Obama challenged the Republicans the other night to put forward an alternative health care proposal. Okey-dokey. Heeere 'ya go.
Its pretty much the same GOP proposal the Left/Mainstream Media have been utterly ignoring for months. Summary is here.
30 January 2010
Adolph Ain't Happy With Apple.
Der Führer has some things to say about the new iPad.
(Warning: Geek humor alert.)
(Warning: Geek humor alert.)
29 January 2010
I Told You So.
James O'Keefe, the conservative videographer who was arrested in New Orleans in Mary Landrieu's office, explains what he was doing there, and why. If it sounds familiar, it's because you already read a pretty accurate conjecture days ago. Advantage RSR!
That said, I think Jim Letten would be well within his perview to throw the book at these guys. This went beyond dumb.
That said, I think Jim Letten would be well within his perview to throw the book at these guys. This went beyond dumb.
28 January 2010
I Ain't Tawkin Funny...
With ths success of the Saints quite a few out-of-towners are becoming part of the Who Dat Nation. OK, welcome aboard. But if you're going to be amongst us, please - you need to learn the local language. And if you think New Orleanians sound like Belizare the Cajun, you're wrong. So below, in the interests of Who Dat unity, is a basic 'Nawlins dictionary. Note this is NOT mine - it was sent to me by email and the author(s) remain unknown. Feel free to add more in the comments.
ANYWAYS - And, then; and, so.
ARABIAN - Someone from Arabi, in St. Bernard Parish.
AWRITE - The appropriate response to the greeting "Where y'at?" Also, a greeting in and of itself: "Awrite, Ed!"
AWRITE, HAWT - Response of agreement to a member of the opposite gender.
AX - Ask.
DA BANK'KETTE - The sidewalk.
BAT'TROOM - A room in the house where one doesn't find bats, but where one bathes, attends to the elimination of bodily waste, or locks oneself in and cries until one gets one's way.
BERL - To cook by surrounding something in hot, bubbling 212°F liquid; the preferred method for cooking shellfish.
BINHAVIN, BEEN HAVIN' - To have had something for a long time, as in ... Q: "How long ya had dat dress? A: "Oh, I binhavin dat. "
BINLOOKIN, BEEN LOOKIN' - To have searched for something for a long time, as in "I binlook in f'dat book. "
BOBO - A small injury or wound.
BOO - A term of endearment, frequently used by parents and grandparents for small children, even small children who happen to be 40 years old ... Believed to be Cajun in origin.
BRA - A form of address for men, usually one with whom you are not acquainted. Usually used in this manner: "Say, bra ..."
CATLICK - The predominant religion in New Orleans . And, according to some Baptists, all Hell-bound.
CHALMATION - Someone from Chalmette, a city in St. Bernard Parish that's part of the New Orleans "metro area". Occasionally used as an insult. (Many New Orleanians have a low opinion of Chalmette and the hell wit them anyway....) Out-of-towners often pronounce it with the hard "ch" sound as in "charge". It's more like or , and the city is pronounced .
CHIEF, CHEEF - A form of address between men, along the lines of "cap" and "podna".
DA - The.
DAT - That.
DAWLIN - A universal form of address. Women use it to refer to both sexes, men use it toward women.
DEM - Them.
DERE - There. As in "Dere ya go!", an expression of encouragement or acknowledgement of having done something for someone else.
DESE, DOSE - These, t hose.
DIS - This.
MAKE DOE-DOE - Sleep. From the Cajun French "fais do do", or "make sleep".
DOWN DA ROAD - A staple in the vocabulary of the St. Bernard Parish Yat. This term is travel directions for someone headed to lower St. Bernard Parish traveling on St. Bernard Highway (US Highway 46). You are usually in da parish when you use this phrase with a destination of either Violet or Poydras.. For example: "Let's go down da road and pass over by the trailah pawk".
DOWN-RIVA - The eastward direction, toward St. Bernard Parish. "Rocky n' Carlo's is down-riva from heah". Opposite of "Up-Riva".
DRESSED - When ordering a po-boy, dressed" indicates lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and MYNEZ, on it. See NUTTINONIT.
EARL, ERL -1. A vegetable product used for cooking, making roux, etc.2. A petroleum product used to lubricate the engine of your car..3. Your Uncle Earl. (Most New Orleanians have an Uncle Earl; I do. )
ELLESHYEW - Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge .
ERNGE, URNGE - An orange-colored citrus fruit.
FOR - a preposition used by New Orleanians instead of "at" or "by" when referring to time. E.g., "Da parade's for 7:00, but we betta get dere for 6 if we wanna find pawkin'." This one tends to be particularly confusing to non-natives.
