I went to New Orleans last month to do some guerrilla vlogging. I asked people what they wanted to say about New Orleans today and their future. I asked people what they wanted me to know about their city. They wanted me to tell you that they're alive.
They are alive.
It's not the politics. It's not the water. It's not the death and devastation. It's not the humiliation that Katrina brought to all of our homes through the scenes of government failure and abandonment.
They are alive and they want you to know it's okay to come back. They need you to come back.
In this installment of the NOLA Speaks series meet Katie Adams and Kathryn Danner, two genteel southern ladies, and take a step back in time in a French Quarter Creole mansion.
Last Monday night I attended a Town Hall meeting on the UNH campus in Durham, NH. Both John and Elizabeth Edwards were there to talk and take questions from a group of about 500 attendees. Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) was there and received a very warm reception from all in attendance. When I left she was in a circle of at least 15 kids discussing her current work in DC as the US Rep from their district.
The questions were tough, but I think fair. This is NH after all and these voters are very savvy to say the least. They were there to hear the candidate speak, but they also had a lot to say to the Edwardses and those that asked a question generally conveyed their concerns in doing so.
Most people do not want to speak on camera at all and as I canvassed the crowd before the event I told many of those on line that I do this because I don't think the media gets it right, everyone agreed.
I had a great time (if that's the right way to put it) at the Connecticut Opposes the War rally today in Hartford, and I'm ready to share my pictures and video. I attended with a group from Vernon, including ATalbot, MD, and several of their friends:
Yikes, that's big... but I don't know how to make it smaller. More pix, plus video, below the fold.
UPDATE: When I (finally) went to bed last night, YouTube was still processing my video; today I discovered it had been rejected because it was too long. Undaunted, I've chopped it into two parts: Part 1 here...
...and Part 2 below the fold (plus I've fixed my photo links).
I don't have any but would really like for you to help us older types. How do you post a picture? How do you put quotes from articles in the square block? How do you post a video? How do you make a word BOLD? What are all these tricks as I can do it in an email but not here.
I would really like to see some type of permanent link on the front page that shows everyone and especially new people on how to use tools for enhancing their posts. I know that I am not the only one here that could use some guidance. Some may say if I don't know how then I shouldn't be here but I hope you disagree. Maybe we can even test out our new acquired skills in this thread.
Here's the pride and joy of the 4th District repeatedly admonishing Katy Helvenston-Wettengel (who was only trying to answer Shays questions within his endless and shameless rant).
Who is Katy Helvenston-Wettengel you ask? Well, she just happens to be one of the relatives of the four American contractors who providing private security in Iraq that were ambushed by a mob and their bodies dragged through the streets of Fallujah.
Helvenston-Wettengel, and three other relatives of the victims, testified before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform on Wednesday about the outrageous conditions their loved ones were forced to deal with while working as contractors in Iraq (i.e., lack of body armour, lack of amour ed cars, no maps, etc).
After these individuals fought back tears testifying about the recounting how the contractors, were sent out into the meat grinder called Iraq without the protective equipment they were promised, the Republicans wasted no time and doing what they do best...attack the messenger. Shays grilling and belittling of Helvenston-Wettengel was so offensive that Rep. Henry Waxman apparently had enough of the 4th District Congressman and pulled the plug on him.
For some reason I thought there must be some mitigating factor at play in this story, that somehow we weren't getting all the details. Well judge for yourself at this brazen display of acute stupidity. If these guys wanted attention they've certainly gotten it. So, what is the line on when both the writer and the paper's editor resign? A week? 24 hrs?
Big hat tip to Lon Seidman at Connecticut2 the successor blog to Lon's old CD2 Watch. The new blog is dedicated to tracking developments in the 2nd Congressional District and, one can only assume, building an airtight case for Joe Courtney's reelection in 2008.
Lon spoke at the recent DFA meet-up in New Haven about the incredible usefulness of candidate-specific blogs. CD2 Watch chronicled the sins of commission and omission of Rob Simmons and, as a result, formed an invaluable source of oppo research for the Courtney campaign.
When's someone going to launch a blog on Jodi Rell, Lon wants to know.
Well, it won't be me, but I suggest that it could be called "Rellsevelt," the new nickname bestowed on Jodi by Dems in the legislature in the wake of her Dem-friendly budget.
Unless they're now using (D) in the pejorative sense, as in "Demented", they ought to stop this nonsense forthwith. If they have to be told to C&D then so be it. You know the drill.
Leslie "Wolf" Blitzer, CNN
One CNN Center, Box 105366, Atlanta, GA 30303-5366
Phone: 404-827-1500
Fax: 404-827-1906
EDIT: Stream is having problems loading. Hrmppph. Maybe it's a good sign if there's a lot of people trying to access the website. Or it could be those damn hackers again.
EDIT 2: Stream is back up, just in time for JE's entrance.
I went to New Orleans last month to do some guerrilla vlogging. I asked people what they wanted to say about New Orleans today and their future. I asked people what they wanted me to know about their city. They wanted me to tell you that they're alive.
cross-posted at 
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