Wednesday, August 30, 2006

THE COMPLEXITIES OF A RECOVERY ... AN OBSTACLE COURSE TO GET BENEFITS.

WHAT 'PROOF' DOES ONE NEED???????

ROAD2LA.ORG is getting to be a joke and is far from an easy task. Southwest Louisiana came home to more than 80,000 roofs damaged besides the numerous homes which were totally demolished. Evictions went out to more than 10,000 tenants. The poor have no means of recovering their losses ... no money ... no insurance ... and are facing intentional & deliberate COMPLEX FACTORS designed by a bureaucy to ELIMINATE the rights to recover.

WEB SITE APPLICATIONS?????? ... THIS IS WHAT YOU GET:

"Notice: Due to high volume, we are currently experiencing difficulties with the online Road Home application. We recommend that you wait until next week to complete your application.

Since August 20, we have received an unexpectedly high volume of online applications. Because of this:

You may experience occasional outages or long delays when you attempt to create an online application this week. If you try to apply now and are disconnected from the system, the data you entered will not be lost. You may come back at a later date, open your partially completed application, and continue.

We are adding more computer servers to better handle the high volume of applications next week. We recommend you wait until early next week to complete your application. "

Sunday, August 27, 2006

WHEN 10,000 DID NOT PERISH, FEMA CHANGED ITS RULES.
This is FEMA information of which I copied on September 2, 2005 to share with the community (for the purpose of distributing helpful information). Sometimes it pays to save your e-mail - all 136 of KATRINA-related messages were saved into a folder.
FEMA RULES CHANGED ALMOST DAILY UNTIL FEMA FINALLY MADE A 'TOKEN AWARD' OF $ 2,000 PER INDIVIDUAL /HOUSEHOLD. THE ORGINAL AWARD WAS SUPPOSE TO BE $26,000 PER INDIVIDUAL/HOUSEHOLD.
This paragraph is my 'pure speculation'; but the truth has evolved which leads to a 'confirmation' of my beliefs: Before FEMA & THE STATE OF LOUISIANA would respond, face it, FEMA did not want to pay this kind of benefits to either the 'undeserving': 'GENERATIONAL' WELFARE RECIPIENTS, GANGS, DRUG LORDS, DISABLED, HOMELESS, ... etc. (HMMMMMM ... something to think about!!!!)
THIS IS THE ORIGINAL FEMA WEB PAGE THAT 'VANISHED' ... NEVER TO BE SEEN AGAIN IN THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES:
FEMA and other federal, state, local and volunteer agencies offer disaster assistance in several forms:

The Disaster Assistance Process
Assistance for Individuals and Households. This program, which may include cash grants of up to $26,200 per individual or household, includes:
Housing Assistance
Lodging expenses reimbursement (for a hotel or motel)
Rental assistance (cash payment for a temporary rental unit or a
manufactured home)
Home repair cash grant
Home replacement cash grant
Permanent housing construction in rare circumstances
Other Needs
Assistance
Medical, dental, funeral costs
Transportation costs
Other
disaster-related needs

Low-Interest Loans. Most, but not all, federal assistance is in the form of low interest loans to cover expenses not covered by state or local programs, or private insurance. People who do not qualify for loans may be able to apply for a cash grant.

The Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), offer low interest loans to eligible individuals, farmers and businesses to repair or replace damaged property and personal belongings not covered by insurance.

Veterans Benefits. The Department of Veterans' Affairs provides death benefits, pensions, insurance settlements and adjustments to home mortgages for veterans.

Tax Refunds. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows certain casualty losses to be deducted on Federal income tax returns for the year of the loss or through an immediate amendment to the previous year's return.

Excise Tax Relief. Businesses may file claims with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) for payment of Federal excise taxes paid on alcoholic beverages or tobacco products lost, rendered unmarketable or condemned by a duly authorized official under various circumstances, including where the President has declared a major disaster. Read more, (445 Kb Word Document)
Unemployment Benefits. Disaster Unemployment assistance and unemployment insurance benefits may be available through the state unemployment office and supported by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Crisis Counseling. The purpose of the crisis counseling program is to help relieve any grieving, stress, or mental health problems caused or aggravated by the disaster or its aftermath. These short-term services, provided by FEMA as supplemental funds granted to State and local mental health agencies, are only available to eligible survivors of Presidentially-declared major disasters. Those who may require this confidential service should inquire about it while registering for disaster assistance. Or they may contact FEMA's toll-free Helpline number 1-800-621-FEMA (TTY 1-800-462-7585) to find out where these services can be obtained. Crisis counselors are often on-hand at Disaster Recovery Centers (when they are established). Eligible survivors may also learn more about where crisis counseling services are available via the media, and FEMA's Recovery Times newsletters. Crisis counseling services are also offered by the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, other voluntary agencies, as well as churches and synagogues. Additional mental health information may be found on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Center for Mental Health Services' website, http://www.fema.gov/cgi-shl/goodbye.pl?url=http://www.mentalhealth.org.
Free Legal Counseling. The Young Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association, through an agreement with FEMA, provides free legal advice for low-income individuals regarding cases that will not produce a fee (i.e., those cases where attorneys are paid part of the settlement which is awarded by the court). Cases that may generate a fee are turned over to the local lawyer referral service.

