I haven’t been to Nawlins’ since way before the devastation that occurred one hot August day in the summer of ‘05. I’m here this week for two things. 1. To enjoy the beauty that is this fine city and 2. to attend the annual AASECT conference.
Yesterday J. and I got a tour of the loads of devastation that still haunts this haunted city, and then we spent last night walking to, and around, the French Quarter. If you walk off of Bourbon Street you’ll find more than just booze for sale (things like boobs and other body parts) and I love finding loads of secret nooks and crannies, which is something that this city-town is full of.Speaking of full of s–t, have you heard about General Order Number 1A? Apparently it’s pretty unknown outside the military, but it’s totally screwed up nonetheless. Basically, it bans servicemen and -women from drinking in Iraq, as well as from doing other naughty things like gambling, currency exchange, and proselytizing. And GO-1A also bans pornography. This all makes loads of sense, right? Just like continuing to fight this war, right? I mean why should people willing to fight and die for our country be able to enjoy anything while doing it, right?
According to this Boston Magazine article by Tom Johansmeyer:
The military hasn’t always had such a policy in place. Skin magazines, for instance, were common in Vietnam. But in 1990, General Norman Schwarzkopf issued a precursor to GO-1A that outlawed porn in the first Gulf war. Variations on the order have been around ever since, affecting soldiers serving in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. GO-1A itself was initiated by General Tommy Franks on December 19, 2000, as a way to demonstrate cultural sensitivity to U.S. troops’ Muslim hosts. There are some gray areas when it comes to GO-1A, like nude photos (with no sex acts depicted) and sex toys.
Of course gray doesn’t necessarily translate to “okay.” And I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again and again and again and ….you get the point…but how is it that a soldier can put his or her life on the line for their country, and still they can’t partake in our countries favorite pastimes?
Now, onto other “strange but true” things.
Photo Credit: Cal Henderson
This is not what you think it is. For a better shot of the Geoduck, and an explanation about this bivalve mollusk, click here.
*title adapted from a note from a friend. The more common phrase would be It’s beautiful in New Orleans, wish you were here, but there’s nothing common about Nawlins.
