YatBazaar

He can try all he wants to distance himself from the nutball factions in the Republican Party, but, in the opening session of the next Congress in January, Mr. Cao will vote for John Boehner for Speaker.  If the GOP find themselves able to take back a majority in the House of Representatives, Mr. Boehner will win that vote.

Thanks in part to Mr. Cao.

Don't feel sorry for Mr. Cao when he says Democrats don't reach out to him:

He's got a frostier relationship with House Democratic leaders who, unlike their counterparts in the Senate, do not need to woo Republican votes -- and, Cao says, don't bother to try. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "has not approached me once," he said.

Why should Speaker Pelosi reach out to a guy who supports David "John" Vitter?  For all the publicity Mr. Cao got because he cast a procedural vote with the Democrats on Health Insurance Reform, he still voted with his party to oppose final passage. Should his Republican Party regain control, Mr. Cao's "representation of his district" will consist on voting to slash the very programs that currently help this region get back on its feet. He'll be voting in support of big oil companies like BP.

Why will he do this? Because Anh Cao is a Republican.  His mentor is former New Orleans City Councilman Bryan Wagner.  LA GOP head (and Lt. Governor candidate) Roger Villerie is a top fundraiser and supporter. 

And he'll vote for "Speaker Boehner"

Times-Picayune op-ed columnist James Gill invested his entire column today on Dem nominee for Congress (LA-02) Cedric Richmond's past campaign problems, in an attempt to paint him as a man less moral than Anh "Joseph" Cao, LA-02's Republican incumbent. Says Gill:

Cao may be no pushover, however. Some of his votes -- against health insurance reform and President Barack Obama's economic prodigalities, for instance -- have not endeared him to his constituents on the left. But perhaps Congress would be held in higher esteem if more of its members refused to sacrifice principle for expediency.

"refused to sacrifice principle for expediency?" You mean like how Mr. Cao initially supported President Obama's health insurance reform, then voted against it? From Mr. Gill's paper:

New Orleans Rep. Anh "Joseph" Cao, who was the only Republican in either house of Congress to vote for the overhaul in November, joined the rest of his party in opposition, citing concerns that it would lead to federal funding of abortion.

So, Cao good, Richmond, bad. And those who support Richmond are bad as well:

It does sometimes happen that upstanding characters find themselves duking it out in a saloon, but upstanding characters, attorneys or not, never put their names to false declarations. That Richmond has done so did not faze any of the Democratic Party's leading lights. U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, Mayor Mitch Landrieu and DA Leon Cannizzarro are among a slew of officials vouching for him.

Gill notes that Richmond's behavior doesn't faze the siblings Landrieu, yet he doesn't think it's important to mention that David Vitter's well-document criminal behavior doesn't faze Mr. Cao. Does this mean Cao supports prostitution and Vitter's immoral lifestyle? Does he back the lies Vitter has told to the voters of Louisiana, his wife, and his children?

There's a lot of crossover between the Vitter and Cao campaigns. Both enjoy the support of the LA GOP. Does Cao embody the principles Gill believes should represent us in Washington when he uses the staff of a man like Vitter?  You know, guys who drive drunk and assaults women at knife point?

I eagerly look forward to Mr. Gill's column detailing Cao's associations with less-than-savory characters.  Barring that, his public declaration of affiliation with the Republican Party.

1.  Frenchman, Desire, Good Children, and Other Streets of New Orleans by John Churchill Chase

Buy. This. Book. First.

There's no better introduction to the history of New Orleans than Chase's classic.  John Chase was the editorial cartoonist for the Times Picayune, the States Item before that, and the Item before that.  He also plied his trade on WDSU-TV for years as well.  Additionally, he was extremely knowledgable about the city and wrote a number of books and essays.  Had I taught Louisiana History rather than American History, I would have assigned this book as the first thing the students would read.

2.  Lonely Planet - New Orleans

I don't own this one personally, but the LP guides for Singapore, Tokyo, London, and Amsterdam got me around those cities, so I'm sure the one for New Orleans would help a non-New Orleanian as much.

