SIBEL EDMONDS: THE TRAITORS AMONG US
Larry Flynt is still Bob Livingston's worst nightmare.
If you had any doubts on the unholy alliance between MegaCorps, Government, and the MSM, let this story dispel those doubts for good.
I've been following Edmonds' story since she first went public and while I'm glad to see she has finally spilled the beans without being arrested (or worse), the frightening picture she has painted and the total media blackout on what could be the largest, treasonous conspiracy in the history of the county has left me rather hollow.
It's one thing to feel hopeless in the face of the Wall Street/bank bailouts, staggering unemployment, Obama's broken promises, perpetual war....yada yada yada.....but coming to the realization that elected and appointed officials at the highest levels of our country's government are quite simply for sale to the highest foreign bidder is beyond disconcerting for me. Compounded with the fact that the 4th Estate has refused to inform us of these traitor's transgressions, I can safely say that I have no hope left for our country's integrity.
If our country's leaders have become so compromised that they're putting other country's interests above our own for a payout, if the investigative bodies of our government turn a blind eye to these practices, if our journalistic body complies with special interests and refuses to inform us of these cancers which plague us....we're not living in a representative democracy anymore, we're living in a vile simulacra.
I suppose I will concentrate on my city, as my optimism for it has never been higher...for America, I fear it may be too late.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
My head is spinning, chere...just like an electron
...and I'm on the wagon, ya heard?
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I do hereby admit...":
Links for your perusal:
Minacore to Geocor:
http://www.nola.com/living/t-p/index.ssf?/base/living-0/122249287283440.xml&coll=1
The property seems to be a bar and a daiquiri shop....with video gambling of course.
And who is Geocor?
http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/tabid/819/Default.aspx
I'll save you the trouble:
Huey's involvement:
http://www.concordiasentinel.com/news.php?id=3817
Some light reading: http://ftp.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F3/110/110.F3d.1131.96-30221.html
What does it all mean? I have no idea...I was just reading about quantum entanglement when the comment came in. I can explain that if you're interested but not video poker entanglement....which is a largely unexplored science.
Everything is connected you know.
Links for your perusal:
Minacore to Geocor:
http://www.nola.com/living/t-
The property seems to be a bar and a daiquiri shop....with video gambling of course.And who is Geocor?
http://www.sos.louisiana.gov/
I'll save you the trouble:
Huey's involvement:
http://www.concordiasentinel.
Some light reading: http://ftp.resource.org/
What does it all mean? I have no idea...I was just reading about quantum entanglement when the comment came in. I can explain that if you're interested but not video poker entanglement....which is a largely unexplored science.
Everything is connected you know.
"I don't think that's a question I can answer"...
...said Zulu Vice President, Naaman Stewart, when asked about the terms of the $800,000 grant which was recently bestowed upon the organization by our mayor.
Well..then why don't we ask the guy who put the proposal together...who, as luck would have it, is the recipient of the contract to replace the Zulu headquarters. If anyone should understand the UDAG proposal, it should be this guy.
Who is that guy you ask?
Word on the Zombiewire is that it's none other than political operative Sherman Copelin. I'm really amazed he found the time to put that deal together while helping John Georges blow 3 million dollars for 9% of the mayoral vote. Maybe we need to make him CAO of the city, he really knows how to multitask.
Well..then why don't we ask the guy who put the proposal together...who, as luck would have it, is the recipient of the contract to replace the Zulu headquarters. If anyone should understand the UDAG proposal, it should be this guy.
Who is that guy you ask?
Word on the Zombiewire is that it's none other than political operative Sherman Copelin. I'm really amazed he found the time to put that deal together while helping John Georges blow 3 million dollars for 9% of the mayoral vote. Maybe we need to make him CAO of the city, he really knows how to multitask.
Google Jackson the Lightning Thief
My kids saw Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightning Thief over the weekend, while my wonderful wife gave me a Sunday afternoon pass which I spent cocooned in a really fascinating book.
Anyway, back to the post...
Entergy's worst nightmare may be unfolding. First this:
It’s Official: Google Can Sell Power Like a Utility
then this last night:
The Bloom Box: a power plant for the home (video)
Of course a fuel cell has to have a fuel source, which most likely means natural gas as stated in the piece but they're in the early stages of the technology, who knows what may unfold.
If this company were in India, or even Iowa, I wouldn't take it seriously, but they have some serious funding and they already have Google on board as a client. The Silicon Valley reporter jumps to the conclusion that a mega-corp. like GE will mass produce the units and squash the company, but the story fails to mention what parts of the tech are patented by the company. The reporter also fails to entertain the notion that Google may be that mega-corp. company who picks it up and runs with it .
