I went to The Boardwalk to play The Sopranos pinball again, and it was gone. Elvis was back in its place. Which is okay, Elvis is fun, but I was sad to see Sopranos gone. I'm hoping it just required repairs, but that is odd, considering it is a new game. Perhaps it's subject matter and language didn't fit the family atmosphere (though it has a cleaner language setting than the one they had the machine set on). Anyway, I hope it resurfaces. It was an easy game, at least on the settings on which I played it, but fun.

While there, I had their pizza buffet for the first time. Not bad at all. $4.95 doesn't include your drink, but you get four tokens (a $0.66 value, since I was there on a six-tokens-for-a-buck day). And the food wasn't bad. The pizza, while not as cheesy as the usual pizza they sell by the slice, didn't skimp on the cheese as much as other pizza buffets. And while the salad bar was only slightly more impressive than other pizza buffets (meaning they had both iceberg and romain lettuce, and a few vegetable toppings as well), they also had lasagna and spaghetti, as well as breadsticks and garlic bread. The lasagna seemed to have been sitting awhile, and I got there in the first hour or so of the buffet. But it wasn't bad, and they stamp your hand so you can leave and play in the arcade, and then go back for more pizza (or pudding for dessert). I wouldn't go out of my way to eat there, but if I was already there for the pinball, and craved greasy food, it's a very good deal, and hard to resist.

Tanner's doing okay. No repeats of the fit he had the other day. So hopefully we can put that behind us. Me, I feel a bit crappy. Having trouble sleeping, and hit with a headache and earache yesterday. Got a decent run in yesterday, though. Hopefully if I can keep that up, and build up enough milege to run strong in the Race for Literacy 8K (I'd like to know the story why "Dr. Seuss" got dropped from the name), that should show in an improvement in my sleep habits.

I'm in the midst of a 10-day free trial of GameBlast at Shockwave.com, which I guess the Adobe/Macromedia merger means I'm an investor in, as well (I also recently learned my Adobe stock ownership means I have an extremely small stake in Salon.com, to which I subscribe). They recently started offering Oasis, a game I grew fairly addicted to during its beta testing period. Unfortuantely, I've cooled on it a bit while waiting for it to be released. But it's still a fun game, and worth a try (I recommend the 10-day free trial, though that requires a credit card number...the no-strings-attached one hour of free play is okay, but I think it takes a good twenty or thirty minutes just to get the basics down). For games of this caliber, Oasis is a very complex and involving game, yet still simple enough to reward the intermittent game play associated with these cheap downloadable games. I haven't found any other games that really grab me, so I don't think I'll stay with a paid subscription when my free trial runs out, though I might just for one month, to get a discount on purchasing a unlimited license to Oasis. Jewel Quest and Diner Dash are fun, though I think Diner Dash's appeal is wearing off, especially once you figure out that earning a high score requires a formulaic strategy that is pretty simple (and boring) to implement. The poker game is pretty easy to beat, as well. But there are a lot of games to explore, and if I didn't think I waste enough time as it is, I might consider a membership at less than $10 a month.

The Mutts website has a decent Mother's Day offer. Purchase the limited edition Mother's Day print for $150 and get free stationary, or purchase the basic edition for $35, and get a button. The way the offer is worded, it appeared that you get the stationary with either purchase, which would have been fantastic, but that is not the case. So now I'm not certain if that's what I'll get my mom, since $35 for a comic strip I don't believe she is aware of might be an odd gift. But it is a sweet strip. And speaking of sweet strips....

Adobe to buy Macromedia. I read the headlines yesterday, and found the news (as the owner of a small position in Adobe) exciting. When I first purchased Adobe, I compared them to Macromedia, their main competitor, and found them both to be solid companies. Over the last few years, they seem to have become slightly less competitive, as Adobe trounced them on the graphic design front, and Macromedia came to focus (as near as I figure, not having really followed the company) on developing Flash. Still, the merger makes a lot of sense to me, in that they still complement each other well, giving Adobe a chance to combine the best of both their programs (and set aside the legal bickering that has occured between the two), and expand into more areas that supplement their existing product line (the scuttlebutt is this merger is a move to capitalize on the foothold Flash has gained in the portable device market).

I still haven't really crunched any numbers or anything to determine if the price is reasonable, though at a quick glance nothing looks awry. When I first heard the news, my first response was, how much is the stock up on this? Instead, I find it was down almost 10%. I considered buying more, but relented, until I had time to look at the deal more closely. So, of course, it shoots up about 7% today. Which led to some nice "wisdom" out of wall street journalism. The 10% fall yesterday showed the market didn't like the merger (didn't see much word why--though I suspsect it's more a concern over "diworseification" rather than valuation), while today's 7% run-up suddenly represents a complete reversal, and now wall street loves the news. Just as if yesterday never happened. I own stock in a company that makes a treatment for blindness, so I guess I should applaude this myopia. I just wish I bought more stock in Adobe this morning, with the money I collected for selling Intuit (at virtually a wash...I believe I made a $14.00 profit, after holding it two years). I ended up investing in my old standby the eye drug company, QLT, Inc., which is down 20% since I bought back it (after realizing a nice profit selling it a year or so before). And as long as I'm rambling on about my stock investments, I should mention (I don't think I have before), I sold Atari at a 90% profit, after holding it less than six months. Too bad I didn't take my profits elsewhere, I've been taking a bit of a beating lately.

House OKs Family Copyright Bill. Thank God we won't have to worry about being confronted with Kate Winslet's breasts without our consent. The bill also creates tough criminal penalties for surreptitiously filming movies in movie theaters. Also, on a more useful and hopeful note, the U.S. Copyright Office is taking comments regarding solutions to the problem of orphan copyrights.

Tanner had some sort of seizure last night around midnight. Or maybe it was more of a muscle spasm. He couldn't take more than a step or two without falling against the wall. He didn't seem completely out of it, but I suppose he was shaking and twitching enough to constitute a seizure. So I had to bring him to the emergency pet clinic, which did some blood work and examined him and found nothing wrong. Hopefully, it was a one-time thing. They sent out some blood work, because his platelet count was low, but they apparently were having problems with their machine, and consider that the likely culprit. Tanner has been behaving a bit strange lately, nothing major, but I'm hoping nothing is wrong.

The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America is now only $100 at Amazon. It's not eligible for free shipping, though. I don't really feel like blowing $100 on it, but it's more tempting than when it was $150, which was itself a good price. I think I'll try reading it in the school library's special collections.

DVD Savant recently posted great reviews of The Mysterians and Matango: Attack of the Mushroom People, both of which I will be picking up shortly. One of those reviews, incidentally, led me to a very interesting review of the film Giants and Toys, which is compared to both The Apartment and The Sweet Smell of Success, which definately piques my interest.

I attended the Padres game Saturday night, my first trip to Petco Park. I was a guest of Valley View Casino, viewing the game from their suite. Which meant to go to the game downtown, I had to leave my home in La Mesa and go to Escondido, and let them shuttle be to the stadium and back, which meant I'd be doing a lot of sitting in cars. So we had to leave around 2:00 for the 7:05 game. First we swung by Harrah's, where I had a coupon for $30 in slot play, which I quickly cashed out at $50, and left. I didn't give them much action, which is okay, they still send me good offers after I periodically stiff them, and when I do give them heavy action, my offers don't really noticably improve (they don't reward their table players very well--one reason I'm dreading their takeover of Caesars).

When I arrived at Valley View, I tried to ascertain where exactly I checked in for the Padres game, but no one seemed to know. Someone sent me to the special events center, but there was only a gruff security guard there, who wasn't much help. Eventually, someone was able to tell me I just had to check in right on the bus, around 4:15-4:30. So I gambled for thirty minutes or so, won a small amount of money, and then went to find the bus. The driver confirmed we were at the right place, and we got on the bus to wait. The whole thing was poorly executed, as we were told very little, and the bus ended up leaving at 5:00, so they could have gotten another 40 minutes or so of gambling out of me, if they'd better informed us of what was going on. It was fine by me, kept me from losing money, and I had already understood the day would involve lots of time on a bus. But it seems poor planning on their part, given their own best interests. It was also odd that our escorts for the evening weren't casino hosts, but rather just employees who wanted to see the game. They were good people, though. The drive to Petco Park wasn't bad at all, it only took an hour or so, and we were there.

This was my first visit to Petco Park, and I was adequately impressed with the facility. Not a great deal of charm, necessarily, but at least it's more personable than the old stadium. The cheap seats look pretty crappy, but the park seating doesn't seem like a bad deal. $5 gets you standing-room admission, and the mound behind center field offers a decent view. For families, especially, it's a decent deal. I'd do that rather than pay double or triple that for the cheaper seats in the stadium.

But of course, I didn't have to make such decisions, because I had access to a suite. Valley View's premiere suite is on the plaza level, just behind home place, on the first base side. It looked to be about the nicest suite besides the owner's (I assume that is his immediately behind home plate). The view of the game is phenomenal. Looking in the fridge, there was beer and wine, and mixers, so I figured their must be liquor somewhere, but didn't see any. But I started looking for a corkscrew for the wine, and in the process, discovered a well-stocked liquor cabinet. So I mixed myself a screwdriver and got some food. I was excited about the prospect of the skybox food, but was a bit disappointed. They had chicken and beef kabobs, which weren't bad, but which were a bit cold. The chicken breasts were also cold, and almost inedible. So that was disappointing, but they did have the traditional ballpark food, which wasn't bad. Hot dogs and polish sausage, cracker jacks. I got my fill mostly by chowing down on the chips and seven-layer dip (much better than nachos). So if I was a bit disappointed, I didn't go hungry. And when you consider ballpark prices, I really ate like a king (I later learned my ticket would have given me access to the Omni Hotel Premiere Club, which looked to have good food, though that food isn't complimentary). The nicest aspect of watching the game from the suite, though, was something very dear to my heart--a private restroom. No more peeing in a trough for me (I never went in the public restrooms, but I sincerely hope the trough is no longer a staple of stadium men's room design). An especially nice enhancement to the free liquor.

