Jimmy Breslin tells it like it is

Black and white and wet all over
BY JIMMY BRESLIN

September 4, 2005

This is a review of the performance of George W. Bush in tight times in this nation. It might explain the single solitary most catastrophic collapse of American government in all of our times. [...]

[...]

He barely seemed to understand there was a hurricane for the first three days. He was in Coronado, outside San Diego, and in his speech, he managed to mention New Orleans, by saying that people should not return to their homes until rescue crews could do their work.

Nobody had to be told not to return to their homes because they don't have homes to return to, and no bus fare to go anywhere.

He then told Americans to send donations to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army. How marvelous! His administration sends billions and billions of tax money to his personal war in Iraq to shoot up Fallujah for the third or fourth time since he started the war with his lies, and now he wants everybody to go out on the street and give forty dollars to hurricane charity.

[...]

Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.

I can't find the Newsday article, or else I'd just quote and direct you there. If anyone can find it for me, please post the link in comments, and I'll edit this down to a reasonable size and set up a link. Thanks. And thank you, Mr. Breslin, for speaking the truth.

EDIT 9/8: Found the article. Please read it in full over at the linked site.

Senator from Louisiana calls bullshit

Nice to see her grow a bit of a spine since the Anderson interview.

From The Roots :: Pulling the Bush Out:
Sat Sep 3rd, 2005 at 07:05:42 PM EST

U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, D-La., issued the following statement this afternoon regarding her call yesterday for President Bush to appoint a cabinet-level official to oversee Hurricane Katrina relief and recovery efforts within 24 hours.

[...]

“I understand that the U.S. Forest Service had water-tanker aircraft available to help douse the fires raging on our riverfront, but FEMA has yet to accept the aid. When Amtrak offered rains to evacuate significant numbers of victims – far more efficiently than buses – FEMA again dragged its feet. Offers of medicine, communications equipment and other desperately needed items continue to flow in, only to be ignored by the agency.

“But perhaps the greatest disappointment stands at the breached 17th Street levee. Touring this critical site yesterday with the President, I saw what I believed to be a real and significant effort to get a handle on a major cause of this catastrophe. Flying over this critical spot again this morning, less than 24 hours later, it became apparent that yesterday we witnessed a hastily prepared stage set for a Presidential photo opportunity; and the desperately needed resources we saw were this morning reduced to a single, lonely piece of equipment. The good and decent people of southeast Louisiana and the Gulf Coast – black and white, rich and poor, young and old – deserve far better from their national government."

[...]

(emphasis mine)

Oh, perfect

This is just... really fucking brilliant. Homeland Security won't let Red Cross deliver food. Who wants to set up a pool on how soon Brown gets a medal for his severe incompetance from Georgie-boy?

Great oogley moogley

I nearly titled this post "Holy crap," but that's giving this trinket more importance than it deserves.

Apple - iTunes - Harry Potter:

A Broomstick-worthy iPod

Of course, you’ll want to take your Harry Potter audiobooks everywhere on an iPod. Why not make it an official Hogwarts iPod? For a very limited time, you can purchase The Complete Harry Potter audiobook box set bundled with a collector’s iPod from the online Apple Store.

You’ll be the envy of wizard and muggle alike with this color-display, 20GB iPod emblazoned with the Hogwarts crest. Designed by author J.K. Rowling herself, the crest illustrates the four houses that make up Hogwarts — Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw — and the Latin motto “Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus.” (“Never tickle a sleeping dragon.”) This magical iPod lets you sync all six Harry Potter books and still have plenty of room left over for your favorite tunes.

I love the Harry Potter series to the point of fanaticism, but, honestly, this is ridiculous. Stoopidly ridiculous. Even rat creatures wouldn't buy this. No, not even if you offered them quiche.

Also, the U.S. audio books aren't half as good as the U.K. ones. Stephen Fry roundly kicks Jim Dale's narrating ass.

Barbara Bush: First Lady of Sympathy and Tact

Barbara Bush: Things Working Out "Very Well" for Poor Evacuees from New Orleans:

Accompanying her husband, former President George
H.W.Bush, on a tour of hurricane relief centers in
Houston, Barbara Bush said today, referring to the
poor who had lost everything back home and evacuated, "This is working very well for them."

Why the NAACP button above?

New Orleans Left to the Dead and Dying - Yahoo! News:

The overwhelming majority of those stranded in the post-Katrina chaos were those without the resources to escape — and, overwhelmingly, they were black.

Oh, shit

Supreme Court Full Coverage on Yahoo! News

My condolences to his family (as if they'll ever read this).

But I'm afraid I'm going to be selfish here and think about my future as a citizen of this country and of the future of my country. And my thoughts are best summed up by the subject line of this post.

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Reporters' log: Katrina's aftermath

BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Reporters' log: Katrina's aftermath - Jon Sopel, reporting from Gulfport, MI:

...

