New Orleans before and after

Eyes are opening

2006-12-21T09:24:00.000-08:00

I headed up to the Northeast part of the country for the past week for some much needed R & R and some introspection about where I am after 16 months. It seems I have not been able to separate myself while I'm actually in the city. Or so I discovered for the past week. I spent a little time in Virginia Beach, drove up to Atlantic City for a couple of days and then spent the rest of my time in Philadelphia.

First I was surprised that America still has cities that are functional. Lights work, things run on time, there are things to do after dark and you won't get mugged walking the dog. People are upbeat and positive- yeah even in Philly!!! I was there for 3 days and they only had 1 murder. Think about that. We go through 4 or 5 a day sometimes and we might be about a 10th of the size.

I'm not attempting to be negative. It's frankly just the reality of the situation from my perspective. Every one of us is different. Things effect me in certain ways that others may not be give a second thought. That's what this site is about. One persons perspective at a certain time at a certain place about a certain thing.

Soul searching was a big part of getting away. I've gotten out of town occasionally, mainly for work though so I didn't really bring my emotional baggage with me on those trips. Examining oneself is never the easiest thing to do. I don't like what I saw and felt in the past week so I'm going to have to take the Chris Rose route. I'm going to need some help.

It's been 16 months. 16 long months and I haven't moved on from the storm. I've finally accepted that fact. The anger of what happened is still inside, still bubbling up at times that confuse and frighten me. The storm still dominates my thoughts and my discussions and it's just not healthy. I will never be a person who lives for reality TV, the hot new CD from Beyonce or what kind of clothes I wear. That's just not who I am. I give a shit about this city and this country. Not to say that those who ACCEPT that the national news feeds us stories about Ms America and her personal problems don't care about city or country. It's just about priorities and it seems that New Orleans is not really a priority anymore. OK, I accept that too. Doesn't make it right but I accept that some folks just don't have the inner fortitude to care anymore. One guy, as I was changing planes actually asked how New Orleans was- 3 YEARS after the storm. I didn't have the energy to tell him we just hit a year a couple months back.

I have to find that happy medium where I can still LIVE life and care. I'm not there yet. I've got some issues that I'm going to need to confront. I'm jealous of everyone who doesn't have to feel this pain on a daily basis. I get angry with people who aren't coming back. I know that's not right, but again its one person, one place, one time, one feeling. I get even more angry at the one's who come back and sit on their fucking ass like this is vacation land. Drinking "forty's" on the porch at 7:30 in the morning as I'm going to work. If I didn't think I'd get shot I'd roll the window down and tell those fuckers to get a good damn job and start helping instead of keeping us down. I get frustrated at those who don't want progress around here, who just want the status quo so they can keep their power and keep the sheep in the herd. I want to make a change but the stagnation that has struck New Orleans has infiltrated my progress and now I'm mentally burned out or something to that degree.

If I didn't love the company I work for, I might have already checked out. I've thought of it, late at night, staring at the ceiling, wondering if there will be a future in New Orleans for me. I'm guessing we all have thought about it, maybe it would be easier to move on somewhere else. To start over somewhere that has things that work. Somewhere that's not going to be a social experiment for, oh say the next 20 years. For now anyway, my eyes have been opened. I'm going to stick around for awhile, attempt to get some help (yeah e-mail if you know a Doc who can take patients) and see if I can live life. Quote from Shawshank Redemption says it best: Either get busy living or get busy dying. The latter might be easier some days but the former sure holds promise.

Our totally worthless Granny Governor

2006-08-12T09:16:00.001-07:00

My blood has begun to boil again. After weeks of self-imposed attempts at not caring about our loser leaders, it seems I just cannot get away from their stupidity. The latest involves our fearless Governor Kathleen Babbling Blanco.
In a letter dated March 7th, 2006, our wonderful Granny Governor asked the Feds to explore turning Interstates 10 and 12, 360 miles of them in the state of Louisiana, into a "Toll Facility", meaning the state wants to start charging you every time you need to get onto the interstate.
Babbling Blanco states in her letter to the Feds "As you know, the southern portion of Louisiana was recently devastated by two hurricanes. We believe this project is essential to the economic recovery of the state and to better prepare for future events."
By future events I guess that she means that Contraflow would really be smooth by making people PAY to get the hell outta dodge.
Please remember, this is a state that just passed a budget of 27.6 BILLION. For a state that has 4.5 million people living here. And the bigwigs in Baton Rouge don't have enough money, or enough of our money. It is pure insanity.
Senator David Vitter has sent KBB a memo basically telling her that she is making a fool of everyone in this region. There is no way that I-10 and I-12 will be turned into toll roads. It just ain't happening. Plus she decided to go for it without even bringing anyone else into the loop.
"Finally, Governor, I regret that this very significant formal submission was made by your Administration to the federal government with no adequate briefing of me or, as far as I know, other members of our delegation."
Just WTF is happening here? Was she soooo batty AK that she just started sending out request for anything that popped into her head? Has anyone ever really seen her and Ray Nagin together at the same time? I really am beginning to think they are one and the same.
Yeah Kathleen, it's not hard enough living here with crime, no hospitals, no health care, no schools, no local leadership, cost of living expenses that are out of control and you, our dear wonderful granny governor wants to stick it to New Orleanians even more...for what? Maybe a new sugar mill in Bunkie? Jesus H Christ we are so unbelievably fu**ed.

Suicide by cop

2006-08-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

I had not heard that phrase before. Maybe I am just clueless or so out of it these days that the phrase zipped through my head and kept on moving. Last night, someone I know, a photographer for the TP, John McCusker basically went out of his way to have the police in Orleans Parish take him down.
You would think that the way things have gone around here, the cops would have not had an issue and would have finished the job for the guy but thankfully they finally corralled him by Taser after he had pinned one of the officers between the police cruiser and his own car and then took off again, driving down St Charles, running over any sign that might have been for a construction company.
Police quoted the photographer during the first attempt to stop him as saying "Just kill me, get it over with, kill me."
John's home in Lakeview was destroyed and he was under-insured. He is one of the thousands of people in New Orleans who's financial life has been flipped and flopped to where he saw no way out. BK, I would have said he was a nut. AK, I feel for him and everyone who is experiencing the same effects from the storm and our loss. This is a man who is a quality human being, a professional of the kind that this city needs more of.
If someone like John can feel that there is no hope, no help for good quality citizens of this great state and country, then none of us are safe. Stay strong people and please talk to someone, anyone before giving up.
On another note, I feel the need to apologize for not posting for awhile. I have not been a happy camper for awhile now and just couldn't get anything going in the noggin.

How bout some truth?

