GulfSails

Kplus5

2010-08-22T20:13:00.002-05:00

The link to my new website can be found by clicking HERE.

A Howling in the Wires - Book Release

2010-08-03T12:42:00.003-05:00

Five years after the storm, I'm proud that I was able to contribute some of my writing during those crazy, dark days after Katrina to this book project. The book releases August 26th and myself and several of the other writers will be reading excerpts at Mimi's in the Marigny that evening...

A Howling in the Wires: An Anthology of Writings from Postdiluvian New Orleans

Gallatin & Toulouse Press announces the publication of A Howling in the Wires: An Anthology of Writings from Postdiluvian New Orleans. This collection combines the vivid post-Katrina experiences captured by internet-based "bloggers" from New Orleans--individuals who don't think of themselves as writers but who were writing powerfully in the months after 8-29--with the work of traditional writers. Some of those, like novelist Dedra Johnson and poet Robin Kemp, share their most immediate reactions from their own blogs. The book deliberately blurs the line between formats and focuses on cataloging some of the best-written and most powerful reactions of the people who experienced Katrina.

Editors Sam Jasper and Mark Folse are writers who turned to the Internet to chronicle their own experiences and reactions to Katrina and found in the months after 8-29 they were part of a larger community sharing the public and very private events of the period.
The book will be published late August, 2010. A launch party and reading is scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. upstairs at Mimi’s in the Marigny,.

Contributors include cookbook author and travel-and-sailing writer Troy Gilbert, poet Valentine Pierce, Professor Jerry Ward of Dillard University and poet/playwright Raymond "Moose" Jackson together with the work of bloggers who are by day engineers, teachers, geologists, computer programmers, bankers, and social workers but in their spare time writers of talent whose only prior outlet has been their Internet-based blogs. These works were edited minimally for basic spelling and grammar, mistakes easily made writing first hand accounts created under great duress, in an attempt to preserve the original "howl" of people who experienced these events first hand.

Editor Sam Jasper’s preface explains: "When we started this project, our goal was to find some of the best words that were howling in those wires once the wind stopped and the levees broke. We read through hundreds of thousands of words for weeks. Sometimes the pain in those words re-opened wounds we thought had healed. Sometimes the words gave us insight into another person’s experience and we were astonished by the nakedness, the vulnerability, the ferocity and often the defiance being expressed so soon after the event. Naked and raw and very, very public."

"These voices, oblivious to each other and miles apart, sing in pitch perfect harmony—a phenomenon only possible where truth is absolute. Stunned courageous but always in motion, the Every Man and Every Woman of these Gulf Coast narrations and poems lean blindly towards recovery and redemption just as they struggle to comprehend the enormity of what has happened to them. Here you will find no analysis ad nauseum, no academic dissections, no punditry or pretension. Just ordinary folks caught up under extraordinary circumstances, telling their stories in real time, absolutely in the moment—in grief, in anger, and—most miraculously—in good humor. If you only ever read one post-Katrina related book, and if you think you can handle for that book to be an unapologetically unfiltered and dead honest journey back into those dark days and months after the storm, this thin volume is all you will need."

* Louis Maistros, author of The Sound of Building Coffins

"A powerful and immediate look at post-Katrina New Orleans. Sam Jasper and Mark Folse have done a great service to America by compiling these early writings from the storm."

* Stephen Elliot, editor of TheRumpus.Net and author of The Adderall Diaries and Happy Baby.

"There are no better guides to post flood New Orleans than the bloggers who emerged here during the immediate wake of the levee breaks. What's particularly remarkable about these writers is that none hew to the snarky, cynical, superficial style found on most blogs--instead there is an enormous passion for New Orleans, real anger at its injustices and much needed rebukes to the received wisdom surrounding this moment of man made disaster."

* Ethan Brown, author of Shake the Devil Off and Fat Cat, 50 Cent, and the Rise of the Hip Hop Hustle

Further, copies of my released book - New Orleans Kitchens - can be purchased online as well as pre-orders for the upcoming release of the Cafe Degas Cookbook in March 0f 2011. Stay tuned for an announcement of another book release scheduled for the same month of next year.

The 5 Year Anniversary

2010-03-04T12:42:00.004-06:00

A lot has been accomplished five years out from the storm in New Orleans, but much more remains to be completed and even realized.

In the spring of 2009, I finally moved out of the FEMA trailer and back into my house in Lakeview. After wading through the perils of the Road Home program, I am pleased to say that my house which sat in ten feet of water for nearly six weeks is back and better than before. My neighborhood has seen the return of around 60% of its pre-Katrina residents and this is easily witnessed by the continued construction everywhere, but with my home now surrounded by three empty lots - the scars are also everywhere.

I have taken my energies and put them primarily into restoring Lakeview with a specific focus on West End. I am the Vice President for the Friends of West End organization and through this I've gotten the ear of several City Council members as well as a state Senator.

It's amazing that five years out and nearly every FEMA project worksheet for rebuilding public infrastructure for West End still is trapped in government bureaucracy - seriously not one iota of work has commenced. It made me laugh when media opined on how one year out from the federal stimulus package and most of the money had not been spent. Government moves like a toad - it's almost criminal.

Professionally I have become a full-time writer and journalist. I'm proud to say that my first book - a cookbook featuring recipes from the top New Orleans chefs and beautiful artwork from many established and up-and-coming artists - has finally been released.

Three other projects are in various states of production and the second cookbook of this four part series should be out in the fall.

I am also still actively covering the Gulf Coast's competitive sailing scene for Sailing World magazine - in fact, I'll be racing across the Gulf of Mexico in May from Pensacola to Isla Mujeres, Mexico - normally an incredible 5 day journey across a saltwater desert.

Cheers until next time.

Troy

New Orleans Off the GRID

2008-09-02T22:05:00.009-05:00

Word has it from a t-con just completed with Louisiana's power company, Entergy, is that it may be weeks before power is restored to southern Louisiana.

The Times-Pic has the following article posted regarding this.

This info below is taken from Entergy's own website and is pretty frightening. New Orleans is an electrical ISLAND:

- Entergy’s transmission system has sustained extremely severe damage from Hurricane Gustav, damage that could make power restoration a difficult and slow process, especially in southeastern Louisiana.

- The transmission damage across the Entergy system includes 191 transmission lines and 210 substations out of service.

- Entergy’s preparations made in advance of the storm to protect its system contributed directly to the power that is still on in New Orleans. Without the planning to isolate some generators there, this transmission damage would have interrupted power everywhere in the New Orleans area. Entergy’s Waterford 1, Nine Mile Point and Little Gypsy plants are now supplying all the power available in this area.

- Thirteen of the 14 transmission lines serving the New Orleans metropolitan area are out of service due to the storm. This creates a situation where the New Orleans metropolitan area and a corridor along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge have become essentially an island, no longer electrically connected to the rest of the Entergy system and the electricity grid for the eastern United States. This “island” is south of Lake Pontchartrain and includes Orleans, Jefferson, St. Bernard, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Charles and upper Plaquemines parishes, which are sometimes referred to as the “river” parishes.

- Transmission lines in the Baton Rouge area that are needed to tie the “island” back to the system are out of service due to storm damage there, which was particularly severe.

- Entergy is therefore continuing to carefully manage the restoration process in the affected area because adding more load could create an imbalance and trip the system, putting all the lights out.

- Part of the difficulty is that there are no transmission lines to the south of New Orleans area because of the Gulf of Mexico. Transmission lines to the north, east and west are out of service.

- Entergy’s first choice to relieve the islanding issue was to use its 500,000-volt transmission line, but that line is damaged at the substation and will take several days to repair. The alternate is to use several 230,000-volt lines to tie in the system. Several lines would be needed to assure the stability of the island and avoid an outage that would affect the entire region. Assessment continues and the time needed to repair the 230,000-volt lines could still take several days.

- Entergy has experienced extensive distribution system damage, as well. This damage will be repaired in parallel with the transmission repairs so distribution will be ready as soon as possible when the transmission system repairs are made.

- Entergy continues restoring service to emergency facilities in the affected area. Other restoration continue, but energizing of completed repairs will be delayed until the area can be tied back to the rest of the system. Continued bad weather also is preventing damage assessment by helicopter at this time.

I guess this means that the little two block area that I'm in is damn lucky to have power.

It also means that New Orleans is holding on by an electrical thread.

Post Gustav Flooding River Ridge

2008-09-02T18:51:00.011-05:00

A train of torrential rain slammed Jefferson Parish for about an hour and a half - about an hour ago. Normally something that the pumps should be able to keep up with. However, there are no residents here to clean out the culverts which rapidly filled with storm debris. Given one more hour of rain, this area would have been swamped. These photos are current. I've been going around and cleaning culverts, but it is a loosing battle. They clog back up in a few minutes.Keep the rain gods away.

This is what happens when you clean a culvert...

Roadblocks for entering New Orleans

2008-09-02T10:26:00.004-05:00

The map below lists the roadblocks for entering the New Orleans area until further notice. Source WVUE News, the LA State Police and NOYC.org.

View Larger Map

Boater Rides out Hurricane Gustav

2008-09-01T15:15:00.001-05:00

LEVEES.org

2008-09-01T15:00:00.000-05:00

and... More Streetscapes

2008-09-01T12:30:00.004-05:00

Been in a really nasty squall line training up from the South. Serious gusts moving through with sounds of trains and stuff coming up from behind you. Still remarkably have power and no street flooding. This storm, at least here, is way dryer than Katrina - and Katrina was really not that wet of a storm.

I've heard it doesn't look good further south of us and the surge has yet to work its way through our remaining vesitges of marsh.

Oh yeah, as far as those power lines you see in the video - I am definitely upwind of them. Still pretty freaky cruising the neighborhood though... I need a nap.

LAKEFRONT UPDATE

2008-09-01T11:14:00.004-05:00

All boats in the Municipal harbor appear to be fine although there is some serious rubbing and a few roller furling issues. Water is coming through New Orleans Yacht Club's Dry Storage area into the street (This is all behind the floodwalls.)

Captain Mike who is riding out Gustav onboard his 53 foot workboat is stating that the water levels on the Southshore of Lake Pontchartrain are already dropping with the clocking of the wind to a more southerly direction. POTENTIALLY VERY GOOD NEWS FOR THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL. As long as the new angle of the wind doesn't force more water up the GOD DAMNED M.R.G.O., which the FEDS have been taking their time closing since it flooded half of New Orleans and all of St. Bernard Parish during Hurricane Katrina.

I have some info regarding an Army Corps of Engineers request that I am trying to get permission to post.

Below is another video from the neighborhood... A massive tree branch fell inches from my powerline. All still good regarding electricity and zero flooding here.

More Storm Footage/Industrial Canal

2008-09-01T10:39:00.005-05:00

Video below of some fairly serious limbs that have crashed down. I recon-ed the neighborhood and there is still zero street flooding. No major trees down.

I'm kind of shitting my pants about that Industrial Canal footage I just saw on WWL TV. Here's the story from the Times-Picayune.

Lakeview Update

2008-09-01T09:59:00.001-05:00

This is from the Lakeview Civic Association.

I just heard from Sgt. Doug Eckert of LCPD and he said Lakeview is looking pretty good. He said there are branches and debris around the neighborhood, a few trees down, but no trees blocking streets that he could see. Power appears to be out. He has not had time to drive through the entire area but he did not see any significant damage to homes or businesses that he passed.

As usual, Doug, Greg Elder and LCPD are doing an excellent job of watching our neighborhood and keeping us informed of what's happening. He said NOPD patrols and the National Guard will be out protecting the area.

Al Petrie
Be Safe and Long Live Lakeview

Mother of ALL Storms

2008-09-01T09:25:00.004-05:00

The Mother of all Storms!

Gustav Videos - Big Gusts

2008-09-01T08:42:00.005-05:00

The lights are definitely flickering. I've probably heard about eight transformers blow so far. Entergy only reports about 92,000 people without power. Looks like Gustav is hitting around Grand Isle.

Make sure you check out the wave action in the pool on this one. Still trying to catch some of the serious wind gusts. Going to do some recon and looks like we may have an issue with a pair of doors to the house weakening.

Early Gustav with Video

2008-09-01T06:35:00.007-05:00

Well the first electrical transformers are blowing which means winds must be gusting to say 50 - 55 knots. The power here is still holding. When they blow they put off a crazy blue green arcing light. Doubt I can catch that on video. The rain has surprisingly been fairly light up to this point.

Most of these storms come through at night - so to have one during the day is a nice change.

As the light becomes better, I'm going to get a video of the wave action in the pool - pretty interesting. Also one of the dog trying to go pee out in the yard. She keeps trying to make a run for it, but then charges back from the wind and the rain.

While I'm uploading this video, the only thing that keeps running through my head is Mel Gibson in Braveheart screaming to his troops, "Hold. Hold. Hold! HOLD!" except I'm talking about the electricity.

I started my ice factory last night... maybe made about an extra bag. lol.

Twitter Gustav

2008-09-01T02:09:00.006-05:00

FYI - I'm mostly doing quick twitter updates (they can be found on the right hand side of the page) and will try and do some more in depth things normally.

As of now, nothing much exciting is going on weather wise. Most of the feeder bands have fizzled before reaching New Orleans other than the first one around 7pm Sunday. The neighborhood is nearly 90% deserted - basically exactly where it was for Katrina, until the onset of the levee failures. A couple of cop cars cruise up and down the street every now and then with their lights flashing.

As I stated in my earlier post, I still think this storm should only slightly effect New Orleans. However, it is astounding to watch the disconnect between the National and the local media. The local guys are all breathing a sigh of relief, yet the MSM is screaming hysterically simultaneously.

This will still be a serious storm down in Houma, Morgan City, Lafayette and cause flooding further to the northwest, but unless another catastrophic event happens - New Orleans should be fine, other than torrential tropical rain.

One final note for the night. I watched a local news video filmed yesterday of the head of the Army Corps of Engineers defending the incredibly slow progress on rebuilding Southeast Louisiana's levees. He stated, and I quote here, "You can't build a levee overnight."

Well, one lowly south Louisiana parish has and with no help from the Corps.

Gustav's First Wave

2008-08-31T19:17:00.005-05:00

First feeder band is coming through now. Nice wall of gusts and then the rain. It's now pitch black outside where a minute ago it wasn't.

Realized right after that I left my window down in the jeep. Then I spoke to a good friend still in Lakeview, she thought it was beautiful. I explained that she hadn't really seen anything yet.

The bottom photo is from the Lakefront a few minutes ago and is courtesy of someone from Southern YC.

GUSTAV THREATENS - I'm doing laundry.

2008-08-31T17:48:00.006-05:00

Alright, so apparently this storm is coming for my fair state... but guess what, I'm non-plussed. After going through the last five days filled with violent post traumatic stressful flashbacks, group therapy consumption and actually considering not staying for the "Mother of All Storms" - I am back where I knew I would be the whole time and really not at all that concerned for a rehashing of events from three years ago. I think Gustav is fizzling out... probably hit only as a Cat-and-a-half. Maybe two.

However, I am prepared. Cell phone, camera, generator, twitter, coca-cola ham, guns, coffee, a couple of cases of MRE's left over from the last event, and most of a case of Havana Club Rum (Siete Anos) that I smuggled in from a sailboat race to Mexico. My one concern is again for internet connection. I'm on a DSL line now, which is good because cable goes out whenever a crow sneezes in China and DSL has its own power source - but it is still a weakness.

Have no fear though my texting skills are even now far superior to where they were those first nights of Katrina. I even use punctuation.

Now I'm not really being nonchalant about this storm who's name apparently means "Staff of the Gods". With only about a month left on the reconstruction of the house in Lakeview before I can move back in, I'm pretty sickened to think that something could happen to it. For instance my stupid FEMA trailer out in the front yard getting hustled into the air by a strong feeder band and then dropped right through the new drywalls. That would suck. Tornados are also problematic.

I'm fairly certain that this will be a serious rain event, so street flooding in the chronic areas and streets will happen, but the house is five feet off the ground. Flooding was never a monster problem until Katrina. I also think the new gates at the mouths of the outfall canals that breached and drowned New Orleans will hold. There really shouldn't be a new need to print up sixteen thousand bumper stickers that say, "Army Corps of Engineers - We Put the Lake in Lakeview." Notice I only said New Orleans... because if that happens again, I'm afraid my city may very well be roped off before Obama sets foot in the Oval Office.

Issues for catastrophic flooding lie in the other Federally forgotten people and areas of this state where the White House lingers over drawings for levees and rebuilt wetlands. Why does that even matter you may ask? I answer, check your gasoline prices a week from now. Port Fourchon, which may be ground zero for the eye of Gustav, is where nearly 40% of this nations fuel comes through. Oh yeah, and Louisiana refines like 30% of all that liquid that gets most everyone to work.

Ok, enough ranting. Today I boarded up the house in Lakeview and then went for a nice leisurely drive through the city. It was pretty much me, the NOPD and National Guardsmen. Very quiet, and it brought back too many memories. Houses and businesses boarded up, leaves blowing into the empty streets, humvees, soldiers with M-16s on a few corners, skies filled with Blackhawks, reporters interviewing reporters - I kept wondering where the buses the cops commandeered and spray painted NOPD on to identify them were, the broken out store windows, the de facto military base at Audubon Zoo. All of it. It really creeped me out.

It's not that a day doesn't go by that I don't have a quick memory about something on some random corner from Katrina. A smell, a dark stretch of road where the streetlights are still out. But then, oh yeah, all I need to do to understand that Katrina still ain't over is to look at my FEMA trailer, the water lines that still reside on houses down the street from me, the fact that all of my immediate neighbors houses have been bulldozed and are now idle and empty lots.

But then you realize how much has come back. The spirit and heart of all New Orleanians who have returned, the young minds who have migrated to my city to help her renew herself, the open businesses, the fact that 47% of my neighbors in Lakeview have returned and have re-planted their gardens - it all helps.

Maybe that's partly why I don't feel overly concerned for this storm.

I think these New Orleanians, these Americans, have fought far too hard and straight into the heart of gross odds to rebuild a way of life for it to be so simply snatched away from us...

Well, the first feeder bands should be coming through shortly. Until then.

Update

2007-08-29T15:30:00.000-05:00

We are still not OK.

I've spent some time today re-reading my blog which I've never really done... It wasn't strange to relive those events, they're with me all the time. But what got me was reading people's comments. That broke me down for hours. All I can say is thanks to the many people who either posted prayers or thanks, and I will be eternally grateful to those individuals who came to my rescue, physically or mentally, in some small or large way. Thanks.

As far as an update, the book has been picked up by Gibbs-Smith Publishing and will be released nationally in the Fall of '08. Obviously I'm excited about that, but man do you have to learn patience in the publishing world.

I'm still writing for the likes of Gambit, New Orleans CityBusiness, Sailing World, etc. Here's a few links to some recent stories.

- A New Frontier
- Economic Boom Fails
- MRGO's Dead Zone
- Set Sail
- Dining With a Few Reservations
- Katrina's Marinas
- Nearly Lost, Not Forgotton
- Zephyr!

I'm also on the radio these days. I have a small weekly show, Radio Diner, reviewing New Orleans restaurants. Radio Diner airs on WWNO during NPR news on Thursdays at 4:45pm. You can listen live on the internet and they have a few archived shows also.

I'm still living in my FEMA trailer and, big shock here, have yet to receive any of my Road Home grant. With my house having rested five feet off the ground, I did not have flood insurance. Well after nearly ten feet of water inundated the neighborhood... I still wait in a trailer sitting in front of a gutted house. I always have wanted to live aboard a boat, I've kind of gotten my wish, but it is getting trying.

My neighborhood, Lakeview, is actually coming back nicely. In my block alone nearly half of the houses are undergoing renovation... trust me, that's incredible.

I'm still actively working on some projects that you can check out below.

- Ryan Finn Ocean Racing
- New Basin Lighthouse Rescue
- Renew NOLA
- ReLeaf New Orleans

I also have two large new book projects that I am working on. One will be a novelized version of the Regatta Diaries and the other is top secret.

All the best and until next time.

___________

Must Read

2007-07-09T14:49:00.000-05:00

Josh Clark, a local literary fellow and friend of mine, has had his Hurricane Katrina memoirs published. Heart Like Water is a riotous and tragic accounting of the storm and the aftermath of the Federal levee failures told from the point of view of the French Quarter.

Definitely an interesting read.

Still Kicking

2006-11-10T10:50:00.000-06:00

Because of a few emails and comments asking whether or not I was dead by hunger strike while protesting our lack of Cat 5 or even Cat 3 levee protection in New Orleans, I've decided to go ahead and post explaining the closing of the blog...

I understand I ended the blog pretty abruptly - in fact, I actually had no intention of doing so. But after the anniversary, I decided to take a short break, but then one week turned to two and so on.

I certainly have not stopped writing about the event though. My book, Chefs in Exile, is still progressing and I have magazine articles published fairly regularly - my latest will be in Irish American Heritage Magazine and Sailing World.

I am actively fundraising for the New Basin Lighthouse and am working PR for Ryan Finn Ocean Racing. Also, interestingly my experiences during Katrina and the aftermath are currently being studied by school children in over 17 countries through the One World Youth Project, which is a serious honor. My blog also actually made it into Wikipedia -- which is pretty cool.

I'm heavily ensconced in the Road Home Plan with the Louisiana Recovery Authority and I thought about restarting the blog with that whole process... but trust me it ain't exactly action packed... lots of waiting and patience.

My Lakeview neighborhood is slowly on the road back. One of the more surreal developments is the amount of homes that are falling under the axe. I can now sit on the front porch and see a few blocks away... quite odd.

My FEMA trailer is fine, though the toilet is broken... however fear not - the one in the house still works.

Cheers and thanks everyone.

2006-08-29T12:01:00.000-05:00

WE ARE NOT OK

8.29.05

Katrina +1 - WE ARE NOT OK

2006-08-28T23:59:00.000-05:00

This past year has been the most difficult and unbelievably life changing times that will hopefully ever happen again to me and the hundreds of thousands of other residents of New Orleans. This city that I love - that is my true love - foundered and nearly died. An American city was almost entirely destroyed.

While we have fought to resurrect this most unique place in the world, we've had to endure an almost constant barrage of criticism from the federal government and fringe lunatics, while trying to get the rest of the country to understand we are now forced to rebuild a city from the ground up - schools, electrical networks, gas lines, streets, water, sewage, restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, dry cleaners, businesses, individual's homes - everything. As I've said many times now, the storm was nothing. The aftermath was everything…

It is widely misunderstood and thought that New Orleans was devastated by Hurricane Katrina. Unfortunately, those terrible images of New Orleans flooding and the human suffering that occurred almost a year ago were in reality caused by human error. Hurricane Katrina struck the Mississippi Gulf Coast while New Orleans was only brushed by the storm. It is quite obvious as to where the storm hit - virtually every structure along the Mississippi Gulf Coast no longer exists, whereas New Orleans' housing still stands, albeit in a ruinous state.

The flooding of this great city occurred because of years of neglect, wetlands loss and faulty levee construction done by the United States Federal Government.

Today, one year later, one must still drive through miles after miles of devastated neighborhoods to get anywhere and I have to only step outside of my FEMA trailer and look a few doors down to see a home where two of my neighbors and their dogs drowned.

I paddled right past that home a little less than a year ago wondering then how many people were trapped in those attics or floating in their bedrooms like the two floating and bloated golden retrievers that I saw that day. It isn't hard for the littlest thing to suddenly spark memories of that time, and I am glad we are able to finally move past this first anniversary.

This has oddly been the best and worst year of my life. It has also been the greatest adventure of my life… even with all the pain, heartbreak and anger. I've learned a heck of a lot over the course of this last year, but I think the most startling revelations for me are how common heroism and the generosity of strangers can be.

The nights are still hard, but in the daylight, there is a spirit here amongst the people of this city, a will and a demand to survive this. We could all be morons for thinking that this city can be saved - but damn if we're not going to attempt it. If we do succeed though, we as a people will probably father an odd strain of human who will re-populate this city far into the future - heroic and able to withstand anything.

We created Jazz here once… who knows what music we'll invent after this.

* Update: I woke this morning with an ironic smile wondering why the big days in New Orleans are always on Tuesdays... Yesterday felt like some kind of dark Lundi Gras... and I laughed at how on Ash Wednesdays I tend to say Mardi Gras should not happen every year. Maybe once every four years... I never get my wish.

__________

Rising Tide/NPR

2006-08-27T18:41:00.000-05:00

One of the best takeaways I have from the Rising Tide Conference comes from listening to Shane Landry poingantly express his thoughts on Louisiana seceeding from the Union. Describing in no uncertain terms how the U.S. governemnt broke a trust with the people of this state and in his most powerful point, how no other place in America throughout our history has ever had to justify their existence to the rest of the nation, clearly reminds me of those early days post K where I was typing the same...

Maitri has the detailed breakdown on the whole conference.

Tomorrow I'm going to be interviewed by National Public Radio (NPR) from my trailer in Lakeview and will have a clear link to it here - but for now this is where I think it will reside.

_______

Are We a Nation of Bureaucrats?

2006-08-25T09:55:00.000-05:00

By now everyone has heard about Mayor Nagin's comments about the lack of progress in rebuilding at the World Trade Center site when pressed by a 60 Minutes reporter on the slow pace of recovery in New Orleans.

During the “60 minutes” interview, a correspondent pointed out flood-damaged cars still on the streets of New Orleans’ devastated Ninth Ward. Nagin replied, “You guys in New York can’t get a hole in the ground fixed, and it’s five years later. So let’s be fair,” according to CBS.

Let's be fair and honest here... To compare the excruitiating and horrible attacks on this country on 9/11 to the massive destruction that Hurricane Katrina poured onto the Gulf Coast and then onto New Orleans through this country's biggest engineering failure is completely misguided.

But with the amount of scrutiny and venom directed towards this city, our government and our people it is fair of Nagin to point this out. Why has nothing really been done to build anything on that national site almost five years later?

Where is the gumption and can-do spirit that built and made this nation great?

I see it every day on the streets of New Orleans in the eyes of her people who are down here rebuilding and trying to salvage and ressurect their city one house at a time. I see it in the flourishing grass roots neighborhood associations which have quite literally become the only functioning government on all levels. I see it in the thousands of volunteers from around the country who are still down here a year later gutting the homes of strangers.

Where did this disconnect that our government has from the needs of her people come from. Does this government of ours not understand that we are Americans battling for our homes and lives?

If not, governement at all levels had better get out of the way, because we New Orleanians are just doing it... with or without the bureaucrats.

__________

Liquor Relief for NOLA?

2006-08-23T11:54:00.000-05:00

Now this is what I expect more of from post K New Orleanians.

An incredibly worthy cause being propped up by a dubious challenge.

Absolutely cool.

_________

Eat Out - Help Save New Orleans & the Gulf Coast

2006-08-22T16:05:00.000-05:00

Through my work interviewing the top 30 New Orleans' Chefs for my upcoming book, Chefs in Exile, I have seen first hand the good that the organization Share Our Strength has been doing with feet on the ground operating soup kitchens, organizing school cafeterias and providing support for incredibly strained restaurant workers.

Help this organization to continue helping some of OUR first relief workers, our restauranteurs and Chefs, by dining out in many of your favorite restaurants across the country on the one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall.

Only in New Orleans could Chefs be held up as heroes next to the police, firemen, 82nd Airborne, National Guard, Coast Guard, nurses & doctors. Their continuing struggle to operate under extreme hardships deserves everyone's support and thanks.

Click HERE for participating restaurants in your neck of the woods.

Thanks.

_____________

Carefull not to Step in It

2006-08-21T10:43:00.000-05:00

Well K+1 is rapidly approaching and everyone from CNN to Discovery to your mominem will be airing some sort of Katrina anniversary documentary. The images and failures will again be plastered onto the back of America's eyes.

I only ask that everyone be carefull about what they wade through during this time... remember that most have an angle or a political bent and are using the Katrina lens to further something other than the real cause.

Spike Lee's documentary is apparantly pretty vivid, moving and definately a worthwhile watch, yet it completely glosses over the fact that Katrina spared no ethinicity or class. To hear it from Spike, Katrina walloped only poor black people while all the whites sat on their porches playing cribbage.

Then you've got the insane people like Charles Payne, a talking head for Fox who detailed how New Orleans is now a hotbed of dissatisfaction and anger at the Federal Government and as such is now a fertile recruiting ground for al Qaeda... yeah, he really said that.

So keep an eye out for the B.S., try and keep us in your thoughts and come on down and visit. New Orleans needs your tourist dollars more than ever.

___________
Tags: New Orleans,Katrina,Hurricane Katrina,Katrina Anniversary,Spike Lee,When the levees broke,Charles Payne,al Qaeda,CNN,Mississippi,Fox News,

Carpet Bloggers/Disaster Sycophants

2006-08-17T15:50:00.000-05:00

Open Letter to Know More Media & Chartreuse

Through emails and blog comments, Chartreuse and representatives of Know More Media have purported to have nothing but the best intentions on documenting the exploits of “Team New Orleans” as they visit south Louisiana to discover the “Truth” about these so called FEMA concentration camps.

Having received copies of similar emails over the course of this past year, including other even more horrendous and outrageous emails, many of us in the New Orleans blogging community as well as the Mainstream Media of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast have investigated these ‘stories’ and discovered that most were without merit. Many were in fact, and not surprisingly, complete fabrications written only to garner publicity for their authors.

For KMM and Chartreuse to think that it is possible to whisk down here and suddenly discover the “Truth” about these odious stories is almost comical. In fact, it is actually egomaniacal to think that “Team New Orleans” will discover in four or five days what every major media organization in the world could not, what the local Pulitzer and Peabody winning media could not, as well as the very active local blogging community.

Couple with this the fact that KMM's paid “citizen journalist”, Chartreuse, generally blogs about Angelina Jolie and other such nonsense and his New Orleans blog is simply a re-publisher of AP stories which are surrounded by personal money making links only adds to the general unease that is felt about this mission to discover the “Truth”.

Furthermore, KMM’s website, which they are trying to set up as a locus for “Truth’s about New Orleans” is also a commercial site. It is filled with nothing but links to KMM's other money making websites. This only furthers our fears that KMM and Chartreuse are going to profit by piggy backing off of these sensationalized myths.

NOWHERE is there any effort to guide KMM's audience, who could possibly be moved to action after reading these shocking “Truths” that Chartreuse plans to uncover, into the right directions to help the people of this region.

Those of us who live in the Gulf South, from Lake Charles to nearly Mobile, have been touched and can still easily be brought to tears by the incredible generosity of the American people, which we feel down to our souls. However, in this exposed and mentally traumatized state, we feel equally pain and anger as we’ve been forced to endure the incredible misportrayals, derision, and venom which has been directed towards us, our character and our community.

Trust me on this, we are in no state of mind to put up with even the appearance of war profiteering or some no one who suddenly declares that they will be our savior in under a week. Especially when a little investigative journalism, which would probably only take sending out a couple of emails to a few local bloggers and inquiring as to what they thought or knew about these outlandish charges, could have easily dispelled KMM's and Chartreuse's alarm regarding these myths.

If KMM seeks to be an outlet for a group who apparently desires to become the disaster sycophants of the blogging world – then more power to them – but DO NOT expect the New Orleans blogging community's blessing.

_______________

Invasion of the "Carpet Bloggers" Part Chartreuse

2006-08-15T20:33:00.000-05:00

I'm generally not late to a party, but let me see if I can re-cap and put in my own two cents on this dust-up.

As I previously posted, there is a group of bloggers from California and Tampa who are calling themselves "Team New Orleans", and who are venturing down to our tattered city to "discover the truth" about what's going on down here.

