HumidCity

The ever vigilant Oyster, who used to blog with us before the Levee Failure, brings us the Republican comedy show one of its most amusing moments. It seems that “Diaper” David Vitter, connoisseur of purchased poontang, and Larry “The Foot Tapper” Craig are now co-sponsors of S.J. Res. 23, The Marriage Amendment.

Now Democrats get up their own sexual antics, but they do not strain so hard to shove their morality down our throats before being exposed as the current crop of Republicans do.

The only appropriate response to this is a salute to family values in the stye of the Grand Old Party. Enjoy the Videos! First a lovely piece by Keith Olberman in which he sets a reading of the police report about Senator Craig’s bathroom indiscretions to a Dragnet style video.

Then a few words from Wendy, thats Wendy the prostitute not Wendy the wife, as she talks about David Vitter in this video provided by Larry Flint.

-Loki HumidCity Founder

Three cheers for our own Andrea Garland, coordinator of the St. Claude Arts District and HumidCity cultural contributor! The SCADNOLA is finally getting a small bit of the limelight it so richly deserves, check out this video from NOLA.com (if you are reading this on a feed and cannot see the video just click through to HumidCity where it is embedded):

-Loki, HumidCity Founder

Now maybe its just me, but if this was said about a Republican politician there would be a storm of protest, accusations of treason, and a general call for torches and pitchforks. I submit the following as evidence in the case for the corporations that advertise on FOX to begin pulling their ads.

Why am I bringing this up here? Because the failure of the fourth estate is one of the major factors that has allowed the situation on the Gulf Coast to become the mess that it is. The consistent, mindless jingoism of FOX in particular has endorsed the most absurd offerings to trumpet forth from the White House with no attention paid to the actual facts they should have been reporting.

Darth Cheney’s favorite propaganda network strikes again!

-Loki, HumidCity Founder

Now this is something wonderful. A new series of locally produced video shorts featuring two old partners in crime of mine: Wild Bill Dykes, who suffered the Blues with me many late nights; and Lewis D’Aubin aka Dr. Milo Thaddeus Pinkerton III the founder and leader of the Consortium of Genius.

The topic is gaming. Old fashioned table top RPG gaming of the Dungeons and Dragons variety. Since I write a lot of gaming material myself and run a weekly game I think its great. Your mileage may vary, but any gamer will feel as though they were hit with Tasha’s Hideous Laughter…

Dice Jockeys, its a natural 20!

-Loki, HumidCity Founder

Yessireebob! That is exactly what Bill O’ Reilly is! The man who has such respect for the “homies,” down in New Orleans is a true, blue pro. This little piece from Media Matters should bring back fond memories. (Emphasis mine)

CALLER: George Bush doesn’t care about American people. After Katrina, he passed a law making it so his contracting buddies could bring in a bunch of illegal immigrants, instead of putting Americans to work, plus it took them five days to get down there.

In response, O’Reilly said: “On the rebuilding of New Orleans, you’ve got to use contractors that can do the job. So, you can’t — you know, if you’ve got contractors who specialize in infrastructure rebuilding, you’ve got to bring them in.” He then added, “And the homies, you know, who you don’t know — I mean, they’re just not going to get the job.”

If WordPress played well with flash media I could just embed this video, but instead I will steer you over to visit Bec and take a look at what passes for grace under (minute) pressure on O’Reilly’s part. I would do so quickly though, YouTube has already pulled it and I don’t know how long it will last on break.com.

This is one of the big voices of modern day conservatives, a group who is no longer conservative by any measure I can discern. The group whose reckless approach to their duty as public servants has caused such hardship for my fellow New Orleanians in the aftermath of the Levee Failure. No matter what your political leanings you should be appalled at this behaviour worthy only of a spoiled child (with a foul mouth).

Fine example, eh?

-Loki, HumidCity Founder

For anyone who may have a desire to listen to my drivel instead or reading it, here is a video interview I did with NOLA.com over the course of Jazz Fest. It’s three minutes of sleep deprived and over caffeinated Loki talking about Jazz Fest, WWOZ, and internet tech.

-Loki, Founder and Blog Wrangler, HumidCity

Come on out today and join us fr the Sisth Alternative Media Expo at the Contemporary Arts Center! Look for Loki drifting between the Defend New Orleans and AuthorViews tables! See Jac form Defend New Orleans in a suit! See Leo McGovern in person and determine for your self whether he is only a cartoon character in After the Deluge!

Hurry, Hurry, Hurry, Step Right Up and see the most amazing array of non mainstream media ever gathered in New Orleans!

The first 150 paid attendees will receive a FREE swag bag from the New Orleans Craft Mafia!

