Thank God.

Jindal vetoed the pay raise. Read the statement issued earlier today.

Via The Dead Pelican.

General Taylor and Annunciation

I originally started this back in February...

On the corner of General Taylor and Annunciation lies the caution-tape-wrapped front of a house. And nothing else.



Is it really capable of being saved? Or is it being held up for nostalgia's sake? I understand the draw of old houses and the history of New Orleans, but if you're going to rebuild the entire house, why not simply recreate the front of house and keep all the doors and door knobs and all those little things that make these homes unique? Like I said, I sort of get it...but not given these outside appearances.

A month or so ago a sign was put up slating the demolition of the house front. One day a mattress appeared out front. Then the front of the house was knocked down.

Finally, within the last two weeks, the place was demolished:



It's amazing how freakin' slow the process is.

Chicken?! At Brennan's?!

An Algiers Point photographer has alerted the craigslist community [yesterday] that there is a chicken hanging out in the upstairs window of Brennan's. Here is a picture from the post:

Did it escape? Perhaps it's a mascot? Or perhaps an IQ test?

We'll probably never find an answer, much like the mystery of the robotic-dick-dipping Sucre employee.

What's for lunch?

Can't decide what to have for lunch?

Try the Wheel of Lunch!

Enter your zip code and take the bitch for a spin!

Via [Beegs]

Mayo goes gay

I find it absolutely ridiculous that an ad for mayonnaise that shows two men kissing has caused such a bruhaha that it has been pulled. Nigel Dickie, of Heinz UK, said: "The advertisement, part of a short-run campaign, was intended to be humorous and we apologise to anyone who felt offended." Yeah, sorry you prudes felt offended by two men lip locking. The bigger picture which should cause the most offense is that one of your British businessmen would dare be involved with an obnoxious New Yorker. At least some folks (legislators) have their heads on their shoulders, asking Heinz to reconsider as to not offend the gay population.

Old news, but you can watch the ad here.

ALTL MIA

I know I've been missing in action for the most part lately. Sometimes life happens, ya know? Here are some highlights and short blurbs of all the things I have wanted to say, but never made the time to log out of my work google calendar in order to log into blogger during the day.

• Eddie Fucking Izzard - What can I say, another thing scratched off of my list of things to do before I die. We sat five rows back. He was totally a fly by the seat of his pants sort of guy, and so much of the comedy was in his delivery. He wasn't dressed in drag that night, but DAMN, did those jeans look good on him. The crowd loved his Mac loyalty and making fun of the PCs - turning on a PC was demonstrated as putting all of one's effort into turning a lever, like a jack in the box, but more heavy duty. The auditorium was never short on laughs, except for the few awkward silences where no one knew what the hell he was talking about. Which made it all the more funnier.
  
• This one is just for my partner in crime ALTR - Texas senator John Cornyn is a big ol' fag
  
• The Bridge Lounge is a hopin' bar again. I have tried to go there three times this week and every time there is not a seat to be had. While a crowd can be fun, especially when on the prowl, I am a bar sitter and thus this causes me to be disgruntled.
  
• The guys working on the monstrosity for Lakeside Mall at the corner of Vets and the Causeway have a little fun with their jobs. The painting began with a coat of chocolate brown something on a very light colored surface. Messages appeared such as "The cows have no milk" or "The owls will fly 2 nite." One day I drove past and could only see the "@bellsouth.net" of someone's e-mail that had been plastered up there. The messages lasted 36 hours max, and while not political nor hilarious, those guys made something interesting of their job. My favorite was the little smiley face man with big ears who was up at the top for a full week in white on the brown before the whole building was painted white and began to be covered with panels. I tried to take a picture one day while driving home but almost ran into the guard rail instead.
  
• Speaking of Jefferson Parish, there is some filming going on over in the Lakeway Center. When I inquired to the building management why 6th Street was supposed to be shut down here and there she said it was some filming for some Jefferson Parish tourism bullshit. However, word on the street is it's some sort of movie. The set up isn't huge, but it makes more sense than filming Lakeway One for some tourism stuff - what about that is supposed to lure one to JP?
  
• I've started reading a lot of blogs by call girl types. It's everything I wanted my "sex" contribution to THP to be, but am too chicken to share. It appears, however, that a lot of these blogs have passed their hay day and the girls are now in relationships and have let their blogs, well, go. My faves I have run across is Electrolyte Dating and turnyourselfin. I feel like I have some good material to submit to unfortunate cocks (definitely NSFW), although the legality has come into question.
  
• Bill Clinton says Obama can "kiss my ass" - I love when those in the limelight show that they are real people, too.
  
