on the Keystone state

A few quick thoughts on my time in Pennsylvania until I get around to posting some photos (which is likely to be extended another week):

• Both the drivers and the highways in and around Harrisburg are the most dangerous I've traversed. The roads are narrow and lacking shoulders in many places. On-ramps are too short and drivers don't seem to understand the difference between yield and stop signs.
  
  
• Pittsburgh is among my favorite cities to visit, though I'll expand more on that soon.
  
  
• Pennsylvania is a BIG state. By car I traversed the width of Lousiana in just a few hours. Nothing is less than a couple hours from Harrisburg, and I've already driven about 750 miles in eight days.
  
  
• Combining the high price of gas and the high tolls on the Pennsylvania Turnpike (incidentally, why does a road need a Web site?) makes travel across the state by car an expensive endeavor. Round-trip from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh cost almost $70. And was well worth it.

New Orleans' mental health crisis

In April, I wrote:

One of the least-talked about consequence of Hurricane Katrina is the psychological damage many New Orleanians suffered....For many victims with whom I've spoken, they relive the event when they retell the story."

The unaddressed psychological scars left by Katrina may be the most pervasive lingering effect. People are rebuilding, or moving on, but will be left with their memories of the horrific days during and immediately following the storm. A recently published article in The Journal of the American Medical Association confirms my anecdotes. Though JAMA is subscription only, Time.com has a nice article summarizing the article, and discussing the broader problem of mental health treatment for Katrina survivors:

A February survey of people living in temporary FEMA-subsidized housing found that more than two-thirds of female caregivers reported feelings of anxiety, depression and other mental health disorders. As many as half of the children they were caring for were suffering from mental disorders of their own.

The health care infrastructure in New Orleans, fragile before Katrina, has completely collapsed. Mental health care is an even lower priority for a city just struggling to maintain order.

But there are only a total of 20 psychiatric beds available in the few New Orleans hospitals that have reopened, compared to about 300 before the storm.

And the cascading effect of mental health problems on physical health is also manifesting itself:

More troubling, perhaps, is a 25% jump in the mortality rate, including a threefold increase in the suicide rate — a conservative estimate since many self-inflicted deaths are classified as accidental.

The Senate once had a champion for mental health issues. Is anyone paying attention today?

reflections on Harrisburg

Harrisburg, like many Pennsylvania cities (indeed, like many mid-sized cities throughout the rust belt), is struggling to adapt to the changing economy. Downtown Harrisburg is an area in transition, with newly renovated restaurants and galleries neighbored by liquor stores and sub shops.

Fewer than ten blocks away from downtown, well-maintained brick row houses give way to dilapidated homes with broken steps and plywood windows. Corner businesses employ bulletproof glass to facilitate customer transactions.

Unlike many cities with which I am familiar, there are no physical boundaries separating the good neighborhood from the bad. In Washington, the Anacostia river has been keeping poor people out of sight for decades (centuries?). But here, driving down Market Street, the area transforms without warning.

I've been told I won't be here long, perhaps going home as soon as next weekend. Just long enough to miss A Silver Mt. Zion at the Black Cat, but not long enough to catch them here. Terrific.

no house for me

Someone else bought my house. Which, I suppose, makes it not my house.

waiting

Almost 24 hours after placing my offer on a house, I am still waiting for a response from the sellers. This is not fun.

press play

After two weeks of waiting for my next assignment, for some idea of what's next, today it all came at once.

I've been deployed to Harrisburg, PA. I'll start working Monday. But first, a house for sale in Minneapolis caught my eye earlier this week, and after a visit from Kassie and Mollie, I'm flying to Minneapolis tomorrow to take a look.

The logistics of three cities in three days are a bit overwhelming, but finally under control. Now I've got to pack, not only for a weekend in Minneapolis, but for a weeks-long deployment. Beats sitting at home waiting for the phone to ring.

just missed

First,I left last night's Washington Nationals game after the seventh inning with the Nats trailing . They scored three in the eighth to win 7-6.

Then, I arrived at the 930 Club just as The Secret Machines were finishing my favorite of their songs. It was still a good game, and a good show, I just need to work on my timing a bit.

the waiting

My vacation having ended, I'm now waiting for a phone call to deploy me on a disaster. Until then, I've got little to do, save to prepare a bit for my next deployment. It would be folly to make plans for the future, since I still hope and expect to be on the road by week's end.

