My heart was warmed by the fact that Jill's dad brought this to her attention. Yes, I do imagine Jill as a white person, thus the heart warming.

Speaking of dads, apparently companies that specialize in high speed internet are really cheap. This certain company gave him a $5 starbucks card. WTF? He sent it to me and I got a large cream chai frappicino thingie. Much appreciated on my part, but $5? Dang that's cheap.

MEMO TO WHITE PEOPLE: Just say no to putting nooses in the back of your pick up truck.

Yes, more messages sent to me in email blogging. But at least you can get a transcript of Bill Bennett's ignorant ass comments from this one.



Dear ColorOfChange.org member,

It will not be our usual practice at ColorOfChange.org to send out two action alerts in one day, but this was too outrageous to let slide.

On Wednesday, Republican operative Bill Bennett said the following on his national radio show:

But I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down.
Bennett, on public airwaves, implied that Blacks are a criminal race. It's disgusting. And instead of apologizing, he is going around defending his statements on national television and attacking anyone who dares to take him to task.
This is coming from the former U.S. Secretary of Education and close ally of the Bush family. If he won't admit his error and apologize, he should be taken off the air.

Please sign our petition. We are calling on his distributor, Salem Radio Network, to stand against racism and pull his show:

http://colorofchange.org/bennett

Don't get us wrong. We believe that Bill Bennett has a First Amendment right to think and say whatever he wants. The government should not interfere. But no radio distributor or radio station is legally obligated to broadcast his views—especially when they demean an entire race. In fact, we believe they have a moral obligation to stop broadcasting them.

Black folks have suffered and died because of racist assumptions like the ones underlying Bennett's comments. And it's race-based generalizations like Bennett's that have laid the groundwork for the Holocaust in Nazi Germany, the genocide in Rwanda, and the genocide currently unfolding in the Sudan.

America still hasn't honestly engaged the issue of race in this country, and comments like Bennett's make things worse. They perpetuate the irrational view that as Blacks we are part of a criminal class, despite the fact that the theory has been debunked again and again. When you control for income and other factors, Blacks are no more likely to engage in criminal acts than anyone else.

But we are far more likely than whites to be arrested and convicted for committing the exact same crimes. Far more likely to be shortchanged when it comes to equality of education or opportunity. Far more likely to be pushed to the margins and forgotten, as we've just seen in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

Those are the real problems we should be addressing. But this isn't a conversation that Bill Bennett wants to have.

We are calling on people of all colors to sign our petition calling for Bennett to admit his error or be removed from the air:

http://colorofchange.org/bennett

In the United States, free speech is a right. But a national radio show is a privilege. And until he apologizes, Bill Bennett has no place on our public airwaves.

-- James Rucker & Van Jones
ColorOfChange.org
September 30th, 2005

For a transcript or audio of Bennett's remarks, click here:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200509280006

My art history teacher passed around an article in the NY Times about fistula in Africa today. I urge everyone to donate to end fistula today. With the amount of money you spend on getting wasted this weekend, you could improve a woman's life.

Atlanta Bikers be on the alert. On the Citizens for Progressive Transit Mailing List I saw this email copied below. I'm sure they would take cash donations from anyone, just ask at the email address in the letter. I might donate prizes from my business to this group.

Howdy, folks.

Rachael here with the Sopo Bicycle Cooperative. Some of you may have met
Jay, my partner in organizing, at the last CPT meeting. I'm writing to share
with you that we've scored an enormous victory for the progressive transit
community. Our workshop found a permanent home in the East Atlanta Village,
thanks to the Southstar CDC, the East Atlanta Kids Club, and Don Bender.
This means that Atlanta will have it's very own cooperatively run nonprofit
free bicycle workshop where we will provide programming for children and
adults, low income folks, bicycle mechanics of all skill levels (including
zero), and anyone who wants to get on a bike and ride. Just imagine how many
people we're going to get out of cars! And how many people we will help
access sustainable transit!

You can help us! Aside from needing cash, we also need some items for our
workshop. Additionally, we're going to throw some benefit events, and we'll
need prizes to raffle off. Below you will find a wish list for our workshop.
If you have any of these things lying around and you'd like to donate it, or
if you'd like to contribute a prize or cash, please let me know! I can be
reached at sopobikes@[no spam]gmail.com or 404[XXX-XXXX]. We're having a general
meeting on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 7 pm at 981 Manigault St. Everyone is invited
to attend.

In solidarity for a cleaner and safer Atlanta!
Rachael Spiewak
Sopo Bicycle Cooperative Organizer

Sopo Bicycle Cooperative Workshop Wish List

- Spare Bicycle Parts
- Tools
- Cash Box
- Notepad
- Radio
- Minifridge
- Chairs
- Tables
- Shelving
- Storage Hooks
- Cleaning Supplies
- Trashcan
- Trashbags
- Recycling Bins
- Sign for Door
- Paint
- Mailbox
- Shade Tent
- Hand Cleaning Soap for Bike-greasy Hands
- Locking Cabinets
- Restaurant Prep Tables
- Towels/Rags
- Extension Cord

A white man yet again shows his total and complete lack of personal responsibility. Are we not good enough for a real apology, you racist asshat? And yea, if you say racist shit- you're a racist. Take some responsibility, you douchebag. We constantly have to suffer this no responsibility taking behavior, and then hear about how white males somehow magically are more responsible than us just because they are rich. Fuck them. Fuck them in the ear. If you're so responsible, why don't you show us, instead of just telling us? Not to mention, why do we have these sorts of loserific assholes in government posts (under Reagan and Bush Pere) when there are so many people who aren't total choads?

Today I achieved a lot. I got a MARTA card for October, I got across the deep end of the pool(OK, I had to use a kick board and fins and was behind the rest of the class, but considering I have a phobia of the water, it was pretty good for me) and turned in my rough draft of my methods paper, although it was only nine pages, and only mostly in APA style. I really don't understand the difference between a regular figure and an APA style figure.

James Finberg, an attorney representing the class, said FedEx normally promotes from within, yet three times the number of package handlers and loaders are minorities compared to drivers, who earn more. Twice the number of minorities fail promotional tests than do whites, Finberg added.

