There was a house like this in New Orleans. The lady who lived in it said she prayed for the house before she left and when she came back her whole neighborhood was flooded except for her home. Beautiful.

I'll bet the contractor who rebuilt this house will be very busy for awhile.

I hope CNN will follow-up- very curious to see how much water came through the inside and what damage they have- also what did the builder do when this house was built to withstand such storms and how much extra did it cost?  stricter building requirements should be the standard

IREPORTTWO,

yes, i'm sure "praying" had something to do with it!

if so, why didn't she "pray" that the hurricane wouldn't come at all?

GET REAL!

OPPORTUNITY!!  We need to STUDY the construction of this home from top to bottom!!  We need the specs and then we need to write them into updated building codes all along the coastal USA from Texas to Maine!  If people insist on rebuilding along the ocean shore and on barrier islands, then, at the minimum, lets build something that has a chance to survive a hurricane.  WHO HAS THE CONTACTS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN????

angelaeastco -- Looks like the house is built up on stilts so all that it lost was balcony railings and steps. Chip in the roof -- could be some rain damage, but nothing structural.

The contractor did a great job. A mixed blessing, with all their neighbors gone, though.

The question is why are people building homes in this area that are not hurricane proof and who is paying to rebuild; the ex-insurance giant AIG?

IREPORTTWO,

yes, i'm sure "praying" had something to do with it!

if so, why didn't she "pray" that the hurricane wouldn't come at all?

GET REAL!

Although the situation down there is very dire, this comment made me laugh because it was exactly what I was thinking, except I was thinking why didn't she pray for everyone's home?  Very self centered thinking for anyone to think that they were saved because they prayed.  And I don't really want to hear all the fantasy mumbo jumbo from the bible beaters either.

There is no mystery here. It's a stilt house. Look at the first floor. It had blowout panels to allow the storm surge water to pass through. The rest of the house only needed to meet the standard Texas hurricane requirements. The bulk of the damage on the other homes was from wave damage on top of the storm surge, not wind. If the water rose to the second floor, the waves would have creamed the "mystery house" too.

liveandlearn and saresudog.  Just because you don't believe something yourselves, doesn't make it ok to belittle the beliefs of others.

my $.02

I find it very hard to believe that this house survived the Hurricane. I mean, the flag is still fluttering on the upper balcony. Incredible. I live in Ghana but was on the phone to someone in Turks and Caicos when Ike passed over. From all accounts, that flagpole should have been long gone. Light poles in Grand Turk were uprooted like toothpicks, so imagine what would have happened to a lone flagpole affixed to a wooden balcony.

I remember some wild fires in California. Every house was burnt to the ground, except one big white house. The Korean owner invested a little more and got himself a house made with stucco: fire resistant.  Things can be done the right way since the beginning.

As a taxpayer I hope my taxes were not used to rebuild Galveston after the 1996 hurricane, and I have the same hope for this one.

If people choose to rebuild in a disaster-prone area, that's their choice, and building codes are fine, but taxpayers don't owe them anything to reimburse for losses due to their choice of a poor building location.

New Orleans, which continues to sink, should be relocated to the north, dynamite the levees holding back Lake Ponchertrain, and let nature take its course, which eventually it will do anyway.  Retrench and make SMART decisions, don't keep repeating the same lame-brained ones.  We Americans are often our own dumb worst enemies.

Perhaps the Texas barrier islands and the Carolinas barrier islands should be vacation/recreation only (easily evacuated) and not residential.

This home is the only type that should be allowed in storm prone areas. If you can't afford it then you have NO .ZERO,Nada, zilch business living there then . Period ! No exceptions and yes that builder is going to be in demand all through out the United States if you ask me !!!!!!

My house is rated for Cat 3 Hurricane winds ... and I live in Colorado.  If people choose to live in what ultimately are very dangerous places, even if the danger is only apparent once a year or so, then they need to take some extra precautions or just don't live there.  There will always can be a natural disaster that can go beyond all precautions of course, but you should do what you can.  The technology exists to make homes safer (see picture) and no one should wait for legistlation or laws to make sure they get it. 

Anyone who does will just end up raising insurance premiums for the rest of us!

My only other thought is that with the neighborhood wiped out, even if the house is standing it sure did nothing for property value, did it?  But glad to hear everyone is safe.

Fascinating photo!  However, as others have intimated, depending on how high the storm surge got and its penetration of the interior, this house might still be a total loss.  Even if it maintains structural integrity and is livable, the problem is one of economic viability in a neighborhood that clearly won't recover for many years, if at all.  I certainly wouldn't choose to return to it anytime soon, if it were mine.

liveandlearn and saresudog. Just because you don't believe something yourselves, doesn't make it ok to belittle the beliefs of others.

my $.02

And reality and the truth hurt sometimes ireport99.  The real world is not some fantasy land with fairies hanging all around you to tend to your every human emergency.

I agree with angelaeastco. I'd like to see CNN do a follow-up on this one. I'd like more confirmed details.

liveandlearn and saresudog have you ever used the word tolerance without a negative. i guess you've never experienced the strength of prayer, i feel for you and the cynical world in which you live.

And what about those other people who lost their homes?  So they didn't pray?  I guess only the Lord knows why this one, lone "miracle" house is left standing, right? It's not for us sheeple to question.

Couldn't have anything to do with a much more well-constructed home, now could it?  Wait. Perhaps Jesus blessed the builder to have the foresight to build this miracle residence.

Let me pray on it and I'll get back to you.

lol

This pictures is clear evidence of how bad things are in the Houston/Galveston/Beamount triangle.

I've heard people on the news disregard this area as no big deal.  Just because this wasn't like Katrina means it's no big deal. 

Clean water is finally back, but millions are without power.

Galveston alone thinks they have at least $10 billion in damage, and they are just a small island city.

ThePrincess,  ummm, the middle picture is the before picture...note the grass, that's why the flag and flagpole is still there.  This is real, no matter how hard you find it to believe.

saresudog,  It is one thing to believe that you are right.  It is another to state that all other beliefs are fiction.

liveandlearn and saresudog have you ever used the word tolerance without a negative. i guess you've never experienced the strength of prayer, i feel for you and the cynical world in which you live.

cash4willy, have you ever typed a sentence asking such questions using a question mark?  I'm not going to get into a discussion about whether prayer works or not.  If you've read my posts and still don't get what I said, then it's not yours to have.  There's no doubt in my mind that if someone psychologically believes something enough (such as wanting to be healed) that it could happen.  The brain is a powerful thing.  As far as having prayer control over inanimate objects?  Haven't seen any scientific proof yet.  Cynical?  Absolutely not.  Realist?  Without a doubt.

In the long run, whatever gets you by.  I will leave you with this.  If there is someone who controls everything on this planet they already have a plan and their mind is made up.  What your little human mind thinks and wants doesn't really matter.

+Just because you don't believe something yourselves, doesn't make it ok to belittle the beliefs of others.

my $.02+

Beliefs that have no basis in fact are superstition, nothing more, and superstition does NOT deserve respect.

Ireport...I'm really curious as to what you believe re: the other people's potential prayers...or anyone's prayers that their homes survive, for that matter.  Do you think they "prayed on" their homes, too?  Or perhaps the Galveston homeowner whose home survived is a rabid atheist.

How would you explain that?

That would suck to spend all that extra money on your house and still not be able to live in it even though it survived.  This type of construction should be mandated for everyone who builds in these areas so that responsible homebuilders don't get burnt like this, probably having to wait for year for utilities to be available again.

Perhaps Jello of the Dead Kennedy's Punk Band said it all in a song "god told me to skin you alive".  It's always ok when a "miracle" happens, like one person surviving a plane crash; instead of the other 69 folks that died.  Wouldn't a "miracle" be all folks lived and won the lottery? Idiots...

"This type of construction should be mandated for everyone who builds in these areas so that responsible homebuilders don't get burnt like this, probably having to wait for year for utilities to be available again."

Or they could just pray again.  When you have the Lord's mighty power intervening, why concern yourself over little nuisances like building codes?

People are dying and dead and there's people on here arguing about god or lack there of? Go find a holy bible belt chat room if you want to argue semantics on whether god exists or not

"It's always ok when a "miracle" happens, like one person surviving a plane crash; instead of the other 69 folks that died. Wouldn't a "miracle" be all folks lived and won the lottery? Idiots..."

LOL! Absolutely.  Funny how that works for "believers," isn't it? ;)

"People are dying and dead and there's people on here arguing about god or lack there of? Go find a holy bible belt chat room if you want to argue semantics on whether god exists or not"

Who died and made you the alleged creator?

I'm not going to get into a discussion about whether prayer works or not.

Good, because sane people know it does not work because there is no god.

There's no doubt in my mind that if someone psychologically believes something enough (such as wanting to be healed) that it could happen. The brain is a powerful thing. As far as having prayer control over inanimate objects? Haven't seen any scientific proof yet.

Your logic is baffling. There is scientific proof that prayer has no effect, yet you dismiss the power of prayer over inanimate objects because there is no scientific proof. Absolutely baffling. And people should respect you for these baffling opinions? Fascinating.

Kudos to these people from learning from the first distruction of their home! Lets hope MANY more people follow in their foot steps!

"saresudog, It is one thing to believe that you are right. It is another to state that all other beliefs are fiction."

Spin control warning!

ireport99, did Confucius say that?

Did I say "all other beliefs" in my posts?  Please stop trying to argue with your emotions and use your brain.

My 2 cents is that there should definitely be an age limit on this site whereas we can go some where and discuss things without all the juvenile comments on religion and peoples lack of religion because of their own opinions based on their mistakes in life. Stick to what the blog is about not your lives!!!!

For dkroupa

All of these houses were built on stilts genius. The just weren't built (the frames) to withstand a category 5.

"Good, because sane people know it does not work because there is no god."

I'd add "intelligent" and "rational" to the term "sane," free.

Engteacher -- are you really an English teacher?  Because your comment was simply reeking with grammar and syntax errors.  Sorry.  :)

juvenile comments on religion

Ah, the self-proclaimed adjudicator of maturity has arrived! Huzzah!

To everyone who is arguing whether religion or prayer is right or wrong are missing the point of this whole thing. The report is about the fact that this house was able to make it through the Hurricane that it faced. If you want to argue religion start your own damn report!!

"Ah, the self-proclaimed adjudicator of maturity has arrived! Huzzah!"

And, apparently, would have us believe he or she is an English teacher.  Or perhaps he or she teaches Eng.

Personally, I'm betting on the latter.

+"Good, because sane people know it does not work because there is no god."

I'd add "intelligent" and "rational" to the term "sane," free.+

Amen. Pun intended. :)

"Amen. Pun intended."

HAHAHAHAHA!  :-D

Bible reading and praying can help everyone.  On the Wednesday night befor the Hurricane Hit, I was in little church in Anniston Alabama  listing to Jesse Duplantis.

