Hot Late-Summer Ramblings

August is the worst month of Summer in New Orleans. It's blisteringly hot, today's heat index is 107, the humidity is relentless and Tropical weather is really picking up steam. As we speak there are two systems in the Atlantic, one is already a depression, becoming a Tropical Storm and one threatens to become a depression imminently.

Corruption has also reared its ugly head in our dilapidated city again. Councilman at Large Oliver Thomas today pleaded guilty to accepting bribes and has resigned his office. This scandal really hurts, perhaps more than all the others combined. It hurts not only because I admired Thomas' political positions and his passion and dedication to the city, but mostly because if this man is guilty it shows a depth of corruption that is endemic in our culture. The palm greasing and "hookups" are everyday normal to our Creole society but it doesn't work in the larger system of (read Federal) law, and unfortunately I think our political leaders will never give it up. I wonder who old Oliver will flip on, who is the next to go?

This city is all about ups and downs right now, and they come at you with such speed and frequency that I oftentimes feel physically ill. Right now I'm feeling pretty skeptical about our future.

August in New Orleans always gives me a serious case of the Spleen.

A list of things that are helping me through the month:

• Veronica Mars, Season 1
• Lost season 3 reruns with Rick & Sarah
• Spook Country, William Gibson
• BibliOdyssey
• Pho Tau Bay
• Burritos
• Saints Pre-Season Excitement
• Todd Rundgren
• Jorge Ben Jorge
• Lemonade

Comments

[heather]

I feel the weight of Oliver's blow all the way in SF.

[pinknoiz]

Jorge Ben Jor _and_ William Gibson...I knew there was a reason I added you to my bookmarks!

And the connection between those two, and NOLA for that matter, is Oxossi, Ogun and the whole pantheon of 'loa'.

[jonah]

As always fantastic writing. It's nice to see that loa / orisha string he started in Count Zero picked back up in Spook Country.

[Will]

Mmmm. I'm at Pho Tau Bay every Saturday at ~10am, for a post rollerderby-practice feast.