Now we are going to meet with Syria and Iran. A Bush administration spokesman said the policy of not negotiating with them hadn't changed - that this meeting was a "conversation", not a negotiation. Whatever. At least we are going to sit down with them, as the Baker Commission recommended. I think that's absolutely necessary to bring peace to Iraq.
Maurene Dowd's column on Wednesday in the New York Times is worth reading. She wonders about "the danger of Osama bin Laden’s staying on the lam, and Afghanistan’s slipping back into the claws of the Taliban and Al Qaeda while we are shackled to Iraq".
A reporter asked Tony Snow yesterday what the attack on the Bagram Air Base that may have targeted the vice president and killed at least 23 people said about the Taliban’s strength. “I’m not sure it says anything,” he replied. Amazing! How do they expect to be taken seriously with drivel like that?
To inform Tony Snow: the strike demonstrated that Al Qaeda and the Taliban appear stronger and more emboldened in the region than at any time since the American invasion of the country five years ago, and since the Bush administration claimed to have decimated much of their middle management. It was not widely reported at the time, but Bush pulled forces out of Afghanistan to pre-position them for the invasion of Iraq.
By the way, Al Gore was prescient on climate change, the Internet, terrorism and Iraq. He was ahead of his time and he was right --and conservatives ridiculed him for it. Wouldn't he be an interesting candidate? After all, he served as Vice President and would have the most relevant experience for the job of President. He has such great name recognition that he can afford to wait to enter the race.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Tuesday, February 27, 2007
Some things are better left unsaid and other things need to be said out loud
I know I said I wasn't going to write about politics or current events - but I just can't resist.
I don't believe that one can be a candidate for President and fail to know why serious people opposed Bush's war back before it began. Below is a copy and paste from an article in Salon.com that details some of those voices raised in concern back then. I remember thinking at the time that the press and most Democrats just rolled over for the Karl Rove juggernaut. Bush had shifting rationales for tax cuts and for reasons for invading Iraq. It always seemed as if he was casting about for the best reason to do what he'd already decided to do........and as a result, we never knew the real reason. Their spin is so good, it sounds like reality. Any Senator who voted for that war owes us more than an apology.......we are owed a full and complete explanation. Below is the article, if you want to see how easy it was to doubt Bush when the Senate gave in to him. Bush was no more credible on invading Iraq than he was on his objections to stem cell research, evolution, or global warming.
Last week I talked to a military man who volunteered to serve in Iraq because he wanted revenge against those who attacked us on 9-11. It was stunning in its ignorance. He really suffered over there, and for no reason at all. Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11 (although Bush's buddies in Saudi Arabia sure did). I just didn't have the heart to tell him that his sacrifice was for nothing. Some things are better left unsaid.
The article:
Aug. 15, 2002 -- The national security advisor to Presidents Ford and George H.W. Bush, and for three years chairman of President George W. Bush's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, Brent Scowcroft was a foreign policy realist who favored stability over the grand ambitions of the neocons, and was largely derided for doing so. In an Op-Ed for the Wall Street Journal, "Don't Attack Saddam," he laid out his case: "There is scant evidence to tie Saddam to terrorist organizations, and even less to the Sept. 11 attacks. Indeed Saddam's goals have little in common with the terrorists who threaten us, and there is little incentive for him to make common cause with them. "He is unlikely to risk his investment in weapons of mass destruction, much less his country, by handing such weapons to terrorists who would use them for their own purposes and leave Baghdad as the return address. Threatening to use these weapons for blackmail -- much less their actual use -- would open him and his entire regime to a devastating response by the U.S. While Saddam is thoroughly evil, he is above all a power-hungry survivor. Saddam is a familiar dictatorial aggressor, with traditional goals for his aggression. There is little evidence to indicate that the United States itself is an object of his aggression." Sept. 13, 2002 -- Though most of the press passed on all too credulously the administration's false information, some did publish stories questioning the spin. On this occasion, the Washington Post's Dana Priest and Joby Warrick were among them: "The White House document released yesterday ... contains little new information -- and no bombshells -- showing that [Saddam] Hussein is producing new weapons of mass destruction or has joined with terrorists to threaten the United States or its interests abroad ... Experts on Iraq's weaponry say that on [the subject of ballistic missiles] the report, with few exceptions, recycles a mix of dated and largely circumstantial evidence that Hussein may be hiding the ingredients for these weapons and is seeking to develop a nuclear capability and to weaponize chemical and biological agents ... 'Given the high priority for knowing what is going on in Iraq, I'm stunned by the lack of evidence for fresh intelligence,' said Gary Milhollin, executive editor of Iraq Watch, a Washington-based nonprofit institution that tracks developments in Iraq's weapons program. 'You'd expect that, for the many billions we are spending on intelligence, they would be able to make factual assertions that would not have to be footnoted to an open source.'" Sept. 25, 2002 -- Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., voiced some of his concerns at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: "I have attended numerous briefings and read countless reports from a variety of sources. I have listened carefully to the Administration. And I have read, quite closely, the proposed resolution authorizing the use of force that the Administration sent to Congress last week. After all of this, I still do not have answers to some fundamental questions. I remain extremely troubled by the Administration's shifting justifications for going to war in Iraq. I remain skeptical about the need to take unilateral action now and to accept all of the associated costs of that decision. I remain unconvinced that the Administration has thought through the potential costs and challenges of post-conflict reconstruction in Iraq, or even thought through how to address the issue of weapons of mass destruction once an engagement begins." Also on this day, Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., penned an article for the Hill, the influential political newspaper in Washington. Though Skelton would end up voting for war, he was a longtime leader of the party on military issues, and in his piece, he reflected the concerns of many in the military: "While the Bush administration cites the threat of Iraqi WMD, the case has not yet been clearly made as to why military force is an appropriate way of addressing the threat, and why action must occur now. "I have no doubt that our military would decisively defeat Iraq's forces and remove Saddam. But like the proverbial dog chasing the car down the road, we must consider what we would do after we caught it. "Any strategy must consider the form of a replacement regime and take seriously the possibility that the Iraqi people might reject it, leading to civil unrest and even anarchy. What will we do with Iraqis that continue to support Saddam, and with the scientists and engineers with expertise born of the Iraqi WMD program? Can we create a stable regime that's geopolitically preferable to Saddam and incorporates the disparate interests of all groups within Iraq -- Shi'a, Sunni, and Kurd?" Oct. 7, 2002 -- In an article titled "Hail Caesar!" Salon's Gary Kamiya explored President Bush's foreign policy and its implications and considered the cost-benefit ratio posed by the talk of invasion: "It is impossible to know what will happen. But deciding whether or not to invade Iraq requires making a judgment about the possibility that the Middle East may go up in flames as a result, or that the attack will breed future terrorists in the region and around the world, or that other nations will emulate us and launch invasions of their own, or that our allies will turn away from an out-of-control America -- and balancing those possibilities against the chance that Saddam will use WMD at some point in the future. Confining ourselves only to one possible negative consequence, dangerous instability in the Middle East, the answer is clear: It is much more likely that an invasion of Iraq will inflame the Middle East than that Saddam will use WMD against the United States or its allies. Even if al-Qaida never existed and there had never been a Sept. 11, invading a major sovereign Arab nation would be an extremely risky undertaking, one likely to spin out of our control." Oct. 10, 2002 -- Retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, formerly the head of the military's Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, was intensely skeptical of the Bush administration's