Only in California
Can you hear me now?: July 1, 2008, a day in California that will live in infamy. Ok, so it won’t live in infamy, but today is the first day of the rest of your life to talk and not hold the phone while driving legally. There is no law in California against putting on lipstick, Chapstick, chaps, riding a broomstick, changing the radio station, arguing with your significant other or “partner,” (remember, this is California), yawning, eating dinner, petting your pet Shetland pony, or lighting a cigar, cigarette, or Tiparillo while driving. There is not even a law against talking on your cell phone while driving, provided the phone is operated hands free. And despite the fact that no statistical evidence exists to suggest that talking on the cell phone while driving is any safer if you are using a hands-free device, the law requires drivers who talk and drive to do so using a hands-free device. The only safe way to talk and drive is to quote the Governator: “I’ve got to go now but I’ll be back.”
Raiders of the Lost Brim: Indiana Jones wore one. So did Ole’ Blue Eyes. That’s Frank Sinatra to those of you not of a certain age. Who is Frank Sinatra? Let’s just say he’s not one of the Beach Boys. It is a fedora – a hat with a brim designed to keep the sun out of your eyes. The fedora is different from the traditional baseball cap in that it does not look cool worn backwards. But it does look cool, according to LA fashion plates. However, the new fedora, like the glitzy models of Rodeo drive, exude “thin is in.” A thin brim, that is. Thin brim fedoras, called stingy brims, have become the “in” thing to wear among the cool cat actor/musician/baby daddy set according to the LA Times. Looks like this season the hot hat with the thin brim is cool.
Can you see me now?: Believe it or not, everything that happens in California does not happen south of Fresno. Northern California has its share of news these days – mostly hot and smoky. Those wildfires, some 1500 of them are still burning in and around the Bay area and fire season is months away. Rolling thunder and lightning strikes have started many of the fires and rolling smoke and particulate-laden air has blanketed the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. I spoke to my good friend, Geno in Pleasanton over the weekend and he reports that the fires pose no immediate danger but the air quality resembles Pittsburgh in the early 1900s. The smoke has raced up I-80 past Sacramento to Reno. Firemen in Big Sur are hoping fog will to them get a handle on the inferno that has blackened nearly 570 square miles. Oh, what they wouldn’t give for some of the Midwest rains!
Adam and Eve, make room for Adam and Steve: The recent California Supreme Court ruling that struck down anti-gay marriage laws in California might be a financial boon to the state. The original rush to the alter has subsided and the hair stylists have gone back to their cubicles. California did not fall into the ocean – although I’m certain some radical religious nuts will draw a parallel between the symbolism of the fires of Hell mentioned above, and the legality of gay marriages. Wedding planners, florists, bakeries, and all the wedding support businesses are happy to see business on the rise. It is a great topic for late night TV comedians but in point of fact many gay and lesbian couples have lived “normal” heterosexual type lifestyles for generations. Some have children, either as the result of divorce, adoption of surrogate, and every bit of research suggests no significant difference in gender preference or any other behavior between children of gay parent families and those of hetero parents.
Rowdy teens cause problems at drug party: NOT! A weekend rave was scheduled at the L.A. Coliseum last weekend and 60,000 showed up. The Electric Daisy Carnival lasted until 4 a.m. and the kids, well, danced their ass off. One youth was arrested for an altercation and another for drunken driving. That was it! There would have been more trouble if 60,000 people had shown up for a tent revival. Somebody was one heck of an organizer. We’re always happy to end the blog on a happy note.
A little blogging music Maestro... “California Dreamin” by the Mamas and Papas.
Dr. ForgotSee me also at http://vegasbuzznews.com/
Monday, June 30, 2008
Monday, Monday
My Computer Can Beat Me At Chess, But Not Kickboxing
Home is where, when you go there they have to take you in: It was a beautiful and restful two weeks on the left coast. Aside from a few days with temperatures in the 90s they were mostly in the 60s and low 70s. There is something about the beach. People love it and as the realtors remind us, “They ain’t making any more of it.” Housing prices are still ridiculous on and near the beach. Very few choices exist, even condos with a view, for less than $ 1 million. And yes, I’, among the legions who say, “If only.” When I first visited Coronado Island, for example, condos were just starting to be built on the sand next to the famed del Coronado Hotel. Prices started at $ 47,000. Today those same condos start at more than $ 2 million. But that is all behind me now, literally, as I’m soaking up the Las Vegas sunshine, all 109 degrees of it.
Left Coast North: The San Diego area has been pretty much fire free thus far this season – although the season has not yet begun to fry. The northern part of the state has been a different story. Nearly 600 square miles have been ablaze at one time or another in 1,500 different separate incidents. Governor Terminator is taking heat from the fireworks company over his statement asking residents to not purchase fireworks this year. However much we like to find culprits in such circumstances the finger must this time be pointed at Mother Nature. Less than average rainfall has resulted in parched conditions. Lightning strikes are blamed for starting the Hell on Earth.
Of Generals, Pundits, and Politicians: Some from the Demo side are saying to Repubs, “You can dish it out but you can’t take it.” The reference is to the morally bankrupt group who named themselves “Swiftboat Veterans” and poisoned the well of information regarding John Kerry’s heroic military service during the last presidential election. In the more recent battle of the blowhards, General Wesley Clark opined that while Senator McCain is a war hero and has traveled worldwide, “He hasn’t held executive responsibility.” The other side screamed like so many hungry piglets. They blame Senator Obama for Clark’s comments and cry foul. The fact remains however that General Clark honored McCain’s service to his country, but questioned whether his service and lack of direct command experience qualifies him any more than Senator Obama’s experience. Clark does bring up a legitimate question regarding the executive responsibility that has been implied but not defined.
Auditioned for Mr. America. Lost my citizenship: Very few of us have the bodies of Victoria’s Secret or Hanes Mens Underwear models. The closest some of us come to looking like a million dollars is being all green and wrinkled. Some of us are so thin we could model for a zipper company if we turn sideways and stick out our tongue. Others resemble the original Pillsbury Doughboy. But regardless of what our bodies look like in this life, there is an opportunity to pose nude in the next life. Many people who believe their bodies should be dissected, preserved and displayed are signing up to give over their corpses to Body World, the group that provides exhibits of bodies. Thus far more than 8,600 people have signed up. Donors for dollars!
Reese’s Pieces aren’t among these Mars Bars: Ever since I can remember the planet Mars has held a special fascination with Earthlings. Science fiction stories usually set there. It held a certain romance. Who ever wanted to fight little green men from Uranus? Getting there was purely the flight of fantasy. But just as we were able to loose our bonds from Earth to land on the moon, so have we been successful to land a craft on Mars. Residue that has been scooped and analyzed has given us a sense of the look, feel, taste, and smell of the Red Planet. Alas, another fantasy destroyed. The Martian dirt is similar to that in our backyard, except for the moles and worms of course. In fact, the report found nothing toxic, which places the quality of life on Mars ahead of Love Canal, Chernobyl, and several other Earth locations. Soon dictionaries might have to change the definition of “Out of this World.”
A little blogging music Maestro... “Rocket Man” by Elton John
Dr. Forgot
See me also at http://vegasbuzznews.com/
Home is where, when you go there they have to take you in: It was a beautiful and restful two weeks on the left coast. Aside from a few days with temperatures in the 90s they were mostly in the 60s and low 70s. There is something about the beach. People love it and as the realtors remind us, “They ain’t making any more of it.” Housing prices are still ridiculous on and near the beach. Very few choices exist, even condos with a view, for less than $ 1 million. And yes, I’, among the legions who say, “If only.” When I first visited Coronado Island, for example, condos were just starting to be built on the sand next to the famed del Coronado Hotel. Prices started at $ 47,000. Today those same condos start at more than $ 2 million. But that is all behind me now, literally, as I’m soaking up the Las Vegas sunshine, all 109 degrees of it.
Left Coast North: The San Diego area has been pretty much fire free thus far this season – although the season has not yet begun to fry. The northern part of the state has been a different story. Nearly 600 square miles have been ablaze at one time or another in 1,500 different separate incidents. Governor Terminator is taking heat from the fireworks company over his statement asking residents to not purchase fireworks this year. However much we like to find culprits in such circumstances the finger must this time be pointed at Mother Nature. Less than average rainfall has resulted in parched conditions. Lightning strikes are blamed for starting the Hell on Earth.
Of Generals, Pundits, and Politicians: Some from the Demo side are saying to Repubs, “You can dish it out but you can’t take it.” The reference is to the morally bankrupt group who named themselves “Swiftboat Veterans” and poisoned the well of information regarding John Kerry’s heroic military service during the last presidential election. In the more recent battle of the blowhards, General Wesley Clark opined that while Senator McCain is a war hero and has traveled worldwide, “He hasn’t held executive responsibility.” The other side screamed like so many hungry piglets. They blame Senator Obama for Clark’s comments and cry foul. The fact remains however that General Clark honored McCain’s service to his country, but questioned whether his service and lack of direct command experience qualifies him any more than Senator Obama’s experience. Clark does bring up a legitimate question regarding the executive responsibility that has been implied but not defined.
Auditioned for Mr. America. Lost my citizenship: Very few of us have the bodies of Victoria’s Secret or Hanes Mens Underwear models. The closest some of us come to looking like a million dollars is being all green and wrinkled. Some of us are so thin we could model for a zipper company if we turn sideways and stick out our tongue. Others resemble the original Pillsbury Doughboy. But regardless of what our bodies look like in this life, there is an opportunity to pose nude in the next life. Many people who believe their bodies should be dissected, preserved and displayed are signing up to give over their corpses to Body World, the group that provides exhibits of bodies. Thus far more than 8,600 people have signed up. Donors for dollars!
Reese’s Pieces aren’t among these Mars Bars: Ever since I can remember the planet Mars has held a special fascination with Earthlings. Science fiction stories usually set there. It held a certain romance. Who ever wanted to fight little green men from Uranus? Getting there was purely the flight of fantasy. But just as we were able to loose our bonds from Earth to land on the moon, so have we been successful to land a craft on Mars. Residue that has been scooped and analyzed has given us a sense of the look, feel, taste, and smell of the Red Planet. Alas, another fantasy destroyed. The Martian dirt is similar to that in our backyard, except for the moles and worms of course. In fact, the report found nothing toxic, which places the quality of life on Mars ahead of Love Canal, Chernobyl, and several other Earth locations. Soon dictionaries might have to change the definition of “Out of this World.”
A little blogging music Maestro... “Rocket Man” by Elton John
Dr. Forgot
See me also at http://vegasbuzznews.com/
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
News and Views
Be Bold In What You Stand For and Careful What You Fall For
There are days when I’m sure the world is nuts: The name Kennedy has been in the news of late. Former President JFK has been oft quoted during the election campaign. Caroline Kennedy came out of her shell to do a bit of endorsing. The recent anniversary of the death of RFK and the health issues of Teddy has made recent news. Same name, different story. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion of a case involving Patrick Kennedy of Louisiana. Patrick Kennedy raped his 8-year old daughter and was given the death penalty. Patrick Kennedy appealed. Justice Kennedy wrote that capital punishment in this case would be cruel and unusual punishment. No mention was made of the cruel and unusual punishment afforded the 8-year old victim. Still, we’re a nation of laws. If the conservative Supreme Court made their decision it must stand. However, perhaps a little surgery with a rusty paring knife in the groin area is in order. All for appointing Lorena Bobbitt to the Supreme Court say, “Aye.”
The American Dream? Sorry, Charlie: Imagine this American success story. An immigrant arrives in the United States penniless but willing to work. He speaks no English so takes the only job he can find – as a dishwasher. The immigrant works hard and lives frugally for more than a decade, saving nearly all his money. Finally, after 11 years in the U.S. he heads home to his family with his life savings of $ 59,000, more money than he’s ever seen at one time in his life. At a TSA airport Security Checkpoint he dutifully handed over his bag with his savings for inspection and it was promptly confiscated.
If you do not travel much internationally you are probably not aware that one may take a maximum of $ 10,000 cash out of the country per trip. The dishwasher did not know this. He certainly did not try to conceal his savings. But a circuit court judge kept all but the $ 10K he was permitted to carry as a fine. End of story? Fortunately not. An attorney sued on behalf of the dishwasher and won on appeal. The dishwasher will have some of his money returned. Oh yes, in the interest of full disclosure, Pedro Zapeta was returning to his native Guatemala. He was also an undocumented worker.
Out of this world. Half a case of acne: Scientists are perplexed by the two-faced nature of Mars. The southern hemisphere resembles the face of a teen with a bad case of acne – pocked and pitted. The northern hemisphere is as smooth as a baby’s behind. What to make of the schizophrenic surface? Some scientists think that about four billion years ago Mother Nature gave Mars northern hemisphere a facial using a comet or asteroid instead of a laser. Of course, scientists from the other party posit that the entire surface was at one time smooth and some sort of volcanic eruption occurred making Mars look like the mythical gangster Scarface. (“Hey! Are you lookin’ at me? ARE YOU LOOKIN’ AT ME?”) Regardless of the cause, Mars is no doubt a little red-faced over the discovery.