2006-08-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted for awhile due to my belief that with the election going on, I needed to keep my opinions to myself. So I'm back. Rejoice or spit coffee on your computer- it's really your choice.
The frustration that others and I feel lately (9 months isn't lately I guess) is rooted in the FACT that no one in a leadership role can just speak the plain truth.
Is anyone really surprised that the announced date for the new floodgates being installed will not be ready by the target date? Or should that just be placed in the No Sh*t file and move on?
We have two finalist for Mayor (maybe we should run this like American Idol, vote off one candidate per week) that just cannot tell us what they REALLY mean.
We have a US run Government agency that says, "Of course these floodgates will be ready by the start of Hurricane season" then two weeks before the season starts, we hear oh wait, they won't be ready.
The Corps of Engineers says all the levees will be up to par (hahahahaha- sorry, couldn't help it) then we find out that levee's all over town are leaning in all types of different directions. Independent engineers say breeches would have happened elsewhere if not for the breeches that occurred first.
We're told that the industrial canal levee protecting the Lower Ninth Ward (where very very few people are actually back and residing) have been strengthened and raised. But oh wait, doing that makes the other side of that levee (which protects the area where EVERYONE is now living) lower and thus susceptible to overtopping and possibly flooding the part of the city that we thought was safe.
We're told that rainfall in the city won't be a problem. Until we actually get some rainfall and the pumps are turned on and oh wait....the pumps don't work, no one thought to TEST them after they sat in water for three weeks. So now a sprinkle and we're all looking for canoe's to get the hell outta dodge.
We're told "Here is the city's evacuation plan- Planes, trains and buses will take us to safety". Oh wait, no one asked for help securing these planes trains and buses plus no one else in the state has been advised of our plan.
We're told "I'm about inclusion and rebuilding New Orleans" then we find out the guy who said that went ahead and spent 400k of taxpayer money to refurbish his state office and private living quarters.
What do we have to do to get the TRUTH from these people?

Planes & Crazy Peeps

2006-08-12T09:11:00.000-07:00

Business flight to North Carolina to check up on some business. Flight from New Orleans to Atlanta, no issues. We're all in the same boat, why would we get upset with each other? We save that for driving around the city yelling at each other anyway.
But the Atlanta to ________ North Carolina flight is a different story all together.
The plane is packed. Not an empty seat in coach. I don't mind sitting with the common people, hell I am a common person. The couple next to me seem nice enough, he looks like Ron Howard -Opie and she looks like a older Martha Stewart.They start the chit-chat, not me. I just answer their questions. I'm in radio, it's a business trip, blah blah blah until:
"Where ya from?"
(Mind) Don't say New Orleans, don't say New Orleans
(Mouth) "New Orleans"
The shit hits the fan. The couple that asked the question recoil in horror. The woman across the aisle- she's is not attractive, she looks like Chief Wiggum from the Simpsons-drops a portion of the philly cheese steak sandwich she's eating on the middle of her rather sizeable lap. The two older gentlemen in the row in front of me spin around so fast I think that the superhero "The Flash" is flying to ________ North Carolina with me. One looks like Mack Brown of the University of Texas. The other reminds me of Walter Cronkike for some reason.
Opie, Martha, Chief Wiggum, Mack and Walter. Plus ole New Orleans Dan.
Martha: "Why the hell would anyone want to live there?"
(mind)- Cause it's a free fucking country you backroad hick"
(mouth)- It's a beautiful enchanting city.
Opie: "I went there once, all them black people, never again"
(mind)- Thanks for the info Grand Wizard of the KKK
(mouth)- I see
Mack: "Why ya'll keep asking for money?"
(mind)- I wish you had kept some of your cash cause you need some mouthwash- or I need a gas mask
(mouth)- Well rebuilding a city is not cheap.
Walter: "I sure am glad that they ain't gonna rebuild that place"
(mind)- What the fuck you say mother fucker?
(mouth)- Your incorrect there sir
Wiggum: "All I got to say is I wish you people would leave Atlanta"
(mind)- Ummmm I'm a white guy
(mouth)- Who are "you people?"
Opie: "All ya'll from New Orleans. Everyone in Atlanta is tired of supporting ya'll. Ya'll need to go home"
(mind)- You know, my hands would fit around your neck perfectly
(mouth)- Sadly there are not really any homes left
Martha: "Are you living in a tent?" then giggles
(mind)- You savage bitch. I want to drag you to the bathroom and stuff you and your tired withered vagina down the toilet.
(mouth)- no ma'am, I'm not but I know many people who are right nowWiggum: "I don't want no more of my tax dollars being spent on you people"
(mind)- good idea, that sandwich and the other TWO in the bag must have cost you alot(mouth)- Trust me ma'am, we don't want anymore of your money
Wiggum: "What you mean by that?"
(mind)- Your money should be spent on a expedition to find your first chin
(mouth)- We just want the levee's rebuilt
Mack: "The what rebuilt?"
Walter: "They already rebuilt your levees"
Opie: "Ya'll got 80 billion, ain't that enough"
Mack: "Oh those- Bush said ya'll got the money for those"
(mind)- I will kill all of you in 10 seconds flat.
(mouth)- It's actually 85 million and that's not for levee's. That's for other stuff. It's a kinda big area and theres alot to do
Wiggum: "Why should we give ya'll money for that? We don't need no levee's in Atlanta."
(mind)- Where were you when we really needed you? Your butt coulda stopped the levee breach by itself.
(mouth)- Well you need interstates in Atlanta right?
Opie, Martha, Chief Wiggum, Mack and Walter all lean forward waiting for the wisdom. "Yeah" is the group answer.
(mouth)- Well the federal government built our levees and they failed. The Federal government also builds interstates. Now if that loop that goes around Atlanta collapsed some day with a bunch of cars on it, you would want it rebuilt right?
Opie, Martha, Chief Wiggum, Mack and Walter all look at each other and then back at me.
Wiggum: "That don't make no sense"
Opie: "I don't get it"
Martha: "Huh?"
Mack: "I'm not from Atlanta"
Walter: "Damn right they better rebuild it"
(mouth)-Well the levee's breaking are what caused all the problems. So we feel the same way as you would, that the people who built it wrong should fix it.
Mack: "Your full of it- that black mayor of yours is what caused the problems. He shoulda used them buses."
(mind)- If I wouldn't go to jail I would pull your lungs out of your body RIGHT FREAKIN NOW!!!
(mouth)- He wishes he had used them too, I promise.
Wiggum: "This country don't need no New Orleans anyway"
(mind)- stay seated stay seated stay seated
(mouth)- The New Orleans area gives alot to this country ma'am- you might want to check your facts
Opie: "That wasn't nice"
Martha: "That was rude"
Wiggum: "whad you say to me Mister?"
J.N., the flight attendent appears: "Sir , we will be able to accommodate your move to first class"
(mind)- ummmm request? What? First class who?
(mouth)- Thank you so much.
I'm gone. J.N. tells me she heard the whole converstation.
J.N.: "Honey, I'm from New Orleans. You need some first class pampering after that discussion"
(mind)- Thank God for Angels
(mouth)- Thank God, your a Angel.
Hey Mack, Wiggum, Martha, Opie and Walter: From everyone in New Orleans : "Go fuck yourself."

State of Disarray

2006-08-12T09:10:00.000-07:00

My body and mind are in a settled state of disarray. I?m here, I have a place to live, but I?m just here. I feel lost. I live in the city but I don?t know the city anymore. I know literally no one here. I leave the house, walk the streets, meet and talk with people but they are not who I knew, they don?t give me comfort; they give me idle chit chat. It?s certainly not their fault; we live in the same world, the same emptiness. Of what was had and now is gone. Alone in a lonely city. I have hit the proverbial wall.
Now what? Not in the sense of what can go wrong but more in line of what do I do with myself now? Where?s the manual for restarting your life? Making new friends? Is there a pamphlet of something that I missed somewhere? I didn?t see anything like that in the surviving after a disaster kit I got from the Red Cross.
It?s not like I haven?t restarted before. I?m in radio, its part of the gig. But those were all times when I wanted to restart. Choosing to do something and having it forced upon you are two different things. This isn?t just restarting my life, it?s restarting a city. It?s everyone talking about OUR future. About this wonderful, heart breaker of a city and what we can do as citizens to not make the same lazy decisions we have in the past.
Anyone want to join me for a coffee?

