This morning we all woke up to find that the Easter Bunny did in fact manage to find us and provide us with unhealthy treats. So far I have only managed to eat a single Kinder egg, it definitely seems like more than enough candy for one day (I have no idea how I will manage to consume the treats still in my basket).
Shortly after examining our baskets and playing our Easter Bingo scratch cards we moved to our holiday morning breakfast, which seems to have been enjoyed by all.
Almost immediately after breakfast I started preparing food for tonight's meal/feast. Part way through the process I realized that I was missing a key ingredient. Fortunately we were able to get the missing ingredient from a friend/neighbour/guest so everything should be as expected for the meal.
Almost as soon as I started working on the food Neil undertook an apartment-wide cleaning mission assigned to him by Rebecca. I have to say, things are looking pretty good a few hours in.
Now that most of the good is ready and the apartment cleaning almost complete I finally have the chance to sit down and use my computer for an extended period (meaning long enough to make this post). What I should probably be doing with this time instead of posting is studying, so I guess that is what I will do as soon as I complete this post.
Showing posts with label gambling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gambling. Show all posts
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Gold Star Idea
Municipalities always seem to complain about not having enough money and that they are forced to rely almost exclusively on things like property tax as a revenue source.
I think I have a solution to this problem that would also be fun and engaging for the entire community.
The idea is for them to stop collecting property tax and instead start holding regular, semi-mandatory fifty-fifty draws. For example, each former tax payer might have to kick in a few hundred bucks to the fifty-fifty pool (in lieu of paying taxes). Of course, they would be welcome to top that up to any level they would like. Also, people who are currently not paying municipal taxes, like renters, would be welcome to participate. Even people from outside the municipality proper would be welcome to participate and as the pot would be seeded, so to speak, the interest from outside gamblers is sure to be huge (a la Powerball). The millions are sure to start rolling in almost overnight.
You may say that reputable organizations don't hold fifty-fifty draws to raise funds. That I would respond by giving you the NHL's Calgary Flames, holders of a regular fifty-fifty draw. It is almost hard to imagine a more reputable organization.
You may wonder if a person's chance to win big can be used for more social or beneficial purposes. It would seem that, at least as far as bank accounts are concerned, there is some evidence of this being possible. Some people, it seems, are more engaged in saving money when such an action results in a chance to win big. Would this trend not hold when it comes to paying municipal taxes? Won't people pay more tax so they have a chance at that sweet prize pool?
All in all it seems that the case for this proposal is pretty strong. Come on Halifax and St. John's, why don't you give this a shot? It has to be better than whatever you have going on right now.
Editor's Note: I should probably credit a recent Freakonomics Podcast episode as being at the core of some of these ideas (though I think I have modified them enough to call them my own - and I wasn't explicitly thinking about it at the idea development phase). Only after coming up with this idea I learn that even they are familiar with the idea of a tax lottery.
I think I have a solution to this problem that would also be fun and engaging for the entire community.
The idea is for them to stop collecting property tax and instead start holding regular, semi-mandatory fifty-fifty draws. For example, each former tax payer might have to kick in a few hundred bucks to the fifty-fifty pool (in lieu of paying taxes). Of course, they would be welcome to top that up to any level they would like. Also, people who are currently not paying municipal taxes, like renters, would be welcome to participate. Even people from outside the municipality proper would be welcome to participate and as the pot would be seeded, so to speak, the interest from outside gamblers is sure to be huge (a la Powerball). The millions are sure to start rolling in almost overnight.
You may say that reputable organizations don't hold fifty-fifty draws to raise funds. That I would respond by giving you the NHL's Calgary Flames, holders of a regular fifty-fifty draw. It is almost hard to imagine a more reputable organization.
You may wonder if a person's chance to win big can be used for more social or beneficial purposes. It would seem that, at least as far as bank accounts are concerned, there is some evidence of this being possible. Some people, it seems, are more engaged in saving money when such an action results in a chance to win big. Would this trend not hold when it comes to paying municipal taxes? Won't people pay more tax so they have a chance at that sweet prize pool?
All in all it seems that the case for this proposal is pretty strong. Come on Halifax and St. John's, why don't you give this a shot? It has to be better than whatever you have going on right now.
