Collideoscope

Posted by: David Bunch

The baseball world is a-buzz over this weekend's Major League action. A lot is riding on who wins what, including at least one division title and several playoff spots. Because I am both a neophyte and amateur baseball fan, I asked Brad to explain to me exactly what all the hubbub was about.

Help me understand this weekend's baseball drama. Are Boston and Yankees playing for the title or for a playoff spot, or both? What I'm reading in the sports seems to indicate both, so does that mean you have to win a title to go to the playoffs?

(For those of you who are professional fans of the sport, I beg your pardon for asking what could be construed as a rookie question).

There are three divisions in each league (American League and National League). The playoffs take the three division winners and a wild card team, so there are four teams in the playoffs in each league. The wild card team is simply the team with the best record that didn't win their division.

The Yankees and Red Sox are both in the AL East, so whichever team wins that division is guaranteed a playoff spot. If the Yankees win, Boston could still make the playoffs with the wild card bid, but they have the same record as Cleveland right now, so that's still up for grabs, too. Over in the National League, the division winners have already been determined, but the wild card is still undecided. my 'Stros are hanging on to a 2 game lead over the Phillies, so if Houston wins 2 out of 3 this weekend, they are in no matter what Philly does.

For those of you who would like to see this in visual format, check out espn.com.

Posted by: David Bunch

Be sure to check the continuously updated blog about PCs at GC being held sorta close to DC.

Also, I had a breaking news, inside scoop picture of the Apostolic Church in Cameron, LA. While I was verifying my source, I found that LeAnn already posted a link to the pic on her blog. Check it out here. Another Louisiana Parish and church devastated by a storm.

I had a chance to drive west down I 10 from Baton Rouge to Lafayette yesterday, and that part of the state has been spared. As I saw the sun coming up over the Atchafalaya Swamp I felt so thankful that there was a part of South Louisiana that looked like it should. They tell me that the damage begins in Jennings, LA, which is about 30 miles further west past Lafayette. From what I understand, Lake Charles is unimaginable.

Sports related hint: The college basketball season is getting ready to begin soon. Get ready.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

It was the best of times...

It was possibly the most exciting half in the history of LSU football.

The first half of LSU's game versus Tennessee was exactly what Tiger fans needed. From the first note of the Tiger Band's famed pregame anthem, until the whistle blew for halftime, the night was following a perfect script for the Bayou Boys. After the most distressing month in Louisiana history, we finally had something to cheer about. It was an emotional release for everyone there. LSU's defense matched the fans intensity, leading the Tigers to a 21-0 lead at halftime.

It was the worst of times...

It was, without any doubt, the most deflating half in the history of LSU football.

The unbelievable happened. The coaching got conservative, the players got tired, and Tennessee got fired up. Two more quarters and an overtime later and Tennessee was celebrating a 30-27 victory, sending 90,000 stunned fans quietly home.

For the second straight game, LSU's new coaching staff showed an inability to adjust. But, boy, did the Vols adjust. I'm beginning to realize how big of a difference there is in the Nick Sabans of the college ranks and the rest of the coaches. Unfortunately, the difference looks huge.

So much for the lucky underdrawers...

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Monday Night in Tiger Stadium. Eesh...just doesn't have the same ring to it as Saturday Night in Tiger Stadium, but alas, that's what it'll be as LSU takes in Tennessee tonight in a game Rita postponed from Saturday.

So, break out your fanny packs and lucky underdrawers, it's tiiime for some football! LSU fans have been starving for football since we've already been snookered out of two homes games by hurricanes, so we'll take anything at this point. I've heard people say this game shouldn't happen due to Rita's damage and even heard a caller on a talk show suggest that the whole season should be canceled. While I respect the needs of hurricane victims, I think that idea is quite nonsensical. I believe this is an important step in getting back to normal around here. (It also helps my conscious that there are still no deaths caused directly by Rita, although I know many people are out of house and home.)

Aside from all that, it should be quite a game. The Vols come into the game ranked 10th, after falling to Florida last week. LSU is ranked 4th now, even though there are still a lot of questions about this team that the Arizona State game didn't answer. A lot more will be known about this team after tonight, though, so let's play ball!

Geaux Tigers!

Posted by: David Bunch

The Americans held on to win The President's Cup golf tournament today. Though I did not get a chance to watch any of the action, it sounds like it was quite an exciting tournament. I'm glad these pros were able to win one for Captain Jack.

