Sacred Hamburgers

Goodbye, Grandma

2008-05-21T14:07:00.003-05:00

No matter how long you would have been here, it would never have been long enough. I can't imagine what life is going to be like without you. You were my friend, my confidante, my inspiration, my teacher, my advisor. I'm going to miss you more that you will ever know. I have dreaded this day for years, and as much as I am hurting, I know that you are with Grandpa celebrating your return home. It is also a comfort to know that our last words to each other were "I love you." I know how physically difficult it was for you to say those words, but somehow you were able to gather the strength to say them well enough to be understood, but even if I couldn't understand them, I would have known. I'm going to miss you so much. I don't know how to say goodbye forever.

I can't wait!

2007-11-04T15:52:00.000-06:00

Finally, the new season of Amazing Race starts tonight. It has been too long.

I do believe in miracles

2007-11-01T08:28:00.000-05:00

One thing I haven't written about was my step-father's mother, Mimi (not to be confused with my cousin Mimi).

Mimi hasn't been doing well. She fell at her nursing home and hit her head which caused internal bleeding. I think the official diagnosis was a head contusion. Even though surgery was performed, she showed no signs of improvement. In fact, as the days passed, her condition deteriorated to the point that hospice was called and preliminary funeral arrangements were made. Her family decided to move her to a nursing home in Lacombe under the care of hospice to live out the rest of her days.

Last Saturday, as my husband called our church, Aldersgare Methodist Church, to update them on my grandmother's condition, he also added Mimi to our church's prayer list. Aldersgate has a wonderful care team whose job is to continually pray for those in need.

Last night, my stepdad told me that Mimi has made a miraculous recovery. She is sitting up and holding conversations with people. She is even better than before she fell. Her condition has improved 180 degrees and hospice has been cancelled.

It is in times of difficulty that I find my strength in my faith. I may not understand how or why God chooses to do these things, but I find peace and comfort in knowing that he will always answer prayers. We are blessed.

An interesting conversation with Georgie

2007-11-01T08:20:00.000-05:00

So the other day, as I was typing up something on the computer, my 5 year-old, Georgie starts up a conversation with me. It went something like this:

Georgie: Mommy, are we going to church today?
Me: Uh, yeah, probably.
Georgie: Jacob (my 7 year-old) is not going to be happy.
Me: What?
Georgie: Watch this. HEY, JACOB, WE'RE GOING TO CHURCH TODAY!!!
Jacob (from far off at the back of the house): Ah, man! I don't want to go to church! I just want to stay here and play football! DAAAAAAADDDDDYYYYY!

While Jacob continued to yell in the background, Georgie turned to me and said, "See, I told ya."

5 years ago yesterday

2007-10-25T08:34:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that it has been 5 years since our daughter Georgie made her entrance into the world. Of course, even as I write this, I must admit that I can't remember life without her. She has the most infectious love of life and the best sense of humor. These last 5 years have been unbelievably special and I look forward to watching her develop and grow even more. We are truly blessed. Happy Birthday, Georgie.

Click To Play

Not what we hoped

2007-10-24T15:32:00.000-05:00

Grandma had her surgery yesterday and, as the title states, it did not go as we had hoped. We knew that she had a colonic obstruction, but we didn't know what we causing it. The CAT scan revealed very little and since she has diverticulits, the doctors assumed that it was scar tissue. Unfortunately, when the surgeon opened the abdomen, he found that, although she had a hysterectomy when she was 50, they didn't remove her ovaries and they are now riddled with tumors. It looks like she has Stage 4 ovarian cancer. Now we have to meet with the oncologist to discuss any possible treatment and her prognosis.

I Say a Little Prayer for You

2007-10-23T08:14:00.000-05:00

Today is the day that my family has been waiting for - Grandma has her much needed surgery. To say that the experience at Northshore has been frustrating is an huge understatment. Sometimes I really question the knowledge of so-called "medical professionals." I will have to leave it at that because to get into it here will only cause my heartburn to return and my blood pressure to spike.

So please, if anyone reads this today, say a quick prayer for my Grandma. Thanks.

Life in the ICU

2007-10-18T16:23:00.000-05:00

This week has been bittersweet.

Bitter because I have spent much of it sitting in the ICU waiting room while my grandma underwent tests after having a seizure Monday morning. Luckily she was already in the hospital when her blood pressure spiked, causing the seizure. Initially she was there because of severe dehydration from some mysterious cause. After much frustration, the hospital finally did the correct tests and found that she has an obstruction in her colon. This is actually good news because it means that she did not have another stroke and, hopefully, she can be treated and sent home soon.

The sweet part of the week came as family gathered to await the news of grandma's health and for the occasional visit. It got to visit with cousins that I haven't seen in a while and with my Uncle Clayton that I haven't seen in two long years. It made me realize how much I miss not seeing my family on a regular basis like we did when I was younger.

There are nine of us grand kids and, as Jim describes it, we have a very "social sense of humor" -meaning that when we get together, our senses of humor take on a very quirky, cliquish edge. Even our parents think it's weird and offbeat (except Uncle Clayton - I think that is where we all developed it. Maybe it's God sense of humor showing itself). Even in situations that are depressing or serious, if three or more of the "kids" get together, we will find something to laugh about. And grandma in ICU was no different.

It happened when Patrick and Brandon, who are 22 and 26 year old brothers, went into grandma's room to visit. As they were leaving, grandma, in her hospital daze, told Patrick, "Do what needs to be done." After thinking about this for a short time, Patrick, now back in the waiting room, turned to Brandon and asked if he heard grandma correctly. After telling us what grandma said, I asked if she kissed his cheek when she said it. We came to the conclusion that she meant either (1) water her plants or (2) settle the family vendetta. I'm sure you've all heard tales of how vengeful those Nova Scotians are. I mean it's practically legendary.

Well, at least we lightened the mood for a little while.

A new direction

2007-10-17T15:56:00.000-05:00

It has been a long time since I have written. Even though I still love the political world, writing about it become somewhat repetitive. That being said, I decided to take this blog in a new direction.

I decided to turn this into a daily life blog. A place where I can write about the goings on in my family, my observations about life and anything else that I want to write about. So feel free to stop in whenever you want or leave a comment or two. This will be a nice way to stay in touch with family and friends that are now scattered around the country.

WHO DAT?

2006-12-13T09:50:00.000-06:00

Who dat? Who dat say you gonna beat dem Saints?

New Orleans 42 Dallas 17

Oh, yeah, baby!

Whew!

2006-12-07T09:46:00.000-06:00

Last weekend we opened It's a Wonderful Life. I must admit that I was extremely nervous - not because of the actors, but because of the technical aspects. As of Thursday, we had some major problems with set changes and lights. However, by Friday, a lot of the problems had been fixed and/or minimized.

Today, our review came out and I am beyond excited that we were able to pull this off as well as we apparently did in such a short period of time.

And, if I can be a little self-indulgent, I will admit that I am most excited by the review I got.

Heading the cast are Ginny Award-winning actor David Jacobs (George Bailey) and Dana Deris Fatic (Mary Hatch/Bailey) whose onstage chemistry significantly clicks.

Fatic is wonderful as George's girlfriend and ultimately his wife. Fatic gives Mary Bailey a sweet innocence. She provides her with Donna Reed qualities that significantly enhance the character's believability.

Well, if I can't toot my horn on my own blog, where can I?

Did you, did you..

2006-11-07T12:37:00.000-06:00

Did you vote?

I am most interested to find out how the voters of New Orleans will vote on Amendment 7 (I believe that's the number). That amendment is to consolidate the number of tax assessors from 7 down to 1. Unfotunately, corruption is so rampant and so many benefit from it, I will not be surprised to see it voted down. Very frustrating.

Time to catch up

2006-10-26T14:25:00.000-05:00

I have no idea how many people still check in here. I'm sure that it is not many at all. But, if you are one of the few, I thought that I would catch you up on what is happening here. As you might have guessed, I have taken a break from blogging about politics. There just comes a point where you feel like a broken record. I wonder if broken records ever get tired of repeating the same thing over and over, spinning around and around and not getting anywhere. That is how I felt. It is most frustrating.
A few months ago, I decided that it was time for me to get back to having fun. For me, that has always been the theatre. I was part of the cast of a little known musical called "Children of Eden." Last week I auditioned for "It's a Wonderful Life." I was most excited about this because it is my favorite movie of all times. And, Monday, I found out that I was cast as Mary, the loving wife of George Bailey. Even more exciting is that my little boy Jacob is going to play one of my sons. I can't wait to really get started with rehearsals.

We also have some exciting news on the homestead - the FEMA trailer that has graced our yard for the past 8 months is being picked up. It was a total waste of our tax dollars. I think that my aunt and grandmother used it for all of 2 weeks. It took so long for them to get it, that by the time they did, it was too late to be of much use. On the upside, we get to keep all of the wood from the mile-long ramp. We are turning it into a playhouse for the kids.

So now you are caught up on the happenings here. I think that I am going to use this blog space to write about what is going on in life.

And to those of you that have checked in regularly, thank you for being patient.

How cool is this

2006-08-28T17:44:00.000-05:00

This is interesting. It seems our little town has gotten some attention from Fox news. And the really great part is that they mention our local community theatre. Where I am currently part of the cast of Children of Eden.

In fact, here is a picture of me dancing.

As Tuesday approaches...

2006-08-26T14:17:00.000-05:00

This Tuesday marks the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. As the date approaches, there is a marked increase in the number of Katrina "specials." What surprises me about all of this is my own reaction to it. I find that I am starting to relive all of the emotions that I felt in those days following the storm. The fear, panic and despair can be overwhelming at times and I have to remind myself that we are getting through it.

I grew up in this area and always faced the possibility of hurricanes with a sense of excitement. Not anymore. Now the possibility of another storm fills me with shear terror. And now were are staring down the barrel of another disaster with Ernesto. I don't want to wish this storm on anyone, but, please God, don't send it here. Life is just now return to some semblance of normal for us and we were the lucky ones. Please spare the Gulf Coast.

I don't want to remember Katrina by evacuating for Ernesto.

In case you were wondering

2006-06-13T16:20:00.000-05:00

I haven't dropped off the face of the planet again. No, I've been bitten by the redecorating bug. Actually, it bit me months ago, but I have finally found the time to work on my own house instead of my different family members' houses.

I am in the process of redecorating my master bedroom and bath. A project that should only have taken a couple of days is taking much longer thanks to the "do-it-yourself"ers that used to own our house. You know the kind of people I am talking about. Nothing was done correctly. For example, instead of removing all the wallpaper that once lined the bathroom, they only took off the top layer of paper and spackled over the paper backing. Of course, I didn't realize this until the paint that I applied started to cause the paper backing to bubble and peal. Not fun.

But, despite all of the headache, the rooms look great. Now comes the fun decorating and accessorizing part. I have been accumulating things for months and I can't wait to see the rooms pulled together.

I will post pictures, in case anyone is curious. I must admit, I am proud of it so far.

Happy Birthday to Me

2006-05-31T16:30:00.000-05:00

34 years ago today, my parents welcomed me into the world. Thanks, mom and dad.

I'm just glad to know the name

2006-05-31T14:12:00.000-05:00

For the past few months, I have been struggling with a disorder. I knew the symptoms but had no idea my disorder had a name. And I felt so isolated and alone; surely, no one else was suffering from this. Over the last month or so, I have made a Herculean effort to overcome this malaise I was feeling to some moderate degree of success.

Well, I can wonder no more. Thanks to Jon Swift, I now know my condition is Conservative Fatigue Syndrome.

I'm just glad it has a name. And I'm glad to know I'm not the only one.

I wonder if they will find dinosaur SUVs

2006-05-31T13:14:00.000-05:00

Further evidence that supports that, if global warming exists, it is caused by nature.

About 55 million years ago, the Arctic was downright tropical
Wed May 31 2006 11:39:53 ET

Scientists have found what might have been the ideal ancient vacation spot -- smack in the middle of the Arctic! First-of-its-kind core samples dug up from deep beneath the Arctic Ocean floor show that 55 million years ago an area near the North Pole was practically a subtropical paradise, three new studies show.

