Shot or Fired?

As in, Someone Oughta Be...

So FEMA says, hey, we didn't know. We didn't know until a day
or so ago that people had been told to congregate at the Super-
dome in New Orleans for assistance. We didn't know that place
was being used as a staging center. Oh really? Yeah, I can under-
stand that. Until yesterday, I didn't know that my left hand also
has five fingers. You know, just like MY RIGHT HAND.

I mean, how could you NOT know. Everyone else in the United
States knew. DAYS AGO. LIKE THE ENTIRE TIME. Don't you
guys fucking watch CNN? Read a newspaper? Take a gander at
MSNBC? FOX? Any bloody news channel at all? I mean, did
you just miss the news stories - "Thousands wait at the Super-
dome and the Covention Center for Assistance?" What the Fuck?

You're the damn government for God's sake! The entire nation
has been watching this unfold on tv for days by God. Are you
dense? Do you not have a water boy or someone you can assign
to keep in touch with the news then maybe waft it up to you
there in the clouds? You know, messages from that land called
REALITY. The place where the rest of us live?

Oh and by the way, this makes me feel all warm and
snuggly about our government's ability to have its finger
right on the pulse of the threat of terrorist cells within
the United States. I mean, the superdome situation was
all over the airwaves in living color. Terrorist cells don't
announce themselves until it is too late.

We've got a guy who works in the back, dropped out of
school in the sixth grade? He knew about the superdome
situation. Apparently before FEMA. So if we are paying
these "educated" disaster planners inflated salaries to
come up with real-time solutions for catastrophic events,
by God they should have more information than the high
school drop out who runs errands for the dock guys at the
back of our building. Or better yet, I can give you his phone
number. He kept up with the information in a more timely
manner than you did, FEMA, and he could use a raise.

p.s. please, if you can, give to the Red Cross or another major
relief organization. unlike FEMA, they are helpful and first on
the spot in times of trouble. if you don't have money, donate
your time, clothing, blood, furniture or whatever else you have
that they might need. Feed the children is another very good
organization.

At any rate, if you are wanting to contribute in some form or
fashion, this is an excellent umbrella website. Its called net-
work for good. The following page is all about Katrina and it
has links to the Red Cross, Salvation Army, Feed The Chidren
and any number of other quality charitable agencies:

Network For Good Katrina Page

But also, just because its always good to give, not just during
times of natural disaster, this is a neat website because you can
go to the homepage and put in your state and it can match you
with volunteer and/or donation opportunities:

Network For Good

And just to close this blog, which has gone on entirely too damn
long as it is. I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but before I
got into the fascinating world of post animated chicken parts, I
used to be a social worker. So... I like to help people, and alter-
nately, its difficult for me to watch people suffer. About all of
the people still left in New Orleans, those stuck at the Superdome,
I have been as guilty as the next person as saying, "Why didn't
they just evacuate?

I mean, I have to admit to being guilty of thinking that at first. But
I can't help but think that many of those who didn't leave, couldn't.
Lack of finances, or vehicles, or in some cases even basic mobility
itself caused many people to have to stay where they were. Its not
as easy to get out of New Orleans as one might imagine. If one DOES
happen to have a vehicle, it takes a while just to DRIVE out. But I'm
guessing that many of the people left behind did not have such trans-
portation. And many were sick and elderly. So just one more time:
FEMA - Shame on you. Get your act together and get these people
into some better circumstances - and soon.