Lots Happened

Back from my travels to the funeral. Travels went well, had nice visits with family members I hadn't seen in a long time, weather was perfect. Last month I commented on the difference of TSA and Airport personnel between several airports, with nothing positive to say about Chicago O'Hare. After this trip, I am forced to revise my opinion somewhat. Previously I had experienced marked rudeness of personnel at O'Hare. This trip, in both transits through O'Hare, I encountered really nice, helpful people, who seemed to enjoy their jobs, and seemed to do them well. I extend my thanks to them, along with the personnel at Nashville and Oakland (CA) airports, for a job well done. Seems like a lot happened while I was away. The fact of Katrina is inescapable. Lots of damage, many died, multitudes displaced, and still being displaced, by flood waters and lack of normal services. My prayers go out to all of them, and to the dedicated personnel bringing relief to the affected areas. I spent a number of years performing disaster restoration, particularly related to water damage. One of my first major disasters was Hurricane Andrew, so I can relate to what some of these people are experiencing. It will be years before the hardest hit areas recover. Glenn at Instapundit has extensive listing of agencies recommended by others if you are able and inclined to assist. And if you are able, you should be so inclined. Goods, supplies, time and money will all be needed. It's, dare I say it, the American thing to do! If you're a Christian, then it's the Christian thing to do. If you're Jewish... you get the point. Assist, donate, volunteer. Hey, if you're Tennessean, being from the Volunteer State, volunteer! For every low-life you see on the tiny screen looting shops, there are hundreds of fine people in need who would never do such a thing, and you won't see them on television. A Cajun friend of mine once told me that he considered anyone who lived North of Interstae 10 to be a Yankee... well, it's time for the Yankees to step up and lend a hand. Doing my usual after being isolated for a while (I really HATE not having internet access!), I checked to see if Fabian Cayetano Urrea had been apprehended for the murder of Jorge Estrada. Unfortunately, the answer is no. Although I do see that he has been upgraded from holding the premier spot in my Blogosphere's Most Wanted (see my sidebar, top left) to a nice spot on America's Most Wanted, aired on August 27th. This guy should be nailed the instant he sets foot back in the U.S. Too bad we can't get him from Mexico! Although it is meaningless in the grand scheme of things, I see that I have slipped from being a Marauding Marsupial back to an Adorable Rodent in The TTLB Blogosphere Ecosystem. <sigh>. More later, maybe. I have to continue my search for employment, and may be (hopefully) too busy to post. Update: I almost forgot to mention gasoline prices. It seems that due to factors related to Katrina, such as inoperable refineries (no electricity to run them), shut down oil rigs in the Gulf, distribution problems, and other factors, that there is a real shortage of gasoline in some areas. Middle Tennessee is one of those areas. As my nephew drove me home from the airport last night, we stopped to get some gas for his car. Surprisingly, the station was out of regular! The clerk informed us that numerous stations in the area were out, and awaiting delivery. Luckily, for my nephew, we stopped at another station on the way home that was out of the beaten path, and they had regular. I'm not ready to throw out the profiteering charge yet, but I have my suspicions. While I was in the air yesterday, gasoline prices spiked here, up 30 to 50 cents a gallon! Something is not right with this picture. Technorati : California, Chicago, Current Events, Fabian Urrea, Gasoline, Katrina, O'Hare, Tennessee