Digging For The Truth. Without A Shovel.

Robert Cerasoli must love challenges. He is is the new Inspector General in the City of New Orleans, and his job is to find corruption and malfeasance in government. He seems well qualified to do just that. And given the current state of government in New Orleans, this should be like shooting fish in a barrel. Except, Mr. Cerasoli doesn’t have (to continue the metaphor) a barrel. Or any ammunition. Or even a gun. In fact, the City has given him nothing at all: no office, no desks, no staff, no operating budget.

What a great way for the City to claim it is doing something about corruption without really, well, doing anything about it. Kudos to Ray Nagin and the City Council for a stunning political slight-of-hand. What chutzpa.

Normally, I would let this pass with another shake of the head and a mutter of “It’s New Orleans….”, were it not for one thing: Me and Mr. Cerasioli have something in common – Boston. He’s from my second hometown, and he’s trying to clean up my first. I owe the man.

A commenter in this post below said he would buy Mr. Cerasioli a lamp if it would help, which got me thinking - if the City of New Orleans will not get Mr. Cerasioli going, maybe we (you know, “the people”) should. I don’t think we can raise a $3.5 million operating budget, but we can put in for some office furnishings and the like and maybe embarrass the City into taking some positive action.

So let’s let Mr. Cerasioli know that we appreciate his being down here, even if the City government in New Orleans does not. If any of you are interested in helping out a “Let’s Get the Inspector General Going Fund”, post a pledge in the comments section or send me an e-mail to redstickrant@gmail.com.


The Naked Emperor is in for a lamp.

Red Stick Rant is in $100 in office supplies. And a dart board with Paul Cellucci's picture on it.

You?

No Play for Mr. Grey!

It seems Osama Bin Laden got hold of some Just For Men, and over the weekend auditioned for a guest spot at DailyKos. Video and transcript are here.

A naturist monarch responds point-by-point. It's lengthy, but well worth the read.

Inactions Speak Louder Than Words

Words fail me:

"New Orleans' first inspector general hit the ground walking Wednesday.

Literally walking.

In his first week at work, Robert Cerasoli has no car, no staff, no city office, no city phone and no clear idea of what budget his newly created office will have next year."

The inspector general is supposed to investigate corruption in City government. Sadly, this level of incompetence what we've come to expect from a Nagin administration.

Couple this news with C. B. Forgotston's posts here and here , and it's no wonder a Colorado Congressman said what he did.

Laissez Les Bloggers Rouler!

Last Thursday I attended the First Annual Louisiana Bloggers Bash here in Baton Rouge. Smaller than I expected - and a bit foreign for a newcomer like me - but all-in-all it was a good time. I got to meet a few candidates, and a few bloggers who reach a rather wider audience then yours truly. Plus, I finally got to meet the Avman.

Reading Between The Mitre.

Many in the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana have been wondering - on which side of the Current Unpleasantness in The Episcopal Church (tm) will our good Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Charles Jenkins, finally stand? Maybe this is some indication:

"The Rt. Rev’d Michael G. Smith, Bishop of North Dakota, has accepted the invitation of Bishop Jenkins to assist the clergy and laity of the Diocese of Louisiana in their ministry by serving for a time as assisting bishop."

Bishop Smith seems to be a "Windsor Bishop" who signed onto at least one "Camp Allen" declaration. And unlike our Presiding Bishop, he's not apparently a fan of this guy and his theology (if you can call it that).

Months ago, this would have been real news. But with the (Maybe, Maybe Not) Final Showdown about to take place just downriver from me in New Orleans, in a few days we will know in which direction all of the pointy hats are truly pointing.

Until then, my fellow Anglicans / Episcopalians: PRAY.

A Marine. A Mentor. A Model Approach.

Michael Yon's latest post on Iraq is up: A Marine. A Mentor. A Model Approach.

Though it goes without saying, read it all.

UPDATE: Michael's last part of his Ghosts of Anbar dispatch has been posted: Ghosts of Anbar Part IV of IV.

Read all of that one, too.

Avast, Ye Scurvy Dogs......

Enough about politics, theology, morons, and Ray Nagin (Sorry. I repeat myself.) Here is something REALLY important: 'International Talk Like A Pirate Day' is 19 September - less than two weeks away. Get those eye patches ready!

Very busy day today, even though my New Orleans site visit got scrubbed. More later.

