Hurricane Katrina has caused the most severe natural disaster ever in Louisiana.

Praying that all the poor victims of this hurricane will be able to cope with their losses and rebuild their lives. Praying for the families whose relatives were killed due to the storm.

Love
Vicky

Joining in prayer.

Hurricane Katrina has severely affected the states of Louisiana, Mississipi, Alabama and Florida. It is one of the worst storms in U.S. history.

Love,
Sue

My prayers are with all the victims who suffered from hurricane Katrina.

Sincerely,
Gisele

Sending love and prayers.

Hurricane Katrina is the worst disaster that has hit the gulf coast. 8o% of New Orleans is under water.
Praying for all those that have been affected by this hurricane.

Love, Inda

Sending love and good vibes

Peace,
Sylvie

Joining in prayers,
Love,

Words fail when we witness a catastrophic event like this ...
May the rescue actions be efficient and quick, because so many are in desperate need of potable water. It's a paradox, so much water and yet people, especially small children are dying because they are dishydrated.

The reports I see and read are shocking on so many levels.

Lord of Heavens hear our prayers for help.

May the right strategy to intervene be found!

Margherita

THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE LOSSED AND WHO CONTINUE TO SUFFER.

George Bush has really dropped the ball on this one.

He makes me want to quote Voltaire prayer-wise:

"I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it." -- Voltaire

Fats Domino is still missing last I checked. He decided to ride it out in his house.

The Bush administration took funds for repairing levees which they knew were likely to fail in a major event and diverted the money to the war in Iraq. Where is the second line of defense? What is wrong with the US Government?
The problem we face as a nation in the US is not to control the forces of nature, the problem is a profound lack of leadership.

Dennis Hastert of Illinois believes New Orleans should be bulldozed. I don't like to pray for negative things but if our own leaders are the enemy - we don't have to pray very hard to make them look ridiculous. Dennis Hastert should be dunked like a witch to test his integrity. He should be held under water in the dunking chair at least two or three minutes to ascertain his spiritual purity.

I lived in New Orleans on Dryades Street in 1975. I have friends in Metairie and in the City. My friends Phil and Collette's neighborhood in Metairie is in a dry zone between ruptured levees. Collette's identical twin sister Colleen lives on the other side of the canal in the wet zone. I hope she got out of there. Other friends and one relative live in the wet zone and I pray for their safety.

Phil is the State Pharmacologist for the whole state of Louisiana and I'm sure he is overloaded and rising to the challenge.

I have listened to Mary Landrieu and to the New Orleans Mayor Nagin's pleas for help and complaints at the lack of response. Where are the buses? Where is the food, water and a few hundred porta potties? We can accomodate a football crowd of thirty thousand people with these things overnight. Why are things breaking down?

Racism? Hubris?

It's disgusting. You can include 98 percent of Republicans as heartless and negligent. Many of these bastards weren't even elected like the "president" in particular. The republicans in the US have tricked machines and turned people away from voting booths in key states in the last two elections. Twice Bush has taken the presidency here without being elected.

He is a usurper and an impostor. He and his party hold office only to serve themselves and their idiot's agenda of war and economic collapse.

It's pathetic to hear Bush's rhetoric and how little is delivered.

I think I'll re-iterate Voltaire's prayer, because George Bush continues to make me cynical about hypocrites like he is who talk the talk but don't walk the walk.

"I have never made but one prayer to God, a very short one: 'O Lord, make my enemies ridiculous.' And God granted it." -- Voltaire

And I'll end with a Walt Kelly quote from the Pogo Comic strip: "We have met the enemy and they is us."

quote:

Lord of Heavens hear our prayers for help.

May the right strategy to intervene be found!

My prayers continue.
My heart aches watching this. I wonder also, why, when we all knew that this was going to be major and total devastation, that action wasn't planned from the start before people where left for days with nothing. It's heartbreaking that people lost their homes, their families. But what really stinks is the ones who survived the hurricane, yet perished due to lack of supplies and medical treatment. I can say that I am embarassed to an American right now. Yes, I agree, we should help other countries, but also, our leaders should make sure all are provided for at home. Our resources have diminished resulting in lack or delayed help to those in need at home.
Shame on you Mr. Bush.

Perhaps we as humans can learn how to be more compassionate in times like this:

From: http://www.visionarylead.org/Tsunami.html

quote:

Perhaps the message of this crisis is saying that the poverty and suffering in this part of the world is where the real terror lies. And while some American Christians were angrily confronting others at Christmas for not publicly honoring Christian religious beliefs, people of all faiths in India and Indonesia were helping each other and working cooperatively after the tsunami.

