One of the amazing things about artists is that they can look at problems we face as a society and not only come up with an effective solution, but a solution that is creative and fun, to boot.

Take Houston-born artist, Mel Chin, for example. According to his online biography, he is a classically trained artist who likes to produce art in the least likely of places. He also tries to create works or movements that "can provoke greater social awareness and responsibility." His current project, Fundred, is doing exactly that all over the country, and it's got New Orleans at its heart.

We all now know about the lemon pair of skates that I bought when I first made the Big Easy Rollergirls, and how I had to rig them in order to go to level 2 assessments. Well, after all the heartache and misery I decided that I would treat myself to a new pair of skates and make the lemons outdoor skates in hopes this would end the skate issues once and for all!

I did some serious research and asked opinions of some of the girls and decided on the Reidell 265s. Since I had just ordered wheels and only skated on them once, I built my own skates instead of ordering the pre-built ones. I did upgrade the plates and the stoppers.

A few times a year I get to meet and learn from a true expert about a subject I am less than familiar with.  Yesterday was one of those days and the subject was Mezcal.  I’d had good Mezcal before and been to great restaurants like Frontera Grill in Chicago where Mezcal was a part of an exciting cocktail with that distinctive smokiness that it can bring to a libation.  I knew very little about its production or the reverence that its producers and ardent fans had for the spirit.  Enter Ron Cooper.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’m preparing to hibernate for the winter or a lack of iron, but I have been craving a nice, juicy steak lately.  Images of a thick, medium-rare filet that yields easily to a knife have been pervading my dreams and even my waking thoughts and I knew I couldn’t put it off any longer.  Although I know of many different steakhouses in the city, I asked around for a casual establishment where I could get a really incredible steak and one of my co-workers mentioned The Beef Connection in Gretna.  She had never been there herself, but her friend had raved how the filets were “like buttah” and I decided to give it a try.  This is my 15th week and my 15th cheat and I am down 43 pounds.

Starting last night, the World War II Museum has been celebrating the opening of its three new buildings big time, complete with celebrities, premieres and red carpet walks. Last night, Tom Hanks, Patricia Clarkson and James Cromwell attended a special screening of "Beyond All Boundaries," the 4-D movie that will be playing at the new Victory Theater. Hanks himself directed the film, and it features the voices of more than a dozen celebrities.

All this glitz and glamour is exciting for our small city, but the real fun starts tomorrow at 10 a.m., when the opening celebrations turn into a family affair.

When I was growing up, my favorite “monster” was Frankenstein.  I never cared too much for zombies, mummies, swamp creatures or vampires.  Of course, there were vampire movies that I actually liked a lot like THE LOST BOYS and several campy and humor-filled vampire movies and of course, as a little girl, I adored the supernatural soap opera DARK SHADOWS.  And although I watched vampire movies with stars from Bela Lugosi to Jack Palance, the un-dead blood-suckers were still not my favorite supernatural being.

In the early 1990s, while recuperating from a spectacular car accident, I read Anne Rice’s INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE after reading THE WITCHING HOUR (loved The Witching Hour).  But I didn’t care for INTERVIEW at all (in all honesty, it could have been due to the aftermath of the accident), although surprisingly enough, I enjoyed the movie – many times.

Disheartened by the election results? Angered that we are still being denied full citizenship? Tired of enduring a barrage of lies and insults? Furious that your dignity and humanity has been attacked and undermined?

Don’t agonize...organize!

Come to the Rally For Equality at the New Orleans City Hall at noon on Saturday, November 7th.

You'll absolutely want to 'dog- ear' the final section of this Q&A with Dr. Biondolillo of Prytania Veterinary Hospital. Read part one here.

Editor's note: Dr. B., as everyone at Prytania Veterinary Hospital calls her, is my kitten Claude's vet. She and her team worked tirelessly to save him after he was rescued from the bottom of a dumpster by a kind soul at four weeks old and 1.10 lbs. My formerly named "Dumpsta Kitty" is now almost 6 months old, and 8 pounds. We both look forward to our vet visits with Dr. B.

Bio: Dr. Rachelle Biondolillo graduated from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in 1997 and joined Prytania Veterinary Hospital in 2003. She previously practiced at Algiers Animal Clinic and Audubon Veterinary Hospital, and was an attending doctor at the Animal Emergency Clinic for 10 years. Her special interests include internal medicine, surgery, ultrasound, behavior counseling, and feline medication. She places a high emphasis on education and enjoys teaching pet guardians about health maintenance and how to avoid problems. Dr B. lives with her cats, Payton and Drew Brees Barrymore, and dog Betty, who helped introduce her to her husband.

I first met Gumbo Tales author, Sara Roahen, at the One Book One New Orleans launch party and book singing at the Latter Memorial Library. We were both overwhelmed, me by being so close a real, published author, her by the size of the crowd there to meet her. We quickly introduced ourselves, I told her I was excited about reading her book, and that was that.

The next time I saw Roahen, though, she was much more in her element. We sat in the living room of the Uptown house she and her husband, Matt, are renting while they renovate their actual home. Occasional peeps from their brand-new baby echoed down the stairs, followed by Matt's footsteps, and a laptop sat closed on the coffee table. It was a particularly appropriate setting to talk about her book of non-fiction food stories, since all of those things - the husband, the baby, the laptop - have a role in the book's journey from author's first effort to a citywide literacy tool.

NEW ORLEANS | It came with all of the suspense and flash of a typical Wednesday. What was possibly the most telegraphed mayoral candidacy announcement in recent history went down at Lil' Dizzy's in the Treme neighborhood as New Orleans businessman John Georges tossed his hat into the ring.
Georges joins state Sen. Ed Murray, former state court judge Nadine Ramsey,  consultant Troy Henry and fair housing leader James Perry in what has been an anticlimactic race so far. The biggest headlines out of this year's race so far have been the defections of potential candidates rather that the actions of those actually campaigning.