With all this talk on the news about the horrible hurricane in the Gulf Coast, I was just hoping that you and your cute little new house is safe and sound.

Is everything ok?

I was just thinking that too

I'm in TN right now and am supposed to be leaving tomorrow, but they are saying that they might cancel flights

I was thinking about you too, Kalika!

Awww...You're so loved here!

I live in East Texas, and I heard on the news that hotel/motels in our area are all sold out.  And, get this, the hotel owners are JACKING the prices up.  They are charging higher rates than their posted max rate.  Several complaints have been made, and I guess there is a hefty fine if they are found guilty.  I would think, that in a time like this, they would slash their rates to almost nothing to help out. 

Our thoughts are with you kalika!!

sherrie215 wrote: Is it Baton Rouge...where Kalika is at? I was thinking it was NewOrleans...but Im not sure. New Orleans is 80% submerged and the levy broke and the water is rising....My thoughts are with you Kalika, I hope you are safe.

OMG!  80%!!!  A client just told me that the water is up to 30 feet.  My prayers to all and to Kalika.

Hi all -

today at work we heard from the folks at the vet school in louisiana..which is in baton rouge. they indicated that the main problems around there are power outages and downed trees, phone lines, etc...but actually that many people from new orleans and surrounding evacuated areas were taking refuge in baton rouge as it is in better shape than regions surrounding - hopefully this means kalika is okay but just cut off...

I was thinking about Kalika too... hope you're safe! 

My friend just moved to Boluxi 3 mos ago!!  Just found out today that's she and her 2 kids are alright....phew.......

my prayers are w/all those effected.. the damage is so unreal

Phew, going without power sucks.  And you all know it'll take a lot more then a lil ol hurricane to stop moi

You know your a redneck when: You break out the chainsaw to get to work

ha!  Kalika! 

seriously though, its soooo nice to have power back, I was getting all greasy and smelt like cheese.

and yes, hotels around here have jacked there prices up a ton, there are a lot of churches and the LSU campus that have opened up as shelters, and I almost got in a fistfight with a woman over some bagged ice at albertsons.

she started it.

I like your version better.  Im all amazon woman in it.  grrr.  fear my extensioned wrath!

Woosh. I was just coming on to do some serious hunting as to where your new home is. I JUST saw the actual footage of the hurricane aftermath this afternoon. Apocalyptic  I was worried about you! I'm in Florida, it seems like there's a hurricane here every other week. I tend to forget how much devastation they can actually do when they hit directly. I'm so glad you're okay.

Oh, and I sympathize about the no power. My district lost ours for a while last year. I was only out for a couple of days but it was hellish in the heat and humidity. My neighbours were down for 8 days.

Kalika, you go girl!!!

Glad you're ok, and have power back.  We have had alot of evacuees here in town, and minus the price gougers, the city has really pulled together to help everyone who has been missplaced.  A little girl in my daughters' 1st grade class, has asked everyone who can donate to donate, and the class who raises the most money will get an icecream party.  It is so amazing to see people pull togther in times like these!!

If you need any more chainsaw help, just let me know, I will hop in my "mom" van, grab my hubby's chainsaw and help you out!!!

http://uploads.ungrounded.net/content.php?id=262703&name=262703_hurricanespecial.swf&title=Foamy%3A%20Hurricane%20Special&date=1125547200&quality=b&uj=0&w=550&h=400 - http://uploads.ungrounded.net/content.php?id=262703&name =262703_hurricanespecial.swf&title=Foamy%3A%20Hurricane% 20Special&date=1125547200&quality=b&uj=0&w=5 50&h=400

haha you all have to watch this.

Kalika, love the Avatar!!

Is that really how you feel???

This is such a terrible dissaster!

Kalika, im so glad you are okay.  Hows things at the moment?  Also, off topic, where did you get your aviator?

