mind-blowing stuff

dunno about you, but when i see stuff like this, it just makes me go "wow."

a visual interpretation of the universe of blogs.

if you like that kinda thing, then you just gotta try out the TouchGraph GoogleBrowser. pick a URL for the app to use as a staring point -- you'll be amazed at everything you're linking to.

here's what TBH looked like, at first glance:

if you like buying things, here's more cool stuff:

• billed as the "world's first sleep phase alarm clock, axbo uses a wristband to collect our data and determine your optimal wake-up time. (199 EUR)
• wanna know even more? strap a bodybugg on like a pedometer, and find out your specific caloric needs, based on your actual lifestyle. ($399 -- includes armband, 3-month subscription to web-based program and 2 remote sessions with a nutrition coach.)

don't be shy. say wow. you know you want to.

well, damn...

if you folks don't have any comments on those last four posts, why the hell do i bother??

it all started when.....

if i could overcome inertia, the first thing i'd do would be to write a book, which would be nothing more than a clever presentation of a whimsical intellectual journey on the web, with Google as my travel agent, one esoteric search leading to another, each path leading to a virtual door, opening into a metaphorical rooms ("it's like a room....."), the walls of which are covered by more virtual doors ("....full or doorways....."), each door opening into seemingly endless vistas of information, bizarre and inspiring.

maybe i should point out that my Google searches regularly tend to spin out of control. they start out well, mind you -- what you will see here is fairly typical: what begins as a search for a fairly precise kernel of information tends to rapidly disintegrate into a gargantuan digression.

which likely explains why i haven't written the aforementioned book. (see? it's not really inertia, after all. and certainly not laziness -- if anything, i'm too BUSY learning to write the damned book!)

kinda like this......i land at the doorstep of the Partridge Family Temple. oddly enough, what led me there was reading about Peter H. Gilmore, High Priest of the Church of Satan, who apparently has or once had some association with the Partridge worshippers. the things you learn on the web.

no, i'm not a satan worshipper. i got there, because i was reading about ketamine. and i was reading about ketamine because there's a huge plant outside of my office. allow me to explain.

i was reading Dale Pendell's latest, PHARMAKO/GNOSIS: Plant Teachers and the Poison Path. (Dale's a great read, even if you don't give a hoot about the powers of plants.) i was reading about Angel's Trumpets in the "Daimonica" chapter, because there's a huge specimen of this very plant flourishing outside of my office.as i continue to read the rest of the book, there's a chapter on ketamine. Pendell talks about legendary scientist and psychonaut John Lilly, who was a user of the scary disassociative drug. he then lists the names of some of Lilly's pals who died. since i have this weird fascination with morbid facts, i decide to see what i can learn about these people, but of the 4 or 5 listed, i could only remember the name of Marcia Moore, so i looked her up.

reading about Marcia touches on reading about other people who have messed around with ketamine, and one of them is -- wait for it -- the devilish Peter H. Gilmore.

somewhere along this path, i'm led astray by the Lilly's mischievous spirit, who takes me to Darenet, where i clicked on a link labelled, "New Federally required warning label to be placed on all medical Marijuana." this takes me to a friendly little skull and crossbones.while i'm there, i can't resist reading about Lilly's 80th Birthday Party (click the pic). all i learned from this published account was that the great man would have benefitted from hiring a party planner.

i think i'm done, but find that i still have this satan guy on the radar. what the hell (ha!), i click on his link, which leads me to the cyber-HQ of the dark church itself. i mumble some Latin and make the sign of the cross, but i am a Fearless and Inveterate Explorer, and will not be daunted by The Spooky. i click on the "News" link to see what the whackos are up to. as it turns out, not much. this comes as no surprise to me. i've long thought that evil, in the grand scheme of things, was boring, and i like to think that the devil and his minions are, at heart, slothful creatures. so, the Prince of Darkness's "news" page turns out to be mostly a place to promote events, magazines and movies. kind of a "This Week in Helltown" thingy. among our finds...

