Coin Toss's Blog

This guy is good. Here's a glimpse of life in Vegas.

What happens here, stays here

by CHIP MOSHER

Grandmothersfrom Cleveland, plied with alcohol, lose their life savings at slotmachines. Casino owners, like pack rats, hoard the money, refusing topay their fair share in taxes to support the city's infrastructure ofhumanity. This, the infectious greed of a gambling culture. And whathappens here stays here.

Impoverished cancer patients deniedlife-saving treatments at a community hospital. A hundred citizensallegedly infected with hepatitis during routine exams bypenny-pinching doctors. An uninsured, sick, expectant mother notallowed proper emergency room protocol, and her unborn baby dies.Thousands of homeless children on the streets, turning to drugs andturning tricks to turn to drugs while looking for love in all the wrongfaces of pimps and pushers. Sex is the entry-level currency of agambling culture. And somewhere a casino mogul reportedly is paying arecord price, $33 million, for a Rembrandt painting for his elitist artcollection. What happens here stays here.

Dead bodieseverywhere. Like a war zone. Murders. Suicides. Tourists on the NevadaHealth Plan -- beer in one hand, cigarette butt in mouth while playinga slot machine -- their corpses ending up on casino floors from heartattacks. Unlucky babies tossed into Dumpsters. Gang violence. Caraccidents at every major intersection. Driving and talking on a cellphone is equivalent to driving while intoxicated, but in Vegas, 24-hourdrunks infest the roads while talking on cell phones. Trips to grocerystores become Death Race 2010. Blood flows more than rain in stormdrains. Vegas is not civilization, but rather an ultra-violent pretenseof civilization; a systematic scourging of mankind's better instincts;a modern-day Inquisition of the human heart, where heretics aresilenced, and all citizens must bow down to suckle on the theology ofthe slot machine teat. Human life has no value. As what happens herestays here.

Many pet owners have lost their paychecks betting onfootball and can no longer afford pet food. Thousands of dogs and cats,dumped in the desert, end up euthanized at animal shelters. Neglectedchildren at home wonder what happened to the family puppy, Muffy. Agambling culture ruthlessly strip-mines the human soul until nothing isleft. But what happens here stays here.

Careers of superstarshave gotten flushed down toilets of trouble because ethical entropy hasreduced the Las Vegas Strip from America's playground into adilapidated whorehouse spreading the insidious HAV (human avaricevirus). There is something rotten with the state of this gamblingculture. In the sewers underneath the city, the <snip> of ourshort-sightedness stays here.

To promote an appearance ofStepford-like civility, bright shiny new schools sit across streetsfrom the bright shiny religious temples that grow rich in this gamingMecca. But behind the impressive architectural facades of schools,terror lurks. Students and teachers pass through the education systemlike prodded cattle on their way to slaughterhouses. Many disappearovernight, in despair, never heard from again. The bottom line to thecasinos' greed is a school district based upon education in ruralMississippi in the 1930s. With the lowest per-pupil funding in thenation, Vegas's children are second-class citizens. Many students havebeen "resegregated," by color and economic class, into ghetto-izedschools. One former district superintendent proudly proclaimed:"Niggers come in all colors." And powerful casino owners, through theirpuppets in the state Legislature and on the local school board, havepromoted that superintendent's philosophy -- by treating teachers assuch, in both pay and the slave master tactics of fear. Publiceducation has no place in a gambling culture. True learning, in aSocratic sense, might shed too much light on the darkness beneath theslot machine theology. Yeah, gaming moguls very much want whateverhappens here to stay here. And somewhere Rembrandt must be weeping.

Chip Mosher is a simple classroom teacher.

http://www.lasvegascitylife.com/articles/2010/02/04/opinion/socrates_in_sodom/iq_34093036.txt

EARTH:

TAURUS:

To make Lady Luck bullish in you, wrap the ticket in bright red,then cover the parcel with the pyramid during daylight only.Luckydates: May 8 and 10. Lucky numbers: 8  22  5  31  12  40.

VIRGO:

Have a female relative or close female friend - the older thebetter- slip the ticket under the pyramid. Lucky dates: May 10,July 23,Oct 9, Nov 10 and 24. Lucky numbers: 15  38  9  45  26  3

CAPRICORN:

To have a 'goats' of a chance, place the pyramid over the ticketwith the Earth-sign side facing north. Lucky dates: June 13, Aug 2,Sept 9,Nov 19, Dec 17 and 19. Lucky numbers: 4  26  6  40  43  10.

