theCLog

Everyone has a place they frequent for lunch or dinner. Around our office, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Alexander Michael’s and Camille’s Sidewalk Cafe are pretty popular. Favorite dishes, a variety of options, good service — there are lots of reasons why we keep going back. One thing I never seem to really take notice of — unless it’s staring in my face like in the drive-thru of a fast-food restaurant — is the sanitation score. Yeah, I know … I should pay more attention.

Well, for those of you who really care about that kind of stuff — and we all should, really — check out the Mecklenburg County Digital Health Department. You can search your favorite restaurants and find out how they did on their last inspection.

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It’s late afternoon, not quite time to get off yet. Your eyes are drooping but you’ve got a stack of paperwork to fill out before you leave. How do you pep up your step? Try the new energy drink, Booty Sweat.

To find out where to purchase Booty Sweat, watch Ben Stiller’s new movie Tropic Thunder.

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How many times have you flipped through a Creative Loafing or scanned the listings on Craigslist and noticed the ad: Donate eggs for money! Until recently, it never crossed my mind to seriously consider the idea, but according to an article on CNN, more women are inquiring about egg donation.

If it wasn’t such an arduous, painful process, I’d do it. Heck, $5,000 to $10,000 to give up something that’s just going to waste anyway? It’s really not much different than people donating plasma (check out the story we did last week). Just more pain, more time-consuming, and more money.

But, when at all possible, I don’t do pain.

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We seek internship candidates who are currently enrolled in school and are pursuing a degree in journalism or a similar field. Students with an interest in news, arts, music and film are especially encouraged to apply. NOTE: We can only hire students who can receive class credit for the internship.

Duties include, but are not limited to, the following: data entry for events and listings, writing event previews, copy editing, assisting staff writers with research and organization for news and feature stories; writing short section pieces, blog entries, sidebars and/or feature stories; and general office tasks, including transcribing letters to the editor, plus general mailings, filing and archiving.

Visit here for more information.

Applicants should submit their resume with a cover letter, and a minimum of three published writing samples via email, fax or mail by August 15.

Email: kimberly.lawson@creativeloafing.com

Fax: 704-944-3605

Address: 1000 Seaboard St. Suite C2; Charlotte, NC 28206

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Check out this week’s film section to see how critic Matt Brunson rated these movies. Do you agree or disagree? Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Pineapple Express

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The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

— (more…)

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When Americans imitate a dog barking, they generally use some form of “Ruff, ruff” or “woof woof.” When my mom, who’s Korean, plays with my dog, she imitates her by saying “mong mong.” Check out this site to find out how dogs bark in other languages. And enjoy the picture of my sleepy little “mong-mong-e.”

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There is one piece of advice that I readily give anyone who’ll listen and is in the place to use it: Avoid credit card debt if at all possible. It’s too easy to get in over your head.

According to a story on CNN, a new study by financial research firm Javelin Strategy & Research says that middle-income and middle-aged consumers are cutting back on credit card use.  Forty percent of consumers surveyed said they’re pulling out their credit cards less than they were at the beginning of the year.

Americans carry approximately $961.8 billion in revolving debt, according to the Federal Reserve Board. Delinquency rates on credit cards are at the highest levels since the end of 2002.

Even as consumers cut back on using credit cards, they’re finding it harder to pay down their balances, says Javelin President James Van Dyke.

Don’t I know it.

In summary: 

It (does not) pay to Discover.

American Express: Don’t leave home without it

There are some things money can’t buy. For everything else there’s Mastercard

Visa: It’s everywhere you want to be (if you want to carry the burden of a debt that might take you years to pay off)

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Read the full reviews in the film section.

The X-Files: I Want to Believe

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Brideshead Revisited

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According to CrimeinCharlotte.com, these two women were arrested over the weekend:

Name : NANCE, JEANNIE
* PROSTITUTION - SOLICITING FOR
* SOLICIT - CRIME AGAINST NATURE

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Name : GRAY, LISA RENEE

* PROSTITUTION - SOLICITING FOR
* SOLICIT - CRIME AGAINST NATURE

I suppose I have a glamorized picture in my head of what a prostitute should look like from books and movies. Neither of these women are Julia Roberts from Pretty Woman. I could paraphrase the Joker in The Dark Knight and say that Charlotte needs a better class of prostitutes, but I’m not going to do that. I’d be wrong for that. After all, prostitution is a misdemeanor.

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Have you ever walked the streets of Uptown bright and early on a Sunday morning? If not, I strongly urge you not to; it’s pretty disgusting. I was walking up 5th Street near Buckhead Saloon, and the sidewalk was a mess. Beer bottle caps, food, trash, even a nice display of evidence that someone couldn’t tolerate their alcohol. Yuck.

Let’s give a round of applause to the people who have to clean up our drunken Saturday night messes in Uptown.

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