What it's all about

The hoopla.....
The incessant talk.....
The Saints....

Some people would rather just talk about rebuilding

Others are taking the fun and going with it

some people are just plain grinning ear-to-ear happy.

It's a "coming-back" party

It's more than just a football game.

It's what has this area alive with talk, feeling great - if only for an evening.

It's about time there is something to celebrate here.

Waveland

(click on pictures to view full size)

During our weekend wandering, we took Highway 90 from Slidell, through Pearlington and into Waveland. Poor, sweet Waveland was leveled by the storm.

We hadn't been there since July of 2005 when we took a day trip to check out the beaches and souvenier shops (no gamblers here).

We saw progress in work on the main road, but heading toward the beaches showed us a different story


The first thing that caught my eye was the trees. The were all leaning away from the gulf and dead. All of the pine trees, that is. The oak trees - although they don't look lush - have survived.




Houses that once sat facing the gulf were now just slabs and stairs.



One impressive survivor is some of St. Stanislaus College on Bay St. Louis.



Even though their elevated sidewalk no longer connects one building with another

September 30th election

There are thirteen amendments on this Saturday's election ballot.
The Public Affairs Reasearch Council of Louisiana has done an excellent job of putting each amendment into everyday language and explains what your vote means for each.

For example, the first proposed amendment is for the Coastal Protection & Restoration Fund. PAR explains the current situation, what changes are being proposed, offers comments and gives some background info on proponents and opponents.
In summary, here's what they tell you about how your vote will affect the outcome of amendment one:

You Decide
- A vote for would change the name of the Wetlands Conservation and Restoration
Fund to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund and would deposit into that fund all potential federal revenues from Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas activities.

- A vote against would retain the current name and allow potential federal revenues
from Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas activities to be deposited in the general state treasury fund.


Go to their website, become informed and vote intelligently this Saturday.

Weekend Stuff

Another three day weekend has come and gone. We stayed very busy this weekend.

On Friday, hubby and I drove Hwy 90, east of New Orleans in search of more boats orphaned by Katrina

We found several on a levee that "protects" Hwy 90 from Lake Borgne.
(click on each picture to view full size)

>


Being eaten alive by mosquitoes was bearable, but for me, the sight of this guy




Made me turn back.

One thing I found amusing is this tag placed on boats along Hwy 90:


Yeah, okay.

These notices seem to have been placed on the boats in June, as evidenced by this:



Went to visit my daughter in Thibodaux yesterday. It's nice to go somewhere that doesn't have debris all over the place.

Last night we watched Hexing a Hurricane, a film by Jeremy Campbell. I highly recommend this film.

VOW Festival

STAGE IS SET FOR VOICE OF THE WETLANDS FESTIVAL

Dr. John Appearing with All-Stars at Festival, Weekend Event Announcement


Houma, LA – The Voice of the Wetlands Festival will take over Southdown Plantation once again this year. The third annual festival will be held on October 13, 14 and 15 – a three-day event – celebrating the unique culture from the region that the wetlands directly protect and support. The underlying mission of the festival is to gain national awareness for the wetlands crisis and turn community initiatives into actions. By utilizing the culture of South Louisiana to promote the wetlands crisis, the wetlands are now being returned the favor with critical support from musicians and the community through events such as this. It’s a unique way to connect the community with those working with the wetlands and also spreading the word about the issues. Together, there’s an opportunity to build a national voice that is louder and stronger than the individual parts can offer.

“We’ll all get together and have some fun, but it’s important that we get something done in the process,” Tab Benoit, president of Voice of the Wetlands has passionately stated in regards to this year’s event. Tab spends 250+ days a year on tour sharing a moment at each performance about his first hand accounts of the coastal crisis with audiences nationwide. His fan base and music career has gained this year’s Voice of the Wetlands Festival national recognition in the media as well as with other organizations such as the Blues Foundation. They are finding ways to bring the music, culture and coastal erosion issues to their readers and help gain support for VOW on a national level.

“It’s important to keep the festival free to the public, so the information about the wetlands crisis is available to everyone,” Rueben Williams, festival promoter and VOW member explains. Donations throughout the year’s benefit events, along with sponsorship, have kept the festival running the two previous years. Since last year’s efforts were shifted towards hurricane relief to benefit Katrina survivors, budgeting is very tight for the 2006 festival. VOW organizers are opening up every avenue for support through donations and sponsorship, including possible naming rights to the festival. There was no doubt that the festival needed to be held this year, especially when many other festivals have been discontinued in the region. The wetlands issues aren’t going away so the mission of the festival has grown stronger.

Festival promoters are also excited to announce Dr. John (Mac Rebennack) will take the stage with Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars as part of Sunday evening’s finale. The All-Star line up features Dr. John, Tab Benoit, Cyril Neville, Anders Osborne, Waylon Thibodeaux, George Porter, Jr., Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone and Big Chief Monk Boudreaux. Prior to the hurricanes, the VOW All-Stars were already working together to raise awareness of coastal erosion. Their message has become even more critical now than before with the threat of losing this area’s unique culture, heritage, wildlife, people and way of life. Each one of the musicians involved in the project appreciates the influence that Louisiana has had on them musically.

