WTUL Marathon 6PM-7PM, In Studio Session Amps Up Marathon Again, Gives us first of several "Second Winds"

Rachel and Tommy from Funk. Soul. Family. They are a great example of the kind of talent that you are only going to hear on WTUL New Orleans.

Local music on local radio, WTUL New Orleans 91.5 FM. This is the only place that you will hear the music that you should be listening to.

Live from the basement, amidst the stacks of CDs. Thank you again to the musicians who kept us upbeat and positive.

6PM-7PM, Things are still looking good as the sun is going down.

Sam, the the intern, and perhaps my source of stability 10 hours after this picture is taken. But that doe that mean if he is wearing a crazy hat an playing with toys?

Jon at the end. If he is getting loopy, how the hell am I going to feel 18 hours after he leaves me?

Close to 6, time to do an air break and talk to the people

Feeling good, still. Let's hope this keeps up.

WTUL 2PM-4PM, Local musicians come in to talk about Marathon

Paul Sanchez. His support of the station is incredible. I am so humbled by his greatness.

Hugo from NYC, piano rockers that are benefiting from our efforts. Michael Girardot from Big Rock Candy Mountain is on the far left. Thank you all for coming in and talking about the importance of community radio.

WTUL General manager Rachel and On-site producer Jon. They are looking especially chipper. It is, however, only the first few hours.

Adam, our sandanista.

WTUL Marathon, the firsts hours, 12PM through 2PM

Documenting the documentation.

On-site producer Jon. I don't know if I would have been as excited in the beginning were it not for his support. Thank you, sir.

Mr. Dan, our runner and DJ slave. Thanks for dealing with the ridiculousness.

Mr. Paul Sanchez, one of the best guitarists and solo artists in the city. He was a pheonmenal example of the culture that we are trying to preserve.

"The Hazards of Love" by The Decemberists

Everyone's favorite "kings among runaways,"The Decemberists, have gone and done it again. Combining witty lyrics with lush rock arrangements seems like an impossible task, but Colin Meloy and company have made a successful career out of it.

For their second album on major label Capitol the band have picked up where their last release, The Crane Wife, left off. Hazards is by no means a sequel to Crane Wife, rather it expands on the band's successful story telling rock songs. However, while the Crane Wife was only partially oriented to the Japanese myth of the same name, Hazards of Love is a rock opera devoted to the story of Margaret.

It is a record that flows from start to finish. And while it has been billed as a "rock opera," there is as much folk as there is rock.

This is not a record of singles like previous releases. Rather, this record is best enjoyed in its full context. This may vex some fans looking for a quick fix, but for those willing to set aside an hour of listening pleasure, this is a treat.

The album reaches its stride by track 8, "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid," which is a back and forth dialogue between Meloy and his guest vocalist.

There are also a number of potential sing-alongs, including "The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)" which features the creepy chorus of corpse children.

Overall, it is an exciting outing that showcases the band's mastery of storytelling, song writing, and instrumentation. While it does seem to start out slow, it holds to the operatic structure by building up to a strong climax before settling into the denouement.

1	Prelude
2	The Hazards of Love 1 (The Prettiest Whistles Won't Wrestle the Thistles Undone)
3	A Bower Scene
4	Won't Want for Love (Margaret in the Taiga)
5	The Hazards of Love 2 (Wager All)
6	The Queen's Approach
7	Isn't it a Lovely Night?
8	The Wanting Comes in Waves / Repaid
9	An Interlude
10	The Rake's Song
11	The Abduction of Margaret
12	The Queen's Rebuke / The Crossing
13	Annan Water
14	Margaret in Captivity
15	The Hazards of Love 3 (Revenge!)
16	The Wanting Comes in Waves (Reprise)
17	The Hazards of Love 4 (The Drowned)

Show Me Your Teeth

Even when the most vocal of bible bangers were out at Bourbon St., decryin the damned, there were a few who attempted to reach out in a more effective manner.

Mardi Gras in New Orleans

Stays True to the "Big Joke," But Watchmen May Confuse Some

Before anyone sees this film, Zach Snyder should be given a pat on the back. He did what a dozen directors struggled to do for twenty years: he made a Watchmen movie. It seems unthinkable that anyone could properly put the greatest graphic novel of all time on the screen. But Snyder has done pretty much that.

While it is not Alan Moore's Watchmen, it is the closest thing that anyone else could have put on the screen. Snyder approached the material with enough reverence that fans of the comic will appreciate the film. As Snyder has openly declared, the final act does include significant changes, but the alterations that take place fit better on the big screen than the original ending would have. It works because it cuts down on a lot of the necessary back story which Snyder could not include.

Even though many pages of the book were not included, Snyder did take the time to try and preserve other information by including short "historical" sequences in the fantastic opening title sequence. By this point, viewers will also have had a chance to appreciate the stellar, and time appropriate, soundtrack. Unlike the hard rock recordings the Snyder chose for the background of 300, Watchmen's background fits the tone and mood of most of the scenes. The only questionable choice was the selection of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah," not because of the recording, but rather its awkward placement. Some may also question Snyder's inclusion of gore not present in the book. While the comic does include it's share of violence, Snyder did overtly change several scenes to be more violent. These changes, while flashy on film, may disturb squeamish moviegoers. However, changes aside, Snyder has captured the essence of the book and packaged it in a beautiful 2 hour and 40 minute delight. Overall, it is a satisfying film experience for someone familiar with the source material.

But this might be a different experience for anyone who does not know the book. There is a lot to digest, and the overwhelming visuals may distract some moviegoers from the bigger picture. The interaction of these unique characters remains an integral point to understanding this film, and when the book was pared down for the movie, the relationships of the masked adventures became a bit more forced. The best part of the comic was the glimpse of what is "beneath the hood," and we have less of that in Snyder's adaptation. Additionally, the ending, while simplified, is still a bit convoluted.

Fans and those previously unfamiliar with Watchmen should go in with an open mind. Snyder has performed what Doctor Manhattan might deem a miracle, so it may take more than one viewing to truly appreciate this unique adaptation.

I used the Gaussian blur filter before removing all of the color. It allowed me to use layer masks and color the image later.

Pittsburgh Steelers win, just showing that the litte guy can... oh.

I really didn't care who won last night. But, as a sports fan fond of competition, I did end up siding with the Cardinals. I figured, if their little team could do it, maybe mine could (The Saints, Who Dat?). Unfortunately, it was another showing of the big guy beating up the little guy. This game was over when Big Ben managed to penetrate an end zone covered in red jerseys. How they did it, I don't know. But there is one good thing at the end of all of this: We all have perfect seasons again.