While in New Orleans I checked out the World War II museum. It’s quite the sobering event to see the hardship, struggle, and human misery that was inflicted on the world by power-hungry fanatics. Everyone should visit this museum at some time in their life. You will come away with the appreciation that war is not the answer to peace in our time. The brutality and human sacrifice that is exhibited (for those of us who weren’t there) is numbing. Here are a few photos.

C-47 transport.

Recruitment posterd.

Honolulu newspaper.

Japanese propaganda posters.

American propaganda posters.

Comparison of troop levels at the start of the war.

American weapons.

Japanese weapons.

German weapons

D-Day.

American soldiers in Germany.

New Orleans newspaper.

Japanese surrender.

USS Fanshaw Bay.

Dauntless Dive Bomber.

British Spitfire.

C-47 transport.

American tanks.

612th Field ARtillery pack mule

Had a great view from the hotel looking down on the river bend in New Orleans. I spent plenty of time having “river time” sitting on a bench next to the river (Don’t have that opportunity in Alaska. All I get is “moose time”). The river was very busy this one afternoon and within thirty minutes all these ships passed by.

Visited the Insectarium in New Orleans. Couldn’t pass up an opportunity to see beautiful bugs on a pin.

I have been jonesin’ for Jazz Fest for the past three years. Finally made it so I wanted to share some of the sights and sounds of the 2010 New Orleans Jazz Fest.

Musical montage.

There ain’t nothing better then the snacks at the New Orleans Jazz Fest. For three days my friend Janine and I listened to music and ate our way across the fair grounds. Here are a few of the tasty treats we sampled.

Mardi Gras Indians have a tradition of showing off their costumes during Mardi Gras. The tribes have been around for over a hundred years and are the result of the reverence the Black slaves in the New Orleans area had for the Native Americans. The Native Americans often aided the slaves in the quest for freedom. The tribes parade to show their respect. In the 1930s, 40s, the gangs often killed each other over perceived wrongs. The costume contests began in the 1960s when the gangs (tribes) figured out that killing wasn’t a healthy choice. Now days, the tribes parade during Mardi Gras and at Jazz Fest.

A couple of shots of a few of the great eating that we had in New Orleans:

Can you get any closer to the street car while dining?

The best cochon de lait sandwich I’ve ever had.

The best oyster sheller int he world.

Saw a couple of interesting modes of transportation while in New Orleans. One will get you killed while the other is way beyond that.

Six cylinder engine, yet no ape hangers.

Buckle your helmut! You could have an accident and die!

Caught a little bit or Mardi Gras this year. Unfortunately I was there on the first weekend when there were only a couple weenie parades. I still got to jump for beads and caught a few tokens. Here are a few photos of some of the floats and royalty. Maybe next year I will be there on Fat Tuesday. I miss the Krewe of Elvis.

Krewe du Vieux is the adults only parade that precedes Mardi Gras. It is made up of many smaller social krewes that spend all year deciding on their theme and building their floats and costumes. When I lived in New Orleans I participated in six parades. It is a fun and crazy time that usually ends in drunken debauchery. The throws some of the krewes toss from the parade have included in the past condoms, miniature penises, dildoes, etc. You get the picture. This year’s floats included the Governor of Louisiana (paper mache likeness) fucking the state bird, a takeoff on Continental Airlines – Cuntinental Airlines, and other bodily orifices and fluids. It’s great fun with a great party afterwards.

Click here to download a copy of the hilarious newspaper for the parade.

The party after the Krew du Vieux parade is always the best. This year’s Parade Grand Master was Dr. John. Here are a few shots from the party and three videos of Sunpie, John Cleary, and Dr. John. Unfortunately the sound system was loud and the sound on the video is very distorted. Turn down your speakers before you play them. If you can’t deal with the bad sound, just watch the energy on stage.

Rockin and rollin’.

Entire stage.

Sunpie.

John Cleary.

Dr. John.

