Saturday, May 27, 2006
Post Election Thoughts
Now that we have a new mayor...it is time to get busy...Mr. Mayor...pick up the garbage...focus citizens on debris clean up...get the officials in Baton Rouge involved...and most importantly...help people heal...we are all still trying to fix our homes...let's not be led astray by Carnival and Jazz Fest...it is time to wake up and get things moving
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Monday, May 15, 2006
Keep It Real
If we didn't weep, we weren't human
Friday, May 05, 2006
Jarvis DeBerry
My moment came Sunday morning, Sept. 4. When I walked into the sanctuary at Second Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, the congregation had already begun singing an Andrae Crouch composition taken verbatim from Verse 1 of the 103rd Psalm. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
I had trouble with the second verse of the song, the one that repeats: He has done great things. First, there was a theological hurdle: How could I sing such a thing after the destruction I'd just seen? Then there was the physical hurdle: How could I sing while sobbing?
Soon after the strongest of the winds died down Aug. 29, I stood on Interstate 10 and looked down on people who had already taken extraordinary measures to keep their heads above the rising water. Three men paddling a boat yelled that they'd just left a house on North Miro Street where 13 people, including some elderly folks and a pregnant woman, were stranded. I don't know if the men realized it, but they, too, appeared to be in danger. There were power lines above their heads, and if the water kept rising, there was the potential they could be electrocuted.
After seeing those men paddling and that woman sitting on her roof and that old man with his arms thrown around an orange water cooler hanging on for life, after asking firefighters about the billows of smoke rising in the distance and hearing them say they'd have to let it burn, after seeing people wander the interstate barefoot and despondent or emerge from attic windows like so many wingless butterflies, I heard myself saying, "OK. My house is probably gone." There may have been resignation in my voice, but if so, that was the only emotion. That was neither the time nor the place to mourn. Nor was it the time to let worry about my house distract me from the important work ahead.
I held the tears at bay for six days. But on the seventh day. . .
That Sunday morning service wasn't the last time I cried. Nor was that cry the most cathartic. Such designation belongs to the weeping I did more than a month later in the parking lot of The Mall at Cortana on Florida Boulevard in Baton Rouge. I was on the phone explaining to a therapist how the loss of some family heirlooms made me a failure as a custodian and how I'd hoped that my mother would validate my guilt by yelling at me. My mother never yells, least of all at me, so there was no chance she'd bring down on me the punishment I thought my failure warranted. And yet, it was the fact that she didn't respond angrily that intensified my guilt and prompted me to reveal my anguish to a therapist.
Mayor Ray Nagin cried, too. We learn this from historian Douglas Brinkley, author of the upcoming book "The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast," excerpted in Vanity Fair magazine. That's hardly remarkable. If Nagin had not wept, one would have to question his humanity.
Had another writer chronicled Nagin's alleged moments of sorrow, frustration, anger and fear, it probably would have come off as the kind of thorough history the public has come to expect. But in a television interview last year, Brinkley heatedly accused Nagin of having blood on his hands. In his written account, Brinkley relies on some of the mayor's political enemies as sources. As a result, his focus on Nagin's private emotional moments seems intended not to flesh him out but to humiliate him.
Perhaps that will play well in Peoria. Maybe Brinkley will find readers so far removed from our situation they'll find it easy to ridicule a weeping man. But here in New Orleans, the man who hasn't wept sticks out, and the man who seeks approval for mocking the tearful would do well to search for another audience.
. . . . . . .
Jarvis DeBerry is an editorial writer. He can be reached at (504) 826-3355 or at jdeberry@timespicayune.com.
Friday, May 05, 2006
Jarvis DeBerry
My moment came Sunday morning, Sept. 4. When I walked into the sanctuary at Second Baptist Church in Baton Rouge, the congregation had already begun singing an Andrae Crouch composition taken verbatim from Verse 1 of the 103rd Psalm. Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
I had trouble with the second verse of the song, the one that repeats: He has done great things. First, there was a theological hurdle: How could I sing such a thing after the destruction I'd just seen? Then there was the physical hurdle: How could I sing while sobbing?
Soon after the strongest of the winds died down Aug. 29, I stood on Interstate 10 and looked down on people who had already taken extraordinary measures to keep their heads above the rising water. Three men paddling a boat yelled that they'd just left a house on North Miro Street where 13 people, including some elderly folks and a pregnant woman, were stranded. I don't know if the men realized it, but they, too, appeared to be in danger. There were power lines above their heads, and if the water kept rising, there was the potential they could be electrocuted.
