Pelican Brief

Pelicans, Florida

Photo by Jack

Today, as I watched a flock of pelicans diving into the fish rich Atlantic Ocean at Tybee, I felt a deep sorrow and sense of loss at the thought of similar beings dying in the oil and corexit soaked marshes and sea of the Gulf of Mexico. I wonder if the Gulf Stream will carry the poisons this far away, around Florida and up the coast. It seems impossible, just as the vastness of the Gulf and the millions of gallons of poison are also beyond comprehension. The level of destruction of the wildlife and habitats and beaches is yet to be grasped by the country, not to mention the rest of the world. Only the first dominoes in a chain thousands of miles long have toppled.

Savannah feels like an outpost. On the way to Tybee, there are Confederate flags and signs mocking Obama and Hope. On the drive, most of the cars I saw were huge SUVs. The BP stations were brimming with them. The link below to Naomi Klein's take on the Gulf disaster is as foreign to the mindless people here as the oil itself is to the pelicans. And so tonight I dined on a platter of shrimp...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2010/jun/19/naomi-klein-gulf-oil-spill

I Am the Walrus...

Great article: Glad we are going there!

June 15, New Orleans Eco-Travel ExaminerTraci Claussen

I am the walrus...goo-goo-ga-joob

BP CEO should be dipped in oil 

Day 57 of the BP oil spill disaster. You know, the one which continues to rape and terrorize the Louisiana way of life, with absolutely no end in sight. Where Americans no longer have faith in the blah blah blah spewing from CEO Tony Hayward, any of his cast of characters, or even in their "quick guide to an oil spill plan" that includes of all things, walruses.
Sarah Palin Fact Check: there are NO walruses in the gulf of mexico. 
Thank god for Anderson Cooper. And for MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. Both refuse to let them off the hook the way so many others have (i.e. those who prefer to attack the Obama Administration) and both are actually reporting from the zone daily or weekly, the way no other news group is. Thank you.
Needless to say, those of us who live in New Orleans and surrounding area are beyond tired of getting dumped on. First by the BUSH administration during Katrina (HBO's Treme is spot on, folks); and now, BP with their classic lover's lies:
1. We won't GUSH in your mouth
2. We're CLEAN; we've been tested
3. The check is IN the mail
While this New Orleans Eco-travel Examiner would love nothing more than to review the latest greatest spot for you to visit, the truth is...New Orleans and the entire Gulf Region IS still one of the best places on earth. If there is a lesson here, let it be that those who believe New Orleans is just a great decadent place, where you can drink and throw your trash on our streets while your addictions are fulfilled before you return to your white picket fence, guess again.
Since Katrina, New Orleans has grown more eco-preneurs than any other city. The innovation available within our geographic area is endless. The history of our culture is one that unifies and grows in strength; we are an anomaly, from our immune systems to how we react or respond to what others dish out. We are a culture who takes care of those who need help. We are forgiving. We welcome all. And now, we've shown more than enough Southern Hospitality to one particular unruly guest: BP. It's time to kick them out.
If you or someone you know had a vacation planned along the Gulf Coast, KEEP IT. Volunteer to be part of the "BP" conspiracy "clean up" and experience first hand the power of a corporation GONE WILD. If anything should stop an individual's dependency on fossil fuels, it would be facing the truth head on. The BP oil spill will make it's way to a beach or water source near you, even if you keep your head in the sand because the estimated 60,000 barrels of oil per day gushing into the Gulf of Mexico is probably still less than 50% of what is actually gushing.
At a recent Pecha Kucha meeting, the Sierra Club posted a map that marked all of the active and pending oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico. Over 90% of the markers were off the Louisiana coast, and less than 50% of the income actually benefits our state. Yet, our state takes all the risk for the country. And New Orleans takes all the toxic hits from the Mississippi River that are dumped from up north.
Enough. Seriously. Enough. To quote Jon Goodman's character in HBO's Treme, based on local writer Creighton Bernette, "F*ck you, you f*cking f*ck."


http://www.examiner.com/x-15229-New-Orleans-EcoTravel-Examiner~y2010m6d15-I-am-the-walrusgoogoogajoob

Science Non-fiction

(photo: European Union Times)

It was Oscar Wilde who said that nature imitates art, not the other way around. As we watch the bleeding of the Gulf of Mexico, it is as if we are watching the disaster films of the past few decades. The blood of Godzilla is rising to the surface of the sea. An entire section of our planet is under attack.