Getting killed may be good preparation for a political career: Sonny Landham has taken more than his share of abuse. The 67-year old actor has beaten up Sylvester Stallone, gotten tossed out a window by Carl Weathers, was tracked down by Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte, and was killed by an alien in “Predator.” He plans to leave the silver screen for some real action and humiliation – a possible career in politics. The campaigning, baby kissing, long hours, and begging for money will be the easy part. A little more difficult will be getting on the ballot in Kentucky to challenge incumbent Senate Minority Leader and Republican Mitch McConnell. To run as a Libertarian, Sonny will have to collect at least 5,000 valid petition signatures by August 12. What might prove to be the hardest part (no pun intended) is the film vault that houses his early films. Sonny broke into films that were then called “stag” films. He realizes the naked truth might hurt his chances but is willing to now bare his soul to the Kentucky electorate in hopes of what even he admits would be a long shot victory.
College baseball powers – Dueling Bulldogs: If it were a children’s book Fresno State might be “The Little Engine that Could.” Perhaps the mighty Georgia Bulldogs are trying to figure out how the Fresno State Bulldogs learned to bite. This Cinderella story is taking place in Omaha, Nebraska as the finalists prepare for their final winner-take-all game. The two unlikely opponents include powerhouse Georgia that has not lost in post season this year until Fresno crushed them 19-10, and Fresno State who was not ranked all season, had a 33-27 season record, and only made the tourney by virtue of winning their conference. To compare their ranking with the basketball playoffs, they entered the tourney seeded 13th then promptly beat five of the top 10 ranked teams to get to the finals. No other team has come from such a lowly seeding to get to the finals. We’ll be cheering for them tonight.
A little blogging music Maestro… “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha.
Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com
There are days when I’m sure the world is nuts: The name Kennedy has been in the news of late. Former President JFK has been oft quoted during the election campaign. Caroline Kennedy came out of her shell to do a bit of endorsing. The recent anniversary of the death of RFK and the health issues of Teddy has made recent news. Same name, different story. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion of a case involving Patrick Kennedy of Louisiana. Patrick Kennedy raped his 8-year old daughter and was given the death penalty. Patrick Kennedy appealed. Justice Kennedy wrote that capital punishment in this case would be cruel and unusual punishment. No mention was made of the cruel and unusual punishment afforded the 8-year old victim. Still, we’re a nation of laws. If the conservative Supreme Court made their decision it must stand. However, perhaps a little surgery with a rusty paring knife in the groin area is in order. All for appointing Lorena Bobbitt to the Supreme Court say, “Aye.”
The American Dream? Sorry, Charlie: Imagine this American success story. An immigrant arrives in the United States penniless but willing to work. He speaks no English so takes the only job he can find – as a dishwasher. The immigrant works hard and lives frugally for more than a decade, saving nearly all his money. Finally, after 11 years in the U.S. he heads home to his family with his life savings of $ 59,000, more money than he’s ever seen at one time in his life. At a TSA airport Security Checkpoint he dutifully handed over his bag with his savings for inspection and it was promptly confiscated.
If you do not travel much internationally you are probably not aware that one may take a maximum of $ 10,000 cash out of the country per trip. The dishwasher did not know this. He certainly did not try to conceal his savings. But a circuit court judge kept all but the $ 10K he was permitted to carry as a fine. End of story? Fortunately not. An attorney sued on behalf of the dishwasher and won on appeal. The dishwasher will have some of his money returned. Oh yes, in the interest of full disclosure, Pedro Zapeta was returning to his native Guatemala. He was also an undocumented worker.
Out of this world. Half a case of acne: Scientists are perplexed by the two-faced nature of Mars. The southern hemisphere resembles the face of a teen with a bad case of acne – pocked and pitted. The northern hemisphere is as smooth as a baby’s behind. What to make of the schizophrenic surface? Some scientists think that about four billion years ago Mother Nature gave Mars northern hemisphere a facial using a comet or asteroid instead of a laser. Of course, scientists from the other party posit that the entire surface was at one time smooth and some sort of volcanic eruption occurred making Mars look like the mythical gangster Scarface. (“Hey! Are you lookin’ at me? ARE YOU LOOKIN’ AT ME?”) Regardless of the cause, Mars is no doubt a little red-faced over the discovery.
Getting killed may be good preparation for a political career: Sonny Landham has taken more than his share of abuse. The 67-year old actor has beaten up Sylvester Stallone, gotten tossed out a window by Carl Weathers, was tracked down by Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte, and was killed by an alien in “Predator.” He plans to leave the silver screen for some real action and humiliation – a possible career in politics. The campaigning, baby kissing, long hours, and begging for money will be the easy part. A little more difficult will be getting on the ballot in Kentucky to challenge incumbent Senate Minority Leader and Republican Mitch McConnell. To run as a Libertarian, Sonny will have to collect at least 5,000 valid petition signatures by August 12. What might prove to be the hardest part (no pun intended) is the film vault that houses his early films. Sonny broke into films that were then called “stag” films. He realizes the naked truth might hurt his chances but is willing to now bare his soul to the Kentucky electorate in hopes of what even he admits would be a long shot victory.
College baseball powers – Dueling Bulldogs: If it were a children’s book Fresno State might be “The Little Engine that Could.” Perhaps the mighty Georgia Bulldogs are trying to figure out how the Fresno State Bulldogs learned to bite. This Cinderella story is taking place in Omaha, Nebraska as the finalists prepare for their final winner-take-all game. The two unlikely opponents include powerhouse Georgia that has not lost in post season this year until Fresno crushed them 19-10, and Fresno State who was not ranked all season, had a 33-27 season record, and only made the tourney by virtue of winning their conference. To compare their ranking with the basketball playoffs, they entered the tourney seeded 13th then promptly beat five of the top 10 ranked teams to get to the finals. No other team has come from such a lowly seeding to get to the finals. We’ll be cheering for them tonight.
A little blogging music Maestro… “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha.
Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com
Monday, June 23, 2008
I Now Pronounce You...
Never Go to Bed Mad… Stay Up and Fight
There are weddings and there are Weddings: Mrs. Dr. Forgot and I have been friends for decades with Harvey and Linda. Harvey and Linda were blessed with two wonderful daughters, Katie and Susan. Susan has pretty much behaved herself recently but Katie decided to get married. That wedding was one that must be preserved in print. Hence, today’s post will be devoted to the wedding of Katie and Greg.
The Bride and Groom: Katie and Greg have plenty in common. Neither are starry-eyed youngsters. Both work in the music and entertainment business. Katie’s grandpa was the late Cliffie Stone, a legend in the production of country music and performers. In fact, many is the time that “Uncle” Tennessee Ernie Ford babysat the girls. It was only natural that Katie would pursue a career in the music business – not as a performer, but on the business side. It was at work that she met Greg, whose profession includes evaluating and signing new talent, although he enjoys his drum-beating band gigs. The talent he signed last weekend when he put his own signature on the dotted line next to that of Katie, seems to be a perfect match. I did notice that Greg wore a metal stud in his ear during the wedding. That is good preparation for marriage. It shows he can stand pain and is used to buying jewelry.
The Setting: The bride and groom chose Avalon for their wedding. It has been a place that Katie and her family have enjoyed as a regular vacation spot since the 1960s. Avalon is further west than Pasadena, but not as far west as Hawaii. It is the main (ok, the only) village on the island of Santa Catalina, which you will remember from the song “26 Miles Across the Sea...” The island can be accessed by helicopter, of course, but most wedding goers joined other tourists to take the Catalina Express on the one-hour journey to the island. Catalina Island is Europe off the shore of California. The ambiance could easily be from the south of France, Croatia, or even one of the Greek Isles. Residents travel for the most part by golf cart as it can take up to 15 years to get permission to bring a car to the island. Besides, at $ 6.00+ per gallon, golf carts make more sense. Oh, and since they’re street legal they must be licensed and insured.
The hundred or so wedding crashers who attended stayed at one of the Island’s several European style hotels. Friday evening they were treated to dinner at one of the excellent Mexican cuisine restaurants and after dinner walked around the corner to Hotel Catherine which had been booked for a private party. In keeping with the music-band theme, an “All Access” pass was required which allowed entry to “Greg’s Cosmic All Star Family Jam” The host pounded the drums as friends danced their buns off and caused mayhem until the wee small hours of the a.m. Dinner and dancing alone was worth the price of admission. Privacy was assured by security guard Phil, born on the island, and except for a few weekend jaunts into the jungle of L.A. he’s been an island resident for his entire 51 years. Many Catalina natives have lived nowhere else.
The Wedding: Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence. Second marriage is the triumph of hope over experience. Those who thought it had been a spectacular weekend up to that time; they ain’t seen nothin’ yet! The event was not only the epitome of class, as evidenced by the hosts chartering the entire Avalon Taxi Company fleet for transportation to and from the Country Club for the wedding, but according to everybody to whom we spoke, the most spectacular, yet tastefully-done wedding any had ever attended – and there were quite a few folks who’d attended quite a few weddings. It began with exquisitely selected wines served as the guests filtered into the Club, followed by an eclectic mix of light music whose appeal crossed all age groups in attendance. The ceremony was performed by Greg’s brother, an official with the county who, as the result of Katie’s research it was discovered he was legally permitted to perform marriages. It was his first, and he did a grand job (perhaps he has a future in the wedding business).
Greg looked like the classic groom in his wedding suit but unique with special band theme cuff links. The bride was stunning in a strapless eggshell dress with a long train. Her hair down was down and her neck was accented with tastefully done classic pearls. Gorgeous mixed flowers accented the altar and lined the stairs and sides of the patio setting.
The ceremony was simple yet moving. The outdoor patio was decorated in subtle colors of red brick and marigold yellow, including wrought iron chairs and settees with pillows and cashmere shawls alternating in the selected colors. French Market umbrellas kept the late afternoon sun from spoiling the ladies makeup and individual Japanese parasols were discretely scattered among the chairs for those who wished additional shade. The ceremony was brief, personal, and classy, after which the congregation retired to tables for dinner.
As each person had arrived and was acknowledged, each was given a place card with their name, table assignment, and a personal, individual note, done with perfect penmanship by the bride. Each table had a Polaroid camera and several packages of film. Wedding denizens snapped each others photos then slid the photo into a guest book and wrote a message to the couple. It was another of the personal touches so elegantly done by Katie. Each table had several sets of candles of various sizes in frosted glass holders.
Dinner began with salad followed by a dual plate of fresh halibut, citrus lemon grass buerre blanc & petit filet mignon, herbed demi glace, goat cheese and fresh herb stuffed potatoes along with lemon scented asparagus spears. Dinner was paired with excellent Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay wines. Dessert was a 3-tier square cake, red velvet with crème cheese and white with chocolate mousse.
The Evening ends and The Morning After: Memo to Greg: The best way to always remember your anniversary is to forget it once. Katie served the wedding cake wearing another dress, her hair up and ready to dance. After the wonderful wedding, dinner, and dancing until late into the perfect summer night the wedding party and attendees finally retreated – but not for long. A brunch was hosted the following morning at The Landing. Guests and hosts got to see each other in the sunlight one final time before boarding the Catalina Express for the trek to the mainland. It could have been the mist from the sea or it could have been tears of joy that caused dampness on the faces. Regardless it was a wonderful wedding weekend that will be etched in the memories of all who were fortunate enough to attend.
A Toast: To Greg: May you keep your head as you lose your heart. To Katie: May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future.
A little blogging music Maestro… “Power of Love” by Jennifer Rush.
Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com
There are weddings and there are Weddings: Mrs. Dr. Forgot and I have been friends for decades with Harvey and Linda. Harvey and Linda were blessed with two wonderful daughters, Katie and Susan. Susan has pretty much behaved herself recently but Katie decided to get married. That wedding was one that must be preserved in print. Hence, today’s post will be devoted to the wedding of Katie and Greg.
The Bride and Groom: Katie and Greg have plenty in common. Neither are starry-eyed youngsters. Both work in the music and entertainment business. Katie’s grandpa was the late Cliffie Stone, a legend in the production of country music and performers. In fact, many is the time that “Uncle” Tennessee Ernie Ford babysat the girls. It was only natural that Katie would pursue a career in the music business – not as a performer, but on the business side. It was at work that she met Greg, whose profession includes evaluating and signing new talent, although he enjoys his drum-beating band gigs. The talent he signed last weekend when he put his own signature on the dotted line next to that of Katie, seems to be a perfect match. I did notice that Greg wore a metal stud in his ear during the wedding. That is good preparation for marriage. It shows he can stand pain and is used to buying jewelry.
