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Tag: New Orleans

  • Ransomware Responsible For $7.5 Billion Hit On Economy In 2019

    Ransomware Responsible For $7.5 Billion Hit On Economy In 2019

    The MIT Technology Review is reporting that ransomware may have cost the U.S. economy as much as $7.5 billion in 2019.

    Ransomware is a kind of computer malware that encrypts or locks out a system until the owner pays a ransom to the malware creator. In the last couple of years, ransomware has become big business for cyber criminals, as the risk/reward proposition is very favorable. Target the right type of organization—such as one in a fast-moving industry, one where lives are on the line or a government institution—and the target may have very little recourse other than to pay to get back up and running as quickly as possible.

    As the report highlights, governments, both local and national, as well as public institutions increasingly became targets. The cities of New Orleans and Baltimore were both hit in 2019, not to mention a U.S. Coast Guard base.

    These targets are often chosen because of a lax approach to security, especially on the state level. Here’s to hoping 2020 is the year governments, corporations and individuals alike put cybersecurity first.

  • Tyler Perry On His New Live Musical And Racism In Hollywood

    Tyler Perry On His New Live Musical And Racism In Hollywood

    Tyler Perry will be sharing his “passion” with the world when his highly-anticipated live musical special, The Passion, airs on Sunday night.

    Part of Tyler Perry‘s production will include a somber procession through the streets of New Orleans with Jesus, played by Jencarlos Canela, and the cross.

    The cast of Tyler Perry’s The Passion also includes Trisha Yearwood as Mary, and Seal as Pontius Pilate.

    New Orleans may seem like an unlikely backdrop for Tyler Perry‘s religious spectacle, but according to him, it’s the perfect city.

    On set in rehearsal for @thepassionlive. Tomorrow will be epic!!!

    A photo posted by Tyler Perry (@tylerperry) on

    He said, “I don’t know of a better backdrop than New Orleans. This city literally rose again from a liquid grave. So to have the story of Jesus Christ’s suffering and resurrection told in this city, I just thought it was perfect.”

    He added, “And that was one of the deciding factors to me saying yes to the project.”

    While Tyler Perry’s films have never really been targeted to the mainstream, nor have they really been blatant Oscar material, Perry did have a surprising opinion on the recent Oscars racial divide controversy.

    When asked if he feels that any of his movies should have been nominated, Tyler Perry said, “I don’t! Here’s my whole thing. I think the Academy should be able to vote the way they want to vote. None of that matters to me. I know there are a lot of people in Hollywood whose work depends on there being changes.”

    He continued, “But I’ve never been one to knock on the door and say, ‘Please let me in.’ I have always tried to make my own way. I’m not really the person to speak to that because I’m not inside the system asking to be nominated or asking for anybody to pay attention to what I’m doing. What is important to me is the stories that I tell, and making sure they resonate with the audience I’m speaking to.”

    He added, “Whether that’s important to anybody else is not really that important to me. I get it, and I completely understand how difficult it is for a lot of people of color to work in Hollywood. I 100% get it. But I do not think change comes from asking people to let you in. I think change comes by becoming owners of studios, owners of projects, owners of content.”

    Are you excited to see Tyler Perry’s The Passion on Sunday?

  • Chelsea Handler Flashes Bare Breasts in Mardi Gras Tweet

    Chelsea Handler has a real problem keeping her breasts under cover, and this was proven most recently at Mardi Gras. The former Chelsea Lately star has flashed her bare breasts on a ski slope and has shared them in a shower scene film clip. Now she has exposed them yet again on the streets of New Orleans.

    On Monday evening, Chelsea Handler and two of her friends strolled the NOLA streets wearing masks and beads. Handler wore nothing to cover her breasts.

    She no doubt believes she was sharing a very special gift with those nearby.

    Notice the caption of her tweet.

    Chelsea Handler has had nude photos removed from Instagram before, and thus has relied on Twitter’s more liberal policy regarding nudity instead. This notion wasn’t lost in another tweet she shared of a fellow Marid Gras fan whose breasts were also exposed on the streets of New Orleans.

    Last week Chelsea Handler sort of thanked Twitter for its liberal stance. She did so, of course, by tweeting her bare breasts yet again.

    One might say that Chelsea Handler is obsessed with breasts–hers, other people’s, etc. Why does she assume that everyone else wants to see them, too?

    What’s your take on Chelsea Handler and what many people would consider a total lack of modesty?

