They're focusing on the very spot of this whole tragedy where it makes more than perfect sense for us to make a difference...
They're opening a disaster fund starting with $500,000. They will match all donations to it or any other related charity we choose. We can arrange for it to be taken out of our paychecks directly if we wish, or write a check, wire money, etc.
They're focusing the company's disaster fund on helping the schools and students recover-- to rebuild, to help schools taking in the displaced students, etc. Educational supplies are now on their way to Texas, and they're coordinating with other school districts to do supply drives, replace textbooks, and help as needed. Divisions of higher-ed will be doing the same on its level, the trade publishing division is sending books to the the temporary shelters. Other divisions will help the Red Cross with behind the scenes work at the call centers.
I'm thrilled that my company has taken this approach, and focused on an area - education - where it can make a direct impact. While I am donating some time (and little blood bits) to the Red Cross in the next several weeks, I think I will focus my monetary donations in that direction to help give these kids some shred of normal life as soon as possible. AND it makes much more sense to take the opportunity to have my donation doubled.
I'm rather proud of my company today. :)
07 September 2005
06 September 2005
Inspired...
(thanks to Petrouchka on the JournalCon message boards...
A drum corps or a marching band absolutely needs to do a P.D.Q. Bach show.
The Schleptet in E flat Major would be quite a sight to see. Iphigenia in Brooklyn may have parts that could work, too.
It would be GLORIOUS!
A drum corps or a marching band absolutely needs to do a P.D.Q. Bach show.
The Schleptet in E flat Major would be quite a sight to see. Iphigenia in Brooklyn may have parts that could work, too.
It would be GLORIOUS!
A non-holiday weekend
While I enjoyed the three days off from work, my heart wasn't truly into the holiday weekend. I imagine a lot of people were feeling the same way. I did have a good time, but I'd be lying if I said that a good portion of every day wasn't drifting down to the the South.
Late last week, the flurry of calls commenced to find and confirm that my godmother was okay. She and her husbad lived in Slidell, Louisiana, and the last we'd heard, their house was gone. Thankfully, they've been found to be fine, staying with her son. But all I've seen in my mind are memories of two years ago, when she and I met up for the first time since I was a little girl... and how she told me that I must come down to Louisiana soon, and that we definitely should come down for Mardi Gras, since her husband is the king of one of the parades.
I grew up getting a yearly supply of multicolored aluminum coins and long strings of beads. I didn't know what they were from at the time, but my godmother was always the cool relative who gave me dress-up toys.
I still haven't found a couple of my penpals who lived in southern Louisiana. Since I'm not clear as to the exact damage area, it's possible that they're just fine, but power hasn't been restored. From what I've gathered, areas in the deep southern bayous were slightly flooded, but weathered the storm okay. I'm hoping that that's the case. It may be months before I find out what happened, since the postal service is now starting to restrict or freeze delivery to some zip codes.
But my appointments with the Red Cross are now made-- 7 platelet donations over 6 weeks. The earliest they could get me started was in two weeks. Since I don't have the money to give right now, I'll do whatever I can. Hopefully by mid-month, I'll be able to give some on the financial side.
Late last week, the flurry of calls commenced to find and confirm that my godmother was okay. She and her husbad lived in Slidell, Louisiana, and the last we'd heard, their house was gone. Thankfully, they've been found to be fine, staying with her son. But all I've seen in my mind are memories of two years ago, when she and I met up for the first time since I was a little girl... and how she told me that I must come down to Louisiana soon, and that we definitely should come down for Mardi Gras, since her husband is the king of one of the parades.
I grew up getting a yearly supply of multicolored aluminum coins and long strings of beads. I didn't know what they were from at the time, but my godmother was always the cool relative who gave me dress-up toys.
I still haven't found a couple of my penpals who lived in southern Louisiana. Since I'm not clear as to the exact damage area, it's possible that they're just fine, but power hasn't been restored. From what I've gathered, areas in the deep southern bayous were slightly flooded, but weathered the storm okay. I'm hoping that that's the case. It may be months before I find out what happened, since the postal service is now starting to restrict or freeze delivery to some zip codes.
