Any question you may have about Iran right now

....please defer to Reza Aslan:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Reza Aslan
thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Jason Jones in Iran

Update: My unabashed adoration for Reza Aslan will culminate on July 1...very excited about this one...by the way if you haven't read any of his books I would highly recommend it "No God but God" and "How to Win a Cosmic War":

Meet the Authors:
Reza Aslan and Moira Crone
July 1, 6 to 8 p. m.
The Cabildo


The Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society and the Louisiana State Museum will cohost a reception July 1 for Reza Aslan, author of the international bestseller, No God But God, and the new book How to Win A Cosmic War. Reza, an Iranian-American who lived in New Orleans for a while, is a respected scholar and teacher in the field of religious studies and Middle East politics. He is a regular commentator on the Middle East for CBS and he also has regular guest appearances on such news/talk shows as MSNBC's Rachel
Maddow Show, most recently tonight, his third appearance in a week. Reza will discuss terrorism, Islam, and the current uprising in Iran at the event.

Meg Lousteau
Executive Director
Vieux Carre Property Owners, Residents, and Associates
816 N. Rampart Street
New Orleans, LA 70116
504.581.7200 o 504.621.4080 c
meglousteau@vcpora.org
www.vcpora.org

Snake God saves Blogger's life

In tribute to a rather serendipitous encounter with my favorite N.O. blogger, Clay.

See, brah...my nose is good for more than just sniffing out thieving bastards at city hall.

The Best Fucking Story Ever

I could sit around for years and not dream up a conspiracy theory as good as this:

Hopping mad: stoned wallabies make crop circles

Of course this one was pretty good too:

Dude...you got Ledet'ed

Don't fuck with Judge Ledet, fellas.

Here's the unfolding lesson for Michael Dell and Fortune 500 CEO's nationwide....stay the fuck out of New Orleans.

Once again...thanks Ray. Thanks for bringing your stellar business prowess to the aid of our city for the past 8 years. You've definitely done your part to "keep the brand out there". I think you may be due for another Bernardo "Excellence in.....uh....keeping the brand out there....award".

yeah boy...good stuff....errhhhh...

Sphincter clenching moments on Poydras

Anonymous said...

Dambala,

Don't look now but there are approximately 6 FBI agents & 2 US Attorneys who have been at city hall since Monday. Their mission to retrieve all information that was deleted off the servers for key personnel.

Surprised the press hasn't dropped the nickle on this yet.

Good Cop? Bad Cop?

Anyone remember this story?

State Police to investigate missing evidence cash

Well a state legislative audit was conducted and the results are forthcoming. Turns out there is much, much more missing than just a measly 9k....and the audit only covered a single year.

The kicker is that there were multiple incidents. Chief Warren Riley was aware of this issue and never reported it to the District Attorney....that's illegal.

I used to be on the fence with Riley....now I'm not so sure. Why would he conceal this?

The Winds of Change

What's happening in Iran right now is incredibly exciting to me. The American perception of Iran is so highly distorted that I think even if this revolution fails in it's initial goal to challenge the presidential election....it will still succeed in creating a paradigm shift of the West's perception of the country. Iran is a highly educated and progressive culture in comparison to other Middle Eastern cultures, i.e., Saudi Arabia.

I got into a pissing contest a few years ago with this woman who was advocating the use of nuclear weapons on Iran:

American Zombie: You drop the H-bomb, I'll drop the F-bomb: a discourse in insanity

In that article I said that if given time the younger, progressive generation in Iran would rise up and bring reform and democracy to the country. I had no idea it would happen so quickly but its incredibly exciting to witness....the birth of a democracy from the inside out.....not a forced democracy like we just attempted in Iraq.

The difference between the two countries (Iraq/Iran) is education...pure and simple. I truly believe that in the modern world, 99% of all global conflict can be resolved with diplomacy and education.