The Setting: The bride and groom chose Avalon for their wedding. It has been a place that Katie and her family have enjoyed as a regular vacation spot since the 1960s. Avalon is further west than Pasadena, but not as far west as Hawaii. It is the main (ok, the only) village on the island of Santa Catalina, which you will remember from the song “26 Miles Across the Sea...” The island can be accessed by helicopter, of course, but most wedding goers joined other tourists to take the Catalina Express on the one-hour journey to the island. Catalina Island is Europe off the shore of California. The ambiance could easily be from the south of France, Croatia, or even one of the Greek Isles. Residents travel for the most part by golf cart as it can take up to 15 years to get permission to bring a car to the island. Besides, at $ 6.00+ per gallon, golf carts make more sense. Oh, and since they’re street legal they must be licensed and insured.
The hundred or so wedding crashers who attended stayed at one of the Island’s several European style hotels. Friday evening they were treated to dinner at one of the excellent Mexican cuisine restaurants and after dinner walked around the corner to Hotel Catherine which had been booked for a private party. In keeping with the music-band theme, an “All Access” pass was required which allowed entry to “Greg’s Cosmic All Star Family Jam” The host pounded the drums as friends danced their buns off and caused mayhem until the wee small hours of the a.m. Dinner and dancing alone was worth the price of admission. Privacy was assured by security guard Phil, born on the island, and except for a few weekend jaunts into the jungle of L.A. he’s been an island resident for his entire 51 years. Many Catalina natives have lived nowhere else.
The Wedding: Marriage is the triumph of imagination over intelligence. Second marriage is the triumph of hope over experience. Those who thought it had been a spectacular weekend up to that time; they ain’t seen nothin’ yet! The event was not only the epitome of class, as evidenced by the hosts chartering the entire Avalon Taxi Company fleet for transportation to and from the Country Club for the wedding, but according to everybody to whom we spoke, the most spectacular, yet tastefully-done wedding any had ever attended – and there were quite a few folks who’d attended quite a few weddings. It began with exquisitely selected wines served as the guests filtered into the Club, followed by an eclectic mix of light music whose appeal crossed all age groups in attendance. The ceremony was performed by Greg’s brother, an official with the county who, as the result of Katie’s research it was discovered he was legally permitted to perform marriages. It was his first, and he did a grand job (perhaps he has a future in the wedding business).
Greg looked like the classic groom in his wedding suit but unique with special band theme cuff links. The bride was stunning in a strapless eggshell dress with a long train. Her hair down was down and her neck was accented with tastefully done classic pearls. Gorgeous mixed flowers accented the altar and lined the stairs and sides of the patio setting.
The ceremony was simple yet moving. The outdoor patio was decorated in subtle colors of red brick and marigold yellow, including wrought iron chairs and settees with pillows and cashmere shawls alternating in the selected colors. French Market umbrellas kept the late afternoon sun from spoiling the ladies makeup and individual Japanese parasols were discretely scattered among the chairs for those who wished additional shade. The ceremony was brief, personal, and classy, after which the congregation retired to tables for dinner.
As each person had arrived and was acknowledged, each was given a place card with their name, table assignment, and a personal, individual note, done with perfect penmanship by the bride. Each table had a Polaroid camera and several packages of film. Wedding denizens snapped each others photos then slid the photo into a guest book and wrote a message to the couple. It was another of the personal touches so elegantly done by Katie. Each table had several sets of candles of various sizes in frosted glass holders.
Dinner began with salad followed by a dual plate of fresh halibut, citrus lemon grass buerre blanc & petit filet mignon, herbed demi glace, goat cheese and fresh herb stuffed potatoes along with lemon scented asparagus spears. Dinner was paired with excellent Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay wines. Dessert was a 3-tier square cake, red velvet with crème cheese and white with chocolate mousse.
The Evening ends and The Morning After: Memo to Greg: The best way to always remember your anniversary is to forget it once. Katie served the wedding cake wearing another dress, her hair up and ready to dance. After the wonderful wedding, dinner, and dancing until late into the perfect summer night the wedding party and attendees finally retreated – but not for long. A brunch was hosted the following morning at The Landing. Guests and hosts got to see each other in the sunlight one final time before boarding the Catalina Express for the trek to the mainland. It could have been the mist from the sea or it could have been tears of joy that caused dampness on the faces. Regardless it was a wonderful wedding weekend that will be etched in the memories of all who were fortunate enough to attend.
A Toast: To Greg: May you keep your head as you lose your heart. To Katie: May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future.
A little blogging music Maestro… “Power of Love” by Jennifer Rush.
Dr. Forgot
http://drforgot.com
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
News and Views
Never Underestimate the Power of Stupid People in Large Groups
Did Ya Miss Me?: We’ve been spending some time on the left coast - that place where San Andreas once said, “It’s not MY fault.” We were fortunate enough to get caught in the traffic of the U.S. Open golf tournament in which some guy from Greensburg, PA failed to Mediate a win-win against a Tiger. For one who equates the excitement of watching golf right up there with watching grass grow, the Tournament at Torrey Pines was about as exciting as golf can be. San Diego did itself proud handling the crowd of more than 300,000 who watched the series. The best post-tourney line came from Jimmy Kimmel when he asked Senator John McCain if he was rooting for the young black guy or the old white guy. Post script: The victory might have aggravated the knee of the Tiger badly enough to cause him to scrub the rest of the season.
More Sports of All Sorts: Wrapped around the Torrey Tiger golf tourney were the NBA Championship finals, Kudos to the team and staff of the Boston Celtics. The playoffs ended up being a left-coast vs. right coast battle with the world’s best player wearing #24 (Kobe). In keeping true to the Mighty Casey at the Bat poem, #24 and his team struck out and today there is no joy in Mudville (L.A.). Some sports pundits observed that #24 is no #23 (Michael Jordan). If you’re a basketball fan, you’ll understand that.
When you’re dealt lemons, make lemonade: California is often referred to as “The land of fruits and nuts.” Of course this reference generally comes from residents of states that are jealous of the eternal sunshine, beautiful people, convertibles, and silicone. But California for all its sins has a hard line cadre of right wing ultra conservative religious zealots who disdain the, shall we say, more open-minded set. Unless you live in a cave without TV you know that gay marriage has become the law of the land in the Land of Milk and Honey. A few folks waved anti-gay banners as Star Trek’s Mr. Sulu and his blushing “Party B” joined many other gays who heard wedding bells. But some more business-minded conservatives posited that the law will bring in sorely needed tourist dollars from those in the other 49 states who wish to come to West Coast Eden and become Adam and Steve.
Battle of the Candidate’s Wives: The burning question among some pundits is, “How much press should the spouses of presidential candidates receive for simply being spouses?” Republicans and conservative pundits seemed to fire the first salvo as they chastised Michelle Obama for a comment regarding pride and her country. The other team struck back in a not-so-sweet manner citing Cindy McCain’s Recipegate, in which she represented as her own a recipe that belonged to another. Oh, oh, there she goes again. July’s Family Circle magazine asked each of the then candidate’s spouses to submit a recipe. Bill Clinton offered one and credited the family cook. Michelle submitted one credited to her daughter’s godmother. “Cindy McCain’s Oatmeal-Butterscotch cookies” were attributed to a good friend. But a sharp-eyed baker soon discovered the recipe on Hersheys.com. Whoops. Something smells here. In the future perhaps Cindy should only submit beer recipes.
Drove my Chevy to the levee and got busted: Tornadoes and flooding are two good reasons not to own a home in the Midwest these days. Perhaps frustration over being kept away is a third. Homeowners were forced from their homes by authorities and not allowed to return until those same authorities determined it was safe. Some homeowners took exception. One in particular tried to drive around a barricade, his truck reportedly bumped a guard and guns were immediately trained on him. This was not some radical from the big city. This was an Iowa farmer who felt he needed to assess the damage impact on his life and livelihood. Big Brother claims he knows better. Perhaps we need to just sit back and let our government make all the decisions for us. Trust FEMA.
A little blogging music Maestro… “High Water Everywhere,” by Joe Bonamassa.
Dr. Forgot
Did Ya Miss Me?: We’ve been spending some time on the left coast - that place where San Andreas once said, “It’s not MY fault.” We were fortunate enough to get caught in the traffic of the U.S. Open golf tournament in which some guy from Greensburg, PA failed to Mediate a win-win against a Tiger. For one who equates the excitement of watching golf right up there with watching grass grow, the Tournament at Torrey Pines was about as exciting as golf can be. San Diego did itself proud handling the crowd of more than 300,000 who watched the series. The best post-tourney line came from Jimmy Kimmel when he asked Senator John McCain if he was rooting for the young black guy or the old white guy. Post script: The victory might have aggravated the knee of the Tiger badly enough to cause him to scrub the rest of the season.
More Sports of All Sorts: Wrapped around the Torrey Tiger golf tourney were the NBA Championship finals, Kudos to the team and staff of the Boston Celtics. The playoffs ended up being a left-coast vs. right coast battle with the world’s best player wearing #24 (Kobe). In keeping true to the Mighty Casey at the Bat poem, #24 and his team struck out and today there is no joy in Mudville (L.A.). Some sports pundits observed that #24 is no #23 (Michael Jordan). If you’re a basketball fan, you’ll understand that.
When you’re dealt lemons, make lemonade: California is often referred to as “The land of fruits and nuts.” Of course this reference generally comes from residents of states that are jealous of the eternal sunshine, beautiful people, convertibles, and silicone. But California for all its sins has a hard line cadre of right wing ultra conservative religious zealots who disdain the, shall we say, more open-minded set. Unless you live in a cave without TV you know that gay marriage has become the law of the land in the Land of Milk and Honey. A few folks waved anti-gay banners as Star Trek’s Mr. Sulu and his blushing “Party B” joined many other gays who heard wedding bells. But some more business-minded conservatives posited that the law will bring in sorely needed tourist dollars from those in the other 49 states who wish to come to West Coast Eden and become Adam and Steve.
Battle of the Candidate’s Wives: The burning question among some pundits is, “How much press should the spouses of presidential candidates receive for simply being spouses?” Republicans and conservative pundits seemed to fire the first salvo as they chastised Michelle Obama for a comment regarding pride and her country. The other team struck back in a not-so-sweet manner citing Cindy McCain’s Recipegate, in which she represented as her own a recipe that belonged to another. Oh, oh, there she goes again. July’s Family Circle magazine asked each of the then candidate’s spouses to submit a recipe. Bill Clinton offered one and credited the family cook. Michelle submitted one credited to her daughter’s godmother. “Cindy McCain’s Oatmeal-Butterscotch cookies” were attributed to a good friend. But a sharp-eyed baker soon discovered the recipe on Hersheys.com. Whoops. Something smells here. In the future perhaps Cindy should only submit beer recipes.
Drove my Chevy to the levee and got busted: Tornadoes and flooding are two good reasons not to own a home in the Midwest these days. Perhaps frustration over being kept away is a third. Homeowners were forced from their homes by authorities and not allowed to return until those same authorities determined it was safe. Some homeowners took exception. One in particular tried to drive around a barricade, his truck reportedly bumped a guard and guns were immediately trained on him. This was not some radical from the big city. This was an Iowa farmer who felt he needed to assess the damage impact on his life and livelihood. Big Brother claims he knows better. Perhaps we need to just sit back and let our government make all the decisions for us. Trust FEMA.
A little blogging music Maestro… “High Water Everywhere,” by Joe Bonamassa.
Dr. Forgot
Friday, June 13, 2008
United We Stand
Can Good History Repeat Itself?
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it: Spanish born American philosopher George Santayana who was born in the 19th century and lived halfway through the twentieth said it. Perhaps if immigration laws had been in effect in the nineteenth century we would not have had the benefit of his speculative philosophy and literary criticism. But that’s another story. The quote is oft repeated but it came to mind for me as the result of an email from friend, college professor and football coach in California. He asked what my solution would be to solve the energy crisis. I posed the question to a higher authority, Mrs. Dr. Forgot, and her answer was simple and eloquent. Spouses often have that uppity way of citing history to make a point (“You didn’t empty the trash and now we have ants everywhere.”) What follows is the upshot of that conversation.
A Reflection of America in the 1930s: After the excesses of the “Roaring Twenties” in America, the stock market crashed, having been bolstered by speculators. Food became scarce due to the dust bowl, banks repossessed homes and farms as the real estate market crashed when people were unable to pay their mortgages (starting to sound familiar yet?) and the United States joined the rest of the world and became one more country plunged into a worldwide depression. Many lost hope. Some took their own lives. As the decade came to a close war erupted in Europe. Hitler invaded Spain and began his campaign of terrorism in Europe. America vowed it would not be dragged into another World War as it had been a few decades earlier in the “War to End All Wars” later to become known as World War I.
