The Political Satire of Chaos - Angus Lind

Angus Lind on the political satire of Chaos

The Knights of Chaos heads parade through the streets of Uptown New Orleans during the parade last year. "If ever there was a parade whose name epitomized the current state of the life and times in this city, this is it, Scribe."


I, the loyal SCRIVENER and part-time detective, was down another Carnival den with my old Amigo, the secret Carnival double secret agent, Deep Float. The den was that of the chaos, the always satirical parade that will obviously pamphlet the state of utter confusion in the Big Easy as rolling Uptown at 6:30 pm Thursday.

My immediate thought was that it was a shame Chaos not roll past City Hall, situated on the corner of anarchy and absurdity.

"It seems Parodies of popular local informal get this message across to the milling throngs waiting Chaos, Float," I said. "In fact, the theme seems to be natural Chaos," reminiscent of a jovial and genteel television personality who also does some cooking and fishing. "

Deep Float replied, "¤ 'Double Shotgun' Chaos looks like our esteemed mayor and police chief in their gun sights, Scribe. Sounds logical. Ray-Ray seems to a shotgun approach to solving the city misery, whether they are budget veto , sanitation contracts, or funding shortages. "

"And," I said, "Chaos is to say: Do not forget the weapons demonstrations that mark out the crime and Riley police uniform color issue. Looks like Ray is one of the big pot-shot artists of all time. And the chef is not far behind.

"Here is one with a shopping cart full of money that seems to be a Jeffersonian motif - and I do not mean Tom," I continued. "It is called" Makin 'Groceries "and it seems you can find almost anything with the right amount of lettuce - Moyonaise, Betty Crocka and Shepherd pie. A late addition to the family grocery list is a bottle Cao-pectate, and the label says,' stop the race. "Well, Joseph Cao did just that, and now he is in DC and Dollar Bill's not. "

"There, Scribe, is pure genius, given the history of this organization," said Float. "It's the Momus Alexander Mortgage Institute." Looks like heads in some of the Master's experiments in his lab, such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Like the national economy, the housing market in New Orleans is on the chopping block, and Dr. Morgus' Hooded sidekick Chopsley seems to handle the foreclosure ax. "

"They're going to have to add a 'Help Wanted' sign in this Float, Float," I said. "It's' My Boy Spy / Your Spy Boy 'and I'm pretty sure that the' Big Chief 'on this float over financial and other affairs in the city government, our recently departed Inspector General Robert Cerasoli. I think Chaos hopes the IG will collect some scalp and the good work already begun. "

"The crowd will love this one," said Float, "and so will Benny Grunch, who wrote the song - 'Is it not expensive anymore." Topping the list of treasured places for Carnival organizations is the way but not forgotten Municipal Auditorium, which can rebound from Katrina, but as Chaos says, "The effort seems to be a late Ray and a dollar short." Krauss Co., the Zephyr, Tulane Stadium, The States-Item, including the ATO and DKE Frat houses are selected as the history. "

As we meandered through the den, it was very clear that Chaos gladly keep things local, and a Catholic city, it was inevitable that we would stumble on an approach to the church situation.

"Oh my Gawd! The float of the name" Oh My Gawd! " ¤ "Float said." Wonderful! These are the churches Archbishop Hughes concluded, and it seems he has a dollar sign on the cross on his archbishop's hat as he smiles down benignly on the graves of St. Henry's, Blessed Sacrament and Our Lady of Good Counsel churches all buried in St. Louis Cemetery No. 2 with 'For Sale' signs for them. "

"He will not stop with these congregations in the life miserable for him with lawsuits and appeals," I said. "Chaos is to say, as the storm clouds gathering: Hughes first, what is the second? And I do not know is on the third."

"What I know," said Float, "is that we are here, Scribe. See you at the next den."
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Crece Mardi Gras fun with the "Greasing for the Poles" at the Royal Sonesta

The unusual show features surprise celebrity interviews, local music, and a lot of Vaseline.