Editor's Note: I should probably credit a recent Freakonomics Podcast episode as being at the core of some of these ideas (though I think I have modified them enough to call them my own - and I wasn't explicitly thinking about it at the idea development phase). Only after coming up with this idea I learn that even they are familiar with the idea of a tax lottery.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Arizona - Day 5 onwards
Wow, quite a number of things happened between now and my last post.
After spending a beautiful night in Williams we made our way south through Sedona and the surrounding areas. As expected the scenery was fantastic.
It was also the case that Sedona was a little infested with new-agey types, many of whom seem to have been attracted to the region because of its 'vortexes.' If you are interested in learning more and happen to find yourself in the region it won't be hard for you to find a crystal store or tour guide who would be willing to explain the mystical powers of the region to you.
From Sedona we made our way to a 45 000 acre cattle ranch for an hour long trail ride, though on horses rather than mules. As we were riding we saw thousands of prickly pear cacti, though no cattle. Even though our ride was cow free it was great. Actually, that it was an hour rather than three likely made it better rather than worse.
On Thursday evening, the day we visited Sedona and had our trail ride, the family side of the trip started. We attended a family barbeque at my cousin's house. As it turned out, it was Rebecca's first chance to meet many of my aunts and uncles. And we got to see the bride and groom to be. Amazingly, though my cousin and her husband have been friends for 18 years (and I have heard his name many times over those 18 years), this was the first time that I actually got to meet him.
On Friday morning my father, brother, and I, while 'the girls' were getting mani-pedis, made our way to the Arizona state legislature. We visited the public galleries of both the House and the Senate and also the Capitol Museum. At the museum, aside from visiting the old legislative chamber, we took in an exhibit on the legislative process in Arizona. Strangely, at least according to the exhibit, they seem to use a fair bit of randomness when creating legislation in Arizona.
[Embedded video]
On Friday afternoon we made our way to Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, reputed to be the busiest general aviation airport in the US. While at the airport a few of us were able to take short flights in our host's small Piper mono-plane. While on our respective trips Neil and I both got chances to pilot the plane for a few minutes. I was particularly pleased to get a chance to turn the plane around and then descend a few thousand about 2000 feet.
On Saturday morning we made an early morning trip to a tourist store where I was able to purchase a few souvenirs, including things like prickly pear jelly and prickly pear candy. Oh, I also acquired some cactus seeds. Not surprisingly, almost everyone else who made the trip purchased similar items.
Our next stop was the Desert Botanical Garden, the site of the wedding. As part of the wedding package the guests of the wedding were provided with free access to the site on the day of the wedding.
After a relatively short visit to the botanical garden we met up with Neil and Rebecca and made our way to a restaurant for lunch and then to the hotel where we would be spending the evening. Then, after a brief swim and a quick check of the internet, we made our way back to the botanical garden for the wedding.
The wedding itself, as expected, was great. The weather and the location cooperated perfectly. The wedding ceremony, which was held in an amphitheater, was short and to the point (though there were a few questionable biblical interpretations). The reception, which was held immediately afterwards in an unwalled pavilion, was longer and generally more free-wheeling. For better or worse, I accepted this free-wheeling atmosphere and ran with it, dancing harder and longer than was likely good for me or anyone else in attendance. Anyway, it's done now.
Sunday, our last full day in Phoenix, started with a brunch at the home of the newlyweds. After a few hours there Neil, Rebecca, and I made our way out for some touring and shopping in the Phoenix area. Not only did we manage to visit quite a number of major chain stores, we also were able to visit a local 'Indian casino,' the Casino Arizona.
While this is the largest casino I have ever visited, in many ways it was quite like the two other casinos I have had the pleasure of entering. Not surprisingly, even though it was midday, quite a number of this casino's slot machines were in full swing. Actually, the place was really hopping considering that it was still well before evening and many of the games tables weren't even open. It was also not too surprising to see that a similar demographic, the over sixty set, seemed to be the most prevalent demographic taking advantage of the casino's offerings.
Monday, as many of you might have expected, was largely spent traveling. After an early departure from Phoenix we were able to go through customs and immigration in Toronto and then have a quick lunch. From Toronto we flew to Halifax, where my parents et al had to make a quick connection to their return flight (fortunately they made it).
