Happy Mardi Gras!

Today is like Christmas and New Year’s all rolled into one for New Orleans. Although a huge number still have no place to live, Mardi Gras gives them an occasion to meet old friends and make fun of their troubles, like these three guys dressed as military Meals Ready To Eat. True to form, the Zulu and Rex krewes paraded, the Indians danced, and the kids and adults screamed for those precious beads.

I wore my beads from Mardi Gras ‘97 all day today. The parades and the hurricane damage was all over TV today, which is a good thing I’m sure. At least people will not forget so quickly. National Public Radio continues to do a great job of covering all angles of the New Orleans story.

Today Tara called to say she’d torn ligaments in her knee and couldn’t go with us. I’m sorry she’s missing the trip, but hope she’ll post us a comment or two on the blog. Most everybody else has turned in their deposit and forms. We have 24 people in the Tennessee Crowbar Krewe!

Sooo… That leaves THREE spots unfilled on our trip. We have one too many to leave a car at home. I’ve asked around to the CGT students, and may have one taker. We need two more people! If you want to have a life-changing experience in New Orleans, here are the facts:

• We’ll be gone from March 4–11 over Pellssippi’s Spring Break.
  
• The trip is CHEAP. $30 to cover transportation and enough $ to cover road food and a night out in the city.
  
• You will help make a small difference to real people in New Orleans.
  
• We’ll be gutting houses so they can de dried out and repaired. It’s dirty work, but doesn’t require strength or skill. Not much anyway…
  
• Bottom line: I need forms from you and $30 ASAP! Email
  me right away.

Crowbar Gear is Here!

Jayson Mullen designed this great rooster and crowbar logo for our krewe. He's also managed to get a friend in the t-shirt business to print up a FREE shirt for the trip. Click here to shop for more cool gear including a trucker's hat and a wall clock. Order now to have for the trip, y'all.

And you thought all you'd get from the trip would be a warm feeling in your heart. No wait. That's not my heart...

Out and About in the Crescent City

I've put together some ideas to keep us from getting bored and give us an authentic taste of the rich gumbo of New Orleans. I've got some prizes lined up for a digital photo scavenger hunt, so bring your camera. Besides a big night o the town on Thursday, we can do a little sightseeing after work each day too.

• SATURDAY:We can drive to Algiers Point to take the freeCanal Street / Algiers Ferry From Jackson Square we can catch the Canal St. Streetcar to get an overview of New Orleans.
  
  
• SUNDAY: Take a Haunted history walking tour of the French Quarter. A fun way to see the "dark side" of New Orleans.
  
  
• MONDAY: Visit Donna's, a live brass band jazz place.
  
  
• TUESDAY: We can go by the Maple Leaf an historic spot.
  
  
• WEDNESDAY: We'll hit the Rock n' Bowl for Swing Night with Ingrid Lucia. You can watch her lattest video (on a PC) here.
  
  
• THURSDAY NIGHT ON THE TOWN: Save your money for dinner in French Quarter Followed by a Digital Photo Scavenger Hunt starting at Cafe Du Monde. Finally, we'll drive out to Vaughn's for live jazz with Kermitt Ruffins.
  
  
• FRIDAY: We'll visit Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World. Mardi Gras may be over, but we can still see where the floats are made!

Neighbors Doing the Best They Can

I just found the best news story so far on real people in a real a neighborhood in New Orleans and how Katrina has affected them. It's from National Public Radio. Gwendolyn Thompkins talks about Ponchartrain Park, an all-black suburb on the lake just east of the Industrial Canal. Her childhood home there was flooded. She talks to neighbors, reminescing about her childhood, and we hear some great music. It's worth downloading and installing Real Player (get the free version) just to hear this. This neighborhood is near where we will be working.

Worth a Thousand Words

Each of these links goes to dozens (usually) of photos uploaded to Flickr, a photo sharing service. They show parades, New Orleans life, and the astounding damage done by post-Katrina and post-Rita flooding. Feast you eyes on the wreckage and hope of New Orleans.

Pre-Katrina

• 1991 New Orleans photos by Miss Kitty Remember before Katrina?
  