Boom Boom

2006-08-12T09:09:00.000-07:00

It's been a very busy week for me. The radio station is finally back on the air, who knows who's listening though. But anyway, I wanted to post about this earlier in the week and just couldn't get to it but it is eating me up. If you pay attention to the news (and who around here can't right now?) then you saw some of what are now being called Katrina ?Konspiracy? Kooks .
Tuesday December 7th, hopefully a day that won't live in infamy in New Orleans- Dyan French tesitfied in front of Congress (yes the same Congress we need levee money from) that she "knew" that the levee's in New Orleans were "blown up" as in "Boom Boom" during Hurricane Katrina just like the levee's were "blown up" during Betsy in 65. I know this woman has been in this community helping others survive after the flooding. That is not the point. We as a city cannot afford to have "wacko's" going to DC and telling people on national TV that the levee's were blown up on purpose. There is too much at stake for this region, for the only people that the rest of the country see in relation to what is going on in New Orleans RIGHT NOW, to be citizens who are off their rocker.
And who picked these people as the people who should represent our city and state in front of Congress? I'm working hard to find out. Congressman Jefferson (who was late for the meeting by 40 minutes anyway) is trying to pass the blame to Cynthia McKinney from GA, congresswoman. Now both of them are avoiding our phone calls. I do not get why a congresswoman would have the choice of who to bring in front of congress. Why is she the one?
Too hard on this women you say? Okay- let's think about it. The Federal, State and Local governments all failed in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The prez was over in Tehas chillin with a beer in one hand and probably a joint in the other. Our wonderful governor was "taking a nap" when the feds called or she was getting instructions on what to wear for the camera's- she'll have a comittee look at it to figure out which one. And the mayor was too busy pointing fingers at everyone else to handle his own biz. So we know that these three entities are very unorganized at best. So how in the world could anyone think they could "plan" to "blow up" or "Boom Boom" the levee's when they cannot even get out of each others way?

Fantasy Sports

2006-02-06T16:29:00.000-08:00

Man do I loves me some fantasy sports. Baseball, Football, Basketball, all of them- I'm in a league. Sometimes 2 or 3 leagues, that's how sick I am with this stuff. I have on a Sunday or two, lounging on the couch, checked the net for " a fantasy update". Go ahead, call me a nerd, a fool, whatever... I know these things about myself already. It's no big surprise on this end.

Six years at least. With my somewhat off-beat sense of humor, some of my teams have been named the following:

The Benson-aters

The Benson-Haters

GrizzJizz

High on Mt Rockies

Nuggets Suck

Master Baiters

LSU #1 USC # 2

among others...Now it's baseball team naming time and here's what I'm thinking:

Missin The 9th Warder

New Orleans Floater (think baby ruth in a pool people)

Drunken Russian Whore

Picked off a roof topper

Give me your favorite two, or scream that I'm a insensitive jerk.

The President

2006-02-02T11:15:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted on this blog in awhile as I worked on another blog for New Orleans on metroblogging. That blog deals directly with New Orleans and it has been rather difficult to want to write about something other than my wonderful home city but Dubya brought me out of my funk.

I didn't vote for the President in either election. I chose to waste a vote once instead of re-electing him and voted for Al Gore in 2000 so I'm clearly not a big fan.

I make jokes (in private- big brother has mucho more power since 9-11) about Dubya being the "anti-christ". I don't really think he is, but the direction of his leadership makes me really wonder sometimes what the hell he is thinking.

Iraq was/is a mistake. We all know this by now. If you don't agree, fine, but I will ask you to take off the Republican glasses and look at our situation. We are basically stuck in the middle of a civil war. The majority of "insurgents" or murderers as those of us who are sane call them, have no affiliation with Al Queda. They have a hatred for the US that has developed in the last 2 years because we are in a place that we should not be. American's, including myself, are idiots when it comes to the rest of the world. We do not attempt to understand their culture, their beliefs or ways of life that may be different than ours. We just think that since our government says their bad people, well the Pres or the Vice Pres or whoever wouldn't lie to us, they must be evil. They must all want to kill us, rape our women, eat our burgers, drink our beer, cook our children etc... when in fact we should look at each other as humans instead of Asians, Muslims, etc...My guess is that if we really made an effort to learn about each other the earth might be a pretty good rock to stay on.

What a joke

2005-12-12T19:28:00.000-08:00

I've been in the radio bid-ness for over 10 years now. Currently I run a news/talk radio station. All of my previous gigs were on sports radio stations. Im sitting here, watching the Saints-Falcons game, yeah lifelong Saints fan - yeah Im a moron, and it reminds me why I had to get away from the sports side of radio.

These guys just don't get it. And it's not really just the Saints. All athletes I learned through experience are like this. They are part of the society that does not see anything around them. I don't mean that their eyes are closed, I mean their minds are. They only see themselves. It's almost halftime, oh shit they just gave up a Hail Mary kinda touchdown- man they really really SUCK, anyway all that comes out of the players mouths (granted except Joe Horn) is how tough it's been on THEM, playing on the road, making millions of dollars to play a game, being displaced and not having a home stadium. Uh dumbasses, about 300,000 of New Orleans familes don't have homes period. Nor a stadium. Do you really think we can feel bad for ya when 75% of the city still isn't re-populated? When we can still drive for miles without a gas station that's open? You have got to be kidding.

The whole fiasco with the city's football team and the aftermath of Katrina won't be played out until 3-5 years down the road. But for me, this is just a reminder. My passion for the games left when I got to know the participants.

A Christmas Tune

2005-11-29T15:34:00.000-08:00

This just rang through my head all day as I tried to get power restored at my radio stations transmitter/tower site:

Oh Entergy
Oh Entergy

Oh how I need a power feed

We dont ask much
just some juice

We won't be mean
or obtuse

Oh Entergy
Oh Entergy

Oh how I need your power feed

Just wondering

2005-11-21T17:36:00.000-08:00

I watch, listen and read the news as much as I possibly can. No cable or Direct TV yet, hopefully soon though, but I do as much as I can to stay on top of things locally and nationally. Paying attention to things has me wondering about how New Orleans is going to comeback.

Most Americans just don't pay attention to what is going on around the country. Sure when a disaster happens, or a celebrity gets loaded and plows through a crowd, Americans notice. But when the fires are put out or the waters recede or a jury finds the movie star innocent because he lost out on being Han Solo in Star Wars, Americans move on. We look for the next sexy story or the next disaster to pay attention. I say we because I am a American too and I do it. We all do. It's part of who we are.

That's what has me wondering. The line of thinking being, New Orleans will struggle to survive until the levee's are at a level that a Katrina or a larger storm will not create what we're going through now. Levee's cost money. New Orleans has no money. Louisiana is broke. Even if the state or the city was printing it's own money, assistance will need to come from the federal government. My read, almost everyone I knows read, is that the Feds don't want to cough up the dough to pay for the massive levee SYSTEM that we be needed to save South Louisiana. My other read though is that its the politicians who don't want to give up taxpayer money to save one of our nation's states. But I believe that the majority of Americans want the federal government to do whatever it takes to rebuild the area. Not really want but EXPECT the feds to step up to the plate. If we can attempt to spread democracy throughout the world, then we can certainly PROTECT one of our national assets. We will rebuild our own city with our own hard work and dedication. But the Feds need to make our own safe just like the government treats the rest of the country.

Which is what I am wondering about- How do we keep Americans attention long enough to get them on their representatives to handle this situation?

