April 24th thru the 30th, 2005Previous Week | Archive Index | Current Blog | Next Week More Walking  I got
up around 8 or so, but thought that it was noon due to the incorrect clock in the room. Ye cats! So off I
went, solo. I walked to the Hilton so see what the Star Trek Experience was like, but it wasn't open yet. So I got on the
monorail there and took it all the way to the other end, at the MGM
Grand. "Grand" is the understatement of the millennium. Easily the biggest casino out of them all—I
estimate at least half a mile of walking from the monorail stop to the front doors on the strip. Once I
was outside, I walked over a few bridges to Excalibur, and took
them tram from there to Mandalay Bay. I think, if money was not
an object, I would end up staying at Mandalay Bay. I liked the atmosphere. From MB, I walked entirely
inside all the way back to Excalibur. This included going through a shopping mall, where I stopped at Urban Outfitters to buy a shirt and some socks (there is
nothing like putting on fresh, new, clean socks when your feet are tired), as well as walking through the
Luxor and through Excalibur itself. I rather liked the Luxor, which
is the big black pyramid hotel. The floor I was on, above the casino floor, was dark, subdued, calming.
Even Inebriation is Fake in Vegas
We took that tram I had been on before, from Excalibur to Mandalay Bay, walked to the Luxor,
and the tram back again, walking to New York New York. Some
people were due to see Zumanity, so off they went, while one
other person and I cabbed back to the room to take showers and rest a bit. Once that was accomplished, we
went to the Bellagio for a drink—12 bucks each!—and then met back
with everyone else at Olive's for dinner. I had the Prime Rib. Exquisite. Those who had been in The Quiet Tired Pleasant Vegas Day  In the morning a few folks had to leave for the airport,
which they did, leaving only three of us behind. I let them sleep in as I showered, read for a bit, and
napped. Eventually they awoke, and we packed-up and checked out. We were tired of smokey casinos by this
time, so we looked for someplace outdoors to sit and eat and drink and chat. We tried Treasure Island, but that didn't pan out, and then we thought we'd try
Mon Ami Gabi at Paris
Las Vegas, but Margaritaville was closer
so we stopped there.
What Happens in Vegas Stays in Vegas
So, all in all, I am very glad I went. I had a good time, saw some things I hadn't seen before, did some things I hadn't done before, and I even left some things to do for next time. And I think there will be a next time. I think I might like to save up for a nice room, see a few shows such as The Blue Man Group and Carrot Top. I still want to get that really thick steak, see the Treasure Island performance, head out to Fremont Street. Who knows, maybe even perform a little stand-up in some off-the-strip amateur night. But for now, it's good to be home. A Kind of Recovery 
 Got up, decided to spend the
day in the living room instead of the office. While I worked and e-mailed, I watched the last of Tru Calling, and the last of Angel Season 5. That's the last of Angel-- the ending
was a bit sudden, but I don't think they knew they were going to be all done. Otherweise, I ate leftover
stuffed chicken and mashed potatoes. It was sort of a half-veg day.Eventually I went to the Tuesday Night Coffee thing. A good turn-out—no new faces, but the familiar ones I like to see and visitors who, while not coffee regulars, I knew from before and was glad to see again. We talked about various things, and the subject of Neuro-Linguistic Programming came up. Is it a cult? Is Scientology a cult? Is Transcendental Meditation a cult? A fad, like primal-scream therapy? A trend, like Yoga, or Pilates? We came to no conclusions. And alas, the subject of nun-porn did not come up at all. Another Comment on the Freezing of Time  One theory, I suppose, is that time can't exist as an
examinable entity if it is frozen-- it's very nature is that it flows. But we are conceptualizing
creatures (and nothing should speak that to that more than the way I'm tossing suffixes on words in this
little blurb like decoration gummi bears on a birthday cake) and so talking about time in a written format
necessarily freezes it-- your reading event is at a different time than my writing event, isn't it? Why am
I mentioning this at all? Because I'm going to report what I am doing today: updating the blog. But you
won't read this until I have done so. As i write this I have not written up the weekend, but when you read
this I will have. Makes it sort of unnecessary for me to say it, right? Feh, Blogs are quintessentially
unnecessary.
My Dad Is Borg
See Above, Sort of Okay I'm done, as you can see. No more comments about it. Read an enjoy. For what it's worth, I Photoshopped the nickel, the Sisyphus, my picture with SMG, the yard of Daiquiri, the rubbaduck, and NewYorkNewYork. Now I'm off to sit with a sick friend.