It's important to understand that Google isn't GE, they don't play by the same rules the old line companies play by and that should send shivers down the spines of "The Grid" energy monopolies like Entergy....if it doesn't they are even more arrogant fools than I imagined. I really hope they are scoffing at the notion of Google entering the fray as it will delight me to no end watching them getting their asses handed to them on platter over the coming decade. Think Napster and the record labels circa 1999.
Imagine a city without electric lines and poles marring the skyline...it's coming.
It occurred to me that Louisiana would be the perfect laboratory for the BloomBox technology considering we are rich in natural gas and have a very real need for localized power supplies which don't have to rely on large grids susceptible to storms. I realize most natural gas based systems are grid based as well, but they are mostly underground and immune from wind damage unlike electric grids. Plus you can even store natural gas reserves in tanks in your back yard...as a matter of fact in many rural areas that is exactly how natural gas is delivered.
When my kids got home they explained the plot of Percy Jackson to me, which from what I could garner from their accounts is a mash-up of Greek mythology with Percy being a hybrid Perseus/Prometheus. I think maybe Google should codename their foray into the energy arena, Prometheus...I hope they're successful in stealing the fire.
Anyway, back to the post...
Entergy's worst nightmare may be unfolding. First this:
It’s Official: Google Can Sell Power Like a Utility
then this last night:
The Bloom Box: a power plant for the home (video)
Of course a fuel cell has to have a fuel source, which most likely means natural gas as stated in the piece but they're in the early stages of the technology, who knows what may unfold.
If this company were in India, or even Iowa, I wouldn't take it seriously, but they have some serious funding and they already have Google on board as a client. The Silicon Valley reporter jumps to the conclusion that a mega-corp. like GE will mass produce the units and squash the company, but the story fails to mention what parts of the tech are patented by the company. The reporter also fails to entertain the notion that Google may be that mega-corp. company who picks it up and runs with it .
It's important to understand that Google isn't GE, they don't play by the same rules the old line companies play by and that should send shivers down the spines of "The Grid" energy monopolies like Entergy....if it doesn't they are even more arrogant fools than I imagined. I really hope they are scoffing at the notion of Google entering the fray as it will delight me to no end watching them getting their asses handed to them on platter over the coming decade. Think Napster and the record labels circa 1999.
Imagine a city without electric lines and poles marring the skyline...it's coming.
It occurred to me that Louisiana would be the perfect laboratory for the BloomBox technology considering we are rich in natural gas and have a very real need for localized power supplies which don't have to rely on large grids susceptible to storms. I realize most natural gas based systems are grid based as well, but they are mostly underground and immune from wind damage unlike electric grids. Plus you can even store natural gas reserves in tanks in your back yard...as a matter of fact in many rural areas that is exactly how natural gas is delivered.
When my kids got home they explained the plot of Percy Jackson to me, which from what I could garner from their accounts is a mash-up of Greek mythology with Percy being a hybrid Perseus/Prometheus. I think maybe Google should codename their foray into the energy arena, Prometheus...I hope they're successful in stealing the fire.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
I do hereby admit...
...that Oyster has bigger balls than I do.
Just say no to drug kingpins
I was tipped to that info. last night and I thought twice before posting it....no I pussed out. Here is one of the comments:
AZ, a Batt-buddy related question: See the NOLA.com story about the "New Orleans drug kingpin" today? Paul Cattoche a former (until very recently?) Maximo's chef is the guy. Now, I think we know who owns Maximo's, right? If Vinny Mosca ends up being Cattoche's attorney, the elephant in the room just gets too big and obvious to deny.
At this point I could go off on a speculative 5000 word post trying to connect the dots running through my head with things like....oh....I don't know....flooded cars, companies who got contracts to remove flooded cars after Katrina, Dennis Churchwell, French Quarter bookies, dummy pages for "online casinos", strippers, mayoral photogs, video poker enterprises, The French Market Corporation, companies who got contracts from the French Market Corp., judges, former City Council members, Mexican casinos, Mexican drug lords who murdered...never mind that one....what else can we throw in our conspiracy gumbo? What the hell let's throw in the grassy knoll for shits and giggles.
....but I won't subject you to my madness. I mean this is too much madness than what I normally subject you to....oh hell, you know what I mean.
Kudos Oyster.
Just say no to drug kingpins
I was tipped to that info. last night and I thought twice before posting it....no I pussed out. Here is one of the comments:
AZ, a Batt-buddy related question: See the NOLA.com story about the "New Orleans drug kingpin" today? Paul Cattoche a former (until very recently?) Maximo's chef is the guy. Now, I think we know who owns Maximo's, right? If Vinny Mosca ends up being Cattoche's attorney, the elephant in the room just gets too big and obvious to deny.
