This is a little nuts, but...

[Rossvegas]

Don't ask me what has possessed me, but as I was nursing my morning coffee, I was hit by a vision.

I pictured a 'movement'; this wave of humanity that descends down upon New Orleans with the sole mission of doling out much needed hugs to the locals. There's at least a hundred people walking around the city, all of them with t-shirts that say "NEED A HUG?" on the front, and the words "HUGS, NOT THUGS" on the back.

As we approach the passers by, we point to the message on the shirt...and although many just laugh or look puzzled, others stop and say "yeah, I do."

Black, white, old, young, cops and characters. They all get hugged.

As insane as this might sound, it sounds just perfect to me. It sounds like something a bunch of Threadheads might do: descend on the city, distribute some love, do a little volunteer work (hey, those volunteers need hugs too) and then we leave...just as mysteriously as we arrived.

Maybe it will take root. Maybe some people in NOLA will pick up the ball and continue the hugging manifesto.

All I know is that I would REALLY like to hug some New Orleanieans right now. Hell, I would like to hug ALL of them...

[bluesgirl]

Sounds like a great plan!!! I want in. How about during the daze between, or even during the fest? I'll even make my own shirt if you want.



One of the coolest (coolist? ;) ) things that ever happened to me at JF was one day, I was walking any from the Fais Do Do, and some really cute dude grabbed my arm and kissed me on the face. I forgot that I was wearing a "Kiss Me, I'm Cajun" t-shirt. :D

[katowoman]

...all you need is LOVE...

I'm with you Rossvegas.

[PaulC]

O.K.,...O.K.,.. I'll step up... and seeing as how no one else probably wants to take on this cumbersome chore,.. if you insist,.. I'll be the one to cover the Tulane campus and offer the female student body as many hugs as they care to accept.... What can I say,.. I'm a giver...

Ross,.. it would appear that you took in another hockey game last night and that coffee you're nursing has a fair amount of hair floating about,.. hair of the diggity dog... By the way,.. get to work....

[Rossvegas]

Okay, that's it...no hugs for you. (And I already have dibs on Tulane. When you start your own revolution, you can choose whatever area you want! Until then, I'm assigning you elsewhere... :>)

[t.o..fester]

Come on now guys. I'm sure there are plenty of hugable young ladies at Tulane to go around. No need to get greedy.

[PaulC]

Until then, I'm assigning you elsewhere... :>)

Backstage at Rick's????...... please,.. please,.. please....

Hey,.. wait a second,.. a memory is coming back to me... YOU,.. you're that hugging bandit who fondled me in the Sheraton lobby bar last year... I remember now,.. there's even a pictoral evidence of your work somewhere in the basement of the old board... Pokie might still have it.... Though she better not bring that thing out,.. because I may have been caught smiling as you performed your lil' tricks...

What can I say,.. you're a wonderful hugger...

[PaulC]

Come on now guys. I'm sure there are plenty of hugable young ladies at Tulane to go around.


No problem,.. you and Ross can handle that duty,... I'll tackle Rick's and The Gold Club... I'm thinking those hard workin' gals also need some comforting after their strenuous duties...

[Rossvegas]

I've never actually been to Ricks or the Gold Club (uh, we're not under oath here, are we?), but from what I hear, those poor girls can't even afford to put clothes on their backs. Poor folks like that could definitely use a LOT of hugs. Go work your magic, amigo. Spread the love...

[PaulC]

lol...............

I see you didn't hide from the fact that huggin' has always been your special way of communicating... Hey,.. being half Italian,.. half French,.. hugs have always been a.o.k. with me...

I hope the wife doesn't mind the assignment you gave me...

[Moon]

Ross: Be sure to let me know the first time you:
A. Get maced or pepper sprayed.
B. Get charged with sexual harassment.
C. Get arrested.

Seriously, I think it's a great idea for inside the peaceful confines of the Fest. I'm just not so sure about the "real world".

[Amy Winette]

Ross, I love it! Ask CBH about making the shirts and offering them on CafePress. Now, you don't hug anyone involuntarily (and I'm not really into hugging thugs, haha!) but people are just loopy enough to let down their guard and go for it :) Hey, can you print that on a bikini top? Might get more folks wanting hugs from us ladies . . .

