Quick Update and Katrina Comment

Hi folks. I'm still alive, have not been able to get in to doctor yet and have put off ER because I have no insurance and hate ERs. I am afebrile, still in pain but holding until I get to MD appt Friday unless things devolve... we're only a few miles from the hospital. Mani and Mother want me to go. I just know that if I'm subacute when I get there, they may not take me seriously, no matter how many days I've been in pain. Yeah, I'm cynical. I'm a nurse. Keep sending energy, you're keeping me functional.

Here is the Katrina Comment...

I want to make a strong remark from looking at my FL... my glurge radar is going crazy. I would be *extremely* reluctant to post any "firsthand account" sent around in an emal or posted somewhere without a face on it, even if it seems to have some sort of credibility. I have seen over the years far too many of these things turn out to be scams. You can usually tell that they are scams because of their tone and their drama. That is all I am going to say about that, the truth will out. Maybe they are real, maybe they aren't. But don't bet your life savings on something you get in your email or can't verify. If it was me, I wouldn't waste my energy getting angry about something that may not be true. I certainly wouldn't forward it to everyone in my address book. I've seen so much of this kind of stuff on the Net, so much of it came out after 9-11, remember? You can go check out Snopes for the stuff that turned out to be fake during the aftermath of that. So take it with a grain of salt. People are trying to stir you up, and if they succeed, that is their mission accomplished. Just like those emails with the "lost child" or somebody wanting postcards or other urban legends like tampons with asbestos and supposed medical warnings signed by fictitious people with real looking credentials. There will be a lot of urban legends and conspiracy theories arising from this, it is how people cope, by theorizing. So like I said, discretion is the better part of valor. Unless you absolutely know that the stuff that is being passed around is from a real person, a credible source, that it is properly attributed, etc., don't spread the meme. Think before you post or forward; be a good journalist in your blog and verify, verify, verify. Rumors and gossip don't help anyone, and just because it's in print doesn't make it true. I've seen legitimate papers print urban legends before and then have to recant because they didn't check their sources properly.

The EMT Thing

There was an EMT Conference in NOLA the week before the hurricane, from August 23-27, 2005. I am sure that many of the people who attended the conference evacuated during the mandatory evacuation. A story about South Dakota EMTs who stayed: http://cms.firehouse.com/content/article/article.jsp?sectionId=17&id=44445

Some EMTs were asked to stay and assist the police and authorities; they were housed with, ate meals with, etc. the police at the Hilton. Here is a link to another story about the SD EMTs: http://www.emsnetwork.org/artman/publish/article_18260.shtml

I have trouble believing that there were EMTs and Nurses amongst the diaspora who were not actively seen, on any of the news reports, as helping people at the Convention Center (where the EMT conference was held the week before). I heard no reports of people helping from any of the reporters on the ground. I'm not saying they were everywhere, but I'd think that if there were any professionals wandering around in that crowd helping, they would have been pretty obvious next to the poor and elderly. If they had been there, I'd bet my bottom dollar they would have been snatched up by the Fire Department or Police Department pretty quickly.

So I'm going to reserve judgement about this post that is floating around. Judge for yourself.

EDIT: I do recall seeing a man at a shelter describing chartering a bus that was commandeered by the authorities, and ending up "saved" by a local who brought them to a local shelter. But that was a man with his wife and family, and he did not announce himself as a professional but a tourist. If there were EMTs in that group, why didn't anyone mention them? I'd like to "see" these people. But the story is posted on the same site as the SD story above, here:
http://www.emsnetwork.org/artman/publish/article_18337.shtml

EDIT #2: Hmm. These two do exist... but what a coincidence:
http://www.tbglabor.com/news.aspx?newsID=35
IF they were there, why weren't they acting like *these* EMTs?
http://www.emsnetwork.org/hilton/EMS-Command-Hilton-New-Orleans-Riverside-Brophy-John.htm

American Routes

If you listen to NPR, take the time Saturday night to listen to American Routes, either on your local station or on the webcast. The DJ is a now-displaced New Orleanian and is doing his show from Lafayette. He is doing a show in honor of NOLA with some great music. I'll edit this when I find the NY Times article on it and post the link for that.

EDIT: Here ya go: Nick Spitzer "This Song Goes Out To You, Big Easy" (NY Times)

FEMA Response

From AP, via WWL (NOLA):

FEMA Chief Sent Help Only When Storm Ended

"WASHINGTON, D.C. — The top U.S. disaster official waited until hours after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast before he proposed to his boss sending at least 1,000 Homeland Security workers into the region to support rescuers – and gave them two days to arrive, according to internal documents."

Charity Auction

Please look at this beautiful painting by the very talented i that he has just completed and is auctioning for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Diaspora

Bid early, bid often, cross post if you can. This is a great chance for someone to purchase an original work and know that they are also donating to a worthy cause. Thank you.