Developing...

Democrats continue their wishful thinking

2006-05-30T13:41:00.000-05:00

In the latest attempt to persuade voters that Democrats will be the clear winners in the upcoming mid-term elections, the AP put out an article today listing the reasons why people will not vote for Republicans. And incorrect assumptions abound.

Republicans are three steps from a November shellacking _ each a grim possibility if habitually divided Democrats get their acts together.

First step: Voters must focus on the national landscape on Nov. 7 rather than local issues and personalities that usually dominate midterm elections.
That would sting Republicans, who trail badly in national polls.

Second step: Voters must be so angry at Washington and politics in general that an anti-incumbent, throw-the-bums-out mentality sweeps the nation.
That would wound Republicans, the majority party.

Third step: Americans must view the elections as a referendum on President Bush and the GOP-led Congress, siding with Democrats in a symbolic vote against the Iraq war, rising gas prices, economic insecurity and the nagging sense that the nation is on the wrong track.

That would destroy Republicans, sweeping them from power in one or both chambers and making Bush a lame duck.

Less than six months out, most Democratic and Republican strategists say the first two elements are in place for now _ a national, anti- incumbent mind-set _ and all signs point to the third.

Back to those three steps.

NATIONAL ELECTION: Among the two dozen Republican and Democratic strategists interviewed in the last two weeks, there was unanimity that the fall campaigns will be national in scope. Voters will give local issues less attention than normal, a bad sign for the GOP.
"If we keep it local we win; if they nationalize issues, they win," said Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina, head of the GOP Senate committee, seemed resigned to a national campaign. "Obviously, we're going to do everything we can here at the Senate committee to minimize any aspect of that," she said.

Even though the article claims that 24 Republican and Democratic strategists were interviewed and ALL agreed that the national issues will be the focus, I'm not buying it. Everyone has heard Tip O'Neill's quote that "All politics are local politics." It was true in the past and nothing has changed. When most voters head into the ballot booth, they vote for "their" guy (or gal, as the case my be), especially if the opponent has nothing different or new to offer. Incumbents also have the advantage of the office. They can and do fill bills with pork for their districts. The more money you bring home, the better your chances of winning re-election. Case(s) in point, Ted Kennedy and Ted Stevens.

THROW THE BUMS OUT: More than 70 percent of Americans tell pollsters that the nation is on the wrong track. Larger percentages think corruption is a major problem in Washington. Incumbents have been roughed up already this year in Pennsylvania and Indiana, and in both cases Republicans suffered the worst.
If this shapes up to be an anti-incumbent midterm, "we'll lose some members" in Congress, said Democratic strategist Steve Elmendorf, "but they have more incumbents."

While the polls are showing growing anger among Americans, I hope that the Democrats aren't relying on this as part of their strategy for reclaiming the House and Senate. Even though the mantra of the voting population might be "Throw the bums out," a lot of voters think that it is the other guy's problem. They lay the blame at the door of all the OTHER Representatives or Senators, while voting for their incumbent. Again, this leads back to what I said before - people tend to vote for the guy who already has the job.

ANTI-REPUBLICAN TIDE: Whether 2006 turns out to be an anti-incumbent or anti-GOP election "is the 15-seat question," said Democratic strategist Dane Strother, referring to the number of seats the Democrats need to win to seize control of the House.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., says GOP majorities are "clearly in jeopardy" because the political landscape is both anti-incumbent and anti-Republican.

All of these "reasons" are missing the point. If the Republicans lose control of Congress it is not because of the "anti-Republican" or "anti-incumbent" sentiment of Americans. It will be because they are not listening to what their constituents want. But in order for the Democrats to win a "landslide," they will have to overcome a lot of obstacles. Oh, I know they are looking at the 1994 mid-term elections as proof that it can happen, but they are forgetting a major detail. The Republicans in 1994 had the "Contract with America." They had ONE clear, concise message that resonated across the country. What is the current Democratic party's message. Well, that depends upon who you ask.

Change Mexican corruption, not US immigration policy

2006-05-30T06:57:00.000-05:00

Last week, we added a new member of our family - a 13 pound black lab puppy. Since I am a big fan of National Geographic's The Dog Whisperer, I immediately went out and bought Cesar Millan's book, Cesar's Way, to learn more about dog behavior.

While reading the book, I came across this passage:

It's been publised elsewhere, and I am not ashamed to say it: I came to the United States illegally. I now have my residence card, have paid a large fine for crossing illegally, and am applying for full citizenship status. There's no country I'd rather live in than the United States. I truly believe it is the greatest country in the world. I feel blessed to be living and raising my kids here. However, for the poor and working class in Mexico, there is no other way to come to America except illegally. It's impossible. The Mexican government is about who you know and how much money you have. You have to pay enormous amounts to officials in order to get a legal visa. My family had no way to get their hands on that kind of money. So, with just one hundred dollars in my pocket, I set out for Tijuana to figure out how to get across the border. (emphasis added)

Two thoughts struck me regarding this debate about our immigration policies:

1. Why do we have to change our policy when it is obviously a problem with the Mexican government. How easy it is for Vicente Fox to come here and lobby our Congress instead of doing the hard work of eliminating the corruption and graft of his own government. How arrogant, vain and downright lazy.

2. Why do we have to change our policy when we obviously have steps in place to help illegal aliens gain legal resident status. What the illegal aliens are lacking is not the ability to change their status in our country, it is the will and drive to do so. And no amount of "reform" is going to fix that.

This is good news for the city of New Orleans

2006-05-26T06:36:00.000-05:00

Ding dong, the council's dead

Majority of New Orleans City Council gone

The guard is changing at the New Orleans City Council today. It was the last meeting for members defeated in last week's elections. Out are Jackie Clarkson, Jay Batt, and Renee' Gill Pratt. Eddie Sapir is also leaving after reaching his term limit.

This all means there will be four new members on the seven person council. They are Arnie Fielkow, Shelley Midura, Stacy Head and James Carter.

I have often said that a lot of the problems that faced Nagin over the last four years were created by the City Council. Sapir was one of Nagin's biggest critics. The council would oppose much of what Nagin wanted to do. It will be interesting to see how this new board works with the mayor.

Yes, because they always follow church doctrine

2006-05-25T07:10:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of blaming others instead of taking personal responsibility, it seems that Elton John has decided that it's the Catholic Church's fault that homosexual friends are dying.

British pop music star Elton John has attacked the Catholic Church and its position on condom use as a reason for the demise of 60 of his friends to the sexually-transmitted disease, AIDS.

Speaking at a business awards ceremony, he said, "We don't have a medical vaccine but we have a social vaccine and it's called education." He failed to include in his so-called education platform that condoms may be a leading reason for the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Even leading health experts at the United Nations have acknowledged that condoms have an estimated 10% failure rate.

My question is: Why were Sir Elton's friends following the "condom rule" while ignoring the bigger church teaching regarding homosexuality? Me thinketh I see a problem with his logic.

And, in case you thought teaching abstinence wouldn't work:

Uganda's AIDS campaign, which stressed abstinence first and being faithful second and condoms only if one was crazy enough to forego the first two, has been seen as the only successful program in reversing the AIDS tide in Africa.

Appearing before the African subcommittee of the U.S. Senate on May 19, 2003, Green stated: "Infection rates [in Uganda] have declined from 21% to 6 % since 1991. Many of us in the AIDS and public health communities didn't believe that abstinence and faithfulness were realistic goals. It now seems we were wrong."

I hope that this isn't true

2006-05-25T06:58:00.000-05:00

If this is true, this is obviously not good for New Orleans.

New Orleans seen top target for '06 hurricanes

New Orleans, still down and out from last year's assault by Hurricane Katrina, is the U.S. city most likely to be struck by hurricane force winds during the 2006 storm season, a researcher said on Wednesday.
The forecast gives New Orleans a nearly 30 percent chance of being hit by a hurricane and a one in 10 chance the storm will be a Category 3 or stronger, meaning sustained winds of at least 111 miles per hour (178 km per hour), said Chuck Watson of Kinetic Analysis Corp., Savannah, Georgia a risk assessment firm.

If another hurricane hits New Orleans, recovery will end. There are so many houses that are still unlivable. So many New Orleanians are waiting to see what this coming hurricane season holds for the area. I have heard from a lot of people that if another hurricane hits here, they are leaving. Everyone here is gun shy. We are in no way ready for the threat of another storm.

Let me try to explain Nagin's re-election

2006-05-21T15:19:00.000-05:00

Bloggers, such as Michelle Malkin, all around the blogosphere this morning are astonished that Ray Nagin won re-election. I am going to try to explain how it happened.

The first thing you have to do is go back to the days before Katrina. Ray Nagin was a conservative businessman who was actually a very good mayor for New Orleans. He was fighting the in-grained corruption that has plagued the city for decades. It was a hard fight, but slowly he was gaining ground.

Then came Katrina. I'm sure that you are all thinking of those pictures of the flooded buses, right? Well, I don't think the nation understands how little time we had to put plans into action. Yes, we had years to prepare, but we only had 2, yes TWO, days to put those plans into action. In contrast, with Hurricane Rita, Houston started to evacuate a full week before the storm was projected to hit land. As of Friday night before Katrina, we were still being told that the storm was going to Florida. We woke on Saturday to full panic mode. NO ONE WAS PREPARED! I think that this fact has been lost in the aftermath.

That being said, could things have been better handled by the mayor? Absolutely, without a doubt. Could Nagin have been a better leader in the immediate aftermath and in the months following Katrina? Absolutely, without a doubt.

Obviously, many people thought that was the case, too. So many, in fact, that New Orleans was faced with 23 candidates to choose from in the primary election. With so many candidates, no one could gain much traction and the two with the most name recognition headed into the runoff.

Voters in New Orleans were faced with Nagin and Mitch Landrieu. The conservatives in New Orleans had a very tough choice. Judging from the calls into local talk shows, and the results of the election, many New Orleaneans were voting against Mitch Landrieu. The thought of another Landrieu as mayor of New Orleans was a worse scenario than the re-election of Ray Nagin.

Let's look at Mitch Landrieu. He comes from an extremely liberal political family. Some have even referred to the Landrieus as the Kennedys of Louisiana. The national Democratic Party was heavily supporting his run for mayor, over that of the incumbent Democratic mayor. Why would they do that? Because, if Mitch is mayor of New Orleans, it would help greatly with the re-election of his sister, Mary, to the Senate. Mitch's defeat, I believe, also sends a message to Mary. I think that she is going to have an up-hill battle.

Many in New Orleans also want to get out from under the corruption that has held the city and the state captive. Electing a Landrieu would be a step back instead of forward.

Did some voters vote race? I have no doubt. New Orleans hasn't had a white mayor in many years and a certain faction of voters don't want there to ever be another one. Of course, the same is true on the flip side. Some voters voted for Mitch because he was white. There is no denying that. There are racial tensions here. I'm sure it will make some angry to hear that, but, sorry folks, it's true. But, for many remaining in the city, it came down to the vote between a liberal and a somewhat conservative.

I would have loved to seen a change, but, given the choices, I think Nagin was the lesser of the two evils. Before the storm hit, Nagin was a good mayor. Obviously, the New Orleans' voters are hoping to see that good mayor again soon.

Update: Laura over at Dummocrats defends the re-election of Nagin, too.

My faith in the youth has been restored

2006-05-20T23:04:00.000-05:00

This story just makes me think how proud I would be to see my son or daughter have this kind of strength of conviction.

Update for Amy:
Judge Blocks Prayer at High School Graduation

The senior class at a southern Kentucky high school gave their response Friday night to a federal judge's order banning prayer at commencement.

About 200 seniors stood during the principal's opening remarks and began reciting the Lord's Prayer, prompting a standing ovation from a standing-room only crowd at the Russell County High School gymnasium.

The thunderous applause drowned out the last part of the prayer.

