Hurricane Katrina Curry

My heart goes out to all of the victims of Katrina, especially the children. Some family members of my grandfather and members of my boyfriend's family were hit by this massive disaster. A lot of Katrina's victims have lost their livelihood as they know it, the place they called home and for both adults and children, family, friends and their lives. But as I sit here and continue to look at the news unfolding about and around the Hurricane Katrina aftermath, thoughts just keep coming up...

"Mandatory" Evaculation: man·da·to·ry (adj.) - Required or commanded by authority; obligatory, Of, having the nature of, or containing a mandate, Holding a League of Nations mandate over a territory. Why would you tell your people that the evacuation is "mandatory" and then follow up with, "but you don't have to if you don't want to..."? THAT IS NOT MANDATORY. Now after the hurricane they get the term.

"Refugee": ref·u·gee (n.) - One who flees in search of refuge, as in times of war, political oppression, or religious persecution. Not properly used to describe the people of New Orleans. I like Michael King's term... survivors.

Who is to blame: Who is to blame? Is it Nagin for not getting his people out with that ample transportation sitting in the parking lot? Is it Blanco for being wishy washy in her decisions about the Katrina situation? Is it Bush for just being Bush? Is it FEMA for not getting there just that minute? Hey, some people are even blaming God! ...Right... Oh yeah. I didn't know the Republicans had a hurricane making machine. I wanna use it! I've talked with people who believe Clinton/Gore/Kerry/Insert Democratic person here would have done better than President Bush in his handling of the Katrina situation. Well, we'll never know will we?

NAACP and the CBC: Have they set up anything for Katrina survivors yet? (Wait! I see the NAACP has a Disaster Relief Fund) Aw, screw it, I'd rather give to my pastor's ministry anyway. ;)

RACE CARD!: I swear this should be a "Yu-Gi-Oh" or "Magic the Gathering" card. Do you know I heard someone actually excuse the black looters (there were white looters too) by saying that they had a right to loot because they were oppressed and they were getting back at society? I can understand the looting of food and water, and even shoes after talking to my mother, but big screen tv's, i-pods, computers, and jewelry? Would the rescue efforts have had been different had it been a place like Boston? If Boston's mayor and Massachusetts' governor weren't flakey like Louisana's, maybe. Everyone who should have been organized was VERY DISORGANIZED (black and white). I'll just say one thing. The poor (whatever color) got SCREWED, but it still doesn't excuse them from bad behavior.

Kanye West: Why is it people I have even a little bit of respect for (and I do mean little) decided to kill it at the WRONG TIME. If he would have said his "President Bush doesn't care about black people" line in a song or on his own time, I would have not had a problem with it. But to do it during a televised benefit for the hurricane survivors irks the living mess out of me. Leave your angry politcial opinions out of an event that doesn't call for them.

CNN: I don't watch CNN. No, let me correct myself, I RARELY WATCH CNN. I watch every other cable news station except for CNN. My friend watched CNN during the Pope's last days and my mom watched CNN during the first days of Katrina news. My friend was horribly offended and my mom kept wondering why it seemed CNN was showing blacks as just looters.

Planned Parenthood: I already don't like you. I doubt the first thing on ANY female Katrina survivor's mind was, "Gee, I need some morning after pills!" How about giving out food, water or other supplies? How wrong timey can you be? You did this during 9/11 too. I'm happy to say my Godmother threw your petition packet you sent her in the mail in the trash. You are as unbelievable as PETA and the ACLU.

The Far Left: You have problems.

WHAT...THE...HECK?!

I'm over at Rambling's Journal, seeing what new stuff is up and I come across THIS entry and THIS article.

I have one thing to ask. What the HECK are Supreme Court Justices Anthony Kennedy, David H. Souter, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen G. Breyer smoking?! Now my city or town can swipe my land (and both sides of my family have land that's been with them for generations) and put a MALL or a HOTEL there?!

YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!

You may think you know what's going on in Iraq...

...but these guys really do.

From their site:

THE ALBUM

THE MUSIC EVENT OF A LIFETIME... A year in the making, this album speaks to everything we have seen and been thru as soldiers... Written and recorded in BAGHDAD, IRAQ this is all that we have and continue to endeaur. The reality of a country at war.

And no, this album is not the bullshit answers to the questions you've seen us asked by the media. This is not someone that only parades around Iraq pretending to know whats going on and speaking on the behalf of soldiers whom he knows nothing about. LIVE FROM IRAQ is everything they dont want you to hear... heard. This is what soldiers who have stood beside
their friends as they fell really think about everything thats happening here... what we'll never be allowed to say on camera, or to the press... LIVE FROM IRAQ is the TRUTH .

I'm not a big fan of rap...but this actually interests me...

Hurray For Traditional Women :)

A post by LaShawn Barber today got me thinking. The post in mention talks about her being a “traditional woman” who would love to be married and taking care of her husband and (in the words of Dr. Laura) being her kids’ mom, but at the moment can’t. Some of the response posts got me thinking again about my school’s newspaper article a while back and a night I experienced not too long ago.

About two years ago, my school newspaper, The Spokesman, ran an article on how chivalry is dead. Men on the campus no longer held doors for girls or gave up their seats on crowded shuttles. Some girls were upset over it and some guys were either like “anytime I do that, they give me a mean look” or “tough cookies, get over it.” If I never had read the article I would have never known it was happening on my campus. There have only been rare (and I do mean rare) occasions when a guy on my Alma Mata’s campus wouldn’t hold the door for me. I would usually follow this with a thank you and if there happened to be another set of doors, hold them for him. This usually got me a chuckle from said guy or a “no, no,” and another door being held for me. Even off campus, when I am at the mall or wherever there is a high volume of traffic, if there is a man in front of me (besides my boyfriend), he is more than likely to hold the door for me. The shuttle is trickier, however, since as the years went by, the less I got on them. Most times I got on it, there were ample seats available, so there was no need for seats being given up. I do remember one time after the article came out, however, one guy did give me his seat on one of my school’s crowded shuttles. I thanked him and accepted his offer.

A semester or two ago, my sorority had a forum on “manners”. The presentation included the usual table manners and manners when doing certain other things. Somehow it got into the manners between the opposite sex, like chivalry, who pays for dinner, yatta yatta… Imagine my shock when my sorors were all around me, bemoaning the fact that things are not like they used to be. I wanted to stand up and say (being that my line name is “Amplifier” I probably would have said this very loudly), “Well, that’s feminism for you.” One of my sisters talked about how she thought that men who held doors wanted something and that she always had to nag her boyfriend to do something for her. The power of please goes a long way, ladies. Oh, I’ve nagged to my boyfriend before (many, many times -_-), but then I told myself one day, “You know what? I am his girlfriend, not his mother.” Once you realize that (“I am his wife, not his mother” for the marrieds out there), things get much better and easier. It was amazing to sit there in that room, with all these people and be (seemingly) the only one who wasn’t being treated or treating others like a feminist.

Chivalry isn’t dead. It’s just playing hide and seek.

"Making it Home"

Stay at home wives/mothers and future stay at home wives/mothers rejoice! :D Do you ever look at all the hordes of women's magazines and are disappointed that there are few to none that celebrate your choice? Well, here's a pleasant surprise linked from an article courtesy of Ladies Against Feminism.

We are in the process of creating a magazine for those who are trying to make it back home and for those who wish to make their home...home.

Women have been told for years that the only way in finding their self-worth is by going outside of the home and getting a job and becoming a part of the work force. Well, my question to you is...

Is it working? Have you found what you are looking for? Are you happy?

There is very little support in the media today for women who choose to stay home. If, according to the woman's movement, it is really all about choices then why is it that if my choice is to stay at home I do not have the same support as those who have chosen to go out in the workfield? Why is it that the choice only seems one way and almost as if my choice can only be according to the woman's movement agenda? As long as I go along with what they think, is it then and only then that I will get the support and encouragement needed?

Here you will find that support and encouragement you need to not only make it back home and stay home, but learn how to make it a home for your husband and children.

The name of the magazine is "Making it Home". Their first issue is due in August. Their site is here.

Digusting...

It's not everyday I read a story that just makes my face contort in all manner of disgust, but yesterday I found such an article. Yesterday's hate for abortion has upgraded to today's abhorance. Why?

A UK Observer exclusive has revealed that the trafficking of unborn baby body tissues for use as “beauty” treatments in Russia is a booming trade. The unborn children are purchased from Ukrainian women – some of whom are also ‘duped’ by racketeering doctors who convince the women that the unborn baby is defective and needs to be aborted – thereafter selling the aborted child. The babies are cryogenically frozen and advertised as providing “youth injections” claimed to reverse aging and cure many diseases... more>>

That's why. And they're making serious money off of it! Beauty treatments?! Out of children?! It's like a sick version of the Matrix. Instead of batteries, babies are "collagen". A priceless gift alive comes with an up to $9,000 price tag dead. That's real sad.

"Negro Wars"

I got this via Nubian Journal's mailing list.

Negro Wars: Fighting for the Freedom to Integrate!
By R.A. Pharaoh - 5/30/05
www.nubianjournal.com

The Negro war is an ongoing struggle. But, don’t be fooled my friends. This is no longer a war of liberation but a war of integration. For the Negro shepherd has surrendered to the wolves and he is now searching for a way for him and his flock to get comfortable in that surrender. The white flag was raised years ago after the civil war. Most Black men “stayed put” like Kizzy after the horror show that was slavery. Which is proof of the psychological damage that occurred during the three hundred year programming. more>>

Things that make you go "hmmm...."

Isn't it funny....

Six years ago, a teacher of mine encouraged me to go into Graphic Design. I have since gone to college and am one summer class away from having that Graphic Design degree. Now with the type of field I am in I can A) work for a company out in the "work force" or B) Work from my home as a small business or freelancer.

Since I was 8 (and probably even younger than that), I have wanted children (and we ain't talking one or two). And as time goes by, it has been impressed upon me more and more to stay home with said children when I have them. As a parent out in the work force it would be hard to spend time with my children in the fashion that I would want to or homeschool them as I have wanted to do for a while. But being that I possess a major that would allow me to be at home with my children, I would be able to both things well.

God is good.