Best Of New Orleans Blog

LLocal fitness guru Mackie Shilstone doesn’t believe simply calculating body mass index (BMI) tells him enough when he is assessing a person’s size. For Shilstone, BMI is only the first step.

“I make it a three-tier approach,” Shilstone says. “I first look at what your BMI is to point me in a direction. Then I want to know what your total percentage of body fat is. BMI and body fat don’t go one to one, but the outcome can be the same. Then after I go to body fat, I want to know where you store your fat. All the research points to the waist measurement — from the belly button — as the single most predictor of disease there is.” (more…)

Granted, One Eyed Jacks brings it every month. But with Republic’s deadbeat January, the House of Blues between shifts — strong fall, strong spring — and the Parish morphing over the last six months into a haven for mallrats (who else goes to 6 p.m. gigs?), it begs the question: Could New Orleans’ second-best rock ’n’ roll destination right now be in Baton Rouge?

The Spanish Moon hosts enough quality concerts to qualify. Lundi Gras saw Appalachian anthem makers Band of Horses visit the Highland Road venue, and this coming Tuesday and Wednesday, it has Vancouver stoner-rockers Black Mountain and brash Texas bluesman Scott H. Biram, respectively. The first fortnight in March already boasts a virtual travelogue of good music: gauzy waltzes from Baltimore’s Beach House, pots-and-pans antics from Philly’s Man Man, edgy country/rock from Portland’s Blitzen Trapper and ants-in-their-pants dance pop from Toronto’s Born Ruffians (who also will haul their gear to OEJ the same week — thanks for saving us the gas, guys).

Saul Williams, your Parish purge can’t come soon enough.

 by Sam Winston

Louisiana basketball legend Randy Livingston is still making a go of it. He’s the reigning NBA Developmental League MVP and he is currently leading the league in assists. He will lead a side in the league’s All-Star game.

Its probably for another time but I grew up watching Randy and he was an unbelievable player. It’s good to see him still out there doing well.

by Sam Winston

First impressions from Bill Clinton’s speech at Dillard (after watching it online)…

- It was a bit of an inevitable letdown that Hillary was not there in person and the series of opening speakers and their “I know Bill knows that Hillary knows..” emphasized her absence in an unintended negative way.

- Bill Clinton can still give a good speech when he wants to

- Following the campaign talking points on Louisiana, he didn’t waste much time in emphasizing that Hillary voted for the Oil revenues bill for Louisiana every time as opposed to Obama who voted for it at the end. With the Picayune already following that “storyline” it’ll surely make it into local coverage, with what effect I’m not sure.

- He spent the majority of the speech on (more…)

by Sam Winston

Wonder what he’ll say.

Looks about half empty.

by Sam Winston

A few quick points after watching Barack Obama’s speech yesterday in New Orleans on the web…

- Whoever said that Obama was not policy specific or vague was wrong when it came to his New Orleans speech. From deadline numbers on the Road Home program, to teachers to student ratios to hospital rebuilding policies to FEMA directors, his speech was laced with specifics. (more…)