What I'd like to know is, would Dubya pass?

You Passed the US Citizenship Test

Congratulations - you got 7 out of 10 correct!

Could You Pass the US Citizenship Test?

Reality is the only true Shareware, copyright protected

So they always say, write about what you know. And I feel like I have a book inside. Not necessarily a novel, but a book of things. The only problem is the thing that I know best, or the thing that I recognize that I know the least about, is me.

When you read Dave Eggers, as I have frequently been doing of late, you recognize what must be his life in there. Obviously moreso in "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" than in "You Shall Know Our Velocity!", but it's still there. If you know about his loss, you know how he's describing it is very real and well known to him. And he probably talks the way Will does too. You always know that Mordecai Richler's characters were people he knew, but Dave Eggers seems different somehow.

But I don't like to put up pictures I've taken of other people in Flickr unless they say it's okay, because it's theirs. Or at least it's ours together.

And that's it, my life is co-owned. Not the way I experience it in my head, but the actual events, which one could describe in order to, in turn, convey the experience, which is the part that I know best, or maybe least...?

So is Toph really pissed off at Dave Eggers? Is whoever is Hand in real life, if they are in fact still alive, really pissed off at him too?

Just because it's shareware doesn't mean that their aren't those tricky moral complications of 'ownership', whatever that means.

Quotable Quote: "You Shall Know Our Velocity!", pg 276

"...I read news and look for and collect facts because so far they haven't added up to anything. I had pictured, as a younger man, that the things I knew and would know were bricks in something that would, effortlessly, eventually, shape itself into something recognizable, meaningful. A massive and spiritual sort of geometry--a ziggurat, a pyramid. But here I am now, so many years on, and if there is a shape to all this, it hasn't revealed itself. But no, thus far the things I know grow out, not up, and what might connect all these things, connective tissue or synapses, or just some sense of order, doesn't exist, or isn't functioning, and what I knew at twenty-seven can't be found now."

Quiet Desperation

Went to that candle selling bookstore last night and happened to pick up some book about what famous, successful women were doing when then were 30. The point was that they weren't doing what you'd expect. They weren't yet famous or successful. I think Suze Orman was a waitress or something at 30. I didn't buy the book. Instead I bought a collection of essays from that guy who wrote the now famous "On Bullshit". But instead I kept on with "You shall know our Velocity" before drifting off into a fitful sleep. People on my street make too much noise in the middle of the night. And when it's Saturday morning, 7:30 a.m. is still the middle of the night.

When I was in the bookstore, it occurred to me that part of the problem is that people seem to think I'm some sort of genius because I can make shiny spinning thingies happen in PowerPoint presentations. And because this is so far from genius behaviour, the praise seems at first hollow, and now, I feel, offensive. This is not what makes me smart. It can't be. This is the 2005 version of a life of quiet desperation. *Sigh*

Tomorrow is Word on the Street. Maybe that will help. Of course, actually having a functioning computer to do my job at work might also improve my mood. But let me stay away from that subject before I get myself too deep into the pit. And then there's my beloved CBC....

Try, try, try to let it ride...

According to Tod Maffin, it's day 37 of the CBC lockout. Andy Barrie & Co. will give up their spot on CIUT at the end of this week. This may just be the first year I make it to Word on the Street, and now CBC employees are locked out. At least they'll have Kevin's tent. Hooray for Kevin!

So politicians, especially American, especially Members of Congress, get riders put onto legislation as a condition for voting for that legislation. As a result, a bill to require Corporations to be responsible for oil-spill clean ups could conceivably contain a clause authorizing billions to be spent drilling for oil in the Alaskan wilds. Or better yet, it could contain a clause giving Exxon a giant subsidy to transport oil as close to the rocky coastline as they can bring 'er.

Celebrities, surprisingly enough, are a little bit clearer in their intentions, at least as much as their riders don't so seemingly frequently defeat the purpose of the overall contract. There is no Britney clause that says "if you want me to sing, I won't sing" (And yet, if you think about it, this is not impossible).

