I’m deep in the Carnival bubble, which is a wondrous albeit crowded place to be. We’ve had big company and small company. It’s been fun but as always I’ll be glad when it’s over. I’m so pooped that I’m repeating last week’s featured image.

There was a parade-related accident at the corner where I’ve been watching parades for the last 20 years. A parade-goer was run over by a float in the Nyx parade near the corner of Magazine and Valence. It was fatal, alas.  I’ll have more about that and other Carnival related issues in next week’s 13th Ward Rambler column for the Bayou Brief.

This week’s theme song was written by Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko, and Levon Helm for The Band’s 1971 Cahoots album. The horns were arranged by New Orleans’ own Allen Toussaint.

We have three versions of Life Is A Carnival for your listening pleasure: the studio original, a 1995 teevee appearance by The Band, and a cover by Norah Jones, which is new to me

Lest you think I’ve strayed too far from New Orleans Carnival music, here’s Our Mac:

I try not to spend too much time peering around corners looking for spy boys, skeletons, or baby dolls. If you understood that sentence, you know enough about Carnival, New Orleans style to jump to the break without crash landing.

Speaking of Iko, local do-gooder B.B.  St. Roman was this year’s Krewe du Vieux queen. She has a 27-year-old cockatoo named Iko. Here’s a picture Dr. A took of B.B. on her float when it was still a work in progress:

Iko the cockatoo does not have a brother but the Neville Brothers do a swell medley of Brother John and Iko Iko:

While we’re brothering, here’s one more Nevilles tune before we launch into our second act:

We begin our second act with an open letter from Honest Abe.

Ken Levine Meets Abraham Lincoln: Comedy writer-director-blogger Ken Levine had a little fun on President’s Day. It seems that Ken’s Lincoln does not want to share his birthday with the Impeached Insult Comedian. Who can blame him? Click here for Abe’s rant.

Let’s move on to another outstanding historical piece by my friend Troy Gilbert.  I’ll let the Bayou Brief link doo-hickey serve as our subject header.

Before the Cajun Navy, A Ragtag Group of Civilian Boaters Fought Nazi Germany Off the Louisiana Coast

I’m feeling sort of ragtag myself, y’all.

Separated At Birth is having an identity crisis and requested the day off. The request was granted.

We begin our third act by going to the movies.

The Classic Movie List: Compiling this list was fun. Any of the first six movies could have been number one. Bogie made many fine films.

My Top Ten Favorite Humphrey Bogart Movies:

1.  The Maltese Falcon
2.  Casablanca
3.  The Treasure of Sierra Madre
4.  Key Largo
5.  The Big Sleep
6.  The African Queen
7.  In A Lonely Place
8.  The Barefoot Contessa
9.  High Sierra
10.  To Have and Have Not

I’ve always thought Bogie was miscast in Sabrina, which is why that great film didn’t make this list. I regret the omission of The Caine Mutiny and The Petrified Forest as well. Repeat after me: Bogie made many fine films.

Saturday GIF Horse: John Huston and I share a birthday and he directed 4 of the movies on the Bogart list. Here’s a GIF from The Treasure Of Sierra Madre featuring Huston’s father, Walter.

Weekly Vintage Video: I do a lot of walking during Carnival. But never like an Egyptian:

Saturday Classic: We’re keeping it local with this 1959 album by Louis Prima & Keely Smith:

That’s it for this week. The last word goes to the cast of To Have and Have Not: Betty Bacall, Bogie, Walter Brennan, and the back of Hoagy Carmichael’s head.