Florida the rules are different here Chapter CLXX

A Central Florida strip mall was evacuated the other day. Why? An elderly woman came to a police substation with a hand grenade. Even though the pin was still inside it, law enforcement considered it dangerous. Don't you just love the Sunshine State?

An Orlando police substation near a Pine Hills strip mall was evacuated Thursday morning when an elderly woman arrived with an old grenade, reports show.

The woman was cleaning out the belongings of a deceased relative when she came across the live ammunition.

She put the device in her car and drove to the substation to get rid of it, police Sgt. Barbara Jones said.

Police contacted the Orlando Fire Department and the bomb squad. All nearby businesses, including the substation and strip mall, were evacuated.

Camping out

Because of the economy, travel related businesses are particularly hard hit for customers. Here is one innovative way a resort is trying to attract guests.

A luxury resort in San Diego is offering rooms for $19 a night — if you don't mind sleeping in a tent.

The Rancho Bernardo Inn boasts three pools, a spa and golf course. It typically charges more than $200 a room.

But business is down. So from Aug. 16 to 31, guests can get a "Survivor Package" that charges them less for each amenity they give up.

So far as luxury resorts go, $200 is quite a bargain. I used to travel to Southern California on a regular basis as recently as 2001. Hotels in some parts of Los Angeles were in the $150-200 range. Have prices dropped that much due to the present economy?

For $19, guests give up breakfast, air conditioning, lights, sheets and even the bed. Staff will remove the mattress and headboard and leave a small tent instead.

Will the hotel provide mosquitos or the sound of crickets chirping? Of course, but they will be extra!

Oh, and bring your own toilet paper.

You can count me out then. I don't think this business model will be successful.

Not going the extra mile

A North Florida automobile dealer had one of its employees arrested this week.

Dude, where's my car? One woman found out her car, left at a Gainesville car dealership this week, reportedly went for a ride without her.

Police charged Paul Stephen Rogers, 20, of Gainesville, with grand theft auto after officers stopped him for speeding and driving without headlights early Wednesday. Police said Rogers told them the vehicle wasn't his and he shouldn't have been driving it.

Officers learned the car's owner had dropped the vehicle off at a dealership on N. Main Street Tuesday evening so it could be serviced, according to an arrest report. Rogers had been working at the dealership, police reported, and took the car "for personal purposes."

Totally unremarkable news but what I find interesting is what the article lacks. The name of the car dealership the car was borrowed from. A internet search shows twelve such businesses with a N. Main street address. Shouldn't local consumers be aware that one of these dealers was less than safe with their valuable property that had been trusted to them?

I guess protecting the advertising dollars the Gainesville Sun acquires from the one dealer is more important than reporting the entire story. Newspapers are a business, and only a naive person will believe important revenue streams wouldn't or couldn't affect reporting. Then I'd pose this question to the Gainesville Sun- By not identifying the one dealer, aren't you creating the possibility consumers will question if one of the other eleven dealers is a place to do business with? By protecting the one dealership, the newspaper has indirectly called into question the integrity of all the auto businesses with that street address.

One of whom may not be happy when it comes time to buy more advertising.

How low can it go?

Gas prices at the pump are falling are falling below $2 a gallon in South Florida. From the Miami Herald-

Gasoline prices, in stunning free fall, broke the two-buck barrier at some South Florida stations on Thursday.

There is no need to rush out for a bargain fill-up. By the weekend, a gallon likely will be even cheaper.

Linked to the crude oil that is refined to produce it, gasoline has undergone record price plunges, faster even than the Dow Jones industrial average's tumble. It may well keep dropping until the new year, analysts said, offering beleaguered consumers an early and unexpected holiday gift in an otherwise Scroogean economy.

''I don't think we have ever seen a month like October when gas prices fell by five or six cents a day,'' said Gregg Laskoski, a spokesman for the American Automobile Association Auto Club South, which tracks gasoline prices in Florida, Georgia, Tennessee and Puerto Rico. ``It's phenomenal.''

The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas in Florida has fallen a staggering 49 percent to $2.06 since an all-time high set only four months ago. In July, gas in Miami and Fort Lauderdale cost about $4.16 a gallon. On Thursday, the averages were $2.20 and $2.14 respectively.

