HumidCity

The following article is from nola.com:

NOPD says old 5th District station burglarized — after TV reporters tour unsecured building

by Brendan McCarthy, The Times-Picayune

Friday June 06, 2008, 6:16 PM

The New Orleans Police Department said Friday afternoon it is investigating a burglary into its storm-damaged station in the 9th Ward — after reporters and officials from the Metropolitan Crime Commission walked into the open building to investigate why the build had not been secured.

The alleged burglary stems from a WWL–TV news report that found the 5th District was left unsecured — one door unlocked and another wide open — with potentially sensitive files and internal documents left in plain view.

The NOPD’s Public Information Office issued a news release “requesting the public’s assistance in locating and identifying the suspect(s) wanted in connection with the burglary” of the station. The release states that Superintendent Warren Riley learned of this today from a television reporter.

Within 30 minutes, the station fired back in an e-mail sent to all of the news release recipients. The station refuted the NOPD’s claims.

[EDIT: The rest of the article can be found on NOLA.com right here. Go read it. -Loki]

In 1994 Bobby Jindal observed an excorcism. It seems his PR people did a good job of burying the story, but unfortunately for them it is a matter of public record and appears on the New Oxford Review right here. I found it through a friend’s LiveJournal post, but since it is a private post I will not identify the person who originated it. I will however share with you the excerpt that he shared from the above linked article:

Susan attempted to escape, and during the scuffle, “Alice,” the student leader for Campus Crusade for Christ, “entered the room for the first time, brandishing a crucifix.” They had tried calling a “rival” Christian group to help, but the preacher “denied” their request for help and told them to not to “confront the demon.” Alice made Susan even angrier. Susan tried lunging toward the door. Bobby began repeating the Hail Mary over and over again. He said, “Being new to Catholicism, I had yet to accept the Catholic doctrines concerning Mary and considered any form of Marian devotion to be idolatry.” But he could not think of anything else at the time, so he prayed to Mary.

Susan eventually calmed down because of the crucifix, and her sister brought out a Bible. They all began daring Susan to read passages from the Bible. She would begin to read a passage and then blurt out obscenities. But after reading several passages, Susan changed, almost in an instant. She proclaimed, “Jesus is Lord,” and then told everyone she could not remember “any of the past few hours.”
Susan even asked Bobby if he was okay. Bobby told Susan’s sister he would “commit” to a “nightlife” of prayer for Susan. Susan spent the night in the house of a missionary, because her roommate had pagan-looking decorations in their dorm room.

Bobby felt a renewed appreciation for his Catholic faith. He no longer doubted, as he had only hours before. Susan and Bobby stayed friends. Susan even became a Catholic. And her cancer somehow completely disappeared.

Watch out William Peter Blatty! Here we go- rival christians,  a miracle cure, profanity, this has it all.  So one thing I want to know is this: if any form of Marian devotion is idolatry then am I to assume that idolatry is excusable if you cannot think of anything else? And before anyone tells me that it is not fair game to get into this since it is his personal faith let me tell you this: he is a public figure. Once you enter that arena you had better be prepared to deal with it. After all Rev. Wright was considered fair game, wasn’t he?

Pagan decoration in the dorm room. *snort*

-Loki, HumidCity Founder (with thanks to the original pots on LJ that inspired this one. )

What have we been driven to?

An NOPD SWAT team Tuesday afternoon surrounded a house in Lakeview as a resident who learned he was about to lose his trailer threatened a FEMA official with a gun and barricaded himself inside the trailer, police said.-NOLA.com

-Loki, HumidCity Founder

You’ll need it to defend yourself.

State senator Ann Duplessis, (is that like duplicity?,) has authored Louisiana’s newest political embarrassment, Senate Bill 672, which calls for an increase in pay for state legislators. She seems to think that our poor underpaid elected officials need more than quadruple their current $16,000 salaries. SB672 would pay them $70,000 per year and also double their expense accounts. Here, read it yourself. (Yes, recent reports say $50,000, but this is the new and improved version dated 1/1/09. Now that’s foresight!) (You know, technically the word ‘authored’ gives Duplessis way too much credit. She simply took the old bill which set legislator salaries, crossed out “$16,000″ and wrote in “$70,000.” Probably in crayon.)