"FedEx knows that black and Hispanics fail at a much higher rate, but yet has not changed the test," Finberg said. from this story.I'm sure we'll hear from ignorant whites about how that's not equal, blah blah, waaaaah. But I'm sure they'll be happy to have their jobs dependant on a test that I make that measures their merit. All you have to do is pass a test based on historical knowledge that I knew before I was menstruating. What was the Harlem Renaiscance? What did it mean to be sold down river? What was the grandfather clause, and what was it used for? What were the vagrancy laws in the Jim Crow South used for? Who was Harriet Tubman? What was the Great Migration? I bet 99% of these people wouldn't know. Hey, it's easy to talk about merit when it doesn't have to be conected to anything.

Did you know that you can bias a test? An easy way to bias a test is to do item selection. You can do this intentionally by simply selecting the items that whites tend to do well on, or unintentionally by merely following tests normed on whites, and thus that they tend to do well on. You could also bias a test by selecting for a certain educational level. For example, if someone goes to a shitty ass school, they may know the concept of a synonym, such as “happy” and “glad” means the same thing, but they might not know the meaning of the word. Also, do we know if this test actually has anything to do with what they are doing? For example, for a job as a waitress, they could give me a test on calculus. I’d fail(I got a C in calculus) but does that disqualify me from being a waitress? No, but white people would say I was unqualified even though that has nothing to do with anything. I also question the assumption that all tests magically pick the right person for the job and are the best tests we could ever create. Every human enterprise has flaws, even the ones created by the most well meaning people. It is always important to review our criteria and to improve things.

Not to mention, there may be other bottlenecks blocking promotion that people who have no knowledge of the situation may not know about. The facts on the ground are always the key. The white way of thinking is not very effective in questions of equality, in my opinion. Saying everyone gets the same test, so it is fair, leaves out so many details of real life as to be meaningless. Of course, by equality, I mean actual equality, not the kind where there’s not actual equality of outcome, but we get to be told we are stupid. Of course I have a different idea of what qualified means. Basically to me, it’s if you’re able to do your job. I don’t think for example that Mike Brown is qualified, although to the white mindset he is. A white CEO who runs his company into the ground is apparently qualified according to white people. I’m not sure what qualified means in white speak, but I think it means the same thing as ‘merit’ i.e. being white.

Here's an interesting editorial on Perdue's decision to close the schools. I'm glad that the author pointed out the disconnect from the suggestion that the workers telecommute, and the reality of many worker's lives. I was reading When Affirmative Action was White, and one thing that I learned from it was to always monitor the proposed implementation of legislation. One chapter of this book deals with the GI Bill. The author argues that even though the GI Bill was written as a color blind bill, the fact that local authorities were in charge of implementing it caused many of the benefits to denied to blacks. One example that he uses is schooling. Many qualified blacks were denied higher education because there were simply not enough spots in black only schools. This is an important thing to keep in mind because there is often a disconnect between what seems like a good idea at the top, and how it is actually carried out, and that bad implementation can often hurt a good idea.

Let's work hard to get healthy food in all communities. Speaking of that there are sprouts in the community garden now. I wonder if any of them are the broccoli and peas I planted?

Yes, I have put up trial jewelry of the month club memberships starting at the low low price of 9.99. You have to get this limited time deal! It ends on Monday!

Anyone who talks about how people of color just don't have enough 'merit' or about so called personal responsibility after reading this should be beaten violently around the head.

Here are two documents about the school closings:

One is a press release from the Citizens for Progressive Transit:

PRESS RELEASE
Sunday, Monday 26, 2005
Contact: Rebecca Serna
(404) [XXX-XXXX]
à Commuters to Governor Perdue: send emergency funds to public transportation
Advocacy group says school closings wrong response; calls for emergency funds for
increased transit service and greater use of public transportation by public officials.
Working families, already hard-hit by rising transportation costs, are scrambling to make lastminute
arrangements for childcare after the Governor announced schools will close Monday
and Tuesday.
The recent spate of hurricanes and subsequent high gas prices sparked demand for public
transportation in metro Atlanta. In response, Gwinnett County Transit increased service on
its popular express bus routes, and MARTA increased the frequency of train service
temporarily.
MARTA and other transit agencies across the state also acted quickly to provide emergency
transportation for the displaced after the flooding of New Orleans.
“Although the Georgia State House of Representatives passed a timely resolution highly
commending MARTA for its ‘magnanimous deeds in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina,’”
said Citizens for Progressive Transit President Rebecca Serna, “this written commendation is
not enough. New waves of people are using public transportation for their commutes, and
transit agencies need more than words to keep up with the increased demand -- they need
the state to invest in the mode of transportation that makes the most sense for the times.”
Citizens for Progressive Transit, representing both existing and prospective riders, asks
Governor Perdue and the state legislature to respond as quickly as they did in suspending the
gas tax when gas prices first spiked, to authorize emergency funds to assist victims of
Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, as well Georgia families whose transportation budgets are
stretched thin.
A Pew study indicates strong support for public transportation. Sixty-eight percent of
respondents in a Pew Research Center poll taken in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina
support increased funding for mass transit.
“Now is the time to support public transportation. The Governor should alleviate the
burden on families and hurricane victims as well as everyone stuck in traffic by allocating
emergency state funds for transit and calling on Georgians who live in places where public
transportation is available to use it,” said Citizens for Progressive Transit member Josh
Woiderski.

I personally have noticed a strong run on transit cards. I hope I can get an October monthly! I support increased funding for mass transit. I wonder if it would be helpful for me to send a letter about this to the governor, as I don't vote in Georgia. If I stay here though, I'll get my registration changed.

Parents Plan 'Snow Day' Protests
Web Editor: Ian Stinson
Last Modified: 9/26/2005 11:54:25 AM

Some parents plan to protest the two-days of "snow days" requested by
Gov. Sonny Perdue in advance of Hurricane Rita striking the Gulf Coast.

On Friday, the governor requested that all Georgia schools close for
two days to conserve fuel after Rita. All but three of Georgia's 181
school systems voluntarily went along with the governor's request.

Now, some angry parents are planning to take their children to the
state capitol Monday and hold a protest on the lawn. Some others said
they would take their children straight to the governor's mansion. The
reason: they are upset that they must find day care for their
children, or stay home from work.

The governor made the decision Friday afternoon, after learning that a
Houston-to-New York pipeline that supplies most of Georgia's gasoline
had been shut down, said Dan McLagan, Perdue's spokesman. On Sunday,
the pipeline was operating sporadically.

"The politically safe thing to would be to do nothing, and then blame
the hurricane for any subsequent problems. But that's not leadership,"
McLagan said.

Perdue's decision had ripple effects.

It was immediately criticized by Secretary of State Cathy Cox, a
Democratic gubernatorial candidate, who called the school closings a
"stunt."