Nationally, the drop since July has been more than half to $2.02, with 23 states now posting average regular prices below $2 a gallon.

The lowest price in my corner of Palm Beach County is $2.15 a gallon. I'm predicting I see prices under $2 by the first week in December.

Falling gas prices when taken by themselves is good economic news. It makes my visit to the gas station every 10 days or so less painful. Wizbang contributor Lorie Byrd also got her wish. The lower prices at the pump however is a symptom of the slumping worldwide economy. Demand is down because of production decreases. So while consumers are taking a smaller visible hit at the gas station, they are being hit less visibly in other places and probably much more substantially.

Hat tip- SFDB

For lease= half a African country

Is this modern day colonialism? From the Financial Times-

Daewoo Logistics of South Korea has secured farmland in Madagascar to grow food crops for Seoul, in a deal that diplomats and consultants said was the largest of its kind.

The company said it had leased 1.3m hectares of farmland - about half the size of Belgium - from Madagascar's government for 99 years. It plans to ship the maize and palm oil harvests back to South Korea. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The pursuit of foreign farm investments is a clear sign of how countries are seeking food security following this year's crisis - which saw record prices for commodities such as wheat and rice and food riots in countries from Egypt to Haiti.

Prices for agricultural commodities have tumbled by about half from such levels but countries remain concerned about long-term supplies.

The United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation warned this year that the race by some countries to secure farmland overseas risked creating a "neo-colonial" system. Those fears could be increased by the fact that Daewoo's farm in Madagascar represents about half the African country's arable land, according to estimates by the US government.

Shin Dong-hyun, a senior manager at Daewoo Logistics in Seoul, said the company would develop the arable land for farming over the next 15 years, using labour from South Africa, and intended to replace about half South Korea's maize imports.

South Korea, a heavily populated but resource-poor nation, is the fourth-largest importer of maize and among the 10 largest buyers of soyabeans.

This deal with leave Daewoo farming almost half of Madagascar's arable. land.(I read that in another article that I've lost the link to. Half the area of Belgium is pretty sizable) Foreign corporations have entered into agreements with countries where they mine natural resources. Is food any different than gold, silver, platinum? Of course it is, because you don't eat those minerals. The deals though seem similar to me.

Slippery Slope

If Congress bails out GM, other industries may start lining up.

We won't know the answer until we see how the (Tampa Bay)Lightning respond to new coach Rick Tocchet - well, "interim" head coach, which seems an awfully appropriate title, considering how short Melrose's reign lasted. That was a $2 million mistake for the new Bolts owners, to be paid out over three years, along with the $1.3 million they're paying former coach John Tortorella not to coach this season.

We all need to get a job with these people. Next thing you know, the Bolts will be headed to Congress looking for a bailout.

Since only 4 of the 24 players on Tampa's roster hail from the USA, I think the economy can take the hit. Then someone may point out the collateral damage caused by the loss of a NHL franchise. Members of the Florida Congressional delegation are sure to begin lobbying for a bailout plan. Tampa Bay was sold for 200 million less than a year ago. That's chump change compared to all those financial institutions with their hands out. If the Federal govt. can buy Fannie Mae, why not a hockey team?

Personally I'm available to be Tampa's next head coach. Come on Oren Koules, I'd like to make a million dollars a year without having to work too.

In the gutter

Disney is feeling the pinch of the economic downturn.

Plans to bring thousands of bowlers to Disney's Wide World of Sports in 2011 have landed in the gutter — at least for the time being. Blame the economy. The private — and still unnamed — company that would build the 100-lane bowling stadium in Osceola County is having trouble getting financing because of the credit market. The first tournament in the new bowling complex is not scheduled until 2013, Disney World spokeswoman Jacquee Polak said.

Back in June, officials lauded the deal. Planned for 100 lanes, stadium-style seating and a restaurant, the facility was to be complete in about 18 months. Under terms of the deal, the United States Bowling Congress was supposed to bring 13 events to Central Florida beginning in 2011. Each tournament is played over four to six months. The event, though delayed, is still expected to be a boon to Osceola hotels and tourist-related businesses.

