Wednesday, April 22, 2009 by Alexandria Harper.

Howdy, everyone. I’ve posted the photos for the Celtic Festival and Highland Games held this past weekend here in Las Vegas. I guess nagging does work because I didn’t watch TV tonight so these photos would be posted and I wouldn’t have to eat crow tomorrow. That’s right, I missed “Lost” and “Ghost Hunters” for you, Tina and Lisa. Thank God for DVR. Click here to view the photo page.

Just a few other things of note. There’s a rumor going around that there is lawsuit against Twilight series writer Stephenie Meyer from her college roommate claiming that Twilight is based on a short story she wrote in college at BYU. Rest easy because the lawsuit isn’t true and the hoax is certainly not affecting the filming of the next movie in the series, New Moon. In other Twilight news, SciFi posted a photo of the new members of the Quileute wolf pack on their web site (see below).

Photo from SciFi.com. Pictured left to right: Paul (Alex Meraz), Sam (Chaske Spencer), Jared (Bronson Pelletier) and Embry (Kiowa Gordon).

Wow, I definitely cannot wait for that movie to come out now! New Moon will be out in November closely followed by the next installment in the series, Eclipse. They are wasting no time making preparations.

In other vampire news, SciFi has posted a teaser clip for season 2 of “True Blood“, starring Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer. If you haven’t seen “True Blood” and you love the genre, it’s time to get on the bandwagon! It’s a great series, not kid-friendly or for the faint of heart mind you. “True Blood” is so great I even forgive writer/producer Raelle Tucker for leaving “Supernatural“. =]

I’ve read all of the Sookie Stackhouse novels and I can’t wait for the adventure to continue on HBO. I’m not usually into blondes but I have to say, I love the norse vampire character, Eric Northman, who is played by Alexander Skarsgård on the show. Charlaine Harris‘ next Stackhouse novel, Dead and Gone, comes out May 19. I’ve already pre-ordered on Amazon.

Time to walk the dog and go to bed. Talk to you soon.

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Monday, April 20, 2009 by Alexandria Harper.

It is a happy Monday for me. Today marks the end of the first class of my Master’s degree. Yeah! Only nine more classes to go! The next one starts tomorrow. If I don’t take any breaks in between I should be done by mid May 2010. This class didn’t wipe me out too much so I think I can make it.

I’m downloading pictures from my camera as I type so I may actually post some of last year’s travel photos here this week. I haven’t down loaded my photos in a while so there were 1121 to download! iPhoto’s been chugging along for a few minutes, so I think I’m going to have to keep up with that better in the future.

I took a bunch of photos at the Las Vegas Celtic Festival and Highland Games yesterday so I’ll have to post some of those as soon as I get them ready. I had a great time. There’s something serene and wonderful about bagpipes. I’ve always liked the sound of them. There was some good food too. I had the best lamb stew on the planet at the McFadden’s Restaurant & Saloon booth. Okay, I concede may be exaggerating just a little bit, but it was really good. McFadden’s is located at the Rio Resort and Casino in case you want to sample some for yourself. I didn’t get to do the mead tasting. It was just as well considering it was 87 degrees. I’m a lightweight anyway, so blistering heat and inebriation would not have mixed well for me.

On another note, I wanted to let you guys know that I’m participating in the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Southern Nevada Race for the Cure® on May 2. If you’re feeling charitable or just want to check out more info, visit my race page at
http://race.komensouthernnevada.org/goto/alexandria.harper. I’ll be doing the 5K walk–no runnin’ for me. I leave that to my more adventurous friends.

Just a quick follow up to my previous post Is Vegas Bust?… The unemployment rates are in for March and Nevada’s rate went up .1 points to 10.4%. I hope this economic hailstorm clears up soon because Nevada’s getting pummeled!

Last, but not least, I know that the last couple of email notification didn’t include the link for my blog post. I’m going to blame gremlins. To attempt to alleviate this issue I’ve switched the notifications from Plain Text to HTML format, which give you the whole post anyway. If you don’t like this format let me know and I’ll change it.

That’s all for tonight. Catch you later!

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Sunday, April 5, 2009 by Alexandria Harper.

1. We’ve got the space for any sized event
Las Vegas is home to 9.8 million square feet of exhibit space and three of the top 10 convention centers in the United States are right here. The Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) alone has 2.3 million square feet and is home to some of the biggest convention events in the country, including the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) and construction industry convention CONEXPO/CONAGG. If the LVCC doesn’t strike your fancy, there’s always the Sands Expo and Convention Center (1.8 million sq. ft.), Mandalay Bay Convention Center (1.7 million sq. ft.) or countless other hotels and casinos that offer meeting rooms for conventions great and small.