plans to invade, repeatedly warning that the occupation would be vastly more difficult than the administration believed. In a speech at the Middle East Institute, he gave one of his most rousing denunciations of the coming war: "If we think there is a fast solution to changing the governance of Iraq, then we don't understand history, the nature of the country, the divisions, or the underneath suppressed passions that could rise up. God help us if we think this transition will occur easily ... There were 98 opposition groups the last time I counted; I think now it has increased a little bit. If you believe that they're all going to rush to the palace, hold hands and sing Kum Ba Yah, I doubt it. If you think that people won't see opportunity to do things that will cause concern in the region, whether to the Iranians, the Turks or others, and go against what we hope will happen and against agreements that will be made, then I think you could be sadly mistaken. If you think it's going to be easy to impose a government or install one from the outside, I think that you're further sadly mistaken and that you don't understand this region ... The attempts I've seen to install democracy in short periods of time where there is no history and no roots have failed. Take it back to Somalia and other places where we've tried. It's not an easy concept. It's not an easy form of governance to put in place and to be understood. Remember it happened well for us. We had a revolution of elites in this country, which is the exception. Every place else where this has happened, it's been bloody, difficult, and long term with a lot of friction. We can ill afford that in this part of the region." Dec. 6, 2002 -- Scott Ritter, the former United Nations weapons inspector, was demonized and marginalized before the war for his frequent opposition to the invasion and for his belief that Iraq did not possess the WMD the administration claimed. In retrospect, of course, he was vindicated, but this day saw him relegated to speaking to an audience of 500 at the University of Utah's Museum of Fine Arts Auditorium. "If Iraq threatens the security of the United States, the people in this audience, then maybe we have a case for war," he said. "But I haven't seen any facts to back up the allegations that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. Let's put proof on the table before we act." March 19, 2003 -- Speaking to the Senate on the eve of the invasion, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.V. inveighed against the war in the strongest possible terms: "After war has ended, the United States will have to rebuild much more than the country of Iraq. We will have to rebuild America's image around the globe. "The case this Administration tries to make to justify its fixation with war is tainted by charges of falsified documents and circumstantial evidence. We cannot convince the world of the necessity of this war for one simple reason. This is a war of choice. "There is no credible information to connect Saddam Hussein to 9/11. The twin towers fell because a world-wide terrorist group, Al Qaeda, with cells in over 60 nations, struck at our wealth and our influence by turning our own planes into missiles."
I don't believe that one can be a candidate for President and fail to know why serious people opposed Bush's war back before it began. Below is a copy and paste from an article in Salon.com that details some of those voices raised in concern back then. I remember thinking at the time that the press and most Democrats just rolled over for the Karl Rove juggernaut. Bush had shifting rationales for tax cuts and for reasons for invading Iraq. It always seemed as if he was casting about for the best reason to do what he'd already decided to do........and as a result, we never knew the real reason. Their spin is so good, it sounds like reality. Any Senator who voted for that war owes us more than an apology.......we are owed a full and complete explanation. Below is the article, if you want to see how easy it was to doubt Bush when the Senate gave in to him. Bush was no more credible on invading Iraq than he was on his objections to stem cell research, evolution, or global warming.
Last week I talked to a military man who volunteered to serve in Iraq because he wanted revenge against those who attacked us on 9-11. It was stunning in its ignorance. He really suffered over there, and for no reason at all. Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11 (although Bush's buddies in Saudi Arabia sure did). I just didn't have the heart to tell him that his sacrifice was for nothing. Some things are better left unsaid.
The article:
Aug. 15, 2002 -- The national security advisor to Presidents Ford and George H.W. Bush, and for three years chairman of President George W. Bush's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board, Brent Scowcroft was a foreign policy realist who favored stability over the grand ambitions of the neocons, and was largely derided for doing so. In an Op-Ed for the Wall Street Journal, "Don't Attack Saddam," he laid out his case: "There is scant evidence to tie Saddam to terrorist organizations, and even less to the Sept. 11 attacks. Indeed Saddam's goals have little in common with the terrorists who threaten us, and there is little incentive for him to make common cause with them. "He is unlikely to risk his investment in weapons of mass destruction, much less his country, by handing such weapons to terrorists who would use them for their own purposes and leave Baghdad as the return address. Threatening to use these weapons for blackmail -- much less their actual use -- would open him and his entire regime to a devastating response by the U.S. While Saddam is thoroughly evil, he is above all a power-hungry survivor. Saddam is a familiar dictatorial aggressor, with traditional goals for his aggression. There is little evidence to indicate that the United States itself is an object of his aggression." Sept. 13, 2002 -- Though most of the press passed on all too credulously the administration's false information, some did publish stories questioning the spin. On this occasion, the Washington Post's Dana Priest and Joby Warrick were among them: "The White House document released yesterday ... contains little new information -- and no bombshells -- showing that [Saddam] Hussein is producing new weapons of mass destruction or has joined with terrorists to threaten the United States or its interests abroad ... Experts on Iraq's weaponry say that on [the subject of ballistic missiles] the report, with few exceptions, recycles a mix of dated and largely circumstantial evidence that Hussein may be hiding the ingredients for these weapons and is seeking to develop a nuclear capability and to weaponize chemical and biological agents ... 'Given the high priority for knowing what is going on in Iraq, I'm stunned by the lack of evidence for fresh intelligence,' said Gary Milhollin, executive editor of Iraq Watch, a Washington-based nonprofit institution that tracks developments in Iraq's weapons program. 'You'd expect that, for the many billions we are spending on intelligence, they would be able to make factual assertions that would not have to be footnoted to an open source.'" Sept. 25, 2002 -- Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., voiced some of his concerns at a hearing of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee: "I have attended numerous briefings and read countless reports from a variety of sources. I have listened carefully to the Administration. And I have read, quite closely, the proposed resolution authorizing the use of force that the Administration sent to Congress last week. After all of this, I still do not have answers to some fundamental questions. I remain extremely troubled by the Administration's shifting justifications for going to war in Iraq. I remain skeptical about the need to take unilateral action now and to accept all of the associated costs of that decision. I remain unconvinced that the Administration has thought through the potential costs and challenges of post-conflict reconstruction in Iraq, or even thought through how to address the issue of weapons of mass destruction once an engagement begins." Also on this day, Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., penned an article for the Hill, the influential political newspaper in Washington. Though Skelton would end up voting for war, he was a longtime leader of the party on military issues, and in his piece, he reflected the concerns of many in the military: "While the Bush administration cites the threat of Iraqi WMD, the case has not yet been clearly made as to why military force is an appropriate way of addressing the threat, and why action must occur now. "I have no doubt that our military would decisively defeat Iraq's forces and remove Saddam. But like the proverbial dog chasing the car down the road, we must consider what we would do after we caught it. "Any strategy must consider the form of a replacement regime and take seriously the possibility that the Iraqi people might reject it, leading to civil unrest and even anarchy. What will we do with Iraqis that continue to support Saddam, and with the scientists and engineers with expertise born of the Iraqi WMD program? Can we create a stable regime that's geopolitically preferable to Saddam and incorporates the disparate interests of all groups within Iraq -- Shi'a, Sunni, and Kurd?" Oct. 7, 2002 -- In an article titled "Hail Caesar!" Salon's Gary Kamiya explored President Bush's foreign policy and its