I've been watching the Katrina aftermath on TV. I wish I could stop, but I can't.

This morning, it seems that some people are beginning to wonder if the rescue work would have gone more quickly if the victims were mostly white. I hope not.

A lot of people don't understand the magnitude of the disaster. The TV keeps saying that it involves 90,000 square miles. I would have guessed more like 9,000, but then I am somewhat math challenged. Wouldn't 90,000 sq. mi. be about 1000 miles X 90 miles? Or maybe 500 X 180? Would that inclue East Tennessee where we got .2 of an inch of rain and winds gusting to 40 mph. Would sticks, twigs, and leaves blown down in my yard be considered a disaster?

The president this morning was talking about millions of tons of food and millions of gallons of water. The ratio is all wrong. If you eat 2000 pounds of food, you are going to need more than a gallon of water. I think he meant millions of *pounds* of food.

Most victims of the storm and flood are seeing only a small area. They might not know that distruction crosses three states. It's no wonder they can't understand why help is so slow in arriving.

Communications is a major part of the problem. It's confusing when you are told, "Go to the Superdome." Then a few hours later, "Don't go to the Superdome. Then it's "Go to the Superdome to get on the bus." The "Don't go to the Superdome, the buses are not moving."

Things could be worse. After all they are only dealing with a hurricane, floods, fire, civil unrest, crime, filth, and death. So far, there have been no nuclear explosions, and no blizzards.
Howard