free flowing thoughts

New Orleans crime rate is unbelievable high. Six murders in one night over the weekend. What's the cause? What's the solution?
Where's the mayor of New Orleans? Where is the city's leadership?
What can be done to fix the judicial system in the city? The subject of the broken system has been discussed here

here

here

here

and here

I could go on and on about the horrific judicial system here. I also want to address the fact that Ray Ray wants to sponsor midnight basketball for the kids that have "nothing to do" to keep them out of trouble.

wait...isn't there a CURFEW in the city? So, the kids play basketball till dawn and then go out and commit crimes?

Who the hell is minding the store?

In other bad news, tropical storm Chris was born today...
gonna keep an eye on him.


There are thousands of good, honest people in New Orleans trying to bring their lives back together, through the heat, the crime, the lack of businesses open, the difficulties in dealing with city hall, looters,thieves, half assed contractors and crazies. And they still want to stay!!! .These people are the true pioneers of New Orleans. I know it sounds corny, but could you go thru some of their experiences and still want to stay?

And it's not just the city. I work with several folks who lived in St. Bernard Parish, Lakeview, Pascagoula, Mississippi who are rebuilding. Their love of home outweighs the pain of all they've been through.

Some day in the future we'll be able to make sense of how all of the bad things the Katrina did turned out to be good. Someday.



Experience is determined by yourself -- not the circumstances of your life.

Gita Bellin

Pascagoula July '06

from the website "Did We Survive Hurricane Katrina or Not?", a tour of Pascagoula, Missippi - July 2006



Expect the best, plan for the worst, and prepare to be surprised.

Denis Waitley
(1933-, American author, speaker, trainer, peak performance expert)

Good Commuter News

The Chef Pass bridge has been closed since Hurricane Katrina undermined the banks that supported the bridge.




This is probably little news to denizens of New Orleans. But for us northshore commuters, it's a wonderful thing. The morning and evening commutes over the east side of the lake can be a nightmare some days. Post Katrina it's a little worse because of the lowered speed limits on the twin spans.



All it takes is one crazed commuter to drive carelessly and cause an accident, which could gum up the flow of traffic for hours. If this happens after this Friday, at least Highway 90 is available as an alternative. Before last August, Highway 90 was an easy, interesting way to traverse Lake Pontchartrain. I haven't seen it since last year, but I believe it is a whole lot different now. I cross the lake via Highway 11 and have seen very few lights in the area of Highway 90 since Katrina. We shall have to see.

My thanks to the State Department of Transportation and Boh Brothers.


A careful inventory of all your past experiences may disclose the startling fact that everything has happened for the best.

Author Unknown

A smile from Katrina Land

Being a cat lover, I gravitate towards stories like this.

Just shows to go you, you can go home again....at least cats can.


Thanks, Tim.

"He can just bite me"

Here's a link to the story

Some excerpts

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Mississippi congressman hit back at Michael Brown on Thursday after the former FEMA director described him as "that little twerp."

"Brown is an incompetent fool, and everyone in South Mississippi knows it," said Rep. Gene Taylor, D-Miss.

In a Playboy magazine interview, the fallen Federal Emergency Management Agency chief took issue with Taylor for harshly questioning him during a hearing into the government's sluggish response to Hurricane Katrina last year.

"He said I didn't recognize the death and suffering that was going on," Brown said of Taylor.


"For that little twerp to claim I didn't recognize death and suffering — he can just bite me, for all I care," Brown told Playboy.

I just wish Mr. Brown's head would explode and we'd be done with the asshole.

duh

-- Andrea Yates was insane when she drowned her children in a bathtub, jury finds.

Getting Close to that time

It's close to that time of year again...the busy part of hurricane season.

I guess the recent spate of thunderstorms in the area during the past two
weeks, coupled with this article in the T-P today got me thinking
about this season.



Nash Roberts was the best! I remember tuning into the 10 o'clock news during summers
past (ten plus years ago) and KNOW there was a serious storm out there when Nash was
doing the weather forecast. Nash with his magic markers and stumbling delivery.
He may not have been as "pretty and smooth" as meteorologists today, but he was a damn good forecaster. Still is, as the article in the T-P shows. Nash didn't need all the newfangled tools available to todays weather forecasters. He did his own analysis - and I'm sure he looked at all of the models available at the time. But he went with his gut.