scary books. scary radio. scary B&W films. scary Mexican movies. the devil's own diary (scary!). guys in drag. scary sexy things, because we all know the devil is always horny. scary art. even scary babydolls.

plus, judging by the blurb, a helluva fun party:

"This Halloween season, the Witches of Salem celebrate the power of the men in our lives. Men, dress as your most rebellious and devilish as you cast off the shackles of authority and walk as the god that you are! Women, dress in your most sexy black garters and lace for those you hope to bewitch and ensnare."

billed as "the World’s most exclusive Halloween event!" it's The Official Salem Witches Halloween Ball!! sounds like the witches know how to party!....

Bewitchments of the Evening Include

* Sumptuous hors d'oeuvres
* Free Tarot readings by practicing Salem Witches
* An eclectic mix of music from Pop to Goth, Industrial to Top 40 with dj addambomb
* A cash bar to serve your favorite potion
* $666 Cash Prize for Best Costume
* 2nd Place Winner will receive 2 tickets to the Vampires' Masquerade Ball (for 2006 or 2007)
At the evening's pinnacle, all Witches and Warlocks present will break the chains of guilt-laden oaths placed upon them by orthodox faiths as they meet the man in black and sign his book, striking new oaths and promises to a more magical life...

damn! this sounds like fun even for an amateur pagan like me! check out the pics!

"As a special Halloween treat to our esteemed friends at the Church of Satan, tickets are $100 per person for COS members only (regular price: $150 per ticket). When ordering tickets, please use the discount codeword: SATAN"

in the end, just good clean fun.

(note: do not try this at home. this post took me 4 hours to do. -- ed.)

Adele moves to Manhattan


Cosmetic heir and art collector Ronald Lauder (who began collecting art at age 14...) has landed Gustav Klimt's 1907 Portrait d'Adele Bloch-Bauer I, which will reside in his Neue Galerie, over on 5th and 86th, along the city's "Museum Mile."

Lauder reportedly paid anywhere from $138-145 million for the work which, at 138 x 138 cms, makes that about $7,300 bucks per square centimeter.

Once again, I'm clearly in the wrong business.

I like this one a lot.....


Avenue in Schloss Kammer Park, c. 1912

not a planet!



who knew?! i guess all these years diminutive little Pluto has been relying on its cuteness to crash the big ol' Solar System Party.

speaking of gravitational fields......



oh, c'mon! we mean that in the fondest of ways. frankly, there's something quite fascinating about the bizarre tension created by all of the conflicting elements of the Brit's persona -- artist, girl, sex symbol, drama queen, mother, wife, vixen. maybe she does have it all.

proof of modern-day evolution, perhaps?



FDA approves over-the-counter sales of Plan B "morning after" contraceptive to adults.

(note to self: buy stock in Barr Pharma, Inc.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
so, how would this be for a cool chain of events?:

1) FDA approves over-the-counter sales of Plan B "day after" contraceptive to adults.

2) Sens. Patty Murray (D-WA)and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY)drop objections to Senate vote to confirm Dubya's current recommendation for acting FDA Commissioner, Andrew von Eschenbach.

3) Your Humble Chronicler purchases undisclosed amount of stock in Barr Pharma, Inc., manufacturer of Plan B contraceptive.

4) Eschenbach confirmed.

6) Conservatives, upset with Dubya's failure to block Plan B approval, move to impeach him.

5) Eschenbach backs review of Schedule 1 and paves way for legalization of substances.

6) Your Humble Chronicler experiences unprecedented windfall in Barr Pharma stock as it soars through the roof.

7) Dubya resigns.

8) America withdraws troops from Iraq.

*wink*

Links for Fearless Minds

The Band, in keeping true to it's curious spirit and Our Mission of providing information that, if nothing else, tells you all about all those things your parents don't want you to know, thought we'd post some links. Just stuff we've collected through the years, the result of our own personal journey through the forest of life.

