Worldwide Gaming Inc - Slot Machines & more! - Slot

I’m in Nebraska, and horse racing is the only legal gambling, but I see casino looking buildings pop in the strip malls sometimes. What are they? How are they legal? Also, why are there suddenly slot machines in liquor stores and gas stations?

Happily Ever After, Ep 14 Book Report
Angela & Michael: Since this week the wedding seems to be getting the green light, Michael took Angela to the florist to pick out flowers for the big day. Angela started to get choked up, realizing that her family won’t be there for this momentous occasion, and wishing she could've just toted all of the grids in her camisole over to Nigeria with her. She wanted to incorporate them into the ceremony somehow, so she decided to have flowers in the colors of all of their birthstones added to her bridal bouquet. She was really emotional while talking about her family, and probably regrets not toting a box of kleenex (She did however have a keychain hanging off of her spaghetti strap this week. They really need to go to the store where Michael got his LV steering wheel cover and grab Ang a matching purse). It was finally time for Angela and Michael to head over to the airport to pick up her friend JoJo (aka “Sissy”). JoJo seemed to be enjoying the Nigerian airport already, as she received a warm greeting from the finances and they all headed back to the apartment. Angela was so touched that Jojo flew all the way from Georgia to be her maid of honor, and was looking forward to having her get to know Michael in person, since no one else in her life has been able to. Next up we see Angela all dolled up for a night out at the joint Bachelo Bachelorette party in her adorable Barbie pink top (Sidenote; They should actually make a Meemaw Barbie. Instead of the accessories being strapped to the back of the box, they’re wired into her bra. Marlbroros, a wallet, and fuzzy handcuffs for Michael). The party took place at “Rumors”, a risque nightclub. Instead of freaking out at the first sight of scantily clad gyrating women, Angela tried to roll with the punches, throwing back drinks and dirty dancing with Michael. She and Jojo brought some classic silver glitter penis headbands to adorn Michael and his friend (who looked like he was really liking the penis headband and considering making it a staple in his wardrobe). It seemed like everyone was having a great time…. Until Michael’s eyes veered 1” to the left of Angela’s head where a woman was jiggling her butt cheeks together. Angela grabbed Sissy and stormed out, claiming the wedding was off, yet again, while Michael trailed behind trying to apologize in his sparkly penis hat. At least Sissy will be able to claim the frequent flyer mileage….
Coltee & Jess & Debbie & New Roomie Vanessa & Half of the Internet: Coltee and his new roomie Vanessa were wearing his & her flannels as they met up in the kitchen for a little roommate breakfast. Colt tells Vanessa that he’s excited to see Jess, though he has a lot of apologizing to do, and is hoping that they can move forward and be little “boobahs” once again. Vanessa is skeptical, claiming that Colt hasn’t said one nice thing about Jess (and you know Debbie didn’t give her a glowing recommendation either). Colt implies that he wants Vanessa to hit the bricks upon Jess’s arrival, as he knows his new living situation isn’t going to go over well and Jess will probably lose “cone-troll”. Colt met up with Jess at a cat cafe, hoping that the presence of cats would soften the blows he’s about to deliver. Jess found a spotted cat that matched her dress, as she wasted no time laying into Colt-ee. Apparently 8 women had messaged her on social media with screenshots of messages from Colt including pictures of his “member”. Jess read off the screenshots aloud, which said, “How are you??”-(dck pic). “Good morning”- (dck pic). (“And in case I don’t see ya, Good afternoon, Good Evening and Good Night” (dck pics x’s infinity)). Colt was caught red handed, and couldn’t even deny the fact that he’s been sending off pictures of his angry inch to any woman who crossed his path in cyberspace. He somehow glazed over this topic, and tried bringing up their relationship problems, claiming that he didn’t know where they stood or if they were even together at the time of said dck pics. Jess agreed to leave the cat cafe and go back to his house to discuss things further (which was a good move, it was really unfair to subject innocent cats to hearing about Coltee’s little photoshoots with his schmeckle. I think I saw a few cats hacking up their Fancy Feast in the corner….... ) The whole car ride back to the house, Coltee did his best to try and convince Jess that this was mostly her fault During his interview with production, Colt admitted to “sending inappropriate imagery to women online” (which was really impressive, as it sounded so much better than “Hi, My name is Colt, and I’m an internet flasher”).
Once they arrived at the house, Debbie was waiting with a large platter of grapes (which I was slightly convinced were only for private snack time for Colt, and she feeds them to him seductively). Jess gave her a warm greeting, complimenting the slot machine as well as Debbie’s new hairdo, before she let loose on Colt once again. He cued Debbie to go to her room and get the ear muffs, and then finally gave Jess an apology, as well as confessing to being a bad boyfriend. And while it was confession time, he casually mentions, “by the way…. Vanesa moved into the spare bedroom”. I just hope Jess doesn’t inflict any harm on the slot machine next week when we see her reaction. It really ties the room together.
Larissa-ee: Larissa, her friend Heather, and Eric-ee wearing a flesh toned t-shirt that makes him look topless, are taking a ride over to see a plastic surgeon for a boobie consultation. Heather works with injectables, so Larissa feels she is an expert on the subject of beautification and can help her achieve her femmebot goals. Larissa explains to Eric-ee how he should be very confident in his investment he’s about to make, like he’s at a Botched Tony Robbins seminar. The three met up with the extra tall red headed doctor, who tried to steer Larissa away from going too big and too fake on the boobies. Larissa tried on a few sample implants to road test her new appendages and see what looked best. She wanted to make sure they were bigg-ee, but not as big as Colt-ee’s. Larissa’s nose job was also brought up during the consultation, with the plastic surgeon confirming her insecurities about her nose shape. The doctor discussed the risks of surgery, which made reality set in a bit more that this wasn’t just photoshopping, but an actual medical procedure. Later on in the episode, Larissa and Eric-ee went lingerie shopping for a little something to showcase her future boobs. Larissa explained that she wanted something special for her and Eric-ee’s first sexy time post surgery (hopefully something Dolly Parton-esque). Apparently the boobie and nose-ee aren’t the only things left to get nipped and tucked… Larissa plans on doing a little lipo, butt work, and a few other procedures, explaining that she wants to look like the store’s mannequin. Eric-ee seems slightly concerned with her desire to look like an entirely different person, claiming to think she looks great with the many augmentations she’s already had. Until next week...
Elizabeth & Undrrrei: The Moldovan party bus rolled out to the countryside filled with both Elizabeth and Undrrrei’s families. They decided to take a break from fighting in the big city and go to make authentic Moldy wine. For the most part everyone pretty much behaved themselves on the bus ride there. Jen did try to rile up Undrrrrei once or twice, and Young Chuckie tried to question why Undrrei had to look for a foreign girl when the Moldy-O has some really pretty girls. Fortunately Undrrrei didn’t take the bait and things stayed pretty calm. Once they reached the vineyard, Chuck, Baby Chuck and Jen were lined up for their camera interview looking like they were shooting a promo for a new “Law & Order; Special Moldova Unit”, as they told the cameras that they were going to lay low for the day, though they still believe Undrrei is hiding things about his past. At the vineyard/farm, there was an ADORABLE donkey, who I think should permanently replace Tania (I’m drafting the petition now). The family took turns squishing the grapes, barefoot in a barrel. Chuck went first as everyone vowed not to taste his Moldovan toe cheese and wine, while they all chanted “Squash them grapes! Squash them grapes!”. It seemed like a fun bonding experience, and Undrrei even joined Itty Bitty Chuck in the barrel, hugging each other as they muddled their toe grapes. Once the fun on the farm was over, the whole crew returned to the city and it was business as usual.The three secret agents of the Special Moldova Unit went to a scenic park (not as nice as the war museum, but a close second) where they met with Undrrrei’s friend Murcel to obtain some intel. Murcel explained that Undrrei, like most Moldovan men, is more closed off and private when he first gets to know people. He tried hard to explain why he and Undrrrrei had to leave the Police force where they worked, and ultimately leave their country. Murcel claimed he left when he had met a woman named Anna and dreamed of moving to Nebraska to play with her bees…. (oh wait, wrong Murcel…...). MOLd-o Murcel claimed that Undrrei was kind of pushed out by the higher ups in the corrupt police force, so he moved to Ireland. The special agents are not buying the shady explanation, and know they need to keep digging to continue this pointless storyline. Can we get to the disco dance floor wedding already or what?!