What is the Expo? It’s an event that’s much like a trade show and set up like a comic convention–exhibitors show everything from ‘zines and comics to handmade clothing, jewelry and crafts to photography, paintings, t-shirts and films.

If you’re a fan of alternative media, you’ll love the Expo–where else can you find all these things under one roof?

If you’re a media-maker, it’s the perfect opportunity to expose an interested audience to your work, as well as a great chance to network with like-minded individuals.

Special Guests:A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge and American Splendor artist Josh Neufeld!

Notes from New Orleans author Deborah Cotton

SPONSORS:
Humid Beings, Dirty Coast, the Charitable Film Network, Static TV, the New Orleans Craft Mafia, ANTIGRAVITY and Defend New Orleans
Committed exhibitors:

AuthorViews, 504 Whatstyle, A Year At the Wheel.com, Alicia Devora, Alternatives Magazine, American New Wave Media Group, Amy Davis Photography, Antigravity Magazine, ArtVoices Magazine, Ashe’ Cultural Arts Center, AuthorViews/HumidCity, Backporch Revolution, Baretta Vendetta, Bidonville Book and Paper Collective, Bizer Law, Black Rain Press, B.L.A.K. Pearl, Bluebird-Art, Brinson Gottshalk Productions, Caesar Meadows, Chainmaille Jewelry by Draillia, Chance Cenac 3-D Acyrlic Paintings, Charitable Film Network, Christina Zendt, Circular Accessories, City Hustlers, Claverie Crafts, C.O.G., Constance, Contemporary Cowrie, Corey Sanders, Curious Tribe, Dead Squirrel Girl, Deep South Samizdat Books, Defend New Orleans, Dirty Coast, dismantled designs, Dreamer 76, El MacFearsome Comic Squares, Etsy New Orleans, Flambeaux Deigns, Goodchildren Carnival Club, greenKangaroo, Gypsy Charms Jewelry/M. Bevis, High Voltage Youth Media Camp, Hip-Hop Teen Magazine, Homegrown Designs/SimplePlay Production, Humid Beings, Hurricane Digital Memory Bank, Icon Studios, Inkwell Press, Iron Rail Book Collective, Jeff Pastorek, Jeremy the Alien, Joey Jones Productions, Josh Neufeld, Kagen Water, Katrina Warriors, Kelly Jarvis, Killers of Kind, Kody Chamberlain, Lucid SFX Development, Magazine Metals, Mana Media, Media Underground Comics, Mardi Gras Service Corps, Maria Fomich, Michelle Lance, Morcos Media, Ms. Placed, Natural Awakenings Magazine, New Orleans Craft Mafia, New Orleans Film Society, Newcomb College Center for Research on Women, Nob Glass, NOLA Fugees, NOLA Party Productions, NOLA Rising, Nueveau, Photography by Emily, R. Scott Taylor and Chris Matherne, Rising Tide Bloggers Conference, Rotten Pathway Through the Digestive Track, Seraphemera Books, Sound Café/Beth’s Books, Spike Vessels, Static TV, Terror Optics, Third World Mojo, Toby Craig, The Trumpet, Truth Universal, Unique Products, UNO Filmmakers, Vance Kelly, Voodoo Maverick, WTUL, YES! (YMCA Educational Services), Zack Smith…the list is growing!

Questions? E-mail expo@antigravitymagazine.com!

FILM LINEUP (Coordinated by Static TV):

2pm—Films by DNO Videos
3pm—Films of Jason Affolder
4pm—Films by New Orleans Xposed’s Jody Smith
5pm—Films by Terror Optics

POST-PARTY: Jock Se Bloque @ Saturn Bar

Loki
Founder, HumidCity
Digital Outreach, Defend New Orleans

Once again our local buffoon is “keeping the New Orleans brand out there,” for all of the residents of “Chocolate City.” Just what we needed. It really is quite pathetic to watch him continue to screw up in front of the media. That car crash fascination were you cannot look away even though it makes you sick to your stomach.

For those of you who have been enjoying an existence underneath a very large stone somewhere I am referring to Clarence R. Nagin’s latest flash of paranoia and incompetence as evinced in a TV interview with Eric Paulson and Sallie Anne Roberts. Go ahead, watch the video, it is only a few minutes long, I’ll wait. (Transcript and video here)

Aryan websites and hate blogs, eh Sugar Ray? I’m a pretty solid data miner when I need to be and my good buddy Google and I are having some trouble unearthing them. Even after over an hour. Seems I’m not alone there, I have the undead for company:

Nagin claims that the picture the TP published of him pointing a gun at Cheif Riley has been picked up by racist blogs and websites. Where are they? Which sites is he talking about? I’ve been looking for about 2 hours on Google and I haven’t found a single one. Can anybody point one out?

