I’m no journalist and never claimed to be one. But, I’m fortunate enough that I have a forum to express my opinions in this magazine.

For many of the early years of OffBeat, I chose not to become involved in the writing and editorial process. As anyone who knows me can attest, though, I am an opinionated woman, and they don’t call me “Mojo Mouth” for nothing. Thus the evolution of this column, which is not supposed to be journalistic: it’s purely my opinion. You can agree with me – or not.

Over the past few weeks there’s been a firestorm of criticism that’s erupted as result of our mayor’s contention that God meant New Orleans to be a “chocolate city at the end of the day.”

Lord, have mercy. This man surely knows how to offend just about everyone. Knowing our illustrious mayor, I’d say he didn’t mean to sound racist, but I have to say it came out that way. Poor Mayor Nagin; he’s certainly suffered the slings and arrows of the international press for those verbal faux pas. Ray, get yourself a speechwriter – please.

One thing I love about the local music community is that there doesn’t seem to be rampant racism. You play, the music is good, and who cares what shade of skin you have? Music is the unifying essence in the city. It can heal us better than anything else. That’s the primary reason that OffBeat has stuck it out all these years. The music and the culture of this city and state is so unique, such a blend of the sacred and profane, that it’s worth coming back to a hurricane-ravaged city.

By the time you read this, OffBeat will have presented its 12th annual Best of The Beat Music Awards (we’ll cover that more in our March, Mardi Gras issue). It was a struggle this year because it was so difficult getting in touch with many of the musicians who have scattered outside of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina, but we wanted to continue to have the Awards because we thought it was very important to continue a tradition and we felt it was important to champion New Orleans music and the role it’ll play in the city’s reconstruction. If you’re a New Orleans musician and you’re reading this in the magazine or online at offbeat.com, please send us your updated information and let us know when or if you are planning to return to New Orleans. We have been awarded a small grant to re-establish the Louisiana Music Directory and we’ll start working on it within the next few weeks. We have a LouisianaMusicDirectory.com site that’s ready to go live; we’ve just been waiting for a few pieces to fall into place.

We also plan to attend the upcoming South By Southwest (SXSW) Music & Media Festival in Austin in mid-March with our OffBeat crew. We’ll have our usual booth presence there and will be involved in some Louisiana state-sponsored events: a concert at Town Lake, parties and showcases.

One of OffBeat’s biggest problems is the lack of office staff (we’re remedying the situation as I write this) and, of course, the negative impact on the city’s economy that’s occurred since the hurricane that’s affecting advertising for all the publications in the city. We’re received a lot of positive feedback from our readers vis a vis the switch from newsprint to glossy paper. Now all we need are more local and national advertisers to take a look at us as a good place to showcase their businesses and products. Pass the word, please?

Our biggest headache has been the U.S. Postal Service. Since the end of August, I personally have not received one of the many, many subscription magazines I have paid for. The postal service tells us they will not deliver any “junk mail” – the magazines I pay for are considered junk? – so some of our subscribers have also not been receiving their copies of OffBeat. To insure quick delivery OffBeat has always paid for and mailed the magazines “first class pre-sorted” rate, not periodical bulk mail rate, which takes longer. This is simply outrageous and could cost us our reputation with our readers. Loyal OffBeat subscribers: we’re trying, and in many cases we’ve sent second copies hoping one gets through. Our next step is to have to move our mailing services outside New Orleans: more potential jobs lost in the city. Will someone tell me if we can file a class action suit against the Postal Service?

I understand that the Bring New Orleans Back Commission (see bringneworleansback.org for the full report) has recommended the we expand our cultural districts, the “jazz linear park.” How nice it would be if the city finally gets behind this idea and helps squelch the naysayers in the French Quarter who have come out against live music on Rampart to realize that this is a music city. I’m still pushing for an interactive museum that’s centered around our musical culture. But then – all we need is the money. Where is Paul Allen – who put up the money for Seattle’s Experience Music Project – when we need him?

Last issue we said goodbye to some of our staff; this issue, we welcome a few back. Among the newcomers to the staff and a most welcome one indeed is Alex Rawls, our new editor.

Mr. Rawls almost qualifies as a native New Orleanian, although he was born in the frozen tundra of Minnesota and raised in Houston and southern Ontario. Alex moved here in 1987 to attend University of New Orleans (“I wasn’t seduced by Mardi Gras or Jazz Fest,” he says) and taught at Delgado Community College West Bank for 14 years. For seven of those years, he also wrote for OffBeat, starting in August of 1997, writing “Bookmarks” about local writers and books on music. In 2000, he added a second column, “St. Rock,” covering New Orleans rock ’n’ roll. In January 2004,

Alex applied for the music editor position at Gambit Weekly, where he worked until Hurricane Katrina hit, at which time budget constraints made a music editor a luxury they couldn’t afford. After the hurricane, Alex contributed freelance stories on New Orleans musicians and other national artists to national magazines Spin and No Depression, as well as dailies and weeklies from San Diego to Knoxville. Alex and his wife Kat lucked out during Katrina: “My house came through almost disturbingly well. It could only have been better if Katrina would have blown $50 bills under my door.” Well, good.

We also welcome back the eccentric pen of Jeff Hannusch, whose knowledge of the history of New Orleans music will once again be available in the pages of OffBeat. Jeff is the author of two books on New Orleans music: I Hear You Knockin’: The Sound of New Orleans Rhythm & Blues, which won the 1986 American Book Award; and The Soul of New Orleans: A Legacy of Rhythm & Blues. Jeff has written liner notes for over 100 albums, including They Call Me the Fat Man, Antoine “Fats” Domino, and The Legendary Imperial Recordings. He has been published in Billboard, Rolling Stone, USA Today, and Goldmine, among others.

Oh yeah, and we hear the Jazz Fest will be two three-day weekends (no Thursday). So make your plans right now!