From a Katrina blogger in Pascagoula comes this comment
We received a comment the other night on the blog that really touched us. I would hate for it to end up buried at the end of a miscellaneous post here -- and think it deserves a post of its own. It follows below with my emphases and comments.
I too lost a home in Katrina. Our house was built in the 1860's (yes eighteen sixties)and we truly loved living there in Bay St. Louis Ms. [The first two sentences took my breath away and then all the old Katrina-emotions flooded in. We were lucky - though it doesn't always feel like it - to have been left with a good chunk of our original home when the water receded. We grieve right along with you for the loss of a precious piece of our history. Well over 100 years -- gone in a few hours.]
We also took refuge on the second floor however when the water got chest deep on the second floor we took refuge in a pine tree. My wife and I were in the tree for three hours and later when we measured there was nearly thirty (30) feet of water below us. [I've often written here that our survival story was not very dramatic. This is what I'm talking about.]
We managed to get back on the roof as the water began to go down but the storm raged on. At dusk we walked a block to the beach across neighbors property that had been wiped clean of homes. We looked back to see the pile of rubble that was once our stately home, but we had our lives and we had each other. [Yes!]
I commend you for writing this to tell the world that the "Hurricane" did not end the night of August 29th, it is still going on.
We were driving on the beach (Hwy 90) today and commenting that some of the scars are beginning to fade. The beautiful homes are gone but our spirit remains. We will start over with our heads held high. [Amen!!]
Before I end this rant I would like to thank all the people that volunteered and continue to volunteer to help us rebuild. Without them where would we be? Families like yours dug out, ripped out and gutted, endured the heat and the mess, and can now hold your head high and be proud of what you have accomplished. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share your recovery effort.
Rich C
Friday, March 13, 2009
Is this for real?
Is this a joke or something?
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin will deliver the keynote address today at the Harvard Black Law Students Association Spring Conference in Cambridge, Mass.
will focus his speech on Hurricane Katrina and the flooding that followed, according to reports. It will also touch upon recovery efforts in New Orleans and the region.
The conference's theme is "The Fierce Urgency of Now: Effecting Change at Home and Across the Globe," according to the association's Web site.
What does this assclown know about recovery efforts in New Orleans and the region?
He's too busy deleting emails or screwing around with other nonsense.
And I thought Harvard had educated people. puh.
New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin will deliver the keynote address today at the Harvard Black Law Students Association Spring Conference in Cambridge, Mass.
will focus his speech on Hurricane Katrina and the flooding that followed, according to reports. It will also touch upon recovery efforts in New Orleans and the region.
The conference's theme is "The Fierce Urgency of Now: Effecting Change at Home and Across the Globe," according to the association's Web site.
What does this assclown know about recovery efforts in New Orleans and the region?
He's too busy deleting emails or screwing around with other nonsense.
And I thought Harvard had educated people. puh.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Another Fest for our itinerary
On May 16th in Bay St. Louis is the third annual "Bridge Fest", celebrating the reopening of the Pass Bridge.
The bridge was destroyed by Katrina in 2005
MDOT proceeded with the state’s first ever "design/build" contract, accelerating project completion by hiring the same contractor to oversee project design and construction. The new bridge was built higher, eliminating the need for a draw. The contract was awarded in January 2006 and it opened with one lane in each direction in May 2007, earlier than scheduled; and all work was completed on time by November 2007.
Hubby and I stumbled upon this fest last year when we went to lunch at Rickey's in Bay St. Louis. A small festival that's chock full or food, art, freebies and extremely friendly people.
Here's a link to a traffic cam for the bridge .
The bridge was destroyed by Katrina in 2005
MDOT proceeded with the state’s first ever "design/build" contract, accelerating project completion by hiring the same contractor to oversee project design and construction. The new bridge was built higher, eliminating the need for a draw. The contract was awarded in January 2006 and it opened with one lane in each direction in May 2007, earlier than scheduled; and all work was completed on time by November 2007.