Posted by: David Bunch

Please check in often this week for Ninety and Nine's live blog from General Conference. Due to the constraints of my laptop computer and the coffee shop's network, I am not able to copy and paste the link. However, if you will go to www.ninetyandnine.com, you will see the link to the blog right at the top.

I believe CC's Coffee House is a regional chain, but if you are ever tempted to wander down to the South and visit one of these said coffee shops to do some serious studying (or blogging), please consider yourself warned. It is extremely noisy (as no good coffee shop should be). In fact, my wife just looked up from the stack of papers she is grading and asked me to please put something in the blog about how the noise in this place is roughly equal to that experienced when flying....that is, if you are sitting directly in the back of the plane by the engine! Arggg...the barista just slammed the lid on a blender and for a moment I thought that a window had blown out. And boy does that blender do some damage. Is she trying to blend a wild animal in that thing?

Heee heee....my wife just caught two students who cheated. They are the only two A's on the test and they sit right in front of/behind each other. Oh to be in 5th grade again.

Posted by: David Bunch

I'm back in place. First let me say thanks to both readers who inquired as to my whereabouts. I humbly apologize for not checking in over the last several days. I do have excuses. In fact, today Brad and I and our lovely ladies had a little "working lunch" and, surprisingly, Brad actually seemed to buy in to all of my reasons for not upholding the high standards here at the Bench Warmer. Without boring you too much, reason numero uno for not checking in is that the Bunch family recently relocated to a new Bunchienda, and we will not have an internet connection until October 6th because of all of the repair work due to the hurricanes (I've ducked into a coffee shop on the way to church to write this evening). That leaves me to my secondary internet connection at work and reason numero two-o. Work was closed due to the hurricane (okay only Friday, but still).

So you see, the hurricanes are really the culprit here.

A heartfelt prayer and thought of Godspeed to all of those affected by Hurricane Rita. Beaumont, Port Arthur, Lake Charles and other points along the coast are really hurting today, and we want all of you to know that we care. New Orleans got a lot of attention during the last one because of the large population, but these folks are in no less pain.

Around Baton Rouge, things are pretty much back to normal. I had to cancel my golf tournament plans for tomorrow and LSU football fans did not get their Saturday night in Tiger Stadium, but clearly these are minor inconveniences and we consider ourselves blessed.

In reading through today's newspaper, I noted that the LSU theater department is going to be performing Shakespeare's The Tempest in the next couple of weeks. At first glance I found myself getting excited about the possibility of a little diversion from all of the madness of late, but....The Tempest??? The Tempest??? Does anyone see the irony here?

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

It seems like I've been reporting more about hurricanes than sports here lately. I'm going to change our name from The Bench Warmer(s) to The Hurricane Watcher(s).

Just as the nightmares from Katrina had started to subside, Rita decides to come along, bringing more calamity to the Gulf Coast region. Some highlights (lowlights?) from Rita's arrival:

• New Orleans is back under water due to breaches/breaks/overtopping of levees.
• Several areas in Vermilion Parish in Southwestern Louisiana are under 8 to 10 feet of water and many people are trapped, just like in New Orleans after Katrina.
• Oil refineries around Houston did not suffer too much damage, but other locations weren't as fortunate. Wonder what'll happen to gas prices.
• Buildings in downtown Galveston caught fire during the storm and with winds of 70 mph, firefighters and emergency workers were helpless to stop the flames.
• Fortunately, so far, no casualties have been reported.

Here in Baton Rouge, we had tropical storm force winds again, knocking out a lot of power. The electricity at my house kept blinking until around midnight last night, when it could not fight against the dieing of the light any longer and gave up the ghost. Luckily for me, power came back on earlier today, unlike the days after Katrina, when it was out for five days.

Us LSU fans have been forced to wait a couple of more days before we get to see our boys play in Tiger Stadium. The game was postponed until Monday because of Rita.

I think I'm moving to Montana. They don't have hurricanes there, do they?

Baseball
For those of you wondering, my 'Stros have a two game lead over the pesky Phillies in the Wild Card race. That's a little too close for comfort for me, especially with the Mighty Cardinals coming to town for a couple of games.

