Matthew and family, having survived another scare, are about to move into a new condo and make the following request:
If anyone out there has any Kids DVD’s or Christian books that you no longer need, or any good non fiction books, we could us them for the condo. We are trying to get a good size library started here.
Our address: 2121 El Paseo #1911, Houston, TX 77054
Shira, who opined that Gulf Coasters were being given short shrift in comparison with Iowans (in respect to Katrina and the present Midwest flooding), issues a constructive challenge:
Your web-site linked to my post When the Waters Recede 7:34 AM
Now, I offer a challenge. The Red Cross and other organizations have a very big shortfall. So many from states like Iowa, Missouri, Illinois gave both their time and money to help us after Hurricane Katrina. We along the Mississippi Gulf Coast have already sent Red Cross volunteers and our churches and citizens are collecting money to donate. The city of Gulfport Mississippi is sending relief supplies to Gulfport Illinois.
I’ve written a post http://shirabatsarah.blogspot.com/2008/06/empty-coffers.html on how vital the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and other disaster and volunteer organizations are to an area decimated by a disaster.
I’m hoping this can be made into a challenge to help fill up the empty coffers and help our heartland.
Karen
aka shira—
aka seawitch
Finally, a post that doesn’t require any charity, but which I think ought to have gotten a wider readership was Karl’s masterful Chapter 5 of Beary the Oh!
Few people actually need that sort of help during or shortly after a disaster. And those that do can find it within their community. Asking for books and DVDs and such is bogus. I’ve had to live without power for a week after hurricanes. FEMA ice was all I had to chill my beer with, sniffle, sniffle. The suffering. Pppppp.
It was difficult. Cleaning debris up with a hangover from drinking and singing the torchlight tiki party nights away. Washing socks and undies in a orange bucket of swimming pool water while screaming “if FEMA don’t bring no ice for the beer will have to move to the hard stuff.” Yes, suntan lotion and rum can run in short supply in such disaster inflicted areas. It’s hard, hard to grow a beard and stay drunk for a week while your family worries themselves sick on CNN reports of cholera outbreaks that never happen. Children running around without video games and learning how to act like total yard apes. Oh how they suffered while wrassling and beating each other senseless, like I/we used to do when we were young and had nary a video game. I feel your pain in my liver, lady, you silly poseur.
Read the Matthew Rager links to see what the books and DVDs are for, thor.
I guess it pays to sometimes click a link before head first jumping into screed.
Sorry D.
Consider my post as response to seawitch.
No worries, thor. I thought you were speaking in the 4th person, to tell you the truth.
I will bet that anyone who has ever been through a “disaster”, as CNN calls it, knows exactly what I’m talking about. The most serious disaster in a disaster is when and if the booze runs dry. Anyone can tough it out with a buzz on.
That’s why I’m so sick of those New Orleanians whining, thor.
I hope your serious cause for real I scoff at Katrina victims. Scoff at them I do. In fact I’m doing it right now. This is me scoffing at the Katrina victims. Get over your stupid victimy selves already.
*you’re* is what I meant. Mostly I try to scoff with good grammar, but I guess for stupid victimy Katrina people I can make an exception.
The flood waters didn’t sneak up on anyone. People had time to prepare.
After the last major hurricane here we had to carry the old ladies down the staircases because the elevators were out and get ’em over to the hospital so they could be on their breathers or whatever else. Normal people do all kinds of stuff without the help of FEMA or the Red Cross or CNN reporters, who knew.
I saw some bawlers on CNN wailing “it’s all gone, waaaah!” and I thought to myself they at least should give the same amount of airtime to normal people saying things like “well we got most of our belongings out of the flood zone so now we’re headed back to clean up and help our neighbors do the same. It’ll be OK once we clean up.” But no, everything has to be a heart wrenching disaster of human trauma where old people openly weep and complain. And if you’ve ever seen boxes of donated items, especially the clothes, the contents are embarrassingly lame. It might be the thought that counts but I don’t think donating the shirt you wore when you pulled your transmission is what people are in need of.
