I AM NEW ORLEANS! Happy Mardi Gras!

I was born at Ochsner Hospital in August, 1957. A white boy in a black town, I grew up in Uptown New Orleans in the '60's. I was fed jazz, art, resistance, defiance & red beans with rice. I grew up in a place with SOUL which got me and became me. I have always been blessed.

I carried that SOUL through Betsy, Camille, and, now, Katrina. Betsy ripped the roof off our house while I cried in my mother's bedroom. Camile...well, she was Camille. She nearly killed us.... But, Katrina. Katrina came close to killing the SOUL. Close. But she didn't.

I've carried that SOUL wherever I've been. Through school, career, revolution, marriage, parenthood...through happines, sadness, struggle. Beginnings. Endings. Always there. The SOUL you get from being a New Orleanian.

I've always carried that SOUL, for good or ill. Mainly for good. I am a better person for the unique and wonderful home which reared me.

We are different. Hard to understand. Easy to misjudge. Easier to love.

We are New Orleans. We are the dance; the SOUL of America.

Mardi Gras is upon us. Celebrate. Celebrate the SOUL of our city. Celebrate your own life. Celebrate love and mischief.

I am New Orleans and I spread my arms and wish all of you:

HAPPY MARDI GRAS!

God bless the SOUL of the Big Easy!

Good to see you here.

...maybe just replace the wetlands on your south side?


I'm all for the iconic nature of New Orleans, I just don't want to see history repeat itself. If we want Mardi Gras in 2020, we have to change a few things.


BTW, happy Mardi Gras!

and the Spirit of Mardi Gras.

The battle of New Orleans has barely begun.

:hi:

:hi:

:hi:

I never knew a Southern City could type! :rofl:

Seriously, welcome to DU, and Happy Mardi Gras to you as well!! Enjoy a Hurricane (of the frozen variety) for me, since I can't be there.

and I must admit I droool Over the costumes and floats the krewes do.Pure inspiration..
I hope someday I will be there to drool in person over the art and music and envy the costumes I see in person rather than look at pictures and wish I was there. And don't even get me started on the food...

God/dess bless! :hug:

Jenn

Two New York cops threatened to arrest me and charge me with a "criminal misdemeanor" (and book my instrument as evidence) for playing music on the street past 8 pm last night in the Marigny, in a commercial district, in front of a music club (ALSO PLAYING VERY LOUD MUSIC) where I was playing, DURING MARDI GRAS!!! :mad:

Think about it, Rat.

:shrug:

You sound like a LOT of people I know. :D

Glad you escaped incarceration, and hope this didn't wreck your Gras vibe!!
Welcome to DU, Mr. Ghost - I lived on 4th & Chestnut from '88-'95 in a one room apt. in what was then "the funkiest house in the Garden District". There long enough to totally understand every word you wrote.
I love you all, 100%.
"Everywhere else, it's just
'Tuesday'!"

:hug:

You are welcome HOME anytime! :hi:

Misdemeanor, indeed!

Don't these people even know what New Orleans is about?

Too bad fo' dem. Dey will neva know. :eyes:

So sorry you had to deal with that crap.

Here ---------> :hug:

:hug:

:mad:

I will go to jail first! :mad:

:hug:
:hi:

kicks in for the day... nevertheless...

:hug:

Excellent post and welcome to DU. Have a great time and keep that Soul coming through.

have been touched by that soul. I've never been to Mardi Gras, preferring instead the Jazz festival (not to mention many, many business trips held in this great city).

There is, indeed, a hearty soul to this city, and it is that which calls us all back.

This past weekend, we decided to book flights down for the 5 of us (3 kids and the folks) for the Jazz fest. We'll go back and celebrate with you all the music, the culture, the people who will go on. If our coming will help bring back the economy to this great city, if only just a drop, we'll do it as only the smallest repayment of all we've gotten from this marvelous city.

Damn those that would see this city remain in ruins. They will rot in hell for what they have done and what they have failed to do.

:hug:

and Dancin'!!

Takin bout hey now, hey now

Iko! Iko! an de'

Jackomo fe no nan e' , Jackomo fe nan e'



Look at my King all dressed in red

Iko! Iko! an de'

I bet you 5 dollars, he kill you dead!

Jackomo fe nan e'

Takin bout ..... hey now, hey now

Iko! Iko! an de'

Jackomo fe no an e' , Jackomo fe nan e'



My flagboy and your flagboy, sittin by the fire,

My flagboy told your flagboy, I'm going to set your flag on fire,

Takin bout ..... hey now, hey now

Iko! Iko! an de'

Jackomo fe no an e' , Jackomo fe nan e'



See that guy all dressed in green, Iko! Iko! an de'

He's not a man, he's a lovin machine!

