Y'all Seen That White Dolphin?

Here's a video from CNN with a whiny reporter ("it's hot"); and slightly condescending guide (check out her giant earrings); and a white/pink dolphin. It's all true and it happened in Louisiana.

Checks As Big As Roman Harper's Neck

There have been a slew of national articles decrying Gov. Jindal's recent run touting the economic successes of Louisiana, while simultaneously criticizing the stimulus efforts by President Obama. I passed on posting those articles because I'd wanted to hear from local journalists on the topic. And what do I find today? One of the best articles I've seen on this subject, and it's written by blogger Lamar White Jr. in his blog CenLamar. White gives a thorough account of Jindal's statements and actions, and where those two things intersect and diverge. Pretty interesting. Check it out for yourself here.

Gator In His Yard

What did I say yesterday about Amos Moses being full of stereotypes? Well then there's this: Evan Anderson, of KATC, reports that Roland Guillot, of St. Martinville, went behind his shed in search of a gas can and found a 10 foot alligator instead.

Clyde Peltier has been catching alligators for more than 15 years. He says this one, this size, in someone's backyard, is a first. "I've caught some in bayous and canals, but in somebody's yard, that far from water, no I never have." said Peltier

Hey, it happens. More here.

Photo by Willie Lunchmeat

Aw Yeah, New Sam Rey Tunes

OK, here's another in a series of self-promoting posts for me and Will's new band Sam Rey. We just posted four new songs our our brand new Myspace page: www.myspace.com/7samrey. It's 7Samrey because Sam Rey was already taken. Besides, 7 is a lucky number. And, of course, we're on Twitter, surprised you didn't know that: twitter.com/7SamRey. And Facebook. Click 'em all!

New Funds For AOC

Richard Burgess reports for the Advocate, that Acadiana Open Chanel will receive $236,00 for new equipment. AOC Executive director, Ed Bowie said he expects most of the new equipment to be online within the next three months, including new microphones, new computers and new cameras for the studio and for remote work.

“We had been limping for years,” Bowie said.

AOC has made repeated requests over the years for new equipment.

“We’ve always asked,” Bowie said, “but we never begged until six months ago.”

AOC airs in Lafayette on cable channels 15 and 16, and on LUS Fiber channel 3 and 4

Read more here.

What's Going On In Basile?

Associated Press reporter John Moreno Gonzales, writes that a three day hunger strike has begun at the Louisiana Immigration Center in Basile, to protest poor conditions. From the article:

About 100 detainees contributed to a report released Thursday by the New
Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice, claiming bleak conditions at a U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement lockup in Basile, La., 183 miles northwest
of New Orleans.

"It's not fit for a human being," read a comment attributed to Fausto
Gonzalez, according to the report a detainee from the Dominican Republic.

"There are rats, mosquitoes, flies, and spiders inside the cell and inside
the dorm. The ventilation is terrible," he said. "We have tried to complain
about all of these problems, and we haven't gotten anywhere. They tell us, 'It's
a jail. This is how it is.'"

Dick Harbison, executive vice president of
contractor LCS Corrections Services Inc. has another view of the situation.

"Ninety-five percent of it's untrue," said Harbison. "Occasionally, an inmate
tells you a lie."

Harbison said records showed only two inmates had failed to
report to the mess hall during the period in which the hunger strikes were to
have taken place.

More here.

Maybe They Wanted A Chili Cheese Coney

Police in Thibodeaux responded to a call Tuesday of an Unidentified Flying Object hovering over the Sonic Drive-In. The officer investigating the scene however, determined that he was unable to see a UFO. But, there's controversy on the comment boards, with believers saying that since it took 8 minutes for the police to arrive, the UFO was already gone before they got there. Anyway, HoumaToday.com and ParanormalDailyNews.com have the same report. But if you ask me, I bet it was those funny Sonic TV commercials that brought the Aliens to Thibodeaux. Those commercials crack me up!

While I was researching UFO's, I discovered that reports of sightings are not as rare as you might think. There is a National UFO Reporting Center website and here's the log of reports from Louisiana.

