Friday

BYCU

The Eastern District of Michigan ruled earlier this month that bars have a constitutional right to allow dancing and entertainment (without getting a permit). I saw that on one of my professional listserves. While meeting with a Liquor Control Agent yesterday, I was told that the decision also protects the right of bar owners to feature topless waitresses (without a permit). Strangely, I can't find the story anywhere online, but if you live in Michigan and you notice a proliferation of topless waitresses at Applebee's, you'll know why.

Today I Learned

Alex (the Sophomore at U of M) told me about Reddit's "Today I Learned" feature. It's pretty cool. A few BYCU-related items I saw recently:

Part of the budget for the movie "Blues Brothers" was specifically to buy cocaine for Belushi, Aykroyd and the cast.

Coffee loses caffeine as it roasted, so a dark, "bold" cup of coffee actually has less caffeine than a lighter roast.

There's a restaurant in Milwaukee that makes a Bloody Mary topped with a cheeseburger.

Cleveland

Man, I knew Cleveland has been in a state of depression since, what, 1965, but this is a bit ridiculous: It just opened its few new distillery since prohibition. "Portside Distillery sold its first bottle of silver rum Thursday night in the company's unfinished Warehouse District restaurant, ushering in a new era of craft spirits in Cleveland." Link.

Whenever I see a reference to Cleveland, I always think of that joke from the 1980s: Q. How would you describe Cleveland? A. Detroit without the glitter.