While the signal to noise ratio wasn't the best, I still enjoyed last night's telecast. It probably helped, of course, that I taped it (I went to the movies last night) and could fast forward Mariah Carey and such. I tuned in mainly for Randy Newman, and he opened the show, with "Louisiana 1927," and while I've heard the song many, many times (though not at too many concerts--the tune is virtually identical to "Sail Away," and he rarely plays both in concert, usually just playing "Sail Away"), the context gave it added poignancy, as Randy's anguish came through on the last couple recitations of the closing line, "They're trying to wash us away."

Of course, it's been observed that perhaps other Randy songs are also appropriate for the current situation. He sings about New Orleans in several songs. But it was also pondered in the Randy Newman discussion list to which I subscribe, about what would happen had Randy Newman performed "God's Song (That's Why I Love Mankind)" on the telethon (the consensus being it wouldn't motivate people to run for the phones). But seeing the headline for The Onion this week hammered home the relevance of that song, at it's final verse: "I burn down your cities--how blind you must be/I take from you your children and you say 'how blessed are we....'" Or if you're Pat Robertson, you praise God for the hurricane making Roberts confirmation road easier. (Which seems to tie it all back back to "Louisiana 1927": New Orleans blew the levy in 1927 even though the knew the town was in no real danger, and now God has smote a city to get a judge approved who already was almost assured confirmation. Nothing like destroying lives and property to get a little political insurance)

And on the topic of Randy Newman, a member of the discussion list above-mentioned produced a Randy Newman parody which I found exceptionally well-done and rather amusing. I don't know how much it appeals to non-Newman fans, but I think it's worth a listen.

Another recent example of journalists telling it like it is.

I thought Mutts was cute today.

Roman Catholic Archdioses challenging sex abuse law. My eye was caught by the use of the phrase "economic Holocaust." You know, when I think of "Holocaust," I tend to think of innocent victims being slaughtered, not guilty parties made to answer for their sins. And I find the notion of an "economic Holocaust" to be in very poor taste (as does the American Heritage Dictionary, as noted in this usage guide. (It also notes that Holocaust, when capitalized, refers specifically to the mass murder perpetrated by the Nazis, though it would presumably be the paper, not the lawyer, responsible for the capitalization). But it just seems to me, when you're making the very compelling argument that you shouldn't be tried for a crime because you destroyed documents and now would have difficulty defending yourself, you should avoid invoking the Holocaust in your argument, as it's unlikely to get you very far.

I just settled in front of the TV to watch the U.S. Open, and after checking the odds, decided to put some money on Sharapova. I missed getting the bet in by just seconds, and so of course Sharapova breaks for the first point. So I was upset I didn't get my money in, though now it looks like Clijsters might break, too. It's going to be a close game, I was just surprised they were offering about +160 on Sharapova.

Regardless of whether I have money on it, though, I'm expecting a good game. I doubt it can top the Blake/Agassi match on Wednesday, but what can, really? Too bad Davenport's out, though. Update: Turns out being slow on the draw saved me $20. I don't think Pierce has a chance, so I'll probably put that money on Clijsters, assuming the odds aren't too bad.

I got someone to work for me on the 19th, so now I can attend the 13th Annual Sea Chantey Fest on the Star of India. I've never been, but it sounds like a lot of fun!

If you're anything like me, I doubt you took any notice of the release of Walt Disney's Timeless Tales Vol. 2. But I was reading a review, and learned that the title was selected to keep anyone from noticing that The Wind in the Willows is the cornerstone of the DVD release. And "Ferdinand The Bull" is included as well, along with some other less thrilling shorts. I think The Wind in the Willows was probably the second-most-watched movie of my childhood, behind Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (I'm pretty sure they both beat out Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, but it's close). As much as I hate giving Disney money (especially with the annoying trailers they tack on the front of their DVDs), I think my new niece (due in scant weeks) will find one under the Christmas tree, and I might pick up one for myself, too.

Update: Reading the user reviews at Amazon, I learn that Disney's odd titling of this release is apparently intended to obscure the fact that there's nothing new here. I was unaware that The Wind in the Willows was already available on DVD because it is called The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. I know I've seen Ichabod and was reasonably entertained as a child; I did not realize it was bundled with Mr. Toad as one feature. So Disney has re-released (the better) half of a film, tacked on a few shorts already available in DVD collections, and attempted to make more money. You don't get the "Ferdinand" short with the Ichabod/Toad release, but a review from a site I'm unfamiliar with claims the trailers can be skipped with one touch of the menu button on the older release, so that's probably the one I'll go with. Though the new DVD seems to get higher marks for audio/visual quality. Thank you, Disney, for being such douchebags that even when you put out something I want, you do everything you can to keep me from buying it.

I was watching Spike TV, and saw a commercial for Maxoderm, a topical lotion for "male enhancement," applied "directly to the source." I just couldn't help but think Steve Martin needs to sue someone, as he put forth the idea of Steve Martin's All-Natural Penis Beauty Cream on Saturday Night Live years ago. "You can't feel confident unless your manhood is smooth and soft." That sounds like the perfect tag-line for Maxoderm. That, or "some discoloration is normal."

I just wonder, does Maxoderm come in a plain brown wrapper with "Not Penis Cream" stamped on it?

Monday night, I qualified to compete in the Million Dollar Freeroll tournament at Paradise Poker. Entry in this tournament is free (hence the name), but you have to win a seat in a free sattelite tournament. I failed to win my way into the first tournament, but they are running a second tournament in December, and last night, I overcame about 1300 people to be one of of the last 20 players standing, and won a seat in the main event. So I now have about a 1 in 4200 chance of winning $1,000,000. Of course, the price money drops dramatically after first place, but I still have about a 1 in 9 chance of winning money. Those odds based on the enrollment in the first tournament, I don't know if the tourney I'm in will have more or less players. But I value the entry at about $260, not considering the trip to a "mystery tropical location" if I make it to the final table (which will be televised). So that's somewhat exciting. I don't pretend to be a very experienced multi-table tournament player, but it's about the closest I've ever been to winning a million dollars.

Bob Denver, dead at 70.

Wow, all these years, you think you know the world you live in, and then you learn that Shelly Winters and Jonathan Winters are not married. They appear to be no relation to each other. Man, that blows my mind.

Shakespeare was, like, the ultimate rapper.

Wow, we just had quite a little tremor here in San Diego. It was pretty scary, even though it didn't last very long at all, because it was just a little rumbling, than one very strong jerk. Didn't really feel like any earthquake I've been it.

I assume this is the culprit. 3.9 sounds about right, especially considering the relative proximity; usually, the epicenter is well out into the ocean or desert. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised, as there have been quite a few earthquakes in Imperial County lately.

In answer to "engrish," the misuse of Chinese characters in Western culture (tatoos, primarily).

The response to the destruction of New Orleans bears some resemblance to the leathal Chicago heat wave of 1995. The article includes an interesting slam of Clear Channel, whose past track record includes a failure to alert their listeners to a leathal poison cloud descending on one community, and their lack of local news coverage. Incidentally, a book about the Chicago heat wave came out in 2002, and sounds fascinating.

I watched the flood concert on NBC tonight. Randy Newman wasn't there; Aaron Nevill sang "Louisiana 1927," quite movingly. Not as good as Randy, of course; the way he doesn't try to sell the lines, "The river rose all day/the river rose all night,/some people got lost in the flood/some people got away all right," is what gives the lines their power. He changed the word "crackers" to "people," which seemed appropriate, given that it's the poor blacks bearing the brunt of this flood. And Kanye West's outburst was a nice change of pace from the annoying celeb talking-head moments, that resembled hackneyed Academy Award celebrity presentations. And my poor name-sake Mr. Myers standing beside him, stunned. West's point was valid, but I'm afraid it just came across as comic relief. But I'll settle for that.

Fats Domino is okay. Nice to have some good news coming out of LA.

There's a very good article about torture in the June issue of The Atlantic. You need a subscription to read the article, but numerous blogs summarize the contents. Basically, it cites the example of Marine Major Sherwood F. Moran, who was one of the most successful interregators of Japanese prisoners of war during WWII, by being nice to his prisoners and treating them with respect. Rather than treating them as combatants, he recognized they were no longer a threat in their present condition, and instead befriended them, and encouraged them to tell their story. Military Professor James Corum summarizes the lesson to be learned from Moran's example as "know their language, know their culture, and treat the captured enemy as a human being." If only Moran's example of "enlightened hard-boiled-ness" was taught to the grunts currently manning our "enemy combatant detention centers."

Fats Domino missing in New Orleans.

I just saw one of the dumber public service announcements I've seen in awhile. An old woman sits alone at the kitchen table, looking sad. Then the voice-over says, "Just tell grandma you forgot your dinner plans because you were stoned. She'll understand." "Responsibility: The anti-drug" then appears on the screen. Don't do drugs, you might make your grandma sad. That is the sort of thing that will really inspire the young people. Not as dumb an ad as the one where the kids play with a loaded gun their parents left unlocked, with the message we are supposed to take away from this cautionary tale somehow being, "Don't do drugs." But stupid nonetheless. Our tax dollars at work.

It seems serendipitous to me that I finished reading a history of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 just in time to witness the recent hurricane damage on the news. I find myself somewhat lacking in sympathy given the horrendous behavior of the town fathers of New Orleans toward their neighbors during the prior flood, which I realize is horribly unfair of me, but what can I say? But still, it's interesting to witness similar sorts of destruction, if on a smaller scale. And my Randy Newman google news alert is keeping busy, as just about everyone has to mention "Louisiana 1927" at some point in their description of the destruction. Why no one on the Weather Channel chooses to express their sympathy by saying "Isn't it a shame what the [hurricane] has done to this poor cracker's land" is beyond me.

