shenanigans

State Rep Michael Jackson is probably best known these days for running as an independent in the 6th Congressional District and throwing off the voter distribution. It has long been suspected that shenanigans have been afoot within that race. Recently, the Daily Kingfish reports on a meeting between Jackson and his opponent Bill Cassidy. Vedy, vedy interesting.

As if Jackson wasn't sleazy enough, I had written previously about his affiliation both professionally and personally with Louisiana Citizens. At the time, the Jackson Bell law firm had lost many of the cases in which they represented Citizens to a firm in Lafeyette. Within the last month or two, many more cases were recently ganked from the Jackson Bell firm and handed to a local firm here in New Orleans. Word on the street has it that Jackson's partner Murphy Bell pitched a fit and played the race card, resulting in the cases being returned to the Jackson Bell firm.

To this day the Jackson Bell firm continues to do mid-grade work on these cases and remain unresponsive to other interested parties. It's sort of a mystery what happens over there (they don't even have a website, gasp!). There is no reason that they should still be hanging on to so many of these cases when other firms are clearing them left and right. Well, except for billing purposes. Oh. Wait.

Courtesy of DownWithTyranny!

Remembrance

Last Saturday a man was shot in the 2800 block of Chippewa. It was about 8:20 PM. 12 shots were fired off. As the man lay there dead, his pit bull wouldn't leave his side.

Tonight his friends have pulled together to have a vigil at the corner of Sixth and Chippewa. From NOLADIY.ORG:

Brian Turd Vigil
Saturday, November 22. Pete's at 6th Street & Chippewa. 7:30PM. FREE.
There is going to be a candlelight vigil for Brian this Saturday starting at 7:30 pm on the corner of 6th and Chippewa. This is the corner where he got shot. Bring lots of candles and anything else you can think of -- signs, flowers, etc. We are trying to get the message across to whatever (i can't even think of a word bad enough to put here) killed him that people do care about Brian, and we're going to make a big deal out of it. He's not some random guy nobody gives a shit about. We will demand attention for his death from the neighborhood, from the police, and from the media. Who did this to him probably lives RIGHT THERE!. We want them to see us and be nervous and we want their friends to see us and be nervous and turn these murderers in to the police so they can FRY!

I am really sorry for the loss of your friend, honestly. Losing a loved one hurts. However, this doesn't sound like a vigil to me. Rather than engaging in a peaceful remembrance, this group of people wants to come into this neighborhood and try to make people nervous. This ignorance and arrogance enrages me. You think a murder in our neighborhood doesn't impact ALL people that live there? The neighborhood isn't just thugs. There are families, retirees, lawyers, fast food workers, elderly, public servants, and many more people, from all walks of life and broad racial make up. Why do you want to come into a neighborhood that you know nothing about and make everyone nervous? Knowing fully well that your friend was murdered in that area! What are you really accomplishing here by further alienating the people that live in the neighborhood and have stuck it out throughout thick and thin?

Words on various myspaces utter "hugs not thugs" and murmurs of teaching us to take our neighborhood back.

I respect your wanting to honor your friend and seek justice. PLEASE respect the people that live here, though. The words you are using are abrasive and the neighbors are already dreading your presence. Further, please get your facts straight. Your friend was not shot on the corner of Sixth and Chippewa. There is a business on the corner of Sixth and Chippewa that has nothing to do with the events that went down. Rather, the murder took place three houses down towards Washington on Chippewa.

More on this...
Myspace: Brian Turd
WGNO: Friend's Mourn Dog Walker's Death
Humid City: Brian Turd - Vigil and Benefit
Myspace: les turdz - Brian Turd. RIP
Humid City: Getting to the end game
Photobucket: Brian Turd Vigil and Benefit Poster

Tulane, dazzling you with gloss and misdirection!

The hard working folks over at newcomblives.com continue to dismiss the propoganda by big, bad Tulane. This is just an excerpt.

By now you have undoubtedly received Tulane University’s very expensive four-color glossy “brochure” outlining its position on the lawsuit to restore Newcomb College.