I belive the suite's intended capacity is about 20 people, but the 21 in our group were a bit cramped. I think the problem was everyone was watching the game. I would think in many groups, there are the die-hards out watching the game in the seats, and others lounging on the couch, watching the plasma screen instead. But with everyone outside, it was cramped, and since we were the last to grab seats, we were stuck on stools in the aisle. But it wasn't a bad vantage, anyway. And the game was good, more competitive than the 11-5 final score suggests (probably one of the higher scoring games at Petco). I watched the last few innings from the couch, once the game looked pretty much done. The plasma screen TV really is amazingly clear. It will be exciting when they are more affordable. After the game, we ran up to the third level to watch the fireworks, which were pretty good. But apparently no one else cared, because they were all on the bus, waiting for us. Serves them right, for hogging the best seats. The drive back wasn't bad, either, we got back just after 11:00. I gambled, lost a bit and won it back, and ended up leaving a modest winner, after playing with one of the worst blackjack players I've seen. He'd hit a hard seventeen against a three, but stay on twelve against a ten. No reason to it. But no matter. I won some cash, saw a good baseball game, and had a more luxurious experience than I'm used to at sporting events. Valley View seems aware of their limitations compared to the more swank casinos around town, and seems to do a good job compensating, with a fabulous buffet, good comps, and unique experiences like their skybox. I didn't gamble a great deal (mostly because the game took so much time, and they had me stuck on the bus so long before we left), but I hopefully played enough that they'll still send me invites to events like this one.

4.0 quake hit near El Cajon last night. I could barely get to sleep last night, then this starts jerking my bed around around four in the morning. Somewhat unusual to have an earthquake originate this close to the city itself. They usually seem to be way out in the desert, or somewhere in the ocean.

The Museum of Modern Art in NYC is in the midst of a Christopher Guest exhibition. Damn you lucky east coast bastards!

Steve Wynn head-hunting from his old company. You can see the Wynn Casino Super Bowl ad on ifilm. It helps if you've been to Vegas in the last year or two, and can appreciate just how high up he is in the ad (even if he is securely bolted to his position. I must admit, I am tempted to shell out the major coin to stay there. The Salon Suite looks incredible, and while I may not be used to paying $850 a night (the current rate for some nights in September, which seems to be about how far ahead you have to book those rooms), it's hardly unprecedented, especially for a hotel of that luxury. I somehow doubt I'll be earning many comps there, though.

The Boardwalk in El Cajon now has The Sopranos pinball. I managed to play for close to ninety two tokens, and finally had to leave with two credits on the machine. Helps that I hit the special twice. Also helped that I earned the high score twice, earning two free games. And as is usually the case when they get a new game in, the score requirement for a free game was quite low. And being one of the first players to take a run at it, I managed to get the "grand champion," #1, and #4 rankings on the high score list (probably won't last long, though I still have a high score on the Elvis pinball).

The game is pretty fun. The eight-ramp set-up seemed a bit simple, but after playing awhile it's a bit more complicated than it looks. Not a great deal more, but requires just enough strategy to keep things interesting. I found the game a bit too easy, especially the safe shot, which is pretty easy to make over and over again, quickly getting promoted up to "underboss." In this, my very first playing session, I very nearly completed the game, just needing to complete one more episode to light everything to begin "boss" mode. It usually takes me a long time to get close to the "wizard mode," and for many games I've played a lot I never had (I don't claim to be a pinball genius, just slightly more skilled--or at least more persistent--than the average player...but much like with my bowling ability, I'm wildly inconsistent). I don't know if they have the game set on an easy mode, or if it's just not that challenging. I guess the latter, since the game has an "adult language mode" (not on at the family arcade I was playing at), and they no doubt assume a fair number of players will be tore up. But even if the game isn't perfect, and could be more challenging, I found my initial exposure to the game very fun (I doubt it will have a great deal of replay value).

Pinball News, as usual, has a nice, in-depth review of The Sopranos pinball. A brief comment in that review led me to seek out this look back at Medieval Madness, which confirms that Miss Tina Fey of SNL fame provided some of the voices for that game (along with other members of Second City). Learn something new every day.

The hunt is on for non-violent nursery rhymes. If Nick, Jr. is so concerned about not scarring children for life, they should do something about those freakish puppets on Lazy Town. Something about that show freaks me out.

I found myself thinking about Paul Reubens tonight (wondering when the special edition Pee-Wee's Playhosue DVDs are coming), which led me to think of his TV show based on You Don't Know Jack, which led me to decide to play a game of the old computer game. Turns out they apparently don't work on Windows XP, so that was out, but I did find that Jellyvision is still selling the game, and they are apparently remastered to work with XP. They even came out with a new volume of Jack last year. The price seems a bit high for the old games, but I might pick up the new one.

Some interesting factoids regarding the darker history of the papacy. I'd heard a bit about "Saint Joan," it was interesting to learn the history that might have inspired the legend. (It's also amusing to pull up some of the websites still purporting Pope John Paul II to be the anti-christ...and who will no doubt put forth new suspects with equal confidence in short order)

I hesitate to give away too much information about my screenplay-in-progress, tenetively titled Canine Cum Laude (sampling of significant dialogue: "There's nothing in the school charter that says a dog can't matriculate."), but today's events suggest a natural sequel (after I relocate the first film to, say, Notre Dame). Tentative title: Ponifex Caninus ("Nothing in the canon law says a dog can't be the Holy Father"). It would make The Pope Must Die(t) look like The Agony and the Ecstacy. Of course, it would be a francise-killer (where do you take the beloved dog--beagle, of course--once he's the infallible instrument of God?), so I'll have to figure out what the second act of the trilogy would be (astronaut? au pair?). Perhaps the dog becomes a crusty old dean himself, hypocritically keeping another dog out of the university, until befriending a street-smart bitch who reminds him of his roots. Man, once I actually put pen to paper, I think I'll have a mega-smash. Jerry Bruckheimer, watch out!

I enjoyed today's Mutts comic strip. Very touching.

Mitch Hedberg, dead at 37. Very sad. I feel real awful I missed him last time he was in town.

A week from Saturday, I will be attending opening weekend at Petco Park, watching the Padres play Pittsburg from the comfort of a skybox behind home plate, as an invited guest of Valley View Casino. I'm looking forward to it, I've yet to go to a game at the new stadium, and this will be a fun way to check it out, get some nice free food, see fireworks afterwards. It's a bit odd to have to drive up to Escondido to go to a Padres game (they're driving me and my guest to the game from there), but should be a good time. It's hard to find a reason to drive all the way up there to gamble, even though they have good video poker (the tables stink), but with the good freebies they send out, they definately have something going for them (a fantastic buffet, as well). Just wish they were closer, and had better blackjack (double-deck with some decent rules).

On a related note, Harrah's sent out my offers for the month of April, and they weren't bad, either. $30 free slot play every week, two two-night stays in the hotel (Sun-Thurs, of course), and some free food. When I called to book the Padres game, my host at Valley View signed me up for "comedy night" later on in the month (sounds painful, but I'm curious to see where they put on a show in their tiny casino--are they closing the buffet for the night?). So I thought I'd see if I could get a room that night at Harrah's. No, they told me, they don't have any free rooms available that night, but they would be happy to sell me a room for the night for $129. That just bugs me so much. If you think you can get more money for a room that night then you can generate from my gambling, just tell me the hotel is booked solid. Don't try to sell me a room. Because I'm not paying. All you've done is just pissed me off, so that when I go up to Valley View, I will probably go to Harrah's, play my free $30, and leave. I hate Harrah's. As I'm sure I've said here before, I'm dreading the day their merger plans with Caesar go through.

I'm home sick today. I actually feel better than yesterday, though I still managed to go to school yesterday. But there was no way I was getting out of bed this morning. I slept in until about 10:30, and went for an afternoon run, which I cut short at twenty minutes, but which energized me for awhile. I'm feeling a bit worse now, but I think if I get a good night's sleep, I'll be okay tomorrow. Just feeling lethargic, without much of an appetite. I'm blaming Mom, for making me get up at an ungodly hour for sunrise service (though it was a nice morning for it, weather-wise).

Before I write about this quarter at school, I should note I posted another 4.0 performance for last quarter. Just more fuel for my paranoid delusions, that some vast conspiracy of professors and administrators want me to graduate at all costs. My final paper for my history of criticism class was horrid (of course, I could just go to the office and pick up the paper, see the professor's comments, but I don't). I have the professor again this quarter, but haven't been able to pick up on any strong tells of his opinion of me (though I've pondered the slightest reactions when he calls my name during roll, I've not reached a conclusion as to the significance).

