Well what can you really say about these two? Thursday, Jun 12 2008

Yes the outrage continue to roll right along. As I walked the pups this morning around the quarter, I did my normal Times Pic purchase and settled down with a cup of chickory coffee and a cigarette. Normally, I pour into the sports section first, I am a man ya know. Well somedays I am. Other days Im a ghost but I’m getting off track. I passed on the sports page this morning because of this story.

That’s right, Our Mayor, the dis-honarable C Ray Nagin has been taking his wifey out to lunch on the taxpayer’s dime. On their anniversary. Isn’t that sweet. Happy Anniversary Ray and Mrs. Ray!!!! From me, since I think my tax dollars paid for your appetizer. Or your dessert. One of the two since I am single, I only give a lil of my hard earned money to City Hall.

I’m in charge of my companies credit card. It stays in my pocket unless I need to purchase something for work. Not for my own grumbling stomach. I would be out of a job if I decided to take someone out to lunch that was my wife or significant other. Shouldn’t the same be done for “public servants”. Hahahaha, I’m sorry, this story is so sickening that I can’t control my laughter. My oh my what fools the citizens of New Orleans are. Trust me, I’m including myself in that number.

We run a “liner” on the radio station of Mayor Nagin saying…” You’ve been hoodwinked and bamboozled”. Yes C Ray, we sure have. Every single day you show up to work is another hoodwinked and bamboozled day in NOLA.

I’ve got a ton going on at the radio station, moving studios and stuff and didn’t really pay attention to the rest of the news today. Until WIST Radio’s afternoon host Eric Asher started his show today. The LA State legislators passed a bill two days ago giving themselves a rather HUGE raise. It took them 3 minutes to pass the hat and boost their pay. Yet we can’t get them to do anything else.

I am against a pay raise for legislators. I know the BASE pay is very low. But I also know that they receive 143.00 per day for expenses. And they also receive a 6000$ use as you need it account. Plus free lodging while the legislature is in session. Plus they have control of their own business/careers etc. This is not a full time job frankly and while it may seem like it to them, it’s not. The last state in this country that should be paying it’s legislature 95k a year is Louisiana.

Frankly though, I didn’t think this would be a big deal. You know why? Because I thought Gov Bobby Jindal would have the balls to veto the bill. Well guess what all you Joe and Janes….Gov Jindal has stated that he will not veto this pay raise. The reason is because some legislators “threatened” to not support Gov. Jindal’s agenda, telling him in essence if you veto this bill we will not support any legislation you propose.

Politics as usual in Louisiana. Geezz Bobby, I thought you might stay out of the muck at least through your first year. If I didn’t love my job and city so much I would bail on all of you bloodsuckers. All of you are frauds. While the Louisiana coastline rots away, you pieces of shit vote yourself a raise. People all over south Lousiana are suffering and you lying freaking cockroaches are only worried about your own pocketbook. Hate is a horrible word but right now I hate them all. And I will never vote for any of you thieves again. Not that any of you jokers have gotten a vote from me anyway.

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Checking the headlines Monday, Apr 7 2008

Hello David Vitter, I hear you may take the fifth today. That’s probably not a bad idea. Anytime you get elected on the “family values” platform and end up with your hand in a whore’s panties then it might be best to say nothing. Hopefully, since you have no backbone to resign, that’s the amount of votes you will get in 2010….Nothing.

Ray Nagin is in China. Hopefully, he will run his big fat supid mouth and they will arrest him. Put his lame ass in a Chinese Jail for about, oh two years I think would work for the citizens back on the ground in New Orleans. Could we be that lucky?

The Hoarding house is gone. If you were not paying attention, a local family (or loco) has been living in a house on Magazine St. that should have been demolished years ago. The entire family of three has mental issues. The brother hoards among other things. That basically means that he collects crap and piles it to the roof. Well after much hand wringing and bawling, the city finally tore that sucker down. It was frankly disgusting and should have been ripped down years ago. Now the peeps who think they know all the answers and can save anyone from their problems, are moaning and groaning about the retards house being crumbled. I guarantee you these are the same nut cases screaming about the projects needed to stay as they were. This family has been saved from themselves, everyone should be happy for them.