Just the fingers typing

2005-11-15T16:06:00.000-08:00

I am okay but I am not okay. I get through the day. Wake up at a normal time , have some coffee, read the paper, watch some morning news, take a shower, head to work. At work, I interact with everyone, focus on the task at hand and do what I do in radio.

The nights are different though. I struggle when the sun goes down. My body aches from the last three months. You try and wash it off, wash it away, but it just won't go away. I've noticed that even when I'm "relaxing" now, I'm not really relaxing. The leftovers of Katrina are on my mind and I can't get rid of them.

I have gotten use to the area not having any real services. I can deal with mail once a week or little trash pick up or power going out occasionally. In this world, those things are irrelevant. I can accept the military humvees patrolling all parts of the city. The lack of street lights and working traffic signals is not a problem. I stop everywhere now. Any corner where I see red works. Waiting in line anywhere at anytime? I'll gladly stand wherever I need to stand to get served, sometime, anytime.

My problem is I miss the city as I knew it. I cringe everytime I get on I-10. I cringe everytime I get off I-10. The complete devastation surrounds us living in some parts of town. St Bernard pains my heart everytime I go there. The 9th ward, some of the most diversified citizens and areas of the city still look like they did a month and a half ago. I want the old New Orleans back and since that cannot happen I want the NEW New Orleans (I hate the sound of that) to start moving forward, and it's happening yes, but when your confronted day after day with the houses and the mounds of destruction it does not happen anywhere near fast enough. It just doesn't and either you (or I) accept it or move. And I'm sure as hell not moving so I better get over it.

Did you notice Wheel of Fortune is airing the "New Orleans Shows" that were filmed the weekend before Katrina? Vanna riding the streetcar down a shiny St Charles (not really shiny but much more so than the current state of parts of the St Charles line). People winning lots of money though- and yeah I like Wheel of Fortune.

I turn 38 tomorrow. 15 years ago I didn't think I'd reach this one. Here's hoping for another 15, minus any K storms.

32 X 32

2005-11-11T11:28:00.000-08:00

Just another day in the life I guess.

I am nor have I ever been a clothes whore. I have never cared about what I wear as long as Im comfy. I'd prefer to wear jeans and a t-shirt all the time. Not really business attire though. So B.K. - before Katrina - I had a decent amount of clothes. Mainly business wear, some jeans, mostly t-shirts (some over 15 years old....de bois as I called them) shorts etc...Well in my solid Hurricane planning, I only packed 3 pairs of short pants and 5 t-shirts with a couple pair of socks and drawers. So I have to replenish the closet, get some decent clothing so I can conduct business.

Im a rather thin dude. 5 11 , weight between 150-160 usually. A week after the storm I weighed 137, beer and pnuemonia will do that to a guy I guess. Anyway, Im thin. No ass, no arms, no chest....just a skinny dude.

So Im working on getting clothes. And I am a little confused. Understand I am traveling on business almost every week and New Orleans really doesn't have clothing stores, or enough clothing stores for me to bother with. So I do my shopping at stores while Im on the road and I am learning a very bad thing I think. American Men are becoming FATASSES.

Penney's, Dillards, Hecht's, Macy's all have pretty solid clothing for men. I went through 4 different stores today looking for a pair of business pants (be they Khaki's or dress pants, whatever, don't care, just want them to fit and be tan). Every store has tons of pants to choose from. Thats not the problem. The problem is that ALL of the sizes for pants look like this:

38x30
36x29 (what the fuck?)
38x32
40x30
40x28 (Who are these for? The Penguin?)
36x32
42x30
40x34

It amazes me that 32 x 32 in men's pants is no where to be found!! I''m not in the Fat and Overgrown area (Big & Tall to the pc'ers out there). I asked salespeople at three of the stores where all of the 32 x 32 pants were....all 3 basically said they don't carry that size anymore because no one comes in looking for them!!! What the hell is this? Is it getting to the point where the "normal" sized peeps will have to have our own specialty store for clothing, like the fatties did in the 90's? Have American Men gotten so fat that 38 x 32 size pants are "the norm"? I feel like an idiot asking these salespeople to find my size, almost like there is something wrong with me for being a little bit in shape.

I miss the kids

2005-11-10T07:47:00.000-08:00

I do not have children, I have cats. 2 to be specific. My girl cat is named Onion (her head is shaped like an onion, I'll find a picture) and my boy is Norman. Onion has been with me for close to 10 years now, I've dragged the poor thing from Memphis to Denver to Memphis again to DC to Virginia to New Orleans. Norman is a stray that I helped the old neighbor out with. He is a little over a year old now. Needless to say they hate each other and were very happy to wake me daily at 3 am fighting with each other.

They evacuated to the station with me before Katrina and the poor things had to go to Houston and Virginia again with me after the storm. I have a old college roommate living in Virginia Beach and that's where they reside right now.

It's interesting how we take almost everything for granted until we no longer have it. I miss them waiting by the door for me when I get home. I miss Norman's LOUD meow's for food whenever I walked by his dish. I miss Onion wrapping her fat ass around my neck while I sleep. I miss the sound of their feet clunking on the hardwood floors as one ran from the other as they tried to attack. I miss opening the windows and watching them fight to see who got to sit in what window. I miss Onion laying on her side taking pieces of cat food out of her dish, one piece at a time to have a snack. I miss Norman clawing at the bathroom door when Im "takin care of business".

I miss the kids.

Inside the Superdome

2005-11-02T13:29:00.000-08:00

After everyone at the radio station evacuated to Houston, we met a couple from New Zealand, on vacation in New Orleans. The following is their story, un-edited as George relayed to us after we met and was nice enough to email me his notes from his and his wife's experience in New Orleans during Katrina.

Fri 26th august.
7.00 pm
Preliminary evacuation notices given to low lying areas of S.E. Lousiana. Notices given over local radio, and weather channels, also on news channels. Obviously, all us party animals don't bother with the media, and the locals tell us not to worry as they always give out these warnings and "nuttin ever happens",so on with the party.

9.45 pm
We get back to our hotel and I phone Air Canada to confirm our flights for Monday 29th. "No problems Sir, I have you confirmed for your flight to Totonto, and onwards to Frederickton New Brunswick, May i have your phone number in case we have to notify you of any changes".Number supplied.

Sat 27th.approx 10.30 am

sat at the streetcar stop waiting for the Riverfront streetcar, and a guy asks us when we are getting out, i tell him Monday, he looks at me and says "No, I don't think so, I got one of the last 5 seats out of New Orleans airport last night". Well we were a bit dumbfounded, but remembering the words of the locals we didnt feel so bad.We went to the french Market, walked along some of the old streets of the French Quarter, some beautiful old buildings, and they had been well restored. That night we went to the Margueritaville cafe and had a fabulous meal and a few of the drinks for which they are famous.Back at the hotel we check the weather channel, Katrina is just a grade 3 storm, maybe winds of 50-60 mph. so we feel we can ride this out, after all the hotel is of concrete and steel.Nevertheless I contacted Air canada again to confirm our flight, but was told that all flights from Sunday onwards had been cancelled. until further notice as the airport had officially closed. We found out later that many Tourists had been flown in by various airlines up to and including 4.00 pm today. They were not even warned about the possibility of a Hurricane, or of the fact that the airport would be closed.We had been meeting a jazztrumpeter by the soubriquet of "steamboat willie", we had met this guy at the Napier Jazz Club a couple of years ago. We got along famously, and he told us to get out of town, as this was the real thing. He gave us his cellphone number, and said if things got too difficult for us to give him a call.

Midnight
Weather channel upgrades Katrina to grade 5 "impending disaster".Tried to give steamboat a call, no luck, thought to try again in the morning.

