All I know is all I feel right now.

I feel the power growing in my hair.

Cat Stevens, Sitting.

Just thought I’d throw that out there.

What I did on my Easter vacation.

Download DSCF0086.AVI (about 2.5M)

<– That’s fifteen seconds’ worth.  Loop that about 8000 times or so and you get the idea.

 

Susan did almost all the driving.

I graded some papers.

The new flood maps are here!

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/hazard/flood/recoverydata/orleans_parish04-12-06.pdf

Almost as good as the new phone books.

With eventual certification in mind, FEMA recommends substantially damaged homes and businesses protected by levees elevate three feet, or follow what is shown on the current effective flood insurance rate map, whichever is higher. For those with substantially damaged dwellings outside levee-protected areas in these parishes, FEMA recommends what is shown on the current effective flood insurance rate map, plus one to three additional feet in elevation, depending on parish location.   From here.

But then there is this….

Gil Jamieson, FEMA Gulf Coast recovery coordinator, said if a homeowner can convince local planning officials to lower a damage estimate to below 50 percent, FEMA will allow the home to rebuilt without elevating it and grandfather in current flood insurance rates.  From here.

…which I judge as dangerously irresponsible.

Our house was originally at 49% substantial damage, according to the city.  Which is ridiculous, since the only parts left of our house are the cracked slab and the (actually okay and fairly new) roof.  We took pictures of our devastated house, like they said we had to, and then went through the tedious and totally pro forma procedure of getting our damage assessment raised to 51% — primarily in order to qualify for the ICC money that is (supposedly, we haven’t seen it yet) available.  But also in order to to TELL THE TRUTH.

Here’s the truth:  I’m not going to rebuild a house either to live in or to sell that will put the occupants of that house at risk.  I have been at that risk.  And it sucks.

My advice:  Don’t let the government fudge your numbers.  Mother Nature doesn’t like that.

Here’s the info that’s supposed to be the reason.

Some good data here, actually.

E.g., from here…

Table 3. UNDERGRADUATE DEGREES AWARDED BY ACADEMIC YEAR (94-95 through 04-05)

[Total over all years]

Comm/Advertistin 198

Comm/Public Relations 193

Comm/Comm Studies 176

Comm/Broadcast Prod 121

Comm./Broadcast journ. 105

Comm/Print Journalism 93

Comm/Photo Journalism 59

Comm/Film Studies 27

And here…

Table 2 Headcount of the Number of Majors and Minors by Class (as of February 23, 2006)

CMPR Public Rels 66

CMAD Advertising 49

CMBJ Broadcast Jour 27

CMBP Broadcast Prod 21

CMCS Comm Studies 18

CMPJ Print Journalism 18

CMFS Film Studies 12

CMPH Photo Journalism 10

But here, it seems, is the most important one.

Inside this latter table is the "Direct Instructional Expense per Student Credit Hour" at Loyola (see here) compared to "comparable" school means.

Based on this table, several programs at Loyola spend close to 50% more per student than do similar programs at comparable universities.  Those programs (in A&S) are…

Biology / Cmmn / Education / English / Math & Comp Sci / PolSci

***

Is all this enough to justify and explain the proposed changes?

In part, perhaps.  But, overall — nah — there has to be more to it.

What it is, and just what the deficit is/will be,  I continue to wonder.

Wham bam.

Father Wildes says this:

http://www.loyno.edu/strategicplan/letter20060410.php

All graduate students/all students should read this:

http://www.loyno.edu/strategicplan/plan.php

Of most immediate pertinence is this (taken from the link above):

Undergraduate and graduate degree programs (majors and minors) discontinued

• Bachelor of Arts
  • Communication sequences in Broadcast Journalism, Broadcast Production, Communication Studies, and Film Studies (Photo Journalism will be combined with Print to form Journalism)
• Bachelor of Science
  • Computer Information Systems
  • Computer Science
  • Elementary Education (and Minor in Secondary Education)
• Bachelors
  • Computer Information Science
  • Computer Information Systems Applications
  • Human and Organizational Development
• Masters
  • Communications
  • Communications/Juris Doctor
  • Computer Information Science
  • Elementary Education
  • Reading
  • Secondary Education

Modular housing.

Of all the potential business opportunities now available in New Orleans, I judge the modular housing market the best investment.

I’ve now got a brief list of things to look at here:  http://del.icio.us/dmyers/modular.

I’m aware of two companies currently building (or saying they are building) in New Orleans.

No shipping container things going on (that I know about it), though.  Too bad.  Some possible dome action, though.

And where are the flood maps?

Of course, everyone wants to raise their house eight feet to avoid flood map complications and/or actual floods.  And then the question:  "Do you want your neighborhood to look like a fishing camp?"  And then the answer:  "That’s what it IS.  Why shouldn’t my neighborhood look like what it IS?"

Yes, I live in a fishing camp that some real estate agents/contractors/builders decided to litter with floating concrete slabs that they then sold to all the people who didn’t have anywhere else to go.

And, actually, I don’t mind living in a fishing camp.  I just mind living in a fishing camp that the Corps of Engineers and other assorted government-supported falsities describe as dry ground.

Various things.

At the trailer camp.

First, they put up a chain-link fence with a single entrance/exit, at which, someone decides, a guard is stationed at night.  Then, sometime later, they strap green windbreaker cloth to the chain links.  Soon after, the wind blows and the fence blows down.

It’s certainly easier to walk over to the levee now.

   

   

   

I’m currently on a modular housing kick.

http://www.cusatocottages.com/index_content.html

http://www.hometimellc.com/

http://www.aidomes.com/

More later.