So here is my rider (or at least the start of it, until I can think of more):

1. I require a dressing room at least 30' by 15' that has a big brown leather library chair, a queen size bed with crisp pastel coloured sheets, a desk and suitable mood lighting.

2. In said room, there must be a wifi laptop with internet access faster than the speed of light. If it goes funny all of the sudden I must have a technician with a 50 second response time.

3. And speaking of calling, I need one of those cool brushed chrome old-style phones from the pottery barn and a blackberry.

4. There should be a variety of bath products on a table to the side, including, but not limited to, Lush's Big and Narcotic, Bath and Body Works antibiotic foaming hand soap and some other Bigelow things that I can't think of right now, but you better get right.

5. I need one of those chairs you sit in to get a pedicure and someone to give me a pedicure.

6. Which reminds me, none of the service providers I interact with can have known my mother before 2001.

7. I would like to eat Mediterrean Lasagne a la Boston Pizza for dinner. I would like a multigrain sesame bagel with veggie lite cream cheese for breakfast. I would like to have fresh chocolate chip cookies for some time in between.

8. I would like a clause requiring a prohibitive tax on all cans, bottles and fountain poured Coca-cola.

9. I would like to be able to ask George Bush a couple of questions without any advisors present.

10. I would like Michael Moore to document No. 9.

11. I want Suzie to be the new lead singer of INXS.

12. A frozen Strawberry Margarita would be nice.

13. VH1 and CNN and Donny Deutsch and Nancy Grace and Miami Ink and CSI (Las Vegas) and The National, the real National, with Peter Mansbridge.

14. My dog must be treated like the prince he is. That means he needs a fuzzy pillow, a bowl with clean water, some kibble and Charleebears and a belly rub every 15 minutes.

15. I still think Allan Rock would have been a good PM.

16. Oh yeah, and world peace, yada yada yada.

17. A clear and undeniable victory for Team Aniston.

And if you give me all this I'll do ?????.

A train, a boat, a plane and finally, a car

So we're back. On the last day we headed out to Pier 83 and the semi-circle cruise around the bottom (south) side of Manhattan. The guide, David, was amusing and informative. For example, did you know that Pier 83 lines up with 43rd street? Take the number of the Pier and take away 40, you have the corresponding cross street in Manhattan. I'm trying to think of something funny he said too, but I'm really tired and just not coming up with anything. I think he said something about Spiderman when he did some weird maneouver on one of the poles (that sounds more suggestive than it was). Anyway, it was definitely worth the 25$ and I would recommend it, thought early on in your trip because it gives youa good idea of what you might want to see. It's a very different persepective from what you get inside the concrete jungle.

Afterwards, we chowed down at Applebees again, this one in Times Square, and the same one we ate in last year. In fact, I think we even got the same table. The Chicken Broccoli bowl was great. Yum.

Then we subwayed back to 70 Park Avenue and attempted to get a cab. We even had professional help, from the doorman, but to little avail. We eneded up taking a private limo thing on his recommendation. I normally wouldn't have done it, but it's a nice hotel and I don't think the doorman would have led us astray. Probably more expensive than a cab too, but we had to get to the airport to catch a plane....or so we thought...

The plane was delayed. In fact, every Air Canada flight out of LaGuardia was delayed due to weather (probably something to do with Ophelia) and there were some really pissed off paying customers in the crappy lounge already when we got there. Let me back up a bit. LaGuardia is the shittiest airport I have ever been in. And it's not that I've been in many, but trust me, it's bad. The security is sandwiched in to places it shouldn't be, the bathrooms as insufficient, it's way to small and the bottom line is it has had better days. And you know things are bad when you arrive in the lounge and they have four or five giant fans going to circulate air.

And here's the good part, a list of actual phrases uttered over the loudspeaker by an Air Canada employee:

"We've had a lot of screw-ups tonight."

"I have the list of stand-bys, I will read them in order. Standing around the desk and staring at me will not help you."

"...and now the broken plane....", followed closely by:

"The plane for Toronto is okay."