From: http://www.nd.edu/~krocinst/alumni/tsunami.html

quote:

Most victims who are languishing in the temporary shelters with intimate losses and incredible traumas have been complaining about the lackadaisical relief work of the government authorities. Politicians blame each other, ministers blame top bureaucrats, top bureaucrats blame the chotawallahs (lower officials); and all this betray our uncoordinated and utterly inefficient administration of the country. On the day of the disaster, this writer did not spot even one police officer or fire service personnel or a government official on the roads. It was the unequipped and empty-handed civilians who were helping each other.

From: http://www.achr.net/000ACHRTsunami/Tsunami/SL%20Resolution.htm

quote:

We commit ourselves to work wholeheartedly with our governments and fellow citizens to overcome our loss and rebuild our devastated villages and settlements.

We solemnly reaffirm on this day, that the poor of the world represent the large majority of the entire human family and make a significant contribution in creating the wealth of nations. Through the expressions of solidarity as witnessed as a result of this event, we stand together with our fellow survivors, committed to helping each other to realize our aspirations in life. We, therefore, pledge our unstinting support for these common goals that we see as necessary for us to overcome this tragedy, and together we express our determination to achieve them.

-----
The rebuilding of much of the gulf states will be no easy ordeal. Much government corruption on many levels, and age-old racist segregation situations will naturally be "raised to view." Let us look at this tragedy for what we can rebuild BETTER THIS TIME! (All the water-ruined music instruments! )

May we come to the aid of the rebuilding of our tragedy-stricken gulf state fellow humans. May we learn to work together and build a more caring, fair, and mutually helping society. Amen. And so it is.

Love and light being, Teo

Fats Domino was rescued yesterday. Aaron Neville who I believe lives north of lake Ponchartrain is making efforts to raise funds for recovery - so there are some encouraging reports of survival, and hope is alive.

There are so many musicians in that area who we all love from Fats and the Neville brothers, to Steve Miller who last I checked lived in Hammond north of the lake not so many miles from some of the Neville Brothers.

Bob Dylan has a house in New Orleans. I'm told he spends a good bit of time there and lately was calling it home. My cousin Mike Sklar who was in the band Sha Na Na lives there, and my best guitar Student Tommy Wright has been living there for years since he graduated from Tulane. They all may have evacuated. They undoubtedly left things behind. These are people with some success and some means.

I agree with you, Teo, about the issues of race and poverty, and that we have to overcome the bad politics so that place can come back newer and shinier.

Why not involve the displaced underemployed people in the programs to rebuild? You can be sure they are eager to put their houses and neighborhoods back in order.

Swamp cypress can take a bit of soaking. It grows in the bayous with its roots under water. It's the main building material in those old houses even in the not so nice neighborhoods. Unless you know New Orleans, you can't know the charm of the place. Even the funky places are kind of sweet even if you can open all the doors and fire a shotgun through them without hitting a wall. That's why they call them shotgun houses (so they say).

It's a fact that George Bush is not Jimmy Carter and never will be. New Orleans will come back strong and I pray George Bush will be mostly forgotten by the time the work is done. He has earned his place in History as a poor leader during a time that will be a sad footnote in history where all problems are addressed at the point of a gun and too often with a total lack of compassion.

The poorest who were unable to leave are in survival mode. They should not be treated as criminals. The National Guard must exercise restraint. This is not a time to shoot desperate people, but to reason with them and to give them somewhere to go where they can eat, sleep, bathe and take care of bodily functions.

It is in the corners of cyberspace like this one where our better natures, and our better angels thereof may thrive. Money may not be the answer to all ills but it sure helps grease the machinery for recovery.

Calling all angels. Keep up the good vibes y'all and give a gift if you can no matter how small!

quote:

Originally posted by yogionefromobie:
I agree with you, Teo, about the issues of race and poverty, and that we have to overcome the bad politics so that place can come back newer and shinier.

Why not involve the displaced underemployed people in the programs to rebuild? You can be sure they are eager to put their houses and neighborhoods back in order.

NOW WE'S TALKIN'!
I know I'm just being over-positive, and it truly is a sad state of affairs (and a SAD STATE!) but sometimes from tragedy we can rebuild things better???

I was actually trying to OVERLOOK all the bad vibes that may be coming up to the surface with the flooding... but I have to tell you this: I was in New Orleans in maybe 1986 and met a fellow there named Genie, who drove me to his house. This guy couldn't spell! And believe it or not, he fixed electronics! Talk about a genie! Well the point I'm trying to make.. or not trying to make...

We went into the neighborhood store. The entire counter was 3 inch thick bulletproof glass, and in the middle was a rotating place to put money and receive stuff. You had to direct a person behind the glass to walk the isles and get your groceries... you get the idea. So I imagine that there was almost concentration camp existence, corruption on huge social scales, and add that to illiteracy, age-old racisms, and whala! Likely many there will never trust a "white man," helecopter, or any "official" of any kind... sad, but probably true.