After seeing those men paddling and that woman sitting on her roof and that old man with his arms thrown around an orange water cooler hanging on for life, after asking firefighters about the billows of smoke rising in the distance and hearing them say they'd have to let it burn, after seeing people wander the interstate barefoot and despondent or emerge from attic windows like so many wingless butterflies, I heard myself saying, "OK. My house is probably gone." There may have been resignation in my voice, but if so, that was the only emotion. That was neither the time nor the place to mourn. Nor was it the time to let worry about my house distract me from the important work ahead.
I held the tears at bay for six days. But on the seventh day. . .
That Sunday morning service wasn't the last time I cried. Nor was that cry the most cathartic. Such designation belongs to the weeping I did more than a month later in the parking lot of The Mall at Cortana on Florida Boulevard in Baton Rouge. I was on the phone explaining to a therapist how the loss of some family heirlooms made me a failure as a custodian and how I'd hoped that my mother would validate my guilt by yelling at me. My mother never yells, least of all at me, so there was no chance she'd bring down on me the punishment I thought my failure warranted. And yet, it was the fact that she didn't respond angrily that intensified my guilt and prompted me to reveal my anguish to a therapist.
Mayor Ray Nagin cried, too. We learn this from historian Douglas Brinkley, author of the upcoming book "The Great Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast," excerpted in Vanity Fair magazine. That's hardly remarkable. If Nagin had not wept, one would have to question his humanity.
Had another writer chronicled Nagin's alleged moments of sorrow, frustration, anger and fear, it probably would have come off as the kind of thorough history the public has come to expect. But in a television interview last year, Brinkley heatedly accused Nagin of having blood on his hands. In his written account, Brinkley relies on some of the mayor's political enemies as sources. As a result, his focus on Nagin's private emotional moments seems intended not to flesh him out but to humiliate him.
Perhaps that will play well in Peoria. Maybe Brinkley will find readers so far removed from our situation they'll find it easy to ridicule a weeping man. But here in New Orleans, the man who hasn't wept sticks out, and the man who seeks approval for mocking the tearful would do well to search for another audience.
. . . . . . .
Jarvis DeBerry is an editorial writer. He can be reached at (504) 826-3355 or at jdeberry@timespicayune.com.
Wednesday, May 10, 2006
Red Sox over the Yanks
In the Bronx...by 12 runs...enough said...problem is...we are only up by one game...and it is still May.
Computer System Slowed SBA storm loan response
This is one conclusion of a report that evaluates the performance of 22 federal agencies in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Computer Glitch
Yeah...Right...
Computer Glitch
Yeah...Right...
12 Men On the Field....
The Texas A&M Aggies dealt a blow to the the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL...a tradition dating back to 1922, when E. King Gill came in a game from the stands...when the pro league agreed to "terms" for use of the phrase under license from A&M...a school which can be noted just by that label..."A&M"...even though their are hundreds of Agricultural and Mechanical schools around the country...whether or not the 12th Man is a trademark...i do not know...but this allows the NCAA to rebound from losing the rights to schools using Native Americans as mascots.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
On the Barry Bonds Watch..Swing and Miss !!
Barry Bonds was standing behind the cage during batting practice when Giants infielder Kevin Frandsen fouled a ball back into the net -- and into Bonds's forehead. Bonds yelped, then let out an expletive. Appearing stunned, he laid down while the Giants' medical staff tended to him. He played in the game, going 0 for 4.
Notables from NOLA
The Justice Department is tightening the screws on Rep. Bill Jefferson...but he still proclaims innocence...a Kentucky bizz guy testified to he paid the Rep. over 400 large for favors in establishing a tech company.
BRIBES
RTA is in deep trouble as it approaches the FEMA deadline on June 30...ridership has fallen from more than 800,000...down to less than 200,000...and revenue has plummeted from $110 million to 25 million...now RTA is defauting on debt payments...as Blanco's admin stumbles and bumbles around getting funds released to help.
RTA
BRIBES
RTA is in deep trouble as it approaches the FEMA deadline on June 30...ridership has fallen from more than 800,000...down to less than 200,000...and revenue has plummeted from $110 million to 25 million...now RTA is defauting on debt payments...as Blanco's admin stumbles and bumbles around getting funds released to help.
RTA
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
Xavier and Tulane hit the Jackpot
Qatar Pledges $30.8-Million to Louisiana Universities Damaged by Hurricane Katrina
By PAULA WASLEY
The oil-rich emirate of Qatar announced on Tuesday the allocation of $60-million to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. More than half of the money will go to three universities in Louisiana.