EMP Trivia It Happened on a Thursday  Well, I woke up. Those of you keeping track, that's about
a 100% success rate. But will I get some sort of badge? No. Why? Because everybody does it. I took
someone to the airport, which other people do, to, so: no badge. But folks are appreciative. Then I came
home and worked. More no badges. The afternoon came upon me, and I really felt like exercising. I was in a
mood. So I DDR'd for 500+ calories. Then I had to go bowling since I missed Monday. First game, 205! I was
on fire! Second game, 145. Not so much with the fire. Third, 163, a little more heat, but no actual flame.
I think our team was in second place, and we needed 3 points to clinch first. I think also I need to bowl
about 50 pins higher in each of those games to ensure us those points. So second it is. No loss really,
though. Word on the street is I'm to be league secretary next time, as we are losing our awesomeness and
inspiration to Hawaii soon. I weep.
I Don't Like Plays Then I went home, and watched some "Tru Calling," and played some Lumines. I thought level 99 was the max, but I made it to 104. Worship me. The Friday that Ate New York  Guild Wars has finally gone gold so off I went to Target to
get it. I chose Target because I wanted to get some juice as well. But they didn't have the title at
Target, so I went downstairs to Best Buy. There it was! I almost bought the deluxe version,
collector's edition or whatever, but then decided I dind't need all those bells and whistles. I would
have, a year ago. I also picked up Hoyle Poker Series. I'm thinking it might be fun to host a poker night
(with chips not money) and I didn't want to go into it blind.And when I got home, what did I play? GW? Nope, Poker. I turned $1000 into $3000, so my addiction is complete. That was 5-card draw, at the $5-$50 table, with 7 opponents. How do you bluff against a computer? How do you read tells? I suppose with bet and card choices only-- sometimes I would only need one card, and one of my opponents would make a snide comment. Texas Hold'em is the big fad card game now, so I'll try that next. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy The day went on, I did play Guildwars, and so you'll be hearing about that now and again
over the next several weeks I'm sure. The day progressed, and eventual Favora dropped by and we ate pizza
and tirimasu. Then much, but not all, of the gang met at Oak Tree to see The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. It was pretty
good. Movie was good. Disjointed, on account of my trying to connect it with the book. It doesn't connect,
much, since Douglas Adams was never one for coherence across multiple formats. These were originally radio
plays, as you know, and he changed stuff up for the book, and since he was working on the script before he
died, it makes sense that there's huge differences. And there was a touch of overt Hollywoodism (like love
themes and plot doctoring) but I can forgive them that because otherwise the film
would never have been made. You know what I mean-- I'd rather the movie have a touch of Hollywood gloss
that gives it enough shine to allow someone to want to produce it, rather than it be strict to the book,
have no shine, be unattractive to the necessary Hollywood players, and never get made at all. I suppose
the right analogy is that of a woman who doesn't like make-up consenting to wear a bit of lipstick anyway
if it's going to allow her to get past the doorman at the swanky nightclub. Okay, maybe that's a
dumb analogy.
Les Z Is Not Just a Letter of the French Alphabet  I got up and ate leftover pizza and watched Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in
the Hood. Those Wayans bros. They try so hard. It would have been better, I suppose, if I had seen
all the movies it was spoofing. There were some good moments, though. The scene stealer was Darrel Heath
as Toothpick, who's done nothing remarkable in films since then. Too bad.
I mowed the lawn, then played Guildwars much of the day, until I was hungry, so I hit the store. You know
what's really tasty? Maui Sweet Onion Potato Chips. I also bought BBQ food, for a BBQ later, which I then
went to...
Barbie Q After that I went and stayed up with a sick friend, and then I slumbered. Previous Week | Archive Index | Current Blog | Next Week |
I exited Excalibur, walked to the 
That's the new motto, but what does it mean? Does it
mean that whatever you do there, you never talk about again? Does it mean that whatever you do there, you
only ever do there? Does it mean that whatever you do there has no significance or ramifications outside
of Vegas? If only we had that much control over our lives. We can try to be as discretionary as we please,
we can treat happenstance with the same attitude that we treat non-money and non-entertainment in Vegas.
But the Romans had a nice phrase: In Vino Veritas," and not unlike the fact that you can't hypnotize a
person to do something he doesn't want to do, nor can one escape the truth of their desires that are
displayed in Vegas. BUT, if one ACCEPTS that one has desires, it's not unlike the damned accepting their
punishment in Camus' 