This will essentially make our legislators the ninth highest paid out of all fifty states. Pretty good considering the most recent survey ranks our states economy 21st out of fifty. Heck, hardly seems worth mentioning, but still…

This comes only one year after Annie helped pass Smokin’ Joe Toomey’s HB489 which also increased the pay of other state officials and the governor. That’s a lot of your money Annie’s spending. If I paid state taxes, I’d be pissed. I’d be thoroughly enraged if I lived in the Lower Ninth Ward though. See, that’s Annie’s territory. I may be slightly off the mark here but, shouldn’t she find some way to help her constituents rebuild their neighborhood before pissing away their hard earned money on her cronies in Baton Rouge?

Annie says that with recently declared monies in the state treasury her plan is now more affordable than ever. Really. Hey Annie, what about those empty lots in the Lower Ninth? Any way you can shake loose a buck or two for the families whose houses were destroyed? No, you say? Pity. Well, as long as you’re housed, fat and happy… fuck ‘em, eh?

Duplessis’ record can be seen here. I find it interesting that she would castrate sex offenders, yet force women to bear the children of rape and incest. I guess that’s just the way she was raised. I wonder who raised her to spend other people’s money so freely?

Unfortunately, SB672 tore through the Senate Finance Committee with unanimous approval and virtually no debate, (big surprise,) and now is on its way to the full senate, presumably for rubber-stamping and a big laugh at all you hard-workin’ Joes that are gonna pay for it. What can you do? Make your voice known! Call your senator and demand they vote this spendthrifts piece-of-shit legislation down the tubes! Visit the Louisiana Action Council and answer the SB672 Poll. Or you can sit there and twiddle your thumbs. It’s your money… at least until Annie gets aholt of it.

This post was syndicated by permission from M. Styborski’s Nation of Morons blog where it appeared on 05/20/08  If you don’t read NoM, you should! -Loki, HumidCity, Founder

“See, Sonny? They’re all a bunch of ignorant illiterates down there.”

-Loki, HumidCity, Founder

EDIT: In additional news Twitter seems to be doun again today.

This is notable because when you click through to the main article downpour is suddenly spelled correctly. You’ve gotta be careful guys, you represent us to the bloody planet when you venture onto the net.

The latest fad in biological pollution comes to us via Florida pet owners who let their snakes loose in the wild (via Discovery News):

Giant pythons capable of swallowing a dog and even an alligator are rapidly making south Florida their home, potentially threatening other southeastern states, a study said.

“Pythons are likely to colonize anywhere alligators live, including north Florida, Georgia and Louisiana,” said Frank Mazzotti, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences professor, in his two-year study.

The pythons thriving in Florida are mostly Burmese pythons from Myanmar that were brought over as pets and then turned loose in the wild.

From 2002-2005, 201 of the beasts were caught by state authorities, but in the last two years the number has more than doubled to 418, Mazzotti said in his study published on the university Web site.

The largest python caught so far in Florida measured 16.4 feet and weighed 154 pounds.

Now is it just me, or do my fellow New Orleanians experience a moment of dread envisioning what would happen if they made it this far while the city continues to rot in so many areas? Other than the occasional cottonmouth we are used to seeing our snakes done up in suits doing their best impression of Kaa from the Disney version of the Jungle Book. (Picture Ray Nagin or Bill Jefferson with big googly eyes singing “trust in meeee…”)

I had a room mate once who kept a 14 ft python named Hamlet, I am well aware from personal experience just how big that actually is when you are face to face with it (and I am NOT a ophidiophobe). That is most definetly not something I wish to see roaming through the vermin rich refuse that so many of our neighborhoods have become.

Of course this is the point in election season when reptiles gravitate to Florida….

To follow up on Loki’s post about our not so favored visitors these next couple of days, I’d like to delve in a bit further, into that uncomfortable territory of what’s really going on behind the scenes - you know, the things that make the sheeple and even many thinking Americans start shouting “conspiracy theory.” Unfortunately, we’ve been getting duped for a long long time, long enough that there’s finally tangible proof of what’s been worked on for the last 60 years or so. Sadly, I fear the proof will do little good, that the wool has been so firmly pulled over our eyes that it’s simply too late to undo what’s been done. Words I hate to hear myself say, as I’ve always considered myself an activist and done what I’ve could to fight the fights I’ve thought needed fighting, always optimistic that we still stood some kind of chance of fighting the power’s that be. Only, it turns out that the power’s that be are little more than figureheads doing the bidding of some much more secrete entities on whose radar our activist antics don’t even register as even the tiniest of blips.

So what the hell am I talking about?

