happy mardi gras

nomadthethird

more issues than Time mag
More good news for New Orleans tourism:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29371878/

A Mardi Gras parade erupted into chaos on Fat Tuesday when a series of gunshots struck seven people, including a toddler. The child was not seriously injured and two suspects were in custody, police said.

The shootings happened near the Garden District about 1:40 p.m. after the last major parade of the celebration, Rex, had ended. A stream of truck floats that follow the parade were passing by when gunfire broke out.

"It sounded like a string of fireworks, so I knew it was more than one shooter," said Toni Labat, 29, a limousine company manager. She was with her two children, a 2-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl.

...

Dr. Jim Parry, 41, a surgeon who was with a gathering of doctors near the shooting site, ran over to tend to one man who he said had been shot in the abdomen. "He kept asking me, 'Was I shot? Was I shot?'"

Paramedics arrived and took over for the Air Force reservist.

"I'm off to Afghanistan this summer. Damn, this is more dangerous than Afghanistan," Parry said.

Two men, 19-year-old Mark Brooks and 18-year-old Louis Lazone, both of New Orleans, were each booked with seven counts of attempted first-degree murder. Brooks also faces a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Young said. It was not immediately known if the men had attorneys.

...

Beau Beals, 45, said he was outside a house party on St. Charles Avenue when the shooting erupted. He said he and other revelers tossed children over a metal fence to get them to safety, but others kept waiting for beads and other trinkets being tossed from the floats as if nothing had happened.

"They had an ambulance out here picking the guy up off the street and people didn't stop vying for throws," Beals said.
 

nomadthethird

more issues than Time mag
Ok, but first I'll need your name, address, social security number, bank account + routing and a copy of your driver's license.

Also, my brother has a million dollars he wants to wire to you from Nigeria if you just send a few preliminary fees first. Western Union only.
 

STN

sou'wester
Sick Boy, you are very welcome see mine if you like.

In London, the Notting Hill Carnival is reputed to be seen as ideal for settling gang scores (general confusion, tough for ambulance crews to reach victims). This could be vile tabloid propaganda, but there are at least some disproportionately violent (i.e. not just crowd-based beer fights) incidents every year.
 

nomadthethird

more issues than Time mag
Yeah, this is not exactly unusual, especially for New Orleans, frankly one of the worst cities in the U.S. for murder/crime...it's just too bad. I thought they were whitewashing and cleaning up post-Katrina for all the charities and stuff.
 

STN

sou'wester
yeah, definite shame and tragedy.

What are the 'throws', that people were vying for in the last line?
 

nomadthethird

more issues than Time mag
yeah, definite shame and tragedy.

What are the 'throws', that people were vying for in the last line?

Mardi Gras "beads" or necklaces that the people on the floats throw at the audience. Usually you get more if you're a woman and you flash for them.
 

nomadthethird

more issues than Time mag
mardigras2000_breasts1.jpg
 

STN

sou'wester
Thanks, I suppose I could have gleaned that by reading the article properly.

I hadn't realized flashing was so topical to the thread.
 

nomadthethird

more issues than Time mag
It's a very "drunk tourist" sort of thing to do I guess, although the French Quarter used to be a lot of fun, I don't know if it is now...

Many a frat boy has made the pilgrimage.
 

mms

sometimes
hmm, i'll ask my girlfriend about an alledged connection between jazz funerals and new orleans gangs, she interviewed a whole load of guys from new orleans a few years back cos she was researching a big and underexposed bit of bush grimness.
 

nomadthethird

more issues than Time mag
hmm, i'll ask my girlfriend about an alledged connection between jazz funerals and new orleans gangs, she interviewed a whole load of guys from new orleans a few years back cos she was researching a big and underexposed bit of bush grimness.

There are so many!
 

mos dan

fact music
Mardi Gras "beads" or necklaces that the people on the floats throw at the audience. Usually you get more if you're a woman and you flash for them.

i managed to get quite a few without showing anyone my tits.. fortunately for all concerned.. this was mardi gras 08, during our us election roadtrip: http://myfellowamericans2008.com/bl...d-ak-47s-new-orleans-30-months-after-katrina/

also recommend very very highly 'trouble the water', a katrina docu, if anyone has a chance to see it (i caught it at the ica, and it was on more4 recently i think..)
http://dan-hancox.blogspot.com/2009/01/trouble-water.html
 

STN

sou'wester
It was on More 4 on Tuesday, so should still be on people's (and hopefully my) 4 on Demand.
 
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