My blogging has ground to a halt as I try to get a handle on Hurricane Katrina and its physical, social, emotional and economic impact. But mainly, as the week progresses, I've struggled to come to terms with how little we have been able to help.
When I think back to the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, although having only minor impact to most people in the Bay Area, I found it disorienting at the time, albeit only temporary. I can't imagine living with the consequences of chaos for an entire week, as in the current situation. It was either Kevin Kelly or Stewart Brand who wrote of the insight gleaned from civic duty in the Marina District in SF during the quake but as I remember, the advice was that in an emergency, you can't wait for authorities and so people needed to self-organize to take initial action. However, that was difficult since suitable tools were not available. Again, the situation in the South must be 100 times worse.
With 9/11, my experience was mostly via television and the Internet. As I got off the train at the San Jose station, I noticed law enforcement which I thought odd. Then, I went to the office, began to read email, and was puzzled by a message from an engineer that because of the attacks, the bridges were closed and he wasn't coming in to work that day. What attacks? Via the Internet, I discovered what was happening but it was only watching the first tower collapse that I had a feeling of shock. I don't think I've ever been more astounded than the morning of 9/11 and it still feels unreal. We are of course still playing out the results from that day, for better and worse. While I don't have the same visceral sense of the hurricane and its aftermath, it seemed ominous for those unlucky enough to get caught in the disaster.
The previous two paragraphs strike me as a bit self-indulgent, given what is still happening on the Gulf Coast. That may also be why I haven't blogged this week. But, as a way to keep in mind the victims of the hurricane and their current peril, I propose to contribute $10 to the American Red Cross for every blog post I write this weekend as well as $1 to the Salvation Army for every del.icio.us link I create. Godspeed to all those in urgent need of help.
From the WWNorton website on Fanfare for the Common Man:
This may be Copland's
most recognizable work. The simplicity of the opening idea, and the
spare grandeur of the harmonized statement that follows suggest the
ideal of the worth and dignity of the common person.
gable:
aworks great depression/world war ii era copland: aworks del.icio.us wikipedia google news yahoo audio singingfish fanfare for the common man: mp3 amazon sales rank #7,265
american red cross salvation army a school yard blog re: the american red cross
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