Hey folks, it’s your friendly Louisiana anthropologist - and I have questions

I am working on a project about the Jewish community in Opelousas, Louisiana - as well as the surrounding areas.  I am looking for individuals who are relatives or descendents of the following people - (but if you have a relative NOT on this list, please speak up!)

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS EMAIL ME AT: Victormdsmith@gmail.com

Hyman Lieberman

Leon Plonsky

Joseph Plonsky

Abraham Haas

Samuel Haas

Solomon Wise

Joseph Wise

Benjamin Falk

Lazarus Levy

Eugene Levy

M. Khan

Alex Bluestein

The following last names are common in the area as well, and again, if you have relatives from this area around the turn of the last century let me know!  I am working from a list we have compiled from local sources.  Again, if you have Jewish relatives from the Opelousas area, whether you yourself are Jewish or not - please get in touch with me.

Benjamin

Roos

Isaac

Block

Jacob

Kurtz

Kaufman

Firnberg

Hart

Loeb

Riseman

Schiff

Siegel

Winsburg

The goal of this project is to follow up on the families that helped found the town and over time became assimilated into Christianity, and Cajun and Creole culture.  I am working on a survey and questions for interviews in future based on the responses here.  I’m thinking of a lecture at a minimum, possibly a book or documentary.  It just depends on what comes up as I dig deeper and how it all fits together. 

Looking forward to hearing your stories about your great grandparents!

I’m currently on my way to New Orleans for a wedding and I’ve never traveled much before, we’re only gonna be here for about 24 hours, so what are some fun things to do for an 18yo? Also are there any customs that I need to be careful with? Certain sayings that will puss people off? And what’s the biggest safety tip for those coming to Louisiana for the first time?

hi everybody! i took driver's ed when i was 15, got my permit when i was 16, and never took the driving test to get my actual license. i signed up for an over 18 driving class to learn road skills again, but after signing up i'm wondering if they'll actually allow me to do it? are these classes only for adults looking to get their tip/permit and not for "brushing up" lol? i planned to take the class, take the 8 hours of driving, and then take the actual driving test.

just wondering if anyone has been in this situation before! thanks :)

edit: i'm moreso wondering if i CAN take it again rather than if i have to. thanks!

Got my 32nd birthday coming up within a month, and considering getting a new tattoo for it (I’ve been wanting a new one for some time now).

My family just moved here back in June so we aren’t too familiar with things in the area still, was curious if anyone had any recommendations of good shops or artists? My wife suggested looking at Houston instead but figured I’d ask around first.

Hi guys i looking for a accomodation to stay from Nov 19 as i will attending Louisiana tech University so i would love to have my accomodation near my uni and my budget is 400 usd for myself if its 1bhk i dont have pet and my price range is 800 usd for 2bhk and 1200 usd for 3bhk.... including the utiliities ! If theres anyone who have rooms or apartment or looking for a roommates with this criteria let me know !!

Im pretty young(not a minor but not older than 25) and this is my first ticket

I just renewed my DL online, and I worried that it will not produce another Real ID driver’s license like the one I currently have. Did I mess up horribly?

VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS APPROACHING! Check your status or get registered to vote next month!!

Online: October 15 (driver's license required) In-person and by mail: October 7

Information on how to register here: https://www.sos.la.gov/ElectionsAndVoting/RegisterToVote/Pages/default.aspx

You can check your voter status here: https://voterportal.sos.la.gov/

I guess New Orleans is Harris country, but what about the rest of the state?

Hi all, hoping this is okay to share here. I am a graduate student working to fulfill the requirements for a master's degree in applied sociology. Because my entire life has been spent in Louisiana, I've chosen to focus my efforts on amplifying the concerns, interests, and challenges faced by workers in our state's major industry- oil and gas. I'm hoping that this community will be able to connect me with workers who may be interested in sharing their insights through about 30 interview questions.

Rather than a simple survey, I've chosen the interview route to allow more flexibility and freedom to elaborate on each topic. These interviews will take place over Google Meet and are expected to take about 30mins-1hr. All participants will remain completely anonymous. Alongside satisfying the requirements for my master's program, I am truly hoping to use this information to build a better foundation for future industry research and policy action in Louisiana.

If you are interested in participating, please fill out the interest form at this link: https://form.jotform.com/242568287346064

If you have any questions about this research, please do not hesitate to reach out to me by email at: anna.pope@selu.edu

Again, the primary goal of this study is to amplify the voices of workers. As someone with several family members and acquaintances in this industry and generational ties to Louisiana, I can think of no better topic for my graduate studies.

If I built a natural pond on my property with plants + fish how would I get alligators to naturally come to my pond

With Halloween approaching, I'd share a project I've been working on for a few years, recording the locations of horror movies around the country and the world. 

I am a big fan of horror and am a weird pedantic person who likes to make lists, and while people on r/horror don't seem to be as interested in this, I figured the state subreddits might. Especially if any y'all are looking for new movies to watch this month. You can check out my raw data here, or check out a more visually pleasing Letterbox list I made of Lousiana's horror movies here.

