Katrina links

[cleolinda]

I think I'm going to stop posting AP articles--I have about 29 pages' worth in a Word document, but I'm just too tired to do anything with them. For some reason I came home from class today and crawled into bed an hour later.

Which reminds me--hi to Casey (sp?), if you're reading this. She's going to be with the American Renaissance class this semester from--the University of New Orleans, I think she said? (Sorry about hitting you with the Melville first thing, Casey.)


Volunteers

hannasus: "I've spent the last two days volunteering at Reliant Park and have posted a description of my experiences over in my livejournal, if anyone would like to hear about it."

ladyeclectic79:

I work for the Army Corps of Engineers, and I've received several emails over the last several days detailing events. You've touched on most, but just FYI within the organization there's a massive buildup of volunteers, many who have come out of retirement to provide any aid they can, who will likely be shipping out soon - myself included. As to what my job description will be (I'm a Park Ranger) I don't know; it may be grunt work or passing out MREs - I likely won't know until I get there. But we look to be shipping out en masse starting within the week.

It's also been officially confirmed (at least via my email): the Corps of Engineers runs a number of campgrounds, and many of those sites will be accepting refugees to abide there for free. They're still trying to figure out how to regulate it (who knows, I may be sent to help patrol) but they've confirmed that refugees will be allowed (or it may have already gone into affect) free camping on non-reservable sites within Corps camps. I don't know if this information has been made public yet, but anyone who's interested may want to contact the campsites in the area, or go to the USACE website. Obviously camps decimated by the hurricane are out, but we have several along the Mississippi and any Corps-run lakes.

Thanks again for all that you're doing though, I'll try to keep you updated with any info that I can pass on.

stefficus: "linda v. from community animal rescue & adoption is no longer taking phone calls for fostering pets displaced by katrina... instead, we're being directed to their website, www.carams.org to apply to shelter pets. anyone still interested should go there. oh. this post from sharon pritchard of CARA puts things in a whole different light:

There has been a BIG misunderstanding regarding the need for foster homes at CARA. We have a few pets that were owner give-ups due to their home situations. The mention of 240 dogs & 100 cats is incorrect. These are the numbers of CARA's shelter animals, not the evacuees. We would love for people to adopt them as well as the evacuee pets. We are expecting more pets to come to the shelter, so please keep checking back with us. As for the delivering of these foster pets, there are only a few women & men that run the shelter. We don't have enough people nor vehicles for transporting. We are sorry for the confusion and hope this will help clear some of it up.

if that's not an option, this petfinder.org page has info from many different sources regarding rescued pets."

Charity

From an anonymous poster: "bdbdb has a special offer for 'Angel' fans who donate money. Coinstar (you know the automatic coin-sorting machines) has an option where all the change you dump in can be donated to the American Red Cross or other charities. Donate Music is a site to gather CD/casettes/ipods/discmen/etc. for teenaged survivors."

Click on a city and find or offer hurricane housing.

Kingdom of Loathing: "In other news, KMD's radio telethon was a tremendous success. Something like $6,700 was raised, which Asymmetric Publications is going to match, for a grand total of... um... something like $13,400. Thanks to everyone for their eXtreme generosity."

1928.com (one of my favorite jewelry makers): "At 1928 we join with the rest of America who is feeling the urgent need and want to aid the victims that have been left in the devastating path of Katrina. The storm has left thousands of people homeless and caused an estimated $25 billion in damage. You can help too by ordering now as for each order over $20 we are going to donate on your behalf, $5.00 dollars to the American Red Cross. This is good for any product on 1928.com including 1928, 2028, Antiquities and The Vatican Library Collection brands. This will be a direct donation to the American Red Cross who is on the scene comforting and helping millions of people put their lives back together. We are pledging to continue to donate on all purchases over $20.00 until September 15th."

From the Publisher's Lunch newsletter:

Katrina Updates

Random House also announced that they will make a $500,000 donation to the American Red Cross's Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund, along with matching employee contributions to "qualified relief aid organizations." Additionally, Random House Children's Books is donating 250,000 copies of their titles to First Book, "the great organization which is distributing reading to kids in the hardest-hit areas."

