ROOTING FOR THE HURRICANE

I'm rooting for it to go to this guy's house.

Comments

[waterboy]

Down here, this man would merit the most ignoble of names: "jackass."

[baroncoop]

up here this man would merit a raised eyebrow and a muttered "What a moron" And then he would get a "jackass"

[Christobol]

Normally, I'm against hoping that a natural disaster focus on one individual, just when he's about to have alleged carnal relations with a llama. But in this case, I'll join ya, Dave.

But I hope the llama lives. Wait, maybe that's crueler.

[Pilsenerman]

This guy rooting for a natural disaster is just as disgusting as Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell saying "God lifted the curtain" on 9/11.

This isn't even funny. Anyone (of whatever political stripe) who gets a woody fantasizing about widespread death and mass destruction is a sociopathic stupidhead.

[Brad]

They live on Manhattan's Upper West Side with their three ocicats Roland, Jasper, and Henry.

Shoulda known he was some elite, liberal, cat eugecist. I bet his ocicats don't have any Himalayan friends.

[Jessica R.]

Does this guy get paid for this rot? I hope NO ONE agrees with him. According to him, God is punishing the Bush family. Not only is he a sorry excuse for a man, but also he is a poor theologian. How can one tie space disasters and natural disasters to politicians? I hope no politician has that much power!

[Fort]

To bad it is not possible to shove Frances up his butt.

[fort]

Frances blew my extra o away.

[Pilsenerman]

"Wolcott" should be a new term of abuse, directed at the truly banally evil. It should be reserved for special occasions, when "M-F" or even "Gingrich" won't do.

I hope this "Wolcott" gets a tempest in his teapot!

[elle]

*Worried elle Alert*

I see that Dave is blogging...

DJT? Slowlayne? Judi? You guys okay?

[Jeff Meyerson]

It may be a category One but I'm with Dave: I hope the big win hits the blowhard hard.

[waxwing]

Yes, elle, let's see if we can get a roll call of FL bloglits. ASAP.

And why can't Wolcott learn to love sunspots or storms on Mars? Or is he just trying to kiss up to the hurricanes so they won't get him next?

[Writer's Cramp]

I wish the IRS to audit this maroon... as a matter of fact, where did I put that whistleblowers hotline list for the IRS, the INS, Homeland Security, PETA, OSHA, the ATF and the Moral Majority? I wish a million items of spam an hour for this guy. May his bladder become incontinent.

[Steven Jens]

If he's a fan of hurricanes, shouldn't he be on vacation in Florida? We've known it was coming for most of a week -- surely he could have arranged to make it down for the weekend.

[The Cheat]

I like how he says that "mother nature" will take back it's own, disregarding the fact that eventually everything will be rebuilt.

I hope this man has the hurricane come up to Manhattan and play the Happy Snake Game with his intestines.

[D'Artagnan]

elle,

Present.

Still taking Category 1 wind and rain in the middle of the state, but it's not too bad. At least not like the one a few weeks ago, that developed a perverse affinity for some of the local neighborhoods.

[bbescuela]

I think it would be poetic if an attack poodle ate his "ocicats," then tore off Mr. Wolcott's head and crapped down his throat.

But that's just me, I could be wrong.

[DonS]

Good call, Dave. Sometimes the efete stick their feet in unbecoming places.

Oh, but I must disagree with Jessica. We are ALL being punished for Bush -- except, of course, those with so much money they win whether the world explodes or not!

[Julieta Alvarado]

As we say in South Florida.."QUE HIJO DE PUTA"!

[elle]

D'art-

Glad to hear you're safe.

[Equidae]

Good lord, this man is an ass. To say that we Floridians are at the mercy of nature because of politics is ignorant and arrogant. What about those poor islands who have been pummled by these storms? What did their leaders do to derserve it?

[looney girl]

That is an excellent point Equidae. And what about all the Floridians who voted for Gore (whether they meant to or not)? Shouldn't they be spared?