"I'm going to read the names of the stand-bys I have. If you hear anything that might sound like your name, please come forward."

"Please do not interrupt me when I'm talking to another passenger."

"Listen people, when you get on that plane, I get to go home, so there's nothing I want more than to get you on your way."

It may not sound like it, but it was darn funny. They moved our gate three times. The JetBlue passengers at the opposite gate were given free water, juice and chips.

Despite all this, I'm happy with the service I had for this flight on Air Canada. Some people might have called it unprofessional. I don't deny that. But it was funny. Being serious about it would have just made it seem colder and less friendly.

And the flight attendants were nice. And I got home safely. And despite the fact that the plane was delayed, it arrived sooner than the revised time they predicted. It was way too long to spend at such a crappy airport. But it was okay. Liz drove home.

And now I'm home, and now I'm tired. zzzzzz.

Thursday Morning

*Sigh* last day. Never did make it to the bus thing last night, but maybe today, or maybe the cruise if the weather is okay. It's humid, not so much hot.

How could they have dumped Suzie on Rockstar:INXS last night?

Behind the kimonos...

So here it is people, the secret to knock off purses on Canal Street. Follow the small Asian woman who has little understanding of English beyond numbers and the word "dollar" through the rack of kimonos and into the little room that is stocked with "Louis Muitton" and "Bearberry" to the rafters. And if you aren't too shocked by all this, and evidently Liz wasn't, bargain the price down a bit. She is now the proud owner of a knock-off Burberry.

We started off late this morning waking up at about 9:30 (but we only got to bed at about 2 a.m. the night before) and headed out to Chinatown for Dim Sum. Ended up at this really authentic, non-touristy place called "The Golden Unicorn" and chowed down. Okay, so it was new to me so I didn't over do it, and ate with a fork. And Ginger Ale. There were pictures on the wall of the owners of the place with Michael Bloomberg and a letter from Rudy Guiliani (Mayors, current and former). Not sure if that speaks to much, but I think it at least says that the place has a clean record from the health department, so hey, good news.

It was hot, and we then did the purse shopping, a bit of Little Italy (about 20 paces), some Soho and Tribeca. Went to a Starbucks and had some kinda tea passionfruit thing that Liz ordered for me (it was yummy). We spent a long time trying to figure out what to do next, which is very ironic when you're sitting in New York City.

We ended up trying for a tour of the New York Stock Exchange, which, since it was about 3 and close to the end of the trading day might have been interesting. I say "might" because we were promptly, but courteously informed by one of the many security guards that there have been no tours since 9/11. Saw a bunch of guys in the financial district with machine guns, and even in Penn Station (though that was a bit of a blur due in large part to the activities described in my previous post).

Lots of security all over. And Liz tells me that while she was out for a smoke she heard that the President of Uganda just left our hotel. Actually, the woman from Atlanta she was talking to said "Utanda", so I'm making an assumption there, but I think it's a good guess. And really, things are good when you can afford to stay in a hotel that is good enough for the President of Uganda.

Another ad I noticed in a subway today (or maybe it was yesterday).... "Assaulting a police officer is a felony". It goes on to point out that it's also a felony to assault bus drivers and transit operators. Hmm, I would have thought that assaulting anyone was bad and that most of us were clear on that, but apparently you have to threaten people with more jail time (or whatever a felony conviction works out to, it's been awhile since I've watched Law and Order), in order for them not to assault a transit operator.

Off for now....

Nothing pretty about it...

Yes, there's nothing pretty about it, I puked on the New York City subway. I think it was a red line, maybe 2 or 3? To all my fellow passengers, and to Lizzy, I'm so sorry. Believe you me, I would have avoided it if I could. I think it was the heat that got to me. The station under the WTC feels like well over 40C and my body was revolting.

And yet, it feels like some sort of rite of passage. I survived. And now I'm back baby, and ready to go on a double decker bus tour.

