It is now an unfortunate fact that I will not be with my family this year for Christmas. There were logistical problems. So it looks like another Christmas in New Orleans drinking and then going home to internet porn. Did I mention that I�m an ordained minister? Hey, everyone has their own way of celebrating the holidays. I think a more accurate way to say that last sentence is �everyone has their own way of surviving the holidays�. I keep reading about how the holidays are going to really strain already stressed people of New Orleans. From the people I�ve talked to, it seems that the people that are unable to be in New Orleans are having a more difficult time of it. This may be because the people actually in New Orleans have their anger and frustration to keep us warm. No, that doesn�t really work as a theory, does it. Oh well. Either way, health professionals are expecting significant suicides this year in the hurricane affected areas. Having said that, if anyone out there starts drift into unhealthy thoughts and feel yourself loosing your tether to reason, please call someone and talk it out. You don�t have to call friends or family (especially since they may be fighting their own demons), you can call any of a number of Suicide Hotlines. For quick reference, a couple of the numbers are: 1-800-SUICIDE and 1-800-273-TALK. And there�s a website with more information here.

Sorry about that people but it had to be said. Now back to the whole Christmas thing. This weekend, when I get back in town, I�m going to get a Christmas tree. Then, I�m going to gather up lots of distinctive Katrina rubble to decorate my tree. The more I think about it, I�d like to just make a tree out of Katrina rubble but I�m just not that talented. I�m going to put it on my front balcony for the amusement of the crackheads returning to my neighborhood. Should be nice. I just want to give something back, ya know. So I guess what I�m saying is if anyone is looking for me over the holiday weekend I�ll either be at one of several bars I frequent or I�ll be drunken �Snoopy Dancing� around my �debris tree�.

Can�t wait.

**
“…and santa claus is drunk in the ski room
and it’s christmas eve in a sad cafe
when the moon gets this way
there’s a little blue jay
by the newstand
wearing red shoes”
: Tom Waits

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2. Our Lady of Lafayette tree-topper
3. The Holidays Arrive On Canal St.
4. Happy Holidays!!
5. uh, yeah, about that….