Mamou Playboys at the Gretna Heritage Fest

Here's some video I took at the Gretna Heritage Festival 2011. Awesome, awesome day. Love zydeco too. Sorry about the sound. I was right next to the speakers. 

Drunk People and Big Big Trucks

The last real parade of Mardi Gras season. This is a very difficult parade to watch when you really have to pee. Hundreds of gigantic trucks rolling by... drivers laying on their horns.

Still one of my faves tho.

Katrina: 6 Years Later

On the 6th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina I reflect and look back over some of the images I captured during my time as a medical volunteer. Some pictures may seem a bit light-hearted, but I assure you, we took it very seriously.

Mardi Gras 2011! Proteus Parade

Ever wonder what it would be like in the front row of a Mardi Gras parade crowd in New Orleans? Here we are closer to the parade starting point on St. Charles Ave. Not as many drunk college students.... Makes it MUCH easier to enjoy.

It also helps to live only a few blocks from where most of the parades run. Hint: Get there a few hours early.

Cafe du Monde in a Minute and a Half (Almost)

I love being a New Orleanian. It's awesome being able to drive just a couple of miles down the road and being in the middle of this! I was sitting in Jackson Square a few months ago (collecting info for Sarah's visiting team members) and heard this band playing.

Nawlins: Know Ya Lingo

Here's a rough draft I did for Sarah a while back. She had some team members coming into town and wanted me to make a little New Orleans guide for them.

Just some lingo and translations. I took the pic at a Mardi Gras parade this year.

So Long and Thanks For All the Phish

Books, movies, and music! These are a few of my favorite things. Sadly, Borders will be closing it's doors for good by the end of September. Sure. It's not as cool a place as it used to be. I worked at the Duluth location (by Gwinnett Mall outside of Atlanta) years ago. Met my ex-wife there. That was back when we got a monthly employee credit of 150 bucks. Interesting fact: I am responsible for a company-wide rule that restricted employees from using their credit in the cafe (I really liked the veggie burgers).

Ahhhhhhh! Great days! We could wear whatever we wanted so long as it wasn't too offensive. We even designed our own name badges. Mine was a sketch that I did of a surprised looking Opus yelling, "Jay is really Steve Dallas?!". Well.... At some point after my departure, they did away with the store credit. Employees couldn't creatively express themselves like in the old days. And merchandise prices went waaaaaay up. We'd always made fun of Barnes and Noble for being too stiff, and they ended up winning in the end.

I say, "Thank you, Borders!", for turning me on to music, movies, and books that I would never have found. Shame on you, too, for giving up your identity. You forgot your roots. You are nothing like that first store you opened in Ann Arbor, and I believe that is part of what led to your downfall. I was so excited when you opened a store on St. Charles Ave. (right up the road from where I live), and so disappointed when you closed it a few years later. In this area of New Orleans all we have are shoe shops, bars, and antiques stores. Perhaps a bit of an exaggeration.... but not a big one. Pity us.

We'll miss ya, Borders. And those yummy veggie burgers.