HO HO HOLD A MEETING
Elections aren’t just about incumbents, power brokers and rock stars. When the votes are counted, anything can happen. That’s probably why long shots knock on doors every election, gathering signatures and putting up lawn signs without a real chance of victory. Some belong to weird and wonderful parties with Halloween costume names like Rhino and Pirate.
One politician threatening the long-shot losing streak? Santa Claus, who just might have won a spot on the North Pole city council.
When nobody applied for the job in the Fairbanks suburb, three people stepped forward for two spots. As of Thursday, a man legally named Santa Claus unofficially led the pack with 58 votes. His nearest rivals had 54 and 43, pending absentee ballots, questioned ballots and proper certification later this month.
Has Santa ever been a member of the Christmas Party? It’s unclear. But the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner notes he’s a vocal advocate for marijuana. Last November, Alaskans passed a ballot measure legalizing cannabis. When North Pole council considered keeping pot shops out of town, Kriss Kringle stood up.
“I would say Santa Claus is a pretty jolly fellow,” Claus said to council. “I would like to have access to medical marijuana here in North Pole and not have to travel to Fairbanks to get it.”
Santa Claus exists and could shape North Pole bylaws? Oddsmakers, take note.
FRUGAL GOOGLE PURCHASE
Sanmay Ved was tinkering away online in the wee hours of Sept. 29 when he noticed something strange.
On the Google-based website where customers can buy other website domains, Google.com appeared to be available for just $12.
The Boston-area digital marketer shrugged and went through checkout. He’d get blocked before he bought the world’s most famous website, he figured. His credit card was charged, he received emails and messages. His incredible purchase went through!
Just moments later, another email arrived: order cancelled. Ved bought Google through Google, allowing Google to avoid losing Google. Had he bought it through another site, however, he could’ve likely asked a king’s ransom. A googol dollars, perhaps?
Ved is a Google buff, a former employee of the international tech giant, and reports web problems whenever he sees them. He joked about the incident in a LinkedIn post, suggesting the whole debacle was prompted by a Silicon Valley visit by the Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of Ved’s native India.
“It ended up convincing Google to sell what is perhaps their most prized possession to a person hailing from the small city of Mandvi,” Ved wrote. “Or maybe because I love Google to heart … some divine force decided to give me ownership for a minute or so.”
HARVARD STUDENTS LOSE PRISON FIGHT
Inmates from the Eastern New York Correctional Facility have a surprising hobby: debate club.
In mid-September, the maximum-security facility invited Harvard College undergrads — this year’s national debate champions — in for a friendly argument. The two sides sparred for an hour over a toughie: Should public schools be allowed to deny enrolment to undocumented students?
Without access to the Internet, or much of a library, prisoners argued that if underfunded public schools denied the students, non-profits and wealthy schools might provide a better education instead.
It was an argument they deeply disagreed with, but it left the Harvard students crimsoncheeked. A three-judge panel declared the violent offenders the winners.
“They caught us off guard,” 20-year-old junior Anais Carrell deadpanned to the Wall Street Journal.