The revival like atmosphere continued when senior Megan Chapman said in her opening remarks that God had guided her since childhood. Chapman was interrupted repeatedly by the cheering crowd as she urged her classmates to trust in God as they go through life.

The results are in

2006-05-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

Nagin projected winner over Landrieu in New Orleans' mayorial race.

I have nothing more to say.

It's Election Day

2006-05-20T08:46:00.000-05:00

Tonight we find out if the people of New Orleans learned anything since the last election. I doubt it, but we will see. Of course, decision between the two candidates for mayor comes down to a decision of the lesser of two evils.

Debunking immigration myths

2006-05-17T20:10:00.000-05:00

John Hawkins debunks many of the common myths and misconceptions regarding immigration. Check it out; it's a great read.

A quick question

2006-05-17T16:12:00.000-05:00

When did toothpaste become a "dental plan?"

The reality of the mayoral race

2006-05-17T13:44:00.000-05:00

A Times-Picayune front page article about last night's mayoral debate was titled:

Pair End Up Debating Moderators

And why is that, you ask? Because there is not a big enough difference between these two guys to actually make a debate interesting. How boring would it be to constantly hear, "I agree with Mayor Nagian." and "The lt. governor is correct...."

It basically became a debate between the moderators, Chris Matthews and local talk show host Garland Robinette, and the mayor or between the moderators and Mitch Landrieu.

Why don't they just stomp on the Bible and spit on it, too

2006-05-17T13:23:00.000-05:00

I can't believe the audacity and self-righteousness that fills celebrities. I can just imagine how they must view their places in the world - them perched high on their pillars of knowledge looking down on us, the lowly idiots who aren't fortunate or intelligent enough to be one of them. Of course, they know their mission in life is not to entertain us, but to teach us, mold us and remake us into their god-like images. They do this by spouting their words of profound wisdom whenever they can.

... famed British actor Ian McKellen [Gandalf of Lord of the Rings], piped up:
"Well, I've often thought the Bible should have a disclaimer in the front saying this is fiction.

So basically what Sir Ian is saying is "All you yahoos who believe in the Bible as the Word of God are idiots who don't know fact from fiction. The Bible is no more fact than this movie."

Thanks again for reminding me why I discredit everything coming out of Hollywood.

My frustration mounts

2006-05-17T07:15:00.000-05:00

Each day that goes by, I can feel my frustration mounting. I look around and I see so many things wrong with our country and feel absolutely powerless. We are no longer heading down a slippery slope. We are rolling full force.

I am frustrated with myself. For those of you dying to know, the topic that I am wrestling with in regards to blogging is homosexuality in our culture. Even though I feel to my very core that I am correct, it is a can of worms that I don't want to open yet. I'm sure one day my anger with surpass my timidness. I am frustrated with my own cowardliness and timidity.

I am frustrated with our local leaders. They continue to feed into politics as usual here in Louisiana. As I have noted before, nothing here has changed nor will it ever.

I am frustrated with Louisianians, specifically in the southeast. The culture here is, to be nice, unique. Historically, people who are born here never leave. They tend to grow up, get married and move down the street from their mammas. That way of living leads to very narrow thinking. Especially since in the last couple of decades, as the economy of Louisiana continues to decline, we have lost, and continue to lose, our best and brightest. What we are left with are a majority of people that are desperately clinging to a way of life that has become obsolete. They have no idea how they are hurting themselves and the state. I had no idea how bad it was until I moved back here two years ago. Even before Katrina, Jim and I decided that we don't want to live in the state any longer that we have to.

And now I am frustrated with national politics and our leaders. Leaders who have, until now, offered a glimmer of hope that the ideas of our founding fathers are not a distant memory alive only in the words of their works like The Federalist Papers, Common Sense and my favorite - our Constitution. With every word that I hear from elected officials, that glimmer of hope gets dimmer and dimmer.

I have always been able to find things to be positive about and have tried to remain optimistic, but I admit it is getting harder and harder. What will become of America? Where are we heading? The obvious answers scare me.

Something I've been contemplating

2006-05-12T15:55:00.000-05:00

There has been a topic that I have been compelled to write about. But I am very hesitant to do so. Why, you ask? Because it would be very controversial. If I write about my thoughts on it, I have no doubt that I will get a lot of probably very negative feedback. The question that I am struggling with is "Do I have the energy to deal with the fallout?" In my mind, I continue to waver back and forth. But the need to write about it doesn't seem to go away. It is like a toothache. I know that I should just leave it alone, but I can't seem to stop playing with it. It is something that has been weighing on my mind a lot lately, especially in light of the fact that this issue is EVERYWHERE and is starting to pervade every aspect of daily life.

I will continue to think about it and hopefully I will come to some decision soon.

Thoughts before the weekend

2006-05-12T15:45:00.000-05:00

This is just too sad.
A girl is to become Britain's youngest mother after becoming pregnant at 11.
The girl smokes 20 cigarettes a day despite being eight months' pregnant. She conceived aged 11 when she lost her virginity to a boy of 15 on a drunken night out with friends.

This is absolutely ridiculous.
The California state Senate today passed a bill that removes sex-specific terms such as "mom" and "dad" from textbooks and requires students to learn about the contributions homosexuals have made to society.

She can walk!
Authorities said a woman who claimed she was a paraplegic and repeatedly filed claims and lawsuits for noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act was a con artist without any physical limitations.
After her arrest this month by Las Vegas police, Laura Lee Medley, 35, leaped from her wheelchair and ran for freedom, officials said.

So you think there was a surplus?

2006-05-09T16:40:00.000-05:00

Maybe you should read this.

Hattip: The New Editor

I'm back

2006-05-09T13:22:00.000-05:00

Did ya miss me? The family and I got back Sunday, but this is the first chance that my schedule and the cooperation of the computer have come together. I tried this morning, but was having trouble with blogger.

Anyway, in case you didn't notice, Northshore Politics has a new contributor - Amy. She, too, is a conservative resident of the Northshore. She has great insight into the government mindset after spending about 8 years working for the US Postal Service (If you ever want to get under her skin tell her the government can run things better than private industry). I look forward to seeing more of her posts here.

I must admit that I didn't think much about blogging over the past week. Mostly we went to the parks and visited with family. I didn't even get a chance to see any of my friends - the week went by way too fast. I'm still hopeful that we will be moving back to Florida one day.

Now that I'm back, I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things. Of course, getting back from vacation practically brings you to the point of needing another one.

The Invasion Continues...

2006-04-29T03:23:00.000-05:00

Is it just me, or do you think these illegals are going a bit overboard? I don't have a problem if you enter this country in a legal way...apply for citizenship, learn American history, and SPEAK ENGLISH (speak whatever you want in your home, of course); but this new Spanish version of the Star Spangled Banner (with toned down lyrics - no bombs bursting in are and such) is going way too far. I listen to Walton & Johnson (morning radio talk show guys) from time to time and they put it best when they call this illegal alien situation the "invasion" of America. These illegal immigrants don't just want to be in our country, they want to change it... well, this is not Burger King, you cannot have it your way!

Going on vacation

2006-04-28T17:21:00.000-05:00

The family and I are going on a much needed vacation. Actually, we will be visiting friends and family in sunny Orlando, Florida. Hopefully, I will be able to blog a little over the next week. Talk to you later.

If a liberal tells a lie

2006-04-26T15:55:00.000-05:00

and no one is around to hear it.... This is just too good not to report.

'PROGRESSIVE' MEDIA STALLS: 'AIR AMERICA' IN AUDIENCE PLUNGE NYC, 'DAILY KOS' BOOK SELLS ONLY 3,600 COPIES

Left-leaning new media has hit turbulence at the marketplace, newly released stats show.

A book hyped by major media as documenting a progressive revolution of "blogs" and political power, DAILY KOS 'CRASHING THE GATE,' has sold only 3,630 copies since its release last month, according to NIELSEN's BOOKSCAN. [NIELSEN claims only 2,062 copies of DAILY KOS have been purchased at the retail level; the rest coming through 'discount' outlets.]

Meanwhile, the just released radio Winter Book [Jan-Mar 2006] from ARBITRON shows AIR AMERICA in New York City losing more than a third of its audience -- in the past year!Among all listeners 12+, it was a race to the bottom for AIR AMERICA and WLIB as mid-days went from a 1.6 share during winter 2005 to a 1.0 share winter 2006.

During PM drive, host Randi Rhodes plunged to 27,900 listeners every quarter hour, finishing 25th place in her time slot, down from 60,900 listeners every quarter hour in the fall.

A network source says the radio ratings released today do not reflect the overall growth of the broadcast.

"The demos are better, and listeners trust AIR AMERICA to give them the real truth on issues and the Bush presidency," says the insider.

Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!

2006-04-26T09:31:00.000-05:00

I am loving this.

BUSH: Good morning. I'm here in the briefing room to break some news: I've asked Tony Snow to serve as my new press secretary

New Orleans deserves what she gets

2006-04-23T07:23:00.000-05:00

Immediately following Hurricane Katrina, despite all of the destruction and devastation, I was filled with some hope. I was excited by the prospect of a new New Orleans. I thought Katrina was a wake-up call to the citizens as to what corruption and graft can lead to. I thought they would see the path that the local politicians and leaders had lead them down. I thought they would realize that these politicians got their power from the citizens. And it seemed that for once they did understand.

There was such anger. Local call-in talk shows were filled with their calls. They couldn't wait to "Vote the bums out." All of them. No incumbent would be spared. As one caller said, "Even the occasional good one has to go."

It was with this in mind that I looked forward to the election. Sitting across the lake, unable to vote, but with a stake in it nonetheless, I couldn't wait to see a fresh start for the city. It was going to be nice to have leaders who were interested in cleaning up and fixing the city as opposed to people who were only interested in grabbing the brass ring in an all out power struggle.

And then - election day. I waited with baited breath at every news break as I went about my normal routine. But it soon became evident, as voters trickled in, that the anger was gone. How is it possible that with such an important election only 1/3 of the eligible voters voted! Not only that, but they voted for the incumbents!

Of course, my anger hasn't gone away. It has merely been redirected towards the idiots living in New Orleans. Do you not understand what you have done? You are killing the city. No wonder people look at us and think of us as incompetent fools. Thank you. Look at the difference between our recovery and that of Mississippi. You are driving people out of this state. Of course, I don't think that you care.

People here are always complaining that Americans are forgetting about them. Well, what do you expect when you yourself have forgotten. Americans aren't forgetting, they are just seeing clearly. New Orleans deserves what she gets.

Will Katrina wash away GOP, too? Dean says yes!

2006-04-22T08:37:00.000-05:00

Not only did Katrina's waters wash away people's homes, businesses and lives, but, according to Howard Dean, also the GOP.

Howard Dean: Katrina will put GOP out of business
In his first post-Katrina visit to the Crescent City, Dean helped Acorn, a nonprofit community group that works with low-income families, to clean out Vincent Cooper's flood-damaged home on Derbigny Street in the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans.

"I don't want to be partisan at a time like this, but this is why the Republicans are going to be out of business," Dean said, pointing to the destruction around him. "Nine months after the hurricane, to have this? This is ridiculous. This is not the America we grew up in."

When asked if he thought Americans had moved beyond Katrina and may forget about the storm by the time the November elections rolled around, Dean replied, "This is a searing, burning issue, and I think it is going to cost George Bush his legacy and it's going to cost the Republicans the House and the Senate and maybe the presidency in the next election. People will never forget this."

First, his FIRST visit to New Orleans is 8 months after the storm? If I was head of the DNC (oh, Lord, get that thought out of my head), I would have been here a lot sooner. Especially if I was planning on making this a big campaign issue.

Second, let's think this whole Republican thing through.
President - Republican
Governor - Democrat
Mayor - Democrat
City Council - All Democrats, but one
New Orleans Levee Board - 8 members: 6 appointed by the Governor, 1 appointed by the Mayor, 1 appointed by the City Council.

Oh, yeah, I see where he is going with this.