Jackomo fe nan e'

Takin bout hey now, hey now

Iko! Iko! an de'

Jackomo fe no nane' , Jackomo fe nan e'



- instrumental solo -



Takin bout hey now, hey now

Iko! Iko! an de'

Jackomo fe no ane' , Jackomo fe nan e'

YEAY-YAH!!

spinnin' dizzy!

for this lovely song of love for your city and from your heart. :hug:

don't let the username fool you; I've been out here a mere five years. Prior to that, from '89-'91, is when I picked up my SOUL, mostly on the second floor of the red building on the downtown-lake corner of Carrollton and Panola, three blocks from the end of the St. Charles streetcar (now said to be returning mid-2007 :( ) Sadly I had almost forgotten about it right up until That Day In August. But no longer. One of these fine days I will get back in, at least for a long-overdue visit, and show you.

Way'at, keseys! :hi: We can always use some more locals (or whatever it is I am) around here!

;)

but I want to be there... Mardi Gras!

I spent two weeks living in a room on Dauphine Street in the quarter with my hippie boyfriend. It was like living in another country. The city mesmerized me. The street cars, the Vieux Carré, the zoo, the music and the energy of the people. I never will forget what New Orleans sparked in me.


Laissez le bon temps rouler and welcome to DU!

I look forward to spending time with you during the revolution.

inspired me to donate more money and that's what I'm gonna do right now. Have a drink on me, cause I love New Orleans - nothing like it, never will be.

Howz ya mom n'dem? Yeah, you right!


Seriously, many tears have fallen from my shocked eyes this year. I used to work at WWL and it was amazing what they did through the madness. If you see Garland Robinette, tell him I'm glad he stopped working for Jim Bob. :->



Click on the mudpuppy to hear an hour of magical music! (60MB MP3)

http://www.wwl.com/showdj.asp?DJID=27254

He's a blue light in a sea of red on that station.

narrow it down any?

I met quite a few people that day. Did I refer you to this website?

By the way, Mike Malloy has been talking about us quite a bit lately. You can stream the show if you can't get in on the radio: http://www.airamericaradio.com/listen

I'm wit you, bro. (Other than that, I have no idea why I'm posting this to your post... Too much Shiraz).

:9

:9

They both cried...

Ten years ago last April.

We are still married, still in love with each other, and still loving your city.

One of your tarot readers in Jackson Square predicted Kev's arrival in my life a year before when I was there with friends. I will never forget it. I never want to.

New Orleans is a magical place and always will be. That magic lives in everyone who carries NOLA in their heart, and it will be that magic that carries you all through these times.

I am sending a King Cake to my daughter's school tomorrow along with a baby and some beads. We are trying to get a tradition started up here in the flatlands of Illinois--Mardi Gras is party time!!!!!


Laura

Happy Mardi Gras to you and the family!

:9

:party:

:hug: :party:

spirit of New Orleans.....They tried to kill y'all and New Orleans, but they failed....Hope you are showing them that you all and NO are alive and well and going to come back stronger than ever....

We will fight for survival even if it means, in the end, seceding from the Union.

"scholarship" program of sorts to re-build New Orleans....I would just love to see a country like France who has historical ties to NO come in and help New Orleans re-build and show the world how its done. It would mock the Bush Administration's incompetence while at the same time bring back New Orleans and take care of its people. At this point, I'm absolutely convinced its the only way for NO to survive....

Then we could charge out the ass for natural gas and high shipping tariffs. :D

We beat the crap outta the British once, we can do it again! ;)

What? A baby is in the cake? Huh?

:crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy: :crazy:

Like a little bonus treasure hunt.

Woo hoo! Actually, the baby was on the bottom of my slice...not inside the cake.

I wasn't born here but I know about the soul part and the soul is
still alive and well down here. Happy Mardi Gras!! Party hardy,
we deserve it. :toast:

I'm sure New Orleans is always up for a party!

Happy Mardi Gras!!!

:party: :beer: :evilgrin: :smoke: :party: :beer: :crazy: :smoke: :party: :spank: :beer: :grouphug: :smoke: :party: :beer: :headbang: :smoke: :party: :beer: :dilemma: :smoke: :spray: :beer: :rofl: :smoke: :party:

"Katrina came close to killing the SOUL. Close. But she didn't."

That is exactly it! Nothing can kill that soul.
:toast: :bounce: Happy Mardi Gras!