DISQUS

Terry · 9 months ago

I was born and raised in Alaska, and still go there several times a year. I have had two encounters with volcanos there - one was in a jet that lost four engines for about 20,000 feet because we didn't know we were in ash. The second was when Augustine's ash caused us to be delayed, then diverted to prevent that from happening again.
Jindal is not the answer - and this proves it. Why would someone let him say something so silly?

triple7s · 9 months ago

Since he hasn't been seen or heard from since the "speech", I would say just about EVERYONE thought what he had to say was SILLY.

cowboyneok · 9 months ago

Next Jindal will be saying we shouldn't monitor hurricanes.

Cheetos · 9 months ago

I've got Mt. St. Helens 100 miles to the south and Mt. Rainier (one of the World's most dangerous active volcanoes) 50 miles to the north of me here in WA state. Maybe Mr. Booby Jindal should read a little more or go back to school and bone up on his geology.

Gridlock · 9 months ago

.. and bone he will!

Jay · 9 months ago

The day after his little um speech, a volcano in Chile erupted three times in 24 hours. Oh the irony. Can someone tell me how he can get around with his lower intestine draped over his head.

Older_Wiser · 9 months ago

Jindal and the GOP are silly--dangerously so. Did you ever meet a Rethuglicon who didn't like sucking on the govt tit whenever they got half a chance?

Jindal's whole family sucks at the govt teat...except his father, who's helping Exxon destroy the world.

maji · 9 months ago

Jindal and the limpublicans will say anything to garner a few votes and the support of their base. It would seem that since he has a college degree, and was a Rhodes scholar, he would know about the dangers volcanoes pose. If he was as aware as he should be about what goes on in the world concerning volcanoes, he would posess a minimum amount of information. The ignorance he demonstrated for all the world to see is truly appalling. One could expect many of the base to know very little about volcanoes, but a man who has his eye on being the POTUS someday needs to be well-versed on a variety of topics. Jindal is too narrow-minded and too concerned about limpublican talking points to be curious about the world. His ignorance about volcanoes and the threat they pose to human life and health is inexcusable. If he were president one could expect him to either not be aware of some important things or to ignore their importance. Instead of coming across as a good counterpoint to Preident Obama, he came across as someone needing more education on a variety of subjects. Jindal, go back to school.

maudgonne · 9 months ago

Americans identifying themselves as Democrats outnumber those who say they are Republicans by 10 percentage points, the largest gap in party identification in 24 years.

The gap has widened significantly since President George W. Bush’s re-election in 2004, when it was a mere 3 percentage points. But by the time Mr. Bush left office in January, less than a quarter of Americans approved of his performance.

These days, 38 percent of Americans say they are Democrats, 28 percent call themselves Republicans, and another 29 percent identify as independents, according to an average of national polls,,,,
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/weekinreview/...

katymine · 9 months ago

After living through the 1980 Mt St. Helen's eruption, the disaster to environment, one of the reasons that so few people died was because of the volcano monitoring. Alaska, Hawaii, much of the west to Yellowstone have volcanic activity that needs to be monitored. Now that people are living so close to these areas it is a matter of public safety.

I just don't get it, it is the same as the stupid Bee thing that McCain kept going on about. Scientists are really worried about Colony Collapse and the loss of bee's and an idiot Senator doesn't get that the loss of bees could be the precursor to famine.

They find one thing, make it sound stupid while they look stupid, get their teeth in it like a pitbull and go to town on it.

lynchie · 9 months ago

No funding for volcanoes but you can bet your last dollar he would support government run exorcisms. The Republicans refuse any logic or scientific evidence. If wasn't written in a book that is 2000 years old which they all interpret and in turn invoke their personal discussions with the big head in the sky then it can't be true. These ass blankets can't figure out the workings of the tubes of the internet.

Ruthless Gravity · 9 months ago

The way he said it was particularly annoying:

".....something called 'Volcano Monitoring'....."

