Hey guys, it's me your local neighborhood Rajun Cajun. I know that most of you might not know who I am, but I've been playing CS:S for a while. I won't make this thread to make you guys feel sorry for me because there are far more people who are in worse off condition than me, but to give you a semi-dramatic, first hand account of how the system works. Well, I was enrolled at the University of New Orleans (UNO), and had just moved in to my on-campus apartment, just bought the first month of internet, cable, and had paid the semester of rent. On top of that I bought over $150 of food, ketchup, mayo, salt, pepper, milk, and Tabasco sauce, and another pile of cash on bathroom items, etc. I had my $1200 custom built trick bike, a 32" TV, PS2, X-Box, Game Cube, Microwave, and other kitchen appliances. Finally, I just got our carpet cleaned. So I invested a heaping amount of cash into this place. Well, the Friday before the hurricane hit I paid for cable, and the cable guy was going to connect it in the afternoon. I had NO clue that Katrina existed. My roommate from New Hampshire ironically asked, "What would happen if a hurricane would hit here?" I instinctually said, “It won’t be bad. Hurricanes hit before, and there was ever really that much damage. There will be just a bunch of trees broken, and shingles missing. We only have to evacuate about once every 2 years.” I think I jinxed it. Well, I went home for the weekend and found out about the hurricane. I freaked out and realized that I left EVERY thing I owned in N.O. (Except my computer, which was being repaired in NY.). I even left my wireless router that I just received from an RMA from Linksys (Yes, the same router that kept me from playing CS:S for two months).

Well, new paragraph time. So I’ll try to end it quick because by now most of you have selected “Next Thread.” So UNO is closed for this semester and I had to enroll in another college, Nicholls State University (NSU). Since I don’t have a scholarship here like I did at UNO I have to pay everything out of pocket ($500 books, $915 meal ticket, $1000 rent, tuition, etc.) In Louisiana there is program called “TOPS” that pays for tuition, but it won’t reimburse me until I graduate. Still, that is $3000 less in my possession as far as my balance as of now. So, I get settled in to my new dorm which is a 12’x20’ box with bunk beds. I am not griping about the living arrangements, but I am griping that I have to pay single unit apartment price for it. ”Because that is what you were paying before,” they told me. I can’t do anything about it; I need a place to live.

In the aftermath, I apply to FEMA, you know them, they are the government organization that will help everybody!! First, I open up Firefox and start applying I spent like 20 minutes getting SS #’s, addresses, phone #’s, and other information. I go to click submit, and a message appears, “In order to effectively complete your application you must use Internet Explorer 5 or newer. To get IE 5+ go to www.microsoft.com.” Well, thanks a bunch. So I apply to FEMA on IE 5+ again. The same data input, but when I get to the end there is a prompt that reads, “This SS # has already been used unsuccessfully in the past 24 hours please try again later.” OK, so the next day I apply to FEMA the right way. I did it, over, bam, done. So I help my NSU roommate apply, he is from Kansas and felt no effect of this storm because he went back to Kansas. He gets $2000 in the mail the next day. His process is over; he got the cash for having nothing at all happen to him besides a new roommate (me). So I go to www.fema.gov to check the status of my application. Pending… Ok, that’s fine. I’ll try again tomorrow. Pending… Ok, well maybe another time. Next day, correspondence... Finally, something is working in my favor. So I get an E-mail that says they won’t pay for anything except the cost that it took me to evacuate to Lafayette (A 2 hour drive from my home) that cost is about $50. I am happy that they are giving me money, but I am confused how my roommate gets $2000 for expenses, food, housing, clothes, and stuff. I get $50 for gas and Burger King?

I know there are people in worse condition than me, but I want to get my story out, let you guys know why I didn’t play CS:S in a while, and tell you how messed up the system is. Take care all, and don’t let this happen to you!!