This piece was written Tuesday night at home, where we have no power, Internet or whatever. But power came back on about 1am Wednesday morning, so we’re okay now.

We‘re experiencing what I call The Hurricane Dichotomy. It’s that weird existence following a storm in which one works in a reasonably normal environment with a/c, power, lights and all the conveniences of Modern Living, but then returns each evening to the Dark Ages, in which everything is dark and much more like things were 200 or so years ago. When it got dark outside, it was simply dark — unless someone pulled out a lantern or torch or some other thing that made light. This also meant it was cold in the winter or, in our case now, hot and humid in the summer (until it gets hot and humid in the fall, about three weeks from now).

Much of the city remains without power again tonight, and it’s a rather checkerboarded pattern We’ve set up the generator, which is making its lawnmower noise out back, and run a lot of extension cords throughout the house. This creates a complicated web of things to trip over in the middle of the night, so it’s good practice to empty yourself completely before going to bed. We’ve opted not to hook up power-sucking items like the fridge (which we emptied of potential olfactory hazards before the storm) and air conditioning, It’s basically some lights and a few fans and space left over to charge phones, etc. We’ve also powered the router and all, but there is no signal coming into the modem so we’re kinda SOL for going online at the house. Wireless signals are too far away (at least five blocks or so), so we’re out of communication at night except for any cell phones (half of which aren’t working in New Orleans for now)

The generator sets up a pretty good white noise, once you get used to it. Perhaps there could be a market in hurricane-prone areas for such background sounds, similar to those with the sound of gently breaking waves or the other stuff you can find on relaxation CDs. Down here, the rockabye noises would include generators, popping nail guns on re-roof jobs, Coast Guard helicopters overhead, NOPD sirens, ship horns on the river, streetcar bells and bums asking you for a cigarette. Ah. sweet home New Orleans. Zzzzzzzzzz.

We actually went through this during Tropical Storm Cindy, that thing that hit here about a month before Katrina. TBK and I were able to nest up in a generator-powered room with an a/c unit and we could also run the TV and the PC and some lights and all kinds of things. But back then we were only two. Now we are five in the house, with Milo upstairs and Kristen and Matt downstairs, so things are stretched out a little more.

Last time, all this lasted about a week. This time, it appears Baton Rouge (which caught things worse than us) and New Orleans are apparently off the grid and on our own little Electrical Island. There are some 850,000 of us sitting around in the dark tonight around Louisiana.

I think that’s a good thing from time to time. Sometimes being in the dark makes us see things a lot more clearly.

Kinda weird around town today. We’re functioning, but we’re not. We opened our place at lunch and will go until the food is out. I’ve got a couple briskets working for tonight, but they’re not going to last long. The problem is that ALL re-supply places are closed until at least tomorrow or later in the week because their employees hit the road and aren’t back or won’t be allowed back for a few days yet. It’s frustrating, since so many places have power and inventory, but no one to sell it. I’ve got manpower and electricity, but little inventory. What I could really use right now is beer — not to drink but to sell.

There’s no gasoline, no grocery stores, no convenience stores and only a smattering of other retail-type places open (no power). The juice is also still out at the house, but we’ll get the generator back over there tonight. None of us slept well last night because it was dead still, hot and sticky. It’ll be a big help to get a few fans going this evening.

Authorities are telling evacuees to wait another couple of days before coming back, but I don’t think they’re exactly setting up many roadblocks. It’s not like we’re trying to make the house look nice after a big party. Except for downed limbs and a lack of power, it’s impossible to tell in many areas that we had any kinda of storm — ’cause it was trashed since way before even Katrina.

…so we’ve essentially got another day or so of Labor Day.

I can’t say enough about the NOPD and their officers, as well as the National Guard. They’re been professional but flexible throughout this entire event. And, of course, we’ve managed to have a great time here at the restaurant. Alex and Milo have more than carried their share while being bone-tired, Kristen and Matt have been doing above and beyond to make things work and Stu and Melanie have been juggling more objects than they should. It has truly been a group effort and we’ve managed to have fun doing it. We all wanted to take a day off today, but once we saw how many peole needed feeling, everyone went back to it.

Thanks to all of you.

We closed the restaurant at about 6 this evening to get the place cleaned up and get a few things out of the house befthe curfew descended at sundown. TBK and I will be sleeping downstairs in the dining room, where we’ve set up a blow-up mattress. The power went out when the first feeder band came across, cutting us off about 7:30. It was actually a good test run, to get the generator set up and the lines run in the semi-dark. We got everything organized and tested just in time for the power to come back on about 45 minutes later. That boosted our spirits, since now we’re back in the a/c and making sure everything is charged (and posting and e-mailing) and watching the TV while it lasts. I’d anticipate complete failure early tomorrow morning, once things start getting heavier. I look for landfall (at the current forward speed) about 10 in the morning or so. I can’t remember seeing the full force of a hurricane arriving in daylight, since the ones I’ve been through have nearly always arrived at night or very early in the morning.

