| Greetings once more to one and all. Safely arrived in New Orleans on the latest leg of my American tour. Probably better not to go into the specifics of some of the things that I�ve been up to for so many reasons so, for the time being I�ll concentrate on extra-curricula activities: Kayaking was great. I haven�t hooked my laptop up yet to download the photos but once I do I�ll pop them on the website. Saw some excellent wildlife and the peace and tranquility that surrounded me was awe-inspiring. Hopefully the pictures will convey some of the serenity of the place. Animal Planet were coming to visit the exact same place (Crystal River) a few days later. That�d be worth watching if you ever get the chance. I also have to say something about the amount of flags and signs over here. If it is true what they say about Patriotism being �the last refuge to which scoundrels cling� then practically everyone here is a miscreant. It seems like every second house or building has a �God Bless America� sign and are flying the Stars and Stripes. The notable events that I have encountered thusfar are as follows: -I was watching CNN when President Bush gave his first reaction to the World Trade Center atrocity. At the end of his broadcast they CNN anchorman stated �that was President Bush speaking from somewhere in the United States. We won�t tell you where because of security concerns�. At that point I flicked over to BBC and its anchorman stated �that was President Bush speaking from Jackson Airforce Base, Louisiana�. Let�s hope that the terrorists watch CNN -A sign I saw in Florida read �God Bless America, Let�s kick their ass�. No mention was made of whom the �their� belonged to. -A sign in New Orleans written in letter 10 feet high read �Honk if you want Bush to bomb Bin Laden�. Presumably details of the noise pollution will be sent to George W. to demonstrate the popular support for direct action. -The President repeatedly called the work of the killers �cowardly�. Whereas the action was misguided, evil and callous, in my book anyone who flies an aeroplane into a building killing himself in the process cannot be accused of being pusillanimous. Bought a bicycle yesterday. I pushed the boat out one last time and bought a well flashy one. It�s got a full suspension and everything. I couldn't ride it home from the shop as it was on the other side of the Mississippi and you aren't allowed bikes on buses so I was asking someone from whence I could hail a cab and these 4 young men in string vests offered me a lift in their truck. I accepted reluctantly as they were quite insistent. The 100 mile an hour ride home with the gangsta rap blasting out while being entertained with stories of shootings that have happened to their friends while they watched was a treat as you can imagine. Still nice of them to offer. My other fun experience in New Orleans was getting a ride from a cab driver whose granny is a jew that lives near the synagogue on the Somerton Road, Belfast (very near where I was born). He delighted in telling me that "blacks, Mexicans and fags. As far as I'm concerned they're all guilty and should be locked up or sent back from where they came". 'Cause of his granny however I'm allright jack. Well that�s all I have time to scribble for the time being. For the next thrilling installment watch this space. Gary Sep 27, 2001 . |