AIR

GEMINI:

Even numbers harmonize fate's vibrations. Buy two lottery ticketswith the same numbers and keep both under the pyramid for twin power.Lucky dates: June 8, Aug 8 and 24, Oct 10, Dec 8 and 12. Lucky numbers:12  17  38  42  3  26.

LIBRA:

Balance in all things is the key. Place your ticket under thepyramid in the fulcrum of the week - anytime Wednesday. Lucky dates:May 10, Jul 27, Aug 23, Sept 1, Oct 27, Dec 8. Lucky numbers: 23  7 18  40  41  13

AQUARIUS:

Be a bearer of good tidings. Carry your ticket near your heart andplace it under the pyramid 12 hours from the drawing. Lucky dates:May 14, June 8, Aug 21, Oct 12, Nov 16, Dec 26. Lucky numbers: 47  30 7  10  24  19

WATER:

PISCES:

Cover the ticket with the pyramid and place near water to absorbenergy from the source of all water signs' power. Lucky dates: June 6and 13, Jul 11, Aug 27, Sept 25, Dec 21. Lucky numbers: 29  2  9  38 42  1

CANCER:

Use two clothespins to attach a dollar bill to the ticket and placethem under the pyramid. Lucky dates: May 13, Jul 6, Aug 1, Sept 15,Oct 20 and 27. Lucky numbers: 40  27  16  4  9  12

SCORPIO:

Place the ace of diamonds over the ticket and cover with thepyramid. Lucky dates: May 8 and 14, July 9, Sept 17, Nov 12, Dec 9.Lucky numbers: 9  11 36  20  4  9

FIRE:

ARIES:

Followers of the warrior sign prefer to attack at dawn. So that'swhen your ticket should invade the pyramid. Lucky dates: May 12, Jul 7,Sept 21, Oct 1 and 3, Nov 13. Lucky numbers: 2  6  9  20  35  37

LEO:

Show courage and give up a vice for good vibes before putting theticket under the pyramid. Lucky dates: May 26, Aug 27, Sept 13, Nov 28Dec 18 and 19. Lucky numbers: 25  36  3  41  9  18

SAGITTARIUS:

Draw concentric circles on paper, put the ticket at the center, andcover with the pyramid. Lucky dates: May 30, June 27, July 14, Oct 28,Nov 23, Dec 25. Lucky numbers: 13  4  6  7  33  43

WISHING ON A STAR REALLY WORKS

Posted on Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
By Maleeka Spriggs

MELBOURNE – Your dreams are 46.5 percent more likely to come true if you gaze into the heavens – and wish for them on a star!

That’s the word from probability expert Kenyon Smith, who conducteda five-year study of adult men and women and found that those whowished for things “on stars” were much more apt to report that theirdreams had, in fact, come true.

“This is highly significant,” said the Melbourne, Australia-based expert, whose exciting new book, When We Wish, is slated for a fall release.

“For one thing, it suggests that the probability of somethinghappening can be influenced by thought and desire and possibly evensupernatural intervention in human affairs.

“The implications are fascinating. But for the layman, it’s probablyenough to know that wishing on stars can increase your chances ofhaving a dream come true,” said Smith.

Smith decided to study the effects of wishing on stars after his 4-year-old daughter asked if the kiddie rhyme Star Light, Star Bright, which suggests that wishing on a star will make your dreams come true, was based in fact.

On a whim, he undertook the study. And he quickly found evidence to suggest that wishing on stars “is a smart thing to do.”

“I decided to keep the study going and as time went on, the validity of the rhyme became more and more evident,” said Smith.

“As a matter of coincidence, you would expect about 4 percent of people to realize their dreams after wishing on stars.

“But 46.5 percent goes way beyond chance. Clearly, there is a directlink between the way we wish and the chances that our wish will becomereality.

“My study will continue,” he added. “Meanwhile, I strongly advisepeople to wish on stars if they really want their dreams to come true.You really have nothing to lose.”

According to Smith, most people who wish on stars follow these basicrules: “They make their wish silently on the first star they see atnight,” he said. “And they don’t tell anyone what their wish was. Theykeep it to themselves.”

http://weeklyworldnews.com/headlines/15347/wishing-on-a-star-really-works/

Virtual Coin Toss Lets Football Fans Watch The Flip

January 10, 2010

For decades, the coin toss at the start of every football game has been obscured from fans' view.