Eight week vacations get boring. I hope there isn't a ninth.

i've still got the fever

Home now for almost a week, I'm still recovering from World Cup Fever. I've been watching the Brazil/France and Germany/Italy games to wean myself. I watched more than 35 games in a month, in five cities around the country. Speaking of my recent travels, there's a new Six Pictures up.

Since my return I've been bumming around DC making dinner for various people. Not entirely unlike my trip through Minneapolis.

No idea where I'll be going next, or when. Such is the life of a traveling disaster salesman.

yet another tragedy

I've generally shied away from the political stuff here, but everyone should read this NYT story about the recent death of another American soldier in Iraq. It's stunningly poignant, and still more evidence of the senselessness of this conflict.

my new buddy

Though I am now in San Francisco, I'm posting a picture of Mollie and Trevor's dog. Every morning, she'd hop into bed with me, disturbing my efforts to sleep until noon before falling asleep. Eventually, she'd wake up, spot a squirrel outside, and start barking. Not the most pleasant way to wake up, but it did encourage me to get up to watch soccer.

Minneapolis was a blast, a special thanks to my hosts. Lots of good food, good music, good friends, and general good times. I'll be back in September for Kassie's wedding.

last weekend in Minneapolis

What seemed like a long time in Minneapolis has become a short time. With just a few days left here, I'm cramming all sorts of Minnesota-related goodness into the weekend. Between World Cup games, of course.

weekend plans

Building on the overwhelming response to my quest for companions to the We Are Scientists show, does anyone want to go to the Twins game on Saturday? Should be a good time, Johan Santana is pitching, and there will be beer. Who's in?

Also, does anyone want to watch the US game tomorrow?

traveling about

Now in Minneapolis, the conference no longer consuming my time, I've put together a new Six Pictures. Despite having been in Las Vegas, the pictures are from my layover in Atlanta. Now I'm spending my time watching the World Cup and cooking for my friends. Good stuff.

the end of yearlykos

Having left Las Vegas, while sitting in the Fargo airport (with free wi-fi) some quick hits from the rest of the conference:

• Former Virginia Governor Mark Warner hosted a party at the top of the Stratosphere. Walking off the elevator, a man was pouring drinks through an ice sculpture. There was sushi and a mashed potato bar. Most people at the conference were a bit disgusted with the extravagance, I was impressed with his political operation. The blogosphere (a horrible word) is a serious fundraising machine (to say nothing of the value of its political support), and was treated as such at this event.
  
• Saturday, Governor Warner spoke to the convention. His record in Virginia is undeniable, and he presented a compelling message to unite the country, invest in technology to make America competitive, coupled with vague ideas about foreign policy. He's a good speaker, and has tremendous staff. With the current field of competitors, I think he'll win both the nomination and the White House.
  
• The young male/young female ratio at the conference seemed approximately 75:1, while the attractive male/attractive female ration was about 0:5.
  
• Sen. Harry Reid gave the keynote on Saturday night, a passionate speech about the need for intelligence reform. The positive reception for the anti-choice, pro-gun Minority Leader was yet another demonstration that the online liberal community isn't a bunch of rabid flaming leftists.
  
• Las Vegas is just as bizarre as it was when I visited in 2003, and still somewhere I don't think I'll ever go without a convention or other event to bring me.
  
• In just a few hours we'll find out just how good USA Soccer is. A win would solidify the US's place among the global soccer powerhouses, while a loss would serious jeopardize their chances to advance to the second round.
  

poor wes clark

Wesley Clark will never be President. Tonight I attended a reception hosted by Gen. Clark. This event was one of several events held at the YearlyKos convention by prominent politicians pursuing the 2008 Democratic nomination. It's part of a time honored tradition to ply potential supporters (and donors) with booze to engender goodwill.

Unfortunately for General Clark, his advance staff failed him. Held on the balcony of "the joint" at the Hard Rock Casino, General Clark was reduced to standing on a stool to address the crowd. Bad enough that the former Supreme Allied Commander was reduced to standing on a stood to speak to a bunch of bloggers, he wasn't wired for sound. After several "can you hear me in the back" calls by the General, he began speaking to the crowd. Though I found his speech meandering and uninspiring, worse was my conversation with someone else following his speech:

Me: What did you think of General Clark.
Woman: I couldn't really hear him.
Me: Yeah, he really could have used a microphone.
Woman: So I just traded dead baby jokes with the person next to me. I suspect it was about as entertaining.

If you can't compete with dead baby jokes, you can't be President. Sorry, General Clark.

viva las vegas

It's raining again. And I thought we were in the desert.

