Gentilly Girl- a part of the 99%

March 25, 2008

Our House- March 25th, ’08

Filed under: New Orleans,Our House — Tags: , — Morwen Madrigal @ 4:18 pm

Moving-in day is coming finally. Walls are painted, trim is going in, cabinets and countertops mounted next week. Here’s some current pics- 03/025/08.
Gas goes in Thursday and electric next week. Back staircase will take some time, so we won’t use the back door.

I’m hoping we can move in by the weekend of April 12th. The outside siding will be mounted after we are back in the house, and the front staircase should finally have handrails too. The driveways are a mystery, but they’re just gravel.

We do need to get some curtains just in case the workers are around and I’ve decided it’s a bra and panty day for doing things around the house. *giggles* Wouldn’t do to distract them whilst working, ‘eh?

March 23, 2008

Al Copeland is Dead.

Filed under: Food and Drink,New Orleans — Tags: , — Morwen Madrigal @ 4:44 pm

Al Copeland has died in Germany.

Having been elsewhere for much of Copeland’s place on the stage we call home, there’s not much I can say about the man other than the fact he founded Popeyes Chicken and some other interesting eateries. He lived a flambouyant life. He did good things with some of his money, and he seemed to create a stir everywhere in his life.

‘Tis a pity… Al Copeland was one of the characters of New Orleans, and he will be missed.

March 21, 2008

Senn Penn Plays Harvey Milk

Filed under: Aside,Harvey Milk,LGBT,Memories — Tags: , , , — Morwen Madrigal @ 9:30 pm

“If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door” , Harvey Milk

On a warm, sunny day June day back in 1978, I attended my first Gay Pride Parade in San Francisco. I was amazed to be around so many free spirits living their lives openly. Twas a far cry from the hatred shown to these kinds of people (deep down I knew I belonged there) from life in Alabama and throughout my Naval career. That was the first time I ever saw Harvey Milk. A few months later I would have the chance to meet him, and I jumped on the offer. He was something else.

On Nov. 27th, 1978, the Castro District (one of the few LGBT areas of the city) learned that Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk had been assassinated at City Hall by Dan White, a recently resigned Supervisor. A candlelight vigil was held, along with a candlelight march that same night. I was there and it set the stage for an annual remembrance march and vigil for many years. (The NAMES Quilt had it’s genesis in one of these marches when Cleve Jones had all of us carry cards bearing the names of those who had died of AIDS.)

A few months later I was in S.F. on leave and White’s trial wrapped up with him being given a 7+ year sentence because of “diminished capacity”, aka the “Twinkie Defense”. Within hours many had gathered and we wound up in a major riot with SFPD in the Civic Center. Many police cars burned that night and then SFPD descended upon the Castro to create a riot of their own. How the Hell I didn’t get myself hurt or killed is a miracle. I went back to duty and would see S.F. again in ’83 when I was discharged from the Service.

I stayed there for almost 14 more years, and Milk’s words were the reason for that: I wanted to help our tribes continue to move the agenda forward and to help during the AIDS Crisis.

So with that little snippet of my history given, I am so moved to read that Sean Penn is playing Milk’s role in a new movie. When it hits the theatres, I will be there.

Thanks so much Harvey, so very much. You gave me the courage to become myself.

Happy Egg Day! (unless)

Filed under: Aside,New Orleans — Tags: — Morwen Madrigal @ 5:13 pm

funny pictures
moar funny pictures

March 20, 2008

Not My Druthers, But Today I Wish…

Filed under: Aside,Socialist Progressive — Tags: , — Morwen Madrigal @ 2:18 am

I Wish I was a Grannie.

Before I was 1 year old all chance of being a grannie, or a mother, or a great-great grannie, went down the tubes when a faulty Culture felt that they could “control” the Destiny of others unlike them. They got to choose back my “identity” then. I was programmed to a certain course. (Yeah… right.)
Well, this little Soul knows that they were/are wrong, and that she would have taught her children well, been there as things didn’t always fit the Beliefs, helping when the “Culture” created situations that would weed-out “what was not their own”. To “see” what a real person sees. To be intelligent and thoughtful, caring and innovative. To give a damn because we have seen alot…

And we don’t want the ones to come to have to see the horrors and cheats that we have witnessed during our time in this Plane. This doesn’t mean that we are the ne plus ultra of the Sages and Wise, but that we passed on our stories and our priorities, pains, hopes and desires. That we give them the right textbooks, and someone to do homework with.

With that above, here’s something interesting to read. (Not long… KOS can wait.)

Anyone can postulate a “New World”, but I believe in a living Real World. (Child-like, eh’?) They must be able to bear witness to what they think, see and feel. They must live Life and pass that information along. The problem comes in when where the slant of the observations come from: “No Change” or “Become”.
Can we teach our children well?