Jesse ask that we pray for five minutes, and so we prayed for the the winds to slow down and top of Ike be cut and for it lose power.  This one house showes that our prays were answer.  One day Saresudog you will Pray.

Saresudog,

If we believe on that which we can see and touch, then I DONT BELIEVE that there is a DEATH PENALTY for murders becuase i have never seen it....

For all i know that government declares them as dead, and makes them slave in some cave somewhere for free labor...

If you are going to post about blog about using your mind, make sure you fully analyze what u are tying to say before you say it...

To everyone who is arguing whether religion or prayer is right or wrong are missing the point

No, YOU are apparently missing the point: if people want to go on about how the house was saved because of a miracle or because of god, then it is every thinking person's responsibility to argue that point. Just as it is every thinking person's responsibility to call out politicians when they lie.

The lone house is interesting, but in the grand scheme of things, totally unimportant, excepting perhaps to the owner, insurer and/or mortgage holder.

"Bible reading and praying can help everyone. On the Wednesday night befor the Hurricane Hit, I was in little church in Anniston Alabama listing to Jesse Duplantis.

Jesse ask that we pray for five minutes, and so we prayed for the the winds to slow down and top of Ike be cut and for it lose power. This one house showes that our prays were answer. One day Saresudog you will Pray."

God, I love good parody.  lol

The title of this report is not "God saves last standing house"!! One person mentions that fact that some lady said she prayed that her house would be saved..so what! She didn't say you have to pray or read the bible in order to save your house. Majority of these posts have nothing to do with the house...they are people arguning religion. Look at them!!

Just a note about disasters and comments regarding people not rebuilding at the coast.  I happen to agree that many of our beaches should not be inhabited due to storms like this but I think we can look at other disasters with equally devastating consequences and it brings to mind these questions - should no one live in Oklahoma since they are right in the middle of Tornado Alley; should no one live along the Mississippi and other rivers because they are prone to flooding; should no one live in California because of fires and earthquakes; should no one live in Colorado because of avalanches and spring flooding, this list could go on and on.  Every state has issues to deal with involving mother nature.  Be careful about what you point at - three of your fingers are pointing back at you!

saresudog,  I think it is clear who is using an emotional appeal in their arguments.  I find the lack of respect for a dissenting point of view, not surprising, but dissapointing.

I'm sure that there was extra cost to building this home, but it was obviously worth it.  There are many options for homes that can withstand these storms.  Check out this site:  http://www.aidomes.com/.  Their homes are a durable AND affordable option.  This kind of building should be mandatory.  Insurance may be high on the coast, but with this much damage, the rest of us end up paying as well when the insurance claims come in.

There were some other pics during this storm that showed this was the only property in the area that was still above water. Apparently the property was at a higher altitude - probably not more than a few inches higher, but enough to make a difference.

It would be interesting to interview the owner a year from now to see if it was worth the cost. Were their insurance premiums any lower? Was there any interior damage? Was the house pillaged and trashed by looters? Even if the interior is completely undamaged and the house is completely habitable, it will likely be months before they can move back in, simply because the neighborhood no longer exists and there are no services. If there is significant damage that is not evident in this picture, then the place probably won't be quite the same after repairs. In that case, they may be better off having the whole house swept away, so they could start over with an all new house.

I recall seeing a video clip elsewhere where there were a group of houses left standing that were all built by the same builder. They interviewed him and he just shrugged and said he built them according to code.

As for the house in New Orleans that was saved by the owners prayers, do I understand correctly that that house was built at the same altitude as the neighbors' houses, and their houses were flooded and that one wasn't? Are there any pictures at the time of the flooding? I'd like to see them. I might take up praying myself.

"The title of this report is not "God saves last standing house"!! One person mentions that fact that some lady said she prayed that her house would be saved..so what! She didn't say you have to pray or read the bible in order to save your house. Majority of these posts have nothing to do with the house...they are people arguning religion. Look at them!!"

Why are you decrying in exclamatory statements?  This board is open for discussion.  Perhaps it's you who should find a different forum.  You know, one on which you can run your empire without fear of anyone questioning your ah-thor-rah-tie.

However, it appears you like to argue like everyone else here, doesn't it, cubbie?  Fancy that.  ;)

Unusual and improbable but not impossible.

Chaos theory explains it , just as it explains how climatic phenomena can hinge on events that are a millisecond in duration and distances ane narrow as the breadth of a human hair.Also, fully opening all windows and doors before a tornado or hurricane hit are very wise precautions.

Be careful about what you point at - three of your fingers are pointing back at you!

Just as there is more than one way to skin a cat...

"Also, fully opening all windows and doors before a tornado or hurricane hit are very wise precautions."

That's been disproven as a myth.  If you'd like me to cite my sources just say the word.

Otherwise, good points, Oped.  Additionally, I'd be careful -- this board might just smite you. ;)

Down in South Florida after Hurricane Andrew it did not look like this.  Homes were standing, because they are made out CBC block, and the roofs are attached via metal straps.   After Andrew the building code got a lot tougher.  Other locations in the paths of hurricanes need to see how they are building and whether they are really Hurricane resistant or not.  I frankly believe that this is a hoax, because there is no way to build a house that is Category 5 resistant.

"Just as there is more than one way to skin a cat..."

LOL!  Also, a rolling bird in a bush gathers no moss, etc., etc.

Perhaps it's you who should find a different forum. You know, one on which you can run your empire without fear of anyone questioning your ah-thor-rah-tie.

+1

that is crazy. i can't believe those photos. that is an amazing story though.

"I frankly believe that this is a hoax, because there is no way to build a house that is Category 5 resistant."

IMO, this is the first real logical observation about this allegedly "real" photograph to come down this board's pike.  Thanks, Propel.

This is actually my first experience with blogging, but why do people like LillyBunny feel the need to belittle people and get way off track? Please feel free LillyOne to comment. And as far as the comments geared toward me I did not realize you were a teacher as well LillyBunny.

Bill777, thank you for your comment it was great and nicely stated.

No arguing and I couldn't give a rat's ass whether I have "ah-thor-rah-tie" or not. I just think the whole thing got way off track. I am not arguing whether any does or does not believe in GOD or the bible or any other religious/non-religious views. I just hate coming into to read about articles and then the opinions get so side tracked its incredible. It's not just here, its all of the web. I also believe that everyone is entitled to there own opinion, I just want to hear about there opinion about the house in this case and not hear them argue with one another about a completely different issue.

That's really swell but would you really want to go back?  Check out more aerial views from the area around the house:

http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/ike/post-storm-photos/20080915/20080915_145052d.jpg

http://coastal.er.usgs.gov/hurricanes/ike/post-storm-photos/20080915/20080915_145055d.jpg

This shows that if a person has the money to rebuild it would be worth it, to pay a little extra, and get this type of construction that helps in a hurricane.

I think when new homes are built in these areas it should be mandatory they are built like this.

And now we know the reason why some people should not have the privilege to vote.

Oh my god!  Did I just switch the subject again?  Look out!  Here come the pseudo moderators.

LillyBunny and FreeMan, you guys are hilarious!

In Homestead Florida after Hurricane Andrew there was only one building with an intact roof for miles. It belonged to an out of state insurance company. They had brought in their own crew to build it EXACTLY to the building code at the time. It is NOT an issue of rewriting building codes. The problem is enforcing that the code is followed to the letter

Not that I'm advocating religion.. but there is just as much proof that God does exist, than their is proof that God does not.

You can argue that God does exist or does not all day, but the truth is that Agnosticism is the correct answer... The answer being that we cannot know, for sure.

I respect people's right to believe in God just as much as I respect people's rights not to believe in him.. even though neither of those 'opinions' have any factual basis.

I also respect people's rights to be morons if they want to be and not respect other peoples right to do what they want.

Moral of the story could be:

If your going to rebuild a house in a danger area, build it as best you can.  Could save a lot of money in the long run.

One thing to keep in mind when debating the "Why live in disaster-prone areas" issue is that some of these places, such as New Orleans and the Galveston area, are economically important to the entire country.  Rather than suggest that people move from these places, why not work to make these areas safer to live in.  Improved levee systems and stricter building codes would save the country billions.

By the way, before we get too far into the "I don't want MY tax dollars paying for that" debate, consider how much more your cheap Chinese textiles would cost were they not shipped by barge up the Mississippi River through the New Orleans port.

On a positive note, this homeowner now has a great view of the water.

If someone could tell me whose windows are installed in the house that would be great!!

"And as far as the comments geared toward me I did not realize you were a teacher as well LillyBunny."

Which track would that be, eng?  There are several currently on the table here.

"...I did not realize you were a teacher as well LillyBunny."

I'm not. I'm a writer and a law student.  I still maintain neither are you (an English teacher). 

"First experience blogging"?  lol Sure. And I have a miracle house in Galveston to sell you. ;)

Bill777, thank you for your comment it was great and nicely stated.

If you're a teacher, that explains why kids are doing so poorly. It's a shame you aren't mentally equipped to recognize satire. Then you could pass on that gift of critical thinking to your students.

Freeman56, you are probably the funniest little man with opinions and attention seeking behavior.  So just to make you feel more attention i would like to argue with you.  Are you a racist or an absolute window licking moron?  That is the question and arguement i want to have with you.  So, which are you?  I think we should all jump in and discuss this indepth about Freeman56. 

Then again, these are just my opinions, but as you say, we should really start talking about all of our personal ideas and then spit them on everybody.

"Look out! Here come the pseudo moderators."

LOL!

"LillyBunny and FreeMan, you guys are hilarious!"

As are you!  :-D

"No arguing and I couldn't give a rat's ass whether I have "ah-thor-rah-tie" or not. I just think the whole thing got way off track. I am not arguing whether any does or does not believe in GOD or the bible or any other religious/non-religious views. I just hate coming into to read about articles and then the opinions get so side tracked its incredible. It's not just here, its all of the web. I also believe that everyone is entitled to there own opinion, I just want to hear about there opinion about the house in this case and not hear them argue with one another about a completely different issue."

Seems like another person who hates the reality of things.  So don't read the comments then, or how about this, read the ones that pertain to the subject matter that you most agree with.

But don't tell the rest of us what we can and can't say.  There are no rules here that say that we have to strictly adhere to the subject matter...or are there???

Built on stilts?  Yes!  But so were 99% of all the others that surrounded it.

I'm from that general area, and can tell you that it was the newer construction that fared much better.  I do not have any idea when or how this house was built, but I would be willing to bet its relatively new.

Not that I'm advocating religion.. but there is just as much proof that God does exist, than their is proof that God does not.

No, there is not. That is either a lie or you are simply deluded.

"Not that I'm advocating religion.. but there is just as much proof that God does exist, than their is proof that God does not."