But however cold-hearted I may be tempted to be due to early 20th-century history, my sympathies to those who lost homes or loved ones. And my deep sympathy to the people of Biloxi, who have lost several casinos, a loss I can truly relate to.

Dinny of Pee-Wee's Big Adventure is now the spokes-dinosaur of the creationist movement. And I'm not talking Intelligent Design creationists, I'm talking "Dinos marched two-by-two onto Noah's Ark" creationists.

Incidentally, isn't it odd that right-wing fundamentalists have embrased intelligent design so? I remember not that long ago (I still see the documentary airing on public access with that helmet-haired fellow defending the honor of Thomas Jefferson) that fundamentalists were aghast that one would dare to suggest that our founding fathers believed in anything other than the hands-on role of God in even the smallest matter, and now they argue that God merely put the forces of evolutionary development in place and let things play out? Sounds like a Deist view of the universe to me. How things change.

Last night I saw John Wesley Harding perform at an Acoustic Music San Diego concert, and had a great time. He was performing with the Love Hall Tryst, which consists of Kelly Hogan, Brian Lohmann, and Robert Lloyd (supplementing the line-up in the absence of the very pregnant Nora O'Connor). Kelly Hogan was the name that got me in the door (I love her voice, and think she deserves Neko Case's career), but I looked forward to hearing Harding, of whom I was only passingly familiar.

I also looked forward to checking out the venue. I was unfamiliar with Acoustic Music San Diego, but their line-up looked interesting. And they hold their concerts in an old church, which sounded like an appropriate environment for hearing old folk tunes. As I approached the church on Adams Avenue, I saw some sort of carnival ride rising up over the local businesses, and wondered if I had forgotten about the Adams Avenue Street Fair, but it turns out there was just some sort of carnival going on across the street from the church. But there still was plenty of parking available, and the carnival wasn't too noisy (the occasional screams that seeped into the church only seemed to compliment some of the more gruesome folk melodies). The church was nice, an about average-sized sanctuary with vaulted ceilings, and a typical lightly-adorned motif with stained glass windows and cross and whatnot. The acoustics were good, and the atmosphere suited the evening well.

For the first set, the various musicians performed a few of their own songs, before the second set, dominated by the material from the Songs of Misfortune Love Hall Tryst album. I was almost immediately taken by Harding's material, as well as his voice, which seemed a mix of Jon Langford and Elvis Costello. He performed "Miss Fortune," sort of a prelude to the second act, a song which seemed a bit heavy-handed when I encountered some of the lyrics in print, but which just comes across as direct and unassuming when performed. Brian Lohmann performed a few amusing songs in the novelty vein, which were somewhat underwhelming following Harding's material, but were fine as a palate-cleanser. Kelly Hogan's set was as enjoyable as I'd hoped, and I was surprised when she said the first song she performed was from the women's wrestling documentary, Lipstick & Dynamite, giving me another reason to see that film when I get the chance. She also sang a duet with Harding, the Conway Twitty/Loretta Lynn tune "It's Only Make Believe," which was a highlight of the evening for me.

The second set was predominantly devoted to performing the Songs of Misfortune album (they performed every tune save one), a collection of mostly a capella folk tunes referenced in Wesley Stace's (Harding's real name) historical novel Misfortune, some of the time period, some written in the style of the time. Some of the new songs, such as "The Sanguinary Butcher," I mistook for songs of the era, while others, such as Leonard Cohen's "Joan of Arc," possess a rather modern mindset without removing the listener from the conceit of the project. I loved the songs, and their presentation, and am certain the CD will be my next music purchase, and Stace's novel my next book purchase. Harding broke up the Love Hall Tryst material with mini-sets of his other material, including an amusing summary of Hamlet, which is available for download on his old website.

All-in-all, it was a very enjoyable evening. Kelly Hogan was great, I became a fan of John Wesley Harding, and I discovered a great venue to see acoustic music in San Diego (Dave Alvin will be there in a few months). And seeing the carnival across the street reminded me that the Adams Avenue Street Fair is just a few weeks away.

I've been watching the Season 6 boxed set of The Simpsons, and enjoying it very much, as well I should. Some great episodes in season six, including the classic "Bart of Darkness," with the Rear Window parody. But I was most excited to see that "A Star is Burns," the Simpsons/Critic crossover, was included. Matt Groening was unhappy with the concept, and took his name off the episode. I was looking forward to hearing about the details, and witnessing the fun that was portended on a previous season's audio commentary, when guest voice Jon Lovitz needled Groening about the situation (on "A Streetcar Named Marge," possibly my favorite Simpsons ever). But lo and behold, I listen to the audio commentary, and Matt Groening is nowhere to be found. James L. Brooks is present, as is Lovitz, and it's a funny commentary (Lovitz' comments about Phil Hartman stealing his Charlton Heston impression are outrageous). But despite Lovitz' constant digs, it seems like it's straining a bit much to be non-controversial. So that was disappointing. And even more inexplicably, that episode is missing the belch sound effect from two scenes. They even discuss Maurice LaMarche's belching talent, yet the actual sound is missing. Very confusing--did Eudora Welty's estate threaten to sue? But don't let that prevent you from picking up this volume (or any of the previous, should you be lacking--come on folks, it's only money).

I went to Sycuan today. I recently went up just to cash in a coupon for $15 they sent me, played a poker tournament, lost, and went home, a $3 winner. No point gambling there, since all they ever send me is small cash coupons and 2-for-1 buffet coupons. Fortunately, my brief visit didn't register on their computer, so I got a $50 coupon, one of those "we miss you" things. Interestingly, the letter assured me that they have improved their comp system, so that it is easier to get free meals while playing. I arrived having eaten, so I can't say how easy it is to get a meal these days. Back when they first opened their "high limit" room, I remember the cocktail waitress would keep coming by with random food for me. I graciously accepted a shrimp cocktail, but declined buffalo wings, considering I was handling cards (and hate buffalo wings). That didn't last long. The last time I was there, I lost a frightful amount of cash, and was informed I could get about $4 in food. So that was my last visit. The fact that they would send out $50 showed that maybe they've loosened up on comps a tad, and someone at my table was dealing with a host and doing okay. Me, I didn't ask for anything, just got my $50, played about 45 minutes, and left up a very tidy sum. I still don't really like Sycuan, it just has a bad vibe, and I've had problems there in the past, and know others who have, too. And their buffet is pretty bad (cafe is good, though). Hard to recommend over, say, Barona, but if their comps for table players have in fact loosened up, at least that's something.

I mentioned awhile back enjoying the Wonka brand candies I purchased at Target. I just felt I should add that I found myself at a 99 cent store today, and found they had a variable cornucopia of Wonka candies. The Target bundles are probably a better deal, if you enjoy all the candies within, but since the Wonka corporation (I belive Nestle ran poor Charlie Bucket out in some hostile takeover a few years back) has ruined "Everlasting" Gobstopers, you're probably better off consulting your local bargain retailer. You can't ruin Nerds, after all. The new Wonka donut is rather disturbing, however. Actually does have an almost-donut-like consistency, but too chocolatey and sickening sweet. But love them Nerds. Sadly, no Runts or Bottlecaps were to be seen.

I went to Valley View Casino last night for a blackjack tournament. Busted out in about five hands. Lost a mint on video poker, then hit a machine with my last few dollars, and ended up leaving ahead. Good buffet as always (love the berries and angel food cake, with fresh whipped cream), and I earned the gift of the month (wine glasses I'll probably never use). The tournament was okay, but the tables were just crammed into the back of the casino in what seemed to be a clear fire hazard to me, and like about everything they do, the execution could use some work, as I had to wait in about five lines to finally get my tournament registration, and the woman who signed me up was a bit testy. The tournament probably wasn't worth the long drive, but I combined the gambling junket with a trip to the Wild Animal Park, showed my mom their botanical gardens, and watched some road runners run around their cactus and native plant gardens. A pretty fun day overall, but it wore me out, and as I haven't been sleeping well lately, I was barely able to get myself out of bed to go to work, even though I didn't start until 10:30 today.

I saw The Aristocrats last week. Good fun. I was uncertain how a film about one joke could be amusing for 90 minutes, but it was. I figured it would be interesting, a look into the darker netherregions of the comic mind, but didn't know how entertaining it could be. Turns out it's damn entertaining, and while a few tellings of the joke really fall flat, most of the film had me in near-hysterics. All this without really having much of substance to say; I had a good time, but can't say I learned anything. Which is fine, as not every film must have the deep social commentary of Road House--which, I recently learned, has a sequel in development. But lots of funny, horribly offensive humor is on display, and maybe you leave the theatre with a bit more understanding of the mechanics of obscenity. And I was reminded that, lame sketches on Leno notwithstanding, Gilbert Gottfried can be very funny (his telling of the joke at the Friar's Club Roast of Hugh Hefner is the climax of the film, but his earlier explanation of just why their is blood involved in the routine of the joke's titular family act probably got the greatest belly-laugh out of me over the course of the film).