[Kristine Batey]

I'm with you, Dave. A few nights ago, with Frances still in the Atlantic, I spoke with my brother Gary, pastor of Roser Memorial church on Santa Maria Island, about the aftermath of Charley. At the last minute, Charley had veered and his home was spared.

Those hit hardest--Gary likened the damage to that he'd seen after Xenia, Ohio, was hit by an F5 tornado--were in some of the poorest counties in the state, areas where the infrastructure can't easily support cleanup efforts. The people in those areas have never had electrical power restored. Since all water there is well water, thousands of people have no running water. Such houses as still stand have neither roofs nor windows, and will not have them this year. National Guard troops are covering houses with tarps to provide some kind of shelter, but nothing protects against the thousands of mosquitoes.

Many of the people in these areas are migrant workers--you know, the people who pick the oranges for our Florida orange juice, and the grapefruit and lettuce we eat--who speak no English, and are undocumented or simply afraid of the government. Because of this, they're not applying to receive the Meals Ready to Eat supplied by the National Guard. Gary and members of the church and church staff have been buying groceries and loading them into his pickup truck, and he and a Spanish-speaking staff member have been driving to the disaster area and passing out food door-to-door. Once the urgent need has passed, they'll be looking for long-term ways to minister to the people they've been serving; right now, they're doing what they can.

Which is probably not as much fun as James Wolcott is having sitting at home, watching that big green mass move slowly up the state of Florida, destroying the lives of thousands and thousands of people. James--james@jameswolcott.com--you're right. Ignoble is the word. Tell you what: in thanksgiving for being spared by the storm, my brother is donating the equivalent of his deductible for his house and auto insurance to caring for those who've amused you by being in the path of the devastation. How about you kick in a few bucks yourself? You know--maybe just what you would have spent on dinner and movie. After all, this is entertainment, right?

[Beanster]

Wow, that post was way to long for ME to read. I'm not sure about any of you guys.

[Dave (not Barry.. calm down)]

We all seem to be in agreement that this guy is a doo doo head. I bet he gets so much email it shuts down his server. Not a nautural disaster, but one that would be well deserved. Problem is, few Floridians will email him because most of them are without power right now. They best change their political views right quick if they want it restored! DOO DOO HEAD, I say.

[paul from so cal]

Just because this pinhead is a liberal, don' believe for one second that we're all like him. This liberal is on your side, Florida. We'll help any way we can.

By the way, if this fool is a fan of earthquakes, I suggest he kep his opinions to him self in my state.

[Dave (not Barry.. calm down)]

Paul- wouldn't for a second think all libs are like this idiot. some are my best friends, we just agree to disagree. yeah, earthquakes are awesome, are they not? I've survived.. oh, let's see.. four of them. BIG uns. and a few hurry canes, but not here.. when I was Navy overseas. Not sure which is worse. They both throw your personal items at you, it's just that hurry canes last a lot longer. But they don't collapse cement freeway overpasses while you're under them (never happened to me personally, obviously).

conservative Dave in so cal

[Ben]

Just goes to show you that liberals have a hell of a lot of leeway when it comes to doing and saying whatever rude, moronic, insulting, insensitive, false, mean-spirited, ignorant, elitist, smarmy, or otherwise just plain obnoxious and reprehensible stuff they want. This guy went over the line, and probably most of more level-headed liberals (which is sort of akin to saying "even-keeled Canadian-styled canoe") even would call this guy a fool. The problem is that the "line" to go over is so far out there, it takes a whoooooooooole lot of effort to cross it.

For conservatives, on the other hand, crossing over the line is much more likely. If a well-known conservative journalist said something like this, he'd be way Way WAY over the line, and the liberals would never let him live it down.

Must be fun to be an elitist liberal journalist and say whatever the hell kind of fool crap you want, with little to no repercussions.