Oh that's just brilliant!

"Bill777, thank you for your comment it was great and nicely stated.

If you're a teacher, that explains why kids are doing so poorly. It's a shame you aren't mentally equipped to recognize satire. Then you could pass on that gift of critical thinking to your students."

Silly Free.  Satire isn't a part of grades K-8 curriculum any longer.  The baby Jesus weeps at satire.

Wasn't it Jesus who said to build your house on the rock and not on the sand?

fwthompson77 your comment is absolutely brilliant!! I would love to make Freeman56 and LillyBunny feel better about themselves and give them more attention, but I think that will just make things worse for ALL OF US :)

While in accord with others in this blog that contributors should stick to the topic at hand, I had to laugh at saresudog and freeman56, who seem to have missed the many dozens of scientific studies that have, in fact, suggested that the power of prayer, whether through suggestion or through the actual existence of a divine being, actually can be proved. Visit http://www.plim.org/PrayerDeb.htm for more details.  And I must comment on engteacher...I am an English teacher and, as I read your post, found the lack of care taken with the English language deplorable.

In other news, what a fascinating story of an intelligent family who learned its lesson the last time and took the appropriate steps to ensure that such a tragedy would not occur again...

"Wasn't it Jesus who said to build your house on the rock and not on the sand?"

LOL!  Or perhaps State Farm/Allstate...  ;)

Are you a racist or an absolute window licking moron?

I like pizza on Friday night.

fwthompson77, don't call people morons when you can't even spell "argument" correctly.  You know, like those in glass houses...

" FreeMan56 » Are you a racist or an absolute window licking moron?

I like pizza on Friday night."

HAHAHAHAHA  I like Crest. It makes my teeth whiter and I gots no cavities when I goes to the dentist-person. I also use it on windows. It cleans them better than saliva.

Agreed.  Honestly though, reading their words truly make me feel so much better about myself.

It is clearly photoshopped into the picture as a graphic animator. NIce try

By reality of things do mean that fact that there is no GOD? I never once said that there was or wasn't. I never even tried to tell you that you were wrong nor did I direct this at you. I'm just amazed at how quickly things can go crazy. I think it took about 5 posts for the subject matter to turn to something else.

"You know, like those in glass houses..."

Hey! I know a good window licker who can tidy up those glass houses in no time, sare!  ;)

Ok, guess this will be my last blog for this discussion as I did not come here to get critized by people THINKING they are better than others. Wow how sad for me and others that are new to blogging!

"Silly Free. Satire isn't a part of grades K-8 curriculum any longer. The baby Jesus weeps at satire."

I prefer praying to the baby jesus.

"I'm just amazed at how quickly things can go crazy."

So now you're the proclaimer of Internet forum mental health?  Excuse me if I take a pass.

"I prefer praying to the baby jesus."

LOL!  I know, right?  It's simply more fun to pray to a yet-cognitively-undeveloped myth, isn't it?

"While in accord with others in this blog that contributors should stick to the topic at hand, I had to laugh at saresudog and freeman56, who seem to have missed the many dozens of scientific studies that have, in fact, suggested that the power of prayer, whether through suggestion or through the actual existence of a divine being, actually can be proved. Visit http://www.plim.org/PrayerDeb.htm for more details."

Wow, imagine that.  A religious persons point of view on whether prayer really works or not.

By crazy I was not referring to people, just how off topic we, including myself, can get. Look at how amny directions this topic went from all of us.

Let me clarify, and take it back. 

It could be true, only because Ike was a category 2 Hurricane when it hit.  Andrew hit as a category 5, originaly thought of a s a 4 then recategorized as a 5. If it was built correctly, it will have withstood a category 2.

Hurricane Categories can be found.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/aboutsshs.shtml

The think to take away from all this is, if you are going to live in an are prone to a specific disaster, ie (tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes and on and on) we need to build for that contingency. 

Sooner or later mother nature hits, it's just a fact of life.  It is how we handle it that makes the difference.

"Ok, guess this will be my last blog for this discussion as I did not come here to get critized by people THINKING they are better than others."

Wow.  That's some skewed logic there, boy howdy.

"Wow how sad for me and others that are new to blogging!"

No, just be sad that you're pretending to be an English teacher who doesn't know that the word "that" is not proper in your sentence.  Try for "who" next time. :)

Maybe it was a combination of praying and insulating the walls and roof deck of the house with closed-cell spray foam insulation.

Closed-cell spray foam insulation will triple the shear strength and racking strength of any house. 

Go ahead, look it up.

the many dozens of scientific studies that have, in fact, suggested that the power of prayer, whether through suggestion or through the actual existence of a divine being, actually can be proved. Visit http://www.plim.org/PrayerDeb.htm for more details.

If this is all the proof you require, then you are a tool.

I don't understand why houses are built with these materials in the US. The basic wooden framework for houses is very old technology. Houses in places like these should be framed with reinforced concrete and walls should be brick and two wide.

Saresudog...Having fun jumping to conclusions?  I'm actually agnostic. Not religious at all, just well-informed. Have fun jumping!

One last comment to LillyBunny and FreeMan56; ignorance is not bliss as you may have been taught previously throughout your life.

"Ok, guess this will be my last blog for this discussion as I did not come here to get critized by people THINKING they are better than others."

No it won't.  You'll be back for more.

it could be the grey man... a ghost thats warns people to leave their house before hurricanes hit and they're houses are always untouched just like this...

http://www.coastalguide.com/tales/pelicangreyman.shtml

My heart goes out to all those who have suffered as a result of this storm.  From the first time I saw this picture I felt that it is a testimony to what can be built in areas where storms are prevalent.  I think that this contractor needs to receive his public recognition for a job well done and he should be very proud indeed!

it could be the grey man...  a ghost thats known to tell people to leave their houses before hurricanes hit and their house is always untouched just like this

http://www.coastalguide.com/tales/pelicangreyman.shtml

"One last comment to LillyBunny and FreeMan56; ignorance is not bliss as you may have been taught previously throughout your life."

Told ya!

And to the person who said that there should be a minimum age for posters here.  Exactly what age would that be?

+fwthompson77 »

Agreed. Honestly though, reading their words truly make me feel so much better about myself.+

Just like asking people if they are window licking morons makes you feel better? I guess having religion makes you morally superior, so you can ask these questions without thinking....about actually being morally superior, or even morally equal.

+engteacher »

fwthompson77 your comment is absolutely brilliant!! I would love to make Freeman56 and LillyBunny feel better about themselves+

I don't need to feel better about myself, I am GREAT!

Thanks for applauding the belittler. Another morally superior twit, you are.

"Saresudog...Having fun jumping to conclusions? I'm actually agnostic. Not religious at all, just well-informed. Have fun jumping!"

Stop thinking it's all about you.  I wasn't referring to you.  I was referring to the author.

That being said it would seem, by the proof that you gave me, that you are looking to lean in the religious direction.

A well known Drug boss owns this house. Says God watched over him. He messed up though when he went to apply from Fema for Food stamps. He was receving food stamps before but Fema double checked this time.

By crazy I was not referring to people, just how off topic we, including myself, can get. Look at how amny directions this topic went from all of us.

Isn't it great? You can start talking about one thing, and before you know it, you have a real discussion on your hands!

Oh me oh my, what am I to do?

Did u see the other aerial photos?  And at risk for hurricanes....Why in the world would anyone live there?

Ok..to be truthful I am writing a paper for my philosophy class and slighted baited my opinion to get others opinions. So in light of that, I think that you can talk about whatever, whenever, wherever!! (Suaresdog, yes that's an exclamation..jk!) So thanks, for your points of view "Pray" (haha) that I do well on my paper!!

Seems that some people need a job or a life.  Anyway, my last (second) comment in conclusion is that proper building is possible, especially if you open your eyes to alternatives: http://www.aidomes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=282&Itemid=164&limit=1&limitstart=1

One last comment to LillyBunny and FreeMan56; ignorance is not bliss as you may have been taught previously throughout your life

LOL - the irony meter just moved into the red zone!

I agree competely with 'if you can't handle the heat, get out the kitchen' kind of responses. Americans attitudes of keepin up with the Joneses have made the faulting of our econonmy. If you have that much pride where you live and all that encompasses that, why not take the extra time and money needed to protect yourself and those around you? Now thanks to the people who saved themselves money by cutting corners we're all facing the possibilty of paying for that carelessness.

  "And I always thought this would be

The land of milk and honey

Oh but I come to find out

That its all hate and money

And theres a canopy of greed holding me down"

"One last comment to LillyBunny and FreeMan56; ignorance is not bliss as you may have been taught previously throughout your life."

And writing in non-cliches can be your friend, as well as coming clean about your real profession. Because between "FreeMan56" and "ignorance" a colon was required, not a semicolon.

Now, pretend engteacher -- just what was it you were saying re: ignorance?  ;)

"Isn't it great? You can start talking about one thing, and before you know it, you have a real discussion on your hands!"

"Oh me oh my, what am I to do?"

Seriously though.  This blog has about 10-12 entries if we didn't open up the floor to a broader discussion.  Shame on some of you people for trying to smother that.

Remember, you should never eat from the tree of knowledge.

My house was the sole surviving house on my street in a huge fire in Santa Barbara in 1992.  It is blessing to keep those important keepsakes like early childhood photos.  It is a nightmare working with insurance companies to deal with the inevitable damage (e.g., landscaping, smoke and heat damage in my case).

"LOL - the irony meter just moved into the red zone!"

HAHAHAHA!  Free, it's an absolute meltdown of irony.

I'd be willing to bet good money that eng doesn't teach irony in his or her pretend classroom, either.

Having fun jumping to conclusions?

I made this game called "Jump To Conclusions". It has a floor mat with different conclusions on colored dots, kind of like the game "Twister". So, you roll the dice, and you "Jump To Conclusions". Get it?

wm1997, I'm so happy for you that your home survived, yet sad for the other people on your street. I'm really sorry this happened.

I recently evacuated for Gustav, and I took everything that held irreplaceable sentimental value, as well as all important homeowner documents, insurance policies, etc.  You're right. It's crucial.

FreeMan 56 that was some bad humor!! LOL!! I can here the sound of crickets chirping in the background!! JK

"Seems that some people need a job or a life. Anyway, my last (second) comment in conclusion is that proper building is possible, especially if you open your eyes to alternatives: http://www.aidomes.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=282&Itemid=164&limit=1&limitstart=1"

Thanks very much for stopping by to judge people of whom you really have no idea (you really don't) what they do in their day to day lives.

"Having fun jumping to conclusions?

I made this game called "Jump To Conclusions". It has a floor mat with different conclusions on colored dots, kind of like the game "Twister". So, you roll the dice, and you "Jump To Conclusions". Get it?"