Photo by Markusram

He Could Eat Up His Weight In Groceries

There was a time, probably in the mid-70's, that Jerry Reed was a huge star, both on the radio, and in the movies. His biggest hits were "When Your Hot, Your Hot" and "Southbound and Down" which of course, was the theme to Smokey and The Bandit. But my favorite Jerry Reed song was this number because it was super funky, and he said "Cajun" and "Thibodeaux" in the lyrics. Made me feel like we were the center of the Universe. I found out later it was a Universe filled with cliche's and stereotypes...but the tune is still super funky.

Artsy Without the Fartsy

Calling all cartoonists, illustrators and anyone else who likes to socialize with artists. Do you have a passion for drawing? Can you drink? Well, this group is for you - The Lafayette Creative has a weekly event called the Drink and Draw Social Club and they meet every Wednesday night at Stan's Downtown for some sketching, drinking and dollar burgers.

From their webgroup:
Attention Lafayette's Creative Class!
Whether your medium's graphics, music, video, or other multimedia, you're invited to commune together over drinks 7pm Wednesday at Stan's. You'll have the opportunity to watch art get made while networking with fellow creatives and discussing what more we can be doing to put Lafayette's vibrant creative class on the map while helping establish our community as a 21st century hub city for innovation.

It's Been A Stormy Week for Daniels

First her adviser's car gets blown up and now this....Stormy Daniels, the porn star that is considering a Senate run against David Vitter, has been arrested for domestic violence battery. Daniels supposedly became enraged and hit her husband because of some unpaid bills she discovered and the fact that she was unhappy with the way he did the laundry. The Times-Picayune story says that she threw a potted plant, their wedding album and knocked several items off a coffee table. The incident took place in their Florida home just before she was scheduled to do a book signing at a local adult bookstore.

Photo compilation from Metro.co.uk

UL Week 8 Wednesday Last Blog Of The Semester!

I got to change my major today. It took about 10 minutes to change it and to re-do my classes. I still have a bit of tweaking to do to my schedule because at the moment, I'm taking all of the classes possible that have seats left, and I only have 10 credits which doesn't make me full-time.
YAY!! Finally, school is over. At least, for the summer semester. It's been fun, but I can't lie, I'm glad it's over. Well, almost. My math final is at 7:30 AM tomorrow and my English is Friday at 10 or so. After that, I'll be done.

Olivia Melancon is from Lafayette and a first time freshman at ULL. She is documenting her experiences here in a special series for The Daily Meaux

I Like Big Beards and I Cannot Lie...

So, after the last post about Breaux Bridge, I happened to find myself on the Breaux Bridge Chamber of Commerce website and wowee, did I discover an amazing tradition. Apparently 50 years ago for the Breaux Bridge Centennial celebration, all the men in town grew out their beards. Well now for their sesquicentennial (150 years) celebration, they are resurrecting the contest and are encouraging all the men of Breaux Bridge to stop shaving. There's even prizes.....first place will garner you a fancy new belt buckle, second place a shaving kit, and third place a free haircut. The criteria for judging will be luster, grooming and difficulty. But hurry - final judging will take place at the celebration on September 12th so c'mon guys, get growin'!

Photo by garryknight

River Ranch de Pont Breaux

St. Martin Parish will soon have a new Traditional Neighborhood Development with some people calling it the "River Ranch of Breaux Bridge." According to KATC's Evan Anderson, The Lakes on the Teche is a planned community that will feature varying lot sizes and a mixture of 5 different residential districts with a commercial district. According Kathy Benoit, the real estate agent for the development, the lots are priced between $35,000 and $115,000 and are going fast. They started with 102 and have already sold 27. But be prepared for some strict policies, when I clicked on the covenants and neighborhood restrictions, the document was 168 pages long.

Eat Fresh, Eat Local

Baton Rouge: Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M., is challenging Louisiana to eat local for one week.

"I'm issuing the Eat Local Louisiana Challenge to everyone," Strain said. "I'm asking everyone, including the governor and officials across the state, to only eat food that is grown within Louisiana for one week." The Eat Local Louisiana Challenge will coincide with the National Farmers Market Week of August 2 through 8.

“We’ve got more than a hundred local farmers markets and fruit stands across the state,” Strain said. “Think of the possibilities: peaches from Ruston, watermelons from Franklinton, blueberries from the Felicianas, crawfish from the Atchafalaya and pork and beef from your local meat markets and rice and gravy.” Seasonings would be no problem because Louisiana hot sauces are among the best in the world and the state is a leader in salt production, Strain added.

