| All-you-can-eat buffet bans ample appetites
A 265-pound man says a Louisiana restaurant overcharged him for his trips to the buffet, then banned him and a relative because of how much they consumed during their visits. Ricky Labit, a 6-foot-3 disabled offshore worker, said he had been a regular at the Manchuria Restaurant located in Houma, eating there as often as three times a week. But on his most recent visit, he said a waitress gave him and his wife's cousin, Michael Borrelli, a bill for $46.40, roughly double the buffet price for two adults. .
Dell to close shopping mall kiosks
DALLAS — Dell Inc., which has been pushing its computers into more retail stores, said Wednesday it will close its 140 shopping mall kiosks in the United States. Dell now sells computers and other devices in more than 10,000 stores around the world, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Best Buy Co., and the kiosks may be losing some of their novelty. Tony Weiss, the vice president of Dell's global consumer business, said closing the kiosks "fits in with how our broad global retail strategy is evolving." Dell began opening the kiosks in 2002 to boost sales of notebook computers, which didn't fit as well within the company's practice of selling directly to customers over the Internet and by phone. Notebook customers wanted to see and feel the machines before buying.
Maddie's closes after 62 years in Marblehead
Veterans of Maddie's last night said they were hoping for a resurrection, even as they shared memories. There was the original owner, Kenny Duncan, who opened during the Blizzard of '78 as a self-proclaimed public service. There was his mother, whom everyone only knew as Mother. A post near the bar's entrance remains filled with small plaques honoring Maddie's regulars who had died.
One regular, Michael Havens, said he hoped to negotiate a deal to reopen the bar by the end of the month.
"This place is a heritage. It's a landmark. If you go anywhere in the world and mention Maddie's it's amazing how many people have been there," Havens said. "To me, Maddie's is Maddie's, and I will fight tooth and nail to make this place live." .
Guest column: Reflections and opportunities
I have a Hallmark datebook from junior high, back when they called it junior high. And yes, I kept it, because I wrote down every boy I "went with" and when we "broke up," which was about every week or few days. But I did throw away the silver blue metallic strappy high heel shoe that I wore to one of my senior high school dances because I could only find one. Had I found the other I may have kept it, as I'm sure my niece would have loved it to play dress up. But I've also been known to use my old prom dresses for curtains, and nail my pumps to wall for decoration. You know what they say? One person's trash is another person's treasure. In my case, it's home dcor. With Times Square gearing up for the countdown to the New Year in the background, I lifted the lid to another storage tote and uncovered a pile of yellowed editions of the Times-Mail.
Passive smoke worsens cystic fibrosis
WASHINGTON: Exposure to secondhand smoking can worsen the condition of patients with cystic fibrosis, says a new study. Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is an inherited chronic disease that causes thick, sticky mucus to build up in the lungs, leading to life-threatening lung infections and other digestion problems.
The study, led by Garry Cutting, MD, a professor of paediatrics and medicine and member of the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, describes one gene variation that can weaken lung function as well as shorten the lifespan of those affected by cystic fibrosis and also are exposed to secondhand smoke.
"We're really surprised that such a small genetic change could double the negative effects of secondhand smoke on lung function in these patients.
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