After Elvis

Thirty-three years ago the afternoon sun was hanging high in the sky above Smith Mountain Lake, a tranquil man-made lake that was formed from a dam near Lynchburg, Virginia. The sun beat down unusually hot as it does in August, but my friends and I managed to enjoy the day fishing and sloshing down cold beers while out of harm's way. We had no TV or radio on and by the time we drove into Peaks of Otter Restaurant, located just off the Blue Ridge Highway, we were famished that evening. We had no idea that the world as we knew it had stopped spinning. During that time we were out on the lake the rest of the globe heard the news they had never imagined they would hear: Elvis Presley, the King, was dead. During dinner we heard nothing about the demise of Elvis or how he was found dead at only 42. We only heard about and sampled the fresh rainbow trout that had been swimming along in local streams only a few hours earlier. We enjoyed a festive repast and drove the 40 minutes back to the home located just off the lake. It was then that we turned on the TV to hear Tom Snyder on an hour later than he should be apologize for being on late due "to the death of Elvis Presley." I'll still never forget just how a beautiful day it was and how the world came crashing down for those who grew up in the rock and roll era. Last year's passing of Michael Jackson might be the closest to hysteria that fans exhibited since the death of Presley. The outpouring of grief for the King of Pop probably lasted longer than that for the King because the funeral for Jackson was postponed for several weeks and memorials went on unabated for months after his passing. Yet, in the three days from the time Presley died until the day he was laid to rest, there was an unbelievable response from his fans. I was driving home from Virginia on that Sunday, but elected to spend the night in Chattanooga rather than make the drive to Memphis. As I recall an out-of-control automobile barreled into the funeral crowd, killing a young Louisiana woman. Perhaps, had I been in Memphis, I might have been in harm's way too. The fact I wasn't in Memphis, though, didn't mean I didn't have feelings for Presley. He was one of my earliest musical heroes and I remember singing "Don't Be Cruel" along with his single for family members when I was just a mere tyke. Frankly, I never got that hip shaking thing down too well, but that didn't matter. For just a few minutes, I, too, was the King, making my mark on the musical world to the delight of my audience. Years later when he had graduated from blue jeans to jump suits, he still had that magnetism that made fans glad to be around him and appreciative of his skills as an entertainer. One adage that's true: after Elvis, nobody out of prison makes jump suits look good.

A bad week for the Saints

The Louisiana Superdome, home of the world champion New Orleans Saints

It's been a bad week for the Saints. Yes, the Who Dat Nation was definitely fired up for the first pre-season game against the New England Patriots and their quarterback Tom Brady last night. But it was not to be a final victory. They made several mistakes on the field, some of which might have resulted in a different outcome than the 27-24 win the Pats enjoyed at game's end. Down 24-7 at one point in the third quarter, the Saints second and third teams showed real depth in battling back. The highlight reel will show Larry Beaver's 97-yard return run for a touchdown, but it should also show his muffed fair catch that almost resulted in a turnover. The fact is Drew Brees and the first team looked a little hesitant, but when it counted they put points on the board. The defense swarmed over New England in the second half, accounting for the fact that New England was unable to put any more points on the board in the final quarter until the final minute of play. The fact is a loss is a loss, whether it's in pre-season or in the regular season. If this serves as a wake-up call to the world champions about where they need to apply fixes, then this close game will have had a positive impact on future games. Aside from the game's outcome, the loss of running back Lynell Hamilton for the season due to a torn ACL in his right knee will be another hit for the team that had such high hopes for him. With the departure of Mike Bell, the running back position will now need to be decided between Chris Ivory and P. J. Hill. Another hit that the team took was a spiritual one. Earlier this week Dave Dixon, the "father of the Superdome" and a figure instrumental in securing the NFL Saints franchise back in 1966 died after a long battle. Dixon was a legendary figure whose impact on the local scene has never been truly acknowledged by people outside of New Orleans, but his legacy in the form of the Louisiana Superdome, the nine Superbowls played there and other sports events like the BCS Championship Bowl and NCAA Final Four played there, will forever remain as to his import to the local economy and the spirit of the city.

The depression that went away

The former Tropical Depression 5

The first thunderstorms made their appearance about 3:00 a.m. and it wasn't long before the nighttime sky was flashing with bolts of lightning and powerful claps of thunder. For a short time there was a reminder of what the worst part of living through a tropical disturbance, depression, storm or full-blown hurricane can bring: the loss of power. But nearly as suddenly as the lights went off, they came back on and haven't gone off since. Now, occasional bands of fairly light rain are coming through and, while most guards are not down, much of the populace is breathing a huge sigh of relief. It would seem that it will be a miserable, wet day, but one without a great deal of street flooding or high winds.

