How you can help those that have been flooded out.

First an anatomy of the Great Floods of 2008, in my untrained, but observant, view.  The Floods began around Thanksgiving of 2007.  How is this??  Quite easy, that's the first snow fall we had in my part of the world.  For the next three months there was measurable snow fall every other day to every third day and snow continued into March.  In Cedar Rapids, the airport (the official measuring location and well to the south of town) measured around 63 to 64 inches of snow for the season.  

In a 'normal' year there would be between 30 and 35 inches of snow and there would be a significant January Thaw.  However, this year, the thaw didn't really occur.  We did have a brief thaw, but not a 'real' one.  Normally, at least half of the snow would melt off during the January Thaw.  Then Spring came.  And its rains.  It rained darn near every day in the months of April and May (or at least it seemed that way).

My photos of the flooding:
http://good-times.webshots.com/...

Read on....

This year was the first time that I've gotten so 'involved' in the political system and I've been eligible to vote since 1983.  There are many reasons for having not been involved before and becoming so now.  First and foremost was utter disgust and contempt of the current administration.  I'll leave the rest to myself.

I live in Linn County Iowa, so I can speak only of Linn County.  I volunteered to be an alternate delegate to the County Convention for Edwards.  I got a postcard late last week reminding me of the convention today.  I may have even gotten some phone calls, but my message on my answering machine is a generic recording and the caller wasn't sure they had the right number.  I was there by 8.10am.

This morning's news stated that Senator Grassely(R) of Iowa has removed the $50 million dollar grant to some dipsh!ts here in Iowa for an asinine idea of an indoor rainforest in this years' budget.

This thing has been controversial from the getgo, even here in Iowa.  It shows in that the idiots haven't been able to get anyone in the state to match, in contributions, the Federal grant.  The 'group' that proposed this idea have become obtuse in their demands from the location that they originally wished to build this.  

At first it was to be in Iowa City, but IC wouldn't go along with some of the groups' changing ideas and demands.  So, the group, in its infinite wisdom, decided to get all pissy about it and held a 'contest' for a new location.  Some other town was foolish enough to say that they'd cough up some serious money for this thing.  Can't remember which one, but who cares?  I sincerely hope that this removal of the grant from the Federal budget will finally kill this stupid thing once and for all!!