[Pilsenerman]

James Wolcott is no liberal. If he shows up at any of our meetings, I'm personally kicking his ass.

Liberal, conservative, whatever--we all have friends and relatives in Florida. Disaster is not a partisan issue.

[Son of a Charioteer]

I think the real problem here is the fact that the two sides in our country are polarizing to the point where extremely liberal journalists such as Wolcott (whose remarks, though in remarkably poor taste, strike me as being tongue in cheek, a point which seems to have been missed) can associate hurricanes with politicians and extremely conservative journalists (yes, Ben, they're present in considerable force) say equally ridiculous things instead of, y'know, trying intelligent discourse. The two parties have always slung mud at each other, but these days the only way to find moderates is to hold a National Convention with an eye to the undecided.

Let's all try marching back towards the middle and leaving Wolcott to play with his hurricanes on the ignored fringes. Dave Barry for President on the Centrist ticket, 2008.

[Son of a Charioteer]

Oh, and having various grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in Florida, I share everyone elses' concern on the wellbeing of the state's people.

[diane]

aren't most hurricanes a result of liberal Washington lobbyists being told to shove it and blowing people?

[Pilsenerman]

I knew his tongue was in his cheek--I just didn't know WHAT cheek.

[James]

I did not read the comments completely.
Do I have the priviledge of being the first to call the guy an asshole?

It looks like it.

james@jameswolcott.com = asshole

[Ben]

"Disaster is not a partisan issue."

Exactly my point. This is something that Wolcott obviously does not understand, because he's trying to make it a partisan issue -- cheap tasteless shots at Jeb Bush and all. Tongue in cheek? More of an insufferable oh-aren't-I-so-elitist-and-clever style of "humor."

And yes, to all you people in Florida, stay safe.

[Pilsenerman]

James--Congratulations! (And, Hear, Hear!)

[kim]

oh goodness, friends. of *course* wolcott's commentary is tongue-in-cheek. it is not meant to be taken as a serious political analysis of florida's administration. contrast his comments with pat robertson's comments after andrew hit, calling the storm god's revenge for homosexuality.

so strip it of its political implications. what you have left is a guy fascinated by natural weather phenomena and the destruction they cause, especially in relation to environmental issues. a quite natural fascination, of course - just check out the "extreme weather" specials on discovery or the weather channel or nat geo channel, which wouldn't air if there wasn't a broader demand for them. he doesn't wish death and catastrophe on our friends and families. rather, he is making a statement about mankind's destruction of the natural world, as well as the media's fascination with death and catastrophe itself.

hell, i lived on the east coast hurricane-landfall quarters for 20 years, and i was disappointed every time a hurricane missed us. certainly doesn't mean i wanted my neighbors to lose it all.

florida's been battered these past few weeks. my sincere well wishes to anyone affected by the hurricanes.

kim

[Ben]

The problem is, Kim, that you CAN'T strip it of its political implications, because the political implications are RIGHT IN THERE, as part of the article. You can't miss it.

Yeah, and strip all of that stuff about attacking and killing us out of Bin Laden's videos, and he's just saying "Praise to Allah."

[Polly]

Anybody that would use a phrase like "hearty volcano" should be strapped to the mast of a sailboat and sent adrift.

[kim]

i think it's perfectly possible to strip it, given the fact that the political commentary was in no way serious. wolcott doesn't like jeb. a valid opinion. to connect it to the hurricane was his way of being tongue-in-cheek, whether it's recognized or not. and my point was not to comment on the political implications, it was to comment on the weather fascination, which many commenters here seem to have taken exception to.

you can't compare wolcott's blog entry to bin laden's videos. even on an exaggerated level it's a false analogy.

i'd love to talk to you over email but judging from your first comment about liberals i think you'll hate me right off the bat.

[nicely-nicely]

I'd also like to add Ms. Camille to the asshole list. Congratulations on exploiting the Columbia tragedy to make a slam against Bush. CLASSY.

Prayers to all Floridians....