While The Future of Newcomb College, Inc. cannot afford to produce a similar brochure – nor would we find it ethical to spend our limited resources (for which we owe you our thanks) on a slick propaganda publication such as that – our board believes Newcomb College alumnae and supporters need to understand that Tulane’s clever “wordsmithing” has distorted the truth about Mrs. Newcomb’s intent, the state of Newcomb College prior to the university’s decision to dissolve it, and the status of the new lawsuit to restore Newcomb College. (The new action, Montgomery v. Tulane, has been filed by Mrs. Susan Henderson Montgomery, a great, great grand niece of Mrs. Newcomb, who fits the Louisiana Supreme Court’s definition of “successor” and who is dedicated to ensuring that Tulane honors the intent of Newcomb’s founding benefactor.)

Below are the facts:

Tulane’s Version of the Truth: Mrs. Newcomb did not impose any conditions upon Tulane as to how it should further the higher education of women.

The Truth: Mrs. Newcomb’s bequest was subject to both a condition and a charge, or an expectation of performance. When she made her bequest, Mrs. Newcomb made it clear that her intent was for Tulane to use her donations “in establishing the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College [not Institute] … for the higher education of … girls and young women” and “for the present and future development” of Newcomb College.

What Tulane Says: The Newcomb endowment was created by Tulane.

The Truth: Tulane did not donate the Newcomb endowment. Instead, in 1923, the university took money that Mrs. Newcomb had restricted in her will and used it as the basis for the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial Fund, designated as funds “functioning as endowment.” Between 1974 and 1979, Tulane University continued to take and use the funds intended to maintain and support Newcomb College because the university had “financial needs.” By 1996, Tulane returned more than $15 million in Newcomb-designated money that it had taken in the 1970s. (See “Endowing Newcomb Forever” on on the upper right corner of this page.) This was money repaid, not money donated as endowment.

What Tulane Says: Today, the Newcomb endowment funds provide the programs of the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College Institute.

The Truth: That is true and it is beside the point. The H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College Institute is not a college. It is an umbrella organization with no academic standing at the university, no dean, no degrees, no advisors, no campus, no student body, and no alumnae association, and the endowment funds were intended for the support of Newcomb COLLEGE and not the Newcomb Institute. Tulane is overstepping its authority in using the funds for this purpose.

What Tulane Says: Degrees have always been awarded by Tulane University.

The Truth: This is yet another example of the deceptive use of semantics by Tulane. Newcomb College graduates received a degree that was granted by Tulane University for fulfilling the requirements of the H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial College or on the recommendation of the Newcomb College faculty. The diplomas were signed by the dean of Newcomb College. The H. Sophie Newcomb Memorial Institute has no degree requirements, nor faculty, nor a dean, because it exists in name only.

It's always been about the money. Please, President-Elect Obama, give Scott Cowen the Secretary of Education gig so he will get the hell out of town.

"She's thinks my chief-of-staff's sexy..."

I haven't heard any other local lady bloggers say it, so I'm going to say it: I think Rahm Emanuel is HOT! Similarly, I thought John Lyman was sexy back in the day. Peep this Time article for some interesting facts about him. My favorite:

He studied ballet in high school and was offered a scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet, but went to Sarah Lawrence College instead, where he earned a bachelor's degree. He has a master's degree in speech from Northwestern University.

No wonder he has a reputation for being such a jerk - he studied ballet and went to Sarah Lawrence - he has to prove his manhood somehow! Whatever, that's still hot.

Pirates v. Ninjas 10/31/08

I so wish I could have been there for this. Alas, I was too busy having a 12 martini lunch and finishing up my bad ass Halloween costume.



More info at nolapenguin

LAWLZ

I just had to post this. I know the election is over, but this video just reminded me so much of some people.

A prediction for my nearest and dearest

I love making predictions. Who will win this election? When will he get married? How long will this new receptionist last before they get sacked? How much weight has so-and-so lost? When will Zac Efron come out of the closet?

The pundits are going crazy predicting President-Elect Obama's choices for his cabinet and staff. The biggest cabinet position being discussed is Secretary of the Treasury for obvious reasons.

