House Blessing

Tonight at 5PM we're having our house blessed by our friend Fr. Phillip Linden and then we're having a party. If you didn't get an invitation it's because my email is screwed up, so feel free to stop by at 5PM or anytime after that. We live at 215 S. Alexander Street in the neighborhood behind Jesuit. This drawing by Gilgamesh will help you locate it:

Stealing Signs

We had two Obama signs in front of our house when I left for school this morning. When I returned home just now, they were gone and the frames remained. Someone in my neighborhood apparently is in a bad mood about an Obama administration. Tuesday night when Obama in his victory speech said "And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn, I may not have won your vote tonight, but I hear your voices. I need your help. And I will be your president, too." I'm not sure the guy who removed our signs listened to that speech. I remember being very depressed four years ago, and being sad removing the Kerry sticker from my car. That car flooded after Katrina, and never in my life have I removed someone else's sticker or sign.

Jury from Hell

I learned on Twitter today that my arch nemesis Adrastos will be appearing for jury duty on November 14th, the same day listed on my jury summons.

By coincidence I recently ran into Adrastos at WetBankGuy's Halloween party. I believe that right now WetBankGuy is on a jury. But that evening at the party there were two Adrastoi, which is why I had to leave early and there were nutria teeth in the brain jello. Can you tell from this picture which is the real Adrastos? Hint: look for the cat tile for sale, the Lee Zurick eyebrows, the receding hairline, and the pulp fiction covers for discussion.

So criminals, you better shape up, as you might just be facing a jury of bloggers. Hmmm. Jury of Bloggers, that sounds like a pulp title for the 21st century.

Hope & History

This morning Therese and I woke up early and got in line at 5:30 AM in order to vote in this incredible election. Our precinct primarily consists of African Americans, and I was fascinated to overhear some of the conversations. The man behind me was talking to his sister in Ohio and they joked about how her vote counted more than his. After hanging up with his sister, he told me that after he voted he was going to Obama headquarters to drive a bus to get people to the polls. An elderly lady in front of me spoke about how she was voting with her great grandmother in her heart, as her grandmother had been a slave. But beyond the words, there was a feeling of substantive cultural change. When the polling place opened at 6AM, there was loud applause and shouts of jubilation. One man towards the front of the line shouted "How does it feel to be making history, baby!"

I know the power and the reality of the presidential office can compromise the best intentions. And there is a great deal of damage to overcome. Yet I have hope today, hope for New Orleans, hope for the United States of America, and hope for the world. I have a great deal of faith in the man pictured above. Well done Obama campaign, and well done America!

Red Street Cars on Canal

This morning, for the first time since Katrina, I saw two red street cars on Canal Street. They weren't taking passengers, presumably they were just testing the streetcars. It was certainly nice to see them though.

Where's Bin Laden's New Album?

Isn't it about time for the most famous 6'4" Saudi Arabian on dialysis living in a cave in Pakistan to release his newest latest tracks? I think it was on Halloween back in 04 when I last heard from him. I've heard that he watches U.S. newscasts and he is obviously pretty savvy in terms of playing the media. Come on Osama, where y'at?

Obama Didn't Have A College Romp on Bourbon Street

Amazingly, New Orleans' newspaper The Times-Picayune has endorsed Barack Obama for president. I say "amazingly" because it didn't endorse anyone in 2004, and it endorsed Bush in 2000. My favorite quotation from the endorsement is as follows: "For our own great and complex city, we could use a national leader who appreciates that we are more than a sentimental memory of a college romp on Bourbon Street; that we are a culturally rich American treasure, filled with resilient citizens and worth protecting from the encroaching forces of nature."

Amen.

Divine Comedy: Women Leaders and Southern Baptists

So Southern Baptists have been freaking out. On the one hand, Sarah Palin is running for VP and might very well be President of the U.S. if elected. On the other hand, she's a woman. You know, one of them female types, like Eve, Delilah, Jezebel, and Hillary.

Several New Testament verses such as 1 Timothy 2:12 “I permit no woman to teach or have authority over a man,” or Ephesians 5:22 “Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord,” seem to indicate an anti-female-leader sentiment.

Well, recently the Southern Baptist Convention ruled that while a woman can't lead a home or a church, she can lead the nation, by God. I wonder if Obama's race has anything to do with this decision? Moreover, I've been getting a bunch of chain emails lately about how the Bible forbids the "mixing of races," you know, like Obama's white mom and African daddy. As an educated person, I know that the idea of race wasn't even invented until the 15th century, so it would be impossible for the Bible to discuss races, let alone be against biracial romance.

Have to say that even with the mixing races emails, and the decision by the Southern Baptist Convention, I'm still enthusiastically going to vote for Obama. You know, hope and all that stuff.

My Quest for the Thanksgiving PoBoy

Several weeks ago I learned from twitter that someone named BigEasy had discovered that the Parkway Bakery had invented the Thanksgiving PoBoy. I dreamed about this for a week. Did it have turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffing, green beans with french onions, and cranberry sauce? Maybe pumpkin pie and sweet potatoes? Those were happy dreams. It made me proud to live in New Orleans, a city that caters to gluttons such as myself. I went there on a Tuesday, and the Parkway was closed. I learned from Howie that they only offered the illusive sandwich on Thursdays, the official Thanksgiving day, and the sandwich became more mystical. So today Howie and I did lunch. There was a giant line of fat people, which is always a good sign.

I proudly ordered the Thanksgiving PoBoy, it cost just over $9. And world, here it is:

It's turkey, stuffing, gravy, and cranberries. Howie ordered some sweet potato fries to balance it out. Honestly, it wasn't as good as the shrimp and oyster poboys at Parkway, but I sure did feel proud and thankful sitting there at the Parkway eating this monster. In your face Pilgrims!

Rollercoaster Ride for Fans of LA Beauties

Sad times in Louisiana, as Miss Louisiana Teen USA had her crown revoked after she and her friends left some small town cafe without paying. Police later found marijuana on her person. All this too on the day when LA's favorite daughter Brittany Spears had the driving sans license case against her dismissed. She would have had to have gone to jail if she was convicted. No word yet on jail time for Miss Teen Louisiana. My students said they didn't care about either of these issues. They said that if the cops found weed on them, they'd be in jail. They also didn't share my panic in that Louisiana won't have a Miss Teen Louisiana until November 1, when the new one will be chosen. How are they chosen, by the way? I'll bet the pageant involves trampolines, nutria, and Adrastos in a crawfish themed speedo.