The "Team" leader is someone who calls himself Chartreuse. Apparantly one day his wife received an email from someone over at the ACLU detailing how life in a FEMA trailer camp was and I quote here:

Out of control... the complaints for racial profiling and police harrassment…are starting to take a more military influenced direction….the torture techniques made public with Abu Gharib and Guantanamo …are now becoming routine down here.

and

...they shut down public religious services and have to sneak in ministers and religious service providers to do private ceremonies in people’s trailers in what residents call the “concentration camps”, you have to show an ID to enter, armed (with machine guns) national guard walking around everywhere like it is a prison, many complain of having to pay the FEMA people for gas and water and other stuff they aren’t supposed to have to pay.

Sounds pretty terrible right.

Well the problems with this email are several. While claiming to be a "Citizen Journalist", Chartreuse will not provide any sourcing on, well, anything.

Secondly, that email goes into the bin along with all of the other myths that have propogated out of New Orleans over the last year. They're all bullshit. Or it's only an event which has been completely blown out of proportion ala "They blew up the levees."

Most of these myths have been properly investigated and finally put to rest.

Enter Chartreuse and his merry band of forthright citizens who all just so happen to have headshots and some of which are armed with highly dubious claims to New Orleans.

Outraged by this email, these posing 'rockstars' mercilessly tried to drum up funding for an excursion to New Orleans to uncover the "TRUTH" and received it from a business blogging company named Know More Media.

No big deal right. Just another media group coming down to feed on our decaying carcass.

Well here's the issues.

This "Team New Orleans" is re-sensationalizing old myths about New Orleans in the aftermath, which only deflects focus off of our real problems.
They've already generated some great publicity for themselves, something which they deny they are interested in, yet have zero links on their website for their audience to donate time, money or something as simple as writing their congressmen regarding the true major issues we have here in New Orleans.
They then pissed off the local blogging community who have been tirelessly working their collective asses off trying to spread the word about the predicament this region is in by blowing off our invitations to the Rising Tide Conference and then declaring that they are, in effect, bringing this new fangled internet world of blogging down to us backwards Southerners and will now discover the "TRUTH".

There are also a few more concerns that I have on the whole "altruistic" and "citizen journalist" aspects of their story.

For one, do a search for Chartreuse on Technorati and the things (tags) that he normally blogs about are as follows: Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, hype, money, music videos, pregnancy, sex, sexy, white girls and YouTube.

Not one mention of New Orleans or Katrina.

Next, do a search on Know More Media and like I said earlier, they are a business that runs blogs about businesses. In fact, they pay their bloggers, and as quoted from their website:

When we at Know More Media learned about Chartreuse’s commitment to send citizen journalists to New Orleans, we immediately knew that we wanted to participate and support this cause. So we committed the following... Paying the video crew to write daily posts about their trip, their interviews, their pictures, their observations, and publishing it on this blog.

And then finally an admission from Easton Ellsworth himself, of Know More Media:

We are a publishing business, and I think most people would agree that as long as our content is original and useful, it's okay to try make a few bucks with it.

At our expense Easton?

Did you try and make a few bucks off of 9/11 too?

You're sounding less and less like "citizen journalists" and more and more like Main Stream Media wannabes.

And to you Chartreuse... are you really doing this to discover the truth... or are you just getting your idiot name out there and getting paid while nibbling at our wounds.

Moreover, Chartreuse, do you and your "Team New Orleans" plan on gutting any houses while you're down here? Y'all working in any soup lines down in St. Bernard?

Wanna know more about NOLA blogger's reactions to this along with a few replies from Chartreuse himself... click here, here, here and here.

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Invasion of the "Carpet Bloggers"

2006-08-15T12:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I became aware of a group out of Orange County, California that has decided that they will become the true "citizen journalists" (read bloggers) for New Orleans - not in her recovery - but in investigating the "truth" behind the wild allegations and myths that have surrounded this city since the storm.

They have stated that they will bring to light the horrible truth behind the FEMA concentration camps that are running throughout this state. Evil places where church services must be held in secret inside FEMA trailers and where these displaced New Orleanians have been forced to create an underground railroad for gasoline and baby formula.

I'm sorry, but these people want to make me puke and as such, I won't even give out their link.

What's even more outrageous is that this is what their own website states:

While we are seeking to find truth about what happened and what is happening in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, we realize that we are not on the ground living it. To find the true story about what is happening, we suggest you read some of the local New Orleans blogs and podcasts.

No kidding. Who would know better... people who's feet have been on the ground since before the storm? People who are native New Orleanians? Or some business blog company who primarily pays people to blog about accounting, industry verticals and business travel?

The first thing I did after hearing about these twats was to contact Maitri over at VatulBlog and ask her what her thoughts were on this and she provided me with some background on several highly respected NOLA blogger's communications with these people - basically they refused to respond to even the most basic and friendly of emails. They even declined to join this community in participating in the "Rising Tide Conference".

Anyway, Maitri put it best by calling these people "Carpet Bloggers" and it makes me sick that they are being paid to come down here and conduct so called "citizen journalism" while in reality, all they are trying to do is make money by further sensationalizing New Orleans post-K myths.

Unless, of course, they finally figure out who blew up the levees...

________________

As Valuable as Cattle?

2006-08-14T14:21:00.000-05:00

Charles C. Mann has penned for Forbes one of the most incisive and illuminating articles regarding the current status of the "rebuilding" of New Orleans and the levees.

It holds zero punches and is an absolute must read.

The Long, Strange Resurrection of New Orleans

_________________

Blogging at the Breach

2006-08-10T13:23:00.000-05:00

or one of them at least...

The weekend before the anniversary of New Orleans' levee breaches, there will be a conference put together by several top notch NOLA bloggers. The plan is "to dispel myths, promote facts, share personal testimonies, highlight progress and regress, discuss recovery ideas, and promote sound policies at all levels. We aim to be a 'real life' demonstration of internet activism as the nation prepares to mark the one year anniversary of a massive natural disaster followed by governmental failures on a similar scale." MORE INFO ON RISING TIDE.

Really I think it's only a reason for all of us to get together and booze.

Actually, I think that's all this entire city is going to be doing. We're apparantly all going insane down here.

Even a Times-Picayune photographer tried to committ suicide by cop the other day.

Don't believe me... read on.

From the Times-Pic:

Stress is keeping law enforcement officers in New Orleans and neighboring Jefferson Parish busy these days, as they answer many more calls than before the storm for domestic abuse, drunkenness and fights. Involuntary commitments to mental hospitals are up from last year, and suicides in Orleans Parish have tripled since Katrina.

And from James Gill:

Those citizens who did return are disproportionately bananas, but they don't even know it. The journal article quotes a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey that revealed 26 percent of returning evacuees thought at least one of their family members needed "mental health counseling."

Analysts concluded that half the respondents themselves had "a possible need for mental health assistance," and 33 percent a 'probable need.'

And here's the link for the American Medical Associations article on how we're all going crazy...

or you can just go back through my archives and read everything I've written since the storm made landfall and see for yourself how I for one definately need some counseling.

Cheers.

_________

National Katrina Poll

2006-08-08T19:15:00.000-05:00

The Kaiser Family Foundation conducted a national poll that was released today on the nation's attitudes towards Hurricane Katrina, the aftermath and the status of New Orleans in general.

The full PDF can be viewed by following this link, otherwise here are some of the results:

• How often do you think about Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath?

Very often: 20%
Somewhat Often: 40%
Not Too Often: 29%
Not At All: 11%
Don't Know: 1%

• Do you think that by now, most people affected by Hurricane Katrina have gotten the help they need with housing, health care, and restoring their lives, or do you think that most people affected by the hurricane have NOT gotten the help they need?

Most have NOT gotten the help that they need: 70%
Most have gotten the help that they need: 23%
Don't know: 7%

• Do you think that the state and local governments in the areas affected by Hurricane Katrina have gotten the help they need from the federal government to restore services and infrastructure, or do you think the federal government has NOT done enough to help state and local governments in the affected areas?

The Federal Government has NOT done enough to help: 56%
State & Local Governments have gotten the help they need: 30%
Don't know: 15%

• Now thinking specifically about New Orleans, which of the following do you think best describes the situation in New Orleans today?

The city is still in crisis and not functioning well: 30%
There is still major work to be done to get the city up and running: 52%
There is some work to be done, but most people are back to their normal lives: 11%
Things are back to normal: 2%
Don't know: 5%

Maybe the only people with Katrina fatigue are the national media, the Federal Government and, of course, all of us down here in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast.

__________

Main Stream Media Shelacking

2006-08-08T08:28:00.000-05:00

A native New Orleanian at the University of Tennessee is researching the impact, sourcing and availability (or lack thereof) of information before, during and after the storm on Hurricane Katrina survivors.

This short survey is completely anonymous and will help further our understanding of how the Main Stream Media are a bunch of goofballs. I mean if they can't even tell us correctly about which neighborhood they are in in New Orleans, how can they possibly properly convey the news from warzones or foreign governments?

If you want to take a moment to fill this out, follow this link.

__________

Progress?

2006-08-02T11:10:00.000-05:00

Yesterday in my humble duties as the block Captain for the two block area of my Lakeview neighborhood, I went house to house conducting a superficial property survey. Here are a few of the basic results for the two block area that I surveyed:

• Total Homes: 22
• Number which flooded: 22 - (100%)
• Houses gutted: 15 - (68%)
• Houses not gutted: 7 - (31%)
• Houses under repair: 4 - (18%)
• Houses for sale: 8 - (36%)
• Residents Occupying: 3 - (13%)

Pretty depressing numbers, but as I've stated all along - Lakeview will come back - not only because of the strong ties we have to that neighborhood, but also because of the ease of which one can make groceries and buy gas and such in neighboring Jefferson Parish.

__________

How to Commemorate Katrina

2006-08-01T09:52:00.000-05:00

There's been a lot of bad ideas thrown out there so far on how to mark this upcoming one year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina striking the Gulf Coast - the worst of which so far is fireworks - that I feel obliged to add my two or three cents to this debate.

I woke this morning thinking that New Orleans shouldn't mark the anniversary of Katrina's landfall at all, that that should be left to places like the Mississippi Gulf Coast and St. Bernard Parish... New Orleans should mark the moments that the levees failed.

I then came to the conclusion that this idea was probably a non-starter considering all of the national and international media will probably be gone the next day anyway.

So based on that, I guess we have to join in on that date.

Because these markings of historic times are by definition symbolic, how better than to use the biggest symbol of the suffering caused by the levee breaches - New Orleanians.

I say New Orleanians of all stripes should on that day walk to your nearest levee and stand hand in hand til we encircle the city. Those areas that were breached will suddenly be highlighted by the breaks in the human link where those levees busted on that day and are now supposedly being repaired.

__________

Lakeview Block Captain

2006-07-30T20:17:00.000-05:00

A few days ago I visited the Lakeview Civic Associations website and noted that one of the few blocks in my neighborhood without a block captain was mine. I signed up and was immediately forwarded two surveys that seek to detail my block.

Pretty interesting stuff... The first asks me to list each address and note the following for the 14 homes on my street:

• House appears to be under repair: 4
• House is gutted: 11
• House is not gutted: 3
• House is for sale: 2
• House has a FEMA trailer: 1
• Residents occupy home: 2
• House has a swimming pool requiring mosquito control: 0

The second survey is much more indepth and asks me to detail issues such as sidewalks, water lines, road issues, street lights, street signs, flooded out cars, fire hydrants, catch basins and dead trees. I'm going to go out and do this one tomorrow.

In another interesting side note, our new yellow pages came out the other day and I immediately remarked to a friend of mine that next year - it's going to be half of the size of the current one.

Now if that's not a tell.

____________

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly

2006-07-23T14:15:00.000-05:00

I suppose that we can say progress is happening in New Orleans with respect to the fact that the news coming from different parts of the city isn't always all bad.

The Good: An enterprising cadre of twentysomethings have been moving into the city in order to be part of the greatest rebuilding of a city since World War II.

The Good x2: The Share our Strength organization has been johnny on the spot in New Orleans and especially St. Bernard parish helping to feed people and revitalize the Southeast Louisiana culinary world. On the one year anniversary of Katrina, you can help support S.O.S. by dining out in some of your favorite restaurants around the country.

The Bad: The public information war is heating up between the Louisiana Attorney General and the two nurses and one doctor who allegedly provided mercy killings to four patients in the darkest days of the aftermath. Hey Foti - why not go after the Army Corps of Engineers' feat of mass murder that was committed on New Orleanians after their oh so heralded levees broke?

The Ugly: Pretty disturbing news that if you have a loved one die in New Orleans these days, the family must dig the grave themselves. With the incredible shortfall of labor still existing, this is just another indignation that we must learn to live with.

I don't know... that last one pretty much neuters any good news from the last month.

Anyway, as we approach the one year anniversary and my 200,000 visitor to this blog, I'm going to be posting some pretty interesting stuff including some of the amazing emails that I received from total strangers from around the world during those first few weeks after the hurricane, as well as some unreleased photographs from that time and a few surprises.

Stay tuned.

_________

Blocking Offshore Oil Leases

2006-07-21T12:37:00.000-05:00

Gov. Blanco has finally played her best card in Louisiana's campaign to receive this state's fair share of revenues from oil and gas produced off of our coastline - the State of Louisiana has sued the feds to halt all new oil and gas production off of our coastline.

With over 40 million cubic yards of our state having washed away since January 1st of this year - all of which is directly correlated to this offshore production - it is high time these revenues go towards restoring our land.

This land loss is also directly correlated to the destruction from Hurricane Katrina. All of these marshes act as a speed bump to any storm heading towards New Orleans.

The question remains as to whether or not she will be successfull... according to one oil & gas attorney I know, the answer looks positive.

Blanco's Threat To Block Offshore Federal Lease Sales: Credible or Blowing Smoke?

On January 30, 2006, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco sent a letter to the Minerals Management Service (MMS) threatening to object to future oil and gas lease sales off of the Louisiana coast, specifically Lease Sale 198 set to occur in August of this year. In her letter, Governor Blanco put the MMS on notice that “there is growing tension between uncompensated support for OCS activities and the state’s coastal zone management program” and that the state is “currently unable to determine the consistency of Lease Sale 198.” Her stated purpose for doing so is to pressure the federal government in to giving Louisiana a fair share of the oil and gas revenues from these leases to help preserve the fragile Louisiana coast, made all the more necessary by the destruction caused by the recent hurricanes.

Since her statement there has been much confusion concerning whether or not her threat is a credible one. What are the meanings of these cryptic terms, i.e., “coastal zone management program” and “consistency?” Can a state governor really affect the sale of offshore federal leases and, if so, where does that authority come from? The unsatisfying answer to the former part of this question is “probably.” However, even if a governor cannot affect a lease sale, she can affect the post-lease sale awarding of permits and licenses needed for exploration, development and production, thus, de facto, serving the same purpose of denying offshore oil and gas development.

A brief history is in order. Louisiana passed the State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act (SLCRMA)[1] in 1978, and its subsequent approval by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce allowed Louisiana to create a state administrative agency for state coastal zone management under the authority of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA)[2]. This agency, the Coastal Management Division (CMD) of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), is responsible for state compliance with and the exercise of authority granted by the CZMA.[3] As part of the authority granted, the CMD is responsible for making consistency determinations for activities conducted in the coastal zone by federal agencies or federal permittees.[4] A "consistency determination" means that anyone undertaking a regulated activity in the coastal zone must certify to the state that the activity he proposes to conduct in the coastal zone will be consistent with the approved state Coastal Management Program (CMP). Only if the state concurs (with limited exceptions) with the certification will the activity be consistent for CZMA purposes. It is these provisions which allow a state to exert a great deal of control over activities in or affecting the coastal zone by essentially giving states a veto power over any federal activity or any activity requiring a federal permit or license.

The Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 was passed by Congress in order to "preserve, protect, develop, and where possible, to restore or enhance, the resources of the Nation's coastal zone" and to "encourage and assist the states to exercise effectively their responsibilities in the coastal zone through the development and implementation of management programs to achieve wise use of the land and water resources of the coastal zone."[5] In the Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments of 1990, Congress went even further in its encouragement to the states, stating that "it is the purpose of Congress in this subtitle to enhance the effectiveness of the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 by increasing our understanding of the coastal environment and expanding the ability of State coastal zone management programs to address coastal environmental problems."[6] At the heart of the CZMA, Congress enacted a system by which a state is able, through its consistency determination authority, to exert control over activities in its coastal zone.

