My business plan. Has to be done. Why do I keep slacking off on it? I know it's essential if I am to apply for an SBA or microloan. One reason is the financials. I am not the best at numbers or keeping books. I have an idea of what kind of merchandise I want to buy and how much of each I should order, but I need to get together with a friend of mine to organize that. He has experience in purchasing, so he'd be a good person to get together with.

Also, my laziness. I've been out of work for a while, plus I've been on summer break from school for about three weeks. It's easy to just sit around on the internet (blogging on Plinky) LOL, but once I get my ass in gear again, I'll be good to go. I'm slowly getting my ducks lined up in a row and I'm meeting one of my vendors this weekend. Plus, I'm looking into a professional bookkeeping and accounting service to handle my finances in the future. It's hard to be motivated sometimes, but once I *am* motivated about something, there's no stopping me. :-)

If you're interested in what my vision for my future business is, you can take a look at my social networking sites I have set up. Thank you.

http://www.myspace.com/vegaspens
http://www.fbook.me/vegaspens
http://www.twitter.com/vegaspens

Miles, Jack, Stephanie, and Maya - who wouldn't want to be friends with them?

They were the first ones I thought of when I saw this answer. Sideways is the ultimate buddy flick (in my mind). Although, I'd have to keep an eye on Jack since he's a player, but other than that, he seems like he'd be great fun to hang around with. He's the type of guy who's positive, upbeat, and laid back. He's also the spontaneous type, so you'd never be bored. He's also a great friend, and encourages Miles to look at the bright side of life, even though it's kind of in a way that gets them into sticky situations.

Miles would be great to talk to, mainly about wine, but also about movies, culture, intellectual stuff. He's the type of guy you can have long conversations with, but you'd never be bored either (*if* you're an intellectual yourself, otherwise, Miles isn't your guy). He can be morose and depressive, but I think it all stems from his divorce and the fact that he feels discouraged about being rejected and not getting his book published. But if you could get him out of his shell, he'd be a great friend to hang around with as well. He's very grounded, so you can depend on him.

Maya and Stephanie would also be fun to hang around with, especially Maya. She's Miles's equal, so she also knows a lot about wines and is also an intellectual, so she is an intelligent and strong person. She also seems level-headed and has both feet on the ground. She'd be a better friend than Stephanie, in my opinion, who's kind of wild and free-spirited, but the great thing about Steph is that she seems like a non-judgmental person, someone who isn't stuck up or snobbish. She'd be great to hang out with too.

Overall, I would be friends with all the characters in the movie because they seem like people you would know in real life. It's based in reality, which is what I love about this film. Character-driven, real-life stories have always been my favorites.

I would like to share a story with my fellow Plinkers (?) about a blind date I had last fall with a guy I met through the local dating chatline. Believe me, if I could afford a dating service, I would not go on the chatline ever again because a lot of those guys are losers.

I took the bus down to Sahara and LV Blvd. to meet him since I had missed the stop I originally wanted (maybe subconsciously I did it on purpose since I felt the date was going to be a disaster, who knows?). We were going to meet up at the Wynn, but since I was running behind, we decided to meet halfway.

Now, I knew he said his truck was going to be repaired and he didn't have a vehicle as such, but to my shock and horror, he showed up on a scooter. He didn't have any helmets (which would have made it much more bearable, and safer), and I was scared shitless. Needless to say, I held onto him for dear life, but luckily we got to Circus Circus in one piece.

As far the guy himself, I actually had met him several months before when I used to work at the Wynn. He was a security guard there and we never really talked. He told me there was one time he said hi to me, and I looked at him funny and walked away. Now I understand why I did that LOL. He wasn't my type physically. I mean, he wasn't ugly, but he wasn't cute either, just very average. He was a nice guy, but I just wasn't feeling it 100%. Plus, he came from a family of gun-nuts. I mean, this guy was straight out of "Bowling for Columbine". He even said his sister got a Glock for her birthday. Right...