At Simon & Schuster, Adam Rothberg indicates they are "planning on making a substantial donation of books for the benefit of individuals and institutions affected by the Hurricane and flood."

First Book currently indicates on their web site that they are "providing books to children affected by Hurricane Katrina. Every $5 donated to First Book will be matched with 1 book that will go to children in the devastated areas."

Organization head Kyle Zimmer has been speaking to major publishers about taking a lead role in organzing a national book drive, with the goal of collecting 5 million books. Their plan is to distribute books widely to people currently in shelters, school systems taking in displaced children, and the schools and libraries that will need to rebuild their collections. First Book expects to have promotional support from the Library of Congress and is hoping to formally announce the drive later this month.
First Book

Borders is seeking information on 11 employees still missing after Hurricane Katrina, and has signs posted in company stores throughout the Gulf coast area. They've closed six stores in Mississippi and Louisiana, and "will continue to pay employees who can't work because their stores are gone and is offering help through an employee assistance foundation," according to the Detroit News.
Detroit News

Most other book-related donation information we have received so far is more local in scope. One reader tells us from RWA discussion loops that Toni Causey in Baton Rouge is coordinating efforts to distribute books to shelters in the area, including the Baton Rouge River Center, said to be housing 45,000 people. Write toni.causey at gmail.com for shipping details. The Louisiana Library Association can also direct you to multiple shelters in the Baton Rouge area that have asked for book donations [office at llaonline.org].

Additionally, the LLA has set up a Disaster Relief Fund, soliciting cash donations to "assist school, public, and academic library restoration efforts in southeastern Louisiana." The address is listed on their web site.

Agent Joanna Pulcini and client Jennifer Weiner report that Beverly Laughlin of the LLA at office@llaonline.org and Susan Cassagne of the Mississippi Library Association at scassagne at naw.lib.ms.us are compiling databases of companies interested in helping the libraries rebuild collections with book donations and discounts once affected locations are able to reopen.
LLA

With refugees fanning out across the country, support efforts are underway all over. Two women in Houston have arranged for local Borders and Waldenbooks locations to serve as collection points for book donations for the tens of thousands of people currently housed in the Astrodome, hoping to deliver fresh books to the center every Saturday. Contact/delivery info:

Operation Books for Refugees from Katrina
c/o Borders Books
3025 Kirby
Houston, TX 77098
713.524.0200

The Publishers Association of the West has notified us of two local book drives. Primer Publishers is trying to compile a library for displaced people being housed at Arizona's Veteran's Coliseum. Contact bill at primerpublishers.com.

In Colorado, the Child Rescue Foundation is collecting children's books and educational materials only. Contact childrescue97984 at aol.com.

Humor

elvensapphire: "Did you see this? It's intense as far as language goes, and in its dark humour, it is so very true. Sad, but true." Synopsis: Foamy the Squirrel reports live via payphone: "GET OFF YOUR ASS, STOP REPORTING, AND HELP SOMEONE!"

The Onion: "God Outdoes Terrorists Yet Again; Government Relief Workers Mosey In To Help."

From molliewollie: Major Disasters of the Bush Administration from A to Z. From the Daily Show. Apparently "Locusts" are next on the list. I dread the rodents of unusual size most, though.


Quick news links

terriem: "I'm not sure if you've seen it, but the BBC have a great in depth section on their website.  It's got good analysis and reportage and lots of space for reader comment, discussion and eyewitness reports."

theendofallthat: "Hey--I don't know if you saw this article. it reads like more hyperbole, but for some reason it doesn't strike me as being that unlikely, given everything else that's gone on." Synopsis: rescuework goes Mardi Gras. And not in a good way.

junebug139: "In Massachusetts We'd Call This Yankee Ingenuity."

xxsincerityxx: "Here's one I found at CNN about acts of human kindness during the disaster."

"Celebrities exploit a tragedy for their own benefit."

New Orleans mayor orders forced evacuations.

Bush struggles to find the right tone on disaster.

MSNBC: Blogging from the Gulf Coast.

Katrina Victims to Get $2K Debit Cards.

Victims face bewildering options.

Police Step Up Evacuation of New Orleans.

Bush Seeks 51.8B More for Katrina Effort. ETA: For some reason, when the link appeared on my email front page, the "51" didn't come through, and I just now saw it somewhere else. So... uh... 51.8 is actually a much bigger number than .8.


