Hypnotism comes to Galaxy; A teen helping hand at Comma

If you got this far in the Appeal, you've undoubtedly noticed that the Galaxy Cineplex in town is going legit - that is, offering live performances, in its initial foray into the field with Dan Mitt as hypnotist. Hypnotism is quite well received these days, not like it was when I was a teen and presenting hypnotist shows. I was never quite sure what I was doing but audiences seemed to like it. So I'm looking forward to seeing how the art has progressed Thursday night.

RACHEL TO THE RESCUE

It may be a cliché, but for some of us seniors there's nothing like a teen to help out with a new computer. Having received a new MacBook laptop for Christmas, courtesy of software engineer son Nick, I was all ready to jump into my laptop only to discover then when I fired it up it asked for a network connection and wouldn't do anything else but sit there staring at me.

Son Nick said go to a WiFi area and turn it on. Went to Borders but nothing happened. Turns out you have to pay for a "Hot Spot" ID to be able to use the WiFi at Boarders and other chain stores.

But Comma Coffee to the rescue. Arrived there on Saturday, turned on the laptop and was puzzled by what came up. There I was with the latest (to me) laptop but unable to Log on (I had used the Appeal laptop to file stories from the Burning Man event so I wasn't all stupid).

Then help in the form of a lovely blonde serving person (politically correct) named Rachel, 18, arrived. Never too busy to aid an incompetent, she walked me through registering (free) and getting on line. The desktop icons were just like that at the Appeal, and in moments I was communicating away.

Meanwhile, the old desktop Dell computer was acting up so we took it to Debug Computer Consulting on Carson Street for a tune-up. Picked it up but when I tried to bring up some old photos, an error message appeared. That's still an unsolved problem, but the people there are working on it.

So I'm computer armed, thanks to Apple and Nick, and coming on Dell line soon, thanks to the experts at Debug. And yes, we're slaves to the computer these days, but when I look back to the days of filing a news story from some remote site by a cranky phone system to a news bureau, I lift my mouse to my computers - my own and the Appeal's.

ENTERTAINMENT ACTION

Tony Orlando opens the entertainment year at the MontBleu Casino in Stateline Saturday at 8 p.m. with tickets $20 in advance (586-2000) or $30 at the door. You remember his anthem-like "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Around the Ole Oak Tree." The Average White Band follows Jan. 12 with tickets $30, same phone number.

Comstock Cowboys rattle the doors at John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks Saturday at 8 p.m. with entry $15 at (800) 648-1177. Sheep Dip follows Jan. 11-12 again at 8 p.m. and tickets are $35.

STARSHIP starring Mickey Thomas shows up at Harrah's Lake Tahoe Saturday at 7:30 p.m. It will cost you $30 at (800) 786-8208.

At the Silver Legacy in Reno, Aaron Lewis plays Jan. 11 (tickets $40 to $60, 325-740I) with Etta James jazzing away Jan. 12 (same price range and phone number).

FROM THE VAULTS

Whoever thought that history books can be so enticing? As of late a lot are just that, and David Fromkin's "A Peace to End All Peace" is one of the latest. Published in 1989 and then in soft covers in 2001, it tells of the 1914-1922 period of war, double dealing, lying, European trickery and the making of the current Mideast mess. Nothing you were taught in high school ever realistically covered the era: The Germans were bad, the French wronged, the Brits defenders of the unrepresented, the Americans all noble. The Ottoman Empire was "the sickman of Europe" and it was up to the West to dismember it for territorial gain. Never (until now maybe) has war been waged so cynically, so wastefully. The 634 pages (Henry Hudson, $20) are a slog but worth it for what it reveals about the Mideast and how it got that way.

• Contact Sam Bauman at 881-1236 or Sbauman@nevadaappeal.com.