Jan 2008

No More Shark Fin Soup!

Well, it seems to have worked. The outcry of all the folks on ScubaBoard, along with everyone else who sent in an email, has prompted the Venetian to remove Shark Fin Soup from their menu. Here is their response to an email I sent:

Thank you for your email. We appreciate your feedback and want you to know we have removed shark fin soup from our menu.

Erin Robbins
Executive Secretary to Pete Boyd, Vice President of Food & Beverage
Phone: 702.414.0323 | Fax: 702.414.1301
erin.robbins@venetian.com

So that’s good news. Looks like thats the email response that everyone has been getting. It would be nice if we could get some kind of verification of this.... Anyone?

Shark Fin Soup in Vegas?!?!

Today someone posted this on ScubaBoard:

“I was recently in Las Vegas and had a chance to stay at the newly opened Palazzo Hotel. There is an Asian Restaurant on the casino floor called Jade, and we decided to try it out. I was shocked to see that they served Shark Fin Soup, given what we all know about the destruction of this creature. :angry: :angry: I spoke with the manager, told him how upsetting this would be to many people, and asked that he remove the item from the menu, but he said it was a corporate decision and that the restaurant is owned by Venetian/Palazzo. So I've sent emails to them but have heard nothing back, and now I'm publicizing this on scuba diving boards. Palazzo is a part of the Las Vegas Sands Corp. group of casinos and I'd bet they serve Shark FIn Soup in Macao and will in Singapore too. It's a public company (LVS) and maybe like Disney they'll respond to public pressure.
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How I Quit Smoking

3 Weeks and No Desire for Smokes!

Its been a few weeks, so I figure its time to actually post about this. Over a month ago, BTravlin on ScubaBoard saw me post about my desire to quit smoking. He suggested I read this book by Allen Carr called “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” Well sure. I’ve tried damn near everything else, why not a book too? Well, I sure am glad I read it! Thanks B!

Kids, this book really works. Its not a book to scare you into quitting. Just the opposite, you are supposed to keep smoking while you read the book. Only at the end does it tell you to smoke your last cigarette. Of course, by about half-way through the book, you really want to stop. All I can say is, do exactly what the book tells you. Its amazing.

Now, just smelling 2nd-hand smoke makes me hurk. The very idea of smoking a cigarette turns my stomach! To pick up your own copy of this book, click HERE.

Nike + iPod = RUN DAMN YOU!

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How Geeks Get Into Shape!

So I’ve quit smoking, and started using my Bowflex again. I have to say that I have definitely been feeling much better since dropping the nicotine monster. However, I’m still WAY overweight and need to fix that. So, I geeked out and bought the Nike + iPod thingy.

Basically, this is a pair of shoes with a small compartment in the bottom of the sole, which houses a sensor. That sensor communicates to a FOB which attaches to your iPod Nano, and tracks your movement. Check it out:

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Using this setup, you can track your progress at the Nike website. Its actually pretty cool!