Tues, 2/5

Rex "zings" Chocolate City Mayor Ray Nagin (and gets down) Hail Rex!



(Things start at 9 NY time. WWOZ will riding in Zulu so let's see what
that's like. So far, Krewe Du Vieux and Bacchus have been my
favorites. They also had the best video quality.)

I tune in at about 8:30 NY time. WWOZ is broadcasting live from Zulu
they say. Haven't heard anything that would indicate that.

Looking at the earthcam bourbocam. Nobody is walking around in
costume. What's up with that? True, it is 8 in the morning but at
least there should be a few people out there wandering around like
lost souls. (see Bourbocam 2006)

Hey Oh! Huey Piano Smith - Don't You just Know it. Me been drinking!

Ha Ha Ha!

I watch the street cleaning crew clean up near the Bourbocam. Imagine
waking up on Mardi Gras day and going to work to clean up Bourbon St.
Amen for my good life.

The cleaning crews are doing a real good job. Good!

Do what you wanna - Dirty Dozen? No.

A plastic bag blows onto Bourbon St. The street sweeper just went by
but a guy with a broom sweeps it up. Right on!

Oh great, bob French next. New Orleans worst ambassador.

It's 9 am in NO. I don't see anyone in costume on Bourbon St. What's
up with that?

Ok, I see one. And a Sousaphone. Alright.

Bob French comes on nicely. Good morning. Kinda quiet. "Ain't no time
for no violence. Good. You people in NYC, I'm sorry you ain't here.
Well, alright." Now he talks on the phone and isn't aware he is also
on mic.

Seeing more crowds on the Pardadecam.

Bob dedicates this to all the big fat women out there. Ok. Help yourself.

A whole slew of bike riders goes by the Bourbocam.

More costumes. Good.

Whoa. Floats passing by the Paradecam! 10:13 NY time.

Watching a Miller Light truck BACK UP on Bourbon St. No one gets run over.

There are f'ing floats going down St Charles and no one is on the Paradecam.

DSU cam is live. They got Zulu on! An aerial cam but Zulu
nonetheless. 10:18 NY time. "Must have taken many hours to get ready
to go to work today". Expect lots of bad humor on this.

Pete Fountain in the Zulu parade. The DSU woman is yakking away,
rapid fire. I turn them down. Listen to OZ. "If you can't be good, be
good at it."

DSU screen goes black. Iko Iko on OZ. They go black for commercials I
guess. Bands go by but we can't hear them, the hosts are yakking. And
the cam is way too high up.

Mardi Gras Mambo...

Woman says: "You look glazed and dazed", to Bob.

Bob cues up a song and then says I'm not sure if I want to play this song.

DSU hosts are way up on the Hotel De Cirque. A safe distance. Cute
blond. You think you're going to get a coconut way up there?

John Boutte - Mardi Gras Mambo as a real mambo on OZ.

Bunch of big wigs on the Bourbocam. Hi! Blue hair, purple hair...

Another latin song on OZ.

11:23 am NY time. Nothing much going on. Ate some shrimp. (I'm going
to run out WAY before I am satiated.) Now eating pistachios. Zulu
parade going on on the DSU cam but it's too far away. Still nothing
going on on the Paradecam. Bob is playing a sad song about a woman
who misses her lover. Drinking Again.

There's Pete Fountain on the DSU Zulu parade cam which is now street
level. They have audio of it, good. See some nice costumes. Doing
Margie! The great Ray Charles song. One of my favorites by Ray, done
on that live album, Ray Charles Live, a great album. Nice!

The Fantastic Four on the Bourbocam! Bob French playing, That't The
Time I Feel Like Making Love... lol. (Topsy Chapman singing them.)

I need another drink.

McCormicks, the cheaper Bailey's. Nice funky tune on OZ. Bob speaks
then WAY overmodulates, playing Henry Butler - Iko Iko... Easy Bob.

DSU cam shows radar with rain over NO, but not for long.

I see a woman pirate on Bourbon St., with purple legs. As Jeff would
say, hello pretty lady. The Jesus freaks are back! ARE YOU BORN
AGAIN? NO!!!

I thought the Paradecam was going to be on at 10 NO time. It is
almost 12 NY time, 11 NO time and they are still on the roof. No
parade happening though. I take it back, there goes a military band.
And vendors. And riders on horses. And floats. Did someone oversleep?
Nope they have a host but are still on the roof. Lauren is hosting.

"Happy Mardi Gras, sweetheart", heard on OZ.

