Cool Logo Stuff From New Orleans Public Library

I have a deep fondness for libraries and you gotta dig library themed clothing.

Thinking Outside the Big Box

The recent uptick in big-box projects and proposals in the Crescent City, fueled by tax subsidies and other costly giveaways, has left owners of smaller home-grown businesses in related industries gritting their teeth and bracing for hard times.

They might not have a champion in City Hall, but an Emmy Award-winning journalist is working to shine a light on their situation with his documentary film-in-progress, "Independent America: Rising from the Ruins." The final feature-length documentary is scheduled to be ready for national broadcast by early fall.

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Film Preview: Rising from Ruins

"Independent America filmmaker takes to the road again in search for the story behind the recovery of New Orleans in “Independent America: Rising From Ruins” Independent film director and Emmy Award-winning journalist, Hanson Hosein, leaves behind his pregnant wife and travel partner in Seattle as he takes to the regional roads for a 3,000 mile journey to investigate how Mom and Pop businesses are doing in post-Katrina New Orleans."

Powerful stuff from people I'm proud to know.

dig it

Moose in the Marigny

One of my old conspirators from Critical Mass days, Moose, is having an art party at Mimi's in the Marigny on April 9. You should go.

A Blast from the Past

A found a stack of these while cleaning out some clutter the other day.

I am so proud that the organization is alive and well and in great hands.

Finally, Some Good News Out of New Orleans

It looks like one of the most shady of New Orleans' pols is finally out of business. I am delighted to announce that New Orleans City Council member Oliver Thomas has pled guilty to federal corruption charges and should be resigning from his post effective immediately. Oliver Thomas and I share a special history, as he was the enforcer for Wal-Mart during the famous battle in New Orleans (for a quick overview, see "Wal-Mart: The Hits Just Keep on Coming"), the issue that gave birth to both the Urban Conservancy and the latent revolutionary inside of me.

The sad thing is that his crookedness was well known, although it was never said out loud. Part of the problem is that elected officials in New Orleans take on demigod status with the populace. City Council members get a vehicle, typically a luxury SUV or large Town Car and a driver who is an armed deputy. They have multiple staff people, all charged with keeping the unwashed masses out of their offices. The other problem is that there is all sorts of hand wringing now about the "loss" of this "popular" leader. The same sort of sadness that some have about Edwin Edwards going to prison. Go figure.

Update: Public statement from former Councilman Thomas

For New Orleans Folks
(note: I didn't write this)

From the "Louisiana Events" E-mail List:

"FROM TOURO BOULIGNY MEETING: Capt. of 2nd Dist. demonstrated tonight this new on-line source of crime incidents occurring within 1 mile radius of a given address.  There is a lag time of about 5 days for the info presented.

1st -  access the NOPD at WWW.NOPD.COM

2nd - click on NOPD Crime Map (left column)

3rd - click on sentence that begins "click this link to view interactive crime, etc.

4th - enter address and click submit  (this will resolve to a map with yellow location of address.)

5th -  Click on City Services at top on page and that will present a drop down
menu; select NOPD.  This will resolve to a page that will show all crime incidents within 1 mile radius of the address in last 30 days. Put the cursor on any symbol to see brief details.  Detail results are shown at bottom of this page with Police report number, Street, Description, and incident date.

Check it out.   This is a huge step in getting crime information to the citizens."

More Heartbreak From New Orleans (It just keeps on coming)

It's pretty incredible to write this on the heels of a happy little post about my last visit to NO.

Two people. Two stories. One story has a few years distance. One is now. This picture of horseplay at the hair salon is of two good friends of mine. On the left is Bobby Merrill, who died in 2003 of a heart attack at age 34. The guy on the right is Robin Malta. Robin was murdered in his Marigny home earlier this week. I had just visited Robin at his shop when I was in New Orleans a few weeks ago. Bobby was our "family" hairsylist, confidante and conspirator. Cassie and I would schedule both our haircuts on the same night with Bobby and make an evening of it. Bobby, Cassie and I would have drinks during the haircutting process (Bobby always had an amazingly steady hand, even after a few cocktails) followed by dinner out, often at Adolfo's in the Marigny. Robin worked at the same salon as Bobby and was Bobby's comic foil and friend. Robin was the one who broke the news of Bobby's death to Cassie. Robin was the hardest working man in hairstyling and opened up his shop on Decatur a few years back. Business was booming, he said when I last visited him. During the year that I was commuting to New Orleans for work, Robin cut my hair, often without an appointment and about 10 minutes notice from me. He always wanted to know when Cassie and Santiago were going to visit, and he carefully (politely?) studied the pictures of Santiago that I shared with him.

Both of these people are gone from my life forever. I miss these two people. The city is hard. I'm tired of being sad or scared for all the people I love in New Orleans.

This Week, New Orleans

So I am back in New Orleans this week, visiting a few friends and business associates. My semi-frequent appearances in the city seem to mystify most people. They feel absolutely natural to me. New Orleans is the culture I understand best and function in most effectively. I know the city backwards and forwards, although I am having trouble keeping up with the torrent of gelato shops and t-shirt boutiques with pro-New Orleans imagery that seem to be some of the primary drivers of the economy at the moment. I have favorite places and people and I also enjoy being an anonymous guy at a neighborhood bar, like I was yesterday at Molly's, where a patron bought the entire bar a round in celebration of the passing of Jerry Falwell. New Orleans is a good second home for me for now.

Great photo from New Orleans. This is taken in front of my favorite bar in all of New Orleans, Ms. Mae's. By the way, the bar is open for business.