Mardi Gras Indians in Bastrop, TX

I'll be driving over to beautiful downtown Bastrop, TX today to see the New Orleans New Year's parade featuring Mardi Gras Indians including Big Chief Darrel Montana as well as the Treme' Brass Band. It should be a scene.

Added to the Tally of Hurricane Devastation, a Leader’s Parish Post

I finished watching part four of Spike Lee's documentary "When the Leevees Broke" last night. Well done, but not really anything anyone who has been keeping up hasn't known for a long time. But I hope it helps show the rest of the country what has been happening (or not happening) in New Orleans and on the Gulf Coast for the last 2+ years.

I also ran across a New York Times article about the defeat of Junior Rodriguez in St. Bernard parish (he was prominently featured in the Spike Lee documentary): Added to the Tally of Hurricane Devastation, a Leader’s Parish Post

With Regrets, New Orleans Is Left Behind

It is good to see major newspapers like the New York Times continuing to document the ongoing situation in New Orleans. But it is very sad to see the people being dealt such harsh treatment, first by nature, then by their governments: With Regrets, New Orleans Is Left Behind

Demolition of public housing in N.O. draws protest

It seems the theory is that if you don't give poor people any place to live, they will go someplace else. Perhaps, but I'm skeptical.

Demolition of public housing in N.O. draws protest

Times Picayune Cookbook from 1922

Google has been scanning in old books lately, and one of them is the 1922 Sixth Edition of the Picayune Creole Cookbook from Times Picayune publishing in New Orleans (!)

New Orleans evokes vast void in 'Godot'

From the International Herald Tribune: New Orleans evokes vast void in 'Godot'

Brad Pitt Commissions Designs for New Orleans

Two related articles in the NYT:

Brad Pitt Commissions Designs for New Orleans

and this Merry Christmas Eviction Notice from FEMA:

New Orleans Hurt by Acute Rental Shortage

Southern Tailor

This weekend I had dinner at John Besh's August restaurant. It did live up to its reputation. I was told by my family before going that it was in the old Southern Tailor building at 301 Tchoupitoulas Street. This is where my grandfather worked for over 40 years making suits for the people of New Orleans and beyond. I was surprised that neither of my servers at the restaurant knew this bit of history. I suspected that my family had the address wrong, but I double checked and it was indeed correct. A quick internet search turned up no mention of this fine old New Orleans institution. Southern Tailor closed sometime in the 1970s, but it seems to have no mention anywhere on line. So here it is. Southern Tailor. 301 Tchoupitoulas Street. Now the site of August restaurant. The place that kept the men of New Orleans looking sharp for many decades.

New Orleans visit

I spent the weekend in New Orleans at a reunion for my old fraternity, Phi Kappa. Some alumni are trying to help rebuild the 100+ year old institution. It seems damage from The Storm even extended to these sorts of institutions, especially on the Mississippi gulf coast.

The good news is the city seems to have returned to normal, at least psychically. There was very little talk of The Storm or the associated hassles of rebuilding. Of course, I was in the French Quarter the entire time and it was a big football weekend, with LSU and the Saints playing games critical to their seasons. LSU won on Saturday and earned a spot in the national championship. The Saints blew it badly in the 4th quarter on Sunday. Indeed, things seem to have returned to 'normal' on the football front, at least.