[typoon]

Forget about the celebs. Now we're talkin. Some major coporatations are donating. Who said big business was evil?

http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/31/news...cane/index.htm

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Corporations are contributing millions of dollars in relief aid to help cope with the destruction left by Hurricane Katrina. The following is a list of companies that have taken steps to provide aid to those in need of funds, food and medicine following Monday's storm:

Amerada Hess said it would contribute $1 million to the American Red Cross for its disaster relief efforts in responding to Hurricane Katrina. In addition, the company will match individual employee donations to the Red Cross.

American Airlines flew 85,000 pounds of bottled water and nonperishable food items donated by the airline to New Orleans. American also picked up some of its own employees, other airlines' employees and stranded travelers and flew them to Dallas/Fort Worth.

Anheuser-Busch said it shipped 12,600 cases of drinking water for the Red Cross to distribute to victims in affected areas of Louisiana.

Bayer Corp. has committed $2 million in cash and product donations and will match employee donations to the Red Cross.

BI-LO/Bruno's supermarkets will match up to $25,000 in employee and customer donations to the American Red Cross.

Exxon Mobil will donate $2 million to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund. It is also donating fuel to government responders.

Fannie Mae has mortgage relief provisions in place for borrowers in Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida and other states facing hardships as a result of widespread damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.

Food Lion said it would accept customer donations to the Red Cross and will send a truckload of bottled water to the area.

Ford Motor Credit Company is offering customers affected by Hurricane Katrina the opportunity to defer up to two vehicle payments.

Freddie Mac has extended its mortgage relief policies for borrowers affected by Hurricane Katrina in locations declared major disaster areas by President Bush.

General Motors is contributing $400,000 to the American Red Cross and matching employee donations up to $250,000. GM will also donate 25 vehicles for use by the American Red Cross.

Harrah's Entertainment will establish an Employee Recovery Fund of $1 million and will provide Biloxi, Gulfport and New Orleans casino employees with their regularly scheduled base pay for up to 90 days.

Home Depot will donate $1.5 million to various relief organizations, including the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army. The home improvement retailer will set up six temporary support centers to provide reconstruction materials.

JPMorgan Chase will donate $1 million to the American Red Cross and will match employee donations up to $1 million.

Lowe's Companies will match in-store customer contributions up to $1 million. The company said it has truckloads of emergency supplies staged and ready for relief efforts along the Gulf Coast. Lowe's also says its more than 1,125 stores nationwide will serve as official cash-donation sites to benefit the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund.

Nissan North America will donate $500,000 to the Red Cross and provide 50 full-size trucks to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency.

Northwest Airlines will deliver hurricane relief supplies, including water, hand towels and batteries.

Office Depot pledged to contribute $1 million to the American Red Cross.

Southwest Airlines is bringing supplies such as ice, bottled water, flashlights and bug spray. The airline also picked up about 20 to 40 evacuees.

Target announced a $1.5 million donation to the American Red Cross. The company said in a statement that it was also coordinating the distribution of essential relief products requested by the Red Cross, including water, ice, energy bars and bug spray.

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans has pledged $1 million to Lutheran relief agencies and will match member contributions.

United Airlines will give 500 frequent flier miles to anyone who donates $50 or more to the Red Cross, AmeriCares or Operation USA. The airline is also planning a relief flight with food and supplies.

Wal-Mart Stores says it will donate $1 million to the Salvation Army for relief assistance such as meals for victims and emergency and rescue personnel.

Winn-Dixie announced a program called "Neighbors Helping Neighbors," in which people can make donations in its Southeast stores for Hurricane Katrina victims.

[olePigeon]

Originally Posted by BoomStick

Because the highest percentage of the homeless and dead are black, that's why.

So true.

[PacHead]

Originally Posted by Warung

This is just completely sickening.

Thank you.

Please use a barf bag and aim straight up.

Thank you.

[ghporter]

Tsunami = horrendous devastation. Loss of life is part of the equation but not the whole thing. New Orleans is also only a part of the disaster. Look at Mississippi. For the three county region most affected, which is something like 90 miles of coastline, Gov. Barber said "from the beach to the railroad" (think of it as an average of half a mile) "905 of the buildings are destroyed. Not damaged, just not there." Ok, so 45 square miles of TOTAL DESTRUCTION is a pretty big thing, right? And even though the loss of life is not in the tens of thousands there, the impact on HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of people certainly is.

I'd like to see a lot of celebs get into the "let's help out" mode right away-but I do remember that it was more like three or four days after the tsunami that things actually got cranked up.

And as has been discussed in another thread, signing and complying with Kyoto would have done exactly JACK to even slightly have an impact on THIS STORM. Anyone who thinks that the president's concern about equity (Kyoto basically lets China burn the dirtiest coal in the world freely, but penalizes the U.S. for not reducing already diminishing emissions faster) means there is no concern about how the climate affects everyone should rethink his or her position.

[Chuckmcd]

I live in Baton Rouge. Over 1 million people were evacuated from New Orleans (alone, just that one city). I just got power back this morning, and to see the images of the city I lived in until about 2 years ago... it's shocking. The apartment I was in (on the third floor) is nearly flooded from what I've been told. There are several local officials questioning if New Orleans will ever be rebuilt, and the mayor has said it would be 12-16 weeks before anyone could come back into the city.

