the tattooed psychic and fringe fest

super excited, my sistah is comin to fringe fest, and with her? Spiritus! spiritus is a show that empowers all of us, to what our potential is... please check out her website, and know that she brings the magi with her, and will discuss and answer questions regarding new orleans, and our rebirth.

Look for an early show on saturday and a repeat show on sunday...

mardiclaw.net

well, its been months, and I'm so frustrated, and finally, someone is coming to my rescue. All I wanted was some help getting some simple things on my website, so bear with me...

I promise you within days, you'll be able to buy art online from me.

wow, its already sept... what will I wear for halloween?

this time of the year, too many things are goin on! As much as I try NOT to get too involved, its almost impossible. we have 6t9 parade, fringe parade, prospect two/scadnola, and I'm starting to book shows again. Mainly, booking on the nights I work, cause I don't want to listen to any more five band nights, of crap music, and deaf ears the next day. I want adults, ones who tip, and good music. I don't think its too much to ask.

I've been going in a new direction with my paintings, and am involved in a show at the skull club opening oct 9th. I'll be painting to do a booth in nov, at prospect scadnola... and of course painting just to paint, and to try and build up a reasonable amount of work, to possibly do one of the many festivals in this city.

halloween is so close, and yet so far, but I'm still looking at costumes... and idea's... with voodoo fest, which I think I'll ignore this year, I might just enjoy a mellow halloween. 6t'9 rolls the weekend before, so THAT will be the weekend I'm out. halloween itself is on a sunday, and still haven't decided what to do, besides the game, on that evening.

of course, the holidays are right behind all the good stuff, don't think I'll make it home again this year, but always try to... seems like it never works out, although, my mom could sure use a visit from Kim and I. My brothers have managed to go out of their way again, to insult her. There is nothing more disappointing, than seeing and hearing about how my two older brothers have broken her heart. Shameful.

meaning, I really need to go home for christmas...

august and september, a time to remember

its been quite a few weeks, filled with parties, birthdays, saints hype, and more. I'm as tired as a mardi gras girl could be. somehow, I keep going...

I finally got to see the black men of labor parade. All the dancing, and all the music. Quite a sight to see, even though I had to step out before it was over.

Usually I go to the gay parade. I haven't done it in years, but this year? different. I'm glad I did it. I saw Honey from the creole wild wild west... He had been out all night, and hadn't been to the parade in years... My conversation the night before? got him out there, without sleep, and with Indian Suit still in the car... :)

The night before, I had a cancellation at the hi ho, with Bo Dollis Jr. His dad had gone in the hospital. There I was on labor day weekend, without a band. So I called Wild Man John and Honey, and they appeared. The night went off really well, and actually was less stressful, than the night before. At one point, the drumming suddenly got louder, and the door had opened, and other Indians came through the door, joining in. It was magical as always.

So I'm looking forward to seeing more Indian shows at the hiho... expect sundays to be an Indian practice, after the saints...

happy Indian Summer....

the five year anniversary of katrina

this next sunday it will have been five years... five years since that levee broke, and the water reclaimed our city. A manmade disaster of "epic proportions", would forever change the way america viewed us, and we viewed the government, and them. A television that was so mired in negative commentary, and pathetic images. You could see the underlying corporate news media's well paid for slant, and we still are dealing with the consequences of not only that, but our perception.

Spike Lee's documentary follow up to the levee's premieres tonite. a two parter, that deals with what I'm talkin, and the saints win, and the subsequent next disaster, the BP oil spill.

ABC news anchor Brian Williams has his take. I don't always know how to take him, and in his heart he means well, but he gets so much wrong. We can all thank him for standing on canal street telling the world that the french quarter was under water. It was not. Canal street is not the Vieux Carre. Five years later tourists are still asking the question... "How much water was in the Quarter".

Harry Shearer comes out also with the big uneasy. I love Harry Shearer, and his documentary will surely have a sarcastic, and truthful edge to it. He loves his city.

Recent documentaries coming are "Road to revolution", which is currently filming... A Wing and a Prayer, has been working on a documentary on voodoo, art, and rebirth in the bywater. Both of these projects have come to me... so I get to say a few words here and there, and show my art.

I look forward to this anniversary with a smile, and a bittersweet memory of what went down. What a horrific moment in time, immortalized by television krewes more interested in the story, than helping the people. A government that went on vacation, and then made promises never kept. All that insurance money spent by homeowners over the years, to be pocketed by the very "insurer" who broke their promise of giving a damn, then raising the rates. Fema screwing over the elderly, red cross trucks feeding people that didn't necessarily need them, overlooking the "hoods" of new orleans because they were afraid. the salvation army showing no fear, and responding. Church groups from all over the country providing water and necessities, and still the government and corporate news media getting it wrong.

the famous words, "get your asses to new orleans", "good job brownie", and W delivering an empty speech to the world, about how he cared, and then walking away, turning of the electricity, and turning his back. That man? proved to me that he only cares about his wallet, and his false security he can't offer. hundreds upon thousands of fema trailers bought and paid for rotting in mississippi, with dick cheney smiling, his fists full of cash.

well, despite all that? I'm moving ahead, like all of us have. You can't depend on anyone but yourself, and each person here in new orleans, that was there that day? has more than proved that fact.

