THE THIRD BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS

Photo du Jour: Buy a Hand Grenade--Oh, and Fix the Coast

2008-05-06T23:58:00.004-05:00

I hate Hand Grenades (TM) from Tropical Isle. I also hate big oil. But big oil doesn't literally make you puke like that nasty green concoction. (Does it include vermouth?) This aerial message sign circled over Gentilly and Mid City and the Fairgrounds throughout the afternoon on Sunday--along with the ever present other one.

They're Tryin' to Wash Us Away . . .

2008-05-03T11:51:00.000-05:00

Demolition du Jour: The Twi-Ro-Pa Mills Building

2007-08-04T09:42:00.001-05:00

Came across the demolition of the Twi-Ro-Pa Mills building on Tchoupitoulas in the Lower Garden District last Saturday on the way over to the Port of New Orleans HQ for the "New Orleans Riverfront: Reinventing the Crescent" presentation.

Another building just goes away with no fanfare . . . No re-development possibilities with this structure??? Please. Detroit, St. Louis--here we come . . . (the gadfly continues to kick ass).

Map du Jour: NOAA Interactive Storm Tracker

2007-08-03T07:10:00.000-05:00

Stumbled across this site yesterday--a NOAA ArcIMS application that provides the ability to display and search all historical hurricane tracks going back to 1851. (Click on "query storm tracks" link on splash page). The ones shown in the sample image above are Betsy (1965), Camille (1969), Georges (1998), and our fair lady Katrina that Miserable Bitch (KTMB). In the query bar, use the shift key to select multiple storms to produce a view like seen above.

Rollin' on the River

2007-08-03T06:43:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Swede Viktor (left) and Minnesotan Matthew (right) on completion of the their 59-day, 1,900 mile canoe expedition of the Mississippi River. They started at the Mississippi headwaters at Lake Itasca, Minnesota, in mid-May and arrived in New Orleans about three weeks ago. Additionally, there were two other expeditions of the River (two other guys from Minnesota also in a canoe and a lone Canadian in a kayak) that arrived in New Orleans two days later.

Throw The Insurance Companies Out!

2007-08-02T09:54:00.000-05:00

It is time to toss the insurance companies out of Louisiana, and start a grand experiment in state-run insurance for health, homeowners and auto. I know, this sounds crazy - the state is not particularly good at running much of anything - but in all honesty, the insurance situation in Louisiana could not get any worse. Not even in the hands of our politicians. Here is why it will work.

First, nearly everyone in the state needs insurance for home, auto and health. However, all insurance companies are extremely selective and refuse coverage for those most often in the greatest need. Those with pre-existing health conditions, for example, most often have the hardest time getting decent health insurance. For homeowners in New Orleans, there is no way to get a new homeowners policy, unless it is through the state-run Citizens Corp. And we all know about the auto insurance debacle. In Louisiana we have one of the highest rates of uninsured motorists in the U.S.

Additionally, we pay some of the highest premiums in the U.S. for all three of these types of insurance policies. Here we are, living in a relatively small, poor state, and a large portion of people's (and corporate) income goes to insurance. Then, one small incident (a little roof damage from a wind storm, high blood pressure, a fender-bender) and your insurance company drops you like a hot-potato.

Potentially, without costing anyone any additional money (what you pay in premiums now to insurance companies would go to an insurance tax), and potentially with future reduction in insurance costs as risks get spread out, we could take over all of the homeowners, auto and health insurance in the state, and provide a comprehensive insurance plan that does not kick people out for any reason. The young and healthy help to keep the health insurance costs stable for the old and sick; hurricane-free Shreveport helps to reduce homeowners insurance costs for those in New Orleans.

Most importantly, by offering universal insurance coverage, especially health insurance, we would attract many businesses to Louisiana that currently pay very high premiums for their employees in other states. For example, if you are a corporation with a small presence in New Orleans and headquarters in Houston, but are paying on the average $500 per employee monthly for health insurance for your Texas employees, the free health insurance in Louisiana would be a big incentive to move a greater portion of your operations to New Orleans. If that same corporation moved 1000 employees from Texas to Louisiana, they would save $500,000 in health insurance costs monthly. And that is just health insurance; there would be considerable savings in auto and business insurance costs for that corporation as well. Companies that moved to Louisiana would become considerably more competitive globally as well as in the U.S.

Of course, there are legitimate concerns about the ability of the state to manage such a large system. But as bad as things are with the insurance industry in Louisiana, and in New Orleans in particular, it would be difficult to imagine creating a worse system. Big and progressive changes are needed for recovery and growth in South Louisiana. This single move - tossing out the private insurers that don't care about anything besides massive annual profits - could radically improve conditions in the state. Additionally, we would create such a better business environment that other states would be forced to do the same thing in order to keep their businesses from moving to Louisiana to become more globally competitive.

The F Word

2007-07-31T13:41:00.000-05:00

Actually the F words. FEMA, flooding, federal and formaldehyde are some f words that come to mind. FEMA has spent $4.3 billion in federal money providing rent subsidies to house Katrina victims. $4.3 billion? How is that possible - if the federal government was planning on handing out this kind of money to pay for temporary housing, why instead did they not spend some portion of that to renovate flood damaged homes in New Orleans for these same people? At the end of this debacle, there are going to be tens of thousands of New Orleanians living in places such as Houston, in rental properties, that will be no closer to returning home than they were 20 months ago. $4.3 billion could have gone a long way to buying or rebuilding permanent housing in New Orleans for these same people. This policy creates a dead-end for those in need, and a stream of dependable federal money for rental property owners in large cities outside of New Orleans. Quit spending money out-of-state, and start paying to bring these people home.

Also, our nearly empty FEMA trailer parks are designed to slowly sicken and kill the very people that they are supposed to temporarily protect. Not only did FEMA decide to convert our parks, open spaces and other public areas to FEMA trailer parks, and then subject local residents to barely livable conditions monitored by security guards in a concentration camp-style communities (see the Baton Rouge Advocate's previous attempts at talking to residents of these facilities for proof), FEMA has purchased trailers that contain formaldehyde at relatively high concentrations. Nice - I guess that is one way for the federal government to handle these poor, displaced people in the long-term. The plan must be to sicken these people so that they have to abandon the trailer parks for assisted living homes. The FEMA trailer parks are a disaster, all of the residents should be offered free rebuilt homes in New Orleans, and the federal government should immediately remove these carcinogenic, tin death traps and restore our parks and open space so that local kids have a decent, safe place to play.

Aerials du Jour: Recent Images of New Orleans from Space

2007-05-29T22:51:00.001-05:00

Long before Google Maps and Google Earth were introduced, the extensive catalog at NASA's fantastic The Gateway to Astronaut Photography of Earth provided plenty opportunity for me to waste hours and hours while mesmerized by tens of thousands of photographic images of the planet. Some were taken from Space Shuttle missions and some from the International Space Station (ISS). Below are some recent shots of New Orleans (link will direct to origin page where high res version can be downloaded):

27 September 2007
The Missisippi River, Bayou Lafourche, Bayou Terrebonne, and
Bayou Teche Ridges all very apparent.

21 November 2006
The evident spoke pattern of streets of Uptown.
Ever notice Naploeon Avenue and Barataria Boulevard have
nearly identical alignment? Hmmmm.

26 February 2007
New earthwork can be seen along the levees along MRGO
and the Intracoastal Waterway in New Orleans East.

26 February 2007
Imagine the further extent of damage if New Orleans East's proposed Orleania mega-development had happened in the late 1960's/early 1970's. Only half of the acreage within the levee protection system in "the East" is currently developed.

18 November 2006
Look how wide MRGO appears in this oblique.
Not quite that wide when dug 40+ years ago.

Map du Jour: Louisiana/Mississippi Landfall Hurricane Paths Over Past 50 Years

2007-05-27T06:55:00.000-05:00

Source: 27 May 2007 Times-Picayune.

Photos du Jour: The Baumer Food/Crystal Plant Demolition

2007-05-27T06:21:00.001-05:00

Took these last weekend . . . The stale smell of spice permeates the air behind Mid City Rock N Bowl as the Baumer Foods/Crystal Plant falls to the wrecking ball. In addition to the bottles as seen in the images below, various hot sauce labels litter the half-demolished grounds as well. Most of the labels are off-brands and generic hot sauces Crystal made for other companies such as grocery store chains. I did happen to notice a Mike Ditka hot sauce label in the weeds. He'll put his name on anything, won't he.

Would be nice if iconic I-10 viewable sign could be preserved in the re-development (condos).

Crystal Hot Sauce--in Arabic.

Only On Oak

2007-05-09T15:48:00.001-05:00

I saw a bumpersticker this morning on a car on South Carrollton:
http://onlyonoak.com/

In October 2006 Oak Street was named one of the four Louisiana Urban
Main Street Program corridors in the City of New Orleans. The
parishline-side of Oak Street from South Carrollton Avenue was
originally the Downtown main drag of the Town of Carrollton. Although
the commerical area never became completely abandoned, it has had its
ups and downs in the last forty years. When I was a kid in the
1970's, I remember Oak being home to many antique stores. Since the
Federal Flood of 2005 several new businesses have opened offsetting
the ones that didn't return. (The "FU" abandonment of New Orleans by
the Feed Store at Oak and on Esplanade Avenue--neither of which
flooded--really bothers me. I suggest avoiding their suburban
locations.) The designation of the street as a Main Street Corridor
is a postive step that in addition to creating a favorable environment
to business (with a concerted marketing effort, etc.) may hasten the
re-surfacing of the street which from what I recall pre-KTMB was
slated to be done in late Fall 2005. That bump between Leonidas and
Monroe is ridiculous--and gotten worse.

Another Test . . .

2007-05-08T07:01:00.001-05:00

This is another test. Does doing this work????

A Test . . .

2007-05-08T06:55:00.001-05:00

This is a test. I repeat, only a test.

Does this work?

Fitch Is Back, and So Are the Saints

2007-04-26T15:55:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since you've heard from me. I've been out the loop, meaning I haven't had the time or expertise to talk about all things associated with America's increasing indifference toward the Great City of New Orleans.

But the Saints are back in the news, and that makes me happy for the first time in months, it seems. So let's take some time to look at what has happened pre-draft during the offseason, shall we?

From all accounts, especially today (4/26/07), it's looking good.

QUARTERBACK: No change
STARTER: Drew Brees
BACKUPS: Martin, Fife
COMMENTS: Not many. Brees will be ready for the season. There's a chance that they draft a QB of the future, unless they're convinced that Fife has a shot at being a good NFL backup.

RUNNING BACK: No change
STARTER: Deuce McAllister/Reggie Bush and Mike Karney
BACKUPS: Stecker, Branch, FB t.b.a.
COMMENTS: The biggest question in training camp is if Jamal Branch beats out Aaron Stecker and makes the 53-man roster this year

WIDE RECEIVER: Joe Horn gone, David Patten signed
STARTERS: Marques Colston, Terrance Copper
BACKUPS: Henderson, Patten, Jones, Lewis, Moore
COMMENTS: A lot of people think they're going to pick a WR on the first day of the draft. Maybe. I think they won't miss Horn that much. He didn't contribute after November last year, and they really didn't miss it. I think Patten will be a good backup. He and Payton were together in New York for one year. I think Michael Lewis may be done, and that the Saints will look for a return man to replace him.

TIGHT END: Ernie Conwell gone, Eric Johnson signed
STARTER: Mark Campbell
BACKUPS: Johnson, Miller
COMMENTS: The Saints may have finally found a pass-receiving TE in Eric Johnson. But if you thought Ernie Conwell was injury prone.... It's also a popular notion that they will go with a TE in the draft, perhaps early.

OFFENSIVE LINE: Backup OL Montrae Holland gone
STARTERS: Brown, Stinchcomb, Nesbit, Evans, Faine
BACKUPS: Strief, Petitti, Goodwin, OL t.b.a.
COMMENTS: Not much change here. The Saints made a key move keeping Jon Stinchcomb. Holland probably won't be missed, and he will be replaced by one of the no-names signed during the off-season or by a rookie.

DEFENSIVE LINE: No major changes
STARTERS: Charles Grant (DE), Will Smith (DE), Hollis Thomas (DT), Brian Young (DT)
BACKUPS: Whitehead, Ninkovich, Leisle, Lake
COMMENTS: Re-signing Hollis Thomas was huge. But they still need one more better guy to bring in to the DT rotation, in my opinion. Charles Grant just signed on long-term too. So that means that the DE position remains rock solid. Hopefully Grant will play worth the money he is getting.

LINEBACKER: Danny Clark and Terence Melton gone, Brian Simmons, Troy Evans and Trev Faulk signed
STARTERS: Fujita, Simmons, Shanle
BACKUPS: Simoneau, Evans, Faulk, Fincher
COMMENTS: Simmons should be an improvement in the middle for the Saints. It also gives the Saints a quality backup in Simoneau who knows the defense. Troy evans and Trev Faulk are probably going to replace Melton as key special teams guys. Fincher is on the serious bubble, and there's a chance that another linebacker could be drafted.

DEFENSIVE BACK: Omar Stoutmire and Curtis DeLoatch gone, Kevin Kaesviharn and Jason David signed
STARTERS: Jason David (CB), Mike McKenzie (CB), Roman Harper (S), Josh Bullocks (S)
BACKUPS: Thomas, Craft, Kaesviharn, Bellamy, Gleason
COMMENTS: Thank God the Saints were able to sign Jason David at the last minute. That means that Fred Thomas drops to nickel back, where he belongs. Kaesviharn could start at safety if Harper isn't ready or if Bullocks has a bad pre-season. I'm still hoping (praying) that another CB or two are brought in to compete.

SPECIAL TEAMS: John Carney and Billy Cundiff gone, Olindo Mare acquired via trade
STARTERS: Steve Weatherford (P), Olindo Mare (K), Kevin Houser (LS)
BACKUPS: None
COMMENTS: It's disappointing to see John Carney gone. But he's getting too old, and the team has no faith in him to make a long kick or kick off, so maybe it's time. The problem here is that Olindo Mare hasn't been as good lately as he once was. Hopefully he'll do better kicking indoors. And he's certainly a better kickoff option than anything the Saints had before. The only other question: can Mitch Berger come back and beat out Steve Weatherford. My gut instinct is "no."

So that's it for now. We'll see you during or after the draft.

VA Tech

2007-04-19T02:45:00.000-05:00

VERY sad news for the Students and families of VA Tech. And now, in my new Politically Correct world (P.C. Beauregard now...) I have to ask... Why does the media have to play the "Manefesto"? Now the shooter has exactly what he wanted. He has his 15 minutes. Why not send a message to all of these idiots??? When you shoot up a school, when you butcher innocent people, you will leave no legacy.

The folks in Blacksburg have enough to deal with without having to see this idiot (I refuse to call him by any other name) spewing his bile all over the networks. When will the media finally understand that? Or are we so morbid as a society that anything will sell these days? Have we become the society just like in the movie "The Running Man"? Is Richard Dawson actually out there egging people on to watch people try to kill each other in an attempt to get ratings? What's next... Arnold for Governor??? Oh wait, he did that.

Please do not misunderstand, my friends. What happened at VA Tech is horrendous. But the idiot referenced the other idiots at a certain High School from a few years back in his "Manifesto"... If we allow the media to continue to let these jokers have a ton of air time, others will surely follow.

Love or hate Bush, he tried to change the phrase "Suicide Bomber" to "Homicide Bomber". He tried to make THOSE idiots out to be killers. The media refused to embrace the concept, and the concept was 100% accurate. I am not for the Media controlling everything we see and supressing news. But I could do without the Manifesto.

The Three Post-Katrina Hurricane Protection System Failure Studies

2007-04-08T07:11:00.000-05:00

Independent Levee Investigation Team (ILIT) Report: National Science Foundation/UC-Berkley-sponsored study. Final version released 31 July 2006.

The Team Louisiana Report: Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD) commissioned report headed by Ivor LI. van Heerden. Final version released 16 March 2007.

Interagency Performance Evaluation Taskforce (IPET) Report: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-sponsored study. Final version released 26 March 2007.

You know, because knowledge is power.

Photo du Jour: I-10 Escambia Bay Bridge

2007-04-07T13:25:00.000-05:00

The Fair Family made a quick run over to Pensacola on Thursday afternoon to meet a cousin's newborn. The first of the two new I-10 bridges across Escambia Bay re-opened about three months ago after the original bridge was damaged from the storm surge of Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. All traffic has been diverted to the new bridge which will permanently be the eastbound-bound bridge once the older bridges have been demolished and the second new bridge has been constructed. The Louisiana DOTD is employing a similar strategy with the new I-10 bridges crossing Lake Pontchartrain--the first new bridge will be used by two-way traffic while the original bridges are demolished and the other bridge is constructed.

The eastbound ramp to I-10 at US90 (Scenic Highway) has also finally been re-opened which had been closed since the original bridges reopened with limited capacity. From what I saw Thursday and Friday it doesn't appear that the long traffic jam that became commonplace back for two miles or so during rush hours with the temporary bridge fix is happening anymore. I suppose this post is just an FYI--you know if say, you have to suddenly go east for some weather-related reason in the next couple of months. Or more positively, when you make your weekend getaway to the beaches of Navarre, or Fort Walton Beach, or Destin . . .

Photo du Jour: Worse than Normal?