Obama's role in this conflict is going to be absolutely critical. I don't agree with his current guarded strategy. I think he has to recognize this as an extraordinary opportunity to leverage his current popularity and influence to empower the revolution....he needs to step up to the plate. Wether it fails or succeeds, this country needs to step up to the plate and support this movement.

I disagree with The Yellow blog's commentary that its not about us.....I think it is very much about us. Its about human rights, freedom, peace....solidarity. Even after the 8 year Bush nightmare, much of the world looks to this country as a guiding light. Contrary to popular belief...I think the majority of Iranians admire America and I think its important for us to show solidarity with those leading this revolution.

If what's happening in Iran doesn't excite you...shit...what does?

Who's protecting the slumlord?

After Anon commented on George Chin's connections with Dennis Churchwell and his $20,000 donation to Nagin's 06 campaign, Karen brought up some interesting issues which have occured regarding blighted properties which Chin owns in the Carrollton/Claiborne area.

The house on 8117 Apple street was apparently declared blighted by the city. However, Winston Reid, the Director of Code Enforcement.......never signed the judgement which would allow the city to seize the property. Karen and other folks in the neighborhood have made repeated attempts to find out why the judgement was never signed but have not been given an answer from Reid's office.

Here is a letter Karen sent to Councilperson Midura and Reid:

Dear Mr Reid and Councilwoman Midura,

I have a few questions I would like answered.

1. Is there any Code Enforcement being done in Northwest Carrollton?

2. Why was the house at 8117 Apple St never issued a signed blight declaration in 2007 even after a judgement was rendered and how is it that he has been able to continue to leave it as a hazard?

AFTER the house was received a blight declaration it was set on fire and has sat that way for a year.

Last week the owner willfully demolished the chimneys and dumped the fetid contents on to the lawn where it still sits as of 6 pm on Sunday.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/karenapricot/3011418718/

As we go through the budgets hearings I would like to know if the areas of the City that do not have Code Enforcement will receive the same tax bills as those that do? We have been very patient with this property because I was assured back in 2007 that he was being fined. Could you please tell us what the fine is and what the fine structure looks like?

I know this house is on the docket for demolition review at the NCDC. We plan to attend as a Neighborhood to see what his plans are for redevelopment.

To that end, Mr Munster could you share with us with his redevelopment plan is in the application packet?

Thank you very much,

Karen Gadbois

Karen said the fines can run as high as $500/day. Regardless of the fine....the judgment was already issued so the property should have been seized.

Interesting that the house was set on fire immediately following the judgement...no?

Why did Reid not sign the judgement? Is he protecting Chin because of his political connections to the mayor?

Incoming

Two very interesting comments came in this morning....one from Anon regarding local business connections to Memphian, Dennis Churchwell, and another from someone who apparently has intimate knowledge of Aaron Bennett's business ethos.

Churchwell first:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Don Muppet":

Churchwell is connected to two local businessmen named George Chin and Egbert Ming. According to state campaign finance records, these two appear to have provided the additional $20,000 to Nagin's campaign in May, 2006 in addition to the $80,000 that Churchwell's Tennessee folks kicked in, for a total of $100,000. Their donations were made within a day of Churchwell's.

Chin and Ming own the buildings at 3500 and 3600 St Charles. There's a lot of connections that flow outward from there, along with their many, many businesses (check them out on the Louisiana Secretary of State site). One of the businesses located there is JNE Enterprises (it's in 3500), which has received millions in FEMA-funded City of New Orleans largesse as the city's Tactical Trash Force contractor.

One of the less obvious connections to Churchwell (but a key one) is that Chin is an owner of Orleans Dodge in NO East. This can be found by googling and getting to here:

http://www.nola.com/katrina/pages/102805/1028B02.pdf

Orleans Dodge is the dealer that was hooked up with Churchwell's company (Mid-South Auction & Real Estate Co.) that was domiciled in 3500 St Charles. In fact, it was domiciled in the same office as JNE Enterprises - Suite 204.