F'Sho! - 1. A statement of agreement. See YEAH YOU RITE.2.. An excellent (but out of print) book by local artist Bunny Matthews, featuring cartoons with "actual dialogue heard on the streets of our metropolis".
F'TRUE - Pronounced . When phrased as a question, it means "Is that so?" or "Ya kiddin'!!". When phrased as a statement, it's an affirmation, a shortened version of "Nuh uh, I ain't lyin' ta ya ..."
GAWD - A supernatural deity, worshipped by most New Orleanians.
GO CUP - A paper or plastic cup for consumption of alcoholic beverages out on the street, as open glass containers (and cans too, I think) are illegal.
HAWT- A term of endearment used primarily by local females.
HEY, BAY-BEE! - Pronounced with the "BAY" drawn way out. A greeting between any two people of either gender.
I'LL TAKE ME A ... - May I have a ...
INKPEN - A ball-point pen, or any kind of writing utensil, really. Always heavy emphasis on the first syllable ... "Lemme borra ya INKpen, awrite?"
JAMBALAYA - A rice-based dish containing meat and seafood, prepared in a nearly infinite variety of ways by Louisianians. The usual out-of-towner mispronunciation has the first syllable rhyming with "jam", when it should rhyme with "Tom" ... , secondary accent on first syllable, primary accent on third. But one local pronunciation that was brought to my attention (although nobody in my family said it this way) is , primary accent of first syllable which rhymes with "bum", secondary accent on20third syllable.
JAWN - The most popular boys' name in English, pronounced this way among Localese-speakers. Also, a pot ta pee in. Rhymes with "lawn". See TURLET.
K&B PURPLE - A particular shade of purple that you'll know if you know K&B. Used in phrases like, "He was so mad, his face was K&B purple", or, "I can't believe ya bought dat ugly car! It's K&B purple!"
KENNA - A city at the western edge of Jefferson Parish. See "Twin Spans".
LAGNIAPPE - Pronounced . A little something extra. Lagniappe is when your butcher gives you a pound and two ounces of hot sausage but only charges you for a pound, or when the waiter at your favorite restaurant brings you an extra dessert or something, and doesn't charge you. Lagniappe breeds good will, friendship and most importantly, return business.
LOCKA - Where you hang your clothes, analogous to the English word "closet". Example: "Mom-MAH! Where my shoes at?" "Looka in ya locka!" (See LOOKA) Occasionally spelled "locker", as if it was proper English.. Generally always used in place of the word "closet"
LOOKA - "to look". Usually accompanied by a pointing gesture. Often used as a single exclamation: "Looka!" Sometimes used to describe an attractive female: "Bra, she's a looka!"
MAKE GROCERIES, MAKIN' GROCERIES - To do grocery shopping.. Thought to have originated with the French expression for grocery shopping, "faire le marché". The verb "faire" can mean either "to do" or "to make", and the idiom may hav e been mistranslated.
MAW-MAW - Ya grandma.
MET-TREE - An unincorporated area of Jefferson Parish abutting Orleans Parish. Spelled "Metairie".
MUFFULETTA - A quintessential New Orleans Italian sancwich, of ham, Genoa salami, mortadella, Provolone cheese and marinated olive salad on a round seeded Italian loaf. Invented at Central Grocery on Decatur in da Qu arter. Locals pronounce this , and will tend to just abbreviate it as "muff". But if you ask a member of the Tusa family (the proprietors of Central), they'll pronounce it in elegantly proper Italian as .
NEUTRAL GROUND - The grassy or cement strip in the middle of the road. The terms "median" and/or "island" are NEVER used in New Orleans . Use of one of those foreign terms instead of "neutral ground" is a dead giveaway that you ain't from around here, or anywhere close. If you're lucky, you live on a street with a neutral ground big enough to play football on.
NEW ORLEENS / NEW AWLENS - The way silly tourists pronounce " New Orleans ". Natives DO NOT do this. Exception -- song lyrics, as in "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans", for example, and when omitting the "New", as in "Orleans Parish", which is always pronounced.
NORT SHOWA - The north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, covering the towns of Mandeville, Covington and Slidell. Where many New Orleanian's kids and grandkids now live.
NUTTINONIT - A po-boy that is not dressed, which only contains the main ingredient(s).
OIL - Man's name. In the rest of the country: "Earl". "Oil changed da earl in my caw" makes perfect sense to a New Orleanian.
ON DA WES' BANK, ACROSS DA RIVUH - On the West Bank of the Mississippi River, where such places as Algiers , Gretna and Marrero lie. Interestingly, the W est Bank is due south of New Orleans (except for Algiers , of course). Make sense? Thought not.
OR WHAT - Pronounced, and placed at the end of a question: "You gonna finish eatin' dat, 'r what?"