2007-03-31T09:29:00.000-05:00

Is it me or does it seem this spring's "droppings" have been worse than usual?? In my neighborhood even if the actual droppings aren't on everything (not directly near the trees its coming from) the dust/residue from it is. Our cars and our porch all need a good hose-down.

The Return of the Ladybug Rollercoaster in City Park

2007-03-25T19:34:00.000-05:00

I know a little girl who turned seven this week. She has had three of her seven birthdays at the Ladybug Rollercoaster in City Park. She's a fan. Because of the man-induced flood of August 2005 she was unable to have her sixth birtday party at City Park, but this year for her seventh there was no doubt where it would be. The Ladybug is back.

I believe this weekend was the third or fouth now that the amusement part of City Park has been re-opened in over nineteen months. The City Park Railroad train is running (the first amusement ride to come online over a month ago) and most of the other rides, etc. (slides, bumper cars) are back. The iconic carousel, however still remains to be operational, but it appears as if renovations are nearly complete.

What's Next? Locust? Killer Bees?

2007-02-15T23:10:00.000-06:00

As noted in an earlier post by Hollis P. Wood, my Carrollton home was impacted by the Tornado early Tuesday morning. Here is a brief narrative of the experience:

At around 2am or so before the rains began my six year old son came into our bedroom (as he often does) and wanted me to go lay with him in his bed. I got up and laid in bed with him and as he fell back to sleep the rains began. As warned earlier that evening by the local news, the rains became intense as a front passed the area. As I squirmed out of my son's bed (so he wouldn't realized I left) I decided to go to the computer to look at the radar to see how much longer the rains would continue. I watched in the animated mode for about 15 minutes or so as the heavy cells passed our area and just as the radar image indicated the rain lightened. I was about to turn off the monitor to go back to sleep when I heard this howl in the distance towards the River. The sound became louder and louder and then it was accompanied by a periodic popping sound. These were transformers afixed to utility poles exploding. Finally the sounds got to the point where it was quite apparent they were getting closer to the house--this was about 3am. I was fairly sure it was a tornado and I ran from the front room towards the bedrooms yelling for my wife to get our son and I grabbed our infant daughter from her bed. (In trying to recollect what happened as I wrote this my wife told me she was awake before I called for her because she says there was a brief power surge that caused the clock to reset and she was worried the alarm wouldn't go off the next morning. She looked out of the back bedroom window and saw a weird green sky. I didn't know about the green sky or the power surge.) After my wife and I ran into each other in a panicked state in a darkened room with each of us holding a child trying to get out of our daughter's bedroom with a wall of exterior windows, we managed to get in the one space within our house somewhat away from windows--an area between the kitchen and one of our bathrooms. The tornado passed as we sat on the floor in that space and my wife says she recalls hearing glass amongst the roar as the tornado went past us. I don't remember what I heard. This all happened in the span of less than 30 seconds and outside of our daughter's crying (which I also don't remember) we were all safe. I then went outside to see if any neighbors needed any help and to survey the damage to my and my neighbor's houses.

No one in our immediate area (our block) was hurt and within about 5 or 10 minutes after the tornado past most came out of their homes. The damage to our house was five blown windows--four on the the one side of the house and two panels in the window on the backside of the house in our bedroom. Both windows in the first room blew inwards placing glass throughout the room (the room I was in minutes before on the computer). I found an inch-long razor-sharp shard of glass impaled into one of the walls in that room a day later when cleaning up. The window in my daughter's room and two in our bedroom blew out towards the outside with all of the glass falling outside of the house. I am told this was due to the pressure differential. Shingles (including one in my daughter's bed) and leaves and twigs found their way into the affected bedrooms. My movable gate in my backyard got blown from the track and wound up flipped over in the driveway. Apparently the chain (part of the motorized apparatus of the gate) kept it from blowing away or blowing into our cars. The roof sustained shingle damage that will necessitate a new roof. And finally one of our 50+ year old crepe myrtles on the side of our house fell into my neighbor's adjacent yard. It grazed the back corner of their house but didn't do too much damage. I think we both got lucky on that one. Their house had a 50 foot tree fall on it during KTMB--it took them eight months for that damage to be repaired to for them to get back home.

Just like Katrina we got out of this fairly well--to which I am gratefully thankful. What's amazing is that in one block in both directions from my porch there is no evidence of any tornado. The destruction was contained to a very narrow swath--which we unfortunately lived along. On my block on the opposite street a recently renovated two-story mammoth of a duplex fell off of its foundations. The top floor is occupied by the structure's owner. The bottom unit: a middle-aged couple from Lakeview who of course lost their house in the flood. The double whammy. Two blocks away another recently-moved in middle aged couple had the roof ripped off of their house. I don't really know them but have waived at them many times when walking or driving by over the past months. They didn't realize a tornado was coming but thought the sound was hail. The sheetrock of the ceiling fell atop them as they laid in their second story bed. When they managed to get the sheetrock off of themselves, above them was open sky--the roof was gone . . .

This was obviously a traumatic experience, but I don't know if I am shell-shocked or desensitized or what but it still doesn't seem like it happened. Seems like a dream. My son's response as we huddled in the hallway as the tornado shot down Short Street was "Well, now I have something to write about in my journal at school." We have discussed what happened and I think so far he's handling it well and hasn't had any 'Nam-like flashbacks yet.

My block of street and the few blocks of Carrollton Avenue nearest me resembles the appearance of Fall 2005 with tree debris and metal and roofing tiles everywhere. The difference this time is that going one block or two blocks over within Carrollton and Uptown the ruin goes away. Gentilly, Lakeview, New Orleans East, the Lower Ninth Ward, and St. Bernard 19 months post-KTMB don't have that luxury.

Up next: locust. Or killer bees (The bees could be led to the Superdome . . . .)

Will post neighborhood pictures soon. Stay tuned . . .

How important is New Orleans??

2007-02-15T08:10:00.000-06:00

How important is New Orleans??

Everyone in the country needs to read this.

http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/uptotheminute.cfm?recid=8898

Expecting the Locusts Anytime Now.

2007-02-14T11:37:00.000-06:00

I spent most of yesterday helping Seymour clean up the glass inside and outside of his house. There were broken windows in almost every room including his 6 month old daughters. Glass everywhere including Seymour's computer desk. I expect he may be down for a few days, his desk was covered.

We got all the windows covered to keep out the cold and a lot of the glass cleaned up. I expect they will be finding it for months to come. Power was restored to the home about 6:30 last night. All in the Fair family are safe and unharmed.

I'm sure Mr. Fair will be posting pictures and telling his story as soon as possible.

Mardi Gras rolls on..............myself and 3 other contributors to this site will be on Float 15 in the Krewe of Thoth. Neutral ground side in the front. We roll Sunday at 11:30 Look for us, we throw tons of stuff. Literally, we had to build a bigger float.

Don't Give Up...

2007-02-13T13:18:00.000-06:00

When I woke up this morning at my "home away from home" in mid-America, I was frustrated to discover several inches of snow and a moderate winter storm. I thought I had it bad.

Then I went to my cell phone and noticed that one of my good friends, and fellow contributors to this blog, dropped me a text message saying that his home (which made it through KTMB relatively unscathed), was hit by the tornado that went through New Orleans this morning. He did let me know, however, that he and his family are okay.

I guess it could be worse.

Those of you who just got slapped in the face again, my thoughts go out to you. It just doesn't seem right. Keep the faith, and don't give up. Some of us still are concerned and care about you.

Deficient Parenting in New Orleans

2007-02-10T05:29:00.000-06:00

The murder of 17-year old Robert Dawson is an incredibly sad and outrageous story of another 17-year old getting into a fight with Mr. Dawson, going home to tell his mother of the incident, and then having his mother tell him he needed to get revenge by killing those responsible. The story has been well told by the Times-Picayune and I am sure everyone is a buzz about it. However, one line in the story caught my eye, actually a quote from NOPD spokesman Sgt. Joe Narcisse "No police department can make up for that degree of deficient parenting.“

I find this statement from the NOPD shocking. The NOPD announced that the 17-year old murder suspect's mother had cocaine in her posession. Granted, this is bad parenting, I guess that is obvious, but it could also be a serious problem associated with drug addiction and the wide availability of illegal drugs in the Crescent City.

The NOPD may not be able to make up for any degree of deficient parenting, but they can and should crack down on illegal drug distribution. This is the root of nearly all of the crime in New Orleans. I rarely feel unsafe in New Orleans in any neighborhood, and that is because I am not in any way involved in illegal drugs. Most of the crime, including murders, have their root in illegal drug trafficking; we all know that and that is why we become most alarmed by murders not directly involving drugs (which are quite rare). The NOPD was not very good at stopping illegal drug activity before Katrina, and they seem to be even worse at it now.

Don't believe me? Most neighborhoods in New Orleans have a street corner or two, or maybe a single block that is owned by teenage thugs that blatantly sell drugs on the street. We have all seen it over and over again. There is one block like that near me. Calling NOPD for action is a joke. They show up in a cruiser 45 minutes after you call (if you are lucky), and drive right by the drug dealing sentinels stationed several blocks away from where deals go down, armed only with Nextel/Sprint phones. These sentinels alert the actual drug dealers that a police cruiser is nearing the location where deals are going down. By the time the NOPD shows up, all is quiet, drugs are stashed under houses and in trunks of abandoned cars, and the police officer comes straight to your door to tell you he/she does not see anything going on. Of course, you would think that the NOPD would understand the logistics of the drug dealers, but it is obvious that they don't. Or they don't care.

Would Robert Dawson, 17, and just returning from Dallas, be dead today if the NOPD had control over the drug trade? I can't say for sure, but if cocaine and crack and pot were not so readily available in nearly every neighborhood, maybe an addicted mother would not have cocaine in her system at the time her son came home from a fistfight with another teenager. Maybe she wouldn't be addicted at all and be caught up in a cycle of buying (and selling?) illegal drugs.

I have an idea for the NOPD: spend more time out of your cruisers and on your feet walking our neighborhoods, arresting thugs selling drugs who control our many of our corners, and shutting down illicit drug distribution in New Orleans. Then maybe you can get into the crime prevention game instead of the crime solving game. And maybe help some other drug addicted mother to be less deficient at parenting.

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (AP) - A commercial for Snickers candy bars launched in the Super Bowl broadcast was benched after its maker got complaints that it

2007-02-08T01:47:00.000-06:00

OK... Here we go again. Great topic for the news. Thank goodness when we have Astronauts Gone Bad, and now Snickers ads offending people... I think I will have to change my moniker to PC (Politically Correct) Beauregard. We simply can't focus on the real issues at hand. New Orleans is still struggling to recover while congress is debating non binding resolutions on the war in Iraq and working on other weighty issues like fixing that important Steroid thing.

Can't wait for Mardi Gras this year... Media coverage will be the same... Katrina tributes (a VERY good thing) but then they will let it fade away while they do nightly features on Mike Tyson's drug rehab (I can't wait for the Diane Sawyer interview).

I also have to continue to listen to people who know nothing about the city, its traditions, it heritage, and the reality of the situation prattle on about what should be done to "fix" or bulldoze it. My standard response is simple... "ever been there? Ever been outside of the French Quarter? Ever talked to a New Orleans native who knows the city? Ever been to a restaurant or a club that is not listed in some tourist guide? No??? then (in the words of Chris Farley) then why don't you just SHUT YOUR YAPPER???

It will take time for the Crescent city and the gulf coast to recover. Time, money and the resolve of some of the most incredible people I have ever met. And as long as I have a voice, I will continue to take up the cause. Hail New Orleans!

Perspective, People

2007-02-07T07:17:00.000-06:00

Now I understand why New Orleans can't capture the imagination of the national news media anymore.

There are MUCH, MUCH, MUCH more important stories out there for them to cover.

Like astronauts having affairs.

God, I hate sweeps. This is what you get when you let audiences, consultants and focus groups determine what is newsworthy instead of trained professionals.

Peyton Manning--CHAMPION

2007-02-05T10:03:00.000-06:00

Okay, now it's time for all the haters to move on. New Orleanian Peyton Manning is a champion.

There is a Super Bowl ring in the Manning family. Archie can now live out his life peacefully.

Now they don't have to hear about how the Mannings are losers. How Peyton could never beat Florida. How Peyton could never beat Brady. How Peyton didn't win the Heisman.

Now, Peyton has something that Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and Charles Woodson do not have. A Super Bowl ring AND an MVP award.

So SHUT UP.

If anybody but the Saints was going to win it all, I'm glad it was the Colts. And not just because they beat the Bears (Finishing What Katrina Started). And not just because of Peyton. Reggie Wayne is a local guy too (even though he went to "DA U"--of course, that was at the disastrous end of the Gerry DiNardo days), Booger McFarland (LSU) now has two rings, and Joseph Addai (LSU) now has a national championship ring and a Super Bowl ring.

I just can't believe I'm so happy for a guy who went to Tennessee and whose dad and brother went to Ole Miss.

Now all of the "He'll never win a big game" people have to find somebody else to pick on. Any suggestions?

Damn You, The Onion

2007-02-01T12:52:00.000-06:00

For making me laugh hysterically at New Orleans's situation. Sometimes you have to laugh to keep from crying.

My favorite passage:

"We've done our best to ensure the city is as well off as it was before Katrina hit," Blanco said. "It's all back—the same abandoned cars, the broken bottles, the spent shotgun shells, the rat colonies, even the used diapers on the front lawns. People of New Orleans, welcome home."

Oh, if only we had enough money and resources to return New Orleans even to its old "decrepit" condition.

And for those of you are offended by the story. Remember a few things. First, this is a joke. Second, this is satire. Third, The Onion is anti-establishment/anti-government. An enemy of the enemy is our friend. I know that this can be a sensitive topic for outsiders to make fun of. Sort of like the way you can call your brother a no-good S.O.B., but you'll kick anyone else's ass who says it. But I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Thank You-San Jose Mercury News

2007-01-31T09:56:00.000-06:00

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/16570013.htm

An excellent column from Ann Killion of the San Jose Mercury News.

The next Superbowl up for bid is 2011. New Orleans better be bidding on it.

Who Says They Don't Care About New Orleans?

2007-01-29T14:17:00.000-06:00

We're not even worth a mention in the State of the Union. We weren't part of the Democrats' "First 100 Hours." The only time the city seemingly gets in the news these days is when the media runs a story about the crime rate, corruption, or lack of assistance making it into the hands of people who need it the most. All bad news--enough to make you want to give up.

But at least one media outlet still cares. At least one media outlet is looking out for the city. At least one outlet still has its finger on the issues that still face this city.

Yes, that's right:

Maxim magazine has given the "F**K DA EAGLES" girl her own photo shoot.

Thanks for all the help guys. Oh yeah, and to use the words of Homer Simpson, "In case you couldn't tell, I was being sarcastic."

Local politicians and victims are now having trouble finding media forums, but she sure went from being a nobody to photo-shoot girl in the span of about 15 seconds.

But, in all seriousness, Maxim may be on to something. Maybe this is how we can recapture the attention of the American public. Semi-hot women and profanity.

Maybe we can get some of our sexier citizens to stand on the sites of the levee breaches and wear "F**K FEMA" t-shirts. Then maybe they can stand in front of the court houses with "F**K DA D.A." shirts. Then they could visit the Insurance Commissioner and the "Road Home" people to lend a hand. Then they can visit David Vitter, who is more likely to supply a soundbite about same-sex marriage or supporting Iraq than he is about Katrina (unless he's taking pot-shots at Kathleen Blanco), and remind him of his constituents' priorities.

I think we're on to something here. After all, it's what they expect from us, right? Scantily-clad hotties with loose morals? Isn't that what Mardi Gras is all about?

Oh yeah, still being sarcastic. Sort of.

My National Politics Question

2007-01-24T10:31:00.000-06:00

I know that this deals with New Orleans issues. But, dammit, New Orleans is a national issue (even if the president doesn't think so). Therefore, I have to bring this up. This has been building up in me for weeks and months. And when I have watched the way the TV news channels have covered the 2008 presidential race, and then watched the way the TV news channels have covered the responses to the State of the Union Address and President Bush's request for more troops in Iraq, I have only gotten angrier and angrier. So here it is.

We are more than 18 months from the next presidential election.
There have been no caucuses or primaries.
There have been no debates.
There have been no speeches.
There has been no real substantive discussion of the issues, outside of Iraq.
Hell, nobody can say yet with absolute certainty what the real issues will be in the next election.

And yet, the media has already decided that only four people can be elected president in 2008. And ONLY those four people are being allowed the time to speak.

The media has already decided that either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama will go up against John McCain or Rudy Giuliani.

I'm sure that John Edwards or Mitt Romney would have like to have talked on national television about what they saw last night. Hell, even Newt Gingrich or John Kerry might have even had something to say, even though I probably wouldn't have wanted to hear it.

Who decided that these and other people are not relevant? And why did every morning news show and most of the 24-hour news channels have Barack Obama live to talk about things? Who decided that he gets the bully pulpit? I don't even have a grasp of what he stands for yet, and yet he is the favorite?

My wife (who is fairly well educated) didn't even know who Barack Obama was until I told her a couple of weeks ago. But either he or Hillary will be the Democratic candidate (according to them).

Only the people with the highest Q-score get to be on television. What the hell is this? American Idol or a presidential election?

I find it interesting that the so-called "national media" have already decided who the four finalists will be. And, how convenient. Two of them are from New York.

