Kurt's Thoughts

On March 15th, “2nd Street Jazz” (366 E. 2nd Street, LA, 90012) will be holding a benefit for local Animal Rescues. 

Headlining the event will be Sarah Silverman.

2nd Street Jazz – feat. Sarah Silverman
366 E. 2nd Street, LA, 90012
(213) 680-0047

There is a$5 cover.

I was pretty taken aback by the demise of 97.1 FreeFM.  Carolla, Leykis, Bonaduce, Conway & Whitman… I’d tune in to hear them every so often (especially when KROQ played the overplayed “Red Hot Chili Peppers” or much HATED “System of a Down”)  Even if Frosty, Heidi, and Frank were on, I’d still listen because even they were good for a laugh or two.

It seemed that the transition to AMP Radio was one that was in the works for a while.  Which meant that things weren’t going all that well at 97.1 FM for a while.

There were straight up accusations made by Frank Kramer from the FHF Show and Adam Carolla seemed to imply the the reason for the station’s demise in his final show.  Tom in his defense stated that “CBS never approached him about taking a paycut”… however he never said anything about CBS asking for a renegotiation of his contract which semantically is an entirely different thing.

Then one day, I found this written by someone calling himself “PaidMediaAnalyst” on Tom Leykis’ own board:

As someone worked for CBS Radio (over 7+ years until FEB 13 09), I can confirm that all syndicated and non-syndicated on-air and production staff were indeed asked to re-negotiate their contracts last OCT 08. The requisite 90 days passed and all but one on-air show collective agreed to do so. I’ll let you all speculate which show that was.

Since SEPT 08, CBS Radio knew this would be a make or breaking point for the future of their business. We were all scared of what the eventual outcome would be. The bean counters in NY all knew they (CBS Radio) needed an option in case things wouldn’t align in their favor. Image packages, drops, beds, etc, were all produced are procured in late 2008. Hardware was purchased and delivered to CBS LA ENG Group for installation weeks ago. Systems were tested, on air availability of the systems were proofed and confirmed. It was then the day to morph into Vibe was quietly announced prior to FEB 18th.

I really believed we provided an upscale product within a niche no one else could service. With current economic times, it just wasn’t marketable to the extent required to support the operation and produce a profit – end of story.

A footnote; since Serious XM Satellite Radio has been on the skids, Stern’s show has also been asked to re-negotiate their contract. The entities involved with that negotiation are not faring well. Since Serious/XM dodged a bankruptcy bullet by agreeing to have Liberty Media acquire 44+ % in cash and stock, it looks like the same people who bring you DIRECTV will have a new product themselves, but it won’t obviously be a Howard Stern Show at $100 million a year for the next 22 months… not likely at all.

…

I have been in the radio industry, terrestrial and satellite, since 1980. I have worked in the LA market (mostly in syndication) since 1987.

http://leykis.dreamtank.com/forum/comments.php?DiscussionID=2278&page=1#Item_0

So if you take this as gospel, which most of even the forum boards seem to be, I think that pretty much answers the question:  “What happened?”.  If you read between the lines, it’s would appear that Leykis’ decision to not renegotiate ultimately was the lynch pin in the station’s final change to a new format.  He was not the fundamental cause of the station’s demise – that can be squarely laid upon the station’s format and management.

But he was the straw that broke the camel’s back.  They needed to rebalance the books and their long term debt and Leykis wasn’t going to budge for better or for worse. 

RIP 97.1 Free FM.

I’m not usually one for the rah-rah fanboyish drivel around our products but I have to say that the slant of most articles by some of the most annoyingly inaccurate news sources (I’m sure you know who they are) is so ridiculous, someone has to point out a few of the bare facts.  And today, that someone is me.

So what’s to know?  In a nutshell, this is the way end user operating system marketshare has gone in February, according to TGDaily & Net Applications, a marketshare survey company:

• Microsoft Operating Systems increased marketshare from 88.20% to 88.42%.
  After constantly hearing how Microsoft is fighting its Waterloo with Windows Vista against Apple… after all the hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Apple advertisements…  isn’t it shocking to discover that hey, whattayaknow:  With 88.42% of the market, Windows is still far and away, the most popular, well-adopted operating system on the planet in both business & consumer segments.

  Okay, not enough for ya?  Apple Operating Systems lost marketshare in February and sits at 9.61%, down .28%.  And Linux end user marketshare still lists at a minimal total of .88%, although rising.

• Windows Vista marketshare is 22.79% worldwide, up .31% from January.
  The death of Windows Vista has apparently been greatly exaggerated, but some Internet news outlets would have you believe that no one in the known universe uses Windows Vista, with the way they report it.

  The fact remains that Windows Vista has seen good success in both the business & consumer markets and is effectively on the SAME adoption curve as Windows 2000 was back in 2002, 2 1/2 years after it’s release.  But it seems the press is infatuated with spinning adoption numbers by comparing them with the much more senior Windows XP… despite the fact that Windows XP has been on the market for 3 times as long.  Windows XP has been available for 7 years compared to Windows Vista’s 2 1/2 year life so far.

