Xy and I were getting lunch at Minnie’s Catfish Corner (highly recommended) when we heard the news about the hurricane in Myanmar. Apparently the geography there is very similar to Louisiana. The reports are at least 10,000 dead with thousands more missing. This reminded us of the worst predictions immediately after Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures in New Orleans. One never knows what to think or say or do in the wake of such unbelievable tragedy. I was surprised when Laura Bush got on TV and gave a very political speech, she refused to use the name “Myanmar”, damning the military junta in charge there for their handling of this crisis. And it sounds like they deserve it, thug I have trouble accepting this kind of cricism out of the mouth of anyone named Bush on a subject like this.
Update: My friend John Clark recommends:
If you are looking for ways to send aid to storm victims in Burma I suggest that you consider the program of the Foundation for the People of Burma, which has been doing grassroots work there for a number of years. Information on donating to their aid program can be found at:
http://www.foundationburma.org/may-cyclone-message.php
Information on the work of the Foundation can be found at:
CNN is now reporting that according to AP, that number has risen to 22k, and 41k more are missing.
This is insane man!
I don’t want to diminish the tragedy, but the psycho in me notes the Freudian typo of “thug” for though in your last sentence. That’s called an anticipation error, no doubt because you knew you were going to mention Bush.
‘Course, Laura’s projection of her husband’s failures stinks of psychoanalytic textbook too.
Awful tragedy in Myanmar.
things are even worse in ‘myanmar’ than the news is showing. and while i’m not typically a bush supporter i very much appreciate that he honored Aung San Suu Kyi and mentioned our desire to send aid (even thought the ruling junta will turn us down anyway). i’m also glad that he doesn’t recognize their country’s name. Suu Kyi calls it Burma and shame on any other country that recognizes a military dictatorship that shoots people who walk around with flowers.
Whenever I see the word ‘myanmar’, I think ‘mallomar’, which is why my use of the term Burma is more snack food-related than political. (I also like Mission of Burma.)