Lost money in Vegas? Sue the casino.

by Aaron Hotfelder on

That’s the plan of one woman who lost up to $1 million while gambling in casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Arelia Margarita Taveras, a successful lawyer who turned into a compulsive gambler, has filed a $20 million lawsuit against six casinos, alleging that their employees should have recognized her as a gambling addict and stopped taking her money.

Taveras says she would go days at a time without leaving the casinos, not eating or sleeping and brushing her teeth with disposable wipes. (Yuck!) During one five-day gambling binge, the woman claims she ate nothing but Snickers bars and orange juice provided by the casino staff, until she was finally told to go home by a dealer.

Gambling, according to Taveras, is “like crack, only gambling is worse than crack because it’s mental.”

This has prompted crack dealers all over the country to adopt a new slogan for their product: “Crack: It’s not as bad as Three Card Poker.”

Whole thing here.

The frugal traveler hits Cancún

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Cancún. Just seeing the word brings to mind images of drunken Spring Breakers, beer bongs on the beach, and that fast-livin’ cartoon frog. But is there more to this party town? As someone who spent his college spring breaks camping in Arkansas, I wouldn’t know. But Matt Gross, the New York Times’ Frugal Traveler, is determined to find out.

He begins his trip by spending time in Puerto Juarez, a tiny town five minutes north of downtown Cancún, where he suspects that he’s stumbled across his “own private, perfect Cancún.” Eventually, Matt finds himself attending a Friday night party thrown by the local Orthodox Jewish community. Why? “Two words: Free dinner.” Hey, he is the frugal traveler after all.

Soon enough, Matt faces his fear and confronts the Zona Hotelera, or what he calls the “heart of darkness.” He writes: “It was just as I’d imagined. Gaudy hotels. International chains (Hooters, anyone?). Flashing neon. The idiotic green amphibian head peering down from the roof of Señor Frog’s. Packs of Americans and Mexicans wearing Abercrombie & Fitch.”

This summer, I’ll be flying into Cancún to begin a two-month trip around Central America. I had planned on skipping town as soon as my plane landed and– sorry, Matt– that’s still the plan.

Whole thing here.

Love from London: Why pubs still close at 11pm

by Iva Skoch on

Last year was supposed to reverse the long British tradition of closing all pubs at 11pm. This decision created a lot of controversy. Supporters claimed that allowing people to drink longer would prevent them from binge-drinking, while others claimed that people would drink even more.

I, personally, was psyched to hear that pubs would get all-night liquor licenses because there is almost nothing sadder than hearing the sound of that damn bell announcing last drink order when you are just starting to have a good time.

Since I am in London this week, I was curious to see how the 24-hour drinking laws changed the nightlife dynamic in London. I am here to report that virtually nothing has changed. Most pubs still close at 11pm. I asked a friend who lives here and she said that pubs must pay more money and benefits to their employees if they stay open past 11pm. That’s why most of them still close at 11pm.

At the same time, today’s Times had an article about alcohol consumption. It turns out that Britons are heavier drinkers than even the Russians, according to official data from the World Health Organization. These kinds of statistics are apparently making people review the 24-hour drinking laws.

Looks like that bell is not going away anytime soon.

Love from London: The best pub in Britain

by Iva Skoch on

As you well know, the Brits take their pubs very seriously, so nobody should be surprised that they actually vote for the best pub in the country every year. The judges say the competition “analyzes all the criteria that makes a good pub – including the quality of the beer, atmosphere, décor, customer service, clientele mix and value for money.”

According to the Times Online, the The Old Spot Inn in Dursley, Gloucestershire, a 100-year-old inn has won the 2008 Pub of the Year award from the Campaign for Real Ale, “despite having no juke box, pool table, fruit machine or theme.” Fruit machine or theme, I love that.

You can actually watch the video to get a feel for the atmosphere here, but I’ll tell you – when it comes to pub crawling, virtual reality doesn’t really come close to the real thing. We’ll have to wait for some sort of “Third Life” before we can actually enjoy a virtual beer.

Tonya Harding “whack around the world” opera showing in Portland

by Iva Skoch on

Tonya Harding, the Pacific Northwest’s ultimate bad girl, is back in the spotlight. It has been 14 years since the notorious figure skaters’ drama–the Tonya Harding/Nancy Kerrigan leg-whacking episode— took place, but Tonya gets to relive it all over again on stage.

The story has been turned into a rock opera that you can catch in downtown Portland at the World Trade Center. “Tonya & Nancy: The Rock Opera” continues Thursdays through Sundays until March 8. Tickets for the “whack around the world” show are $20-$25 and are available online.

I am sure this concept could become a trend. I can see the “Britney Spears: The American Tragedy” opera coming out any day now.