Something Better?

The lyrics of a song from “Sweet Charity” go like this, ‘there’s got to be something better than this – there’s got to be something better to do – and when I find that something better to do, I’m gonna get up, I’m gonna get out, I’m gonna get up get out and do it.’*

Trouble is…I can’t locate that ‘something better’ no matter where I look. I continue the job hunt (Ha!) and all I get is a world full of ‘no’ every step of the way. Hey, I know I’m not alone; I also know that it’s going to get worse before it gets better. That there are people in more dire straits than I is not in dispute. All I can say is – this is my life and my reality.

I cannot help others as long as I am straddled with the fact that life, as I have known it is gone and isn’t coming back any time soon; I’ve been here before but that was over four decades ago. When you’re young you’re indestructible, can overcome any obstacles, not so today. I have to work to secure my present – to hell with the future – that’ll work itself out.

Today was a particularly gray, cold, raw day and I needed some cheering up, a pep talk, if you will. It came in the form of a phone call from my oldest and dearest friend. Friends for 46 years, there is nothing that we’ve not shared. There have been times when one of us arrives at a better place before the other – and the other is pissed because their head just ain’t there yet – so there’s an inane semi-fight, we stop speaking for a few weeks, and when we’re back up to speed and in sync again, all is right with the world.

Our conversation lasted over an hour and ran the gamut of emotions with tales of recent adventures, misadventures, and non-adventures in my case. We laughed, cried, and electronically held one another close, as we always have.

We both know that there is someone who truly cares, who can always be depended upon, and will be there whenever needed. A comforting truth, that.

So, I haven’t found ‘something better’, I have a treasure. Someone who understands, doesn’t judge, and is ready to listen. I believe that has been the secret of our friendship for all these years. This doesn’t make life’s present challenges disappear, I am feeling blessed and loved this afternoon.

*H/T to Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields.

I’m spent. Done.

And so it goes.

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FEMA Still Doing 'Heckuva' Job in NOLA

From WWL - Radio:

The acting head of the Federal Emergency Managment Agency said in New Orleans Friday that she is shaking up the staff at the local FEMA office.

Ward said she is reassigning Doug Whitmer, the local chief of staff, to a regional office, but said that is the only change so far she is announcing.

This comes in the wake of allegations of cronyism, nepotism, sexual harrassment and other alleged misconduct in the New Orleans FEMA office.

The allegations include claims that managers in the office have been intentionally slowing the post-Katrina recovery in an effort to keep their jobs longer.

Ward said the first task was for the agency to conduct an internal review of the allegations about the New Orleans office.

"We are ready to make changes, but we want to make sure everyone has due process, and that we have all the facts before we make changes," she announced after hours of meetings in the New Orleans FEMA office.

Louisiana Congressman Joseph Cao today said that reassignment may not be enough.

"There will be changes that will be made," said Cao. "I would like Mr. Jim Stark to step down."

Stark is the Assistant Administrator for FEMA's Gulf Coast Recovery Office.

Cao commented after the meetings at the New Orleans FEMA office but did not offer specifics. Cao said that with changes in upper-level management of the local FEMA office, morale should improve and recovery should move more quickly.

"Move more quickly"? It's been 3.5 years since the levees broke? Could recovery move any slower?

There are audio clips and the rest of the piece HERE.

More later.

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Caturday Health Tip.

Tee-hee.

More later.

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Jindal Admits Katrina Story was False.

Aside from the fact that Lee was a racist, there is no proof that the Governor was anywhere other than Baton Rouge when Katrina missed and broken levees flooded NOLA.

This from TPM with links to original Politico story:

Looks like the game is up.

Remember that story Bobby Jindal told in his big speech Tuesday night -- about how during Katrina, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with a local sheriff who was battling government red tape to try to rescue stranded victims?

Turns out it wasn't actually, you know, true.

In the last few days, first Daily Kos, and then TPMmuckraker, raised serious questions about the story, based in part on the fact that no news reports we could find place Jindal in the affected area at the specific time at issue.

