World Class Resurrection

"Everything's gonna be alright, I think."

Fats Domino, on the prospects of New Orleans after Katrina and the Manmade Flood.

Happy Carnival!

Update:
Pictures (above) include (left) Mr. Clio/Dilly and Berto at a Lundi Gras dinner at Tujague's, and (right) Mr. Clio with unidentified friend on St. Charles.

The foam rubber fleur-de-lis made me many friends and stirred nationalistic fervor up and down the Avenue. Approximately 25 strangers asked for and took pictures with me. My only request was that they say "Go Saints!" No one refused.

BIG UPDATE: Pete Fountain is okay and was even in the Quarter this afternoon. See Scout's cool video that includes Pete taking it easy. (Thanks, Oyster.)

Drive the Float Gently and Watch the Knee

DEEEEEEUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCE.

Number twenty-six will be Grand Marshall of Zulu.

YES.

World Class Costume (I Hope)

By clicking here, you can track the progress of a package on its way to me via UPS. It's 4 yards of foam rubber, which (after some of my handiwork) will become my Carnival costume for this year. As of this writing, it has departed Mesquite, TX.

It started in San Francisco, and the nice woman I spoke to over the phone rushed it into shipment on Friday so that I would have it in time to have a Happy Mardi Gras.

"When is Mardi Gras?" she asked. We live here so that we can answer that question without thinking.

Naked Vindication

Mr. Clio is feeling a little smug this weekend. You see, as I posted several weeks ago, the Times-Picayune has undergone a remarkable transformation since the storm. The same paper that last year gave front page treatment to a naked guy running around the Northshore now has become of beacon of hope and plain talk for our region and the nation.

This is apparent every day in its publication of great news, opinion, and community bulletin board pieces--and in its crusade to save our city from the neglect, incompetence, and corruption of Washington, D.C., Baton Rouge, and metro-area city halls.

The final proof came on Friday when another story about a Northshore naked guy appeared. (What is it with you folks on the Northshore and your need to streak?) Did this story appear on the front page of our major metropolitan newspaper, as the nearly identical story did just months ago?

Nope. This time: back page of the Metro section, where it belongs.

By the way, I've really enjoyed both stories. It's just that now the story has been put in its place, and I'm proud of my hometown paper.

NOTE: It can't really be true that this time the Naked Guy's name is Mr. Johnson, can it?

Why is this man still getting paid?

As the T-P points out, perhaps Mr. Chertoff should go back to looking for the genie in the lamp.

World Class Quote of the Day (Rated PG)

From Chris Rose's column today, Greg Meffert (Nagin's techno-guy) says:

"If you were circumspect before Katrina, now you are candid. If you were candid,now you are frank. If you were frank, now you are blunt. And if you were blunt, now you are an asshole."

Excellent. Adds to my positive impression of Meffert.

So do you think these people will admit mistakes in the Katrina response?

Vice President Cheney accidentally shot a guy in the face, neck, and chest.

Here's the response of his adviser Mary Matalin (Mrs. James Carville):

He felt badly, obviously. On the other hand, he was not careless or incautious or violate any of the (rules). He didn't do anything he wasn't supposed to do.

They're defensive when asked about shooting a guy in the face. With this crowd, there is absolutely no chance they'll admit anything went wrong at the federal level regarding levees or emergency response.

The way I was raised, if you shoot a guy in the face--even if by accident--you could have done something better somewhere along the way.

Watch This Video from the Night of 8/29/2005

I don't think I'm going to vote for Nagin, but this video of him from the evening of the storm doesn't show some kind of panicked nut job.

Check it here: link.

He didn't get help from above, and over the following days, he lost it. That sounds like a rational response to me.

If WWL had Nagin on saying this stuff on Monday night, how can Cherthof say he didn't know anything until Tuesday morning?

Marty Bahamonde for President

Mr. Bahamonde was Homeland Security's heroic Lone Ranger in New Orleans when Katrina hit. Some highlights:

From the NY Times:
By late Monday afternoon [8/29, the day Katrina hit], Mr. Bahamonde had hitched a ride on a Coast Guard helicopter over the breach at the 17th Street Canal to confirm the extensive flooding. He then telephoned his report to FEMA headquarters in Washington, which notified the Homeland Security Department.

