The Shaping Of Las Vegas

Las Vegas is a very strange place. Many would say that the way it gets its reputation from the early ties to organized crime, exotic dancers, millionaire hermits... but I believe people remember the varied themes of each hotel. History is wonderful but people are visual creatures. Themes have been a focus of hotel creation during the last few decades as a means to draw a 'different' type of crowd.

First of these to create a theme would have to be Circus Circus. Sure, it's a kiddie place with midway games and pink all over but it did draw people with circus shows and stuffed animals. Then I would say the Excalibur took the next step. They were created by Circus Circus properties and actually gave the impression of castle walls with turrets. The only problem is getting from one section to another as an employee but the theme works. They even carried the midway idea over and included a weight guesser.

The Circus Circus company then went one step further and decided to bring Egypt to Las Vegas with the creation of the Luxor. The pyramid shape had early issues as drivers reported being blinded as they passed the area so a change of reflective glass was chosen (and now sometimes has advertising on it.) The high-powered beam shooting through the top has been seen as far away as space. There is some interesting history of the hotel about it being cursed for trying to bring such a place to Las Vegas. During the first year of creation, many engineers reportedly saw cracks in the foundation widening. Many said the hotel was sinking others said the weight of the top was pushing the base out due to it being hollow in the center. More recently, the hotel added other sections around it which could be seen as lending support to the base... if you are a conspiracy theorist.

The MGM Grand popped up in 1993 and went in as a partner to build the New York, New York hotel across the strip from it. The company would later buy the partner company and the other half of the hotel. It is the only hotel in Las Vegas to actually show a skyline of any city and has a functioning roller coaster running on the outside. I still wonder how it functions internally as it is a collection of actual New York buildings. I do wonder if the rooms are themed or if they have a view from each of those little windows. Anyhow, after the purchase of Primadonna (the partner company), MGM went and purchased the Mirage properties and Circus Cirus properties (under the Mandalay Bay name.)

The MGM itself is rather interesting as it isn't the original. Many people visit and ask why it took so long to rebuild it after the fire. The MGM actually sold their hotel to Bally's after the destruction and lawsuits following the fire that claimed 84 lives and injured 679 in 1980. They actually decided to avoid the hotel industry entirely... until they decided to build the largest hotel on the Las Vegas Strip. The MGM Grand is actually built on an existing structure, the Marina hotel. The newer structures took over the Tropicana golf course and included a theme park. Opening with a Wizard Of Oz theme, the hotel changed direction away from family marketing with the removal of the theme park and Oz areas. Not often mentioned is that if you look directly down on the hotel room area, it is in the shape of a crucifix.

A cross would be the first obvious use of symbology (although not often cited) in Las Vegas hotel structures but it would be wrong for me to exclude the Imperial Palace. It was long rumored that the building was slowly being shaped as a swastika. Now, you won't see many photos of it from above but this longstanding rumor still exists due to the history of late owner Ralph Engelstad. Essentially he was given the 2nd largest fine against a Las Vegas hotel ($1.5 million) for disgracing the industry with Hitler parties in 1986 and 1988 (Engelstad was the owner of a massive Nazi and World War II memorabilia collection.)

All in all, some people will see the glitz and glamour of 'Sin City' in television specials, shows and movies but there is a lot more in the buildings millions come to visit every year.

Worth A Million

No one can earn a million dollars honestly.

William Jennings Bryan

Sure, things have changed in the decades since Bryan wrote that quote. One is inflation but if you take it at face value, money can be earned honestly. The only dishonesty is when people judge the value of what you earned without knowledge of what you actually do. Yes, there are people out there that see big companies and believe that they run themselves and that the man at the top is just there as a figurehead or rolls around in a bathtub full of $100 bills. As a free society, we are allowed to believe such things. But, I wonder... where the dishonesty is in a Web site that sells space ($1 per pixel, 1,000,000 pixels)?

The Million Dollar Homepage is such a place. One perception would be that it didn't cost him $1,000,000 so why is he charging that much for it? (Cost is always a good critique.) Another view would be that because the site states the value at $1 per pixel, is that the true value? Web site value is pretty immeasurable as we've seen with a net bubble burst several years back. But... the domain name, the perceived advertising space and the fact that I'm mentioning it here give it a higher value than it took to create. Yet, owner Alex Tew will not earn $1 million for the Web site. In fact, the space will lose value over time as he re-purchases his domain name and pays for Web hosting. He will make money in speaking engagements and book deals, though. But, I do wonder what the level of dishonesty in this business model would be?

There Can Be Only One... Unless You Offer Us Big Money

I had to address this at some point but I really have no idea how anyone can get through life without seeing the film Highlander. I would think with the television series and even the film sequels that some people might have even heard of it but there are some uninitiated out there.

This film sits in my top shelf area in my video library because it blurs many genres and holds many great memories. Take one man in a kilt who is cut down in battle but miraculously survives and is shunned by his fellow combatants. Take one foreigner who befriends him and instructs him in swordplay, life, battle and what it is like to be immortal. Place them in a battle for an unknown prize that spans centuries between fellow immortals who are literally after each others heads. Throw in two love stories, wrestling, a very evil immortal, a lot of clashing swords, sparks, Sean Connery and a soundtrack by Queen. You are left with a film that touches on many levels and leaves you wanting more... even though the prize is attained and the battle is over. The film wasn't a box office hit but the advent of video rentals created a cult hit. I personally remember wielding broomsticks in the living room with my brother Matt while watching the movie over and over again.

I never got into the sequels and side-stories created as I didn't see the logic in how you could continue a battle between immortals if all but one had to die in the first film. The television series was very successful and had it's own spin-off series but after watching a few early episodes, I lost interest. They even tried an animated series in 1994. The only way I could see it existing was as something that happened before the film. Having a different Highlander with the name Duncan just messed up my mind. Films tried to follow the renewed interest but they were disappointments. Although, I felt some closure watching Highlander: Endgame (the fourth film) because they brought both Connor and Duncan into the film and made a decision on where the future would go. I have seen that they are actually working on a Highlander: The Source (film 5) which is supposed to be a search for the first immortal and the source of their immortality.

I do feel like there is something wrong with me that I can't accept a separate Highlander reality which would make it easier for me to accept there being more than "one." But I find it harder to believe that there are people who haven't seen the original film. If you haven't, rectify it and marvel in how a film like that got overlooked in the theater (ok, that happened to Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory and The Wizard Of OZ.)

How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?

No, that isn't my dog. I don't actually have one. Some day I'll probably write down my internal debate about pets but that's actually a picture provided by An Alaskan Abroad. This was the closest photo I found to illustrate my story.

I was working on my newsletter on Monday and heard a lot of barking. My bedroom faces my backyard and computer desk faces my window (which I keep the blinds up because I am a freak about privacy.) Suddenly, I hear a weird falling crushing sound followed by more barking. I peeked out my window and well, that picture fits exactly what I saw. Now, I mentioned recently that a neighbors dog has eaten a few of the new plants that I put down in the front yard. I've also known that parts of my iron gate leading to my backyard have been broken off due to someone standing on them. I've even seen my gate open here and there but here is this dog staring me in the face. So, I burst out the back door with a vengeance hoping to catch the owner of the dog also. No luck. I shooed the dog off and found the gate closed (but unlocked as I've never locked it.) It was a big dog but didn't react with hostility. The only one that was hostile was me as I looked at the yard after the smoke had cleared and noticed two "dog-piles" and digging areas in my newly created landscape.

I bought a lock that was too big for it and have run a coat-hanger through the access latch and made sure no one is getting in or out without deliberate action. Sure, I'd love to go to the dog's owner and say, "Keep track of your dog unless you plan of paying to fix my yard." But instead I'm more likely to ask, "How much is that doggie in the window?" as I write the owner a check to pay for what I wind up doing to it.

I'm Confused Are They Boycotting America Or Americans Boycotting?

