Sunday, February 26, 2006
Postal Worker in Bywater
On Saturday morning, Joseph Ruffino slowly drown down his old route on Marais Street. Mail is currently undeliverable there, but he returned to bywater while waiting to make a few deliveries--Ruffino is currently working as a sub--in the nearby Fauborug Maringy which was not as heavily damaged.
For Ruffino the worst thing about Katrina is that it split up New Orleans families.
"New Orleans is different than most places, most of the time families would move to another part of the area, you didn't have this dispersion across states," he said. Ruffino's family came to New Orleans in the 1920s from Italy and opened up a bakery in the French Quarter. He grew up in St. Bernard's Parish, a suburb of New Orleans among the most heavily hit during Katrina.
He currently drivesX hours from Carrier, MS to get to the city each day.
On the subject of Mardi Gras he is split. He said that the city's lack of personnel and the shortage of employees are it's own fault.
"The city brought this on itself as far as not everybody coming back," he said. "Over the past ten years its been so focused on tourism...the people have been forgotten about."
Though Ruffino thinks that if they can come back they shouldn't, nesscaresarily, he said he intends to.
"It's like a virus," he said, of New Orleans, "you can't get it out of your blood."
For Ruffino the worst thing about Katrina is that it split up New Orleans families.
"New Orleans is different than most places, most of the time families would move to another part of the area, you didn't have this dispersion across states," he said. Ruffino's family came to New Orleans in the 1920s from Italy and opened up a bakery in the French Quarter. He grew up in St. Bernard's Parish, a suburb of New Orleans among the most heavily hit during Katrina.
He currently drivesX hours from Carrier, MS to get to the city each day.
On the subject of Mardi Gras he is split. He said that the city's lack of personnel and the shortage of employees are it's own fault.
"The city brought this on itself as far as not everybody coming back," he said. "Over the past ten years its been so focused on tourism...the people have been forgotten about."
Though Ruffino thinks that if they can come back they shouldn't, nesscaresarily, he said he intends to.
"It's like a virus," he said, of New Orleans, "you can't get it out of your blood."
Police Officer on St Charles
The Police officer stood on St. Charles watching tourists walk by with layers of bead necklaces. In the middle of the street on the tracks where the street car usually runs many had set up lawn chairs and tents in preparation for the 11am parade in an hour.
"I see why they did it," he said. "I know this is one of those times when the city needs whatever money it can get, but as far as the police department are concerned I don't think it should'nt have gone down, because of how much we've seen, what we've been through and what we're still going through."
The officer who has been on the force since 1988 and who stayed through Katrina noted that this a particularly difficult time for the force because they're being kicked off of the Cruise ship FEMA provided for housing for the force. He said that most members of the force don't have houses or apartments availbile for them. His part of New Orleans, New Orleans East, a middle class black neighborhood received severe flooding.
He said many members of the force are already under great strain because they don't get to see their families.
"You can't function without your family," he said. "Out here (in New Orleans) you're really basically by yourself, you got no support system, no shoulder to cry on."
The officer had only been back to see his wife, son, and daughter in Houston three times since the storm.
"They just shouldn't have done this," he said, referring to Mardi Gras.
The officer's shift ended at five.
"I see why they did it," he said. "I know this is one of those times when the city needs whatever money it can get, but as far as the police department are concerned I don't think it should'nt have gone down, because of how much we've seen, what we've been through and what we're still going through."
The officer who has been on the force since 1988 and who stayed through Katrina noted that this a particularly difficult time for the force because they're being kicked off of the Cruise ship FEMA provided for housing for the force. He said that most members of the force don't have houses or apartments availbile for them. His part of New Orleans, New Orleans East, a middle class black neighborhood received severe flooding.
He said many members of the force are already under great strain because they don't get to see their families.
"You can't function without your family," he said. "Out here (in New Orleans) you're really basically by yourself, you got no support system, no shoulder to cry on."
The officer had only been back to see his wife, son, and daughter in Houston three times since the storm.
"They just shouldn't have done this," he said, referring to Mardi Gras.
The officer's shift ended at five.
Thursday, February 23, 2006
From Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
"His blue and yellow eyes traveled from his right to the rest of the room, where the other guests were attacking one another with conversation. Herringbones and madras and lamb's wool and cashmere flashed past in a blur as hands and arms rent the air in a variety of graceful gestures. Fingernails, cuff links, pinky rings, teeth, eyes--all glittered. In the center of one knot of elegant guests, a cowboy with a little riding crop flicked the crop at one of his fans, producing a response of exaggerated screaming and pleased giggling. In the center of another knot stood a lout in a black leather jacket who was teaching judo holds, to the great delight of his epicene students. "Oh do teach me that," someone near the wrestler screamed after an elegant guest had been twisted into an obscene position and then throw to the floor to land with a crash of cuff links and other assorted jewelry.
"I only invited the better people," Dorian said to Ignatius.
"Good gracious," Ignatius spluttered. "I can see that we're going to have a great deal of trouble capturing the conservative rural redneck Calvinst vote. We are going to have to rebuild our image along lines other than those I see here.'"
"I only invited the better people," Dorian said to Ignatius.
"Good gracious," Ignatius spluttered. "I can see that we're going to have a great deal of trouble capturing the conservative rural redneck Calvinst vote. We are going to have to rebuild our image along lines other than those I see here.'"