Speaking of the projects, one of the most beautiful areas in the city right now is where the St. Bernard projects once stood. That’s right, once stood. The reason it’s so beautiful over there now is that there is nothing left of the projects but rubble. Nothing but broken up concrete. I don’t think I’ve seen a better looking lot in many many years.

I’m not a “conservative” other than the fiscal type. Even though I run a talk radio station, I think the gubberment should keep it’s nose out of peeps biz usually. With Charlton Heston dying over the weekend, I think he gets a bullshit rap because of his NRA wackiness. Which I understand but I don’t think it’s fair to only focus on his “from my cold dead hand” comment. I’m 40 now, a little over 6 months I guess. As a kid, Charlton Heston was the freaking bomb!!! If he was in a movie, it had to be seen. I still remember every Easter weekend watching him as Moses. The range of characters just blows my mind with this guy. And yeah, Soylent Green is still people.

Attention, attention. There has been a Ed Blakely sighting!!! The area’s recovery czar is running his mouth again too. Although I’ve generally agreed with everything he has said in the past, it drives me freakin up the wall when he backtracks after some group gets wind of what he’s got the say. Now he’s upset the black folks. Blakely basically said that blacks in power in New Orleans don’t want to listen or are unwilling to listen to their white counterparts. No shit. It’s been that way for 30 years Ed. Now if you’ll just stand by your statements instead of running from them.

I’ve not written much about the presidential election other than the debate issue. To wrap up this short, not too funny post, I’ll just say one thing. I’m pulling for Obama. He’s a great speaker, too liberal for me yes but I feel he’s what all of us as a country need. The reason? Along the same lines as what Ed Blakely said above. Obama will inspire Black America. Hopefully.

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The Dog who saved me Tuesday, Mar 11 2008

I never really cared for so-called lap dogs. Ankle bitters or little mutts. Just not really my thing. I’ve had one cat for over 10 years now, she’s holding up well, I got another “street” cat right before Katrina. I do love dogs, but I’ve always been a big dog kinda guy. I never thought it fair to the dog to live in an apartment and have him/her trapped in a same space. I grew up as a child with dogs and a big yard. Trust me, dogs like big green yards.

 Everything changed after Katrina for all of us really. I was living in a shotgun over off Esplanade, getting ready to purchase my first home when she blew through. So everything changed.

In that first year afterward, life was not like a box of chocolates. Nothing here was sweet. Except Pepper.

Pepper was a Katrina dog. Abandonded and unloved. A friend found him during those desperate early days after evacuation. So he saved Pepper’s life.

Pepper came into my life because said friend health situation got worse and he just couldn’t take care of Pepper anymore. You hear about cancer and it’s effect on people, I paid attention but never really having someone close deal with it, I can now say I really had no clue. Anyway, so friend saves Pepper and in the cycle of life, Pepper saves me.

We all read about the effects pets can have on sick people, on the elderly or the lonely. Im neither sick, elderly or lonely but that damn lil dog sure as hell has saved and is saving my life.

Pepper is that kind of dog. He is 100% Pekingese. Yeah I know, not a real manly dog I guess but I don’t give a shit. If not for this dog, I would have given up. I would have just lost it long ago if I did not have this dog.

I can’t really tell you why I feel this way, but it’s deep in my gut that I know this dog was put in my care to not save him, I mean hell look at him, who wouldn’t take care of this dog? No he came my way to save me.

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Thanks or stopping by!! Wednesday, Aug 29 2007

An open letter to America:Good afternoon my fellow Americans. Everyone here in New Orleans wanted to thank you for paying attention to us yesterday. We really do appreciate this country taking time out to say hello on the 2^nd anniversary of the thing.To all the mass media that took time away from covering the latest Lindsey Lohan or Paris Hilton exploits, thanks for stopping by! It was nice to see you for a change. It’s been what a year or even two for some of you so again, thanks for passing through.

To our wonderful fantastic leaders in Washington D.C., thanks for taking time away from sending taxpayer dollars to either your cronies or to some far away land that needs a windmill. We know how busy you all are, either shooting things in Texas or trying to move a moron from one disaster (see Homeland Security) to another (see Attorney General).

Thanks for giving us that wonderful news President Bush. Even though you made a decision to not speak with anyone who lives here, except for other losers like yourself (meaning politicos), we thank you for noticing that things here are so much better. I know that view from a schoolyard is a really good way to understand what folks here are going through.