Dr. John

John Cleary

Sunpie

I received a bottle of Absinthe from a student as a Christmas gift. Not knowing any thing about the stuff Janine and I went to the Absinthe Museum in the French Quarter. We got the whole scoop and purchased some of the equipment to do the deed. For our education, the museum person directed us to the premier Absinthe bar in the French Quarter – Pravda. We told the bar person we wanted to try two different flavors and she didn’t hear us correctly and brought four instead. She said it was our fault so we didn’t get funky with her. So here we are with four Absinthe and the Krewe du Vieux party to go to. We took care of this and the green fairy hit us about the time Dr. John came on the stage.

The green fairy waiting to make you insane.

The equipment necessary to mix a good Absinthe.

The bar.

Holy shit, I’m going to taste that?

What have I done?

Took this cool photo of the bridge across the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge.

I just liked the juxtaposition of lines and shapes.

Saw this truck in New Orleans apparently delivering wine. I don’t care how cute the branding and marketing are for a product, I don’t drink any wine that tastes like ass!!!

Is that a kangaroo’s back side and is this shit from Australia?

I didn’t know there was a Sonoma County in Australia.

Walking around you can quickly spot New Orleans work ethic. Let’s see, how many workers does it take to change a light bulb. Apparently in New Orleans it requires seven workers. One to change the bulb and six to check the work.

Making sure the work is done right.

Spent some time in Baton Rouge and visited the lake near the LSU campus. Here is a great sunset and an appropriate Louisiana warning sign.

Fire in the hole.

Only in Louisiana.

Ended up in New Orleans for a couple of days and had to get a little river time. I went to my bench in Audubon Park on the Mississippi River. This is where I went for many years when I needed to chill. I could sit on this bench and the huge ocean-going ships would sometimes some as close as 50 yards to the shore steaming up river. This was a good day with several ships at once.

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Barge and tanker ship.

In the passing lane.

Fuel barge going up river.

Only in New Orleans would you have an outside kitchen and on one shelf have cooking ingredients, tools, skulls, and insecticide.

I love skulls as a cooking ingredient.

Was walking through the mall attached to the hotel in New Orleans and saw this amazing juxtaposition of mirrors, stainless steel, and escalators.

Hung with my friends Golden and Daryl and their son Golden IV or G4 for short. I’ve known him since he popped out. He always hangs with me and we get great photos.

I hope his eyes don’t stick that way.

Saw this license plate in New Orleans.

Too bad a guy was driving this car.

Sweet Suite

Went to New Orleans with Janine for Christmas. She was able to scheme the top suite at the Westin. Her family lives in Baton Rouge so she is very familiar with New Orleans. We hung with Liz and my old NOLA friends. We had the corner suite overlooking the river. The suite had a conference area plus multiple bathrooms and a serving kitchen. It had a foyer the size of my bedroom at home. I had never been in a hotel room this large and didn’t know what to do with myself – so I lay in bed and watched the river from both windows. Ain’t it sweet.

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Out one window.

Out the other window.

Out the third window looking at the French Quarter.

Conference room.

Laying in bed checking out the river.

Here are a few photos of two of the little ones I hung with during the holidays. Golden IV is the son of my good friends Golden and Daryl in New Orleans. Layla is the daughter of my nephew Courtney.

Now, where did you get such a cute hat?

Lookin’ for ghosts in City Park.

Layla the monkey.

Two monkeys.

While I was in New Orleans, my son Chris was in San Francisco. We thought it would be an interesting time-warp thing to be on each of our city’s public transportation at the same time and then call each other. It magically worked out. Chris called me from San Francisco as I was just getting on the street car in New Orleans. I was able to hear the bell from the Powell Street line as he was able to hear the clang of the St. Charles Street car. Okay, it was a little father son bonding. Give us both a break.

Powell Street line.

St. Charles Street line

Chris hanging from the cable car.

I’m riding the street car.

During the Christmas season the New Orleans Botanical Gardens lights up their surroundings for a night time extravaganza for the kids. I went with some friends and helped tow the chitlin’s around. All of these photos were taken by my friend Golden since mine wouldn’t take good photos without a flash at night.

Got to have lighted gators.

New Orleans street cars on the huge train layout.

Mr. Bingle and me. I’m the one at the bottom of the photo.

Something cool without a flash.

Cheesy lights for the kids.

That’s where we were.

Another cool no flash photo.

Wouldn’t be complete without raptors.

T-Rex?

Spooky night shot.

Another night shot.