Kalani & Asuelu: We see Kalani alone with the boys in a hotel room, after having had a big fight with Asuelu the night before. He ended up leaving the AirBNB and going to his mom and sister’s house (who probably charged him premium for a night’s stay), while Ka (lani and lini) headed to a hotel (maybe in fear of being alone with the bathroom ghost in the Airbnb?) Kalani called her mom on video chat to talk things out and give her an update on the situation. She explains that she is going to try to take Asuelu to therapy to improve their marriage, but if it doesn’t get better, she has to be done. Mama Kalani admits that she went through similar struggles early on in her marriage to Papa Low, as it’s often hard for two people from different backgrounds to adjust. Poor Kalani sitting alone, trying to get two toddlers to sleep while crying was a heartbreaking sight, for sure. Apparently all of this action took place the day before Valentine’s Day, and Asuelu showed up to the hotel with balloons and flowers to apologize. Kalani let him in, unsure of what exactly to do and probably just knowing she was going to need help with the boys on the plane ride home. The car ride to the airport was tense, as she explained that this trip was the worst, which left Asuelu confused. She also had to explain that they needed to go to therapy and then explained what the word therapy meant. There was a lot of explaining, period. Asuelu seemed somewhat oblivious to the depths of their issues, as he watched Kalani schlep both kids and their luggage single handedly into the airport…..
Pol & Kreeknee: Back at the tiny house, Paul is away for the day so Kreenee arranges for an Uber to drive her and Pierre to see an immigration lawyer who happens to have an in house Portuguese translator- how convenient. She explains to the lawyer that she and Pol aren’t getting along and she wants to know her rights. The lawyer tells her that she is legally allowed to travel alone with baby Pierre (with or without his baby baguettes), though she should make sure to do so on good terms with Pol, as there may be consequences later. Kreeknee admits that she is not happy so far in the U.S., even though the coupons and BOGO deals are endless and would like to take Pierre back to Brazil. Later that day, Pol came home with a bag full of plantains, which usually cheer most people who hate their current living situation right up…..but alas, Kreeknee was unimpressed. After questioning Pol’s job status and being disappointed to hear he still hadn’t found one, she revealed that she took a trip to the immigration lawyer and found out that she has the right to take the baby back to Brazil alone. Of course this made Pol freak out, and he threatened to go after her (legally speaking) for his paternal rights. Karine cursed him out and started to cry, while Paul ran to her side, completely ignoring her blatant disgust for him. Baby Pierre should consider hopping on one of the German Shepherds and riding off into the sunset….
Noticeably missing were Tania & Synergy, who were probably off having another breakup talk at the South African Sizzler buffet. (It’s fine, take your time… we’re replacing you with the adorable donkey anyway).

by Garrison Keillor By that Wednesday, a week after the crash, Mrs. Mueller was recov- ered from the shock and able to concentrate on what really troubled her, the prospect of sudden violent death. That morning, she unlocked the two deadbolts on her back door and stuck her head out, half expecting someone to chop it off with an axe, perhaps an inmate from Sandstone prison who had escaped in the night. She had not heard of an escape on the Maxwell House News that morning, though there was an item about an old lady taken hostage in Florida that gave her the creeps. A psychopath had jumped out from the flower bed when the old lady went to hang up clothes, and he hauled her indoors and tied her with clotheslines to her own kitchen table and kept her there for thirty-six hours until sharpshooters plugged him through the heart. Imagine! she thought. The state of things today. Mrs. Mueller has lived alone in this one-bedroom stucco house since the late Mr. Mueller died in 1951 of a ruptured blood vessel. He was putting up curtain rods one minute and the next he was dead on the floor. He was forty-seven. Now she was sixty-eight. That was how she wanted to go, too, quick, no trouble, no pain. Certainly not at the hand of a psychopath. Once in Minneapolis she thought a man was going to kill her. He almost crashed into her when she made a left-hand turn into SuperAmerica, then he made a violent U-turn, squealed up to the pumps, jumped out, and screamed abuse at her. She was in her car, her doors were locked, and she turned on the radio to drown him out , she was so scared. The news was on: an item about a plane crash that killed fourteen people. She has never set foot on a plane, but it seemed to go right along with the horrible face in the window saying he hoped she rotted in hell. You go up in planes, you go to Minneapo- lis, you take your life in your hands. You're not even safe in your own backyard. It was six a.m. of what the radio said would be a perfect day, already warm under a partly cloudy sky and a sweet scent of grass in the air and the dew on her snowball bushes. The Tollefson boy's tire marks were healing over. The tulips were still bright and the peonies were coming right along. She saw one tulip had keeled over, but otherwise the flowers were all present and accounted for. The fallen tulip made her think 'inmate' for two seconds - had he put his big foot there and was he now crouched around the corner of the house, a length of garden hose in hand, waiting for her to turn her back? No, he was not. Nobody was there. The hose was coiled over the faucet where she left it. Mrs. Mueller knew him as Don. She had thought of him so often, seen him coming at her, been grabbed and hustled indoors and thrown onto the sofa, and always he said, "Don't scream and you won't get hurt," and once he told her his name. Don. He wore dirty dungarees, sneakers, a black T-shirt, and dark glasses. He smoked cigarettes, which he stamped out on her floor. He pulled the blinds and paced like an animal. He rummaged in her dresser, throwing clothes on the floor. Sometimes he had a gun and other times a butcher knife, and once he had a screwdriver. He made her cook for him. He demanded whiskey. She had none. He got mad and threw a glass at her. He threatened to cut her throat and throw her in a closet. Sometimes he grabbed her by the arm and said "Get in there!" and shoved her toward the next room. Always he said, before he left, "Don't tell anybody or I'll come back and kill you," and she never had told. She knew he was not a real person but she was afraid he would become real. She thought she should tell Earl. The subject, however, never came up. There is a man and he is going to come and kill me one of these days: that wouldn't go over so well with Earl. "How do you know, Mother?" I know. Mrs. Mueller's trip out the back door was to put a package of garbage in the garbage can. She had wrapped it the afternoon before, a milk carton full of her slight scraps - dollops of melon pulp, two grapefruit shells, burnt frozen dinner, a stale heel of bread, and a whole box of figs, a year old, a gift from a grandchild - and had thought to take it out then, but the shadows in the yard looked funny, as if they might include one of a man standing beside the house, waiting for the lock to click. One click and he'd spring like a tiger and be inside with her. She left the package on the table in the mud room. Now she descended the back steps, peering ahead to the dim place alongside the garage, the walk between the lilacs and the garage, and the alley. So thin, her arms and legs like branches of a crab apple tree, her skin like waxed paper, and her small dark eyes darting from bush to bush. That night, after supper, John put on a clean shirt and hiked down to the Sidetrack, taking his legal pad with him to record his impressions. His first one was of gloom and musty smells and deep darkness, the orange and purple jukebox, beer signs, bright green felt. He stood inside the door, waiting for his eyes to focus, thinking of a cave in which small hairy animals sit and chew each others ears off. Three figures stood at the pool table and gawked at him. "Chonny! Chonny my boy! What are you doing here?" It was Mr. Berge, sitting on the stool nearest the door. His baggy old-man pants almost dropped off him as he stood up to shake hands, and he hoisted them up a foot. "Lemme buy you a beer! How you been, Chonny! No! Better yet! A beer and a bump!" Wally set up a glass of beer and a shot of whiskey next to Mr. Berge's. John had been thinking he'd have a vodka sour, it being a drink he knew about first-hand from the Matador Lounge in St. Cloud, but he wasn't going to betray inexperience in front of this bunch. He sat next to Mr. Berge, who had fished two crumpled dollar bills from his pocket, and he put the shotglass to his lips, and tossed the whiskey back - or some of it partly back, until he coughed, and a few drops went up his nose, and his eyes filled with tears. It tasted like acid. He turned away so Mr. Berge wouldn't see. Then the beer. He never had liked beer. Beer parties were big deals at school: twenty carloads of students out at an abandoned granite quarry, a beer keg in every trunk, radios blasting, and beautiful women careening into the bushes to throw up. Beer made him think he was drinking something that had died. "Oh, it's a helluva deal, ain't it, Chonny. Ja, we're having fun now, you betcha," Mr. Berge cried. "Ja, I was so surprised you come in I coulda shit my pants. Wally! Don't let these glasses sit empty like that! Whatsa matter wicha? Ja, Chonny, it's good to see ya. Good to see ya. Put her there, buddy. Ja. Ja, I always like your dad, thought he was a good guy. Good guy, Chonny. Ja, lot of people say those Tollefsons, they walk around with their noses in the air, those Tollefsons they think their shit don't stink, but you know, I never