Why not send cruise ships to New Orleans?

I doubt they want their cruise ships shot at.

Everyone's a critic.

Sorry Lash.

I agreed with your comment about the dock. It was the following line that I found the fault with. It was the opting part.
Lash wrote:

One way of communicating this thought:

They may prefer to take their chances with a dangerous trip to a ship.

I don't see how you could find fault with it. Don't you actually agree with it?

I agree with Lash 100%. There's not a damn thing wrong with what she said, dammit!

I obviously read it differently than you meant it. I apologize for my comment, which in retrospect was an error on my part.

De nada, dear.

Kicky is such a badass. He's making me sooo hot.

Kicky's trying to be my sig.

<fighting urge to capitulate...don't think I can hold out...much....longer....>

Shall I break out the trampoline?

Great question, Gus. I've been asking myself this question for a few days now. Not 2 hours ago I was watching CNN and they showed this big military ship with a helicpter landing on it and everything docked somewhere doing nothing at all and several of those big cargo helicopters also sitting there doing nothing.

I then said to myself "Montana, what in the flaming hell is wrong with this picture"?

Hmmmm!!!!

<continues to scratch chin and wonder why>

Well, if the cruise liners wouldn't work, then something f-cking should.

Something. This disaster occured in the Western world. We have minds that can work for 20 + years on vaccines, on scientific breakthroughs, on mathematical equations, we also have Bill Gates. Money is at no limits to us if we truly needed it (if we can come up with $81 billion to cause trauma, we damn well be able to come up with a couple million to help calm it). There are thousands of National Gaurd volunteers and workers, aswell as many other Americans who are willing to help and work and donate their time and energy to this... There is absolutely no explanation for us to be drawing a blank on what to do. There has to be some way, difficult and as faulty as it may be, to get more help to these people than is already there.

Amen to that Sanctuary!

There are also 20 other countries (including mine) who have been offering help, but were declined and told that they had everything under control.

<sigh>

Is GW still mad at us, Montana?

I'm quite sure he would be if he actually gave a rats ass ;-)


<Oooops! Did I say that?>

Ships
I heard in the news there were a couple of navy ships on the way, including the Ewojema. I also read that an organization called Friend Ships is sending a large cruise ship to the area as well. Not to mention the Carnival Cruise ships that may be going there as mentioned in an earlier post.

I don't know how many ships were docked in the FLA area though. I would imagine that they all pulled out before the storm headed that way. Katrina did hit southern FLA before it went out into the Gulf.

I doubt that any large ships could have navigated into the area immediately but you would think that they could have one or two there by now. It's been what.....four days since the storm hit? I suppose it's only been two or three days since they could move into the immediate area but one would think that they could have at least started heading that way.

As far as boarding them goes, they have provisions to get people on and off without docks. I know that may not be the "ideal" situation but it sure is a far cry better than wallowing around in the bacteria ridden, snake infested, water they are in right now. I'd probably climb up using a bunch of cloths all tied together if I thought I could get some clean water and food. Thes people would be happy to get just about anything at this point.

You'd think that post 9/11, we'd have gotten our heads out of our asses and prepared for disasters of this magnitude.

A cruise ship is an excellent idea.

We have huge military transport helicopters that could take people aboard. They hold thousands per ship.

The cruise ships are self sufficient power wise, and could prepare hot meals. People would have things to do cause they have pools, movie theaters, gyms, live entertainment, etc.

Any word if any are actually going to be used?

Gustav-your suggestion is probably the best Ive ever heard.

If you were to run for president, Id vote for you.

I awoke this morning with another idea.

There has to be event companies in the state, especially outside the immediate area of panic. They would have large tents, tables, chairs, staging, sound system, plates, utensils, generators, etc. They set up elaborate weddings and corporate events, so all this would be on hand.

They could set up temporary camps in outlying areas for people to be brought to and as a "tent city" where NG and other relief organizations could get food to large groups.

Set up 10 - 15 of these and propably 50,000 could be served easily.

There also has to be equipment rental places and porta potty rental companies that could coordinate their service into the camp.

Where are these people? If Katrina had hit here I could have had it all coordinated in a matter of 12 hours, and probably completed by Tuesday afternoon. Surely there are event planners there that could do the same thing, and it could be funded at some level by the government.