Lake New Orleans - Revisited then Visited

I realize I have been neglectful of my c101 duties. How can I continue to educate the masses if I don't deliver a lesson on a regular basis? I'll answer that - I can't. But, every day is a chance to start anew. And even though the loyal seven is prolly down to three because of my neglect, I ain't mindin' none.

Rather than tackle the issues I illustrated in my last email (I will get to those topics, don't fret) I will address my sojourn to the Big Easy. Sure, I got drunk and wandered aimlessly around Bourbon Street, but I expected that. That's what I do sometimes. Which is nice.

What I didn't expect was the devastation that still exists in the surrounding communities. I wrote about this way back when. Well, it's god awful down there and I have provided some pictures to prove that obviously the situation is still quite shitty south of the mason dixon line. What the pictures don't show, is that the devastation and I don't use the word devastation lightly. The devastation stretches far and wide - we are talking neighborhood after neighborhood. These photos were taken in the Lakeview section of New Orleans, a town that was ground zero regarding the break in the levy. You can see the yellow water line left on the houses - 'bout 10 feet.

I have heard that the 9th Ward (low-income housing) was hit even harder. Thus, our friend Spike Lee produced and directed a documentary to air this month on HBO - detailing the destruction and abandonment issues that the predominantly black community experienced. So, where does the fault lie? I am not sure. If I were black, poor and living in the 9th Ward, I might wonder what the f happened. Where's my government? Don't I live in the most prosperous nation on the earth? I am not saying you should put me in a mansion, but damn. Or maybe I am a whitey, not poor, but sure as hell not rich and living in Chicago and I might wonder what the f happened. No matter how you slice it, a neighborhood shouldn't look like this one year after the fact.

By the by, Dr. Sadens released a mad good mix as part of the ongoing greatness that is the Athens Freaky Mix Exchange. Here's two of my initial favs. Diverse featuring Prefuse 73 "Just Biz" and People Under the Stairs,"Acid Raindrops". Werd to you and yours. As soon as I figure out the HTML code. So, the music will have to wait a day. Thanks RFO, we are back in business.