Going back to my Vegas trip, my decision to fly, and spend several hours sitting around airports, meant I finally finished Rising Tide. It took me awhile, it's a long book, epic in scope. Overall, I enjoyed it very much, but I found it interesting that the set-up to the flood was actually more interesting than the discussion of the flood itself. I guess that's because my thumbnail understanding of the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was fairly accurate. Of the history of civil engineering and efforts to control the Mississippi River over the nation's history, I knew almost nothing. I also was aware of the racial tensions that erupted during the struggle to survive the flood, but I was unaware of the paradoxical pattern of the racial strive; the "refugee camp" (which, like most such camps during the flood, was actually a concentration camp to keep black sharecroppers, who would be needed to rebuild the post-diluvian South, from fleeing to the North) in Greenville, Mississippi, perhaps the most racially-harmonious community in the Mississippi delta, became a poster child for abuses in the system. Greenville's racial harmony emerged from necessity; making the delta region profitable required enormous manpower, and treating black sharecroppers fairly could prevent a labor shortage. Yet when the flood put pressure on this arrangement, things got ugly. Rising Tide covers the flood, and it's massive impact on American history, about as thoroughly as possible (I think a little bit about the role of the flood in propelling Huey Long to power). And as the overall impact of the flood is difficult to overstate, it is a very important story to tell.

I should note, the main reason I read Rising Tide is to gain a better appreciation of the Randy Newman song, "Louisiana 1927." And it served its purpose. "Louisiana 1927" has virtually the same tune as "Sail Away," another Newman tune, with slavery as its topic. The dichotomy between the beautiful orchestral score of "Sail Away" and it's subject matter has always been clear; the more I learned about the flood, the more the irony of "Louisiana 1927" came through. Now that I've finished Rising Tide, I have begun Randy Newman's American Dream, an unauthorized biography by Kevin Courrier. I'm not very far into it, and should withhold judgement, but I'm not yet hugely impressed. Newman declined to participate in the project, so the book seems to rely heavily on published material. Which is fine, but the more he references various articles and interviews and critiques, I find myself wishing he hadn't written a biography, but instead edited The Randy Newman Reader. Now that's something I'd like to read. I'll share my full opinion of his biography once I've finished reading it.

An interview with Andy Kindler on the state of the comedy industry.

My latest foray into on-line poker continues to grind on. I'm still playing primarily at Paradise Poker. You've probably seen their ads on T.V., for a million-dollar freeroll tournament they're hosting. While Paradise Poker has been lagging behind other sites (like Party Poker) by neglecting advertising, this new promotion is obviously bringing in a lot of new players. The most obvious sign of this is server problems. I'd never had an issue with maintaining a connection to the table at Paradise Poker, until the last week or two. Connectivity was an issue when I played at Empire Poker, and now it is becomming an issue at Paradise, too. It seems to have improved a bit in recent days, but it is still obvious the site is suffering from growing pains.

The new players also means the games are feeling more like games at Party Poker and Empire Poker (those two, incidentally, are essentially the same site, with different "skins" and promotions, but the same players and games). I should count my blessings, and not complain about softer, less experienced players coming into the fold, I've been having bad luck lately, with people sucking out on me playing hands I would never consider playing. Saturday night, I got creamed in about six tournaments in a row. Right before going to bed, I lost a tournament I was doing quite well in, when I raised substantially with AK and got called by the chip leader with 58, and the flop came K58. So that kicked me out of the tournament and off to bed. What made the situation more upsetting was, early in the tournament, I flopped a set three times in a row, and no one would call me then. But Sunday my luck turned, and while I never won a tournament, I placed in the money several times. And I ended up winning about $125 last week, so I shouldn't complain about a few bad beats.

I still consider Paradise the favorite site of the ones I've played at recently, but the connectivity problems are one strike against them. And the poker ecosystem of the site is coming to resemble Party Poker or Empire Poker, to a degree. Still, it's probably the best mix of strong and weak players I've played with. I enjoy playing sit-and-go tournaments (one table format), and both the level of players and the format make Paradise Poker a good site to frequent. Empire/Party Poker, both due to the prevelence of weak players and the higher blinds in relation to starting chips, are more dependent on luck, while the Poker Stars tournaments, with skilled players and low limits, require too much skill for me, even with nine players at a table (which means the prize money in a single-table tournament is only 90% of that at sites with 10-player tournaments). So for my current favorite game, I'd rather play Paradise. Their promotions aren't that great (the million dollar freeroll is fun enough, but the odds are really stacked against you). They don't offer many deposit bonuses, and you have to play a lot to earn the bonus (it works out to a 10% rebate of the rake--I've been playing there for about two months, and haven't cleared by $85 in bonuses yet). Empire Poker is better with offering bonuses, but again, clearing the bonuses is difficult (10% of the rake, and tournament fees paid don't count; only live play clears the bonus). Poker Stars bonuses are probably the easiest to clear, but they only offer deposit bonuses occasionally. Their bonuses are the easiest to clear with tournament play, but I don't like their tournaments. I stick to live play at Poker Stars, and have had good luck at Stud/8 there. At the moment, I'm still focusing my play at Paradise, but if I decide I need a little break, I might go play some at Poker Stars.

And finally, I should mention the issue of funding one's account. I use Neteller primarily (Paypal and most credit cards will decline any gambling transaction), with no problems. Neteller is free to use, but takes time (4-5 days for an electronic transfer); instant transfers are avaialable, but at a hefty 8.5% fee. Paradise Poker will pay the instant transfer fee for you, which is why I started playing there. The other sites I've mentioned will not, but Empire Poker will electronically transfer money directly from your checking account for free. Poker Stars does not offer any free, instant deposit option. So one must plan ahead to fund a Poker Stars account (I usually just cash out money from Paradise Poker into my Neteller account to fund Poker Stars). Where Poker Stars excels, for me at least, is in cashing-out. My cash out requests are processed in about five seconds. I believe it takes longer at first, but I've played at Party Poker a lot in the past, and have reached a level where my cash-outs are not delayed or reviewed, but the money is just instantly sent to my Neteller account. Paradise Poker isn't too bad, putting the money in my account the next business day. Empire Poker is the slowest of the three, taking about two business days (this was my first cash-out there, future cashouts might be faster).

My final verdict: Paradise Poker is my favorite site for sit-and-go tournaments, but I enjoyed playing live at Poker Stars. There are still a lot of poker sites out there, however, and I intend to try out more in the future (I didn't mention Planet Poker, where I have played in the past--this site is pitiful, and while being one of the originals, it has been creamed by the competition; no reason to play here). I think either Bodog or Poker Room will be the next new site I try; I'll keep you posted.

I chatted with my host at Valley View Casino about my football invitation. Turns out I'm not quite qualified to go to a Chargers game, so I have to settle for an Aztecs game, instead. Which is fine. I'm not a football fan, and I figured I might enjoy a college game more, since the players have more to prove and aren't spoiled, and don't have drug and gun problems. But why include Chargers games on my invitation, if you're not going to let me go? Apparently, I was pretty close to meeting the requirement, so they wanted to know who I was bringing with me. I was brining my mom, but I gave them a friend's name, who has been up there with me. The host said his play didn't help at all, and laughed. So I guess I should have said I was bringing my mom, as she gets pretty good offers in the mail from them, and must have run a decent amount of money through the nickel machines. So Valley View has somewhat annoyed me by pulling the invitation that was extended to me, but as I mainly just want to hang out in the skybox and enjoy the free food and booze, I'm perfectly happy with a college game. And they're still far more generous with comps than any other San Diego casino.

Bob Moog, dead at 71.

Valley View Casino sent me an invitation to see a football game in their skybox at Qualcomm Stadium. I hate football, but would like to see the skybox (which I was told is nicer than the one I was in at Petco Park). And my mom likes football and wants to go, so it will be a nice chance for her to see me get pampered by a casino, and wonder where she went wrong, raising such a degenerate gambler.

Fiona Apple's new album will be released in October. I downloaded the album when it was leaked on the internet. I don't really like her that much, but I did enjoy the album. I bought the new track, "Parting Gift," off of iTunes. It's not bad. I've listened to the new version of "O' Sailor" on her web site, and marginally prefer the original, though I don't find a great deal of difference between them. But I'm glad Fiona will have a chance to make a buck, finally.

Okay, so I've been back from Vegas for some time, and all I've posted here are some obituaries (I thought Barbara Bel Geddes was in Strangers on a Train as well as Vertigo, but apparently I was thinking of Pat Hitchcock--but if you're only going to be in one Hitchcock movie, Vertigo is the one to pick!) and a Japanese logic puzzle (which I've gotten bored with, as I thought I might). The main culprit in the delay is that most of the time I'm on the computer, I'm playing poker, and don't need the distraction of writing this. But my luck has been rather vile of late, so I'll take a break and end my silence.

The trip was a bit boring. I flew out Sunday night after work, in order to get an extra night in Vegas. But the flight was an hour late arriving in San Diego, and then we were kept waiting on the tarmac for almost 90 minutes, so I didn't arrive at the Las Vegas Hilton until close to midnight. Considering the time I spent waiting at the airport before my flight, it would have been faster to drive (though I don't relish the thought of driving through the desert in the dark, especially with thunderstorms raging). The flight was bumpy, but not really that bad; my dread is much worse anticipating flying than it is when I'm actually strapped into the plane. A taxi from the airport cost me $17 with tip, which isn't unreasonable.

I played a bit on Sunday night with little luck, and went to bed. The room at the Hilton was nice. This is the second time staying there, and I was not happy with my room the first time, but I didn't notice the thin walls and bizzare noises from the plumbing that bothered me last time. I had a view that included both part of the Strip and the mountains, which was nice (I hoped to watch some thunderstorms in the mountains, but never saw any). Bathroom is okay, but the vent over the shower was slightly creepy, in that it had wide slids in it, and looking in as one bathed, one couldn't help but think how easy a large camcorder could be concealed in it, when one wasn't wondering what that asbestos-looking compound was. There is no light switch in the bathroom; the switch is on the wall outside the bathroom, set back enough that it's not easy to reach around and hit, so I ended up peeing in the dark a lot. There was a large empty space in the room, suggesting that a couch is usually present. Apparently they knew of my penchant for throwing couches out of hotel room windows, and took precautions. I've certainly stayed in nicer rooms, but I don't really have any complaints about the room, either. Except maybe the $3 charge to use the room safe. Paying someone $3 a night not to steal from me irks me a bit. I just don't enjoy extortion.

