While I Was Away

Lots of things happened while I was on vacation and generally disconnected.

• Congressman William Jefferson was indicted. No big surprise there, since he’s been under investigation forever. It was big national news however. It even made the Daily Show, which we were able to watch because our condo had cable. It’s always a treat to see some hometown news when you’re out of town.
• In a similar vein: The Louisiana Institute of Film Technology is under investigation by the FBI. This is really discouraging. The film industry is one of the few bright spots in our economy. Louisiana has become the number three state for film and video production, after California and New York. It’s all nurtured by tax credits, and now the biggest Louisiana production company, LIFT, is under investigation for bribery. Even if the investigation turns up nothing, this is a serious blow to the “Hollywood South” phenomenon.
• My baby sister’s baby girl is having a baby. Man do I feel old. I can’t believe little sis is gonna be a grandma.
• And a very scary piece of news: A friend’s house caught on fire. Right here in New Orleans. He and his girlfriend weren’t hurt, but they lost two cats and the place is uninhabitable. My heart goes out to them.