This hurricane season, if south east Florida catches another big one, keep those those torn overcoats, those skinny disco belts, the Metallica t-shirts, and keep your broken umbrellas, your broken skateboards and all your other broken hand tools and garbage. Do not put it in a box and write For the Survivors in Boca Raton on it. We will laugh at you and consider you a freaking jackass.
Go to your backyard BBQ’er and donate that Rhino can of gas. We will be BBQ’ing. Go to Home Depot and purchase a couple those outdoor candles that come in the metal buckets, purchasing the ones with mosquito repellent would prove you’re extra sincere. Bottles of tiki torch fuel oil, now you’re a super thinking giver. Place it all in a old Coleman cooler and you’d be an outright hero to someone, and my hero too if you placed a couple bottles of cheap booze and a bag or beef jerky in there. Booze, fuel, jerky and a cooler for the FEMA ice. That strikes to the heart of the needs of the next hurricane survivors.
See that’s good advice that you can really use.
I can hardly wait to get to the drop zone.
Little clarification on the Rager thing. They’re not moving into the condo. They’ve started a charitable foundation and have set the condo up as a place where people (families with sick kids, IIRC) can stay when they’re treating at MD Anderson. They’ve done a lot of short stays there for Matthew’s treatment, with the whole family coming along. So, they went ahead and set up what they wish they’d had available for people who will follow in their footsteps. They’re paying it forward already.
They live in Cali. They’re good peeps.
I agree with thoratlas about the clothing. People sent so many boxes of clothing, warehouses had to be rented. His care package is actually a very good idea.
The meal vans provided much more than hot meals. The people who volunteered their time lifted our morale because we knew we weren’t alone. Also, the hand-full of stores that were open in the days aftert Katrina had very few food items left on the shelves. Many people who did prepare for the hurricane saw all their food and water supplies washed away with their homes. Try to imagine only 5-10 stores open with very little food/water inventory because people cleared the shelves before Katrina and because only emergency and because of the conditions of major highways, railroads, bridges, damaged, new supplies were difficult to ship in. Now try to imagine a population of 400,000 vying for the limited supplies at those handful of stores. Dole was givng away bananas because the terminals at the Port of Gulfport were heavily damaged.
The Salvation Army, the Red Cross, Samaritans Purse, Chabad, and all the other volunteer groups were appreciated and very much needed. And most of those volunteers came from the Mid-West. I want to help those who helped us and are still helping us. I hope no one else in the US has to go through what we in Mississippi and Louisiana have.
It is not an issue of being whiney or not being able to help ourselves. The destruction was massive and even though I’ve been living through it these past 2 1/2 years, I still have a hard time comprehending it. When I’m at work, just standing outside and turning 360 degrees, I see the remains of 7 homes. That is one street corner, multiple that one street corner by 10, then by 10, and that will give you an idea of what we are up against. And that is just the areas close the water. Further inland, like on my street, out of 15 homes, mine was the only one that did not suffer severe roof damage.
I do not consider ourselves to be victims of Hurricane Katrina. I consider ourselves to be resolute in rebuilding the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Those in New Orleans are no different. But you only hear about those complain and have an attitude of entitlement. You don’t hear about the ones like bosses who have not only rebuilt their business but their homes as well. Nor do you hear about people from New Orleans like Rocky and his family who have done the same.
Protein Wisdom does much good in exposing the biased narratives in the news media and in our higher education system. But I wonder how many have stopped to consider the biased reporting of the news media and Hurricane Katrina.
When you hear Hurricane Katrina, what is the first thought that comes to your mind?
I think you’d enjoy a walk through the archives, then. Search for such terms as “Katrina,” “New Orleans,” and “Ray Nagin” and you’ll find a wealth of discussion here.
But for the real gold, search for “robo-Shep.”
Hmmm. Or not. But “Shepard Smith” works.