URGENT FEMA INFO

From a dear friend who will be coming to the Casa in a couple of weeks, and who along with his fiancee is a New Orleans refugee:

-------
From: Loki <george.williams.iv@gmail.com>
As I sit here listening to accounts of the re-submerging of New Orleans I have just received news that is extremely important for anyone dealing with the fuck ups at FEMA. If you have not yet done your application DO NOT check "hurricane," as the reason for your woes. Just because its the truth does not mean its right. I have just spoken to a friend who described how FEMA is denying assistance unless you check "forced evacuation."

This is the most transparent effort to screw those of us who escaped and are scattered across the states, bereft of resources. It was a hurricane. Period. Denial of aid to its victims is, to quote Shakespear, "...as arrant a piece of knavery as can be offered!"

The FEMA people told my friend that there is nothing they can do, surprise surprise, for her or the THOUSANDS of others who checked hurricane. After all, how could we be stupid enough to check hurricane on the form when the entire globe knows it was actually a hurricane that did the damage?

Raise some hell people. Pass this info on to any refugees you are near. Then contact your public servants and demand they do their jobs! The social contract implicit in government has been shredded. Use the following websites to do it now, before you forget. These are mothers, fathers, sisters, lovers, and especially children that are being flat out abandoned. My fiancee and I are only two of the many whose jobs and income have washed away. Would you allow this to happen to your own family? Please forward this as widely as possible in order to prevent others from getting the shaft, as well as to raise awareness of what is really happening.
<http://whitehouse.gov/contact>http://whitehouse.gov/contact
<http://www.senate.gov/>http://www.senate.gov
<http://www.house.gov/>http://www.house.gov

--
NOLA Refugees and Survivors: Coordinate, share resources, help each other and share the truth
at <http://humidcity.blogspot.com>http://humidcity.blogspot.com  Share the url and lets help each other survive, rebuild and demand governmental accountability

well, fsck

So Wednesday I call one of my dearest friends and deep spiritual mentors, and we talk about the increasingly direct relationship between my internal and external landscapes, about symbols and meanings and how more and more, internal symbols, conflicts and processes are not a metaphor, they manifest directly and forcefully in the world of form. As a part of this discussion, I agree that I need to make more space in my life, that my constant busyness is part of what's holding me back from fully engaging with some of my hard personal work, and my movement through into the next stage of what I need to be doing. Last night my extended household gathered to celebrate Mabon/Fall Equinox, and we ceremonially switched over from the light to the dark half of the year (more night than day, etc). The period of time between now and Samhain is when I typically concentrate on what I need to let go of, on pruning and simplifying my life, plowing under that which is no longer needed, and making space for new things to happen.

Today I find out that the major recurring freelance writing gig that currently provides 2/3 of my typical monthly income and which takes up the majority of my time is going away in a week (through no fault of my own). Okay, so I suddenly have a lot more time and space in my life. Dammit.

Sometimes this path drives me nuts. But you just have to laugh.