  • Joan Jett to Play Music Festival in Place of CeeLo Green

    With less than one month to go before the Gretna Heritage Festival, the event’s lineup has just undergone a significant shift. The music festival, a three-day event that will take place in New Orleans on the bank of the Mississippi River, was set to feature acts such as Lynyrd Skynyrd, Gregg Allman Band, and CeeLo Green. Now, CeeLo Green has been cut from the lineup and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts will be taking his place.

    The festival announced Friday that Green was given the boot because he “does not represent the festival’s wholesome family environment.” On August 29 Green pleaded no contest to a felony drug charge and received three years probation. The charge stemmed from an incident in which Green allegedly slipped MDMA (ecstasy) into a woman’s drink.

    Green exacerbated the situation last week with a series of tweets about the incident. The tweets included insensitive remarks such as, “People who have really been raped REMEMBER!!!” Green later deleted the tweets and issued an apology, saying his comments “were idiotic, untrue, and not what I believe.”

    Green was also dropped from the lineup of an upcoming Freedom Live concert at a Washington D.C. military base following the tweets. The 39 year old singer’s reality show The Good Life was cancelled last week by TBS.

    Replacing Green at the Gretna Heritage Festival will be rock legend Joan Jett. Jett last made headlines one year ago when her vegetarianism caused a stir among the citizens of South Dakota. She also joined the remaining members of Nirvana on-stage in April when the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

    Post by Gretna Heritage Festival.

  • An NFL Cheerleader At Forty? No Problem For Mother Of Two

    Kriste Lewis had always dreamed of being an NFL cheerleader. Then life and obligations got in the way and she never had the opportunity to make it happen…until now.

    Lewis decided that it didn’t matter that she is a 40-year-old mother of two. The dance instructor, in true “you only live once” fashion, decided that she would try out for the New Orleans Saintsations when she turned 40 back in April.

    It wasn’t easy as Lewis had some stiff competition on her hands.

    In her interview with ABC News, Lewis shared that she was afraid and a bit intimidated. “There were a lot of young, beautiful girls,” said Lewis.

    Lewis noted that the age range was 18 to 30, with herself proving to be somewhat of an outlier.

    However, Lewis had an unusual advantage: She was in part driven by an unfortunate physical condition.

    Fourteen years ago, Lewis was diagnosed with polysistic kidney disease. Said Lewis of her illness, “Eventually my kidneys will shut down.”

    She will be forced to take dialysis and she will also need to have a transplant.

    When faced with such a serious health issue, she decided that she “didn’t want to waste a day”. Taking a chance at a life-long dream would ensure that no matter what happens, Lewis will have no regrets.

    Despite her initial fears, Lewis was in fact one of the most impressive tryouts.

    Following three rounds, she was stunned to learn that she was one of 36 women who would be cheering for the New Orleans Saints during the 2014-2015 season.

    “It was really exciting,” said Lewis. She said that the day she found out that she’d made the squad she was “beside herself” with joy.

    “I cannot wait for [the first time when] we run out on that field,” Lewis said.

    Thanks to Lewis, we can see for ourselves that dreams can and will come true if you’re prepared to take the necessary steps to make them happen.

    Image via YouTube

  • Ex-New Orleans Mayor Gets 10-Year Prison Sentence

    Former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin received a 10-year prison term Wednesday after being convicted of bribery, money laundering and other corruption back in February.

    Nagin, 58, had served two terms in office, and was mayor of New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005. Nagin had accepted roughly $500K from various businesses that wanted to work in the city, and the former mayor also received free vacations and truckloads of granite which he was able to use in his family’s business.

    U.S. District Judge Helen Berrigan handed down the sentence Wednesday morning, and Nagin maintained his innocence of any wrongdoing. Prosecutors were pushing for a longer sentence, more like 20 years, but Berrigan took into account that Nagin made little profit as compared to others in a multi-million dollar scandal. Berrigan commented, “Mr. Nagin claimed a much, much smaller share of the profits in this conspiracy,.”

    Directly before receiving his sentence, Nagin thanked Berrigan for her professionalism, and said, “I trust that God’s going to work all this out.” Nagin is scheduled to report to the federal prison Oakdale, La., some time in September.

    Here Nagin makes his controversial post-Katrina “Chocolate City” remarks in 2006:

    Kanye West got a word in:

    Prosecutors also named Nagin’s two sons as being part of the bribery scandal for accepting the free granite, though they were never charged. Though federal guidelines would suggest the 20-year prison term, Judge Berrigan also took into account character references that portrayed Nagin to be a devoted son, husband and father. Berrigan also noted that Nagin exhibited “a genuine if all too infrequent” desire to help New Orleans residents after Katrina hit.