• Jazz Funeral for Democracy by Editor B. Innuaguration Day 2005, New Orleans style.

Post Katrina

• Katrina Aftermath, New Orleans by searingblue Day-after flooding and hurricane damage to house in uptown New Orleans near Tulane University.
  
• Hurricane Katrina by boxchain A view from the porch in the Bywater, 8/29 - 9/3/05. Includes flooding, wind damage, a military chopper overhead, and an armed civilian in the street.
  
• Shatterdome by Chris Martel Pictures from post-Katrina New Orleans, mainly Mid-City, taken Sept. 27-28 2005
  
• NOLA Expedition by Editor B. Pictures taken in Mid-City showing hurricane damage.
  
• Our House, Post-Katrina by spasticrobot House damage from 4' of flooding.
  
• New Orleans by Madolan More post-Katrina damage
  
• new orleans, november 2005 by elithea French Quarter three months after.
  
• New Orleans by icki February 20-22 photos of heavy damage. One shows an art student painting landscapes among the ruins of the Ninth Ward. Weird.

Mardi Gras 2006

• Barkus Parade by Chris Martel Photos from an all-dog Mardi Gras parade on February 19.
  Mardi Gras 2006 by boxchain Krewe du Viex parade.
  
• Mardi Gras Mambo by Bee Recluse Pegasus and Barkus parades.
  
• Mardi Gras 2006 by searingblue Krewe du Viex parade

Government Failed in Response to Katrina

We have a government to do for individuals what they cannot do for themselves, and protecting people from natural disasters is a perfect example. But with friends like FEMA, who needs enemies? Now that the dust has settled and the investigations are completed, it looks like there is plenty of blame to go around. The mayor failed to evacuate the poor, the governor failed to ask for help from the Feds, and the Feds were clueless all around.

The official response from all government leaders and agencies was inadequate, misinformed, or completely absent. That’s not just my opinion, but that of three government reports released recently. Here’s the story from National Public Radio, with links to the reports.

Mardi Gras

As the days count down to fat Tuesday on February 28, each day brings more parades, each night brings more masked balls, and there's another crazy sight around every corner. Mardi Gras has gotten the reputation as a "Girls Gone Wild" event, but it is really a family festival outside the French Quarter.

There are lots of unique traditions that are part of Mardi Gras: King Cakes, Mardi Gras Indians, Krewes, beads, and more. Here are a few links:

Andy Hardy Mardi Gras Guide

Mardi Gras photos from past years

Mardi Gras photo gallery

Mardi Gras Indians

King cake information

Krewes and parades

TEXT

Pellissippi Publicity

Michael Cover came by and spoke to me last week. His article made it into The Pellissippi Press. Give it a read.

Eat Well New Orleans Style

This town has its own unique food, and an amazing list of restauarants. Here’s a list culled and edited from Fodor’s:

Best Restaurant in the Quarter: It’s right on the edge — of the neighborhood, but not this category. Marisol’s, 437 Esplanade Ave. (tel. 504/943-1912), has the most interesting and inventive food in the city at this time. Each night, the menu changes according to the chef’s whim. This means chances are taken, both by the chef and by the diners, but in a town that too often features culinary followers rather than leaders, we are glad someone is so boldly forging ahead. Open for business.

Best for cheap scenery: Listen to the jazz at Café du Monde, 800 Decatur St. (tel. 504/581-2914), where getting powdered sugar all over yourself is half the fun. It’s large and open-air, and street performers are always around. Open for business.

Best Gumbo: More fighting words, but you can’t go wrong at Dooky Chase, 2301 Orleans Ave. (tel. 504/821-0600), or Galatoire’s,
209 Bourbon St. (tel. 504/525-2021).

Best Barbecued Shrimp: That’s Cajun-style, in a spicy, garlicky butter sauce, and while Pascal’s Manale, 1838 Napoleon Ave. (tel. 504/895-4877), invented it (and has the largest shrimp), And for fans, Liuzza’s by the Track up in Mid-Town does it on a po’ boy!

Best Oysters: Or “ersters” as the locals would say. Locals insist that Felix’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar, 739 Iberville St. (tel. 504/522-4440), has the best.