HHHHHHHAHAHAHAHA!  I'm literally laughing out loud here.  I mean, I know people pen that; I'm really doing it. Now.  Here.

ok I'll add my 2 cents....as a believer in faith and pray, I'm also a realist.  Us (quoting) 'puny' humans have the great capacity to not fathom God's abilty to answer our prayers and, as a result, we usually ask for minimal prayer coverage.  Our lack of understanding and failure to see the extent that answered prayers could cover is the reason that we fail to "see" the bigger possibilities.  You (several) are correct in asking why not ask for the entire community to be protected, or ask that the hurricane will not hit that area or fade away.  Our faith and vision is strong enough to believe that it will happen.  Father, let our eyes and our hearts be opened to the broader possibilities. Amen

to sjanes:

Ike hit as a category *2* hurricane.  Not cat 5.  These houses were built so poorly they couldn't even withstand a wimpy cat 2 hurricane.  That's how bad/stupid the structure codes were in galveston. People living there should really have known better.

In my humble opinion, the topic here should be whether or not that picture was photoshopped.

What a great iconic moment either way, huh?  lol

It is amazing that this house is still standing.  I hope for a follow up story to see if it is still livable.

It is also amazing to see the "agnostic/atheist" bashing the religious.  Do you really think they are "sheeple", incapable or unwilling to think for themselves?  Do you really think you smarter than they are?  Plenty of religious doctors, chemists, engineers....  Do you really think they need YOU to save them from themselves?  People have reasons for believing and reasons for not.  Your lack of tolerance is almost frightening.  Your arrogance and delusions of grandeur suggest you may be the one who needs a reality check.  Given your statements, most of your theology is not just weak, it is flat out wrong.  It may help if you understood peoples’ beliefs before you criticize them.

Remember, you should never eat from the tree of knowledge.

Uh, uh, uh, why not?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pyVNlvzzSFA

Saresu and Freeman, I'm outtie.  Thanks for providing intelligent, witty discussion and making me laugh on more than one occasion today. 

Hope to see you soon!  :)

"FreeMan 56 that was some bad humor!! LOL!! I can here the sound of crickets chirping in the background!! JK"

Really?  You must live in the country somewhere then.  You know, those people don't take to kindly to people taking kindly...oh, where am I going with this?

Anyway, I'm just speculating about the country thing.  This statement in no way is meant to discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, etc., etc...or country people.  I like them all the same.

Anyway, I'm just speculating about the country thing. This statement in no way is meant to discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, etc., etc...or country people. I like them all the same.

Oh, I forgot religion too.

LOL freeman56, I thought youtube may be the source of your theology.

Hey John827, what's there to understand?  I believe in pink elephants and fairies and dragons.  I'm gonna go run naked in the rain praying to the pink elephant god.  Now i'm going to ask you to respect my beliefs and take them seriously.

That's how others see you.

LillyBunny: Before you start to lecture someone about the use of the word "that", you should check yourself. 

"No, just be sad that you're pretending to be an English teacher who doesn't know that the word "that" is not proper in your sentence. Try for "who" next time."

While I'm NOT an english teacher or a writer, I can say you have used the word "that" where it wasn't really necessary.  If you remove the word "that" from your sentence, it still makes sense.

My issue with the very first post is this: Christians feel the need to bring God into every issue in life when it's not necessary.  Why do Christians feel the need to push their belief of God.  If your God is so great, why does he allow innocent children to die, get raped, tortured, kidnapped, etc...

We're in NW Florida where Ivan, just a little stronger than Ike, came aboard and probably did less damage.  The reason is building codes.  When Andrew slammed south Florida in '92, building codes changed.  I am not familiar with Texas building codes, but it takes an event like this or Andrew to change a whole state.  The wasteland behind this house are all the structures that were built to substandard code.  This house survived because the owner was smart enough and had enough money to build one that survived a "mere" Cat 2.

"ok I'll add my 2 cents....as a believer in faith and pray, I'm also a realist. Us (quoting) 'puny' humans have the great capacity to not fathom God's abilty to answer our prayers and, as a result, we usually ask for minimal prayer coverage. Our lack of understanding and failure to see the extent that answered prayers could cover is the reason that we fail to "see" the bigger possibilities. You (several) are correct in asking why not ask for the entire community to be protected, or ask that the hurricane will not hit that area or fade away. Our faith and vision is strong enough to believe that it will happen. Father, let our eyes and our hearts be opened to the broader possibilities. Amen"

Amen

Though I think that was really more than two cents worth

Wow Lillybunny- do you do anything else but comment on here?  I have never seen anyone get so worked up and over-comment on a story about a house that made it through a hurricane...  You are very funny to me,  thanks for the entertainment.

Google maps has street view of this area. Someone find the address of this house, so we can see the before picture of the area.

Why is it that this blog has turned into a bash everyone fest?  Somehow it has gone from discussing the miracle that this house somehow made it through the devastating storm - to - biting each others heads off.  Is there a God?  Absolutely if you believe so.  Does prayer work?  Absolutely, if you have the faith and believe in it.  If not, then no, prayer does not work and there is no God.  You are all fighting about God and prayer.  Is any of that really relevant?  Let's get back to the topic at hand, please.  One house of many stood, while the rest were flattened.  This type of construction is indeed marvelous.  Should these people live in a hurricane prone area?  That's there decision.  This IS America.  People have their freedom of choice.  So as long as a town is indeed a town, and people are allowed to build there, then it is their choice to do so.  Should we criticize them?  No.  I too took rather severe hurricane damage and I live over 90 miles inland from New Orleans.  Gustav dropped two trees on my home, punctured the roof, did heavy water damage to everything.  Should I move?  Maybe.  But I am certainly not going to judge those who choose to stay in their various areas.  I am not going to judge those who believe in God, or those who don't.  Stop the Junior High School bickering please and get back to realizing how devastating this storm was for people.

KMFelps..I tried that line, but it ignited more!! Good Luck! Although, mine was to purposely fire up opinions for a paper I have to write.

They keep dragging me back in. lol

While I'm NOT an english teacher or a writer, I can say you have used the word "that" where it wasn't really necessary. If you remove the word "that" from your sentence, it still makes sense.

Actually, my original sentence is perfectly acceptable grammatically.

Speaking of those pesky glass houses -- I'm assuming you're in the United States, superfluous canine. You do know that commas go inside end quotation marks, don't you?

If you followed the thread, you'd realize that "engteacher" was stating that he or she was an English teacher. I merely pointed out that he or she could not possibly hold that profession, because he or she most assuredly does not have even the most rudimentary command of the English language.

Did you read the entire thread?  No?

Gasp.  I'm shocked.

Superdog1 what were you referring to?

"It is also amazing to see the "agnostic/atheist" bashing the religious. Do you really think they are "sheeple", incapable or unwilling to think for themselves? Do you really think you smarter than they are? Plenty of religious doctors, chemists, engineers.... Do you really think they need YOU to save them from themselves? People have reasons for believing and reasons for not. Your lack of tolerance is almost frightening. Your arrogance and delusions of grandeur suggest you may be the one who needs a reality check. Given your statements, most of your theology is not just weak, it is flat out wrong. It may help if you understood peoples' beliefs before you criticize them."

I do understand because I used to be one of them.  The problem that I have with you people is that you expect the rest of us to fall in line with you.  You want to influence the government to make the law according to the fairy tale that you believe to be true.  If you want to believe that nonsense that's your business and I don't have one problem with it.  Just don't try to tell me that I have to live by it too.  Good enough?

I find it ironic that you sit here and chastise us for not knowing your beliefs when you really can't ascertain just by reading this blog whether or not we really know anything about said beliefs.

"I don't really want to hear all the fantasy mumbo jumbo from the bible beaters either."

And they want to hear your sarcasm and rude comments?  Self-centered indeed.

Superdog1 what were you referring to?

Too rich! I thought you made your last post, fake educator.

Oh, God. Did you really end a sentence with "to"?

lololololol

"Superdog1 what were you referring to?"

You said that you were leaving.  Rubbernecker!

What surprise me is that there are so few homes standing???

I live on a rock, in the Conch Republic. It's called Big Pine Key, 90 miles North of Havana and 150 miles South West of Miami.

After Andrew in 1992,  Florida and FEMA changed our building code to support 150 mph wind loads, almost 16 years ago. In fact I think it is even higher now.

Our house was built in 97 to the new wind load designs. In the last 11 years we (BPK) have had over a doz cat 1,2,3 storms with-in 100 miles. Three(3) had the eye over the house,, or dam near.

We didn't lose one(1) roof shingle, we had 24 inches of water under the house, lost power for a couple days,, but no damage. AND even though some of our neighbors live in older homes, the most they lost were shingles, no windows, no pourches, no garages,, plenty of water. In 1998, Georges, cat 3, with gusts to 140 mph, 20 inch of water. In 2005, Wilma, Cat 1-2, winds over 100 mph, 24 inches of water.

What kind of building codes do they have in Texas?? It looks worse than Andrew when it pass through Florida CIty and he was a cat 5 with winds over 200 mph..

Now granted,, the water surge can do lots of damage, at 8 lbs per gallon,, a bazillion gallons will level stuff. But the talking heads are showing neighborhoods that are inland..

Oh, We got old,, some of the homes in Key West are over 200 years old,, still standing...

A curious FOG..

Jim

An Old Parrot Head,

In The Conch Republic,

Just South of Reality

Do you really think they are "sheeple", incapable or unwilling to think for themselves?

Their comments provide the evidence of that.

Do you really think you smarter than they are?

Yes, absolutely, unequivocally, without any doubt.

Plenty of religious doctors, chemists, engineers.... Do you really think they need YOU to save them from themselves?

No, we need to be saved from THEM and their phony moral superiority.

People have reasons for believing and reasons for not. Your lack of tolerance is almost frightening. Your arrogance and delusions of grandeur suggest you may be the one who needs a reality check. Given your statements, most of your theology is not just weak

Wow, you could tell all about my theology from the little I posted here? You are truly a person to be shunned and mocked! How dare you suggest that you even have one iota of understanding about me, my views, or my intelligence. You are simply another morally superior person who is morally bankrupt.

You only talk about tolerance because your views are insane and require no logic or proof. Why should we tolerate senseless thinking? Should we also tolerate liars because they have a different perspective? Should we tolerate bigamists because they have a different perspective? Should we tolerate pedophilia, because pedophiles have different views?

Although, mine was to purposely fire up opinions for a paper I have to write.

LOLOLOL! Cubbie, you did not just use the oldest posting excuse in the book.  :-D

Would you please leave already LillyBunny? I do believe you have gotten enough attention and laughs at you for one day!

