Quote du jour

"Whoever controls the media-the images-controls the culture."

-Allen Ginsberg

Chuck E. Cheese Ratted Out

The nation's second most recognizable rodent* in hot water over alleged gambling devices.

A San Diego mother is suing Chuck E. Cheese, the favorite pizza chain of kids across the nation, accusing the restaurant of illegal gambling.

Denise Keller, mother of two daughters, says Chuck E. Cheese has replaced its traditional games of skee-ball and whack-a-mole with machines that resemble slot machines, Capitol Weekly reported.

The lawsuit says that “many games found at Chuck E. Cheese’s restaurants are illegal gambling devices that require little or no skill and are predominantly games of chance, much like a roulette wheel,” according to the paper.

Keller’s attorney, Eric Benink, said the games have flashing lights and bright colors just like slot machines.

"There was no fun involved in the game other than an opportunity to win a prize," he told Capitol Weekly. “It’s just pure random luck in terms of spinning out a result. That, we believe, is a slot machine, as California penal code spells out.”

Could give new meaning to "you pays your money, you takes your chances"?

*Mickey's the first, not Barry!

H/T Support Your Local Gunfighter

Grandma Got Run Over By a Connotation

Ever hear the song, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer?



To me, the song was funny! I had never met any of my grandparents, at least, not while I was old enough to recognize them, and "Grandma" was pretty much just an intellectual concept, not especially tied to any concrete reality. (Think: the Democratic Party!)

My ex-wife, on the other hand, had lived with grandparents for a while, dearly loved her grandmother and it was in an entirely different connotation that she heard the word "Grandma". For her, the song was not as funny! She had a different perception of the word "Grandma". "Grandma" was a real person.

Which, reminds me of one of my favorite college texts, Sleepy Sam Hayakawa's Language in Thought and Action. The map is not the territory. Language, the map, is not a perfect representation of the territory it describes. It leaves...room for error in communication. Not only about grannies getting "run over".

When you consider that what I say is not exactly what I think I said and what you hear is not exactly what you think you heard, it's a wonder anyone understands anybody at all.

So we rely on secondary clues, on context, on facial expressions, on tone of voice...anything to make it all make sense. Owen Wister's Virginian said, "Smile when you say that", because an insult offered with a smile has an entirely different connotation that one given with a sneer.

The Internet, credited with giving us near instantaneous communication, can be very bad for that very reason. It is stripped of clues and inflections that might otherwise illuminate the meaning of the words. I can think of several examples where I offended someone or someone offended me by something that could be taken more ways than one. Adding a smiley face or a frowny face is a poor substitute for hearing the sound of one's voice. (Was that "sarcasm"? Was he being sarcastic? I couldn't tell!)

So, if you're offended by "grandma getting run over by a reindeer", you're probably looking at "grandma" in the concrete rather than the abstract. And if "Grandma in the concrete" gives you images of cement overshoes, well, then... welcome to my world!

In whichever language you call your own, however you perceive it, may you and yours have a happy, reindeer incident free holiday and a prosperous new year. Merry Christmas!

Inflation hits Great Britain.

In order to take your mind off politics for a moment, consider the following:

It may be the first time a bust has caused a boom.

Marks & Spencer yesterday reported better than expected sales after the launch of its ‘two sizes bigger’ bra – which seems to have had the same uplifting effect on profits as it has on customers’ cleavages.

The bra, which was introduced in July, is now selling at a rate of one every three minutes.

Just remember kids: Not all inflationary trends are bad! (Just most of them!)

H/T Support Your Local Gunfighter

Vanessa's Wedding Surprise

This has got to be one of the most memorable wedding receptions in history.
It just gets better and better as it goes along! Wonder how many surreptitious rehearsals it took?

H/T Flopping Aces

Lap Dancers Smarter on Average Than Obama Administration

Okay! I just made that one up to make the Obama administration feel better about the source of their failures! But, the Independent UK has a study that one in four lap dancers has a college degree.

The first academic research project into lap dancing has found that, rather than being uneducated young women who have been coerced into the industry, one in four dancers has a degree and has been attracted by the money.

Dancers took home an average of £232 a shift after paying commission and fees to the club, with most working between two and four shifts a week – giving them annual incomes of between £24,000 and £48,000 a year.

That's $37,000 to $74,450 USD. Not surprisingly, three out of four surveyed said they were "happy" or "Very happy" at work. One such lady is Amber:

Amber gave up a career as a financial journalist seven years ago, and now earns around £40,000 a year ($62K USD) working as a stripper in pubs in London's East End.

