The Tide Will Rise Again!

I hate to say “best yet” but this year’s Rising Tide is looking more and more stellar as it comes together.

And it isn’t because it will be on the 5th anniversary of the Flood and not because we are (along with the entire Gulf Coast) in the midst of another disaster this one too the fault of men.

And it isn’t because after five years the committee that put the whole thing together is more experienced and skilled at putting on a show.

It’s going to be a good show because the content really rocks.

A few of the panels are still coming together and a few more are already looking to be pretty snappy

I was very intrigued with Tim Ruppert’s RT2 presentation “In Levees We Trust” on hundred-year flood protection. In fact I have repeated many of his key points over and over again when arguing with jerkys about New Orleans’ levees versus Netherlands’ Delta Works I walked away from it feeling like I had some vital tools to discuss flood issues in New Orleans.I have used those tools many times discussing New Orleans with outsiders.

So this year’s discussion “‘Why Can’t We Get Some Dam Safety in New Orleans?'” has me intrigued. From the Rising Tide Web site…

Engineer and NOLA Blogger Tim Ruppert exposes inequities between the Federal government’s design methods for dams and levees. … This year Tim expands upon that topic and asks why dams and levees alike are not designed as life safety systems.

So that’s going to be awesome. I have always been impressed with Tim. Merely because it takes testicular fortitude to work for The Corps and hang around New Orleans bloggers. I must impart though that his RT5 presentation will be as a private citizen and not as a member of the ACOE. Either way, I can’t wait.

I’m also very excited about Maitri’s “Down in the Treme” Panel. Mostly because even though the show has been thoroughly dissected cell by cell, episode by episode at the Back Of Town blog, this will be the first discussion where fans, creators and critics will all converge to discuss the show. Full list of panelists is below. I will take this opportunity to petition Eric Overmyer for a return of Anwan Glover’s character next year. We love ya Slim!<

Maitri Erwin
moderator
Maitri is a geoscientist, blogger and all-around technology geek. She is the founder of Back of Town: Blogging Treme, author of Maitri’s VatulBlog and reporter for VizWorld.com. She is also Indian Languages advisor to Project Gutenberg, the first producer of free electronic books.

Eric Overmyer
panelist
Eric is co-creator and executive producer of ‘Treme.’

Becky Northcut
panelist
Becky is most likely better known to NO bloggers as VirgoTex, and she will answer to either name. In addition to being one of two non-NOLA ringers blogging Treme at Back of Town, she sometimes writes about pop culture, the environment, and politics at First-Draft.com, so she’s practically a digital cousin to some in the NO online community. She created the short-lived Got that New Package! blog about The Wire, and was lucky enough to share that obsession with Ashley Morris and Ray Shea, among others. She is a queer, a naturalist, a music lover, and a Texan, none of which she had any choice about.

Dave Walker
panelist
Dave has been TV columnist for the New Orleans Times-Picayune since September 2000. Before that, he worked as TV columnist and pop culture writer for the Arizona Republic, and before that he was a feature writer and columnist for the Phoenix alternative weekly New Times. Born in Kansas City, raised in Chicago. His American Rock ‘n’ Roll Tour, the first guide to pop music landmarks, was published by Thunder’s Mouth Press in 1992.

Davis Rogan
panelist
Davis is a New Orleans musician who began his broadcast career on WTUL at the age of 10, and was a DJ at WWOZ for 13 years. He first came to prominence in the New Orleans music scene with his eight piece funk group All That, for which he was lead singer, band leader, principal songwriter, arranger and producer. Davis is also script consultant for Treme and makes periodic appearances on the show.

Lolis Eric Elie
panelist
Lolis Eric Elie is a staff writer for Treme. His television work includes include Faubourg Treme, the PBS documentary directed by Dawn Logsdon. He was also a columnist for the New Orleans Times-Picayune for 14 years.

Check the Rising Tide Web site’s program page for more info on the fledgeling politics, public safety and environmental panels. There are going to be some more names added to them very as soon as they are finalized.

Oh and there is supposed to be a helluva keynote speaker this year as well.

Perhaps it may even be good enough to get Judy B there? I’m calling you out girl!