OVA BY - A general replacement for the prepo sitions "at" and "to", particularly when referring to someone's home, or a destination in general. "Where ya goin'?" "Ova by ma mamma's. "
PARRAINE - Your godfather.
PASS BY - To stop at a place, for a visit or to accomplish something. "Ya gonna be home later? I'll pass by ya house." It doesn't mean just to drive by in your car and keep going ...
PEE-CAN - A nut indigenous to the South, and beloved in New Orleans as an ingredient in pies and pralines. Pronounced , not .
PO-BOY - The quintessential New Orleans lunch, a sandwich on good, crispy New Orleans French bread. We put anything and everythig on a po boy.
PODNA - A form of address for men, usually for ones with whom one is not acquainted. Frequently used in the emphatic statement, "I tell you what, podna ..."
SCHWAGMANN'S BAG - A unit of measurement. Approximately 3 cubic feet. Derived from local icon Schwegmann Brothers Giant Supermarkets, who until recently had absolutely enormous paper bags in which they packed ya groceries. (Now they have those stup id tiny flimsy plastic bags just like everyone else.) Usage: "Hey, did ya catch a lot at da parade?" "Yeah you rite .... a whole Schwegmann bag full!" The apostrophe-s is optional.
SHOW, DA SHOW - The cinema. The movie house. The local motion picture emporium. Where works of cinemati c art (or crappy flicks, depending) are shown. True New Orleanians never say, "I went to the movies", they say "I went to da show. "
SOSSIGE - A meat preparation, made of various kinds of ground meats, seafood and spices, stuffed into a casing. Usually spelled "sausage" by English speakers, but pronounced in New Orleans as you see here, always and not .
SUCK DA HEAD, SQUEEZE DA TAIL - The technique for eating crawfish. If you've never done this, have someone demonstrate.
SHUG-A - A term of endearment used primarily by Yat females. Pronoucned with a soft "oo" as in "book".
TO'WADS DA LAKE - Any northerly direction, towards Lake Pontchartrain.
TO'WADS DA RIVAH- Generally a southerly direction, towards the Mississippi River. On the West Bank it can mean north, east and west as well.
TURLET - Ya standard flushable porcelain waste disposal unit found in every bat'troom, referred to by English speakers as a "toilet".
DA TWIN SPANS - Depending on contect, either one of the two long pair Interstate-10 bridges leading to New Olreans. The western ones lead from Laplace to Kenner ("Kenna"), and the eastern set goes from New Olreans East to Slidell. The Causeway is never referred to as a 'Twin Span".
VIOLATION - A person from Violet, Louisiana , in St. Bernard Parish.
WHERE YA STAY (AT)? - Where do you live?
WHERE Y'AT! - The traditional New Orleanian greeting, and the source for the term "Yat", often used (primarily by non-New Orleanians, it is said) to describe New Orleanians with the te lltale accent. The proper response is, "Awrite. "
UP DA ROAD - Same as down da road, only now you are traveling in the opposite direction heading "up da road" to either Chalmette or Arabi.
UP-RIVA - The westward direction, toward Jefferson Parish. "Yeah, ya takes the streetcars up-riva to Camillia Grill". Opposite of "Down-Riva".
Y'ALL - The plural form of the second person verb, "you20all". It's not pronounced as they would in the south, though -- no twang, no drawl, just "y'all". "You guys" is never said.
YA - You, your.
YA MAMMA - Your mother.
YAMAMMA'N'EM - A collective term for your immediate family, as in "Hey dawlin', how's yamamma'n'em?" Spoken as one word.
YAT - A native, often blue-collar, with a New Olreans accent. Often used as a term of derision by Uptowners: "Oh Edward, Buffy is dating a... Yat!" "Yat" can also be used as a descriptor for anyone from "Met-tree" or "Kenna".
YEAH YA RITE - An emphatic statement of agreement and affirmation, sometimes used as a general exclamation of happiness. The accent is on the first word, and it's spoken as one word.
ZATA-RANS - Pronounced . A local manufacturer of spices, seasonings, pickled products and condiments. In context, it's used by some as a generic term for either crab boil or Creole mustard, as it "Put some Zatarain's on it," or "T'row a coupla bags o' Zatarain's in da pot." Context is important here; you don't want to put Creole mustard in a seafood boil.
ANYWAYS - And, then; and, so.
ARABIAN - Someone from Arabi, in St. Bernard Parish.
AWRITE - The appropriate response to the greeting "Where y'at?" Also, a greeting in and of itself: "Awrite, Ed!"
AWRITE, HAWT - Response of agreement to a member of the opposite gender.
AX - Ask.
DA BANK'KETTE - The sidewalk.
