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Latest Paul Westerblurbs

I admit - with all the fires and getting back from Vegas, and going to work and working on a new painting - I plum forgot that Paul Westerberg's new albums came out this week. I'll be going as soon as possible to get them and then playing them over and over and over. For now, there is a very good interview with Sir Paul the Bad at Playboy Dot Com. He says more in that phone call than he said in his documentary or in at least the last five years. Beware there is a pop-up of nakedness when you go to the Playboy site. Don't everyone rush at once now....

This Morning's Views

It's a little cooler this morning and the marine layer is mixing it up with the smoke and ash. It seems like that would help but the minute I stepped outside today my eyes stung, my sinus swelled and my head throbbed. Walked the dog up in Runyon Canyon. There was a freakin' leaf blower in the park blowing nothing but dirt. I wanted to strangle him. More shit in the air - that's what we need.

So CAl Fires

Emese Gaal has incredible shots and links to more shots of the fires in the San Diego area. Check them out. Hold your breath. We're trying to catch ours here in Southern Cal...

Vegas, Baby!! Double Down!!

Las Vegas is no longer the home of the $3.99 All You Can Eat Buffets. ItÕs not even home to $6.99 Buffets anymore. In ten years they have progressed to being not only the place to lose a little money but to spend it freely and extravagantly on food, drink, transportation, accommodations and everything else you can rationalize away.

IÕve been to Vegas a handful of times and every time itÕs like a new city. I remember when the Excalibur was a lone wolf half constructed in a field of dirt and there was nothing around it for a mile. Now it is towered over by the Luxor and Mandalay Bay and other mega resorts and now the other end of the strip is like Old Town. ThatÕs where we stayed this trip Ð Old town. We got a room at the Riviera. They sell it as historic, conjuring up visions of the Rat Pack coming and going but itÕs pretty tired for the most part. I requested a different room immediately after looking out the window at the humongous air conditioning units that whirred incessantly. I came to believe that smokers get preferred status in Las Vegas after settling in our ÒsmokingÓ room overlooking the pool. Alas, all we did there was eat breakfast ($8.95 buffet) and sleep. Everything and everyone was at the other end, which is approximately 2-3 miles depending on destination.

Getting around, especially if you are staying at the ÔcheapÕ end Ð is a challenge. We got there Friday evening and needed to be at the Luxor in time to get a cab and get to the Thomas Ð Mack Center by 7:30 tip-off. Walking was out Ð too far. Buses wouldnÕt stop because they were full. Only choice is a taxi and that was a kick in the wallet for being just out of the gate. Thankfully every driver we had or heard about this weekend was amusing.
We hooked up with our friends Coop and Sacha for the evening and in celebration of SachaÕs birthday, we went to see the Lakers play a preseason game against the Sacramento Kings. It was very exciting for us Laker fans even if they lost. It was fun watching Kobe and Shaq and the new guys from a short distance. It was fun to boo Vlade whenever he got caught on the big screen. It was fun to watch Luke Walton vie for a spot on the team. It was fun to see the young kids still wearing their Kobe jerseys and cheering him on. Nonetheless they lost and our challenge started all over in finding a way back to the strip. Out of19,000 fans, probably 18,000 of them took a cab there.

The queue was endless outside the arena so many started walking. We werenÕt the only ones who walked many blocks to the closest casino, which was the Hard Rock, to get in a queue for a taxi. We learned that Vegas is very strict about their taxi laws. You canÕt flag them off the street Ð you must get them from a taxi stand, most of them being at the casino/hotels. Also, they wonÕt take more than five passengers even in a mini van. If they violate any of these laws they get a $75 fine the first time, $150 the second offense and so on.

From there we went to Mandalay Bay to check out Red Square Ð a vodka bar. It was crowded like pretty much everywhere on a Friday night in Vegas. We sampled a couple vodkas Ð they have hundreds from all over the world Ð then it was time for night-night and we shared a cab back to the other end of the strip with friends who were staying at the Sahara. (ÒGrossÓ and ÒawfulÓ I think were words they used to describe their hotel.)

Day two was a marathon. My feet and legs were already a bit crickled from the drive and the walking the day before but David James and I walked out the door of the Riviera at about 11AM and walked back in at about 11PM. Boy did we walk. Our first stop was at the ÒFashion ShowÓ mall for a quick check of their Champs store and Neiman Marcus (my former employ). We took a speedy tour of the Mirage and got a peek at one of the Sigfreid and Roy tigers on display in the lobby. Checked in on their Sports Book and decided we liked it but it was packed. Moved on down the strip towards Caesars Palace and set up shop in their Sports Book for viewing and betting on the Breeders Cup. The Sports Book at CaesarÕs remains my favorite after all these years and all these new fancy venues. We found a table and got our Racing Forms and went to work.

We both bet on race #7 and got nothing back. Race 8 was just about the most exciting race IÕve seen. I bet on a favorite and it came in in the backfield. David made what I thought was a strange bet but luck was his lady that race. He put down $2 to win on horses #Õs 3, 5 & 9. Horse 3 & 9 finished the race in a dead heat. The photo finish took 13 minutes to resolve but they were both declared winners and David parlayed his twenty-dollar winnings on the next couple races and tips for the waitress who brought us free beers. The Breeders Classic was almost anticlimactic after that one but the crowd loved it. I finally bet a winner in race 11. $2 on Pie & Burger brought me $17.80. We both felt like winners, walking away no better no worse.