Schedule of Events

Friday Evening (festival hours 5:30pm to 10pm) – Community involvement and national initiatives are being addressed throughout the weekend with political stump speeches kicking off the festival Friday evening. Local politicians and wetland experts are invited to take the stage and share what actions are taking place and the involvements necessary for results. Exhibitors are being sought to provide information for the festival-goers to learn about the wetlands. Festivities follow the speeches with the X-Treme Guitar Showdown featuring Tab Benoit. He’s inviting special guests to join him on stage for an unyielding dose of blues, rock and roots music.

Saturday & Sunday All Day Events (festival hours 12:00pm to 10pm both days) – The festival swings into full gear with local, regional and national music acts based in Louisiana’s diverse musical roots and culture. Performances include Louisiana LeRoux, Cyril Neville and Tribe 13, The Chubby Carrier Band, The Treater Band, The Waylon Thibodeaux Band, Southern Cross, The Pershing Wells Louisiana Songwriting Revue, The Dream Junkies and The Hurricane Levee Band. Estuary exhibits and informative wetlands experts will be on-hand to share first hand accounts of the actions and issues faced in protecting and restoring the coast of Louisiana and its people. And with all local festivals, you can’t serve up the culture without serving up the great cuisine of South Louisiana. Local chefs, family recipes and special ingredients will take center stage under the pavilion. This year’s festival adds something for the kids as well with inflatable jumping tents and concessions.

Additional Events – Voice of the Wetlands Benefit Poker Run sponsored by Cycle World of Houma on Sunday, riders will check in at Cycle World early in the morning and follow a run ending at the VOW Festival in the afternoon. Prizes will be presented during the festival. Local music clubs are also combining efforts to continue the festival mission at downtown locations with live music continuing the late night. Door proceeds will benefit VOW. Download the application here.

For more information on Voice of the Wetlands organization and festival, visit their website.

Contact:
Kristal McManigal
(985) 655-VOW1
(504) 451-2642
vow@cox.

Debunking Dome Deaths

During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, rumors were flying about how may people had been murdered in the Superdome. Oyster takes the rumors to task with his post Why the Superdome is a Sacredome not a Thunderdome

Here's a piece of the post:

that FEMA's deputy coordinating officer estimated there were 200 homicide "bodies" between the Convention Center and the Super Dome. That when FEMA's mortician crew arrived at the Super Dome with refrigerated trucks to collect the bodies, they found precisely NONE in the arena. Overall, the Dome's dead numbered six bodies: a heart attack victim, three natural deaths, a suicide and a drug overdose.

The excitement builds

It feels like the last weekend of Mardi Gras around here, except football is the main focus. To those outside of this area who cannot understand the local feelings regarding Monday night's game, Chris Martel so eloquently speculates in this post....

Here's the last paragraph:
Monday night's game is perhaps the biggest in Saints history. It may not be the biggest on paper, but symbolically, it's huge. The team and the city have never shared such an intimate bond. Their story is our story. Their rebirth is our rebirth. Of all the significant events since Katrina, this might be the only one not mired by controversy and division. Monday night will be one of the first times since Katrina that we're all unified in the pursuit of a common goal and dream. And that's definitely something worth celebrating.

STS115 Landing

The Space Shuttle is slated to land tomorrow (9-21-06) at 5:21 a.m.

NASA said it has researched the "mysterious objects" co-orbiting with the Orbiter and an inspection of the heat shields satisfies the agency that it will be safe to land.



Want info on the Shuttle landing?
go here

Scuzzbucket of the week

From the American Heritage Dictionary:
scuzz·buck·et (skzbkt)
n. Slan.
A repulsive or disgusting person or thing.




I'm sorry I bet on baseball

Positive feelings

I'm not normally a fan of football or the New Orleans Saints.

But there is something electric in this area this week. You can feel the excitement.
It's more than just the normal annual rivalry game with the Falcons. It's bigger
than that. It's a positive electricity hovering over us.

And it feels GOOD!

After a year of one depressing happening after another; over twelve months dealing
with Ray Ray's
foot-in-mouth problems, it seems like we are going thru a window of unmitigated good feelings. And everyone who's lived the
Post-Katrina experience deserves it.

So, all you Saints Fans, bless you! This is your time. This is a shot in the arm, a weekend diversion for Katrina's veterans. Let's enjoy it. We're all Saints fans this weekend.

Yes, there are still miles to go before we sleep.

And months before people move out of FEMA trailers .

We continue to wonder if the blatant cold blooded murders in the reopened public housing projects will ever stop.

But for today, for the next five days, we can smile and feel good about something, even if we're not football fans.