We went inside the theme park and I felt very uncomfortable. We went on a few rides, but no matter how much I tried to get into what we were doing, I felt no chemistry for this guy whatsoever. He seemed like he didn't have any ambition, no drive, he said he had another security guard job which he loved, where he just sat there and played video games. I knew as soon as he said that, it wasn't going to work out, but I went through the motions anyway.

When we were in line for the bumper cars, he asked this girl if he could take a picture with his camera phone of the tattoo that was on her back. Now, *she* was someone he should have gone out with, not me. I'm too much of an intellectual and way out of his league. He needed to be with a more bad-ass, streetwise chick with tattoos, someone who didn't give a shit whether she rode on a scooter without a helmet or not. Someone more rough around the edges than me. I should have given her his number.

After we finished riding the rides, we went to the Garden Grill for dinner. I thought if I ordered a cocktail, this guy might start looking good to me after a while. WRONG. As soon as I ate my dinner, I got sick. I had to go to the nearby drugstore to buy Pepto-Bismol. It was just horrible. I couldn't wait for the date to be over.

He dropped me off at my bus stop and he asked if we could do it again sometime. I should have been honest to his face right then and there and said I wasn't feeling it, but I didn't want to hurt his feelings. Later on, I texted him, telling him I wasn't the right girl for him and I hoped he would find someone great one day that would make him happy. He had to be a jerk and respond with, "Sorry to tell you this, but you're not my type. Thanks anyway." Whatever! After he told me I was "cute" and he was glad he found an intelligent girl like me. I tried to be nice and let him down easy, but he was all butt-hurt. Some people wouldn't even care and not even have taken time to tell him the truth. I could have ignored him, but I decided to be the bigger person. We can't all be compatible with everyone. It's just a fact of life. Oh, well. The search for a good man in Vegas goes on!

And that, my friends, in a nutshell, is why the Adventuredome was not as fun as it should have been.

lrg burgandy eye pillow

About seven or eight years ago I was pressured into buying this aromatherapy pillow by a guy at Westfield Shoppingtown Santa Anita. You know how there are these people at carts in the middle of the aisles at malls who try to get you to stop and "try" their products? Well, I made the mistake of stopping to talk to this guy who was selling these aromatherapy pillows. When it became obvious that he was only trying to sell me something I didn't need, it was too late. He would NOT let me go for the life of me. He used every rebuttal in the book to get me to buy this stupid pillow. No matter what I said to try to leave, it was like he hypnotized me or something. Finally, I bought the damn thing just to shut him up.

My ex-boyfriend was upset that I bought it (which annoyed me because it didn't cost all that much, plus he was a tightwad anyway), and to this day I have never used it. It still sits in my cabinet under the sink in my bathroom. I may use it one day if I ever get sick and need it for any reason, but I don't even really think about it anymore. All it has been doing is collecting dust. Maybe I'll give it away to Goodwill or something. If anything, the experience taught me to have better sales resistance. Now I can just ignore those people or tell them in a firm tone of voice, "No, thank you," and just keep going on my merry way. :-)

Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé

I *know* this will probably NEVER happen, but if I ever learned how to drive, and had the privilege, I would love to drive a Rolls Royce Phantom. I took a quiz on Facebook and it turned out that was the "ideal" car for me based on my answers. I saw a video on Youtube about it - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKTkl4EYgUc, and I have to say, it is a beautiul car. Overpriced, yes, but it is one of the ultimate luxury vehicles. Basically you'd be paying for the RR name, but you cannot think of RR and not think class, elegance, taste, luxury, refinement, and style. That is why I would love to drive it because it would make me feel like a million bucks.

Sexy Madonna
Writhing on the bed screwing
Dafoe in the head

Judy Blume! Yes, good ol' Judy. Writing about childhood and adolescence with such cringing and humorous narrative.

I think Sheila the Great was one of her better childrens' books. I could totally identify with Sheila. Being misunderstood by her family, and even her friends. She goes away with her family to the country for the summer, if I remember correctly.