    Ray Nagin scandal Twitter intrigue:

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ray Nagin Must Pay Government Over $500,000

    Ray Nagin Must Pay Government Over $500,000

    On Tuesday, a federal judge ordered former New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin to pay over $501,000, which is the total amount he got from bribing and exploiting his position as a Mayor.

    Nagin was convicted in February on several counts including conspiracy, money laundering, fraud, and bribery among others. He served as the Mayor of New Orleans from 2002 up to 2010.

    According to prosecutors, the amount that Nagin has to pay is the total amount he got from services, money, and goods from several businessmen. Robert Jenkins, Nagin’s attorney, contested the amount and said that his client should pay less, as he shared liability with others.

    With his charges, Nagin could face a maximum of 20 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled on June 11. However, he is asking for the sentencing to be pushed back, so he could take time to prepare for a pre-sentence investigation. Although reports are not available to the public, there are speculations that Nagin’s camp wants the date pushed back so they can formulate a plan to fight the details stated on the report.

    The half-a-million amount may be detrimental to Nagin, as he is already in deep water with his finances. Early this month, his wife, Seletha Nagin filed for bankruptcy and the Nagins’ townhouse located outside Dallas was set for foreclosure.

    The precise prison term for the ex-Mayor will be based on the findings after the pre-sentencing investigation. They will be considering the number and severity of crimes that Nagin has committed during his years in office.

    Nagin was indicted 3 years after leaving office. The City Hall conducted a corruption investigation and Nagin’s technology chief, as well as a city vendor and two businessmen, pleaded guilty to the corruption case. His technology chief testified against him.

    Nagin’s attorney stated that he will appeal his client’s conviction.

    A look back at Ray Nagin

    Image via YouTube

  • Sandra Bullock Tells Grads Not to Pick Noses in Public

    Sandra Bullock surprised the graduating class of Warren Easton Charter High School at their commencement ceremony Monday at the University of New Orleans’ Lakefront Arena.

    “Please join me in a warm welcome for Sandra Bullock,” an announcer said as Bullock took the stage at the graduation. The entire arena cheered.

    Sandra Bullock stunned in a plum dress that hugged her curves. The Gravity star has long been a big supporter of the school, especially after it had to close from 2005 to 2006 following Hurricane Katrina. It is the oldest public high school in Louisiana.

    Bullock did a great job motivating the students and making them laugh, too.

    “I didn’t remember anything because I was so worried about the future,” Bullock told the crowd of her own graduation. “I wasn’t present.”

    She mentioned how someone recently asked her if she could go back and give her younger self some advice, what would it be?

    “I wished someone had said to me what I’ve been spending the last four years, telling a little boy, who I love more than anything, who happens to be my son,” she explained of her adopted son Louis Bardo Bullock. “So I thought, ‘Maybe I will share that with you guys, that what I tell a 4-year-old, is what I wish someone had told me before I stepped out into the world.’

    “The first thing is stop worrying so much,” she said. “Stop being scared of the unknown, because anything I worried about didn’t happen. Other stuff happened. The unknown we can’t do anything about.”

    Her second point of advice was to “raise the bar higher.” She added, “It is noisy out there and for some reason, people want to see you fail. That’s not your problem, that is their problem. I only remember the moments where I tried beyond what I thought I could do and I do not remember the failures because I didn’t. Nothing’s a failure, it’s just not supposed to work out that way because something better is supposed to come along.”

    “The third thing we work on [is] at home in the morning,” she shared. “We turn on the music really really loud before we leave the house. And the rule is, you have to dance a little bit before you step out in the world, because it changes the way you walk.”

    Sandra Bullock shared additional funny words of advice that included eating “something green every day with every meal” and “do not pick your nose in public.”

    More importantly, Bullock told the high school graduates to love their family and friends.

    “When someone who cares about you hugs you?” Bullock said, “Hug them back with two arms. Don’t do the one-armed hug, because when you hug with two arms, it allows you to lean on somebody, and we always need somebody to lean on. If someone doesn’t want to play with you, it’s okay. Not everyone is going to love us, go find somebody who does want to play with you, and appreciates what you have to offer.”

    Her parting words for the students going off to find their purpose in the big world was to “go find your joy.”

    “It’s what you’re going to remember in the end. It’s not the worry, it’s not the what-ifs. It’s the joy that stays with you,” she said. “I want to thank you for the joy that Warren Easton brings me every day.”

    If nothing more than laughter results from Sandra Bullock’s commencement speech, it will likely be enough for her. She appreciates humor and understands how much laughter lightens everyone’s load. Even if the students never remember a word the actress said as she addressed their graduating class, they’ll certainly never forget the surprise of seeing a Hollywood actress take the podium at their graduation.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • 2018 Super Bowl: Where Will The Game Take Place?

