Contrast
It doesn't matter if the ink is
black or blue, the purple rose of
a sunset or gray of sky wrapping
itself around a twister.
Doesn't matter if you can read
between the lines...
"funnel cloud?"
because sometimes what matters most
is what you can feel with the weight
of words adding to the cadence of
rythm, an echo of a 12-string playing
both along with and against itself,
all built to a grand scale
from the ground up
the way last night's session
made me want to listen and then
speak with a voice so universal,
one that carries across the board
with nothing of the trivial mine-mind-break
with all things of a personal veritable flow...
that "I-Me-Mine" of me with sensivity only
on my own pulse.
Sunday, October 02, 2005
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Kat Kan Du
She was an apparition
at the sliding glass door
so difficult to see, save
for others of her kind, one
who alerted me only by a lone
lowest quiet of growls from
a distance, separated by walls.
The sound travelled in the
perfect solitude of a morning
still unawakened by sunrise;
she was there in the chill,
in the dark visiting neighbors
balcony to balcony, who didn't
quite know what to make of this
social call.
She was an apparition
at the sliding glass door
so difficult to see, save
for others of her kind, one
who alerted me only by a lone
lowest quiet of growls from
a distance, separated by walls.
The sound travelled in the
perfect solitude of a morning
still unawakened by sunrise;
she was there in the chill,
in the dark visiting neighbors
balcony to balcony, who didn't
quite know what to make of this
social call.
Friday, September 30, 2005
A Change In The Weather
In the hope that inspiration finds
me again, lasts longer than the
hour it takes to watch actors spout lines
and sprout wings, soar free on the airwaves
like hawks or eagles
who simply unfold wings for a glide upon
seconds toward minutes at a time.
Scan it all clean again with the upcoming
chill in the air that's arrived already,
I've seen with the clouds moving on the
wind in stop-motion anime.
Its there with the wearing of afternoon
reflection, these ice crystals that speak
so soon.
In the hope that inspiration finds
me again, lasts longer than the
hour it takes to watch actors spout lines
and sprout wings, soar free on the airwaves
like hawks or eagles
who simply unfold wings for a glide upon
seconds toward minutes at a time.
Scan it all clean again with the upcoming
chill in the air that's arrived already,
I've seen with the clouds moving on the
wind in stop-motion anime.
Its there with the wearing of afternoon
reflection, these ice crystals that speak
so soon.
Thursday, September 29, 2005
Philadelphia Inquirer
Posted on Wed, Sep. 28, 2005
How to save people? Save their animals
Katrina lesson: Evacuees won't leave pets.
By Jeff Shields, Inquirer Staff Writer
For decades, disaster evacuation plans had strict priorities for people and pets. Move the humans first, worry about the animals later. Recent storms had eroded that maxim, and Katrina has blown it down.
After New Orleans residents died because they wouldn't abandon their pets, emergency planners from across the country began embracing a new reality: They can best save people by saving animals, too.
"We've always assumed that pets would be left behind," said Thomas Sullivan, Montgomery County's director of public safety. "But it's unrealistic to think we're going to be able to force people, in great numbers, to do something they're not going to want to do."
Katrina's message was not lost on Galveston, Texas, where officials evacuating the city in the face of Hurricane Rita allowed residents to take their pets with them on escape buses - a marked contrast to the New Orleans policy.
In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, officials started to plan for animal evacuations last year, but Katrina has focused their efforts.
They are in the vanguard of 16 states now assembling veterinarians, animal experts and laypeople into voluntary, county-based rescue teams that would evacuate and shelter animals during a disaster.
Some U.S. lawmakers and animal advocates are now saying the federal government needs a plan, too.
Katrina "has really shined the spotlight on the absence of a federal policy on animal rescue and relief during disaster," Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, said in an interview from Gonzales, La., where the Humane Society is operating what it describes at the world's largest animal shelter at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center.
Other animals have been brought to a shelter in Baton Rouge, where the animals can live adjacent to a shelter for their owners.
But thousands of animals were left behind, and packs of newly wild dogs now roam the wreckage of New Orleans.
On Thursday, five U.S. congressmen introduced a bipartisan bill that would mandate states and municipalities to provide evacuation plans for pets and service animals, such as guide dogs, in order to qualify for FEMA funding.
Also, Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) and Sen. John Ensign (R., Nev.) have asked President Bush to appoint an animal rescue czar for Katrina. That has not yet happened.
It was Hurricane Floyd in 1999 that inspired North Carolina to create the first State Animal Response Team. That storm killed 2.3 million chickens, 30,000 hogs and 800 cattle.
During Hurricane Ophelia this month, three of the state's coastal counties set up shelters to house pets before the storm hit.
North Carolina also has plans to provide emergency generators for feeding and ventilation systems for large farms. Meat-processing plants are even on call to speed up animal processing rather than have livestock lost to a storm and rotting carcasses become a health hazard.
The New Jersey Animal Emergency Working Group, a coalition of government and private organizations, recognized early on that many humans will not leave their homes without their pets, said Nancy Halpern, New Jersey state veterinarian.
Or, if they do, they will try to return to their animals before it's safe, she said.
"Our [evacuation] plans say do not leave your pets behind," said Halpern.
But turning the idea into an implementable plan has been difficult. The Red Cross, the chief sheltering resource for people, does not allow pets in its shelters.
"Humans come first - we understand that," said Halpern. "Essentially, what we've done is establish a parallel path to the human response."
That means Camden County could provide separate buses for pets and their owners. Montgomery County in Pennsylvania could use a portable corral to shelter cows from Fox Chase Farm, a working farm and educational center in Northeast Philadelphia. People staying at a local high school might use the maintenance shed to house their pets.
