HumidCity

While neither the wife nor I are overly enamored of Valentine’s day, that Hallmark driven feast day of merchandising and consumerism that it is, I would like to take a moment to tell the world how much I love her.

She has stood by me during some sincerely dark times: the loss of my best friend, Katrina exile, the year of ten funerals, and my own times of being less than pleasant. After eight years together and fifteen months of marriage I am still thrilled every morning when I wake up to see her face on the pillow.

Whatever else may happen as long as we are together I will always have hope and I will always try to be the best person I can be for her.

Honey, I love you!

Loki, Founder HumidCity

2006 with its floods, pestilence, and piracy (yes, real pirates- no, not the imitation depp and disney variety) pales in comparison to the four “whore’s men” of the apocalypse that are now on the horizon… the eve of destruction will be far worse than what the 60’s mcguinns and mcguires ever dreamed or dreamt of…. this korean war will make hawkeye spill his martini, or better yet, do a spit take (??)…. klinger will rip his hose…. but don’t you fret, kim jong-il will buy us all a round of henessey as slim pickens comes back to sing “til we meet again”

as i walk around new orleans, it’s as if the bomb has already fallen… the naked, wasted, abandoned city, the crumbled buildings, the dashed hopes, the smells of disease and refuse, all surrounded by the symphony of the militaristic drone as hummers and tanks roll through, as another band of vigilantes fire and the mad max-like maruders and ne’er-do-wells do their mad max-like maruader and vigilante thang… and the MURDER, oh the MURDER… more vicious than the nazis more horrendous than the korean interment camps… and the worst murder one between strangily estranged lovers…. her head in a pot to boil, her limbs in the oven to roast… who is the omega man? who is the damn dirty ape? neither charlton heston nor michael moore could make this film….

you can’t make that sh*t up… i wish i could…

in “apocalypse now,” kurtz mutters that ” ‘IF’ is the middle word in ‘LIFE’ “… a scary apoco-thought is revealed… a glimmer of hope perhaps… IF is life’s crunchity goodness … IF is life’s life-affirming nugat, IF is life’s impatient licks to the center of a blow pop…. all of life’s IF’s are all these hopes sandwiched inside the four letters… L I F E…. i see the IF… i see the potential.. but like Kurtz i also have seen the horror, i’ve smelled it, tasted it, heard its screams in my sleep as i lie awake in my FEMA trailer waiting for the other shoe to drop, another shot to be fired, another robber, burglar, rapist, politician….to rob, burgle, rape, or politic me.

i can see the pot on the stove, the limbs in the oven… IF may be the middle word in LIFE, but EAT is the middle word in DEATH, and this is one last supper that i can no longer stomach…. the cook? the thief? his wife? her lover? “shall we start with the…. it’s a delicacy?”

BLOG THIS!

Lower 9th Ward -2

Originally uploaded by Humid City.

A pinch of panic, a dash of unease, and one hefty spoonful (make that two!) of propaganda. Add to a simmering pot of rubble and stir under NOLA heat until nicely thickened. Garnish with denial and serve with side dishes of optimism and hard work.

Voila! One heaping helping of Hurricane Season!

Things here are scary, depressing, uplifting, insane, and unpredictable. We are all wondering exactly how we feel about the advent of Storm Season here, by turns hopeful and fearful. The mountainous evidence of the Corps of Engineers’ design failures act as a counterpoint to efforts like the Katrina Krewe and ThinkNOLA.

As I sit and catch my breath after riding my bike home throught the darkened streets I reflect upon my last two hours, teaching a Web Publishing Workshop to community and civic activists and leaders. There is plenty of good and bad floating in this gumbo, we just have to make the right efforts to ensure that the good is triumphant!