Blogs for Bush reminds us that Dean said the same thing about Terri Schiavo.

It's Election Day!

2006-04-22T08:11:00.000-05:00

8:10am - The polls opened this morning at 6am. I will keep you updated throughout the day.

Sorry about the slow blogging

2006-04-21T10:32:00.000-05:00

Between being sick earlier in the week and the kids home for Easter break, I haven't really had time to blog. Once school starts back next week, things should get back to normal. Of course, I am waiting with baited breath for tomorrow's election. Sometimes, when you are in the thick of things, you lose track of the big picture. I am interested in how the election will play out and the national implications that will go along with it. But I am more interested in the outcome for the obvious reason of how it will affect me and my family.

What I believe

2006-04-20T11:13:00.000-05:00

There is nothing here that I disagree with. Well worth the read.

Feeling much better

2006-04-19T09:06:00.000-05:00

I awoke this morning feeling much more human. Now normal activities can resume. I just hope that that was the end of all of this. Thank God for Clorox bathroom wipes.

Tonight's American Idol

2006-04-18T19:11:00.000-05:00

I am going to try to blog this as I watch it. I'm feeling a little bit better, so I hope that I can do this.

Start off with a brief history of Rod Stewart's career. This should be an eye-opener for my Grandma. This past weekend my grandma told me she didn't realize that he had been around for a while.

Chris Daughtry - "What a Wonderful World"
Wow! I'm loving this soft side of Chris already. He has a great voice. There is no way that Simon isn't going to love this performance.

Well, I was right. All three judges loved it.

What a great way to start off the night. I hope the other contestants can live up to Chris' performance.

Paris Bennet- "Remind Me of You"
This is obviously going to be the best show yet. Paris has chosen a great song, too. Of course, it could be that this is my favorite music.

I love the simple clothes and hair. You can focus on the music. She just exudes Billie Holliday. This was perfect for her.

I agree with Paula. I would definitely buy an album if she made one in this genre.
Simon must be getting in a good mood tonight. I wonder if he was having his doubts with the previous weeks' performances. So far, they are redeeming themselves tonight.

After the break - my favorite: Taylor

Taylor Hicks - "You Send Me"
Man, I wish I had seen the Taylor parody on SNL.
I love this song. I swear I could just listen to him for hours. I will be the first one in line to buy any CD he puts out and to buy tickets to a concert. I'm just bummed out that I didn't know he existed when he was playing close to here. I would have driven to Alabama to see him.

I love him! He makes me happy! He makes me forget that I'm sick. Great job, Taylor!

Randy agrees with me that these guys are doing great jobs tonight.
I wish Paula would get her hair out of her eyes.
Wow! Simon called it magic. He is going to go home in a good mood tonight.

Elliott Yamin - "It Had to Be You"
Cute way to start off the song. I actually like this and I haven't been a big Elliott fan in the past. I'm so glad that his hair is growing out. Good, good - no bouncing. This is his best performance yet.

Man, I just noticed Paula's chest. Holy cow.
I disagree with Simon. This was the first time that I actually liked Elliott's singing personality. He was very cute.

Killie Pickler - "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"
This could the night that Kellie stumbles in the eyes of the voting public.
Well, it isn't too bad so far. She looks good. A couple of off notes. This is definitely turning out to be the worst of the night - not that she isn't doing an ok job. Ooohhh, key change has thrown her off. And a bad couple of notes at the end.

The judges agree with me. Kellie might end up going home. She will definitely end up in the bottom three.

What the heck did Ace do to his hair? He must read blogs because I just read today on Sisterhood of the Traveling Idol Blogs that he should change his hair.

WHAT ACE NEEDS TO DO: What Ace has going for him, that most of the other guys are lacking, is raw sex appeal. As my friend K-Dawg would say, he is "universally attractive." Ace needs to play that up and choose a song that will make teeny-boppers and grandmothers swoon in their...family rooms. He should mix it up, looks-wise, as I've been suggesting for weeks. He should wear a suit and do something new with his hair (which is getting really kind of scary). The new look would automatically create buzz and would probably buy him a few extra votes. He needs to 86 the trained seal slow clap. And he needs to choose a song that is both sexy and regcognizable.

Ace Young -"That's All"
I don't like the hair. He looks like he's with the mafia. He is also sounding very nasal. Stop with the falsetto, man.

I disagree with Randy. I don't like the falsetto.
Ha, Simon agrees with me about the nasal thing.

I think he will be in the bottom three.

Last, but definitely not least is Katherine McPhee. I can't imagine her doing poorly with this genre.

Katherine McPhee - "Someone to Watch Over Me"
I hope that she wears something elegant. This is one of my favorite songs to sing (did I mention that I was a singer, too). I would love to see her in a beautiful formal gown. She is such a pretty girl, but the stylists just don't dress her to her best. I mean - pants? Really?

The song was great, of course. She did a great job. Just imagine if she would have worn an elegant gown.

All three judges love her.

I have no idea who will be in the bottom three other than Kellie and Ace. I would love for either one to go home tomorrow.

Tomorrow's show will be interesting.

What did you get for Easter?

2006-04-18T08:46:00.000-05:00

My family received probably the worst Easter present of all - a nasty stomach virus. It all started Saturday afternoon with it attacking the kids. Jim got it Sunday. I thought I was out of the woods, but surprise, surprise - I got it today.

I probably won't be blogging much today, but I will be back blogging as soon as I feel better.

Have a good day.

Proclaim the Good News!

2006-04-15T16:32:00.000-05:00

He is risen! Happy Easter!

Stop the racism already!

2006-04-13T09:43:00.000-05:00

I was reading the April 17, 2006 issue of People and saw an article called "Spring Cleaning." As I perused the story, I thought how wonderful that these college students are giving up their spring breaks to help gut homes in the New Orleans area. Even though I am very aware of these kids coming here, it is wonderful that they are getting national recognition in a magazine with such a wide readership.

My heart continued to swell with pride until I read this:

For the young people, the trip has been an eye-opener. "We rode through the white neighborhoods and were shocked," says Brandi Gilbert, 21, a junior. "It doesn't even look like they were hit."

WHAT THE F***!!! DO NOT PLAY THE RACE CARD HERE! I CAN GUARANTEE THAT BLACK PEOPLE WERE NOT THE ONLY ONES AFFECTED! SHALL I BRING YOU TO MY GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE. HOW ABOUT MY OTHER GRANDMOTHER'S HOUSE. OR MY COUSINS' OR MY STEPSISTER'S, MY AUNTS', UNCLES', ETC - ALL OF THEM WHITE! NOT THAT THAT MAKES ANY DIFFERENCE!

Can you tell that I am hopping mad!!! This is ridiculous. We have trained our kids to look for racism everywhere. Hurricane Katrina didn't care what color or race or religion people in Louisiana and Mississippi were. You do no favors to people by constantly playing the race card. This happened to everyone and was not a social commentary. I'm just disgusted!

And why is People including this quote? Oh, silly me.

Goodbye, Mushmouth (I mean, Bucky)

2006-04-12T21:44:00.000-05:00

Well, tonight we said goodbye to the American Idol's resident Mushmouth, Bucky. Why do I call him Mushmouth. In case you couldn't figure it out, I can't understand a single thing he says. Ever.

As AI opens, we are treated to a Queen medley sung by the final eight. Why didn't they sing the songs last night that they sung tonight? Whoever picked who sang what tonight should be picking the contestants songs for future shows. Most of sounded much better during the medley than they did last night. Especially Ace.

I was wondering why tonight's show was an hour instead of the regular 1/2 hour. Now I know. We are going to be treated with hearing how proud everyone's family is of the singers. Well, duh. Let's just get on with it. Although I have to say that Taylor's bandmates seem to be just as much fun as Taylor. It would be a kick to hang out with all of them.

I have to admit that in the beginning I was a Kellie fan, but as the show continues on, she is starting to wear thin. And she is too confident on these elimination nights. She needs to be in the bottom three just to shake her up a little.

So the bottom three are Elliot, Ace and Bucky. I would love to see Ace go, too. He is so cheesy. Especially that "smouldering" look. Whenever he does that I want to kick the TV. It's like nails on a chalk board for me.

And Bucky is leaving. I'm just glad that I won't be seeing his "cool" microphone moves. You know, that microphone hand switch thing. I drove me nuts. Well, that and his footwork.

Next week: Rod Stewart. This should be interesting. There is a lot to choose from.

That reminds me of a story about my grandma. As we were sitting around the kitchen table one morning a couple of years ago, my grandma says, "I saw this new guy on Good Morning, America. I really liked him. I think his name was Rob something. He sings big band. Do you know him?" It took a while before I realized she was talking about Rod Stewart.

I never thought, in a million years, that I would say, "My 82 year old grandma is a big fan of Rod Stewart. She has all of his new stuff." I'll have to make sure she tunes in to hear the new guy next Wednesday.

If you want to read more about tonight elimination, head over to Dummocrats to see what Kris has to say.

Welcome to married life, Chad and Catie

2006-04-12T13:58:00.000-05:00

My cousin Chad and his new wife, Catie, are back from their wedding and honeymoon in Hawaii. Congratulations!
I can't wait to hear all about it. Well, on second thought... You know what I mean.

Thought for the day...

2006-04-11T22:09:00.000-05:00

All of these protests around the country being attended by illegal aliens made me think. I don't remember hearing about any businesses or industries shutting down. According to many, these illegals should be welcomed here because they are working jobs that "Americans don't want." If this is true, with the amount of them protesting yesterday, wouldn't we have heard about the lack of workers. I mean, if, for example, hotel housekeeping is performed only by these people, then wouldn't we have heard about no one showing up to clean hotel rooms. Wouldn't the MSM have jumped on this. Basically, it would have be a walk-out by thousands upon thousands of workers, in all menial jobs, across the country. And yet, I don't remember hearing about that. Maybe, just maybe, there are enough Americans and legal-non-Americans working these jobs so that large and small businesses across the country did not have to close shop while these illegals were protesting our immigration laws.

My heart is heavy

2006-04-11T21:20:00.000-05:00

I must admit that I don't pay much attention to the crop of current movies, especially when I know that they are written, produced and/or directed by people that I philosophically disagree with. That being said, tonight, while surfing Blog Explosion, I came across a post about George Clooney's Good Night and Good Luck. While I knew that it was about McCarthy, that was about the extent of my knowledge of the movie. The post that I read explained the plot further and mentioned Edward R. Murrow. That caught my attention.

While I worked at Disney, I was a VIP hostess. My most memorable experience (not just at Disney, but most memorable life experience) included Fred Friendly. I was extremely fortunate to be able to spend a week with Mr. Fred and his family. He was being inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame and decided to make it a family event. He and his wife Ruth planned a family reunion. They opened their arms to me and, for the week, I became a member of their family. They were wonderful and I must admit that I learned one of life's most important lessons from him.

He and I were sitting on a bench at the end of a long day in the parks. As we sat there waiting for the boat that would take us from their hotel to EPCOT for fireworks, we watched his wife, children and grandchildren in the distance. I looked at Mr. Fred and you are a very lucky man. He turned to me, looked me in the eyes and said, "Dana, luck has nothing to do with it." I have never forgotten that and I credit that advice with the family life I have now.

I say all of this because, when I saw that Good Luck and Good Night was also about Edward R. Murrow, I had to see if Mr. Fred was also included since they worked together. He was. And he is played by George Clooney.

This makes me feel better

2006-04-11T11:22:00.000-05:00

I think that I'm going to save this and replay it every time I catch a glimpse of Ben Affleck. Now excuse me while I go run to my local Chevy dealer.

Thanks for the hattip, Kitty.

Start the funeral dirge. Death is imminent

2006-04-11T07:13:00.000-05:00

The final nail is about to be driven into the coffin of the republican (small r) United States of America. And who holds the hammer? Every politician who sees the number of illegal aliens and immediately starts to drool over them as an untapped voting bloc. They give absolutely no thought to the damage this will have on our country. Of course, to expect anything else from these politicians would be madness on my part.