Pearl Harbor Bombed, December 7, 1941: The lazy atmosphere of Hawaii was shocked and awed early one Sunday morning when Japanese bombers attacked the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor. President Roosevelt’s speech described it as “A day that will live in infamy.” Still the U.S. was ill-prepared to go to war. Weapons were outdated, most of the Navy’s ships had been damaged or destroyed, the Army Air Corps (pre-runner to the Air Force) had few pilots and fewer planes, and Army troops still used WW-I era weaponry. The country was in crisis and the American people, many of whom were immigrants or first or second generation Americans, set aside their own needs for the good of the country. Factories began to produce military vehicles instead of passenger cars, steel mills produced steel for everything from tanks to guns to ammunition. Americans came together. Children saved tinfoil and string and their parents accepted rationing of gas and food because it was in the best interest of the country. A few years of American sacrifice resulted in America becoming a major world power.
Opportunities Gained, Opportunities Lost: The growing up of America as the result of her sacrifices for the good of the country proved the ingenuity and power American’s possess. Seventeen years after the end of World War II the Soviet Union sent an unmanned satellite named Sputnik into orbit. Four years after that event America faced another crisis when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. Again, America showed its mettle. At the urging of a young charismatic President John Kennedy, in less than a decade U.S. astronaut John Glenn walked on the surface of the moon.
America again faces crisis: On September 11, 2001 a group of terrorists bombed the World Trade Center in New York. Another young charismatic president had the trust of the people to deal with the crisis but as it turned out his administration mismanaged the issue badly. Seven years after the bombing its perpetrator roams free, a country that posed no threat to the U.S. was invaded and remains occupied by our troops, more than 4,000 brave young American men and women have perished as well as hundreds of thousands of the invaded country's locals. The occupation has lasted longer than nearly any other war in our country’s history, and an oil crisis threatens to bring us to our knees economically as we teeter on the brink of bankruptcy. Instead of coming together after the 9/11 tragedy (as we did initially) the country has become more divided than any time in our history since the Viet Nam war. The United States faces another dire emergency. Now we must learn from history.
Take a page from America The Capable: America needs to examine her successes. Instead of demeaning presidential candidates with slime and filth, we must unite as we did to prepare for WW-II, put a man on the moon, and many other examples of things our country has done that no other was able to accomplish. We must suspend our sniping over differences of political parties, racism, sexism, gay marriages, global warming, where to drill for more oil, and all the other phantom political issues, and instead act as one. We must put all available resources into developing renewable energy sources. If we could put a man on the moon in less than a decade, Americans are capable of developing vehicles that operate on sun power or hydrogen and that do not pollute, or some other form of affordable renewable energy. If we were able to develop a hydrogen bomb in fewer than 18 months Americans can develop cheap and efficient methods of providing power to our homes and businesses. When and where can this dream of unity happen? The time is now and the place is America. It is this writer’s hope that the energy crisis is a severe enough crisis to motivate Americans to put aside individual and political differences and work toward a common goal. We’ve done it before and I believe we can do it again.
A little blogging music Maestro... “America the Beautiful.”
Dr. Forgot
See me also at http://vegasbuzznews.com/
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it: Spanish born American philosopher George Santayana who was born in the 19th century and lived halfway through the twentieth said it. Perhaps if immigration laws had been in effect in the nineteenth century we would not have had the benefit of his speculative philosophy and literary criticism. But that’s another story. The quote is oft repeated but it came to mind for me as the result of an email from friend, college professor and football coach in California. He asked what my solution would be to solve the energy crisis. I posed the question to a higher authority, Mrs. Dr. Forgot, and her answer was simple and eloquent. Spouses often have that uppity way of citing history to make a point (“You didn’t empty the trash and now we have ants everywhere.”) What follows is the upshot of that conversation.
A Reflection of America in the 1930s: After the excesses of the “Roaring Twenties” in America, the stock market crashed, having been bolstered by speculators. Food became scarce due to the dust bowl, banks repossessed homes and farms as the real estate market crashed when people were unable to pay their mortgages (starting to sound familiar yet?) and the United States joined the rest of the world and became one more country plunged into a worldwide depression. Many lost hope. Some took their own lives. As the decade came to a close war erupted in Europe. Hitler invaded Spain and began his campaign of terrorism in Europe. America vowed it would not be dragged into another World War as it had been a few decades earlier in the “War to End All Wars” later to become known as World War I.
Pearl Harbor Bombed, December 7, 1941: The lazy atmosphere of Hawaii was shocked and awed early one Sunday morning when Japanese bombers attacked the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor. President Roosevelt’s speech described it as “A day that will live in infamy.” Still the U.S. was ill-prepared to go to war. Weapons were outdated, most of the Navy’s ships had been damaged or destroyed, the Army Air Corps (pre-runner to the Air Force) had few pilots and fewer planes, and Army troops still used WW-I era weaponry. The country was in crisis and the American people, many of whom were immigrants or first or second generation Americans, set aside their own needs for the good of the country. Factories began to produce military vehicles instead of passenger cars, steel mills produced steel for everything from tanks to guns to ammunition. Americans came together. Children saved tinfoil and string and their parents accepted rationing of gas and food because it was in the best interest of the country. A few years of American sacrifice resulted in America becoming a major world power.
Opportunities Gained, Opportunities Lost: The growing up of America as the result of her sacrifices for the good of the country proved the ingenuity and power American’s possess. Seventeen years after the end of World War II the Soviet Union sent an unmanned satellite named Sputnik into orbit. Four years after that event America faced another crisis when Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human in space. Again, America showed its mettle. At the urging of a young charismatic President John Kennedy, in less than a decade U.S. astronaut John Glenn walked on the surface of the moon.
America again faces crisis: On September 11, 2001 a group of terrorists bombed the World Trade Center in New York. Another young charismatic president had the trust of the people to deal with the crisis but as it turned out his administration mismanaged the issue badly. Seven years after the bombing its perpetrator roams free, a country that posed no threat to the U.S. was invaded and remains occupied by our troops, more than 4,000 brave young American men and women have perished as well as hundreds of thousands of the invaded country's locals. The occupation has lasted longer than nearly any other war in our country’s history, and an oil crisis threatens to bring us to our knees economically as we teeter on the brink of bankruptcy. Instead of coming together after the 9/11 tragedy (as we did initially) the country has become more divided than any time in our history since the Viet Nam war. The United States faces another dire emergency. Now we must learn from history.
Take a page from America The Capable: America needs to examine her successes. Instead of demeaning presidential candidates with slime and filth, we must unite as we did to prepare for WW-II, put a man on the moon, and many other examples of things our country has done that no other was able to accomplish. We must suspend our sniping over differences of political parties, racism, sexism, gay marriages, global warming, where to drill for more oil, and all the other phantom political issues, and instead act as one. We must put all available resources into developing renewable energy sources. If we could put a man on the moon in less than a decade, Americans are capable of developing vehicles that operate on sun power or hydrogen and that do not pollute, or some other form of affordable renewable energy. If we were able to develop a hydrogen bomb in fewer than 18 months Americans can develop cheap and efficient methods of providing power to our homes and businesses. When and where can this dream of unity happen? The time is now and the place is America. It is this writer’s hope that the energy crisis is a severe enough crisis to motivate Americans to put aside individual and political differences and work toward a common goal. We’ve done it before and I believe we can do it again.
A little blogging music Maestro... “America the Beautiful.”
Dr. Forgot
See me also at http://vegasbuzznews.com/
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Quintessence of Athletic Atrocity
News and Views to Peruse – Sports of All Sorts
Must Tiger Worry about Torrey: Today’s blog is rife with sports news. No NFL player was busted for drugs. No NBA player was cited for beating his wife or girlfriend. However a disgraced former NBA referee who says he might not be the dirtiest claims fellow refs intentionally determined the outcomes of NBA games. Although football and basketball are two real sports in which players wear uniforms and sweat and have bench-clearing brawls, golf is considered by some a sissy game. No uniforms are worn by golfers (why, in baseball even COACHES wear uniforms) and golfers don’t get to assault one another. Other sports heroes wear bling, do rap videos, and set new standards for vulgar language. Occasionally a golfer might be overheard to say, “Shucks,” or “Awwww heck,” or even, “Dadgummit.” Occasionally one might get really angry and throw his club into the water, but there is no eye gouging, crotch grabbing, or intentional fouling. No 15-yard penalties, and no home field advantage in golf. At this writing Tiger Woods is tied for thirteenth place in the Torrey Pines U.S. Open. Yawn.
What Happens in Vegas is Expensive: That crazy guy with the blond Fu-Manchu moustache is making news again. Ex - Mrs. Hulk Hogan known on official court documents as Linda Bollea, has asked a judge to do her a teeny-weeny favor. She wants Terry Bollea, whose wrestling name is Hulk Hogan, to spend some time in a hammer-lock – or at least in a lockup. The Hulkster seems to have met his wrestling match with his ex when he chose to not make payments on their little $ 4.2 million Vegas condo, located at the Palms Hotel and Casino. The Palms is where everybody who is anybody hangs out and hooks up in Vegas. If the Pinellas County, Florida judge pins the Hulkster to the jail mat, he might end up in Condo Hoosegow as a roommate to his son, currently serving 8 months for “Driving like an idiot.”
Mighty Croatia Scores Another Upset: I love Croatia. That country with a coastline every bit as dazzling as California’s is the place to be among Europeans. For its size Croatia produces massive numbers of sports heroes. From BYU star Kresimir Cosic and All NBA Toni Kukoc (Basketball) to Goran Ivanisevic and Jelena Pandzic (tennis), and even major stud actor Goran Visnjic, Croatia is in a constant state of overachievement. Their names might be hard to pronounce but their deeds are legendary. So as not to destroy that image Croatia’s soccer team just defeated the vaunted German team in the Euro 2008 European Soccer Competition. Let’s all raise a glass of slivovica, the Croatian plum brandy that will put hair on your chest, to honor the victory.
No Pee-wees Among the WWE: My college days were not consumed with athletic achievements – unless you count those three wrestling matches in the back seat of a Packard. I was pinned two out of tree. It did not take me long to outgrow my fanatic obsession with the likes of Gorgeous George (no relation to Boy George) or the other overweight, over-the-hill, overacting stuntmen of professional wrestling. But though I no longer appreciate it, I can understand ongoing fascination with WWE RAW wrestling. Vince McMahon is a promotional genius and has spoofed his way into a multi-million dollar venture. Instead of Full Nelsons and Hammer Locks by beer gut has-beens, the gym is loaded with rippling muscles and bulked up frames. Some even retire pursue a less legitimate career – like former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura.
A little blogging music Maestro... The ABC Sports theme song with the accompanying, “The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat.”
Dr. Forgot
Must Tiger Worry about Torrey: Today’s blog is rife with sports news. No NFL player was busted for drugs. No NBA player was cited for beating his wife or girlfriend. However a disgraced former NBA referee who says he might not be the dirtiest claims fellow refs intentionally determined the outcomes of NBA games. Although football and basketball are two real sports in which players wear uniforms and sweat and have bench-clearing brawls, golf is considered by some a sissy game. No uniforms are worn by golfers (why, in baseball even COACHES wear uniforms) and golfers don’t get to assault one another. Other sports heroes wear bling, do rap videos, and set new standards for vulgar language. Occasionally a golfer might be overheard to say, “Shucks,” or “Awwww heck,” or even, “Dadgummit.” Occasionally one might get really angry and throw his club into the water, but there is no eye gouging, crotch grabbing, or intentional fouling. No 15-yard penalties, and no home field advantage in golf. At this writing Tiger Woods is tied for thirteenth place in the Torrey Pines U.S. Open. Yawn.
What Happens in Vegas is Expensive: That crazy guy with the blond Fu-Manchu moustache is making news again. Ex - Mrs. Hulk Hogan known on official court documents as Linda Bollea, has asked a judge to do her a teeny-weeny favor. She wants Terry Bollea, whose wrestling name is Hulk Hogan, to spend some time in a hammer-lock – or at least in a lockup. The Hulkster seems to have met his wrestling match with his ex when he chose to not make payments on their little $ 4.2 million Vegas condo, located at the Palms Hotel and Casino. The Palms is where everybody who is anybody hangs out and hooks up in Vegas. If the Pinellas County, Florida judge pins the Hulkster to the jail mat, he might end up in Condo Hoosegow as a roommate to his son, currently serving 8 months for “Driving like an idiot.”
Mighty Croatia Scores Another Upset: I love Croatia. That country with a coastline every bit as dazzling as California’s is the place to be among Europeans. For its size Croatia produces massive numbers of sports heroes. From BYU star Kresimir Cosic and All NBA Toni Kukoc (Basketball) to Goran Ivanisevic and Jelena Pandzic (tennis), and even major stud actor Goran Visnjic, Croatia is in a constant state of overachievement. Their names might be hard to pronounce but their deeds are legendary. So as not to destroy that image Croatia’s soccer team just defeated the vaunted German team in the Euro 2008 European Soccer Competition. Let’s all raise a glass of slivovica, the Croatian plum brandy that will put hair on your chest, to honor the victory.
