Hurricane Katrina Aftermath (and other stuff I find interesting)

Some of these are great, and all remind me of the quoteby Mohandas Ghandi: "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."

Muhammad Yousef Al-Mlaifi here credits Allah; Allah's reason: Unspecified

"I do not think – and only Allah [really] knows – that this wind, which completely wiped out American cities in these days, is a wind of mercy and blessing. It is almost certain that this is a wind of torment and evil that Allah has sent to this American empire."

Avner Bosky here credits God; God's reason: U.S. Pressure for Israel to withdraw from Gaza
"What happens in Israel affects the rest of the world, and how any country treats Israel has a lot to do with how God treats that country. We are praying, deeply concerned and grieved about the onset of Katrina."

Fred Phelps here credits God; God's reason: Homosexuals

"New Orleans, symbol of America, seen for what it is: a putrid, toxic, stinking cesspool of fag fecal matter. [...] Pray for more dead bodies floating on the fag-semen-rancid waters of New Orleans."

Steve Lefemine here credits God; God's reason: Abortion (article originally from the Washington Post, as carried on the Houston Chronicle site, also reposted on the ExChristian.net site)

"In my belief, God judged New Orleans for the sin of shedding innocent blood through abortion [...] Providence punishes national sins by national calamities, [...] Greater divine judgment is coming upon America unless we repent of the national sin of abortion."

Reverend Bill Shanks here credits God; God's reasons: Several

"New Orleans now is abortion free. New Orleans now is Mardi Gras free. New Orleans now is free of Southern Decadence and the sodomites, the witchcraft workers, false religion -- it's free of all of those things now, [...] God simply, I believe, in His mercy purged all of that stuff out of there -- and now we're going to start over again."

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. here (in an editorial issued before the full extent of damage to New Orleans was known) facetiously credited God; God's reason: Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour's memo urging President Bush not to sign the Kyoto Protocol

"In 1998, Republican icon Pat Robertson warned that hurricanes were likely to hit communities that offended God. Perhaps it was Barbour’s memo that caused Katrina, at the last moment, to spare New Orleans and save its worst flailings for the Mississippi coast."

Ovadia Yosef here credits God; God's reason: George W. Bush's support for Israel's unilateral disengagement plan

"He (Bush) perpetrated the expulsion (of Jews from Gaza). Now everyone is mad at him. This is his punishment for what he did to Gush Katif, and everyone else who did as he told them, their time will come, too,"

Source: here

Updated: 1/14/06

136 Days since landfall

9 visits by President Bush

5% Open public schools in New Orleans (Orelans Parish Schools)

24.6% Percentage of all mortgages 30+ days past due in LA, Q3 2005 (Mortgage Banker's Assn)

29% Open cultural attractions in New Orleans (LA Ofc of Cultural Recreation & Tourism 12/05)

32% Open retail food establishments in proportion to pre-Katrina (LA Restaurant Assn)

53% Percentage of major hospitals operating in Orleans, Jefferson & St. Bernard parishes (LA Hospital Association, 12/21/05)

77% & 75% Percentage of homes that have been restored Electric & Gas service (City of New Orleans, 12/28) *Note, many connections between the house and street remain broken and inspections must be performed before utilities can re-connect

1,576 Number of cruise ship cabins being occupied (FEMA LA Field office)

1,975 properties deemed "in imminent danger of collapse" and recommended for demolition

22,994 Number of travel trailers operational (FEMA LA field office)

37,424 Number of hotel units being occupied (FEMA LA field office)

46,103 Average daily vehicles on Huey P. Long bridge (LA DOTD, 11/05) *Note, pre-K levels were 32-39 k

96,797 Number of departing passengers from MSY Airport (New Orleans Aviation Board, 10/05)

97,538 Number of arriving passengers from MSY Airport (New Orleans Aviation Board, 10/05)

The NFL says Aaron Neville will perform the national anthem at next month's Super Bowl. The league selected Neville , whose home was damaged by Hurricane Katrina, in part to honor the singer's hometown of New Orleans.