The most frustrating thing is that no one seems to want to stop this. No one has the courage to stand up and call this what it is - madness, insanity and just plain stupid! Everyday our country is being hijacked by socialists. Control is being wrested away from hard working, TAX PAYING Americans. More and more, we, who invest the most of our hard-earned dollars into this country, are having less and less representation. Of course, the evil of it all is that the left have succeeded in convincing the lower class, the poor, and the "unlucky" that they are victims of the wealthy. And they are there to help.

Well, thank you Ted Kennedy. You and your ilk have managed to destroy what so many have given their lives to protect. And you have destroyed it for your own evil gain. You may have inadvertently helped some, but that was NEVER your intent. You know it was always to advance your career, position and power. And yes, that is the definition of evil.

Looking for a good book?

2006-04-08T09:26:00.000-05:00

Recently I was strolling through the library looking for, what else, some books (imagine that). At my library, they showcase newly-arrived books. One was The Big Over Easy. The title immediately caught my attention. I picked it up thinking that it was a new book about New Orleans, maybe even about the city in the aftermath of Katrina. I was pleasantly wrong.

The full title was The Big Over Easy: A Nursery Crime by Jasper Fforde.

It’s Easter in Reading—a bad time for eggs—and no one can remember the last sunny day. Ovoid D-class nursery celebrity Humpty Stuyvesant Van Dumpty III, minor baronet, ex-convict, and former millionaire philanthropist, is found shattered to death beneath a wall in a shabby area of town. All the evidence points to his ex-wife, who has conveniently shot herself.

But Detective Inspector Jack Spratt and his assistant Mary Mary remain unconvinced, a sentiment not shared with their superiors at the Reading Police Department, who are still smarting over their failure to convict the Three Pigs of murdering Mr. Wolff. Before long Jack and Mary find themselves grappling with a sinister plot involving cross-border money laundering, bullion smuggling, problems with beanstalks, titans seeking asylum, and the cut and thrust world of international chiropody.

And on top of all that, the JellyMan is coming to town . . .

After I read the inside flap, I was intrigued. And a couple of chapters later, I was hooked. After finishing The Big Over Easy, I read the only other Fforde novel my library had at the time, The Well of Lost Plots (the third in the Thursday Next series). Last night I finished his first book, The Eyre Affair.

Welcome to a surreal version of Great Britain, circa 1985, where time travel is routine, cloning is a reality (dodos are the resurrected pet of choice), and literature is taken very, very seriously. England is a virtual police state where an aunt can get lost (literally) in a Wordsworth poem, militant Baconians heckle performances of Hamlet, and forging Byronic verse is a punishable offense. All this is business as usual for Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection, until someone begins kidnapping charactersfrom works of literature. When Jane Eyre is plucked from the pages of Bronte's novel, Thursday must track down the villain and enter the novel herself to avert a heinous act of literary homicide.

Needless to say, I am an addicted fan. I am going to buy all of his books so that I can read them again and again. If you are an avid reader, you, too, will love these books. They are so much fun to read.

The NOPD needs to be changed immediately

2006-04-06T12:01:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure if this is getting national airtime, but there has been another allegation of police brutality here in New Orleans (registration required).

The Pratts refused to discuss the matter, but [Dulcie] Pratt's mother-in-law Scott [Pratt's mother-in-law] said [Jonie] Pratt was returning from visiting her sick father in Baton Rouge early Tuesday when police said she ran a stop sign about two blocks from her house. The woman drove to her house in a middle-class area of the city before pulling over.

"I saw an officer pull Jonie out of the car by her hair," said Scott, who was baby-sitting her grandchildren at the couple's house. "He was swearing at her and pounding her into the car. I said, `Stop that, that's Officer Pratt's wife."'

Scott said the officer twisted Pratt's arms behind her and sprayed Mace in her face. She said two more white officers arrived and the three shoved the 5-foot-2 Pratt to the ground and knelt on her back, and an officer kicked her in the head.

I have no doubt that this happened; however, I don't believe that this is a racial issue. New Orleans police officers don't restrict themselves to beating up people of one particular race. They will intimidate, bully and brutalize anyone they want - white, black, male or female. And it happens more often than is reported.

How do I know this for fact? Because it happened to two members of my family last year (I'll call them Betty and Bob). Her offense? Asking a cop for his badge number.

Betty was picking up Bob from work since he had just had surgery to fix a torn rotator cuff in his shoulder. Since he worked at a hospital, she was going to pick him up at the emergency entrance drive-up (just as she had numerous times before). This particular day, there was a cop blocking traffic at the entrance. She explained that she was picking up her husband and he told her rudely, "I don't care. Move your car. No one can come this way." Since she worked at a hospital, too, she knew that the cop couldn't block all of the traffic and said, "You can't cut-off all traffic to the emergency entrance." He said something like, "I'm a cop. I said move. I don't have to explain anything to you." According to Betty, he was unbelievably rude, so she asked for his badge number. To this he replied, "I don't have to give you anything." She parked her car and again went to the cop to ask for his badge number. Again he refused and told her to go back to her car and get out of here. She went back to her car to wait for Bob to come out of the hospital and the next thing she knows, this cop is banging on her window telling her to get out of the car. She rolled down the window to tell the cop that she was waiting for her husband. He starts to open her car door and pull her out, demanding to see her driver's license and registration. She starts to argue that she has done nothing wrong and refuses to give him this unless he give her his badge number. At this, he pulls her out of the car and throws her on the ground and tells her she is under arrest. Meanwhile, her daughter is in the backseat watching this happen.

The cop calls for back-up and more cops start coming. Betty was thrown up against the car and handcuffed. While this is happening, Bob, who had had shoulder surgery just two weeks before and whose arm is still in a sling, comes out of the hospital and sees his wife being roughed up by a bunch of police officers. He immediately starts demanding to know what is going on. I guess they see Bob and a threat and a police officer throws him against a wall and pull his arms behind his back and handcuff him, too.

Bob and Betty were arrested for resisting arrest. Obviously, they are fighting this. When it happened, I told them to go to the press, but Betty was so upset and embarrassed that she just wanted it all over with.

Ever since this happened, I have heard more and more stories like it. I would love to see the NOPD purged of this egotistical, power-hungry officers, but I'm afraid New Orleans wouldn't have any more cops.

We teach our children that the police are the good guys fighting the bad, but what happens when the police are the bad guys fighting the good? Who is going to protect us for the police?

I just can't believe this happened

2006-04-05T22:01:00.000-05:00

OK, I know that there are more important things going on besides who leaves American Idol, but when Mandisa garners the least amount of votes, I just have to comment. I think that she had arguably the best female singing voice this season. So, what happened? How can she be leaving while Bucky, Ace and Kellie are still around to sing another week?

I think I figured it out. I really believe that what put the nail in Mandisa's coffin was her choice of outfits. Let me say that I LOVE Mandisa. I have been a fan of hers since the night AI first showed her audition. Her size was never an issue. I think that she is absolutely beautiful. BUT, last night, I didn't hear what she was singing because her clothes were so loud. I'm not exaggerating. When I heard her sing her song tonight after hearing the results, I realized that I didn't pay attention to a single note she sang last night. If I felt this way (and she is my favorite second only to Taylor), I can only imagine how others reacted to her. Of course, I guess now I don't have to imagine. We all know.

Goodbye, Mandisa. American Idol won't be the same without you. The only consultation is that there is no way this the last we have heard from Mandisa. With her talent, she is guaranteed a recording contract. And I will definitely buy her first CD.

Katie leaves NBC

2006-04-05T11:03:00.000-05:00

When I heard the news about Katie Couric leaving the Today show, I started to reminisce about the couple of days that I spent with her 11 years ago. I was a VIP hostess for Disney World and was assigned to Katie while she and the Today show taped at Walt Disney World. It was actually a lot of fun. I found her generous,kind and down to earth with a great sense of humor. She actually encouraged me to go back to school and finish earning my degree. I wish her the best.

Florida Wins! I can't wait to go back to Winn-Dixie

2006-04-03T23:07:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, my dad and I went to the grocery store to prepare for a family get-together later that day. While waiting in line, I over heard the lady in front of me talking to one of the workers. They were predicting a match-up between LSU and Florida with LSU winning. Well, since I am probably the only one in Louisiana that can't stand LSU and since I am married to a Gators fan, I, of course, had to tell them that they were wrong. (Hey, I haven't blogged in a while and I had to get my controversy fix somewhere!)

All of a sudden, all conversation stopped. I swear you could hear a pin drop and I think, out of the corner of my eye, I saw my dad try to dig through the tile in the floor. The lady says, "Honey, you are in the wrong part of the world." To which I wanted to reply, "Duh!" What I did say was that I think LSU is too cocky and would love to see them lose. When the woman was leaving she said, "Sorry that your weekend is going to be rotten 'cause LSU is going to win." Well, as it turned out, not only did I have a good weekend, but I just had a really good Monday evening. Ha! Ha! Ha!

I can't wait to go back to Winn Dixie now. I love to see LSU fans sad.

Slowly, slowly I awaken

2006-04-03T11:03:00.000-05:00

Hello again. *yawn* It's been way, way too long since I have written. Life down here is starting to return to a new normal. My cousin, Shannon, got her carpet Saturday and is finally moving her family back into their house. Her house is looking great.

It also looks like my aunt and grandmother are going to be buying a new house in a couple of weeks. Right now they are living in a FEMA trailer on my side yard. Of course, it only took 7 months for them to get into it. It sat on my property for 6 weeks while we waited for electricity.

I think part of the reason that I didn't want to blog for a while is that everywhere I looked there was nothing but frustration. Of course, it just strengthened my resolve to never, ever, ever depend on the federal government for any timely help and assistance. It is the most ineffectual entity in existence and I challenge anyone to dispute that! Anyone who thinks that the government can do anything better than the private sector should come down and wait for a FEMA trailer (the military is the only exception that I can think of now).

Much of these last 7 months have been like beating my head against a brick wall. Nothing down here has changed and I seriously doubt that it ever will. The political culture of Louisiana is just that - a culture. And I don't think the majority of people here want it to change. It is almost like they are proud of the corruption and status quo. The sad thing is that the people who are really hurt by this are the ones who truly want change. See - beating my head against a wall.

So, instead of focusing on things that I wish would change, I am going to keep my blood pressure down and write about the positive things that are going on or funny news items - anything to keep blogging.

New Orleans in New York

2005-11-19T09:53:00.000-06:00

Well, sort of.

The Krewe of Orpheus will show the world that the Spirit of New Orleans is alive and well this Thanksgiving.
Members of Orpheus have agreed to wear authentic Mardi Gras Krewe costumes in the legendary Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. They will ride on the Big Apple float while other costumed members in costume walk alongside the float followed by Orpheus lieutenants on horseback, leading the way for the LSU Marching Band.

Orpheus participating in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is such sign of hope that New Orleans needs right now. It is a sign not only to the rest of the country, but to native New Orleanians that New Orleans and the Gulf Coast WILL survive and come back stronger and better. I can't wait to see it and I'm sure I won't be the only one shedding a few tears. (Of course, those tears come really easily these days.)

Update: For all of my friends outside of New Orleans, here is a brief explanation. Orpheus is a Mardi Gras krewe. Each parade during the Mardi Gras season is actually organized by different "krewes", or social organizations. Each "krewe" has officers or lieutenants as well as its royal court that presides over that parade that year. Members of the "krewe" ride on the floats during the parade. Over the last few years, Orpheus' membership has grown substantially making it one of the largest krewes in the city.

All I want for Christmas...

2005-11-07T12:41:00.000-06:00

Last night we had our first visit from the tooth fairy. Jacob lost his two bottom teeth. One of them was literally lost! Jim noticed it was gone while giving Jacob a bath last night. Since we didn't want to risk losing the other one, Jim pulled the other tooth out. Jacob was so excited. He has been waiting for this ever since he first heard about the tooth fairy.