Honestly I thought bowling was in decline. Except for places like Buffalo, which was once described as 'The Bowling Capital of the World' by comedian Robert Klein. Bowling centers have been closing in my area of South Florida. Here is one example.

All tourist related business are going to be hurt with an economy in recession. People stay at home rather than take a vacation. The legendary hotel chain Howard Johnson's was struck badly by the gas price rises starting in 1973. Where there used to be many of these easy to distinguish hotels in the early 70's, only a few remain.

A sign of the apocalypse

First Dawn 'Mary Ann' Wells gets arrested for having marijuana, now Hugh Hefner may have to make cutbacks.

Tycoon Hugh Hefner has been advised to cut back on staff at his multi-million dollar glamour empire as it struggles to cope during the global economic turmoil.

The 83-year-old has been told to lay off some of his staff at his Los Angeles and New York offices as soon as this month or go bankrupt.

Seriously if Hefner has to cut back that quickly, he must have serious financial difficulties.

There is other trouble for Hugh also.

The news will be another blow to Hefner who recently discovered that two of his "bunnies" may have been cheating on him.

Holly Madison, who has previously been named as Hefner's "No.1″ girlfriend, is alleged to have had an affair with magician Criss Angel and another bunny, Kendra Wilson, is reportedly dating football star Hank Baskett.

Its hard times for people all over the world right now. Hugh will just have to move on(or over).

Hat tip- Doug at Below the Beltway who writes "It's a sad day for America, my friends."

Now that's health care

The latest reform to come to Cuba since Raul Castro took over.

HAVANA - Cuba has authorized sex-change operations and will offer them free for qualifying citizens, an official said Friday. The move is the latest in a series of changes implemented by President Raul Castro since he succeeded his elder brother, Fidel, in February. Raul Castro's daughter, Mariela, heads Cuba's National Center for Sex Education, which strongly backs the new policy.

Health Minister Jose Ramon Balaguer signed a resolution approving sex-change surgery, said an official at the center who spoke on condition of anonymity because the measure has not been formally published. The resolution will be posted on the Internet on Saturday, the official said.

The procedure would be available to Cubans for free as part of their country's health-care system.

The sex education center has said previously that 28 transsexual Cubans have asked to undergo the surgery and that Cuban doctors have trained with physicians from Belgium to prepare for the procedures.

According to the center, a clinic for transsexual health will be created to perform the procedures, but it was not clear when it will start operating.

Toasters, computers, now sex changes. What's next in store for the people of Cuba?

All joking aside, I think Cuba has another reason for opening this clinic. They will start selling GRS(Gender reassignment surgery) to non-Cubans. As it stands, most people wanting GRS travel to places like Thailand for that surgery. The last time I researched it(For a web fiction I was writing), there weren't many options here in North America. Montreal, Neenah Wisconsin, Oregon and maybe one or two other places. Also note the physicians teaching the Cuban doctors come from Belgium. Belgium was another place people went for GRS.

Unless travel restrictions are relaxed, few Americans will be making the trip to Cuba for surgery. I'm all for easing up some on Cuba for our present policy isn't working. Change won't happen till some US President takes a unpopular stand. Obama maybe, if he's elected. McCain is less likely because Cuban Americans vote heavily Republican.

Like oreo cookies without the cream filling

From the 'You got to be kidding me files'- Playboy magazine without the nudity.

MANILA (AFP) - The Philippines will get its own edition of Playboy magazine -- only without the nudity that made the US version famous, the editor-in-chief of the local edition said Thursday.

The Philippine edition will be launched on April 2 as a "mature lifestyle magazine", said veteran journalist Beting Laygo Dolor.

While the magazine will offer pictorials of beautiful women, it will not include nudity. "It will be tamer than the US edition but not as tame as the Indonesian edition," Lagyo Dolor said in a television interview.

He said it would be aimed at a more mature, affluent readership than "lad magazines" such as FHM and Maxim which already have Philippine editions.

It will be the 25th international edition of the US-based magazine which was launched more than 50 years ago.

Playboy was never on my list of reading materials. If you seen tasted one cookie recipie, there is no need to sample any more.