From Mr. Bahamonde's email on 8/31 from the Superdome:
. . . I just ate an MRE and crapped in the hallway of the Superdome along with 30,000 other close friends so I understand her concern about busy restaurants. Maybe tonight I will have time to move the pebbles on the parking garage floor so they don't stab me in the back while I try to sleep, but instead I will hope her wait at Ruth Christ (sic) is short.

Following Berto's lead, I will accentuate the positive and hold up Mr. Bahamonde as the kind of can-do leader our region and our nation need.

NOTE: It's just too good to be true that Ruth's Chris keeps factoring in to this tale of woe.

QUESTION: What makes Al-Qaeda happier:

a) finding out via a leak [they didn't know before?] that their electronic communications are being monitored.

b) knowing that America is utterly unprepared to deal with a disaster in a medium-sized American city and only moderately populated region.

The President answers "a." What's your answer?

Fertel Generosity Abounds

Like Mr. Seymour D. Fair, I was struck by the announcement that the Fertel Foundation is giving $1.2 million to local schools hit by the manmade flooding after Katrina. The Times-Pic did a nice job covering the story, except for one thing: they mentioned Ruth's Chris Steak House a lot in the article, without making it clear that the current version of Ruth's Chris has nothing to do with generosity toward New Orleans. So I wrote this letter (it looks as though it might not run):

To the Editor:

Re: "Steakhouse founder's legacy pays off for schools,"
Metro, Feb. 4.

Thank you for documenting the ongoing generosity and community spirit of the Fertel family during these challenging times. The gift of $1.2 million from Randy Fertel and his fellow foundation board members is a wonderful display of faith in the future of our city.

I would add one crucial point to the otherwise excellent article. It is important to note that this generosity should be associated with the Fertel family only, and not with the current regime that operates Ruth's Chris Steak House.

Remember: when bodies were still floating in the streets of our city, the current chief executive of Ruth's Chris moved the business's headquarters to his home state of Florida, where the offices will stay and take advantage of tax incentives. He has also abandoned the flagship store on Broad.

We should always cherish the post-Betsy bravery and post-Katrina generosity of Mrs. Ruth Fertel and her son, Randy. We should never forget the timidity and avarice of the current gang running the chain that unfortunately still bears Mrs. Ruth's name.

Sincerely,
Mr. Clio

ADDENDUM: I nominate this for the Synthesis of Evil Hall of Fame.

Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris Ruth's Chris sizzling steak sizzling steak sizzling steak sizzling steak sizzling steak sizzling steak sizzling steak ribeye ribeye ribeye filet filet filet filet filet butter butter butter butter porterhouse porterhouse porterhouse porterhouse porterhouse strip strip strip strip strip strip steak steak steak steak steak steak steak steak steak steak steak steak steak steak

Thanks Houston Bumper Sticker

I'm posting this in case anyone wants to use it. There's been some debate on this point, but I believe that the people who sport these on their cars are genuinely thankful for how Houston and its mayor stepped up for our city.

As Ashley (he's walking on sunshine) has noted, the stickers seem only to be on late model SUVs (as in this picture, taken near my house). Not sure why. I have an attorney demographic theory, but someone please let me know if there's another reason.

World Class Action: A Proposal

I think it's time. The Governor is rightfully threatening to deny future federal leases offshore until Louisiana gets its fair share of revenues. The problem is that doesn't really hurt anybody now (other than perhaps an indirect effect on prices, which people won't really ascribe to Louisiana's action).

Citizen blockades. I'm asking anybody who reads this (A) if it's time and (B) if we are willing to do this.

What do we blockade? Refineries. Line up cars around them so that nothing comes in and nothing goes out (until we get arrested, that is).

Let's start messing with fuel supplies in peaceful ways.

When the truckers in France get pissed off, they shut the place down with strikes and blockades.

I really think we can do this, and I really think it will cause a big stink and a big problem for President Oilman.

The question is, when?

Let me know what you think. Ash Wednesday seems like a fitting day to do the first one.