midwestern sun

back in sugar

New Avengers Illuminati Special. O.k. all those bad things about this book I said last week I take back. Great use of the players here. I'm a little surprised on Iron Man's stance, and i couldn't tell who Black Bolt was pointing at, but we will see. I think I know why I didnt' enjoy last weeks story. I don't think I like Deodata's artwork. I guess I'll just miss Mcniven. But oh well he's doing the Civil War and I'll be reading that. Too bad there going to kill Speedball.

Had a good lunch at Atlas today and picked up the first three volumes of Sealab at the Sam Goody going out of business downtown. Going to make some dinner tonight so I'm off to look up recipes.

turtle dreams

"the turtle is in the water!"
So it is. What's the big deal?
Can it swim? Yes. Can it fly? Maybe.
"Could you buy me a coke?"
No. Not right now. Can you come back in say, an hour?
"I'm busy then."
Yeah. that figures.
"Have you met Pablo?"
Once, in Toronto. Swell.
"Once read a comic book."
Twice, I played guitar, especially for him.
"And what did you sing?"
Can't quite remember. Can't quite recall.

i have a ds phat

Ds Fanboy Is my new favorite video game site for what is quickly becoming my most serious time waster. This and it's parent site Joystiq are keeping me up to date and more importantly overly excited. and the geek beat rolls on. and on.

final day in Vegas.

So our final day in Vegas we took it pretty easy. We strolled onto the strip at 1100 am and headed for the half price tickets booth outside the showcase mall. We ended up getting tickets for V the Variety show at the Alladin that night. We then went and had a wonderful lunch of Bento Boxes from Ra Sushi. I really liked this places menu and the atmosphere. Very young crowd and young employees. More Sushi places should have this hip youthful Japanese feel.

We then headed up and took a look at the Mirage at one of Sigfried and Roys famous white tigers. Uhm, where the Mgm Lions were happy and well cared for, this tiger looked bored out of his mind in his tiny garden and he just paced back and forth. Beautiful animal but shame on the Mirage.


After this we went and really relaxed at the Forum Shops at Ceasers Palace. It was a day for strolling and we found some unexpected things. At Fao Shwartz Jessica picked up a complete set of artists Marcel Dzama's action figures for under forty dollars. I'll review them sometime next week. I bought candy. Yes the universe was reversed. She bought toys, I bought candy. We then watched the Animatronic show the fall of Atlantis. Wish more malls had free entertainment like this, they wouldn't feel so stale. But anyway, we wandered for an hour or two and then headed out to The Alladin shops where our show for the night was.


The alladin has a cool rainstorm that happens every hour where it thunders and gets louder and then goes off in the distance. It was beautiful outside but we were so tired we were happy to sit at a pizza joint with slices and watch the rain come down for an hour or two.


V the Variety show was very good Vaudeville type acts. It's a small intimate theater and it works well for the acts like the strongmen because you can really see there motions clearly. It's definetly a very fun, very vegas show if you get the half price tickets. The host was hilarious and I wish i remembered his name.

After the show it was nine, still early so we crossed the street and watched the Bellagio fountains dance to Elton John and then a classical song and headed back to Circus Circus where we got fries and a milkshake at Mcdonalds, before calling it a night.Our transport to the airport would be picking us up at 345am, we better get our four hours of sleep. All in all a wonderful vacation, and Im pretty sure with all the construction going on In Vegas, I'll be back again to see what's new and to hit my favorites again.

Cirque Du Soliel's Mystere.

So wed night in Vegas we went to see this Cirque show at Treasure Island. I admit i was aprehensive about paying so much for tickets, but it's worth every penny and there are no bad seats in the house. we got the cheap seats but the action is visible no matter where you sit and there is so much visual entertainment going on that you can;t catch it all in one viewing. If you've never seen a cirque show before it's a mix of dance, choregraphy, circus acts, and really crazy costumes. It's larger in scale then anything you've ever seen before and probably will again. If we ever go to Vegas again I'm getting tickets to O, and Ka, and if they come though chicago with one of there traveling shows I'll be going. The neat thing about a Vegas show is that the theatres which are multi million dollar venues are built just for them so they can incorporate a lot into the stages. Mystere had huge ceiling acts, a sinking and revolving stage and so much more. Truly a feast for the eyes and at moments very beautiful. If we had done nothing else in Vegas, (but as you can see we did plenty) this would have made the trip worth it.

day 3 vegas continued.

so we left star trek the experience and took the monorail up to the huge mgm on the other side of the strip. The MGM has one of the best free events in the MGM LIons. These animals are not like your normal zoo animals as they are happy and are playing with each other and even humans who just sit and hang out with the lions. You can tell there well cared for and probably treated better than even the high rollers in Vegas. There is a neat viewing tunnels where your right under neath the large cats. Truly the best attraction in Vegas if you have no money.

