Flood of thoughts (literally)

Thoughts on the flood of '08 back in the Midwest:

1) People should really cut the cops and National Guard a break. Floodwaters are dangerous to navigate, and with gas lines and power lines being problematic, they're doing folks a favor by not letting people in various places. They'd rather be doing something else as well, but this is their job and they need to be respected for that.

2) Again, I'm torn between relief that my friends and family (for the most part) are OK and worrying about the people that aren't OK. Where do you draw the line?

3) The pictures of the floodwaters and the damage they've created are nothing short of chilling. I think the scariest ones are of the abandoned cars that are flooded past their doors. It's also weird (and it was weird in '93 as well) when I saw businesses I frequented up to their eyeballs in flood waters. It was sad, yet they managed to rebuild from the damage. Let's hope they can do it again.

4) If you're so inclined, donate to Red Cross or other organizations that help victims of floods like this or other disasters. I know from when my parents lost their home to a tornado that Red Cross moves in quick and takes care of business with compassion and selflessness on the part of their volunteers. I'm forever thankful for them and what they did for my family.

5) One of my friends back home was really angry that coverage of the floods was interrupted for tributes to Tim Russert. I can't say I blame her, seeing as she was less than a mile away from the fairgrounds in Johnson County, Iowa, where flood victims were being housed temporarily. Priorities are apparently different between NBC upper management and a state where 83 out of 99 counties were declared disaster areas. They shouldn't be but unfortnately, they are.

OK...that's what I've got for today, but it's a start.