Last night I wrote a brief post about the idiot at the Chicago Tribune who wrote a stupid op-ed piece for her paper. If you missed it, please click here so I don’t have to recapitulate. The outrage over Ms. McQueary’s ignorant op-ed piece has raged on all day on social media. The hashtag #FireMcQueary has even popped up. I don’t get it: this woman does not have the power or influence to inflict additional damage on people who were harmed by Hurricane Katrina. It’s 2015, not 2005. The recovery is not as strong as she depicted it, but we’re no longer on … Continue reading The McQueary Incident: A Lack Of Perspective & Proportion
When the gaping sore caused by Hurricane Katrina and the Federal Flood was still open, the, by now, infamous article by Kristen McQueary in the Chicago Tribune would have given me severe agita: That’s why I find myself praying for a storm. OK, a figurative storm, something that will prompt a rebirth in Chicago. I can relate, metaphorically, to the residents of New Orleans climbing onto their rooftops and begging for help and waving their arms and lurching toward rescue helicopters. Except here, no one responds to the SOS messages painted boldly in the sky. Instead, they double down on … Continue reading A Stupid Piece By An Ignorant Person
Pedro Martinez & Juan Marichal. Photo by Milo Stewart, Jr/National Baseball Hall Of Fame
You’re probably wondering why I posted the Pedro-Juan picture from yesterday’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony. I decided to throw y’all a curveball and take this feature back to its roots and post one on a non-Saturday. In short, I’m messing with my readers. That’s why I thought I’d post a picture of the best pitcher in San Francisco Giants history with his fellow Dominican Hall of Famer. Of course, both Pedro and Juan had eleventy million pitches that they threw from a variety of angles. The first time I saw Pedro pitch for the dread Dodgers, I called him Juanito. Enough besibol nostagia…
The *other* reason I’m writing an omnibus post of a Monday is that I have a couple of subjects I want to write about in one fell swoop. I really ought to get on with it.
So, I’m not letting this mass shooting in Lafayette go for awhile. Several things stand out to me. First, the killer was a rabid misogynist who went on Talk Radio shows screaming about the Biblical roles of women. It shouldn’t be lost on any one that he chose an Amy Schumer movie which was going to have a larger than normal number of women in attendance and that a solid majority of his victims–including the dead ones—were women.
Since Houser had an anti-semitic streak as wide as David Duke, plus the fact that Ms. Schumer is half-Jewish and related to Senate Democratic Whip Chuck Schumer, that’s apt to be another part of this toxic brew of madness and hatred. Hence the Hunter Thompson inspired sub-header.
It’s easier for a small city police force to slot Houser into the deranged loner category and move on. I hope they don’t and do their best to get to the bottom of this appalling crime. Another reason I’m hoping for some answers is that I have several mutual friends with Jillian Johnson who was one of the two women murdered by Houser. Here’s a clip of her band the Figs performing a spirited version of Psycho Killer:
Cartoonist, political satirist, and curator of Binkley’s closet of horrors, Berkeley Breathed, has announced Bloom County’s return to the funny papers. I have a funny feeling that the billionaire blowhard’s candidacy might have something to do with it. Trump looks as if he’s wearing one of Bill the Cat’s hairballs on his head, after all. This post is an excuse to post one of my favorite Bloom County strips. It requires a set-up. For many years, quite by accident, I lived near the domiciles of religious cults. In San Francisco, I lived on Bush Street a few doors down from … Continue reading Bloomin’ Good News
Did anyone see an indictment of former Speaker Denny Hastert coming? Does anyone even remember who he is? The answer to both questions is no. Coach Speaker only became the figurehead (the real leader was the Bug Man, Tom Delay) of House Republicans because both Newt Gingrich and the Gret Stet’s own Bob Livingston had zipper problems. That was even more inconvenient for House GOPers back then because they were engaged in what Charlie Pierce calls “the pursuit of the President’s penis.” The indictment is vague as to the why but we know the what: Hastert was being blackmailed and paid … Continue reading Coach Hush Money
I’ve been complaining of late how boring New Orleans politics have become. On the other hand, they may have been *too* colorful when I wrote this post in 2006. The City Councilmember in question, Renee Gill-Pratt, was a minion of the Jefferson machine and was convicted of a conspiracy to bilk the school system. She is currently enjoying the hospitality of the federal government and will be doing so for quite some time.