In this region, Bucks, Chester and Montgomery Counties are now forming County Animal Response Teams. Camden, Gloucester and Burlington Counties are also developing plans. Delaware County has no team yet.
Philadelphia's team, which is still organizing a plan, will have to account for pets, carriage horses, laboratory animals and the thousands of animals at the Philadelphia Zoo.
Joe Buttito is the Animal Response Team coordinator for Bradford County on Pennsylvania's northeastern border with New York, one of the few in full operation.
His team was deployed on April 2 when flooding of the Susquehanna River killed a number of calves and left four dogs and a cat in need of shelter.
Now he is working out of the Humane Society shelter in Gonzales and venturing into New Orleans every day to save pets with an organized rescue team.
Last Monday, he was sweating inside a trailer in Gonzales, assessing animals as they came into the shelter at the end of his eighth day on the ground. That day he had 30 dogs, 20 cats, a Burmese python, and a cockatiel on hand.
Those animals will be photographed and tagged, many of them implanted with an identifying microchip, and their information put on the Web site www.petfinder.com so their owners can find them.
Without forgetting the human safety factor, Buttito said he has been overtaken by sympathy for the plight of the confused, frightened, emaciated animals, and said emergency preparation starts at home.
"I would hope, in the future, that people have a plan for evacuation," he said.
Jeffrey Hamer, a veterinarian for the state of New Jersey who was responsible for organizing the county response teams, returned last week from the Mississippi Coast.
He was struck by the people who had lost everything but found joy in a pet's salvation.
"The house I can replace, everything I can replace," he recalled hearing, again and again, "but this is the most important thing to me."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact staff writer Jeff Shields at 610-313-8173 or jshields@phillynews.com.
Posted on Wed, Sep. 28, 2005
How to save people? Save their animals
Katrina lesson: Evacuees won't leave pets.
By Jeff Shields, Inquirer Staff Writer
For decades, disaster evacuation plans had strict priorities for people and pets. Move the humans first, worry about the animals later. Recent storms had eroded that maxim, and Katrina has blown it down.
After New Orleans residents died because they wouldn't abandon their pets, emergency planners from across the country began embracing a new reality: They can best save people by saving animals, too.
"We've always assumed that pets would be left behind," said Thomas Sullivan, Montgomery County's director of public safety. "But it's unrealistic to think we're going to be able to force people, in great numbers, to do something they're not going to want to do."
Katrina's message was not lost on Galveston, Texas, where officials evacuating the city in the face of Hurricane Rita allowed residents to take their pets with them on escape buses - a marked contrast to the New Orleans policy.
In Pennsylvania and New Jersey, officials started to plan for animal evacuations last year, but Katrina has focused their efforts.
They are in the vanguard of 16 states now assembling veterinarians, animal experts and laypeople into voluntary, county-based rescue teams that would evacuate and shelter animals during a disaster.
Some U.S. lawmakers and animal advocates are now saying the federal government needs a plan, too.
Katrina "has really shined the spotlight on the absence of a federal policy on animal rescue and relief during disaster," Wayne Pacelle, president of the Humane Society of the United States, said in an interview from Gonzales, La., where the Humane Society is operating what it describes at the world's largest animal shelter at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center.
Other animals have been brought to a shelter in Baton Rouge, where the animals can live adjacent to a shelter for their owners.
But thousands of animals were left behind, and packs of newly wild dogs now roam the wreckage of New Orleans.
On Thursday, five U.S. congressmen introduced a bipartisan bill that would mandate states and municipalities to provide evacuation plans for pets and service animals, such as guide dogs, in order to qualify for FEMA funding.
Also, Sen. Rick Santorum (R., Pa.) and Sen. John Ensign (R., Nev.) have asked President Bush to appoint an animal rescue czar for Katrina. That has not yet happened.
It was Hurricane Floyd in 1999 that inspired North Carolina to create the first State Animal Response Team. That storm killed 2.3 million chickens, 30,000 hogs and 800 cattle.
During Hurricane Ophelia this month, three of the state's coastal counties set up shelters to house pets before the storm hit.
North Carolina also has plans to provide emergency generators for feeding and ventilation systems for large farms. Meat-processing plants are even on call to speed up animal processing rather than have livestock lost to a storm and rotting carcasses become a health hazard.
The New Jersey Animal Emergency Working Group, a coalition of government and private organizations, recognized early on that many humans will not leave their homes without their pets, said Nancy Halpern, New Jersey state veterinarian.
Or, if they do, they will try to return to their animals before it's safe, she said.
"Our [evacuation] plans say do not leave your pets behind," said Halpern.
But turning the idea into an implementable plan has been difficult. The Red Cross, the chief sheltering resource for people, does not allow pets in its shelters.
"Humans come first - we understand that," said Halpern. "Essentially, what we've done is establish a parallel path to the human response."
That means Camden County could provide separate buses for pets and their owners. Montgomery County in Pennsylvania could use a portable corral to shelter cows from Fox Chase Farm, a working farm and educational center in Northeast Philadelphia. People staying at a local high school might use the maintenance shed to house their pets.
In this region, Bucks, Chester and Montgomery Counties are now forming County Animal Response Teams. Camden, Gloucester and Burlington Counties are also developing plans. Delaware County has no team yet.
Philadelphia's team, which is still organizing a plan, will have to account for pets, carriage horses, laboratory animals and the thousands of animals at the Philadelphia Zoo.
Joe Buttito is the Animal Response Team coordinator for Bradford County on Pennsylvania's northeastern border with New York, one of the few in full operation.
His team was deployed on April 2 when flooding of the Susquehanna River killed a number of calves and left four dogs and a cat in need of shelter.
Now he is working out of the Humane Society shelter in Gonzales and venturing into New Orleans every day to save pets with an organized rescue team.
