Archived Weblog Entry - 09/01/2005: "New Orleans"

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09/01/2005 Archived Entry: "New Orleans"

New Orleans

Well, I wish I was in New Orleans
I can see it in my dreams
arm-in-arm down Burgundy
a bottle and my friends and me
hoist up a few tall cool ones
play some pool and listen to that
tenor saxophone calling me home
and I can hear the band begin
When the Saints Go Marching In
by the whiskers on my chin

Step One: Can you imagine your home washed away, shattered, flooded?

Step Two: Will you draw a paycheck again? And from where?

Step Three: Are you still paying for that inventory, mortgage, rent, monthly car payment.....or do the payments now stop? And if they don't, how do you pay and what are you paying for?
You pause.

Step Four: Where will you to work when the waters vanish? Or will you?

Just to think about the complexities of disaster. When a city goes under, how does the network collapse? Or are we not ready to even see the effect of shutting the urban network down?

Replies: 5 comments

NPR (weekend edition) ran a story on Fats Domino

Posted by gvcarter @ 09/04/2005 11:28 PM EST

Jeff,
You might appreciate this guy's insights, in light of your last comment.

http://www.thomaspmbarnett.com/weblog/archives2/002241.html

Posted by Matthew @ 09/02/2005 02:01 AM EST

I understand the Nostalgia for New Orleans...but let's not forget Biloxi, Gulfport, Mobile, and the places inbetween...like the 'pop-media' seemingly has.

These places evacuated..these places prepared, and these placed got punched in the nose despite their efforts.

We need to think of these victims and survivors too.

Posted by Matthew @ 09/02/2005 01:17 AM EST

Thanks for this post, Jeff. I haven't been able to think of a way to write about this...

Posted by Donna @ 09/01/2005 09:12 PM EST

Yeah, I've been thinking about that song all week. And someone came in my office to complain today, and I told them I didn't have the patience. Given what we've all seen online or in the news, I'm finding it really hard to tolerate whining about assignments or committee work or whatever.

Maybe American culture isn't ready to think about disasters because it's been a long time since we've had entire cities wiped off the map by firebombs, earthquakes, or hurricanes. Or maybe we just don't want to think about it; doing so is an admission that our supposedly invincible combination of capitalism and democracy simply doesn't enable us to overpower all challenges, as promised.

In some way, cities have faced "shutting down" for years, as de-urbanization puts pressure on the network: commuters want transportation, but they pay no city taxes. Businesses threaten to move unless they get tax breaks or even loans. Schools in decline can't attract the educators needed to get them back on track.

In either case, I'm sad to see the pathological reaction. Detroit losing population? It's your own fault for not cleaning up after those riots. New Orleans destroyed? Shouldn't have built a city behind a levee anyway. DC schools faltering? Work smarter, not harder.

Ugh. How sad, in many ways.

Posted by cbd @ 09/01/2005 06:53 PM EST