Eight is more than enough.The 2008 Beijing Olympics will begin at 8pm on 8 August, in keeping with one of the nation's lucky numbers.
Eight is considered auspicious in China because its pronunciation in Cantonese sounds the same as the word for to make money.
The Games had originally been planned to commence in late August to avoid Beijing's soaring summer temperatures.
But Beijing's mayor said the sporting festival would begin in the luckiest manner possible - at eight on 8/8/08.
Trip
snowmen, baby! Pass the sugar. All you can eat. My infinities will send you
walking bAcK to Houston, Sliq.
Tonight, I go to the casino to prove that if luck weren’t involved... I’d win every pot. (And if that doesn't work I'll wait till midnight, and
bet the hard eight with John McCain at the craps table, and run over Obama in the poker room with my little Oldsmobile (8-8).
Didja know? Craps was "invented" in New Orleans, and Poker was brought to America through the Crescent City.
Didja know? The address for Harrah's Casino New Orleans used to be 4 Canal St., but since many Asian players regard 4 as an unlucky number, Harrah's changed the address to 8 Canal St.. I suppose sometimes you got to make your own luck.
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"Fast Eddie" Edwards turns EIGHTY one today, in prison. His doctor says he's as healthy as a 60 year old, so perhaps that should give pause to the folks trying to get him pardoned and released early. I suspect he won't get pardoned and will serve out his term and get released in a few years and there will be a small but significant boomlet of renewed admiration for the Silver Fox; more so than he would get with a "pity pardon" or commutation.
Those who feel it's
"important" that he serve his full term, might want to consider that eventuality.
About EIGHT years ago, I
exchanged a few pleasantries with the
Cajun Prince and his wife Candy on a flight back from Las Vegas.
”There are few things that are so unpardonably neglected in our country as poker. The upper class knows very little about it. Now and then you find ambassadors who have sort of a general knowledge of the game, but the ignorance of the people is fearful. Why, I have known clergymen, good men, kind-hearted, liberal, sincere, and all that, who did not know the meaning of a flush. It is enough to make one ashamed of the species.” --Mark Twain
Well, at least Edwards didn't have THAT problem. One of the greatest political talents you'll ever see found other ways to make us feel ashamed-- but with a smile.
If you have belated birthday wishes for Edwin, you can send them
here.===
Happy Birthday, also, to
Garrison Keillor, who has a way with words.
Labels: EWE, gambling, McCain, Obama
This is the
front page Times Picayune story I was anticipating earlier, when I
said:The devastating detail in this [NOAH] thing though-- the killer political "hook", as it were-- is in the "remediated" properties that were actually gutted by fresh-faced Christian teenagers who came down to NOLA and busted their asses to help out this stricken city. When the public learns that corrupt cronies used the labors of Christian teenagers to scoop federal recovery dollars... well then we have us a national story.
Karen Gadbois is definitely
the coolest for breaking this story, which will continue to grow and spread.
===
On Jeff Crouere's
Ringside Politics radio show Wednesday morning, Crouere played an audio clip of
Mayor Nagin being evasive and petty with WWL reporter Lee Zurik. Crouere then opened the phone lines and a frequent caller named James from Metairie came on the line and, right out of the gate, said (paraphrasing from memory): "You know who I blame for Nagin's re-election? The swing vote conservatives who supported him because they didn't want a Landrieu in office."'
Crouere fully agreed, and he said he was amused every time he heard conservative radio commentator Rob Couhig criticize Nagin, because Couhig had endorsed Nagin's re-election.
That reminded me of a delicious little sequence when Rob Couhig guest-hosted for Garland Robinette's
show on WWL 870am. On July 22nd, Couhig had Karen Gadbois on, and after he interviewed her about the NOAH scandal, he took a few calls. A gentleman named "Billy" phoned in and asked Couhig how he could be so critical of the Mayor, since he endorsed him, and is merely seeing the consequences of Nagin getting another term.
You can hear the exchange at the 25 minute mark
of the archived podcast (but do listen to Karen's entire interview, if you have the time). Here's Couhig's response to Billy's question:
Thank you very much and for those who know my position I ran against Ray Nagin because I didn't think he was the right guy to be mayor and then at the end of the day you had to choose between the final two.
Couhig just left it there, and moved on. "At the end of the day, you had to choose between the final two". That's Couhig's summary of his "position" on the matter.
Yes, Couhig, it was a choice between Mitch Landrieu and Ray Nagin. That was the
choice. You chose Nagin, and advised others to do so, because Nagin "understands business".
And you were wrong, but you can't fully own up to it. Why can't you face the consequences of your Nagin endorsement?
This morning, Jeff Crouere agreed with caller James that the choice between Nagin and Landrieu was a "no-brainer". Crouere said that even though he had run for office against Landrieu (back in the day), he believes Mitch is competent and clean, and infinitely preferable to Nagin.
Crouere's right.
===
Update: More at
We Could Be Famous.Labels: Couhig Conservatives, crime, Crouere, Housing, Landrieu, Nagin, Pelicans
Please consider the following short dialogues between Aristodicus and Ephialtes. And while it is true that Ludwig Wittgenstein said that "a serious and good philosophical work could be written consisting entirely of jokes", this is not one of those works.
A: Knock Knock.
E: Who's there?
A: Interrupting Native American Lawyer.
E: Interrupting Native American Lawy--
A: Sue!
A: Knock Knock.
E: Who's there?
A: Interrupting ghost of old boyfriend.
E: Interrupting ghost of old boyf--
A: Boo!
Labels: Misc, philosophy
PARIS (Reuters):
A herpes virus is killing young oysters in France because they have spent too much energy developing their sexual organs rather than their natural defenses, an oyster crisis team has found.
[As
Leigh notes in the comments, "It all goes back to Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Nothin' trumps a scorching case of herpes."]
===
H/T
Jezebel and Lovely
Labels: Food, oyster
