Public Service Announcements

This post may not be much fun, but it is vital. I'll cover the goings-on like Amber's bachelorette party in a later post, but for now...

Does anyone else just feel like throwing up every time you turn on a tv or radio? First Katrina, whose aftermath is just becoming more and more grim, and then the tragic stampede in Iraq yesterday that led to the death of about 900 people, mostly women and children. It starts to feel like your heart can only break so many times...

So once martial law is established in New Orleans to handle all the horrible trash of the city, the bastards who are looting, shooting, and just generally making a bad situation infinitely worse, they'll be that much better off. There's necessity, and there's evil. I feel for the people who have to compromise their own values and principles in these times - when everything's shut down and you have no food, no water - what choice do you have but to enter a store and take it? I heard a woman in an NPR interview yesterday sobbing because no stores were open and she was being forced to steal to provide for her family, and it devastated her.

There are some things I'd like to point out - if anyone has anything they could possibly spare to help. I'm not a frequent soapboxer, but there are some organizations that are going to need help.

Donate food, money, clothing, blood, whatever you have. Get more info on how you can help at the Red Cross website.

Most shelters did not allow people to bring their pets. Those pets that somehow managed to survive being left behind are being rescued as quickly as possible, but time and money are sparse and the focus is still strong on saving human lives. It's easy to overlook our little friends, and Little Bit would like you to take the time to check out Noah's Wish and see if there's anything you can do to help.

Finally, for something completely different: the three major credit reporting agencies begin the final phase today of implementing the new mandatory freebie system. You are now able to obtain one free copy of your credit report annually from each of the three agencies - so it's possible to check your credit for discrepancies or just see where you stand three times annually. The three agencies are Experian, Equifax, and Trans-Union. I encourage everyone to obtain a copy of their report at least twice annually. Because you never know.