Have fun.

Alexander and Ann Shulgin, a couple of my personal heroes:

Professor X


A lecture, some writing


A film trailer

• Academy of Spirituality and Paranormal Studies
  
• Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics
  
• Ancient Mystery Schools
  
• Beyond the Illusion
  
• Council on Spiritual Practices
  
• Electronic Frontier Foundation
  
• Frontier Orgs on the Web
  
• Hazardous Media
  
• Heffter Research Institute
  
• HG_Ultra (conspiracies, anyone?)
  
• Institute of Noetic Sciences
  
• Mavericks of the Mind -- profiles and works of really cool people
  
• Prescience - visit a little bit of Aldous Huxley's Island
  
• The Gaian Mind - honor thy Mother!
  
• Ram Dass - he who needs no introduction

Now, don't get lost.

spring

Spring is here, finally, though more according to the calendar than to the weather. Still, no complaints about the winter -- for Ohio, it was lame. Fine with me. Still glad it's almost over.

I'm tired, folks. Tired of my work, the people where I live, the town, Ohio, politics. Tired. Need a break. Thinking about going to Ireland. Or England. Just for a week or so, with my son. But need a break from America and Americans.

Spring. Critter action in the backyard. A groundhog. The coyotes are back. Could be a band name. Mommy deer and little ones wandering about at night.

Listening to:

Mountain Goats -- All Hail West Texas

Cat Power -- The Greatest

Delgados -- Great Eastern

Delgados -- Hate

The Sun -- Did Your Mother Tell You?

And I got the Wilco DVD, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, which I heard about a few years ago and have wanted to see ever since. Can't wait to play it.

On that note, we'll leave you today with a little bit of The Sun, from their most recent, Blame it on the Youth.

myspace.com/thesun

damn, I haven't been here for awhile...

so. yeah. i've come to a conclusion. knowing that no one gives a crap about this blog, and that it likely WON'T get me "discovered" and shit, I find it tough to keep up with. like, i'll have thoughts that I think, "hey -- I should blog this....." like, how I spent my MLK day. how i saw interracial couples comfortable in public places and stuff. how it was all cool, and a reminder of how far we've come.

then i remember no one will read it, and so much of everything else in America is a mess, so I forget to post it.

so, i don't know what people care about. i don't know what they're interested in. i'll be 44 tomorrow, and the most solid observation i have to share about life and people is that people become more disappointing by the decade.

like -- dave matthews band fans. why are they such idiots? look -- here's a couple of threads currently popping on the anstmarching fansite. see for yourselves:

• something called Positive or Negative?
• something called Gotta love my Girlfriend!
• something called What Are You Watching Right Now?

seriously. those are merely three examples of exactly the worst of the web, a testament to how people -- given the freedom to be abslutely themselves -- will either fake it entirely, or sink to the lowest imaginable level.

and, once they get way down there, they find kindred spirits. by the truckload. gobs and gobs of other superficial people who have never quite risen beyond the 2nd level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. though they act like it. then again, if i think about it while looking at the hierarchy, this particular breed of nitwits seems, from their conversations (used loosely), to suffer more from shattered personalities than any type of clearly defined retardation or developmental paralysis.

maybe they're just too stupid to even be charted. who knows.

what may be more interesting is how they are drawn in such huge numbers to the music of an otherwise innocent jam band. that may be the bigger question: what is it, specifically, about the music of the dave matthews band that seems to appeal so heavily to emotionally immature, superficial ADHD stoners??

really -- read the stuff. I'm serious. really not joking. this borders on being an epidemic. the site is huge, and is hugely active. yet, just try to find any real content. go ahead. try. if you find any, you can expect also to find whoever posted it to be roundly criticized for "harshing everyone's gig" or some other such bullshit. it's a mutual admiration society of the dumb and dumber, and if you don't fit in, you're about as welcome as gay bigfoot with leprosy at a monthly meeting of the middle aged republican housewives of Ohio.

