What I’ve learned since moving to D.C. (some of which should be obvious): 0029

1401.  Watching the ballet is kind of like watching a silent movie;

1402.  The ballet is more enjoyable if you read the program synopsis beforehand and actually have some idea of what’s going on;

1403.  Robbie has soft hands;

1404.  During basketball games, the event staff at the Verizon Center is more concerned about searching your (drawstring) bag than they are about searching your jacket;

1405.  Blake Griffin (of the Los Angeles Clippers) is an amazing dunker.  He’s so explosive and he throws the ball down with such authority. . . . He’s not bad at laying it up either;

1406.  Rabbit has a lot of tiny bones;

1407.  In some plays, the actors actually eat and drink.  They don’t have to pretend;

1408.  Apparently, the food at Jaleo (Jaleo.com) inspires public, late night make out sessions by the front windows;

1409.  Some bouncers go on power trips and try to threaten you even though they don’t have any authority.  They don’t have any power if you’re already leaving;

1410.  You can get entertainment, merchandise and service discounts at Recoup (Recoup.com). . . . Recoup also donates a portion of the purchase price to a designated charitable organization;

1411.  Nominal tax receipts have gone up every year–thanks to economic growth and inflation–but in general have risen less after taxes have been cut than after they have been raised;

1412.  The last big tax cut, during the Reagan administration, had no measurable impact on the economy’s growth rate.  And with tax rates now lower in the United States than any in the industrial world, it seems unlikely that they are the main drag, though of course you never really know;

1413.  When you fly, you shouldn’t pack your contact lens case filled with saline solution.  It tends to explode and spray everywhere;

1414.  You can actually get paid to watch TV;

1415.  Everybody in Las Vegas is trying to hustle you . . . from the club promoters to the people handing out cards (i.e., “porn slappers”) and even the women selling beauty products at the kiosks in the casino shops;

1416.  Be wary about the women who approach you (by themselves) in casino bars (and lounges).  They could be prostitutes;

1417.  According to some prostitutes, people don’t do that (i.e., hang out) here (in Vegas);

1418.  Is there something wrong with me that I feel bad for wasting a prostitute’s time? . . . She was talking to me when she could’ve been “busy” with somebody else (and making a living). . . . Sorry, “Taylor;”

1419.  It’s kind of sad when you have a hopeful, innocent (albeit somewhat naïve) sense of the world and all of a sudden it’s dashed away and replaced by a grim, callous reality;

1420.  Pee-Wee Herman (i.e., Paul Reubens) is a pothead;

1421.  They have $5.00 blackjack tables at Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon (BillsLasVegas.com);

1422.  Billy Kraus and David Mauk, the dueling pianists at Napoleon’s (Dueling) Piano Lounge (www.ParisLasVegas.com/Casinos/Paris-Las-Vegas/Casino-Entertainment/Dueling-Pianos-Detail.html) inside the Paris-Las Vegas Casino, are pretty incredible.  They’ll play all sorts of requests from Metallica to the Eagles to even the Spice Girls;

1423.  I’m a fan of the $5.00 virtual blackjack machines at the Excalibur and Luxor casinos.  I like the cheaper minimums and the fact that I don’t feel pressured to make a quick decision about my cards because a (human) dealer is waiting on me;

1424.  Gale Sayers looks like any other Joe Schmoe.  From the looks of him, you wouldn’t think he’s in the Pro Football (and College Football) Hall of Fame;

1425.  The fabled $7.77 meal does exist in Vegas.  Mr. Lucky’s 24-7 (www.HardRockHotel.com/#/Dine/Mr-Luckys-24-7) at the Hard Rock Hotel has a steak and three shrimp dinner with mashed potatoes and a side salad for $7.77.  Don’t bother looking for it on the menu, it’s not there.  Just ask for it;

1426.  Waving to the cops when you’re inebriated probably isn’t a very good idea, unless you’re in Vegas;

1427.  Why do people (i.e., women in minivans) ask the inebriated guy from out of town for directions?

1428.  (Chef) Rick Moonen (from “Top Chef Masters: Season 2”) flies out of Newark Liberty International Airport . . . and he's a fan of the carryon backpack;

1429.  People who make a huge deal about being nice usually aren’t;

1430.  It’s strange seeing the building where you live in from a plane;

1431.  Gina has a strong tongue;

1432.  If you don’t like eating mushy apples slice them up so that each piece has some skin.  The crisp skin makes the apple seem less mushy;

1433.  The Hard Times Café in (Old Town) Alexandria has $5.00 hamburgers all day on Mondays;

1434.  As we go through life, we have visions about how important milestones in our lives should look and feel.  Most of the time, the reality of the situation is a mere shadow of our vision, but every once in a while the reality is actually better in unforeseen ways;

1435.  I’m sick of my life being “fine.”  I want to actually feel something.  I want to feel my heart pounding out of my chest in anticipation.  I want to feel my heart leap out of my chest with hope and at the same time feel a sense of trepidation at the possibility of falling into despair.  I want to be able to wake up in the morning and be glad it’s a new day and look forward to what the day brings and anticipate good things to come.  I want to go through the day and see the bright things in life instead of the dark.  Instead of wishing the cold winter day away, I want to be thankful for the warmth on my face as the sun shines down.  Instead of fearing the cold and not wanting to get out of bed, I want to be excited at the thought of curling up underneath the covers with someone I love and to wrap my arms around her and feel the warmth of her body against my skin.  Being “fine” isn’t so fine;

1436.  The (Toyota) Prius is disturbingly quiet at low speeds;

1437.  Sometimes there's a reasonable explanation and it's our worst fears that cloud our judgment;

1438.  I don't like to gossip, but I do like to listen;

1439.  Dress for the job you want not the job you're in;

1440.  People are people first and employees second;

1441.  The “endless popcorn” at the Verizon Center really is endless;

1442.  Celebrities (e.g., Boyd Tinsley from the Dave Matthews Band, Michelle Kwan and Alexander Ovechkin) come out to see the Lakers play even when they’re not in Los Angeles;

1443.  Kobe (Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers) sure loves the fadeaway jumper;

1444.  It can feel 10 to 20 degrees colder in the shade (especially in a windy stadium);

1445.  Explanation is where the mind comes to rest;

1446.  The lobster rolls at Hank’s Oyster Bar are better than the ones at Luke’s Lobster (LukesLobster.com);

1447.  The impulse to suppress appetites and sympathies in the name of principle is the mark of a radical;

1448.  If you vote for the lesser of two evils either you are the lesser of two evils, or you are not being represented;

1449.  Democratic politics depends on direct confrontation and commitment to ideas;

1450.  It’s not a good idea to drink John Dalys (i.e., iced tea with vodka) and shots of Jameson (Irish whiskey) starting at 1 o’clock in the afternoon;