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 nightlife.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/ Le Marais Paris 3rd and 4th Les Archives Nationales A typical street of the Marais district Get a good start with morning croissants from the local bakery In just a few words : The Marais is one of the most ancient and picturesque parts of Paris, characterized by its unique 17th century buildings and elegant stores and restaurants. For visitors who wish to explore Paris on foot, this is an excellent point from which to do so, for the marvellous Marais district includes the Place des Vosges, Picasso Museum, Carnavalet Museum, Hotel de Ville and of course the Louvre. Neighborhood description: The Marais, situated on the Right Bank in roughly the 3rd and 4th Arrondissements, was once a marshland and is a quartier which has retained many of its tiny streets and hints at how old Paris looked. This area was once a centre of high culture. The center of the Marais, this is a lively neighborhood with a strong alternative lifestyle scene as well as lots of trendy bars, shops, and restaurants. The rue des Rosiers is a centerpiece of Jewish lifestyle in Paris and the Ile St. Louis and the Ile de la Cité are the oldest parts of Paris. Undoubtedly one of the most picturesque districts, the Marais a wonderful place to stroll. Fashionable bars, shops and restaurants line the streets. Here you will find the lovely Square Place des Voges, built by Henry IV. From 1832-48 Victor Hugo lived at a house at No 6, which has now been turned into a municipal museum. Today, the arcades around the place are occupied by expensive galleries and shops, and cafés filled with people drinking little cups of coffee and air-kissing immaculate passersby. A sweeter, quieter extension of the ancient Marais neighborhood which is centered in the 4th, the 3rd is possibly one of the best places to live in Paris. There are several good open air markets, a gigantic covered flea market, and lots of great speciality food stores, especially along rue de Bretagne. The main focus for contemporary art in France is also in this part of town, at the Pompidou Centre. The Pompidou Centre, also known simply as Beaubourg, is all about modern and contemporary 20th-century art. Thanks in part to its vigorous schedule of temporary exhibitions, it has become the most visited cultural site in Paris.The design of the Pompidou has drawn critical comment since construction began in 1972. To keep the exhibition halls uncluttered, the architects put the building's 'insides' on the outside, with each duct, pipe and vent painted its own telltale colour: elevators and escalators are red, electrical circuitry yellow, plumbing green and air-conditioning blue. The museums of the 3rd are among the best anywhere, including the Musée Picasso which contains both the master's works and his collections, and the almost undefinable Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers which has on display the first prototypes of almost every important invention, including the first monoplane, numerous artifacts from the creation of the Statue of Liberty, and of course, Foucault's Pendulum. The Musée Carnavalet offers the visitor a large collection of paintings, drawings, sculptures, prints and decorative arts on the history of Paris since its origins to the present time. Since 1989, the Musée Carnavalet has been considerably enlarged by the addition of the Hôtel Le Pelletier de Saint-Fargeau, the vast 17th century residence situated at 29 rue de Sévigné presenting the major collections devoted to the revolutionary period as well as works from the 19th and 20th centuries. Within walking distance: - Place des Vosges - Picasso Museum - Carnavallet Museum - Hotel de Ville - Louvre Museum - Beaubourg Center Back to map Under the archs of the Places des Vosges Open air Markets : - Marché Enfants rouges 39 rue de Bretagne. From Tuesday to Saturday form 8.00 am to 1.00 pm and from 4.00 pm to 7.30 pm (up to 8.00 pm on Fridays and Saturdays) Sunday from 8.00 am to 2.00 pm Metro : Filles-du-Calvaire - Marché Baudoyer Place Baudoyer Wednesday from 3.00 pm to 8.00 pm, Saturday from 7.00 am to 3.00 pm Metro : Hôtel-de-Ville - Clothes market Carreau du Temple - Rue Perrée Tuesday to Saturday from 9 am to 7 pm Sunday from 9 am to 12 am Metro : Temple or Arts et Metiers The Marché des Enfants Rouges The Pompidou Center / Beaubourg The Picasso Museum Good to know before you go Shopping: Shops everywhere take all the major credit cards: Visa, EuroCard, MasterCard, American Express. At each transaction, the sales person must give you a receipt which you should keep safely. Only cheques drawn on French banks will be accepted and generally proof of identity is requested. You can also pay in euros of course, although it is best to avoid the larger denomination banknotes. Museum opening times: As a rule, museums are open from 9 or 10am until 5 or 6pm. Others open later and close at 8 or 9pm. Closing day is most usually Monday or Tuesday, with a few exceptions. Some are even open 7 days a week, such as some of the major monuments which can even be visited as late as 11pm or midnight. Don't forget too that on public holidays many museums and monuments are closed. It's a good idea to check beforehand. Restaurants: In France all prices include service and taxes, with approximately 15% of the price corresponding to the service. However, if the waiter or waitress has been especially attentive, you can leave him or her a tip to show your appreciation. Around 5 to 10% of the bill is usual. Events in Paris: There are 3 specialist magazines that relay the full list of what's on in Paris in French. They are on sale every Wednesday in all newspaper kiosks and newsagents': Pariscope , L'Officiel des spectacles and Zurban . For English-speakers, try Time Out . The Carnavalet Museum One of the numerous art galleries of the Marais district

See also:

Paris.Org and

Paris.Net