But my appointments with the Red Cross are now made-- 7 platelet donations over 6 weeks. The earliest they could get me started was in two weeks. Since I don't have the money to give right now, I'll do whatever I can. Hopefully by mid-month, I'll be able to give some on the financial side.
02 September 2005
The Incompetence of King George
From idrewthis.org:
The irony is enough to make you vomit.
Today, September 1, the Department of Homeland Security launched National Preparedness Month.
Preparedness for what? The display of unpreparedness going on in Louisiana is greatest human tragedy on American soil in my lifetime so far. How dare these people talk to us about preparedness. People are dying amidst disease, squalor and misery because of their unpreparedness.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm sorry. I'm really angry.
What we keep hearing, from the administration but also from people who should know better, is that this is not the time to "play politics" with the disaster.
Well, first of all, who's playing? I could not possibly be more serious.
And second, why do so many people have this idea that politics are a game? Some sort of popularity contest, unrelated to people's actual lives? I have news for you. Politics are the means by which we select the leaders who will, in turn, make policy. Policy affects your life. At times like these, policy can be the difference between life and death.
Poll after poll shows that people agree with the Democrats on almost every major issue. We would be a liberal country if we voted for the leaders who would actually enact policies we agree with. But we don't vote that way for some reason. You saw it in the last election. It was all "I'm going to vote for Bush because you know where you stand with him." And "I'm voting for Bush because he makes me feel safe."
It is not the quality of a leader's Clint Eastwood impression that keeps you safe, people. It is the quality of his (or her) policies. And this administration's policies are terrible. Al Gore's would not have been. John Kerry's would not have been. You would have agreed more with their policies and priorities. They would not have been asleep at the switch. America, your nearsightedness in returning this man to power made this crisis worse. It made people die.
George W. Bush said on "Good Morning America" that no one anticipated that the levees might break. That is flat out false. In fact, many people anticipated it. FEMA, in 2001, identified a category 5 hurricane destroying the levees and flooding New Orleans as one of the three major disasters most likely to befall the United States. One of the others was a terrorist attack on New York.
Well, guess what? We've had both. Guess what Bush did to prepare? Nothing. Then the administration looked us straight in the eye, both times, and said no one could have anticipated that this would happen. Well, bullshit, George. It's bullshit and I don't think you care.
This one is even worse, because in 2003 and 2004, the Bush administration specifically cut the funds for strengthening those specific levees, because it needed the money for Iraq. It's ironic that we were told, ad nauseam, that we had to invade Iraq because it posed a real threat to our safety and we had to be proactive. So, in the name of that, the administration took away the funds that might have prevented a far more likely tragedy from claiming so many lives, as it is now in the process of doing.
And who normally deals with these tragedies? Well, the National Guard. That's why we have a National Guard. It isn't designed to fight wars. It's designed to deal with domestic disaster scenarios. But nearly half the Louisiana National Guard is in Iraq.
George's vanity war and his neo-imperialist fantasy of remaking the middle east and his obsessive desire to slash his friends' taxes all came before these people's lives. And now they're dying. Old people. Children. Sick people. Mostly poor people, who couldn't escape, and, when the hurricane was bearing down on them, got no governmental help in doing so. And now they're dying, George. Dying.
Playing politics? George, you've spent your whole presidency invoking 9/11. You've spent your whole presidency trying to claim anyone who doesn't support your policies doesn't care if 9/11 happens again. This despite the fact that the other side tried to stand with you right after that tragedy happened. They ignored your policy failures; the fact that Clinton's National Security Adviser, Sandy Berger, gave you specific warnings about bin Laden and plans for dealing with them; FEMA's warnings that such an attack would be a huge disaster; and the fact that Hart-Rudman warned explicitly in Spring 2001 that one was coming. And you did nothing, but the Democrats let it slide because no one thought it was the time to dwell on past failures.
Well, now we're in it again, and in a lot of ways this one is even worse, and you not only did nothing to prepare, you impeded others' ability to do so. And again we're being told this isn't the time. Well, when is the time? How many times do you have to get people killed before we're allowed to talk about it? How many dead babies do we have to see on TV before criticizing the people who let it happen stops being "shrill"? I've had enough.
