"Storm of the Century"

Hurricane Gustav heads for Louisiana after slamming Cuba.  The mainstream media's primary interest in the storm seems to be how it will affect the Republican National Convention. The Bush/Cheney twin-headed monster will not attend the RNC.  

Meanwhile, Mayor Ray Nagin has issued evacuation warnings and some forecasters suggest that Gustav will be more powerful than Katrina.  Nagin reports that the National Weather Service warns we've never seen a storm with this hurricane's intensity.  Gustav hit Cuba as a Category 4, and is predicted to pick up speed.

The talking heads also are claiming that McCain's announcement of his choice for VP, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, trumped Obama's speech.  If we're playing gender/race tit-for-tat, I have to disagree, on many levels.  However, I don't have the energy to talk about that right now.

I'm a little more interested in Gustav.  I've read only one article about the storm's impact on Cuba.  Luckily, the death toll was low.  Sadly not so for Gustav's impact on Haiti and Jamaica.  From what I understand, Cuba's coffee crop was devastated. 

In the Gulf Coast, the oil and natural gas industries shut down 3/4 of their operations on Saturday.  Analysts predict that Gustav will create a catastrophe in energy production in the region.

The other day I watched a piece about the people who had rebuilt their homes in Chantilly.   I can't imagine living through the past three years, slowly rebuilding under the mismanagement of FEMA and the predatory behavior of contractors, then having to leave everything behind to another, possibly fiercer storm.  At least Louisiana seems better prepared for Gustav, as far as getting people out.  If Gustav hits with the ferocity expected, however, there is little hope for New Orleans.