Mardi Gras 2013

Good Afternoon Ladies & Gentlemen,

Well, I finally have a few minutes to load some pictures from my trip... so here they are. I'm going to warn you that the quality is not the best... and here's why. First off, my camera doesn't take good night photos (if you may recall from past posts), secondly it got dropped about half way through the trip (not by me) so you may notice when it's no longer being used, thirdly my phone's battery doesn't do too hot... so there are only a few pictures from it, & fourthly the camera that Filly lent me had some bad scratching on the center of its lens so you'll see some blurry images. With the being said... here you are...

Super Bowl - I arrived the night before the big game... and basically just wandered around Jackson Square with Filly after work... and then we ended up watching the game (since I didn't have tickets or want to deal with Bourbon Street) at her place. She's not a football fan or anything... but she said she had fun watching it with me as we made our commentaries about the commercials. Anyway, here are some pictures...

CBS basically owned Jackson Square

During the following week, there was a few days of no big events, so I went with Filly to the ceramics class that she teaches at a senior center... and the ladies were amazing & awesome... and we got to play with some clay. The rest of the week, we had Mardi Gras parades to attend... and she even got to be in a few small ones, like the one below on Bourbon Street (she's the lady leading the mule-drawn cart)

 

Filly in front of her future home... hopefully...

 

The gate is a literal "Cocke" blocker

 

Filly in the parade on Bourbon Street

(apparently sponsored by Southern Comfort)

Then we went to one of our favorites parades, the trio of the Krewes of Babylon, Chaos & Muses... where we basically screamed & drank & had fun for about five hours in a parade...

 

Yes, there was a dancing group of Rick Jameses...

but the camera didn't take any good pics except this one

Then Saturday, Filly had some of her friends from work come over & we had a big crawfish & lobster broil because she lives only a few blocks from the parade route for the Krewe of Endymion. The food... magnificent. The people... cool cats. This parade was also where the camera got dropped... like right at the beginning... but it's okay, because the crawfish pics are all good... and then there are a few from the camera... enjoy... and tell me them mudbugs don't look delicious!

One day while Filly was working, I thought it'd be awesome to go check out the WWII Museum which is regarded as the premiere WWII Museum in the nation, probably the world. It didn't disappoint., I highly recommend that anybody check it out who's in the area & even slightly interested. There was also a special exhibit by the NFL Hall of Fame!!! Also, there was a parade a few blocks away...

 

Troy Aikman has small hands...

 

And you thought Germans were the only ones with

horrible propaganda... they even had an episdoe of "Popeye"

Then on Fat Tuesday, the last day of Mardi Gras, the weather was acting up (as it had been for a few of the days) but that didn't keep me from going to the parade of the Zulu Nation a few blocks from Filly's house... and I have to say, it was probably my favorite! Met a great family there, caught a lot of beads for the kids... and they thanked me by giving me on of the Zulu Coconuts that they had gotten. I'm sure it might not sound like much to those who don't know... but it's a great throw & a time honored tradition... so thanks y'all! I gave it to Filly because she made this all possible...

Not sure why... but I really like this photo...

Well, then I flew back on Valentine's Day & you all pretty much know how it's gone from there. I'm finally caught up at work for the time being... and Dizzy & have been having fun. The next entry will be our adventures to the Asian Art Museum... and a Pole Dancing show. Yup... trust me... you want to miss that episode. Have a great weekend everybody!!!

LOST MAN'S BODY CAN'T BE RECOVERED FROM SINKHOLE

SINKHOLE SITE BEING DEMOLISHED

THERE IS NO SIGN OF MISSING MAN

www.chicagotribune.com - A Florida work crew today began demolishing the Tampa-area home where a sinkhole swallowed the bedroom of a sleeping man who is still missing and presumed dead. Two nearby houses have been evacuated because the sinkhole has weakened the ground under them, and their residents probably will never be allowed inside again, said Jessica Damico of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. Demolition of the home began this morning. "Our data has come back, and there is absolutely no way we can do any kind of recovery without endangering lives of workers," Damico said. 
Jeff Bush, a 36-year-old landscaper, is presumed dead after vanishing into the sinkhole that opened suddenly beneath his room on Thursday night. Five other people in the house were getting ready for bed when they heard a loud crash and Jeff screaming.

His brother was rescued after jumping into the hole and furiously digging in an effort to find him. Authorities used listening devices and cameras at the scene of the 30-foot (9-meter) wide hole in the ground but detected no signs of life. "There's nothing compatible with life in this situation," Damico said. "There's no way of possible survival." Jeff Bush's brother, 35-year-old Jeremy Bush, feared earlier on Saturday that his brother was lost forever. A small memorial of balloons and flowers for Jeff Bush had formed near the home on Saturday morning. "I thank the Lord for not taking my daughter and the rest of my family," said Jeremy, who worked with his brother in landscaping. 
Jeremy himself was rescued from the sinkhole by the first responder to the emergency call, Douglas Duvall of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. When Duvall entered Jeff Bush's bedroom, he saw a widening chasm but no sign of Jeff.

Authorities have discontinued the rescue effort for a Florida man (USA) who was swallowed by a sinkhole when his home's foundation collapsed and said it is unlikely his body will ever be recovered. The search for Jeff Bush, 37, was called off Saturday. Crews planned to begin demolishing this house that is perched over a huge sinkhole, deeming it too dangerous to keep searching for the man swallowed into the earth from his bedroom. The 20-foot-wide opening of the sinkhole is almost completely covered by the house and rescuers feared it would collapse on them. As we can check every day, our situation in this material world is very unstable and we are exposed to constant dangers.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US? 

In Bhagavad-gītā the Lord clearly says, mrityuh sarva-haraś cāham: "I am all-devouring death." 
Thus mrityu, or death, is the representative who takes everything away from the living entity who has accepted a material body. ... We are always in danger because at any moment death can take place.  It is not that only Gajendra, the King of the elephants, was afraid of death.  Everyone should fear death because everyone is caught by the crocodile of eternal time and may die at any moment.  The best course, therefore, is to seek shelter of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and be saved from the struggle for existence in this material world, in which one repeatedly takes birth and dies.  To reach this understanding is the ultimate goal of life.

Śrīla A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda :
“The Śrīmad Bhāgavatam”
Canto 8: “Withdrawal of the Cosmic Creations”
Chapter 2: “The Elephant Gajendra’s Crisis” - Verse 33.
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase 2003 (Folio)

Published by dasavatara das - "Vedic Views on World News"
http://www.vedicviews-worldnews.blogspot.com.ar/