But regardless of the elaborate scenarios I establish to justify my grades, I have high hopes about this quarter. My classes interest me more than last quarter, and the workload seems managable, and spread out more throughout the quarter, with more smaller papers and tests, rather than highly significant term papers I can put off to the last moment. As I mentioned, I have one professor I had last quarter; I also have a professor I last studied with in 1996, my first quarter at the university. And during roll, she remembered me, which was unsettling. I have to wonder, does she think I am taking the class for fun while completing my doctorate, or does she think I'm an undergraduate on the ten-year plan (I've lost track, but I believe I've only been a registered college student for about six of the last ten years). Taking the class forced me to reflect a bit on how long it's been since I first arrived at the university with high hopes, and is slightly depressing. But the end is in sight, my days here are beginning to come to an end (hopefully). There are very few courses I still need, and if they are all offered promptly, I could potentially graduate next spring.

My schedule works well, a nice block of classes on Monday/Wednesday/Friday. For the New German Cinema class, we got sprung with a film lab the evening of the first day of school, which made it a rather long day, especially since I wasn't planning on it, but at least the film, Aguirre, the Wrath of God was interesting. Overall, I'm looking forward to this quarter; there have been many quarters where by the end of first week, I've been eager for it to be over, but this isn't one of them.

We are a few hours away from Easter, which means my spring break is fast approaching an end. As usual, I accomplished precious little this week, though I suppose I didn't have too much more free time than usual, working my usual schedule, and having jury duty on Monday. And I picked up Katamari Damacy this week, and that ate up a lot of time later in the week. Really addictive, uprooting buildings and mountains, viewing your destruction from an almost-borg-like detachment and drive, except for the colorful rainbows and delightful pop music. Lots of fun, highly recommended.

And, of course, I had to deal with the Terri Schaivo coverage all week, which made me about as angry as any news story ever has. Especially over the weekend, when it wasn't yet clear that the Senate's meddling was going to be ultimately ineffective, and it wasn't as obvious I was in the vast majority in being supremely pissed off with the government violating the rights of families and ignoring the rule of law. I donated blood Monday, and was told I was ineligible because my blood pressure was too low; I was afraid my blood pressure would be through the roof from watching the news (turns out they just put the sleeve on my arm wrong). The whole situation is aggravating from so many angles, but I think what drives me nuts is that the far-right Christians talk about the government having contempt for life and about the forces of evil at work in our society, and they want to give government more power, and allow it to trample the rights of the family. Does it not occur to these people that human history suggests their beloved Republicans won't be in power forever? Do they not tremble at the thought of resurgent Democrats taking a break from their Satanic rites to send jack-booted government thugs for their children, to take them off to be raised in some village by Hillary Clinton? If you think the rulings by--what is now, thirty-something?--judges proves that this country gives no value to life and takes pleasure from watching people die, why do you want to give that government more power, power that might be used against you? They seem opposed to cloning, why can't the government demand the DNA of a dying relative in order to guarantee them a chance at further survival? Why is not disrespectful of life to take a pass on the miraculous possibility of cryogenics? After all, if death is so terrible that Schaivo's life now can be seen as precious, it must be worth taking any action to avoid. That certainly is the message of Easter in the Christian faith; death sucks so much, Jesus couldn't even stand it. Nothing for us in the afterlife, avoid at all costs.

If there is one thing about this that really pisses me off, it is the statements I keep hearing from protesters, that it is illegal to starve a dog, but we're starving a human being. Hello? Since when was there a law, anywhere in the planet, that requires anyone, when caring for any non-human animal suffering from mental or physical deterioration to the point that it cannot eat or drink, to surgically implant a feeding tube and keep supplying nutrients for 15 years? You put the animal down as quickly and painlessly as possible, and you do that on humanitarian grounds. How can you conclude human beings deserve any less?

I could say more, but I've probably said too much as it is, as I'm sure everyone else is as sick of this case as I am, and I'm writing this as it appears the family has finally just about given up (if Jeb Bush gives in to their requests and seizes her from the hospice, I belive my head will finally explode). I'm dreading tomorrow, as I've agreed, again, to go to sunrise service with my mom at the cemetary. It's a lovely place, and if today's weather is any guide, should be a nice morning to watch the sun rise. But I've already warned my mother, if they bring up Schaivo, I'm gone.

But enough of the unpleasantness. I got a haircut today. I think it looks pretty good, same as I always get, pretty much. I've been getting dandruff lately, which I've never had a problem with before, so I was hoping a sporty new 'do would nip that in the bud. Maybe I just need to air my scalp out or something.

Jury duty Monday was exciting. Sat around reading until 11:30 or so, when they sent us home. I didn't want to get on a case, becuase I knew we'd be busy at work this week, but after watching their little motivation film they show you, I was eager to do my civic duty. So when they discharged me, I called the blood bank, and they squeezed me in that afternoon. As I mentioned above, there was some uncertainty about my blood pressure, which made me nervous, thinking about my family history of blood cancers, but common sense told me my blood pressure was probably not 80/50, and they tested it again, and it was normal. But there was some debate over whether they had to go with the first reading regardless. They decided I could give, though; they said they needed the blood, as I was the only apheresis donation scheduled that day, but I think they were just eager to try out their new machine (I'm not positive, but I think I was the first person to use it at the East County branch--though apparently they've had the machines for awhile at some of the other branches). Which is fine, I was looking forward to trying out the new machine. I was a bit concerned that, unlike the old machine, no saline is added to the blood that is returned to you; I always figured that the added saline, and the diminished concern of dehydration that brings, was an advantage of apheresis donations. But the machine worked pretty good, and supposedly was faster than the old ones. The old machine would collect blood for a few minutes, then return blood for a few minutes; the new machine only takes a small sample of blood, takes what it needs, and then quickly returns the rest. I would think since less blood is out of the body at any one time, that must be better for you. And the machine calculates the best donation for you to make, so you can give as much as you can. For me, this meant, instead of the typical platelets and plasma donation, I gave double platelets (I think it was double, my memory may be failing me), as well as some red blood cells. The new machine has a helpful screen telling you how much time is remaining, and how much has been collected. I gave about 450 ml of red blood cells, and 450 trillion platelets. I did notice I felt dehydrated even the next day; I don't know if that was due to the lack of saline or the removal of whole blood as well as components, but I will have to be careful to drink more water next time. And I'm always glad to do my part. And it gave me an excuse not to run that day.

My running has been going pretty good. I don't think I mentioned the Walk for Autism, a few weeks back. Poorly organized, but it's for a good cause, and I think it was the first year, so I can forgive that. Started fourty minutes late. But once it got going, I did okay. 24:05 isn't going to get me in the record books, but at least it shows I'm gradually getting my fitness back. I had hoped to push myself a little harder on my run this morning, but about a mile and a half in, I started having muscle spasms in my right calf. Tried to run/walk most of the way back to my car, and it cleared up enough that I ran the last seven minutes or so no problem. But I hope that's not a sign of a larger problem. The Race for Literacy is only about two months away.

Saw the American remake of The Office Thursday. Must admit, I was surprised, I didn't hate it. Didn't really like it, either; it reminded me of The Onion's list of least-essential albums every year (I don't think they did that this year), in that it was pretty much a remake of the first episode of the British series, adding little. All I could do was watch and mentally compare the two (which seems to be the critical impulse--this review did a good job, and I found the Annie Hall analogy quite apt), and make snide remarks about the "pretty boy," and other casting missteps. But the show wasn't terrible, and I understand future episodes will be more original, and draw less on actual scripts from the British version. So I'll give it another chance.

I'm pretty sure I've mentioned in this space my friend who was moving to Japan to tutor students learning English, but I don't think I've mentioned him since he left. He left for Japan March 1; March 8, I get a call from LAX, that he has abandoned his job without telling anyone and fled Japan in the dead of night. Not surprised he failed, but surprised it was that fast. Out of a need for teachers, they apparently skipped his two-week training period, rushing him into the classroom after about two days, and at one point had him handing out fliers for eight hours straight on a street corner in the snow. To be fair to them, his main criticism of them is that they dared critique his performance (apparently, his habit of keeping his hands constantly in his pocket left the Japanese unsettled). But so he is back, and may be moving to Vegas, which is exciting. Though it's probably the last place in the world he should live (though gambling is pretty easily available in San Diego these days, and at least in Vegas he'll find lower limits and better games).

So, I'll wrap this up now. Can't help but feeling I'm forgetting something, but I can always post that later. I've just been avoiding posting, since I figured I'd have to mention Schaivo, and knew it would get my blood boiling. But now I'm caught up, and free to write what comes to mind in the future. School starts Monday, I'm sure I'll have something exciting to report from that.

Bollywood for the skeptical. A nice collection of MP3s.

I saw Bat Boy: The Musical last night. I must admit I was a bit disappointed; it picks up in the second half, but the show never really quite gels. It's message of tolerance falls flat when it is expressed primarily through mockery of southern ignorance (the northern liberal hypocrisy of Randy Newman's "Rednecks" is evident in much of the play). But if you forgive the play this, and get beyond the cornball humor, there are enough little gems to make for an entertaining evening. The education of Bat Boy, as he is assumed into his adopted family, is amusing, sort of The Foreigner meets My Fair Lady. And things pick up in the second half, as the plot takes a turn into Frankenstein territory, and Mrs. Taylor, a character initially hobbled by the extermity of her stereotypical redneckness, draws more from the nuanced tradition of the southern gothic, as tragedies pile up, the ultimate one which she brings upon herself. The climax, where Bat Boy's secret is revealed through a filmed 50s sci-fi parody, is fantastic; if more of the musical had achieved this tone, it would have been amazing. It is a bit unfortunate that Bat Boy's secret is telegraphed late in the first act, taking a bit of the sting out of the big reveal. And the ending is a bit sudden and underwhelming.