i'm serious. if i were dave matthews, i'd look into this, 'cuz it's downright yucky.

seems a lot of them also love cats. draw your own conclusions.

you're far better off having a beer here.

but, hell -- what do you think? y'all never write me.

in the meantime, i'm watching the Olympics. yes, until they're over.

the holidays deyz done upon us

yup, yup, yup. just about a week ago, i was standing in my driveway around midnight, looking at the stars and enjoying a near 70-degree breeze. by the following afternoon, the temperature had dropped 50 (count 'em) degrees, and yesterday afternoon, the flurries came in.

i am so not enthralled by the winter. there was a time in my life when i looked forward to it simply because i'd be able to pull out the wool sweaters. that penchant too has waned. these days in my life, i spend most of my hopeful energy during the winter looking forward to spring. if i'm lucky, maybe i'll do some sledding with my son, or ice skating. i did purchase a pair of snowshoes to give me one less excuse to not go outside this season. you see, there are things about the winter that i do like, love even. i love how the woods look during and after a heavy snow. pristine. crystalline. i love how the woods sound when it's snowing, millions of ice crystals pelting what the ground, the frozen branches, the creeks. i love how it smells.

but i don't like the cold much. and i hate the early darkening of the afternoons. the growing piles of sludgy, black frozen snow that begin to line sidewalks and curbs with gray-black lumps of rood soot and gravel encrusted ice. i hate the way drivers become absolute idiots, their road behavior being the only trivial matter that nonetheless makes me wish harm on my fellow man. i hate having to consider how many layers i will need to wrap around me before leaving the house for any reason, and i hate having to devote mental energy to coordinating said layers. and i hate the familiar harsh blast of cold air in my face at every turn. i especially hate it when it happens on the street or in open spaces between buildings, when the icy blasts feel capable of penetrating every inch of your clothing and you truly do understand how the weather can kill a person.

the holidays are upon us. most people in america have already started. it's odd -- so many people, such huge numbers of people, all doing similar things, moving in similar ways, repeating similar tasks. sure, your stuffing may have almonds in it while your neighbor's has water chestnuts, yours cooked in the bird with store-bought bread crumbs, theirs in a separate pan with homemade croutons; through the years, your family may have upgraded to cheesecake over pumpkin pie, while your best friend's family continues to swear by apple pie; maybe you have baked beans instead of corn; or macaroni and cheese instead of yams -- whatever the case, families, friends and i'd imagine a good collection of strange individuals are already, as you are reading this, defrosting 30-lb headless headless farm-raised birds, if not stalking their wild cousins in the aforementioned woods with hearts set on murder.

the luckiest of us among them will retreat to various homesteads, to either our mother's homes, or our grandmother's homes. sometimes an aunt picks up the duty of hosting the family's traditional feast, sometimes the eldest daughter, or the first-born son's wife, or the youngest daughter, or a coalition of the unmarried daughters of the family, yielding to the demands of their society and a culture that offers them some small level of redemption for not contributing to the gene pool, let alone the future tax base, through the act of reproduction......instead, they work off their unpaid tithes through the labor of cooking and baking and basting and carmelizing and frosting and slicing and kneading.........

the less lucky will attempt to capture the spirit of the homestead celebrations, but in some faraway place. like hawaii, if you're from the midwest, or somewhere in europe, if you're an american. or in the middle east, if you're a soldier, a sailor or a marine. displaced fellow ohioans will say annoying things like, "it's just not thanksgiving without snow" to people like me who would sacrifice something of great value without much hesitation to be living in a place where snow in november is no more than the basis of a silly joke.

the unluckiest of us will not celebrate at all. and there's no justice or fairness in that, because we live in a nation that can afford -- maybe not easily, maybe not all on the same day -- but we can afford to feed the world. why don't we?

