Illuminati-R-Us

It looks like it's going to be pretty nasty...

I wish I had visited New Orleans and the French Quarter again, while they were still there.

Having gone to Tulane - New Orleans (Nu Awlins) is my second hometown. I love the place and I am pretty sure it will be there after Katrina! At least that is what I am telling myself!

It did occur to me that perhaps those rickety, paper thin, rat infested structures in the French Quarter are just facades...

Hasn't Pat O'Brians' structure been there since the 1700's?

You have to remember almost every structure in the French Quarter are survivor of many storm (esp. 1965) so any really weak one are gone a while ago. Yes - many of the building have false fronts for the older masonry inside. The oldest operating bar is from the late 1700's and was home to real pirates - it is really thick stone building.

FYI:

Just talked to a friend of mine from New Orleans (of course he is north of Baton Rouge right now) and it looks bad for us lovers of the French Quarter. It started flooding this morning (24 hours after the storm passed) in the French Quarter and the local officals are not sure why. The levy is still up but if it has sprung a leak that will be really bad (technical term: FU) since they may have to tear into the levy to fix it. The Garden district, form what he is hearing, has flooding and was hit hard. His house is up by the lake where there was a levy failure and he is expecting a complete loss.

You know the strange thing - my company does business with his company and he called me up to let me know that I wouldn't be getting my shipment on time . Who says customer service is dead in the US?

Of course I told him not to worry about it.

Our CEO just sent out a special email requesting our New Orleans employees call in to confirm their safety. The special phone line will be manned 24/7, until all are accounted for. Mr. Glenn Tilton said flights will most likely resume Wednesday.

San Diego has sent some Swift Water Rescue units out to New Orleans to help. These guys are firemen and EMT training to rescue people from the water using inflatable boats and, if necessary, helicopters. On the way in to work this work, they were talking to some of the team members in New Orleans who said they have been pulled back because those wonderful looters keep shooting at the rescuers.

This is just so damn depressing. I love New Orleans but I may never go back after this.