thereductbox.com LA Blog Wire

messin' with sasq, watch

oyster — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:59:00 +0000

Is it wrong if this turns me on?

Yes but only slightly.

(Determining the exact amount of "wrongness" will require multiple viewings, so check back for a precise moral diagnosis at a later time.)

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Brian Denzer contends "What gets measured gets done"

oyster — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:22:00 +0000

A teaser quote from Denzer's excellent op-ed in the Times Picayune:

Right now, what separates New Orleans from Baltimore is 1,000 miles-- and 10 years of government reform.

That, and few other things. Like their preference for the "Hon" colloquialism, for instance.

Seriously, go read Brian Denzer's piece, and check out Nolastat.org and CitizenCrimeWatch.org.

Drone Jett and the Black Ops

oyster — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 12:40:00 +0000

Is "Drone Jett and the Black Ops" the best name you've heard for a punk rawk band, or what? Anyone who wants to use this name for their own upstart punk band (a female lead voice works best), please feel free.

A little snippet of local punk history inspired me to create the band name. A few months ago, Antigravity magazine interviewed visual artist Skylar Fein. Fein had an exhibit at NOMA[!] titled "Youth Manifesto". One of the pieces in the collection referenced a local punk band from twenty years ago named "Harry Lee and the Black Problem".

[AG] Tell me more about that Harry Lee and the Black Problem piece.

[SF] Harry Lee served for decades in Jefferson Parish and in that time he managed to make dozens of incendiary comments about people of color. A New Orleans punk band took that name as a way of memorializing his [alleged] racism and of protesting it. What I’ve done is, I’ve made a giant eight-track tape that looks like one of their tapes. I don’t know that they ever had an eight-track tape; in fact, they undoubtedly did not. But I just thought it would look cool if this really radical, controversial punk band had what looked like an eight-track tape. Some of the song titles are their actual songs and some I made up. And I’ll leave it to viewers to figure out which is which. It was only since coming here and reading about New Orleans history—and New Orleans music history—that I found out about them. I think it’s great to find role models like that in your past and to realize that people have been fighting for what’s right for a long time. It was probably really scary for them to do that. Harry Lee is still such a beloved figure. He’s dead, but he’s beloved—by white people, I might add. And I want to keep the memory alive of both of him, the work Harry Lee did and the things he said, and the music that was made about him. It’s all part of our history.

Skylar Fein's wistful adulation of this punk band (in his view they fought for "what's right"), is kind of charming. But I do think he's right about it being "really scary" for some of the controversial punk rock bands back in the day. They were largely flying under the radar in the 80's and early 90's, but I do think many acts did some pretty brave things that would be unthinkable in the current decade.

For example, the Fearless Iranians from Hell were a punk/hardcore act from San Antonio who dressed as terrorists in ski masks, while the Iranian born lead singer (Amir Mamori) shouted lyrics penned from the perspective of a hash-smoking Iranian terrorist. This was a joke, of course, but it was such an edgy, uncomfortable joke that it went over some people's heads. Others didn't find it funny in the slightest. At least one member from the Fearless Iranians went on to the Butthole Surfers.

As my punk historian friend Mark Owens said, “At this late date it’s probably a little difficult to untangle the odd mixture of humor, progressive politics, and wise-ass nihilism that was the stock in trade of thrash bands of this period...”

Indeed. Honestly "at this late date" I don't think the equivalent of a "Fearless Iranians from Hell" could perform without everyone getting bent out of shape and throwing a major sh-tfit. Such an act would be destined for a segment on Beck or Hannity, and the group's lyrics would be read on air, with no context, in order to panic patriotic Teabag-Americans who believe the jihadic takeover is already in progress. An Iranian-born singer surrounded by menacing men in ski masks, singing "Die for Allah"... are you kidding me?

There would be death threats, protests... I truly think it would blow up into a national issue.

Link to FIFH flyer

tropical storm in november?

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:35:12 +0000

What’s with the weather? It’s cool and fabulous outside, but I go to nola.com and what to my wondering eyes should appear? A tropical storm in November. The tentative forecast has it coming to our neck of the woods. Are we about to experience a test of our levee protection system?

Couhig: the duke of dithering

oyster — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 04:58:00 +0000

How does Rob Couhig get away with attending forums for mayoral candidates when he won't yet declare whether he's actually going to run?

Recall that in '06 Couhig blasted Mitch Landrieu for taking too long to decide whether to run for mayor. He criticized him on the radio, in commercials, and on blogs for not being decisive enough. Couhig called Landrieu the "Prince of Vacillation"-- a person who freezes at the moment when "bold leadership is required". This claim was the centerpiece of Couhig's attacks on Landrieu.