This is one city, west of the storm... the most wind damage (as was mentioned) was east of here. Before the cell phone went down I was talking a friend in Tallahassee FL, and they were experiencing hard rain and wind gusts there. That's storm that would take 8 hours to drive across.

I don't want to downplay the tsunami, but don't think that this storm's impact isn't comparable. They are flooding in VA!? A small girl there fell into a ditch and was swept away before anyone could save her. The death toll here may not equal the same, but the suffering is very real, and very widespread.

[Pendergast]

How important is it to compare?

People need help, period! Let's stop the stupid competing victimisation, and give the respect human beings deserve.

[Atomic Rooster]

Originally Posted by Pendergast

How important is it to compare?

People need help, period! Let's stop the stupid competing victimisation, and give the respect human beings deserve.

That's what happens when Cody starts her whining and trolling threads that only invite flaming and crap throwing.

[wowway1]

Makes me sick to see the people suffering, knowing that help is mobilizing yet it isn't coming fast enough for these people. All I could say watching the coverage this evening on the news, and seeing people on the highway bridges begging for help is why are we sending in supplies any way possible? It seems more people are talking about helping than is actually showing up. I know it's a logistical nightmare down there, but when you have 400+ private boats showing up in New Orleans to help rescue people, why can't you get water and food down there?

I'm unemployed right now, and I'm serious thinking about leaving my wife who works full time and our two small children here to go down and stay and help any way I can. I'm 1500 miles away. Makes me sick to think if I was down there with my 3 year old, my 1-1/2 year old and my wife, and if I was in that situation by no fault of my own. Most of these people are there because they couldn't AFFORD to leave.

[Cody Dawg]

What I'd like to see is people tell us, announce if you will, that they have donated to Red Cross at www.redcross.org or that they've done something to help. You don't have to mention an amount, just that you took the time to make a donation, that's all. I remember that MacNStein gave many thousands of dollars to the tsunami relief (if I remember correctly) and we all can't be MacNStein, but if everyone donates a buck or two then that will help tremendously.

[Pendergast]

Originally Posted by wowway1

Makes me sick to see the people suffering, knowing that help is mobilizing yet it isn't coming fast enough for these people. All I could say watching the coverage this evening on the news, and seeing people on the highway bridges begging for help is why are we sending in supplies any way possible? It seems more people are talking about helping than is actually showing up. I know it's a logistical nightmare down there, but when you have 400+ private boats showing up in New Orleans to help rescue people, why can't you get water and food down there?

I'm unemployed right now, and I'm serious thinking about leaving my wife who works full time and our two small children here to go down and stay and help any way I can. I'm 1500 miles away. Makes me sick to think if I was down there with my 3 year old, my 1-1/2 year old and my wife, and if I was in that situation by no fault of my own. Most of these people are there because they couldn't AFFORD to leave.

If you do go there, don't go on your own. Go to the Red Cross and offer yourself there. If you go down there, you may add to the complications people are facing now. Better be part of a structure than add to the chaos.

My 2 cents.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

What I'd like to see is people tell us, announce if you will, that they have donated to Red Cross at www.redcross.org or that they've done something to help.

Cody, I did some research today about where I could donate blood for the Red Cross-and there isn't anything set up for that yet, at least in San Antonio. I'm hoping that there will be before the weekend.

I encourage EVERYONE to go to the nearest Red Cross blood donor center and donate, even if they don't say it's needed for Katrina relief. Blood supplies usually dry up in the summer and around the end-of-year holidays (from before Thanksgiving to after New Years), so donating can't hurt. And even if they say "no thanks," at least you tried. I'll report back when I've found where to donate for Katrina here in SA-after I donate.

On a similar note, there is a major regional Air Force hospital on Keesler AFB in Biloxi. Or at least there was. A lot of their patients have been evacuated to San Antonio because of the devastation. If you have access to a military base, I guarantee they WILL need blood at Keesler, so go ahead and donate for them. This may be the way I donate.

[Chuckmcd]

Originally Posted by Pendergast

How important is it to compare?

People need help, period! Let's stop the stupid competing victimisation, and give the respect human beings deserve.

Sorry, I wasn't trying to compare... Is it any easier to tell a woman in Virginia that her daughter is gone than it is someone in New Orleans or on the other side of the world?

My point was that this is a huge disaster... and these people here are hurting.

[strictlyplaid]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

What I'd like to see is people tell us, announce if you will, that they have donated to Red Cross at www.redcross.org or that they've done something to help.

Great, now the thread can turn into a litmus test of moral worth, with Cody Dawg sitting as judge and the MacNN Conservative Peanut Gallery providing a running commentary.

The conservative and dare I say Christian thing to do is to help out, and give the glory to God without thought for your own pride.

Cody, if your belief system says that horrendous natural disasters are a lovely time to throw mud at "the liberal/Hollywood/left-wing/whatever elite", I want no part of it.

[Pendergast]

Originally Posted by strictlyplaid

Great, now the thread can turn into a litmus test of moral worth, with Cody Dawg sitting as judge and the MacNN Conservative Peanut Gallery providing a running commentary.

The conservative and dare I say Christian thing to do is to help out, and give the glory to God without thought for your own pride.

Cody, if your belief system says that horrendous natural disasters are a lovely time to throw mud at "the liberal/Hollywood/left-wing/whatever elite", I want no part of it.

I think Cody Dawg's point is that people who can spare some should not hesitate to do so. Doing it publicly is an incentive for some.

