Traffic was awful coming home yesterday. Tried several alternate routes, all of which were backed up, so I ended up just stopping for dinner. Ate at the Studio Diner, which opened a year or two back next to Stu Segal's studio. Sadly, I did not run into Lorenzo Lamas or any of the major talent that works there. Bud I did have an egg cream. Can't say I cared for it, exactly, but I could see how some might. Maybe the problem was that ordered it for dessert, while it, being significantly lighter than a milkshake, is more suited to enjoy with a meal.

I finally uploaded pictures from Comic-Con. Nothing too exciting, but you will want to check out the photo with me and Xena, pretty sweet.

Robert Smigel interviewed in The Onion's A.V. Club. The Best of Triumph DVD comes out next week, I think. I also enjoyed Smigel's characterization of Adam West: "You always wonder 'Is he a genius?' when you see this performance, or is it just his voice, and somebody manipulated him like a marionette, and edited around his bad takes? I don't know. I can't figure it out, even after having worked with him. When you meet him, he's this very odd combination of literate Renaissance man and oafish uncle who says embarrassing things that you wish your girlfriend hadn't heard."

Deadbeat Dads March on Las Vegas

If Henny Youngman had played Hamlet.

Played poker at Viejas last night. Was up $140 pretty early on, and managed to lose it all, and then some. I had three eights, and ran into three aces, which hurt a bit. But I came back near the end, and left with a whopping $10 profit. And had the special for dinner, fish burritos, which were actually pretty good.

Finally made it to SDSU Wednesday, to see the Edward Gorey exhibit during its final week. It is billed as the largest public exhibition of Gorey's works, though just in terms of size, it's not particuarly overwhelming. But there is a lot of content here; books from Gorey's own collection, rough sketches for some of his works, examples of Gorey's stage design. I particulary enjoyed seeing the complete drawings for The Pious Infant. Unfortunately, I went late in the afternoon, and by the time we tried to access the portion of the exhibit in the Special Collections room, that portion of the library had closed. But I believe there was relatively little there (I intended to go back today to see it, but I'm just too lazy). This is the final weekend for the exhibit, so if you have time this weekend, check it out.

My brother-in-law has been wanting to see Legoland for some time, so we skipped Comic-Con on Sunday to go up to Legoland instead. I wasn't really looking forward to it, but actally had an okay time. Smaller than I thought it was, and more ride-oriented. The lego creations are fun to look at, and while they didn't have as many as I thought they would, what they had was impressive. New Orleans, San Francisco, Cape Canavral, all were well-done. The rides, of course, are aimed at kids, which has an advantage, in that I could go on the scariest ride there without fear. Unfortunately, none of the rides are particularly designed for people over six feet tall. But I managed okay.

The most excitement of the day came on the dullest ride I rode. Some sort of bicycle cart thing, that we waited an hour to ride, and which really sucked. But during the long line-up, this five-year-old kid was running amock, bugging various people in line the whole time. The mother was just watching this and smirking. Which is particularly galling because they actually have a play area where kids can build with legos while the parents wait in line nearby. Eventually, the kid stars hitting my sister, she tells him to stop. He sticks his head under her arm and looks up at her, and she yells at him to stop and stop bugging her. That shut him up a little bit. We get on the ride. When we get off, she is just finishing arguing with the ride operators, who would not let her ride with her infant (the dozen or so "Must be 48" to ride" signs apparantly don't mean much if you're illiterate). As we're leaving, Michelle in the back, the woman starts talking to her, which I can't at first make out. Turns out she's arguing with her for talking to her child. When Michelle repeatedly points out the terror her son was raising, she doesn't deny it, just keeps saying, "You shouldn't talk to a child like that." After she repeats that three or four times, I say, "Maybe you should control your child." She didn't like to hear that. She goes off on me, How dare I and such. She's shouting at me, picking a fight, while holding her infant child in her arms. Now that's responsible parenting. So I'm yelling at her to stop ruining the park for everyone else, being careful to remember I'm in a children's amusement park, and as such should not use profanity. I also am careful not to physically touch her. So I'm arguing, she's being nasty, and her kids get off the ride, and her 12- or 13-year-old daughter runs up, "Get away from my Mom!" So I roll my eyes, but stand my ground, when the mother asks, "Why the Hell are you even here? You don't even have kids with you!" So that pisses me off even more, and I tell her that we have every right to be there, and she responds, "Hey, I'm 29 years old, I have an excuse!" Which surprises me, and I puzzle over what she means, when she adds, "You're in your 40s and you're here." At which point I have no choice but to ask, "Are you retarded?" In retrospect, I realize I should have just kicked her ass, the police would be looking for a white male in his mid-40s. But I digress. This actually diffused the situation a bit, since now I realize she's a moron, who apparently cranked out her first kid at 16 and decided two more bundles of joy could only improve her life, and the humor of the situation was a little more apparent. We exchanged a few more choice words, and went our seperate ways, where she would no doubt find other ways to endanger the life of her infant child. The more I thought about it, the more disturbed I was by the callousness with which she treated her baby. She even egged me on at one point, encouraging me to hit her so she can call 911. But, whatever, fuck her. One less person I need to brake for crossing the street. I just hope I put her in as nasty a mood as she did me.

But as for Legoland itself, I must again say it wasn't as dull as I thought it would be. Obviously a place for kids, but adults with the right attitude might enjoy themselves (though at full price, its questionable).

So that was my week. It's Wednesday now, and I'm still a bit worn out. My foot is bothering me now, so looks like I was a tad premature saying that was better. Maybe this week I'll find myself a sports podiatrist, and make an appointment. Seeing the Edward Gorey exhibit this afternoon, at last! Just booked a room in Vegas for November. My sister is going for a wedding, so I'm meeting them there. Works out good; there's a convention in town, rooms are hard to find and very pricy, but I was able to get two free nights at Bally's (hoping to upgrade to a suite when I get there). My sister has challenged me to a ride on the mechanical bull at the New Frontier...I thought the web would have lots of tips on how to ride one, but the closest I've come are ads for mechanical bull classes. But then the point of riding a mechanical bull is looking like a jackass, so I guess ignorance is bliss in this situation.

Sorry if there are any formatting problems with the previous post, having some issues with Blogger's new post editor. So if any links don't work, I appologize.

So Comic-Con 2004 is now a part of history.  Plenty of headlines were made, though the announcement of the title of Star Wars: Episode Three seems to have eclipsed the far more disturbing news that Sir Lawrence Olivier will be digitally inserted into Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.  I must admit part of me is glad it's over.  I'm still pretty tired.  And I did pretty much nothing today.  But I'm so glad I went, it's such an amazing event.  I'm sure I'll forget to mention lots of stuff, but I'll try to touch on the major events.

I got in from Vegas Wednesday, so there was no going to preview day for me.  But I was there bright and early Thursday, with my sister and brother-in-law.  Parking wasn't too hard to find, though it was $15.  We had a bit of a walk to the convention center, and no sooner than we had lined up to pick up our passes then they opened the doors to go upstairs and check-in.  Advanced registration pick-up was quite efficient, and in less than five minutes we had our badges on and were waiting for the doors to open at 9.  Despite the crowd, things went very smoothly.  And no sooner had I entered the main hall, then I saw Keith Knight's booth, right by the rear entrance.  So I bought his collection of (Th)Ink strips, making my first purchase less than a minute after entering Comic-Con.  I decided to walk to the North end and make my way back, but on the way saw the Unshelved booth, where they were selling the "Mad About Reading Cow" T-shirts, which I knew I had to have.  Got a shirt, talked for a minute with cartoonist Bill Barnes, and got snookered into buying some books, too.  I see on the web site that the T-shirts at Comic-Con are going to be rarities; on the main run of the shirt, the Cow's book, "Cud: A Love Story," is changed to "Clover: A Love Story."  No accounting for tastes.  I spent most of that morning on the floor of the convention center, shopping, and bought a fair amount of stuff.  I got a real good deal on The Comic Art of George Herriman, which was exciting both because the book is awesome, and because co-author and Mutts cartoonist Patrick McDonnell would be signing later.  I spent a fair amount of time at the booths selling animation cels, hoping to find a good Simpsons cel to pick up with my Vegas winnings.  But I never saw one I liked enough to justify the hefty price.  I did take an immediate liking to the Futurama pulp fiction covers, limited editions based on season one episodes.  Really cool, and as an added bonus, a lot cheaper than an animation cel.  I knew I wanted one, but picking which one would take several days.  I did a good deal of shopping, hoping to get as much done on Thursday as I could, because I had to keep a tighter schedule the other days.  But I did go to two panels Thursday; one was on general DVD releases coming up, and the other one, a real highlight of Comic-Con, was the Freaks & Geeks panel.  They screened "Discos and Dragons," talked a bit, and took questions.  Paul Feig was there, as was John "Sam" Daley, Samm "Neal" Levine, Martin "Bill" Starr, Steve "Kowchevski" Bannos, and Natasha "Cindy Sanders" Melnick.  When Melnick chose to speak, it was a bit painful, but overall a great experience.  After the panel, I hurried to the autograph area, but by the time I got there, the line was already pretty bad.  They warned us at the time we weren't guaranteed an autograph, but after a wait of just over an hour, I got them all to sign my yearbook.  So that was exciting.  After that, we had dinner at the Old Spaghetti Factory before heading back for the evening festivities.  My sister and brother-in-law attended the Star Wars Fan Films Awards, while I planned to watch Bubba Ho-Tep.   I watched Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back to kill time, and went to the bathroom between movies.  While heading back to see the movie, I peeked in another room, and quickly got sucked in by a bizarre Kung-Fu movie.  It took me some time to figure out what I was watching, but what I mistook for a remnant of '80s USA Up All Night-style film was actually a new independent film seeking distribution, All Babes Want to Kill Me.  I hesitate to say it was good, exactly, but I enjoyed watching it.  Really poorly edited, it seems to me, with huge gaping holes and contradictions in the plot, but does it really matter.  The cast and director were there, and were very nice, and signed autographs afterwards.   Worth seeing if you get a chance (they are apparently near a deal for theatrical distribution).  A good way to end the day.

