Norquists "bathtub"

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Norquists "bathtub

I could suggest a few people to send in first...

I'm going thru my clothes to see what I can give (if I find a way to get them there and/or an org who wants to take them) and I'm being reminded of just how many concert T's I have (mostly from shows I've worked). To name a few... Indigo Girls, U2, Rolling Stones (2 different shows), Boys II Men, Tori Amos, Widespread Panic, Tesla, Bob Dylan, John Tesh, James Taylor, Chris Isaak, Vince Gill, and Spin Doctors.

I've been thinking of going through my clothes. The problem is that most aren't suitable for one reason or another, mostly because they're cold weather clothes or because they're in poor condition. I have a box of stuffed animals that I'm mailing to a lady in WA who's driving a load of toys to Houston later this week though. I've been meaning to get rid of most of my collection of stuffed animals for years, but couldn't bear to. Now, I just look at a toy and ask myself if I really need it more than a kid who just lost everything. I kept a few, mostly kind of ratty ones that have sentimental value, but generally that answer was really a no brainer.

I think the world just twitched a little.

Off to the quake site to see if it was just a truck going by. Hard to tell when I am nearly asleep.

edit1: Little being the operative word. [link] I'm not sleeping because of a 3.9? At least it shouldn't have messed up TJ too much. And it was south, ita's liquor is safe.

Now to get back to that sleeping place.

edit2: Okay, I posted before I checked for actual news. I am a sad, sad creature. Or, you know, just a Buffista.

Just got the following e-mail, and thought I'd share.

An article written by a man employed by LSU athletics:

Little did I know what I would be doing following Hurricane Katrina's aftermath but as I type right now, there won't be a more gratifying or more surreal experience I went through tonight. We went up to the office today and held a press conference regarding the postponement of the game and it was the right decision. As the PMAC and Field House are being used as shelters we decided as an office to do everything we could to help the situation.

At first, we were just supposed to make copies of this disaster relief form for all of the people. The copiers will never print a document more important than that. It's weird. Nearly 12 hours ago we were running off copies of game notes for a football game that is now meaningless. We printed the copies and carried them over to the Field House at 6:30 p.m. I wouldn't leave the area for another 8 hours.

On the way back to the PMAC in a cart, it looked like the scene in the movie Outbreak. FEMA officials, U.S. Marshalls, National Guard, and of course the survivors. Black Hawks were carrying in victims who were stranded on roofs. Buses rolled in from N.O. with other survivors. As Michael and I rode back to the PMAC, a lady fell out of her wheelchair and we scrambled to help her up.

We met Coach Miles and Coach Moffiit in the PMAC to see all the survivors and it was the view of a hospital. Stretchers rolled in constantly and for the first time in my life I saw someone die right in front of me. A man rolled in from New Orleans and was badly injured on his head. 5 minutes later he was dead. And that was the scene all night. What did we do, we started hauling in supplies. And thousands of boxes of supplies. The CDC from Atlanta arrived directing us what to do.

One of the U.S. Marshalls was on hand so the supplies could not become loot. I asked him what his primary job was. He serves on the committee of counter terrorism, but once he saw of the disaster, he donated his forces to come help. He said the death toll could be nearing 10,000. It was sickening to hear that.

After unloading supplies, I started putting together baby cribs and then IV poles. Several of our fball players and Big Baby and Tasmin Mitchell helped us. At the same time, families and people strolled in. Mothers were giving berth in the locker rooms. The auxiliary gym "Dungeon" was being used as a morgue. I couldn't take myself down there to see it.

I worked from 8 pm until 2:45 am. Before I left three more buses rolled in and they were almost out of room. People were standing outside, the lowest of the low from NO. The smells, the sights were hard to take.

A man lying down on a cot asked me to come see him. He said,"I just need someone to talk to, to tell my story because I have nobody and nothing left. He turned out to be a retired military veteran. His story was what everybody was saying. He thought he survived the worst, woke up this morning and the levees broke. Within minutes water rushed into his house. He climbed to the attic, smashed his way through the roof and sat there for hours. He was completely sunburned and exhausted. Nearly 12 hours later a chopper rescued him and here he was.

We finished the night hauling boxes of body bags and more were on the way. As we left, a man was strolled in on a stretcher and scarily enough he suffered gunshots. The paramedic said he was shot several times because a looter or a convict needed his boat and he wouldn't give it to him. Another man with him said it was "an uncivilized society no better than Iraq down there right now." A few minutes later he was unconscious and later pronounced dead. I then left as they were strolling a 3 year old kid in on a stretcher. I couldn't take it anymore.

That was the scene at the PMAC and it gives me a new perspective on things. For those of you who I haven't been able to get in touch with because of phone service, I pray you are safe. Send me an email to let me know. God (continued...)

( continues...) bless.

Edit: Well, if you have to spill over into a second post for one word, that's a good one.

Also in today's email:

Someone came by my sister's hotel in Little Rock and asked if there were any refugees staying there. Then he paid for all their rooms.

I think that surreal is the right word. This has me in tears, Raq. I have been so embarrassed for our country the last few days, by the mindboggingly poor response. Reading this, the shame doesn't go away, but a little pride and understanding joins it. There are huge problems that our leaders should be held accountable for, but there are good, honest people doing their best in an absolutely crummy situation too.

Hah! The Fuddruckers site has decided to steal someone else's bandwidth now...

Hard to have undeniable proof that the fucked up response is due to racism, but given what I've read about some Houston citizens' fears about NO evacuees showing up and what I've read on the WWL-tv forums...there are a whole lot of racist people out there. I think it is fair to say that situations like this bring out heroism and ugliness in great measure.

I can't imagine all of the racists were excused from decision-making (local and elsewhere) during the current crisis.

In other news, Red Cross not allowed in New Orleans. Not before. Not NOW.

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The above link is from RC. The following link is from a daily kos poster who called to get this information.

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