41,22,39,34

If you are reading the title to my post this morning, I must now tell you what the numbers mean. Fox, CNN, MSNBC, and CNNHeadline. If you are following the news from the Gulf Coast and Katrina, these are my channels here in Birmingham where I get stressed out!

Stressed out? I think it is the type of person I am and how much of this news I have absorbed over the last 2 weeks. I realized this almost addiction to the news right now was having a detrimental affect on my feeling of well being. I will share one thing with you, my reader, Karen and I talked about this and what we could do to help these now called 'Displaced Americans'? We decided money was the fastest quickest way to help. We gave the same amount to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army as they were the first responders and really the first 'boots on the ground'.

People here were trying to take supplies to MS, NO, and Gulf Shores but soon realized the roads were out, the intrastructure was down and there was no distribution center (then) to see that these much needed supplies got to where it most needed. Karen and I talked about this and each of us have worked with both of these agencies and the have the volunteer manpower to get the job done and what you give, very, very little is administrative cost.

I was watching one night late and they showed a group from Foley, Al who were in New Orleans and cooking for the first responders. They started out serving 600 meals a day but word got out and they are now serving over 6,000 meals a day. These are guys and gals that decided rather than cooking to raise funds for their little league teams, they would try to get to NO and cook for these first responders. That same night, they got a phone call from "Cher",,,remember Sonny and Cher. She was so impressed with what these young adults were doing, she wanted to 'pay' for all the food they needed. She said she was looking for a way to make a difference and when she saw these soldiers and police officers and other first responders getting their first hot meal, she knew this would make a difference!

It was great to hear something last night about personal contributions. The people like you and I have now given over $100 Million for the agencies helping these displaced Americans. This is not corporate or countries or governments giving, this is "YOU AND ME"! That is amazing to me. And this is not enough by a long shot.

If you are not moved to help these people, you need to check you pulse. If you can spend $50.00 to eat out at a nice restaurant, you can send $50.00 to the charity of your choice. There are a number of faith based charities that give 100% of what you contribute directly to the cause you indicate. I know my church has administrative cost met, and if you write a separate check to the be sent to the Red Cross or whoever, they get the full amount. NO Administrative cost in doing this.

I have now limited myself to how much of this I can now watch. Now today with memories of 9/11 piled on top of Katrina, I will watch a little then put in a DVD that requires no thinking on my part. I call these movies my 'no brainers'!

I should be dressing for SS and Church right now but Ms Karen is a little under the weather with bronchitis and running low grade fever and just feeling ickey. She saw the doctor Thursday and she has Rx and cough medicine and is now beginning to feel just a little better. So signing off for right now and ask everyone to keep all the displaced Americans and now the 9/11 survivors in your collective prayers. Until later...Jeff