checking in

Friday afternoon in Las Vegas. Drinking half a yard of something called "moonshine." With luck, it will give me enough courage to make my first appearance at a poker table a little later on.

Hope all is well in C-town.

vegas, baby

Beginning early Wednesday morning, this blog and I will be in beautiful Las Vegas for a week. Get jealous.

I'll try my best to update live during the vacation -- with photos -- but the availability of an Internet connection remains questionable.

That said, if anyone has any gambling tips/suggestions, please send them my way ASAP. I've never played a game of poker in my entire life.

We'll miss you...keep the party hopping in Columbus!

digital love

Some 64 percent of Americans say they spend more time with their computer than with their significant other, according to this article.

This blog is more than happy to be your new spouse.

don't do this

The researchers over at Johns Hopkins University have just released a list of what a study revealed to be the "Terrible 10" rude behaviors. Here they are:

1. Discrimination in an employment situation

2. Erratic/aggressive driving that endangers others

3. Taking credit for someone else's work

4. Treating service providers as inferiors

5. Jokes or remarks that mock another

6. Children who behave aggressively or bully others

7. Littering or spitting

8. Misuse of handicapped privileges

9. Smoking in non-smoking places or smoking in front of non-smokers without asking

10. Using cell phones or text messaging mid-conversation or during an appointment or meeting.

What do you think? Any additions?

the monday moan

This blog cites a biological study that concludes men actually sleep more soundly than women when they share a bed with a partner. Women, however, have a more difficult time.

So here's this week's question:

If a partner was interrupting your sleep, what -- if anything -- would it take to get you to kick him or her out of bed?

Discuss. Now.

h 2 oh no

Today I had lunch at Sumo A-Go-Go for the second time. It's a welcome addition to the downtown lunch scene, particularly because sometimes I'm just not in the mood for a $10 sandwich. I love the rice bowls at the Sumo place...they're affordable and healthy. (At least that's what I tell myself.)

That said, my intense affection for the place was hampered when I asked for a glass of water with my rice bowl.

Tap water, apparently, costs 25 cents.

My reaction was nothing short of awe. I mean, I had just paid $6 for lunch. I can't think of any other lunch place downtown that charges you for water, assuming you buy food there. In fact, once I met some sources for an interview at Locos Amigos Cantina, where I ordered NO food and still got a free glass of water.

So right now I'm really torn. I love the food at Sumo, and the staff seems nice enough, but the whole water situation just rubs me the wrong way. The (very friendly) owner made some small talk with me on my way out, and I contemplated just point-blank asking him why they charge for H2O.

What would you do? Is it weird that this bothers me? (Remember, I'm operating on a journalist's salary, in which 25 cents equals roughly two hours of work.)

read and reap

Happy Monday!

Sorry for the delayed post...hopefully I can make up for it with this excerpt from "The Demon You Know" by Christine Warren, a book about a woman who falls in love with -- you guessed it -- a demon. Don't let that undermine the quality of this little exchange between the two main characters, though:

"I'm sorry," she muttered, looking at his shirt instead of him. "I meant it when I said I wasn't good at this."

"You were wrong. You happen to be very good at 'the sex thing,'" he said, stroking his hands down her back. "You simply need to work on the bits where you start talking."

He may be a demon, but he certainly has a human male's mind...