America, to you I say, this is proof that your policymakers should be people who are competent and whose policies you actually support. If you install a government because, gosh, they look likable and macho on television, you're going to get lousy policy, and people will suffer and die. It is not a game, it is not an abstraction, and you need to stop treating it so casually.
George, to you I say, we are not playing politics. You're the one who's playing. Playing golf, playing guitar in photo ops, acting like nothing was wrong the day after Katrina hit, the day the levees broke and New Orleans started to disappear. Giving speeches comparing yourself to FDR while lives were being washed into the Gulf of Mexico. You're the unserious party here. You don't get to base your whole career on playing politics, then urge others not to do so the moment politics becomes inconvenient.
People are dead because of your policies. If you really do talk to God, I hope he gives you an earful for this one.
The irony is enough to make you vomit.
Today, September 1, the Department of Homeland Security launched National Preparedness Month.
Preparedness for what? The display of unpreparedness going on in Louisiana is greatest human tragedy on American soil in my lifetime so far. How dare these people talk to us about preparedness. People are dying amidst disease, squalor and misery because of their unpreparedness.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm sorry. I'm really angry.
What we keep hearing, from the administration but also from people who should know better, is that this is not the time to "play politics" with the disaster.
Well, first of all, who's playing? I could not possibly be more serious.
And second, why do so many people have this idea that politics are a game? Some sort of popularity contest, unrelated to people's actual lives? I have news for you. Politics are the means by which we select the leaders who will, in turn, make policy. Policy affects your life. At times like these, policy can be the difference between life and death.
Poll after poll shows that people agree with the Democrats on almost every major issue. We would be a liberal country if we voted for the leaders who would actually enact policies we agree with. But we don't vote that way for some reason. You saw it in the last election. It was all "I'm going to vote for Bush because you know where you stand with him." And "I'm voting for Bush because he makes me feel safe."
It is not the quality of a leader's Clint Eastwood impression that keeps you safe, people. It is the quality of his (or her) policies. And this administration's policies are terrible. Al Gore's would not have been. John Kerry's would not have been. You would have agreed more with their policies and priorities. They would not have been asleep at the switch. America, your nearsightedness in returning this man to power made this crisis worse. It made people die.
George W. Bush said on "Good Morning America" that no one anticipated that the levees might break. That is flat out false. In fact, many people anticipated it. FEMA, in 2001, identified a category 5 hurricane destroying the levees and flooding New Orleans as one of the three major disasters most likely to befall the United States. One of the others was a terrorist attack on New York.
Well, guess what? We've had both. Guess what Bush did to prepare? Nothing. Then the administration looked us straight in the eye, both times, and said no one could have anticipated that this would happen. Well, bullshit, George. It's bullshit and I don't think you care.
This one is even worse, because in 2003 and 2004, the Bush administration specifically cut the funds for strengthening those specific levees, because it needed the money for Iraq. It's ironic that we were told, ad nauseam, that we had to invade Iraq because it posed a real threat to our safety and we had to be proactive. So, in the name of that, the administration took away the funds that might have prevented a far more likely tragedy from claiming so many lives, as it is now in the process of doing.
And who normally deals with these tragedies? Well, the National Guard. That's why we have a National Guard. It isn't designed to fight wars. It's designed to deal with domestic disaster scenarios. But nearly half the Louisiana National Guard is in Iraq.
George's vanity war and his neo-imperialist fantasy of remaking the middle east and his obsessive desire to slash his friends' taxes all came before these people's lives. And now they're dying. Old people. Children. Sick people. Mostly poor people, who couldn't escape, and, when the hurricane was bearing down on them, got no governmental help in doing so. And now they're dying, George. Dying.
Playing politics? George, you've spent your whole presidency invoking 9/11. You've spent your whole presidency trying to claim anyone who doesn't support your policies doesn't care if 9/11 happens again. This despite the fact that the other side tried to stand with you right after that tragedy happened. They ignored your policy failures; the fact that Clinton's National Security Adviser, Sandy Berger, gave you specific warnings about bin Laden and plans for dealing with them; FEMA's warnings that such an attack would be a huge disaster; and the fact that Hart-Rudman warned explicitly in Spring 2001 that one was coming. And you did nothing, but the Democrats let it slide because no one thought it was the time to dwell on past failures.