Full coverage of Mardi Gras


The Royal Sonesta Hotel originated the tradition of greasing the support poles as a means to deter the most zealous revelers from shimmying up space longed balcony above Bourbon Street.

Over the years this event has grown to attract crowds of spectators and media around the world.

Lubrication of the 2009 ceremony with the Polish members of the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club. Tyrone Mathieu Zulu King and Queen Sheila Mathieu appear as guests of honor the special event, such as Zulu celebrates 100th anniversary of its organization.


Rita BensonHonorary polo greasers include Rita Benson, Executive Vice President of the New Orleans Saints and Dana Stumpf, CEO of The Jesters, New Orleans professional football team.

Trumpeter Leroy Jones will take its original Hurricane Brass Band and Mike Theis, the host of Morning Show MIX 92.3 FM, broadcast live from the Royal Sonesta balcony during the event.
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Youth music program Struts their belongings this season's Mardi Gras

If you're like me, you're probably feeling pretty down, and demoralized the land these days because of control crime and violence in our city. But there is more light in our town in the future, and it grows brighter every day thanks to far-sighted group of musicians who created the phenomenal program that changes the fate of New Orleans' next generation.


Roots music is one of the most extraordinary youth program at the New Orleans scene today. This program takes the risk of young people at the most influential turning age and are most vulnerable to the influence of dysfunctional family life, drug addiction, crime and poverty in their midst, and connect them in a strict but care and academic music program. RF takes active, preventive approach to crime in New Orleans, giving young people, it is better to do something to achieve, and the skills needed to build a future post.

And the program was founded and has led some cities to the most popular and influential musicians, who just so happens to be debuting his young prodigies during the season, Mardi Gras parades. (See schedule below parade)

Ian McNulty
RF Founder Derrick Tabb and studentRebirth Brass Band drummer Derrick in the loop Tabb roots music program was founded just over a year ago, in the living room of his cousin, drummer, bass Terence Andrews in the famous musical family Andrew. To date, the program is run by Tabb, Band Director Lawrence Rawlins and Instructors Shoan Ruffin, Allen Dejan, and Edward Lee.
RF after school program operates Monday through Thursday from 3-7 and is free to all youth ages 9-14 who want to participate. The program provides music education, training, management consulting, food, uniform, band instrument rental and transportation, and programs for students who live Uptown, Downtown and the Westbank.

Sitting in his music studio in the upper part of the city, Tabb discusses his experience with today's youth of New Orleans.

"We're finding a lot of children have problems, especially with regard to Katrina." The children have many distractions. They have to deal with a lot of things they should not have to deal with. We have many children, cared for their grandmother, great grandmother, who do not have their parents. The great grandmother barely walk, live on fixed incomes, and they are raising these kids. These are, we have to go after. We me the guy who had seen children dead in the water, saw someone drown, and he did not has a parent. His mother died, my father is in prison, and he was living with someone he calls his "aunt" who did not actually aunt with 15 other children, and there are crack smoking going on. "
Tabb assistant Allison Reinhardt chimes in, "and he was fabulous baby!"

Tabb reflect for a moment then adds: "Interestingly, it will sound when it allows you to search all of that emotion. He knew the weight in one day."

Under the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina is the foundation of community weakened by high rates of multi-murder, a by-product of our previous low-quality public education system. For many poor people, not school degrees are much less basic skills of literacy, crime and violence are the only available answers to the seemingly hopeless conditions of their lives.

Ian McNulty
Roots MusicThe Montenegro New Orleans program gives children a better alternative to violence, instability and chaos of street culture of life, offering them an entertaining place to interact with each other, learn from first-rate teachers, as well as being part of a team. It also allows young people from different areas to meet and develop relationships, offsetting the geographical separation, which could lead to the development and gang fights for neighborhood turfs. The program is implemented in the downtown area of medium-sized cities and draws students from all over the city for a city marching groups, helping students to contribute to long-term relationships that can contribute to their further development at school and in adult life.
Tabb admits that his upbringing in the midst of TREME Brass Band and his subsequent travels around the world, as the musician holds the power of youth, he is trying to attract.

