This is incredibly counterproductive. People gathered to watch the US Navy hospital ship dock in New York City. Stay home. Practice social distancing. pic.twitter.com/SOWsdUaOgo — Alexis Benveniste (@apbenven) March 30, 2020 Guys, I’m about done with posts about individuals who aren’t social distancing properly, stories somebody heard from their cousin who said something to someone else about teenagers coughing on them, and just generally shaming people who are far less to blame for the current situation than literally anyone in power. CALL THE COPS screams my neighborhood Facebook group (which was until 2 days ago an absolute respite from its … Continue reading It’s Not On Individuals
I attended Tulane Law School when it was located in Jones Hall. It now has its own building not far away on Freret Street, which I referred to as Ferret Street in my law school days.
The featured image is of Julia Roberts matriculating at Jones Hall in The Pelican Brief. I’m 90% certain that scene was filmed in Room 102 on the main floor of Jones Hall, which is where the action takes place in Chapter 2.
I liked the oddities and charm of the old building but it was jam packed with law student humanity. One could even say it was a Crowded House:
If you missed the first chapter of this tawdry tale, CLICK HERE.
It’s been a whirlwind since Chef’s Brigade NOLA launched and I began soliciting donations. I’d like to thank everyone in the First Draft community who helped this worthy cause. Your generosity does not surprise me, but it still moves me.
As of this writing, they have raised $31,000+ at their GoFundMe site. The work continues as does the need for funds. I will revisit this subject again as it’s close to my heart. Thank you again.
Special thanks to Chef’s Brigade NOLA organizers Troy Gilbert and Robert Peyton for their passion, dedication, and hard work.
Morning, all! Still not up to the 3+ hours it takes to crank out a standard 5 or 6-thread “Obsession” post just yet, but if it had to be just one, let it be this one:
Fox Business Benches Trish Regan After Outcry Over Coronavirus Comments nytimes ^ | 3/13/2020 | Michael M. Grynbaum
The host of “Trish Regan Primetime” told viewers this week that concerns about the coronavirus were “yet another attempt to impeach the president.”
The Fox Business anchor Trish Regan, whose on-air dismissal of the coronavirus as “another attempt to impeach the president” left her cable network facing a firestorm of criticism this week, has been removed from her prime-time slot for the foreseeable future, the network said on Friday.
Ms. Regan’s 8 p.m. program, “Trish Regan Primetime,” is “on hiatus until further notice,” Fox Business said in a statement. The network declined to say if Ms. Regan would continue to appear on its other programs, saying that its coverage plans for the coronavirus crisis remained in flux.
Fox Business attributed the move to “the demands of the evolving pandemic crisis coverage,” saying it was shifting resources toward daytime coverage of the pandemic and global markets. Both “Trish Regan Primetime” and its follow-up at 9, “Kennedy,” will be replaced by general-interest programs.
She was a “It’s just the flu!” cheerleader.(Those sneaky Italians are just pretending to die by the 100s per day to hurt Trump.)
9 posted on 3/14/2020, 7:31:00 PM by Travis McGee (EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
Are you Freepers gonna let him talk about your eye candy like that???
To: Travis McGee
Can you take a minute from your “let’s panic over the Coronavirus” jihad and give me YOUR estimate of deaths in America from the Coronavirus that will occur for the full 2020 calendar year?
19 posted on 3/14/2020, 7:39:15 PM by House Atreides (Boycott the NFL 100% — PERMANENTLY)
Oooh – that’ll show him!
.
Maths are hard!
.
They’re even harder when “solve for Z” is dependent on “Y” being “People even dumber then Rand Paul”.
To: bitt
Funny how the NYT, et al. can lie, lie and lie some more and absolutely nothing happens to them.
21 posted on 3/14/2020, 7:40:26 PM by Chgogal (Never underestimate the stupidity of a DummycRAT voter. Proof: California, New York, Illinois.)
Hey! Maybe they didn’t even shitcan her?
To: bitt
Just yesterday it was read both Trish and Kennedy were to be put on hiatus (due to the crew needing to work on the CV coverage.) The two women will be returning at some time in the future.
101 posted on 3/14/2020, 10:13:29 PM by V K Lee (“VICTORY FOR THE RIGHTEOUS IS JUDGMENT FOR THE WICKED”)
SEE?? THERE’S STILL HOPE FOR THE HORNY!!!
To: bitt
Fox is trying to impeach Trump?
Um – he’s already BEEN impeached – just so ya know.
Should FOX foxes be put on the endangered species list?
