Sunday - December 19, 2004

Life With Steel (Part 1)

Thanks to Steel, we have for you three stories for your reading pleasure.  The first one takes place in Vietnam; the second on a fishing boat; the third in a mine.  They are all somewhat related in that they involve a lifestyle centered on explosions and things that go “boom”.  Read them and you’ll see what I mean.

Here’s the first.  The others will follow shortly.

When I was in Vietnam there was a serious war going on.

Not the wind down and leave war of Nixon. Nope, there were actually people who had every intent on winning. I mean we were there to WIN the war.

I got there in late ‘67. A few months shy of Tet . THE Tet.  March of ‘68.

Now Tet killed so many people that it’s impossible to say how many. Thousands and thousands. Tens of thousands.

I had to take a skiff, (very small boat) across the Hue harbor shortly after Tet. Bumping from one carcass to the next. Thump. ... thump between the the bodies floating.

Now most folks don’t realize that most folks in ‘Nam were ‘stoners.’ It’s true. I saw classified documents to attest to the fact that perhaps 85% of ALL in-country were stoned.

It’d been a week or so and the ‘bodies’ were pretty much degraded to the point of damned near skeletal. Just floating along and smelling real bad.

We thumped one carcass and the head came off. The guy I was with reached down and scooped the skull up and ...saved it.

It had a big hole in the top. We left it to dry for a while.

After it dried up, in a stoned stupor, we decided that it was a fine receptacle for our stash. Filled his head with dope. Carried him around where ever we went. Stuffed with pot.

We called him ‘Charlie.’

We included him our conversations.

Some guy’s old lady sent him a ‘Dear John’ letter and we’d ask Charlie what he thought of that.

He was a man of few words. He’d just shrug and cough up some more dope.

Joe got blowed up. Charlie shrugged and we got high.  We landed on the moon. Charlie was non-plussed.

Charlie never had a bad word to say. He was ... stoic.

But he was a wise ... head. He taught me a lesson. A life lesson.

No matter how hard life treats you, no matter how awful things get, if you just keep your head ... you’ll do just fine.

Posted by The Skipper     on 12/19/2004 at 07:34 AM   
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   Friday - December 17, 2004

You Know What’s Great?

Here it is 43 days afterwards and I still get a big shit-eating grin on my face just thinking about how John F’ing Kerry, The Poodle, lost the election.

LOSER!!!!

Life is good.

Posted by Ranting Right Wing Howler     on 12/17/2004 at 05:28 PM   
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   Wednesday - December 15, 2004

Groan ….

I hurt all over. My legs are skinned up and bruises and blood blisters are already starting to show up. Every muscle in my body aches. Probably from bouncing around in the front seat (even with seat belts) during the accident. If you want to know why I’m in pain, read this.

I now have a copy of the accident report. I also have an attorney in case GEICO decides to play games. I have no hope of the guy who hit me paying for the damages. Here are the details:

The driver who hit me: Mancos R. Pasqual
Race: Hispanic
Sex: Male
Place of employment: none
Drivers license: none
Vehicle tag: none
Insurance: none
Alcohol: Yes
Test given: Breath test
Test result: .11
Vehicle type: Kia Sephia
Vehicle damage: Disabled, towed
Citation: Public intoxication

I also have his address. So does my attorney. I have guns. My attorney has greed. One of us will get him.

My Jeep Grand Cherokee looks to be totalled. The rear part of the frame is folded up under the axle. The driver’s seat is boken off the rails. All four doors are sprung. The rear doors can’t even be opened. I’ve cleaned out the vehicle and am awaiting the adjuster from GEICO. I’m also waiting for the meds to take effect.

If you want to see pictures of my $38,000 vehicle then continue reading ....

Posted by The Skipper     on 12/15/2004 at 03:08 PM   
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Do Something!

Want to do something worthwhile?

Good.  I thought so.

Please read this.  It is Allan’s account of the accident he had yesterday caused by an illegal immigrant.

Now, here’s what you can do.  Write your Congressman deamnding to know what it is they are doing to help eradicate this palgue of vermin in the US.

To help you, here’s are the links to find your Representative or Senator.

I’ll make it even easier by lertting you read what I send my Representative.

Now, get to it!

Dear Congresswoman Brown-Waite,

Lately I’ve heard a lot of Homeland Security and protecting our borders.

Yet little is heard about why it is so difficult to expel/deport illegal aliens once they are found.  Even more ludicrous is the difficulty law enforcement has trying to locate these people because for some reason some human rights zealot has determined it would be “profiling” to do so.