Check out this video for an overview of the real forces that have been working behind the scenes for so long and lovely new tracking devices coming soon to, well, you:

OK, I can’t figure out how to get a youtube video embedded in this here WordPress blog (despite much google research) so if anyone can clue me in, please do. In the meantime, here’s a straight up link to the video.
Fun stuff, eh?

Read the rest of this entry »

You know, disaster capitalism is a foul and fetid thing. It has the morals of a politician and the honor of Richard III. That said, these scum take it to a whole new level. Here is an example of frat boy mentality at its worst, crossing the line from sophomoric humor into the realm of true douchebaggery. They go around various cities and interview the homeless, then they use those interviews as fuel for “belittling humor.” Bad taste is right.

Now they are not only in New Orleans to pull what humor they can out of the many homeless camped under the Claiborne Overpass, but they have even tried to embrace the Web 2.0 world by sending out a press release to the local bloggers. Click “more” t read it. Then I encourage you to contact them and share your opinion of their efforts. (I have deactivated the hyperlinks as I do not wish to aid their search engine ranking in anyway.)

I thought carpetbaggers were bad enough, now we have the fratbaggers to?

-Loki, HumidCity Founder Read the rest of this entry »

Hillary Clinton–Making White Ladies Look Bad.

G Bitch

NOLA

Once again Ernie The Attorney has brought us a real gem, especially if you follow the never ending sexual hijinx of the political class.

[...] a letter of support that David Vitter wrote along with 13 other Republican senators. The letter stressed the importance of a $50 million dollar grant for ‘abstinence education’ for adolescents. Vitter was the first person to sign the letter. Nineteen days later he admitted that he had hired hookers while he was a senator. What a guy!

Go take a look at the pompous, sanctimonious hypocrisy on display! One click away from a scan of the letter, go grab one and share it with your friends! At least Spitzer had the sense to resign. I will always be sorry his wife did not follow through on her Lorena Bobbit threat of a few months back, I think more politicians in this town should get up close and personal with New Orleans health care.

I was sitting down to relax a bit after work, aimlessly surfing the news stories on the web when I ran across this disturbing little piece in Wired about trace quantities of pharmaceuticals in the groundwater nationwide.

Of course New Orleans turns up about a third of the way in when they begin talking about faulty testing data:

In several cases, officials at municipal or regional water providers told the AP that pharmaceuticals had not been detected, but the AP obtained the results of tests conducted by independent researchers that showed otherwise. For example, water department officials in New Orleans said their water had not been tested for pharmaceuticals, but a Tulane University researcher and his students have published a study that found the pain reliever naproxen, the sex hormone estrone and the anti-cholesterol drug byproduct clofibric acid in treated drinking water.

Read the whole piece, it will give you a few chills. In the meantime I would love to talk to anyone who has any knowledge of this, if you do please leave a comment or drop us an email.

Loki, Founder HumidCity

(Discosure: It may be due to the orbital mind control lasers, but I have recently taken on the duties of spearheading the COGs new effort to take over the Internet. Just like Filbert I am unpaid and do so simply to avoid the wrath of Pinkerton. -Loki)

A few days ago I promised to share the story of my fateful misadventures at the Consortium of Genius‘ Secret Lab. Well, it has taken that long for me to recover from the experiments of those mad scientists. So now I can tell you of the secret war going on behind the scenes here in New Orleans, the battle of super science that is about to come to a head. The two most dangerous mad scientist in our city’s history are about to go toe to toe! In one corner we have a man who has pushed the boundaries of science for 49 years from his lab in the Old Icehouse. . I am speaking of none other than Momus Alexander Morgus himself! Squaring off against him is none other than Dr. Milo Thaddeus Pinkerton III, founder and leader of the COG!

Anyway, I was minding my own business walking through the Tuoro Bouligny when a flying car set down next to me and two figures leaped out. The next thing I knew I was being dragged into the vehicle by one other than Dr. A. Rachind and Dr. Z. These two enemies of everything took me back to the Secret Lab and forced me to undergo experiments so gruesome that I cannot even now bring myself to describe it. So there I was surrounded by some of the most feared (mostly for their unpredictable malfunctions) items of super-science in the city limits when Pinkerton got distracted.

It was a video call from Morgus himself. I’ve been able to hack a video of it here. While Pinkerton stepped over a line few New Orleanians ever have, I slipped my bonds and escaped. I still cannot believe he had the audacity to shout at Morgus! Sneaking past the others was easy as Dr. A. Rachnid was concentrating on peering through the keyhole of a door that said “The Harem of Dr. Z.” on it.