No Pee-wees Among the WWE: My college days were not consumed with athletic achievements – unless you count those three wrestling matches in the back seat of a Packard. I was pinned two out of tree. It did not take me long to outgrow my fanatic obsession with the likes of Gorgeous George (no relation to Boy George) or the other overweight, over-the-hill, overacting stuntmen of professional wrestling. But though I no longer appreciate it, I can understand ongoing fascination with WWE RAW wrestling. Vince McMahon is a promotional genius and has spoofed his way into a multi-million dollar venture. Instead of Full Nelsons and Hammer Locks by beer gut has-beens, the gym is loaded with rippling muscles and bulked up frames. Some even retire pursue a less legitimate career – like former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura.
A little blogging music Maestro... The ABC Sports theme song with the accompanying, “The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat.”
Dr. Forgot
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Love Nevada Style
Nevada Governor is a Gen-Xer at Heart
Snow on the Rooftop but Fire in the Furnace: Governor Jim Gibbons, that 63-year old silver hair ex-pilot and leader of men might look like your average dork, but it turns out that he has punched his way into the world of Gen Xers. He’s become a master of text messaging. While denying his chat buddy was a mistress (half way between a master and a mattress), turns out that Guv sent Luv 850 text messages in five weeks. What that means, of course, aside from the possibility of suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, is that the Guv has become multi-lingual. Texting has its own lingo of acronyms and symbols.
Not vexed by the text: As a former pilot the Guv had to learn a second language, “We have clearance, Clarence. Roger, Roger. Four five heavy cleared for one-niner left,” and other airport talk. So perhaps it was easy to learn text talk. Like former First Lady Hillary Clinton, the Guv was awake and awaiting the 2 a.m. phone call. We have no way of knowing what they had to say to each other during those 850 text messages as the textee has quit responding to the texter, so in the interest of language enhancement we will provide a transcript of what MIGHT have been said, complete with English translations:
GUV: WRUD? (What are you doing?)
LUV: AAF AAK (As a matter of fact, asleep at the keyboard)
GUV: ICBW (It could be worse) HAU (How About You?)
LUV: ICEDI (I can’t even discuss it)
GUV: MUSM (Miss you so much)
LUV: NALOPKT (Not a lot of people know that)
GUV: OIC (Oh, I see)
LUV: HLAM (How’s Life at the Mansion?)
GUV: NSFW (Not safe for work)
LUV: PXT (Please explain that)
GUV: PRW (People are Watching
LUV: PU (that stinks)
GUV: BY&M (Between you and me) NCBT (Not crying big tears)
LUV: RU SOMY (Are you sick of me yet?)
GUV: NRN (No response necessary) CUITM (See you in the morning)
LUV: GN (Goodnight) BFF (Best friends forever)
Only The Lonely: The aggrieved wife’s lawyer alleges an affair by the pair but the Guv says ‘taint about love but being a friend to the end. Still, I have lots of friends but none that I text 850 times in five weeks – that averages more than once per hour 24/7. That does not include the calls made to the platonic friend. I’ve got to believe that the Doctor’s wife is in receipt of more correspondence from the Guv than is his chief of staff or any other member of his cabinet. One spate of six calls, including one for 35 minutes, was made during the same time period in which GG (Governor Gibbons) was working with the Legislature over a $ 4 billion shortfall for highway construction. Perhaps he was trying to determine the road conditions between Carson City and his friend’s Reno neighborhood.
Dawn, Go away back where you belong: Although she’s been Mrs. Dawn Gibbons for 22 years, the First Lady of Nevada comes home each night to an empty mansion since not-such-a Gentleman Jim decided to split for the “family” home in Reno where his cellular carrier asks, “Can you text me now?” Negotiations are currently under way for him to return to the Big House and let Dawn preside over the guest house. This is the biggest story to hit national news (People magazine did a several page story on it) since the debate over whether to pronounce our state Nevaaada or Nevahda. The perception has changed from the being the home of Comstock Lode to being in the the Laughing Stock Mode.
A little blogging music Maestro... Perhaps a good ole boy country song: “How Can I Miss You if You Won’t Go Away?”
Dr. Forgot
Snow on the Rooftop but Fire in the Furnace: Governor Jim Gibbons, that 63-year old silver hair ex-pilot and leader of men might look like your average dork, but it turns out that he has punched his way into the world of Gen Xers. He’s become a master of text messaging. While denying his chat buddy was a mistress (half way between a master and a mattress), turns out that Guv sent Luv 850 text messages in five weeks. What that means, of course, aside from the possibility of suffering from carpal tunnel syndrome, is that the Guv has become multi-lingual. Texting has its own lingo of acronyms and symbols.
Not vexed by the text: As a former pilot the Guv had to learn a second language, “We have clearance, Clarence. Roger, Roger. Four five heavy cleared for one-niner left,” and other airport talk. So perhaps it was easy to learn text talk. Like former First Lady Hillary Clinton, the Guv was awake and awaiting the 2 a.m. phone call. We have no way of knowing what they had to say to each other during those 850 text messages as the textee has quit responding to the texter, so in the interest of language enhancement we will provide a transcript of what MIGHT have been said, complete with English translations:
GUV: WRUD? (What are you doing?)
LUV: AAF AAK (As a matter of fact, asleep at the keyboard)
GUV: ICBW (It could be worse) HAU (How About You?)
LUV: ICEDI (I can’t even discuss it)
GUV: MUSM (Miss you so much)
LUV: NALOPKT (Not a lot of people know that)
GUV: OIC (Oh, I see)
LUV: HLAM (How’s Life at the Mansion?)
GUV: NSFW (Not safe for work)
LUV: PXT (Please explain that)
GUV: PRW (People are Watching
LUV: PU (that stinks)
GUV: BY&M (Between you and me) NCBT (Not crying big tears)
LUV: RU SOMY (Are you sick of me yet?)
GUV: NRN (No response necessary) CUITM (See you in the morning)
LUV: GN (Goodnight) BFF (Best friends forever)
Only The Lonely: The aggrieved wife’s lawyer alleges an affair by the pair but the Guv says ‘taint about love but being a friend to the end. Still, I have lots of friends but none that I text 850 times in five weeks – that averages more than once per hour 24/7. That does not include the calls made to the platonic friend. I’ve got to believe that the Doctor’s wife is in receipt of more correspondence from the Guv than is his chief of staff or any other member of his cabinet. One spate of six calls, including one for 35 minutes, was made during the same time period in which GG (Governor Gibbons) was working with the Legislature over a $ 4 billion shortfall for highway construction. Perhaps he was trying to determine the road conditions between Carson City and his friend’s Reno neighborhood.
Dawn, Go away back where you belong: Although she’s been Mrs. Dawn Gibbons for 22 years, the First Lady of Nevada comes home each night to an empty mansion since not-such-a Gentleman Jim decided to split for the “family” home in Reno where his cellular carrier asks, “Can you text me now?” Negotiations are currently under way for him to return to the Big House and let Dawn preside over the guest house. This is the biggest story to hit national news (People magazine did a several page story on it) since the debate over whether to pronounce our state Nevaaada or Nevahda. The perception has changed from the being the home of Comstock Lode to being in the the Laughing Stock Mode.
A little blogging music Maestro... Perhaps a good ole boy country song: “How Can I Miss You if You Won’t Go Away?”
Dr. Forgot
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
All the News That's Fit to Blog
No Political Races but Plenty of News
Drive by stabbing in Akihabara: Tokyo and Japan have some of the world’s strictest handgun laws. It is illegal to own any type of firearm except a shotgun that can be used for skeet shooting. For that there is a lengthy application. Closely regulated, however does not mean absence of malice. Tokyo auto parts worker Timohiro Kato decided to wreak havoc for some twisted reason and smashed a rented truck into a crowd then stabbed and slashed until he’d taken seven innocent lives. Gun laws can curb some violence but where there’s a will there’s a way.
Did Francis Albert Sinatra predict this?: Crooner Frank Sinatra was famous for adding words to traditional songs in a scat-like fashion. One line he added to My Way was, “The higher the top the longer the drop.” So has it been for Mr. Hummer and his SUV cousins. In case you don’t remember Hummer, the neo-Jeep was born on the battlefield as was its grandpa. The Happy Hummer took the troops to battle then took the country by storm during the past “Damn the mileage, full speed ahead” decade. Take a troop carrier, slap on a little chrome, charge a fortune for it, and Viola! A General Motors success story. There are Hummer limos, Hollywood Hummers, and even diamond-encrusted Hummers. Then there was $ 130 per barrel oil. That’s when the long drop occurred. What’s next for the die-hards? Perhaps a Hummer Hybrid.
No Home on the Range – the unkind split: Picture this: you live in a boring suburb and hate your job. So you save up and buy a cabin on a lake and each summer you add to and spiff it up. It becomes your dream home and is worth a ton of money. One night as you watch the news you see your home – then only half of it as the other half is washed into the Wisconsin River. The blood and sweat you poured into the house reduced you to tears. Mother Nature can be cruel. Engineers who designed the earthen dam that gave way can be sued.
Read something by the Hollywood Madam instead: Ah, those crazy bimbos in “Sex and the City” are causing trouble again. You would think their hit movie would be trouble enough since politicians are touting family values these days, but no, they are inadvertently competing with Oprah’s book club. Seems that in a few boudoir scenes Carrie Bradshaw is reading the book, “Love Letters From Great Men.” There has been a rush to the bookstores by horny women old and young to purchase the book. Memo to all such horny women: Carrie Bradshaw is a fictional character. The book is a prop. It doesn’t exist. Stop pestering Mr. Barnes and Mrs. Noble. Get a life.
Back from vacation to get some sleep: ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. More and more people are sleeping through their mornings at work, but they are all awake in time for lunch. A poll showed more than one-third of workers nod off during the work day. And it is no wonder. We average a little more than six hours per night sleep but 9 ½ hours at work. The answer, of course, is to change jobs. As the song sung by a hooker in the musical Les Miserables goes, “Join your sisters.... make money in your sleep.” It reminds me of one call girl who asked another, “Can you loan me 20 bucks until I get back on my back again?”
A little blogging music Maestro... “Sleepwalk,” by Santo and Johnny.
Dr. Forgot
Drive by stabbing in Akihabara: Tokyo and Japan have some of the world’s strictest handgun laws. It is illegal to own any type of firearm except a shotgun that can be used for skeet shooting. For that there is a lengthy application. Closely regulated, however does not mean absence of malice. Tokyo auto parts worker Timohiro Kato decided to wreak havoc for some twisted reason and smashed a rented truck into a crowd then stabbed and slashed until he’d taken seven innocent lives. Gun laws can curb some violence but where there’s a will there’s a way.
Did Francis Albert Sinatra predict this?: Crooner Frank Sinatra was famous for adding words to traditional songs in a scat-like fashion. One line he added to My Way was, “The higher the top the longer the drop.” So has it been for Mr. Hummer and his SUV cousins. In case you don’t remember Hummer, the neo-Jeep was born on the battlefield as was its grandpa. The Happy Hummer took the troops to battle then took the country by storm during the past “Damn the mileage, full speed ahead” decade. Take a troop carrier, slap on a little chrome, charge a fortune for it, and Viola! A General Motors success story. There are Hummer limos, Hollywood Hummers, and even diamond-encrusted Hummers. Then there was $ 130 per barrel oil. That’s when the long drop occurred. What’s next for the die-hards? Perhaps a Hummer Hybrid.
No Home on the Range – the unkind split: Picture this: you live in a boring suburb and hate your job. So you save up and buy a cabin on a lake and each summer you add to and spiff it up. It becomes your dream home and is worth a ton of money. One night as you watch the news you see your home – then only half of it as the other half is washed into the Wisconsin River. The blood and sweat you poured into the house reduced you to tears. Mother Nature can be cruel. Engineers who designed the earthen dam that gave way can be sued.
Read something by the Hollywood Madam instead: Ah, those crazy bimbos in “Sex and the City” are causing trouble again. You would think their hit movie would be trouble enough since politicians are touting family values these days, but no, they are inadvertently competing with Oprah’s book club. Seems that in a few boudoir scenes Carrie Bradshaw is reading the book, “Love Letters From Great Men.” There has been a rush to the bookstores by horny women old and young to purchase the book. Memo to all such horny women: Carrie Bradshaw is a fictional character. The book is a prop. It doesn’t exist. Stop pestering Mr. Barnes and Mrs. Noble. Get a life.
Back from vacation to get some sleep: ZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. More and more people are sleeping through their mornings at work, but they are all awake in time for lunch. A poll showed more than one-third of workers nod off during the work day. And it is no wonder. We average a little more than six hours per night sleep but 9 ½ hours at work. The answer, of course, is to change jobs. As the song sung by a hooker in the musical Les Miserables goes, “Join your sisters.... make money in your sleep.” It reminds me of one call girl who asked another, “Can you loan me 20 bucks until I get back on my back again?”
A little blogging music Maestro... “Sleepwalk,” by Santo and Johnny.