Once again, we cannot express how grateful we are for everyone paying attention for a day. It has really made everyone feel safer and just gives us a tingling feeling.

Don’t forget to mark your calendar for August 29^th 2008. We know we probably won’t see you until then but I’m sure we’ll still be here, waiting for your yearly drop-in.

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New Orleans Summertime Friday, May 11 2007

As Rayna pointed out in an earlier post, it’s hot here in New Orleans. Very hot. If you’re from here you know that two things go on in New Orleans during the summer. The heat is oppressive number one. It is stifling. Imagine walking in a huge bowl of Jell-O that’s hot but still in its gelatin state. That’s what it’s been like for the last 5 days.The other things that locals know about summertime in New Orleans is that the shootings always rise in the summer. It’s been that way since my first summer in New Orleans. We get very hot, tempers are very short and we just start shooting each other. Some would say we do that all year long. I can’t disagree with that. We lead the nation in murders so it’s not like all of them occur during the summer, but it has always gotten worse when the heat rolls in around May.

I’ve always tried to figure out why it is that when the heat rises so does the city’s collective anger/frustration/dislike of each other. Blaming the heat is the easy way out but I think it’s a contributing factor. No schools in session could have an effect. Daylight last longer so you would think that would decrease the numbers but it doesn’t.

It doesn’t help any when the Metro Crime Commission releases a report stating what has been obvious to us who live here now. The NOPD is focusing too much on trivial traffic and “misdemeanor” offenses. What that means is the NOPD is more focused on stopping you and I for driving a vehicle without a brake tag. Instead of focusing on the killers killing each other. Or the killers killing innocent business owners. I’ve known and written about the city’s efforts on raising cash. Why focus on stopping murders when there are dollar bill’s driving around the city, waiting to be pulled over and taken to jail. It’s a money making scheme and just validates my belief that the city government sees EVERYONE who is back as a walking/talking/driving dollar bill.

Back to summertime- I like to look back on things a lot. Probably too much. I look back on the summer of 2005 and wonder why none of us saw the destruction coming. This is a crazy city in general but my mind seems to remember that summer being different. The city was on edge before Katrina busted us a new one. Or maybe it was just craziness going on in my life, not really sure. I know in the three weeks before Katrina hit, I was mugged, hit by a Vespia, knocked off my bike by some drunk homeless dude lurching out from behind a dumpster, the hood I was living in got very squirrelly and someone attempted to break into the apartment 3 different times, all within the month of August 2005. We should have seen it coming. Or maybe I should have.

It’s a good idea to check the temperature before heading outside but it’s too bad we can check the peeps of New Orleans temperature before we head out. Probably all be safer if we could.

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Mardi Gras Sponsorship= Failure Sunday, Feb 18 2007

I wrote this week about the city’s efforts to raise money for Mardi Gras by asking locals and visitors alike to donate money via text message. Really no response on my thoughts other than by Chick Ciccarelli who works for MediaBuys LLC, the company that the City of New Orleans has worked with for the last 18 months to find a sponsor or sponsors for Mardi Gras. Here is his response:

“You may really have gone off the deep end. The Paypal Text To Give program is not a scam. It is the “Support” portion of the Mardi Gras Sponsorship and Support program. Our company’s job is to help offset costs of Mardi Gras, whether it be from sponsors or individuals. The program is designed not only to help offset Mardi Gras costs underserved by corporate sponsorship involvement, pay for city infrastructure repairs underserved by slow moving government funding but also to tap into public support due to lack of help from Katrina Relief (501c3) organizations.While you are making fun of helping New Orleans, what you should be doing is donating to the cause. You can do so by visiting http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?tabid=86.”

In my initial post, I did not even mention MediaBuys. I wrote about the effort last Mardi Gras and didn’t feel the need to point out what everyone living here already knows. The attempt to sell sponsorships for Mardi Gras by MediaBuys LLC has been a failure.

At first I thought I would just blow off Chick’s comments. Free country, welcome to post anything he wants to really. But as I was in the shower, preparing for a beautiful parade day, I couldn’t get what Chick wrote out of my head and felt the need to respond.