Strain said families and individuals could make an event out of the Eat Local Louisiana Challenge by visiting local farms, farmers markets and other agritourism venues to get a better understanding of how food gets to their dining table.

“Visiting a farm or a dairy is a great learning activity for children and adults as well,” Strain said.

A list of state farmers markets, roadside fruit stands and agritourism activities can be found on the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry’s Web site at www.ldaf.la.gov. Strain said the Eat Local Louisiana Challenge will lead to changes in the way Louisiana eats.

“Your food will taste better because it’s fresher and you’ll be proud to support your Louisiana farmer and the local economy,” Strain said. “You’ll know your food is coming from your area and not trucked in from hundreds of miles away

Photo by rhettmaxwell

Trouble In The Water

As we noted last week, unhealthy levels of bacteria are being found on the beaches of Louisiana. Today, MSNBC.com has a story on a report by Natural Resource Defense Council that uses data compiled by the Environmental Protection Agency, found 7 percent of beach water sampled nationally violated health standards, containing human or animal waste. But here, in Louisiana, that number soared to 29 percent, highest in the nation.

"Pollution from dirty stormwater runoff and sewage overflows continues to make its way to our beaches," Nancy Stoner, co-director of the council's water program, said in a statement marking the 19th annual "Testing the Waters" report. "Americans should not suffer the consequences of contaminated beach water," she added. "From contracting the flu or pink eye, to jeopardizing millions of jobs and billions of dollars that rely on clean coasts, there are serious costs to inaction."

More here.

Photo by Editor B

Am I Missing Something?

Jim Hummel has a story on KATC 3, about John Richard Jr. of Opelousas, who was arrested by St. Landry Parish Sheriffs, and charged with possession of 80 pounds of marijuana. The article goes on to mention that Richard used urine to mask the smell of the marijuana, and that this is a common practice among drug traffickers.

John Richard Junior was pulled over by Deputies in the St. Landry Sheriff's Highway Interdiction Team for speeding Monday night off highway 190 in Eunice. When Deputies approached the vehicle they smelled marijuana. Authorities say Richard used urine to try and mask the smell of the drugs, a tactic common among those who transport drugs.

"It's not unusual at all, they're going to try to disguise the smell throw the officer's dog off, throw the officers off, they're going to do what they have to do to disguise the scent of marijuana," said St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz.

So, when did the urine get sprayed on the marijuana? During the traffic stop? Was it pre-applied? Is it weird that I care about this? They also describe Richard as "elderly" but don't give his age. More here.

Uh Ohhh, Another List

Anytime I come across a national ranking comparing states on say healthiness or educational levels, I cringe a little. Well, today's list didn't ease my cringe. WWL in New Orleans reports on a study recently released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Kids Count Report on Child Well-Being and they rank Louisiana #49....a rank we've managed to maintain for about a decade. It's us and our friends Mississippi and Alabama in the bottom 3 (New Hampshire, Minnesota and Utah rank number 1, 2, and 3 respectively). Melody Brumble with the Shreveport Times also reports on the subject and has a good article on this study and how it compares to previously released versions here.

The website for the study is pretty interesting - you can click around and drill down as far as parish by parish numbers and they look at a whole host of things to determine rank - number of kids on public insurance, number of low birth weight babies born, average classroom size...etc. Here's how Lafayette Parish fared.

Ka-Boom!

OK, I'm going to refrain from using any puns in this post, but it ain't gonna be easy. Thehuffingtonpost.com is reporting that an automobile belonging to Brian Welch, a political adviser for Stormy Daniels, was blown apart by a car bomb in New Orleans yesterday. From the article:

In surveillance footage aired on TV affiliate ABC-26, a man is seen opening the drivers'-side door, throwing an object in the car and the vehicle exploding.

"It looks like the pictures you see in Iraq following a roadside car bombing," reporter Glynn Boyd said of the damage to Welch's car. "It looks like someone, somehow, was trying to send a message."

Welch, told ABC-26 that he is awaiting more forensic information, but believes that someone intended to harm him. "When you rule out everything else, you're sort of left with the obvious."

"No one has seen anything like this before...not in such a dramatic fashion," says Welch. "It's too early for me to go pointing fingers. I'd like to hear officially what happened and then we can take it from there. If someone's trying to send me a message like this, it's not going to work."

More here.

UL Week 8 Tuesday

So, last night was a all-nighter. It was pretty fun too. While Zack was at Fletcher working on his project, I wrote my research essay. Zack came over around 1 AM and we cooked a late dinner. He left and we went back to work. Around 4:30, he came back and we went on a jog to help us stay awake. It was super fun. So, I'm switching my major tomorrow. I'm definitely switching to architecture! I even went to Ulink today and saw that for Hector (one of the professors), well, his class had ONE seat left. So, I signed up for it before I even changed my major. I couldn't miss out on that opportunity. I'm super excited. But, I didn't sleep, so I'm exhausted.

Olivia Melancon is from Lafayette and a first time freshman at ULL. She is documenting her experiences here in a special series for The Daily Meaux

Just Saying...Dude's Got A Big Neck

How bad are football withdrawals for Saints' fans? Bad enough to sustain a 16 page thread (with no signs of slowing down) regarding the size of Safety Roman Harper's neck. As I have stated before, the premier Saints site (unless you have another Saints site that wants to be a Daily Meaux sponsor) is Saintsreport.com, run by Lafayette's own Andrus Whitewing. With training camp set to begin this weekend at the Saints practice facility in Metairie, Saints fans are chomping at the bit to get the the season rolling. This leads to posts such as "If you divide by zero you get Roman Harper's neck." And "the largest area between any two points is Roman Harper's neck"...you get the idea. C'mon football! Read the neck thread here.

How Can We Miss You If You Won't Go Away?

Former Louisiana congressman Billy Tauzin is back in the national news as CEO of PhRMA, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. As you might imagine, PhRMA is playing a major role lobbying in proposed health care reform bills now being debated in Congress. NPR ran a story detailing the lobbying efforts of PhRMA, noting that the group and it's members have spent $40 million in the last three months lobbying congress.

"We're working with groups we never worked with before — Families USA, the American Agenda, labor, health care providers — that never stood together on the same platform," says Tauzin. "We have every business reason to want to see this happen, and we have every moral reason to see this happen, because our patients are our first concern."

"Of course they're supportive — they're getting exactly what they want," says Jerry Avorn, a professor at Harvard Medical School. He, for one, is not shocked to hear that brand-name drug companies spent $40 million in three months.

"It's not surprising to learn this, because the pharmaceutical industry for years has been one of the most effective and powerful lobbying outfits in Washington, and it explains why we have a lot of drug policies in the U.S. that don't look like drug policies in any other industrialized country," says Avorn.

This is not to pass judgment on the merits of PhRMA's arguments, but rather to show just how much money and lobbying it uses to back them up — and the winning streak in Congress that follows.

You can read/listen to the story here.

Mais Pauvre David

Steve Singiser, of thedailykos.com, has a story about the Louisiana Democratic Party's response to an ad taken out by the Sen. David Vitter campaign attacking potential (he hasn't even declared he's running yet) rival Rep. Charlie Melancon for attending a fundraiser on Martha's Vineyard, MA. Vitter set himself up for ridicule by describing the fundraiser as a"Luvfest". Walter Pierce, of The Independent, made note of this in yesterday's INDsider. And now, as Singiser points out, the LDP had a quick and easy response.

"In contrast to the kind of luvfest David Vitter is used to, this trip was legal, public and no money changed hands'" said Louisiana Democratic Party spokesman Kevin Franck.

"As we all remember, the last time David Vitter made public comments about a 'luvfest' he end up begging for forgiveness. I am anticipating an apology from him for this web ad in the near future."

Franck also said that Melancon himself did not take campaign contributions at the event, which if true would further undercut the whole message of Vitter's Web ad.

Read more here. Below is the ad in question.

In Other News, Water Wet, Rocks Hard

I don't make the news, heck I don't even report the news. I just let you know when someone else reports something that in some way relates to Acadiana, or Louisiana. So far today, there's not much coming in. So, I decided to go back to a story I passed on four days ago, from thehuffingtonpost.com concerning an avocado tree in Houma. It made an avocado. Actually, it made a bunch of them, and that's rare for this area. But don't just take my word for it, listen to Barton Joffrion, a horticultural agent at the LSU AgCenter in Houma.