Friday we decided to take the trolley, because the web site said the special green line, which services the stadium during Padres games, would be running.  But turns out it was not.  So it was a minor ordeal taking the trolly, waiting about 40 minutes for a train, and then having to transfer.  So I was late, and missed the Bongo Comics panel.  But I did more shopping, bought one of the aforementioned Futurama pulp fiction covers, among other things, got things signed at the Peanuts booth, and in the afternoon attended some panels.  The two panels that warrent mention include "Why We Love Peanuts," where Jean Schulz, the Hernandez brothers and Chip Kidd, as well as the head of Fantagraphics, discussed Sparky's legacy.  That was immediately followed, in the same room, by an interview of Patrick "Mutts" McDonnell, who was asked questions by novelist Glen David Gold and the audience, showed some slides, and drew some of his characters for us.  We left soon after that; nothing much going on that evening, so we had dinner with Mom.

I knew Saturday was going to be a busy day, and there were lots of conflicting things to do at the same time.  Unfortunately, by Saturday I was truly exhausted, and not quite up to the task before me.  But I got the most important things done.  I had seen the day before that Ruben Bolling of Tom The Dancing Bug would be signing at 10, so I was very disappointed when I didn't get there until about 10:10, and dreaded the long line.  Turns out there was no one there, and he hadn't sold a book yet.  Seemed happy to see me, and was very kind and funny, and it was one of the more comfortable autograph sessions of the day (I always feel weird getting someone's autograph, and never know what to say).  Bought two of his books (paid $10 each, later looked on-line and saw that they go for far more than that, being out-of-print), and pre-ordered his new book coming out this fall.  If you don't read his strip religiously, you should.  Then I met up with an internet friend and got her to buy some books from him, as well.  Then we lined up for the Patrick McDonnell autograph session.  The line wasn't bad at all when we got in it, but got pretty long soon afterwards.  Once he started signing, the wait was probably less than twenty minutes, and he was very nice, signing two books and a poster for me.  Then I headed to the Simpsons panel, which was underwhelming.  A montage of clips, basically extended cuts of things that have already aired, followed by a French laundry detergent commercial, in which you could see Bart's penis (still quite small, even on the big screen)...what Matt Groening said was a real Comic-Con exclusive.  Some nice little snippets of information on what to expect this season (I won't reveal any of the surprises).  I left not long after the Q&A portion started, to get to the second Peanuts panel, but turns out I had the wrong time, and was 30 minutes early.  So I went back to the floor, looked around a bit, and headed back to the Peanuts panel, only to find such a line to get in, I decided to skip it (I knew from the previous days the room it was in was small, and I doubt everyone fit, comfortably, at least.  So back to the floor I was.   As I mentioned, I was very tired, and found myself getting a bit punchy.  Just basically walking with no destination.  Which, while not the most productive way to see Comic-Con, is not necessarily a bad thing.  I found lots of interesting things I missed the first few times.  Even stumbled upon Billy West's booth, and bought his CD.  Headed up to get Matt Groening's autograph at 3, but the line was just too long, and I knew there was no chance of getting an autograph, especially since I had a panel at 4.  That panel, with voice-over goddess June Foray, was a suprise highlight of Comic-Con.  I figured it would be good, but it really was great to hear her stories, see clips of her wide range of work (I never realized she was the voice of Talking Tina on The Twilight Zone).  And when she did Rocky, she sounded exactly as she did on the show.  They even brought in some other voice-over actors to re-enact an episode of Rocky and Bullwinkle, including a Fractured Fairy Tale.  Fun times.  Of course, my camera's batteries died right as I tried to record part of the script reading, so I have no clip of that to bring you.  But trust me, it was great.  That was immediately followed, in the same room, by the Adult Swim panel.  I of course had to attend, but I must say the audience the Adult Swim panels draws disturbs me.  Lots of bros.  Lots of people hooting a lot and asking really, really dumb questions.  The clips of coming programming, though, is what you come for, and even that was troubling.  The clips for existing shows were pretty awesome.  The Aqua Teen Hunger Force clip lambasting standards and practices (it's strange; Cartoon Networks lets them get away with a lot, yet even gentle blaspheme--i.e., the quote from Futurama, "Sweet Zombie Jesus!"--is excised) was possibly the single funniest thing I saw at Comic-Con.  But they showed new shows, as well.  And while I will withhold judgement on Squidbillies, I must say that Stroker and Hoop looks absolutely awful.  I didn't care for the pilot of Venture Brothers, but the clips they showed looked interesting enough to give it another chance.  And as I already suggested, the Q&A portion was painful (thank god M.C. Chris was there to keep things fun).  Q&A at Comic-Con is always a bit painful, at least at anything that attracts a wide audience.  Lots of questions that aren't questions at all, for instance.  Just like last year, I'm happy to report the worst question I heard came from the Adult Swim panel.  A young man complained about the departure of Captain Murphy from Sealab 2021, and asked how they could commit such blaspheme.  The crowd groaned, and Kate Miller, the voice of Debbie, explained as gently as she could that the actor who portrayed Captain Murphy, Harry Goz, died.  He explained that he did not know that, and then asked a follow-up question that was almost as painful.  Really bad to claim to be a fan of that show, a big enough fan to go to Comic-Con and ask that question, and not know he died (to be fair, it was the same week Johnny Cash and Warren Zevon died).  They gave out decks of cards after the panel, I managed to get two.  So that was pretty sweet.  And that's how Comic-Con ended for me.  We didn't go Sunday; Eric wanted to see Legoland.  But that story will have to wait for tomorrow.

That's Comic-Con, in broad strokes.  Should have documented it better as it happened, but as I mentioned, I was wore out.  A week with a pretty bad flu, a trip to Vegas, and then Comic-Con was a bit too much.  Lots of walking.  Next year, I hope to be more rested and ready.  One plus, I was on my feet and walking a lot, and my foot doesn't hurt.  So maybe I'm ready to resume running.  Pictures of Comic-Con won't be up tonight, just posting this took longer than I thought.  A lot of my pictures didn't turn out, but those that did are pretty cool.  And I have a good Legoland story, maybe I'll have time to post that at work tomorrow.

Well, I guess it's time I sat down and wrote about last week.  To pick it up from the beginning, I left for Vegas Monday morning.  The drive seemed more aggravating than usual, even though the traffic wasn't that terribly bad.  I think I was probably in a negative mindset, still shaking the last remnants of the flu.  And a few absolute morons on the road didn't help.  Listened to Randy Newman most of the way there (the boxed set), but also some Dusty Springfield.  Arrived at Bally's around 3:30, and the line for check-in was rather heinous.  Or maybe it just seemed bad to me.  Usually, there is an invited guest check-in line, so I don't have to wait in line.  But not that day.  Due to construction, they only had about half the check-in windows open (they did have every space available during the construction open).  So I had to wait in line for about 30 to 40 minutes to check-in.  No big deal, and I had fun watching other people freak out about the wait, as though it was the worst injustice in American history.  One Hank Hill-esque figure chose to get out of line to accost a manager about the matter.  But the line moved reasonably briskly.  The one thing I can never understand is, when I check in, it takes about three minutes at the counter.  What are the other people doing, that take 15 to 20 minutes to check in?  There is always someone checking in when I arrive who is still there when I leave for my room.  Occasionally the problem is obvious (credit card declined, lost reservation), but in general it seems that things are going okay, they just are never done with their transaction.  I don't get it.

