dear america,

a little bit of advice for the rest of the country about new orleans refugees ...

- - - From columnist Chris Rose of The Times-Picayune (www.nola.com):

Dear America,

I suppose we should introduce ourselves: We're South Louisiana.

We have arrived on your doorstep on short notice and we apologize for that, but we never were much for waiting around for invitations. We're not much on formalities like that.

And we might be staying around your town for a while, enrolling in your schools and looking for jobs, so we wanted to tell you a few things about us. We know you didn't ask for this and neither did we, so we're just going to have to make the best of it.

First of all, we thank you. For your money, your water, your food, your prayers, your boats and buses and the men and women of your National Guards, fire departments, hospitals and everyone else who has come to our rescue.

We're a fiercely proud and independent people, and we don't cotton much to outside interference, but we're not ashamed to accept help when we need it. And right now, we need it.

Just don't get carried away. For instance, once we get around to fishing again, don't try to tell us what kind of lures work best in your waters. We're not going to listen. We're stubborn that way.

You probably already know that we talk funny and listen to strange music and eat things you'd probably hire an exterminator to get out of your yard.

We dance even if there's no radio. We drink at funerals. We talk too much and laugh too loud and live too large and, frankly, we're suspicious of others who don't. But we'll try not to judge you while we're in your town.

Everybody loves their home, we know that. But we love South Louisiana with a ferocity that borders on the pathological. Sometimes we bury our dead in LSU sweatshirts.

Often we don't make sense. You may wonder why, for instance - if we could only carry one small bag of belongings with us on our journey to your state - why in God's name did we bring a pair of shrimp boots?

We can't really explain that. It is what it is.

You've probably heard that many of us stayed behind. As bad as it is, many of us cannot fathom a life outside of our border, out in that place we call Elsewhere.

The only way you could understand that is if you have been there, and so many of you have. So you realize that when you strip away all the craziness and bars and parades and music and architecture and all that hooey, the best thing about where we come from is us.

We are what made this place a national treasure. We're good people. And don't be afraid to ask us how to pronounce our names. It happens all the time.

When you meet us now and you look into our eyes, you will see the saddest story ever told. Our hearts are broken into a thousand pieces.

But don't pity us. We're gonna make it. We're resilient. After all, we've been rooting for the Saints for 35 years. That's got to count for something.

OK, maybe something else you should know is that we make jokes at inappropriate times.

But what the hell.

And one more thing: In our part of the country, we're used to having visitors. It's our way of life.

So when all this is over and we move back home, we will repay to you the hospitality and generosity of spirit you offer to us in this season of our despair.

That is our promise. That is our faith.

(Chris Rose can be reached at noroses@bellsouth.net)

thanks mr rose, well said ...



... and to end on a music note, we have been really digging the new spoon album, 'gimme fiction'. the first cut just speaks volumes about the way we feel about going back to the easy:

(a bit of 'the beast and dragon, adored') ...

... now all i need is a crew
one that can act as if
one that can stay on cue
and sneeze and sniff
uh-huh, alright
i'm going back to the water
been landlocked too long ...

... we've been a just little too busy the past few to soak in this magnificent record. but now it is settling in, the scope, the intricacies, the grittiness and the granduer. what a blast! and we just love great records by a guy who does it all on his oddy-knocky ... the todd rundgrens, paul mccartneys, princes and others who just shine on their own, and this one of the best we have heard in ages.
(we dunno what it is about austin, tex lately. it is a texas town unlike texas, (more like new orleans west), and is yeilding some wonderful music. our two fave sons, billy harvey and spoon's brit daniels just keep us breathless!)

our fave cuts from 'gimme fiction' (via yousendit):
spoon - the beast and dragon, adored
spoon - merchants of soul
spoon - the delicate place

and in case you thought new orleans wouldn't get back to normal soon enuff ...
big daddy's is back in biz ...

and we knew bush had his motives the whole time ...
here comes bush's flood ...

and, you need to buy spoon!