If you want happy in your inbox every day subscribe to this. I’ve learned a ton about skincare and online consignment and country music and it got me into Hadestown which is maybe not the HEALTHIEST musical to be obsessed with at the moment but it’s giving us something to listen to in the house that isn’t Disney. A. Continue reading Not Everything Sucks
This is the thing that worries me: Mr. Trump, when he said he was considering a quarantine for the region, offered no details about how his administration would enforce it. Speaking to CNN, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York criticized the idea, calling it “a declaration of war on states.” He also questioned the logistical challenges, as well as the message, that such an order would present. “If you start walling off areas all across the country, it would just be totally bizarre, counterproductive, anti-American, antisocial,” he said. Because: if my state is closed and yours is open, how do … Continue reading Safe Passage
This week’s featured image is one of the most famous American paintings of the 19th Century. I’ve posted it to honor all the medical professionals who are fighting the good fight against COVID-19 but who wear masks and gloves unlike Dr. Gross and his cohort. Thanks, y’all.
I prefer to keep this weekly feature light but it’s hard to do in these tough times. The second act is kind of heavy, but the jokes return in our third act. Laughs are precious right now when fear is abroad in the world and our government in the hands of an evil clown, President* Pennywise. Oy just oy.
At the risk of being a pest, a reminder to support Chef’s Brigade NOLA for all the reasons set forth in this post. Thanks again, y’all.
This week’s theme song was written by Robbie Robertson in 1970 for The Band’s third album Stage Fright. It’s a joyful tune with a somewhat dark lyrical subtext.
We have two versions of Time To Kill for your listening pleasure: the Todd Rundgren produced studio original and a live version from the Summer Jam at Watkins Glen: a 1973 festival starring The Band, The Dead, and the Allman Brothers Band.
The title certainly resonates in our era:, we all have time to kill. One of my mottos as a blogger is: When in doubt, post a Kinks song:
Now that we’ve killed time, let’s jump to the break. It won’t kill you.
Times are weird so I thought I’d do something extra weird for First Draft. In the late 1990’s, I wrote a novel set during my time as a student at Tulane Law. It’s a murder mystery with a title taken from the opening lines of a Neil Finn song:
I spent years trying to sell it. I got some very nice rejection letters and took any editorial suggestions offered including a title change from the more generic Hearsay. Eventually, I let Tongue In The Mail rest on my computer. I haven’t looked at it in many years. In 2020, it qualifies as a historical mystery since it was set, in part, during the Edwards-Duke governor’s race from hell.
I tried not to do too much rewriting. I’m pleased that it still reads well. The style is *close* to my current writing style as Adrastos, but there are fewer puns. One major difference is the use of exclamation points, which I left in because some people speak in them. I guess that makes me a reformed exclamation point sinner. Some of you will have a field day with this. I welcome your scorn.
I’m not sure if I’ll keep the experiment going, so please let me know either here, on social media or via email if I should. I’m trying to entertain the masses, not indulge in an exercise of Trumpian egomania. In fact, I’m nervous as hell about posting this.
The first chapter is set at a wedding. I stole the idea from The Godfather. When in doubt, steal from the best. It’s heavy on exposition, the action revs up in chapter 2.
The characters are composites of people I knew at the time, not ripped from the headlines. The narrator, however, bears more than a passing resemblance to a certain blogger.
The title of my latest 13th Ward Rambler column for the Bayou Brief was inspired by Gabriel Garcia Marquez: Love In The Time Of Coronavirus. I’m particularly fond of the tag line: “The COVID-19 pandemic has Peter Athas thinking about … Continue reading Bayou Brief: Love In The Time Of Coronavirus
Lindsey Graham had a loud harrumph and muttered out loud about how difficult it is to find good help these days before presumably waddling off to get fitted for a monocle, tailcoat, and whatever other snob apparel suits someone worried that a few extra dollars for a few extra months will bring on sloth and other undesirable traits. Fuck him, fuck them, fuck ’em all. Lindsey Graham makes a hundred and seventy four thousand dollars a year plus expenses to work part time. He could easily ride out months if not years of forced unemployment, not that he’ll have to. … Continue reading Oh, For Fuck’s Sake
New Orleans needs your help again. The situation here is dire and getting worse. We have the 6th highest number of COVID-19 cases per capita in the country. It’s hard not to feel helpless in these terrible times but there are people trying to make a difference.
My friend and fellow Bayou Brief writer Troy Gilbert and local food writer Robert Peyton have a great idea about how to help our beleaguered restaurant industry. (Troy is one of the OG NOLA bloggers as well as one of the founders of Rising Tide.) Last week, Troy ran their idea by me, I was immediately impressed and urged them to go for it. Last weekend, Chef’s Brigade NOLA was born.
I’ll let them explain the details to you via two Facebook posts:
There’s a GoFundMe link at the bottom of the second post. Please join me in donating to help our restaurants survive and do what they do best: feed people.
