Trucks down at our local WalMart are there to be loaded with supplies for those on the Gulf Coast.
They said Americans were filling Walmart trucks up all across America so teeners, help fill em up. Better late than never.

At our house, we did the maximum as what we could afford to be loaded up at WalMart but could have spent the dollars at any place and took supplies suggested to the trucks. We felt wonderful because someone would benefit, maybe live, even with what we could do.

Do something and do it now, not tomorrow but immediately. Yesterday may not have been soon enough.

Fuel prices seem to be stable at $3.39 for 87 octane at the local Kroger. Weird they were out of 89 octane and premium for the last 4 days but have ONLY premium grade NOW for $3.69. Same at other stations all thru the area we rode going to the WalMart truck to be loaded.

Trucks can't roll till there is stable power.
Latest news is no power Gautier nor Pascagoula. Maybe by Monday in scattered areas.
But speaking for the people who are now there with nothing and lacking the ability to tell you

THANKS 914 owners rock!!!!!!!

Joe, Hope you all are doing well. No thanks is EVER necessary.

We hope ALL Americans are doing whatever they can to make life better for all of you along that coast.
I also hope that others realize there are animals needing food too. Not just a few pets. We didn't forget.

Saw and spoke to a man from Ocean Springs MS there at WalMart. A real Southern gentleman. Had his dog with him. He was headed farther north as he said the deluge of people here will make it harder for him to find affordable housing and work even though he looked like he retired long, long time ago. He wouldn't take anything we offered to him for gasoline needs nor to come to our home for a while. His appearance was healthy but tired. Very proud person.

Joe, help is on the way. I know it is slow, but I am listening just now to the special report on MSNBC. Just so you might now, we are all praying, and this Sunday we are taking a special offering for the relief fund of UMCOR (United Methodist Commitee On Relief), the church I serve is a collection point for Flood Buckets, Health Kits, diapers, and other needs, and UMCOR is sending relief workers to coordinate the efforts of the volunteers that will be there as soon as cleanup and restoration will begin. We know what you all are going through (I lived just outside of Raleigh, NC when Floyd went through, and were 19 miles from the center of the storm as it roared through) and you and all are in our prayers. If there is anything I can do, let me know. Oh yeah, and by the way, a brother Mason and I are headed down the first of the week with a load of bottled water donated by the local lodges.

Yours in Christ,
pastor david

Let me get this right. Walmart supplies the trucks, WE fill 'em with stuff we've purchased from them? 4 members of the Walton family weighed in in the top 10 list of US billionaires at $18 B EACH, for a total of $72 BILLION net worth. Money they made selling stuff to YOU! (Not me, 'cause I won't shop there.) They LIVE right next to the area devastated by the storm! What's the matter with THEM filling the trucks themselves? ANY ONE OF THEM could have afforded to fund the plan to prevent damage like this, formulated by a large interdisciplinary group of experts in 1998 (a plan called "Coast 2050"), projected to cost $14 B over a decade. Read the article at

The Cap'n, enraged at the BALLS of Walmart

QUOTE (Cap'n Krusty @ Sep 2 2005, 04:13 PM)

Let me get this right. Walmart supplies the trucks, WE fill 'em with stuff we've purchased from them? 4 members of the Walton family weighed in in the top 10 list of US billionaires at $18 B EACH, for a total of $72 BILLION net worth. Money they made selling stuff to YOU! (Not me, 'cause I won't shop there.) They LIVE right next to the area devastated by the storm! What's the matter with THEM filling the trucks themselves? ANY ONE OF THEM could have afforded to fund the plan to prevent damage like this, formulated by a large interdisciplinary group of experts in 1998 (a plan called "Coast 2050"), projected to cost $14 B over a decade. Read the article at <http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/02/opinion/02fischetti.html> The Cap'n, enraged at the BALLS of Walmart

WALMART SUCKS !

True, it's corporate owned, but the major stockholders are the Walton family, IRRC, and THEY make the kind of decisions we have here. If Bill Gates can give away 25% of HIS net worth to good causes last year, where are the Waltons? Compared to 25% of their net worth ($18 , the trucking is chump change. Remember, THESE people, the most needy, the less-than-affluent man and woman in the street (literally), are their customers, the ones who made them rich.

In response to your personal question, I'm there through my church, which I feel is a better way to go than the Red Cross.

Here's an(other) interesting quote from a VERY rich and powerful man, the one we elected to run our country and watch after our interests:

"In Biolxi, Bush met two weeping women on a street where a house had collapsed and towering trees were stripped of their branches. "My son needs clothes," said Bronwynne Bassier, 23, clutching several trash bags. "I don't have anything."

