2/24    Has anyone been to a really bad comedy club? What was it like?
        \_ http://losangeles.citysearch.com/profile/41797960/santa_monica_ca/the_westside_eclectic.html
        \_ Westside Eclectic Comedy Club in Santa Monica, on 3rd+4th and
           Arizona (http://westsideeclectic.com It's not really a comedy
           club as it is more of social gathering for kids aged from 18-25...
           aspiring actors, comedians, community college students, and
           college drop-outs practicing their routines. 90% of the
           audiences were also actors/actresses and friends & family
           members. The remaining people were people like me who really
           looked out of place and actually paid $8-$10 for the night. I
           have no idea how they make money at a prime (e.g. expensive)
           location and my guess is that they don't. The atmosphere was very
           close knit and everyone knew everyone else, and these kids seemed
           to have a lot of fun performing and giving moral support to each
           other. Inside jokes were plenty, energy was extremely high, and
           they've put in a lot of time and efforts. Sadly, the bottom line
           is, unless you're their age group and know Joe, Bobby, and Momo
           or whoever they hung out with then you wouldn't get their half
           of their silly and stupid jokes.
             The bottom line is they've put in a lot of energy into acts
           that were SIMPLY NOT THAT FUNNY. Sure $8-10 isn't a lot of money
           but then again none of the shows there weren't that funny in the
           first place. If Seinfeld gets an A+, then the Westside Eclectic
           gets a D+, and maybe... maybe C- for trying so hard.
             PS. If you want to go a *real* professional comedy club and
           witness *real* humor, go to West Hollywood or Pasadena.
           \_ They're not that professional because they're not. They're
              students. It's a great business model if you think about it:
              1) Charge students to take the comedy class.
              2) The students perform live and charge fees to suckers.
        \_ Yes.  It was like watching the extended director's cut of the
           Abyss over and over and over.  What did you think it would be like?
           \_ How much did you pay for it?
              \_ About $12 per in 1992 or so at the door.  I can't remember if
                 that covered a drink.  I would've paid twice that to not have
                 been there if I'd known.
                 \_ Can you please tell us which comedy club is was so that
                    other suckers wouldn't go? Thanks.
                    \_ It was in San Jose in 1992.  I was suckered there once
                       by my gf.  I wasn't taking notes, sorry.
        \_ I went to Rooster T Feathers; it was pretty rotten.  Drinks were
           not bad though.  The comics were painfully unfunny; the best thrill
           was watching them so blissfully unaware of how rotten they were.
           For that reason, we were in hysterics.       -brain
           \_ Were they student performers or on weed?

2/24    http://www.econlib.org/LIBRARY/Enc/Reaganomics.html
        Truth liburals can't take-- Reaganomics (cutting tax, deregulation,
        and cutting government waste) really works.
        \_ I'm going to call that a slanted opinion piece.  Yes the author
           used to be an econ prof at Berkeley, but he wrote the above
           originally for the National Review, and he is now the HEAD
           of the Cato Institute.  I don't think everyone at the Cato
           Institute is a bat shit crazy person, but anything written about
           Reagan tax policies by that guy is going to have one slant
           and only one slant only.  There was an interesting article
           a few years ago in the Atlantic Monthly about Reagan, and
           the above author (A close advisor of Reagon) and his tax
           policies that I might pull up.
           \_ So which part is slanted? -emarkp
        \_ Wow, one economist wrote something on the internet, it must be
           true!  Let's conveniently ignore all the other things equally
           respected economists have written in peer reviewed journals!  If
           it's on the internet, it must be true!  Liberals are stupid! -dans
           \_ Which articles were you refering to?
        \_ So far as I know, no one, not even your straw man "liburals"
           are in favor of government waste. -ausman
           \_ I am in favor of government waste.  --straw man "libural".
              Seriously, though, your statement is a strawman.  Of course no
              one is in favor of waste.  The issue is the definition of waste.
              One man's valuable and useful program is another's waste.

2/24    I know a lot of people here live in the LA area.  If you're interested
        in seeing world class Brazillian Jiujitsu next weekend, the Pan-Am
        Championship will be in your area:
        http://www.ibjjf.org/pan2007registration.htm
        Not sure how it will work with spectators, but since it's not billed
        as a spectator event, I'm guessing you get in for just a few bucks
        or free, as with most non-commercial martial arts events.