President Bush spoke about not allowing bureaucracy to get in the way of saving lives.

Dealing with bureaucracy as countries effected by the tsunami in the Indian Ocean found, can be absolutely critical so that the people who need aid most, get it first.

Why couldn't he have said this days ago?At least he's saying it nowToo little, too late?

President Addresses Nation, Discusses Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts:

...the magnitude of responding to a crisis over a disaster area that is larger than the size of Great Britain has created tremendous problems that have strained state and local capabilities. The result is that many of our citizens simply are not getting the help they need, especially in New Orleans. And that is unacceptable.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Reporters' Log: Katrina's aftermath

BBC NEWS | Americas | Reporters' Log: Katrina's aftermath - Adam Brookes, reporting from New Orleans:

I went to the Superdome and there are about 15,000-20,000 people. The pace of evacuation there is unbelievably slow. We seem to see columns of buses going in but the number of people going out does not seem to change. There are helicopters which throw food and water out and men fight over the relief aid. So the elderly and mums and pregnant women don't get anything. It's an extraordinary situation.

At either end of the centre are armed troops and police but nobody is walking up and down the crowd that are outside. They are not trying to figure out who to give water to, baby formula, or antibiotics. We discovered this morning that a number of children are starting to go down with diarrhoea which I think may be the most serious development overnight.

Elsewhere at the Convention Centre, there isn't a bus in sight. The only thing you see out of 2,000-3,000 people is police cars going through pointing shotguns. These are unbelievable conditions. Words begin to fail me.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Reporters' Log: Katrina's aftermath

BBC NEWS | Americas | Reporters' Log: Katrina's aftermath - Daniel Lak, reporting from Biloxi, MS:

...

It is total mayhem. I have been to many disaster zones in Asia and a few in Africa and I must say considering the resources available here and all the rhetoric we've heard from Washington the situation here is much worse than comparable situations for these sort of crises in the Third world. It is quite frankly an indictment.

Sometimes, I ♥ Texasa break for humor

Found by Angry Rabbit:

Zombies descend upon Erwin Center - The Daily Texan - Top Stories

Thursday outside the Frank Erwin Center, a horde of zombies attacked the 'American Idol' auditions. No one was hurt.

The zombies, 15 fake-bloodied actors in all, lurched out from under the IH-35 overpass and shuffled toward the Erwin Center, where they encountered the pop-star hopefuls.

Most of the 100 or so young people gathered outside had just been rejected by the 'American Idol' review board, and they were talking, singing and waiting for rides home when the zombies arrived. 'Braaaaaaains!' the zombies said. Nick Muntean, a UT radio-television-film graduate student who organized and participated in the zombie horde, added, 'Television rots your braaaaaaains!'

There's even video of the incident, though, unfortunately, the talentless idiots the zombies attacked did not scurry away/die in fear, nor did they get mauled/have their skulls chewed open.

I generally have a strict no-cannibalism rule, with a subclause against zombies, but I think, in this case, zombies were a good idea. Unfortunately, the zombies pussied out, even to the point of signing release forms to allow themselves to be shown on the craptacular American Idol.

"We've turned into prostitutes for 'American Idol,'" Ferstenfeld said.

Damned straight.

One nice thing is the useful tip on how to fake-zombify oneself by smearing the following on one's face to represent gore:

make-up, a gelatin mix, liquid latex and fake blood made from corn syrup, chocolate syrup and food coloring

My favorite quote in the entire article:

Zombies are not real.

This is why I ♥ Texas: a portion of the population gathers, fake-zombifies itself, then "attacks" the dweebs at American Idol, while the paper needs to post a disclaimer in an article about zombies regarding the fictional nature of zombies just so the rest of the population won't become frightened and shoot the fuck out of any person walking in their front yard (um, actually, I think that's considered an acceptable hobby in some parts of Texas). That's just damned funny. Also, admittedly, the disclaimer would be necessary in most if not all of the rest of the country. That's also funny, but a sad funny.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Reporters' Log: Katrina's aftermath

Site to watch: BBC NEWS | Americas | Reporters' Log: Katrina's aftermath

Holy shit

I'd read about it at Talking Points Memo, but had to read the official transcript at the White House site to believe it.

President Arrives in Alabama, Briefed on Hurricane Katrina:

PRESIDENT BUSH: We've got a lot of rebuilding to do. First, we're going to save lives and stabilize the situation. And then we're going to help these communities rebuild. The good news is -- and it's hard for some to see it now -- that out of this chaos is going to come a fantastic Gulf Coast, like it was before. Out of the rubbles of Trent Lott's house -- he's lost his entire house -- there's going to be a fantastic house. And I'm looking forward to sitting on the porch. (Laughter.)

GOVERNOR RILEY: He'll be glad to have you.