"A lot of people have the trees because they're pretty, but it's been quite a while since I've heard of one that's produced actual avocados," Joffrion said. "I guess the problem is you really need ideal conditions for the tree to make them."

It's all true, and you heard it here first. I told you...it's a little slow today.

Photo by emdot

Drive Safe LA

useducationadvisors.com has an article (an a coupon) for drivesafela.org, Louisiana's first state approved online driving course. The course takes about an hour to complete, and costs $39.99. However, upon completion you qualify for up to %10 off your insurance premiums for the next three years. With the coupon on the useducationadvisors.com page you save $8, so the course will only cost you $31.99. Look how smart you are! Check it out here.


Photo by Bobaloo Rox

The Daily Meaux is iPhone Friendly

Thanks to our new tech guy Dave, the Daily Meaux has a fancy new iPhone icon! If you have an iPhone, here's a step by step tutorial on how to get us to show up all pretty on your phone. Thanks Dave!

By Dave from Broussard
We all know the iPhone is great for surfing on the go, and we all know The Daily Meaux is a great place to surf. Now they're even better together. While not iPhone specific, The Daily Meaux displays nicely on the iPhone. Double-tap any article to zoom up on the text.

To make your visits easier, create a link on your iPhone's home screen. While visiting TDM on your phone, tap the plus (+) on the bottom of the screen, then tap "Add to Home Screen". After admiring the beautiful new TDM iPhone icon for a few seconds , tap "Add" to finish the process. Note: I edit the name of the shortcut to "Daily Meaux" on my phone so the whole name is displayed on the screen. Enjoy!































David Moore is a technical writer from Broussard. In his spare time he writes a music blog, which you can see here: www.xcursions.net/blog

Guess I Need To Write A Check

Honestly, I go back and forth on the issue of Grammy awards as they pertain to Louisiana music and musicians. On the one hand, folks like Clifton Chenier and Beausoleil won Grammys without a special category. Their music stood out on a national level on its own merits, and was recognized. And yet, I did root for Terrance and Cynthia Simien as they worked long and hard to establish a category for Cajun and Zydeco music. Here's an article by Herman Fuselier in the Daily World that makes the best argument I've seen for Grammy participation by local musicians. Fuselier points out the work done by the Recording Academy on behalf of musicians rights, and royalty payments, as well as the millions it delivered to New Orleans after Katrina. Read it all here.

UL Week 8 Monday

There are now TWO more days of school left! Today is such a great day, except for the huge research paper that I have to write and turn in tomorrow. It's going to take me all day long. I'm just sitting at CC's, using their free wireless, and drinking coffee. It would be great if I didn't have the paper to write, but alas, I do. I have a math test tomorrow too. I'm going to have to find some time to actually study for that test. Then, my Math final is on Thursday at 7:30 in the morning and my English final is on Friday. I can't wait for it all to be over with.

I went to this sorority function over the weekend. It was a pool party but I didn't wear a bathing suit. It was really fun though. Rush will be starting soon and I can't wait to start Greek stuff!

Olivia Melancon is from Lafayette and a first time freshman at ULL. She is documenting her experiences here in a special series for The Daily Meaux

Not Quite the Size of New Jersey

In a follow up to our story last month about the size of the Gulf of Mexico Dead Zone, now there is new evidence to support that the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration may have overestimated the size. Bloomberg.com has a story that NOAA is amending their original estimate and believes that the dead zone (the area of the Gulf where there is not enough oxygen in the water to sustain life) is more like 3000 square miles, instead of the 8000 they thought. The New Republic also reports on the smaller area, but also notes that freak weather patterns may have helped re-oxygenate the water and the toxic run-off from fertalizers has not declined.

If you'd like to see what a dead zone is and how it's created, check out these good graphics from The Times-Picayune.

Photo by Alejandro Diaz

Was That Wrong? Should I Not Have Done That?