Some parents said it's a lot of trouble for a hurricane that didn't
turn out to be as bad as predicted - especially for parents of public
school children.

"People still have to go to work, and the freeways are still going to
be packed. I mean I could see if the governor said, 'All right,
everybody stay home Monday and Tuesday!' " said Kyle Glenn, 44,
stepmother of a 10-year-old pupil at Fulton County's Mimosa Elementary
School.

Although Perdue doesn't have the authority to shut down private
businesses, he did ban all nonessential travel by state employees and
called on businesses to conserve fuel.


Today I noticed kids fricking everywhere. Kids in Doc Chey's, kids in CVS, I swear, even kids in the school library! I think that the gas spent driving these kids around might have offset the savings. However, everyone remember to conserve gas. Even the President says we should. Combine trips, use public transit, walk places, etc.

I want this shirt.

Do you know someone who needs to stop using meth? Please point them to this website.

Are you a skilled sewing Lolita? Please donate patterns to the Lolita pattern exchange. As for me, I'll learn...someday. I've already deprived my mom of my sewing machine, so now I do have a reason to learn...

Let's all promise to work hard to prevent the Katrina tragedy from happening again. Oh, and here's a petition about it. You can also get Kanye was right t shirts for $12. According to P6, the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights is behind this.

The rest of the story about the famous flooded buses.

In other news, NAVY DOLPHINS ARE GONNA GET YOU, SUCKA.

I do not support these troops. I do not care if you hate the enemy or if you think that somehow posting grisly pictures of people you shot on the internet will stop the jihad. (I remember a picture of a Nashville Islamic center saying: stop the hate, stop the revenge, stop the war) You do not break Geneva convention rules. Ever. How dare they show the deaths of people and think it's funny? How dare they? I hate war. It just makes monsters out of men. How can we ever make amends for this? How can we ever say we're sorry? How can we ever fix this? I don't think anything in the world can make amends for this. It's terrible. I feel responsible somehow. Like if only I had worked harder, we could have stopped this from happening.

It's terrible. It's not like the deep shame I feel when I see photographs of lynchings. Yes, I feel shame that those men faced the camera, smiling after a murder. I feel shame that humans can even show their faces after this. The people doing this crime aren't showing their faces, but I feel like I somehow have blood on my hands. How could I explain this to an Iraqi kid whose parent's death was mocked on the internet? I couldn't. It's almost like they'd be justified in hating me. I know I'd hate me too.

I heard about the school closings on the MARTA as two people were complaining about what would people do with their kids, and suchlike. The MARTA ferries people who are employed in the service industries around a lot, and I thought about how stupid an idea that was. I mean, how is Susie Kroger Checkout Lady going to get to work? And if she doesn't show, doesn't that mean problems for everyone else? That would be an especial problem if the staff for the hosptial don't show because they all need to take care of their kids. I'm not an expert on poor people or anything, but wouldn't it be a problem if they had to miss the wages of two days of work or incur additional expenses by having to pay for babysitting? I am of course not thinking about important things like that, and just hoping my ride has enough gas to get to AWA! (Uh...I went by bus last night if it helps)

MEMO TO WHITE PEOPLE: You're SUPPOSED to learn stuff in college, fool! Stop with this bitching right now! White people, and that especially includes conservatives that are mad about the liberal slant of education- no one is making you go to college! If you don't want to improve your mind, there are tons of people who DO want to improve their minds! They'd love the opportunity to have all the resources that a college kid has at hand. I have a huge library, teachers who know stuff, people who come to the college and speak about stuff, film series educating me about the world, students who are working in groups to educate people- all at my finger tips! I don't have to go and hunt down someone if I want to know more about Christian heresies- I can ask my religion professor. I've practically gotten a degree in racism studies just using the library here. My mind has been enriched by speakers here.

I take advantage of this shit because I'm actually grateful for it. Maybe they should take their 'spots' in college and give them to someone who actually is grateful for the chance to learn.

I am starting on When affirmative Action was White, and it is dense. Every page is full of facts, figures, quotations from congressional reports, analysis of the balance of power between the republicans, democrats and different factions in those parties, basically, I think I might have to save up for my own copy. Also, one of the reviews interests me, because of the fact that he simply doesn't get what the book is about at all. The author is not describing a conspiracy as much as the reality of politics. Even though there are well meaning white liberals in both parties, they also have to contend with racist southern constituents who will rage at any step forward for equality, the fact that to get bills pushed through, they have to compromise with others who may have racist views, and the like. I guess an idea that this person doesn't have is the fact that sometimes even if you only want to please your racist constituents or not seem like a Communist, and don't go around crackling HHAHAHAHA, DIE BLACKS, DIE, your policies can still have bad effects that disproportionately affect black people.

I don't understand this:

I’ve had some feedback recently, including one surprising unsubscribe message that stated, “Unsubscribe me. This is not for me - if I had the choice I’d rather be driving a Porsche than be poor.” huh?
I don't see the connection between borrowing stuff and being poor. I mean, if you have money, why not keep it? I come from a middle class family, but I could see borrowing a saw once in a while instead of buying one, or borrowing a book for class that I'd never read again from someone else. Society is weird.

I've decided to barter things on my website. Make me an offer! Also, in other news, here's a press release from Stop Prisoner Rape:
September 22, 2005
SACRAMENTO, CA – Today, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed the Sexual
Abuse in Detention Elimination Act (AB 550), which passed the California
Legislature on September 7. The legislation, now cited as Chapter 303,
Statutes of 2005, lays the foundation for California, the largest prison
system in the country, to be a national leader in the fight to end
prisoner rape.

“The passage of this law is a significant milestone for California,
finally giving this all-too-common human rights violation the attention
it deserves in our state. We applaud the governor for signing it and
legislators of both parties who supported its passage,” said Katherine
Hall-Martinez, a spokesperson for Stop Prisoner Rape (SPR), a Los
Angeles-based national human rights organization.
The legislation’s general purpose is to prevent, reduce, and effectively
respond to sexual abuse of inmates and wards while held in detention
facilities operated by the California Department of Corrections and
Rehabilitation (CDCR). Among the legislation’s specific purposes are
that the CDCR do the following:
• Provide inmates and wards with informational handbooks regarding
sexual abuse in detention;
• Adopt specified policies, practices, and protocols related to the
placement of inmates, physical and mental health care of inmate victims,
and investigation of sexual abuse;
• Ensure accurate data collection concerning sexual abuse across all
institutions which is accessible to the public; and
• Develop guidelines for the provision of resources and counseling from
outside organizations to inmates and wards.
The legislation also creates the Office of the Sexual Abuse in Detention
Ombudsperson to ensure confidential reporting and impartial resolution
of sexual abuse complaints in CDCR facilities.

