Reading and Doing Something About Katrina

Random thoughts -- Andrei Codrescu (Exquisite Corpse) Isn't he from New Orleans? I wonder if he had to evacuate or if he was out touring or something. I know that when he reflects on the events of the past days it will be insightful and well worth hearing. Andrei often speaks on NPR so I went to NPR.org to see what they were saying about Katrina. There's a weblog they're hosting if you're interested.

In that weblog was this link about Dennis Hastert's recent comments. Goodness, what an idiot. There are posts about the refugees at the city's convention center and I heard a BBC report on my way home tonight where the reporter said there wasn't a single elected official, aid worker or any kind of civil authority to be found there. I guess there's no tradition of Mayors going down with their flooded cities. There f'ing should be.

I saw tonight that the local low-price gas station was charging $3.05 per gallon for regular. Then I went to BBC.co.uk and saw a post of a picture of a gas sign I would guess is somewhere in the vicinity of the path of refugees from Katrina with regular at $3.29. Also on gas prices from the Beeb (I love the BBC, I'm a rabid Anglophile)

The US Minerals Management Service estimated that 95% of the Gulf of Mexico's oil output was out of service following the hurricane, as well as more than 80% of natural gas production.

I think I'm going to take the light rail to work tomorrow. The less gas I consume the more there is for others. We all need to try and think that way because if I'm the only one who does then it really won't mean much.

Last thing, Jenna Glatzer of AW is working on how the forum community there can do somthing to contribute to the aid effort. Go read about it and if you write, submit. If you don't volunteer for somthing else.