implications and considered the cost-benefit ratio posed by the talk of invasion: "It is impossible to know what will happen. But deciding whether or not to invade Iraq requires making a judgment about the possibility that the Middle East may go up in flames as a result, or that the attack will breed future terrorists in the region and around the world, or that other nations will emulate us and launch invasions of their own, or that our allies will turn away from an out-of-control America -- and balancing those possibilities against the chance that Saddam will use WMD at some point in the future. Confining ourselves only to one possible negative consequence, dangerous instability in the Middle East, the answer is clear: It is much more likely that an invasion of Iraq will inflame the Middle East than that Saddam will use WMD against the United States or its allies. Even if al-Qaida never existed and there had never been a Sept. 11, invading a major sovereign Arab nation would be an extremely risky undertaking, one likely to spin out of our control." Oct. 10, 2002 -- Retired Marine Gen. Anthony Zinni, formerly the head of the military's Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East, was intensely skeptical of the Bush administration's plans to invade, repeatedly warning that the occupation would be vastly more difficult than the administration believed. In a speech at the Middle East Institute, he gave one of his most rousing denunciations of the coming war: "If we think there is a fast solution to changing the governance of Iraq, then we don't understand history, the nature of the country, the divisions, or the underneath suppressed passions that could rise up. God help us if we think this transition will occur easily ... There were 98 opposition groups the last time I counted; I think now it has increased a little bit. If you believe that they're all going to rush to the palace, hold hands and sing Kum Ba Yah, I doubt it. If you think that people won't see opportunity to do things that will cause concern in the region, whether to the Iranians, the Turks or others, and go against what we hope will happen and against agreements that will be made, then I think you could be sadly mistaken. If you think it's going to be easy to impose a government or install one from the outside, I think that you're further sadly mistaken and that you don't understand this region ... The attempts I've seen to install democracy in short periods of time where there is no history and no roots have failed. Take it back to Somalia and other places where we've tried. It's not an easy concept. It's not an easy form of governance to put in place and to be understood. Remember it happened well for us. We had a revolution of elites in this country, which is the exception. Every place else where this has happened, it's been bloody, difficult, and long term with a lot of friction. We can ill afford that in this part of the region." Dec. 6, 2002 -- Scott Ritter, the former United Nations weapons inspector, was demonized and marginalized before the war for his frequent opposition to the invasion and for his belief that Iraq did not possess the WMD the administration claimed. In retrospect, of course, he was vindicated, but this day saw him relegated to speaking to an audience of 500 at the University of Utah's Museum of Fine Arts Auditorium. "If Iraq threatens the security of the United States, the people in this audience, then maybe we have a case for war," he said. "But I haven't seen any facts to back up the allegations that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction. Let's put proof on the table before we act." March 19, 2003 -- Speaking to the Senate on the eve of the invasion, Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.V. inveighed against the war in the strongest possible terms: "After war has ended, the United States will have to rebuild much more than the country of Iraq. We will have to rebuild America's image around the globe. "The case this Administration tries to make to justify its fixation with war is tainted by charges of falsified documents and circumstantial evidence. We cannot convince the world of the necessity of this war for one simple reason. This is a war of choice. "There is no credible information to connect Saddam Hussein to 9/11. The twin towers fell because a world-wide terrorist group, Al Qaeda, with cells in over 60 nations, struck at our wealth and our influence by turning our own planes into missiles."
The Run & Hope Marathon
Is it summer yet? No, but its close enough for me. These warm and sunny days are glorious. I've come down with the head cold that's going around and I sniffle all the time. I'm about to take something for it and put up with the feeling of being drugged.
The successful Mardi Gras and nice weather has lifted the zeitgeist of the city. On Sunday I watched the Mardi Gras Marathon. They guys in red dresses had a water station for the runners. Someone was cooking on a big grill and there was music and laughter and high spirits all around. The run seemed to be well attended and you would not have thought it was in city that is so troubled. And troubled we are - the roadblock home program is now so bad its drawing national media attention. That's not the way we want to be known. I think we can wind up OK if only the crime and housing problems can be resolved. There are lots of other issues, like education and health care to name just two. Some of these will improve over time. I don't think crime is one of those that will improve by itself. I'd like to see some fairly dramatic programs in place to reduce crime.
I had expected more leadership from Nagin. I guess I should remember that he started as an accountant and that he's doing a good job of balancing the books at city hall.
Is the New Orleans glass half empty or half full? Or, is the metaphor to simplistic? Maybe the marathon is more apt. We are running as hard as we can but the finish line is nowhere in sight. The route isn't laid out so we just run and hope.
The successful Mardi Gras and nice weather has lifted the zeitgeist of the city. On Sunday I watched the Mardi Gras Marathon. They guys in red dresses had a water station for the runners. Someone was cooking on a big grill and there was music and laughter and high spirits all around. The run seemed to be well attended and you would not have thought it was in city that is so troubled. And troubled we are - the roadblock home program is now so bad its drawing national media attention. That's not the way we want to be known. I think we can wind up OK if only the crime and housing problems can be resolved. There are lots of other issues, like education and health care to name just two. Some of these will improve over time. I don't think crime is one of those that will improve by itself. I'd like to see some fairly dramatic programs in place to reduce crime.
I had expected more leadership from Nagin. I guess I should remember that he started as an accountant and that he's doing a good job of balancing the books at city hall.
Is the New Orleans glass half empty or half full? Or, is the metaphor to simplistic? Maybe the marathon is more apt. We are running as hard as we can but the finish line is nowhere in sight. The route isn't laid out so we just run and hope.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Who is that serving my Latte?
To the left is a picture of Carmen and Devin. Carmen is working as a barista and Devin is helping out with marketing. Carmen is from Homer, Alaska where she owns a coffee shop. When the pipes there thaw enough for her to run water, she'll return to Alaska. We'll all miss Carmen - she fits perfectly into the Marigny Perks culture. Devin makes tamales for us to sell and helps out in lots of other ways. Both of them came to New Orleans to help with the recovery.
I'm going to continue with pictures of the baristas and a little bio of them. They are the engine that keeps Marigny Perks going. I think I'm getting better at detecting personalities that will work well in the shop. We have a group of really great folks behind the counter now. What would work just fine at a Starbucks might not at Marigny Perks.
Here's a picture of Travis and Johnny - looking like American expatriates sitting at a Mexican cantina. More on them later.
I'm going to continue with pictures of the baristas and a little bio of them. They are the engine that keeps Marigny Perks going. I think I'm getting better at detecting personalities that will work well in the shop. We have a group of really great folks behind the counter now. What would work just fine at a Starbucks might not at Marigny Perks.
Here's a picture of Travis and Johnny - looking like American expatriates sitting at a Mexican cantina. More on them later.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Gratitude for the day
I wanted to tell you about my favorite Mardi Gras costume and haven't gotten to it yet. It was the most intelligent and funny idea I saw. A tall dignified woman was dressed as Uncle Sam and she carried a fishing pole with a map of Louisiana at the end of the line. The map was a cardboard cutout covered with money. She would come up on someone and dangle the money covered Louisiana in front of them. She would sweetly ask if they would like some federal money as she held out play money. She would then ask if you are from Louisiana and if you said yes, she yanked back the money, saying "Well no then, this money isn't for you." Think about it.
Its good to live in the midst of so much creativity, wit, and verve. Lassez le bon temps rouler, indeed.