Best Contemporary Creole: The food at Brigtsen’s, 723 Dante St. (tel. 504/861-7610), and Upperline, 1413 Upperline St. (tel. 504/891-9822), is consistently interesting, innovative, and delicious.

Best Classic New Orleans Restaurant: Of the three mainstays of New Orleans dining (the others being Galatoire’s and Antoine’s), Arnaud’s, 813 Bienville St. (tel. 504/523-5433), is the one where you can count on getting a consistently good (and maybe even great) meal in the same way, and in the exact same surroundings, that generations of New Orleanians have done before you. A word of caution: bring your VISA, ‘cause this food ain’t cheap.

Best Po’ Boys: The drippy monster creations at Mother’s, 401 Poydras St. (tel. 504/523-9656), are the bomb and the buttah.

Best Muffulettas: You really haven’t had a sandwich until you’ve tried a muffuletta, and no one beats Central Grocery, 923 Decatur St. (tel. 504/523-1620).

Best Hot Dogs: Lucky Dogs are so good they are the only puchcart vendors licensed in the French Quarter. These dawgs are legendary.

Dress Like a Local

Sure, you could go to New Orleans and buy a tourists t-shirt and look just like every other goofball, but why not dress like a local with these great designs.

• Make Levees Not War t-shirt Buy the t-shirt and read the brilliant comments by esteemed novelist and humanist Kurt Vonnegut.
  
  
• Zulu t-shirt The original African American carnival Krewe, and the kewlest krewe of all.
  
  
• Abita Beer Restoration t-shirt Brrwed right in NOLA, and part of the profits go to rebuild.

Laissez les bon temps rouler (Let the good times roll!)

It’s Saturday night, I’m home in front of the Mac, and it’s snowing here in Knoxville. Seems like the perfect time to dream about good times in New Orleans. Music is the lifeblood of the city where jazz was born. Here are some ideas for our night out. Leave a comment and tell me what you like.

• Rock ‘n’ Bowl: Retro bowling and live retro music
  
• Pat O’Brien’s: Original home of the hurricane. Are they proud of that at the moment?
  
• The Blue Nile: Live music on Frenchman Street
  
• Donna’s: A local favorite for music
  
• The Funky Butt: Live jazz New Orleans style
  
• Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop: A real pirate hangout and the oldest bar in America. The only cool place on Bourbon Street.
  
• The Red Room: Plush and swanky, as the name and the velvet (it’s everywhere!) implies.
  
• Snug Harbor: Great food and music on Frenchman Street.
  
• Titpitina’s: Live music nightly. One of the best — just ask the locals.
  
• Saturn Bar:A local hangout in the Ninth Ward that used to be a junk store. very funky!
  
• Vaughn’s:Another Ninth Ward joint, this place is the hip place to hear jazz. Kermit Ruffins is the up-and-coming jazzman that packs the place on Thursday nights.

Reservations Confirmed

I just got a reply from Diana at ACORN confirming our reservations for March 4-10. We'll have six cars and 24 people, assuming all show up. I'm now past the worry stage and into the fun planning stage. New Orleans is still a great city post- Mardi Gras and even post-Katrina. Here's Dianna's email responing to some quetions I had. I thought our video person Melissa might want to interview Wade Radke, the founder of ACORN.

• Thank you for the finalized list of names!  I have submitted it to FEMA and this is a confirmation.  We are so excited to have your group join us on March 4.
  
• We encourage the home owners to be at the home while we are gutting it.  However, it is often the case that the owners are still living in the cities where they evacuated to or it is emotionally difficult for them to witness the contents of their homes being put in a pile on the street.  I would say that the owners are at about 1/2 of the homes we work on.
  
• We encourage the volunteers to enjoy themselves in New Orleans.  After 3:00 you are free to do whatever you please.  There is no curfew at FEMA however they do not allow alcohol on the premises.  
  
• 3:00 would be a good time each day for your group to explore different parts of the town.  Have you all lined up transportation for your group yet?  
  
• Most people do sleep with their bags under their beds.  Many leave there bags there during the day and only lock in the car their valuables.  It is up to you.  I think you will find tent city to be secure and safe.
  