Once a state Coastal Management Program (CMP) has been approved by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, the CZMA requires that federal activities and projects affecting the coastal zone, as well as activities and projects conducted by private parties which require a federal permit or license, be consistent with the approved state CMP.[7] Distinct sets of consistency standards and procedures apply to (1) federal agency activities and (2) other activities that require a federal permit or license.[8] In the first instance, federal agency activities "within or outside the coastal zone that affects any land or water use or natural resource of the coastal zone shall be carried out in a manner which is consistent to the maximum extent practicable with the enforceable policies of approved State management programs."[9] The federal agency which conducts or supports the activity makes the consistency determination, and the state may concur or object. If the state objects, it may pursue mediation by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce or seek judicial intervention to enjoin the activity.[10]

In the second case, federally permitted activities, including, possibly, OCS lease sales, and definitely, exploration, and development and production, must be conducted in a manner consistent with the state CMP.[11] Applicants for a federal permit must "certify" to the state agency that the proposed activity complies with the state's approved program.[12] If the state agency objects, the federal agency may not issue the necessary permits unless, on appeal or his own initiative, the Secretary of Commerce overrides the state objection.[13] The Secretary may override a state objection upon a finding that the activity is either consistent with the objectives of the CZMA or is necessary in the interest of national security.[14]

In Louisiana, the Louisiana State and Local Coastal Resources Management Act (SLCRMA) functions as the state coastal management program for CZMA purposes.[15] The SLCRMA established the state coastal zone boundary, implemented a coastal use permitting system to regulate activities occurring in the coastal zone, and provided for the development of state "coastal use guidelines" to serve as the criteria for granting, conditioning, denying, revoking, or modifying coastal use permits.[16] The Coastal Use Guidelines are quite extensive and allow the state to review virtually all significant activities occurring in the coastal zone area.

So, is an offshore federal lease sale one of the activities that is susceptible to a state’s consistency determination? In the United States Supreme Court case of Secretary of the Interior v. California[17], the Court held that the sale of oil and gas leases on the OCS was not an activity directly affecting the coastal zone so as to require a consistency determination under the CZMA.[18] The Court illustrated that there were four statutory stages under OCSLA to developing an offshore oil well: 1) preparation of a leasing program; 2) lease sales; 3) exploration by the lessee; and 4) development and production.[19] Prior to the 1990 Reauthorization Amendments, the CZMA read: “[e]ach federal agency conducting or supporting activities directly affecting the coastal zone shall conduct or support those activities in a manner which is . . . consistent with approved state management programs.”[20] The Court paid particular attention to the words “directly affecting” in reaching its decision that the first two stages above were not subject to consistency review, but the last two stages were.[21] The Court’s reasoning was that the purchase of an OCS lease, standing alone, entails no right to explore, develop or produce oil and gas, but merely gives a lessee a priority in submitting plans to conduct these activities. Thus, according to the Court, lease sales cannot be characterized as “directly affecting” the coastal zone, though stages three and four above, which require separate federal and state approval, do.[22]

However, in an apparent reaction to the case, the 1990 Reauthorization Amendments to the CZMA, changed the language of 1456(c)(1)(A) to read, “[e]ach federal agency activity within or outside the coastal zone that affects any land or water use or natural resource of the coastal zone shall be carried out in a manner which is consistent . . . with the enforceable policies of approved State management programs.”[23] The words “directly affecting” have been omitted and the scope of the activity, through the language “within or outside the coastal zone,” has been enlarged. Thus, at the very least, the argument can be made that offshore federal lease sales are now covered by the consistency determination requirements in the CZMA, though this has yet to be litigated. Therefore, under the authority of the CZMA and its 1990 Amendments, a State probably can affect the sale of offshore federal leases.[24]

Alternatively, even if OCS lease sales are not covered, the CZMA is quite clear in placing the permits and licenses that are required for exploration and development after a lease has been acquired firmly under the veto power of a state’s consistency determination. Section 1456(3)(B) of the CZMA states:

[A]ny person who submits to the Secretary of the Interior [a] plan for the exploration or development of, or production from, any area which has been leased under OCSLA . . . affecting any land or water use or natural resource of the coastal zone of such state [shall] attach to such plan a certification that each activity . . . in such plan complies with the enforceable policies of such state’s approved management program and will be carried out in a manner consistent with such program. No federal official or agency shall grant such a person any license or permit for any activity described in such plan until such state or its designated agency receives a copy of such certification and plan, and until such state or its designated agency . . . concurs with such person’s certification and notifies the Secretary [of Commerce] and the Secretary of the Interior of such concurrence.[25]

Thus, it appears clear that Governor Blanco’s letter to the MMS was not merely blowing smoke, but a credible threat to, at the very least, disrupt future oil and gas development off of the coast of Louisiana. Even if she is unable to block lease sale 198 through the CZMA’s consistency determinations, she is fully authorized to declare a lease holder’s plan for exploration and development inconsistent with the State’s Coastal Management Plan, thus, in effect, achieving the same goal of disrupting offshore development. A person who holds a federal lease, but is unable to drill a well, for example, is unable to develop his offshore property. As of the writing of this paper the MMS has yet to respond to the Governor’s letter, but even if the MMS decides to ignore the Governor’s threat and go ahead with the lease sale, the controversy is capable of ending up in lengthy mediations or litigation, each also serving the Governor’s goal of delaying and disrupting offshore development.

[1] La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 49:214.21 (West 2005).
[2] 16 U.S.C.A. § 1451-1465 (2005).
[3] Id.
[4] 16 U.S.C.A. § 1456(c)(3)(A)-(B) (2005).
[5] 16 U.S.C.A. § 1452(1) (2005).
[6] Reauthorization Amendments of 1990, § 6202(b).
[7] 16 U.S.C.A. § 1456(c)(2005).
[8] Id.
[9] Id.
[10] Id.
[11] 16 U.S.C.A. § 1456(c)(3)(A)-(B) (2005).
[12] 16 U.S.C.A. § 1456(c)(3)(A) (2005).
[13] Id.
[14] Id.
[15] La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 49:214.21 (West 2005).
[16] La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 49:214.27 (West 2005).
[17] Sec. of the Interior v. California, 464 U.S. 312 (1984).
[18] Id. at 343.
[19] Id. at 337-340.
[20] Id. at 321.
[21] Id. at 340.
[22] Sec. of the Interior v. California, 464 U.S. at 341.
[23] 16 U.S.C.A. § 1456(c)(1)(A) (2005).
[24] See also, J. Christopher Martin, The Use of the CZMA Consistency Provisions to Preserve and Restore the Coastal Zone in Louisiana, La. L. Rev. 1087 (1991).
[25] 16 U.S.C.A. § 1456(3)(B) [Emphasis added]. As stated above, a negative consistency determination by a State can be overridden by the Secretary of Commerce on the finding that the activity is consistent with the objectives of the CZMA or is otherwise necessary in the interest of national security. 16 U.S.C.A. § 1456(c)(3)(iii).

____________

I'm Being Studied

2006-07-16T18:15:00.000-05:00

Oddly enough, I have been asked to participate in the One World Youth Project.

The project operates in high schools around the world and educates students on how environmental degredation can deeply effect one individual life. Apparantly, they've been trying to find someone in the States who's life has been altered through environmental damage and as such, they've asked me to tell my Katrina stories through the lens of wetlands loss.

The group is somehow affiliated with the United Nations and I've agreed to participate in the hopes that I will one day in the near future be allowed to speak before this illustrious beauracracy regarding drinking beer while racing sailboats.

Actually, I'm honored and am taking it pretty seriously.

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New Orleans Restaurants

2006-07-11T20:08:00.000-05:00

The tourist areas of New Orleans are ready and open for business. The French Quarter, Marigny, Garden District and Uptown are back to near 100% and are as charming and ready to greet and feed you like never before.

In fact the great fear this summer - as 90% of the restaurants in these areas have heroically reopened against great odds - is that there will not be enough diners to fill those seats. The potential exists for America to lose this culinary gem through the misconceived notion that New Orleans is not open for business.

Nothing could be further from the truth, although we in this city are walking a fine line between pleading for assistance in our many wasted neighborhoods and trying to get the word out that the most historic areas are back and ready for your tourist dollars.

Trust me, there's a huge war being waged to save New Orleans, but we can't do it without you.

So please come on down and rediscover what people the world over have fallen in love with year after year. More info can be found here at the New Orleans Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

And if you can't make it this summer, then you can at least taste this city through one of the following two cookbooks which are designating a percentage of their sales towards the rebuilding and support of New Orleans.

Also stay tuned from me for a few big announcements regarding several huge literary projects I've been working on.

Cheers and eat well people - you only live once.

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The New Orleans WIKI

2006-07-06T22:24:00.000-05:00

Amazing that it took me this long to dredge this up. It holds a wealth of NOLA info and neighborhood forums. Interestingly, some of the neighborhoods are using the site to define and create their neighborhood recovery plans. Pretty cool.

Thanks to ThinkNOLA for that.

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Coinciding Events

2006-06-22T14:25:00.000-05:00

Two big things have happened this week, the National Guard is back in to help patrol the wasted neighborhoods of New Orleans and the American Library Association has brought in 18,000 tourists and conventioneers.

Thanks for both.

I was forwarded the following email which was sent out to the entire membership of the ALA and I think it explains the situation perfectly...

The historic areas and tourism core of New Orleans have enjoyed the reputation for being a safe place to be for residents and visitors alike, and more so in the months following Hurricane Katrina. During this time, the city has seen a major reduction in crime. Visitors have enjoyed a high degree of safety and security while touring America's most walkable city.

New Orleans is not unlike other major American cities. Drugs and criminal activity plague certain sections of New Orleans, as is the case with other places. The truth is New Orleans is under a microscope in the national and international media. Consequently, when such events as the recent murder of five youths occur, in addition to an escalation in violent criminal activity in parts of the city, the reports are magnified.

Many are confused about the recent news of the Louisiana National Guard's deployment to New Orleans. They are being brought in to the city to provide assistance to the New Orleans Police Department in desolated areas of the city badly damaged by the hurricane, and where the majority of construction and restoration is now taking place. This request was made by the C. Ray Nagin, Mayor of New Orleans and Police Superintendent Warren Riley weeks ago and was granted by Governor Kathleen Blanco.

This will allow more police officers to patrol the tourism and historic core of the city, enhancing the already very good safety record these areas enjoy. Residents and visitors alike can continue to feel confident in strolling the sidewalks of the French Quarter, Warehouse District, CBD, Garden District and Audubon Park area, enjoying all New Orleans has to offer.

Contrary to reports in the national news, the recent reprehensible murders of five youths in the city occurred at 4:00 a.m. in the sparsely populated Central City neighborhood miles away from the Central Business District, French Quarter, Convention Center and Warehouse Arts District. Unfortunately Central City has historically been the location for criminal behavior prior to Hurricane Katrina, and remains a "hot spot" for unlawful behavior. The murders have no bearing on any crime or safety issues in the areas of the city frequented by tourists.

Police investigating the situation are following strong leads that indicate vengeance was a clear motive, stemming from an incident that occurred in early May in neighboring Jefferson Parish.

The important point at this time is that city officials, including the Mayor, City Council and police department have taken swift action to address the additional increased patrols in the outlying, desolate areas of the city devastated by Hurricane Katrina. In fact, action was taken weeks prior to this past weekend's events, but was not reported in the news, when Superintendent Warren Riley requested from the State the added support of the Louisiana National Guard.

The plan calls for 100 National Guard to immediately supplement the NOPD, boosted by an additional 200 in the near future. In addition, 60 state police will be assigned to the city of New Orleans. Other actions are being considered, including a juvenile curfew and improved coordination of various arms of the criminal justice system.

The safety of the residents of New Orleans and visitors to the city is paramount. While the city and the police department work very hard to insure the safety of all its residents and visitors, it is also recommended that individuals be mindful of their own behavior and surroundings at all times.

Recommendations for visitors:

* Enjoy all that New Orleans has to offer, including our delicious food, incomparable music and authentic culture.

* Part of the charm of New Orleans is that it is a very walkable city, with many hotels, restaurants and the Convention Center all within walking distance from each other and the popular French Quarter. As is the case with any other big city, visitors should be mindful of their surroundings at all times.

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Biologists Needed

2006-06-12T22:45:00.000-05:00

I've been predicting this for months now, the entire urban ecosystem of New Orleans is way out of whack.

As far as plants, I have some of the oddest wildflowers, weeds and fruit plants sprouting up through the dry silt that now rests throughout my neighborhood. The only plants that I actually recognize are huge sunflowers - but they never grew there before the flood. Especially prelevant are these odd dark berry (inedible) bushes which grow as high as shoulder height and have engulfed my entire yard as well as my neighbors. There are also some pretty flowers growing around that I also have never witnessed. The Kudzu is dead as well as the cats claw.

Bugs... Strangely enough, I have zero of a mosquito problem, whereas before it was outrageous and I have not seen a single cockroach (palmetto bugs in Florida) anywhere on the property. The dragonflies are insane and the lizards are now plentiful and huge. The Formosan termites have not swarmed and I have zero termite sign. The June bugs are also quite light.

There are still no domesticated animals in my neighborhood. Although the birds have returned and I actually saw my first squirrel last week. You would generally see ten squirrels a day before the storm.

Oh yeah, and there's still no one living in my neighborhood... well... actually there are two people on my block including me.

For other updates...

• This weekend I will be racing in the Gulfport to Pensacola Regatta. So get ready for some pictures of the Mississippi Coast from the water.

• I was under consideration to be on an Open Source PRI radio show "Is New Orleans Dead" last week. One of the Producers and I spoke for about two hours, and she decided to hold me for a spot as we approach the one year Anniversary in two months or so. You can find me under "Extra Credit Reading". Funny though, everytime I appear in the press they misspell my name. The Times-Picayune did the same damn thing, lol.

Cheers and wish me luck in the race.

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Forced to Become Pirates

2006-05-29T12:01:00.000-05:00

In yet another example of the extent of the damage sustained by New Orleans and of the painfully slow recovery, nine months after the storm and average New Orleanians are forced to take it upon themselves to try and avert an environmental disaster happening in the many wasted marinas on Lake Pontchartrain.

With zero assistance from FEMA, the Army Corps and insurance companies, hundreds of sailboats and powerboats still lie foundered throughout the waters of the marinas - their bellies full of diesel, oil and who knows what other chemicals - these citizens have grouped together to try and clear the channels of these foundered boats on their own.

Using borrowed truck inner tubes, inflatable racing marks and pure gumption these recreational boaters are fighting to take control of their own recovery.

The organizer of this rag tag group who wishes to remain anonymous states, "If we waited for politicians, the harbor master, or the city or the Feds to clean up... well that's what you have right now, nothing. Just a bunch of devastated boats and houses."

It probably won't be long before we have average New Orleanians out there digging up still flooded gas lines, replacing water mains, building levees and forming bucket brigades to stop any future street flooding.

C'est la vie.

Although there is no direct method of helping this group financially, you can help out the environmental group, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, with tax deductible donations.

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Sifting Through the Sludge

2006-05-23T18:00:00.000-05:00

Here we are nine months after Katrina roared ashore in Mississippi and the spin doctors are still spinning the aftermath. The amount of garbage one has to sift through in the national media to even get close to the reality on the ground is amazing.

I even found myself getting furious the other night at Tucker Carlson - Tucker do your research bud - Nagin is virtually a Republican. Landrieu is the dyed in the wool liberal. I'm sorry that you find it hard to believe that a white man from a southern state would be more liberal than an urban black - but it's true.

I endorsed Landrieu before the primary, but found myself voting for the man who came in fourth, Rob Couhig (R) and who actually endorsed Nagin in the runoff. In the primary I voted for Landrieu and I'll tell you why: Because I knew the rest of the country would start screaming that we'd be a bunch of idiots and didn't deserve any more help if we elected Nagin back for four more.