Children in the brass band scene here. When I was young, you can go and refer to any musician. They were there in the vicinity. After Katrina, you can not touch them. Now they, like the stars are here ... I have traveled the world with a drum - traveled to Europe when I was 11. I learned a lot about life through music.

(Students in the program) want to do better in school, to save their documents. I tell them: "You must help the school, I want to get it for you. You want to play that horn, go everywhere we go, you need to do something for me. Read this math."


RF leaders to measure the success of the program by criteria such as enrollment, persistence rates, group participation, and student GPAs and GPA improvement. Currently, the program has 98 students and 90% attendance rate. And any incident in behavior that occur as a matter of decision of the head of doling out strict sets of push-ups and sit-UPS.

Derrick smiles. "Sometimes all this to do push-ups, as a student of acting. Sometimes the good have to suffer for the bad. This is called" wearing them. "

Gambit Magazine food critic Ian McNulty, who lives next door, where the RF practices observed first-hand manner ROM combat discipline and training paid off in the strengthening of student growth:

"Four nights a week now, we can hear them start to practice in the Cortez Street. They start at about the same time every night, which I surround signal that the working day comes to an end.
First, they sounded awful, of course, but teachers have been drilling them on the music and discipline, too. When they act like jackasses, they were ordered to run phase block or do push-ups. Now pack tightly. Last night, the music started, but it sounded like it was right outside my window. I went downstairs, and of course the whole group and dancing group was marching down a block as the parade. Neighbors up and down blocks went to the porch, dancing, flashing lights on and off the porch, admiring. It was Awesome start. "

Since its inception, ROM developed a diverse group of supporters who believe in our formula for success. Other musicians who support this program in the way of teaching administration include Roots co-founder of Troy 'Trombone shorty' Andrews, Revival in the range of leader Phil Fraser, soul rebels tuba player Edward Lee and a host of other music legends. Teachers from Dillard and Tulane to help students with their homework. And a sociologist from LSU Rick Weil is working with the disc more than a year, helping the group to lay the institutional framework through networking and research.
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Enjoy Mardi Gras with food, beverages and packages displayed

Would you away from the crowd in this carnival?

Well, for this you need to stay home, but a number of places around town make it a little easier to enjoy by offering packages that away from the street in celebration.


Here are some examples. If you know of those who are absent from our list, help your colleagues by sharing revelers, who, what, where and when your favorite viewing spot.

Mardi Gras coverage Complete '

Hotel Intercontinental, 444 St. Charles Ave.

Some downtown hotels set up forums and welcome revelers. Consider, for example, get a place at the Hotel Intercontinental stand on St. Charles Avenue at Poydras Street, where the bottom yet you stand 7 feet above street level.

During Endymion, Rex and Zulu, buffet packages include the Grand Ballroom. During the parade of others, the hotel has a tent to sell food and drinks to those in the gallery. Tickets are going to relax in the hotel as well.

Endymion and Bacchus usually sell at first. Ticket prices range from $ 10 to $ 90 per person, depending on parade night. For more details and prices on each package, visit the website or call 504.525.5566 www.intercontinentalnola.com.

The Black Cat, 715 St. Charles Ave.

See all Uptown parade route of the Black Cat on the balcony downtown St. Charles Avenue. The cabaret and bar will be closed to the general public 13 to February 27, but those reservations can watch all the parades Uptown on the second floor balcony. The terrace can accommodate up to 20 people. Private buyouts are available, with pairs of tickets for night parades. The ticket price includes an open bar for the property, house brands, and access to facilities of The Black Cat. Parade visitors can bring their own food.

Evening parade on Thursday, February 19, Friday 20 February, Monday 23 February. (Evening parades on Saturday and Sunday February 21, February 22 have been sold.) The company is closed Mardi Gras). The cost is $ 1500 for the entire balcony, $ 750 for a maximum of 10 people in a group of $ 150 per couple.

