August 03, 2003
Welcome to I'm N.O. Pundit!
Thank you for visiting I'm N.O. Pundit!
What I'd like to provide here in my first blog entry is a mission statement of sorts on what I want NOpundit to be.
But first, what it is not.
The title, "I'm N.O. Pundit!", is a combination of the initials of New Orleans and the suffix popularized by Glenn Reynolds' blog, Instapundit. Glenn's site is inimitable, has amazing reach and impact, and is shaking the Big Media Tree of Knowledge. There will be no attempt to copy or imitate Instapundit, not only because I am not as smart as Glenn, but also because I am far more lazy.
NOpundit is not a blog about the legendary politics of this city and state (perhaps some interesting news items may find comment). I am not a New Orleans native, and really do not have the capacity (or desire) to wax incisively on her happenings. I will comment on the bars, however.
So, is NOpundit a blog for a pundit who simply happens to find himself in New Orleans? No. I am no pundit. Look, I just happened to get to the registrar first with a modestly cool site name.
What NOpundit is. First and foremost, this blog is where I practice efficient and entertaining writing. One of my role models is James Lileks' "The Bleat". Rather than get into his wonderful style here (I will devote an entry to what I admire about his blog at a later date), I say, just visit and browse.
The topics? Anything, really. But that isn't much of an answer, is it? One interest I have is to document and comment on why New Orleans is so much damn fun. I do not know of another city where you can listen to international music legends from so close that you could reach over and tap them on the shoulder while they're playing. Just yesterday at Satchmo Fest, I saw Ellis Marsalis, father of Wynton and Branford, while more or less looking over his shoulder at the keyboard. I am getting one of those nifty camera phones, and I plan some daily guerilla photojournalism.
Another interest is essay writing on the laws and functionings of the United States, especially pertaining to the over-federalization and reach of the government (all levels). Don't go blond on me! I am definitely not a legal pundit, but I find the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights fascinating documents, truly divinely inspired DNA for America. My hope is to write in such a way that the investigations are fun and entertaining, not dissertation-dry and boring. A self-study blog, as it were, with no worries about getting it right. If the essay creation gets any momentum, I'll likely spin off another website. You might call my quest: "If I were in charge of writing the platform for the political party that did things right."
So, thanks for stopping by! Feel free to leave a comment. And remember, I'm N.O. Pundit!