Imagine picking up a newspaper and scanning through all the stories on the front page and finding no reference whatsoever to Katrina, no reference to the Federal Flood, no reference to the so-called recovery.
Somewhere on the planet there are places where the newspaper is full of other stories.
I wonder what that’s like.
It’s definitely weird. I’m ready to come back.
It’s weird, yes, but also completely healthy and normal, and helps you to live a life free of the angst, depression, sadness, cynicism, hand-wringing and all the rest that comes with being constantly reminded (every morning, in print) about how messed up everything is around you.
Believe it.
It’s boring. Mostly, all they talk about is politics and Iraq. Apparently they have crime in other places, too.
I thought the crime was because of Katrina evacuees?
Seriously, though, I hear there are cities where there aren’t any piles of debris on the curb.
Wow, talk about blissful . . . I am in that otherworld now. In the States, news is entertainment ! Our local news is more immediate, it’s real news. Working hard on not caring for a while . . . it’s so different stateside! I am still just in awe, going to be flckring the normal for a change. Last time I left I did not want to take any photos at all. Now, I am so flipped out at normalcy I am going get a kick out of it. I have been in New Orleans w/o a break for New Orleans for about 5 months, that is too long. I do not want to go back to the apocolypse.
When Pensacola was hit hard by Ivan, it took two years for the coverage to fade away. It might be five years before we move on. The stories are endless it seems.
Of course, if we get hit again, then Katrina will probably fade a lot faster.
I don’t know, B. It seems to me that the problem in the this country is that there AREN’T references to Katrina, the Federal Flood, or the “recovery” in most newspapers.
And that there haven’t been any for YEARS.
Hate to tell you, but here in Missoula, I don’t know when the last time we ran a front-page — or even back-page — article about Katrina. Usually they only hit on anniversaries.
I hate those sorts of things, and whenever I leave N.O., I can’t wait to get back. I remember just a couple of months after Katrina being pissed off that in Omaha all the neighbors talked about was which grocery had the cheapest eggs. I’m sure people in Darfur feel similar.
When we landed in Indianapolis after Katrina and discovered our favorite NOLA weather woman, Crystal Wicker reporting on our local station, we were overjoyed. At the end of her weather forecast (keep in mind this was only WEEKS post-K) Crystal reported on a squirrel eating a nut out in the sunshine. This little filler piece went on for maybe a minute or so, which is a long time to watch a squirrel eating a nut. We were in a state of disbelief that a few weeks before, Crystal had been reporting on Katrina’s impending wrath, and that we watched her reports to devise our escape route (Causeway vs. I10) and suddenly there we were in the midwest, our house in New Orleans had taken 4ft of water, and we were watching her talk about a squirrel eating a nut. I really can’t tell you if I find it comforting or horrible.
Well, there is a WinJob Telethon on May 24th for Mississippi jobs, but that’s a radio story on MPB (Miss. Public Broadcasting), and a general LetsGoWalkinMs.org advocacy program for walking for health, and a Wolf Nic in West Point, Miss. with music, burgers, and hot fun on Sunday. Though that is a whopping $20-a-pop. I’d rather go on the Canal Walk. Too bad it’s a 4.5 hour drive & my almost-three-year-old son prefers to be carried.
Is there any pavement at all on the canal walk, Sunday?
More breaking news, speaking of almost-three-year-old son (Leroy)!!! Just two precious words can describe the situation: Potty trained! Easier travel if there’s an available road potty, or I guess travel with toilet paper or napkins…
Yay!!!
I long for the day that the recovery, both personal and city/area-wide are no longer among the first topics of conversation between locals. Every time I meet someone new, we compare notes. When I travel, though, it’s all too apparent that “elsewhere” has moved on. The people I meet usually give the usual lip service, but I occasionally meet someone who is really interested and upset that he/she doesn’t know more. And I rarely find anyone with a smartass or rude comment anymore. We’ve faded even from being mocked, I guess.
Ray is right, though. Everywhere else is still boring.
Take a mental vacation…..don’t watch local news, read local news, listen to local news for a week. Or two. It’ll help. While you’re at it, boycott world news too. The world is a ghetto. Until you break for a while…..then return and it’s just…………life.
I do a lot of business travel and I just love reading the local papers. I especially like reading the opinion columns and letters to the editor. It gives you a nice perspective of the local area.
J, I can’t imagine a Missoula newspaper talking much beyond hunting and fly fising 😉
Katrina recovery is the top story on the front page of the Chicago Tribune today. I feel morally superior to Missoula! (For once).
San Francisco’s Black owned weekly, The SF Bayview, has excellent coverage on Katrina. Unfortunately, it’s not very widely distributed, and SF’s Black population is shrinking daily.
The SF chronicle, as always, has front page headlines alerting the public to the box office income of Spiderman 3, the personal lives of American Idol finalists and the dangers posed by handicapped people who abuse their parking privileges. The Chronicle may be the worst big city daily on earth.
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat, which is owned by the New York Times, ran some articles on Katrina refugees who were helped by local charities, but that was a long time ago.
As awful as it sounds, I would be grateful for a local paper that gave coverage to a local crisis. The PD almost never covers the many real events and issues here. Instead, we get a listing of traffic accidents and residential fires. Local cops have killed half a dozen people this year, and all we get are reprints of department press releases.
The local TV station KFTY, just laid off it’s entire news staff and canceled all news programming.
Living in a city in crisis is hell. Real journalism and real community involvement can cool the fires a bit.