This is classic. The Oregon Lottery named one of their scratch-it tickets “Casino Fortune.” Thanks to that name, an off-shore casino by the same name is reaping some decent benefits — $500,000 $940,000 or so — from the alleged trademark infringement. Full Story.
Net Casino Profits from Oregon Lottery Scratch-Its
Where’s The Paralympic Coverage?
After dealing with the horrible coverage that NBC stuck us with during the Olympics, it’s even more sad that not a single bit of American TV coverage for the the 2004 Paralympics (also in Athens, as Paralympics are traditionally held in the main Olympic city and venues). Boing Boing has a pile of great commentary and links on this event which starts in a few days.
10 Things To Change in Sports
From the BCS to the designated hitter to sudden death overtime, here are 10 things that need to be changed in sports (along with pros and cons of each as well as audio commentary). Link via BBSpot.
Santa May Be Banned over Salt Lake
Santa Claus and his eight reindeer might have to bypass Utah’s capital this year if the Salt Lake City Department of Airports has its way.
For years now Salt Lake City has been very accommodating of the jolly old elf and his flying team. The city’s general aviation ordinance makes it clear that Santa’s sleigh has free rein to fly about the city at low altitudes on Christmas Eve despite restrictions on low-flying aircraft other days of the year.
Now, however, some airport leaders want to rewrite the city’s general aviation rules — a revision that includes eliminating the city’s long-standing exemption on low-flying Christmas Eve reindeer.
And other good point brought up:
…if the city bans Rudolph’s low-flying crew, who will be there to enforce the law? After all, the police are too busy and the city can’t afford to pay enforcement officers overtime to go undercover in search of rogue reindeer.
Apparently this came about because in the city’s code aviation code, there’s a provision that calls for small aircraft to maintain an altitude of more than 2,000 feet over the city. There is one exception to that 2,000-foot provision: “On Christmas Eve only, flying reindeer and any cargo they may be towing shall be exempt from the two-thousand-foot height restriction.” This was obviously put in there in good fun, but folks are reading far too much into it.
Interesting Blog For The Day
“I’m a twenty-something New York escort. I love Prada, Seven jeans, and Jimmy Choos. I’m also totally addicted to Starbucks’ grande non-fat white mocha and working out” Link.
100 Photographs that Changed the World
Granted, there are only 27 pictures here (it’s a teaser for a book), but these are certainly 27 pictures that changed the world — from the atomic bomb to Anne Frank to Tiananmen Square to the Wright Brothers, and more. Photojournalism at its finest. Link via Kottke.
Oprah Gives Away New Cars to Audience
When I first heard about this on the morning radio this morning, I thought “This is just a case where someone has WAY too much money to blow.” While that’s still partially the case, the show’s audience that day was, for the most part, selected because they or someone in their family needed a new car.
In addition, she also gave away a four-year college scholarship, $10,000 wardrobe and make-over to a young woman who spent her teen years in foster care and homeless shelters. And a family with eight foster children was presented with a new houseful of furniture and electronics plus a $130,000 check to cover their mortgage and home repairs.
So, really, Oprah has my respect for at least putting money to people who could use it. Just the same, I would’ve liked to have been one of those folks, as both of our cars here on the home front are approaching 200,000 miles. Anyway, here’s the Full Story.
Bend Burrito Joint Serves Cockroaches With Food
Simone was hungry. Based on the premise that, quite frequently, the little hole-in-the-wall places have the best food, she decides to try out a little Mexican place in downtown Bend called “Super Burrito.” She was enjoying the food until it happened: She saw a cockroach.
There, on the woodboard-covered wall right above our little table, sat possibly the most hated animal in the universe: a cockroach. It was brown, about an inch long, and quite obviously a youngster (I’ve come across adult cockroaches in my travels, and they are significantly larger).
My first reaction was one of astonishment. Then, as I fully realized what I was looking at, there was horror and deep disgust. I instantly dropped my burrito. Jeff dropped his fork.
We were out of that joint faster than you can say “cockroach”. Worst is – you just *know* that that little roach wasn’t a loner. I bet there is a Mama Roach, a Papa Roach, and several, if not hundreds, of Sister and Brother roaches. Maybe even an Uncle Roach, and a Grandpa Roach.
It’s a damn scary thought, but to be quite honest with you, I’m pretty damn sure that Super Burrito has been shut down in the past for health violations, as I distinctly remember seeing the familiar “Closed for Health Violation” sign on their door at one point in the past.I can’t confirm that with any thing on Deschutes County’s hard-to-navigate site, as they don’t have a database for violators listed there (which they really should, as a service to the local community — we do have 290 or so restaurants here, after all).
Simone’s going to file a complaint with the health inspector tomorrow. Stay tuned…
Update on 9/13: Simone has posted a follow up. According the the county health inspector, all three restaurants in that building (corner of Wall & Minnesota) have had problems with cockroaches, partially because the building is very old. The restaurant owners claimed the “little pets” (as the inspector called them) had imported themselves with some produce. “Usually”, he said, “this area has little to no problems with roaches.”
What that also means, however, is that some of the yuppie fancy restaurants in that block might also have roaches.
When Simone asked him if the Super Burrito place had had past health code violations, he said yes, but only very minor.
Again, I stand by what I said above: Health code violations should be publicly available, period. I’m sure a FOIA request would get the information, but damned if I’ve got the time to do a formal request.
The New GOP Mascot
A condom stands up to inflation, halts production, destroys the next generation, protects a bunch of pricks and gives one a sense of security while screwing others.
(An old joke, but still a good one. E-mail from Barney.)
This Was Legal Before?
Having sex with corpses is now officially illegal in California after Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill barring necrophilia. Full Story.