I went sailing on a 27′ Trimaran. It was… I’m not sure “fun” is the right word. It was an incredible time, but it was incredibly difficult. John, our Skipper for the afternoon, is a 25 year old who has been sailing and racing his entire life. It was nice to go out with him because he is kind of a maniac, and threw me and all of my friends straight into the fire. We were changing from a Screecher to a Jib; all of us not knowing exactly what we are doing, but following the commands that John would yell out, and pulling the corresponding lines. I didn’t expect to be standing on a boat going 14-ish knots changing sails today, but it was incredibly awesome.

A trimaran is a multihull sailboat. Between the main hull and the ama’s there are “trampolines” (thick, taut net) that you can sit/stand on while the boat is in motion. It is a truly incredible feeling.

There is so much I have to learn about sailing, and I want to learn it all right now. First thing to learn: wear sunscreen.

I will post some info on the Yacht Club that I joined soon. I am too beat right now. The excitement is back.

We trust our government to help us when we need it most.

But.

How is it that every newscrew in the country was in New Orleans with their trucks, helicopters and camera equipment, but we couldn’t get any emergency response teams there?

There oughta be zero tolerance of people breaking the law during an emergency such as this. -George W. Bush

It took us a week to get food and water to the people of New Orleans, and now you are castigating them for taking matters into their own hands? I agree, very fucking strongly, that the people looting for greedy personal gains are the scum of society; but you said the words zero tolerance. You are the President of the United States, shame on you for saying something so fucking stupid right now.

Read this exchange Between Ted Koppel and the Michael Brown, director of FEMA:

Brown: Actually, I have sent a general of the First Army to find out the truth of what’s down there because we first learned of the convention center, we, being the federal government, today. He says the number’s around 25,000.

Koppell: Okay. So, it sounds as though the mayor who said 15 to 25,000 was closer in touch. I’ve heard you say during course of the evening on a number of interviews you just found out about it today. Don’t you watch television or listen to the radio? Our reporters have been reporting about it for more than just today.

Brown: We learned about it factually today that that what is existed …

Koppell: You have chaos and anarchy breaking out in a number of different places in New Orleans, it would seem the first thing is to get good solid combat troops like the 82nd airborne or 101st in there. These are guys who are ready to move immediately. Instead you send National Guardsmen and it’s taking time. You don’t have time.

Brown: … there will soon be 30,000 armed National Guard troops in there to restore order, to take control of the facilities and allow us to do our job.

Koppell: Mr. Brown, you know, forgive me … But here we are, essentially five days after the storm hit, and you are talking about what’s going to happen in the next couple of days. You guys do war games. You have gamed out what is going to happen … to say, as the president did, well, we didn’t know the dams were going to break or didn’t know the levees were going to break is factually true, of course. You couldn’t know it, but you could have assumed it … Why didn’t you?

The entire country knew the direness of the situation in New Orleans before FEMA, a department of Homeland Security. Makes you feel safe, huh?

I will relent on my usual Fox News tirade, and just say kudos to Shepard Smith and Geraldo Rivera for being human beings and not pundits during this tragedy. The same cannot be said of Sean Hannity. [Watch the video. Geraldo and Smith are truly admirable. I can't stress that enough. I'm shocked.]

The situation in New Orleans is the worst thing I have ever seen. It makes me ashamed to be a human. We are seeing the worst in humanity. I can’t believe the stories I am hearing/reading. Stories of octors and nurses trying to transport very sick and elderly patients and having to retreat back into the hospital because they are being shot at by snipers. Stories of rape. Stories of murder.

I am sickened that there is even one person alive who can see people dead and dying and only think to get a free iPod or television. This is the most horrific of catastrophes, and there are people still motivated by greed. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing like this happened in Sri Lanka or Indonesia after the tsunami. People who could help, did help. We need to really examine what in the fuck is going on in this, the richest, most “civilized” country.

“I don’t think anyone anticipated the breach of the levees,” George W. Bush to Diane Sawyer.

I am sickened by the lack of response. The above quote is complete bullshit. People knew the current levee system was no match for a big storm. I heard about it on every newscast before Katrina hit land. If we knew that this was a problem, why the fuck wasn’t it remedied? Why are we spending billions of dollars spreading freedom to other countries when we have so much work to do in our own?

I am sickened to hear about our Secretary of State shopping for shoes. I am sickened to hear about our Vice President’s vacation. I am even sicker when I see people begging for help on TV, and those people not knowing that the people they are asking for help are on vacation right now. You’ll just have to wait for that food and water.

I was sickened to see a promo commercial for an ABC drama about hurricanes being promoted during newscasts.

More helicopters. More troops. More policemen. More buses. More help. More aid. More compassion.

Right fucking now.

What is going on in New Orleans? Why is no one helping these poor people? The Best thing I have read all day is Anderson Cooper losing the plot on a politician, well, being a politician when she should just act like a fucking compassionate, concerned human being:

SEN. MARY LANDRIEU (D), LOUISIANA: Anderson, there will be plenty of time to discuss all of those issues, about why, and how, and what, and if. But, Anderson, as you understand, and all of the producers and directors of CNN, and the news networks, this situation is very serious and it’s going to demand all of our full attention through the hours, through the nights, through the days.

Let me just say a few things. Thank President Clinton and former President Bush for their strong statements of support and comfort today. I thank all the leaders that are coming to Louisiana, and Mississippi, and Alabama to our help and rescue.

We are grateful for the military assets that are being brought to bear. I want to thank Senator Frist and Senator Reid for their extraordinary efforts.

Anderson, tonight, I don’t know if you’ve heard — maybe you all have announced it — but Congress is going to an unprecedented session to pass a $10 billion supplemental bill tonight to keep FEMA and the Red Cross up and operating.

COOPER: Excuse me, Senator, I’m sorry for interrupting. I haven’t heard that, because, for the last four days, I’ve been seeing dead bodies in the streets here in Mississippi. And to listen to politicians thanking each other and complimenting each other, you know, I got to tell you, there are a lot of people here who are very upset, and very angry, and very frustrated.

And when they hear politicians slap — you know, thanking one another, it just, you know, it kind of cuts them the wrong way right now, because literally there was a body on the streets of this town yesterday being eaten by rats because this woman had been laying in the street for 48 hours. And there’s not enough facilities to take her up.

Eric B., of the so-fucking-amazing-it-is-ridiculous Eric B. & Rakim, isn’t dead.