Sunday 28th

7.00 am tried steamboat again, no luck, tried his landline, most systems were busy. tried disaster awareness numbers all busy. asked at the hotel for the best thing to do, was told to try to get out of town, as the hotel was closing down until further notice, and a sign told people of this and the fact that there would be no rebates of payments.No rental cars, no buses, no trains, no planes, couldn't even get a U-Haul, even if we had been able to get a vehicle, there was no petrol available.We are on the street outside the hotel and flag down a cop, he tells us that the Superdome, the indoor football arena has been turned into an emergency shelter. The guy from the hotel takes us down there in his car, we get there at 9.30 am and are told we can't get in until 12 noon, the doors are guarded by the Louisiana National Guard, most of whom look about 18 years old with maybe 9 or 10 older guys. they are all armed.come 12.00 noon there are about 7000 people, mostly the poorer families of the city, trying to get into the superdome. There are probably 200 white faces in the crowd. Of the number of people there, the number of tourists would number 30-40, I can only suppose that the tourists in the top class hotels, the big chains, had been bussed out to other hotels within the hotel chain in othe areas, like Houston or Dalls, certailnly nowhere within louisiana, mississippi, alabama, or florida.We get in line and after 3 hours of shuffling along, we get near to the entrance, where we are told that we will all be searched, and all our luggage will be searched, any contraband would be confiscated. Contraband consisted of drugs, knives, combustibles, alcohol etc. Anybody found with any of these on there person or in their luggage, would not be allowed in, there were bins for the dumping of suspect goods. We lose our camp stove, our two hunting knives, our swiss army knives, our camping cutlery,and our alcohol, if I had known about the alcohol we would have been drinking it while we were waiting. Eventually we get sent to a seated section of the arena, section 148. we seem to be with mostly nice ordinary people even if they are mostly negro.

Sunday 9.00pm

Katrina caresses New Orleans,heavy rain, and increasing winds.We are told that food would be available later. when everybody is inside the stadium.midnightQueuing for food is the pits, I go first, as Margaret stays to guard our gear, the food is MRE's along with a bottle of water, I am told that they can only give out one ration to one person, yet I see other people with 2,3, and even 4 meal packs and water.On the way back I see groups of young negroes, hanging about, and I start to see the potential for trouble. Margaret goes and gets her food ration and we settle down for the night. Sleeping upright with all our possessions between us is awkward, and uncomfortable.2 am MondayKatrina strikes, winds of 145-160 mph, heavy rain. The building is shaking and we hear the exterior cladding being ripped off, soon the plywood sheathing is being blown off, and the central rood louvres are flying off into the Louisianas night.
2.20 mains power goes off, down to emergency lights.because of the danger of falling debris, everyone is moved into the internal corridors, very little light, no air cirulation. temperature in the low hundreds (f). We find ourselves next to 2 negro families, they are really nice. We had no chance to buy any food or drinks before entering the stadium as all the shops were closed, so they give us some fried chicken and some water. we are all getting on fine. The ceilings start to leak water, not just drips, but pouring out of the tiles and joints in the concrete, where our neighbours are becomes untenable, so they have to move, we seem to be OK for the time being, A new group arrives, these are young tourists from one of the backpacker lodges. They are a truly international group, we all get together but the water from the roof forces us to leave, they stay put and try to make the best of it, most have had some "fortification".we move to another spot and find ourselves back with our olf neighbours, so with some light hearted banter, we settle down for the night. Our peace is disturbed by the arrival of other negro groups, but these are youngsters, with heavy chain necklaces, with large "pendants" hanging off them. They are giving it the old "I'm a big bad mother, and don't nobody mess with me" routine.Since we have been in the dome there has been a ban on smoking, although if you were to go into the toilet blocks you would never know. I can understand the ban, let's face it a fire in that building would be just about all we would need to cap off the disaster. Although later in the week, a fire will be just about needed to sterilise the place. But I jump ahead. We get a visit from some of the group of young tourists, asking for our names and addresses as they are going to try to get in touch with embassies and consulates via their cellphones

6.00pm

Approached by one the young tourists (Cora) along with 2 National guardsmen. They asked us if we would care to join the growing group of internationals and be placed in one area, this would facilitate the guards keeping an eye on us and in keeping in contact. We agree, saying goodbye to our good neighbours, we gather up our belongings and we move, back into the arena!. By this time it has stopped raining and no more parts of the building have fallen down. we settle down and try to sleep. Just about impossible, so we swap stories and histories with our new freinds. It turns out that it was the young girls that requested the move. Whilst in the corridors, they had to go all the way down to the first level to get the bathrooms, and on the way they were being accosted, and grabbed, and having top put up with sexual remarks.A quick word about the toilet blocks, after the power went off there was no longer any running water, so you can imagine what the toilets were like, the shit was overflowing the bowls and being dragged across the floor, the urinals were overflowing, and you know what old piss smells like, and all the time more people are being brought in. The numbers now reached 25 thousand.

Tuesday 700am

Queuing for food, when we were first here they had 3 food stations for 10 thousand people, now they have one food station for 25thousand. It takes 3 hours to stand in line for a packet of rations and a bottle of water. We are rationed to 3 small bottles of water a day and 2 packets of food. Margaret and I have discovered a supply of plastic bags that are used to put wet umbrellas in when people attend a game at the stadium. we use them in a totally different way. we piss and shist in them and tie them up and throw them i the garbage, rather than trying to piss or shit in the toilets. We still have to go into the toilet stalls to do this but it is better than using the toilet bowls.lunchtimeWe get our ration of water, rumours abound, "they have run out of food, they are letting us out tonight, there have been people killed, there have been rapes committed, etc"One of our group is a big Australian, he looks like a real drunken beach bum type, how looks can be wrong. this guy, all we know of him is his name "Bud", has been talking to the guards, first a specialist, now a sergeant, now a captain, now a major. He gives us the real news. There has been one suicide. that is the extent of the death toll. However one young boy of 7 was raped and beaten in one of the toilet blocks.7pmBud is quietly going round our section talking to small groups of us. The gist is, put your valuables into the centre of the group, get the girls around them, station all the guys around the girls and put all our bigger items of luggage around us. It is a siege situation, he tells us that the military may find it necessary to turn off all the lights this evening. And having done so they would withdraw until daybreak, we would be on our own. We are all appalled, finding anything we could to use as a weapon. we settle down for the night. Imagine the panic that would ensue if 25000 people were suddenly plunged into darkness? Fortunately it did not happen. We thought it may have been a shortage of fuel, but apparently the flood waters had come within 6 inches of the generator connectors, any closer and they would have had no recourse but to turn off the power.Wednesday 6amMargaret and I decide to get some food, we don't really need it but we feel we should get some and share it with the rest of our group, now numbering 80 approx.

