Welcome to the Terr... er, doh!

Anthony Hamilton - "Can't Let Go"

A week in and I'm still raiding the kitchen. Sorry, dude, but Tony's grown man sexy ode to commitment, sacrifice and -- what else? -- love just spoke today.

"Why must they try to tear down our house when they know it's made from love...?"

On one hand, to all the Vietnamese-American brothers and sisters struggling to cope with the second, and in some cases third, major displacement of their lives. "God made no mistakes when He sheltered me with your heart / There's no safer place than to be in love / And there I will stand." Big Hearts, both domestic and international have stepped up. And quite necessary considering the continuing stories of neglect. "No one has the right to tear my love down..."

On the other, to the reports of the Red Cross' ineffectiveness. "...the organization has collected the bulk of public contributions, money that will be spent on emergency rescue and relief, not long-term assistance, and may never get to the coastal areas... [T]ime and again in past disasters, the Red Cross has raised more money than it has needed for relief. It has also been less than clear in the past about where its money goes, and it has rarely shared its money with other organizations that tackle long-term needs of victims." Granted, the Red Cross' function is immediate, to "provide relief to victims of disasters and help people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies," but couldn't its visibility and influence be used in a constructive manner?

Oh, "to give you all of me / And it don't matter how long it might take..." Is it a thought only for the dreamers?

More NOLA/Katrina organizing and relief efforts, courtesy of Jeff Chang.