Meanwhile, the Yankees pulled off a seven game winning streak to pull even with the Red Sox in the AL East. These two teams play each other in the final series of the year next weekend. Think there won't be drama there?

Until next time...!

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

It's refreshing to see how many professional athletes have stepped up to help in the aftermath of Katrina. Warrick Dunn, who I've mentioned in this blog before as being an all-around great guy, immediately began coercing NFL players to give at least $2,500 each. Many past and present players answered phones last night during Monday Night Football to take pledges for Katrina relief.

There's really been so many professional athletes helping that it's hard to mention everyone. Peter King outlines a few more stories here:

I think I need to give kudos to those -- and I know I'll forget many -- who've been so generous with their money and time in the last couple of weeks for the hurricane and flood relief. Forgot to mention this last week, but I was sitting in Baltimore VP of public relations Kevin Byrne's office the day before the Ravens-Colts game when David Modell, the former owner's son, called to say he was matching the players' collected contributions of $165,000. I realize he's got more money than most of us will ever sniff, but it's a heck of a gesture anyway. The Ravens ended up giving more than $1 million between players and owners, and they're not done. ... Last week, on his day off, LaVar Arrington and wife Trisha took 150 Katrina evacuees staying at the D.C. Armory to a Wal-Mart and gave each of them a $200 gift card. ... Brett Favre sending 37 -- thirty-seven! -- tractor-trailers of aid and supplies to Mississippi. ... Tiki Barber donating a minimum of $10,000, depending on his stats tonight. ... Jets center Kevin Mawae spearheading a Saturday collection drive to load trucks on Long Island with aid for Louisiana. I know I'm a cornball and I know I'm missing hundreds of similar gestures, but I thought these efforts were notable in their spur-of-the-moment generosity.

Posted by: David Bunch

The golf world continues to pay tribute to Jack Nicklaus as he makes the tourney rounds for the last time.

This has been a year of farewells for Nicklaus, who played his final Masters in
April and ended his incomparable major championship career at the British Open.
His final act this year is to lead the U.S. team at the Presidents Cup.

Several players share their memories of Nicklaus in the article.

In the weeks leading up to the Sept. 22-25 matches, his 12 players shared
their favorite memories of Nicklaus, which invariably involve his children, his
presence and a surprising ability to talk smack:

``The whole day, Jack was needling me. If I hit a bad shot, left a putt
short, whatever. He'd say, 'Yeah, my mother would have done it like that.'

This reminds me of a poem. Actually, it's a haiku and I just made it up so I guess I should say it reminds me of a poem that I'm about to write. How's this?

The gentleman called Jack talks smack;
Trembling opponents waive goodbye

This whole thing really strikes me as funny because I think of golf as a gentleman's sport. I mean, in golf lessons as a kid they spent quite a lot of time on golf etiquette. Of course, part of that was so that some hyper active kid (me) didn't give the golf pro a 9 iron to the knee, but the underlying message was that golf started as a high society rich man's game in Scotland, and for crying out loud a bunch of 13 year old American kids weren't going to ruin it for everyone.

So here's Nicklaus secretly muttering insults to his opponents under his breath! I guess this proves you can be a champ, a gentleman, and an intimidator all at once.

I'll be appearing in my first golf tournament next week, so I'll be sure to remember this. When the going get's tough, the tough shout insults!

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Generally, the only thing I watch on TV is sports, but my girlfriend would say that even that is too much, especially during football season where I generally spend hours every Sunday watching football. This guy has me smoked, though! 69 straight hours in front of a TV set. Wow.

Suresh Joachim broke the Guinness world record for the longest time spent watching TV. He finished Friday with 69 hours and 48 minutes.

After passing the previous record of 50 hours and 7 minutes Thursday, Joachim continued until shortly after 7 a.m. Friday morning (EDT).

Joachim did his TV viewing in the lobby of WABC-TV as part of the "Guinness World Record Breaker Week" on the syndicated "Live With Regis and Kelly."

It appears that Suresh is a professional record breaker, but at least he does it for a good cause.

Joachim, who lives in Toronto but hails from Sri Lanka, now holds more than 16 Guinness records, including the longest duration balancing on one foot (76 hours, 40 minutes) and bowling for 100 hours. He does it, he says, to raise awareness of suffering children.

Posted by: David Bunch

Let's not forget about our animal friends who were affected by Hurricane Katrina. Seems that there are 8 Dolphins at large in the Gulf of Mexico, and they are looking for a ride back home to Gulfport, MS.