2. Experienced staff
Conventions are big business for Las Vegas. An average of over 22,000 meetings and conventions are held here every year. That means the staff at all of the venues in town know how to help you make your convention or meeting a success.  Many of the major players in the convention industry have corporate or district offices in town, which means corporate office staff knowledgeable of local information and hands-on customer service at your venue of choice.

3. Plenty of places to stay
Need a room? No problem, we’ve got over 140,000 of them, most of them are in hotels that resemble small cities and offer every accommodation you can imagine. Now is the time to book too. Many of the hotels are running great specials now  to lure back the tourism and convention industry. For instance, The Orleans Hotel and Casino, one of my favorite local casinos is offering $34 a night May 25-28 if you book online. The Red Rock Hotel and Casino (I see A LOT of movies there) is offering a Dinner and a Movie package that includes one night of deluxe accommodations, two movie tickets, two buffet passes for around $100. And when they say deluxe, they aren’t kidding. I’ve stayed at the Red Rock and was extremely impressed with the accommodations. Swanky and affordable!

4. Beautiful weather
With average temperatures in the mid-60s, super low humidity and 320 days of sunshine a year, Vegas’ is a great place to hold a convention. No worrying about rain delays! The winters are mild and the summer weather is tolerable. Las Vegans love their weather and it’s one of the major reasons why we live here. Make it one of the reasons you visit us!

5. We can get you where you’re going
Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport is one of the busiest in the nation, with flights from over 130 cities, many of them non-stop. And once you’re here, you can get around town by taxi, bus or monorail. Many of the larger conventions offer shuttle bus services from major hotels to the convention centers for the convenience of the convention attendees.

6. Activities galore
The nightlife in Las Vegas may have given the town a bad rap but there is plenty of other things to do in town that are less lascivious. If you’re traveling with your family, check out the Lied Children’s Discovery Museum (it’s fun for adults too), The Springs Preserve or the Adventuredome at Circus Circus. There are great places to explore near Las Vegas too. Visit Hoover Dam, Bonnie Springs, the Valley of Fire State Park or the Red Rock National Conservation Area or even take a drive to Death Valley National Park. Not everything is expensive, either. You can come to Vegas and stay within your budget. Check out this list of 25 Free Things to Do in Las Vegas.

Statistics courtesy of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitor’s Authority.

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Sunday, April 5, 2009 by Alexandria Harper.

If you were ever in doubt about the power of the Presidential office, what I’m about to discuss will convince you. One off-hand, irresponsible comment has set off a chain of reaction so severe that our city is in jeopardy. [Please note that “irresponsible” pertains to the comment made only. No mail bombing me for saying Obama is an irresponsible president, and if you do you’re only proving the point I’m trying to make in this post.]

On February 9, 2009, President Barack Obama was speaking at a town hall meeting in Indiana about the state of the economy and, specifically, the role of financial institutions in its downturn. He chastised the institutions involved in the Bail-Out and stated that they shouldn’t take trips to “Las Vegas…or…the Superbowl on the taxpayer’s dime”. He also called for them to practice “accountability and responsibility”.

As a taxpayer, I agree wholeheartedly with companies focusing on accountability and responsibility for their actions and, above all, not wasting my hard-earned money. Also, I do not dispute that American public have misinterpreted what President Obama said. Somehow, his statement regarding the misappropriation of funds by troubled financial institutions became “stop going to Vegas for any reason whatsoever.” Clearly, that is not what Obama meant to happen, but the average American isn’t going to examine what he said closely. They take what the President says as gospel and if he says, “don’t go to Las Vegas,” they’re going to drop this city like a hot potato. He’s new to game and we all make mistakes. However, he should know that most people regard the President as an authority on all subjects, faulty logic or no.

The sad fact is that our city was singled out in the statement and our major sources of revenue, tourism, conventions and meetings, thrown into suspicion. Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman felt so strongly that he penned a letter the very next day asking for an apology. He later rescinded the request stating he was satisfied that the word is out there and that the President wasn’t trying to “disparage Las Vegas”.

On March 12, the White House issued a “clarification” stating that the President recognizes the importance of business travel to the tourism industry and encourages business travel for meetings. According to Metro Networks Communications, Obama is also planning a trip to Vegas for a fundraiser for Senator Harry Reid during which he is expected to talk about “talk about the importance of leisure and business travel.”

I commend him for making an effort; however, I don’t think Harry Reid is the path to winning back the hearts and minds of Las Vegans. I personally wouldn’t align myself with him. I’ve met the guy and I would say you’d be hard pressed to locate a more arrogant, self-interested waster of taxpayers money. Chalk it up to Obama’s newness once again. But I digress…

Now, we must ask ourselves, is it too little too late? Is the damage is already done? Some damage is evident at least.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports that 340 conventions have been cancelled in the last 90 days, costing our city $131.6 million in non-gambling projected revenue. What does that mean? More than just trouble for our economy, it means that thousands of people are going to lose their jobs.