Dr. Forgot
Monday, June 9, 2008
This Oil Ain't Olay
Too much driving gives me gas
If we don’t laugh about it, we’ll cry: We may be first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of our countrymen, but we are not first in the price of a gallon of gas. ‘Tis true that over the weekend gasoline topped an average of more than $ 4.00. Our brothers and sisters on the left coast are quaking over $ 5.00+ per gallon in some areas and that makes a bummer out of owning a Hummer.
The Good Old Days were more old than good: Sure, despite my pre-Alzheimer’s condition, which began at age 2, I can remember the 1950s and 60s when gas was two-bits (that’s 25 cents for you purists) per gallon and less. Cars were advertised as being longer, lower, and wider. In 1965 I bought a brand new Pontiac Bonneville with a “turnpike tank” that held 27.5 gallons of gas and today would cost over $ 120 to fill. In ’65, while driving across the plains of Kansas on a long lonely stretch of four lane highway I was stopped for doing 110 in an 80 mph zone. I was young. Speed was exhilarating. And gas was less than 20 cents per gallon in St. Joseph, MO. It mattered not that when you pressed the pedal to the metal the speedometer seemed to race with the gas gauge.
Round One ends in the 1970s: To have lived through that era was to have lifelong pleasant memories. Young and stupid is the best way to have enjoyed our country from coast to coast and border to border including the shores of Hawaii. But the gas crunch of the late ‘70s punctured our cheap, gas-Happy Days and slapped us into the reality of long lines and high gas prices (up to $ 1.00 per gallon and $ 39 per barrel oil). Gas could only be purchased on even or odd days, congress imposed the ”double nickel” (55 mph) speed limit, and Toyota began its climb into America’s garages. Gas mileage was posted on new car windows – except for pickup trucks.
How soon we forget – or accept: We did conserve as a nation. Of course we blamed the oil crisis on the administration and President Jimmy Carter had the bad lick to be a one-term whipping boy. But the memories began to fade. First mini-vans were introduced, then the big clumsy awkward Suburban was given soft appointments and became the darling of the SUV generation, and finally, pickup trucks, once the butt of jokes, became the number one seller in the U.S.A. and stayed there for years. Conservation evaporated like gas fumes.
Back to the future: With gas passing $ 4 per gallon some say, “Sure, but it is more than double that in Europe.” But many others are rushing to dump their SUVs for smaller, more efficient cars and gas/electric hybrids. Americans are unique in trading in their old cars for new ones. We are also trading one problem for another. Batteries from the one million hybrids currently on the road plus the millions more that will be eventually, need to be disposed of. Lead acid and nickel cadmium are poison to the environment. Although low gas prices are Gone With The Wind I’m sure most of us will take the Scarlett O’Hara position of “I’ll worry about that tomorrow.
A little blogging music Maestro... “All I Need is a Miracle,” by Mike and the Mechanics.
Dr. Forgot
If we don’t laugh about it, we’ll cry: We may be first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of our countrymen, but we are not first in the price of a gallon of gas. ‘Tis true that over the weekend gasoline topped an average of more than $ 4.00. Our brothers and sisters on the left coast are quaking over $ 5.00+ per gallon in some areas and that makes a bummer out of owning a Hummer.
The Good Old Days were more old than good: Sure, despite my pre-Alzheimer’s condition, which began at age 2, I can remember the 1950s and 60s when gas was two-bits (that’s 25 cents for you purists) per gallon and less. Cars were advertised as being longer, lower, and wider. In 1965 I bought a brand new Pontiac Bonneville with a “turnpike tank” that held 27.5 gallons of gas and today would cost over $ 120 to fill. In ’65, while driving across the plains of Kansas on a long lonely stretch of four lane highway I was stopped for doing 110 in an 80 mph zone. I was young. Speed was exhilarating. And gas was less than 20 cents per gallon in St. Joseph, MO. It mattered not that when you pressed the pedal to the metal the speedometer seemed to race with the gas gauge.
Round One ends in the 1970s: To have lived through that era was to have lifelong pleasant memories. Young and stupid is the best way to have enjoyed our country from coast to coast and border to border including the shores of Hawaii. But the gas crunch of the late ‘70s punctured our cheap, gas-Happy Days and slapped us into the reality of long lines and high gas prices (up to $ 1.00 per gallon and $ 39 per barrel oil). Gas could only be purchased on even or odd days, congress imposed the ”double nickel” (55 mph) speed limit, and Toyota began its climb into America’s garages. Gas mileage was posted on new car windows – except for pickup trucks.
How soon we forget – or accept: We did conserve as a nation. Of course we blamed the oil crisis on the administration and President Jimmy Carter had the bad lick to be a one-term whipping boy. But the memories began to fade. First mini-vans were introduced, then the big clumsy awkward Suburban was given soft appointments and became the darling of the SUV generation, and finally, pickup trucks, once the butt of jokes, became the number one seller in the U.S.A. and stayed there for years. Conservation evaporated like gas fumes.
Back to the future: With gas passing $ 4 per gallon some say, “Sure, but it is more than double that in Europe.” But many others are rushing to dump their SUVs for smaller, more efficient cars and gas/electric hybrids. Americans are unique in trading in their old cars for new ones. We are also trading one problem for another. Batteries from the one million hybrids currently on the road plus the millions more that will be eventually, need to be disposed of. Lead acid and nickel cadmium are poison to the environment. Although low gas prices are Gone With The Wind I’m sure most of us will take the Scarlett O’Hara position of “I’ll worry about that tomorrow.
A little blogging music Maestro... “All I Need is a Miracle,” by Mike and the Mechanics.
Dr. Forgot
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Vegas Update
Vegas Happenings
Dibs on Ribs – Adam had ‘em: I tell you no fibs when I talk about ribs. UNLV Professor and restaurant guru Adam Carmer is a ribologist. He’s the owner of Adams Ribs at 4770 Maryland Parkway near the UNLV campus. Adam has come up with a libation to go with his ribs and he calls it the amazing Barbecue Margarita. In order to determine the likeability of his invention Adam has invited the Las Vegas Chief Executive Officer and libation connoisseur, Hizzhonor Mayor Oscar Goodman to be among the first to preview the provocative new cocktail. The event will be held Tuesday Junbe 10th beginning at 5 p.m. more info at BarbaraKenig@aol.com.
Steaks well done after the fire: Those pyromaniacs are at it again at Monte Carlo Resort & Casino. Only this time the only flame in the house is the grill. The Light Group has opened the Brand, which is one part classic steakhouse, one part lounge, and all parts good food and fun. The 5500 square foot dining and lounge area is one of the most spacious on the Strip. And offers all the traditional classic steakhouse items plus a 120 ounce (that’s 7 ½ pounds) beef porterhouse for six. Enjoy it with five of your closest friends. More info at aacuna@lightlv.com.
You’ve gotta be ribbin’ me: Those rib joints seem to have it all together. Famous Dave’s newest location opened at 4390 Blue Diamond Road joins his other spots to not only serve yummy ribs but supports the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Southern Nevada. Dave’s has sponsored a motorcycle “Ride for Dreams” with over 1,000 participants as well as several other fundraisers throughout the year. Famous Dave strives to be a good citizen to the community. More information about his three locations can be found at www.famousdaves.com.
Step aside High Tea: The Donald has taken a British tradition to a new level. High Champagne at DJT, the Trump International Hotel & Tower signature restaurant does a fantastic twist on daily happy hour. Trumps finest champagnes are matched with delicacies from the DJT menu. What kinds of things go better with champagne? Lots, including caviar and oysters on a half shell. More information at Katie.knoch@skgadv.com.
One good way to get high: Those zanies who like to hang out at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino are back by popular demand. Masquerade Show in the Sky, features dancers in costumes on floats suspended from above the crowd. The show is a little naughty, but what happens at the Rio... And this show happens on the hour from 7 until midnight and is FREE! More info at lblanchette@lvrio.harrahs.com.
A little blogging music Maestro... Our favorite weekend song by the King, “Viva Las Vegas.”
Dr. Forgot
Dibs on Ribs – Adam had ‘em: I tell you no fibs when I talk about ribs. UNLV Professor and restaurant guru Adam Carmer is a ribologist. He’s the owner of Adams Ribs at 4770 Maryland Parkway near the UNLV campus. Adam has come up with a libation to go with his ribs and he calls it the amazing Barbecue Margarita. In order to determine the likeability of his invention Adam has invited the Las Vegas Chief Executive Officer and libation connoisseur, Hizzhonor Mayor Oscar Goodman to be among the first to preview the provocative new cocktail. The event will be held Tuesday Junbe 10th beginning at 5 p.m. more info at BarbaraKenig@aol.com.
Steaks well done after the fire: Those pyromaniacs are at it again at Monte Carlo Resort & Casino. Only this time the only flame in the house is the grill. The Light Group has opened the Brand, which is one part classic steakhouse, one part lounge, and all parts good food and fun. The 5500 square foot dining and lounge area is one of the most spacious on the Strip. And offers all the traditional classic steakhouse items plus a 120 ounce (that’s 7 ½ pounds) beef porterhouse for six. Enjoy it with five of your closest friends. More info at aacuna@lightlv.com.
You’ve gotta be ribbin’ me: Those rib joints seem to have it all together. Famous Dave’s newest location opened at 4390 Blue Diamond Road joins his other spots to not only serve yummy ribs but supports the Muscular Dystrophy Association of Southern Nevada. Dave’s has sponsored a motorcycle “Ride for Dreams” with over 1,000 participants as well as several other fundraisers throughout the year. Famous Dave strives to be a good citizen to the community. More information about his three locations can be found at www.famousdaves.com.
Step aside High Tea: The Donald has taken a British tradition to a new level. High Champagne at DJT, the Trump International Hotel & Tower signature restaurant does a fantastic twist on daily happy hour. Trumps finest champagnes are matched with delicacies from the DJT menu. What kinds of things go better with champagne? Lots, including caviar and oysters on a half shell. More information at Katie.knoch@skgadv.com.
One good way to get high: Those zanies who like to hang out at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino are back by popular demand. Masquerade Show in the Sky, features dancers in costumes on floats suspended from above the crowd. The show is a little naughty, but what happens at the Rio... And this show happens on the hour from 7 until midnight and is FREE! More info at lblanchette@lvrio.harrahs.com.
A little blogging music Maestro... Our favorite weekend song by the King, “Viva Las Vegas.”
Dr. Forgot
Friday, June 6, 2008
Airy, Ain't It?
“Welcome to Clairton, City of Prayer”
So says the sign that welcomes visitors and residents into the city limits of my hometown. The area along the Monongahela River was first surveyed in 1769, became a borough in 1903, and was incorporated as a city in 1922. The city was mostly lazy and rural until Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, Charles Schwab, and Elbert Gary formed U. S. Steel Corporation and decided that Clairton would be the ideal place for a coke works.
There are three kinds of coke – the liquid of soda fountains that tingles the nose, the illegal drug snorted up the nose, and the component that offends the nose and is a fuel and additive used to make steel. Coke is produced by baking coal in large brick-lined ovens void of oxygen to eliminate impurities. The making of coke is perhaps the dirtiest part of steelmaking. It produces so much pollutant that I remember when growing up, a newly-shingled house was always prominent as the shingles were brightly colored green, red, blue, or other colors. But within months the same roof shingles would be black, just like the rest of the homes in the neighborhood. Such was one phenomenon of growing up in the coke capital of the world.
The Robert De Niro movie, “The Deer Hunter” was set in Clairton and captured the culture of the people and the steel mills and coke works in the 1978 movie. The cost of prosperity however was dirty, unhealthy air. Particularly acrid was the stench of residue called quencher; airborne emissions of pollutants and particles. When hot, baked coke is “pushed” from ovens it is “quenched” or cooled with water, the result is an acrid odor that makes the eyes water and causes one to gasp for air.
The economy of Clairton and the entire steel valley was devastated when most of the mills closed in the 1980s but the Clairton Coke Works continues to operate using coke oven batteries built in the early 1950s. The air looks cleaner but Clairton got a black eye recently when an American Lung Association report named it the sootiest metropolitan area in the country. “We’re Number 1!”
Unlike the diehard smoker whose refrain is, “I been smokin’ all my life and I ain’t dead yet,” U.S. Steel has proposed a $ 1 billion coke oven battery replacement and maintenance plan designed to literally and figuratively remove the black cloud from Clairton’s reputation. The new technology that will be used was developed in Europe and is designed to draw gasses in and capturing them instead of emitting them. U.S. Steel says that the new batteries will cut emissions by more than half.
If the U.S. Steel plan works Clairton could return to the days when the air was clean and sex was dirty.
A little blogging music Maestro... “The Air that I Breathe” by The Hollies.
Dr. Forgot
So says the sign that welcomes visitors and residents into the city limits of my hometown. The area along the Monongahela River was first surveyed in 1769, became a borough in 1903, and was incorporated as a city in 1922. The city was mostly lazy and rural until Andrew Carnegie, J.P. Morgan, Charles Schwab, and Elbert Gary formed U. S. Steel Corporation and decided that Clairton would be the ideal place for a coke works.