In my early days as a blogger, I nicknamed almost everybody. The one I stuck on her is perhaps the best of the bunch: Renee Gill-Pratfall. I’d like to claim credit for her defeat in the 2006 election but her time was up. So, dial the Wayback Machine to Sunday February 5, 2006:
There are always follies on Fridays; most other days as well. At the risk of sounding like Keith Olbermann, we begin with:
From Debrisville To Durstville: Robert Durst has been making headlines in New Orleans since his arrest. He faces gun and weed charges locally. I’m glad the DA’s office is charging him since the case against him in the murder of Susan Berman is the *opposite* of a slam dunk. Hopefully, it won’t be an air ball.
John Fleming is a Congressman from North Louisiana. He’s another dipshit right wing Doctor. I’m pleased to report that he’s an Ole Miss doc, not an LSU one. He’s said a lot of stupid shit over the years but something came out of his pie hole the other day that took the proverbial cake. And that is why John Fleming is malaka of the week. Louisiana Gopers only make TPM when they say something ludicrous. Here’s how good ole Doc Fleming (I refuse to call him Doctor John for obvious reasons) made news: Rep. John Fleming (R-LA) warned radio listeners Monday that President Obama hopes … Continue reading Malaka Of The Week: John Fleming
The Adrastos archival project continues anon. It’s a real pain in the ass to upload all the files from my blog-city blog so it looks as if there will be a Best of Adrastos site coming to WordPress fairly soon. I’ll be doing it in bits and bobs because it’s an exhaustive, as well as exhausting project. I’ll let y’all know as soon as it’s online.
This is one of the first posts I wrote for my original blog. It tells the story of how we snuck back into town and how tricky it was to do so. That’s one of the lesser known things about everyone’s Katrina exile: how residents were kept out of the city while all sorts of alleged do-gooders were on the loose. It’s a detail that still aggravates both Dr. A and me and you’ll hear about it after the break.
The Chris Rose profile has come under a lot of fire since it was posted and I agree with much of the criticism. He’s mighty blase about not delivering on any of his Kickstarter promises. He raised $57K and people are vexed with him to say the least. The best thing that’s come out of the epic La Vie En Chris Rose discussion is that it inspired me to get my original blog off the hard drive and back online. The Rose article was just the first of a wave of 10 year Katrina/Federal Flood remembrances and I want my deceased … Continue reading The Adrastos Wayback Machine
Remember Chris Rose who was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his personalized reporting on Katrina and the Federal Flood? His decline and fall is the subject of a very fine profile in the Columbia Journalism Review by Michael Patrick Welch. It’s a poignant piece but also illustrates Rose’s self-absorption, which part of the reason for his downfall. He’s a very talented writer whose other main talent is bridge burning. I know that sounds harsh but my encounters with the man were quite unpleasant. I’ll leave it at that. I don’t believe in kicking a man when he’s down even if he is … Continue reading The Talk Of The Town
I’m back to that whole in the Carnival bubble thing, which I actually like. It means that one doesn’t have to spend too much time thinking about the outside world, but there are a few things on my mind and as J Danforth Quayle once said, “a mind is a terrible thing to lose.”
