September 2005 Archives

After Katrina hit earlier this month, I made a donation to the Humane Society of the United States. Since then, they have sent a couple emails regarding their efforts to rescue and care for animals left behind. Thought I would forward this one as they are asking all animals lovers to support a bill recently introduced to help ensure that in the event of another natural disaster, the government has an evacuation plan that is pet friendly.

Dear Ursula,

Over the past three days alone, our Disaster Animal Response Teams in Louisiana have rescued more than 700 animals -- bringing the total number of animals we've helped save across the region to more than 7,000. While our work in the areas hit by Katrina and Rita will continue for months, perhaps years, our disaster teams' efforts have been truly remarkable -- and made entirely possible by your generous support.

But even as you read this, we know that pets -- animals who, for some reason, haven't yet made any rescue lists -- remain trapped in their homes or out on the streets. Many remain stranded or homeless for one tragic reason: Their caregivers, when forced to evacuate, were not allowed to take their pets with them. Government officials and human relief agencies did not have an emergency plan in place to accommodate people and their pets.

With your help, we can change this for future disasters: Take action NOW and ask your U.S. Representative to support the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act (PETS Act) to ensure relief agencies plan for pets and that a tragedy of this magnitude never happens again.

Last Thursday, Congressmen Tom Lantos (D-CA), Christopher Shays (R-CT), Barney Frank (D-MA), Don Young (R-AK), and James Oberstar (D-MN) introduced the PETS Act to ensure that in future disasters, people will not be forced to leave behind their household pets and service animals such as seeing-eye dogs, as they were in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

The PETS Act requires local and state emergency preparedness authorities to include pets and service animals in their disaster evacuation plans. Local and state authorities must submit these plans to qualify for grants from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. With your help, we have a chance to pass this bill and save pets during future disasters:

1. Take Action and urge your U.S. Representative to co-sponsor H.R. 3858, the Pets Evacuation and Transportation Standards Act, and do everything possible to get it passed SOON. It will only take a minute using our easy online tools.

2. Spread the Word. Urge your friends and family to contact their representatives about this bill. We cannot win unless we have a large, loud majority urging our legislators to protect pets during future disasters. Click here to spread the word.

When a disaster strikes in the future, The Humane Society of the United States wants to work hand-in-hand with government responders. Animal rescue is an enormous task, and we can't do it alone.

As The HSUS and other animal groups continue to search for, rescue, and shelter animals in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, it’s heartening to know that you’re standing with us. Please continue your support of the animals by contacting your representative today and urging him/her to co-sponsor and unequivocally support the PETS Act so it can be adopted before Congress adjourns for the year. This law will save the lives of both pets and the people who love them.

Thank you for your swift action and for all you do on behalf of animals and our disaster teams.

Sincerely,

Wayne Pacelle
President & CEO
The Humane Society of the United States

I told a work colleague a couple weeks ago that I didn't want to be friends worse yet date someone who didn't help enrich/add value to my life and he thought I was being harsh. But apparently, others feel the same. Below is a chain email forwarded to me. The tone is a bit too religious for me, but I do agree with the basic message.

Don't spend major time with minor people. If there are people in your life that continually disappoint you, break promises, stomp on your dreams, too judgmental, have different values and don't have your back during difficult times...that is not a friend.

To have a friend, be a friend. Sometimes in life as you grow, your friends will either grow or go. Surround yourself with people who reflect values, goals interests and lifestyle.

When I think of any of my successes, I am thankful to GOD from whom all blessings flow, and to my family and friends that enrich my life.

Over the years my phone book has changed because I changed for the better. At first you think you're going to be alone, but after a while new people show up in your life that make your life so much sweeter and easier to endure.

Remember what your elders used to say, "Birds of a feather flock together. If you're an eagle, don't hang around chickens: Chickens Can't Fly!

I love the Lord and thank Him for all that he does in my life, therefore, I'm passing this on. Yes I do love Jesus. He is my source of existence and Savior. He keeps me functioning each and everyday. Without Him, I will be nothing.

Without Him, I am nothing but with Him I can do all things. Phil 4:13

If you love Jesus, share this message with other people and the person that sent it to you!!!!!! Be Positive - Be Progressive - Take the time to make a positive difference in someone's life.

Walk by faith, Not by sight
Receive God's blessings
Heal the past; live the present; dream the future.