At this point I could go off on a speculative 5000 word post trying to connect the dots running through my head with things like....oh....I don't know....flooded cars, companies who got contracts to remove flooded cars after Katrina, Dennis Churchwell, French Quarter bookies, dummy pages for "online casinos", strippers, mayoral photogs, video poker enterprises, The French Market Corporation, companies who got contracts from the French Market Corp., judges, former City Council members, Mexican casinos, Mexican drug lords who murdered...never mind that one....what else can we throw in our conspiracy gumbo? What the hell let's throw in the grassy knoll for shits and giggles.
....but I won't subject you to my madness. I mean this is too much madness than what I normally subject you to....oh hell, you know what I mean.
Kudos Oyster.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Blanque Check
Virginia signs her political death warrant:
Jay Batt gets endorsement from former rival Virginia Blanque
If she want's to jump in bed with the obnoxious, fat, rich guy because she needed her bar tab paid (that's metaphor people)...well...hey...you gotta do watcha gotta do. But the hangover will last forever...that will be the end of her political career or any future chance of getting elected to office.
The irony is I don't think Blanque's voters are gonna vote for Batt anyway...I think all this did was make them disappointed in her.
"To have the support of those who once opposed me is a tremendous statement," Batt said in a prepared statement. "I am both proud and humbled."
Humble ≠ Batt...ever. Proud, I believe....humble....not.
You know the thing that disturbs me more than the actual endorsement is the picture the TP posted with it....Batt has his hand over Mayor-elect Landrieu's heart, and the article is about an endorsement. That was a bad editorial call....it more than implies that Landrieu is supporting Batt. Why would you publish a picture of those two together when the story was about Blanque and Batt? That may even deserve a retraction or explanation....Landrieu has not endorsed Jay Batt in any way. They are in opposing political parties.
I'm not implying conspiracy, I'm saying it was a bad decision.
Jay Batt gets endorsement from former rival Virginia Blanque
If she want's to jump in bed with the obnoxious, fat, rich guy because she needed her bar tab paid (that's metaphor people)...well...hey...you gotta do watcha gotta do. But the hangover will last forever...that will be the end of her political career or any future chance of getting elected to office.
The irony is I don't think Blanque's voters are gonna vote for Batt anyway...I think all this did was make them disappointed in her.
"To have the support of those who once opposed me is a tremendous statement," Batt said in a prepared statement. "I am both proud and humbled."
Humble ≠ Batt...ever. Proud, I believe....humble....not.
You know the thing that disturbs me more than the actual endorsement is the picture the TP posted with it....Batt has his hand over Mayor-elect Landrieu's heart, and the article is about an endorsement. That was a bad editorial call....it more than implies that Landrieu is supporting Batt. Why would you publish a picture of those two together when the story was about Blanque and Batt? That may even deserve a retraction or explanation....Landrieu has not endorsed Jay Batt in any way. They are in opposing political parties.
I'm not implying conspiracy, I'm saying it was a bad decision.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
What comes around....goes out the door
Hah! Priceless! He may have used HUD revolving fund cash to pay out that fat ass check.
Zulu check comes with unanswered questions
Funny, cause I just watched a similar scenario with my daughter today on That's So Raven.
Raven's dad gave her 100 bucks to go buy a book she needed for school. But Raven had this party coming up and she really wanted a fly-ass blouse to wear to the party, so she spent the 100 bucks on the blouse thinking she could return it after the party and get reimbursed the money. When she got the money back, she would go buy the book.
Well you can guess what happened....she put the blouse on and spilled shit all over it...Doh! So then she had to come up with the extra 100 bucks to buy the book for school.
Revolver funds are similar but the city puts up the money for a project first, then we get reimbursed by the Govt. entity. The pickle here is that Uncle Sam just cuts the check to the city for the amount and then it's up to us "compensate" city funds for what we've already spent....there's no accounting, on the federal level, for how the compensatory cash is spent by the city.
Man somebody make sure he doesn't take a company credit card down to Harrah's, he's on a roll.
Zulu check comes with unanswered questions
Funny, cause I just watched a similar scenario with my daughter today on That's So Raven.
Raven's dad gave her 100 bucks to go buy a book she needed for school. But Raven had this party coming up and she really wanted a fly-ass blouse to wear to the party, so she spent the 100 bucks on the blouse thinking she could return it after the party and get reimbursed the money. When she got the money back, she would go buy the book.
Well you can guess what happened....she put the blouse on and spilled shit all over it...Doh! So then she had to come up with the extra 100 bucks to buy the book for school.
Revolver funds are similar but the city puts up the money for a project first, then we get reimbursed by the Govt. entity. The pickle here is that Uncle Sam just cuts the check to the city for the amount and then it's up to us "compensate" city funds for what we've already spent....there's no accounting, on the federal level, for how the compensatory cash is spent by the city.
Man somebody make sure he doesn't take a company credit card down to Harrah's, he's on a roll.
It's Like the Trinity....