After MGM we crossed the street to Mandalay Bay which despite it's luxury, it and it's neighbor casino The Luxor, shaped like a pyramid, bored me senseless. Maybe i was burning out or just tired but nothing much to see here, move along little doggy. We then went to New york New York which as you can see from the picture is a replica of Manhattan, including coney island inside. We had beers on a street inside to rest our feet and soak up that east coast atmosphere.




Next we went down to the Bellagio with it's beautiful inside botanical Garden. The flowers were amazing, and I hate nature. really the nicest place on the strip, this is the hotel to get married at. Also this picture is of the glass ceiling made by Dale Chihuly. It's all blown glass shaped like flowers. Impressive.



And outside is the wonderful Bellagio fountains, which play in rythm every 15 minutes to a different song. they are a wonderful spectacle that could be watched over and over. In Fact we came back the next night to watch them some more.




We then headed down to Treasure Island for our cirque du soleil show at 1030pm but first we caught the Sirens of Ti show outside. The pirate ships and explosions are pretty cool, but the acting and the show itself, need much drinking before you watch it. It's probably the cheesiest thing in Vegas, and that's not a good thing. Still for free to watch two pirate ships battle and one sink, is pretty darn cool.

On to Cirque Du Soleil's Mystere! Next blog!

Owen, Machine Elves, Deathships, Quiet Bears

Get back to Vegas Day 3 next blog, last night I went to see the above show.
Quiet Bears opened, and they are a lovely two piece from the quad cities. It was a very nice relaxing set. Then came Iowa Cities own Deathships, who as usual bring the rock. Machine Elves are on tour with Owen and they play a fast punkish/mid nineties indy. There best moments came while they heckled Owen through out his set. Owen pictured above was very very good. Very pretty and his guitar work is impressive. Another amazing Polyvinyl artist springing from the whole Cap N Jazz thing almost 15 years ago. We shouldn't even mention that band anymore. It's members including Owen have contirbuted so much more since then. He's been in Joan of Arc, American Football and more. Give the man credit. After all that music he's peaking now with Owen.


comics picked up yesterday
Loveless # 5 Great semiending to the first arc A+
New Avengers #17 ehh. Don't know why but this book is losing steam for me C+
More Vegas next blog.

Vegas Day 3. The morning of star trek

So we went through Circus Circus's Adventuredome pretty quickly Wenesday morning, just to see what was there. Its pretty cool for a theme park to be indoors but I had another theme park in mind for our day, Geek Nirvana, at Star Trek the Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton. If you ever get a chance to go, GO. Even if your just a casual fan, its worth it. The entire place is set up like Deep Space Nine's Promenade with Quark's Bar hosting the food in the middle. The ticket gets you unlimted rides on Both Klignon Encounter and the new ride, Borg Invasion 4-D, and also access to the history of the future museum, which is basically a history of Star Trek. Ohh, i could have taken all day just looking at the props there, but to be fair to Jessica, We only looked at everything once like normal people. There are actors dressed up as klingons, and as you can see from my picture even an Andorian! They are all very good and stay in Characther. While we were eating our lunch at Quark's a Klingon saw my Coke, instead of beer, and insisted the babies on his planet drink better than I did.

The rides are both great. On the Klingon Encounter they have done a remarkable job of recreating the Enterprise bridge and without ruining it for you, they really make you feel like you've been transported on board. The ride itself is showing it's age, but you wont care, as your too busy laughing, and smiling. Very Next Generation ride.

The borg Experience on the other hand is very new and fresh. You start by being chased by Borg, and it's got a very haunted house feel as you wind through the corridors. It really has some good scary parts as you get to the large shuttle where the 3d starts. They do a great job of making you feel like your getting assimilated and I think everyone jumps at one exact point in the ride. I'd put this ride up with but not better than Spider Man 3-d down in Islands Of Adventure in Orlando. It's very well done.

AFter the rides we ate at Quark's Bar. You would think that this would be basic theme park food. You'd be wrong. This may have been our best meal of the entire trip. All the food is named after something or someone from the show. Jessica got some blackened tuna that was really yummy, and i got the Cardassian Pockets which were basically steak gyros except for the Yamok sauce, which were very spicey mixture of sour cream and wasabi. Yummy.