ARTICLE:
http://www.tgdaily.com/content/view/41581/113/

Please join us to celebrate the grand opening of “Woof Worx” (formerly Pets of Bel Air), the first Rescued Pets Store to open under Best Friends’ Puppy-Store-Free Campaign in Los Angeles. 

This is the culmination of our eight-month effort to stop Pets of Bel Air from selling puppy mill dogs, and to guide and support Woof Worx in the creation of a viable “Best Friends endorsed pet store” that will offer only animals from shelters and 501(c)(3) rescue organizations.

We are extremely proud of this store and invite you to support their efforts to lead the humane movement against puppy mills by joining Best Friend’s staff, volunteers, members, and Woof Worx owner, Jamie Katz, at 6PM on Thursday, March 12th for wine, cheese, and dessert.

…RSVP per the photo to the right –>

• Woof Worx
  2924 N. Beverly Glen Circle
  Los Angeles, CA 90077
  (310) 474-1211
  http://www.woofworx.com

I was recently asked a thought provoking question:

“Does eating toro – fatty bluefin tuna – bother me, as it is soon to be extinct due to overfishing?”

NOT REALLY
Honestly, it doesn’t really bother me.  The reason is that the more I talk to people, the more I discover that there’s a lot of rhetoric to the whole Bluefin Tuna issue that most activists in the US don’t filter and instead just ‘take the word of someone else supposedly knowledgeable about the topic’ as gospel. 

Hopefully some of what’s below will help "ease your conscience" the next time you step into a sushi restaurant.

“IT’S ABOUT JAPAN, STUPID”
Did you know the US consumes less than 10% of the world’s catch of Bluefin Tuna?  And we’re not the #1 or even the #2 consumer  of bluefin tuna… Japan first, Europe second, and by now it’s possible that China and a few other countries are out-consuming the US. 

While we’re not really helping, we’re sure as heck not the problem.  A whopping 80% is consumed by Japan alone… and China is growing rapidly.  And to be clear, these folks are willing to pay top dollar for the best fish.   When it comes to bluefin tuna, the great USA always gets the leftovers and never gets the best Bluefin available from fisheries.  (http://news.bbc.co.uk/…)

Even with being second fiddle, it’s a little hard to argue with US customers & US restaurants about the scarcity of Bluefin Tuna when it’s so readily available in virtually every sushi restaurant & fish market in America.  "How can it be bad?  It’s not like it’s outlawed/forbidden to sell commercially like Chilean Sea Bass was at one time?"

NOT A PROTECTED FISH
One reason is because there simply aren’t legal restrictions on serving Bluefin Tuna in America.  And how can that be if Bluefin is "almost extinct"?  The fact is, the National Marine Fisheries Service hasn’t listed Bluefin tuna as being an "endangered species". (http://www.nmfs.noaa.g…)

Bluefin tuna as a whole is not "almost extinct" – this is as much a literary exaggeration as saying, "I’m closer to dying every day".  The American Bald Eagle at 452 birds I think everyone can concur was "almost extinct" as an "endangered species".  (Now at over 10,000 count it’s made a comeback with the help of the Endangered Species Protection Act – ESPA)  Meanwhile, Bluefin isn’t even a "species of concern" (tier 1), much less a "threatened" (tier 2) or "endangered" (tier 3)species according to the NMFS.

WHICH BLUEFIN TUNA ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?
To add to the complexity of the issue, Bluefin comes in multiple varieties:  Atlantic, Southern, and Pacific.  Pacific, which is most commonly served, is in far greater abundance than Atlantic & Southern which are in fact truly scarce.  Overall, it’s certainly becoming more and more rare, but it’s also being farmed as we speak. (See http://www.europacific…/ for tuna farming equipment)   Consumption of Bluefin will eventually transition to farmed tuna exclusively instead of wild because frankly it’ll be the only thing that’s available. (And hopefully by then it’ll also be prohibited by the ESPA.)

HOW NOT TO ADVANCE A CAUSE LIKE BLUEFIN TUNA
Now, I’m not saying that these great fish shouldn’t be protected in some capacity – they absolutely should.  (For the record, I’m an active animal rights proponent and a card carrying member of the ASPCA)  But "refusing to eat food" that’s not recognized as a species of concern by the Federal government is as ineffective a protest as PETA’s flashy naked ‘go vegetarian’ practices.  It’s "negative upon negative" advertising for the cause that simply creates hostility, turns people against those with good intentions, & does no one any good.  I wish more activists understood this.

I believe the only way to wage a successful marketing campaign that goes against the desires/trend of the public is to wage a feel good/positive one that gives people alternatives that allow them to choose right from wrong.  Help put Bluefin on the endangered species list.  Eat farm raised tuna only at home from the market.  Write your congressman about funding ecologically friendly sea farming. 