"I understand that," Bush said. He kissed both women on their heads and walked with his arms around them, telling them they could get help from the Salvation Army. "Hang in there," he said." (Los Angeles Times, today)

The Cap'n

QUOTE (Cap'n Krusty @ Sep 2 2005, 06:06 PM)

True, it's corporate owned, but the major stockholders are the Walton family, IRRC, and THEY make the kind of decisions we have here. If Bill Gates can give away 25% of HIS net worth to good causes last year, where are the Waltons? Compared to 25% of their net worth ($18 , the trucking is chump change. Remember, THESE people, the most needy, the less-than-affluent man and woman in the street (literally), are their customers, the ones who made them rich. In response to your personal question, I'm there through my church, which I feel is a better way to go than the Red Cross. Here's an(other) interesting quote from a VERY rich and powerful man, the one we elected to run our country and watch after our interests: "In Biolxi, Bush met two weeping women on a street where a house had collapsed and towering trees were stripped of their branches. "My son needs clothes," said Bronwynne Bassier, 23, clutching several trash bags. "I don't have anything." "I understand that," Bush said. He kissed both women on their heads and walked with his arms around them, telling them they could get help from the Salvation Army. "Hang in there," he said." (Los Angeles Times, today) The Cap'n

DAMN FUCKIN' RIGHT.

Walmart has done nothing but feed on the bottom of the economic food chain... while those people who you call the "rich", the Walton's got nothing but richer.

They beat up thier suppliers with a vengence, pay thier "ASSOCIATES" jack freakin squat and tout to every Sam, Dick and Harry that they are the common man's store.

BULL FUCKIN SHIT. Just because they put a few trucks on the road doesn't make 'em any better than all the other pitching in, like Anheiser Busch, Yellow Freight and the rest.

Put your freakin money were your mouth is

Oh and BTW...I'm sure that this will end up in one of thier commercials soon. "We the great State of Walmart helped over XXX people when hurricane Katrina hit". ASSHOLES

Old Sam must rollin' over in his grave

My post was written to explain that trucks were there at WalMart waiting to be loaded with nourishment and other items that people bring there. I also said you could buy it anywhere you wanted and take it to the truck because they are delivering from all over the country.

Personally I have no qualms with them, WalMart, getting it down there for me and others here in Memphis since I and others can't really afford the money for price gouging gas. Better to have it a community thing anyhow. So far 6 trucks have been filled.

Just remember. When you see the death toll climbing daily, including babies and young children, all this damn ranting ain't helping those hungry and thristy souls.

The Walton family has the same right as the other people in this country to select how they spend their charity and worthy cause donations I am certain. Not all rich people like to discuss their contributions like others.

If you don't want to drop off stuff at a WalMart or other names you puke on. that is fine but I'll say this, when you give help to those who really need help, it feels damn good. They need food now so do it any way that will get it there ASAP.

Mississippi state map. A very good one for anyone who is interested in following where all this occured in Mississippi. They are free to download and use as well as maps of all the counties and most cities there.
The map format is PDF.

http://www.mdot.state.ms.us/maps/map_online.htm

Know of any other links that give free download state maps?

Wallmart is doing something to help. Who the hell are we to decide if it's enough or not enough?
Just because they have alot more money than us that gives us the right to pass judgement on them?
i think not.
I could jump on a high horse and say that anyone who has a small business should contribute one month's income and if they don't then they are bad people. how would that sound, Mr. small business owner? it would sound like a bad idea. Real bad.

i guess the fact that wallmart provides jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans means nothing. many are people with very little education and few opportunities other than wallmart. If they are working, that means we don't have to support them as much. Less unemployment, less welfare, less food stamps, less government handouts. That is a goooooood thing. Thank you, wallmart.

By keeping prices down they not only have a positive effect on inflation, they also improve the standard of living for Americans, even if it is in a small way.
The Wallmart family has done more to contribute to the well-being of this country than anyone on this board.
I shop there. Their prices are very good. I like that.
If mom and pop can't compete then so be it.
If everyone cared more about mom and pop than about saving money, wallmart would be out of business. But saving money is important to people, that is why wallmart is so sucessful.

Anyone who bitches and says they don't wan't a wallmart built in their town is trying to decide what choices others can or can't have and they have no right to dicate that.