There's a story that a woman's house was in the path of a flood and friends came and asked her to leave. Her response was that God would protect her and she stayed in the house. As the flood came and the waters rose friends and officials visited her 2 more times, once in a boat and once in a helicopter as she sat on her roof. The flood eventually whisked her away and she drowned. When she soon faced God at the pearly gated she addressed God and said "I thought you would protect me". God's response was "I tried 3 times". I personally don't believe that God saves houses or designates certain people to score touchdowns. That's the result of us no longer living in Eden. How God responds to our prayers is reserved for God. Kudos to the owner of the house and the renovator and to God for our ability to discuss it.

"Remember, you should never eat from the tree of knowledge.

But of course! Because that's just what the doctor ordered for this mixed up, zany world: more starving imbeciles."

"And with that, I'm really out"

Me too.  And I don't mean like some people around here.  I won't mention any names, but their initials are engteacher.

Thanks for the laughs everyone.  Now I'm going to go pray about this.

So, really??  The big debate over this picture is God vs. no God?  Who cares what other people think?  Are we using this blog to sway religious opinions?  How about, "Wow, cool picture--nice break from all of the other, horrible pictures from the TX coast!"

I guess with that storm surge, the world really IS NOT flat!!  Good thing I live in an age where that statement won't cause me an early death :)

@ saresudog, If you read from the beginning post, you will see the mention of God brought an automatic and immediate attack on the person for believing. My statement was that the people in this post seem to be intolerant.  Your "said beliefs" may only be hinted at, but the lack of tolerance is obvious.

He doesn't care about touchdowns?  Damn, my fantasy football season will be a disaster.

Couldn't agree more, peakester.

LOL freeman56, I thought youtube may be the source of your theology.

Well, despite your erroneous conclusion, at least you're thinking.

engteacher » Would you please leave already LillyBunny? I do believe you have gotten enough attention and laughs at you for one day!

HAHAHA! Let me understand you correctly. You're leaving, them I'm leaving, then I call you out on it, and you subsequently

order

How f-ing high are you right now, fake educator?

To answer your query:  No. I've not received enough laughs, nor have I received enough attention. Can anyone, really?  Further, now that I know you're fairly upset, I'm going to continue posting here just to make your board existence a living hell.  Notwithstanding the foregoing, if you own up to not being an English teacher and not posting for the very. first. time., I'll leave.  Fair enough?

Praise the lord.

I guess cig breaks are over for the comedians it's back to the stage.

I feel sorry for Saresudog and Superdog1, who believe that everything has a scientific explanation.  What a boring way to live.  Maybe they should just help build another large hadron collider to find out how the universe was created.  If you believed in something, you wouldn't have to waste 10 billion dollars on a machine.

Is there a God? Absolutely if you believe so. Does prayer work? Absolutely, if you have the faith and believe in it.

Is there a flying spaghetti monster?

Does Santa Claus exist?

The house is on Church street in Gilchrist, on the Gulf side. It about 2 blocks east of Roll Over Pass. Which a little cut from the Gulf to the Bay. You can see a Church to the left of the house. This house is only 2 years old. If you look at Google Map, it's Pam's old house that was destroyed by Hurricane Rita.

engteacher » I guess cig breaks are over for the comedians it's back to the stage.

"Cig breaks"?  Oh, yes. You're a teacher. Mmm-hmm.

Eeeewwww.  lol

It only hurts you when we laugh, huh?  ;)

Wish we could judge people on earth, because honestly LillyBunny that was not funny and uncalled for (the ending of your last post). And FYI it's bored not board, building something?

The question is not why this house survived while the others did not, but why all the others failed structurally from the storm surge of a category 2 hurricane.  Strong building codes (like the Miami/Dade codes now in force throughout Florida) and the enforcement of those codes are key to saving property.  There's no mystery here.  Homes built along the coast should not be wood frame.

You can build homes to withstand 140 mph winds and storm surge.  Capt Charlie in Hopedale recently rebuilt his lodge house to do so.  First floor is 22 ft high on 60ft poles hammered 38 ft into the ground.  Everything is strapped together tight.  Looks normal otherwise.  This couple made a smart move.  Hats off to them!!  I learned something.

Is there a flying spaghetti monster?

Does Santa Claus exist?

Free, if you're going to tell me now that Flying Spaghetti Raptor Jesus Tooth Bunny doesn't exist, well, that's a little too much for me to parse.

"@ saresudog, If you read from the beginning post, you will see the mention of God brought an automatic and immediate attack on the person for believing. My statement was that the people in this post seem to be intolerant. Your "said beliefs" may only be hinted at, but the lack of tolerance is obvious."

Ok I lied.  One more comment for john827.  I believe that the intolerance started when Christians jailed Galileo for having the nerve to state that the earth was not the center of the universe or the solar system for that matter.  It continued on with the belief that gays should be burned at the stake (where the word faggot comes from).  Then it moved on to throwing supposed witches into water and if they floated, then they were truly witches, but if they sank then they were not (something like that).  How about slavery?  Should I continue on?  Or is there some possibility that you may understand where I'm coming from?  Don't lecture me about intolerance.  Give those people and inch and they'll take a mile.

Freeman56, while disagreeing with your overall attitude toward other people's opinions, thanks for making me laugh with the quote from "Office Space."

I am an English professor myself, so I wanted to comment on ReClaim's post that said, "Not that I'm advocating religion.. but there is just as much proof that God does exist, than their is proof that God does not." 

This is an example of the ad ignorantiam logical fallacy. I teach logical fallacies in my Freshman Composition class. Some Philosophy professors teach this as well in classes on logic.

LillyBunny was quite correct about the misuse of the semicolon where the colon was the appropriate punctuation mark. LillyBunny was also correct that the correct relative pronoun when referring to a person is "who" and not "that." I am thrilled that so many people still care about what I teach. I wish my students would notice these things in their own writing as much as some of those on this blog do.

Since I teach those who are already teachers and those who are in teacher education programs in college, I can say that there are many teachers out there who do not use proper grammar and punctuation even in their written work, and it is sad because their students are at a disadvantage.

As to the lone house, the subject of the original report, I do not think its survival was due to divine intervention, as it would be arrogant to assume that this one family deserved such consideration over all of the others. I think it is more likely that it was similar to the old fairy tale about the Big Bad Wolf and the Three Little Pigs. This house was simply built better.

I feel sorry for Saresudog and Superdog1, who believe that everything has a scientific explanation. What a boring way to live

Save your phony sympathy. Everything does have an explanation, and maybe if we don't blow ourselves up in an attempt to make sure the rapture happens, in 5,000 or 10,000 or 100,000 years, we'll have those answers.

What a boring life it must be believing in fairy tales.

You can see a Church to the left of the house

I wonder why god didn't save the church.

Eng, seriously, now. All kidding aside.

My original sentence:  ...I'm going to continue posting here just to make your board existence a living hell.

Your response: And FYI it's bored not board, building something?

Did you just go there, eng?  You do know I was referring to your life on this POSTING board, did you not?  Please, dear Raptor Jawsus, I pray to you -- tell me eng is not this stupid.

That was a rhetorical request, eng...not that I expect you to understand that concept in the least.  lol

LillyBunny was quite correct about the misuse of the semicolon where the colon was the appropriate punctuation mark. LillyBunny was also correct that the correct relative pronoun when referring to a person is "who" and not "that." I am thrilled that so many people still care about what I teach. I wish my students would notice these things in their own writing as much as some of those on this blog do.

Soprano, my dear -- merci. You're a wonderful writer, by the by.  :)

Freeman56, while disagreeing with your overall attitude toward other people's opinions, thanks for making me laugh with the quote from "Office Space."

The Good: You're welcome for the laugh.

The Bad: a belief in god is not an opinion, it is a belief. A belief is an opinion with no logical or critical proofs. There is a BIG difference.

My resilience award goes to these folks and the people they partnered with to build this home!  I hope they will be able to share their learnings with their community.  Drive on everybody!  Be Strong!  The future belongs to you!

Resilience Award:

http://sculpturesbynorte.com/x_BlueTorso.asp

-Best, -Richardo

@Lillybunny: You fail to read for comprehension instead of yourself.  I said I am NOT and english teacher or a writer, which you claim to be.  If you were such a great writer and feel like you should be teaching the english teacher, you would see your use of the word "that" was not needed.  You sound like someone who works at a bookstore and moonlights as a barista.

@hoosier95: I couldn't care less about how the earth was created.  What I do care about is how people try to claim they all want to get along but condemn you for not believing what they believe.  The people who are the best at this are the Christians and the Muslims.  Now, I must return to my job because God still hasn't answered my prayers to help me win the lottery.

"I feel sorry for Saresudog and Superdog1, who believe that everything has a scientific explanation. What a boring way to live. Maybe they should just help build another large hadron collider to find out how the universe was created. If you believed in something, you wouldn't have to waste 10 billion dollars on a machine."

I keep trying to get out, but they keep pulling me back in.

Do you realize what an ignorant statement you just made?  It's funny, you rely on science everyday, i.e., your car, electricity, tv, etc.. Yet you want to backlash against me because I require something besides a simplistic fairy tale approach to life before I can whole heartily believe in it?  So what are you saying about the collider?  That we don't need it because everything is already explained in Genesis.  You are exactly the ignorant moron that I've been railing against for the last hour or so. 

Don't feel sorry for me.  Feel sorry for yourself and that bubble that you live in.  For one day it's going to burst.

Don't you think it would be worth believing rather than burning for eternity?  We'll see if your blabbing about fairy tales then FreeMan56.

Soprano2, wow that is great that you teach English as well. As far as the comments towards me, I did not realize blogging was edited or graded for that matter.  So I guess today I learned that blogging is not an enjoyable experience, but rather a place for people to try to come and feel better about themselves while demeaning others.   

And to clear things up for LillyBunny, yes I am a teacher working on my master's what a SHOCKER for you. I am still questioning the fact that you are in law school.

Ignorant moron?  I won't stoop to your level and call you names like a little kid Saresudog.  It's funny how you can tell the people that don't believe.  All the hate.  It's sad.

For anyone who teaches English, proper grammar should be second nature.

LillyBunny,

I'd welcome you in the English department. You are catching many of engteacher's errors, though there are  a few more that you haven't listed (a run-on in one response and the use of a comma before "because" to name a couple of examples). By the way, I also teach satire and irony in my classes, so it is at least being taught at the college level, and as I recall, it is in the twelfth grade curriculum as well, at least in California, but I think it is in the national standards as well. I was a consultant in developing course work for high schools. The kids read "A Modest Proposal," and many don't understand the concept of satire at all, unfortunately.

Alas, we digress, as the topic was this home.

Don't you think it would be worth believing rather than burning for eternity? We'll see if your blabbing about fairy tales then FreeMan56

No, you won't see anything like that.

You, however, live a life of burning ignorance, and you keep your eyes closed to logic and smother yourself with lies. You are already IN hell.

@Lillybunny: You fail to read for comprehension instead of yourself. I said I am NOT and english teacher or a writer, which you claim to be. If you were such a great writer and feel like you should be teaching the english teacher....

