Sometimes are arms are too short to box with God

We have to realize our limitations and say: No mas. That's what is prudently being said in Utah were six men have been trapped in a mountain as a result of a mining accident. Even though it seems unlikely the six men still survive -- tests of air quality from holes drilled into several areas of the mountain indicated that the air was not sufficient to sustain life --heroic efforts were made to tunnel into the mountain to try to rescue them. And that effort claimed three lives last week, while injuring six others of the rescue team.

Family members of the six who were initially trapped are understandably disappointed that the tunneling has been stopped, upon the orders of federal safety officials. But why risk the lives of rescue teams when it seems so unlikely that the original six can possibly alive after more than two weeks?

At some point we have to be prudent and realistic, even if that brings little comfort or closure. The families of those who died when that bridge over the Mississippi collapsed in Minneapolis seemed to understand that and to exercise patience. They could see the danger in sending divers into the murky waters at night amid all sorts of hazardous debris while trying to recover the dead. That task has stretched out until now. The last known missing person was pulled out of the water yesterday.

Buckling Up and Battening Down

Maybe you know this, maybe not. But New Jersey's multimillionaire, impervious-to-rules-the-rest-of-us-must-follow and rather arrogant Governor Jon Corzine nearly died a few nights ago in a car accident because he did not use a seat belt. He's in critical but stable condition even as the governance of New Jersey is also in critical but stable condition.

Buckle up for safety. Buckle up. Whether in the front seat, the back seat, the middle seat.

And as the weather does its thing this week (as all those fancy-dancer meteorologists and their satellite gizmos are telling us it will) batten down the hatches -- that is to say, be prepared. Make sure you know how to reach key relatives and friends, and vice versa. Same with vulnerable neighbors. Do you have phones and radios that don't require electricity? Do you have batteries? Do you have water and juice? Do you have foods that don't require cooking? Do you have what your pets need? Do you have first-aid kits? Do you have waterproof boots and other gear? Do you know what to do in case of tornados and Nor'easters homing in on YOUR home?

Just asking.

Keeping the Malians in Our Thoughts

Today will be one of the saddest days for the families and friends of the 10 victims of that raging house fire in the Bronx last week. Today comes the funerals and, for five victims, burial in a New Jersey cemetery. Others will be flown to Mali , one of the poorest countries in the world, for burial in family plots.

The public response has been heartwarming with people bringing everything from teddy bears to food to cash. But we have also been reminded that, in situations such as this, there will always be predators. By one account, a man in the neighborhood set up a container to raise money for the families, collected lots of it within a few minutes, then absconded. The City of New York, the State of New York and various civic associations have pledged to do all they can to help the surviving family members. The New York Yankees' principal owner, George Steinbrenner, has offered to cover the funeral costs. A real estate developer has offered, for free, to rebuild the gutted home on Woodycrest. Air France, for free, will fly the Malian funeral party to Mali. Politicians like U.S. Rep. Jose Serrano will try to ease immigration restrictions to permit family members, including a father of some of the children, to be able to travel to Mali for the burials and return to this country even though there are some "immigration papers issues" (You know, red tape?)

As I said in an earlier posting, the neighborhood Islamic center -- and site of the funerals -- is receiving donations. If you want to contribute, here's the information:

Magassa-Soumare Family Fund
c/o Islamic Cultural Center
371 E. 166th Street
Bronx, NY 10456

The telephone number you may call is 718-293-5323.

After the Fire: The New York Yankees Step Up to the Plate

George Steinbrenner, the Yankees' principal owner, has announced that the team will pick up the costs of the funerals of the nine people -- including eight children -- who died in that awful fire in the Bronx, not too far from Yankee Stadium. Funerals will take place Monday. Some will be buried in New York; others will be flown home to Africa for burial in Mali.

People of lesser means than the Yankees' organization have been dropping by a makeshift memorial outside 1022 Woodycrest Avenue and giving money that by tonight amounted to at least $20,000, according to a WNBC television reporter.

The neighborhood Islamic center is receiving donations. If you want to contribute, here's the information:

Magassa-Soumare Family Fund
c/o Islamic Cultural Center
371 E. 166th Street
Bronx, NY 10456

The telephone number you may call is 718-293-5323.

"We Have A Fire!"

I cannot imagine the horror at that four-story house on Woodycrest Avenue in the Bronx Wednesday night when it went up in flames – possibily because of the misuse of an obviously much-needed space heater – and forced grownups to make split decisions about how to save the lives of as many of their family members as possible, including about a dozen children.

In the end, eight children, some as young as seven months old, perished. God bless their souls. But others survived because one of the adults tossed them out of a third-floor window of the house to Good Samaritans on the ground.

If somehow you have missed this story, catch up with The New York Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/nyregion/index.html

Also: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Bronx-Fire.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
("Mosques Comfort Survivors of NYC Fire")

… and with one of the local NYC television stations:

www.wnbc.com
www.wabc.com
www.wcbstv.com
www.ny1news.com


So far, there is no really solid information on how to help the family – this was an extended immigrant family from Mali, in West Africa. But they obviously need everything from diapers to dollars. When I learn more, I will post more.

But be vigilant yourselves. When we switch to Day Light Savings Time Saturday night/Sunday morning, have fresh batteries installed in your smoke detectors. And work out family evacuation plans in case of fire. More importantly, I suppose: Know fire safety rules. Talk to your neighborhood firefighters.