Allergies have been kicking my butt. So, yesterday I visited some friends and just rested alot (with one eye on the draft.) I have to work on the newsletter tomorrow morning and normally I'd run off to work right after. Normally... but tomorrow is being called A Day Without An Immigrant and The Great American Boycott 2006 (yes, we are united but we can't agree on one name.) No, I'm not staying home to show my support.

I actually work in a "building" that has a mostly Hispanic cleaning staff (more than half of the employees on property.) The "building" is full of people renting rooms that need to be cleaned between guests and during their stay. A lot of the time, I meet these guests whether I'm bringing them things, listening to a complaint or assisting them with their keys. If the cleaning staff doesn't show up, all hell will break loose. This means that people in non-organized job classes will be told to clean rooms. I don't have to worry about that but I do know that these guests will not be happy waiting longer for their rooms, will find problems with their rooms and will want to vent these problems with someone who just so happens to be standing near them. I decided that I wasn't going to be there for that several weeks ago and put in for a vacation day. I've since seen many handouts at the "building" asking people to sign a petition as a show of support but still show up for work with the idea that they can go join the rallies after their shift. I don't think that is going to work too well. The cleaning classification is hard to fill where we are and many can use a nifty provision called F.M.L.A. (if you haven't heard about it, I'll probably talk about it soon) to get the day off and often get paid for it.

Anyhow, I look at the timing as perfect as I'm all stuffed up (I guess, I talk in my sleep when I'm really stuffy) at what feels like the peak of my allergy symptoms and I'll be able to take some nifty drugs and sleep (ok, I have to do a lot of typing but I don't have to rush it out by 4 pm like normal.) In some ways, I hope those protesting don't show up to work. Nothing shows how much you have sacrificed for honest work than to walk off of the job, have your children walk out of a taxpayer-funded school, spend no money (which means buy more before or after) and voice your "right" to reside in a foreign country illegally. I just wonder if it will take this one event, one event every year or a monthly walkout that will put businesses on the hotseat to maybe re-evaluate their hiring practices.

Oakland Wanted A Quarterback In The First Round?

Ever since Oakland released Kerry Collins in the off-season, critics have linked the Raiders with an urge and/or need for a quarterback. There are many reasons for this. Lets recap: Oakland drafts quarterback Andrew Walter in the 3rd round of the 2005 NFL Draft. The team enters the season with Kerry Collins at QB, Collins is pulled for backup (2001 2nd round draft pick) Marques Tuiasosopo, Tuiasosopo is pulled for Collins and season ends with Collins throwing 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions (ranked 6th in in NFL passing yards and ranked 10th in NFL touchdowns.) Collins is now a free agent and is contemplating retirement. Tui started 1 game and was tossed around like a rag doll (he did throw a touchdown) but remains with the team. In the off-season, Oakland signed former Saints starting quarterback Aaron Brooks to a 1 year deal.

A lot of the problems should fall on the shoulders of Oakland offensive line, which was pretty offensive. We'll start by saying that they need help at guard. They need to move Robert Gallery to his natural position. They have tried to plug the line holes with veterans but it hasn't helped. (Hint: Consider drafting a guard as early as the 4th round, guys.) Whatever quarterback they use, he'll need protection. Granted, a 1 year deal with a veteran usually means that he is there to groom someone for the position. Hence, the talking heads pushing the idea that Oakland would take a quarterback with the #7 pick in the draft. Many expected they would take Vince Young and others said Matt Leinart (Oakland likes California players.) It didn't happen (as of noon PST the team drafted Michael Huff a much needed defensive back.

Ahhh, why wouldn't the team want to draft a quarterback? That would be because the team and many fans view Andrew Walter as the team's quarterback of the future. I know, why didn't he get thrown into a game last year during a lousy season if he was that good? Great question. Walter had a great year in 2004 leading Arizona to an 8-3 record and became the Pac-10's all-time touchdown leader breaking a mark held by John Elway (recently broken again by Matt Leinart.) Why didn't Walter get drafted higher than 3rd round then? During the last game of the 2004 season, Walter suffered a 3rd degree shoulder separation which affected his draft status (originally expected to be a 1st round prospect.) Walter reportedly was injured during training camp and was held back for the remainder of 2005 to allow the shoulder and groin injuries to heal. Walter is expected to compete with Brooks and Tuiasosopo for the starting quarterback position. Teams usually carry 3 quarterbacks into a season. If Oakland drafted another, they would likely be cutting Tuiasosopo (which still can happen.)

...It's A Gas, Gas, Gas

I guess that I've become rather numb to the rise in the price of gasoline. After all, as a scarce non-renewable resource, the price isn't going to get cheaper over time. But, a few days ago I started relating it to other things. Statistics show that we go through 20 million barrels of oil a day in the U.S. Of course gasoline is a major consumer of that oil but there are the thousands of petroleum-based products on the market (CDs, cosmetics, auto polish, safety glass, PVC pipes, industrial cleaners, wire insulation, printing ink, paint, pesticide... anything made of plastic, elastic, polyester, rayon, dacron or orlon among many many others) that bid for their share that oil so they can continue production. Of that 20 million barrels, we as a country produce: 8 million. We produce 40% of a product that we use multiple times each day. It's that stat that keeps rattling in my head.

I keep thinking that if I had 12 million barrels of oil per day coming in from other countries at $70 a pop, that comes to a mere $840,000,000. If I wanted to balance trade internationally, I'd want to cut that back some and depend on ourselves more. We don't and wont. Instead, we actually put some of what we produce aside in a oil reserve. In some respects, it's not a bad idea to put something aside because we are oil dependents and it's good to have some sense of security. Currently, we get the remaining 60% from (in order of supply): Saudi Arabia, Canada, Venezuela, Mexico and Nigeria. I'll avoid boring you with how we could currently produce more oil at a cheaper rate (which I know you've heard a lot about), how we haven't opened an oil refinery in nearly 30 years and about how we can cut consumption by embracing new technology. I just wonder if we as a country are purposely purchasing from others something we could produce cheaper as a means to be "last man standing" when the oil supplies of other countries start drying up.

Parody Or Marketing Device?

I actually remember going to my grandparents store in Idaho (the only one in the small friendly town) and being told to pick a few treats out. It literally was the kid in a candy store analogy brought to life. Now, I didn't go crazy. I've always been a bit finicky. But, I always thought candy cigarettes were funny. They had a taste of their own and were what I consider "parody" candy.

Several countries in the world actually made candy cigarettes illegal during the early 1990's. Necco and World Candies actually fought a bill in Congress in 1990 that would have banned the product in the U.S. The claims were made that the items looked so similar to the real thing that they urged children to smoke later in their lives. The items even have a little red at the end.

I might be in the minority here but I don't think the candy made me want to smoke. It's not one of my vices although several friends and one of my parents have and/or do currently inhale. I remember trying to act like it was real and of course this was in the late 70's and early 80's when smoking wasn't as frowned upon. I'd hold it in my fingers and put the end in my mouth. The thing didn't last more than a few seconds. Usually the first one would be played with but they'd end up in my mouth in seconds. I think that if candy cigarettes lead children to smoking that it also leads them to eating their Marlboros and Salem Lights. I also think that if people are so freaked out about candy cigarettes... why aren't they upset about licorice pipes. (I actually bought that one in a store near Olivia's recital.) But don't they lead people to smoking pipes? Is there a pipe smoking crisis? It's like saying that the eating of bananas or Big Stick ice cream treats promotes and trains young women for oral sex. Never heard of a study or a ban on those.

Bunny Left From Easter

Went to my first recital last night. The performance was of Little Red Riding Hood by a ballet company in Boulder City, Nevada. Why would I break such a long streak of never seeing a recital? Olivia.

She was one of the bunnies in the forest during Red's 2 1/2 hour trek to Grandma's house. Sure, I wanted her to have a bigger part but this is her first year, I believe. But one thing that was very noticeable was that the other girls were looking over at her to make sure they were doing the right thing. That smile on her face in the photo says it all. I gave her that flower (that's in her hands) after the performance. If you look closely to the right of the picture, you can see Olivia's new brother/sister... well, my sister's stomach (which she tried to avoid getting photographed.) I had a great time and I even got to play with Connor for a bit (felt bad about getting something for Olivia so I gave him some taffy.)

