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Miles driven: 3,420 (en route at a Starbucks now....thanks to Helen, Brady, Margaret & John)
Quote of the Day: "Las Vegas is sort of like how God would do it if he had money." Steve Wynn
Poker Update: Enjoying myself, but very doubtful that I'll be able to break even for the trip.
I am now heading to Vegas for the sole reason of staying in a cheap hotel. Checking out the World Series of Poker today and meeting up with friends Wednesday.
Fortunately, I have a few more weeks of vacation. Over the weekend, I had a chance to walk through downtown San Diego and get some great dessert before leaving. The place I went to was suggested by Alisa (http://extraordinarydesserts.com/), a friend in San Jose. I've attached a sampling to the right and also have the frontage sign below. I also have a chance to walk along the bay, and in addition to countless sailboats, I saw a submarine. Unfortunately, the American Navy has not deemed yellow as an appropriate color for subs.
Nothing's wrong with escaping momentarily. We all need a break. Each week is marked by the weekend. Every month another holiday arrives. Every year is marked by a vacation or two. This whole road trip is my escape from work; it's like pushing the reset button (on an old school Nintendo) before starting graduate school and a new job. That said, we can't mistake vacation for reality or celebrity gossip for news. I am concerned about this. With Michael Jackson, every major news channel appears steeped in speculation and innuendo about the pop star's death. Most media outlets defend this as matching the public demand to know more. It's true, most people want to know more, but most people also want to vacation all-year long. Unfortunately, we all need to return to reality eventually. Although it's fine to read People, don't forget to keep up-to-date on world affairs. And neither CNN or Fox News is adequate anymore.
In the midst of the worst recession of a generation and the rapid transition from paper to electronic media, one hard-copy publication is bucking the trend. People magazine's sales are up. Evidently, the demand for celebrity gossip does not heed the economic cycle. So what drives people to want more People? Although I'm not a regular reader, I share the desire to know intimate details of other lives. There's a guilty pleasure in following another's trials and tribulations and uncovering their hidden lust and debauchery. Such intrigue allows the observer to live vicariously and has long been a hallmark of society. I also attribute People's popularity to modern culture's pursuit of escapism. Need a moment (insert Snickers bar here). Want to get away (insert Southwest Airlines ding here)? Reading about other people's infamy lets us forget about the problems of our lives and the world's complexity.
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