litsupport summary for the week ending on 9/21/08

A lot of important and useful information is posted to litsupport each week. However, this past week was very special. Probably due to the combination of double trouble, locally - hurricane Ike in Houston and in Texas, and globally - arguably the most serious economic crisis since the Great Depression, the group boasted precious few scientific and technical posts.

Instead, I decided to share my personal impressions of Ike in Houston. Life without electricity was not that bad. Here is a picture of me studying "Foundations of Digital Evidence," the review of which I will publish soon.

We were lucky to have a cold front to come at an unusual time, and precisely after the storm. I have grown accustomed to wait for the quiet evenings when everybody got around the table to read with the candles. Of course, laptop with wireless connection was our first priority, even if the car battery which charged it later had to be replaced.

People exhibited their best qualities. Everybody was very friendly and helpful. We felt all in the same boat with no power.

I also think that Houston got an unusual share of good luck. Papers were filled with photos of near misses. A tree almost hitting the house but not quite. A mother with the baby standing next to the house which the tree missed, hitting instead the toy house.

Many are still without power, going to work may take two hours, especially if you take the kids to a makeshift school at a new location. Many people on litsupport showed their support to friends and to all Houstonians, and this was very precious.

Best wishes to all.

Mark

This summary from the Litsupport Group postings created by the wonderful and talented members of the group has been culled by Mark Kerzner (mkerzner@top8.biz) and edited by Aline Bernstein (aline.bernstein@gmail.com).