Well, let’s make it a bit personal.  I, along with a friend in Alabama, run a blog site:  http://www.barking-moonbat.com

My friend was involved in an accident yesterday that required he be taken to the hospital (he was knocked out and fell repeatedly while trying to walk after gaining consciousness.) His fairly new car was totaled.

He was hit by an illegal immigrant.  No insurance.  Falsely obtained license.

My friend was told there was little that could be done as the INS will not do anything until the city collects at least 60 of them!  Is this true?  What sort of lunacy reigns there to have come to such a moronic policy decision?

Has anyone ever sat down to do the calculations as to how much incidents like this cost our country?  We now have an insurance company required to pay off a driver for an accident he did not cause and for which the responsible driver never contributed via HIS insurance company (he never had one); we have a company that employs my friend now having to deal with lost productivity; we have my friend most likely having to pay higher premiums for years because of this accident; we have my friend needing to pay many thousands of dollars out of his pocket for another vehicle because we all know the insurance company will NEVER fully reimburse him (their reason: depreciation, of course.) Lest we forget, we have my freind needing to deal with his injuries which could take weeks to get better.

It’s one thing to incur these costs because of one’s own lack of responsibility but this was all caused by an illegal immigrant!!!!!

To add insult to injury every day I have to read about some state or another attempting to allow illegal immigrant children the PRIVILEGE of in-state tuition rates at our universities!!!!!!  Yet legal immigrants and American born students who never broke the law are not afforded that privilege.  Have you any idea of how STUPID that is?

Please explain to me what is being done to simplify deportation procedures and to simplify law enforcement’s ability to crack won on these law breakers.

Sincerely yours,

Posted by Ranting Right Wing Howler     on 12/15/2004 at 07:54 AM   
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A Personal Note

Yesterday I was preparing to go to my volunteer job at the Extension Service when I got an email from Steel with this site.

Custom made for me, I thought.  Beautiful.  Did you know that 2% of America’s households DO NOT have TV? Well, I am one of them (a functioning TV, that is.  In the sense that it gets no stations.  Mine has a fried tuner in it but the tube is good and allows me to watch DVDs.  And no, it’s not the same.  It is NOT TV!)

Then, while driving to Brooksville, what should happen to be in the CD player?  The Tubes.  The album?  “Remote Control.”

Anybody familiar with it?  GREAT STUFF!  It’s about life dominated by TVs.  Songs like: Be Mine Tonight; Prime Time; Turn Me On; and TV is King.

Tubes rule!

Posted by Ranting Right Wing Howler     on 12/15/2004 at 06:57 AM   
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   Monday - December 13, 2004

The Visit Of The Prodigal Son (and His Family)

My son, Daniel, his wife, Tiffany, and their baby girl, Trinity, arrived to visit last Monday.  They came because they knew my father can not travel and therefore would not have ever been able to see his great-grand daughter.  When they told me they were coming I was over-joyed and especially proud that they would act so selflessly.  I met them at the airport and was greeted by a smiling Trinity (and equally smiling parents.)

Our first stop was Grandma and Grandpa’s house.  Since they’ve never seen their great-grand daughter I was not about to make them wait until the next morning. That would have been too cruel.  So we did dashed over and chatted for a few minutes, they got to go goo-goo over Trinity and then we headed to my place.

They could only stay until Saturday because he had to go back to work.  Too bad for me.

But into those 4 1/2 days we crammed in a lot of stuff:  watching movies, playing with Trinity, catching up on news, going the beach, playing with Trinity, putting up a Christmas tree, picking oranges, playing with Trinity, fixing my surround sound, going out to eat, playing with Trinity, taking tons of pictures, doing touristy stuff, baking cookies.  Did I mention playing with Trinity?

A great visit which I truly enjoyed.

Now let me tell you once more about my grand child.  What a doll!  What a joy!  What a sweet baby!  She traveled for 8 hours in the car to the airport, slept in a strange house in Denver, took a 4 hour airplane ride, rode some more in a car, saw complete strangers, slept in another REALLY strange house for 4 nights, got her schedule all screwed up and fussed while at my place for a grand total of maybe, MAYBE 10 minutes total for all those days.

Can you ask for a better baby?

She still wakes up with a smile on her face.  Loves to play peek-a-boo with her Daddy.  Loves to be tickeled by her Mommy.  Goes to Dad for playing and feeding.  Goes to Mom for comfort (hey, Moms are Number One in that field.  They specialize in comfort.) And really doesn’t give a crap who changes her!!  Especially when she gives a crap (yes, pun intended!)