But soon enough I was in my room.  This was my second time staying at Bally's,  and the second time I was impressed.  The room, 15th floor in the North Tower, was quite large.  King bed and a very nice sofa, glass coffee table and marble desk still left plenty of room.  A large, fake plant in the corner added a little color, and was a nice touch.  Color scheme was a little odd, but not as bad as the Flamingo.  Nice bathroom, lots of marble.  No separate tub and shower, but the toilet was sort of offset in a semi-WC, and was certainly adequate for my needs.  The view had a lot of potential.  I faced the strip, and looked out directly onto Bellagio.  The one problem was, the South Tower was between me and Bellagio.  (The South Tower has the nice views, but is a real pain to get in and out of, and the rooms are smaller, I hear).  I could still see the sides of the property, and when the Fountains of Bellagio went off, I could see a bit of the show.  The one thing that always aggravates me is the $3/day charge to use the in-room safe.  "For your convenience, you can make sure we don't steal from you, and it only costs $3!"  Considering the casino cage offers the same service for free, it's a real rip.  I was going to use my safe anyways (convenient, and I can always pay the fee with my comp dollars), but mine was out of order.  So I figured I'd save $6 rather than complain, and just did without this trip.  Of course, my room was free, but I see some good bargains for Bally's during slow times, and considering its location and quality, seems an excellent value for those who pay for their rooms in Las Vegas (I used to say the same about Treasure Island, before they ruined it). 

After resting, I took to the tables at Bally's, where I had a total of $200 in match play coupons (i.e., bet $25, if you win, you win $50).  The offer I was staying on offered $100 in match play, but if I went on particular days (i.e., last week), they would double the offer.  They gave me $25 coupons, which were doubled to be worth $50.  Lost the first two hands, but won the rest, including a blackjack on the last one (my bet was paid at 3:2, the coupon only pays even money, $50).  So I was immediately up.  And that never changed this trip.  I won't go into great detail about the gambling, becuase it wasn't particularly interesting.  I won, I won again, I lost occasionally, but mostly I won.  Bally's was good to me, Paris was (appropriately) indifferent , Stardust was berry berry good to me.  I entered the New Frontier for the first time in my life.  I'm not sure why I'd never been there before, but I was walking to the Stardust from Caesar's Palace, and the heat was finally getting to me, and I had to get into the New Frontier and the A/C.  It was nothing special, like a little bit of downtown on the strip.  Gotta wonder about any Strip casino where the entertainment is based around the mechanical bull in the bar.  I played a little bit, lost a fair amount, won it all back, and left up just a bit.  Not a bad place, but I don't see anything it has going over the Stardust (a very slightly better location, perhaps, but not by much).

One exciting development since my trip in June was the opening, at last, of the Las Vegas Monorail.  I bought a 24-hour pass, and ended up riding the thing only twice.  It runs smoothly and conveniently, with trains every five minutes in each direction.  Depending on where you are and your destination, it can be very convenient.  But it didn't really help me out.  I took it from Bally's to the Flamingo, and probably had to walk more getting to and from the monorail stations than I would have had I simply walked to the Flamingo.  But I knew that would be the case, I just wanted to check it out.  $3 one-way, $5.50 round trip, $10 for a one-day pass.  Not unreasonable.  Makes the Las Vegas Hilton much more accessible.  If it succeeds and is expanded to downtown, it will be a real boon.  I took it later in the day from Harrah's to the MGM Grand.  That was a time-saver.  Of course, I had no business at the MGM Grand, just wanted to see that end of the strip (I don't make it down that way often).  But I enjoyed the sights, and stopped off at the M&M Museum while heading back to Bally's (on foot).  I had to pay $2 (I think) for the 3-D movie last time; now it's free.  Unfortunately, they replaced one of the live actors with a video.  So the Al Roker-esque character who sang "The Candyman" last time I was there, was gone.  Last time I was there, an audience member asked me, "Is this in 3-D?  Because I paid for a 3-D movie."  I responded, "Really?  Becuase I paid to watch this jackass sing and dance."  I learned later in the show that the guy I was talking to was a plant, part of the show.  So I was a little embarassed.  It was still fun, though, in a really, really cheesy way.  For free, it's hard not to recommend, though now that it's free, it's a lot more crowded (five people last time I did it, close to 100 this time).  So that was my tourist moment this trip.  Though I also watched the Bellagio fountain a few times.  And though I didn't see it, I did here them using the soundtrack from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly again, so despite no mention on their website, that appears to be in the rotation, hopefully for good (it's awesome).

One nice thing about my hotel offer this trip was that, in addition to the free room and match play coupons, I received a $100 dining credit.  Being alone this trip, I thought that would be more than enough.  Bally's dining, however, is on the pricy side.  The credit was good at both Bally's and Paris, so I had the Paris buffet, my favorite in town, the first night.  It has its flaws, I must admit.  But what is good there is absolutely fantabulous.  For instance, desserts, in general, are a disappointment.  No real ice cream (only soft-serve), the bananas foster not made to order (and this at one of the more expensive buffets in town), and the pie and pastry selection paltry for a french-themed buffet.  But how can you dwell on that while eating a blueberry crepe with raspberry sauce from the crepe cooking station.  Lots of seafood.  People were lining up for the crab legs, cut vertically so you don't have to deal with the shells, but I passed them by to get the smoked salmon.  Some sort of cold scallops salad with cous-cous was really good, as was the hot cous-cous.  Too many good foods to mention.  The bouillabaisse was a bit disappointing, since its the most memorable part of the buffet from the first time I had it, with my dad, but it was still pretty good.  I highly recommend it, if you aren't too put off by the price (which it's worth).  I had breakfast at Bally's coffee shop twice (I intended to have their buffet my last morning there, but it was closed for maintenance).  Good, but way, way over-priced.  If I wasn't trying to use up the credit they gave me, I would not have eaten there.  But I have no complaints with the quality.  The scrambled eggs with smoked salmon was particularly good.  I did order what the menu described as "mixed seasonal berries," so I was surprised when there was nothing but strawberries.  But there were a lot of them, and they were of a high quality.  I hear the Paris cafe is much better, but the line was always long, and I never would remember to ask the pit boss for a line pass when I was playing (I did get to cut an absolutely heinous line at the Paris buffet, though).  So I didn't try it this trip.  I did have some pretty good sushi at Hyakumi at Caesar's Palace (are you picking up on my fondness for seafood?).  A good choice if you're already there, but I prefer Sushi + Sake (which, though no bargain itself, is cheaper) at Green Valley Ranch.  Managed to make a big dent in my food credit there, I thought, until I later learned, that while I had room charging privledges at all the Caesar's properties, the food credit was only good at Bally's and Paris.  So I had to use my remaining comp balance for the sushi.  But that left more money for my most expensive meal of the trip, at Al Dente at Bally's.  I'd hoped to eat at Chang's, but it was closed Tuesdays.  Al Dente was nice.  I dressed up for dinner, but found I forgot to pack shoes, so I was highly self-conscious in my sneakers.  Turns out everyone else was in jeans and T-shirts and the like, so I needn't have dressed up at all.  But it was a nice looking place, not as dark as it seemed from the bar.  The pasta disappointed, I must admit, but the appetizers (baked mussels, keeping to the trend) and dessert (tiramisu) were phenomenal.  And the pasta was reasonably priced.  I believe my meal was just under $40 (with water to drink).  Not a bargain, but if you're at Bally's and looking for a swank but reasonable dining experience, you could do worse. 

So I've probably gone on far too long about the boring details of the trip.  Thing is, looking back, I don't remember any great funny stories or anything to tell.  It was a boring trip, somewhat.  I had a good enough time, and I won more than I could spend at Comic-Con, so I'm glad I went, but it's the sort of trip you forget quickly enough.  One thing just came to me, though.  The awful woman at Legoland (that story later) made me forget this rude dealer.  As I mentioned, I had a coupon for $100 in match play, and they doubled it to $200.  I used mine at Bally's, but later in the trip, I was playing at Paris, and someone had the same coupon (only his was $50 doubled to $100).  He used the first coupon, lost, and the dealer took both the match play coupon and the doubling coupon, and tried to drop both.  Now I knew from my experience at Bally's that they were unfamiliar with the doubling coupon, so I corrected the dealer, who rudely informed me I was wrong, and before I or the other player could say anything, dropped the coupon down the slot into the Vegas box, effectively indicating debate was over.  I let the player know he was being ripped off, but I figured it was his fight, and he seemed to not want to fight it, so that's his problem.  But it always makes me mad to see someone getting ripped off in Vegas.  The casino's have a high enough edge with most players, why burn them even worse?  So that annoyed me.  Gave me something to grouse over on the drive home, stuck in traffic at least half-way.  Johnny Cash, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, and Meat Loaf provided the soundtrack for that drive.

So was this the greatest trip to Vegas I ever had.  No.  Am I sorry I went?  Hell, no!  Even a mediocre trip to Vegas is pretty sweet!  And this trip funded my shopping frenzy at Comic-Con!  I'll post that story soon (probably tonight).

