I’m not fully recovered but I’m tired of giving health updates in this space and elsewhere. Progress is incremental at this stage. My physical stamina isn’t there yet, but my little grey cells are firing quite well. Absent a major reversal, I’ll be skipping the health updates until after my next doctor’s appointment in early June.

Repeat after me: Never get sick on Mardi Gras Day.

We experienced a new, for us, weather phenomenon in the wee hours of Friday morning. It’s called a bookend vortex,  it was much scarier than some of the tropical storms we’ve ridden out in the past. We’re fine. It was much worse for our friends in Houston.

Before the storm, there was good news from the New Orleans City Council: The noxious krewe of Nyx had its parade permit pulled. My last post on this subject played a small role in nixing Nyx, so why not brag about it? It beats the hell outta not sleeping because the neighbors’ generators were too damn loud after the power went out. Yawn.

About the featured image: Salvador Dali was a dick but one of his redeeming characteristics was a love of cats. The featured image is a collaboration between Dali and photographer Philippe Halsman. If you’re curious about the flying cat photo, click here. Don’t try this at home.

This week’s theme song was written by Dave Davies for The Kinks 1984 album Word Of Mouth. I picked it because I just re-watched The Sopranos episode in which it was used to brilliant effect, University. Why the umpteenth viewing? I am slowly but surely working on a Sopranos Dozen. Stay tuned.

We have the official audio version of Living On A Thin Line followed by a sample of how it was used by David Chase and company:

The sibling rivalry between Dave and Ray Davies is the stuff of legend. I don’t want Ray going ape over my using his kid brother’s tune as this week’s theme song, so here’s one of Ray’s tunes.

We begin our second act with a story about one of the scariest people to ever prowl the streets of New Orleans. I’m not talking haunted house scary; I’m talking homicidal scary.

The Most Infamous Cop In New Orleans History: I sometimes wonder if Len Davis really existed. He’s like a character out of the most nightmarish crime fiction imaginable. If you think Ed McBain’s cop novels are hardboiled, they have nothing on Len Davis.

Davis was a cop, but he was also one of the most ruthless drug dealers in New Orleans. Crack drove everyone crazy including the dealers. Davis was protected by his badge until he went too far and ordered the murder of a solid citizen Kim Groves in 1994. He went down for this murder but left a trail of wreckage.

Brian Fairbanks has the details at The Atavist.

All I have to add is this street crime song by NOLA’s own, The Iguanas:

That song was featured in an episode of Homicide: Life On The Streets. I’ve heard rumors that it will stream soon but nothing solid. It’s high time for us to see the late Andre Braugher work his magic in the interrogation box again.

Unlikely Friends: We’ve all been focused on Michael Cohen’s testimony in the Trump porn star hush money election interference trial. An often asked question last week: Has Michael Cohen changed? Trump nemesis Rosie O’Donnell not only believes he has, she’s befriended the former Fixer. She describes Cohen as “every boy she went to high school with” in Nassau County.

Jacob Bernstein has the details at the NYT.

A Man & His Cat: My countryman Tom Nichols is among the best writers at The Atlantic. He writes one of the magazine’s newsletters.

Tom’s beloved cat Carla died recently. She was a remarkable kitty who saved Tom’s life, both literally and figuratively. His tribute to Carla T. Nichols is one of the best things he’s written.

Get thee to The Atlantic.

The last word of our second act goes to The Brian Setzer Orchestra:

We begin our third act with our favorite stolen feature.

Separated At Birth Twitter Edition: I’ve written about South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem twice recently: here and here. I didn’t expect to write about her again until I saw this on the platform formerly known as Twitter

Separated at birth?

Kristi Noem & Hope Hicks pic.twitter.com/TPh5SQvULu

— Karen Schwarz (@EssaymomLa) May 13, 2024

As a guy I find Hope Hicks more attractive, but the Trumpiness is a turn off in both cases. I wonder if Hope is related to Dan Hicks:

Speaking of pianos, it’s that time again.

Your Weekly Oscar: Here’s OP in 1974 with a song by Duke Ellington and Lee Gaines:

Oscar’s pal Ella Fitzgerald also recorded Just Squeeze Me:

Have I told you lately how much I love Oscar Peterson? That goes for Ella too.

Best Of SNL: We return to our feline theme with this sketch from 1990.

Saturday GIF Horse: One of my favorite characters on Star Trek: Discovery is Grudge the cat. Here she is with her human, Book followed by a GIF with a blue dude.

I keep hoping that Grudge will break out in song and sing this at Book:

Have I told you lately how much I love Rodgers & Hart? That goes for Anita and Billy as well.

Let’s close down this virtual honky tonk with some more music.

Saturday Closer: Ready for a feline theme finale? You have no choice. Here’s Cat Power:

That’s all for this week. The last word goes to the great Michelle Pfeiffer: