Hurricane Katrina

Leysia and I want to express our sympathies to those affected by the devastation left behind by Hurricane Katrina. We've been watching the story unfold on countless blogs and news websites and we keep looking at each other blinking in disbelief; the stories we've seen are heartbreaking.

I visited New Orleans back in 1991 when attending the CHI conference.

I have two strong memories from that trip. One was standing in awe watching it rain one night. The rain poured and poured and I stood there not quite believing it because California had been going through a drought at that time and I hadn't seen it rain that hard in a very long time. (My family moved to California in 1983 when I was starting my sophomore year in high school.)

My other memory was sitting in a bar on Bourbon Street and listening to a Jazz quartet that featured an excellent trombone player (I played trombone for 15 years of my life and so I support them whenever I can!). Sitting in the front row was an elderly women who was quitely enjoying the set. It turned out that she was also quietly waiting for them to finish since SHE was on next. She was the piano player for a Jazz trio (piano, bass, and drum) and she blew my socks off!!! She had to be helped up on stage but once she was seated behind the piano she was in control! She played a version of On Green Dolphin Street that had me near tears, it was so beautiful. Her drummer and bass player were no slouches either. They were two men in their 50s or 60s who had obviously played together for a LONG time. They were coordinating double times and half times and style changes without once looking at each other. They never missed a beat and the lady used that solid foundation to make that stand-up piano simply sing.

That particular memory of New Orleans has not faded after all these years. I can still see those players and I can still hear that music and I suspect I'll have that memory for the rest of my life.

Anyway, if you would like to help out, one of my favorite bloggers has compiled an excellent list of the agencies that need donations to help fund the relief effort. Please join us in giving what you can to help these people out!

Ken