My Writings. My Thoughts.

Mardi Gras 2012 — Veni, Vidi, Bibi (I came, I saw, I drank)

// February 22nd, 2012 // 6 Comments » // Events, Travel Mardi Gras 2012

Mardi Gras 2012. It’s over. The fat lady has sung (or barfed, more likely). Beads were thrown, enormous quantities of booze were consumed, and undoubtedly many boobies were flashed. As for that last part, I didn’t see any because I stayed away from the French Quarter (mind you, I’ve got nothing against boobs, it’s just …read more…

Mardi Gras Krewe of Tucks parade “rolls” on — toilet paper included

// February 20th, 2012 // No Comments » // Events, Travel Krewe of Tucks

[New Orleans, LA] – You’ve gotta love a parade whose king rides in a toilet bowl. Or more precisely, on a toilet throne. Krewe of Tucks has been around since 1969, formed by a group of students from Loyola University and named after a bar — now closed — where they hung out, called Friar Tuck’s. …read more…

Hail Bacchus! Krewe of Bacchus Mardi Gras parade

// February 20th, 2012 // No Comments » // Events, Travel Bacchus

[New Orleans, LA] – I should write something here about Bacchus — the god of wine, winemaking, the grape harvest, and all those good things from Greek mythology. But frankly I’m a bit hung over. Just suffice it to say the Krewe of Bacchus, founded in 1968, puts on a heck of a parade. This year’s …read more…

Get your mask on at Mardi Gras Mask Market

// February 18th, 2012 // 12 Comments » // Events, Travel Mardi Gras Mask Market

[New Orleans, LA] — With Mardi Gras breathing down our throats here in NOLA — Fat Tuesday is next week — those wishing for a last-minute, one-of-a-kind mask for the occasion would be well-served at the Mardi Gras Mask Market. In its 29th year, the event in the French Quarter’s French Market features artists from …read more…

A good meme is hard to find…

// February 14th, 2012 // 4 Comments » // Travel What I do - Biker

A good meme is hard to resist. Over the last several days, I’ve noticed a lot of “What people think I do/What I do” memes popping up all over Facebook. And since I’ve apparently got way too much time on my hands, I spent some time designing my own, with a biker theme. Hope you …read more…

In the ‘tit Rəx krewe’s Mardi Gras parade, it’s all about the schwa

// February 13th, 2012 // No Comments » // Events, Travel ‘tit Rəx

[New Orleans, LA] – Note to Krewe of Rex: I don’t think anyone is likely to confuse the ‘tit Rəx Parade with yours. Nonetheless, in what may be a classic David vs. Goliath legal donnybrook, last year the mega-krewe threatened to sue the micro-krewe for trademark infringement, leading the smaller, Petit (“’tit,” get it?) Rex krewe …read more…

It’s a dog’s life – Mystic Krewe of Barkus parade

// February 13th, 2012 // 2 Comments » // Events, Travel 2012 King of Barkus

Every dog has its day, as the saying goes, and Sunday afternoon, the Mystic Krewe of Barkus took to the streets for its 20th annual Mardi Gras parade. The krewe and its costumed canines strutted and strolled through the French Quarter, accompanied by marching bands and led by the requisite canine king, queen, duke and …read more…

Roadside Attractions — Massive Muffler Man Monument in Metairie, LA

// February 8th, 2012 // 14 Comments » // Travel Big Man

As urban icons go, Muffler Man isn’t quite up there with Preservation Hall or the Cabildo. He presides majestically – almost menacingly – over the intersection of Clearview Parkway and West Napoleon Avenue in Metairie. Two stories tall, muscular outstretched forearms, dressed in Saints black and gold and adorned with a golden crown. He just …read more…

Mardi Gras “Adult” Parade: Krewe du Vieux

// February 6th, 2012 // 7 Comments » // Events, Travel Krewe du Vieux

[New Orleans, LA] – Politically correct, no. Socially acceptable, hardly. Family friendly, fuggedaboutit. And that’s why we love it. Krewe du Vieux’s 26th annual parade – among the first of many parades during Mardi Gras season – marched, strutted, and rolled through the French Quarter this past weekend in all its satirical, off-color, decadent glory. The …read more…

Yo-Ho-Ho — a tour of Old New Orleans Rum

// February 1st, 2012 // 3 Comments » // Travel Tour Guide Bob Songy demonstrates the wares

It may be the best-kept secret in New Orleans’ Gentilly neighborhood – a small batch, premium rum distillery operating from a warehouse tucked into an industrial pocket of Frenchmen Street. “We’re definitely off the beaten path, you know?” says Parker Schonekas, General Manager of Celebration Distillation, makers of Old New Orleans Rum. You’d expect rum …read more…

Mardi Gras Bead Dogs: Whimsical Art with a Serious Message

// January 25th, 2012 // 7 Comments » // Travel "Tiger Paws" by artist Gerry Claude

[New Orleans, LA] — For a city accustomed to Lucky Dogs, the luckiest dogs of all may be the brightly colored Mardi Gras Bead Dog statues that are popping up all over town. Lucky for animal lovers and art lovers, at least. The whimsical sculptures are modeled after the trinkets fashioned from leftover Mardi Gras …read more…

New Orleans’ chips with a Cajun crunch

// January 18th, 2012 // 10 Comments » // Food, Travel Fresh from the fryer

[Gramercy, LA] – Here in the Big Easy, it’s all about the spice. From Po-Boys to potato chips, the proper seasoning is essential. So little wonder that our favorite chip comes in a variety of tastebud-tantalizing flavors, with imaginative names like Spicy Cajun Crawtator, Voodoo, and Cajun Dill Gator-Tators – along with the old standbys like …read more…

Monument to a Bare-Knuckle Brawl: Kenner, LA

// January 11th, 2012 // 2 Comments » // Travel Boxing monument

[Kenner, LA] – It was the fight of the century – the nineteenth century, that is – a bare-knuckle brawl for the ages. Professional boxing – the world’s first heavyweight title – right here in the Crescent City. The date was May 10, 1870. Early that morning, a thousand or so boisterous spectators gathered around a …read more…

From Picnics to Prison, New Orleans’ Hubig’s Pies has you covered

// January 4th, 2012 // 11 Comments » // Food, People, Travel Third-generation owners Courtney Bowman Folse and Drew Ramsey with a tray of Hubig's Pies

[New Orleans, LA] – If you’ve been to a parade, picnic, or prison in the Big Easy, chances are you’ve eaten a Hubig’s pie. The delectable dessert has been part of the city’s culinary and cultural fabric since 1922, when Simon Hubig opened his bakery in a small warehouse in the Bywater neighborhood. The diminutive deep-fried …read more…

A Somewhat “Reluctant” Look Back at 2011

// December 31st, 2011 // 15 Comments » // Travel Sunset over a Louisiana bayou

I’m not generally a big fan of retrospectives: e.g.  ”2011, the year in Review.” The year’s done, over, it’s time to get on with your life. And I’ve worked in journalism long enough to know that year-end retrospectives are usually a “prepared in advance” way to fill space (or airtime) at the end of the …read more…

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