I don't mean to dwell on the tragedy in Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, however, I'm getting a little tired of hearing reporters and leaders in Washington say that this is unlike any disaster our country has ever experienced. What about the Great Mississippi flood in 1927 that killed over 1,000 people and left thousands more without homes; the 1950 New England Hurricane that killed more than 600 people from Boston to NYC and the disaster that is still considered the deadliest in US history, the Galveston hurricane of 1900 that killed over 10,000 people and spawned a wonderful non-fiction book called Isaac's Storm. The book, by Erik Larson, tells of Isaac Monroe Cline, an employee of the just starting weather bureau who predicts the storm but is called a chicken little by everyone else. It's a wonderfully told story that draws on history and personal rememberances. Erik Larson wrote another really good book called The Devil in the White City; a story of the first World's Fair in Chicago. The book jumps back and forth between the preparations of the fair and the story of Chicago's own Jack the Ripper, Dr. H.H. Holmes. Jack the Ripper had frenzied the East End of London only five years prior to the opening of the fair.

One more note about hurricane Katrina; now the sound bite songs are being played on the radio. These are songs, usually ballads or slower tempo songs, that feature snippets of victims, reporters, Washington leaders, commenting on the tragedy and devastation. The two songs I've heard so far are U2's song "One" and the remake of "Listen To Your Heart" by DHT, which sounds eerily like the original only not as good. Songs like this were also heard after the 9/11 incident.

By the way, there is a wonderful issue of Time out right now; the Sept. 12 issue, it's a special hurricane Katrina issue and there are some really well written and informative articles in there. It's definitely worth the read.

That's all for tonight. Enjoy your evening,

paul