Juggling Unknown Variables

Ever have a project you need to do but are given very few details in an area well outside your working knowledge? Ok, I have two of these that I need to address before the 29th. These chores deal with the new job starting in June. I'm figuring that putting them down will help me shake loose an idea or two... or someone else nudges me in the right direction.

1) The new business coming to town need an office. The boss is hoping for something in the 1,000 sq. ft. range and in the Summerlin area. I know very little about offices, leasing and even his plans for the space. But, I told him I'd "keep my eyes open." (Yes, I think I piled the dirt on my grave with that statement.) The only things that I can think of are driving around and writing down addresses with phone numbers at decent locations. Now that I think about it, it might be worth talking to Mom about these things as she leases out airplane hangars.

2) A soon-to-be co-worker will be moving to town with his family and will need to find a rental home. Again, details are fuzzy here. I don't know how many rooms but know he is looking in the Summerlin area also (stay close to work etc.) So, I've been hoping to pile up information on houses to rent but I haven't seen any good magazines in town. I have considered emailing the link for the Review Journal (local paper) website so they have something more to go on.

Either way, both the boss and the co-worker are due in town on the 29th and I'll need to show that I haven't ignored the tasks. Meeting them that day is also going to be interesting. NFL Draft starts that morning, my brother's birthday party (held later to also celebrate his sister-in-law's birthday) starts at 3 pm and I'm supposed to have dinner with the new boss and co-worker later. Should be an interesting day. Think I'll give Mom a call and pick her brain on lease/rental properties.

Update: Mom gave me some great leads on the lease property. She goes in for her multiple hernia surgery tomorrow. I'm going to see if I can drop in on her when she gets home later that day before I go to work.

My Brother, Matthew

Didn't get to post this yesterday as it was a busy newsletter day but here it goes. Yesterday was my brother Matt's birthday. He's there in the picture in the red sweater and also in the tux with his wife on the far left. He turned 32.

As I think about it, I've had 32 years of memories with him making it one of my longest lasting friendships. I've always felt a weird connection with him. Both of us were slapped plenty of times in church for just looking at each other at the wrong time and bursting out into laughter. (Yes, the wrong time is when the pastor says, "This is my body, eat from it...") As sporadic and cautious that I am, Matt is equally more focused and sure. Just him being around pushed me to be better. I don't think he'll ever know how proud I am of him.

Before starting the newsletter, I ran over to pick up donuts. I remember during weekends that Mom would usually pick up a dozen from Winchell's as we went to the tennis courts. I had a flashback of myself looking through the glass with my siblings as they each picked a few to go in the dozen. I remember Matt always picked the maple bars, glazed twists and cinnamon rolls so I made sure to get a few of those. They were out of what I like but yesterday wasn't about me. (I'll talk about those another day.) I then proceeded over to his office (which is oddly enough just a few blocks away from my house.) An hour flew by quickly and it seems several people brought him goodies (two batches of homemade rice krispy treats, a bottle of alcoholic beverage and tons of email.) As I left, I was thinking that I really need to spend more days with him like this. Happy Birthday, Matt.

80's Albums You May Not Know

Allergies are kicking my butt and I've been sleeping a lot. But instead of leaving landscape photos up forever, I decided to talk about a few of my favorite albums of the 1980s (since I covered 3 from the 90s a few months back.) Yes, they may be bands that you haven't heard or been familiar with but I call each of them 'perfect' albums - meaning that I enjoy each of the songs and prefer to hear them straight through.

The first album may be one that you've heard of... or heard at least one song from. In 1987, Icehouse released Man Of Colours which would mark the apex of their career. The album showed maturity for a band that leaned heavily on synthesizers early on where a new emphasis on the songwriting became almost as important as the music. The album includes the Top 20 hit singles, "Electric Blue," which was co-written (and included background vocals) by John Oates of Hall & Oates and "Crazy." The album wasn't as critically accepted as the hit singles imply. The album boasts some gems ("My Obsession,") beautiful harmonies ("Sunrise") and sonic soundscapes ("Heartbreak Kid.") The lyricism and vocal strength of this album made it quite hard to follow up. Well worth giving a few listens to if you can find it (the album is out of print and I had to replace my old one with one from eBay.)

I fell into this next album thanks to a friend in Junior High named Phil Gelber. After reaching some success with the band Sheriff (minor hit with "When I'm With You" in 1982 which would become a bigger hit for them later when re-released in 1989,) the Canadian band split into two camps. Steve DeMarchi and Freddy Curci went and formed Alias (with former members of Heart) while bassist Wolf Hassel and vocalist/guitarist Arnold Lanni formed Frozen Ghost. The album had a chart single with "Should I See" but got little notice outside of Canada. The songs range from driving beats to the melancholy but never so drastic as to seem out of place. Lyrically strong tracks even when one of the songs is titled "Yum Bai Ya" - no relation to "Kum Bi Ya." This release is also out of print and had to spend over $20 on eBay to repurchase it. (Saw it as high as $50.) Oddly enough, the band recently saw some of their songs released in an Essential Frozen Ghost collection in Canada. (note - I actually used to use the name Frozen Ghost on BBS' after hearing this album and even ran my own Phantom Zone BBS under the name Frozen Ghost.)

And now for something a little darker. Fields Of The Nephilim released The Nephilim (their second independent album) in 1988. I saw the cover in a record store and purchased it right away (also noticing that the album was #1 on the U.K. Indie charts and had a top 40 hit single there with "Moonchild.") Haunting or country/metal/gothic are probably the best descriptions for this band and their guitar-work. Lead vocalist Carl McCoy has a gravelly delivery that ranges from whispers to roars to moans that takes some time to get accustomed to but very distinctive. I guess this would be the equivalent of stumbling upon a bunch of druids at a ceremony worshiping a lost pagan idol. It seems so out of place yet harmonic and deviant. The tracks run from blistering-paced guitars to the dark and sensual "Celebrate." This is an album to listen to in a dark room with your eyes closed.

Lucky Shoes, Don't Fail Me Now

Ok, I don't really believe I own lucky things. I just think that there are times when everything goes well or better than expected and I feel amazed and, yes, even blessed. Today was the end to my landscaping adventure. (See earlier entry with photo of the home when I purchased it.) First up here is a photo of what my home looked without clothes on. Yes, that's right a naked yard. Took a lot of work to get it that way too. I finished prepping the areas for running irrigation and marked off areas that I'd like to highlight. The photo was taken this morning at about 6:30 A.M. with the sunrise behind the house.

Next up are the lucky shoes. No, they aren't lucky but you'd think they are because I've kept them a whole 20+ years. My father would purchase tennis shoes to sell at his shop and every once in awhile he'd say, "Find a pair that are your size." As a youngster, I was pretty amazed that Goodyear made the soles and thought that they have to be a good as car tires. Yes, they have lasted that long and I have been picked on by family members for still owning them but there they are in all their glory. I put them on because I knew I'd need something that I wouldn't care if they got trashed or not. They actually survived pretty well.

And last but not least... the final product. I took the photo at 6:30 P.M. and having the sun behind you doesn't do the area justice. Many of the little plants in front will get a lot bigger, almost bushy (green cassia) while others will spread and circle the rocks. I'm sore and tired (got 5 hours sleep before starting and 5 hours the day before (they dropped off the rocks early.) Took some ibuprofen and plan to have a few beers after a nap. I will tell you something, though. I was going nuts trying to design a layout for what should go where (we even put in a few things so I can run lighting in a few spots later.) I decided use the red rock fines (crushed rock) to highlight specific areas and encircle them with the gold 1" rock. I'm actually shocked that it looked better than I expected. Content and without yardwork, life is sweet.

Not Football Again!