The firmest connection is through another company, Global Environmental Recycling, which was domiciled at 3600 St Charles (i.e. Chin & Ming). It lists Orleans Dodge (i.e. Chin) and Mid-South Auction (i.e. Churchwell) as members.

This isn't directly related, but at one time, Chin and Ming did business with Alvarez Ferrouilet. Ferrouilet was convicted in a scheme to illegally launder campaign contributions to Henry Espy, brother of Clinton Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy. Ferrouilet and his co-conspirators were pardoned by Clinton in 2001.

Finally,keep an eye on this:
http://www.squanderedheritage.com/2009/06/13/how-to-destroy-a-house/

The home (and the one next door) is owned by the Chin family (specifically George Chin's brother Walter), and both have a demolition applications pending. The contractor on the permits is Back Home Construction, owned by George Chin and Egbert Ming. The demolitions have been denied twice before.

The properties are apparently the bequest of their father, Gin Sing Chin, who died last year (Gin S Chin is listed as the owner in the assessor's database):

http://files.usgwarchives.org/la/orleans/obits/2008/2008-03.txt

It is possible George Chin is having cash flow problems. Orleans Dodge is one of the Chrysler dealers that lost its franchise agreement this month. The demolition permit applications appeared around the same time as that announcement.

And here is the Benetech comment:

Mike Quartana has left a new comment on your post "Sewell gets the boot":

Benetech's entire operation is a sham. They were also given a no bid contract for cm/pm work for the new Plaquemine's prisons. After flat out billing...errr, stealing over 1.2 million from FEMA, it went back out for release and is now some sort of joint venture between Benetech and CDM. I have hard data and timesheets to back it up, Mr Bennet exemplifies everything that is corrupt and wrong with NO.

Dear Prudence

Iran.  

Do you think you know it?

I think now is the time to get to know it.  Its the zeitgeist.  

Don Muppet

The more I read about Jimmy Goodson, Meffert's bodyguard, the more I think Meffert is delusional.  I think he was starting to think of himself as some kind of Mafia Don:

Associate of City Hall vendor paid bill for Nagin lawn care

Records show Goodson formed Custom Transportation Management in May 2005, about three months before Katrina. The next month, he quit his job as a welding instructor at Louisiana Technical College. About the same time, Meffert wrote St. Pierre in an e-mail message: "Guess I may need Jimmy's protection after all."

I actually agree with Muppet on this matter.  If you could see some of the hate mail I get against him from all the people he's apparently screwed, I think its a prudent decision on his part to use a bodyguard. 

As for Nagin, its interesting to see the pattern he was following in allowing St. Pierre to be his life manager and benefactor.  Getting his landscaping done isn't that big of a deal but I have no doubt there's more to come....we just have to wait for the TP to get to the right people.

Move over Caddyshack

I just watched Tropic Thunder last night on Skinamax.  I don't think I've laughed that hard since I was 10.  I actually like Tom Cruise again after watching this...he totally delivered.  I was laughing so hard I had tears streaming down my face....and I'm not a guy who laughs much.  Robert Downey Jr. deserved a fucking Oscar for that performance....it was brilliant.  

hiatus

I'm on a short vacation. Posting will be slow. Sorry.

Blogger formatting snafu's

I recently updated my blog template and it screwed up a lot of stuff on the blog...namely it selectively kicked out some of my links. Very strange....but if I'm not linking to you and you want me to please send me an e-mail and I will rectify it asap. Thanks.

I typed that on a handheld...please forgive.

oh shit

Nagin, wife, staffer quarantined in China

Please...Please...Please don't let him comment. We need to send the CIA in now to pick him up before he shoots his fucking mouth off and we end up in an international crisis.

You think I'm joking? I'm not.

This may have been the stupidest move in the history of legal defense

Former tech director states innocence day before grand jury testimony

You've got to be fucking kidding me. Jesus Christ. This was even worse than I thought it would be.

Now I know why Burns let him hold a press conference.....Burns told him to. I would bet my ass on it.

