California often gives me reasons to be proud, but this one may be a contender for the upper echelon of awesome:
California welfare cards can be used in many casino ATMs
Times review finds that in more than half of the state’s casinos and gaming rooms, welfare recipients can get cash from state-issued EBT cards. Officials say they’re moving to block such transactions.
This reminds me a little bit of stories I’ve always heard about students at BYU using their “Dining Plus” cards for basically anything they wanted on campus.
I couldn’t decide whether this should fall under “I’m So Proud” or “Finlanders in the News” because it is obviously worthy of both. Regardless of categorization, I am truly, deeply, sincerely, so proud. My Finnish wife is also very proud. And ashamed. But mostly the former.
Thanks to JB for the tip to the article, and the ride home from the airport yesterday. While we were in the car discussing the horny behavior of the Finns illustrated in that infographic, one of the questions that came up was why Sweden, Norway, and Denmark (the other Scandinavian countries if you’re not, uhh, geographically well-read) are missing from the top of this list (although it’s possible that they are, since some rankings are not displayed). Finns and Swedes, in particular, are usually quite similar on a wide range of issues–socially, religiously, politically, environmentally, etc…and it doesn’t make much sense on the surface of things that Finland would be so much higher on an index of promiscuity than their similarly fair-haired cousins to the West.
Any ideas?
(Also…check out this site…probably the greatest Finlander blog I’ve ever seen. Hilarious stuff.)
(I’m not doing a very good job of sticking to my promise.)
Tonight while I was driving to the grocery store, I turned on the radio to AM 570, which is the home of one of my favorite sports talk radio shows–PMS. When I adjusted the volume, I could hear some familiar piano music and some screeching vocals, but it was hard to tell exactly what the music was, because Petros and Money were laughing hysterically. Finally, I heard enough to realize what it was: A guy singing about the glorious institution that is Brigham Young University* to the tune of “Prince Ali” from Aladdin. Read more…
There has never been a team who so can so consistently snatch defeat from the jaws of victory as my very own Craptastic State Aggies. I’m impressed–after nearly 30 years of watching this train wreck of a football team, I didn’t think they could manufacture such a gut-wrenching choke-job.
My favorite bit from the Deseret News was this:
“…the Aggies needed to prove something to themselves and the 14,071 fans who came out for the homecoming game.” (full text here)
Never the sort of government to leave the food industry alone, the Governator just signed a new law that requires “Chain Restaurants” to list calorie content on menus. This requirement alone isn’t so bad, I suppose, but the statement from the bill’s sponsor–Alex Padilla, of the San Fernando Valley– didn’t make it past my laugh test:
Wow. Thank you, Alex. I think we can all expect big things from the widespread community empowerment that will surely result from this legislation. I, for one, can already feel the empowerment flowing into my bones. From this point on, the way I order food is going to change. No longer will I simply order a steak; nay, I will now order a steak with the power of truth and knowledge. Never again will I order a piece of cheesecake under the–apparently false–understanding that it is a health food.
Of course, the question of why this law only applies to chain restaurants is not addressed. The only explanation I can think of is that, deep down inside, Alex doesn’t like poor or middle-income people. Imposing more menu costs on firms will inevitably raise the prices consumers pay for the same food. Chain restaurants appeal largely to poor and middle-income folks, so it stands to reason that the highest income folks will be the least affected by it.
Of course, even if the cost were imposed on all food service providers, this essentially amounts to a sales tax after pass through, and we all know that sales taxes hurt affect low income people far more (by requiring a higher percentage of their total income). Well done, Alex.
In other matters of ridiculousness, the Governator “rejected a proposal to remove ‘communism’ as a reason for dismissal from state employment.” I am not making this up.
Here is a “looking back” piece on the disaster that almost derailed the opening of UC Irvine’s new law school. I don’t know how much press this got around the country, but it was front-page stuff for us out here in Irvine for weeks. In a nutshell, UCI hired Erwin Chemerinsky as the new dean, succumbed to political pressure and unhired him, then succumbed to political pressure again and rehired him. Off to a flying start, I would say.
Here is the UCI Chancellor’s original explanation for unhiring him. Here is more about him being rehired. Here is more on the faculty that have been hired at UCI. I have spoken briefly with one of the new faculty members at the law school, and and handful of other folks I know (including past students of his) speak very highly of him.
This is just getting stupid. Three consecutive horrible losses, and my Gags move no closer to the coveted No. 1 ranking. I should certainly think that losing by 48 points at home to an in-state rival isn’t sufficient for a bump up. Being featured in the upcoming Pillow Fight of the Week is only of minor comfort.
As a side note, I cannot fathom how UCLA didn’t make it after their tragic weekend.
The dream season of 0-12 is still alive, and USU got a few hundred thousand $$ out of it. All they had to give up was a week’s worth of practice and the dignity and self-respect of of 22 young men.
I do have note that my Bottom 10 Gaggies started off the 2008 campaign with a loss to another Bottom 10 dweller. I think ESPN uses the term “Pillow Fight” to describe such matchups.
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