So very, very tired.  Maybe I'll get some Comic-Con photos up tonight, but probably not until tomorrow or Monday. 

Union-Tribune on Comic-Con. Had fun yesterday, Vegas was productive, reports to come soon.

I'm off to Vegas in the morning.  Bally's or bust.  Take advantage of those generous Caesar's comps, before Harrah's ruins it.  Then it's back home, just in time for Comic-Con.  Going over the schedule, I was shocked to see the cast of Freaks and Geeks will be there Thursday.  On top of all the panels I was already excited about, this is fantastic news.  I missed out on the signing they did in L.A. awhile back, but now I'll get my chance (though there are fewer people this time).  So look for a report/pictures on Comic-Con 2004 soon!

Harrah's to buy Caesars. This sucks ass. The MGM/Mandalay merger is bad enough, but I rarely gamble at any of their properties. I recently adopted Bally's (and to a lesser degree Paris) as my home-base strip casino, a good location, quality rooms, good comps. Harrah's offers nothing but crappy games and chintzy comps, and I can only imagine, after they shit over the reputation of the Horseshoe (to be fair, at least they're better than Becky), they will have no qualms about running Bally's and Paris and the rest into the ground. It will be awhile, of course, before anything actually changes, and anti-trust matters might still intervene, but looks like I might be looking elsewhere for my Vegas vacations (maybe give Green Valley Ranch another chance, or try staying at the Stardust (I enjoy gambling there, but I've never been a guest in the hotel). Or make my triumphant return downtown (the new owner seems to be doing exciting things with the Plaza).

So I've been laid up with flu-like symptoms recently. Sunday and Monday were pretty lousy, but Tuesday I was feeling good enough to get my traffic school exam out of the way at Kinko's. I'm still a little blah, probably just because I haven't been eating, but just bummed to have wasted even more of my summer vacation. I had plans to see the Edward Gorey exhibit at SDSU on Monday, but that had to be postponed, and next week is already chocked-full-of-fun. Just seems like there's so much to do, not enough time, and yet I'm not doing anything.

Brendon Small, voice of the same-named character on Home Movies, has a web site, with some delightful songs from the show, and news that a DVD of the series is in the works (due Nov. 16, apparently).

New Lemony Snickett book available Sep. 21st.

Green Valley Ranch executive found dead.

Users switching to Mozilla from Internet Explorer. My system was recently over-run with spyware (again), apparently due to some java-related vulnerability which I thought I removed the last time I was infected. Don't think that's related to the most recent vulnerability mentioned, but I'll be switching over nevertheless.

Considering school is out and, outside of work, there aren't many demands made of my time, I've been remiss is posting here, I see. I'm sure the internet will somehow survive.

I just got home from a rousing evening of shuffleboard. I again held my own, winning two games out of three. As usual, I fell apart in my last game (I tend to break down after two games), and was trailing by fifty points before finally getting my stuff together and rallying. We were playing to 100 points, and I had come up to about 85, when Cecily just needed to score to win. She landed her last puck in the seven-point quadrant, so I had to knock her out to have a chance (a fairly good chance, especially if I could get in the seven-point quadrant myself) to win. And I connected squarely, got the points myself, and send her flying. Then I heard a mighty metallic thud, from her puck hitting the poles that adorn the shuffleboard court in Balboa Park (they at one time supported an awning, or at least that's what I think they were fore). And the puck ricocheted back, coming to a rest squarely within the seven-point region, giving her the game. So that hurt a bit. Followed that up with a viewing, finally, of Kill Bill, Vol. 1. Was surprised by how little an impression it made either way. Interested me enough to want to see Vol. 2, so I guess it has something going for it. Just figured my time would be better spent watching some of the films that influenced Tarantino than the film itself. Guess I just don't find profusions of arterial blood every five minutes either gleefully fun or horrifically shocking.

Went to Viejas yesterday. A sudden change of plans left me with some free time, and so I decided it had been far too long since I'd played poker. Took an Omaha seat while I waited for them to start a 3-6 Stud game. Lost about $50, mostly because I played a few too many hands (tough to throw away a suited connector when the bad beat jackpot for Omaha was at about $80,000. Then I got a stud seat, and for awhile things followed the same pattern. But things soon turned around, winning quite a few hands; scopping pots where I was going low, when one pair would hold up. I lost one or two big pots that could have really made me some money. I also had a dark moment with a near-miss of the low jackpot. For the jackpot, you need a 6-4 beat by a wheel, and I had a wheel, when I got into a raising war with another player. We all discussed how nice it would be to hit the jackpot, but instead of turning over a 6-4, the other player also had a wheel. So no jackpot. I still won half the pot, and made a small profit, though (the same situation had occured to me once before, but that time another player had a flush, so I only got 1/4 of the pot and actually lost money--you'd think I was playing Omaha). But I walked away with a tidy sum to take to Vegas with me in a few weeks. And I had enough on my player's card to cover my dinner. And I saw the usual suspects who have been playing stud there for some time, who claim to have missed me in the time I've been gone (I probably hadn't played poker in almost six months).

Devious rabbit tricks Bush into signing gun ban.

George W. Bush is not a chimp.

Details on the Imperial Palace fire. Sure enough, any fire at a major hotel-casino is treated as a three-alarm fire.

A three-alarm fire broke out at the Imperial Palace this evening. Of course, I think every fire at a strip hotel is treated as a three-alarm fire, ever since the MGM Grand disaster. This one doesn't seem to be a big deal, though. When I stayed there a few weeks ago, I did make a note of where my room was vis-a-vis the emergency exits, and thought it wasn't a place I'd want to be in a disaster. Seeing all the construction they were doing in the back, I figured there were lots of opportunities for an accident. Guess it's one more reason not to stay there (not that I really needed one). Though to be fair, I'm never really that nervous in a Vegas hotel; the casinos might control every other regulatory force in Nevada, but thanks to the deaths of 85 people at the MGM Grand in 1980, the building codes and fire inspectors have some teeth to them. I remember I was staying at, I think, the Horseshoe when the fire marshall rained on the Aladdin's parade during their planned opening (they were able to open the casino, if memory serves, but not one tower of the fully-booked hotel).

Stock-picking monkey trouncing the market.

I was looking at the web site for Bellagio's fountain, and was interested to see that they make no mention of the use of an Ennio Morricone composition from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly for a recent performance. They had a big tent set up in front of the fountain, and played the song three times in about 30 minutes, so I think maybe it was for some sort of special event (Clint Eastwood hanging out?). Or maybe it was just a trial run, soon to be added to the rotation. I hope so, it was pretty sweet.

I see on the Hot Club of Cowtown's website that they are touring several of our nation's ballparks, with Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan. Pretty sweet...unfortunately, Petco Park didn't make the cut.

Marlon Brando dead at 80.

Things Patton Oswald would vote for over George W.

Profile of the fantabulous Western Casino, Las Vegas.

Winners and losers in the MGM Mirage/Mandalay Bay merger. Interesting, if I disagree with several points, especially the notion of the unions being a winner in the deal. Also, it downplays the notion of debt, which I think will be a huge albatross around the new company's neck. Especially if they go further in debt to renovate/redevelop their flagging properties. Given another terrorist attack (or airline strike, or continued rising fuel prices, or anything that hurts tourism significantly), the company could face a very serious threat to its very survival. In hard times, the merger could be a real boom to its competitors. If I was looking to invest in Vegas, Ceasar's and Boyd with look interesting (though, last I checked, not at their current prices). And I believe Wynn's new company is publicly trading, might be worth a look.

When I got home from Vegas, I was greeted with a large UPS package. Before leaving, I purchased, on sale at amazon.com, a DVD recorder with built-in hard drive (for over $100 less than they currently offer it). I ordered it right before my trip, figuring that I would either win in Vegas and not care about the cost, or lose in Vegas and figure, what's a few hundred more? The enabling logic of the compulsive gambler is a beautiful thing. So I've been playing around with this for a few days now. I haven't tried burning a DVD yet, but I have been getting a lot of use out of the hard drive, like Tivo, but without the program guide. I enjoy being able to pause live TV, and I really enjoy the ability to skip ads. I just start watching the show ten minutes or so after it starts, and then I can fast forward the ads. And the quality is great, and I can edit out ads if I plan to keep a program. I've practiced editing programs I don't plan to keep, cutting ads from King of the Hill, and singling out Busy Philips' interview from Conan O'Brien, and found it easy to do. Burning DVDs looks a tad more complicated, but as soon as I get around to buying blank DVDs, I don't think it will take long to figure it out. But just for the hard drive, it's well worth it.