Individuals, families and businesses may be eligible for federal assistance if they live, own a business, or work in a county declared a Major Disaster Area, incur sufficient property damage or loss, and, depending on the type of assistance, do not have the insurance or other resources to meet their needs.

To apply for Assistance for Individuals and Households, all you have to do is call the special toll free telephone number, 1-800-621-FEMA (TTY: 1-800-462-7585) and register. Specially trained operators at one of FEMA's National Processing Service Centers will process your application.

Your rights: Each Federal agency that provides Federal financial assistance is responsible for investigating complaints of discrimination in the use of its funds. If you believe that you or others protected by Civil Rights laws have been discriminated against in receiving disaster assistance, you may contact one of FEMA's Equal Rights Officers (ERO), who has the job of ensuring equal access to all FEMA disaster programs. The ERO will attempt to resolve your issues. You can read more about your civil rights on the FEMA site.

Friday, August 25, 2006

Today is almost uneventful (so far). I'm just sitting in my FEMA trailer and hating it!!!!

There's two sides to every story and that's what these trailers are all about.
YES! ... they are providing temporary housing!
NO! ... they're not all they're cracked up to be.

Should this be my next EXPOSE??????

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

HEY, SPIKE LEE ... 'KATRINA' ... WAS AWAITED FOR ~ 25 YEARS! It was the storm with the perfect conditions for a NATURAL DISASTER to do the 'ETHNIC CLEANSING' ... but, the 'estimated 10,000' did not perish!!! According to advance calculations, using the scientific derivatives, it was the storm which would throw 2 surges (one from the Gulf and one from Lake Ponchartrain). When the waters needed 'help' ... at the levees ... "BOOM!!!!" ... at the SUPER DOME ... "BOOM!!!" ... Their stories were never to have been told!!!!
Fortunately, I did not destroy any of my correspondence to 'outside' media and my worldwide network hoping to TELL AMERICA that while we fight on the soil of others for FREEDOM, that the 'struggle' on our own soil continues. The following is one of many sent e-mails:

Date: Mon, 5 Sep 2005 10:24:11 -0700 (PDT)
From:"Minnie Goings" minniersweet@yahoo.com
Subject: PREDICTIONS & SURGE IMPACT
(RUMORS ... OPINIONS ... SPECULATIONS ... FACTS ... YOU DECIDE!)

THE 'CREAM OF THE CROP' GOT OUT ...
THE 'COLOR' AND 'CONSPIRACY' FACTORS HAVE BEEN REMOVED ...

SOME OF THE DOCUMENTATION:
According to Frank Hijuelos, director of New Orleans Office of Emergency Preparedness:
Experts - Parsons Brinckerhoff, one of the world's leading planning, engineering, and program and construction management organizations had this to say:


WHEN NOT TO EVACUATE:
[ANY HURRICANE] WITH AN EYE WHICH WOULD MEET THE RIGHT CONDITIONS WOULD COVER PUMPS & LEVEES ... NEW ORLEANS WOULD BE TOTALLY SUBMERGED - AN 'ATLANTIS' BY SURGE!

IF NOT ENOUGH SURGE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO; THEN, THE SURGE FROM LAKE PONCHATRAIN (25 FT. DEEP/630 SQ. MILES) WOULD FILL THE CITY.
END RESULTS: EVERYTHING LEFT IN THE CITY IS NOW GONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOW!!! ... HURRICANE KATRINA WAS A CAT-4 (CATAGORY 4) PLUGGED INTO THIS FORMULA PERFECT - WIND SPEEDS @ 175MPH WITH THE EYE PREDICTED TO HIT WITHIN THE EXACT POINT WHICH WOULD CREATE THE MOST CATASTROPIC CONDITIONS - AT THE INTERSECTION OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER &&&&&&&& THE GULF OF MEXICO.

STORM SURGE CALCULATION FORMULA
St(t) = Sp(1-e[D/t])

Surges can last several hours ...