3.  The Joy of Y'at Catholicism by Earl Higgins

How locals see the Catholic Church.  This book is a fantastic overview of how New Orleanians think.

4.  Mardi Gras New Orleans by Henri Schindler

Mr. Schindler is a float designer and Carnival historian.  He's done the floats for several of the "old line" krewes for years, and is a treasure trove of Carnival and New Orleans knowledge.

5.  1 Dead in Attic:  After Katrina by Chris Rose

This is the only book about the storm I've listed, because too much of a bad thing is too much of a bad thing.  Rose captures the feel of the entire surreal experience.

6.  Huey Long by T. Harry Williams

Dr. Williams was the consummate expert on Governor Huey Pierce Long.  To understand New Orleans' relationship with the rest of the state, you have to understand Huey Long.

7.  Managing Ignatius: The Lunacy of Lucky Dogs and Life in New Orleans by Jerry Strahan

This is the real-life "Confederacy of Dunces," the stories of the Lucky Dog hot dog vendors of the Quarter.  One of the best tales of what life in the Quarter is all about.

8.  New Orleans - a Pictorial History by Leonard V. Huber

Mr. Huber's book is a great overview of the city's history post-Civil War.

9.  New Orleans Architecture Volume VI: Faubourg Treme and the Bayou Road : North Rampart Street to North Broad Street Canal Street to St. Benard Avenue (New Orleans Architecture)

and

10.  New Orleans Architecture Volume III: The Cemeteries

The two best of a multi-volume series.  Treme is a fascinating neighborhood to study, and the cemeteries have distinct architectural styles all their own.  

11.  The Streetcars of New Orleans by Louis C. Hennick and Harper Charton

A comprehensive history of street railways in New Orleans from their inception in the 1830s to 1965.

12.  Who's Your Mama, Are You Catholic, and Can You Make a Roux? by Marcelle Bienvenu

The only cookbook on this list, because it's where you should start.  The three questions that make up the title are the questions that a mother of a young man would ask his girlfriend when he brought her home.  This cookbook covers all the basics of New Orleans cooking.

now three "Images of America" books:

13.  New Orleans: The Canal Streetcar Line by Edward J. Branley

Did you really think I wouldn't pimp my own book?  :-)  Our streetcars and the main street of the city, Canal Street, are inseparable, and here are photos to show that synergy.

14.  Brothers of the Sacred Heart in New Orleans by Edward J. Branley.  What, you thought I wouldn't pimp my other book? :-)  A history of the schools in New Orleans operated by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, since the Civil War.  Includes photos and illustrations of St. Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis, MS, as well as three New Orleans schools:  St. Aloysius High School, Cor Jesu High School, and Brother Martin High School.

15.  Lake Pontchartrain by Catherine Campanella

The lakefront is an integral part of life in the city, and these photos really bring it to life.

This list is just my two cents.  Feel free to chime in with your favorites that I didn't list.  There are a lot of books on New Orleans, and I'm very picky about stuff I read about my home town.  I'm always looking for another good one, unless it's about the storm, then I'll pass, thanks.  :-)

I'll do fiction on Thursday or Friday, so let's keep comments limited to non-fiction today, por favor.

UPDATE I

16.  New Orleans: The Making of an Urban Landscape by Peirce Lewis.

Great work on historical geography.  I can't believe I forgot this, it's on my shelf, assigned by Prof. Logsdon at UNO all those years ago.

Rainy Morning, the Presbytere at Jackson Square

While looking at some of the artifacts that the Louisiana State Museum presented at the "Katrina 5.0 symposium" last Wednesday, I made a comment that I should have brought a decent camera to take decent photos. The good folks on the @LaStateMuseum staff invited me to today's media preview for Katrina and beyond, their exhibit opening on 26-October at the Presbytere. It was a great event, and I'll be sharing some of the photos I shot today over the weeks in the run-up to the opening.