thought that. I always thought, hell, they're people just like anybody else, like to have a good time. Ja. So here you are. Ja, it's good to see ya." It occurred to John that it didn't make sense bringing the legal pad along to record impressions, his main one being a hardening behind the eyes. He took microscopic sips of the second whiskey. He wanted a glass of water. He felt like he was coming down with something. Mr. Berge was yammering a mile a minute about something - it was hard to follow - about people all being the same. He hollered to Wally for another round. Wally muttered something but he brought the drinks. "Watch yourself, kid," he said to John. "It's a stormy night for sailors. Don't let the ship go down." John found a pencil and wrote, "Stormy - sailors - ship." He thought he might use it in the story about Nils, where Nils is in the bar and gives a speech. Have the bartender say it. "Whatcha writing, a letter, Chonny?" Mr. Berge said. He leaned over to see and his breath hit John broadside, the worst breath he'd ever breathed, the breath of a badger who'd been in the dump all day. He stood up. The stool had cut off the circulation in his legs. They were asleep. He didn't know if he could walk. "Gotta run. Thanks. See you," he said, patting Mr. Berge on the shoulder, and turned toward the door. He leaned on it and in a blaze of hard sunlight he didn't notice the two steps down - he walked into air, staggered and pitched forward toward the gutter, and in one sharp instant as he fell, saw clearly six feet away his Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Val - fell headlong like a tree cut off a the ankles and hit the pavement on his knees and one elbow - and then stood up too soon and the blood left his head and he got woozy and fell sideways against the hood of a brown pickup. Charlotte and Val were dressed up with Bibles in hand, on their way to church. They stopped and tried to say something. Val said, "Johnny!" John said, "I tripped and fell." "I'll say you did," Charlotte said. She started to reach for his arm, he took a step forward and a step back, she drew back. "Oh, Johnny," she said. "Just look at you. Your shirt is ripped, you look like a crazy person." "Why don't you come with us to church? It's going to be good. Bob and Verna are here," Val said. John said he didn't feel well. Val could see that. "Come tomorrow night, then," he said. "Johnny," Charlotte said, "do you ever stop and think what you're doing to your mother? I hope you don't let her see you like this. She'd just die if she saw you right now." "It isn't what you think. I fell." "It always starts out small, Johnny, and then one thing leads to another. Please don't drink. Please." "Okay." They walked away, then Charlotte turned. "I'm praying for you, Johnny." "Thank you, Aunt Charlotte." "Are you all right?" Actually, he was. He was starting to think this might be a good story. He'd change some details, of course. In the story, he'd be drunk - gone out drinking to forget a great personal sorrow, a wound, a wound of love - that'd be the title, "The Wound of Love" - and he'd stagger out the front door and be met by two Lutherans, Fran and Vern, who would bawl him out good, and the story would go on to reveal their essential hypocrisy and that of the entire town. He could work in Bob and Verna, and Bible-thumping evangelists, and get Mrs. Mueller in, too, except she'd be twenty-one, his lover, and he would die crashing into her rock garden, and that would be the ending. He thought of this, making his way home, and sat down at his desk and ripped off the top sheets of the legal pad, which were dirty and torn, and there was a clean sheet. A lovely sight, a clean sheet - and he wrote, bending over the page, gripping the pencil tightly, chewing on his tongue: James was fourteen years of age when his father was sent to prison for grand larceny, and it left a gap in his life that only he knew about. Mrs. Mueller was one of two Catholics in town who attended the revival meetings of Brother Bob and Sister Verna of the World-Wide Fields of Harvest Ministry of Lincoln, Nebraska, at Lake Wobegon Lutheran church for five evenings, Tuesday through Saturday. To Bob, Mrs. Mueller was a great prize, a real living Catholic, and he courted her and her friend Mrs. Magendanz, assuring them he had nothing against the members of the Roman church, only the hierarchy. Father Emil thought of revivals as something that Protes- tants do to each other out of boredom with a theology that lacks substance, and he tucked a warning against it into his homily on the Third Sunday before Bob and the Second and the First, which only proved to Mrs. Mueller that the truth hurt. Even good men refused to see it. "Old Bob hits the nail on the head," she told Mrs. Magendanz. The Ministry's headquarters is in the basement of Bob's sister Beatrice's house, who is married to Pastor David Ingqvist's wife Judy's uncle, and from that loose connection comes an event that annually promises to tear the Lutheran church limb from limb. "The meetings were interesting and we praise God for His great love for us, as Bob so wonderfully brought out," July wrote to her aunt one year, "but I do wonder if he sometimes gets carried away in his descriptions of death and damnation. And when he predicts that there will be more Lutherans in the lake of fire than there are stones in the fields, I consider that less than edifying." (In response, Beatrice sent her "An Examination of So-Called 'Lutheranism': Fourteen False Doctrines Revealed in the Light of Scripture.") To see a man get carried away is exactly why so many Lutherans love the Ministry, however, including Val and Charlotte; what Bob revives in them is the memory of swashbuckling preachers of their youth who roved through the old Norwegian Synod putting the fear of God into a generation that was slipping toward relaxation. Children of God-fearing parents were slipping - slipping away in Model-Ts, drifting away in the night, slipping into worldly dress, slipping into St. Cloud and Avon and Little Falls for needle beer at roadhouses and dancing to jungle music and playing slot machines; young men and women brought up to lead a godly life were drifting, drifting, asleep in the boat on the Niagara River drifting toward the cataract and sure death, and someone had to shout to wake them up. Scoffers at spiritual things, drunkards, fornicators, blasphemers, proud, shameless, foolish beyond belief: such persons cannot be gen tly reminded of the truth, somebody has to grab them and shake them hard, as the late Rev. Osterhus did to Bernie Tollefson one hot summer night. Bernie ran with a loose crowd who drank at the Moonlite Bay roadhouse and boasted of having gotten girls in a family way, and Bernie came to church one Sunday night on a dare from his chums and sat in back and smirked at Rev. Osterhus until the evangelist would stand it no longer - he leaped from the pulpit! Dashed to the back pew! Seized the young man by the neck before he could slither away! Hauled him out and up to the altar! Threw him against the rail! The sinner fell weep- ing to the floor, and the man of God knelt over him, one knee in the small of his back, and prayed ferociously for light to dawn in his blackened soul. When Bernie stood up, he was reborn, and he yelled, "Thank you, Jesus!" over and over, tear pouring down his cheeks - "Now there was what I call preaching!" says John's uncle Val, Bernie's brother, a deacon and Pastor Ingqvist's faithful critic. He says of the pastor's sermons, "He mumbles. He murmurs. It's a lot of on-the-one- hand-this, on-the-other-hand-that. He never comes straight out. He never puts the hay down where the goat can get it. It's a lot of talk, and many a Sunday I've walked away with no idea what he said. Can't remember even where he started from. You never had that problem with the old preachers. There was never a moment's doubt. It was Repent or Be Damned. We need that. This guy, he tries to please everybody. Just once I wish he'd raise his voice and pound on the pulpit. That way I'd know he wasn't talking in his sleep." Bob and Verna drive a white van with hundreds of Scripture verses painted on it, such as "The wages of sin is death," which is one thing that sets them apart from Pastor Ingqvist; his Ford station wagon has only one text, a bumper sticker : "Lake Wobegon, Gateway to Central Minnesota" - is that the mark of a man of God? The white gospel van draws plenty of stares with all that writing, which Verna painted free-hand, so it doesn't look slick or professional but its the Word and, the Gospel. You have no excuse. Anyone who's seen it will have to answer to God someday." Bob once walked onto the field at a Vikings-Bears game to speak to the players about honoring the Sabbath and was led away by police. He once threw forty pounds of tracts from the Foshay Tower in Minneapolis on a day when the wind was right for carrying them toward the Catholic northeast section and was arrested for littlering. ("Littering!" he told the court. "Littering! The day that spreading the Word is called littering is the day this country has taken its final step away from God! He was found guilty.) Val conceded that "Bob loses his head sometimes," but he felt that excessive fervor was better than none at all. Val felt that Pastor Ingqvist never had much of a head to lose. When Bob and Verna came for revival, they stayed at Val's house, whom they met on their first visit to town in 1972 (to visit Judy). Bob went for a stroll after lunch and, seeing a man mowing his lawn, Bob approached and said, "If God so clothe the grass which is today in the field and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?" He shouted this, and Val could hear every word clearly over the mower. He shut off the engine and they sat down and had a long talk. Bob said, "I feel called to come and preach." "Then come," Val said, and he got the trustees to agree to it. Pastor Ingqvist said he thought a week of Bible study might be better, and Val said, "Fine. Brother Bob can come for two weeks, then." So began the crusade. 

