I think it would be a simple and great idea to get an immediate supply of neon sticks and necklaces to have for safety. They are in stock at all stores carrying Party or Halloween supplies. The uses could be endless and SAVE LIVES especially if-when-people are in water or lost.  P.Jason  

Dear Lester,

Do take care, while you are in NOLA.  The same goes for all the rest of your NBC/MSNBC colleagues, no matter where they may be stationed to cover Gustav.  I'm praying for the Gulf Coast.

A peaceful and restful Labor Day weekend to all!

And to Stephanie Umbro, up in Maine:  HAPPY 34TH BIRTHDAY ON MONDAY!!!  I'm sure the irony is not lost on your mother that your birthday falls on Labor Day this year!

Love goes out to the regular posters:  Lisa, Jackie, Stephanie, Celine, Claudia, Anna, and Matt.  XOXO

Good Evening Mr.Holt, This is certainly a tense time for the Gulf Coast with the approach of Hurricane Gustav. Hearing how the evacuation is going it seems to be so much smoother and better because people are leaving early and the government officials are really working together. The forecast is omninous and learning how the storm will hit landfall in the morning hours on Monday shows how early preparations are necessary. I'm glad the pets are being taken to safe shelters too. Keep safe and sound Mr.Holt. Looking forward to the broadcast this evening. Peace to you and to all!

Lots of Love to Laurel,Jackie,Stephanie,Claudia,Celine,Anna and Matt!
Be Well Always! Almost your Birthday Stephanie! Woo!Hoo!  
Stay Safe and Well Richard! Look forward to your reports soon!
XOXO

I hope when the Hurricane will become a Tropical Storm that NBC News immediately returns to St. Paul/Minneapolis in order to report on the RNC will the width of coverage as you did it with the DNC.

Also why is that Olbermann not in St. Paul? Is he afraid that his opinions won't matter at the RNC. According to statements he is in New York. Is he afraid that Republicans might bash him to the ground?
Send that Olbermann to St. Paul.

Yeah so everyone is leaving... so what about you journalists?  There's one thing to report the news, but we don't need your crews becoming the story, Lester!

Lester, NBC, and all journalists, stay safe.

To the people of the Gulfcoast, you are in my thoughts and prayers.

Laurel, help me understand this ...."On the other hand, he has gone through life never having to think twice about his gender, as I have had to do."   Your scaring me!

Stephanie, happy birthday!

Bests and prayers to all riding out the storm!

Being an animal lover and animal shelter volunteer, I am soooooooooooo glad to see the federal law protecting pets in crisis in work - and doing what we wanted it to do.  Naturally, time will tell how it works, but still... I promise you I would not evacuate without my babies - my 2 cats, 2 guinea pigs, and 1 fish.  I keep as many emergency supplies on hand just in case we have to evacuate.  It would be difficult, but as long as I have my babies, my meds, and my camera, I'd be all set to go.  

On a related note, if you need to evacuate with pets, or want information on how to prepare in case you ever do, visit the ASPCA's website - where you can also get updates on Gustav's arrival and how the Gulf's animals are surviving.  http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=disaster

I am glad to see the GOP is scaling back its party in light of the hurricane.  If this wasn't so serious, having Mother Nature rain on their parade, in light of the GOP White House's failure in '05, would be amusing.  I think it would be OK for McCain to do his speech live, wouldn't it?  I mean really - what is HE going to do about disaster clean up?  If nothing else, get all the other delegates in there on Thursday and have McCain put his words to action: have them fundraise for relief efforts!  (How about some help from Jerry Lewis and his telethon this weekend, too?)

I am also wishing I had had enough money to top off my gas tank prior to this weekend.  The lower prices that are usually in Portland aren't there this weekend, as prices go up ahead of the storm.  

Be safe, all of you in harm's way.  Please let us know how you are doing when you can!

Happy Labor Day weekend to all of you!  

