I knew they weren't whales! I swear! I just had them filed as "random other cool things" instead of specifically under "dolphins." My classification system might need work, I admit.

Not at all, it's remarkably similar to mine, though I call it "random other cool knowledge". I shall now put everything interesting in a giant folder entitled "Things That ROCK!!!"

I think I'll just have "things that are whales" and "things that aren't whales."

I bet that's what whales do.

I bet that's what whales do.

I think that, aside from their catchall 'Miscellaneous' category, they would need at least two other categories for "Things that are like ME!" and "Hey, I bet I could eat that!"

I talked to mom this afternoon, and she's suggesting I not go home this weekend. Here's the basic gist of her concerns. A couple of busses were turned away at Monroe and sent to Shreveport instead, they were taken in at Hirsch. These are the "unofficial" ones that are being turned away at various shelters. Step-dad was called for busses to take them to hospitals because they were very dehydrated. Instead, they chose to do triage at the shelter and take bus-like ambulance (I can't remember what they're called Lifesomethingorother) to the hospitals. People taking donations to the shelter are told not to go directly there, but to give the things to law enforcement because they are getting mobbed if they show up at the gates. Step-dad says there have been reports of gang violence, assaults and robberies at the shelters. A lot of the gas stations have run out of gas, and most just shut down. The PD and the Sherriff's department have been told things are going to get very bad this weekend. Everyone has full houses with friends, family and sometimes strangers. Just got off the phone with a friend who was driving around trying to find a gas station open to buy cigarettes, a guy in his jeep in front of her had just grocery bags full of his stuff. It's like the state is just eating itself.

Also the NO office of the place where I work is trying to get a temp office set up in Baton Rouge. I know that Red Cross donations are, and should be at the top of everyone's list, but if you can spare anything, advice, a donation, whatever they are here [link] . We'll be trying to help the NO/BR office finding places to stay or helping their clients with their homes.

I will be going over to Reunion, the shelter here and donating what we have and getting donations and volunteers on Sunday. I'm also going to find out from Habitat where to sign up once the rebuilding begins.

Sorry to drag it out again.

I have a friend who always wants to have a big "where is this going" Talk at like three months, and I've always figured, when she finds the ONE GUY ON EARTH who isn't scared right off by that, he'll be the one for her.

Ah, too bad she didn't meet my best friend when he was single. Every new girlfriend was introduced to me as his fiance, and this was when we lived in the same small city and hung out with each other regularly. I think he used to keep a rolodex full of engagement rings in every conceivable size.

Sorry to drag it out again.

Heather, sweetie, please stop with this. You are going through an incredibly hard time, and doing so much more than a lot of other people are. The very least we can do is listen, and even if that weren't true, I suspect most of us want to. (I would have said all of us, but you know how we are about generalizations)

Also, hugs, and keep doing what seems to be the best thing, but don't forget to take care of yourself and Mr. H.

Sorry to drag it out again.

Gee, Heather! You rotten person! We were all delighted and happy and had forgotten all about the massive human tragedy you're doing you best to ease in some way...

I'm sorry you can't get through. It must be maddening and terrifying all at once.

Oh, Heather, honey. I just want to hug the crap out of you right now.

It's really frustrating. At work today, there were some people discussing it in the halls (not from our org, but one located in our offices). They were asking why we didn't make the levees higher, and why people stayed, and why we didn't do this or that, and look at Florida, they had a disaster plan. I wanted to jump out of my chair and throttle them, and instead I just cried.

I'm going to whitefont, because I know overtly political or whatever this is about to be will upset some people, but dear lord if I don't get it off my chest I'm going to 'splode. We don't have the gaurdsmen to send to control security, they're all off fighting in a war, in fact many of our able bodied men are. We're a fucking poor state, and that tends to be how our young people pay for college. Again, we're a fucking poor state, and if we could've paid ourselves to make sure the coast could withstand above a cat 3, we would have, but the administration decided it wasn't a priority, just like they seem to think responding isn't a priority. *We* can only donate and volunteer and help as best we can. Bush can mobilize troops, accept the help that other countries were willing, it seems, to offer, anything. (Mr. H's cousin was up here with us, he's in the marines and was stationed at Belle Chasse- why not have them at the ready? Why the fuck were they in Texas?) That godawful speech, and still the smirk. How did the goddamed head of homeland security not know what was going down at the convention center? Why are places with refugees having to figure out what to do with them on their own? Why is this all piecemeal and patchwork? And looters? I can't blame anyone who's taking what they need, and people who are taking other stuff- at least from the stores? I'm just not sure it matters. I mean, right this moment it's all useless anyway. What has value in the city? Tv, radios? Who else is going to use it? I suppose if you were able to get out of the city, you might be able to sell it, and I'm torn between thinking, well at least you'll have something to live on, and who the hell is going to want to buy a tv or radio that smells like sewage and has been dragged through flood waters, or if it wasn't from one of the parts that was completely flooded, who the hell within walking or driving distance is going to have the inclination to buy non-nessecities? Looting homes is a whole nother thing. You know though, on the other hand, once you've pretty much realized that no one really gives a damn about you, and the whole place has decended into chaos, it must feel like one of those post-apocolyptic movies where the scrappy band of ethnicly diverse with the strapping hero, who's had this disaster forced on him and finds himself strangly attracted to the pretty blonde whatever roam the streets and happen upon what seems in the midst of all the crap to be an oasis of luxury, and so they go into the abandoned mansion, and live like kings if only for a night. I don't want to Monday morning quarterback, because I prefer the defense, but couldn't the president at least have had some military at the ready? some sort of national emergency plan in place? When I say we're poor, I really really mean it. A job that pays $11 an hour is considered a pretty sweet deal even in semi-metropolitan Shreveport, and we have maybe 3 or 4 of those kinds of cities. If the whole thing is our fault and the relief is going to be left up to us, I'm saying "Come on in Canada! Jamaica, welcome my brothers! By the way, Mr. president, I'd like a few army, marine and naval units, by like Sunday- LAST SUNDAY."

I think I'm done with the ranting now.

Oh, Heather, honey. I just want to hug the crap out of you right now.

Needs to be said again. And again and again.