BAT'TROOM - A room in the house where one doesn't find bats, but where one bathes, attends to the elimination of bodily waste, or locks oneself in and cries until one gets one's way.
BERL - To cook by surrounding something in hot, bubbling 212°F liquid; the preferred method for cooking shellfish.
BINHAVIN, BEEN HAVIN' - To have had something for a long time, as in ... Q: "How long ya had dat dress? A: "Oh, I binhavin dat. "
BINLOOKIN, BEEN LOOKIN' - To have searched for something for a long time, as in "I binlook in f'dat book. "
BOBO - A small injury or wound.
BOO - A term of endearment, frequently used by parents and grandparents for small children, even small children who happen to be 40 years old ... Believed to be Cajun in origin.
BRA - A form of address for men, usually one with whom you are not acquainted. Usually used in this manner: "Say, bra ..."
CATLICK - The predominant religion in New Orleans . And, according to some Baptists, all Hell-bound.
CHALMATION - Someone from Chalmette, a city in St. Bernard Parish that's part of the New Orleans "metro area". Occasionally used as an insult. (Many New Orleanians have a low opinion of Chalmette and the hell wit them anyway....) Out-of-towners often pronounce it with the hard "ch" sound as in "charge". It's more like or , and the city is pronounced .
CHIEF, CHEEF - A form of address between men, along the lines of "cap" and "podna".
DA - The.
DAT - That.
DAWLIN - A universal form of address. Women use it to refer to both sexes, men use it toward women.
DEM - Them.
DERE - There. As in "Dere ya go!", an expression of encouragement or acknowledgement of having done something for someone else.
DESE, DOSE - These, t hose.
DIS - This.
MAKE DOE-DOE - Sleep. From the Cajun French "fais do do", or "make sleep".
DOWN DA ROAD - A staple in the vocabulary of the St. Bernard Parish Yat. This term is travel directions for someone headed to lower St. Bernard Parish traveling on St. Bernard Highway (US Highway 46). You are usually in da parish when you use this phrase with a destination of either Violet or Poydras.. For example: "Let's go down da road and pass over by the trailah pawk".
DOWN-RIVA - The eastward direction, toward St. Bernard Parish. "Rocky n' Carlo's is down-riva from heah". Opposite of "Up-Riva".
DRESSED - When ordering a po-boy, dressed" indicates lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and MYNEZ, on it. See NUTTINONIT.
EARL, ERL -1. A vegetable product used for cooking, making roux, etc.2. A petroleum product used to lubricate the engine of your car..3. Your Uncle Earl. (Most New Orleanians have an Uncle Earl; I do. )
ELLESHYEW - Louisiana State University , Baton Rouge .
ERNGE, URNGE - An orange-colored citrus fruit.
FOR - a preposition used by New Orleanians instead of "at" or "by" when referring to time. E.g., "Da parade's for 7:00, but we betta get dere for 6 if we wanna find pawkin'." This one tends to be particularly confusing to non-natives.
F'Sho! - 1. A statement of agreement. See YEAH YOU RITE.2.. An excellent (but out of print) book by local artist Bunny Matthews, featuring cartoons with "actual dialogue heard on the streets of our metropolis".
F'TRUE - Pronounced . When phrased as a question, it means "Is that so?" or "Ya kiddin'!!". When phrased as a statement, it's an affirmation, a shortened version of "Nuh uh, I ain't lyin' ta ya ..."
GAWD - A supernatural deity, worshipped by most New Orleanians.
GO CUP - A paper or plastic cup for consumption of alcoholic beverages out on the street, as open glass containers (and cans too, I think) are illegal.
HAWT- A term of endearment used primarily by local females.
HEY, BAY-BEE! - Pronounced with the "BAY" drawn way out. A greeting between any two people of either gender.
I'LL TAKE ME A ... - May I have a ...
INKPEN - A ball-point pen, or any kind of writing utensil, really. Always heavy emphasis on the first syllable ... "Lemme borra ya INKpen, awrite?"
JAMBALAYA - A rice-based dish containing meat and seafood, prepared in a nearly infinite variety of ways by Louisianians. The usual out-of-towner mispronunciation has the first syllable rhyming with "jam", when it should rhyme with "Tom" ... , secondary accent on first syllable, primary accent on third. But one local pronunciation that was brought to my attention (although nobody in my family said it this way) is , primary accent of first syllable which rhymes with "bum", secondary accent on20third syllable.
JAWN - The most popular boys' name in English, pronounced this way among Localese-speakers. Also, a pot ta pee in. Rhymes with "lawn". See TURLET.
K&B PURPLE - A particular shade of purple that you'll know if you know K&B. Used in phrases like, "He was so mad, his face was K&B purple", or, "I can't believe ya bought dat ugly car! It's K&B purple!"