More here

NEW ORLEANS — The National D-Day Museum in New Orleans has received a $1 million gift for the Museum expansion from local entrepreneur Robert A. “Bobby” Savoie and his wife, Lori Kent Savoie. The gift is made in honor of Mrs. Savoie’s father, Leroy Wayne “Pete” Kent.

More here

"I believe the best strategy for the rebuilding of New Orleans and revitalization of the parishes around New Orleans is for the local folks to design the strategy and to have the federal government become a partner"

"One of the keys to success is going to be private-sector initiatives."

"There is going to be a building boom down here. It's going to be an exciting time"

"I'm here to report to you some of the progress made and to let you know that people in faraway places like Washington, DC still hear you and care about you"

I wonder if this is where she will unveil her plans and ideas, or if this will be another compliant session for disgruntled souls.

NEW ORLEANS — City Councilwoman Cynthia Hedge-Morrell has scheduled an “emergency” meeting for residents of District D this Saturday to discuss proposals presented yesterday to the Bring New Orleans Back Commission

more here

"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do."
~ Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

This year’s controversial Mardi Gras season has officially begun, and nothing starts the dancing in the streets juices like a second line. Sunday morning at 11:30 a.m., a coalition of 27 Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs will second line together for the first time. The parade is sponsored by the New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund, and is intended to call attention to the SAPCs and their role in renewing the city and its culture. The second line begins at the Backstreet Cultural Museum (1116 St. Claude Ave.) at 11 a.m. and ends around 4 p.m. uptown at Washington Avenue and S. Saratoga.

This year’s Krewe du Vieux parade wanders the streets of the French Quarter Saturday, Feb. 11, and one of the sub-krewes, the Krewe du Jieux, is having its potluck planning party tonight at 1020 St. Claude Ave. from 6 to 9 p.m. Those interested in knowing more about the Krewe du Jieux and its events can find out more by emailing JieuxKrewe@aol.com.

(this update from offbeat.com)

I have to admit, I have some mixed feelings about this issue. I know they need a place to live, but I also know that many of them are simply not looking for housing. I have a number of friends currently living in hotels scattered across town, and with each extension of the FEMA deadline, they put off their search for housing. Wouldn't you? You could live in a hotel, the room is small, but it's cleaned for you everyday. The location is much better than your house used to be, and certainly than your new apartment will be. Oh, and it's free.

Meanwhile, you have businesses that are trying to serve tourists, dealmakers, conventioneers, and other people who would like to come and give their money to the businesses of this city and they are unable to find rooms to stay in. There are workers, who would like to come and aid in the reconstruction, yet they can't find rooms to stay in.

They are going to portray the hotels as the selfish ones, when I'm not so sure.

Links: ABCNews, NOLA.com

I've heard a lot of people saying how this is exploiting the tragedy, and it may well be. However, having walked the streets of the lower 9th ward myself, I can say that you can't truly understnad the scope of this tragedy without seeing it for yourself. No amount of pictures or video will communicate it.

"The elderly woman from New Orleans had no car but wanted to know what had become of her city. And the father from Los Angeles was worried about whether his daughter would be safe attending college here. All of them boarded a bus that meandered through the crumbling remains of New Orleans neighborhoods."

Full story here

I'm just grateful that the article says "add", Houston wasn't a crime-free utopia pre-k

"The city's murder rate was already increasing before Hurricane Katrina hit on Aug. 29, city officials say, and was worsened by a staffing shortage in the police department"

Shouldn't 7 in a weekend be a pretty big deal anyway?

"Houston's spike in murders came sharply into focus over the Thanksgiving holiday when 14 people were killed during the long weekend, about twice the usual number."

And, the grand finale:

City Council member Ada Edwards cautioned that the evacuees should not be used as scapegoats.

"We did have criminals that came here from New Orleans, but we had criminals before," Edwards said.

Full story here