The days in New Orleans are warm and dry and bright now. Our doors are open and we are walking in the park and sitting at sidewalk cafes - drinking in the beautiful days. Seems like we are always drinking something or other. These are the days you want to just suck the marrow out of every moment. These are days to remember and be grateful for what we can be.
Its good to live in the midst of so much creativity, wit, and verve. Lassez le bon temps rouler, indeed.
The days in New Orleans are warm and dry and bright now. Our doors are open and we are walking in the park and sitting at sidewalk cafes - drinking in the beautiful days. Seems like we are always drinking something or other. These are the days you want to just suck the marrow out of every moment. These are days to remember and be grateful for what we can be.
Friday, February 23, 2007
On the way to work
When I drive to work in the morning, I go through the warehouse district, the CBD, and the French Quarter and on into the Marigny. It gives me a chance to feel the rhythms of the city in each area.
The Warehouse District in the mornings is quiet but as I approach the CBD the pace picks up. Cars and pedestrians move faster and there are more of them. Its all purposfull and goal oriented. Zip here, zip there - get somewhere!
Then I drive down Charters or Decatur. Both are jerky - stoping and starting unexpectedly. I used to complain about tourists wandering out in the street as if this were Disneyland or a movie set instead of a real city. Now I patiently wait for them. They are our economic life blood and I don't complain about them anymore. I'll sit forever behind a mule drawn buggy, knowing the driver is making up history to tell the tourists. It is really good to see the crowds almost daily now. There is usually a line down the street of people waiting to get in at Cafe Du Monde. (I'm old enough to remember drive up service with trays that attached to the driver's side window. I once got out and shut the door too hard and it propelled powdered sugar beingnets all over my date's black velvet dress. Her name is Carla and she is still around. Not around me, but around.)
Then its down the lower end of Decatur and into the Marigny. The DNA of the city is in the Marigny and it is a microcosm of New Orleans. The ebb and flow of opinion and attitude is a gauge of how the city is doing. The gentle rhythm of the Marigny is more humane than any other place.
The Warehouse District in the mornings is quiet but as I approach the CBD the pace picks up. Cars and pedestrians move faster and there are more of them. Its all purposfull and goal oriented. Zip here, zip there - get somewhere!
Then I drive down Charters or Decatur. Both are jerky - stoping and starting unexpectedly. I used to complain about tourists wandering out in the street as if this were Disneyland or a movie set instead of a real city. Now I patiently wait for them. They are our economic life blood and I don't complain about them anymore. I'll sit forever behind a mule drawn buggy, knowing the driver is making up history to tell the tourists. It is really good to see the crowds almost daily now. There is usually a line down the street of people waiting to get in at Cafe Du Monde. (I'm old enough to remember drive up service with trays that attached to the driver's side window. I once got out and shut the door too hard and it propelled powdered sugar beingnets all over my date's black velvet dress. Her name is Carla and she is still around. Not around me, but around.)
Then its down the lower end of Decatur and into the Marigny. The DNA of the city is in the Marigny and it is a microcosm of New Orleans. The ebb and flow of opinion and attitude is a gauge of how the city is doing. The gentle rhythm of the Marigny is more humane than any other place.
A quick note
I'm going to start a separate blog for commentary on current events and politics. This one will be focused on life in New Orleans, and the little corner coffee shop. I'll give more details later.
Seasons and Soundtracks
Here are the seasons of our lives: there is summer then Mardi Gras, then summer again. That's it - the whole year. I'm gathering recipes for cold blended coffee drinks now, getting ready for summer. Spring is upon us and its really my favorite. It doesn't last as long as Mardi Gras and can't rank as a season, but its a wonderful time when flowers bloom again, the city smells better, and the days lengthen for lounging in the evening's fading sunlight.
The soundtrack of our lives changes with the seasons. Gone are the marching bands' boom, boom, boom. The roar of our soundtrack modulates to a murmur. Its hard to work up excitement in a New Orleans summer. Part of being "The Big Easy" is the need to slow down in the heat. The Big Easy sobriquet is remarkably apt. It explains pot holes and parties equally well. Its great for lifestyle but bad for our work ethic.
There are strings of beads hanging from trees and power lines on parade routes. They are the physical echos of Mardi Gras - of marching bands and "Throw me somthin', Mista" The soundtrack of Mardi Gras is gone but its memory lingers in the lasting echos dangling from trees and power lines. Look up. Look for the beads and maybe you will hear the faint and distant sounds of a parade marching by. It never really leaves the collective memory of the city.
The soundtrack of our lives changes with the seasons. Gone are the marching bands' boom, boom, boom. The roar of our soundtrack modulates to a murmur. Its hard to work up excitement in a New Orleans summer. Part of being "The Big Easy" is the need to slow down in the heat. The Big Easy sobriquet is remarkably apt. It explains pot holes and parties equally well. Its great for lifestyle but bad for our work ethic.
There are strings of beads hanging from trees and power lines on parade routes. They are the physical echos of Mardi Gras - of marching bands and "Throw me somthin', Mista" The soundtrack of Mardi Gras is gone but its memory lingers in the lasting echos dangling from trees and power lines. Look up. Look for the beads and maybe you will hear the faint and distant sounds of a parade marching by. It never really leaves the collective memory of the city.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Housing for some
I used to be the Executive Director of a Baton Rouge foundation that developed housing for mentally ill people. Many were homeless and all were low income. I enjoyed real estate development and the challenges of providing housing for low income people. We all knew the housing projects in New Orleans had failed. Now there is an opportunity for providing good low income housing with HUD grant money, with the projects largely out of service. When I did that in Baton Rouge we provided a lot of housing and brought revenue into the foundation at the same time.
For now, there is condo development everywhere. There are two new developments near the coffee shop: Spain St and Burgundy at Elysian Fields. Rob DeJean is the developer on both projects. I've been watching progress on the location on Spain St and it looks like really first class work. Construction on the other location has not yet begun.
Housing is such a big issue here. There is the matter of what rights former residents of the projects have (and where those rights come from). There is also the matter the rights of homeowners in flood prone and flooded areas. Under what circumstances should taxpayers subsidize housing? (directly or indirectly) What public policy goals are met by establishing rights in these two cases? We can explore these questions further if you're interested.
For now, there is condo development everywhere. There are two new developments near the coffee shop: Spain St and Burgundy at Elysian Fields. Rob DeJean is the developer on both projects. I've been watching progress on the location on Spain St and it looks like really first class work. Construction on the other location has not yet begun.
Housing is such a big issue here. There is the matter of what rights former residents of the projects have (and where those rights come from). There is also the matter the rights of homeowners in flood prone and flooded areas. Under what circumstances should taxpayers subsidize housing? (directly or indirectly) What public policy goals are met by establishing rights in these two cases? We can explore these questions further if you're interested.
Hold their feet to the fire.
I want to know why presidential candidates voted to give Bush a blank check to go into Iraq and do what ever he wanted to, at any cost. I know they are saying that their votes were based on information and assurances they had at the time - but I want to know what their reasoning and analysis was. Did they trust George Bush?? Please! Even back then, there were good reasons to doubt him. I remember reading critics who pointed out that we didn't need to rush into war. Bush made the weapons inspectors leave Iraq when they had found nothing. (He's claiming that Hussein made them leave, but that isn't true.) I read lots of warnings that war was neither necessary nor wise.