KENNA - A city at the western edge of Jefferson Parish. See "Twin Spans".
LAGNIAPPE - Pronounced . A little something extra. Lagniappe is when your butcher gives you a pound and two ounces of hot sausage but only charges you for a pound, or when the waiter at your favorite restaurant brings you an extra dessert or something, and doesn't charge you. Lagniappe breeds good will, friendship and most importantly, return business.
LOCKA - Where you hang your clothes, analogous to the English word "closet". Example: "Mom-MAH! Where my shoes at?" "Looka in ya locka!" (See LOOKA) Occasionally spelled "locker", as if it was proper English.. Generally always used in place of the word "closet"
LOOKA - "to look". Usually accompanied by a pointing gesture. Often used as a single exclamation: "Looka!" Sometimes used to describe an attractive female: "Bra, she's a looka!"
MAKE GROCERIES, MAKIN' GROCERIES - To do grocery shopping.. Thought to have originated with the French expression for grocery shopping, "faire le marché". The verb "faire" can mean either "to do" or "to make", and the idiom may hav e been mistranslated.
MAW-MAW - Ya grandma.
MET-TREE - An unincorporated area of Jefferson Parish abutting Orleans Parish. Spelled "Metairie".
MUFFULETTA - A quintessential New Orleans Italian sancwich, of ham, Genoa salami, mortadella, Provolone cheese and marinated olive salad on a round seeded Italian loaf. Invented at Central Grocery on Decatur in da Qu arter. Locals pronounce this , and will tend to just abbreviate it as "muff". But if you ask a member of the Tusa family (the proprietors of Central), they'll pronounce it in elegantly proper Italian as .
NEUTRAL GROUND - The grassy or cement strip in the middle of the road. The terms "median" and/or "island" are NEVER used in New Orleans . Use of one of those foreign terms instead of "neutral ground" is a dead giveaway that you ain't from around here, or anywhere close. If you're lucky, you live on a street with a neutral ground big enough to play football on.
NEW ORLEENS / NEW AWLENS - The way silly tourists pronounce " New Orleans ". Natives DO NOT do this. Exception -- song lyrics, as in "Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans", for example, and when omitting the "New", as in "Orleans Parish", which is always pronounced.
NORT SHOWA - The north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, covering the towns of Mandeville, Covington and Slidell. Where many New Orleanian's kids and grandkids now live.
NUTTINONIT - A po-boy that is not dressed, which only contains the main ingredient(s).
OIL - Man's name. In the rest of the country: "Earl". "Oil changed da earl in my caw" makes perfect sense to a New Orleanian.
ON DA WES' BANK, ACROSS DA RIVUH - On the West Bank of the Mississippi River, where such places as Algiers , Gretna and Marrero lie. Interestingly, the W est Bank is due south of New Orleans (except for Algiers , of course). Make sense? Thought not.
OR WHAT - Pronounced, and placed at the end of a question: "You gonna finish eatin' dat, 'r what?"
OVA BY - A general replacement for the prepo sitions "at" and "to", particularly when referring to someone's home, or a destination in general. "Where ya goin'?" "Ova by ma mamma's. "
PARRAINE - Your godfather.
PASS BY - To stop at a place, for a visit or to accomplish something. "Ya gonna be home later? I'll pass by ya house." It doesn't mean just to drive by in your car and keep going ...
PEE-CAN - A nut indigenous to the South, and beloved in New Orleans as an ingredient in pies and pralines. Pronounced , not .
PO-BOY - The quintessential New Orleans lunch, a sandwich on good, crispy New Orleans French bread. We put anything and everythig on a po boy.
PODNA - A form of address for men, usually for ones with whom one is not acquainted. Frequently used in the emphatic statement, "I tell you what, podna ..."
SCHWAGMANN'S BAG - A unit of measurement. Approximately 3 cubic feet. Derived from local icon Schwegmann Brothers Giant Supermarkets, who until recently had absolutely enormous paper bags in which they packed ya groceries. (Now they have those stup id tiny flimsy plastic bags just like everyone else.) Usage: "Hey, did ya catch a lot at da parade?" "Yeah you rite .... a whole Schwegmann bag full!" The apostrophe-s is optional.
SHOW, DA SHOW - The cinema. The movie house. The local motion picture emporium. Where works of cinemati c art (or crappy flicks, depending) are shown. True New Orleanians never say, "I went to the movies", they say "I went to da show. "
SOSSIGE - A meat preparation, made of various kinds of ground meats, seafood and spices, stuffed into a casing. Usually spelled "sausage" by English speakers, but pronounced in New Orleans as you see here, always and not .
