Hurricane Katrina

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Here in Arkansas we are definitely feeling some of the effects of Hurricane Katrina. We did not get the weather up here, but we are accomodating many refugees, sending volunteers and providing a temporary home for misplaced college students. This is one of those times that I feel that while the media is portraying the event as a tragedy, it is not really being reported for as bad as it is. Personal reports that I've heard make the situation seem pretty grim. I hope and pray for the best. Of course it is cliche, but time will tell what damage was done. It does appear that New Orleans will be out of commission for months. That leaves hundreds of thousands of people homeless.

I will say that this is the real deal. This is a natural tragedy that I don't think modern America has every expected to see. If you are able, please give money or time to the cause. There are hundreds of thousands of humans that need your help...these are all of our neighbors.

Neighbors pt.1

I have always been infatuated with the concept of community. The way I define a community (as simply as I can) is a group of individuals who live together (or in the same vicinity) who share similar values and a similar vision of where they live. A community can be inclusive, a community can be diverse, a community can be made up of individuals who disagree on somethings, but there has to be a common bond. I have dreamed of sitting outside and being able to chat with the people as they walk by because we knew eachother. I think community is something that is missing from so many places, and it is probably the reason that so many of us feel out of place where we are. I honestly do not know if I have really ever seen a true "community". I think the closest thing to it that I have been familiar with is a college residence hall. I know true communities are out there, even here in the United States, the Amish and The Bruderhof come to mind when I think of a true community.

In short of having a true community, I think that there are ways that we can strive to make ourselves (and others) not feel left out. We can make our own community, and we can do that without sharing the same religion, same ethnicity or even same age. However, I struggle with figuring out how to diminish those barriers so that we (all people) can see eachother as similar before we see eachother as different.

Thoughts? Anyone out there? :-)

More to come...

Finally, someone gets it!

From DailyKos:

"I cannot support a failed foreign policy. History teaches us that it is often easier to make war than peace. This administration is just learning that lesson right now. The President began this mission with very vague objectives and lots of unanswered questions. A month later, these questions are still unanswered. There are no clarified rules of engagement. There is no timetable. There is no legitimate definition of victory. There is no contingency plan for mission creep. There is no clear funding program. There is no agenda to bolster our over-extended military. There is no explanation defining what vital national interests are at stake. There was no strategic plan for war when the President started this thing, and there still is no plan today"
--Rep Tom Delay (R-TX)

Oh...wait...he was talking about President Clinton sending US troops to Bosnia...

Propagapalloza 2005!

From The Age as seen on Raw Story, Pentagon announces September 11 concert: "The Pentagon would hold a massive march and country music concert to mark the fourth anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said in an announcement tucked into an Iraq war briefing today.

"This year the Department of Defence will initiate an America Supports Your Freedom Walk," Rumsfeld said, adding that the march would remind people of "the sacrifices of this generation and of each previous generation".

The march will start at the Pentagon, where nearly 200 people died on September 11, 2001, and end at the National Mall with a show by country star Clint Black."

Here is the official website - Freedom Walk

- First, this announcement was "tucked into" a briefing about the war in Iraq...what in the world? Because we have so many links between Iraq and 9/11/01 right?
- Second, since when did the Dept. of Defense get into the concert promotion business? Clear Channel is going to be furious! (note the sarcasm).
- Third, who are we remebering? The victims of 9/11 or the soldiers in Iraq? I am so confused.
- Fourth, if there is going to be country music there better be a tractor pull or monster trucks! (just needed to add that, I have nothing against country music or tractor pulls or monster trucks).
- Finally, so we as taxpayers of the US are going to pay for a concert?? An event were its not even clear what it is really about. Wouldn't that money be better spent on something real? Something not so propaganda like? Heck, doesn't social security need to be fixed or something? Or better yet, lets use that money to buy armor for our troups in the Middle East...I am sure they would rather have armor that could saves their lives, more than America wants to see Clint Black (once again, nothing against Clint Black). Honestly, the website for the event talks about honoring "our veterans past and present". I'd rather honor our present veterans by bringing them home, or at least giving them things that would help them survive.

Can you tell I think this is a LAME idea?