oh yeah. i forgot. gotta start getting ready for christmas......

happy thanksgiving, everyone.

feeling neglected

yes, i am. it is true. there are a lot of blogs out there, and many of them, if not most, are worse than mine. i'm not claiming to be any kind of master of the medium -- god knows, technological advances so quickly outstripped my own feeble html skills, rendering them obsolete nearly the same week i went online.

nonetheless, i HAVE been blogging here since November of *2000* ! since then, i've brought you humor, and insight, personal and otherwise. commentary and anecdote. links and pictures. sex and heartbreak, joy and ennui. the news and the not-so-news. and yet, shit -- no one gives a flying rat's ass.

i mean, damn! -- don't i at least get street cred for staying power?

or props for prescience, maybe -- recognizing in my own little corner of the world that this funky little application would explode exponentially? in short time? do i get NO credit for being down with blogs before, what? -- 95% of humanity???

or for permitting a view into Everyman's life, pre 9-11.

for something, for crying out loud! no one visits, no one comments, no one seeks me out.

fuck.

have you forgotten? have all of you FORGOTTEN???? the whole PURPOSE of this fucking thing was so that you could DISCOVER me, damn it!!!!!!! and get me the fuck OUT of this boring 9-5 existence.

so, in that spirit, enjoy some keywords, you thankless masses.

adults have sex and take pictures and videos of their sins despite religion and politics. barbara bush fed jenna to george and he ate her straight up. meanwhile, tim leary sold drugs to al quaeda, but no one knows because of the coverup. ask the usual suspects -- ron reagan, dick cheney, ollie north -- they won't tell you that osama bin laden ate them raw, without protection. terrorists still suck, and sometimes even run with scissors from exposed breasts, like janet jackson's. the election was fixed, and so is donkey kong. pac man begs to differ, but remember -- he couldn't munch his way out of a bag, let alone skirt impending doom. or upskirt it, as the case may be. nonetheless, the end of the world is only a rumor, and if wishes were trees, trees would be fallen -- ask any advisor you happen to see, psychic or otherwise, what's the best tuna? chicken of the sea, but, again -- remember: you can tune a piano, but you can't tuna fish. where has rock 'n roll gotten us, anyways? someone reported that ozzy osbourne has aids, and this too is not good. you can't find a needle in a haystack when it's stuck in a pundits armpit. choose stilettos over sensible shoes, if you will, but I would love to date a woman who makes great martinis. afterwards, coffee can be a nice pick-me-up. pick you up? what time? say, seven-ish? yes, she said, yes yes oh yes. you won't see this on the news, because the revolution will not be televised.

there. take that, search engines.

and bring on the royalties, 'cuz i'm getting tired of the game.

cheating a little death

Had a little fun last weekend.....headed down to West-by-god-Virginia.....little did I know......

"The Upper Gauley is highly technical, requiring great skill to negotiate its narrow chutes and machine-gun rapids. It ranks in the top five in the world for whitewater adventure. The Upper Gauley offers tremendous Class III to V+ drops in steep, turbulent chutes such as Pillow Rock, Iron Ring and Sweet's Falls, and rocky routes that demand constant maneuvering such as Lost Paddle and Shipwreck. This section of the river requires experience, concentration and teamwork - plus maybe just a touch of craziness, too!"

Basically, it was about a 360-ft descent over roughly 12 miles through 75 distinct rapids.

Here's our boat.

These aren't videos of our boat, but here are some snips of where we were -- gives a pretty good sense of the entire day -- pretty much exact conditions. First one is Pillow Rock, mentioned above. Here's Lost Paddle, and here's Sweet's Falls.

Excellent fun! I gotta do much more of this -- guess I really HAVE to learn how to swim.......nonetheless, I stayed in the boat until the last rapid -- and I'm alive to tell the tale.

go-o-o-o-o-d plan....

