Almost a year after Katrina, New Orleans Times-Picayune photographer John McCusker is so haunted by the devastation he photographed in the aftermath of the powerful hurricane that he attempted "suicide by cop" this past Tuesday. When the staff of the newspaper relocated to a remote newsroom in Baton Rouge after the New Orleans facility flooded last year, Mr. McCusker refused, instead swimming through debris while managing to keep his photography equipment out of the flood waters, and then took photos, some of which helped make the tragedy real for the rest of America. His heroic work has helped the people of New Orleans by putting faces with the stories for the rest of the country, but was the price too great? For months, he lived with the images of the misery he had photographed and with the reality of having lost all his possessions, his family home, and his neighborhood to the storm.
"In an episode that began as a traffic stop for erratic driving, the authorities say, Mr. McCusker was halted once, pinned a police officer between cars by backing up, then fled and drove into several cars and construction signs in the Uptown neighborhood before being stopped again and finally subdued with a Taser gun. In both stops, the police say, he begged officers to shoot him, telling them he did not have enough insurance money to rebuild his home in the Gentilly neighborhood and wanted to die." (Susan Saulny, NY Times)
Fortunately, officers recognized that desperation had driven him to what can only be described as a suicide attempt - by an admittedly unusual weapon, a NOPD issued pistol in the hands of an officer. Instead of killing him, officers took him into custody. As of Wednesday, he sits in a jail cell on suicide watch, under the supervision of a physician, charged with reckless operation of a vehicle and hit & run driving.
Louisiana's psychiatric professionals number less than half what they did before hurricane Katrina; less than 65 beds are available for adult psychiatric patients; no psychiatric crisis intervention unit was available to accept Mr. McCusker at the time of his arrest. His friends are just grateful he's somewhere safe where he can't hurt himself or anyone else instead of sitting in an overcrowded emergency room where the wait can last for days just to see a doctor.
I sincerely wish for John McCusker's recovery & perhaps even his return to the Times-Picayune news team. Even if he chooses not to return to news, he is a great asset to the city of New Orleans. We are all grateful to you, Mr. McCusker, for giving of yourself for us in the face of such monumental loss. We owe you a debt of gratitude which we can never repay.

To read the New York Times coverage of this story, written by Susan Saulny, go to After Long Stress, Newsman in New Orleans Unravels - New York Times

George G. Vest once said "The one absolutely unselfish friend that man can have in this selfish world, the one that never deserts him, the one that never proves ungrateful or treacherous, is his dog. . . He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. . . .When all other friends desert, he remains."
My dog Max has been sick for a couple of days now, and under the instructions of the vet, we didn't feed him for 24 hours. He could have all the water he wanted, but no food, no treats. Although Max is without fail very subtle in telling me what he wants - when he wants to go outside, when he's hungry, when he's ready to leave the park - I've gotten used to his signals. It tore me up inside for him to want something to eat and not be able to give him anything. He just had dinner though - something the vet gave us for him.
I worry too much about him sometimes. One time I even took him to the afterhours vet clinic because he was acting like there was something wrong and his nose wasn't cold & wet. Needless to say, there was nothing wrong with him. I'd be a neurotic mother - guess it's a good thing I don't plan to have kids.

Check out EepyBird's Diet Coke & Mentos extravaganza. The dynamic duo, Fritz Grobe & Stephen Voltz, uses 100 two-liter bottles of the popular beverage & over 500 Mentos candies, creating their very own (Nutra)sweet version of the fountains at the world famous Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas.
EepyBird.com - Extreme Diet Coke and Mentos Experiment: ""

On December 7, 1978, the 126 foot Falstaff tower weather ball went dark. The lighted sign sat atop New Orleans' Falstaff brewery, serving as a weather beacon to the surrounding area as well as an advertising venue for the company. Atop the seven story building sits the tower, vertically proclaiming FALSTAFF on each side with a sphere atop. This unique addition to the building was first lit August 1, 1952 at exactly 8pm with U.S. Weather Bureau meteorologist, the renowned and highly beloved Dr. Isaac Monroe Cline and New Orleans Mayor deLesseps “Chep” Morrison on hand. The folks at Falstaff informed the public that the tower's lights would indicate the forecast for the following day.
The ball would light up green if fair, red if cloudy, red and white if raining, and flashing red and white if storms were approaching. The letters spelling out “Falstaff” signaled the temperature; they flashed on and off if the temperature was constant and lit from top to bottom if temperatures were falling, and from bottom to top if rising. The lights served the people of New Orleans for twenty-six years until the brewery closed.
In early 2003, the tower had a brief rebirth when then-owner Mickey Boes turned the lights on again in an attempt to draw attention to the building, hoping to lure a buyer to breathe new life into the long-abandoned building. Future unclear for old Falstaff brewery Modern Brewery Age - Find Articles
Perhaps someone took the bait so to speak. In June 2006, Theodore “Tad” Mondale, nephew of former U.S. Vice President Walter Mondale and his business partner, David Miller purchased the building for $1.1 million with plans to convert it into 150 affordable apartments.
Mondale was attracted to tower for the same reason I was - the tower & weatherball fascinate me. Nested atop the former brewery & massive sign, the ball sits 250 feet about street level, and with its simple lighting system informs thousands of people how to dress for the weather. Luckily for all of us, Mondale & Miller say they plan to give the people of New Orleans this historic icon back. The renovations are estimated to take 12 to 18 months, with the developers hoping to breakground in late 2006 or early 2007. I'll let you know when I see the light.