Just got back from seeing Fahrenheit 9/11. Enjoyed it, though ultimately I think the impact it has will be minimal, at least as far as changing people's votes. Judging from the reactions of the nearly-sold-out crowd, it was clearly preaching to the converted, but it was a nice morale boost. And some funny moments, some tragic and disturbing moments. As we freak out over beheadings in Iraq, it is illuminating to see the Saudi government beheading criminals. And the film seems above reproach as far as accuracy; reading some of the criticisms, the only criticism I could see stand up is that he slightly overplays the speed with which the Bin Ladens were ushered from the country. But Michael Moore seemed to actually tone down his schtick a bit, letting the facts speak for themselves. If you've watched the Daily Show religiously (and I hope you saw Jon Stewart on Larry King last night), there isn't much new here, but it's worth seeing, if only to keep it at the #1 slot as long as possible, see how long Bush can call Moore an extremist.

Green Party refuses to endorse Ralph Nader.

The Children's Pool issue will be coming up for a vote again.

So, I'm back from Vegas. Got back Tuesday, actually, but hadn't had a chance to tell you good people about my exploits until now. I won a substantial amount of cash, but despite that only had a pretty good time. But I'm glad I went, mainly because I was well-rewarded financially.

I left early Friday morning, hoping to make a screening at the CineVegas film festival. But that didn't happen, I'm afraid. Traffic was not too horrendous, but just bad enough that I couldn't make it on time. I had planned to stop in Victorville for lunch, but continued on to Barstow, since somehow I figure that if I stop for lunch later, I get there faster. Which I guess makes since if a later stop means I don't need a bathroom break later. But I hit Barstow right about noon, and the place was packed. So it took me forever to get my food, and set me back even more. So I was a bit later in arriving than I had hoped. Los Straitjackets, Lyle Lovett, and the Bottle Rockets provided some of the soundtrack for the drive, and I also listened to a David Cross album. Stopped at the outlet mall at Primm. I forgot a coupon for $10 off Penn & Teller, and was hoping to replace it at the visitor's center there (no luck). Also, and more importantly, I forgot to pack underwear. So I looked around for some there, but all I could find were boxers at the Old Navy outlet, and they all had little wacky novelty designs. I almost bought the one with popcorn boxes on it, but I didn't relish the idea of wearing slightly irregular underwear. Though it did occur to me that, if they're going to have novelty designs, maybe underwear brandishing the slogan "slightly irregular" might sell well. I did buy a new pair of running shoes at the Reebok outlet (motion control shoes, see if that helps with my foot pains), and some shorts. I eventually managed to find a Wal-Mart to buy some undies with a side of shame (when I got home, I had a solicitation in the mail from United Farm Workers, so I sent them a donation to regain a shread of my Union Yes! integrity).

My itinerary began with a two-night stay at Green Valley Ranch. I've always been a fan of the place, and still love the hotel. The casino is nothing spectacular, but I do enjoy playing at a "local's joint," since the clientele seems to be more interesting and less obnoxious. After winning a little bit of cash Friday night, I went up to my room and saw that room service had delivered a complimentary fruit basket, which kept me well-nourished for most of the trip. I was invited to a $20,000 invitational blackjack tournament, which I busted out of in the first round. I had to stick around for awhile Sunday for the wildcard drawings, for a chance to get back in, but even after they had to redraw a lot of times because people had left, I still never made it back in. I lost quite a bit of cash Saturday night, took a sushi break, and then returned to clean up at the tables (still down, but within striking distance). Sunday I lost a little bit more, then asked to talk to my host. After giving them a not insubstantial amount of action over the weekend, I figured my request that she comp a $17 check from the sushi bar would be handled rather perfunctorily. But I was told, in a rather condesending manner, that that was simply impossible, since they casino had already been so generous as to give me a room for the weekend. Considering the action I gave them, and considering the amount of money I lost just while we were having this conversation, I found the host's refusal a tad surprising. I could understand not wanting to give me a comp ahead of time, since it would have been easy to run up a $75 bill or more there, but to turn me down at the end of the weekend, when my only request of the host was one reasonable room charge, was annoying. And her attitude made the matter far worse. It only served to magnify little problems I'd noticed along the way: about half the buttons on the remote control didn't work, and the TV itself seemed to be having problems; housekeeping was remiss in replacing used toiletries, cocktail service was slow. And, of course, Green Valley Ranch's biggest problem: Location. If they were going to stiff me on food comps on the strip, I could just play a few hours at another casino to get food. But when I stay at Green Valley Ranch, I tend to gamble there exclusively. So by refusing me a few dollars, while affecting a smarmy attitude, my host forced me to recognize Green Valley Ranch's limitations, and wonder if I really want to stay there again.

After my weekend there, I spent two nights at the Imperial Palace. I can't remember exactly why I chose to stay there, but I think my logic was something along the lines of, at least I'll get on another mailing list, another source of free rooms. But the place was a dump; if my displeasure at my host wasn't growing in my fertile mind, it would have made the Green Valley Ranch look like Shangri-la. The room itself is simply underwhelming, like a decent Motel 6 room. The table and chairs in the room were one step above lawn furniture. But I didn't expect much from the room, and so the room was satisfactory. The hotel as a whole was the problem. The hotel apparently expanded in fits and starts, so there are several attached towers, and my room was in the back. The hike to the casino was bad enough, but it was getting to my car that really got me hating the Imperial Palace by the end of the trip. Construction on a monorail station was on-going, and so one had to maneuver through confusing hallways and detours, so that sometimes it took me close to a half-hour to get to my room. It was especially bad on Monday, when the construction workers got back to work. And driving into and out of the garage was confusing, as well. I can say with some confidence I will never stay there again.

The casino was okay. It tries to be a low-roller's oasis on the center strip, but falls short of Casino Royale on that point. And I'm not really looking for a low-roller joint, anyway. They have a "Dealertainer" pit, with celebrity impersonators dealing the games. During peak hours, they have dealers who look like the celebrity they're supposed to, except, inexplicably, the Elvis impersonator (they couldn't find a good Elvis in Las Vegas?). On other shifts, they don't try as hard. "Lookie here! She's wearing a cowboy hat...It must be Patsy Kline!" I gambled here a little bit, in their Champagne Pit, where the dealers are dressed as old-time New York gangsters, apparently, and where you win free beads with every blackjack. I lost a little bit and left.

The most serious gambling I did on the strip I did at the Stardust. I like the ambiance, the loose comp policy, the onion rings and root bear float at the coffee shop, the pit boss that reminds me of Lunchlady Doris and exudes Vegas from her leathery, smoke-tanned skin (she did her Vincent Price impression for me, probably the high point of the trip). And their games aren't bad either. I lost a nice chunk of change, however. Still, I'm always glad to spend a little time at the Stardust. Word on the street is Boyd is going to fix the place up after Wynn's new casino opens across the street; I hope they don't ruin it like Harrah's (and Becky Binion-Behnen) did the Horseshoe (I walked through it briefly this trip...very sad).

So mostly I've talked about losing, so let me turn it around now. The Las Vegas Hilton recently added a new attraction to the Star Trek Experience. In addition to the old motion ride, they now have a movie based on the Borg. They call it 4-D, which means not only is it in 3-D, but your seat vibrates and prods you, and mist blows in your face and stuff. It was very much an homage to William Castle, in a way. The 3-D effects worked pretty good, once I got the 3-D glasses aligned with my eyeglasses. I prefer the original ride (with a paid admission you can go on each attraction once), and I think non-Star-Trek fans would be disappointed with the Borg feature, but overall I had fun. But what is worth noting is what happened beforehand. The Las Vegas Hilton was sold by Caesar's, and the sale was being finalized the day I was there. I wasn't quite clear on what this meant for the player's card, but as I read it, it seemed I was going to be given a comp balance with the new Las Vegas Hilton player's club equal to my balance on the old card (and keep my old balance at the other Caesar's properties). So I waited in line to get a new card, and once I get up there, they can't find me in their system. No big deal, I was hoping I'd have enough to comp the Star Trek ride, but seeing as I'd never gambled at the Hilton in my life, I'm not going to make a fuss over it. But they sign me up for a new card, and I decide I'll gamble a little bit, see if I can get on their mailing list. I generally refrian for mentioning dollar values in my discussions here, more because it sounds gauche than because of any privacy concerns (and maybe a bit of a desire not to sound too much like a degenerate frittering away obscene sums). But for this discussion, I think it's necessary. I found a double-deck table with one player. It was a $100 minimum, however. That's a wee bit pricy for me, but I figure, what the hell. I buy in for $500, and hope to double it and run. Twenty minutes later, the casino brings in a new dealer, and I have over $6000 in front of me. I have had some nice wins in the past, but I have never won that much, that fast. Had a little crowd of gamblers standing behind me, watching. Also had a nice crowd in the pit watching me. I decided to cash out, and the pit congratulated me, told me to be sure to come back soon, because it's just that easy....if I ever need a house payment, just stop by. I ask if I can move into the penthouse suite like Howard Hughes. I cashed in my chips, did the Star Trek thing, and went back to my room to reassess my position. I was down a fair amount, so this wasn't all profit, but I was still up a staggering sum. I decided to switch to tourist mode, and set aside a few hundred dollars to play around with, just in case lightning might strike twice. It didn't--I didn't have a winning session after that, but I still made it home with a nice cash infusion.