SUCK DA HEAD, SQUEEZE DA TAIL - The technique for eating crawfish. If you've never done this, have someone demonstrate.
SHUG-A - A term of endearment used primarily by Yat females. Pronoucned with a soft "oo" as in "book".
TO'WADS DA LAKE - Any northerly direction, towards Lake Pontchartrain.
TO'WADS DA RIVAH- Generally a southerly direction, towards the Mississippi River. On the West Bank it can mean north, east and west as well.
TURLET - Ya standard flushable porcelain waste disposal unit found in every bat'troom, referred to by English speakers as a "toilet".
DA TWIN SPANS - Depending on contect, either one of the two long pair Interstate-10 bridges leading to New Olreans. The western ones lead from Laplace to Kenner ("Kenna"), and the eastern set goes from New Olreans East to Slidell. The Causeway is never referred to as a 'Twin Span".
VIOLATION - A person from Violet, Louisiana , in St. Bernard Parish.
WHERE YA STAY (AT)? - Where do you live?
WHERE Y'AT! - The traditional New Orleanian greeting, and the source for the term "Yat", often used (primarily by non-New Orleanians, it is said) to describe New Orleanians with the te lltale accent. The proper response is, "Awrite. "
UP DA ROAD - Same as down da road, only now you are traveling in the opposite direction heading "up da road" to either Chalmette or Arabi.
UP-RIVA - The westward direction, toward Jefferson Parish. "Yeah, ya takes the streetcars up-riva to Camillia Grill". Opposite of "Down-Riva".
Y'ALL - The plural form of the second person verb, "you20all". It's not pronounced as they would in the south, though -- no twang, no drawl, just "y'all". "You guys" is never said.
YA - You, your.
YA MAMMA - Your mother.
YAMAMMA'N'EM - A collective term for your immediate family, as in "Hey dawlin', how's yamamma'n'em?" Spoken as one word.
YAT - A native, often blue-collar, with a New Olreans accent. Often used as a term of derision by Uptowners: "Oh Edward, Buffy is dating a... Yat!" "Yat" can also be used as a descriptor for anyone from "Met-tree" or "Kenna".
YEAH YA RITE - An emphatic statement of agreement and affirmation, sometimes used as a general exclamation of happiness. The accent is on the first word, and it's spoken as one word.
ZATA-RANS - Pronounced . A local manufacturer of spices, seasonings, pickled products and condiments. In context, it's used by some as a generic term for either crab boil or Creole mustard, as it "Put some Zatarain's on it," or "T'row a coupla bags o' Zatarain's in da pot." Context is important here; you don't want to put Creole mustard in a seafood boil.
The Passion Of The Building.
I heard about God's Architects, an indie documentary about five people who felt inspired to build, but I missed the screening last night in Baton Rouge. (It's available on DVD.) The film is by a Tulane architecture professor and a filmmaker from here in south Louisiana, and covers some rather off-beat buildings for the greater glory of God.
Forget The Phone Books - Get That Man a Calendar!
Clintonista Robert Reich doesn't let chronological facts get in the way of a great excuse.
27 January 2010
26 January 2010
If This Is True... (UPDATED, With Conjecture)
...It is the very definition of STUPID:
UPDATE 27JAN10: What seems stupid in a sinister, Nixonian kind of way, is starting to make sense. It doesn't make it any less stupid or wrong, but bear with me as to a why. Read the affidavit closely, especially the allegations of James O'Keefe trying to covertly record the others using his cellphone. Not the typical bahavior of a wiretapper. James O'Keefe made his name with theatrical undercover stings exposing ACORN. It's his thing, so to speak. That's Item 1. Item 2 is this: Senator Mary Landrieu, since she voted for cloture in the first round of health care, has been singularly inaccessible to her constituents by phone, email or fax. It is common knowledge I know all too well, as it has been a huge source of frustration and anger for our BRTP members. Mary's excuse was the phone lines are "jammed". Oops. Sorry. Call back later...
I think that is what O'Keefe and his bunch were after - trying to expose Mary's lame excuse for what is was by using the same theatrics as they did with ACORN. A we-checked-and-her-phones-worked-just-fine stunt. A PUNK'D moment. But to think they could do that in a Federal building was, to put it politely, beyond fucking dumb. The Feds don't have a sense of the theatrical. And in this post 9/11 age, I can't blame them. So if these four gentleman did what they are alleged to have done, then they deserve what they get - no matter the why.
A conservative activist who posed as a pimp to target the community-organizing group ACORN and the son of a federal prosecutor were among four people arrested and accused of trying to interfere with phones at Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu's office.In a freakin' Federal building. Geez. The affidavit is here.