The law was designed to assist California in complying with the federal
Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) of 2003. PREA was the first-ever
federal legislation addressing prisoner rape, passed with overwhelming
bipartisan support and signed into law by President George W. Bush.

While there are few reliable statistics on prisoner rape, studies in the
U.S. have estimated that one in five male inmates have been sexually
abused, usually by another inmate. Rates for women, who are most likely
to be abused by male staff, reach as high as one in four in some
facilities. According to a recent U.S. Bureau of Justice report, in 2004
alone, 149 California prisoners stepped forward to report being sexually
assaulted, despite many factors that deter their reports to officials.

“Prisoner rape is a longstanding and ongoing problem in California’s
prisons, as it is around the country. Provided it is fully implemented,
this legislation has the potential to pierce the veil of silence
surrounding prisoner rape and, ultimately, to lower its incidence in
California,” Hall-Martinez added.

Trees Atlanta is selling trees.

Exciting update! Emory is on fark!

Last week I ended up paying like $1.11 for 1 apple, so I resolve to eat at the school cafeteria, so I can get free fruit. I'm sad that the grapes for .99 cents a pound bonanza has been stopped, and now I'm grapeless as for 2.49 a pound, I'd end up paying like $5 a package. This is probably why poor people are fat. But I am hoping for my parents to get me a costco membership card for graduation. Huge things of cherries, here I come.

How do they get the free time?

I got Doubt!! volume 4 today. I love a good addictive shoujo manga.

I hope I get into AP racism despite the fact that I often say "shut up, you racist so and so'

I finally find out what a buffalo soldier is.

Yea, that's practical.

You must play Grow. Off task blogging, engage.

*nerdgasm*

You might want to check out my other blog. In other news, if you put this kind of popcorn: in the microwave in a brown paper bag, it'll pop. I have found that 2 minutes is a bit too long, resulting in a few burnt pieces. I got 1.5 pounds of this for 74 cents. If you reuse unpopped kernels and the brown paper bag, you get the +12 sword of poor skills.

Also, up for grabs! Coupon for the Whole Foods Market on Briarcliff Road. (in Atlanta) Expires 9/30. $10 off $30 or more purchase. Who wants it?

Today in the community garden we planted broccoli, spinach, lettuce, mustard and collard greens, and peas. I don't know of any of them will actually grow, and now I have a weird lower leg tan from wearing rolled up jeans. In other news, P6 assigns us a book for our greater edification. I am hoping to get it from the library. Otherwise I encourage you to donate to my "educate Shannon" fund by bidding on my eBay auctions. If I buy a copy for myself, I promise to put it on my borrowme account when I finish it. Also, could anyone recommend any good books about gardening?

Portlanders can 'adopt' computers in exchange for 24 hours of labor. I hope others copy this program and spread it- I'd love to see computers in the homes of the poor.

The reason I don't give much credence to this whole "if poor black people just made better choices, they wouldn't be poor, so why worry about them" stuff is that basically, it's ridiculous. This person is even counting choices that people don't see as choices- so basically, if I can't get to class because I need to take care of my younger siblings because my mom is in the hospital, I've just chosen to fail, and it's just excuses if rich black people say we need affordable childcare or preventive health care. It also sets up a system in which your worth is seen as a function of your class. I don't agree with this, because it treats me merely attending a top college as more of an accomplishment than someone getting through community college with 3 kids while holding down a job, I find the school work exhausting, but I have a lot of off hours in which to restore myself and prevent health problems.

I also think it's a bad idea, because you could be a mid manager making a good hunk of cash one day, but the CEOs on top might mismanage things and you could end up being let go, and be really poor through no fault of your own. Also, it makes sense to me to focus on what we can change. We could counter the deindustralization of the inner cities by creating more job opportunities there, but we can't make anyone be a good person no matter how much we talk about it. I believe that there is 10% of the population who will succeed no matter what, and 10% that will fail no matter what. I think focusing on the people who can grow as their environment improves is a good idea. We can improve the environment, but talking about how we are better than other people only serves the purpose of making us feel better about ourselves, which could be addressed in ways that would be less harmful to others.

This page brought me back to my childhood. When I was a kid, we played a game that we called Kala(pronounced Kay lah) using a wooden board and beans. I knew it was vaguely from Africa, but I didn't know about the many variations of the game or the many beautiful designs of boards. The board we used when I was a kid is similar to the first picture on that page, but the biggest holes were in the middle instead of on the ends. I never was very good at that game, when I think about it.

Going to hell, laughing all the way.

Look at me! I'm a racist asshole! MEMO: If you put shit like that on your car, it makes you look like a racist.

Steve Gillard's blog talks about how fragile the hurricane victims' lives were before Katrina. Half had no health insurance, and forty percent had chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. This shows a great problem America has, and needs to deal with. It's the health of our citizens. We need to do more than just say "go to the gym, fatass". We need to try to understand people's lives and see what is keeping them from good health. If you're exhausted from working two jobs to keep a roof over your head, it's ridiculous to tell you that you need to stop eating on the run between jobs and your kids, and fix a healthy meal. (You may complain about a McDonald's hamburger, but one good thing about it is that it keeps you full in a way that some apples and grapes won't) If you feel that your neighborhood is dangerous, you are not going to run around the block for no reason. (and no, telling the gangsters that DRUGS R BAD!!!! or calling us all stupid n*ggers will not make them stop being gangsters).

Basically, we need to get a clue down on the ground.

I have some stuff I might consider sharing once this site gets fully operational up. I have high hopes, maybe there could be a feminist/anti racism book lending community.

Trish Wilson talks about how some dudes don't think feminist bloggers talk about Roberts enough. Honestly, I have nothing intelligent to say about Roberts, and I really feel powerless to stop his confirmation, so I'm not even following the story because it seems depressing. Yes, maybe my dedication to politics isn't good enough for whoever, but I'm honestly a bit burned out after all the Katrina stuff. My religion teacher went off on a huge tangent about Katrina today, and I wanted to just run out of the room crying.

Don't be this lady,ok? In other news, P6 calls folks out on their hypocrisy.

The head of the LA NAACP has called for evacuees to form self governing shelter communities. Yet more of that traditional black hard work, and community coming through here.

