Panda Baby

This photo is from the National Zoo. He's so cute.

Hurricane Dogs

Anyone who's looking for a dog might want to consider a hurricane dog: Underdog Rescue

Salary Envy New York Magazine Survey

This New York magazine survey is a look at people's annual salaries.
On the list is 50 Cent, Tom Stewart, a Tower Records stock clerk, John Lennon, writer Malcolm Gladwell, Martha Stewart, Lori Lyons, a garbagewoman, and David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker magazine.
I've included a partial list below. It's not in any order. The list is interesting, funny and sad all at the same time.
Who Makes How Much

Sister Marie of the Precious Blood
$0
Cloistered nun

Flower
$150,000
Cocaine dealer, Lower East Side
($275 per one-eighth ounce)

50 Cent
$50 million
Rapper, hyphenate

Diddy
$36 million
Rapper, superhyphenate

The Strokes
$835,000
Rockers, Room on Fire (570,000 copies sold at roughly
$1.50 per album)

Wynton Marsalis
$796,012
Artistic director, Jazz at Lincoln Center

John Lennon
$21 million
Deceased singer-songwriter

Frank Sinatra
$5 million
Deceased singer-songwriter

Mark Ronson
$400,000
D.J.

Tom Stewart
$20,000
Tower Records clerk

Lorin Maazel
$1,909,155
Conductor, New York Philharmonic

Joseph Volpe
$713,000
General manager, Metropolitan Opera

Renée Fleming
$135,000
Mezzo-soprano, Metropolitan Opera
($15,000 per performance)

George M.
$16,800
Street musician, Astor Place subway station

Jennifer R.
$350,000
(last name withheld) First-year broker

Hector Norat
$42,196
Superintendent, 209 W. 97th St.

Books
Malcolm Gladwell
$1.5 million
Author, Blink
(advance, plus $250,000 New Yorker salary and $30,000 per speaking engagement)
James Dolan
$9.5 million
Chairman, CEO, and president, Cablevision

Edgar Bronfman Jr.
$6.3 million
CEO, Warner Music Group

David Neeleman
$286,971
Chairman and CEO, JetBlue Airways

John Thain
$4 million
CEO, New York Stock Exchange

Chelsea Clinton
$120,000
Consultant, McKinsey & Co.

Jake Gyllenhaal
$3 million
Actor, Jarhead

Maggie Gyllenhaal
$500,000
Actress, upcoming untitled Oliver Stone 9/11 film

Rosario Dawson
$1 million
Actress, Rent

Peter Sarsgaard
$750,000
Actor, Flight Plan

Sarah Jessica Parker
$38 million
Gap spokeswoman
(plus $1 million for the upcoming Failure to Launch)

Back On Track Care Packs

Another way to help the hurricane survivors, Back On Track Care Packs.
Here is the letter from the mom of four who started it:

Hurricane Katrina refugees are without and in need of our help. Perhaps you have already donated $$$ or offered your services in some way. However, many of us are unable to physically help.
Since the victims must be able to carry their belongings the idea of providing a backpack stuffed with necessities is our core goal. As a mother of four, I am particularly aware of the needs of families.
I am asking everyone who reads this to purchase a backpack (or donate a gently used one). Please fill this pack with any of the items on the FEMA approved list (see FILES).
Sample backpack

In addition, since my #1 concern is for the numerous children displaced by the storm, who are in strange places without any comfort items.
I am requesting you fill these care packs with a child in mind, from newborn to teen, and pregnant mothers, as well.
See FILES for my suggestions for EXTRAS specifically with children in mind.
FEMA's list has the basic necessities for survival, but let us not forget there are children affected.
Life should not be ONLY about survival for ANY CHILD IN THIS WORLD.
But for chances of birth & life any of our families or us could have been one of those uprooted by this natural disaster.
Please read the messages on this group page, as I have included many pertinent details and instructions. Also, see FILES for a copy of my original letter urging my friends and family to help out. READ THE LETTER COMPLETELY so you understand fully the Back on Track Care Packs Project. You may use it to forward to all of your friends and family.
Addresses and contact names will be listed under DATABASE.
This Page is constantly being updated and FILES added. Check back as needed, and feel free to e-mail me at anytime @ backontrackcarepacks@yahoo.com I will reply as soon as possible with answers and information.

The effort is part of the Big Mama's Church, which posts the addresses of where to send the backpacks.

Other distinct ways, dosomething.org, healthehood.com

Next up, earthquake

This from the Los Angeles Times:

U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones remembers attending an emergency training session in August 2001 with the
Federal Emergency Management Agency that discussed the three most likely catastrophes to strike the United States.

First on the list was a terrorist attack in New York. Second was a super-strength hurricane hitting New Orleans. Third was a major earthquake on the San Andreas fault.

Now that the first two have come to pass, she and other earthquake experts are using the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Katrina as an opportunity to reassess how California would handle a major temblor.

Read the rest here.

Hurricane Housing

Some Hurricane relief help and information links:
Red Cross
Hurricane Housing
Katrina Finder
Craigslist New Orleans
NOLA.com
Cadenhead.com
SciGuy
Nolablogs
Captains Quarters Blog
Weblogswork
FEMA
NPR
Survivors Connect
PETA