At the moment I am awaiting the return of Neil and Rebecca, which will finally mark the conclusion of my family's trip to Phoenix and Arizona. As it turned out, Arizona was much more biologically diverse and fun than I expected. Though I didn't really expect to be saying this a few weeks ago, I really don't think that I would mind a trip back in the future. Not only would it be great to see the Grand Canyon on a clear day, but there are a number of things in the Phoenix area that it would be neat to see, it would also be neat to see a few other regions in the state that we weren't able to visit on our brief trip.
After spending a beautiful night in Williams we made our way south through Sedona and the surrounding areas. As expected the scenery was fantastic.
It was also the case that Sedona was a little infested with new-agey types, many of whom seem to have been attracted to the region because of its 'vortexes.' If you are interested in learning more and happen to find yourself in the region it won't be hard for you to find a crystal store or tour guide who would be willing to explain the mystical powers of the region to you.
From Sedona we made our way to a 45 000 acre cattle ranch for an hour long trail ride, though on horses rather than mules. As we were riding we saw thousands of prickly pear cacti, though no cattle. Even though our ride was cow free it was great. Actually, that it was an hour rather than three likely made it better rather than worse.
On Thursday evening, the day we visited Sedona and had our trail ride, the family side of the trip started. We attended a family barbeque at my cousin's house. As it turned out, it was Rebecca's first chance to meet many of my aunts and uncles. And we got to see the bride and groom to be. Amazingly, though my cousin and her husband have been friends for 18 years (and I have heard his name many times over those 18 years), this was the first time that I actually got to meet him.
On Friday morning my father, brother, and I, while 'the girls' were getting mani-pedis, made our way to the Arizona state legislature. We visited the public galleries of both the House and the Senate and also the Capitol Museum. At the museum, aside from visiting the old legislative chamber, we took in an exhibit on the legislative process in Arizona. Strangely, at least according to the exhibit, they seem to use a fair bit of randomness when creating legislation in Arizona.
[Embedded video]
On Friday afternoon we made our way to Phoenix Deer Valley Airport, reputed to be the busiest general aviation airport in the US. While at the airport a few of us were able to take short flights in our host's small Piper mono-plane. While on our respective trips Neil and I both got chances to pilot the plane for a few minutes. I was particularly pleased to get a chance to turn the plane around and then descend a few thousand about 2000 feet.
On Saturday morning we made an early morning trip to a tourist store where I was able to purchase a few souvenirs, including things like prickly pear jelly and prickly pear candy. Oh, I also acquired some cactus seeds. Not surprisingly, almost everyone else who made the trip purchased similar items.
Our next stop was the Desert Botanical Garden, the site of the wedding. As part of the wedding package the guests of the wedding were provided with free access to the site on the day of the wedding.
After a relatively short visit to the botanical garden we met up with Neil and Rebecca and made our way to a restaurant for lunch and then to the hotel where we would be spending the evening. Then, after a brief swim and a quick check of the internet, we made our way back to the botanical garden for the wedding.
The wedding itself, as expected, was great. The weather and the location cooperated perfectly. The wedding ceremony, which was held in an amphitheater, was short and to the point (though there were a few questionable biblical interpretations). The reception, which was held immediately afterwards in an unwalled pavilion, was longer and generally more free-wheeling. For better or worse, I accepted this free-wheeling atmosphere and ran with it, dancing harder and longer than was likely good for me or anyone else in attendance. Anyway, it's done now.
Sunday, our last full day in Phoenix, started with a brunch at the home of the newlyweds. After a few hours there Neil, Rebecca, and I made our way out for some touring and shopping in the Phoenix area. Not only did we manage to visit quite a number of major chain stores, we also were able to visit a local 'Indian casino,' the Casino Arizona.
While this is the largest casino I have ever visited, in many ways it was quite like the two other casinos I have had the pleasure of entering. Not surprisingly, even though it was midday, quite a number of this casino's slot machines were in full swing. Actually, the place was really hopping considering that it was still well before evening and many of the games tables weren't even open. It was also not too surprising to see that a similar demographic, the over sixty set, seemed to be the most prevalent demographic taking advantage of the casino's offerings.
Monday, as many of you might have expected, was largely spent traveling. After an early departure from Phoenix we were able to go through customs and immigration in Toronto and then have a quick lunch. From Toronto we flew to Halifax, where my parents et al had to make a quick connection to their return flight (fortunately they made it).