Hubby and I stumbled upon this fest last year when we went to lunch at Rickey's in Bay St. Louis. A small festival that's chock full or food, art, freebies and extremely friendly people.
Here's a link to a traffic cam for the bridge .
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
A Hero in many ways
Retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Russel Honoré issued a challenge to Southern University students to help Louisiana and the nation adapt to a “new normal” on Monday during the university’s “Founders’ Day” 129th anniversary celebration.
Honoré, a Southern graduate and Monday’s keynote speaker, painted a somber picture while discussing the national recession, fears of a viral pandemic, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a third war starting along the Mexican border concerning the war on drugs.
He bemoaned poor health-care services and obesity rates.
“People come to Louisiana because they like the food here,” Honoré said. “This food will kill you.”
Americans must learn to “live with less” as resources decline worldwide, he said. Southern’s researchers, students and graduates can be the ones to develop new technologies and oil-free energy sources, he said. Students must bring their knowledge back to their communities.
While discussing the distance between “Main Street and Wall Street,” Honoré said there also is a “Railroad Street” where land is cheap, schools are struggling and the police are more active. Many people from the Southern nation come from Railroad Street, he said.
“When things go bad on Wall Street, they get a golden parachute. When things go bad on Main Street, they’ll wait until next year to buy a car,” Honoré said. “But ladies and gentlemen, there’s always a disaster on Railroad Street.”
Calling New Orleans’ 9th Ward a “Railroad Street,” Honoré also discussed hurricane preparedness.
“We’ve got to stop waking up in Louisiana surprised there’s a hurricane coming,” he said. People should prepare for the upcoming hurricane season now with supplies and evacuation plans.
“There’s more mention of a tiger and a jaguar in this city than there is about a three-day supply of food and water,” Honoré said of the inflated importance placed on sports.
Mr. Honore has and will always be a hero to me.
Honoré, a Southern graduate and Monday’s keynote speaker, painted a somber picture while discussing the national recession, fears of a viral pandemic, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a third war starting along the Mexican border concerning the war on drugs.
He bemoaned poor health-care services and obesity rates.
“People come to Louisiana because they like the food here,” Honoré said. “This food will kill you.”
Americans must learn to “live with less” as resources decline worldwide, he said. Southern’s researchers, students and graduates can be the ones to develop new technologies and oil-free energy sources, he said. Students must bring their knowledge back to their communities.
While discussing the distance between “Main Street and Wall Street,” Honoré said there also is a “Railroad Street” where land is cheap, schools are struggling and the police are more active. Many people from the Southern nation come from Railroad Street, he said.
“When things go bad on Wall Street, they get a golden parachute. When things go bad on Main Street, they’ll wait until next year to buy a car,” Honoré said. “But ladies and gentlemen, there’s always a disaster on Railroad Street.”
Calling New Orleans’ 9th Ward a “Railroad Street,” Honoré also discussed hurricane preparedness.
“We’ve got to stop waking up in Louisiana surprised there’s a hurricane coming,” he said. People should prepare for the upcoming hurricane season now with supplies and evacuation plans.
“There’s more mention of a tiger and a jaguar in this city than there is about a three-day supply of food and water,” Honoré said of the inflated importance placed on sports.
Mr. Honore has and will always be a hero to me.
Maybe he'll drive off the causeway
Unbelievable.
Last summer, after Mandeville Mayor Eddie Price was caught twice driving his city vehicle erratically after drinking, he reluctantly gave up the keys while he underwent treatment for substance abuse.
Now, after completing the 13-step program and finishing a final draft of a new vehicle policy, Price is back behind the wheel of the luxury Ford Expedition. The SUV now has city seals on both front doors, to comply with state law, but is still fitted with a "ghost plate" until the arrival of new public license plates.
Why I blog
Here's a piece of an email I received this morning:
I survived landfall on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Why did I stay? I ALWAYS stayed. Do I regret it? No. It enabled me to salvage much on the house, and sell it, satisfying the mortgage. Left after 5 months, I now reside in Wacko, TX. I've seen the best and the worst of human nature, and learned lessons few will ever know.