Wednesday morning

While I wait for Liz to join me in the lobby...have I mentioned Vh1's "My Fair Brady"? Okay, so I like some reality shows, usually not the high end ones, usually just the sad, pathetic, train wreck ones. This is the latter. Adrienne (chickie from first round of America's Next Top Model)and Peter Brady (I know it's not his real name, but who remembers him as anything but Peter Brady anyway?) have hooked up. Well, actually they did that on yet another reality show, The Surreal Life. Anyway, on the last episode I saw, in fact the last three episodes I saw because of incessant repeats, Greg Brady brought Mrs. Brady, now a psychotherapist (how fitting!) to analyze his relationship with this 22 year old model. How about I give it a try too...a smoking, drinking, model from the mid west meets her golden ticket, a 47 year old famous for what he did 40 years ago, who has money and hasn't yet grown up.

Of course, they make beautiful reality television together. Apparently worthy enough to write home about?? Hehe.

and now for some random thoughts..

Last night I figured out how to work the panorama feature on my camera after we left Times Square.

Applebee's charges 17 per cent gratuity on all orders where you're seated after 6 p.m. ???

I sent some postcards this morning. You'll get them well after I get back.

The subways are falling apart....where is all that federal money people keep talking about that is available in the US for municipalities, but not in Canada?

People keep asking us for directions--?? Do I look like a New Yorker?

Get over it...it's just a pair of shoes already!

Okay, I'm trying this from the Mac in the lobby tonight, so we'll see. Just got back from a night out at the Gershwin Theatre and Wicked, which was, perhaps unsurprisingly, wicked. I was surprised by just how much I loved it. I mean, I knew what it was going to be about going in, and although I don't remember a lot of the details of the Wizard of Oz, I remember enough to know how the show was going to end. It was surprisingly funny and moving. The singing was spectacular and the effects were great. It's amazing how they were able to bring that sense of the lack of clarity between right/wrong and good/bad into musical theatre. Not that my experience is vast in this department, but I haven't really seen that before.

Some of my favourite (slightly paraphrased) quotes...

From Glinda (formerly Ga-linda) to Elphaba after Elphaba's sister has been killed by a falling house in a storm:
"Accident, regime change.....whatever" and, with regard to Elphaba's obsession with getting back the ruby slippers (actually silver):
"Get over it...it's just a pair of shoes already"

And from Nessa to her sister Elphaba after the wizard has labelled Elphaba wicked:
"I can't harbour a fuguitive, I'm an elected official!"

I don't think I'm giving it away to say that in the end both Glinda and Elphaba agreed that knowing each other has made each "better, for good". Great singing and acting by both actresses, one of which sounded so familiar she may have been in Rent last time around here. The woman who played Glinda has an excellent comedy sense. And of course, Rue McClanahan and Ben Vereen were terrific. The theatre was impressive too. We were closer to the ceiling than the stage, but it was clean and up to date, and looked much better put together than the Nederlander last year, but then again, that worked for Rent.

But for $105 CAD a ticket, I was kind of disappointed by the idiots next to us who arrived late, and the one woman further down who left and then had the gall to come back during the show, not waiting for the intermission. Be like the rest of us, pee ahead of time and plan appropriately to not be late. Pox on the three of you.

After the show we ate at Applebee's on the north end of Times Square and then took the subway back, which brings me to the part of the story where I start typing on this computer to post to my blog.

Me tired....tomorrow is Chinatown. Maybe I'll by a "Kate Spud" purse. Maybe some shoes....

When even one night in jail is too many

So, now that I have my sympatico password committed to memory again, or at least the one that seems to be working, I thought I'd be back in business, but I can't seem to get onto blogger on this computer. Argh. Therefore, another post with an earlier date that will have to appear when I get back...or at least not now.

We were in Harlem this morning doing some shopping and again, it was rather disappointing. Avenue, Ashley Stewart, Lane Bryant, Old Navy....and a CVS Pharmacy. Both the CVS
Pharmacy and Avenue were robbed while we were in line to pay for our purchases. I'm not sure if the cops are in Harlem most days, but today, with Dubya in town, it would seem like they are in mid-town Manhattan. How weird it must be for this to be such a regular occurence--streets to be shut down, diplomats parking illegally.