The whole show is a bit of a mess. The first half-hour or so is also rather dull. But once the plot gets moving, at least it's a fairly fun mess. For all it's problems, I had a pretty good time. It's painful to think of what might have been with such a strong premise, but what we're left with is pretty fun to watch.

The SDSU cast was uniformally quite good. The role of Bat Boy is, of course, pivotal, and Jakko Maltis fills the ears admirably. As Dr. Parker, Jan Cranford is probably the most notable among the fully human castmembers. Nothing to fault in the rest of the cast, the band, or the sets and costumes, all are top-notch. And much of the crowd seemed to enjoy the festivities much more than I did, so I suppose it's just a matter of whether you connect with the material or not.

School is now done for the quarter; handed in my last paper yesterday. Not much to do during finals week, most of the big stuff was due tenth week, but still I allowed myself to fall into the gentle lull of inertia and accomplish approximately nothing during the week. But now it's spring break, that exciting time of jury duty and blood donation, maybe even a haircut. Time to cut loose! Then I get to go back to school!

Tonight, Dateline has a full roster of very exciting exposes. Apparently, they have launced major investigations, which have revealed that travelling to third-world nations for cheap cosmetic surgery might not be the best idea. Furthermore, it appears some fraternities may encourage binge drinking (Hillel, I'm looking at you). But I thought I'd tear myself away from those shocking discoveries to finally write about my Vegas trip. It's been awhile now, so it's not that fresh in my mind, but I'll try to cover all the bases.

I left Thursday morning, around 10:30, a bit later than I planned. The drive was pleasant enough, especially as this was my first drive to Vegas since getting my iPod. I was surprised by the amount of interference I got with my FM transmitter, even in the open desert, but I managed mostly to get a pretty good sound. Idiots on the road, as ever, but I've certainly had worse drives. It definately helps to leave on Thursday rather than Friday. I had to stop by the Las Vegas Advisor's offices to pick up my coupon book along the way (I'm beginning to wonder whether it's worth the cost of a membership anymore--great if you use the 2-for-1 buffet coupons and cheap hotel room coupons, but I don't, and the gambling coupons are really getting chintzy), but was in my hotel room at Paris before 4:00. First time I've stayed at Paris in a room with one King-size bed, instead of two Queens. Which enabled me to compare it better with the rooms I've had at Bally's next door. The Paris room was very nice, with a nice little couch and overstuffed chair. The bathroom was very impressive, with a decent tub (which I don't think I ever used) and lots of room. I still think Bally's holds its own pretty well, though, and is the better value if you're paying for your room. I was only there one night, but had a good time. Great luck at the blackjack tables, if I had just left Vegas the next morning, I would have made out like a bandit.

Part of the reason I stayed at Paris the first night of my trip was to see a few of the sights on the strip. I wanted to check out the Conservatory at Bellagio, which I never seem to find the time to see. This time, I made a point of getting over there, and they were redecorating it for the season, so it was closed. But I did stop by Jean-Philippe Patisserie and check out the huge chocolate fountain, and get a crepe (with banana foster topping) and cafe au lait. A bit underwhelming for the price, I thought, but not bad, and not that outrageously priced by Bellagio standards. Next time, I'll bring a bottled water with me and skip the overpriced coffee.

For the evening entertainment, I decided to take the monorail on my first visit ever to the Sahara Casino. As I anticipated, the casino is kind of crappy. Nothing terribly wrong with it, it just pales in comparison to the strip. It's like being downtown, except everything is priced like it's on the strip. Except for the free entertainment, which is what brought me there. I had heard good things about the Casbar Lounge, and wasn't disappointed. I've checked their schedule the last few times I went to Vegas, but this was the first trip my visit coincided with one of Lena Prima's shows. Lena is Louis Prima's daughter, and performs a 90-minute tribute to her father. The show is absolutely free, with no drink minimums (there's no cocktail service, you have to bring your booze with you--there's a two-for-one drink coupon in the fun book you get for joining the player's club). At the price, I can recommend it without reservation. I wasn't blown away by the band at first. They were good, but Vegas is overrun with very talented musicians. But they grew on me, and when they tore into "Sing, Sing, Sing" (who knew Louis Prima wrote that?), you could tell there was real talent there (you can't fake a drum solo like that). Lena Prima herself is just okay, again a very good lounge singer in a city teeming with excellent lounge singers. But again, she too grew on me a bit. I really enjoy Louis Prima's music, and I imagine that your opinion of his songs will determine if you enjoy the show. They show lots of clips from Louis' television appearances (most of which also include Lena's mother, Gia Maione), too many, in my opinion. There was a rather large block of footage from Ed Sullivan, which was all good material, but probably could've been broken up more through the course of the evening. But hey, the show's free, and a lot of fun, so why nitpick? The lounge was about 80% full on a Thursday evening, so no need to get there too early to get a seat (maybe fifteen minutes early if you've got a group and want to get your own table). I did notice the crowd was on the older side, though a few people my age eventually stumbled in and seemed to enjoy themselves.

If I was in town again and Lena Prima was performing, I might go back and see the show, but I'd have to think long and hard about it. I hate the Sahara. Like I said above, it's Downtown grime with Strip prices. After the show, I was starving, and figured I'd just buy food there then taking the monorail back to Paris and seeing about a dinner comp. The cafe looked alright, but a bit overpriced, and the mexican place was way too expensive (competitive for Mexican food in a Vegas restaurant, but I refuse to pay $5 for a taco, when I know it will be disappointing compared to the $1.50 taco back home). So I decided to get a personal pizza at the coffee shop. $6.50, I think it was. I asked how much a soda was, was told $2.50. So I asked for a glass of tap water, and was told that would be fifty cents. I was so stunned, I just said okay. That's the sort of think that would send me out the door back home, but I was on vacation and didn't want to get into a thing with the guy, and was starving and didn't want to leave, so I just said okay. The pizza was okay, but I was pissed off when I realized later that I had a 20% off coupon in the fun book the casino gave me earlier. I did win $10 in the casino, though I gave the dealer a $5 tip because I felt sorry for her working in such a dump (I actually won quite a bit at that table, after losing my money at video poker). And the monorail cost me $6 (they no longer offer discounts on round-trips). So the show wasn't exactly free. But I had fun, and am glad I went.

I got up Friday morning, checked out of the hotel and loaded my luggage into the trunk. Then I went and had Paris' breakfast buffet. Wasn't real hungry, but still got more then enough food to make it worthwhile. Since I had a crepe for dinner the night before (the cost of the crepe alone at Bellagio pays for about half the breakfast buffet), so I got an omelette instead, as well as a bowl of mixed berries with yogurt, some cantelope, french toast, smoked salmon and bagels, coffee and lots of other breakfast foods, any one plateload of which would cost as much as the buffet at any strip eatery. Paris doesn't have a lot of 99 cent specials, but I still think they have some of the best food values on the strip, when you want quality food. Sadly, I didn't go to the buffet close enough to lunchtime to enjoy the changeover and get some lunch foods. I always like to have the bouillabaisse, which has an almost spiritual resonance with me, ever since my dad and I went there and we both couldn't get enough of it. But no bouillabaisse this time. But that's okay, it's still one of the best ways to start your day.

I was spending the weekend at Green Valley Ranch, so I began heading in that direction, stopping at the Hard Rock Casino along the way (I meant to stop by the Westin on the way, as well--they have a great deal where you get $60 in slot play for $30 when you join the players club--but I forgot). I thought I'd been there before, but once I was inside, it all looked new to me. Not bad, as far as the gambling was concerned. I found the decor a bit tacky, and the place is definately about an "American Idol" version of rock and roll. And I got my clock cleaned at the blackjack table. But if I ever got a free room offer in the mail, I might give the hotel a shot. A bit away from the hustle and bustle of the Strip, but just a few blocks away if you want to check it out.

I arrived at Green Valley Ranch just a bit ahead of my 3:00 check-in time, but figured (correctly) I could get my room early. I've never been able to figure out where to park without hiking through the entire casino to get to the hotel lobby. I thought I was parking closer than usual, but ended up by the movie theaters and had to go up stairs and then through the entire casino. I guess I should just use the valet next time. But I suppose it helped burn off the Paris buffet, and I saved a buck or two in tips. I got a room in the new tower, which opened a few months back. I was glad to see I didn't need to sneak past the bouncer of the Whiskey Sky to get to my room, as you used to have to in the old tower. The new tower has a nice lobby, and shows all the class of the original tower ("tower" is the traditional parlance of Vegas, but these aren't really towers--the original is four stories, I think, and the new six--and while the service, I think, suffers from just a bit of a loss in the "personal touch" department, this is still a fantastic hotel that treats you right). I took the elevator to my floor, a spacious elevator of dark oaks, with a television monitor showing nature scenes and playing soothing new-age music. I suppose this is to calm people, like me, who get nervous in elevators. It showed an image of a dove in flight, except it seemed superimposed on a static background, so that he was just hovering, trapped at one level, unable to gain or decend, no matter how much he tried. The screens in the other elevator I took had apparently broke, so I got the far more soothing sight of exposed wiring, which always inspires confidence. Getting to my room took awhile, being a good ways down the hall. But it lived up the standards set by the original rooms. The layout is basically the same, though the little breakfast nook is now just along one wall of the main room. Nothing's changed in the bathrooms, with a deep, long tub and separate shower, a water closet and a marble sink. It's all very luxurious, and very spacious, and this bathroom is probably about 60% of what makes Green Valley Ranch my favorite hotel, in Vegas or elsewhere. The beds and pillows figure prominately into that equation as well (though I never sleep well on vacation, anywhere), and the new Bose Wave radios they introduced to the new rooms was a nice new bonus (I wouldn't pay $500 for one, but I was impressed with the way the sound carries, still sounding full in the bathroom). All in all, I was as impressed with the room as I always was by the old rooms.