Activist James O'Keefe, 25, was already in Landrieu's New Orleans office Monday when Robert Flanagan and Joseph Basel, both 24, showed up claiming to be telephone repairmen, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten's office said Tuesday. Letten says O'Keefe recorded the two with his cell phone.
UPDATE 27JAN10: What seems stupid in a sinister, Nixonian kind of way, is starting to make sense. It doesn't make it any less stupid or wrong, but bear with me as to a why. Read the affidavit closely, especially the allegations of James O'Keefe trying to covertly record the others using his cellphone. Not the typical bahavior of a wiretapper. James O'Keefe made his name with theatrical undercover stings exposing ACORN. It's his thing, so to speak. That's Item 1. Item 2 is this: Senator Mary Landrieu, since she voted for cloture in the first round of health care, has been singularly inaccessible to her constituents by phone, email or fax. It is common knowledge I know all too well, as it has been a huge source of frustration and anger for our BRTP members. Mary's excuse was the phone lines are "jammed". Oops. Sorry. Call back later...
I think that is what O'Keefe and his bunch were after - trying to expose Mary's lame excuse for what is was by using the same theatrics as they did with ACORN. A we-checked-and-her-phones-worked-just-fine stunt. A PUNK'D moment. But to think they could do that in a Federal building was, to put it politely, beyond fucking dumb. The Feds don't have a sense of the theatrical. And in this post 9/11 age, I can't blame them. So if these four gentleman did what they are alleged to have done, then they deserve what they get - no matter the why.
25 January 2010
Numbers For Truth.
I had a conversation (and I use that term loosely. -ed.) with a "9/11 Truther" the other day, who claimed that over "700 architects and engineers" agree that the World Trade Center towers were toppled by some kind of pre-planted explosives / sinister government plot / Dick Cheney. That 700 number seems to be very important talking point for the Truthers, in a see-how-many-professionals-agree-with-us credability angle.
M'kay...
As a licensed architect who has worked on mid-rise and high rise buildings, and therefore know a bit about how to they are constructed (and how the WTC was constructed), I'm growing very tired of this Luddite argument. And I'm especially tired of folks trying to use my profession to bolster it. The Truthers are not interested in "truth"; they are trying to sell a conclusion with some circumstantial implications and very few facts. That's why that 700 number is so important.
So I did a little research to put that precious number in context. There is indeed a group of architects and engineers who believe that the World Trade Center towers were toppled by means other than what we all saw - Islamic nuts in hijacked planes. But does that 700 number represent a credibly large consensus of my fellow design professionals, as the Truthers imply? Um... no. Not even close.
Let's take a look at just the architects. According to this, in 2008 there were 141,200 architects employed in the United States. According to this at the architects and engineers 9/11 Truther website, to date 251 "architects and architectural professionals" have actually signed onto a petition for a new investigation. If you take out the 69 unlicensed interns, landscape architects, and engineers listed in the wrong place, you are left with 182 architects - out of 141,200 - calling for a new investigation. Do some quick division and you find out that that equals... 0.00129%.
Consensus? My arse.
M'kay...
As a licensed architect who has worked on mid-rise and high rise buildings, and therefore know a bit about how to they are constructed (and how the WTC was constructed), I'm growing very tired of this Luddite argument. And I'm especially tired of folks trying to use my profession to bolster it. The Truthers are not interested in "truth"; they are trying to sell a conclusion with some circumstantial implications and very few facts. That's why that 700 number is so important.
So I did a little research to put that precious number in context. There is indeed a group of architects and engineers who believe that the World Trade Center towers were toppled by means other than what we all saw - Islamic nuts in hijacked planes. But does that 700 number represent a credibly large consensus of my fellow design professionals, as the Truthers imply? Um... no. Not even close.
Let's take a look at just the architects. According to this, in 2008 there were 141,200 architects employed in the United States. According to this at the architects and engineers 9/11 Truther website, to date 251 "architects and architectural professionals" have actually signed onto a petition for a new investigation. If you take out the 69 unlicensed interns, landscape architects, and engineers listed in the wrong place, you are left with 182 architects - out of 141,200 - calling for a new investigation. Do some quick division and you find out that that equals... 0.00129%.
Consensus? My arse.
23 January 2010
Reading The Tea Leaves.
Andrew Ian Dodge notes a warning for the Tea Party movement in the Scott Brown election:
But that is where the commonality should end. The Tea Party movement is not a child of the GOP, but a reaction to the GOP's continued inability to speak for us and our values. It exists as much because of GOP incompetence in carrying the Reagan banner as anything Obama and the Left/Mainstream Media have done. While they talk a good game - and spend a lot of time at parties and seminars and on Facebook doing just that - the current crop of Republican activists have generally been unwilling to fight for traditional Republican values - values that a majority of Americans really do support. Because they've had no stomach for the fight of late, and no vision on what that fight even should be, Republicans were utterly outmaneuvered by a bunch of political hacks in 2006, and a bunch of idealist amateurs in 2008.
