In giant type the Picayune announced today that "Pump station plans may erase landmarks." You know the paper is serious about this story, because they drew some pictures to go with it.

Oh my, that's terrible news. What landmarks might we lose? A historic mansion? A great work of art? Oh God, I hope we're not losing the Super Dome! No, we're talking about some volleyball courts, a Baptist church and Deanie's, a neighborhood joint that serves not so great fried seafood. You call those landmarks?

The Picayune has an odd neurosis about not mentioning any other publication in New Orleans. They'd rather give their readers vague information than, God forbid, commit to print the name of another magazine or newspaper. Nothing like having your priorities straight.

Recently, they got a nice nostalgic quote from Errol Laborde and identified him simply as a "writer and magazine editor." Would it have killed them to mention that he edits and partially owns New Orleans Magazine, the city magazine. Wouldn't the readers have been better served with more information.

Although today, I bet one publication is glad about this policy. In an article about Melissa Williams soliciting sex through Craig's List, the Picayune reported that the woman wasn't new to the sex industry: "the Sheriff's Office vice squad arrested Melissa Williams in 2004 after deputies answered an ad she had placed in a New Orleans alternative newspaper." Now what "alternative newspaper" could they be referring to? Me, I don't know. I only read the Times Picayune.

The Picayune plunges into the at-large council race and addresses head-on the issue of race. Historically, one at-large council-person has been white and the other black. With Oliver Thomas gone, that balance might end.

A Mr. Banks, a leader of disgraced councilman Oliver Thomas' political organization BOLD, says, "I hope race is a factor and I hope the makeup of the council in on voter's minds, because this is a diverse community and we need diverse leadership."

Helpfully, the Picayune shows photos of the top five contenders on the front page. I wish I could show them to you, but it's not online. How would you arrange the photos? Alphabetical by last name? That would be my neutral choice. The Picayune decided it made more sense to group the candidates by race. Up top, we have the two whites--Boulet and Brechtel Clarkson. Below, we have the top black contenders--Vassel, Bajoie and Willard-Lewis.

Just because some people believe race is the most important character of each candidate, it doesn't mean the paper has to adopt this.

What I couldn't figure out at first is how they organized the black candidates. After staring at the photos for a while, I had to conclude that the blacks are arranged from darkest (Vassel) to lightest (Willard-Lewis).

Did you seen that A1 headline in the TP? Political Bad News Takes a Toll: But State's Reputation Isn't Necessarily Fatal. Well, thank God that a chance exists that the state won't die. What does the article say? Oh, nothing of the sort. There is corruption, but most lawmakers won't punish the residents for bad leaders. Also, Mississippi has stronger and more senior leaders, so they've scored more money. Also, Landrieu and Vitter are competitive with each other, so that might be slowing down the process. Then again, it keeps them both working hard.

Wait a minute, that headline wasn't really about the article, was it? Once again, the TP writer turns in a well-written story and the copydesk acts like they work for a cheap tabloid and slaps on a hysterical hed. Can someone teach the copydesk some reading comprehension skills?

Brett Anderson, another regular TP columnist who has only worked irregularly since the storm, files a real story today. It's about Rocky and Carlo's in Chalmette. Not a bad piece, if a bit uninspired. Ah, but this is the odd part. It sounds like all the interviews were done in November. And the restaurant reopened in February. So why is this running in August? I thought dailies were supposed to break news.

I'm not always a fan of Chris Rose, but in today's column he did what few of his colleagues ever dare to do--he called out fellow writers for their foolishness:

I realize that corruption exists elsewhere in this country and one of my colleagues at the paper has gone to great lengths to document it as to make Louisiana seem no more remarkable than other locations in this matter.

But we are. Because our process is infected, rotten, dying from the inside out. In other venues, corruption is the shocker. Here, it is expected, and that is the sad truth and I guess that's where Oliver and Honor went their separate ways, on the power climb.

Another colleague at the paper -- and many political elders in the state -- are finding a soft spot in their hearts for Edwin Edwards, implying that because the man is old and has served half his prison term, that he should summarily be released to live a life of genteel retirement by some pristine waters, fishing instead of mopping prison floors.

What a load of hooey. Edwards is lucky he didn't spend more of his life behind bars and he should bank that when he goes to bed at night in his prison cot. The operative systems that guys like him set in place is one where their cronies -- these obvious, pathetic and ill-spoken lowlifes -- walk off with state and city money while the state and city fail, falter, die.

Good work. (And I swear this blog will not be all about Chris.)

Chris Rose surfaced from his undisclosed location (I believe it's called rehab) to file some copy. What do you bet that he disappears for another few months to flog his new book?