One problem with Green Valley Ranch is it's location. When I stay there, I usually resolve myself to more or less not leaving, and this trip I never did. Which means you're stuck with the food choices here, which have never impressed me. I love Il Fornaio, and the Original Pancake House isn't bad. But the rest of the restaurants are rather uninviting, overpriced, and underwhelming. But I had a $100 food credit from the casino, so I had plenty of chances to reevaluate the dining options. I was especially excited at the prospect of gourging myself on sushi, as I remembered thinking Sushi + Saki was pretty good the first time I ate there.

For dinner the first night, I went to China Spice. It's a bit overpriced, I remembered from previous trips, but decent quality. I ordered the chow fun, and a bowl of hot and sour soup. I was surprised that the soup was actually quite spicy, which is as it should be, I suppose, though most places keep it on the mild side, in my experience. It had a strange flavor to it, but I enjoyed it. The chow fun was decent, not exciting, but if I wanted an exciting dinner I wouldn't have ordered chow fun. I ate about half, and saved half for a late-night snack. If you're at Green Valley Ranch and craving chinese food, eat here, but I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here.

Gambling the first night was a little rough. I lost most of my winnings from Paris, but rallied to win about half of it back. No real memorable hands from the first day spring to mind. Perhaps there were no hands of note that day, or perhaps one painfully memorable hand from Saturday night has blocked the rest out, I don't know. But I retired to my room around 1:00 and took a nice bath (I'm a tall man, and just love it when I take a bath and submerge my entire body from the neck down without becoming a contortionist), then slept well.

The next day I took another bath, hid all the toiletries in my travel bag so the maid would replace them, and went down to gamble a bit. I had lunch at Il Fornaio, and was again impressed. On a previous visit I had a tuna salad special that was amazing, so I again went with a tuna appetizer, a tuna-bean salad with arugula which was mighty tasty. I had the chicken cannelloni for the main course. I am usually more impressed, when dining in real classy italian restaurants, with the appetizers and desserts than with the actual pasta dishes. I guess it's because I'm from the Chef Boyardee generation, but I prefer limp pasta and sweet tomato sauces. But this meal was absolutely fantastic. The rotisserie chicken stuffing with sun-dried tomatoes and various cheeses was complemented nicely with the bechamel sauce. The only complaint was with the marinara sauce, which just tasted rather flat. But the marinara was not the focus of this dish, so it hardly mattered. Again, I have to conclude Il Fornaio is the only thing which makes dining at Green Valley Ranch memorable. I decided to skip desert, and maybe have desert at their bar that evening.

I went back up to my room, which housekeeping took care of while I had lunch. One strange thing: There was a burnt-out match on the floor of my bathroom. I had a non-smoking room, of course, and can't figure out why the maid would have lit a match in my room. I thought it could have fallen out of her cart from when she serviced a smoking room, but I think they usually have those on different floors. Of course, given my subsequent luck in the casino, the match could have been part of a bizarre ritual to put a hex on me (which seems out of line since I tip my housekeepers--I don't envy anyone who has to clean up after me). Sure enough, that afternoon the cards turned ugly. By the time I was getting hungry for dinner, I was down a pretty decent sum. But I remembered the last time I had sushi at Green Valley Ranch, I was losing, and then returned to the tables after dinner and won a cartload of cash. So I went to dinner with high hopes for the night.

I had peeked into the restaurant a few times earlier and found few people, but by the time I ate at 8:00, Sushi + Saki was pretty busy. On weeknights, they have an all-you-can-eat option that seems like a pretty good deal, but it's not available on the weekends, so I was ordering a la carte. A bit pricy, but pretty typical Vegas sushi prices. I waited about fifteen to twenty minutes for my food, and despite my previous experience, wasn't impressed. The asparagus roll was quite good, but the fish just seemed to be of poor quality, especially the tuna and yellowtail. Of course, I wasn't picking up the tab, so I didn't feel too outraged, but I still had to pay the tip on the $35 tab, so it did cost me something. If you're at Green Valley Ranch, have a comp, and want sushi, eat here. The all-you-can-eat deal seems to be a damn fine deal (haven't taken advantage of it yet myself). But I have to say, I was disappointed.

So, did the sushi change my luck? You could say that. I actually won a bit of cash soon afterwards, but there was one hand that would overshadow my wins. The blackjack tables at Green Valley Ranch (some of them, anyways) have a side bet called Lucky Ladies, where you bet a dollar up to twenty-five dollars, and if you get dealt a twenty on your first two cards, it pays four-to-one. There are other, bigger payouts, for suited hands, or hands of two identical cards. The biggest payout is for two Queens of Hearts, and if you get dealt two queens of hearts, and the dealer has a blackjack that hand, you win the big payout, up to $10,000 (if you bet $10 or more). This is an awful, awful bet, with about a 25% house edge, and you should never, ever make the bet. Of course, if you ever got dealt the big winning hand, you'd be heartbroken, but that will never happen. Yet it did. I pick up my cards, see I have twenty, then register that I have two Queens of Hearts. I turn over my cards and let loose with a chortle, poining out to everyone what my cards were. The table lets loose with gasps, which I thought were a bit much until I look at the dealer's up card, an ace. My chin drops, and I stare on as the dealer peeks under the ace and flips over the blackjack. A $1 would have paid $1,000, a $10 bet, $10,000 (they cap the maximum payout at $10,000, so when you see people betting $25 on the side bet--and people do--you can safely conclude they are morons). Now, this was a fun table, full of people junk drunk enough to be amusing but not aggressive or nasty. So we talked about the hand for some time (and the dealer assured me I'll be the talk of their break room for the day). Some people had been making the bet off and on (the guy two seats down from me had the bet out the hand I got dealt the two Queens), and we all concluded that, had one of them got the hand without the bet out, that would have been a tragedy, but since I never make the bet, it's not such a big deal. And it really wasn't a big deal, but it was fun to have the table ganging up on me with a bit of good-natured ribbing. And when I got home, I could tell people I lost $10,000. I played about an hour longer, then decided to ease the pain with some dessert. The bar was full at Il Fornaio, but there were plenty of tables open, so I had a seat and ordered the old standby, Tiramisu. Not the best I've ever had, but pretty damn good nonetheless. My waitress brought out the dessert cart, and everything looked great. Later, I began to regret I didn't order the Crema al Doppio Gusto, a sort of creme brulee combined with chocolate mousse. But there's always next time.

As I mentioned, the same session where I "lost" $10,000, I won a bit of money, and continued to win after my dessert break (and another bath). I got back to even, up a fair amount, and then played down to a point where I was ahead by a modest amount of money. I did have the interesting experience of having other people tell me my own story, as a player explained about the poor bastard that missed out on winning ten grand, embellishing a bit (apparently I tried to slip the bonus bet out on the felt when the dealer wasn't looking--I was waiting for him to get to the part where I drown myself in Whiskey Beach). I tried to explain to him, several times, that it happened to me, but he was too drunk to grasp that. Around this point in the evening, a cavalcade of obnoxious drunks began appearing at my table in a regular rotation. Few things annoy me as much in a casino as players who get angry with the dealer because they lose. No one is forcing you to gamble, if you want to be mad at someone, be mad at yourself. But again and again people would sit down at my table, lose two hands, announce that they have just suffered the worst losing streak in human history, and then claim that the dealer was born out of wedlock or a female dog, or just throw a few cards at her. So, in light of the annoying patrons, I figured I had a decision to make. I could decide my gambling for the trip was done, and not risk losing the last insignificant remnants of my once-mighty winnings, I could continue playing that night and try to build up more respectable winnings, or I could make my last stand in the morning. The last two were risky, not only because I could lose my winnings, but because, psychologically, I could go "on tilt," chasing after my losses to try to get back where I was, where I could have left town a winner, and end up losing a lot. I'm generally above such things, of course, but it has happened. So I decided not to take any unnecessary risks, and ended the gambling portion of my vacation. My plan was to have breakfast at the Original Pancake House and hit the road.

In the morning, I wasn't really that hungry. Also, I noticed my host had already settled my bill for me, so I would have to go down to the front desk and settle the bill again if I wanted my breakfast comped, too. And I was eager to hit the road, so I just had some coffee in my room, and was on the road around 10:30. Driving out of town, it occured to me I had a coupon for a free champagne brunch in Jean, Nevada. So I decided to eat there. For free, it's a very good deal. The buffet is not much beyond a continental breakfast, so the strawberry blintzes were pretty good. But you also can order an entree, and the french toast I chose was fantastic. They describe it in the menu as though it was real haute cuisine, with vanilla and Grand Marnier amongst the flavors added to the batter, the same way many restaurants try to make their french toast sound unique. But in this case, the description fit the bill, it was quite rich and flavorful. And the mimosa wasn't bad. I think the cost without the coupon would have been $8.99, which while not officially a bargain, is not a bad deal, either. Yet another of those things where, if you've already stopped there, you might as well eat it, but don't go too far out of your way. Me, I don't like stopping in Jean because I'm either very close to arriving in Vegas, or just leaving Vegas and eager to make good time. But Jean has always had good food deals. And even with that unscheduled breakfast stop, I still made good time. There was traffic in the desert, but not bad at all for a Sunday. I made it home by 4:30, if memory serves.