...you're not supposed to understand it cause it's a goddamn mystery.
UPDATE: Claude Mauberret drops out of assessor's race
I have it under good authority from multiple sources that this plan was hatched between Mauberret and Williams last summer before the race even started.
The idea is that if they could both get into the runoff, one of them would drop out while the other carried out the following game plan: Which ever one takes the single assessor's seat would then hire back all the independent assessors, i.e., Arnold, Mauberret, Heaton, Mire, etc., as Deputy Assessors and essentially we're right back to the same old scheme we had before we decided to create a single assessor system.
The only real chance at change was Lemle, as my fellow bloggers heralded before the election:
NOLA-dishu: Dirty Politics and the Campaign for the Next Assessor
Most consequential race flying under radar
In some respect, I agree with Eli's title....the assessor's position does have enormous consequences on the city as a whole although the cause/effect isn't as immediately recognizable as higher profile government positions. But the cumulative effects of bad tax assessments can be devastating to the community as I came to realize while making "Left Behind".
So essentially in our attempt to move from 7 assessors to 1....we now have 7 assessors with a Super-Assessor....or 7-6=8
It's like the Trinity....3 is 1, 1 is 3....don't question the logic just have blind faith in the powers that be. Williams is the Pope and the 7 deputies are the archbishops, the question is how they decide the tithe and divvy up the alms....I assume it's every padre for himself.
UPDATE: Claude Mauberret drops out of assessor's race
I have it under good authority from multiple sources that this plan was hatched between Mauberret and Williams last summer before the race even started.
The idea is that if they could both get into the runoff, one of them would drop out while the other carried out the following game plan: Which ever one takes the single assessor's seat would then hire back all the independent assessors, i.e., Arnold, Mauberret, Heaton, Mire, etc., as Deputy Assessors and essentially we're right back to the same old scheme we had before we decided to create a single assessor system.
The only real chance at change was Lemle, as my fellow bloggers heralded before the election:
NOLA-dishu: Dirty Politics and the Campaign for the Next Assessor
Most consequential race flying under radar
In some respect, I agree with Eli's title....the assessor's position does have enormous consequences on the city as a whole although the cause/effect isn't as immediately recognizable as higher profile government positions. But the cumulative effects of bad tax assessments can be devastating to the community as I came to realize while making "Left Behind".
So essentially in our attempt to move from 7 assessors to 1....we now have 7 assessors with a Super-Assessor....or 7-6=8
It's like the Trinity....3 is 1, 1 is 3....don't question the logic just have blind faith in the powers that be. Williams is the Pope and the 7 deputies are the archbishops, the question is how they decide the tithe and divvy up the alms....I assume it's every padre for himself.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
All on a Mardi Gras Day
Turns out, I did end up spending Mardi Gras like many of the revelers on Bourbon street...face down in the toilet. My son contracted a very nasty stomach virus which he in turn gave to the rest of my family so we've had a blast the past 48 hours....and I do mean blast, but I won't get graphic. That was the sickest I've ever been in my life; avoid this bug at all costs.
Meanwhile an anon sent this:
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I am so jealous":
I appreciate the commentary and thought this blog would be blowing up over the $800,000 grant to Zulu.
Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club receives $800,000 grant
I don't understand why this is any more egregious than what Nagin has done with the D-CDBG budget or the Revolver fund. 800k is nothing compared to the 200 to 300 million he may be misappropriating with recovery dollars.
Is it because it's Zulu? What if he donated 800k to Rex...theoretically?
Maybe I'm jaded, but I'm just not that shocked or incensed. It's not like we didn't know his M.O. is to spend down as much public money to his peeps as possible in his final days. I'm more incensed at the potential individual profiteers like Cesar Burgos.
I would like to see Zulu donate some of that money to the Mardi Gras Indians but that's probably not going to happen.
One thing to consider....Nagin may be making another run at public office. I kid you not. 800k goes a long way to swaying votes.
Meanwhile an anon sent this:
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "I am so jealous":
I appreciate the commentary and thought this blog would be blowing up over the $800,000 grant to Zulu.
Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club receives $800,000 grant
I don't understand why this is any more egregious than what Nagin has done with the D-CDBG budget or the Revolver fund. 800k is nothing compared to the 200 to 300 million he may be misappropriating with recovery dollars.
Is it because it's Zulu? What if he donated 800k to Rex...theoretically?
Maybe I'm jaded, but I'm just not that shocked or incensed. It's not like we didn't know his M.O. is to spend down as much public money to his peeps as possible in his final days. I'm more incensed at the potential individual profiteers like Cesar Burgos.
I would like to see Zulu donate some of that money to the Mardi Gras Indians but that's probably not going to happen.
One thing to consider....Nagin may be making another run at public office. I kid you not. 800k goes a long way to swaying votes.