[Corona]

hehehe...always thinking girl ;)
Count me in on the hug-fest too....

[funkkjunkie]

Love it. I got some extra love from folks last year over my lagniappes--the signs to clip on your chair that said Please feel free to sit in my chair while i'm out dancing. Happy fest!

[pokerchick66]

Backstage at Rick's????...... please,.. please,.. please....

Hey,.. wait a second,.. a memory is coming back to me... YOU,.. you're that hugging bandit who fondled me in the Sheraton lobby bar last year... I remember now,.. there's even a pictoral evidence of your work somewhere in the basement of the old board... Pokie might still have it.... Though she better not bring that thing out,.. because I may have been caught smiling as you performed your lil' tricks...

What can I say,.. you're a wonderful hugger...


http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o231/monica7966/Jazzfest-2006-007.jpg

[Rossvegas]

Oh yeah, he's lovin' every minute of it!

[ohio]

http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o231/monica7966/Jazzfest-2006-007.jpg
You could blindfold these two with dental floss...

[ozzie]

Where's the signature peanut?

[Corona]

awwww, I love Threadhead hugs....that's a great pic you guys :)

[PaulC]

Where's the signature peanut?

As reported previously (and truthfully),.. Pokie was totally enamored with said nut... She may still have it for all I know,.. or she may have roasted it on an open fire last month.... I do recall a phantom burning sensation one day...

Siiiiigh,... I sure do miss that thing.....



Actually I mostly adorn my left ear,.. so my nut is most likely resting on the side of Ross's head in that pic.....lol.....



"You could blindfold these two with dental floss..."

Yeah I hear ya' Ohio,.. but Pokie never said smile,.. she said "squuuuuint"............. The smile on Ross can be explained by the aforementioned positional situation..... hey,.. this has all came full circle,.. the headin for this thread... "this is a little nuts",.. plus there's the huggin' thing... it's all here,.. ya just have to imagine some of it...

[Rossvegas]

That was such a great night!

We were all at the Sheraton Lobby bar shaking our ass to Big Sam after the first day of the Fest. People seemed to be enjoying themselves, but it still had that "Sheraton Lobby Bar vibe" going, you know? At some point something came over me and I thought: "Holy crap! I'm in N'awlins again, baby!", so I grabbed a white paper bar napkin, yanked on someone's arm and started a big second line that snaked throughout the bar.

This seemed to light the joint up, so around a half hour later, we did it again. This time, the second line snaked into the lobby where dozens of Asian tourists were checking in. Before they knew what hit them, we had recruited most of them into our line and made our way up the stairs to the mezzanine above the lobby that was now filled with abandoned luggage strewn all over the place below us.

I recall looking behind me at the bewildered faces on these tourists, and I thought: "This ain't Portland, baby! Welcome to New Orleans!" It was truly a great moment....

[pokerchick66]

Moomoo, ((hey,.. this has all came full circle,.. the headin for this thread... "this is a little nuts",.. plus there's the huggin' thing... it's all here,.. ya just have to imagine some of it...))


Nah, I think Ross just can't stop thinking about you. You left an impression on him. ;)

[BigDag]

I like this thread. It's so warm and fuzzy.

Maybe a little too fuzzy.

[BigDag]

Hey, I'm a Senior Member now. How about a hug, somebody?

[pokerchick66]

Hey, I'm a Senior Member now. How about a hug, somebody?

Congrats, BigDag!

(((((BigDag))))))

How appropriate since this is the hugging thread, lol.

[NeenAtlanta]

Hey, I'm a Senior Member now. How about a hug, somebody?

what do you know, I am too! whoo hoo!!

[Rossvegas]

I'm not really comfortable discussing my senior member in this forum...

[Amyloves...]

Ross I LOVE that Asian tourist second-line story above. A definite New Orleans moment! Thanks for that one.

[VWGal]

Only three of four potential hands that might be visible in that picture are actually visible. Just sayin...

[Zbonnie]

Yeah, way to go, Ross! Fuggedaboud that "I'm in a Sheraton lobby" vibe. I love your spirit!

[Corona]

what do you know, I am too! whoo hoo!!
((((Bigdag))))
((((Neen)))))
You should be so proud :D

Ross, that story is just fantastic...what a perfect introduction to the City for those tourists. Bet they'll never forget it either. God I love New Orleans :)