A Tale of Two Parishes
The city of New Orleans is in Orleans Parish. For reasons that are mainly economic and infrastructure-related, Orleans and neighboring Jefferson Parish are inter-dependent. The two parishes are very different. The rivalry between them isn’t on the scale of the Saints and the Flacons, but it’s def…
Coffee and Cannabis
In the world of American coffee culture, 1971 changed everything. That was the year Starbucks was born. For much of the country, Starbucks was the first coffee shop in their town. In New Orleans, our first coffee shop opened in The French Market - in the late 1700’s. For a city not known for being…
Above and Beyond
There are sayings in the English language that employ literal terms but have no literal meaning. For example, when we describe something as “black and white” we mean it’s obvious, not that there’s literally a black object and a white object. When we say something’s “open and shut” we’re suggesting…
Jim & Josh Ain't In It For The Money
When people talk about their business, there are a number of sentences that raise the red flag of skepticism. “Let me explain this as simply as I can” usually means you walk away scratching your head saying “Wait, what?” “Nobody’s ever done anything like this” is typically the precursor to a busi…
Focus on U
I’m sure you’re aware of the many lists that New Orleans finds itself at the top or bottom of. For many years we’ve heard we’re near the top of the list for violent crime. At the same time we’re near the top of the list for best places to start a business. We’re near the bottom of the list of per c…
Riding The Rail To Rubensteins
New Orleans is a city of mysteries. Tourists, fascinated by ghosts and grandeur, learn about them on French Quarter walking tours. For those of us who live here, there are other mysteries. Like, “Why am I paying so much in property tax and my street still has massive potholes?” Here’s another New …
Progress Here Looks Different
If you Google “demolition videos” you’ll find a seemingly unlimited number of videos of commercial buildings being imploded, and bulldozers mowing down houses. 99% of these videos are posted with gleeful pride. They’re testament to growth and progress. Wiping old buildings off the face of the eart…
Space and Sea
Back in 1923, a guy in Norfolk Virginia called T. Parker Host founded a company. He called it, T. Parker Host. 100 years later, in 2023, the company relocated the bulk of their operations to Jefferson Parish to what used to be known as The Avondale Shipyards and re-named it, Avondale Global Gatewa…
Dragonfly AI
Perception and reality can sometimes be two different things. When it comes to money, that can be a problem. You’ve probably had this happen: you’re thinking you’ve had a pretty good month, then you get your credit card bill and you get an unpleasant surprise. Somehow, you’d totally forgotten this…
Fresh and Clean
Every creature on earth is concerned with his or her appearance. I use the pronouns “his” or “her” intentionally, because in most species this attention to appearance is connected to attracting a mate for procreation. For the human species, things are different. Our interest in our appearance d…