Bongo Java is the coffee shop where A and I basically lived during our time in Nashville after Katrina. Sitting here today, it is a painfully familiar spot.

All A and I can talk about this week is how to be better evacuators. Because this time around has been, I’m going to go ahead and say it, was totally fucking miserable. There are several layers to why this has been true.

1. Automotive ridiculousness. Look, cars are fickle things. But, especially when they have over 200,000 miles on them. We spent the week leading up to the evacuation in various states of distress over this, especially since our “nice” car (read: AC) had a battery/alternator problem suddenly cropping up. And the thing is? We’re not stupid. We’ve been worrying about this eventuality all summer. We’ve been arguing over Hondas and Scions for months. In the end, we basically just decided to close our eyes and cross and fingers that please, please, pretty please, we could make it through one more hurricane season on the junkers.

This didn’t turn out so well for us. We decided to try to beat the odds by evacuating in both cars, which meant we braved the drive solo. I spent all 12 hours on the edge of total panic. It was a large and unwieldy kind of panic, but, in short, I was scared of having another seizure. Every time we stopped, I’d realize that my hands were shaking and my knees were noodles. It was dark and rainy and ridiculously long, so it was no picnic for A, either — or anyone who shared the road with us, I’m sure. Topping all of this off a constant, and quite legitimate (we did spring a major coolant leak on day 2, but A caught it in time and was able to make the repair, because he’s a hero), fear of one of the cars breaking down was too much.

2. Animals. The biggest problem with animals is that not everyone likes them. We have decided it would be much easier to evacuate with a baby, because everyone wants to see your baby, while nobody wants to see your stinky cats and dogs. My dad is allergic to dander, and my brother and his family are allergic to barking, so we’ve spent the last few days drifting from pet-friendly hotels to neighbors houses to, finally, now that it is neither Sunday nor Labor Day, to the kennel. In the process, we have spent roughly nine million dollars.

3. Evacuating just plain old sucks balls. Even though sometimes I think the world would be a easy place for us if we just had a brand new car, this is not actually true. We accept that this is part of the New Orleans package, inasmuch as we don’t think anyone needs to feel particularly sorry for us. (I feel PLENTY sorry for myself.) Our list of ways to make things better has some great ideas that will definitely help, but also, it is just a pain in the ass period. You make the best of it that you can, and then you take a deep breath and power through the rest.

And, now. Here’s a pic of the welcome wagon our niece laid out for us, which made both of us cry. The moment I saw this was the first (and only, so far) moment that I felt what all New Orleanians are hoping to feel these days: relieved.

Posted by jackson on 02 Sep 2008
Filed Under: Movies, Politics, Zuma, uncategorized | 1 Comment »

I’ve been having this pathetic fantasy for years now: I, for whatever totally unlikely reason, am given the opportunity to meet the president in an intimate setting. Something for work or whatever. Bush approaches me with a smile, working over in his mind what my nickname might be (Jackie? Knowleserstons?), and extends his hand for a shake. And I — wait for it! — refuse. No thanks, Mr. Bad Guy, I say. I don’t shake hands with, with, you know, guys like you.

Only in my mind it is super bad ass.

I was just sitting here in my office thinking about this glorious day that will never come after reading in Wonkette about the Mardi Gras themed picnic at the White House today. Paul Prudhomme (who, by the way I saw the other day — dude has had gastric bypass surgery and lost about 489 pounds) catered the event and Kermit Ruffins provided the entertainment.

It makes me want to gag to see our local heroes playing huggy bear with this administration. I can kind of see why it would be a hard gig to turn down, but sheesh. I don’t know how you could sit by Bush all noshing on gumbo and acting all pleased with himself while our city remains about one shot of tequila out of the shitcan. So, as if all of that wasn’t bad enough, here’s the exchange between Bush and Ruffins:

THE PRESIDENT: Kermit Ruffins and the Barbeque Swingers, right out of New Orleans, Louisiana. (Applause.)MR. RUFFINS: Thank you. Thanks for having us. We’re glad to be here.

THE PRESIDENT: Proud you’re here. Thanks for coming. You all enjoy yourself. Make sure you pick up all the trash after it’s over.

The only reason my fantasy isn’t me kneeing the guy in the groin is because I’m a wimp and the Secret Service scares me.

Posted by jackson on 20 Jun 2007
Filed Under: New Orleans, Politics | 1 Comment »

I’m just hearing about it today for the first time, but apparently Nashville City Council member Eric Crafton recently sponsored a measure to declare English the city’s official language. His “thinking”? That this would serve as an incentive for immigrants to learn to speak English, already. The measure passed with a 24-14 vote. Ouch.

Mayor Bill Purcell, who I have to admit I know nothing about, swooped in to save Music City from insanity — at least for today — and vetoed the measure. Good on you, Purcell.

Of course, now Councilmember Crafton is plugging away at the votes for an override, and in the event that doesn’t work, has plans to force a referendum on the issue. We’ll have to live to fight another day…

Posted by jackson on 12 Feb 2007
Filed Under: Honky Tonk, Politics | No Comments »

There was a time in my life when politics ranked higher than, say, the career choices of David Boreanaz, on the list of things I spent time thinking and writing about. When I lived in Minneapolis, Adam and I used to get together semi-weekly with our friends from The Junior Varsity to drink beers and get worked up over the finer points of Minnesota politics. Come to think of it, my job was also in politics.

But then a couple of big things happened. First, there was presidential election in 2004, which was a real stomach turner. I couldn’t bring myself to read anything on Salon other than The Fix for months. I think that’s pretty understandable. Like, my mom got food poisoning from take-out sushi 2 years ago, and she still can’t say the word “wasabi” without getting queasy. And I haven’t eaten Chick-fil-A since 1993.

Still, I knew it was my duty not to give up, and I kind of gave up anyway.

I was just returning to my regularly wonky self when “it” came. That’s what we call it now. I got sick of saying her name months ago, and starting calling her “the storm,” which eventually morphed into “the thing” which is now pared down just to “it.” Anyway.

It spawned a whole new kind of news-watching — namely, cable news-watching. I’ve always kind of hated cable news, but after the storm, it was difficult to avoid. Having evacuated to my parent’s house in Nashville, we were living with other people’s television habits. CNN, MSNBC, not too much Fox News, thank god. It was the first (and hopefully last) time I ever really wanted to watch the newsreels instead of read them. But, well, our viewing situation was less than ideal. Since their nice TV broke three years ago, my parents have been squinting at a 13 incher that used to live in my teenage bedroom. Watching a great city tear itself apart is horrible on any screen, of course, but thirteen inches with the constant commentary of my well-meaning pops? I am forever scarred.

Since then, well, it’s about all I can do to keep up with what’s happening in New Orleans. And it’s all too murky and depressing to talk about with friends over beer on a Friday night. We do it sometimes, but after a while someone will say, “Fuck! It’s Friday night. Can we talk about porn or something? Anything?”

But I gotta tell ya, Joe Lieberman may have gotten me out of my funk. First, he loses the primary (wahoo!), then he threatens the seat by registering to run as a independent, thereby potentially splitting the Democratic vote. Who does this guy think he is?!

Even better are the reactions from the right, who as a group must be scared shitless right about now. All those polls that say people are fed up with the war in Iraq are more than just hot, un-American air. Dick Cheney says Connecticut is encouraging “al-Qaida types” by not voting for his friend. The Weekly Standard says Lieberman lost because he’s decidedly “pro-American.”

Is it just me, or do these guys sound decidedly anti-democracy to you? Are these the same guys who used to nail the left for not trusting voters enough? For being pompous? And now they’re criticizing an entire state for voting wrong? That’s rich, pals. But useless, because I’m about to get hopeful again and we’re going to kick your ass.

Posted by jackson on 12 Aug 2006
Filed Under: Politics | No Comments »