Happy Mardi Gras weekend everyone. Tonight, because of lousy weather, we will be going out to Crockett Street instead of going down to my hometown of Port Arthur for their annual Mardi Gras celebration. I'm on several New Orleans e-mail lists and I just received an e-mail stating that the Saturday night parades are also canceled there because of the weather.
Check out the Bourbocam. It's a live camera of Bourbon Street at the corner of St. Peter and Bourbon Streets located right outside of the Cat's Meow. The crowds are nothing like the normal Mardi Gras crowds but there's a lot of activity which is good. I've already seen several (probably not so sober) people almost get hit by cars so there is a sense of normalcy there. I especially like the people who almost get mowed down who then stop and joyously help to direct the traffic.
Having Mardi Gras in New Orleans this year has induced some mild cases of schizophrenia in most of us. On the one hand, it's important for the economy and for the morale of New Orleans to go ahead with Mardi Gras. Cajuns believe in celebration in the face of adversity. It helps to clear our heads. On the other hand, New Orleans is far from even minimal recovery and the appearance of business-as-usual down there can give people the wrong idea of the true state of the city.
There are also a lot of people who feel that the money spent on producing a Mardi Gras celebration should have been spent in other areas of the city. My personal opinion is that the money made from tourists will more than make up for the money spent to throw the Mardi Gras party and that the amount of money spent having Mardi Gras would have been a very small drop in the bucket in the rehabilitation of New Orleans at any rate.
A few short weeks from now, you'll be able to see me on that Bourbocam contributing my small drops to that enormous bucket.
5 comments:
Rats! Bourbocam wouldn't work for Ol' Hoss. So I guess I won't be seeing you in drunken action...
I'm in the camp that says Mardi Gras must go on, look at all of those drunks spending money!! Great to see that, I'm telling you it did my heart good to see that street balls to the walls with people last night, I wish I was there with them. I'm always sick with sadness on a Mardi Gras that I'm not in New Orleans, this one will be one of those, unfortunately.
I need to make sure I'm awake before I start posting comments...
Mardi Gras will happen whether or not. People are going to party and they will always be drawn to the biggest party.
We're having a Mardi Gras party down here tomorrow. We even have our own New Orleans native on hand to show us how it's done right.
I can't stop watching the Parade Cam. Two of my three boys are there. It looks like the crowds are much better today (Sunday) now that the rain seems to have moved out. Laissez le bon temps roullez!
Hoss - I wonder why it wouldn't work. Maybe they don't want you guys to have heart attacks from watching what's going on during Mardi Gras.
Danno - Maybe next year!?
Neal - You'll have to do a post about your Mardi Gras party.
Sophmom - I always have to pull myself away from those cameras.
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