Second Place Debate.

Another debate with the GOP Vice-Presidnetial Candidates is on in a few minutes, on FoxNews. The Vice-Presidential Candidates?? Yep. But worry not - the nominee will put in a 30-second appearance, too.

Go watch it. I hear Iron Chef is a repeat. Survivorman, too.

Creative JDAM

This is amazing. We spend billions on precision guided munitions, but you can get the same result using a 500-lb. dumb bomb, a store-bought GPS, and a hovering helicopter.

It's About Damn Time.

Fred Thompson is officially getting into the race:

"The veteran actor and former senator and lobbyist is declaring his presidential ambitions in a 15-minute Web cast early Thursday."

With more than a bit of chutzpah, too:

"Just to make sure no one misses it, he is airing a 30-second ad on Fox News Channel during Wednesday night's broadcast of a Republican presidential debate from New Hampshire - which Thompson is skipping."

Self-confidence, and a willingness to ignore conventional wisdom. Now THAT'S Reagan-esque.

UPDATE: Fred was on The Tonoght Show last night and said he was in. Glenn Reynolds over at Instapundit has a roundup of videos and commentary. Thompson's official webcast announcement is here. Money quote: "A govenment that is big enough to do everything for us, is powerful enough to do anything to us."

My $.02: Look In The Mirror Time......

It seems the Times-Picayune is taking great issue with Rep. Tancredo's recent comments about Federal relief spending in New Orleans (my earlier post is here ). More to the point, they call his comments "the ramblings of an uninformed, mean-spirited demagogue." I think they are missing the point.

I understand this hurts, but "compassion fatigue" is starting to set in when it comes to New Orleans. After two long years I think it is reasonable for the rest of the country to ask, "OK, how much is enough? And, when can we see results?" Look at it from their point of view: the Road Home Program is a financial disaster which the State cannot seem to control; fraud is looking like it's upwards of a billion dollars; murder seems to be the only "brand" that New Orleans has anymore; large swaths of the City still lie nearly empty; and the Mayor of New Orleans appears out-of-touch, unappreciative, and blames everyone else for his troubles. No one seems in control in the Crescent City. Did you hear this kind of stuff two years after Hurricane Andrew hit Florida in 1992? Two years after 9/11? Me either. Leadership, or the lack thereof, matters. That is what the Representative from Colorado seems to be commenting upon.

So the issue to me is not weather Rep. Tancredo has, or has not, seen a levee failure. The issue is not with the thousands of private individuals who have struggled, and who continue to struggle, to rebuild their lives and their city. The issue is weather we - and our fellow Americans - can trust those currently in positions of responsibility in the City and in the State to be, well, responsible. On balance, the evidence so far does not look good.

How things turn out on 20 October will, I think, say a lot. About us, about our future, and about how much we are willing take responsibility for that future.

My .$02

UPDATE: Via C. B. Forgotston - this is the kind of thing that makes out-of-state Congressman say harsh things about our recovery. It's beyond embarrassing.

The Iranian Speer

I saw a link at Instapundit to this PM article about Iranian Brigadier General Mohhamad Ali Jafari being appointed commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. (The Ayatollah's SS, if you will.) The General, it turns out, was one of the "students" who took over the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held Americans hostage for 444 days. That was interesting enough, but what really threw me was this bit in the second paragraph:

"After the war (Iran-Iraq War -ed.) he went to complete his Masters Degree in Architecture."

Oh, really. As a fellow professional therefore, I hereby nominate General Jafari for the First Annual Albert Speer Award for Best Supporting Role of an Architect in Promoting a Totalitarian, Fascist, and/or Theocratic State.

Yesiree, nothing says enhancing the human environment through design better than overseeing the violent enforcement of 12th century religious laws and supporting terrorists here and here.

UPDATE: Oh, yes - I also take full credit for inventing the First Annual Albert Speer Award for Best Supporting Role of an Architect in Promoting a Totalitarian, Fascist, and/or Theocratic State. Anyone want to be a judge?

Week Two: 'Opus' Held Hostage.

If you were reading last week you may remember this post about the Washington Post, self-appointed defender of the First Amendment, getting uber-sensitive about fundamentalist religious values and pulling several Sunday 'Opus' cartoons in response. I'll let you guess which religion's fundamentalist strain was at issue here. (Hint: they gladly ran the 'Opus' strip two weeks ago which took a shot at fundamentalist Christian values....)