Las Vegas is exactly as I remembered it from my trip in 2002. Garish, loud, and designed with one thing in mind: to separate people from their money. While I've resisted the temptations of the casinos, I do find that I tip better and spend more indiscriminately here. Yet somehow I'll manage to avoid the iPod vending machine. Seriously, a vending machine selling nothing but iPods and related accessories. Utterly absurd.

on the road again

Back in DC for a little less than a week now, I'm leaving tomorrow for my month-long trip around the country. Should be a good opportunity for some updates to Six Pictures. Look out for a new one later tonight.

senior olympics

Today a guy at work asked me to guess his age. This was in the context of a broader conversation about his plans to participate in the Senior Olympics. This included a discussion of whether four minutes was a credible time for the winners of the 81-year-old walking 400 meters.

But when he asked me to guess his age, I refused, then guessed 37. I refuse to respond to this question, and similar questions like:

What do you think I weigh?

Do you think I'm fat?

Do you like my new haircut/clothes/nipple ring?

My general propensity to answer honestly to questions like these has been problematic at times. So I demure, or respond outlandishly. Turns out this guy is 62, and is apparently in terrific shape. Whatever.

Obviously my last days at work in New Orleans are fascinating.

it must be catching

On the heels of Kassie and CJ, Scot Hall and Kelly Betteridge are now engaged to be wed. Kelly even notified me via text message.

Who's next?

oops

Turns out I couldn't have been more wrong about New Orleans mayor. Oh well.

Election Day - New Orleans

Today New Orleans elects a mayor, and decides a few City Council seats. I think both candidates (incumbent C. Ray Nagin and Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu) are competent, but I believe the outcome will play only a small role in the future of this city. Polling on the race has been spotty and unreliable because the electorate has been dispersed. Despite being a tough race to handicap, I'm going out on a limb and predicting:

Landrieu - 58%
Nagin - 41%

I'm going to crash one of the parties tonight as well.

paid by your tax dollars

Ladies and gentlemen, new White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, in his May 17 breifing:

Well, as I pointed out -- I mentioned this yesterday, and for -- let me see if I can find my quote, because I pulled it out. Chuck Hagel, as you may recall, made a fair amount of news over the weekend when he first said that -- let's see -- "Well, I want to listen to the details and I want to listen to the President," said Senator Hagel -- he said this on "This Week" on a competing network.

a chronology of Katrina

The Times-Picayune has created some terrific flash animations to show how and when New Orleans flooded. Given all the chaos of the first few days, it is a good tool to look back and consider what went wrong.

Check it out.

coming soon to a city near you

With fewer than three weeks left in Louisiana, I've begun preparing for my travels across America. I'll be lots of places:

• Washington: 5.31 - 6.6
  
• Las Vegas: 6.6 - 6.11
  
• Minneapolis: 6.12 - 6.25
  
• San Francisco: 6.26 - 6.30

If you're in one of these places when I am, and want to see me, let me know. I'm sure there'll be some sort of BBQ-type activity in Minneapolis. Also, if anyone wants to go see We Are Scientists at First Ave. in Minneapolis on June 23, let me know. I'm buying tickets in one week.

Tales from NOLA: The night of sparkling teeth

People who stayed in New Orleans through the storm have varied experiences, but everyone talks about how dark the city was. With power out all over the region, the night sky was vivid and bright.

Those first few nights, we'd sit outside, and it'd be pitch dark out. I've never seen stars that bright in my life. Stars, galaxies, constellations, everything.

There were stars and there were helicopters. Flying back and forth, rescuing people and dropping them at the Superdome, and then flying back to rescue someone else. The first couple nights were long nights.

Sitting outside, you couldn't see across the street it was so dark. This old man who lives in our neighborhood has two gold front teeth. One night, he came walking down the street, and flashed a smile. The stars reflecting off his teeth sparkled, so we saw these two gold teeth, floating in the middle of the street. We waved to him, and as a chopper flew by he waved and walked away

an engagement

Not only is Kassie engaged, but she’s making an offer to buy my dream home. I’ve been coveting Minneapolis real estate for the past few weeks, in preparation for an eventual real estate purchase of my own. Today, I find out the property I most wanted to purchase is the very property on which Kassie and CJ are bidding. Bastards!

