A life in progress

I haven't posted anything in quite some time.  But, it turns out I have some free time these days. Like everyone else in America - and it seems the world - we are affected by the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak.  Last night, Nevada followed the examples of New York, New Jersey, Washington, and other states announcing immediate closure of all non-essential businesses for the next 30 days .  Prior to that, some businesses had voluntarily closed or reduced hours, including some of the largest casinos in the world - all MGM properties on the Las Vegas Strip . So, this is weird.  I mean, it is weird everywhere, but it particularly weird in Las Vegas.  We are literally the city that never closes.  Before today (or maybe more accurately, before Sunday when things started shutting down), I could go out at any time of the day or night and find someone to serve me a five-star meal, find a shop that would sell me a Rolex, or purchase a luxury car.  Some might...

I haven't written anything in almost six months.  After I wrote about the tragic shooting that rocked Las Vegas on October 1, 2017, I truly hoped we as Americans could have a honest discussion about common sense gun reform.  As well all know, that didn't happen.  Instead, the country screamed conspiracy theories, how this must be an act of Islamic terrorism, and how casino security should be increased to prevent this sort of thing from happening. 59 people died, nearly 600 more were treated for injuries serious enough for emergency treatment, and thousands more sought treatment elsewhere, or patched themselves up with first aid.  I don't know that we will ever really know how many people were injured.  Needless to say, it was hundreds, if not thousands. The fact that nothing happened, and our own Nevada Senator Dean Heller voted against common sense gun restrictions just days after the shooting was so unbelievable.  I was saddened by the realization that ...

Dear America, I am writing to you today with a heavy heart and a conflicted mind.  As you know, last weekend, we were rocked by an unimaginable tragedy that has affected all of our two million citizens.  Most people don't realize there are two million of us. Here's a map for context: (Source: NASA image, circa 2010) To orient you, the red areas are parks and golf courses; the grey areas are buildings; the brown is undeveloped desert.  In total, the metro area covers about 600 square miles.  It is massive.  However, most people don't think of much beyond the casinos and the Las Vegas Strip - which, for reference is that darker grey swath that cuts kind of diagonally through the lower center, with the airport slightly to its east.  For the past week, all of us have been trying to grapple with the idea of someone - for whatever reason - opening fire on a crowd of innocent people, as if it was the opening scene of the latest Hollywood action fi...