The 32-year-old, who has three A-levels and a journalism degree, said: "I had always been fascinated by the idea of being a stripper. I was disillusioned about the work I was doing. I think many people who have worked hard at school and university get out into the real world and find it's not what they expected. Someone I knew had a partner who worked as a stripper, so I went to see her perform at a pub in the East End.

"I think it's everyone's dream to be self-employed, to not have a boss and to work as much or as little as you want. In journalism, it didn't matter how many hours of overtime I put in, I still got paid the same. Now I can work really hard one week and earn good money, and then I can have a week when I don't work so hard and don't earn so much.

One might even begin to wonder who's being exploited here? The obviously smart women or the poor saps who pay them?

H/T Memeorandum

Cross posted at Left Coast Rebel, Say Anything

"She Lets Me Watch Her Mom and Pop Fight"

I'm not quite sure why, but I started thinking of this song just a couple days ago. Not sure exactly what triggered the memory. Once I had remembered the song, I remembered that this song had actually been offered on a cereal box. A plastic sheet with a groove was laminated to the side of a cereal box. It was about four inches square, as I recall. You cut it out with a pair of scissors and played it on your record player*.

And again, as always, why should I be the only to have to suffer with this kind of stuff?

*Ask your Mom or Dad or Grandparents what that was.

Update: Apparently cardboard records were more numerous than I thought!

"Does Islam Suck?"

David Swindle over at News Real Blog posted this video of Andrew "Klavan on the culture". I might not have published it myself, but I came across an individual on a discussion forum who was either not too bright or not too honest. After reading the last post I* put up with a question mark in the headline (That's that little squiggly thingy at the end of the sentence!), he concluded:

"I stumbled on a blog that is fanning the flames of this Muslim rumor"

Stumbled could be apropos! He was referring to my post on the Pew poll about Obama's religion:
Is Obama a Muslim?

Is it "fanning the flames" to merely repeat the question? The reason I might question this person's aptitude or honesty, is that while he obviously took exception to what was said in the article, he linked to the site rather than specifically to the post in question. If you care to, you can decide for yourself whether or not I was "fanning the flames" of this rumor by reporting the existence of the poll and exploring why people might believe what they do. Though I will admit the line about the dog was meant to be tongue in cheek, I concluded the article by saying:

Obama's faith or lack thereof, is his own business. There's nothing wrong with being a Muslim, if he is one. The only problem would be if he had lied about it or mislead anyone about it for political expediency.

I think more people have a problem with his character and his economics than worry about his religion.

Cletus: You talked about "their idiotic conclusion that because Obama has a Muslim name, he must be one". Only, I didn't mention anything about his name other than to call him by it. Is this not customary on your planet as well? And I never said he was a Muslim, I don't know. Which part of "I think more people have a problem with his character and his economics than worry about his religion" didn't you understand?

So, Clete, in honor of your straw man argument, this post's for you!

*A couple of other writers on the blog have used the little squiggly, er, question mark in their headlines since!

One Nation - One Folk

Left Coast Rebel presented us with a piece on the "progressives" (I like to call them "progressieves", because their ideas won't hold water!) and their attempt to unify themselves after the disastrous (even for them) eighteen months of Barack Hussein Obama.

In an effort to replicate the tea party's success, 170 liberal and civil rights groups are forming a coalition that they hope will match the movement's political energy and influence. They promise to "counter the tea party narrative" and help the progressive movement find its voice again after 18 months of floundering.

The large-scale attempt at liberal unity, dubbed "One Nation," will try to revive themes that energized the progressive grassroots two years ago. In a repurposing of Barack Obama's old campaign slogan, organizers are demanding "all the change" they voted for -- a poke at the White House.

- Washington Post

Considering the Balkanization promoted by various left wing groups, the thought of a perfect and single minded unity must be scaring the socks off some of these folks...if they really believed what they are saying. They don't. It's a marketing ploy. The only "unity" these people believe in is a unity of power, to be doled out among the competing ideologies of their coalition. When they speak of "repurposing Barack Obama's old campaign slogan", their purpose is the acquisition and retention of power, nothing more.

Here's a thought... if it's unity they want, how about we unify our "One Nation" with a common language..English? Let's see how many of the "One Nation" folk would be in favor of making English the official language of the United States?