Ever thought about why certain people don't follow professional football? I have. I believe it is the forethought of a higher power that keeps people who would be passionate about one NFL team from beating up people wearing apparel for 96.8% of the other teams in the league. Sure, they might not beat them down every time but they may attempt it more than average fans. So, I believe it's for the greater good.

We Need A Fence Or To Sell A Vote?

Historically, cultures that have come to another country for work and not tried to assimilate have drawn the ire of the natives. Although the success of immigrants abroad usually creates a bigger backlash, keeping up language and social barriers puts them in a perilous spot. Germans living abroad suffered after World War I and II. Those successfully farming in Russia were told to stop teaching classes in the German language, end printing newspapers in their former country's tongue and cease gathering in secret groups. After World War II broke out, these immigrants were forced out of the country as some were believed to be drumming up support for the Nazi cause. Businesses were taken from them and many were sent to their deaths in the cold harsh elements. Russia wasn't the only one that treated Germans this way but restrictions on schools, newspapers and social groups were created in Brazil and even in the United States. This same thing happened to many cultures including the Jewish, Lebanese, Chinese and eastern Indians. Those that don't assimilate become resented for their success, what they might be saying or teaching in their language and even outward appearance.

These thoughts have been on my mind during the recent marches by those supporting the rights of illegal immigrants. I've been waiting to see things come to a head in our country as they are now. Personally, I'm stuck in the middle. The marches have shown me more than I expected. People carrying the Mexican flag as they try to show the United States that they are patriotic? (Being born in Sacramento, California, if I were to wave a state flag, I would hoist that of Nevada as it represents me as a Nevadan.) I've even seen signs saying that they are just taking back the property the U.S. stole from them. Ignoring the outcome of the Mexican - American War is not helping their case.

I personally believe that we have a lot of people that don't want to or can't physically or mentally do work in our economic system. In February, we posted a 4.8% national unemployment rate. Many of the jobs being taken are entry level set at our minimum wage standard. Many of the other jobs are ones we have little record of seeing that if I pick someone up to do yard work and pay him in cash, taxes aren't reported nor collected. So, I'm not against a guest worker program if it will keep track of who we have in our country, push towards assimilation, accurately increase tax revenue and lessen the strain put on our education system. But, I also believe that giving amnesty to those that broke our laws promotes more of the same. (This year, I hope we can forgive anyone that broke the speed limit... no points on your license and no fine. How will you drive next year?) Amnesty would also buy a lot of the Hispanic vote come election day.

Do good fences make good neighbors? Sure, to some extent but if one neighbor has to watch the fence more than the other, something is wrong. I hate the whole situation as I like my friends that have come to work over here. I also dislike racism with a passion. Right now the United States Senate and House of Representatives are redefining what being an "American" is and the future will only tell if history repeats itself.

Got I.D.?

When I walk into work each day, I'm required to show my I.D. It was much worse when there were threats against some of our hotels for possible "dirty bombs." Our bags were searched each day. This never bothered me too much. I figure that I can take a few seconds of my time to help security. I also know that, currently, if we don't have our I.D. when we walk in, we stopped and are walked to Human Resources to verify who we are and have to pay to get a new I.D. card. This sucks when you are running late. Yes, it's easier to just comply.

The reason why I'm thinking about this is that I have Georgia on my mind... that is Georgia congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. Representative McKinney was stopped while in a rush and heading into government building without wearing a pin that allows government officials to bypass security. According to witnesses, she turned and hit a security officer in the chest while holding er cell phone after he put his hand on her shoulder when she was told to stop.

McKinney held a press conference today claiming that she was stopped because she was "a black congresswoman" and has hired a lawyer although she has been told not to talk about the incident as it may go to court. Whether charges for assaulting security are filed against her, I think about the fact that I'm heading into work in a few minutes and know the procedure. My I.D. card is in my hand as I walk through. How's the security at your work?

Steps On A New Path

When I passed my classes for home appraisal nearly 2 years ago (July 2004), I figured that I would wait out an intership where my friends are at. I did interview with their boss but they can't hire until one of them has finished their internship... not to say that I'd get the job. Anyhow, I had my interview with a company from Pennsylvania last week. It just so happens that they were planning on opening an office in town. The first interview went well and was asked to meet with them the next day. The second interview went well also and was offered the internship that day which would start in June. My only task until then will be helping them find an office location... which I've never looked for before and should prove interesting.

This means that I need to take care of a lot of my projects while I have the time. But, with the change of days off, I do foresee having weekends pretty free (although, I'll probably sleep a lot.) I have a good feeling about time getting sorted out but I do feel apprehension about the new job. It's probably just the jitters.

The Yard: The Removal

Pictured here is what my house looked like when I purchased it. From the looks of it, the environment is trying to reclaim it... the pine tree and the juniper on the right side of the photo actually were touching the house (the juniper looked like it would get caught soon in the garage door.) On the left is the massive bush and an oleander that is peeking out near the front door. Since I've moved in, I've removed the juniper, removed the oleander and ripped out the bushes on the left. (The roots to the bushes were so big that they pushed the sidewalk up where there was a good half inch difference between slabs.)

As part of my converting to desert landscape, I picked up a sod cutter on Friday. My work on the yard itself would have taken until Sunday had my neighbor's brother Pietro not joined in. I cut the sod (and many sprinkler heads) while he cut the strips into rolls. Everything was going well until the pull string on the cutter snapped in half as I started work on the back yard. The company sent someone out to fix it while Pietro and I took the rolls to the side of the drive way and stacked them up neatly. I put a post on Craigslist.org in the Free section about the sod. 3 people that saw the ad came by and took all the good sod (1 woman made 4 trips with her sons in the car and later purchased my lawnmower from me.) Lots of little pieces of sod left under the pine tree but hopefully, I'll find a way to slowly dispose of them over the next few weeks.

Pietro had asked me about a leak in the sprinkler system several months back. I kept thinking that, I'm removing it so it really isn't a big problem. Well, after cutting up the sod it seemed to be a bigger problem than expected. It was a huge puddle. After cleaning out the area with a shovel, we discovered that the water wasn't coming from the sprinkler line but under the concrete... so we called the Water company. It didn't take them long to notice that the leak was on my side of the meter but under the concrete (meaning = "your problem buddy.") Kept the water off that night and repairs would cost $403.11 that next afternoon. I used that day to prune and trim up the bushes and trees.

My body was extremely sore after the first day of yard work. The second day felt better after ibuprofen and forcing the muscles back to task. I'm still sore today but I know more work is coming and my pockets will be emptying out a bit more. On the next episode of The Yard, Martin tries to design, remove the sprinkler system, organize plants and prepares for the coming rock.

Life Update - 032106

Ok, lots going on so today is an update day:

1) The iPod is full and now I have to choose which songs don't make the cut. It's like playing American Idol with people who already were/are stars.

2) A friend at work bumped into an appraiser moving his business into our area and he is looking for an intern with knowledge of the area. Hmmm... my interview is tomorrow at 3pm prior to work.

3) I decided that my procrastination with the lawn conversion has to end. On Friday, I'll rent a sod cutter and pull up all the grass (with a little trimming around the sides.) On Saturday, I'll take some photos of my irrigation system to professionals so they can build me what I need and go look at pretty rocks. On Sunday, I'll play in the dirt a little but expect to spend the day doing my newsletter.

4) Dad got a used Tivo from my brother Matt (first he gives me a sofa, dad the Tivo... I need to check with his wife about his health.) I'll be heading over to Dad's to set things up maybe early tomorrow. The good thing about now getting Sunday's off is that I will not miss family gatherings in the evening.

5) After going to my friend Mike's house last week, I've been thinking of painting these white walls in the house. I thought white was a serene non-color but I just don't want to start another project too soon.

6) People keep asking me about advertising on my main Web site. Usually, I just take so long to answer them that I delete the email. I need to figure a "going rate" at some point. If the new podcasts work out alright, I'll probably need to figure out ad rates for that too. Never had to worry about it in the past because I wouldn't consider the idea unless they had something to do with 80's music. Now, some of them are popping up.