[Pilsenerman]

Did I just congratulate the guy for calling HIMSELF an asshole? (Unless the e-mail link is a spoof.)

If so, it's the first thing he's said today that I agree with!

Carl Hiaasen wrote a book about hurricanes that was actually funny--"Stormy Weather." It was dark, but it has a great deal of humanity. I recommend it way over Wolcott's cumbersome attempt at Swiftian satire. If you gotta read it by flashlight, it's still worth it.

[Polly]

I'd like to invoke the spirits of Sir Paul McCartney & Stevie Wonder at this time...

*Raises hands above head and begins swaying.*

Republican and Democrat
Live together in perfect harmonat
Side by side on my 'puter keyboard
Oh Lord, why don't wat ?

*Come on and join me now!*

We all know that people are the same
wherever you go (except Canada) *wink to Peri*
There's good and bad in everyone
We learn to live, we learn to give each other
What we need to survive
Together alive

[Polly]

There. I've done all I can for world peace tonight.

Besides, we all know that football is what really matters.

Go Vikings!

[Ben]

"i think it's perfectly possible to strip it, given the fact that the political commentary was in no way serious. wolcott doesn't like jeb. a valid opinion."

You just don't get it, do you? Whether the political commentary was intended to be "serious" or not, or whether it was intended to be a tongue-in-cheek jab, is completely irrelevant. The fact remains that the political commentary was part of the article, and the connection of it to the hurricane was made was made, whether it was intended to be humorous or not.

And one can certainly be "fascinated by weather" without being a callous jackass that, in addition to having a horrible sense of insensitive "humor" about the hurricane itself and its impact on real people, also just couldn't resist throwing in a political jab along with it. Truly pathetic.

THAT, you can't just "strip out" of the article. Sorry, but you can't.

[Ben]

Oops, one more "was made" than there should be in that sentence up there.

Anyway, I hope you folks in FL are pulling through Frances okay, and I hope Ivan stays the hell away. Godspeed...

[kim]

ah but i think you can. any amount of condescending commentary and use of scare quotes isn't going to make me agree that you can't parse the political out of the comment. and seeing as how we have completely divergent opinions on this, i'll just leave well enough alone. see you in the voting booth - good luck.

[Pilsenerman]

You would have been a riot at Auschwitz: "Are those ribs showing through your clothes or are you just happy to see me?"

Maybe you and Wolcott should go around to Red Cross shelters doing standup for those who have no idea whether they'll even have a home to go back to. You guys would kill.

This damn soapbox is buckling--must get down now--
(CRASH)

[Ben]

What Pilsenerman said.

Wow. Just wow. Kim, you suffer from another disease that frequently afflicts many liberals: compartmentalizing everything in order to parse out and separate, and therefore ignore, what you and/or others might find objectionable about any issue or event. Clinton was the undisputed master at this sort of thing.

Anyway, whatever. It looks like most of us, on whatever side of the aisle we're on, can agree that this Wolcott guy is an ass. So, that is reassuring, regardless of what a few people out on the fringe might think.

*Steps down from soapbox*

[Doug Brockmeier]

If there is one thing we can all agree upon, it is that there are only two real candidates in the presidential election race, and those two candidates of course are: Dave Barry and Ralph Nader. And it really doesn't matter who wins.

[Kat]

yeah but if dave wins don't we get cabinet posts?

[queensbee]

dave will have a whole different type of cabinet... you know, like secretary of beer. stuff like that. and i dont like the term 'liberal' because the righties have painted it with a broad brush of 'ineffective' and 'pointy headed..' uh, i think 'progressive' is a much better term. and i am simply tired of all our country's problems blamed on 'liberals'. it's an easy cop-out.

[Sean]

I think it's time we all raise our cheeses and hurl them at his head.