Jindal had described being in the office of Sheriff Harry Lee "during Katrina," and hearing him yelling into the phone at a government bureaucrat who was refusing to let him send volunteer boats out to rescue stranded storm victims, because they didn't have the necessary permits. Jindal said he told Lee, "that's ridiculous," prompting Lee to tell the bureaucrat that the rescue effort would go ahead and he or she could arrest both Lee and Jindal.

But now, a Jindal spokeswoman has admitted to Politico that in reality, Jindal overheard Lee talking about the episode to someone else by phone "days later." The spokeswoman said she thought Lee, who died in 2007, was being interviewed about the incident at the time.

This is no minor difference. Jindal's presence in Lee's office during the crisis itself was a key element of the story's intended appeal, putting him at the center of the action during the maelstrom. Just as important, Jindal implied that his support for the sheriff helped ensure the rescue went ahead. But it turns out Jindal wasn't there at the key moment, and played no role in making the rescue happen.

There's a larger point here, though. The central anecdote of the GOP's prime-time response to President Obama's speech, intended to illustrate the threat of excessive government regulation, turns out to have been made up.

And don't forget to read the comments below the story.

Pond scum, pure and simple.

More later.
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Antoinette K-Doe RIP

I only just learned that the widow of R & B legend Ernie K-Doe passed away early on Mardi Gras day. She always said that Mardi Gras was HER holiday so what better day to leave us.
From NOLA.com.

Antoinette K-Doe, the irrepressible widow of rhythm & blues singer Ernie K-Doe who transformed the Mother-in-Law Lounge into a living shrine and community center, died early Tuesday after suffering a massive heart attack. She was 66.

"It was her personal mission to keep his memory alive," said Ben Sandmel, who is writing a biography of Ernie K-Doe. "But she also did so much for the community. It's a huge loss for the whole musicians' community of New Orleans."

Born Antoinette Dorsey, Mrs. K-Doe was a cousin of rhythm & blues singer Lee Dorsey. She had known Ernie K-Doe for many years before they became a couple around 1990.

At the time, the singer's best days were far behind him. After a string of hits in the early 1960s, most notably "Mother-in-Law," his career, and life bottomed out. By sheer force of will, she helped him return to the stage and transform himself into an icon of eclectic New Orleans. The couple married in 1994.

"She had him on a short leash," Sandmel said. "She cleaned him up and opened the lounge to give him a place to play."

Ernie K-Doe died in 2001. But thanks to his wife, he maintained a schedule of public appearances via a life-size, fully costumed, look-alike mannequin. Mrs. K-Doe referred to the mannequin as "Ernie."

As the mother hen of the Mother-in-Law Lounge, she presided over one of the city's most diverse, funky-but-chic watering holes. With its vibrant, larger-than-life exterior murals and adjoining gardens, the Lounge stood out on an otherwise rough stretch of North Claiborne Avenue.

As the Ernie mannequin looked on from its corner throne, Mrs. K-Doe served a mix of neighborhood regulars and hipsters from across the city. The Lounge was a favorite haunt of such non-traditional musicians as Mr. Quintron, the Bywater avant-garde keyboardist, inventor and marching band impresario.

The Lounge badly flooded in the wake of Hurricane Katrina's levee breaches. In advance of the floodwaters, Mrs. K-Doe dismantled the mannequin, stored the pieces in plastic bags, and stowed them in an upstairs closet. In the months after the storm, she revived the Lounge with the aid of an army of volunteers and financial support from contemporary R&B star Usher.

Read the rest HERE.

More later.
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Laughing at the GOP

In an otherwise stressful week, Bobby Jindal's performance (?) made it aaallll beddah. His train wreck response to President Obama’s brilliant speech the other night was a magical elixir of sorts that had me doubled over in belly laughs – after the initial shock, of course.