Our journey continued through the Forum Shops where I heard a woman talk about seeing Michael Jackson. Ten minutes later I got a call from Sacha (cell phones are a must in Vegas) and she said, "I was just a foot away from Michael Jackson. We had eye contact. HeÕs very pale.Ó Later, she and Coop described the feeling of Mr. Jackson and his entourageÕs approach as a swarming Ð almost a tidal wave of energy.

After Caesars we ventured on to the Venetian and watched the Gondolas on the ÒcanalsÓ from the endless balconies. We peeked into the Bellagio. (If youÕve never been to Vegas, peeking involves walking about a mile just to get from one casino to the other, around the carports, into the lobbies and around the shops...) We went to Paris. I like Paris. I thought I wouldnÕt. I was pleasantly surprised. They spoke a little French in the shops and it didnÕt sound contrived. The restaurants were fairly authentic. We had champagne cocktails and mini sandwiches at NapoleonÕs. The Eiffel Tower is an exact half-scale replica of the original. I want to stay in Paris.

Walked partially though New York New York (thumbs down) then to MGM Grande to find food. MGM Grande is nothing if not grand Ð in size alone. We gazed at the Lion Habitat and fought the crowds going to see KISS and Aerosmith in concert. I overheard a guy referring to KISS (in half-hick accent), ÒYaÕ know, those guys dress up like itÕs Halloween all the time.Ó Like the girl he was talking to that was dressed for the Pimp Ôn Ho Ball a week early didnÕt know thatÉ We found an incredibly good meal at Coyote CafŽ (not to be confused w/Coyote Ugly in NY NY) while watching the end of the World Series. We hustled our sorry asses back to Bellagio and had drinks with Coop and Sacha before calling it a day. IÕm exhausted just writing about it.

Sunday was different. We got our buffet visit in early and met C & S at the Mandalay Bay Sports Book to watch some football. We intended to stay till at least half-time of the second games but learned that the airport had cancelled flights and the highway home was partially closed because of the forest and brush fires. The ride back to LA from Vegas on a Sunday is already notably slow so we decided to leave around 1:30. Thankfully we topped off our tank before hitting the highway because we were diverted off of Interstate 15 onto 58 to the 14 to the 5.The sun set while we were on 58 and it was as dark as it could be except for the car in front of you and the occasional trucks passing the other way. Nowhere to stop for a pee Ð nothing but cactus for miles. It took us almost four hours to go about 25 miles. Normally a 4 1/2 Ð 5 hour drive total, we made it home in close to 8 1/2. Compared to the folks dealing with the fires - a piece of cake -nonetheless, the slowest freeway mess IÕve ever been in.

I look forward to going to Vegas again, but unfortunately I have to say Ð I must go with the times and forget the twinkling past. I want the new and clean and expensive twinkle. If I canÕt get to the real Paris, there is a fragrant cheesy but good facsimile of it only five (or so) hours away! I just have to bring rolls of quarters instead of metro tokens, and I donÕt need my passport to cross over to Venice, Italy. Voila! Alas Ð I will still need my credit card for converting U.S. dollars into debt.

(Comments still don't show up - but I do get them e-mailed to me...)
This one from
Name: Big Larry

Comments:

My, you're a chatty one, aren't you? .urp.

Parents visit LA

Has it really been a week since my last entry? Maybe longer. Had a high school buddy in town and entertained him at the Pig n Whistle before sending him off to The Frolic Room, Jumbo's and Catalina. The next day my parents arrived for the blistering hot weekend.

A good time was had by all while the folks were in town. They stayed at the Hollywood Roosevelt. We started Friday evening with a cocktail at the lobby bar and who should show up in this historic landmark, but Marilyn, Elvis and Zorro. The Chinese Theater is directly across the street so I guess the hotel is kind enough to let the faux-icons who take pictures outside with tourists, use their facilities. I also guess that the Chinese theater does not allow them to use theirs. Huh.

We dined at Cafe des Artistes, hung out at the Getty,

dined at Chan Dara, saw a movie at the Arclight, had omelettes at the Hollywood Farmers Market

and wine at the 3rd Street Farmers Market and went to a Sunday evening party...

Just a little warm-up for this coming weekend in Las Vegas. I asked my boss if he wanted me to place a bet on anything for him. He said, "I already placed a bet on you drinking too much on one of the evenings." "Uhhhh, yeah, that one has pretty good odds," I replied. Yes, perhaps I will be partaking in a little libation but I'm going to try and have a mantra while there - Drink lots of water...drink lots of water...eat lots of buffet food...eat lots of buffet food...don't play with the tigers...

What Mats Song Are You?

Bastards Of Young - Full of youth and pissed off is
how you live.

"We are the sons of no one, bastards of
young"


What Replacements Song Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Finally! A test that turned out right! Doctors have taken months or years to diagnose some things.... All I had to do was take the Westerberg "What song are You" test. My results above. Try it, Replacements & Rock Fans! I'm going to take it again!

October 14, 2003

October 13, 2003

October 09, 2003

October 08, 2003

October 06, 2003

October 04, 2003

October 01, 2003