[slyeyes]

*with all of the political arguments flying around, checks the address to make sure she hasn't inadvertently wondered into a family reunion.*

[Leetie]

*flicks booger on this thread*

[Citry Peough]

Relax people, hurricanes won't happen again, as Bush is going to bomb Paris in retaliation for France's hurricane.

[Leetie]

I don't know about you, but I had to look up ocicat.

[Leetie]

...at least it's like, a real cat... not one of those silly pug nosed things.

[introspectre]

Mmmmmmmmmmm, yyyyyyaaaaaahhhhhhh, sometimes honesty is just NOT the best policy. Ignoble. Snort!

[paul from so cal]

one thing I think that we can all agree on is the need to help out our friends in Florida-so, Kristine, if you wuold be so kind as to pass along the address of your brother's church, I'd be happy to send along the price of dinner and amovie.

[paul from so cal]

hey, conservative Dave from so cal-some of my best friends are conservatives-glad to meet you, man.

[m]

A hurricane in Florida? Really? Well color me surprised. I understand it is unpleasant, but unexpected? That is a bit too much of a stretch. IIRC, that is what hurricanes do.

[bubblez]

The comments really distressed me because I have been at a hospital during each of these hurricanes working. The first one, we were due to be hit, but the storm changed direction. We received the trauma victims from storm. The second one hit us directly. Both of the hurricanes were either a direct hit or one county away, with just 3 weeks to clean up. Yes we do live in Florida, yes we do expect hurricanes, but major disasters, back to back, are very devastating. They are not party related. m, if your area was hit by a disaster, twice in three weeks in a row, you would probably be whining like a baby because you wouldn't be prepared. We are prepared, we just don't want to be hit by a third one, because, where will you vacation?

[Ryn]

With any luck, James Wolcott got his car flooded out by the remnants of Frances. That wouldn't be much, but at least it's something.

[Ryn]

Ok, I know it's supposed to be all witty and full of irony, but it's that sort of pretentious pretender who writes something deliberately inflammatory and then smugly sits there and claims that anyone who doesn't like it just isn't witty and intelligent enough to get the joke, so everybody laughs and pretends that it's funny because they are all too afraid to call it what it is for fear of sounding unintellectual.

[Spud]

I see we have called this guy any number of appropriate names, but am I the first to refer to him as the insensitive Crapweasel that he appears to be?? If so, then "First".

[Willis]

Living in Louisiana all my life hurricanes of any magnitude are no joke. Mr. James Wolcott is evidently living a sheltered life and has nothing better to do then wish misfortune on others for entertainment. Pathetic.

[cbenoist]

Wolcott isn't so original, as Paul Greenberg of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette noted in 1999:

I am happy to report that The New Yorker is slowly returning to form, like a patient recuperating. One of its more charming foibles has always been a civilized disdain for those of us between the coasts, i.e., in America. As if we were more to be pitied than despised. It's not an unpleasant form of condescension; there is no malice to it. Indeed, it's kind of assuring, as provincialism often is.
Note the mild contempt and studied indifference for anything west of the Hudson when The New Yorker discusses natural disasters elsewhere, as it did a few weeks back:
"One of the pleasures of New York life has always been our cozy distance from natural disasters, those Biblical and televised occasions when a hurricane flattens a swath of South Florida, when a twister peels the roof off a sports arena in Salt Lake City, when a flooded Midwestern town becomes an artless Venice of floating stumps and Buicks.''

[she-snailie_@_v]

_@_v - i love how the ass-ferrets have posted a shitload of spam links like they really think they're getting away with something. be nice if some natural disaster would single THEM out....

[DeWayne]

Let this stand as an archival comment:

The bilge brains and three dimensional odors that pass for the typing organisms castigating Wolcott seem oblvious, as if they could be otherwise, to one simple fact. If one inhabits a landmass, a considerable amount of which is already beneath sea level, that lies directly in the path of ravaging ocean storms, I know only root for hurricanes but do so with an almost civic pride. Hurricanes may well eliminate at least some of the surplus stupid population.