11 am

Bud calls us together, we are to be moved. gathering our gear, and in groups of five or six we move off. The situation in the arena has changed, no longer is everybody freindly, everyone is suspicious, and on edge, who can blame them, they are black, we are white, and the whities are being moved out, the comments ring out "why you save tehm whities, why don't you save us, we as good as them" etc.We are moved over to the basketball arean which is being used as a triage station for the injured.We are told by the commanding general that buses are on the way to take us up to Baton Rouge, the state capital, where there is decent food and running water, he neglects to tell us that armed troops are patrolling the streets to keep the refugees in order.No matter, it doesn't happen. We start to help in the triage station, those with nursing or related knowledge help with the patients, others help move the patients and load them into lambulances for transfer to the emergency hospital set up at the airport(!) . Margaret and I grab rubbish bags, and staqrt to clean up the floor, I grab a mop and bucket and start to mop the floor, waste of time, the water is filthy. Brainwave, all around us are partly used bottles of water, I empty the bucket, and Mrgaret organises our group to keep any water bottles they find for washing purposes, with plenty of disinfectant, this does the job. The normal hospital orderly who is in charge of cleaning, a real nice negro by the name of Taylor, grabs a floor squeegee and pushes out all the rubbish from around the toilet stalls and urinals and the floors of the toilet blocks and I wash the floor, a great improvement, we all work 2 hours on and 4 hours off, until 8 in the morning. Then we are told once again we are moving.A major in the army accompianied by a grunt, are up in our hiding area. they can take 15 of us at a time. Bud steps in and asks us for a moment to think about things. he asks all young single men and girls who wish to travel in a group to step back. they do. He asks for Married couples, people over 50, we qualify twice, people with children to step forward. we do. This is like something from a movie. The Major explains what he wants us to do. one at a time we are to wade through water up to mid thigh for 200 yards, go through a gate, hang a left and into a parking building. Walk like you are a refugee with no hope he tells us. If the mob in "zoo" see you are getting out they will go mad. Margaqret goes off first. just as she disappears from sight I leave. then the rest, one at a time. It must have been really hard for the young girl in the group she was about 12.when we are all at the first rv we move off, once again in single file to the next point.From there the major goes off to get the truck, the grunt Archie shepherds us all along and into the streets of New Orleans, there are black people everywhere, I am developing eyes in the back of my head as I picture the target forming on my back. we wald for about a mile, and have found that we have missed our rv point, we go back. The people are not as anti as I would have though, Archie asks for and is given directions to our rv. We are cursing the incompetence of the military mindset. Suddenly a truck appears, not an army truck, but a double cab pick up truck, We pile in with our luggage as best we can. Margaret and I are straddling the tailgate, as a large black man approaches, he is not threatening but he is desperate, all he wants is out, and he sees this truck as his sgetaway. but we have no room, Don, the major floors the gas and off we go.We were told we would be going to a fire station/school hall for a couple of days, they had water and power.We stop after 20 minutes to rearrange the loading of the truck. Then on. About ten minutes later we reach the army checkpoint stopping people from enter N.O. Don goes over to see them to arrange for his return. The OK is given.We carry on for about a half hour, less destruction about, traffic signals, so we are in an area with power, we get to a street and turn into it, no fire station no school hall. This is a private house. 8 of our group are shared out with don's family and one of his neighbours. Showers, hot food and clean clothes are on offer. the rest of sthe group go with Archie.Archie tells us he is a marine instructor, we ask about don, he is in the army reserve.We drop off at archie's house, his wife Madonna welcomes us. they hve 2 showers. the bliss of, washing off 4 days of accumulated grime and smell, yet we still feel dirty, later a second shower does not make any difference so we realise we are imagining itMadonna and her neighbours have provide food for all our group, Don and Archie have gone back for more of our group. We ask Madonna how long Archie has been in the military, he isn't in the miilitary, he is a marine instructor, yes he instructs people in boating and navigation and safety. his military dress is just his hunting clothes. what about Don? He is in the army reserve, but not attached to any group involved in the Hurricane clean up. they have done the rescue off their own bat. It seems don and Archie went to see if they could help in any way and were asked to help in the moving of the sick and injured.They saw our group helping and felt that if we could help, when the rest of NO didn't then we deserved help, so they planned our escape. They returned later in the day, without the rest of our group. they had taken another 4 pickup trucks driven by their neighbours along with the local school bus and its driver, but our group had been moved, we hoped to somewhere safe.

Friday

Archie and Madonna have organised 3 vehicles to ferry us out. some of the group have managed to book flights from Alexandria la via the internet, but reception is patchy, we cannot get a reservation for anywhere. we leave for Lafayette, two of our group have booked a rental car, but when we get there, the car is unavailable. on to Alexandria. Those of us who have bookings, get their flights confirmed, so its a big goodby with much swapping of addresses and "keep in touch". We are told that the Greyhound buses are running from Lafayette to Houston, so its back to Lafayette. No buses, no trains. Archie suggests that they drive us to Houston, we agree and tell him that we will pay for the fuel and accommodation for him and Madonna.On the way, we stop at a place called winnie, Archie knows of a good eating place. We all have a couople of beers, and a great meal, the propriatress, has been listening to our tale of woe and friendship, and tells us that the meal is on the house, to make up for the lack of Southern Hospitality we have suffered.It appears that any act of kindness brings us all to the brink of tears, I guess this is just a reaction.We get to Houston and stop at the airport Sheraton, where we meet up with one of our group, Bob, who had a flight from Alexandria.Big tearful goodbyes to our new found friends, along with promises to keep in touch.

Saturday

Houston airport, we manage to get a flight to Toronto and a connection to Frederickton New Brunswick. so our holiday is back on track, althouth we have lost a week, so some part of the holiday will have to be postponed.If you have seen any of the news footage from N.O. multiply by a factor of ten the harsh ssituation, and you will have a better idea of what really went on.

The story that George emailed is the same one he told to me and my radio station crew late one night at the Houston Sheraton as we were all drinking up a storm to try and forget the storm. I have no reason to believe that he is not telling the truth, he did not know we worked for a radio station, there was no need to impress us. Also, if you had been with us and gotten within 100 ft of these two you would believe their story as well- After 3 showers they still had the most foul odor attached to them that I have ever smelled, and I've smelled some nasty things in my 37yrs but nothing compared to the stench they brought with them from the Dome.

Back Home

2005-10-29T09:06:00.000-07:00

I am jumping ahead because it has been an eventful week. I am finally back in New Orleans for the first time since Katrina.

I got in Sunday Morning, 10/23/2005. I returned to the home I was renting in the 9th ward. For those NOT from New Orleans, the national media has presented the 9th ward as the slum. That is not the case of all of the 9th ward. New Orleans neighborhoods are very different from anywhere in the country. Two blocks from a beautiful area, you could be a not so grand area. Just the way the city is/was after 200 years. The house I was living had been restored, built in 1807, just plain beautiful. Needless to say it will have to be restored again after the storm. I had already figured out that my personal effects were gone, still hard to see 15 years of personal and professional effects laying on the street in a mound of garbage. If anyone comes across a picture of me and Joe Sakic drinking champagne out of the Stanley Cup please let me know.

The rest of my day was spent trying to accept what I was seeing. Until your on the ground here, you really do not understand what the city is facing. One of the many things I have always loved about New Orleans proper is that it's a metropolitan area but had not become a concrete jungle. By that I mean, trees, grass, shrubs etc have always been in abundance. The first thing I noticed as I went around town was the brown. Everything is brown. Grass, trees, shrubs, things that should still be green are all dead. Salt water does that. The beauty of Esplanade Ave. of old has been replaced with brown trees, no grass and refridgerators everywhere. Cars parked on medians covered in a brown/gray haze from sitting in water for weeks. Is the ENTIRE city this way? No, but the majority of the city is. It's difficult to see but is also adds strength to me anyway because I will be here as the city rebounds too. Yes it will take years but those of us who love New Orleans will rebuild the city.

