Sharks -- in & out of the water

Tag : electronic weighing machine


The second heaviest shark was another thresher, weighing 347 poundsand winning $78,727 in prize money. Third place was a 308-poundhammerhead, winning $26,443.
There were noticeable and numerous bullet holes in all three of theheaviest sharks when they were raised up on the weighing hook. Witha tournament boundary of 60 nautical miles from Cape May, no onewants to make the long ride back to the marina with a live andannoyed shark as a sidekick.
There was no winner of the "$50,000 Monster Shark Bonus," awardedto the first angler who broke the New Jersey state record for amako shark or blue shark -- currently 856 pounds and 366 pounds,respectively, set in 1994 and 1996.
There were also no winners this year for the heaviest mako orheaviest blue, with no sharks in either category coming up to thecontest's 200-pound minimum.
"Thresher" is derived from the upper fork of the shark's tail,large and sickle-shaped, about equal in length to the rest of theshark's body. Instead of being used on wheat, the thresher shark'stail is used to sweep small fish in front of the shark for easyeating.
The largest thresher shark ever recorded, 1,250 pounds, was caughtlast year off the coast of Cornwall, England. The previous recordholder, 723 pounds, was caught off Hawaii in 2005.
Hammerheads can run up to 1,000 pounds, and it's said that theygenerally don't attack humans unless they somehow get it in theirstrangely-shaped head that they're cornered.
In other gambling news, The Press of Atlantic City had photos ofthe estimated 3,000 union supporters marching down Pacific Avenue,the main drag in Atlantic City -- illegally, i.e., without a permit-- shouting "Negotiate" in support of casino dealers beingunionized by the United Automobile Workers.
Vowing that "we're gonna shut this town down," Roy Foster,president of the Atlantic-Cape May County AFL-CIO Central LaborCouncil, yelled "Let's get ready to rumble" to protesters beforethey headed down the street. "I say today it's an eye for eye."
Stopping in front of Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, the protestersshouted: "Donald Trump, negotiate! Whose city? Our city! Nojustice, no peace!"
Four days later, the headline in The Press was about something newat Trump Plaza: "No dealers, but plenty of action at AtlanticCity's new automated poker tables."
Reporting that Trump Plaza is "the first gaming hall in town tointroduce electronic poker tables," The Press article highlighted asatisfied customer's comments regarding no-dealer tables of poker:"Perhaps the best thing about playing electronic poker, Marc Zahrasaid wryly, is that you don't have to tip the dealer."
Additionally, reported The Press in its front-page coverage,"According to Zahra and his girlfriend, Rachael Stalcoskie, whoneeds human dealers when a machine will do just fine?"
The 10-seat computer-driven poker games have been "a great successin other markets, including Illinois, Connecticut and Canada,"reported The Press in another article, adding that the automationis good for people who "love playing poker but don't like to dealwith people and their sometimes intimidating personalities."