Walking On Sunshine

This below question came up as off-handed comment in an email filled with unrelated material, in a Yahoo group that I'm in. It's a group comprised of around 60 people from around the world, none of which besides me live in New Orleans or even the Southeastern United States. The guy who posted the email is from out of the US. (I'd give him and his country credit, but I truly don't remember. I think it's the Netherlands.)

To answer his question, I combined my personal hurricane Katrina story with bits of my friends's stories to try to give a rounder picture of our situtation.

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>>BTW, speaking (earlier) about New Orleans... Today I saw a recap of 2 and a half years later and still, nothing has been done. Is this true? Why?<<

The short answer - No, that is not true. Thousands of people have worked really hard to try to bring New Orleans back. The media reports what it wants to see.

The long answer -

Imagine this situation: You've lived in New Orleans your entire life so you are used to hurricanes. At least once every few hurricane seasons (June 1 through November 30), there is one storm that you evacuate for. (You don't worry about the "minor" ones, only evacuating for the Category 3 or above storms.)

This new hurricane is predicted to hit to the east of New Orleans, but may shift so you call your friends in northern Louisiana and ask to stay for a few days. You pack three days worth of clothes. (That's as long as you've ever evacuated.) You put all your valuables in the attic. (When Betsy, the last major hurricane to hit New Orleans, came through your neighborhood in 1965, your house sustained one foot of water so you figure your stuff will be safe in the attic.)

You leave on Friday, August 26 with a full tank of gas and $500 in your pocket, telling everyone to have a good three day weekend.

Hurricane Katrina hits on Monday, August 29.

The National Guard finally lets you back into your neighborhood on Monday, October 3. You have been gone for over five weeks.

You had left a week's worth of food for your cat. He's been dead for a couple of weeks. Killed by a racoon.

Your house is on a hill six feet above the street, but the water still made it to your gutters and almost to your roof. A total of 17 feet. Remember that your same area received one foot of water during hurricane Betsy - and that water came in and was gone within a day. The water this time sat for over two weeks. Everything in your house is covered with black sludge. Mold is starting to crawl up your walls.

You call your home owners insurance company. They say that the damage to your house was caused by flood water which is not covered by your policy. They offer you $10,000 for the contents of your home. You call your flood insurance company. They tell you that the damage to your house was caused by wind damage not flood water. They offer you nothing.

You apply for a Road Home Loan - that you'll have to pay back in addition to the mortage still outstanding on your home. The Road Home has a nine-month waiting list. In the meantime, you max out your credit cards fixing up your home.

After two years, you're tired of living in a 150-square-foot FEMA trailer next to your house. You're ready to move home. The news reports about the trailers containing nearly toxic level of famaldahyde make you nervous.

Now imagine that situation has happened to EVERYONE you know in YOUR city. Every family member. Everyone on your street. Everyone in your neighborhood. Everyone you work with. Over 250,000 people.

How long would it take you and your city to recover?

Brad Delp RIP

I have a long list of topics I want to cover in my blog, not including the day-to-day events going on here in New Orleans.

One of them is the death of Brad Delp, lead singer of the band Boston. He died on March 9, 2007. (That's how far behind I am!)

From Wikipedia:
On March 9, 2007, Delp was found dead in his home in Atkinson, New Hampshire. Delp, who was only 55, died from the smoke of two charcoal grills he lit inside his sealed bathroom. He was found by his girlfriend Pamela Sullivan lying on a pillow on his bathroom floor with a suicide note pinned to his shirt. The official cause of death was listed as carbon monoxide poisoning. That day, the official web site for the band was taken down and replaced with the statement: "We've just lost the nicest guy in rock and roll."

Rest in Peace, Brad.

Here's the cast of Scrubs doing what I think is Boston's greatest song:

Karen's Reggae

One day, I’ll get into the detailed dynamics of my office.

The Short Version: I work with six other people –
3 women, 3 men;
4 African-Americans, 2 Whities Like Me,
3 under 25, 3 over 45

We have a great mix.

I am the Manager of them. They are all fantastic at their jobs so I’m more of a guidance. (I’ve been there 8 years. The rest were ALL hired post-Katrina. Pre-Katrina, our office had 22 people. After a bit of a post-Katrina shake up, I was the ONLY ONE of the 22 to make it through. That was a really traumatizing year or so. I’ll expound on that experience one day.)

In working in such close quarters with everyone, we all get to know each other quite well. One of the things that I’m known for is my music knowledge – and they know I love a challenge.

Earlier this week, Karen told me that she’d love to be introduced to some songs that “were reggae, but not that old stuff that I know, but not songs that are too fast that don’t sound like reggae, but not too new that they’re on the radio right now.”

I love a challenge.

This is the CD that I compiled for her. I did sneak in some older reggae (Come Back Darling was released in 1970), but I think I accomplished her goal.