Best wishes,

xx

SOOOO Glad you are OK hun

ijust found this online

-- Breaking news from New Orleans

Search-and-rescue efforts in New Orleans are being abandoned as the devastated city plunges into violence and anarchy.

With thousands feared dead in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and the city's remaining residents told to evacuate, Mayor Ray Nagin has ordered virtually the entire police force to concentrate on catching armed mobs roaming the area.

The evacuation of 25,000 refugees from the Superdome was suspended after shots were fired at a military helicopter.

"We have suspended operations until they gain control of the Superdome,'' said Richard Zeuschlag, head of Acadian Ambulance which was handling the evacuation of sick and injured people from the stadium.

He said that the military had decided not to fly out of the Superdome either and that the National Guard told him that it was sending 100 military police officers to gain control.

"That's not enough,'' Mr Zeuschlag. "We need a thousand.''


He also said that during the night, when a medical evacuation helicopter tried to land at a hospital in the outlying town of Kenner, the pilot reported that 100 people were on the landing pad, some of them wielding guns, and decided to abort the mission.

About 10,000 National Guard troops in armoured cars were ordered to shore up security, rescue and relief operations along the hurricane-battered Gulf of Mexico coast.

"The truth is, a terrible tragedy like this brings out the best in most people, brings out the worst in some people,'' said Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour on NBC's Today programme.

Dozens of car-jackings were reported, including a nursing home bus and a truck carrying medical supplies for a hospital. Police officers said they had been shot at.








A man in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, is reported to have shot his sister dead in a row over a bag of ice.

Mr Nagin said New Orleans would not be functional for two or three months and that people would not be allowed back into their homes for at least a month.

Asked how many people died in the hurricane, Mr Nagin said: "Minimum, hundreds. Most likely, thousands.'' The death toll has already reached at least 110 in Mississippi.

Conditions in the Superdome were described as "horrendous". There was no air conditioning and the toilets were blocked.

The smell was so bad that medical workers wore masks as they walked around.

Around the city, looters used rubbish bins and inflatable mattresses to float away with food, clothes, TV sets and guns.

Outside one pharmacy, thieves commandeered a forklift and used it to push up the storm shutters and break through the glass.

The driver of a nursing home bus surrendered the vehicle to thugs after being threatened.

The federal government dispatched helicopters, warships and elite Navy Seal water-rescue teams in one of the biggest relief operations in US history, aimed at plucking residents from rooftops in the last of the "golden 72 hours'' rescuers say is crucial to saving lives.

As fires burned from broken natural gas mains, the skies above the city buzzed with National Guard and Coast Guard helicopters frantically dropping baskets on to roofs where victims had been stranded since the storm roared in with a 145mph fury on Monday.

Hundreds of people wandered up and down shattered Interstate 10 pushing shopping trolleys and laundry racks carrying their belongings.

On some of the few roads that were still open, people waved at passing cars with empty water jugs, begging for relief.

Most of the city's half a million population were evacuated before the hurricane struck but between 50,000 and 100,000 remained.

Mr Nagin said that 14,000 to 15,000 a day could be evacuated in convoys.

The floodwaters streamed into the city's streets from two levee breaks near Lake Pontchartrain a day after New Orleans thought it had escaped catastrophic damage from Katrina.

The floodwaters covered 80 per cent of the city, in some areas 20 feet deep, in a reddish-brown soup of sewage, petrol and rubbish.

Water levels between the city and Lake Pontchartrain have equalised and the Army Corps of Engineers planned to use helicopters to drop 15,000-pound bags of sand and stone into a large gap in the failed floodwall.

But the agency said it was having trouble getting the sandbags and to the site because the city's waterways were blocked with loose barges, boats and debris.

If the mayor's death-toll estimate holds true, it would make Katrina the worst natural disaster in the United States since at least the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire which killed more than 3,000.

Katrina would also be the nation's deadliest hurricane since 1900 when a storm in Galveston, Texas, killed between 6,000 and 12,000 people.

