Would You Like That in Cash or a Check?

Nothing like shooting for the moon.

Or more appropriately in this case, Saturn.

Katrina Victims Hit Feds With 489,000 Claims Including 1 for $3 Quadrillion

Three quadrillion? Goodness, I lose count once you get into the trillions.

What's next, a gazillion?

Hurricane Katrina's victims have put a price tag on their suffering and it is staggering — including one plaintiff seeking the unlikely sum of $3 quadrillion.

A whopping $3,014,170,389,176,410 is the dollar figure so far sought from some of the largest claims filed against the federal government over damage from the failure of levees and flood walls following the Aug. 29, 2005, hurricane.

Of roughly 489,000 total claims, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said it has received 247 for at least $1 billion apiece, including the one for $3 quadrillion.

"That's the mother of all high numbers," said Loren Scott, a Baton Rouge-based economist.

For the sake of perspective: A mere $1 quadrillion would dwarf the U.S. gross domestic product, which Scott said was $13.2 trillion in 2007. A stack of one quadrillion pennies would reach Saturn.

Some residents may have grossly exaggerated their claims to send a message to the corps, which has accepted blame for poorly designing the failed levees.

"I understand the anger," Scott said. "I also understand it's a negotiating tactic: Aim high and negotiate down."

How about stop whining and start rebuilding your lives already?

It's been 28 months and billions have been pumped into New Orleans.

At some point you need to move on and get your lives together. Enough people have already done it, but I suspect many who were used to sitting on their asses would like nothing better than to continue doing that at taxpayer expense.

Odd how we don't see such absurd suits coming from other devastated areas along the Gulf Coast, isn't it?