Twice-Weekly Garbage Pick-up Returns: 17 Months Post-KTMB

2007-01-24T07:21:00.000-06:00

I write this as I hear the mechanical rumble and occasional "hey" (the guys collecting the cans yelling to the driver to move forward) of the garbage truck a few blocks away. After nearly a year and a half, garbage collection has returned as a twice-a-week affair within the City of New Orleans. My neighborhood's days are Wednesday/Saturday. I vaguely recall pre-KTMB my area was Tuesday/Friday--but I am not totally sure if I remember correctly as its been so long. Unfortunately, the city's recycling program remains indefinitely suspended and honestly (as pathetic as this is) I wouldn't be surprised if it doesn't ever return as the cost of the program was cited pre-KTMB as too expensive to run. Minimally, the City of New Orleans should at least offer a few central recycling drop-off sites to at least have a token program running not dependent on curbside pick-up.

Not That This Comes as a Surprise to Anyone, But...

2007-01-23T22:04:00.000-06:00

The good old days of relevance at the "set."

There was no mention of New Orleans in the State of the Union Address.

I guess we have to wait until next football season for the media to talk about all the help this city needs again.

Oh well.

SEYMOUR D. FAIR ADDED LINK: There Should Have Been Silence (points out the lack of mentioning of our region's unpleasantness).

SEYMOUR D. FAIR ADDED LINK DOS: Harry Shearer walking the walk--as usual. Be sure to check out the comments as his posts generally stir up "the Orleanians are lazy/New Orleans deserves what it got/stop complaining and pull yourself up . . ." crowd. You know, the kind of insensitive, inhuman, soul-less douchebags behind something like this.

I'm Pissed: Bears 39 Saints 14

2007-01-22T10:55:00.000-06:00

First, let me get the excuses out of the way:

That field was unacceptable. There is a long history in football of the home team manipulating the field to their advantage. But come on. It's two thousand freakin' six. You know that if you live in Chicago that your field will be crap in December. Install some field turf and get it over with.
The BeerMan DID NOT FUMBLE. He was losing the ball before he was down. Then he regained possession and his knee hit the ground. Then the Bears guy took the ball from him. THAT IS NOT A FUMBLE. I don't care if the guy dribbled the ball like a basketball before he was tackled. If he regained possession before his knee went down, there is no fumble.
The Bears first accepted penalty did not occur until somewhere around halfway through the 4th quarter. I have a HUGE problem with that. Are you telling me that the Bears didn't do anything illegal for 3 1/2 quarters? They called illegal block on BeerMan's punt return in the 3rd quarter, but they missed 3 of them on Devin Hester's punt return in the first. Now they did call a hold on the Bears on an incomplete screen pass in the 3rd quarter. The penalty was declined because it was 4th down without the penalty. But on the same play, the refs completely missed an intentional grounding call. Nobody was near that pass. That cost the Saints about 10-15 yards of field position.
I wouldn't have had a problem with the lack of penalties if the refs weren't calling bullsh&t offensive pass interference penalties on the Saints.
Terry McAulay's crew has a history of incompetence. It also has a history of screwing over the Saints. Remember when the Saints played the Giants in the first NFL game in New York after 9/11? Terry McAulay's crew did that game too. The officiating sure looked that day like it was preordained that New York would win that game. The Saints were penalized 14 times that day, most of them in the first half (the Giants were penalized 11 times, mostly in the 2nd half). The Saints were also the victims of a pair of questionable booth decisions. I also remembered an incident in that game where Aaron Brooks was speared after a quarterback sneak was finished and the whistles had blown (and yet there was no unnecessary roughness penalty against the Giants). And when the Saints scored a potential game-winning touchdown on the last play of the game, the refs called, you guessed it, offensive pass interference to make sure it wouldn't happen. If the Saints tied and won that game in overtime, you wouldn't have had "heartwarming" stories like this. You'd think with 16 available referee crews, they could have found a better crew for an important game.

Okay. Now that I got that off my chest, let me point out that the Saints still could have won the game, but blew it in the 3rd quarter. In that quarter, two inexcusable things happened:

The Saints "long field goal specialist" came up well short on a 47 yard FG. Wind was negligible. There's no excuse for that.
Drew Brees was called for a safety. It was a safety fair and square, even without the Bears' lobbying. Her's my concern: if you know the Bears are coming after you on every down (like they were doing), why do you call a pass like that? Why was there no safety valve? It looked to me like Deuce was headed that way but never got there. Why was running never an option yesterday?

Then, after that, Rex Grossman finally realized that Fred Thomas was in the game, and that was all she wrote.

It was a great ride while it lasted. Thank you Saints for a great season. Right now I'm trying to be grateful that they went farther than any Saints team in history, but it's still hard. These chances to get to the Super Bowl don't come very often. Three of last year's final four teams (Steelers, Broncos and Panthers) didn't even make the playoffs next year. And with a division as competitive as the NFC South, there's no guarantee that the Saints will get back next year. You MUST take advantages of your opportunities when they're presented to you.

With that being said, I think this Saints team could be set up to be good for a long time. Brees is locked in. Bush, Evans and Colston were rookies. And the Saints defense had a good season in spite of having the worst cornerback in the NFL.

What are the keys to the Saints' success in 2007? Besides getting rid of Fred Thomas? In my opinion, they need to find a veteran cornerback or two in free agency. It would be a good idea to get a tight end or two as well. The draft could be used to get more depth at cornerback and tight end. In addition, I would like to see the Saints pursue a wide receiver, backup linebackers, an offensive lineman, a young backup quarterback, and a kicker in the draft too (or free agency). Then, do what they can to tie up Will Smith and Jammal Brown with long-term contracts. And as long as the coaching staff and front office stays pretty much the same, everything should be okay.

And now, depression sets in. Only one more meaningful football game, and the Saints aren't in it again. No more Saints games until August, and only free agency, the draft, and training camp to tide me over.

But I have rarely been so optimistic about the future of the Saints, on the field at least.

I was born a Who Dat, and I will die a Who Dat. It was seasons like this one that convince me that it's all been worth it.

And yet, I will be wearing a Colts jersey in 13 days.

Orleans Avenue/Mid City New Year's Eve Bonfire

2007-01-21T10:08:00.000-06:00

The Orleans Avenue/Mid City New Year's Eve Bonfire/Fireworks Bonanza was hyped to me for years. I finally attended this year--and all expectations were met.

Yes, I took this video 21 days ago--but I had a hardware issue capturing it which I resolved yesterday. Starts out night vision and turns to color. Naturally, the mayhem turns Saints at the end . . . .

Biggest Weekend in Saints Fan History Too

2007-01-19T15:29:00.000-06:00

I've been so jacked up for this game all week that I've virtually gotten no work done. I've waited for this game my whole life. Seriously, my whole life.

Here's my story. I was born in 1969. I was on my mothers lap when Tom Dempsey kicked the 63 yard field goal in 1970 and I've been a fan ever since. I remember watching the Saints-Bucs game in 1977. You all know the game. The Buccaneers first ever win as a franchise. I was 8 years old and I watched the whole thing alone in my parents bedroom. No one else in the house wanted to watch except me. I was heartbroken after that game and the Saints continued to break my heart hundreds of times over the last thirty years.

I was there when Bum Phillips decided to punt instead of letting Morten Andersen attempt a 48 yard field goal against the Rams. It was the last game of the season, win and your in. We lost. 1987 we finally had a winning season. We went 12-3 only to watch the 49er's go 13-2 and win the division. We then proceed to get stomped in the wild card game by and 8-7 Vikings team that everyone thought we would crush.

The playoff years of 1991 and 92. Probably our two best teams ever until this year. 1991 playoff game led the Eagles 20-7 in the second half and lost. 1992 playoff game led the Falcons 20-7 in the second half and lost.

I lived through miserable Ditka years and the Ricky Williams embarrassment.

The flicker of hope in Haslett's first season. Finally a playoff win after 33 seasons. Then right back to mediocrity.

All that is just the tip of the iceberg.

Every fall and winter I have lived and died with this team every week. Fan to a fault? Maybe. But, they are my team.

Coaches and players have come and gone but we (the fans) have been here the whole time.

All I can say to my friends who will be watching the game with me on Sunday is.......When we win, you will see a grown man cry.

Who Dat?!

The Biggest Weekend in New Orleans Football History

2007-01-19T08:47:00.000-06:00

Well, we're now almost 48 hours away from the biggest day so far in New Orleans Saints history.

And if we get there, our "Patron Saint" may not be pulling for them. How's that for potential irony?

But if there's one person I'm pulling for as much as the Saints this Sunday, It's Archie Manning. Mathematically, there's a 25% chance that the Saints will play the Colts in the Super Bowl. It's about time that good football karma catches up with the Manning family. The team he played for most of his career, his adopted hometown team, playing in the Super Bowl against his son.

I say that karma should hopefully catch up with Archie because he deserves a dream Super Bowl matchup after everything he and his sons have endured on the football field.

Take Archie and the Saints. The "franchise quarterback without a franchise." They give him some offensive weapons between 1978 and 1980, and the defense goes in the toilet. Then the Saints go back on the upswing in 1982, and Bum trades him to the Oilers for Leon Gray. The Oilers, a long-time contender, suddenly get old and go in the toilet. Then he moves on to Minnesota. Just in time to see them hit rock bottom.

Next, Peyton comes along. He goes to Tennessee, just in time to witness the rise of Steve Spurrier and Florida football. He gives the Vols an incredible winning record, but gets the "loser" label tagged on him because he can't beat Florida. In his defense, NOBODY was beating Florida then. He's in line to win the Heisman, but he sees that taken away by an overrated defensive player hyped to death by ESPN and ABC. Then he goes to the pros, and Tennessee finally wins the national championship the year he leaves. His first years in the pros are with Jim Mora (PLAYOFFS????), so you know he's not going to win any playoff games until Mora's gone. Then Mora leaves, and he gets the "loser" label tagged on him again because he can't beat the Patriots. He's already been compared to Dan Marino for his inability to lead his team to the promised land in spite of being the most talented quarterback on the planet.

And Eli hasn't won anything either. The image many Louisianians have of him is that of him tripping over his offensive lineman in the 2003 LSU game. LSU wins the game and wins the national championsip. Ole Miss never recovers. And now he's 0-2 in the postseason with the Giants, and many fans up there blame him for many of their problems.

So that's why I'm pulling for a Saints-Colts Super Bowl. That and the fact that I'm tired of the Patriots. And the fact that the Colts have two prominent LSU players (Joseph Addai and Booger McFarland) and one New Orleanian (Reggie Wayne) who had to deal with the tragedy of losing his brother in New Orleans earlier this season.

The Manning family should not go down as the most talented family of losers in NFL history.

And Archie, New Orleans forgives you if you have to pull for the Colts. I'll even wear my Peyton Manning jersey if the Saints don't get there.

The New Orleans Saints: More to the Story . . .

2007-01-17T22:36:00.000-06:00

I know we've been in overdrive in regards to the 2006 Saints season over the past several months here at TBNO. Obviously, many more serious things are there to be concerned with and to be focused upon regarding post-KTMB New Orleans. However, I believe the New Orleans Saints are relevant to our city as their success this season has served as a unifying rallying cry (rich/poor, black/white, Orleanian/Jeffersonian/St. Tammanian) for New Orleans, and to borrow Mr. Clio's "bread and circus" analogy, something which has acted as a positive diversion for those of us choosing to remain here as New Orleans' viability and future quite honestly lingers in question.

Additionally, I've missed less than ten home games since 1984 (attending nearly all with my father and my now-deceased grandfather) so I've got much time of my life, along with an incredible amount of family memories, invested in this team and finally, "the 'hell-freeze over' dream" has at least a chance of becoming reality. So to me, personally, and the other contributors to this blog--my closest friends whom I also attended these games with from puberty to now--the New Orleans Saints are damn relevant.

This article appeared on Sports Illustrated website this morning. Generally speaking, I'm ok with its content with one exception: Mr. Layden erroneously calls the drowning of the City of New Orleans a "natural disaster." I wholeheartedly disagree with that assessment. That statement is in line with the other un-questioned"fact" that New Orleans is a city built 10 feet below sea level . . .

I decided to alert him of his error. Here's what I sent him:

Mr. Layden:

Good piece on New Orleans and the Saints--but I am afraid you have one major part of the story incorrect just as most of the media with exception to Harry Shearer (see his blog). The still-lingering, horrific damage incurred to the City of New Orleans in August 2005 was not via a natural disaster. Instead, this damage was caused by a MANMADE disaster of failed floodwalls and earthen berm levees. There is a significant difference. No one outside of this area seems to realize or comprehend this. What happened on the Mississippi Gulf Coast during Katrina and the SW Louisiana Coast during Rita was in fact a natural disaster caused from essentially a tidal wave--the "storm surge." Because of New Orleans' geographic position levees (and floodwalls) have been constructed in some form since the city's inception to protect New Orleans from periodic Mississippi River flooding and storm surges from the sea. Prior to Katrina our citizenry was assured the flood protection system was adequate by the federal government (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) whom is responsible for it. The Corps formally admitted culpability for the flooding of New Orleans--to the sound of crickets chirping. There was nothing natural about what happened to this place 18 months ago. Our city continues to struggle (although the 2006 Saints provide a welcomed "bread and circus" distraction), but our federal (and even state) government doesn't seem to really be bothered by the conditions here. Our country's response to New Orleans' plight is pathetic and quite frankly makes me embarrassed to be an American.

Seymour D. Fair
New Orleans

Architecture Thief in Mid-City Gets Away with a Slap on the Wrist

2007-01-17T16:42:00.000-06:00

I'm sure we have all heard the news reports and tales of unique Architectural pieces getting "liberated" from damaged houses throughout the city. Well, it turns out that close friends of mine that own a flooded Mid-City house have been frequent victims of this crime. And even though the criminal was caught red handed, he was back on the street within a few hours and only a half block from where the crime was committed. Since this guilty party is a local business man I can think of no better justice than to announce his name so that others can avoid him. Please read my friends' account of the events below:

I want to pass on information about an incident that happened yesterday. In short, Long Hardwood Floor Restoration, LLC uses stolen wood to restore customers' floors.

** As most of you know, xxx & xxx are having the house on Telemachus demolished and are re-building on the same lot. The plans are pretty much in place; we are just waiting for the house to be knocked (waiting since October)

Over the past several weeks, individuals have been stealing items from our home such as doors, all of our windows, the air-condition unit, etc. It has been upsetting for us - even though we are not using these items in the new house, these things are still OUR property and the fact that people are just helping themselves to our things really chaps our rears.

Anyhoo - yesterday, we got a call from a concerned neighbor stating that someone was in our house removing the window frames. xxx & xxx rushed over to the house to find some guy working away in our house, taking what he wanted. After recovering from the blood vessels popping in our heads, we called the police, they arrived QUICKLY, arrested him and took him to the police station. Happy ending? No. ----A few hours later, we saw him walk in Finn McCool's for a drink with his friends. Essentially, he was just slapped on the hand by the police (he was only charged with trespassing) and released.

We are furious and want to pass on this information about this guy to warn our friends that this business uses wood stolen from people's homes. I have said this dozens of times to people - if they want things from our house like wood, windows, etc., all they have to do is ask us for these things. We will give them these things. We would rather see these pieces used elsewhere then be demolished. We just want to be ASKED!

So, here is the information about the guy who stole wood out of our home without our permission:

Steven Long

Long Hardwood Floor Restoration, LLC

504.621.1165

He is a thief and I encourage you to not give him your business. He uses stolen wood to restore wood floors.

Thank you.

xxx & xxx (NAMES REMOVED)

Quite Appropriate

2007-01-16T12:18:00.000-06:00

How about this one. The parents of the baby, who's embryo was rescued from the flood, have named the newborn Noah.

Seriously though, congratulations to the new parents. Truly, a wonderful day for them.

Welcome to New Orleans Noah!

WTF!?

2007-01-15T08:53:00.000-06:00

http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/wwl011207jbcase.3400c263.html

Did anyone else catch this story? The DA's office release a man accused of armed robbery because they couldn't locate a witness. So the reporter went and found the guy that day!!
Can things in our Criminal Justice System really be this bad? Why didn't the reporter bring the Assistant DA to the man's house with TV camera's in hand? Why isn't this a bigger story? I have been out of town for a few days, was this a big story?? I'm sorry I can't type anymore, I have to go throw-up.

Bring on the Bears

2007-01-14T17:12:00.000-06:00

Random thoughts from the last 24 hours:

1. I'm 3-0 on my picks so far this weekend. I'm losing on my 4th though. If San Diego wins, we're looking at a possible Saints/Colts Super Bowl. I want Peyton, Addai, New Orleanian Reggie Wayne, and the rest of the Colts to get there too. I know it's the one Archie is pulling for, and that's good enough for me. UPDATE: I went 4-0 this weekend. Just tooting my own horn.

2. I would have loved to host the NFC Championship game. But I think we can beat the Bears too. The Saints have trouble forcing turnovers. If they can't get a couple of picks on Rex Grossman, then they don't deserve to be in the Super Bowl, period.

3. The Saints offense can score enough points to beat the Bears. The Bears love to get cheap defensive touchdowns, but the Saints don't give defenses those opportunities.

4. The crappy Midwest weather is in full force this weekend and this week. It's supposed to get better next weekend.

5. Bernard Berrian vs. Fred Thomas. We'll see what happens.

6. Again, thank you Deuce. I already posted on that. It's interesting that the two most beloved figures in Saints history (Archie and Deuce) both went to Ole Miss.

