From a sort of one-off linkage, I've been getting visitors from a right-wing web site about an old post I wrote about Tom Ridge and his cashing in on his previous employment with the 1600 Crew as Chertoff's predecessor. I can only say one thing: I wish Ridge was back in charge, I think he was at least a leader who took some accountability for his actions. I'll bet he learned that when he was in the actual military, in actual Vietnam.

One person, in comments in another post asked me for my position on keeping an emergency supply of food and water in light of the Gulf Coast devastation. I have no problem with that, or with the basic tenets of the suggestion that Ridge made, "Be Prepared". All you need to do is live in the midwest before a snow storm to know that it's not a bad idea to stock up on a couple of days worth of essentials (why it's always toilet paper and milk, I have no clue) before a bad storm.

Stocking up on duct tape and plastic wrap? Aww c'mon, that's just a joke waiting to be written. And so I did, in my own skewed way...I don't know where the idea that I was riffing on keeping supplies of food and water on hand came from...

So in answer to my commenter who asked (and I'm answering here because he did me a favor in a round about way): I think being ready is never a bad idea. Would it have saved some lives on the Gulf Coast? Absolutely, if the house/pantry/garage is still standing and accessible.

But if it was flattened by 170 mph winds or is 10 feet under water, then all the advance logistics and preparation are just a fond memory.