Gaming for hearts and minds

Video games can now involve a serious physical workout...

Economist (March 8): Let's get physical - Video games: “Exergaming”, which combines on-screen action with physical exercise, shows that gamers need not be couch potatoes

Or, no physical exertion whatsoever...

Economist (March 15): Mind games - Brain-controlled games and other devices should soon be on sale

Tags: exercise, exergaming, exertainment, video+games

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Eureka! Free Lotto!

A judge in northern California has ruled that you don't have to pay gambling debts in California:

A Daly City couple who allegedly wrote $43,000 in bad checks to casinos in California and Nevada got bailed out today by a judge, who said gambling debts are unenforceable in California courts.

Despite the state's increased acceptance and legalization of various forms of gambling, its courts will not recognize lawsuits by casinos that extend credit to gamblers, said Superior Court Judge Quentin Kopp, a retired jurist who heard the case in San Mateo County.

"Enforcement of such claims is prohibited as against California's public policy," Kopp wrote. He cited a 1993 ruling by a state appeals court in San Francisco that found what the court described as a "critical distinction between public acceptance of gambling itself and California's deep-rooted policy against enforcement of gambling debts -- that is, gambling on credit."

I'm planning to celebrate my state's principled stand against gambling by buying $43,000 worth of California Lottery Scratchers with bad checks and credit cards I'll never have pay down. Thanks Judge Kopp!

Tags: facetious, gambling, california, debt, lottery, hypocrisy

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Crossing Over, with John Edwards

Maybe Presidential candidate John Edwards and ghost-whisperer John Edward aren't so different after all. Encouraged by the opening question in an interview at BeliefNet, Edwards is now channelling Jesus:

[interviewer] What parts of American life do you think would most outrage Jesus?

[John Edwards] Our selfishness. Our resort to war when it's not necessary. I think that Jesus would be disappointed in our ignoring the plight of those around us who are suffering and our focus on our own selfish short-term needs. I think he would be appalled, actually.

And just last week a Pastor in Florida helpfully answered the age-old question, WWJF? ("Who Would Jesus Fire?") Namely, Jesus would not employ a City Manager planning a sex-change operation:

"If Jesus was here tonight, I can guarantee you he'd want him terminated," said Pastor Ron Saunders of Largo's Lighthouse Baptist Church. "Make no mistake about it."

Edwards' Jesus and Saunders' Jesus might have some stern words for each other if they were to be jointly-booked on Hardball with Chris Matthews. Asked for comment, James Cameron's Jesus responded by pointedly not spinning in his ossuary.

Make no bones about it: if Jesus were here today, he'd thank everyone for speaking on his behalf while he was away.

Tags: facetious, Jesus, channelling, ghosts, James Cameron, John Edward, John Edwards, religion

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