For others, it is not. I am not into public advertising of money I can give or not and people should not feel pressurized to do so by any other reasons but their goodwill and hability to do it.

[SVass]

Remember that this catastrophe occurred because nature did its thing AND
1) a man made levee failed
2) people built homes and businesses (on the Gulf Coast) without obeying common sense design principles
3) government stopped enforcing regulations and protecting the citizens

Hollywood liberals had nothing to do with these things. Short term greed contributed to this disaster.

[ghporter]

Originally Posted by strictlyplaid

Great, now the thread can turn into a litmus test of moral worth, with Cody Dawg sitting as judge and the MacNN Conservative Peanut Gallery providing a running commentary.

The conservative and dare I say Christian thing to do is to help out, and give the glory to God without thought for your own pride.

Cody, if your belief system says that horrendous natural disasters are a lovely time to throw mud at "the liberal/Hollywood/left-wing/whatever elite", I want no part of it.

I personally think it's much better to do SOMETHING than to just jawbone about a problem. What worth is there in talking about a disaster? Other than to help, I can't think of a single reason to talk about it. Ragging Cody for suggesting that people DO something certainly doesn't help. Have YOU done anything to help? Even researching phone numbers or web sites for various support agencies would be some help.

And I'd hate to think that MacNN has a reputation as being conservative! After some of the posts I've read here, Anarchist is a more likely label! To me, Cody was more making a point about "celebrities" in general, not their politics.

This disaster is personal for a lot of us-I lived in Biloxi for almost ten years in two separate assignments to Keesler AFB, my wife got her nursing degree there, I got my BS there...it's part of our lives. But it's also close to home for a lot of us because it IS home-it's in the U.S., not somewhere far away. I would think ANYONE in the U.S. would want to help in some way, and the various celebrities who made a big point of getting a lot of press with their aid to the tsunami relief efforts really should think about what kind of light NOT doing something here puts them in.

[DigitalEl]

Posted by our favourite social scientist, CodyDawg:
I can afford it, so anyone here who hates the United States and our president, let me know. I'll put up $10K for you to move away - and that isn't a joke.

Frak you! I do hate your president and I couldn't care less about bein' all proud of this nation right now. But I have every right to feel that way... And I'll keep on staying here, paying my taxes and doing as I please. If you don't like it, vent to Fox News, Rush or whoever else you look forward to. There are millions of people who don't agree with the freedom fries crowd and we aren't going anywhere. It's funny how out one side of your mouths, you speak of freedom and your rights and what-not, but with the same breath, you're ready to persecute/prosecute and/or send away anyone who doesn't goose-step in line with your warped way of thinking.

Mods, if this doesn't belong in the political lounge, I don't know what thread does.

[Cody Dawg]

Thanks, ghporter.

What I'm also thinking is that grassroots organizations are going to contribute in a huge way. That means your local church, Salvation Army, local chapter of the Red Cross, etc. ghporter, that was great trying to donate blood. I heard today that in the coming weeks blood is going to be a priceless commodity as people become ill from the aftermath.

I wish I could help. I would drive up there and try to help myself, but I don't know what I could do - physically - to help. I am afraid I would only get stranded or end up in a bad situation myself. It's a very difficult proposition.

If there was a place online to offer a home to a family I'd invite them to come and stay with us down here in South Florida. Heck, my husband could even give them a job to help earn some money. It's just getting the information to them that is so difficult.

What a nightmare.

[strictlyplaid]

Originally Posted by ghporter

I personally think it's much better to do SOMETHING than to just jawbone about a problem. What worth is there in talking about a disaster? Other than to help, I can't think of a single reason to talk about it. Ragging Cody for suggesting that people DO something certainly doesn't help.

I cannot argue with the value of helping out. But Cody wasn't suggesting that we stop jawboning and help out. She started this thread about blaming "the Hollywood elite" after all. In fact, she said:

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

What I'd like to see is people tell us, announce if you will, that they have donated to Red Cross...

The emphasis added is mine.

Of course, you know quite well what she meant:

Originally Posted by ghporter

Have YOU done anything to help? Even researching phone numbers or web sites for various support agencies would be some help.

Thanks for the info. I'll tell you what: I donated half my weekly pay to the relief effort before I read NN tonight after seeing the CBS report on the devastation. Are you happy now? Am I qualified to discuss? Does this affect in any way anyone's prejudices against left-wing social-welfare-loving atheist college professors, such as myself? Can I rest assured that I have Cody Dawg's seal of approval?



Upon reflection, I need to take a break from the NN for a while.

[swrate]

10,100,1000,10000 stars,
oooh
I wonder if the apathy of the stars/masses comes from the way the Media presents the situation, and i feel the Government may be not wanting to alarm and cause fear within the population.

After 9/11, the first casualty numbers presented on our news here were 50 000, whereas in this tragedy, the numbers brought this morning! (2 days later) were around 80.… in Europe this year we had 100 or more gone from winds and floods and storms. In Switzerland, Bern and Lucerne were under the water, (just one week causes a lot of damage, & it may be five times longer with Katrina )a few drowned this summer, and in Romania the disaster, mud and floods, wiped away small villages. So the reaction or lack of reaction is due to the little information about the gravity of the situations. From this side, the Hurricane seemed nowhere neat the Tsunami, and parts of Europe just went through severe floodings after violent storms.
Katerina was announced 5, then 4, then 3, so people stopped worrying. (generalization)

I am surprised the situation is nearly zapped, at least in my opinion. I always felt bad for Louisiana, losing every day acres of land, the poor parent of the US, down the statistics in most fields, and now this... the Pentagon refused to spend money on the planned levees, & the state was too poor to pay for herself. now this vulnerable "outcasts" all over.

