The Secret Life Of Plants

Ray Nagin has a big head, quite literally, especially on a billboard. We scrubbed down a school auditorium yesterday to be used in a press conference for him (he's tha maya) as well as Governor Blanco (sic?). As much as this put a bad gumbo taste in my mouth, maybe some kids will dig having a cleaner auditorium. I spoke with a sixth grader named Devante and the one thing he wants you to know about New Orleans is that "It's just so much fun." When I asked him why, he said, "My mom takes me lots of places." Believedat. Another kid said what's up, dude, to me in the car and asked if I had a grille while squinting his eyes. Sadly, I believe it's just the gold looking teeth that coffee has provided me. In a strange turn of events, I was really excited to be around kids again and I began to miss the little [ones] back at school.

Today, we worked with a ton of other volunteers and a landscaping school from Brandon, Mi-Ser-y on a park and playground in St. Bernard's Parish.

Extreme Makeover was there filming, which provided no shortage of opportunity for mockery and cynicism. The latter is their own fault though as they're not selling the true story of New Orleans post-Katrina . . . they're selling you Seabiscuit or something. Actually, the fomer is their fault too because if they're not there to be ridiculed then what is their purpose?

I believe Bikram Yoga last night really helped Dan with his anger issues as well as all of us. I've only contemplated my hips in the service of Pan and Aphrodite (and Prince) before, never in the service of Shiva and it felt quite nice.

There's a ton of cool people that I've met down here from ages eight to eighty and from all over the country. Don't believe the hype--even though the just referenced Public Enemy were pretty much right about everything, the United States is a great place. Unfortunately, there's not much cohesion here as far as projects and work building on other work but maybe it will get there.

Well, as fellow volunteer Mr. Rice (or as I call him, Mr. Rizcheck, I'm sure you can picture him now) said to me yesterday with bright eyes, "What does '3rd Ward Magnolia Bitch' mean?" My answer of course was, "Mr. Rizcheck, you're a big fine woman, won't you back that azz up?"

But sadly he did not.

-Matt

P.S. Also got to play quiet piano (aka bass) along to a Willie Dixon song at the auditorium. It was really nice to do that in New Orleans.