Hurricane season 2006 brings us some interesting weather men (easier to say than meteorologist...and spell, too).



Margaret Orr is too gushy and cutesy for me. That and she gets worked up
too easily. Nash never showed that much emotion.



Carl Arredondo (love saying his name) I like. He's professional and to the point. Although he's no Nash, I trust him.


Bob Breck....UGH! This little worm probably did a happy dance when he heard that
Nash was retiring. THEN he got that hideous hairpiece. I didn't like him pre-hairpiece and I dislike him even more now. It's not just the hairpiece, it's his
gigantic ego. I don't trust any of his forecasting either.


My man, Dan. I love Dan Milham. He's accurate, he's personable (for me) and
he seems to have to cool that Nash has/had.

Although I don't watch a lot of local TV weather anymore (my husband is a Weather Channel freak), during "the season" I tune in to the locals. Dan will be my man this year again. Unless WDSU chooses a younger, flashier weatherman. I hope not.



Riding home today, I looked at all the fema trailers along Highway 11 and wondered what would happen if anything stronger than a weak Cat One came through. I hope we don't have to deal with that this year.

Crime and Food

Thought I'd check out the "racist" St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office website
to see if there was any update in the status of the quadruple murder
in Slidell a few weeks ago. Nada.

Update July 27th. Up to ten different drugs found in victims' bodies Surprised? Not me.

While I was there, I checked out the most wanted list. Jeesh, what a sleezy bunch there! Then I stumbled across an
interesting section of the website. You can find out crime statistics for your neighborhood by type of crime and how it compares
to last year. Pretty cool. Good place to go to check out a neighborhood if you're house hunting or if you're
just plain curious like me.

Onto another website, I decided to check out the tropics. They look pretty quiet out there.


Getting my evacuation boxes ready. Sure hope we don't have to use them. We even have
a case of MRE's upstairs (I know, who doesn't?). I don't like the idea of evacuating with
five cats, but if we have to, then we will. The bad thing about leaving for hurricanes is that
you don't know which direction to go (except north) until it's close to landfall (in most cases). I don't think I'll dwell on that
right now. I'd rather think about good food.

My honey and I went to the Covington Farmers' Market a few weeks back then went to lunch at
the Cheese Steak Bistro
on Columbia. Excellent sandwiches there. They're open Monday-Saturday till 2 or 3
in the afternoon. It's worth the trip. (985) 875-9793.

And if you hang around after lunch, browsing all the neat shops in Covington, go to dinner at
DiChristina's Restaurant down the street at 810 N. Columbia (985-875-0160).
Opened by members of the family that operated Rocky & Carlo's in Chalmette, DiCristina's serves big portions of Creole-Italian comfort food.

Not a clue

What the hell is wrong with Ray Nagin?????

How many lives were lost, how many people have become homeless? How many people still can't come home?

Where's his plan for the future of New Orleans?

Check out the city's website
here is the url http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=1&load=~/PortalModules/ViewPressRelease.ascx&itemid=3647

He's got a hoopla planned for the first anniversary of Katrina. Huh?
What's wrong with him? Are we STILL living in an alternate universe?????
Ray, you can plan this shit, but not the future of New Orleans?
You assbite.

Here's the current plan of events:
(my comments are in blue font.

New Orleans Mayor and Wynton Marsalis Outline Katrina Anniversary Schedule

Anniversary Expected To Attract Thousands

(New Orleans, LA) Mayor C. Ray Nagin and U.N. Messenger of Peace and Multi-Grammy Award Winner, Wynton Marsalis today outlined the three-day commemorative days of reflection surrounding the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the Rebirth of New Orleans. These three days will be one of rebirth, remembrance, and renewal.


The chairpersons of the Katrina Anniversary Planning Committee are Mrs. Seletha Nagin, First Lady of New Orleans, Bill McFarlin, Executive Director of the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) and Dan Carlin, Chairman Emeritus of the NARAS/GRAMMYS.
Mizz Nagin, what are you bringing as far as talent/knowledge to this "fete"?

Why is a grammy dude involved? Is it going to be Ray's New Orleans essense fest?

A press conference announcing further details will be forth coming.




Sunday, August 27, 2006
Noon - Midnight
**Kazanjian Jewels for Charity Silent Auction (bid and view)
Harrah’s Casino
8 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
What're ya gonna auction off...debris?

