Concern for New Orleans, and fellow Buzzers

I'll keep my hopes up that CrazyB is okay and that it's just a loss of power that's keeping him from posting a message.

I'm also glad to see power is being restored to normal. I heard today Entergy, (the power company in New Orleans) has dwindled the numbers from a million down to 300,000. We've had ice storms int he D.C. area with upwards of 750,000 without power and it's taken them two weeks to retore power.

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coasterqueenTRN said:
.......They are both guys. :)......

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Or so they say...tee hee

Talk about strange, after I made the post, my cell phone rang twice and stopped, checking to see who called, it was CrazyB who made the call, so while I didn't get to speak to him, I have a sign that he is OK. Still can't get back with him but I feel a lot better knowing he tried to call.

Barry:

Thanks for the kind words on the music...Wall of Voodoo is one of the alltime greats! I actually am in the studio doing my 2nd album as we speak. It is much more poppy and not as dark as the first. I'm selling out and softening up with age! I doubt I'll ever get to quit the day job...but I love writing and performing music!

Depeche Mode has a new single out on itunes now...the album and tour are in Oct...I have not heard it yet, but what I've read says they are going back to the old sound...analog synths and stuff...I'm excited!

As for coasters...yea...I think that is the one uniter...it certainly is not our politics! Of course we could start a wood is better than steel debate...NAH! :-)

Good luck with the play...

As for Orleans...I would rather see the discourse go toward helping these folks rather than how it has been on this board and in the papers! My opinion is that there is plenty of blame to go around...but in reality...NOBODY expected a tragedy like this...even if they should have given the "below-sea-level status"! The mayor, the Governor, Bush, those who stayed but could have left... I'm not sure where to assign blame first...and frankly...much like 9/11 I assume there will be reasons to blame all sorts of people!

Sadly...I'm not sure the lesson has been learned. I'm not sure I understand rebuilding the city below sea level... Maybe 60 miles north would make more sense...? If they put it back there...what do we think a category 5 will do next time? This was just a 4...

That's great news, COaster Cynic. Cell phone service is total crap here right now, so he's probably just fine...just out of touch.

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Antuan said:
Well golly gosh darnit gator, you see what you started :)

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What'd I do THIS time? ;)

I do love Depeche Mode (well, the older stuff, Construction Time Again, Some Great Reward, that era), and Wall of Voodoo...well, let's just say I even have Stan Ridgway CD's due to my LUST for more Call of the West...

Glad to hear CrazyB is OK....and that the worst of the flooding from Katrina is getting taken care of....now, as for what on EARTH is going to become of Lake Pontchartrain, I think the idea there is to pump the water and simply "hope for the best"...I'd like to think that the Army Corps is working with the EPA and other environmental-protection groups/agencies to make sure the lake doesn't become the world's largest cesspool of bacteria, disease, and filth...but that's probably not happening, sadly. Last night's news had an Army Corps honcho discussing the pumping, and everytime environmental concerns came up, he begged off *completely*...

New Orleans likely won't ever "return to normal", and that may be for the best...shouldn't have been a city of THAT size living below sea level in the first place. I see now that MSN is thinking of the spread of disease that is entirely possible from the contaminated water. The CDC seems to suggest it's not really an issue, but I'm forced to wonder how can it NOT be? Louisiana is noted (next to NJ) for toxic waste dumps, and with dead and rotting corpses everywhere, along with the household pets, the sewage, etc...seems to melike the area is just prime for *another* disaster...this one a public-health nightmare...I truly and desperately hope that I'm wrong.

I still think that in the hours leading up to landfall, *infinitely more* could have, and should have, been done to help reduce the impact of this catastrophe...and even in the era of "small government", isn't that EXACTLY what our government is FOR?

P.S. I didn't start it 'Tuan, I'm just the white kid that happened to grow up on BOTH sides of the tracks...

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the sewage, etc...seems to melike the area is just prime for *another* disaster...this one a public-health nightmare...I truly and desperately hope that I'm wrong.

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Ever visit during Mardi Gras?

It was already a public-health nightmare!

Of course, LG....I am a non-native Nawlins person. Cajun flows through me like music from a washboard.

Not really a "past-life believer" per se, but there's been two occasions in my life when I *knew* where I was the first time I visited. One was New Hope, PA...I was a youngun and kinda freaked out by the "eerie familiarity" on my first time there. The other, was the first trip to Nawlins, at the age of 18...before I ever stepped foot into Marie LaVeaux's, I was more than a little *unsettled*...

Crawfish, etoufee, gumbo, chicory coffee, Bananas Foster, muffalettas, Pat O'Brien's hurricanes, Avery Island tabasco, zydeco...all second nature to me...and I don't even know why....but them's my people in the bayous, and I wish them ALL the luck in the world, and all the strength they'll need to deal with the next month, year, and decade...it WILL take that long to re-settle the land the Acadians found when they came down and found....Paradise.