Education is my favorite political issue because it's, well, so political. It's the issue on which most of my friends would agree I am the most conservative. Preferences aside, I am officially making my own prediction on who Obama will choose for his Secretary of Education. And it's pretty close to home. My choice: Tulane University President Scott Cowen.


Affectionately known as "Scotty C" by Tulane students, Cowen is a good friend of Vice President-Elect Joe Biden. Joe Biden's daughter Ashley attended Tulane around the same time as THP ladies, and Biden has maintained ties with the school and its very popular, business-minded president. Cowen donated his money and name to the founding of the Cowen Institute for Public Education Initiatives at Tulane. Several of my "sources" (aka drinking buddies) that work for the Tulane administration and at the Cowen Institute have suggested for awhile now that, in the event of an Obama-Biden victory, Cowen's appointment as Ed Secretary was probable.

So far, Inside Higher Ed is the only outfit I can find (in a quick Google search) that has suggested Cowen's name is on the short list for this job. Education isn't a very sexy issue for most of the pundits in making their cabinet predictions, but for other Americans, millions of whom send their children to failing public schools every day, it's an extremely important one.

Personally, I believe that Cowen as Education Secretary could do amazing things for public education all over America by sharing the progressive educative ideas employed here in New Orleans with the rest of the country. These next four years could prove to be a very exciting time to be in education.

Post-election thoughts

Yesterday I was way too hungover from simultaneously celebrating a victory (Landrieu) and drinking away my sorrows (need I state the obvious?) on Tuesday night. As you might have noticed, our attempt at live blogging failed for the same reasons that I was hugging a toilet for the better part of Wednesday.

Congrats to Senator Mary Landrieu - you can buy your dairy in DC and eat it too! It was an extremely close race, but you did it. Here's to 6 more years of fighting for the Pelican State!

New Orleans now has a new DA. In the Cannizzaro-Capitelli showdown, THP endorsed Capitelli. However, New Orleans is lucky that it had in this race a win-win situation: two experienced and qualified candidates. I will not talk about this race again, except to just say this: Leon Cannizzaro doesn't appear to have much faith in all of the new voters that turned out to support Obama, as both of these signs were clearly planted by his people. I'm not saying he wouldn't have won without these low tactics, but they clearly helped.

[h/t to Brad for this one]

On a final and more positive note, I have this to say: although I voted for the McCain-Palin ticket and worry about Obama's policies in the long term, I think that you have to be pretty heartless to not feel moved by the amount of energy and excitement surrounding Obama's election. As for my sad Republican friends out there, I think our comeback in 2010 and especially 2012 will be in the manner of 1994's Contract with America. Until then, I can say that the results of this election make me proud to be an American, and I wish President-Elect Obama and the rest of our country the best for the next four years.

Live blogging from the Election turnout!

So dorky, I know.

Pre-gaming before the victory parties with a bunch of Obama supporters.  Things are looking bleak right now for my man, but I am anxiously awaiting the local results!

I obviously live in the wrong state...

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

Why are you reading right now? Go VOTE! It's Election Day!

And remember, Republicans vote Tuesday (today), Democrats vote on Wednesday!

XOXO,
ALTR

mmm, election cake

Courtesy of the Southern Food and Beverage Museum's newsletter.

Before roads had improved and voting locally was an option, many people had to travel long distances to cast a vote. At that point, the United States was the only democracy and people took a special pride in elections, treating them as a major holiday. As people made their way into town to vote, housewives were preparing "Election Cakes," dense cakes sometimes weighing up to twelve pounds.*

Originally, these cakes were known as "Muster Cakes," prepared when farmers were called into towns for military training. They traveled long distances and, according to Alice Ross (Journal of Antiques and Collectibles, October 2003), "descended on the nearest designated towns for days of training sessions ('mustering') and nights of socializing, carousing, and partaking of what became known as 'Muster Cake.' "