(Bold-text emphasis mine.) How is something like that appropriate in that situation? How far up his ass does Dubyah have his head? Where the hell were his handlers at that moment? Why didn't someone "accidentally" knock out his mike before he got that far? And why the hell did Governor Riley encourage him? Is everyone now on crack?

Why was no one there?

The Capital Times

The advent of the Bush administration in January 2001 signaled the beginning of the end for FEMA. The newly appointed leadership of the agency showed little interest in its work or in the missions pursued by Witt. Then came the Sept. 11 attacks and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security. Soon FEMA was being absorbed into the 'homeland security borg.'This year it was announced that FEMA is to 'officially' lose the disaster preparedness function that it has had since its creation. The move is a death blow to an agency that was already on life support. In fact, FEMA employees have been directed not to become involved in disaster preparedness functions, since a new directorate (yet to be established) will have that mission.

First, the administration sent the very troops who are supposed to remain State-side to protect and aid the states in times of need, the National Guard, overseas, where they do not belong, no matter what B.S. the administration tries to feed us. Then we find out they'd dismantled the organization created to respond to disasters of this nature. I've read of it before; one of the justifications I read was private organizations, such as the Red Cross, would pick up the slack. However, there is no private organization which could respond the way a government group could, which would have access to local law enforcement and emergency aid services. And, please note, that the Red Cross cannot get to areas a government group, well, technically should be able to. So, we have nothing. People are stranded on highway meridians, no food, no water, no medical help, waiting for someone, anyone, to show up. Would FEMA have completely alleviated the problems? No. But they sure as hell would have made a difference.

From my friend, D--, who walks dogs for a living instead of selling screenplays

Pets Are a Part of Katrina Story: How To Help
By Steve Dale

The loss of human life and property as a result of Katrina is unspeakable. But at least one survivor still had something to hold onto, quite literally. On camera, as she held her soggy kitten close to her chest, she said, "No, I did not lose everything. I thank God for what is sparred," as she petted her cat, as tears streamed from her eyes.

The good news is that the Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LA SPCA) was smart enough to heed the warning, evacuating their 263 animals to Houston before the hurricane hit. (Houston proceeded to disperse the animals they couldn't handle to San Antonio and other nearby cities).

In New Orleans, the bad news is that thousands who evacuated leaving their pets behind, assuming they would return in a day or two. Those animals who did not drown are either now starving to death, or have escaped to try and scavenge for food. Prospects of reuniting to ever see their people appear grim. But humane organizations are hoping beyond hope to have the opportunity to get into the
city.

As one humane society spokesperson told me, "If we have the opportunity, dealing with pets will be easy compared to what officials have had to confront with at least some people."

The news isn't quite as dismal elsewhere in Louisiana, or in Mississippi or Alabama where there's a greater ability to find lost pets; and make-shift shelters and veterinary care through the American Veterinary Medical Association VMAT Team and volunteers from various other groups are gradually getting organized.

Many facilities sheltering people don't allow animals, quite literally forcing people to give up their animals. In fact, often times this is exactly why some people may not evacuate to a shelter in the first place - they don't want to leave their animals.

People need your help, and the following listing is most certainly is not meant to imply you shouldn't contribute to the Red Cross or other legitimate organizations which fund human assistance. But humane assistance is important too. Companion animals are family to many; entire families require assistance. If you are so inclined here are some verified and legitimate options:

American Kennel Club Canine Support and Relief Fund
www.akc.org/news/hurricane_katrina.cfm, or mail a donation to AKC Companion Animal Recovery Canine Support and Relief Fund, c/o American Kennel Club, 5580 Centerview Drive Raleigh, North Carolina 27606. You may also call 800-252-7894.

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (2005 Disaster Relief Fund)
www.aspca.org/disaster, or call 212-876-7700, ext. 4516.

American Veterinary Medical Association Veterinary Medical Assistance Teams
www.avmf.org, or call (847) 925-8070. AVMF supports state and Veterinary Medical Assistance Team (VMAT) training and equipment for deployment in times of disaster. Make donation to AVMF AVMA Medical Assistance Team, 1931 N. Meacham Rd., Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173

Cat Fanciers' Association
(Disaster Relief Fund and the newly formed CFA Gulf Sore Fund) www.cfainc.org, 732-528-7391. The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc., P.O. Box 1005, Manasquan, NJ 08736-0805.

Code 3 Associates
(Code 3 Associates, Inc., is dedicated to both professional disaster response for animal rescue operations and to training individuals working in animal related law enforcement throughout the country. Also works with EARS - Emergency Animal Rescue Service - from the United Nations) www.code3associates.org, 303-772-7724; Code 3 Associates, P.O. Box 1128, Erie, CO 80516.

EARS
www.ears.org

Humane Society of the United States
www.hsus.org, or call 800-HUMANE-1. Or send check to, HSUS Disaster Relief Fund, 2100 L Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037.

Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association
http://www.lvma.org, or call 800- 524-2996. Make donations to the Dr. Walter J. Ernst Jr. Memorial Foundation, 8550 United Plaza Boulevard, Suite 1001, Baton Rouge, LA 70809, Make note on your check that the contribution is for "Hurricane Katrina Relief."

Noah's Wish
(an animal welfare organization dedicated exclusively to rescuing following disasters). http://www.noahswish.org/, or call
530-622-9313, or send a donation to Noah's Wish, P.O. Box 997 Placerville, CA 95667

North Shore Animal League
http://www.nsalamerica.org, or call 877-4SAVEPET.

Perhaps the organization most in need will be the Louisiana SPCA. It's likely their building has been destroyed - though this is unconfirmed. Their website has not been updated; their New Orleans address and phone no longer exist. It's unclear how to help them today. But at some juncture, there will be directives available through their website: www.la-spca.org/ Other affected city shelters will require help as well. A Mobile, AL, shelter site is at www.mobilespca.org

Marcella Durand contributed

==========

American Humane's Animal Emergency Services helping in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. http://www.americanhumane.org/disaster

Somebody actually made it funny

Check out this map to see why you are safe in about three square miles of the continental U.S.

What to do

I've had some issues with the way Red Cross runs its organization in the past and have done my best to avoid giving them donations as I do not trust them to use them appropriately. The list of suggested donation sites at FEMA is, apparently, almost entirely religious organizations (the only non-religious organization being the Corporation for National & Community Service), with Pat Robertson's group being among the top three. As you can imagine, I don't particularly trust that group, either.

However, I've been looking around and have read many good things about MercyCorps. If you've read otherwise, let me know. But I thought I'd forward that group on, as Oxfam, the organization to which I donated after the Asian tsunami this past winter, does not appear to be involved in this particular natural disaster. (Perhaps because it took place in one of the wealthiest nations in the world?)

I've wanted to help, but can't. I figured the half-a-reader I have might be in the same boat. I'm not telling you to give, but giving you an option which appears preferable to the Red Cross, which refuses homosexuals and has had major issues in overpaying its executives. Oh, and let donated blood rot. Nice one.

EDIT 9/3, 1:38A:
My mom pointed out the section of the Oxfam America which is set up specifically to help the victims of the hurricane. I've set up a link button for the site. Oxfam is a wonderful organization and I trust them thoroughly. I wish I had the funds to help, but I'm comforted to know that my mom had given, even though we're in the middle of ...well, those of you who know me know, or can e-mail and ask. I'm also comforted to know that my friends are as generous as my mother and are doing all they can do to help, too. (You guys are super-awesome. I know it's cheesey to say, but I'm proud to know you.)

[SNIPPED due to my inability to find the (reputable) sites with the supporting data and statistics and my being too lazy to look up the poverty numbers on government websites. Also, don't want to deal with the racist bullshit. Tra la!]

Fuck

Scientific American, October 2001, courtesy of Pharyngula:

New Orleans is a disaster waiting to happen. The city lies below sea level, in a bowl bordered by levees that fend off Lake Pontchartrain to the north and the Mississippi River to the south and west. And because of a damning confluence of factors, the city is sinking further, putting it at increasing flood risk after even minor storms. The low-lying Mississippi Delta, which buffers the city from the gulf, is also rapidly disappearing. A year from now another 25 to 30 square miles of delta marsh--an area the size of Manhattan--will have vanished. An acre disappears every 24 minutes. Each loss gives a storm surge a clearer path to wash over the delta and pour into the bowl, trapping one million people inside and another million in surrounding communities. Extensive evacuation would be impossible because the surging water would cut off the few escape routes. Scientists at Louisiana State University (L.S.U.), who have modeled hundreds of possible storm tracks on advanced computers, predict that more than 100,000 people could die. The body bags wouldn't go very far.

I've read this over and over again. Why didn't anyone do anything? They knew what was going to happen, but did nothing. Why? Why? How can you be human and think something like this is permissible?

Fats Domino Found in New Orleans - Yahoo! News

I read this and started to cry. I cried a little when I saw the video from Louisiana on CBS this afternoon, realized I wouldn't stop if I kept watching, and proceeded to try and clean up the living room. Giving myself something pointless to do is nice and distracting, as I'm far away and have the luxury of straightening piles of books I'm reading, have read, and will read.

I can't do anything to help. I can do absolutely nothing but be angry and horrified and feel sympathy, all of which is entirely useless. And I read about Fats Domino being found and I cry. I hate being so useless. I'm sorry I'm so fucking useless, New Orleans. I'm sorry I can't help you, Louisiana. I'm sorry I can't do anything, Texas. I'm sorry all I've done is make a slightly neater mess of my living room and write this, Mississippi. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, New Orleans. I'm so sorry.