The joy and the pain of yesterday

August 25, 2009 will go down in history for a number of reasons, both regionally and nationally. But for me, it was a day I'll never forget -- yes, for some historical reasons, but also for some very significant personal reasons as well. For whatever reason, I feel compelled to share these reasons here, not because they have great importance to my readers (really, to either of you, I imagine), but just so you can see a human side to this profane, ranting DFH.

The most personal thing that made yesterday special long had been anticipated and didn't have anything to do with something that actually happened on that day. You see, yesterday was my son's 10th birthday. While I wasn't with Jr. (as he's known around these parts; he's the kid in the pool above) to celebrate it in person, I had spent the weekend with him and his sister, Jrette., and we had some great quality time together to commemorate the Big Day. Little did I know, however, just how emotionally draining -- and ironic -- this birthday would end up being for Jr.'s dad.

In the morning, I learned of the sudden death just hours earlier of a man whom I knew somewhat peripherally, albeit not exactly distantly, but whom I always respected highly and whose counsel and wisdom I valued tremendously during the years I worked with him. Dr. H. Douglas Lee (left), chancellor of Stetson University, had been the university's president for 22 years, from 1987 until his retirement just this past May. His presidency encompassed all the years I worked at Stetson, from 1997 until 2001, and I knew him as a humble yet very effective leader who always had time for a kind word or conversation for any students, staff members, faculty, and alumni whom he encountered. Known to all of us simply as "Doug," his unpretentious leadership style gave a character to the university that was uniquely his. Although I'd had no contact with him since leaving the university, he was just one of those people you figured would always be around and that he'd greet you with a warm smile and handshake anytime you returned to campus. Surely no one anticipated that he would die at 66, still vibrant and energetic and embarking so recently on his well-deserved retirement, and I certainly never contemplated that he would die in the same hospital where my son was born, 10 years earlier to the day. It's a shame for him and his family that he only had this summer to enjoy that retirement, but the university will feel his loss profoundly as well. But in a way, as far as Stetson is concerned, I guess he always will be around.

Just as I was reeling from the news of Doug's death, I found out that a dear blogfriend was hanging up her political keyboard for good. Sure, it's not as permanent or profound as death, but Scout Prime's announcement yesterday that she is retiring from First Draft leaves as great a void in the liberal blogosphere as any death would in its own community. I first got to know Scout (pictured at right in the white shirt, with her First Draft colleague and friend Athenae) on the First Draft Krewe's trip to New Orleans in April 2007, and I instantly was impressed with her devotion to the cause of recovery after Katrina and her understated yet everpresent anger at the Bush crime syndicate (my label, not hers) for their abandonment of that great city, which Scout, despite not actually moving there, in a very real sense had adopted as her own. Her consistently excellent and insightful blogging at First Draft and that of her co-blogger Athenae have served as models for my own blogging; while I know I can never touch them in terms of talent, they certainly provide a gold standard for which to strive. Scout will continue to blog about another passion of hers, biking, but I think I speak for all of us in the lefty blogosphere when I say how very much we will miss her contributions as a member of our community.

Finally, of course, the entire world was shaken today by the news of the death late last night of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), the "Lion of the Senate." While the right-wing corporate media reports predictably were saturated with words like "Chappaquiddick" and "Kopechne" and "lost 1980 nomination," the rest of the world that doesn't earn its living by pushing the radical conservative viewpoint mourned a great statesman, a legendary legislator, and a man whose own privileged upbringing never caused him to lose sight of the needs of the "common" people of Massachusetts and, indeed, of the world, who looked to him for help when they needed it most. In a lifetime of memorable statements and stirring speeches, perhaps none is more widely acclaimed as his address to the 1980 Democratic National Convention, when he conceded a bitterly contested presidential nomination to Jimmy Carter as excerpted here:

For me, a few hours ago, this campaign came to an end. For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die.

Our bodies may fail us, our foes may assail us, but our dreams live on. Thank you for your service, Senator Kennedy.