Storm Surge Data. Simulating tropical storms and resulting surges in detail is a complex and time-consuming effort. To simplify calculation, storm surge elevations on ocean boundaries were calculated using an approach suggested by Edge et al. (1998) in which a surge stage hydrograph is synthesized from tropical storm windfield parameters and a known peak stage as
St(t) = Sp(1-e[D/t])
where D = R/Vf is storm duration, R = radius of maximum storm winds, Vf = forward speed of the storm, t = time since start of the storm, and Sp = peak storm surge height for a selected annual exceedance probability.

Combining surge stage with astronomic tide elevations gives total storm surge stage Stot(t) = St(t) + Ht(t), where Ht = astronomic tide stage.

NEW ORLEANS ... LEVEES & DANGEROUS
PUMPS COULD NOT WORK UNDER
WATER
SCIENTIFIC CALCULATIONS UNDER CONDITIONS

PREDICTIONS:
It's been 25 years since a major hurricane made direct hit on New Orleans. The city has never felt the fury of a Category 4 or 5 storm. Many people who live in the city, known for it's party atmosphere and sultry summers, say they are due! While damaging winds are a concern with any hurricane, New Orleanians know the biggest threat to their city is water.

"We actually live in a bowl. We live underwater," said Frank Hijuelos, director of New Orleans Office of Emergency Preparedness.
"The levees that protect the city from flooding are also a flood threat themselves. "The biggest threat that the city has is that of a slow moving Category 3, 4 or 5 hurricane, which would create a surge of water that could be up to 30 feet high.

Now if this (high) water comes into the city, it will top the levees. It will go over the top of the levees and actually fill up the city," said Hijuelos. He added, "Every drop of water that comes into this city has to be pumped out. We're below sea level... but when you get a situation of a surge, the pumps would be under water. The pumps would be useless in that situation."

He added, "Every drop of water that comes into this city has to be pumped out. We're below sea level... but when you get a situation of a surge, the pumps would be under water. The pumps would be useless in that situation."

DISASTERS: FIRES ...FLOODS ...EARTHQUAKES ... HURRICANES ... TORNADOES ... RIOTS ...BOMBINGS ... 9/11 ... CATASTROPHIC EVENTS WITH WIDE-SPREAD LOSSES OF PROPERTY & LIVES.

'DECLARED DISASTERS' - 1) STATE GOVERNOR DECLARES THE STATE OF EMERGENCY ,,, THEN 2) PRESIDENT DECLARES A NATIONAL STATE OF EMERGENCY ... THEN 3) FEMA (FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY) CAN THEN RELEASE FUNDS TO THE DISASTER AREA & TO IT'S DISASTER SURVIVORS: http://www.fema.gov/news/disasters.fema
THESE VICTIMS WILL BE HOUSED ON CRUISE SHIPS, MOBILE HOMES, RV'S, MILITARY BASE HOUSING, PRIVATE HOMES, ... ETC.
ESTIMATED: RECOVERY OF DISPLACEMENT EXPENCES, DAMAGES AND LOSS - PER INDIVIDUAL/HOUSEHOLD IN THE AREA OF $26,000 (MINUS INSURANCE CLAIMS).
EXCESS DAMAGES OVER THAT AMOUNT, VICTIMS WILL BE ENTITLED TO GRANTS &/OR LOW INTEREST LOANS (1-3%).

YOU EVALUATE ENTITLEMENTS:


SIMPLE ADDITION: SHOULD WELFARE 'MOMMAS' AND CRACKHEADS AND PROSTITUTES AND WINOS AND GANG BANGERS AND THUGS AND EX-OFFENDERS AND INMATES AND HOMELESS .... AND ... BE ENTITLED TO THE ABOVE FRINGES?

WHAT ABOUT THE 'CHRONIC' MEDICAL EXPENSES OF THE SICK AND DISABLED AND ELDERLY?

HMMMMMMMMMMM! ... RUMORS ... OPINIONS ... SPECULATIONS ... FACTS ... YOU DECIDE!

Monday, August 21, 2006

I SUPPORT THE VIEWS OF DR. BILL COSBY ...

We should accept his crititism as constructive and stop trying to hide some of the problems we know that exist. 'Our' dirty-laundry should have been aired a long time ago and PARENTS should have exercised control. Dr. Bill is RIGHT!!!!!

"WHEN YOU WALK OUT OF MY DOOR ... YOU ARE A REFLECTION OF ME (THE PARENT)!"

I have never had to be brutal with my own children; but, I always exercised the right to be in charge of my household ... even when I became a single parent.