Government issues

nardasarmy: "As New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin pleaded on national television for firefighters - his own are exhausted after working around the clock for a week - a battalion of highly trained men and women sat idle Sunday in a muggy Sheraton Hotel conference room in Atlanta. Many of the firefighters, assembled from Utah and throughout the United States by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, thought they were going to be deployed as emergency workers. Instead, they have learned they are going to be community-relations officers for FEMA, shuffled throughout the Gulf Coast region to disseminate fliers and a phone number: 1-800-621-FEMA. But as specific orders began arriving to the firefighters in Atlanta, a team of 50 Monday morning quickly was ushered onto a flight headed for Louisiana. The crew's first assignment: to stand beside President Bush as he tours devastated areas."

voodoo_in_tx: "Thought you'd be interested in this: FEMA relief catch 22."

 sualocin: "I don't know if you've already seen http://www.votetoimpeach.org/, and I don't really know if your political affiliation, but I find this whole response an impeachible offence. But the site does mainly talk about the war and not the hurricane."

From Tabby: "Miss Alli [of Television Without Pity] has a rant on This is Not Over that expresses something I've been stewing about for days, which is that W just doesn't seem to get it." An excerpt from "Here's What Gets Me" forthwith:

My problem with Bush -- and here, I do indeed address Bush individually, as a guy -- is that during the time that the crisis was developing, from Monday to Friday, he never seemed to experience any actual sense of urgency as a result of the simple fact that people were, minute by minute and hour by hour, dying.

Let's give him the benefit of the doubt that he was being prevented from acting by bureaucracy and the sheer magnitude of the situation. Where are the stories of how he was in his office freaking the fuck out because there were tens of thousands of Americans trapped without food and water? Where's the story of how he ripped a strip off of somebody, demanding to know what the holy hell the holdup is getting water and food to those people?

I want to hear about how he was demanding that extraordinary steps be taken. I want to hear about how he sent his lawyers into a room -- he had four days, you know -- and demanded that they come back in an hour with a plan for him to send the Marines into New Orleans with 100 trucks of food and water, posse comitatus or not. I want to hear that he was panicked. Because I was panicked. Everyone I know was panicked. Everyone I know was gnashing their teeth with helpless rage because they couldn't get in a car, drive down there, and drive a load of homeless Louisiana residents back home with them for soup and a goddamn hot bath. I want to hear that he acted at some point out of genuine despondency about the fact that citizens of the country he is supposed to be running were being starved and dehydrated in a hellish, fetid prison. We are dancing around now about whether it is his failure or not his failure. Where is the decency that would tell him that he is the president, and FEMA is part of his administration, and this failure is his to own and apologize for, whether other people also were wrong or not?

promise19: "I read a great op/ed piece by Thomas L. Friedman (one of my favorites) in the NYT this morning. I think Mr. Friedman does a great job of comparing Bush's handling of 9/11 to how his administration (that he built) has dealt with Katrina. Here, he gives a tongue lashing to Grover Norquist, the President of the coalition group Americans for Tax Reform. Also: From Interdictor's LJ: 'Sometime around midnight, a squad of 82nd Airborne guys accompanied by a US Marshall busted into our Data Center with their M4-A1s to investigate the lights and movement....'"


Misc.

From skyblade: Sean Penn's rescue bid sinks. "Penn had planned to rescue children waylaid by Katrina's flood waters, but apparently forgot to plug a hole in the bottom of the vessel, which began taking water within seconds of its launch. The actor, known for his political activism, was seen wearing what appeared to be a white flak jacket and frantically bailing water out of the sinking vessel with a red plastic cup. With the boat loaded with members of Penn's entourage, including a personal photographer, one bystander taunted the actor: 'How are you going to get any people in that thing?'" I'm hearing a second report now that the boat didn't spring a leak--it just started taking on water because of the number of people he brought with him. Which, again: a point to the bystander.

cordeliadelayne: "Hey Cleo. Don't know if you've come across this yet but someone has started up poor_planning. Looks like they're doing the same as you, gathering info, but in their user info it does state their aim is to "to put together the case that the poor of New Orleans were left to drown." May be a good resource for news and they do intend to try and get the Black Caucus involved."