Longhairdreams wrote: I agree to an extent about the reporters.Its sad anyone would use this as a ratings ploy.But I saw that report where the woman interviewed the man who's wife was missing.She was just as distraught as he was.Plus you dont know they didnt help once the camera's were off.I saw lots of people get picked up.There are just so many people they cant get them all.Every boat was filled to capacity. And I totally agree about the gas situation.A week ago I was worried about gas.But after seeing whats going on down there I have put it out of mind.My husband is a gas station attendant,and had to actually put a sign on the door that says" I do not control gas prices,please do not yell at me".People here complain often about gas.But they forget how much worse it could be.Our gas here is $3.50. I heard down south its at $6.And I agree about everyone helping out.Its sad cause it does seem people arent really doing much.I wish I could do more.But I have $5 to my name right now.And the few cans of food will feed my son.It makes me feel good to hear nine countries(not sure which ones)have offered relief funds.That definitely renews my faith in people.

when i was over in the us, our prices over here are equivilent to $12 of your dollars i believe

Gas in Europe is always more expensive for some reason.

Kalika

so glad u are ok-

Gosh this is devastating, i cant even comprehend this even happened.

Purhaps- we can all take a moment of silence when we read this and pray for all the people-

Lord Will you help them? Bring relief. Bring comfort.

hey all, back again.

Yeah, New Orleans is totally f**ked.  Its martial law right now, and I heard a couple hours ago about 1/2 the police force quit because they couldnt controll the situation, all they have is pistols and looters got to the gun shops and have friggin ak-47s.  theyre trying to shoot down the helicoptors that are trying to rescue people.

I was at work tonight and the owner has (er...had) a sister club in New Orleans, he's worried sick about the girls, trying to make sure theyre all right and getting them to work here to make some money.  I feel bad that we have to turn away a lot of girls from the other clubs there, but he's trying to focus on his "family" and make sure they have enough money to eat.  He gave a girl $100 out of his own pocket to make sure she had gas money to get her mother whos in New Orleans out of there.

A lot of people say bad things about the kinds of clubs I work at, but I have NEVER met people who cared about their employees more.  I get along beautifully with all the managers and bosses there, and theyre willing to discuss anything with you.  Hell because they listened to people like me, theyre getting healthcare and sh*t in there.  They even hired someone JUST to take our cars to get gassed up because the lines are SO long and there are fistfights breaking out at the pumps, they want to make sure we're safe.  The owner and managers opened up their own homes to some of the girls who have no where else to go.  That says alot about "dirty strip clubs" huh?  Would blow some fundie christians mind.

Kalika wrote: hey all, back again. Yeah, New Orleans is totally f**ked.  Its martial law right now, and I heard a couple hours ago about 1/2 the police force quit because they couldnt controll the situation, all they have is pistols and looters got to the gun shops and have friggin ak-47s.  theyre trying to shoot down the helicoptors that are trying to rescue people. A lot of people say bad things about the kinds of clubs I work at, but I have NEVER met people who cared about their employees more.  I get along beautifully with all the managers and bosses there, and theyre willing to discuss anything with you.  Hell because they listened to people like me, theyre getting healthcare and sh*t in there.  They even hired someone JUST to take our cars to get gassed up because the lines are SO long and there are fistfights breaking out at the pumps, they want to make sure we're safe.  The owner and managers opened up their own homes to some of the girls who have no where else to go.  That says alot about "dirty strip clubs" huh?  Would blow some fundie christians mind.

Hi Kalika,

So glad you are OK.  Lots of refugees are pouring into Dallas and everyone is doing their best to help.  There are lines at the gas pumps here and the price of gas is skyrocketing.  Unfortunately some people are taking advantage with gouging on hotels and gas but for the most part it seems that people are trying to help.

