LINES OF THE DAY

". . . But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." p. 15

". . . But we may want to keep in mind that deeds and words are not as distinguishable as often we presume. History does not belong only to its narrators, professional or amateur. While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands." p. 153

Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History (1995) by Michel-Rolph Trouillot

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Finally, A Report Of What It's Like Where We Are


And it is every bit as bad as our worst fears. Note this did not come from a newspaper or a city agency office. It is a private person who did a survey on foot and reported.

We're being left to twist in the wind, while uptown people are chirping the good cheer of having the day off and how they are going Christmas shopping.

What are we going to do ....

3 comments:

Eleanor said...

I am going to try and fight past your captcha another time. (I'm having real trouble with it. Maybe I am a robot.) (I just figured out what I've been doing wrong.)

Wanted to know how you were doing and discovered you are in New Orleans, which is probably better than lower Manhattan.

Anyway. I am thinking of you and New Yorkers. I am not liking global warming, and I do not like small government. Both New York and New Orleans need major infrastructure upgrades. Well, I don't mean to be crabby. Glad you are someplace with power. Eleanor Arnason

Foxessa said...

Thank you, Eleanor! We quite think alike in these matters too. :)

That we are spending the evacuation period in New Orleans as opposed to somewhere else is good for our frayed nerves. Everybodty understands exactly what we are feeling and knows all too well from personal experience how awful it is, how you can't even sleep, because you have no information as to what has happened to your home. Meaning, literally, where you live, not only the city in which you live. Our hostess only learned after several WEEKS that her entire neighborhood had gone under water. Nobody reported about her part of the city, known as Broadmoor, and nobody from Broadmoor, was able to, for obvious reasons.

Also -- this helps us keep our situation in perspective, yanno? We aren't in anywhere near as bad shape as she was. It took her nearly four years before she was able to live in her house again. It took months before she could even get back to New Orleans and start the ordeal of getting her house back.

Love, c.

Foxessa said...

Other e-mails from downtowners are beginning to trickle in, and all of them are the same, furious with Bloomberg (for blowing off President Obama, among many things), the newspapers and WNYC public radio.

One person in Red Hook says he knows exactly where Bloomberg should stick that goddamn crane!

Love, C.