But before I natter on after the break, here’s a musical interlude from Paul Simon:
I was originally going to write a post-mortem of Saturday’s result and call it Requiem for a Blue Dog, but some exchanges with fellow Gret Stet progressives on Facebook led me to change my focus and write this long ass sentence. I really hope none of you lot diagram that sentence or I’ll be up shit creek without a paddle…
Before I get all cosmic and shit, a few words about Senator Mary Landrieu. I’ve openly expressed my frustration with her but I’m a liberal who wants to get shit done and that’s something she’s good at. In the post-Katrina/Federal Flood era she worked tirelessly (a cliche but appropriate in this case) to make sure Louisiana got our fair share of relief money. She spent a lot of time doing battle with the Republican controlled Congress and White House and wasn’t afraid to get in their proverbial faces. She did it well and it’s one reason I will always have a fondness for her despite her pipeline posturing. I have one friend who is threatening to leave Louisiana in the broad daylightbecause she thinks we’re fucked if another big storm hits. She may well be right. While I’m not leaving New Orleans, I don’t share my friend Stephanie Grace’s hope that Double Bill Cassidybot will have the Ed Balls to stand up to anyone:
What will be interesting to see is what happens when the state’s interests clash with Republican priorities. Landrieu undeniably delivered for Louisiana, whether that meant carving out a portion of offshore oil royalties and BP fines or landing hurricane aid. Cassidy says he’ll do the same, and hopefully that’s true. But given the GOP’s attitude toward spending, there may be situations where advocating for the state means bucking his own party.
Louisiana’s soon-to-be senior senator is now the undisputed kingpin of the state GOP, and his microphone-grab at Cassidy headquarters on Election Night drove home that point. Vitter was the architect of Cassidy’s “virtual” campaign against Landrieu. He recruited Cassidy, cleared the field of most other would-be Republican challengers, helped Cassidy raise money and lent one of his top aides to Cassidy as campaign manager. In many ways, Cassidy’s campaign was a trial run for Vitter’s gubernatorial bid next year. It proved (just as Vitter did in his 2010 re-election campaign) that a candidate with lots of money can run for a major statewide office without actually getting out and touching voters in person. That’s good news for a guy who could still be dogged by a sex scandal.
I missed the microphone grab because I was at the top secret Krewe du Vieux Brew Doo, but it shows Vitter’s ability to keep Double Bill in his place. Why shouldn’t he? Cassidy sold his soul to the Louisiana GOP to obtain office to do god only knows what. I have no clue since his campaign boiled down to Landrieu, Obama, 97%, repeat, wash and rinse, and do it againafter the break…
I’ve had a lot of fun riffing about the #nagintrial but now that it’s reached it’s inevitable conclusion, I feel sad. Nagin was one of my primary subjects as a blogger and I always found him to be as entertaining as he was infuriating. I even voted for him in 2002 before he’d established that he was in over his head. Even though he got what was coming to him, I still find it difficult to celebrate anyone being sent to jail. There were also some disgusting tweets after the verdict. Why do people think that prison rape is funny? … Continue reading Guilty
I’ve had a lot of fun riffing about the #nagintrial but now that it’s reached it’s inevitable conclusion, I feel sad. Nagin was one of my primary subjects as a blogger and I always found him to be as entertaining as he was infuriating. I even voted for him in 2002 before he’d established that he was in over his head. Even though he got what was coming to him, I still find it difficult to celebrate anyone being sent to jail. There were also some disgusting tweets after the verdict. Why do people think that prison rape is funny? … Continue reading Guilty
I’ve had a lot of fun riffing about the #nagintrial but now that it’s reached it’s inevitable conclusion, I feel sad. Nagin was one of my primary subjects as a blogger and I always found him to be as entertaining as he was infuriating. I even voted for him in 2002 before he’d established that he was in over his head. Even though he got what was coming to him, I still find it difficult to celebrate anyone being sent to jail. There were also some disgusting tweets after the verdict. Why do people think that prison rape is funny? … Continue reading Guilty