I imagine it will be inexplainably difficult to "rebuild" communities that were almost battle-zones to start with! OK I've stated negatives I didn't even want to think about, so maybe thats why my mind swings to the over-positive side:

I seem to remember that some people were so helpful in the aftermath of the tsunami that some huge hotel chains said they were going to put billions into some of those areas.

Perhaps instead of building huge "projects" where 40 floors of poor people are boxed in like rats, the more positive and interactive the rebuilding process and projects are, maybe they can be 10 floors, and nice garden terraces every other floor?

[b]Maybe this eon's Phoenix, maybe the WETNIX, can grow from this swamp, and who knows, maybe Hiltons or Hyatts can come in and EMPLOY the displaced, and create an entirely new social system?

I also imagine that many of the, what was it 70,000 in Texas, well many refugees would or could relocate into totally different areas, and different lives. What will help them bridge their past war-zone crime area lifestyles with a new more solid educational and employment opportunity lifestyle?

It seems to me that in a rebuilding project like what will be necessary now - or very soon, either of these directions will be adopted: 1) "contain" the unappreciative uneducated poor that are displaced into even more drab existences, or 2) bridge this transition from their old segregated and corruption enforced living situations into new opportunities and new lives for them.

Investments like this can REALLY pay off, maybe they can truly, in the greatest sense of the phrase, "start new lives!"

OK in the immediate, I think bouncing positive visions, sharing opportunities that have happened to other survivors, keeping to the positive achievements and not hating looters or ignorant angry people, well, as we reap likely will we sow. Just my 2 cents.

Also prayers that innocent victims are fed, clothed, consoled and sheltered in this tragic time of need. Amen.

Love and light being, Teo Do (Re, Mi, Fa...)

Sending more healing prayers to all the Katrina victims. May this devastation bring about a more compassionate and caring people on all levels of society.

What makes me very sad is that so many peacekeepers (more than 7000) had to be brought in because people were looting, rasping and stealing items like televisions, computers and jewelry, not food which was only fair to be distributed among all.Even police officers were among the looters. May these individuals be endowed with the gift of compassion.

May everyone who was affected find a decent new home and all the necessities of life.

Love, Inda

************************************************

Native American Prayer for Peace

Oh Great Spirit of our Ancestors,
I raise my pipe to you.
To your messengers the four winds,
and to Mother Earth who provides
for your children.
Give us the wisdom to teach our children
to love, to respect, and to be kind
to each other so that they may grow
with peace of mind
Let us learn to share all good things
that you provide for us on this Earth.

Such tragedies bring out the worst and the best in people. May the Best overcome!
We continue to pray for efficient assistance and organization in assigning new homes to the victims, while waiting for reconstruction.
But it is not a good idea to rebuild the city in that same place which is under sea level!
May the authorities find the best solutions.

Maybe governors will finally learn that they have to take the scientists' warning seriously. USA did not sign the Kyoto agreement! Interests, interests! Always the same! There are only few men who can think and act out of the awareness that we are one. For the benefit of humanity in its globality. All want to protect their material wellbeing without considering the rest ... a rest that dies because of hunger and malnutrition!!!! We are scandalized when disasters occur, but what do we do to save the children of the world, which continue to die, at the rhythm of one every three seconds????!!!!
We must pray for the leaders to be enlightened and carismatic to convince their nations to move towards global peace and wellbeing.
While reaching out to touch hands with all of you my dear friends to pray together,
I send you all my love
Margherita :loveya:

This is way beyond sad, pain, suffering, despair...there is a deeper purpose to all of this, I guess it is only faith and trust who knows the answers. My tears flow deep for this...there are no words or thoughts to comprehend what is happening here, I can only imagine. John Lennon came pretty close in his song..."Imagine there's no heaven..." Thousands did not need to imagine...they experienced it.

I pray for all those who need the strength, faith, comfort and help to help them get through this terrible disaster.

Om shanti shanti shanti...hari om


Angela

RE positive consequences of Katrina:
The degree of attention given on TV and radio and the newspapers to poor people hasn't been seen for decades, and ditto for poor black people. The attention is making your middle class american actually think about what it means to poor. Eyes are opened to the reality of what it means to not own an automobile - because you are poor, or because you are too old to drive, or because you are disabled.
In a bitter irony, Katrina's waters may have sunk Bush's social security plan, his plan for further tax cuts for the filthy rich, and may hasten the end of the unjust war in Iraq. Yesterday, Katrina caused a vote in the Senate which tabled the planned elimination of the Estate Tax (a tax on inheritance that didn't kick in until your estate had five million). Even the Bush crowd couldn't pass such a give away to the greedy at this time.
Thanks to Katrina, there is an abundance of talk about "government" providing public health care, helping people obtain housing, and transportation. For decades the politicians said over and over "governrment" is the problem, it just keeps people from getting rich. Now, attention is focused upon those who ask not for great wealth, just to survive.
Teo3