Nor did I claim to be "and" English teacher. Whereas the term "that" could be construed as not being necessary in my original sentence, its usage was hardly incorrect. Engteacher's mistakes were blatant and completely improper.

Your frivilous statement that I was correcting an English teacher was hilarious. Eng isn't an English teacher anymore than you are.

Hey. Thaere's a thought: you wouldn't happen to be Eng under yet another account, now would you? No. That would never happen. Eng is new to "blogging."

;)

Can't we all just focus on what's important??? Hurricane Ike did extensive damage to South East Texas.  I live in Humble, which is about 60 miles north of Galveston.  We have almost 60 percent of the area still without power, no ice, no food, and lines 3 hours long at the gas station.  We have damaged homes, damaged hearts and damaged lives.  All I ask is, no matter what your RELIGIOUS beliefs, please pray for us.  We really need it right now.

There is this thing on the EAST COAST where right before a major hurricane one home owner will see a lady on the beach in front of the house. She's said to be wearing white and walking along the beach looking at the house. After the hurrican hits all the houses are gone except for the one where this lady / ghost was seen. Google it, there are a few great true stories about the hurricane ghost lady who saves houses. Maybe the owners of this house saw this lady and didnt think anything of it at the time but she saved their house.

Don't you think it would be worth believing rather than burning for eternity? We'll see if your blabbing about fairy tales then FreeMan56

What?  Freeman plans on spending eternity in Southwestern Louisiana in July?

:-O

Did anyone notice that there is no debris anywhere in the railings or on the house, no mud on the concrete, no windows broken out, no water marks, the cement pad is obviously undercut which usually would cause it to crack. THIS PICTURE IS A FAKE.  By the way I found a dead bigfoot in the woods by my house would any of you like to purchase it?

"Don't you think it would be worth believing rather than burning for eternity? We'll see if your blabbing about fairy tales then FreeMan56."

So you're the judge when we all supposedly get there?  Typical judgmental Christian.  Worth believing?  Are you kidding?  If there is a god and we're all going to be judged, don't you think that he or she's going to see through your fraudulence if you believe because it's "worth believing?"

By the way.  Great read Soprano2.  Thanks for bringing some sobriety to this entry.

@ saresudog:  I am a working professional that took some time out of my day to look at an interesting pic.  I did not expect the religion vs science argument.  It is a strawman argument and always has been. Religion and science co-exist in my world.  I am not a fundamentalist.  I am not sure what statement I made that would cause you to assume so.  It is a good thing that we have you around to rail against us poor ignorant morons.  I'm not sure how we would survive without your web posts.   

PLEASE SARESUDOG SAVE US!!!!

you can tell the people that don't believe. All the hate. It's sad.

You can tell the people who believe (by their statements and responses). All the morally superior, yet hypocritical,  rhetoric. That is truly a sad thing.

Alright enuff of this nonsense; if there wasn't a god, there is now; ME! The next time I throw a lightening bolt at that part of the country, there will not be anything standing except a pub (of course they carry delicious Schlitz!).  Rock on LillyBunny!, the rest of you, Hell awaits!!!

Not a free man for long FreeMan56....

Engteacher:

I was not demeaning anyone. When I read my students' work, I correct them so that they may improve. I hope you don't find constructive correction demeaning, as then perhaps you won't be doing it with the right intentions when you teach yourself. While you are correct in your view that a blog isn't presented for a grade, I feel that teachers, especially English teachers, have an extra burden placed on them when they write. I make sure everything I send is proofread, as my students will catch things in emails and such as a friendly "gotcha" moment. That, though, keeps us from thinking too highly of ourselves as models of proper usage.

All I ask is, no matter what your RELIGIOUS beliefs, please pray for us. We really need it right now.

No, you don't need prayers. You need supplies, like fresh water, food, clothing and other necessities. I'll be happy to donate to the Red Cross for you.

The island should cleaned of debris and NATURE allowed to return. The barrier islands are too sensitive of an environment to be developed. The people need to build on the mainland and allow the island to be a natural area for the ENJOYMENT and PROTECTION of all. As an architect, I can assure everyone that there is no mystery as to why this house survived: it was built correctly, not expediently.

Folks this house is REAL !! It was captured via Satellite recon of the damage to the Bolivar Peninsula. Here is the link;  http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/storms/ike/geo-C25883946.jpg

Image: C25883946

Date: 9/14/2008

Time: 22:18:35

Heading: 66.1

Just click to enlarge this photo and look at the left end of the frame just blow Hwy 87, you will see this amazing structure.

Sonicmike,

I prefer a cold martini, especially since I'm being condemned to Hell.

And to clear things up for LillyBunny, yes I am a teacher working on my master's what a SHOCKER for you.

No, Eng, you're not.  You're nothing more than a pedestrian troll. 

Additionally, the only "shocker" here is your persistent, futile attempt to prove to cyber-strangers that you're (1) a teacher, (2) gleaning your Master's, and/or (3) possess any higher education at all.

Pro tip to you:  shouting does not guarantee the reader will hear you.  Are you stomping your little feet and holding your breath, too?  :)

pardon my dislexia .. look at the far right end of frame.

http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/storms/ike/geo-C25883946.jpg

What? Freeman plans on spending eternity in Southwestern Louisiana in July?

Hey, you never said you could foretell the future! :P

Really LOLing at LisaS!

Hey, you never said you could foretell the future! :P

LOL!

I'll pray for (or prey on) you my son.  ;)

Hey, all.  Respective chins up!   Just think of all the advertising revenue we're generating for iReport!

:-D

Not a free man for long FreeMan56

Are you threatening me? :D

Not a free man for long FreeMan56

Are you threatening me?

:-O

HAHAHAHAHA!

I know it's terrible but hey, the corrector made a typo.  That or this non-English-major'ed engineer missed something.

"Thaere's a thought:"

Keep up the drivel, I was falling asleep until I decided to click on this :)

Are you stomping your little feet and holding your breath, too? :)

ROFL! :D

Lisa S'

You are in Hell in you live in south Texas, baby...

I'm thinking that we can resolve the issue by praying over Engteacher's grammar.

Or perhaps preying is more fun?

When you write and when you speak, the way in which you present yourself speaks volumes.  I think that holds true on blogs, though not everyone agrees.

Shalabee » I know it's terrible but hey, the corrector made a typo. That or this non-English-major'ed engineer missed something.

"Thaere's a thought:"

Keep up the drivel, I was falling asleep until I decided to click on this

LMAO!  I totally did!  Mea maxima culpa, bored board.

;)

"Really LOLing at LisaS!"

Thanks, and remember to tip your waitress.

You are all unbelievable. I am so sorry I decided to read the comments to this.

"idontknow720 » You are all unbelievable. I am so sorry I decided to read the comments to this."

Apology accepted.

:)

There is equal evidence of god as lack of evidence: If there is no detectable evidence of water on mar's surface, should we conclude that there never was water there? The only viable evidence of jesus of nazareth is a bunch of stories handed down, translated, interpreted by many generations of people with less than saintly intentions. Free will is wonderful; allowing idiots to define their views instantly for everyone right here, right now, everywhere. Its almost god-like. I think god was busy last saturday. If she missed one house, it was cuz' her damn cell phone distracted her. She feels bad that you don't believe she could miss one house and scour the barrier Bolivar. This house gets a $40K settlement; the slab next door gets $250K, having paid $15K for the last 10 years. Hmmm.  The windows were made by Anderson- the house contractor was Noah and sons. I don't know and she doesn't care that you don't either.

If you check out this picture on the MSN/HD site, you will actually notice a couple of other houses still standing too, particularly a red one in the upper left corner (of the picture). Maybe they were built by the same contractor?

Regardless, this is really awful.  I hope that they do not rebuild this area.  Time to let Mother Nature reclaim it.

Freeman96:

You are right in what we need, and any donation is appreciated. Please contact your local Red Cross.

Thanks!

Ah, sonicmike, I just moved away from hurricanes.  And I'll be dealing with one of Dante's lower rings of Hell this winter instead.

Thanks, and remember to tip your waitress.

HAHAHA!!!  That's usually my tag line...only I add:

"I'll be here all week -- you've been a great little audience" before that sentence. ;)

LillyBunny - I opted for brevity this time.

The real reason this house is standing is not because of mumbo jumbo construction code. How silly.  Everyone knows that haunted houses are impervious to hurricanes and this house probably has a whole bunch of ghosts.

America needs to realize that it can't afford everything.  The wealth of this country has been squandered on pointless expenses, like rebuilding storm damage that is just going to happen again.  This house needs to remain the only house in its neighborhood.  If the government is going to pay for it, all the others need to rebuild somewhere else.

Wow, I came on here to look at an amazing picture of someone who actually spent a little more money and still have a house and not have a huge barrage of religous junk.  That has nothing to do with the blog.  We live in America, you are free to believe whatever you want, good, bad or otherwise.  I do not care what you think saresudog, you live your life bashing others and I will live my life happy, doing what I want to do. Grow up and find something that makes you happy without trashing others.

I am so sorry I decided to read the comments

You are forgiven.

www.redcross.org

click donate from left menu and pick the fund

+Freeman96:

You are right in what we need, and any donation is appreciated. Please contact your local Red Cross.

Thanks!+

You are welcome. I hope everything works out for you. And remember that even atheists care about human life, and you don't have to pray for us, or thank us, we are happy to help just because you need it.

My last comment on the comments, I started reading them and saresdog was the first person to slam the individual who stated that a woman prayer in New Orleans, pretty sure he/she probably saw it on TV and reported it.  Later saresdog states he/she likes to hear others opinions, etc, it is very childish and hipocritical to make hasty comments and then say you want to hear what others say....everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no one is more right than anyone else. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend and thinks work out in the Galveston area.

"You are all unbelievable. I am so sorry I decided to read the comments to this."

You should be.  Now get outta here unless you've got something substantial to contribute.

Okay, I just made my cash donation. I hope all of you people down there live long and prosper.

Because what has been written here is of substance.  There were maybe 10 posts that were thoughtful.

This is truly a miracle. All houses in that area should be built that way.

"Wow, I came on here to look at an amazing picture of someone who actually spent a little more money and still have a house and not have a huge barrage of religous junk. That has nothing to do with the blog. We live in America, you are free to believe whatever you want, good, bad or otherwise. I do not care what you think saresudog, you live your life bashing others and I will live my life happy, doing what I want to do. Grow up and find something that makes you happy without trashing others."

Don't come in here with your over dramatized nonsense.  You're too late to this party.  Come back tonight when I go to sleep.

everyone is entitled to their own opinion

I agree. However, a belief in god is not an opinion. It is a belief. An opinion is a valuable thing only if it is based upon facts.

http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/storms/ike/geo-C25883958.jpg

scroll down half way and close to edge on the left. It shows the top view of this house.