All snark aside, how profitable will it be to publish Playboy in the PI? Without the nudity, I wouldn''t think there would be much of a market for the publication. The magazine is published in the Muslim country of Indonesia without the nudity. What works in that country(Assuming Playboy is successful there) doesn't mean the same business model will work in a country without with a very different culture.

Note- Before anyone tries to remind me how Roman Catholic The Philippines are, I will remind readers I'm married to a Filipina. Plus lived in that country for two years of my life.

Half burnt

According to Reuters, some Chinese businesses are taking desperate measures due to the rising cost of fuel.

HONG KONG, Dec 7 (Reuters) - China's worst fuel crunch in years has led a crematorium to dump half-burnt corpses to try to save on diesel costs, a Hong Kong newspaper said on Friday.

Villagers in Hengyang county, in the southern province of Hunan, discovered the practice when an "unbearable stench" started coming from the site, and tried to block a road on Wednesday to stop funeral vehicles from delivering more bodies.

The village sent people to investigate the smell and the South China Morning Post said they saw "crematorium workers putting half-burnt human remains and organs in plastic bags and throwing them into a nearby ditch".

"As the price of diesel rose, we saw more and more bags thrown out from the crematorium," the paper quoted Xiao Gaoyi, a village representative and one of the witnesses, as saying.

China was hit by its worst fuel supply crisis in four years from October to November, as a widening gap between low, state-regulated domestic prices and market-driven international prices forced Chinese refiners to cut output.

Fuel in many parts of the country was rationed and there were long queues at petrol stations.

An increase of nearly 10 percent in the prices of domestic diesel and gasoline from Nov. 1, the first in almost a year and a half, failed to lift refining margins back into the black.

The China MSM has been known to get facts wrong before, so you have to wonder if its true. If this happened in the US, it would only take moments for someone to blame it on President Bush or Vice-President Cheney. Anyone going to blame Chinese President Hu Jinato?

I didn't think so.

Hat tip- Japundit
Linked to- Blue Star, Bright & Early, Populist, Right Voices, Right Wing Nation,

Geograpphically Challenged II

From CBS4-

DALLAS (CBS4) ― It was Merry Christmas and a not-so-happy New Year for employees of the CompUSA chain of computer and electronics stores, who woke Saturday morning to find out they would not have jobs after the holiday season. The chain's 103 stores, including 4 in South Florida, will be closed after the holidays and the chain will go out of business.

Majority stockholder Carlos Slim, a Mexican billionaire, sold the chain Friday to a restructuring company which said it would try to sell some locations to other retailers, but the CompUSA chain will cease operation after store-closing sales during the holidays, unless the name is purchased.

*****

CompUSA has struggled for nearly a decade with falling prices on personal computers, its most important product, and competition from big-box retailers such as Best Buy. Earlier this year, it closed approximately half it's stores, including one at The Falls in South Miami-Dade.

Like Rick at SOTP, I wasn't aware of the February CompUSA news. Back in the 90's I bought a desktop and a couple of laptops from CompUSA. My experiences were good with the company, but that was a while ago. I haven't been in one of their stores in some time.

Another interesting thing about this article. Note the above where it says 4 South Florida stores.

The company currently operates stores in Dadeland, North Miami-Dade, Plantation, and Deerfield Beach. The company has not announced specific plans for any store.

The last time I checked West Palm Beach is considered South Florida. I included a screen cap from the Comp USA website listing there store in that town.

Once again the careless MSM has made the part of Florida I live in succeed from the union. Who will be next?

Linked to- Bright & Early, Bullwinkle, Jo, Morewhat, The World According to Carl,

A funny way of doing business

From AP-

SEATTLE - Microsoft Corp. is pulling back from a system that disables programs on users' computers if it suspects the software is pirated, opting instead for a gentler approach based on nagging alerts.

Microsoft said late Monday it will roll out the new version of Windows Genuine Advantage with the first "service pack" for Windows Vista, due in the first quarter of 2008.

When computer users activate a copy of Windows Vista or try to download certain software from Microsoft's Web site, the Windows Genuine Advantage system scans their PCs for signs of pirated software. Today, if the tool finds an unauthorized copy of Vista, the glassy Vista user experience disappears and other features are suspended.