7. Thank you, Scott Fujita. Your tackle on Tapeh in the 4th quarter saved the game.

8. Thank you, Mark Simoneau(x) for intentionally ricocheting the ball off your head to prevent a big gain. Ha ha.

9. Thank you, Reggie Bush for finally making something out of those broken plays.

10. Thank you, Terrance Copper, for recovering Reggie Bush's fumble. I now consider you completely redeemed.

10. Saints TEs: 6 catches, 108 yards. Does that equal their total output from the second half of the season?

11. We endured the Donte' Stallworth/Darren Howard curse, and still won. How sweet it is.

12. Come on, Marques. Sell the catch on the Hail Mary a little better, and maybe they would have been more likely to review it.

13. Come on, Bullocks. Make the big play.

One win away from the Super Bowl. So this is what it feels like.

Somewhere, someplace, Buddy D is smiling. I wonder if Aaron Brooks is doing the same.

Thank You, Saints. Thank You, Deuce

2007-01-14T01:26:00.000-06:00

This is one of the happiest sports-related nights of my life. We just keep erasing the "you've never..." statements we always heard.

And Deuce McAllister now belongs in the Saints stratosphere usually reserved for only Archie Manning. His heart and soul carried the team tonight. Add the concern he has for this city and his charity efforts, and he's earned the respect and admiration of us all.

Not bad for an Ole Miss guy.

More tomorrow. I just had to get my thanks to Deuce out tonight. I'm sure you understand.

GAMEDAY . . .

2007-01-13T10:55:00.000-06:00

Why We Need the Saints, If You Didn't Already Know

2007-01-11T12:11:00.000-06:00

I know this blog sometimes gets overloaded with Saints posts, but it's articles like this that help explain why the New Orleans Saints are critically important to this area.

America wants to forget. America wants to focus on the escalating murder rate, the reelections of useless politicians, government infighting and inefficiency, and so on. They say we should take care of ourselves and that we don't deserve federal assistance. They blame their murder rates on New Orleanians. They don't give us the 2008 Democratic Convention (it's officially Denver now). The city is virtually ignored by the new Deomcratic-powered congress. It's hard to see any positives right now.

Except the Saints.

As long as the Saints keep winning, the media will keep coming here and reminding (perhaps even guilting) the country that we are not o.k.. The Saints need to keep winning so that we can keep telling them.

It's one of the few positive outlets we have anymore. And if the Saints were relocated or below .500, we wouldn't be getting that attention either.

So keep on winning. We need you.

And on another unrelated note, thanks to Boston Legal for coming down here and making some sense out of some people's pathological need to prosecute doctors who euthanized their patients during the flood. I do have one criticism though: why did you have to make the judge and prosecuting attorney sound like Colonel Sanders? WE DON'T TALK LIKE THAT! AND WE DON'T TALK LIKE DENNIS QUAID IN "THE BIG EASY" EITHER!

The Original Video

2007-01-09T14:04:00.001-06:00

Posted at Seymour's request.

It reminds me of one of the best lines ever from "The Simpsons": If you pause the video, you can see the exact moment his heart breaks.

PLAYOFFS?

2007-01-08T14:27:00.001-06:00

I think I saw this commercial 50 times this weekend. And I laughed out loud EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Bring On the Eagles

2007-01-08T10:29:00.000-06:00

Okay. Enough talk about politics, insurance, and Nick Saban. Time to talk about something less controversial. Something we can all get behind.

Saints vs. Eagles. PRIMETIME. Saturday night. The DOME will be as loud as it's ever been.

However, I am disappointed that the Saints will be playing the Eagles. I really wanted the Seahawks. The Bears are as good as getting another bye playing Seattle. And another thing. The Eagles are much, much, much better than the Seahawks. With the Eagles coming to town, there are a lot of things that aren't in the Saints' favor:

1. The Eagles are the hottest team in the NFC. They haven't lost in something like 6 weeks.
2. It's a rematch. It's hard to beat a team twice in the same season.
3. The Eagles have been to 4 of the last 5 NFC Championship Games.
4. The team and coaching staff have about a million times more playoff experience than the Saints.
3. The always-dangerous "Ex-Saint factor." Darren Howard and Donte' Stallworth (who didn't play in the first game) will be on the field. I pray that Fred Thomas isn't covering Stallworth.
4. Home field (dis)advantage. The Saints are 4-4 at home. The Saints are 1-3 at home in the playoffs.

But here's why I'm hoping these and other things won't matter this weekend:

1. Sean Payton is 2-0 this season in rematches with teams he beat the first time around (Falcons and Buccaneers).
2. Mark Simoneau(x) and Hollis Thomas. Let's hope there's an "Ex-Eagle factor" in their history too.
3. Experience is overrated. For all that experience, the Eagles have only been to one Super Bowl and lost that game.
4. The NFC Championship Game the Eagles missed in that streak was last year's game. Let's hope that it started a new trend.
5. The home team is 4-0 in the playoffs so far.
6. The Saints are getting healthy again. Hollis Thomas will be back. Joe Horn may be back (but I'm skeptical). Fred Thomas will hopefully get better too. Meanwhile, the Eagles had one significant injury yesterday (Lito Sheppard). The latest reports say that there's a chance that he will be out for Saturday.

And, most importantly:

7. THE SAINTS ARE BETTER THAN THE EAGLES.
8. THESE AREN'T THE SAME OLD SAINTS (I hope).
9. KARMA AND DESTINY (okay, I'm stretching now).

So what do I think is going to happen? I'm a Saints fan, so I'm not going to make any bold predictions. But I'll just say this. If the Saints team that showed up for the Falcons, 49ers, Cowboys and Giants games shows up, the Saints will win. Period. Perhaps easily. If the Saints team that showed up against the Redskins shows up, the Saints could still win. But it just got a lot harder. To me, it's just like I've been saying all year: it's all about turnovers. If the Saints can force a couple of turnovers and the offense doesn't do anything stupid, the Saints win. The opposite has been the formula for almost every Saints loss.

Here are my predictions for the other three games:
Bears defeat Seahawks
Patriots defeat Chargers (another Schottenheimer choke, and I'll pick against them next week too if they win)
Colts defeat Ravens

As usual, all comments welcome.

MONDAY LUNCHTIME UPDATE: ESPNews is reporting that Lito Sheppard is OUT for Saturday.

Post Sugar Bowl Comments

2007-01-04T12:20:00.000-06:00

1. It's nice to have the Sugar Bowl back where it belongs. I'd rather see it fold than to permanently move to Atlanta.

2. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Allstate has some balls being the corporate sponsor for a bowl game in New Orleans. Use some of that advertising and marketing money to pay your policy-holders in Louisiana next time. Right now I feel more comfortable giving my hard-earned money to a crackhead. At least he won't lie to me about not paying me back.

3. Fox can take its sports broadcasts and shove them up its ass. WHY IN THE HELL DOES FOX HAVE TO TURN EVERY SPORTING EVENT IT TELECASTS INTO A FLAG-WAVING, GOD BLESS AMERICA, SUPER-PATRIOTIC LOVEFEST? Forget it. I know the answer. Now don't get me wrong. I am not anti-flag, anti-religion, and all that stuff. I am just personally offended at the way the Republican Party (and its propaganda wing, Fox News) have turned them into political symbols. I don't need to have a flag in my front yard and I don't have to talk about God and Jesus to prove that I am a proud, patriotic American. And just because I have NEVER supported the war in Iraq, it doesn't mean I want our soldiers to die. So SHUT THE F&%K UP and leave us alone.

4. After that shot, you'd think I'd have nothing good to say about the telecast. But I do. Thank you Fox, from the bottom of my heart, for not turning the game into "The Nick Saban Show." God knows ESPN and ABC would have done it. Only a brief discussion in the pre-game show. Very little after that. Thanks for showing some restraint. Like I said, ESPN and ABC would have had Nick Saban on the phone for a 20-minute interview. But only if it didn't interfere with the live-in-studio interview with Regis Philbin and/or the star of some new ABC sitcom.

5. After all the Nick Saban talk over the last 24 hours, don't you think it's about time that some of you pro-Saban people cut Les Miles a break? He's 22 and 4. He has top-five finishes in his first two years. LSU could finish this season #2 if Ohio State blows out Florida. He's beaten two "nationally respected" programs in bowl games by a combined score of 81-17. And he doesn't jerk us around with other offers and pay raises. So SHUT UP. He's not Nick Saban yet, but he's not Mike Archer either. Some of you act like it's easy to win national championships and that national championship coaches are falling off trees.

6. But with all that being said, people would respect Les Miles more if he'd get his finger out of damn ear. And stop wearing his headphones over those goofy-ass oversized caps. And stop talking like "Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer" every time a sideline reporter approaches him.

7. Thanks to JaMarcus Russell for giving us two great years. I've had a love-hate relationship with him. He makes it look too easy when he's good. But he tries to hard to be the hero sometimes. Like the fumble on the sack yesterday. He's so good that he thinks he can make super-human plays sometimes. And it usually results in interceptions. If he could ever become a Drew Brees-like leader and game manager, he could be an All-Pro Quarterback in the NFL.

8. I'm not ready to say that about Brady Quinn yet.

9. How the hell did Auburn hold this LSU team to three points? Well, let's change that. LSU, JaMarcus Russell and the referees held the Tigers to 3 points in that game.

10. A win there, and LSU would have been playing Florida in the SEC Championship for the right to play Ohio State in the BCS Championship Game. That's the thing that sucks the most about this season, even though it was one of the top-ten (perhaps top-five) seasons in LSU history.

The NICK SABAN Sugar Bowl

2007-01-03T10:42:00.000-06:00

There is something wrong with Nick Saban. Something seriously wrong. It has to be part ego, part insecurity.

Everybody told me I was just bitter because I refuse to forgive Nick Saban for leaving LSU. Not because he left, but because of how he did it. You don't make an announcement like that on Christmas Day. And the man was too chicken-shit to make the announcement before he got on the plane to Florida.

Well, now, how do you like your "hero?"

And for those of you who don't know better, he had his mind made up yesterday. He knew he was leaving. So why did he wait a day to make the announcement? To "sleep on it?"

Nope. He waited because LSU was playing the next day. Today was supposed to be a day for Louisianians and New Orleanians to celebrate. We got the Sugar Bowl back, and the home-state team was playing.

But now, the Sugar Bowl and LSU have been pushed to page 2. He had to be the center of attention. Again.

Now why would I say this? I don't know. Maybe because he had to ruin everyone's Christmas last time he made a big announcement?

And speaking as an LSU graduate, I only have one thing to say: what the Hell did we ever do to you? Seriously, what is wrong with you where you have to make your decisions at the time when it's going to hurt us the most.

And how can you look any college recruit in the eye and say "play for me for four years?"

2006 New Orleans Saints: The Final Grades Are in

2006-12-27T09:30:00.000-06:00

QUARTERBACK (Bye Week A-): Drew Brees is a legitimate MVP candidate. I have him second on my personal list behind Tomlinson. He’s had the best quarterback season in Saints history. Outside of his two bad performances (Baltimore and Cincinnati), he’s been as close to perfect as possible. GRADE: A

RUNNING BACK (Bye Week B): With the exception of the Washington game, the running backs have improved every week. Deuce is still solid, and Reggie Bush keeps getting better. The team’s 4 backs (McAllister, Bush, Karney, Stecker) will account for around 2,800 yards of offense. That includes a 1,000 yard rushing season from McAllister, a 600-yard rushing season from Bush (if he plays Sunday),100-plus combined receptions, 1,000-plus combined receiving yards, and 20 touchdowns (don’t forget the 3 from Karney). GRADE: A-

WIDE RECEIVER (Bye Week B): The Saints have played most of the 2nd half of the season without Joe Horn, and Marques Colston has been out too. Henderson and Copper are adequate replacements, but they’re inconsistent to say the least. But still, they’ve come up with as many big plays as big drops. And Marques Colston should be going to the Pro Bowl. GRADE: B

TIGHT END (Bye Week C-): After Ernie Conwell went down, it even got worse. Mark Campbell is adequate but can’t stay healthy. Billy Miller is, in a word, awful. How he had a big season with the Texans a few years ago is beyond me. GRADE: D

OFFENSIVE LINE (Bye Week B): Like the running game. Take out the Washington game, and they keep on getting better. Jammal Brown is a Pro Bowler. Jeff Faine should have been a Pro Bowler in my opinion. Jahri Evans is one of the top 3 rookie offensive linemen in the NFL. Even Jon Stinchcomb, an unmitigated bust until 2006, had a decent season—further proof that Jim Haslett didn’t have a clue. GRADE: B+

OVERALL OFFENSIVE GRADE: A-

DEFENSIVE LINE (Bye Week B): Will Smith is a deserving Pro Bowler. Hollis Thomas was having a Pro Bowl season until his steroid suspension. Brian Young had his best season as a Saint, and Charles Grant was slightly disappointing (but still solid). The line could use a more consistent second pass rusher, and the run defense has been soft up the middle since Hollis Thomas’s suspension. GRADE: B (C+ without Thomas)

LINEBACKERS (Bye Week B+): They still exceed my expectations. Fujita and Shanle have done a very good job on the outside. Not Pro Bowl good, but pretty good. Mark Simoneau is the weakest of the three. He should take some blame for the soft run defense up the middle, but he’s miles ahead of anything the Saints would have put on the field before they got him. GRADE: B

SECONDARY (Bye Week B-): I’m raising their grade. They stunk up the joint against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. Fred Thomas gives up an average of one long touchdown a week lately. But since Cincinnati, the secondary has been outstanding in the next five games. They’ve shut down some reputable quarterbacks, including Eli Manning, Michael Vick and Tony Romo. Stoutmire and Bellamy have done well filling in for Roman Harper, and Mike McKenzie and Josh Bullocks have put in good seasons. Jason Craft even had a key interception against Dallas. GRADE: B

OVERALL DEFENSIVE GRADE: B

KICKER (Bye Week A): John Carney had a good season with field goals. They haven’t really need them, though, in the second half of the season. The Saints score touchdowns so often that he hasn’t had an important kick since the Eagles game. You have to drop him though because his kickoffs became so bad that they had to sign Billy Cundiff to handle the duties. GRADE: B+

PUNTER (Bye Week B): I’m dropping him too, but I’m satisfied with his performance—especially considering that nothing was expected of him this year. He’s a middle of the pack punter statistically, which means he gets a middle of the pack grade. GRADE: C

RETURNERS (Bye Week B): Nothing special here either. Bush’s punt return vs. Tampa is still the only highlight of the season. Surprisingly, the return game didn’t improve dramatically with the Beerman’s return. But there haven’t been any crucial mistakes. Bush can make you crazy when he starts running backwards and sideways on punts, but there haven’t been any muffs or fumbles. GRADE: C+

COVERAGE AND BLOCKING: It was better in the first half of the season. They had three bad performances in the second half: the field position in the Steelers game (which can be blamed in part on Carney too), the blown on-side kick in the San Francisco game, and the blocked extra point in the Cincinnati game. But again, they gave no big plays all year. You never really noticed the special teams coverage this year. I guarantee you would have noticed if they were bad. GRADE: B

OVERALL SPECIAL TEAMS GRADE: B

COACHING: Sean Payton deserves to be coach of the year. He’s taken a 3-13 team to a first round bye. I would consider Payton “outcoached” twice this year (Baltimore and Washington). But he flat-out humiliated his former employers (Dallas and the Giants). He owned Jim Mora, who is hardly proving to be a brain surgeon. The Washington game was the only game where his coaching may have cost a victory (Drew Brees deserves equal blame for the Baltimore and Cincinnati blowouts). There are so many times he’s made questionable decisions (such as going for it on 4th and goal vs. the Giants, and the on-side kick vs. Dallas), but they always seem to work out for him. And speaking of 4th down conversions--how many have they made this year? The only big one he missed was the last offensive play of the Washington game. I’ve only verbally disagreed with two personnel decisions (Terrance Copper starting and playing over Devery Henderson, and Fred Thomas playing injured). But overall, he’s done an excellent job. There is accountability for the first time in years, and there’s no doubt who runs the team (and it’s not the players—like during the Jim Haslett years).

OVERALL COACHING GRADE: A

OVERALL SAINTS FINAL GRADE: A-

HOLY SHIT. WE'RE THE #2 NFC SEED.

2006-12-26T08:52:00.000-06:00

The New Orleans Saints and the Philadelphia Eagles gave us the greatest Christmas present of them all.

The New Orleans Saints are still 5 days away from their final game, and everything is already wrapped up. The Saints are the 2 seed. I'm used to the final Saints regular season game being completely meaningless (at least for the Saints), but never like this.

We have a lot to thank the Eagles for. They took Donte' Stallworth from us and gave us a draft pick and Mark Simoneau(x) for good measure. They helped put the Panthers on their slide. They knocked the Giants from NFC East contention right before they played us. And now they beat the Cowboys and wrapped up the 2 seed for us.

I never dreamed that I'd ever utter the phrase "#2" with the Saints again and be happy about it.

And we all must remember: This time last year, the Saints were 3-12. This time last year, I'm not exaggerating when I'm saying it was a 50/50 proposition that we would lose the team. This time last year, we were pretty sure Aaron Brooks and Jim Haslett would get a mulligan because of the hurricane.

And now, here we are. Thank you, Saints. For everything.

And Merry Christmas and all the politically correct phrases to all of you. I will try to write more later. Being on a dial-up connection SUCKS.