7) I'm really loving Taco Bell's Chicken Caesar Grilled Stuffed Burrito. I love a good caesar salad (the dressing is important.) And considering it is one of the few sources green cellulose (salad) that I'll ingest, it may be a healthier option than my regular haunts.

It Takes A Cab

As I've mentioned before, Tivo is my friend. I like to let it make suggestions for me according to what I already like to watch. (Actually, because of it, I've recently become a Nielsen family... of one.) Anyhow, I was very happy to find two new television shows on my Tivo recently and thought I'd share them with you.

The Discovery Channel's reality series It Takes A Thief is intense. The series takes two reformed thieves who stake out houses and propose a deal with the home owners. They will show them how unprepared they are for a real home invasion in exchange for a home security upgrade. Seems like a fair deal but think of this: If you walked out of your home like normal and sat somewhere nearby to watch everything that means anything to you ransacked and taken, what emotions would you feel? Even knowing that it isn't real, it pretty much is what would happen. Great series but do yourself a favor and don't watch it before going to bed. I made that mistake one night.

On a lighter note, there is Cash Cab. Imagine that you are on the streets of New York and hail a cab. Upon sitting down and telling the cabbie your destination, you are greeted by computerized sounds, see flashing lights and hear "You are in the Cash Cab!" The idea for this game show is that during your drive to your destination, you will be asked questions and accumulate cash as you go. You are also allowed a "Shout Out" where you can either call someone on the host's cell phone or pull over and ask someone on the street for an answer to the question. Oh, there is a catch: You miss 3 questions and you get kicked out of the cab where you are without winning anything or getting to your destination. Great stuff but I do think that groups of 4 people in a cab have a huge advantage.

Everything And The Kitchen Sink

I've mentioned before that I have a lot of home projects in the works. (One that needs to be done by Mar. 18th that I haven't even come close to starting.) They have been building up since moving in and were taken care of in order of what was important at the time (that big hole in the roof letting water in was critical.) Tomorrow, I will be knocking one more off my list... the sink.

I guess that when I moved into the house, I was under the impression that the most work that I'd have to do is mow the lawn. I was very very sadly mistaken. After awhile, I noticed that the bathroom shower had badly cracked grout (after a few repairs, I gave up and plan to redo that sometime), the dishwasher had rust on the rails (replaced that) and the sink had chips in it that were obviously touched up. I was able to put the sink out of my mind for the most part until the disposal went out recently. Most of these things have to be expected after 2 decades in the life of a home and I've accepted that. So, I'm taking the opportunity to change the disposal and sink at the same time for a little under $500. Should be interesting as the sink is supposed to not scratch, stain or scorch while it will bring a more modern look to the area.

I'm just wondering how distracting it will be having them install it while I'm working on the newsletter. So, what is the one home project that is haunting you at the moment?

Uber

It's Matt's fault. I saw that he took The True Geek Test and said, "Let's see how I do." Not only do I pass it with flying colors but they give me this funky picture (seen below.) Then again, I don't know if I feel worse about how I did or not knowing which questions that I answered wrong. Otherwise, Mom should be out of the hospital tomorrow.

The Uber Geek You answered 87% of the questions as a geek truly would.

You just completely conquered the geek test. Not only are you a geek, you're you're proud of it and wear it like a badge. Saying you're socially awkward is an understatement. Your hobbies include most things that normal folks cringe at. You're obsessed with information and details. You'd skip a Friday night party if it meant getting your latest project finished. Your intelligence probably intimidates people, and you enjoy spitting out random trivia to annoy people. So what does it all mean? Well for one, your claims of being a geek are true. You were probably picked on - heavily - in high school. You don't care about fashion, so generally you're easy to spot from a distance. In social situations, you're either perfectly silent or ridiculously loud-mouthed (true geeks always fall into the extremes). Cool people probably laugh at you behind your back, but you take gratification in knowing most will grow up to become career alcoholics. In a nutshell, you answered almost every question as a true member of the geek philosophy. You're geekier than 80% of the population!

My test tracked 1 variable How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 95% on geekness

Link: The True Geek Test written by ambientred on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the 32-Type Dating Test

On Why I Avoid Watching Award Shows

I'm not a big fan of award shows. Sure, if I have nothing else to do or watch, I might see a little of one but in general they mean very little to me. The major reason for this is the subjectivity involved with saying something was 'the best' that year. Yes, film awards are voted on by actors but... what if they were voting on films that they themselves would like to be in? A little twist like that would likely push out any big budget film and focus on ensemble casts with meaty parts and controversial stances... like what they had to choose from this year for Best Picture. Yet, not all the films cleanly connect with what the people want to see.

When I started thinking about this, I stumbled on a fact nestled in the middle of an article about Mariah Carey "reigning supreme" at an award show. Essentially, Jamie Foxx was honored with the Quincy Jones Lifetime Achievement Award at the 20th annual Soul Train Awards. Yes, the man has released only 2 albums (1994's Peep This and 2005's Unpredictable) and they honored him for his 'life's' work. I along with many people believed he performed very well in the film Ray. I even watched him on In Living Color and Roc. But, isn't Quincy Jones a musician? They should be honoring this person for his contribution to music during his lifetime. Maybe, Unpredictable was so amazing that they decided it equaled the life's work of many other musicians. All I know is that it gives me one more reason to believe that award shows are created to place things on pedestals that might not belong there.

Poe Slacker Me

Things have been a little busy lately. I've also been slacking a bit on the posting as I started thinking (if I post less, people have more time to comment etc.) but that's just a catch-22 created by 'the man.' Anyhow, here's a quick update on what I've been doing (in no certain order):

Went and read Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven," "Eldorado" and "Annabel Lee" to Mrs. Mann's 4th grade class. Good kids and no, I didn't sneak in any adult humor. Poe has and will always be one of my favorite authors due to the lack of respect he earned during his short 40 years on this earth, his variety of writing styles (poetry, novella, plays, etc.) and his morbid obsessions. Sounds like some of the kids took up my call to learn all the big words they could from the dictionary.

Mom has been in the hospital since Wednesday with an upper respiratory infection (I believe, as detailed information has been unusually vague.) All I can think about is the last few times that she was in the hospital for having an attack of emphysema which were close calls. Things really have changed for her physically as I remember a much healthier woman raising me. My youngest brother, Michael, flew in to surprise her and I'm hoping her relationship with my brother, Matt, will thaw during this time. We are a stubborn lot.

Grandma (Dad's mom) went back into the hospital for surgery to remove more cancer found on her bladder. They expect it's going to be a short outpatient procedure but I'm still concerned.

Measured my front, back and side yards today. This is actually a big task as I set in motion the process of converting to desert landscape in October. The rush is on now as my slacking has left be with 34 days to complete everything (if I want to be reimbursed $1 per sq. ft.) I'm expecting to rent a sod cutter next week and then learn a lot about drip systems. Should prove to be an interesting project.

When I helped Matt move several months ago he offered me his sectional. Little did I know how big it or expensive it was. It seems that it didn't fit the decor of his new place. So, I spent last week rearranging the room, painting the coffee table and rewiring the HDTV/surround set-up. The living room looks amazing and only needs a little more touches to be finished. I owe Matt bigtime.

The Titty Tax

My girlfriend's nephew went to the new Hooters hotel here in Las Vegas for lunch and had some wings and Mountain Dew. Sure, it's going to be expensive ($17.27) because you pay for the view but he didn't know how expensive it was until later. After showing the receipt to his grandmother and noting the unusually high tax (receipt on the right hand side of the picture,) she called them asking them why they overcharged the young man and if it was some form of "titty tax." They offered to return the overpayment. Hilarious but it does make you wonder. This is a new hotel with many restaurants and how many people were actually overcharged?

The receipt to the left is of my dinner with Kerry a few nights ago. Smaller receipt, more food and less tax. The tax was 7.7% of our bill. His tax came to 17.8%. All this makes you wonder, do we look at tax closely enough when we are eating out? I tend to look at it because slightly more than doubling the tax gives me a good guideline for tipping (15% to 20%).

