Well, I'm back, jet-lagged awake at 5am, and have been watching the TV coverage of Hurricane Katrina for a little while.
It's really something: not the power of this massive storm, impressive as that may be. What's really fascinating is the barely contained enthusiasm the TV people have for the destruction this storm could cause. The eye of the storm looks like it's passing a bit to the east of New Orleans, sparing that city the worst of it, and they seem a little disappointed.
The senior Senator from Louisiana was just on CNN scolding the close to 100,000 people who are still in New Orleans for not following warnings to evacuate. She stopped just short of saying they deserve what they get. No mention of the fact that not everyone can just hop in a car, or a taxpayer-funded limousine and take off.
She also took the opportunity to make a pitch for more federal funding for her state. Classy.
Anyway, we'll all keep watching the storm, most of us actually hoping that it's not as bad as predicted. TV newspeople though, are going to be pissed if they wasted all that money on those terrifying graphics. For their sake, let's hope for some pretty good devastation, but limited loss of life. That would be perfect, from a ratings perspective.