This whole thing was nothing more than grandstanding on the part of Lon Burns. It was a chance for him to get on TV....at the expense of his client. Unbelievable.

Anthony...for Legba's sake , man.....fire Burns right now. I used to feel sorry for you but you just keep digging yourself into the fucking grave. You are not an elected official....the public doesn't give a shit who you are or what your reputation is, capiche? You had absolutely NOTHING to gain by holding this press conference. All you did, most likely, is successfully piss off the U.S. Attorney General's office by allowing your lawyer to make baseless conspiracy threats. Jesus man....you fudged a fucking contract....that's cut and dry. Its even more cut and dry than proving racketeering charges against Meffert, St. Pierre and possibly Nagin...you know....the three stooges who set you up for the fall?

And Burns....unbelievable....

"What you're going to learn is when Mr. Jones got into that department and started to cut out certain contractors, certain people were let go, laid off, terminated from their positions with the technology department, certain elected officials started to go after Mr. Jones, make certain public request records," said Burns.

Not.

Certain elected officials being who, Lon? Stacy Head? You're going to try and create a conspiracy theory that Stacy Head was trying to protect Active Solutions and Southern Electronics contract, which was already completely fucked by Mark Kurt, Jones' predecessor? You've got to be fucking kidding me. How does that possibly....remotely....in any fucking way.....help your client?

Newsflash man: HE FALSIFIED A FUCKING CONTRACT

.....read it again.....let it sink in....

Even if your conspiracy theory is true....which I can absolutely assure you it isn't....how does it help your client to do this? It doesn't help....it doesn't...in any way.

"You know what you're going to find out that's interesting, a lot of those persons who came after Mr. Jones were also receiving campaign contributions from a lot of the very contractors who were supposed to provide the crime-camera system," said Burns.

Ok....it's interesting. BUT ITS NOT ILLEGAL. Active Solutions donated to Head's campaign? Big frikkin' deal. Meffert, St. Pierre, Aaron Bennett, Frank Fradella, Dennis Churchwell (over 80k) all donated to Nagin's campaign....but guess what....thats not illegal (with the exception of possibly Churchwell).

Burns...are you race baiting? I mean I really can't imagine what you're hoping to accomplish? Stacy Head is not Anthony Jones' enemy.....Greg Meffert and Ray Nagin are. Are you going to stand in front of a jury and claim that Jones was forced to falsify a multi-million dollar contract because a city council member had it in for him? Seriously....what the fuck is your defense? If you're playing to the court of public opinion....you've totally screwed your client.

BP....fire your attorney

Former N.O. tech officer subpoenaed by feds; plans to talk publicly today

I'm having a really hard time understanding why Lon Burns is allowing Anthony Jones to hold a fucking press conference today.  What possible benefit could come from this?  This is just a really stupid move in my opinion.  The only person Jones needs to be talking to right now is Jim Letten...he definitely doesn't need to be pleading his case in the court of public opinion.

What's he going to do?  Cry patsy?  

Anthony....you were in the book depository with the fucking rifle, bro.  You're not going to get out of this by pleading your case on the 6 o'clock news.  Put the microphone down, step away from the camera.

I can't imagine how this is going to benefit him.  

Let the Games Begin

Former tech director talks with feds about crime cameras

Friday..... Bowling Pin gets knocked down.

hey

Oshun

Let's get to know her

werd

CS II

No, i'm not talking about Adobe.

From Anon....anon...ohhh anon.....my favorite person in the whole wide world:

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Second Civil Suit":

I'm sure all these topics will be covered in the looming second lawsuit. The rumors of who is representing the plaintiffs in the second lawsuit is pretty fucking impressive. If what the legal community is saying is true then the plaintiffs have ascertained some serious firepower and not just the same old same old but attorneys who piss vinegar for fun.

this second suit is going to be more fun than the first if everything we are hearing is true. These attorneys purportedly have hired the best private investigators from across the US over the last 4 years in preparation for this lawsuit.