The Salvation Army is a great organization. We donate repaired band instruments that we don`t want to replate to them. They give us a report on every instrument and the person`s story and sometimes even a letter from the new player....and some of these guys can really play!

As for Katrina, what a nightmare for so many people. My 26 yr old step just daughter graduated from Tulane with her Masters on August 6. She lives in the heart of NO but got out to wonderful Georgia before the storm. Everyone has been absolutely great to her. Not being the best planner in the world, she left with her notebook PC and two days worth of clothes. Everything else she has is under water. I college apt worth of junk is not such a loss, except to her. She was to start her new job as an assistant lab mgr. to the LA State Health Services Dept on Monday -- probably not gonna happen now. She spent 3 years in the Peace Corps in Africa and thinks the devastation is worse here on the Gulf coast than there. Oh well, she will be fine. She just doesn`t know it.

I believe anything anyone can do to help the victims will be greatly apprecaited. It will be a mess for months.

John