Obama was right:

It's like they're proud of being ignorant.

JackDallasQueer · 9 months ago

They are proud of their wallowing like pigs in their ignorance. It's called white trash.

Raymond T. Anderson · 9 months ago

They are proud to be ignorant. Even after eight years of ignorance in practice, they're ready to do it again. Look at their idols: non-Joe the non-Plumber, Sarah barely-college-degreed Palin, and now Bobby who-needs-science? Jindal. I feel sorry for the people who give out Rhodes scholarships.

"Republicans love to practice what they preach against." Thanks, John. That'll be one of my favorite lines.

Zorba · 9 months ago

I wonder if Alaska Governor Sarah Palin feels the same about volcano monitoring as Jindal does. Maybe not so much, given that Redoubt is in her state. I'm sure she, and the other residents of Alaska, would appreciate any heads-up they could get.

JackDallasQueer · 9 months ago

Good. Let's hope Caribou Barbie has a thick steel suit to wear as it engulfs her home.

Ruthless Gravity · 9 months ago

She'll just get a bunch of state contractors to build her another home.

triple7s · 9 months ago

I'm really surprised no one took it on to investigate the link between her home being built, and the stadium built by the same republican contractor in Wasilla at the same time. There just has to be a story.

Pope Buck I · 9 months ago

Give the media a break - there are only so many Palin scandals they can cover at any one time, and for a while there last fall, they were coming in so fast that there wasn't time to deal with all of them!

davefragments · 9 months ago

If a plane flies through volcanic ash, the rotors in the jet engines can fail. Volcanic dust is abrasive enough to ruin metal surfaces at high speeds.

So not only do active volcanoes present a danger like Mount St Helens, they also are a danger to air traffic.

cmpnwtr · 9 months ago

Ask the people of Washington and Oregon about volcano monitoring. Mt. St. Helens wreaked havoc and took 60 plus lives and property and economic damage into the billions. It's still an active volcano, so is Mt. Hood near Portland, OR and Mt. Ranier near Seattle. Jindal is an idiot.

SouthernYankee · 9 months ago

Oh my I wonder if Sarah bitched slapped Bobby in private.

Milli · 9 months ago

You betcha.

Skepticat · 9 months ago

Webcam at near Mt. Redoubt--http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/avo/webcam/redoubt-2.jpg

nicho · 9 months ago

Silly liberals -- everyone knows that you deal with volcanoes through prayer. If that doesn't work -- just toss in a couple of virgins.

Raymond T. Anderson · 9 months ago

Virgins? Good luck finding those in Conservativeland.

see no evil, hear no evil · 9 months ago

If Mt. Rainier were to catastrophically blow, it could cause massive mudslides that would take out a huge swath of the suburbia between Seattle and Tacoma. It could also sever both I-5 and the primary north-south rail lines on the west coast.

A heavy ash fall on Seattle could cripple both Boeing AND Microsoft for a significant amount of time. Regardless of what you think about those companies, that could have a severe impact on the economy. Several prominent military bases could also be disrupted, not to mention trade from the nation's nearest ports to Asia.

It would be a huge mess. I can see why the GOP doesn't want monitoring. Who would want to know if something that grim were about to happen?

catherine · 9 months ago

Shasta would be equally bad. Too bad the rim didn't take a side trip to Louisiana. I never begrudged them hurricane stuff and still don't, The levees are a disgrace. But to begrudge us warning systems against our volcanoes pisses me off. But what can you expect from a guy who won't take benefits for his state's unemployed? he's a complete dick.

RainbowPhoenix · 9 months ago

Oh yeah, it would be such a good idea to ignore the world's largest volcano when it's sitting right under you.

William Jensen · 9 months ago

John, I am not surprised about Republicans inability to provide good governmental services - warnings about a volcano blowing near the larges city in the state might be something we should know about - but how does a nice Greek Chicagoan end up in Alaska working for a troglodyte?

