16-Oct-2005  (yacht cruise)

• 'Vikings? cruise allegedly turns into lewd sex party (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette)
MINNEAPOLIS ? Minnesota Vikings players are being investigated in connection with a lake cruise that turned into a wild sex party last week on Lake Minnetonka.
• 'Newspaper: Vendor had input in lottery law (Myrtle Beach Online)
RALEIGH, N.C. - A company that hopes to land the multimillion-dollar contract to run North Carolina's gambling operation used a link to House Speaker Jim Black to have the new lottery law written to its liking, The News & Observer of Raleigh reported Friday.
• 'Questions rise about N.C. lottery access (The Charlotte Observer)
Meredith Norris, a top political aide to House Speaker Jim Black, hired two Charlotte lawyers Friday as Secretary of State Elaine Marshall investigated whether Norris lobbied on behalf of a major lottery company without being registered to do so.
• 'Mercedes R-class: It's a great... thing (CNN Money)
'Land yacht' is such an ugly term. It brings to mind the pointy-fendered Kojak-mobiles of the 1970s with swimming pool-sized hoods. But it really is the best term I can think of to describe the new Mercedes-Benz R-class.
• 'HUMBLE ONE: This would be a Supreme test of his abilities (Patriot Ledger)
Being a natural born leader can be a heavy burden. Yes, lovers of heavy hitters, your fearless forecaster sometimes has to step up and be counted when it?s obvious a leader is needed.
• 'Lottery firm wrote part of N.C. law (The Charlotte Observer)
Lottery company Scientific Games wrote parts of North Carolina's new law that outline how companies will win multimillion-dollar contracts to run the state's gambling operation.
• 'Investigators say strippers were flown in for Vikings' party (The Charlotte Observer)
Strippers flew in for the party. Football players pulled up in limos. As a pair of chartered boats eased onto Lake Minnetonka, booze started flowing and, according to crew members, a sex party began.
• 'Weekend Beat/ Cocktail cruises bring a bubble to Tokyo Bay (Asahi.com)
It could have been a tableau from Japan's gilded age: ladies in mink stoles and sequined gloves, men manicured and in trim tuxedos, all feasting on Cantonese delicacies as a live band played the bossa nova.
• 'The Orphalese (Luxist)
The Orphalese is a ship that will be both a residential ocean liner like Residensea and a cruise ship. The new ship has 200 private permanent residences, as well as 265 suites for cruise passengers. The Orphalese will take passengers to high-profile events like the Cannes Film Festival, the Olympics, Chinese New Year in Shanghai and the Running of the Bulls. The residences are two to four
• 'Questions rise about N.C. lottery access (The Charlotte Observer)
The state is investigating whether an adviser to the House Speaker lobbied for a major lottery company without being registered to do so.