Overall, a fun trip, though not particularly lucrative. But I did win money, had some good food, relaxed a bit before finals, and got a little story about losing $10,000 with which to amuse my fellow gamblers. Ultimately, I have to conclude it was poor timing for the trip. I had a lot on my plate the following week, and not enough time to do it all. I should have been working on term papers that weekend, not gambling. But to be fair, I booked the trip before one professor moved up a due date a week, to the Wednesday after I got back. So that messed up my plans a tad. We'll see, when grades come out, if I paid a price for the trip. But I don't really regret going. Lena Prima's concert, the Paris buffet, listening to Sam Bush on Prairie Home Companion in my room at Green Valley Ranch, lunch at Il Fornaio, a bad beat on the Lucky Ladies bet, brunch in Jean, and a bit more cash in my pocket than when I drove into town; who could complain about that?

New Yorker interview with Eric Idle and other Pythons regarding Spamalot.

The woman who first made my name problematic is dead. In addition to Halloween, she also wrote Clue, one of those movies I've seen a thousand times, have on DVD, but still can't resist watching from start to finish every time it's on TV. So I suppose everytime a cashier rings up my credit card and asks, "Where's your knife?" I'll just remember the writer of Halloween gave me many laughs at well.

I've been back from Vegas for awhile, but had to jump immediately back into school mode. Research paper due tomorrow afternoon. So I'll relate my Vegas tale (and how I lost $10,000...sort of) later.

The quarter is rapidly coming to an end, papers are coming due, and finals approach. So I am doing the obvious thing, and leaving for Vegas in the morning. Should be fun, and a chance to end a rather long losing streak. Fortunately, my losses have been relatively small and I had a few very large wins before the streak began. We'll see how it goes; in any event, I really need a vacation. Just wish I didn't have a lot of work waiting for me when I get home.

I had a bit of a scare a week or so ago, when I dropped my iPod in the driveway. It hit the concrete hard and bounced a bit, and I was sure it was a goner. But other than some scratches, it seems fine. But then this weekend, I went to listen to something, and the hard drive was empty--no songs at all. It was strange, that it still showed 10 gigs of hard drive space were full, but no songs were available, like it was just the playlists that got erased. Unfortunately, to solve the problem, I had to upload my entire library back onto the iPod (which didn't really take that long). I was afraid that it was a delayed reaction from being dropped, but nothing has happened since. I uploaded songs to the iPod right before this happened, so I'm hoping there was a connection error or I unplugged the iPod too soon or something, but I'll be keeping an eye on it.

Justices abolish death penalty for juveniles.

Rock Ninja attends a Randy Newman concert. Not quite sure what to make of this, but anyone who cries during "Bad News From Home" is okay with me.

Listen to the Deadwood soundtrack online. It's a smart move of them, putting the entire album on streaming audio; having never seen the show, I had no intention of getting the soundtrack, but after listening to it at work most of the day, I almost certainly will now.

I think today's Unshelved may have given me a new motto. Of course, it is hard to boast of my skills as an advantage player after dropping a chunk of change on video poker yesterday, but I suppose we're all entitled to a reckless day or two.

Shotgun golf with Bill Murray. This would appear to be the last thing published by Hunter S. Thompson in his lifetime; I'm uncertain how the financial viability of shotgun golf will be affected.

I got my ass handed to me by Valley View Casino today. Which wouldn't bother me, because I haven't done much gambling lately, but I got no pleasure out of it, nor did I really earn anything in terms of future comps or anything to cut the loss, since Valley View already sends me free buffet coupons regularly, and doesn't really have anything else to comp. The drive up was hellish in this weather, and by the time I arrived, it was too late to make the buffet for lunch, so I just had a hot dog from the deli. And my host never returned my call from that morning, and was nowhere to be found as I was getting absolutely slaughtered. Playing there for any prolonged amount of time just seems to be a waste, especially as the table games suck. Of course, it could just be sour grapes because I didn't eat the buffet. I still claim Barona's is the best in San Diego, but a convincing case could be made for Valley View, and the price (and the frequency with which they mail out free buffet coupons to regulars, even with only modest play, as I had on my first few trips there, before I decided to start betting like a madman) makes the Valley View case even stronger. And the machines are far better than Harrah's next door. This visit was just a disappointment, and it gets harder and harder to justify the long drive. And it stings to lose a hunk of cash when I'm going to Vegas in about two weeks. But it was necessary to get in one last gambling trip before Chad moves to Japan, so I suppose I can just look at the loss as if I threw a huge going away party for him. I'm sure he'll understand when I explain that when he asks why no going away party. Besides, he's fleeing the country while owing me $46, what am I supposed to do, throw him a parade?

Had some stew and some reheated Mandarin Dynasty "pork" for dinner. Small consolation for missing the buffet, but not bad. I don't think I've ever appreciated stew appropriately. I've grown to enjoy the taste, nutrition and convenience of soup in recent years, but the comfort of stew on a stormy night is just now coming to my awareness.

Rancho San Diego Wal-Mart plan rejected. That's just the first step, though, I'm sure Wal-Mart will keep up the fight. I enjoyed the proud boasting of Skyline Wesleyan Church's pastor, that they got Wal-Mart to knuckle under and agree not to sell pornography (in exchange for selling them land designated to be a cemetery). Because I know Wal-Marts in general are world-renowned for their extensive pornography libraries. I know I was inspired by the article to run down to my local Wal-Mart and ask the friendly greeter, "Old Man, where exactly is your pornography collection?" Turns out he had lots of photos to share.

A tornado touched down in Fallbrook today. What the hell? When people make comments about Southern California and earthquakes, I always think, at least we don't get tornadoes. Those are freaky. Now we're getting tornadoes. It must be the end of the world.

I've again been remiss in posting here, mainly because I've been too tired to do much of anything. I was fairly sick for a few days there, but recovered in time for my various festivities last week. And I still managed to get an "A" on my mid-term. Of course, long-time readers of this space know that I only take "A" grades as proof of a vast conspiracy to inflate my grades so that I might be graduated from the University as soon as possible, for some unknown, yet no doubt sinister, reason. And that's what I think when I don't have a fever. But I try to suck it up, and consider the possibility (slim as it is) that I got that grade by merit. And having gotten a bit of sleep, I'm feeling a bit better. Not exactly bursting with get-up-and-go, but able to actually achieve most of my goals for the day. In the time I was too lazy to write here, I've had, as you can no doubt imagine, all kinds of adventures. But in order to get caught up (and since I can mostly just cut-and-paste my previous remarks from a Randy Newman fan forum), I shall focus my remarks here today on last Saturday's excursion to Long Beach to see Randy Newman perform with the Long Beach Symphony Orchestra.

Storms have been coming and going in San Diego lately, and in the days prior to the concert, forecasts called for about a straight week of rain. And the storms were heading north, so it would only get worse as I got closer. And as it was raining a fair amount at home Saturday, I decided to leave a bit early. But fortunately, the storm largely dissolved as I hit the road, and while there were some brief deluges, the drive up with largely pleasant. And I was only the second person to arrive at the restaurant where some of my internet friends were gathering for dinner. I showed up at five, and we were seated not too long afterward, and our party of 17 had a lovely dinner at Parker's Lighthouse, before departing for the nearby concert venue, where we planned to have dessert and wine at our tables.

I knew from planning the drive that the concert was being held, not at the Long Beach Performing Arts Center, but at the Long Beach Arena. But I didn't really give this news any thought, and still pictured myself enjoying the concert in a fairly intimate setting, at a table just below the stage, with the hoi polloi stuck seated behind. But no, the concert was being performed in a hockey arena. It had been melted, but my seat was smack dab in the middle of a hockey rink. It was gratifying to see that Randy attracted quite a crowd (the floor was chocked full of tables, all full of people, and the bleachers were about two-thirds full--I would venture to say far more full then they are during a hockey game). But I would have much rather attended the concert in a facility with better acoustics. And on top of that, there were people sitting in my seat. I wasn't quite clear on what happened, but before too long they were ushered off (don't cry for them, I think they found out they actually had far better seats), and I was ready to settle in and enjoy the evening.

To begin the concert, the Symphony's management presented a few messages from sponsors and underwriters, and showed a thirty-second commercial for the company that provided the projection screens for the auditorium. Crass, perhaps, but it gave Randy a chance to introduce himself by offering his own commercial interruption, for a brand of beer I'm unfamiliar with (his rining endorsement was along the lines of, "tastes like swill," so it's probably not my loss). The premise of the evening was that Randy would conduct the orchestra through several film scores, before passing the baton and playing piano with support from the orchestra, playing songs from his many studio albums. I had never seen Randy perform publicly with an orchestra, but it is something he has done fairly regularly. This concert, however, was trying something new, by including actual film clips playing on the big screens while the orchestra played the scores. For the first two scores, for Toy Story and Monsters, Inc., the footage consisted of a few scenes, relatively uncut. For the final two, Avalon and The Natural, the footage was more of a montage encapsulating the entire films. The orchestra was great, the scores were without exception wonderful (I never really appreciated the Monsters, Inc. score before that evening, even though I was there while part of it was recorded), and the experience left me wishing every Newman-scored film on DVD featured isolated soundtracks (with commentary). Randy as always cracked up the audience between songs, claiming that we were some of the first gentiles ever to see Avalon, and going through a routine where he attempts to summarize the plot of Toy Story, though he apparently spent most of his time while watching the film fuming that characters dared talk over his music. It's a story I've heard him tell many times, but it still is fun to hear, both because it's funny, and because it always goes over great with audiences. Prior to concluding the first portion of the concert with the suite from The Natural, he dedicated the song to the Ice Dogs, who usually play where we were seated. He apologized for making us sit on ice to hear him, before promptly adding, "tough shit, life isn't fair," or something to that effect. I had hoped they would conclude The Natural Suite with the scoreboard buzzer announcing half-time, but alas, that was not to be. Instead Randy dropped his trademark line about shooting up backstage, and I spent intermission downing as much cheesecake, cream puffs, cookies, brownies, and assorted desserts as my flu-rattled stomach could take. The Cheesecake Factory's caramel cheesecake is phenomenal. And it is nice of the Symphony's management to allow people to bring in their own outside food and drink to enjoy before and during the concerts. I noticed from the signs in the arena that the hockey fans do not enjoy the same priviledge.

