Archive for September, 2005

I can’t get enough of this…

Tuesday, September 20th, 2005

Ok, so it’s been a while since I’ve posted, and this post is entirely fluff… or is it? How does someone who’s crammed so much music into their brain finally decide thay have one, just one, ultimate favorite song that they like better than any other? A song they connect with the most, one that moves them and they can listen to it repeatedly, not quite the way a teenager would, but the way an afficionado would be unable to get enough of that perfect wine?

Damn them Babyland boys are good. You must immediately go and BUY their album, "The Finger". I can’t speak highly enough of it, but if you know Babyland, that should come as no surprise.

Well, perhaps I’m a teeny bopper at heart. Maybe my mid-life crisis is early. I dunno. I just can’t hear the song "Gehry" enough.

GEHRY:
We build from experience
We go on
Because we know there’s nothing more
than wanting
a conquest
Past the bitterness
To hold on
And to know there’s something worth the
waiting

This is a part of me I understand
But I know I can’t control
The wonder of it all
I still need the feeling

Don’t tell me I’m wrong
I’m living on to be part of something new
Straight lines and stereotypes are gone
As nature continues to crawl
Curved lines and the big city skies
The bright lights and the hope in your eyes
it’s in your eyes…

We grow from experience
We go on
Because we know
There’s nothing worse than quitting
To bow down
To the negatives
We hold strong
Because we know
There’s something worth the waiting

This is a part of me I understand
But I know I can’t control
The wonder and surprise
Is building, in buildings

Don’t tell me I’m wrong
I’m living on to be part of something new
Straight lines and the stereotypes are gone
As nature continues to crawl
Curved lines and the big city sky
The bright lights and the hope in your eyes
It’s in your eyes…

We live for the experience
We go on
‘Cause we know
There’s something to this wanting
The promise in your eyes
There
In your eyes

I’ve got the simplest plan
I do what I can
Set it aside
‘Cause I know what I am
And I apologize
If you can’t comprehend
You know the easiest way
To get through each day
Is adding on in the smallest of ways
I can’t wait to see
What tomorrow will bring
In your eyes…

_______________________________________________________________________

P.S. Whoah. In an ironic twist, my friend Darryl just sent me this while I was posting this… simultaneity is neat.


"When your determination changes, everything else will begin to move in
the direction you desire. The moment you resolve to be victorious,
every nerve and fiber in your being will immediately orient itself
toward your success. On the other hand, if you think "This is never
going to work out," then at that instant every cell in your being will
be deflated and give up the fight, and then everything really will move
in the direction of failure."

-President Ikeda, SGI

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Katrina’s path…

Sunday, September 4th, 2005

I’m really very happy to see that the people who were effected by Katrina are finally getting help. I may seem calous at times, but, really, I do realize the basic value of human life on a wide scale, and even chanted for these people.

Even the sociopathic animals with no sense of self preservation who were attacking others and taking advantage of an already bad situation. I have the greatest sense of empathy for THEIR victims though. I can’t abide by people trying to use their misfortune as an excuse to behave like monsters. I don’t buy it. It’s absolute bullshit.

No amount of poorness makes you steal beer first when you are supposedly starving because a natural disaster. No level of bad parenting makes you think it’s OK to forcefully take things from those who were better prepared than you. No destitute mindset, or lack thereof of a mindset, makes you take aim and fire on the brave people trying to rescue your sorry asses. They even went so far as to force the elderly and disabled out of their homes.

It infuriates me to think that there will actually be losers bragging and laughing about the shit they did while waiting for higher minded individuals to get them to behave like humans. Goddamned monsters… I speak to people I know that are from the areas effected, family and friends, and I read individual accounts of it, and, to me, it sounds like a fucking ZOMBIE MOVIE with lots of dirty water.

Here’s where my rant truly garners some substance. I’m going to close today with a first hand experience of fleeing New Orleans by a "friend of a friend" who will remain unnamed.  Read on, and you can see why "polite society" often pauses before acting.

Darren and I FINALLY made it out of the city today. We currently are in Olpalosa, LA at a friends parents home.

Darren and I put our cars on higher ground in a hotel garage. We weren’t able to get to my car due to flooding .. and Darren’s Porsche would never have been able to take the waters or our 3 cats and dog. Hopefully they will still be there..
but  from what we witness today, I doubt it

Many of our fellow condo owners had left previously, giving us access to food, water…wine, beer, steaks and with the propane grill on the roof… it was New Orleans at norm BBQ… BYOB on da Roof! All by romantic candle light.

No power and climbing 5 sets of stairs a million times a day was a burden for the dog and a pain in the butt for us There were many single women left in our building and Darren felt a responsibility to "stay with the ship."

Tuesday late afternoon the city took on a new challenge with the looting. The Superdome had pushed all of the "Refugees" to the Convention Center-right by our home. Once they arrived
across town to the C- center they were turned away. PROBLEM!!!!! This left at least 50 males desperate for food etc. The media in my opinion added to the problem by announcing that the Police had no radios!! DUH!! Our security officer remained at the door with 38 and a shotgun and
evidentially was threatened and challenge by looters all evening.

Wednesday morning was the last straw for us. One of our neighbors decided to leave and was harassed by a group of 10 "refugees." Bob  had to threaten back with his shotgun just to get them to leave! Even walking our dog felt dangerous.

I spent the afternoon gathering all my photos and files and both Darren and I left with one suitcase each of clothing. We had no idea how the heck we were going to get out until Darren successfully "borrowed: one our neighbors abandon car… we only know him as #411.. and he owns a Land Rover.. we hope he won’t mind!! :) Actually our security team gave us the go… and the keys… but we still hope he gets the message.

We finally had the Rover packed with not only our belongs but three stranded elderly and three accidentally abandon (due to business trip pre hurricane) cats of our neighbor. So let’s count, 5 people, 6 cats, 1 80lbs Dog.. YIKES! We had to tie some things to the roof… so we drove out from our gated low ceiling garage and was met by 6 looters breaking into a car right in front of us. I had my 9mm in hand Darren had a 44 and another had the shotgun. We literally managed to chase them away long enough for us to get packed and away from the city. VERY SCARY!!!

There is no doubt that our building will be looted.. you could tell they were waiting for us to leave. I did try to hide what we couldn’t take but most of what we have will be lost. I know at times like this I should be thankful we are alive… and I am but it is so hard to shut the door of your home and know that within hours all that you have worked hard for will be stolen or destroyed for pleasure. I couldn’t even bring my Makeup kit… not a piece-airbrush gun-compressor.. collected product 4 Bags full. So alas… I am outta work for awhile!

Much of what I have left to me by mother was too big to take.
My heart aches and even as I write tears well up at the desperation and misplacement I feel. Weathering the storm wasn’t difficult, facing the devastation of our city was hard…
losing everything because of dishonest humans-(if you can call the trash that) is the hardest of all.

Pray for all the victims of New Orleans today… not just for their safety but their homes too!

-C

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