We then shopped at garaks where i got new shot glasses, and a new geek T-shirt. I think if I lived in Vegas, I would quit my job and go work there. It was great time but we couldn't stay all day, more to see more, to do. I'll get to that tommorow. but why is that Gorn attacking me?

Vegas Day 2.

Day 2 in Vegas, we strolled out onto the strip past the old Riveria and into the new Wynn resort. The inside is very nice and we commented about how we couldn't afford to stay here for sure. Flowers line the casino, and we strolled through looking at all the niceties.






After that we headed over to the Venetian which is one of the neatest hotels on the strip. The inside of the hotel is lined with canals, just like Venice with gondoliers singing away and living statues entertaining in St. Mark's Square. You'll be able to see when I get pictures posted, but the ceilings are painted to the point that you feel like your outside. We went on a Gondala ride and had two songs sung to us in this fake Venice. Didn't have time to go to the Guggenheim Art Museum there but it's on the list for next time.

We next stopped at one of the classics of the stip, The Flamingo, Bugsy's hotel. The coutyard houses, Flamingo's and oddly Penguins, which no one can get enough of. It's a nice quiet moment for the casino sounds, and a pleasant diversion from all the money being lost.

Next we went to Paris. really we did. There was an eiffel tower, and the Arc de Triomphe. It's strange how basically Vegas is Epcot center, times ten. We had a wonderful French Buffet here, where all flavors of fish were our main course, followed by a tasty chocolate and apple crepe. Mmmm!

Then there was the Alladin which we went quickly through. It's basically a really nice mall with an arabian theme. but it has really cool indoor showers every hour.

Heading further up we got to a 1/2 price tickets vendor managed to get to tickets to the nights production of Avenue Q. We had time before that and headed to the showcase mall.

At the world of Coca Cola, we tried the seven dollar sodas of the world sampler. I do not recommend this after a lrage meal, as they give you lots and lots of soda. All the sodas were different from what were used to and the only one we agreed not to like was from Italy called the Beverly. It was disgusting.

After that we headed across the hall to M&M world a four story showcase for all things chocolate. I can't believe we got out of there without spending any money. We watched the free 3-d film "I left my M in las Vegas which was cute but very cheesy. We headed downstairs to Gameworks and we were short on time so we just browsed the many huge arcade games there. It was nice to see an arcade that has new games, and makes me wonder how the arcades in Japan must look.

We had two hours till our show, all the way back at the Wynn (about an hour walk and we walk fast), so we headed for it and laughed that we had just said earlier we couldnt afford anything at this hotel.

Avenue Q was hilarous. It's a very unique play told with actors and their puppet representations, and it's probably the funniest musical I've ever seen. It won the Tony in 2002 and is probably the earliest I've even seen a broadway show after it left broadway. I think I'd probably enjoy theatre more if they were all as creative and as current as this piece. We both left smiling after this. We played some slots in the Wynn, before heading out to our hotel and the Pink Pony resturant for some midnight eggs, and hashbrowns. Oh day two!

tommorow, the borg are coming, and cirque du soleil!

vegas day 1

so Las Vegas day one. we arrive around 6pm their time 8pm our time. so we check in at our funny family hotel Circus Circus, which is actually pretty nice for the price but looks a little old and shabby compared to the newer mega resorts down the street. Were hungry so we head for the Circus Circus Buffet which was filling but probably the worst meal we had the entire trip.

After dinner were pretty tired. from our day of travel but make a pact to stay up till mindight pacific time, in order to make it through the week. We go and watch two free circus acts under the midway and they were both very good. One was a gymnastics act and the other one was the classic trapeze. It's a weird sensation watching these performers, in a casino.


Afterwards we strolled the carnival like midway, where in my proudest moment i knocked down four dummies and won jess a stuffed puppy dog. ha! and then we played a game of air hockey, before deciding to make a venture onto the strip.

The bright lights, hit us and reenergized us as we walked past the Stardust, the Frontier, the huge Fashion Show mall and Treasure Island's docked pirate ship, all the way to the Mirage's free Volcano.
Although you can't see it in the picture because we were too busy taking video, this lake turns into a roaring volcano, and just like the circus shows, it's free, free, free! After this it's midnight and we walk home tired, but ready for our first full day in Vegas tommorow.