So allow this trip report to slip into tourist mode now. I intended to see the new sexed-up Pirate Show at TI and the dancing fountains at Bellagio, but only made it to Bellagio. From a distance, I heard the climactic track of the Good, the Bad and the Ugly, "Ecstasy of Gold," playing, and kicked myself for missing it. By the time I got there, "All that Jazz" was playing, rather underwhelmingly. But then, about two minutes later, "Ecstasy of Gold" starts up again, with the fountains shrouding the lake in fog as it slowly builds to a stunning finale. Really amazing, reminding me why I love to watch the Bellagio fountain. The next show was the Star-Spangled Banner, which didn't really work with the fountains that well. Tha was at midnight, and I thought it was the final show, so I left, and as I was crossing over to Barbary Coast, I hear "Ecstasy of Gold" again. So I guess it must have been a new addition to the rotation they were really eager to show off. Or maybe some high-roller just kept demanding to hear the western one again. In any event, I enjoyed seeing it, and I enjoyed hearing it again as I left.

Monday I went downtown and looked around, gambled a little at the Plaza, was saddened at the Horseshoe, had a deep-friend twinkie, and used the Las Vegas Club's internet kiosk. Nearby, the LVC had a small arcade, and I saw Simpsons Pinball Party standing alone in a corner. I got a buck in quarters and began to play. They had it on a much easier setting, and so I was easily able to win quite a few free games. More exciting to me, I was able to complete all the missions, and play the climactic Alien Invasion mode, which I've never made it to at the Boardwalk. After playing for an hour or so, I had to walk away, leaving a free credit for the next person who came around.

Monday night, I went to the Rio to see Penn & Teller. That had been my tourist-goal this trip--it's usually a real effort to get me away from the tables to see a show, especially when I have to pay for it. But I made it this time, and had a great time. Sometimes I wished Penn would talk a bit less, so they could get to the next trip. His juggling routine went on way too long, for instance. But he's such a funny guy, it's easily forgivable. I'd seen most of the routines before, but they're still fun. For their opening act, Teller escapes from a locked trunk, and rather then put a screen up, they go by the honor system; if you want to believe it's a miracle, just close your eyes. While other acts (for instance, "burning" an American flag) seemed a bit preachy, I thought this a nice gently subversive way to make their point about the degree of willful ignorance in this country. I was excited to see Teller do his act where he cuts a flower's shadow, and parts of the real flower fall off. He also put on a nice shadow puppet show based on a Shel Silverstein poem, which was really awesome. And the closer of the show is the magic bullet routine, which is always impressive. I'm really glad I finally saw them live.

Tuesday I got up early, checked out, and had the Plaza's horrendous breakfast buffet, and left down. Took bathroom breaks and bought a drink, but skipped lunch, making it to San Diego around 3:45. Some construction in the desert slowed me down a bit, but overall it was a pretty smooth drive. Deposited my cash in the bank, got my mail, and went home to see a very excited dog. Again, I was left cold by a few things this trip, mostly related to my accomodations, and the fact that I paid for a lot more things than I'm used to in Vegas, but I did enjoy getting away, I did enjoy winning a lot of money, and I did enjoy seeing the sights. Can't wait to go back. (August? Sooner? Only time will tell.)

Deep Discount DVD is having a 20% off sale. Since they have the cheapest prices on most DVDs already, that's a really good deal. You need a coupon code (DVDTALK or PRICESEARCH both work). They expire tomorrow, the 25th, so act fast!

I've been a bit remiss lately in writing about my oh so exciting life since school got out. I leave for Vegas in the morning, so I won't be writing much now. Besides, not much exciting has happened. I saw Mary Chapin Carpenter last night, pretty good show. I bought the tickets before the new album came out, and I was rather underwhelmed by it. So my expectations weren't that high, but I had a good time.

Season Four of The Simpsons is now out on DVD. "A Streetcar Named Marge" is probably my favorite episode of the series, so I was excited for this to come out. I haven't had much time to watch it, but I watched "Streetcar," and some of the supplemental stuff on that episode, including a featurette about how that episode offended the good people of New Orleans.

Well, I really should go get ready for my drive. Plan on getting a fairly early start. So hopefully the next time I post here, I will have a nice winning story to tell.

The Cabrillo Bridge is on fire. They are apparently having a lot of trouble fighting the fire. It would be a real shame if the bridge is irreversibly damaged. But apparently they believe the bridge is still structurally sound.

Free CDs from the music price-fixing settlement are overwhelming libraries. I don't know about you, but I'd be excited to receive 74 copies of Three Mo' Tenors.

Nellie McKay interviewed in The Onion's A.V. Club.

So, there seems to be some dissention on wheter that was in fact Walton who came to the aquarium today. I would stick to my guns, but after my "I swear I saw Macauley Culkin at a concert in L.A., and he was sporting black dreadlocks" claim seemed to have fizzled out, I'll admit I could be mistaken.

Speaking of mistakes, turns out both the earthquakes I mentioned in previous posts were responsible for Tuesday's rumblings, both struck within a minute of each other, explaining why if felt like such a long quake.

Today at work, I sold tickets to fellow Helix High alum Bill Walton. Which was particularly exciting because my mom despises the man (I'm not sure why--she's a huge Larry Bird fan, so I think maybe there was a rivalry between the two, but maybe there's other reasons). I'm telling you, the fun never stops around here.

It only took a week, but Netbank finally got my account straightened out. So I'm not out any money from the fiasco. I'm more annoyed that it took a week to correct the problem then the original snafu. In any event, I'm still pretty soured on Netbank, despite their good interest rates. Since they worked it out, I'll probably not close the account after all, but I think I'll be keeping more of my money at the credit union instead. And I still might be wooed over to State Farm, they have pretty good rates. I'll worry about it more when I get home from my vacation (less than 48 hours to go).

Bill Griffith of 10 News has male breast cancer. Interesting to see he's going to the same oncologist as my Dad.

I will amend my last post: I think the earthquake I felt was a 5.1 off the shore of Baja. It's a shame our seismographic equipment is off display for a few days while they install carpeting.

Apparently the earthquake was a 4.7, centered on Lancaster, near Mojave. I'm surprised we could feel it so strongly here in La Jolla (apparently it was really strong in La Mesa).

Just had one of the strongest earthquakes I've felt in some time here in San Diego. Not bridges-falling strong or anything, but strong enough that you couldn't not notice it, and it lasted a good 40 seconds at least. I'll be curious to see where it was centered.

Suicide note full of Simpsons allusions.

Friar's Club celebrates 100th anniversary.

Netbank sucks ass! I had an automatic balance transfer set up, a day before two credit card bills were to be paid from the account. The balance transfer never happened, and I'm now stuck with two $28 returned check charges. Fortunately, I logged in last night and saw what happened, and was able to contact the credit card companies and make last-minute payments. So I'm only out the fee Netbank charged. But I sent them a message last night, and they have yet to contact me (they're in Georgia, so I assume they've probably closed for the day by now). So hopefully I can talk them out of the fees, if they ever bother to contact me, but this isn't the first problem like this I've had. Last time a balance transfer I set up disappeared, I noticed it early enough to set up another one, and no harm was done. But it's messed up that this happened twice, and could have been very costly if I hadn't arranged to pay the two bills in question (my health insurance was deducted just two days prior, if that had bounced, I'd have a real problem). So I'll be leaving Netbank very soon. Looking online, I've decided State Farm's banking looks to be a really good deal, actually. I wouldn't have expected it, but their interest-bearing checking is paying close to 1.5 %, which is hard to beat at the moment. So I think I'll give them a try, and tell Netbank where to stuff it.

Ray Charles, dead at 73.

Pros and Cons of some vice-presidential choices.

Houdini used a trunk with a trap door in his Metamorphosis illusion. Some magicians, like David Copperfield, are outraged that this piece of information is publically available. As though we were all idiots and couldn't figure this one out. I see their point to an extent, but David Copperfield is a braying jackass, so whenever he makes a point, I'm less inclined to agree. Apparently saying you're not using camera tricks and then using camera tricks isn't against the code of ethics, David? "My God, the Statue of Liberty, it's gone! That's right, here in this helicopter, I do not see the Statue of Liberty anywhere!" What a putz.

Madstone Theaters out of business.

I never knew Ronald Reagan's final film was The Killers, in which he plays a heavy. I have it on DVD, the Criterion Collection, which I bought for the 1946 version, and have yet to watch the 1964 made-for-tv Reagan version. Guess I know how I'll be spending Friday's day of mourning (did you know we don't get mail?).

