Gongol.com Archives: August 2005
Brian Gongol



Weather and Disasters (8.29.2005)
Photo of Hole in Superdome's Cover
Some people could be out of their homes for a month.

Weather and Disasters (8.29.2005)
New Orleans to be Without Electricity for a Month
"Catastrophic" failure of the electrical grid. Three-quarters of a million people have lost power. The water was high enough to put a foot of water in an emergency operations center in Mississippi that was supposed to be at a 30' elevation, and a reporter in Louisiana said the water was 15' to 20' deep where he was. Building collapses were reported in Gulfport, and looting is being reported in New Orleans. A TV station in Mobile was knocked off the air when its backup generator caught fire, possibly due to a tornado strike. Mississippi's governor has authorized police to be "as ruthless as the law allows" with looters.

We All Need a Little Humor (8.29.2005)
Is a 6' x 7' House Really Enough Space?

The American Way (8.29.2005)
August 29, 2005 Carnival of the Capitalists

Weather and Disasters (8.29.2005)
Hurricane Katrina Beats Up New Orleans
Parts of the city are 8' under water, and damage reports are only just starting to arrive. There are holes in the Superdome roof, under which 10,000 people are staying. Even the power company has lost electricity. Mississippi is reporting boats going into buildings, and a TV station in Biloxi lost the roof over the newsroom. One newspaper is using Blogspot to put out its updates.

Business and Finance (8.29.2005)
OPEC Chief Worried Rising Oil Prices Could Cause Oil Price Shock

Agriculture (8.29.2005)
High Fuel Prices Could Encourage More No-Till Farming

Business and Finance (8.29.2005)
Wal-Mart Asking British Government to Look Into Monopolistic Practices...of a Competitor
Tesco is the dominant grocer in Britain, with a 30% market share. Wal-Mart has its eyes on buying #2. Ironic, though, that Wal-Mart's the one looking for antitrust action. Even more ironically, Wal-Mart's complaint is about Tesco's predatory pricing habits.

Business and Finance (8.29.2005)
Would Re-Indexing Social Security Benefits Be a First Step Towards Private Accounts?