A good night’s sleep goes a long way. Well on the way to this Tuesday’s work deadline, I’ve mostly recovered from the last two days of preparing for and executing the Rising Tide Conference with the best team of bloggers and neighborhood activists ever. A panorama of my fellow Rising Tide organizers and their work shows that we lived up to “a real-life demonstration of internet activism.”

Douglas Brinkley is on C-Span2 and suggests that our rebuilding is a function of money and willpower. “We’re short on both … but we can make New Orleans the best city in America.” Well there was no shortage of willpower and charity at this weekend’s conference, and the endeavor continues as Ray, Mark, and out-of-town attendees help the Arabi Wrecking Krewe gut a house untouched since Katrina. Ray, I apologize for not being out there, but I’m worn out, man. Toast, zonked, wasted, done – stick a fork in me – and I have my day job to contend with.

Thank you to all of the organizers, panelists, attendees, exhibitors and the New Orleans Yacht Club.

I promised Scout Prime and NOLASlate my closing speech. The statistics are part of a Legal Student Hurricane Network request to watch Spike Lee’s When the Levees Broke, but form a succinct description of the state of New Orleans and the surrounding area one year after Katrina. Here it is:

One year ago, Hurricane Katrina hit the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast and our levees failed to drown more than a thousand New Orleanians in what we call the Federal Flood. As the natural and human-made disasters engulfed the region, the nation turned its attention to the storm’s immediate aftermath. However, a year later, the crisis continues.

Today, less than half of pre-Katrina New Orleans residents have been able to return home; over 70,000 of them are living in 240-square foot FEMA trailers (which are particularly vulnerable during the hurricane season) and many people are still waiting for trailers to be delivered; the state’s charity hospital system is in shambles and psychiatric care is non-existent; most of the Lower 9th Ward is still without potable water; 6,000 criminal defendants await trial, many of whom do not have attorneys; 60 percent of the businesses within the city limits have probably not reopened; federal officials have given out only about 40 percent of the $110 billion promised to the Gulf Coast; not a single dollar of federal funds to rebuild houses has made it to Louisiana homeowners; and renters have been virtually left to fend for themselves.

But the numbers do not tell the whole story. The pain, the frustration, the anger, the desperation, and the anguish are still as real today as they were in the days after the disaster first unfolded. The residents of the Gulf Coast have not forgotten they are still living the tragedy. And we cannot forget, either.

I request all of you to keep writing and spreading the word about our city. Continue to talk with everyone. Engage those in discussion who are of an opposing mindset and let them know that We Are Not Ok. Thank you.

Other epilogues:

• Oyster
• Mominem
• Da Po Blog
• Alan Gutierrez
• Adrastos
• Scout Prime
• Dr. G
  

Also, huge shout-outs to NOLASlate for the post-conference boost, Dr. Daisy for not letting me be the only blogger there in 4-inch heels, and Karen and Dr. A for their kind and calming words.

Back to work.

Da Po Blog was indeed in attendance and proposes the Rising Tide NOLA Blog.

That doesn’t mean we all have to agree.

Of course, it all depends on your goals. A group blog would swallow up the individual blogger’s voice. He or she would be seen within the framework of the greater blog and would have to work inside that framework. The blogger’s credibility would be tied to the group blog’s credibility, and each individual would have to cooperate to protect and foster the blog’s credibility.

But, if your goal is more readership, especially from outside the community, a group blog would probably accomplish that. A locally formed group blog would also safeguard the local voices and create a brand to market those local voices.

However, if your goal is more local readership and more local participation, the way it is now is probably preferable to the One True Group Blog.

While I have no problem with its creation, I disagree with the philosophy of a Rising Tide NOLA Blog as the UberBlog. Here are my reasons:

1. In BlogLand, the sum of various parts does not necessarily count as more than one. In other words, a Group Blog will also be treated as another blog. To me, the existing and growing List of New Orleans Bloggers is the one-stop shop. The fact that we have such a huge number of blogs that came out of a troubling time for our area is the whole amazing point. That number is the “Thud! factor,” not another aggregator.