Volunteers in the HumidCity underground tell me that things will be coming to a head on March the seventh (next Saturday night) at One Eyed Jacks. If our operatives are correct we will see COG vs. not only Morgus the Magnificent, but also vs. Rock City Morgue!

[This is the first time in a long time Sid Noel has put on the Morgus persona, he is almost 80 years old now. I hope this is not his final appearance in character. If it does turn out to be, then it is a truly fitting one. Wait until you see the episode. It not only showcases two of my personal favorite local bands, but it also give a great tour of some classic NOLA locales in the process. 10 point to anyone who can identify which local band the guy in the comic book shop sequence plays for (the one on the stool who doesn't look up)! Good stuff and highly worth it just to see the episode on the big screen. I also gather that it is an EP release for Rock City Morgue. How can you not attend?]

Loki, Founder, HumidCity

Photos courtesy of The Official Morgus the Magnificent Website and ddagradi on Flickr

According to Matt MacBride, a man my hat is always tipped towards, the head of the Corps of Engineers, Lt. General Robert Van Antwerp, has started a blog:

https://eportal.usace.army.mil/sites/Blog/default.aspx

There is only one post up so far, and it is about Iraq not the Gulf Coast. Still, I think it is damn important that we all take advantage of the opportunity to at least have our say in a new public forum

I know I will be stopping by with pointed questions, and I hope that people from around the U.S. (perhaps folks who live near those 137 levees that are not up to snuff across the country) chime in as well.

[EDIT: here is a link to the Corps Press Release and here is an alternate link if the one above does not work -loki]

Loki
Founder, HumidCity

Nancy Gibbs at Time Magazine brings us a very cheering piece about that Homegrown American Nuisance ™ — The Evangelical Minister.

It seems that the vast array of self important power mongers have basically shot themselves in the foot by showing their lack of actual clout during the dogfight for the GOP nomination. My favorite part is this:

Those who claim to be in public life to promote and defend certain values can least afford to look craven. We may expect that from the every-man-for-himself plutocrats; but the virtuecrats are supposed to believe in something. So when Robertson et al ignored the conspicuous apostasies of Rudy and, in his earlier more liberal life, Romney, in order to jump on the bandwagon, they exposed a much less lofty agenda: they just liked their seat at the table, they didn’t want to lose, and they didn’t seem to realize that by signing on with a frontrunner, they were following, not leading; demonstrating weakness, not strength.

What this plot twist has really exposed is that the shepherds have no sheep. You get the sense that rank and file evangelicals are just as sick of their own “leaders” as they are of the political arena in general. This actually represents a return to normal: evangelicals have historically been suspicious of getting too deeply involved in worldly matters, preferring a focus on individual salvation. So their willingness to vote their hearts with Huck and leave the rest to the Lord is perfectly normal behavior.

This looks like a small hint of sanity returning to the political arena (not that its ever had much to begin with). I certainly hope Ms. Gibbs’ analysis is dead on the money.

-Loki

I meant to post this a few days ago, but other things devoured my time. Let me start by disclosing that I do not like sports at all. AT ALL. I’m probably the only straight male in America who does not even watch the occasional game.

That said my comment today is about sports. The recent LSU / Ohio game that my buddy Clint sang the National Anthem for. (Clint, I am SO proud of you brother!) It came to me as I was trying to navigate downtown on my way home. Usually on a bike you can zip through, even in bad traffic, but this time is was a meandering morass of human flesh.

The eye was assualted with my alma mater’s colors- purple and gold - and the screaming scarlet of the opposition’s fan base. I got a big laugh out of. Obviously none of the Ohio fans were also Star Trek fans. Any fgood Star Trek fans knows that the guys in the red shirts always die in the first reel…

There you have it, the rare Loki Sports Post

There is a really innovative educator in the Bronx who using Dungeons and Dragons to teach special ed students, helping them improve reading skills, cooperation, problem solving and more.

The kids in the club live in an environment that seems to limit their potential. They see few people achieve much of anything. Their world is what exists in a few blocks around their apartment. D&D is a gateway to a bigger, better future. In less than a year, through gaming I’ve seen special education and general education students alike seek out the D&D manuals and novels, devouring each word as quickly as they could. Players tell their friends about our games, and each week more people come to my office asking to join. Blossoming artists are drawing scenes from their adventures and young writers are scribing tales that may one day become their own legends, told to a new generation of D&D players. This may seem like a small, frivolous thing, but it isn’t. Helping to secure these books for the kids in our Sci-Fi Club is a huge thing, and we need your help making it happen.