Merry Christmas #1

2006-12-25T09:20:00.000-06:00

City of New Orleans/Earthlink WIFI Network: The Routers

2006-12-23T08:08:00.000-06:00

Schroeder at PGR has a post discussing the the City of New Orleans/Earthlink WIFI network complete with coverage map. I've been accessing the internet with the service for the past few weeks but this past Thursday was the official roll out. After being able to access it (with fairly reliable success) I was on the lookout for the router equipment around town--and found them. The routers are attached to light standards fixed to utility polls about two or three blocks apart within the coverage area. Here are some examples within Carrollton of what they look like:

28 DECEMBER 2006 ADDENTUM: Micheal Homan weighs in on the City WIFI service. And yes, I agree with him--as postive a development the service is, it would be more relevant and useful if its coverage included flood-impacted portions of the city such as Mid City, Broadmoor, Gentilly, Lakeview, New Orleans East, etc. . . .

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Louisiana, Earthlink, Carrollton, Municipal WIFI

Last Days of Old Levee Boards

2006-12-22T12:14:00.000-06:00

Levee boards are meeting for the last time. Passing quietly into history. Let's just hope the two new superboards won't fall into the same old traps that the past boards did.

Camellia Grill Renovation Continues and Possibly Good News on Maple Street . . .

2006-12-21T08:13:00.000-06:00

I know I know. There are those out there that believe The Camellia Grill "jumped the shark" in the years previous to KTMB--and to a certain extent, I agree. While patronizing a near-by business last Friday afternoon, I peeked into the windows to see how the interior renovation was coming along. Over the past couple of months the effort has been concentrated on the exterior of the building, but recently work on the interior has finally begun. The entire grill/food prep area has been gutted as seen below. The camellia prints remain on the wall, but the eternal-placed (at least in my memory) grease-stained Mickey Mouse clock has been removed (where that electrical socket towards the ceiling in the photos).

In other Carrollton restaurant news: I don't have a definitive answer on this, but there is some stirring at the closed since July 2005 Cote Sud on Maple Street (they do the traditional French "take the month of August off thing" but never reopened post-KTMB). In the past few months the sidewalk in front of the building was upgraded with pavers and the Cote Sud sign (I think a brand new one) is hanging from the building once again. I really enjoyed this restaurant and the apparent loss of it since was the storm really bummed me out. Stay tuned on this one . . .

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Louisiana, Camellia Grill, Carrollton, Maple Street, Cote Sud

Photo du Jour: Santa's Wish List Along a Foggy 17th Street Canal

2006-12-20T22:33:00.000-06:00

Santa's Wish List stands in the yard of a home along the 17th Street Canal on Bellaire Drive very close to the breach site. From periodically going to the breach for the past 15 months, this family was among the first back on Bellairie and certainly also among the first to permamently return to Lakeview. Their house and yard look perfect to the point where it appears nothing ever happened--but that illusion is shattered by looking across the street.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Louisiana, Coastal Restoration, Lakeview, US Army Corps of Engineers, 17th Street Canal

Rock-N-Bowl News

2006-12-20T15:46:00.001-06:00

The new owners of the building at Tulane and South Carrollton are going to renovate and bring in new business. Good. They are also going to leave Rock-n-Bowl as it is. Very Good. At least that is what they are saying now, according to a TP article today. I really hope they get this one right. Mid-City Lanes is a treasure we need to keep.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Louisiana, Tulane Avenue, South Carrollton Avenue, Mid City, Rock N Bowl

Mother Jones: The Highwaymen

2006-12-19T22:28:00.000-06:00

Is our state going to fall for this sham? The I-49 Southern Extension perhaps? An expanded Earhart Expressway to the Airport? A third Causeway span--to Lacombe?

You know ICF International has done such a fantastic job with the LRA Road Home Program . . .

*this is my first post using the upgraded blogger. So far: No, sir. I didn't like it. Still quirky.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Louisiana, I-49 Southern Extension, Earhart Expressway, Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, ICF International

One Last Dig...

2006-12-17T20:13:00.000-06:00

Ohhhh, its not funny anymore . . .

I was forced to watch the Rams this afternoon because I live in Rams Country (if there is such a thing). Nothing like being forced to watch a Jim Haslett team in action. But it was sweet today. Haslett and Venturi's Rams D has been stinking it up lately. It's the reason why they're almost eliminated from the postseason. But today they put it all together. The Rams pitched a shutout. In fact, it got so bad that they got the other team's starting quarterback benched.

The quarterback in question that Haslett owned? You guessed it.

AARON BROOKS.

And the Saints have already clinched the division.

There. Now I feel better about blowing it today.

Photo du Jour: What Not to Get Me for Christmas

2006-12-17T19:22:00.000-06:00

Selling like hot cakes I see in Uptown New Orleans (not). The one that apparently does sell from this sorry airplane food lot: Pizza Hut.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Louisiana, Darden, Uptown

New Orleans Saints: #2 Seed Scenarios

2006-12-17T16:54:00.000-06:00

NOTE: This is unofficial. If I understand tie-breakers correctly, this is what I have figured out. And if I am right, the Giants have been eliminated from the NFC East race. They can only be a Wild Card. I will update it if I discover that I am wrong.

The bottom line is this: the Saints STILL control their own destiny. If they win out, they're the #2 seed. But let's examine it a little closer.

IF THE SAINTS BEAT THE GIANTS NEXT WEEK:
1) The Seahawks are eliminated.
2) The Eagles are elminated.
2) The Cowboys are elimnated with a Saints victory over the Panthers, or one more Cowboys loss.

IF THE SAINTS LOSE TO THE GIANTS NEXT WEEK:
1) The Seahawks could still be alive if they win (I'm not sure about their tie-breakers with the Cowboys and Eagles). But they would still be eliminated if they lose their final game or if the Saints beat the Panthers.
2) The Cowboys MUST lose a game. If the Cowboys beat the Eagles next week, then all they'd have to do is beat the Lions to take the #2 seed from the Saints (the "nightmare scenario"). If the Saints and Cowboys both lose next week, then the Saints would still clinch with a win over the Panthers.
3) If the Cowboys lose to the Eagles next week and the Eagles beat the Falcons next week, then the Eagles would win the NFC East. The Saints have the tie-breaker over them. Therefore, if the Saints beat the Panthers, the Eagles are eliminated.
4) The Eagles are elminated if they lose to the Cowboys.

Any corrections would be appreciated. Again, this is not official. I'd hate to convey false information.

CHAMPIONS.

2006-12-17T15:37:00.000-06:00

Drew Brees scrambles towards the line of
scrimmage prior to his illegal forward pass.
Good effort to try to make something happen.

I had to put the period on it instead of the exclamation point, because we got in through the back door.

The Saints are NFC South champions because the Falcons and the Panthers lost. Not because the Saints won, because they didn't.

I'm sorry, but I am pissed. And I'm sure Sean Payton is pissed too.

Everything about that game was terrible. The dropped passes. The terrible offensive line play. The questionable play calling. The running holes up the middle of the front seven. There is no way the Saints should have lost to this team, and yet they did.

Now the #2 seed is in jeopardy. I guess God has a special place for overconfident Saints fans. But here's what's going on:

If the Giants win or lose this week, the Saints would eliminate them from the 2 seed next week by beating them. Period. If the Saints lose to the Giants next week and the Giants win this week, they would be tied with the Saints, and would have the tie-breaker over them. But the Cowboys would still have to lose a game for the Giants to win the NFC East.

The Cowboys are tied with the Saints, but they have the tie-breaker over them. The Cowboys have two games left--one is a sure win at home vs. the Lions. The other game is against the Eagles. If the Cowboys win both (which I'm predicting will happen), the Saints would have to win both games to get the #2 seed.

The Seahawks are mathematically alive, but on life support. The Saints need to win one or the Seahawks need to lose one. Like I said in an earlier post, the Seahawks are playing the Chargers next week. I think that they will lose that game.

So, basically, the game in New York next week was just supposed to be a formality. Now it's a must-win.

Ultimately, here's the probable scenario: there's a distinct possibility the Saints will be playing the Cowboys again in the 2nd round of the playoffs. It's just not determined where it will be played. And they won't be pissed off and pumped for that game, I promise.

It's a half-empty day for me. But I would have taken 9-5 and a division title at the beginning of the year. It's just that it could have been so much more if they would have won today.

#2 Seed Scenarios

TAGS: NFL, New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister

Thanks, San Francisco

2006-12-14T22:40:00.000-06:00

Well, in one of the rare moments in Saints history, the 49ers helped us out. They beat the Seahawks, which all but eliminates them from contention for a first-round bye. Either one Saints win or one Seahawks loss (and they play San Diego next week) and they are DEAD.

So, true believers, it comes down to this: If Atlanta beats the Cowboys Saturday night and the Saints beat the Redskins Sunday (or, for that matter, win one of their next three games):

THE SAINTS HAVE THE #2 SEED WRAPPED UP!

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but...OH MY GOD, IT'S GONNA HAPPEN! Please, God, don't strike me down for celebrating too early. Can't we Saints fans enjoy this impending moment without having our boys blow it?

What do you think?

And oh, by the way, if the Falcons don't help us out too and lose to the Cowboys, the Falcons are officially eliminated from the division race. So it's a win/win for the Saints. But I still want the bigger win.

POST SCRIPT: Mr. Clio points out that the New York Giants would still be mathematically alive if they won this weekend. Of course, they'd still have to win out and the Saints would still have to lose out. Thanks for the information.

TAGS: NFL, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers, Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister, Drew Brees

The State's Coastal Restoration and Protection Planning Effort

2006-12-14T19:15:00.000-06:00

The Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority which was created by the Louisiana Legislature after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to address coastal restoration and protection issues has generated their Preliminary Draft report: Comprehensive Coastal Protection Master Plan for Louisiana. This report presents the concepts for future coastwide restoration and protection and will be used to guide future expenditures, planning, and engineering designs. This is one of several parallel planning efforts, including efforts by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that will be used by Congress to fund our future protection. The State is accepting comments on the Preliminary Draft report until January 5, 2007.

This may be one of the single most important documents for the future of coastal Louisiana. The restoration of one of the most complex and productive ecosystems in North America and the protection of people and infrastructure in all of coastal Louisiana are at stake. It is absolutely imperative that all concerned citizens of coastal Louisiana read, understand, and comment on this report. While reading the report think about the following very important questions:

1. Are the proposed components of this plan complementary or are components being proposed that cannot work together?

2. Is this a sustainable plan?

3. Once implemented, do the proposed components require long-term funding for operations and maintenance? If so, how will this be funded?

4. What will be lost (e.g., environmental, cultural, aesthetic) in order to provide protection for urban areas?

5. Who will benefit financially from the implementation of this plan? Does this cause a conflict of interest?

6. Is this based on sound science? Are the references used to support the concepts in the plan convincing to you?

7. How long will this take to construct and fully implement?

8. How does these project components support core Louisiana industries that are coastal dependent (e.g., fisheries, oil and gas)?

I have briefly reviewed the report and will share some of my initial concerns. Thirty plus years of estuarine research in coastal Louisiana by the best wetland scientists in the world has illustrated that levees, spoil banks, associated borrow ditches and canals greatly impact the hydrologic connectivity of the coastal wetlands and are a major component of wetland loss. However, the Preliminary Draft report recommends a complex levee system across the entire deltaic plain. Termed a leaky levee because the levees do not cross major waterways, they will still dramatically alter the hydrology of our coastal marshes, will exacerbate the rate of wetland loss, are not compatible with large-scale, sustainable marsh restoration projects such as river diversions, and have extremely high maintenance costs. The concept of levees paralleling our coastline contradicts all of the best research conducted at LSU, ULL, SLU, UNO, and Tulane, and the Preliminary Draft report illustrates this by only providing eleven literature citations for the entire report, only one of which is from peer-reviewed literature. Very disappointing. Coastal restoration opportunities are described in the report, but the benefits from most of these are negated by the levee recommendations.

Another thing to note: this report was prepared by Shaw. Shaw is a very large engineering consulting firm that primarily designs and constructs large infrastrucure projects, is headquartered in Baton Rouge, and has very close (intimate, actually) ties with Governor Blanco. Professionally, it is a conflict of interest to allow a large engineering firm that would greatly benefit from massive levee construction along our coast to prepare a report that should be focused on coastal restoration. Many local planning and engineering firms that do not provide construction management support are located in Louisiana and are more than capable of water resources planning efforts at this scale without any real or perceived conflict of interest. With that in mind, there is one more question to ask while reviewing this report: Is this a product of business as usual in Louisiana, where big politically-connected companies and their CEOs get richer on boondoggle projects that do not solve our long-term problems?

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Louisiana, Coastal Restoration, Shaw Group, US Army Corps of Engineers, Blanco

The Demolition of the Carrollton Shopping Center

2006-12-14T08:13:00.000-06:00

After a Sunday afternoon spent in the Warehouse District (went to the Crescent City Farmer's Market-sponsored Festivus--which continues for the next couple of Sundays by the way so go check it out) and the Vieux Carre when I exited I-10 at South Carrollton I decided to pull over and take some shots of the ongoing demolition of the Carrollton Shopping Center. The site of course was flooded post-KTMB and although the shopping center had viable tenants and working businesses I would still suggest it was completely underutilized and its potential unrealized based upon its central and strategic location (with direct Interstate access, adjacent to a university) not just in the City of New Orleans but in the region. Additionally, the site represents one of the few large pieces of land in the "core" city suitable (i.e. don't have to tear down tens of existing housing units/historic-aged buildings, take down specimen oak trees, or decommission public street rights-of-way--a la the future Central City Home Depot, etc.) for a modern large-scale shopping development.

More to come on this subject in an upcoming future post . . .

If you want to see what's going on out there firsthand I suggest you go now as just in the days since I took the photos below, more has come down . . .

Site of now-demolished Picadilly Cafeteria. This building got taken down during the Summer and to my knowledge Louisiana-based Picadilly has no plans to return. Thanks, guys.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Carrollton, Demolition, Urban Planning

Canal Street Line and Riverfront Line Streetcars at Carrollton Barn

2006-12-12T23:59:00.000-06:00

The St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line continues to be offline with the most optimistic projections not having the line back in service Uptown until the end of 2007--nearly two and a half years post-KTMB. Quite frankly that idea depresses me--and I'd say most people living in the Uptown neighborhoods along the line likely share my feeling. RTA buses running St. Charles Avenue and South Carrollton is just wrong. Work is being done towards recovery of the St. Charles Line (work seems to be recently concentrated towards the CBD) and the good news is that the Canal Street and Riverfront Line vehicles are in the process of being restored one-by-one (as they were flooded at the Canal Street Barn) at the Carrollton Barn. Following are some pictures I took this past Friday:

The funk stain still remains on the exterior of Canal Street Line Car #2017.

Riverfront Line Car #460, St. Charles Avenue Line Car #426 (?), and
Canal Street Line Car #2006--with numbering decals removed.

Riverfront Line Car #460 appears to be prepped for an upcoming new paint job. Riverfront Line Car #461 (not housed at the Carrollton Barn) has already been repainted the future livery of the Riverfront Line: blue. I haven't seen that car yet on the Riverfront Line, but I have a photograph of it I purchased from an exhibtor at the first Mid City Art Market held at Palmer Park back in October. St. Charles Avenue Line: Green. Canal Street Line: Red. Riverfront Line: Blue. Perhaps an Elysian Fields Line can be purple . . .

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Streetcar, Uptown, RTA

Photo du Jour: Destiny?

2006-12-11T23:58:00.000-06:00

Yes, there are three more weeks to the regular season . . . However, tell me if the New Orleans Saints ever delivered more (i.e. a "statement" win) in a game that really, really meant something in the 39-year history of the franchise Sunday night at Dallas? Compare the feeling of this game versus the feelings of that 623 total yard Minnesota game when Dante Culpepper could do no wrong or that Indianapolis game when Peyton Manning had a near perfect QB rating several years ago (both at home on Sunday nights). We are now on the other side of that. The New Orleans Saints are making other teams feel embarrassingly inferior. As for this Destiny thing--we didn't need "hell to freeze over." Instead, for some reason, we had to practically lose our city to a MANMADE disaster and as cliche as it is the New Orleans Saints can be the rallying cry to galvanize and help us overcome everything that is so stacked against our recovery.

And no, the New Orleans Saints are not the newly crowned AMERICA'S TEAM--its OUR team. Sorry.

The upcoming Washington game this weekend I would most certainly categorize as a "trap game." Hopefully the players and coaching staff will remain focused and not fall into that trap and clinch a playoff position--and down the road a first-round playoff bye.

Related: Latest post at World Class New Orleans.

TAGS: NFL, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, NOLA, Katrina

WOW: Saints 42 Cowboys 17

2006-12-10T23:11:00.000-06:00

Just WOW.

I have waited all my life for this, and I am almost as old as the Saints franchise.

The Saints, for the first time in their history, played a meaningful, all-the-marbles regular season, and won. AND KICKED THEIR ASSES ALL UP AND DOWN THE FIELD.

Now it's time to start thinking about that 2 seed. All they have to do is win 2 of the last 3, and that's only if the Cowboys and Seahawks go undefeated from here on out.

Remember this date: December 10th, 2006. It's the date that the Saints officially, for the first time in history could be considered THE FAVORITES FROM THE NFC TO GO TO THE SUPER BOWL.

I'd still feel a whole lot better though if they could also somehow, by some miracle, take home field advantage from the Chicago Bears. I don't care if they don't have a quarterback. They're gonna be tough to beat in Chicago in January if both teams get there.

And I'm not even going to bitch about Fred Thomas this week. Or how the Cowboys were shredding the defense on the ground until we started playing keep-away. Instead, I'll concentrate on how the offense looks unstoppable, and Joe Horn isn't playing and Marques Colston isn't 100 percent.

Outside of the one playoff win, this is probably the proudest night as a Saints fan of my life.

POST SCRIPT: I didn't see the headline on wwltv.com or any other place before I wrote it. Sometimes it's just too obvious.

TAGS: NFL, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister, Mike Karney

Times-Picayune's Bob Marshall: You Tell 'Em

2006-12-10T07:30:00.000-06:00

Down below is a cut and paste from last Friday's Times-Picayune. Also, HT to Humid Haney. Longtime Outdoor writer Bob Marshall has penned a good summary to the nayer-sayers towards the rebuilding of New Orleans. But first:

We have to justify ourselves and New Orleans' continued existence? What has happened to this country? The challenges New Orleans and Southern Louisiana face with its relationship to the sea aren't unsolveable. Do they present tremendous engineering and environmental challanges? Of course. The confrentation of monumental issues has alledgedly made our country "great" in the past. Are we spent? We have nothing left? Phone it in? Give up?

Oh ya, and did I mention that many of these "challenges" are the direct result of the sacrificial pillaging of our coastline for oil and gas exploration and maritime naviagation to which OUR country is so economically dependent???? It is not clear that the lifestyles afforded by our fellow Americans come at our expense?

BOLD is my emphasis. Here's the piece:

You Tell 'Em

Confronted with clueless folks who question New Orleans' right to get help, or even to exist? Here's what to say . . .

The Times-Picayune
Friday, December 08, 2006/Bob Marshall

The nice lady -- a friend of a friend -- was shocked and angered by my statement, which went something like this: "The way New Orleans has been treated since Katrina is one of the most shameful episodes in our nation's history."

A patriot, she wasn't about to let that stand.

"What about all the money we've spent down there?" she asked. "And what about accepting some responsibility for building in a flood zone, and not having insurance?"

I wish I could say I was surprised, but recent travels had already shown me that most Americans are woefully ignorant of the ugly facts on the ground here in The Big Uneasy. My concern now is that as my fellow New Orleanians hit the road during the busy holiday travel season they may be stunned into silence -- if not apoplexy -- by the questions and statements of the misinformed masses.

So here's a package of talking points.

Isn't flooding what you should expect when living in a hurricane zone?

The flooding inside the city limits was not a natural disaster, but a man-made disaster. The hurricane protection system built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was poorly designed, constructed and maintained by that agency, a part of our national government. The system was never built as high as we were told, and it failed due to faulty engineering. Katrina's storm tides didn't come close to reaching the tops of the walls, and never would have.

This is not my opinion. This was the judgment of the corps after its year-long, $10 million in-house investigation. The corps said "our fault" -- yet Congress has not responded to that confession.

Didn't Congress agree to pay for the damage?

Only a small portion of it. The corps' failures resulted in the destruction of 200,000 homes and businesses at values estimated to surpass $100 billion, yet Congress has appropriated only about $10 billion to rebuild homes.

Well, is it our fault they didn't have any insurance -- or enough insurance?

That's like saying a man killed by robbers was at fault for not wearing a bullet-proof vest. You're blaming the victims.

Insurance is for natural disasters, acts of God and self-inflicted damage such as fires. This is not a no-fault case. The corps -- part of the U.S. government -- has already accepted it was at fault. Fairness means the nation should pay for completely rebuilding those homes. Insurance shouldn't be a consideration.

Remember 9/11? Just five days after that tragedy Congress had passed and President Bush signed a $15 billion bailout for the airline industry, then paid billions to the 9/11 victims.

(My insert: So as Neil Young says, would New Orleans be better off if 'Al Qaeda ' had blown the levees????)

What about federal flood insurance? We subsidize that to the tune of billions. Why should we do that in a hurricane zone?

You're right. The nation shouldn't subsidize environmentally stupid development. But if we're going to start that policy, we must inaugurate it simultaneously coast-to-coast.

So when we yank flood insurance from south Louisiana, we also will stop it for Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Jacksonville, Washington, D.C, and New York City, not to mention Houston, Gulfport and the rest of the Gulf.

And while we're at it, we will stop paying for earthquakes in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Alaska.

And what about those people living in tornado alley? Why should we encourage them to rebuild year after year?

What about this Road Home Program? I see people getting money to rebuild. I've seen your politicians thank Congress.

They have been groveling for crumbs -- and that has hurt us more than helped us.

Here's an example that is typical. I have a friend who owned a $200,000 home in Lakeview. He had $14,000 left on his mortgage, and only $40,000 of flood insurance because it had never flooded. He might end up with $100,000 from Road Home. So he pays off his old mortgage and spends another $15,000 having his home torn down.

But the builder says it will cost $325,000 to rebuild the same size house. So, at 55, he will have a $250,000, 30-year mortgage. He may never be able to retire.

He's left in this situation after the richest nation in the world admitted it destroyed his home -- but refuses to pay for the damage. And he's lucky. There are many retired people who can't get the $300,000 mortgage to rebuild their homes destroyed by an agency of the government. They'll spend their remaining days in small FEMA trailers.

Why isn't anyone telling us this?

They have. But you haven't cared enough to pressure Congress to do the right thing.

That's why I call this one of the most shameful episodes in American history.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Louisiana Road Home, FEMA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Correcting Campaign Callers--from Texas

2006-12-08T17:03:00.000-06:00

As I was writing the previous MRGO-GO post, the phone rang. It was another campaign call--for Karen Carter. First off the caller id read 000-000-0000 which was the first tip off of either a skype call or a telemarketer of some sort. I answer and there is a brief lull--I can hear tens of people talking in the background and then in a monotone drawl the pitch for Karen Carter is read to me. Did you know former Senator John Brew endorsed Karen Carter for the seat? Did you the Times-Pic, pause (background noise), Times-Pica-yone endorsed her too?

I respond: "Uh. Where are you calling from????"
Her response: "Texas."
My reply: "You might want to pronounce those names correctly. Its 'JOHN BRO' and 'Times-PICAYOON.'"
Her indifferent response: "Uh-hu." Click.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, LA-02, Karen Carter, Bill Jefferson

MRGO Must Go: The Report

2006-12-08T14:53:00.000-06:00

I was looking all over for this thing earlier in the week: a PDF version of the MRGO Must Go: A Guide for the Army Corps' Congressionally-Directed Closure of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet.

Many things mentioned by Junior Rodriguez at the De-Authorization hearing are included in the report.

Credit to Kinch at Building Big Easy providing the link I couldn't find for anything. Check out this 19 page document . . .

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, MRGO, St. Bernard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

A BIG Blow...

2006-12-05T17:09:00.000-06:00

Literally and figuratively.

Hollis Thomas is gone for the rest of the regular season for violating the NFL steroid policy.

Outside of Drew Brees and maybe a couple of linebackers, this is the hardest blow this team could probably take. The reason is obvious for Brees. Lack of depth is the reason for the linebackers. And I think it's also this lack of depth that could hurt the Saints with this suspension.

Thomas has been having a great season. He's helped stop the run, and he's put pressure up the middle on opposing quarterbacks. He's the anchor in the trenches of a defense that (outside of Willie Parker) has done an above-average job of stopping opposing running backs. It's not a reach to say that he's the best all-around DT we've had since 2000 Norman Hand. Yes, LaRoi Glover was great, but he wasn't a run stopper too.

Now it's time for Antwan Lake, Rodney Leisle, and whomever else joins the DT rotation to step up. If the Saints can't stop the run up the middle anymore, it's going to be a LONG December.

But if Sean Payton can get a 7th-round rookie to replace Jammal Brown and not give up a sack to one of the NFL's best pass rushers, maybe he can get a replacement here too. The reason why the Saints have been successful now is because they're a TEAM.

Hollis Thomas' suspension will really put the "team" concept to the ultimate test.

Are We Really the Stupid Ones?

2006-12-05T09:03:00.000-06:00

http://us.cnn.com/2006/WEATHER/12/04/wintry.weather.ap/index.html
http://www.stltoday.com/

Q:Why would anyone want to live in a place where you can die just by walking out your front door?

A: Because its their home, and they should be able to live where they choose.

Q:Should we abandon everything north of the Mason-Dixon?

A: Of course not, that would be ridiculous.

Q:Do any of these people realize where their heat comes from?

A: I bet they would if we cut them off for one day.

Thank You Kelley Frost for Visiting

2006-12-05T08:11:00.000-06:00

While out-of-town in south Texas, I came across the following letter in the San Antonio Express-News this morning. It is a nice reminder that many people still enjoy visiting New Orleans, and that New Orleans is as accomodating as ever.

Letters to the Editor

Web Posted: 12/04/2006 06:45 PM CST

San Antonio Express-News

A note to New Orleans

If I could, I would write a thank you note to the entire city of New Orleans after my recent visit.

I'd thank the Hertz rental car agent who advised us that even though the city's population declined, its traffic hasn't. I'd thank the front desk clerk from Annapolis, Md., who came from a sister property to help while the hospitality industry recovers. I'd thank Louis, the bellman, who was born and raised in New Orleans and would never think of leaving.

I'd thank the New York employee of Saks Fifth Avenue who came for the store's reopening and said it touched her as much as the day the doors opened on Fifth Avenue again after 9-11. I'd thank the antique dealers on Magazine Street for waiting for their streetcar and the tourists to return.

I'd thank Tom Benson for inviting us to see his beloved Saints and the inspiring warmth and appreciation their fans show toward their home team. I'd thank the Southwest Airlines skycap who graciously invited us to come back and asked us to tell others to do the same.

Everywhere we went, we were thanked for coming. The red carpet is rolled out and waiting. The road to recovery is long and hard, and the tourist and convention industry that is the livelihood of one of America's unique towns will thrive once again. Isn't it nice to know that sometimes you can make a difference just by being there?

— Kelley Frost

Philadelphia 27 Carolina 24

2006-12-04T22:53:00.000-06:00

Well, Saints fans, the scenario is pretty simple:

1) If the Saints beat the Panthers the final week of the season, and
2) The Saints win one other game or Atlanta loses one more game:

IT'S OVER. NOBODY WILL CATCH US. THE SAINTS WILL BE NFC SOUTH CHAMPIONS!

It's still tough, but it just got a lot easier. The Saints could still keep the Panthers down by just keeping on winning, but the point is this: The Saints can still be champs EVEN if they lose their next three games (which won't happen).

The only thing that can keep the Saints down now is a Jim Haslett/Aaron Brooks-like collapse. And they ain't here no more.

Thanks, Donte', for stepping up in a game the Saints desperately needed.

And, Keyshawn Johnson, you are a chicken-shit cry-baby sore loser.

It's almost time to start talking about that #2 seed, but not quite.

POST SCRIPT: If the Saints beat the Panthers in the final game. The Saints will have a split with the Panthers, a sweep of the Falcons, and a 5-1 division record. Not to mention (at worst) an 8-4 conference record. In this scenario, the Falcons would be 7-5 at best and the Panthers would be 6-6 at best. I didn't consult "official tie breaker rules," but it sounds pretty cut and dry, even in the case of a 3-way tie.

Reggie Breaks Out: Saints 34 49ers 10

2006-12-03T17:57:00.000-06:00

It's gonna be short again. I've missed work since Thursday with stomach flu. We've had 18 inches of snow and ice, and I've been digging out all weekend. But damnit, I made it to the bar for the game! Priorities.

It looked like everything slowed down for Reggie Bush today. They've made it this far just using him as a decoy. Now they needed him to step up because their top receivers were out. And he did. Big time. But why did you have to accidently lose the ball out of bounds?????????????????????????? God, that would have been so sweet.
Drew Brees just has "it." I don't know how you can escape from so many impossible situations with a big play. Throwing underhanded passes to escape a sack. Turning a botched pass into a desperate incompletion instead of a 20-yard turnover or sack. Completing a first-down pass to Reggie Bush while in the grasp of a tackler. And that first down run in the 3rd quarter left me speechless.
Mike McKenzie stepped up. I was worried we were going to lose after the on-side kick, but he responded with the two big turnovers we've been waiting for since September.
If Fred Thomas is too hurt to play, GET HIM OFF THE FIELD. I have always liked Fred Thomas, but he is a liability to the team right now. Put him on IR if he's not gonna get better. If not, Terry Glenn will burn him up next week.
Great game for Deuce too. He's kind of the forgotten guy today, and he ran for 136 yards.
Great job by the run defense taking Frank Gore out of the game. Make Alex Smith win it. That's how you beat the 49ers. The same way you make Michael Vick beat you last week. That's when you start getting easy turnovers.

And now, the PRIMETIME SHOWDOWN. The victory sets up things for the Saints next week. Of course, the fate of the division is still in doubt. But the Saints are playing for a stranglehold on the #2 seed with 3 winnable games left to play. I was worried that this week had "trap week" written all over it, but it was not to be. So maybe the Saints can keep surprising us next week. Time for the student to beat the teacher.

TAGS: NFL, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister, Dallas Cowboys

The Chicory: Fair-Weather Friends

2006-12-02T16:33:00.000-06:00

I like the spunk of this . . .

Bingo.

Given the situation we now find ourselves here in New Orleans, one would be a fool to say they haven't considered the "un-doable" (i.e. leave, give up, abandon the ship, haul ass, bail, sell-out, etc., etc.). But what it comes down to most of us is where are we going to go? There is no where else . . . . . Some may think that's a crazy thing to say or think, but to many of us seduced by her that is our reality. Those that can't comprehend this are the same that don't understand New Orleans in the first place.

UNOP Community Congress II Streaming Online

2006-12-02T10:21:00.000-06:00

The Unified New Orleans Plan (UNOP) Community Congress II is currently underway at the Convention Center (from 9am-4pm today). It is being streamed live online at this address. It is also being televised locally on WYES Channel 12--I just stumbled upon it.

Xavier President Dr. Norman Francis is currently speaking . . . .

"The Federal government doesn't trust us."

"We are going to have to work together."

"This is not enough money for what we need to do."

"We can do whatever we want to if we don't worry about who gets the credit."

"We are going to rebuild New Orleans and Louisiana and for anyone who doesn't believe that come back in three to four years . . ."

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, UNOP, Unified New Orleans Plan, Urban Planning

Cool Brees

2006-12-01T13:25:00.000-06:00

From NFL.com

"Brees and the first-place Saints (7-4) will look to win their first home game in over a month when they face Smith and the 49ers (5-6) on Dec. 3.
The Saints are 2-3 since their bye, but Brees has set an NFL record for passing yards in a five-game span with 1,954. He had 349 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-13 victory Nov. 26 at Atlanta.
"I'm sure they could make up some kind of record for every situation," Brees said. "If we're winning games, that's great. ... I kind of go by the saying, 'You're only as good as your next performance.' "
Brees has passed for a league-leading 3,463 yards, 499 better than Indianapolis' Peyton Manning. "

Photo du Jour: New Orleans 1 Hurricanes 0

2006-11-30T23:58:00.000-06:00

Hollis Wood, Paul S. Pierce and I headed out for a few Mid City drinks tonight to celebrate Paul S. Pierce's return to his home after a flood-derived 14 month exile. We started the night out at Pal's Lounge and then found ourselves to Finn McCool's where tonight was denoted as "Celebrate the End of Hurricane Season 2006 Night." On a chalkboard in the men's bathroom was the 2006 New Orleans/Hurricanes soccer-like score . . . In da face.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Mid City, Hurricane Season 2006, Finn McCool's

City of New Orleans/Earthlink Wifi Network . . .

2006-11-30T13:11:00.000-06:00

Turned on the laptop and a new wireless network appeared in my wireless network connection box yesterday morning: Feather By Earthlink. This is the long-to-be-touted City of New Orleans/Earthlink wifi service which supposedly will be eventually accessible from anywhere within the city. It appears they are offering a subscription-based service for faster access and slower access for free. Currently, I am connected to the network in the free mode--this blurb is being posted to the site from a location Uptown using the wifi service . . .

Anyone else have success connecting to it???

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Earthlink, WIFI, Uptown

Ahh, a boy can dream can't he

2006-11-30T11:40:00.000-06:00

Any chance we can get Louisiana to implement this retroactively?

*San Diego to Ban Wal-Mart Supercenters*

By ELLIOT SPAGAT
AP Business Writer

Nov 29th

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The City Council here voted late Tuesday to ban certain giant retail stores, dealing a blow to Wal-Mart Stores Inc's potential to expand in the nation's eighth-largest city.

The measure, approved on a 5-3 vote, prohibits stores of more than 90,000 square feet that use 10 percent of space to sell groceries and other merchandise that is not subject to sales tax It takes aim at Wal-Mart Supercenter stores, which average 185,000 square feet and sell groceries.

Mayor Jerry Sanders will veto the ban if the Council reaffirms it on a second vote, which will likely happen in January, said mayoral spokesman Fred Sainz The Council can override his veto with five votes.

"What the Council did tonight was social engineering, not good public policy," Sainz said.

Supporters of the ban argued that Wal-Mart puts smaller competitors out of business, pays workers poorly, and contributes to traffic congestion and pollution Opponents said the mega-retailer provides jobs and low prices and that a ban would limit consumer choice.