Oh wait, the guy on the other computer just left, I'm switching and hopefully will get this and the older post up...

Okay, I'm back. Just got up the post from the 12th and am back to this one.

If you're wondering about the title, it comes from an actual sign inside a subway car that I was in today. It was an ad for a law firm. Remember, this is the US after all.

To recap, this morning we ate on the run at Starbucks walking down to Grand Central to catch a train uptown to the shopping. We hit (and by hit I mean "shopped at" in case it's not clear that I am a law-abiding citizen, er, visitor) the usual places, then took the subway to a Bath and Body Works where I made a few more purchases. We had smoothies at some place around 22nd and 5th, which is where the Bath and Body Works is and then came back, picking up sandwiches at Grand Central Station. Now, we chill.

Next, if we can make it around the secret service, we'll be off to Wicked tonight, which is at the Gershwin Theatre, I think which is on 51st between Broadway and 6th?

Anyway, I'm off for now to find something to drink....10-4.

On Tuesday Morning...

Well, I couldn't post yesterday from the Mac in the lobby, but now that I'm on a regular PC things seems to be working. So now I try to get my planned post from sympatico mail and I can't retrieve it to actually post it. Trust me, it was cute. I'll try again later. The title was "Ninjas killed my parents, need money for King Fu lessons".

Right now Liz is upstairs getting ready and we are about to head up to Harlem to do some serious shopping. After my last post, which at some point will be underneath this one, we went out for her birthday dinner at something which I think was called "El Rancho Grande". Great food (sour cream and guacamole, my faves) but I paid for it later. Or maybe it was just a cumulative effect.

After that we headed up to Rockefeller Centre, and after wandering around and finally asking an off-duty security guard, we think we found the place where people skate and the tree is up over the Christmas season. The statue is impressive. Then we walked back to Times Square and ended up in the Virgin Megastore. I picked up a CD that looked cool for 7.99. Something called "Miss Independent" or something, with a collection of some pretty good music that I otherwise wouldn't be bothered to download, but am glad to have.

By the way, the flight yesterday was unremarkable. Unfortunately. it's become unremarkable to watch everyone try to get there bags which should be check-in but they have forced to be carry-on, shove these huge bags into the overhead compartments. As Liz and I were on different flights, I checked her bags on my flight and it ended up being the two of about 15 checked bags in total.

Okay, so I'm going to surf, do a little people watching here next to the concierge, and try to recover that last post. Hopefully I'll be able to get on later after Harlem. Tonight is "Wicked" on Broadway.

Hi Mom!

Mr. and Mrs. W: I'm very fond of you too! :)

Parents killed by Ninjas, need money for Kung fu lessons

Arrived in the Big Apple and 70 Park Avenue Hotel. Nice place. Iespecially liked that they have laptops for guests use in the lobby. What sucks is that I can't enable java and cookies which prevents mefrom posting this directly to my blog. What you are seeing is a cutand paste of an email I sent to myself on the actual date above.So NYC has an interesting juxtaposition of the concept of service. Onthe one hand, it's over the top, like the guy that offered me wine as Isat down to type at this laptop. on the other hand, it's thecompletely disinterested staff at most coffee shops and stores. Theycould care less. They need a trip to Disney. Maybe I just have higherstandards now. Today is Lizzy's birthday, and as such, she chose the Olive Garden inTimes Square for lunch. Nice choice. And good service, from Frank, Ibelieve his name was. CBS was promoing the new season of Survivor inTimes Square and Liz got autographs from Ethan, Rupert (Arrrrghhh!),Jenna and Boston Rob. I got some pictures, which may or may not getposted to Flickr when I get back.Not much luck in the shopping area today. We went to Lane Bryant on34th and neither of us bought anything. I didn't even try anything on. Made a purchase at Sephora and Avenue. The Bath and Body Works wewere headed for was closed for renovations. And we missed Lush yetagain (sorry Jaimie, I was going to get you a picture). You'd think itwould be more noticable, we missed it last year as well.It would seem that tomorrow is the democratic primary for localpolitics here in NYC, the result being a potential mayor. We'll see. Also, it sounds like there's something going on at the UN. That's whatour Greek cab driver told us on the drive in from Laguardia. Trafficwas a bitch. Turns out he lived in Toronto for three years in the1970s before moving here. It's a small world after all...By the way, the title refers to a sign froom a panhandler we saw today. I thought it was creative enough to deserve the title for today'spost.Until tomorrow.....or whenever.