A message to Nagin:

Here’s an idea…shut the fuck up and answer the multitude of FOIA requests which have been submitted to your office over the past 3 years from activists like Matt McBride and Karen Gadbois. Or better yet, from reporters like Gordon Russell and Lee Zurik. Or even better yet, how about providing the PUBLIC INFORMATION Inspector General Cerasoli has requested and not received from your office. He’s been forced to file subpoenas to obtain the information and you are legally challenging his right to do that….what are you hiding? -American Zombie 2/21/08

Hardly surprising that the Raylien has little taste for bloggers. In a city where the main newspaper seems obsessed with a kneel and pucker stance where he is concerned we have been actively scrutinizing his actions as well as his words. Unfortunately many of our number are weary of it due to the fish-in-a-barrel easiness of the endeavour.

Mayor C Ray Nagin aka the walking id lost it on WWL-TV’s morning news today. LINK. The Mayor whined about the Picayune picture story and painted a dark picture of powerful people conspiring against him. Of course, the TP has essentially fellated him for 6 years and is now very reluctantly taking a *slightly* closer look at his record. How dare they? Nagin ranted about the video of the gun picture as showing how careful he was being when it’s ambiguous at best. The video can be seen at WDSU.com and I’ve watched it several times and it’s subject to multiple interpretations.

Nagin claims that “aryan hate groups” are targeting him without, of course, providing any support for his fulminations. His weirdest claim is that an upcoming story on WWL about his SCHEDULE is a violation of his privacy and his family’s safety. This is, of course, nutty: he’s a PUBLIC OFFICIAL and the people have a right to know what tomfoolery their Mayor is up to. If Nagin is truly “busting his butt,” he should be thrilled to have people know how busy he is. This reeks of a desperate pre-emptive strike to make it look like THE MAN is out to get poor Clarence Ray. -Adrastos 02/21/08

What part of the phrase “public servant” is it that these clowns never seem to grok? Frank Zappa called the political class “jumed up used car salesmen in bad suits,” and abjured people to remind these idiots who they work for. Ray’s behavour makes him come off more like the homeless wino who used to be a jumped up used car salesman in a bad suit. Lucky for us, huh? Helps keep the brand out there, cher.

You’’ve got to see this interview with Ray Nagin on WWL. He is so full of shit. He believes that when the media publishes stories and photos of his idiotic behavior, it puts him and his family in danger. Ray, as far as I know, no one wants to harm you. You are the one who is talking about “cold cocking” people. We are all just impatiently waiting until you leave office. We know that we are stuck with you for the duration, and you don’t give a damn what we think. -Dangerblond 02/21/08

Threats of violence, “cold cocking” people, and old fashioned one on ones? The whole city would be way better off if you’d try that on some of the punk kids with guns who make life so cheap in our city?

The mayor has stated on television his intent of taking it outside with a member of the press and hitting someone if approached. Who should feel threatened now? -Maitri 02/21/08

Ray, I cannot wait to be rid of you. May you become lost in the bowels of the bureaucracy, doomed to an eternity of red tape and fruitless insurance paperwork, just as you have helped doom your fellow New Orleanians during your idiotic tenure.

Loki

Founder, HumidCity

A New Defend New Orleans Installation has launched, check it out! -Loki

Our video brother Drew has set up a website featuring documentary-style footage on the REAL new orleans, not the file footage seen over and over again on CNN. so check out his website, www.dnovideo.com, and give him some props, feedback, whatever.

massive party coming up in a week or two. we’ll let you know more of the details soon.

thanks kids,
Brian

Wordpress does not play well with YouTube so here is a link to my LiveJournal post where I have included a video from a recent Bill Moyers about Blackwater in New Orleans.

Funny, I’ve been writing about that for two years now.

http://humidcityloki.livejournal.com/53530.html

watch this video by ScoutPrime over at First Draft. Go ahead, you can do it…

Alright, I will start by admitting that family matters are keeping me from posting for a day or two and I do not have much time to write now. I do, however, have two things to present that will help convey it.

First comes the amazing video offering from American Zombie. Watch, rinse, repeat! He presents a wonderfully balanced mini-documentary of the day including interviews with several local bloggers including myself, Maitri, Adrastos, Blake Haney, and more. Absolutely fantastic, a must see! (And yes, this will dispel all rumors, I really am that loud)

Second is a piece from the Institute for Southern Studies entitled Concerns Grow Over Expanded Police Power in New Orleans. It documents and addresses some of the concerns brought up over at Library Chronicles. As I have commented there, these are aspects of the situation that need to be watched for, especialy in the current national climate of civil liberties violations. While I do not agree with his presentation a lot of the time, there are those elements of truth to it.