from Lake Wobegon Days © Garrison Keillor, 1985 First published in 1985 by Viking Penguin Inc. hardcover, pp. 314-321

I know EA is incredibly at fault here but what about Disney? This iteration of random loot boxes and pay to win is in itself gambling directed at both older individuals and the younger generation of consumers. Disney by allowing their brand to be involved in such practices is condoning predatory behavior and gambling addiction not to mention state laws regarding gambling and minors.
EA's use of micro transactions qualifies as gambling
Definition of Gambling: consists of any activity with three elements: consideration, chance, and prize. If any one or more of these elements is missing, the activity is not gambling.
Consideration: can have many different meanings But, in general, there is no “gambling” unless a participant is required to risk something of value. (Lootboxes require the consumer to offer up money which qualifies as at risk and their is a chance of gain and loss on both sides.
Publisher Gain: $$$ Publisher Loss: more $$$ by the consumer rolling the gear they want
Consumer Gain: prize wanted Consumer Loss: $$$
Keep in mind there is no skill involved in buying random lootboxes (Slot machine) it is entirely luck
Relevant Case Law: Yellow-Stone Kit v. State
All the relevant points are there for it to be considered gambling. Consideration ($$$ put up), Chance(loot box), Prize(valuable in game items). Since this constitutes as gambling isn't EA and Disney as well as other developers accountable to gambling laws? Disney has already came into conflict with this problem before with the skill games.com fiasco and have had their lawyers put in the following limitations for their other game of skill ventures
(Disney) • Players must reside in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia and be at least 18 years old, except in Nebraska and Alabama, where they must be at least 19, and Mississippi, where the minimum age is 21. • Players may not be residents of Arizona, Connecticut, or Vermont.
This is as much Disney's fault as it is EA's, I am sure Disney has some pretty stringent guidelines for the use of the brand image. Disney's lack of oversight and or no action puts them just as much in the line of fire. Disney is essentially condoning online gambling and not to mention largely directed at a younger audience without consideration to state gambling laws.
Here are some sources if you want to read state gambling laws and a Write up on the legal definition of Gambling.
https://www.apgsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Youth-Gambling-Compilation-of-State-Laws-12-31-13.pdf
http://www.liebertpub.com/media/content/IGL_02_p11-52.pdf
I posted this just to enlighten the larger audience to what is going on with the practice of loot boxes and gambling in video games. Please don't remove this I am an avid gamer and this is something I have seen creeping into the industry for a long time and to see it moving into large games like battlefront makes me very sad for the industry as well as concerned for the younger generation of consumers being exposed to gambling at a young age and the addiction it can become. I still appreciate the dev for creating an amazing work of art with the game but with the loot system it is no doubt hurt.

TRUMP to rollback some of Obama’s Cuba policies -- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Kellyanne complains about West Wing colleagues -- REMEMBERING Zbig Brzezinski -- ASHCROFT hired by Qatar -- KATY TUR profile – B’DAY: Zeleny
by [email protected] (Daniel Lippman) via POLITICO - TOP Stories
URL: http://ift.tt/2s87Nl5
Good Saturday morning. THE BELMONT STAKES is 6:37 p.m. tonight on NBC.
WEHEAR … PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP is going to roll back some of Barack Obama’s changes to Cuba policy next week. He discussed the changes at a dinner with members of Congress earlier this week -- the dinner included Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who was sharply critical of Obama’s policy change. The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment, but Marc Caputo and Sergio Bustos -- our POLITICO colleagues in Florida -- report he’ll make the announcement in Miami and also note: “Many expect that Trump will not reverse Obama’s decision to open a U.S. embassy in Havana or reinstate the ‘wet-foot/dry-foot’ policy that allowed Cuban immigrants who touched U.S. shores to become legal residents.” http://politi.co/2rX4B9K
YOUR DAILY HEAD SNAP -- “Trump seems to undercut Tillerson’s remarks on Qatar,” by WaPo’s Karen DeYoung and Sudarsan Raghavan: “Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called on a Saudi Arabia-led bloc of Arab nations Friday to immediately ease their blockade of Qatar and urged all involved in the week-long Persian Gulf dispute to quickly resolve their differences, remarks that President Trump seemed to undercut less than an hour later.
“Trump began a Rose Garden news conference with the visiting president of Romania by saying that the Saudi-led action against Qatar was ‘hard but necessary.’ He said he had been consulted in advance by nations that ‘spoke to me about confronting Qatar,’ a country he said historically has been a ‘funder of terrorism at a very high level.’ He said he had decided, along with Tillerson and ‘our great generals and military people, the time had come to call on Qatar to end that funding ... and its extremist ideology.’
“Earlier, in a brief, formal statement at the State Department, Tillerson had called on Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt to ease their blockade, warning that it was causing humanitarian hardship in Qatar, harming U.S. and international business, and hindering U.S. military actions against the Islamic State.” http://wapo.st/2r549oV
-- ANOTHER STRANGE MOMENT from Friday’s press conference withTRUMP and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. REPORTER: “Thank you. Mr. President, were there any discussion about the Visa Waiver Program for Romania? Is there a time frame for including our country in this program? Thank you.” TRUMP: “We didn’t discuss it --” IOHANNIS: “Yes --”TRUMP: “We didn’t discuss it. But there would be certainly -- it would be something we will discuss. Mr. President.” IOHANNIS: “I mentioned this issue, and I also mentioned it during other meetings I had, because this is important for us, it's important for Romanians who want to come to the United States. And you see more and more people come, President Trump, from Romania to the United States. Some come as tourists. Some come for business. And those who come for business should be encouraged.”
FOR MARC KASOWITZ -- “James Comey is a ‘leaker’ — but that doesn’t make him a criminal,” by WaPo’s Matt Zapotosky: “‘He can fairly be criticized for whether that was the best way for him to address his discomfort with his conversation with the president,’ said Barry J. Pollack, a white-collar criminal-defense attorney at Miller & Chevalier who has been involved in leak cases. ‘But that’s all a matter of how he conducts his job, and what his relationship is with the president is not a legal question.’
“Prosecutors who bring charges against people for sharing informationwith the public can do so only when classified or other national security material is at issue. Material cannot be classified to conceal legal violations or prevent embarrassment, according to an executive order from President Barack Obama. Telling a reporter nonclassified information of public interest is not only legal, but it’s often the right thing to do.” http://wapo.st/2rcaqTH
-- JOSH GERSTEIN: “The FBI’s standard employment agreement reads: ‘I will not reveal, by any means, any information or material from or related to FBI files or any other information acquired by virtue of my official employment to any unauthorized recipient without prior official written authorization by the FBI.’” http://politi.co/2rgDRip
-- A DEFIANT TRUMP, via Julie Hirschfeld Davis and Glenn Thrush: “President Trump on Friday accused James B. Comey, the fired F.B.I. director, of lying under oath to Congress, saying he would gladly provide sworn testimony disputing Mr. Comey’s charge that the president forced him out because of his handling of the investigation into the Trump campaign’s possible collusion with Russia. … Asked whether he would be willing to provide his version under oath, Mr. Trump responded, ‘100 percent.’ He said of Mr. Mueller, ‘I would be glad to tell him exactly what I just told you.’” http://nyti.ms/2rXgFrP
-- WHAT’S NEXT: “Comey associate has been in contact with Senate Judiciary about memos,” by Kyle Cheney: “Dan Richman, a longtime friend and adviser to former FBI director James Comey, has been in contact with the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding a series of memos that Comey authored about his private conversations with President Donald Trump from January through April. A source familiar with the discussions says Richman connected with the Senate panel via the office of special counsel Robert Mueller ... The source says the matter will be addressed on Monday.”http://politi.co/2sovUMU
-- BLOCKBUSTER RATINGS: “More than 19 million saw Comey testimony on TV,” by Hadas Gold: “According to Nielsen ratings, ABC topped all networks, bringing in 3.295 million overall viewers, with CBS close behind with 3.286 million viewers. Fox News was next with 3.096 million viewers, followed by CNN with 3.049 million, NBC with 2.723 million viewers and MSNBC with 2.719 million viewers. ... Twitter, which partnered with Bloomberg to stream the hearing, said 2.7 million viewers tuned in.” http://politi.co/2s7XFce
--PER FACEBOOK: There were 89 million views of videos related to Comey’s testimony. Those videos had nearly 8 million comments, reactions and shares. There were also 26 million views of Comey-related live video on Facebook.