Seriously though, congratulations, Kassie, and I hope you get my house too.

a taco revolution

Taco Bell is having an awesome promotion where one lucky winner will become "El Presidente" of Taco Bell. The winner will receive one million pesos and get a free trip to Taco Bell HQ. I was very excited for this contest, but reading the fine print, I become a bit less enthusiastic:

Winner will be named El Presidente of Taco Bell and will not assume any official corporate duties as El Presidente of Taco Bell.

What the hell? Let's put Taco Bell on notice right now:

If I become El Presidente, we're having a revolución! Viva El Presidente!

attention all hands

From time to time, I received e-mails at work from Acting Director Paulison or Secretary Chertoff. I'm just waiting for the time that it reads:

TO: ALL FEMA EMPLOYEES

SUBJECT: THE INTERNET

ATTENTION ALL FEMA EMPLOYEES: STOP SCREWING AROUND ON THE INTERNET. WE MEAN YOU.

THANK YOU. THAT IS ALL.

Instead we get boring personnel notices. Sigh...

Tales from NOLA: Driving past the cemetery

One of the least-talked about consequence of Hurricane Katrina is the psychological damage many New Orleanians suffered. People who stayed struggle to cope with the memories of the horrific days after the storm. One woman describes driving past a cemetery in New Orleans four days after the storm:

After four days we'd decided to get the fuck out of town. Things were out of control and we had no idea if they were going to improve. The National Guard was standing on street corners firing rifles into the air, there were rumors of roving gangs killing indiscriminately, and the whole city stunk.

As we tried to find a safe way out of town, we drove past the cemetery. I just began crying. There were caskets strewn on the ground. Fortunately I didn't see any actual bodies. But after four days of wondering if the world was ending, to see coffins lying there, I just broke down.

Driving by there last week, it all came back. I started crying again, not just because of the memory of the cemetery, but from the memory of the whole thing.

As she was telling me this story, she began crying. For many victims with whom I've spoken, they relive the event when they retell the story. Despite this, people want to tell their stories. "How'd you make out from the storm," and "where'd you evacuate to?" have replaced inanity about the weather.

Bars and restaurants are full of chatter about remodeling, elevating, and FEMA checks. As the rest of the country moves on, this is the defining event in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

thoughts on New Orleans

Some general impressions of New Orleans:

• Groceries are considerably more expensive than in Baton Rouge, and supermarkets are of lower quality. The produce I sampled at several grocery stores was pricey and not particularly fresh (though not Whole Foods, where the produce is outstanding and expensive). Seafood sections are also pathetic. Some of this, I think, can be attributed to the worker shortage. Everything is just a little less clean and pleasant here.
  
  
• Though the city was jumping on Friday and Saturday night, because of the French Quarter Festival and the mayoral election, on weeknights, the emptiness of the city sets in. With the city's population still not half of what it was before the storm, the streets are quiet and lonely. There are few panhandlers and homeless, almost no foot traffic, and few cars.
  
  
• Bourbon Street, even on a normal weekend, is just as insipid as it appears on television. Beads rain down from drunken revelers on balconies, groups of college boys stand around trying to coerce breasts out of hiding, and the stench of booze and dirty water hangs in stale air.
  
  

I've made some friends with New Orleanians who stayed through the storm. Their stories are incredible, and in the coming days and weeks I'll begin sharing some with y'all.

transferred to NOLA

I've been transferred to New Orleans. This will give me a chance to assess how livable the city is. One of the major challenges facing the city continues to be availability of the basics, like a fully stocked grocery store or accessible fast food restaurants. I'll also be here for the mayoral election, which is a week from yesterday. I'm hoping for some exciting campaign shenanigans.

In other news, I've finalized my June travel plans. To all Minneapolitans, I'll be there from June 12-25, let's hang out. I'm also planning to spend some time looking at real estate there. Recently I've become addicted to searching for Minneapolis real estate. It is so much more affordable than in DC and is compelling me to move there.

In other travel-related news, I'll be in Las Vegas from June 7-11, and San Francisco from June 26 to July 1. If you are there, come hang out with me. If you aren't, come visit me.

back in Louisiana

I've returned to Louisiana from my European tour. It was a wonderful trip, Madrid, the Portuguese coast, and a brief period in Lisbon. I return to the south to find things unchanged, progress is slow and beset by myriad challenges. As the New Orleans mayoral race approaches, new challenges are emerging as candidates seek to score political points and curry favor with residents and evacuees.

In Louisiana they have open primaries, with a runoff election if no candidate gets 50% of the vote. With 22 candidates, it seems unlikely any candidate will get there, prolonging the political limbo facing the city. I don't know enough to favor a candidate, and am at this point in favor of a resolution and a leader with a vision for the future of the city. I suspect most New Orleanians want as well.

