French Quarter POV

I can’t decide which one sums the situation up the best.

After calling for a manditory evacuation of the city, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin is going to stay behind as Hurricane Gustav hits the area. Read more HERE.

It’s not that he doesn’t understand the risk of staying in the danger zone; he knows the facts about this incoming storm better than most. Just last night, I watched him give a speech in which he outlined the worst case scenario. Video HERE .

There’s a certain heroic “Captain going down with his ship” imagery there. Then, there’s the “Damn, that’s stupid” followed quickly by “He must be nuts!”

What’s your vote? Is he brave, stupid, crazy, or all of the above for staying in New Orleans for what he said was the Mother of all Storms and the Storm of the Century?

So far, votes from my sister’s place are 1 for stupid, 1 for crazy, and 1 for attempt to save his career with a publicity stunt.

It may seem ironic, horrible, or sad that on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, we’re all looking at another dangerous storm likely heading this way. I say it’s good timing.

This morning, over 80 unidentified people — not remains, bodies, or corpses, but people — who died during Hurricane Katrina or the days that followed were laid to rest. If that isn’t a motivation to get out of harm’s way, I don’t know what is.

Not only do all of the hurricane forecasts show us getting tagged, but there are other equally strong factors that went into our decision to evacuate. Our mayor left the Democratic Convention early, passing on a chance to speak on a national stage. You know, the mayor who was protested by citizens when he got an award last week from his photographer.

Plus, Anderson Cooper is coming to town. I love him and 360, but there are plenty of newsworthy things going on in the world for him to cover, so if he’s coming to New Orleans for this storm, it’s bound to be big!

I’ll try to update this blog from my sister’s place in Texas. If I can’t, then know that we are safe and well. Unless we have too many mojitos while I watch Anderson’s broadcasts.

Like everyone else in this crazy town, I’m waiting to see if this storm is going to force us to evacuate New Orleans. They’ll only call for a mandatory evacuation if the storm strengthens to a Category 3 hurricane.

*sigh* If you go for a walk in the Quarter, you’re bound to run into or witness con men (and women) at work. Don’t fall for the oldest scam:

“I bet $5 I know where you got your shoes!”

The answer? “On your feet” Congratulations! You now owe a scam artist cash, and some of the thugs take reneges personally.

Right behind this one is “ I bet you $5 that I can spell your name”

The answer? Y-O-U-R N-A-M-E.

The best way to avoid this? Tell them firmly to go try that trick on somebody else. I always just smile and say, “I’m a local. Have a nice day!”. If the street is busy, you can always avoid eye contact and play deaf.

In the end, if you decide to wager on the street with strangers, I guess you reap what you sow.

Sure, there’s a ton of information about New Orleans online. Still, there are sometimes questions you need a local to answer. One of the often overlooked resources is the local paper’s website, which has forums for each neighborhood or area of the city.

The one for the French Quarter is called the Vieux Carre forum. (Vieux Carre means ‘old square’ and is what the French called the area when they ran the joint.)

To ask a question, you’ll need to register for a screen name. It’s free. Then post it and check back later for the opinions of the locals. You don’t need to register to read the posts, though.

Be warned, however, that this forum has its fair share of trolls and disgruntled out-of-towners trying to scare tourists with bad advice. These will soon be exposed by the helpful posters, though!

Click HERE for a link to the forum so you can check it out for yourself!

Visitors to the French Quarter can have some pretty strange ideas about our drinking laws. These usually turn out to be based on the vacation stories of friends or family. Many vacation tales are as reliable as a fisherman’s account of the one that got away.

Looks like the Ritz-Carlton hotel is in for some free publicity tonight.

The mayor of New Orleans is being presented with an award this evening. It’s supposed to be the “The Excellence in Recovery Host Committee’s Award of Distinction for Recovery, Courage, and Leadership” award, one that most people can’t believe C. Ray Nagin is getting. (More on that HERE.)

To say that people are upset is an understatement of epic proportions. The local photosphere has been lit up with calls to protest, calls which many are heeding. Supposedly.

Yours truly will not be there, not because I think the mayor is doing a super dandy job.

<soapbox> This protest will not change anything. Some people seem to be born with a placard and a marker in hand, ready to write their slogan and march at a moments notice over just about anything.

The mayor knows the people are upset. If he doesn’t care enough to do a better job, do we really believe that one more protest will get through to him?

I plan to say my piece in the voting booth, as the city did when they re-elected Nagin in the first place. Let’s see that energy channeled into a voting drive or hell, a blood drive, and really make a difference in New Orleans.

</soapbox>

Or both? *creepy laughter*

I love this event! Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people from around the world come to the French Quarter every year for this party on Labor Day weekend. This is also lots of fun for straight-but-supportive folks.

Continuing the Kenny Rogers song theme: “There’ll be time enough for counting when the dealing’s done.”