Never In New Orleans

Yesterday it was reported that students, at a local high school, in Texas, killed, cooked, and ate a baby racoon in their classroom. I have to go on record by saying: Never In New Orleans.

That statement is important because when teens from New Orleans evacuated to Houston after Hurricane Katrina, there were very cruel remarks made against New Orleans' students as to whether they could measure up to Houston teens. I even heard a news report where the local Houstonians were discussing the difference between the cultures.

There is a difference: New Orleanians are very particular about their cuisine. That is why I can definitely say: Never In New Orleans.

Is This True?

Some cry racism:

This Saturday, the federal Housing Authority will begin demolishing all 723 apartments in the Magnolia projects.

Also set to be destroyed are 896 units at the Lafitte houses, 1,436 apartments at St. Bernard and 1,550 at the B.W. Cooper.

All told, 4,600 low-income housing units will be razed in a shocking act of class and racial cleansing disguised as reconstruction. All the former residents of those projects, after all, were not only low-income, they were all black, say Hann and housing advocates in New Orleans.

The message from the Bush administration couldn't be clearer: We didn't rush to save you poor people in New Orleans when Katrina hit, and we don't want you back now.

What conclusion would you draw after viewing this video?



SCARY, huh

Recovery Cash Slated For Parishes

With the official release Monday of $3 billion from the federal government to plug the Road Home gap, Louisiana's hurricane recovery leaders can finally dole out a half billion to local governments they have been holding on to just in case.

The Louisiana Recovery Authority is expected to allocate the recovery cash to 23 affected parishes at its monthly meeting in Baton Rouge today, in what will amount to a huge shot in the arm for the state's most ravaged parishes.

New Orleans is expected to collect the lion's share of the money, at $296 million. If approved, it would be the largest single allocation of hurricane relief sent to a local government to date. |Read on|

Brad Pitt backs "New Orleans" designer homes

Leading American architects have been commissioned to design homes for the New Orleans suburb that bore the brunt of Hurricane Katrina two years ago, under an initiative launched by the actor Brad Pitt.

The architects have been told to design properties that are cheap to build and maintain, robust and environmentally friendly. Thirteen firms were each asked to draw up a 1,200-square-foot house, built between five and eight feet off the ground, with a front porch and three bedrooms. The cost of building and fitting out each home was not to exceed $150,000 (£74,000).

Morphosis, a Los Angeles firm, has designed a property made of lightweight concrete that would float should the city flood again. The New Orleans-based architectural firm Concordia has proposed a home erected on stilts with steep and wide front steps.

Residents can choose which design they would like and building is scheduled to begin next month. One of the key characteristics of the project is that the properties will be built using structural panels that can be easily stored and erected quickly and cheaply.

Major Art Festival Planned

Dan Cameron, the CAC's new director of visual art, has a grand plan: to frame an international art extravaganza here next year, featuring work of the world's top artists and drawing 100,000 visitors from near and far. |Read on|