At the moment I am awaiting the return of Neil and Rebecca, which will finally mark the conclusion of my family's trip to Phoenix and Arizona. As it turned out, Arizona was much more biologically diverse and fun than I expected. Though I didn't really expect to be saying this a few weeks ago, I really don't think that I would mind a trip back in the future. Not only would it be great to see the Grand Canyon on a clear day, but there are a number of things in the Phoenix area that it would be neat to see, it would also be neat to see a few other regions in the state that we weren't able to visit on our brief trip.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 349
-Today was quite pleasant, though a little breezy at time. The most significant feature of today's weather, at least as far as I am concerned, is how much it has cooled down this evening. At the moment Environment Canada is suggesting it is 12, but that it may go to as low as 8. I guess I may soon need to start thinking about moving my plants in to avoid frost.
-Early this evening, or maybe it was late this afternoon, I went for my daily walk along the waterfront. The number of cruise ships then in port immediately stood out. Actually, maybe it was just that there were multiple, large cruise ships.
I had the feeling that quite a bit of the harbour front traffic was related to the cruise ships. My sense was that people were heading back to their ship after a day on their feet in Halifax.
As I was heading back one the ships was in the process of leaving. The departure was actually quite impressive as the ship had to do a 180 and then immediately navigate around George's Island. Maybe the most impressive aspect of the entire manoeuvre was that it all took place in only a matter of minutes.
-As I was returning to our apartment I passed through a small park. I was immediately struck by the apparent similarities between photos of tobacco plants that I have seen and these plants. Anyway, now that I have had a chance to look at the plants a little more closely, and also examine a few more photos, I am pretty sure that HRM is growing tobacco, or a related plant, in at least one of its parks as a decorative plant.
-My own tobacco plants aren't as large as those that I spotted this evening, though they definitely are making some progress. I am hoping that in a few weeks they may even start to look a little like HRM's crop.
-The thesis party is still going strong. I think I will have to put in another few hours tonight before I can pack it in for the day.
-So far we have received no word from the Las Vegas contingent. I presume that this means that they managed to lose just about everything on their first afternoon and are now frantically trying to win their life savings back so they can save face. If this is the case I hope Neil isn't so frazzled that he strays from Blackjack and starts playing the slots or some other loser game.
-Most of the bean plants took quite a beating during our recent Hurricane. Fortunately, I don't think any of them were killed. Most of the other plants, because they were indoors, seem to have managed to pass through almost completely unfazed.
As things have gotten a bit cooler growth really seams to have slowed down. I think it would be nice if in the next few weeks would could get one last spurt of growth that would allow for the production of all kinds of consumables so that the entire effort can be justified.
-Early this evening, or maybe it was late this afternoon, I went for my daily walk along the waterfront. The number of cruise ships then in port immediately stood out. Actually, maybe it was just that there were multiple, large cruise ships.
I had the feeling that quite a bit of the harbour front traffic was related to the cruise ships. My sense was that people were heading back to their ship after a day on their feet in Halifax.
As I was heading back one the ships was in the process of leaving. The departure was actually quite impressive as the ship had to do a 180 and then immediately navigate around George's Island. Maybe the most impressive aspect of the entire manoeuvre was that it all took place in only a matter of minutes.
-As I was returning to our apartment I passed through a small park. I was immediately struck by the apparent similarities between photos of tobacco plants that I have seen and these plants. Anyway, now that I have had a chance to look at the plants a little more closely, and also examine a few more photos, I am pretty sure that HRM is growing tobacco, or a related plant, in at least one of its parks as a decorative plant.
-My own tobacco plants aren't as large as those that I spotted this evening, though they definitely are making some progress. I am hoping that in a few weeks they may even start to look a little like HRM's crop.
-The thesis party is still going strong. I think I will have to put in another few hours tonight before I can pack it in for the day.
-So far we have received no word from the Las Vegas contingent. I presume that this means that they managed to lose just about everything on their first afternoon and are now frantically trying to win their life savings back so they can save face. If this is the case I hope Neil isn't so frazzled that he strays from Blackjack and starts playing the slots or some other loser game.
-Most of the bean plants took quite a beating during our recent Hurricane. Fortunately, I don't think any of them were killed. Most of the other plants, because they were indoors, seem to have managed to pass through almost completely unfazed.