Inventor Dan LaRue was fed up.

"We'reseeing six little people, very far away, doing something in the centerof the field, and we can hear the ref talking about it, but we cannotsee it," he says.

So he decided to take action. He invented a system called eCoinToss.

Itconsists of a special coin embedded with technology similar to what'sinside a Nintendo Wii controller. The chip wirelessly transmits dataabout the coin's position to a computer. The computer synchronizes thisdata with a virtual coin displayed on the stadium's JumboTron.

Theresult: Fans can watch the coin flip through the air live, as ithappens, and even see the outcome of the toss before the ref does.

"Thisis a great way to take those 30 seconds of time that we can'texperience very well, and give the audience something very clear up onthe JumboTron," LaRue says.

Steve Ehrhart, director of theLiberty Bowl, helped give the eCoinToss its big break in 2009, andbrought it back again for this year's game.

"In the age oftechnology, we're always looking for a better way to do things,"Ehrhart says. "I hope it spreads. It was a very effective way ofgetting the 62,000 fans who were in the Liberty Bowl stadium there toparticipate in the coin toss."

Watch How It Works

This promotional video from eCoinToss.com shows their virtual coin in action.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122398194&ft=1&f=1001

Here's the results for 2008, 2009, and combined:

These were the 2008 results:

146 Jackpots

120 QP   82.19%

91 PS      62.32%

(includes shared jackpots)

2008 was a leap year. So in 366 days jackpots were paid out 146 times or every 2.506 days

82.19% of the jackpot winners were QP

62.32% were player's selections, or PS

2009

365 drawings, 157 jackpots, a hit every 2.32 days.

To date:

157 Jackpots

132 QP   84.07%

87 PS      55.41%

Total jackpot money paid out to date: $33,295,000

Two years combined

731 drawings

303 Jackpots

252 QP  83.16%

178 PS   58.74%

Anyone who insists that quick picks don't hit as often as player's picks needs to pick a game and track it. 

I think two years worth of results is pretty conclusive.

Anyone who wants the results daily can go to the Illinois Lotterywebsite and subscribe to an e-mail for them and have them sent, or justget them on the website every night.

Buono Fortuna.

Dec 23, Happy Festivus everyone!

Three years from today;
http://countdown2012.org/

As of now, 1095 days, 14 hours, 48 minutes, 40 seconds.

A lot of links on that site, enjoy!!!

From Chuck Shepherd's News of the Weird:

Least competent car owners

(1) From apolice report in the Jersey Journal: An out-of-state visitor who parked his Ferrari Modena overnight on the street in Jersey City returned the next morning to find the car burglarized and a $100,000 Audemars Piguet watch he had left inside the car missing.

(2) A still unidentified driver who had just spent $1.25 million on a 2006 Bugatti Veyron EB (at 1001 horsepower, reputed to be the fastest and most expensive car in the world) was distracted by a low-flying pelican while driving in LaMarque, Texas, and accidentally derove the car into a salt-water inlet.

2008 St. Joseph Indian School, Chamberlain, South Dakota, Class Motto:

Life brings tears, smiles, and memories.
The tears dry, the smiles fade, but the memories last forever.

I Know What I saw

History Channel, Oct 4 20-09 8:00-10:00pm CDT

New program on the History Channel, Oct 4 2009, 8:00-10:00  pm CDT:

Directorand host James Fox assembles the most credible UFO witnesses from around the world to testify on the subject and share their experiences and observations. Air Force generals, astronauts, military and commercial pilots, government and FAA officials from seven countries gather at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. to tell stories that, as former Arizona governor Fife Symington states, "will challengeyour reality." These accounts reveal a behind-the-scenes U.S. operation whose policy, in the eyes of some observers, seems to involve confiscation of substantiating evidence from close encounters--to the extent that even Presidents have failed to get straight answers.

http://www.history.com/schedule.do?action=daily&date=20091004&time=2000&timeZone=CST&x=9&y=7

Wisconsin Tourism Federation Changes Name

Every time you think Wisconsin Tourism is scraping the barrel-bottom, they manage to find a new hole and start digging.

