Journal Entries
Vegas, Baby!
Posted Jul 7, 2006
This is the day after the return from Las Vegas, and there are some things to mention before I get going with a typical n00b gush about the place.
Firstly, let's talk about doing an homage to the late, great Raoul Duke. If you want to replicate Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, forget it. Not these days, buddy. The casinos on the Strip wouldn't stand for it and Downtown has a rep to rebuild so they're not likely to be warm, fuzzy and forgiving either. But if you want to do some Hunter S. Thompson observation...well, Vegas is the place to do it. If you're looking to see a vast, ever-mobile cross section of the American public you should look no further.
Second, a couple of survival tips and obscure warnings. Should you still want to go. (And...you do want to go, you just don't know that yet):
First - beware the booze. You sit at a slot machine or at a gaming table, they ask you what you want to drink. Just be aware - drunk people make BAD money decisions, and that waitress...she'll be right back. And again and again and again.
Second - where are you sitting? The machines near the doors are reputed to have better odds than the ones further in. I found this not to be the case, but you might want to sit near the doors anyway, so you can remind yourself what time it is. You won't see a clock anywhere and if you can't see the sun you might not realise how long you've been there.
Third - what's that sound? The slots make happy noises whether you're winning or they're taking you to the cleaners. So all those happy 'You're rich!' noises around you? Psychological warfare, mate.
Fourth - Comps. Spend enough at the gaming tables and the hotel will 'comp' you something. That means you'll get free gifts, maybe show tickets, maybe even a room. And by spend, I mean lose. So when someone tells you "Yeah, I got my room and three buffets comp'd" he's actually saying "I'm a big time source of casino income". Doesn't make you special, boy, makes you unwise.
So, if you know me, you'll realise that I can hold no place closer in my affections than Las Vegas. It's a huge, bizarre, scary playground where unreality and strangeness are tools to fleece the wary and unwary alike out of money...and make sure they have fun while it happens. It's a perfect place. One of the places in the world where you start to think that maybe the Cathars were right all along and there is no divine, perfect creator god but a flawed and troubled creature called Rex Mundi running the whole show.
So anyway.
The only way to cope with the inherrant horrors and contradictions of Las Vegas is to accept the mystery and hand yourself over to it. Once you do that, it's lovely. Even the really cheesy stuff is fun and exciting and bouncy. All the waitresses are ministering angels, all the pit bosses good humoured patriachs eager to educate the clueless, all the bar staff cheery confidantes and it's OK to charge $15 for a rum and coke. You can do it. Let go.
Once you're into Vegas, it's all fun and you can get on with enjoying yourself.
See some shows. Anything that Dragone had a hand in is going to be good. There are about eleventy Cirque De Soliel shows running at any one time. I've seen Ka. Le Reve is not CdS, but has the same designer and is a lot smaller scale.
Ka was...hard to sum up in a word. Heavily influenced by Chinese and Japanese culture, some Wuxia (did I spell that right?) and some Mexican circus performance stuff. There's the apparently usual mix of mime, nonsense language, dance, acrobatics, some shadow pupptry, humour, drama, tragedy and explosions. The effects are very cool - I'll stop short of incredible, even though they are impressive, because they're outdone by the performers. The experience is immersive, if you let it be, and there are friendly semi-cast members on hand to help you out in immersing yourself in the story.
Le Reve was entirely wetter, more surreal and funnier. It's on the 'evangelise' list. It's very Z-Axis, and if you don't know what that means...look up. Yeah! There it is! The Z Axis!
Maybe, when I get around to it later, I'll put up some actual journo-style stuff about the trip. Right now, though, all we really need to cover is that I needed the time out to relax I got it and the vacation was deeply successful on that score.
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Latest reply: Jul 7, 2006
Back from Vegas and on the Front Page!
Posted Jul 7, 2006
Kapow!
Right Said Fred/Hole in the Ground and Bernard Cribbins on the front page of the guide where they belong!
Whooosh!
Yeah!
stuff about Vegas later.
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Latest reply: Jul 7, 2006
The Lyrical Triumphs of Warren Zevon
Posted Jun 23, 2006
Recently rediscovered my general, all purpose adoration of Warren Zevon.
Today's lyrical triumph:
I'm hiding in Honduras
I'm a desperate man
Send lawyers, guns and money
The [BAD WORD] has hit the fan.
- Lawyers, Guns and Money, from 'Excitable Boy'.
Look for more lyrical triumphs soon.
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Latest reply: Jun 23, 2006
Argharghargh.
Posted Jun 9, 2006
I get very frustrated with H2G2 sometimes.
Today is one of those times.
The source of frustration: a conversation on BH's space.
The issue: someone lists the tools of statecraft (assassination, etc) and then lays them at the door of GWB as if he were the only leader in history to ever use them.
So, I point this out. And then, because I can feel a red mist descending, I unsub from the conversation (politely).
I'm ticked off with that because I cannot express in a way these folks will understand how massively, utterly, thoroughly frustrated I am with the "bush=bad" mentality.
Look, it doesn't matter who's in the White House! It doesn't matter who's in Number 10. They will do what they feel they need to do, regardless of morals, regardless of what you think is right, because (and this is what people don't seem to get) IT WORKS!.
It's bugged me, really seriously, for a decade. In ten years I have not been able to come up with a system that works any better. I therefore cannot advocate replacing the current governmental system with a better one.
But, you know, should anyone have that brilliant idea please let me know.
Because if you need a barricade manned, I'm there.
Until then, however, until that glorious day, do not DARE to look back over ten thousand years of civilised history and tell me that one rhetoric stuffed windbag is any better or any worse than any other. You are, as they say in the manor of my birth, 'avin a laaaaf, aintcha?
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Latest reply: Jun 9, 2006
I've Poe'md
Posted Jun 7, 2006
Dandelions
spread further
carried away by wind and travel
jagged in appearance
agreeable and wholesome
shocking yellow and gentle white
that she digs up and brings home
- small confession: Having seen what FM posted in the 'Oh Dear what a pity never mind' thread about Dandelions (which is a 'real' poem which I read and wasn't wild about) I thought I could do better but lacked inspiration.
So I did what seemed a good idea at the time.
I Googled Dandelions and waited to see which of the words that appeared felt right.
The above is the result - a cross between true Discordian randomness and remixing
(I'm really keen on the idea of remixing words, as one does with music, and I know Jeff Noon (genius) and William Boroughs pretty much got there before me but I don't mind too much. After all, there were musicians before Lennon and McCartney.)
- and a bit of magical thinking, which makes me really happy because it worked. I am particularly satisfied with the little googlemix above.
I made a space for a poem about Dandelions and one appeared.
I took the subject and asked for inspiration.
I picked the words that felt warm and dandeliony.
It worked.
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Latest reply: Jun 7, 2006
Dark Side of the Goon
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