So, what did the tooth fairy bring? A Canadian quarter and a Swiss Franc. We have an international tooth fairy. With the money that some tooth fairies bring, ours just couldn't and didn't want to compete. Now we get to avoid those nasty, "I have a cheap tooth fairy!" moments.

Awesome Hurricane Katrina video

2005-11-01T22:26:00.000-06:00

A fellow New Orleans blogger, Laura from Pursuing Holiness and who also writes for Dummocrats has a great and powerful video of the damage from Hurricane Katrina. It is a must see even if you have never been to New Orleans. Thanks for sharing it Laura.

What cards!

2005-10-31T16:17:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, I posted about the advertisers "stealing" October after Katrina "stole" September. Well, I had to laugh when I opened my mailbox and found this card from my cousin Amy. Inside she wrote:

Dear Dana,
Just wanted to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday Season!

P.S. Where has the time gone? I barely remember Halloween or Thanksgiving!!

Then yesterday, I found another Christmas card in my mailbox. This one was from my Aunt Adrienne. Now I know where Amy and Chad get their sense of humor!

I feel so loved.

Happy Halloween!

2005-10-31T16:14:00.000-06:00

The power of blogs

2005-10-27T09:02:00.000-05:00

I am still amazed at the power of this simple, grassroots tool to shape this country.

Miers withdraws nomination

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President George W. Bush's nominee for the
U.S. Supreme Court, White House counsel Harriet Miers, abruptly withdrew from consideration on Thursday after fierce criticism from the right and the left about her credentials for the lifetime job.

If you have spent any amount of time navigating around the political blogs lately, you can't have ignored the uproar about Miers' nomination. I'll admit that I know very little about her, but because many bloggers whose opinions I respect have voiced their opposition, I am happy with her decision to withdraw. This has definitely been an interesting process to watch.

As if we need another reason to hate Blanco

2005-10-26T10:08:00.000-05:00

Pardon the harshness of my language, but Blanco is an @#$# idiot. Everyday, I lose more and more respect for the woman. She has no place in any leadership role. We are so in trouble.

Hattip: Louisiana Libertarian

Three years ago today

2005-10-24T10:29:00.000-05:00

My husband and I welcomed our little girl into the world. I can't believe that it has been three years already. It seems like only yesterday that I still mourning my miscarriages and feeling like I would never have a second child. Sometimes I look at her and think, "Where did you come from?" I am truly blessed with both of my children. And as we celebrate Georgie's birth today, I can't help but stop and tell God Thank you.

Why FEMA disgusts me

2005-10-21T22:32:00.000-05:00

Check out this post from my blog with NOLA.com about the latest advice from FEMA. Frustrating, very frustrating.

Amazing Race

2005-10-21T11:53:00.000-05:00

I have finally gotten around to watching Tuesday night's episode of "Amazing Race." It was bittersweet watching the teams racing through my backyard. As silly as I feel about it, I cried from the time they reached Hattiesburg til the end of the show. It just reminded me of how much things have changed.
I think that I could have done without seeing this one.

Katrina aftermath pictures

2005-10-18T23:21:00.000-05:00

As promised, here are some of my Katrina pics. I hope that this works. I'm still looking for a nice and easy way to store photo albums online. In the meantime, this will have to do.

Katrina's macabre Halloween decorations

2005-10-18T16:05:00.000-05:00

More destruction

2005-10-18T15:37:00.000-05:00

Today, my cousin Amy and I went out to get a first-hand view of the destruction and devastation of my mom's house. Everyone said that the pictures didn't do it justice and, boy, were they right. It was surreal. Will post all of my Katrina pictures later.

Katrina destruction

2005-10-15T07:40:00.000-05:00

Want to see what me and my family have been doing lately? Well, thanks to my cousin Chad, I can show you. Although these are pictures of my cousin's grandparent's house, the destruction looks much the same as my grandmother's house. I spent the last two weekends trying to salvage anything from her house, which was very little.

Want to know what it is like? The thought that kept coming to me is that it was like going through a ship wreck. There was water everywhere. Sitting in bowls in the cabinet, sitting in jewelery boxes, sitting in drawers. Anything that can hold water. And, if you weren't careful, that water would come raining down on you whenever you opened something. Oh, and the fun part, was that it wasn't clean water. It was moldy, smelly, dirty, disgusting water. (Want to know what it smelled like? Have you ever been inside of a dirty port-a-potty? Imagine it 10 times worse)

Did you know that when wood sits in toxic water for weeks that it turns to mush. My grandmother had many solid wood pieces of furniture. Heavy, solid wood pieces of furniture. I emphasize had. Now when we touch it, it literally falls apart. It was sad and gross.

Oh, but we did see some very interesting mold. Did you know that mold can spin webs just like a spider? Did you know that mold grows in spirals? Did you know mold can be bright yellow, pink and teal blue. My aunt, who lives with my grandmother, won the prize for the most colorful mold in her room.

On Tuesday, my cousin Amy (Chad' sister) is coming with me to go see my mom's house. I haven't been out there yet. I haven't wanted to go with the kids. I didn't want them to see their grandparent's house like that - talk about more nightmares. But now they will be in school, so Amy and I can satisfy our curiosity. I will take pictures and post those.

My thoughts on Mayor Nagin

2005-10-13T13:31:00.000-05:00

There is much being said around the blogosphere about New Orleans Mayor Nagin. And, I thought that I would add my local two cents.

First, you have to understand the state of New Orleans politics over the past few decades. In every level and layer, corruption has been running rampant. From the school board to the city commission to the parish. Heck, corruption is synonymous with Louisiana politics. The previous mayor's administration was no different. In fact, I would argue that Marc Morial actually took corruption to an all new level. Which is saying a lot in Louisiana. When Nagin took office three years ago, this was all laid at his feet.

He ran on a platform of cleaning up the city. He wanted to take the corruption out of New Orleans politics. Unfortunately for him, that corruption was so ingrained and so beneficial to all those in politics and in charge, that he didn't stand a fighting chance. In fact, he was doomed. Every initiative, every plan, every candidate, etc. That he supported met with defeat. He had absolutely no support. No one wanted him to reform New Orleans' government because it would lead to their loss of power.

Last year, we were faced with Hurricane Ivan. Nagin ordered the evacuation of New Orleans. Other mayors and parish presidents did the same in their areas. What a disaster that was. Since that time, an evacuation plan was developed. Unfortunately, another outcome of that disastrous evacuation for Ivan was a huge backlash for Nagin. The parish officials in Orleans parish used this to grandstand for their own benefit against Nagin. They convinced their constituents that Nagin was wrong to order an evacuation. There was no need to leave. This set the stage for Katrina.

What many people don't realize is that we didn't know Katrina was threatening Louisiana until Friday before the storm hit. Before that time, Katrina was being forecast as hitting the panhandle of Florida. I remember how surprised I was when, while I was eating dinner out with my husband Friday night, I saw on an overhead TV that the storm was now being forecast more in our direction. Even then, however, it was still just being forecast as a Cat 1 or 2. Nothing too bad, nothing really to worry about.

On Saturday morning, the news started to turn bad. All of a sudden there was a flurry of information as it seemed that the storm continued to grow in intensity. Nagin, as well as other officials, were constantly on TV telling people to leave. Nagin also told people, "Do not come to the Superdome. It is not set up as a shelter. It will be used only as a last resort for the sick and infirm." Nagin kept telling people to make their own evacuation plans (of course, he had been saying this for the past year as part of his evacuation plan). Contrast this with Houston's evacuation for Rita and you will see that they had several week days to evacuate the city. That being said, there were mistakes made. Big mistakes. Buses went unused. Provisions not collected. You all know the mistakes. (I heard that the reason the schools buses were not used is because local officials wanted the buses to have bathrooms and air conditioning. I don't know who decided not to use them for those reason, but knowing the reputations and past idiocy of the city and parish officials, I don't find this difficult to believe).

In the immediate aftermath of the storm, Nagin was being compared to Guiliani after 9/11. This was totally unfair. Katrina totally wiped out all forms of communication. There was no cell phones, no land lines, no two-way radios. Nothing. Top that with levees breaking, widespread looting, trapped citizens, officers abandoning posts and total mayhem. He needed help. He felt helpless and hopeless. I don't blame his outbursts. He was in a situation that was totally unprecedented. Those first few days were hell and it was scary. Imagine how you would have handled it. Although his outbursts and rants were widely televised and reported, what was not was the fact that he met with the President and apologized. Nagin and Bush both made amends and both said there were no hard feeling between the two men. Bush seemed to understand the circumstances surrounding Nagin's speech.

Since that time, Nagin has done everything in his power to rebuild the city. He recognizes what needs to be done, that now is the time think "outside of the box." He also realizes that he now has the time to clean up the city. He wants to rid it of corruption. Last Thursday, he spoke to a group of small and medium business leaders about their concerns and the future (Listen here). It was a great speech and when he was done, I was actually excited about the prospects for the future of New Orleans. Some of the things he said were:

1. His goal is to have a transparent city government. He wants to have all dealing with the city in the "sunshine." Closed door deals breed corruption. Those will be stopped.

2. He told everyone there to get used to working with people that don't look like you.

3. He challenged banks to help small businesses with loans.

4. He gave the following advise to the business owners: (paraphrase) If a politician comes to you and offers to reward you with a bid for a percentage of the profits, you kick them out of your office. (This has been the predominant way of doing business in New Orleans. As much as business owners hated it, they had no choice. Too much corruption before. I believe this advise will be wholeheartedly taken.) He also told politicians not to even try it.

5. He said that if you expected to come into New Orleans and win bids without doing much work, they could leave now.

These were amazing words coming from a mayor of New Orleans. I also love his idea of expanding casinos in New Orleans. It is a way to get tourists into the city fast.

So, what is Nagin's biggest obstacle? Not the lack of citizens, not the lack of money, not the police department, etc. His biggest obstacle is Governor Blanco. She has been the true disgrace of our state.

So, do I think that Nagin will win re-election in February? That is a tough question. I think that it depends on who comes back into the city. I hope that he does, but I also hope that those on the city council don't. We need a fresh start. We need to get rid of all those politicians who are in it for power. Unfortunately, that is most of Louisiana politicians.

When Nagin was elected almost four years ago, the conservatives locally were excited about the prospects. Those prospects were extinguished over the next few years. Now, I see a small flicker of hope again. I guess we will see if that light will grow to rival the bonfires that light the way for Papa Noel along the Mississippi River or if it will go out forever. This is our last chance to save New Orleans.

I want my life back

2005-10-13T09:18:00.000-05:00

I want my life to get back to normal. I want to be able to go to the grocery store after the kids go to bed. I want stores to stop closing at 6pm because they don't have workers to cover longer hours. I want to go to a restaurant without having to wait 2 hours for a table because they don't have enough people to work. I want to be able to drive 2 miles without waiting in traffic for 30 minutes. I want to go to my maw-maw's house and sit around the kitchen table and laugh like we used to. I want to look forward to the upcoming holidays without wondering and worrying about the future of my entire family. I want to know that the stuffy nose I have been experiencing is not due to black mold. I want to drive down the street without my car getting scratched by all of the tree debris littering the sides of the roads. I want to go sing karaoke at Ron Charles - a restaurant that doesn't even exist anymore. I want to look forward to Mardi Gras. I want to stop feeling guilty that my house is okay. I want to stop hearing horror stories. I want to stop seeing destruction. I want to stop hearing sympathies of others. I want my daughter's nightmares to stop. I want the kids to go back to school and be with their friends. I want to have a third birthday party for my daughter. I want watch fireworks on the lake at my mom's house. I want to go fishing.

I just want my life back.

Not yet

2005-10-11T07:49:00.000-05:00

I can't believe that I just saw a Christmas commercial. Not yet. I can't possibly start thinking about that. It's bad enough that it is almost Halloween. It feels like it should still be the beginning of September. The hurricane robbed us of an entire month. It is the weirdest feeling. Life stopped at the end of August and resumed at the beginning of October. We missed Labor Day, my anniversary, my mom's birthday. Now advertisers want to steal October and November. No, no, no. I refuse to think about it.

