On TV, an official in California with some balls, said that having the W visit was not of much help, but what would have been of help would have been to have "had our National Guard home to put out the fires. (You see, the National Guard trains their members to respond to fires, floods and other national disasters. They are not here to go to war. They are here to help when we are in need of it.)

He was cut off. "Oh!" tittered the newsman with a lilt in his voice, "Trying to get a political message in there, and this is not the time nor place."

Should anyone dare to ask that of the Governor or any of the many in "charge", "Would it not have been better to have our Guard home?", they scoff at the idea.

"Everything is under control" they say. "We have everything that we need." "People sure are being nice", they add.

Meanwhile, some of the things needed are being flown in from Canada. Guard members are coming in, but they are not local Guard who would have been there on the spot with equipment. It is all coming later.

Oh, and the Governor of California's lovely wife, Maria spoke for a good long time on TV yesterday. She spoke with feeling and with an air of knowing what she was doing was very very very important. She was talking about how she was, just that day, hosting a luncheon for wives of candidates for president. Somehow, with a good part of her state on fire, this seemed a very odd priority indeed.

The brave and noble firefighters are being pressed beyond belief without needed breaks, but "everything is fine. We don't need anything; we know just what we are doing"

Again things are not being handled well. Oh, yes, they will tell you that they are, because there are not a whole lot of people without plane fare stuck in a crumbling arena waiting for possible catagory 5 winds. There are many volunteers there etc. I am happy about that. But, the comparison should not be made...why? Because each time they say "This isn't like Katrina and New Orleans. We've learned so much." I just want to scream: "DON'T YOU NITWITS KNOW THAT LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI ARE STILL IN DIRE STRAITS???"

Oh, but they have learned so much.

Everything is fine.

In case you are wondering, it is going fine with the war concocted in Iraq as well. Just peachy. Everyone is happy and planning to get together tomorrow for brunch.