Published March 8th, 2007
in Las Vegas.
I’ve seen a lot of dumb TV shows about Las Vegas, but the new E! Network “reality series” called Paradise City has got to be the dumbest, most pointless piece of crap ever. When I heard that it was produced by Ryan Seacrest, I knew not to expect too much… but this level of crappiness is just unacceptable. I’ve never seen a show that highlights so many of the things that suck about living in this city (e.g. the thousands of unbelievably narcissistic, fake people who seem to inhabit every square inch of the valley).
Do yourself a favor… don’t watch Paradise City! I’m serious. Not even one episode. It really has no redeeming qualities… except the fact that it helped me take a crap immediately afterwards. I wasted an hour of my life tonight watching a bunch of soulless morons talk about and do the type of things soulless morons do… in Las Vegas. Don’t make the same mistake!
Published March 7th, 2007
in Personal Stuff and Las Vegas.
After over a week of hearing strange squealing noises… and then strange grinding noises… coming from my Honda Element, I finally got around to getting the brakes fixed today. Due to some good reviews I found online, I headed over to a place called Brake Masters, located near the intersection of Nellis and Washington (East Las Vegas baby!).
Overall I’m relatively happy with the experience. From what I can tell, they did a good job overall. They replaced the brake pads, changed the oil, gave me what seemed like fair prices, and didn’t try to scam me too much like a lot of auto repair places do. Of course, the manager did convince me of the need to get the “special” (more expensive) ceramic brake pads. The “normal” ones just wouldn’t do!
The only thing that bothered me about the whole experience was the unexpectedly long wait time. After being assured that there really wasn’t that much that need to be done and that it should be pretty quick, I figured I’d be out of there in under 2 hours at least. I was wrong. I was in the waiting room for well over 3 hours, breathing in the cigarette smoke wafting in from the garage for much of the time.
Apparently those special lifetime-guaranteed super-powered ceramic brake pads had to be ordered from some other location in the city. And the old guy who delivered them definitely took his sweet time doing it.
Anyway, despite the long wait, I’m satisfied overall with the level of service at Brake Masters on Nellis and would probably recommend them to my friends. Now that my brakes have been fixed, my cracked windshield repaired, and the oil changed that damn Element better be “good to go” for a while!
p.s. Apparently the Brake Masters on Craig isn’t so good…
Published March 1st, 2007
in Personal Stuff.
I don’t know why but I really like Carlo Rossi Paisano wine, a cheap red wine that comes in a big ass jug. Maybe it’s because I’m related to real “California” Paisanos (aka Mexicans). Maybe because it’s cheap as hell and I can drink lots of it (to help loosen up my brain of course) without lightening my pockets too much. Maybe it’s because it tastes good straight up or mixed with fruit juice and/or Fresca (= ghetto sangria). Maybe because red wine is just so damn good for me. Whatever the reason, I love me some Paisano wine… and you should too!
Published February 16th, 2007
in Las Vegas.
It’s about freaking time! High of 74 today and tomorrow. 75 on Sunday! This is exactly why I moved here. While much of the rest of the country are freezing their butts off, I’m here in Las Vegas basking in the warm sun. I love this…
Published February 3rd, 2007
in Personal Stuff and Rants.
I’ve been saying for a long time that the quality of Starbucks coffee is pretty bad now. It used to be that getting a venti cup of their strong brew was a great, delicious way to “get things going” in the morning. Now the only reason I go into a Starbucks is to use the overpriced, crappy T-Mobile internet service I pay for every month.
Basically, Starbucks coffee is no longer good for 3 simple reasons: it’s burnt, it’s bitter, and it’s waaaay too expensive.
Finally someone else has backed me up… none other than the great Consumer Reports! In their new issue they rate coffee from 4 of the top US sellers and McDonald’s coffee beat Starbucks hands down! According to CR, McDonald’s coffee was the “cheapest and best.”
I haven’t had coffee from the Golden Arches in years, mainly because the last time I tried it I took about two sips before throwing it out due to the horrible taste. Looks like it’s time to give Mickey D’s another chance at giving me my morning buzz.
By the way, I heard awhile back that, in an attempt to keep prices down, Starbucks had begun buying lower quality beans. Apparently, “dark roasting” (AKA burning) low-quality coffee beans is a way to mask their crappiness. Well, I’m not sure what the problem is, but Starbucks better do something to improve their product or they’re going to be facing some big problems business-wise.
Check it out: Consumer Reports finds McDonald’s coffee better than Starbucks
