Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Rather Light One Candle Than Curse Katrina
I do not have anything better, or better written, to say about Katrina's aftermath than Paul, over at Wizbang, so I'm going to post his entire article right here:
A Note to My Fellow Bloggers and the MSM
To: My Fellow Bloggers and most of the MSM
From: Paul at Wizbang on behalf of himself and serving as self-appointed spokesman for Hurricane Katrina victims everywhere.
With all due respect guys and gals... Chill out.
I've never seen one event inspire so many silly posts. Many of you need to put down the mouse and walk away. ;-)
I've seen the same blogger complain both that the coverage of Katrina was "Hurricane Porn" beforehand and in a separate post whine that the media did not do enough to convince people that they should have evacuated.... You can't have it both ways.
I fully understand if bloggers were disallowed from complaining about the media and politicians, that modem and broadband sales would suffer double digit sales slumps.... But take a break.
If you think you are more qualified to run the city then the people running it, then by all means when the next election cycle comes around, come on down and throw your hat in the ring. If you think you could have stopped the hurricane if only everyone had listened to you... well I can't help ya.
There'll be plenty of time to show off your 20/20 hindsight next week. For now, accept this for what it is... a natural disaster of biblical proportions.
If you want to do something, quit yer whining and do what blogs and bloggers do best... Use information to change the world.
99% of us have no idea how our neighborhoods did. Somebody try to find and compile (reliable) damage reports from specific neighborhoods. Sure it takes some local knowledge, but google maps will fill in the blanks. [Update: The levee broke and the whole damn town flooded so I guess we can check this one off the list.]
We don't know how FEMA works. Somebody read the news reports on what FEMA is doing and what it is not... Somebody read their site and distill it for those of us who don't have time for red tape.
Flood insurance? I know the feds handle it. Who do I need to talk to? What do they pay?
Every natural disaster I send the Red Cross my standard $100 donation. I have no idea how to get money from them. It is a grant or a loan?
If I don't actually cancel my phones and my bill is auto-debit do they still bill me?
If I shut off my phone will I lose my number?
Heck- Somebody make an "Evacuee survival guide" with laser precision information on how to get help without clicking 50 links or waiting on hold 2 hours. If you can save 25,000 people 5 hours of looking up the same information, think of the power in that!
Think of the simple things- Thousands of people lost their glasses. Somebody set up a website where they can coordinate donations of (known) prescription glasses from people who no longer need them. Get a freight company to donate the freight. I bet FedEx will give you an account number that will route all the glasses to some agency in New Orleans.
If you do something to help the victims, ping this post... If there is a lot of people helping out, Kevin will set up a post with the links. (I just volunteered him ;)
Think about it for a second from my chair... (I'm not whining but) I'm almost 40 years old.... Here is the sum total of all my worldly possessions: 4 pairs of shorts, 5 shirts, 2 pairs of shoes, 4 pairs of underwear, 1 pair of blue jeans, a box of family pictures, 2 flashlights, a piece of trench art my grandfather brought back from WWI and my father's hammer. (Hey, it means a lot to me!) That's it. Everything else is gone. And BTW, I'm unemployed.
I tell you that not to whine but to let you see the tree thru the forest. Multiply my situation by about a million. Stop and think about that... A million people homeless and unemployed.
If you're a blogger then (by near definition) you're a self proclaimed talented person. Prove it.
They'll be plenty of time for punditry and pontification next month... In the mean time there is work to be done. Figure out how to help the victims.
Please (for the sake of all of us who actually understand the situation) please stop whining about the evacuation. It was a stunning success. Please stop saying that the levee at 17th street and Canal St. broke... There's no such place. (and no, FOXNews, even if there was such a place, I assure you, it would be on the south side of the lake and not the north side of the lake where you showed it on your map)
So here it is in a nutshell... Let's get some work done and play Monday morning quarterback sometime in early 2006. There's about million or so of us who would prefer it that way
Hmmm. The local Lion's club donates glasses to needy children. I don't know how extensive their service is, but I'll call them today, and update. There's also dentures, and lost retainers.
I'll make some calls today and update with information.
Everybody -- do what you can, in the way that you can. It may be just one little candle - or it might part of an entire constellation - against the darkness.
UPDATE: David over at LST's recommends opening up the Astrodome, and cranking up the AC. Excellent idea ... and not too far from NewOrleans ... so, if you live near Houston, and agree ... call somebody up.
Here's a link to BanjoJones, who wrote the article we're cribbing from!
UPDATE TO EYEGLASSES: Here's an e-mail I received from Lion's Club International:
Thanks for your message. We are all very concerned about Katrina and the implications for both short-term bare necessities and long-term needs.Your suggestion will be passed on to LCIF Humanitarian Programs, as this is the department handling the grants associated with Katrina.
In addition, the provision of eyeglasses is outside the criteria of SightFirst. KaSondra Byrd is the manager of LCIF Humanitarian Programs, and I have copied her on this message. We did something similar with tsunami victims in Sri Lanka. I would imagine the eyeglass recycling centers in the USA will be willing and able to meet this enormous challenge.
Best regards,RebeccaRebecca Teel DaouLions Clubs International FoundationManager, LCIF Sight Programs300 W. 22nd St.Oak Brook, IL 60523-8842Phone: 630-571-5466 x394Fax: 630-571-5735 or 3905Visit LCIF at: www.lionsclubs.org
Well, if it's good enough for SriLanka, hope it's good enough for Louisiana. Will stay on top of this.