Looking at sky maps one is forced to realize how awful this tragedy is and the consequences it will have, fear and survival instinct develops., groups of people move around, others live in bad conditions, this creates tensions, illness death.
When the tsunami hit, Medias were covering sometimes non-stop the horror, interrupting regular programs, for Katrina, hardly any reports. 100? It would be a relief if the number stopped there.
Little coverage, why? After 9/11 day we were a long time without really knowing anything.
100 seems to me an under estimation. Anyway,
See what happened in Iraq today, 800, 900?
Losing lives.
Losing land
Losing $$$$

We are used to information going fast, in this case, lack of electricity, water food and comfort, it must be difficult and terrible on the ground, to move and to communicate.
Media has cheated us into thinking it was not « that bad »
I don’t think anyone knows and will know for a few weeks,
GWBush did not ask for international help, but he did ask for national support, so now, "stars" can get involved

[Link]

Originally Posted by BlueSky

G' morning folks! ...what was I gonna say...hmm..oh yeah:

You're all morons!

'k, bye.

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by wowway1

I'm unemployed right now, and I'm serious thinking about leaving my wife who works full time and our two small children here to go down and stay and help any way I can. I'm 1500 miles away. Makes me sick to think if I was down there with my 3 year old, my 1-1/2 year old and my wife, and if I was in that situation by no fault of my own. Most of these people are there because they couldn't AFFORD to leave.

Do not go to New Orleans or any other affected area, unless you have rescue training and certification or you can personally bring large numbers of supplies (more than you probably can, unless you have access to huge trucks).

No, seriously. If you haven't got the proper training, you're not going to be much help, and you may even become a liability if you get into a situation where you're the one who needs rescuing. They've already ordered anyone without training out of the area, and that means people from other places too.

For those of us who aren't already there, the best thing we can do is donate to the people who are there. It's best to send money to reputable relief organizations. Shipping goods is expensive (not a good thing when the organizations have to pay the cost), and they've gotten very good at purchasing what they need from nearby areas, usually at such deep discounts that they probably pay less than you would. The American Red Cross is a good choice, but their Website is so overloaded that you may have trouble donating through there. However, their New York chapter is also taking donations for Katrina victims, and their site seems to be in much better shape. The International Red Cross may also work, but they don't yet have a site set up for Katrina-specific donations, and donating to the American Red Cross will probably get your funds there faster anyway (just fewer steps in the process; I don't mean to imply anything negative about the IRC).

[xi_hyperon]

Wow. Only 3 pages so far of political, snide bullsh*t and horn-tooting. This thread has so far to go. Amazing how some here can use the worst of tragedies as an opportunity to jump on the soapbox for attention.

Time to leave this crapfest of a place for awhile.

[ThinkInsane]

I can tolerate a lot of foolishness, but nothing angers me like hypocrisy.

If you are going to castigate celebrities for not bucking to help the victims of this disaster, and yet in the same thread offer a combined total of $20,000 to have some random **** move out of the country, I've got a problem with that. You two need to take your $20,000, go to one of those corporations listed above that's matching donations dollar for dollar, and do some ****ing good with it for those that just got devastated by this storm. People have lost everything. Do you understand what that means? And the best you can do is make a ridiculous offer to buy someone a one way ticket because they aren't doing enough. How ****ing dare you? You two should be ashamed of yourselves.

[Dale Sorel]

Originally Posted by BoomStick

Because the highest percentage of the homeless and dead are black, that's why.

Oh yea, and there are no black actors in the world

[Hawkeye_a]

Cody,
Are you always this 'negative' ? like ive never seen you start a positive thread on anything...it's always some sort of accusation or condemnation or complaint.

Either way...apparent differences:
-Tsunami
no warning, places effected were in the third word, and over 100k people killed

-Katrina
there were warning, places effected are in the richest nation in the world, around 1k people estimated to be killed at this point.

As far as movie stars..... how about having the oil companies keep prices stable during the state of emergency ? i reckon that would help a heck of a lot more right now than charity.

Cheers

[Demonhood]

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8441

hey look, celebrities helping out.

now can we finally have an end to this "the political opposite of me is so inhuman and evil that they hate everything i hold dear. even human life!!" crap?

[Warung]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I can afford it, so anyone here who hates the United States and our president, let me know.

Does that include people who "hate" the US because of "your" moronic president (and dim witted neonazicon hacks like you)?

[rocky2]

Snip;
Read the article. This has NOTHING to do with George Bush. It's a natural disaster, the same as a tsunami, and people are suffering and dying. It's terrible.

Hey Cody Dawg,
Read THIS long article carefully and then tell us Bush had nothing to do with this disaaster.

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/inte...372455,00.html


"No One Can Say they Didn't See it Coming"

By Sidney Blumenthal

In 2001, FEMA warned that a hurricane striking New Orleans was one of the three most likely disasters in the U.S. But the Bush administration cut New Orleans flood control funding by 44 percent to pay for the Iraq war.

Biblical in its uncontrolled rage and scope, Hurricane Katrina has left millions of Americans to scavenge for food and shelter and hundreds to thousands reportedly dead. With its main levee broken, the evacuated city of New Orleans has become part of the Gulf of Mexico. But the damage wrought by the hurricane may not entirely be the result of an act of nature.