Good Evening Mr.Holt, A fine broadcast from New Orleans. Please Be Safe and Sound while you are in the city as the storm approaches. The report from Mr.Potter concerning how the city has essentially become a "ghost town" exhibits everyone has heeded the warnings by the officials and left the area. In these matters one does need to use some common sense as one person evacuating the city stated because this storm is extremely dangerous and staying to ride it out is very risky. Although some have chosen to remain at home I hope they all remain safe and sound. It seems the National Guard and Police have made an effort secure the city and arrest anyone who attempts to loot businesses. Preparations were well coordinated this time and all the officials worked together well.
On another note the interview Mr.Williams held with Senator McCain showed how he making sure the Republican National Convention goes forward, but only with official business especially on Monday because of Hurricane Gustav. These natural disasters take precedence over any political event and America does come first. I agree with him it is overwhelming, but the States being effected are much better prepared and now we wait and see how the storm will make landfall.
Finally, I'm very happy all the pets are being brought to safe shelter. All people's pets are very important and members of the family. So seeing the air conditioned trucks leaving with all the pets in carriers does put ones mind at ease about the animals safety.
Thank you for the broadcast Mr.Holt. Please Stay Safe and Sound while broadcasting from the city. Peace to You and to All!

Lots of Love to Laurel,Jackie,Stephanie,Claudia,Celine,Anna and Matt!
Be Well Always! Almost your birthday Stephanie! Woo! Hoo!
Stay Safe and Well Richard! I hope to see one of your reports soon!
XOXO

Regarding the hurricane - Why is NBC treating John McCain as if IS the President?  He has no knowledge or authority in federal disaster response.  The GOP wants a low profile - give it to them.  DO NOT INTERVIEW EITHER OF THE CANDIDATES (OR VP) UNTIL THE IMPACT OF THE STORM IS CLEAR.  Listening to John McCain on MSNBC give a forecast of the storm and act as if he is in command of the preparations made me furious - and is definitely biased reporting!

The McCain interview was another softball job. He got time to milk the hurricane. Then he got solicitations to attack Obama. McCain complained about the tone of the campaign. Is he kidding? He's run a hatchet job from day one. His wife is offended? Oh my!

McCain has a terrible record on Katrina. He's planning on grandstanding from the hurricane zone. What about when Katrina hit and McCain and Bush got together to celebrate McCain's birthday?

If the news lets McCain get away with milking the hurricane all week without bringing up his Katrina record the net is going to be furious. Regular people will find out too.

Hey Marc Schultz, Olbermann is hanging out with Michael Moore. They are Yuking it up about the Hurricane hitting New Orleans again.... Politics before people. Olbermann is joking about the Hurricane ruining the Repub convention??? What an embarrassment he must be for NBC...  

I feel like Matt does!!! This is not a time for either canidate to try to win VOTES!! This is a time to be concerned about the people affected by Gustav. It is going to be a trying time for a lot of americans. We don't need and don't want to see POLITIANS when our hearts and minds are on the PEOPLE of Lousiana and other communities that are going to hurt by this tragic and devastating act of mother nature!

Hey Lester: Seems to me that the question to ask John McCain is what makes this hurricaine so different to Katrina? May be wise to remind him that while the bodies were floating by he was celebrating his birthday with his sidekick(GW). Also you can ask him how come he had so many NOc votes in 2005 ofunds for the area and the victims of the storm.

Just as I predicted in another post the cowardly Keith Olbermann has found a way not to attend the Republican Convention. This man is gutless.

Please stay safe.
Thank you for keeping the country informed.

Olbermann is not afraid of the Republicans, the Republicans are afraid of him.

Is there any news of how the residents of the New Orleans Zoo are doing?  

WH0'S MANNING THE PHONES AT FEMA?
 Local FEMA representatives were unable to make contact with their state/federal agencies Sunday to get authority to activate FEMA protocals as thousands of GUSTOF "refugees" poored in seeking shelter. Hotels/Motels with FEMA contracts were and are unable to provide FEMA accommodations to evacuees on Sunday. Seems FEMA enployees were too busy with three day weekends to man the phones. While attention was concentrated on getting 30,000 people out of New Orleans (that is better than last time,) seems no attention was given to the problem of where to house the other (millions?)of Gulf coast evacuees. No shelters anywhere for people who own cars or do not live in New Orleans. My daughter was one of these evacuees. While driving North out of Lake Charles, LA., she had no IDEA where she was headed as I spent 7 hours on the phone calling every hotel from Little Rock to Springfield, MO., to Memphis to Nashville trying to find an empty motel room. I did finally find one off the beaten path near the Missouri/Arkansas border, the other closest rooms I could find were in Nashville. No rooms to rent and no shelters anywhere.---And no one at the phone at FEMA!!