Tonight I watched the film version of The Pelican Brief. It is a mediocre movie with hard to believe scenarios of evil and corruption all the way to the White House. The corruption is that of an oil company trying to do off shore drilling off the coast of Louisiana. The oil execs murder two Supreme Court Justices who would stand in their way in order to save the brown pelicans. Gresham wrote the book in 1992, and the president of the story is a befuddled fool in the vein of Reagan. 

Tonight I also watched about five minutes of Huckabee on Fox "News." Looking like Mr. Wizard, he showed how the millions of gallons of oil in the gulf can be instantly dissolved away by modern chemistry, if only obstructionist Obama would listen. We can solve all environmental problems with the wonders of technology and the enterprise of private corporations. Just let corporate know-how have free rein.

Are we on the "Eve of Destruction"? Is it the "End of the World as we Know it"? One source from Europe declares that it is the end of the Eastern half of North America:

Toxic Oil Spill Rains Warned Could Destroy North America

 Corexit 9500, the chemical of BP partner Nalco, is far more toxic than oil the article claims. Yes, the source is rather like tabloid sensationalism. Yet, we are on the verge of global catastrophe.

What will it take to wake us up to what is happening on Earth as we go about our greedy ways? What can wealth and power bring to corporate executives to compensate for their wanton killing of so much life? Do they not see what they are inflicting upon us? Capitalism is far worse than Marx imagined, more ungodly than any communist regime, if those who captain industry-- banks, oil, and endless profit --do not care, are unaware, and continue without arrest to pour filth upon this once beautiful planet we inhabit.

Paris and Amsterdam

Two cities that have enriched my life are Amsterdam and Paris. My first visit to both was exactly 40 years ago, the summer of '70. 

Amsterdam

Photo by Jack

Amsterdam

Darryl and I enjoyed this city of canals and cafes, bridges and bicycles, in the summer of 1993. Steve and David Killian joined us on our trip there, riding the scenic boats, walking the pedestrian streets, drinking Belgian beer in the cafes and taking in the unique night life. We returned in 1998 when Darryl played tennis and starred onstage in the Gay Games-- Amsterdam's biggest public event ever according to the Mayor. Our most recent visit was for Thanksgiving '99 when Mom joined us for a pleasant stay at the Ambassade. 

Paris

Notre Dame

Photo by Jack

  We love Paris in the Springtime, having enjoyed two merry months of May here in 1993 and 1995. We also spent a hot August, 1998 visiting Amy between stays in Amsterdam and Belgium. We visited Paris again with Mom for Thanksgiving, 1999,  having dinner with Amy at Les Bookinistes; and visiting the Louvre. On our first visit we stayed on the Right Bank with the Killian brothers, took in the haunts of cemeteries where Chopin, Balzac, Oscar Wilde, and Jim Morrison are buried, and experienced the leisure of afternoon and evening cafe life. We also attended the French Open at Roland Garros once as guests of Lindsay Lee, who played three rounds of tennis qualifiers before losing to rising sensation Amelie Mauresmo. In 1995 we stayed first at the Boileau near the Bois de B. When Darryl returned to the U.S., Jack moved to the Hotel Unic on Rue du Montparnasse to enjoy all the pleasures of the Left Bank, including strolls through the Luxembourg Gardens, followed by a trip to Annecy and the French Alps.

Some of our favorite places:

Les Deux Magots

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Where: 170 blvd, St Germain, 6th
Métro stop: St-Germain-des-Prés.
Open: 8h - 02h Daily; closed second week of January. Named after the two wooden statues (the two magots) which still dominate the room, Les Deux Magots is one the most famous cafés in Paris. Jean-Paul Sartre, and Hemingway were both patrons in an earlier era. Its rival - Café de Flore - is just next door.

 Musée d'Orsay

   Place Des Vosges

http://www.paris.org/Monuments/Vosges/