In the new version, PC users found to have a pirated copy of Vista will continue to be able to use their computers, but with unmistakable signs their operating system is a fake. The desktop wallpaper will turn black, and a white notice will appear alerting users to the problem. Each time they log in, they will be prompted to buy legitimate software, and every hour, a reminder bubble will appear on the screen.

Users with a high tolerance for irritation can put off switching to genuine software indefinitely, but those who relent and buy a real copy of Windows can do so at reduced prices — $119 for Windows Vista Home Premium, half the regular retail price.

"We want to make sure unwitting victims get a great treatment," said Mike Sievert, a corporate vice president in Microsoft's Windows marketing group.

Interesting change of course by Microsoft. They're even willing to discount Microsoft Vista for those who have pirated copies of it. Which makes me wonder-

1- Who would want a pirated copy of Microsoft Vista when there are so many complaints in regards to the system?

2- Why is Microsoft giving thieves a discount? Even if the operator is not the person who installed the pirated vista, they are in possession of stolen property.

Let me remind you of this news from August.

BEIJING (Reuters) - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT.O) has more than halved the retail price of its Vista home basic computer operating software package in China to 499 yuan ($66) from 1,521 yuan, and the price of its premium package to 899 yuan from 1,802 yuan, effective from August 1.

The price cut was made to meet market demand for the operating system, the company said in a statement.

Microsoft had sold 60 million Windows Vista licenses globally by the end of June, including 20 million copies sold since mid-May, the company said last month.

The latest version of its dominant Windows operating system was released on January 30.

Microsoft sure has a funny way of doing business. They cut prices for people who steal their programs(but not as much if they live in China. If you steal Vista in China, do you get the program at half of the 899 yuan mentioned above?) and lower prices in order to meet high demand. Funny I thought businesses react the reverse way.

By the way, I'm possibly in the market for a new laptop. One of the things holding me back is that the notebook would use Microsoft Vista/Office 2007. I've heard nothing but bad things about it. So I'm reluctant to dish out $1,500 for a machine with problems from the get go. Anyone feel free to convince me otherwise. Maybe I don't understand computer operating systems, like I don't understand Microsoft's computer model.

Note- I read it here you may be able to get a disk to go back to Windows XP. Is that possible with a HP notebook?

Linked to- Adam, Right Wing Nation, Rosemary, The World According to Carl,

Tax prep and mortgage loans don't mix

From AP-

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Cerberus Capital Management LP and H&R Block Inc. said Tuesday they terminated their agreement for Cerberus to purchase H&R Block's mortgage subsidiary, which has now stopped accepting new mortgage applications.

H&R Block said it will lay off about 620 employees, close three offices and take a $75 million restructuring charge as it shuts down lending at Option One Mortgage Corp.

About $34 million of that charge will be incurred in the quarter ended Oct. 31, with the rest incurred in the quarter ending Jan. 31, along with about $7 million in previously disclosed restructuring.

H&R Block said it will sell its servicing business, which will result in an another asset impairment charge for the quarter ended Oct. 31 of no more than $125 million. The company hired Lazard to handle that sale.

Cerberus and H&R Block have tried in recent months to renegotiate the agreement regarding Option One, first struck in April, as the mortgage market has been rocked by subprime defaults and tightened lending.

What is H&R Block doing in the mortgage business? Please someone enlighten me. Companies, Sears for one, who get out of their main line of business often wish they didn't. H&R is our most most recent example.

Disclosure- I'm a former H&R Block Tax preparer.
Linked to- Bullwinkle, Pirate's Cove, Populist, Pursuing Holiness,

Take your predictions and shove it

Are you sick of Dr. William Gray and his hurricane forecasts? So is Florida businessman Harris Rosen.

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Central Florida's most famous hotel owner, Harris Rosen, lashed out at hurricane expert Dr. William Gray for his gloomy storm predictions saying they have damaged state tourism.

Rosen said he believes Florida lost billions of dollars in business because of Gray's outlook and even threatened a lawsuit.

"Look, doctor, you've made these forecasts and you were wrong once," Rosen said. "You made the forecast and you were wrong twice. Are you going to continue to make these forecasts?"

I don't care for Gray either and have criticized the crank prognosticator's predictions plus where he gets his backing. Who is to say Gray's predictions aren't influenced by the insurance company that helps fund him? I mean, insurance companies use prognosticators like Gray to set their insurance rates.