    The bids are in. There are three contenders for the 2018 Super Bowl.

    In less than two weeks, we will know which lucky city gets to host the 2018 Super Bowl. The organizers in Indianapolis and Minneapolis held news conferences today to let the public know that they have formally submitted their bids to the NFL’s 32 team owners. The other contender is New Orleans.

    The vote will come on May 20. Each contender is out making the case why their city should be the 2018 host.

    The only warm weather city in the group is New Orleans, home to 10 Super Bowls, including the 2013 contest where the lights went out, causing a 34-minute delay and almost giving enough fuel to the San Francisco 49ers to mount a tremendous comeback against the Baltimore Ravens. The year 2018 will be a festive one for The Big Easy, as it marks the city’s 300th Anniversary. New Orleans organizers are hoping to tie-in the celebration with the Super Bowl.

    Minneapolis also makes a good case. It’s obviously freezing in January in Minnesota, however, weather doesn’t seem to play as important a role in the deciding factor anymore. Last year’s Super Bowl was in New Jersey, in an outdoor stadium without a retractable roof. However, the Vikings will have a brand new indoor stadium in 2018, and the NFL likes big games in new, shiny, state of the art venues. The last time Minneapolis got to host the big game was in 1992.

    Which brings us to our last contender, Indianapolis, another cold-weather city with an indoor stadium. Although they just hosted a Super Bowl in 2012, the game and week long media circus surrounding the event went off almost without a hitch. The main issue was not enough hotel rooms, however, Indy officials have claimed that the situation will be remedied with the addition of two large hotels in the downtown area.

    Indy bid chairwoman Allison Melangton said, ”A lot of running the Super Bowl has to do with the execution. And no city in the country has done that better than this one (Indy), hands down.”

    Organizers from each team are allowed 15 minutes to convince the 32 team owners why their city should win the bid. Then, the three team owners will each have five additional minutes. In exactly 12 days, we’ll know the location of the 2018 Super Bowl.

    What do you think? Where should the 2018 Super Bowl take place?

    Image via NFL, Facebook

  • 2018 Super Bowl Bids Are In: Indianapolis Vs. Minneapolis Vs. New Orleans

    Super Bowl LII, in 2018, may be the last thing on football fan’s minds, but three groups are focused on getting the win. They aren’t football teams. They’re cities, and only one will win the honor of being the location of the 2018 Super Bowl.

    Indianapolis, Minneapolis and New Orleans are the major contenders, and the cities have two weeks to make their case before a decision is made. According to the Associated Press, the cities have given proposals to the 32 NFL team owners. The final vote takes place on May 20th, and tension is running high. “It’s a very competitive process,” Indianapolis’ Allison Melangton told the AP, “We’ve got 13 days to go and we want to take every competitive advantage we’ve got.”

    One advantage Indianapolis is counting on is the final bid pitch, which will be made by Colts Owner, Jim Irsay, who hasn’t been seen in public since March 16th, and is now facing felony drug charges…

    Wait, is that an advantage or a disadvantage?

    Colts COO Pete Ward is hopeful the final bid will go without a hitch. “Jim’s planning on being at the meeting,” he said to USA Today, “Every owner of the franchises whose city is bidding has a chance to talk for five minutes, so he plans on talking to the ownership. He’s very excited about the bid. . . He has become increasingly more active in terms of lobbying and just keeping tabs on how things are going.”

    Some of the other cities face challenges as well. For Minneapolis, it’s the fact that the city gets very, very cold in February, when the Super Bowl always takes place.


    “You’ll be proud to know that we’re going to celebrate winter,” Richard Davis of Minneapolis’s bid committee told the Pioneer Press. They were more hesitant to reveal any more details. No city seems to want to give away any part of it’s bid package.

    All that leaves is New Orleans, trying to break the record of most super bowls held ever:

    …So who will it be? The announcement will be made in two weeks, and you will have to wait four years to watch the results.

    Image via WISH-TV YouTube

  • 2018 Super Bowl Location To Be Decided In Two Weeks

    The 2018 Super Bowl, or Super Bowl LII, will be hosted in one of three cities – Indianapolis, Minneapolis and New Orleans. Over the next two weeks, the three cities will battle it out to decide who gets to host American’s biggest sporting event four years from now.

    On May 20, the NFL will vote for which city they want Super Bowl LII to take place at. Until then, the three cities have to make their case before the NFL. All three cities have experience in hosting the game and each have compelling arguments for the NFL to choose them.

