I’m slowly warming to Carnival 2025. We no longer have large parties but have been gathering with friends at our corner. It’s low impact entertaining, which is all I’m up for right now. Our massive Muses party is dead, long live the Muses party.

For the first time, the State Police are working the parade route Uptown. In the past, they’ve handled traffic or stuff in the Quarter. They don’t seem to understand our local folkways. I had a conversation with a state trooper that was, well, irksome.

We live around the corner from the den of two old-line krewes, Chaos and Proteus. In this instance, den refers to a warehouse where the krewes store and work on their floats. NOPD always places a barricade at one of the cross streets. It was absent on Thursday night. Some bozo drove too fast down that block and nearly nicked one of the floats. I was alarmed.

I spoke to a State Police sergeant. I told him about the usual barricade. His response was mildly chilling, “We weren’t told to do that.”

I flinched a bit and said, “Someone could get hurt. Use some common sense.”

I’m blunt. What can I tell ya?

The sergeant gave me a “don’t tell me how to do my job” dirty look, so I left. It’s what happens when you let The Clownfish get involved in local law enforcement. This cop was clearly not from New Orleans and didn’t understand our Carnival culture. He should, however, understand that an intersection so close to the action should be closed. What do I know? I’ve only lived in the neighborhood for 25 years. The malakatude, it burns.

One more Carnival note. After an 18 year run, I’m leaving Krewe du Vieux. There have been so many changes to my sub-krewe that I don’t know half the members. It’s no longer the krewe I helped to found, so I’m moving on. Life’s too short to hang on to faded memories.

This week’s theme song was written by Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter for the 1974 album, Grateful Dead From The Mars Hotel. It’s one of my favorite Garcia-Hunter ballads.

We have two versions of Ship Of Fools for your listening pleasure: the studio original and Elvis Costello’s cover from the 1991 Deadicated tribute album.

Here’s a different song with the same title from the late Karl Wallinger’s World Party:

What’s a party without Putin? Much more fun.

While we’re fooling around, a chain letter from Aretha:

We begin our second act with a piece about family values or lack thereof.

Murdoch Family Values: The Atlantic’s McKay Coppins not only has a great and Dickensian name, he’s a helluva writer. He was granted exclusive access to James and Kathryn Murdoch who unloaded on his kin folks. James thought he was in line to take over the Murdoch media empire but was bypassed by Rupe.

James and several of his siblings are suing to prevent changes to the family trust that gives the hammer to his right-wing brother Lachlan. James would like to steer News Corp in a more moderate direction. Lachlan shares their father’s views.

The Coppins piece is of particular interest to fans of the brilliant HBO drama, Succession. He makes several references to the show, which is clearly based on the Murdochs. As far as I know, there’s nobody like doofus cousin Greg in the Murdoch family.

For the details, get thee to The Atlantic.

The last word of our second act goes to Graham Parker:

We begin our third act with our favorite stolen feature.

Separated At Birth Casting Edition: We’re sticking to sticking it to Rupert Murdoch. Malcolm McDowell played him in the 2019 film Bombshell.

Your Weekly Oscar: What do OP and Linda Ronstadt have in common? They’ve both worked with Nelson Riddle. Oscar’s version of this foolish song is not with the Riddler, but Linda’s is:

Have I told you lately how much I love Oscar Peterson?

The Best of Penn & Teller: A weird trick from the modern masters of magic. Entropy in Vegas, baby.

Ready for some Fool Us lagniappe?

Moxie Jillette has moxie. We have Roxy. Roxy Music, that is:

Celebrity Ad Corner: When Creighton Chaney DBA Lon Chaney Jr wasn’t playing werewolves and vampires, he was drinking beer. Much tastier than blood.

Saturday GIF Horse: Mr. T was an unlikely star in the 1980’s. In addition to TV’s The A-Team he fought Rocky on the big screen. His catchphrase is on message for this post: I pity the fool.

Saturday Skeet Shot: Speaking of fools, here’s a fake video of the Kaiser of Chaos and Reich Chancellor Musk.

This morning at Dept of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HQ in DC as mandatory return to office began, this video played on loop for ~5 mins on screens throughout the building, per agency source.Building staff couldn’t figure out how to turn it off so sent people to every floor to unplug TVs.

— Marisa Kabas (@marisakabas.bsky.social) 2025-02-24T14:51:30.171Z

Gross but funny.

Let’s close down this virtual honky tonk with some more music.

Saturday Closer: What’s a post about foolery without some Zappa? That’s a rhetorical question: Let’s dance like fools.

That’s all for this week. The last word goes to the back cover of Grateful Dead From The Mars Hotel: