new orleans

I have just been glued to the news for the past few days. Checking the Internet every few hours, watching the news channels in the morning and at the gym.

I've been to New Orleans a few times, and always loved it. Yes, it was actually kind of seedy when you scratched the surface; and no, I'm not interested in getting wasted on Bourbon Street with college kids. But still. The food, the music, the architecture, even the accent -- it is so easy to romanticize the place.

That place is going to be a mess for a long time. With Lake Ponchartrain pouring in to the city, I wonder if it will even be habitable. Those poor people up and down the coast who lost family, homes, pets. Not to mention the impact on the economy -- gas prices have already jumped and it is a major port for agriculture exports as well.

Sigh.