The NOPD is serious about enforcing the curfew, at least until other things start getting in their way. We’ve parked all the cars on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, partly to get them onto higher ground and partly to form a shield against flying debris, possible looters and any other undesirable objects. We were sitting on the tailgate of the pickup just after dark when a police cruiser barked at us to get back inside under curfew — so we adjourned to the dark courtyard.

Oh — the NOPD has highly cool new caps. One of our beat cops said he’d get me one when all this is over. Thanks dude.

We’re actually SMOKING in the dining room, which would be a violation of state law if we were open. Ha fucking ha. I bought new cigars yesterday, so I’ll fire one up in a little while and break out the bourbon. We’re already missing ice — though we froze some in advance that we’re saving for later if we really, really need it.

We have loaded the guns, though we haven’t shucked shells in the chambers yet. We have also posted a sign in the front window, saying WE ARE HERE INSIDE AND HEAVILY ARMED.

The only traffic outside is police, usually going the wrong way on our one-way part of Magazine. We’re also seeing the occasional Guardsmen and it’s good to have them back in force. I was joking with one officer earlier today that what they need to do is park at the top of the Crescent City Connection bridge and keep any Westbankers from walking across the bridge into New Orleans. He shot back, “Yeah. We’re afraid they’ll clean the place up. We’ve got our pride.”

I’ll be doing Q-and-As this evening and early tomorrow morning with BBC-Ireland and with an Australian network (thanks Joe). I was also interviewed today by the Miami Herald and by Warren Levinson of the AP. Ari Shapiro of NPR also ate here (twice!) today. Being the only restaurant open on lower Magazine kinda made us The Place To Be. The ONLY Place to be. It was good to share some “do you know?” time with folks in my former profession and to talk a little of what used to be shop. Some white SUV drove by with a big “TV” plastered on it in black electrical tape. Given the deserted streets, I felt like I was in Beirut or someplace.

Some ningnong TV guy was just on the tube, still wearing his cap and damp rain gear, facing the camera and intoning, “Tonight, New Orleans is a city holding it’s breath…” Puh-leeze. Folks like you are part of the reason why I’m not in that business anymore.

We won’t be open tomorrow and, despite the weather, I’m looking forward to getting an actual Day Off. We all are. We might be hot and we might have wet feet or whatever, but we won’t be cooking. It will be a hassle keeping things cool, rotating two freezers and two fridges ointo and off the generator — so there will be enough to keep us busy inside while keeping track of things outside. We’re also a group made of largely of hurricane first-timers, so there is a lot of fear of the unknown. Stu and Kristen have been through several and I’ve been through quite a few, so we’re trying to be Cool Heads.

Not sure what the conditions will be for posting later tonight and into tomorrow while the bulk of the system moves through.

I know, I know: another petition. It seems like I’ve been posting an undue amount of dry, political stuff lately, but to be honest, this is pretty freaking important. For the past few years, the National Guard has helped maintain a semblance of order on the streets of New Orleans. No, it ain’t Disney World (thank goddess), but without the extra manpower, the situation could’ve been far worse.

Unfortunately, the National Guard doesn’t serve for free, and Jindal wants to pull out the troops next month. Keep in mind, he’s doing this at exactly the same time that lawmakers are (a) debating what to do with a projected surplus in the state budget and (b) talking about eliminating the state income tax.

I mean, no, really, that’s fine, Bobby: New Orleans is only the state’s goddamn economic engine, so what does it matter if you wreck it? As Katrina showed everyone, the state can hobble along without us just great.

Fucktard.

The National Guard is scheduled to leave NOLA in June! Take 5 to Help Us Keep Them in the City!

Crime rates across the city have skyrocketed since Hurricane Katrina. Murder rates have spiked, and assaults and burglaries are up. Meanwhile, the police shortage makes NOPD patrols in the storm-affected areas, especially in the Lower Ninth Ward and eastern New Orleans, nearly non-existent. It also pushes response times to 911 calls to an hour or more. Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans is supporting the Holy Cross Neighborhood Association in their efforts to keep the Louisiana National Guard in New Orleans until the following goals are achieved:

NOPD sub stations are rebuilt and re-staffed in all the storm-affected areas of the city. The number of NOPD officers reaches pre-storm levels. FBI crime statistics show a decrease in violent crime rates.

To date, they have only received 2300 signatures with a deadline to acquire 10,000 by June 2008.  It is imperative that you let your voice be heard! Take 5 Minutes To: Send a pre-formatted email to Gov. Jindal…> Read the complete petition…> Forward this to your friends…> Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

The French Quarter may not be as fraught with felonies as other neighborhoods, but it’s certainly not crime-free. In fact, it’s seen more than its usual share of activity in recent months–typically nothing too “front page”, but given the fact that the Quarter is the hub for tourists, everything that happens there gets magnified.

In response, author Joshua Clark has started an amped-up, higher-tech version of Neighborhood Watch called QuarterSafe. In a nutshell, he’s encouraging Quarter residents to purchase inexpensive video cams and create their own closed-circuit TV systems to monitor street activity.