"Shortly after Brown was recalled to Washington last week, officials close to the FEMA director said he would probably resign. They said that even before Katrina, Brown had been planning on leaving the administration late this fall to go into the private sector."

um, yeah -- i'm sure lots of you folks out there are feeling this: "GREAT! Now this guy can come and work for us!!"

excellent

more

from space imaging

one citizen's voice

a post from Joshua Mann Pailet, owner of A Gallery for Fine Photography on Chartrest Street in the French Quarter, New Orleans:

Tuesday, September 6, 2005
Dear Friends

TRUTH and BEAUTY and LOVE are UNIVERSAL.

CHILDREN FIRST

Immediate and very direct help, go to
http://www.braf.org
http://www.habitat.org
http://www.girlscoutsaudubon.org
http://maps.google.com - Type in New Orleans address and click Katrina link

New Orleans is my home and birthplace. I remained in downtown New Orleans
during the difficult first five days. In the French Quarter, downtown, and
along the Mississippi River, I witnessed the SURVIVORS of this powerful
storm struggle to maintain dignity and life.

Along this narrow unique corridor of the original city boundaries, there
was NO FLOODING. All around us, the waters rose and the struggle roared
louder than the hurricane winds of that historic storm.

During this time, communication was non-existent. Rumors ruled the
street. The outlaws were bad, but a tiny percentage.

The community worked together to have the stamina to remain calm and
alive. NO water or food was delivered into these historic quarters until
late Friday afternoon.

NO evidence was seen of Authority or control.

We were not destroyed through looting or shooting.
In fact, I witnessed a far more remarkable scene than TV or radio was able
to report.

The other less famous, but EQUALLY IMPORTANT neighborhoods of this
remarkable City, were deluged with water, fear, anger, bullies, and HEROES.

Our policeman, fireman, and individual citizens used their wits and
struggled to rescue many thousands of stranded friends and families while
their own lives had been shattered.

The historic French Quarter and Riverfront community up St. Charles Avenue
and along the Mississippi River survived intact and can be ready for your
return soon after the electricity and running water is restored.

We are eager to see the misery calmed and life and vitality restored.
Despite the visual images you are seeing, you will be surprised in the
upcoming weeks. As we unite, together we can move forward to bring us
together again.

The Daily Challenges are being addressed in a manner that requires
everyone to remain flexible, cooperative, resourceful, inventive and
respectful. ALL displaced CITIZENS must have the Opportunity to return to
their original neighborhoods. These unique neighborhoods must be rebuilt.

The complex and multi-dimensional problems of this event are going to be
solved, step-by-step, day by day, brick by brick. THE PEOPLE who are the
heart and soul of this great city will be back. It is essential to bring
ALL home to let the magic that you love about New Orleans blossom in the
SPRING.

The great gumbo of New Orleans requires that ALL our friends and families
have a chance to return to their roots. The unique qualities that we love
will shine if we continue to act with true dignity and bring back to EVERY
NEIGHBORHOOD the artists, cooks, workers, musicians, professionals,
carpenters, and more. This is TRUTH for NEW ORLEANS and EVERY community
that surrounds it for miles and miles and miles.

Tonight, we are scattered and battered.

Each day, the outpouring of concern has kept us going forward. We will
clean it up and want everyone back to their neighborhoods and homes.
For some of us, this will be soon.

For the vast majority, it will be much longer.

WE NEED YOUR HELP and the fantastic response from around the world and
especially across the USA must continue.

THE LOVE for New Orleans is evident.
WE sincerely THANK YOU.
We know the stress is spreading and touching all of you.

EVERYONE in the entire region has been affected. I am presently in Baton
Rouge organizing and helping people find a place to live, work, and send
their children to schools. Baton Rouge has taken in over 350,00 people
and nearly doubled in size.