Two Acadiana men in Florida this weekend attending a wedding wound up fighting each other resulting in one receiving medical attention for a severe head laceration, and the other on the run from police. Andrew Gant, reporting for Newsherald.com out of Panama City, writes that Timothy Joseph Sonnier, 41, of Lafayette, fought with 26 year old Adam Sonnier of Scott, over the use of a bedroom in a condo the two men were sharing. The elder Sonnier is alleged to have fired two shots that missed before pistol whipping the younger man, and fleeing in a champagne colored SUV. Sheriff's Office spokesman, Mike Gurspan got off the best line of the story when he was quoted as saying "I've heard of shotgun weddings before, but this is ridiculous." More here.

Photo by Cpt. Spock

Still No Swimming

You can now add Grand Isle to the growing list of Louisiana beaches with no swimming advisories. Back in June we reported on the advisories issued for Cypremore Point, Holly Beach and Long Beach and now Robert Zullo of the dailycomet.com is reporting that the Department of Health and Hospitals has issued a no swim advisory for Grand Isle as well. They say that testing shows an unhealthy level of bacteria in the water. This is unfortunate as the warning was issued right before Grand Isle's biggest tourist event, the Tarpon Rodeo, was happening.

Photo by fhemerik

Rock on Bruce Foods!

Bruce Foods, local manufacturer of all sorts of Cajun goodies....yams, hot sauce, Cajun Injector, gravies, etc.... is upgrading it's plant in Wilson, North Carolina to run primarily on recaptured methane gas. Prior to the upgrade, the facility vented the methane and was purchasing natural gas to run it's equipment, but now they are able to generate their own power. Turns out, Bruce Foods actually has quite a dedication to responsible green manufacturing. They recycle and have an extensive water recovery system to reduce consumption. For more information visit Cleantechnica.com for a more detailed story about the methane program or click here to read more about Bruce Foods' Green Mission

Cuts for Kids

Remington College is offering free haircuts for kids as part of the Cuts for Kids program. With all the expenses of back to school, offering complementary hair cuts is a way stylists try and give back. The program is available to kids ages 17 years and younger at the Lafayette Remington College location from August 1 - 15. Appointments are better, but walk-ins are accepted on a first come, first served basis. They are also offering 1/2 price adult services with every free kid cut. KATC has loads of details.

Photo by pawpaw67

Too Harsh or Just Right - What's Your Opinion?

There was a homeless man in Shreveport that robbed a bank. He went in with his hand under his jacket and told the teller it was a robbery. She handed him 3 stacks of bills, he then took 1 - $100 bill, returned the stacks and left. The next day, he went back to the bank to return the $100 and told them that he was giving back the money because "he wasn't raised that way." He explained that he needed the money to stay in a detox center and he had no food or place to stay. They subsequently arrested him, he had a trial and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

So our question to you - in your opinion - was this sentence too harsh, or was the judge being compassionate? Leave your opinion in the comments, and check out the full story is here at DigitalJournal.com.

Photo by Tim Pierce

Eco-Friendly Accessories

Today's fashion find features a local artist who's focus is Eco-Friendly jewelry, accessories, and home items. Haley Cox Williams from Lafayette describes her work as "a mix of old and new, modern and vintage and always relate in some way to nature" and she's got a fun Etsy shop called Grass is Greener. This cool button ring is silver plated, fully adjustable, is less than $10, and would go great with any outfit! As an added bonus: Haley puts a clever "Etsy Eco-Tip" on each different item page of her store. You'll find some good ideas and really cute accessories in this shop...check it out today!

Employment Briefs: Jobless Rates, State Hiring Freeze

The Daily Advertiser reports that the Lafayette jobless rate climbed to 6.3% in June, up from 5% in May. The rise was primarily attributed to the drop in teaching jobs at the end of the semester. The June '08 jobless rate was 3.9%

[[update: Forbes.com has a comparison list of job figures of cities throughout the state]]

Also in the news, in an effort to try and bring the budget in line, Governor Bobby Jindal has instituted a hiring freeze on approximately 450 state vacancies. The Advocate has a full story.