Planetes

For those that have considered space travel and maybe hope in a few decades to travel to the moon and beyond, put the anime series Planetes on your wishlist. Sure, I think the name is a little messed up (it's like a French spelling of "planets", I think.) Anyhow, I want you to think about what the world and galaxy would be like in 2075. As of 2006, we are sending people into space to explore and robots are collecting photos and samples from planets we can't reach in a manned craft. Exploration is all about pushing the boundaries and, as Armstrong would say, taking that next "step."

Planetes is less science fiction than science reality pushed forward a few advancements. The series centers on the lives of the people in "half-section" or debris section. You see, with all these missions we send into space, things get dropped or abandoned and continue in Earth's orbit. Space junk. One dire accident involving a lone screw colliding with the glass window of a shuttle changed mankind's perception of it. Half section (nicknamed because it is given half the budget it needs to do the work and little respect since it isn't revenue generating) is sent out to clean up the messes created from our interplanetary advancement. But, the series isn't all about cleaning but throws out science "what if's" like what happens when a human is born and raised on the moon (essentially, less gravity means 6 foot tall 13 year-olds with frail bones.)

Now, what's in the series to ensnare someone uninterested in the geekiness of science and space advancement? Human drama... which unfolds between the characters while depicting very realistic relationships in a futuristic setting. It seems there are still terrorists, bureaucrats, love triangles and silliness on Earth as in the future of space. This is a terrific series to consider watching at some point. The artwork is different from most animated series but grows on you as the storyline progresses. I'm just waiting for the final DVD to be released to find out how they wrap this up. For a better explanation and a few photos, check out Tokidokijournal.

My First Time Will Not Be My Last

Tuesday was my first time donating blood. I have thought about it several times and went in expecting to donate a few times (taking antibiotics and cold medicine got me turned down.) I did it right before going into work and I was iffy about the whole thing not knowing how long it would take. I guess, I have pretty good sized veins because they were able to get in there in one shot. Took only about 12 minutes to drain me.

I actually feel good about doing this because I do know that it will be useful for someone who needs it as currently the blood banks are low. I'm not too sure how long a donation can last but it'd be interesting to hear a news report saying that the blood bank is in a surplus. 93% of the 14 million units transfused to 4.9 million patients were collected via donation. Heck, there are even some believed benefits for men donating (reduce the risk of heart disease, controls blood iron levels and monitor your cholesterol level.) They liken it to bleeding off some oil from your car and putting fresh stuff in except your body is making the new stuff. I was pretty impressed with how easy this experience was and plan to do this again in the future. Later, I talked to a friend of mine about my donation and he said something to me that made me wonder: "I'm not donating. They charge so much money for the blood when it's used at the hospital that I'm not giving it for free."

My question for you is: How much of a difference between what it costs them to receive blood (provide extraction machines, provide clean needles, provide clean bags, provide clean surgical tubes, stock the donation center with food and drink, staff the center with medical professionals, store blood in a clean facility, promote donations, etc.) and what they charge the hospital, insurance and the patient? Would this keep you from donating?

Top 5 Pillow Injuries

Sure, we've seen violence with pillows many many times on television. Whether it is the wife snuffing out her husband's life or snoring under a pillow or the ever popular pillow fights during a 'sleep over.' But here's something you probably haven't thought about... 5,840 people with pillow related injuries checked into U.S. emergency rooms in 1992. Not hospitals but emergency rooms meaning there probably were more non-emergency injuries that just went to see their own doctor. Of course, with a bigger population since the nearly 14 years since that survey, there is a bigger chance of sending more to the hospital today. (I do wonder if that is why more people are seeking help for sleep apnea.) No, I really don't see myself going back to putting a pillow under my head as I sleep anytime soon. My question for you is: What is your Top 5 list of how these pillow related injuries may have occurred?

Feeling Guilty?

You own a functioning automobile, a television set, a dishwasher, washing machine, dryer and many of the things that are considered common in our present era. If you go back a few decades, these were all considered luxury items. But, for some reason they are considered standard fare now because people expect more and have more money to spend. Most of us actually have more than one television, a computer (or you are at the library annoying a librarian presently,) VCR and DVD player. I believe that the more we acquire, the more we think we live a sub-standard lifestyle because we don't have something someone else has. Nothing is wrong with keeping up with the Jones'.

I mention this because we all have jobs to pay for our necessities and luxuries. I'd like to know if you feel guilty about how hard you work, how much money you make and how you live. Many people would like you to.

Revisiting Firefly

I'm pretty upset with myself. I've been easily distracted by my projects around me (and been sleeping as if for some reason my life depended on it) and not posted. I feel you deserve more than a quickie post.

I became hooked on Buffy The Vampire Slayer after the season (had to watch the early episodes in reruns to catch up.) Of course, an addiction to Angel followed. The way Joss Whedon creates a great cast of characters and brings them together is almost magical. That was why I was thrilled when his new series Firefly made its debut on Fox.

If man were to leave earth to colonize the outer planets, would the lawlessness and lack of authority create a modern day wild west in space? Would the planets be ruled by one body or remain independent? Take those questions and add proven character-driven writing, technological elements with a jolt of humor here and there... I'm watching. The series was amazing but ended before its time and before all the filmed episodes aired. Depression set in and I joined a mass of browncoats in a desperate fight to keep the show on the air... which failed. Several of the actors migrated over to Buffy and Angel as both of those series made their final bows. A comic book was released and then finally the movie Serenity was released last year.

I waited until recently to rewatch all of the episodes of the television series (including the unaired episodes and amazing extras) and last week finally viewed the feature film, Serenity. I would implore any of you to rent or purchase the series as it is enjoyable on many levels. Imperfections and all, these characters grow on you and it's amazing to feel that way after spending less than a season with them. Here's the theme song.

Seeing a show that you really got into bite the dust can change how much interest you put into other shows out there. So, what television series cancellation has most affected your TV viewing?

Page Migrations

With the new work hours there is considerable downtime and I can't wear the iPod during work hours so I've finally been able to get some reading done. (Ok, sometimes it's hard to read because there is this person I work with that has a booming and excited voice that resonates off the walls and he needs to talk about everything he does including his last bathroom visit.) I've been stockpiling books to read for the last few years and now can start getting into them. Although I promised someone (cough, Lloyd) that I'd start with the Da Vinci Code, I was drawn into Thomas Sowell's Migrations And Cultures: A World View.

I don't mention Mr. Sowell much but, as I have been reading his column at Townhall.com, he has had a way with words in turning my Polaroid view to that of a wide-angle lens. The book has over 100 pages of reference material (which made the book look ominous) but contains statistics for immigration, emigration, repatriation, remittance and much more that I never knew were documented that far back. If anything, the book does a good job of showing you the struggle of many different cultures to better themselves (which often bettered the economy of the country they came to) while enduring the societal issues of progressing beyond the standards of people of the host country (many of these led from terse harmony to civil wars and genocide to dictatorships.) A very impressive read although it may make your brain hurt a little.

Now I'm off to work and to start Dan Brown's novel in hopes to finish it before the movie is released. I'm sure that it'll be a much easier read. What've you got in your current reading list?

How The Cookie Crumbles

Today, I'd like to vent about one of my favorite treats... the chocolate chip cookie. The simplicity of the recipe helps those of us picky people that would like to make it at home ourselves. I know... you are wondering, "Why would you do that when there are those bags, boxes and cookie dough rolls staring at you when you are in the shopping aisles?" Well, that's easy. Control. You know exactly what goes in there. (And they taste better just out of the oven.)

My favorite example is the use of coconut and coconut oil in the pre-mixed dough. I really wish I knew why. I can taste it there and it becomes a coconut chocolate chip cookie to me. But, did you know that they sneak those items into your cookies often? I first discovered it after I bought some at 'Mal-Wart' and thought it was an aberration that coconut was used in it. But then I seen that it's in my favorite ice-cream, chocolate chip cookie dough. (Btw... it's been tested, that if you take out the cookie dough in the ice cream, it doesn't bake up like the real thing.)

