Vegas, Baby!

I am currently in Las Vegas (okay, this post was written in Vegas and posted in VA because I didn’t have Internet access in Vegas). This place is a trip. Just seeing the strip is worth the trip. It is quite a sight to behold…New York, New York, Paris, the giant lion in front of MGM…unbelievable. And my friends that I’m with tell me they can’t believe how dead it is here. We got cabs from the Bellegio without waiting in a line. We partied at Moon at The Palms and it was only mildly packed. Rum Jungle wasn’t even serving dinner last night.

Although I’m definitely glad to have made the trip and be catching up with some old friends, I don’t think I’m really a Vegas person. I lost $70 last night playing black jack and am really irritated about it. And it’s only $70. Some people come out here and throw down $100 (or $1,000) chips down next to my $5 chips. Where do these people get this kind of money and how can they stand losing a hand? It is just another world out here.

I will say the clubs are pretty cool. I’m not a particularly big clubbin’ kind of person, but Moon last night was really amazing. And they have these girls dancing in basically bikinis. I just wonder how their bodies look like that. I asked one of my friends last night and his response was, “A lot of coke.”

So all in all – I’ll post more on the inaugural Vegas trip later – very interesting but I don’t think I’ll be making a regular stop on the vacation circuit. Things are so bad out here and they’re so desperate to bring people to Vegas, you can get decent rooms on the Strip at $40 per night. And that’s on the weekend. Then you get out here and realize a decent dinner costs $80, a round of drinks costs $50 (for three drinks) and after twenty minutes on the blackjack table you’re down $70. If you’re good with numbers you realized all the money you saved on the hotel was gone about 15 minutes after you set foot outside your hotel room…

Southwest Flights…

If you get on a Southwest flight, you have made a trade off decision: I am paying less for my flight, therefore I am willing to put up with the whole herding cattle routine. I won’t have an assigned seat, if I have a large bag I’ll have to get there early so it doesn’t get checked, I might have to be seated in a middle seat, etc. All in all, not that bad if you are paying $79 per leg of your flight.

Yesterday, not one but two, parent/child combinations asked people to move. I know it’s the holiday season and all, but seriously? If these parents really thought it was imperative to sit directly next to their children then they shouldn’t have booked tickets on a Southwest flight. That’s just common sense. Were they really surprised? They should’ve known that there was a non-zero probability they might not end up sitting next to little Sally or Bobby. So parents, if you need to sit next to your kid, don’t book a flight on Southwest and try to guilt everyone else into letting you sit by your kid. Pay the extra $100 a ticket and book seats next to each other.

Pick the Right Movie for Your Mood...

This weekend was actually kind of gloomy in San Diego. Yesterday it was mostly in the mid- to upper-50s and I don't think I saw any sun all day long. When I went for a late afternoon run, there was also some rain and it was quite windy, making it feel even cooler. However, by the end of my run the rain had stopped and it was probably around 60. Relative to the norm for San Diego, however, it was quite a crappy day, so I didn't feel too guilty doing some errands and watching a movie.

There are some movies I wouldn't recommend watching when you need to feel uplifted. One such movie is "I Am Legend" with Will Smith. I kept hoping at some point, there would be at least a glimmer of hope or a happy point in the movie. Alas, an hour and 45 minutes later I was feeling even more dour. Yikes. Not really a bad movie, but it was quite a downer.

On the other hand, all the ladies in particular should make sure to catch "Troy." This fine motion picture features actors like Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom running around half naked, many times trying to kill each other. At first I couldn't believe the movie was 2 hours and 43 minutes. After starting the film, however, I was sad it had to end so early. It is like a history lesson meets eye candy times ten. And without seeing the film, I would have never known Paris was such a sally pants. If only all history lessons were this well told...

Congrats to the UNC Soccer Team

The Tar Heels are the 2008 NCAA National Champions! Woooooohooo! I continue to be very excited for the team and proud as an alum. After the first 17 seconds of the game I was a bit nervous but am ebullient the girls were able to come out on top!

Here is a cool clip from YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=QDxFa4k8Nn0

I'm glad we now know the answer to final question in the video...

Prediction: 2009 Will Be the "Year of the Belle"

For those of you not in the know, I affectionately refer to my little sister Alicia as "Elle" or "Elle Belle." I call her this despite the fact that "Ali" should really be pronounced to rhyme with "rally."

At any rate, I am officially dubbing 2009 the "Year of the Belle." Elle Belle is on fire - she's managed to trim down and is now dead sexy (as opposed to the just plain old just "sexy" she used to be), she has a hot new dude and she recently got promoted (and a raise). The Belle managed to accomplish all these things as the global economy is melting down and everyone else is expecting multi-billion dollar checks from the U.S. government to bail them out.

Way to go, Elle!

Big Three Request $34 Billion Bailout

If I had to respond to them, I would vote let them fail and encourage all practical car buyers to purchase Hondas and Toyotas and all car aficionados to focus on BMWs and Benzs.  I admit I am a bit concerned for the repercussions on future work on the Crossfire if Chrysler's service is to worsen...However, given the outlook for the business model of the American auto companies, why throw good money after bad?  

Plaxico Burress...Seriously?

This just in...Plaxico Burress has just been suspended for four games by the New York Giants after accidentally shooting himself in the leg with a gun in a New York City nightclub. After shooting the shooting, he turned himself into the police and will now face charges of criminal possession of a handgun. 

Hilarious. This morning on ESPN, I listened to his lawyer talk about how he was a good guy that a done a stupid thing and not a bad guy that had done a bad thing.  What kind of guy takes a gun to a nightclub?  

I will say I am impressed that the NY Giants organization immediately suspended him rather than let him get away with doing whatever he wants.  If he was a Cincinnati Bengal, he would probably be suiting up for practice as soon as he posted bail.