Japan and New Orleans

Dear Imaginary Friends,

I shudder with memories of Hurricane Katrina, while watching footage of the devastation left by the tsunami and earthquake this week in Japan.

There are so many parallels.

My father-in-law was missing for 3 days from his nursing home in the aftermath of Katrina. We were worried sick.

People rendered homeless, without safe food and water, separated from loved ones are familiar images from 2005. We are a highly industrialized nation, but where was the US government, in aiding its citizens? Things were handled so badly.

Even though it looks like Japan has done everything right, look at all the casualties. Despite their sophisticated warning system, they only had about 15 seconds to react before the waves and shuddering ensued. How much can anyone do in 15 seconds?

And now they face radiation sickness. I don't think their surgical masks are going to help in this instance.

One thing to remember is that nature is so much stronger than our relatively little bodies. And that water always wins.

This serves as a handy wake up call to all of us, to examine our lives and to infuse them with meaning. Make your life count for something. And live it large.

Your Imaginary Friend,

Patsie

More Brad Houses

Happy Colors! This Brad Pitt house has a ski chalet thing going on. All of the houses he paid to build are eco-friendly and low carbon footprint.
Cheers,
Brad's Imaginary Friend,
Patsie

The Designs Were All by Architects

Lower Ninth Ward Gets A New Lease on Life

Love,
Patsie

Brad, Take Two: the Before

The Foundations of  a Lower Ninth Ward House: what Katrina Left Behind, pre Brad

How sad....to come home to this.
Love,
Patsie

New Orleans, Chapter Two: Me and Brad Pitt

Dear Imaginary Friends,
Once upon a time, in 2005, there was a terrible hurricane that ravaged New Orleans, as well as Mississippi. The infamous Katrina wreaked destruction through a wide swath of the Gulf South...
The largest area of devastation in New Orleans lay in the Lower Ninth Ward, where houses were thrown helter skelter by the waters that burst through a levee.
The good news is, this area is back! Thanks to everybody's favorite dude, Brad Pitt, there are new affordable, unfloodable homes, built stylishly.
How could anyone that glam be that nice? Not only that, but he and Angelina and their cute brood own a home in New Orleans' French Quarter, which is so totally happening and hip.
My next posts will include more of his affordable housing. Plus one ghost of a former house, so that you can see the before as well as the after.
Thanks, Brad! Angelina is a lucky lady.
Love,
Brad's fan,
Patsie