Surely a U.S. Senator had access to that same information. So - how did they reason away those objections to war? Personally, I think they voted us into this mess out of political cowardice. They were afraid to be labeled as soft on terrorism. I want to know just how craven their vote was.
It is not enough for me to hear a candidate say he's sorry. I don't suppose I'll ever find out the real reason they voted for war but I won't accept the flimsy way out of it of, "I'm sorry." I want to know how they evaluated the objections to attacking Iraq.
Hillary's refusal to say she's sorry for that vote sounds to me like pure political calculation. She doesn't want to be called a flip flopper and she does want to be tough on terrorism. (even though attacking had nothing to do with fighting terrorism)
I wish Howard Dean was running again. Do I want him as President? No, I don't. But I do want to have his voice included in the debate. He gave us straight talk and was really beaten up by Republicans. Then he was proven to be right. Do you remember his saying that the capture of Saddam did not make us any safer? We need politicians who will say what they think , even when there is a political price for it.
Surely a U.S. Senator had access to that same information. So - how did they reason away those objections to war? Personally, I think they voted us into this mess out of political cowardice. They were afraid to be labeled as soft on terrorism. I want to know just how craven their vote was.
It is not enough for me to hear a candidate say he's sorry. I don't suppose I'll ever find out the real reason they voted for war but I won't accept the flimsy way out of it of, "I'm sorry." I want to know how they evaluated the objections to attacking Iraq.
Hillary's refusal to say she's sorry for that vote sounds to me like pure political calculation. She doesn't want to be called a flip flopper and she does want to be tough on terrorism. (even though attacking had nothing to do with fighting terrorism)
I wish Howard Dean was running again. Do I want him as President? No, I don't. But I do want to have his voice included in the debate. He gave us straight talk and was really beaten up by Republicans. Then he was proven to be right. Do you remember his saying that the capture of Saddam did not make us any safer? We need politicians who will say what they think , even when there is a political price for it.
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
We are over dressed and under funded and we party no matter what.
I overslept this morning. I wonder how many other folks had a hard time getting up today. Did you bounce up, ready to jump into your day?
Its good that this dark and damp whether waited until after carnival. I'm looking forward to seeing the economic impact figures from Mardi Gras 07. It looked good from what I saw. The street vendors on around Lee Circle were still selling junk food hours after the end of the truck parades. I hope the nation saw us once again as a good place to vacation, to have a convention, for a honeymoon. We are as elegant or as decadent as one wants us to be. New Orleans is like an old whore who got mugged. We'll do anything for a tourist dollar, including putting up with their abuse. Yes, we are the old woman with a grand history, now soggy from too much booze. We are over dressed and under funded and we party - we party, no matter what.
Whoever wins the Democratic nomination will probably win the presidency. We need to think seriously about what a presidency would be like with each candidate. Is Hillary too polarizing when we need a real uniter? Is Obama too inexperienced when our standing around the world is so low? Is Edwards too easy going for such a tough job? Its awfully early but its a big decision we each will have to make.
Its good that this dark and damp whether waited until after carnival. I'm looking forward to seeing the economic impact figures from Mardi Gras 07. It looked good from what I saw. The street vendors on around Lee Circle were still selling junk food hours after the end of the truck parades. I hope the nation saw us once again as a good place to vacation, to have a convention, for a honeymoon. We are as elegant or as decadent as one wants us to be. New Orleans is like an old whore who got mugged. We'll do anything for a tourist dollar, including putting up with their abuse. Yes, we are the old woman with a grand history, now soggy from too much booze. We are over dressed and under funded and we party - we party, no matter what.
Whoever wins the Democratic nomination will probably win the presidency. We need to think seriously about what a presidency would be like with each candidate. Is Hillary too polarizing when we need a real uniter? Is Obama too inexperienced when our standing around the world is so low? Is Edwards too easy going for such a tough job? Its awfully early but its a big decision we each will have to make.
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
The sun has set on Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras is over and I'll be glad to drive around without the monumental traffic jams.
Now its time to get back to the rest of the world.
I see where Britain is withdrawing from Iraq. They declared victory too. Tony Blair finally gets it. They sure don't want to get stuck there if the surge goes badly.
I'm watching the Democratic candidates and waiting to see them in a debate. Bill Richardson has the best resume, Hillary has the most money and organization, and Obama has the most crowd appeal. There is a crew of others, some of whom are very appealing.
I wonder how much damage Mr Bush has done to the Republican party. The Regan revolution captured the middle class for quite a few years but Mr Bush seems to have lost those Regan Democrats. There is some thinking that there is a leftward drift in the country, but I think its too soon to tell. I think we are basically a centrist country and more pragmatic than ideological. Mr Bush has betrayed a lot of conservative principles, weakened conservatives politically, and they are stuck with him for the next 2 years. Unfortunately, we all are stuck with him.
Now its time to get back to the rest of the world.
I see where Britain is withdrawing from Iraq. They declared victory too. Tony Blair finally gets it. They sure don't want to get stuck there if the surge goes badly.
I'm watching the Democratic candidates and waiting to see them in a debate. Bill Richardson has the best resume, Hillary has the most money and organization, and Obama has the most crowd appeal. There is a crew of others, some of whom are very appealing.
I wonder how much damage Mr Bush has done to the Republican party. The Regan revolution captured the middle class for quite a few years but Mr Bush seems to have lost those Regan Democrats. There is some thinking that there is a leftward drift in the country, but I think its too soon to tell. I think we are basically a centrist country and more pragmatic than ideological. Mr Bush has betrayed a lot of conservative principles, weakened conservatives politically, and they are stuck with him for the next 2 years. Unfortunately, we all are stuck with him.
Monday, February 19, 2007
Mardi Gras in my Window, Day 2
Its a couple of hours before the first parade rolls by my corner but people are camped out already. I'm watching generations of tradition being played out, as families lug ice chests, ladders, chairs, and more from their cars to the parade route. Toddlers scamper around their grand parents and they all pitch in for this great annual celebration. Later this evening I'll go out and join them and we'll all yell, "Throw me something, Mister!". I'll be there with them yelling for beads and other trinkets and groveling in the gutter to grab a really good throw before anyone else gets to it. Then I'll come home, tired and cold and happy. And like thousands of others before me over the many decades past, I'll do it again tomorrow and next year and the year after that for as long as I can.
It isn't a tourist event. Its not put on for others. We do it for ourselves just as we always have.
It isn't a tourist event. Its not put on for others. We do it for ourselves just as we always have.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Mardi Gras in my Window
I live in a condo on the corner of Prytania and Calliope, across from the interstate. St Charles Ave. is at the other end of the block. Every so often, I walk down to the corner and take in some of whatever parade is passing by. My desk faces the window (which is 9ft tall and 7ft 10inches wide - lots of view). I'm looking out at the the parking area under the interstate and watching a crew set up a portable food service. Later this morning I'll go out and see what they are selling. There are hot dogs and cotton candy on the other corner of my block. This is my first Mardi Gras in this location and it took two days to get the traffic pattern right. Now I can leave the coffee shop and drive home in a reasonable time. It involves several "U" turns and going the wrong way down a one way street for a few feet.......but it works.
What would we do without Mardi Gras?
What would we do without Mardi Gras?
Saturday, February 17, 2007
The Disgrace in D.C.
