This Is Very Frustrating

Did I mention how sometimes I have an internet connection and sometimes I do not?........well.........for some unknown reason, after a few days of being unable to log on to the wonderful world of the internet with my overused laptop, I have internet today and there was nothing that anyone did to make it happen..........imagine that.

Actually, it must be part of a bigger plan by somebody.....say Bill Gates (hehehe) to make people such as myself get so extremely frustrated with connectivity difficulties that the following will happen as a result:

1. I toss this computer out onto Interstate 95 where some tandem tractor trailer load of Chinese imports embeds this piece of frustrating wonderfulness right into the ruts on the inside fast lane.

2. That I would, because of this frustration, spend some money with Microsoft Support.

3. Cut to the chase and buy a new laptop with, of course, the newest version of Windows.

Until one of the above actually happens.......it looks like I will just have to keep trying to occasionally log on, as it has been the past few weeks.

Odds are, this is all the result of viruses, trojans, spyware.......you name it.

And the odds are............this crap is NOT on my laptop because of some moron in a t-shirt with nothing better to do other than spread pc disease around the planet. I suggest it is all part of a big business plan......such as.......Bill Gates' Microsoft. After all, if what you have is the best, why would you need to "upgrade"? Progress?........maybe a couple times..........but every year? Nahhhh.

While I am in a griping mood today, here are a few more things I just have to get out of my system:


Okay, so you are thinking......here he goes again..............but you just gotta know this: I am not going away on this one.........not until the Watchtower goes away. Alot of people would say, if asked, "Sure, I know a Jehovah's Witness." Well.......no you don't. If you have some sort of gift from God that makes it so that you are able to make some sense out of the dain bramaged, then please come to the forefront and make yourself known to the planet. There are people out there that suffer and continue to suffer due to their having anything to do with the Watchtower Society.

If you are a Jehovah's Witness and reading this, do not misconstrue these words that you are actually reading, as being some sort of food for your ingrained need for your persecution complex. I will elaborate on this in the future. I am sure that what I have to share about this issue can at least help someone "prevent" some damage.

Just when you think you have something figured out and progress is being made, someone does or says something so absolutely unfathomable that it is hard to accept that it comes from an alleged intelligent being.

To be honest with whoever is reading this here, I just will have to stop this particular rant at this point before I get nasty. As I stated before, I will indeed be addressing Jehovah's Witnesses frequently here.....so stay tuned.

And now on to some other stuff:


Has anyone noticed this shit going down lately?..........or are there some people out there who are waiting for someone like Vincent Price to announce it?......well Vinnie's not around anymore to tell us this stuff, so we have to rely on another scary celebrity............

...........that's right.........Al Gore.

Jesus God, if this is the best authority on the planet in regards to our alleged self imposed demise, then there really is no hope for us at all......and thus.....yet another

SIGN OF THE END!

It's Pretty Darn Good When A Son Takes His Father Somewhere

That's me and Number One Son, Dash Riprock........ and yes......we are at an Orioles game at Camden Yards.

Although it doesn't happen often enough, I do cherish these days when one of my kids says "Let's go to the game". Icing on the cake: the kid pays!

I never got to go to a baseball game with my own father, but I have been to quite a few over the years with my kids. I enjoy each and every moment of it.

The Orioles.

We need to have the name "Baltimore" on our away uniforms. It is long overdue.

We also need to kick up the play a notch. I am not complaining here, baseball is baseball...........but a winning season would be nice. I could never expect to ever see the Orioles put a team out on the field......the likes of Palmer, McNally, Brooks Robinson....Frank Robinson....Boog Powell, etc......ever again. Once you reach the ultimate, everything else can never compare. Good old 1966. Come to think of it, I seem to recall we had the name "Baltimore" on our uniforms back in 1966.

It was a pretty good crowd at the game.

When I took this photo, I could swear the batter had a bat in his hands.

Interesting eh?

Seems to be an epidemic.........maybe some deodorant is in order.

Las Vegas Trip

Here is the second installment regarding the Las Vegas trip. I noticed that when you are in Vegas, you do not think about home. Your eyes are too busy, and your mind has way too many things to think about.......and that's a good thing.

Last night I watched the movie "Leaving Las Vegas" and there was one scene in which the actress Elizabeth Shue was walking on a pedestrian bridge over Las Vegas Boulevard. That bridge was the very same bridge that I was standing on when I shot the above photo. If you have seen the movie, it was the story of a hooker and a suicidal drunk. There is plenty of that in Vegas. On that same pedestrian bridge, I saw one of those drunks sitting and holding a cardboard sign. On his sign, it read "Why Lie About It?....I Need A Drink!" I opted to not take a picture of him..........it just did not seem right to do so. Besides, I would have felt an obligation to give him a dollar or some change....and that would only encourage his demise.

We stayed at the Excalibur Hotel and Casino. It's a fantastic place to stay. Very family oriented and you would think "Disney" to look at it.

There is so much to feast your eyes upon. Daytime AND nightime, and you absolutely have to get a look at the place at both times of the day because it is really awesome to see everything lit up.

Everywhere you look.............Video!

Not the greatest picture but I had to take it. Las Vegas Boulevard at night.

When they build these places, they spare no detail. The architecture alone, everywhere you look, is something to behold.

Some people never look UP.........how else are you gonna see flying saucers..........or.........stuff like this?

