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Showing results for tags 'Local goings on (i.e. politics)'.
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One of the things about being a reporter, that I've caught on very quickly, is that I'm bound to get a lot more email. In fact, byron@bzpower.com is a whole new email account I set up exclusively for BIONICLE News. Unfortunately, news travels quickly... Before I go off on the miscapitalizations and the butchering of "Israeli", I'd like to comment that his is the first time that a copy of the "Nigerian" scam (Also called a 419 scheme, after the related Nigerian penal code under which this type of scam falls.) has ever made it to one of my quickly-becoming-a-dozen-for-the-first-time-since-college email inboxes. The way it works is that someone off-shore (very important, as crossing international boundaries makes legal prosecution all-but impossible) emails the victim, stating that he has, or is charged with, a rather large sum of money, and has determined that the victim would be a good final steward of this money. A conversation is struck up, and while the promises endure, at some point it becomes necessary to "lubricate" the transaction by posting a fee to them. This charade keeps going, and the money never does make it to the victims' hands. It works, because the money is promised at the start, and the victim keeps looking back to it, coupled with the mental obligation that "if I'm this far along, I can just go ahead and see it through to the end." Suffice it to say, if you ever get an email that reads like the one above, just delete it. The money doesn't exist, and the charade will only end once you end it. I'm not dissing Nigeria per se. A former bunk mate of my dad offshore, ExxonMobil had him working out of Nigeria for about 4 years in the mid 90's. (He's in western Russia now.) It's just, well, sometimes you get a reputation and it's not your fault. (By the way, the domain on the sender's address was from Spain.) Sadly, this confidence scheme is not the worst I have to say regarding Nigeria this week. William Jefferson, 9-term representative, and senior Democrat in the Louisiana Congressional delegation, got caught with both hands in the cookie jar. Since none of the links work because I just copied and pasted, here's the Story on CNN I like Rosenberg's line about politics. Goes back to what I said a month ago: no one is above the law, not even lawmakers. Besides that, I'm ashamed to be from Louisiana right now. Not because Jefferson represents me (because he doesn't: I live in Bobby Jindal's district), but because, gosh darnit, I share a state with so many people who would RE-elect an obvious-to-everyone-but-his-kin felon. How in the world do my congressmen ask for more hurricane relief funding, when it will go to people who choose someone that corrupt to speak for them? It's not about the lesser of two evils: he shouldn't have been in that runoff in the first place. Sorry, I need to go stew for the rest of the evening. -KIE
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I do have thoughts on Deepwater Horizon, but that will have to wait for later this week. Today is a day of celebration. It may be disputed as to whether 69th mayor was the worst mayor in the history of New Orleans, but it will hardly be disputed that he was not the right man for the job immediately after Katrina. To have seen one whose platform be based on "business" and "clean up corruption" turn around to hire a tech chief who allegedly pocketed hundreds of thousands on non-working technology (Greg Meffert), let Montgomery Watson Harza use the city as an ATM (recovery project management), and attempt to end-run through "contracts for nothing" that couldn't be reimbursed with federal dollars (Municipal Auditorium), it's a shame really. I have to wonder if, in 2002, he only saw his election as a payday, his turn to move the dollars around, and nothing more. If you hear one thing from me, public, hear this: money is not the be-all end-all in life. If you hear a second thing from me, hear this: just because your hands control purse strings does not give you license to direct someone else's money to yourself or to your buddies without just cause. As Mitchell Joseph Landrieu (a.k.a. "Little Moon") is sworn into office in about 80 minutes, I don't doubt there will be some dancing in the streets by some truly cynical pundits. I, for one, will be grinning up here in Illinois. I'm not about to christen him as the Savior of Perdido Street, but it would be very difficult to do worse than the blundering incompetence that hallmarked the Nagin mayorship. -KIE
