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Note: I put this up a few days ago, but took it down to do some reworking of my site. There was no agenda or censorship, in case that was on your mind.

As many of you know, Mardi Gras is the last day of celebration before the season of Lent begins. This period leading up to Easter is a time of inner reflection and sacrifice. For many, Lent is a time to give up on the excesses and indulgences, like chocolate and beer. Therefor, making sure you have plenty of these things before that season begins is important, leading to the tradition of Mardi Gras begins, a celebration I can get into.

But this year, I feel weird about Mardi Gras, seeing people wrassling for beads and Bourbon Street swelled with people. I know that the South has to move on and that the community needs to come together again, for nothing else except forgetting about last August for a little while. That's fine. That's their home town and they deserve it. But when I see the local Mardi Gras events mentioned in the Spotlight well, I feel like we're crashing the party.

I also really hate that none of the local Mardi Gras events I found are giving money to hurricane relief. I know that's old news, but people still need help, not in the I'm-going-to-die-soon sense, but in the how-the-heck-do-I-get-my-medicine or where-are-my-kids-going-to-school way.

So, in the spirit of Mardi Gras, the impending season of Lent and those who suffered through the many Gulf Coast Hurricanes, I ask you please take a visit to the Network for Good Web site.

From there, you can not only find a number of charities aimed at helping vicitims of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma, but you can look at their financials to see which ones are legit and which are scams.

Happy Mardi Gras!