You know what happens in Vegas...

I think I have a "vacation hangover" - I'm still getting back into the swing of things after taking my vacation week from work this week, and heading out to Las Vegas from last Sunday to this past Thursday. Here's a few tips, observations and musings from my trip:

1. Drinking lots of liquids is essential - I've been to Vegas in July twice now (first in 2000, and again this year) and the temps ranged from about 80 degrees for a low to 108-115 degrees for highs. I was surprised when I came out of a magic show at the Riviera casino on Monday night to see puddles on the ground from a very recent rainshower - they don't get a lot of rain out there in the Mojave desert!

2. If you want a good deal on show tickets, visit a half-price ticket booth the day of the show. I used one of these services on Weds. for Louie Anderson's show, and got a very good seat that was very close to the stage for about $30 - much better view than the VIP crowd got!

3. Cleavage in Vegas is EVERYWHERE - from the airport, to the casino floors, to the Strip, and almost everywhere in between - it's impossible to avoid (if you've been to Vegas before and you're a straight guy, you definitely know what I mean. There's a lot more good cleavage than bad, though).

4. Because I had stayed on Fremont Street and visited the Grand Canyon last time in Vegas, I tried to do new things this time around, like taking the Hoover Dam tour and catching a few shows.

5. I heard so much Spanish, Japanese, French, and probably a few other languages in Vegas that I feel like I almost learned some of these languages via osmosis.

6. The best deal for getting around Vegas is by using the double-decker buses on the strip - it's only $7 per person for a 24-hour pass. If your bus is too crowded, there's usually another one coming by in a few minutes.

7. Although I had heard that there was a 12% unemployment rate in Vegas, you could've fooled me, with all the construction going on as new casinos and shopping centers were being built, and plenty of people were on the strip passing out coupons and flyers for drink specials, tour discounts, and of course, information on girls "live 24-7 for your entertainment." (I heard one guy by the new Planet Hollywood casino being built on the strip say he gets $20 an hour just for passing out those little flyers!)

8. If you ever get bored in Vegas, you simply aren't trying hard enough to find something to do! This is the city that never sleeps - there's always something going on 24-7!

That's all for now - if you're heading out to Vegas in the near future, play it safe (oh, and bring plenty of sunscreen lotion too - you're gonna need it!) and have fun. You know what they say about what happens in Vegas...

Minnesota Twins at the All-Star Break

It's my birthday today - another year wiser, I know!

My birthday usually falls around Major League Baseball's All-Star Break. With another American League win yesterday, I thought I'd look at the Minnesota Twins' progress at the break.

Although he tailed off a bit in the last few weeks, Joe Mauer's AL-leading batting average and career high 15 home runs shows how much the team missed him in April. First sacker Justin Morneau is on pace for a 40-homer season and another .300 batting average, and power production from OF/DH Jason Kubel, 3B Joe Crede and RF Michael Cuddyer have keep the Twins in most of their games.

Brendan Harris has been playing his heart out at shortstop, and OF Denard Span has been contributing nicely since his return from the disabled list after an inner ear infection.

Starting pitcher Nick Blackburn should, in my opinon, be the ace of this staff - he's been putting in more and more quality starts lately, and has been one of the most consistent pitchers on the staff. Kevin Slowey has done well, and even callup Anthony Swarzak has been impressive in most of his outings.

In the bullpen, Matt Guerrier and Jose Mijares have consistently done well, and closer Joe Nathan has continued to show why he's one of the best in baseball. Newcomer RA Dickey has also done well most of the time in long relief.

Those are the highlights, now on to the lowlights:

1. Delmon Young continues to show why he's doesn't belong in the big leagues. He strikes out too often and only has 3 home runs - not the type of numbers the team had in mind when they traded for him. His outfield play has been inconsistent too.

2. Nick Punto is slumping at the plate again - he's terrific defensively, but his offensive shortcomings really show why the team would be better trading or signing an experienced second baseman, and putting Punto in the utility infielder's role.

3. Jesse Crain was atrocious in the bullpen before being demoted to Class AAA Rochester, and free agent signee Luis Ayala was another free agent signing mistake by the team. I found myself cringing far too often when I watched him pitch.

4. Scott Baker, the supposed ace of the pitching staff, has been less than impressive this year. He's giving up way too many homers, and hasn't had the consistency the ace of a staff is expected to have.

5. Francisco Liriano has to adjust to the fact that he's not the hard-throwing lefty he was before Tommy John surgery on his arm. He seems to get really flustered when things aren't going well for him on the mound, and just gets himself into trouble. He needs to trust his stuff if he's going to stay in the rotation.

6. Center fielder Carlos Gomez, like Delmon Young, has also shown this year that he's a not-ready-for-prime-time player. He swings at just about everything at the plate, and pouts and sulks in the dugout when things aren't going his way. He had a great game against Chisox hurler Mark Buehrle before the break, but he's not as good a hitter as he thinks he is. I can see why manager Ron Gardenhire has put him in a lot of games as a late-inning defensive replacement.

7. The Twins have a weak bench. Backup catcher Mike Redmond's batting average has been in the .220's lately, which is about 30-40 points higher than infielders Alexi Casilla, Matt Tolbert and Brian Buscher. They don't really have any experienced players in the minors that can supply the pop or timely hitting right now, either.

For a team that's one game above .500 and four games back of the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers, I think my assessment of the team is fair. I've been a fan of the Twins for a long time, and of course I want to see them do better. They can be very fun to watch during the race to the playoffs.

To improve this team, I think they need to get an established second baseman, like Freddy Sanchez of the Pirates, in exchange for Young, Gomez and/or some minor leaguers. I think the starting rotation is good, we just need to have a more consistent second half from Scott Baker, Kevin Slowey, Glen Perkins, and Francisco Liriano. The bullpen is pretty solid, but they were over-used by necessity in the first couple of months.

Here's to a hopefully more productive second half of theseason for the Twins!

Sometimes I'm Saddened by Human Nature...

I haven't been on this site in awhile, but I heard some news the other day that disturbed me, so much in fact that I just had to write about it.
I found out via social networking that one of my friends from high school was on the local news the other day. Turns out he was harassed by some Somali kids after leaving a gay pride parade. What was my friend's crime, you ask? His so-called "crime" is that he is gay.
When I first heard about this, I was angered and disappointed - disappointed because these kids really should have known that this was improper behavior.
I have gay friends and relatives, and to me, their sexual preference doesn't even concern me one iota. I'm thankful to have been blessed with a very diverse family, so growing up I easily learned how to accept people of different races, cultures, religions and sexual preferences. To me, it's important to recognize and respect these differences, but deep down, the person's quality and character are what really matters most.
As of now, these kids have gotten off unscathed. I really hope they are sat down and taught the important lesson of just how painful and wrong discrimination is. Discrimination of any kind really aggravates me, and I really think my friend should have been able to go about his business in peace.
Well, I'll get off my soapbox for now - thanks for letting me vent. Have a safe & happy holiday weekend, everyone!