UPDATE 6:26 pm Here's an interactive site, where you can click the marker, and find out information about local addresses in N.Orleans and other Katrina damage areas. Also, Paul and Kevin seem to have gotten Hurricaid Website up. ¶ 6:30 AM
A Note to My Fellow Bloggers and the MSM
To: My Fellow Bloggers and most of the MSM
From: Paul at Wizbang on behalf of himself and serving as self-appointed spokesman for Hurricane Katrina victims everywhere.
With all due respect guys and gals... Chill out.
I've never seen one event inspire so many silly posts. Many of you need to put down the mouse and walk away. ;-)
I've seen the same blogger complain both that the coverage of Katrina was "Hurricane Porn" beforehand and in a separate post whine that the media did not do enough to convince people that they should have evacuated.... You can't have it both ways.
I fully understand if bloggers were disallowed from complaining about the media and politicians, that modem and broadband sales would suffer double digit sales slumps.... But take a break.
If you think you are more qualified to run the city then the people running it, then by all means when the next election cycle comes around, come on down and throw your hat in the ring. If you think you could have stopped the hurricane if only everyone had listened to you... well I can't help ya.
There'll be plenty of time to show off your 20/20 hindsight next week. For now, accept this for what it is... a natural disaster of biblical proportions.
If you want to do something, quit yer whining and do what blogs and bloggers do best... Use information to change the world.
99% of us have no idea how our neighborhoods did. Somebody try to find and compile (reliable) damage reports from specific neighborhoods. Sure it takes some local knowledge, but google maps will fill in the blanks. [Update: The levee broke and the whole damn town flooded so I guess we can check this one off the list.]
We don't know how FEMA works. Somebody read the news reports on what FEMA is doing and what it is not... Somebody read their site and distill it for those of us who don't have time for red tape.
Flood insurance? I know the feds handle it. Who do I need to talk to? What do they pay?
Every natural disaster I send the Red Cross my standard $100 donation. I have no idea how to get money from them. It is a grant or a loan?
If I don't actually cancel my phones and my bill is auto-debit do they still bill me?
If I shut off my phone will I lose my number?
Heck- Somebody make an "Evacuee survival guide" with laser precision information on how to get help without clicking 50 links or waiting on hold 2 hours. If you can save 25,000 people 5 hours of looking up the same information, think of the power in that!
Think of the simple things- Thousands of people lost their glasses. Somebody set up a website where they can coordinate donations of (known) prescription glasses from people who no longer need them. Get a freight company to donate the freight. I bet FedEx will give you an account number that will route all the glasses to some agency in New Orleans.
If you do something to help the victims, ping this post... If there is a lot of people helping out, Kevin will set up a post with the links. (I just volunteered him ;)
Think about it for a second from my chair... (I'm not whining but) I'm almost 40 years old.... Here is the sum total of all my worldly possessions: 4 pairs of shorts, 5 shirts, 2 pairs of shoes, 4 pairs of underwear, 1 pair of blue jeans, a box of family pictures, 2 flashlights, a piece of trench art my grandfather brought back from WWI and my father's hammer. (Hey, it means a lot to me!) That's it. Everything else is gone. And BTW, I'm unemployed.
I tell you that not to whine but to let you see the tree thru the forest. Multiply my situation by about a million. Stop and think about that... A million people homeless and unemployed.
If you're a blogger then (by near definition) you're a self proclaimed talented person. Prove it.
They'll be plenty of time for punditry and pontification next month... In the mean time there is work to be done. Figure out how to help the victims.
Please (for the sake of all of us who actually understand the situation) please stop whining about the evacuation. It was a stunning success. Please stop saying that the levee at 17th street and Canal St. broke... There's no such place. (and no, FOXNews, even if there was such a place, I assure you, it would be on the south side of the lake and not the north side of the lake where you showed it on your map)
So here it is in a nutshell... Let's get some work done and play Monday morning quarterback sometime in early 2006. There's about million or so of us who would prefer it that way
Hmmm. The local Lion's club donates glasses to needy children. I don't know how extensive their service is, but I'll call them today, and update. There's also dentures, and lost retainers.
I'll make some calls today and update with information.
Everybody -- do what you can, in the way that you can. It may be just one little candle - or it might part of an entire constellation - against the darkness.
UPDATE: David over at LST's recommends opening up the Astrodome, and cranking up the AC. Excellent idea ... and not too far from NewOrleans ... so, if you live near Houston, and agree ... call somebody up.
Here's a link to BanjoJones, who wrote the article we're cribbing from!
UPDATE TO EYEGLASSES: Here's an e-mail I received from Lion's Club International:
Thanks for your message. We are all very concerned about Katrina and the implications for both short-term bare necessities and long-term needs.Your suggestion will be passed on to LCIF Humanitarian Programs, as this is the department handling the grants associated with Katrina.
In addition, the provision of eyeglasses is outside the criteria of SightFirst. KaSondra Byrd is the manager of LCIF Humanitarian Programs, and I have copied her on this message. We did something similar with tsunami victims in Sri Lanka. I would imagine the eyeglass recycling centers in the USA will be willing and able to meet this enormous challenge.
Best regards,RebeccaRebecca Teel DaouLions Clubs International FoundationManager, LCIF Sight Programs300 W. 22nd St.Oak Brook, IL 60523-8842Phone: 630-571-5466 x394Fax: 630-571-5735 or 3905Visit LCIF at: www.lionsclubs.org
Well, if it's good enough for SriLanka, hope it's good enough for Louisiana. Will stay on top of this.
UPDATE 6:26 pm Here's an interactive site, where you can click the marker, and find out information about local addresses in N.Orleans and other Katrina damage areas. Also, Paul and Kevin seem to have gotten Hurricaid Website up. ¶ 6:30 AM