Day parade on Saturday, February 21, Sunday 22 February is $ 1000 for the entire balcony, $ 500 for a maximum of 10 people in a group of $ 100 per couple.

All tickets subject to availability. To purchase tickets, call 504.581.5812 or purchase on www.cabaretlechatnoir.com.

Michaul of, 840 St. Charles Ave.

Put the whole family? Chief Michaul's. Packages, which include food, alcohol and gallery admission, ranging from $ 80 to $ 225 for the various parades, with reduced rates for children. Bacchus is exhausted. Call 504.522.5517 or visit www.michauls.com.

No reservation? Check with them on the day of the parade, if there is space, you can join the party.

Off the parade routes:

Some places are not displayed parade, but have packages that allow you to get out of the swarming crowd.

A perennial favorite is the balcony of Chris Owens Club Bourbon Street, which is available each year by reservation, on Wednesday February 18 through Fat Tuesday. Call 504.523.6400 for prices and details.

Watch the revelers of the envelope balcony to Bourbon Vieux, 501 Bourbon Street, while enjoying an open bar and buffet. Packages are available on Friday, February 20 through Fat Tuesday, February 24 and range from $ 150 to $ 235. For reservations, menus and details, call 504.586.1155 or visit www.bourbonvieux.com.

Shrove Tuesday, February 24, The Bombay Club, 830 Conti St., between Bourbon and Dauphine, will be closed to the general public but open to those who have reservations from 11 am to 5 pm, $ 75. Whether you buy a bar, a buffet and access to facilities. For more details, visit www.bombayclub.com, or call 504.586.0972.

If you do not see your club here, chances are they Carnaval packages to give them a call.
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The recession has not slowed the purchase of Carnival balls hyperphagia

Popular wisdom that New Orleans-area economy has avoided the worst of the financial crisis, rampant skyrocketing unemployment seizures, thanks to the recovery of Hurricane Katrina.


In fact, that May be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression can not rock the market for carnival throws, either.

Despite fears among providers Mardi Gras beads and Krewe captains this year that the riders concerned about the costs of not skimp on frivolities costly throws, ornaments of all kinds - Krewe theme of Coke bottles hologram giant medallions of flowers stuffed - have flown off the shelves.

"We did not get anything but the stimulation of our customers," said Nancy Lahaye, a cashier at Accent Annex Metairie. "I suppose it would be slower, but I have not seen that. People come in. They are happy, and they talk about the parade. "

Krew although some have struggled to achieve the targets and a few even canceled their parades, it seems that those who have not left the financial threw caution to the wind - or had ordered their spoils before the economic climate has become so catastrophic. In both cases, the line of partygoers that roads should not expect to be short changed.

More than the shots themselves, it May be that riders see their purchases as an investment in the spirit of Carnival, the captain said Staci Rosenberg muses.

"This is certainly not a necessity, but people feel this way, she says, hundreds, often thousands of dollars in beads and other goodies that stock on its members this year." It is an escape "says Rosenberg. "It's a necessity, perhaps, for their mental health."

Dan Kelly, who heads Beads by the Dozen, said sales at retail outlets have started slowly this year, with cheaper, generic pearl strands first. After the first of the year, however, companies have started to rise.

"He has really taken over the past few days," says Kelly. "Now we feel we are going to do at least what we did last year, if not better."

Among the new features popular oversized "coup" of beads that look like Christmas decorations but they are solid, more than decorations for the cars, the parade ladders and houses, as bright fringe twinkle lights and purple, green and gold, Lahaye said.

Lahaye said it has received customer orders and logs from as far away as Nebraska and California, seeking to import Mardi Gras fun.

With Valentine's decline during the first weekend of parades, Kelly said he sold a lot of pearls and red heart the theme of romance articles. Also hot this year is the Endymion Krewe of the new "lenticular" medallion, which has a hologram and a plastic figurine of the same club that shines in all the colors of the rainbow, "he says.

