I know every single one of you was waiting to hear news about Fats Domino and you can all start breathing again because according to the headlines He's Alive !!!

I am really happy for the man but at the same time wonder about the publicity of famous people at a time like this with an innuendo that their lives are more important than others.

ROCK 'n' roll pioneer Fats Domino has been rescued from the floodwaters of his New Orleans hometown, allaying fears that he might have perished in the grim aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, news reports said today.
The 77-year-old musician, who had told friends that he planned to ride out the storm, was rescued on Monday night, according to the Associated Press and CNN.

AP quoted his daughter, Karen Domino White, who lives in New Jersey and identified her father from a newspaper photograph showing a man being helped out of a boat by authorities.

Ms White told AP that she had been unable to speak to Domino and had no information on his wife, Rosemary, or any other family members in New Orleans.

Domino's manager, Al Embry, told Reuters he spoke with Domino by telephone twice on Sunday, trying to persuade the singer to evacuate. But the musician insisted he was "going to try to ride out" the storm at home with his wife and his youngest daughter.

So there you go, and not to be mean but you can bet that the whereabouts of his wife and daughter if they are still missing will make headlines while poor bodies get washed away, shoved aside and not even looked twice at.

New Orleans has a very large black population. I am not a resident there, but do have friends in that area. I would venture to say that the middle to upper middle class lived on the outskirts of NO. And the ones who did live in the city, lived in very nice areas and got out before the storm

I think there is a lot of implied racisim where there is not. This is not a socialist country, no matter how bad people would like it to be. There are poor. In New Orleans, having a large black population, you are going to see alot being rescued.

Would it make you feel better if they showed the whites being rescued first?

In the US, we have the right to bear arms. In inner cities you have alot of gang violence. So, I am sure many people were armed to begin with and those that were not, stole guns from the stores they looted.

[edit on 9/2/2005 by llpoolej]

In most pictures we see in the media over here it's mostly black and hispanic people wading through water. Is it just a coincidence or a sad fact? Reminds me of the movie Titanic when the rich upper classes where the only ones allowed in the boats.

You must remember, the entire city was under an evacuation order, and told to leave. Those that remained, were the ones who were mostly too poor to afford to get out (though one would think that a couple of days begging would pay for a Greyhound ticket, no?). The majority of the poor there are black and hispanic, and of course, the elderly, and that's why they are the ones you'll see mostly on the news.

However, they aren't the only ones who stayed, but just the majority. One of our own members, Mizar, doesn't fit into that category....(Corvette in the garage, a couple of motorcycles, etc., all probably filled with marsh right about now), and he's still missing in action (of course, this is hopefully more due to no communications).

i saw a video of a cop pushing some guy's box into the water and all that was in it was toilet paper...

even if the guy stole it, he needs it!!!

this is sick...

Jesus, saw live footage of interstate 10, looks worse than the dome or convention centre, I think they´re now bringing all the people they rescue off rooftops over there. 10s of thousands.
Also frantic call from St Bernard parish leader, saying they haven't even heard from FEMA, the only people being rescued there are those that can make it to their shelter. Unbelievable.

My heart goes out to those impacted by this tragity, but I feel compelled to ask a few of those tough questions... this is ATS, afterall.

Why did Bush refuse Canada's initial offer of help? Our disaster relief teams have been on 1 hour standby since those levies broke... and the first offers to send them in were rejected!

Theory: Bush doesn't want Canada to look Heroic to Americans because he's getting set to screw us over on softwood and other trade issues.

Why weren't those levies re-enforced?? It's been known for more than 4 years that this disaster was just a matter of time.

Fact: A plan was proposed, but Bush slashed the budget down to almost nothing.

Finnaly, WTF is wrong with people?? Shooting at relief workers, raping, and looting comfort items in the middle of this living hell?? Jezzus!
Mind you, I perfectly understand looting for nessesities (I generally take note of corner stores that could be looted for foodstuffs in my area if disaster strikes), but these people acting like animals should be shot in the soggy streets!

did you not hear what Mayor Nagin said, the people out of control in New Orleans are more likely the normal criminal elements and drug addicts crashing badly. They are looking for anything to get high on, hence the attacks on hospitals and looting of drug stores.

I have been hearing on BBC that up to 10,000 people feared dead from Hurricane Katrina. Anyone have any news on these figures? CNN is saying thousands but not actual numbers.

50,000 still waiting to be evacuated.

[edit on 2-9-2005 by nikelbee]

no one has accurate numbers, Officials are not releasing hard figures, but from various accounts, my approximate death toll number based only on the figures thrown out around there, is that we're around 12-1500. I think the toll will be much higher once the flooding subsides and bodies are actually recovered, if they can be recovered. It's going to take a while to get the full picture and exact official number.

[edit on 9-2-2005 by worldwatcher]

Yes that makes sense. That is why I am wondering where BBC is getting its figures.

Originally posted by worldwatcher
did you not hear what Mayor Nagin said, the people out of control in New Orleans are more likely the normal criminal elements and drug addicts crashing badly. They are looking for anything to get high on, hence the attacks on hospitals and looting of drug stores.

Then underline my "should be shot in the streets" comment.
Sorry, being a junkie is NOT an excuse to behave like an animal... under ANY circumstances!

I'm still most interested in any thoughts anyone might have on my first question, tho. Very strange to have an offer of help rejected at a time like this. I know I'd be seriously upset if I was in the zone of destruction and found out that Bush said "no thanks" to organized assistance while the local authorities continue to fumble the ball...

I saw the Bus flip news on foxnews.com....so far only 1 dead

WOW..I just read the info on pumping out NO....It's going to be 2 1/2 years before rebuilding.....I heard on the radio on the way in that, due to contaminates in the water that is currently flooding peoples homes that a lot of flooded houses may have to be torn done, because they would be to toxic to live in. So we are talking 6 months to just drain the city, when would people start being able to come back? I've heard estimates of 4 months, but how do you go back to a place that is still being pumped out? I would think bringing people back too soon would hamper the drying out effort as well, but then again, you can't tell 480,000 people(I think?) 'You can't go home for 2 1/2 years'

And that was the optimistic(Pumping a ft of water a day and no more storms hit the area).....It could easily be 2010 before NO is back to normal...Eeek

Originally posted by worldwatcher
per CNN, bus carrying evacuees to Dallas flips over north of Lafeyette.

what else can go wrong?

Usually when someone says this it is a dark portent for worse things to come. Someone has posted a thread about possible cannibalism. I guess it must be on some people's minds because it has been days since food has been available, but imagine the nightmare of having to psychologically recover from that.



[edit on 2-9-2005 by nikelbee]

Get past actually eating a dead human. Think about where some of these people have been: wading thru infested waters. So,in addition to ingesting whatever bacteria a decaying body has, these people(if reports are true) are ingesting all the crap(literally) from the water that these people waded thru. If my choices are death due to infection from eating someone, or death from hunger, I choose hunger..

member psychochick (not sure how many know her, she is fairly new around here) is ok. i talked to her on the phone, and she is fine safe in the middle of nowhere out by Lafayette. she wanted me to tell you guys.

--Kit

that's great news kit!

I had no idea we had another member out there, I'm glad pyschochick is safe.