I used to play keyboards in bands in a former life :-) and so I have a lot of muscian friends.  One of my friends used to work in the clubs and was always so complimentary about the management and how everyone had a family attitude and looked out for each other.  So what you say about where you work doesn't surprise me at all after what I have heard from my friend.  He used to work in strip clubs both in Wisconsin and Florida and said that they treated him and his band much better than just plain old bars where sometimes they didn't get paid.

Anyway...I am so glad you are OK. 

And yes...one of the magazines where I am friends with the editor is doing a special edition on Katrina even though this would not normally be even close to what they focus on publishing.  That makes me ill.  It is like the media just wants to make a quick buck off the suffering of others.  I could not believe that they were doing a "special Katrina" issue.  Just wait...the newstands will be full of them.

Kalika,

I agree that not all strip club owners are horrible people!  As I had mentioned before, I spent my college years working in strip clubs (5 long years....) as a dancer.  It was one of the best experiences in my life, certainly life changing in a positive way.

Over the course of my dancing 'career' I had probably worked at 5 different strip clubs.  The first few years I was trying to find out where I was happiest and made the most money, you know how it is...Anyway, I finally settled at one club in Reno, NV, and staff and owners were wonderful, caring people.  They often went way out of their way to help girls who were in trouble.  I felt like those people were my family. 

When I graduated from the University of Nevada with my bachelor's degree in marketing, the owners of the club actually came to the boring, long  graduation ceremony.  That actually meant more to me than my parents coming to the graduation. (parents have to come, strip club owners don't have too...)

The owners of the club found me after the ceremony and handed me a card with a very kind note saying what a wonderful person I was, how proud they were of me, and several hundred dollars as a graduation gift!

Anyway, the point is you can't judge a book by it's cover, and good, caring people sometimes pop up in the least expected places!

metalgirl wrote: I agree that not all strip club owners are horrible people!  As I had mentioned before, I spent my college years working in strip clubs (5 long years....) as a dancer.  It was one of the best experiences in my life, certainly life changing in a positive way. Anyway, the point is you can't judge a book by it's cover, and good, caring people sometimes pop up in the least expected places!

OMG!!!  Lisa! , I did that too!  I worked as a hair extension assistant in NYC until the owner who was a b*tch fired me cause I was pregnant.   I learned about the business b/c a lot of our clients were dancers and porn stars!

I actually enjoyed this 'wild' side of me!   I have met some really cool people in the adult entertainment industry and have learned a lot about it!  I really hate when others have a 'bad' opinion about the employees.

I dated a DJ and a really great guy in the club and he's from New Orleans!  I hope and pray he's okay.

Kalika, glad u r ok. My friends and i sent a care package to another online gf the other day. Is there anything besides ICE we can send out to u?

I like that cartoon. I know my dad went to costco and blew some big bux and dropped it off to be airlifted or something. My gf is matched at her co. so i am going to have her donate and i am going to give her the $$ so it does twice as good.

A girl might come up and move in with her, now not having anywhere to live.

It is just a tragedy. I hate to bring up 9/11, but... 9/11 really hurt this part of the country, CT... everyone was dismal around here... this is so much worse in my head... and it's not around here. all  i can do is donate. I am guessing we will need lots of blood, too.

It's horrible. Some kids on the side of my dad's street yesterday had a lemonade stand for Hurricane KAtrina and I forgot to stop back and give them money. What great parents to encourage their kids to do that. To learn at such a young age to be giving.

It's wretched, and I don't think it's going to be 'cleaned up' anytime soon.

My dad and I are in hopes that E V E R Y home improvent show will work it's way to the hurricane devastated area.

I was too young to remember Andrew, really. I remember the name, but... I don't remember the devastation. I don't think this devastation will leave me.

Kalika,

Glad you are okay! I've been watching the news casts daily about the situation down there, it is so unbelievable and sad.

I was on the freeway yesterday, and saw at least 50 army trucks rolling on their way to N.O.

People were honking and waving flags out the windows and yelling "thank you"