Of course, I didn't anticipate paying the $3. I figured if I played enough, my host could pick up most of my food, and I could use my players club points to pick up the rest of the charges, like the room safe. I also was looking forward to receiving $100 in promotional chips from the casino after playing for four hours. Which would come in handy, as my luck wasn't that great. I was up at some points, but mostly was down a small amount most of the trip, except when I was down a whole lot Tuesday night. Made a comeback, though, with no help from the promotional chips. I received them, bet one $25 chip, won the hand, was paid $25, and the dealer took the chip. When I'm given a promotional chip, I consider it mine to play with until I lose. It can't be redeemed for cash, but it can be played as many times as you can win with it. So that irked me, as it cuts the value of the chips in half ($100 in promo chips the way I understand them to work are worth $100, assuming you were going to gamble anyways...the way these chips worked, they're only worth about $50). Now, the strategy for these chips is to bet them at roulette on long odds, since the chips really only have value if you lose the bet. But I'm not sure if they would accept the chips at roulette--the offer, I later noticed, said, "Receive $100 in promotional chips worth up to $100," which makes me think they were only good for even money bets. As it is, I played them at blackjack, and I belive I won two hands, and lost two chips on one hand when I doubled down. That left a slightly sour taste in my mouth, however.

I mostly stayed at the Hilton, since I didn't have a car, but I did walk to the Wynn on Tuesday, where there was no double deck blackjack table with under a $100 minimum, so I just played some video poker, lost, and moved on to the Venetian, where I had the best luck of my trip, winning enough in three hours to rougly cut my losses for the trip in half. And the pit boss was perfectly willing to give me a comp for a late dinner, once I got his attention away from the table with the guy betting about $7,000 a hand. They gave me $30 to the Grand Lux Cafe. I knew the cafe was run by the Cheesecake Factory people, and that one should have an appetite. But I never have much of an appetite in Vegas. The booze is one factor, I'm sure, but even when I'm not drinking, I'm not often hungry in Vegas, even though I generally have only two meals a day, and maybe a dessert or two somewhere along the way. So I waited until after 11:00 to have dinner, and was beginning to get a little hungry. However, I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, and when I went to dinner, I suddently found myself freezing. It was hot outside on Tuesday, though not outrageously so (the heat wave broke right before I got there, and it was in the 90s on Tuesday, and even lower on Wednesday--though still humid). But the casinos always keep it freezing during the summer. I ordered hot tea to warm myself with, and that eventually got my shivering under control. Per the pit boss' recommendation, I ordered the shrimp scampi, which was very good, with the shrimp having a gently cripsy texture that was interesting. I ordered banana cream pie for dessert, expecting a slice but getting an entire mini-pie. It was a generous portion, but as I prefer the filling to the crust, I would have preferred a slice. The bill with tax came to $30.49, so I paid $0.50 (and tip) for a lot of food. I ordered one of the more expensive entrees, beverage and dessert, and would say the price was reasonable; most entrees looked to be $10-12, with the basics available for a tad less. Desserts were slightly pricy, but reasonable given the portions. The Grand Lux concept somewhat escapes me; the restaurant is beautiful, but the menu doesn't look much different from the Cheesecake Factory's, at least as well as I can remember from my one visit to the local Cheesecake Factory. Apparently, the concept was cooked up to avoid a turf war with the Cheesecake Factory at Caesar's Palace, though it does serve some more complex dishes, especially on the high end of the menu.

If you're hungry, I'd recommend the Grand Lux Cafe at the Venetian, not as a bargain, but as a good value for the money. However, as I said, I was not very hungry, and the walk back to my hotel a bit after midnight was unpleasant, as the food didn't sit well. But I made it back in one piece (as I was at the Hilton, and never ventured south of the Venetian, I decided to save my money and skip the monorail, travelling on my feet instead). Besides that outing, I pretty much stayed at the Hilton until checking out. My luck at cards kept swinging wildly, but at least I got to play a lot of hours without dipping too deeply into my cash reserves. I did play a few slots, and hit one minor jackpot, but ended up pretty much break-even for the machines at the Hilton (down a fair amount when the Wynn video poker losses are included). I had several meals at the Hilton, none that blew me away, but few complaints, either. The coffee shop is fine, with prompt counter service, and all the basics. It's where you eat at the Hilton when you just don't care, which usually describes me perfectly. I light sandwich is just right for my Vegas-sapped appetite. I only had the buffet at the Hilton once, for lunch. A fine buffet at a fair price, but there are much better buffets in Vegas for not too much more. I filled up on bagels and lox, and was impressed by their desserts, especially a chocolate mousse cake. I had sushi at Teru Sushi, part of Benihana Village. It was very good, basic sushi, done right, and I was mostly impressed (the salmon was lackluster, the mackeral fantastic). But it was horribly overpriced. Miso soup and edamame are each $3.50, and the cheapest nigiri sushi items are $7.00. I really had no more than a snack, and the bill was over $30. I think it may be the best sushi I've had in Vegas, but that's not really saying a whole lot. I don't think I can recommend it for the price, unless you're on a comp.

I didn't mind running up such a tab, since I hoped my host might pick it up, and if not, I could still use my points to pay the bill. I hoped my host would pick up the coffee shop/buffet tabs, and I'd use points for the rest. I earned about $40 in comps this trip, maybe a tad less, and I had about $14 on my card left over from previous visits. I went to see a host in the morning, and there was no one in the office, as they had been moved somewhere during remodeling. I asked a pit boss to call me a host, but apparently someone called in sick, and none would be available until 11:00. A bit after 11:00, I called the host on duty myself, and got his receptionist, apparently, who glanced over my bill and assured me there was nothing she could do for me. So I got the brush-off from a host's secretary. Which angered me. I got $30 in comps at the Venetian for 3 hours' play (though to be fair, that comp may be based in part on previous play there), and the Hilton gives me about $40 in comps based on about 14 hours' play. To be fair, I did get a room, and those damn chips. I think the chips did me in, they probably credited them as a $100 comp, which I had to earn before they would give me additional food comps. I used my points on my card, but still owed about $5, but I found out that, in addition to my comps, I had $20 cash back from my slot play, so that covered all my room charges, including tips (which are never comped). So I can't say that the Hilton screwed me or anything, but they were less generous than the last time I stayed there, and I thought I was entitled for a bit more in comps than they offered (and I felt that the promotional chip offer that led me to stay there was misleading). And I was annoyed that I didn't even speak to the host, just the woman who answered his phone. But while she did brush me off, she wasn't rude or condescending, like my host at Green Valley Ranch (who now works at Luxor, I'm told).

After being rebuffed, I decided I didn't want to play at the Hilton anymore, and went to the Riviera. I bought lunch in the food court, signed up for a players club card and played the $10 free slot play they give you for signing up, lost that, and played blackjack, winning a bunch, giving half of that win back, and leaving Vegas a little less of a loser than I would have had I not gone to the Riviera. I'd never played at the Riviera. It's not bad; it reminds me a bit of the Stardust, but with fewer double-deck games (and no games that stay on soft 17). I overheard someone at another table saying he was there for a gin rummy tournament. I found the tournament's website, and apparently it is operated by a third party, hosted at the Riviera a few times a year. $200 entry fee. Sounds like fun. Though I'm sure that I, gin rummy wizard that I am, would still be thoroughly out-classed.

I headed to the airport with plenty of time to spare, got through security in a jiffy, and read in the airport until my plane departed, avoiding the airport slot machines. The flight back was fine, and I enjoyed looking at the huge thunderheads in the desert. I still hate flying, and don't think it's a good value or a convenience in going to Vegas, but it didn't work out too badly for this trip (though the flight over was a bit unpleasant). Mom's car was at the airport, as she had just caught a plane up to San Jose for my sister's baby shower, so I drove myself home. Tanner was very glad to see me (I'm told he had been depressed).

This trip to Vegas was a bit boring. I suppose the Hilton is a bit of a boring place. I would consider staying there again, but only if I didn't have a better offer. I'm hoping to get some free rooms from the Venetian. I would love to stay there at least once. My first few visits I felt uncomfortable there, but it's grown on me a bit. I've had problems with Green Valley Ranch; I'm pretty sure I've mentioned a mysterious minibar charge they billed me for, and how they promised to refund me the $7.47. They never did, and I've had to dispute the charge with my credit card company (I just this very moment checked my credit card statement online, and see the refund posted today). The experience makes me wonder if I wish to stay there again. So I need to find a new home casino. I think the most likely outcome will be that I no longer have a home casino. Why put all your eggs in one basket? I always have a few offers, though the Paris/Bally's offers dried up even before the merger with Harrah's. I always have free rooms downtown, but they're crappy. The Hilton will still send me free rooms, I'm sure, and I can always spread my action around more when I stay there in the future, generate room offers. I'm pretty sure the Venetian will send me something, and the Riviera, as well. Stardust sends me free rooms from time to time, but seems schizophrenic in their mailings, sometimes giving me the moon, sometimes charging me ridiculous rates. I'm sure a host will probably hook me up there, but I don't like the uncertainty of hosts. I should stay there once, though, before they tear it down. And who knows, maybe the Wynn will send me something. That'd be sweet. In any event, I don't think I'll be to Vegas again for a few months. So that will give the casino mail some time to build up, and I'm sure I'll find a sweet offer.

