__ DEDUCTIBLE JUNKETS __
__ @d:tech.new orleans __
It's June. Mardi Gras is long over. But @d:tech.96 conference attendees will find that there is more to New Orleans than the flamboyant, Dionysian festival the city is famous for. Spread along the banks of the muddy Mississippi, New Orleans combines the traditions of the deep South and the elegant culture of Europe with traces of voodoo spirits and gritty, soulful jazz.
Start your day with a square meal of beignets and café au lait at Café du Monde. No one will seat you, so walk past the line of tourists and shark around for a table. The Camellia Grill, a classy diner in the Garden District, serves good ol' Southern grits and great omelets. (A caffeine caveat: coffee served in New Orleans is often cut with chicory, which gives it a strong kick. Even full-blooded Cajuns don't drink their coffee black.)
At lunchtime, swing past the Progress Grocery Co., a French Quarter grocery and deli that makes the best muffuletta or muff, as this massive round of Italian bread stuffed with ham, salami, provolone, mortadella, and olive salad is known. Walk down to Jackson Square for a picnic in the heart of the bustling quarter.
If you'd rather, beat the heat with a peach nectar snowball at Hansen's Sno Bliz on Tchoupitoulas (pronounced "chop-i-too-luh"). Or duck into the cool, dark Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop on Bourbon. According to legend (and New Orleans drips with legend), Jean Lafitte and his pirate pals opened this foundry in 1772 as a front for their contraband activities. Order a round of hurricanes and imagine the raucous history of this decrepit building.
Richard Rochester's infamous walking tour of the French Quarter is a must: it begins outside Lafitte's every night at 8. An imposing figure dressed in black, Richard winds through the dark streets of the Vieux Carré spinning truths and tales. Whether or not you believe his story about the historic Napoleon House, it's a relaxing spot for dinner or for drinks. Another supper option is Coop's order a plate of boiled crawfish, and don't forget to suck the heads.
After le repas, find yourself a folding chair at Snug Harbor, a teeny jazz club with infinite appeal in Faubourg Marigny. Charmaine Neville (the daughter) and Ellis Marsalis (the father) often take the stage here. If the Harbor is a little too snug, samba over to the nearby Café Brasil to hear the Iguanas or The New Orleans Klezmer All-Stars, two great local bands. Other jazz clubs include Tipitina's, within walking distance, and The Maple Leaf Bar or Jimmy's uptown.
Before you leave the city, stop in at the Louisiana Music Factory this Valhalla for the weary record collector carries hot jazz, zydeco, Cajun, and more. And visit F&H Botanica for all your spiritual needs and tourist trinkets.
The @d:tech.96 conference is sure to be interesting. But then again, this is New Orleans, where you can singe your tongue on jambalaya at The Praline Connection or swallow hurricanes while the zydeco band plays on and on. So just do it.
- Jessie Scanlon *
__ The Current Roundup (see Wired 4.04) __
May 6-11 Fifth International World Wide Web Conference; Paris.
May 16-18 Artificial Life V; Nara, Japan. € May 16-18 E3: The Electronic Entertainment Expo; Los Angeles. € May 30-June 1 Workshop on Information Hiding; Cambridge, England. € June 6-9 5Cyberconf: Fifth International Conference on Cyberspace; Madrid.
June 16-20 Society and the Future of Computing '96; Snowbird, Utah Organized by Los Alamos National Lab, this second-time forum for academics, policymakers, and commercial developers aims to push computer science research in directions that truly benefit society. Lectures and panel discussions will focus on computing as it relates to work, culture, identity, and democracy. Registration: US$395 through May 1, $495 after. Students $125 through May 1, $150 after. Contact: email sfc96@lanl.gov, on the Web at www.lanl.gov/SFC/96.
June 17-19 @d:tech. 96; New Orleans In the advertising business, the medium, the message, and even the market are changing. The bevy of speakers at this first-time event includes Marty Levin of Microsoft Network and Martin Nisenholtz of The New York Times; they'll discuss the effect of technology on advertising and marketing in the 21st century. Registration: US$1,395 for full conference pass; other passes available. Contact: (800) 535 1812, +1 (804) 643 8375, email skip@ad-tech.com, on the Web at www.ad-tech.com.
June 23-26 Global Super Projects Conference; San Francisco Sponsored by the World Development Council, this fifth annual event focuses on the global city-states of the future. Several hundred futurists, engineers, commercial developers, and politicians will attend sessions devoted to projects that promote international links, help the environment, and boost economic development. Registration: US$1,250 for entire conference or $500 per day. The full conference academic rate is $500. Contact: +1 (770) 446 6996, email wdc@conway.com, on the Web at www.conway.com.
June 25-28 INET'96: The Internet: Transforming our Society Now; Montreal The sixth annual conference of the Internet Society goes global with an emphasis on the social, cultural, economic, and linguistic implications of networking around the world. Topics range from the nuts and bolts of networking protocols and services to the growing pains of the Internet and related social transformations. Registration: US$475. Contact: +1 (703) 648 9888, fax +1 (703) 648 9887, email inet96@isoc.org, on the Web at www.isoc.org/conferences/inet96.
July 11-13 Vision Plus 2; Schwarzenberg, Austria In its second year, this design event is organized by the International Institute for Information Design and sponsored by UNESCO. The program, chaired by design god Erik Spiekermann, will focus on "Seeing, Feeling, Understanding: Controversial Views on Developments in Communication," with participants from academia, the design community, and the high-tech industry. Registration: US$50, students $25. Contact: +43 1 4036662, email ps.id@magnet.at.
Out on the Range:
July 14-18 FutureVision: Ideas, Insights, and Strategies; Washington, DC. Contact: (800) 989 8274, fax +1 (301) 951 0394. € July 26-28 DefCon IV; Las Vegas. Contact: email dtangent@defcon.org, on the Web at www.defcon.org. July 28-30 Spotlight; Laguna Niguel, California. Contact: (800) 633 4312, +1 (415) 312 0545, fax +1 (415) 286 2750.
Got a good junket? E-mail junkets@wired.com.
*Muffulettas of thanks to Jill Robinson, Susanne Scovern, and webgods Chuck Taggart and Ed Branley. *
