priceless!

Should send this letter to Bill O'Riley of fox news.

I saw an interesting email today....someone put a poster together with pictures of parents and children from Katrina...with the words...

"No Child Left Behind"

It is a shame. I must encourage all of you to talk to your communities to see if displaced families have relocated here. I just found out that 30 families are here in my community. In the different county that I teach in, as of this week 70 children had enrolled in the schools. So, lets make this statement "No Family Left Behind" and reach out to see what they need. One can call the public information offices of school systems or the local Red Cross to most likely find out.

~Joanie

There are interesting similarities between Bush in the days leading up to 9/11, and Bush right before Katrina. He was on vacation both times - did not want to be bothered too much - showed a lackadaisical attitude on TV appearances. Clearly, this man was asleep at the wheel both times. However, this time he hasn't found an "Iraq" yet to divert attention from the loss of New Orleans.

What doesn't make any sense though, is the fact that New Orleans is of strategic importance to the oil industry - why did they let it die like this? Any thoughts?

Ameet,

Interesting question--I was wondering about that exact thing today. All I know is that what you mentioned about the oil industry and New Orleans is another bizarre facet to what was an extremely bizarre lack of reaction to the whole impending situation with the hurricane. As much as I'd like to blame Bush for the whole thing, I do think that the failure lay in several places going on up through the chain of command from mayor to governor to FEMA etc. Some kind of strange paralysis.
After all, it was Bush who pleaded with the governor of Louisiana to declare a State of Emergency the day before the hurricane--thereby enabling the partial evacuation of the city. Basically, it is as if the people on up through the chain of command could not collectively "conceive" of what to do never mind setting down the practicalities of how to enact it. It wasn't intentional--a grave error certainly. But it was largescale--there were failures all up and down and all around.

Hey Joanie, can you forward me that email, curious2@gmail.com Thanks.

The Bush Era is Over.

"His policies are failing, his approach to leadership is detached and self-indulgent, his way of politics has produced a divided, angry and dysfunctional public square. We dare not go on like this."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/12/AR2005091201433.html

Thanks for posting the open letter. I love to hear Bill Maher.

New Rule: Oil companies must stop with the advertisements implying they're friends of the environment. "At ExxonMobil, we care about a thriving wildlife." Please, the only thing an oil executive has in common with a seagull is that they would both steal French fries from a baby. - Bill Maher

GO BILL! You never cease to amaze me over the years!!

Did you all realize that "you" yes you the consumer pay for all advertising?

It is included in the cost of the products that you buy. It is almost like you are paying to be brainwashed.

Can you imagine how much money we would save if we eliminated advertising?

Okay to be fair I like advertising that makes me aware of a product I might need. I want to know the details of the functionality of your product and what makes it better, do you use 440 stainless steel for example. Do you test it two times rather than one?

Advertising that plays on the Ego and Fear is a waste and detriment to society.

Empty words that say nothing like most car commercials are a waste.

Most commercial advertisement are a waste of the consumers money. Some companies like "New Balance" shoes that sell by word of mouth do very well and you get a quality product for less because the cost of advertising and advertising departments is not found on the price tag.

Just tell us the facts.

~Richard Thomas

I was wondering is Mr President so bad in managing his tasks?
Can we people do anything to get him to task.
I know only corporations and lobbyists have access to Washington.
People like me spit our mind via gossipping with friends, blogging, calling radio, spamming and waiting for next hot-topic to forget the previous one.
People in general have very short memory.

Idea:
Take a long vacation for 20-30 days. Just keep enough food at home and don't get out of your home to buy anything. Party/Hibernate. Hit the corporations hard where it hurts.

Here are some fact folks, this is from a woman who went down to New Orleans......to help.

