Many of the animals at the Audubon Zoo survived.
They didn’t lose one flamingo.
Countries and people are coming together to help each other out, that is a good side. Arab counties like Kuwait & Qatar donated $600 million in aid to help the US get back on it’s feet even though a good many of the people who live in those countries hate the US. Castro & Chavez have offered aid as well and even though the US has had tiffs with Russia, China and France over Iraq all three of these countries are trying to help us out and if they were the ones being threatened we’d be helping them out too.
Its nice to see all these people who deep down inside legitimately love one another because you can tell that the pain of strangers is important to them and helping strangers is important to alot of people. Watching Shepard Smith and Geraldo Rivera on Hannity & Colmes barely able to maintain their composure because they cared so much about other human beings that they didn’t even know was a sight to see and alot better than watching petty bickering or a celebrity criminal trial.
The levee is fixed. I’d say that’s pretty impressive, after only a week.
We’ve got folks staying at a couple of apartment complexes and a church in the Bryan/College Station area, the last time I checked. They also took in over 200 people in Reed Arena on campus here. The Corps of Cadets apparantly stayed up all night a few nights ago setting up beds for the folks, and got clean clothes for many of them.
Texas A&M University is also going to allow 1,000 students displaced by Katrina to take classes here, and they’re offering up facilities for faculty and staff from schools displaced by the storm.
I don’t know anyone who lives in the effected area, but a friend of mine was doing an internship down there and returned home from that a week or two before the hurricane hit.
My little brother was bar mitzvahed on Sunday, and in his speech at the ceremony he mentioned the hurricane and said he’d give some amount of his gift money to charities benefitting the storm’s victims. I’m assuming he wrote that and not our mother (;)), but it lets me know that he’s on his way to being a good guy. I just made a donation to the Red Cross in his name.
He should try to donate through channels that are matching funds. To my knowledge Sears, Kmart & Best buy are all matching donations.
So is Macy’s. And probably the other stores that have been swallowed up by Federated.
I went to a Red Cross meeting on Saturday. They’d had to add an extra meeting, so many people had called about volunteering. And it was still standing room only. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like they need anyone as unqualified as myself, but a lot of people there seemed to have the skills the Red Cross is looking for. It was heartening to see so many people turn up on a beautiful Saturday wanting to help.
On the news tonight I saw a story about a local businessman and two friends who have offered to build new homes for about a dozen hurricane victims, free of charge. Nothing big or fancy, but they say the cement homes will withstand 200 mph winds.
A few children in the area have held fund-raisers for hurricane victims. Two young girls got permission to use the Red Cross’ name in connection with their lemonade stand and raised more than $300 for the relief efforts.
A family friend recently tried to purchase a single-wide trailer for her grandson, only to be informed by the dealer that all single-wides were being shipped to areas hit hardest by Katrina. I’m not sure if they’re being donated, or just purchased/leased at a reduced cost.
No more Natalie Holloway. Passing off the disappearance of a young, thin, attractive, white american woman (had she not been these six things nobody would’ve given a shit) like it is the biggest story on earth is not news, it is sensationalistic journalism. If she were missing and the media attention helped find her then it’d be ok but just following the case if she is already dead is not news. Luckily Katrina knocked that off the radar to the point where the fact that Joran Van Der Sloot was released last saturday only made small soundbites on many news organizations.
Speaking of media coverage, I got one of my favorite laughs in days at Fox News. The she-yuppie reporter (SYR) was interviewing- I’m not really sure, I believe he was a minister- tall heavy black guy (THBG)- at a Baton Rouge shelter. He was talking about how wonderful people were being and about fundraising events being planned for the week.
SYR: And I understand you have quite a special guest coming tomorrow…
THBG: Oh, that’s right we do! John Travolta’s flying down here…
SYR: No, I’m talking about the really big name…
THBG:(beaming) Well, I didn’t want to say it, but yes it’s true… Oprah is coming!
SYR: I’m referring to… you know… the president…
THBG: Oh yeah, Bush is coming too… Oprah’s going to be here on Saturday and… (etc.)
I guess the President is persona non grata down there.