As for Dan and Tiffany--Trinity could not have more caring, doting parents. I was extraordinarily proud and pleased.  It seems to come so naturally to them.  I’ve no doubt Trinity is in good hands.

Here are some pictures of her.

My parents got to see her every day and they enjoyed having her there.  Of course, it goes without saying they love having my son and his wife visit, too.

I am not sure how we got on the subject but we started discussing Kim duToit’s “Pussification of the Western Male.” Dan then tells me about this site he’d heard about where people can go to “snuggle" or “cuddle parties.”

They have documentaries from guys who write crap like:

“After attending the cuddle party this past Sunday, I stepped out onto the street and definitely had a very good feeling, a lightness, peaceful and smiley. It was great to meet and connect and cuddle with everyone. You guys are great cuddlers!!! The atmosphere and the tone you set was so friendly and welcoming. I had a great time. I hope to join you again soon for oodles of cuddles!!”

“You continue to impress me and also to open new arenas up for me in regards of my own sexuality and also my love for women and learning to love myself and my body.”

Sorry, boys and girls, but guys that write that sort of stuff have GOT to be deficient in the male gene and have GOT to be products of a feminized society.  Men are hunters.  Women are gatherers (which explains why they are in the malls so much.) As for the guys, we “hunt” for what we want.  We decide what it is.  We find it.  We stalk it.  We pounce on it.  Whether it be women, cars, plasma TVs, etc.  We don’t spend Saturday afternoons fucking around inside malls for hours window shopping nor do we go around wishing we were cuddling with perfect strangers.

Anyway, back to the “cuddle party” site.  This stuff made both our skins crawl.  Dan, Tiff and I all agreed a good cuddle is one thing with someone we “are with.” But to gather together with a bunch of strangers----man, that is TOO weird.  And very metro-sexual.  YUCK!!

They left Saturday morning. 

Yep, things are a bit too quiet right now.  No more giggling laughs from Trinity.  No more chat about moonbats and other fucktards.  No more goofing around between Dan and Tiffany. 

Yep, it’s real quiet.  Looks like I’ll have to go to Rapid City soon.

Posted by Ranting Right Wing Howler     on 12/13/2004 at 07:01 PM   
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   Sunday - November 28, 2004

Your Turn

Given that posting will be minimal today, let’s try something different.

Using the comments, tell us 5 physical/material things you want to do before you leave this earth.  I say “physical/material” to differentiate from those things we all want:  good health, long life, grandkids, successful children, etc.

Here are mine (in no particular order) fro today.  Tomorrow this list might change!!

---travel to space

---learn to fly a plane

---buy a split window coupe corvette

---walk the Appalachian Trail

---cruise around the world on either a tramp steamer or freighter

Posted by Ranting Right Wing Howler     on 11/28/2004 at 08:35 AM   
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B.D. Update

I am feeling a little better today.  Got another 10 hours’ sleep---VERY unusual for me.  But I guess my body is trying to tell me something.

Thanks to all who wrote.  The throat is a bit better but the head still feels like it’s about to pop with pressure.  So I will be taking it easy again today and hope to return to something approaching normalcy tomorrow.

Posted by Ranting Right Wing Howler     on 11/28/2004 at 08:30 AM   
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   Saturday - November 27, 2004

Status

Sorry, folks, but I still feel like death warmed over so the posting may be light today.  Got 10 hours sleep last night (first time I can remember doing that in years and years.)

But it is calling my name again and I have to go rest.

I’ll post more later today if I feel better.

Posted by Ranting Right Wing Howler     on 11/27/2004 at 07:24 AM   
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   Friday - November 26, 2004

Secretary Of War On Leave

I am going to be out of touch for the next week or so. I’m taking a little time off for some much-needed rest and recuperation down on the Gulf Coast. I hate to leave Vilmar with the blog while he is feeling down and out but I think he can survive. I may check in occasionally on my laptop but for the most part I will just be stirring margaritas and indulging in seafood.

I’ve added a new gallery to our photo collection for members to submit their photoshopped works of art. That should be something we could have lots of fun with. Send me your “slightly altered” pictures for inclusion in the gallery.

For now, everyone enjoy the weekend and next week. I’ll be back on December 4th. Until then, stay safe, stay sane and try not to piss our Benevolent Dictator off too terribly much. Hehehehe ....

