Hi Shannon,

Well, there's a lot of big stink going on in the south this week. It's all shades of ugly. I've heard people say that New Orleans is gone...just over. Say they never saw it comin'. I think people know that that's just a bunch of bull. Relief efforts can't make it out to these stranded people fast enough... now every junkie out there is starting to come down desperate and freaking out. There are lot's of rumors about FEMA not having their act together. Rumors about misdirected funds that should have been appropriated to fix some shabby levy apparently held together with duct tape. Rumors that there aren't enough uniforms to keep the peace. At the same time, there are lots of donation buckets, and telethons, and fund raisers, and offers from people with spare bedrooms willing to take a family in.

Now one idea is to bring them to Texas. As my mother says 'Our Christian natures are about to be challenged.' She has put together a plan to divert the refugees to Boston because she says those people 'think their shit don't stink and they think WE'RE racist'. I don't think my mom is racist...I think she hates poverty (and maybe yankees). Poverty transends the rules, and then makes monsters out of men. Is there a word for hating that?

I remember hearing that New Orleans was more focused on the party after the hurricane then they were for making preparations for it. The superdome turned into the pleasure dome and then pretty much imploded in on itself. People have jumped out of 2nd story windows, defected all over the ground, raped young girls out in the open, and shot at relief workers. It does sound very Sodom and Gomorah to me...

Well- there's the state of union for ya. Gas prices are at 3 bucks a gallon. Some places had it for 2.89- but then they sold out right away. Chris said he heard the president address us and said we should 'Not get gas unless we have to'. It might have been better to say...'Please ride share'. 'Please conserve'. Now people are slamming the gas stations and the rumor is that there's going to be a gas shortage.

Not get gas 'unless we have to'... WTF? What planet did that come from? Must be the planet where hover crafts operate on banana peels, or that other planet where you teleport to work, or maybe that planet that has managed to solve all the problems of gravity and inertia, or else the planet where people go out and buy gas at three bucks a gallon and stock pile it in their garage 'just because'.

We must have a sense of humor about these things.

So, how is the 'war zone'? (Thinking about you guys over there...makes even this stuff seem like candy land.)
h