ABOUT THOSE TAPES --@tripgabriel: “Personal anecdote: Candidate Trump once said he had taped a call with me, after disputing how he was quoted. I asked to hear it. Never did.” … @mikiebarb replies: “This happened to me as well. He always acted as if he was recording it.”
THROWING SHADE -- @lloydblankfein: “Just landed from China, trying to catch up.... How did ‘infrastructure week’ go?”
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- WHO MNUCHIN MET WITH IN CANADA –Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin made his first official solo foreign trip yesterday to Canada. Mnuchin, who met with Canadian Finance Minister Bill Morneau on the one-day trip to Ottawa, was seeking to highlight the importance of the U.S.-Canada strategic and economic alliance, according to Treasury. Deputy national security advisor Dina Powell and Treasury chief of staff Eli Miller accompanied Mnuchin. They also met Canadian foreign minister Chrystia Freeland, Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. David Mac Naughton and attended a cabinet meeting with top ministers. They discussed a variety of topics including the upcoming G-20 agenda, trade and economic issues and national security challenges. Mnuchin also met with a group of more than 20 CEOs who do business in both the U.S. and Canada, including the heads of Ford Canada, GE Canada and TD Bank. More foreign trips by Mnuchin are in the works, according to our Treasury source.
DAVID A. FAHRENTHOLD in WaPo, “New York attorney general ‘looking into’ Eric Trump’s foundation”: “New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is ‘looking into’ a charitable foundation founded by Eric Trump, a spokesman for Schneiderman said, after Forbes magazine raised questions about whether President Trump’s son had made misleading statements about how the foundation spent its money. ... One item at issue, the attorney general’s office said, was that the Eric Trump Foundation has rebranded itself ‘Curetivity’ and held a fundraiser under that name. But, after a query from The Washington Post on Friday morning, the attorney general’s office said the charity had not officially changed its name with New York charity regulators.” http://wapo.st/2t5KuWr
ROMNEYSTOCK – ALEX ISENSTADT’S HARDSHIP ASSIGNMENT to Deer Valley, Utah: “Romney reveals that Clinton nudged him to consider Trump’s secretary of state overture”: “Romney, appearing before a group of major Republican Party donors here, said that he reached out to Clinton last year after getting a phone call from then-Vice President-elect Mike Pence informing him that he was on the shortlist for secretary of state. ... Romney ... was golfing in Hawaii when he received the call ... He then turned to former secretaries of state, including the just-defeated Clinton, to ask whether he should consent to the offer. ‘In each case, each of them said, “Please, please take that job if it’s offered to you. We’d very much like to see you serve in that capacity,”’ Romney said.” http://politi.co/2seggUP
--“Biden encourages 2012 foe Romney to run for the Senate”: “During a closed-door appearance with Romney here on Friday evening, Biden said Romney should consider a Senate bid. The remark came during the second day of the E2 Summit, an annual Romney-hosted donor conference. Attendees were gathered to hear a dialogue between the two men, who were on opposite sides of the 2012 election. Romney, according to two sources present, offered little by way of response other than to smile. ... There has been considerable speculation that Romney may seek the seat of longtime Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch should he forego reelection. Neither Romney ... nor his aides have denied interest in the seat should it become open.” http://politi.co/2s7YMbU
MITCH MCCONNELL’S LATEST HEADACHE -- “Conservatives near revolt on Senate health care negotiations,” by Burgess Everett: “As Obamacare repeal talks enter crunchtime with a vote as soon as this month, the Senate bill continues to tilt toward more moderate members of the GOP on keeping some of Obamacare's regulatory structure and providing a more generous wind-down of the law's Medicaid expansion. The movement has made Republicans increasingly pessimistic that two critical conservative senators, Mike Lee of Utah and Rand Paul of Kentucky, will be able to vote for the GOP's ultimate agreement on healthcare, according to senators and aides.” http://politi.co/2s7Z42l
COMING ATTRACTIONS -- “Trump Will Meet With Tech Leaders To Talk About Emerging Tech Like Drones,” by BuzzFeed’s Ryan Mac: “The White House is planning a second gathering of technology leaders later this month, in which President Donald Trump is expected to meet with venture capitalists and entrepreneurs from emerging tech firms. Three sources confirmed to BuzzFeed News that the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is organizing the event, scheduled for June 22 — three days after Trump is expected to meet with the likes of Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Oracle co-CEO Safra Catz and technology executives in Washington. ... [T]he second meeting ... will address emerging technologies trends including the Internet of Things, commercial drones and the funding of those companies.” http://bzfd.it/2rgABUf
REMEMBERING ZBIGNIEW BRZEZINSKI -- “Washington Remembers Brzezinski, and a Very Different Era,” by NYT’s Matt Flegenheimer: “One after another, the mourners filed into the stately Cathedral of St. Matthew -- ambassadors, cabinet secretaries, television hosts, a president -- hunkering together behind the grand doors, at least for a little while, to consider a man and a capital from a bygone political moment most seemed to prefer. The occasion was the funeral of Zbigniew Brzezinski ... ‘He was a realistic optimist,’ one eulogizer, the former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, said of Mr. Brzezinski, recalling his commitment to human rights, his belief in the power of considered diplomacy and his fierce wariness of Russia. The crowd nodded. ... [F]or two hours on Friday, the city’s beleaguered establishment seemed to revel in a collective embrace, capping a week in which it rallied to defend some treasured Washington traditions -- congressional oversight, the independence of the F.B.I. -- in the face of persistent executive chaos.” http://nyti.ms/2s8bvLr
-- Hundreds of people attended the funeral, at St. Matthew’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Washington. President Jimmy Carter, Madeline Albright, John Hamre, and Ian, Mark and Mika Brzezinski all gave remarks. Albright read a note from John Kerry and Hamre read a note from Henry Kissinger. SPOTTED: Jonathan Capehart, Chris Licht, Robin Wright, Andrew Schwartz, Al Hunt, Bob Gates, Ambassadors from Finland, China, Japan, Sweden, Italy, and UAE, Carl Bernstein, Kathy Kemper, Maureen Orth, Bob Schieffer, Margaret Carlson, Boyden Gray, Katty Kay, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Susan Rice, Chuck Todd, Ernest Moniz, and Margaret Warner.
TRUMP’S WEEKEND -- The president is at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. PENCE is in Milwaukee, where he’ll talk to small businesses with Gov. Scott Walker and give a speech about Obamacare. He’ll return to D.C. and speak at the Faith & Freedom Coalition’s Patriot’s Gala.
THE JUICE …
-- @rchammond: “The President has announced his intent to nominate Eric Ueland of Oregon to serve as Under Secretary of State for Management. @StateDept”. Ueland is Republican staff director of the Senate Budget Committee, worked on the Trump transition and earlier in his career was chief of staff to former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist.
-- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: FROM HADAS GOLD: KELLYANNE CONWAY was overheard Thursday night talking about her West Wing co-workers to fellow revelers at a party. Conway was having an off-the-record conversation with a group of reporters and other attendees at the British Embassy at their election-night watch party. She said President Donald Trump told her to “go out there and say ‘Jim Comey is going to have to wait and see about the tapes.’”
“I mean, that’s basically the same thing as ‘no comment,’” she said. Conway also mimicked Reince Priebus urging White House aides to stop leaking, and wondered aloud what Marc Short -- the legislative director -- does all day. She also said she is “the one catching the slings and arrows in the West Wing.” The source who heard Conway created a Twitter account about the evening, naming it @kellyanneleaks and posting photos and tweets from the event. Two other sources confirmed Conway’s remarks.
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Conway disputed the account, explaining that she is very close to Short. Spicer said Conway was not mocking Priebus, but rather reporters for palace intrigue stories “and how wrong they’ve been.” Spicer disputed that Conway had pushed back on the presidents request on how to comment about Comey, saying that she was simply explaining what the lawyers said the White House can say.
JOHN ASHCROFT’S FIRM HIRED BY QATAR – “Singled Out by Trump, Qatar Hires Former Top Law Man to Lobby,” by Bloomberg’s Bill Allison: “Qatar hired Ashcroft Law Firm, LLC for 90 days, agreeing to pay it $2.5 million to help the Persian Gulf nation comply with U.S. money laundering and counterterrorism financing regulations and to stress its efforts to combat global terrorism, according to disclosures filed under the Foreign Agents Registration Act. ... The contract cites the ‘urgent need to commence work immediately’ which will be ‘a top priority’ for the firm. ...
