How do you cultivate happiness in your life? I ask because I have not been terribly happy of late. A lot of things have me stressed out: law school, new environment, new people, social pressures, lack of funds and a broken computer… I have been thinking about when the last time was that I was truly happy. In answering this, I am reminded of the reactions I got to some pictures of me with my host family in Uzbekistan. People commented that I looked really happy; I guess that a genuine smile is really quite different than a staged one. I don’t walk around with a sour face, but I’m not the smiley chatty type - I find that very difficult. Am I driving myself nuts trying to be someone I’m not? Am I too worried about how others perceive me or am I right to focus on improving my outward demeanor? At what point does the effort become counterproductive? All these things have me a little topsy turvy. I miss the familiar, both places and people. I like to be on my own but need a network to keep me going. I feel insular despite my grand travels. I am contradiction, hesitation. So tell me, do you relate?

The President has declared an emergency exists in the State of Louisiana and ordered Federal aid to supplement State and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Gustav beginning on August 27, 2008, and continuing.

The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives, protect property and public health and safety, or to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all parishes within the State.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide, at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, including direct Federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding.

R. David Paulison, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Michael J. Hall as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected area.

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Here is my understanding of Title V of the Stafford Act:

Sec 501 - Declaration of Emergency
a) Governor must make request. Can make request when scope of disaster exceeds the resources of state and local concerns. Request must be specific and clearly state assets available. “Based on such a request, President may declare that a state of emergency exists.”

b) President may also declare such a state of emergency (minus the governor’s ask,) should he feel that responsibility for a response lies with the Federal government…

Sec 502 - Provision of assistance

President may:

a) order all Federal agencies to utilize all available resources (including labor) to support state/local efforts.

b) coordinate all efforts

c) provide assistance (this one is worth expanding… references another section of act - see footnote)

d) remove debris (I wonder if this is an oldie here)

e) provide aid

Sec 503 - Let’s talk $$$

“Federal share - The Federal share for assistance provided under this title shall be equal to not less than 75 percent of the eligible costs. 5 Million dollar limit which may be exceeded if President sees fit and reports to Congress

** That pesky but important footnote on what kind of aid to individuals may be provided

President may provide assistance to those unable to help themselves. May not discriminate against person / household with a loan out from the Small Business Administration or any other federal administration.

Housing Assistance:

financial - temporary housing stipends can be paid based on fair market value. Will also pay for utilities (except telephone service ?)

direct - President may buy or lease housing units and provide them to displaced individuals / 18 month limit excepting extraordinary circumstances / after 18 months, fair marked value can be charged for temporary housing units/relocation

owner occupied private residences eligible for repair and hazard mitigation services.

“may not waive any provision of Federal law requiring the purchase of flood insurance as a condition of the receipt of Federal disaster assistance”

Medical Assistance:

provide dental / medical / funeral assistance to affected individuals

Costs:

IMPT: Federal share here 100%

approx max $25,000 per person / household

at the very end, a bit about verification of use of funds (fraud avoidance.)

I’m still alive - in fact, I’ve been feeling very alive these past few weeks, so excuse the lack of postings. A brief update: I have secured housing in New Orleans; I will be sharing a small house about a mile from campus with two other guys. The process was not easy but it seems to have worked out well. I have met a wonderful guy, someone with whom I can be myself. I got to see a bunch of my very good friends in a special place. Not all is well in the world, but Fortuna’s wheel (too often down,) is now up. Any suggestions?

I returned from New Orleans early this morning not having accomplished my goal. The main reason I went down there was to find housing with three other guys. Although we spent an enjoyable evening eating and listening to great music, and found some very nice places the following day, I decided to withdraw from the group. I did not make this decision lightly. The three other guys (one of which I had met during the admitted students weekend) are all great people. My decision was based on a largely gut level reaction which told me that I would not be a good fit within the group. I discussed this feeling with some family and friends, and received reinforcement to trust my instincts.

This has been very difficult, but I am at the stage in my life (25 going on 26,) where I need to be entirely comfortable and at home in my surroundings. Although I am still trying to define just what that is, exactly, I feel like I do have a better understanding of what it is not; this, my working definition, is something I may not have been able to articulate a few years ago. I can only hope that those guys understood and were not offended.

Although it is a bit crushing to be nowhere further along tangibly on the housing front, I did get a better idea of what to expect housing-wise when I make my next trip down there to try again. Though I’m not yet sure what form my next housing attempt will embody, I’m willing to try again. I can only hope I “have right.”

I have been fortunate to have surrounded myself with people of good taste throughout my life; as such, I have gained knowledge of many things to which I would not have otherwise been exposed. One rather prosaic example is TV shows either from the past or that I have just not seen.

As a boy and teen, I would summer visiting my grandmother on the Jersey Shore. Gram was a bit past her days of swimming in the ocean, but had a membership to a wonderful beach club where I would pass the time riding the waves, working on my stroke, and yes, visiting the snack bar. In addition to this idyllic play, I’d spend the evenings in the crisp chill of her apartment studying my haftorah, playing with my cousins or watching TV.

As in most markets, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune were both on back to back. Although she claimed to be in for Jeopardy, we always seemed to settle into attention when the wheel began to spin.

Another classic was Hawaii 5-0 which pitted Steve McGarrett against various nefarious characters hanging about our most lovely of states. The arch-villain, the one to whom even the venerable McGarrett was impotent, was always referred to by Gram with reverence and hushed voice… “Wo-Fat!”

It was in among this almost maniacal reverence where I came to see the importance of plot, predicability and character. In this most American of mediums was to be found justice, growth, and perhaps even fortune. And as we read, did crossword puzzles and otherwise multitasked, it felt for a minute that we were wiser and that we had learned.