Category Archives: NOLA

Dinner, 11/30/09

Test Run – NOLA Bloody Mary

Inspired by the Natchez and Dante’s Kitchen:

Third World Bail Bonds

I was watching some YouTube videos about the housing crisis in Detroit and I noticed a recurring theme among commentators that the situation there resembled that of a third world country. I have spent some time in third world countries, and I think that the comparison could not be further off. While third world countries are poor and people there often appear to be living in squalor, their villages and neighborhoods tend to be vital and teeming with activity. In my Uzbek village where I first stayed, other than the main street, the rest of the roads were dirt. Chicken and cows were more or less everywhere, and many of the homes were quite crude. Nevertheless, there was a feeling that the little village was a place where people lived and transacted the business of daily life. The images out of Detroit (which are strikingly similar to many areas of New Orleans,) lack this vitality of place.

Americans’ bandying of the term “third world” is most often done so from a place of ignorance. My issue is primarily semantic; though the term may no longer be politically correct, I am particularly bothered by the meaning that it is meant to convey. Third world is shorthand for: abandonment, neglect, blight, danger and decay. While each of these conditions may apply to certain third world communities, they by no means define the totality of circumstances of life in such places. Third world communities are often developing, and more often than not, the people who live there take great pride in their communities; one doesn’t need a green lawn in front of a McMansion to convey pride of place.

While the third world is developing, Detroit, and many other areas in this country, are regressing. This regression is painful and shocking; formerly middle class neighborhoods reduced to blighted ghettos does not make a pretty picture. But let’s quit with the presumptuous fiction that our society’s failures resemble those of the third world. The conditions that we have created are distinct and must be analyzed in context. Racial tensions, economics, education, drugs, cultural values… these are our fault lines. Let’s be outraged at what’s happened and let’s be motivated to do something about it. But let’s also be honest about that fact that our problem is distinctly American, and as one video ominously noted in closing, “coming to a city near you!”

National Train Day

Getting the Shot

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I’ve spent most of the afternoon sleeping as a treat for completing a very hectic few days. As you may be aware, Tulane Law is well known for its environmental law program, and each year the school is host to a student-planned conference. This year’s Environmental Law Summit was entitled: “Defining Green in Times of Change,” and featured a range of speakers and panels centered around the theme of change in the environmental movement as reflected by both our new administration and the current economic crisis. Early in the year I got involved in the environmental law society and have held the title of Summit Technology Chair. Up until a few weeks ago, my main task was to develop the Summit’s website (summit.law.tulane.edu). As the Summit neared, however, I became responsible for making sure that all the panels were filmed, the speakers’ PowerPoint presentations worked, and the rooms were properly amplified.

Oh, and then there’s the play. For the fourth year running, a ragtag group of law students assembled to present an environmentally themed play as evening entertainment during the Summit. This year’s play was called MisLEAD and was a dark comedy about an old lead mining town that had run afoul of the EPA. I auditioned for a promptly received some small roles (EPA Man, Nurse and Attorney…) Though I didn’t have many lines, it was really great fun to be a part of the production. Come opening/closing night, we got our audience all liquored up and and suffice to say that it went over quite well.

Adding to the drama, as it were, was the fact that I had to make an oral argument for my legal research and writing class the following morning (alas, celebration was to be delayed for a day…) The oral argument was an extension of a major assignment I had completed before spring break, an appellate brief. Basically my ‘client’ was arrested at the threshold of his home without a warrant by police officers acting on an anonymous tip. This led to an analysis of both the Fourth Amendment and probable cause. The way the oral argument worked was that four of my classmates entered a classroom and took seats on opposite sides of the room. In the center isle, a podium was set up, and in the front of the classroom sat the judges (our professor and some senior fellows.) Each of was was alloted eight minutes to make our case. While eight minutes may not seem like a lot, it certainly felt like a long time while preparing my remarks. However, once I got up to the podium, that eight minutes just flew by. I was asked some tough questions, including some hypotheticals, but I think I handled them well and was able to cover the most important points of my argument.

Later that day that Summit continued with some great panels and our number one keynote speaker, author Bill McKibben. If you have not read any McKibben, I strongly encourage you to do so. Bill is a brilliant author who has written about the environment and the economy from a philosophical point of view that is a brand in and of itself. Before the presentation I got to meet Mr. McKibben and during his presentation I assisted him with his tech needs. It was a great thrill and honor to meet one of my favorite authors who is a genuinely kind and brilliant man. Following Bill’s address, a select group of us assembled at a fancy restaurant in the Warehouse District where we were feted with a six course meal, drinks and fine music. All in all, it was a fantastic conference and I look forward to being a part of it again next year! We’ll have video of the Summit panels and keynote addresses on the website soon.