• And finally, don't fuck with pelicans. Or hang out in their vicinity, apparently.
  

A poor attempt at gathering my thoughts from the last couple of weeks. I'll try to be better.

hmm

Maybe I should stop giving it out for free!

a sweet tooth's dream

Guys, do you think there are any left?  Check this great craigslist post out -- Catering Co. sitting on 1,000 Ice Cream Sand. (New Orleans)

If in the event the ad gets removed here's the text:

I have approx. 500 creole cream cheese, 500 chocolate with chocolate chips and 500 vanilla ice cream with fresh vanilla beans sandwiches and 500 minature praline parfaits that were made at a specialty ice cream shop for a very large catered event. They are of excellent quality and can be purchased at 50 cents each. We paid $1.50 each. Not enough freezer space, they must go. Call 504 628 4688

I am so tempted to call. Someone do it please!!

Welcome to New Orleans! Your new neighbor already doesn't like you...

Sunday night, after quite a long weekend, ALTR hosted a quiet dinner for two friends. While opening the front door to welcome J into my house, I see a flash of movement out of the corner of my eye - someone is running towards my front door. I live in a pretty safe neighborhood, but one can never be too overly concerned with safety these days.

As it turns out, the individual running towards me was not a armed robber, but rather the female half of a couple who had apparently just bought an apartment in my complex. Her companion (not sure if he's a husband, fiance, or boyfriend) was in tow behind her - clearly a little bit embarrassed at the level of her enthusiasm.

"Hi, I'm your new neighbor - we just bought Beau's old apartment! We're moving in tomorrow!" she said, intensely and uncomfortably overcome with excitement.

We talked for awhile about each other's story - they've just moved here from the Northeast to start grad school - one in med school and the other in law school - a high stress relationship recipe I must say.

She seemed nice enough - always good to have some more young people around. Then - the bomb. "What are you up to tomorrow?," she asks. Sadly, the only item on my schedule that I can think of immediately, without looking at my calendar, is the dreaded thing we all have to do on Mondays - work.

"Would you be able to help us move when you get home from work? We'll feed you dinner!"

Yikes! I am at a complete loss for words, so I say the only thing that comes to mind: Yeah, sure! I could see J's jaw drop out of the corner of my eye.

I spent most of dinner thinking about how I was going to avoid being at my apartment on Monday after work. Of course, there was plenty of work to be done at the office - I would work a little bit late. Then, maybe go for an extra long jog. However, the jogging would require me to go home first - what if they happened to knock on my door in the 5 minutes it would take me to get out of my car, run inside, and put on shorts/t-shirt/running shoes? Fortunately, in New Orleans, there are plenty of diversions to keep one occupied!

On Monday afternoon, ALTL and I attended a book signing at the Garden District Book Shop by Vogue author and New Orleans resident Julia Reed - her new book The House on First Street was just released. The event took a little while - at lease an hour of my after work time. Then I made it home, successfully changing into my jogging outfit without interruption from the new neighbors. I'm a little sore this morning from my extended jog. But I would have been a lot more sore if I'd helped move furniture into an upstairs apartment.

best pick up line ever

ME:   I'm going to be really out of commision for a while starting Friday

ALTL: how come?
one last orgasm before you disappear?

ME: ha
nah, I'm getting a vasectomy
Friday morning

Employee of the Month

Confession: I went home on my lunch break to meet a contractor. And while I was there I had last night's leftovers for lunch. With a nice big glass of white wine.

XOXO,

ATLR

OMG

Guys, seriously.


That is all I can think about whenever I glance at the cover of the Times-Pic. Seriously.

Sorry for the poor quality, I couldn't find that Duplessis picture on the web so I had to throw it on the scanner.

Very superstitious

Paraskevidekatriaphobia - noun; a fear of Friday the 13th.

Example: ALTR did not go to Happy Hour today because she suffers from paraskevidekatriaphobia. Lame!

What ALTL gives to the kids at Halloween...

Candy lighthouses gone horribly wrong.


[h/t Accordion Guy]

Get your tomato on

Although the rest of the country is going through a tomato scandal right now, Marcelle Bienvenu reminds us not to be afraid of our own creole tomatoes - so head out to the Creole Tomato Festival in the Quarter this weekend! The Tomato Festival is at the French Market and runs from tomorrow, Friday June 13 until Sunday June 15.

Also in the Quarter this weekend: the Louisiana Seafood Festival and the Zydeco festival at the US Mint.

THP girls and our entourage will be in attendance. What a fabulous way to spend a Saturday!