Xavier University of Louisiana, the country's only historically black Roman Catholic university, will receive $12.5-million to expand its College of Pharmacy in order to increase enrollment and to staff clinics in low-income neighborhoods of New Orleans. An additional $5-million will set up a Qatar Scholarship Fund, to provide full scholarships to Xavier students affected by the hurricane.
Tulane University was promised $10-million for scholarships for both new and returning students from Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi who were affected by Katrina. Qatar also pledged $3.3-million to Louisiana State University for a fund to provide help with tuition, room, and board for 1,249 students.
The announcement detailed the distribution of a portion of $100-million in hurricane-relief funds pledged in September by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the emir of Qatar. The embassy plans to allocate the remaining $40-million in pledged contributions in the next several weeks.
"This is an incredibly generous gift," said Scott S. Cowen, Tulane's president, in a written statement. "We are deeply grateful to Qatar and the emir for their friendship and support."
The beneficiaries were chosen by Qatar's ambassador to the United States, Nasser bin Hamad al-Khalifa, with assistance from an advisory committee consisting of James A. Baker III, the former secretary of state; Laura D'Andrea Tyson, dean of the business school at the University of California at Berkeley; John J. DeGioia, president of Georgetown University; and Lee R. Raymond, the recently retired chief executive of the Exxon Mobil Corporation.
"Hurricane Katrina was very devastating," said Ambassador Khalifa, "and the world is becoming a village. In today's world, we are one world. ... People wanted to help."
The three universities were chosen, he said, because they each had a large population of students coming from the areas most affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Qatar chose to donate money directly to the institutions rather than to intermediary organizations, such as the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund or the Red Cross, so as to ensure transparency and accountability, he said.
By PAULA WASLEY
The oil-rich emirate of Qatar announced on Tuesday the allocation of $60-million to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. More than half of the money will go to three universities in Louisiana.
Xavier University of Louisiana, the country's only historically black Roman Catholic university, will receive $12.5-million to expand its College of Pharmacy in order to increase enrollment and to staff clinics in low-income neighborhoods of New Orleans. An additional $5-million will set up a Qatar Scholarship Fund, to provide full scholarships to Xavier students affected by the hurricane.
Tulane University was promised $10-million for scholarships for both new and returning students from Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi who were affected by Katrina. Qatar also pledged $3.3-million to Louisiana State University for a fund to provide help with tuition, room, and board for 1,249 students.
The announcement detailed the distribution of a portion of $100-million in hurricane-relief funds pledged in September by Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, the emir of Qatar. The embassy plans to allocate the remaining $40-million in pledged contributions in the next several weeks.
"This is an incredibly generous gift," said Scott S. Cowen, Tulane's president, in a written statement. "We are deeply grateful to Qatar and the emir for their friendship and support."
The beneficiaries were chosen by Qatar's ambassador to the United States, Nasser bin Hamad al-Khalifa, with assistance from an advisory committee consisting of James A. Baker III, the former secretary of state; Laura D'Andrea Tyson, dean of the business school at the University of California at Berkeley; John J. DeGioia, president of Georgetown University; and Lee R. Raymond, the recently retired chief executive of the Exxon Mobil Corporation.
"Hurricane Katrina was very devastating," said Ambassador Khalifa, "and the world is becoming a village. In today's world, we are one world. ... People wanted to help."
The three universities were chosen, he said, because they each had a large population of students coming from the areas most affected by Hurricane Katrina.
Qatar chose to donate money directly to the institutions rather than to intermediary organizations, such as the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund or the Red Cross, so as to ensure transparency and accountability, he said.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
And New Orleans Selects...Reggie Bush
Normally...a draft pick of this magnitude would dominate the talk of the town...but rebuilding still takes the front seat...regardless...it made Monday's Red Beans and Rice much more fun to eat...while folks debate the mayor's race and then can switch over to the Saints...and talk about the joys and pains of facing another season...at least this kid from San Diego can come in and take our minds off the owner, Tom Benson, who could steal your shadow on a bright sunny day...and all the other team issues...along with new coach Sean Peyton...and new quarterback Drew Brees...we don't want a trip to the Super Bowl...right now...we can't afford it...but we do want to smile a little...on Sundays...for a change...it is really that simple
Monday, May 01, 2006
Mayoral Runoff: City of NOLA
Returns for the primary were low as you can see...for a city of nearly one half million residents...less than 50% of the registered voters participated...this sends a terrible message to the rest of the country...and undermines the State's efforts to get the cost of the election reimbursed...like the government federal did for New York after 9/11...
But enough analysis...get in the game...May 20 is the runoff...no excuses !!
But enough analysis...get in the game...May 20 is the runoff...no excuses !!
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