New Orleans has an opportunity to completely redefine itself in its architecture as it rebuilds entire neighborhoods. I can’t help but wonder how it will look. I hope that it does not become row after row of look alike, cookie cutter boxes. It would be nice to see some consistent design elements that could be used to define a 2005 New Orleans style, however, like Baltimore’s marble stoops or Brooklyn’s brownstones. A stylin’ town like NOLA deserves to have some thought given to the look, as well as to the functionality.

A lore, a story, a collective remembrance arise out of every tragedy. The politicians spin and the regular people struggle to make sense but the artists are the ones to help us make sense of it, to put it in some cosmic perspective, to examine it in a way one step removed from our own visceral responses and, in so doing, to find some equanimity. This is one of the finest pieces I have heard thus far.

So here I was getting all disappointed that I have not been able to find a way to get tickets to see the Dalai Lama, who is scheduled for a visit to Buffalo in September. Note to self: read the entire date. Who knows, now that I have an entire extra year to work on it, maybe a way will reveal itself.

I am feeling increasingly frustrated and powerless about political events from the shameful response to Hurricane Katrina to the lies about the war to the Mayor’s race and limited as we are to voting only on primary and election days. It sickened me to hear that a subsidiary of Haliburton has already been awarded a contract to do for the Gulf States what they have been doing in Iraq for years namely, stealing, so Mona Lisa and I have taken a small step and signed on to Habitat for Humanity. I have long been an admirer of the work done by this organization and not just because of Jimmy Carter’s affiliation with the organization, although his endorsement never hurt anyone in my estimation. Our first project was gutting a house in an industrial area not far from our neighborhood. It was a lot of fun and gave us a real sense of accomplishment. There were maybe 30-40 people in total but it was a big house and the dust was really flying so it is hard to say exactly. Next week we go back but I don’t know what the specific task will be. My money is on insulation.