Nice float on the Zulu parade. Nice drumming on OZ but overmodulated,
seriously overmodulated. Rebirth - On A Mardi Gras Day. We see an
American Indian with head-dress in the reviewing stand on the DSU
cam, Zulu parade. Nonstop parades wherever you look. Mardi Gras
overload!! OZ, Paradecam, DSU cam...

Raining doubloons!, heard on the Paradecam.

Right Time Wrong Place - brass band version. Nice. Overmodulated but
nice. I can look past that. But it is typical of WWOZ production
values. Amateurs. Haven't gotten better in all these years.

(12 pm NY time) Nice black and white tiger on Zulu parade. Incredible
headdresses. Huge.

That looks like Arthur Hardy with the DSU hosts.

Maxing out my computer. Getting nice dribs and drabs of DSU cam
audio, Paradecam audio, OZ audio.

Zulu handing out NutriGrain bars! lol

DSU cam: "This is exhausting." Wimps.

Zulus riding on top of the fire truck. Very white people doing
commentary. "They really go full out into their costumes." Their
problem? They talk too much. Relax and enjoy it.

Whoa. Bourbon St is getting crowded! Well alright. 12 NY time
still... 12: 06 actually.

Nice audio soup. Paradecam, DSU cam, OZ. Very nice.

I sing along with OZ, Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans
and the DSU cam, and the Paradecam. Nice melange.

Scott, we're multifaceted, Bob French says. Bob says goodbye. Bye
Bob. Paradecam has Laurie and other non-native host. And we DO get
dead air from OZ!! What Bozos. (Where is it, Bob asks.) Clueless
amateurs. Funny. "We are expecting temporary difficulties."
(Experiencing?)

I laugh. OZ still doesn't have it's act together. They never will .

See fire engine on Paradecam.

Gotta roll with it on OZ. The end of Rex on the Paradecam. Elks next.

DSU cam:" We should identify these people." Nice audio soup with all three.

OZ stream stops. Maybe I have too much going on here... Only 91% CPU
use... 12:33 pm NY time.

Very little of any stream getting through now. Only a few dribs of
the DSU cam audio.

Ooh, silence. Can't deal with that. Now we get DSU cam back. "Things
are looking back to good." What the hell does that mean? lol. Mardi
Gras madness.

DSU cam: "Here comes the tribal king." ..."As he tosses out all those
riches, so to speak."

DSU cam: "The stuffed animals. This is what I'm telling you."...
"What's interesting, those backup tractors." lol, these guys are
hilarious. Must be Republicans. Not used to seeing black people. I
crack myself up. "Those girls can dance too." "I'm so jealous of
these girls, I have two left left." Mitchell High School of Memphis,
TN.

OZ is back. 1 pm NY time. DSU cam: Didn't know there were so many
riding clubs around here. Arthur Hardy on DSU cam.

OZ is playing a nice smooth variation on a brass band tune.

DSU cam is on Poydras by One Shell Square. Dr john singing Mama Roux
on OZ! "Wham bam, Hang the ham"

Zulu is only half way through! 1 pm NY times.

"Everybody do your thing. Who knows what tomorrow brings."

Paradecam still with no host, but parade passing by. 1:10 pm NY time.

Inkster High School, Inster, MN. I never knew there was such a place.
I've heard of a Jay Inkster but had no idea there was an Inkster
anywhere.

DSU cam: "A family oriented parade."

Nice evil mouse float on DSU cam. Do What You Wanna on OZ. Gotta
love it. Sure, my computer keyboard is covered with pistachio stains.
I'm having fun. Will clean it all up tomorrow.

Not seeing very many costumes on the Bourbocam.

Looks like a nice band on the DSU cam but they aren't letting us hear
their music.

Do What You Wanna still on. A nice soundtrack to the DSU cam with
their chattering idiots muted. Yeah, you right.

Doin' The ? ? Strut. Front Porch Strut! "Do the front porch strut.
Swing your butt. Swing it to the left, swing it to the right." My new
favorite song. 433 A <-

DSU is showing a Metairie parade... Argus.

So Tom, what was that? He doesn't say!!

Paradecam is still stopped.

Want My Money Back again on OZ. Another version.

Almost time for lunch. Fried catfish. Yum. May have to start that before Rex...

DSU cam : "One of the longest Zulu parades in history. This is
unfortunate." "We're waiting for the king of merriment..." Sure we
are...

A leaning tower or Pizza on one float. "They mean well." as they get pelted.