MEMO TO EVERYONE: If you use this as your mousepad without irony(even with irony, I'm a bit suspicious!), you're probably a giant loser.

Asshat claims he isn't racist, but wears a shirt with black men getting dragged behind trucks with nooses, and says that blacks think they are better than everyone else. No one believes you, asshole.

MEMO TO WHITE PEOPLE: Don't wear this (NSFW: racist) in public. Everyone will think you are a racist idiot. It's called PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Just don't act like a total douchebag, or there will be consequences. No one cares if you cry.

Heard on Campus
"Harry Connick Jr said if I were poor, I'd be taking stuff and maybe trashing it too. That was a very honest moment"- my religion teacher

"She said Oh, we're so diverse! All different European countries! *insert sarcastic tone* That's diverse there for ya."- overheard on the elevator

"They were studying my favorite drug. I grew up in the 70s, I'm old, but I still have favorites"- My stats teacher- caught on camera!

At Feminist Mormon Housewives, a beautiful post on racism and white privilege, although the words white privilege are never used, gives me hope for the future. We can all work hard to understand our society and uplift it, I believe. Maybe it's the optimism of youth, but good stuff like this makes me believe it more strongly.

Word. I wish I got some of this free money just for being black all these white people are talking about. The closest I got was a $500 National Achievement Award. (My 1300 SAT score actually is a lot higher than what most of the white people whining got!)Oh yea, and I got $250 because I had a 3.7 GPA and was last in the 50 meters all the time. Man, I'm just on easy street! Actually STUDYING in school instead of complaining about people with different colored skin!

From Twisty, black Americans continue to be politically astute. You can't get shit past us.

Here's a website where you can borrow stuff from other folks. I'm trying it, and will discuss if it works. I need more poor skills. In other news, why does Illinois have so much biodiesel?

In my opinion, black people know what's going on.
Attitudes toward Bush and the government's overall response to Hurricane Katrina fracture along clear racial lines. Nearly three in four whites doubted the federal government would have responded more quickly to those trapped in New Orleans if they had been wealthier and white rather than poorer and black, the poll found. But an equal share of blacks disagreed, saying help would have come sooner if the victims had been more affluent whites.

More than six in 10 blacks -- 63 percent -- said the problems with the hurricane relief effort are an indication of continuing racial inequity in this country, a view rejected by more than seven in 10 whites, according to the poll.

Black white relations in the US: "we must work in the spirit of unity and cooperation; I'll supply the unity and you'll supply the cooperation". The quote is from the A.R. Ammons poem "Resolve". If you like it, it's in the book "The Really Short Poems of A.R. Ammons"

It tastes like chicken.

Amandapanda notes that YES, WE KNOW WHAT YOUR CODED LANGUAGE MEANS. Like I remember how some dumb ass (IRL too!) tried to pretend that inner city didn't mean black(I mean, they could have been insulting Hispanics. Dumb ass, if you insult Hispanics, I know I'm next) while using the same old they all have sex at like 3, and never work hard in school stereotypes that have been around since like slavery. The idea that I can't penetrate your oh so clever coded language relies on the premise that blacks are dumb as shit, also the idea that we're fooled because Bush hired a black person. We're not stupid, white people.

The clue by four rides again. Everyone read that. Pass it on.

From Bitch PhD, I got a link to Hungry Blues, which linked to a long list of disaster relief charities. It was interesting- there were the Camp Casey people, who seem to have changed from protesting the President to helping the victims, charities to help Lesbian, Gay and Trangendered victims(see this story about the problems a transgendered survivor had. It illustrates some of the possible problems.) and people with disabilities.

Broken Flowers was a good movie. There may be spoilers in this post. First, I really liked the costume design. Lolita has earrings that look like the sunglasses on the Kubrick Lolita movie poster, except for they are pink. Although, I think it'd be a better decision to have her pubes all shaved to cement the Lolita joke further. The guys that Don Johnston thinks are his sons have striped track suits that look like his. I also liked the astute use of the magical negro stereotype. It's as if the writers said, hey, if we're writing a black character that seems to have nothing else to do with his life than help a white person, why not go all the way? So Winston apparently has time between his five kids and three jobs to plan a whole wacky trip for Don Johnston. The stereotype falls to the pure absurdity, and we all get a good laugh. Also, it is suggested that Winston might be fucking with Don, which is an interpretation that would make the movie even funnier. Great show. I felt happy to have spent $6 on it.

Do you live in the Atlanta area? You can help Hurricane Katrina victims by donating school supplies for kids. Here's a page telling you how.

This email scams are getting really elaborate now. Look at this email I got:



Dear Friend,

I am Mrs Felicia Hayes Harrison from Ireland. I was married to Dr.Franklyn Staal Harrison who worked with ChevronTexaco in Nigeria for twenty years before he died in the year 2002.We were married for twenty-seven years without a child. He died during one of the riot in the Niger delta region of Nigeria.He was held hostage and slain to death by protesting youths of the region.

Before his death we were both happy couple. Since his death I decided not to re-marry .When my late husband was alive he deposited the sum of (Six Million Two hundred thousand U.S.Dollars)with a bank in the Nigeria.

Presently, this money is still with the bank and the management just wrote me as the beneficiary to come forward to receive the money or rather issue a letter of authorisation to somebody to receive it on my behalf if I can not come over.

Presently, I'm with my laptop in a hospital where I have been undergoing treatment for cancer of the lungs. I have since lost my ability to talk and my doctors have told me that I have only a few months to live.

It is my last wish to see that this money is invested, the proceed at the end of every year distributed among charity organisations. I took this decision because i know that there are alot of poor people suffering from different kind of disease and nobody to cometo their aid. I want a person that is trustworthy that will utilise this money to fund churches, orphanages and less priviledge around the world but this generous donation must be made in our family name "Harrison"

As soon as I receive your reply I shall give you the contact of the bank.I don't need any telephone communication in this regard because of my soundless voice.

I will also issue you a letter of authority that will prove you as the new beneficiary of this fund.You are to help me invest this funds into real estate and stocks.You will be entitled to 10% and invest 90% ans also 10% of every profit you make in a year is yours.

Please I need you to assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein and keep this contact confidential till such a time this funds get to your custody safe in your nominated account,this is to ensure that nothing jeopadises my last wish on earth.

Please assure me that you will act accordingly as I stated herein.

Hoping to hearing from you soon.

Yours Faithfully,

Mrs Felicia Hayes Harrison

Hurricane victims at other locations will have to apply for expedited aid through the agency's traditional route — filling out information on FEMA's Web site to receive direct bank deposits. from this story.

