Union Workers Shut Down Vegas Strip, Get Arrested

Nearly 100 casino workers were arrested for blocking traffic on the Las Vegas Strip yesterday. The Culinary Union members were protesting in front of the young Cosmopolitan casino for what they say is unfair treatment by owner Deutsche Bank.

Thousands of tourists got a free show watching the red-shirted workers yell and chant things like “If we don’t get no contract, you don’t get no peace." They managed to shut down traffic on one of the world's busiest boulevards for more than 1 hour... in both directions!

Vegas' biggest union has been trying to get a contract with the German bank for over two years. They've been in negotiations with casino management but have been unable to get a deal they like.Yesterday was the first time in 20 years they used non-violent "civil disobedience" tactics to cause problems and get public attention.

We say: We understand why workers expect and deserve fair wages and benefits here in our home city of Las Vegas. But the Culinary Union is known for asking for too much, especially in a bad economy. Hopefully they can get a fair contract -- both for the struggling Cosmo and for themselves -- and not have to block any more traffic... especially while we're driving down there!

Learn some mo': 98 arrested in rally on Vegas Strip

Sexy Kiana Kim Does a Furniture Commercial (With Pete Rose)

Reality television semi-star Kiana Kim (aka the sexiest Korean model in the world) and her man Pete Rose recently decided to do a TV commercial for a furniture store in Cincinnati. Sounds funny -- or even a little strange -- but it's the honest truth.

Check it out:



Learn some mo': Pete Rose and fiancée Kiana Kim do furniture commercial

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What do you think about sexy Kiana Kim doing commercials like this one? Leave your comments below!

Lockheed Graphene: Cheap Seawater Desalination on the Way!

Here's some really good news for people who like to drink water, grow food, and bathe on a regular basis...

Well-known missile-builder Lockheed Martin has found a way to get the salt out of seawater that requires much less energy and is way cheaper than traditional methods. Some experts believe the discovery, based around ultra-thin carbon membranes called "graphene" filters, has the potential to solve many of the world's very serious potable water problems.

Unlike normal reverse osmosis -- the most common method for desalinating seawater -- the new Lockheed method doesn't require huge, high-power pumping stations and a ton of electricity to push the water through the Perforene graphene filters. Their thinness -- about the width of an atom -- allows them to function at much lower water pressures.

According to head Lockheed engineer John Stetson:

"[The graphene is] 500 times thinner than the best filter on the market today and a thousand times stronger... The energy that's required and the pressure that's required to filter salt is approximately 100 times less... It's all little carbon atoms tied together in a diaphanous, smooth film that's beautiful and continuous.... The amount of work it takes to squeeze that water through the torturous path of today's best membranes is gone..."

We say: Living here in the Las Vegas/Mojave desert, we have a very good understanding of the importance of fresh, drinkable water. Hopefully this new desalination technology will help keep the Bellagio's fountains running. Oh, and also save the lives of billions of people throughout the world in the future....

Learn some mo': Weapons-maker finds method for cheap, clean water

2 Aspirins Per Week Might Save You From Skin Cancer

Here's some more good news about our friend aspirin and its ability to fight cancer...

Frequent aspirin users may have a much lower risk of developing melanoma, one of the most dangerous types of skin cancer, according to a new study. Researchers from Stanford University School of Medicine looked at about 60,000 older women and found that the ones who used aspiring regularly were 21% - 30% less likely to develop melanoma, depending on how long they took the common pain-killer.

According to Stanford's Dr. Jean Tang, a lead researcher:

"These findings suggest that aspirin may have a chemo-preventive effect against the development of melanoma... Further clinical investigation is warranted."

The study concluded that  Caucasian women in their 50s through 70s who took aspirin at least twice per week significantly lowered their risk of cancer. It adds to increasing scientific evidence that aspirin inflammation-lowering properties may be extremely beneficial in terms of preventing and controlling many types of common cancers of the colon, liver, breasts, lungs and skin.

Learn some mo': Aspirin Linked to Lower Risk of Deadly Skin Cancer

Miami Heat Win Harlem Shake "Championship" (Maybe)

Many people online are saying that Lebron James, Birdman, Chris Bosh, and the rest of the Miami Heat may have created the best Harlem Shake video yet. We're not sure if it's really the best of all of them, but it almost definitely wins the championship among professional sports teams.

Check it out...



Do you think the Miami Heat ballplayers did the best Harlem Shake? Leave your comments below!