Monday, February 15, 2010
I am so jealous
Brilliant!
Caring for Pets Left Behind by the Rapture
He's already made over 11k....why didn't I think of this? Man...I'm green with envy.
Check out his blog:
The Atheist Camel
O.k. so as a Voudon follower, I'm obviously not going to be in that number when the rapture rolls around. Here's what I'll do...I will start a legal fund to sue the Atheist Camel for breach of contract if he doesn't actually take care of his client's pets after the rapture.
What do you think?
Caring for Pets Left Behind by the Rapture
He's already made over 11k....why didn't I think of this? Man...I'm green with envy.
Check out his blog:
The Atheist Camel
O.k. so as a Voudon follower, I'm obviously not going to be in that number when the rapture rolls around. Here's what I'll do...I will start a legal fund to sue the Atheist Camel for breach of contract if he doesn't actually take care of his client's pets after the rapture.
What do you think?
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Partying with Pangloss
"We're all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." - Oscar Wilde
That quote has been running through my head for the past week. While reveling in the glory of a Saints' Super Bowl win and the anticipation of new leadership in City Hall, I've actually been stricken with moments of impulsive trepidation....as if I'm afraid to let myself believe the fortunes of this city have changed so quickly and in such dramatic fashion.
This is the first Mardi Gras in memory where I have no desire to drink myself into oblivion in order to put reality and responsibility aside for a few days. This carnival, I find myself sober and excited in anticipation of the possibilities which lie ahead for our city....I feel no need to escape.
This city has been through so much in the past 4 years, pride has been a rare commodity in the struggle to simply persevere. It seems that within a 24 hour period, last weekend, we may have finally pulled our heads up out of the gutter and gazed at the stars. (well some of us had to wait until the next day)
After nearly being annihilated by the levee failures during Katrina, we found ourselves not only neglected by our own federal government, but forced to justify our existence to our own countrymen....how shitty can it get? What other American city has had to endure such transgressions in this country's history? I can't think of one.
Still, we battled on. We struggled and rebuilt, in the face of overwhelming odds....insurance cock blocks, crooked contractors, chinese dry wall.....Ed Blakely....you name it, we saw it....still we stand.
I don't want to get too hokey, if I haven't already....but I'm feeling it, man...and not in an endorphin laced, throw my hands in the air way...I'm feeling it in a calm, sober and permanent way.
This week we celebrate, and we deserve it. Next week, we dream....we dream a bigger dream....because we deserve that too.
That quote has been running through my head for the past week. While reveling in the glory of a Saints' Super Bowl win and the anticipation of new leadership in City Hall, I've actually been stricken with moments of impulsive trepidation....as if I'm afraid to let myself believe the fortunes of this city have changed so quickly and in such dramatic fashion.
This is the first Mardi Gras in memory where I have no desire to drink myself into oblivion in order to put reality and responsibility aside for a few days. This carnival, I find myself sober and excited in anticipation of the possibilities which lie ahead for our city....I feel no need to escape.
This city has been through so much in the past 4 years, pride has been a rare commodity in the struggle to simply persevere. It seems that within a 24 hour period, last weekend, we may have finally pulled our heads up out of the gutter and gazed at the stars. (well some of us had to wait until the next day)
After nearly being annihilated by the levee failures during Katrina, we found ourselves not only neglected by our own federal government, but forced to justify our existence to our own countrymen....how shitty can it get? What other American city has had to endure such transgressions in this country's history? I can't think of one.
Still, we battled on. We struggled and rebuilt, in the face of overwhelming odds....insurance cock blocks, crooked contractors, chinese dry wall.....Ed Blakely....you name it, we saw it....still we stand.
I don't want to get too hokey, if I haven't already....but I'm feeling it, man...and not in an endorphin laced, throw my hands in the air way...I'm feeling it in a calm, sober and permanent way.
This week we celebrate, and we deserve it. Next week, we dream....we dream a bigger dream....because we deserve that too.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Zero to none...
...the odds that Jindal pursues his notion of eliminating the Lt. Gov. position.
Jay Dardenne announces candidacy for lieutenant governor
Dardene takes Lt. Gov. seat, with little challenge....Georges, don't waste any more of your money. Jindal runs for V.P. on ticket with Gingrich in 2012. This leaves a very good chance that Dardene ascends into the Governor's seat as I have serious doubts that Obama can pull off a second term.
Bottom line....if health care reform fails, Obama goes down with it. So far he's lived up to none of his campaign promises, Gitmo is still open, he actually escalated war efforts, he's now promoting coal and nuclear power...the list goes on. Now he's pandering to Wall Street and the corporate elite....so much for delivering us from the Bush agenda.
Melancon....is he even running a campaign or just going through the motions?
Roger Villere and the LA. Repubs have to be feeling pretty good when they gaze into the crystal ball.
