August 29
...serving up your daily dish.
The easiest way to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina is to go to this direct link on the American Red Cross website. If you know of any local efforts, let us know in the comments section below. (Citizen journalist photo from NOLA.com.)
August 29, 2005 in Civic Virtue | Permalink
thanks for the posts, barista. i used to live there, and i'm worried sick for a city that's already gone through so much. luckily, lots of my house-bound friends in the area came to their senses and evacuated at the last minute.
donations are crucial. especially in metro New Orleans, where much of the population lives below the poverty line. money donations would be best. sending food and clothing, while thoughtful, is probably not the most effective way to help. the red cross are the logistical experts.
Here are some other liveblogging links from the areas affected by Katrina:
"Hurricane Katrina" flicker photo-blogging group.
Times-Picayune Hurricane Bunker Blog
Posted by: efs | Aug 29, 2005 2:33:25 PM
thanks for the links, efs.
I'm from NOLA and I am dying to see how bad the damage is. My parents and aunt and cousin evacuated to Houston, but we can't get much in the way of information. I'm going crazy with worry about what's happening in the city.
Posted by: Daniella | Aug 29, 2005 6:58:55 PM
The irony of the whole situation - this hurricane is devasting a part of the country that is firmly in the red column. Yet the first thing these people will do is go crying for help to the very same federal goverment they spend their time despising. These people elect politicians like Trent Lott who are trying to shut down the federal government. What a bunch of hypocrits.
Posted by: Ug | Aug 29, 2005 10:35:53 PM
The true sadness of the whole situation is that someone like "Ug" above can use the occasion of uncontrollable nature to make a stupid political comment utterly dismissive of the resulting tragedies and havoc wrought by this occasion. And even then only behind a false name. This is neither bravery nor rationality.
Posted by: cathar | Aug 29, 2005 10:52:43 PM
Hey, Daniella, sending good thoughts your way. I also have a friend who works @ Tulane and have not been able to get through, either. Please keep us posted.
Posted by: Miss Martta | Aug 30, 2005 6:55:41 AM
As someone who is moved by the hurricane-forced horrors we now see in MS, AL and LA, but also as someone who during his Army days wasn't all that impressed by the Red Cross (and remains that way for several reasons), may I also suggest both Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army in those states as outlets for donations from Baristaville?
My own check (despite my core Papistness) will go via the Sallies, I think, because they seem to present so well a relatively "pure" commitment to charitable good works. It sure looks rough as hell down there, and to watch the coverage is to weep in sympathy.
Posted by: cathar | Aug 30, 2005 10:55:52 AM
Ug, go to hell. This is a weather tragedy of unprecedented horror(in this country, anyway) not the time to be making political statements. I am personally not a fan of the Right, but this is neither the time nor the post to comment on it.
Posted by: daniella | Aug 30, 2005 11:49:32 AM
Although I blow off most of Cathar's comments as pompous, I agree with him in his assessment of the Red Cross. My contribution, too, is going to Salvation Army.
Posted by: Bob | Aug 30, 2005 1:35:17 PM
Or are the words I use simply too big for you, Bob? Or too conservative in nature? See you at the next soul-saving rally anyway, and don't forget your tambourine.
Posted by: cathar | Aug 30, 2005 2:20:04 PM
I agree with Cathar's posts here more often than not, but I'm afraid my fellow "Bob" has a point. I suspect that even Cathar must find Cathar pompous at times!
"Bobs" of the world, unite!
Posted by: (a different) bob | Aug 30, 2005 3:35:54 PM
Actually, "a different Bob", I also find myself in agreement at times with Cathar and have quite a few things in common including being a Vietnam veteran. Cathar just assumed certain traits about me just because I accused him of being pompous.
Posted by: bob | Aug 30, 2005 4:05:20 PM
Actually, "a different Bob", I also find myself in agreement at times with Cathar and have quite a few things in common including being a Vietnam veteran. Cathar just assumed certain traits about me just because I accused him of being pompous.
Posted by: bob | Aug 30, 2005 4:06:34 PM
What do you call a guy in the ocean with no arms and legs? Bob.
Posted by: Miss Martta | Aug 30, 2005 9:06:24 PM
And bob's your uncle! (I don't have the slightest idea what it means, never will, but I hope it doesn't sound pompous.)
Posted by: cathar | Aug 30, 2005 10:46:11 PM
I have also been a "victim" of Cathar. I find his verbal/grammatical masturbation is pompous to say the least, but much fun. Montclair really does have too many writers. And I love how he labels anything lefty or liberal as naive or idiotic, in that antagonistic, smarty-pants Sean Hannity sort of way. Like we are all stupid. His outing of Franklin is ironic...
Posted by: the summer of noise | Aug 30, 2005 11:52:25 PM
If everyone is done bashing cathar- can we return to the topic?
I find this news bit astounding- today,
State Dept officials said that they were so far, not aware of ANY offers of foreign aid to victims of this disaster. None.
Posted by: Pam | Aug 31, 2005 12:48:20 AM
Gee, summer of noise, I don't recall offering constructive criticism to anyone of that name. Are you another of those posters who uses multiple names?
And of course the left is both naive and idiotic. Why else, for example, would those fools have belonged to the Communist Party USA for so many years? Why is it even still in existence?
I haven't "outed" Franklin in any way, sense or fashion. He'll continue to baffle people, I'm sure.
Posted by: cathar | Aug 31, 2005 7:28:54 AM
Cathar:
Yes, you have. And it is not constructive.
You seem to enjoy getting folks worked up, which is exactly what you accused Franklin of doing. Except you are brave enough to use one name all the time.
Not everyone who considers themselves leftist or liberal a member of that party. That's like me saying that everyone on the right cares about no one but themselves and their agenda.
Posted by: the summer of noise | Aug 31, 2005 11:21:54 AM
Summer of noise, I attempt to calm liberals and lefties down by helping to point out the fallacies in their arguments. They've already probably all reached their personal boiling points by the time they post here. And it doesn't help either their marshaled "facts" or their knowledge of historical context one bit for them to post in so riled a fashion.
What never ceases to amaze me here is how the most foolish leftwing sort of thinking can be tossed out as if it's Divinely inspired, and correspondingly that conservative-sounding viewpoints so outrage people. Such outraged sorts don't want anyone to be "constructive," either, but rather to have their own smugness and pettiness assuaged by others, and when it isn't they get plenty mad. This is not a crowd equally happy to leaf through both The Nation and The American Spectator, in other words.
There genuinely do seem to be people in Baristaville who'd be happy to practice "repressive tolerance," and that should bother both of us.
And I haven't "outed" Franklin. I simply noted that he/she doesn't use a consistent email address. Or even a real one. Me, and likely thee, may thus discern a pattern of sorts there, may even have our suspicions. But that doesn't constitute outing by a long shot.
I do so miss ROC, by the way. I hope you do too, because if you do, then you got my basic point above.
Posted by: cathar | Aug 31, 2005 11:22:20 PM