Some of us are in hotels, friends' homes, strangers' homes, shelters,
churches, temples, arenas, gymnasiums, vehicles, tents, and every
available resource you can imagine.

The generosity and kindness of the great people of Baton Rouge, Houston,
and every town and state for hundreds of miles is remarkable to witness.
They are nurturing my fellow CITIZENS of New Orleans, Mississippi, and
Alabama. It will continue.

Many of you have asked to HELP.
We need your resources and immediate attention to a multitude of tasks.

We must continue rescuing, protecting, housing, and restoring health all
at once. This test and challenge will require stamina and willpower,
infrastructure, money, and planning. Timing is truly critical.
Everywhere I look, the efforts and overtime are phenomenal. Imagine.

My fellow survivors continue to inspire others. No doubt major mistakes
have been made. This can be debated at a later date.

I ask all of you to continue focusing on NEW ORLEANS and the entire GULF
COAST and pushing this effort forward. Each of you have a role to play as
this situation stabilizes.

Tonight, I feel that the children need our most immediate attention. In
Baton Rouge alone, there are over 35,000 new children of kindergarten to
high school age who are in dire need of stability and EDUCATION.

This TRUTH is repeated in numerous communities all over Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma,
Arizona, New Mexico, and many more.

Tomorrow should be a school day for these beautiful children. We must
begin to provide and prepare them for the future. NOW!

Schools, teachers, personnel, and supplies need to come together quickly.
An Education Relief Task Force is organizing this effort. I strongly urge
you to continue supporting ALL charitable efforts with your donations.

I believe that the Baton Rouge Area Foundation (www.braf.org) is the
proper place to direct your financial contributions at this very moment.
The EDUCATIONAL CRISIS is critical. The New Orleans School System is
wiped out and bankrupt.

As you think about this, if we can get our children on a positive track,
then parents will begin to rest easier and thus able to solve all the
problems we need to address. From this will spring forth all the other
great projects needed.

At times this emotional roller coaster we are all on, causes us to briefly
stop. It is paramount that we work together diligently for a very long
time to achieve this GOAL for our CHILDREN.

It can and must be done. With this will follow the jobs and the dignity we
all need to rebuild.

CHILDREN FIRST.
Send your donations to BRAC.ORG
My dear friend Marc Sternberg, a Baton Rouge native,
(marc@bronxlabschool.org) is a vital part of this effort.
Bring your energy, ideas, and donations NOW.

Throughout all of this, I have heard my mother's words echo in my sky.
"Pick up the pieces and get on with it."

Thank you for your prayers, positive thoughts, and energy. You keep me and
many others moving forward on this path to recovery. Every moment of
everyday we encounter a changing reality.

FOCUS on the FUTURE by immediately providing the resources needed to get
these NEW SCHOOLS up and running. The CHILDREN need you more than ever.
It will take more than 150 million dollars for this effort in Baton Rouge
alone. All the communities of the great Gulf Coast and Deep South region
have the same challenge.

I will continue to be here to help.

WE ARE ONE.

CHILDREN FIRST

[You may have read my] eyewitness account sent earlier to many of you.

I know it only applies to this tiny historic piece of land I was blessed
to be in at the moment this storm arrived.

I am keenly aware that other neighborhoods in New Orleans and all around
the GULF COAST experienced a nightmare of biblical proportions that seems
to grow daily.

THANK YOU
I am the luckiest man in New Orleans and this planet.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

thanks to Chuck Taggart for the link.

before and after

chilling

as the crow flies

aerial photos

will we change??

will we finally get it? will we ever get it?? what is the fucking deal, people?? was responding to an email from one of my staff and realized that she is the ONLY person in my office who even mentioned the hurricane, and the sadness she felt over the aftermath. what the fuck is with people? "outta sight, outta mind"???

i hope your lives, and homes, and loved ones are never stricken by a tragedy like this one.

how come i care?

I think I expect way too much from humans.

everything is wonderful