This guy is. Although he’s not doing it because he wants one, he’s doing it because his “thing” is to be the first one in line for special events like this. I wasn’t looking forward to the launch of the iPhone, I don’t want one, frankly, but there are a few things I’m looking forward to this weekend (by the way, they’re all movies!)…

1. Ratatouille – Pixar’s newest computer animated film. This is going to be refreshing after Shrek III, which I think was a total dissapointment.

2. Sicko – Yeah yeah, Michael Moore sucks. Or does he? I don’t agree with his politics, but I think his movies are entertaining and at the least thought provoking. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the healthcare inudstry in the US is failing.

3. Live Free or Die Hard – Yippie Kai Yai Yea, Motha F-A!

Just in case there wasn’t a good enough reason to go to Disneyland soon…the submarines are back at the lagoon in Tomorrowland! Replacing the dated “Submarine Voyage” attraction, the new ride has some really neat effects I’ve heard – it really looks like you’re traveling underwater with the crew from Finding Nemo. I’m hoping that since my call to organize a Vegas trip was answered, that we might have the gumption to take a trip to Disneyland sometime soon!

On second thought, let’s just go to LA to visit Brian and Alexis – Disneyland and the subs are going to be packed this summer.

I just moved into my new office, and I know how bland the “office white” of my four walls really is, especially with the fluorescent lights above me. So I’m looking to get some lamps and some art. I can go the college route and tack up some band posters – perhaps some Christmas lights? Nah, not professional enough. How about some of the framed art that I’ve collected over the years? It’s nice, but I want to keep it at home.

I’m going to pick up something over at UGallery.com, a new startup from one of my friends up here in Phoenix. They allow university students to sell their art to collectors at pretty reasonable prices. I can have some fine art up in my office for a fraction of the cost.

Check it out when you get a chance, there’s some really impressive stuff.

There was a time when I could say the words “I am always right,” and, without ego, be correct. It has been reassuring to me knowing that I have a mind like a steel trap. I feel in my old age that my steel trap is getting a little rusty…

I was sitting with my boss at an awesome Middle Eastern/Mediterranean restaurant. We had finished our meals and were talking about the latest in Search Engine Optimization when the bill arrived. My boss looked at the bill, then up at me intently. “It’s your turn to pay,” he noted sternly. “No way, I paid last time. It’s your turn to pay.” He huffed, and emphatically said, “I’ll bet you $100 that I paid last time.”

Suddenly, I was at the poker table. I was sure I had the winning hand, and I had some decent cash on the table to represent it. My boss just went all in against me, with amazing confidence. People who go all in with that much self-assurance probably aren’t lying, especially if they don’t play poker, right? I should have folded right there. I should have said, “I’m pretty sure I paid last time, but for argument’s sake, I’ll pay this time and we can figure it out later.” For some reason, however, I decided to trust my brain and try to call his bluff.

“Fine. $100.”

Man, worst hundred bucks I’ve ever lost.

So looking around the internet, I discovered my new favorite thing – homophonous phrases. My favorite one is “Buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo buffalo buffalo Buffalo buffalo.” Basically, it means: The bison from Buffalo that bully bison from Buffalo also bully bison from Buffalo. How cool is that?

Las Vegas weekend. July 6-8. Thank God.

Celebrating the return of Stacie, who is now 21, a trip to Vegas is in order. Pack your swim gear, save some money, practice your finest Blackjack technique. In honor of the trip, I’m including some of the activities I would like to partake in.

Playboy Club. I was pretty darn excited when I heard they were opening a Playboy Club at the Palms in Las Vegas – I thought I would never get to go since they closed all the clubs of yore long ago. I’d love to check this one out – for those concerned, it’s not a strip club, just a regular club where the waitresses dress up as bunnies.

See a Show. I’d love to see the new Beatles show called Love, The Producers, or Monty Python’s Spamalot. The last show I saw out in Vegas was Avenue Q, and it was fantastic.

Dinner Somewhere Awesome. I’m thinking the Stratosphere, or the Eiffel Tower, or the Wynn Buffet.

A Poker Tournament. I didn’t do so hot at my last tourney in Vegas, but I just bought a new hat, sunglasses and MP3 player, so I’m a shoe in for my next venture!