Arthur: " I feel like I'm doing a hurricane report." "Are we ready to
get toasted", another DSU anchor. Queen of Argus.

Rex is beginning at last. 1:40 NY time. The LSU marching band. Nice
drumming and nice lines but not a NO tune.

Rex comes by. 1:42 pm NY time. Towards the 2000 block of St Charles.
Paradecam is still stuck on a stopped parade. DSU cam has Rex moving
on down.

Riders on Rex? wearing blackface! Some with one eye whitened. Man,
they got balls.

DSU cam: 40 minute delays, Blaine Kern trucks pulling away...

"The only thing that we really have is our funk down by Congo
Square." Mardi Gras indian song on OZ.

2pm Paradecam paradecam is still stuck.

No audio from DSU cam, it's breaking up.

DSU cam: Still waiting for Rex to start. My mind spins.

Rebirth with the Nightcrawlers! on OZ.

Paradecam is finally moving. 2 pm NY time. Is that Elks? (Bad hum on
the Paradecam but we can hear Lauren occasionally. Still on the roof.)

DSU: Arthur?: "My 30th Mardi Gras. Never ceases to be hilarious." DSU
is on Bourbon Street. No, tomorrow they will be hurting... not back
at their desks like any other day. "Now is the time to bring the
family to Bourbon Street." Un hunh.

Warren Easton High School in Rex too.

Bouef Gros!

Streams stop so I restart the computer. Or was it that nap I took...
Rex is by One Shell Square. ~3 pm NY time. Maitre d from the Boston
Club, a black man.

Rex: "We need you all to help us rebuild this city... To my wife,
today you are the other woman and that makes you that much more
alluring."

Arthur Hardy w/ Dr John Oeschner Sr.

Bad hum on the Paradecam, still on roof too, so hard to watch. 3:05
pm, NY time.

Gretna parade a little late. Hah!

Bouef Gras has smoke coming out of his nostrils!

Tributes to rivers, NO pays homage to rivers, the Amazon river is the
next float. Volga the next. Old wagon wheels on this float, not that
many people can see them.

Some nice floats. Mekong river.

"Long time ago we used to knock some heads, Now we knock em dead with
some needle and threads", Mardi Gras Indian song.

Some newbies on OZ.

Tigres and Euphrates river float. Iraq not mentioned. "They didn't
have to dodge heavy quantities of heavy beads." No, they are dodging
something a little more dangerous these days.

River Tiber float, with supposed wolf at the head.

Pipe band, scottish, Scotland The Brave played.

The river Styx.

OZ DJ chastises himself for calling the Mardi Gras Indian outfits
"costumes". They are "suits", like there is any difference...

Congo river float. Atchafalaya river. Not exactly one of the major
rivers of the world but what the heck. An egret has fallen off one of
the floats, stopping the parade.

The river Ganges. DSU host gets hit: "that's not nice." But she gets
him back. Lots of people complaining of getting hit by beads and
stuff. 3:45 NY time

The Nile. Nice dog? head. We hear DSU tv people talking between live shots.

OZ DJ singing along with the Mardi Gras Indians. OZ DJ, "it's
definitely not about Bourbon St and beads." Well, it sort of is.

"You uptown rulers don't give a damn." - Handa Wanda Indian song.

The mighty Mississippi float has a fearsome figurehead.

The Yangtze river, a float I've seen before and loved.

DSU preparing to sign off live so they can show the Ellen deGeneris
show. Paradecam has truck floats but is still on the roof (and has
horizontal lines going up the screen.)

4pm NY time. Bourbocam (Earthcam) shows few in costume.)

DSU continues its web feed with a very high overhead shot of Canal
St. showing floats going up and down the street.

OZ DJs are talking about tipping the street cleaners and waitresses,
one guy says, "don't forget those dancing girls..."Smoke My Peace
Pipe - Wild Tchopitoulas.

Good to see the (Palm?) trees on Poydras have survived. They look magnificent!

4:33 pm NY time. Things are kinda winding down. OZ is playing slower
stuff. The DSU cam is showing the high aerial shot of Canal St. The
Paradecam's parade is done. I think it is time for me to have lunch.
Catfish here I come.

5 pm NY time. I see trucks not moving on Canal St on the DSU cam.
Lots of people on the Bourbocam. Nothing much on the Paradecam. Time
to kiss that one goodbye. See you next year. It's been great.

So, for me it might as well be over. I'll keep watching the Bourbocam
and the aerial Canal St DSU cam till I go out tonight. I'll be going
out to see a local band do jazz/NO funk. Could be good. Could be
disappointing. We'll see.