A year ago the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposed to study how New Orleans could be protected from a catastrophic hurricane, but the Bush administration ordered that the research not be undertaken. After a flood killed six people in 1995, Congress created the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Project, in which the Corps of Engineers strengthened and renovated levees and pumping stations. In early 2001, the Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a report stating that a hurricane striking New Orleans was one of the three most likely disasters in the U.S., including a terrorist attack on New York City. But by 2003 the federal funding for the flood control project essentially dried up as it was drained into the Iraq war. In 2004, the Bush administration cut funding requested by the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for holding back the waters of Lake Pontchartrain by more than 80 percent. Additional cuts at the beginning of this year (for a total reduction in funding of 44.2 percent since 2001) forced the New Orleans district of the Corps to impose a hiring freeze. The Senate had debated adding funds for fixing New Orleans' levees, but it was too late.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune, which before the hurricane published a series on the federal funding problem, and whose presses are now underwater, reported online: "No one can say they didn't see it coming ... Now in the wake of one of the worst storms ever, serious questions are being asked about the lack of preparation."

The Bush administration's policy of turning over wetlands to developers almost certainly also contributed to the heightened level of the storm surge. In 1990, a federal task force began restoring lost wetlands surrounding New Orleans. Every two miles of wetland between the Crescent City and the Gulf reduces a surge by half a foot. Bush had promised "no net loss" of wetlands, a policy launched by his father's administration and bolstered by President Clinton. But he reversed his approach in 2003, unleashing the developers. The Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental Protection Agency then announced they could no longer protect wetlands unless they were somehow related to interstate commerce.

In response to this potential crisis, four leading environmental groups conducted a joint expert study, concluding in 2004 that without wetlands protection New Orleans could be devastated by an ordinary, much less a Category 4 or 5, hurricane. "There's no way to describe how mindless a policy that is when it comes to wetlands protection," said one of the report's authors. The chairman of the White House's Council on Environmental Quality dismissed the study as "highly questionable," and boasted, "Everybody loves what we're doing."

"My administration's climate change policy will be science based," President Bush declared in June 2001. But in 2002, when the Environmental Protection Agency submitted a study on global warming to the United Nations reflecting its expert research, Bush derided it as "a report put out by a bureaucracy," and excised the climate change assessment from the agency's annual report. The next year, when the EPA issued its first comprehensive "Report on the Environment," stating, "Climate change has global consequences for human health and the environment," the White House simply demanded removal of the line and all similar conclusions. At the G-8 meeting in Scotland this year, Bush successfully stymied any common action on global warming. Scientists, meanwhile, have continued to accumulate impressive data on the rising temperature of the oceans, which has produced more severe hurricanes.

In February 2004, 60 of the nation's leading scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates, warned in a statement, "Restoring Scientific Integrity in Policymaking": "Successful application of science has played a large part in the policies that have made the United States of America the world's most powerful nation and its citizens increasingly prosperous and healthy ... Indeed, this principle has long been adhered to by presidents and administrations of both parties in forming and implementing policies. The administration of George W. Bush has, however, disregarded this principle ... The distortion of scientific knowledge for partisan political ends must cease." Bush completely ignored this statement.

In the two weeks preceding the storm in the Gulf, the trumping of science by ideology and expertise by special interests accelerated. The Federal Drug Administration announced that it was postponing sale of the morning-after contraceptive pill, despite overwhelming scientific evidence of its safety and its approval by the FDA's scientific advisory board. The United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa accused the Bush administration of responsibility for a condom shortage in Uganda -- the result of the administration's evangelical Christian agenda of "abstinence." When the chief of the Bureau of Justice Statistics in the Justice Department was ordered by the White House to delete its study that African-Americans and other minorities are subject to racial profiling in police traffic stops and he refused to buckle under, he was forced out of his job. When the Army Corps of Engineers' chief contracting oversight analyst objected to a $7 billion no-bid contract awarded for work in Iraq to Halliburton (the firm at which Vice President Cheney was formerly CEO), she was demoted despite her superior professional ratings. At the National Park Service, a former Cheney aide, a political appointee lacking professional background, drew up a plan to overturn past environmental practices and prohibit any mention of evolution while allowing sale of religious materials through the Park Service.

On the day the levees burst in New Orleans, Bush delivered a speech in Colorado comparing the Iraq war to World War II and himself to Franklin D. Roosevelt: "And he knew that the best way to bring peace and stability to the region was by bringing freedom to Japan." Bush had boarded his very own "Streetcar Named Desire."

Sidney Blumenthal, a former assistant and senior advisor to President Clinton and the author of "The Clinton Wars," is writing a column for Salon and the Guardian of London.

[Eynstyn]

Originally Posted by BlueSky

G' morning folks! ...what was I gonna say...hmm..oh yeah:

You're all morons!

'k, bye.

You are one funny motha focker.

[ThinkInsane]

Originally Posted by rocky2

Snip;
Read the article. This has NOTHING to do with George Bush. It's a natural disaster, the same as a tsunami, and people are suffering and dying. It's terrible.

