Monday, February 20, 2012

Liberté, Egalité, Debauchery

.
Mardi Gras Parade 2012-02-18 12

The term Mardi Gras is, of course, French. New Orleans, the capital of the festival in the US, was founded by France. The other great center of the carnival is Rio de Janeiro, which speaks Portuguese, but that doesn't fit the narrative so let's move on.

Most of the floats in the parade had really dorky themes, stuff like old TV shows and movies. One entry had a much grander concept, the French Revolution, albeit tempered by alcohol and a little sleaze. So,
Aux armes citoyens!
Formez vos bataillons!
Marchons, marchons,
Qu'un sang impur
Abreuve nos sillons.
Although in St. Louis, when the battalions march down Broadway from downtown to Soulard, there's a better chance of stale Budweiser than impure blood running in our gutters.

By the way, I got my original 1,517 snaps down to 445 in the first cut. More trimming to come. I'll explain my method one of these days.

Mardi Gras Parade 2012-02-18 15

Mardi Gras Parade 2012-02-18 14

12 comments:

  1. ils imaginent les français d'une drôle de manière ;o)) belle prestation.

    En ce jour, je te souhaite un bon anniversaire, et fait attention ne passe pas trop prêt de la guillotine

    ReplyDelete
  2. If that really has to be, I'd have said débaucherie...

    Am I supposed to sing something today?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ha. Not sure what to think of their slogan, but the photos are great.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ha! Yes, funny they can't spell the last word...!

    Happy Birthday again to you, dear Bob.

    Love the photos - especially the pursed lips on the second one. Blowing you a birthday kiss, of course.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great images Bob, hehe love the decapitated head in the last shot, how very 'French revolution'!! I'd love to hear how you cull your shots from 1,000's to 100's.
    btw try reading Shock & Oar with an Aussie accent haha!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Liberté Egalité Débauche... mmmh, mixing several periods there.
    Great stuff, good fun.

    PS - reducing your original 1500 snaps to 500 is not the most difficult. Going down from 500 to 200 is where the trouble begins !

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'd love to see the Mardi Gras in NO just one but alas I'd get in trouble, so I stay away. hahahaha

    ReplyDelete
  8. I would also like to read of your method of culling photos.

    My method is easy. Julie does it.

    ReplyDelete
  9. You can never go wrong with a combination of alcohol and a little sleaze!

    ReplyDelete
  10. That's my mantra while in Paris! :)
    V

    ReplyDelete
  11. You caught the critical moment in that last shot, Bob.

    ReplyDelete