There’s no sense in repeating that we’re in some harsh economic times. (Oops, I just repeated it. My apologies.) Anyway, many Americans down on their luck & facing uncertain financial futures of their own have been fuming about big companies like AIG getting generous government handouts while they spend cash on wasteful & extravagant endeavors.

Now the perturbed public can add a new economic enemy to their list: golf courses. Specifically, golf courses receiving $4 million in state government funds for rounds not played.

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Okay, you may want to sit down for this. Not that anybody ever reads the web while standing up or anything, but… you’re going to have to brace yourself all the same. This is a story about something that’s kinda cool, then it’s going to get a little too real in here. I’m talking about the Angola Prison Rodeo.

(Why are we showing this picture? Oh, no reason. None at all. Certainly not foreshadowing any horror to come.)

The above term is a little misleading, in that in this case, “Angola” isn’t the impoverished country in southern Africa, but the nickname of the largest Louisiana state penitentiary. Angola holds over 5,000 inmates, and when you have that many people and 18,000 acres to work with, well, imaginations run wild. So, as REAL SPORTS on HBO reports, they hold a rodeo every year (seriously), with animals and everything. All the proceeds go to prison programs, so that’s pretty cool. There are, however, some drawbacks, and brave readers will click through the jump to ruin their lunches.

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When it comes to Allstate, local Louisiana residents like to give a middle finger to the “Good Hands” people.

The NEW ORLEANS TIMES-PICAYUNE reports there’s still a lot of ill will from hurricane-harassed homeowners aimed at the insurance company. What irks many is Allstate’s sponsoring of the Sugar Bowl & tonight’s BCS Championship game, both played at the Superdome.

Many policyholders still have wrecked homes from Hurricane Katrina, and they’re angry that their insurance company would rather spend millions on college football advertising instead of fixing their claims.

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