La. La. Land - That's a lot of money to answer the phone

Friday's Blogs from the Bog!

Friday's Blogs from the Bog!

• THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY TO ANSWER THE PHONE

  SEP 12 Blogger Tom Aswell continues to dig into the "theater of the absurd" that is the Jindal Administration's running of the Office of Group Benefits. After laying off employees because there wasn't anything for them to do, the administration then had to hire a private firm just to answer the phones. (Turns out it costs millions to get someone to answer the phones. Who knew?)

• WHAT UP WITH BOBBY AND COMMON CORE?

  SEP 12 This post on The Lens examines Bobby Jindal's flippity-flopping on the issue of Common Core. C.W. Cannon offers a bit of history and a clear primer on the issues, but in the end it's nothing more than Jindal's attempt to fund his next career move, Cannon writes, which will probably be as "a beta-male Sarah Palin on the bayou."

• HEY, DOESN'T THAT MEAN LYING?

  SEP 12 Controversial leader Joe Aguillard  may not be in charge anymore, but the fallout from his tumultuous tenure continues at Louisiana College, this post on the American Baptist Press website reports. The school's accreditation is in danger, after the school was placed on probation for a culture of "misstating, ignoring or denying matters of documentable fact," ABP reports.

• BROWN BREAKS DOWN THE HAPPY

  SEP 12 Jim Brown is blogging about that study that named some Louisiana cities the happiest in the country. He's got the reasons broken down here for anyone who doesn't get it.

• FUNERAL ARRANGMENTS FOR ALISON

  SEP 12 Here is a lovely obituary, complete with arrangements, for Alison Neustrom, who died Wednesday at the age of 42. Neustrom, who was the research director of PAR, had dedicated her short life to helping people who, for whatever reason, were "struggling on the margins of life," the obituary states. In addition to her husband and her large, loving family of relatives and friends, she leaves behind a two-year-old daughter.

• NOLA NOT SUPPORTIVE OF GOODELL

  SEP 12 NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is not exactly popular in New Orleans, where residents have a long memory for people who pick on their Saints. Earlier this week, the Picayune called for his removal. Now business owners are getting into the game, WGNO reports here.

• WAIT -- WHAT?

  SEP 12 In this story, the Advocate provides us with fuzzy footage of a guy who was flashing people recently. In a Hobby Lobby. No word yet on which aisle - maybe woodworking?

• THE NOLA HOMELESS SITUATION

  SEP 12 This post on NOLA Defender details recent developments in the New Orleans homeless problem. The city is bent on removing the homeless tent cities, at least those in areas frequented by tourists. The homeless do have their advocates, however.