The dolphins were spotted while swimming near the Port of Gulfport on
Saturday by scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
conducting an aerial survey to assess hurricane damages to natural resources,
the agency said.

What I want to know is, how can they be sure that these are the missing ones?

"Once we realized the dolphins had been swept out to sea during the
hurricane, we feared that they had died," Solangi said. "We are just thrilled
that they have stayed together during the past couple of weeks."

Ah, so that's it. Somewhere along the way the little guys were taught that should they ever get lost they should be sure to stay together.

"Some of the dolphins are trained so they're trying to get those dolphins
to swim up onto mats," she said. "If that is not successful, they may have to
use a net."

I just hope they don't try to entice them with candy. Bet they know better than to take candy from strangers.

Posted by: David Bunch

Here is an amazing story about a Pentecostal preacher named Michael Trosclair who was able to rescue hundreds of people in St. Bernard Parish who were left stranded in the wake of the hurricane.

At the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, Trosclair launched his boat into the dark waters, traversed its hazardous channels, and began searching for a passage into the backwaters and hopefully to where he was certain many lives still hung in the balance. The waters were still high and that made all the landmarks seem
strange. Piloting his craft under ruined railroad trestles and the remains of the bridge that had once been Interstate 10, he forged deeper into the menacing swampland.

While the government was trying to ascertain the need, Rev. Michael
Trosclair was following his heart toward the point of need. He became their only
source of supplies and outside help. “I told them I’m not acting under parish
law or the state law. I’m working under the Good Samaritan Law,” he told officials. As best as he can count, he is responsible for the salvation of over 600 lives.

“I was going to do everything in my power. They were going to have to shoot me to stop me from going in there,” Trosclair said. “That’s how dedicated I was to this cause.” Once again, God had chosen to use a fisherman turned preacher to save souls.

Be sure to read the entire report at the CSI Website.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

If you're a football fan, you're probably familiar with the Chicago Bears and their struggle to find a decent quarterback in the last, oh, decade or so. Check out David Fleming's hilarious take as he expounds on their predicament. He even breaks out some begats...

Now, you might want to start in 1993 when Jim Harbaugh begat Peter Tom Willis (honest) who begat Erik Kramer-Steve Walsh-Dave Krieg-Rick Mirer and Steve Stenstrom (that's a real dude, I swear), but for a franchise as horribly troubled as the Bears, to me it only seems appropriate that the Bears QB Carousel from Hell begins with journeyman Jim Miller, who by the end of the 1999 season appeared to have found a home in Chicago, that is until he was suspended for the final four games after testing positive for a banned substance he inadvertently ingested from an over-the-counter supplement (of course, happens to everyone's quarterback, right?) -- thus ending his attempt to become the only Bears QB other than Sid Luckman (in, oh, 1943) to break the century mark in QB rating; now, if memory, Google, the Bears' media guide and the collective brainpower of my football fanatic friends from Chicago serves me correctly, that season Miller beat out someone named Moses Moreno and then replaced the ineffective No. 1 pick Cade McNown who, himself, had been filling in for the injured Shane Matthews; which didn't really make sense in the first place since the Bears passed over some guy named Daunte Culpepper (whatever happened to that guy?) to take McNown (not to be confused with McNabb, McNair, McMahon, McCown-Luke, McCown-Josh or McDonald, Ronald)....

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

Football
It was quite a weekend for football in Louisiana. LSU overcame a horrendous defensive game to beat Arizona State on a 39 yard touchdown pass that came on a 4th down play with a little over a minute left in the game. And then the New Orleans Saints, trying to top LSU's heart-wrenching game, won with a field goal at the last second.

It's still amazing to me that the guys on both teams could focus enough to pull out wins after everything that has happened in South Louisiana since Katrina. We probably take our football as serious as anyone down here, so I'm sure those wins brought at least a little relief into lives that had been wrecked.

WNBA
I just learned that the WNBA Finals started tonight. Was anyone else aware of this? I've tried to keep up with the WNBA, but I just can't seem to do it. I don't know if I'd agree with Jay Mohr, who calls the games "unwatchable," but there is better entertainment around.