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Amanda & I saw a parade 43 years in the making tonight. We saw the Super Bowl XLIV victory parade from the plaza outside my office in downtown. The parade would've been better if the ##### in front of us hadn't been such a #####, but when he left, no one but new found fellow friends were near. (Words fail to describe how "cool" this ##### was.) What they say is true: no NFL fan base has a love affair with their team quite like the Saints & New Orleans. It's the common thread that crosses all races and income brackets in this town. It's more than just a synergy between team & fans: it's nigh symbiosis: colors and moods are brighter on Monday after a win, city-wide. If you ever get to taste this, enjoy it: it is a rare thing indeed. If not, I suppose I can't adequately describe it: the joy, the camaraderie, the euphoria that has taken hold. Will this fix everything Katrina broke 4½ years ago? No, and no one really expects it to. But this goes beyond Katrina, to 40+ years of suffering and futility. That the burden of Saints futility is lifted does indeed brighten the colors everyone sees and cheers every passer-by. Especially if those colors are black & gold and the passer-by has a fleur-de-lis emblazoned on their wardrobe. It's so pretty! -KIE
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Tracy Porter, you are a hero. With 3:22 to play, you delivered the backbreaker, the legend-slayer, the forever-curse-breaker. Nine times the Lombardi trophy has left New Orleans. For the first time ever, it comes to New Orleans. To stay. I don't know what the next CBA will hold, but 43 years are a distant memory now. WHO DAT! WHO DAT! WHO DAT SAY DEY GONNA BEAT DEM SAINTS! -KIE, collapsing in a heap
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"Pigs have flown. ###### has frozen over. The Saints are on their way to the Super Bowl." -call from Jim Henderson on the Saints Radio Network Somewhere, if only on the front page of the Living section of this morning's Times-Picayune, Buddy D is wearing a dress. Euphoria is running rampant in Chocolate City. I swear, but nothing else of relevance happened in the world except that the Saints are going to the Super Bowl. being the 1 in Tampa's 1-26 franchise markBum Phillips not figuring out how to win1-15the original Paper BagsThe AintsFinally winning the Division, only to get throttled by the Vikings in the Wild Card round (1991)Bobby Hebert blowing the Dome Patrol's shots at postseason gloryThe River City Relay, only to watch Carney miss the extra pointMike Ditka trading away an entire draft for one questionable running backAaron ___ Brooks *wince*Not a single player enshrined in Canton43 years of abject futility are washing away even as I type this. This is every 8-year-old's dream come true, even those 8-year-olds that are now 28. Or 48. The party has started early this year in New Orleans. I can guarantee it won't stop for the next two weeks. And, if the Saints win another game, Lord only knows what will happen next. Y'all come along for the ride. -KIE
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The king is dead. Long live the king. Knowing José, I know this is not what he signed up for yesterday, but there you have it. AB is a nice guy, really. Jovial is a very good word to describe him. He'll shake anyone's hand. Prototypical elected official. Then again, perhaps in the same prototypical fashion, the lines between public servanthood and private business blurred, and these days, such nepotistic arrangements aren't acceptable. The king is dead. Long live the king. -KIE
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Another part of my childhood drops a degree of gleam. Before many of your times, to be sure, but I remember Ms. Olivia the photographer. In unrelated news this weekend, the Moss Bluff Cruisers, led by Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Jamaal Charles, and the Saints D/ST, vy for their first, and would-be only DEII Fantasy Football League Super Bowl title, opposing the Metry Mudbugs, who feature Phillip Rivers, Adrian Peterson, Knowshon Moreno, and Brandon Marshall. This is my last tie to the company I worked for over 4½ years; I won't be able to participate next year being in Chicago. If I win, the Moss Bluff Cruisers will live on for antiquity at an office in Kenner. Wish me luck. -KIE