2. Blogging is democratized journalism; there is no longer a set of blessed or sanctioned voices, but instead a sea of opinions. Just because you’re a featured author on the Group Blog doesn’t mean your article is good, the only analysis of the topic at hand, or any more relevant than one that’s not on it. This brings us to the topic of editorship.

3. Who chooses what articles get on this site? Also, how and why? Trust someone who has edited papers and auditioned candidates – the resulting politics (just you wait) is not worth losing the individual-yet-united momentum we now have.

4. An UberBlog managed by a small group (the willing and self-elected) will foster groupthink and will swallow up individual blogger voices.

One good alternative is to create a single feed to which every single New Orleans blogger contributes his/her RSS feed. Take for example, Loki’s NetVibes feed. To submit to this feed, your posts may be tagged with locally-relevant labels, which the end user may use to pick and choose his/her news. The best option is to physically talk to more people and get them to read our blogs.

If done fairly (how?), a Rising Tide NOLA Blog is great for readers outside of New Orleans or locals who haven’t the time or inclination to read all posts. Well, to the locals who don’t want to put in the time and effort, I say this:

Just because you don’t want to put in the requisite work to read everyone’s blogs does not mean that the tidal wave of a voice must be squelched down to a garden hose for your convenience. The onus is on you to cull your daily reading. I’m not interested in cutting off our collective nose to spite the carpetbloggers. What we try to escape in grassroots blogging is exactly this – the tyranny of selective news – which only takes us back to Square 1, our original philosophical battle against the mainstream media. The barrier is falling apart, please don’t piece it back together in this medium as well.

If such a group blog has to happen, please ensure that editors are rotated out each month and that the audience knows well that this is only one representation/instance of New Orleans blogging.

I have a couple of succession of theories as to the identity of Da Po Blog – Mominem Jon Donley Sasquatch someone who came and stayed silent.

I just remembered an odd occurrence during yesterday’s Rising Tide Conference.

The setup: During the Politics Panel Q&A session, Mark Folse asked the panel what they thought of the theory that Mitch Landrieu lost the last mayoral election because of historic white-New-Orleanian hatred against his father. If you’ve been following along at home, you know by now that Peggy Wilson has a serious aversion to the entire Landrieu dynasty, and about the tirade that ensued.

The issue then worked its way down the panel with Shane Landry’s final statement, “We may soon have an Indian as governor.” As the only blogger of Indian descent present, to introduce some levity and in recognition of the fact that South Asian-Americans are woefully underrepresented in American government, I raised my fist and cried, “Finally!” The audience cracked up while Jeffrey B whirled around and said, “It’s not going to be you!”

Next up was my panel, which I will talk about in the next few days. It went as expected with only a small derailment during the Q&A session (right question for the wrong time).

During the break between my panel and the final one, I walked out of the hall when Peggy Wilson, sitting at a table with Emily Metzgar and Chuck, turned to me, smiled and called, “Hey, Indian woman! Indian woman!” With me coordinating the conference all afternoon, she should know my name by now. Not knowing exactly how to take that, I kept walking.

WTF?!

Did Peggy Wilson say that to me because she:

a) thought it was amusing (joke’s over, lady, don’t push it),
b) assumes that I’m a Jindal supporter (which I’m not),
c) is a tool,
d) Who cares what Peggy Wilson has to say?
e) All of the above.

Post-lunch (Dunbar’s … mmmm). As a conference coordinator, I just introduced Adrastos as moderator of the Politics Panel. Take it away, Shecky!

On Nagin’s Latest Remarks

Article

• Peggy Wilson (PW) suggests we ignore Nagin.
• David Jaynes (DJ) of Moldy City would like Nagin to have chosen his words better.
• Michael Duplantier (MD) disagrees with Peggy in that Nagin’s words have no import, but agrees with her that we have to go on inspite of him.