One scene was where she and her friends get into a huge fight at a slumber party when they write "anonymously" about how they all really feel about each other. I thought that was a hoot. Plus, the situations she gets herself in are full of mischief, She lies a lot, is kind of a know-it-all, and is also afraid of things like spiders and swimming, but she is able to overcome those things throughout the course of the story.

In the end she learns a lot from her trip, and becomes better person and more self-aware as a result of her experiences. I think pre-adolescent girls could learn a lot from Sheila. I know I did when I was growing up. :-)

Lunch at In-N-Out Burger

YES!!! IN-N-OUT!!! "That's what a hamburger's all about!"

True, it's not very exotic, but it's a West Coast institution. Started in 1948 by the Snyder family in Baldwin Park, CA, it has grown to become one of the best-loved hamburger chains in the West. They have locations in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah. I try to eat there every chance I get.

The reason why they've been so successful would be their excellent, high-quality, fresh food. Everything is cooked to order. They don't use heat lamps or freezers like McDonald's or other mediocre fast-food joints. They use real Idaho potatoes for their French fries, plus the vegetables they use in the burgers are fresh, as well as the cheese and the buns. Plus, they have a "secret" menu, where you can order "Animal-style" burgers and fries, 3x3s, and other things.

Also, they pay their people $10 an hour to start. That's pretty damn good for fast food. I have never gotten an attitude from anyone there so far. They have great customer service, and it seems like they have plenty of help. It is almost always packed because people know how fresh everything is there. Their menu has pretty much been the same for over 60 years. Burgers, fries, drinks, shakes, coffee, and milk. You don't need other junk like the other places offer you. I'm sure that's also a reason why they have been so successful. They have low overhead and they are not franchised. They are all privately owned, I believe. They really don't have to advertise. I've heard their radio ads before, but that's about it. Pretty much their advertising is word-of-mouth.

If there are any other fast food places around, they don't get the business that In-N-Out does. It is my favorite fast food place, bar none, and my favorite burger place. Even though it's slightly higher in price than other fast food joints, it is well worth the price. McD's is for when you're broke and have no other alternatives - In-N-Out is for when you want to really treat yourself!

Better than sushi any day!

http://www.in-n-out.com

I actually do like Robert Greene a lot. I believe The Art of Seduction is his masterpiece. But I never got around to finishing The 48 Laws of Power, which was his first book. I also have The 33 Strategies of War, which I also have not finished. But what I read so far has been good in both books. I just stopped reading them because I got really busy. There are books that I have bought that I intend to read that I haven't even opened yet.

I believe Seduction is the only one I can really apply to my life thus far, but War and Power could also be useful in the future, especially Power, because it has a lot of strategies that could be applied to the business world. One of these days when I have some free time, I will pick them up again. Seduction is un-put-downable, though. I recommend it to anyone!

Okay, I didn't actually *see* this prank, but I can only imagine how great it turned out. I saw this note on one of my Facebook friend's profiles. I was compelled to share it with as many people as possible. I thought it was freakin' hysterical (IMO).

That'll teach those Millennial "kids" about the dangers of smoking pot! LOL!

"As I was staring out my 2nd story office window today, admiring the beautiful day I’m missing, my gaze was caught by some backpack sporting 9th grader, fresh out of school, nervously fiddling with some stuff in the desert. He’s squating down by this big concrete wall and is trying to tuck something underneath it’s ledge. Then he puts a big rock over it, hops down from the wall and slides through a mangled metal gate leading to the apartment complex next door. My co-workers and I could hardly contain our curiosity, so I went down to scope shit out.