    Starting off, Indianapolis has hosted the Super Bowl most recently with the 2012 game going off without a hitch. The only real complaint is that there weren’t enough hotels to accommodate all those attending, but the city says it can have two more hotels built in the city before 2018.

    Minneapolis argues that it has the benefit of a brand new stadium that will be completed before 2018. It’s easier to attract the Super Bowl to brand new stadiums and Minneapolis is banking on that fact to bring the game to them. After all, it’s been over 20 years since the city has hosted the game and it could use the influx of cash the game brings.

    Lastly, New Orleans argues that it should have the game based solely on the fact that it has hosted more Super Bowls than any other city. Since the beginning, New Orleans has hosted the Super Bowl 10 times tieing it with Miami. It also wants to tie the game into its tricentennial celebration. The city might be at a disadvantage due to the fact that it hosted the Super Bowl in 2013 and the NFL may not want to give it to the city again so soon.

    While we won’t know which city will host Super Bowl LII, we know which cities will host the next three Super Bowls. In 2015, Glendale, Arizona will host the game at the University of Phoenix Stadium. In 2016, the game will be hosted in Santa Clara, California at the Levi’s Stadium. In 2017, the game will be in Houston, Texas at the NGR Stadium.

    [h/t: ABC News]
    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Window Washers: Rescue Won’t Deter From Doing Job

    Three brave souls employed to wash the outsides of skyscrapers found themselves in a hair-raising situation when their platform collapsed in the midst of their routine.

    The terrifying event was said to have occurred at around 8:30 am at the Capitol One building on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans, La. on Friday.

    According to Jorge Gomez, there was simply no warning that their platform was getting ready to go. One moment, he and fellow window washers Willis Everidge and Kevin Hines were doing their jobs. The next, the three had only their safety harnesses keeping them from falling to their deaths.

    “It happened so fast, in about two seconds,” said Everidge. “There was no warning. It was like jumping out of an airplane.”

    The poor men were left dangling approximately 49 stories up in the air, hoping that their harnesses proved to be more sturdy than their platform.

    58-year-old Gomez said during the incident he simply prayed, “Dear Jesus, please don’t let me die.”

    The three Acme Window Cleaners employees were left in their precarious position for roughly twenty minutes. Finally, rescuers were able to reach the trio, smashing windows inside the Capital One building in order to pull them to safety.

    The three men were carefully examined following their life-threatening experience, but found to be unharmed by the incident. Unsurprisingly, they were rather shaken by what had just happened.

    Even though this event was scary, it apparently has not colored their view of their dangerous occupation. Gomez and Everidge both revealed that they’ve been washing windows for decades.

    Both men say that they will continue to wash windows.

    Gomez stated that he’ll likely be back to work on Monday.

    As for the safety harness that saved his life, Gomez admits that he’s relied on the same one for about 17 years. No doubt he’s thankful that it was up to the task when it really counted.

    Image via Youtube

  • Mila Kunis: Baby Bump Visible on New Orleans Trip

    Mila Kunis displayed her baby bump proudly during a recent trip she and fiance Ashton Kutcher took to New Orleans. The happy couple joined Ashton’s sister Tausha and her husband on the vacation that included a tour of a brewing company about 30 miles outside of NOLA. A spokesperson for the Abita Brewing Company said the foursome were a lot of fun to chat with.

    “They were really awesome, sweet and down to earth people,” the spokesperson said. “We gave them a private tour and they enjoyed our beer.”

    The group saw some aging beer tanks and learned how several of the company’s beers were brewed. They also enjoyed some samples of the company’s products–at least everyone but Mila Kunis did.

    Besides the brewery tour, Mila and Ashton and their family members visited a local Waffle House in Slidell, Louisiana.

    “They were with their niece and two other family members—the door girl talked to them in passing and they told her they were visiting family and that’s why they were there,” a source says of the visit. “Ashton ordered light over easy eggs and Mila ordered light over easy eggs without oil because she’s trying to eat healthy for baby, she said.”

    It certainly seems like the Two and a Half Men star and his fiancee are low maintenance travelers. A brewery and a Waffle House aren’t exactly on the roster of most Hollywood celebrities’ vacation plans. How do you suppose the couple will spend their honeymoon? It was recently divulged that they will wait to get married until after their baby is born.

    A fan took a photo of the down to earth couple and his family members and she posted it on Twitter, making mention of Mila Kunis’s growing baby bump.

    That same fan had no qualms about appearing like a celebrity stalker either.