Heard of sudoku puzzles? Looks like a crossword puzzle with numbers, but it's actually a logic puzzle, where you have to fill in the numbers 1-9, so that each row and column, as well as each 3x3 box, contains each number exactly once. I managed to waste most of a workday on these sudoku puzzles, when I could have posted about my exciting Vegas vacation. They're kind of fun, but I have a feeling they'll get old fast. I finished the two easy ones, but made some mistakes on the medium level puzzle. Just carelessness, really, putting the same number on the same line twice. I'll have to try playing the software version when I get home (I've just been doing it on paper). Of course, that would waste valuable poker time (got to win back that cash I lost in Vegas somehow).

Matthew McGrory, dead at 32.

Barbara Bel Geddes, dead at 82.

Ibrahim Ferrer, dead at 78.

Andy Kindler on the state of comedy. I met Andy Kindler once, and I think offended him, when I told him how much I loved Dr. Katz, which had at that time been off the air probably close to a decade. I heard him muttering to his guests as he walked away, sounding slightly disgruntled, but was polite enough to my face. I don't think I'd ever seen Everybody Loves Raymond at the time, so how was I to know if he was still working?

I'm Vegas-bound tomorrow, late tomorrow. Flying out after work, flying back Wednesday afternoon. First post-9/11 flight, and I'm nervous, not because of terrorism, but the myriad other ways the huge steel box I'm in can fall out of the sky. It will be interesting to see first-hand how security works these days. But I really should have just rescheduled my trip, rather than flying to squeeze a trip in on the couple days I had free. But I'm sure I'll have fun once I get there. Had some bad luck on-line this week, mostly because I get mad after loosing a tournament by some bozo getting a lucky card on the river, and then going off and playing some game I have no right playing and expecting to win, and blowing more than I should. But long-term, I'm still doing okay with poker, and hopefully I can work more on being a disciplined player, once I get back from my vacation. And hopefully I'll have a much more substantial bankroll to attack the poker rooms with when I get back from Vegas.

I do feel bad leaving Tanner with his condition, but he seems to be taking to his new medication pretty well. He doesn't seem particularly lethargic, but he definately shows an increased appetite. He's always underfoot if you go anywhere near the kitchen. But other than sleeping in later in the morning, he doesn't seem too sedate or drugged out from the pheno. In fact, he attacked my cousin the moment she came in the front door, and nearly bit her. Good for him, I say.

I enjoyed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I also enjoyed the experience of the Drive-In, more or less. Their employees were a motley crew, and the snack bar wasn't very inviting. But it's nice to be able to bring lots of food and not have to worry about cell phones and such. And the SUVs in the front row didn't really block my view, though the open hatchbacks got close. And $6 for a first-run double-feature isn't a bad deal. I really don't understand the business model: Do they get some sweetheart deal from the studios to prop up their struggling industry, a tribute to a buygone era? Do the studios just figure that the drive-in is out in the sticks and no one out there will pay for a full-price ticket, so they might as well get something out of them? Does the theatre lose money on ticket sales in order to make it up on concessions (the popcorn was cold and unpleasant, and while it falls into the range I think theatres should charge, it was not exactly a bargain--$2.25 for a small, if memory serves)? Or is it a massive front for something? I best be careful, I would hate to get the Drive-In cartel on my ass.

Anyway, I'll have to go back sometime, if they have a double-bill I'm interested in. As I said, Charlie was pretty good; as far as the portion of the film which occurs outside the factory, it's probably better than the original. The first act of the original really drags. Inside the factory, it's tougher to say, but I give it to the original. They don't improve much (the squirrels are fun), and it just feels a bit rushed and disjointed. I liked the Oompa-Loompa songs, but it's hard to understand them, and as they are supposed to beat you over the head with uplifting moral lessons, the lyrics are important. And the original oompa-loompa songs are classic (the lyrics in the new movie come from the book, apparently--it's been probably close to 15 years since I read the book, but that's what the credits claim). I've never liked Tim Burton as much as I felt like I should, but I liked this film, and consider it second to Pee Wee's Big Adventure in his ouvre (sorry, Beetlejuice, but while your the sentimental favorite, the newcomer edges you out).

The Island, you may be shocked to learn, is an unmitigated piece of shit. For christ sake, you have Scarlett Johansson in your movie, and you don't let her do anything! In fact, all the film is is a long commercial, with the most blatant product placements I've ever seen. I thought maybe they were trying to work some jab at consumerism, using the placements ironically, but no, around the time characters start talking about "MSN Searching" someone, it became pretty apparent it was all about money. Though it definately saved them some cash; characters take a hover-train to L.A., where they ride hover-bikes, yet cars are still exactly the same as they've always been, and happen to be cars currently commercially available. But why compain about the ads when characters fall 80 stories and live, Big Brother can monitor who you talk to and how closely you stand, yet cannot detect that a clone is running around a restricted hospital with impunity, discovering all their secrets, and, again, Scarlett Johansson just stands there looking concerned? I hope the makesrs of Parts: The Clonus Horror sue Michael Bay right out of Hollywood. But really, what was I hoping for? I guess I just resent the fact that the film thinks it is intelligent. Why is their a Picasso painting on the wall of the "Relaxation Room" where the clones are made docile? Picasso is supposed to sooth the soul and render one submissive? And, speaking of that room, why does McGregor's character wonder why the doctor was looking at Johansson's file, and deduce the terrible truth partly from that fact, when almost the sole subject of their conversation is Johansson? Maybe that's why he was looking at the file, Sherlock! Oh, well, next year we appaerently can see Johansson in The Black Daliah, that should be something. One of the most powerful books I've ever read, just made me feel dirty for being alive. Gnarly stuff, and it's taken a long time to get filmed, I'm curious to see if they can pull it off. If only Michael Bay was attached to that project, I could sleep better at night.

Novak suspended from CNN. Can't wait to see The Daily Show tonight.

I see William Hung has covered Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." Very disturbing. (I think the quotes in the artice I linked to are ficticious, but it's hard to tell, Randy's quote seems plausible)

Aibos dancing to Daft Punk. I enjoyed Tara on the DDR.

I had dinner at Il Fornaio last night. I've eaten there several times in Vegas, and enjoy their food very much. And again, was quite impressed, this time eating in Coronado. The food was great (I had seafood lasagna), the desserts were fantastic (a creme brulee with a chocolate mousse topping), and even the wine was good, and I'm not a big wine guy. But what really blew me away was the atmosphere and the view. We didn't have a window table, but still had no problem enjoying the view of the downtown skyline, able to see how much it's changed in just the last few years, and also watch the ship activity down at the port. Patio dining was in high demand, but it looked to me like they cram a lot of people out there; inside, you still get the view, and a bit more breathing room. Not to mention that it was a bit chilly outside (a nice change). And the best part is, Il Fornaio is a chain, and the prices here were typical of the chain; standard to cheap for up-scale Italian. No premium for the primo location. Dinner for two, with dessert and (a somewhat pricy) wine for me, only came to $54 after tax/tip. Compare that to a place like Anthony's, where you'd pay about 50% more, at least, for a view that doesn't compare with this. I was highly impressed.

I ate there with my mom last night, because we had tickets to see Pump Boys and Dinettes at the Lamb's Players Theatre. This show was not part of the schedule when we bought our season tickets, but was added later. As I haven't really enjoyed their previous performances (though Metamorposes wasn't bad), and as it sounded suspiciosly like such god-awful plays as Triple Espresso and American Rythms (if I'm remembering correctly the title of one of the worst things I've ever sat through), I didn't have high hopes. So the fact that it wasn't terrible made it pretty enjoyable to sit through. Not much to it, but the musicianship of the actors was good all-around, there were a few catchy tunes, and it was short. Not bad. I'm looking forward to The Winslow Boy, coming up in a few months. I doubt I will get season tickets again, though.

I tried to go see Charlie and the Chocolate Factory this afternoon, but got lost trying to go to the AMC Palm Promenade. Got off the wrong freeway exit, apparently. The good news is, when I got home to find a new showtime to go to, I noticed it's playing at the Santee Drive-In. I've been meaning for years to go down there, I haven't been since I was a little kid. So tonight I'm going. I've sent out some e-mails, hopefully someone will join be, but if not, I see that they permit dogs. Tanner hasn't seen a movie in a theatre in some time, and I'm sure he misses the experience, being so ingrained into his early subconscious. And his new drugs might keep him mellow. But I doubt I'll bring him, as I'd like to scope the place out, first. Never know about those East County folk; they might let packs of pit bulls wander the grounds or something.

Tanner had another seizure over the weekend. That makes two in the month of July. So I decided it was time Tanner became a pill-popper, and took the vet's advice to start him on Phenobarbital. He just took his first pill this morning, so it will take awhile to see if he suffers any adverse reactions, but so far, he seems okay. Had several coughing jags today, as he is prone to do, but I don't think that's because of the pills. The vet did send out some more blood work, so I'll know by the end of the week if that turned up anything. The emergency hospital did most of the blood work already, but my vet wanted to do one more test, for kidney problems. But given his age and breed, it's most likely epilepsy (epilepsy, unfortunately, can't be directly tested for, but is just assumed when no other cause can be found). The vet did say, if he goes a long time, like over a year, without a seizure, we might be able to ween him off the drugs, which made me happy. I'm sad for Tanner, and don't relish the thought of giving him pills twice a day for perpetuity, but I'm not too worried about his long-term health. As it is, the seizures seem more upsetting to me than to him.