This is a seat from the Louisiana Superdome, the "shelter of last resort" during the storm, and for a couple of days afterwards. LSM obtained this single seat as well as a set of three.

The highlight of today's media briefing, in addition to presentations by several speakers, was the unveiling of Fats Domino's piano, recovered from his house in the Ninth Ward.

LOTS more to come on #kandbeyond as we approach the opening!

NPR's Morning Edition did a great post-K piece this morning, re-visiting the stories of musician/educator Michael White, banker Alden McDonald (Liberty Bank) and gospel choir "The Shades." Go listen, it's wonderful to hear positive post-K tales.

Mugnier photo of the Presbytere from the late 1800s.

Usually I don't do "shout-out" posts, because my memory is horrid and I inevitably forget someone. Better to not do the post at all than slight someone by omission. Still, last night's "Katrina 5.0" event at the Presbytere was so enjoyable that I'm going to write about it.

"Katrina 5.0" was a panel discussion presented by the Museum staff as part of the development of their new exhibit, Living with hurricanes - Katrina & beyond, which opens on 26-October. Last night's panel included author Troy Gilbert, local blogger Bart Everson, Dr. Len Bahr, editor of LaCoastPost.com and costal restoration advocate, Ky Luu, Director of the Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy (DRLA) at Tulane University, and Chris Knowlton, who is a Marine Research Associate at the University of Rhode Island.

The presentation was an excellent mix of Katrina reflections and discussions of the future. Mr. Luu generated the most questions from the audience, with his passionate relaying of the work and studies DRLA have done on Katrina and, more recently, the Haiti earthquake.

A reception followed the panel discussion, and we got the opportunity to see various artifacts and rooms in the museum's Katrina exhibit as it's being built. It's going to be a fascinating look back at the storm, and will be one of those things where, for a while, locals can tell visitors to the city, "Go down to the Presbytere" when they ask what Katrina was like.

Thanks to Victoria Salisbury of @LAStateMuseum for inviting me, to Andrew Nelson of Peter Mayer Advertising for showing me around a bit, and to @LunaNOLA for putting up with the snarky asides I made as she sat next to me. Thanks also to Sam Rykels, the Museum's director, for letting Victoria run with this event. It was a great pleasure to meet Sharon (@sophmom) in the flesh after all these years, as well as to thank Troy Gilbert (@gulfsails) for the contact info on book signings he shared with me over the summer. It was also great to meet @geekandahalf, as well as to see @CallMeAlva.

At one point in the panel discussion, I noticed an attractive young lady in the front row, who had HootSuite open and was live-tweeting the event. At the reception, we figured out that she's @MissMalaprop, one of the most talented craft-gals in the city. Her stuff is great and her shop is worth a look.

I'm really looking forward to Living with hurricanes - Katrina & beyond, as well as other good stuff from the Louisiana State Museum staff!

The current and former NOPD officers facing the possibility of a death penalty trial in federal court got a boost this morning as "team reporting" from Da Paper, Frontline, and Pro Publica made a significant contribution towards softening up the jury pool with a front-page article documenting the chaos in the NOPD command structure in the early post-K days:

In one instance captured on a grainy videotape shot by a member of the force, a police captain relayed the instructions at morning roll call to cops preparing for the day's patrols.

"We have authority by martial law to shoot looters," Capt. James Scott told a few dozen officers in a portion of the tape viewed by reporters. Scott, then the commander of the 1st District, is now captain of the special operations division.

You can bet that videotape will be introduced at trial. No doubt, they'll put these officers on the stand, as well:

Another police captain, Harry Mendoza, told federal prosecutors last month that he was ordered by Warren Riley, then the department's second-in-command, to "take the city back and shoot looters.'' A lieutenant who worked for Mendoza, Mike Cahn III, said he remembered the scene similarly and would testify about it under oath if asked.