Over time, Muster Cakes were used to celebrate a different event, the election. "Travel time to the polling places had not changed, and the logistics of a week of spirited fun away from home was as attractive as the voting. The dates were scheduled to accommodate passable roads and lulls in farm work, just as Muster Days had been ... Again men made their way to town in droves and stayed for several days, arriving early enough to take in the electioneering, to vote, to drink, and then to hang around for the results. The cake continued to be a special feature of the event, its name was transposed to 'Election Cake.'" (Ross)

The first appearance of Election Cake was in the 1796 cookbook by Amelia Simmons, The First American Cookbook, second edition. The recipe was made for a crowd, calling for 30 quarts of flour and 10 pounds of butter. To view images from The First American Cookbook, visit the Library of Congress website. Scroll down for the 1796 recipe for election cake and for a slightly more modern recipe.

Here is the recipe:

"Thirty quarts flour, 10 pound butter, 14 pound sugar, 12 pound raisins, 3 doz eggs, one pint wine, one quart brandy, 4 ounces cinnamon, 4 ounces fine colander seed, 3 ounces ground allspice; wet the flour with milk to the consistence of bread over night, adding one quart yeast; the next morning work the butter and sugar together for half an hour, which will render the cake much lighter and whiter; when it has rise light work in every other ingredient except the plumbs, which work in when going into the oven."
[American Cookery; Amelia Simmons 1796.]


And a slightly more modern recipe for election cake.

Election Cake (Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, 1911)
1/2 cup butter
8 finely chopped figs
1 cup bread dough
1 1/4 cups flour
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon soda
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sour milk
2/3 cup raisins seeded, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon clove
1/4 teaspoon mace
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt

Work butter into dough, using the hand. Add egg well
beaten, sugar, milk, fruit dredged with two tablespoons
flour, and flour mixed and sifted with remaining ingredients.
Put into a well-buttered bread pan, cover, and let rise one
and one-fourth hours. Bake one hour in a slow oven.
Cover with Boiled Milk Frosting.

The "right" to empty an automatic weapon into a nine year old

Trick-or-treater, 12, shot to death, police say

SUMTER, South Carolina (AP) -- An ex-convict who said he thought he was being robbed gunned down a 12-year-old trick-or-treater, spraying nearly 30 rounds with an assault rifle from inside his home after hearing a knock on the door, police said Saturday. ...

Police said at least two of the boys were wearing ghoulish masks when they knocked on the door. The boys' mother and a toddler stayed in the car nearby.

Patrick emptied his AK-47, shooting at least 29 times through his front door, walls and windows after hearing the knock, Police Chief Patty Patterson said.

He told police he had been robbed and shot in the past year.

"He wasn't going to be robbed again, and he wasn't going to be shot again," Patterson said Saturday at a news conference. (more....)

So not only does a man with multiple convictions have an AK-47, but he and his 19-yr-old girlfriend have immediate access to $7,500 cash?

Obviously, this guy is dealing (possibly more than drugs).

So he gets robbed and shot, and his solution is to buy a freaking AK-47 and empty it into the body of the first person to knock on his front door. It could have been anybody- friend, brother, political canvaser, neighborhood watch- but it was a couple of children out trick-or-treating on Halloween.

What was this guy doing? Sitting in a chair facing the door with the gun across his knees, waiting for a threatening approach (like a knock?)

And what was he doing with a freaking AK-47? Oh yeah, they're legal. Thank you, NRA. I sure am glad that Mr. Patrick was able to legally own an automatic weapon. After all, how is a person supposed to defend his home and loved ones if he can't empty 30 high-powered rounds through his front door at the slightest indication that someone may be standing on the porch?

And how is an 8-year old supposed to shoot himself in the head with an Uzi if he and the rest of the gun club don't have the right to carry them around and shoot things for fun?

Now, I'm all for hunting, and I do enjoy firing off a couple hundred rounds at the shotting range. But automatic weapons? Really? Why is it that we won't rid this country of automatic weapons?

I don't know whether Patrick purchased his AK-47 legally or illegally, especially considering his criminal record, but reducing the pool of legal automatic weapons is the first major step toward eliminating the criminal possession of such weapons.