His hiding spot wasn’t hard to find as estimated from the office, and low and behold I dug out a plastic bag with the following contents: Several lighters, an old Sherlock Holmes Pipe, a disassembled Bic pen caked with resin and a small amount of really shitty weed. Thinking I’d have a little fun with him, I put a few rocks in his bag, and hid it along the wall like another 20 ft down with the same big rock over it. Just to mess with his head a little. I made a Facebook status update about it and someone suggested I draw a treasure map and put it in his former hiding spot. What a grand idea!!! So much so that I just took the liberty of hiding his weed once again and writing out something of a ransom note/treasure map/life lesson for the kid. I had to post it on here for those following the Status thread.
Scribbled on six pieces of yellow index paper and scattered around the desert, you will find them below:


1.) Listen up Johnny Back-pack,

If you ever want to see your precious dirt weed again, you’ll do exactly as I say. Follow the directions below and you just might find your sweet cheeba in time to get super-duper Jetsons like high before the "That 70’s Show" reruns come on tonight.

2.) Head towards the faded red fire hydrant. I know there’s 2 of them, which one? Fucking follow your stoner guts kid. This isn’t going to be easy.

3.) Congrats on finding the right fire hydrant, set sail east towards the deserted shopping cart. Beware of rattlesnakes, not to make you paranoid or anything.

4.) Seems you’ve made it safely, you’re more determined than I thought. Now look south towards those two yellow stick things. Sorry, I don’t know what they’re called. No, not over there, like more southwest I guess, like 2 o clock maybe, by the street… see em? The bright yellow things? Yeah, go over there.

5.) Seriously, what are these things called? I Googled “Yellow Sticks” and came up with dick. K, now head over by that huge pile of crushed concrete slabs… Kinda behind you to the right. Can’t miss it. Not to change the subject or anything, but do you ever wonder how those big piles get there? It seems like there’s one in every desert, even ones that are like way out in the middle of nowhere. Where’d it all come from? Blows your mind, right? Anyway, search through that giant concrete clusterfuck and your Pot-Head Starters Kit is buried somewhere in it’s vicinity.

6.) Congratulations, you found it!!! Sorry you’ve had to endure this, but if you’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s that you need a waaaaay better hiding spot. You may think you’re cool, smoking weed alone in the desert behind your parent’s apartment like a bad ass, but remember, there’s always some older, much cooler kid, lurking in the office buildings above, waiting to ruin your day. By the way, I called the FBI the second you started reading this. They said they’re on the way. Helicopters have been deployed. You better get the fuck out of there.

Godspeed young pot-head, Godspeed.

I'm here till 5pm tonight. Hopefully he comes back.
To be continued…"

I would like to own a Google Phone (G1). Since I am already with T-Mobile, and I'm kind of a "Mac Hater", having a Google Phone would be a great alternative to an iPhone, since I don't want to switch to AT&T. I have always been kind of a rebel against things that are popular (for example, I own a Zune instead of an iPod and I am very happy with it). Not that the Google Phone is not popular, but I'm sure there are more people who desire or own an iPhone instead.

So, if I am in a better financial position, I would upgrade to a Google Phone. I have read some positive reviews on it, and I think it would be a great gadget to add to the ones I already own.

Not for the feint of heart! Yes, it is misogynist. Yes, it is demeaning toward women. No, it is not the best or even funniest book I have read in my life, but if you want to laugh at the idea of what this book stands for, and if you are not easily offended, I suggest you pick this up.

The book's chapters are organized alphabetically and they pretty much are exaggerated parodies (IMO) of chauvinistic male behavior: "O is for Obedience", "A is for Ass-Kicking", "T is for Taunting", "Q is for Quickie", "C is for Copping a Feel", etc. It's pretty much a "how-to" manual on how to be the most obnoxious son-of-a-bitch alive, which the author, Maddox, makes himself out to be.

Obviously, if you are a guy, you will find it funny as hell (maybe), but if you're a girl, you might not, but the thing about this book is just to take it lightly. That's what I kept telling myself when I was reading it. Yeah, I was offended by some stuff, but I considered the source, and I got through it relatively mentally unscathed. But if you think you can handle the sophomoric tone of the book, and laugh at how stupid Maddox is, go for it! :-)

I Don't Need a Man by The Pussycat Dolls

I love the chorus:

"I don't need a man to make it happen
I get off being free
I don't need a man to make me feel good
I get off doing my own thing
I don't need a ring around my finger
To make me feel complete
So let me break it down
I can get off when you ain't around"

It's one of the sassiest "You go girl!" songs I've heard in recent years.