I’ve had a lot of fun riffing about the #nagintrial but now that it’s reached it’s inevitable conclusion, I feel sad. Nagin was one of my primary subjects as a blogger and I always found him to be as entertaining as he was infuriating. I even voted for him in 2002 before he’d established that he was in over his head. Even though he got what was coming to him, I still find it difficult to celebrate anyone being sent to jail. There were also some disgusting tweets after the verdict. Why do people think that prison rape is funny? … Continue reading Guilty
That’s my name for it, they called it the Republican Unity Rally. It was held in support of the Cassidybot Senate campaign and among the speakers were Bitter Vitter, Colonel Mayonnaise, Gov PBJ, and an outside agitator, Senator Aqua Buddha. Here are a few tweets featuring this rogue’s gallery of malakatude: Red Stick Creep Fest: pic.twitter.com/38IuMUjN3q — Shecky (@Adrastosno) November 11, 2014 Sen. Aqua Buddha wearing a table cloth. pic.twitter.com/8mt9UKftpb — Shecky (@Adrastosno) November 11, 2014 @ekeog I think it was a day time rally so Gov Bat Boy was in his coffin. — Shecky (@Adrastosno) November 11, 2014 It’s a … Continue reading Red Stick Creepfest
If you’re like me, you remember one of the silliest and most vapid bits of wingnut anti-Obama tomfoolery from 2009. It was engaged in by people who were not fools named Tom, merely fools, but that’s another story. Enough beating about the bush: it was the right’s obsession with all the so-called “tsars” appointed in various areas by President Obama. I prefer the British spelling to the Americanized czar because it’s closer to the cryillic. I don’t want to offend any dudes named Cyril out there. End of deeply silly linguistic discussion. Most Gopers beat the drums about the so-called tsarist plague, … Continue reading You Say Tsar, I Say Kaiser
Back in my time as a New Orleans neighborhood leader, I helped to organize 3 candidate forums. It was a lot of work but quite rewarding. My former neighbor Linda Walker was a past President of the LWV NOLA chapter so she moderated, once with the help of then Picayune columnist Stephanie Grace. Dr. A was the fascist timekeeper at each event, which is one reason she approves of rigid formats. I’m less of a fan of them myself but what can I say? I’m a wild and crazy guy.
The most interesting forum we were involved in was one for our City Council District in the first post-Katrina/Federal Flood city wide election. It was an interesting group, two of whom have made news since 2006. The combative, mouthy Stacy Head is currently City Council President and the dim Counciltool she ousted, Renee Gill-Pratfall, recently went to prison for her role in a series of elaborate scams perpetrated by the late, unlamented Jefferson machine.
As a result of my past experience as a forum organizer, I’m very interested in the stagecraft of such events. It came in handy with the second debate I’ll be discussing but we begin with the Gret Stet Senate debate, which I live tweeted if you’re bored enough to scroll back on my feed or you can check the hashtag #LaSenateDebate. I am not, however, a hastag activist. I do like hashtag browns with breakfast, had to do something for the pun community…
It’s looking bad for the Walking Id aka former New Orleans Mayor C Ray Nagin. The prosecution’s closing was strong and its rebuttal even stronger. The defense seems to be trying the lay groundwork for an appeal based on the NOLA.com commenting scandalat the US Attorney’s office. It has already led to several convictions being reversed. I spent much of today riffing on the trial again. Here are some highlights or lowlights depending on your perspective. The case is now in the hands of the jury who will commence deliberations at 2:30 after chowing down. Note: Jenkins is C Ray’s … Continue reading Trial by Twitter: Closing Arguments Edition
It’s looking bad for the Walking Id aka former New Orleans Mayor C Ray Nagin. The prosecution’s closing was strong and its rebuttal even stronger. The defense seems to be trying the lay groundwork for an appeal based on the NOLA.com commenting scandalat the US Attorney’s office. It has already led to several convictions being reversed. I spent much of today riffing on the trial again. Here are some highlights or lowlights depending on your perspective. The case is now in the hands of the jury who will commence deliberations at 2:30 after chowing down. Note: Jenkins is C Ray’s … Continue reading Trial by Twitter: Closing Arguments Edition