Well Nagin won - and that's exactly what's happening.

Am I disapointed now that he's won? Nope.

Julia Reed writes in Newsweek something that many of us have been thinking down here:

"Maybe now that the mayor no longer has to defend his job or his performance during Katrina, he can focus on the enormous problems at hand. Even people who voted against him admit there’s something to be said for a mayor entering his second term. He is freed from the political pressures that require him to be as timid as he and Landrieu were in the campaign. And he can put his controversial independent streak to good use by telling the people of New Orleans what they may not want to hear at long last."

Another great point was made today by Stephanie Grace who writes for the Times-Picayune:

"Before they scoff, people who don't live here might try to walk a mile in those (New Orleanians) voters' shoes. "

Moving on...

Here's a great article criticizing the MSM and explaining exactly how they got their coverage wrong during the first days - specifically as it relates to the horror stories coming out of the Superdome.

__________

Lakeview vs. the Lower Nine

2006-05-17T12:44:00.000-05:00

Amongst Lakeview residents an issue has been quietly smoldering throughout the aftermath of Katrina and an article in the Washington Post today has finally brought me around to discussing it.

Why is it that even though Lakeview and the Lower Nine are comparable in size and residents, with both receiving equal amounts of flooding (I'm not going to bicker about who had the greatest water depth) leading to equal amounts of destruction, yet America knows everything about the Lower Nine and hasn't even heard about Lakeview?

Race.

It apparantly makes for a much more compelling story for devastation to happen to black people.

Now suddenly Lakeview is in the news because according to the Washington Post it is "roaring back to middle class life" while the Lower Nine languishes in some rascist purgatory.

Well sorry to break the news, but Lakeview is not roaring towards anything, unless as Blaine Harden, the WP writer, cherry picks his block.

Let me explain a few things about Lakeview and then I'll get into the block where my FEMA trailer and wasted third generation family home sits.

While Lakeview had its own personal levee breach over at the head of the 17th Street Canal, a mere stone's throw from anywhere in the neighborhood, the press fails to mention what is on the other side of that canal... a nearly fully recovered Jefferson Parish.

In the picture Lakeview is the dark area on the right with Jefferson Parish on the left.

In fact, there are two grocery stores, pharmacies, a Lowe's, gas stations, restaurants, banks - civilization - all right there over a bridge that was a boat launch almost nine months ago. You don't have that for miles in the Lower 9th. You can not buy food in a grocery store anywhere near the Lower 9th.

The Lower 9th is also basically an island, surrounded on four sides by water, whereas Lakeview buts up against Mid-City and Esplanade. I'm sure it is a little easier to get electricity off of a grid which is connected to the majority of the city and I'm sure it is easier to pump chlorine through water pipes that are connected to the rest of the city.

Now truth be told, Lakeview is 'wealthier' than the Ninth Ward and therefore propably has more insured homes (not that that means anything), but through the Lousiana Recovery Authority any unisured homeowner will receive $95,000 in order to rebuild.

But the fact remains that Lakeview is in a pitiful state of disrepair even considering these geographical bonuses.

On my block, out of ten houses, only two are actively being rebuilt, six have been gutted and two sit untouched; within a three block area there is only one trailer - mine.

Lakeview residents have quietly allowed the press to focus on the 9th Ward because it keeps all of our tragedies in the forefront, but to start blathering that it is because of racism that Lakeview is 'roaring back' is simply a crock.

Lakeview will eventually come back - stronger than before - but it's not because of race. It is really because of geography.

_________

The Status Quo

2006-05-11T16:31:00.000-05:00

Man it's gotta suck to be this family... oh no wait. That's the norm for everybody in New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The insurance companies are all working a litigation strategy and screwing people down here left and right all the while enjoying their greatest profits ever.

And trust me, it's a little hard to buy a home when mortgage companies demand that you have insurance, but the insurers are refusing to write new policies period.

Because of this, New Orleans may remain a city with huge swaths of wasteland forever. The National Trust for Historic Preservation gets that this is a problem - they've declared this entire city the most endangered historical site in America.

If you don't think this has anything to do with you... think again people. If you live anywhere along the unaffected Gulf Coast or the southeast coast, get ready because the insurance companies are going to screw you next.

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The Great Deluge

2006-05-08T14:12:00.000-05:00

Douglas Brinkley, the New Orleans historian and Stephen Ambrose protege, has released his historical narrative describing in depth the mayhem in New Orleans through the first week after the storm.

This is a must have book -- and clearly describes the boneheaded moves of government and lifts the individual heroes who gave of themselves in the face of the Army Corps of Engineers great feat of mass murder to their rightful position.

You can read reviews and purchase it online by clicking HERE.

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Be Very Afraid...

2006-05-03T12:54:00.000-05:00

The Federal Report on a possible response to a bird flu pandemic states:

“Local communities will have to address the medical and nonmedical impacts of the pandemic with available resources,” the report warns, because the federal government won’t be able to offer the kind of aid expected after hurricanes or other one-time, one-location natural disasters.

Jesus -- so we're really on our own on this I guess. What the hell is government for then?

We had better start stocking up on vitamin C and start killing chickens people.

Anyway... there was a great piece in Sports Illustrated today... It just goes to show that even a Sports Writer down here to cover Reggie Bush can only scream about how deplorable the conditions are down here in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast EIGHT MONTHS post Katrina.

I can't wait for the one year anniversary, so the rest of the country - in their Katrina boredom - might wake up and discover that none of those billions of dollars have come down here, we still don't have many operating streetlights, boats are still sitting in streets, people still haven't gotten FEMA trailers... it goes on and on.

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JAZZ FEST!

2006-04-28T16:31:00.000-05:00

Like Mardi Gras, you can not keep New Orleans down, especially when it comes to music.

Check it all out live as our musical rebirth in the city that invented Jazz comes alive using the following links:

LIVE VIDEO from all the stages:

LISTEN TO THE MUSIC LIVE:

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Alright, Alright... I'll Keep My Day Job

2006-04-27T13:42:00.000-05:00

Yeah, well my election picks didn't really pan out now did they.

Maybe this will make up for it... check it out -- it's for a great cause.

The Carrollton Station Foundation

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Election Beads

2006-04-22T15:23:00.000-05:00

I could have sworn I saw a float on Harrison Avenue this morning as I went to St. Dominic's Church to cast my vote... Actually I could have almost cried as I walked into the voting booth. Amazing how much a simple deal as voting means in this wasted town of New Orleans.

I was a little bummed out that I didn't get any beads though -- that's what the atmosphere was like. Celebratory.

Turnout was intense, people everywhere... and I didn't vote for nearly anyone that I had set my mind on before I walked into the booth. Most of the people I spoke with were exactly the same way... Everyone was a little surprised by their vote.

Here are my predictions and they ain't necessarily how I voted -- just my gut feeling.

- Nagin will not make the runoff.
- Couhig will possibly come in third, if not the runoff.
- Five of the seven Assessors will be voted out.
- Batt will be in the runoff.
- Gusman is out.
- Ollie and Arnie at large -- sorry Jackie.
- Valteau & Atkins are in.
- I will sue the NAACP and/or the Rev. Jackson for violating my rights if they file a damned lawsuit and hold up this election.

Anyway -- here's to democracy.

Oh, by the way, best idea I've heard in a long time -- throughout this coming hurricane season, the Army Corps of Engineers must sit in a metal cage in Lakeview with the top of the cage sitting at the Katrina waterline... how's that for an endorsement of the repaired levees.

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THE Election

2006-04-17T18:41:00.000-05:00

Only New Orleans could produce what is - without question - the oddest mayoral election in this nation's history. I mean in what other mayoral election would one be asking, "Who won Houston? Atlanta? Salt Lake City?"

(I've heard that your less savvy individuals in Houston are calling in to Texas talk radio asking why the heck Ray Nagin's big fat bald head is plastered over so many billboards in Texas.)

We even have the final debate getting televised nationally on MSNBC in primetime and hosted by Hardball's Chris Matthews.

Odd times indeed.

Anyway, I feel compelled to make a few recommendations (Mayor & Council at Large only) for the vote next Saturday...

MAYOR: Mitch Landrieu

Why: I've been watching all of the debates, and I have to say, even though I am still somewhat of a fan of Nagin, his laid back attitude just ain't gonna' cut it when we're down here begging Congress for money in order to even get our street lights working.

Forman is really just too much of the Uptown candidate.

Couhig & Boulet scored a few points with me, but it wasn't enough.

Peggy and the Reverend are both completely insane... so that leaves Mitch.

Watch out for a surprise though -- I predict either an outright win by Landrieu or a Landrieu/Forman runoff.

CITY COUNCIL AT LARGE (can vote for two): Arnold Fielkow & Oliver Thomas.

Why: This is a no brainer. Both of these guys have shown their true colors throughout our Katrina experience. Thomas was everywhere - on boats rescuing people, pleading eloquently for help from the rest of the country in the national media, etc.

Arnie (the former GM for the New Orleans Saints) was Johnny on the spot as team owner, Tom Benson, made his boneheaded moves to try and take the Saints out of this town - while people were still dying in attics. He stood up to that imbecile, screaming that this is not what you do in a disaster and got fired for it. Paul Tagliabue had to finally reign in Benson and I can't wait for Benson to see Fielkow sitting on the other side of the negotiating table from him.

ASSESSORS: Yep, you guessed it - the IQ Ticket.

I also want to give a helluva shout out to the Times-Picayune who won two Pulitzer Prizes today for their Katrina coverage. THANKS TIMES-PIC! You deserve it.

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Exclusive Interview

2006-03-30T11:50:00.000-06:00

GulfSails and New Orleans Yacht Club, over the last two weeks, has conducted an exclusive interview with the candidates running for New Orleans City Council in District A.

The diverse issues we asked the candidates pertained primarily to the wasted neighborhoods of Lakeview, development pressures at West End and some general questions.

You can check out the interview by clicking HERE.

Stay tuned for a similar interview with the top candidates running for New Orleans Mayor.

________

Quality over Quantity

2006-03-19T18:29:00.000-06:00

I am currently working on some large projects which will make their way onto GulfSails as soon as they are finished.

Be prepared for some intersting political pieces as well as some uplifting interviews with several true heroes from the storm.

Expect the first one later on this week.

Thanks.

__________

Lakefront Land Grab

2006-03-13T09:39:00.000-06:00

We've all heard the rumblings and yells from the residents of the Lower 9 on how there was going to be a huge land grab in that neighborhood, but the fact of the matter is that the neighborhood which needs to be concerned is Lakeview.

Already there are quiet City Hall meetings on grabbing the Lakefront real estate where Jaeger's and the Dock used to reside near West End Park. Word on the street is the South's largest and most expensive condominuium project is in the works.

With the talk also coming from several liveaboards regarding the privitization of the next door Orleans Marina - everyone who celebrated the lifestyle out at the marinas (who can't afford million dollar condos) should be very afraid.

This entire way of life, this community is about to be forever and irrevocably destroyed.

If you are a resident of District A, please email Councilman Jay Batt (jbatt@cityofno.com) explaing in no uncertain terms that the charm, historic viability and useability of the Lakefront must be saved and restored.

Whether you are a boater, enjoyed evenings playing volleyball out at Coconut Beach, spent countless hours eating at some of New Orleans' best seafood restaurants, docked your boat up at Jaegers on a Sunday afternoon you must become actively involved.

We can't rebuild our city simply for the sake of rebuilding. We have to fight for preserving our many and varied ways of living down in New Orleans or all is truly lost.

_________

Blue Dog

2006-03-09T22:03:00.000-06:00

Get your very own Blue Dog Katrina posters and help support the arts recovery in New Orleans!

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WWOZ & Your Momma

2006-03-06T22:52:00.000-06:00

In this time of times down in New Orleans if there's only ONE thing that you're willing to support financially - please make it WWOZ - New Orleans Community Radio (other than levees, obviously).

WWOZ is the quintessential New Orleans radio station, broadcasting commercial free/listner supported radio doling out the brass, blues, cajun, zydeco, & jazz 24/7.

Sign up for your dirt cheap membership today and get a cool bumpersticker that no one else has up in Seattle or on Breakback Mountain.

Listen to OZ LIVE as they broadcast from the French Quarter!

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Levees of Decline

2006-03-06T11:44:00.000-06:00

In New Orleans these days there's a quiet conversation taking place unmasking a deep almost primal fear of a Thursday not too far away... Hurricane season 2006 begins on Thursday June 1st and everyone is either ancy or getting depressed as that date looms and nears.

You hear it in conversations left and right over coffee, drinks or dinner - it always seems to come up and everyone feels it, senses that we're probably going to take another hit. It could simply be the post traumatic stress - but that fear is tangible.

It certainly does not help when articles come out in the Washington Post stating that the Army Corps of Engineeers is either screwing up the levee repairs or defering some obvious weakened levee re-construction for some date down the road and the fact that even now, six months later, the decayed, skeletal remains of people are still being pulled down out of attics or found behind couches.

New Orleans can not take another hit.

And if we do, the already colossal failure by the Army Corps to adequately and by law protect us from hurricanes will be but a footnote in the history of a truly colossal government screw-up.

New Orleans will cease to exist and the price will be paid by everyone in this country in the cost of oil, gas, wheat, steel - you name it.

Newt Gingrich has even opined how the Federal Government must wake up to the fact that South Louisiana's thoroughly weakened coasts is the most crucial issue facing this country and that he is sickened that the United States is spending more money to rebuild Iraq's wetlands than on our own soil.

We must force our government to realize that rebuilding the levees and wetlands of New Orleans and Louisiana is one of the greatest, unescapable challenges to ever face this republic. If we fail at this, it will be the defining moment for the decline of the United States of America.

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Hastert Sped Through Town

2006-03-05T18:13:00.000-06:00

Totally by coincedence, I happened to be leaving my FEMA trailer Friday and pulled up to West End Blvd. in the heart of Lakeview when my path was suddenly blocked by a Federal Protection Agency vehicle. Then low and behold, a medium-sized congressional delegation in town to view the devastation flew by on West End - I assume to visit the 17th St. Canal breach. Talk about a convoy, two large tour busses and probably ten Fed cop cars.

I'm, of course, pleased that Dennis Hastert and Nancy Pelosi have finally made it down to the site of this country's worst natural disaster, but come on - it's been six months and they were cruising through the neighborhoods at close to 60 mph.

You can't smell it going that fast. You can't hear how quiet it is going that fast. You can't feel it going that fast. And you certainly can't talk to any of the residents while driving by that fast.

As a matter of fact, no resident of New Orleans was allowed to get near the Congressmen.

Although I did hear that at least one New Orleanian held up one of the quickly proliferating signs that demands that the Army Corps of Engineers be held responsible for flooding New Orleans and killing 1,300 people and leaving 1,840 still missing...

I just shot the bird at them through my sunroof.

_________

What Has Brown Done For You?

2006-03-02T20:52:00.000-06:00

It's quite astonishing that according to the Associated Press only 30% of US Senators and 13% of the members of the US House of Representatives have come down to witness the continued devastation of the Gulf Coast. Trust me -- you have to see it to understand it and it is shamefull that all of them did not come down in the first two months.

Though I drive through it and sleep in it everyday, I got a fresh understanding of what it looks like through the eyes of a friend who came down from Brooklyn for Mardi Gras.

All that he kept saying as I drove him through mile after mile of destroyed neighborhoods was "I have to keep saying to myself that this is six months later. Six months later. It looks like it happened yesterday!"

He had to keep reminding me to stop so that he could take photographs, and I kept telling him you ain't seen nothing yet.

On the way back from the 17th Street Canal breach in Lakeview headed back Uptown I told him that I would tell him when the flooding stopped. Twice he asked me if I had forgotten, and I replied not yet... not yet.

p.s. Dennis Hastert had better not run into me while he's down here.

__________

Carnival

2006-02-26T13:38:00.000-06:00

Good times.

Plenty to type on Lundi Gras.

Happy Mardi Gras!