As much as I dislike Gray, a lawsuit isn't a solution. First of all, Gray has the right to say whatever he wishes. He'd be likely protected under the first amendment, and anyone who reads my blog knows I'm a supporter of free speech. The media who publicizes Gray's guesses are also protected under Freedom of the Press. A lawsuit isn't a solution. Hopefully the press will catch onto Gray's funding, one member of the MSM already has, or otherwise ignore this scientist when he makes his proclamations. Enough wrong guesses, and the MSM may finally come to its senses.

Hat tip- Overlawyered
Linked to- Bright & Early, Morewhat, Stuck on Stupid, The World According to Carl,

Planned escapes

From Indian Express-

SEOUL, NOVEMBER 19: Brokers here are busy selling what they call “planned escapes” from North Korea. Given enough money, the brokers say, they can now get just about anyone out of the dictatorial Stalinist state that human rights activists call the world’s largest prison.

A low-budget escape through China via Thailand to Seoul can cost less than $2,000, according to four brokers here.

North Korea’s underground railroad to the South is busier than ever because the number of border guards and low-level security officials in the North, who are eager to take bribes, has increased exponentially.

With the disintegration of North Korea’s communist economy and the near-collapse of its state-run food distribution system, the country’s non-elite population is in dire need of cash for food and other essentials, experts agree. “More than ever, money talks,” said Chun Ki-won, a Christian pastor and aid worker in Seoul, who has helped 650 people elude Chinese authorities and settle in Seoul.

Religious groups once dominated the defection trade in North Korea, but in recent years defectors themselves, many of them former military and security officers, have begun to take over.

These brokers, based in Seoul, use personal and institutional contacts to hire North Korean guides and bribe officials. The guides make clandestine contact with defectors, then escort them to the Chinese border.

During the cold war, Eastern Europeans paid to be smuggled out from behind the iron curtain or had family and friends who paid the expense. It is entirely reasonable to me that the same state of affairs is taking place in North Korea today.

I do find it interesting that a smuggler quoted a price for the above article. $2,000 seems pretty cheap for the risks involved. I wonder if that figure is accurate.

Hat tip- DPRK Studies
Linked to- High Desert Wanderer, Pirate's Cove, Populist, Right Wing Nation, Rosemary,

Cart Retrieval

From the Miami Herald-

Using X-ray technology, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers recovered 30 stolen shopping carts worth about $3,000 in a cargo container transiting through the Port of Miami from Ontario to Trinidad and Tobago, the agency said Friday.

The carts belong to Home Depot and will be returned to the company, the agency said in a prepared statement.

''The stolen carts are an unusual find for officers who are accustomed to finding stolen vehicles being shipped out of seaports,'' said Harold Woodward, director of Customs and Border Protection's field operations in Miami. ``The discovery of these carts is indicative of CBP's great efforts to stop the movement of stolen property being imported, exported or transiting through our nation's ports of entry.''

Now we know where all the shopping carts go. Trinidad & Tobago!

Back years ago, Winn-Dixie used to have employ a person who would roam the areas around where a store was located, looking for carts. I worked for the chain back in high school, and a manager sent me out with the guy. We found like seventy carts at the apartment house across the street from the store. People would bring their groceries home but never bring the carts back.

Now who's going to retrieve Home Depot's carts and return them to the stores? I think the government is done enough already. Let the chain store pick them up.

Hat tip- Rick at SOTP
Linked to- Leaning Straight Up, Pirate's Cove, Samantha Burns, Third World County,

Olive Garden- We have plenty of tables but please wait

Yesterday was Halloween and also the vigil for All Saints Day which is a Holy Day of Obligation for Roman Catholics. The wife, mother-in-law, and I went to 4 p.m. mass and afterwards went to dinner.


Dear Wife and I chose Olive Garden to eat at. We eat there or Macaroni Grill if we want Italian food when eating out. Both OG and MG have Boynton Beach restaurants about three to four miles from my home, each located about a half mile from each other.

