Friday, September 30, 2005

You knew this would happen eventually...

What's that you ask?

It's that I would write a blog entry while connected to the internet via my Palm.

Of course, it's not all that straight forward...

Neither the Web Pro nor AvantoGo browsers have either the right combination of security and forms compatibility.

So I am writing through pssh (a palm ssh client) logged into my ISP's bash shell, using LYNX to fill out Blogger's forms.

But - it's working!

Granted - it's not all that earth-shattering, but it is pretty wonky - and it's good to know it can be done!

Monday, September 26, 2005

Credit where credit's due...

OK... In my last post I was like Nikita Kruschev banging my shoe on the UN table as I described Ronna & Robert's situation as evacuees from the New Orleans disaster.

I did indeed write to both the National Chapter and my local Philadelphia Chapter of the American Red Cross. The National Organization responded within two days, with a confirmation that Ronna & Robert are indeed eligible for assistance, without the requirement of residence in a Red Cross shelter.

This is very good news.

I've forwarded the Red Cross response to Ronna & Robert, and I've posted it here, in case anybody else might benefit from the information.

So, in giving credit where credit is due - Thank you, American Red Cross.

Friday, September 23, 2005

Un-American Red Cross

Sounds a little harsh, eh? Well, I'm ticked off.

Nancy's brother and his wife, Robert & Ronna, live(d) in New Orleans.

They evacuated their house before the storm hit. They've now been on the road for about a month. Their house has sustained flood damage, and they cannot go home yet to even assess their property. As college professors in the city of New Orleans, they have lost their jobs for the forseeable future because their schools cannot open. They have a son in his 2nd year of college and are still paying tuition despite the disaster, in addition to existing bills and mortgage. They're digging into their life savings in order to live day to day - spending money on gas, hotels, food (always more expensive on the road). They are staying with friends whenever possible. And very importantly, Ronna had major surgery about a month before the storm and is still recovering...

Let's recap:
  • Good citizens, evacuated when told
  • Have spent several thousand dollars to live on the road for a month
  • Have lost a major source of income
  • They are homeless
  • Property is damaged & uninhabitable
  • Recovering from major surgery & needs medical assistance & supplies
Ready for this?

They requested medical assistance from the Red Cross for Ronna's condition & medical supplies - and were TURNED AWAY because they are not living in a Red Cross shelter.

Can you believe that?

They have gone out of their way to not be a burden on the relief system, to only ask for truly needed medical assistance, and were denied.

The Red Cross has been designated as the primary relief agency in this disaster - with millions, if not billions of dollars coming in earmarked for Katrina victim relief.

What is the Red Cross doing with those donations if they're only putting it toward people in their shelters? There are MANY MORE VICTIMS living outside Red Cross shelters than in them. Why are victims being denied assistance? I thought when I donate to the Red Cross that moneys & assistance got to victims who need it - who knew there was a policy that penalizes people for being responsible in the face of a disaster?

I think this is AWFUL. So does Nancy, even more than I do.

We feel we people should know that although the Red Cross is willing to take donations in the name of Katrina victims, it is also WITHOLDING assistance from Katrina victims --- and that if people have donated intending to help victims in situations like Robert & Ronna's, that their contributions are not being used for that purpose.

That is WRONG.

Does anybody out there have any suggestions about to whose attention to bring this?

I'm sending a link for this blog entry to the Red Cross, to see if they respond with an explanation, or offer of assistance. Maybe somebody there can clarify how Robert and Ronna can be helped. If not, I'll start inquiring with media outlets to see if they're aware of this situation, and how people have been dealing with it.


Also on the topic of Katrina disaster management and assistance, C. S. Thomas, Managing Director of CACH International Ltd Co, Business Continuity and Crisis Response consultants notes this situation in a posting to the Yahoo Finance Discussion board - see points #6 & #8:
Uncensored from the NOLA Front

Saturday, September 17, 2005

Holopaw...

Holopaw is an independent band on the SubPop label, and they're based between Philly & Florida...

I know Michael (guitars and things), and they're going out on tour very soon (Michael's looking forward to it!)... I can tell you that their CD is really good, and if they're coming near your city, they're worth going to see...

Here's Holopaw's website: http://www.holopaw.net/
Here are their tour dates: http://www.holopaw.net/holopaw/tour.htm

And if you can't see them, go buy their new CD, Quit + / or Fight - because, they're really good, and it's important to support a working band: Holopaw from Amazon.com

I sound like Larry King here, don't I?

What? Another PalmTune?

Yes, I'm not trying to be prolific or anything, I just am. At least right now.

I mean does anybody complain when Lance Armstrong wins the Tour de France, time after time? Well, maybe the French do, but their job is to criticize anything that's not French. Who can blame them?

Anyway, this Microbe tune is named Ether - Listen to it, and after you're hypnotized, I'll contact you with further instructions:

Ether-03 - (hi-bandwidth / stereo) - will pop up in a new window

Ether-03 - (lo-bandwidth / mono) - will pop up in a new window

----------

And while we're on the topic of free music for you, (don't look gift horses in the mouth, OK?) here's one I've had in the pipeline for a while. Sure, I've had my ideas of what I'd tweak, but really after six months, who am I kidding? So I'm putting it out there...

Frankly, the hi-bandwidth version sounds much better than the lo-res version, so even if you have a dial-up connection, listen to the hi-res... Hey, I'm not some freakin' Hollywood producer here with time to make everything for everybody! I told you what I'd listen to! Hey! Yo! Whatta-ya-want-here-yo-hey? Yo? Hey?

Funk-01-200b-2-HR.mp3 - (hi-bandwidth / stereo) - will pop up in a new window

Funk-01-200b-2-LR.mp3 - (lo-bandwidth / mono) - will pop up in a new window

For the record, nobody played anything on this tune - it's all sampled and scored in Reason. Plus, if you're paying attention, it does this sort of reverse-o-thing with the organ downbeats, but since I wrote it, I'm probably the only one whose interested...

Thursday, September 15, 2005

Strawberry Pancakes

Strawberry pancake; don't make me wait for it! Strawberry pancake; I'm coming for you! Strawberry pancake, Strawberry pancake, I'm riding my bike into town!
Here I come on my bike, I'm looking for pancake - pancake! pancake! pancake!
Oh Yum! Give me your Pancake!
Here I come on my lovely girl's bike, it's a girl's bike, you can tell 'cause the crossbar's really low; I'm riding my bike into town!

http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/Strawberry+Pancakes/

Would somebody please let me know how this finally ends?

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Baby, you can...

Yes, it's Palm-Tune Time again. Yes, it's a cover-tune. Yes, it's a Microbe song.

It kept playing over & over in my mental jukebox this summer whenever I would take the convertible out for a spin... Hopefully, I don't owe anyone royalties for putting this up...

Drive My Car - (hi-bandwidth / stereo) - will pop up in a new window

Drive My Car - (lo-bandwidth / mono) - will pop up in a new window

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

If I had a time machine...

... I'd go back 40,000 years and find the VERY FIRST hominid sonofabitch who ever scraped a sharpened clamshell against his face, and I'd haul his neanderthal ass out in front of all his clansmen and kick it up and down the pleistocene tundra --- and I'd make it clear that I would do the same in turn to the next cro-magnon who tried the same thing, in the name of all us guys in the future who as a result are now stuck with having to shave every day.

Yeah, I really don't like shaving.