I was in St Bernard Parish for most of the week getting things moving at the radio station's transmitter/tower site. As a radio station, we lost 3 of our 4 towers plus the entire transmitter building, including equipment. I had seen pictures of the site after the storm but again until you are on the ground here, the destruction is just that, pictures. Walking around the site I was amazed and shocked at the damage. The building looked like a giant foot came from the sky and stepped on top of the structure. The 3 towers that went down were twisted like a ponytail in a young girls hair. The backup propane tank, which in my guess weighs over 500 lbs was found over 300 ft away. The roof of the building was found over 400 ft away. It is just amazing to me still the power and destruction that the storm caused.

I spent most of the week again in St Bernard Parish, Chalmette, Arabi and that area of New Orleans. I have friends and employees from the area so I know what the area was like BK- Before Katrina. That's a new phrase for locals now....BK, before Katrina. Sadly St Bernard Parish sustained some of the worst damage I have seen since I have been back. The East and the Lower 9th ward are basically ruined as well but I have not seen one home or business in "the parish" that will be able to be saved. Mud still cakes the majority of the area and as you walk it sounds like your crushing egg shells. I have lost nothing compared to the citizen's from these areas and at times I have felt guilty for worrying about the station and my personal loss when compared to these good people. Nothing can be said or done to make them feel complete again except time. I pray for all my fellow New Orleanians daily and hope all of our pain will someday be gone.

Even with all of the destruction, I have to say I am so happy to be home. The last 8 weeks of travel and living in hotels has been difficult but getting back to New Orleans, even with the state of the city, has been a life saver for me.

I have a letter from 2 Australian tourists that I will post next time. They were inside the Superdome for 5 days AK, After Katrina

Monday-Tuesday Night

2005-10-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

After about 2 hours of trying to get the station back on the air, I finally gave up. I knew it had to be something at the transmitter site. The generator at the site was full, I knew that. My initial thought was our phone "circuit" service. I could not reach the transmitter site by phone at all to see if either the main transmitter or back up was available or if I could switch. I finally gave up. I had been awake at this point for around 30 hours straight. I awoke Sunday morning at my usual 5 am time (yes, I'm only 37 but I rise very early) and had been at the radio station studio since then. The on-air staff had been rotating shifts to try and stay fresh but I just could not sleep while we were broadcasting. I think I fell asleep Monday morning around 11. I talked to Rob Hunter later that day and he and Shane had both stayed awake through the entire storm.

When I awoke, (sleeping on the floor, I got about 3 hrs) the weather was still bad, but I knew we were on the back side of the storm. I went outside to see if the studio building had been damaged. Windows on the building had been broken on all 3 floors but the location of our studio had been spared. It's strange how all other areas of the building had received broken windows but the one area that was occupied. Someone watching over us possibly.

Everyone at the station thought we still had a possibility of getting broadcasting capabilities back. If you are a broadcaster, you understand what I mean. If your not, your probably thinking "Get the heck out of there". Broadcaster's are a different breed- all we want to do is broadcast, just ask my girlfriend.

As Monday afternoon grew into Monday evening, everyone was upbeat but still concerned. We could not reach anyone. We charged all the cellphones with generator power just to make sure we had the ability to try and call out. We as a staff discussed the situation and all decided to wait and see what might possibly be done to get the transmitter back up. The winds/rain with the storm finally tapered off around 6pm. We entertained ourselves with board games. Thank goodness for Rob and Daniel's girlfriends, they brought the games.

We went to the roof after dark to see what could be seen. Beauty and tragedy. The night was possibly the most beautiful evening I have ever seen in New Orleans. No area had power so all that could be seen in the sky were stars. I don't mean 10 or 100 stars. I mean thousands upon thousands of stars. Little dipper, big dipper, you name it, on the night after Katrina, the sky had more stars than I have seen in my entire life. That's the beauty. The tragedies were the fires. Everywhere. From our rooftop location at I-10 and Clearview, we saw atleast 5 HUGE fires. 1 in Kenner, 1 towards the East, 1 near the Lakefront (we thought) and 2 others close to the city. We called Government Agencies to alert them to the fires. The response? "There's nothing we can do". This was the first time, but not the last, that government told us they couldn't help.

We monitored the Emergency Management Station to find out what was going on around the city. They had no more information than we did. Daniel and I were the last two people awake, I went to sleep, ready to get back up Tuesday.

When we awoke Tuesday, information was slowly coming in. We got our TV service back up and monitored Fox News. Some of the levees had broken. I knew this was a disaster. When I saw that St Bernard parish had received major damage, I knew our transmitter site could be in trouble. I spoke with my boss in Atlanta. He advised to evacuate the staff. The station staff including myself did not want to leave. I argued, cajoled and almost begged to no avail. He demanded we evacuate.

The station staff had been monitoring the only remaining radio station on the air. That station did not have phone service whatsoever. I made the decision to contact them by cellphone to advise that our phone system was working and that if they wanted to use us as a phone service for people/government needing assistance to do so. It took some time for them to decide to do it, but they finally gave the station numbers out for people needing assistance or for government personel needing to get emergency information out.

The phones blew up. Within a 2 hour span we had over 150 calls of people/families trapped in their homes and attics. Families with children, elderly, some homes with 15 people there needing medicine. Our plan was to take down all of their information (address, phone, # of people in the house, etc...) and then relay that info to FEMA. We had three people taking down info and two people attempting to contact FEMA. My staff and myself felt overwhelmed frankly. It's extremlly difficult to speak with people on the phone who were in a critical state. The staff handled it very well. I cannot say enough about the job they did.

FEMA was another matter. Our first attempts to get them the information we met with "We're not ready to start rescuing people". What? We couldn't believe it. We attempted again only to be told, "Can you e-mail the list?". We all were frustrated at this point. Trying again, we were told that "We're not sure where that street is" or "Can you call them back to get directions"!! I could not believe what was happening. Trying again, we were transferred to a woman who did not speak English. After all this frustration, we were able to get the names,addresses and such to FEMA but the process took entirely too long. I just pray that the citizens we spoke with were saved.

I knew at this point we would have to leave. We could do no more. We were all frustrated at the inability to help more. Justin got a friend of his on the cell and asked him to search for hotel rooms in Houston. His friend was able to reserve 3 rooms for us on the internet. I did not think it would be wise to leave without somewhere to stay.

We had been in contact with the 1 remaining radio station on the air in New Orleans. We offered our studio to them if they needed to broadcast from there. We offered our services as a on-air team to give some of their people a break. We offered to do anything we could to help serve our city. It was beyond competition to us at this point. It was about saving New Orleans. We never got a response to our offers to them. If the roles would have been reversed, we would have gladly accepted their help for the good of the city. As we were driving into Houston around Midnight, they announced their partnership with the other "Corporate Radio Group" to simulcast their resources.

(SoapBox Moment) This is why corporate radio has ruined what I call real radio. I've worked for some radio corporations before. Never again. It's my view that, as the only other legitimate news/talk station in the market, we were seen as competition, even in this most dire time for New Orleans. The decision was made to use FM Dj's as information dispensers instead of a staff that was versed in newstalk. I have no proof, but for what other reason would help not be accepted?

We arrived at our hotel around 12:30, checked in and crashed. Next I'll share some stories of people we met in Houston who had gotten out of the Superdome.

Sunday Night- Monday Morning

2005-10-19T08:22:00.000-07:00

After most of those who had vehicles or other ways to get out of town, everyone at the radio station began focusing on what the rest of the night and Monday had in store for the city.

Rob, Shane, Daniel and Justin were handling all of the on-air duties at this point. I would guess it was around 10 pm that we started getting word from Accuweather that this might be a direct hit on the city. We were also in constant contact with elected officials in some of the lower-lying areas of Southeast Louisiana. We began getting reports out of Plaqumines Parish around midnight of higher storm surges and the winds at that point had really picked up. We also were talking calls from area residents who decided to ride out the storm. The one that stands out to me more than the others was Bert. Bert was from St Bernard Parish, Arabi actually and was in constant contact with us at the station.

