Awesome. As in, something that is awe-inspiring.

This is awesome. A photograph of sunset from another planet. Let me repeat that. Another. Planet. I read about that as a kid. I saw it, too. It was an “artist’s conception.” No longer fiction, but reality.

This is also awesome. A disaster that was only dreamed of before, something of nightmarish proportions, made entirely real. The situation in NO is…unspeakable. From the scene:

Looting and lawlessness IS the problem. The National Guard choppers are BEING SHOT AT. The NOPD are BEING SHOT AT. You want to focus on the levee? So do they, but check this out: THEY CAN’T UNTIL THE MOB STOPS ATTACKING THE RESCUE OPERATION.

It’s also awesome that the same humanity that takes photographs of sunset on another planet can be driven to that type of desperation.

God help us all.