“Aschroft’s firm promised to provide crisis response and management, program and system analysis, media outreach and advocacy, stressing Qatar’s efforts to combat global terror, according to the contract. As part of that effort, the firm plans ‘a comprehensive legal and government relations strategy,’ one that will communicate broadly and to ‘certain domestic agencies and leaders.’” https://bloom.bg/2rcumWs
WHAT DAN SCAVINO IS READING -- “Inside The Chaotic Battle To Be The Top Reply To A Trump Tweet,” by BuzzFeed’s Charlie Warzel: “[S]econds after the president sounds off to his 31 million-plus followers, he’s bombarded with replies -- almost all of them extreme. There are breathless condemnations of Trump policy; cries for his speedy impeachment; furious demands for his administration to admit its role in any number of global and political conspiracies; #Resist-ers; #TrumpTrain conductors and passengers; impassioned defenses of his character; praise for Trump as chessmaster-in-chief, 10 steps ahead and constantly outwitting enemies. There are comedians, actors, doctors, scientists, admirers, goons, politicos, activists, journalists, and trolls. ... And within seconds they’re all just a few pixels below the president’s missive — yelling, arguing, and looking to be the one Donald Trump sees when he checks his Twitter feed.” http://bzfd.it/2r57m7T
-- “Dan Scavino is the other @realdonaldtrump,” by Eliana Johnson: “The White House is brimming with aides, lawyers, and communications gurus who are begging President Donald Trump to stop tweeting. The lone exception is Dan Scavino, the president’s former golf caddy who now oversees the White House’s messaging on social media. Scavino is in many ways the president’s mini-me, a man whose bombast, impulse control, and instinct for a good punch match those of his boss.
“After Trump last weekend blasted London Mayor Sadiq Khan after a terror attack that killed eight people, Scavino posted a message citing Khan’s own 2016 criticism of Trump’s rhetoric on Muslims and terrorism—complete with a Trumpian, all-caps ‘WAKE UP!!!!’ And like his boss, Scavino has ignored warnings from high-level White House officials to tone down his tweets. Scavino was reprimanded on Friday for violating the Hatch Act, which prohibits senior executive branch officials from using their authority to interfere with elections, by calling in April for the ouster of Michigan Republican Justin Amash.” http://politi.co/2s7Uz7X
TRUMP INC. -- “Trump Can Take Payments From Foreign Governments, U.S. Says,” by Bloomberg’s Bob Van Voris: “George Washington did it, so Donald Trump can too. That’s the Justice Department’s take on why the 45th president isn’t violating the U.S. Constitution by accepting payments for goods and services from foreign governments without congressional approval. The foreign emoluments clause of the Constitution doesn’t apply to fair-market commercial transactions, such as hotel bills, golf club fees, licensing payments and office rent, the Justice department argued Friday in a filing.” https://bloom.bg/2sNKISx
--@EricLiptonNYT: “Among DOJ’s arguments why Trump emoluments suit should be dismissed. ‘Ten Facts about the Gristmill, George Washington’s Mount Vernon’”
NEW POLITICO SERIES – “5 things Trump did while you weren’t looking: Behind the scandal-of-the-day news, the White House really is changing American policy. A new series from The Agenda explains how,” by Danny Vinik: “1. A boost for Uber and McDonald’s. ... 2. A trade war with Mexico averted—for now. ... 3. The end of a DOJ ‘slush fund.’ ... 4. A win for nursing homes. ... 5. Get THAAD out of here.” http://politi.co/2rWYsum
2018 WATCH -- “Senate Democrats try to spark rural comeback in 2018,” by Maggie Severns: “While many voters in rural areas complained that Democrats forgot them in 2016, and party strategists rush this year to find a new message to bring them back in the fold, Democratic senators up for reelection in 2018 have little time to spare to fix their party’s issues. These battleground-state Democrats are quick to note that they got elected in the first place by tending to voters outside their states’ biggest population centers. And they are focused this year on winning back voters their party has failed to connect with since the last time they appeared on the ballot.” http://politi.co/2rWX22Z
LUNCH WITH THE FT -- BERNIE SANDERS in DUBLIN! -- by Simon Kuper: “Sanders’ car pulls up (brilliantly, his Irish driver is called Bernie Saunders) and the senator clambers out, his shoulders hunched, his suit crumpled, his strands of white hair unkempt, not the standard American politician with Botox and a hair transplant. Today he is tieless, too: he has been assured that Irish president Michael D Higgins won’t mind. The tiny Higgins appears, dispensing handshakes and hugs.
“‘I think Trump is actually quite smart -- in his own way and for his own reasons. He may not know a lot about foreign policy or healthcare, but he is not a dumb man by any means. I think what Trump is doing is filling the agenda of people like the Koch brothers: essentially doing away with every major programme passed since Franklin D Roosevelt that would help working people, the elderly, children, the sick and the poor, and at the same time providing massive tax breaks to the rich and large corporations. In this budget, Trump did not propose cuts to social security [the American retirement programme], but I have zero doubt that will be coming down the pike.’” http://on.ft.com/2sobq70
KATY TUR PROFILE -- AND SHE’S A PHISH FAN! -- COVER OF NYT SUNDAY STYLES -- “Katy Tur Is Tougher Than She Looks: The NBC correspondent’s swift and surprising rise at the network mirrored that of the presidential candidate she covered and occasionally battled with,” by Luisita Lopez Torregrosa: “Mr. Trump’s sudden rise mirrors that of Ms. Tur’s. Just two years ago she was a foreign correspondent for NBC, living in London. But she happened to be in New York when the future president announced his candidacy, on June 16, 2015. ‘How would you like to spend the summer in New York?’ an NBC News executive asked her. ‘We want you on Trump’s campaign. It will be six weeks, tops. But hey, if he wins, you’ll go to the White House.’
“A year or so later, she had captured national attention. Colleagues rallied around her, thousands tweeted #iamwithtur, magazines came calling, and HarperCollins engaged her to write a book on the 2016 campaign; ‘Unbelievable’ is due out in September. Then there is the afternoon anchor slot, which MSNBC gave her in January. In April, she received a Walter Cronkite Award for excellence. And this month she will become a contributor to the much publicized new NBC News program ‘Sunday Night With Megyn Kelly.’” http://nyti.ms/2t5S6Z4
MEDIAWATCH -- “10 months ago, Univision bought Gawker in a fire sale, and it’s been messy ever since,” by Business Insider’s Maxwell Tani: “CEO Raju Narisetti ... is leading GMG through the media company’s merger with Fusion Media Group, which is owned by the Spanish-language juggernaut Univision. According to the CEO, the transition has been a success. But conversations with over a dozen current and former employees painted a starkly different picture. Since the deal, the six former Gawker Media sites -- Gizmodo, Jezebel, Deadspin, Kotaku, Jalopnik, and Lifehacker -- have struggled with indecision, a dysfunctional bureaucracy, and an exodus of top leadership and institutional knowledge that gave Gawker Media its editorial bite.” http://read.bi/2rLXwKQ
-- DANIEL HALPER, former D.C. bureau chief for the N.Y. Post who recently was hired by Matt Drudge, quietly joined the Washington Free Beacon as a contributing editor recently, Hadas Gold tells us. Halper and the Free Beacon did not respond to requests for more details.