Posted by The Skipper     on 11/26/2004 at 12:18 PM   
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Benevolent Dictator Stricken Ill

I suspect many of you will not be at work today so with readership down things will be a bit slow today at BMEWS.

In a way that is good because I feel like death warmed over.  Monday I started with a scratchy throat.  Tuesday it worsened.  Wednesday it was worse still.  Comfortable sleep was not possible.  Yesterday I awoke to a stuffy head and REALLY sore throat which, for some bizarre reason disappeared within an hour! 

Today I feel like my body has been pummeled by a really pissed off Mike Tyson.

So you’ll have to bear with me when I go light on the postings today.

Take the opportunity to use the comments feature to vent on whatever you want to vent about.

Posted by Ranting Right Wing Howler     on 11/26/2004 at 06:58 AM   
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   Thursday - November 25, 2004

Plop-Plop-Fizz-Fizz

Oh, what a relief it is .... if you remember what ad that jingle is from, you’re way too damned old (like me). If you’re not that old, I have only two words for you: “Speedy Alka-Seltzer”. How soon they forget. Right now I feel positively decadent. I had a 24-pound turkey in the oven all last night, fully stuffed with cornbread dressing and plenty of giblets, an additional six pounds of cornbread dressing with giblet gravy, plus five pounds of corn-on-the-cob, a massive stockpile of dinner rolls, a gallon of fresh cranberrys (whole berry, homemade), a large bowl of candied yams and three gallons of ice cold sweet tea. There’s also a gallon of Rocky Road ice cream and a fresh homemade apple pie. Did I mention that I like to cook?

My sons had to cancel their travel plans to come visit so I unexpectedly wound up with all this to myself. Me, 500,000 calories and two football games. Decadent, I tells ya. Positively decadent. I started eating at 9:00 this morning. Here is the cycle: (1) Stuff face until point of ‘splosion, (2) sleep fpr an hour or two, (3) watch football, (4) repeat until bathroom scales die a horrible death.

And I haven’t even touched the ice cream and apple pie yet .... I’m gonna keep eating until I look like Michael Moore then I’m gonna kidnap him and substitute myself for him in Hollywood .. the assholes out there won’t know what hit ‘em. Bwah-hah-ha-ha-ha-ha ....

Anyhow, the blog software has now been upgraded to Expression Engine 1.2. The new Gallery feature has been added and I have tested the functionality with pics from my visit to Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year. We need to convince our Benevolent Dictator to share his terabytes of pictures from his worldly travels. Help me pressure him to come clean. Leave your encouragement in the comments. We’re also accepting picture gallerys from members too so if you have pictures you want to share with all of us, send them to me. We would especially like to receive pics from any of our troops overseas .. wherever they may be. I just hope they are not eating like me today or else our enemies will have big fat targets to shoot at. Stay lean and mean, troops! I’ll save some of the “vittles” for when you come home. Until then, stay safe and pop a cap in a raghead’s ass fer me!

Update I: I just added a new photo gallery from pictures Vilmar sent me on CD of President Bush’s campaign visit in October to Vilmar’s home town in Florida. Way cool stuff.

Update II: Several people asked me to take our pictures of dead terrorists and collect them into a Gallery. I have done so. If you have any more pictures of dead or captured ragheads, forward them to me for inclusion.

Posted by The Skipper     on 11/25/2004 at 04:47 PM   
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Giving Thanks

There is much to give thanks for today in the US.

Let us know what YOU think are the primary reasons you are thankful.

Posted by Ranting Right Wing Howler     on 11/25/2004 at 06:30 AM   
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   Sunday - November 21, 2004

My Little Trip

As promised earlier in the week, here’s a recap of my latest little adventure which was just that---an adventure.

We start with arriving at the airport, going to the “self check-in” kiosk and being told to run a piece of ID through the scanner.  I reach into my wallet to extract my license when HORRORS!!! no license!!  You ever have one of those “AW SHIT!” moments?  I had one there.  I ran another piece of ID through and checked myself through all the while thinking in one little section of my mind that the license would materialize yet fully cognizant of the fact that on the way to the airport I’d cleaned out my wallet of superfluous junk and no license was ever spotted (nor noticed to be missing.)

I then came to the immediate conclusion that without an ID I could NEVER rent a car in Phoenix.  But I called the agency anyway---just in case.  Yep, I was right.  No license, no car.

So here I am in the terminal, 75 minutes before flight with no license.  I knew EXACTLY where that son of a bitch piece of plastic was, too.  In my scanner.  Why the scanner?  The previous week I’d had to make a copy of it and send it to a company from which I was trying to buy a shitload of ammo. 