We get to Olive Garden at 5:15. My wife and Mother-in-law are attending a novena beginning at 7 p.m and I plan to walk before watching a Florida Panther game at 7:30. So we want to eat fairly promptly. Olive Garden wasn't busy, the restaurant not even being half full. So we tell the hostess table for three. She goes and checks on a seating area and comes back.

"We'll have a table for you in a few minutes." She tells us.

We leave and go eat at Macaroni Grill instead. No having to wait for a table there.

Its not like Olive Garden was busy, it wasn't. I could see empty tables. Plenty of them. Because they didn't feel they had enough waiters or waitresses, Olive Garden felt the need to make me wait. Sorry I can take my business elsewhere, which is what I did. There was no reason for us to wait. The hostess watched as we walked out the door.

Very interesting way John Grabek has for running a business. Maybe he should count himself lucky that he doesn't get one of my Knucklehead awards. Then again, I'm planning a festival of those on Saturday. I may reconsider.

Linked to- Bright & Early, High Desert Wanderer, Right Wing Nation, The World According to Carl,

Vernon Downs

Officials there want to end its racing season early.

VERNON, N.Y. (AP) - After struggling to open this year, a harness track in central New York wants to pull the plug on its racing season to save money.

Officials at Vernon Downs near Utica say they want to cancel the last four racing days of the year. The track's owners want to close for the season after Saturday's races. Vernon Downs had been scheduled to race on weekends until November 10th.

The track's owners were hoping that legislation would be passed in the state Assembly earlier this week that would increase vendor license fees for video lottery at New York's race tracks.

That would have given track operators a higher percentage of revenue from their video lottery terminals.

The state Senate approved a bill in June, but the Assembly postponed voting on Tuesday because of revenue concerns raised by horsemen's groups across the state.

The decision to close early must be approved by the state's Racing and Wagering Board.

My father took me to Vernon Downs once, it was in 1972. The track was 3/4 of a mile then, which is an unusual length for a standardbred venue. Most racing are done on 1/2 mile, 5/8 mile or mile tracks. Pompano Park here in Florida is 5/8ths of a mile around.

Sadly Vernon, like many horse tracks, can't survive on horse racing alone. In this track's case, other forms of gambling haven't created adequate enough revenue to finance racing.(Note Vernon Downs financial difficulties go back many years) Having grown up around the sport of horse, I feel sad at what is happening. In honest truth, I don't even follow the sport much any more. Take for instance, The Little Brown Jug which some call The Kentucky Derby for Standardbred Pacers, was raced last month. It went totally unnoticed by me.

Side note- The Little Brown Jug website contradicts itself. Saying that Strike Out in 1972 went 156.3 then both a Jug and I believe World Record for a 3-year-old on a half mile track at the time, but on another page saying a record set in 1965 stood till 1977.

I know about Strike Out's record outing, for I was there. My father owned Fast Clip, the horse who came in second to Strike Out. Clip went 156.4 for the race.

Back to Vernon Downs. Rather than hoping for help from the state legislature, the owners of the track may want to re-evaluate whether horse racing should continue at the track. Another band aid is only putting off the inevitable.

Linked to- Bullwinkle, Rosemary, Stuck on Stupid, Yankee Sailor,

Your money back

From Reuters-

Norwegian food retailer Coop launched a new guarantee for its produce on Monday: "If you did not like the food, you will get your money back - no questions asked."

Coop, a consumer-owned cooperative and second biggest food chain in Norway, said competition among retailers was so fierce that in order to win new clients it had to become more creative.

"We trust the customers, if they say they are not pleased with something, we do not ask any questions," Coop spokesman Vidar Ullenroed told Reuters.

"We will refund the whole amount," Ullenroed told top-selling tabloid VG, adding that there did not have to be anything wrong with the product to get cash back.

"We will not argue about a thing. Just bring the packaging, product or receipt," he said.

So if a chocolate bar has too many nuts or the ready-cooked meal was not the customer's cup of tea, money will be returned.

Is Coop's policy really that unusual? I seem to remember the Supermarket chain Publix saying they would refund a customer their money if they weren't happy. The company's philosophy being satisfaction with a purchase wasn't met till the food was eaten and enjoyed.

Anyone else care to comment?

Linked to- Pirate's Cove, Right Voices, Right Wing Nation, Third World County,