Another hurricane

Hurricane Rita is the 17th storm of the 2005 hurricane season. I don't know if it is the busiest season ever, but it will be a long remembered one after the destruction wrought by Katrina. As if that was not enough, this hurricane is also headed to the Gulf coast. And in a cruel twist of fate, it is forcing evacuees from New Orleans to move again from Houston to shelters inland.

I believe that every hurricane season, the agency that chooses names for hurricanes makes a list of 21 names. They are afraid they may run out of names before the season ends at the end of November.

I wonder if there is scientific research going on that is looking at ways to quell storms before they become hurricanes and hit land. That would be a perfect way to play offense. Waiting for the storms to hit and dissipate is proving to be far too destructive.

Ironically there is a silver lining in all this. Destruction forces people to pick up the pieces and rebuild, guaranteeing a flood (no pun intended) of investment money. The economy benefits and so do people who can provide services that are critical in the rebuilding effort.

For someone who has lost a house or maybe even loved ones, all this is probably moot. For them life will never be the same again.

Leadership

I often think of what makes a great leader. Here' s an example of someone I think fits the bill. Bono's activism is indeed inspirational.

The Robert's Hearing

Don't our elected representatives love to talk? I watched some snippets of the John Robert's confirmation hearings on the tube and it was hard not to chuckle listening to our senators ask questions of the nominee. Or were they questions? They were more like long winded speeches that ended in a feeble question.

Amazing

Don't know how a thirty five year old Agassi does it, but I just saw a fantastic match between Andre Agassi and James Blake in the US Open. I was pulling for Blake while femme was favoring Agassi. After the first two sets I thought Blake had it wrapped. But then Agassi found his rhythm and roared back. The final set was a classic and the tie breaker outstanding.

Fish

Hurricane Katrina did not spare the fish at the Aquarium of the Americas in New Orleans. For more read here.

Pizza

Beware of that left over pizza at work.

An entire city gone

One week ago, it was common to associate New Orleans with Jazz, Mardi Gras, the smell of gumbo and historic French Quarter. Tonight those are distant memories. Instead New Orleans is a ghost town, with only a few determined stragglers wandering its forlorn streets. What a difference a week makes!

I can only imagine how shocking these past few days have been to this great city's inhabitants. The few and the lucky who survived and escaped the wrath of Hurricane Katrina, find themselves in distant cities, in unfamiliar towns, amidst strangers, forced to start a new life from scratch. Many others who shared some bond or other with New Orleans are orphaned.

I have a fleeting connection with New Orleans. New Orleans was where I first tread on US soil.

I landed in New Orleans when I flew to the US as a young student for the very first time. It was a bitterly cold day in April. My flight was originally headed to Atlanta, but had been diverted to New Orleans because of a snow storm that had blanketed the East Coast. For many on the flight, this was an inconvenience. For me it was fortuitous turn of events, because I was scheduled to catch a flight from Atlanta to New Orleans later on that day. As I waited patiently for an acquaintance to pick me up at the airport, I remember watching the snow fall outside. It was the first time I had seen snow. I remember leaving the terminal in search of fresh air and being slapped by a rush of cold wind that I had never experienced before. I remember rushing back in to the warm comfort of the building feeling a little stupid. And in between I remember being confused by the revolving doors that controlled entry into and out of the airport terminal.

I went back once; to visit the amazing Aquarium of the Americas in downtown New Orleans. I wonder what's become of the acquarium. I have scoured media reports for some mention of the acquarium and its condition and have found none. It was situated in an area that was affected the most by the flooding and that gives me little hope.

Nature's fury is stunning. The brutal strength of its lethal blow invites disbelief. Tonight it has claimed an entire city as its victim.

As human beings we yearn for the ordinary and the normal. We are comfortable with the routine. Six months from now, maybe earlier, maybe later, there will be stories of lives being rebuilt, of people returning to places they called home, of a city springing back to life. There will be stories of people searching for the normal, but when it happens it will be anything but normal.

Tempered

It's labor day weekend in the US. Time usually for some R&V (recreation and vacation). But partaking of pleasure while watching all the gloomy scenes from New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina makes you feel guilty.

If you haven't donated, I'd urge you to do so. Check if your company matches contributions. Thats an easy way of doubling your contribution. For a list of all the organizations you can donate to, go here.

It was well know that New Orleans was a disaster waiting to happen. The city was below sea level. The levees surrounding the city were built to handle a category 3 storm; hurricane katrina was a level 4 storm when it made landfall; a breach in one of the levees would lead to flooding. But they never thought it would actually happen. When it did, everybody seems to have been caught napping.

Scary thing is that we in California live on top of another time bomb. San Franciso and the rest of the bay area lie close to the San Andreas fault. We are one major rumble away from disaster ourselves.

Time to go get my earthquake readiness kit ready!

One victory

The Indian cricket team beat New Zealand yesterday and already the pundits declare that the team has turned the corner. What? One victory doesn't make a whole summer! And besides, New Zealand were missing two premier bowlers in Shane Bond and Daniel Vettori. If they win consistently and in matches that matter, I am willing to proclaim that the team has found a second wind. Until then, please hold your judgement, will you?

Me says that our team remains an enigma. Why they play well one day and like pansies the other is beyond me.

"It is all mental", they say. But I thought we hired a foreign coach to sort that out. Apparently that experiment hasn't gone too well. I am all for foreign coaches, only if they make a difference. Hopefully, Greg Chappel has a magic wand.

Actually after the Austrailian and Pakistan series last year, I was quite proud of these guys. They seemed to be a well knit unit with a hunger for winning. But then it disappeared like cotton candy.

Here's hoping they rediscover that form. Consistently! Only then will I be convinced that we are good team once again.

Looting in New Orleans

This story makes you absolutely sick. In the midst of a natural calamity, you have goons looting stores around the city. At first I thought they were out looking for food and water, which one can understand. But they also seem to be stealing guns. There are reports of armed gangs firing at rescuers. Why? I can't get it! You'd think people would be suffused with a wave of human compassion and be out looking to help their fellow brethren. When the floods hit Bombay, India and brought that city to a standstill in July, there were stories of people helping each other out. No one was out shooting and firing their guns. This behavior is baffling. Why would anybody fire at rescue helicopters? Because they got their late? I don't understand the reaction.