Times Change, Feelings Don't

Scuzzbucket of the Week

The head of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) - Wayne Pacelle



According to Humane Watch dot org Pacelle thinks that Michael Vick (who brutally killed 8 helpless dogs) “would do a good job as a pet owner”.

Janitas at the Rendon Inn-Eat There

Here's a post by NOLA's Craig Gieseke about the relocation of his restaurant Janita's at the Rendon Inn

Excerpt
Sunday marked our third anniversary of being honored enough to serve our food every day in one of the greatest food cities in the world. We've been lucky enough to put some nice hardware on the wall from Zagat and others, to make some money doing what we do and to apparently have enough of a reputation so the local foodie community takes note of when we do something. Most of all, we've seen so many nice customers follow us from our last location to our new one. We see some every day and return business, particularly when someone goes out of their way, is the nicest compliment of all. Thank you.

Read the whole post at the link above

To view the menu (in three pictures) go here.

Drilling Ban still on

Official Says U.S. Won't End Drilling Ban in Eastern Gulf

 

The Obama administration is rescinding its decision to allow offshore oil drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic Coast because of the BP oil spill, an administration official said.

 

The official said that drilling would remain under a moratorium for those areas for at least the next five years, until stronger safety and environmental standards are in place. Drilling will continue in the central and western Gulf of Mexico, although under a set of new safeguards put in place since the deadly BP explosion and oil spill in April.

 

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar announced the expansion of drilling in March, just weeks before the BP accident, as part of a political plan to encourage more domestic oil production in exchange for limits on carbon emissions. The eastern Gulf and the Atlantic seaboard had been off-limits to oil companies for years because of congressional opposition.

 

Read More:

http://www.nytimes.com?emc=na

 

 

Dine America 2010

On ‘Dine Out’ Night, 200 Chefs Serve Up Message About Gulf Seafood Safety

Posted: 29 Nov 2010 09:01 PM PST

Something fishy is about to happen at select restaurants across the country. On December 1, more than 200 chefs and restaurateurs nationwide will participate in “Dine America 2010: America’s Night Out for Gulf Seafood.” Behind the event is a dramatic statement: Chefs, whose livelihood depends upon the quality of their ingredients and cuisine, believe in the safety of Gulf seafood.

“Word of mouth is the best way to let people know that seafood is safe,” says Corporate Executive Chef Haley Bittermann of the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group in New Orleans.

She believes people are more likely to trust their friends and family than what they read in the media. So enjoying a good meal together, she says, is the best way to spread the message about Gulf seafood safety.

Chef Haley — and the entire Brennan family restaurants — have led the charge in sending that message. Throughout the oil spill crisis, the team of chefs and managers have continually educated their staff on the issues and kept Gulf seafood on the menu. Even as some supplies waned, the restaurants were careful to avoid passing along higher costs for coveted items such as oyster po’ boys.

“The perception — not the quality — is the only thing that has changed since the oil spill,” says Chef Haley. “There is a perception that the seafood is not safe. But it is safe. And far better than what you are going to get from other areas of the world.

She and other chefs are willing to stake their reputation on it.

In Atlanta, Georgia, more than 600 miles away from the Gulf coast, Texas native Chef Ford Fry of JCT Kitchen is excited to participate in the December 1 event, since it gives him a chance to showcase the Gulf seafood he grew up eating. While the menu is not yet finalized, he plans to prepare blue crabs, shrimp and oysters — possibly in a gumbo, his seafood dish of choice.

“The secret to a good gumbo is the stock,” says Fry, who learned to make gumbo not in culinary school, but on a trip down to Kaplan, Louisiana, where a friend’s mother taught him.

“It’s important that we support the local guys,” says Fry. “We’re doing alright and they’re having trouble. They need our support.”

Visit www.dineamerica2010.com to find a list of restaurants participating in the December 1 event.

 

2010 Hurricane Season Ends

image courtesy of profmandia

I think the strong winds that took out power to downtown New Orleans and points east this morning included a collective sigh of relief in this area for the end of the 2010 Hurricane Season.

This was an especially tense season because of the BP Oil Spill. No one knew what would happen if a storm got into the Gulf. By the grace of God this didn't happen.
We now have six months to breath easy.

Temperatures are Dropping!

A huge cold front just moved thru this morning, wreaking havoc all over this area.

In this chart below, you can see the temperature plummet in the Bayou Liberty area of Slidell.

The chart is from Wunderground.com.

Good choice, S.I.

Drew Brees has been named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year.

 

Here’s a link

http://www.nola.com/saints/index.ssf/2010/11/drew_brees_is_named_sports_ill.html

 

 

BP Strikes again

A woman who worked the beach cleanup related to the BP Oil Spill relates her experiences in dealing with BP's decision to hide the impact of the spill.

Quotes
"It was like a covert operation......."

"You could see the fumes coming up...."

"Some 3rd party safety guy calls me over and says I'm gonna need you to remove your mask because it's not necessary at this time"

"One of the questions I had to answer to get this job was that I am responsible for my safety"

"They want the beaches to be open, they don't care about the workers out there getting sick"

"there was a dog and pony show and they'd say that you need to go and clean this beach where there was no oil to clean up"

"If they think that they're gonna walk away from the Gulf Coast they are wrong"

"Obama gets on Nat'l TV saying the water's safe, the seafood is safe, swim in the water....it's totally toxic!"

the oil is STILL here, y'all

Check out these videos - instead of listening to the "feel good" BP ads.

These videos were made EIGHT MONTHS after the BP oil spill.

Checking in

I haven't been blogging a lot in the past several months. Life has taken some twists and turns that have gotten me away from creating posts about things I'm passionate about. It's not that I am less passionate about our recovery from both Katrina (not there yet) and the BP Oil Spill (jury's still out on this, based on my last post). It's just that life happens.

First good thing is that hubby and I have started going to the gym three times a week. Well, up until a few weeks ago when we started moving our living spaces around, working around the installation of floors instead of carpet. Then there is Facebook - which is way too easy to sit down and play with, a lot easier than thinking up blog posts. Work is consistenly creating ways to block me from updating my blog at lunch time. We're down to so few people - while still being expected to turn out the same amount of work - that we work thru lunch most days.

I'm happy to say that I'm still around and taking in things, putting blog posts together in my head. I just have to carve out some time to make that a done deal.

In the meantime, I'm Judy Chapman Thorne on Facebook.

But FB is so one liner. There's no place to expound on your feelings or experiences.

Hell, I need to blog about our Disney vacation in October.

And our crazy squirrel.

And the adventures of a menopausal woman in sultry, humid Louisiana (my body abhors humidity).

And our good food experiences.

I'll be back.