CLICKER – “The nation’s cartoonists on the week in politics,” edited by Matt Wuerker -- 14 keepershttp://politi.co/2sbxstY
DESSERT -- HOW MANY HAVE YOU SEEN? – “The 25 Best Films of the 21st Century So Far,” by NYT’s Manohla Dargis and A.O. Scott: “1. There Will Be Blood ... 2. Spirited Away ... 3. Million Dollar Baby ... 4. A Touch of Sin ... 5. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu ... 6. Yi Yi ... 7. Inside Out ... 8. Boyhood ... 9. Summer Hours ... 10. The Hurt Locker.” With in-depth discussions of each film on the listhttp://nyti.ms/2t5IkG7
GREAT WEEKEND READS, curated by Daniel Lippman:
--“Why Men Don’t Live as Long as Women,” by Richard G. Bribiescas in Nautilus Magazine – per The Browser’s description: “Are we at peak male testosterone? Testosterone raises the sex drive, builds muscle and burns fat. It also shortens the lifespan by encouraging recklessness, weakening the immune system, and raising the risk of prostate cancer. The reproductive payoff favoured high testosterone in ancient times: More children meant more surviving children. But now, thanks to monogamy and medicine, the trade-off is less clear. The evolutionary advantage may be passing to fathers who live longer.” http://bit.ly/2sKN0lp
--“America’s Hidden H.I.V. Epidemic,” by Linda Villarosa in the NYT Magazine: “Why do America’s black gay and bisexual men have a higher H.I.V. rate than any country in the world?” http://nyti.ms/2sLamrg (h/t Longreads.com)
--“The Real Story Behind Elon Musk’s $2.6 Billion Acquisition Of SolarCity And What It Means For Tesla’s Future–Not To Mention The Planet’s,” by Fast Company’s Austin Carr: “The Tesla CEO’s merger with his cousins’ sustainable-energy company, SolarCity, is totally logical–and hugely risky. With eyes now on the private sector for environmental leadership, can Musk pull off another miracle?” http://bit.ly/2scvObB
--“Soccer for Intellectuals,” by Bécquer Seguín in Public Books: “Any baseball or boxing narrative can be easily embodied in the momentary struggle between two individuals. Soccer, on the other hand, isn’t wedded to the fate of individuals. Its beauty is most often in the battle between two ideas, two philosophies, two tactical approaches.” http://bit.ly/2t2yox5
--“Challenging Mainstream Thought About Beauty’s Big Hand in Evolution,” by NYT’s James Gorman: “Are aesthetic judgments about mates invariably tied to traits we see as adaptive and worth passing on? Or, does beauty just ‘happen’?” http://nyti.ms/2s4QxNz (h/t ALDaily.com)
--“Bill Maher Knows Exactly What He’s Doing: Just Ask Him,” by Stephen Rodrick in Esquire: “Real Time’s format is a throwback to a seventies talk show -- with a monologue, an interview, a panel discussion, some jokes, and a closing argument -- but here everything is done without the benefit of breath-catching commercial breaks. This setup sometimes leads to what can feel, in the moment, like a random car wreck, but Maher’s been doing comedy for forty years. He’s addicted to provocation, and more often than not, he’s driving his show into a brick wall by design.” http://bit.ly/2s52a7h
--“Proust and Dreyfus,” by Joachim Kalka in Tablet Magazine: “In an excerpt from the newly translated ‘Gaslight,’ by German writer Joachim Kalka, an examination of how the scandal that rocked France bled into European literature.” http://bit.ly/2rJ7bl6
--“Who Do You Want Elisabeth Moss to Be?” by Emily Gould in Elle Magazine: http://bit.ly/2rIYAyU
--“Welcome to the Green Machine,” by John Nova Lomax in the June issue of Texas Monthly: “My son was jobless, directionless, and apartmentless. So when he decided to join the Army, we were just glad he was out of the house. What we didn’t know was just how much the military would change him—and us.” http://bit.ly/2sL0TAb (h/t Longform.org)
--“The horrors of getting hit by a pitch,” by Tim Kurkjian in ESPN on Aug 3, 2012: “When that baseball is flying directly at a hitter at 95 mph, and that batter can hear the ball spinning, like the sound of a giant bee attacking, and then it hits that batter and those red seams bore into the skin like the teeth of a buzz saw, well, the elegance and romance of that pearl is replaced by piercing, pulsating, primal pain. It is pain that can last for weeks, it can leave a hideous mark that can last for months and it can instill a fear that can last forever.” http://es.pn/2t2UsI6
--“The Impossible Profession,” by Janet Malcolm in the November 24th, 1980 issue of The New Yorker: What it’s like to be a psychoanalyst in NYC. http://bit.ly/2smxM8L
--“Athens, Sparta and Rome: the Ancient election,” by Mary Beard in The Times Literary Supplement: “Voters individually picked out their ballot slips (wax on wood, probably) from a basket as they walked across some form of bridge, then wrote the name of their candidate in the wax as they walked, and finally dropped it into the ballot box.” http://bit.ly/2sbKsQt
--“The White Wedding Dress Industrial Complex,” by Helena Fitzgerald in Racked: “A fantasy of wealth beyond reality or responsibility is built into the details of these dresses, all the way down to the tiny rows of covered buttons. Mostly when we spend too much money, we pretend that the money isn’t real. This is why part of the point of the dress is that you can’t wear it again — it becomes a perfect object, distilled and frozen in time, lifted out of the ordinary cycles of use and value and repetition.” http://bit.ly/2r2ZS5k
--“How ‘Eureka’ Moments in Science Happen,” by Cathy Newman in NatGeo: “From bathtubs to falling apples, find out what really drives some of the iconic tales of ‘light bulb’ moments in science.” http://bit.ly/2r3tYFR
SUMMER BUCKET LIST -- WAPO: “The 40 most essential D.C. restaurant dishes of 2017”http://wapo.st/2sNLwXz
SPOTTED: Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) last night watching the Cavs/Warriors game at the Trump Hotel.
OUT AND ABOUT – PATRICK STEEL and LEE SATTERFIELD’s 50thbirthday celebration last night at the Meridian International Center: Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, Robert and Elena Allbritton, Dan and Rhoda Glickman, Nancy Bagley and Soroush Shehabi, Rob and Capricia Marshall, Ann Stock, Tony Blinken and Evan Ryan, Elizabeth Bagley, Jonathan Capehart and Nick Schmit, Kiki McLean, Melissa Moss, Adam and Tracy Bernstein, H.P. Goldfield and Kristin Mannion, Kim Cubine, Joel Johnson and Sara Latham, Debbie Fine, Erick Mullen and Kelly Craighead, Karen Finney, Stuart and Gwen Holliday, Kimball Stroud, Dan and Aviva Rosenthal, Linda Moore, Neal Wolin and Nicole Elkon
BIRTHDAYS: Jeff Zeleny, CNN’s senior Washington correspondent and the pride of Exeter, Nebraska, celebrating with a 29-hour birthday: breakfast in London and dinner in DC ... Sasha Obama is 16 ... Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is 46 ... John Edwards is 64 ... Eliot Spitzer is 58 ... Jeff Greenfield is 74 ... F. Lee Bailey is 84 ... Sidewire’s Meredith Carden, a Michelle Obama alum, the pride of Chicago and a birthday bride today! (h/ts Herbie Ziskend and boss Tucker Bounds) ... Joe Trippi, political consultant, Fox commentator, author, digital strategist, believer ... Stef Weiss (h/ts Jon Haber) ... John DiBiase ... Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-Kans.) is 54 ... NBC’s Kate Snow ... Carlos Elizondo (h/t Marc Adelman) ... Joe Nolan ... Chad Rhoades, general counsel for Sen. Tillis ... Politico Europe’s Simon Marks ... AAJ’s Paula J. Burris, the pride of Arlington, Va., and the best office manager in the USA (h/t Randy White) ... Politico’s Javier Ruiz ... Nicole Hager, Sen. Inhofe’s press assistant (h/t Daisy Letendre) ... Jennifer Donnelly, a senior associate on the organizing and campaign management team at Precision Strategies (h/t Tom Zigo) ... Rob Morello, Romney and RNC alum, now co-founder of Fraym, is 3-0 (h/t wife Rachel Sorensen) ...