Randy came out a short while later, passing the baton to guest conductor Mark Mandarano, and taking his place at the Steinway to play some songs from his studio albums, with help from the orchestra. I, again, had not seen Randy perform in this format before, so I didn't have much to go by, but it did seem like the orchestra had some trouble keeping pace with Randy. This, coupled with the poor acoustics, made the whole experience a tad underwhelming, compared to other concerts I've attended, but only in a relative sense was the concert underwhelming. Randy was in fine form, and the orchestra was quite good when they got the timing right. Randy played the following songs: --Great Nations of Europe --Short People --Girls in My Life, Part One --The World Isn't Fair --I Miss You --Leave Your Hat On --I'm Dead (Randy singing about aging arena rockers who don't know when to retire, while playing an arena himself, a man with a few gray hairs) --Marie --Birmingham --I Love to See You Smile --Dixie Flier --Louisiana 1927 --You've Got a Friend in Me --Political Science --Sail Away

If there was just one song I wanted to hear with the orchestra, it was "Sail Away." So that was a good closer, though I laughed through the opening chords, do to Randy's introduction. Throughout the evening, he had kind words to say about the musicians he was performing with, and before beginning the final song, he spoke about the importance of supporting live music, and taking your children to hear the symphony, and explained that he was honored to be conducting a group of incredibly talented musicians, who had each individually spent years honing their craft alone in their room. "Of course," he added, "you could say the same thing about snipers." That got a good response from the crowd, and even at our tables full of Randy-concert veterens, that was a new one. For an encore, Randy did two songs, "Lonely at the Top" and "I Think It's Going to Rain Today." I like both songs, and I understand why he closes with "I Think It's Going to Rain Today," but it really does strike me as closing on quite a down note. It's a great song, just a bit of a downer. But it's a minor complaint; all-in-all, yet another great concert.

Using my massive network of connections, my name was on the list to get backstage, so I lingered a bit while the rabble cleared out, and waited to be admitted backstage. Security was tighter than the White House Press Room, but I managed to get back to see the man. I'm always uncomfortable in these settings, though it is a thrill to shake Randy's hand and tell him how much I enjoyed his performance. I got my picture taken with him, and then just basked in the ambiance of backstage. Some people more resourceful than myself managed to pick up on the fact that Randy has written some new material. The suggestion that the possibility of an album of new material is that much closer to becoming a reality is truly fantastic news. I'll have my fingers crossed.

I excused myself around eleven for the drive home. Walking out alone across the hockey rink, I felt like some boyhood dream that I might have had if I cared about hockey or any organized sport as a child was somehow coming true. There were doors open near the dressing room, but I, astutely aware of my lack of a sense of direction, chose to leave through the doors by which I came. But I got turned around and went out the doors immediately behind where I came in, and wound up in the back, in some loading dock. My keen sense of direction then kicked in, and while it turns out, I can say in retrospect, a left turn would have led me promptly to the parking garage, I went right, and spent about twenty-five minutes wandering the convention center and streets of Long Beach. I was talking on my cell phone as I wandered, until I realized that loudly talking about how I was lost in an unfamiliar town and frightened was probably not the wisest approach. Fortunately, I am well-adept from practice at wandering in concentric circles until I find my car, and after only checking one wrong garage, I found my car (fortunately, I remembered I was not in covered parking, which enabled me to rapidly narrow down my options). And around one AM, I was back at home, ready to hop into bed and get some sleep before work in the morning.

The venue was not the best place to take in a symphony, but I still thoroughly enjoyed myself. If you ever find yourself in a position where you can see Randy Newman perform, solo or with an orchestra, consider my description of this concert only as a rough outline. He is a consumate performer, yet his stage patter is absolutely hilarious. And he's a hell of a nice guy. See him life, buy his albums, pray that Faust is staged again, anywhere (I'll be there), and just bask in the genius that is Randy Newman!

I'm sick. I don't think it's too serious, just some stomach bug that hopefully will pass by morning. But it's rather unfortunate that I have a take-home mid-term exam due in about two hours. I'm almost done, just need to add a paragraph or two about T.S. Eliot and mimesis, and I'm good to go. But I was not really in a great condition to write essays on topics I would have struggled with under ideal circumstances. I think I have managed to churn out some writing that will recieve a passing grade, but I'm rather embarrased by my work, and don't look forward to dragging myself to class this evening and turning it in (hopefully my stomach will have calmed down enough by then that there won't be any unfortunate incidents--I haven't kept any food down yet today). But at least with the completion of this assignment, the mid-term aspect of the quarter will be done, and then it's all smooth sailing until finals week. A nice little breather. But I've killed enough time with this quick post, I should get back to work.

McDonalds wants you to have sex with their cheeseburgers.

Watch Frontline online.

Bombproof your Horse chosen as oddest title of 2004.

I noticed that Paul Collins is again updating his website, in blog form, this time. I haven't completely dug through the archives, but I found a few interesting posts or links: why authors become recluses; some notable literary misjudgements of 2004 (Tom Wolfe's use of the word "otorhinolaryngological" in a sexual context gets my vote for #1); Old Bailey court records dating back to 1674 now available on-line; Mary Wollstonecraft's smuggling adventure.

Tom Wolfe, eat your heart out.

In the spirit of Bob Newhart, here's "Ladies and Gentlement, This is Your Captain Speaking."

Speaking of Newhart, I was listening to his skit, "The Uncle Freddie Show," last night. "Today we're adding the name of a new sponsor to our blacklist. We're adding the name of Pops, a new breakfast cereal. And, of course, all the members and boys and girls in good standing in the Uncle Freddie Club, that of course means you can't have Pops for breakfast in the morning, or play with any little boys or girls who do eat Pops." That cracks me up every time. Though it's all in the delivery, I suppose.

I suppose I could just let you catch up on reading McSweeney's yourself, if you were interested, rather than posting every other article I read here, but in any event, here's Welcome to Cancun.

A sestina to Thrasher magazine.

The Fabulous Friends: Conservative Christian Groups' least-favorite all-star cartoon.

Poor Tanner's condition keeps getting better and worse. He was doing fine until Wednesday night. He got up around one, and threw up twice in short order. While I was cleaning that up, he went outside, where it was sprinkling a bit. When I went to let him in, he slowly started moving towards the door, like he was in slow motion. It probably took a whole minute just to put one foot forward. After a few steps like that, he just sat down in the rain and wouldn't move. I thought maybe he felt he was going to be sick again, so I didn't want to force him inside, so I got a book, and gave him about fifteen minutes to come in on his own, but he never budged. And during all this, he was trembling something fierce. Finally, I carried him in to bed, but he was still trembling, though that seemed to subside a bit when I turned him on his side. But in the morning, he was fine, so we decided just to stop giving him the pain pill he was taking, and figured that it was just a reaction to the drug. But then Thursday night, he wouldn't eat, and was trembling again, and later started moving real slow, just looking drugged out. So we called the vet Friday morning, but that morning he seemed fine, and woke up hungry. So the vet made us a late appointment Friday, and said if we decided he was okay, we could cancel it. He semeed fine, so we did. He started trembling a bit Friday night, but it was a tad cold, so maybe that was all that was. Now he seems fine, except we haven't been able to find anywhere in the back yard where he's gone number two. So that is unsettling. But we have our fingers crossed that Tanner is well along the road to recovery. At the very least, whatever was causing him pain last week seems no longer to be an issue.

Not much going on around here besides Tanner. Mom's birthday was yesterday, I got her Everybody Loves Raymond on DVD, my sister got her a collection of DVDs about the Boston Celtics, and some books. We were going to go to happy hour at Claim Jumpers on Thursday, but with the dog's health issues, decided against it. I saw The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou last week. I enjoyed it well enough, though I didn't connect with it like I have some of his previous films. I would go on, but I watched The Good, the Bad and the Ugly the other night, and that tends to wipe all other films from my mind. My fitness resolutions for the new year are going along at a reasonable pace. Lost five pounds this month, and am gradually increasing my milage running. But I have been having trouble sleeping, which leads to a decrease in energy, which is holding me back a bit. But that seems to have improved just over the last few nights, so hopefully, especially as I get more exercise, my sleep habits will improve. I've had insomnia most my life, but have made great strides in eliminating it; I'd hate to have that monkey on my back again.

I think Tanner is doing better now, after his condition got worse Thursday night and Friday morning. They gave him a shot Friday morning, and that seemed to help a lot, and the pain pills they gave us also seem to be doing the trick. I don't know what's wrong with him, though, and I just hope that he is getting better, and that the pain pills aren't just masking the pain. But he hasn't cried out once today.

