Well, I just donated a percentage of this month's pay to an outfit called Operation U.S.A., which seems like a good group. Their efforts focus on reestablishing community clinics in the poorer areas over there, which to me is quite a good effort...they're also a small outfit, so my guess is less of the money may be lost to bureaucracy.
The sad thing is, I feel like if I'd just packed a suitcase with medical supplies and flown the hell over there myself, I might have been able to do a better job. I totally had a plan, too...
Use Google Earth as a mapping application to pinpoint and map relief efforts (assuming that internet access is available in some way - I'm sure there are satellite accesses still available)...
Buy low-tech, inexpensive medical supplies - like hydrogen peroxide, and bleach (which in small doses can be poured in water to kill bacteria and algae, which I have to imagine is growing in clumps down there at this point), and charcoal water filters, the kind you get at R.E.I - and try to focus efforts on purifying water there. Buy a few boxes of protein bars at Costco or Smart And Final beforehand...drop in the damn bucket, but better than nothing.
I mean, I'm even ready to take some rope and pulleys and a crowbar and start swimming - I'm a fairly strong swimmer - and just get people out of flooded buildings and attics any way I could...
Hell, I was ready to go break into an abandoned Wal-Mart and steal a rifle myself, then try to find a sniper position and start shooting out tires on these gang trucks that are riding around.
What's sad is that I have a feeling that, if I tried this, I'd just end up getting stopped by the National Guard or whatnot and being told "Get out of here, kid, we'll handle this, you're not cleared to help." This despite the fact that Ray Nagin has accused the federal relief of lying and claiming they've been working on things they haven't been, which apparently may have contributed to a major pumping station that was working completely failing.
Eric, if you're reading this and you believe any part of this nutty plan would work, I'm still willing to hop down to L.A.X. and blow anything remaining in my bank account on a flight to Baton Rouge, then rent a car and hop down to Mayor Nagin's biouvac and give whatever help I can. I am not joking, much as I'm sure certain people on this board will call me rash and stupid and say I ought to let all the trained professionals just do their jobs. (If Mr. Nagin was reporting that they actually were, I probably wouldn't be posting this looney missive.) I may not be a trained medical professional, but I have a lot of faith that I could do a damn lot of good down there.
The sad thing is, I feel like if I'd just packed a suitcase with medical supplies and flown the hell over there myself, I might have been able to do a better job. I totally had a plan, too...
Use Google Earth as a mapping application to pinpoint and map relief efforts (assuming that internet access is available in some way - I'm sure there are satellite accesses still available)...
Buy low-tech, inexpensive medical supplies - like hydrogen peroxide, and bleach (which in small doses can be poured in water to kill bacteria and algae, which I have to imagine is growing in clumps down there at this point), and charcoal water filters, the kind you get at R.E.I - and try to focus efforts on purifying water there. Buy a few boxes of protein bars at Costco or Smart And Final beforehand...drop in the damn bucket, but better than nothing.
I mean, I'm even ready to take some rope and pulleys and a crowbar and start swimming - I'm a fairly strong swimmer - and just get people out of flooded buildings and attics any way I could...
Hell, I was ready to go break into an abandoned Wal-Mart and steal a rifle myself, then try to find a sniper position and start shooting out tires on these gang trucks that are riding around.
What's sad is that I have a feeling that, if I tried this, I'd just end up getting stopped by the National Guard or whatnot and being told "Get out of here, kid, we'll handle this, you're not cleared to help." This despite the fact that Ray Nagin has accused the federal relief of lying and claiming they've been working on things they haven't been, which apparently may have contributed to a major pumping station that was working completely failing.
Eric, if you're reading this and you believe any part of this nutty plan would work, I'm still willing to hop down to L.A.X. and blow anything remaining in my bank account on a flight to Baton Rouge, then rent a car and hop down to Mayor Nagin's biouvac and give whatever help I can. I am not joking, much as I'm sure certain people on this board will call me rash and stupid and say I ought to let all the trained professionals just do their jobs. (If Mr. Nagin was reporting that they actually were, I probably wouldn't be posting this looney missive.) I may not be a trained medical professional, but I have a lot of faith that I could do a damn lot of good down there.
