Day: May 19, 2009

Eat My Sports: Championship basketball

So we’re down to the final four of the NBA season in what has to be considered (at least through two rounds) one of the top five playoffs of all-time. But given we still have almost a full month of basketball left, let’s look at the two conference finals, and approach the task at hand. How will each one shake out? So glad you asked, let’s take a look at my expert opinion.

Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Lakers
Denver is the fashionable pick to take out Kobe Bryant and the other 11 Europeans he plays with, and this makes fashion sense. The Houston Rockets, minus Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady, exposed the Lakers for what they really are, selfish, unprepared, cocky and soft. Continue reading Eat My Sports: Championship basketball

Check for missing artwork, treasury funds

Isn't that Brad Pitt in the background?President Barack Obama hosted the latest of several questionable guests at the White House Tuesday: Pierce Brosnan. Other guests also include Brad Pitt and George Clooney.

It would be irresponsible to accuse Obama of consorting with known very cool thieves and even moreso to implicate him in the greatest heist in American history.

But, it’s not a threat to national security if we ask it: Is President Obama planning to steal priceless presidential artifacts with movie stars?

Saving the economy, twenty five cents at a time

The recession is hitting everyone pretty hard, Japan included. So vending machine companies are following the lead of Wex Co. and spurring the trend of vending machine cafes.

These mujin (unmanned) cafes are becoming more popular as people find themselves more strapped for time and money. It’s as simple as it sounds: vending machine cafes are just shops that provide seating or counter space and a few vending machines so patrons can grab a quick, inexpensive meal. No waiters here just means no tipping. The only employees of these cafes are those who clean the cafes every few hours and or course a security camera.

This set-up is good not only for the customers, but for the vending machine companies. The first company to set one of these stations up in 1996 was Wex Co. They claim that cafes such as Drink Station (in Osaka’s Kita Ward) draw in around 600 customers a day. This is a much more substational number of sales than a normal, stand-alone vending machine would make.

Other companies such as Coca Cola and Nitto Acevending are starting to open up mujin cafes as well. In the case of Nitto Acevending, these cafes are helping to bring the company out of the red.

It should be interesting to see how other companies start marketing their products in a different way during this recession. Vending machine cafes probably won’t be the last in a series of redesign methods from companies hoping to stay in business in a time when money is tight

Wonder if they heard water?

The symbolism is there. You know you think about it when you see Old Faithful erupt, you can’t help but think about it. Well, not that, the other thing–peeing.

Two seasonal workers at Yellowstone National Park got in trouble for peeing into the famous geyser. The act was caught on the webcam available to the public that broadcasts Old Faithful. One employee was fined, fired and put on probation, the other is still awaiting his sentence. This is a clear reminder of the Ozzy Osbourne law: Don’t pee on national treasures.

For the first time Old Faithful spouted yellow.