I Think You're Doing It Wrong...

Problem: Electronic gambling revenues will not be enough for the state of Minnesota to finance a new stadium for the Vikings.

Now, when you or I find out we don't have enough money to buy something we had planned to buy -- perhaps we budgeted wrong, or we had an unexpected expense, or an anticipated bonus didn't arrive -- we have many options. We might save longer to make up the shortfall. We might set our sights a little lower and buy something similar but less expensive (This, for example, is why I drive a 1996 Tacoma instead of a 2013 Aventador J). We might see if lay-away or financing is available. But that is because we are not a govermental entity.

The state of Minnesota didn't do any of those things, or even take the eminently sensible step of telling the Vikings that if they wanted a new stadium in which to operate their portion of the nationwide monopoly cartel of the National Football League, they could stop drafting and signing so many players who do more for area bail bondsmen than stadium peanut vendors and maybe divert some of the resulting savings into building their own dadgum place to play.

No, the state of Minnesota sent its state officials and interested private parties on a tour of the state -- which wasn't, you know, free -- to promote the gambling.

On the upside, medical scientists now have confirmation that the human brain can indeed suffer damage from frostbite.