Well, FEMA is again catching flak — now for not putting up temporary housing quickly enough in New Orleans. However, this story sounds a tad fishy:

The housing problems, made worse by what some claim is the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s slow response to install temporary trailers, have blocked many New Orleans residents from returning to jobs in businesses that are struggling to come back, local officials and business owners say.

“I’ve been trying to start up and run under the worst circumstances,” said Elizabeth Turnbull, owner of Turnbull Bakeries Inc., a commercial bakery that before the storm had 80 people making Melba toast and fresh bread crumbs for customers around the country.

Many of her employees lived in the Irish Channel neighborhood in Uptown, where their homes were flooded. Today, they are scattered from Atlanta to Houston to Dallas.

Problem? The Irish Channel did not flood. It boarders the river, and is several feet above sea level. This doesn’t mean that New Orleans doesn’t have housing problems, but it does show that the media isn’t vetting what they’re being told. That’s disturbing by itself.

From NRO’s “The Corner,” I bring to you the madness of Ronnie Earle:

Earle argued that removing judges under these circumstances could lead to a country split “into Shiites, Sunnis and Kurds.”

Just wait until he loses the case. You’ll see Earle, drunk in the streets and ranting: “Not allowing me to retry DeLay will turn America into 1930’s Germany!”

Part I (and background)

Steve Carrick links to this very amusing piece of news:

Environmental group Greenpeace has been fined almost $7,000 for damaging a coral reef at a World Heritage site in the Philippines, according to BBC news.

Their flagship Rainbow Warrior II ran hit Tubbataha Reef Marine Park, in the Sula Sea, 650km (400 miles) south-east of Manila.

Park officials say almost 100 sq m (1,076 sq ft) of reef had been damaged.

Greenpeace agreed to pay the fine, but blamed the accident on outdated maps provided by the Philippines government.

Yeah, and Exxon had every right to blame the Valez disaster on an alcoholic captain and a system of federal antidiscrimination laws that define drunks as “disabled.” Greenpeace didn’t sympathize with Exxon then, and I don’t sympathize with them now.

Bundle up, folks. It’s colder than a bucket of penguin crap out there. I suggest you stay inside with a nice hot beverage and ponder the following:

• The Eiffel Tower was originally intended to stand for only 20 years.
• "Taxi" is spelled the same in English, French, Romanian, German, Dutch, Spanish, Danish, Norweigan, Czech, Swedish, Slovak, Portuguese and Norweigan.
• When computed at retail prices, marijuana is the nation’s most valuable cash crop.

And today’s trivia question: What is the victim’s name in the movie and board game "Clue?"

Cpl. Casey Owens, Superstud.

As anyone who listens to Edd Hendee knows, Marine Cpl. Casey Owens is near and dear to the KSEV and Lone Star Times families. For those of you who don’t know, the man — a Houstonian — is a living miracle. After 9/11, he left college to join the Marine Corps. Last fall, while on a mission to rescue a wounded comrade, Casey’s Humvee hit a mine, peppering the young Marine with shrapnel, breaking his jaw and collarbone and shattering both legs, which later had to be amputated.

Since then, the guy’s been a nonstop dynamo. Over the weekend, he ran a marathon in just over two and a half hours.

With his freakin’ HANDS:

Casey Owens completed his first marathon yesterday, which is always a tremendous accomplishment. But it was especially so for Owens, who just over a year ago was injured in an antitank mine explosion in Iraq. As he crossed the Marine Corps Marathon finish line, the 24-year-old Marine corporal from Houston was mobbed by well-wishers, including Marine Commandant Michael Hagee.

"It went great," Owens said. "It was a lot more fun than I thought it would be, a lot more enjoyable. I couldn’t imagine a better marathon."

Owens was the first Marine in a wheelchair to cross the finish line. Because he forgot to wear his timing chip, he did not receive an official time; however, he estimated that he finished in 2 hours 32 minutes. Not bad for a guy who hadn’t used a handcrank chair until a month ago.

"Pushing myself around in a wheelchair that was my training, and being a Marine," said Owens, who had his left leg amputated below his knee and his right leg amputated above his knee.

What’s next for Casey? Well, apparently he’s feeling pretty good about his prosthetic legs:

Owens, who has been rehabilitating at Walter Reed Military Hospital the past year, started walking about a month ago. He would like to run the marathon next year.

Is this guy human? Does anything faze him? Aha! He has a complaint about the race!

"It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be," Owens said. "It was too short. I got to Mile 20 and was like it’s going to be over too soon."

WOW. It wouldn’t suprise me if he tapdances blindfolded through next year’s race while juggling Dumpsters.

Casey, congratulations from all of us at Lone Star Times. You represent the very pinnacle of fortitude, persistence and cojones. You’re a credit to your city, country and Corps, and we’re all proud of you.

BENZION ADDS– Don’t forget the skiing.

I suspect Osama is going to wake up one morning with a knife in his gut, only to watch what appears to be a mountain goat with no hind legs strap on a hang-glider and fly away.