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Looky what I found the other morning. Emeril Lagasse on Iron Chef! Also, the ne'er-challenged Mario Batali! This should be must see! *sets TiVo now* -KIE
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Dear 52%: I have a proposition: Three years from now, if my life and my surroundings are better off as a direct result of Barack Obama being president and his policies becoming law, I will vote for him in 2012. If not, I will vote for the Republican candidate. Now please quit chanting "Hope & Change" and "Yes We Can." so loudly into my ear. I need to get busy at work. -KIE
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*takes a page from countless international observers who appeared to have assumed a McCain-Palin victory would have meant 4 more years of backwards podunk politics in Washington, D.C.* Welcome back to the rest of America, New Orleans. Louisiana elects the first Indian-American to the Governor's Mansion, and the first Vietnamese-American to Congress. Heh, maybe we are on the cutting edge after all. I am locking this before discussion begins, but I do welcome the discussion off the public board. -KIE
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There's a saying in Louisiana that people in New Orleans vote early & vote often. I haven't learned anything about this "voting often", but I did vote early this time around. In the off chance that it would influence anyone's vote (which it SHOULDN'T: You were the one paying attention the last 10 months. You were the one weighing everything you heard said by and about the candidates. You formed your own opinion on this landmark election season.), From the outskirts of Chocolate City endorses the following candidates and positions for the November 4 election. 2008 Louisiana Electoral College Dianne ChristopherRoger F. Villere, Jr.Lynn E. SkidmoreJoe LavigneBilly NungesserAlan SeabaughKaren HaymonCharles DavisCharlie Buckels pledged to vote for John McCain of Arizona and Sarah Palin of Alaska United States SenateJohn Kennedy, (R)Landrieu sloughed off my friends at Presidential Classroom 12 years ago...if she doesn't have time for my friends, I don't have time for her. United States Representative, First Congressional District of Louisiana Steven Scalise (R)Louisiana State Senate, District NineConrad Appel (R)Polly Thomas (R) lost my vote when she wouldn't quit badgering my fiancée in the primary. Associate Justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court, First Supreme Court District Greg Guidry (R)...as if I have any idea who either of these people are.... Louisiana Constitutional Amendment #1 Term Limits for Members of State Boards & Commissions. FORLouisiana Constitutional Amendment #2 Time Limits for Calling Special Sessions AGAINSTLouisiana Constitutional Amendment #3 Temporary Successors for Legislators Ordered to Active Military Duty AGAINSTMy opinion would be different if it were the legislator himself/herself appointing the successor, instead of the Legislature itself. Louisiana Constitutional Amendment #4 State Severance Taxes to Parishes FORLouisiana Constitutional Amendment #5 Transfer of Special Property Tax Assessment Level AGAINST...even though it would likely be in my best interest in the future. Louisiana Constitutional Amendment #6 Re-Sale of Certain Expropriated Property FORLouisiana Constitutional Amendment #7 Investment of Non-Pension Benefit Trusts FOR...because now is the time to get into the market Jefferson Parish Proposition Special Sales Tax Re-apportionment AGAINST...because the Sewer department doesn't need its revenue further carved. And a couple of ones that I have a strong opinion, and would vote if given a vote. United States Representative, Second Congressional District of Louisiana Helena Moreno (D)Seriously. It's time to fire Bill Jefferson. California Statewide Proposition Number Eight YES...not because some first graders were taken out of school for a wedding, but because those that took them out saw fit to put "NO on 8" pins on the kids' lapels. A 6-year-old should not be used as campaign material. -KIE
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This, is huge. Words only marginally describe how "HUGE" this is. Discuss, please.