I saw Moonlight and Magnolias earlier this week at the Old Globe. I enjoyed it. Perhaps I would have liked it more had I ever seen Gone With the Wind, but as the play is about how Ben Hecht produced a script for the film in five days without reading the book, maybe my ignorance was appropriate. The play kept a good balance overall between the humor, which veered slightly into Three Stooges territory at times, and the heavier issues, regarding the appropriateness of two jews making a movie glorifying the old South and the Klan, and the conflicting impulses of powerful jews in Hollywood, to be successful and true to their roots. And the cast was all great, especially Dan Castellaneta as Selznic. And he worked in a Homeresque scream or two, which was nice. I would recommend seeing this if you get a chance. Times Art Tix seems to have half-price tickets fairly regularly, and the seats I got through them were pretty good, off to the side a tad on the balcony, but there's not really a bad seat in the house.

Wonka brand candy products are everywhere these days, what with the movie and all. Target has a number of candies on sale, including a very interesting four-pack, where you get a large box of Nerds, Bottlecaps, Gobstopers, and Runts for $2.99. I had forgotten that Bottlecaps are the most awesome candy on the planet. I especially enjoy that they leave the flavors alone, so that the supposedly soda-based candy still has cherry. I know I love having a cherry soda down at the sock-hop when I'm cruising in my Thunderbird. They insisted in adding new flavors to Runts, but they left Bottlecaps alone. What upset me, though, was the "Everlasting" Gobstoper. I don't know if I just had weaker teeth as a lad, but these used to last at least four or five minutes. And they used to change flavor repeatedly. Now they are just a thin hard candy shell over a soft, gritty center. They last all of thirty seconds, if you bite into them, which of course I do. They look about 2/3 of the size of the original, perhaps smaller. A big disappointment. But the Bottlecaps were a joy. I keep meaning to go down to the liquor store in OB where I always bought candy as a kid, see if they still have the great selection.

A 90-minute interview with John Prine from the Library of Congress. I haven't had time to watch it yet, myself, but I'm sure it's well worth the time.

The trailer for the Johnny Cash biopic is on Yahoo! I'm keeping an open mind.

With all the comps I get from various casinos, why haven't I been offered a concealed weapons permit yet?

Spamalot will be joining Avenue Q at the Wynn Las Vegas.

I went up to Valley View Casino for a slot tournament this weekend. I believe I mentioned it here before, when I was first invited. The tournament had a $60,000 prize pool, and a $10,000 grand prize. They offered accommodations at Pala Mesa Resort, which unfortunately they booked up before I got a room, so I had to drive all the way up to Escondido both Saturday and Sunday for the tournament. So I felt that Valley View's reputation was on the line; they've treated me right in the past, but it was up to them to impress me with this tournament, or they might lose a player.

I got an early start to get up to the casino for my Saturday morning check-in time. It was the most pleasant drive I've experienced going up there, given the early hours, and I made in just under an hour, give or take. I saw a big sign for the "Viva Las Vegas" slot tournament over their special events room (a trailer, essentially), so I went there to check in, but there was no check-in there, just some sort of lounge set-up. So I went inside, and went to the Elite Players Club booth to get a card. I forgot mine, and I wanted to confirm that I had elite status there. They never officially informed me of my elite status, just started inviting me to elite events, like this tournament, and I did receive a letter explaining changes in the qualification requirements for elite status, but assuring me I had already easily met these higher point requirements. But a quick stop at the booth confirmed that I had elite status, and I got a new card. With the new card, I could use special elite club lines, which proved to be most useful throughout the weekend, as the place was busy. And if you've ever been there, you know the packed casino does not accommodate crowds well.

I found the tournament check-in, and got in line. Not a long line, but it seemed to move slow, as check-in took longer than it needed to. Cross your name off a list, hand you your tournament packet, and move on to the next. But before long, I got an envelope with my tournament times, and information on my free gift. The invitation promised me a free gift worth $1100, and I felt that the quality of this gift would largely determine how I felt about the tournament. When I first saw the gift, I was pissed. I was given a membership in the Aquaterra Dining Club, which entitled me to large discounts on all my dining at the Aquaterra Restaurant and Seafood Bar. My first reaction was, that the casino gave me an Entertainment Coupon Book, only it was good at only one restaurant. I was about ready to tell them where they could cram their free gift, but I decided to look at it more closely while I had brunch (they gave me four free buffets for coming up for the tournament). And upon closer examination, it's not a bad gift. In addition to discounts on dining (50% off a party of two), you receive a number of gift certificates, including breakfast or lunch for two, a free night in the hotel, a free round of golf, and other freebies, and some good bargains, as well. Their website shows that the membership is currently available on sale for $149. I don't know how much use I'll get out of it, but I'll use the free room, I'm sure, and the free meal, if nothing else. And the golf goodies will make a nice surprise for my boss who golfs. Basically, they gave me a nice enough gift, but they blew it by saying it was an $1100 value. They should have just said free mystery gift, or say it had a $149 value, rather than add up all the possible discounts to reach a hugely inflated number so you feel cheated. But as I say, upon reflection, I decided it was a nice gift, and that I would continue to have an open mind about the tournament as the weekend proceeded.

The promised gift was one reason I came; the buffet was another. I love their buffet, and this weekend I had brunch there twice. I'd never had brunch there before, and I was disappointed, somewhat. It looked a lot like lunch. I was in the mood for breakfast, and they didn't have much traditional breakfast fare. But in truth, selection has never been their strong suit, and I'm willing to let it slide (for free; if I was paying for the buffet, I would say the weekend brunch prices are way out of line). And once I found the bagels and lox, I was content. I generally would prefer that buffets have mini-bagels, as you don't want to fill up on them, but as there wasn't that much else that interested me as a main course, I was perfectly content to load a sesame bagel with smoked salmon. I munched on a few other things as well, that didn't really impress, then went to look at desserts, when I discovered that since my last trip, they'd added a strawberry shortcake station. I ended up having two of those, with strawberries, mixed berries, and whipped cream. Hard to mess up strawberry shortcake, I suppose, but I thought this an excellent addition to their buffet; this is probably my favorite buffet, anywhere, when it comes to dessert (Paris Las Vegas probably has my favorite buffet, overall, but shockingly, they really lack in the dessert department). I also had some cake and ice cream and cookies, but the lox and the strawberry shortcake are what mainly impressed me.

To get the buffet talk out of the way, I'll just quickly add that I also had the buffet for dinner Saturday night, and found it as I remembered it. I'm not as impressed with it as I first was, but I always find enough to eat to leave satisfied. The crap legs were really bad, though; tough and stringy. But to be fair, I wasn't very hungry, and only ate it because I had the free coupon. I mostly just wanted to eat desserts, and was more that satisfied there. I ate two huge strawberry shortcakes, and for dinner they had replaced the mixed berries with a heaping bowl of blackberries, which are one of my favorites, and I ate so many I gave myself an upset stomach on the way home. In fact, I thought I was going to puke, just as my car entered "the slalom," a four-mile stretch of road leading to the casino, where construction barricades force you to continue down your single lane of traffic, with nowhere to stop. So by the time I was able to stop, my stomach had settled down, and the crisis was averted.

Anyway, to get back to the tournament, there were three rounds in the tournament; two Saturday, one Sunday. Of course, they stager your tournament rounds, and the final round from the announcement of prizes, so that they can keep you in their casino as long as possible. My rounds on Saturday were at 1:15 and 5:45, and both were the last times in that round. They gave me a $25 match play coupon for showing up, so I used that at blackjack with no success, and later did okay at Pai Gow, and fantastic at Pai Gow. I ended up winning a substantial amount of money, so I was very glad I came, regardless of how I did in the tournament. Which is good, because I had no luck in the tournament, and it was obvious at the end of the day I had almost no chance of winning anything in the tournament. And as the day wore on, and I won more and more money, I was worried about losing all my money before the day was out. I killed some time driving up the road to Harrah's, cashing in my $15 coupon, and leaving. They cut me down to $5 coupons in my most recent mailing, so I saw no reason to play there, if they weren't going to treat me right. So I just ran the $15 through a slot machine, quickly won some cash at blackjack, and after about five minutes, headed back to Valley View. As I say, I'd won a lot of money, and just wanted to kill time until the second round of the tournament. Fortunately, the special events room was turned into a lounge for tournament players. They had baseball on a big-screen TV, and nice refreshments. I had lots more smoked salmon, and they had these fantastic cookies, with icing on top done up sort of like Easter eggs. The first one I grabbed resembled a stuffed lime, but turned out to be mint, and was just wonderful. It was someone frustrating, that I had all those free buffet coupons, yet there was so much food to eat in the lounge I wasn't hungry. But I suppose that's a good problem to have. So I hung out in there some, played a bit more in the casino (at lower stakes), and successfully preserved my winnings for the day. After the tournament, I ate the buffet, and went home.