Another day, another punny title. The late Nigerian musician and political activist Fela Kuti had a long and storied recording career. His albums were known for their wildly creative cover art. Here’s a sampler via OkayAfrica.com: Here’s a double dose … Continue reading Album Cover Art Wednesday: Hey Fela
This is great: “I thought, ‘Tyler, you always wanted to feed people. That’s what you wanted to do, so keep doing that,’” he said. “There is good in this world. We will work together to feed people.” So Sailsbery and The Black Sheep staff set up a free breakfast and lunch giveaway for those in need during the coronavirus pandemic. The plan is to give away meals from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and 3:30 until 9 p.m. every Tuesday through Friday “for as long as we can or until the schools reopen,” according to the restaurant’s website. I just keep thinking about … Continue reading People Have This
Still healing up, good people, but of course, I can’t stay away from Freeperville. My curiosity about how the Freeperati were dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic overwhelmed my neurosurgeon’s orders to not sit for more then 30 minutes at a time. After all, The Darnold did tell them it was all a hoax before he told them it was under control, and then before he told them it was very serious. Flubros!(vanity thread open to flubros only) Freerepublic ^ | 18 March 2020 | impimp Posted on 3/19/2020, 10:06:01 PM by impimp Flubros! The definition of a flubro is someone … Continue reading Today on Tommy T’s Obsession with the – WHAT THE ACTUAL FARK???
When this is over, I want a national day of celebration and ticker tape parades down every main street for drs, nurses, hospital staff, grocery store stockers, truckers, teachers, delivery people, and restaurant workers. — Dr. Sarah Parcak (@indyfromspace) March 22, 2020 Last night I was putting Kick through her evening paces — bathing, teeth-brushing, cat-petting, story-reading, delaying, water-getting, more delaying, singing, one-more-hugging — and I heard my neighbors outside yelling Bon Jovi songs into the air. My friends and I text each other constantly: You okay? I’m going out, need anything? Skype, chat, check-ins, bitching about small stuff, who … Continue reading Who the Heroes Have Always Been
I mean, kind of it does. but people have this phenomenal capacity: PARIS (AP) — In the age of confinement, Elisha Nochomovitz figured out a way to run a marathon anyway – back and forth on his balcony. That’s right. He ran 42.2 kilometers (26.2 miles) straight, never leaving his 7-meter-long (23-foot) balcony. He saw it as a physical and mental challenge, but he also shared the images online as a way “to extend my support to the entire medical personnel who are doing an exceptional job,” he told The Associated Press from his apartment in Balma, a suburb of … Continue reading Not Everything Sucks
It’s been a tough week in the Big Uneasy and everywhere else on planet for that matter. The good news is that Governor John Bel Edwards excels in a crisis. He’s a West Point graduate and he’s brought some military calm to the pandemic. Mayor Cantrell bowed to the inevitable and issued a stay home order for residents of Orleans Parish. She’s doing all the right things but remains verbose in doing them. Every time I see her on teevee, my inner speechwriter dies a little.
This week’s theme song was composed by Yes for 1974’s Relayer album. The lyrics are by Jon Anderson. It was inspired by Tolstoy’s War and Peace and has four movements:
The song describe a battle, with a prelude, a charge, a moment of victory, and a peace. “It’s not to explain war or denounce it really,” Anderson said. “It’s an emotional description with the slight feeling at the end of, ‘Do we have to go through this forever?”
We have two versions of The Gates Of Delirium for your listening pleasure. The studio original and a 2001 live version with a dadgum Dutch orchestra:
Now that we’re all a bit delirious, here’s a song from Neko Case, KD Lang, and Laura Veirs:
Since we’re at the gates of a delirious new era, let’s jump to the break and see what’s on the other side.
I added my nickname to the post title as a signal that my satirical mojo appears to be rising. What the world needs now is to live up to Chuckles the Clown’s motto: ” A little song, a little dance, … Continue reading Shecky’s Bleak Week In Review
I’ve had my favorite cousin on my mind since her passing. We spent 3 weeks with her during our Katrina exile. She loved having us, especially our cats Pogo and Oscar. They, of course, took over the joint. Here are … Continue reading Friday Throwback Catblogging: Pogo In Exile
Vote enough incompetent dingbats into office and eventually you’ll get an incompetent dingbat response to a genuine crisis. And so it’s proving to be with DJT, who follows a long line of not-ready-for-prime-time GOP executives…or candidates for executive. Reagan was their darling, but Robert Taft and even Alf Landon did their best to deny reality and insist 19th Century governing styles were…plenty good enough. Nope. Not in the 20th Century and sure as hell not now. The era of big government being over was always bullshit triangulation, and the trope about it being the problem was always a mask for … Continue reading End Of The Line
I can’t remember if I first read The Plague in high school or college.But I recall the profound impact it had it on me. It’s a powerful book that, according to a French speaking friend, is one of the best … Continue reading Pulp Fiction Thursday: The Plague
March 2020 has been the month from hell. It’s as if the Ides of March came and never left. I’ve already admitted how hard it is for this lifelong news junkie to follow the news. The bad news has been … Continue reading My Brave Face