As a gamer since First Edition D&D, an avid supporter of education, and someone who helped start his high school’s first RPG club back in 1982 I cannot help but encourage everyone to pass this on. If lots of people give just a few dollars the goal will be met in no time.

Go ahead, put the kids in a Dungeon!

This afternoon in the Still Perkin coffeshop on Prytania Senatorial candidate David R.M. Williams met with several local bloggers including Maitri of Vatul Blog fame, Metroblogger’s Craig Giesecke, Becky Houtman and yours truly.

It was an enlightening two hours or so, but then I am prejudiced, he is my uncle after all. Since family ties make anything I have to say suspect I will instead be linking to any other pieces that float up through the blogosphere as I locate them. I will be paying particular attention to the bloggers who were kind enough to join us.

Also, since I am family, and am obeying strict transparency, I can be very direct about encouraging you to vote for David Williams. I think he is our best shot

Whether it’s the side of your business , your business advertisement on the street, your neighborhood street signs or your local New Orleans artists, the “GRAY GHOST” will do his signature “TAG”…making him the least talented graffiti artist in the city. He TAGS with a “look-out,” is known to carry a gun and has allegedly assaulted a young man who tried to photograph his crime.

Originally designed to be a graffiti abatement / anti-gang activity program, it’s our assertion that Fred Radtke has over-stepped his boundary and his mission and ultimately become part of what he had disdained before. Ordained a vigilante graffiti czar by the corruption-riddled Morial Administration, he now no longer has any respect for private or city property and paints at his own whim.

If you see him,, report him to city officials and/or the police. What he is doing is as much graffiti as those he says he is “erasing.” If you see your neighborhood signs painted GRAY, call the street signs people at 504-658-2299 and asked that it be replaced.

Call your city council person and complain about this New Orleans nuisance!

Haven’t we had enough GRAY in the last two years? Do something about it!

STOP FRED RADTKE FROM PAINTING GRAY!!

Go Here to Access a printable copy of this flyer, help spread the word!

This message brought to you by Dingler , Loki, and the Bad Fred! Community on Flickr.

Shortly after arising this morning I was struck by the sounds of thunder. Lots of thunder. I counted 12 times in the span of forty minutes. Hurricane Humberto seems to have scooted east after hitting Texas and is now crossing Louisiana somewhat north of us. Everyone keep an eye on the pumps! Looks like we have an unscheduled test on our hands.

Then the joyous news comes in that killer bees are once more a threat to New Orleans. How seventies….

Grey blocks painted on every available surface, including street signs (which we have few of these days), is an unappealing sight. Not only is it grafitti, but it is ugly, Orwellian looking and unwelcome. The idea that rolling grey paint over any grafitti is an improvement is one lacking in taste as well as sense.

Such is the Legacy of Fred Radtke, also known to locals as the Grey Ghost. I don’t care how you try to rationalize it, he is doing exactly what he rails against: tagging. Anyone here seen street signs that have been painted over with a nice block of grey, rendering them unreadable? That is him.

I have been fed up with this nimrod for quite some time, and it seems that lately I am not the only one.

Comments are accruing on the New Orleans LiveJournal Community, and a new photo group on Flickr exists to document the ugliness he is creating by “cleaning up.” Rumor has it that he has some funding from the city. Any leads on that would be greatly appreciated.

(NOTE: My actual 9-11 post is forthcoming later this evening. Just had to get that off my chest - Loki)

While I am no fan of Mr. “Chocolate City,” Nagin he is certainly given a run for his money by our C Student in Chief.

Austrian Troops? OPEC? Other exit?

I say we get them a one way ticket somewhere and let them practice their communication skills on each other where none of us have to put up with the fallout.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but I still read comic books. Steve and DC over at More Fun Comics on Oak St are good friends. Therefore it should not surprise anyone that I will heading there this week when Thor #3 hits the stands. Scripted by J. Michael Straczynski, the man who brought us Bablylon 5, it begins with Thor landing in New Orleans. Present day New Orleans, where he evidently is going to fight Iron Man.

I am quite curious as to where this is going to go, especially when you consider the wide array of ages and demographics that read comics these days. As always Loki must keep a watchful eye on Thor…