I sent an email to Cliff in Louisiana with no expectation of reply. Cliff replied this A.M. they are both O.K., no power, locals very fearfull of crime from the refugees: muggings, break ins etc. Cliff says it's surreal.

If there is anything I can do to help him let me know.

I just received a second email from his office. Any computer literates out there willing to receive an email and cut and paste to the forum?

Sure, send it on, my e-mail is in my profile on here.
I own my domain and mail server, I could set up a mailbox for him temporarially if he needs somewhere to send/receive e-mail with a web based interface (similar to gmail/hotmail)

Sure, Chris, I'm game, even if I'm not always able to be super prompt. If my email isn't in my profile, it can be there in five minutes from now.

Yeah, I can handle it. PM me.

Here you go.

No need folks. Here is the reposte, mis-spellings and all, in order. To wit:



This morning, Fox News had a detailed helio flyover of the Lakeview neighborhood in New Orleans, where my parents and in-laws (used to) live. Oh, boy. Since the break in the 17th Street Canal was hust east of my parents home, we expected the worst. It appears that my parents house survived, but with water up to, or past the first floor. No sign of my in-laws house, which is (was) a single story. Several feet of water in St. Domnic's Church, and St. Paul's Chruch, too, on Harrison Avenue. A disaster. Ellen was in tears.

Still no power at home. Spent part of the the night at St. Luke's. We are taking in family members and new moms of the infants air-lifted to Women's Hospital, which is next door to St. Luke's. Giving them a warm bed, a cool room, food, and a sense that they are not alone. It sounds sappy, but a hug goes a long way when you are that shocked and disoriented. We got up early to make breakfast for them, and I'll be back to serve dinner.

Well, reports of looting and robbery have started here, too. Some of the New Orleans refugees who have made it here, especially those brought here to the River Center, are reportedly breaking into cars, breaking into downtown businesses, and robbing people at stores and gas stations. They are sending some government workers home early for their safety, and women are being told to not go to stores alone. A friend of my partner's wife was just carjacked. In a suburb. We are going to keep the office door locked, and at lunch I'm going home to get the Ruger and the speedloader. The "No Weapons At Work" rule is off at the office for the time being. Suddenly, that 'ol Second Amendment is coming in reeeeeal handy. Good Christ, what have we come to??

If you want do do something to help out, the best thing to do is donate. Cash mostly. The Red Cross is crying for donations. We'll be setting up a PayPal account at the St Luke's Episcopal Church website to take donations that we will use in our mission to care for those who come to us. If you profess a faith, now would be a really, really good time to practice it - pray.

More later,

.....CLIFF
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Cliff, Doug of all people has family in NO and received a rooftop cellphone call! my indian nieghbor got a text message frm a coworker/countryman in Lo asking for help. I'm calling the local CG emergency number with the info with Ravi Shankhar playing, curry boiling over and his high strung wife wailing about kali or something.they thought I was a hoax until I threw CG lingo at them. If you can, post on the site. It's really active because of this. Chris
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Where was his family (what neighborhood)? Where are they now?
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Doug has a policeman cousin who was stationed at a hospital, a second cousin on the roof with father and an aunt evacuated somewhere from a rest home .the aunts daughter is the mother/wife of the ones on the roof. Doug only said they were in the 9th ward. Everyone else evaced to texas. Cliff, shoot to kill.News reported some guy killed his own sister over a bag of ice. My black cajun friend is putting on a fundraiser. Clifton Chenier and gumbolya in earthquake and brushfire land.
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Chris:

Anything y'all can do, do. We appreciate it. As for Doug's family, let me know if any of them were evacuated to Baton Rouge.

More info on the radio about lawlessness here. Good God. But they are now talking about the Catholic Archbishop visiting the LSU Assembly Center (the "PMAC"), and the incredable faith and giving he is seeing. Good God. I can hear more heliocopters passing overhead - going to the State Emergency Preparedness Center nearby, or to Women's Hospital.

If you want to listen online, try www.wjbo.com.
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Cliff, All of Doug's family are o.k. and accounted for. Send online donation info when you can. If you need to, have a good cry. i did after the earthquake. Chris
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Good about Doug's family.

St. Luke's Episcoipal Church in Baton Rouge has sent up a hurrucane relief fund for use in our relief mission. I am told that, in addition, we will will be one of the point churches in the Episcopal Diocise for dispensing relief funds. We have set up a PayPal site, so if you want to donate, go to www.stlukesbr.org and hit the "make a Donation" button on the homepage. If you want to post a link at ETS, go right ahead.

As for having a good cry, I can't. Not now. It's like 9/11 times 100. I remember watching the towers fall on TV. I am an architect; I understood the mechanics of what I was seeing, I understood the physics, and I understood the historic import. Left brain on track. But the right brain put a fillabuster on the whole issue. For weeks. The same thing is happening here.

I am now being told that the reports of rioting and looting in downtown Baton Rouge were "exaggerated". I can believe that. But I do have two first-hand reports of robbery and car-jacking today.



Hope you don't mind, Chris.

Hang in there, Cliff. We've been praying for all the affected folks and had you and your family specifically in our prayers.

Tom

When the mail re-starts, can we get stuff to him?