Happy Mardi Gras y'all.

PS I tune into the Bourbocam (earthcam...) to watch the cops clear Bourbon St. They sweep through rapidly. I was heartened to see people APPLAUDING the police, the street sweepers, etc as they walked/rode by. In my day, the mid 70s, we didn't respect the cops because they were out of control. To see people applauding them now is heartening.

Monday, 2/4 Proteus and Orpheus

I foolishly thought Cox 10 was going to webcast the Zulu Lundi Gras
Fest but all they have is a promo. You have to have Cox cable to see
the show. Oh well.

So tonight, it's
Proteus - 6:15 p.m. and Orpheus - 7 p.m. (NY times) (DSU said Zeus
too but we never see it.)

I tune in at 6:04 NY time. DSU cam has reporter. Paradecam is still
on the roof.

Jeff is on Paradecam. "Bloggers have been mentioning you, Meredith,
too." I have... Others?

People walking around in shorts so the weather must be nice. Arthur
Hardy next on DSU. We see Arthur reacting to whatever they are saying
in the studio. He talks. When done, a beauty shot...

Watching people standing around eating, drinking, talking on cell
phones before the parade starts.

DSU guy white balances the camera on a guy's shirt?

See flambeaux with lights arranged vertically. Haven't seen that before.

Hear the train whistle from down by the river. Ah nostalgia.

6:30 NY time and no sign of any movement. We can see the first float
in the DSU cam. Now hear a siren. The parade is moving.

Flambeaux moving up. The DSU cam is only just around the corner from
the Paradecam so is slightly ahead of the Paradecam.

20 floats. Realms of Enchantment the theme. DSU cam has a good spot.
First float after the captain is nice, green Proteus, nicely done.

Poseidon (Pronounced Po-sigh'-den not Posaden). A flambeaux shouts
Happy Mardi Gras.

Nice faery float coming up. Well, at least the faery is nicely done.
The rest of it is poorly painted. A nice figure on the very end I
see. (That may be on another float. It's hard to keep track...)

I missed a big fish float.

Proteus had a lot of family troubles...

Did I see one of the black band members in whiteface?

This float is waddling up, the figurehead seems to be pulling it.
(The Cyclops! I later hear.)

Paradecam guy reads James Joyce!

Nice to hear the weather is nice.

The (St James) Wildcats conveniently stopping in front of the
Paradecam. I noticed the cymbal player jazzing it up too. The tuba
player giving it alot of body English. Cymbal player really showing
off! Now they all gyrate.

DSU reporter getting ready to go live, on cam.

Damian wants to get an organ transplant from one of these guys! The
band shakes it up. Band finally moves off.

Float #11, nice figurehead.

Beautiful blue sky shot on the DSU cam.

Nice leprechaun figurehead on this float.

Jeff thinks that I might know who is who. Nope. I'm just following
your lead and writing down as much as I can. But thanks for the
reference! It's nice to be mentioned. And fun to see who is looking
at the blog!

Crystal Caverns, cool figurehead. I would have guessed it was an
alien but Jeff has a better view.

DSU reporter is doing her on-cam thing. A beautiful float
(figurehead, an old man) passing by her.

Sunflowers on this float. Gilded Gardens it's called.

Fire engine on the DSU cam. 7:18 pm NY time.

(I do watch the streetcar cam occasionally...)

St Charles Streetcar Band again.

Proteus is done. (~ 1 hr) after it started. 7:22 NY time.

The view on Bourbon St is familiar but we sure miss the Bourbocam and
it's hosts. All those interviews. The whole scene. Now all we see is
a silent mass of people moving around, jerkily, very slow motion.

Orpheus 7:30 pm NY time
Paradecam is going but DSU cam is bluescreen. Are they done?

Eating dinner as I write, we see a Trojan horse float! The DSU cam is back.

Paradecam video camera is acting up, giving strange but beautiful
colors and having other technical problems. 7:40 pm NY time

St Aug band coming up on the DSU cam.

Some nice spotlights coming up on the DSU cam. Very cool effect
seeing the light in the trees.

Original Lady Buck Jumpers/Steppers struttin' front of the cam.

O Perry Walker wearing white pith helmets!

They ran out of Hummers and now have golf carts! (Good, I hate Hummers.)

Gorgeous effects with the searchlights on the DSU cam.

Paradecam has been better but still has some video problems.

Damian: Palm trees?

Float goes by Pitt St so DSU cam is by Pitt and Napolean.

