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A Week Off for a Conference in Vegas

I took a week off from this blog space in order to spend five days last week in Vegas.  I can say, unequivocably, that I have grown to dislike the casino scene!  I like the liberties that Vegas provides, e.g., no curfews and smoking cigars in bars, but I get no joy from the gambling or the gambling culture.

I have represented my company at our trade show booth (ICSC conference) for the last three years.  This year's attendance was reasonable (not nearly as busy as the first year and much better than last year) and we got a few good leads.  

It is true that many people in Vegas seek out alternative entertainment from the gambling, but the majority sit and rot at various casino games; many of them look like they can't help themselves - it's a 'when in Rome' and a 'I don't know when I'll be back' mentality. 

The casino experience is rather pathetic and pretty much unavoidable.  I was able to spend time without the constant clatter of slots (incessant) and screaming craps players (infrequent given the odds against them) in interesting theme restaurants (i.e., margaritaville - of course! - and toby keith's).

I would love to join my buddies there in September, but my concept of fun in Vegas (hanging with friends and giggling) has strayed from their concept (stand glassy-eyed at a craps table), so once a year for this conference will be sufficient for me!

Okay, that's enough negativity; it's off my chest.  Subsequent posts will be more informative and interesting.

New Orleans Jazzfest 2008

Since Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans Jazzfest has become an annual event for my group of dopey friends and this year was as memorable as the others.  From the impromptu decision to attend Friday's shows and getting soaked to the skin because I'm an idiot and didn't bring my rain gear from the hotel - to watching Phil spew all over the city on Friday night - to skipping Jimmy Buffett in favor of the Quarter - to a great Tipitina's show on Saturday night - to an awesome day at the fest on Sunday - to winding down on Sunday night with the group and some new friends from Austin. 

The highlights of the fest were Santana, Dumpstaphunk, Michael Franti, and Papa Grows Funk.  Papa Grows Funk and Michael Franti were new personal discoveries for '08 and, based on some other recommendations, I will seek out the John Butler Trio and the Raconteurs.  The disappointment of the weekend was Stevie Wonder; his onstage moralizing was as annoying as his choices of mellow, obscure tunes, and his show only made the rain that much colder.

In my limited view of the city during this trip, I saw a minimal display of rebuilding progress.  However, the amount of French Quarter construction (mostly renovations to existing buildings) was much more prevalent than in the preceding two years.  Hopefully, the availability of money and construction crews needed to rebuild are catching up with the City's will for recovery.

Unfortunately, there were no Lucky Dogs on this trip for me!  Still, the camaraderie (and constant ball-busting) of some of my best friends, the great food and music, and the great city of New Orleans always energize me like no other weekend during the year.  Thanks guys - and thanks New Orleans!

LA Times Festival of Books

Once again, the LA Times Festival of Books at UCLA yesterday was a great success and a great amount of fun.  The two-day festival (I only attended Saturday in 90 degree heat; Sunday was over 95 and I chickened out), features a sprawling array of vendor booths, a jam-packed assortment of panel and stage discussions, and an awards ceremony.

I attended three events (two panels and a presentation by Ray Bradbury).  The first panel, Blurring Boundaries featured three travel/nature writers including the always interesting Pico Iyer (The Open Road: The Global Journey of the Fourteenth Dalai Lama).  While I'm not expressly interested in his new book, he didn't dwell on the book and I found the ease with which he expressed himself and that he opined on all points in the panel discussions refreshing. 

Many authors fit a marketing speech into their discussions, as if the microphone might be taken away at any time, and forget that there is an audience in front of them (i.e., refuse to consider being entertaining!), but not Mr. Iyer. 

The moderator continually tried to fit the discussion into a box about how globalism is making everyone the same, but Mr. Iyer gently disputed that notion through examples of his own extensive time in other countries and the refusal of people to give up their core cultures and belief - even while listening to the likes of Metallica!  The discussion buoyed my long-standing argument that I'm a 'traveler' in the face of a sea of 'tourists', i.e., always seeking the culture behind the postcards, but I was reminded that I occasionally exchew adventure and seek 'comfortable' situations in other countries.  It was a pleasant reminder that I like the feeling of strangeness and of being off balance while in a foreign land (or even while in some new American city).

The second panel, Science and Culture, wasn't so much moderated as treated like her own dinner party by MG Lord, but it was no matter.  Three of the four panelists were loose and interesting.  The fourth was as dry as the material in his new book.  However, archaeologist Brian Fagan (The Great Warming), livened up long enough during his five minute book speech to be tremendously interesting.  Most interesting is his assertion that 'drought' (caused by many factors including global warming) will be the most important human concern in the next 100 years.  It is a proposition that anyone concerned about global warming should keep in the front of their consciousness while reading and discussing climate.

Once again visiting with Ray Bradbury was a treat.  He isn't speaking quite as fluidly these days, but he's always entertaining and positive.  However, it was the first time (in about a dozen visits) that I felt he was name dropping more than giving the crowd his message of 'do what you love'.  In the past, he effortlessly weaved his stories around the message of love for life, but yesterday he was forcing the message into the neighborhood of the stories.  He's a legend and I love spending those moments in his presence.