At his shop, Kelly took a run on the flashing neon and new beads balls of light. "People like all enlightened," he said.


MICHAEL DeMOCKER / The Times-Picayune
A bobble-head Zulu dollThrows also performed outside of the radii of the Zulu Souvenirs Shop, which has stock of high-end duplication of pearls with half-coconut medallions, books and a bobble-head doll of this years, the king - all printed in the club's 100th anniversary logo.

A seller is 30 oz canteen with straw and neck, made of several large merger hollow logs, store manager Edmond Melder Jr. said. The riders have also purchased 600 cases of limited series of glass bottles of coke stamped with the emblem of the anniversary, he said.

"No recession in Zulu," Melder said. "Not this year."

The Krewe of Iris, the former women only Krewe rolling Uptown did not have a problem selling his booty, Captain Oswald said Joy. Among the first items to go in the shape of sticks were lit by three stars, tigers and pandas stuffed with magnetic paws and stuffed giant sunflowers, "she says.

"They went like crazy, because they're kind of big," said Oswald. "We sold almost everything."

Known for having more and more adept cast every year, riders Muses shed light diamond rings, digital watches, bottle openers and a flashlight miniature fans with plastic blades Krewe light to reveal the name, said Rosenberg.

Of course, she says, the signature of the club are also able decorated shoes sure to fly floats. "The shoe of the request is out of control," she says.

Indeed, some die-hard fans Muses parade along the route to the wave of photos of former President George W. Bush along the road in the hope that, at a press conference in December in Iraq, this draw threw shoes from members of the Krewe, which delights in political satire.

But whether or not they cook up schemes to attract intelligent rods, parade, visitors can take the recession will not take off their booty, including the capture on St. Charles Avenue, Behrman road, Judge Perez Drive, Veterans Memorial Highway, Road or cabin Front Street.

"As my mother always said," Oswald said, "There will always be Mardi Gras, and people will still buy the throw." "
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Thousands turn to the celebration of Family Gras in Metairie

Despite the thousands of people crammed into the Family Gras in Metairie Pending People rocker Gavin DeGraw to take the stage on Saturday afternoon, 5 years, Nathan Vicknair appears to be in a world like his own imagination, he celebrated touch, clutching his neon orange football as he jumped into his folding chair.


Sitting next to him, Meghan Lauland, also 5, studiously drawing in color of Strawberry Shortcake, looking through a box of crayons and markers she shared with sister Mia, 3.

Behind them, their parents, families of veterans Gras, discussed before the next round began.

"We love it," said Nancy Lauland, 35, of Metairie.

"It's not too crowded," in Jill Chimed Vicknair, 34, also of Metairie. "I love the bands and the food and crafts."

The second day of Family Gras took a soggy start. But the showers have been completed in 11 hours, prompting a good showing Saturday afternoon.

"Everything is fantastic," said Violet Peters, president of the Jefferson Convention and Visitors Bureau, which organized the event.

She estimated a crowd of 4,000 attended the 3-year-old celebration of the kick-off Friday evening, featuring Tony Orlando. There was some rain, but the krew Excalibur and Atlas still rode on the course Metairie.

Peters was no crowd, the number of Saturday, but she said attendance has already passed on Friday evening by 1 pm

At midday, the main stage and the place belonged to teenagers, who swarmed in the hundreds to hear the local rock band, and We The Kings Vettes and The Cab.

As singer Rachel Vette Vettes pranced around the stage in a gold lame Jumpsuit, Julie Polk, 15, Laplace, sang and swayed on the shoulders of her boyfriend, Kevin Scharwath, 17, of Paulina.

"I've been to all their concerts. I like a lot, "said a beaming Polk, who decided to attend the Family Gras once she discovered the group was part of the range.

Later, the crowd shouted the words of girls and a sea of hands flew into the air each time the lead singer of pop group The Kings, we waved to the crowd to join in.

During the Louisiana to the stage, behind the restaurant on Chevy Hullen Street North, a little crowd bopped Bobby Cure and the Summertime Blues, the group did a little Barry White before breaking into "Boogie Shoes" by KC and the Sunshine Band.