Well, now we're in it again, and in a lot of ways this one is even worse, and you not only did nothing to prepare, you impeded others' ability to do so. And again we're being told this isn't the time. Well, when is the time? How many times do you have to get people killed before we're allowed to talk about it? How many dead babies do we have to see on TV before criticizing the people who let it happen stops being "shrill"? I've had enough.
America, to you I say, this is proof that your policymakers should be people who are competent and whose policies you actually support. If you install a government because, gosh, they look likable and macho on television, you're going to get lousy policy, and people will suffer and die. It is not a game, it is not an abstraction, and you need to stop treating it so casually.
George, to you I say, we are not playing politics. You're the one who's playing. Playing golf, playing guitar in photo ops, acting like nothing was wrong the day after Katrina hit, the day the levees broke and New Orleans started to disappear. Giving speeches comparing yourself to FDR while lives were being washed into the Gulf of Mexico. You're the unserious party here. You don't get to base your whole career on playing politics, then urge others not to do so the moment politics becomes inconvenient.
People are dead because of your policies. If you really do talk to God, I hope he gives you an earful for this one.
Wake up, America!
From CNN this morning...
Let me get this straight-- the results of the relief effort are "not acceptable?" Where were you, Mr. President?
Where were you on SUNDAY, when every network was reporting that a Category 5 storm was bearing down on the gulf coast-- which would have been the fourth ever to hit the U.S.? Every single station covering it was describing it as catastrophic and bringing up what happened with Andrew, Camille, and the Labor Day storm of 1935, not to mention Galveston at the turn of the 20th Century, which was a Category 4?
Oh, that's right-- you were on vacation.
Where were you on MONDAY, while the Gulf Coast was being destroyed? Oh, that's right-- you were plugging your war of aggression in Iraq and praising the results of forcing the Iraqis to come up with a constitution in an attempt to soften the increasing anger toward the war. You were at your ranch in Texas. Still on vacation.
Where were you on TUESDAY, the day after, when sunlight came out and reporters everywhere were describing the devastation? Still on vacation. Pledging that support will come, but that's about it.
On Wednesday, you "cut your vacation short by two days" to get back to Washington. Oh, how generous of you. People now have been baking and starving in the heat for those two days. The situation is worsening in New Orleans, and they don't have the manpower to get things under control. You decide to tap the oil reserve. Oh, how generous of you. I can do without driving a bit, thanks. My gas prices aren't as important as people's lives ending in the middle of feces-invested disaster zones. You gave a pathetic speech about how ice, water, and blankets were being sent down there, and that anyone who wanted to help should send money, and then you SMILED and said that things would work out in the end. And that's ALL you did. You SMILED. As people died. This is NOT a photo-op for you, Mr. President. You're not flying a plane to an aircraft carrier three miles off-shore so you can claim Mission Accomplished.
On Thursday, you announce plans for surveying the region on FRIDAY, and that the military has been sent from Virginia. Again-- you're late. This should have happened on Monday, as it happened, at the very latest. You condemn those who are looting stores- but at this point, really-- they've been without any food or water for THREE FULL DAYS... in the fucking 90 degree sunshine. They are starving. They are dying. And no help is coming to them. What the hell do you expect them to do? Just sit there and do nothing? Yes, there is bullet fire in the air. I find it deplorable. But I can't blame them entirely when people are looting HOSPITALS to survive and are desperate to find any way to escape the city-- no help is arriving. The New York Times begs you to finally get a clue and do your job.
Oh yeah... and rather than actually DO something, you decide to just put your father and your predecessor in charge of relief funding. Bring Daddy in-- maybe he can fix it. Oh yeah, and that president that my party tried to obliterate for getting a blow job. Yeah, he seems to know what's going on.