The radio station (AM 690 WIST) has City Council Vice President Arnie Fielkow on at least once a month to discuss the state of the city. Mr. Fielkow was vice-president of the New Orleans Saints before being fired by Tom Benson for pushing the team to play games in the state of Louisiana last season. He was involved in corporate style fund-raising/sponsorships for many years with the Saints. The last time we had him on, Mr. Fielkow stated matter of fact that MediaBuys LLC has failed in their efforts to sell Mardi Gras. This isn’t to say that MediaBuys did not try hard, nor does it mean they are not a good company. It just means they failed. None of us, individual or company, succeeds 100 % of the time. But after 18 months of having the ability to find sponsors, yet not finding any with a large cash donation, it’s time to go in another direction.

Now I was unaware that the Mardi Gras sponsorships were intended to “pay for city infrastructure repairs underserved by slow moving government funding but also to tap into public support due to lack of help from Katrina Relief (501c3) organizations”. That is a new one from my vantage point. The selling of Mardi Gras sponsorships, the public was told anyway, was to pay for the event itself. Period. No one in city government has EVER said publicly that this was to help pay for other issues.

Blaming Katrina Relief organizations for not stepping up to the plate? You’re kidding hopefully. If not for the efforts of thousands of everyday Joe’s and Jane’s, we would have 100,000 un-gutted homes instead of 12,000. Without Habitat for Humanity shipping houses down here faster than Ray Nagin can shave his bald dome, no one would be back or even have a chance at coming back. Even with all the help from these organizations, we still have firehouses based in trailers, people living in tents, a homeless population out of control and a city that mentally is hanging on by a thread. I guess Chick and the city think they should give up the efforts they are making and just give Ray a big blank check.

Chick thinks I should stop making fun of the text message-begging plan and do my part by donating. Hmmm. Chick I live in Orleans Parish. I pay taxes on everything I buy in Orleans parish. I try not to buy anything outside the parish so I can help in my own little way. Even though it cost more in Orleans Parish and the taxes are higher. I drive through the destruction (yes, there is still destruction) twice a day. Everyday. I see it, breath it, live it 365, 24, 7. I pay the parking tickets that arrive on the car at 10:30 at night, when the meter maids are suppose to have been in bed. I walk through my city’s streets with one eye ahead and one behind to make sure I’m not shot, mugged, beaten and robbed or a combination of all three.

I am Vice-President of the corporation that owns the radio station I oversee on a daily basis. We are investing millions of dollars in rebuilding the radio station in New Orleans. We have not and will not attempt to get grants or SBA loans because we feel that there are other businesses that need those things more than we do. Is that smart? Maybe not. Replacement costs are double what they would have been before Katrina. But we decided to tighten the belt and make it happen. We talk about recovery 9 hours a day, Monday through Friday. Do you have any idea how difficult that is Chick? Do you have any idea how much people depend on us to get them information that can inform, enlighten and entertain them to get through another day?

That my friend is what I’m doing to help MY city recover. Your effort has been commendable. But the bottom line is that MediaBuys attempts to sell Mardi Gras have been a failure. Thank you for the attempt, but it’s time to find a company that can really get it done instead of turning our city in a panhandler.

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Planes and New Orleans Peeps Wednesday, Feb 15 2006

Business flight to North Carolina to check up on some radio stations. Flight from New Orleans to Atlanta, no issues. We’re all in the same boat, why would we get upset with each other? We save that for driving around the city yelling at each other anyway.

But the Atlanta to ________ North Carolina flight is a different story all together.

The plane is packed. Not an empty seat in coach. I don’t mind sitting with the common people, hell I am a common person. The couple next to me seem nice enough, he looks like Ron Howard -Opie and she looks like a older Martha Stewart.They start the chit-chat, not me. I just answer their questions. I’m in radio, it’s a business trip, blah blah blah until:

“Where ya from?”

(Mind) Don’t say New Orleans, don’t say New Orleans
(Mouth) “New Orleans”

The shit hits the fan.
The couple that asked the question recoil in horror.
The woman across the aisle- she’s is not attractive, she looks like Chief Wiggum from the Simpsons-drops a portion of the philly cheese steak sandwich she’s eating on the middle of her rather sizeable lap.
The two older gentlemen in the row in front of me spin around so fast I think that the superhero “The Flash” is flying to ________ North Carolina with me. One looks like Mack Brown of the University of Texas. The other reminds me of Walter Cronkike for some reason.