"Quite simply, I do not think it is the role of the San Diego City Council to dictate where families should buy their groceries," said Councilman Kevin Faulconer, who opposed the ban.

Councilman Tony Young, who joined the 5-3 majority, countered, "I have a vision for San Diego and that vision is about walkable, livable communities, not big, mega-structures that inhibit people's lives."

Wal-Mart spokesman Kevin McCall said the Bentonville, Ark.-based company may consider a legal challenge or voter referendum if the measure becomes law.

"Certainly we're disappointed but there's still a number of steps left in this process," he said "We need to look at what our options are."

The ban is modeled on a law in Turlock, a city of 70,000 people 85 miles southeast of San Francisco Turlock prohibited big-box stores over 100,000 square feet that devote at least 5 percent of their space to groceries.

Wal-Mart recently dropped its challenge to the Turlock ordinance, which prevented it from building a planned 225,000-square-foot Supercenter store In July, a federal judge in Fresno said Turlock's zoning law did not infringe on the company's constitutional rights The state Supreme Court refused to hear the case.

Wal-Mart has about 2,000 Supercenter stores, including 21 in California, but none in the San Diego area The retailer has 18 regular Wal-Mart stores in the San Diego area, including four within limits of the city of 1.3 million people.

Wal-Mart has not disclosed plans for a Supercenter store in San Diego area Sainz, the mayoral spokesman, said the retailer probably wants to expand

"It's complete and total guesswork but I'm inclined they would," Sainz said "Everything I've seen and heard from them makes me think they would."

San Diego's move comes two months after the Chicago City Council failed to override Mayor Richard Daley's veto of a so-called "living-wage" ordinance that would have required giant retailers to pay their workers higher wages.

Saints in First Place/Cowboys Game is Flexed

2006-11-27T10:18:00.000-06:00

One day late, but better late than never.

I was able to watch the entire game at a Hooters outside of Memphis. Here's what I thought:

The defense looked good. They took away the non-Vick running game and made Michael Vick win the game with his arm. That's the blueprint for beating the Falcons.
The Falcons wide receivers are THE WORST RECEIVING CORPS IN THE HISTORY OF THE NFL. PERIOD. Terrance Copper would be "Mr. Clutch" on this team.
Speaking of Copper, time to give him credit for catching the Hail Mary. To me, that was the deciding factor in the game. So he's lost one and won one. It all evens out in the end.
Drew Brees could ultimately make us forget about Archie Manning. And I am the biggest Archie Manning fan on the planet. Yes, he makes stupid mistakes sometimes. But he gets angry about it (did you see him on the floor after the INT vs. Cincy?), and comes back a better player every time.
The WR corps is beginning to look like the Broncos running game. It doesn't matter who you plug in, that guy is going to have a huge game. And they didn't drop big passes this week.
Welcome back, Fred
The Falcons are D-E-A-D, dead. The Saints have a 3-game lead on them. You figure they'll lose to Carolina and Dallas. That means the Saints would have to go 0-5 to have the Falcons catch them.
All the Saints have to do is make sure Carolina doesn't get more than one game ahead of them by game 16. They'll beat the Panthers at home. That will give the Saints the 5-1 tie breaker in the division.
Up to the Carolina game, the Saints have only one game left where they should be the decided underdog: Dallas. If they lose to Dallas but win the rest (or maybe lose one of them), they'll be in that position to win the division on game 16.

And speaking of Dallas, a tipster gave us the word that the Saints/Cowboys game will be Flexed! Primetime Sunday night, baby! Thank you NFL for making the right decision! Maybe one day the NFL will decide that the Saints will be good enough for primetime when they're not playing the Cowboys or a New York team. Look at the Saints primetime games in history and see how many times they've been against Dallas or New York.

But I'm not complaining. Much.

TAGS: NFL, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, Drew Brees, Michael Vick, Flex Scheduling, Dallas Cowboys

Thanksgiving Tradition Renewed

2006-11-26T19:27:00.000-06:00

I attended the season opener at the Fairgrounds on Thanksgiving and was part of a record crowd (nearly 9,000 people) treated to a great afternoon of racing. The combination of fantastic south Louisiana fall weather, a fully restored grandstand, and 600 new flat-screen TVs created a great horse-racing experience. I have had the pleasure of attending racing events at horse tracks from coast to coast including many pre-Katina visits to the Fairgrounds, but am still impressed by how close of a relationship the Fairgrounds has with the community. Being at the track on Thanksgiving is a great New Orleans tradition; it is good to have it back. If you have not had the chance yet to get out to the Fairgrounds for a day of racing, you need to go. The Fairgrounds is the third oldest horse track in the U.S. and is always a great place to pass a fall or winter day.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Fairgrounds, Mid City, Thanksgiving

The Budget Surplus Fiasco

2006-11-21T20:22:00.000-06:00

Our Governor is worried about only one thing - her political future. You can see her declining interest in doing what is best for New Orleans from the shedding of her responsibility in the Road to Nowhere Program (formerly Governor Blanco's Road Home Program) to the giant handout for all as a result of the state's one time budge surplus (estimated to be $827 million).

I have ranted about the Road to Nowhere Program. I also predicted (not that it was really all that insightful) on October 20 when the budget surplus was announced that Blanco would use it to win votes. Now I am going to rave about her announcement yesterday as to how she intends to spend OUR money.

Before I begin, point by point, remember that this is a one time budget surplus. If the state commits monies from a one-time budget surplus to renewable annual spending, the state will eventually have to cut the budget when the surplus is no longer available and revenues from taxes and other sources decline. The state spending money on items that require a long-term funding commitment is analogous to you getting a one-time end of the year bonus of $5k from your boss and going out and buying a new Mercedes Benz with $800/month payments for the next 5 years, even though your annual income did not change. You wouldn't base a long-term monetary commitment with large payments on a one-time cash bonus - but Governor Blanco will.

1. Governor Blanco proposes to raise schoolteacher salaries to the regional average with the budget surplus. Of course teachers in the state deserve a raise, and they realistically deserve even a larger raise then the Governor is proposing, but this is not the correct source of revenue for the raise. This will never fly and she knows it. She is going to use this against the legislators that refuse to commit to this budgeting mistake during her future reelection campaign (as in, "I demanded teacher raises but the legislature refused to fund it"). Instead, if the money is to be spent on education, it should be spent on facilities that need repair, or materials needed for operation. These are one-time costs and there is no better place in the state to spend the money on facilities and materials then in New Orleans.

2. Governor Blanco is going to ask for a tax cut in the form of a child tax credit. A tax cut? How can this state with its ever deteriorating infrastructure, lack of decent public services, eroding coast, and its largest city in shambles handle a tax cut? How can you get teacher raises and tax cuts at the same time? Sure we have a nice budget surplus now, but we will need every dime of revenue we can get several years from now when the rebuilding dollars quit flowing into the state. This is absolute nonsense and is no more than a reelection ploy. Instead of a tax cut use the a portion of the budget surplus to fund road and transit projects in south Louisiana to improve connectivity for business purposes as well as for future evacuation needs.

3. Governor Blanco proposes to speed two business tax cuts that are currently being phased out. One tax cut reduces the sales tax on business machinery and equipment and the other eliminates the state franchise tax on corporate debt. These taxes are already being phased out; what is the point to expediting this? Businesses are capable of planning on the changing tax structure and are aware of the current program to reduce this tax burden. All speeding it up does is reduce the state's near-term revenue, which is needed for rebuilding, and give Blanco a chance to tout her skills in tax reduction. This is political nonsense.

4. Governor Blanco proposes to give all homeowners an insurance rebate check to offset the higher costs of homeowners insurance primarily due to the Louisiana Citizens Property Corporation's 15 percent surcharge. Yes, if you have homeowners insurance, Governor Blanco wants to send you a check in the mail. How can you not vote for a Governor that sends you a check? We all love to get checks in the mail! But again, this does not resolve the real problem in all of Louisiana: insurance reform. The problem with insurance rates is not due only to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, or the massive debt incurred by Citizens Property Corp. Instead the problem for all of us is living and working in a state that has been in an insurance crisis for 15 years. Insurance rates are amongst the highest in the Nation, including homeowners, business and auto; multiple insurance commissioners have been in prison, and it is becoming more and more difficult to get a policy in this state. The insurance crisis is not just due to flooding in New Orleans - flooding has nothing to do with homeowners policies (they do not cover flood) - but is due to a lack of competition and adequate control of the insurance industry. Basically, nobody wants to do business with us. So knowing all of that, how is sending me a check going to solve this real long-term problem with insurance in the state? How will we, as homeowners, have a choice in insurers instead of being forced to use Citizens Property Corp.? How can people make decisions about returning home if they can't figure out how they will insure their assets in the long run?

Instead of these stupid, politically-motivated uses for our one time budget surplus, how about we fill some real needs. Schools, parks, roads, and mass transit throughout New Orleans need funding for rebuilding. Dump $300 million into these needs. LSU currently lacks state funds to match Federal funding that would help to rebuild the medical center in New Orleans. This is a critical economic need for New Orleans and the state, and a morally-responsible funding opportunity. Fund it and fund it now and figure another $300 million. Lastly, take the remaining surplus and fund coastal restoration projects. $227 million may be just a small piece of the needed funding, but in order for any of us to have a future in south Louisiana, we must get serious about paying for this work.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Blanco, Road Home Program, Louisiana

St. Bernard Parish Junior Rodriguez Speaks at MRGO De-Authorization Forum, 28 October 2006

2006-11-21T11:53:00.000-06:00

I took this video about three weeks ago at the MRGO De-Authorization Forum at UNO. There are some good quotes here from Mr. Rodriguez. In the beginning of the video, he stares down the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representative (off-frame) before he addresses the audience . . .

This is my first foray into YouTube.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, MRGO, St. Bernard, Junior Rodriguez

b.rox: Guerilla Art Appears in Mid City

2006-11-21T07:04:00.000-06:00

How precarious a position is Louisiana in???

Via b.rox, check this statement out.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Mid City, Guerilla Art, Louisiana

Bye Bye Freeport-McMoRan

2006-11-21T05:19:00.000-06:00

Just like that, another corporate headquarters is likely abandoning New Orleans. The proposed merger of Freeport-McMoRan with the Phelps Dodge Corporation, an Arizona-based mining company that controls much of the copper and gold mining and private lands in the southwestern US, will likely lead to the Freeport headquarters moving to Phoenix. Of course, some of Freeport's staff and office space in New Orleans will be utilized for the near future, but as the merger takes shape and costs are cut through the reduction of duplicate staffing and services, the Freeport/Phelps Dodge office in New Orleans will slowly disappear. The abandonment of New Orleans by Freeport will leave the area with just one Fortune 500 company, Entergy. The continued loss of corporate headquarters from New Orleans, and South Louisiana is a major drain on the economy in the long-term, reduces the number of highly-skilled and well-paid jobs in the region, and makes it difficult for local and state leaders to attract new business. Not to worry though, maybe Blanco and Nagin can get together and turn the Freeport building into a new casino-hotel complex and replace all of those engineering jobs with card dealers.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Freeport-McMoran, Phelps-Dodge, Entergy

Happy Thanksgiving Week

2006-11-20T11:16:00.000-06:00

I know that some of you show up on the webpage to check out my comments on the Saints games. Unfortunately, I have to keep it short. I am writing on a computer in the local public library because my family house doesn't have an Internet connection. So I'll keep it short.

Fred Thomas has had some good games with the Saints, and I know he's hurt. But yesterday he was Milton Mack bad. More than half the yards the Saints defense allowed was his fault. He was burnt THREE TIMES on long passes. Thanks, Fred. I blame him for the loss more than anything. It was 10-10 when he got burnt the second time, and it was 17-10 when he got burned the third time. Both of those could have still been overcome, even with all those turnovers.
Terrence Copper is still on the list. But so is Devery Henderson. He would have had the biggest receiving day in Saints history if he wouldn't have dropped so many passes.
Of course, I can't name any Saints receiver who didn't drop a pass yesterday, except maybe Reggie Bush.
Drew Brees made too many mistakes again yesterday. But you can't rant on him yet, because he's the reason why we have 6 wins.
I think it's time to retire my Kyle Turley jersey. My two jerseys are Turley and Ricky Williams. I hope you understand why I'm afraid to buy another new jersey. Every time I pick one, the guy flames out.
I just read that the Cowboys/Giants game wasn't flexed for next week, so there's still a slim chance that the Saints/Cowboys could get the call. Of course, I'm not sure that I want America to see the Saints right now. At least until we stop turning the ball over.

And, on one unrelated issue:

I am FULLY CONFIDENT that LSU will beat Arkansas Friday. Don't ask me why. I just have a feeling. I want that to happen. I want to get a BCS berth. I want to play USC in the Rose Bowl. I think the chances of that are less than slim, but wouldn't that be fun?

So anyway, that's all for today. Have a happy holiday. I'll be on the road and may miss the Falcons game. So my best guess is, everything will be back to normal in 2 weeks.

TAGS: NFL, New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals, Drew Brees, Devery Henderson, Fred Thomas, Reggie Bush

Topics du Jour: Miscellaneous Ramblings

2006-11-20T07:18:00.000-06:00

1. Passing of the Consolidated Orleans Parish Assessor Amendment/Other Amendments.
I am amazed this amendment to the state constitution passed so overwhelmingly. I figured it would be approved both statewide and within New Orleans, but the percentages were surprising. I also thought sure the pro-the-old-way crowd (i.e. the assessor cabals and the incredibly under assessed property owners) would provide more of a fight. "Grassroot" signs did appear around town a few days before the election that stated approval of the amendment would lead to the elimination of "neighborhood assessors." Ya, "neighborhood." I live in the 7th Municipal District in Carrollton and with that mentality, my "neighborhood" includes West End. There are going to be some people that pay more property tax as a consequence of the consolidation when it takes affect in 2010, however so long as it is equitably distributed and everyone "pays their share," I don't have a problem with it. No more of the completely homestead exempt St. Charles Avenue house and the like crap. Of course Jefferson Parish will continue to under-assess the hell out of everyone creating a ridiculous disparity . . .

I voted for the elimination of the City of New Orleans car tax which I think has been a nuisance tax (and one that has really pissed people off and I've often heard cited as Reason #234 to move to Jefferson or across the magic pond). I also voted against that Central School District amendment (which passed statewide and locally in East Baton Rouge Parish). In my opinion the motives and reasons for this by the good people of Central can be questioned--let's put it that way.

2. Dollar Bill vs. Karen Carter U.S. Representative Runoff .
I voted for Carter in the primary--not for any other reason than she seems to be the one with the best chance of the candidates to replace Bill Jefferson. Troy Carter once again way-underachieves in yet another election (translation: gets his ass kicked). Unfortunately, I think da po boy may be on to something with his "best guess" about the upcoming runoff. Despite Jefferson's dismal showing in the primary he may still pull it off. Adrastos compares this election to the 1991 Governor's Race.

3. Journey/Def Leppard Concert at New Orleans Arena.
Yes, I admit it--I, along with several friends, attended this packed show Friday night. Funny thing was instead of the mostly "hey, bruh" crowd it consisted of the "ok, this show has to end at 11pm so we can get home to relieve the babysitter" crowd. From their appearance, I did see some people that apparently magically teleported from World's Fair 1984-era New Orleans to the current post-KTMB New Orleans, but surprisingly those were the minority. Of the two bands, I thought that Journey provided the better show even with the scab's scab as lead singer. Steve Perry is of course long gone and his replacement (who sounds and looks like Steve Perry more than Steve Perry looks and sounds like Steve Perry) has had throat problems which led him to be replaced earlier in the tour. Its like that position is jinxed. This was the first time I set foot in the New Orleans Arena post-KMTB although I plan to make an effort to attend the remaining five "home" Hornets games.

4. Ole Miss/LSU Game.
I had plans to attend the LSU game up in Baton Rouge Saturday night versus Ole Miss, but between the concert and the Saints game on Sunday I decided to not go up. I had multiple offers to go and watch the pay-per-view game at a couple of different bars, but decided to go old school and listen to Jim Hawthorne at home on the radio. A friend of mine has said since Les Miles' inception as head coach he didn't believe Miles was a very good coach and that LSU's success under Miles has been because of the amount of raw athletic talent that LSU has successfully recruited in recent years. I have always told him I didn't think--and hoped--that was the case, but I am starting to have that exact feeling as the Ole Miss game was yet the latest example of a game that fit that criteria. Miles was outcoached by Coach O. Period. LSU simply has better athletes than Ole Miss and that allowed LSU to overcome all of the sloppiness and bad coaching decisions. To eek a game out in overtime (after an extra point is blocked--77 straight converted extra points before that) as a 27 point favorite to an undersized, underskilled Ole Miss is ridiculous. Dandy Don's take on the Ole Miss game.

A TAF friend says "Miles is holding it all back and not showing anything for next week's Arkansas game." We shall see . . . I believe LSU is going straight to the always 27 degree Cotton Bowl in Dallas--probably versus Oklahoma, but things may possibly change with a victory this week in Little Rock. LSU still has an outside shot at an at-large BCS bid, although I just don't see it happening.

