New Orleans...

[fremder99]

Nope... not so much to do with Prog in this post...

But I've come to know that there are many big hearts living here on the Moon, so I'll "put in a request" for all of you to send your most heartfelt thoughts toward the city of New Orleans. There has been no place in America quite like it, but it's a bit unclear if it will ever be anything close to the same...

I've always felt a strange split of feelings towrad NO. On the one hand, it could be one of the most fun cities you'll ever visit, and on the other, it could be the most draining. Nothing about NO was not intense! The people there love hard, and fight hard; in general, they live hard! And, I suspect, they will build the city back with equal intensity!

I live a safe ~80 miles away, and came through the storm relatively unscathed. But, as I look at the images you're no doubt seeing, it's striking how unbelievable the devastation is. And then, you see footage of someone climbing out of their attic (after a rescuer chops his way in with an axe!) who has been clinging quite literally to life in the watery dark, and I can believe this city will recover! There are people hanging on, and there are people working their ass off to save lives.... people looting, and people volunteering to become rescuers... in short, people "riding" a wave (sorry, a better word escapes me) of REdirection in their lives that they could never have foreseen.

I consider myself a generous person, but if, thus far in my life, I've not always been the first to put my hand out, I will certainly be putting it out more often in the future...

Finally, on a Prog note, SOME of what I am remembering is seeing Steve Hackett at Tulane Macalister Auditorium (the Cocteau Twins twice!), Yes at Municipal Auditorium, Tull, Asia, Hackett at the Saenger, hell... let's go waaaay back... Bloodrock and Grand Funk Railroad at the Loyola Field House (ca 1970)!! The city is built around music, and, I suspect, will be rebuilt with a lot of music in the air. Please play your own songs loud, so New Orleans can hear you!

[Roger -Dot- Lee(Admin)]

Originally posted by fremder99
Nope... not so much to do with Prog in this post...

That's OK, frem. I'm just glad that you and yours are safe and relatively unscathed.

But I've come to know that there are many big hearts living here on the Moon, so I'll "put in a request" for all of you to send your most heartfelt thoughts toward the city of New Orleans. There has been no place in America quite like it, but it's a bit unclear if it will ever be anything close to the same...

They'll rebuild. There will be changes, and this isn't to say that everything will be as it was. Lessons will be learned, and they'll rebuild. We're too stobborn not to.

I consider myself a generous person, but if, thus far in my life, I've not always been the first to put my hand out, I will certainly be putting it out more often in the future...

There's nothing to be ashamed of there, my friend. Let others help you. Everyone will be stronger because of it. American's generosity is legendary, and this isn't going to change because you happen to live between our borders.

The city is built around music, and, I suspect, will be rebuilt with a lot of music in the air. Please play your own songs loud, so New Orleans can hear you!

Very much so. It's one of the reasons that I'm convinced that New Orleans will rise from this stronger than when they went in.

Hopefully lessons will be learned for the next time.

Best of luck, Frem, and the -Dot- Lee household has youin our thoughts and prayers.

Roger -Dot- Lee

Frem,

To hell with the fact that it's not about prog.......it's about life and at the end of the day that's what we're ALL about.

Watching the devestation on the BBC has been gutting and scares the bejayzus out of me. However, like you, I'm amazed at the resillience of people. Seeing that woman being pulled from her house after the rescuers smashed their way in was uplifting. Also, to hear about the other rescues that have taken place. Seeing people being airlifted off roofs with water splashing just a few feet away brings home the harrowing situation even more.

It will be a long and difficult job to get NO back on it's feet but I FIRMLY believe that it will happen sooner than people think.

Never underestimate the strength and power of the human spirit. It is the one thing that EVERYONE has in common. It crosses every divide we may set in it's path be it race, colour, creed or religion and will be a major factor in the rebuilding of this AMAZING place that has contributed so much to the world of music especially.

With thoughts of love, hope and future happiness from the UK.

[Rick and Roll]

I've been using the pictures as a reminder to my kids to keep a little perspective.

Let's hope some of these are available for assistance. Good luck to everyone affected...as Keith said, let the human spirit rule...

[moses]

If you're looking to donate, check out Network for Good because they are connected to a bunch of relief organizations and can help you find the one you'd like to give through.

[kirk]

frem- glad to hear you're o.k.

the magnitude of this is just begining to sink in.
the government declared 90,000 sq. mi. a
disaster area.

i lived in n'awlins for a time, know it well.

it's an incredible city, it'll bounce back in time,
albeit possibly quite a bit of time.

send a prayer up for these people.


p e a c e

kirk

[podakayne]

so very glad that you and yours are well...words cannot express the magnatude of grief or heartfelt prayers going out to the people of this region...should they rebuild? i'm not sure...i'd like to see the city on somewhat safer ground...and just like 911 this is showing the better nature and spirit of humanity...i'm hating some of the media spins on the "looting" aspect but that i suppose is to be expected...this is a time of crisis and if going into a store to get whatever staples of life you can find is "looting"—so be it, why taint this with selective captioning depending on the hue of the person...

thank you moses for the link...i've passed it on myself. you want to be sure any means you send to help are getting there.




i hope so too rick
poda

[kirk]

so be it, why taint this with selective captioning depending on the hue of the person...

amen to that pod! don't you know?
a middle class white person is "reduced to foraging for food".

'you know what else pisses me off?
congress was recalled into session on a dime, convened
on a sunday night to pass legislation to re-insert terri schiavo's
breathing tube.
katrina hit on monday, and they may be there
"as early as tomorrow".

we can wage war on a country on the other side of
the planet, but we can't drop bottled water to the victims
after 3 days? incredible.

k

[mossy]

Frem, I saw this thread yesterday but needed to gather my thoughts. I still haven't gathered them, and am a bit overwhelmed at the magnitude of effect this is having and will have for some time to come. I am grateful you are ok.

m

[Yesspaz]

Originally posted by podakayne
this is a time of crisis and if going into a store to get whatever staples of life you can find is "looting"—so be it, why taint this with selective captioning depending on the hue of the person...

