Hurricane Katrina - Complete devastation

[Berimbau]

Dear Friends,
Most of you know that my posts tend to waver between the erudite and the humorous and I enjoy our forum for it's great spirit and community. Today I am so sorry to report that Hurricane Katrina has totaly wiped out my entire community. It happened so fast!!! This once vibrant beach community was literally washed off the face of the earth! Waveland. Mississippi was ground zero for the storm and the devastation is unbelievable. I was blessed to get out alive with my beautiful wife Theresa and our cat and dog. Although we have lost everything we are so much more fortunate than those who stayed behind. Many died and many are still suffering. Please pray for these hard hit folks and if you can do make a small donation to the Red Cross or other suitable charity. Theresa and I will relocate and begin to rebuild our lives. Thank God and Chango the music will go on!!


Bless You All,


Berimbau
Richard Graham

[ralph]

Richard,
Very good to hear that you are safe, a well as your family others obviously have not been so fortunate...
In light of the events, i am glad to see that the priorities in your life are not lost, "family"...everything else can be replaced...
take care

[GuruPimpi]

Berimbau!

Wish you all the best with 'rebuilding' what hurricane took.
I'm sending you and your family strong vibrations of persistence and positivity!

Primoz

[windhorse]

Richard, thanks for sharing with the forums. Though electricity is the medium of our communication, it's the people that pull us all together. When one suffers, we all feel it! Being the sponsor of the Student Council at the school where I teach, I'm looking for a sister school in the devastated area which ours might adopt as service learning project for our kid's fundraising this year. Please share any good leads with me off-list, or on if you feel it's appropriate.

Thanks,
Dave

[JohnnyConga]

I am happy your Ok Berimbau...but I am afraid for my good friend Hector Garrido a Cuban/American perc. in N.O...also I feel for Harry Connick, the Neville Brothers. the Marsalis family, Bill Summers, Fat's Domino, Dr. John, and all the other musicians whose lives have been changed by the most horrific disaster I have ever witnessed, since Andrew in 92, which i am a 'survivor" of, and I can totally relate with the people of Louisiana, Mississipi, and Alabama...but as Americans it's time we "put up" and "shut up" and there already a day late and a dollar short...."ignorance will get you killed"-this could've been prevented, especially when "they knew" the problem with the levees....we as inidividuals living in this once Great country are on our own,and you can't trust "this" government to be there for you....they have already taken away Social Security for all those under 55 right now....we are in DEEP shit as a country...it pisses me off we can get troops and equipment to Iraq in 26 hours and it took them still 4 days and still more days to come....God HELP America!.....sorry for the doom and gloom, I was just born into this mess...."JC" Johnny Conga...."product of the 60's".....

[yoni]

Berimbau I'm so glad you and your wife got out of there alive. I hope and pray that with the closing of this "door", new ones will open for you. Take good care, man.

Yoni

[ABAKUA]

This has been all over the news and I immediately remembered you are from the affedted area Richard.

Im glad you are ok. I feel terrible for your loss and pray you are able to rebuild your lives soon.

It was announced on the news last night that the Australian government has commited to $10 million in emergency funds and assistance in that direction.

Our prayers are with you.



Edited By ABAKUA on 1125650178

[ABAKUA]

In relating news, Marshall Law in the 22nd century.
Farked beyond belief..
I recently found a story from news.com, two pictures with descriptions:

one was 2 white people wading thru water, they were scrounging for food... described as finding bread and soda from a grocery store.

same shot but with an african american and thi time they were 'looting froma grocery store'...

I still cant get over a shoot to kill order being issued.

[Diceman]

Berimbau,

Terrible news, glad to hear you and yours are alright. I was shocked as the news unfolded from 'it looks like Katarina is going to miss and is diminishing in power' to the real pictures in the following days. Likewise, I cannot believe the time it is taking for help to arrive and the news we are getting is that marshall law prevails, it wasnt as if Katarina suddenly arrived with no-one expecting it.
My thoughts go out to you all, and remember to stay with the online community for any support moral and otherwise, we can give.
Diceman

[Berimbau]

Dear Friends,
I thank you for your kind words of support!!! I will be heading back to Waveland to bring some much needed supplies for my neighbors. Please give some $$ to the Red Cross or other suitable charity if you can, and do be careful of "soliciters" from dubious charities. The American people are SO much better than our government is right now!! You wouldn't believe the great amount of ordinary citizens who are out there helping us so unselfishly. JC, I did hear that Bill Summers and his family are safe. I will send ANY updates as I hear them. Please pray for New Orleans!! They are suffering unbelievably.
Now NO appologies for the following rant. The empty headed white men in suits have FAILED the region, but we will survive!! I hope the world can now see how compassionate the Bush administration is!!! Our Secretary of State was taking in a Broadway musical yesterday while her people were dying. If Harry Connack, Jr. can get to the NOLA Convention Center, how come the National Guard can't? Is it because they are fighting Bush's oil war in Iraq? Iraq didn't have the capacity to blow up my mail box! Now that we really need the Guard, they are playing out Bush's impotent psycho-drama! Is it because NOLA is mainly African-American? This wouldn't happen in NYC!! Too much money, too many white folks!!! Where is the REAL homeland security that ALL Americans deserve? Sold out with the fake plastic flags that Bush and Cheney and Carl Rove thrust into our hands after 911!!! Bush MUST GO!!!


God Bless You All,


Richard Graham
Berimbau

[davidpenalosa]

Richard,
I've been away from the forum for a few days, spending my spare time watching the catastrophy in the Gulf. I’m so glad you and your wife made it out. My heart goes out to you. Our great "Homeland Security" has failed you. It’s just appalling!

-David

[ABAKUA]

rapper Kanye West takes Bush to task during NBC telethon (VIDEO CLIP - Click Here!)



News article can be found by clicking here.



Edited By ABAKUA on 1126009107

[niallgregory]

Hi Richard,
Glad you and your family are safe.This is a totally appaling situation in modern day america.The only good thing that can come of this is that it exposes clearly the racism and contempt that the bush administration is showing its own people.The people of Ireland are thinking of you.Niall.

[ABAKUA]

*edit.
error in post.



Edited By ABAKUA on 1125771313

[Roc]

just a newy throught i would put my bit in .
sometimes it gets me down not so much the natural disaster but the disater of humanity,how cold ,num and heartless the world is becomming,i would get better respect and love if i was a wild animal ,god can only save us now!
how can i enjoy my music or my drumming when the world is falling apart.