[rikytik]

KingCobra. I didn't mean to imply it's not real. Pardon me. I was referring to the fact that a lot of good people were in there doing positive things while the press seemed to suggest otherwise. The news papers did a wonderful job getting those contact pages going on their sites.

The SunHerald has a lot of aerial picutures posted on its web site. Looks to me like the damage is largely confined to the beach areas innundated by the surge. Seems like the wind damage isn't that bad away from the beaches---at least from what I can see in the photos which seem to be 16 MP jpg's.

New Orleans is a totally special animal, expanded into former swamp land pumped dry just after WW-1, protected by dikes. Mother Nature seems to have a message here. I wonder if it isn't time to consolidate NO with Baton Rouge. There is no economic activity in NO other than Bourbon Street. And probably no chance of a job for most NO residents for a very long time.

My buddy is driving back today to look at his house in Ocean Springs. He's been in touch with neighbors who have been back in to look, and there is hardly any damage. No electricity, gasoline or supplies available locally. Maybe not for a good while. He says there is a major shopping center just north of the city (Wal-Mart, etc.) that has reopened for business. No idea about stocks though.

Meanwhile Bush has assured the world he is "back in control"! <heh heh>