Aaron Stroot | astroot.info

So I went out to Las Vegas last week.  This was my third trip out there, and thankfully there were new things to see and experience.  I feel like I’m a Vegas veteran at this point, so I’ll list my Top 5 favorite places to visit and random things to do out there.

1. Bellagio fountain show – usually the first thing I check out
2. Bet on some sports at Caesars Palace – just did this for the first time, definitely a must
3. Eat at the various cafés in the Paris hotel
4. Check out the Luxor pyramid – if you stay there, you get to ride in the diagonal elevators
5. Visit the Venetian hotel – this place is just awesome

The people in Vegas amaze me.  Tons of people wearing designer clothing, carrying designer purses, betting large amounts of money.  I wonder how many of those people can legitimately afford to do that, whereas others are just living beyond their means.  One can assume that a lot of these people that are living it up in Vegas have greatly contributed to putting our economy in the tank.  Who knows?  Definitely a crazy environment out there.  Everyone needs to see it at least once in their life.  Shockingly, it’s kinda nice to be back in the real world and not in the bizarro world where Louis Vuitton rules.

We’re coming down to the end of the year, when computers and pollsters determine the pecking order of championship teams rather than some sort of playoff system.  Hell, even Barack Obama wants to set up an eight-team playoff in college football.  Everyone has their own opinions about the best college football teams and this blogger is no different.

1. Florida
2. Oklahoma
3. Texas Tech
4. Texas
5. USC

So… no Alabama?  Yes, that’s right. Alabama is a fraud. The SEC (especially the Western division) is weak this year. Alabama has pulled the Kansas trick from 2007.. beating all the nobodies on your schedule until you get a rude wake up call at the end of the year. KU got their call against Mizzou last year, Alabama will get theirs when they play Florida.

As for the Big 12, I believe that Oklahoma will get by Texas Tech, and then we have a major problem with the top three Big 12 South teams all having one loss and having beaten each other.  How the computers and pollsters will pick through that, I have no idea.

Back with another list!  This time, I’m recommending five of my favorite songs to play on guitar in the rhythm video games (i.e. Guitar Hero and Rock Band).  In no particular order…

1. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Maps” – Rock Band
2. Rage Against the Machine – “Bulls on Parade” – Guitar Hero III
3. The All-American Rejects – “Dirty Little Secret” – Rock Band (Download)
4. My Chemical Romance – “Dead!” – Guitar Hero II
5. Queens of the Stone Age – “Go With the Flow” – Rock Band

Good times, good times.