WisconsinTourism - WTF? The latest of their <snip>amamie screwups involveschanging their name from “Wisconsin Tourism Federation” to the “TourismFederation of Wisconsin.”

So now they don’t have to be WTF. They’re TFW. And this name change is going to help them earn some respect?
http://triphow.com/?p=1313

These guys had all been in prison together for a long time and a new inmate arrived.

When it was night and lights out, someone said, "16" and everyone cracked up. Someone else said "23" and people cracked up again. Someone else said "45" and everyone was rolling.

The new guy asked his cellmate what was going on and was told that they'd all been together so long, and knew all the jokes that instead of reciting the whole joke they'd numbered them.

Then someone yelled out "29" and nothing happened, no repsonse. Again, "29" and no reaction. So the new guy asked his cellmate what was up and he said, "Well, you know, some people just can't tell a joke."

A blonde and her husband are lying in bed listening to the next door neighbor's dog.
It has been in their backyard barking for hours and hours.
The blonde jumps up out of bed and says, "I've had enough of this".
She goes downstairs.
The blonde finally comes back up to bed and her husband says "The dog is still barking, what have you been doing?"
The blonde says, "I put the dog in our backyard, let's see how THEY like it!"

11 HINTS YOU MIGHT BE DESCENDED FROM ALIENS
Posted on Wednesday, September 2nd, 2009
By Erik Van Datiken

PARIS– Aliens interbred with our ancestors more than 8,000 years ago andtheir extraterrestrial features are still evident in humans today.

That’sthe mind-blowing claim of anthropologist Henri Noblet, who developed aguide to identify people who bear the strongest resemblance to ouralien forebearers.

“Many of us have been influenced by the alien gene pool, some more than others,” Dr. Noblet told reporters in Paris.

“Infact, there are people who are better than 60 percent alien livingamong us right now. Eye color, foot size, muscle tone, even the waythey sleep and think, are dead giveaways to the influence ofextraterrestrial ancestry.

“It is a simple matter to identify these people when you know what features to look for.”

Noblet’s report has been suprisingly well received by most of the human-development scientists around the world.

German archaeologist Dr. Richard Graff said there is plenty of evidence to support the French anthropologist’s claims.

“There is little doubt the human mind has changed dramatically in the past 8,000 years,” said the expert.

“Wealso know that the very appearance of humans became much more refinedat the same time. Natural evolution is too slow to have caused suchsudden changes.

“It is more likely they were brought about by the introduction of superior characteristics from an extraterrestrial gene pool.”

Noblet says the following physical features may indicated a strong extraterrestrial influence in your ancestry:

1. Eye color is usually green or hazel. The eyes are set wide apart in the head.

2. Feet tend to be small and narrow. Toes are apt to be longer than most people feel is normal.

3. Ears are larger than average and set close to the head.

. Hands and fingers are long and slender. Nails tend to be perfectly formed but fragile.

5.Facial features are usually delicate but sometimes appear to be sharplychiseled. Lips are either fuller than average or unusually thin.

6. Hips are fuller than average to downright wide. In women, breasts are small for build.

7. Hair tends to be red or blonde, but hair color alone does not prove alien ancestry.

8. Body build is small to average. Bones are usually weak.

Noblet said behavioral aspects are important clues. Descendants of extraterrestrials also tend to be:

9.Dreamers. The aliens who traveled to Earth long ago were almostcertainly visionaries and that is reflected in their descendants today.

10.Smart. They have the ability to size up situations quickly. They alsoare highly adaptable and often change plans in midstream.

11. Independent. They can survive without the help of others and are sometimes considered to be loners.

http://weeklyworldnews.com/alien-alert/11451/11-hints-you-might-be-descended-from-aliens/

The Window  Through Which We Look

  A  young couple moved into a new  neighborhood.

The next morning while they  were eating breakfast,

The young woman saw her neighbor hanging the wash outside.

'That laundry is not very  clean,' she said.

'She doesn't know how to wash  correctly.

Perhaps she needs better  laundry soap.'

Her husband looked on, but  remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would  hang her wash to dry,

the young woman would make the  same comments.

About one month later, the  woman was surprised to see a

nice clean wash on the line and  said to her husband:

'Look, she has learned how to  wash correctly.

I wonder who taught her  this.'

The  husband said, 'I got up early this morning and

cleaned our  windows.'

And  so it is with life. What we see when watching  others depends on the purity of the  window through which we look.