Mendoza and Cahn said in separate interviews that Riley made the remarks at a meeting at Harrah's New Orleans Casino, where police had established a command post. Mendoza quoted Riley as saying: "If you can sleep with it, do it,'' according to a document prepared by prosecutors and provided to lawyers defending police officers recently charged with federal offenses.

You can almost hear the opening arguments for the defense now: "martial law" imposed in an area reduced to anarchy, looters cleaning out businesses of more than just survival necessities, NOPD officers who considered their lives to be in danger everytime they hit the street. This is the sort of confusion that requires quick reaction for survival. Mistakes were made, tragic ones in some circumstances. Now a biased federal Department of Justice is taking draconian measures to punish men who were put in untenable situations by their commanders.

And what of those commanders and the subsequent cover-ups? They realized the damage their orders had done to the lives and careers of the men they sent out into the field in those days of anarchy and lawlessness. Doctoring reports and clearing incidents was the least they could do to help make things right. Yes, they're taking their lumps now, manning up, taking the federal bullet for their brother officers.

Not buying it? It's not being sold to you, but rather to the pool of potential jurors from the SE District of Louisiana. This pool of registered voters includes the 56% that don't think David Vitter is less a Christian because he frequented prostitutes. The jury pool for this trial includes Jefferson Parish, whose 24th JDC criminal juries would give the death penalty to minority defendants for check-kiting if offered the chance.

The pool of potential jurors for the Danziger case will be very sympathetic to the arguments of the defense. They are, for the most part, white property owners. They are overwhelmingly Republican, and very pro-law enforcement. When presented with an opportunity to strike back at the heavy black hand of Hussein Kenyatta Obama's DoJ, they'll do what they can to help the heroes who protected their lives and property as the flood waters receded.

This case is no where near as cut and dry as the indictment period suggested.

The street musicians featured in HBO's hit TV series Treme make the best money playing the high-traffic tourist areas, such as Jackson Square and Royal Street (during the day). The real estate around Jackson Square is too valuable to just hang out, and those just sitting around will be nudged aside in favor of folks who want to make money. When the buskers want some down-time, they often congregate by Washington Square in Faubourg Marigny.

View Larger Map

Washington Square is a nice public park in the city's second-oldest neighborhood. Faubourg Marigny is the area just to the east (downriver) from the French Quarter. It's named after Bernard Mandeville de Marigny, who owned the plantation that sat on what is now the faubourg. In 1806, Bernard subdivided the plantation and sold lots in the area. Over the years, "the Marigny" has become a residential extension of the French Quarter. As the Quarter becomes more commercial and tourist-y, those who want to live there migrate more and more to the Marigny.

That's what you see with the street musicians in the show. Annie and Sonny often play in the 500-600 blocks of Frenchmen, which attracts a bit of a crowd in the evenings. There are a number of restaurants and clubs in the Marigny, so it's all logical.

Washington Square as a hangout is also logical, which is why Annie and Harley Watts (played by Steve Earle) are out along the fence. Annie watches as Steve works on a song he's writing, and ends up contributing some lyrics.

Originally named "Founders Park," Washington Square takes its name from the first President, but indirectly. It's actually named in honor of the Washington Artillery, which is now a unit of the Louisiana National Guard. The Washington Artillery (141st Artillery) has seen action in every war the US has fought in, from the Mexican War in 1845 to the Iraq war of 2003.

The photo above is a shot of the square from the late 1800s by George Mugnier.

When writing content that crosses the on-line/print boundary, it's important to remember your audience. Laura Maggi of Da Paper forgot that when she submitted a 5-paragraph summary of NOPD Superindent Ronal Serpas' presser today.

Ms. Maggi's article was factually accurate, but woefully incomplete. Serpas released a 65-point plan for reforming NOPD, but Da Paper and NOLA.com failed to provide readers with the source document. Fortunately, Fox 8's 4-paragraph summary included a link to the PDF.

It's not good enough to spoon-feed the public the news, ladies and gents. Like with this story, we'll simply turn to other sources for what we want. That's not going to make NOLA.com advertisers very happy.