I had intended to write about interesting people I've known, but there isn't much more interesting than the disgrace in D.C. We, the American people, sent a clear message to Washington in the recent elections. We said, "Get out of Iraq!". Mr Bush said he heard - but no. In fact, he said he would increase our human and financial investment there. The Senate has been dithering ever since the election and has yet to produce anything. The House managed to squeeze out a little, non-binding resolution. All the while young men and women die in Iraq, we spend billions for nothing, and the will of the people is ignored. Its the disgrace in D.C.
Supporters of Mr. Bush say that the non-binding resolution is meaningless and pointless and that it would be a disaster because of how bad it would be for military morale and how good it would be for enemy morale. It can't be both meaningless and a disaster but but they are so arrogant they keep saying it. Almost all of them are puffed up with their own importance. Mr. Bush is doing what he wants to do, regardless of Congress and the people. The press fails to ask follow up questions and and allows known falsehoods to go unchallenged. Its the disgrace in D.C.
We no longer have a good reason to be in Iraq (if we ever did) and don't have a good way to get out. I've been in relationships like that but at least they did end. Since we haven't won by now, we have lost. That's the way insurrections are. Now its all about finding a way out.
We are in a "war on terror" but terror is an abstract and a tactic. It reminds me of the war on crime, the war on drugs, and the war on poverty. We lost those too. Terrorist attacks have increased every year since Bush took office. They are attacks on American interests around the world. The paradigm of war is wrong. We need a new vocabulary that arises out of new ideas. Bush and these cold war neocons are frozen in a metaphor that doesn't work. Its the disgrace in D.C.
Too many Democrats and journalists have stood by and let Bush & Company have their way. We need a robust debate out in the open not the political cowardice that goes along to get along. This cowardice is the disgrace in D.C.
Supporters of Mr. Bush say that the non-binding resolution is meaningless and pointless and that it would be a disaster because of how bad it would be for military morale and how good it would be for enemy morale. It can't be both meaningless and a disaster but but they are so arrogant they keep saying it. Almost all of them are puffed up with their own importance. Mr. Bush is doing what he wants to do, regardless of Congress and the people. The press fails to ask follow up questions and and allows known falsehoods to go unchallenged. Its the disgrace in D.C.
We no longer have a good reason to be in Iraq (if we ever did) and don't have a good way to get out. I've been in relationships like that but at least they did end. Since we haven't won by now, we have lost. That's the way insurrections are. Now its all about finding a way out.
We are in a "war on terror" but terror is an abstract and a tactic. It reminds me of the war on crime, the war on drugs, and the war on poverty. We lost those too. Terrorist attacks have increased every year since Bush took office. They are attacks on American interests around the world. The paradigm of war is wrong. We need a new vocabulary that arises out of new ideas. Bush and these cold war neocons are frozen in a metaphor that doesn't work. Its the disgrace in D.C.
Too many Democrats and journalists have stood by and let Bush & Company have their way. We need a robust debate out in the open not the political cowardice that goes along to get along. This cowardice is the disgrace in D.C.
Bush and Boxer Briefs
Fruitcake Polling Higher Than Bush
According to the latest CBS News poll, the president's overall approval rating has dipped to 28 percent—the lowest number in his presidency and dangerously close to Nixon's all-time low of 24 percent. To lend a little context to this historic feat, we found some other people and things with equal or greater popularity.
OTHER THINGS WITH A 28 PERCENT APPROVAL RATING
• Boxer Briefs
• Kelly Osbourne
• Body Hair on Guys
• Reptiles
• A Wall Along the Mexican Border
• Text Message Flirting
• Porn
• Cottage Cheese
THINGS WITH AN APPROVAL RATING HIGHER THAN GEORGE W. BUSH
• Brussels Sprouts (51%)
• Coke Zero (41%)
• Hillary Duff (52%)
• Jennifer Love Hewitt (36%)
• Fruit Cake (40%)
• Kevin Federline (45%)
• Rosie O'Donnell on The View (46%)
• Crocheting (72%)
• Fishing (49%)
• Legalizing Prostitution (58%)
• The Dentist (45%)
• Hanson (53%)
• In-Laws (68%)
• Figs (76%)
• The Name "Shiloh Nouvel Jolie Pitt" (29%)
• Ciara's Goodies (55%)
• The Pussy Cat Dolls (56%)
• Ryan Seacrest (60%)
• Spiceworld (57%)
• MTV VJ John Norris (35%)
• The Barenaked Ladies (73%)
• Russian Pop Duo T.A.T.U. (58%)
• The "Dude, You're getting a Dell!" Guy (42%)
• The Backstreet Boys (66%)
• Nickelback (57%)
• Sum 41 (63%)
• Hootie & The Blowfish (84%)
• Stepping in Dog Shit (35%)
• Walking in the Rain Without an Umbrella (60%)
• Small Breasts (50%)
• Getting Kicked in the Balls (41%)
According to the latest CBS News poll, the president's overall approval rating has dipped to 28 percent—the lowest number in his presidency and dangerously close to Nixon's all-time low of 24 percent. To lend a little context to this historic feat, we found some other people and things with equal or greater popularity.
OTHER THINGS WITH A 28 PERCENT APPROVAL RATING
• Boxer Briefs
• Kelly Osbourne
• Body Hair on Guys
• Reptiles
• A Wall Along the Mexican Border
• Text Message Flirting
• Porn
• Cottage Cheese
THINGS WITH AN APPROVAL RATING HIGHER THAN GEORGE W. BUSH
• Brussels Sprouts (51%)
• Coke Zero (41%)
• Hillary Duff (52%)
• Jennifer Love Hewitt (36%)
• Fruit Cake (40%)
• Kevin Federline (45%)
• Rosie O'Donnell on The View (46%)
• Crocheting (72%)
• Fishing (49%)
• Legalizing Prostitution (58%)
• The Dentist (45%)
• Hanson (53%)
• In-Laws (68%)
• Figs (76%)
• The Name "Shiloh Nouvel Jolie Pitt" (29%)
• Ciara's Goodies (55%)
• The Pussy Cat Dolls (56%)
• Ryan Seacrest (60%)
• Spiceworld (57%)
• MTV VJ John Norris (35%)
• The Barenaked Ladies (73%)
• Russian Pop Duo T.A.T.U. (58%)
• The "Dude, You're getting a Dell!" Guy (42%)
• The Backstreet Boys (66%)
• Nickelback (57%)
• Sum 41 (63%)
• Hootie & The Blowfish (84%)
• Stepping in Dog Shit (35%)
• Walking in the Rain Without an Umbrella (60%)
• Small Breasts (50%)
• Getting Kicked in the Balls (41%)
Friday, February 16, 2007
Preview
In the next few days I'm going to write about women of note whom I've known: Germaine Wells (owner of Arnaud's Restaurant), Ruthie the Duck Lady, Chris Owens. Then I'm going to write about some of the men, starting with Tennessee Williams and getting kicked out of Brennan's Restaurant with and because of him. Every so often I'll throw in a comment on politics and on the coffee shop. That's the plan, anyway.
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Food, the French Quarter and me
I intended to continue the exploration of the language we use but am going to postpone that for a while. I was going to engage some critical thinking about language in politics but my brain has shut down now, so that'll have to wait. I thought I could dodge around the parade tonight to get home and boy, was I wrong. I think I drove enough getting home to have gone to Atalanta and back.
