Author: Kent

More NOLA Election Stuff

The other day I was taking the streetcar to work.  It was one of the really cold days we had last week.  I don’t think it was the coldest day we had during that stretch in NOLA, but it was cold.  Below freezing. It was 8am or so, and there were little icicles hanging from overhands and bus stop shelters.  I’ve lived in cold places, so i know you can’t really call 28 degrees cold, but it was cold enough.

Anyway, everyone was miserable on the streetcar, all bundled up.  everyone walking oustside was miserable.  You can’t blame them.  As I was looking at the windows as we crossed Poydras, I noticed a familiar looking gentleman in a brown overcoat.  I stared for awhile, and saw that it was Ron Couhig, mayoral candidate.  He didn’t look happy to be out in the cold that early.  Once again, can’t blame him.

The streetcar stopped next to him, and he looked up at it, and saw some guy staring at him.  I could see the moment that he forgot that he was some schmoe trying to get to his office and out of the cold and remembered that he was running for mayor.  He face lit up in a big smile as his eyes met mine, and he waved that politician wave.  I nodded in acknowledgment.

I’m not a Couhig supporter, as I feel supporting Nagin in the last election is pretty unforgivable.  But I really felt bad that he had to be nice to me, some shithead on the streetcar who was rudely staring, because he wants to be mayor.  He just wanted to be warm, like everybody else, and focus on getting inside, like everybody else.  But he had to smile at some idiot on the streetcar, for the possibility of one more vote.  It made me feel sorry for him, and the other candidates.  One of the things I love about this city, is that New Orleans is small enough that these type of interactions are more common.  It’s fun.  Even if Ron Couhig makes me sad.

Like Jonah Bascle, who actually responded to an elbuzzard.com post after I said that Manny Chevrolet was a better comedian than him.  He pointed out that the mayoral debate was not the place to be funny, which is absolutely correct.   I don’t want to lump Bascle in with Couhig, but right now, they are the two candidates I like the best, even though I doubt I would vote for either of them, since Couhig is Nagin, and Bascel doesn’t really have a shot.

I guess I’m just a sucker for personal interaction.  I bet if John Georges  showed up at my house I’d like him too.

UPDATE: Speaking of comedians, John Georges is an idiot.

Early thoughts on the New Orleans Mayoral election

I watched a little of the debate last night.  There are a lot of crackpots and idiots running.

Ed Murray -Missed most of what he had to say.  “I have experience” seemed to be his theme.  “I have been a legislator and a leader in this city.”  Yeah, and the current government totally fucking sucks.

Troy Henry – Went on and on about a 5-legged stool.  I stopped listening to him, because I was trying to picture what a 5-legged stool looks like.  I think he was the one who wanted to give everyone tax credits so that people who would normally qualify for a $72k house could buy a $200k house.  I’ve heard that before,  and I’m pretty sure it caused 10% unemployment and a total financial meltdown.  It could have been Ed Murray that said that, though.

Nadine Ramsey – Looked way out of her league.  Said nothing except get the community involved in the police.  Great.

James Perry – Looked like an actual candidate.  Also looks like Biz Markee.  I’m not sure he really said anything of substance though.  There is promise there.

Some guy named Lambert – Redneck white guy who will be painted as a good ol’ boy racist, even if he is not one.

Manny Chevrolet – Officially on record as against crime and blight.  Funny guy with perfect deadpan delivery, but this city is seriously fucked up.

Some kid named Baschel – A stand up comedian, who is in a wheelchair.  Is running on the platform to make the St. Charles Streetcar line handicapped accessible.  Might actually make that happen, as he actually offered a legitimate, cost-effective solution: move some accessible cars from the Canal line on to the St. Charles line.  Very sad that he had to run for mayor to draw attention to that problem.  He seemed serious about that one issue, which is ironic, because you would expect the stand-up to be the joke candidate, and I think this kid actually wants to get the streetcars accessible.  Good for him.  But Manny Chevrolet is the better comedian by far.

John Georges – Republican in a Democrat’s clothing.  Wants to let people buy blighted properties directly, bypassing NORA.  I’m not sure who he was talking about, but it sounded like letting developers buy up properties without checks on what they will do with it.

Jerry Jacobs – Wants to legalize pot.  Wears a crazy guy’s hat.

Leslie Jacobs – Looks legit.  Talked about controlling commercial blight, not just residential blight. UPDATE: Dropped out.  I was just starting to like her.

Rob Couhig – Looks like an asshole.

Mitch Landreiu – Slick, smug, polished.  In terms of professional politicians, he is the most professionalest.

Also, Norman Robinson: What’s with all the “gotcha” questions?  They make you look dumb when you can’t phrase them correctly.

The Biggest Loser Challenge has begun

When everyone was in NOLA a couple weeks ago, we all decided that we are too fat.

In true Dave fashion, he decided a competition was in order to help us slim down.

We’re seeing who can lose the most weight by Mardi Gras 2010.

Here’s where you can track our progress:

http://www.fridgegraph.com/challenge/?cid=463

Months with an R

From today’s Times-Picayune:

http://www.nola.com/dining/index.ssf/2009/10/louisiana_blasts_fda_plan_to_l.html

In an effort to reduce cases of a rare, but potentially fatal, bacterial illness contracted from raw oysters, the FDA announced new rules this month that will require any oyster served from April through October to undergo a sterilization process before it can be sold in restaurants or on the market.

The rule will essentially eliminate raw oysters — at least as Louisianans know them — from restaurant menus for seven months of the year. Even oysters that will eventually be cooked during those months would have to go through the same cleansing process before being added to any dish, a move some say would undermine the culinary integrity of some of New Orleans’ most famous delicacies.

“It’s not only going to include raw oysters. You can’t fry oysters for a po-boy, you can’t put oysters in a gumbo and you can’t charbroil oysters unless they’re post-harvest processed,” said Tommy Cvitanovich, owner of Drago’s restaurant, a mainstay for oysters in the metro area. “That’s ludicrous.”

No more raw oysters from April to October.

Now I don’t really like to eat raw oysters in the summer, because I don’t think they taste as good, and I’ve gotten more bad ones than good ones.  But I most certainly will eat them in a po-boy or charbroiled.

The vibrio vulnificus disease, the target of the FDA initiative, affects about 30 individuals per year nationwide who eat raw oysters from Gulf Coast. About half of those who get the disease, which invades the bloodstream and can cause a severe fever and skin lesions, eventually die.

But those most at risk from vibrio are people who already have immune system disorders, such as AIDS, cancer, kidney disease, diabetes or alcohol abuse.

Fifteen already sick people die a year from raw oysters?  How many die from french fries and Big Macs?  What about the dreaded peanut?  I bet much more than 15 peanut kids die every year in tragic lunchroom food fights.  Doesn’t every menu you’ve ever seen warn you that if you have a liver disease, you may not want to eat raw oysters?  Isn’t that enough?

Is there a way we can ban oysters in other states that want to protect their citizens from the oyster menace, and let Louisiana continue to live dangerously?  It will be like a tourist attraction.  “Oh my goodness Mildred, they let you drink in the street AND eat raw oysters here!”