MARKET DEMAND WILL SAVE BLUEFIN TUNA
Ultimately, however, this is a self-fulfilling prophecy because unlike the plight of the bald eagle, this is a commercial venture and in the case of bluefin tuna, demand will create supply.  Simply put, if there’s a demand for Bluefin, and the quantity available worldwide dips to the point of it being infeasible to catch wild, it’ll be farmed maniacally to fulfill market demand… just as abalone, atlantic lobsters, stone crabs, and any number of other seafoods that were once rare and hard to find were.  Farming Bluefin is being done today  in Japan and elsewhere… it’s just not completely necessary yet because Bluefin’s so readily available today… and very far from "almost extinct".  (http://www.nytimes.com…)

…so I’m open to other arguments of course but in conclusion I simply haven’t been convinced by what I’ve read or been told on the subject, that this is a matter for me to be so concerned about that I should feel guilty every time I swallow a soft delicious piece of "fatty bluefin tuna”.

[Normally, I’m not a sucker for emails like this but this one scares tbe bejeezus out of me, knowing how much our dog Sheepa lovvvves the smell of chocolate and will eat the tiniest thing that smells like it.]

—————-

Please tell every dog or cat owner you know.
Even if you don’t have a pet, please pass this to those who do.

Over the weekend the doting owner of two young lab mixes purchased Cocoa Mulch from Target to use in their garden. They loved the way it smelled and it was advertised to keep cats away from their garden. Their dog Calypso decided that the mulch smelled good enough to eat and devoured a large helping. She vomited a few times which was typical when she eats something new but wasn’t acting lethargic in any way. The next day, Mom woke up and took Calypso out for her morning walk . Half way through the walk, she had a seizure and died instantly.
Although the mulch had NO warnings printed on the label, upon further investigation on the company’s website, this product is HIGHLY toxic to dogs and cats.

Cocoa Mulch is manufactured by Hershey’s, and they claim that ‘It is true that studies have shown that 50% of the dogs that eat Cocoa Mulch can suffer physical harm to a variety of degrees (depending on each individual dog). However, 98% of all dogs won’t eat it.’

This Snopes site gives the following information:
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/cocoamulch.asp 

Cocoa Mulch, which is sold by Home Depot, Foreman’s Garden Supply and other Garden supply stores, contains a lethal ingredient called ‘ Theobromine’. It is lethal to dogs and cats. It smells like chocolate and it really attracts dogs. They will ingest this stuff and die. Several deaths already occurred in the last 2-3 weeks. Theobromine is in all chocolate, especially dark or baker’s chocolate which is toxic to dogs. Cocoa bean shells contain potentially toxic quantities of theobromine, a xanthine compound similar in effects to caffeine and theophylline. A dog that ingested a lethal quantity of garden mulch made from cacao bean shells developed severe convulsions and died 17 hours later. Analysis of the stomach contents and the ingested cacao bean shells revealed the presence of lethal amounts of theobromine

Wait.  Give me a chance to explain before you click the back button.  My wife and I have made a discovery that may sound odd but stay with me and I think you might give this a try.

We’ve been eating “Organic Tofu Spaghetti” for the past couple years since we discovered it.  It went off the market for a little bit but much to our delight it’s back. 

Tofu Spaghetti looks and for the most part tastes exactly like normal spaghetti.  It comes in straight dried sticks that you boil in water.  It is a yellowish color when dry and whitish when soft.  There’s a couple of differences however that are noteworthy:

• FIRM
  Tofu Spaghetti has a firmness that’s really really nice.  It reminds me of the firmness of Japanese soba (buckwheat) noodles and makes spaghetti eating more “substantial” than softer noodles.
• PROTEIN
  There’s 8g of protein in each serving.  After all – it’s tofu, right?
• NO ‘EXPANSION’
  Have you ever eaten pasta or a bread and felt it “expand” in your stomach after your meal giving you acid indigestion or and upset stomach?  Not with tofu spaghetti.  This stuff doesn’t expand despite having elements of wheat in there.  (Semolina)

WHERE DOES ONE GET IT FROM?
Well, that’s a good question.  The problem is the only place we’ve seen it show up is through direct sales from the bakery to Japanese groceries in Southern California.  They don’t appear to sell through major Japanese distributors like JFC or MTC and they don’t have a web site making tracking down this stuff difficult.  We’ve seen it at Marukai in Torrance and at Nijiya in West Los Angeles.  (Only recently)

The manufacturer appears to be:

• LL Bakery Inc.  Torrance, CA 90502
  http://www.yelp.com/biz/ll-bakery-inc-torrance

ACCEPT NO IMITATIONS!
I have to say this because I’ve eaten this other travesty that claims to be tofu spaghetti and instead it’s just YECCH.  There’s a Japanese company called House Foods which I actually really like and eat many of their products. 

They produce something called Tofu Shirataki and it’s just AWFUL.  It’s nothing like the Tofu Spaghetti mentioned above.  It’s made from Japanese Konnyaku and Yam.  Now personally I like Konnyaku in nishime while many don’t. 

The problem is that I don’t like it as a substitute for noodles.  These Tofu Shirataki noodles are slimy, they feel weird in your mouth particularly when you chew them, and they just don’t taste right – even with ragu sauce all over them.

I’m telling you now, and you’ll say I’m right if you try it anyway, don’t bother with this stuff.  I calls itself spaghetti noodles but it’s not.  It’s more like gelatinous strands of tasteless goo.

