Sure today it’s voluntary. But what other choice do most people have than to be a slave, even today or especially today?   What else is living to just to survive and pay your minimum payments? Of course, some lucky few of us get to live in the big house and play master.

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The old slavery was too crude and ultimately failed. Whipping people only gets them to work hard enough not to get beaten. Today’s system gets people to work hard to enslave themselves. Advertising and credit are so much more effective than a whip. It’s really quiet enlightened today.   And they call it the “American Dream”.

But lunch at the plantation was great. I had the crawfish and she had the fried chicken. It was delicious and the RV Bunny loved her new doll Donna Bella (Note - the RV Bunny is not a minor and is 26 years old – or so she told me).

Next Stop – Mississippi Churning – Obesity and Illiteracy

The deficient levees gave way and thousands of homes became soggy garbage. To date it is the most expensive hurricane in US history.

Downtown New Orleans and the French Quarter were largely spared since they were above sea level. Some New Orleans residents even say the hurricane cleaned up the city by washing out much of the riff raff. Of course you won’t hear them quoted in the news media.

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It wasn’t until the RV Bunny and I drove outside of the downtown area that we really saw the devastation. Whole entire neighborhoods and office parks are abandoned, while some residents camp in their front yards in government issued FEMA trailers.

Recently the government has acknowledged that many of these trailers are toxic from formaldehyde. Apparently in the rush to supply thousands of trailers the builders did not properly dry the particleboard.

So these hideous windowless boxes on wheels are also toxic gifts for which the residents will sue US taxpayers for billions of dollars.

It’s all enough to make you sick. I can only imagine what South Florida will look like after the big one rolls in off the Atlantic. I expect it will make Katrina look like a rained out picnic.

Next Stop – Life on the Plantation

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I hope, if I do go to Hell, there will be fun people like my buddy Jimmy, the RV Bunny and all the revelers in New Orleans. Because they could make even Hell pretty dam fun. I expect they will be there.

New Orleans is “not befuddled by middle class morality”. Even a hurricane couldn’t flush out all the dysfunction, corruption and good fun. Although many of the locals claim it helped. The French Quarter stayed pretty high and dry during the hurricane.

New Orleans remains pretty Hell bent on having a great time. I wouldn’t live there. But I sure as Hell did party there.

Hot People

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I think Jimmy liked New Orleans too, until he got sick and had to fly home early. I don’t think he had yet fully recovered from his year in Panama. I do think that too much fun can be more dangerous than too much work.

The Real Heart of New Orleans – the Frenchman Street Neighborhood

Bourbon Street in the French Quarter has become an obnoxious adult amusement park, much like Duval Street in Key West.   Yet all travelers need to walk Bourbon Street to experience its loud raunchy ambience for themselves. But when you’re ready to move on and up for the real music hipster scene, visit the Frenchman Street neighborhood. It’s just West of the French Quarter near the Mississippi River. The Apple Barrel, with its fantastic live jazz and blues, is at the heart of this real deal music scene.

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Mr. Rabbit and the RV Bunny

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I met the “RV Bunny” my first night in the French Quarter. She was a ragin’ Cajun from the swampy Bayous of Louisiana who had just moved to New Orleans to work as a shot girl. This is our story:

The Happy Tails of the RV Bunny and Mr. Rabbit

Bunny was a bouncy shot girl on Bourbon Street. Then one night Mr. Rabbit came hopping into the bar. He and Bunny got along real good like rabbits do. Soon Bunny was spending lots of time in Mr. Rabbit’s big bunny mobile. Bunny and Mr. Rabbit had lots of fun hopping around together.

But when Bunny did go to work she was drinking most of the shots. Bunny lost her job. So Mr. Rabbit invited Bunny to hop on down the happy trail in the bunny mobile.

Bunny was a fun loving Raggin’ Cajun, so she hopped on board. On the trail they saw the destruction of New Orleans, Plantation Mansions on the Mississippi, the fattest people in the world, a live crucifixion, an oyster bar, the Redneck Riviera and a B 52 Bomber.

Hop along and follow their tails.

Next Stop – New Orleans Apocalypse