    Can you blame her though? Wouldn’t you want to catch a glimpse of Mila Kunis’s growing baby bump–and even more importantly, a glimpse of Ashton Kutcher?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher Back in Los Angeles After Louisiana Trip

    Mila Kunis and Ashton Kutcher are back home in Los Angeles after a trip to Louisiana.

    The couple was spotted in and around New Orleans throughout last week, enjoying the food and drink the iconic Southern city has to offer and visiting Kutcher’s sister Tausha.

    On Tuesday, they hit up Tacos & Beer in Old Town. According to the restaurant’s owner, “They were here for about an hour … Ashton had a big burrito and a beer while Mila had the carne asada dish with tea and water.”

    Kunis, who signed on as the new face of Jim Beam earlier this year, most likely abstained from alcohol during the trip since she is reportedly pregnant with her and Kutcher’s first child.

    Kunis and Kutcher also stopped by the Slidell Soda Shop on Tuesday.

    “Mila was trying out all kinds of ice creams. She tried the Rocky Road and then got two scoops of Thin Mint,” a source told E! News.

    The two were also spotted leaving a Winn Dixie in Slidell at some point that day:

    On Wednesday Kutcher posted a photo of himself with Kunis at the World’s Largest Peanut monument in Ashburn, GA.

    On Friday the couple toured the Abita brewery in Abita Springs, LA.

    On Saturday Kunis and Kutcher were spotted having breakfast at a waffle house in Slidell. Among their companions was Kutcher’s sister Tausha Kutcher, who is also pregnant.

    Later on Saturday it was back to Los Angeles for the celebrity couple as the two were seen pushing luggage through LAX airport.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Britney Spears Sizzles at Sister Jamie Lynn Spears’ Wedding

    Britney Spears was dazzling at sister Jamie Lynn Spears’ wedding in New Orleans on Friday. The singer wore a low cut silver dress that hugged her in all the right places as she attended the wedding with her boyfriend David Lucado as well as with sons Jayden James and Sean Presley. Jamie Lynn Spears wore a Liancarlo v-neck wedding gown and sported a low bun updo for her big day.

    Jamie Lynn Spears was escorted down the aisle by dad Jamie Spears with daughter Maddie by her side as her flower girl. Britney’s sons walked down the aisle side by side and served as the ring bearer for their aunt’s nuptials. Between 150 and 200 people attended the wedding that featured a five tiered wedding cake. The new Mr. and Mrs. Watson left the event in a limo and headed into downtown New Orleans to check out the bar scene. Jamie Lynn kept her wedding dress on but traded in her wedding shoes for a pair of far more comfortable UGGS.

    Britney Spears didn’t appear to have been part of the bar hopping. She seems to be a more doting mother these days and appears to have left her partying ways in her past. Britney was married twice–once for just 55 hours to friend Jason Alexander and years later to Kevin Federline, the father of both of her sons. This is the first marriage for Jamie Lynn Spears. Britney was spotted the day after the wedding on an outing with her sons and her niece–Jamie Lynn’s daughter–as seen in the video clip above.

    Britney no doubt had to head back to Las Vegas shortly after her sister’s wedding where she is doing a residency at Caesar’s Palace. Her stint there includes 50 performances in two years for which she is being paid $15 million. That breaks down to about $300,000 per show. That’s not a bad pay day at all.

    What do you suppose Britney Spears bought her little sister for a wedding gift?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Paige Turco Joins ‘NCIS: New Orleans’ Cast

    NCIS: New Orleans has added another member to the cast.

    Paige Turco is joining Scott Bakula, C.C.H. Pounder, and Zoe McLellan in the cast of the newest NCIS spinoff.

    Turco will play Linda, the wife of Bakula’s Special Agent Pride.

    NCIS: New Orleans has not yet been picked up for a full season. The network will see how the two episodes of NCIS that introduces these new characters in New Orleans will be perceived by viewers before deciding to make it a full series.

    CBS has described the show as follows, “The NCIS New Orleans office handles cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Texas panhandle. New Orleans, with its rich setting of music, fun and debauchery, is a magnet for military personnel on-leave. And with fun comes trouble. It is a natural backdrop for a unique character driven spin-off.”

    Turco began her acting career in soap operas, appearing in Guiding Light and All My Children. After her stint on daytime soaps, Turco appeared in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III as April O’Neil. She has since appeared in multiple TV shows including American Gothic, NYPD Blue, Party of Five, The Agency, Rescue Me, Damages, and Person of Interest. She will soon be appearing in the upcoming The Hundred, a midseason series for The CW.

