Thanks to all of you who left e-mail!!! I want to respond to each correspondent individually but our daughter is going into labor....

First, we are fine, the local emergency response teams always do an outstanding job and the Forum is a good place to make it known: these are outstanding professionals and volunteers from the local communities.

This latest incident showcased their professionalism, maybe enhanced our perception of it since there was an elevated risk factor in the containment protocol. Second, the fact that my postings could be accessible to people across the Net supports the value of this forum.

We're not unused to this type of emergency here. It goes with the turf and machines get sick just like kids do. When either is sick they misbehave. You don't trash'em when that happens, you try to make them well.

HOWEVER, big business of any sort avoids negatives so incidents don't always get the attention they deserve and that may affect remediating whatever problems exist because problems occur in context as the archives of the forum prove.

If you've never been in a "shelter in place" or on evacuation status you simply can't appreciate how emotionally wrenching the moment of awareness is. The closest thing I can think of is combat , but generally one's family and possessions aren't carried into combat, at least in mainland US (forgive me, readers in the war zones of the world, that observation was NOT meant to be thoughtless-just a reminder to readers here).

My child is about to bring another child into the world. I WANT things to be right in the future. So thanks for the Forum, Sysops, thanks to the members who post and read and think and watch and disagree, because we all need to be thinking very, very hard right now and sharing our conclusions.

PS In doing rapid edit for gross composition error, I just caught something important! As my new friend Charlie says, how about shouts to the response teams across the world who are on the Failure Front, and prayers for the people who may be victims of the very issues our Forum is all about- and for their families.

Off for a while, and thanks again.

Charle in Houston

-- mike in houston (mmorris67@hotmail.com), January 15, 2000

Answers

Glad to hear everything worked out OK. All the best for the delivery and future of your brand new grandchild!

-- Paranoia Will (Destroy_Y@BlackCopters.com), January 15, 2000.

Good luck to you and yours GRANDPA!!!! How many does this make it? (grandchildren?)

-- Hokie (Hokie_@hotmail.com), January 15, 2000.

Congratulations.

Glad everything worked out well for you. Best wishes for continued health for all.

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), January 15, 2000.

I do hope your daughter and new grandbaby are all right. Boy or girl? Congratulations *Grandpa*.

-----grandma justme (2 grandbabies)

-- justme (justme@myhouse.com), January 16, 2000.