Photo by Daquella manera

Time for a Trade In

The new federal Cash for Clunkers program started this week and KATC interviewd some local auto dealers to see what the program is all about. The program offers up to $4500 in tax credit if you trade in an old car for a new, more fuel efficient vehicle. But you have to hurry, there is a limited amount of credit available, and the new purchase must be made before November 1. For more information on the program and to see if your clunker qualifies, visit the federal websites: www.cars.gov and www.fueleconomy.gov

Photo by youngthousands

Chevron Pelican Plea Refused

As a follow up to the Chevron / Brown Pelican story, on Friday, a federal magistrate judge refused to accept Chevron's plea of guilty because he said he was not sure a crime was even committed. In Jason Brown reports in The Advocate that the judge used the example of if a brown pelican wanting to "commit suicide" by flying into a car windshield. The pelicans in this case however didn't fly into a car but instead nested in uncovered areas of a Chevron structure that they had not tended to in 17 months. Both sides were granted 1 week to come up with more evidence either way to support their case.

Photo by mikebaird

UL Week 7 Friday

Well, this week is finally over! I made it! I finished the costume, I got my four pages written for my research essay, and I even got a few hours of sleep. There are only THREE more days of school and then I have one final on Thursday and one of Friday. I'm glad that the Summer semester is almost over with.

On the Friday that I have my final, I'm leaving right after that to go to Florida to go sailing. I'm pretty excited. It should be fun.


Olivia Melancon is from Lafayette and a first time freshman at ULL. She is documenting her experiences here in a special series for The Daily Meaux

Acadiana Film Festival Winners on TV

If you missed the Acadiana Film Festival '09, here is your chance to see two of the winning entries. The Short Film Winner, GLORY AT SEA by Benh Zeitlin & The Filmmaker of the Year, Zack Godshall's documentary, GOD'S ARCHITECTS will both air on KLAF (Cox cable channel 13) this Sunday, July 26th from 12:00PM - 2:00PM. The movies will be presented commercial free, so tune in!

Daily Meaux Show Pick

This pick may be a little self-serving, but it's our blog so here we go:

Sam Rey, the new post-Bluerunners project of Will Golden and Mark Meaux, will debut tonight at the Blue Moon Saloon. The new duo will open for Tremeloco, a great Tex-Mex, Gulf Coast, Mexican Americana band from Los Angeles. The Blue Moon's website lists the start time as 8pm.

FEMA Blasted Again

An AP story appearing on Forbes.com revealed that FEMA did not act swiftly enough when alerted of the significant formaldehyde problem in the trailers it was distributing. According to a new report from the Homeland Security Department Inspector General, FEMA was aware of dramatically high levels of formaldehyde in the trailers as early as October, 2005, just a month or so after Katrina and Rita, but failed to do anything about the problem for a year. Clark Stevens, a FEMA spokesman, said the agency agreed with the findings and went on to say that FEMA "has already made great progress" to ensure its trailers and mobile homes are safe. Visit Forbes.com for the full story.

Photo by Chuck P

Keep Up With All the Sunbelt News

Sunbelt Conference Fans - here's a new magazine just for you. The conference has announced that they will begin publishing an official full color football magazine focusing on the nine Sunbelt teams, including UL-Lafayette. The cost for one issue is $4.99, but you can get a full 6 month subscription for only $10.98. Click here for more details.

Moving In

United Van Lines keeps track of all the moves they do and then compiles that data and releases it as a migration study. According to the recent release, they said that they served more people moving into Louisiana than out...about 54% in to 46% out. The most popular inbound states were Oregon and Nevada, but southern states like Louisiana and Texas remain steady inbound destinations. They are finding that people are moving out of Michigan, Indiana, and New York. WWL-radio in New Orleans has a full story and audio interview with a United official. You can find all the United results here.

NFL Insider Coming to Lafayette

Lafayette's own NFL Field Judge, Greg Gautreaux will give Acadiana an insider's look at the NFL Officiating Crew on Monday, August 3rd at the new South Regional Library in Lafayette. Gautreaux, who has been an NFL referee since 2002, is scheduled to speak from 6:30pm - 7:30pm. If you haven't had a chance to check out how nice the new library is, this is a perfect opportunity.

Photo by USA Football

UL Week 7 Thursday

Still working on my research paper. I've found quite a few famous people that I'm going to use in my essay. The only problem is that I have MORE sources to read now! But it'll be worth it in the end. I have an A in the class so far, so this paper needs to be good as well so that I can keep that A.

The last math test I had was a big one. This test is going to be pretty big too. I'm going to start studying on Saturday for it even though it's on Tuesday. My friend wants to do really well on it so I'm going to help him study. It always helps me to study with him because I don't think that I'd study otherwise.