I think those two should hold y’all until around Monday when I will have time to post more in depth thoughts. In the meantime I highly advise that you check out the NOLAbloggers in my links bar. They will give you a variety of opinions, facts, factoids, pictures, video and good wholesome (?) New Orleans attitude.

As the Zombie himself would say, Ashe!

11 year old Kalypso, our city’s finest video prodigy, has a new video up. As with the last one I HIGHLY reccomend it! Since wordpress and YouTube don’t play well together I cannot embed it so here is a link:

Kalypso’s New Report From New Orleans

Loki gives it five out of five Moldy Refridgerators!

Hat Tip to Morwen and to Suspect Device (who has a transcript up for those who wish to easily pull quotes) Watch it now!

OlbermannBlastsRumsfeldOnFacism.mov (video/quicktime Object)

EDIT: It seems that in some browsers clicking the link above gets you redirected to www.crooksandliars.com. If you have this trouble copy the following link and paste it into your browsers address bar.
http://movies.crooksandliars.com/OlbermannBlastsRumsfeldOnFacism.mov

Here is the latest installment in the ongoing stupidity with David Vitter. I am forced to say that my opinion of him is the same it has been since 1981, he is a buffoon. Par for the course with La. politicians. So now, weeks after congratulating me for agreeing with his assinine stance that Gay Marriage is the Uber Issue despite outr devastation, I finally got an email saying this:

Dear Mr. Williams,

I have recently learned that you received a letter from me that incorrectly identified your position on the Federal Marriage Amendment. I am deeply sorry for this mistake and wish to assure you that this is not a common occurrence, but it i s one that I strive to correct as soon as possible.

Thank you for contacting me in opposition to the Federal Marriage Amendment. As you may know, the Marriage Protection Amendment, states, “Marriage in the United States shall consist only of the union of a man and a woman. Neither this Constitution or the constitution of any State … shall be construed to require that marriage or the legal incidents thereof be conferred upon any union other than a man and a women.” This legislation amending the U.S. Constitution would require passage by two-thirds of both the House of Representatives and Senate, and also ratification by three-quarters of the states.

I believe marriage to be a union between one man and one woman. The Marriage Protection Amendment removes the debate regarding the definition of marriage from the hands of the courts and judges and returns this decision to the American people, where I feel it belongs.

Once again, thank you for contacting me to share your thoughts on this issue. Please continue to contact me in the future about other issues important to you.

Sincerely,

Senator David Vitter
United States Senator

Aren’t form letters just precious?

A video interview with John Boyd, a member of the Coliseum Place Baptist Church since 1961. Watch and learn.

Collaborative Local Filmmaking Effort to Present Duality of Life in Post-Katrina New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS — In a new approach to telling stories from the front lines of post-Katrina New Orleans, the New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC) has collaborated with local filmmakers to produce a series of short documentaries on the people, culture and spirit that make New Orleans an American city worth rebuilding. In addition, NOVAC is producing a one-hour documentary called The Drive. It’s an extensive driving tour through four of New Orleans’ most devastated neighborhoods supported with maps, interviews, and an original score by Emmy nominated composer, Gil Talmi (http://www.giltalmi.com/ ).

“A painful irony is how few people throughout the country understand the extent of what has happened to New Orleans. In many respects, things are progressing. Families are moving home, cultural activities are abundant and, in some neighborhoods, life has a sense of near normalcy; however, a short drive in almost any direction provides a
different picture. The magnitude of flooding was incomprehensible and nearly 10 months later, New Orleans has many challenges to overcome. We hope that this project conveys the duality of life in post-Katrina New Orleans and presents New Orleans as a city worth rebuilding,” says Tim Ryan, NOVAC director/producer.

The documentaries are available for free viewing on YouTube.com -
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=8080681AD2517F7E  (keyword:
NOVACDOC).

The entire series is also available on DVD at cost ($4.75 + shipping)
through a partnership with Customflix.com - http://www.customflix.com/210796 .

In addition, FriendsofNewOrleans.org - http://www.friendsofneworleans.org/ - a non-profit devoted to the rebuilding of New Orleans, features a trailer of The Drive on their website.

The project is funded by the Greater New Orleans Foundation; Newman’s Own Foundation; The RosaMary Foundation; Matt, Suzanne, Andy and Betty Wisdom; Cambridge Community Television; and other private funders. NOVAC continues to accept tax-deductible donations to support ongoing production.

For more information and links to view project, visit http://www.novacvideo.org/

Kalypso’s New Orleans- is a must see video that I periodically repost. It is a news report from post Katrina New Orleans done by a ten year old girl. The bonus is that she filmed it during Mardi Gras. Yes I repost it. Yes, its that good.

Editor B. has put it very simply and elegantly with his latest video offering. I think it’s very important see what its like here at the moment  so go on over and check it out.