Burger birthday, lotteries, and the rich keep on getting richer...

* Happy Birthday to the Big Mac! McDonald's signature burger has been making Americans overweight for 40 years now. The Birthday Boy weighs nearly 1/2 a pound and contains around 540 calories. But that won't stop ALTR from enjoying one at the McDonald's at Louisiana & St. Charles before goign out to the Friday night circuit. Or maybe I'll get one at 3 am, when the restaurant is still open for those who dare to wait in the long late-night lines - is it on the late-night menu? Among the celebratory festivities honoring the triple-decker's 40th, a Big Mac Museum opened this week in North Huntingdon, PA which honors the mega-sandwich's history.[ABCNews]



* Wonder why there's a line outside your neighborhood convenience store? Powerball is at a whopping $300 million. The drawing will be held on Saturday. Your chances of winning are 1 in 146 million according to one article, but go ahead and take your chances. And if you opt out, at least keep your fingers crossed for ALTR's office pool to win. If I win, I can blog all day long - that is, if I have internet access on my private island. [CoxNews] [WDSU]

* In other lottery news, a source close to local jewelry designer Mignon Faget's inner circle tells ALTR that Faget's office's pool won a small amount of a recent lottery drawing, of course to be split by all those who bought in. One has to wonder if Madame Faget participated in this as well, as if she really needs any more money. But one really can't really blame the woman if she wants to partake in her office's lottery pools - I'm sure she doesn't want to be the only one working after her staff wins the lottery.