On that note: I think I'm going to continue collecting news--just at a reduced rate. Again: no mountains of AP articles. I want to stop, but... I just don't feel like I can.

ETA: AUGH. There is a rogue bold tag and I CAN. NOT. FIND IT. I give up.

ETA2: GOD, FINALLY.

 

Comments

[lezopez.livejournal.com]

Here's a "tone" for Georgie Boy: Bad.

[t4-flirt.livejournal.com]

did you happen to see the Oprah show today?? Her 'Angel' network and a bunch of celebs(like John Travolta, Lisa Marie Presley, and Chris Rock) were down in the ravaged areas helping survivors get basic supplies...it was heart-wrenching to watch, but I just felt compelled to sit through it.

I bawled like a baby during Matthew McConaughey's (sp?) segment about the doctor who cared for evacuee pets for over a week by himself...and then Matthew rescued him and all of the pets. He even helped to begin reuniting animals and owners. *sniff* It was beautiful. Tragic, but beautiful.

[cpip.livejournal.com]

Personally, Cleo, I've been appreciating your work in collecting the data in one place. Thank you. If you feel you have to stop, do so; but know that I'm appreciating what you do, and I'm sorry I haven't said so before now.

[lederhosen.livejournal.com]

Washington Post article here (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/03/AR2005090301680.html) gives another explanation for why the federal response was so badly delayed: Washington was trying to blackmail Blanco into giving them full authority over the evacuation. Commenters elsewhere have noted that this would've given Shrubco the power to award contracts for the rebuilding in NOLA afterwards.

Also, Chertoff's "we couldn't do anything because the governor hadn't asked us" excuses are bullshit. As per page 43 of HomSec's National Response Plan (http://www.dhs.gov/interweb/assetlibrary/NRPbaseplan.pdf), "Standard procedures regarding requests for assistance may be expedited or, under extreme circumstances, suspended in the immediate aftermath of an event of catastrophic magnitude. Identified Federal response resources will deploy and begin necessary operations as required to commence life-safety activities. Notification and full coordination with States will occur, but the coordination process must not delay or impede the rapid deployment and use of critical resources. States are urged to notify and coordinate with local governments regarding a proactive Federal response." They weren't waiting on a request for assistance, they were waiting on authority to take over, which Blanco didn't trust them with.

[mme-antoinette.livejournal.com]

WOAH.

Thank you for the above information.



Commenters elsewhere have noted that this would've given Shrubco the power to award contracts for the rebuilding in NOLA afterwards.

Interesting... a few years ago, this would've sounded like a conspiracy theory. Now, this seems like JUST the sort of thing that this administration does so well. Well. This changes everything, now doesn't it? If incompentency weren't bad enough, now their hesitation/refusal looks purposeful. Ugh. How much lower can they go?!

[lannamichaels]

Commenters elsewhere have noted that this would've given Shrubco the power to award contracts for the rebuilding in NOLA

That's incredably frightening.

[haleiwatown.livejournal.com]

I know you have a large friends list (understated), and lots of folks who read your journal expressed a desire to help the Humane Society. I thought you/they might be interested in this:

YOU can rescue pets saved from the hurricane.

Room Desperately Needed For the Animal Victims of Katrina - Transport Provided to Anywhere

Please feel free to pass on this information everywhere. Every forum, every list, every community.

Contact: Lynda V. at: 203 515 3024 (cell)
Home: 203 227 5308
Email: Lynda@portone.com

There is transportation provided, with people ready and waiting, for upwards of 200 dogs and 150 cats so far rescued from the devastation of hurricane Katrina. What these animals need is a place to go. Kennels, boarding, vets offices, shelters with any extra space, foster homes and rescues. Even one or two open kennels would greatly help.

From what we know, all animals have been vaccinated and are in good health considering the conditions. There are dogs and cats of every breed and size. Some are in groups of two, three or four, hailing from the same family, while some are solitary. ANY KENNEL SPACE AVAILABLE CAN CERTAINLY BE USED. These drivers are willing to move these animals ANYWHERE they need to go. Absolutely anywhere.

The current safe houses for these animals are being inundated and some of these pets will have to be euthanized if they are not moved to make room for the incoming animals.

