Info that may be useful to Dana:

Thanks, Dylan. I'm hoping I'll be able to get through to them tonight, or that they'll get internet access. My uncle who evacuated to Arkansas called me because he hasn't been able to get in touch with anyone who evacuated to MS.

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fire ants, poisonous snakes, and dead bodies

Oops, forgot about those. Mainly the fire ants.

If it's any consolation after the earthquake there were far far more stories of people risking their lives for strangers than there were of abuse and looting and crime. Almost all of the first-at-the-scene rescuers who dug people out of the freeway collapse were the poor people who lived in West Oakland.

What scares me is that I have seen the hearts of Seattleites, and they are blacker than black. Sure, they act all nice, but they're petty, arrogant, passive-aggressive thugs when pushed.

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The Hudson River is salty pretty far north, well past West Point: [link]

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The Hudson River is salty pretty far north

Bother.

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Yeah, but I'm arming myself to the teeth in addition to food and water.

That is arming yourself for survival, in my book. I wouldn't take a gun personally, because I'd likely shoot my own foot off, although I might take knives. My real point was, it's easy to say people are horrible, but their situation is more horrible than I can imagine. This is basically devastation, we're talking about here. I can't get my knickers in a twist that people are stealing jewelry and stuff I like to *think* I wouldn't steal.

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You may have a higher tolerance than I. I'm not saying it would kill you right away, but all of that crap isn't going to cure cancer.

I've just been to Third World cities where the water is very much not potable, and what's in NOLA now is about like that. People deal with that water every day. People get sick from disease thanks to the water, but it's not the "toxic soup" the media is saying with much overblownness.

Again, don't drink the water, but this isn't a secret blend of eleven acids and carcinogens that kills on contact.

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Baby panda pictures: [link]

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Bless you, Tom Scola.

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although I might take knives

Careful with those. They aren't easy to use in self defense, and are dangerous to all around.

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People get sick from disease thanks to the water, but it's not the "toxic soup" the media is saying with much overblownness.

From what I've read, the media has been quoting van Heerden, who's a mucky muck at the Louisiana State University Hurricane Center and the Center for the Study of Public Health Impacts of Hurricanes. He was warning that the floods could carry toxic waste from the Industrial Canal, including stuff like benzene, hydrochloric acid, and chlorine.

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