As of February, the unemployment rate in Nevada was already at a staggering 10.1 percent. The last time it was that high was 1983 due to the recession in the early 1980s.

So what can we do to turn it around? Get the word out and I’m about to give you the ammunition in my next post. I’m splitting the post because this one is long enough and I’d like to highlight the next individually.

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Wednesday, April 1, 2009 by Alexandria Harper.

I know it’s April Fool’s Day, but I’m not the jokester type. No foolin’ going on here.

Oh, and by the way, I’m not playing hooky. I’m at home waiting to work on my team assignment that’s due today. I need all the pieces and parts from everyone else before I can put all of them together with my  pieces and parts. Sounds dirty but it’s not…moving on.

I am sad to report that Andy Hallett best known to Joss Whedon fans as Lorne on “Angel” passed away from a heart attack last week at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. He was only 33. I know he suffered heart problems for a while but we will certainly miss him.

On a more personal note, my friend Peggy Zellner passed away Saturday in her sleep. For those who didn’t know her, Peggy was a Naturopathic Doctor who also held gatherings each Tuesday at her office, Reflexology Management, in Las Vegas. Peggy was a bright light in this world and everyone whose life she touched will sorely miss her. Here’s to you, Peggy! See you on your next journey, my friend.

That’s the sad stuff, on to the glad…

Buffy alum Alyson Hannigan received the best birthday present ever on March 24— baby girl Satyana. How cool is that they’ll share the same birthday? Congrats to Alyson and her actor hubby Alexis Denisof (also from “Buffy” and “Angel”)!

Happy Birthday, Debbie Reynolds! She turns 77 today. “Singing in the Rain” is one of my all-time favorite movies so I feel the need to tip my virtual hat to Ms. Reynolds. Rotten Tomatoes recently interviewed her and I was pleased to find out that she hasn’t let the passing of years slow her down. She’s still touring and making the media rounds promoting the Warner Bros. movie archive collection.

I highly recommend checking out the interview. She’s a delight.

Until next time, kids.

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Monday, March 30, 2009 by Alexandria Harper.

I know, it’s been a thousand years since I’ve blogged. I’ve been rather busy. I promise to be more diligent in the future…

I did a lot of traveling last year–LA, Waikiki Beach, Catalina Island and Ensenada–which is something I probably should write about. And I will…a little now, more later and some photos. I’ve been so busy I haven’t even downloaded the photos from my camera! With the recession going on I won’t be travelling much this year. I am going to ComicCon (finally!) so I’ll be writing about that.

On another note, I’ve gone back to school to get my Master’s degree. I think that’s why I have the writing bug again. I’m strangely more productive now that I have a goal and purpose for my future. Funny how that works.

I went through a period of time where I didn’t want to do much of anything which culminated in copious amounts of TV watching. This in turn led to a mild depression due to the impending doom of the end of Battlestar Galactica.

*SPOILER ALERT*

Now that the end has come and gone I can say that I had a bit of a love/hate relationship with the last episode–and maybe the ones that led up to the end too. I don’t like the fact that Anders sat in a tub for the last few episodes, though I have admit that him becoming like a hybrid was clever. I just love that character so much, and Michael Trucco who plays him, I hated having him take a back seat. Also, a few of the last episodes felt like filler and didn’t have the substance I was yearning for with the end being nigh. Also, Starbuck fading away was sort of weird. I get the whole “angel” angle but the whole *poof* she’s gone thing was odd.

I do have to say the final battle between the “bad” Cylons and the Colonials, assisted by the “good” Cylons, was awesome! Well worth the wait there. It was also nice that they found our Earth and that it wasn’t 1980. I didn’t agree with everyone splitting up but I know what Moore and company were trying to say–we’re all descendants of the Colonists and Cylons, can’t we all just get along and stop perpetuating our destructive cycle? Soapboxy but intriguing.

*END SPOILER ALERT*

On a final note, I saw “Monsters vs. Aliens in 3D” yesterday and I really enjoyed it. It’s well worth watching in 3D–the effects were spectacular. Take your family, or just yourself, and go see it. I hadn’t laughed that hard in a while.

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Tuesday, January 8, 2008 by Alexandria Harper.

Hello again! I know it’s been a while but with the holidays and my studying I was a little preoccupied.

I am officially a Certified Internet Webmaster - Associate! I can even put this logo on my blog (or my resume for that matter).

How cool is that?

