As I write this, it’s a late Sunday afternoon in mid-December. The Saints are in Baltimore, unfortunately losing to the Ravens. The French Quarter is full of people, hopefully shopping their little butts off in the city’s original shopping mall. The weather is chilly, but sunny, and pretty as a picture. Wish I was out there.

But I’m not. I’m sitting here in front of my computer, trying to come up with something intelligent and pithy to pass on to you. I’m rarely at a loss for words. The problem is that I’m not necessarily convinced that what I have to say is what I really mean to convey, but here goes.

I am passionate about New Orleans and everything about it—warts and all. And trust me, there are a lot of warts. It’s frustrating to try to accomplish anything in a city whose joie de vivre gets in the way of putting in the time and doing the hard work to make a positive change in the city.

There are people I know who’ve moved out of New Orleans because they couldn’t deal with the ineptness, the ill-informed and uneducated populace, and the corruption you must endure if you choose to live in the Crescent City.

Well, here’s what I think: every interesting place in the world has things about it that are hard to live with. You have to endure a lot of hassle to live in Manhattan. But it’s New York! Same with New Orleans. You have to be able to deal with people not returning phone calls; the persistent tardiness of just about everyone (ever heard of “New Orleans time”?); the ever-present stench—lessening a bit since Ray Nagin’s departure—of political and business corruption that pervades anything you want to do in the city. The poverty, the lack of educational opportunities and the dearth of smart people who are interested in something other than getting loaded every night and weekend (then showing up late).

But here’s the payoff: New Orleans is a beautiful city (if you don’t head for the newer suburbs). It’s full of potential, something that keeps an idealist like me always looking at the glass-half-full. It’s historically interesting. It’s crammed full of crazy-but-oh-so-fascinating traditions and characters that could fill books and stories forever. It’s got a serious, serious pull on your emotions and will not let you leave. I’ve always called New Orleans “the velvet-lined rut”: you wake up one day and say, “How in the hell did I end up in this? But oh god, it feels so good!”

And of course, New Orleans (and her sister cities and towns in southwest Louisiana), is chockablock with thousands of creative souls, some of them glorious, some miserable, but all churning the creative waters all the time. The velvet rut spews out some seriously great music, art, food, literature, theater, dance and ideas that couldn’t be made anywhere but here.

So let it be said that while we’ve had a rough year in these parts, post-Katrina and BP Oil Spill notwithstanding, we are so damn lucky to be living in the most interesting city in America, certainly the most creative city in these United States. The hassle is definitely worth it. And when you hear me bitching about something, remind me of that fact, would you please?

About six weeks ago, Joseph, Alex and I trekked up to Cleveland to attend the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame events celebrating Dave Bartholomew as an “American Music Master,” a title he so richly deserves. Dave’s music is tightly woven throughout the fabric of my life, and it’s my pleasure and honor to be able to give him a Lifetime Achievement Award in Music for everything he’s done musically. The creators of Treme—David Simon and Eric Overmyer—along with their creative team have opened a magic window for the rest of the world to view New Orleans music, and as a music lover and promoter, I am personally very grateful for their efforts and for the way they’ve worked with local writers, production people, and of course, musicians, who are not only getting great exposure, but are actually making money by working with honest people who appreciate their creativity. Bravo, Treme!

It takes a big-hearted, hard-working man to give back to his community the way Rebirth drummer Derrick Tabb has with his Roots of Music. Tabb has organized a successful crusade to keep the brass band traditions alive through young people. We appreciate what you do, Derrick, with your team.

And Johnny Palazzotto—I’ve known him for a long time, and there’s no one who deserves recognition for his life in the music business like he does.

We hope you’ll come to show these folks and the musicians and bands you love at our Best of The Beat Awards at Generations Hall on January 28, 2011. There’s still time to vote for your favorite band, performer and musician at OffBeat.com/BoB, where you’ll also find ticket information. This year we’ve moved the event back to Generations Hall, which gives us a lot more room and the freedom to invite more bands to participate in the festivities. Free food, too. We’ve also created a VIP section upstairs for fans that will get seating, special food and free beverages and some surprises. The tickets for the VIP area are $100 each and proceeds will benefit the New Orleans Musicians Assistance Foundation, which is affiliated with the New Orleans Musicians Clinic. Tickets are limited in the VIP section, so get your tickets early.

We will present the Best of the Beat Music Business Awards at the Taylor Library on Wednesday January 26, which is exclusively for musicians and music businesses.

Welcome to 2011, and don’t let 2010 hit you in the ass on the way forward.