Baseball
Roger Clemens allowed one run in 6 1/3 innings tonight as the Astros beat the Marlins tonight. The one run allowed is a normal game for Clemens, but I'm sure this is one game he'll never forget. Clemens took the mound and dedicated this game to his mother who passed away early Wednesday morning from a long battle with emphysema. It's remarkable that he would even be composed enough to take the mound after such a short time had gone by, much less be as focused as he was.

The Astros sure needed the win. They are now a half game behind the Phillies and the Marlins in the Wild Card chase. Houston has been riddled with injuries here lately, and I'm not officially worried about their post-season chances.

Over in the American League, the Yankees are trying to get back to their usual place at the top of the standings. They stand 2.5 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East and only 1 game behind the Indians in the AL Wild Card.

Posted by: David Bunch

Admit it. You own or have owned a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor Basketball Shoes. You know those canvas ones with the unique, new-canvas-shoe-with-rubber-sole aroma that hits you full force when you first take them out of the shoe box.

I had my feet shod with several pair of these magnificent athletic shoes in my day, but that was a long time ago. Things changed, however, when last Christmas I convinced my wife that I had been on the "nice" list all year long and that Santa should bring me my very own brand new pair of Chucks. And would you believe it, ol Santa came thru.

The problem is, he forgot to convince my wife that they are a legitimate fashion accoutrement. She just doesn't buy into the fact that they go great with my suit for those Sunday Mornings when the PC fashion police are taking note.

But I am not alone. The High School Boys Sunday School class that I get to study with every Sunday Morning has a preponderance of Chucks. So much so that I have been tempted to re-name our class from the above mentioned, predictable moniker to....The Chucks! We could even have Chuck Day and all wear our Chucks together, and get in a circle and chant about Chucks...but I lose focus.

Lee Ann has her duct tape. Brad has his lucky LSU Baseball Cap. But I have my Chucks.

For all you Chuck fans out there, here is more information on the the history of Chucks than you could possibly want.

Posted by: David Bunch

Danny Smith, Project Director of Compassion Services International (CSI), reports on the progress of the recovery effort in Mississippi.

The Mississippi District has been a beehive of activity. A disaster command center was established at the campgrounds. Steve Judd has provided the TCM truck and we are using it to ferry loads of essential disaster items from the regional distribution center at the campgrounds to local distribution centers. Numerous others have provided trucks, trailers, fuel and fuel tanks as well as heavy equipment, RVs, freezers, stockpiles of food, meats and drinks for victims and emergency workers…We have accepted delivery of many large trucks and trailer loads of donated supplies… This is being shipped out each day to the locations most in need. We have medical personnel on location…Tree and limb removal crews are working long hours…We have construction crews on location…We have documented every aspect of our work with digital photos and video…Bros. Carney, Nation, Travis and the CSI team are constantly moving around the disaster scene to provide help and coordinate activities.

For volunteers who are willing to work in the disaster areas, and for donation lists of supplies please call the Mississippi District office for directions or see www.msupci.org.. Your financial support will be used immediately to provide much needed relief. Thanks to all of you who have already responded with financial contributions, supplies, and labor.

We need
-truckloads of drywall
-a truckload of 3 ½" fiberglass insulation for walls
-a truckload of 6" fiberglass insulation for ceilings

Check the CSI website for a list of other supplies needed and for more information on CSI. You will also find a photo and video gallery there.

Posted by: David Bunch

We are beginning to receive assessments of the damage done by Hurricane Katrina to our churches in the affected area. Many have been able to go in and take pictures and video of the devastation to structures, as well as the physical property. These photographs are from the church led by Pastor Eugene Wellington in Slidell, LA.

Not only are these churches facing structural damage, you'll note the mold and water damage, too.

Please continue to pray for all of the churches in the affected area.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

We interrupt your regularly scheduled hurricane coverage to bring you actual sports news!

I almost felt guilty even thinking about sports during the aftermath of Katrina, but the truth is that sports can serve as much needed relief. After donating time and money and seeing so much negativity on TV, I finally had to shut myself off and relax a few nights ago. What'd I do? I watched an Astros game. Call it silly if you want, but it was very therapeutic and after the game, I felt much better.

Speaking of the Astros, they now lead the NL Wild Card race after sweeping the Phillies! The Marlins are hanging right with them, though. They are only one game back.