You are incompetent. Your administration is incompetent. This was not 9-11, which was a surprise attack. This was KNOWN. Troops should have been stationed in Atlanta for deployment on Sunday. This has been discussed ad-nauseum by scientists for years. They've had shows about it on the Discovery Channel, for crying out loud. You cut finding to a project in full-swing that was both repairing and extending those levees to protect New Orleans for your false war and "homeland security."
You are not at fault for the weather, of course-- but you are at fault for not doing your job and leading this nation in a time of dire crisis.
I hope that a good portion of your devotees from the election of 2004 finally have woken up and noticed that the Emperor has no clothes, and the calls for impeachment begin. You have betrayed our nation's trust, Mr. President.
Shame on you.
- NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana (CNN) -- President Bush told reporters on Friday that millions of tons of food and water are on the way to the people stranded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina -- but he said the results of the relief effort "are not acceptable."
"A lot of people working hard to help those who've been affected, and I want to thank the people for their efforts," Bush said before leaving the White House for a tour of the devastated areas in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
Let me get this straight-- the results of the relief effort are "not acceptable?" Where were you, Mr. President?
Where were you on SUNDAY, when every network was reporting that a Category 5 storm was bearing down on the gulf coast-- which would have been the fourth ever to hit the U.S.? Every single station covering it was describing it as catastrophic and bringing up what happened with Andrew, Camille, and the Labor Day storm of 1935, not to mention Galveston at the turn of the 20th Century, which was a Category 4?
Oh, that's right-- you were on vacation.
Where were you on MONDAY, while the Gulf Coast was being destroyed? Oh, that's right-- you were plugging your war of aggression in Iraq and praising the results of forcing the Iraqis to come up with a constitution in an attempt to soften the increasing anger toward the war. You were at your ranch in Texas. Still on vacation.
Where were you on TUESDAY, the day after, when sunlight came out and reporters everywhere were describing the devastation? Still on vacation. Pledging that support will come, but that's about it.
On Wednesday, you "cut your vacation short by two days" to get back to Washington. Oh, how generous of you. People now have been baking and starving in the heat for those two days. The situation is worsening in New Orleans, and they don't have the manpower to get things under control. You decide to tap the oil reserve. Oh, how generous of you. I can do without driving a bit, thanks. My gas prices aren't as important as people's lives ending in the middle of feces-invested disaster zones. You gave a pathetic speech about how ice, water, and blankets were being sent down there, and that anyone who wanted to help should send money, and then you SMILED and said that things would work out in the end. And that's ALL you did. You SMILED. As people died. This is NOT a photo-op for you, Mr. President. You're not flying a plane to an aircraft carrier three miles off-shore so you can claim Mission Accomplished.
On Thursday, you announce plans for surveying the region on FRIDAY, and that the military has been sent from Virginia. Again-- you're late. This should have happened on Monday, as it happened, at the very latest. You condemn those who are looting stores- but at this point, really-- they've been without any food or water for THREE FULL DAYS... in the fucking 90 degree sunshine. They are starving. They are dying. And no help is coming to them. What the hell do you expect them to do? Just sit there and do nothing? Yes, there is bullet fire in the air. I find it deplorable. But I can't blame them entirely when people are looting HOSPITALS to survive and are desperate to find any way to escape the city-- no help is arriving. The New York Times begs you to finally get a clue and do your job.
Oh yeah... and rather than actually DO something, you decide to just put your father and your predecessor in charge of relief funding. Bring Daddy in-- maybe he can fix it. Oh yeah, and that president that my party tried to obliterate for getting a blow job. Yeah, he seems to know what's going on.
You are incompetent. Your administration is incompetent. This was not 9-11, which was a surprise attack. This was KNOWN. Troops should have been stationed in Atlanta for deployment on Sunday. This has been discussed ad-nauseum by scientists for years. They've had shows about it on the Discovery Channel, for crying out loud. You cut finding to a project in full-swing that was both repairing and extending those levees to protect New Orleans for your false war and "homeland security."
You are not at fault for the weather, of course-- but you are at fault for not doing your job and leading this nation in a time of dire crisis.
I hope that a good portion of your devotees from the election of 2004 finally have woken up and noticed that the Emperor has no clothes, and the calls for impeachment begin. You have betrayed our nation's trust, Mr. President.
Shame on you.
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