'That's what that bigoted asshole tried to hurt. He attacked a joyful, vivid city on the happiest of occasions. He tried to kill joy in a city suffused with it.'
Are you hard of fucking thinking?!? Who the hell do you think this refers to? Whose joy am I referring to? The victims.
Two decorated Army vets. Both IT specialists. Both with drone expertise. Both served in Afghanistan (2009). Both stationed at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg).
Coincidence? Impossible.
Vegas Cybertruck Explosion. New Orleans Truck Attack. Different cities, same fingerprints. Same rental car company. Same orchestration.
Livelsberger — Green Beret, IT, tactical drone specialist. Highly decorated. Claimed Vegas bombing “wasn’t terror.” Now “suicided”? Or… still alive? Burned body cover-up?
Jabbar — IT, HR specialist. Same profile. Same training ground. New Orleans operation reeks of remote activation.
What did they discover at Fort Liberty? Military drone programs? Nuke-tracking cover stories? Something they weren’t supposed to see?
Emails to whistleblowers — weak disclosures. Smokescreen? The real intel never made it out.
Both men became liabilities. Both silenced. Orchestrated narrative. Mind control ops?
Follow the rentals. Follow the drones. Follow the IT connections.
The question remains: What was uncovered at Fort Liberty that warranted this level of cleanup?
The answer isn’t buried with them. It’s buried in the ops they were part of.
Seriously- do not post your conspiracy theories on my newsletter. Go to 4*han or something. It's hilarious you think a messy, high-profile attack on innocent people on one of the busiest times of year is a 'clean-up' when all 'they' had to do was quietly make the perpetrator disappear. Did mama drop you on your head?
How serendipitous it is to come across this writing! I discovered your work today while reading Ed’s newsletter and then found this post through Caroline Eden. What a beautiful yet sad piece it is at the same time.
The following morning I went on my usual walk and the streets were so empty bar a few dogs and their owners. Sometimes we need bouncy silly happy dogs even more than usual. I keep thinking about the two goldens who were oblivious to what had happened and pranced about being pure
Such a horrible attack, and even worse for the timing, when people were full of joy and celebration. I only caught the news shortly before I saw that you were both safe, which I admit I was selfishly was more worried about than anyone else. But it's so depressing to start the year with another arsehole bigot letting his rage loose on innocent people.
Well y'all, I lived in New Orleans for 25 years. It's my home. Reading the comments tells me that although you are kind and like our city, you have no idea what it's like to live there. A passersby view of the city would be nice if only it were true. NOLA can be a hard place to live, but we're friendly and we help each other. The best thing you can read is this... by my friend Pableaux Johnson....
Not sure where to start, how to process the events since New Years’ Night, so in the Way of My People, I went back into the kitchen for my one big house party of the year: the New Years’ Good Luck Foods.
This particular annual gathering has roots in the first gatherings I had as an adult in 90s Austin that shaped me as a cook, adult and as part of a sprawling energetic community.
Woke up to news alerts via text, checked the news (nothing confirmed at dawn), so alternated between cleaning and cooking modes — getting the place ready for folks to show. Big foods, clean house… let’s see what happens.
Cornbread. Black-eyed peas. Smothered cabbage with pig-basted greens, olive salad, smoked pork, Tasso and tomato. The usual foods for good fortune turned into real-time processing.
All in all, a great day. Some folks hunkered at home to process, others came out to be around folks and process in community. Sit around the table. Gather on the porch. Talk with family. Learn new things. Compare notes and experiences. Babies and kids. Deep gratitude for the heart and smiles involved all around.
Right now, we’re getting more solid information, but we know that this year is gonna be a “one day at a time” affair. We’ll answer concerned texts and calls, thank people for thinking of our little city, and see what’s next.
Love to all, as always. Px
We would have been at this dinner if we hadn't bought a farm and moved to Virginia. Sometimes, you just gotta know when to slide.Peace, Ray
"NOLA can be a hard place to live, but we're friendly and we help each other."
I believe this was pretty much exactly what Nic was saying just in different words to yours.
Had you see her photos and her posts beforehand, you;'d know just how much she loves and is in love with that place, faults and all, and how much it hurts her to see what happened. I suspect she'd defend it to the end. This was a hard piece for her to write, but I am very glad she did.
Having spent two months total out of the last twelve in the city seeing friends I really do know how friendly and supportive it is. I just wish this could cease to be 'despite everything'. Repeat traumas with no time to process because 'tourism is king' is harmful. The message to carry on as per usual isn't the healthiest. It's capitalism at its most toxic.