Who wants to come?

I haven’t made it to any of the bars or nightclubs in Scottsdale since I moved up here – frankly I’ve been more interested in working, going to the gym, seeing movies at the Cine Capri and going to Diamondbacks games. Sure, there’s been the occasional happy hour, and I am in love with the Yardhouse, which serves the most draught beers of any bar in the world, but the nightlife that has attracted many to the area aren’t high on my list.

Luckily, there’s a site out there that documents some of the wild goings on of the Scottsdale area, so I can have a sneak peak into the life of a perpetual bar hopping stripper/fratboy. Dirty Scottsdale is the home of pictures of people out on the town looking to have a nice time the only way they know how…by getting wasted and making fools of themselves.

When I decided to move out of San Diego, I narrowed my city search down to two places: Phoenix and Las Vegas. I wanted to live in a big city with lots of things to do, somewhere that was in a desert climate and close to home. I decided to relocate to Phoenix because it’s close enough to Vegas that I can take a trip out there whenever I want relatively easily, it’s closer to family and Phoenix is a larger city with more options for things to do.

That all being said, I haven’t been to Vegas is a really long time, and I’m itching to go back. I decided to compile a list of my favorite things to do in Sin City, so here we go.

1. Gambling. I don’t want to parade around the fact that I like to gamble. I love Blackjack and Craps, and I was really enjoying playing poker at the Wynn now and then when I lived with Stephie all those years ago. I love Casinos and the casino games, especially Monopoly slots.

2. The Pools. Not that I can’t swim at the pool at my apartment complex, but there’s something to be said for the pools of Vegas. Maybe it’s the food and drink service, or the music. I loved hanging out by the adult pool at the Wynn where there were no kids and a chance to play some Blackjack outside. Delightful.

3. The Architecture. One of my favorite restaurants in Vegas was actually in Henderson – an awesome Italian place (what was the name of it? Something with a V…) that had a fantastic view of the Strip. I loved driving down to Las Vegas Blvd. just watching those awesome buildings grow as I got closer, and then walking among them on the street was awe inspiring.

4. The food. Any food, anytime you wanted it. And the breakfast at Ellis Island was amazing – and cheap.

5. The people. It’s so fun to run around Vegas meeting crazy old ladies at the Blackjack tables who get mad when you mess up your hand, or the fun personalities at the poker tables. There was always someone around who was good for a laugh, whether because they were genuinely funny or the laugh was at their expense later.

So there you have it, five of my favorite reasons I want to take a trip out to Las Vegas as soon as possible. I just got paid today, and my bank account is starting to itch!

No, not all the Coxs we know and love. I’m talking Cox Communications. My cable and internet have been out for the past few days and they wouldn’t listen to me when I told them exactly what the problem was.

Me: The internet and cable is out at my house. My outlets are not activated yet.
Them: They were activated on the 9th.
Me: You sent someone out here, but they didn’t activate the outlets. I’m not stupid, I know how to plug in a cable wire.
Them: Let me transfer you to someone who can help you.

REPEAT.

Jerks.

I finally got them to send someone out, but they wanted to charge me $50! Luckily, when he got to the house he told Danielle that “the outlets weren’t activated, I’ll activate them. Also, since it’s our fault, I won’t charge the $50.” Thank God for sensible installers. I swear people who get paid to talk on the phone are always irritable people who have no social skills. By the way, nobody call me today, I’m irritable from all this talking to Cox.

Back in the day, I remember playing Warcraft III tower defense games for an entire summer with Gumdrops, Ben and Carl. Drinking whiskey, eating pizza and playing beery-beery games. Those were the days. Now I’ve gone and ruined it by getting a job where I sit in front of a computer all day and I’m not allowed to play games. I have to write.

So here’s the question – how am I expected to write fantastic content when I have just discovered a fun new tower defense game on the web? It’s taking all my might to refrain from surfing over to this site and wasting a few hours building tower defenses to prevent those little hand drawn villains from creeping on down. This is me reaching out to you all, hoping that in my stead you will play this game and you will emerge victorious. Maybe we can set up a private score chart to track our scores and engage in a little friendly competition, eh?