In addition to Catholic Charities, I have now donated the American Kennel Club's Canine Relief Fund, the American Red Cross, and the Salvation Army.

I plan to give more.

New Orleans is a festering squalid mess -- a total disaster, which is getting worse fast. If you think it's bad now, just wait until another week. I fear that the country might implode emotionally, because there'd already been so much blaming of everyone for almost everything that there wasn't any room for more -- and then this.

People are unable to tolerate situations where there isn't an enemy or a scapegoat, and I fear that they may turn on each other. I hope this doesn't spark unrest in other cities, but I fear that's a possibility. A nasty incident -- possibly people being shot, possibly a riot at one of the "bowls" -- might set something off, and all the demagogues stand ready and waiting to exploit it.

What this means is that the more money there is, the better things will be. Any amount of money each and every one of you readers can give, please give. It is a dire emergency. I've never had a tip jar, but if there is anyone who might have entertained the slightest thought of tipping me if I had, please give to charity now.

It's too bad it's all we can do, and it isn't enough.

AFTERTHOUGHT: One of the biggest problems with the refugees from this flood is that so many of them were unemployed, retired, disabled, living on fixed incomes, living in subsidized housing, or living on various forms of public assistance. What this means is that the question is more complicated than one of simply "getting them back on their feet." (It might not be possible to get people back on their feet who weren't fully on their feet in the first place.) Conventional economic models might not apply.

It will mean more money.