Tired
Visited a friend's place in Lakeview today as she opened her doors for the first time to see what she could salvage. Be thankful that the wonderful smell that came from this place can't be transmitted via e-mail. Just walking into the place for 10 seconds puts this "stink" on you that you can't get off. It's bad.
Pictures:
http://www.mikeperrymedia.com/xib/20050929-kat/
Interestingly enough, the second floor was fine. But the first floor of the place was decimated. I don't think anybody has to worry about looting. The muck this crap has been simmering in is so vile it's just not worth even touching.
More tidbits:
FEMA SIGNS SWEETHEART DEAL WITH THE LOVE BOAT: FEMA recently signed a cushy
$236-million, six-month no-bid contract with Carnival Cruise lines to house
evacuees on ships. The half-filled ships are now anchored in the Mississippi
River and Mobile Bay. If you do the math on the contract, even if you had the
ships filled to capacity with 7,116 evacuees, the price per evacuee works out
to about $1,275 a week. Compare that to the price of an actual seven-day
western Caribbean cruise out of Galveston, which costs a mere $599 a person
(and "that would include entertainment and the cost of actually making the
ship move.") In related news, hundreds of lobbyists, corporate
representatives, and would-be government contractors met yesterday on Capitol
Hill to figure out how to get their share of the federal largess. The
so-called "Katrina Reconstruction Summit" was hosted by Sen. Mel Martinez
(R-FL) and sponsored by -- surprise, surprise -- Halliburton.
http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2005/09/29/nobid29.htm
--
On another note, I am not sure I'm going to be writing/posting much any more. All this has taken its toll on me and I'm probably as tired of talking about it as you all are hearing about it. You think by running around and keeping busy it helps, but I'm not sure if just doesn't delay the inevitable and compound your problems with the problems of everyone else. In any case, I'm feeling that burden and I think I'm going to try to get away from it for awhile.
A good example of why I'm burning out is on Slashdot today, there's a story about some church group in Lincoln, Nebraska who is organizing a mission to the Gulf Coast area to help victims. They have publicized their little "humanitarian" trip, which is to happen in a few weeks and want advice on what people need. It's way late for groups like this to come down here and offer any substantive help and it just pisses me off because you know they're not coming down to help victims of this disaster; they're coming down here after the dust has settled to make themselves feel better about themselves. And Louisiana residents are the new little "Citizen Ruth" that these groups can exploit. It really pisses me off and I'm sick of it. I'm sick of the national charities coming down here whoring TV time and then leaving everyone hanging. I'm sick of CNN and FOX and MSNBC marginalizing the people of the South to sell advertising for Pfizer. I'm sick of the pseudo-humanitarian efforts which are rooted in selfishness. If these people want to help, they'll go to one of the shelters in Texas or Arkansas and help people who really need help. We don't need them coming down here getting in the way of things stroking themselves.
I'm sick of it all.
I'm sick of watching my friends pretend that everything's ok, even though they've lost everything.
I'm sick of coming up with thoughtful words of comfort to tell my friends that trailer living is fun and that change is good for the soul.
I'm sick of watching the never-ending battle between detached federal idiots arguing with embedded local leaders trying to help out their citizens.
I'm sick of hearing about people who spend six different nights on six different peoples' couches.
I'm sick of watching New Orleans' mayor Nagin show up at a T-shirt shop on Bourbon street telling the Vietnamese proprietors that "customers will show up soon."
I'm sick of the one Burger King that's open only offering Combos number #1, #2 and #9. I'm sick that I'm actually admitting I ate at Burger King.
I'm sick of arrogant dumbasses proclaiming that since Ruth's Chris has moved corporate offices to Orlando, they'll never eat at the restaurant again.
I'm sick of breathing this air. I'm sick of showing credentials at checkpoints. I'm sick of having to watch TV to find out what time I have to be off the streets or else I'll be arrested.
I'm sick of partisian idiots from Kansas spamming Louisiana web sites with "impeach Blanco" propaganda.
I'm sick of seeing gun-totin' locals act as if this is the wild west.
I'm sick of the veiled racism that's inherent in the critiques of New Orleans' mayor's job. When he kicked ass and took care of his people.
I'm sick of the charity groups which have descended upon the city like roaches trying to exploit our suffering to pad their coffers.
I'm sick of caring, when I'm surrounded by so much phony superficiality.
I'm sick of feeling like I am not a "New Orleanean" when I worked on staff at Jazzfest for ten+ years, the world's fair of '84, Pontchartrain Beach, played in bands and performed everywhere from the Superdome to Jimmy's, HOB and the Saenger, graduated from Brother Martin, attended University of New Orleans; my grandmother was a teacher at John Mcdonough and my grandfather worked at Lykes, and my whole family has been ingrained here... and I still feel like a total outsider.
I'm sick of seeing the desolation. I'm sick of seeing "grey grass." I'm sick of having an opinion on what's wrong with things when nobody seems to give a damn. I'm sick of feeling that if I have anything critical to say, there's a contingent of loud-mouthed locals who think I need to leave.
I'm sick that while you might not find a place to stay, you can still get pot, coke and X.
I'm sick that I have been cursed with not having my house destroyed, so I get to have the ambiguity of my future spread out across the next three to six months to find out if half my clients will pay me and whether or not I'll be in business.
I am sick of it all. That's what I get for trying to be a trooper. I should have known.