That is the question.

For myself, the choice has always been to “Become”..

“Be Blessed!”

March 13, 2008

Chris Rose on Ray Nagin…

Filed under: New Orleans,Ray Nagin — Tags: , — Morwen Madrigal @ 1:52 pm

and he freakin’ gets it right.

Sally Kern Redux…

(I told ya’s that I wasn’t going to let this Bitch’s words slide…)

Here are the words of a high school kid in Oklahoma City in response to Kern’s hate diatribe:

Rep Kern:

On April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City a terrorist detonated a bomb that killed my mother and 167 others. 19 children died that day. Had I not had the chicken pox that day, the body count would’ve likely have included one more. Over 800 other Oklahomans were injured that day and many of those still suffer through their permanent wounds.

That terrorist was neither a homosexual or was he involved in Islam. He was an extremist Christian forcing his views through a body count. He held his beliefs and made those who didn’t live up to them pay with their lives.

As you were not a resident of Oklahoma on that day, it could be explained why you so carelessly chose words saying that the homosexual agenda is worst than terrorism. I can most certainly tell you through my own experience that is not true. I am sure there are many people in your voting district that laid a loved one to death after the terrorist attack on Oklahoma City. I kind of doubt you’ll find one of them that will agree with you.

I was five years old when my mother died. I remember what a beautiful, wise, and remarkable woman she was. I miss her. Your harsh words and misguided beliefs brought me to tears, because you told me that my mother’s killer was a better person than a group of people that are seeking safety and tolerance for themselves.

As someone left motherless and victimized by terrorists, I say to you very clearly you are absolutely wrong.

You represent a district in Oklahoma City and you very coldly express a lack of love, sympathy or understanding for what they’ve been through. Can I ask if you might have chosen wiser words were you a real Oklahoman that was here to share the suffering with Oklahoma City? Might your heart be a bit less cold had you been around to see the small bodies of children being pulled out of rubble and carried away by weeping firemen?

I’ve spent 12 years in Oklahoma public schools and never once have I had anyone try to force a gay agenda on me. I have seen, however, many gay students beat up and there’s never a day in school that has went by when I haven’t heard the word **** slung at someone. I’ve been called gay slurs many times and they hurt and I am not even gay so I can just imagine how a real gay person feels. You were a school teacher and you have seen those things too. How could you care so little about the suffering of some of your students?

Let me tell you the result of your words in my school. Every openly gay and suspected gay in the school were having to walk together Monday for protection. They looked scared. They’ve already experienced enough hate and now your words gave other students even more motivation to sneer at them and call them names. Afterall, you are a teacher and a lawmaker, many young people have taken your words to heart. That happens when you assume a role of responsibility in your community. I seriously think before this week ends that some kids here will be going home bruised and bloody because of what you said.

I wish you could’ve met my mom. Maybe she could’ve guided you in how a real Christian should be acting and speaking.

I have not had a mother for nearly 13 years now and wonder if there were fewer people like you around, people with more love and tolerance in their hearts instead of strife, if my mom would be here to watch me graduate from high school this spring. Now she won’t be there. So I’ll be packing my things and leaving Oklahoma to go to college elsewhere and one day be a writer and I have no intentions to ever return here. I have no doubt that people like you will incite crazy people to build more bombs and kill more people again. I don’t want to be here for that. I just can’t go through that again.

You may just see me as a kid, but let me try to teach you something. The old saying is sticks and stones will break your bones, but words will never hurt you. Well, your words hurt me. Your words disrespected the memory of my mom. Your words can cause others to pick up sticks and stones and hurt others.

Sincerely,

Tucker”

And here’s our own New Orleanian, Ellen DeGeneres, trying to call Ms Kern.

More to come…

March 11, 2008

Reason #5,098,003 of Why I Live In New Orleans-

Filed under: New Orleans — Tags: — Morwen Madrigal @ 5:35 pm

“Widow of R&B pioneer Ernie K-Doe directs the rebirth of legendary lounge in New Orleans”

It’s the last half of the article that really got me: this is why we LIVE HERE!

I Haz Problem…

Filed under: Aside,Catz,New Orleans — Tags: , — Morwen Madrigal @ 4:17 pm

Sitting here in the hovel (aka dumpster, cave), contemplating the move to the real house and all the packing that must be done, and then I run across this:

Humorous Pictures

I think I need a bigger carrier. Our catz are four times bigger than these kittehs.

Let’s Send Sally Kern Back To the Dustbowl.

Here’s a petition urging the Oklahoma House to impeach Sally Kern for being many things, but just not Human.

A curtsey to Heather for the head’s up.

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