Posted on 12/29/2004 3:18:19 PM PST by GretchenM
As the Asian quake and tsunami death toll topped 100,000 and is rising, President Bush said the United States' initial grant of $35 million in SE Asia was 'only the beginning of our aid.' He said the United States, India, Australia and Japan have formed an international coalition to coordinate worldwide relief and reconstruction efforts for the Asian region. Aid agencies today warned disease will also cause massive casualties among the survivors as the biggest relief effort in history began.
The president took issue with Jan Egeland, the United Nations' emergency relief coordinator who called the US "stingy" in regard to helping other nations. (Egeland later said his remarks were misinterpreted.) Bush noted that the United States provided $2.4 billion "in food, in cash, in humanitarian relief to cover the disasters for last year. ... That's 40 percent of all the relief aid given in the world last year."
Enjoy your visit to Sanity Island!
I've been keeping a secret these past few days, but I can't keep it much longer. Especially on THIS thread!
Earlier this week, I received an envelope in the mail that looked like so many others from the "R" party or senatorial campaign, etc. I almost threw it away. But something seemed a bit different about it - very nice cream colored stationery - a bit too nice for another solicitation for funds. I opened it and found a handwritten letter from our dear President! It was dated 12/21, Dear AGYG (first name), and proceeds to thank me for my support in the campaign, wishes for happy new year to me and my family, etc. It takes up the whole single page, written in a black felt-tip type pen.
I just wanted to share my joy with all of you who frequent this thread. I am humbled to have been selected to receive such a treasure. I admit, it makes me wish I had done more and given more. In fact, I think we gave more and did more for his campaign in 2000 than we did this time! In any case, it is a keepsake I will frame and hand down to those who come after me!
Given that I am a nobody, not worthy of such recognition, and so many others have done so much more - it reminds again of how this president is not a respector of station, title, or rank. He just cares about people....great and small....period.
God bless you all in 2005!
What a wonderful thing! I didn't do as much this year because of family commitments, but I still got the Christmas cards. I would give my eye teeth to have a handwritten note. Good for you!
Thanks for the advice on keeping it - I don't know much about that kind of stuff. In fact, I'm not one to hang on to lots of momentos and such....but I will be hanging on to this one! After all, how many people through our 225+ years as a nation can say they got a letter from the POTUS?!!?
To everyone: I saw The Phantom of the Opera and it moved me to tears more than once for the sheer beauty of the singing, the score, and the story. It's an intense, haunting presentation with a very satisfying conclusion.
As I walked out, an elderly lady started talking to my friend and me -- said she's seen it three times on stage in three different places (Chicago, Wisconsin and Seattle), and now at the theater. She said each version was different in its beauty, but the movie production allowed the creators to do more with the story. She loved it and said she cried several times.
I have never cried at a musical before and I love music. I don't particularly like musicals because you usually have to put up with a lot of mediocre stuff to get to the beautiful music. Not so with this, and even though some of the singers didn't have recording artist quality, it didn't matter. And the heroine (played by Emmy Rossum), as one reviewer put it, has the voice of an angel.
The beautiful heroine 
This shows some of the gorgeous set work.
The Count and Christine 
Christine and the Count (singing "Think of Me"?); the most moving love scene I've ever seen. 
The phantom, in his vile attempt to subvert Christine's life and talent 
More photos: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0293508/photogallery
Ciaran Hinds and Simon Callow were a fun addition to the cast.
If this doesn't get nominated for best score, set decoration, costumes, and adaption, there is no justice. Even the lighting was fantastic -- a major enhancement to the story.
Uh oh....do you really think it is mass produced? It looks so real. I guess it wouldn't hold the same meaning if it is printed. Boy, it looks so real, even to the overwrite (thicker pen mark) on two letters in the name of my state in one sentence. Hhhmmm, perhaps I'll have to rethink this framing thing.....
Happy New Year
It looked to me as if W's staff have access to a really neat software that uses his actual handwriting to combine letters to make up our first names and then they plugged in our states where appropriate. If the two million "friends and supporters" who received Christmas cards are the same people who received this letter, I do not believe he had the time to handwrite them. Nevertheless, I am glad to have the letter and will keep it.
I agree but you know, I asked the elderly lady about that and she said this movie version was very moving and in some ways, better. In one stage production she'd seen, the story ended with the giant chandelier swinging out over the audience and crashing down on the stage. If you know the story, that is a terrible place to end it!
Hello--
Hope your dad is improving. I've been an at-home mom for years but I'm a nurse too, and worked in several hospitals. I have to say the hosp. your dad is in is NOT doing much for his emotional well-being, is it??? I can't tell from your post how long a stay he is facing but hope it's not more than another few days.
I'm just trying to think of a few things that might make his stay easier. Visiting hours first. Would your dr. write a note so you could come earlier/stay later? Is he in a room by himself or with just one other person? Or a ward with a bunch of people? If it's just him in the room, unless you're causing trouble (LOL!) or tiring your dad out or upsetting him, it's just not right for them to be so strict about them. Same with restricting TV viewing.
As for having to wait when you ask for things, if it's something your dad really needs, like help to get up and go to the bathroom, or pain medicine or something vital like that, raise he** till they get in there in a timely manner and help him. Or, ask them to show you where supplies are kept so you can help him (if you're comfortable with this) for example, if he needs ice water, ask them where it is so you can get it.
I feel so bad for you and for your dad. I don't know if they're terribly overworked or just unorganized, but IMHO there's just no excuse for that kind of care.
These are just some suggestions--whether or not you choose to make a fuss is up to you. But if you're even a little worried about your dad's well-being, raise all the heck you need to! Perhaps after he goes home you can also write a letter to the hosp. president outlining your complaints.
Meanwhile, prayers for your dad's FAST recovery!
Hello--
I got the same letter . . . it sure does look like the real thing, doesn't it? I do think it's mass produced . . . my state name looks like it was added in in a 'mail merge' thing. But . . . it was exciting to get--I almost felt like the PRes. was getting a view of my house -- and it was a mess--LOL!
Hi Gretchen--
Sounds like you had a wonderful day!
Happy New Year!
Sometimes all we can do is hold on to faith for those who are to weak to carry it. Snugs, please accept my prayers for your father, and that he gets well soon.
I got the letter too. And he even spelled my first name right. :)
How are you, Truthy? God bless you in this new year.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!!! Who'd a thunk? 4 more years of the Dose!
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