This is a stupid question, but what do they do about people who don't have bank accounts?

Supposedly this girl (nsfw) is selling her panties on ebay. Life is weird.

It's not 1975 anymore- angry feminist sets us straight.

Help educate people- donate to restore Louisiana libraries.

From P6, first black commander of the corps of engineers helps fix levee in record time.

It's important for us to be able to deconstruct our ideas and figure out where we got them from. A claim I have made: white people need to learn not to be racist- they can do this by reading books.

Assumption: White are influenced by our racist society. Why I think this is true: Observation: I note that whites tend to use the same excuses for their bad behavior. I do not think these excuses are independently generated. History: In my study of history, both black and white, I have noticed many ideas that white people today use that have their roots in older ideas. The idea that blacks are always less intelligent than whites(used liberally in the assumption that blacks don't deserve to go to college) comes from the scientific racism of the 19th century. (see Gould, and others for a discussion). The idea that blacks are poor because they are lazy, bad people has its roots in Social Darwinism, and also Calvinism, which sometimes included the belief that rich people were favored by god. The Moynihan report paved the way to blame the problems of black people on single black women, and our 'bad culture'- this is the root of the current meme that instead of improving schools, blacks are a lost cause anyway, because one kid said that some other kid was 'acting white'.

Other influences: Dawkins' theory of memes- ideas that spread in a way analogous to natural selection. Family influences: I note that I am influenced by my family, and analogize that whites are also influenced by theirs, and by the families of their friends.

Assumption: Whites can improve their behavior
Why I think this is true: Observation: I see some whites that are less racist than other whites. The variation in levels of racism leads me to believe it’s not inherent. Also, on the internet, I have seen conscious efforts to become less racist- I perceive the people who have gone through these efforts as less racist. Also, when whites do things that I feel are racist, they are all voluntary actions- like opening your mouth and saying something stupid, or refusing to read a book. I can stop myself from saying stupid shit, so therefore, I think whites can do this too. History: Through books like How the Irish Became White, and White Men Challenging Racism, I have seen the argument advanced, with primary sources and evidence, that racial attitudes, and who is or is not ‘white’ has changed. Also, in White Men Challenging Racism, white men work against racism, and I felt a personal feeling of admiration for these men.

Assumption: Whites should change their behavior.
Why I think this is so: Personal feeling: White peopleÂ’s racist behavior is very annoying to me, and is personally hurtful. Evidence of harm: It seems to me that white racist behavior harms black people. I think this is true because of studies seen in books, such as Racist America, which explores the effects of racist policies from the start of America to the present day or When Work Disappears which explored the deindustrialization of the ghetto, and white flight. There is also the famous name-resume study(hey, why don't we change our attitudes towards the names rather than worrying about whether our names are 'acceptable'), the study of driving while black I saw recently, and also, the Hurricane Katrina problems, which were inflected by the traditional problem of black 'crime' being highlighted.

Other black people's reactions: When whites do something racist, either by ignoring blacks in stores, saying something stupid or saying the n word, other blacks talk about it in raised voices, use sarcasm or rude language to describe the racist, and generally seem frustrated.


Logic: If whites can change their behavior, and prevent the stress(which is bad for your health) and damage caused by their behavior, it seems that things would improve.

Observation: White racist behavior seems to happen despite the personal characteristics of the black- regardless of whether the black is polite or rude, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, whether they are assimilated or non assimilated. Also, white racist rhetoric tends to contradict reality- such as
whites are oppressed, we don't have any power', when statistics indicate that whites hold most senior management positions and most political positions. It's like there's a bubble that won't let reality in. Whites are also isolated from blacks, and so even if every black person acted in the way that white racists said would make them not be racist, it is likely that their beliefs would still persist, despite the reality.

Axiom: The people who create the problem should fix it, not those affected by it. This is because I can't change your attitude, but you can change your attitude. If your attitude is fucking shit up for other people, don't waste time making excuses, you have plenty of time to change your attitude if you have time to make an excuse. A personal feeling here- people who want others to change their attitudes for them seem lazy to me, and lose respect. Through observation, I note that black people who suck up to white people like that stupid Rev Peterson don't seem to change white attitudes, and through history, I have seen many attempts to change white attitudes through hard work and assimilation fail (see Booker T Washington, also Forgotten Readers) thus, maybe if whites tried to change thier attitudes, we'd see more progress.

Assumption: Whites can change behavior and attitudes through the use of books. experience: I've learned a lot of things through books, and have changed my attitudes. Observation: I have noted people discussing ideas that they have gotten from books, and they seem really educated and enlightened. Also, whites showing less racism seem to have read more, and have more information about how the world actually works, and what actually happened historically.

Assumption: Whites are like blacks, except for with a different culture and history. That's just an axoim. Oh, and at P6's place, the old heads try without success to make a resistant white see sense.

Time to lighten it up with EGL cosplayers.

A disturbing report from one of the places they are going to put storm victims. I wouldn't run around screaming concentration camp, but let's all watch this carefully. Also, I'd like to talk about why we should work hard to stamp out racism and classism in ourselves. The official that these people talk with says over and over, you don't know what kind of people that are coming here, and acts like there'll be riots if someone sneezes funny. We never know when we might be in a situation where biases like this could impair our judgment, so we should work hard to educate ourselves on how these biases work, so we can say 'hey, maybe that's not true, maybe I am just biased".

Awesome feminist/final fantasy LJ icon. Yes, I know the white mage is a dude, but when I was a kid, I could never get very far in Final Fantasy, and until a few years ago, thought the white mage was a girl.

Tim Wise, the famed white anti racist, reams the fucktards with a righteous rant. I'm buying both of his new books just to thank him for saying that. The truth is that even if people won't listen to blacks, maybe they'll listen to a white man. There's got to be somebody they'll listen to, someone who can revive some sense of decency in the hearts of the people of America today.

Amanda reminds us that you can't learn how to swim if you won't get in the water. Also, I'm bursting to tell everyone on the internet how proud I am that I advertised the garden clean up day on our school's email/bulletin board system. I hope a lot of people come out! I was too busy to work in the garden for one semester, and wasn't here for one summer, and the whole garden is totally overgrown. We got permission to plant there again, and everything is all set. We are hoping to be able to grow blueberries. I'm overly optimistic, so I have visions of the homeless eating blueberry pancakes. Not likely,eh?

saywhatcracka is back up.

Jackhammers and sodomy sounds good right now. To distract you, here's some hilarity. In more humor news, something awful is back up.