I RESERVED 'UNCOMPROMISED' RIGHTS FOR AS LONG AS I PROVIDED THAT 'DOOR KNOB'!!!! ... MY DOMAIN! ... HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD. I laugh at it now; but, LAW & ORDER begins at home!!!! rofl (Now that they own their own door knobs, they've fully earned their own rights ... for better or for worse.)

Mine (3 children - 2 years apart) started from the cradle ... LEARNING: BOOKS & LIFE-SKILLS ... including respect, time management, obligations, priorities, and responsibilities within the family and the community structures. I remember teaching my oldest son how to 'pop a penny' on his sheets. He was 4! Each day, his sheet got tighter & it was FUN!!!!! (and his bed slept better, too!). He would go on to teach his sister and they would teach their brother ... then, they got really good doing fun chores and got a 'TEAM' thing going.

REWARD IN WORK: Having working parent(s) and knowing their roles, they came in from school, did the homework, and the chores (dishes, too) ... immaculate 'lil housekeepers ... without question. After a long hard day at the office, with nothing left to do ... they had already 'picked the park' ... their choice and away we went to explore their favorite things ... PLAY THEIR LIL HEARTS OUT! ... JOIN POP WARNER FOOTBALL ... RACE DIRT BIKES ... SLIDE DOWN CLIFFS ON BOX TOPS ... EXPLORE NATURE TRAILS & CREEKS ... CLIMB A MOUNTAIN and many family field trips.

We always loved coming back to a beautiful house and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. WE, AS A FAMILY, WORKED TOGETHER! ... PLAYED TOGETHER ... HAD FUN TOGETHER!!!!

TOYS - predominantly selected from educational book stores ... to build the mind ... to build the body. The FORMATIVE YEARS are crucial for LEARNING and a child develops at best between birth and age 6. I have to admit I cheated. I started reading to mine when I carried my lil bundles-to-be on the premise that you will be beautiful, intelligent and sophisticated.

FINANCE & MANAGEMENT: It was not uncommon for me or my husband to cash a check and throw all of the cash on the table ... deliberately and intentionally. We wanted our children to know the benefits of having jobs ... of earning our way in life and to help them understand the concepts of management. That was the best 'game'! They learned to count money & prioritize its usage ... developing early budgeting skills. At ages 11, 9, and 7, they sent the checkbook to my hospital bed with all the checks made out to pay the bills. Since they had maintained all of the balances accurately, all that was needed was my signatures. Living in a 'working home' had many advantages ... LIFE IS NEVER FREE ... EARN IT! P.s. ... I even think that they discussed the need for Dad to pull overtime ... that they would handle the homefront until I got back onto my feet & went back to work. In my opinion, children should be involved in the family's finances and are in better position to understand some of the ups & downs in life.

DRESS CODES - suitable for the occassion. God gave us all a BELLY BUTTON to help you to remember where a belt should be worn or a drawstring is to be tightened! ... and the ability to distinguish the use of UNDERWEAR ... not to be shown in public!

DISCIPLINE (when needed) went through a self-evaluation process. Acknowledge what you did which was 'wrong' ... determine the severity ... WHAT SHOULD THE PUNISHMENT BE? We adopted 'CONFERENCE TIME' ... a confession/discussion time without penalty.

RESPECT! Starts at home ... for yourself and your family and ABOVE ALL, you will respect your neighbor's space and their property as if it were your own. RESPECT THOSE WHO RESPECT YOU ... REPRESENT 'YOURSELF'!!!!!

Well, to make a long story short, when my sons enlisted in the NAVY, they called back & said, "Mom! THANKS!" Going to 'boot camp' was like going to Kindergarten. They were physically fit and pre-disciplined to accept life's challenges where ever they would have chosen to go.

According to human behavior & my studies in anthropology, every society had an established 'pecking' order ... even among animals. Even through the ELDERS were at the high-end of that order, the parents' role was never superceded until GOVERNMENT overstepped its boundaries and took away the rights of both the parents & teachers. Beyond BRUTALITY (which should be punishable by law), both were denied the right to CHASTISE. Now, the nation is in crisis and unfortunately, the focus is on 'BLACKS' even though the signals are clear that the same holds true in one community after the other ... THE WORSE HAS HAPPENED: ROLE REVERSAL ... KIDS ARE DOMINATING & CONTROLLING PARENTS & TEACHERS!