As things have gotten a bit cooler growth really seams to have slowed down. I think it would be nice if in the next few weeks would could get one last spurt of growth that would allow for the production of all kinds of consumables so that the entire effort can be justified.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A Few Quick Notes 304
-The weather today was quite variable in terms of quality. At times this afternoon we had precipitation approaching hale, while later in the afternoon things cleared up and the sun came out. One of the few consistent elements of the day was the temperature, which was continually within a few degrees of zero.
-I have my only exam on Tuesday. I spent a number of hours studying today, and plan on doing more of the same tomrrow.
-Yesterday, as predicted, we ended up having a visit from the Easter bunny. I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that the Easter bunny brought me, among other things, a ticket for a Halifax Comedy Festival show. Somehow the Easter bunny knew that this was the very show that I wanted to attend, as it will be featuring Stop Podcasting Yourself's Dave Shumka (as well as John Wing and Reggie Watts, to name just a few of the comedians scheduled to appear). It seems that Neil also received a ticket for the same show.
Before we could get on to the candy component of our respective hauls, all three of us took a crack at our scratch'n'sniff tickets. Not surprisingly, only Neil managed to get a winner. I am still baffled that people would be inclined to play these on more than an annual basis. Once or twice a year more than satisfies any gambling or lottery urges I might have.
I also scored a bottle of multivitamins and a toothbrush. I guess there was a little bit of candy too.
For breakfast we decorated a few of the bunnies (and also had bacon and eggs).
-Later in the day we had a few friends over for turkey and a few associated dishes. For no particularly good reason I decided to add some bacon to the stuffing. While the resulting stuffing was definitely edible, and not in anyway ruined by the bacon, I am not sure if it really was worth the extra calories.
I didn't time things particularly well, so the turkey was done a little while before the rest of the food. Though in many ways I think this actually worked out better than trying to have it come out at exactly the same time as the potatoes, as this second option is a little harder to time and may lead to significantly over-cooked or cold vegetables.
-Some how I managed to go for three days without taking a nap. These mistakes really caught up with me today, and resulted in today being a two-nap day.
-As usual, the plants keep on growing. Unfortunately, it seems that the seeds I planted most recently still haven't shown any signs of germination. As it has only been a few days so far this isn't particularly surprising, I will only begin to worry if in a few more days I still haven't seen anything.
-I have my only exam on Tuesday. I spent a number of hours studying today, and plan on doing more of the same tomrrow.
-Yesterday, as predicted, we ended up having a visit from the Easter bunny. I was very pleasantly surprised to learn that the Easter bunny brought me, among other things, a ticket for a Halifax Comedy Festival show. Somehow the Easter bunny knew that this was the very show that I wanted to attend, as it will be featuring Stop Podcasting Yourself's Dave Shumka (as well as John Wing and Reggie Watts, to name just a few of the comedians scheduled to appear). It seems that Neil also received a ticket for the same show.
Before we could get on to the candy component of our respective hauls, all three of us took a crack at our scratch'n'sniff tickets. Not surprisingly, only Neil managed to get a winner. I am still baffled that people would be inclined to play these on more than an annual basis. Once or twice a year more than satisfies any gambling or lottery urges I might have.
I also scored a bottle of multivitamins and a toothbrush. I guess there was a little bit of candy too.
For breakfast we decorated a few of the bunnies (and also had bacon and eggs).
-Later in the day we had a few friends over for turkey and a few associated dishes. For no particularly good reason I decided to add some bacon to the stuffing. While the resulting stuffing was definitely edible, and not in anyway ruined by the bacon, I am not sure if it really was worth the extra calories.
I didn't time things particularly well, so the turkey was done a little while before the rest of the food. Though in many ways I think this actually worked out better than trying to have it come out at exactly the same time as the potatoes, as this second option is a little harder to time and may lead to significantly over-cooked or cold vegetables.
-Some how I managed to go for three days without taking a nap. These mistakes really caught up with me today, and resulted in today being a two-nap day.
-As usual, the plants keep on growing. Unfortunately, it seems that the seeds I planted most recently still haven't shown any signs of germination. As it has only been a few days so far this isn't particularly surprising, I will only begin to worry if in a few more days I still haven't seen anything.
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Xmas Check 8
We just finished our first scratch-off bingo ticket moments ago. Neil
managed to pull off a $3 line, which should be good enough for a free
ticket.
managed to pull off a $3 line, which should be good enough for a free
ticket.
