HumidCity

George Carlin was an inspiration in many ways for me. His black humor will be missed.

Story on Bloomberg here.

-Loki, HumidCity Founder

I am behind the curve in hearing about this. To be honest I am pretty bereft of words. Bob’s humorous fiction in particular is close to my heart. He will be missed. Jon Donelly over at NOLA.com actually said it quite well:

In the far reaches of Ranke, in the sinister gloom of Sanctuary’s Vulgar Unicorn, Hell Hounds, cutpurses and street hustlers raise a flagon to a great mage. Elsewhere, Skeeve and Aahz feel the passing of the Myth Maker. And worlds away, a Phule and his creator are too soon parted.

On Thursday, May 22, fantasy/science-fiction author and editor Robert Asprin passed away in his French Quarter residence. The 61-year-old writer - known to many by his SCA name of “Yang the Nauseating” - was famous for a ground-breaking series known as “Thieves World,” in which a group of top sci-fi/fantasy luminaries contributed short stories in a shared universe, a new model that was part of the genesis of the modern fantasy genre. He co-edited and helped author the early books in this series, with then-wife Lynn Abbey. His career continued through Myth Adventures, a humorous fantasy series, which was still being written with co-author Jodie Lynn Nye. Their latest book, “Myth-Chief,” was published this year, and “Myth Fortune,” which was in progress, will be published at an unspecified date. Asprin also created the humorous adventures of Willard Phule and his space-going company.

According to family spokesman and longtime friend Bill Fawcett, the author was discovered in his New Orleans home on Thursday:

On May 22, 2008, Bob passed away quietly in his home in New Orleans, LA. He had been in good spirits and working on several new projects, and was set to be the Guest of Honor at a major science fiction convention that very weekend. He is survived by his mother, his sister, his daughter and his son, and his cat, Princess, not to mention countless friends and fans and numerous legendary fictional characters. He will be greatly missed. Bob, when this was discussed, requested there not be a formal funeral. A gathering at Fahy’s Pub on Dauphine in the Quarter has been organized, which fits Bob’s often-expressed desire that he be remembered by a series of great pub crawls. He also stated that should he die, any donations (should go) to the New Orleans Library for the purchase of science fiction books. Alternately Bob was a great cat lover concerned about the animals of New Orleans and donations to no kill animal shelters would also be a fitting memorial.The gathering at Fahy’s will be held Monday, May 26, from 9-11 pm.

He has much more including a letter from the lady who found him in Jon’s original post.

The funeral will be next Monday, the 12th, to give all the far-flung relatives a chance to get here.

11:00 a.m., St. Louis Cathedral service.

Immediately following, a second line jazz funeral through a bit of the Quarter, past his bike shop (and get some Chartreuse from Johnny White’s if you’re up to it). The repast will be at BJ’s around 4ish.

Sunday afternoon about 5pm, a driver veered off the road, hitting three pedestrians, who were standing in front of a house, killing one and injuring two others.

The accident happened in the 800 block of Lesseps, at the corner of Dauphine, just outside Vaughn’s Bar.

Billy Ding, 42, (Piano player - Billy Ding & the Hot Wings, & former owner of French Quarter Bicycles) was pronounced dead on the scene.

Michael Aaron (Owner - Recently closed Rock & Roll Collectibles on Decatur Street) is in critical condition. I believe he’s been taken to University Hospital. The other pedestrian, whose identity is as yet unknown, was taken away by ambulance as well.

The driver, who witnesses say was apparently learning to drive, was arrested. Drug and alcohol tests were pending.

Michael Aaron, our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Billy Ding, you will be missed, my friend.

Lord David
Skull Club
New Orleans

In the morning I will be doing once again that which has become all too familiar in the past two years, laying a friend to his final rest. It seems like everyone has written about how Ashley Morris touched their lives, even those who only knew him from his blogging. From John Pope at the Times-Picayune to the Big Easy Rollergirls (of whom his wife was one) the tributes and goodbyes show how far his reach extended.

Huge of heart as well as frame, “The Perfesser” was a man of unbridled passion for New Orleans. He refused to allow injustice and inhumanity to go unchallenged, speaking up with conviction where others remained silent. He spoke from the heart, shot from the hip, and burned through many a cigar in the process.

In the morning people from around the country will be donning suits, Rollergirl gear, and Saints jerseys as they gather to honor the good Doctor. He would want a huge sendoff and I doubt he will be disappointed. Info on the funeral can be located here, and for those of you who wish to help his wife and children you can donate here.

What passes for eloquence on my part is out of the question now. I just know I miss my friend and want to see his children secure the way he would have wished.

You rascal, how dare you ease out the back door when we have yet to follow through on all those threats of playing guitar together over Guiness and steaks. I miss you brother.

Once the funeral is out of the way it will be time for some vicious dissection of the inadequacies of our political class. We must all pick up the torch and prevent the fuckmooks from resting easy. He is no longer here to contain his fire so we must all blaze on his behalf.
-Loki, founder HumidCity

In a surprise move this evening Soviet Block, our own Hana Morris, announced that she will be keeping Ashley’s blog open!

The fundraising efforts are going well on the internet end, something for which I would like to offer my personal thanks. There is still a long way to go, but I have faith in our community. Stop by Remember Ashley Morris and help lift them up.

More soon, I am completely exhausted and must sleep. ÂÂ

First and most importantly here is the link to Remember Ashley Morris, where you can doante to the fund for his wife and children.

Here is the link to the funeral info.