So, I like to make them myself if possible (not often enough) and looking at each of the labels on the cookies that I buy. It's amazing what they try to sneak in there on you. Any surprise ingredients in your favorite goodies that you'd like to share?

Today's Interest In Genetics

The research behind genetics is pretty amazing. No, I am not thinking of making any of the local animals glow green or growing human ears on the backs of rats. I'm more intrigued by simple things like the tendency for a man and a woman to have a child with the same eye sight as the father. Nothing astounding.

I discovered that I had bad eyesight as a child. I can still exactly remember how. I was sitting in my father's car waiting to go home from the tennis courts with my siblings. I noticed my father's glasses there (he tended to use them most when he drove.) I put them on. It was the weirdest thing... the world really seemed to open up to me. I turned my head to the right and looked at what used to be the Desert Inn golf course and could see little white golf balls out there. This was amazing to me because I've looked at that area thousands of times. It was like super vision but I didn't know that it was pretty much standard. I didn't get my first pair of glasses until much later.

My brother also has vision issues but all 3 of us went in to look into Lasik a few years ago. My father and I were told we had rather thin cornea so we weren't candidates at the time. Matt got his vision corrected. Dad decided to go to another specialist for a second opinion and got his eyes done there. He actually mentioned it to me at the time but I was very wary with someone burning something that is thinner than normal. You ever see where the piano is dangling over the damsel in distress by a rope that has caught fire? Same idea.

So, of course severak years have gone by. My brother is thinking he needs contacts again. My father wears reading glasses here and there. And I? I'm getting my eyes looked at one more time in just a few minutes. They are going to have to make it sound pretty amazing for me to get something done (remember that pessimistic optimist thing?) but we'll see. I'm happy that I didn't do it earlier and I could wait a lot longer for better technology. But, I can't help seeing the irony of having my mother take me to have father's genetic traits corrected. hahaha

P.S. - They talked me into it. Surgery went well and I can see a difference already. I'd describe the process but I don't want to freak anyone out. The doctor did a great job and now I just have to rest th recover quick enough to watch UFC tonight and the Super Bowl tomorrow.

Baby, You Just Like Me For My Fat Fingers

Ever wonder what happens to all those eBay searches for "furniture" when the person submitting it didn't pass 3rd grade and spells it "fernatur." Well, not everyone has but think of it... if everyone is bidding on one correctly-spelled item the price will keep rising higher and higher. Wouldn't it be great to buy it for a whole lot cheaper at the expense of the person that can't spell? Ok, maybe they were just in a hurry and had a typo but that's the whole idea behind the site Fat Fingers. Nothing promotes a good education and patience like having someone win your expensive items for less than $1 + shipping and handling.

Why My Lost Days Aren't Lost Anymore

Most people that know me pretty well know that I am pretty displaced when it comes to time. I get wrapped up in many of life's little moments that I don't pay attention to the bigger numerical picture. Heck, I loathe numbers in general. But I found an interesting little program that makes it pretty hard for me to forget important dates.

Rainlendar is an interesting and free little program that sits on your desktop (put it where you want) with an active calendar as well as a To Do list and Event list. I see when I have appointments a week ahead of time (even further if I look at all the little highlighted numbers and wave my mouse over them.) So I'm a little more organized instead of needing what has become the 2 day Martin notice for particular events. Maybe putting bills on there might be a good idea to consider.

Is That Where They Got The Idea?

I'm not saying that everyone needs a new bra like the one seen above but it got me thinking that I've seen that somewhere before.

Defensive Parking

I don't think that I'll ever understand why they focus on parallel parking in driving school when in most cities people have enough problems with parking between parallel lines. You see, I discovered something on a trip to Best Buy (when I bought my iPod.) And now I'm very wary of who I park near and who drives the cars around me.

I picked up lunch on the way over to the store and figured that I'd finish eating it before I went in. A few minutes later, a little car with 3 people in it pull up in the spot to my right. The man driving the car weighed in at a good 375 lbs. (not tall and not exaggerating here, possibly more.) He opened his car door and started getting out. You probably know right now what happened. Wiggling his car between two cars didn't give him that much room to get out. A push of is body extended his car door out that extra distance to slap my passenger door like some punk. Hearing this, I turned my head to look the driver in the eyes and he wouldn't look at me, didn't apologize and hurried (waddled) into the store. Smartly, he left one of his friends waiting in the car fearing retribution. I hopped out and surveyed the damage and surprisingly there wasn't any to my door. I was still pissed. I pulled my car out of the spot and pulled into some spaces on the other side of the car. I wasn't going to wait to see how gentle he was trying to get back in.

Anyhow, I was thinking about the situation here. Sure, I could have beat him to the ground for being inconsiderate but it would have been 3 to 1. But, I now know why my friend Daniel parks his car in the most open area of the parking lot. Safety! If you have trouble getting in and out of your car, wouldn't you park in a spot where you don't have to deal with a situation like this? But then again, if you are that big, you wouldn't want to have to walk farther to get into the store. All I know is that I'm watching who I'm parking near for now on.

Hunting Elusive Discs

We've all done it before. You know you loaned out a CD to someone and you never got it back. It happens all the time except... I rarely loan out CDs. While filling up the iPod (I left 2GB for podcasts), I noticed several CDs were missing. Julian Cope's My Nation Underground, The Cure's Fascination Street, Die Warzau's Disco Rigido, Depeche Mode's Catching Up With Depeche Mode, Midnight Oil's Diesel And Dust, The Lightning Seeds' Sense and many others aren't where they should be. It's driving me batty. I am such a control freak with my music that I keep them all in their cases (except the CD changer and folder used for DJing.) Now, I have to play detective and figure out where they went. I know there are probably a few more boxes somewhere that I'm not noticing or someone did a good job of swiping them under my watch.

I've also discovered one more shocking thing when putting all my music into a little hard drive... I have 3 duplicates. I guess I missed the albums so much I re-bought them even though I had them the whole time in my CD changer. What albums? The Goo Goo Dolls' A Boy Named Goo, Hatful Of Rain: The Best Of Del Amitri and Aerosmith's Pump. Very odd batch.

Meanwhile, some holes in my collection are being filled with a great Valentine's Day sale currently going on at Super Pawn. Essentially, a majority of the albums are selling for as little at 89 cents (10% more off if you buy 5 or more.) So, I've been visiting quite a few stores and added some that I'd been missing by Guy, MC Hammer, LeVert, Jody Watley and a few others. I figure that the whole album is worth more to me as a collector while a single song download is 99 cents. I figure I'm saving some cash this way.

Oh, one last note. UB40 release their new album, What You Fighting For?, next week. I put a "listening party" up at http://www.80smusiccentral.com for anyone interested in what their newest music sounds like. I see it as a free way to try out a CD before it comes out.

Two Great Things, May They Work Great Together

I've mentioned how much Tivo has affected my life in the past. I'm a media junkie. Some people believe there are too many channels and not enough to watch, I say there is a lot to watch but just not enough time to watch it. I've also mentioned my new friend the video iPod. Well, now just like someone dipping their chocolate in someone else's peanut butter, the two great products now will be working together. Tivo has announced that their Tivo to Go program (which allowed you to take a program that you recorded on your Tivo Series 2 machine and send it to your computer) will now allow a new as-yet-unnamed program to compress that into a video that is playable on your iPod. Why pay $1.99 to download a program if you have already recorded it on your Tivo? That's CD and DVD money they are taking from me.

There are some skeptics to this idea. They believe that the people that own the Tivo Series 2 to be a very small market and that this only devalues Tivo. I believe this shows that Tivo is trying to expand its connectivity and make it easier for you to see and or take your entertainment where you need it. One of the biggest sales markets of Tivo was the deal they had with DirecTV, which is still ongoing but DirecTV did come up with their own DVR that they want to get out there. So, the best way to counteract copycats in the marketplace is to create a better product and hope to make it profitable is expand upon what it can do. You allow it to enter areas of the market that others aren't touching and can't touch without getting more expensive.