... David O’Brien, senior comms manager at CRAFT, is 31 ... Google’s Cameron Foxgrover ... John Yoo ... Daryn Iwicki ... Obama DOJ alum Shirlethia Franklin ... Thomas Showalter ... Al Mottur, shareholder of Brownstein Hyatt, is 5-0 (h/t Stewart Verdery) … Semonti Mustaphi Stephens, a Michelle Obama alum and the pride of Crystal, MN ... Charmion Kinder, director of comms at My Brother’s Keeper Alliance … WSJ’s Corinne Ramey ... Suzy Vilmain ... Louisa Wachs ... Jim Wisley (h/ts Teresa Vilmain) ... John Pearson … Courtney Pearson Drake ... Jan Ruckman ... Pete Slover (h/t Dick Keil) ... Chris Merriman ... Teryn Norris ... Prince Philip is 96 ... Elizabeth Hurley is 52 ... Kate Upton is 25 (h/ts AP)
THE SHOWS by @MattMackowiak, filing from Austin:
--ABC’s “This Week”: Former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara … Alan Dershowitz … Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) … Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.). Panel: Alex Castellanos, Matthew Dowd, Donna Brazile, Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) and Sara Fagen
--CBS’s “Face the Nation”: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) … Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) … Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.). Panel: Julie Pace, David Ignatius, Susan Page and Ed O’Keefe
--“Fox News Sunday”: Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) … RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel. Panel: Karl Rove, former Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.), Newt Gingrich and Charles Lane
--CNN’s “State of the Union”: Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) … Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine). Panel: Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), Neera Tanden and David Urban. Dana Bash is anchoring
--NBC’s “Meet the Press”: Preempted for French Open coverage
--CNN’s “Reliable Sources”: Panel: Jeff Greenfield, Clara Jeffrey and Matt Lewis … Adam Goldman … Andy Borowitz ... Tim O’Brien
--CNN’s “Inside Politics” with John King: Panel: Jackie Kucinich, Carl Hulse, Manu Raju and Sara Murray
--Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures”: Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) … House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-LA) … Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton … Steve Hilton … Bud Cummins. Panel: The Daily Beast’s Betsy Woodruff and Rich Lowry
--Fox News’ “MediaBuzz”: Former Bush and Obama national security council staffer Gillian Turner … Mollie Hemingway … Juan Williams … Ed Henry … Amy Holmes … Jessica Tarlov … Carley Shimkus
--CNN’s “Fareed Zakaria GPS”: R. James Woolsey … Elizabeth Foley and Laurence Tribe … Canadian foreign affairs minister Chrystia Freeland
--Univision’s “Al Punto”: Panel: Former Treasurer of the U.S. Rosario Marin and Adolfo Franco … journalist and independent Mexican presidential hopeful Pedro Ferriz de Con … “Compassion & Choices” national Latino communication manager Patricia Gonzalez-Portillo and mother of a child with a deadly form of brain cancer Nilsa Centero … actress Salma Hayek
--C-SPAN: “The Communicators”: Part 1 of discussion with Recode editor at large and columnist and The Verge executive editor and columnist Walt Mossberg … “Newsmakers”: NRCC chairman Rep. Steve Stivers (R-Ohio), questioned by The Hill’s Scott Wong and Politico’s Scott Bland … “Q&A”:Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum director Paul Sparrow
--Hearst / Sony’s “Matter of Fact” with Soledad O’Brien: Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) … Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) … report on the Trump administration’s $200 billion infrastructure proposal … author and Auschwitz survivor Michael Bornstein … discussion about ISIS internet recruitment efforts with RAND Center for Applied Network Analysis and System Science co-director and Rand Corporation engineer Elizabeth Bodine-Baron … a tribute to journalists who give their lives covering conflicts around the world
--Washington Times’ “Mack on Politics” weekly politics podcast with Matt Mackowiak (download on iTunes, Google Play, or Stitcher or listen at http://bit.ly/2r37J6h): Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).

The year is 2035 and the world has undergone significant changes while remaining largely the same. In the year 2015 the government of the United States of America unveiled a machine much like the Large Hadron Collider. Through collaborative efforts between government agencies and civilian companies a test site was established in what was previously the State of Kansas. Through thorough testing the complex and machinery were determined to be safe to run and operate with little to no foreseeable failure. The Government released data of the testing, claiming that the entire site had not yet undergone full scale testing. In truth the site had been operating at full capacity for a full year at the time the public was made aware of the facility. Less than 6 months after the news release a catastrophic failure of the facility caused an explosion of a scale previously thought to be theoretical. The state of Kansas was removed in it's entirety, and the neighboring states of Nebraska, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Colorado were all evacuated. Radioactive fallout spread across the United States and the Globe within a month and produced widespread chaos. Several new kinds of radiation were observed in the initial blast and fallout, and further chaos was strewn throughout the world by mutations in the human population. 90% of these mutations were of the "Normal" type including all kinds of cancer and disease found in persons subject to the Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 9% of mutations classified as "Other" were benign but included changes in physiological structure of those infected, as well as rapid break down and restructuring of all DNA exposed to radiation. 1% of mutations classified as "Advanced" resulted in no outwardly observable change in physiological structures or DNA, but produced supernatural abilities in effected populations.
The world population was cut in half, effectively halting all national conflicts. Centers of Power shifted, rose, fell, and were reformed as the world reacted t,o the catastrophic event. Dictators found footholds throughout the European, African, South American and Asiatic continents in smaller countries. The more powerful countries were able to maintain a level of governance and control with combined military and civil efforts. In the year 2025 the world had regained most of it's stability prior to what is now called the "Kansas Event". Conflict still rages throughout the African, European, South American, and Asiatic regions, but is restrained to regions that were classified as "Third World" prior to the Kansas Event.
The World Economy did not recover until 2030, when world wide trade and commerce flourished again due to massive governmental and civilian collaboration. The United Nations maintained it's relative form throughout the restructuring of the World, but gained massive military and legal power. Whereas previous the the Kansas Event it had served primarily as a figurehead, the United Nations established military law throughout the globe and utilized the armed forces of the United Kingdom, the United States, China, India, Russia, etc. The new Military force superseded all previous allegiance to country, and through brute force established a world wide draft in response to the Kansas Event. The new Military was designated as the "Human Armed Forces" and deployed across the globe in order to maintain order. The United Nations banned all military forces unique to individual countries / nations, and was controlled through the United Nations. As expected many countries refused to cooperate, and even those that did balked at such large scale collaboration. The United Nations was unable to pass many delegations or rulings, but it was able to effectively curb the majority of uprisings or attempted grabs at power by dictatorial leaders.
In response to the "Advanced" mutations, the HAF and United Nations constructed quarantined facilities to test and observe the "Advanced Population". These facilities were established across the globe in major countries, and required all nations without such facilities to transport their "Advanced" citizens to the nearest facility. This is due in part to the abilities expressed by the "Advanced" populations, and in part due to the unknown effects of exposure to persons with said mutations. The first facility was established in the United States in 2018 where the largest Advanced population was immediately recognized, and the facility was overpopulated by 2019. Since that time an additional four facilities have been established in the United States to handle the Advanced population, and each facility has grown into it's own city. All major countries had established facilities of their own within five years, and added facilities as necessary.
These facilities have been reclassified as "Advanced Training Facility", and are controlled by collaboration between civilian, country government, and HAF / UN agencies. The facilities are effectively living quarters, military training sites, industrial / economic centers, civilian education, and governmental experimentation sites. Persons classified as Advanced are restricted to the ATF's as they are discovered, and have only recently been allowed access to the outside world.
The UN and HAF discovered methods of testing for Advanced Mutations in the world population through civilian medical services. Abnormal cell growth inside the brain tissue of Advanced persons is the primary signal that the person will develop Advanced Abilities, and was first recognized by a Dr. Alberman in the United Kingdom. Since the discovery of a method of testing for the Advanced Mutations the worldwide population must now undergo yearly brain scanning. Smaller Countries are supplied medical equipment and personnel through the UN and HAF, but the majority of Advanced Mutations are thought to go undetected unless an Advanced Event occurs.
Advanced Events are defined as a moment when the individual expressed their abilities to a degree that causes damage to their self or surroundings. Advanced events are not restricted to Expression Events (the first expression of the abilities), and may occur long after the individual has discovered the use of their abilities. Advanced Humans who are not taught to control, or do not have the ability to control their abilities are thought to almost certainly undergo an Advanced Event at some point in their lifetime. Due to the nature of the abilities expressed by an Advanced Human, and the variety of abilities that may be expressed, all Advanced Humans are restricted to Advanced Training Facilities as soon as they are discovered. Discovery of Advanced Humans may take anywhere from ten to twenty years of the individuals life cycle, although most are discovered at the onset of puberty. The mutation of their brain cells seems tied to entrance of puberty, and many experience their Expression Event during puberty.
Individuals classified as "Advanced Humans" have been slotted into five known ability classifications, with a sixth slot existing but largely untested and unobserved at this time. The six categories are known as Point, Phase, Mass, Chrono, and Field Shifts. The Sixth category is labeled as Other, but has gained the laymen's term "Blink". Persons are assigned a category based on the expression of their abilities. Individuals who do not fit the description of a given ability are put into the "Other" category, but are so few in number that they are effectively non existent. This is because person's who do not express one of the known five abilities have consistently expired upon their Expression Event, and usually create considerable damage to their surrounding areas. This is the origin of the "Blink" label, as these individuals destroy themselves immediately, or in the "Blink of an eye." Each category of ability is roughly even in terms of dispersion among the population, however Mass, Phase, and Field Shift populations are considerably larger than any other category. This is theorized to be due to the relatively benign nature of their Expression Events, and the relatively decreased danger of using their inherent abilities.