So bullets almost ended up screwing me.

To make a long airport story short, I could contact no one who could get to my house and make it to the airport (65 minutes by car away) in time for me to make my flight. So I got on the courtesy phone, changed my flight, raced out of the terminal, got my car back out of long term parking, raced home AND BACK in 90 minutes only to find the later flight was already booked.  So I made an even later flight.  Did not get to Phoenix until midnight.  Called my friends and informed them I’d be staying at a hotel instead since I was arriving so late.  The lady of the house would not have that so I stayed at their place after all.

The next morning we had breakfast and I headed out to the Grand Canyon with plans to meet up with them in two days at Kingman so that we could head out to Vegas.

I took the scenic route from Glendale (where my friends live) and made it to the GC at sunset.  The place was PACKED!  I’d booked a room at one of the lodges and recommend anyone going there do the same.  The room was cheap enough (less than $60) and the convenience made the higher cost worth it.

Got up early to try and get sunrise pix and came across a herd of elk with babies.  So much for the sunrise since I could not safely get between mother and child without serious risk to my person.  So I tagged along at their pace until they cleared the path.  Too late for sunrise itself but I still got awesome pix.

It was the first time I’d put my Sony F717 through its paces.  WOW!  I am impressed with that camera!  I brought along almost 900 meg of memory and by the end of the trip used all of it.  300 plus pictures at high resolution. Plus 5 rolls of conventional film.  The only thing I wish I had brought along were filters for the lens.  I had to play with different exposure settings in order to get what my “eyes” saw.

The Canyon is one wondrous place.  I wish I had had more time.  Half of it is off limits to cars with busses providing access.  It was great to hop on the bus, get off at a viewing area, take a few photos and by the time you were done, the next bus was pulling up.

I got A LOT of exercise in the week I was gone.  I actually lost weight!

All day long I was out taking photos and after sunset went to the lodge bar and had a well deserved beer. 

A couple of pix for you below:

The park rangers were ecstatic at having been one of the first places where recently released California condors mated and hatched a viable baby.  It was far away in another canyon wall cave but a ranger was there at Hopi Point with a POWERFUL binocular telescope allowing you to see the bird sunning itself.  Cool.

Sleep came easy and at 5:30 the next morning I was ready to go again.  Packed the car and took off for more sunrise pix.  It was a cloudy and cold morning but the sun peeked through nevertheless and made for stunning shots.

Took Route 66 at Seligman, stopped at the Road Kill Cafe for breakfast (come on, could you REALLY go by the “Road Kill Cafe” and NOT stop?) and met my friends, Kurt and April, at noon in Kingman.  I’d not seen Kurt in a couple of years and not seen April in several.  Kurt, myself and 4 other guys cycled across the US in 1997 and that’s how we met.  Read the adventures here.

A quick lunch and we were headed to the Hoover Dam.  DAMN!!!  What a DAM!!!  I call it a place of “numbers.” Every question asked about it involves numbers.  How high?  How much water?  How much cement?  How many workers?  How long?  How much electricity generated?  etc. etc. etc. ad nauseum, ad infinitum. 

Terrorists have made their mark there, also, since all cars are subject to search and a bypass road is being constructed that will take traffic off the dam.  Right now it is the only expeditious way into Vegas.

Now, Vegas.  Sin City.  The City that never sleeps.  Adjectives?

Dirty.
Littered.
Prostitutes.
Escorts.
Ka-Ching!
Slots.
Lights.
Shows.
Prostitutes.
Extravaganzas.
Buffets.
Huge hotels.
Always under construction.
Illegals everywhere.
Did I say prostitutes?

We checked into the Stratosphere. I’d read about it before I arrived and felt some trepidation since people complained about the service, rooms, etc.  As it turns out I need not have worried.  They were very accommodating considering my friends did not have reservations and the prices was absolutely right.

The Stratosphere is a 20-some odd story hotel which is a maze to get around in. Its claim to fame is that it has a 1000 foot plus tower attached to it.  On the top of the tower is a roller coaster, a negative “G” ride, and another ride that I would not go on without having put on some “depends” first.  Just awesome from up there.  Revolving restaurant in the tower, too. (natch!!)

Soon as we were squared away I broke out my bottle of single malt scotch and we toasted our reunion.  The bottle was quickly being depleted of its contents when we decided to stroll down for an awesome dinner at the hotel’s Italian restaurant.  Then we headed out to the Old District on foot.

