Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras ended yesterday - the only day of the year when beads are considered boobie currency. Compared to what a guy normally has to do to get a girl to take off her shirt, throwing a string of beads ranks pretty low on the effort scale - along with just politely asking Paris Hilton.

What other powers do beads have? Let's do a quick thought experiment: It's been estimated that 10 million beads are sold during Mardi Gras. On any day other than Mardi Gras, the only comparably easy way to see boobies is to go to a strip-club. From what I've been told, a topless lap dance costs $20. Assuming 50% of the beads sold are actually "cashed-in", the total intrinsic value of the beads used at Mardi Gras is $100 million. Now what could New Orleans possibly do with an extra $100 million?

And this concludes my attempt at connecting strip-club economics to the mis-handling of the Katrina disaster. Stay tuned next week when I'll link the porn industry to high oil prices. (Hint: Vaseline)