Thought of the Day:

When a relationship ends, there is always a period of adjustment. Both parties go their separate way and move on to another relationship or revert back to simply being single. For the person who reverts back to being single, they have a lot of time for reflection on the relationship that just ended. And what can be most painful is not missing the person (that fades with time) but continually replaying the events as they unfolded in your head. This my friends can cause you to question your judgment about everything --particularly when the realization hits that time and time again, you tolerated behavior from this person that you wouldn't tolerate from family members.

Great advice for anyone out there with a pet.

Disaster preparedness for pets
Reuniting family members isn't the only challenge

By Jennifer Openshaw
Last Update: 11:43 AM ET Sept. 13, 2005


Maybe the chances of a hurricane occurring in your city are slim. But responsible pet owners would be wise to take steps to reduce the chances of separation in the event of any disaster. Here are tips from the Animal Control Officers:

Identity pet hotels. Make a list of "pet-friendly" hotels in case you need to temporarily relocate with your animals.
Buddy up. Create a "buddy system" of reciprocal agreements with neighbors to take care of each other's pets in the event a disaster occurs when one of you is not home.
Think emergency. Create a "pet emergency kit" that includes medications, medical records, food and water containers, a list of critical phone numbers, and a picture of your pets in case they get lost. All of this can be kept in a pet carrier for storage until needed.
Microchip your pet. This involves implanting a tiny device about the size of a grain of rice under the pet's skin. Almost all shelters and veterinarians have microchip scanners now, and this could mean the difference between being reunited with your pet or not.

In a former life, my beloved Choo-Choo was a fighter and a dare devil. So enamored is he with the outdoors, that he recently jumped out of a window over 12 feet high to get outside. Plus, he also had a show down with another cat that entered his territory. He was successful in his defense but the situation was a little sad as the other cat looked like he just wanted a friend. But thinking Choo-Choo was being aggressive as the other cat was distracting him from his new hobby -- munching on grass. Goodness! I hope he's not addicted.

It is probably inappropriate of me to print the email received below, but I'm going to do it anyway because it's a perfect example of what happens to me. I date some guy and start thinking of the happy ever after, but it’s not to be and we break up. Then somewhere down the line -- typically years later, I get a phone call or an email singing my praises. I suppose I should be flattered by the fact that they've called/emailed to reminisce, but I'm always confused and uncertain of how to respond. Oh don’t get me wrong, I like my ego stroked but when its done by an ex-boyfriend/lover, I usually also end up being pissed off because it ultimately brings up bad memories. With that said, here is a recent winner:

imagine my delight, upon searching the internet, finding you with the same screen name.....

What does one say after these past few years.
Don't be mad? Please understand? I'm sorry? I've thought about you often?

I have had many experiences (both good and bad) since we last spoke, and have been thinking about you through most.
I needed to tell you that I have the fondest memories of you, you were without a doubt, one of the highlights of my life thus far, and you are (in spite of my candid lack of emotion and trust) a both wonderful and beautiful young woman whom I miss at times more than imaginable.
That being said, thank you for everything; your smile, sense of humor and the gleam in your eyes.
You were and ARE incredibly special.
I want nothing but the best for you and I hope life has treated you well.
You look great!
NAME WITHHELD

Anybody out there want to tell me how to respond to this? Part of me wants to tell the person to f*8k off. But that would be rude. So perhaps I'll just ignore the email like I've already done for the past 7 days. Then again, maybe I should write back and thank him for his kind words. Plus I am really curious to find out in what context he still thinks of me. Not because I want to pursue anything, moreso because well as I said above, I like getting my ego stroked. In addition, I want to find out what he's up to. It's been almost 4/5 years since we talked. But I'm conflicted because I'm so aware of the downside. So wondering, what would others do?

I watched Michigan play Notre Dame last night on the North American Sports Network. I wasn't happy with the loss but I was happy to see the game. Then today on the rebroadcast, I watched Ohio State loose to Texas. I didn't know before hand how the game ended. I was so hoping Ohio State would win. You know, Big Ten pride. Oh well. At least most of the other Big Ten schools won this weekend.

Congratulations to Zadie Smith who make the shortlist for 2005 Booker Prize. I had a lovely but abbreviated chat with her at a recent event where she read and signed copies this nominated book titled, On Beauty. While I can't yet comment on the literay merits of On Beauty, I'm still hoping she wins as I've been a big fan since her first novel: White Teeth.

So worked up was I by the situation in New Orleans that I found myself up all night -- I just couldn't sleep. As such, I used the time to reflect on my views re the current situation. I wondered if my assessment of the situation and the current political storm brewing was accurate -- I am after all in London and no longer living in the United States. Over here in Europe I detect a bit of gloating about the American response to the situation but overall people seem to be supportive and extremely sympathetic to the people affected.