I thought I’d post some interesting Blackjack resources that people may or may not know about.  Some of this is a little advanced, others not so much, but I consider them all very interesting in their own way.

Publications

• Current Blackjack News (Pi Yee Press – Subscription $80/year)
  http://www.bj21.com
• Blackjack Insider (DeepNet Technologies – Subscription – $49/year)
  http://www.bjinsider.com
• Las Vegas Advisor (Anthony Curtis’ all-things-Vegas site – $39/year)
  http://www.lvadvisor.com

Web sites

• Wizard of Odds (Michael Shackleford – Free resource)
  http://wizardofodds.com/
• Casino City Times – Gaming Guru (Fred Renzey’s column – Free resource)
  http://renzey.casinocitytimes.com/
• Advantage Player (Viktor Nacht’s site – Partially free)
  http://www.advantageplayer.com/blackjack/index.html
• The Bear Growls (The Bear’s blog on casino misconduct)
  http://www.thebeargrowls.com/

Legal Resources

• Potter Law Offices
  1125 Shadow Lane
  Las Vegas, NV 89102
  Tel: 702-385-1954
  TollFree: 866-457-9257
  http://www.potterlawoffices.com/
• Nersesian & Sankiewicz
  Bob Nersesian
  528 S. 8th Street
  Las Vegas NV 89101
  Tel: 702-385-5454
  Fax: 702-385-7667

Other Vegas Resources for when you’re not playing the tables:

• Smarter Vegas – Las Vegas-specific Discounts & Promo Codes
  http://www.smartervegas.com/
• Tix4Tonight – Discount Shows & Dinners
  http://www.tix4tonight.com/shows/index.php
• Early Vegas – Las Vegas Promotions
  http://www.earlyvegas.com

I’m gonna waste your time here by telling you about a few of my favorite web sites for screwing around.  Why?  Because I can and this is my blog and I can write whatever I want.  Nyah.

SAYS IT (http://says-it.com/)

Say’s It is a site that produces authentic looking objects in American life and gives you the opportunity to mock up the words that are on said object.  For example, for those of you with Xbox 360’s, you’ll recognize this item:

See what I mean?  You can create your own fake “signs”, “emblems”, or even physical objects, and they’ve even got a few that provide you with the opportunity to “write your own cartoon frame.  Here’s a favorite of mine.

BIG HUGE LAB’S MOTIVATOR (http://bighugelabs.com/flickr/motivator.php)

If you’ve ever seen those motivational posters that they sell in the malls, you know that they really aren’t much other than a photo with some words in Times Roman on a black background.  Well, now you can create your own in 2 easy steps!

SOUTH PARK STUDIOS (http://www.sp-studio.de/)

Ever wonder what you’d look like if you were a South Park character?  Well now you an create your own!  Using the South Park Studios tool you can create a South Park character as easily as building Mr Potato.

For example:

I was looking at this rather historic photo and I couldn’t help but thinking:

“More bars in more places. That’s AT&T.”

Damn those primetime TV commercials.

There’s now a site that will produce graphics in the same style as Barack Obama’s “PROGRESS” poster created by Shepard Fairey.

• http://obamicon.me

Needless to say, when you launch a site that allows people to think of their own ideas, and make those ideas a reality, some folks using it have come up with some really creative images.

For a listing of all the “top rated” creations, visit:

• http://obamiconme.pastemagazine.com/top_rated.html

Here’s some of my favorites.  It’s stuff like this on the Internet that GIVES ME HOPE:

In case you’re curious as to what I did while in Vegas this past week, here’s a quick overview of my itinerary.  I’m pretty anal when it comes to planning out Vegas trips.  Note:  I’ve left in the phone numbers in case you’re interested in pursuing some of these places/restaurants on your own.

• Sun Jan04 FLIGHT: Southwest LAX-LAS
  Sun Jan04 DINNER: Envy the Steakhouse (702) 784-5716 7:30PM
  Sun Jan04 Table games
• Mon Jan05 LUNCH: Hot & Juicy Crawfish (702) 891-8889
  Mon Jan05 DINNER: Joe’s Seafood Stone Crabs (702) 792-9222 (Caesars) 7:30PM
  Mon Jan05 Table games
• Tue Jan06 BARBER: Truefitt & Hill (Caesar’s) 11:30AM
  Tue Jan06 LUNCH: Tableau 7022483463 12:30PM
  Tue Jan07 HAPPYHOUR:  4-6PM CaviHour Red Square – Mandalay Bay 702-632-7407
  Tue Jan06 DINNER: Red Square – Mandalay Bay 702-632-7407 6:00PM
  Tue Jan06 SHOW: Anthony Cools 9:00PM Paris
  Tue Jan06 Table games
• Wed Jan07 LUNCH:  Woo Venetian (702) 699-8966
  Wed Jan07 Linewait for Keynote
  Wed Jan07 SHOW:  Steve Ballmer Keynote 6:30PM The Venetian, Palazzo Ballroom
  Wed Jan07 DINNER: Burger Bar (702) 632-9364 9:00PM
• ——- CES Exhibits Begin ——-
• Thu Jan08 CES Exhibits
  Thu Jan08 SHOW: The Mentalist, Gerry McCambridge 7:00PM Hooters
  Thu Jan08 DINNER:  Rosewood Grille (702) 792-9099 8:45PM
  Thu Jan08 Table games
• Fri Jan09 LUNCH:  Woo Venetian (702) 699-8966
  Fri Jan09 CES Exhibits
  Fri Jan09 DINNER: Yellowtail (702) 693-8300 7:30PM
  Fri Jan09 Table games
• Sat Jan10 BREAKFAST: Bouchon (702) 414-6200 (First come first served)
  Sat Jan10 CES Exhibits
  Sat Jan10 DINNER:  Rao’s Caesar’s Palace (877) 346-4642 6:30PM
  Sat Jan10 SHOW: Penn & Teller 9:00PM Rio
  Sat Jan10 Table games
• Sun Jan11 BRUNCH: Sterling Brunch (702) 967-7999 (press 2) 11:00AM
  Sun Jan11 FLIGHT: Southwest LAS-LAX 4:00 PM