    As a young girl Turco planned to become a classical ballerina. To pursue her dreams she attended the Walnut Hill School in Natick, Massachusetts. As a soloist she performed at the New England Dance Conservatory, the Amherst Ballet Theatre Company, and the Western Massachusetts Ballet Company. Sadly, for the ballet community, her dance career came to an end when she suffered an injury to her ankle.

    While her dream of being a classical ballerina may have ended, a new dream emerged and she studied Drama at the University of Connecticut.

    Image via YouTube.

  • Ray Nagin: Former New Orleans Mayor Is Now A Convict

    Ray Nagin, former mayor of New Orleans, is now a convict. A federal jury found him guilty of corruption charges on Wednesday, February 12. Nagin left office in 2010 after serving two terms as mayor.

    In January 2013, Nagin was indicted on charges that he accepted thousands of dollars in bribes and payoffs. He was also charged with accepting truckloads of granite for his personal enterprise in exchange for supporting and promoting businessman Frank Fradella’s projects. The indictment included the services Nagin and his family received in exchange for his nod to businesses pursuing contracts in the city. More than $5 million in city contracts were reported to have been the result of these transactions.

    The jury deemed Nagin guilty of 20 of the 21 counts against him. These include six counts of bribery, four counts of filing false tax returns, one count of overarching conspiracy, nine counts of wire fraud, and one money laundering conspiracy count. He was found not guilty of one count of bribery. The trial lasted for two weeks, during which prosecutors brought forth some of the businessmen who stepped forward to plead guilty to bribing the former mayor.

    In his testimony, Nagin said that what the prosecution’s key witness said was false, and that the evidence were all misinterpreted by the prosecutors. In addition, Nagin’s lawyer remarked that there is no proof that his client was given money. The granite, though sent to the family business, was actually tied to projects for the city, he said. During the cross-examination, however, Nagin seemed to dig a deeper hole for himself when he said he couldn’t remember who paid for a trip or perk he received.

    It was during Nagin’s first term as mayor when Hurricane Katrina hit the city in 2005. During that time, there were doubts as to whether the taxpayer money being sent to the city was being used for the right purposes, considering that the state had a long history of corruption. Nagin, who was elected to mayorship only a few years before the disaster, was ready to reassure the people and put their suspicions of corruption to rest. He reportedly said that anyone was free to do a Google search on him, adding, “You’re not going to find any of that in my record.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Scott Bakula To Star in “NCIS” Spinoff

    Things continue to look good for Scott Bakula’s career.

    The former star of Quantum Leap and Star Trek: Enterprise has just been cast in the most recent NCIS spinoff, which will be set in New Orleans.

    Bakula will play Special Agent Pride, who is driven to do what is right and works with “warmth, passion, strength, and humor.”

    Behind the newest spinoff of NCIS are executive producer Gary Glasberg and NCIS star Mark Harmon. The idea of the show came when Glasberg approached Harmon with the idea of an episode set in New Orleans.

    “I went to Mark Harmon as I do every year and said, ‘I went through some stories and, hey, I came across this scenario. I’d love to try to do an episode. He turned to me and said, ‘Gary, that’s not a sweeps episode. That’s a new show,’” said Glasberg.

    The show will cover cases from Pensacola through Mississippi and Louisiana all the way to the Texas panhandle. According to CBS, New Orleans was the perfect setting because of “its rich setting of music, fun and debauchery, is a magnet for military personnel on-leave. And with fun comes trouble. It is a natural backdrop for a unique character driven spin-off.”

    The show will begin this spring on CBS as a two-part episode of NCIS.

    It seems that many people on Twitter are happy to see Bakula headline a show again and will be tuning in.

    Bakula can currently be seen in a recurring role on HBO’s new hit Looking, and was recently nominated for an Emmy for his role in HBO’s Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra.

    Bakula also received four Emmy nominations for his role as Sam Beckett in Quantum Leap. He also won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a TV-Series – Drama for Quantum Leap.

    Image via YouTube.

  • Fats Domino Named Grand Marshal for Mardi Gras 2014

    After numerous requests, legendary singer Fats Domino’s has agreed to join New Orleans’ Mardi Gras celebration and has been named honorary grand marshal of the Krewe of Orpheus–an organization that puts together one of the largest parade celebrations during the Mardi Gras season. The story was first reported by The Associated Press.

    But at 85 years of age, it would be it extremely hard for Domino to ride on a float during the celebration, so instead, his son Antoine Domino III will take his place.

    “No way,” Fats said, when asked if he would join his son and other family members on the parade float,” but when it came to accepting the grand marshal title, he said “I’m happy to do it.”