Ok, I'll admit it

2005-10-10T22:29:00.000-05:00

I'm lame. Lame, lame, lame. I haven't been posting much. But I have a good excuse (well, maybe). The kids are still not in school. I am soooooooooo ready to have them back in school. Hell, I was beyond ready two months ago, but Katrina had other plans. Luckily, they start school next Monday. I'm thinking about having champagne with my MRE's. If I have to say "stop it" one more time, I will go insane. Not just prozac insane, but lock me in a padded room with a straight jacket insane. Actually, that's sounds really nice about now. I'll bet no one would want to know how they make padded rooms, or why... fill in the blanks. (I have a very inquisitive child - which is just wonderful and peachy. I know that I should encourage his curiosity - but enough questions already!) OK, I know that I'm rambling, but it's the first time all day that I can actually form full sentences.

Whew! Now I feel so much better.

About New Orleans. I have a question that I would love to have answered. Today, I heard a mention about the upcoming (February) mayoral elections in New Orleans. I started to think about the logistics of an election when half of your population is displaced. For example, my grandmother cannot live in her house. Even if she decides to rebuild, it will take many, many months to complete. Until that time, she is planning on renting a place on the Northshore. When election time comes, will she be allowed to vote? What about all of the other displaced New Orleanians. This is going to be a huge mess of an election. Will every displaced New Orleanian be allowed to vote absentee? What if they aren't coming back? Do they still get a vote? How do you determine which evacuee gets to vote? Or is it only those that are actually living in the city?

I'm glad that I don't have to decide this one.

UPDATE: Elections In New Orleans Present A Logistical Nightmare

I HAVE INTERNET! I HAVE INTERNET!

2005-09-29T10:58:00.000-05:00

Miracles never cease to happen here. Today, I finally got around to plugging in my modem and wireless router. I couldn't believe my eyes when the lights started lighting up one by one. I quickly ran to my computer to see if it was true and my eyes weren't deceiving me. I HAVE INTERNET!!!! We were told that we wouldn't have internet for months.

I'm back, baby!!!

Goodbye, for now

2005-09-26T19:24:00.000-05:00

I am heading back to the land of no internet, so I will not be posting for a while. Of course, I haven't been posting too much lately, but it is hard to blog when staying in someone else's home. Thank you all for all of the support, thoughts and prayers. Please keep them coming. Even after the news moves on to something else, we will still be struggling to put back together some semblance of a normal life.

As soon as I get access to the internet, I will update you and maybe be able to share my thoughts and opinions again.

Thank you all again and I hope I can rejoin the blogosphere soon.

Dana

WHAT THE HELL!!!!!!!

2005-09-19T09:01:00.000-05:00

I just can't believe the audacity of some people. If I had any doubt before about the idiocy of Cindy Sheehan, she has just erased it from my mind. The woman needs serious help - maybe even an invitation to rejoin (as if she has ever been a part of it in the first place) the thinking world. I am so mad I could spit nails. In her simple, petty, imbile mind, she decided to take her little pity party to my backyard. She thinks (ok, bad choice of words) she can help.

I got to Camp Casey III in Covington, La today, after getting up at 3am to head for the airport. Now it is 3am the next day and we are driving in a car to try and find a hotel to sleep anywhere around Jackson, Miss. I was prepared to be shocked by what I saw in Louisiana, but I guess one can never really fully prepare for such devastation and tragedy. After living in a country your entire life it is so difficult to see such callous indifference on an immense scale. When I reflect on how the mother of the imbecile who is running our country said that the people who are in the Astrodome are happy to be there, it angers me beyond comparison. The people in LA who were displaced have nice, if modest homes that are perfectly fine. I wonder why the government made them leave at great expense and uproot families who have been living in their communities for generations.

I think that I speak for all of St. Tammany Parish (where Covington is located), WE DON'T WANT YOU THERE, CINDY. YOU ARE NOT PART OF OUR SOLUTION. WE HAVE ENOUGH TOXIC WASTE IN THE WATER AND AIR ALREADY! WE DON'T NEED YOU TO ADD TO IT WITH YOUR NEGATIVITY. DON'T USE OUR DOWNED TREES, FLOODED HOUSES AND BACKS OF HOMELESS FAMILIES AS BUILDING MATERIALS FOR YOUR POLITICAL SOAPBOX!

Now, as far as Barbara Bush saying that the evacuees were happy in the Astrodome, I would have to agree. Compared to the hellhole that was the Superdome and the Convention Center, I would even dare to say that they were ecstatic about running water, electricity, food, air conditioning, and safety.
Also, she says that people were forced to leave their homes even though they were "perfectly fine." The only people who were literally forced to leave their "perfectly fine" homes were in New Orleans. It was either that or leave them to face possible death! The rest of the people in the area were forced to leave their homes because they WERE NOT PERFECTLY FINE! Did she at all open her eyes to see reality or did she continue living in Cindy's World of distortion and conspiracy theories.

After we arrived at Camp Casey III, we took the Veterans for Peace "Impeachment Tour Bus" into New Orleans after stopping at the distribution center to pick up some supplies in Covington.

So, Cindy, already adding to our problems by using our supplies for your own personal gain. How appropriate.

The VFP took me to the city of Algiers on the West Bank. The part of Algiers we went to was very poor and black. The people of Algiers know what hard work is.

Algiers is NOT all poor or black, Cindy. Houses there go for over $200,000. There is a mix of black and white living in this city that was seeing a revitilization trend.

Algiers had no flooding. All of the damage was from winds. There are trees knocked over and shingles off of roofs. There are signs blown over and there was a dead body lying on the ground for 2 weeks before someone finally came to get it. (Cindy, did you hear about the rescue effort being made? People were trying to get to those still alive. A dead person is still dead if he is picked up today or a week from now, but living, breathing human beings need to be rescued now). Even though Algiers came through Katrina relatively unscathed, our federal government tried to force (mostly successfully) the people out of the community (because living conditions were horrible and likely to get worse). Malik Rahim, a new friend of ours and resident of Algiers, told us stories of the days after the hurricane. The government declared martial law, but there was no effective police presence to enforce it (yes, because the people that you seem to always side with - the thugs and enemies of law and order- were killing anyone with a uniform. Martial law had to be declared because it was the only way to begin to get a handle on the situation. You have no idea how horrible it was before it was declared.). Malik said the lawlessness was rampant. People were running out of food and water and they were being forced to go to the Superdome. They didn't want to go to the Superdome, because their homes were pretty intact: they wanted to stay and have food and water brought to them (There was a shortage of man power. You cannot possibly expect the rescuers to bring food and water to these people daily. THEY WERE RESCUERS, NOT CATERERS. People needed to be rescued, not waited on like it was some form of fast food delievery system). A town of 76,000 people dwindled down to 3,000. The die hards were rewarded last Wednesday when the VFP rolled into town with food and water. The Camp Casey III people were the first ones to bring any relief to Algiers. The people who were supposed to look after its citizens, our government, failed them. (No, I think they failed themselves and, lucky for you, they feed into your biased, uninformed view of reality).

The vast majority of people who were looting in New Orleans were doing so to feed their families or to get resources to get their families out of there. (Baloney! How do you think they were going to feed their families with a big screen plasma TV. Well, maybe they were going to use it as a boat. Cindy, you have no idea what the crime was like before Katrina. I do. Trust me, although I know there were some looting for essentials, there were many who were not. Go watch the news footage. Go do research about the type of criminals that were filled New Orleans. It was a dangerous city before the storm and worse after. The last time I checked there were no life essential foods or supplies at malls. I don't even think that electronics would be classified as such). If I had a store with an inventory of insured belongings, and a tragedy happened, I would fling my doors open and tell everyone to take what they need: it is only stuff. (Some grocery - GROCERY - stores did). When our fellow citizens are told to "shoot to kill" other fellow citizens because they want to stay alive, that is military and governmental fascism gone out of control. (You better believe I would shoot the first looter I saw if need be. Thank God the military came in and took control with shoot to kill orders. The looters had no qualms about shooting anyone who threatened to stop them taking TV, clothes, stereos, DVDs, CDs, etc).

I could go on, but frankly, I'm too furious to continue typing. This woman is a disgrace to her hero of a son. She should be very ashamed of herself.

A great email

2005-09-19T08:42:00.000-05:00

My in-laws received the following email and it really sums up how I feel about all of this. It is from McComb, Ms resident Allan Baker (if I understand correctly). Here it is:

To my friends and family:

What I have seen since Katrina:
The poor and the wealthy hurt by the storm.
Black, white, Hispanic, Oriental and Indian all hurt by the storm.
Christian people giving, giving, giving.
Churches going all out to minister in Jesus' name.
Neighbors going door to door helping one another.
Thugs and hoodlums going door to door looking for someone vulnerable.
Ice and water being fought over as police tried to keep the peace.
People coming up from New Orleans taking over empty houses because shelters are full.
Out of town volunteers coming with food and staying for a week still serving it.
The Churches all over this part of the country doing what Christians do in a crisis.
The Red Cross doing a great job in the shelters.
The Salvation Army doing a great job in the community.
Four Hundred linemen from everywhere bringing back the power to our homes, churches and businesses.
Lines at service stations a block, to a mile long.
National Guardsman patrolling the streets of Mc Comb along with Kentucky policemen protecting us from the hoodlums and thugs of Mc Comb, Pike County and New Orleans (the most dangerous city in the world before Katrina.)
Drug dealers working outside shelters.
Doctors, nurses and other hospital personnel working tirelessly, even sleeping in the hospital.

________WHAT I HAVE NOT SEEN ___________

The ACLU setting up a feeding line.
People for the American Way helping in the shelters.
The NAACP doing any work whatsoever.
The American Atheist organization serving meals in the shelters.
Jesse Jackson directing traffic at the gas stations.

I could go on but you get my message. Its the Christian people with love and compassion who do the work.

The gripers in Congress should come on down and get in line to pass the water and the ice. Are you listening Hillary, Chuck, Teddy and all the sorry loafers we call Senators and Congressmen. They don't have a clue as to what this life is all about here on the Gulf Coast. Boy I feel better now.

R.I.P. Robert

2005-09-17T11:57:00.000-05:00

I just received bad news from home. My husband Jim told me that our yellow lab, Robert E. Lee, died today. With all the mess from the hurricane, Robert has been spending a lot of time on his leash (no one has a fence anymore and even when we did, he was the Harry Houdini of dogs). It seems that he his leash got caught up under Jim's tire and he strangled himself in a matter of minutes.

Over the past three weeks, Jim and Robert had become in separable around the neighborhood. I hate that I can't be with Jim during all of this (I'm still in Florida with the kids).

Robert was such a great dog. I can't believe that he is gone. Just like that. Will the bad things ever stop happening?

Celebrities and New Orleans

2005-09-10T10:13:00.000-05:00

Over the past week and a half, we have seen more and more celebrities flitting into New Orleans to "lend a hand." What egotistical crap! We are not some freak show circus to be gawked at and petted. If these celebrities really want to help, send some of their millions anonymously. No, instead they are there passing out food as their publicists make sure there are plenty of cameras around to document their good deeds to us poor, tragic souls. This is NOT about THEM! More and more I am sick of celebrities. I am so angry I want to reach out and punch them in their smiling, condescending faces.

Journal entries continue

2005-09-09T10:42:00.000-05:00

Aug. 30, 2005

Bruce, Chris and Jim have just returned from surveying the office. Everything is lost. The water from the Storm surge was over 5 feet inside of the office. It is so upsetting to think of everything that was there.

The morning, though, we found out how blessed we were personally. Our house was spared any significant damage. A window was broken in our dining room and there was minor damage to the roof above Georgie's room. Our roof lost many shingles and, in one spot, plywood was exposed. I am breathing a huge sigh of relief.

I cannot say the same about my mom's house. Of course, we can only speculate. The news coming out of that side of town is not good. Nothing encouraging has been said, except that the old 5 mile bridge seems to have been spared. The Twin Span bridge has been washed away in many areas.