I stopped reading the Inquirer or the Register a lonnnng time ago, so the only time I hear about it is if a customer tells me about something about the garbage they throw up on their site.

THE INQUIRER ON “WINDOWS 7”
So naturally, they’ve weighed in on Windows 7 with the appropriate level of factual accuracy and unbiased opinion that they’re known for:

“…Windows 7 is really just a respin of Vista with some fixes for strategic blunders and a few cosmetic refinements, as the Vole itself effectively admits. It’s just a Service Pack for Vista, really, and if Microsoft was a responsible company it would simply call it that…”

“I haven’t actually seen it though, and probably won’t even try it out.”

(Taken from http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/opinion/308/1050308/windows-7-public-beta-out-today)

THE ART OF LINKBAITING:
This article is what is known in the advertising industry as “linkbaiting”:  The practice of writing something so inflammatory that it immediately incites angry comments and links to said article to generate page views of their advertising.

So why am I “biting” on this piece of linkbait?

Because I think it’s a supreme example of how poor the reporting is on this web site.  Their agenda has always been to drive page views and advertising hits with sensationalistic reporting.  And knowing that their audience are geeks with technical degrees that don’t know anything about media & advertising, they manage to get well-meaning IT people to react, respond, and help drive revenue for them.

FACT CHECKING?  THAT’S FOR SISSIES.
The bottom line is that the Inquirer & the Register do not fact check.  They have no accountability to what they publish and they have no shame about how it is that they get people to read their content, even at the expense of others:

YOU CAN’T TAKE ANYTHING THE REGISTER OR THE INQUIRER SAYS AS FACT.  EVER.

This is not a news organization – it’s a tabloid rag of the same quality as the Weekly World News, the Star, or the National Enquirer.

Rao’s has won a fan today.

I wasn’t feeling hungry earlier today despite the fact that I had a reservation at Rao’s – the Italian restaurant at Caesar’s Palace.  Rao’s is purported to have one of the best meatballs in all of Las Vegas so of course I had to try it. 

The problem is, you really can’t rate food if you’re completely full.  So I cancelled the reservation and headed off to my evening show. (Penn & Teller)  After the show, I headed straight to Caesars intending on eating dinner by racing over to Rao’s.

It was just under 11PM and I ran up to the maitre d’ and said, “I MADE IT!  You’re still open right?  I’m dying for some meatballs.”  She said, “Yes, we’re open for the bar, but not for food.”  I said, “What?”  She said, “The kitchen closes at 10:30PM!”  I suddenly became despondent – rolled my eyes and slowly turned around.”

Suddenly the girl said, “Wait.  Hold on.”

I stopped, and she gestured to come in, and so I did.  She said, “ONE dish, right?”  I said, “Yeah.  Just the meatballs.  That’s it.”  She said, “Hold on – I’m going to ask the kitchen if they’ll prepare just that dish.”  She was gone for awhile but when she came back she said, “They’re going to take care of you.  One dish of meatballs.”  She turned to the bartender, where I was sitting by then, and said, “The kitchen said it’s okay – one dish of meatballs.”  The Bartender said, “Cool.”

Needless to say, I tipped her $10 as she left.  And sure enough, when the meatballs arrived, they were steaming hot. The bartender came and put FRESH parmesan cheese all over it that smelled heavenly. 

I’m going to summarize here because I have a full review of Rao’s on Yelp but suffice it to say, these folks get a 5-star for me as a combination of service and food.  The food is the most important part but the service is what gets them to the “I-will-always-come-visit-on-every-trip” level.

I went to the Bellagio to go eat at Yellowtail, a sushi restaurant created by the Light Group that I went to during it’s opening weekend back half a year ago.

On my way out, a bit drunk and daring, I said to myself, “Hey – I can play here.  I’ve got balls o’ steel.  If these Bellagio dorks can play on the floor tables, so can I.”

“After all, it’s not like I’m playing high limit or anything.”

THE PIT OF DESPAIR
So I start looking for a good game.  The Bellagio is loaded with crappy games with Continuous Shuffling Machines or $25 games with 6 deck shoes.

