The Associated Press caption accompanying the image with a black person says he's just finished "looting" a grocery store. The AFP/Getty Images caption describes lighter skinned people "finding" bread and soda from a grocery store. No stores are open to sell these goods.

I hate people.

Boing Boing: Black people loot, white people find?

News out of the US Gulf Coast area is not good tonight.

You might consider a donation to the Red Cross.

Boing Boing: Katrina: things get worse in New Orleans

If it maintains its current central pressure, Katrina will be the most intense named hurricane to impact the United States since the naming of storms began in 1950 (and second overall since the recording of hurricanes began in 1851), being larger in size and slightly stronger than 1969 Hurricane Camille's central pressure of 909 mb.

BoingBoing has a useful collection of Katrina links if you are looking for news.

Boing Boing: Katrina approaches New Orleans, US Gulf Coast

Hijexx wrote:
Wal-Mart LP's Kill Suspected Shoplifter

Man held down on burning pavement until he died

Two observations:
1. Most retailers do not advise security guards to get in physical skirmishes with shoplifters. (Read the last post on that link, from Maco dated 8/15.) Shrinkage is not worth the legal costs associated with accidentally killing a shoplifter. If WalMart's policy is to chase people down they actually are responsible and you can bet a wrongful death suit will be forthcoming. WalMart will settle the suit. This is an example of why you face potential legal problems if you kill a robber who has broken into your house (depending on the circumstances). If it wasn't a tort, WalMart could kill anyone who refused to leave after being asked to by a security guard.

2. There is widespread press coverage right now because some nutjob walked into a WalMart in Arizona and killed two employees. Google says 317 stories. Press coverage of this incident, where a poorly trained Walmart employee killed a shoplifter, is extremely hard to find. A spattering of local news coverage. No national coverage. Some blogs, mostly lefties who don't like Walmart.

Why did one story get lots of coverage and the other got almost none? There seem to be two options.

1. People simply wouldn't be interested in reading this WalMart story. Its not newsworthy. The random shooting story IS newsworthy.

Why?

A. Completely innocent victims are more sympathetic then someone guilty of stealing a bag of diapers?
B. People who are gainfully employed are more sympathetic then people who are poor?
C. Random deaths at the hand of crazy people are more scary then random deaths at the hand of poorly trained security guards?
D. Insane killers are more interesting to read about then cases of extreme negligence resulting in death?

2. This story would be interesting to the reading populace, but it hasn't been run because the Newspapers are not interested in running it.

Why?

1. Newspapers don't like to run stories that aren't in the interests of a large advertiser?
2. Newspapers don't want to focus attention on the Security Guard, who was simply operating out of ignorance and doesn't deserve to be at the center of a national brewhaha.

Am I missing any? Which reason is the most compelling?

RE: Walmart Kills Houston Man for Shoplifting

Could it be part of a greater geopolitical game? In other words, what President Bush is really worried about in Asia is North Korea. He does not really care about the RMB; he just pretends to care. This allows him, in negotiations with the Chinese, to say: "I will fold on the RMB, if you give North Korea up; in that way, you guys can give up your embarrassing ally without losing face".

North Korea IS China. Its possible that we might have just sold Manhatten for some beads.

The Big Picture: Playing With Fire?

Mike the Usurper wrote:
I'm not recommending the article, it's the usual NASA oops stuff. No, what I found interesting was the photo with the article. It'sa NASA huey gunship. Call me nuts, but the last thing I want next to a hundred odd tons of explosive fuel is a helicopter, that it's armed is just one more thing that can go wrong.

Yahoo changed the picture on this story. I'm including a link to the Gunship.

RE: NASA calls off Wednesday's shuttle launch

I'm not recommending the article, it's the usual NASA oops stuff. No, what I found interesting was the photo with the article. It'sa NASA huey gunship.

WTF does NASA need a gunship for!?

NASA calls off Wednesday's shuttle launch

Snurched, stolen, thefted, nicked and generally swiped from all around. I will unapologetically update as and when ... unless someone objects to being quoted in which case I will, in fact, apologise.

quotes on LJ from British citizens about the bombing.

you and me and the devil makes three -

Wikinews

Flickr pool

All you need.

London Bombing Attacks: Definitive Sources

I really can't think of a more underappreciated form of art than firecracker labels. Think about it. Sure you might buy the ones that look the coolest, but soon after you're lighting 'em on fire. The once amazing artwork is now blown to smithereens and you couldn't care less.

Happy 4th of July!

I-Mockery.com | The Underappreciated Art of Firecracker Labels!