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THE HOUSTON HOME JOURNAL
I '
• m
Mike George
Staff Writer
mgeorge@evansnewspapers.com
Disaster movies in
the real world
I usually stand behind what
I write in this column, but this
week I need to talk about one
time I was definitely wrong,
one time I misjudged a movie.
Stories of horror and loss
continue to pour out of the
Gulf Coast more than a week
after Hurricane Katrina dev
astated the region. Most
Americans can see with their
own eyes the storm’s impact, a
constant stream of images on
the nightly news of a city
dying. But beyond the count
less lives lost and the billions
of dollars in property washed
away, the storm’s impact on
the American character
seemed more grisly, frighten
ing and deeply depressing.
After the terrorist attacks of
9/11, the country overcome
with a groundswell of patriot
ism, bolstered by countless
stories of the bravery of ordi
nary Americans. Most of us
have seen pictures of the New
York City firemen who climbed
into the Twin Towers shortly
before they fell, or read about
the office workers who sacri
ficed themselves to help others
escape. In the media coverage
of 9/11, we saw Rudy Giuliani
and George W. Bush step to
the mantle of leadership easily,
speaking the words America
needed to hear in a time of cri
sis.
We can make no such claims
in the aftermath of Hurricane
Katrina. Instead of images of
bravery, we are confronted
with footage of stranded sur
vivors rocking buses to escape
the Superdome, of looting, sto
ries of New Orleans Police offi
cers who simply decided not to
show up to work and reports of
shots fired at rescue helicop
ters. Pictures of brave firemen
are replaced by an image of a
dead women in a wheelchair
left parked in a corner, covered
yet abandoned. After Katrina,
our leaders seemed bewil
dered, unable to connect with
the countless victims and
seemingly unwilling to lead.
After both 9/11 and Katrina,
George W. Bush may have
earned a legacy as a reac
tionary president, a leader
who ignored countless warn
ings of coming disaster.
Hurricane Katrina came less
than two months after the
nationwide release of Stephen
Spielberg’s “War of the
Worlds,” based on the novel by
H.G. Wells. As I wrote in my
review of the film, every disas
ter movie seems to suffer from
a type of pseudo-Godzilla syn
drome, where mindless, name
less crowds look to the sky in
horror at an explosion, tidal
wave, tornado, asteroid, etc.
After a moment of disbelief,
they turn and to run, like
mice, stomping over one
another and generally acting
like a pack of animals. But
although this staple of the dis
aster movie may be hack
neyed, it might also be more
realistic than any American
wants to admit. “War of the
Worlds” makes a disturbing
point that survival is more
important than fighting for
what you believe in, and also
suggests that all idealism
breaks down under threat.
From what I’ve seen in media
reports from New Orleans,
Spielberg’s opinion may be
prophetic.
In the days and weeks after
the hurricane, Americans have
opened their hearts and wal
lets to the crisis, but deeper
questions still remain. Can our
civility, our society, in fact, our
civilization survive a disaster?
Or will we revert to chaos,
becoming the same mindless,
soulless automatons running
wildly from imminent doom in
the minds of Hollywood film
makers like Spielberg?
Katrina’s aftermath did not
help our case.
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submitted
“Elmo’s Coloring Book,” a musical play featuring Sesame Stree characters will be presented at the Macon Centreples on Oct 25 at 7 p.m. and
on Oct. 16 at 10:30 a.m. and 7 p.m. This will be a Broadway quality production for children, with lessons about patience, cooperation and team
work, and will include such Sesame Street favorites as “Sing,” “I Love Trash,” “True Colors” and “Sunny Days.:
Tickets go on sale Sept. 19, and are sll and sls. They may be obtained by calling
Ticketmaster at (478) 752-1600. They also may be purchased online at www.tick
etmaster.com.
(To submit your event for
the Night Life listings, fax the
details to 329-1600, e-mail to
hhj@evansnewspapers.com
or mail to Houston Home
Journal, P.O, Box 1910,
Perry, GA 31069.)
Thursday, Sept. 8
• Jump Off Soul Thursdays
featuring Fa Sho,
Shenanigan’s Case, 1291 S.
Houston Lake Road, Suite A,
Warner Robins, 988-8252
• karaoke, Our Place, 2132
U.S. 41 North, Perry, 218-
2299
• DJ Oronde, The Ville
Case, 2607-A Moody Road,
Warner Robins, 918-0660
Friday, Sept. 9
• Butter Cats, The Ville
Case, 2607-A Moody Road,
Warner Robins, 918-0660
• karaoke (Dwight’s
Delight), Hangar One
Lounge, 120 First St., Warner
Robins, 922-1657
• Kennedy/Walker/Wilson,
Shenanigan’s Case, 1291 S.
Houston Lake Road, Suite A,
Warner Robins, 988-8252
Four student musicians to
play with Atlanta big band
Houston County CLCP
(Certified Literate
Community Program) has
announced that four out
standing student musi
cians representing high
schools in Houston
County will play solo with
Atlanta’s Les Still “Still
Swinging” Orchestra,
Saturday, Sept. 17, at the
Homer J. Walker Civic
Center in Warner Robins.