Some in the GOP are finally getting it, and are starting to man the ramparts with us. We welcome them as brothers and sisters in arms, but do not automatically recognize them as our leaders. They do not, simply because of their GOP label, automatically speak for us anymore. And without us, not the GOP national leadership who came late to the game, Scott Brown would be driving his truck off into the political sunset.
This special election has been a gift to the Republicans in their quest to co-opt the tea party. Surely it would be ironic if Ted Kennedy in death helped the Republican Party get back to electability. Yet Kennedy may have delivered lapsed Republicans back to the party, and split the tea party movement so it is no longer as big a threat to both parties.While a registered Republican myself, I have no party loyalty anymore. And as an officer in our local Tea Party, I have been a big advocate of keeping the Tea Party movement at arm's length from the GOP for the time being. Agreed, where our goals coincide we should work together. Electing Scott Brown in order to defeat ObamaCare was a common goal, though as someone who lived in Massachusetts I fully realize that "conservative" in Massachusetts is "RINO" most everyplace else. Both the Tea Party and Republicans agree that electing Scott Brown will make others in Congress rather less eager to vote for loony Left/Mainstream Media collectivist policies, such as cap-and-trade, tax increases, and gun control.
But that is where the commonality should end. The Tea Party movement is not a child of the GOP, but a reaction to the GOP's continued inability to speak for us and our values. It exists as much because of GOP incompetence in carrying the Reagan banner as anything Obama and the Left/Mainstream Media have done. While they talk a good game - and spend a lot of time at parties and seminars and on Facebook doing just that - the current crop of Republican activists have generally been unwilling to fight for traditional Republican values - values that a majority of Americans really do support. Because they've had no stomach for the fight of late, and no vision on what that fight even should be, Republicans were utterly outmaneuvered by a bunch of political hacks in 2006, and a bunch of idealist amateurs in 2008.
Some in the GOP are finally getting it, and are starting to man the ramparts with us. We welcome them as brothers and sisters in arms, but do not automatically recognize them as our leaders. They do not, simply because of their GOP label, automatically speak for us anymore. And without us, not the GOP national leadership who came late to the game, Scott Brown would be driving his truck off into the political sunset.
21 January 2010
Multi-Tasking. Sort Of.
While I'm busy here in Las Vegas, I have been keeping an eye on things going on in the world (that's my comment about Scott Brown's truck at the last link). Glenn Reynolds notes an article on the real change coming out of Scott Brown's election: We have, as they say, arrived.
UPDATE: And yes, dear readers, I really have been busy helping a friend cover the SHOT Show for his website, not "busy" in the usual Las Vegas way. The SHOT Show is, so put it mildly, overwhelmingly huge - even for Las Vegas, which knows a thing or two about huge. There will be more commentary and reflection when I get back tomorrow and recover.
UPDATE: And yes, dear readers, I really have been busy helping a friend cover the SHOT Show for his website, not "busy" in the usual Las Vegas way. The SHOT Show is, so put it mildly, overwhelmingly huge - even for Las Vegas, which knows a thing or two about huge. There will be more commentary and reflection when I get back tomorrow and recover.
18 January 2010
A Note From The Management.
Blogging will be somewhat sporadic, and much of this week's posts will focus on, well, shooting and outdoors things. I am in Las Vagas to cover the annual NSSF SHOT Show. Really. Though this is Vegas, let me paraphrase an old Murry Head song from the 80's: I get my kicks up on the firing line, sunshine... More later.
Driving Ms. Coakley.
The Missus points out a delicious irony:
Obama said you ought to be worried about getting into Brown’s truck because you might not get where you want to go. Isn’t that an interesting thing to say when talking about Ted Kennedy’s seat???Indeed. At least in Brown's truck you'll get there alive.
16 January 2010
That's It.
To quote Bugs Bunny, "You know, of course... this means WAR":
Say what you want about Scott Brown, but never, ever call Curt Schilling a Yankees fan. Have you no sense of decency, madam, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?...
Hattip: The Hayride.
UPDATE: Schlling responds.
UPDATE: I guess Obama will be "schilling" for Coakley tomorrow...
[rimshot!] Heyo! I'll be here all week...
Say what you want about Scott Brown, but never, ever call Curt Schilling a Yankees fan. Have you no sense of decency, madam, at long last? Have you left no sense of decency?...
Hattip: The Hayride.
UPDATE: Schlling responds.
UPDATE: I guess Obama will be "schilling" for Coakley tomorrow...
[rimshot!] Heyo! I'll be here all week...
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