We are now in the midst breakfast prep.
Xmas Check 7
Stocking examination seems to be winding down. I am looking forward
to testing out my new pressure cooker.
to testing out my new pressure cooker.
It seems likely that the next activity on the agenda will be a few
scratch off bingo games, and that might be followed by breakfast.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Watson finished 3rd in EPT £1 Million Showdown
Shortly we went out for dinner Michael Watson was eliminated from the EPT £1 Million Showdown. His third place finish should be good for about £241 000 (about $460 000 CDN).
For those of you that care, the live video feed of the event was pretty good, certainly better than getting text based updates minutes after the action. Furthermore, the commentators were seemingly pretty competent and made more complimentary comments about the online players than many other poker commentators that I have seen.
For those of you that care, the live video feed of the event was pretty good, certainly better than getting text based updates minutes after the action. Furthermore, the commentators were seemingly pretty competent and made more complimentary comments about the online players than many other poker commentators that I have seen.
Watson is one of eight left at the EPT £1 Million Showdown
Watson's elimination of Isabelle Mercier means that there are now only 8 player at the EPT £1 Million Showdown final table. This means that he is now guaranteed at least £59 000.
Watson at final table of EPT £1 Million Showdown
It seems that Michael Watson has made it to the final table of the EPT £1 Million Showdown. Making the final table means a guaranteed payout of at least £51 000, with the chance to win as much as £516 000.
The final table will get under way shortly. Live coverage is available at eptlive.com. It seems as though they will be streaming the event live.
Update: One can also get events through the PokerStars blog, and as these are text based they might be easier to access for some of you.
The final table will get under way shortly. Live coverage is available at eptlive.com. It seems as though they will be streaming the event live.
Update: One can also get events through the PokerStars blog, and as these are text based they might be easier to access for some of you.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
A Few Quick Notes 218
-Though this morning started out looking as though it would be more rain and overcast skies, things managed to clear up by about 1:00 PM. Unfortunately, clear skies don't mean no humidity, so I am still sweating away.
-Last night Neil, Rebecca, my father, and I made our way over to the local casino. The idea was to take advantage of several deals Neil had scoped out. One of the deals gave us a $20 discount on our restaurant bill while the other deals meant that we each had $5.00 worth of slot machine credits.
After we eat a very late dinner we moved our operation over to the 2 cent slot machines. Soon after we started playing I managed to enter some kind of bonus round and accumulate all kinds of extra credits. This allowed me to play until after everyone else had busted and still cash out with $5.00.
While I had an enjoyable time hitting the pleasure button I am pretty sure I won't be a regular casino visitor, and certainly not without some kind of similar inducement.
-Earlier this afternoon I baked Neil's birthday cake. Right now I am working main course. Unfortunately our plans for steak fell through when we found that the store had sold out of our desired cut. Luckily we were able to quickly come up with a good fall back plan, cheap pork chops.
-I had my first day of class today. So far things seem to be going well. I was particularly pleased to learn that it doesn't look as though I should have to buy a book for this class. Apparently many of the readings will be made available through an online service (which I will have to investigate shortly).
-Later this evening Neil, Rebecca, and I will be heading over to a local comedy club to take advantage of more birthday and student related deals. If all goes according to plan we will only have to pay a total of $12.00 in admission fees. I guess the great unknown is the price they are planning on charging for drinks (particularly as this is not the cheap beer night). As far as I know this will be the first time any of us have gone to a comedy club.
If this experience is positive I may try to head back for some of the sketch comedy or the amateur night (my preference being the cheap beer night) as each of these have relatively low admission fees.
-I forgot to buy the paper today. Maybe I will need to get my subscription going in the very near future.
-Last night Neil, Rebecca, my father, and I made our way over to the local casino. The idea was to take advantage of several deals Neil had scoped out. One of the deals gave us a $20 discount on our restaurant bill while the other deals meant that we each had $5.00 worth of slot machine credits.
After we eat a very late dinner we moved our operation over to the 2 cent slot machines. Soon after we started playing I managed to enter some kind of bonus round and accumulate all kinds of extra credits. This allowed me to play until after everyone else had busted and still cash out with $5.00.
While I had an enjoyable time hitting the pleasure button I am pretty sure I won't be a regular casino visitor, and certainly not without some kind of similar inducement.