The hotel is located at the north end of the strip about a mile south of the “Old District.” They’ve tricked it up a bit with fancy lights and shows.  Along the way we passed the “Sin City Hostel.” I am glad we did not stay there.  I can just imagine all the drunks and their comings and goings at ALL hours.  Of course, the strip is full of “wedding chapels.” How quaint.

Here’s a night shot of the hotel’s tower.

Sometime about 1 AM we crawled back after having sampled some one armed bandits.

The next morning I was up and about at 7 and walked about one and half miles south of the Stratosphere to take pictures along the strip.  Found a great place that served 5 cent coffee and 25 cent cookies.  Yum Yum!

Just for shits and giggles, there’s little need to walk the distances I did.  One can buy a $5 all day bus pass and hop on and off the busses that run the strip all day and into the night. (see below for exceptions)

The rest of Friday was spent wandering around, going up to the top of the tower, taking in the rides, taking in a show. and doing a shitload of walking.  Since the sun sets early it was dark at 5 so we headed back up to the tower for night shots and more fun on the rides.  There’s a lot to be said for having the shit scared out of you in a dark place, 1000 feet above the town and the sensation you are about to die from having been catapulted either off the top or off the side.  One needs a good heart for this sort of stuff.

I’d come to town having decided I’d not gamble more than $10.  Push comes to shove I may have gambled $11.  I lost it all, of course.  But hey!  When in Vegas......................................

To say I felt like a rube from the sticks would be an understatement.  The city is a constant source of visual over-stimulation.  From vending machines distributing free papers touting the “escort services,” to the millions of color playing-sized cards available either stuck into fences, on the machines or handed out by hundreds of migrant workers (and later found littering the streets) or to constant parade of humanity flowing past at all hours, this city is a constant source of amazement to one not used to it.

For the evening’s adventures we headed to the bottom of the strip and the Bellagio.

What a difference in the class of people.  The Stratosphere, although a very nice hotel, caters more to the middle class in jeans, coveralls, shorts and, in general, those with bad taste in dress code.  Lots of nickel and quarter slots. Poker, Black Jack and Craps can be played for a dollar minimum.

The Bellagio?  Lots of suits, tuxes, ladies in fine, fine dresses.  The gaming tables?  Full.  The bets?  $500 minimum. $10,000 max!  YIKES!!!!!!!!!

New York New York, The Parisienne, MGM Grand, Luxor, etc. we went by them all. Huge affairs full of people spending money.  Acres of ground to cover and walk through.  Internal mazes in all of them and what I felt was a purposeful minimizing of signage to keep you from finding handy front door exits and keep you in there.

Here’s another night shot:

Tired, we decided to head back by bus.

Wrong answer after midnight.  First off, there are few busses running.  Those that do are filled to capacity.  So we walked 2 miles back to our room.  We saw only 2 buses.  Both full.  Yes, we slept like babies.  And our dogs were howling for relief.

The next morning we left Vegas.  Kurt and April headed home and I stayed at a hotel on Route 66 in Kingman then visited Oatman, Arizona, an old mining town.  Not what I expected but the drive was pretty.  Spent the night with my friends again and finished catching up on news.

Of course, the return trip is not without its little excitement.  Winds kept one of the runways in Phoenix closed so we took off late.  I had only 40 minutes between gates at Atlanta and guess what?  We arrived as my connecting flight was taking off.  Delta assured us we’d been booked on the next flight so they allowed us off first and I rocketed through the ramp, saw a flight in 10 minutes but a different terminal.  Just short of having a fatal heart attack I arrived at the gate as they were closing it.  They booked me (I wasn’t, as Delta promised) and said, ‘hmmmm, you’re the first of 15 others to make it.” I told them I was incentivized to get home.  None of the others made it on time.  From what I understand Delta DID book us.  On a flight more than an hour later.  So my hustle paid off.

Got home without incident---and without baggage.  It was delivered the next morning.

All in all a good trip.  I think I will go back to both places soon (Grand Canyon and Vegas) because the photo opportunities are tremendous, flights are cheap (fuck going to Europe and visiting those snobby bastards!) and car rentals also cheap.

Posted by Ranting Right Wing Howler     on 11/21/2004 at 07:36 AM   
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Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:

1. Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
2. Stay involved with government on every level and don't let those bastards get away with a thing
3. Use every legal means to defend yourself in the event of real internal trouble, and, most importantly:
4. Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere

It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.

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