HumidCity

Well it looks like Kevin Allman, a journalist colleague of mine who I have great respect for, has hit pay dirt on the great Nagin Award Controversy ™. Dig it (and Digg it when you go read the whole thing):

It was a perfect storm for outrage: The very week that the mayor’s office was under attack for its role in the burgeoning NOAH scandal, the entire city council was served with federal subpoenas, the FBI raided the former offices of NOAH, a formal investigation began over potential mismanagement of federal rebuilding funds, and the whole shiznit hit The New York Times…a pretty little party invitation went out.

The honoree: Mayor C. Ray Nagin, who was to be honored by a group called “The Excellence in Recovery Host Committee,” which was presenting the mayor with “The Award of Distinction For Recovery, Courage, and Leadership.” There didn’t seem to be much (anything, frankly) about “The Excellence in Recovery Host Committee” anywhere on the Web, and, in Clancy DuBos‘ words in a blog reaction, it “did not exist in official, corporate form according to the Secretary of State’s office.” Was it a charity? A fundraiser?

He got ahold of host and co-chair Stewart Juneau, a well known Louisiana developer/samaritan, and had a very interesting discussion. I highly advise checking it out. Not only did KA get a lot of answers, but he also managed to get invited and will be able to report back from the proceedings themselves. If there is going to be a journalist there I’m glad its him.

Go read.

-Loki, HumidCity Founder

As the topics of discussion spiral ever downwards into the realm of the bleak, it is good to remember the hardiness and improbability of New Orleans life. It is those qualities which will alow us to survive even these strange times. In that spirit I would like to reprint this small blurb from ITV News

Fertilised eggs kept in the deep freeze could have thawed

New Orleans waterbaby is born

2.59, Tue Jan 16 2007

A woman has given birth to a child thanks to policemen who rescued embryos in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.As floods took control of New Orleans, Lakeland Hospital lost electricity and the fertilised eggs kept in the deep freeze could have thawed.

But flat-bottomed boats were used to rescue more than 1,400 embryos, and Rebekah Markham was implanted with one nine months ago.

Rebekah and her husband Glen planned to name the child Katrina if it was a girl.

But they found another appropriate name for a boy and named him Noah.

Now that’s 21st Century New Orleans!