Hey Cody Dawg,
Read THIS long article carefully and then tell us Bush had nothing to do with this disaaster.

http://service.spiegel.de/cache/inte...372455,00.html


"No One Can Say they Didn't See it Coming"

By Sidney Blumenthal

*snip*
In the two weeks preceding the storm in the Gulf, the trumping of science by ideology and expertise by special interests accelerated. The Federal Drug Administration announced that it was postponing sale of the morning-after contraceptive pill, despite overwhelming scientific evidence of its safety and its approval by the FDA's scientific advisory board. The United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa accused the Bush administration of responsibility for a condom shortage in Uganda -- the result of the administration's evangelical Christian agenda of "abstinence." When the chief of the Bureau of Justice Statistics in the Justice Department was ordered by the White House to delete its study that African-Americans and other minorities are subject to racial profiling in police traffic stops and he refused to buckle under, he was forced out of his job. When the Army Corps of Engineers' chief contracting oversight analyst objected to a $7 billion no-bid contract awarded for work in Iraq to Halliburton (the firm at which Vice President Cheney was formerly CEO), she was demoted despite her superior professional ratings. At the National Park Service, a former Cheney aide, a political appointee lacking professional background, drew up a plan to overturn past environmental practices and prohibit any mention of evolution while allowing sale of religious materials through the Park Service.

*snip*

So, these events during the two weeks preceding the storm contributed to the devastation how? Yay! more people willing to use a tremendous human tragedy to shill their stupid political agenda. I'm sure that those that have lost their homes, their jobs, every object of sentimental value, and in some cases their loved ones, take great comfort in the fact that Mr. Blumenthal has used their devastating losses for a chance to make his own political statement. Is it too much to ask that people stop the ridiculous finger pointing for a couple of weeks or so the situation at hand can be dealt with? Believe it or not, some things are more important than partisan politics. No, seriously, it's true.

I'm glad I'm getting paid overtime to carefully read that article, otherwise I'd be annoyed.

[lurkalot]

Originally Posted by Dale Sorel

Oh yea, and there are no black actors in the world

But if there were any would they contribute to relief efforts?

"NEW YORK - Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman has helped organize an online auction to raise funds for disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Katrina." Link

(P.S. Cody Dawg, all you had to do was wait.)

[Atomic Rooster]

Originally Posted by Demonhood

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=8441

hey look, celebrities helping out.

now can we finally have an end to this "the political opposite of me is so inhuman and evil that they hate everything i hold dear. even human life!!" crap?

Just until Cody's next thread.


She does do the odd cute dog thread tho.

[Cody Dawg]

I'm not ashamed of myself for putting up $10K for helping someone move out of the country, ThinkInsane.

It was said in the spirit of a dare because people always say they'll leave and they don't.

Secondly, you have NO IDEA what my contributions to this disaster - or any others are. As a matter of fact, our company donates about $100,000 a year to various local charities and I personally donate time and money to animal rescue along with paying for veterinary care for animals that need help and opening our home to animals that need help. For example, I have personally spent almost $2000 getting the eyes of the little French bulldog fixed. She just had her third surgery and needs one more. That is only one animal. The Pomeranian that went to a new home needed about $500 in care. The Yorkie, Jake, needed about $1000 in care, and so on. I would say that my personal $ contribution to animal rescue, annually, is right around $10K annually and that's my personal expense.

So, don't presume that because we offer $10K here at MacNN to help someone move out - TO SOMEONE WHO SUPPOSEDLY *REALLY* WANTS TO MOVE OUT - it is a bad thing.

I work full time, I raise children, I donate time and money to animal rescue, I donate time and money to a sewing guild to benefit hospice (I also teach people how to use computerized sewing programs at the local college and have written a book telling the same), my husband donates his time to coaching Little League baseball players, and yes, our company is setting up (today in the POS system) a way that locals can make a $3 donation with each and every purchase from our company (we are going to donate $3 of each sale ourselves) to help the hurricane victims. The money is going to go directly to the Red Cross. We have 70 locations and about 100 sales per day at each location or 3000 sales a month per location x 70 so I think that we'll be able to help out a lot.

That is what WE are doing and that is the way that we live our lives. Even our son, who is only 12, takes the time at Christmas to organize a toy drive in order to bring toys down to the Miami Jackson Memorial Burn Unit in Miami, Florida so that the kids there can have presents at the holidays.

And, yes, I still think that Hollywood should be doing a lot more to help raise money to help these people.

Edited to add that, lastly, we personally lost a lot last year when hurricane Frances hammered our home, flattened our cars, and ruined our lives for about a month. After that we went through hurricane Jeanne. The people behind us still have a blue tarp on their roof from Jeanne. Maybe that's why this is particularly upsetting to me: I have lived through it, including flooding and not having food or water, along with my family. Not to this extent, which I think is particularly horrific, but we still experienced it.

[ghporter]

I think the big issues here are that 1) an enormous number of people has been made homeless by a NATURAL DISASTER, 2) finger pointing is a waste of time, since all the fingers are pointing to the past and not something useful for the homeless and destitute in the disaster area, 3) a lot of people WANT to help but are unsure how to do so, and 4) a lot of other people seem to want to step on the backs of the victims of this disaster to toot their political horns.

So here goes with my pretty heavy 2¢ worth. No matter what people do, natural disasters WILL occurr. Last year several areas in the Caribbean Basin were struck repeatedly by hurricanes. This year, Katrina struck. NO human is responsible for either situation. There may now be useful information available to refine scientific models enough to convince leaders that global warming is ongoing and a potential instigator for more and stronger storms, but that doesn't change that the storms HAVE happened already.