Family Gras first Convent Danny, 59, of Metairie, a sports neckful purple Mardi Gras beads, found a place near the front of the stage. What began with his right foot pressing the sync with the tempo of its spread to the hip as he began to skip and dip.

Before the first chorus, his fiancée, Donna Gordy, 53, was taken out of his chair and gorges beside him.

"We love Bobby, and we love to dance," says Gordy.

Louisiana, the stadium, a new addition to the family Gras, and a new art market, which spilled on the parking lot of Whole Foods store Memorial Veterans Boulevard, made this event a real festival.

The market featuring over 60 vendors of paintings, photographs, Mardi Gras masks, wood and leather work, clothing, art and skateboarding Koochie Kooza, a beer holder adorned with feathers, exotic , prints and beads.

More tents near the North Hullen crafts, Stephen and Lynne Pesce break from Metairie to move the chicken tenders to their daughters, Allison, 2, and Annie, 1, who were seated in a double stroller.

SCIP said they attended the family Gras last year, but spent most of their time in the vicinity of Lakeside Shopping Center, because it rained a lot.

The couple gave the event high marks for supporting local vendors and musicians. But the girls had the pleasure for a different reason.

"They like to go with music and chicken nuggets," says Lynne Pesce.
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10 things you may not know about The Zulu's truth

Shared history and a generation, most of the more than 100, Mardi Gras Treasures Presbytere seen at the exhibition at the museum.


Founded in 1909, the club's history and the joy of the Zulu social aid is long, the floor is mainly other people. However, the organization's 100 years of Carnival parades, which he declined to say their members.

"For so long, or why this was Zulu, because of this, and ... now, now" to hear that said, the club's official historian, Clarence Becknell, he rebuilt the clubhouse of the Zulu recent Saturday afternoon sitting. To tell the story of the Zulu Zulu "today, and many people visit our Presbytere not hear the outside world and the history of the retelling, this exhibition is the first generation of Zulu, has recorded the true story. "

Zulu is the original story

"From the king of the road: Zulu 100 years" in January 2007, the 2009 Open, only time of year for Carnival, which runs until the end of this year.

Last summer, the club is about creating their own exhibition of memorabilia, the museum approach. Closely CHARUZUCHENBARENBEKKUNERU Presbytere滅多NI historian of the museum is a treasure of the display seen in front of the room worked to collect more than 100.

Chamberlain exhibition, the last one I hope to dispel the myth that success to the club for several centuries.

"Many New Orleanians who is Zulu, or because there is no root, why is it important to know coconut joke," said Chamberlain. "This exhibition is the history of the Zulu people and the people who live with people, how come this great organization of the carnival will give everyone the opportunity to learn what really attractive .. "

The crew are just a joke

Contrary to popular belief, the founder of the Zulu John Rex L. Metoyer, a parody of the king of Carnival, the organization could not be created. Pythian Metoyer that he saw a vaudeville troupe in a theater play Temple in New Orleans, Smart Set was inspired. Of the skit, "It was never going to be a king like me" who appeared dressed in grass skirts and blackface paint functions. Previously "on the street," wearing the pants in tatters, JUBIRIKARUTETTO, Metoyer parading with his friends and later started a Zulu in 1909. The first king, William Story, and I carried a banana stalk scepter and wore the crown of lard.

The year 1916, Metoyer encourage the incorporation of the Zulu. In terms of organization, dedication to the philanthropic mission and convey social Zulu preamble. According to historians, select them in the whole society to work for one member, to use as evidence, Zulu, who celebrated in a spoof that you can not neglect.

CHARUZUCHENBAREN, Presbytere Louisiana State Museum historian, was a man who wants to honor the founder of the Zulu Mardi Gras.

"The incorporation of the, 'and for the purpose shall be the object of our society,'" Chamberlain said. Previously, if you can pass the ball, Zulu, and loyalty "is being held in very high for anyone."
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