• The ACORN van will be used for the people that come individually and not with a group.  I doubt that we will have room.  
  
• We are working on creating a message board on our website where future and past volunteers and share their stories.
  
• I am sure you will be able to have a moment to interview Wade while you are here.  I will shoot an email to him letting him know your interest and dates.

You can check in to FEMA 24 hours a day.  They will have a list with everyone's names and they will check ID’s.  The next morning your group can drive to our office where we meet at 8:00 each morning.  The address is 1016 Elysian Fields Ave.  Thanks, Diana

Catching the Volunteer Spirit

Lot’s of folks in New Orleans and around the country are stepping to help out the city in rebuilding. Here are a few inspiring stories about how everyone from piano tuners to medical students are helping out.

• Peter Spring: A Piano Tuner from Oregon
  
• The Made with Love Café: A Volunteer-run Kitchen serves New Orleans East
  
• The Mystic Krewe of Shangri-La Clean Up New Orleans
  
• A Tulane Med Student Helps Rebuild a Communit
  

Cindy Knows What it Means to Miss New Orleans

Peace activist Cindy Sheehan, a personal hero of mine, turned up in St. Bernard Parish today, leading a protest aimed at rebuilding. Sheehan is the mother of a slain soldier who led a camp-in at the President's ranch in Crawford, TX awhile back.

The New Battle of New Orleans

As we head south from Tennessee to New Orleans, it’s cool to know about our historic connection with this great American city. In 1814 General Andrew Jackson marched Tennesseans south along the Mississippi River to fight off the British during the War of 1812. They’d already burned Washington an were planning to capture New Orleans.

When Tennesseans were asked to volunteer, ten times the requested number stepped forward. That’s where the Tennessee Vols got their name. Anyway, when the Americans encountered the British outside of New Orleans, they attacked at night, backed off, and dug in. This group of citizen soldiers was a real ragtag bunch too. There was U.S. Army, New Orleans militia, freed black Haitian slaves, and long hunters from Tennessee and Kentucky. Oh, and there were pirates. Real pirates, led by John Lafitte, whose bar/blacksmith shop is still in the French Quarter. Jackson’s forces were outnumbered two to one.

Jackson and his men waited until they “saw the whites of their eyes” and opened up with field artillery fired a a low angle. The redcoats were slaughtered. The cannon shells skipped across the swamp water, ripping holes in the British lines and saving the city from invasion.

You know the square in New Orleans where President Bush made his speech promising to rebuild? That’s Jackson Square, named for our Tennessee General who saved the city along with the pirate Lafitte. There’s even a statue of Jackson, jauntily waving his hat atop a rearing horse. The only other copy is in Nashville, outside the state capitol.

So here we come again — a bunch of Tennesseans riding south to help out the Crescent City. Of course this battle may take a little longer to win…

Greetings from “Greetings”

Just got this email today from Justin Lundgren, a New Orleans photographer who shot this amazing photo of kids reaching for beads at a Carnival parade before Katrina.

Hi Todd, Thank you for the kind words about “GREETINGS”. I just found out on Friday that the New Orleans Contemporary Art Center is going to exhibit it over the second Jazzfest weekend which is kind of exciting.

Anyway, it’s great that you’re organizing this trip. We need all the help we can get. I returned here a day after Rita with my wife and dog and we’re all comfortably settled in Uptown Nola. The intact part of the city — i.e. the “sliver on the river” — is the historically interesting part of town and if you have no reason to wander through Mid-City or Lakeview or Gentilly or the Lower 9th, you can live under the delusion that nothing major has occurred. Of course, this delusion is shattered every time you look into the melancholy eyes of virtually every person walking by.

I don’t know where you and your students will be staying; be prepared for a lot of visual clutter. New Orleans has never been a “together” kind of place, as you know, but right now we’re a super messy place. And with Mardi Gras coming up it’s only gonna get worse. As far as safety goes, the city has never been less threatening. To me, anyway. I would feel comfortable running through the Magnolia projects at 2 a.m. these days. Your students may want to explore the night life, and there’s still plenty to do after a day of cleaning houses — get your musical tips from the Lagniappe and Gambit online.