Sunday I could sleep in, as I didn't have to be back until 1:15. I went back up with a friend, and we ate the buffet after my tournament round. Again, my elite card's status as a line pass really saved us; the lines for the buffet were horrendous (with the exception of Saturday morning for the buffet, when there was no line). I knew I had no chance in the tournament, but to encourage us to return, they were raffling off ten trips to Vegas, with a stay at the Las Vegas Hilton (no big deal, I get free rooms there all the time, and am in fact staying there in two weeks or so), and gave everyone $100 in free slot play for showing up Sunday. Unfortunately, by the time they announced the winners (as expected, I got nothing) and activated the free slot play on our slot cards, I had lost a fair amount of money. I was still up quite a bit for the weekend, but was kicking myself for giving so much of my winnings back. I went to play the video poker machine I'd been playing most of the weekend, but couldn't get a seat, so I just sat down at a random slot machine and decided to play my free play there. I played a few hands, didn't hit much, and was down to about $50 in free play left, when I got triple bar in the first space, a 3x pay wild symbol in the second, and nothing in the third. The machine started flashing lights and a ticket for a substantial amount of money was spit out of the machine. I stared at the machine for awhile, but couldn't figure out what I hit. I finally decided not to worry about it, and played the rest of my slot play without hitting anything. The huge win on this machine meant I was a small winner Sunday, as well, so I made a lot of money this weekend. Later, I showed my friend the machine, and he explained that the wild symbols on this machine counted even if they don't stop right on the line. So I got the three triple-bars payout x3, because of the bonus multiplier (the bonus multiplier only counts if it lands on the line, though).

So, what was my overall impression of the tournament? Well, had I lost money, I'd probably be less charitable, but I think it was a good tournament. There was only about 300 or so players in the tournament, so the odds weren't too bad. Though the $60,000 prize pool was somewhat exaggerated; I don't think they included the Aquaterra membership, but I think they included the $100 in slot play in that figure, and possibly the trips to Vegas. Only about $20,000 in cash, or less, was given out in cash prizes in the tournament. Still not bad, though. And the lounge was a nice little touch, with fantastic food. Overall, a nice way of rewarding their most valued players. It will be a tough call whether I'll go back for the next one, assuming I'm invited. It's a long drive; if I got the hotel room, I'd do it, but if I had to drive out there both days like I did this time, I don't know if I'd do it. But I'm glad I went this time.

The candy espionage that inspired Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

I saw Batman Begins last week, and was blown away. I was cautiously optimistic, hoping it might be an enjoyable summer blockbuster, but was shocked by how much I loved it. It's not a perfect film, but overall really captures the essence of the character; the sets are dark, and the subject matter is darker. A cautionary tale about how fear can destroy a society seems fitting for our time. And Michael Caine as Alfred is perfect casting. And Katie Holmes compensates for her miscasting enough to not ruin the film. I was really impressed.

In a film viewing more relevant to my recent life, I received the DVD of The Browning Version in the mail a little while ago. I'd seen it on TV years ago, and was looking forward, in the midst of summer school, to watching the pathetic tale of a retiring classics professor, who looks back on his life and realizes he wasted his life. Andrew Crocker-Harris, known as "the Crock" when his students are in a good mood, or "Himmler of the Lower Fifth" when they (or the headmaster, for that matter) aren't in such high spirits, has a reputation of terrorizing his pupils, as he drills them in rote translations that suck the joy out of the ancient texts he so reveres. Forced to retire due to illness, he is struck by a realization of how badly he's failed as a teacher, which, along with a sham marriage and the unexpected kindness of a student, overwhelms him. Every review seems to describe it as the anti-Goodbye, Mr. Chips (which is itself mentioned, sarcastically, in the movie), and it seems an apt description. The Crock doesn't get redemption at the end, but he gets self-realization, which is something, I suppose. The film lived up to my memories of it, and Michael Redgrave is fantastic as Crocker-Harris. The film builds to a climax in his retirement speech, a powerful moment, yet it is merely a reflection of the powerful emotions he unleashes throughout the film in smaller touches: reacting cruelly to a student's polite laughter at a joke (is he too cold to recognize the gesture as a courtesy, or his he angered at being the recipient of a young boy's pity?), breaking down after receiving another kindness from a student, or taking in the news of his nickname of "Himmler" (in a post-war Britain where the name certain stung more than we might appreciate). The film is old-fashioned, perhaps, and perhaps feels a bit stage-bound, but the minimalist direction is used masterfully (as someone remarks on the DVD extras, you can really appreciate the direction when you think of how various directors have ruined great plays). And as the number of films that really express the subject of failure well is fairly slim, I am very thankful to now have this film on DVD.

I'm sure many of the MST3K fans out there have been wondering just how much The Island resembles Parts: The Clonus Horror. The director of that film has also noticed the similarities, and is considering his legal options.

Polanski wins libel judgement. The reputation of a pervert valued at 50,000 pounds. The UK's contempt for freedom of the press is again on display.

So, Bush has announced his Supreme Court nominee. I must admit, the right-wingers might have had a point when they said the left would turn nasty against anyone Bush put forward. I mean, no, I don't like the guy, but for someone W picked, it could have been a lot worse. He's a solid conservative, and when he worked for Bush I, he argued against abortion rights (which was part of his job). My main complaint is he's so young; knowing Bush would pick someone I don't like, I'd like to have some comfort in the fact that they will be dead long before myself. In any event, though, I can settle for this guy, whom at least doesn't appear to be mentally ill, like a few of the people W has put forth for judgeships.

Of course, the announcement of the nominee was overshadowed here in San Diego by the announcement of Councilman Zucchet's resignation after he and that jackass Inzunza were convicted of extortion and corruption on Monday (Inzunza is so full of himself, he was refusing to resign, and only caved after Zucchet resigned). It seemed pretty obvious they were guilty of something, but it's hard to draw the line between a bribe and a campaign contribution these days, so I was just waiting to see what the jury decided. Hopefully this will have a sobering effect on local politicians, and perhaps give Donna Frye a boost, considering her sometimes adversarial role on the council. The best part, though, is that this is a huge boost to U.S. Attorney Carol Lam, whose next target is Randy "Duke" Cunningham.

In further local news, it's hot as fuck. It's been hot for awhile, but today some tropical monsoon or something brought rain and hellish humidity today, making it the first really miserable day. I spent part of the afternoon in Solana Beach, which wasn't too bad. I went up to buy tickets for Pink Martini at the Belly Up Tavern. I had thought of going up to see them in San Jose, but as my sister will be 8 1/2 weeks pregnant at the time, I thought maybe I better not get underfoot. But then last night, I got an e-mail newsletter from the band, which mentioned that the San Diego gig was almost sold out. That there was a San Diego gig was news to me, so I decided to drive up and buy the tickets, to save the service charge, and scout out the place (I've never been, nor do I think I've ever even been in Solana Beach). Grabbed a bite to eat in some hole in the wall place, bought my ticket, and went to some pet store, and bought tanner a thing to chew on that's supposedly good for his teeth (he sniffed it for awhile, then hid it, first underneath my pillow, then, when he saw me find it, under a chair cushin). Unfortunately, I forgot that today was opening day at Del Mar for the horseraces, so it was not a pleasant drive. Not as bad as it could have been, though. So I'll be seeing Pink Martini in September, which is very exciting.

James "Scotty" Doohan moves on to the final frontier at the age of 85. The current health of "Welshie" is unknown.

I noticed that some new Saturday Night Live DVDs are coming out, from some of the earlier episodes. There are some "best of" DVDs, like the Best of Gilda Radner, as well as a SNL: First Five Years DVD, which I am unclear on, whether this is another compilation DVD, or just the documentary special that aired recently on NBC. Anyway, I'm not particularly interested in these, but got me wondering again about why they don't release a best of SNL short films, including the Albert Brooks films. So I took a look on-line, and it turns out Albert Brooks has a website, and while it's not overloaded with information, I did notice this interesting tidbit: "Stay tuned, because you never know when [the SNL short films] be offered right here on DVD. We’ll be providing screen shots and more descriptive information shortly." Good news, indeed! I hope they throw in some nice extras, like some stand-up clips, like his See-and-Say ventriloquism act (it actually wasn't a see-and-say, I don't think, but a similar device I've forgotten the name of), or really any of his Johnny Carson appearances.

So, if you deduced that I was full of crap when I said I wouldn't go to Comic-Con this year, you were correct. I couldn't just stand idly by while such an event went down in my own backyard without being a small part of it, so I went ahead and got a one-day pass, and took in the excitement Thursday. There wasn't too much specific going on that day, as most of the exciting panels and whatnot are on the weekend, but I still had a good time.

The nice thing about Thursday is, the place isn't too crowded, and since you don't have to worry too much about navigating the crowds, you can really cover the floor. I probably saw everything in about 90 minutes. I ended up walking the length of the convention center and back at least five times, always remembering something I wanted to see on the other end. Yet I still felt rushed, just because I only had one day, so I didn't tend to dilly-dally at booths for unfamiliar properties. But I managed to hit everything I wanted to see, and spend all my hard-earned money. The Peanuts booth had two Comic-Con exclusive T-shirts, which I will post pictures of when I get a chance. Old school images from the new Fantagraphics anthologies, with Charlie Brown on one shirt, and a cast of characters on the other a la The Brady Bunch. I don't generally wear brown T-shirts, but they are pretty keen, with some glittery writing and all. They had other shirts available, including a Peanuts/Mutts crossover shirt for the museum's new exhibit, which was pretty cool, but since I hope to make it up to the museum sometime relatively soon, I passed on them. I bought the new collection at the Unshelved booth; I was wearing their "Mad About Reading" shirt, so that got me some street cred there. I also bought the new K Chronicles collection. I learned later that his "I'd Rather be Masterbating" bumper stickers were not going to be reordered, so I missed my chance to pick up one a few of those collector's items. I also bought a Comic-Con exclusive Princess Leah action figure for my sister, and some Krazy and Ignatz collections, including some out-of-print books for which I think I got a good price. All in all, I spent just over $100 on stuff, which isn't bad considering the number of options one has to blow money at Comic-Con.