Now, on the one hand, I think Clark’s plan is kinda laudable and forward-thinking and potentially very useful, especially given New Orleans’ under-funded police department. On the other hand–the Dear goddess, it’s Big Brother hand–it’s a little creepy. (Though it would be creepier if participants were giving NOPD full access to their computers.) Also of concern: Tuesday’s report in The Guardian that CCTVs don’t have much of an impact on crime. And on a practical note: how big of a hard drive do you need to store all that data anyway? Read the email release I got this morning and discuss below:

For ten bucks and a few minutes of work, you can help drastically curb the daily robberies and assaults on our French Quarter streets. QuarterSafe.com is working alongside the NOPD to build a reliable network of citizen-owned security cameras to deter and catch criminals. There is nothing as efficient and effective as well-placed video cameras to capture criminals. It’s as easy as…

1) Order a camera on eBay for $10 (w/shipping), so discrete [sic] it fits in the palm of your hand. Just search for “480K 6-LED Night Vision USB WebCam” or click here.

2) Install it. It runs off your PC. The driver disk comes with the camera.
Then download monitoring software free from SuperVisionCam.com. Make sure it faces the street as close to eye level as possible, and leave your computer running passively. Once you have the camera, please contact Detective Mike Carambat at 504 400 5214 or mcarambat@cityofno.com if you’d like him to come help you.

3) Send an e-mail to QuarterSafe@gmail.com and 8thDistrict@cityofno.com with the subject “Camera” with your name, phone number, and the exact address of the camera. Only when a crime occurs near you (God forbid you should be the
victim) may the police ask to obtain specific footage. Already have a camera? Let us know!

That’s it.

Please visit QuarterSafe.com or more information, options, extension cables, and easy links.

You can read the article about the new crime-fighting equipment that the NOPD got their hands on or you can just keep looking at this picture. Whatever.

Noladishu sent me a photo of the corner where the shooting happened. He says, “The crime camera is clearly visible about 8 feet above the street sign. It is active (or at least it moves around inside the bubble).”

As I drove back from a quick but delectable lunch today Janita’s, Craig’s place, I ran across a shooting in the Irish Channel at Washington and Constance Streets around 2:45 pm. The little yellow cones marking the presence of shell casings at the corner alerted me to the fact that there was a crime scene investigation going on. The whole blocked was shut down by NOPD.
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A friend forwarded me an email of the first Quarterly Report from Court Watch (full email after the jump since it doesn’t appear to be on their website yet). This is the most promising thing I’ve heard in a while. Seems they are training citizen volunteers to sit in on court proceedings and follow them end to end. They’ve just gotten started (June 2007) so they’re a little green but the idea is genius. This is exactly what needed to be done and I’m a little ashamed I wasn’t smart enough to think of it. This is going to tell a story that I’m not sure anyone really sees. I hope they can maintain their objectivity and continue to put out good information as this will allow people to decide for themselves what in the system is broken and fix it with their vote where possible.

A big thank you to the organization and its volunteers. If anyone out there has time to give, this would be, if nothing else, a very interesting project to be involved with.
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Yes, we watched it. And, frankly, I thought it was pretty good. But keep in mind I don’t usually watch prime-time TV. I also have to remember that what passes for reality here in New Orleans would be considered usually far too bizarre for acceptance by a larger TV audience. What we accept daily would be erased, fixed, rejected or otherwise considered out of bounds nearly anywhere else by mainstream society in the US. It’s one of the main reasons we live here.

My 21-year-old son has come up with a drinking game to go along with the show. Basically, the viewer has to take a drihk when:

1) Someone utters a New Orleans idiom (” Where y’at?” “Yeah, you right,” etc) — one drink tonight for using “neutral ground.”

2) When a car chase goes impossibly from one area to another much faster than really possible (such as tonight’s chase from the FQ to Algiers in like 40 seconds).

3) Whenever Katrina or “the storm” is mentioned.

4) Whenever devastated neighborhoods are shown

5) Whenever gunfire erupts (multiple shots from the same gun don’t count).

6) Whenever Louisiana food is presented or mentioned.
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There was a forum on crime in the Lower Garden District last night at the Kingsley House on Felicity Street. I would have posted information about this event before it had occurred but I really didn’t know anything about it - everyone in attendance seemed to have heard about it through word-of-mouth.

Eddie Jordan was there, letting us know that he was trying his best to make convictions (I think it was Winston Churchill that once said “Sometimes it is not enough to do your best; you must do what is required.”), along with an ATF rep, Stacy Head, and some Police representatives, among others. In some ways the agenda-less forum was kind of like the town hall meeting described here by theonion.com, but in some ways maybe it was good? I don’t know. Starting a community dialogue can’t really hurt the matter. A lot of attempted murders and robberies have occurred in my neighborhood recently and I’m not comfortable walking to my car at night by myself anymore. I am frustrated that there is no police blotter to speak of except for a crime map that the NOPD updates once a month. How are people supposed to know what is going on if crime stats aren’t made public in a timely manner?

I think the resolution to the situation would be more police in more squad cars with more equipment and higher salaries than what they currently have. But since that probably won’t happen anytime soon, maybe private security like what the Garden District has could be option to consider, depending on costs and the willingness of the community to pay for it.

In any case, I am now on the email list for events such as this in the neighborhood and in the future I will try to provide info on such events before they happen, not after.