QUOTE (gregrobbins @ Sep 3 2005, 03:06 PM)

A couple people here dumped pretty hard on Walmart. Here is a quote from Walmart's home page. Seem like a good corporate citizen to me. $17,000,000 is a serious commitment. What other corporation is doing as much or more? QUOTE Wal-Mart has committed $15 million in cash to the relief effort, plus $1 million in cash donated to the Salvation Army by Wal-Mart to help them with activities such as providing 400,000 meals per day and portable showers and $1 million in cash donated to the American Red Cross by Wal-Mart, which will help them continue to run shelters and provide relief

A start, but a drop in the bucket compared to the net worth of the "gang of 4", Sams heirs, who are worth $18 BILLION apiece, all made from the sweat of the very people who most need the help. $17 million from the world's largest retailer also looks kinda puny when the total donations JUST TO THE RED CROSS are already at $200 million. Sorry, I don't see much other than public pressure and maybe (or probably?) a chance to brag about it later. And not much later, either.

The Cap'n, a cynic deep in hisownheart..............

I think that the point has really been lost on this post. Wal-Mart is doing something and asking if you want to send something while they're on the way.

I just bought $300 worth of supplies and gave them to my brother-in-law this morning. He drove 100 miles up from Columbia, MS. He had 4-25 gallon cans in the back of his truck to try and fill up with gas so his wife and another nurse could get to the hospital every day. I was only able to put a 2 1/2 gallon can that I had in his gas tank so he could try to find gas up in north Mississippi another 100-150 miles further away from his home.

He didn't lose anything except his power, water, and phone. These are estimated to be at LEAST 6 weeks away. He is a heavy equipment contractor with a bulldozer, backhoe, trackhoe, front end loader, and dump truck. He doesn't have any diesel fuel to run these and nobody local has the money to pay for work anyway. His bills are still coming in. My sister-in-law works at Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg. That is a 60 mile drive from home.

He handed me a blank check to cover the supplies. I told him to hang on, that he would need a receipt to get it logged in the check book. I went inside while he was loading the truck, wrote "I love y'all. Don't worry about it." on the check, put it in an envelope and took it back out to him.

My sister-in-law called after he had gotten home 12 hours later (I don't know how far he had to go to find gas, or how long he had to wait in line) and tried to thank me as she was crying. And these people are among the least effected of the victims of this hurricane. They haven't lost everything YET.

Who gives a shit what Wal-Mart is or isn't doing! Try to keep focus. The initial post was to offer each person here a chance to get involved if they were so inclined. Apparently some were only inclined to BITCH!

I'm off my soapbox now, this one is just a little too close to home.

BTW, I'd like to thank everyone who has done ANYTHING to help the hurricane victims. I can assure you that they appreciate every little thing they are able to get. If I could find some gas I would fill up and head that way with more supplies. We are currently putting supplies together for about 25 families we know through my old employer. They worked department stores on the Gulf Coast. Most have lost EVERYTHING. One wonderful woman there has a 4 year old baby girl with Down's Syndrome and absolutely nothing else. I was overwhelmed trying to figure out where to start. What do you give someone who has absolutely nothing? ANYTHING!

Others wrote their opinions and we must contend with them. Is is very hard to understand how anyone can swing on a hate filled tangent admonishing others who, for the record, helps other Americans when they really need help.
People who care about other people is why many countries still consider us the ambassadors of the world. These people along the coast and many miles inland are our neighbors and friends even though they live many miles away.

Rants are expected in many things that piss people off. I know because I often rant about things important enough to me to make me sound off very often. Especially when it involves the elderly people's small retirement income. Read the oil threads and you'll see what I mean.

Now how can a big name company who is giving help to many others to accomplish an impossible delivery thing for a bunch of citizens cause steam around the collar, I'll never understand.

I have lost my own admiration for some 914 people because of these times.

QUOTE

I have lost my own admiration for some 914 people because of these times.

I spoke to my brother-in-law again today. He drove 197 miles (394 miles round trip) to Greenwood, MS to find gas. They had a $50 limit, but seeing his truck full of supplies and the county on his license plate, the attendant pumped $400 worth of gas into his cans and truck.

A friend of mine in Bogue Chitto, just south of Brookhaven, MS shot and killed a looter in his house yesterday. Things are continuing to deteriorate in the area even as power and water are slowly being restored.

MHARRISON IS MY NEW HERO
I have been told that my house and my mother inlaw's house have made it through the storm with minimal damage.
I am bringing everything I possibly can tow home. I will make sure it goes to the people need it most personally.

I don't make millions of dollars Hell I am broke most of the time also. But I am fortunate in more ways. like healthy family and strong arms and legs.

But if you LOOT my house I will beat you and feed you to my dogs.

Going down Friday to help. Look for the red 914. I cant bring too much food..


BB