Be still my achy, breaky, heart. JT was surprised to see a high school student at the ball park recently with, OMG, a mullet haircut. For you young folks, it’s a men’s do with that’s short on the sides and long in the back. JT thought perhaps he was seeing a lone example but Googled “mullet” and was surprised to see there’s a legitimate mullet revival underway. Particularly in Australia. One story described it as “business at the front, party at the back.” JT wishes he’d thought of that one. Esquire magazine describes the mullet as one of “nine haircuts men should never have.” For the best mullet of all times, look up the Billy Ray Cyrus “Achy Breaky Heart” video. And yes, young folks, there was a Billy Ray before there was a Miley. There’s one female staff member at the times who “still loves me some Billy Ray Cyrus.” “…but don’t tell my heart, my achy breaky heart…”
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JT was happy read that Sen. John Kennedy has sent President Trump a letter requesting that Chinese crawfish and shrimp imported to the US be added to the product list being considered for more tariffs. Kennedy says for years, Chinese companies have dumped inferior, sometimes fraudulent, seafood products into the American marketplace with the Louisiana industry suffering as a result. JT won’t even go into what the foreign seafood is fed and what the ponds are next to. And besides that, they don’t taste very good. JT has to scour the frozen food section for Louisiana shrimp but it’s worth the trouble. JT believes that fried catfish servings with large servings that have no taste are also foreign.
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Just how ingrained into gambling is our state? JT knows that one of the key topics in this year’s legislative session is allowing for casinos to move their operations on land adjacent to the 15 “floating casinos” we currently have licensed in our state. They are called “floating” because the way the law was written requires the casinos to be on the water. Restaurants, bars and auxiliary businesses of the casino can be on adjacent land, but the actual gambling must be done over water. The lone exception is New Orleans, which has a casino on land. Presently, the state has 15 “floating” casinos, a huge land-based casino in downtown New Orleans, four racetrack casinos, 200 truck stop casinos and over 1,000 restaurants and bars that have video poker machines. By JT’s estimate, there’s an opportunity to gamble 30 minutes away….no matter where you are … at any given time…in Louisiana. If the state is serious about finding additional revenue…JT thinks the gambling pot may just be the gold we are looking for at the end of our rainbow.
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For the most part, last weekend’s Jazz Festival was only dampened “a little” by the weather. JT doesn’t know about the tickets sold, but the crowd did look a little light Saturday. Not sure if it was the rain or threat thereof, or the cold front that came through that affected the numbers. Although he will say, the later it got, the bigger the crowd in front of the Main Stage grew. Music was literally everywhere downtown and there really was something for everyone.
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JT is now gearing up for the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival this weekend…and unfortunately, it looks like he might need to keep his umbrella and poncho handy. Nonetheless, rain or not, JT will be there because this is a premier event in our community. The artists and craftsmen are some of the best around and JT can’t wait for some of that ice cream made on site.
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