Now, with apologies to Barbara Bush, I will have to continue in my insistence that the Houston Astrodome is NOT a good place for evacuees to be.

You see, I have lived in homeless shelters. She hasn't. I know many of the dynamics involved. She doesn't. And I assumed that many of those dynamics would carry over into the Astrodome, but reserved saying so because I KNEW the backlash that would come out on this site ("You're a racist! Accusing those blacks of committing theft and violence with no proof!"). But the simple fact remains that people of ANY color tend to lose their civility when put in pressure cooker situations such as those the Houston Astrodome provides. The black skin of many of the residents does not make them any MORE prone to violence, but it doesn't make them any LESS so either. You see, violence is an immature response to stress.

So, anyway, back to topic. I was doing a little freelance reading and came across this firsthand report on the internet (Link ). Note, please, that this source is not a radical left wing or right wing news organization, but a local paper, doing a story on the family that's relocated.

Here is an excerpt of their personal, FIRSTHAND experience at the Astrodome (once again, sorry, babs):

At the Astrodome the Parkers enjoyed their first hot shower in days, along with a decent meal, but life was anything but easy. "There was newborns crying because they was hungry," said Ida Mae. "They was trying to get newborns to drink straight from a bottle with no nipple."

"You had to sleep sitting up or they'd steal your stuff," added Ramona. "You couldn't even go to the bathroom by yourself. We stayed close. There was police, troopers, National Guard everywhere and it was still going on."

"Old men were fist-fighting over food," Earl said, adding that authorities reacted swiftly to most acts of violence, though their presence appeared to have little influence on the numerous thugs marauding around the facility.

And here we are, a million stars, no waiting, in the Panhandle. DEFINITELY a potentially better experience, I'd say!