What a week

Well,

I think the difference in the pictures illustrate the week that was.

Actually I hadn't heard from my dad since before Katrina, and the last I'd heard from my mom was Sunday afternoon before the storm hit and the flooding occurred, so by Wednesday I was panicking, and my doctor noticed my blood pressure was high when I went to see her.

By Friday, though, I'd heard from both of them and my Aunt who lives in the Westbank, so I was much better.

Much.

Friends of mine are setting up relief and recovery operations - information sources as well as helping libraries and other such organizations getting word, help, back on their feet. It's small scale, but it's something. If you'd like to help, please visit the Geaux Library Project website.

I'm only peripherally involved, but I want to get the word out as much as possible.

Outside of the disaster, you're already hearing of the finger-pointing going on.

Regardless of where the blame lies - whether on Nagin for telling people to get to the Convention Center and Superdome (I mean come on people, they want to blame Mayor Nagin for advising people WHO COULD NOT LEAVE THE DAMN CITY [for whatever reason] to get to a HIGH, VISIBLE (and supposedly) SAFE AREA?), or on Gov. Blanco for not immediately dispatching the National Guard or signing them over to federal control (Does anyone RATIONALLY believe that Bush or his cronies need to be commander of ANYTHING anymore?) after the flood, or on the federal government for stripping funds, for removing National Guard to Iraq, etc. (Like the federal government gives a shit, but that's another story) - you can smell the sharks starting to circle.

Democrats against Republicans. Liberals vs. Conservatives. Locals vs. Federal. Political sniping, character assassination, all of it is beginning to go on. Calls for the firing of Michael Brown ('Brownie' to the Shrub and his cronies) who said on Friday that the earliest he knew of the problems at the Morial Convention Center was on THURSDAY morning, when CNN was there on Wednesday may be justified. FEMA has been stripped of a lot of what it could do before Shrub took over.

But in the side stories.

Insurance adjusters not validating claims because 'wind-driven rain' is not covered in hurricane insurance. NPR had an interview with a guy, saying that if the roof blew off fine. But if rain came in through a window or vent, the owners were SOL if that specific cause 'wind-driven rain' was not covered.

People angry and upset about the needless deaths of family members. Can we say 'L-A-W-S-U-I-T'?

The estimated costs of the damage to New Orleans and the rest of the Gulf Coast is in the $30-40 billion dollar range. The loss of culture, heritage, arts, is immeasurable. Beauvior - the estate of Jefferson Davis, former President of the Confederate States of America - and the Presidential Library basically wiped out. The Aquarium of the Americas, destroyed. Flooded and looted buildings in the Quarter and elsewhere.

The damage to the infrastructure of America's transportation network that relies heavily upon the Port of New Orleans. This will affect farmers in Iowa, automobile factories in Michigan.

The pollution in the water, even when people are endangering THEMSELVES, again, can we smell 'L-A-W-S-U-I-T'?

New Orleans was the armpit of Louisiana, the center of its culture, arts, a world city with history, prestige, beauty. It was sometimes an eyesore, often lovely. It represented the best and worst in people.

Its death was a nightmare.

Now, the body is beginning to smell, and all the problems are coming to light. You thought it was bad last week. Before it's all over, some heads will roll. And quite possibly, more than that.

TTFN