My summer has finally begun! I think finals went okay, neither great nor spectacularly bad. We'll see soon enough, I suppose. I'm just glad to be done, now I can get cracking on all those little things I need to get done that I've been putting off. Not to mention my upcoming Vegas adventure. Speaking of Vegas, got a mail offer from Paris yesterday, free room and free tickets to see We Will Rock You, the new musical based on the music of Queen. It's no Mamma Mia, I'm sure, but exciting nonetheless.

I believe I mentioned this here before, but now that it's official, I'll mention it again: Pee-Wee's Playhouse is coming to DVD. Two volumes will contain all 45 episodes, with a Christmas Special DVD sold seperately, apparently. Fun times.

Working on my paper, including this quote, which seemed to reflect my feelings pretty much at the moment: "The masses, as before, for the greater part take away from the schools nothing but a contempt for them." Not to complain too much (I did enjoy the class), but always during tenth week/finals, I feel quite an urge to tell the entire school system to go to hell. A similar quote later from the same piece: "In Germany nine-tenths of the school population take away from school a mechanical knowledge of reading and writing, and such a strong loathing for the paths of science traversed by them that they never again take a book into their hands."

It is 9:07, and I have finally forced myself in front of the computer, and turned off the T.V., but have yet to write a word of my paper, due tomorrow at 11:30. This post is evidence I am still avoiding it, but I think this is about the end of the line of procrastination. How bout that Regan, huh? And Smarty Jones. I didn't bet, but I know people who took a bit of a hit. Ah, bet, to be in Vegas now...but I've got a few days to wait. Right now, I have to write a paper on Tolstoy's views of education. I don't really have a point, but hey, I've gotten B+s without a point lots of times (I got an A last quarter, in a class where I wrote a seven-page paper basically explaining the difference between a hill and a mountain). Now to get to work. Really.

A pair of articles on "Manos" The Hands of Fate.

David Reimer committed suicide last May. If you ever saw the sad, disturbing, and enraging episode of (if memory serves) Dateline, which seemed to be rerun constantly a year or two ago, I'm sure you'll join me in hoping he has found peace.

Heartbreaking country ballad paralyzes trucking industry. "Fearing for the financial and emotional safety of their workers, industry leaders have asked President Bush and the FCC to remove the song from the airwaves, as President Carter did during the 'He Stopped Loving Her Today' crisis of 1980."

The secret code to unlock the U.S. nuclear arsenel? 00000000.

Democrats pick up a seat in South Dakota.

The atrocious writing in the judge's profile notwithstanding, The New York Times is printing an interesting series on the allure of Las Vegas.

Follow this link on June 1st, and look at the "Mystery Person of the Day" trivia challenge. Tell me, are we really that stupid at a nation that this is considered trivia? I thought the "celebrity mix-it-up" at the movies, who is this: "OMT RUISEC," was just an isolated phenomenon, but maybe not.

Anna Karinina is this summer's selection in Oprah's book club. I wonder if Oprah is aware of Tolstoy's problems with women? Though I suppose the book's message, that if a woman doesn't have lots and lots of babies, she will go down a road to ruin, might appeal to some of Oprah's core audience. And if I decide to give Oprah my e-mail address, I can access some reading aids which might be useful for my final exam next week.

And in fairness, it's easy to make fun of Oprah, but if the woman can get millions of housewives to read Anna Karinina this summer, I think she deserves props for that. And looking at her web site, it appears that One Hundred Years of Solitude was the previous selection; that's pretty cool (though I would have thought Love in the Time of Cholera would have been more suited to her audience).

Pee-Wee's Playhouse coming to DVD?

Zatoichi opens June 4th in limited release. As that means it should open in San Diego not long afterwards, maybe it's not worth extending my vacation over.

The CineVegas Film Festival schedule is announced. As my faithful readers no doubt recall with great fascination, I will be arriving in Vegas, coincidentally, on the final day of the festival, and had hoped that the Portrait of Billy Joe would coincide with my visit. And it does. But its at 3:30, which means I'll have to get an early start to make it. The dilemma, however, is that the day before, Zatoichi is playing at 3:00 PM. Do I take another day off, find more accomodations in Vegas, and try to leave early enough to make a 3:00 movie in Vegas? Might as well, since I usually start at a reasonable time and arrive pretty close to 3, and I should be able to get a free room downtown no problem, so that I touch on downtown, the strip, and henderson on my trip. I'll have to see if it works with work, but still, I'd only be taking three days off. And Zatoichi should be opening here in San Diego around the same time, so I'm not sure I'd even get much of a jump on things. Something to mull over.

I saw the most disturbingly amusing Vaudeville show last weekend. Never got around to writing about it, because I feel bad saying how awful the performers were, since they seemed to be trying hard. And also, I'm lazy. But when I get a chance, I'll report the truth about that evening, as I am sworn to do.

Listen to samples of Dr. John's new album. Willie Nelson and Randy Newman both make appearances on the album.

Interview with Stephin Merritt. Talks about his new album, and briefly mentions Randy Newman (and Stephen Sondheim, who I didn't realize was associated with Nonesuch) in a positive light.

Journalist with Vanunu connections arrested in Israel. Reuters reports he will soon be released, but still.

The Trio Network will be airing Cop Rock from June 1 to June 5. I don't get the network, but it's pretty exciting for those of you who do. Randy Newman wrote songs for the pilot, including "Sandman's Coming," which resurfaced in Randy Newman's Faust. I know people with digital cable, I'll have to see if they get Trio.

So I got a speeding ticket on my way to school today. On my way home, I discovered I also got a parking ticket. My fault, I parked in a two-hour spot, and forgot I had an afternoon appointment. But still, made today an expensive day of school.

Got a speeding ticket on the way to school today. Annoying for a lot of reasons, particularly because I usually turn onto a side street a few blocks before where the cops were waiting. But for whatever reason, I didn't today. Probably because I was distracted, still fuming about a truck that tried to run me off the road. But what's done is done. I can take traffic school, so it won't affect my insurance. Just $200 or so down the drain, and now I can't drive like a maniac on the way to Vegas, since I don't have the traffic school option for another 18 months.

I have made my reservations for my next Vegas vacation. A weekend at my old favorite, Green Valley Ranch, where I have been invited to participate in a blackjack tournament. Then, lest I drive home in the Sunday traffic, I am staying two nights at Imperial Palace. Never stayed there before, but I was having trouble finding a room available Sunday at a casino I would be willing to gamble in. And this is an opportunity to get on another casino's mailing list, albeit a non-union casino whose now-deceased owner once was fined by the gaming commission for throwing a birthday party for Hitler (it was all a big misunderstanding, he asserted at the time...he doesn't assert much these days). And Cheapo Vegas describes the place as creepy. I love Cheapo Vegas. If you need something to do, poke around there. Maybe read their take on the good ol' Western. Only been their once, and it was the only time I recall fearing for my life in Las Vegas. Nice to have experienced it, though.

So I'm looking forward to that. Already tentatively agreed to go in the end of July as well, if I don't get my ass handed to me this trip. I have a really good offer from Bally's, where I stayed last trip, and enjoyed. Fills the void left by MGM ruining Treasure Island...excuse me, TI. A nice, clean, well-managed hotel, not too ostentatious, decent gambling, and generous comps. And a better location that TI. And I got another offer from GVR, standing offer for free rooms all Summer. The hotel is the nicest I've stayed in anywhere, pretty good food, and okay gambling. Every time I've stayed there, I've met some interesting people. A few real annoying people, like the old woman who claimed she never signaled for a hit, when we all saw her, and got the pit boss to let her discard the card she drew, and then tried the same trick again after the dealer changed. But mostly good, interesting people. One of the plusses of playing at a local's joint. Last trip, I played for a little bit with a blind woman, whose husband would read the cards to her. A month or so later, I would watch her win the first round of the World Series of Blackjack on T.V.

But hell, I could be staying at the Western, and I'd just be happy to be there.

I have made my reservations for my next Vegas vacation. A weekend at my old favorite, Green Valley Ranch, where I have been invited to participate in a blackjack tournament. Then, lest I drive home in the Sunday traffic, I am staying two nights at Imperial Palace. Never stayed there before, but I was having trouble finding a room available Sunday at a casino I would be willing to gamble in. And this is an opportunity to get on another casino's mailing list, albeit a non-union casino whose now-deceased owner once was fined by the gaming commission for throwing a birthday party for Hitler (it was all a big misunderstanding, he asserted at the time...he doesn't assert much these days). And Cheapo Vegas describes the place as creepy. I love Cheapo Vegas. If you need something to do, poke around there. Maybe read their take on the good ol' Western. Only been their once, and it was the only time I recall fearing for my life in Las Vegas. Nice to have experienced it, though.