If we overnight went back to hunter-gatherer societies worldwide, it would have no measurable effect on the global climate for decades, so arguing about whether or not a gradually implemented climate change agreement could have/should have been signed by any country or group of countries is useless at best.

Anyone who wants to help should start by looking up their local American Red Cross (or your local equivalent if you're not in the States), The Salvation Army, The Society of St Vincent de Paul, or any other large relief organization. As Millenium says, DO NOT just pick up and GO to the Gulf Coast! In the immediate aftermath of any large disaster it takes time to simply sort out what has happened and where to concentrate recovery efforts. Extra, uninvited people would only confuse the situation. If there is a call for help, certainly heed it, but do so intelligently. Added For a start, look at The Biloxi-Gulfport newspaper and particularly the link for "How to Help."

Complaining about the U.S. government at this point, for whatever purpose, is like saying the Jews in Europe asked for the Holocaust, or for that matter that the people of Pompeii asked for Vesuivus to erupt. Believe what you want, but stop griping at people who feel that there is a need to act to help disaster victims. The time for political argument and potential change is AFTER the potentially millions of displaced and destitute victims of this enormous catastrophe have been taken care of.

[monkeybrain]

I have to agree with those here who are wondering why on Earth some of you are taking this opportunity to vent your fury at Hollywood "leftwing" (as a Brit I find it funny what Americans consider left wing, our Conservative party is more left wing than many left wing Americans) celebs. Really this is not the time.

To those who question what the stars are doing, I ask you - what are you doing? To those who are seriously willing to pay thousands of dollars to fly someone out of America I ask - do you really hate people who have different ideas to you so much that you would banish them rather than giving that money to a real good cause?

This hurricane and the tsunami are in no way comparable. One of the reasons why those lefty hollywood celebs (and I should say I hate most of them, greedy vain bastards) gave money to the tsunami was probably to raise its awareness in the American mind, since many international disasters are rapidly forgotten.

[Cody Dawg]

Did you read the post above? My point is that those of us questioning what Hollywood is doing - where is Susan Sarandon, Tim Robbins, and Sean Penn - ARE making sizable contributions.

[Cody Dawg]

Complaining about the U.S. government at this point, for whatever purpose, is like saying the Jews in Europe asked for the Holocaust, or for that matter that the people of Pompeii asked for Vesuivus to erupt. Believe what you want, but stop griping at people who feel that there is a need to act to help disaster victims.

That's why I love you, ghporter. You're always succinct and eloquent at the same time.

I was watching Fox News last night and Aaron Neville (the Neville Brothers) was on television saying that he and Harry Connick Junior and Faith Hill and Tim McGraw were going to give a concert to benefit the victims. The newscaster said, "Is it just going to be you four or more?" Aaron Neville said, "Well, we're trying to make some calls to get more people to come out to the concert."

I found it sad that he was implying that no one was jumping on the bandwagon to give a concert the way they did in London a month ago (or thereabouts) to help these people, that's all.

Maybe it's too soon, that's all.

But, one thing is for sure: ghporter is right when he says that the PEOPLE are the ones that help each other and that it is not good enough to expect the government to fix the problem and that the PEOPLE are the ones that usually help each other long before government ever does.

[Eynstyn]

http://www.besr.org/library/ethicalcharity.htm

A person should not make a public display of the giving of charity [earning for himself social status at the expense of the poor]. If one does show off [with acts of charity] not only do they not get merit for it but are even punished for it".

(Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh Deah section 249; subsection 13, the gloss of the Ramah)

[Troll]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I found it sad that he was implying that no one was jumping on the bandwagon to give a concert the way they did in London a month ago (or thereabouts) to help these people, that's all.

Man, you are so wrong on this one. It's was bad enough when you were calling for the same reaction to Katrina that the tsunami got, but now you're calling for the same reaction to Africa's plight? Live 8 was about issues and suffering and death that make Katrina look like sleep time at the local kindergarten. Get a grip. The tsunami was a once in a century event and it called for an appropriate response. Katrina is not comparable. I understand that people are suffering and it must seem bad to you because of the proximity. But you show that you have absolutely no capacity whatsoever to empathise when you start saying that these people need as much help as tsunami victims or AIDS, malaria and poverty victims in Africa.

Crikey Moses, I cannot believe what I'm seeing here. Next you'll be calling for a telethon every time there's an outbreak of flu in Hickville.

[Millennium]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

I'm not ashamed of myself for putting up $10K for helping someone move out of the country, ThinkInsane.

It was said in the spirit of a dare because people always say they'll leave and they don't.

It's your prerogative, I suppose, but that money could do much more good in the hands of the Red Cross right now. If you want to finance your little dare, might I suggest doing it at a time when the money is not desperately needed elsewhere?

Secondly, you have NO IDEA what my contributions to this disaster - or any others are. As a matter of fact, our company donates about $100,000 a year to various local charities...

"Our company"... what about you? I wouldn't ask you to donate $100,000 personally -even for most "rich" people that's an awful lot of money- but I don't see where you get off taking the credit for what your workplace donates.

///and I personally donate time and money to animal rescue along with paying for veterinary care for animals that need help and opening our home to animals that need help. For example, I have personally spent almost $2000 getting the eyes of the little French bulldog fixed. She just had her third surgery and needs one more. That is only one animal.

$2000 on one animal, by your own admission. Your devotion is admirable, but it seems rather inefficient.