I have, through fate alone, met others here from NO, out of Katrina. We all share the same conclusion, we say little if nothing about where we're from. It just makes our lives easier not to mention it. People here seem very resentful of us. Still. And it's very hard.
It has soothed my heart and soul to view your photos, read the blogs, etc.
I survived landfall on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Why did I stay? I ALWAYS stayed. Do I regret it? No. It enabled me to salvage much on the house, and sell it, satisfying the mortgage. Left after 5 months, I now reside in Wacko, TX. I've seen the best and the worst of human nature, and learned lessons few will ever know.
I have, through fate alone, met others here from NO, out of Katrina. We all share the same conclusion, we say little if nothing about where we're from. It just makes our lives easier not to mention it. People here seem very resentful of us. Still. And it's very hard.
It has soothed my heart and soul to view your photos, read the blogs, etc.
Monday, March 09, 2009
Scuzzbucket of the Week
The Vatican.
From Suspect Device, the news that a senior Vatican cleric has defended the excommunication of the mother and doctors of a nine-year-old girl who had an abortion in Brazil after being raped.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, head of the Catholic church's Congregation for Bishops, told the daily La Stampa on Saturday that the twins the girl had been carrying had a right to live.
"It is a sad case but the real problem is that the twins conceived were two innocent persons, who had the right to live and could not be eliminated," he said.
Re, who also heads the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, added: "Life must always be protected, the attack on the Brazilian church is unjustified."
The row was triggered by the termination on Wednesday of twin foetuses carried by a nine-year-old allegedly raped by her stepfather in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco.
Jose Cardoso Sobrinho...Is it me or does this dude have mean eyes?
The regional archbishop, Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, pronounced excommunication for the mother for authorising the operation and doctors who carried it out for fear that the slim girl would not survive carrying the foetuses to term.
"God's law is above any human law. So when a human law ... is contrary to God's law, this human law has no value," Cardoso had said.
Thought that was bad? Here's more:
He also said the accused stepfather would not be expelled from the church. Although the man allegedly committed "a heinous crime ... the abortion - the elimination of an innocent life - was more serious".
From Suspect Device, the news that a senior Vatican cleric has defended the excommunication of the mother and doctors of a nine-year-old girl who had an abortion in Brazil after being raped.
Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, head of the Catholic church's Congregation for Bishops, told the daily La Stampa on Saturday that the twins the girl had been carrying had a right to live.
"It is a sad case but the real problem is that the twins conceived were two innocent persons, who had the right to live and could not be eliminated," he said.
Re, who also heads the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, added: "Life must always be protected, the attack on the Brazilian church is unjustified."
The row was triggered by the termination on Wednesday of twin foetuses carried by a nine-year-old allegedly raped by her stepfather in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco.
Jose Cardoso Sobrinho...Is it me or does this dude have mean eyes?
The regional archbishop, Jose Cardoso Sobrinho, pronounced excommunication for the mother for authorising the operation and doctors who carried it out for fear that the slim girl would not survive carrying the foetuses to term.
"God's law is above any human law. So when a human law ... is contrary to God's law, this human law has no value," Cardoso had said.
Thought that was bad? Here's more:
He also said the accused stepfather would not be expelled from the church. Although the man allegedly committed "a heinous crime ... the abortion - the elimination of an innocent life - was more serious".
Sunday, March 08, 2009
Let the Festivals Begin!
Ah, March. The start of spring and Festivals.
We have several coming up in the next month or so.
Taken partially from Clarence's festival webpage here are a few festivals we won't miss:
2009 Smokin' Blues and BBQ Challenge in Downtown Hammond , Louisiana. , which features BBQ Cooking (of course), Barbecue cooking classes, Sweet Tea Challenge and of course, music. You can sample the foods cooked at this festival on Friday, March 27th beginning at 4:30 PM and on Saturday March 28th after 10 AM. We went last year and got there too early to do a lot of sampling, but we DID get to try one plate for a donation and it was fantastic.
