Lessons Learned???

Almost exactly three years after Katrina hit New Orleans, the city is again bracing itself for another massive hurricane. Hurricane Gustav is supposed to hit ground on Monday as a category 5- the most powerful hurricane. To put things in perspective, Hurricane Katrina was only a category 3 hurricane. According to the coverage on MSNBC a mandatory evacuation order has been issued. New Orleans will not offer emergency services to anyone who chooses to ignore the order- those people will be on their own. Unlike last time, residents will not be allowed to take shelter in the Superdome. The only options for evacuation are to drive or take a bus north out of the area. According to coverage, most of New Orleans are choosing to leave. It is a good thing that Katrina wasn't so long ago that people have forgotten the devastation.

New Orleans is also offering options for people who might not leave their homes because of their pets. As an animal lover, some of the most heartbreaking scenes from Katrina for me were stranded animals. The stranded people were sad too, but they had a choice to stay or leave, the animals didn't. Anyway, New Orleans is offering an animal registration program. Pet owners can register their animals and leave them in a safe shelter. When they return to the city, they will be able to claim their pets. A lot of people did not evacuate during Katrina because shelters do not allow pets. This option takes away that excuse for people who are considering riding out the storm.

The major question in all the coverage seems to be, Will the levees hold? No one seems to know. We can only hope that they do. One the lighter side of all of this, it is reported that President Bush will be unlikely to be at the Republican Convention on Monday in order to respond to the hurricane. It does take a lot of time and energy to fly over a disaster area. I'm sure he needs that time to prepare for his flight :)

Has the area learned its lesson from Katrina? Only time will tell. My hope is that they have. Even though this post focuses on New Orleans, Jackson, Mississippi and Texas are also targeted to be hit by Hurricane Gustav. My thoughts and prayers will be with the people of that region this weekend.

Barack Obama Rocks!

Hi all. As I have said before, I am not a very political person but because it is an election year and the week of the Democratic National Convention, I have become more interested in politics. Living with an amateur political analyst doesn't hurt either. Some background on my political affiliation: I am a registered Democrat currently, but not by choice. Most of my views align with Democratic Party views but I have always registered as an Independent because I like to believe I can think for myself and vote on issues/candidates based on my opinion and not the opinion of a political party (party line voters are the worst form of evil- no matter the party). When I moved to Pennsylvania, I had to register as either a Democrat or a Republican to be eligible to vote in the primary. I chose the party that, in my opinion, was the lesser of two evils at this point in history. That being said, let me tell you why I think Barack Obama rocks! This is the first political convention I have ever paid any attention to because I am so captivated by Barack. He truly inspires me with his ideals and visions for this country. His speech tonight got me a little teary-eyed at points because I felt like he was talking about me and Bill- regular people who are struggling financially but striving to make our lives better for ourselves and any children we may (or may not) have. Regular people who are are racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans (me) and working 60 + hours a week without health insurance (Bill). For the first time I can recall, I feel like there is a politician who is on my side and will work for me and not CEOs and lobbiests. I feel proud of my country tonight for nominating such a great man. Hopefully, we will see him in the White House in January. If not, you can find me hiding under a rock for the next four years, or until McCain kicks the bucket, whatever happens first :)

My Day

Taking a day off from work because you're car broke down and you have no way to get there- 160 Dollars

Having a locksmith open your apartment door (after waiting outside for 1 1/2 hours in 90 degree heat) because you locked yourself out- 132 Dollars

Having Meineke take all day to replace a car battery that was just replaced two years ago- 232 Dollars

Having one of the worst days of your life- priceless.

Just a little taste of what my day was like. Hope everyone had a better one than me.