Knocking On Heaven’s Door - Peter Tosh & The Wailers
Close My Eyes - Matisyahu
King Without a Crown - Matisyahu
Short Nigun - Matisyahu
Warrior - Matisyahu
Anda Sola (Remix) - Arcangel Ft. Don Omar y Calle 13
Mamacita - Collie Budz
Adios - Don Omar
Angelito Vuela - Don Omar
Ice Cream Love - Johnny Osbourne
No Ice Cream Sound - Johnny Osbourne
Taxi Riddim - Johnny Osbourne
Fally Lover - Johnny Osbourne & The Roots Radics
Come Back Darling - Johnny Osbourne & The Sensations
Candle - Matisyahu
Shalom Salaam - Matisyahu
Wanna Go Home - Nasio Fontaine
Tu Eres Un Sueno - Wisin y Yandel

The Last Mix

Music has always been a huge part of my life.

I have been making mixed tapes (now mixed CD's) since high school. I always give them titles - Dance Til Dawn, Cruisin' 92, Birdman's Best Unplugged, Sykotic Runner, Reinventing The Lake. The reason behind the titles and the songs picked specifically for the compilation could each fill a blog entry.

Over 90% of the compilations have been for myself. I use mixed CD's to express whatever I'm feeling at that time.

The rest I give away to friends, never keeping a copy.

I have made literally hundreds of them.

There is one mixed CD that I have been working on since 1993 called The Last Mix. My only criteria for entry is if I say "Oh My God. That is the best song I have ever heard in my entire life. Ever."

I then add that song to the mix.

I have promised myself that 1) once a song has been added it can not be deleted, and 2) the day that I fill up that compilation, I will never make a mixed CD again.

From 1993 to the present, I have added 10 songs to that compilation. This afternoon, I am adding an 11th song.

It's a 1995 song by the Jayhawks called Blue. I knew the song back then, but heard it again recently and realized how much I still loved it.

Here's the song - audio only:



If you're wondering what the first 10 songs in The Last Mix are, you'll have to wait. The compilation is less than half filled. I'll publish the details once it's done.

Shirtless Sanjaya

Every season* on American Idol, there is at least one contestant that I really root for. Last season, it was Sanjaya Malakar. Yes, his singing got worse and worse almost every week, but I still liked him.






It only took me a year, but I finally found shirtless pictures of Sanjaya.



*To compare: My pick in the first season of American Idol was Jim Verraros. I still follow his career. I'll save shirtless pictures of him for another time.

A List for Us Homosexuals

1. Homosexuality is not natural, much like eyeglasses, polyester, and birth control.
2. Heterosexual marriages are valid because they produce children. Infertile couples and old people can't legally get married because the world needs more children.
3. Obviously, gay parents will raise gay children, since straight parents only raise straight children.
4. Straight marriage will be less meaningful if Gay marriage is allowed, since Britney Spears' 55-hour just-for-fun marriage was meaningful.
5. Heterosexual marriage has been around a long time and hasn't changed at all; women are property, blacks can't marry whites, and divorce is illegal.
6. Gay marriage should be decided by people, not the courts, because the majority-elected legislatures, not courts, have historically protected the rights of the minorities.
7. Gay marriage is not supported by religion. In a theocracy like ours, the values of one religion are imposed on the entire country. That's why we have only one religion in America.
8. Gay marriage will encourage people to be gay, in the same way that hanging around tall people will make you tall.
9. Legalizing gay marriage will open the door to all kinds of crazy behavior. People may even wish to marry their pets because a dog has legal standing and can sign a marriage contract.
10. Children can never succeed without a male and a female role model at home. That's why single parents are forbidden to raise children.
11. Gay marriage will change the foundation of society. Heterosexual marriage has been around for a long time, and we could never adapt to new social norms because we haven't adapted to things like cars or longer life spans.

Civil unions, providing most of the same benefits as marriage with a different name are better, because a "separate but equal" institution is always constitutional. Separate schools for African-Americans worked just as well as separate marriages for gays and lesbians will.

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I can't take credit for it. The credit goes to the Gator Gay-Straight Alliance.

At the end of the list, they add, "This list is sarcastic. We don't see how anyone could take our list seriously! We don't want people to get the wrong idea :) We hope to show how ludicrous the arguments against gay marriage really are, by explicitly stating the arguments... and letting the obvious conclusions from these arguments follow, which are clearly not accurate."

New (To Me) Song

My new favorite song - from the end credits of The Last Kiss.



The band is called Turin Brakes and the song Pain Killer.

Apparently, the song is five years old. I gotta get more current with my music!

Improv Everywhere: Frozen Grand Central

Another mission from Improv Everywhere...



Here's a link to their web site.

What Religion Are You?

I took a "What Religion Are You?" quiz...

You fit in with: Atheism 40% scientific. 60% reason-oriented.
	Your ideals mostly resemble those of an Atheist. You value objective proof over intuition or subjective thoughts. You enjoy talking about ideas and tend to have a lot of in depth conversations with people.
Take This Quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

Morning Commute

During my usual morning commute this morning, a large white van pulled out in front of me. I had to slam on my brakes.

Once I caught his eye in his rear view mirror, I gave him The Look. Since he was driving a company van, I made exaggerated gestures, showing him that I was calling the phone number of his office that was posted on the side of his van. (I wasn’t really dialing.)

He got really upset and attempted to speed up to me so, I assume, he could catch my eye and give me The Look or The Bird. Apparently he was paying too much attention to me because he slammed into the truck in front of him.

He and I made eye contact one last time as I slowly drove away, smiling and waving at him.

Sometimes, it’s fun to be evil.