STEWART COPELAND

Hey folks, I feel compelled to post a note in memoriam to all the musicians and various others who are still suffering in New Orleans...

And three cheers for our boys, who played a great set at the New Orleans Arena back in June. Here's hoping they come back for more.

(Got a note tonight from the Humane Society of Louisiana, which is still in great need...I know they could use any help anyone might be able to provide....humanela.org)

Hi Dive!
Hope you won't mind if I use this opportunity to share a poignant account of post-Katrina efforts by New Orleans' music community. Two years later, and still so much left to be done....


http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20051294,00.html

I have been to New Orleans many times and absolutely fell in love with it. Sadly, I have not been back since Katrina, but I will return one day. Yes, alot still needs to be done there, but I'm sure the great city of New Orleans will return to claim it's past glory.

[quote="Divemistress of the Dark"]Hey folks, I feel compelled to post a note in memoriam to all the musicians and various others who are still suffering in New Orleans...

And three cheers for our boys, who played a great set at the New Orleans Arena back in June. Here's hoping they come back for more.

(Got a note tonight from the Humane Society of Louisiana, which is still in great need...I know they could use any help anyone might be able to provide....humanela.org)[/quote]

i adopted a katrina pooch! his name is "zen"... my baby.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/9066499@N04/1275864433/

Dive, I read this yesterday in the AZ Republic (or as I normally call it, the AZ Repugnant). It is so nice to see this type of story show up on the editorial pages.


OPINIONS & LETTERS TO THE EDITOR online print edition
Print Article Email Article Most Popular Change Type Size Arizona, thanks for welcoming us
Aug. 29, 2007 12:00 AM

Two years ago, our lives changed dramatically.

The Saturday before Hurricane Katrina hit, my family and I left our home in New Orleans and headed for Baton Rouge, La., expecting to be gone for a few days.

We couldn't return for almost three months.

Our streets and our house in Lakeview sat under 12 feet of water, and the scenes looked very grim, indeed.

We sought long-term refuge with my two sisters and their families in Phoenix.

We were deeply touched by the generosity of the people, businesses and government agencies of Phoenix and Arizona.

Some examples:


• After the long, cross-country drive, we took our car for an oil change, and Fletcher's would not take any money from us when they saw we were from Louisiana.


• A total stranger, a volunteer at the shelter, gave my son a bicycle to use to get around Tempe and the Arizona State University campus.


• The shelter provided us with access to agencies, health services and groups offering aid. We arrived with only our overnight bags and received clothes and supplies.


• Our families took us in and provided tremendous support.

We went back to New Orleans to assess the situation, but we decided Phoenix was going to be our new home. We were able to sell our damaged property and settle insurance claims.

Just over a year ago, we came back to Phoenix to become Arizonans. All in all, we survived the storm and are prospering here, and we'd just like to say thanks one more time. - Katherine, Horace and Alex Williams,Phoenix

[quote="Divemistress of the Dark"]Hey folks, I feel compelled to post a note in memoriam to all the musicians and various others who are still suffering in New Orleans...
(Got a note tonight from the Humane Society of Louisiana, which is still in great need...I know they could use any help anyone might be able to provide....humanela.org)[/quote]

Hey Divemistress, thanks for the info. My wife and I support our local SPCA and animal related charities. One of my recent National Geographics has some facinating (and disturbing) before and after photos of the areas in and around New Orleans.

[quote]• After the long, cross-country drive, we took our car for an oil change, and Fletcher's would not take any money from us when they saw we were from Louisiana.


• A total stranger, a volunteer at the shelter, gave my son a bicycle to use to get around Tempe and the Arizona State University campus.


• The shelter provided us with access to agencies, health services and groups offering aid. We arrived with only our overnight bags and received clothes and supplies. [/quote]

I think I'm gonna cry...

You know, it's so easy to lose hope. The newspapers are full of tales of gloom and doom, and it seems like we're all so awful to each other sometimes...

And yet, having been a frequent visitor to NOLA both before and after the storm, I can tell you that an awful lot of people have turned up to help out there. Lately there was a program on public television about the people who went down there to wade through stagnant, repugnant water to rescue pets stranded in homes...I almost went myself, had the car packed and was about the pull out of the driveway when I noticed Hurricane Rita was coming and I had been planning to stay in a tent...so I've been sending as much cash as I can to the Humane Society of LA as often as I can.

Of course there's great human need there as well, as there is in Peru still (Jose sent me a link to Care Peru earlier, www.care.org.pe)...thanks for your link, nancyrose. I'm running out the door but I'll read it in depth this afternoon.