Oh, I've posted Six Pictures for Lisbon and Madrid's Botanical Gardens.

Salema

I'm presently in the Portuguese coast town of Salema. It's a small fishing/tourist town, that is fairly empty right now. The beach is magnificent, and we're going to explore some caves and some of the old Portuguese forts. Or I might just take a nap on the beach. Rough life.

Madrid so far

Spent the day wondering the streets of Madrid. Last night we went to see La Boheme at the Real Teatro. Across the street from the opera house is the royal palace, seen in the background of this photo. From the opera we stopped at a couple of bars for some drinks and nibbles. Though we returned to the hotel at almost 2, the streets were still jumping.

Today, we went to the Museo de Prado, and saw some art. Everybody likes art. I was particularly enamored with Goya's Perro Semihundido. We spent the rest of the afternoon in the botanical gardens, the subject of another upcoming Six Pictures and the Parque De Buen Retiro, a 350 acre park with a rowboat pond. We spent about an hour listening to a group of people playing drums and people watching. Tonight: more tapas, wine, and music.

Amsterdam in 22 hours

Amsterdam and Madrid are two very different cities. Amsterdam is quiet, and generally organized around the canals throughout the city. It´s quite pretty, and with bikes outnumbering cars, does not feel rushed. The Van Gogh museum was nice, and a beautiful building. The city is full of architectural contrast, just a block from the Van Gogh museum is the Reichstag museum, this glorious old building.

The Dutch take their botany very seriously, and the floating tulip market was fascinating. If I lived in Amsterdam, there would definitely be fresh flowers in my home at all times. Unfortunately, the cheese market doesn´t open until mid-April, though that provides just another reason to return. Next time I go to Amsterdam, it´ll be for more than 22 hours, only eight of which I spent in the city.

Now I´ve got a couple days in Madrid before heading for the Portugese coast. In my brief time here thus far, Madrid is a faster, louder city. Traffic is horrible, and it seems like there´s little order to the driving. Navigating would also be difficult, with the street signs on buildings. The signs are beautiful, as seen here. Forutnately, my Spanish is decent enough to conduct commercial transactions with ease. Portugal may be a different story.

the horror!

Last week, because Dollar Rental Car didn't have any compact cars available, I was forced to drive a Jeep Liberty. Having spent a week with the vehicle, why people choose to drive SUVs completely mystifies me.

The Jeep was not as nimble as a car, demanding that I floor if I want any acceleration, and corners horribly. Flipping my vehicle is not a calculation I make when driving a car, but is paramount with the Jeep. Some SUV owners cite the elevated seating as a plus. But it just made it difficult to see red lights. Of course, it got about 17 mpg, and was by far the most expensive tank of gas I've purchased in Louisiana. Put simply, I'll never own one of these, and hope to avoid driving them going forward.

Now: to Europe!

home

I'm back in DC for a couple days before going to Europe. Since mid-October, this is only the fourth night I've spent in DC. I've got to dig through three months of mail and do my taxes, as well as get ready for my trip. But I'll post a car review tomorrow, as for the past week I have been driving an SUV. The horror!

bowl for choice

Since my friends who live in Minneapolis are the primary readers of this blog, I want to remind and encourage them all to participate in Pro-Choice Resources annual Bowl-a-Thon. When I was in grad school my team raised over $1,000 for the organization at this event. If my friends put a team together, I'll match whatever they raise themselves. Otherwise, I'll match the highest fundraiser among my old team. Go Pro-Choice Bowlers!

bad blogger

I've been a very bad blogger lately, doing my best Andy impression. I'm making an effort to get something up every day until I leave for Europe in a week. We'll see how that goes.

Today, there's an amusing article in Slate where the author tries her hand a lobbying. She meets with a variety of hill staffers pitching her idea of a national law requiring animal shelters to spay or neuter all animals in their care. Not one to reminisce, the story did remind me of the dozens of meetings I took with causes from Personal Rapid Transit to a group trying to put an abridged version of the Constitution on the back of the $1 bill. What a glorious life hill staffers lead.

A couple of other random notes:

• So thousands of U.S. soldiers are dying in Iraq. But what brings the President to tears? An autistic kid playing high school basketball. Pathetic.
  
• On a wall in my office building: "Attention JFO Staff:
  the medical clinic has received a small shipment of hepatitis B. Please come visit us to get your injection."
  
• Finally....Censure President Bush. More on this later.