T

- Bacchus - Endymion -

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Prepping for Mardi Gras

2006-02-23T21:18:00.000-06:00

As I'm sitting here girding my psyche for what should be one of the more interesting Mardi Gras' in New Orleans' history, I find myself slightly disappointed that I haven't heard any rumblings from the Hell's Angels.

We could really use them this year... to explain:

With roots dating back into the early 1700's, but officially acknowledged as starting in New Orleans in 1857, Mardi Gras since that year has only been cancelled five times - four during World War II and once for a police strike in 1979 - and trust me, we're not letting the near total destruction of this city stop us this year.

But one of the more tremulous Mardi Gras' was back in the 1960's when the Hell's Angels announced they were going to decend on the city en masse on Fat Tuesday. The city damn near puked in fear. The bikers actually never made it as far as Kansas City or something like that before they passed out.

This year I say, invite those damn bikers on down... If we give em enough fortified wine, easy access to sledgehammers and lure them towards Lakeview and the Lower 9 with giant cauldrons of patchulli and skunk scent - they will naturally run amok. But heck, half those houses need to come down anyway. Sounds like a win-win. We get some demolition in for free and they get to think they're bringing a city to it's knees.

Moving on...

If you haven't already done so, please sign the petitions at LEVEES.org and FLOOD CONGRESS.

Also you might want to check out Think Louisiana.

Anyway - I'll be posting ittermittently throughout the great debauching. Cheers and Happy Mardi Gras.

_________

Offshore Oil Leases Revisited

2006-02-21T20:34:00.000-06:00

Even though South Louisiana received some potentially good news after George Bush tried to deflect Katrina criticism off of him by stating that he would support another +$4B in Community Block Grants to help the neighborhoods upon neighborhoods of flood-debris owners, it is important that Louisiana still carry a big stick - our only stick in making sure this happens.

As such, a fellow partner in crime has posted a legal brief on whether or not any Governor of the state of Louisiana can actively stop the Federal Government from mining minerals off this state's coastline.

Turns out - the answer is yes.

Check it out here on a new New Orleans group blog - theBATTURE.com - be forewarned though, it is a legal brief.

Also, here's an interesting post regarding Iranians protesting Chef Emeril Lagasse's treatment of his adopted hometown of New Orleans, also found on theBATTURE.com

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Fear & Loathing During Katrina

2006-02-20T13:17:00.000-06:00

My friend, Harlen Leslie, who writes about his adventures throughout the Gulf South has finally penned his experiences on Katrina and the aftermath.

Pretty vivid tale.

The Regatta Diaries

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Malfeasance, Corruption & Idiocy

2006-02-15T08:19:00.000-06:00

You have really got to be kidding me.

I woke this morning completely flabbergasted as the layers apon layers of gross negligence, stupidity, mismanagement and downright incompetence of the Government of the strongest nation in the world has really finally built up and slapped me in the face.

It wasn't the 10,000+ trailers sinking in Arkansas mud at a cost of almost 900 million that may have to be simply destroyed - that's almost a third of the money allocated for rebuilding our levees - that did it.

It wasn't the fact that as we near SIX MONTHS after landfall, over 2,371 Americans remain missing on American soil that did it.

It wasn't the fact that nearly 1,300 Americans (and we're still counting) died on American soil that did it.

It wasn't the fact that Republican governed Mississippi is getting an equal share of disaster relief to Louisiana even though they have only 1/5th the damage that did it.

It wasn't the fact that our levees in New Orleans broke because of faulty engineering by the Army Corps of Engineers that did it.

It wasn't President George W. Bush calling us "Those people in that part of the world" that did it.

It wasn't the President's inflated and bogus numbers that he has been marketing to the country for Katrina relief that did it.

It wasn't the Republican's own blistering Katrina report that did it.

It is the entire experience of the Gulf Coast that has done it. I can not name one positive thing to come out of this entire situation at any level of Government that has done it. I demand accountability and Federal Indictements.

I mean seriously, the gall of this so-called Government to browbeat Louisiana over incompetence. You have got to be kidding me. The godamned Vice President can't even aim a goddamned shotgun and we expect these people lead?

I want Chertoff's head. I want Michael Brown's head. I want the little peon beauracrat's head, who signed off on 900 million dollars worth of trailers to be used in an OBVIOUS floodplain, but according to FEMA's own rules can't be put in a floodplain. I want Hastert's head for trying to abandon a part of this nation. I want Blanco's head. I want every representative's head in Baton Rouge who are opposing levee board reform's head.

I want to armor the levees systems of this region with the skulls of these... twits.

I am disgusted.

_________

I Broke the Float

2006-02-12T15:56:00.000-06:00

What a pleasant hangover and trust me, I earned it big time last night in Krewe du Vieux.

Our entire Krewe was a spectacle of frenzied debauchery, loathsome baseness and well deserved laughs - and there's no way in heck that this city didn't need us and all the parade goers to come out and revel. We are not a city flatlining.

As I drained another cocktail nearing the turn onto Frenchman Street, I got this and rediscovered a few truths about Mardi Gras and New Orleans that really seem so obvious, yet for some reason I had forgotten. That maybe a lot of New Orleanians had forgotten.

Mardi Gras and New Orleans are not spectator sports.

The people standing along the parade route are not there to mutely witness a Rose Parade or a Macy's Thanksgiving Parade oohing and awing amongst themselves. Instead, they are easily 80-90% of what constitutes a New Orleans parade, and I think this is actually one of the purest examples of how New Orleans is so different and apart from the rest of America.

When you really look at a New Orleans parade, whether it's Mardi Gras, Halloween, St. Patrick's Day, whenever - there is no difference between the Krewe marching (or stumbling) down the street and the thousands of people lining the route. They are one and the same. They interact. They mingle juices. They combust and completely feed off of each other. Together they are the Krewe.

Other than Canal Street, we don't line our routes with barricades - how else would you walk over and accept a kiss from some hot twenty-something? How else would you grab your bottle of whiskey from the back of the float, take a pull and then offer it to some random woman standing next to her husband who doesn't even hesitate to take a swig? How else would you make eye contact with a thousand other people and in that brief moment where you are both smiling or laughing or cackling know exactly that you're both connected, that you're actually not feeding off of each other - but more like lifting or raising each other.

A New Orleans parade is not about being viewed or forcing pretty little things down the eyes of people standing controlled by barricades and cops - it is in fact, a representation of life itself. There is comingling.

It is a caricature of life that somehow becomes life. It is a definition and a moving target. To try and define the energy and will of New Orleanians to celebrate, especially in this time of times would be like trying to quantify sub-atomic particles. You can either know it's speed or trajectory but not both at the same time.

Are the people there because there's a parade or is the parade there because there's people.

Now not only do my kidneys hurt, but I have a headache. Nevertheless, I give you one of my favorite Mardi Gras stories...

It was Bacchus Sunday several years ago and I was at a house party on St. Charles Ave. that had Re-Birth Brass Band playing on the front porch to the many thousands of people walking by. Hours later as the parade was rolling, a few of us were standing on the upper balconey drinking, eating Popeye's, catching longbeads and cranking up the stereo really loud in between the marching bands. Bacchus had a breakdown somewhere down the street and the Krewe was stalled for about 30 minutes, with a high school band from Iowa and a NOPD cruiser parked in front of the house. The band had stopped playing so we cranked up the music. From the balconey I watched as the crowd merged with the band of lilly white kids from the midwest all dancing and carrying on. Some lithe girl got on the hood of the police cruiser and basically did some sort of suggestive snake charming dance. To my mild amazement a cop walked into the yard, shined his flashlight at us and motioned for us to crank it up.

Oh yeah, I really did break the float last night. I was on the oversized tricycle pulling the float and kept spinning the pedals backwards. It actually took three times for the chain to fall off for me to discover that it was I who was causing some of the small delays... One real mule did breakdown though.

Cheers and Happy Mardi Gras.

Above: Somehow I ended up on stage with one of the bands...

• AP Article on KdV
• More pictures of KdV from the Times-Picayune

________

2006-02-11T21:30:00.000-06:00

Krewe du Vieux Parades Tomorrow

2006-02-10T16:50:00.000-06:00

C'est Levee

My anticipation is palpable. I am ready to walk amongst our fellow New Orleanians and the thousands of FEMA beauracrats, who are still in town screwing up our fair city - loudly denouncing the Feds, FEMA and the Corpse of Engineers.

Keep your ears peeled for our King, Walter "Mr. Bill" Williams (that's the dude (and fellow New Orleanian) who came up with the Mr. Bill claymation of Saturday Night Live) to give a rousing speech on the exact site of President Bush's speech after Katrina where he lied to all of our faces.

The city is also ready, Angus Lind of the Times-Pic had an interview with Deep Float today regarding KdV and our members have been all over the WWOZ airwaves.

The rumours are also starting to build that the band headliners at the Krewe du Vieux Do (Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk, along with Juice, and The Claim Jumpers with Mike Hood and Michael Sklar along with special guest Coco Robicheaux) will be joined by the lead singer of some band called the Rolling Stones.

Here's the projected path of KdV this year and parents remember that KdV is not for children...
And if you go, don't expect to catch many throws as we're still waiting on those to arrive from FEMA - but do expect some audio posts from me throughout so you can actually follow it live if you're up in the frozen tundra of Alaska or Chicago. I will endeavor to get Mr. Bill's speech up on an audio post. Sunday night I most likely will (if I'm still not too hungover (very likely)) have some pictures up.

You can also find more infor at KdV's website... www.kreweduvieux.org(y)

________

Website Housecleaning Coming Up.

2006-02-09T02:11:00.000-06:00

3 Weeks til Mardi Gras in the Wasteland

2006-02-08T21:34:00.000-06:00

That's right, it's almost three weeks to Mardi Gras!

So here's a couple of good pieces of news today.

• My friends over at Renew NOLA have scored a huge windfall by having this year's REX Krewe throw out the Renew NOLA bracelets. Interesting Times-Pic article here about REX.

• In three days (Saturday 7:00pm) I'll be marching through the French Quarter with Krewe du Vieux, the only official Krewe which is allowed to parade through the Quarter. Trust me, the Feds ears and eyes are going to burn. Stay tuned Sunday evening for a full report with plenty of photos.

Now lets slip back to reality for just a bit here...

• This article from the AP explains how many people in New Orleans are being forced to break the law in order to get electricity, by illegally breaking into and then doctoring up their electrical meters...

DAMN, that makes me so jealous. At least they have a meter to break and then turn on the electricity illegally! Gosh it sure sucks to have a bankrupt utility company that will not be aided by FEMA. Gosh it sure sucks that the Federal Government destroyed my city, and is trying its best in the aftermath to squash any glimmers of hope that we may have in rebuilding.

Now I want to puke.

I vote we simply kick FEMA out of the state. Hell kick 'em all out.

________

"Time to play hardball"

2006-02-07T10:23:00.000-06:00

Gov. Blanco has finally, as all of her constituents down here in southern Louisiana already know, decided that in order to be heard by President Bush she must begin to play hardball.

We are demanding that Louisiana be given its fair share of offshore royalties, monies that Texas and Florida already receive, in order to protect and rebuild our coasts which have been destroyed by this same offshore oil and gas production.

She has threatened to halt all future offshore oil and gas production off our coasts. And America you already had a taste of what that means with the fuel spikes after Katrina and Rita.

We are destroyed and devastated down here. Sure Bush has approved more than $85B to go towards this damage, but everyone must be aware that nearly 50% of this money is going to Republican Mississippi which had 1/5 of Louisiana's damage and the rest is spent by the bungling FEMA.

NOTHING IS HAPPENING DOWN HERE! THERE IS NO PROGRESS! The feds move quicker in goddamn Iraq.

Bush has been demanding a rebuilding plan from our state, we give him one in the form of the Baker Bill which he shoots down and then ridicules us for not having a plan.

We apparantly are, as Blanco stated yesterday, "second class citizens."

As such, we're going to treat the Bush Government as a second class government and we're going to do whatever's in our power to protect ourselves - including seeking aid from foreign nations.

It is our right as first class citizens of the soverign state of Louisiana.

If you'd like to help us be heard by Bush, please take a moment of your time to enter your email address in the following petition.

__________

Into the Void

2006-02-04T14:43:00.000-06:00

I discovered where the contractors hid the keys to my FEMA trailer, so last night I helped to repopulate Lakeview. Plus one.

Describing my first night out there I could easily use some stupid words like ghostly, bleak and dead, but it wouldn't - I mean really wouldn't do it justice.

Sitting there on the porch of my house sipping on a Abita Restoration, staring out upon the stone cold blackness of my once vibrant neighborhood, and knowing that I'm the only human within at least a five block radius - it's almost painfull to describe.

The only sounds come from the crack of wooden doors broken in by rescue crews slamming open and shut in the wind. It smells of mud and chainsawed pine. It feels of low voltage and must, the only items clean are the stars that five months ago you couldn't see in the sky. There are no cats prowling, no dogs barking. Random trash flies by in the wind. No one drives by, you don't smell what the neighbors are cooking, and someone's drape hangs outside a window. Three doors down in the lower quadrant of the X, there is a count of 2.

A count of 2.

Two people. I never met them, an older couple. Their dogs used to bark at me - I'm sure they're dead too.

So what do you do? I did what we're all doing. I drank another beer, put WWOZ on the radio and allowed myself to think that it's getting better. That we're getting nearer to home... to our old home.

Denial with a sip of cold beer and jazz... it tastes good.

_________

E. Lagasse is a Tool & a Carpetbagger

2006-02-04T13:52:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to compete with Chris Rose on this one. Perfect Chris. Like you pulled it out of the sky.

Nevertheless, if you want to revisit what I stated about Lagasse months ago then check it out below. I still stand by everything I wrote.

• Status of New Orleans - Chaotic Neutral (November 15, 2005)
• Clarification on why Emeril Lagasse is a Carpetbagger (November 16, 2005)

I think we should go ahead and burn whichever of Lagasse's cookbooks survived the Army Corps of Engineers flood outside of Emerils' in the Warehouse District... All those in favor - never eat at his restaurants again.

Nearly 1,100 Americans are Dead

2006-02-01T10:48:00.000-06:00

and 3,600 are still missing on American soil, yet George Bush barely spoke 163 words about this out of 5300 words in his State of the Union address.

Over 200,000 homes are destroyed, yet George Bush barely spoke 163 words about this out of 5300 words in his State of the Union address.

Over 400,000 Americans are displaced, yet George Bush barely spoke 163 words about this out of 5300 words in his State of the Union address.

An entire American city is in the throws of death, yet George Bush barely spoke 163 words about this out of 5300 words in his State of the Union address.

Pretty disgusting and incomprehensible. Bush you don't get it, and you are leaving us in a deathward spiral.

I guess we're going to have to start playing hardball down here, and our Governor rightly so, must look to protect her citizens by any means possible. Yesterday she announced that the State of Louisiana will NOT sign off on any more offshore oil and gas production until Louisiana can get a rightful percentage of the royalties in order to defend us from marauding hurricanes.

You go Governor!

Make the rest of the country feel the pain at the pump and then maybe that'll make Bush's asshole pucker and cast his Texas eyes down onto the desparate plight of AMERICANS in AMERICA!

On an uplifting, but sad note we've discovered that one of the biggest proponents and enabelers of New Orleans' recovery is a FOREIGN company, not the US Government and not an American company. Dutch Shell oil yesterday committed to returning their offshore division to New Orleans AND besides donating a ton of money to the NOPD, they have agreed to become the first ever sponsor of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival - arguably the second biggest tourist draw after Mardi Gras.

Disgusting that most American corporations, like Capital 1 (Hibernia) and the NFL, have either fled or have had to be dragged screaming back to New Orleans.

What is wrong with the character of this country?

Watch These States Turn Blue

2006-01-31T21:35:00.000-06:00

Well with Bush's apparant continued trivializing of the massive destruction here in his own country with the mention of the Gulf Coast as a mere afterthought in his State of the Union address, I'm willing to go ahead and predict the following:

You think I'm wrong - then why did the Democrat's response mention the outrageous straits of the Gulf Coast in the first minute of their speech. There are two states at play in the South and the Democrats know it.

