Beads for everyone: Some friends of mine are arranging a Katrina fundraiser with some local bars here in Charlotte. Mardi Gras on Montford (St.) they're calling it. This is a crowd that doesn't need an excuse to drink heavily, but they like looking for one anyway. And raising money for charity isn't a bad excuse, if I may say so. (I'm opposed to the name for a number of reasons, mostly that the event is on a Saturday, not on a "Mardi." I was shouted down for being a dork.)

They wanted to give away strings of beads to everyone who pays their cover charge and were going to buy or get them donated from a store. Well, I just emptied my bag of beads that I have trucked around with me for five years, through numerous residences, for no apparent reason. I never looked at them or did anything with them. It's not like I run around the house in Mardi Gras beads shouting "Throw me something, Mister" to the dogs. The most useless souvenirs imaginable.

Glad I saved them. Glad they'll be put to good use. Glad they'll finally be gone from my attic. And in case you're curious I counted out almost 300 strings of beads, but I remember throwing out twice as many few years ago, the "shit beads" as we called them. The crappy ones that are left on Bourbon St. after the last parade. All mine are high quality, though still pretty ordinary colored beads. I had about 15 strings of really cool, unique, large and decorative beads, with medallions and other ornaments. I won't give those away, but maybe I'll auction them off for donations.