3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
*Gospel Concert
Convention Center Auditorium
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
900 Convention Center Blvd.,
New Orleans, LA 70130


9 p.m. -11 p.m.
**Ambassadors of Swing Talent Search
Harrah’s Casino Theatre
8 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
How does Swing Talent memorialize Katrina???

Monday, Aug 28, 2006
Noon - Midnight
**Kazanjian Jewels for Charity Silent Auction (bid and view)
Harrah’s Casino
8 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
More debris auctioning

1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
**Cooking With Music featuring Emeril Lagasse and Wynton Marsalis
-An educational program for children
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
900 Convention Center Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70130
Emeril finally comes to New Orleans

6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
**Exclusive Food Experience
Restaurants all Over New Orleans
-Restaurants To Be Determined
Food Experience....are they feeding New Orleans' poor and needy?

9 p.m. -TBA
**Comedy Night
Harrah’s Casino Theatre
8 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Oh yeah, Katrina left us a lot to laugh about

Tuesday, August 29, 2006
8:30 a.m.
*Prayer Breakfast
Asia Baptist Church
1400 Sere Street
New Orleans, LA 70122
pray that you're not recalled, Nagin

9:38 a.m. - First Levee Breach
*Ringing of the Bells/Laying of the Wreaths
City Hall
1300 Perdido Street
New Orleans, LA 70112
-Laying of the Wreaths will take place at each levee breach in the City Council respective districts
One appropriate item

Noon
*Ecumenical Prayer Service
Ernest N. Morial Convention Center
Convention Center Auditorium – Hall H
900 Convention Center Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70130


Noon - Midnight
**Kazanjian Jewels for Charity Silent Auction (bid and view)
Harrah’s Casino
8 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
more auctioning off debris???


2:00 p.m.
*One New Orleans Procession
In the tradition of a Jazz Funeral - Convention Center to Superdome
-Lieutenant General Russel L. Honoré will be the Grand Marshall of the One New Orleans Procession
-Honoring 1st Responders, the lives lost in Katrina, and the rebirth of New Orleans
-Everyone is invited to participate
I can't believe Honore agreed to be a part of this shit.


3:30 p.m.
*Pre-Concert Community Event begins at the end of procession
-For the community to come together as One New Orleans
Louisiana Superdome
1500 Poydras St.
I'm gonna puke


6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
**New Orleans: Rebuilding the Soul of America...One Year Later Televised Concert
New Orleans Arena
1501 Girod Street
so the rest of the country can laugh at us some more? partying and dancing while the city lies in a near coma


8.30 p.m. -TBA
**Post-Event: Masquerade Gala (Diamond & Platinum tickets only)
Harrah's Casino
8 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
A Gala? How nice, how available to the poor of New Orleans.

9:30 p.m.
*Fireworks – Rebirth of One New Orleans
Riverfront
Fireworks? Yeah, that's a nice way to remember Katrina's victims.

Ray's many business relations.

Anyone interested in participating in these events should contact Emeline Desse at edesse@mayorofno.com, or for Wynton Marsalis’ Events please contact Mary Lee Murphy at murphym@peteramayer.com or at (504) 210-1320.


this certainly sucks.

Allstate STILL Sucks

Since the beginning, we've heard nothing but horror stories
about insurance companies. Allstate has taken scumsucking
to a new level

Orphan Boats

While perusing my favorite blogs last week, I ran across this post which started my wheels turning. Seems that there is still a whole bunch of unclaimed boats all over the area. I know that I must see more than a dozen
on my commute to and from work via Highway 11.

img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJgtvypoGzfWjAK4bSuaZ7533btBh8Qr3NDLMJdX25zTJiIbi-4DVcGs0yhJQVcdnKjG9tZq-t8n3qYINgyIEdPGtIewr-ztAwv2czavrBO58-X9P-hpfXnN6zPw6-lexH2HMbaA/" width="400" border="0" />





The complete set of my "orphaned boats" can be found here.

So I set out Saturday morning and drove around my immediate area, digital camera in hand and took some interesting pictures.

During my ride, I snapped a few other pictures of "recovery" (or lack of) from Katrina, almost 11 months later.





the "world famous" Irish Bayou Truck Stop and Casino (still not open)




Recovery IS happening, but not as fast as the rest of the country thinks it is. Listening to the radio last week, I heard someone say that Slidell's back to normal. I wonder where they were looking?