The studio in Metairie lost electrical power around 2 or 3 in the morning. Obviously, it was pitch black around our area. When we lost power, I had the generator ready to go so it was rather quickly that we got back on the air. We had received reports that the Government Designated Emergency Management Station had went off the air around 11p and that they were still not up. It was everyone at the stations understanding that we were the only AM station in New Orleans still broadcasting and that we were the only broadcast entity still remaining in the New Orleans area. We understood how important the information we were broadcasting was to the area and in my opinion, the station staff was fantastic.

When power is lost at a radio station, generally all heck breaks loose. In this case, it was even worse. Phones systems, TV Monitors, computers, anything that runs off of electricity started buzzing. While we got back on the air quickly, getting power to just the essential pieces of equipment was a challenge. With only a flash light to work with, no "fresh" air at all, I think I might have sweated 20 lbs out within an hour trying to make sure that we would not waste any back up power feeding non-essential equipment. It was a continuing process throughout the morning.

Around 4am we began receiving phone calls from around the country and across the globe. Radio stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington Dc, Chicago, etc.... along with the BBC Australia, BBC Europe, Denmark, Mexico, Canada were all in constant contact with us as we reported to the world what was happening to New Orleans.

The winds picked up considerably as we got closer to day light. I went outside around 5 am (which in New Orleans is usually the beginning of the day brightening up) but on this day, the sky remained pitch black.

Our Accuweather Meterologists were on top of this storm from the get go and around 5 ish I think (please forgive my unsureness about some time's) they told the Station Staff and our listeners that Katrina had made somewhat of a "eastern" turn. We all took a big sign of relief - a direct hit on the city was everyones major concern. As the eye passed Buras LA, which we think was around 6 30 am, I saw some things that still baffle me. Never before in my life had I seen rain drops being suspended in mid-air. Yes, I could actually see the rain drops frozen in time for a second or two as the winds (which were swirling now at angles and strength that shacked me) would "hold" the raindrop as it was heading to the ground. I have never seen anything like it before.

We were continuing our broadcasting in the New Orleans area as well as doing live reports for radio stations around the world. Daniel did a live report with a station in Brazil I think. The only problem was his spanish was very limited. He got through it but there is no telling what listeners to that radio station heard. Hahahaha

The morning became a little brighter around 730. We were doing a simulcast with Neal Boortz out of Atlanta at that time and we could see some of the damage in our little area in Metairie. The water had already risen at that point to about 2 to 3 feet close to I-10. In the Clearview Mall shopping center, water was around 5 feet probably. The Mall sits lower that where we were located. Being able to somewhat look around, I knew that this was bad.

I've been through Hurricanes all of my life. I grew up in Louisiana and have lived most of my life there. I knew that if the water was already this high and the eye of Katrina was just getting close, that major damage was in store.

I had a battery operated radio always close by so we could monitor our own on-air status. At about 8:30 am CST Monday Morning, AM 690 WTIX stopped broadcasting Hurricane Katrina Storm coverage. I wouldn't know why until many days later. The stations towers and transmitter building had been completely destroyed.

Monday afternoon till Evacuation in my next update.

ContraFlow

2005-09-27T09:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry, Im just being able to get to the site to post. It has been awhile with alot going on. I just need to get some things out so here goes- (in order so stay tuned):

Contraflow out of Katrina's path was actually a success. What you say? How could it be a success after all the news I saw in the days after Katrina? Let me ask you one easy question...Were all those breathless TV news reporters talking about all the devastated vehicles on I-10 that were swamped by the Katrina overflow? No they were not. It seems to me that no one has recognized that contraflow out of the New Orleans area actually was successful. Yes I know probably 100k people did not evacuate, had no transportation, no buses to get out, but the point of this blog is the actual contraflow. After all of the problems last year with Hurricane Ivan and all of the aftermath of Katrina, no one has really pointed out some of the things that were done correctly. Did anyone see Houston during Rita? Is that the way contrflow is suppose to work? No it's not. So while everyone points fingers at Mayor Nagin and Gov Blanco for their lack of leardership during a crisis, I thought I needed to point a finger at something that was done correctly.

Just some background I guess as I write in the future. The radio station I run stayed on the air before and during the storm. We broadcast live throughout the day and night Sunday and Monday. We were knocked off the air around 830 Monday morning, after the eye had passed our tower and transmitter area. We evacuated the area Tuesday evening. I will write about the storm and the aftermath coming up in future post.

Katrina

2005-08-28T21:31:00.000-07:00

My staff and I are hunkered down, broadcasting as long as the power stays on and/or the gas in the generator runs out and I'm taking this time to clear my thoughts:

New Orleans is my home. I grew into a man in this city. I was away for awhile and sometimes when you are away...well you forget how special a place can be. For all of the problems in this wonderful maddening city, one thing has never changed...the character of the city, the people and yes the actual structures that have been here for over 150 years. Tonight those things are still here...tomorrow they probably will not be. Most of the people have left the city, which is a great thing because come Monday, New Orleans will not be the same city it is right now.

Yes Im feeling frightened because the storm that is on the way will devastate one of the greatest cities in the world and I will miss it. Katrina please go somewhere else.

Will write later during the storm if possible.

Gas

2005-08-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

Everytime I turn on the local news, I get over run with breathless reporters "live on location" at some gas station around town. The purpose of these "live shots" is to inform the masses that gas prices are higher than they have been in the past. I just don't get it. Since when did high gas prices become a lead story? It might be one thing if gas was 5 bucks a gallon or such. That is not the case. So riddle me this....Is gas being higher really a news story? If you drive a vehicle don't you already know that gas prices are high? Don't these "reporters" have something better to do or report about or inform the masses about other than "gas prices are higher"....how about more information on how the city is trying to get the murder rate down? Oh wait, the city would actually have to be trying to lower the murder rate for that story...4,6,8,and 26....please please please instead of trying to create news how about you report on something that isn't obvious to every driver in the city? Thanks

Satchmo

2005-08-16T14:28:00.000-07:00

Do you even know who Satchmo is? Louis Armstrong is Satchmo. If your not from New Orleans or a big Jazz (not the NBA kind) fan , then you probably did not know Armstrong as Satchmo. Here in New Orleans, we like to pretty much celebrate anything and in August we celebrate the life of Satchmo with a festival in the French Quarter. I love jazz and live festivals so of course I was there both days. And this isn't really about Satchmo. It's about fat worthless people who ride Vespia's. I am a bike rider. Yes, old fashion bike riding....two wheels, handlebars, seat, etc....no motor type of bike rider.....thats where the Vespia freaks come in. While riding home after the Satchmo fest...yes sober too- shocking...a rather large behinded women on a Vespia, thinking she owned the road since he bike had a motor, ran me off the road on Esplanade. How do I know she was a hog? All I could see as I lifted my face off the asphalt was her two large humongous butt cheeks hanging off either side of her little Vespia. I have never felt so sorry for a piece of machinery in my life....She had to weigh more than the Vespia. Here's my point....If your so fat that your excess baggage is hanging over the sides of a Vespia....splurge a little and by a Ford Focus.....Why you ask? # 1 so I won't get run over anymore and #2 spare the rest of New Orleans the sight of your Diet Coke drinking, Rally's triple cheeseburger eating butt wearing the tires out on one of those motored bicycles.