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Told you my cat was fat!!! 

I took this picture in France at the top of Mount Saint Michelle, which is one of the coolest places in the world! 

FW: Cajuns

Man Bites Hurricane

By Michael Graham

They were poor. They lived in New Orleans in homes that, to some Americans,

would appear no more than shacks. They've suffered discrimination at the hands of their fellow Americans. And when the hurricane came, it seemed to veer out of its way, just to hit them.

So why didn't hundreds of Cajuns from western Louisiana appear on my TV screen this week, complaining that George W. Bush doesn't like them, demanding

$200 billion of my tax dollars or blaming the bad weather on Halliburton?

Hurricane Rita may have hit western Louisiana harder than Katrina hit New Orleans, but Rita across folks made of sterner stuff then you'll find in the Ninth Ward. Here's how one Washington Post story described the scene

just hours after Rita made landfall near Intracoastal City, a "city" that in many senses barely exists:

"The only people who can get here are the sturdiest of sorts, a small armada of Cajuns with pretty French names and sunburned skin and don't-mess-with-me bravado. The bayous were full of them Saturday, gliding high and quick in airboats, and so was the Vermilion River, where they were spinning steering wheels on fast Boston Whalers and kicking up wakes in flat-bottomed, aluminum boats. They did not wait for the president or FEMA or anyone else to tell them that there were people out there - out there and desperate, on rooftops...

'I got out of the sheriff's office in about 20 seconds,' said Steve Artee, as his son, Chris, made a hard, boat-tilting turn on the swollen Vermilion. 'They just took my cell phone number, and I was gone. That's because Kathleen Blanco wasn't involved.'"

Now, anyone who hates Blanco and bureaucrats can't be all bad. But I don't agree with Mr. Artee that the people of Vermilion Parish behaved more responsibly or showed more strength of character because Gov. Blanco didn't have their parish on her speed dial. I believe the people of western Louisiana behaved better because they are, in fact, better people.

The failure revealed by Hurricane Katrina was not a failure of government, atleast, not any more than government always fails. The failure in New Orleans was a failure of character. Corrupt people electing corrupt politicians who gave millions in tax dollars to corrupt cronies to either mis-construct vital levees or to spend the money on entirely useless port projects. Then, when disaster struck, these same people-living a Faustian deal of votes for tax-funded handouts- were utterly lost when those corrupt government officials headed for high ground without them.

As John Fund of the Wall Street Journal wrote: "In just the past generation, the

Pelican State has had a governor, an attorney general, three successive insurance commissioners, a congressman, a federal judge, a state Senate president and a swarm of local officials convicted. Last year, three top officials at Louisiana's Office of Emergency Preparedness were

indicted....Just this summer, associates of former [New Orleans] mayor Marc Morial were indicted for alleged kickbacks involving public contracts. Last month the FBI raided the home and car of Rep. William Jefferson as part of a probe into allegations he had misused his office."

Not to mention the widespread looting by the citizens of New Orleans themselves, which included televised looting by police officers, too. The chief administrative officer for Kenner, LA, was just busted for pilfering food, drinks, chainsaws and roof tarps from New Orleans and stashing them in

his suburban home.

Hey-stay classy, New Orleans!

Then came Hurricane Rita, Katrina's ugly sister, to wreak similar havoc just a few hundred miles to the west. The communities affected were, on the surface, similar as well: Abbeville or Cameron, LA were "low income" communities.The education levels were similar to the Ninth Ward, too. And you won't find many branches of the Aryan Nations meeting among the dark-skinned natives of Cajun country, whose heritage is a genetic gumbo of Europe, Africa, the Caribbean and American Indians.

But while the people of New Orleans were panicking and complaining (not to mention stealing, shooting and stabbing) days after the storm, the Cajuns of western Louisiana were out in their boats, looking for lost neighbors and rescuing strangers off rooftops.

It wasn't just because Gov. Blanco wasn't involved-it was because almost NO government is involved in these folks' daily lives. The people of rural

Louisiana grow up with the assumption that their survival in this world of woe

is their responsibility. Unlike far too many people in New Orleans, "low income"

isn't an excuse to the working families in rural Louisiana. It's just a condition to be dealt with. They live their lives as though they own hem, unlike those government-dependent "victims" who live as though life is something the state provides for them and is responsible to maintain.

Randy Gary, a fisherman from Cameron, LA, was asked about his future after his boats were destroyed and flooding poisoned the oyster beds he fished.

He didn't blame FEMA or accuse President Bush of stealing his lunch money. He

wasn't spotted kicking in the door of the local Wal-Mart to snag a plasma-screen

TV "for survival purposes." He has yet to join the Cajun Action ommittee to

investigate why so many of Rita's victims spoke French.

Instead, as the AP reports, he smiled.

"What else we gonna do?" he said, pledging to rebuild his shattered home and work. It's my life. It's what I do."

Hurricane Rita, you've met your match.

FW: The Situation

Of course now the situation is in reverse. They are flushing the city back into the lake. How much will this set back the work of the Foundation to clean up the lake?

[John's Comments]

FW: The Movie the Gospel of John

From: Shavaliak@aol.com [mailto:Shavaliak@aol.com]
Sent: Sunday, October 02, 2005 3:44 PM
To: JohnHNye@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: The Movie the Gospel of John

I seen that movie too and agree with you that is better than than passions in fact it on dvd

I tried to get mom to watch it but she seen passion and didn't want to see it. My one problem with passion was it took long to read the sub titles so it in the next before you were ready. But I Ken got me the movie and i put on seeing impared and yes it had to agree that Gosel of John is so much that had to get that one too.

Love you, Kathy

The Movie the Gospel of John

Recently I saw the DVD of “The Gospel of John” listed on the Blockbuster movies, so I rented it to check it out for myself. I am very impressed! I highly recommend this inspiring and well-done movie. http://www.blockbuster.com/catalog/DisplayMovieSpecialOffers.action?channel=Movies&subChannel=&movieID=138341&displayBoxArt=true The website shows that there are three disks, but the whole book is on disk one, so I don’t know what the other two contain.

Usually I am very leery of any actor who plays Jesus and not comfortable with the portrayal. What a role for an actor and who could ever measure up? The man who plays Jesus in this movie does an excellent job, because he is not some gaunt mystic with vacant eyes – he is a real person.

The narrator uses actual verses and brings to life in a real way the wedding at Cana where he turns water into wine. The miracle is done so beautifully and I was extremely blessed to experience the moment.

Even the cleansing of the temple, which I have struggled with personally over the years, was well done and I could see the passion of Jesus, yet see the control he had when he explained to the Pharisees why he did this. I continue to believe this was part of God’s plan to bring Jesus before the Pharisees in preparation for his crucifixion. It was confirmed in Jesus response to the Pharisees when they asked for a miracle, Jesus said he would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, which is a prophecy of his resurrection.

Wow! I keep stopping the movie to comment. The woman at the well in Samaria is wonderfully well done and Jesus standing in the temple and teaching the Pharisees about the fulfillment of Moses prophecy standing right before them. You have a real sense of how the words occurred and the power of the words at that moment. I am impressed!

You will love to see the paralyzed man pick up his matt to walk, the adulteress forgiven and the blind man healed. Each miracle comes to life and testified of his Godliness. I had to chuckle that Jesus kept healing on the Sabbath, but I also understand that God has a master plan for the true Lamb of God.

The movie does get very long, because Jesus does say all the words at the last supper, which are a blessing to hear. The movie is not at graphic as The Passion of Christ by Mel Gibson thankfully, so if you want to be tortured and see the brutality of Roman crucifixion you will have to see that movie, which does not portray Jesus as personable person as this movie.

Keep in Touch,

John & Sue

Blockbuster Online - Rent Gospel of John on DVD

Blockbuster Online - Rent Gospel of John on DVD