Jay Dardenne announces candidacy for lieutenant governor
Dardene takes Lt. Gov. seat, with little challenge....Georges, don't waste any more of your money. Jindal runs for V.P. on ticket with Gingrich in 2012. This leaves a very good chance that Dardene ascends into the Governor's seat as I have serious doubts that Obama can pull off a second term.
Bottom line....if health care reform fails, Obama goes down with it. So far he's lived up to none of his campaign promises, Gitmo is still open, he actually escalated war efforts, he's now promoting coal and nuclear power...the list goes on. Now he's pandering to Wall Street and the corporate elite....so much for delivering us from the Bush agenda.
Melancon....is he even running a campaign or just going through the motions?
Roger Villere and the LA. Repubs have to be feeling pretty good when they gaze into the crystal ball.
Longing for Chaos
Mardi Gras parade cancellation by Krewe of Chaos may be most disappointing to float artists
Chaos is by far my favorite Krewe and Parade. The Chaos/Muses Thursday night combo is the best line up of Carnival. Sucks that we won't get to see those floats, I'm sure it would have been a great show this year with so much political fodder to pull from.
Mardi Gras won't be the same without you, Chaos.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
My Cuba stuff
I finally got around to uploading the short video profiles I shot of Cuban artists back in 2001. This video wasn't created to be an actual documentary, it was created to run in the background of an art gallery for an exhibition.
The opening is just a montage of shots, mostly in Old Havana, of Cuban life, art and architecture. I shot it on DV (Sony PD-150) with a borrowed tripod which couldn't pan or tilt. It was hard enough to the get the camera in the country without setting off sirens, so a professional tripod was out of the question. I picked one up on arrival which was just good enough to sit the camera on , so I had to stick to static shots only. I was too liberal with the dissolves but I had just learned to edit on an NLE, and I was enamored with the effects options...we live and learn:
The first artist is Angel Delgado, whose star has risen to greater heights since this interview was shot. Angel gained notoriety after a performance piece he did in a Havana art gallery during the "Special Period" . Cuba had been relying heavily on Soviet financial support for decades. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the financial aid dried up and sent an already scrapped Cuba into an even deeper depression.
Angel felt like an artistic statement needed to be made to mark the Special Period. In an exhibit titled ,"The Sculptured Object", he calmly walked into the gallery, laid down a copy of the Granma, Cuba's official communist party newspaper, and took a massive dump on it.
Cuban officials failed to appreciate the metaphor and Angel was thrown in prison for 6 months. While incarcerated, he used the only thing he had at his disposal, handkerchiefs and soap, to make his art.
I spent Angel's birthday with him and his friends on a rooftop in the outskirts of Havana...it was a magical night.
The beauty of Cuban art in general is the use of found objects by artists living in an environment where acquiring art materials, like paint and canvas, can prove to be unattainable. Their determination to create inspires them to use any material they can get their hands on to make an artistic expression.
Eduardo Pon Juan is an art professor at the University of Havana. His use of books in his art is notable because of the suppression of books and media in the country.
For those of you who speak Spanish, I apologize for the translation, but I did this with no budget and with the help of friends.
Damian Aquilles' popularity has increased significantly since this video was shot in 2001. He likes to use saltwater with metal to create a rust "paint".
Damian is a great friend and he makes frequent visits to the U.S., even New Orleans every once and while.
There is currently an exhibition of Angel Delgado's work at the Jonathan Ferrara Gallery on Julia Street, as well as some other Cuban artists, including Damian Aquilles, until the end of February.
It's funny, I was only in Cuba for a short period in 2001 but to this day I still have dreams of the country. Politics aside, it's a magical place.
The opening is just a montage of shots, mostly in Old Havana, of Cuban life, art and architecture. I shot it on DV (Sony PD-150) with a borrowed tripod which couldn't pan or tilt. It was hard enough to the get the camera in the country without setting off sirens, so a professional tripod was out of the question. I picked one up on arrival which was just good enough to sit the camera on , so I had to stick to static shots only. I was too liberal with the dissolves but I had just learned to edit on an NLE, and I was enamored with the effects options...we live and learn:
The first artist is Angel Delgado, whose star has risen to greater heights since this interview was shot. Angel gained notoriety after a performance piece he did in a Havana art gallery during the "Special Period" . Cuba had been relying heavily on Soviet financial support for decades. When the Soviet Union collapsed, the financial aid dried up and sent an already scrapped Cuba into an even deeper depression.
Angel felt like an artistic statement needed to be made to mark the Special Period. In an exhibit titled ,"The Sculptured Object", he calmly walked into the gallery, laid down a copy of the Granma, Cuba's official communist party newspaper, and took a massive dump on it.
Cuban officials failed to appreciate the metaphor and Angel was thrown in prison for 6 months. While incarcerated, he used the only thing he had at his disposal, handkerchiefs and soap, to make his art.