All this, just when you might've started believing I was remotely near sanity...;)
*** Edited 9/7/2005 12:19:18 AM UTC by rollergator***

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rollergator said:
....now, as for what on EARTH is going to become of Lake Pontchartrain, I think the idea there is to pump the water and simply "hope for the best"...I'd like to think that the Army Corps is working with the EPA and other environmental-protection groups/agencies to make sure the lake doesn't become the world's largest cesspool of bacteria, disease, and filth...but that's probably not happening, sadly. Last night's news had an Army Corps honcho discussing the pumping, and everytime environmental concerns came up, he begged off *completely*...

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How was Love Canal fixed or was it?

If you must talk about Depeche Mode, in this thread, then you must talk about their landmark album, Music for the Masses. After M4TM, DM basically died a digital death, regardless of any hits they released afterwards. DM was best as a 4 piece, sans drums, and Dave Gahan was a suicidal heroin addict.

Well, it's true...... :)

Oh puhleeze.

White rockers, drug addictions and suicidal ideation go hand in hand almost like...like...black rappers and jail time?

*ducks and runs*

-'Playa

Dave is back and clearly off the heroin. I talked to him a few weeks ago at MGM. In my opinion---as much as I love Martin Gore---their best album was with Vince Clark in tow! I'm a sucker for anolog synth dance pop though! Like I say---the early reviews speak of a return to the older sound with the upcoming cd...time will tell!

Personally---I think they faded even prior to MfM and the 101 tour. But there is still only one DM. Their last record sold 2 million. This side of U2---they are the only group remaining from that era that still has that type of pull. Who would have thought this 15 years ago?

By the way...do they still play "Just can't get enough in The Beast line? I heard it 2 years ago and wondered whatever happened to that sound...which proves I'm now an old man!

I dont know if this has been posted. I am thinking it hasnt, if it has please delete it.

So last Friday some employees at SFSTL after seeing pictures of SFNO, decided to do something about it. On Sunday 9/11 the food service employees have orginized a group of volunteers some current some from the past. To work some of the most profitable stands/resturants in the park. The deal is we work for free, the park dontates the proceeds from the stands we work at to employees of SFNO.

As of now its only First cone and Funnel. However more stands will be added as more volunteers become avalible. On Friday I should have a bigger lsit to post.

Note: There probably will be no pablicity for this event. this was just something that the "kids" thought of and managment agreed with. So if your by chance in the park that day, eat some Ice cream and a funnel cake.

Gonch has been to Mardi Gras? That scares me...

Good job, Boss! If St. Louis wasn't so far, I would gladly donate my time for that. Course, if things go well, I'll be 'in the thick of things' soon enough volunteering my time and efforts.

Thanks Boss. These people need a lot. Most of the people I have dealt with arrived with nothing but the clothes they had on when the storm hit. They are survivors and strong but are facing a very tough struggle to rebuild thier lives. I could not even imagine being in their position.
I mean can you imagine having lost everything? Your wallet or purse with all your ID? Having to start from scratch? I have no good answers and there will be no quick fixes. Any Help will go a long way. This will be a work in progress long after the story fades from the news.

I am happy to hear that CrazyB, whoever he is, is OK.

Boss, I think it's awesome what SFSt. Louis is doing, as thousands of businesses are around the country. As I said before, the support is overwhelming. Heck, even my local Dollar Store has set up a couple of bins for donations.

Every little bit helps, even if it's a few bucks or a case of water.

A lot of the evacuees have arrived here in Charleston, WV, and the support has been tremendous.

-Tina

*** Edited 9/7/2005 10:28:03 AM UTC by coasterqueenTRN***

South Jersey's National Guard Armories have been collecting water and flying it into a Mississippi Air Base. My parents and I went saturday with 10 cases of water and were moved to see the pallets of water already there.

http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050906/NEWS01/509060329&theme=KATRINA

This shows how the American spirit does actually exist and it doesn't matter where in the country something happen all Americans will jump to aid the people in need.

Yeah, Tina, we're supposed to be getting about 6000 initially, possibly more in WV. In fact, I'm sure many will be sent here to my area, because we still have a lot of the FEMA trailor parks from the floods set up, and all they'll have to do is turn the water/power to them on so that we can house people.

I'm glad that, even in the poor financial state that the State of West Virginia is in, we're able to help these people with nothing. I know that my mother, who works for the DHHR here, said that the stores here were told that even if the people from La didn't have their benifit cards at the time, as long as they have the number to give them what they need. Plus the Governer is sending DHHR workers to La to help with theirs down there, and mom is probably gonna get to go as well.

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Jeffrey R Smith said:
Dave is back and clearly off the heroin. I talked to him a few weeks ago at MGM. In my opinion---as much as I love Martin Gore---their best album was with Vince Clark in tow! I'm a sucker for anolog synth dance pop though!

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Me too! Speak and Spell, the one and only DM album featuring Vince Clark, is probably my favorite - although I really like Construction Time Again as well. Throw in A Broken Frame and the US-only People Are People compilation, and you basically have my favorite era of Depeche Mode. Although I also got into their next couple of albums, including Music For the Masses...