I finally found a small pit with double deck 3-2 Blackjack.  Excellent.  Better yet, there’s only one guy playing.  Even better.  Wow – and they stand on soft-17.  Nice!

Then I looked at the minimum:  $1000.

WTF!?!?  I froze just as I approached the chair to the left of him.  He had nothing but yellow chips.  In fact, everyone playing in this pit had nothing but yellow chips.  Yellow chips are $1000 each.

As I stood surprised that the floor minimum for this pit was $1000 – and it wasn’t even the high limit room – the game continued.  86-6X4.  8X-9X. 56dd2-XX. 2246-5X2.  A2/A5-X9.  And so on it went.  This guy put up $1000.  Then $2000.  Then $4000.  Then $3000.  Then $5000.  Loss.  Loss.  Loss.  Loss.  Loss.  Again and again and again.

I looked at his chip stack and it had gone for $30,000ish to $2000 in a matter of minutes.  Finally his last $2000 disappeared on a lost double down against 4 and he slammed his fist on the table.  The gentleman, who wasn’t dressed particularly fancily, got up and left… only to return in 30 seconds with $10k more in yellow chips  I watched so more, and he promptly lost that as well. 

Disgusted, he got up and stumbled away from the casino.  I lost sight of him at this point.

AND THAT WASN’T THE BIG SWINGING D-CK
My jaw was on the floor – just like everyone else watching.  I looked over at another table where an odd but stylishly dressed looking guy sat with some beautiful arm candy next to him.  He was on another monetary plane, using BROWN chips – $5000 each.  I watched him double down and lose what looked like a 4-chip $20,000 bet.  In a single hand, $40,000 was gone.

What I realized at that point was that, these were his last chips from a stack that was once quite large.  Probably $150k.  He got up, left his girl, and walked across the floor.  Everyone near me was watching him as he said loudly, “BRIAN… I’M GOING SDFASDGSDG”  (I couldn’t hear the final word)  All of a sudden the pit boss grabbed a clipboard and a pen, and whispered something to another manager, then started running toward the man’s direction, disappearing into the crowd.

AND WHAT ABOUT ME?
I stood there sweating all over.  My antiperspirant gave out several minutes ago.  I was rooting for these guys to win HARD – even going as far as to mouth the right play as I watched the cards go down from shuffle to shuffle, and they… just… couldn’t… win!  Nothing was going their way… and these were the whales!  The guys that gamble at the $100K level.  On a good day, I’m lucky if I’m a black chip player!

I gotta say – I was shaken.  So much for confidence:  My play is NOTHING to the Bellagio, and they’re not going to offer me a decent game.  I’d be relegated to a $25 6 deck shoes where a bad run across multiple shoes could easily ruin me.

So, I promptly walked out of the casino, past the hookers in the lobby (who always seem to congregate there on the cushioned chairs there), and straight to the taxis. 

I’m still “up” and in the black for this trip.  Knock on wood.

Wow, is this appropriate for our times.

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom.  What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else.  When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation.  You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

– The late Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931 – 2005

As a geek, this is pretty funny and really interesting.  Funny how no one’s made notice of the precision that drives at today.  Leave it to those wacky Sun Engineers!

http://blogs.sun.com/brendan/entry/unusual_disk_latency

I particularly love his comment in the link above about “staying clear of the JBOD” when he’s watching cricket on their Internet video feed in the lab.

A quick question:
Take a look at this ad for “Criss Angel BELIEVE” by Cirque du Soleil.

…yes, those are roaches.

And you’re supposed to be somehow compelled to buy tickets for the show on the basis of this ad.  Or at least fascinated enough to ‘clickthrough’ to the show web site.

As opposed to being repulsed.  Or revolted.

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t know too many people that are that enamored by roaches.  Puppies, yes.  Babies, yes.  Scantily clad ladies, yes. 

Roaches?  No. 

Not even if you’re Goth.  Especially not when the price tag for basic tickets is in the $100/seat range.

I suppose the “roach” theme may have something to do with the show, but I wouldn’t personally know.  I have no opinion about the show being that I haven’t personally seen it however after reading the reviews on Yelp (http://www.yelp.com/biz/criss-angel-believe-las-vegas-2) describing the spectacle sadly as a disappointing show, I can’t bring myself to throw down money for it – no matter how much I love magic.

I can only surmise that if the show is being universally panned, it’s possible that the same creatives that put together this production, also did their marketing.

Because I just can’t imagine this being considered good advertising.

UPDATE – 12/31/2008 5:34PM:

Incidentally, all my Zune 30GB devices charged and woke up this morning as promised – functioning just fine as if nothing had gone wrong.

———————-

UPDATE – 1/1/2009 4:50PM:

Something that I needed to verify turned up a few hours ago:  The Original Zune 30GB was a re-factored Toshiba Gigabeat S. This is where the hardware originally came from and why the Zune 30GB devices are so much different from today’s existing Zune 80GB/120GB and Zune Flash 4GB/8GB/16GB.

http://www.engadget.com/2006/08/25/fcc-reveals-toshiba-1089-and-its-looking-a-whole-lot-like-a/

———————–

UPDATE – 12/31/2008 2:42PM:

Well that was quick!  The resolution was posted here:  http://forums.zune.net/408989/ShowPost.aspx

As I understand it, the Zune 30GB device had a hardware interfacing driver that was written by an outsourced/non-Microsoft 3^rd party and it wasn’t written to take into consideration ‘leap years’.  When we hit day 366, the Zune hardware driver reported something alien to the software/firmware (the stuff that you flash onto the device every revision) and – walla. Lock up.