I attended a total of three panels, only one of which I was really excited by. First, I decided to attend the panel for The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari 2005, just to see what they hell they were thinking. Apparently, they decided the problem with the film is the lack of dialogue, so they digitally removed the original actors and placed new, talking actors into the original sets. It sounds like a terrible idea, but watching clips, it just seems unnecessary. Visually, it looks fine, and in the small, unfinished clips, the dialogue seemed to add nothing. I was offended by the repeated claim by the director that silent films, by their very nature, lack character development, because you can't have fully-rounded characters without dialogue. That's news to me. I am fairly certain I will pass on seeing the finished product, but it hardly seems worth getting too worked up about.

Later, I attended the Bruce Campbell session. I'm not a huge Campbell fan; I liked Bubba Ho-Tep, and vaguely recall watching Army of Darkness. But Campbell is a charismatic guy, and I anticipated he might be fun to hear. And I was right; his session was the highlight of Comic-Con for me this year. He shared some clips from upcoming projects; Disney's Sky High (which I will probably pass on, but which actually looks pretty good), an Evil Dead videogame, and the audio verison of his new book. But most of the time he reserved for Q&A. I have remarked in the past that the questioning at Comic-Con can be quite painful to listen to (my sole comfort in missing the rest of the Con is that I didn't have to listen to the Q&A at the Adult Swim panel...though I am curious if someone asked, "Why did you get rid of Captain Murphy, he was great!" without being aware that the actor died, for the third year in a row), but fortunately Campbell was up to the challenge of keeping things moving. CineSchlock-O-Rama already has a recording of the entire presentation on-line, so I won't go into too much detail. But he was more than willing to state the obvious, and respond to one question with a succinct, "You, sir, are a moron." He was constantly being asked when this or that property would be on DVD, and though he stock answer was, "I am an actor they don't tell me shit," he sometimes would expand a bit; for instance, when asked when Alien Insurrection would be on DVD, he asked, "Why, because it was so good? Are you being a smartass?" He tore into one questioner who asked about the paperback version of his new book, asking how such a cheap bastard could pay to get into Comic-Con. And near the conclusion of the panel, he was asked about his worst experience with Hollywood. Rather than discuss his experiences on a set, he discusses this summer's movie output. The A-pictures of today are yesterday's B-movies, he claimed. "If aliens invade earth in War of the Worlds, that's a B-movie." That may sound like an odd insult, almost a compliment, coming from a man so successful in the world of B-movies, but the B-movie formula doesn't mesh well with Hollywood egos and pomposity. And along with Hollywood, he also went after the exhibitors, and urged the audience to support their independent theatres and revival houses. Which was nice to hear (though our local indie theatre was so on-the-ball in promoting Campbell's new movie, that Campbell himself didn't know Thursday where it was playing...I had to go on the web that evening to find it was a midnight movie at the Hillcrest). Of course, Campbell concluded his call to arms to not support the Hollywood dreck by adding, "But see Sky High." It was a very fun hour of hilarity, and I highly recommend hearing the man speak if he ever is out your way.

The third panel I attended was Keith Knight's, obstensibly celebrating his tenth anniversary (he's been at it much longer than that, but he figured he could only get a panel if he said it was his big 1-0). He, too, was a funny guy, and gave an engaging presentation, more low-key than Bruce Campbell's, but still appealing in its own way. He showed a bunch of slides, talked about the odd controversies that have plagued the strip; a strip about crack whores was censored because a paper's white liberal readership would object to the supposed implication that all black people like crack (yet a Viagra-inspired series of penis jokes ran without comment). He also discussed his long history with Comic-Con, crashing Artist's Alley for several years, then running afoul of Con organizers with his afore-mentioned "I'd rather be masterbating" apparel (he told a funny story about a little girl noticing the bumper stickers, and pointing it out with glee to her mother, who decided it was just perfect for her 12-year-old son). He showcased a wide variety of his work, from the more bizarre and silly to the overtly political. He also disucssed some non-comic work, such as a flier he put up in San Francisco, offering the service of renting out black people for corporate events (he is at work expanding this idea into a larger project, he said). This panel is the reason I decided, if I could only go to Comic-Con one day, to go on Thursday, and it lived up to my expectations.

After the Keith Knight panel, I was ready to go home. I spent a lot of time on the floor, and when it's not too crowded, you can see everything pretty quickly.  I was actually getting a bit bored. I think you're lucky, sort of, if you have to wait in line. Last year, I spent about 90 minutes in line to get autographs from the cast of Freaks and Geeks. That sort of thing sort of splits up your time, so you don't overdo your time on the floor. I also think it hurt that I didn't really have a plan, because I didn't think I was going to make it to Comic-Con this year. So once I bought the few things I knew I wanted, I didn't really have a mission. And basically Thursday isn't the most exciting day at Comic-Con. So the convention did drag at times. And looking over the entire schedule of events, there wasn't a whole lot that interested me this year. There were some things I would have liked to see, but nothing that pained me too much to miss. Still, I had a pretty good time, and am definately glad I went. Next year, I'll do Comic-Con right.

Two weeks of summer school is over. That roughly corresponds to one quarter during the academic year. And I'm still standing. Did horrendously on the last quiz, but I knew that going in. I just wasn't prepared. And one quiz grade will be discarded, so I still have a good grade, though I assume things will only get harder going on. But I am still currently optimistic of my chances of passing. But only time will tell.

Comic-Con is in two weeks, and I will not be attending. I agreed to work that weekend, not realizing it was Comic-Con weekend. And I don't feel like paying $20 or so just for a one-day pass, when I can't make it on a school day before 2:00 or so. I haven't had time to peruse the schedule yet, so if there is something really cool Thursday or Saturday afternoon, I still might go. But I think I just need to focus on Latin this year.

I am gaining more experience with on-line poker. I learned the danger of the "blackjack" option at Paradise Poker. You can open a window with a blackjack game while you play poker. I've had good luck at it, while playing for modest stakes, mostly. But last night, I was playing a $0.50/$1 Hi-Lo Stud game, and lost $30, which pissed me off (lost a bundle with three Queens rolled up). I was just taking a little study break, so I didn't have time to play a tournament to win the money back, so I decided to make my stand at blackjack. And in ten minutes, I had no money in my Paradise Poker account. And I'd built it up pretty nice, winning some $20 buy-in tourneys. So that was an expensive lesson for me: no more blackjack on-line. I'll just stick to poker. I've done pretty good at poker; I've moved up to the $20 single-table tournaments ($100 first prize), and I came in first twice today, helping me start building up a poker bankroll again.

Tanner had another seizure Saturday night. He was lying down around 10:00, and got up and fell over, and started having seizures. It seemed most prevalent on his left side, but all four legs were stiff, but he could still walk somewhat. He even managed to walk outside through his doggie door, so he was apparently conscious during the attack. It didn't seem too severe, but lasted what felt like a long time, but probably was about two minutes, maybe less. It's hard to tell when the seizure ends, exactly, and when he's just confused and disoriented and unsure on his feet. So we called the vet and she didn't ask me to bring Tanner in, but suggested we put him on phenobarbital. The vet said that they don't really need to medicate if seizures are more than a month apart, but that in Tanner's case it might not be a bad idea. I had researched the topic on an on-line canine epilepsy resource, and wasn't surprised the vet suggested phenobarbital, but I am concerned about the side effects, namely lethargy and increased appetite. It's been enough of a struggle keeping Tanner's weight somewhat controlled, without making him sleep and eat more. And once you start the drugs, it's basically a lifetime regemine. So I think we're going to pass on the drugs, unless he has another incident in the next two or three months. However, I should note I made this decision with the belief it had been about four months since Tanner's last seizure; turns out his last seizure was only about two and a half months ago. So while I hope this won't come up again, it would be naive to think this will just magically go away. But before starting Tanner of a lifetime of drugs, I'd like to wait and see a little bit.

I've been looking for good poker resources on the web, and found Poker Tips to have a fair amount of very good information. Both the site reviews and strategy tips are quite useful.

One week of summer school down, five weeks (and one day) to go. So far, so good. Got an A on my first quiz, and while I didn't do as well on today's quiz (forgot a few vocab words, like "high" and "deep"), I certainly passed. Monday's quiz should give me a better idea where I stand. There is a lot of material to cover in a short time, but I think I may be better off than in a traditional year-long Latin course, where I would be more tempted to put things off and not study as much, and just hope I pick things up as I go along. Here I know I can't get away with that. And the new textbook does seem much better than the tradional text.

One annoying thing: Parking is as bad in the summer as it is all year. There's hardly any student parking lots left on campus. The first day, I tried parking in the Gilman parking structure, and while I knew it was mostly staff and faculty parking, I was shocked just how little student parking there is. There is a dorm parking lot not far from there, where I had luck parking the first couple days, but it was full on Thursday, and for the last two days I've parked over by the La Jolla Playhouse. I paid almost $100 for the parking permits (we run a week longer than the traditional summer session, so I had to buy an occasional use permit as well), and ended up parking a five-minute walk away from free street parking for almost half the week. At least I learned a valuable lesson to never again buy a permit for school (I still need occasional use permits to park at work, but at least there's plenty of spaces available).

Today I didn't even try to get a good parking space, seeing as the drive to school was bad enough. I spilled coffee all over myself, and didn't have time to go home and change. What was odd was, I managed to really up-end the coffee mug, so that I spilled some on my lap, but most of it wound up in my face. I had to pull over and get a rag out of the trunk to wipe my face and glasses clean. I don't quite understand just how I managed to pull that off. Guess it's just part of the bad luck I've been having playing poker on-line (I lost almost everything I won, but now I've won a good chunck of it back).