Judith Hall will be the death of me. And William James. And Madam Lafayette. I hate you all. I have been confirmed in my opinion that Europe is the most boring place on the planet. If I have to hear about how millions of people were hacked into tiny little bits because of who was fucking who or about how if you see an awe inspiring piece of art and a bunch of people live in the area making similar pieces of art, the obvious explanation is that a bunch of people from thousands of miles away walked in, created the art and disappeared without a trace. I even don't care about the role of the patriarchy in whether people touch each other or not. Speaking of the patriarchy, Twisty talks about people who don't belong on her blog. I don't remember a huge influx of why do you hate white people posters here, but I'll preempt you. The difference between my dislike of white folks and white people's racist hate of blacks is that whites can escape from my dislike. Basically, all they have to do is not be complete and total fucktards, and read a book sometimes. Not to mention my dislike of whites does not mean I leave them to die in fetid feces filled swamps caused by hurricanes, but that's another matter.

But the thing is that there's nothing blacks can do to make whites not hate them, because it's not based on behavior. For example, yea, a few people stole a TV or two while stranded in New Orleans. But I bet you a million bucks that the same amount or even more people lent a hand to their neighbor in this time of crisis or were in fact heroic while they were stranded. However, who will be considered the face of the black man? When people talk about the culture of black people, will they talk about the strong family ties that lead a 6 year old to be able to save his cousins? Will they talk about the strength and self reliance that it takes to survive for days without any help, even if it means taking items that were a total loss? At best, we can expect the black heroes to be seen as special exceptions, as not like those other black people.

But, in reality, the blacks that are working hard and preserving dignity under hard circumstances are the majority. I can even respect someone who is selling bootleg CDs on the street, as at least they are making an effort, even though it's a totally misguided one. However, I do not see that sort of effort on the white side. I see people saying crap like "English Only" "They deserved to die because they didn't take personal responsibility" "White people wouldn't do crap like this"(overheard on campus- the white male recounting the story seemed embarrassed that he was even the same species as the loser who said that) and other stuff. It's not just saying stupid things- it's not even thinking before letting yourself be sold a bill of goods. Why even pretend that the system works on merit, when you know your boss got his job because he knew some dude, and wouldn't know his ass from an anteater? Why make a fuss over a few dollars going to a mother to feed her babies, when billions of dollars are being spent to blow up babies?

Not to mention often you'll hear any excuse to avoid actually fixing racial problems. I don't have time to educate myself. Kids are starving in Africa, I'll get to you after they are all fed. (as if putting a few bucks into the Africa relief fund somehow meant you couldn't fix your attitudes towards blacks at home). We don't have racism in X place. (what, is there a magical force field?) Well, that's in the past(yea, the past five minutes) What about the poor displaced white man? Basically, if all the problems on earth were solved, there'd still be some excuse at why fighting racism against people of color is at the end of the line. I'd respect people more if they just said "I hate you guys and don't give a fuck about your lives". At least they'd be honest, and not totally insulting to the intelligence.

Yea, GO GAYS!!! In other news, I interrupt this website to say that I am starting up custom button and magnet making.

flea puts out an urgent plea on behalf of family affected by the hurricane. Also, she creates more essential hurricane reading. My cousin that was in Hammond, LA when the storm hit has been removed to Memphis to stay with his mama. He may go back to his college soon.

I found this amazing article on how America puts a lot of poverty aid forth to those who are not most in need of aid on Alas a Blog.

Amandapanda talks about how reports of New Orleans sinking into debauchery were greatly exaggerated. In random anecdotes, one of my professors has volunteered at the Red Cross to do mental health work. She says that the volunteers are a bit traumatized because there is so much they can't do, and the victims can not return home for the most part, so that is taking a toll. If there are any people with mental health training, I would urge you to volunteer with the Red Cross, or a similar organization. I'm not trained, but I would guess a lot of people would end up with Post Traumatic Stress syndrome and a lot of people may have pre existing mental illnesses that are not getting the right treatment.

Speaking of professors, Bitch PhD says you should give money to ACORN. If you need to unwind, ADV is selling anime hyper cheap! I hate how ADV does that whole box + #1 nonesense, give me a break! Also, they have a lot of Hello Kitty DVDs, if you want to send those to hurricane shelters.

Steve Gillard wrote a beautiful post to black conservatives, but while I was reading that post it hit me that New Orleans is gone. Even if they rebuild in the same spot, it won't be the same. I don't know why, but I just can't stop crying about it. I don't want a city that has none of the soul, the verve, the energy of New Orleans taking its place. I liked the old city with its live nude girls signs, its crawdaddies, its crowds of drunken tourists. I know it's selfish of me, but I wish it'd be the same again, and not all be washed away.

Random ancedote: While I was on the MARTA, I rode past an Amoco station with a sign in the window: 'no gas'. And now, a heart warming hurricane story.

Someone has set up a blog for people who want to send supplies.

Do you know a displaced casino employee? Apparently 1-800-The-Isle is the number for them to get their pay. I'm just passing on what I heard,though. In other news, donate to the NAACP, they are hoping to get buses down there to pick some people up, and are trying to get hotels to get lodging for survivors.

You might want to give to Modest Needs. They are creating a fund to help reduce the financial burden on people who are sheltering the victims of the hurricane.

Al Gore is a hero.

Benefit auction for Katrina. I made the earrings myself.

The New York Times gets into the act with a sorrowful portrait of the race and class divisions of the city. I would hope this would open eyes, but I am sure it won't. Never has to much information, so freely offered, been so ignored. Scalzi offers us a beautiful view of what things us middle class people take for granted. That's why I like blogs- we can reach at least the upper crust in developed countries with views of compassion, love, and knowledge.

She may be committed to dialogue, but I am not- fuck all y'all. And Trent Lott's house too!

Gas fears pump up public transit...and inconvienance me. On September 1st, I tried to buy a month MARTA card, no can do. I had to settle for the last weekly on the 2nd. I really wanted the student discount, but I'll survive.

I bought a Bush Doesn't Care about Black People T Shirt.

And now for food follies- on my reciept my cans of black beans are listed as 'pub hispanic blk b'. WTF? In other news, I made a good new dish. I merely sliced a sweet potato(boiled first) and a very large apple I foraged from today's brunch, put pats of butter on top of the layers, sprinkled with cinnamon, and pecans. Then I baked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Mmm..

The famous Hannity and Colmes clip where Shep Smith and Geraldo break down. This really brings the horror home to me. They can't get out of the city, apparently.