Now to be clear about my methodology in how I organize these movies. These are organized by where they are SET not necessarily by where they are SHOT. Example: Most of the Friday the 13th movies are not shot in NJ, but they are all classified as set in NJ because in-universe that is where they take place. In cases where the setting of the film is not outright stated, I used context clues such as license plates, driver's licenses, newspapers, references to cities, and so on. While I did take into account where the movie was filmed, I tried not to use that as definitive evidence (there is a reason why the tropes California Doubling and the Mountains of Illinois exist).

I go into more of the breakdown of movies in this post on r/horror if you are interested.

I have recorded 101 horror movies set in Louisiana, placing the state at #6 in state rankings.

According to IMDB, this makes the top 20 Louisiana horror movies:

1. Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island (1998)
2. Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte (1964)
3. Interview with the Vampire: The Vampire Chronicles (1994)
4. Angel Heart (1987)
5. Eve's Bayou (1997)
6. 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016)
7. The Call of Cthulhu (2005)
8. The Monster Squad (1987)
9. The Beyond (1981)
10. Happy Death Day (2017)
11. The Skeleton Key (2005)
12. Renfield (2023)
13. No One Will Save You (2023)
14. Black Box (2020)
15. Frankenstein (2004)
16. Happy Death Day 2U (2019)
17. I Spit on Your Grave (2010)
18. Synchronic (2019)
19. Cat People (1982)
20. #ChadGetstheAxe (2022)

I hope you like this, and if you have any more suggestions or corrections you want me to make, please comment. You can also look at the lists for other states and countries here.

This whole mess feels more like a money making scam meant to make struggling people suffer even more. I already had to pay 40 bucks to do my drivers license test at the driver school and the physical license will be like 36 bucks. Now unless I can find it in the next few days, I have to go to the courthouse and shell out another 34 bucks that drains our already severely depleted budget even more if I can't figure out where my birth certificate went??? And why? Because I'll "need it if I go to get on a plane"????? I am pushing 36, have never been on a plane, and have zero intentions of ever being on a plane.

I got admitted into Louisiana Tech University for Bachelor's in mechanical engineering for the spring 2025 quarter. How hard is the mechanical engineering program at tech and do a lot of students end up failing?

Just a question out of curiosity. How many people speak or use French regularly in Louisiana?

My father lived there in the 40s/50s, but I was a Pentagon man. I visited there a few times, but not long enough to have to use the bathroom, LOL.

https://www.nola.com/sports/lsu/tiger-stadium-dorm-rooms-death-valley/article_878839f0-80f9-11ef-8a24-b747e4f9363b.html

Everywhere I’ve been from Houston to Los Angeles, these friggin people will play Cajun music for hours and call it zydeco over and over again. It is not zydeco music! They have festivals and all these people dancing like a bunch of jackasses talking about the wrong god damn thing what’s wrong with you this is almost as criminal as them charging for Mardi Gras in Galveston!!!

Hi! Just wanted to say hello! Ima Louisiana son although I don’t live there anymore I like to keep up with some of the happenings! New to Reddit! Feel free to say hello!

Seriously, what tf is wrong with y’all? We get it, the ports are on strike. The world is not ending, we are not in an apocalypse. The second some new fear mongering starts, the TP disappears.

I have a bidet and barely use TP. But I finally ran out after months and went to grab another pack. I went to 2 walmarts and a walgreens there wasn’t a single roll in the 3 stores.

TP is literally made in the US. TP is not imported. WTF IS WRONG WITH YALL

My wife and I are traveling from Finland and doing a three week road trip in Southern USA. We’ll be driving from Texas to New Orleans and later from NOLA to Memphis.

We have a day reserved for driving from Beaumont TX to Lafayette, where we’ll spend one night before driving to NOLA.

I’m planning to drive through the Creole Nature Trail, and am now looking for any tips or suggestions where to stop and what to see on the way.

What we’re mainly looking to see/experience are: 1) alligators (in the wild), 2) local nature, and 3) local food (especially something that’s different from NOLA cuisine). And not just to see the interstate from the car windows.

1. Should we drive from Beaumont via I-10 to ~Sulphur and drive South via Hwy 27, take the Cameron ferry and up North via Hwy 27 to Lake Charles?

OR should we drive via Port Arthur and Hwy 82 and then up north Hwy 27 either from Holly Beach (and thru Hackberry) or from Oak Grove (and thru Hacketts Corner? Where to have lunch like a local?

2. From Lake Charles, should we drive via I-10 to Lafayette, or continue from Oak Grove via Hwy 82?

On I-10 there are at least Bayou Rum Distillery and Gator Chateau (tho gators aren’t in the wild, it seems sweet to see) which are of interest to us. Any other sights on I-10 or recommendations to drive Hwy 82?

3. From Lafayette, I’m planning to drive Hwy 90 to NOLA, mainly because of the Tabasco factory tour. Any other suggestions for what to see or where to stop on the way?

Thank you so much for all the help!!

To move in a place after being homeless for 4 months. I need 875 deposit. I have saved that only the long term motel I've been staying in will take a chunk of that tomorrow since the apt isn't ready for another week. I don't have anyone to stay with temporarily. Is there any place that can help with either motel vouchers or deposit help? I'm not from here. I called 211 they immediately told me they have no resources. Called smile same thing. Any ideas?