In its only fund-raiser of
the year, the literacy
group welcomes Perry
High School, junior trum
pet player Kristin
Moriarty, along with
Houston County High
School senior trumpet
player Jordan Wilson,
Warner Robins High
QUIZ
From page 8A
Georgia Geniuses
The answer to last
week’s question was that
President Roosevelt visit
ed Gainesville in 1938 to
ENTERTAINMENT
Furry friends come to Macon
NIGHTLIFE
Saturday, Sept. 10
• Butter Cats, The Ville
Case, 2607-A Moody Road,
Warner Robins, 918-0660
• karaoke, open mic, and
DJ requests with Jimmie, 8
p.m., El Cotija Mexican
Restaurant, 1291 Margie
Drive, Centerville, 396-6805
• karaoke (Dwight’s
Delight), Hangar One
Lounge, 120 First St., Warner
Robins, 922-1657
• Tim Chandler,
Shenanigan’s Case, 1291 S.
Houston Lake Road, Suite A,
Warner Robins, 988-8252
Monday, Sept. 12
• DJ Oronde, The Ville
Case, 2607-A Moody Road,
Warner Robins, 918-0660
Wednesday, Sept. 14
• DJ Bill Barker, Our Place,
2132 U.S. 41 North, Perry,
218-2299
• karaoke (Dwight’s
Delight), Hangar One
Lounge, 120 First St., Warner
Robins, 922-1657
• karaoke with Billy
School junior alto saxo
phonist Joseph Rimando,
and - back for his second
appearance in as many
years - Northside High’s
senior tenor saxophonist
Ryan Whitehead.
Showtime is 7 p.m., with
doors open at 6 p.m. Those
who arrive early can enjoy
a performance by the 30-
member Houston County
High School Jazz Band
under the direction of
Wally Shaw. Tickets are
$lO each, available at City
Hall, Warner Robins
Seniors Center, Street
Home Medical, Middle
Georgia Technical College
and the Warner Robins
Chamber of Commerce.
help celebrate the city’s
recovery from a 1936 tor
nado. Getting it right were
Terry Everett, Betsy
Bazemore, Laurie Jones,
William Harrison and Jim
Worrall.
Williams, The Ville Case,
2607-A Moody Road, Warner
Robins, 918-0660
Thursday, Sept. 15
• Roland Everett Fall & The
Lightword Band, 7:30 p.m.,
Perry Arts Center, 1121
Macon Road, Perry.
Admission: canned vegeta
bles, soup or stew (or $1 at
the door) for the Loaves and
Fishes Food Pantry
Friday, Sept. 16
• The Wall, The Ville Case,
2607-A Moody Road, Warner
Robins, 918-0660
Saturday, Sept. 17
• The Wall, The Ville Case,
2607-A Moody Road, Warner
Robins, 918-0660
Friday, Sept. 30
• Ceylon Blue, The Ville
Case, 2607-A Moody Road,
Warner Robins, 918-0660
Saturday, Oct. 1
• Ceylon Blue, The Ville
Case, 2607-A Moody Road,
Warner Robins, 918-0660
Subscribe
today
Call 987-1823
“Macon’s Premier Party Spot”
Live Entertainment Every Wed.-Sat.
Appearing September 7th-10th
RAIN
SSOOO Soaking Wet
_ T-SHIRT CONTEST r
cA &xts 1
MENS HARDBODY CONTEST
Every Wednesday |
4570 PIO NONO AWE. - MACON, GA
478-788-3000 - 478-785-3155
www.wliiskevrlver.lv
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2005
OVERTON JEWELERS
905 Downtown Carroll St. • Perry
‘ 478*987-1392 m
’ Providing 24 Hour\
Street
Home °
—Medical 1
MEDICAL EQUIPMENT SALES
RENTAL AND SERVICE
1544 Watson Boulevard 478-922-2889
Warner Robins, G A 3 1 093 1 -800-269-9335/
Psychic Readings By Michelle
Special $5 Reading With This Coupon
t 8 2320 Watson Blvd. !§®» *
■ Warner Robins, GA 31088 Bjjcf
(478) 328-2937
She does what others claim to do!
Call NOW for immediate answers about what the “future” holds
for you.
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One visit will put your mind at ease.
Specializing in re-uniting marital and love affairs, also
Tarol cards • Ora readings • Crystal readings available
Consult this psychic on love, marriage,
business and companionship!
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Special Appearance
Coming Sept. Bth thru IQth
KILLER BtflZ JK
“fls Seen On Everything” dA I
Also Appearing Thru Sunday
~ Steue mingola)
_ W Cover Includes Free Admission to
wifi % Whiskey River Night Club
WL\ 1 COMEDY SMORGASBORD |
1 llam-2pm Lunch Buffet
(Monday-Friday)
Includes Coffee or Tea
• Jewelry Repair & Cleaning
• Watch Repair
• Engraving
• Appraisals
• Estate Jewelry
•Class Rings
Hours:
M-F 9-5:30
SAT 9-3:00
9A
21712