Fast forward to September 2009. Couhig boldly announced that he would announce something "soon" about his mayoral intentions. This excited the Couhig Conservatives, who are (it cannot be repeated too often) very, very smart voters. However: curiously-- inconceivably-- weeks and months have passed without Couhig announcing a decision about his candidacy. At the very moment bold leadership is required, Couhig... has dithered. He isn't ready to formally commit. He has said that he wants to make sure that if he runs he will win (I could save him some time and money on that analysis). And, in a truly bizarre statement, he claimed he needed to make sure he could win because "the city's psyche is fragile".

Yeah, he said that. Couhig's mulling things over because, if he ran and lost, it might shatter the city into human fragments. Our collective psyche might never recover. Things would boil over and there'd be race riots or teabagger riots or more cat tossing or something equally apocalyptic. Suffice it to say, Couhig is dithering because he cares about our minds.

What bothers me is that Couhig gets a platform at a mayoral forum without officially announcing that he intends to be mayor. How does he get away with that? What if he surprises everyone and decides not to run (read: Georges pays him off)? Then what? Isn't it unfair that he gets to enjoy a public platform with no risk as an official candidate? If he attends forums and decides not to run, didn't he diminish the public's opportunity to evaluate the announced candidates who are serious about becoming the next mayor? And if Couhig is definitely running, then why is he taking so long to announce?-- especially after he promised to announce something "soon", and especially after he lambasted Landrieu's "vacillation" during the last election?

How is Couhig allowed to get away with this? When will the media ask him why Landrieu is the "Prince of Vacillation" but he's not "The Duke of Dithering"?

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At the Gambit blog, Kevin Allman has this most satisfying observation to report about the debate:

About the third time Couhig bashed Mayor Ray Nagin, the audience was getting restive; it was obvious somebody wanted to stand up and yell “Then why’d you endorse him last time, Rob?”

Excellent.

Yes Sir!

oyster — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:42:00 +0000

Chef Who Dat was there to capture a magic moment in the Dome.

Bless Dem Boys... and the Saints, too.

In-effing-deed

oyster — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:57:00 +0000

In an important post that you should read more than once, Jeffrey writes:

something must explain why a supposedly free people allow themselves to be ruled and misused this way; why we arrive at a government that can't deliver water to stranded citizens but can build a mini-GITMO in less than five days.

on a benge

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:20:33 +0000

Greg Meffert, the mayor’s former right-hand man, has been indicted, along with his wife, Linda, and his crony, Mark St. Pierre. If Meffert is guilty, does this mean he did all this without Mayor Nagin knowing about it? I doubt it. Meffert: flip on Nagin and do it quickly!

This seems to be part of the cycle in recent administrations. Serve two terms, feather your nest, and fight off the feds.

Also, today the Louisiana Supreme Court removed Jefferson parish judge Joan Benge from the bench. Benge was caught awarding damages in a case based on something other than the evidence.

Warped Logic

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:58:50 +0000

Oyster takes Professor Jeff Sadow to school.

"The game is up, brah."

oyster — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:41:00 +0000

Surprised Muppets

Greg Meffert may be surprised, but he shouldn't be. The Times-Pick-On-You reports:

A federal grand jury this morning indicted former city technology chief Greg Meffert, his wife, Linda Meffert, and his former friend and business associate Mark St. Pierre on 63 federal corruption charges in a lucrative bribery scheme related to the awarding of major technology contracts.

Federal prosecutors charge that Meffert, at one time one of Mayor Ray Nagin's most trusted advisers, was steering millions of dollars in taxpayer-financed contracts to St. Pierre's companies in exchange for $860,000 in kickbacks, including cash, credit card charges, grass-cutting and even payment of membership dues to two Carnival krewes.
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If not unexpected, the indictments still represent a bombshell of sorts. While Nagin's seven years in office have not been free of scandal, the grand jury's action marks the first time that corruption charges have been filed against a high-level member of his administration.

For four years, Meffert was among Nagin's most trusted and powerful aides, a man who eventually oversaw much of city government and called himself "deputy mayor." Not only were the two men neighbors, they also vacationed together at times -- on St. Pierre' s dime, according to records unveiled in the recent civil trial.

Watcha gonna do now, Meff? I'm sure the Feds would be interested if you can escalate things up the political food chain. Do you got any angles left to play, Meff, or are you and the missus going to risk a long stay at club fed?

Speaking of Nagin, the American Zombie (who has owned this story from before day one) recently heard that

within the last 2 weeks Nagin has been quietly shuffled in and out of federal court no less than 3 times. He has apparently been slithering down to the other end of Poydras street for what? I don't know...but I think we can all guess.

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