As we mentioned in our last show, my MP3 player was murdered in Seattle by a careless TSA officer. They have a difficult job, and we all appreciate their attempts at making us safer. But, my player was not constructed to handle a 4-foot drop onto a terrazzo floor.

I am sad. I am very sad. That little guy was my inspiration to get into podcasting. It has made long trips and my daily commute somewhat tolerable. I was thinking about begging and asking if listeners could kick in a few dollars to reduce my replacement cost (no, I'm not holding out hope that the TSA will pay). Then I thought of something better...

Thousands upon thousands of people in Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi, and Texas are suffering horribly right now. If you have a sympathetic bone in your body, please donate to the American Red Cross. Go to their site and click on the giant red DONATE button. You can contribute to their general fund or choose to send your donation to the hurricane relief fund.