It’s looking bad for the Walking Id aka former New Orleans Mayor C Ray Nagin. The prosecution’s closing was strong and its rebuttal even stronger. The defense seems to be trying the lay groundwork for an appeal based on the NOLA.com commenting scandalat the US Attorney’s office. It has already led to several convictions being reversed. I spent much of today riffing on the trial again. Here are some highlights or lowlights depending on your perspective. The case is now in the hands of the jury who will commence deliberations at 2:30 after chowing down. Note: Jenkins is C Ray’s … Continue reading Trial by Twitter: Closing Arguments Edition
As you've probably already heard, my former Mayor C Ray Nagin aka the Walking Id aka the Shiny Headed fool was sentenced to 10 years in the slammer. He's required to serve 85% of the sentence, which is long time to be in the pokey. The Tweeter Tube is ablaze with criticism and icky jailhouse rape jokes. I thought he'd get 15 to 18 years but it's hard to argue with Nagin's passive role in the bribery scandal. Also, as I put it on da twittah: On reflection, not surprised by sentence. Berrigan a liberal judge, former ACLU honcho or … Continue reading Instant Analysis: C Ray’s Sentence
Craig is one of the good friends I made in New Orleans after THE THING He and his darling wife Kim made like Horace Greeley and went west young (?) man (?) a few months back. Craig is a renaissance man: chef, writer, reporter, blogger, sailor, chocolate fancier as well as a cantankerous recovering Texan. Kim and he ran the much loved restaurant J’anita’s, which became something of a hang out for Dr. A and me when they were located in NOLA no man’s land. Business was so slow that they weren’t embarrassed to be seen with the likes of … Continue reading Paragraph Of The Day: Craig Giesecke Edition
Craig is one of the good friends I made in New Orleans after THE THING He and his darling wife Kim made like Horace Greeley and went west young (?) man (?) a few months back. Craig is a renaissance man: chef, writer, reporter, blogger, sailor, chocolate fancier as well as a cantankerous recovering Texan. Kim and he ran the much loved restaurant J’anita’s, which became something of a hang out for Dr. A and me when they were located in NOLA no man’s land. Business was so slow that they weren’t embarrassed to be seen with the likes of … Continue reading Paragraph Of The Day: Craig Giesecke Edition
Craig is one of the good friends I made in New Orleans after THE THING He and his darling wife Kim made like Horace Greeley and went west young (?) man (?) a few months back. Craig is a renaissance man: chef, writer, reporter, blogger, sailor, chocolate fancier as well as a cantankerous recovering Texan. Kim and he ran the much loved restaurant J’anita’s, which became something of a hang out for Dr. A and me when they were located in NOLA no man’s land. Business was so slow that they weren’t embarrassed to be seen with the likes of … Continue reading Paragraph Of The Day: Craig Giesecke Edition
Craig is one of the good friends I made in New Orleans after THE THING He and his darling wife Kim made like Horace Greeley and went west young (?) man (?) a few months back. Craig is a renaissance man: chef, writer, reporter, blogger, sailor, chocolate fancier as well as a cantankerous recovering Texan. Kim and he ran the much loved restaurant J’anita’s, which became something of a hang out for Dr. A and me when they were located in NOLA no man’s land. Business was so slow that they weren’t embarrassed to be seen with the likes of … Continue reading Paragraph Of The Day: Craig Giesecke Edition
What do former Virginia Gov. Sponge Bob McDonnell and former New Orleans mayor C Ray (The Walking Id) Nagin have in common? They’re both cheap bastards who have never picked up a check in their lives and feel that they’re entitled to free shit including money, money, money.Don’t give me that do good goody good bullshit. The #nagintrial gets more interesting every day. It has kept me glued to the Twittah. The Feds case is looking more and more like a steamroller and C Ray and his attorney, Robert Jenkins are getting flattened like Wile E Coyote. The latter is … Continue reading NOLA Notes: Shakedown Street