Wow, a very bright float approaches on the DSU cam.

Have a steam train float but haven't seen Smokey Mary yet. Oh, that
is her. 6 floats long! Wow. Let's watch this go around the corner.

Smokey Mary has all kinds of American flags on her. We hear the
whistle but she isn't smoking much that I can see.

Bachalopter? I thought it was the Bacchussaurus? Paradecam is acting
up, strange colors.

Wow, an incredible white float coming up on the DSU cam, 2 sections,
full of feathers or what looks like feathers. Might be flowers.

Another cool gremlin with a blue shirt coming up on the DSU cam. And
a nice owl.

Kids marching on the DSU cam. Not in uniforms or at least it looked
like it (they do on the Paradecam). Then a band.

Jiminy Cricket and a large sun behind him.

Paradecam is all video noise now. Audio is fine. 8:31 pm NY time.

Bee on the Stinger float. I like the arch of flowers on it too.

We hear the Paradecamers catching beads.

Lots of nice close-ups of the riders on the DSU cam. The crowd is
very close to the float on the DSU cam.

Paradecam video is f'd up. 8:41 pm NY time (before and after the tape
change.) OK now but not for long.

Unmasked riders on the Coast Guard air rescue float with the
helicopter on the back.

I watch the DSU cam cuz the Paradecam video is too bad. Audio is
fine. (I think there is something wrong with the camera or the
transmission from it to the receiver.) Internet connection is fine
for both. DSU cam, not surprisingly since they are a TV station, has
had a great picture throughout Mardi Gras. Not always the best
position but best picture quality. And good audio when they use it.

Nice Neptune? float coming up. Paradecam fine now!

How are the high school seniors marked? The hosts are noting the
seniors often so they must be marked somehow.

Cool dragon coming up on the DSU cam. Fabulous! The best decorated float yet.

I agree. It's not quite the same when the Ford blows its horn
compared to the train!

Band in red making a good noise on the DSU cam.

Dragon looks great on the Paradecam, smoke everywhere.

Wow, a white creampuff of a float.

DSU cam is blue screen now. 9 pm NY time.

Here's the white creampuff. A green dragon as its figurehead.

Well alright, biodiesel!

Paradecam is now blue screen. Both are blue now. 9:05 pm NY time.
Good, they realize there is a problem. This is so much better than in
previous years when they would go on without doing anything about it.
Glad they still have audio.

The DSU cam is blue screen and doesn't look like it is coming back so
goodbye, DSU.

Paradecam is still on the roof. 9:15 pm NY time.

Good, the audio gets better on the Paradecam. We have radio at this
point with the cam up on the roof.

The hummingbird? Not the restaurant...

End of Orpheus. Very nice. Tomorrow starts at 10 (NO time for the Paradecam.

Sunday 2/3, Bacchus

I tune in about 6 NY time. The DSU cam is on Annunciation and
Napolean. Traffic was too messed up to get to other spot, anchor
says. OK.

We hear anchor live, before they are on cam.

Paradecam is on the roof still.

She throws to Camille. Behind the scenes of live tv...

Parade doesn't look ready but who knows when it will start.

(6:15 NY time) Two motorcycle cops just went by and I see some
blinking lights and hear more sirens, but now that's stopped... Oh
well.

More sirens. Here we go. Lots or people in wheelchairs here. We may
be near a hospital. Sirens stopped. Now started again. Now stopped.

(6:19 NY time) Paradecam switches to the street level. No host yet.
(Paradecam has audio hum...)

DSU cam will be AHEAD of the Paradecam...

Crowd on DSU cam cheers.

Anchor says some bands are still unloading, so will be more delays.
(6:25 NY time)

Meredith of nola.com comes on. "We're excited about Hulk Hogan." Un hunh. lol.

DSU cam goes blue screen but is ok shortly after.

Marching band. Marines probably, playing the Marine Hymn. 1st float
is going by. DSU cam is not changing position.

See some flambeaux. Now DSU cam moves. Nice shot of masked riders
moving closer.

Paradecam is going to the roof but little do they know the parade is
on it's way.

There's Hulk. Dad by ladder does Hulk poses!! Hulk throwing casually.
People might be booing! He definitely wasn't into it.

Paradecam is blue screen, now ok.

Lots of flambeaux!! These flambeaux carriers have propane containers
on their backs!!

Nothing has reached the Paradecam yet. (6:43 NY time)

Nice marching band on DSU cam. St Aug? Purple Knights so yes.