So as I watched more CNN last night against my better judgment, I stood my ground as it relates to my assessment of how things played out in New Orleans. Especially as it relates to whether or not racism was a major factor in the delayed response. I still think not. In fact, I am more adamant that a more important factor here is class. This has been a growing problem for black America yet our so called leaders are still obsessed with race.

Oh don't get me wrong, I am not saying that race and racism are not still a problem in America. Indeed they are. As such, what I am saying is that since the civil rights movement, the issues related to class have become a bigger problem for the black urban poor than racism. Former University of Chicago now Harvard Professor William Julius Wilson made that argument in his 1978 forward thinking book: The Declining Significance of Race: Blacks and Changing American Institutions. As I reflect of his then controversial argument, I think his theory is even more valid today. As he points out in his follow up book: The Truly Disadvantaged the Inner City, the Underclass and Public Policy:

the problems related to inner-city decay and the black people who live there, cannot be explained by racism along but instead to a complex web of factors involved in the urban economy, the most important of which is the changing class structure of ghetto neighborhoods. The movement of middle-class black professionals from the inner city, followed by the exodus of increasing numbers of working-class black, has left behind a concentration of the most disadvantaged segments of the black urban population. At the same time, urban minorities have been particularly vulnerable to broader changes in the economy that have produced extraordinary rates of joblessness, which in turn has exacerbated other social problems.

Since reading Professor Wilson’s books during my college years at the University of Michigan, I have become increasingly disillusioned with politicians like Reverend Jesse Jackson. Having met the Reverend at my inner city high school in Boston, I once worshipped him -- but I have come to realize that his race rhetoric over the years has not always been helpful to the black community. We cannot discount race completely but we need to openly acknowledge that there are other social issues at play instead of crying racism all the time. If we continue to do so and not address these new economic challenges, then the black urban poor who are worse off than middle class black people who by the way benefit disproportionatley from affirmative action and other race based programs will never get the help and assistance they truly deserve.

Ok. I'm done talking about hurricane Katrina for now. I am now turning my focus to something that will hopefully lift my spirits -- college football. So wondering, does anyone out there watch college football on the Internet? Is so, where? Now that I'm in London, I'm at a loss for how to watch my beloved Michigan Wolverines games. I know I can listen to the games via Michigan All-Access, but I'd really like to see the full video as well and unfortunately the North American Sports Network only has one or two Michigan games on the schedule.

I need to stop watching media coverage of the after effects of hurricane Katrina. The images are upsetting enough but when I hear the comments from race politicians and assorted celebrities that the response was slow because the people affected are poor and black, I want to shout and scream.

While I realize I don't have all the facts, I think it is safe to say that the American government at all levels was taken by surprise and unprepared for the level of devastation. The Secretary of Homeland Defense said as much in a press conference today.

As such, you can make the argument that enough funds were not given to adequately sure up the levees before hand as those who would be affected (mostly poor and black) didn't have the lobbying power to get this done -- but once hurricane Katrina passed through, I just don't think that race was the ultimate factor in deciding how fast or at what level to respond.

So playing up the racial angle is not helping the immediate cause and it is a divisive tactic. That is not what is needed at this point. The people in New Orleans and all the other affected areas need Americans to be united in its resolve. Race baiting is not going to help that cause.

I am not surprised by the level of anarchy that happened in the first days after Hurricane Katrina -- and no this has nothing to do with the fact that the majority of the people displaced were poor working class black families. As illustrated in William Golding's brilliant novel Lord of the Flies, when the trappings of a civilized society fall away, some people who have been good citizens all their lives with turn to anti-social behavior for survival -- particularly if the cry for help goes unanswered.

So while I have no love in my heart for those who are shooting guns at rescue officials and looted electronics, jewelry, etc., I am extremely systematic to those who took from stores: water, food and other basic supplies. If you see people around you dying from dehydration and other maladies that you've never encountered in your life, you'd do all that you can to prevent to make sure that doesn't happen to you and your kin -- particularly if you’re not sure when help from the outside world will arrive.

As such, I think the media has done a great disservice by broadcasting and over hyping imagines that reinforce old stereotypes about African Americans. Yes I'm sure there were barbaric acts committed -- but when the full story comes out, I'm sure we'll get confirmation that this was only done by a small minority. More importantly, we’ll begin to acknowledge that the majority of people really tried to help and not hurt each other. Maybe then those who are trying to play up racial stereotypes and speak negatively about those affected will eat their words and acknowledge that most of the scavenging done by the good people of New Orleans was simply done in a fight for survival.

