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Friday, September 2, 2005 |
These are the last things, she wrote. One by one they disappear and never come back. I can tell you of the ones I have seen, of the ones that are no more, but I doubt there will be time. It is all happening too fast now, and I cannot keep up.
I don't expect you to understand. You have seen none of this, and even if you tried, you could not imagine it. These are the last things. A house is there one day, and the next day it is gone. A street you walked down yesterday is no longer there today. Even the weather is in constant flux.
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When you walk through the streets, she went on, you must remember to take only one step at a time. Otherwise, falling is inevitable. Your eyes must be constantly open, looking up, looking down, looking ahead, looking behind, on the watch for other bodies, on your guard against the unforeseeable. To collide with someone can be fatal. Two people collide and then start pounding each other with their fists. ...
The rubble is a special problem. You must learn how to manage the unseen furrows, the sudden clusters of rocks, the shallow ruts, so that you do not stumble or hurt yourself. And then there are the tolls, these worst of all, and you must use cunning to avoid them. Wherever buildings have fallen or garbage has gathered, large mounds stand in the middle of the street, blocking all passage.
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Every morning, the city sends out trucks to collect the corpses. This is the chief function of the government, and more money is spent on it than anything else.
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In the Country of Last Things by Paul Auster.
10:59:24 PM 
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More relief links and list of urgent needs: Bottled Water, Canned Juices, Canned Goods, Non-Prescription Drugs, Baby Food, First Aid Kit, Aspirin or nonaspirin pain reliever, Anti-diarrhea medication, Tools and Supplies, Sanitation, Toilet paper, Soap, Feminine supplies, Baby Supplies, Formula, Diapers, Bottles, Powdered milk, Medications.
10:39:17 PM
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Due to global warming, catastrophes like this Katrina hurricane will happen more often. It is therefore crucial to limit the losses and the damage as far as possible and provide an adequate response (which is in the hands of the Department of Homeland Security that has a National Response Plan (pdf)). This Plan dated December 2004 will now have to prove its efficacy.
The Bush administration bears the responsibility for diverting funds from the construction of levees in New Orleans (see yesterday's post). Help was only initiated after several days.
After reports that Fats Domino was one of the missing persons, it now appears he was rescued from his home. Thousands are still waiting for their rescue. With the name Fats Domino one also realizes that the cultural heritage of New Orleans and further has been damaged irreparably.
"The destruction of New Orleans represents a confluence of many of the most pernicious trends in American politics and culture: poverty, racism, militarism, elitist greed, environmental abuse, public corruption and the decay of democracy at every level."
The looting has started. The military will have a tough job fighting the armed gangs. But will they be able to discriminate between these criminals and the honest person who is just taking some food from Wall Mart he or she desperately needs for feeding a baby? Rescue operations were suspended because of the gangs.
Then there are some unconfirmed reports about Condoleezza Rice doing her shoe shopping and playing tennis during this catastrophe.
The picture above of the man changing the gas prices shows that the oil companies are immediately taking back their losses. They won't be hurt a bit, oil prices have increased to record highs.
Let George W. Bush, emperor of the world, now show what he has in stock for the Americans hit by the hurricane or else he can pack up.
10:30:50 AM
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One of the blogs that started the idea for an extra relief blogging effort is Andy Carvin's and was picked up by more sites. Bloggers are being asked Friday to take a break from usual blog content to post something constructive about disaster relief, such as links to relevant sites.
If you can't reach the American Red Cross (see link on yesterday's post), try this site for your donations.
More relief links here and for Dutch readers here (giro 19800, Nederlandse Rode Kruis, Den Haag).
If you can provide housing to hurricane evacuees this is the link.
The pictures give a clear view of the enormous devastation. More.
9:52:22 AM
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