Newsletter: August 1, 2004
Someone asked me about my recent trip to Las Vegas and why I liked going to the casinos down on Fremont Street. If you
think about it, a casino is pretty much the same no matter what location you choose to visit.
They are all filled with the same kinds of
slot machines and table games, so the appeal comes down to something other than the games. The answer to his question was pretty simple because
I like the old-school atmosphere in many of the Fremont street casinos. Down on the
strip, you have flames and extravagant shows, with pirates and pyramids, but behind all that fluff is a corporate weight that
hits you like a hammer whenever you walk into one of those mega resorts. Down on Fremont, you have the low ceilings
and ambiance that tells a story of history with a touch of the illicit gambling atmosphere that used to be everywhere
in Vegas. It's simply an old-school feeling that you don't get anywhere else. When I thought about it, that old-school
feeling is a hard thing to find these days, but it's not something that's limited to the casino world.
Old-school has a lot of character. You can look at a an old-school person and you can tell that they have a substance that
goes beyond image and beyond words. They live up to their own code and not by how they think others will see them.
Old-school shows up when you need help and when old-school says something, you know that you can believe it. They listen, they pay attention,
and they are always there for the airport pickup or on moving day. Old-school doesn't complain and they don't get
caught up in all the daily garbage that tends to slow most people down. Old school takes responsibility when they
make a mistake and they don't pass the buck with lots of excuses. Old-school is rare.
I consider baseball to the one of the more old-school games. It's not just because it has been around for most of the
history of this country, but it is an actual passtime as the saying goes. There aren't many flashing lights or
outright displays of violence. It's a slower event that gives you time to sit and talk with the people around you.
Sitting and talking? How old-school is that? New-school people don't quite get this whole idea and they spend tons
of money to sit in just the right seats, so they can ignore the game and everyone around them while they talk on
their cell phones and try to look cool in their brand-new hats. There's something completely old-school about
sitting in the bleachers with a dog and nuts while you taunt the opposing batters even though there's no chance
that they will ever hear you.
One of the great things about being old-school is that you aren't
easily offended and when you catch a bad break, you get back into the game and work it out. These days it seems that
everyone is offended and you're just one or two words away from being sued for millions of dollars. Now, I saw the
whole Janet Jackson Super bowl thing like most people, but didn't give it much thought at the time. That was until I
heard about all the lawsuits and all the people who were injured beyond repair, and they needed payment for these
terrible injuries. How much money do you think was spent on all the inquiries and FCC investigations that all
concluded that we indeed did see a nipple? Come on! It was a stupid (and successful) attempt at sensationalism, not something that
should permanently scar your psyche. Now, because of this, other people want to decide what is shown on cable and
whether or not the Howard Stern show is on the radio. I may not be a huge Howard Stern fan, but something old-school
tells me that if you don't like something, don't buy it or turn the channel. Old-school is tired of offended people
near and far and it's tired of all the lawsuits that go with them.
I don't have to tell you that it's an election year and that means we're about to be bombarded with non-stop
television commercials filled with nothing but phony slogans. If there's anything to contrast to old-school, it's this
entire process. Hundreds of millions of dollars spent not on substance, but on image alone. It's all a big advertising
campaign and we're stuck listening to it until November. Politics isn't old-school because you win if you can dredge
up and publicize more garbage about the other guy instead of winning with your character and your accomplishments.
I'm just glad that it only happens once every four years. As we get closer to the election, I'm going to celebrate
my old school side, so give me a call if you have some baseball tickets, an airport pickup request of something
heavy that needs moving. As far as the election goes, they should save all that money and just have one televised
debate and one national newspaper ad in November. Let people use their minds instead of their exposure to slogans
before they vote. How old-school would that be?
~SM~
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