"Beads crushing under your feet are like fall leaves..." Meredith.
Sort of. If your leaves are real crunchy.

Meredith wonders if they sleep in the big cop van when they're on
stakeouts. Another guy points out that having Police written in big
letters on the van probably eliminates that idea.

People waving to the cops. Angola Prison rodeo...

Some nice close-ups on the DSU cam. Some guy on the Bacchus float
signing throws.

DSU audio cuts out. (6:53 pm NY time) but comes back soon. The parade
has stopped. Guy is signing a shirt now.

Meredith is a roller girl. (Her audio is a little low now, compared
to everyone on this cam being really loud normally. She was loud
earlier so I guess someone turned her down.)

Hulk hasn't rounded the corner by the Paradecam yet.

Here we go.

Nice dancers going by, in black. Band behind them. Good audio from
DSU cam. 7 pm NY time

Confetti! Two tigers. Louie Louie! Unmasked riders on this float. LSU
float. National champs in something.

How many toes have been run over by police cars trying to clear
people from the street. 1st float, riderless, is for Harry Lee. They
really worshipped him down there. I don't know why. Black bunting on
the float.

DSU stream looks nice. A little jerky but nice. 7:06 pm NY time

Paradecam guy catches a miniature Harry Lee magnets. Very weird!

We see some marchers turn onto Napolean on DSU cam. Floats come up Napolean.

Nice band! Red outfits.

Wow, a big white French Quarter float, the 4-parter?! Hey Pocky Way
plays! Then Going To The Mardi Gras.

This is like watching two different parades. Where's Hulk on the
Parardecam?! 7:12 pm NY time

Here he is. Meredith goes nuts. Paradecam miss him by not pointing
high enough up.

Meredith discovers making flirty eye contact gets her throws.

Statue of Liberty float. Some cowboy types in the middle and a ladies
leg on the back. Not sure what the theme was there.

St Aug parade leaders walk backwards!

Nice effect to see the confetti and the searchlights.

Peace sign on this float!

Beautiful red float coming up. Big heart and hearts all over. Cupid
ready to shoot his arrow. That is a well designed float. Hearts like
strawberries.

Great band beat! O Perry Walker. Bravo! (Maybe this is on the DSU
cam though so I don't know who the band is there.)

Cool dancing on the Paradecam. O Perry Walker there.

Budget truck. Somebody moving in the middle of the parade?

Guy just got 4 bags of beads! His old boss.

Star Wars float.

Nice band, 7:56 NY time. Thundering drums. Then Led Zeppelin
dirigible on float. Bee Gees on the end. WTF?

Band with straw hats! St Paul's High school.

Star Wars float reaches the Paradecam 8:15 pm NY time. Spectacular
dinosaur on the DSU cam!

I rejoin things after dinner 8:30 NY time

Bands conveniently stop in front of either cam. Great sound from the DSU feed.

Beautiful alligator float on the DSU cam.

We have smart hosts on the Paradecam for a change. Not that I think
Jeff isn't smart but compared to the other usual hosts, Meredith and
friends are a pleasant change.

DSU cam goes blue screen suddenly, losing audio too. (8:38 NY time) I
miss it...

What a scream! As the Bachussuarus passes by. (Took 1/2 an hour to
get to the Paradecam.)

DSU cam is back but now is a high overhead shot with static for audio
(and some on the video). They are probably almost done with their
feed though there is still plenty of parade by them. Getting some
cool effects from the searchlights maxing out the camera... Kind of
like the aurora around the sun.

DSU cam is black cuz the lighting is so low. We see only a light or two.

Nice overhead shot from the Paradecam too. Still getting audio from
them. Now we're back to street level. There goes the gator. Saw that
about 20 minutes ago on the DSU cam.

No audio from the Paradecam now. 9:01 pm NY time. (Seeing street
level view.) The DSU cam has a truck on it. Done for them?

Audio is coming back, but breaking up, on the Paradecam. Here we go.
Yeah, those are the street cleaners on the DSU cam. Audio is ok on
Paradecam now.

Misimpression is only a word while Bush is president. Hopefully after
that we go back to reality as we used to know it.

Ick. The Spice Girls. The hum comes back.

I stop the DSU cam

Guy they are interviewing, 'I know where the adult fun can be found.
He feels good about the country that families can have fun like
this.' We know how you feel bro.

Float 25 out of 31 here. A beautiful woman.

Cool, throwing beads into the exhaust pipes of the Mardi Gras tow
truck! Nice diesel horn. Other woman host needs a doorbell like that.

