September 3, 2008 archive

The bloggers I am about to quote — and there are so many more in this group equally as good — have emerged as sort of a blogging coalition since Katrina hit.  They have, working together (even when they violently disagree with each other), gotten the real story out on what’s been going on in New Orleans, from housing to the recovery to the colorful politics that they are working hard to change from within and without.  I believe they are an excellent example of citizen journalists and activists.

From Adrastos, the first NOLA blog I ever read, his post The Tiers of A Clown, on Mayor Nagin’s “return” plan:

There’s rampant confusion about re-entry. Nagin has been nattering on and on (it’s the only thing he does well) about a four tiered scheme. LINK. Supposedly, some sort of placard exists that would help people re-enter. Unfortunately, C Ray and his inept minions neglected to tell us how to obtain said placards either before Gustav or subsequently. As a business owner, I should in theory be in the third tier and be able to return tomorrow. BUT all I have is my occupational license. And I don’t feel like waving that at some burly guardsman with an automatic weapon. I suppose the info about the re-entry placards is another state secret like C Ray’s schedule.

We’re used to incompetent and high-handed government in New Orleans. Most of the time, it doesn’t effect our daily lives but right now it does. Our city is “led” by a fool who couldn’t find a bathroom without a GPS and we’re supposed to believe that he knows what’s best for ordinary citizens. This is the same mook who screwed the pooch in 2005 and has given us the glories of the Jack-o-Lantern recovery. And we’re now supposed to trust in C Ray and in a Governor who is out to make himself look good to aid and abet his ambition.

Note: This is a Pony Party, which is an open thread.  Do not rec the Pony Party.

Mr. Segundus wished to know, he said, why modern magicians were unable to work the magic they wrote about.  In short, he wished to know why there was no more magic done in England.

It was the most commonplace question in the world.  It was the question which, sooner or later, every child in the kingdom asks his governess or his schoolmaster or his parent.  Yet the learned members of the York society did not at all like hearing it asked and the reason was this: they were no more able to answer it than anyone else.

The President of the York society (whose name was Dr Foxcastle) turned to John Segundus and explained that the question was a wrong one.  “It presupposes that magicians have some sort of duty to do magic — which is clearly nonsense.  You would not, I imagine, suggest that it is the duty of botanists to devise more flowers?  Or that astronomers should labour to rearrange the stars?  Magicians, Mr Segundus, study magic that was done long ago.  Why should anyone expect more?”

An elderly gentleman with faint blue eyes and faintly colored clothes (called either Hart or Hunt — Mr Segundus could never quite catch the name) faintly said that it did not matter whether anyone expected it or not.  A gentleman could not do magic.  Magic was what street sorcerers pretended to do in order to rob children of their pennies.  Magic (in the practical sense) was much fallen off.  It had low connexions.  It was the bosom companion of unshaven faces, gypsies, house-breakers; the frequenter of dingy rooms with dirty yellow curtains.  Oh no!  A gentleman could not do magic.  A gentleman might study the history of magic (nothing could be nobler), but he could not do any.

~Susanna Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell