A strong wave of initial buzz is preceding “Waiting for ‘Superman’”, a new documentary about schools in America and the difficulties low-income parents have in finding a quality education for their children. A lucky few will win the “good school” lottery, while the rest get left behind with dwindling future prospects. I’ll review “Waiting for […]
Author Archives: Mark Moseley
Mark Moseley blogs at Your Right Hand Thief. Until mid 2014, Mark Moseley was The Lens' opinion writer, engagement specialist and coordinator for the Charter Schools Reporting Corps. After Katrina and the Federal Flood he helped create the Rising Tide conference, which grew into an annual social media event dedicated to the future of New Orleans.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Here’s a powerful tip for Cao: Don’t say “shagalicious”
The billboard on Louisiana Avenue reads, “Did you know that Joseph Cao secured over $1 million for neighborhood redevelopment?” It refers viewers to DidYouNOLA.com, which redirects them to the website for the Republican’s campaign to win re-election to Louisiana’s 2nd Congressional District. This Louisiana Avenue billboard perhaps sells short the incumbent congressman’s ability to bring […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
For Jindal, it’s better to be lucky than accountable
For a part-time governor, Bobby Jindal sure enjoys more than his share of luck. Not so much the “tipped-football-splits-the-uprights” lucky, more like a “self-serving-ambition-meets-opportunity” lucky. Jindal’s received high marks for his administration’s posturing response during the oil gusher disaster. Most Louisianans seem to agree with Times-Picayune columnist Stephanie Grace, who wrote back in May that […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
We’ll have to find another way to burn the Vikings tonight
Inspired by WhoDat mania and current events, I decided that today was the day to begin a new tradition. I’m calling it “Burn a Viking at the Stake Day.” My plan was to go to a nearby Capital One bank and grab one of those dirty Vikings they have on their commercials and burn him […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Time to strike while the Bullock and wetlands are hot
In addition to The Times-Picayune’s story on FEMA’s massive lump sum compensation to battered New Orleans Schools, Bayou Buzz shared this good news: New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will join Oscar-winning actress, Sandra Bullock, to announce the opening of the Warren Easton High School health clinic on Sunday, August 29. … The Warren Easton school-based health […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Forget wars, oil and economy; we’ve got a mosque alert!
The Park51 Muslim community center and mosque complex should not be built near Ground Zero because I heard it will contain a birthing pool for terrorist babies. Seriously, can this manufactured story twist further into the absurd? It’s an election year, and we’re dealing with two wars, a lingering recession, and an environmental catastrophe in […]
Posted inLand Use, Opinion
Katrina shorthand fatigue
It’s a shame Ray Lang stopped blogging at On Levee Failures & A Weather Event. Ray’s posts were a recurring reminder to defend against “Katrina Shorthand” – the tendency to describe 8/29 as a hurricane, and obscure the fact that poorly designed levee walls flooded most of New Orleans. For us, “Katrina” was a devastating […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Don’t waste a good disaster: Spill could help The Hoff
Saints fans carefully appraised my suggestion to play “Glee” songs on game days, and they decided the idea had less merit than an unflushed toilet. After such a blogging debacle, you’d think I’d be disinclined to use my platform at The Lens to make additional pop culture proposals. But when I get into a hole, […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Can Who Dats get a Gleek on?
As we celebrate our team’s defense of an NFL championship, honor Rickey Jackson’s career, remember the vision of Dave Dixon, and hype a video game, I want to toss an extra doubloon into the Saints-related festivities. Pop philosopher Katy Perry inspired me. See, in a recent Rolling Stone interview she justified her vapid “California Gurls” […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
The nation’s sacrifice zone, part II
The New York Times article I referred to in my previous post did more than contrast the crisis of wetlands loss to the oil disaster. It also discussed the longtime degradation of the Gulf Coast, and touched on several “radioactive” issues: According to data from the Minerals Management Service compiled and analyzed by Toxics Targeting, a […]