Here are a number of interesting editorials about Bill Cosby's recent comments about black America's youth.

http://www.whittierdailynews.com/opinions/ci_4177130

http://washingtontimes.com/commentary/20060818-091842-6003r.htm

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=485355

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/20/AR2006082000527.html/article/2006/08/20/AR2006082000527.html


Thanks to my cousin for sending me these links - Gary Martin, Sacramento, CA.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

SUB STANDARD EDUCATION - LAKE CHARLES SCHOOLS 'SUB-PAR':
Lake Charles-Boston High, Reynaud Middle, & Molo Middle.

ELECTION is coming ... SEPTEMBER 30 th ... SCHOOL BOARD
MEMBERS
... RESPRESENTING THEMSELVES ... OR THE CHILDREN?
'UNEQUAL EDUCATION' is still in the forefront & the year is 2006!!!! ...
THE GREAT BIG GAP!
SEGREGATION' - minimal curriculums with used & tattered books.
DESEGREGATION' - education based around HANDOUT SHEETS - to improve STATE SCORES.
QUESTIONS:
Why are large numbers of children entering high -schools reading at
2nd & 3rd grade levels?
AVERAGE COMPUTER EXPOSURE: 9 minutes per day per student (if any)
WHERE ARE THE COMPUTERS & TECHNOLOGY IN MINORITY
SCHOOLS?
WHY ARE STATE PLANS NOT IMPLEMENTED IN MINORITY
SCHOOLS?
EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES are now 'classes': FOOTBALL and BASKETBALL? ... DAH!!!!!!!!!! (Athletic Scholarships are being revoked because academic transcripts are not academically acceptable!)
SHOULD A STUDENT BE ALLOWED TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL & NOT BE ABLE TO FILL OUT AN CBL APPLICATION FOR AN ENTRY LEVEL POSITION?
That means there is much to be done.
Everything on the ballot is important; but, the most top priority is changing the guard who are the 'POLICY MAKERS' who have allowed the continued demise of the schools within the predominantly minority communities.
" Since slavery times, when most states had flatly forbidden teaching slaves
to read, black Americans had hungered for learning. They flocked to academies
set up by missionaries after the Civil War, and poured into public schools in
the late nineteenth century, often attending in larger numbers than their white
counterparts. The separate schools for blacks were never equal, but things got
worse after 1900. That was when Southern states stripped blacks of the right to
vote – Disfranchisement it was called.
PLEASE NOTE: By 1915, public schools in North Carolina, to cite just one example, spent $7.40 per white pupil but only $2.30 per black pupil, compared with the US average of nearly $30.00 per student."
EDUCATION IS COMPUTER-BASED LEARNING (CBL)
NOT AN 'OPTION' ... IT IS MANDATORY! ...
(FROM KINDERGARTEN - 12TH GRADES)

LOUISIANA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
( adopted in 2003 ... but, not in minority schools.)

BACK TO LAKE CHARLES

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

A RIGHT TO 'THINK'!! ... GROWING INTO MY BLOG.

Well, lots of thanks to the P.J. Simone guy for suggesting to 'GET MY BLOG ON'! I remember saving the meaning of the acronym when I once asked my dear friend, Nat McClain, "What is a "BLOG"?

11/28/2005 ... from Nat:

Main Entry: blog
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: an online diary; a personal chronological log of thoughts published on a Web page; also called Weblog, Web log
Example: Typically updated daily, blogs often reflect the personality of the author.
Etymology: shortened form of Weblog
Usage: blog, blogged, blogging v, blogger n

Nat called it (my website) a 'BLOG'; but, reiterated the fact that I was full of 'BLAB'. I then sent him an e-mail with my newly found signature: 'MADAM OF BLOG & BLAB' with that cute lil bubbly scatterbrain smiley.

Instead of me .. it should have been Nat and his friend KNEWT who should really bring to the forefront their scholarly opinions and discussions with their own BLOG. Both are well-read and have far more to share with a general audience. It has been amazing that they never agree on anything; but, somehow they yield to compromise. I really felt honored that they would accept my input from time to time ... THANKS, FELLAS!!!!

Homeboys from Louisville, KY

Louisville Slugger Museum June 22, 2007

NAT MC CLAIN - "He's gone now & I miss the heck out of him!"

KNEWT HUSTON


It's all about procrastination and complacency that woke me up years ago to take a stand against so many injustices in the world around me ... HATE IT!!!!

Untrained as a journalist, I just fell in the mix when I began writing my own community newsletter. After writing month after month as a featured writer, the group that had started it with all the enthusiasm just upped and abandoned it ... YOU WRITE IT!!!

I've been doing it every since ... since 1994. I think it's called, "FREEDOM OF SPEECH" and I've come up with some real valid issues which should come off of the Kitchen Tables.

This was the founding of my KITCHEN POLITICS & 'MADAM BLOG & BLAB'!!!

Followers