Some things I've missed

A "44" for the President from Drew Brees

©Carrie Devorah (all rights reserved)

It's been nearly three weeks since I started on my epic adventure to attend the National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America. It was in every sense of the word an adventure and, with the exception of one Scouter who passed away in his sleep a couple of nights before the affair ended on August 4, the safest Jamboree ever. Given the extremely high temperatures that prevailed over the course of the 13 days I was there when the thermometers would hover over 100 degrees Farenheit with high relative humidity. Being from New Orleans I am accustomed to periods of such weather, but the sanctuary of an air-conditioned building or the promise of an automobile with working environmental controls always made the hardship easier to endure. In Virginia at Fort A. P. Hill, there was little in the way of air conditioning and there was no respite from the heat except for constant intake of cold water to lower one's core temperature and to compensate for the loss of body water from perspiration. There were a few Scouts who succumbed to heat exhaustion and were revived in the short term, but in the end most of those in attendance (Scouts, staffers and visitors) made the most of what turned out to be a very busy and well-planned ten-day event. In the interim, though, I missed a few things in New Orleans. The first one is the apparent end of the British Petroleum leak in the Gulf of Mexico, which has met with positive reaction across the board. Anthony Bean's production of "The Wiz," which starred New Orleans Soul Queen Irma Thomas and a cast of mostly kids went on without me as did Tulane Summer Lyric Theatre's final production of "The Music Man" starring Chris Carey. On my way home from the Jamboree I stopped in Washington, D.C. to check out a few of the sites there. I knew that the NFL World Champion New Orleans Saints would be there on Monday morning to meet with President Obama, but I could not stay away that much longer. (Oh, if I only could.) Nevertheless, I did get an excellent shot from the affair from Washington Press Corps member Carrie Devorah. It shows Saints quarterback, Superbowl MVP and Madden 11 coverboy Drew Brees presenting a Saints jersey bearing the number 44 to President Obama. Fans will recall that the Saints won the 44th Superbowl (XLIV) this past February 7 and political scientists will point out that Barack Obama is our nation's 44th leader. Very appropriate indeed. Saints fans the world over should thank Carrie for her excellent photographic skills and her generosity in sharing with me.

Four days of fun (so far)

Rappeling down a tower at Jamboree

So far so good. The Jamboree has proven to be one of the most amazing adventures any youth or Scouting adult could ever undertake. Its scope is so vast that there is scarcely enough words to relay what opportunities are available to all of the youth, parents and interested parties who attend this 10-day event. There are scores of merit badges used for rank advancement in Boy Scouting, but there are also high adventure opportunities for older Scouts not interested in advancement or Venturers who want to feel the rush of adrenaline as they challenge different courses and, ultimately, themselves.

National Catholic Committee and National Eastern Orthodox Chairs flank NJCOS member

In addition to these opportunities for the Scouts there are large numbers of adult leaders - Scouters - who are there to provide leadership to individual troops who hail from across the country or across the globe or offering their services to enhance the overall experience. One of the more interesting aspects to the Jamborees is how the different religious faith groups support one another at the National Exhibits area. My work with the National Jewish Committee on Scouting has put me in contacts with hundreds of Scouts and Scouters of varying religious persuasions. We are all working for the same league, just on different teams.

The Jamboree is on!

Every four years or so, the National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America convenes at a place determined to be logistically proper for the 50,000 or so Boy Scouts and 250,000 visitors who will attend the 10-day event. Beginning in 1937 and through the intervening decades, there have been fifteen previous Jamborees, the most recent events being held at Fort A. P. Hill army post outside of Bowling Green, Kentucky. This is the centennial year of Scouting in the United States and because of that the powers that be determined that the Jamboree would be held after five years from the last one held in 2005. In any event it promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime event.

Religious spirits

The Mad Hatter at the Beefeater opening at TOC

Many of us may know of the unusual connection between religious orders and the distillation process. Perhaps the best known of these is a product originally made by an abbey in Normandy that bears the name of their order, Benedictine. The Benedictine monks who made their herbal liqueur are not alone in the annals of history. Several other religious groups, like the Carthusians who first made Chartreuse liqueur, have also become famous for their impact on a handful of important libations. No less an authority than Southern Wine and Spirits' own Allen Katz, a Jewish former Baltimore resident, who now lives and works in New York, is ready to reveal all. Katz will be the star at one of the last seminars of the Tales of the Cocktail today, as the incredible series of events put on by the New Orleans Culinary and Cultural Preservation Society begins to wind down for 2010. Perhaps it is appropriate that such a seminar being given with beer expert Garrett Oliver of the Brooklyn Brewery is held on a Sunday, the typical day of worship for members of the Christian faith. For Katz, though, his first connections to spirits and drinking in general came about through exposure to Friday night Kiddush and Saturday morning Kiddush which accompanied the conclusion of Jewish prayer services or the beginning of the Sabbath meal. Katz recalled his parents did like an occasional drink. "My impression is that they showed great trust in me and my sister and allowed us to grow up to have respect fro alcohol, but not a fear." So how does a nice Jewish boy get to know so much about Christian - and in particular - Catholic influences on the liquor industry? "I have been exposed to many Catholic orders as they have a monastic tradition of distilling (and brewing)," he explained. "Because of my role as an educator, I am often invited to visit distilleries (and)...have had the opportunity to visit monasteries that still produce their own alcohol for liqueurs or other prodcts as an economic and historic engine." What that means is that he gets to imbibe often as a means of developing..er...uh...a more educated palate. Katz has overseen the growth of Southern Wine and Spirits of New York, which is today the single largest distributor of wines and spirits in the country. It was only natural that the company moved from Florida to New York during its more recent period of growth, even though the name may not be entirely correct in understanding its position vis-à-vis the Mason Dixon line. The fact is Katz's Jewish heritage started him down the road toward becoming a mover and shaker and an expert in the spirits industry. Religiously speaking, we should consider that today's seminar will prove there is more than one way to say "L'chaim."