-Earlier this afternoon I baked Neil's birthday cake. Right now I am working main course. Unfortunately our plans for steak fell through when we found that the store had sold out of our desired cut. Luckily we were able to quickly come up with a good fall back plan, cheap pork chops.
-I had my first day of class today. So far things seem to be going well. I was particularly pleased to learn that it doesn't look as though I should have to buy a book for this class. Apparently many of the readings will be made available through an online service (which I will have to investigate shortly).
-Later this evening Neil, Rebecca, and I will be heading over to a local comedy club to take advantage of more birthday and student related deals. If all goes according to plan we will only have to pay a total of $12.00 in admission fees. I guess the great unknown is the price they are planning on charging for drinks (particularly as this is not the cheap beer night). As far as I know this will be the first time any of us have gone to a comedy club.
If this experience is positive I may try to head back for some of the sketch comedy or the amateur night (my preference being the cheap beer night) as each of these have relatively low admission fees.
-I forgot to buy the paper today. Maybe I will need to get my subscription going in the very near future.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
A Few Quick Notes 89
-Today is a beautiful day in Montreal, our first in a while. While I was initially concerned that the day might be cool and overcast, my fears were clearly misplaced. Today seems like a perfect day for me to ride either my bike or my unicycle for exercise purposes.
Unfortunately, Environment Canada is not acknowledging the clear and sunny skies, and goes further to suggest that we will be back to rain and snow by tomorrow.
-My Roll Up the Rim record is now 3/38. It seems that other stores still have the special cups, even though the McGill Tim Horton’s has been out of them for weeks.
-Another project was due today, this one for Collection Development. I am now down to two, one on Friday and one on Monday. Friday’s project still requires a fair bit of work.
-Nithum took me for $10.00 the other night on coin flips. I started betting each series of bet by betting a penny, then doubling my bet until I won. I was doing relatively well, or winning a penny on each series, until I ran into a particularly long string of tosses that went against me. After making, and losing, a bet for $5.12 I pulled out, not wagering $10.24 in an attempt to win a penny. In the end Nithum gave me my money back (except for two quarters). Once again, I have had my great system beaten by the fact that I don’t have infinitely deep pockets (something that I did say was needed for my system to work).
-The GSLIS party on Saturday night went well. As far as I know most people in attendance had a good time. It was nice to attend a party and know so many people. As far as I was concerned, the main downside was that I was not able to speak to a few people that I had hoped to. I was glad that it wasn’t a dud, because if that had been the case I likely would take heat for it at work.
-I will be busing tomorrow and Friday night at Thomson House. I keep deluding myself into thinking that I might somehow be able to bring busing to a new level. People might start having guest busers, and people would visit bars to have their tables bused by a particular person. In some weird way I think that this might work, but only if the person had the right personality.
Unfortunately, Environment Canada is not acknowledging the clear and sunny skies, and goes further to suggest that we will be back to rain and snow by tomorrow.
-My Roll Up the Rim record is now 3/38. It seems that other stores still have the special cups, even though the McGill Tim Horton’s has been out of them for weeks.
-Another project was due today, this one for Collection Development. I am now down to two, one on Friday and one on Monday. Friday’s project still requires a fair bit of work.
-Nithum took me for $10.00 the other night on coin flips. I started betting each series of bet by betting a penny, then doubling my bet until I won. I was doing relatively well, or winning a penny on each series, until I ran into a particularly long string of tosses that went against me. After making, and losing, a bet for $5.12 I pulled out, not wagering $10.24 in an attempt to win a penny. In the end Nithum gave me my money back (except for two quarters). Once again, I have had my great system beaten by the fact that I don’t have infinitely deep pockets (something that I did say was needed for my system to work).
-The GSLIS party on Saturday night went well. As far as I know most people in attendance had a good time. It was nice to attend a party and know so many people. As far as I was concerned, the main downside was that I was not able to speak to a few people that I had hoped to. I was glad that it wasn’t a dud, because if that had been the case I likely would take heat for it at work.
-I will be busing tomorrow and Friday night at Thomson House. I keep deluding myself into thinking that I might somehow be able to bring busing to a new level. People might start having guest busers, and people would visit bars to have their tables bused by a particular person. In some weird way I think that this might work, but only if the person had the right personality.
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