According to CBS, an FBI agent accidentally shot herself this week when her gun discharged in her pocket. This is exactly what happens when you allow women to be cops. Last time I checked, John McClane only gets shot by terrorists.

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A few years ago, El Diablo and I were eating late-night tacos. We had no place to sit and eat, so we went inside a 24-coin laundry mat. I couldn't help but be fascinated with the business. At first, I questioned the profitability of a coin laundry--after all, most are fairly empty and the average customer spends only two or three bucks. But then I got to thinking, there has to be a reason people own coin laundry mats--no one is in business to lose money. As far as I could tell, running a laundry mat is pretty easy. It's fairly self-automated. There are no labor expenses because the place is never manned. After startup, only expenses are rent, water, and electricity. Meanwhile, customers pump quarters into a machine that cost relatively nothing to run.

That's when I realized if I was to open my own business, coin laundry would be it (if the Hooters plan fails). I don't like working hard, yet I like money. But I don't need a lot of money. Sure, startup is expensive, but after that I'm rolling in quarters hand-over-fist.

Incidentally, I always lived in a house where my folks had their own washer and dryer. I think the first time I even used a public laundry mat was when I was living in London. Meanwhile, my father was an avid coin collector and I remember when I was a kid we sometimes would have to wash and polish some of our loot. So the first time I ever saw a building with the name 'coin laundry' on the front, I assumed it was where coin collectors went to wash their rare collectables.

I once drove past a coin laundry mat that hung a massive a banner over its front door: UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. How is that supposed to entice new customers? If a struggling Mexican restaurant is under new management, I might be tempted to check it out. But a coin laundry? How much of a difference can new management make? Better music inside? Different options from the soap dispenser? Better water? A coin laundry is self automated with few options. As far as I can tell, the only difference old management and new management is who walks away with my quarters.

© 2008 siknerd.com