A Frolic of My Own

Jazz, Books, Food, and the Writing Life

Blogging from New Orleans, La

24 September 2006

The spammers have won. I give up. Comments are now closed on this blog.

I’ve been fighting the rapidly increasing flood of spam on this site (due to a registration issue with the previous site of this blog, spammers now own that site). I thought it was under control, but after neglecting to clean up the spam for a week I now have 1800 spam comments waiting in the cue for moderation. I can’t even mark them as spam and erase them, because the huge number of comments hangs up the site.

It’s probably no loss. Since the upgrade of Wordpress, comments haven’t been working well. A glitch in the template causes every comment to be listed as “anonymous.” I can’t track down the problem, and it’s not worth the work to recreate the entire site.

I hope the spammers sold plenty of porn, scratch cards and prescription drugs. Maybe I’ll write more now that I won’t have to clean out spam everyday.

Please email if you want to comment.

Posted by Todd at 12:23 pm | No Comments

20 September 2006

Keith Richards has stopped taking drugs, because they’re just not working any more. He blames the drugs and not his tolerance. [via Looka!]

Posted by Todd at 9:31 pm | No Comments

While I was taking out the trash this morning, the Hubig Pie man drove by in his van. If only he would stop and sell me a pie, he’d be better than the ice cream man.

Posted by Todd at 8:14 am | No Comments

7 September 2006

Rob Lowe will be shooting a movie tomorrow at Octavia Books. He should arrive shortly after 3:00 p.m., when the store is slated to close early.

It’s a cable movie, but I guess that kinda goes without saying with Rob Lowe.

Posted by Todd at 8:24 pm | No Comments

Why is it so much easier to describe bad food? Maybe good food just makes us think of food. Bad food is a falling off, and we’re immediately reminded of a dozen other textures, tastes and arrangements. Metaphors and wit are easy when talking about bad food.

Posted by Todd at 6:30 pm | No Comments

Stacy Head, the councilwoman for District B, has arranged for Mayor Nagin to address residents this Saturday, 10:00 a.m., at 2020 Jackson Ave.

Posted by Todd at 6:07 pm | No Comments

Mayor Nagin may no longer have any friends in New Orleans, but it looks like he has one in New York. He famously pissed off much of city by calling Ground Zero a hole. Today the Onion marks the fifth anniversary of 9/11 with an article entitled “NYC Unveils Memorial Hole:”

“From the wreckage and ashes of the World Trade Center, we have created a recess in the ground befitting the American spirit,” said New York Governor George Pataki from a cinderblock-and-plastic-bucket-supported plywood platform near the Hole’s precipice. “This vast chasm, dug at the very spot where the gleaming Twin Towers once rose to the sky, is a symbol of what we can accomplish if we work together.”

…

“And of course, I commend President George W. Bush, whose administration provided the kind of ample, unquestioning financial support to the rebuilding project for which they are famous, from New York to New Orleans,” Pataki said. “Mr. President, you as much as anyone have made the dream of this hole a reality.”

…

“I firmly believe, as does every person here, that this deep, empty hole has come to stand not only for the New York City of today, but also for the transformation of the entire United States since Sept. 11, 2001.”

Is that the most bitter story the Onion has ever run?

Posted by Todd at 2:36 pm | No Comments

6 September 2006

We got po-boys Friday from Domilise’s, which is just down the street. Dot Domilise was cleaning up when we came in, but she insisted that we stick around after they locked the doors. We’re neighbors after all.

We got to hear a little of Domilise’s history. The building used to be a dry goods store. When Ms. Dot’s father-in-law bought it, he lowered the floor where the restaurant now stands. At first, they just cooked food for friends. When the port opened, however, they started selling sandwiches to the workers. And thus the legendary Domilise’s was born.

It’s the shoulder season in New Orleans. Hansen’s Sno-Bliz closed Sunday, although Ashley Hansen promises to open sooner next year. Casamento’s won’t be open for a few more weeks. Any day now, though, Angelo Brocato’s will reopen.

Posted by Todd at 9:53 pm | Comments (1)