So I'm looking forward to that. Already tentatively agreed to go in the end of July as well, if I don't get my ass handed to me this trip. I have a really good offer from Bally's, where I stayed last trip, and enjoyed. Fills the void left by MGM ruining Treasure Island...excuse me, TI. A nice, clean, well-managed hotel, not too ostentatious, decent gambling, and generous comps. And a better location that TI. And I got another offer from GVR, standing offer for free rooms all Summer. The hotel is the nicest I've stayed in anywhere, pretty good food, and okay gambling. Every time I've stayed there, I've met some interesting people. A few real annoying people, like the old woman who claimed she never signaled for a hit, when we all saw her, and got the pit boss to let her discard the card she drew, and then tried the same trick again after the dealer changed. But mostly good, interesting people. One of the plusses of playing at a local's joint. Last trip, I played for a little bit with a blind woman, whose husband would read the cards to her. A month or so later, I would watch her win the first round of the World Series of Blackjack on T.V.

But hell, I could be staying at the Western, and I'd just be happy to be there.

Lost in Translation: How DDR almost didn't make it to America.

Dance Dance Revolution and weight loss. RedOctane also has a website on the phenomenon. My DDR pad has been gathering dust for some time. Mainly because it's just not the same with the plastic pads. Not as responsive. I was at Fry's Electronics yesterday, and admiring their metal DDR platforms, but for $200, I think I'll pass.

I went to Fry's because they had the new special edition of The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly on sale, but they were out of stock. I did get The Great Escape on sale, though. And then, in the clearance rack, I found a series of DVDs of Once Upon a Hamster, which I used to watch on Animal Planet at 3 AM, while Cecily's cat would go crazy watching her woodland friends frolick on the T.V. I used to wonder what sort of person watched this show at 3 in the morning, but I guess the answer is people like me. At $5 a pop, I was tempted to buy them all, but eventually just bought two. I regret not getting them all, but I am not going back to buy the rest, because that would be pathetic.

A Takeshi Kitano interview.

Apparently, Takeshi Kitano remade Zatoichi at the request of a septuagenarian stripper named Mama.

I finally saw Shaolin Soccer, now that it finally got a theatrical release. Edited extensively, from what I understand, but subtitled (I believe it is being released dubbed in most markets). Not as much fun as God of Cookery, but worth seeing. I'll have to get ahold of the DVD (my sister has the import), though I understand the good people at Disney/Miramax are being a bunch of doushebags about keeping the DVDs unavailable. I had a nice article on the struggles Shaolin Soccer faced in getting released, but now I can't find it (didn't save the e-mail, this is the sort of situation when gmail would come in handy).

More exciting then the film itself, though, was one of the trailers beforehand (I guess when you show 15 minutes of trailers, you're bound to hit the mark at least once). Coming soon, Takeshi Kitano's Zaitochi, the Blind Swordsman. A change of pace for him, a bit, at least as a director (it doesn't look from the trailer that he's become particularly verbose, though, since it is a subtitled movie, they don't depict any dialogue in the trailer). A shame Dolls isn't being released as well (at least as far as I know). Though hopefully I'll be able to pick up a regionless DVD at Comic-Con this year.

Got Loretta Lynn's new CD. Not bad, but a bit of a disappointment. Tries a little too hard, has Jack White's fingerprints on it a bit thick at times. But some great songs. "Miss Being Mrs." is probably my favorite.

So it wasn't my imagination, this guy is in a ton of commercials.

Good commentary on the fallout of the Iraqi prisoner scandal.

Gabriel Yared recounts his firing by Wolfgang Petersen on his web site (click on "news", then "the score for Troy"). Of course, this puts him in the same category as Randy Newman (fired by Petersen from Air Force One.

Salon has an interview with Billy Joe Shaver, and discussion of a new documentary on his life. A perusal of the film's web site shows it will be part of the CineVegas Film Festival, and I see I will be arriving in Las Vegas on the last day of the festival. They don't have the schedule up yet, but if it plays the final night, I will definately see it, or perhaps if it plays a day or two earlier, I can arrange to arrive earlier than I had planned.

The New Yorker details how Rumsfeld authorized the torture of Iraqi prisioners.

The mindset of the class of 1918.

Did you catch San Diego's own Randy "Duke" Cunningham grilling Donald Rumsfeld during his testimony before the House? Duke used the opportunity to lament the good men brought down by the disgraceful scapegoating of the Tailhook Scandal, and tell rambling stories about his days of command in the Navy. It gave me real pride to know that Duke has such high standing, he got to make his comments as soon as the representative from Guam finished (I didn't even know Guamians could vote).

Celebrated Mother's Day on Saturday, since I had to work Sunday. Went to Barona, where I had a coupon for two free buffets, thanks to my subscription to Las Vegas Advisor. It's an okay magazine, but you'd be crazy to pay $50 for a subscription, if it weren't for the great coupons you get. Easily pays for itself on one trip to Vegas (if you don't leave it at home, like I did last time). But two buffets, no strings attached, goes a long way towards paying for the subscription. The buffet was as good as ever, the desserts being the best part. Bananas Foster and cannoli abound. I managed to smuggle a few cannoli out in my mom's purse (just mini-cannoli, not full-size ones). Fun tid-bit, I just looked up cannoli in the OED, to see what the plural is, and cannoli is plural. A singular cannoli is actually a cannolo. Ain't that something.

So anyway, we were at Barona, and so Mom wanted to gamble, and it was her day, after all. Since I'm not really welcome at the blackjack tables, and poker was full up, I played a video poker machine. Won $50, lost it all and quite a bit more, and was bitter about losing money here, when I'm planning to hit Vegas next month, when I get dealt three deuces, draw and hit the fourth deuce, and win $1000. Left with $850, a nice boost to my bankroll for Vegas. Just got an invite yesterday to a free blackjack tourney at my favorite casino, along with a free room for the weekend, so figure I'll take advantage of that. I have a standing offer at one casino, which I stayed at and found pretty nice, for up to three free nights, $100 in gambling chips, and $100 in food vouchers, so that is what I'd planned on taking advantage of, but I figure I'll save that, and get in at least two vegas trips this summer. I had been thinking of a big non-gambling vacation this summer as well, but I'm beginning to think I'd rather just take short trips around Southern California, or maybe up to my sisters, and just keep it simple.

On the way home, we drove by the neighborhood Yum Yum Donuts, which was wrapped in police tape, as was the parking lot. I assumed it was just another robbery, but the paper reports that a worker, apparently, committed suicide. Very odd and disturbing.

Alan King, dead at 76.

Micah Ian Wright, author of You Back the Attack, We'll Bomb Who We Want, lied about his military experience. He has an apology on his web page. It seems that those on the right who would argue that those who complain about Bush and Co.'s lies, should denounce Wright as well, have a point. I must admit, I didn't care for the book as much as I thought it would, the posters are very hit and miss, shrill and repetitive. I thought Bill Maher's use of the posters in his book (at least the two I've seen) were more effective and in keeping with the original posters. Good God, have I resorted to praising Bill Maher? I feel dirty. Thanks a lot, Micah Wright.

Howard Stern/Jimmy Kimmell fans swamp FCC with Oprah complaints. I share this because it's marginally interesting, but mainly because it turns out "have your salad tossed" does not mean what I always thought it meant (oral sex performed on a woman). How naive I am.

It's cooler today then the last few days, thank God. I went to the Adams Avenue Roots Festival on Sunday, but only stayed about an hour, because it was just too hot. My car thermometer said it was 110 degrees, but I think it's not particularly reliable. But over 100, I'm sure.

On Saturday night, I went up to Orange County to see Urinetown. Orange County always gives me the heebie-jeebies, so I was relieved to take my seat in the dark theater and forget where I was. I was not too familiar with Urinetown, knew the general premise, and had heard "Don't Be the Bunny," but that was about it. It was refreshing to come into a musical as a blank slate, and I enjoyed the experience very much. At first, I was a bit concerned that it was too clever for its own good, with the self-referential narration and self-mockery. But it was really great, adroit enough musically that it earned the right to add the post-modern bells and whistles. Best musical I've seen since Sweeny Todd, and Sondheim-esque in its own right, I would say. And on the way out, the actors were hawking Urinetown toilet paper, to raise money for charity, so I bought myself a roll. I hope it comes to San Diego sometime, so I can see it again.

School is in full swing now. Fallen a bit behind in Anna Karinina, and it's going to be hard to get caught up, because I have to present an outline of my presentation for the same class this week. But my midterm went okay, and my papers aren't due until tenth week, and then I have a whole summer to relax. So I can't complain.

In addition to friendster, I am now on orkut, so any of you on that social networking service who wish to pad their accounts, feel free to invite me. It's fun!

Article on the plight of Bonobos in the Congo. Nice to see a bit of discussion of the bush meat crisis in the paper of record.

I should mention, vis-a-vis the mention of song-poems, that I saw the term in a review of NRBQ's new album, where they cover the song-poem "Little Rug Bug."

American Song-Poem Music Archives. For those, like myself, who are unfamiliar, the term "song-poem" refers to the DIY records that are churned out in response to ads in cheap magazines, which request "song-poems" because they assume the mark is too stupid to understand the word "lyrics."