Here's a link to more festivals held in March for our local area
click on pictures for larger versions
On the weekend of April 4th is the Picayune Street Fair. A low key event, it's
fun to walk the Antique District of Picayune and eat some good barbecue at Stonewall's by the train tracks.
The Pontchatoula Strawberry Festival is April 3rd-5th this year. It's become a big festival in the past decade or so, but the crowd's laid back and the berries are plentiful.
On April 11th head on over to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi for the Souper Mud Fest, where pottery bowls will be sold for $20 and filled with soup. Proceeds benefit Hancock County Food Pantry, local potters, and Old Town Mechants Association
The weekend of April 18th brings the Slidell Antique District Street Fair .
We usually hit this one in the morning and then head over to the sixth annual Crawfish Cookoff benefitting the Hospice foundation of the South.
If you have $20 and you like crawfish, get your tickets at Whitney Bank and head on out to Fritchie Park. The weather is ALWAYS great for this event and you can't beat the price.
One of our favorites, the French Quarter Festival will take place on April 17-19th.
Music currently booked is
The Radiators
Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue
Irvin Mayfield and the NOJO Allstars
Rockin’ Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters
Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys
Bonerama
the Zydepunks
Soul Rebels
the Original Hurricane Brass Band
Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Review
Theresa Andersson
Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. & The Wild Magnolias
John Boutté & Paul Sanchez “Stew Called New Orleans”
Wanda Rouzan and a Taste of New Orleans
Susan Cowsill
Posse featuring Dave Malone, Reggie Scanlan, and Kevin O’Day
The Honey Island Swamp Band
Otra
Walter “Wolfman” Washington
Big Sam’s Funky Nation
Hot Club of New Orleans
Bamboula 2000
Soul Project
It's so good that you can eat all you want because you walk it off by walking from the foot of Canal Street to the US Mint and back!
One of NOLA's biggies, the 40th Annual Jazz Fest starts April 24th to May 3rd. Unbelievable lineup of musicians. And the variety of food and crafts will make you want to camp out at the Fairgrounds just to take it all in. If you don't mind the heat and the crowds it's worth the cost.
Here's a long list of the festivals held in April around here
May has a lot of festivals, too at this website .
June fests here
Although it's hot as hell and I'll get sunburned, I refuse to not go to the
New Orleans Vieux to Do on the weekend of June 12.
Formerly the Creole Tomato Festival, French Market Seafood Festival and the Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival, the festival site includes the National Historic landmarks of the French Market and LA State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint. There will be free Music on 5 stages and Chef Demonstrations throughout the weekend. Over 50 Food, Beverage and Merchandise booths Fishermen, Arts & Crafts and Farmers Villages celebrating Louisiana’s extraordinary culture, music and cuisine.
Fathers' Day weekend has the Louisiana Bicycle Festival in Abita Springs. I've never been, but perhaps hubby and I will bike on over to Abita to check it out. We'll need the exercise after all of the food we'll be eating!
On July 4th weekend the Mandeville Seafood Festival, now held at Fontainebleu State Park. We've missed this festival in the past few years because the food frankly sucks. It was all fried food and who wants to eat hot fried food in July outside? Not me.
Instead we just may head back to Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis for their annual Crab Festival, held on July 4th. It's a small festival, but it's held right on the Gulf of Mexico and the crowd is mellow and music is good. Best of all THEY HAVE CRABS!!!!
We have several coming up in the next month or so.
Taken partially from Clarence's festival webpage here are a few festivals we won't miss:
2009 Smokin' Blues and BBQ Challenge in Downtown Hammond , Louisiana. , which features BBQ Cooking (of course), Barbecue cooking classes, Sweet Tea Challenge and of course, music. You can sample the foods cooked at this festival on Friday, March 27th beginning at 4:30 PM and on Saturday March 28th after 10 AM. We went last year and got there too early to do a lot of sampling, but we DID get to try one plate for a donation and it was fantastic.