9/11

Well it's September 11 again. It's sunny and unusually warm. I'm remembering September 11, 2001...I was at work. Libby told me that a plane had hit some building. I think we damaged the network by trying to log into CNN simultaneously, all 500 of us, or so. Later we gathered in the Chambers to watch the feed, off of the Shopping Channel of all things.

But things are better now, and I am off to the Big Apple tomorrow in the wee hours. Is it a sad thing when life goes on as usual, or is it a triumph? Or is it just inevitable because it must, somehow go on, because we have no other direction to move in?

Not Magic Moments, Tragic Moments! (place back of hand on forehead, tilt head back and sigh)

It's day 25 of the CBC lockout by Tod Maffin's count. For the first time I logged onto cbcunplugged.ca and found a wealth of information on the locked out employees. Looks to be about 30 blogs, at least, from some public, some anonymous figures on the side of those that are locked out. Hmmm. It's interesting when you screw with people who normally run the media... they know how to make things work to their advantage. While on the other side, listening to reruns of Disc Drive on the drive home just plain sucks. And I'm sorry Susan and that other guy who is hosting the morning show, but you just don't cut it.

Still, I hope to come home from NYC to find that this has all been resolved. But my backup plan is CIUT, which is turning out to be a pretty good alternative, even aside from the CBC Unlocked show.

But on to another tragic moment. I get approved for an RBC credit card. RBC sends me a letter to pick it up within ten days. I attempt to do so, only to be told (after spending 15 minutes finding a parking spot) "don't call us, we'll call you" when the card is in. Funny, the letter didn't mention anything about waiting for a phone call.

Here it is, 4 weeks after the original letter and, brace yourself, this is priceless, I get my first statement. And I still don't have the card. So tonight I phoned their lovely customer service number only to be told that they can't help me, I have to call the branch on Monday.

When I'm in NYC? I think not.

RBC, I am NOT impressed.

I hate change! But I sure changed the channel fast...

In addition to CIUT's 'new' morning show, locked-out CBC employees have now taken to the interweb at www.cbcunlocked.ca. Kudos to them. Interestingly enough, their site is way better than the CBC's own site, now presumably run by management. Hmm, I guess it is the people that make it happen then, eh? Not only is the CBC site not as in depth as it was before the employees were locked out, it's also not as aesthetically pleasing and now, for some inane reason, features a banner ad. Why on earth would someone choose now to implement this? While the CBC has been considered a bastion for the liberal-minded, those same people, are very set in their ways--as if to further confound the demographers, some would call this conservative? I can hear us all chanting now "back to the way it was!", "this is totally throwing off my morning routine!". Why can I hear this? Because I'm saying it, too.

So now I listen to Andy on CIUT in the morning and have changed my homepage to CBC unlocked. Now look at what you've done, dammit! Listen, it's bad enough that I have to give up Peter Mansbridge during the hockey playoffs (except for last year). Don't do this to me!

Another interesting fact: I see from CBC unlocked that our very own Toronto Star began as a publication by locked out employees of something they refer to as "The Afternoon News". Never heard of them.

So if I was the one who's bright idea it was to lock out Canadian Media Guild employees, right now, I'd be worried. Shake in those boots, baby. It may be the only thing keeping you warm this winter.

September?

It is a question.

It's Labour Day. The end of summer. It has been 7 autumns since this has meant anything to me, 7 and a half years since I graduated from university. And, by the way, I didn't even mind going to school, in fact I rather liked it. Wish I was going back this month actually.