Many Americans will never forget August 25, 2009, if only for the loss of "Teddy." I assure you that I will remember the date as long as I live ... for a lot of reasons.

1773 Sere St., New Orleans: two years later

Since Miss July was busy all day and evening and there wasn't anything I had to do today that I couldn't put off till tomorrow, I decided to make a spontaneous day trip to New Orleans. In fact, I'm writing this from my table at lunch in the French Quarter. But my first stop in the Crescent City today was to a house that is special to me and some friends of mine, but which I'd wager no tourist ever sees.

The last time I was here was April Fool's Day weekend in 2007, just over two years ago, when I joined up with Athenae (and Mr. A.), Racy Mind, Spork Incident, dear Grandmére Mimi, scout prime, and others, all of whom I was meeting for the first time, to assist in some small way with the massive rebuilding process New Orleans then was (and still is) undergoing following Hurricane Katrina and the ensuing malfeasance of the Bush crime syndicate. So upon arriving in town today, I headed directly for 1773 Sere Street.

The last time I saw it, I was helping to gut it from the inside out (as part of a group organized by those horrible Communists, ACORN). Situated immediately beside the London Avenue Canal, the house was completely submerged when the canal overtopped the levee wall during the storm. I was profoundly moved by the experience, as I shared here, but I never knew the Rest of the Story. Until today.

1773 Sere St., New Orleans, and its Gutting Crew, March 31, 2007

I forgot my camera card that day, but Spork has some more pictures and memories of the house two years ago, as does Athenae. Please go look at them first before you see how it looks today ... when I remembered to bring my camera, my memory card, and extra batteries.

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For all pictures from this point forward, click on images for larger versions.

Today I went back to 1773 Sere for the first time since that day in '07. I can't even describe my feelings upon seeing the house as it is today. Here, let me show you:

Landscaped, painted, fully restored, and up for sale. But I didn't even know the whole story yet -- not until I met the owner of the house.

Bianca was heading out to her car when I approached and introduced myself. She explained that she and her husband, a local attorney, owned several properties in the area and were renovating them for resale. In fact, she had purchased this home from the people who owned it at the time we did the gutting work, and when they saw it after the renovation, they cried. It's that good.

Bianca delightedly explained that there was a contract on the house right now, a young family eager to make it their home. Then, to my surprise, she invited me to view the inside. Remembering how it looked the last time I saw it, I readily agreed, and we stepped through the door.

It was nothing short of spectacular. To go from moldy, rotten, well, everything to this was awe-inspiring. If you didn't know the story, you'd think it was just another modest three-bedroom house like so many others. But this one -- oh, this one does have a story.

This was my first sight upon entering. The wall to the right has been moved forward a couple of feet; it used to be basically flush with the doorway behind it. I vividly remember pulling out the walls and pipes in the old kitchen. And check out the new tile flooring! But, boy, does the kitchen look different now.

Did I mention that the kitchen looks different now? I wish there were pictures from before so you could see the difference. It's just breathtaking.


This is the Great Room or living room at the front of the house. The only things I really recognize from 2007 are the fireplace and the window (you can see the window and chimney in the 2007 pic above). I clearly remember ripping the sodden drywall out of this room -- walls and ceiling -- and taking it right down to the studs. Bianca said she and her husband essentially rebuilt the entire house -- and it shows.


Here's a look at the house (on the left) from a short distance up the street. The gray wall in the background is the levee wall at the London Avenue Canal, and the brown roof just visible above the wall on the right is the chapel at Dillard University, on the other side of the canal.


Bianca graciously allowed me to photograph her in front of the house. We may have taken the house apart, but she's the one who put it back together again so beautifully. This view of the house also shows the stonework around the front door, which Bianca said they pressure-washed and painstakingly restored to as good as new.

I've seen a lot of devastation still painfully evident as I've driven around New Orleans today; perhaps I will take some pictures to post here later. There still is a tremendous amount of work left to do and, indeed, it is not hyperbole to say that New Orleans never will be as it was before The Storm. But through the work and determination of people like Bianca, New Orleans is recovering, slowly but surely.

