting about that. Hmm...

Edited August 29, 2017 by J.A.W.

[Chuck Nessa]

Local/national news is local/national news. What is the Texas coverage in Nepal? Hmm..

Edited August 29, 2017 by Chuck Nessa

[J.A.W.]

Last time I looked both the WP and NYT have international sections - hardly a word. A very different story in the mails from the Dutch, German and UK newspapers I subscribe to, both Texas and Nepal/India/Bangla Desh are covered extensively.

Edited August 30, 2017 by J.A.W.

[Chuck Nessa]

Guess you are just better folks over there. Sorry we don't measure up.

[Scott Dolan]

I have to completely agree with Chuck on this one. While all disasters and deaths are grievous, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh have to focus locally/regionally on their problem, just as we do. The last thing the people of Texas are concerned with right now is the plight of those in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. And I guarantee the people in those countries have no time, or emotional energy, to spare for the people of Texas. 

That's not cold or uncaring on either side of the equation. That's simply reality. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/flooding-maroons-people-in-indian-states-eases-in-nepal/2017/08/17/6e7c3304-8321-11e7-9e7a-20fa8d7a0db6_story.html?utm_term=.c836d3dda35c

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/08/29/attention-is-on-harvey-but-flooding-has-killed-thousands-this-month-in-other-countries-too/?utm_term=.699f57134195

[J.A.W.]

1 hour ago, Scott Dolan said:

I have to completely agree with Chuck on this one. While all disasters and deaths are grievous, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh have to focus locally/regionally on their problem, just as we do. The last thing the people of Texas are concerned with right now is the plight of those in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. And I guarantee the people in those countries have no time, or emotional energy, to spare for the people of Texas. 

That's not cold or uncaring on either side of the equation. That's simply reality. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/flooding-maroons-people-in-indian-states-eases-in-nepal/2017/08/17/6e7c3304-8321-11e7-9e7a-20fa8d7a0db6_story.html?utm_term=.c836d3dda35c

I wasn't talking about the people of Texas specifically, I fully understand and appreciate that they wouldn't be interested in what's happening elsewhere right now, I was talking about a couple of your national newspapers that have a wide international readership. 

Edited August 30, 2017 by J.A.W.

[Scott Dolan]

And I provided two links to stories from The Washington Post proving otherwise. 

[J.A.W.]

Yes, and that doesn't compare with what the European newspapers I read wrote about both Texas and those Asian countries. But I guess we could go on about this all night and never agree, so let's leave it at that.

[Aggie87]

A death toll of over 1000 is a tragedy, and my Texan heart goes out to them.  

[Scott Dolan]

First Lady footwear, and a pissing contest over which country is providing the best international news coverage. 

This thread has turned into one of the sillier ones I've ever seen here. 

[uli]

i think i can make it even sillier. btw i don't understand how these posts are viewed as political. i see them just as scenes in our reality

 

[JSngry]

oh btw, I received an email from work alerting me to the monsoons in Mumbai, and to expect an impact on workflow effective immediately.

I'm still about to turn my KPRC stream to catch Khambrel Marshal, but to my co-workers in Mumbai and all their families, friends, neighbors, enemies, pets, livestock, everybody and everything. there and here, thoughts and prayers.

[CJ Shearn]

18 hours ago, alankin said:

Happily, they made it out safely.

I am glad.  My heart goes out to them because I'm disabled.  I donated to an org that will help disabled people in this disaster.

[Soulstation1]

??

[Scott Dolan]

5 hours ago, JSngry said:

oh btw, I received an email from work alerting me to the monsoons in Mumbai, and to expect an impact on workflow effective immediately.

I'm still about to turn my KPRC stream to catch Khambrel Marshal, but to my co-workers in Mumbai and all their families, friends, neighbors, enemies, pets, livestock, everybody and everything. there and here, thoughts and prayers.

Thank God for that email, and alerting us to what is going on over there! The lazy and incompetent national newspapers here have completely ignored the situation! 

[Scott Dolan]

Finger pointing is a guaranteed byproduct of any disaster. Especially of this magnitude. But I have to admit that I found this article very interesting. I've seen similar bureaucratic disregard on the Gulf Coast of Florida, as well. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/classic-apps/how-wild-west-growth-may-have-contributed-to-devastating-flood-in-houston/2017/08/29/290e4e56-8c13-11e7-91d5-ab4e4bb76a3a_story.html?utm_term=.c5d16ee0d6a2

Edited August 30, 2017 by Scott Dolan

[mjzee]

We drove around Meyerland, the neighborhood by Brays Bayou.  While the water has receded, you could see watermarks on the fronts of the houses showing how high the waters had risen.    5 - 6 feet was not uncommon.  Truly disconcerting.  These were people who already had their houses gutted in prior storms.  Mattresses and sofas are beginning to be piled up on the curbside.  We got an email that garbage pickup has been suspended because the landfills are flooded.