The Zune 4/8/16GB Flash devices and the Zune 80/120GB devices were all engineered by us so we wrote the drivers for that and accurately accounted for leap years. This is the reason these devices are unaffected despite the fact that the firmware on all the devices are the same.

It was possible to crack open the Zune and disconnect the battery from the hardware and otherwise blank the clock on it. Doing so will get the device working again since it will think the time/date is something like 12AM, Jan 1^st 2006. But the moment you sync the device with the Zune Desktop software, it syncs the clock and BOOM. Dead Zune again.

The current workaround will likely be “just wait until January 1^st, 2009”. Allegedly, this will fix the problem. I’m pretty sure we’re working on fixing this driver issue so that this doesn’t happen again in 4 years.

———————-

UPDATE – 12/31/2008 2:18PM:

I’m hearing 2nd hand that the Zune team knows exactly what the problem is.  Instead of posting a patch immediately, the resolution may be as simple as just waiting until January 1st 12:00 Midnight, making a more appropriate title for this post, “The Great Zune 30GB BLACKOUT” being that it looks like this might just be an issue for exactly 24 hours.

I won’t go into details and instead leave it to you to put your thinking caps on and figure out why this is isolated to 30GB devices, why the simple act of synchronizing your device with your PC using the Zune Client would cause a lockup again even after ‘hard resetting the device’ and getting it back to a usable condition, and why simply waiting until January 1st 2009 might be the trick.  The answer is actually quite logical.

Anyway, cross your fingers.

———————
 UPDATE – 12/31/2008 1:23PM:

Well, fortunately, this is a problem that is isolated to just the 30GB as far as I can see because I also own a Zune Flash 8GB and a Zune 120GB device and neither has had any problems whatsoever.  This is just bizarre.

And apparently the fit hit the shan in newsrooms worldwide and the whole world has started writing about the “suicide” deaths of all these Zune 30GB that people have been writing into support about.

• MSNBC – http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28449091/
• ABC News – http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/PCWorld/story?id=6556581
• USA Today – http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/2008-12-31-zune-mystery_N.htm
• CNet – http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10129977-75.html
• eWeek – http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Windows/Microsofts-Zune-in-Worldwide-Meltdown/
• Ars Technica – http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20081231-30gb-zunes-prepare-for-new-year-by-locking-up.html
• Betanews – http://www.betanews.com/article/Y2K9_bug_hits_30_GB_Zunes/1230751818
• Slashdot – http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=08%2F12%2F31%2F1428254&from=rss
• Register – http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/12/31/zune_death/
• Gizmodo – http://gizmodo.com/5121311/30gb-zunes-failing-everywhere-all-at-once
• Engadget – http://www.engadget.com/2008/12/31/30gb-zunes-mysteriously-begin-to-fail-at-12am-december-31st/
• Seattle Intelligencer – http://www.techflash.com/microsoft/Zunes_commit_mass_suicide36932589.html

——————
ORIGINAL POST – 12/31/08 6:31AM

First of all, NO, I don’t have a resolution for this problem.

At 12 Midnight on December 31st, 2008, for some reason a huge number of Zune 30GB classic devices turned themselves on, rebooted, and froze on the "ZUNE" boot up screen.  The problem simultaneously occurred across Zune 30GB devices all over the place apparently and has lit up the boards like wildfire.

Labeling themselves as "Victims of the December 31st 2008 Zune 30 Meltdown", folks are posting comments all over the Internet boards about how everyone’s Zune 30GB devices seemed to be in a state of perpetual frozen-ness.  It’s almost strangely unifying.

The occurrence itself however is downright eerie.  Some folks have reportedly popped the case open and did a hard reset of the device which has reportedly fixed the problem although some are saying that the fix appears temporary… until the device attempts to sync with a desktop either via wireless or via cable, at at which point, it locks up again.

To do this, use a small screwdriver to pop off the plastic shielding where the zune cable plugs into and remove the two screws on either side of the plug. Next pop the cover off and locate the battery plug at the top left corner of the zune, using your screw driver, pop the cable connection half way off, and do this to the other plug on the right side. Wait 3 seconds, then push down the right connector and then the left battery connecter. Your zune should start up immediately. Press the backing of the zune down (make sure headphone jack is aligned) and put the screws and cover back in place.
http://forums.zune.net/404026/ShowPost.aspx

Here’s some of the Internet chatter:

• Zune Thoughts: 
  http://gizmodo.com/5121311/30gb-zunes-failing-everywhere-all-at-once?skyline=true&s=x
• Zune Hardware Forum:
  http://forums.zune.net/5/ShowForum.aspx
• Zune "Mash Up Video":
  http://www.dailymotion.com/smokinsomehuyeed/video/x7vuxd_the-day-the-zunes-stood-still_travel

I’ll post an update if I get a resolution.  And yes – I have two devices sitting here completely locked up and I’m waiting for the batteries to run out.