V for Vendetta

So I'll start posting about Vegas next blog, promise but just wanted to say I just got out of V for Vendetta and liked it very much. It does follow the graphic novel pretty closely with some hollywood interepretation thrown in but it works very well as a full piece. Hugo Weaving does a great job with his body language making V a wonderful characther and Natalie Portman is very good as Evey Hammond. Her 'torture' scenes are very well acted and actually sad. Thematically the film raises the same warnings as 1984, and other Owrellian prophecies, yet it resonates more so in this Bush controlled world. Very well done, and I commend Warner Brothers for not cutting this movie in fear of politics. Bravo!

i created a monster. a cute one.

So were back from Vegas. It was wonderful. I will write a day by day review of the shows, the places, and things we did in the coming week but for now I think I'll show you this creature I've created. We arrive in Vegas and check into the hotel room, but before we can hit the strip Jess needed to check on her dog.
Her Nintendog.
yeah, who would have thought it? Me waiting on Jessica to quit playing video games. I'll tell you about evening number one tommorow!

heading out...

hi. tommorow morning i leave for las vegas. so there will be no blogging until i return. look for saturday at the earliest, with a day by day photo diary? maybe. anyway. sing, sing, sing, ring, ring, ring, a ding, ding, ding.

The Killing Card.

The Killing Card by Mr. Mark Schwaber has arrived at the Lucky Creature Headquarters. You Know You Want It. The cover is even cooler in person and must be seen to be believed. three full panels of amazing Henry Darger artwork, plus the cd inside is one of the best albums we've heard in ages. YOU KNOW YOU WANT IT! Preorder it now at luckycreature.com
We will ship em the last week of march!

capote, evil times 4

Saw Capote last night and I think it's safe to say Hoffman deserved the best oscar award. The film is very good but s definetly not going to leave you feeling good about anyone in it, except maybe Catherine Keener's Harper Lee. After seeing the film you wonder just how bad things must have gotten for Truman Capote after In Cold Blood came out. I have a feeling he was haunted by a feeling of regret that we could all hope to never know.

Finished Resident Evil 4 last night. Amazing. i spent 20 hours to beat this game, and it is sitting on my shelf, where I'm sure it will get another run through in my lifetime. Surreal and creepy and plenty of innovative gameplay techniques that keep you coming back for more. I looked at my shelf of games too and noticed that Capcom really has been one of my favortie publishers these years. from P.N. 03, to Viewtiful Joe, they are filling my one need for games. Variety over graphics, and gameplay over technology. I hope there on board for the Revolution and can't wait to see what they are putting on it.

Fell # 4

Fell # 4 By Warren Ellis and Ben Templesmith. 1.99 Image Comics. I love this book. I really do. I love the crime feeling and the fact that detective Fell is feeling the desperation normally left for the criminals. That feeling of hopelessness that Ben Templesmiths art brings, and the amazing coloring job on these pages is really a strong yes to color in comics. I like the dogs bit in the backmatter as well, and I have visions of the U.S. closing off Detroit because the dogs have taken the city. It would be a reprieve for 8mile I bet. Still the best value in comics. Give me Number 5.

waiting...

so the new mark schwaber cd is due to arrive any day now. I hate the waiting. It would almost be better if i didn't know it was coming. We live on a pretty busy little road heading into downtown iowa city. So everytime a large truck or bus or anything goes by i stick my head up hoping it's the post office truck. Normally our mail comes on foot, so if i see the truck i get even more excited. I wish the mail would get here sooner so i could just say heh, not coming today, wait till tommorow. But alas it will be lunchtime till I know whether i have new presents to play with today.

coming up.

we got a new camera. so expect lightshow pictures from las vegas when we get back next week.
other things going on are, Marks cd should be in my hands this week. The Lucky Creature Attacks book is almost ready to go to press, and there is a split 7" in the works for a june release. will announce that in the coming weeks. I'm kinda sleepy. Kinda counting the days to our trip to the neon city. we have dates with star trek the experience, cirque du soleil, and red sqaure, a vodka bar made out of ice! plus i'm sure we will spend much time at M&M world because my partner in crime loves chocolate. Been to Vegas? Give me your favorite place, restaurant, attraction, and i'll be sure to visit it.

oScars?

Found this over at newsarama. If you read comics, especially marvel comics, you know this is funny. If you don't im sure it's just poor taste on my part.

Short Sweet things.

Hellboy In a story told to the new york explores club # 2 0f 2. Very good folklore tale here. Good all around comic. Hellboy being mr Mythology smasher as usual.
Finished Jonathon Lethem's Fortress of Solitude. A!
Now playing Resident Evil 4 (gamecube) Bomberman (Ds)
one and half weeks till Vegas! 9 days of work and three off.
Going to go watch Lost. Goodnight.