New Orleans Archdiocesan Cemeteries

Saint Louis Cemetery is the name of three Roman Catholic cemeteries in New Orleans, Louisiana. All of these graves are above ground vaults; most were constructed in the 18th century and 19th century.

The vaults are in fact more due to French and Spanish tradition than they are to water table problems.

In the Bayou

A bayou is a Franco-English term for a body of water typically found in flat, low-lying area, and can refer either to an extremely slow-moving stream or river (often with a poorly defined shoreline), or to a marshy lake or wetland.

Alligators have four short legs; the front legs have five toes while the back legs have four toes.

The easiest way to distinguish an alligator from a crocodile is by looking at the teeth. The large fourth tooth in the lower jaw of an alligator fits into a socket in the upper jaw and is not visible when the mouth is closed. This does not happen in crocodiles. 

Alligators have between 74 and 80 teeth in their mouth at a time. As teeth wear down they are replaced. An alligator can go through 2,000 to 3,000 teeth in a lifetime.

Fun facts: Alligators are hunted mostly for their skins, but also they are hunted for meat. Today, there is a multi-million dollar industry in which alligators are raised in captivity for the production of meat and skin. 

Also, alligators are a tourist attraction, especially in Florida, where visitors enjoy feeding them.  Or 7 screaming girls in Louisiana :)

Source: http://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/reptilesamphibians/facts/factsheets/americanalligator.cfm

Louisiana Swamp Tour

The American alligator has four short legs, a broad, round snout, a long and powerful tail and a rough hide with scales. Adult males can grow up to 20 feet long and weigh up to half a ton, though on average, males are about 11 feet long, while females are about 8 feet.

American alligators have nostrils that face upward, which allows them to breathe when the rest of them is submerged underwater.

Alligators feed on fish, turtles, snakes, birds and mammals, and will even engage in the cannibalistic practice of eating other alligators.

American alligators can live up to 50 years in the wild, according to the Smithsonian National Zoo.

Alligators are generally very solitary animals and, contrary to popular belief, alligators rarely attack humans, unless provoked to do so, particularly when they are protecting their eggs or young.

After mating, a female will construct a nest where she will lay up to 50 eggs. The rotting vegetation in the nest keeps the eggs warm and the temperature of the nest will determine the sex of the hatchlings. If the eggs are incubated over 93 degrees Fahrenheit, the embryos will develop into males, while in temperatures below 86 degrees Fahrenheit, embryos will develop into females. In temperatures between 86 and 93 degrees Fahrenheit an embryo could develop into a male or female.
Source: Live Science

Blue Man Group at the Bowl

Blue Man Group set to release 'deviant energy' at Hollywood Bowl

With an invite to 'go crazy' from Hollywood Bowl officials, the comedic trio is ready to do just that over weekend.

Translating the mash-up of high art and low comedy from a 299-seat theater to Las Vegas and rock arenas has posed a challenge. But those have been a cakewalk compared with the 18,000-seat Bowl, the dimensions of which have had Wink's team waking up with "the fear of God" for the past few months.

It's not just a question of using the Bowl's new high-definition video screens and "painting" on a larger canvas, says Wink. "We have to make it an immersive and poetic experience for everyone from the front row to 50 yards back. You have to own the place."

When Blue Man asked who in the orchestra might be a game player for its antics, Grohl offered up concert mistress and violinist Katia Popov, who will be magically transformed into a "slightly cheesy" rocker, and principal guest conductor Thomas Wilkins, who will be turned into a human paintbrush and hoisted high above the stage. Or at least a stunt double will.

"There's no question that this event will change the Bowl as much as it might change Blue Man," says Grohl. "And yet they've been incredibly respectful."

The Bowl audience will be the largest the group has ever performed in front of. Wink makes no bones that the show has been a huge financial investment (said to be in the high six figures) for Blue Man.

"There's no profit in this," he says with a laugh.

(Source: LA Times)

Temescal Canyon Hike

Temescal Canyon Loop offers a good workout along with ocean and canyon views. Temescal Gateway Park is situated just off Sunset Blvd in the Pacific Palisades, and this convenient urban location makes Temescal Canyon Loop a very popular hike. The basic dimensions of the loop is 2.6 miles with 1,000 feet of elevation gain, but the hike can be expanded to four miles or longer thanks to a variety of extensions. If the elevation seems too extreme, skip the Ridge Trail and enjoy a relaxing out-and-back along Canyon Trail instead, a level trail along the bottom of the canyon that makes up half of the loop.