Dr. John in Concert (again)

I posted this as another New Orleans story in the national media. And who doesn't like a little Dr. John? But this is indeed some excellent stuff. I had relegated the Doctor as the old historian of New Orleans music, searching for Stagger Lee on Basin Street. But this is familiar (it couldn't be anybody but the Doctor) but fresh, revelant and even a little political. And Dr. John doesn't mince words. He's pissed about Katrina, Iraq and a few other things. I'll be listening to this one again (and again).

Dr. John in Concert

Dr. John in Concert on NPR.

Condoleezza Rice meets rock band Kiss

In Stockholm, Sweden, no less: Condoleezza Rice meets rock band Kiss

Giant Chinese Dam May Cause Earth to Move

I recall many years ago reading that filling and draining of laks could trigger earthquakes. This got me wondering if the new Three Gorges dam in China could be a factor in the massive earthquake in Sichuan. I ran across this small article from 1999: Giant Chinese Dam May Cause Earth to Move

Into the Louisiana Bayou

Another New York Times travel piece on south Louisiana. This one is on Cajun Country. A good read, with a bunch of Yankees going redfish fishing with some locals: Into the Louisiana Bayou

Driving Back Into Louisiana’s History

Another New York Times article on south Louisiana. This time Mitch Landrieu is featured in a tour of plantations and sites on the African-American Heritage Trail: Driving Back Into Louisiana’s History

Fluoride!

I happened across the warning message on my toothpaste this morning. It was more startling then I remember. In fact, I don't remember any warnings on toothpaste. A bit disturbing because I spent some period in my youth swallowing my toothpaste instead of spitting it out. This was because I saw the astronauts on TV doing it this way, and well, like all boys my age, I wanted to be like the astronauts. I survived this, but got to looking into fluoride. It seems the whole practice if fluoridation of water is still highly questionable and is done almost no place but the US. I'll let you do your own research. Perhaps it was a communist plot after all.

To complicate matters further, some freedom fighters (?) stopped putting the fluoride in the New Orleans water supply: Fluoride missing from New Orleans tap water

Gumbo Tales

Been reading Sara Roahen's Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table. Making me homesick and hungry, too.

K-ville Cancelled

Saw where Fox has cancelled the post-Katrina New Orleans cop show K-Ville. I was just starting to enjoy its vaugely 70s cop / buddy thing. I just found some good videos on the Fox site. Dr. John doing the theme music and a discussion on hot sauce and gumbo.

A Plague of Ants in Houston

The good news: this might just get rid of fire ants. A Plague of Ants in Houston

Whiz Biz

Not NOLA related, but I thought y'all would be interested in this interesting new product.

Corps Competence

Two (somewhat) related stories:

Judge: Corps of Engineers can be sued over Katrina flooding and

Corps explains newspaper's use in floodwall

Baton Rouge area gets Democratic congressman

Whether it's the changing times or the shifting demographics, changes seem o be afoot in Louisiana politics: Baton Rouge area gets Democratic congressman

You gotta fight (Part II)

Got distracted on that last posting, but here is the story in Salon on the crakdown on Second Liners:
Band on the run in New Orleans
Police have cracked down on funeral processions, a time-honored cultural tradition in the historic black neighborhood of Treme. But musicians vow to play on.

You gotta fight for your right to Second Line

I was looking for some info on the Second Line parade permit flap (a controversy so parochial it is difficult to even explain to people outside of New Orleans). And I ran across this film Tribeca Film Festival 2008: Documentary Covers New Orleans's Civil Rights Legacy from the New York Tribeca Film Festival. The actual film web site is at: Faubourg Tremé: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans. Looks like Wynton Marsalis is the producer. The history of race relations in New Orleans is a fascinating story but tends to get lumped in with the rest of the national MLK saga. But the situation in New Orleans was very different, partially because of the 'creole' and mixed-race citizens who did not fit into the black / white categories of Jim Crow.