After a fabulous New Year’s Eve feast at Galatoire’s….most of our group went on to other parties while we stayed in the Quarter to welcome the New Year. As we awaited the countdown to 2008 and ensuing fireworks, we decided to pop one of the two celebratory bottles we hauled up to our viewing spot atop a French Quarter building. We brought two 1995 (an excellent year!)Champagnes, a Perrier Jouet and Veuve Cliquot. Both were seriously cooked… no saving those babies… so the race was on to grab a cold, non-vintage Brut Champagne for the midnight toast! Tim dashed off and returned with a lovely “fresh” Mumm Cordon Rouge! Although I was hopeful the vintageChampagnes would still be in good order, because every pre-Katrina Champagne we’ve opened in the past two years — including several 1979 Heidsieck Monopole Magnums were fine, I knew our luck had to run out at some point! I wonder what other readers chose for their New Year’s Eve toasts…..

 by Sam Winston

Over the past couple days, the mainstream media has picked up on the story of New Orleans as the nation’s murder capital for a second year in a row, as noted here a few weeks ago. The Times Picayune ran this story in addition to the Associated Press running a similar piece accompanied by video.

They site the number of murders given by the New Orleans Police Department, which is 209. However, the number of murders in New Orleans is actually around 219. NOPD doesn’t include “justifiable homicides” in their total. The Orleans Parish Coroner’s office does.
Read the rest of this entry »

Mr. DuBos,

I have a bet with another member of the Alliance, and I wonder if you could settle it. She says that you have never NOT endorsed any Landrieu in any race. Is she correct?

Rev. Walken

Dear Rev. Walken,

Excellent question, because it gives me a chance to clear the air on something that I suspect is a misperception out there.

The question is addressed to me, but I have never personally endorsed any candidate for any office in any election. If the bet is whether I have personally failed to endorse any Landrieu, you win — easily —

because I have never personally endorsed anyone, ever. If by “you” the question means “Gambit Weekly,” you still win. Here’s why:

Currently there are three Landrieu siblings in public office — Read the rest of this entry »