Las Vegas

If you like the smell of stale cigarette smoke, booze, and cheap perfume Las Vegas is the place for YOU!  The mega casinos are so large that I have been without fresh air for two and 1/2 days as the windows don't open.  It took me 35 minutes to walk from my room to the convention area and I never went outdoors.  These places are mammoth.  I can't help but think about the massive amounts of natural resources required to build and operate these grandiose monstrosities. 

The lack of fresh air is one thing, it's also the constant bombardment of stimulation.  Machines are constantly dinging and chiming.  Lights are flickering and flashing.  Larger than life advertisements for shows and lewd sex are everywhere.  Canned music piped in from different areas is playing over each other, and also competing with tacky lounge ensambles belting out their version of Mustang Sally.  People are dressed in their bling.  This display of lust, glutton and greed smacks of America's shallow, unexamined culture where all that glitters is gold. 

After 10 minutes I had enough.  I made a mad dash to the elevator where upon entering I thought would be a refuge from stimulation overload.  Wrong.  The elevator was equipped with a monitor excitedly yakking about the hotel's world renowned chef.

Finally.  I reach my hotel room and enter.  Silence.  Yes.

Until the jackasses next door decided to blare the television at maximum volume and speak so loudly I could hear the man say, "I'll be a while.  I'm going to read the paper and take a big shit."

TMI