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The "E" word no part-time brass player wants to hear when he's just busted his chops by playing for the first time in 12 months. Also the title of an article in yesterday's paper I thought was very interesting: Just some food for thought, and the ears... -KIE
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Brandy is officially due in 0-2 weeks. I am authorized to ask Michael, from now until birth, when he calls me if this is "The Call." Just putting the rest of you on notice. Oh, and if any of you feel so inclined, pray for my mate [in the context of European/Australian english] from college, Earl: he was in a car accident Tuesday, and apparently the seat belt severely injured his pancreas, sending him to the ER and then ICU halfway into a diabetic coma. This was posted Wednesday at wired.com. I don't if it should be filed under "good news" or "bad news," but it should still be considered "news." Read on. Hushmail's marketing copy largely glosses over this vulnerability, reassuring users that the non-Java option is secure. But can the feds force Hushmail to modify the Java applet sent to a particular user, which could then capture and sends the user's passphrase to Hushmail, then to the government? Hushmail's own threat matrix includes this possibility, saying that if an attacker got into Hushmail's servers, they could compromise an account -- but that "evidence of the attack" (presumably the rogue Java applet) could be found on the user's computer. Hushmail's Smith: "View source" would not be enough to detect a bugged Java applet, but a user could to examine the applet's runtime code and the source code for the Java applet is publicly available for review. But that doesn't mean a user could easily verify that the applet served up by Hushmail was compiled from the public source code. Smith concurs and hints that Hushmail's Java architecture doesn't technically prohibit the company from being able to turn over unscrambled emails to cops with court orders. Hushmail won't protect law violators being chased by patient law enforcement officials, according to Smith. Smith also says that it only accepts court orders issued by the British Columbia Supreme Court and that non-Canadian cops have to make a formal request to the Canadian government whose Justice Department then applies, with sworn affidavits, for a court order. I was first tipped to this story via the Cryptography Mailing List, and Kevin, who had been talking with Hushmail about similar matters involving another case, followed up (link removed) with Smith. We both agree Hushmail deserves credit for its frank and open replies (linked PDF). Such candor is hard to come by these days, especially since most ISPs won't even tell you how long they hold onto your IP address or if they sell your web-surfing habits to the highest bidders. I do find it interesting that 80% of the length of the page on Wired.com is comments, even in just 3 days. Oh well, time to get something accomplished at the office. -KIE, who is roughly halfway done with his Christmas shopping. Going for the few, thoughtful gifts this year.
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In the grossly unlikely event that it should affect anyone's ballot, "From the outskirts of Chocolate City" endorses Piyush "Bobby" Jindal, Republican from Kenner, for the office of Governor of the state of Louisiana. (Never mind that his polling was at 63% of the statewide vote last week....) Oh yeah, and there's an election today in Louisiana. Go vote. -KIE Update at 12:30 AM CDT: With 53.9% of the statewide primary vote, Piyush "Bobby" Jindal is the governor-elect of the state of Louisiana; no runoff necessary.
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End of an era.... All of the comments in the NOLA.com blog I copied are well-wishing. Except one: one guy made the comment that Jefferson Parish will become the new New Orleans: all the thugs that he kept out for 20 years will be moving in. -KIE
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Not really local, but not life in general either. This morning, from wired.com: And I had wondered why all the reply email addresses from those "nice girl who want to chat" ended in .name or .info. Bad guys win another round. Tracking..... -KIE
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Afford me a moment to rant. Not about politics per se, but about local goings on. Earlier this year, it was announced that Fox would film a new TV series called K-Ville, on location in New Orleans. The series would be a crime dramatization of post-Katrina New Orleans. The pilot episode aired this past Monday night at 9 ET/PT on Fox broadcast stations, and is currently available for free on iTunes. It is rated TV-14. And I made the mistake of watching it. Now, I'm not saying one shouldn't watch it. It's just that, I have some problems with it. I can't help it. I know it's a dramatization, and yet there are things they got wrong. I must address them. In semi-chronological order. I don't know about Bywater and the Upper 9, but for the rest of Louisiana, there's no such thing as a "gumbo party." Gumbo can be enjoyed by all, yes, but it's not like it's scheduled or anything. Besides, it's not gumbo weather until November at the earliest. Even in the Big Easy, no cop is drinking on duty. Warren Riley, NOPD chief will be on their backsides if that ever happened.Rue Bourbon (Bourbon Street) is never empty enough for an automobile to drive down unimpeded, or for two police officers to not have anyone in the background.The ensuing chase took place underneath the Westbank Expressway, on the West Bank of the river. (The two bridges you saw are the GNO and the Crescent City Connection.) It takes about 20 minutes to get from the Vieux Carré (the French Quarter) to the West Bank, not 30 seconds. Then, to get back onto the East Bank and to the CBD where the casino is located....no sir.That duBois mansion is on River Road, and not in New Orleans. It has to be about 40 miles up-river from the city, as there certainly isn't room for a house and lawn that size in the New Orleans metropolitan area. This is not a city of plantation homes, and hasn't been for many years.Fort Polk is outside Leesville, and is a US Army base. However, Leesville is about a 4½ hour drive one-way from New Orleans. One does not come here from Ft. Polk in the evenings. And finally. There is no white conspiracy to force out the black residence! I'm sorry, but as a Caucasian male, I have to take offense to that generalization. Need I remind the reader of the genesis of this blog's name?: the mayor's office, in its wisdom-yet-flawed-execution, has publicly said that such a thing won't happen. No, even after the storm, things are not perfect here. And yes, I even heard with my own ears, some people with the money to try to execute what the plot laid forth. Thing is, it was nothing more than talk, and that talk quit by 2 weeks after the storm. Besides, anything has to go through City Hall, and even the most incompetent/dishonest government worker has his/her limits: to coin a phrase, our mommas taught us better. All that said, I wasn't wholly repugnated like some of my coworkers at the Yenni building. I may switch it on if there's nothing worth watching during Monday Night Football. Of course, that won't be the case this Monday night: the Saints are hosting the Titans the day before my birthday. Oh, I guess I'm due for another birthday. Send cash, please. -KIE
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Between The Dreaming And The Coming True
Kopaka's Ice Engineering posted a blog entry in blogs_blog_100
...lies all the effort that must be put forth. The heat has been absolutely oppressive lately. 88° F (31° C) with a 105° F (40.5° C) heat index at 8 AM this morning. It has been a week since the temperature has dropped below 80° F (26.7° C), and tomorrow's high will be 98° F (36.7° C), with a heat index sure to break the 120° F (49° C) mark. Normally, I'm not one to complain about the heat. I live, by choice, in south Louisiana, and I'm even proud of it. Still, heat indices this high make any outside activity uncomfortable, especially patio work that awaits me tomorrow morning. Amanda & I are still waiting on pins and/or needles for her job interview. I'm probably more worried about it right now than her, but that would undoubtedly change next week, as she actually has something to keep her busy between now & then. Between now & then, I have laundry to cycle through, and I'd hope to get my car washed. Really, anything to get out of this heat. -KIE Song of the moment: "Into the Day", Bebo Norman -
The tropical cyclone season for the Atlantic Ocean runs from 1 June to 30 November. (In other words, the 2007 hurricane season starts today.) Levees in the Lower 9, New Orleans East, and on the Westbank & Algeirs still aren't up to par level. (Thus sayeth the all-wise Mayor Ray Nagin.) Haven't heard anything about east Jeff, which is sad because I, of all people, should have inside knowledge about it. It's hurricane season. God help us all. -KIE
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This entry is not directly about the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, the Brady bill, the National Rifle Association, the events of April 16, 2007 in Blacksburg, VA, or any gun control movement. This entry is, however, directly related to the intent of some people to make money hand-over-fist with no regard to the consequences of their actions. Would've posted this yesterday had I seen it before the server got all ouruboros. From yesterday's Times-Picayune: Something tells me that's the genetics talking when Ms. Farlander comes to her brother's defense there at the end: if you've been shut down already by the feds, you should know better than to put yourself at the risk of being stung, like at the gun show. Got a softball game tonight. Probably going to post tomorrow with the results, and another computer component (with an open, unsolicited endorsement!) early next week. -KIE