Last Monday, he was sweating inside a trailer in Gonzales, assessing animals as they came into the shelter at the end of his eighth day on the ground. That day he had 30 dogs, 20 cats, a Burmese python, and a cockatiel on hand.
Those animals will be photographed and tagged, many of them implanted with an identifying microchip, and their information put on the Web site www.petfinder.com so their owners can find them.
Without forgetting the human safety factor, Buttito said he has been overtaken by sympathy for the plight of the confused, frightened, emaciated animals, and said emergency preparation starts at home.
"I would hope, in the future, that people have a plan for evacuation," he said.
Jeffrey Hamer, a veterinarian for the state of New Jersey who was responsible for organizing the county response teams, returned last week from the Mississippi Coast.
He was struck by the people who had lost everything but found joy in a pet's salvation.
"The house I can replace, everything I can replace," he recalled hearing, again and again, "but this is the most important thing to me."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Contact staff writer Jeff Shields at 610-313-8173 or jshields@phillynews.com.
Thursday, September 22, 2005
This was posted in the pet store where I work... So if you live in the South Jersey area, here's your chance to help our four-legged friends.
Hurricane Katrina Relief
Please Help The Pets
Thousands of animals are living in makeshift shelters separated from their owners who have died or were evacuated, leaving their pets behind. These animals will need housing and medical attention for several months. Your local veterinarians are going to the Gulf Coast to assist and relieve emergency volunteers in the disaster area.
Many of you want to help but don't know what you can do. Every one of us has some of the following items:
Towels
Blankets
Collapsable kennels/crates
Leashes & collars
Food bowls
Pet toys
Sterile bandage tape and gauze
Rubbing alcohol
Bottled water (cases only please)
Large plastic garbage bags
Frontline/Advantage
Heartguard
Rolls of paper towels
Treats
The Rothman Animal Hospital will be collecting these items until Wednesday, September 28th. They will be hand delivered the first week in October, through Rural Area Veterinary Services (A division of the Humane Society of the United States)
Please pack similar items together and clearly label what is in each package.
Any questions, please contact 856-655-1787
Thank you in advance for your generosity
Hurricane Katrina Relief
Please Help The Pets
Thousands of animals are living in makeshift shelters separated from their owners who have died or were evacuated, leaving their pets behind. These animals will need housing and medical attention for several months. Your local veterinarians are going to the Gulf Coast to assist and relieve emergency volunteers in the disaster area.
Many of you want to help but don't know what you can do. Every one of us has some of the following items:
Towels
Blankets
Collapsable kennels/crates
Leashes & collars
Food bowls
Pet toys
Sterile bandage tape and gauze
Rubbing alcohol
Bottled water (cases only please)
Large plastic garbage bags
Frontline/Advantage
Heartguard
Rolls of paper towels
Treats
The Rothman Animal Hospital will be collecting these items until Wednesday, September 28th. They will be hand delivered the first week in October, through Rural Area Veterinary Services (A division of the Humane Society of the United States)
Please pack similar items together and clearly label what is in each package.
Any questions, please contact 856-655-1787
Thank you in advance for your generosity
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
Within a realm of orange sky and blue pen your case is collectively stated daily and I, with my myriad blocks scary as any blank page have nothing worthwhile to say. Or do I? So I go on some quest, some mission to find an opening statement. A daily goal to write something, anything. To post or not to post is the question of the moment. And aye; therein lies the rub of a lifetime, a self-erasure of sorts. What a conglomerate of self-defeat this would be... Or would it?
Saturday, September 17, 2005
Insects
Katydid place a call in the middle
of the night from the rooftops
and the trees.
From the trees and rooftops,
be-boppin' scat to the background
of a distant drum that's always
on the way over the horizon
but never arrives.
Katydid place a call to rival
the sound of a thousand mutated
crickets as the moon glides low
enough to hide under the tallest limbs.
And somewhere fingers are pointing,
somehere truth can trickle down
like receding storm lines in a million
different stories with a million
different endings, the ones that say
death is a way of life, the ones telling
you to interpret the concept as change.
Katydid place a call in the middle
of the night from the rooftops
and the trees.
From the trees and rooftops,
be-boppin' scat to the background
of a distant drum that's always
on the way over the horizon
but never arrives.
Katydid place a call to rival
the sound of a thousand mutated
crickets as the moon glides low
enough to hide under the tallest limbs.
And somewhere fingers are pointing,
somehere truth can trickle down
like receding storm lines in a million
different stories with a million
different endings, the ones that say
death is a way of life, the ones telling
you to interpret the concept as change.
Chris Penrod, speaks to the media on behalf of her sister, Madeleine Pickens, wife of oil tycoon Boone Pickens who funded a flight carrying 150 cats and dogs displaced by Hurricane Katrina to San Francisco International Airport, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2005, as the animals are released to animal rescue workers in San Francisco. This first installment of rescued animals is part of a collaborative efforts of Continental Airlines, PetRelocations.com, and the Marin and Sacramento Humane Societies. (AP Photo/JuliePlasencia) I made a special point to watch "Heroes of Hurricane Katrina" on Animal Planet last night. It wasn't in the listings, although it was airing previews all last week.. My guess is that they put it together in a rush to get it aired - and they did a great job with it. You really have to hand it to those people - and there were tons of them - who dropped everything to come and help with pet rescues. I feel so bad for all the ones who didn't make it, and the owners who'll never see their pets again. But even with all the ones who died, there are so many of them that were reunited, and still are. Thank God for all the happy endings to make up just a little for the sad ones.
Saturday, September 10, 2005
I found this video on CNN... it seems to best illustrate that most folks view their pets as important as their kids.
Humane Society Animal Rescue
Humane Society Animal Rescue
Friday, September 09, 2005
This is what I'm talking about, this is how we look to the world. Doesn't this bother you?
