Ah yes, it's that time of year again in the ol' Big Easy...a town where as soon as the Christmas decorations come down, the Mardi Gras decorations go up. A city where, during the first part of each year, a hanky isn't for blowing your nose, and an umbrella does more than protect you from the torrential rains. Where purple, green and gold are the colors most often seen on people's backs and featured in every shop window.

Walk into any down-home (or not so down-home) bar room and you're boun...