Ray, not sure why you got the idea I think the city is unfriendly and its residents unhelpful to each other? What an odd thing to say. If you actually knew me you'd know that I am more than aware of just how supportive people are in this city. Fuck knows they have to be.
I know Pableaux and have been a guest at his beautiful gathering. I'm glad he had a good space in which to process the events. But quite a few of my friends work in hospitality in the quarter and their experience was deeply traumatic, making its processing very difficult. They saw injured and terrified people. They are fearful and tired of having to be fucking resilient. Some of them, God forbid, have even lost their appetites! Others resent having to return to work in a location filled with traumatic memories because they don't get paid otherwise. I don't think it's fair you use Pableaux's post as a way of attacking other perspectives.
As for not knowing what it's like to live there, well of course I personally don't. I've never claimed to. All I can do is write about my experiences and describe what I'm told by people who still live there.
I'd read your FB post about losing Ed soon after learning of the attack and I was immediately filled with dread. And your return home sounded like a nightmare.
The New Year has sucked mightily for you, but I'm glad to know you finally made it home together.
When I looked at my social media and realised my last posts were from Bourbon I realised why so many panicked people were trying to reach me. It was horrible for them.
Before email, social media, and mobile phones, I missed a huge train derailment (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_de_Lyon_rail_accident} simply because my friend and I decided to go to the South of France a day earlier than planned. I'd left a detailed itinerary for my family and my brother knew exactly which station I'd be at to get there. I was 18 and on holiday so wasn't paying any attention to the papers.
What a beautiful love letter. I too love New Orleans. In a completely irrational way. I always say I am homesick for a place I have never lived. Venice is a similar beautiful baffling exasperating place. That I love completely.
Wow. Not one mention of the victims.
'That's what that bigoted asshole tried to hurt. He attacked a joyful, vivid city on the happiest of occasions. He tried to kill joy in a city suffused with it.'
Are you hard of fucking thinking?!? Who the hell do you think this refers to? Whose joy am I referring to? The victims.
Beautifully written, Nicola. Such a terrible start to the year for the city and its people. 🙏
“MANCHURIAN CANDIDATES: FORT LIBERTY CONNECTION 🚨
Two decorated Army vets. Both IT specialists. Both with drone expertise. Both served in Afghanistan (2009). Both stationed at Fort Liberty (formerly Fort Bragg).
Coincidence? Impossible.
Vegas Cybertruck Explosion. New Orleans Truck Attack. Different cities, same fingerprints. Same rental car company. Same orchestration.
Livelsberger — Green Beret, IT, tactical drone specialist. Highly decorated. Claimed Vegas bombing “wasn’t terror.” Now “suicided”? Or… still alive? Burned body cover-up?
Jabbar — IT, HR specialist. Same profile. Same training ground. New Orleans operation reeks of remote activation.
What did they discover at Fort Liberty? Military drone programs? Nuke-tracking cover stories? Something they weren’t supposed to see?
Emails to whistleblowers — weak disclosures. Smokescreen? The real intel never made it out.
Both men became liabilities. Both silenced. Orchestrated narrative. Mind control ops?
Follow the rentals. Follow the drones. Follow the IT connections.
The question remains: What was uncovered at Fort Liberty that warranted this level of cleanup?
The answer isn’t buried with them. It’s buried in the ops they were part of.
Eyes open. Digital soldiers — DIG.”
Seriously- do not post your conspiracy theories on my newsletter. Go to 4*han or something. It's hilarious you think a messy, high-profile attack on innocent people on one of the busiest times of year is a 'clean-up' when all 'they' had to do was quietly make the perpetrator disappear. Did mama drop you on your head?
How serendipitous it is to come across this writing! I discovered your work today while reading Ed’s newsletter and then found this post through Caroline Eden. What a beautiful yet sad piece it is at the same time.
Thank you very much Valentina. I so appreciate your kind words x
That's a beautiful piece. I'm so sorry. I've sent it to my dad, who loves New Orleans with all his heart. X
Oh.... This has made me well up x
Yours made me cry! Xx
The following morning I went on my usual walk and the streets were so empty bar a few dogs and their owners. Sometimes we need bouncy silly happy dogs even more than usual. I keep thinking about the two goldens who were oblivious to what had happened and pranced about being pure
Oh god ❤️
Such a horrible attack, and even worse for the timing, when people were full of joy and celebration. I only caught the news shortly before I saw that you were both safe, which I admit I was selfishly was more worried about than anyone else. But it's so depressing to start the year with another arsehole bigot letting his rage loose on innocent people.
