It was a pleasant afternoon in New York. Stephen (a.k.a. Sissy Carter) and I were wrapping up brunch al fresco as the sun was beginning to set. Dusk is the magical time of day that reliably draws Hell’s Kitchen queens out of their cocoons and unswervingly towards Happy Hour, like moths to a flame. It's also the perfect time to people-watch and participate in one of our … [Read more...] about The Rockford Files: Spend Some Cash On Your Dash
Opinions
The Pride Conundrum
How a person feels about Pride month says a lot about that person. I’m not talking about the people that hate it. The religious fascists will always be with us. I’m talking about members of the queer community. Theoretically, it’s fair to say we all like the idea of having a Pride month. But why? Maybe you’ve just come out of the closet and feel … [Read more...] about The Pride Conundrum
Frank Perez Commentary: The Trouble With Entergy and the City Council
Entergy’s catastrophic failure during Hurricane Ida illustrated not only its incompetence, but also the City Council’s failure to use its full regulatory power over the shareholder-owned company. Entergy has a state-approved monopoly in New Orleans and its sole regulator is the New Orleans City Council. The problem is that the Council has never truly … [Read more...] about Frank Perez Commentary: The Trouble With Entergy and the City Council
Confessions from the Campaign Trail
Earlier this year when I first considered running for City Council, I floated the idea by more than a few friends. Their universal reactions were supportive, surprised at first, but very encouraging. And then, after digesting the news, they all had the same question “Was I nuts?” They had a point. The job is not easy and carries an enormous amount of … [Read more...] about Confessions from the Campaign Trail
Ida, Entergy, and the City Council
Losing power during a hurricane is a reasonable expectation; however, a city-wide blackout inNew Orleans was not supposed to happen. The fact that it did raises serious questions about thefuture of Entergy’s exclusive monopoly in New Orleans and that's why I'm running for City Council. In 2017, the New Orleans City Council, which has the sole authority to regulate Entergy … [Read more...] about Ida, Entergy, and the City Council
“For the Love of Mardi Gras, Get Vaccinated!”
Have you browsed through some of the Southern Decadence groups on social media lately? If you didn’t know any better, you might get the idea that the COVID-19 pandemic is completely behind us. Sure, there are occasional posts about masks, but on the whole, one gets the impression that the hordes of Southern Decadence devotees who did not come last year are … [Read more...] about “For the Love of Mardi Gras, Get Vaccinated!”
Showing Up
It was an overcast evening. The sun being hidden by clouds allowed our New Orleans evening to become a lovely June evening. To say it was cool would be to overstate the day. But it was not hot. The room started with a few early comers. They scattered here and there. Over time the musicians drifted into the room, all chatting. Several of the crew from central casting showed up … [Read more...] about Showing Up
Isn’t It Ironic?
Take it from me, the chances of a fully vaccinated person becoming infected with the COVID-19 virus are extremely low – but not zero. Regular Ambush readers may remember that I detailed my vaccination experience here, in this very column. I blasted at the anti-vax movement, dismissing its supporters with science and touting the benefits of vaccination. I strongly … [Read more...] about Isn’t It Ironic?
The “Constitutional Carry” SB 118 is bad policy at its best and a moral failure at its worst.
The memorial on the little stone church in Treme is known by the public as “The Murder Board”. Since 2007, as pastor of St. Anna’s Episcopal Church, I have been researching and then posting the names of victims of violence on our Victims of Violence Memorials. For a time, the memorial was a worthy backdrop for stories about murder in New Orleans. Today, a certain kind of … [Read more...] about The “Constitutional Carry” SB 118 is bad policy at its best and a moral failure at its worst.
Congo Square, City Hall, & the Municipal Auditorium
City officials are stubbornly proceeding with Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s proposal to relocate City Hall to the old Municipal Auditorium despite fierce opposition from residents in Treme and other community advocates. Cantrell first suggested the proposal shortly after being elected. In 2019, the administration commissioned a study that found the existing City Hall was … [Read more...] about Congo Square, City Hall, & the Municipal Auditorium
