Dagmar wrote:
I wish there were a way to link to specific updates on Ill Will Press's site, but alas, there are none.

In any case, if you follow the above link, and then click on the Hurricane Karina update smack in the middle of the page, it'll take you to what I'm talking about.

Foamy the Squirrel is a character in a animated serial comic run on Ill Will Press whose antics primarily seem to focus around expressing distaste for the illogical way most humans go through life. He is basically what you get if you take an Angry Young Man, compress him down to squirrel size and put him in a grey fur suit, and then give him lots of caffiene. It's priceless stuff, really. :)

http://www.illwillpress.com/kat.html -- here's a link to the Hurricane Katrina update, it should work

Foamy... Several of my friends have told me that I speak like Foamy... Its 'ok'. They are still my friends. I don't have a problem with Foamy. I'm down with Foamy. I can tell he is closer to my neck of the sprawl than I am right now.. If that rabid squirrel shows his mug down at the shore, we could hang.

Now, to the point... This Foamy cartoon is a definite departure from the normal ranting we expect from our high strung pal. Within Foamy's heavily filtered voice, I very clearly hear something not present in his other rants: True genuine concern. Go Foamy.

After watching this, I actually took the time to seriously sit and ponder the obvious question that follows Foamy's rant. How can I help? Its a hard question to answer. I don't have money to toss at the problem, and I question the effectiveness of that unless I can target it anyway. I can't head down there right now, and if I could I'm not sure what I would be able to accomplish. All the things I can come up with are long term results of things I'm already working on and it amounts to a copout. I'm being challenged by a flash squirrel, damnit. Good job Foamy.

Before this disaster is over, I will find some way to help those affected by it. It didn't take Foamy to push me to that conclusion, it had already happened, but I'm adding him retroactively to my list of premises.

While we are at it, take in Anne Rice's take on the situation, via the New York Times.

Foamy the Squirrel vs. New Orleans Disaster

I find foamy's acidic commentary to be right on the ball. News isn't entertainment. News is news. Crazy hindenberg guy couldn't do anything because he couldn't do anything... soledad o'brien and all those other douche bags should be helping more. I should be helping more. Everyone should be helping.

Throw political bombs later. Right now throw out your back carrying supplies and food.

--timball