By Andrew Gray
LONDON (Reuters) - The world has watched amazed as the planet's only superpower struggles with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with some saying the chaos has exposed flaws and deep divisions in American society.
World leaders and ordinary citizens have expressed sympathy with the people of the southern United States whose lives were devastated by the hurricane and the flooding that followed.
But many have also been shocked by the images of disorder beamed around the world -- looters roaming the debris-strewn streets and thousands of people gathered in New Orleans waiting for the authorities to provide food, water and other aid.
"Anarchy in the USA" declared Britain's best-selling newspaper The Sun.
"Apocalypse Now" headlined Germany's Handelsblatt daily.
The pictures of the catastrophe -- which has killed hundreds and possibly thousands -- have evoked memories of crises in the world's poorest nations such as last year's tsunami in Asia, which left more than 230,000 people dead or missing.
But some view the response to those disasters more favorably than the lawless aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
"I am absolutely disgusted. After the tsunami our people, even the ones who lost everything, wanted to help the others who were suffering," said Sajeewa Chinthaka, 36, as he watched a cricket match in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
"Not a single tourist caught in the tsunami was mugged. Now with all this happening in the U.S. we can easily see where the civilized part of the world's population is."
By Andrew Gray
LONDON (Reuters) - The world has watched amazed as the planet's only superpower struggles with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with some saying the chaos has exposed flaws and deep divisions in American society.
World leaders and ordinary citizens have expressed sympathy with the people of the southern United States whose lives were devastated by the hurricane and the flooding that followed.
But many have also been shocked by the images of disorder beamed around the world -- looters roaming the debris-strewn streets and thousands of people gathered in New Orleans waiting for the authorities to provide food, water and other aid.
"Anarchy in the USA" declared Britain's best-selling newspaper The Sun.
"Apocalypse Now" headlined Germany's Handelsblatt daily.
The pictures of the catastrophe -- which has killed hundreds and possibly thousands -- have evoked memories of crises in the world's poorest nations such as last year's tsunami in Asia, which left more than 230,000 people dead or missing.
But some view the response to those disasters more favorably than the lawless aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.
"I am absolutely disgusted. After the tsunami our people, even the ones who lost everything, wanted to help the others who were suffering," said Sajeewa Chinthaka, 36, as he watched a cricket match in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
"Not a single tourist caught in the tsunami was mugged. Now with all this happening in the U.S. we can easily see where the civilized part of the world's population is."
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Buy this book... to help Katrina victims. Because the hurricane was more devastating than anyone thought it would be, because it will take years to rebuild a normal life for the thousands left with nothing, because a family pet is truly a family member and because its the only way I know to help, I'm donating my sales from this book for the rest of 2005 and all of 2006 to the American Red Cross and the ASPCA. You can order it from Barnes and Noble retailer, or online at http://www.barnesandnoble.com. You can also order online from Amazon at http://www.amazon.com and through the publisher at http://www.publishamerica.com
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Hurricane ReliefDonate NowVolunteer NowRescue DiaryHurricane HotlineTemporary Pet SheltersHelp for HorsesMedia/Press ReleasesEmergency Pet PreparednessShelter OutreachPet Loss Information
Rescue Photos
Rescue Diary
Animals housed at the Austin Humane Society.
Karen Medicus with Max, a very happy puppy being sheltered in Austin.
Animals housed at the Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette.
Piles of pet food at the Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette.
Click here to make a donation that will go directly to help shelters impacted by natural disasters rebuild facilities and assist in their disaster recovery efforts.
Evening Update, September 5:
Don't believe everything you hear. The ASPCA has investigated allegations that family pets in Louisiana are being taken from their owners and shot. We have found that there is absolutely no truth to this widely circulated rumor. According to reliable sources, one dog was shot and killed after it tried to attack an officer. There is no order to shoot animals unless they are endangering law enforcement officers. In fact, we just heard from our rescue staff in the field that they were stopped by security guards trying to get help for some New Orleans police officers who were helping to care for some puppies at a local Wal-Mart and wanted to make sure that they were rescued. You can help keep a volatile situation from becoming even worse by checking out rumors before passing them on. If you hear about a disturbing situation, let us know. We'll check it out and get back to you.
more false information
You may have heard the rumor that evacuees in Louisiana are being ordered to abandon their animals. In some cases, they have had to leave their animals but there are many animal rescuers in the area. The Louisiana State Veterinarian's Office has assured us that every effort is being made to reunite animals and people. The State Veterinarian's Office is now coordinating all information about animals stranded in LA. They have a 30-computer and phone bank set up, and are on site, so they are in the best position to combine data and forward it to rescue teams. In Louisiana, people reporting stranded animals or have found an animal should call 1-888-773-6489. Outside Louisiana, people should call 225-925-3980. Information may also be e-mailed to katrina@ldaf.louisiana.gov. The State Veterinarian's Office website is loaded with very good information and clear instructions.
more good news
You may have seen the wire story about the little boy who "cried until he vomited" when his little dog, Snowball, was not permitted to get on the bus removing the family to safety. The good news is that Snowball has been located and is safe according to Dr. Martha Littlefield, Ass't State veterinary with the state of Louisiana. Efforts will now be made to reunite him with his family.
Morning Update, September 5:
The ASPCA has received at least 50 emails and calls regarding 50 to 150 animals stranded on the roof of the Windy Boggs Medical Center (AKA Murphy's Animal Hospital) on North Jefferson Davis Parkway in New Orleans. The animals are pets belonging to hospital staff, cared for by one dedicated doctor who purportedly refused to be evacuated with the other staff members. As a result, he and the animals were quickly running out of food and water.
As of Monday morning, a caravan of animal control vehicles, zodiac boats, equipment and personnel from groups including ASPCA, HSUS, Code 3, United Animal Nation, ARL of Boston and the Louisiana SPCA were en route to New Orleans to rescue the animals from Murphy’s Animal Hospital. The caravan will also pick up any animals they find stranded along the route.
The ASPCA and other organizations, including HSUS, Best Friends, United Animal Nation, Petfinder.com, are working to identify and log pets in need of rescue in affected areas. A database is being compiled and provided to animal rescuers, and will be posted on Petfinder.com shortly.
Louisiana
Good news! Thirty-five dogs have been loaded onto the Rescue Waggin in Gonzales, and are on their way to safe haven at the Houston SPCA! Additionally, 75 dogs have been rescued from the Superdome.
austin, texas
Good news from the Austin evacuation center, where the first evacuee dog has been reunited with his owner! This puppy's guardian is a 14-year-old girl, who arrived at the Austin evacuation center with her family members. The puppy was a gift from her father, whose whereabouts are unknown at this time.
The Austin Humane Society (AHS), in conjunction with The City of Austin Town Lake Animal Center and the ASPCA, has 75 evacuated animals in temporary care. Staffers are still working around the clock at relief facilities to help provide evacuee pets with a safe haven. AHS has set up a Pet Hotline (512-646-PETS) for evacuees moving to Austin who need to find care, placement and supplies for their family pets. Eight pets have now been reunited with their displaced owners.
Click here to see photos taken at the Austin evacuation center.
Morning Update, September 3:
As of Friday evening, we were close to one million dollars in donations for direct shelter grants! Thank you to everyone who has given so generously. If you would like to donate, you can call our toll-free number, (866) 275-3923, or give online. The more money we raise, the more we can help shelters in need—100 % of funds will be donated to shelters in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
Several ASPCA National Outreach staffers spent a good part of Friday tracking down large, extra-large and giant collapsible dog crates that we could purchase and expedite to the Houston SPCA and the Louisiana SPCA staging area. We were able to locate and purchase 1,000 crates.
The PETCO Foundation has an additional 90 crates en-route to the Houston SPCA.
Pets in Distress (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) has food and equipment ready to ship to several points in Mississippi and Louisiana.
MISSISSIPPI
The ASPCA trailer arrived in Jackson, MS, at 9:30 Friday evening. They will keep us apprised of their efforts over the weekend.
The Mississippi Animal Refuge League (MARL) reports that HSUS and the State Dept. of Agriculture are operating an emergency shelter at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds in Jackson.
There are 500-plus animals in Tyler Town, MS, evacuated from the Humane Society of Louisiana and the St. Francis Animal Sanctuary. They are in need of a generator and supplies.
LOUISIANA SPCA REPORT:
The Louisiana SPCA has begun rescue efforts for animals left behind in the Greater New Orleans area. Animals are being brought to the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, LA, which is serving as a staging center for displaced animals. They will soon be uploading photos of displaced pets onto Petfinder.com for people to look for lost pets.
HOUSTON SPCA REPORT
The Houston SPCA has been doing a heroic job taking in animals from the Louisiana SPCA staging area in Gonzales and from families seeking refuge in Red Cross shelters. As of Friday morning, the Houston SPCA had already admitted 700 animals and expects that they could receive 1,000 more. The Houston SPCA staff is working round-the-clock to care for animals so that families devastated by this tragedy will not also be confronted with losing their pets.
HELP FOR HORSES
Dr. Andrew Lang, director of the ASPCA Equine Program, will be issuing a grant to the Emergency Equine Response Unit to purchase “water buffaloes” (300-500 gallon tanks) and pumps, and an extra diesel tank for their truck, so they can head south to assist in the rescue efforts.
Late afternoon update, September 2:
As we write this, ASPCA Southern Regional Shelter Outreach Manager Laura Lanza is busy compiling lists to help with rescues and contacting local shelters in affected areas to determine their immediate needs. Having spent 18 years as a director at Calcasieu Parish Animal Services, Laura is very familiar with the Gulf Region, and has many friends and colleagues in the area. She is serving as the ASPCA point person for calls and email inquiries about relief efforts.
We'll be checking in with Laura as she begins to receive feedback from groups, and we'll share it with you. We know how frustrating it is for those who are so faraway, watching television reports and wanting to do something to help. Please check our website for updates often--we'll keep you up-to-date on new information, progress made, and ways that you can help.
AUSTIN, TEXAS
A large number of people and animals have been evacuated to Austin, where the Red Cross has set up a shelter for people at the Toney Berger Center on Highway 290. ASPCA Shelter Outreach director Karen Medicus, a former shelter director in Austin, is helping local groups coordinate efforts. Many people are calling the Red Cross, asking about shelter for their pets. They have identified a staging area for animals who may be brought here. We'll be checking with Karen for updates and pictures. For more information about efforts in Austin, call (512) 646-PETS.
JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI
Our team of veterinarians, technicians and medical staff are right now on their way to Jackson. Soon to follow them is one of our ASPCA Cares mobile veterinary clinics.
Noon Update, September 2:
HOUSTON SPCA
The Houston SPCA has been working tirelessly to help the animal victims of Hurricane Katrina, and shelter staffers have taken on a lion’s share of the recovery efforts. They are housing 275 animals evacuated from the Louisiana SPCA, and last night alone they took in 300 more animals, including pets belonging to evacuees staying in Houston-area shelters.
The ASPCA has just purchased 300 crates, which will be drop-shipped immediately to the Houston SPCA. Additionally, both PETCO and ACES (Animal Care and Equipment Services) have been helping us with donations for shelters. PETCO sent the Houston SPCA 100 large dog crates, and ACES has contributed leashes.