I rejoice to see that the work we did two years ago is turning into a pristine new home for a young family. And, after all, isn't that what "urban renewal" is all about?

UPDATE (10:28 pm 4/28/09): Too tired to put together a coherent post tonight, but tomorrow I will post some pics that I took in Chalmette, in St. Bernard Parish, one of the hardest-hit areas. It's difficult to absorb ...

I'll also describe what I saw as I drove eastward along the Mississippi Gulf Coast this evening, viewing the damage that's still visible all the way to Biloxi. (No pictures, unfortunately, as it was too late in the day to get decent shots ...) So, kindly stay tuned tomorrow. Thanks.

UPDATE (11:51 am 5/4/09): Whoa. I totally forgot to post the pictures from Chalmette and environs. Sorry. Will get to it ASAP, hopefully today or tonight.

Enough with mocking the teabaggers; let's mock the bigots some more!

I've had it with the teabaggers. I may yet post a few more videos and pictures, but they grow very, very tiresome.

So for now, let's have some more fun with those grotesque bigots from the National Organization for Marriage. Homophobia, like all bigotry, is ugly and sickening and divisive. But it does tend to make for good mockery.

Mmmm ... snarky.

(h/t Athenae)

Warning: this video contains me

Catching up on all things Denver/DNC between naps (thanks to CP, who graciously and bravely took my kids out for a few hours this afternoon). Keep checking back all weekend for more pictures, videos, and observations ... at least in my lucid moments.

Anyway, the lovely and talented Myrna the Minx of Reno and its Discontents captured me in all my glory at the Big Tent. And by "glory," I mean "sweaty, hairline-receding, altitude-enhanced stupor."

Watch the video for me, but stay for Athenae's part:

Hmmm. Needs more Athenae.

Be sure to check out RaiD (gotta love their acronym?) regularly as I welcome them to Blast Off!'s blogroll (motto: "Nowhere Near as Sucky as the Blog Itself").

That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said about me

From the lovely and talented Athenae at First Draft:

"To the Politico-taunting, security-line-jumping, snarking, cheering, bead-wearing be-political-buttoned Sinfonian, who lent me a press pass and said, 'Let's see how far we get with this.' If I had to go a mile high again, you're the one I'd pick to climb next to."

Does this mean we're in the Mile High Club? 'Cause if so, I wish I remembered it.

(And yeah, I taunted that smug fuck from Politico. And I'd do it again, too. Because they're all a bunch of ... smug fucks.)

Navel-gazing: the old media cover the new media

The most remarkable thing about the convention so far from this blogger's perspective is the degree to which the bloggers are the story. Here we are, alternative (or "new") media covering the DNC, and a good chunk of the mainstream media are covering us covering the Convention.

One example is the Las Vegas Sun, whose front-page (at least on the intertubes) story today is about us pixel-stained wretches:

These are the online liberals who, a few years ago, were like the boxing trainer who slaps his fighter around a bit, imploring him to fight back.

“The Democratic Party used to be afraid of its own shadow,” said [Markos] Moulitsas [Zuniga], whose Daily Kos blog receives 1.5 million unique visitors a month, with daily traffic matching the circulation of the Chicago Tribune.

This crowd is ensconced near the Democratic National Convention and brings a certain swagger to the week, a knowing confidence that the online world helped change the party and deliver victory in 2006. The big prize is now so close its members can taste it like the free smoothies and high-end hippie food being passed around in what’s called “The Big Tent,” a sly homage to a famous Ronald Reaganism.

[...]

John Podesta, once President Clinton’s hard-charging chief of staff, said he marveled at how much the online liberals had changed politics.

“Nothing gets by them,” he said, referring to their rapid response to news events and their attacks on Republicans. Back in his White House days, he noted, there were three TV networks and a few big newspapers to worry about.

(This is often cited as one of several reasons New York Sen. Hillary Clinton didn’t win the nomination: not understanding this new media environment.)