I couldn’t believe his mincing, bouncy entrance and facial expression. Only thing missing was the beany with propeller. Then when he opened his mouth it was as if he was talking in front of a class of fourth graders. When I realized he was dead serious everything – including his use of Katrina as a positive for the GOP – I lost it.

Talking with a friend in NOLA yesterday was great fun. We kicked little Bobby from here into next week. He explained that Rhodes scholar “Piyush” Bobby Jindal had to dumb himself down to reach the GOP base. He was doing the best he could under those conditions. He’s no redneck southerner and it can’t be easy being that evil and stupid. I pointed out that poor Piyush couldn’t act like a Cajun because he hates getting all sweaty and he would be gator bait if he went into bayou country. And his scrawny ass would be no more than a snack at that. That’s why half the Cajun population have no idea who he is.

I mentioned that Jindal probably would have sounded Rhodes-like had he been responding to a speech by the shrub, and we laughed some more.

After about a half hour of laughing so hard with tears in my eyes my face hurt, he ended our conversation with the comment that some southerners can be intelligent and electable – like Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter - but most are just Richard Shelby and Phil Graham stupid. I’ll drink to that.

It was good to laugh after such a week. I enjoyed two glasses of wine with dinner and watched a couple of documentaries on Science Channel before hitting the sack. Fortunately, I didn’t have to work today as I slept until 6:30 am, unheard of for me. The sun woke me up, which was a pleasant surprise since it was supposed to rain all day. I grabbed a coffee and sat on the deck for a while. Yes, it was that warm – about 58’F and getting up to the mid-sixties by afternoon. That’s likely when the rain will arrive. (sigh!)

Update: And this just in -

BATON ROUGE -- After giving one of the biggest speeches in his time as a politician, Gov. Bobby Jindal is heading to Disney World.

Jindal's office says the governor and his family leave for the Orlando vacation resort today.

The vacation comes one day after Jindal gave his first televised speech to the nation, offering the Republican Party's response to President Barack Obama's address to Congress.

Rather than face the music now and get it over with, he skips out for a vacation? Does he think this is going away and we'll all forget about it? Will someone tell ALL politicians that this kind of behavior is no longer tolerated in the age of YouTube.

More later.

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Dr. John With a Fitting End to Carnival.

I'm totally spent. Inventory day, and all that. Wish I could have been with friends in NOLA, but maybe once more before I die.

I think just about everyone knows this song, but have no idea of it's meaning and background.

Oh, and if by some chance you don't know Dr. John, I feel sad for you. If you've seen "The Last Waltz" - a documentary film by Martin Scorsese of the final performance of The Band - you've seen Dr. John. If you haven't seen the film, get it from Netflix - NOW!

See you in Church tomorrow, Maybe?

And so it goes.
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Happy Mardi Gras, Y'all.

And don't forget, the masks come off by midnight.

It's the law.

Enjoy.

More later.

(yes, the photo is a sad legacy of post-Katrina NOLA)

It's A Monday!

Oh man, was this ever a Monday!

Arrived at work where the heat was not working. No one to call at 7 am, so I futzed around and discovered the circuit breaker had been inadvertently switched off with the lights and outlets. Someone was not thinking when they closed up shop last night. It was 40' F when I got the thing going.

Setting up was a slow process due to the cold. I couldn't wear gloves - it's jewelry, you know - so I'd stop after setting up each case and shove my cold digits into pockets for a few minutes attempting to bring feeling back into them. It took hours to heat up the place and fortunately it was a brisk 62 when I opened the store. I removed the coat but kept the sweater on all day.

When I left to keep the Dr. appt. the poor old heater continued chugging away, it hadn't stopped once all day just trying to get the temperature up to 67'F. I left plenty of time to get the the Dr's office but, wouldn't you know, there was major road work going on and the back roads were crammed with every kind of road working device one could imagine. Then one machine stalled on the roadway and all traffic was diverted, forced to detour around the mess. I followed the cars ahead of me and waited to find a familiar road to get me where I needed to be in less than 10 minutes.

