New Orleans Native Notes Fave Floats

A certain spirit that has long made it one of the US' most interesting cities is showing itself in New Orleans Mardi Gras parades -- according to About's woman on the street, Sharon Keating, slyly satirical Krewe du Vieux went to town with the Hurricane Katrina theme seen on many of this year's floats and folks; Keating, who says FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), is "...a four letter word in New Orleans right now," said of New Orleans residents' reaction to FEMA's Katrina response: "We have to laugh to keep from crying. So, most of the marchers wore some form of the blue tarps FEMA gave us to cover the holes in our roofs."

Keating's Krewe du Vieux favorites included these slogans:

• "Home is Where the Tarp Is"
• "Give Me That Mold Time Religion"
• "Fridge Over Troubled Water"

Roll on, New Orleans.

• About.com' "New Orleans for Visitors" parade coverage
• Student volunteer opportunities on the Gulf Coast

_{Photo: Sharon Keating}