When Obama looks back on November 5 and wonders why he lost the election it will be today, Labor Day.  War Hero President  McCain and his VP were all over the news from a hurricane command center in Mississipi, talking to the hundreds of millions of voters home for Labor Day watching the storm on CNN and Fox and other networks all day.  The campaign manager will not take e mails, they needed James Carville as a consultant but like Kerry, they will wait until all is lost and hire him two weeks before the election.  Carville would have had Obama on a plane to one of the storm centers in a heartbeat when McCain announced that Bush and Cheney were off the Convention and that he, McCain was headed for the storm zone.  

Democrats are totally brain dead.  They deserve to lose, but unfortunately all of America will lose.

I had the 3 A.M. Epiphany that all good men will
come to the aid of their country, and America will
prevail.
Phyllis Kunz

Hey Lester, Just wanted ya'll to know it was great to see Al on the weather channel and Jim from the same station on NBC nightly news. It's past time ya'll worked together. Thanks Daniel

Brian -
You look familiar in the 'Hurricane Shirt' on Canal Street -

I've a different 'take' on Sarah Palin now. Not only does she have a 'special needs' 5 month old son, but now we hear about her 17 year old daughter's pregnancy and perhaps a marriage to come.  This woman doesn't need to 'seek higher office' - she needs to go home and be a mother to these children.

Jacqueline Kennedy made this famous remark - "If you bungle raising your children, whatever else you do will never matter".  

Sarah needs to resign right now and take those troubled children home.

Joan

Mr. Holt, If you or a colleague are in Houma, LA, there is a lovely family that I wish some one could interview.  This couple took over administration of the Houma Municipal Marina from her parents and bought the parents' home across the street from the small marina.  The parents still live in Houma.  They would have a unique perspective on the many boats in the area with their location right off the Intracoastal Waterway.  We were there by boat in March, 2007, as we began our cruise of the Great Loop (circumnavigating the eastern half of the US) and returned on our way home in Nov. 2007.

I find it amazing that the media and others are still blaming the fiasco that was Katrina on the President.  Why can't you put the blame squarely on the shoulders of those most responsible, namely then Gov. Blanco and Mayor Nagin.   I won't rehash the details but it was obvious then and further examination bares out that THEY chose to play politics instead making all necessary preparations to help their constituents.  Gov. Jindal deserves major kudos for the job he's done in the face of the current storm.

Lester- I'm thrilled that Gustav was downgraded and  NOLA made it through with just a couple of scratches.  Please keep us up to date on clean up/infrastructure issues.  
However, it might be appropriate for NBC to begin devoting more time to other news-worthy happenings.  Any reason why NBC has decided not to report on the shameful and illegal detainments and arrests of journalists trying to do their jobs at the RNC?

What about some deep reporting on that lady and the AIP is it truth!! Is she a member and do the want to succeed from the US!!! that would be the story of the year!! McCain names successions as VP!!

To Anna:  Ha, ha.  I never realized my comment was so open to interpretation!  Sorry to disappoint; I am not having gender issues!  I just meant that he has experienced prejudice based on his race, and I have experienced prejudice based on my gender!  You crack me up!  :-)

Mr. Holt:  Was Al on the weather channel last
night when all three anchors were--Brian Williams,
Katie Charlie Gibson-- in San Francisco
for Stand Up to Cancer.  I just read on Bell South
there was a minor earthquake in that area just
after 9PM which I hope did not affect their trip
back home.  I was in San Francisco when I was with
General Electric as a secretary many years ago and loved it. I understand you are from that area
Phyllis Kunz

Message (please, no HTML tags. Web addresses will be hyperlinked):