October 24, 2007

• Two Americas, Fire Tornadoes & A “Miraculous” Hearty Pup

  
  “The people are happy.  They have everything here,” Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared Monday night after his second Qualcomm tour.
  
  
  

  
  As I sit here in my air conditioned home in West Hollywood, California, coughing up what seems like half a lung, I’m pondering the dichotomy between present day Southern California and Katrina rattled New Orleans two years ago.  The differences are night and day.  The reasons behind the differences are as complicated as the differences themselves.  They are differences between rich and poor, conservative and liberal and, black and white.
  
  I personally know many people who blame the residents of New Orleans for what happened to them.  It’s similar to what I wrote about yesterday when some people in the blogosphere said that rich people in Malibu “had it coming” or didn’t warrant sympathy for losing their multimillion dollar homes.  
  
  In the coming days, the Bush Administration will insist that the lessons learned from Katrina prepared them for these fires, and the evacuation of what is now estimated at one million people from their homes.  They will claim that the disaster was well managed because of FEMA and Michael Chertoff (“Heck of a job, Gollum!”).  That’s like saying Bush is a good president because his father was once president.  The truth though, is that for all the ridicule California takes, we were prepared.  That’s not to say these fires won’t be utterly devastating to tens of thousands of people, but the loss of life will likely be low once it’s all over.
  
  

  
  

  
  The images between Southern California and New Orleans are starkly different.  Night skies here are lit up by deceptively beautiful flames.  Evacuees (in Katrina they were “refugees”) at Qualcomm Stadium (think Superdome without a roof) are enjoying an almost festive atmosphere with completely free amenities like: 
  

  • Concerts from famous bands (No word on how famous)
  • Lavish buffets serving gourmet entrees (Lots of sushi too)
  • Massage therapist to “relieve stress” (Happy endings?)
    
  • Acupuncture (I kid you not)
    
  • Yoga (Only in California)
    
  • A traveling mariachi band (I couldn’t make this shit up)
    
  • Valet Parking (OK, I did make this one up, but you get the point.)
    

  The comparison isn’t all together fair though.  In New Orleans it was much more difficult for people to evacuate in an orderly manner because of the floodwaters.  Still, with one million people evacuating here, the traffic on some freeways is even less than during a normal rush hour.
  
  So it makes you wonder about the two Americas.  Some people feel the differences are entirely justified in a capitalist society.  It’s not hard to see why.  Some people reduce it simply to money and race.  We must not forget however, that we are all members of the human race and as Americans, even under the hegemonic Bush administration we are all entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  Unfortunately, some appear to be not as entitled as others.
  
  Here is one more thing to ponder.  I had a visitor on my blog from Africa the other day.  I wonder what they thought when reading my blog and looking at my photos?  More than 2.5 million people have been driven from their homes in Darfur, Sudan.  Millions more face murder, rape, torture, malnutrition and disease.  Darfur can’t afford any more delays.  What are they entitled to?
  

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  Now the danger is “fire tornadoes” like this one filmed a couple of months ago a few miles from here in Griffith Park.
  
  

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  Finally, a little cuteness to end the day.  Meet Heart-Kun:  Just another ordinary miracle…

  
  
  
  
  
  
  

   

  “Ordinary Miracle” by Sarah McLachlan
  
  It’s not that unusual when everything is beautiful
  It’s just another ordinary miracle today
  
  The sky knows when its time to snow
  You don’t need to teach a seed to grow
  It’s just another ordinary miracle today
  
  Life is like a gift they say
  Wrapped up for you everyday
  Open up and find a way
  To give some of your own
  
  Isn’t it remarkable
  Like every time a raindrop falls
  It’s just another ordinary miracle today
  
  Birds in winter have their fling
  And always make it home by spring
  It’s just another ordinary miracle today
  
  When you wake up everyday
  Please don’t throw your dreams away
  Hold them close to your heart
  Cause we are all a part
  Of the ordinary miracle
  
  Ordinary miracle
  Do you want to see a miracle
  
  Its seems so exceptional
  Things just work out after all
  It’s just another ordinary miracle today
  
  The sun comes up and shines so bright
  It disappears again at night
  It’s just another ordinary miracle today

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  ON THE LIGHTER SIDE
  “FBI agents raided a Las Vegas warehouse owned by magician David Copperfield. They seized nearly $2 million in cash. Apparently the entire $2 million was in quarters Copperfield pulled out of people’s ears.” — Conan O’Brien

   

  • 6:08 am
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