Killer whale: orcinus orca of the delphinidae (oceanic dolphins) family and the cetacean order.

While looking that up, I learnt that river dolphins have their own family (phocoenidae) and can be found in the Ganges, Amazon, and Orinoco.

-t, I'm so glad to see you! And I'm glad your folks were able to get through to help you out.

Heather, it's great that your office is able to help. I'm sorry going to Shreveport fell though, but at least you're in a position to do things closer to Dallas.

My office has a lot of medical folks in it (I work with one of the National Institutes of Health, albeit as a contractor) and we got a call for MDs and RNs. Apparently they're heading south to help out with the medical situation. I can't do much of anything with that personally, but it's great to see my coworkers going all "Hey, we can help!"

It's like they need to make it the victims' fault because then it couldn't possibly happen to them or something.

Yeah, something like this. The way I see it, some folks find the images of all that destruction upsetting. By blaming the victims those folks can turn the channel and forget about it. "What do I care about some idjit who's too dumb to get out of the way of a hurricane?" They can rest assured that cosmic justice was served, their upset is gone, and they can go back to bitching about taxes. And everyone's happy, except for the folks who were too poor to escape the forces of nature. And the folks who recognize that poverty can interfer with hoping in a Land Rover and road tripping to Oklahoma. And the folks who have, you know, active brains and souls.

Strega and Billytea, aren't dolphins, orcas and whales really all the same order? Cetaceans, I think?

Yes, but there are further divisions into different families. So a killer whale is a cetacean but not (strictly) a whale.

Are the Chinese River Dolphins separate from those ones?

Or do they not count becaue they are on the verge of extinction?

And I hear that they are pink

Also - - lovely to hear from you -t, I'm so glad that you and the critters are out of there. I hope that your dh gets to join you soon.

ita has earwormed wme with Enya, and she may need to be hurt for that.

Other than that I git nuthin.

It is a short day, I have a few tons of work and yet no motivation to do any of it. hrm.

Kat, that thing? get it worked out or do I need to make a call?

My office has a lot of medical folks in it (I work with one of the National Institutes of Health, albeit as a contractor) and we got a call for MDs and RNs. Apparently they're heading south to help out with the medical situation.

Go team your coworkers! The looniversity hospital is sending a contingent of docs and public health types as well -- one of my fencing buds, a doctor who spent a lot of the last year on leave founding a clinic in Indonesia post-tsunami, got the call in the middle of practice last night to go help organize the team.

I've heard that Venezuela offered help but was refused, but that's an unconfirmed rumor.

There was a small protest to that effect near my office yesterday. (At least, that's what it sounded like they were protesting -- I've reached the point where I need a t-shirt that says "I'm a liberal, and I read lots of newspapers. Please leave me the fuck alone.")

-t, Heather, Dana, lurkers in the hurricane zone, I can't even begin to imagine what you guys are going through right now. But please keep checking in, and don't ever apologize for giving us news.

I've reached the point where I need a t-shirt that says "I'm a liberal, and I read lots of newspapers. Please leave me the fuck alone."

We need a cafepress for this. I know lots of people that could use this shirt.

-t, I'm glad to hear you're coping and you've got a good support system.

Y'all make me feel loved. Thanks.

Next stop, Santa Rosa, NM.

Oh -t, it's so good to hear from you. I am so glad your parents are with you. I hope Henry is with you, soon. Much love and strength to you, dear. Please check in whenever you can, and safe travels to you, your family, and pets.

I just heard the NO Mayor's interview on WWL. Wow.

Did you hear the whole thing? I was watching CNN at ass o'clock this morning, and think they were carrying it, live. God bless him. "I don't know if it's the Governor's problem, or the President's problem, but somebody needs to get their ass on the plane, and do something."

I need to understand the rules here:

People this morning said that hurricane talk wasn't supposed to be here. I thought no hurricane talk was in Bitches and that hurricane talk could be here. Did I misunderstand?

le nubian,

No, you did not misunderstand.

I saw that, too. I think maybe that was Kathy A., and I think maybe she misunderstood what she read while catching up. There was also something by Kat (I think) saying she wouldn't come here for news, but that was just her individual opinion.

There are no rules on this, anywhere, but here's the deal for Bitches, for those who missed it...

Those of us who were in Bitches yesterday did sort of bullshit consense that there was a need for a media-report-free-zone -- an escape hatch. Then, the Bitches bullshit consensus was mentioned in Natter, in case any of the non-Bitch Natterers wanted to c'mon over, and escape for a while. It's only a bullshit consensus on our preference, not a rule--just a gentleBitches agreement.

Again, the bullshit consensus was only that Bitches would remain relatively free of the media reports and ensuing discussion. It was definitely NOT either supposed to be, nor did the consenting Bitches want it to be free from updates or discussion from Buffistas, such as -t, Dana, Heather, beth, and others affected/with loved ones who are affected. We very much want all that. It was only the news reports. Finally, there was no bullshit consensing involving Natter, at all.