CSI float. Ick. "Lust" written after it.

It's done. See you tomorrow.

Sun, 2/3: Mid-City, Toth

1:31 NY time, the 2nd half starts. (Already started on DSU cam?... hmm.)

40 floats. Quite the scene with all the crowd. BBQs going? Something smoking.

St Aug passes by yet again.

Now no parade on the DSU cam.

Looks like St Aug passing on the DSU cam. So, DSU is after Paradecam....

This is Mid City, not Toth. OK.

Uses aluminum foil rather than paper mache'. Their "den" got flooded during Katrina , dens being where the floats are stored.

Xavier Prep band.

A bright red float looks great.

Nice medallion.

Mid City had the first animated float, being propelled by Boy Scouts on stationary bikes! Hilarious. Slave labor.

Float 6 - beautiful.

This guy knows how much hotter the foil floats are: 35 degrees. Un hunh. Is that a fact?

Drill team dressed in black does routine in front of Paradecam. One guy drops his fake rifle.

2:02 PM NY time. A break in the action on both cams.

"Port-O-Lets have regained their shape after Friday." People were sitting on top of them then.

Jeff interviews group in front of Paradecam. Guy sings The Time of My Life, ick. 'Blood level is vodka and tonic right now.' Their breath would catch fire...

More break. 2:11 NY time

Paradeacam comes back at 2:20 NY time.

DSU cam has parade at 2:24 NY time so it is definitely AFTER the Paradecam, ok?

Last float of Mid City. 2:27 NY time. (False alarm)

DSU stream is very jerky. My computer is running at 100% CPU use.

Smokey Mary? No, just a steam tractor! Cool.

And a calliope! Calliope being pulled by a steam tractor. We don't hear much of it, alas.

End of Mid City? (Audio is dropping out/breaking up on Paradecam) 2:31 NY time.

No pies from Hubigs. No love...

Jeff: Jaeger - Epicac with alcohol! (I've never had it.)

Yes, they are making absinthe again! Great. We can narcotisize ourselves with it.

Jeff asks group to sing. American Pie. That's kinda what I would expect from them. 'They are adjusting so well for their first time in NO.'

Toth begins. 2:39 NY time. ("Toth. Is that a word?")

Beautiful horses for the mounted police. Apaloosas? I have no idea. Lots of white markings. (Some of the cops have cowboy hats. Gretna police?)

Cheese fries. Sausage sandwiches. Yum.

Coast Guard helicopter flies over.

When The Saints - somewhere in GA Marine Corp band.

Drill team does their thing.

3:00 pm NYtime (Have blue screen when he thinks Paradecam is done with tape exchange.)

3:01 pm NY time. I write to nola.com to tell them the Paradecam is still blue screen. Let's see how long it takes for them to fix it. Cool. It is fixed as I am writing this! Thanks!! 3:03 ny time

Tulane band is in front of the Paradecam now. Jeff will be graduating soon. (after 7 years...)

Float with (Egyptian?) one eye. Master Builders. Masons?

Gary is a target so Jeff moves away. Aiming for Gary but their aim sucks. Get tons of stuff.

Fish beads

Nice stepping from the Arlington High School dancers.

Float #1 now?

Lots of Carmelettes.

Another song... You've Lost That Loving Feeling. Artfully sung. Or more accurately, drunkenly. They go on.

One guy throwing heaps, armfuls, of beads on the Renaissance Festival float.

Jeff says to a guy on  the float, "you look familiar." He responds with a shrug.

Maine lobster float! Lobster, bland compared to crawfish and hard to peel. (But so much more meat and damn good!)

Low-weesiana...

Parisolcam?

'A band displaying their pride in motion?' Something only a bandmember would say or think.

Nice Egyptian masks!

Maybe the horses enjoy Guns N Roses. Maybe...

Almost 4pm NY time and the RealOne Player hasn't stopped in a long time. Stream is abit jerky and video quality is not great but is as good as can be expected. Audio is better, not breaking up much. DSU cam is still jerky but I haven't been watching it much.

India float followed by NO Irish Pipe Band. Well, alright.

AZ Balloon Festival! Wouldn't have expected them to be there.

Day of the Dead. Yes, Mexico. Float isn't decorated very well. A skull here, a skull there. Could have been MUCH better.

LA Fantasy Girls?

LA Swampfest. Alright!!! Miles of alligators! Alligators love marshmallows! lol

I remember the Chinese New Year dragon float. One of my favorites.

(CPU is staying at 100% now... but all seems well.)