On Rebuilding And City Politics

• Peggy Wilson says we have to stop complaining that the federal, state and local government aren’t doing anything for us. We have to go out and work on our problems ourselves. “If you have a sunken boat, go get it out yourself.” So, why do we pay taxes? And, Shane Landry(SL) asked as much. To which Peggy replied, “We shouldn’t.”
• MD: “Nothing [planwise] was executed between January 20th and May 20th. Now, we’re paying for it.”
• PW: “Individual neighborhoods should conduct their own plans. We’re making plans on our plans.”

On Oil Leases

Article

• SL: “We are not getting a fair share. I feel strongly that the governor is on the right track with putting the pressure on the government. I don’t know if it’s going to happen. I love America, but this is my home. I love Louisiana and I’ll be damned if I watch my people [suffer]. I’m standing here today saying that if we band together and tell the government that they have money from [our part of the] continental shelf … it’s far cheaper to give us our fair share of royalties and help ourselves. We were betrayed by the federal government. They were the ones that breached the social contract, not us. So they should pay to keep us. We want our fair share, or give us our walking papers. This is not anti-American, this is pro-Louisiana. [MUCH APPLAUSE]
• MD: Refers to inflammatory comments on The Long, Strange Resurrection Of New Orleans. These kinds of feelings make me want to second [Shane’s] motion.”
• PW: “Shane, you’re talking like we’re the victim here. [Our politicians] handed the leases away. We have to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
• MD: “Peggy, how can you say that when we are the only community who has had to beg for help from the country, while other disasters are immediately funded?”
• PW feels that the country does care for us and that these are extreme views.

On Dolla’ Bill Jefferson

Article

• DJ: Jefferson will be re-elected first and then indicted later.
• PW: Agrees with DJ.
• MD: Jefferson will lose. The “Jefferson Machine” did not work in getting Gill-Pratt relected in District B.
• SL: Karen Carter will win.

On City Council

• PW: Shelley Midura a lot better than Jay Batt. [APPLAUSE]
• MD: Getting Walgreens to work within zoning laws is a great outcome [APPLAUSE & recognition of Karen G.]

Q&A – Interesting Snippets
“The ‘Chocolate City’ comment was made purposely to attract displaced black voters.” – PW
“Dolla’ Bill is a cunning politician.” – SL

“Parents should have more [education/school] choices. [I’m for] universal vouchers.” – SL

“Any [education system] will be better than what we have. Poor, black kids in Virginia have it a lot better than we do.” – MD

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DRAMA ALERT! Mark Folse Hits The “Historic Hatred Against The Landrieus” Hot Button

Aaaaaand Peggy Wilson goes on a tirade against the entire Landrieu family citing that Mitch cut deals with various businesses and entities that brought about the destruction of the Levee Board and other boards around New Orleans. She continues with accusing Landrieu of requiring preferential treatment. Dangerblond calls Peggy on it and asks her to cite examples and sources. Peggy will not … Dangerblond storms out of the session. Video up at Scout Prime’s First Draft.

“But I think that the current generation of Landrieus many of whom live on the public dole and many of whom have great expectations about how they should come and be the saviors of our system are very much disliked because of their attitude. Mitch Landrieu is a person who has had a business where he got business from having judges refer business to him and requiring attorneys to use him in his business. And when you do that it indicates that you have the same system that got us where we are. And I happen to know…”

[Audience member asks Wilson what she is talking about and asked what is the evidence (difficult to hear in video)]

“Well I’m talking about something that I know about first hand. And I know that when you look on the dais on election night and you see the people surrounding a candidate who are the same people that brought about the destruction of the levee board, the destruction of the aviation(?) board and the destruction of various other boards and governing bodies in this community you say what kind of a deal did this guy cut with all these people to be able to raise all that money.”

You’ve got to love New Orleans politics. Hell, you’ve got to love politics.

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MY PANEL IS UP NEXT. SO NERVOUS.