Evening Update, September 1:
ASPCA ON-SITE EFFORTS
A group of ASPCA employees led by Kelly Harrington, director of the ASPCA Disaster Response Program, have left for Jackson, MS, to assist Code 3 with their rescue efforts. Accompanying Harrington are Humane Law Enforcement agent Richard Raheb; Margaret McLaughlin, director of Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital’s veterinary technicians; and Sandy Monterose, ASPCA National Outreach’s northeast manager. They are traveling in the fully equipped disaster vehicle, which includes a 40-foot trailer and a boat.
LOUSIANA SPCA REPORT
The ASPCA’s National Outreach department has at last made contact with Laura Maloney, executive director of the Louisiana SPCA. All of the shelter’s animals were safely evacuated, and the group is now concentrating efforts on helping remove and relocate other animals from the area. Maloney and some of her staff are using a horse farm in Gonzales, LA, as their staging area. Violence in the New Orleans area is prohibiting them from getting close to the city, and they were turned away by the State Police for safety reasons.
Other Shelters in Louisiana:
- The LA Humane Society has evacuated to Mississippi and all the animals and staff are safe. They have issued a bulletin for help.
-The Bert Smith Jefferson Parish Animal Services evacuated to Washington Parish in the town of Franklenton. Reportedly, things are deteriorating there. Plans are underway to evacuate them to Gonzales, where the animals can be evaluated and moved out to the Houston SPCA.
- There are still many shelters we have not heard from. Petfinder.com is maintaining a list of updates from shelters and rescues.
MISSISSIPPI
There has been almost no communication from the Humane Society of South Mississippi (Gulfport).
We will keep you informed as we learn more; please check back for the latest reports.
* Thanks to Rae Domingues for taking the photos at the temporary pet shelter at the BlackhamColiseum in Lafayette.
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Sunday, September 04, 2005
Contact these organizations to help victims of Katrina
(partial list)
Save The Children
1-800-728-3843
World Relief
1-800-535-5433
Red Cross
1-800-435-7669
America's Second Harvest (Food bank)
(877) 817-2307
Habitat For Humanity
(toll free) 866-292-7892
Mercy Corps
1-800-852-2100
Feed The Children
1-800-525-7575
The Salvation Army
1-800-725-2769
United Way
1-800-272-4630
National Next Of Kin Registry
1-800-944-4804 (Number is for donations only)
This is completely volunteer operated, for more info go to the site.
~ Note: CNN has an alphabetical listing of hurricane survivors and their locations
Animal Rescue:
ASPCA
(866) 275-3923
North Shore Animal League
Noah's Wish
(partial list)
Save The Children
1-800-728-3843
World Relief
1-800-535-5433
Red Cross
1-800-435-7669
America's Second Harvest (Food bank)
(877) 817-2307
Habitat For Humanity
(toll free) 866-292-7892
Mercy Corps
1-800-852-2100
Feed The Children
1-800-525-7575
The Salvation Army
1-800-725-2769
United Way
1-800-272-4630
National Next Of Kin Registry
1-800-944-4804 (Number is for donations only)
This is completely volunteer operated, for more info go to the site.
~ Note: CNN has an alphabetical listing of hurricane survivors and their locations
Animal Rescue:
ASPCA
(866) 275-3923
North Shore Animal League
Noah's Wish
Saturday, September 03, 2005
Strong words for the deserving...
Ok. I would like for Kanye West to explain to me how he gets off pointing the race card finger at the media, how he can honestly say the government doesn't care about its own people. I must be an idiot, because I don't see how looting anything not nailed down, setting fires to what buildings that are left, shooting at doctors and nurses, firing on buses and rescue helecoptors, and rape is gonna help New Orleans get out of this mess. How is all that gonna help? Explain this to me, Kanye West. Tell me how people are gonna bring food and medicine when the minute they show themselves, they're getting shot at?
Yes, the entire city is still in shock. I've seen the entire range of emotion.. fear, horror, people in mourning, anger, frustration, rage, relief... And federal relief may or may not have done what they should have, fast enough. What of some personal accountability? The stocking up on drinking water at least when there was absolute fair warning of the hurricane? There were two days to prepare, even for those with no way out. That's plenty of time to fill a duffle bag with water bottles, nonperishable food and supplies. The officials said all weekend this was gonna be big.
As for the looters, arsonists, rapists, snipers... I have nothing but contempt. They're supposed to be part of the community, supposed to be pulling together helping neighbors and fellow victims of this disaster. The segment of drug addicts within the city's population - the mayor even said this himself - are those individals who have gone over the edge in this crisis. It certainly explains a lot, but makes it no less wrong. To be honest, I don't even consider them petty criminals. To me, they are domestic terrorists interfering with saving lives.
So... this is my piece, this is my opinion. Kanye West, prove me wrong.
Ok. I would like for Kanye West to explain to me how he gets off pointing the race card finger at the media, how he can honestly say the government doesn't care about its own people. I must be an idiot, because I don't see how looting anything not nailed down, setting fires to what buildings that are left, shooting at doctors and nurses, firing on buses and rescue helecoptors, and rape is gonna help New Orleans get out of this mess. How is all that gonna help? Explain this to me, Kanye West. Tell me how people are gonna bring food and medicine when the minute they show themselves, they're getting shot at?
Yes, the entire city is still in shock. I've seen the entire range of emotion.. fear, horror, people in mourning, anger, frustration, rage, relief... And federal relief may or may not have done what they should have, fast enough. What of some personal accountability? The stocking up on drinking water at least when there was absolute fair warning of the hurricane? There were two days to prepare, even for those with no way out. That's plenty of time to fill a duffle bag with water bottles, nonperishable food and supplies. The officials said all weekend this was gonna be big.
