Mardi Gras, being often in February (as it is this year), is a pre-lenten holiday that involves beads, drinking, food, sometimes breasts, and cold freakin' weather.

So you're standing outside, in the cold, in the wind, watching parades pass you by, and the float riders throw beads to the crowd (except in Mobile, Alabama, where I hear they aren't allowed to throw anything at all.).

Why not have one of the floats throw heated beads? Bead expenses are already high, as anyone who has been to a New Orleans Mardi Gras celebration can tell you - often, the beaded necklaces contain painted logos or faces, stuffed animals, several intertwined strands, or even LEDs.

This idea consists of a set of stranded metal or plastic cages, wrapped in cheesecloth, that contain iron powder, salt, water, activated charcoal, and vermiculite - all natural ingredients that are found in modern handwarmers. Beads are shipped in sealed plastic bags as it is, which are opened by the float riders on the route, so there's no risk of people getting already-expired beads.

Have one float toss these suckers out every so often, and at least a few revelers will be able to stay a little bit warmer for a little bit longer.
-- shapu, Feb 20 2007

Warm beads may lead to increased warm breasts which may lead to increased breastial exposure. And that ain't bad.
-- Noexit, Feb 20 2007


I was in NO this weekend, and any girl who dared bare undoubtedly went home with frostbite.
-- shapu, Feb 20 2007


//breastial exposure// Ha! Will work this phrase into a conversation sometime today.
-- methinksnot, Feb 20 2007


on the other hand heated bead will reduce nippular enhancement.
-- jhomrighaus, Feb 20 2007


We stand by our claim that our product is 100% safe and, although we continue to explore the issue, we have found no conclusive evidence to link heated Mardi Gras beads with reductions in nipular enhancement.
-- methinksnot, Feb 20 2007


sorry Nippular Thermal Enhancement
-- jhomrighaus, Feb 20 2007


Oh, that's an easy fix, just mix in some ice beads. [+]
-- daseva, Feb 21 2007


Even LEDs?!!
-- theleopard, Feb 21 2007


Yeah...they were the big thing this year in the Garden District parades. I watched one guy follow every float screaming "Lights! Lights! Lights!" until someone would finally hand him one - he went probably an eighth of a mile for one bauble. It was really pretty funny.
-- shapu, Feb 21 2007


One of my daughters caught a seahorse and the other didn't. I had to buy one from a high school kid to keep the peace.

(The Proteus parade Monday night had a little translucent seahorse with blinking red and green and blue lights inside - they were really quite pretty.)

+ for heated beads. We went to a parade in Mandeville Saturday night and it was about 40 F.
-- nomocrow, Feb 22 2007


ahhhhhh! It Burns! IT BURRRRRRNNNS!!
-- bungston, Feb 22 2007


// //breastial exposure// Ha! Will work this phrase into a conversation sometime today//

Should be easy to do. In fact, there's a perfect opportunity in the next couple of days.

"The late Anna Nicole rose to fame in the brestial exposure industry."
-- Noexit, Feb 22 2007


[marked for tagline] May lead to increased breastial exposure.
-- Voice, Sep 21 2007


Apparently I was at the same Garden District parades as [nomocrow] in February 2007. Sweet.
-- shapu, Sep 20 2009



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