spasticrobot

On the Second Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina

• Two years later and 1/3 of our population is still gone, some forever.
• Crime is worse now than ever before.
• Hopelessness abounds in the poorest neighborhoods.
• None of the hospitals that were closed after the storm have been reopened
• The school system is fractured
• More professionals leave the city everyday

Where is our political leadership? Why is this city being forgotten?

While the ineptitude in City Hall, Baton Rouge and Washington continues, the NGOs are doing the only good and important work down here. Here's a list of some of the ones I've been working to help over the past two years:

• Unified New Orleans Plan
• Tulane University Cowen Institute for Public Education
• NOLA180
• The Idea Village
• Global Green

It's been totally obvious to me throughout these two years that we would have to take things into our own hands in order to get the job done. But without serious governmental infrastructure like responsible governance, a judicial system that works, a strong police force and working hospitals we are all but lost.

We're doing our part, why isn't our government?

image from Suspect Device

We're Moving!

That's right, you heard me. Shanna and I are moving to Old Metairie in September. The double homicide less than two blocks from our house a few weeks ago and the brutal murder at Pal's two nights later were the straws that broke our backs. We're retreating to the edges of this battle.

There's also this map of crime within a mile of our current home from January 1st - August 1st, 2007:

That pink square in the center is our block. Anyone have any questions about why we are moving?

Cultural Ephemera Stops the Demons Cold

More things helping me through the dark hot days of Summer 2007:

• Mylo "Destroy Rock & Roll"
• Justice "Cross"
• MSTRKRFT "The Looks"
• Annunciation Interactive
• Finance books
• Searching for office space
• Veronica Mars, Season 2
• The Idea Village, as a concept and a project
• Grilled Skirt Steak & Gorgonzola Salad
• Gambas al Ajillo
• N.O. Brew Storyville Mocha

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

Station 6 - The Orchid

The first sneak peek from Season 4 of Lost is out. The time travel / evil twin references are awesome. I can't wait for February.

Civil War Envelopes

This image seems weirdly related to my earlier post. From BibliOdyssey, American Civil War Envelopes.

New Orleans, Entrepreneurial Bohemia?

Yesterday's Times-Pic ran a great story about about the New Orleans Exchange, a daring new start up created by two transplants. The main story is a pretty good, but the thing that really caught my eye were the words of  local developer Sean Cummings and Idea Village CFO Keith Crawford.

"New Orleans . . . is being seen as an entrepreneurial bohemia," he said.

Keith L. Crawford, chief financial officer of The Idea Village, a consulting firm that assists growing companies, said the New Orleans Exchange is among the first in a wave of businesses flocking to the Crescent City. He says about $15 billion in public and private money will be invested in New Orleans to assist rebuilding efforts, which will provide small and growing companies with "opportunities that we never dreamed of" before Katrina. "I've seen a renewed optimism and confidence in the entrepreneurial community here," Crawford said. "They are starting to see that this is going to be an exciting place to be over the next 10 years, and they want to participate in that."

New Orleans really is a great place for startups to come, because of the cheap rents, great people and all of the available money. My little company has greatly benefited from the low overhead, the abundance of recovery money and the lack of competition.