So mostly I've just been keeping an eye on Tanner, and hanging around the house. We did have some excitement this morning, though. Turns out my sister is pregnant. So I'm soon to be Uncle Mike. Apparently they've been trying for a little while, just wanted to surprise us.

Tanner is not well. Yesterday, he started crying out in pain, but we couldn't see anything wrong with him. But that evening, he seemed to be okay. So we planned to take him to the vet to have her check him out, since he was due for a check-up anyway. During the night, he seemed okay, until I was awoke at 2:15 by his cries, and found that he got his toenail caught on the bedspread. It was snagged pretty good, and I eventually had to get some scissors and cut him lose. His nails were getting pretty long, I actually intended to call his groomer today and schedule an appointment. So I was hopeful that perhaps it was just a broken nail or something similar causing his pain. Then this morning, he threw up. But according to my mother (I was at work), Tanner was fine all the rest of the day, and this afternoon, the vet couldn't see anything wrong with him, and while his nails looked fine, suggested that that could be the cause. So I was hopeful that was indeed all. But now again this evening, he is crying out in pain again. I think we've determined it always happens when he tries to roll over or turn around, and I suspect that means that it is his hip that's bothering him (that or some internal organ is twisted or something). Don't know why he vomited, but it could just be stress from the pain. The vet is calling in the morning, and at least now I can tell her some specific information (he's cried out twice just while I wrote this, and watching him, it seems to definately hurt when he turns to the right, and he seems to have developed a slight limp, as well). So hopefully the vet can give us a better course of treatment now. I just hope he doesn't have to go in for observation (especially tomorrow, being a Friday, as I don't think they're open weekends). He's being a brave little trooper, though.

So, I have become yet another proud iPod user. I'd been looking at them for some time, and in the last week or two began really seriously considering the purchase. I was at the point where I planned to worry over the matter for a month or two, and then buy one. But I was asking around about people's experiences, and a co-worker reminded me of Apple's educational discount, and that it applies to iPods (with their myriad educational uses). So with all other factors still the same, a $40 discount was enough incentive to go ahead and make the purchase immediately. I got the 20-gig version. I'm very happy with it so far (it did freeze up on me today, though it was easy enough to reset), and the FM transmitter I purchased for the car works reasonably well. It is strange that I will receive interference on the same frequency while driving the same roads where it played perfectly the day before. But having been made aware of the limitations in the technology, I actually expected much worse results than I have heretofor experienced. And so far, no real complains about the iPod. I've uploaded 750 songs or so, and have barely made a dent in the available space. I've only ripped a small portion of my CD library, but even after just moving a small number of CDs into storage, my remaining collection is beginning to look more managable. With skipping not an issue, it gives me a better choice of music at the gym than the NBA Jams CDs or whatever it is they play down there. I felt a bit unseemly sitting down and making a "work-out playlist," something very Yuppie about the situation (perhaps its a continuation of the emasculation I feel purching my favorite cereal, now packaged in a pink box with a huge picture of Courtney Thorne-Smith on the cover). But it does make running on the treadmill a lot more enjoyable, and I like to think mine is the first work-out playlist to include both Hanson's "MMMBop" and "Ecstasy of Gold" from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, the latter being an ideal song to run by. I thought I was Tuco.

So that's my new toy at the moment. I am ripping CDs at a decent clip. I've been watching season one of Gilmore Girls while I copy the songs, and was disturbed to see one of the discs was badly scratched in transit, apparently. Since I got it a few months ago, I don't think I can return it, but this screws up my intention of selling it on half.com when I was done watching it. Because while I find the show amusing enough, it isn't something I needed to own for all time. Perhaps I'll buy one of those scratch repair kits. But if you have never seen Gilmore Girls, you might want to give it a try sometime. It amuses me, though, watching the whole season in a short period of time, realizing just how many episodes involve one of the girls oversleeping something. You'd think they'd come up with some other device. Can't they miss a bus or have car troubles to cause some crisis? But I digress. The iPod's cool.

I just checked in at MoPA's web site, to see what movies are coming up, and I see Takeshi Kitano's Dolls will be playing January 27th. It never got an American distributor, that I know of, so if you're in San Diego, this is probably your only shot to see it.

How to hook up your iPod to your car stereo. Just a link so I can find this later...I am considering buying an iPod, though I hardly use my current mp3 player, with it's amazing 32 megs of memory. But the options to connect to my car radio seem limited. I guess I'd have to go with the FM transmitter, but those don't seem to get a lot of kudos.

The theory of relativity expressed with words of four letters or less.

A reflection on Nellie McKay by way of Randy Newman.

Sunset Bowl is closing. I always had trouble getting a lane there. I imagine that is partly due to the closing of other alleys and consolidation of demand. Now the bowling community of San Diego will have even fewer options.

Now that school has started, I find myself complaining about the lack of free time which I wasted away when I had it over the vacation. I did get a bit of reading done, though. I read The State Boys Rebellion, about foster children of normal mental faculties who, due to poor showing on IQ tests, were imprisoned in mental institutions. The story of the children of Fernald State School is interesting enough, but it was more the background information on eugenics in America and the history of the IQ test that interested me. There are books specifically about eugenics (the recent War Against the Weak has been well-recieved), but The State Boys Rebellion covered the material adequately in survey form, while the main story of the institutionalized children keeps a concrete example of the harm done by the movement always in the forefront. The rebellion of the title is a bit anti-climactic, and the book lags a bit once some of the children (men, now) are finally released. But the look at life inside a twentieth-century home for the "feebleminded," as a concrete example of America's embrace of a philosophy generally associated with Nazi Germany, is quite memorable. Incidentally, Spielberg recently acquired the movie rights, I'm sure that will turn out great.

I also read Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison: The Making of a Masterpiece. I must say it was a bit disappointing; the subject matter is interesting enough to make the shortcomings of the book forgivable, but the prose is at times painful, and the biographical background on Cash has been handled better elsewhere (and he at times misrepresents what Cash's autobiography says, for instance, regarding his drug use post '68). The description of the actual concert is interesting, but for the most part just confirms what could be easily inferred from the actual record. The background information on Folsom Prison itself is interesting, but could have been more developed; it often turns into a laundry-list of names and crimes. But if for nothing else, the book is worthwhile in telling the story of Glen Sherley, a prisoner at Folsom who wrote a song performed by Johnny Cash that night. He proved prescient in thinking that Johnny Cash would be his ticket out of Folsom, but much like some of the boys profiled in The State Boys Rebellion, institutional living left him ill-suited to freedom. The story of Johnny Cash's Folsom prison engagement brings together a lot of social issues and a lot of interesting aspects of Cash's life and career, but one will probably find a few listens of the album more rewarding than reading this book.

So a new quarter of school is now underway. I cannot exactly say that my classes are absolutely riveting, but they are probably a bit more engaging than last quarter (not saying much). I have an evening class Mondays and Wednesdays, which I hate. Though, of course, when the subject matter is as absolutely riveting as the history of literary criticism, the hour and a half just flies by. Actually, considering it is a class I haven't been looking forward to taking, it's not as bad as I feared. The amount of reading I'll have this quarter is a bit daunting, though I'm actually more dismayed about having to carry the two heavy readers around more than actually reading them. If there was parking available within two miles of my first class, I'd be okay, but there isn't, so I'm not. But I suppose what does not kill me makes me stronger. Or leads to a lifetime of lower back pain.

My aunt and uncle apparently suggested to my mother that I should buy their cemetery plot from them. They are moving to Colorado, and apparently will be buried in God's country. My aunt is being cremated; she will be buried in her husband's casket. If she dies first, that's fine, but I do not envy the man whose job is to reunite her with her husband should he go first.

I think the offer to sell me the plot is a face-saving mood, should family members show outrage after learning they sold their plot, located next to my mother's parents. I personally don't care. And I won't be buying the plot; I intend to be cremated in a frigidaire box. After reading Jessica Mitford's The American Way of Death, I'd be reluctant to make any pre-paid arrangements (though I suppose since the plot has been purchased already, the damage has been done). And if I was concerned about my final resting place, I doubt I'd want to be next to by grandparents (no offence). Besides, as I just recently discovered, there's isn't the best neighborhood. The neighborhood kids steal stuff right off your porch, as it were.

Of course, this is all academic, as I have no intention of ever dying. Death is just something that happens in the movies. And TV, I suppose. Which reminds me, watching the Twilight Zone marathon on the Sci-Fi Channel, I saw "I Sing the Body Electric" for the upteenth time, and realized that is a really fucked up story. Basically, the girl doesn't like the robot mother, because she's afraid it will die like her real mother. But the robot mother gets hit by a car and is unhurt, and so the girl loves her, because she will never die. So the moral, as I see it, is, "Feel free to love someone, as long as they will never, ever die." Words to live by. A somwhat darker philosophy by which to view Small Wonder reruns.

A San Diego company is exploring a drug to treat compulsive gambling. The wisdom of trying to find a pill that corrects each and every mental deficiency notwithstanding, I found the functioning of the drug a bit troubling; the pill hinders the pleasure the gambler feels by blocking dopamine, the chemical agent by which the brain feels pleasure. So one might be cured of an addiction, with the minor side effect of lack of pleasure. It seems like "an inability to feel pleasure" is no trivial side effect, but then again, watching the ads on television, for products which cause explosive diarrhea, bowel spasms, four-hour erections, and even lymphoma, perhaps "an inability to ever truly know joy again" isn't so bad.