Why is Las Vegas worthy of song? Because it just *is*!

There have been quite a few songs written about Vegas. My personal favorites are:

"Luck Be a Lady" by Frank Sinatra
"Las Vegas" by Steve Lawrence (from the concept album "Miss Spectacular")
"Viva Las Vegas" by Elvis
"Vegas" by Sara Bareilles
"I Love Las Vegas" by Dean Martin (from the "Live at the Sands" album)
"Leaving Las Vegas" by Sheryl Crow

As far as my own song about Vegas, I really don't have any lyrics, but if I did come up with some, I'd write about how crazy this town is, how tough it can be to survive, but that despite all that, it is one of the best (or worst) places in the world. Like anywhere, it is what you make of it.

Sure, it can be a place where people come to get drunk, gamble, hook up, and do things they normally wouldn't do at home. But it is also a fairly "normal" city once you venture beyond the Strip. Maybe that's what I'd call my song, "Beyond the Vegas Strip".

Last month I went to the LA Pen Show in Manhattan Beach. Since I am an avid pen collector and I am planning to become a dealer as well, it was nice to go back to California for a weekend. No casinos, no gambling, it was refreshing to see greenery instead of desert for a change.

I also went to a "real" Mexican restaurant (not that we don't have Mexican restaurants in Vegas), but when you eat Mexican food in California, it feels more authentic in some ways. It can be difficult to find good restaurants in Vegas, especially Mexican restaurants. In California, obviously you have a wider range of choices, so it was good to eat at what I considered a real Mexican restaurant.

What was also great about the trip is that we flew over the ocean when we left LAX. I hadn't seen the ocean in so long, so we had an awesome view. I still don't know if I would ever move back to California. It will always be my real home, but I am so used to Vegas now. Only time will tell. But it was great to get away from Vegas and go back to California for some semblance of peace, quiet, and "normalcy" again.

One of my favorite movies of all time is Sideways (2004).

When Virginia Madsen (Maya) and Paul Giamatti (Miles) are sitting on the front porch talking about wine is amazing. The first time I saw it I was in tears (I'm just too damn soft-hearted LOL). I wish she won the Oscar.

Here's her monologue. You really have to see the movie to understand it:

"I like to think about the life of wine. How it's a living thing. I like to think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing; how the sun was shining, if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes. And if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, like if I opened a bottle of wine today it would taste different than if I'd opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive. And it's constantly evolving and gaining complexity. That is, until it peaks, like your '61. And then it begins its steady, inevitable decline. And it tastes so fucking good."

The reason why it's such a great monologue is that it is really a metaphor for life and death in general, and specifically, about Miles himself.

Compassion

I think too many people out there are concerned with physical appearances, materialism, idle gossip, frivolity, and shallowness. People can be so malicious and cutthroat. It makes me sad that there are so many fake, phony people who are only thinking of themselves and not about others.

It should not matter what color you are, what your sexual orientation is, your religion, or your political beliefs. It should be about "right" and "wrong", not "left" or "right". We all need to work together to fix what is wrong in our country, not against each other.

It should not matter how many possessions you have or don't have. Things are things. When you die, you leave them all behind. Your possessions don't make you who you are. The way you treat others is what makes your character. If you are miserable and insist on making others feel small, then that is what you deserve. If you are positive, and treat others with respect, then that is also what you deserve. It's only fair.

What it all boils down to is just doing something everyday to help someone else, however small. I am not saying you have to be Mother Teresa, but if we all did something to make life better for our fellow man, the world would be a better place. This is our world and we all have to live in it. Never underestimate the power of positive thinking.

Plus, a little sense of humor and being able to laugh at things, even in the worst of circumstances always helps! :-)

Baseball = sex. Who knew?