As for the looters, arsonists, rapists, snipers... I have nothing but contempt. They're supposed to be part of the community, supposed to be pulling together helping neighbors and fellow victims of this disaster. The segment of drug addicts within the city's population - the mayor even said this himself - are those individals who have gone over the edge in this crisis. It certainly explains a lot, but makes it no less wrong. To be honest, I don't even consider them petty criminals. To me, they are domestic terrorists interfering with saving lives.
So... this is my piece, this is my opinion. Kanye West, prove me wrong.
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Insult to Injury
Good morning, America
your sons and daughters are missing...
your husbands and fathers
across the board - Good morning.
Where are your friend now, too
long without a word, not a word
unless its "Let them eat cake -
let them break and enter.
Give 'em the food and medicine,
let 'em take the VCRs, designer
clothing, what little their neighbors
have left and anything else not nailed
to the rotting floor.
Good morning. How are ya?
You know me. I'm the voice of America,
the pathos of your conscience, temperance
you fools. Compassion? Vindication?
Temperance amid the overwhelmed.
Good morning, America
your sons and daughters are missing...
your husbands and fathers
across the board - Good morning.
Where are your friend now, too
long without a word, not a word
unless its "Let them eat cake -
let them break and enter.
Give 'em the food and medicine,
let 'em take the VCRs, designer
clothing, what little their neighbors
have left and anything else not nailed
to the rotting floor.
Good morning. How are ya?
You know me. I'm the voice of America,
the pathos of your conscience, temperance
you fools. Compassion? Vindication?
Temperance amid the overwhelmed.
Sunday, August 21, 2005
Well a few nice, cool days last week, but today the heat is brutal as ever. The forecast says its supposed to be down in the 70's most of the week - I hope they're right, it would feel good for a change. It could stay like that throughout fall and winter, and I'd be happy with the weather.
The bosses were back from their vacation at the beginning of the week. One of them says they all had a relaxing time of it... another says he needs a vacation to recuperate from the vacation, go figure.
It's been a busy week.. I pretty much always walk into a mess on Monday's. So I'm used to that.. but I've been spoiled throughout the week because they've sold so many pets, and the ferret cage has been empty nearly all week, until Friday when they also brought in 4 new cages of breeder parakeets and cocatiels. So Friday hit me unexpectedly, and so pretty much wiped out by the end of the day.
Not much besides that going on... Finished Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire last week, now I'm on The Order of the Phoenix... I WILL be current by the end of the season, I swear.
Yesterday watched Columbus get a must-win game to keep them in, they were playing FC Dallas... one of the Crew fans was shown holding a sight that said:
F*C* Dallas.... Go Crew! very clever, I thought. :)
Has anybody been watching some of the new reality shows this summer? Tommy Lee in college? Come on... I just hope some poor guy didn't get bumped from classes cause Tommy Lee took the last available spot, geez!
Robert finally got his hands on a borrowed copy of Clerks. I've been telling him about this movie for as far back as I can remember... Gonna watch it tonight. Lol, Kevin Smith rides again.
Not much new going on today... So here's a cute little something to finish off the weekend! Cat Mishaps
The bosses were back from their vacation at the beginning of the week. One of them says they all had a relaxing time of it... another says he needs a vacation to recuperate from the vacation, go figure.
It's been a busy week.. I pretty much always walk into a mess on Monday's. So I'm used to that.. but I've been spoiled throughout the week because they've sold so many pets, and the ferret cage has been empty nearly all week, until Friday when they also brought in 4 new cages of breeder parakeets and cocatiels. So Friday hit me unexpectedly, and so pretty much wiped out by the end of the day.
Not much besides that going on... Finished Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire last week, now I'm on The Order of the Phoenix... I WILL be current by the end of the season, I swear.
Yesterday watched Columbus get a must-win game to keep them in, they were playing FC Dallas... one of the Crew fans was shown holding a sight that said:
F*C* Dallas.... Go Crew! very clever, I thought. :)
Has anybody been watching some of the new reality shows this summer? Tommy Lee in college? Come on... I just hope some poor guy didn't get bumped from classes cause Tommy Lee took the last available spot, geez!
Robert finally got his hands on a borrowed copy of Clerks. I've been telling him about this movie for as far back as I can remember... Gonna watch it tonight. Lol, Kevin Smith rides again.
Not much new going on today... So here's a cute little something to finish off the weekend! Cat Mishaps
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Whew, it's been incredibly hot this past week. Hazy in the early morning and by 9 a.m. the humidity is already in full force. I feel right at home! The weather in KC has always been just like this, lol. But as of yesterday they were having major storms out that way, so with any luck we may be getting some of that out here too, hopefully just enough to cool things off a bit
Soccer Saturday (on ESPN 2) yesterday showed DC United totally ripping up Chivas, which they completely deserved considering how dirty they were playing... come to think of it, Chivas played just as dirty the week before. So justice was done when United beat 'em 3 - zip. Amazing though how any of the players from either team didn't collapse from the heat considering it was 120 degrees there on the field.
Also, I hear USA qualified so far for the World Cup... looking forward to hearing more about that! And Robert is anxiously awaiting the start of the Hockey season, specifically the Flyers. After a year with no Hockey, he's more than ready for seeing some action on the ice.
Life at the pet shop has been a little crazy the past week.. too many of the staff have been on vacation, so it's been a little hectic. Some are due back tomorrow, so that should provide some relief. I learned the hard way this week, never trust a rabbit... long story, won't go into it here, lol.
This fall looks promising in the way of poetry events. There's some venues here in Cherry Hill sponsored by the library, then there's an annual deal called Mid-Atlantic Poetry Festival which is a day long event not too far from here. Then I've got submissions accepted by a friend in California who has just started a poetry magazine - by the way, he's accepting submissions for the second issue. So if you're interested, please feel free to contact me here or by email and I'll give you the particulars.