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Found out who it was that viewed from Longville. It was one of my mates from college. His DSL IP says he's in Longville, even though the computer is in Moss Bluff (15 minutes south). Anyway, that's not what this entry is about. Today, I got to shake the hand of someone famous. "Who?", you ask? Why, none other than Aaron Broussard, Jefferson Parish president. Politics break: Your social studies teacher may have gone over this in class: Louisiana is one of two states with no counties. (Alaska being the other.) Instead, Louisiana has parishes. While similar in name to a unit of the Diocese of a catholic church, Louisiana's parishes (the 65 civil ones) serve the same function as counties do in the rest of the nation. There are minor differences, like the "borrowed" use of Napoleonic Code, but they're effectively counties. Some parishes are governed solely by a parish council or police jury. A few parishes (Orleans in particular) are co-boundaries with a city (e.g. New Orleans), and just have a mayor and city council to do the work of the parish police jury. There are also some parishes that mix the two: while not just one city, there is still a single executive-branch office elected, called a parish president. That said, Aaron Broussard formally announced his campaign for re-election as parish president of Jefferson Parish. And I was there, clapping. The same Aaron Broussard that evacuated the pump station operators in front of Katrina, which caused neighborhoods to flood and ruined houses. *sigh* The way some people want to crucify him in the public arena, you'd think he personally took a fire hose to each of their homes. That he summoned the hurricane himself. When the election comes, I'm going to vote for Aaron Broussard. I have three reasons why: He's not as responsible for flooding homes as people make him out to be. Put yourself in his shoes: An apocalyptic storm is bearing down on your electorate, and you know full well that the infrastructure you inherited 2 years ago won't withstand the beating that storm will deliver. What is more important? The lives of 80 of the employees you hired or the property of 130,000 of the voters who elected you?He's not just a talking head. Unlike some people on the other side of the parish line, I've seen stuff get done in Jefferson. That may not be a fair comparison, but I'm calling it as I see it.My job may depend on it. When Phil Capitano was not re-elected as mayor of the city of Kenner last year, my office lost a good chunk of work during the change of administration. If we lose our JP contracts, "dire straits" just scratches the surface of my situation. One way to ensure the perpetuation of contracts is to perpetuate the administration that approved those contracts. (And do good work under those contracts, of course. It's not like we'd get paid for just showing up, y'know. That'd be akin to kickbacks.)Am I biased? Probably. But this is the world I live in. And this is the way stuff gets done out here. Like Scott, one of the inspectors, says, "There's a saying at the highway department: 'Sometimes, you just have to build a road.'" (Meaning: excessive altruism accomplishes very little, if anything, in the real world.) -KIE
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Word to the wise: no matter who you are, no matter what you do, no matter who your father, mother, brother, or uncle is, no matter where in society you are, NO ONE likes to hear the words "Do you know who I am?", ESPECIALLY A COP. Read it all: If it really were a serious offense, she should've been ticketed, if you ask me. No one should be above the law. I think I might actually finish this model today. Scary. -KIE
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Blog of the Week XXVII celebrations continue below, and will resume tomorrow, but now we interrupt to bring you this headline, ripped from this morning's Times-Picayune.... :wakeup2: I have to admit: it's never a dull moment when Nagin opens his mouth. Again, while this might do more harm than good, what's Louisiana politics without a good conspiracy theory or five? -KIE, whose bracket would still be intact were it not for Louisville choking on Aggie crunch.
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I'm tucking this away in this category because I was offered tickets to a basketball game tomorrow morning: University of North Texas vs. University of Memphis. Yeah, baby. March Madness will hit the Big Easy tomorrow & Sunday. I'm not going because I'm holed up with all this work. But, that doesn't stop me from filling out a few Sheets of Integrity. ("Sheet of Integrity" is a euphism for a completed prognostication of events of the tournament, the outcome of all 63 games.) It's a 1 in 5+ billion chance of getting all 63 games correct, but hey, I've liked brackets since middle school. It's been difficult to reduce the overt amount of calcium carbonate visible on my sheet, but I'm kinda happy with where it is. If Butler upsets Florida in the Sweet 16, I'm in a very good position. If not, well, my brackets have always been about damage control more than being correct. Whatever. May the best filled bracket win. -KIE