If they weren’t already owned by Zenimax Media or whatever the hell their parent company is, I’d start lobbying within Microsoft to have us look into acquiring these guys at Bethesda and making them all rich beyond their wildest dreams.

Fallout 3 has to be the most RIDICULOUSLY-DETAILED and GINORMOUSLY-DESIGNED game I’ve played in years – maybe even a decade.  This for me has to be the RPG to end all RPGs.  (Or at least until Bethesda tops themselves with Fallout 4)  I don’t remember being this absorbed into a game in the same way since my days playing 80386-based PC games.  It has the immersive-ness of Halo (Combat Evolved), the graphics of Halo 3, the storyline of Mass Effect, the sandbox scope of Grand Theft Auto 4, the side missions of Star Wars:  Knights of the Old Republic, the majestic landscape of Crackdown, and the mystery and atmosphere of Bioshock.

Yeah.  I just listed some pretty f-ing heady names there didn’t I?  That’s how highly I think of this game.  Word to your mother.

DIDN’T HAVE HIGH HOPES AT FIRST
At first when I opened the box and played it for a while, I thought that maybe this game was going to be too tedious.  Too depressing.  Too idiotic in its storytelling.  MAN – was I wrong.  Every quest/mission is like another chapter in a book that you’re struggling desperately to finish so that you can find out what happens in the end.  And the stories are genuinely interesting.

In fact, there’s one part of the game that I just COULDN’T get past and got so frustrated I finally did a search on the Internet for a solution.  Sure enough – it was something small and stupid but still, the result was amazing.  (For those of you playing – it was how to get into frickin’ Rivet City.  You know what I’m talking about.)

I think that’s when the size and scope of Fallout 3 really came into focus for me.  Unlike Halo which you never really could get a good view of the scope of the realm that you were playing in, both Fallout 3 and Crackdown have points in the game where you can really see how vast the terrain is and how far, far, far out it goes.  The area in which the game takes place seems to just never end… it’s that huge.

I think it’s that vastness, combined with the great storytelling, plus the VATS combat system and the incredible variety of enemies, weapons, and visual delights in the game make it so very unique.  I find myself falling asleep in my gameplaying chair:  I haven’t done that in yeeeeaaaaars.  The last time I did that I think was Halo – the original.

OTHER GAMES WITH THIS LEVEL OF RAPTURE
The games that I can recall myself being this infatuated over in my past gaming history include:

• Wizardry (Apple II/IBM PC)
• Bard’s Tale
• Starflight
• Starflight 2
• Star Control 2
• Another World (a.k.a. Out of this World)
• Seven Cities of Gold
• Halo
• Pirates!
• Bioshock
• Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
• Portal: Still Alive

GAMES THAT I THOUGHT WOULD BE AT THIS LEVEL OF QUALITY BUT WEREN’T
I have to point out the games whose gameplay, storytelling, or combat mechanics disappointed me.

• Mass Effect
• Halo 3
• Assassin’s Creed
• Prey
• Too Human
• Doom 3
• Quake 4
• Far Cry 1/2
• Saints Row
• Just Cause
• True Crime

Yeah.  That’s right.  I said it.  Halo 3 was a disappointment to me.  I haven’t put that disc in my Xbox 360 in ages… and why?  While they did an amazing job on the multiplayer, I got less than I’d hoped for in the campaign – and GODDAMMIT, the campaign is really important to me as a gamer.  I suspect that Gears of War 2, to a lesser extent will fall into this category (I haven’t played it yet since my order has yet to come in) however it’s harder to judge GOW2 because I already know that it’s so beautiful and elegant and it’s strengths like Halo 3, lie in other areas… however I doubt that GOW2’s story is going to go all over the place like Halo 3 did.TICK TOCK – STILL PLAYING

So consider this post my love letter to Bethesda for making a product that for the first time in years, I’m totally wrapped up in and know that I’m going to get months – maybe even years – of playing time on.  And it won’t be “replayability”.  All of it will be straight up first time experiences.

I’ve logged 48+ hours of game time so far, according to the in-game clock, and I have to say that I fully recognize that I’ve only barely scratched the surface of the game.  I’m constantly trying to stockpile ammunition… trying to figure out how I level up faster.  It’s insane.  I hope the folks at Bethesda are making large piles of money on this game because it deserves every damned accolade that it’s gotten.  (Which includes several “Best RPG of the Year” awards)

Dear God… what if Bethesda releases an expansion pack like they did for Elder Scrolls Oblivion?  I’m doomed.  DOOMED!

(p.s.  You may have noticed that I never mentioned Bethesda’s other infamous title – “Oblivion” – up until the last sentence.  That’s because while I bought Oblivion for Xbox 360 – I never really played it.  I was told repeatedly about how frickin’ big that game was and that it would kill all my free time so I never really put much time into it on purpose.  Well, look at me now with Fallout 3.  DAMN YOU BETHESDA!  No, wait.  I’m sorry.  Really.  Come back. BFF?)