Speaking of spoken word, Def Poetry just aired its season finale last Friday. I believe America's latest catch phrase ought to be... "Oh Shit, Its Russell Simmons!" Just think of how far you could take that.. T-shirts, bumper stickers, coffee mugs, SNL skits... the possibilities could be endless. I just wonder how many people around here would "get" it, and give recognition to such a t-shirt, lol...
Soccer Saturday (on ESPN 2) yesterday showed DC United totally ripping up Chivas, which they completely deserved considering how dirty they were playing... come to think of it, Chivas played just as dirty the week before. So justice was done when United beat 'em 3 - zip. Amazing though how any of the players from either team didn't collapse from the heat considering it was 120 degrees there on the field.
Also, I hear USA qualified so far for the World Cup... looking forward to hearing more about that! And Robert is anxiously awaiting the start of the Hockey season, specifically the Flyers. After a year with no Hockey, he's more than ready for seeing some action on the ice.
Life at the pet shop has been a little crazy the past week.. too many of the staff have been on vacation, so it's been a little hectic. Some are due back tomorrow, so that should provide some relief. I learned the hard way this week, never trust a rabbit... long story, won't go into it here, lol.
This fall looks promising in the way of poetry events. There's some venues here in Cherry Hill sponsored by the library, then there's an annual deal called Mid-Atlantic Poetry Festival which is a day long event not too far from here. Then I've got submissions accepted by a friend in California who has just started a poetry magazine - by the way, he's accepting submissions for the second issue. So if you're interested, please feel free to contact me here or by email and I'll give you the particulars.
Speaking of spoken word, Def Poetry just aired its season finale last Friday. I believe America's latest catch phrase ought to be... "Oh Shit, Its Russell Simmons!" Just think of how far you could take that.. T-shirts, bumper stickers, coffee mugs, SNL skits... the possibilities could be endless. I just wonder how many people around here would "get" it, and give recognition to such a t-shirt, lol...
This Morning's Commute
It was mistaken identity
when someone lost their deck of cards
from a passing back seat window.
I know because the face-up
King of Clubs scream it from the curb
each and every time I walk by.
On the way to work
mid-morning - not early, not late
a lone goose on safari overhead
honks like an overexited puppy
eager to take the lead, and landing
just in time to goad the others,
take down the trashman at the dumpster
for his several bags of goodies.
And midway again - not early, not late
but already heat stifles the living
labored breath, and I remind myself
its not so much the weather but rather
some unexpected hot air having descended;
there must be an impromptu gathering
of republicans somewhere nearby, dressed in their
feathered finery, Sunday's best on a Friday
morning.... I'm cutting corners in a
series of shortcuts for even better time
and a brief respite of cool air just past
those doors before venturing back out.
It was mistaken identity
when someone lost their deck of cards
from a passing back seat window.
I know because the face-up
King of Clubs scream it from the curb
each and every time I walk by.
On the way to work
mid-morning - not early, not late
a lone goose on safari overhead
honks like an overexited puppy
eager to take the lead, and landing
just in time to goad the others,
take down the trashman at the dumpster
for his several bags of goodies.
And midway again - not early, not late
but already heat stifles the living
labored breath, and I remind myself
its not so much the weather but rather
some unexpected hot air having descended;
there must be an impromptu gathering
of republicans somewhere nearby, dressed in their
feathered finery, Sunday's best on a Friday
morning.... I'm cutting corners in a
series of shortcuts for even better time
and a brief respite of cool air just past
those doors before venturing back out.
Friday, August 05, 2005
Into The Solid
We are breezing into the heart
of a season, with the sound of
flutes from the wire
as background noise.
They are drum and pipes
and I am traveling through
my comfort zone with this
earful of all that I've missed.
It's been awhile, much like
forever and a day... when I go
there, where I go I'd want to
shout phrases of meaningful
sentiment... Aequitas! Then
name my places, here and Inverness,
Culloden, the Highlands, or Belfast.
We can follow a melody into sleep,
breeze here to there and through
the solid heat of summer.
We are breezing into the heart
of a season, with the sound of
flutes from the wire
as background noise.
They are drum and pipes
and I am traveling through
my comfort zone with this
earful of all that I've missed.
It's been awhile, much like
forever and a day... when I go
there, where I go I'd want to
shout phrases of meaningful
sentiment... Aequitas! Then
name my places, here and Inverness,
Culloden, the Highlands, or Belfast.
We can follow a melody into sleep,
breeze here to there and through
the solid heat of summer.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Welcome to a new month already... We are breezing into the heart of summer, and although its foggy and a little cool this morning, the moment won't last long before temps reach the 90s. So now we go past the weather report and onto the next order of the day... I found a clever way to clean my computer monitor.. go to this link, check it out. You'll love it or die laughing... or both!
-- This is VERY cute!
Clean your monitor . This is very clever! It really works!!
I noticed that my monitor was not quite as clear as when we first got it. Apparently the electrons build up on the inside of the screen with time, and the picture deteriorates. I found a free program that I used to 'clean' the inside of the screen
and the improvement was quite noticeable. I highly recommend it. If you'd like to try it, simply click on the following link.
The program is free, works automatically, and takes only about 45 seconds to do its job.
http://www.legrady.hu/sc.html
-- This is VERY cute!
Clean your monitor . This is very clever! It really works!!
I noticed that my monitor was not quite as clear as when we first got it. Apparently the electrons build up on the inside of the screen with time, and the picture deteriorates. I found a free program that I used to 'clean' the inside of the screen
and the improvement was quite noticeable. I highly recommend it. If you'd like to try it, simply click on the following link.
The program is free, works automatically, and takes only about 45 seconds to do its job.
http://www.legrady.hu/sc.html
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