My thoughts are all a-jumble. As a result, this post is rather disjointed.

Virgo:: You have weathered a turning point in your relationship with darkness, and will never again be tempted by its strange attractions. Did you hear what I said? You have had your last encounters with hellish monsters that unleash torment for the fun of it. You will never again get mixed up with events that resemble crawling through caverns filled with the souls of the damned. In the future, you may on occasion have weird dreams about owls and spiders and snakes, but they will be good weird. Congrats, Virgo.

Dear Rob Bresny,

I wish I were as optimistic as you seem to be. I have miles to go before I sleep.

Yours,
Christina

Links to pass along::

thebratqueen has a guide to writing Paganism.

interdictor is writing a war-zone blog from New Orleans. I've been sitting here going "oh... my... god." I can't comprehend. See for yourself:

"It is a zoo out there though, make no mistake. It's the wild kingdom. It's Lord of the Flies. That doesn't mean there's murder on every street corner. But what it does mean is that the rule of law has collapsed, that there is no order, and that property rights cannot and are not being enforced. Anyone who is on the streets is in immediate danger of being robbed and killed. It's that bad."

sunfell has a list of all non-Dominionist charities that benefit Katrina's victims. Do what you can.

( Black Phoenix blather...Collapse )

Rapes, looting, and violence are rampant on the streets of New Orleans. Corpses are piling up in the convention center and on the streets. Not to mention the death toll in Biloxi.

An account from one man stranded at the NOLA Convention center. They're not reporting THIS on FoxNews, kiddoes. (CNN gets close, though.) Warning. It's graphic.

A hospital evacuation was halted by snipers. What. The. Fuck.

Superdome evacuation descends into chaos. And the Astrodome in Houston has just announced that it's full. Some unconfirmed reports state that this message came down after accepting just 4,000 refugees. The Astrodome holds 25,000.

The Speaker of the House, Dennis Hastert, ponders the effectiveness of rebuilding New Orleans. Because he's an asshole, that's why. President Bush returned to D.C. today, cutting his vacation short by two whole days. And Condoleeza Rice played tennis.

What CNN's Jack Cafferty has to say about our government. Attaboy, Jack. And before anyone can say that this implies that Bush is to "blame" for Katrina-- no. Just... no. That's absurd. However, I find it virtually undeniable that the government has been slow to mobilize large-scale relief efforts, if I were to put it politely. This is not only a problem on the federal level, but on the state level as well. Louisiana had slashed its flood damage budget, and that certainly didn't help. I just can't imagine how many people are suffering and dying because our resources [military AND survival items] are being spread too thinly to handle natural emergencies and all-out anarchy on US soil. This is an devastating failure, tragic and embarassing.

Still, there is hopeful news. interdictor reports Marine sightings as New Orleans declares martial law. Also, 3,000 army troops are about to deploy to get NOLA back under control.

Also, in Iraq, an incomprehensible tragedy: 1,000 Shiites killed in a stampede. They were in a worship processional. Someone claimed there was a suicide bomber in the throng as they crossed a bridge, and a stampede ensued, crushing some and sending others toppling into the Tigris River.


I have a long day tomorrow. I really should shower and sleep. But still, this is like a horror movie. I can't comprehend it.