I spent Angel's birthday with him and his friends on a rooftop in the outskirts of Havana...it was a magical night.
The beauty of Cuban art in general is the use of found objects by artists living in an environment where acquiring art materials, like paint and canvas, can prove to be unattainable. Their determination to create inspires them to use any material they can get their hands on to make an artistic expression.
Eduardo Pon Juan is an art professor at the University of Havana. His use of books in his art is notable because of the suppression of books and media in the country.
For those of you who speak Spanish, I apologize for the translation, but I did this with no budget and with the help of friends.
Damian Aquilles' popularity has increased significantly since this video was shot in 2001. He likes to use saltwater with metal to create a rust "paint".
Damian is a great friend and he makes frequent visits to the U.S., even New Orleans every once and while.
There is currently an exhibition of Angel Delgado's work at the Jonathan Ferrara Gallery on Julia Street, as well as some other Cuban artists, including Damian Aquilles, until the end of February.
It's funny, I was only in Cuba for a short period in 2001 but to this day I still have dreams of the country. Politics aside, it's a magical place.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Like Father, Like Son
New Orleans Saints parade ferry waits shorter for some public officials
How appropriate, Jeff Arnold put blue lights on his head and ran to the front of the line.
Folks, just remember this the next time you vote...and thank you for remembering it when you voted in District C.
And let's not forget that his father, Tom, is on the CCCD which operates those ferries. More to come on the CCCD on Humid Beings.
How appropriate, Jeff Arnold put blue lights on his head and ran to the front of the line.
Folks, just remember this the next time you vote...and thank you for remembering it when you voted in District C.
And let's not forget that his father, Tom, is on the CCCD which operates those ferries. More to come on the CCCD on Humid Beings.
Best Halftime Show Evah
Unfortunately....we did get fooled again:
Obama Still Doesn't Get It
UDATE: Check this out. ht/TommyBBQ
Monday, February 08, 2010
is everyone in business together?
Hi, Zombie.
I'm too happy and hungover to work today, so I zoomed over to the SOS site to check out the name "Jaeger".
I plugged that into the spot for the last name of the member or agent, and all SORTS of things came up.
One that interested me was "First Responders Fund", charter number 36489084N
The agent is listed as "Crescent City Corporate Services" with an address that seems REALLY familier, 701 Poydras St., Suite 3600. When I'm more sober I'll go back and check that address.
But the interesting part (to me at least) was that the "First Responders Fund" had three directors listed:
Joseph Jaeger
Stewart Juneau
Irving Mayfield
Have we seen such a direct connection between these people yet?
All of these directors were listed at the 233 Newton Address that is also:
Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World
Mardi Gras World Services
the Kern's Sculpture LLC
and something called
"Euphrosine Properties LLC"
... which might be a neat thing to look up in the Notarial Archives. Maybe Sparky could get another interesting map out of it.
Is this new information for this blog, or am I just drunk and slow? It would be cool if it was helpful.
The Poydras address is just a law office, but the fact that they were all connected in business dealings is interesting.
I'm too happy and hungover to work today, so I zoomed over to the SOS site to check out the name "Jaeger".
I plugged that into the spot for the last name of the member or agent, and all SORTS of things came up.
One that interested me was "First Responders Fund", charter number 36489084N
The agent is listed as "Crescent City Corporate Services" with an address that seems REALLY familier, 701 Poydras St., Suite 3600. When I'm more sober I'll go back and check that address.
But the interesting part (to me at least) was that the "First Responders Fund" had three directors listed:
Joseph Jaeger
Stewart Juneau
Irving Mayfield
Have we seen such a direct connection between these people yet?
All of these directors were listed at the 233 Newton Address that is also:
Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World
Mardi Gras World Services
the Kern's Sculpture LLC
and something called
"Euphrosine Properties LLC"
... which might be a neat thing to look up in the Notarial Archives. Maybe Sparky could get another interesting map out of it.
Is this new information for this blog, or am I just drunk and slow? It would be cool if it was helpful.
The Poydras address is just a law office, but the fact that they were all connected in business dealings is interesting.
Saturday, February 06, 2010
Friday, February 05, 2010
I'm rubber you're glue...
Blackface & Gestapo: the last days of the mayoral campaign
“John made a public statement on the issue last night during the debate that he won. On the contrary, we are waiting for Mitch Landrieu to explain himself to the men and women of the New Orleans Police Department after calling them the Gestapo. "
Nanny nanny boo boo....
Translation: John made a baseless denial then stormed off the set and shat a brick, but I'm supposed to keep parroting Landrieu and Gestapo every chance I get.
Come back from the dark side, Helena.