Because we here at RED STICK RANT believe in the First Amendment, and because we have a soft spot for pudgy, flightless waterfowl, here is the second of the pulled 'Opus' cartoons. We'll let you be the judge.

UPDATE: My local paper, the Baton Rouge Sunday Advocate, ran the strip.

UPDATE: To the nice person at the US Department of State in Washington who found this site this morning (9.4.07) while looking for Opus-related posts during work hours: Would you ask Condi if she could come down and speak with my daughter's 8th-grade history class sometime. Condi is a real hero to her. It would be a real treat. Thanks.

Gulf Storn Watch - 070903

New projections have 'Felix' taking a more southerly route, skimming the northern Nicaragua / Honduras coasts and hitting Belize. For spaghetti maps and other current info go here. Oh, and take a look at the NOAA Atlantic activity map while you're there - it shows two more areas of tropical activity that may trun into something. (Or, not)

Felix is a Category 4 storm now, and the areas it is forecast to hit are remote and poor. Our church has ongoing mission work near San Pedro Sula in the northern area of Honduras, so I ask your prayers for Fr. Juan Hose and everyone in the Copan Deanery.

Please Don't Choke Now. Please Don't Choke Now. Please Don't Choke Now. Please Don't Choke Now. Please Don't Choke Now. Please Don't Choke Now.....

It's September, Satan's overpaid minions are still SIX GAMES BEHIND these guys, and pitcher Clay Buchholz bagged the 17th no-hitter in Red Sox history the other night.

What a great Labor Day weekend. Don't blow it, guys.

Gulf Storm Watch - 070902

12 hours is a lifetime in the blogosphere. Same is true with the atmosphere. The 8:00am EDT forecast track for 'Felix' has him starting to take more of the the traditional "northwest hook" when he gets into the southwest Gulf of Mexico.


The "Spaghetti Models" are looking this way, too:


That's clearer indication than they had at 8:00 pm EDT last night, and 'Felix' just might be a threat to the Texas and southwest Louisiana coasts after all. We'll see. Plus, there is a follow-on area of disturbance out in the Atlantic.


It may be a busy week, storm-wise. Remember, keep checking the Golden Triangle Weather Page for more storm-related information.

I Think Someone's A Few Lessons Short Of A Plan.....

Hey, what do I have to do to get really interesting comments like this one?

All I can say is it defies description - just go read it. Allegations of mind-control, body-snatching, conspiring Clintons, energy weapon attacks, genital torture, Presidential cross-dressing fantasies, Satanism, and worshiping George Bush, Sr., as a god are all involved. In a single comment. Note also that the commentor is a teacher. In L.A.

Figures.

No Justice. No Peace. No Show.

"Incidents" like this are never a surprise: protesters took over the Housing Authority of New Orleans (HANO) headquarters on Friday. All I can say is..... where have you been, guys? Last Tuesday even I knew there might be a "take over" of the facility - we understood it would be on Wednesday - with a couple busloads of people. But the "incident" never materialized on Wednesday. Or on Thursday.

Showing up two days late with only 20 people (mostly from out-of-town) doesn't quite sound like a mass outpouring of anger, now does it?

Look, HANO does have it's share of problems. But knowing what I know first-hand about this one, I think they're getting a bum rap. HANO is in a "damned if they do, damned if they don't" situation right now. - take action, get sued; take no action, get blamed.

Gulf Storm Watch - 070901

Felix is now a hurricane.


While it looks certain to miss the US (see the "spaghetti models" here), northern Central America looks like it will take some or all of it. Areas in Honduras where we have mission work lie in the projected path. Again, prayers.

"And Now Departing On Platform One..."

Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-CO) says it's “time the taxpayer gravy train left the New Orleans station” with respect to Katrina aid. He is tired of the fraud and official incompetence. In the last two years, 114 billion dollars (yes, that's billion with a "b") in Federal hurricane relief has been spent in the Gulf Region, and more than 1.1 million volunteers have come to the New Orleans area alone to help with cleanup and repair.

If you look at it from outside the area, it's hard to argue with the Congressman - especially when there may well be upwards of a one billion dollars in relief fraud (yes, that's billion with a "b"), and when New Orleans' mayor shows his appreciation by saying: "It still important to point out that America still hasn't done right by us..."