We could teach English primarily in our schools and offer other languages as electives, not as parallel tracks of learning.

We could print all our election materials in one language only...English. We could pass along the cost savings of translation and printing, either back to the public in the form of lower taxes or use it to fund public works projects, approved by an electorate at least mildly conversant in English.

And while we would not want anyone to abandon their culture and heritage, a proficiency in English would open the doors to the American culture, a fusion of those ideals of those who came before us, flavored with our own.

Yeah. One nation wouldn't be a bad thing. Too bad the progressieves are always fighting against it!

Cross posted at Left Coast Rebel

"Hot Chick a Latte"

Entrepreneurs who apparently are taking the Hooters business model to their coffee operation have opened "Hot Chick a Latte".







Tall? Grande?? Venti??? Not at Hot Chick a Latte! Drink sizes are B, C, D and double D!
And the drink names are a bit suggestive as well, such as the Morning Wood...

I guess because it has chicory in it?

This has certainly been a week for stories like this one. And Friday Night is still coming!

Update: It's on East Colfax in Denver CO.

Cross posted at Left Coast Rebel

"It’s Not Fascist When We do it…"

Jim Treacher has a nice take on UC decision to ask incoming students for a DNA sample:

Reminder: The city of San Francisco is boycotting the state of Arizona for reserving the right to ask people for a driver’s license. That’s the worst thing since Hitler. But asking for a sample of your genetic code is fine. It’s voluntary! And confidential! And, and, hey, it’s for your own good!

Some of the reasoning behind this questionable invasion of privacy?

...the test results will help students make decisions about their diet and lifestyle.

Once the DNA sample is sent in and tested, it will show the student’s ability to tolerate alcohol, absorb folic acid and metabolize lactose.

"Show the student’s ability to tolerate alcohol"? Hmmm. One good frat party could do that!

Sounds like the nanny state run amok. We don't want to merely advise you as to what you should and shouldn't eat or drink, but we want to be able to tell you the exact quantities as well.

What would the legal ramifications be, if any, if a student were shown to have genetically, a low tolerance for alcohol and then went binge drinking anyway? Would the school, having known this, be in any way culpable for what could happen?
Or if there is a rape on campus, any chance that DNA samples could be matched with the school's data base? Would the responsibility to keep their students safe override their promise to keep the results confidential?
Could the school be accused morally of sheltering a rapist or other criminal if they refused to share their results?

While not planning on doing any binge drinking or committing any crimes, I'm not sure I'd want the school to have my DNA just the same!

Whiz Kids

Not a new phenomenon, but persistent! What appears to be a knock off of "Calvin" of Calvin and Hobbes fame, taking a whiz on whatever displeases you at the moment.
The above 'toon is typically found affixed to Fords. A similar one with a Ford emblem appears on Chevys, etc.

Politics are not immune from what some have dubbed "P*ss Boy".



Today I saw the lad in a 49's cap whizzing on an Oakland Raiders logo. The blog prof has one whizzing on "racism". But, the one that surprised me most was seeing this one on I-5 today.

When I looked to see what sort of Chevy it was affixed to, I saw the nameplate:
F-150

Apparently another dissatisfied customer! Heh.

The Slave Leia Bikini Car Wash

Support Your Local Gunfighter had the link to this worthy fundraiser. As a public service, I'd suggest that it be replicated coast to coast! For the children, of course!

In Detroit, Life Emulates Art

A local independent TV station has been playing the "Robocop" trilogy for the last couple days. I'd forgotten that they were set in Detroit, overrun with crime and corruption and bankrupt.

It seems as though life emulates art once again!

(I guess, more properly, it should have been "imitates".)

African American Action Figure

Doesn't he look just a little bit like...nah!



He has a "Real-like head", so it couldn't be!
You can order one here, if you're so inclined!

Blow Up over Sex Dolls

Gentlemen prefer blondes. I prefer someone who can fog a mirror!

In the running for the strangest story out of southern California lately:

A Valley Center man must pay nearly $300,000 to his former employer after breaking away to start his own love-doll company, a Vista Superior Court jury decided Wednesday.

A stiff penalty! Hmm. Wonder if he had an inflated view of his worth to the company?

I wonder if they make a shorter model for diminutive men? As in "Put another Barbie™ on the shrimp"?

Jurors got a good laugh out of Yvette and two other dolls that joined them in the jury room during deliberations.

Joined them??? Next ACORN will register them to vote!!! Heh.

H/T Daily Caller