“John made a public statement on the issue last night during the debate that he won. On the contrary, we are waiting for Mitch Landrieu to explain himself to the men and women of the New Orleans Police Department after calling them the Gestapo. "
Nanny nanny boo boo....
Translation: John made a baseless denial then stormed off the set and shat a brick, but I'm supposed to keep parroting Landrieu and Gestapo every chance I get.
Come back from the dark side, Helena.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Typical
Mayoral frontrunner Mitch Landrieu targeted by rivals in televised forum
Perhaps the night's most shocking moments came as candidates responded to the question about how they would heal New Orleans' long-standing racial divide.
"There's a bigger issue out here, and it has to do with Mr. Georges," Couhig said. "I was so disappointed today when I was presented with evidence that an organization he ran had people in blackface, parading around. I mean, how can you be mayor if you condone that in an organization that you were the president of?"
Couhig referred to allegations posted this week at the Web site of a local blogger connecting Georges with a controversial Tulane University fraternity.
Georges denied participating in racist activities: "You know, you don't respond to blogs. It's not true. Those are all misrepresentations. I never condoned such, and it's just last-minute political tactics."
They just can't bring themselves to do it can they?
But seriously, I want to know what's not true, Mr. Georges.
I guess you think blogs are beneath you...you know the average guy asking you to take responsibility. You want to lead an entire city into the future but you can't take responsibility for your own past....amazing.
I guess you can go ahead and try to chalk it up as the privilege of youth. The rest of us now know the truth... you were a youth of privilege who never learned to take responsibility for your own actions.
Perhaps the night's most shocking moments came as candidates responded to the question about how they would heal New Orleans' long-standing racial divide.
"There's a bigger issue out here, and it has to do with Mr. Georges," Couhig said. "I was so disappointed today when I was presented with evidence that an organization he ran had people in blackface, parading around. I mean, how can you be mayor if you condone that in an organization that you were the president of?"
Couhig referred to allegations posted this week at the Web site of a local blogger connecting Georges with a controversial Tulane University fraternity.
Georges denied participating in racist activities: "You know, you don't respond to blogs. It's not true. Those are all misrepresentations. I never condoned such, and it's just last-minute political tactics."
They just can't bring themselves to do it can they?
But seriously, I want to know what's not true, Mr. Georges.
I guess you think blogs are beneath you...you know the average guy asking you to take responsibility. You want to lead an entire city into the future but you can't take responsibility for your own past....amazing.
I guess you can go ahead and try to chalk it up as the privilege of youth. The rest of us now know the truth... you were a youth of privilege who never learned to take responsibility for your own actions.
Thank You Mr. Couhig
For having the balls to broach the subject no MSM entity in our city would touch.
Kudos to you.
Now we officially have Mr. Georges' response....denial.
Georges' response was "that's not true". So what isn't true? Exactly what is not true, John?
UPDATE: Another BIG thank you to Clancy DuBos...proving that some members of the MSM do have balls as well.
Kudos to you.
Now we officially have Mr. Georges' response....denial.
Georges' response was "that's not true". So what isn't true? Exactly what is not true, John?
UPDATE: Another BIG thank you to Clancy DuBos...proving that some members of the MSM do have balls as well.
Sieg Heil Jaeger-Master
An astute reader decided to go back through Georges' campaign contributions and found a gem:
Aryan Land Enterprises, LLC - $2000
That may beat SunBlock, Lagniappe, and every other LLC name combined.
So I did the SOS search for the proud white men who own this company and low and behold who did I find:
Joe Jaeger...of the Jaeger Foundation.
You remember our old buddy the Jaeger Foundation that was lucky enough to get all those properties in Algiers donated to them:
By Request...
Oh and while we're pointing out interesting Georges' campaign contributions....take note of this:
Winvestco, a firm owned by former Nagin adviser and business partner David White, each also gave Georges $1,000.
Remember the name of this David White company, Winvestco....I think you're going to be hearing a lot more about it in the near future....hint
Aryan Land Enterprises, LLC - $2000
That may beat SunBlock, Lagniappe, and every other LLC name combined.
So I did the SOS search for the proud white men who own this company and low and behold who did I find:
Joe Jaeger...of the Jaeger Foundation.You remember our old buddy the Jaeger Foundation that was lucky enough to get all those properties in Algiers donated to them:
By Request...
Oh and while we're pointing out interesting Georges' campaign contributions....take note of this:
Winvestco, a firm owned by former Nagin adviser and business partner David White, each also gave Georges $1,000.
Remember the name of this David White company, Winvestco....I think you're going to be hearing a lot more about it in the near future....hint
Just so we know who I am and who they are...
Bryan has left a new comment on your post "The Folly of Youth?": Just so we are all clear on who is writing this article: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2009/08/american_zombie_blogger_outs_h.html
Yup...that's me.
And here's who they are:
Yup...that's me.
And here's who they are:
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