The Great Invisible

i spent many days and nights in new Orleans, driving in over that beautiful stretch of water on that lonesome and goose bump bridge, or flying into the venerable Louis Armstrong international airport.

the soul of the people down there, the food, the history, music, culture, magic, is unequaled in this country. African. Caribbean, french, Spanish, Canadian, native American, etc. etc.

when Katrina happened my best friend was tending bar at emeril's and living in the French quarter. thankfully Mr. lagasse had all his employees leave well in advance.

i couldn't return to Nola post Katrina after what i had seen televised.

my friend and many others never were to return either.

a few years on the deep water horizon disaster occurred. the people in the deep south are so plugged in to their environment and nature that it's both a blessing and a curse. they work in, on, with their land maybe more than what most do up north.

the night this show aired on PBS i was watching closely w my sweetheart. simultaneous w this show was the white house correspondence dinner. CNN was airing a red carpet event for the occasion.

and somehow it just seemed obscene. i mean here was a show about a total disaster for many forms of life not the least of which are the American human beings in, on and around the gulf, and on CNN there's that incestuous event up north where government and media take the " gloves off" and masturbate and congratulate each other and go home to their penthouses or whathaveyou and that's fine but i mean,

there was this beautiful man in the gulf region helping to feed so many families still waiting for any respite from BP or the Gov. there was a deep mistrust of gov. and corporate interests there, as you might imagine. and many of the people of the region refer to D.C., N.Y., etc. as " the north" which carries with it a historic significance which may be lost on many younger viewers.

OK so 911, the financial collapse ( theft and bonuses for $ mafia), global climate change, Katrina, super-storms, Deep Water Horizon, Detroit bankrupt, California in drought, relentless war, surveillance, and just a growing gulf between the corporate version via advertising imagery and the reality that most people and families live is again becoming more and more obscene.

i watched a bit of the correspondence dinner coverage and it was fine. a laugh or two in good spirit or whatever. but not a whole lot of mention from the commander in chief regarding any of the above issues.

and... we get to spend billions more next year to elect another celebrity corporate spokesperson again.. or.. president.

to say i'm not involved in the political process is an understatement and untrue at the same time. my politics are where i spend my money, time, efforts, and in trying to be kind and helpful to my fellow citizens and neighbors and be of service when and where i can.

that's my political action. and so i guess is this review.

so, sorry for the soapbox, but was feeling like saying something about this PBS show, Independent Lens, and documentary. the real hope and change as usual comes from artists, writers, documentarians, and fellow citizens, not the garbage peddled by ads and campaigns.

and 1/2 of this country suffers from a form of Stockholm syndrome.