Abdul and the Tentmakers on their burger break.

(I stop watching the DSU cam as the Paradecam has a better angle on it all, though it is blurry.) 4:05 pm NY time Get CPU use to 75% now. Better.

Another dunk tractor driver.

"Tiger bait" idiot yelling.

Big Chief by Gulf Coast something band. Drummers in truck!

NO Jazz Fest, float #21.

Loyola dance team, not very energetic... Jeff says.

Nice gold medallion!

Jeff: "This is getting dangerous. These assholes are going way too far." The riders on the floats?

I like the striped outfits on these dancers.

Horse drawn cart! The Mardi Gras Indians on horses. The Indian competition on Mardi Gras day is to see who's the prettiest.

Basketballs being thrown from floats.

Rider hands out one of his flowers to someone and he didn't have many. Another rider talking on his cell phone. Black cowboys.

"Once again, the horses are being followed by a sound truck. they apparently enjoy it!"

Hear a steam/train whistle coming up. Christmas in NY float - what's that about? Maybe a Santa Claus and maybe either a Rockette or a Nutcracker figure. Two touristy things to do I guess. An interesting idea for New Orleanians going up to NY for Christmas.

We hear a little bit of Zoot Suit by the WIld Tchopitoulas.

A very quick battery change!! 4:23 pm NY time

It's getting dark there. Still light here! Maybe, it'd be good to adjust the camera... It's ok for looking towards the parade though. The sky is a little dark when focusing on that.

Nice Egyptian insignias on the last float. Meredith will host Bacchus. Starting at 5:15 NO time.

OK.

Sun, 2/3: Okeanos, Babylon

I tune in about 5 of 12 NY time. The WDSU cam is on, low level audio
but nothing happening. People standing around with no parade in
sight. As usual they are abit back from the action but they do zoom
and pan so we will see good scenes. The Paradecam link for the live
Real video isn't working. (The Quartercam looks nice...)

Paradecam (works now and) is still on the roof. And people are marching!

12:07 NY time, Paradecam switches to handheld. Jeff again. great!
(Nothing happening on DSU cam)

This is Okeanos. New Orleans Past and Future, Back To The Future. 17
floats for this parade.

Dominican cheerleaders and talk of gods/sacrifices...

DSU cam has parade now. A nice white Roman-stylle villa float stopped.

Queen of Okeanos passes by the Paradecam. (12:16 NY time)

Chappelle High Steppers have lots of "protection".

Okeanos frisbee.

(I think the DSU cam is ahead of the Paradecam. Am seeing the
streetcar. (Paradecam stops but starts again...) float, St Charles
Streetcar band, singing Prof Longhair's Going To The Mardi Gras. I
saw another streetcar float on the DSU cam abit before.)

It's raining stuff. (We hear them get bombarded.) Aquarium
float.(Audio drops out)

Parade is stopped on DSU cam. Now moving. See cowboy on float. (12:30 NY time)

Paradecam has stopped but it starts again eventually. Then stops. May
have to drop it. It comes back.

Indians on horses.

Change in LA license plates!

Fire engine on DSU cam. (12:35 NY time)

Talk of Roy Scheider... boring. Christopher Walken - renaissance
man... can't get enough....

Here comes the fire engine so DSU cam is ahead of the Paradecam. I
suspect by the corner of Perrier and Napolean. (12:39 NY time)

King and other floats are behind fire engine?!

This parade does not use electricity on their floats when usually
parading at night. Only flambeaux. Got to see that in person.

(DSU cam is blue screen now.)

Officers/official knights. M'Lasses, ah. Translucent cups.

Float #3, so this is a new parade? Ah, this is Babylon.

12:55 NY time, paradecam stops then starts.

12:59 NY time we see a blue satyr w/ a bow (and arrow I suppose)
float on the DSU cam.

Here it is on the Paradecam, 1:03 NY time. Sagitarius. Fire engine
behind it. Wait. The satyr is still sitting stopped at the DSU cam
and that cam is live! Hmm... Now I'm confused. There's the fire
engine. So the DSU cam is after the Paradecam? Like, a few feet past
it?

Now a break on both cams. Paradecam is holding up well despite some
starts and stops. DSU cam is good. No audio on it but good steady
stream. Better picture quality than the Paradecam. But the Paradecam
has hosts and people like Jeff are worth listening to. His
accomplices, while smarter than the usual, are not worth listening
to. At least they aren't screaming like some of the other accomplices.

(Might as well post this since there is a break in the action.)