The Red Cross is FUBAR

2006-01-31T15:33:00.000-06:00

I always thought the Red Cross was a mighty and altruistic institution, in fact after 9/11 that's who I donated money to in order to do my little part in helping the victims and families of that tragedy.

Never again. I will never donate to the Red Cross again. Here's why and this is only my simple little story.

In the first weeks post-K, the horror stories of dealing with the Red Cross began to percolate and shared amongst all of us. Hours spent on telephones only to be disconnected, misadvertisements of Red Cross Disaster Assistance locations, and waiting in lines for many hours when one did locate a Red Cross distribution center.

I had zero succes with applying with the Red Cross, and mostly I simply saw helicopters fly over with Red Crosses on them.

Finally in early October as I was finally leaving New Orleans and heading out west, I stopped off in a small town in southern Louisiana where I discovered a Red Cross location with next to no line. I excitedly went through the lines until I reached a Red Cross volunteer who explained to me and the few people there that they had just closed down the location after lunch because "they had all just eaten, and were now tired."

I nearly vomitted and then said, "Oh, y'all are tired. That's great. We've lost everything - don't you think that we're a little tired too."

Look, I have no issues with the many thousands of Red Cross volunteers. These are brave and giving people who truly are trying to help - but the damn beaureacracy that is the Red Cross - well they can go to hell.

Anyway, one month later I was finally able to get through via their telephone number and registered for Disaster Assistance and then started to wait.

Fast forward to late December, still having not received any assistance, I sent the following email to the Red Cross:

From: TAG
Date: Wednesday, December 28, 2005 01:14 PM
To: info@usa.redcross.org (info@usa.redcross.org)
Subject: Katrina Assistance

To Whom It May Concern:

I live in the Lakeview section of New Orleans (70124) and applied for the financial assistance over two months ago, but have yet to receive anything. I applied over the 1-800 number.

I am curious as to why it appears that I am one of the only people to have yet received this financial assistance.

Thanks for your time and I look forward to hearing back from you.

The following is the response I received:

From: "Info"
To: "TAG
Subject: RE:'CaseID=***-***'Katrina Assistance
Date: Thu, 29 Dec 2005 12:38:56 -0500

Dear Troy:

Thank you for contacting the American Red Cross. The Red Cross has provided immediate emergency assistance to households severely impacted by the Hurricanes.

At this time, American Red Cross emergency assistance has ended. We realize that many individuals and families still might have unmet needs. Primary sources to assist you in further recovery are community and state resources and FEMA at 800 621-FEMA; that's 800 621- 3362.

To access contact information for all state social service agencies, including links to their websites, please visit: http://www.aphsa.org/home/StateContacts.asp We wish you every success through your recovery period.

Thank you for your inquiry!

Sincerely,
American Red Cross Public Inquiry

I gave up at this point until January 24th after I watched a news segment on CNN informing how Congress was beginning to investigate the Red Cross for improperly handling of individual's generous contributions, mis-spending and mis-allocation of funds and paying gross salaries to the top layers of their beauracracy while living off the goodwill of thousands of volunteers.

I immediately went and emailed the Red Cross the following:

From : TAG
Sent : Tuesday, January 24, 2006 9:31 PM
To : info@usa.redcross.org
CC :
Subject : RE:'CaseID=***-***'Katrina Assistance

Thank you for your reponse - BUT LET ME REITTERATE TO YOU THE FOLLOWING.

FOR OVER TWO MONTHS FOLLOWING HURRICANE KATRINA I ATTEMPTED TO WAIT THROUGH GROSS LINES AND DISCONNECTIONS ON YOUR 800 NUMBER IN ORDER TO RECEIVE ANY ASSISTANCE FROM THE RED CROSS.

ON OR ABOUT LATE OCTOBER I LEFT NEW ORLEANS AND STOOD IN A SHORT RED CROSS LINE IN FRANKLIN, LOUISIANA WHERE JUST BEFORE I WAS ABOUT TO ENTER THE PROCESSING AREA A RED CROSS MANAGER CAME OUT AND SAID SORRY THEY WERE CLOSING DOWN FOR THE DAY (THIS WAS AT NOON) BECAUSE THE VOLUNTEERS WERE EXHAUSTED.

THEY WERE EXHAUSTED?! HOW THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AND THE OTHERS IN LINE WITH ME FELT?!!!!

LATER, I FINALLY WAS ABLE TO REGISTER FOR THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE OVER THE PHONE BEFORE THE RED CROSS CUTOFF DATE FOR ASSISTANCE.

ALL OF MY INFORMATION WAS TAKEN DOWN AND PROCESSED - YET I HAVE NEVER RECEIVED ANY ASSISTANCE OF ANY KIND FROM THE RED CROSS.

I FIND IT COMPLETELY DISGUSTING THAT THE RED CROSS CONTINUES TO SOLICIT DONATIONS FROM AMERICANS FOR THIS DISASTER YET HAS COMPLETELY MOVED ON FROM NEW ORLEANS TO GO SPEND THIS HEARTFELT MONEY ON LAYERS OF BEAURACRACY.

YOU SHOULD ALL BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES!

Sincerely,

Within a day or two, I received a reply requesting all of my information again. Today I received this:

So I do very specifically want to thank everyone who did donate to the Red Cross, as I've done in the past. This $360 disaster assistance will be directly spent in Orleans Parish and preferably in a few restaurants (owned only by New Orleanians) where I can tip my waiters mightily and thereby get these funds to make their rounds a few times in New Orleans.

But to the Red Cross - you had better get your act together.

Hopefully Katrina will be another schooling for another beauracracy in order that the losses and degredations that happened to the people of this city will never happen to anyone else in this country during their time of need.

Home Sweet Home

2006-01-29T18:32:00.000-06:00

Nearly five months after signing up for the FEMA trailer program, guess what, yep I finally got my trailer.

According to the contractors setting it up, I will probably only have to wait about a month or two to get my keys and electricity.

Pretty efficient our federal government is - no.

Shouldn't really surprise anyone though after President Bush commented on New Orleans the other day by stating how those people "in that part of the world" are getting up to speed.

George, again, last time I checked this "part of the world" is in the United States and just so happens to be next door to your beloved Texas asshole.

Seriously - the Federal Government is dead to me - they can all go rot in hell.

I will say this though, as a registered Independent since I was 18 and someone who generally tends to vote Republican, I can now honestly say that I may never vote Republican again.

***

In a touch of irony, yesterday when I was on my way to work on our Krewe du Vieux float, I decided to make a quick pass by the house in Lakeview and discovered that my FEMA trailer had arrived.

What was ironic is that our float we worked on all afternoon lambasts FEMA... Did I feel a bit guilty - not in the slightest.

Now This is a Good Cause

2006-01-23T18:57:00.000-06:00

and yes, it actually has something to do with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Follow the link here.

3,260 Still Unaccounted For - Grossly Outrageous

2006-01-19T00:42:00.000-06:00

Completely unacceptable.

According to the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals, nearly five months after Hurricane Katrina made landfall, there are still 3,260 people listed as missing.

Not as unidentified remains, but of missing.

Of course some relatives have failed to check back in to alert LDHH that they have discovered their loved ones whereabouts, but that cannot account for more than say half.

Someone please explain to me as to why FEMA can't simply check this list against who they mailed disaster relief aid out to and solve some of these issues.

I tried to research how long it took the Feds to track down the missing after 9/11, but never dug up any true numbers... I'm pretty sure that this was a top priority though.

I wonder why it's not down here in New Orleans? Maybe the answer lies in the statistics below:

The two that really jump out at me are that the vast majority of the missing are African American, and the other one that gets me is that 228 children missing number. Sure seems that 228 children missing would fill up the sides of some milk cartons.

Ah, but who cares? We've already thrown a bunch of money at the problem - time to move on to the best and worst dressed at the Golden Globes.

• Full listing of missing individuals
• NewsHour Article
• Louisiana Department Health & Hospitals
• Thousands Missing - CNN

Deja Vu

2006-01-18T00:01:00.000-06:00

So you think New Orleans is moving in the right direction? Check out these phat statistics I culled from the Times-Picayune as well as other sources and decide for yourself if we've made significant progress in nearly five months... (Orleans Parish unless otherwise specified)

Now according to tonights broadcast of Anderson Cooper 360, here's a breakdown of New Orleans population by race pre & post Katrina:

Here's a few more interesting statistics from the Brookings Institute below:

• Delinquent mortgage rates have skyrocketed in Louisiana:
- 1 of 5 prime loans now delinquent.
- 1 of 3 sub-prime loans now delinquent.
• Personal income has dropped 25% in Louisiana post-K.

• Here's another article from the Brooking's Institute which was published in the NY Times back in December assessing the current situation in New Orleans.

And a few stats compiled by the Times-Picayune on FEMA trailer deliveries, of which I am included in - two months after my site survey and approval, yep still no trailer.

• Trailers requested in Orleans Parish: 19,413
• Number of trailers occupied in Orleans Parish: 2,309

That's a whopping 12% delivery rate there FEMA... damn good job!

• Total trailers requested in seven parish area: 64,791
• Total trailers occupied in seven parish area: 19,300

And that's a whopping 30% delivery rate. 500 trailers delivered a day, my ass.

Curious isn't it that every senator and representative who actually comes down to visit New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast thinks that WE NEED MORE HELP.

Ovaltine Please...

2006-01-17T16:50:00.000-06:00

Damn - that was fast... Here's all the background anyone needs on Ray Ray's Chocolate City:

• I'm Not Chocolate - T-Shirts
• Transcript of Nagin's Speech
• Nagin Apologizes - Associated Press (has good stats on the past election.)
• Nagin Apologizes for Remarks
• Nagin Hits Bottom, Starts Digging - GOP Bloggers
• Crime Punishment - NOLA Metblogs
• Unfortunately I did a search on Daily KOS - but found no mention of Ray's remarks... I might've done it wrong, but...

Whitey is Pissed

2006-01-17T10:18:00.000-06:00

I had been formulating a post regarding this little nugget of truth for a bit now, but was unsure as to the focus and direction it was going to take until soon to be former Mayor Ray Nagin decided to shoot himself and New Orleans in the kneecap yesterday by decreeing that God is angry with America and that God's will is for New Orleans to remain a Chocolate City.

While stealing the idea from Parliament as to a Chocolate City, Nagin tried his worst to correct the media's misunderstanding of his usage of Chocolate City by stating that Chocolate is actually a mix of dark chocolate and vanilla. Sorry Ray Ray - nobody's letting you get off with that one - especially not your average Vanilla Neighborhood constituent.

What's interesting about this is that when Ray Ray first appeared on the political scene and came out of nowhere to win his position as Mayor, he was the secret Vanilla Candidate in the Chocolate City. You see, his mother is white and the running joke amongst Whitey was that he was going to be the last white mayor the city of New Orleans was ever going to have.

But unfortunately, Ray Ray's internal polling must have shown to him that the only way he can be re-elected as Mayor is to fire up his chocolate constituents who are spread now all over the entire country with insane racial Jihad rhetoric.

And this city has been on the verge of combusting for some time now.

Vanilla has been furious at the way Chocolate made all New Orleanians look in the wake of Katrina. Vanilla has been afterglowing in a city that is now Vanilla City with a hint of Fudge, as there is next to ZERO crime. Vanilla is pissed that Vanilla has been back here for months rebuilding this city, yet all they see from the media is Chocolate screaming from Houston and Atlanta.

Now look, everything is never so Chocolate and Vanilla, but everyone's nerves are near the breaking point in this city - C. Ray is grasping for re-election, but by trying to save his job by bringing down the entire city is a criminal act.

Bye bye Ray Ray. You're done.

Then they blew up the levee, wait strike that...

Then they blew up New Orleans.

Krewe du Vieux FEMA Throw Application

2006-01-16T20:09:00.000-06:00

With KdV vast approaching, I want to go ahead and request that paradegoers download our latest FEMA Throw Application if they wish to sign up for the Carnival Throw program.

Please fill it out and return it to gulfsails at hotmail dot com, preferably in triplicate.

If, for some reason your application gets lost, we will eventually set up a 1-800 number for your inconvenience.

Thanks from FEMA! We're here for you and best tidings for your upcoming celebration.

C'est Levee or WWKdVD

2006-01-15T19:02:00.000-06:00

I know, I know - Twelfth Night passed a while back without a single mention by myself - so in order to make it up to everyone and happily inspired by the events of last night - I give you a little touch of the pre-Mardi Gras buildup...

Firstly Krewe du Vieux rolls on February 11th at 7pm - and it's the ONLY official Mardi Gras parade to roll through the French Quarter. As a true satirical and drunken Krewe, KdV let's Katrina and the feds have it. The following is a list of this year's sub-Krewe themes (I'm in K.A.O.S.):

• Krewe of C.R.U.D.E. (Council to Revive Urban Decadent Entertainment)
C.R.U.D.E. Sleeps in the Wet Spot

• Krewe of Drips and Discharges
There’s No Place Like Home

• Krewe of Underwear
Corpse of Engineers Presents “A Day at the Breach”

• Seeds of Decline
Fights the Futilities

• Krewe of Mama Roux
Home is Where the Tarp Is

• Krewe of L.E.W.D. (Lewd Ensemble of Weird Degenerates)
LEWDers Gone Wild

• Krewe of Space Age Love
Give me That Mold Time Religion

• Krewe of K.A.O.S. (Kommittee for the Aggravation of Organized Society)
K.A.O.S. Rules FEMA

• Knights of Mondu
MONDU Breaks Wind

• T.O.K.I.N. (Totally Orgasmic Krewe of Intergalactic Ne'er-do-wells)
T.O.K.I.N.’s Wet Dream

• Krewe Rue du Bourbon
Fridge Over Troubled Water

• Krewe de C.R.A.P.S.
C.R.A.P.S. Fingers the Dike

• Krewe of PAN (Perpetuating Adolescent Naughtiness)
Buy Us Back, Chirac!

• Krewe du Mishigas
NOLA’s Ark

• Mystic Krewe of Spermes
Spermes Declares A Mandatory Ejaculation: Cuntra Flow in Effect

• Krewe of Comatose
The Comatose Corps of Engineers does the BIG SPILL

• Mystic Krewe of Inane
Laissez les Trailers Roulez

I love the fact that all those FEMA workers staying in the Quarter are going to get a load of this.

Postscript... If you're coming down for Mardi Gras be sure to try and stay at the Dive Inn - if you can make the cut.

Cheers...

I Might Miss Our Old Criminals

2006-01-12T21:30:00.000-06:00

New Orleans was never a home for gangs, but instead the drug and other illegal trades were controlled by New Orleans families and networks of families - though obviously no less violent.

In the late 1980's several established national gangs tried to move into New Orleans, but their violent push into this market was quickly rebuffed by the New Orleans families.

Unfortunately, local WVUE Fox 8 news is reporting that the FBI is closely monitoring the potential for national and very violent gangs to try and claim the now dormant and vacant pre-K territories of the New Orleans drug families that are ripe for the picking. Remember that New Orleans is now virtually crime free.

Very specifically the FBI mentions three Latin American gangs: the Latin Kings, the Mexican Mafia and the highly violent MS-13...

Well now, that should pour a little gasoline on the whole New Orleans is filling up with Mexicans debate.

But this inward migration isn't the only story out there. Houston has experienced its murder rate skyrocket, though the Houston Police Department officially states only 8 homicides involve Katrina evacuees, but Houstonians are pointing the finger straight back at us.

Moreover, the FBI sent out a memo to all Houston area police departments stating the following about New Orleans 'gangs', "These gang members are ruled more by emotions, more prone to revenge killings and most of the New Orleans gang members believe if they are dead or in prison at the age of 25, they still feel they've lived a full life."

The criminal balance is out of whack here in the South.

I don't know what would be more exciting for a criminal mind - trying to take over Houston in a bloody war or conquering a virgin territory with not much of a market.

One things for sure - the New Orleans Police Department currently ain't taking no shit. I've heard a cop actually state, "This is our town now and we're not giving it back."

Let's hope that's true, but I want to let the NOPD in on something I discovered... The Latin Kings' colors are the New Orleans Saints Black & Gold.

