Back to normal?

I've been too busy lately to keep up with things here, and I apologize to anyone who was checking in regularly only to find no updates. That was probably the longest lapse in between posts here. Anyways, things are back to normal around here, which means that the same will be true here at my blog.

Back to normal is something that you won't hear in reference to the Gulf Coast region for quite some time. Whether it's the people in New Orleans who have endured constant misery in the wake of both Katrina and Leviathan's bumbling and injurious follow-up, or the folks who have returned to their homes in Mississippi and Alabama to find nothing but rubble, help is most certainly needed.

I have already sent a little bit of financial support to both the Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity. Yesterday, Brad Spangler pointed out another worthy organization known as Food Not Bombs. I sent another $5 their way (and Brad matched it!) and will likely send more to them in the future.

I would go on with endless criticisms of how FEMA and other state institutions are handling the mess down there, but there are plenty of other places to turn to for that stuff. For now, I'll just provide a link to a video of cops looting a Wal-Mart.

*UPDATE: Well, the Red Cross won't be recieving any more donations from yours truly, since they apparently follow government orders not to help people with approval. Meanwhile, buermann from Flagrancy to Reason left the following comment over at Brad Spangler's post about Food Not Bombs:

50 bucks in, I’ve worked with FNB chicago before and they do good work. If anybody was gonna help slip supplies in past the guard they would. I donated to the red cross earlier just to find out later that they were obeying orders to not get relief to the folks trapped in new orleans. Very frustrating.

Sounds like another good reason to support Food Not Bombs. And hey, if the FBI has decided to monitor them (link via Flagrancy to Reason), then they must be doing really good work.