Rancher...by your logic, things like showering and wiping after using the restroom are unnecessary as well, because we are just going to get that way again...

the last house standing had nothing to do with the construction...there was a church in front of it that was built up on a mound of dirt.That mound of dirt is what made the difference!!! If you look carefully at other pictures you see the excess amount of dirt just a little down on the highway. That is the only thing that is different about that house. If you look carefully at the sattelite pictures the ground on the Gulf side has very little disturbance right there. My family had their homes & businesses about a half a block away. Not a thing remains there-not even debris. If you think it was the construction-ask the other people down street that lost their brand new homes that were the new 14' code & the latest technology.

There were maybe 10 posts that were thoughtful.

And you wrote none of them. Anyway, your opinion is useless. If you want to participate, then please feel free to join in the discussion, otherwise go away and shut up, not necessarily in that order.

everyone is entitled to their own opinion

That's become a big problem with this nation.  A sense of unearned entitlement.

Opinions aren't useless, only the people who are attached to 90% of them are.

LillyBunny your making your self look stupid!! Get a grip!!

And, grammatically, it is supposed to be, "everyone is entitled to his or her oen opinion." "Everyone" requires a singular pronoun, not a plural pronoun for proper agreement. Ok, I will go back to grading papers, now.

"That's become a big problem with PEOPLE THAT COMMENT ON BLOGS FOR HOURS AT A TIME. A sense of unearned entitlement. "

fixed

FreeMan56~

I didn't write what I did to intentionally start an arguement with anyone posting here. I wanted to say what I thought.  The picture is a pretty cool picture. The people on this comment list are not. I guess I am no better than you though, since I felt the need to point out how stupid most of these (your) comments are.

The answer to robrocklins question is.....the individuals THEMSELVES are paying to have these homes built and they reap the repercussions should something like this happen. It is not mandatory and shouldn't be mandatory to build them to withstand hurricane strength, especially if they are not full-time homes as alot of them are vacation homes. Maybe it was the bank (such as Indy-Mac) that financed the mortgage and they were just too cheap to give them the extra support they needed!

Oops oen= own.

everyone is entitled to their own opinion, no one is more right than anyone else

The hell you say? Yes, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Again, a belief in god is not an opinion, it is a belief. A belief does not inherently deserve respect (nor does an opinion). And yes, some opinions are 'more right' than others. Get used to it, sonny.

"LillyBunny your making your self look stupid!! Get a grip!!"

As opposed to the genius who uses 'your' for 'you're' and a superfluous exclamation point.

Okay, so saresudog, your saying people shouldn't have opinions then?  If not, clarify a bit as this sounds like you want to live in a communist community where no one has any rights except, well you...and you are always right.

Enjoy the rest of your argument as I am out and have better things to do than waste away in front of a monitor.

Not to mention the omission of a comma after "LillyBunny".

"I didn't write what I did to intentionally start an arguement with anyone posting here. I wanted to say what I thought. The picture is a pretty cool picture. The people on this comment list are not. I guess I am no better than you though, since I felt the need to point out how stupid most of these (your) comments are."

I felt the need to use the restroom 5 minutes ago, but didn't share it with everyone else.  What exactly did you think was going to happen when you posted that?

Not taking responsibility for your actions.  Something that goes along with the entitlement thing.

"Not taking responsibility for your actions. Something that goes along with the entitlement thing."

Is that what I am doing? Who said anything about not taking responsibility? And an entitlement thing? What are you talking about?

I didn't write what I did to intentionally start an arguement with anyone posting here. I wanted to say what I thought. The picture is a pretty cool picture. The people on this comment list are not. I guess I am no better than you though, since I felt the need to point out how stupid most of these (your) comments are.

You have contributed NOTHING to the discussion. You are now contributing nothing, aside from indirectly suggesting that I am stupid. I have not called anyone stupid, nor do I feel any need to defend my considerable intellect.

So, now that your moral high horse has been flayed, what say you?

"Not to mention the omission of a comma after "LillyBunny"."

Right, KatyK.  But I didn't want bengi to think I was being pedantic.

That happened to another house a couple of years ago. I forget where it was, but it was near a shore, and every house around was flattened, but that one. Who's to say why these things happen, but they do. It's very sad that there are so many rude, bitter people out there.

Ha ha, Lisa and Katy can join my grammar and punctuation club!

"Okay, so saresudog, your saying people shouldn't have opinions then? If not, clarify a bit as this sounds like you want to live in a communist community where no one has any rights except, well you...and you are always right."

"Enjoy the rest of your argument as I am out and have better things to do than waste away in front of a monitor."

sandman, please refer to the two statements made previously by Freeman.  That should put it in an easy nutshell for you.  Or maybe not because judging by your responses you don't seem to get anything else either.

As for your second comment.  I know.  You have to get outta here so you can prepare for your usual night of torturing children in their sleep. 

Keep it real sandman, but not real dumb.

Guess they forgot to pray last year before they home when it was destroyed!

It's very sad that there are so many rude, bitter people out there.

Too bad there are so many ignorant people. I already donated to the Red Cross today to help these people. What have YOU done, other than call people rude and bitter, while contributing little else to the discussion?

Had the first poster added "Allahuakbar" in the end of his/her message, Saresudog, Freeman56, and LillyBunny wouldn't have shown up trolling around.

Prayers & People who don't pray:

In either case, one of you are right, while the other is wrong.

If it's the people who don't pray who're wrong, then I'd hate to be in your shoes on the other side of eternity. Then, you'll pray, but it'll be too late. Your cynicism is noted, as well as your ignorance. However, when you're on the other side, it will be too late, and you will wish that you were on the side of the praying folks.

Praying folks: If it is you who're wrong, then you've lost nothing except for the "respect" of folks like 'Little Bunny', 'Saresudog' and the likes - and judging from the tone of their posts, you've not lost a whole heck of a lot there. However, if you're right, then you've gained it all!

As for me (as though anyone really cares), I choose to pray because I happen to believe that there is a God (not allah, buddah, kermit the frog, but GOD) who cares about me and listens to me when I pray. You think it a fairy tale that I choose to believe in an all-powerful God, and that's fine, because my alleged 'fairy tale' is going to save me from spending an eternity in a very literal place called "Hell".... And, if you don't change your mind between now and the time that you've drawn your last breath on this side of eternity, you will one day recall this conversation and wish that you'd have listened. Only, then, it will be too late for you.

Thank you FreeMan56. We so appreciate all the help we can get. I've been one of the lucky ones who has power and water and have been having friends stay with me in my tiny apartment. Any help will mean so much to all of us and you have done us justice!

Defintely a mixed blessing.  Yes, they have their house, but thats it.  No roads, neighbors, yards, stores, hospitals, nothing.  I don't know how they'd be able to live there until everything else was rebuilt.

Soprano2,

I feel that we are fighting a losing battle.  I usually give up during online discussions way before this point, as most people just don't care that they write as if they flunked elementary school.  At least in this discussion, others have been fighting the battle.  Strunk and White forever!

ireporttwo:

There was a house like this in New Orleans. The lady who lived in it said she prayed for the house before she left and when she came back her whole neighborhood was flooded except for her home. Beautiful.

This is heartwarming to you? Someone focused on themselves? How about the lady pray for the whole neighborhood, the city, the whole coastline instead? How do you know that if she hadn't prayed for her own home, the neighborhood might not have been washed out -- God was obviously too focused on watching over this self-centered lady's home to be able to protect all the others. ;)  Why are "I prayed for it" stories always rather ugly under the surface?

looks like the whole bottom floor is gone, except the supports.  I guess 1/2 of a house is better than no house.

How old are you people?

Had the first poster added "Allahuakbar" in the end of his/her message, Saresudog, Freeman56, and LillyBunny wouldn't have shown up trolling around.

Wow, another seer! Do people pay you to foretell alternate realities, or do you just do it for fun? If you do it for fun, I'm having a party next week, and an act like yours would surely go over smashingly! Call me. ;)

FYI: a 'troll' is someone who comes in, drops a bomb, then leaves all the chiba monkeys to jibber jabber by themselves.

"Had the first poster added "Allahuakbar" in the end of his/her message, Saresudog, Freeman56, and LillyBunny wouldn't have shown up trolling around."

Now we're trolling.  Can't you come up with something better than that foolish teenage term.

And you know this because?  We've been talking about religion.  That means all religions, Mr. you're picking on Christians.  We're not discriminating here.

One person mentioned prayer and you people start a riot.  Your parents obviously never taught you about respect.  Why do you feel that it's necessary to engage in pointless attacks on these people?  Do you honestly think it will make a difference?

It is probably a "Fortified Home."  The concept has been around for years and "The cost of a Fortified house is generally 3 to 5 percent above conventional construction, depending on where you are in the country."

See:

http://www.insure.com/articles/homeinsurance/fortified-homes.html

Had the first poster added "Allahuakbar" in the end of his/her message, Saresudog, Freeman56, and LillyBunny wouldn't have shown up trolling around

Almost missed this: everyone else is a 'poster' but I am a 'troll'. Would you like to make a statement about tolerance for differing viewpoints, as well? Hypocrite.

ireporttwo:

"There was a house like this in New Orleans. The lady who lived in it said she prayed for the house before she left and when she came back her whole neighborhood was flooded except for her home. Beautiful."

"This is heartwarming to you? Someone focused on themselves? How about the lady pray for the whole neighborhood, the city, the whole coastline instead? How do you know that if she hadn't prayed for her own home, the neighborhood might not have been washed out -- God was obviously too focused on watching over this self-centered lady's home to be able to protect all the others. ;) Why are "I prayed for it" stories always rather ugly under the surface?"

And this is how the whole proverbial can of worms was opened in the first place.

stargazer401 »

Defintely a mixed blessing. Yes, they have their house, but thats it. No roads, neighbors, yards, stores, hospitals, nothing.

If you had my neighbors, stargazer... you wouldn't call it a "mixed blessing". Har har. This couple will have their own little island for a while, pioneer style. But I have to admit, driving a long distance to buy the milk you forgot to pick up yesterday... that would get old, fast. Think how vulnerable they'll be out there, alone, in the dark. Hope they have a kick-ass security system. Not that any cops will be around to respond.

Verbose, if you expect others to wipe your butt after you use the restroom, you deserve to be disappointed.  Why should WE have to clean up their mess?

One person mentioned prayer and you people start a riot.

Overstating your case is not making a case. There is no rioting, no store windows have been broken, no cars burned.

Your parents obviously never taught you about respect.

I learned to respect well thought out ideas and concepts I learned to respect truth, reading comprehension and intelligence. I do not respect people who 'believe'. People who 'believe' are stupid. I 'believed' in Santa Claus when I was a child. Does that deserve respect? If I 'believed' that aliens are being bred and mutated at Area 51 to take over the world, do you respect that belief?