REMEMBER THESE ANIMALS WILL BE TRANSPORTED TO YOU.

If you know anyone, anywhere, that is willing to take in even one cat or dog, please have them contact Lynda at the information provided below.

They are also asking for ANY kind of donations for the animals - money, food, bedding, water, etc.

Please contact at any time, day or night. These volunteers, rescuers and shelter workers are working around the clock.

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Ah, Cleo, I admire how you always strive to do the most in your power. It may not seem huge thing to be a chronicle of these times, but it is no small thing.

You deserve a break today...

[promise19.livejournal.com]

Thanks for all you have done consolidating news and info. Awesome job. But you probably do need a break (which I know you were trying to do with your last entry, but some of us (blush) would.not.leave.it.alone. (I promise to do better!)

I was pretty exhausted today myself. Could.not.wake.up. Finally got it in gear around noon. I think even being an involved observer can drain you. Take care of yourself.

[arpeggiodreams.livejournal.com]

Those of us here on the alchemylab raised over $2000 dollars during a Monday night charity BPAL auction.

[edda.livejournal.com]

W000T! Smellin' pretteh and doin' good! Sorry I missed it.

[txvoodoo.livejournal.com]

Cleo, I know this is probably draining you emotionally, but I wanted to thank you for your efforts here - I am using you as a resource and touchstone.

Massive hugs!

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

Argh, you know what annoys me even more than the sheer overwhelming volume of conflicting news reports? People like my father who can't be bothered to pay attention. I called him on Sunday, and he was hideously under-informed ("Rapes? What rapes?"). Even worse was when he said that he got his news from the Wall Street Journal, and "They don't deliver on weekends." This, from what must be one of the most connected men alive. He has a Treo for fuck's sake! I have a paternal ostrich, Cleolinda.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

He has a what now?

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

A cellphone/palm pilot combination. It has a web browser.

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000SX2U2/102-7738107-2437728?v=glance

[jettcat.livejournal.com]

one more horror story as told by paramedics

http://www.emsnetwork.org/artman/publish/article_18337.shtml

[fishsanwitt]

I want to stop, but... I just don't feel like I can.

I know how you feel. I'm posting, day after day after day, political posts - I want to stop but there is *so* much wrong, I have to keep going.

[shesnotallthere.livejournal.com]

I avoided any and all news today. I want to be informed, but I also want to have enough energy left at the end of the day to help where I'm needed, and getting SO angry and SO upset every time I read/see/listen to the news just leaves me drained and useless.

I snuck a peek at my local paper about an hour ago, though. I avoided the national stuff, and it actually helped me feel a little better. My city's response has been incredible, and I am damn proud.

[cattikins.livejournal.com]

Damn, Cleo, you are so amazing. And also, HEY, there's my screen name! I get excited when I'm mentioned on the internet, anywhere. Hahaha.

[marcusisabadass.livejournal.com]

Woohoo! I applied for FEMA today! I'm a victim! Yeeeha! Bring that shit on, Uncle Sam. I want my government issued cheese and crackers! Holla! Homeless but TOTALLY NOT a refugee. Please. Call me an American Citizen Refugee. Bitches better recognize.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Are you gonna get one of those debit cards?

[marcusisabadass.livejournal.com]

Nope, those are only for people in the shelters and who don't have bank accounts. My money, if I get any, which I should, will go directly to my bank account. The $2,000 is actually part of the FEMA payout you get anyways, it's just that they're giving it to people upfront to get them resettled since so many people were displaced.

And as a total PR move.

Whatever, I guess. The money won't replace the cat that's probably dead or dying in my apartment. And it won't stop the media and politicians from playing the blame game, but at least I will be able to properly clothe myself when I move to Birmingham next week and look for a job.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

The cat's still in the apartment? Oh God.

And so you are moving to Birmingham? (Dumb question, I guess. I need to check up on everyone's journals again.)

[marcusisabadass.livejournal.com]

hey, here is an article by my friend Joseph. I don't think you met him or his wife when you guys visited, I HIGHLY recommend his book Three Day Road (NBC Today Show Book of the Month Club selection for June) and his wife Amanda, who was on my thesis committee, has an amazing book coming out in the Spring 2006.