Football goes into full force this weekend. The NFL opens it's season tonight with the Patriots vs. the Raiders and the rest of the teams spring into action on Sunday. I had two fantasy football drafts before Katrina hit and I'm anxious to see how easy it is going to be to win both leagues. :)

LSU will also open it's season this weekend but it won't be a home game, as scheduled. Due to Katrina, the game last week was called off and the Tigers will travel to Tempe to take on Arizona St. on Saturday. As much as I hate to not be in Tiger Stadium, I understand under the circumstances.

Check out this touching story in the upcoming Sports Illustrated about how coaches, players, and students at LSU helped out hurricane victims. It includes this interesting anecdote about the Tigers' starting QB:

It was a week none will forget, much as they would like to. The Tigers' starting quarterback, sophomore JaMarcus Russell, had a lot on his mind too -- the team's game this Saturday night against Arizona State and the 22 displaced people in his three-bedroom apartment. The guy sleeping on his couch? Fats Domino.

Domino, the R&B icon who'd been listed in the papers as missing for two days, is the granddad of Russell's girlfriend, Chantel Brimmer. After the levees gave way in New Orleans, Domino was trapped on the second floor of his house. He was rescued by boat and taken to the makeshift hospital at the Maravich Center. Russell happened to be volunteering there that night -- as so many LSU athletes were -- bumped into Domino and took him home.

Before I go, I'd like to welcome my buddy Lee Ann to the blogging world at 90&9. She's taking over for the departing Just a Little Bit Odd author, Wendy, who will be missed. Since I personally know Lee Ann, I'm offering a money back guarantee if you do not find her entertaining! There's also a new blogger over at A Month In My Life, too. Check 'em out!

Posted by: David Bunch

We have confirmed that the Louisiana Campgrounds are experiencing some tremendous spiritual blessings in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Campgrounds are housing many displaced refugees and providing them with food as well. But that's not all. Services are being conducted at night, and the Alexandria kid ministry is conducting meetings during the day. The result? Well, check these pictures out and see for yourself.

Bro Jonathan Suber preached last Wednesday night and the resulting service was "tremendous" according to one account.

Bro Tenney has always proclaimed that more people have received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit on the Louisiana Campgrounds than anywhere else on the North American Continent. Apparently, several hundred displaced people from the Gulf Coast are finding God in the very same place.

God is still bringing resurrections from crucifixions!

Posted by: David Bunch

Here's an eight minute video of Harry Connick, Jr. touring some of the French Quarter and pointing out some of the landmarks and damage. While this strays away a little bit from my commitment to reporting all good news (because Connick points out the harsh devastation from the hurricane), it is also encouraging because he states that New Orleans people are good people and that they will be back. He goes on to point out that the thugs are a very minor portion of the population. This segment puts a very real, human face on what has happened in the last week.

Connick wrote a great tribute to New Orleans that appeared on his album Star Turtle from several years ago. The song is called "City Beneath the Sea" (a reference to the city being below sea level) and it paints a really nice picture of what the culture is like there. The song goes in part:

Take me... Take me
To the city beneath the sea
The river will wrap around me
And the music will let me be
You can find me on the neutral ground
On the corner of Fleur-de-lis
Please... somebody won't you take me
To the city beneath the sea

Posted by: David Bunch

Here is some good news stating that half of the refineries shut down or damaged by Katrina are geared to start back up. The article tries really hard to point out bad news, too, but at the very end there are several bullet points highlighting some really good news about oil production in the Gulf.

Other developments critical to the Gulf's recovery include:
• The
Louisiana Offshore Oil Port, the nation's largest oil import terminal, has been
unloading tankers, operating at about 75 percent capacity. It may hit full
capacity this week.
• Colonial Pipeline Co., which transports refined
products from Houston to as far away as the Northeast, is operating at 76
percent capacity, up 3 percent from its weekend report.
• Kinder Morgan
Energy Partners' Plantation Pipe Line Co., which transports fuel from refineries
to Eastern markets, has been capable of full capacity operations once it
receives fuel from downed refineries.
• Shell Pipeline Co.'s Capline
pipeline system, which transport crude oil into the Midwest, is operating at
approximately 40,000 barrels per hour; the normal rate is 45,000 barrels per
hour.

Posted by: David Bunch

I'm making a commitment to only talk about good aftermath news here at The Bench Warmer. Of course, if something happens that does not fall into the good news category and it merits discussion, we will not shy away. But as much as possible, we're going to keep it positive. Because I'm tired of all the negative news and finger pointing. Sometimes I think the media looks for the bad in order to get headlines.