[Scott Dolan]

As destructive as high winds are, I'd rather take my chance with them rather than deal with such crushing flooding. 

[JSngry]

2 hours ago, Scott Dolan said:

Thank God for that email, and alerting us to what is going on over there! The lazy and incompetent national newspapers here have completely ignored the situation! 

Newspapers? What are those?

Seriously, I work for a corporation that very much has a global work force. The immediate personal impact to me might well be more from the monsoons in Mumbai than the flooding in Houston, but forgive me if my personal attention is more immediately captured by an area that's just a four hour drive from here, an area where I lived for a few years as a kid, an area where some of my mom's side of the family once roamed whatever it is they roamed, and an area where I have played any number of gigs over any number of years.

But in both cases, a massive number of lives are being seriously disrupted, and some destroyed. This is not the time for pettiness/prissiness. Not that it ever is, but especially not now.

What was that the song said, "I thin it's raining all over the world"? That's...neither funny nor poignant right now. It's kinda scary.

2 hours ago, Scott Dolan said:

Finger pointing is a guaranteed byproduct of any disaster. Especially of this magnitude. But I have to admit that I found this article very interesting. I've seen similar bureaucratic disregard on the Gulf Coast of Florida, as well. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/classic-apps/how-wild-west-growth-may-have-contributed-to-devastating-flood-in-houston/2017/08/29/290e4e56-8c13-11e7-91d5-ab4e4bb76a3a_story.html?utm_term=.c5d16ee0d6a2

Here's a corollary concern, presented for information purposes only: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/29/a-storm-made-in-washington-215549

[MomsMobley]

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

What was that the song said

Juke Boy Bonner: "Man, whatever you do, don't leave Third Ward out!"

"But if I got a job in Houston, I wouldn't be on this train"

The "Screaming Please" writing credit Brown/Malone means that Texas Johnny Brown, the legendary Texas guitarist and author of Bobby Blue Bland's iconic "Two Steps From The Blues," was probably the writer. Deadric Malone is the pseudonym Don Robey to get writing credits on a number of Duke sides he wasn’t involved in composing. As this reveals so many of the dynamic brassy hallmarks of the stellar Bobby "Blue" Bland material of the era, until someone shows me different, I will conclude for now that 1) Duke's house arranger/trumpeter Joe Scott is threading the elaborate tapestry and 2) the band is the same killer all-star ensemble from "Two Steps From The Blues" driven by the dynamic beat of earth-shattering future James Brown drummer John "Jabo" Starks.

 

 

[Scott Dolan]

3 hours ago, JSngry said:

 

Here's a corollary concern, presented for information purposes only: http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2017/08/29/a-storm-made-in-washington-215549

And the biggest problem there is private insurers putting the squeeze on the government by refusing flood insurance in many areas. It was a big problem in Florida because homes there are so damned expensive, and most of the Gulf Coastal towns are actually below sea level.

Either way, there is plenty of blame to go around. It's all part of the "it'll never happen here" syndrome. Mark my words, we'll see all kinds of changes made in Texas after this. Building codes, mostly. But give it 3-5 years and you'll see most of them overturned...by the voters! 

There's an enormous housing community in Charlotte Harbor called Deep Creek. Kind of upper mid class. Well, one of the deed restrictions there was that all homes had to have concrete/clay roof tile. None of that asphalt bullshit the peasantry lines their shacks with! When Charley came through with 145mph straight lines, and gusts up to 175mph, those look at me roof tiles became incredibly dangerous projectiles that ended up doing even more damage. Later in the year, Charlotte County voted to remove the deed restriction mandating those tiles. 

Three years later, after much uproar from the people, they relented and put the restriction back in place. 

Those who do not learn from their mistakes...

[kinuta]

Some of the latest footage really brings home the sheer enormity of the flood damage.

Sympathy to all involved.

We are no strangers to typhoons and tropical storms, we are having one as I type, but Houston's nightmare dwarfs our petty concerns.

[Soulstation1]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/shivering-girl-3-found-clinging-011520356.html