I think we all deserve a standing ovation for the courage, and optimism that makes this place, the wonderful place it is...

come hell or high water, I'm a nola daughter...

funeral for big chief al morris the third, the northside skull and bones gang

I've always been attracted to the bone gangs of new orleans, and never really got to experience that tradition. I know they get out there on mardi gras day, I know they're scary, I know that kids run and hide from them, I know they carry bones, and they have stark skeletal outfits with huge paper mache heads.

then there's the skeleton krewe that rolls with krewe d'etat.

then there's 6t'9 social aid and pleasure club, masking in skeleton makeup and costumes, giving out candy during halloween, so kids don't have to trick or treat in blighted neighborhoods.

but the recent funeral of the first storm king of 6t'9? Big Chief Al Morris III? was an experience that was very intimate, and on a hot hot day in the treme. Led by second chief Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes, and the Treme Brass Band, the small secondline weaved through the treme, and began with "We are the north side, skull and bone gang"....

my summer / the hi ho lounge.

I've been having a blast. John and Lori at the hi ho lounge, have finally provided me with a work environment that I can embrace, and participate in.

Saturday nights, live music
Sunday nights soon to be SAINTS SUNDAYS followed by the mardi gras indians rehearsing for mardi gras... right now? True Blood, and the season is kickin in very eloquently and bloody...
Monday nights is Bluegrass, always a really fun evening filled with newbies learning, and the regulars... love monday nights, with dollah plates of red beans and rice.
tuesdays with trivia, a really fun fun night, testing your local and international and drama skills... you can win booze and pizza and more!

Wed nights are piano\
thursday nights are brass, and friday also live.

If your hungry? there's pizza. damn fine pizza.

and don't forget my birthday party either on the 25th of august. then the anniversary of katrina with the indians on the 29th.

stop in and say hi. I work saturdays through tuesdays...
and thanks lori and john.

I came out swinging, against carpetbloggers/baggers

I recently responded to a blog that Loki wrote on Humidcity.com. I wasn't exactly sure what he was referring to, but it brought up my anger regarding people who defend new orleans, or I should say "pretend" to defend new orleans...

http://humidcity.com/2010/07/30/nola-cred-my-ass/

I came out swinging, and they in return, "THEY" carpetblogged it.

OFF WHITE LINEN

sixth annual, off white linen
six to ten pm saturday august 7th.
1061 Camp Street
New Orleans, LA
in the new orleans arts district.

art by Will Smith Jr, Margie Ayres, Mardi Claw, Jennifer Dettinger, Clara Diaz, Rachelle Obrien, Shmuela, Amanda Sibley, Mike Stabile, tamar, Kathryn Wheat, and more

fashion by Kendra bonga, Howlpop, Tora Lopez, Cree Mc Cree, Miette and more

dj Lingerie, Jazzholes, Jim O and the Sporadic Fanatics, Micah Mcgee, Missy Meatlocker and O.L.D.

snacks by holly tamale...

after party at the circle bar with country fried.

fourth of july

one holiday that as a child? I loved. as an adult? I've had good ones, I've had bad. lately in the last few years? I just don't get too excited. Maybe its cause I see things changing, and so much innocence lost, or maybe its cause I just am angry with the way politics are, or maybe its cause I'm not a flag waving, patriotic person. Not to say that I don't support the troops, but I don't support the troops going to war, so somebody can profit from it.

Since that fateful day that I went through that Hurricane, I've changed my views of government, and the response to the people. I've seen a new president arise, and then fall down and submit to the "powers that be"... in other words, I voted for change, and instead, got another politician. Seems like Louisiana is still a "colony" of the US... and they don't care if they kill the entire state, to get that precious oil.

I felt that the response to katrina, in many ways, reflected the fact that we are an oil state. they care about the oil, but not the people. Well, now they've really reassured me of this, by not responding to the gusher from the get go.

BP gets to hire mercenaries? WTF? I feel like a wave of refugee coming on again, in the country that I was born and raised in, only the third world of the US, (meaning louisiana) still isn't treated with any respect... OR revenues, from the rape of this beautiful state, so that a bunch of Oil Hookers can get rich.

I can only imagine the price of gas, if we had allowed McSame and Palin take over our country. That thought still frightens me...

I see James Carville come out swinging. I see Bobby Jindahl spewing a bunch of BS, and pretending he's doing something, while his friends profit from a sand berm, that won't last more than a few hours if we get a "big one". I see Billy Nungessar speak great lengths of truth, yet shuffled into a corner, and used by big corporate newstations, to make him look silly. When in fact, he has some legitimate things to say. I see Anderson Cooper standing in the quarter showing the country a bunch of drivel over and over, much like katrina footage, soon to become oil spill fatigue. I see the news crews spinning this, I hear that Haley Barbour claims there's no oil on his beaches, I see the pictures of the same beaches, and now hear that they're fining folks for taking them. cover up? yes... how DO you cover that up? Ask anyone in Alaska about the Exxon Valdez...

So much negativity, even the christian network is using it to sell the end of the world, the oceans on fire, the sea has turned black. Hmmmm. Is oil the antichrist? or are the oil barons of the earth, the antichrist?

Rachel Maddow is about the only one I've seen who has said anything honest... and has gotten in a boat and shown america. Hardball touches on it. John Stewart, and Steven Colbert, touch on it. Even Bill Maher, has come out swinging.

yet... its still gushing. its still killing... and now? its getting closer to Lake Ponchartrain.

What kind of response effort is this?

anyway, back to the fourth of july.
kinda hard to be patriotic, when all you see is people who don't give a damn about the very people who drill for this, who fish the oceans to provide food for your dinner table. Killing an ecosystem so fragile, that we become even more vulnerable to storms...

but the one patriotic thing I can do? Is speak my mind.
and there you have it. I'm very unhappy about the last five years. I've seen a country that cannot respond to the very people who make it what it is.

Next time I vote? I hope there's someone new out there, I hope the revolution will be televised, I hope people wake up... but somehow? I think Louisiana fatigue will have replaced the truth. A truth that the "idiot box" "big brother" has hidden from the modern day couch potato american.

happy fifth of july.