Travis made up black bean salsa tonight so we'll have it for tomorrow. He's going to make his Gooey Butter Bars again as soon as I get the ingredients. Do you remember the Gooey Butter Bars. Yummy! There are more new menu items on the way.
I've been around food preparation since I was a baby. My dad owned a restaurant in the French Quarter when I was born. We lived in the Pontalba Building and I played in Jackson Square. My parents moved to the Brulatour Courtyard on Royal St next and I rode my tricycle up and down Royal St. I've attached a couple of pictures of the courtyard and I have one of myself sitting on the stairs in the attached picture. I'm wearing a long white nightshirt and holding a candle stick with a lit candle in it. I got in a lot of trouble for that. Someday I'll scan in that picture and post it.
This courtyard is one of the most recognizable landmarks of the French Quarter, with it's signature arch and stairway, and its fan doors and windows. This patio, like most in the Quarter, was originally an open area behind the residences, and adjacent to stables, where the owners kept their horses and carriages. The Brulatour dates to 1816, when François Seignouret built it. Home of the New Orleans Art League in the 1930s, it was the subject of many paintings by local emerging artists, many of whom now form the core of the New Orleans art community. In those days, a large pottery olive jar planter stood in the place that is now occupied by the famous fountain. The interest in the Brulatour Patio by artists and photographers continues to this day, making it one of the most frequently painted and photographed landmarks of New Orleans. There were writers too, and politicians and other rascals and it was my playground for a happy time.
Travis made up black bean salsa tonight so we'll have it for tomorrow. He's going to make his Gooey Butter Bars again as soon as I get the ingredients. Do you remember the Gooey Butter Bars. Yummy! There are more new menu items on the way.
I've been around food preparation since I was a baby. My dad owned a restaurant in the French Quarter when I was born. We lived in the Pontalba Building and I played in Jackson Square. My parents moved to the Brulatour Courtyard on Royal St next and I rode my tricycle up and down Royal St. I've attached a couple of pictures of the courtyard and I have one of myself sitting on the stairs in the attached picture. I'm wearing a long white nightshirt and holding a candle stick with a lit candle in it. I got in a lot of trouble for that. Someday I'll scan in that picture and post it.
This courtyard is one of the most recognizable landmarks of the French Quarter, with it's signature arch and stairway, and its fan doors and windows. This patio, like most in the Quarter, was originally an open area behind the residences, and adjacent to stables, where the owners kept their horses and carriages. The Brulatour dates to 1816, when François Seignouret built it. Home of the New Orleans Art League in the 1930s, it was the subject of many paintings by local emerging artists, many of whom now form the core of the New Orleans art community. In those days, a large pottery olive jar planter stood in the place that is now occupied by the famous fountain. The interest in the Brulatour Patio by artists and photographers continues to this day, making it one of the most frequently painted and photographed landmarks of New Orleans. There were writers too, and politicians and other rascals and it was my playground for a happy time.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Hiking on the Great Wall of China
I put up a couple of pictures of places I went on a 1999 trip to China. The Great Wall was much harder to walk than I expected. Its often very steep and it was built on mountain tops. The Forbidden City in Beijing is vast and ancient. I got a bicycle and rode around and found a market under Tienanmen Square. I flew China Air up to an archaeological dig where an army of thousands of terra cotta warriors were buried with an emperor. Each was hand carved and unique. Amazing.
I'm going to discuss the words we use in my next post. Its important because we think with words and if we are sloppy in our language, our thinking will be sloppy. For example, think of the word, awesome. The definition is: an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like: in awe of God; in awe of great political figures. Now if you find tennis shoes or tacos awesome, you have cheapened your own sense of awe. Then what word do you use when standing in front of a great work of art? If you has a limited emotional vocabulary, you are unable to even identify your own feelings. Think about the difference between love and obsession. More on all this later.
I'm going to discuss the words we use in my next post. Its important because we think with words and if we are sloppy in our language, our thinking will be sloppy. For example, think of the word, awesome. The definition is: an overwhelming feeling of reverence, admiration, fear, etc., produced by that which is grand, sublime, extremely powerful, or the like: in awe of God; in awe of great political figures. Now if you find tennis shoes or tacos awesome, you have cheapened your own sense of awe. Then what word do you use when standing in front of a great work of art? If you has a limited emotional vocabulary, you are unable to even identify your own feelings. Think about the difference between love and obsession. More on all this later.
About this blog
I'm starting to fool around with the settings for the blog. I've corrected the time stamp and removed all restrictions on posting comments. Now anyone can say anything at any time. Phew! (I didn't realize there were any restrictions at first.)
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
My year in Alaska
In January of 2004 I flew up to Anchorage. It was 74 degrees when I left New Orleans and 4 degrees when I landed in Alaska. As I walked across the snow covered, outdoor parking lot looking for my rental car I thought, "I'm freezing my ass off!" Then I remembered that I'd unbuttoned my jeans on the plane and forgotten to re-button them. They had slid down as I lugged baggage, walking across the lot. I really was freezing my ass off. Welcome to Alaska.
My background is in health care management; mostly fraud protection for government health care programs. I'd gone to Alaska to build fraud protection for the Alaska Medicaid program. It took a year and I managed heavy duty, industrial strength sightseeing. Its hard to grasp just how vast Alaska is. Everything is on an enormous scale. Look at the skyline picture. I climbed glaciers, rode in a small sail boat into a pod of killer whales, stood next to a landslide and watched the coffee on my desk spill from the vibrations from an earthquake. I chartered a small airplane and flew up over and around Mt McKinley (the largest mountain in North America). Along the way, I met some wonderful people - particularly the Wiggin family. The place is breathtakingly beautiful and majestic but I was glad to leave. Growing up in New Orleans will just ruin you for any respectable town.
I've attached a couple of pictures from my year in Alaska.
My background is in health care management; mostly fraud protection for government health care programs. I'd gone to Alaska to build fraud protection for the Alaska Medicaid program. It took a year and I managed heavy duty, industrial strength sightseeing. Its hard to grasp just how vast Alaska is. Everything is on an enormous scale. Look at the skyline picture. I climbed glaciers, rode in a small sail boat into a pod of killer whales, stood next to a landslide and watched the coffee on my desk spill from the vibrations from an earthquake. I chartered a small airplane and flew up over and around Mt McKinley (the largest mountain in North America). Along the way, I met some wonderful people - particularly the Wiggin family. The place is breathtakingly beautiful and majestic but I was glad to leave. Growing up in New Orleans will just ruin you for any respectable town.
I've attached a couple of pictures from my year in Alaska.
Monday, February 12, 2007
Our Next War
I've put up some new pictures and will continue to add and delete pictures as we go. Today I'm veering off into foreign affairs.
Here is a perspective from Paul Krugman: A powerful faction in the administration is spoiling for a fight but before we get to the apparent war-mongering, let’s talk about the basics. Are there people in Iran providing aid to factions in Iraq, factions that sometimes kill Americans as well as other Iraqis? Yes, probably. But you can say the same about Saudi Arabia, which is believed to be a major source of financial support for Sunni insurgents — and Sunnis, not Iranian-backed Shiites, are still responsible for most American combat deaths.
The Bush administration, however, with its close personal and financial ties to the Saudis, has always downplayed Saudi connections to America’s enemies. Iran, on the other hand, which had no connection to 9/11, and was actually quite helpful to the United States in the months after the terrorist attack, somehow found itself linked with its bitter enemy Saddam Hussein as part of the “axis of evil.”