You have to wade through the negative in this article, but let me summarize the good news reported in it.

1. As of the time of the article, they were within 20 feet of having the breech in the levy closed. They expected to have it closed by dawn this morning.

2. Jefferson Parish (Metairie) will be open to residents starting today and going through Wednesday.

3. The water is receding now.

4. Check out this heartwarming story of seven children being re-united with their parents.

And by the way, check out Survey Sez this week. Phillips, Craig and Dean are under 35???

Posted by: David Bunch

I've just finished helping unload an eighteen wheeler full of supplies at my church. THANK YOU TERRE HAUTE, IN and the church pastored by Bro Simeon Young for your generosity. I can not express to you the feeling I had while unloading cases upon cases of water and food, as well as boxes of clothing, many inscribed with encouraging prayers and blessings from our friends in Indiana. While we do not need these personally as Baton Rougeons, our church is serving as a distribution center for these goods and will be getting them to displaced individuals. We were all so overwhelmed because this is one church in one community that has met the needs of literally hundreds of people. I know there are thousands more out there that are getting much needed supplies to those who need them most. Thanks to all!

You have to remember, the people here will be without the basic necessities of life for months, if not a year. We are incredibly blessed to live in America...I truly believe that when the chips are down, Americans are the most loving and caring people in the world.

I want to report some positive news today. God knows there is so much negative news out there.

1. There are reports that portions of the French Quarter and Uptown New Orleans are okay (meaning they have moderate hurricane damage, but no flood damage).

2. Someone told me today that the West Bank has no flooding, but does have downed trees and power lines.

3. I have confirmed that Bro Parker's church in Metairie is okay. Apparently, parts of Metairie were spared the worst of the storm's fury. For example, my uncle is taking his mother in law back to her home there in the morning to get some things, and they are optimistic that they have only minor flooding.

4. Note that in some of the pictures we're seeing today, there is dry land. I'm hearing that the waters are going down in some areas.

5. It is amazing to see how quickly area churches of all denominations have become shelters, hospitals, and kitchens. How wonderful it is to know that people can still turn to the Christian Community in times of hardship.

Thanks again to everyone out there who is helping with this effort by donating and praying. Let me remind you, this will be a need for a long time to come! Your donations and prayers will be needed continually over the next several months.

Posted by: Bradley McDonald

As Dave reported below, there are thousands of new citizens in Baton Rouge who have evacuated New Orleans. That makes for a big traffic problem around town, especially with traffic lights still out due to the hurricane (I am still without power at my house, too). There have also been reports of trouble at the various shelters around town that are housing these people, but police have stated that they have everything under control.

Of course, the trouble in Baton Rouge is miniscule compared to what's still going on in New Orleans. The water has finally stopped rising, but there are still many people stranded on rooftops and in buildings. I have a feeling we will be overwhelmed after the final death toll is figured out. Tens of thousands of people are without food and water at the shelters there, and evacuation efforts have been thwarted by looters and violence.

With all these horrifying events unfolding on TV and the internet, it's hard to find encouragement, but it's times like these that really bring out compassion in some people. I stopped by to volunteer at a local church last night that was taking donations and giving people food and shelter and the response was unbelievable. There were tons of donations and the volunteers actually outnumbered the refugees.

It's going to take a lot more aid and assistance before things even somewhat resemble normalcy around here, though. Please find a way to help, even if it's just prayers.

Posted by: David Bunch

Bro. Kenneth Haney has written an open letter to our fellowship. Also, there are instructions for contributing at the UPCI home page.

There is so much attention being placed on New Orleans, and rightfully so as the situation there is continuing to deteriorate. New Orleans was also a very important city in terms of economics and it is a major port. That being said, there is absolute devastation in Mississippi as well. All of these areas need our prayers and support.

In Baton Rouge, we are dealing with the new challenges of a city population that, according to some estimates, has doubled in a matter of just a few days because of all the people that have been displaced here. That means long lines, major traffic jams, and possible gas shortages. I'm not sure how bad the gas situation will be, but some seem to think that it could get serious.

I'm leaving work now to go fill up because the gas station next door just got re-supplied.

Please continue to pray for all of the Gulf Coast region.