    Michael Murphy, who’s an officer for Orpheus, said he couldn’t believe that Fats finally said yes to the grand marshal title and said he couldn’t ask for anything more this coming Mardi Gras, which officially kicks off on Tuesday March 4. “It’s jaw-dropping,” he stated. “It’s the biggest blessing that we could ever ask for. We are extremely honored.”

    Domino III won’t only be riding on the float and tossing makeshift gold coins to the crowd during the parade, he’ll also be playing some of his dad’s biggest hits and join other members of the Domino family in a musical celebration. The family gathering on the float is expected to delight fans both young and old.

    Michael Hunt, a local New Orleans artist known for designing a popular LSU Tigers poster, created another special poster for Domino’s Krewe of Orpheus involvement, which will be autographed by the “Blueberry Hill” singer himself. And Hunt says although he’s thrilled that Domino was named grand marshal, he would never expect him to ride on the float, because It would be way too demanding for him.

    “Riding in a parade is a lot more exhausting than people realize, especially when you’re throwing, not just waving,” he said. “Very few of his age can do that, but what Orpheus has done rivals any celebrity sitting on a throne. This is going to be an interactive experience unlike anything that’s been done at Mardi Gras before. You’re going to get a Fats family reunion along with a live concert.”

    Image via Wikimedia Commons.

  • Amtrak Passenger Train Derails in South Carolina

    A northbound Amtrak passenger train derailed early Monday morning in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, while en route to New York City from New Orleans.

    Four of the 218 passengers suffered minor injuries, and none of the seven of nine cars of Train 20 rolled over after derailment. The incident occurred shortly after midnight, near Cedar Crest and Falling Creek roads, near the Clevedale and Fairforest neighborhoods on Spartanburg’s west end.

    Amtrak, Norfolk Southern and the Federal Railroad Administration are still investigating the cause of the incident, and Amtrak noted that lighting and heat were quickly restored to the passenger cars after the accident. The Amtrak Crescent was carrying 207 passengers and 11 crew members.

    Busses were brought in as alternate transportation for passengers already on the train, and refunds were offered to those who were scheduled to get aboard between Spartanburg and New York.

    Barbara Rasmussen of Morganton, West Virginia, who boarded the train in New Orleans with her husband, Norval, said, “We felt a jolt, and it woke us up out of our sleep, but it wasn’t that bad. We feel fortunate. I give Amtrak a big pat on the back for how they handled the situation. It could’ve been a lot worse.” Four people aboard suffered only minor injuries.

    Doug Bryson, coordinator for the Spartanburg County Office of Emergency Management, said, “This is a lot more common than people think. You typically only hear about the ones that overturn. There were only a few minor injuries. That would’ve been different if it had overturned.”

    Amtrak, the brand name of The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, began operating in 1971. Today Amtrak operates 374 trains daily on 21,300 miles of track, at speeds up to 150 mph, over more than 500 destinations in 46 states. In 2012, Amtrak served 31.2 million passengers, and saw $2.88 billion in revenue.

    In related Spartanburg news, troubled rapper DMX was recently arrested in that area, after being recognized by police while illegally driving, after being previously arrested multiple times.

    Image via YouTube.

  • Historic LeBeau Plantation Destroyed By Fire

    LeBeau Plantation, the historical landmark that was once one of the largest in the south, was completely destroyed by a fire that started early Friday morning. The plantation is one of the largest such estates that can be found south of New Orleans. St. Bernard Parish Fire Chief, Thomas Stone, said that the first call regarding the fire came a little after 2:00 Friday morning. By the time the first crews arrived on the scene, Stone says, ‘it was engulfed,’ and a ‘lost cause.’

    Sadly, LeBeau had been a massive marker of the Old Arabi historic district near New Orleans for decades. According to the Greater New Orleans Times-Picayune, the home was erected in the 1850’s, and has served as a private home, boarding house, hotel, and illegal casino over the years. Six fire trucks, two rescue teams, and 25 firemen could not save the crumbling structure; all that was left were the chimneys, some of the brick wall on the interior, and its foundation.

    The current owners of the home are the Arlene and Joseph Meraux Charitable Foundation, though it hasn’t been inhabited for years. The president of the Foundation says that her family is ‘saddened’ by the loss of the home, and had many plans for the landmark. Unfortunately, those plans will never see fruition, as the home is ‘a total devastation,’ according to Chief Stone.

    There were seven men arrested in regard to the fire later on Friday, ranging in age from 17 to 31. The seven males being detained for allegedly starting the fire had been “ghost-hunting” in the house, as well as drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. They are purported to have caused $50,000 worth of damages in the destruction of the property.

    Main image courtesy infrogmation via Wikimedia Commons.