TulaneLSU's Top 10 enjoyments at Kenner's Krewe of Isis

10 enjoyments on which I would like to compliment Isis:

10. Route before and after was as clean as a Buccees bathroom.
I walked about 1.5 miles of the route, and the streets, sidewalks, and neutral grounds were all immaculate. The cleaning krewe that followed was efficient. I snapped this photo of one of the cleaners after it passed.



9. The mini krewes.
The opening act of the parade included little go-kart like vehicles, a Volkswagon club, and marchers. All were friendly, smiling, and generous with candy throws. As Mother taught, never eat candy from a stranger, so I have thrown away the candy.

8. Good and friendly police presence.
They weren't overbearing, they weren't lazy and aloof, and they weren't aggressive. That cannot always been said for the JPPD and NOPD.

7. The floats were well painted.
They weren't elaborate like some of the mega krewes, but the floats had a nice retro charm to them.





6. Parking was plentiful.
Perhaps because there are so many subdivisions nearby, so walking is easy. Perhaps because the parking lots at the Kenner hospital and Walmart were available. Either way, getting there, parking and leaving were a breeze.

5. Smart route.
Esplanade Mall to Loyola to Vintage to Chateau to Yenni to the Pontchartrain Center was great. It ensured maximum neighborhood penetration with minimal traffic disruption. Williams from river to lake is always an option, but last night's route allowed for good neighborhood penetration and participation.

4. The throws were excellent.
I caught one of their signature throws, a bra, because when in Kenna, brah, what else would you expect? Honestly, I think women's underwear for a throw is tacky and I've already tossed this in the Goodwill pile.

The excessive throws are more for the rider than the crowds. Don't the riders see all the throws left on the ground? Take a hint: you're buying too many throws. Giving all that money to China and polluting our streets and clogging our drains with that junk.

Increase the quality of your throws and make it fun again to catch a pair of beads. Getting pelted with beads during the entire parade, preventing us from enjoying the artistry of the floats and that visual communication with the riders is so 2010. We are in a new decade. It's time to cut back, increase quality,

Isis threw enough to please, but not in a Golden Corral catch-as-much-as-you-can and throw the rest away type of way. The glut of throws in New Orleans is disgusting.

Here are my favorite throws from Isis. The 3D cup was probably overall my favorite. Printing on the cup the route was a move of documentary and geographical brilliance. The classic cup is just that: classic. So many krewes try to get too cute or trendy with their cups. Not so with Isis. Finally, here's a dandy of a doubloon bead. Sure to be a collector's item one day, I will keep it in my safe.









3. Great weather.
Bad weather can ruin a great parade. It was perfect parade weather. For that, and for the fact no one was harmed, I am grateful to God.




2. Great neighborhood vibe.
My great aunt lived in Gentilly most of her life, and she would always talk about the neighborhood Mardi Gras krewes. This is how many of the krewes began, simple gatherings of neighbors. They threw little parades, some with floats, some just as walkers. They went through their own neighborhoods and brought mirth and merriment to neighbors and the children. Somewhere along the way, Mardi Gras became a commercial endeavor and the city capitulated to its greed. The idea of a parade being for a neighborhood lost way to the parade for the tourist. I think we're seeing that rooster come home to roost.

It's time to bring Mardi Gras back to the neighborhoods. Shame on all the krewes that have turned their backs to the places of their birth. Shame to all the people of Kenner and Metairie who abandoned their old krewes to join the trendy formerly neighborhood krewes like Endymion and Mid-City, who sold their souls to make headlines and be the "cool kid parades."

Isis is a fine example, and perhaps the herald, of a krewe going back to the roots of the Mardi Gras parade. May it be the first of a new trend, moving away from the super krewe and back to the neighborhood krewe.

1. The crowds were loving, clean, and sober.
This perhaps goes back to being a neighborhood parade. Neighbors don't drunkenly make fools of themselves and hell for those around them. This crowd was polite, generous, and a pleasure with whom to attend this night festival.

That anyone thinks they need alcohol to have a better time is evidence that Big Alcohol and its mob distributors have brainwashed the easily led masses. The opiates of the people in our time and culture are alcohol and sports entertainment.

I am having an absolutely marvelous Mardi Gras, as always. I haven’t needed one drop of alcohol. My senses, thinking and decision making have all been sharp. My memories are being formed without any extrinsic chemicals to fool or stunt their development. Without the delirious side effects of that evil drug I am able share mirth and merriment with everyone.

Having full control of one’s faculties makes Mardi Gras and life far better. I wish more would try it.


That is the positive. There are a few areas on which improvement is possible.

1. Move the toasting section, either to the beginning of the parade, or its end. Having the toasting in the middle splits the parade in two and leaves a long gap, which kills the atmosphere.

2. The band with all Greek letters, somewhere around floats perhaps 10-15, who didn't appear to be representing a school caused a major delay. They had no pep or organization. I don't know what happened, but I wouldn't invite them back. There was about a 15 minute gap between them and the previous float, and I could sense the crowd lost a lot of momentum. A krewe knows it cannot lose a crowd or the parade is done.

3. Bonnabel's band was absent. I know they had to march in Iris earlier in the day, and they did a fine job there. But Bonnabel's band should be present in Kenner's first parade in 28 years! Perhaps even have a guest appearance from the Bonnabel student who was a National Merit Scholar about ten years ago, and whose face remained plastered on campus, visible from the interstate for about five years.

4. More light is needed. Walking through some sections of the route, I noticed that I couldn't see my feet in front of me. How are riders supposed to see the crowds? Some of the floats, too, need more lighting.

5. Toast with apple juice next time. It's time we put an end to public alcohol consumption. When a city's leadership and royalty drink alcohol in public, what type of message does that send to both adults and children alike?

As a whole, what a great parade. I hope the city will move forward and see the parade as a success. I hope too that more riders will join this and maybe more neighborhood krewes. It's time to return to your roots. Give back to your communities!

Faith, Hope, and Love,
TulaneLSU

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One of my cousins lives in northern Kenner. She is the type to look down on those, like Napoleon, raised in University City. 

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hope her dishwasher goes out

Dont have Thread-Envy.

You need to be a writer Tulane, if you aren’t already.

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You need to be a writer Tulane, if you aren’t already.

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who do you think wrote these?

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Honestly, I think women's underwear for a throw is tacky and I've already tossed this in the Goodwill pile.

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Shiny hook is shiny.

The perfect seasonal post.

Thank you so much TulaneLSU! Keep up the great work, my dear friend.

Which is better, kenner or slidell?

Not your best work, Cap'.