It turns out that we had back tracked a few miles but ended up on a major roadway that would still get me to the destination, but not on time. Why? Because of school buses stopping and disgorging little ones all along the route. This meant that traffic in both directions was building to a major problem. When drivers get antzy in situations like this, they forget how to function because, well, life is all about them, after all.

I came up to the light for the last back road to the office and arrived - 10 minutes late - but I made it. When I was called in and weighed I asked the nurse not to take my blood pressure right away as I knew it would be high. She smiled and agreed to wait.

So glad I asked for that extra time to decompress, because the BP has been the major concern lately, and I wanted to make certain the new medication taken for two months had an opportunity to help me readjust to the situation. Testing the med, instead of me.

It worked. The BP is back within normal range - for my age and weight - and the Dr. was very pleased. In December the BP was 197 over 125. Today it came in at 122 over 78 which is a huge difference. I have a new one year prescription for the same medication and got a clear green light for the next six months. Yay Me!

I stuck with the main roads on the way back, dropped off the prescription, and picked up a bottle of wine to celebrate. Well, you gotta celebrate any little victory these days; they are so few and far between. Besides, they say red wine is good for the heart and digestive system and I believe them, whoever "them" is.

I am relieved and relaxed now and having slipped out of the clothes plan to slip into a glass of Merlot and figure out what to do for supper. It's too late to do a crock pot thingy, but I'll come up with something creative.

And so it goes.

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Ben & Jerry's Creams George W.

OK, it's all in fun, but what if...?

Ben & Jerry have created "Yes Pecan!" ice cream flavor for Obama.

Due to the new flavor's popularity, they asked for suggestions from the public for flavors to commemorate George W.

Here are some of their favorite responses:

- Grape Depression

- Abu Grape

- Cluster Fudge

- Nut'n Accomplished

- Iraqi Road

- Chock 'n Awe

- WireTapioca

- Impeach Cobbler

- Impeach Mint

- Heck of a Job, Brownie!

- Chunky Monkey in Chief

- George Bush Doesn't Care About Dark Chocolate

- WMDelicious

Movies, Hollywood and Hoopla

When it comes to screening new, good movies I live in a black hole. Driving back to the apartment after work yesterday I was stopped at the light next to the multiplex and, I swear, I recognized only three of the films on the marquees. One was ‘Slumdog’ (which was a surprise itself) and the other two are already on PPV – yes, it takes the theater owners a while to catch on. The other eight are unknown to me and I can’t even remember their titles.

It took the local Film Society to get the owners to bring films like ‘Capote’ ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ and ‘Good Night and Good Luck’ to town because the theater owners were certain that these films wouldn’t draw audiences – but they did. However, these experiences didn’t change their ways and they continue to bring in films that have not been reviewed in the local papers. Oh, well. I stopped going to the movies when cell phone use wasn’t policed and stopped. I’ll not cough up ten bucks to hear some jackass screaming into their phone in the middle of a film. But, that’s just me.

That’s a long way of getting to the hoopla over the bloated Oscars tonight. Yes, even though Hugh Jackman is hosting (and I heart me some Jackman) I guess I'm just not into him that much.

I was invited to an Oscar party this evening, but I have to be at work by 7 am tomorrow followed by a 3 pm doctor appointment, I was able to decline. I haven’t watched the entire overblown broadcast since I lived in NYC. The broadcast was, at least to our minds, more elegant and sophisticated. Glamour was still in and the only shock came from a streaker or some technical goof up. No more. Nowadays, the fashion statement has become more of a fashion question, as in “WHY?” Some clueless starlet in a Swan Dress comes to mind. If you get my drift.

It’s rainy and cold today and there is no where I have to be, so I’ll pop some corn and watch a fave DVD, then I’ll get under the covers at my usual time and wake up to the pundits analyzing every second or the show. That will be quite enough, thank you very much.

More later.

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Trans - Caturday

More later.

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