Opie, Martha, Chief Wiggum, Mack and Walter. Plus ole New Orleans Dan.

Martha: “Why the hell would anyone want to live there?”
(mind)- Cause it’s a free fucking country you backroad hick”
(mouth)- It’s a beautiful enchanting city.
Opie: “I went there once, all them black people, never again”
(mind)- Thanks for the info Grand Wizard of the KKK
(mouth)- I see
Mack: “Why ya’ll keep asking for money?”
(mind)- I wish you had kept some of your cash cause you need some mouthwash- or I need a gas mask
(mouth)- Well rebuilding a city is not cheap.
Walter: “I sure am glad that they ain’t gonna rebuild that place”
(mind)- What the fuck you say mother fucker?
(mouth)- Your incorrect there sir
Wiggum: “All I got to say is I wish you people would leave Atlanta”
(mind)- Ummmm I’m a white guy
(mouth)- Who are “you people?”
Opie: “All ya’ll from New Orleans. Everyone in Atlanta is tired of supporting ya’ll. Ya’ll need to go home”
(mind)- You know, my hands would fit around your neck perfectly
(mouth)- Sadly there are not really any homes left
Martha: “Are you living in a tent?” then giggles
(mind)- You savage bitch. I want to drag you to the bathroom and stuff you and your tired withered vagina down the toilet.
(mouth)- no ma’am, I’m not but I know many people who are right now
Wiggum: “I don’t want no more of my tax dollars being spent on you people”
(mind)- good idea, that sandwich and the other TWO in the bag must have cost you alot
(mouth)- Trust me ma’am, we don’t want anymore of your money
Wiggum: “What you mean by that?”
(mind)- Your money should be spent on a expedition to find your first chin
(mouth)- We just want the levee’s rebuilt
Mack: “The what rebuilt?”
Walter: “They already rebuilt your levees”
Opie: “Ya’ll got 80 billion, ain’t that enough”
Mack: “Oh those- Bush said ya’ll got the money for those”
(mind)- I will kill all of you in 10 seconds flat.
(mouth)- It’s actually 85 million and that’s not for levee’s. That’s for other stuff. It’s a kinda big area and theres alot to do
Wiggum: “Why should we give ya’ll money for that? We don’t need no levee’s in Atlanta.”
(mind)- Where were you when we really needed you? Your butt coulda stopped the levee breach by itself.
(mouth)- Well you need interstates in Atlanta right?
Opie, Martha, Chief Wiggum, Mack and Walter all lean forward waiting for the wisdom. “Yeah” is the group answer.
(mouth)- Well the federal government built our levees and they failed. The Federal government also builds interstates. Now if that loop that goes around Atlanta collapsed some day with a bunch of cars on it, you would want it rebuilt right?

Opie, Martha, Chief Wiggum, Mack and Walter all look at each other and then back at me.

Wiggum: “That don’t make no sense”
Opie: “I don’t get it”
Martha: “Huh?”
Mack: “I’m not from Atlanta”
Walter: “Damn right they better rebuild it”
(mouth)-Well the levee’s breaking are what caused all the problems. So we feel the same way as you would, that the people who built it wrong should fix it.
Mack: “Your full of it- that black mayor of yours is what caused the problems. He shoulda used them buses.”
(mind)- If I wouldn’t go to jail I would pull your lungs out of your body RIGHT FREAKIN NOW!!!
(mouth)- He wishes he had used them too, I promise.
Wiggum: “This country don’t need no New Orleans anyway”
(mind)- stay seated stay seated stay seated
(mouth)- The New Orleans area gives alot to this country ma’am- you might want to check your facts
Opie: “That wasn’t nice”
Martha: “That was rude”
Wiggum: “whad you say to me Mister?”
J.N., the flight attendent appears: “Mr. Frazier, we will be able to accommodate your move to first class”
(mind)- ummmm request? What? First class who?
(mouth)- Thank you so much.

I’m gone. J.N. tells me she heard the whole converstation.

J.N.: “Honey, I’m from New Orleans. You need some first class pampering after that discussion”
(mind)- Thank God for Angels
(mouth)- Thank God, your a Angel.

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