That could be problematic.

Bring New Orleans Back: The Report

2006-01-12T18:48:00.000-06:00

Alright, first of all - at least it's a plan.

Sort of.

Effectively the main thrust of the entire BNOB Commission's plan is to wait four months and see what happens. Besides halting the permitting process on re-building in the most damaged neighborhoods, they spell out that during these four wait and see months, each of these damaged neighborhoods must hold several meetings in order to determine the extent to which homeowners are seeking to return.

Ok, that's fine, but I have several questions regarding the accuracy and precision of this information that they expect to garner in these meetings, as anyone can go into one of these events and scream to the top of their lungs that they are planning to return.

In fact, the report itself does not explain at all how these statistics are to be compiled.

What are they going to do, a show of hands? Where's the proof that these residents will return or even have the financial ability to return? Basically, they're going to let everyone feel that they are part of the process, and even though the Commission will be listening a little bit, I do think they're going to end up making some hard choices that are going to piss a lot of people off... read that as black people.

Unfortunately though - we're going to have to make hard choices to ensure the sustainability of this city.

Look, there are also definately some good ideas in the plan. I'm in favor of expanding streetcars and the light rail, the added greenspace and bike trails and the obvious necessity to shrink the city's footprint just for the sake of providing city services.

However, what this plan is actually doing is holding everyone off for two things - the new FEMA flood maps (which are due out in about four months) and to see what form of the Baker Bill passes through congress.

It's the stall for time plan... but like I said at the outset of this post, at least it's a plan.

You can download the entire BNOBC Plan for rebuilding the city in .pdf here. 34mb.

Don't Forget Your Hip Boots Baby

2006-01-11T22:15:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow at 10:00am as President Bush gives a speech in front of Jackson Square, a protest/rally will be held demanding Bush stand up to his promise for Cat 5 hurricane protection.

Everyone is invited to attend and wear lifevests as a symbol of the flooding. The organizers also ask that people make the following placards stating: "Category 5 Levees AND Coastal Restoration NOW" or "Party Affiliation: Louisianian"

They also ask for no anti- Bush/war protests.

If you can not make the rally, please fill out this online petition to tell your Congressional delegation that protecting Americans should be pretty high on America's political agenda. It seriously only takes about one minute, but would help us to prevent another catastrophe.

Thanks.

Shuttered Starbucks Redux

2006-01-08T17:06:00.000-06:00

Question: What are the only two businesses located within the 6 miles of upscale shops and restaurants on Magazine Street to have not re-opened in the 133 days since Hurricane Katrina made landfall?

Uh, that would be Starbucks Coffeehouses.

I previously visited this question on November 24th & 26th and received a hellacious amount of derision from Starbucks groupies from around the country, telling me things like "find some other place to plant your big fat ass" or words along the lines of Starbucks will not reopen until they can provide the 'true' Starbucks experience.

Well, it's interesting that in this first photo of a closed Starbucks on Magazine and Washington, there are two restaurants across the street which have been open for over two months - one's a sushi restaurant and the other is fine dining with entrees bouncing up to $28. Strange that these businesses seem to be able to provide enough of an 'experience' for their customers that they're packed nearly every day and night.

In this second photograph, this closed Starbucks on Magazine and Nashville is located directly across from another coffeehouse and adjacent to a Mexican restaurant and another fine dining restaurant offering entrees up to $32. Strange that these businesses seem to be able to provide enough of an 'experience' for their customers that they're packed nearly every day and night.

The third photo here is another closed Starbucks on Maple St., which is directly across the street from a PJ's Coffeehouse, a bubble tea shop and two restaurants - all of which have been open now for months. Strange that these businesses seem to be able to provide enough of an 'experience' for their customers that they're packed nearly every day and night.

This Starbucks is also in a heavily trafficked college part of town - and, by the way, the two Uptown Universities are open and up to 85% of their pre-Katrina student population.

Also, I think it is worthwhile to note that their are no waterlines on all three of these buildings... Why is that? Because none of them flooded.

Now look, I don't particularly care for Starbucks coffee but as a matter of disclosure, I do find myself addicted to the pre-packaged Frappuccinos, and in the great scheme of things for the rebuilding of New Orleans, this 'Starbucks' issue is pretty minor. But I wanted to make the point to the whole "Starbucks is God and the greatest corporate citizen ever" crowd that their belief is a crock of shit.

Starbucks whole philosophy and statements from their own website such as, "The connections we make in communities create a loyal following" is a bunch of bullshit.

Starbucks was failing in New Orleans Pre-K, but in a community's desperate time of need, instead of following their own corporate message and pledge, they simply closed up shop and ran with their tail between their legs... and are still running. Damn, that's unfortunate because the connections all the other coffeeshops have made in this community by opening months ago have indeed created a loyal following... for them.

Look Starbucks, we know you were struggling in New Orleans before Katrina as evidenced by only having four coffeeshops amidst a population of 460,000 and the many, many other hundreds of thousands of tourists who visited this city. But do not think someone's not going to call bullshit when you decide to eschew your own Corporate Social Responsibility Pledge which states, "Each time we open a new store, an average of 16 new jobs are created; additional local tax revenue is generated; neighbors get a comfortable place to gather; and we have the opportunity to give back to the community. Plus, we think our customers like having us around." and other statements such as, "Starbucks is located in thousands of neighborhoods, and we consider each neighborhood our home. Starbucks believes we have a responsibility to contribute positively to our communities in ways that benefit everyone."

Apparantly Starbucks means to be a vital community force everywhere except New Orleans - a place that at this time really needs vital community forces.

Postscript... We do appreciate Starbucks re-opening their other six coffeehouses in the outlying parishes. Thanks for that... but it's way too late now in New Orleans - you've lost everything here, in fact, Starbucks is becoming the symbol of corporate neglect and irresponsibility for us...

Oh yeah, with the outlying parishes being predominantly white and New Orleans being predominantly black, it makes me wonder if that had anything to do with Starbucks decision to not re-open in New Orleans?

Caution Contents Perishible

2006-01-08T11:50:00.000-06:00

As time progresses and I inch closer towards reclaiming our home eight blocks from the 17th St. Canal breach, new complexities are beginning to arise and reality is starting to rear its head.

And even though only last week I discovered a number 2 in the bottom quadrant of the rescue markings on a house three doors down from me signifying two lost souls in that home, and have now spoken with two immediate neighbors who plan simply to demolish their homes and then sit and play wait-and-see - I still want to strive towards having our house liveable within a year.

And even though our house rests in a red zone targeted for possible flood zone conversion or, more likely, used as an all white neighborhood to be bulldozed to quell some of the frenetic screams that only black neighborhoods are to be bulldozed - I still go out there three days a week and lug slices of massive downed pines to the street or finish ripping out the last of the kitchen appliances.

I am here. I am re-building, and no - I haven't received ANY money for this work - it's simply me and on some days my 65 year old father out there working.

My great new fear as I've slowly gotten to the point where I can now see progress on my little slice of devastation is that I'm starting to think about the realities of actually finishing the work in a year and then moving into this house...

From the way things are going, I'm not going to have a single neighbor. There isn't a single gas station in that area. There isn't a grocery store. There's little to no police or military presence. There's nothing - well, except for Gulf Coast Bank & Trust which re-opened about a month ago - I plan on banking there from now on (banks with a lot more resources than they have not re-opened in Lakeview).

And here lies the problem, with the many, many rumours and facts about the continued looting of Lakeview homes, how am I to feel safe for any possessions that I move back into this house and then say, leave for the evening to go to dinner? Some also would ask, what about your own safety, but I'm not concerned about that - I'm heavily armed.

Nevertheless, this is my new concern: Am I rushing, albeit slowly, towards a brick wall?

Am I being foolhearty to work and dream of the future of this property only to have my government come in eventually and tell me sorry, yeah we need you to sacrifice your neighborhood and home for a flood plain.

I suppose if that's the case, we'll make the choice for the greater good of New Orleans - but not if we're but a white sacrificial lamb.

...and its a New Year

2006-01-02T16:59:00.000-06:00

Thank God we can put that year behind us... no wait... there's no way in heck we can put that year behind us. How can we do that when two third's of this city is still in shambles. 60% of the homes still do not have electricity. The city is celebrating that we've gotten up to a population of 100,000 (that's down from 465,000) WOOHOO!

Anyway...

Here's my report card on how local politicians fared in the aftermath of Katrina:

• Governor Kathleen Blanco: Kathleen was effectively ineffective. Basically a deer in the headlights and this entire catastrophe was way over her head. Pre-K she was actually doing a pretty good job, luring business to the state and such... but damn, she pretty much crumbled under the onslought that would have crumbled most. Grade: D-

• Mayor Ray Nagin: I loved C. Ray pre-K. This businessman turned Mayor was tearing the old Morial and Jefferson henchmen a new one - breaking through the city's corruption and trying his darndest to make New Orleans a more business friendly place. Post-K, he did the best that he could with outrageously limited resources. The national press made a big to do regarding all those schoolbuses parked in the floodwaters, but did anybody happen to realize that it took two weeks, even after all the national resources poured into the city to fully evacuate this town, and they expected him to organize the evacuation of New Orleans in less than 24 hours... baloney. Lately, he's been running throughout the evacuee ridden border cities and imploring people to come home, but to what I ask? I, personally, have had a site survey and approval for my FEMA trailer done two months ago... yet still no trailer. We still don't know which neighborhoods may be demolished. We still don't know what the plan is. Hey C. Ray, I guess you're dutifully working behind the scenes, but I'd sure like to see you on the news EVERY NIGHT telling us anything. Grade: C+

• Senator Mary Landrieu: Mary, Mary, Mary. You rocked for the first week, and are still productive on the national scene. My HUGE issue with you (and your cohort) is when you gave that impassioned plea at the national press conference - you were fantastic and fiery and right, but then you finished your speech and hugged Blanco and said all laughing, "The money's coming baby." That made me sick to my stomach. You looked greedy and then followed it up with a request for $250 billion... Even I know that was outrageous. Thanks to that, any sympathy we may have had down here in New Orleans AND Mississippi washed away like our coast. You've since calmed down, that's good. Grade: B-

• Senator David Vitter: Hey Dave, you pretty much get grouped with Landrieu above with the added point that you were trying to butt kiss the President the whole time. You should have stopped that $250B money grab. Grade: C+

• Orleans parish Councilmember Oliver Thomas: He basically did the Oliver Twist for me. Not only was this man out personally rescuing his fellow citizens in the aftermath, he was very vocal and very persuasive in the media. Ollie - you really shined, and you surprised the heck out of me. Great Job.. and keep on doing it. Grade: A

• Orleans Parish Councilmember Jay Batt: Jaybird... where are you? Where have you been? What have you been doing? I vote in Lakeview... The best thing that I've seen you do is answer two questions for me via email within 12 hours. That's something, I guess. Grade: C

• Congressman Bobby Jindal: Oh for you to have been Governor Bobby. I have followed your career for awhile now starting when Foster put you on the scene, and have been impressed. I voted for you for Governor, even though I thought you were still too young - but you have shown your wisdom throughout this event. You've got my vote, whenever. The one negative, the $250B request fiasco. Grade: B+

• Leiutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu: Mitch, you come from a long line of politicos and you also have risen in my book with your actions in the aftermath. If you run against Nagin... I will have a conumdrum. Grade: B+

• Orleans Parish Councilmember Jackie Clarckson: The screaming zealot. I agreed with a fair amount that you were working towards pre-K, but now... you smell of territorial protectionism. Queen NIMBY. Grade: C-

• Congressman Bill Jefferson: Aren't you about to get indicted by the feds? Grade: D

• Orleans Parish Councilmember Eddie Sapir: Eddie have you even returned to New Orleans? Grade: D

• Jefferson parish President Aaron Broussard: What a kick you were in the aftermath. Your insane ramblings were hilarious AND true. You also get points from me for telling it like it was - except where you were mistaken. I'm sorry, but thinking that pump operators are not essential and therefore evacuating them - that's idiotic. Grade: D+

• St. Bernard parish President Junior Rodriguez: As far as I can tell - you've been telling your people exactly how it is and are going to bat for them. I hear your name more than Nagin's. And anyone in a position such as your's who would wear a "FEMA - Fix Everything, My Ass" t-shirt to an official council meeting gets a thumbs up from me. Grade: B+

Oh well, that's certainly not all of them, but there you have it. One man's opinions. One man who very actively votes.

I would also like to give out some very high praise for our neighbors in Texas (except San Antonio), Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and effectively every state in this union and their citizens. Thanks for the help - we DO appreciate it.

F's go to everyone in the Federal Government.

Help NOLA Musicians

2006-01-01T20:20:00.000-06:00

While New Orleans' famous musicians were scattered to the four winds - they were busy. Busy putting together this tribute to the city that has helped define their and the world's musical styles.

Profits from this CD go towards Habitat for Humanity's work on the Gulf Coast, with special emphasis on building homes for the many displaced musicians.

Includes Dr. John, Beausoleil, Randy Newman, Irma Thomas, as well as many others.

Check it out here.

Desire NOLA

2005-12-27T18:39:00.000-06:00

Desire NOLA is a not-for-profit corporation organized by a group of young New Orleans area individuals, who happened to be evacuees from Hurricane Katrina’s wrath. While the Greater New Orleans Area finds temporary harbor in other cities across our gracious country, Desire NOLA will be an active organization helping with the rebirth of New Orleans. Our goal is to provide a unifying symbol of hope and desire for the Greater New Orleans Area.

Our mission is to ensure the revitalization of New Orleans and its economy by retaining our temporarily displaced citizens and business, cultivating a strong business community by providing access to necessary information and resources for returning and developing businesses, and by stimulating economic development and generating job growth.

Our mission will be carried out with full emphasis on preserving the unique culture, ambiance, and historical value of the City of New Orleans and surrounding communities, which will benefit us all.

You can participate in the renaissance of New Orleans by making your donation today and proudly wearing your Desire NOLA t-shirt as a sign of support.

Christmas Eve on the Levees

2005-12-25T12:42:00.000-06:00

For over a hundred years on Christmas Eve, families and friends gather along the Mississippi River levees and light thousands of bonfires to guide St. Nick down to Bayou Country.

Amidst the fireworks, gumbo, and good cheer these 20 foot plus tall structures, which are constructed by family members over two months rekindle our links to the past and our connections to each other.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get my cousins to come down to the house in Lakeview and pick up some of my massive downed pines. Maybe next year... they'll probably still be there.

Merry Christmas everyone.

Christmas

2005-12-23T12:11:00.000-06:00

These children's letters to Santa are pretty much evocative of the Christmas spirit down here in New Orleans.

The truth really is in the details...

Merry Christmas to all.

Damn Chris...

2005-12-23T11:35:00.000-06:00

In the frontier town that is New Orleans these days, we're definately ready to go to war with anybody who either badmouths or undermines us. The heroic efforts of the TRUE New Orleanians who are down here every day, either rebuilding or going to work or simply spending money, will not and can not be sullied by even our own townsfolk who feel they must put us down in order to bring themselves back up.

Moreover - we're going to call you on that bullshit as Chris Rose, a columnist for the Times-Picayune did today. You go Chris. Ballsy move attacking a member of the first family of music in NOLA, Cyril Neville.

I want to add one to that though... Baumer Foods. The makers of my personal choice for hot sauce, Crystal, are fleeing the city and taking with them 250 jobs. Since 1923, Crystal Hot Sauce has been manufactured in New Orleans by the Baumer family and is now managed by Alvin Baumer. Besides knowing that I have now switched back to Tobasco Hot Sauce, I basically want to ask Alvin this... Do you think those Sazerac's that you love so much are going to taste as good in Houston or wherever the heck you're running off to?

All I want for Christmas...

2005-12-21T17:45:00.000-06:00

is well yeah, my FEMA trailer which has still yet to arrive - even after they did a site survey and approved the location over one month ago...

but really what I really want this Christmas is for everyone to sign this online petition asking for Congress to allocate a percentage of Louisiana's offshore oil and gas royalties towards coastal restoration.

Thanks and Happy Holidays!