But there's something about the summer, especially in the beginning, even in May when the sun starts to warm up and the rain has slowed down, that makes you feel like everything is possible. Even if you have no vacation to speak of, summer reminds you that there is life after work. I don't have a pool, or even own a bathing suit, but in a few weeks it will be a little too chilly to walk down Unionville Main with Nancy on Saturday nights. When the paper is too late for Dad to bring in before he leaves, it will soon be too cold for me to dash outside and grab it to read with breakfast. Soon it will be dark when I have to leave for work and night will come way too early.

And then it will be Christmas. And while I do enjoy finding those perfect things for my family and friends to put under the tree, I have to admit, I really don't like Christmas. But that's an explanation (if you need it) for another day.

So it's Labour Day and Andy Barrie is back on the air, except on CIUT and only from 6 to 8 a.m. because of the continuing lockout at the CBC.

The good news is that we leave for New York a week from today. I wonder how different it will be than last year, when the anti-W sentiment was ripe and on display in that 'blue state'. But then again, maybe not much since there still seems to be a lot to complain about.

I guess it's sad not because it's the end of summer, but rather because it's no longer the new beginning it once was...new classes, new books, new pens. Ah well, the feeling never lasted long anyway.

It just seems harder to make things feel 'new' and full of possibilities now, without the new classes. September is a question.

All my titles sounded too glib to put here

Here I am, home before the long weekend, drinking lemon tea and looking forward to NYC.

Someone fucked up big time in New Orleans. To quote the Mayor to the feds: "Get off your asses". I was reading this thing by Sanjay Gupta (I know, CNN again, but like a moth to a flame...) about a hospital in New Orleans with ventilator patients having air manually pumped by exhausted staff because of the lack of electricity. Of course that probably happens every minute somewhere in Africa, every day of the year. There are people without water, simple water, in the richest country in the world. I realize that the foundation of emergency planning is the individual, yes, but how are you supposed to stock up if you don't have enough for the day to day living already? As Rosie says in her blog, how do you evacuate when you have no car?

I suppose the lesson here is that if it can happen there, it can happen anywhere. And we really should be better prepared. But having said that, it's a colossal failure when a country is trying to fix things overseas and can't fix things in their own backyard. Dubya has spent the last four years trying to convince people that fighting terrorists abroad makes it safer at home. Hard argument to make if you (used to) live in New Orleans. Thank god, for me and my family and friends, the glass is half full. With clean water. At least for now.

Gracious Southern Hostess, I will come...

So I may have been too flippant about New Orleans. Honestly though, the fact that CNN did get it right this one time does not help their overall credibility when it comes to hyping up news stories. Remember this is the station that brought you all OJ, all the time.

It's sad, not only because I would love to go to New Orleans and now I know that this plan will be a) put on hold for some time and b) seriously affected since I don't know what state all their historical buildings and sites are in. No, it's also sad because we sorta all knew it was coming and yet there are still people stuck in that superdome, waiting to be moved to the Astrodome now. It really speaks to proper emergency planning. One of Disney's strengths is the idea to plan for every eventuality. Okay, not possible all the time, but you have to wonder when that many people are stranded, without food, water, showers... They are in an area prone to hurricanes. We did know something was coming. Maybe they didn't want to believe CNN either? I went to the New Orleans website and it looks like it's being updated remotely and piecemeal by someone who does not normally do the website. No meetings until October at least. Interesting.

Here's a sample of what the City Official is posting to the website:

"Longtime CVB Vice President Nikki Nicholson, who retired 18 months ago to buy a bed and breakfast in Bay St. Louis Mississippi has barely survived. Nikki attempted to stay and ride out the storm in her b&b, but the storm destroyed her home around her and she and her dog survived clinging to a tree until rescued."

Now doesn't the fact that her dog is mentioned make you like her? I wonder what her dog's name is?

Anyway, I'm sorry if I was insensitive, not to CNN but to people from New Orleans. And all that I can give you in return is the promise that one day I will spend some tourist dollars in your fine city. One day.