Carnival marks a busy season for krewes, as they build floats in backrooms, and throw boisterous balls. But all that energy thrown toward being carefree and debaucherous offers the city a nice chance to close its budget gap. In addition to bringing on more tow trucks just in time for the big weekend, the city is considering upping the price to release a car from the impound lot. Blocking a driveway or parking on a parade route previously cost $125, but city parking provacateurs could ring up a $156 bill if city Transportation Director Robert Mendoza has his way, WWL-TV reports. And that's before the massive ajudication charge!

True NOLA life will have to make way for approximated NOLA life today in the French Quarter. A certain HBO show dropped a special package on Rampart St. residents and businesses yesterday in the form of placards announcing 12-hour street closings for filming. The closings will encompass a 14-block area of the Quarter, which would cover the entirety of Rampart from Canal to Esplanade if there's no closings on other river-paralleling streets.