Windows Wednesday

In anticipation of attending Our Lady of the Gulf Church's annual Crab Festival this weekend, I looked back to my post of last year's fest. In the post was this picture of stained glass found in Century Hall where you can shop and enjoy the art gallery in air conditioned comfort.

RIP Nora Ephron

Journalist, writer, director and more. Nora Ephron succumbed to leukemia at the age of 71 on June 26th. I listened to a piece on NPR about her life and there was one part that really hit home for me.

Here is an excerpt from an interview done with NPR in November of 2010

"You do get to a certain point in life where you have to realistically, I think, understand that the days are getting shorter, and you can't put things off thinking you'll get to them someday," she says. "If you really want to do them, you better do them. There are simply too many people getting sick, and sooner or later you will. So I'm very much a believer in knowing what it is that you love doing so you can do a great deal of it."

For Ephron, there was a moment that helped bring that realization vividly home. She was with friends, playing a round of "What would your last meal be?"

(Her pick, by the way: a Nate & Al's hot dog.)

"But (my friend) Judy was dying of throat cancer, and she said, 'I can't even have my last meal.' And that's what you have to know is, if you're serious about it, have it now," Ephron says. "Have it tonight, have it all the time, so that when you're lying on your deathbed you're not thinking, 'Oh I should have had more Nate & Al's hot dogs.'"

Live Mermaid

For Charlotte over at Traveling Mermaid.

We saw this "live" mermaid at the Hot Air Balloon Fest and the first thought that popped into my head was "Charlotte!!".

Evacuation Day

Just in time for the Hurricane Season. A new song by Bennie Grunch and the Bunch.
"Evacuation Day"

Balloons!!!

We made the trek to Foley, Alabama for the second year in a row to attend the Gulf Coast Hot Air Balloon Festival. Now in it's 8th year, the festival attracts balloon teams from Ohio, Texas, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Tennessee, Missouri, Louisiana and Alabama.

While the real action takes place at 6 A.M. both days of the Festival and at sunset, the grounds offer vendors from photography to soap makers, the Disc Connected K9's and carny food.

To pass the time during the day when there wasn't much going on we paid a visit to the Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo (the little zoo that could). It was fantastic and will be the subject of another post.





There is nothing more awe-inspiring than watching the balloons inflate.


Look how huges these balloons are.


First balloon to fly is "Hope Floats" from Alabama



One balloon rises above the others



The Constitution balloon, "Freedom Flyer" from Florida.



The "Smiley" from Ohio balloon was a big hit.



I kicked myself for not bringing my wide-angle lens!



The black balloon is "Wind Spirit" from Alabama.



Here's "Wisdom Racer" from Baton Rouge rising into the sky



There's "Cheaper than a Wife" from Missouri.



Flying over the tree line.....



Left to right "Touchstone Energy" from Texas, "Smiley" from Ohio, "Let's Get High" from Alabama and "Big Red" from North Carolina.



Here's "Dean's Dream" from Mississippi



I liked the way the setting sun was reflected on these balloons.



One of our favorites: "Synchronicity" from Nevada.


Floating away.....



Smokey the Bear from New Mexico.



The "Budweiser" balloon's from Mississippi.



After the first half of the balloons took off, the "Glow & Twinkle" started.



It's fun to watch and try to get the pictures as they glow.



Sunrise Fellowship from Arkansas is dwarfed by "Oggy the Friendly Dragon" from Indiana.


Here's another shot of the glow.

It was a great weekend and we learned to eat before we went to the festival because carny food is not so good. So if you're ever looking for something unique to do for Fathers' Day weekend, keep this festival in mind. It's worth the trip. Plus Foley and the Orange Beach area have quite a few attractions.

Window Wednesday

Taken in Raglan Road Irish Pub in Downtown Disney.

SaintsWin: Analysis & Opinion: Closing the Casket on BountyGate

SaintsWin: Analysis & Opinion: Closing the Casket on BountyGate: M onday's events at the players' appeal seemed to provide some finality and closure to the noxious bloodletting Saints' fans have endured fo...

Seeds of Revolution

Why the disgusting hate?

I have seen all of the low life name calling and discussions from his opposites

Here we go again.

Another straight up a-hole racist has disrespected President Obama and black people.

Barbara Espinosa, radio host of Arizona’s “Hair on Fire” program called President Obama the nation’s “first monkey president”.

It happened after a listener called in, ranting about how he calls the president “Rabbit Ears” and wants to know who voted for “the idiot.”

Then Espinosa put in her two cents saying, “Well, I don’t call him “rabbit ears,” I call him a monkey,” she said. “I don’t believe in calling him the first Black president, I call him the first Monkey president.”

But a listener didn’t let her get away with her racist comment. A man named Joe called in and blasted her for her ignorance.

“This show just took a very interesting turn. I’ll be honest with you; It’s amazing that people who supposedly care about freedom are unwilling to be tolerant of any other idea other than their own. You know, I’m not saying
their ideas are right, but how about citing them intellectually instead of calling names. I have to say to you, the few things I just heard, they’re insulting. I mean, straight up insulting, and I think anyone listening would feel the same way. I think that if all you’re trying to do is get a little bit of notoriety by what you said and maybe that will bring some attention to your show, well you know, that’s your choice, but you know what, that was wrong.”

And as usual, whenever a racist gets caught, they try convince themselves and anybody stupid enough to believe them that they’re not racist.

In Espinoza’s case, she’s pleading she can’t be a racist because … well, because her name is Espinoza.

Check out her “monkey” comment:

We are not "noise"

http://www.myneworleans.com/Blogs/The-Editors-Room/June-2012/The-Times-Picyune-Amoss-and-Newhouses-Comments/> Errol Laborde gets it right in his editorial at Gambit.

Excerpt:

T-P’s ownerships just do not get it. On the day of the staff cutbacks The New York Times quoted Steven Newhouse, Chairman of Advance.net, the Newhouse web division, saying, “We have no intention of selling no matter how much noise there is out there.”

So now we see the mindset of the opposition’s leadership, a guy in New York who dismisses all of our concerns as “noise.”

We’re trying to save the dignity of our city, Mr. Newhouse. That’s not noise, that’s passion.

Scenes from the 2012 Louisiana Bicycle Festival

Scenes from the 2012 Louisiana Bicycle Festival: 2012 Louisiana Bicycle Festival features antique, vintage, new and unique bi-pedal bikes.  Held in Abita Springs every Fathers' Day weekend, it looks like a crazy event.