5. Lakeview Fine Foods Is No Mas.
Despite noticeable renovation--and expansion (the taking over of West Marine)--the Harrison Avenue grocery store is now not returning allegedly because of insurance issues. Yet another sad KTMB casualty. The owner says however he is in negotiations with another chain to re-open a grocery store on the site. (My guess would be Winn Dixie or maybe Rouses). Additionally, their attempt to offer a small grocery on Esplanade at the former Whole Foods location failed as they shuttered it a couple of weeks ago. Supposedly the employees there had so idea the pink slips were on their way and given 72 hour notice. I tried to go there last Friday to check the place out for the first time to surprisingly find "closed for business" signs taped to the doors.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, William Jefferson, Lakeview, Assessor Consolidation

RTA: St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Not to Return Until "End of 2007"

2006-11-19T21:45:00.000-06:00

I didn't hear this live, but while trolling the WWL Radio audio archives over the weekend I found a brief interview with an RTA spokesperson conducted Friday.

The good news: the portion of the St. Charles Avenue Line from Canal Street to Lee Circle will be back online "sometime before Christmas." Testing (using a streetcar) to begin this upcoming week or perhaps the following week. The bad news: The full line isn't slated to return until the "end of 2007." And that didn't even sound so definite.

Its already been 15 months. The end of 2007 would be 28 months with New Orleans minus the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line. I guess I should be thankful the carpetbagger parking on the St. Charles and South Carrollton neutral grounds is no longer an issue.

Restortation of the Line should be of the utmost priority and I don't get the feeling that it is . . . .

Audio clip from WWL Radio. Listen and weep.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Streetcar, St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line, RTA

Road to Nowhere Program

2006-11-19T07:47:00.000-06:00

Although I know it is not too hard to believe that the State of Louisiana could screw-up handing out $7.5 billion to those in need in order to rebuild in New Orleans, the stupidity of the entire Road Home Program would be laugh-out-loud funny if it did not effect so many peoples already shattered lives.

For those of you who are not aware of how the state has bungled this important opportunity to show the Nation that we can take care of our own business, it starts with the state awarding a $87 million contract (a portion of the larger overall contract that will be awarded) to a Fairfax, VA based company called ICF International. It is ICF's job to manage the process of delivering the money to the people in a timely manner. So far ICF has managed to send a letter to a total of 83 homeowners telling them how much money they will get to rebuild their lives. Whatt is even worse than sending out a total of 83 letters is that there is no timetable in place for actually getting money to individuals. It is a terribly pathetic arrangement.

Gov. Blanco has started making noise to cover her butt. She is demanding that ICF deliver 10,000 letters to homeowners by the end of November telling them how much money they will receive from the program. ICF has claimed they will work through the Thanksgiving holiday to meet the Govenor's mandate. How big of them; maybe they should all try cooking Thanksgiving dinner in a 380 square foot FEMA trailer to get a bit more motivated to do their job.

The total number of applicants continues to be a mystery, but it is somewhere between 80,000 and 120,000 according to various reports. Our Govenor is mandating that the state's contractor have letters (no money yet!) sent to 10,000 of these applicants by the end of the month (approximately 10 percent of the total applicants). Even these people who receive letters will likely not see a dime from the program for many months. The Govenor, the contractor ICF, and the state of Louisiana should be ashamed; I know I am.

Worse, why has the state continued to pay large amounts of money to an out-of-state contractor that has miserably failed at meeting the contract requirements? Govenor Blanco talks about cleaning up politics in Louisiana, but this arrangement really smells, and in Louisiana if it smells like corruption, it usually is. Time for our Governor to live up to her empty promises and fire ICF International, and hire local contractors who care about the future of the state, its economy and most importantly its citizens to get the job done. It is not just the fiscally responsible thing to do, it is the only morally just thing to do.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Louisiana, Road Home Program, ICF International

Uhhhh . . . Old Jefferson Libeskind-ed

2006-11-16T23:12:00.000-06:00

Did anyone else fall out of their chair when they saw this rendering on the front page of today's Times-Picayune? This conceptual drawing is the current proposal for the re-development of the underutilized and out-dated Jefferson Plaza Shopping Center site in Old Jefferson. For years I've thought this site bound by Labarre Road, Causeway, River Road, and Jefferson Highway was among the most desirable for re-development and among the most squandered in the New Orleans area. I always envisioned a mixed-use development with commercial/retail likely including a modern grocery on the ground level along with residential ontop--maybe including a mid-level residential component or two (like maybe 10 stories or so).

Architect Daniel Libeskind's above design was not what I had in mind--and I am not completely against multiple floored residential buildings at this site unlike many residents of the surrounding neighborhoods. Libeskind, of course, is the guy who designed the most lamely named Freedom Tower--at the World Trade Center site in New York City. (The Freedom Tower is going to be 1,776 feet tall because that's the year the Declaration of Independence was signed. Get it? In third year design if a student in my class would have said such a thing they would have been laughed at. In the bizarro world we live in, this thing at 1,776 feet is getting built.)

Going to be interesting to see how this all pans out. The pre-construction fences went up on part of this site nearly six months ago. According to Old Jefferson resident Hollis P. Wood the Frostop on the site was told they'd have to soon relocate at that time. The Daquairi place and pawn shop formerly on the site burned down to the ground in immediate post-KTMB days. Its amazed me that a galvenized effort opposing this re-development (granted that this is the first time a rendering has been made public to my knowledge) hasn't already been underway. I would think its about to kick into high gear and I've noticed "No Skyscrapers" signs beginning to appear along River Road in the the adjacent neighborhoods. I have a feeling parish government is going to let this project happen . . . .

19 NOVEMBER 2006 UPDATE: On Thursday, this project passed another hurdle towards becoming a reality as a request by the developer to merge several individual lots to form one large lot was endorsed by the Parish Planning Advisory Board.

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Old Jefferson, Libeskind, Jefferson Parish

A Suggested Link: Meet James Knustler . . .

2006-11-16T11:52:00.000-06:00

I was first exposed to Mr. Knustler's work in the mid-1990's with his book THE GEOGRAPHY OF NOWHERE: The Rise and Decline of America's Man-Made Landscape. His weekly blog is entitled a mood-setting Clusterfuck Nation--one of my regular online reads (among others). . . His commentary is far-reaching about what the places of our country have become and he unapologetically discusses the upcoming train wreck in which he thinks it is all heading. He believes the United States (and the World) is at the onset of a energy emergency where the last 50 years of rampant American suburbanization and near-abandonment of our core cities has essentially written a check we can't cash without continued cheap energy.

Also, he may be the guy who initially coined the phrase "McMansion" . . .

For traditional stinging Knustler commentary check out the 30 October 2006 entry on his visit to a Georgia college town . . . What he describes is what New Orleans has managed to mostly avoid (at least better than most places) in the past 50 years. Will we be able to sustain "it" in the post-KTMB world?

Also be sure to check out his Eyesore of the Month . . .

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, James Knustler, Urban Planning, Suburbanization

New Orleans Saints: 0-for-3 on the Flex

2006-11-13T13:48:00.000-06:00

...And soon to be 0-for-4. Because you know they ain't picking a 49ers game. Unless they somehow miraculously keep winning.

NBC has chosen the Colts/Eagles game as the 3rd "Flex" game. The Saints have a first-place showdown with the Falcons scheduled that weekend. But the NFL went with the "sexier" game.

That leaves the Saints with few opportunities left for national television. I seriously doubt that they'll pick the Dallas game, because Dallas is already on national television something like 4 times in the last 6 weeks (I think there are rules prohibiting being on national television too many times, but I'm not sure). They probably won't pick the Redskins game, because the Redskins SUCK. And they can't pick the Giants game, because there's no Sunday night game that week.

So that leaves Carolina on week 17. If they don't choose that one, then the Saints (and their 6-3 record) will get ONE, count 'em, ONE national television appearance this year. And that was only because we were re-opening the Superdome after over one year. It took a hurricane to get our only national game.

Earlier, some of you said "Don't worry about it." Now it's time to worry about it. I don't know how else to say it.

POST-SCRIPT CLARIFICATION: If the NFL chose Saints/Dallas, the Cowboys would have three straight nationally-televised prime-time games. And I'd say there's a better-than-likely chance that the Dallas/Giants the week before the Saints game will be chosen too (unless Fox protects it, which might happen). And that's not including their Thanksgiving "tradition" game. That means that, without any "Flex" games, the Cowboys already have SIX nationally televised games (including Thanksgiving). And that's not counting their "national doubleheader" games against the Jaguars and the Eagles (the T.O. returns to Philly game). So right now, the Cowboys have EIGHT national telecasts without the Saints game or the Giants game being picked up.

And the Saints have one. Two, if you include the Steelers game (which I, among others, didn't get to see anyway).

Thanks, Terrance Copper: Steelers 38 Saints 31

2006-11-12T19:44:00.000-06:00

Terrance Copper makes up for dropping a big pass
by fumbling a key reception a few plays later.

There are at least 4 NFL rules that were illustrated in the game this afternoon:

A team with a 300-yard passer loses a lot of those games.
A team with a 200-yard rusher wins most of the time.
If you're -3 in turnover ratio, you're gonna lose no matter how well you play.
If you're the Saints, and you're playing against a mediocre LSU defensive back, he gets to be a hero. Thanks, Ryan Clark, for recovering two fumbles. Couldn't have done that for the Tigers, right?

Of course, rule #4 could apply to any Louisiana player or former Saint that the Saints go up against.

And then there's this:

Reggie Bush fumbled vs. Carolina: LOSS
Reggie Bush fumbled vs. Baltimore: LOSS
Reggie Bush fumbled vs. Pittsburgh: LOSS

Yes, that double-reverse was amazing. But you can't afford to fumble 3 times in 9 games. In my opinion, at least two of those turnovers directly impacted a loss (this week's and the one in Carolina where the Saints were in field goal range). I have given him the benefit of the doubt so far. But now it's time to step up.

And don't get me started on Terrance Copper. Yes he had 90+ yards receiving, but he dropped too many balls and cost the Saints a chance at a tie on the final drive. TWICE. He made a big play in the Eagles game, but what else has he done? This is the guy you brought in instead of keeping Fred McAfee or Mike Hass?

The one silver lining about the loss: it's out of conference. Two of the Saints' losses are against the AFC. That comes in handy for tie-breakers.

THE GOOD

Drew Brees threw for 398 yards and looked like the ultimate team leader.
Marques Colston: 10-169
Bush and McAllister: 25-109-3
Aaron Stecker made his first major offensive contributions of the year.
How did Brees get that first down on his scramble on the final drive.
Reggie Bush's touchdown run (and dive)
The snap to McAllister and the touchdown
The Saints scored a touchdown on the two-minute drill in the first half.

THE BAD

The defense gave up 467 yards of offense
The defense gave up 3 touchdown passes
The defense gave up a 200-yard rusher
The defense gave up two 70-plus yard runs
Minus-3 on the turnover ratio (already discussed)
Reggie Bush's fumble (already discussed)
Terrance Copper (already discussed)
Challenging the Reggie Bush fumble
Nice bite on the pump-fake, Jason Craft. You're getting on this list a little too often.
What was up with kickoffs and coverage? The Steelers' field position was too good all day.

THE UGLY

You're playing against a team that can't hold on to the football. Big Ben has 14 interceptions in about the equivalent of six games. AND YOU STILL CAN'T FORCE A FREAKIN' TURNOVER???????????? WHAT THE HELL IS THE PROBLEM WITH THE DEFENSE NOT FORCING TURNOVERS??????????????????? I CAN'T TAKE IT ANY MORE! I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR OVER A MONTH NOW!
3rd quarter meltdown: Jahri Evans' personal foul costs the Saints a chance for at least a FG.
3rd quarter meltdown: Reggie Bush fumbles on the next drive. The Steelers score on the next play.
3rd quarter meltdown: The Saints drive down the field immediately afterwards, and John Carney misses a FG.
The Saints are prepared to down a punt at the 3 yard line. But Omar Stoutmire and Bryan Scott can't down the ball. Willie Parker's off to the races a few plays later.
Terrance Copper (one more time). Yes, Marques Colston dropped a couple too. But he's earned a reprieve.

Next weekend, I WILL BE IN THAT NUMBER. Mr. and Mrs. DarDar will be back down for Thanksgiving vacation. We have already been guaranteed the family tickets for the Bengals game. Maybe I'll see some of you there. I can hardly wait.

SEYMOUR D. FAIR ADDENTUM: Is it me or does it seem Deuce isn't getting enough "touches?" I know the circumstances forced "throw mode," but even the first two drives of the second half before the game slipped out of control Deuce wasn't even on the field. Secondly, Jason Craft is terrible--I mean bad. He was bad last season and somehow he's still on the roster.

TAGS: NFL, New Orleans Saints, Pittsburgh Steelers, Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston

The Rumble of the Streetcar Returns to South Carrollton Avenue . . . Albeit Pulled by a Dumptruck

2006-11-11T06:47:00.000-06:00

A strange sound was heard at Oak and South Carrollton yesterday afternoon--the rumble of the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line. Unfortunately, the return of the streetcar wasn't the real deal, but instead orchestrated as a background prop towed by an RTA dumptruck for the filming of the motion picture The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The No Parking signs showed up Wednesday on Oak and Zimpel announcing filming for Friday. The filming I saw took place along South Carrollton in front of Rite Aid and consisted of actor Peter Badalamenti hobbling towards the camera as 1920-era cars and 1920-era clothed extras provided a background setting back towards Zimpel. I witnessed at least ten takes of this shot. Carrollton traffic of course was a mess in both directions and through-traffic (minus the RTA buses which were allowed to pass) was diverted to the side streets. An extra in the film told me that morning they were filming on St. Charles near Napoleon (where the streetcar also made a towed appearance) and the disruption there was even worse and according to my neighbor the drop-off at Sacred Heart was a nightmare.

Nearly all of the neighborhood people that stood around watching the filming had the same sadness and longing for the streetcars seeing one of the Perley-Thomases on South Carrollton once again. The rumble. The hum. The vibration. We all talked about it and that same extra (a local) told me it was the same by the by-standers at Napoleon that morning. I don't know this for sure, but I assume that the 15 months the St. Charles Avenue Streetcar Line has been offline due to damages incurred because of KTMB (Katrina That Miserable Bitch) is the longest sustained absence since the line's inception.

Having digital camera issues these days--I was forced to use the camera on my cellphone. Good quality, huh?

Its been a month since I last posted?? JHC. I could have sworn it was only two weeks . . .

TAGS: Katrina, New Orleans, NOLA, Carrollton, St. Charles Streetcar Line, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Soundly Answering the Critics: Saints 31 Bucs 14

2006-11-05T16:21:00.000-06:00

Drew Brees picked apart the Buccaneers today.
Stats: 24 of 32, 314 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs

The best way to respond to an ass kicking is to give out an ass kicking of your own. That was impressive today. Congratulations to the coaching staff for putting together an outstanding game plan. And congratulations to the Saints for playing hard and strong on both sides of the ball. I thought the Saints had a good chance of losing this week without Joe Horn and Jammal Brown. But the team responded to losing two integral parts of its successful passing game by having its most efficient air performance this season.

So the Saints are 6 and 2 on the season at the halfway point. They're 3 and 1 against the South, which is huge in tie breakers. They also have a huge 2-game lead in the division. You can do the math. If the Saints go 4-4 in the second half (which is definitely within reach), they finish the season 10-6. The Panthers and Falcons would have to go 6-2 to tie them. And even if they caught the Saints, 10-6 should be enough for a wild card.

I'm feeling pretty good about the Saints chances right now.

THE GOOD

Have you ever seen a better single-game performance by a Saints quarterback than the one Drew Brees had today. If you can, they're probably on one hand.
The Saints defense didn't give up a first down for the first 25 minutes of the game.
Except for the final 5 minutes of the first half, the Saints defense had one of their best performances ever. For the other 55 minutes, the Saints gave up 80 yards of offense.
Marques Colston: 11-123-1
Devery Henderson: 3-111-2. That's how you step up for Joe Horn.
The Saints' offensive line (with Zach Strief starting at left tackle) didn't give up a sack.
Great game-planning by the offense. The RBs helped out Strief on the left side, and the designed roll-outs to the right side were brilliant.
Will Smith: 3 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble
Scott Shanle: 8 tackles
Saints offense: 0 turnovers

THE BAD

The Saints couldn't run the ball.
Reggie Bush: 11 carries, minus-5 yards
Fred Thomas got burned on Joey Galloway's first touchdown.
The Saints gave up a touchdown on the two-minute-drill in the first half.
Drew Brees (and the Saints in general) had a really, really bad 2nd quarter.
The Saints still can't force turnovers. Their only turnover this week came in garbage time.

THE UGLY

Why was Scott Fujita covering Joey Galloway on the second touchdown?
Back-to-back 5 yard penalties on offense on first down on the first drive of the second half. It's hard to have a successful drive when you're starting out 1st and 15.

Next week, Pittsburgh. Who would have thought when the season began that the Saints would be EXPECTED to beat them? Strange season, but I like it so far.
WRITER'S POST-SCRIPT: The Saints do indeed have a 2 game lead over the Falcons, by virtue of the head-to-head victory. That rematch in Atlanta in 3 weeks is going to be HUGE.

TAGS: NFL, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Drew Brees, Devery Henderson, Marques Colston

Mmmmmm....Charbroiled Oysters

2006-11-01T13:25:00.000-06:00

Good news................................Drago's coming Downtown.

http://www.neworleanscitybusiness.com/uptotheminute.cfm?recid=7128

http://www.dragosrestaurant.com/index2.htm