Lastly, all I can say is be prepared to get your mind blown. This thing is much much bigger than all the imagery that can be conveyed on TV. We’re disappointed that only 20% of Congress has made the effort to see the devastation. I’ve got to run now, dinner is ready. Feel free to copy this to your blog and good luck.

sincerely,
Justin

Organize a “Katrina Clean-Up” Spring Break at your college

It’s easier than you might think to put together a trip to help rebuild New Orleans or other parts of the Gulf coast. There are several organizations actively seeking groups to come work. Most will provide food and simple lodging in exchange for volunteer work. Some charge a minimal fee. Why not put together a trip like this at your school?

First: Contact a group doing volunteer rebuilding work:
ACORN: Our hosting agency in New Orleans East. They’re great.
Common Ground Collective: A grassroots non-profit in New Orleans East.
Habitat for Humanity
Hands On USA: Active in Biloxi.
There are lots of faith-based organizations as well. Try Google to find one.

Second: Publicize your trip.
Start by typing up the facts. Next, email your students and faculty. Flyers, posters, and in-class announcements work well too. Notify the local media before you leave. Publicity may inspire others!

Third: Take a deposit and sign people up, and look for sponsors.
I put together a packet of materials describing the trip and including contact and medical info, a model release for photos and video, and a “hold harmless” form. Email me for these docs. Be sure to take a significant cash deposit to hold a spot, otherwise people may back out. You may find people who want to donate gas money too, in which case you can refund the deposit when you roll out on your trip.

Fourth: Go forth and get involved!
Keep in contact with your hosting agency, organize a carpool, passenger van, or bus, and do your trip. Prepare to be amazed at the impact your trip will have on you and the individuals you meet. This can be a life-changing experience!

Finally: Document your trip.
Take lots of pictures and video to show when you get back. If you can get on-site internet access, consider taking a laptop and blogging from the road. Typepad and Blogger are two free services that will allow you to set up blogs.

Deadline extended

I talked to Diana with ACORN today, and she gave me another week to add people to our trip. So email your friends and have them let me know via email (just click the link below my face.)

So far we have 13 people, including 3 faculty members and 10 students and friends. Since this is not an official Pellissippi trip, anyone who's over 18 can go. We need more drivers too. Drivers would take their own vehicle with the other three passengers kicking in $30 each for gas. The trip is about 1200 miles round trip, so at $2.26 per gallon (the price here when I checked) driving a car that gets 25 mpg, $30 should just about cover it.

I'm also working on some nifty graphics for our trip. T-shirts and other stuff will be available to buy through Cafe Press. Anybody know a t-shirt printer willing to donate some shirts for a good cause?

Watch for posts about Mardi Gras and why the party must go on this year.

New Orleans here we come!

A couple of weeks after deciding to do this thing, I've managed to find a hosting agency on the ground in New Orleans, announce the trip, started registering people, and get two sponsors. Not bad work I guess. Oh, and I started this blog to record the experience.

• Trip begins: Saturday March 4, 8 a.m.
  
• Trip ends: Saturday March 11, 10 p.m.
  
• The work: Cleaning out houses with ACORN, a great organization in the Ninth Ward.
  
• The food and beds: Courtesy of FEMA, the agency I thought I would never like again. We'll be sleeping and eating for free at Camp Algiers. Imagine a summer camp patrolled by the National Guard. Or a penitentiary with DSL connections. Pretty cool, actually.
  
• How much? $30 for gas and enough dough for road food and a night on the town.
  
• Are there forms? Ah, yes. Where would we be without forms? Pick them up from my office--room 225D in the Goings Building at Pellissippi.
  
• Who's going? All the cool people. Actually, we want anyone over 18 who can swing a crowbar and sing Johnny Cash songs. No, you don't have to be a Pellissippi student or faculty member. Or staff. Or even be able to pronounce the name of the place.

Thanks to our sponsors! My colleague Vida Hashemian and a great guy from New Orleans named Dave Thomas have both sent me checks to help cover our gas costs.

I originally posted about the trip in bluenecks. Stay tuned here for more information, photos, and journal entries.