7 Months Post Katrina

This is what happens to your kitchen when you get about 9' of water. I took this picture while assessing damage at a site we are working on. This particular home has not had any demo work done, and basically sits as it did when the flood waters finally receded in September '05.

Wal-Mart on Lapalco Boulevard

This picture goes with the post re: the West Bank.

On the Westbank & the iPod nano

This afternoon I went over to the West Bank to take care of several errands.  Mainly, I was going to get my haircut, since I discovered this pretty decent barber over there while I was waiting for my old place to reopen after the hurricane.  I wanted to return there because at my old place-just a Supercuts, but I get a simple haircut-they totally fucked up my head.  I think I may have mentioned that in an earlier post.  Anyway, so I get over to the West Bank only to find this place is closed on Sundays.  Not a major deal, Wal-Mart is right there and I need to pick up some things, in particular: a filtered water pitcher.  Now, as I wandered the aisles I couldn’t help but notice a distinct look being sported by the local residents of what I believe is Harvey.  If you aren’t familiar with the New Orleans area you might not know that the West Bank is often ironically referred to as the “Best Bank.”  It’s where most of the redneck, white trash live and this particular Wal-Mart is located at its heart.  So, it should come as no surprise that the wife beater/mullet/Confederate flag tattoo crowd was in full force.  Not that I have anything in particular against this group, except maybe that they might beat me senseless for being gay, but anyway.  

In the meantime, I am looking for a water pitcher.  I ask around and am generally greeted with confusion.  I can’t imagine that, given the low quality of tap water in these parts, no one really knew what I was talking about.  Eventually, I was directed to Hardware, only to find, not water pitchers, but full-size water filtration systems and office-type water coolers.  So I said, “Fuck it” and headed out to Target.  On the way out I noticed they are now selling iPods at Wal-Mart, so I made a mental note of their prices and stopped at Circuit City and Best Buy to do some comparison shopping.

I have resisted purchasing an iPod for a long time, because of a general resistance toward its cult-like status and because it would be buying into the Apple revenue-generating stream of add-ons and iTunes, etc.  These kind of marketing schemes drive me up a wall, but are becoming more difficult to resist and still remain a part of the cultural main.  Basically, everyone I know has one, and it is just a hell of a lot easier if I use the same system. Personally, I have a SONY Vaio, so when I import CDs, they are in a proprietary format that only SONY uses and I can’t share my music with anyone else.  This is the exact same problem I have with the iPod, but since SONY’s hasn’t been successful, and I am morally flexible on this issue, I decided to finally break down and get an iPod.  I mean, I just had my birthday and had some extra cash, and an iPod sounds like a better present for myself than a Brita.  

So now I have an iPod (I went with a black iPod nano) and I’ve downloaded several albums that I had either lost or had been meaning to purchase.  I have to say I love this thing already.  Design-wise it is beautiful, and I am always one for beautiful things.  The only thing that sucks is I now have to recopy all of my CDs because they are in an incompatible format.  The good thing though, is I can now send my friend Charlie out in San Francisco all those music files that I have been talking to him about.  

Change of Luck

Today, while I was waiting in line (on line in NYC) for my turkey bacon melt wrap at Subway, I found an 1935 Buffalo nickel. Yay!

Tomorrow is my birthday, turning 31. I'm not making any plans, since I am broke. Think I am going to wait to party until Friday for St. Patrick's Day.

Pinch da tails en suck da heads!

Pinch da tails en suck da heads!

Hot guy at the irish channel parade!

Hot guy at the irish channel parade!

Clublife

Clublife

Post MG Malaise

After Mardi Gras there is always this period of total deadness in this city. Fortunately, I happen to have gotten sick Mardi Gras Day and I am still somewhat ill. However, this has meant a longer-than-planned break from my routine, which I will have to make up for as soon as I am able to return to the gym. I am still on track for summer, but foolishly wearing myself out partying ain't helping, and to think: comin' up is St. Pat's/my birthday, so I need to get better quickly!

LeftCoastBreakdown

LeftCoastBreakdown

just trying out the moblogging. <Rich>

A Good Time was had by All

Mardi Gras is finally over.  My friends have all gone home, and those of us living here in New Orleans are getting back to life in a devastated city.  Lots of pictures of the revelry will follow shortly.