More bad news for New Orleans

M and I made a donation to the Salvation Army, and my work matched it. I also donated clothes to my work's clothing drive. But ya know, many have been saying that NO should just bulldoze and start anew, and according to this article, the numbers reflect this sentiment. As this Newsweek article by columnist Jonathan Alter points out, NO was in a state of decline anyway.

So much pain. So much suffering. It just rips at you to look at the images. I wish there was something more I could do to help. I feel selfish and shallow, shopping away, stopping to get my coffee in the morning, worrying if my shoes match my outfit. There is real suffering in the world, of which I've gotten a taste with the M ordeal. Yes, I can't take it all on myself, but I want to be more involved somehow. Blogger Jody is helping to collect backpacks to send to NO.

Speaking of M, he's seeing the rheumatologist next week, and he's tapering off the Predisone. He has a bit of a rash, but I don't know if that's a Pred reaction. He also threw up last night, but he's always had sort of a tricky stomach. And his feet got achy. What's worrying me is his mental state. He's anxious and scared and acting like a jerk because of the first two things. I repeatedly have suggested he needs to talk to someone, but he keeps telling me he "doesn't have time." I think he ought to make time, and as my long history seeing therapists can attest to, you can't make someone go to counseling. I just want him to be OK, mentally and physically.