This is the New York, New York Hotel & Casino. We caught the Roseanne Barr stand-up act there. She was fairly good........not the greatest, but entertaining.

They weren't kidding around when the advertised Vegas being for families. There is alot there for children to do. Example: Notice the roller-coaster ride.

You gotta love the neon lights.

This is the Paris Hotel & Casino. Just look at the detail on the building facade if you can take your eyes off of the fountain.......hehehehe.

I had been to Vegas once before and stayed at the Treasure Island. (the building on the left)

Right across the street is the Venetian. The Venetian is a must-see if you ever get to Vegas. It is a work of art. Seriously.

On the Venetian complex, is a bell tower. This whole place is an exact replica of what is found in Venice Italy. The building on the right is part of the Mirage.

I have never been to Italy, but I have a pretty good idea of what it looks like after being at the Venetian.

The hotels and casinos in Vegas, each are places that you, if you choose to do so, can be content to just stay on the premises and never leave the building. Cities within the city. Shopping malls, restaurants, entertainment, etc, etc......all under each roof. After walking around, I noticed something I had not ever seen before. I never thought I would see the day when you could be browsing along in a shopping mall, in a hotel, in Vegas......and encounter an "oxygen bar". Imagine that!.........flavored oxygen! Unbelieveable! Now, you do not have to wait for COPD, Emphysema, or Lung Cancer, for you to get hooked up to some pure air.......hehehe.

This is what it looks like inside the Venetian. You would think you are outside....but it's all indoors. I would look up and almost swear I saw clouds moving. You can even take a ride on a gondola........just like in Venice.

If you have read my blog in the past, you would recall that I wrote about my trip to New Orleans and how I encountered a mime standing across from the Cafe DuMonde. Well, as it happens, while strolling through the Venetian, I encountered a human statue. He doesn't move.

Apparently, the drunks haven't caught on to this concept.......just look at all of the money people willingly place in front of him!

These shops inside the Venetian are NOT "dollar stores"......hehehe. They are obviously where the women go to spend their husband's "winnings".

I could not write about Vegas without mentioning Frank, Dean, and Sammy.

And........go figure............you can find stuff like this in "Sin" city.

Items like the Rat Pack statues and the Lord's Supper are not cheap...........I saw one small painting inside this very same shop.....it was done very well.....nice framed picture of a WW2 bomber.........no big deal, right?...........try $1,500.!

Yep.....even a Mickey D's on the boulevard.

It's not a good idea to try to cross Las Vegas Boulevard by foot.

Here's a photo of the famous Mirage. Siegfried & Roy still have their animals there, but their show has been replaced with a Beatles/Cirque duSoleil show.

In the Excalibur is the Tournament of Kings extravaganza...............you get to go back in time to medieval days and eat with your hands and watch a fantastic show consisting of knights, Merlin, damsels, a midget, horses, jousting, fire, smoke, lights, action! It is like really being there.

I recommend this place...expecially if you have kids with you. It was said "Use of cameras inside the facility is forbidden and strictly enforced." I managed to get this picture before the show started. You can always visit their website I suppose.

Vegas Wedding

Sometimes you are busy, and sometimes you just don't feel like doing anything........and then there are those times when your laptop refuses to cooperate with you. All three of these may be applied as to the reason for my not posting much to this blog lately.



So there I was..........on a plane to Las Vegas. Not to gamble.........not to frolick..........but a very special occasion..........a wedding..........a quick, short, simple, and sweet wedding. NO......it wasn't ME getting married..........although I have been married twice to the same woman (Supernurse), and that's a whole 'nother story.............but it was the marriage of my Number Two Daughter (Noodle). I won't get into details too much here, so the pictures should speak for themselves.




We all stayed at the Excalibur Hotel. I had a real nice view of the Luxor Hotel next door. For what it is worth, here are a few pictures of what can be found inside the Luxor.

Pretty scarey eh?

They even have an IMAX theater in there.

It must have costed a crapload of pesos to make this hotel.

For those who have no clue about the Luxor.........the main building of their complex is a huge pyramid. Surely, some people have wondered what it must look like inside. Well.....now you know. This picture is the inside of the pyramid.........I was looking up at the ceiling.

The view from my room.

The airport is very close to the "Strip".

When is a sign not a sign?...........when it's an obelisk!

I think it is rather neat that Vegas is surrounded by mountains.

You cannot visit Vegas without a stroll along Las Vegas Boulevard. Themed hotels are the big deal. You can just about see the world in a short walk. Pyramids.......Medieval Castles.......New York........France.......Rome..........Venice..........you name it!

In Vegas....everything is BIG! The signs alone are HUGE!

The weekend that we were in Vegas, it also just so happened to be Cinco DeMayo. It also happened to be the weekend of the BIG FIGHT........Mayweather vs. De Lahoya. Needless to say.......people were there in droves.

The majority of the signs have video advertising...........and not just small screens either......some of these are HUGE!

I imagine it takes a HUGE chunk of change to actually live in one of these.

Oh.........that's right.............the wedding!

Everything went without a hitch........well.......a few minor glitches, but nothing that could not be resolved easily. This was yet another major milestone in my life...............now all of my daughters are married. My "Noodle" girl is all grown up and I have gained another son-in-law.

Now there's a nice looking couple. I must admit..........I had tears in my eyes.

Me, Noodle, Noodle's new Other Half, and the love of my life......Supernurse.

I am such a lucky guy!