From New Orleans to Houston...

That's where bus-loads of people have been driven since conditions at the New Orleans Superdome became unbearable. No electricity, no phones, no fresh water, no plumbing facilities. No place to go and no way to get there.

The Houston Powers-That-Be have turned the Astrodome into a shelter for the people from New Orleans. Buses started arriving yesterday and the Astrodome has been filled with blankets and cots, and even a play area for the kids has been set up.

I watched the news tonight and there were residents of New Orleans who have vowed not to go back there. Some of them had blank job applications in their hands and they're determined to make a new life for themselves in the Houston area. As one man said: "Why go back? Ain't got nothing there no more."

So sad. And the more you watch the news, the worse it makes you feel. My husband gave a check to the Red Cross yesterday and now we're just hoping that the money being collected gets to those who need it. I watched a news program last night and the frustrated people in New Orleans said they haven't seen one person from either the Red Cross or the Salvation Army. Honestly... how long does it take to get something organized? Louisiana is not that far from southeast Houston here. President Bush was on television urging people to send cash and checks to the Red Cross. He said not to donate food or clothing or blankets. "Just cash." A statement like that makes people wonder, Georgie-boy.