As for the [previously mentioned] swagger, Podesta said, “I don’t know if I’d say ‘swagger,’ but there’s a strong movement for change, and a ticket to get it done.”

"High-end hippie food?" Lunch was Chipotle burritos. Oddly, I never saw -- or smelled -- any hemp or patchouli -- not once. But then, I'm notoriously obtuse ...

Then there was the accompanying picture:

The Sun's caption: "Bloggers [Sinfonian], far right, and [Athenae] confer Monday inside the Big Tent during the Democratic National Convention in Denver."

Pro: It was an excellent editing/cropping choice to use half of me and all of Athenae. Also cool: including the increasingly popular (and someday ubiquitous) DFH sticker in the pic.
Con: Putting the words "far right" next to my name.

Well, guess it's time to get my swagger on again ...

(cross-posted at FPC Blog)

Sinfonian Around the World

I almost hate to tell you about this for fear it will fall through ... but assuming it all works out, I am going to be the subject of a segment on the French equivalent of 60 Minutes. I met the correspondents this morning at the Florida delegation's hotel, and they were so interested in what a blogger does that they asked if they could shadow me for a day at the Convention. I suggested they do so tomorrow or Wednesday ... that will give me time to think of lots of interesting things to do! Now, we'll see if they actually follow up with me ...

Also, Athenae and I were photographed for a story in the Las Vegas Sun. Stay tuned for that one ...

UPDATE (6:20 pm 8/25/08): Just did a video interview that will appear on Portfolio.com tomorrow. It was great because I basically got a chance to tell Wolf Blitzer that he's irrelevant.

Meanwhile, a few minutes ago I met Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), who was very complimentary of the bloggers as he toured the Big Tent, and right behind me right now is actress and activist Daryl Hannah:

Her manager (on the right in the picture, said to me, "Thank you for blogging." I think that may be a first ...

UPDATE (6:42 pm 8/25/08): Unbeknownst to me at the time, because I was too busy being a slobbering fanboy, Kevin Murphy of Ghost in the Machine snapped this picture of me chatting with Sen. Leahy:

Thanks, Kevin.

Blast Off! Radio follow-up

If you listened (and if you didn't, why didn't you?), thanks for doing so, and I hope you enjoyed the show.

If you didn't listen, you still can ... in archives.

Links and info from the show:

My guests were Athenae from First Draft and Kenneth Quinnell from the Florida Progressive Coalition.

FPC videoblogging from Denver is at zannel.com/quinnelk.

Here's a picture of the lovely and talented Athenae and the much-less-so me from North Decoder.

More info on the Big Tent, from which the broadcast took place, is at www.bigtentdenver.com.

UPDATE (6:26 pm 8/25/08): I went ahead and stole borrowed the picture of Athenae and me from North Decoder. Thanks, Chad. :)

Nobody does it better

With all due respect to the great Rude Pundit and other Icons of Incivility ...

I thought I had mad ranting skillz, but I'm nothin' compared to the lovely and talented Athenae at First Draft. Yesterday, she posted a takedown of Karl Rove's fat white hypocritical ass that ought to be packaged up and taken to the DFH Blogger Hall of Fame (Rant Wing) immediately. Indeed, she's an artist in incivility.

A sample:

And whatever the black hole polar opposite of backing your shit up is, that's what Rove has done with his Christianity, giving as I am the benefit of the doubt and assuming it's not one more pose, but since he seems to be having a righteous hissy about not being taken seriously, let's take him seriously, because that makes it worse, not better.

If you say you are a believer, if you say that to me, you'd better be ready to cite chapter and verse with your waking breath because it's not that I think it's easy, it's that I think you don't speak up until you know what you're about. Otherwise you're just embarrassing yourself, you're just wasting everybody's time. And once you speak up, once your words leave your mouth, then YES, you fucking kitchen appliance, the rest of us are allowed to look, to see, to comment, to say back to you, not good enough, F minus, try failing less, and come back when you're not so completely full of shit, and by the way, ask Jesus what he thinks about all the blood on your hands.

Go read the whole thing, and prepare to applaud.