Here's a link to more festivals held in March for our local area
click on pictures for larger versions
On the weekend of April 4th is the Picayune Street Fair. A low key event, it's
fun to walk the Antique District of Picayune and eat some good barbecue at Stonewall's by the train tracks.
The Pontchatoula Strawberry Festival is April 3rd-5th this year. It's become a big festival in the past decade or so, but the crowd's laid back and the berries are plentiful.
On April 11th head on over to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi for the Souper Mud Fest, where pottery bowls will be sold for $20 and filled with soup. Proceeds benefit Hancock County Food Pantry, local potters, and Old Town Mechants Association
The weekend of April 18th brings the Slidell Antique District Street Fair .
We usually hit this one in the morning and then head over to the sixth annual Crawfish Cookoff benefitting the Hospice foundation of the South.
If you have $20 and you like crawfish, get your tickets at Whitney Bank and head on out to Fritchie Park. The weather is ALWAYS great for this event and you can't beat the price.
One of our favorites, the French Quarter Festival will take place on April 17-19th.
Music currently booked is
The Radiators
Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue
Irvin Mayfield and the NOJO Allstars
Rockin’ Dopsie and the Zydeco Twisters
Amanda Shaw and the Cute Guys
Bonerama
the Zydepunks
Soul Rebels
the Original Hurricane Brass Band
Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Review
Theresa Andersson
Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. & The Wild Magnolias
John Boutté & Paul Sanchez “Stew Called New Orleans”
Wanda Rouzan and a Taste of New Orleans
Susan Cowsill
Posse featuring Dave Malone, Reggie Scanlan, and Kevin O’Day
The Honey Island Swamp Band
Otra
Walter “Wolfman” Washington
Big Sam’s Funky Nation
Hot Club of New Orleans
Bamboula 2000
Soul Project
It's so good that you can eat all you want because you walk it off by walking from the foot of Canal Street to the US Mint and back!
One of NOLA's biggies, the 40th Annual Jazz Fest starts April 24th to May 3rd. Unbelievable lineup of musicians. And the variety of food and crafts will make you want to camp out at the Fairgrounds just to take it all in. If you don't mind the heat and the crowds it's worth the cost.
Here's a long list of the festivals held in April around here
May has a lot of festivals, too at this website .
June fests here
Although it's hot as hell and I'll get sunburned, I refuse to not go to the
New Orleans Vieux to Do on the weekend of June 12.
Formerly the Creole Tomato Festival, French Market Seafood Festival and the Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival, the festival site includes the National Historic landmarks of the French Market and LA State Museum’s Old U.S. Mint. There will be free Music on 5 stages and Chef Demonstrations throughout the weekend. Over 50 Food, Beverage and Merchandise booths Fishermen, Arts & Crafts and Farmers Villages celebrating Louisiana’s extraordinary culture, music and cuisine.
Fathers' Day weekend has the Louisiana Bicycle Festival in Abita Springs. I've never been, but perhaps hubby and I will bike on over to Abita to check it out. We'll need the exercise after all of the food we'll be eating!
On July 4th weekend the Mandeville Seafood Festival, now held at Fontainebleu State Park. We've missed this festival in the past few years because the food frankly sucks. It was all fried food and who wants to eat hot fried food in July outside? Not me.
Instead we just may head back to Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Bay St. Louis for their annual Crab Festival, held on July 4th. It's a small festival, but it's held right on the Gulf of Mexico and the crowd is mellow and music is good. Best of all THEY HAVE CRABS!!!!
Saturday, March 07, 2009
I'm with Cliff
Cliff writes about Brad Pitt's efforts to secure funding to help rebuild the Ninth Ward.
Brad and Cliff are awesome.
Brad and Cliff are awesome.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
-
Harrah's New Orleans Hotel I can identify all but one of the flags flying, which depict the city of New Orleans and Louisiana's...
-
I think I'm missing something. Razoo Bouncers not guilty of murder. Levon Jones, 26, of Statesboro, Ga., died after being pinned to th...