Anyways, here's an article he wrote for Canadian Magazine MacLean's about the crisis. maybe add it if you do more katrina links.

http://www.macleans.ca/topstories/world/article.jsp?content=20050912_111925_111925

by the way, you're insane for following this so closely. I reached my saturation point over a week ago. Granted, I'm approaching this from the angle of victim/refugee, but still...how are you withstanding this?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heh. I still think it's funny that someone actually affected by Katrina would ask how *I'm* holding up. And yeah, I'm probably insane. I think the first few days it actually made me feel pretty good to collect news--it was *something* I could do, you know? Even if it was just to distract myself. That Miss Alli editorial echoes what I'm hearing from a lot of people--they're just sitting at home freaking out that they can't go help. So this was my way of doing *something.*

And then come the weekend I started to get kind of burned out and a little... mentally fatigued? I don't know. Cutting back on the AP articles, particularly since they're not turning over as fast anymore, is really helping. Getting back out of the house and going to class and interacting with other people is helping. Designing for the CafePress store is actually pretty fun. I'll be fine. : )

[elvensapphire.livejournal.com]

My lord...that's just so disgusting there aren't really words.

Ugh. I can't believe what's happening.

[ambiguousreason.livejournal.com]

I know I haven't been commenting to these hurricane news posts of yours, but I do want to say that I think it's great you're doing it. It's got to be a lot of work -- emotionally, anyway -- so.. go you, basically. :D

[lannamichaels]

Thank you for these links. It's been a central place I can find out about things without having to turn on the news.

[miss-lithi.livejournal.com]

"Celebrities exploit a tragedy for their own benefit."

Hahahaha! Bit of a cynic, no? ;)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Hey, I just post what the good people send me. ; )

[edda.livejournal.com]

My overweening hatred of authority in general and Bush in particular grows by leaps and bounds.

And GOD do I wish I could be down there to help. If I thought I'd have a job to come back to (and no debt to worry about), I would go.

[flamingtoilet.livejournal.com]

Anytime Sean Penn tries to be "serious" I just wanna kick him in the head and remind him he was frelling Spicolli. No matter how many Oscars he wins or how much of an activist he is, just remember he was Spicolli. And he did Madonna. That takes away all credibility he might have.

*half dead wave*

[roseredhoofbeat.livejournal.com]

I'm working twelve hour shifts as the dormitory management coordinator for a shelter in San Antonio.... I'm going to leave pretty soon, I work nine to nine. I'll post something meaningful when I have brain synapses that fire properly again.

[jenza.livejournal.com]

Something I read in my local paper that I thought your readers might like to see as well. Definitely helped to restore some of my faith in humanity.

From the 9/7/05 Charlotte Observer Editorials:
Working as a volunteer at the Coliseum, I heard amazing stories all day long from hurricane survivors, but no one surprised me more than a 69-year-old man from New Orleans. While registering, he revealed to me he had no living relatives, no house, no car and only a few possessions in a battered suitcase. He then asked if I worked for the Red Cross. When I replied, "Today, I do," he reached into his pocket and said, "Where do I make a donation?"
Carol Auerbach
Charlotte

[word-herder.livejournal.com]

That gives me the chills. WOW.

[skullbutt.livejournal.com]

Hiya! I don't know if you've been sent this article or not, but it actually contains some good news about evacuees being helped in Phoenix:

http://www.azcentral.com/business/articles/0908carpenter08.html

It's nice to know that the local officials and businesses are setting people up here with jobs, work tools, and housing. Hopefully they will all be able to leave the Coliseum soon. (Not that we want to kick them all out, of course, but I've been to the Coliseum and it's not really a place I would want to spend the night, so I can only imagine how it is for them.)

Donation Awe

[word-herder.livejournal.com]

Our little college-town community of Champaign, IL, has astounded me these past few days. Not only are we taking in Tulane law and med students, but people here have also donated a total of $175,000 to the local TV station (WCIA 3) and $43,000 to a local radio station (MIX 94.5)...within 48 hours. And the calls are still, they report, coming in. It has been incredible to watch.

I only hope the Red Cross doesn't do anything screwy with that money...