I have attacked no one, only their 'beliefs'. Is your 'belief' so shaky that it cannot stand proper scrutiny?

Just a few things I was thinking out loud and decided to write. Lisasimpson - must I please use a cliche' here monkey see monkey do, one person starts talking about grammar then another starts as well great maybe we are in a room full of future educators. 

Sandman2115,Bengi and Freeman56 I personally want to thank you for your contributions to the blog very interesting stuff worth reading unlike must I say the other less relevant converstaions.

Soprano2, sorry if you felt I was referring to you as being demaning. I took what you said as constructive crtiquing versus bashing what I was saying. You are also absolutely right, we as English teachers do have an extra burden even in chat rooms it does appear.

Also I would love to get your opinions on some issues as I am teaching 11th grade in California and seeing we have only been in school about a month we have not covered satire quite yet.

On the other hand, stargazer401, you really will be able to gaze at the stars.  There's nothing like having some time with no light pollution to obscure the night sky.  A telescope and a star chart can be wonderful companions.

Hebrews 11:1

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Sorry about my mistakes in the last entry :)

You believe what you belive, they believe what they believe and I believe what I believe.  What's the big deal?  Some people will always be misguided; I'll leave it up to you to decide who those people are.  I trust you to keep that decision to yourself.

The truth of the matter is that Texas was hit with a whopper of a storm, even though it wasn't technically a "major" storm (has to be Cat 3 for that).  Gustav was pretty bad, too.  I rode that one out.  It's eerily familiar to the Katrina/Rita situation a few years back.

The freeloaders are back out in full force, feeding off the government teat any chance they can.  The unemployed (because they choose to be) masses line up for thousands of dollars in food stamps.  They list every child in the neighborhood as their own and claim the deceased as dependents.  The uninsured masses groan that the government should make them whole again.  The main theme seems to be "Where can I get mine?".  I'm sick of hearing it.  I'm sorry for everyone who lost anything, but my sympathy is short-lived for those who do not try to do anything for themselves.

I'll stop my little rant now.  It had just as much to do with the "miracle house" as the whole religion slant did, so I don't feel too bad...

"Lisasimpson - must I please use a cliche' here monkey see monkey do, one person starts talking about grammar then another starts as well great maybe we are in a room full of future educators."

Engteacher, an English teacher should never resort to cliche.

To anyone else who thinks I am a troll: I already donated to help these people. I put my money where my mouth is.

The best you have done is call me a troll, or stupid. You are hypocrites.

So much for your moral high horse.

No one has answers to everything. Even the greatest buildings built to withstand the greatest disasters fail. So when one receives a blessing, don't question it, accept it and be glad. If life does not have belief or faith it leaves us just as void as any aftermath of any disaster. Never underestimate the power of prayer for those who believe, it is the strongest shield.

Freeman56 I think you are awesome :) and very original not to mention.

FreeMan56, you take things way too literally.  And many people would consider an attack on a person's beliefs as an attack on them.  Sometimes non-physical attacks are just as harmful as physical attacks.  Live and let live, man.

eamick...you weren't here. Cat 2 over 600 miles wide....was as big as Texas and damaged over 5000 square miles. And not all of us are mooching off of the government. We work and are still working despite the tragedies we've all experienced here and are still experiencing. Needless to say, if you were't here....no need to tell us what it was like or how big it was....

Wow..just have to jump in here. Bored in Iraq at 12:40 in the morning and almost 7.5 hours left in my shift. You guys are great. Love the debate. Love the idiots. It is all entertaining.

Lillybunny will definitely make a great lawyer...she doesn't miss anything! (this is a good thing in my book :))

The same thing happened in Slidell, LA after Katrina (which took a near direct hit), in a row of houses on the lake, there was one that appeared undamaged and the rest were completely obliterated. The contractor here did a great job - he may have built it to the Miami-Dade building code, which is very strict and seriously increases costs. But I'm not sure anything short of a bunker could survive an actual cat 5 direct hit. As to the comment about the flagpole, you are looking at the "before" picture - there's no flag in the after pics.

girlinhtown...  I never downplayed what Texas is going through; I was actually referring to the many people in Louisiana who went through Gustav earlier in the month and are now suckling. 

Look, I've been through Katrina, Rita and Gustav in the past three years.  I lost everything to Katrina, and built back up (insurance certainly helped).  Ike was so big it caused more damage at my house.  I may not have been "there" but I was certainly affected.  All of you Texans (and everywhere else Ike spread mayhem) have my sympathy.

engteacher »

Sorry about my mistakes in the last entry

Uh, yeah. Do you teach your students how to use a comma? Run-on sentences might be something worth looking into, as well. I'm not usually petty about this type of thing, but when someone has started correcting other participants' grammar (it's board, not bored)... well, it makes you a target for the same. Why don't you focus on your own writing, and cut some slack for the rest of us less-educated simpletons? I don't think blog comments are expected to be typo free and worded with extreme care. We're not writing dissertations.

Freeman56 I think

Thanks for the compliments, and I'm glad to see you're thinking. Thinking is the beginning of all great things, and you can quote me on that (because it is mine own quote).

Here's another pair of quotes for you, from my own 'pen':

Dreams should never be reduced in potency by subjecting them to reality.

Google that, and you'll have found me.

Obsession is the greatest of all gifts, for without obsession, greatness has purpose. If genius is the vehicle of creation, then obsession surely must be the fuel that powers it.

Siraq, thanks for your service my hubby is active duty Marine Corp and yes this was a quite entertaining blog today.

I didn't know that making donations would entitle the donor with special privilege to degrade others.

thank you eamick...and i wasn't downplaying any of the other hurricanes that have happened in the recent past. we've all suffered the consequences of these storms in one way or another. part of what i was saying is that this whole blog got started about a lone house standing after a huge storm and it ends up getting away from the point. Again, thank you.....and as a spiritual person, not religious.....we need all the prayers we can get! Pay it forward!

liveandlearn, how about a little respect for other people and their beliefs? I certainly don't think bathing in cow urine is spiritual like so many Indians believe it to be, but I don't call them fools.

Picture is incredible and perhaps one of those award winning pictures. That's good stuff.

When that thing was out in the ocean they were predicting it to come through my city and I prayed that it wouldn't AND IT WORKED! Ha ha. Too bad Galveston folks. Maybe you should've prayed harder. Or, worse yet, maybe God just likes me more.

Get it? So, that's done I can speak seriously. In short, that's the problem with attributing prayer to something good happening in a massive tragedy. You are basically accusing people who didn't have good things happen of either a) not praying hard enough, or b) being less worthy of God's help.

If you want to believe in God and believe that prayer works, then do so, but don't belittle your own religion. Praying for worldly things and actions could hardly be considered a Christian virtue. Good things sometimes happen to bad people and bad things sometimes happen to good people. That's life.

So to summarize:

1. Should the lady in New Orleans have prayed for her neighbors too?

2. Did her prayer work? Where's the evidence?

3. Should we the people pay for the failures of others? If a well-built house can withstand Ike then everyone else built badly.

FreeMan56, you take things way too literally.

No, I have what is called 'excellent reading comprehension', and I'm happy it offends you.

many people would consider an attack on a person's beliefs as an attack on them

Many people also mistakenly 'believe' that Barack Obama called Sarah Palin a pig. Many people used to 'believe' the world was flat. Those people didn't consider anything, they had a 'knee jerk' reaction, or they were just deluded fools.

I'll state it again, since you missed it: beliefs do not deserve respect.

I am not a religious fanatic, but I am a spiritual person, and it would be wonderful to read of people respecting others' rights to believe what they wish to believe about their God. If a person finds comfort in prayer, it doesn't hurt anyone. Bitterness, however, is so damaging to oneself and to those around us.

If you decide to live in paradise such as along a beach, in the mountains then you should expect to pay the consequences.  I'm sorry people lost their stuff, but they chose to live there.  I feel the same way when I hear of people losing their homes to wildfires.  If you live in a disaster area then expect a disaster.  Don't expect me to help you pay for your beautiful house on the beach in in the mountains.  Sorry for being harsh, but it's the price you pay for encroaching.

FreeMan56, what did you mean if the quote was searched I would find you? Pretty great stuff!

Saresudog,

You are sooooooooo blessed that God thinks enough about what your mind thinks and what you want, otherwise, you wouldn't be here to argue with the "Bible beaters". Get a life sweetie, I pray for people like you all the time, and guess what? You have no control over some things, and how awsome it is to know that God is bigger than you or me. It amazes me that angry people want to always blame God.

I didn't know that making donations would entitle the donor with special privilege to degrade others.

Just as the ability to use a computer doesn't engender the ability to engage in a discussion in a meaningful or intelligent fashion, or the ability to apply reading comprehension to material that you obviously do not understand.

I have degraded no one. They are perfectly able to do that themselves, just as you have done.

engteacher-Don't thank me for my serviceI am a contractor and don't deserve any thanks. I get paid well for this job and feel quite guilty about it when we have all these military men/women out working for very little pay. I definitely respect them. But thanks for the kind thoughts! It gets so boring out here in the sandpit/kitty litter box!

To FreeMan56...  I see you have a very high opinion of yourself.  Good for you!  I hope you get a cookie for all your 'excellent reading comprehension'.  You really didn't offend me, so don't pat yourself on the back too hard.  You're obviously quite the armchair philosopher and a magnificent spin doctor.  You really ought to be in politics, if you aren't already.  Seriously, it's pretty impressive.  Have a great evening, worthy adversary.

To girlinhtown...  Be safe.  Never give up.  It does actually get better.  :)

FreeMan56, what did you mean if the quote was searched I would find you? Pretty great stuff!

So, you found me. ;)

I do believe I did :)

So Fake! I lived in Texas for one year and I learned to be very, very careful about what they say.  Big liars, I found.

I am not a religious fanatic, but I am a spiritual person, and it would be wonderful to read of people respecting others' rights to believe what they wish to believe about their God

And their right to believe and spout their beliefs trumps my right to do the same, or to have a discussion about it?

Oh, the irony. Apparently freedom of speech, freedom of expression and freedom of thought are concepts that are beyond your ken.

I find this whole religion debate fascinating. I have a minor in religion just because I was curious. Raised by a Jewish dad and a mother who converted from Catholicism to Judaism. I never had grandparents because of the whole religious controversy--they wouldn't accept their grandkids (my brother and I) because we weren't the "right" religion.

I am puzzled as to why someone can pray for a loved one to get better and when they do they praise g-d and not the doctor who saved the person. Also puzzling is when someone prays for a sick child and when the child dies then it was "g-ds will". Why would any caring g-d want people to suffer???? It is too confusing for me but I do love reading the debate about it.

just wanted to say without God there would be no atheists.