I thought that I knew everything there was to know
> about the hurricane. I have
> watched every news show on cable since before it
> hit. I listen to talk radio
> all day. But nothing can really prepare you for the
> reality when you hug the
> survivors, hold the babies, and see so much pain and
> shock in their eyes.
>
> The red tape I went through just to volunteer was
> crazy, I finally decided to
> go around the system and just show up. It worked.
> The convention center is set
> up with a bunch of services, hair stylists, medical
> triage, pharmacy,
> cafeteria, child care, baby supplies, toiletries,
> family reunions, clothes,
> showers, chapel, three living areas with cots and
> large screen TVs, tables for
> FEMA, health and human services, social security and
> Red Cross services
> including debit cards, vouchers, one-way air and bus
> travel, housing, and
> school registration. The lines are long, but
> everyone is very patient and
> grateful.
>
> The first woman I helped today was a 70 year old
> woman in a wheelchair. She had
> stayed in her house in New Orleans as it flooded.
> She just kept shaking her
> head in disbelief of what she's been through. She
> was afraid to leave her cot
> and her belongings, but I needed to take her to get
> a new id bracelet. You
> could see the apprehension as she carefully zipped
> up her bag and left it on
> her cot. There just isn't any place safe for them to
> put all the things that
> they're being given. One woman with a baby had a
> pile with a crib, stroller,
> swing just piled up next to her cot.
>
> The line of new survivors there to register for the
> first time kept growing.
> These are people who had the resources to leave on
> their own, either driving or
> in hotels, now needing help as their money has run
> out. There was a man in the
> front of the line holding his Dell laptop over his
> shoulder. He was obviously
> not one of the poor from the Convention Center, but
> he was still in need. About
> half of that new line looked the same way. All of
> the survivors, even these
> more well off ones, just look dazed and unsure what
> to do next.
>
> I helped a mom with a very tiny baby while she was
> preparing her bottle. The
> baby was about 10 lbs and when I put her up on my
> shoulder, her tiny hand
> patted me on the back and she laid her head against
> me. Human touch seemed to
> mean so much to all of them, especially the
> children. Her mom had remained with
> another mom, both with three children each who had
> been separated from their
> husbands, but at least they know where they are.
> Still they're concerned
> because the husbands are scared and all
> alone in another city. I helped them with finding
> travel arrangements so they
> could be together.
>
> They had all been in the New Orleans Convention
> Center during the worst of it.
> Both Moms talked at the same time telling me how
> awful it was. They couldn't
> stop talking to listen to each other, just letting
> it all out was a flood in
> itself. They also just kept shaking their heads as
> they spoke. They were so
> scared for their children, and they believed they
> would all die there. They
> told me about the murders, rapes and death, but said
> that those same violent
> people now in a situation where they were getting
> food and water and with order
> were completely different. The violent people were
> evacuated along with the
> others, although their weapons were confiscated.
> They didn't fear them anymore.
> Every man, woman and child that I met there were
> sweet, grateful and gentle,
> they just needed guidance and help. I can't imagine
> any of them as criminal
> animals.
>
> The women told me that they had to watch while empty
> boats, helicopters,
> flatbeds and national guards drove by them for days,
> no one stopping to take
> them away, and the feeling of helplessness not
> knowing if they'd ever get out.
> The Police Chief promised the national guard would
> come to get them, but they
> didn't. They said they would never return to New
> Orleans again. In their words
> there wasn't anger, it was betrayal, despair and
> disbelief. They lost
> everything and now just are lost.
>
> The next mom I helped needed me to carry her baby to
> the medical triage. As
> soon as I picked him up I could tell he had a fever,
> he was very hot and I kept
> thinking about the E-Coli in the flood water. He
> just melted into my arms, and
> she was so worried that he had gotten something from
> the water. She didn't know
> what to do when the fever spiked at night, she had
> no Tylenol and no way to get
> his fever down. The doctor gave her medicine for
> him. They were staying in a
> hotel to sleep but needed to come for the services
> during the day.
>
> Then I was going to leave, but this little 4 year
> old boy stopped me in the row
> of cots and told me that he had no one to play with.
> I asked if he wanted me to
> read a book and he was very excited. We read 4 books
> and then I told him that I
> needed to go. His whole face and body just drooped
> with sadness. He gave me a
> tight, warm hug and didn't want to let me go. I
> promised I would come back and
> see him again. He was so sad that I couldn't stop
> thinking about him and I
> couldn't live with myself leaving him there. I ended
> up going back about an
> hour later just to see him. I found him and he lit
> up when he saw me and ran
> over to hug me. I asked his grandma if I could take
> him for the afternoon, but
> she didn't want me to. She was afraid of the way
> he's acted since the
> hurricane. He is so attached to the volunteers and
> they all give him special
> gifts. It worries her. He was happier this time when
> I left which made me feel
> much better.
>
> I thought that I couldn't feel more sadness and
> anger over the natural and man-
> made disaster of this hurricane, but now I feel it
> so much more personally. Now
> I have felt the touch and seen into the eyes of
> indescribable despair. We all
> need to do whatever we can to make sure that the
> man-made portion of this
> disaster never happens again.

Joanie
>

Joanie: Thank You for sharing that one, Sweetheart! Love--Dave