On with more pressing business…

As you may or may not know, one of the greatest shows on television was quietly cancelled just before the Christmas holiday.

If you’re interested there is a campaign to save The 4400. They’re calling it the “Seeds Revolution”. It’s similar to the successful peanut campaign that brought back Jericho.

Please send a letter starting February 1^st containing sunflower seeds to:

USA Network
30 Rockefeller Plaza
21st Floor
New York, NY 10112

For more info visit http://savethe4400.livejournal.com/ and http://www.savethe4400.net/.

There is a petition at http://www.savethe4400.com/ that has collected over 5,550 signatures.

Let’s see if we can make a difference one more time!

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Friday, November 23, 2007 by Alexandria Harper.

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!

I had a great time with my friends. The food was great! We watched “Live Free or Die Hard” and marveled at the crazy, over-the-top effects and that-would-never-happen moments. That being said, I still loved it. Justin Long is great with the one-liners and you can’t go wrong with Bruce Willis.

I also got a chance to try Guitar Hero 2 for the first time on PlayStation 2. For those of you who don’t know, Guitar Hero is a video game that uses a guitar shaped controller with which you “play” along with the music by hitting five colored buttons on the “fret” and then strum using a button that acts like a pick. This is harder than it sounds. Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child Of Mine” kicked my butt! The song that I thought was the most fun to play was “Surrender” by Cheap Trick.

I tend to stay away from video games because I remember how many hours I wasted in my early 20s playing video games. My problem is that I don’t like not being good at something. This game awoke my normally submerged competitive nature. My first score was just over 7000, which the kids say is higher than they got on their first crack at it. Maybe they were just trying to make me feel better. My highest score was about 25,000. Not only was it hard, but my left arm is killing me today! I used muscles I didn’t know I had. Mmm, maybe Guitar Hero could constitute a work out…

It is fun, but addicting. I might have to break down and buy a game console just so I can beat it. I think it’s more frustrating because I used to play the guitar. I think that created a different level of frustration for me because I was trying to play like you would a real guitar. On another note, if you haven’t seen it, you should check out the Guitar Hero South Park episode. I highly recommend it!

I’ll leave you all with a reminder that the much anticipated Battlestar Galactica: Razor premieres this Saturday on the Sci-Fi Channel. Follow the link for more info and to check out the Razor Flashbacks they’ve been showing during Flash Gordon.

Also, let’s pray that the writer’s strike ends soon because Sci-Fi has announced they’ve stopped production early for the holidays on next season’s Battlestar episodes because of the strike (see “Strike Idles Bionic Production” here). Most shows have already stopped production or will soon because they have less than six weeks of material left until they’re out of scripts.

The writer’s have agreed to go back to the table for talk to end the strike on November 26. Let’s hope for the best! You can see complete coverage of the strike here at Yahoo! News.

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Sunday, November 4, 2007 by Alexandria Harper.

Yes, I know. It’s not the most creative title but it’s descriptive so I’m going with it. This is my first attempt to join the world of blogging. I’m normally an early adopter of technology but for some reason I’m a late-bloomer when it comes to the Web Blog craze.

I’m also realistic in thinking that perhaps two or three people will read this blog if I’m lucky. However, I need to exercise the writing portion of my brain before it atrophies so here I am!

For those of you who don’t know me here’s a little info. I used to write a newspaper column about technology called “Wired World” in the late 1990s, back when wireless technology was barely burgeoning and I was apparently fond of alliteration. I’ve decided to keep this name for two reasons, the most obvious being nostalgia and the other is that it’s a play-on-words, something else I’m fond of.

I live in Las Vegas, the strangest place on planet earth–at least in my opinion and the opinion of nearly everyone that I know living here, so I stand by my statement. Vegas, the non-stop neon city-that-never-sleeps, is pretty wired in my opinion and it feels like another world. This otherworldly city requires me to consume large amounts of caffeine on a regular basis just to keep from falling down comatose because of information overload. The increased caffeine intake could have something to do with the fact that I’m now a web developer and stare at code all day now, but the other explanation is jazzier.

I’m also a bit of a movie and TV buff–well an entertainmentoholic might be a better way to describe me. I’m the person that people phone up and say, “You remember that guy that was in that movie?” and I usually know the answer. My favorite genre is sci-fi. Yes, I know that makes me a nerd but I’ve come to terms with that and wear my nerd badge proudly. I’m not such a nerd that it interferes with social interaction and prevents me from having interpersonal relationships. I can have a conversation that does not involve references to “Battlestar Galactica” when necessary.

I’m sure you’ll discover more about me as time goes on. For now, I’ll plan on posting some photos from trips I’ve taken recently and discuss random things that I think are cool or important.

Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!

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