by Sam Winston

On the Obama speech made it onto The Daily Dish, a popular Atlantic Magazine blog done by writer and journalist Andrew Sullivan. I’d like to say I’m excited about this but I realize it probably just makes me an internet nerd that emails the Atlantic.

A reader writes:

I thought I’d email you the exchange between myself and my mother, a one-time strong Hillary supporter that crossed over after hearing Obama speak in our hometown of New Orleans, reacting to the Obama speech today:

Mom: I heard the Obama speech today. It was brave.

Me: With each crisis/charade or what have you, even when I find myself surprised that I would stop to question my support for him, he soars and ends up strengthening my reasons for supporting him in the first place. Yes, he is brave, he is real, and he has principles that have remained intact despite it all. The simple fact is that the entire campaign is now if Obama can survive the gauntlet and nothing else. He seems to be doing just that.

As this campaign progresses, this man grows and grows. The same cannot be said for his two remaining opponents.

Click here for the full link.

Dinner last night at Reginelli’s in Lakeview was the first time I can remember ever spending more for tap water than I did on beer at a pizza joint, or at any other restaurant for that matter. Our waitress said their last keg of Abita ran dry halfway through pouring us a pitcher, so that was on the house. Meanwhile, our glasses of tap water cost a dollar each, and for once I was glad to pay.

That’s because the local Reginelli’s chain is among the host of New Orleans-area restaurants participating in the Tap Water Project. The program is a fundraiser for UNICEF, the global children’s health and nutrition agency, and it couldn’t be simpler.

All this week, through March 22, participating restaurants are asking customers to donate a minimum of $1 for the tap water that is normally served free. They give the money to UNICEF, which will use it to fund clean water initiatives in 90 countries. The program started last year in New York City, where 300 restaurants participated, and now UNICEF has expanded it to 12 other cities across the country.

The New Orleans recovery effort has been the beneficiary of countless restaurant-based fundraisers held around the world since Hurricane Katrina. The Tap Water Project is an incredibly easy way to help return the favor to others in need.

You can see a list of local participating restaurants here.

- Ian McNulty