There are three kinds of coke – the liquid of soda fountains that tingles the nose, the illegal drug snorted up the nose, and the component that offends the nose and is a fuel and additive used to make steel. Coke is produced by baking coal in large brick-lined ovens void of oxygen to eliminate impurities. The making of coke is perhaps the dirtiest part of steelmaking. It produces so much pollutant that I remember when growing up, a newly-shingled house was always prominent as the shingles were brightly colored green, red, blue, or other colors. But within months the same roof shingles would be black, just like the rest of the homes in the neighborhood. Such was one phenomenon of growing up in the coke capital of the world.
The Robert De Niro movie, “The Deer Hunter” was set in Clairton and captured the culture of the people and the steel mills and coke works in the 1978 movie. The cost of prosperity however was dirty, unhealthy air. Particularly acrid was the stench of residue called quencher; airborne emissions of pollutants and particles. When hot, baked coke is “pushed” from ovens it is “quenched” or cooled with water, the result is an acrid odor that makes the eyes water and causes one to gasp for air.
The economy of Clairton and the entire steel valley was devastated when most of the mills closed in the 1980s but the Clairton Coke Works continues to operate using coke oven batteries built in the early 1950s. The air looks cleaner but Clairton got a black eye recently when an American Lung Association report named it the sootiest metropolitan area in the country. “We’re Number 1!”
Unlike the diehard smoker whose refrain is, “I been smokin’ all my life and I ain’t dead yet,” U.S. Steel has proposed a $ 1 billion coke oven battery replacement and maintenance plan designed to literally and figuratively remove the black cloud from Clairton’s reputation. The new technology that will be used was developed in Europe and is designed to draw gasses in and capturing them instead of emitting them. U.S. Steel says that the new batteries will cut emissions by more than half.
If the U.S. Steel plan works Clairton could return to the days when the air was clean and sex was dirty.
A little blogging music Maestro... “The Air that I Breathe” by The Hollies.
Dr. Forgot
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
A Tale of Three Speeches
George Washington was the only president who did not have to clean up after the previous administration
The Old Warrior: Senator McCain spoke from Kenner, Louisiana and praised Hillary Clinton for her courage and tenacity and for breaking barriers that would open doors for his daughters. He was less gracious toward Barack Obama, noting that “Pundits and party elders” selected him as the nominee. The good senator sounded like a Hillary Clinton Super Delegate.
The Republican candidate tried to distance himself from the current administration and borrowed from the Obama’s campaign theme of change. He agreed that change was necessary but qualified the need as “the right change.” The candidate was grandfatherly and almost wistful as he discussed American history and touched on recurring themes of education, economy, health care and technology. And oh yes, national safety, although the Senator continued to try to distance himself from Mr. Bush by saying he disagreed about the Iraq war strategy.
The meat of Senator McCain’s speech attacked Senator Obama and his positions on energy (stating that Obama was aligned with Bush/Cheney. Huh?), the economy, trade, and national security. He concludes his speech by stating that the kind of change the country needs is the cooperative spirit and common purpose shown after 9/11.
Senator McCain seems a nice enough man. The green background might have been symbolic. The crowd sounded like one from the Retirement and Alzheimer’s center down the street. I almost fell asleep so I looked up the transcript online to be sure to not misquote. I get the feeling that John doesn’t really want to be president. He kind of backed into the nomination and doesn’t really know how to get out. Besides, Cindy will look good as first lady so he’ll do his obligatory speeches and take lots of naps and if elected will probably do a fair job.
So close but no cigar: The stage was set for Senator Clinton to make her concession speech. She’d fought a good battle, continued to use phantom statistics to boost her claim of a populous victory, and maintained a loyal and vocal group of supporters in New York. She began by erroneously stating that South Dakota, rather than Montana, was the last primary then congratulated Senator Obama on the race he’d run – not won. She continued to pat herself on the back for groundbreaking women’s opportunities (never mentioning the huge minority groundbreaking). She implied that she would be the strongest candidate to be commander–in-chief. Wait a minute. Didn’t the party just select its candidate who was not her? She then announced her victory. Huh? Memo to the Clintons: YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED.
She continued to extol her own virtues even admitting that it was she who “sounded the alarm on the mortgage crisis well over a year ago.” The Senator continued her speech outlining her virtues and victories one by one and telling how so many people had done so much for her. Oh yes, she mentioned the party once. But she used the word “I” 62 times and “me” or “my” 28 times.
When the Senator was growing up she learned self discipline, tenacity, and drive. As she grew and observed the political world she learned to slant the facts, ignore those that did not suit her, and play to the people whether it included a shot and a beer or aligning with her audience. During her campaign she learned a lot about becoming a politician. Three lessons that were lost on her, however, were humility, grace, and when to leave the room.
Democratic nominee toots Toot’s horn: The third speech of the night was given by the presidential nominee of the Democratic party. Senator Barack Obama started his speech by paying tribute to the grandmother who reared him and “...made me what I am today.” She lives in Hawaii and he affectionately calls her by the Hawaiian word for grandma, “Toot.”
The Senator was clearly the most presidential of the three speakers, as he did his obligatory thank you to all who helped, then congratulated and praised Senator Clinton for her campaign and for breaking ground for those women who will follow her path. He was much more gracious toward her than she to him, stating it was an honor to compete with her.
The Senator then made what might have been the most profound campaign statement of the night, “We honor the service of John McCain, and I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine.” He then disputed many of the points made by Senator McCain. He spent the bulk of the rest of his speech outlining point-by-point the changes that are needed in this country. That’s politics. Both men will be running in the fall to become our next president.
His “touché” moment came in response to Senator McCain’s chiding him for not spending more time in Iraq. Senator Obama stated that if Senator spent more time in inner city schools, including those in New Orleans (where McCain spoke),he’d understand that drastic changes are needed. His speech ended with the echoing of the theme, “This is the moment.”
The pundits do not know where Hillary will land. Perhaps the Clintons don’t either. It seems they just can’t give up the spotlight. Perhaps Hillary has something to offer and will do so. But this writer looks forward to watching the presidential campaign unfold sans Hillary.
A little blogging music Maestro... “Heat of the Moment” by Asia.
Dr. Forgot
The Old Warrior: Senator McCain spoke from Kenner, Louisiana and praised Hillary Clinton for her courage and tenacity and for breaking barriers that would open doors for his daughters. He was less gracious toward Barack Obama, noting that “Pundits and party elders” selected him as the nominee. The good senator sounded like a Hillary Clinton Super Delegate.
The Republican candidate tried to distance himself from the current administration and borrowed from the Obama’s campaign theme of change. He agreed that change was necessary but qualified the need as “the right change.” The candidate was grandfatherly and almost wistful as he discussed American history and touched on recurring themes of education, economy, health care and technology. And oh yes, national safety, although the Senator continued to try to distance himself from Mr. Bush by saying he disagreed about the Iraq war strategy.
The meat of Senator McCain’s speech attacked Senator Obama and his positions on energy (stating that Obama was aligned with Bush/Cheney. Huh?), the economy, trade, and national security. He concludes his speech by stating that the kind of change the country needs is the cooperative spirit and common purpose shown after 9/11.
Senator McCain seems a nice enough man. The green background might have been symbolic. The crowd sounded like one from the Retirement and Alzheimer’s center down the street. I almost fell asleep so I looked up the transcript online to be sure to not misquote. I get the feeling that John doesn’t really want to be president. He kind of backed into the nomination and doesn’t really know how to get out. Besides, Cindy will look good as first lady so he’ll do his obligatory speeches and take lots of naps and if elected will probably do a fair job.
So close but no cigar: The stage was set for Senator Clinton to make her concession speech. She’d fought a good battle, continued to use phantom statistics to boost her claim of a populous victory, and maintained a loyal and vocal group of supporters in New York. She began by erroneously stating that South Dakota, rather than Montana, was the last primary then congratulated Senator Obama on the race he’d run – not won. She continued to pat herself on the back for groundbreaking women’s opportunities (never mentioning the huge minority groundbreaking). She implied that she would be the strongest candidate to be commander–in-chief. Wait a minute. Didn’t the party just select its candidate who was not her? She then announced her victory. Huh? Memo to the Clintons: YOU ARE NOT ENTITLED.
She continued to extol her own virtues even admitting that it was she who “sounded the alarm on the mortgage crisis well over a year ago.” The Senator continued her speech outlining her virtues and victories one by one and telling how so many people had done so much for her. Oh yes, she mentioned the party once. But she used the word “I” 62 times and “me” or “my” 28 times.
When the Senator was growing up she learned self discipline, tenacity, and drive. As she grew and observed the political world she learned to slant the facts, ignore those that did not suit her, and play to the people whether it included a shot and a beer or aligning with her audience. During her campaign she learned a lot about becoming a politician. Three lessons that were lost on her, however, were humility, grace, and when to leave the room.
Democratic nominee toots Toot’s horn: The third speech of the night was given by the presidential nominee of the Democratic party. Senator Barack Obama started his speech by paying tribute to the grandmother who reared him and “...made me what I am today.” She lives in Hawaii and he affectionately calls her by the Hawaiian word for grandma, “Toot.”
The Senator was clearly the most presidential of the three speakers, as he did his obligatory thank you to all who helped, then congratulated and praised Senator Clinton for her campaign and for breaking ground for those women who will follow her path. He was much more gracious toward her than she to him, stating it was an honor to compete with her.
The Senator then made what might have been the most profound campaign statement of the night, “We honor the service of John McCain, and I respect his many accomplishments, even if he chooses to deny mine.” He then disputed many of the points made by Senator McCain. He spent the bulk of the rest of his speech outlining point-by-point the changes that are needed in this country. That’s politics. Both men will be running in the fall to become our next president.
His “touché” moment came in response to Senator McCain’s chiding him for not spending more time in Iraq. Senator Obama stated that if Senator spent more time in inner city schools, including those in New Orleans (where McCain spoke),he’d understand that drastic changes are needed. His speech ended with the echoing of the theme, “This is the moment.”
The pundits do not know where Hillary will land. Perhaps the Clintons don’t either. It seems they just can’t give up the spotlight. Perhaps Hillary has something to offer and will do so. But this writer looks forward to watching the presidential campaign unfold sans Hillary.
A little blogging music Maestro... “Heat of the Moment” by Asia.
Dr. Forgot
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Politics, Economy, Health Care
Anything worth taking seriously is worth making fun of.
Dick Cheney: A Buffoon’s buffoon: From the Darth Vader of the Bush administration comes yet another stupid comment. Lon.... er, Dick Cheney was commenting about incest in his family background. The question will no doubt be asked by Karl Rove, “When two Cheney’s divorce, are they still brother and sister?” I hope the Cheney inbreeding doesn’t hurt the chances of his cousin, Democratic nominee Barack Obama. It shouldn’t. People have to realize that every family has their Dick in a woodpile somewhere.
When the Beauty develops warts she’s abandoned: Nothing was pretty or showed more status than a shiny new jet-black giant Cadillac Escalade sitting in your driveway, unless it was an ever bigger giant Ford Excursion. The once huge Suburban became a pee-wee next to last decade’s cruisers. Four dollar per gallon gasoline changed all that. With a cost of $ 120 per fill-up lasting less than a week, thousands of studs are dumping their dreamboats in favor of the nerdy little wallflower. Dorkie is the new Darling. The value of SUVs has dropped faster than the housing market. Little cars are more popular than teen brides in a polygamist complex. Where’s our old Yugo when we need her?
It’s all in your head, Senator: Senator Ted Kennedy was one man who hoped he’d have his head examined and find nothing there. But that was not the case. A growth on the brain took both the Senator and his constituents by surprise. But in typical Kennedy fashion, instead of curling up and feeling sorry for himself he decided to lose his mind – at least the part that was cancerous. All indications are that the surgery was successful and he’ll be back to his crotchety liberal self in no time. The Duke of Dartmouth became the Darling of Durham during his surgery. We raise a glass to his improved health.
First you say you will, and then you won’t: Then you say you do and then you don’t. Such is the theme song of the Hillary Clinton camp. She has been like a Dutch uncle who just won’t leave. Finally when the math seems inevitable that Senator Obama will be the Democratic nominee, Hillary’s camp reportedly was ready to concede, or not – although she insisted that an election against a phantom opponent made her the winner, and her surrogate Ickes wailed that phantom delegates that never existed were stolen from her. If you repeat a lie often enough plenty of people believe it.
Do you hear what I hear: Sure the economy is slow. Lots of people are hurting. Some are more creative than others attempting to lure dollars to their doorsteps. John Patterson of Louisiana is suing apple computer because they didn’t warn him that playing his ipod too loud could cause hearing loss. A housing developer in the San Diego area is offering “buy one, get one free” homes. Sales of indoor gardens and home gardens are at an all time high. A pinch in the pocket can change a lifestyle.
A little blogging music Maestro... “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits.