And here is a tribute from the Big Easy Rollergirls. For those not in the know it is the BERG’s own Soviet Block who has been widowed. Sports fans, show your love.

And over here, at Your Right Hand Thief, the Bivalve has stopped blogging until his demands are met.

A major voice in the New Orleans blogosphere has gone silent, widowing a Rollergirl and orphaning three tiny children. As
various local groups prepare a benefit we see major obstacles looming for the family including five figure expenses for the funeral. Please give what you can, even a few dollar here and there can mount up. There are needs that cannot wait on the fund raising events.

Please join the efforts of HumidCity, Defend New Orleans, NOLA Rising, WTUL, Tales of the Cocktail, The Big Easy Rollergirls, The Skull Club, L’Art Noir, and many more as we show the Morris Family what community really means!

Online Donations can be made at Remember Ashley Morris

If you wish to mail a donation make the check out to Hana Morris and send it to:

HumidCity c/o
George Williams
5500 Prytania St.
PMB #417
New Orleans, LA 70115

If you wish to become involved in the benefit events, donate art for auction, or assist in some other way please contact me directly by emailing me humidcity at gmail dot com

Ashley wants you to laugh, you fuckers!

by New Orleans City Council Member Shelly Midura syndicated, from an open email
I wanted to honor the life and passing of one of my district’s neighborhood activists, Professor Ashley Morris, who we lost to an early passing yesterday morning. He was a friend to my office and a champion of his neighborhood. More than almost anything though, he was a fierce lover of New Orleans. He spent much of his time during the week teaching at an out-of-town university, yet he had no desire to move there. He preferred to commute.

To Chicago. From New Orleans.

Why would he do that? Why do so many others in our city do such things? I believe it was because Professor Morris wanted to be able to tell people, “I’m from New Orleans.” He wanted people to know that New Orleans was his home and that this truth was not only conscious and deliberate, but perhaps also something fated. He seemed to believe that New Orleans chose him as much as he chose us, as if it were some quantum entanglement that could not be logically explained or rationalized. It was a matter of the heart and knowing in the bottom of your soul exactly where you belong. It was a deep yearning for a city he loved, cherished, and felt gratitude and appreciation towards every day, despite the challenges and the ups and downs of post-Katrina life.

On his blog only a couple months ago, he wrote about going out to lunch with his friend Ray to Willie Mae’s and grabbing take-out there and how “There on the stoop, we tore into a whole fried chicken, macaroni and cheese casserole, mixed greens, and candied yams that tasted more like bread pudding. An excellent meal, as you can see… anywhere else, we’d be having lunch. Here in New Orleans, we were having a world class meal. For lunch.” Ashley knew that any moment in New Orleans was unlike any moment anywhere else in the world, that typical days here are not typical days anywhere else on this planet, and that being a New Orleanian, especially now, comes with a special badge of honor.

And so I honor my fellow New Orleanian, Professor Ashley Morris. He will be so dearly missed by so many, of whom I am only one. New Orleans aches for him today and wishes his wife, young children, family, and loved ones its heartfelt condolences.

“Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”

Today the New Orleans Blogosphere, and the Blogosphere in general, lost one of its most profane and wonderful voices.

It is my sad duty to let you know that Dr. Ashley Morris, the man most likely to call Ray Nagin a fuckmook to his face, passed away today. We have lost our excitable boy. His unrelenting passion for our city and his community will be missed as much as his unflinching and cuss-ridden dissections of the federal, state and local incompetence that has brought our city to its present state.

Hana, his wife, left a post on his blog. Go by, leave a comment, read his old posts if you haven’t. Let them know there are people out there who care. He leaves three young children.

My friend you shall be missed, and that by many more than just myself. I will have more to say later when I am able to compose myself.

I may not have agreed with how he lived his life or spent his money, but is was his life and his money. One thing you have to give him is that he was a self made man.

The Canadian Press Reports

It would seem that Harry Lee will not be running for another term when election time rolls around again, he passed away this morning, losing his ongoing battle with leukemia at 75.

While there are no news articles to link to as yet, the entire production krewe here at the fest is abuzz with it: Alvin Baptiste, legendary jazz composer passed from a heart attack in the early hours of the morning.

EDIT: Judy Wood will do a tribute to Alvin Batiste from 5 to 6 PM on Jazz from the Market this Wednesday, May 9. It will include excerpts from her interview with him on August 31, 2006. LIsten online at WWOZ.ORG or tune in on the radio at 90.7fm if you are in the New Orleans area.

Legendary Singer James Brown Dies at 73 - Forbes.com
James Brown, the dynamic, pompadoured “Godfather of Soul,” whose revolutionary rhythms, rough voice and flashing footwork influenced generations of musicians from rock to rap, died early Christmas morning. He was 73.

I am glad I met him before he passed on. During the Centenniel Olympics in Atlanta, the one in the 90’s when that bozo set off a pipe bomb, I got to work with Brwn and his staff at the House of Blues. He pulled up in a snow white stretch limo with a vanity plate that said “Godfather.” He hopped out, fizzing with energy, and immediately started shaking hands and kissing girls at the security perimeter. Yes, he really seems to be like that all the time.

When the pipebomb went off my friend Vaughan and I had to tell him that there would be no encore. ” What do you mean there will be no encore! I’m The Godfather! These people want to see The Godfather and I’m not going to disappoint them!.”

“Mr. Brown, someone just set off a bomb in Centennial Park about a block from here,” we said.

“Where’s my limo! Where my women at! Let’s get out of here….”

I’ll be raising toast today, to an extremely short and incredibly talented man who made me look mellow when he was still with us…