Previously, Tivo used their Tivo to Go manager to allow someone using DVD burning software to allow you to take DVDs of your television programs with you. I had issues with it as it had codec issues (video and audio formatting.) If you have other codecs installed on your system, it fails. There are tons of codecs out there: DIVX, FFDShow, MPEG-4 video, QuickTime, Matroska, OGG, AVI... too many to really continue listing. One has to be installed to play each of these. I'm not willing to disable my computer to enable my DVD burner let alone my iPod. It just isn't going to happen. So it should be interesting. Here's hoping that they found a way around this issue because I'll be taking my shows with me to work to watch during my lunch hour.

Over-analyzing The Interview

Remember when I told you that I changed my hours at work and days off (7am-3pm Mon/Tues for 5pm-1am Fri/Sat) to ready myself for the possibility of moving on to another career? Well, I got a call on Friday from my prospective employer. My interview is scheduled for today (yes, I'll get enough sleep) at noon.

I'm purposely only applying to work for this particular company before investigating any other for the following reasons:

1. They are busy people and have lots of clients which means possibly more income
2. I have a very good friend and his twin brother that already are working for this company
3. The employees work from home which gives me a lot of leeway on time management
4. I believe that if I want to stay with this company beyond my 2 years of apprenticeship that I'll want to like the people I work with and have a support network

The positives that might get me the job:

1. Have friends that have already infiltrated the premises
2. Have a brother in the business that employs companies like the one I'm applying for
3. Have computer and typing skills that are necessary to perform the job
4. I deal well with people and situations. I've even been called affable before (newspaper article.)

The negatives that might leave him laughing as I walk out of the office:

1. There are tons of people with a higher education calling people like him about a position because they are limited and lucrative
2. I'm possibly too easy going and may not come across as what he wants for that position
3. Might not want to hire friends beyond the twin brothers he already has
4. May already have someone in mind for the job (who maybe he owes a favor or paid him cash under the table)

We'll see what happens. I'm off to sleep and then I'll figure out what I'll wear (which is a whole other issue... what happened to my sports coat?)

90's Albums You May Not Know

Since I've been delving into my CD collection as I fill my iPod, I've been stumbling across several of my favorites of the early 1990s. Yes, you probably haven't heard of many of them but oddly enough each of these albums are amazing with few throwaway tracks. Only one released a second album but if you stumble across oneof these, it's worth the money.

There was a girl that took tennis lessons from my father before I moved to Reno. My collection wasn't as extensive as it would be later (I didn't start collecting CDs until after 1991.) I wound up showing her a lot of different music but one day she brought in Blue Train's The Business Of Dreams and I didn't know what to think of it (I mean, look at the cover.) But after a few listens, I knew it for what it was: a well crafted and polished Pop/Rock effort. Their first single, "All I Need Is You," did land in the U.S. singles chart but the second single, "The Hardest Thing," was their final release.

After I moved to Reno, I spent a lot of time listening to the radio. There was a new "Alternative" station just starting that would play a lot of classic 80's songs mixed with a few newer artists and newer songs by Morrissey, Depeche Mode, etc... They filled my CD collection pretty quickly as they gave away CDs as the DJs made live appearances and during a weird type of bingo where you mark the time a song was played during the week and first one in would win (I think the main prize was $250 or so) but runners up (who had a life and couldn't listen all day) would win CDs. One of those winnings was The Sighs' What Goes On. The big single from the album was, "Think About Soul," and received decent airplay... but more when they came to perform in town. I went and had a great time (a few female friends of mine went ga ga over the band members.) Strong vocal harmonies, clean production with little sparks of empathetic lyrical brilliance (ok, there's some cliche' moments but you get sucked in well before you notice it.) I recently noticed they released a follow-up album, Different, in 1996 before breaking up. I might have to look for it.

Lastly but not less important are The Men. Their self-titled debut album was something I picked up in an independent record store's bargain bin. I had heard their single, "Church Of Logic, Sin & Love," several times and figured it'd be worth a less than $5 risk. I was quite right. Still a little weird for the band to be called The Men when half of them are women but maybe it's all about the dudes. It's say it is kind of Blues/Rock/Pop with a little spoken word (mainly in the single.) Several of the songs like the ballads, "I Built My House This Way," seem fresh to me every time I hear them. The closest I could come would be to say this was an American version of Crowded House with a tad more Blues. Really wish they recorded a follow-up but they disbanded after their debut.

The good thing about having all my music in my hand at any time is that I can now revisit these a bit easier. Instead of hoping someone had heard a song before when talking to someone, I can just remedy that then and there. Been planning to post something like this for awhile as proof that I'm may be fixated on the 80's but not stuck.

This Is A Job For Enya

My own obsession with committing all my music to my iPod has created major lapses in my day to day regular schedule. Sure, I want to get it done as soon as possible. I also see it sitting there waiting for me to finish as I get home from work. At this moment, I have 12,572 songs on it filling 47.02GB of space. I know I have a lot more to go but just getting it done and out of the way to enjoy will help. I thought that I'd go straight to sleep last night and not continue my trek from the second bedroom's CD changer to my bedroom computer. I now look at the clock, I wound up sleeping for close to 11 hours. Don't know how or why but I did. I'm sure I'll get my sleep schedule under control at some point. It has to happen. We're adaptable creatures, right? I have discovered that as tired as I am at work, the drive home wakes me up. I might try listening to Enya on my way home tonight to keep it from happening. One way or another, normalcy will return.

Profitable Laziness

I remember someone telling me once that the best way to make money is to create or sell a marketable consumable item. It makes sense. If you like something and use it up, you'll buy more but everyone is trying to do that. It seems that there are easier ways for someone that doesn't want to put the work into it.

Free money in Las Vegas. Sounds like a great ad, huh. But, it's true if you are a casino with no risk involved. You start by becoming an intermediary for your customers money. One way this is done is by making your customers use chips instead of money. Sure, a majority of it will be spent, but as an observer of humans in this same city many people wind up taking chips home with them because they didn't have time to cash them. Some people don't even know that they can mail those in to get their money back. So that's free money for the casino.

Another way easy money is made in Las Vegas is by giving people their change back from playing slot machines in tickets. The guise of this is that you don't have to carry a bucket of coins or get your fingers dirty (dust from all the coins rubbing each other gathers on your hands as you continually put coins in.) As mentioned above, people forget these tickets as they rush off to go to dinner or head off to their plane. By being given a representation of money, they believe they have that money. These tickets usually are void after 30 days.

In a more minimal way are the use of those machines made by CoinStar (unless represented by another company in your area) which takes your change and gives you a printed out ticket for the funds deposited. Minus a fee for the service ranging from 7% to 8.5%. Sure, it's a lot easier just throwing the coins in there but to think you are giving up almost a dime for every dollar you put in. But then again, it may be worth it if you don't want to go through the trouble of rolling your coins.

In bigger cities, there are people that will stand in line for you at the Department Of Motor Vehicles for a price. These aren't just people, these are actual companies with employees doing this. But, if time is money and you can use that time better to make yourself more money, it might be worthwhile.

Of course, there is also the big money hole... stamp collecting. The United States Postal Service creates lines of stamps with value that get put in folders to go unused and held onto in hopes that its value increases. This also happens with coins minted from the U.S. Treasury.

So, I wonder, what will be the next way to profit from lazy folks and are there any other ways you can think of that they currently do?

The Delayed Resolution

No, I'm not MIA. Things have just been a little crazy with my sleep schedule. Essentially, I've been getting home at 1:30am and having trouble calming down until... well, daylight. So then I wind up sleeping later than I like. The good thing is that I have many CDs here keeping me busy as I adjust. I have figured out my New Year's resolution. I'm going to have a better schedule which includes me going to sleep after I get back from work, waking up, going to the gym, having a light breakfast, running errands (computer work included) and then heading to work. I just need to implement it. I'm sure I'll figure it out. B) Did you set any achievable resolutions for this year?