Images of New Orleans’ hurricane-ravaged population were transformed into black, out-of-control, criminals. As if taking a stereo from a store that will clearly be insured against loss is a greater crime than the governmental neglect and incompetence that did billions of dollars of damage and destroyed a city. This media focus is a tactic, just as the eighties focus on “welfare queens” and “super-predators” obscured the simultaneous and much larger crimes of the Savings and Loan scams and mass layoffs, the hyper-exploited people of New Orleans are being used as a scapegoat to cover up much larger crimes.


From Notes from Inside New Orleans by Jordan Flaherty

In heroic hurricane stories, a young man takes a bus, drives to the Astrodome, and saves the lives of babies. Some may say he deserves to be charged with theft for stealing the bus, but let's not listen to them. Amandapanda is outraged that this brave young man was called a looter by news agency asshats.

Donate to Planned Parenthood, just because this stupid bitch doesn't like it. I'm sorry, lady, but don't try to pull the 'OMG!!!!! Planned Parenthood is RACIST!!!" card. If your dumb ass cared about black people, you'd be working hard to make sure we have all the health care we can get, not try to support a bunch of 'crisis pregnancy' centers that lie to women. The problem is that we're not so much mad about what people say in the past, just as long as they have fixed the problem. It's when you haven't done anything to fix the problem that black folks will harp on your past. Planned Parenthood is cool with black people now, and that's what matters. Many black people are poor, and Planned Parenthood is the only way they are going to get the reproductive health care they need. I applaud them for opening their doors and using their resources to help the victims. But I think it's sad that some people think that they can use blacks to hurt women, knowing full well that there's more black women than men.

ATTENTION!!! Looters did NOT attack the hospital.

I'm *dead*. In other news, it's time for liberal blogs to have a hurricane drive. Drop some cash in the jar.

AHAHAHA, KANYE TELLS THE TRUTH~! But NBC is like OMG, someone said the obvious! No, George Bush doesn't like black people. If it helps, I don't think he likes white people either, he's not so much a racist as an equal oppurtunity asshole, but come on. If you are so stupid you don't know this shit by now, it'll take more than a rap star to tell you. Let me break it down for you- if your policies suck a dick, like taking 5 days to get supplies to suffering people- people will think you are inept and that you don't care about them. Remember, policies sucking a dick=blacks not liking you.

Buy tasteless bumper stickers- all proceeds go to the Red Cross.

A bit about the historically black colleges hit by the diaster. Lincoln University opens its doors to those hit, with tuition relief.

The mayor of New Orleans (warning: audio) breaks down.

I don't get people who say that we should wait to blame the President until everyone is rescued. I mean, if I type on the internet that the President is to blame, will the people from Americares say "Hey, I was going to use this donation to help the victims of the hurricane, but now that people think it's the president's fault, I'm going to use it for hookers and a happy meal"? Will the people opening their homes to the victims throw them out in the street? Will people stop sending donations if we think the President is at fault? Not to mention it's a darn sight better than the people on the right blaming the people stuck in the city themselves for the breakdown of the rescue effort.

Discover has special incentivies to donate to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Also, this article is really heartbreaking. Read the sympathetic protrayal of the looters. Such a change from OMG, THEY STOLE STUFF, KILL THEM ALL!!! that some morons have been saying, as if you can leave thousands of people without food and water and expect them to be all quiet and happy.


FEMA puts up its disaster assistance plan., and Bitch PhD investigates the social underpinnings of the disaster, and gives us a good book recommend. More heart tearing stories about the misery. I feel really distracted, and have a hard time not looking at stories about it. I guess in some way I am covering up my worries(even though my cousin is fine) by obsessing over the disaster. I'm sad though because some of my favorite family memories happened in either New Orleans or Biloxi- my brother and his 'twin' walking down the streets sipping on Hurricanes, my step grand dad's aunt at the beach in Biloxi asking if her hat was on straight, my aunt sucking on crawdaddies, while grandma quietly bought us a pizza, the sun rising over the lake. There are even things I don't remember like me running around on Bourbon street yelling disgusting. Now I worry all I may have of New Orleans is a necklace I begged mom to buy when I was 7. She put it up for me, and I have it still.

A intelligent post on the storm, race, and class.

Found on fark:

2005-09-01 01:21:38 PM Microbe


Dear Lord,

The fallen angel of chaos and confusion is working overtime on Earth today.

Please provide us with clarity and compassion. Please provide those in desperate situations with peace and patience. Please provide those brave and strong enough to lend aid with the means with which to do so.

Please, help silence the confusor. Help us to lay aside our avarice, help us to lay aside our doubts, help us to lay aside our greed, help us to lay aside our anger.

Lend us clarity, Lord. Lend us insight and truth. Lend us compassion. Let the braying ass be led from the burning barn by the most humble of servants. Let the braying ass hear his own braying and learn to speak in the tongue of humanity.

Let those who bring help to be unthwarted by the confused and chaotic. Lend your energy to stop the entropy unleashed by those most confused and deluded.

Dear Lord, let compassion conquer hatred.

Amen

Can you offer free housing to a hurricane victim? This website tells you how to offer it.

We must have really fucked up the rescue situation in New Orleans. It seems that mass panic has broken out. It also seems that the police do not have enough support to do their job. How the fuck are they on their own on food? I hope the troops get there by the beginning of next week, not the end.

Might even be a black guy? Another twist is shown in the case of the dumbass doctor. It seems that the woman wasn't annoyed about being told that she wouldn't get a man, it was the racial comment. I agreed the first time, but I agree even more now- is she supposed to be like "a BLACK GUY?! OMG, I'LL GO TO THE JENNY CRAIG RIGHT NOW!!!!"? That doctor should be slapped for just plain stupidity.

Oooooh, smack! But I do agree it's more important to worry about whether people are dying than to really care if some asshat snatches a TV that is a total loss anyway. How is that store going to sell a TV that probably has water all in it, and why do we care? Zero tolerence for law breaking my ass, mr president.


This is unrelated, but awesome.

I'm really enjoying Status Anxiety, which in the 82 pages I have read so far, is a cheerful romp through ideas of status by looking at the writings of rich Europeans. Sometimes I wish he'd point out the holes in their arguments a bit more forcefully, as to me it is obvious that they are excluding women, blacks and Indians from their everyone is equal treatises, and probably obvious to de Botton, but given the wide spread cluelessness on the limitations of the viewpoints of dead Europeans, a bit more discussion may be needed. Although he might pick it up later.