The unleashing by some of "the Beast," the evil that lies within each of us, was partly done out of necessity. The good people of New Orleans as elsewhere in the world typically suppress any feelings to do harm, as they prefer law and order. This reaction is an acknowledgement that the instinct to gratify ones self by harming others and taking that which we have not rightfully earned, does not bode well for the survival of the community. This a core belief in how to effectively live in a modern civil society -- not rampant anarchy.

My heart breaks for the people currently Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana who are affected by hurricane Katrina -- especially those in New Orleans. Having vacationed there during the summer of 2004, I fell in love with the city. Thus it sadness me to no end to know that all those historic buildings and beautiful homes may be damaged beyond repair. It grieves me to think that all those fine restaurants and fabulous jazz/blues places are no more. More importantly, it upsets me to wake up to the reality that America, the only real superpower left in the world, is struggling to successfully deal with this natural disaster. Clearly the initial response was due to shock and lack of anticipation. But FIMA's failure to move people and emergency supplies into the area to deal with the problem in a timely fashion is just gross mismanagement. Logistics and communications are critical to crisis management. Perhaps if more of the national reserve guardsmen and woman were at home instead of Iraq, things would have moved more quickly. Heck, maybe even the bureaucrats at the United Nation could have done a better job. After all, they have more experience dealing with natural disasters across the globe. Perhaps then, some of this heartache could have been averted.

Goodness! What is to become of the people who lived there? I’m sure many will never return. It will be a long time before New Orleans can really be considered the “The Big Easy” again. As such, I’m glad that many were able to get out alive and I feel deeply for those who are now dealing with conditions like those more common in third world countries. This sort of treatment or response never should have happened in America. Having said that, contrary to widespread opinion, I don't think the delay in response is due to the fact that the people in New Orleans are black. No American wants to see other Americans suffer to such a scale. In addition, America has dealt with natural disasters before. Thus as stated above, what I think happened here is that FIMA and other local, state and federal officials never really expected things to get this bad – even though scientists and other academics had predicted it to be a possibly due to the fact that the city is built below sea level and the levees can not adequately deal with hurricanes graded at the highest levels.

So let us not politicize and divide. There will be time for critical analysis but that should be left until the people in the affected areas are taken care of. The government and citizens at all levels need to work together to deal with the problem. The fact of the matter is that New Orleans has a populations of about 450,000 and almost 70% are black. And having visited the city and explored the neighborhoods, I know that there is a thriving white as well as black middle class. Most of these people I am sure got out as they had the mean to do so. Specifically, they had cars or access to cash to pay for alternative transportation out of town. Also, beyond transportation they had money to spend on hotel rooms and other expenses you would expect to encounter with this sort of displacement. In addition, they were more likely to have insurance so could risk leaving their homes and worldy possesions behind safely knowing that if needed, they had the resources to rebuild.

Those that were left behind are the poor working class people of the city living I would bet paycheck to paycheck. Beyond the expense of leaving town, these people I'm sure had no insurance and so stayed back to protect their homes and contents. Thus, this is more a class issue than a race issue. The difference is response is a difference in the have and have nots. Maybe I’m wrong, but that’s what I’m thinking and feeling.

To do my part, I’ll probably give money to one of the Animal charities in the area (link via Shasta's blog). Since people take first priority and will get most of the attention from the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and other charity organizations – in honor of Choo-Choo, I will do something for the animals. So many have already died or will be left behind. As such, if I can help just one animal make safe passage out of the city, I’ll feel better. Thus sort of disaster as well as the Tsunami that happened in Sout-East Asia earlier in the year is almost beyond comprehension.

The Prince of the Manor.

I had a power lunch last Friday with a colleague at Coq d'Argent. While sipping on a glass of chardonnary on the rooftop garden, I found myself telling her my life story -- mainly focusing on my last year in Chicago. Throughout the conversation, I couldn't help but laugh hysterically. I was laughing because when I think about all that happened, laughing is what I must do to cope. Heck if someone were to tell me the story I shared, I'd think they were embellishing the details. Between Racquetball Guy and my younger sister -- never mind my own issues, I experienced enough drama to last me a lifetime. So I’m becoming quite fond of London. No one is making unreasonable demands for my time or that which I have earned --and no one is looking over my shoulder. So it is easier for me to do what I want, when I want. As such, I am feeling a sense of calm that I never felt during the last years in Chicago. Now my good friends, that is a really good thing.