[prncssaurora.livejournal.com]

Hey Cleo, thanks for all these links! Who needs CNN?

In case you or any of your readers/Lost fans out there need something to break up the Katrina-induced depression, there is a clip from the season premiere over at www.oceanicflight815.com. If you click on Explore and then The Hatch, you play a sort of "connect the dots" game (it doesn't matter which ones you click) that takes you through several Season 1 clips and at the end there is a scene from the premiere. It features Locke lowering Kate into the hatch. (The other two links - "Rousseau's Bunker" and "The Black Rock" have a scene between Sawyer and Kate that I believe is on the DVD, and a Season 2 teaser, respectively.)

[sigma7.livejournal.com]

Hey. I was gonna batter you with more Katrina-related news links -- different atrocities is not necessarily an improvement, after all -- but decided instead to hit you with the two places I seem to get the most info: Boing Boing (http://boingboing.net/) and MetaFilter (http://www.metafilter.com/). They're both outside the major news currents to get snippets mainstream consumers may not have been exposed to yet, and they're vigilant enough to have been pursuing Katrina developments with fervor. And each has pretty mind-boggling links today.

But if you're taking a time out, that's good, too....

Outrage at Katrina response

[eve-the-just.livejournal.com]

Got this through my f-list and thought you'd be interested:

*************************

Wilyumz says: "I'm asking that everyone who reads this posts it in their diaries, (and she told two people and she told two people) until our outrage is heard."


To: President George W. Bush
cc to: Vice President Dick Cheney
Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House
Bill Frist, Senate Majority Leader
Michael Brown, FEMA
The Today Show, NBC
MSNBC
WWL TV New Orleans
WDSU TV New Orleans

From: William J Embley of New Orleans, temporarily displaced and residing in Florida

Sir,

Yesterday morning (09-07-05) I called 1-800-621-FEMA and opened a claim. I was told that there was no immediate aid for evacuees, that I would receive further information by mail and in the meantime I should contact the Red Cross for assistance with food and clothing. I did; they helped, some. Thanks for that.

Later in the day, Michael Brown, FEMA's illustrious director, gave a press conference in which he stated "debit cards are being issued to help with food, clothing and shelter." I called FEMA back this morning to find out how to obtain one of these cards.

Operator number one, when told that Mr. Brown made this statement, said, "No he didn't." When I asked to speak to his supervisor he put me on hold. I was connected to a recording which stated "due to the high volume of calls all representatives are busy. Please try your call later."

Operator number two was equally helpful.

Operator number three -- Rosa, FEMA ID# 48220 -- was slightly more informative if not more helpful. She told me that, yes, debit cards would indeed be issued as I had heard. I asked what I should do to obtain one of these debit cards and was told that since I had filed a claim the process had already begun. She could, however, provide no solid timeframe. "Claims normally take 14 days to process but that number has changed due to the disaster," she said. When asked if "that number" had gone up or down, she answered, "It's just changed." When I told Rosa that I would use her name and ID# and quote her as a representative of FEMA she became silent, refusing to answer any further questions. She put me on hold so I could speak to her supervisor, George. Again I got the recording which stated all operators were busy.

I stayed in New Orleans for four days after Katrina hit, not out of choice but because I have a dog I would not abondon and no provisions were made to evacuate or even shelter people with pets. My experiences in the days following the storm, though shocking, were by no means unique. I walked several miles to the FEMA command center at Zephyr Field on Airline Highway in an attempt to obtain food and water for over one hundred people stranded at a hotel in Kenner. I was ordered away by deputies brandishing weapons without receiving the provisions I‘d requested.

I sat with an elderly gentleman as we waited first for EMS to evacuate his sick wife, then for MPs to collect her body. She was placed on hold waiting for assistance and died before a supervisor picked up the phone. The city of New Orleans is littered with the bodies of others who died of neglect. How many more must die, drowning in red tape while official after official wastes oxygen blaming every other facet of government without providing acceptable solutions themselves?

My father, a staunch, lifelong republican, is as outraged as I. He insists that I add that he will never again vote republican. I suspect this sentiment is echoed by republicans everywhere. Across the Gulf Coast, American citizens are begging for assistance. Across the country, American citizens are demanding an explanation for this fiasco.

I remain outraged,
W J Embley