The word is that we will not have electricity for up to 2 months.

My current concerns are too many to mention. I worry about the kids' schooling. They just started last week. I doubt they will be back in school before 2 months is up. I even worry that J and N, who own their school, will choose not to re-open this year, if at all.

As I watch TV, I learn that casualties are everywhere. This is just horrific. Absolutely horrific! I will never stay for another storm again.

It is also amazing, though, how many people are turning to and speaking openly of God.

This is a warzone. I can't believe the reports coming out of New Orleans. And as I sit here, I can hear sirens all around the city of Slidell.

Will life ever return to normal? Thank God I can turn to His strength because I have none of my own.

Some postive from Katrina

2005-09-07T11:17:00.000-05:00

If you have been a regular reader of mine, you know that my brother and I don't see eye-to-eye politically. It has usually led to much ribbing and some arguing.

My brother was in town for a family visit when Katrina struck. Together, our family witnessed first-hand the devastation and aftermath. Together, we would huddle around the small, black and white battery-operated TV and watch the only remaining local station. Together, we heard the stories coming out of New Orleans and the surrounding parishes and states.

I was stunned when Chris announced that he really liked what Haley Barbour and what he had to say after watching a press conference. He said, "He maked a lot of sense." Of course, I immediately said, "That's great. You know, he used to be the chairman for the GOP and he worked closely with Newt Gingrich." To which, there was a moment of stunned silence til he responded, "Oh really."

Chris also was stunned to find, when we left the area on Saturday and started to hear national news, that the MSM was blaming Bush. He just couldn't understand why. Being brought up in the New Orleans area, it was a no-brainer who really deserves the blame. Believe me, they have had 40 years since the last major hurricane (Betsy) to prepare. They knew the levees would break because they broke with Betsy which was only a Cat 3. The administration of New Orleans before Nagin was as corrupt as you can get. And, the ironic thing is that, in light of the race card being played, the New Orleans government is entirely black. And they are the ones lining their own pockets and posturing for more power. They couldn't care less about their own race.

Anyway, back to Chris. He actually defended Bush to his girlfriend. I couldn't believe it! He, in the past, has looked to the government to solve problems. But this experience has taught him that people, ordinary people, can get the job done faster and better. It is best not to rely on the government to solve problems because all that does is take away people's abilities to help themselves and others.

See, some good can come from tragedy.

Journaling

2005-09-07T10:42:00.000-05:00

My family and I spent many long days in Slidell in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. During that time, when I was unable to have access to the internet and my blog, I renewed my habit of good, old-fashioned journaling. I decided to reprint my entries here.

Aug. 29, 2005 about 6:45pm

I'm sitting here watching our battery-operated TV. I have just experienced the scariest day of my life and the realization is dawning on me now that the next few weeks are going to be worse. To what do I owe this? Hurricane Katrina. The worst-feared threat to New Orleans has occurred. We have experienced our Camille.

The kids, Jim, my brother, who was visiting from Rhode Island, and I joined mom and B at their model home in the subdivision Tuscany in Slidell. Of course, they had no option but to evacuate since they live on Lake Pontchartrain. We chose to leave our house since we live close to the Pearl River. As to how our homes have fared, we have no idea at this point.

The devastation in the area is very evident. The scenes coming out of Jefferson, Orleans, etc Parishes are frightening. A lot of flooding. People going into the attic to escape the rising waters. I keep hoping to see some news from St. Tammany Parish. We are most anxious about the storm surge. Is mom's house still there? Please, Lord, let her house still be there. Hopefully, tomorrow we can get out of this subdivision. From what I understand, there are some big oaks and pines down with tangled power lines blocking Robert Rd.

Here, there is not one house untouched by a fallen tree. While sitting in the hallway during the storm, a tree limb came through the ceiling above the fireplace. But, I think that we had the smallest amount of damage in the subdivision. We were lucky.

More tomorrow

Prayers were answered

2005-09-05T09:24:00.000-05:00

I don't know where exactly to begin. I guess that I should start by saying that my immediate family is safe and accounted for. We did stay in Slidell and rode out the storm. Thankfully, we had a place to ride it out that was on high ground and relatively safe. We did have a tree limb go through the ceiling about the fireplace, but compared to the other houses in the neighborhood, we were lucky. Also, compared to the rest of Slidell, we were lucky.

If you are a regular reader of mine you know that my mom and stepdad lived on Lake Pontchartrain. I am forever grateful that they rode out the storm with us, although staying at their home was never an option. Their home was absolutely destroyed. They had a three story home made of I-beams and bullet-proof glass (it was built by a local mobster after Camille - a story for another day). Of those three floors, only the third remained unscathed. The bottom floor was completely gone and 3/4 of the second was as well. There were a few possessions that they really were mourning, like my grandmother's suitcase full of pictures, my dad's electric train given to him by his grandfather, my porcelain dolls, etc. Unbelievably, even though they were on the second floor, they were in the one bedroom that only got a small amount of water damage and they were up high enough to be saved. See, even in such tragedy, I still believe in miracles. The third floor was my parent's bedroom. So, they do have their clothes and bedroom furniture. Also my mom was able to get to her kitchen and salvage her pots and pan and dishes. She was one of the few lucky ones in her neighborhood. Most of her neighbors have no house, only a foundation.

Most of my dad's family, however, lived in New Orleans. At least 12 families within my family are homeless and half of those I have no way of knowing if they got out. Telephone service, as I'm sure you can imagine, does not exist. No one has heard from those that we know nothing of. All we are left to do is register with the Red Cross, wait and pray. I worry about what my family will do with their lives. I know not where they will go. I really fear for my 87 year old grandmother. She lost everything and I can't imagine starting over at that point in your life.

What really makes me sick is in the midst of all this devestation, there are people who use this issue for political grandstanding and sickening self-promotion. The last thing that the people of New Orleans needs to hear is that their rescuers don't care about them. What kind of sick mind games are they playing on these people. They need home and comfort, not more hatred and loathing.

I thank you all for your concerns and prayers. Now that I am able to have access to a computer, I will be writing more often. Please check back. Thank you so much. YOur kindness has soothed this very heavy heart. Time to go register with FEMA.

Hello Katrina!

2005-08-27T22:23:00.000-05:00

So, here we are in Southeast Louisiana waiting for this terrible storm. If I listen to the news broadcasters, this will be my last few days on earth. Yes, we are choosing to stay and ride it out. We are going to be prepared for a last minute evacuation, but really I'm somewhat optimistic. I am mostly worried about a tree falling on my house. Another added concern is flooding. But we have decided to look on the bright side. If my house floods, then I can get new furniture. If a tree falls on the house, then I get to enlarge my bathroom. Maybe even redo the kitchen. Of course, Jim told me that it doesn't count if I chop them down myself. So, anyway, we win. I always like to look on the bright side.

Tomorrow night, we will all be camping out in our family room. Me, my hubby, my two kids, my mom, my stepdad, and their chihuahua, Mr. Bean. It should be fun. I will write as soon as I can. Hopefully, the electricity won't be out too long. If it looks like we won't have electricity for a while, I think that we are going to head over to Florida and go visit family and friends. Spend the rest of the week at Disney. Again, another winning situation either way. I am determined to stay positive!

What is weird is to look around the town and think that the landscape in a couple of days might look entirely different.

Now we just begin the long wait. Waiting, waiting, waiting... Pray for us.

He should have known

2005-08-12T12:37:00.000-05:00

It would seem that nothing bad should ever happen to psychics. I mean, they can predict the future, right. So they should be able to avoid mishaps, don't you think. Especially those like this.

IF HERVE VANDROT, a French amateur psychic, took out a warranty on his crystal ball, he may soon be claiming on it. Instead of predicting that his flat would catch fire, the fortune-telling device was the cause of the blaze.
M Vandrot, 24, who is studying botanics at Edinburgh University, left the ball on his windowsill while he visited the city’s Royal Botanic Garden. By the time he returned, the ball had destroyed his own and two other flats, and had left several others uninhabitable.

Maybe, just maybe, he can't really see into the future. Maybe.

Just pondering

2005-08-12T12:31:00.000-05:00

I wonder, if in light of the recent scandal that seems to be plaguing Air America, if WSMB here in New Orleans is second-guessing their recent decision to switch formats to liberal talk?

I wonder what they are looking for

2005-08-04T09:14:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the local reporters were all atwitter with the breaking news about the search warrents, and subsequent raids, on La. Congressman William Jefferson's homes and car. It seems all those that are in the know are keeping mum. All that can be done is speculating. Yet another crooked and corrupt politician to add to the long list of Louisiana history. What a proud day for us.

Just a quick check-in

2005-08-03T08:20:00.000-05:00

I wanted to let you all know that I am still alive and kicking. School is getting ready to start on the 18th and I am really looking forward it. I have been living life with one eye on my kids and one half-closed eye on current events. I am very glad to see President Bush using his public-given authority to get somethings done. This self-imposed break has been very restful and it won't be long until I again sit here to write my opinions.

While you wait, I will give you some insight into my day. Yesterday, my two year-old and I were sitting together watching Dora the Explorer when she suddenly passed gas. She turns to me and asks, "Did you hear that?" "Yes," I said. She looks at me with a straight face and says, "That was my bottom. It burped."

Yessiree, never a dull moment here.

Sorry for the lack of attention

2005-07-20T16:56:00.000-05:00

If you are a regular reader of this blog, you have assuredly noticed my lack of new entries. For the last week, I have not spent much time online. Honestly, I am tired. Tired of the ignorance that I read every day from the left. Tired of fighting the same fight - day in, day out. And most of all, tired of missing out on fun with my kids because I am spending time preparing to blog.

This self-imposed time out has been nice. I know me, though. I will be back blogging sooner than even I think. Especially now with new news in regards to the SCOTUS.

I also know that once school starts again, I will have much more free time to form thoughts and easily blog. Of course, this does not mean that I won't be blogging until they go back to school; it just means that my entries will be fewer.

I was wrong about Clinton

2005-07-13T22:10:00.000-05:00

No one ever likes to admit that they were wrong, but I am ready to do just that. Here goes:

I strongly disliked Clinton and everything that he stood for. During his presidency, I criticized his every move and reveled in every misstep he made. I was practically giddy during the impeachment trial and was angry when he wasn't removed from office (although, I guess I wasn't too angry since I knew that if Al Gore went into the 2000 elections as an incumbent, he probably would have won).

Watching all of the blind hatred of Bush coming from the Democrats and the liberals, it made me realize that I was wrong. I should have shown some respect for the man as our President. No one is perfect and, therefore, no one can do the job perfectly.

Does this mean that I agree with his policies or his actions, no. But he did deserve some respect as the President of the country that I love. I never should have hoped for him to make mistakes so that I could gloat. I never should have hoped for his downfall because by doing so, I was hoping for my country's downfall.

I know that it is easy for me to say this now that Clinton is no longer president, but I pray that I will remember this in the future when my choice for president is not elected.

Another thought about Kelo vs. New London

2005-07-12T16:37:00.000-05:00

So, I was continuing to think about the ramifications of the SCOTUS's attack on the Constitution and I have a question. What is to stop the government from taking a church? Many churches are on prime real estate and they generate no tax revenue for the local governments. Just something I thought about. If I'm wrong, please let me know. Otherwise, it would seem that it is only a matter of time.

Better than fiction

2005-07-11T22:00:00.000-05:00

Every now and then you run into a news story that is funnier than anything you could dream up. This is one:

A Dutch veterinarian was fined 600 guilders (about $240)for causing a fire that destroyed a farm in Lichten Vourde,the Netherlands. The vet had been trying to convince a farmerthat his cow was passing flatulent gas; to demonstrate, thevet ignited the gas, but the cow became a "four-legged flame-thrower" and ran wild, setting fire to bales of hay. Damage to the farm was assessed at $80,000. The cow was unharmed. AP

Need more laughs? Check out this site. Definitely lightens the mood.