Things I hate about Las Vegas:

It’s a city built in a place that is clearly not well suited for human habitation.

Its entire economy revolves around identifying people who are bad at math, and exploiting said weakness.

It is unspeakably hot, being in the desert and all.

That hot thing necessarily uses up unthinkable amounts of water and electricity. It is waste on a scale that is hard to fathom.

Its existence necessitates the destruction of unthinkable amounts of habitat suitable for non-humans, both there, and where the Colorado River used to empty into, for several million years.

Everything except super-high end food is mediocre. It’s just too far from anywhere to get fresh produce, so everything is WUA. Wilted Upon Arrival. Including the humans.

Because it is a desert, there is no green, no parks, no nada.

Things I like about Las Vegas:

To get people to stay in a desert and give away their money to corporations, the casinos have some very nice diversions and entertainment.

It is however the unofficial capital of magic, which is rather nice for those of us who like magic, so that’s why it gets two stars, rather than zero.

I was conceived shortly after my parents endured living there for three years.

Because it is so isolated, it is unlikely to spread throughout the rest of North America to the degree that it has within its own boundaries.

And finally, what I most like about Las Vegas? Easy. You can’t smell it from here.

Kevin Madden, my dear friend of California is both a magician and a musician. Besides playing the piano, Kevin has also served as the Education Director for the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, has lived in France & Austria, and holds a Master’s degree in education. Both of his parents were professional musicians.Have fun with his observations.Troll, noun.Historic Origins:Though the word’s origins are lost to the mists of time, its most probable origins are Nordic folklore and language. Furthermore, the word “troll” seems to have referenced either a) persons of another, dislikeable, competing tribe, or b) those practicing religions prior to Dark-Ages Christianity.There is no clear anthropological nor archaeological evidence that ancient trolls were also squid worshipers, nor evidence that theirs was a principally squid diet, but this is my opinion, which I will now cite as unchallengeable fact.Modern Usage:On the internet, a “troll” is a person acting in a rude or anti-social manner, and though their motives might be unknown, their behavior is disruptive and aggressive.Troll Habitat & Behavior:They keep irregular hours, and maybe found logging-on either from jobs they loath and are thus trying to subconsciously get fired from, or lashing out at those who seem to be enjoying themselves in cyberspace. Sometimes to show off, they do both, often while passing gas in their dark, cramped, frequently badly decorated dining rooms and/or cubicles.The identification of a troll is a simple matter: look for any black hole on any bulletin board, into which ridiculous amounts of energy escape never to be seen again. Current theorists, most notably Dr. C.M. Pleteshitz, speculate that the troll absorbs said energy either through their anus or mouth, though with trolls those two orifices are often indistinguishable from one another. Continue reading →

I am pleased to announce that I succeeded in talking my dear friend Kevin into guestblogging on Roblog. Besides playing the piano, Kevin has served as the Education Director for the Berkeley Symphony Orchestra, has lived in France & Austria, and holds a Master’s degree in education. Both of his parents were professional musicians. Being situated in the beautiful Bay Area he delivers intelligent entertainment by slipping into the Persona of “Ashkenazi the Pretty Good”. His explanation on his Homepage: “Ashkenazi The Pretty Good has been entertaining audiences in three countries since the tender age of 13. His father was the court magician to the King of Balka, which is somewhere in eastern Europe. Don’t try finding it though, it’s too hard. There is now a Burger King where his bedroom at the castle used to be. He doesn’t like to talk about it.”

He is going to start blogging on the topic of “Trolls” – so be amazed…