Come on Poda. This isn't about race. The news isn't griping about people stealing water and food. People are looting TVs, beer, electronics, and designer clothes. That's not "staples of life."

And kirk - food, water, and medical supplies are arriving by the hour to survivors. The key here is order. If you drop bottled water from the sky you'll have people killing over it - not exactly the outcome desired. Remember that someone was killed over a bag of ice two days ago.

PS to R.L - I love how is "doncab." Nice

[Roger -Dot- Lee(Admin)]

Originally posted by Yesspaz

PS to R.L - I love how is "doncab." Nice

Just trying to keep things conisistent with the White room, spaz...

[kirk]

This isn't about race.

well spaz- the congressional national black caucus
disagrees w/ you. they made a joint appearance this a.m.
hmmm...from what i just heard, so does the mayor
of new orleans. oooo...he "took the lord's name in vain"
several times there.

you don't seriously think they'd let this happen in
palm springs or beverly hills.....?

k

[Rick and Roll]

Unfortunately, I know some people who are ill-advised by both nature and upbringing about understanding how not to be racist.

Fortunately, I also know people who are the opposite.

I do not like to watch news more than in passing. When it gets to the point that the discussion goes into conjecture, opinion, etc. I get bored. Now I am a bit addicted to sports talk radio in the car, but it has to do more with my short distances I have to travel and my love and addiction to sports.

I cannot listen to news talk because the vast majority of hosts are extremely right-wing or hide behind a label of "Libertarian". These morons give people who are true libertarians a bad name (I'm not one, just making a point). These hosts decry the "liberal media" yet control the talk stations. They paint everything in opaque racial terms, and speak incessantly about hot-button issues such as immigration. It blurs the basic point that an unbalanced majority of the poor in this country are non-white.
Although that is a part of why the vast majority of pictures of looting are of minorities, it is still unbalanced reporting.

In this respect I find that other side just as responsible. The remaining talking heads, who are on the "liberal" side, will also use this as fodder for their views.

Both sides have merit, yet this unnecessary intercene fighting seems to be a deterrent to really solving problems. It is a basic (and evil) issue that the minorities in any culture are painted in a bad light.

I cannot give an opinion on Poda's statement about the line between looting and necessary help, I have not really read or seen anything (again, it's my nature to be uninformed, I guess).

My advice is to look past all of this and realize that the media may or may not be liberal or conservative, but unquestionably, they are SENSATIONALISTS. Don't let this entrench us into this discussion. It gets us off of the real issues, and ultimately, real solutions.

[Yesspaz]

Originally posted by kirk
you don't seriously think they'd let this happen in
palm springs or beverly hills.....?

Let what happen? Looting? Natural disaster? Shortages of food and water? NOOOO the government would NEVER let that happen to white people!!! Gimme a break kirk. Race has nothing to do with where a hurricane hits, nor anything to do with shortages of water and food. FEMA, the Coast Guard, and the Red Cross are doing wonderful jobs getting food in, except where morons are shooting at them. I guess the next thing that the national black caucus will say is that Katrina is a member of the KKK. And Rick, as for most of the footage being of black, keep in mind that New Orleans is over 75% black in population. That's probably got a little to do with it.

It gets old, this race-card. If somone in the South sneezes, racism is to blame.

[kirk]

*

[Rick and Roll]

I was kind of hoping we wouldn't go back and forth on this, that's why I posted. Oh well.

Someone spread an internet rumor that gas stations were closing in MD at 4 PM. Now there's long lines and tension. There was even a 7 car pileup at a station downtown. For no reason.

The govenor had to send out memos, get on the net, call radio stations to refute it. Still no help.

Whoever spread that should be jailed for a long time.

[kirk]

i'm w/ you rick. it serves no good purpose...

tracy was intelligent and mature enough not to
dignify w/ a response, i should've followed her example.

this city was my home at one time, this hits hard.
as a matter of fact, the group of 300 on the ritz carlton's
3rd floor are in the very spot where i worked, when it was
the maison blanche building.

this new orleans cleanup will drag on for quite some time.
we're helpless, other than to donate, and glue ourselves
to the networks, so they in turn can charge superbowl-sized
fees for advertising minutes.
"sensationalists" about covers it, nicely stated my friend.

p e a c e
k

[podakayne]

dear Yspaz far be it from me to throw the race card...my post was in response to what had been seen namely a photo of a man of color carrying a bag of clearly food items in waste high water the caption stated looting...now whether they intended to infer the man was looting or that there was looting going on...the damage was done. another photo showing a person with grocery items stated they were "found"...i didn't like that that was happening and i said so. that sort of wording can inflame the already catastrophic situation as it stand...it's not needed as rick said...perhaps i should have ignored it here, but i vented.

i just didn't like the way it was presented...period.

and yes i do think there was some foot-dragging(for whatever reason)...i heard the mayors interview...to say there's no grain of truth to it...who knows for sure

wish i had the links to the pictures but i was listening to talk radio and surfing at the time....kirk i hadn't checked this thread so hence my late response...may i retain my intelligence & maturity (LOL).

i hope you understand my comment better Yspaz...like i said far be it from me to throw that card...at least with such negative intent.

poda

p.s. many of us have friends and family we may have lost or be injured, missplaced...like 911 it is a time to come together not sew division...prayers, money, clothing food your time and services if you are able...you should know my heart.

[Methem]

Just saw this and thought I would post the URL:

http://www.justiceforneworleans.org/...=57&page_num=1


-Methem