Olivia Melancon is from Lafayette and a first time freshman at ULL. She is documenting her experiences here in a special series for The Daily Meaux

Lay It Down Leadbelly

Here's a Louisiana legend, and and a pioneer of folk blues.

News Briefs: Pretty in Pink, Raises this Friday, Sci-Fi

A couple of quick news briefs this morning:

Prisoners in Iberia Parish are now required to wear pink jumpsuits if they violate rules. They are also in the process of painting the holding cell for offending prisoners pink. While a quick google search on the subject will tell you that this is not a new concept as many jurisdictions require pink outfits, but it also comes with some controversy as some people believe it's cruel and unusual punishment. KLFY has the story about the Iberia Parish jail.

Also in the news this morning - Minimum Wage is scheduled to increase this Friday. It's the last installment of the 3 part increase approved in 2007. The new rate will be $7.25 / hour.

Finally, there's a new movie getting ready to film in the Bayou State. Battle: Los Angeles is a multi-million dollar Sci-Fi flick filming in Baton Rouge and other parts of Louisiana. The Advertiser has a full report. Here's the imdb page on the movie.


Photo by Zarko Drincic

UL Week 7 Wednesday

Alright. I'm making some progress on my research paper. I know exactly what I need to do, it's just a matter of actually doing it! But it shouldn't be too bad. I'm also making a bit of progress on the costume... kind of. I still have a ways to go to finish that costume, but it'll get done.

Tonight, I get to go eat at Sakura! My friend who is moving to the UK is leaving in TWO days, so he's wanting everyone to get together for one last time before he leaves. It'll be fun, but it's sad at the same time.

Olivia Melancon is from Lafayette and a first time freshman at ULL. She is documenting her experiences here in a special series for The Daily Meaux

Kershaw Tune On True Blood

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It's All About Timing

As we posted Monday, Gov. Jindal is making a return to national media this week. Nathan Stubbs, of The Independent, points out, Jindal penned an op-ed piece in Politico slamming the proposed health care reform bill in Congress. This while Louisiana ranked 50th in recently released Americahealthrankings.org for 2008. And, check out the chart with the rankings from 1990 to 2008....that line that scrolls along the bottom, that's Louisiana's ranking over the same period..last or second to last every year (thanks Mississippi!).
Today, Lee Fang, of thinkprogress.org, pointed out that the Politico piece included Jindal's bashing of the Economic Recovery Act as a "stimulus that has not stimulated". Then follows with this tidbit:

However, less than 24 hours before Jindal published his op-ed, Jindal traveled to Anacoco, Louisiana to present a jumbo-sized check to residents of Vernon Parish. The funds included hundreds of thousands of dollars directly from the Recovery Act — at least $157,848 in Community Block Grant money authorized by the Recovery Act and $138,611 for Byrne/JAG job training programs created by the Recovery Act. Rather than credit the federal government or the Recovery Act he opposed, Jindal printed his own name on the corner of the massive check.

Murder Mystery Dinner

Tickets are on sale now for "I Buried An Idol" a murder mystery dinner to benefit Big Brothers / Big Sisters of Acadiana. The show will be presented on Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15 at the City Club in River Ranch. The story is a take off of the popular "American Idol" with lots of fun and surprises along the way. For more information about the event and to order tickets online, visit the Big Brothers / Big Sisters Website.

Non Profit Funding Stays

By a vote of 6-3 the Lafayette City Council voted last night to keep the non-profit funding in place. For a complete blow-by-blow account of the meeting, check out Richard Burgess' account in today's Advocate.

UL Week 7 Tuesday

Phew. I was having trouble figuring out how to start my research essay, but I luckily got my Aunt Debbie to help me get started. I have a bunch of good ideas now. It's still going to take a while though...

Also, my wireless is back up and running! I was super excited about that getting fixed. I finally made a little bit of progress on the costume for my friend for Mechacon. Not much progress on it, but it's something. I found out today that I have a Math test the same day that my research essay is due. I'm not too thrilled about that. It'll be hard having to work on my essay and find time to study for my Math test on the same night.

Olivia Melancon is from Lafayette and a first time freshman at ULL. She is documenting her experiences here in a special series for The Daily Meaux