LAST GASPS FOR THE TIMES PICAYUNE?

 

James Gill, who has been lampooning Louisiana politicians for more than a quarter of a century, will join The Advocate this week.

Gill’s column will appear on The Advocate’s opinion pages on Thursday and Sunday, beginning this week.

He had been appearing in The Times-Picayune.

“We’re looking forward to having James appear in our newspaper,” said Peter Kovacs, the Advocate’s editor.

“I was privileged to be James’ editor at The Times-Picayune, and the best part of the job was being the first person in Louisiana to read his column.”

“Louisiana has always been fertile ground for a newspaperman, but these are particularly exciting times,” Gill said. “Few other places have the benefit of competing dailies.”

James, the TP is no longer what most people would call a daily.

Today’s announcement marks the second time in a week that prominent journalists from The Times-Picayune signed on with The Advocate.
 
Last week, two Pulitzer prize-winning editors and two reporters left The Times-Picayune to join The Advocate’s growing New Orleans bureau only days after the newspaper was purchased by businessman John Georges.

A number of subscribers stayed with the TP for Gill's columns, so now what?  The Advocate's New Orleans edition has a way to go to before it becomes a real New Orleans daily, since it lacks its own op-ed page and coverage of arts, entertainment, weddings, and obituaries, but they're moving in the right direction.

The photo below the article about Gill shows a screen shot of the alleged shooter from a mounted video camera at the site of the Mother's Day parade.  As soon as the picture was made public, calls came in identifying the 19 year old Akein Scott, who has not yet been arrested.

PROM NIGHT - MY GRANDDAUGHTER AND HER DATE

 

My granddaughter's dress was purchased from a thrift shop, and, with slight alteration, the dress fit her perfectly.  She likes vintage clothing.

'IT'S GOT TO STOP'

In a shooting so brazen that it shocked a city hardened by recurrent gun violence, 19 people were rushed to local hospitals after gunmen opened fire on hundreds who had turned out for an annual Mother’s Day second line parade in the 7th Ward.

The attackers sprayed the crowd with bullets, despite the fact that police were embedded in the parade and several of the revelers were children.

The victims included 10 adult men, seven adult women, a 10-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl, said officer Garry Flot, a New Orleans Police Department spokesman. The 10-year-olds suffered graze wounds, as did most of the victims, Flot said. Many of the victims’ injuries were not serious, he said.

Jeb Tate, a spokesman for New Orleans EMS, said three of the nine people paramedics rushed to Interim LSU Public Hospital following the shooting were in critical condition.

Mayor Mitch Landrieu visited several of the victims in their hospital rooms, then, in a somber tone, told reporters that “the specialness of the day doesn’t seem to interrupt the relentless drumbeat of violence on the streets of New Orleans. ... It’s got to stop.”

Yes, it's got to stop, but how? It's way past time for Police Chief Serpas and Mayor Landrieu to deliver on their promises to reduce the the number of shootings in New Orleans, or my beloved home town will die a slow death from the rampant violence. 

Lord, have mercy. 

"ENJOY THE SHOW"

 

To each her/his own. Entertainment church is not for me.

From nakedpastor.

TO SEE OR NOT TO SEE...

Continuing with the Hamlet theme...

As most of you know, a new film version of F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is in the theaters.  The older version with Robert Redford was boring; the good looks of Redford were not enough to carry the movie, and I don't know if I'm up for another disappointment because I've read and enjoyed the book more than once.

Movie critics are about evenly divided between positive and negative reviews, but audiences give the film higher approval ratings.  My first impulse is to give the movie a pass, but my granddaughter liked the book and wants very much to see the film.  None of her friends will agree to go, so I expect we will go together.

From what I've read, the latest film version of Gatsby consists of lots of movement and a good many spectacular scenes in 3-D.  Now it's quite true that Jay Gatsby's extravagant way of life, especially the wild parties at his expensive estate, is over the top and an invitation to a director to use this sort of treatment.  Still, spectacles are not my favorite type of movie, nor am I especially captivated by 3-D.  The film runs for a relentless 2 hours and 30 minutes, whether I'm enjoying myself or not.  Sigh....  Give me a well-made movie with a good story and fine acting, and I'm happy.  Is Gatsby that movie?  I doubt it, but I will let you know, if I go.  

BATEAUX DE BOIS FESTIVAL - LOCKPORT, LOUISIANA

Click on the image for the larger view.

COME TO THE BOAT MUSEUM FESTIVAL. IN THE EVENT OF RAIN, ACTIVITIES WILL TAKE PLACE INSIDE THE MUSEUM OR IN TENTS. DON'T LET A LITTLE RAIN KEEP YOU AWAY.

AND THE RAINS CAME

 

From at least 4:30 AM, when Grandpère turned on the light in the bathroom without closing the door and woke me up, it rained and poured and rained and poured the entire day.  Since I needed groceries, when the rain slackened a bit, I rushed to the supermarket.  Alas, while I was shopping, the torrential rain started again, and, when I left the supermarket, I had to wade through the heavy rain in above-the-ankle water in the flooded parking lot to reach my car.  On the way home, I found that my street was blocked by the police because of floodwater. I backed up, turned around, and approached from another direction and was able to reach home, TBTG. I didn't leave the house for the rest of the day, except for periodically donning the plastic poncho to take Diana out to do her business.

The heavy rain doesn't show in the picture above, but you can see the puddles and maybe the water in the street, if you click on the photo.   

LITTLE RICHARD - "LONG TALL SALLY"

Friday night with Little Richard.

STORY OF THE DAY - FINISH

My mother always told me to finish what I started, but 
she had no idea of some of the people I'd be dealing 
with.

From StoryPeople.

MARY BLACK - 'LOVING HANNAH'

A beautiful woman with a lovely voice sings a wonderful old folk song.

I went to church on Sunday  
My love, she passed me by  
I knew her mind was changing  
By the roving of her eye  
By the roving of her eye  
By the roving of her eye  
I knew her mind was changing  
By the roving of her eye