This time, however, the assertions wouldn’t be about W.M.D.; they’d be that Iranian actions are endangering U.S. forces in Iraq. Why? Because there’s no way Congress will approve another war resolution. But if you can claim that Iran is doing evil in Iraq, you can assert that you don’t need authorization to attack — that Congress has already empowered the administration to do whatever is necessary to stabilize Iraq. And by the time the lawyers are finished arguing — well, the war would be in full swing.
What do you think?
Here is a perspective from Paul Krugman: A powerful faction in the administration is spoiling for a fight but before we get to the apparent war-mongering, let’s talk about the basics. Are there people in Iran providing aid to factions in Iraq, factions that sometimes kill Americans as well as other Iraqis? Yes, probably. But you can say the same about Saudi Arabia, which is believed to be a major source of financial support for Sunni insurgents — and Sunnis, not Iranian-backed Shiites, are still responsible for most American combat deaths.
The Bush administration, however, with its close personal and financial ties to the Saudis, has always downplayed Saudi connections to America’s enemies. Iran, on the other hand, which had no connection to 9/11, and was actually quite helpful to the United States in the months after the terrorist attack, somehow found itself linked with its bitter enemy Saddam Hussein as part of the “axis of evil.”
This time, however, the assertions wouldn’t be about W.M.D.; they’d be that Iranian actions are endangering U.S. forces in Iraq. Why? Because there’s no way Congress will approve another war resolution. But if you can claim that Iran is doing evil in Iraq, you can assert that you don’t need authorization to attack — that Congress has already empowered the administration to do whatever is necessary to stabilize Iraq. And by the time the lawyers are finished arguing — well, the war would be in full swing.
What do you think?
The culture of the city
There is a nice coffee klatch that's developed at the shop from about 2 to 4 in the afternoon. It seems to have been growing over the past few weeks and I'm glad to see it. This is in the European tradition of public life. In American suburbs, houses are set far apart and neighbors rarely mingle. Our civic roots are in cities with sidewalk cafes and coffee shops and, yes, coffee klatches. People come home after work and don't leave again in an American suburban lifestyle . When you move into a home in New Orleans, you get a unique lifestyle along with it. This is part of what New Orleans gives to the nation. Oh yes, we've given music and food and a grasp of how to party without burnout - but the greatest gift we've given is our embrace of diversity. We are an example to the nation of how to go beyond tolerance and how to celebrate diversity. American is not really a melting pot. People separate from each other and it is more like a patchwork quilt. In New Orleans, however; culture is more like a gumbo. Its rich and spicy and nurturing. Its affordable for most everyone. Every gumbo is recognizably alike and is as unique as a fingerprint. Neighborhood coffee shops support and nurture the culture of the city and you are a part of this people centered tradition.
Sunday, February 11, 2007
I went to a party last night in a landmark building on the corner of Camp and Calliope. I live across the street - on the other side of the interstate. There is a traffic signal on that corner that is green for both, opposing streams of cars for 7 seconds. Its long enough to result in major crashes every other week or so. I've seen more cars upside down since I moved there than I have ever seen before. This morning I looked out of my window and saw parade floats sail by on the interstate. It looked as if they were airborne.......very surrealistic.
Mardi Gras is a cultural phenomenon. It is the prime example of the authenticity that gives our culture its power. Mardi Gras is not put on by an ad agency or entertainment conglomerate. It is an expression of popular will. All of our culture has that same power of authenticity.
Meanwhile, back at the shop I've been adding more new items. Billy is making single serving size king cakes (currently Apple & Cream Cheese) and they are as good as you would expect. A
new vendor has brought Magic Bars (graham crackers, nuts, chocolate chips, and condensed milk). Another new vendor supplies us with hot tamales (chicken and pork for the carnivores, a veggie tamale and a vegan one). Check the dry erase board on the wall opposite the cash register.
Mardi Gras is a cultural phenomenon. It is the prime example of the authenticity that gives our culture its power. Mardi Gras is not put on by an ad agency or entertainment conglomerate. It is an expression of popular will. All of our culture has that same power of authenticity.
Meanwhile, back at the shop I've been adding more new items. Billy is making single serving size king cakes (currently Apple & Cream Cheese) and they are as good as you would expect. A
new vendor has brought Magic Bars (graham crackers, nuts, chocolate chips, and condensed milk). Another new vendor supplies us with hot tamales (chicken and pork for the carnivores, a veggie tamale and a vegan one). Check the dry erase board on the wall opposite the cash register.
Saturday, February 10, 2007
Mardi Gras Memory
Last night I went to a parade. It was as if nothing had happened in all the years past and I was standing as I had when I was a child, watching glittery floats pass by with the marching bands and the noise and the color. I remembered when I was very young, sitting on my dad's shoulders and feeling on top of the world. He handed me fists full of beads and I thought he was the most powerful man in the world. Years later, he told me he'd gone to Mardi Gras World and bought the beads and stashed them in his pockets. He pretended to catch them so I could have more beads than he could have grabbed with me on his shoulders.
Mardi Gras is, indeed, a movable feast.
Back at the shop, we've added a couple of food items. There are cheese stuffed jalapeno peppers, mini pizzas, and walnut fudge brownies. The first two are served hot. Check the dry erase board for details. I'd like your feedback on these. They are trials and if you like them, I'll keep them in the line up.
Mardi Gras is, indeed, a movable feast.
Back at the shop, we've added a couple of food items. There are cheese stuffed jalapeno peppers, mini pizzas, and walnut fudge brownies. The first two are served hot. Check the dry erase board for details. I'd like your feedback on these. They are trials and if you like them, I'll keep them in the line up.
Friday, February 9, 2007
Sex Workers
Last night I went to Zeitgeist to see the Sex Workers Art Show. It was a cabaret with a couple of strip acts, some performance art, stand up comedy, and readings. It was interesting to hear women talking about their experiences as prostitutes. One of them worked her way through college and grad school doing table dances. Here are a couple of her responses to typical customer questions/comments:
- Q: what would it take for you to leave here with me? A: a fire
- Q: I have lots of money. A: I'm not interested in your money, only in mine.
- Q: I'd like for you to sit on my face. A: why? is your nose bigger than your dick?
Back in the shop; we're now getting bagels baked here in New Orleans and they are fresh and delicious.
We have a new barista at the shop. Her name is Carmen and she is charming. She owns a coffee shop in Homer, Alaska and will be returning there when it warms up enough. Johnnie (aka Shakey) worked a couple of shifts this week and it was good to see him back in the shop. Nothing was broken.
I'm introducing a couple of new food items today. I'll write more on that when I see how well they work out.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Somehow, "Life in the medium size uneasy" just does not have the same ring to it as "Life in the Big Easy". That was my first blog, "Life in the Big Easy". It was followed by "The Katrina Chronicles". Now we are in a "recovery" phase that feels like a hurricane hangover that won't go away. There was and is a perfect trifecta of failure of leadership: federal, state, and city. We all know the complaints and problems. There is no need for me to repeat them here. Instead, I want to focus on what makes New Orleans America's least generic city.
The first post
Here we are, a kinda low tech guy flailing about in a high tech world.......and now blogging. I intend to use this space post community news (sometimes aka gossip), personal opinions, and news about the coffee shop. I hope to keep this lively and interesting and welcome your input.
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