Zorba · 9 months ago

Yes, William, I kind of wondered the same thing. Tell all, John.

John Aravosis · 9 months ago

John has told all, repeatedly, in interviews, on the blog, and in person :-) It's not too complicated a story. Grew up in moderate Republican country and just assumed I was a Republican. Then came out (i.e., came to terms with being gay), and realized not only did these people not like me, but they didn't like a lot of people, and I left. QED.

William Jensen · 9 months ago

Thanks. I'll say you sure have turned the corner in a myriad of ways and I can only say "thanks". Your sight and opinions are always insightul and cuttingly blunt and relish reading your opinions and stories every day.

john · 9 months ago

I think it is time to call him Piyush Jindqal. Let's call by his proper name, the name he would be sworn in as.

Saroj · 9 months ago

Ha. Shows you Republican priorities. Tax cuts...YAY. Fostering American progress and promoting the protection of its citizens...NAY.

Bobby Jindal is a disgrace.

John Aravosis · 9 months ago

Yeah I suspect Republicans would say, give people their money back and if they want to survive a volcano or a hurricane, they can build their own volanco monitoring or their own rescue boats.

So Left I'm Right · 9 months ago

The 60 Minutes profile of him came off pretty well. They did at least mention, and this is something that everyone has to remember, he is a full-tilt conservative (read, Catholic dogma) on abortion, stem cell research, (no doubt gay rights), etc. He doesn't drink or smoke or swear. I am always suspicious of people who don't drink. I'm afraid we're going to see a lot more of this dork, poor performance on the "Republican response" notwithstanding.

Ruthless Gravity · 9 months ago

Someone doesn't drink is someone who doesn't want you to see something about them.

Just my personal opinion, of course.

Jackie · 9 months ago

Jo\hn, you brought back memories of May, 18, 1980, when Mt. St. Helens blew... we live in SE Washington and we got buried in ash... It's amazing that it will be 29 yrs this May - the year I was pregnant with my son (born in Aug 08.)

Nemodog · 9 months ago

Not only was I in Alaska when Redoubt and Spur blew, I was an air traffic controller at the time, and got to listen to the Korean Air crew scream in panic for several minutes as their 747 jet plummet over the Chugach when they lost all 4 engines due to volcanic glazing when hitting ash. The lost 25,000 feet before the got enough restarts to keep from making the news. Meanwhile, the inbound rush from Asia had to be safely landed, and those controllers probably lost several years of their life squening them. Keep an eye on the damn volcanos.

sassafra · 9 months ago

another adjunct of volcano monitoring that idiot jindal and the gop fail to comprejend utterly, is the connection between volcano monitoring and the tsunami prediction and warning system. this warning system is a very important tool for saving lives and property in the pacific basin.
jindal is a fool.

cole3244 · 9 months ago

saying jindal is a joke would be stating the obvious, but if he is the rising star in the gop and the color of the moment to win in nov 2012 i will order my victory gear now and get ahead of the curve.

akryan · 9 months ago

That's cool that you were there. I didn't know that. I was kid when it happened and I remember thinking the same thing. It looked like black snow. The volcanic clay got in everything (even inside, it was so fine) and stuck around the city for years too. We're sort of on yellow alert for it right now. I must say that it's nice to have a standing warning. No one is leaving their car outside, and they'er covering up their electronics at night. One good thing about it was it provided great feritlizer. My parents garden was HUGE that year.

catherine · 9 months ago

I live just straight across from Redoubt, less than forty miles. I also live in spitting distance of Spur and Augustine and Iliamna. Jindal can sit on the rim and yell if he wants to save money. These alarms help us prepare. I can hardly stand it when these go off. You can't run fast enough to get inside before they reach you where I live and the smell of sulfur and the uneasy feeling the ionization gives you is the worst. Fuck Jindal.

beware of the leopard · 9 months ago

Um, volcanic ash has a way of making you dead. Probably on of the reasons you were under quarantine. Well, that and the whole looting thing.