It is depressing.
Beautifully written Nic, utterly horrible to see this
Well y'all, I lived in New Orleans for 25 years. It's my home. Reading the comments tells me that although you are kind and like our city, you have no idea what it's like to live there. A passersby view of the city would be nice if only it were true. NOLA can be a hard place to live, but we're friendly and we help each other. The best thing you can read is this... by my friend Pableaux Johnson....
Not sure where to start, how to process the events since New Years’ Night, so in the Way of My People, I went back into the kitchen for my one big house party of the year: the New Years’ Good Luck Foods.
This particular annual gathering has roots in the first gatherings I had as an adult in 90s Austin that shaped me as a cook, adult and as part of a sprawling energetic community.
Woke up to news alerts via text, checked the news (nothing confirmed at dawn), so alternated between cleaning and cooking modes — getting the place ready for folks to show. Big foods, clean house… let’s see what happens.
Cornbread. Black-eyed peas. Smothered cabbage with pig-basted greens, olive salad, smoked pork, Tasso and tomato. The usual foods for good fortune turned into real-time processing.
All in all, a great day. Some folks hunkered at home to process, others came out to be around folks and process in community. Sit around the table. Gather on the porch. Talk with family. Learn new things. Compare notes and experiences. Babies and kids. Deep gratitude for the heart and smiles involved all around.
Right now, we’re getting more solid information, but we know that this year is gonna be a “one day at a time” affair. We’ll answer concerned texts and calls, thank people for thinking of our little city, and see what’s next.
Love to all, as always. Px
We would have been at this dinner if we hadn't bought a farm and moved to Virginia. Sometimes, you just gotta know when to slide.Peace, Ray
"NOLA can be a hard place to live, but we're friendly and we help each other."
I believe this was pretty much exactly what Nic was saying just in different words to yours.
Had you see her photos and her posts beforehand, you;'d know just how much she loves and is in love with that place, faults and all, and how much it hurts her to see what happened. I suspect she'd defend it to the end. This was a hard piece for her to write, but I am very glad she did.
Having spent two months total out of the last twelve in the city seeing friends I really do know how friendly and supportive it is. I just wish this could cease to be 'despite everything'. Repeat traumas with no time to process because 'tourism is king' is harmful. The message to carry on as per usual isn't the healthiest. It's capitalism at its most toxic.
Thank you.
Ray, not sure why you got the idea I think the city is unfriendly and its residents unhelpful to each other? What an odd thing to say. If you actually knew me you'd know that I am more than aware of just how supportive people are in this city. Fuck knows they have to be.
I know Pableaux and have been a guest at his beautiful gathering. I'm glad he had a good space in which to process the events. But quite a few of my friends work in hospitality in the quarter and their experience was deeply traumatic, making its processing very difficult. They saw injured and terrified people. They are fearful and tired of having to be fucking resilient. Some of them, God forbid, have even lost their appetites! Others resent having to return to work in a location filled with traumatic memories because they don't get paid otherwise. I don't think it's fair you use Pableaux's post as a way of attacking other perspectives.
As for not knowing what it's like to live there, well of course I personally don't. I've never claimed to. All I can do is write about my experiences and describe what I'm told by people who still live there.
Thank you for writing this
You are very welcome and very glad you are safe
And thank you for your support. It means a lot
I'd read your FB post about losing Ed soon after learning of the attack and I was immediately filled with dread. And your return home sounded like a nightmare.
The New Year has sucked mightily for you, but I'm glad to know you finally made it home together.
When I looked at my social media and realised my last posts were from Bourbon I realised why so many panicked people were trying to reach me. It was horrible for them.
Before email, social media, and mobile phones, I missed a huge train derailment (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_de_Lyon_rail_accident} simply because my friend and I decided to go to the South of France a day earlier than planned. I'd left a detailed itinerary for my family and my brother knew exactly which station I'd be at to get there. I was 18 and on holiday so wasn't paying any attention to the papers.
I left them panicked for nearly a week.
Christ alive!
Alive being the operative word.
What a beautiful love letter. I too love New Orleans. In a completely irrational way. I always say I am homesick for a place I have never lived. Venice is a similar beautiful baffling exasperating place. That I love completely.
I always tell people in NO how like Venice the city is. Both of them out on a limb, existing despite everything
A wonderful post, Nic, filled with your love for New Orleans ❤️
it has caused so much pain. Nobody should have to be this resilient. It's not normal