Dr. Forgot
Dick Cheney: A Buffoon’s buffoon: From the Darth Vader of the Bush administration comes yet another stupid comment. Lon.... er, Dick Cheney was commenting about incest in his family background. The question will no doubt be asked by Karl Rove, “When two Cheney’s divorce, are they still brother and sister?” I hope the Cheney inbreeding doesn’t hurt the chances of his cousin, Democratic nominee Barack Obama. It shouldn’t. People have to realize that every family has their Dick in a woodpile somewhere.
When the Beauty develops warts she’s abandoned: Nothing was pretty or showed more status than a shiny new jet-black giant Cadillac Escalade sitting in your driveway, unless it was an ever bigger giant Ford Excursion. The once huge Suburban became a pee-wee next to last decade’s cruisers. Four dollar per gallon gasoline changed all that. With a cost of $ 120 per fill-up lasting less than a week, thousands of studs are dumping their dreamboats in favor of the nerdy little wallflower. Dorkie is the new Darling. The value of SUVs has dropped faster than the housing market. Little cars are more popular than teen brides in a polygamist complex. Where’s our old Yugo when we need her?
It’s all in your head, Senator: Senator Ted Kennedy was one man who hoped he’d have his head examined and find nothing there. But that was not the case. A growth on the brain took both the Senator and his constituents by surprise. But in typical Kennedy fashion, instead of curling up and feeling sorry for himself he decided to lose his mind – at least the part that was cancerous. All indications are that the surgery was successful and he’ll be back to his crotchety liberal self in no time. The Duke of Dartmouth became the Darling of Durham during his surgery. We raise a glass to his improved health.
First you say you will, and then you won’t: Then you say you do and then you don’t. Such is the theme song of the Hillary Clinton camp. She has been like a Dutch uncle who just won’t leave. Finally when the math seems inevitable that Senator Obama will be the Democratic nominee, Hillary’s camp reportedly was ready to concede, or not – although she insisted that an election against a phantom opponent made her the winner, and her surrogate Ickes wailed that phantom delegates that never existed were stolen from her. If you repeat a lie often enough plenty of people believe it.
Do you hear what I hear: Sure the economy is slow. Lots of people are hurting. Some are more creative than others attempting to lure dollars to their doorsteps. John Patterson of Louisiana is suing apple computer because they didn’t warn him that playing his ipod too loud could cause hearing loss. A housing developer in the San Diego area is offering “buy one, get one free” homes. Sales of indoor gardens and home gardens are at an all time high. A pinch in the pocket can change a lifestyle.
A little blogging music Maestro... “Money for Nothing” by Dire Straits.
Dr. Forgot
Monday, June 2, 2008
From Tatum O to Bo
Dead Batteries Are Always Free of Charge
A Crack in the Paper Moon: Little Tatum O’Neal was the darling of the movies when she won an Oscar for starring with Daddy Ryan as a 10 year old orphan in the movie Paper Moon. She’s now all grown up at age 44 but still suffers the problems of so many who have so much. She even wrote a book about her addictions a few years ago in which she touted her long road to sobriety. She apparently fell off the wagon as she was busted making a buy from a crack dealer. Could be time for another book.
FLDS Kids go to Prairie Home Companions: Looks like those ladies with the bouffant hairdos, the high top black shoes and prairie dresses will be getting their offspring returned. At least they’ll receive somebody’s offspring since DNA tests haven’t shown who was doing what with whom. Judge Baba Wawa, the law west of the Pecos and not the newscaster, told authorities to give the kids back. After the Wacko Waco incident and now this debacle, it goes to show you they do things big in Texas.
Take Me to Your Ladder, I’ll See Your Leader Later: Putting a man on Mars is a tall order. Of course, so was putting a man on the moon when President Kennedy predicted we’d do so within a decade – which we did. But what of the long, boring trip for the passengers. I mean, the toilet broke on the Space Station and it took a while for the “Toilet Repairs Are Us” crew to fly in replacement parts. What if the not-so-royal flush occurs between the Green light planet (Venus) and the Red Planet (Mars)? Your neighborhood plumber’s snake won’t reach that far. Dr. Robert. Durbin, president of the Mars Society suggests baking bread and other collegial activities will reduce stress in space. But he does not address the issue of a crappy crapper.
Me, me, me. Everybody look at me: Hillary Clinton, the Narcissist Queen continues to revel in the TV face time. She’s even made a star out of nerd-in-residence and chief advisor Harold Ickes who launched a foul-mouthed tirade over not getting his way when his committee voted for the other guy this weekend. The Billary-Ickes, poor uneducated old white woman coalition continues to pound their drum to the delight of the media and the other party. Not only are media ratings soaring, some say the living dead flap will cause a scorched earth result. That’s when the parties involved kill each other off. Nobody wins. But until then there is plenty of camera face time.
He who don’t know Bo, don’t know Diddley: Bo Diddley was a musician that was emulated by teen boys throughout America in the 50s and 60s. His music was like nothing our parents had ever heard and was along the same rebellious lines as that of Elvis. His unique style and rectangular guitar were copied by many. Bo recently passed away at age 79. In his honor we say, “Heaven is now a cooler place.”
A little blogging music Maestro... “I’m a Man” by Bo Diddley.
Dr. Forgot
A Crack in the Paper Moon: Little Tatum O’Neal was the darling of the movies when she won an Oscar for starring with Daddy Ryan as a 10 year old orphan in the movie Paper Moon. She’s now all grown up at age 44 but still suffers the problems of so many who have so much. She even wrote a book about her addictions a few years ago in which she touted her long road to sobriety. She apparently fell off the wagon as she was busted making a buy from a crack dealer. Could be time for another book.
FLDS Kids go to Prairie Home Companions: Looks like those ladies with the bouffant hairdos, the high top black shoes and prairie dresses will be getting their offspring returned. At least they’ll receive somebody’s offspring since DNA tests haven’t shown who was doing what with whom. Judge Baba Wawa, the law west of the Pecos and not the newscaster, told authorities to give the kids back. After the Wacko Waco incident and now this debacle, it goes to show you they do things big in Texas.
Take Me to Your Ladder, I’ll See Your Leader Later: Putting a man on Mars is a tall order. Of course, so was putting a man on the moon when President Kennedy predicted we’d do so within a decade – which we did. But what of the long, boring trip for the passengers. I mean, the toilet broke on the Space Station and it took a while for the “Toilet Repairs Are Us” crew to fly in replacement parts. What if the not-so-royal flush occurs between the Green light planet (Venus) and the Red Planet (Mars)? Your neighborhood plumber’s snake won’t reach that far. Dr. Robert. Durbin, president of the Mars Society suggests baking bread and other collegial activities will reduce stress in space. But he does not address the issue of a crappy crapper.
Me, me, me. Everybody look at me: Hillary Clinton, the Narcissist Queen continues to revel in the TV face time. She’s even made a star out of nerd-in-residence and chief advisor Harold Ickes who launched a foul-mouthed tirade over not getting his way when his committee voted for the other guy this weekend. The Billary-Ickes, poor uneducated old white woman coalition continues to pound their drum to the delight of the media and the other party. Not only are media ratings soaring, some say the living dead flap will cause a scorched earth result. That’s when the parties involved kill each other off. Nobody wins. But until then there is plenty of camera face time.
He who don’t know Bo, don’t know Diddley: Bo Diddley was a musician that was emulated by teen boys throughout America in the 50s and 60s. His music was like nothing our parents had ever heard and was along the same rebellious lines as that of Elvis. His unique style and rectangular guitar were copied by many. Bo recently passed away at age 79. In his honor we say, “Heaven is now a cooler place.”
A little blogging music Maestro... “I’m a Man” by Bo Diddley.
Dr. Forgot
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Las Vegas Happenings
What Happens in Vegas....
Torrid Ain’t Horrid: Hawaiian Tropic Zone’s bar and patio areas at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino transforms into Torrid nightclub every Wednesday through Saturday night beginning at 10 p.m. Torrid features drink specials, DJ-spun music, go-go dancers and various celebrity hosts. There is no cover charge to attend Torrid and bottle service will be available by reservation. More information at: Brad Seidel, Kirvin Doak Communications, at bseidel@kirvindoak.com.
Love (Buggy) in Las Vegas: The famous Desert Love Buggy is currently on display at the Nevada State Museum. The Love Buggy is exhibited in the museum’s History Gallery on long-term loan from owner Tim Cashman. It is a 1911 Sears-Roebuck Model K business car. In 1939, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce bought several antique vehicles to run in that year’s Helldorado Pioneer Parade then offered them for sale to various individuals and organizations willing to restore them for the celebration. The Love Buggy has been restored to its original 1911 condition with funds provided by the Cashman family. This is the first time the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas has exhibited the Love Buggy since it was restored to its original color scheme. For more info at: Teresa Moiola, State of Nevada: tjmoiola@clan.lib.nv.us.
Ho ho ho, hee, hee hee: A stellar lineup of contemporary comedy’s cutting-edge comedians will perform in the COMEDY AFTER HOURS Comedy Club at Fitzgeralds in downtown Las Vegas. Performances are scheduled for 9 p.m., Thursdays through Tuesdays, with additional performances at 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Comics slated to appear through July include Marc Ryan (CMT, CBS and Star Search); Adam Hunter (finalist for this year’s NBC’s Last Comic Standing, recent appearances on Craig Kilborne, Showtime’s White Boyz from the Hood); Tim Young (last year’s finalist for NBC’s Last Comic Standing, recent appearances on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, MTV); Will Marfori (one of the country’s top college acts, recently appeared on Craig Ferguson); Flip Schultz (Last Comic Standing, HBO, Que Loco, Star Search, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham); Shaun Jones (BET’s Comics View); Tommy Johnagin (May 9th David Letterman show, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, CMT); Rob Little (semi-finalist in this year’s Last Comic Standing, Comcast Comedy Spotlight); and Chad Daniels (Comedy Central Presents).Additional info at (702) 388-2400 or slindsey@fitzgeraldslasvegas.com.
No Restless Palms Here: The Palms Place is the hippest new condo/hotel high rise to open in Las Vegas. The newest tower, appropriately named Fantasy Tower, recently opened to the public. George Maloof has done a superb job marketing the Palms. He’s outfoxed and outmarketed the bigger corporate joints on the Strip. More info at www.palmsplace.com.
A little blogging music Maestro... Against All Odds by Phil Collins.
Dr. Forgot
Torrid Ain’t Horrid: Hawaiian Tropic Zone’s bar and patio areas at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino transforms into Torrid nightclub every Wednesday through Saturday night beginning at 10 p.m. Torrid features drink specials, DJ-spun music, go-go dancers and various celebrity hosts. There is no cover charge to attend Torrid and bottle service will be available by reservation. More information at: Brad Seidel, Kirvin Doak Communications, at bseidel@kirvindoak.com.
Love (Buggy) in Las Vegas: The famous Desert Love Buggy is currently on display at the Nevada State Museum. The Love Buggy is exhibited in the museum’s History Gallery on long-term loan from owner Tim Cashman. It is a 1911 Sears-Roebuck Model K business car. In 1939, the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce bought several antique vehicles to run in that year’s Helldorado Pioneer Parade then offered them for sale to various individuals and organizations willing to restore them for the celebration. The Love Buggy has been restored to its original 1911 condition with funds provided by the Cashman family. This is the first time the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas has exhibited the Love Buggy since it was restored to its original color scheme. For more info at: Teresa Moiola, State of Nevada: tjmoiola@clan.lib.nv.us.
Ho ho ho, hee, hee hee: A stellar lineup of contemporary comedy’s cutting-edge comedians will perform in the COMEDY AFTER HOURS Comedy Club at Fitzgeralds in downtown Las Vegas. Performances are scheduled for 9 p.m., Thursdays through Tuesdays, with additional performances at 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Comics slated to appear through July include Marc Ryan (CMT, CBS and Star Search); Adam Hunter (finalist for this year’s NBC’s Last Comic Standing, recent appearances on Craig Kilborne, Showtime’s White Boyz from the Hood); Tim Young (last year’s finalist for NBC’s Last Comic Standing, recent appearances on Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, MTV); Will Marfori (one of the country’s top college acts, recently appeared on Craig Ferguson); Flip Schultz (Last Comic Standing, HBO, Que Loco, Star Search, Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham); Shaun Jones (BET’s Comics View); Tommy Johnagin (May 9th David Letterman show, Comedy Central’s Premium Blend, CMT); Rob Little (semi-finalist in this year’s Last Comic Standing, Comcast Comedy Spotlight); and Chad Daniels (Comedy Central Presents).Additional info at (702) 388-2400 or slindsey@fitzgeraldslasvegas.com.
No Restless Palms Here: The Palms Place is the hippest new condo/hotel high rise to open in Las Vegas. The newest tower, appropriately named Fantasy Tower, recently opened to the public. George Maloof has done a superb job marketing the Palms. He’s outfoxed and outmarketed the bigger corporate joints on the Strip. More info at www.palmsplace.com.
A little blogging music Maestro... Against All Odds by Phil Collins.
Dr. Forgot
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