It's time for me to sign off. I thank you all for listening to me and I wish everyone well.
- M
Pictures:
http://www.mikeperrymedia.com/xib/20050929-kat/
Interestingly enough, the second floor was fine. But the first floor of the place was decimated. I don't think anybody has to worry about looting. The muck this crap has been simmering in is so vile it's just not worth even touching.
More tidbits:
FEMA SIGNS SWEETHEART DEAL WITH THE LOVE BOAT: FEMA recently signed a cushy
$236-million, six-month no-bid contract with Carnival Cruise lines to house
evacuees on ships. The half-filled ships are now anchored in the Mississippi
River and Mobile Bay. If you do the math on the contract, even if you had the
ships filled to capacity with 7,116 evacuees, the price per evacuee works out
to about $1,275 a week. Compare that to the price of an actual seven-day
western Caribbean cruise out of Galveston, which costs a mere $599 a person
(and "that would include entertainment and the cost of actually making the
ship move.") In related news, hundreds of lobbyists, corporate
representatives, and would-be government contractors met yesterday on Capitol
Hill to figure out how to get their share of the federal largess. The
so-called "Katrina Reconstruction Summit" was hosted by Sen. Mel Martinez
(R-FL) and sponsored by -- surprise, surprise -- Halliburton.
http://www.recordonline.com/archive/2005/09/29/nobid29.htm
--
On another note, I am not sure I'm going to be writing/posting much any more. All this has taken its toll on me and I'm probably as tired of talking about it as you all are hearing about it. You think by running around and keeping busy it helps, but I'm not sure if just doesn't delay the inevitable and compound your problems with the problems of everyone else. In any case, I'm feeling that burden and I think I'm going to try to get away from it for awhile.
A good example of why I'm burning out is on Slashdot today, there's a story about some church group in Lincoln, Nebraska who is organizing a mission to the Gulf Coast area to help victims. They have publicized their little "humanitarian" trip, which is to happen in a few weeks and want advice on what people need. It's way late for groups like this to come down here and offer any substantive help and it just pisses me off because you know they're not coming down to help victims of this disaster; they're coming down here after the dust has settled to make themselves feel better about themselves. And Louisiana residents are the new little "Citizen Ruth" that these groups can exploit. It really pisses me off and I'm sick of it. I'm sick of the national charities coming down here whoring TV time and then leaving everyone hanging. I'm sick of CNN and FOX and MSNBC marginalizing the people of the South to sell advertising for Pfizer. I'm sick of the pseudo-humanitarian efforts which are rooted in selfishness. If these people want to help, they'll go to one of the shelters in Texas or Arkansas and help people who really need help. We don't need them coming down here getting in the way of things stroking themselves.
I'm sick of it all.
I'm sick of watching my friends pretend that everything's ok, even though they've lost everything.
I'm sick of coming up with thoughtful words of comfort to tell my friends that trailer living is fun and that change is good for the soul.
I'm sick of watching the never-ending battle between detached federal idiots arguing with embedded local leaders trying to help out their citizens.
I'm sick of hearing about people who spend six different nights on six different peoples' couches.
I'm sick of watching New Orleans' mayor Nagin show up at a T-shirt shop on Bourbon street telling the Vietnamese proprietors that "customers will show up soon."
I'm sick of the one Burger King that's open only offering Combos number #1, #2 and #9. I'm sick that I'm actually admitting I ate at Burger King.
I'm sick of arrogant dumbasses proclaiming that since Ruth's Chris has moved corporate offices to Orlando, they'll never eat at the restaurant again.
I'm sick of breathing this air. I'm sick of showing credentials at checkpoints. I'm sick of having to watch TV to find out what time I have to be off the streets or else I'll be arrested.
I'm sick of partisian idiots from Kansas spamming Louisiana web sites with "impeach Blanco" propaganda.
I'm sick of seeing gun-totin' locals act as if this is the wild west.
I'm sick of the veiled racism that's inherent in the critiques of New Orleans' mayor's job. When he kicked ass and took care of his people.
I'm sick of the charity groups which have descended upon the city like roaches trying to exploit our suffering to pad their coffers.
I'm sick of caring, when I'm surrounded by so much phony superficiality.
I'm sick of feeling like I am not a "New Orleanean" when I worked on staff at Jazzfest for ten+ years, the world's fair of '84, Pontchartrain Beach, played in bands and performed everywhere from the Superdome to Jimmy's, HOB and the Saenger, graduated from Brother Martin, attended University of New Orleans; my grandmother was a teacher at John Mcdonough and my grandfather worked at Lykes, and my whole family has been ingrained here... and I still feel like a total outsider.
I'm sick of seeing the desolation. I'm sick of seeing "grey grass." I'm sick of having an opinion on what's wrong with things when nobody seems to give a damn. I'm sick of feeling that if I have anything critical to say, there's a contingent of loud-mouthed locals who think I need to leave.
I'm sick that while you might not find a place to stay, you can still get pot, coke and X.
I'm sick that I have been cursed with not having my house destroyed, so I get to have the ambiguity of my future spread out across the next three to six months to find out if half my clients will pay me and whether or not I'll be in business.
I am sick of it all. That's what I get for trying to be a trooper. I should have known.
It's time for me to sign off. I thank you all for listening to me and I wish everyone well.
- M
posted by Wisdom at 10:56 PM
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