So, don't presume that because we offer $10K here at MacNN to help someone move out - TO SOMEONE WHO SUPPOSEDLY *REALLY* WANTS TO MOVE OUT - it is a bad thing.

I don't think you are doing a Good Thing at a Bad Time. There are times when it might be appropriate to stage dares like yours, but I'm not sure this is one of those times.

Edited to add that, lastly, we personally lost a lot last year when hurricane Frances hammered our home, flattened our cars, and ruined our lives for about a month. After that we went through hurricane Jeanne. The people behind us still have a blue tarp on their roof from Jeanne. Maybe that's why this is particularly upsetting to me: I have lived through it, including flooding and not having food or water, along with my family. Not to this extent, which I think is particularly horrific, but we still experienced it.

I find it odd, then, that you would choose this particular time to help one person move when you could be helping hundreds survive a situation not unlike the one you survived.

[Millennium]

As others have noted, by the way, ostentatious shows of charity are not good things; they introduce an element of greed into what should be an act of self-sacrifice. For that matter, can karma and compassion truly be measured in dollars?

[ghporter]

There ARE concerts in the works, and it seems that there ARE groups stepping up to do something, though the pace seems pretty slow to some of us. It takes time to work out details, and of course right now things seem to be crawling.

Also, I don't usually crow about my giving-I think of it as a personal thing. But sometimes it takes an example or two to overcome the inertial that's common after a disaster. People are numb and don't know what to do, but they can follow an example, or use it to spur themselves on to do something else.

[Troll]

Originally Posted by Millennium

Can karma and compassion truly be measured in dollars?

I don't know. But I'm prepared to be a guinea pig for the sake of science. Cody, why don't you just send me the $20,000 and we can test the hypothesis.

[Shaddim]

Originally Posted by Warung

Does that include people who "hate" the US because of "your" moronic president (and dim witted neonazicon hacks like you)?

^^ and above we have a perfect example of a personal attack, stated with venom and the intent of provoking another attack... how original and productive. I have no idea how or why people like this are still members.

[Eynstyn]

Rich man’s burden
Jun 14th 2001
From The Economist print edition

http://www.economist.com/surveys/dis...tory_id=654097

Too much money can be bad for you in all sorts of ways

AN ABUNDANCE of money is no miracle cure for all human ills, as the new rich—like each generation of the wealthy before them—are discovering. What is different this time is that there are so many more of them. As Dinesh D’Souza argues in his fascinating study of the new rich, “The Virtue of Prosperity”, today millions of families “have triumphed against necessity; they are, by any historical standard, rich. So they are ready to pursue happiness, but this is where the problem begins: they don’t know where to find it.”

[strictlyplaid]

Originally Posted by Eynstyn

http://www.besr.org/library/ethicalcharity.htm

A person should not make a public display of the giving of charity [earning for himself social status at the expense of the poor]. If one does show off [with acts of charity] not only do they not get merit for it but are even punished for it".

(Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh Deah section 249; subsection 13, the gloss of the Ramah)

For Christians, I'm also reminded of Jesus' parable of the Pharisee, standing in the temple loudly "praying" and making a big show of his piety and devotion to God. Of course, as Jesus says, the man who quietly asks for forgiveness and does his part is more beloved to God. I'm not one for religion, but I take good ideas where I find them -- and this is one, I think.

Cody, glad to see that you're sending some of what appears to be your sizeable wealth to help out. Now if only you'd just stick to your strengths in discussion -- doggies -- I'd like you.

[Kevin]

Originally Posted by MacNStein

^^ and above we have a perfect example of a personal attack, stated with venom and the intent of provoking another attack... how original and productive. I have no idea how or why people like this are still members.

He has been doing it for months.

[wdlove]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Thanks, ghporter.

What I'm also thinking is that grassroots organizations are going to contribute in a huge way. That means your local church, Salvation Army, local chapter of the Red Cross, etc. ghporter, that was great trying to donate blood. I heard today that in the coming weeks blood is going to be a priceless commodity as people become ill from the aftermath.

I wish I could help. I would drive up there and try to help myself, but I don't know what I could do - physically - to help. I am afraid I would only get stranded or end up in a bad situation myself. It's a very difficult proposition.

If there was a place online to offer a home to a family I'd invite them to come and stay with us down here in South Florida. Heck, my husband could even give them a job to help earn some money. It's just getting the information to them that is so difficult.

What a nightmare.

Hi Cody,

My friend, still miss a chat with you.

I miss the cute dog in your signature. Makes it harder to find your post.

Yes, if everyone contributed something, it would make a huge difference. I'm sure that our church will be taking up a donation on Sunday.

[Powerbook]

Originally Posted by Cody Dawg

Millenium, that is SO true.



WDLove, you and RAILhead have a good thing going and a point in common: Why don't the three of us, collectively, pay to help even ONE person who does not really want to be an American to move away. I can afford it, so anyone here who hates the United States and our president, let me know. I'll put up $10K for you to move away - and that isn't a joke.

I'd love it. And I'd get great publicity from it so maybe I could pay you even more to move away permanently.

I would give money too!!! Here, I found the perfect candidate, a trashy, whiney, b!tchy person without any ability to a deeper or broader train of thoughts, trying to make others responsible for its personal misery and flip-flopping and spamming every day with a new opinion. Help her move to France!!!:
http://forums.macnn.com/showthread.php?t=266206


Pb.