400K for a Night of Spinning Records, I Done Kirk, and Other Vegas Oddities

 

Calvin Harris is a Scottish record producer and the top earning DJ in the world. He’s spinning at Caesar’s, yo, and the rave babes are on it. It’s possible I could have gone my whole life without this knowledge and been better for it, given the audience that attends such events, but what has been seen cannot be unseen.

Political news never sleeps, just like rust and Vegas, baby. On arrival we learned about McCain. He’s gearing up for a big announcement, and people are ok discussing it even if some of the media are not. Health care went under and the GOP is deciding to repeal or let O’care implode. Repeal means they have to do something. They may be doers, they may be don’ters, but they all need donors.

FreedomFest has a conglomeration of political minds, celebrities, and entrepreneurs. The booths tell you to buy gold, gold in Singapore, silver, silver beach sand in Belize, oil, timber, publishing, cannabis companies, Ayn Randism, Catoism, Heritagism, and a lot that isn’t socialism or communism. “Duck Dynasty”-American-flag-bandana-wearing gold-bugs meet hulking-MAGA-hat-wearing silver-hounds and had it out with uranium, the other white meat of yellow metals, just happy to be there. Glenn Beck would cry at the raw beauty of it, then utterly misrepresent it to his audience. Greg Gutfeld, John Stossel, Steve Forbes, Dinesh D’Souza, William Shatner, and many, many others spoke. Dave Sussman got most of them on his show, ok that’s @6foot2inhighheels who did that, he is just the talent. Expect an impressive outpouring from him after his diligent AV staff and promotional staff get their stuff outpoured.

I ran in to to James O’Keefe at a sushi restaurant. He’s a cryptic man, shrouded in a veil of fog, wrapped in an enigma of investigative self-promotion. I’m glad someone still makes a living sticking it to the man. His interview with Dave was interesting and well worth the 20 minutes.

I bought Stossel’s book and got it signed by him. Wish the man well, he’s had a health ride none would like too much, and handled it with class.

Spicer is out, Scaramucci in. I heard it at Casino Fandango, thunderbolts and lightning, very, very frightening.

Ricochet meetups are fun. Battista’s Hole in the Wall is where we met and may the Castros never claim it. Hyperion Knight is a super-witty, high-energy NY virtuoso pianist shot out of a conservative cannon into the entertainment world. Johnny Golden Tonsils, aka @addictionisachoice, is a deep-voiced radio personality who can pull off “Colonel Tom, I need a Quaalude before I go to the restroom” as well as any man on the planet. Garin Bader, a pianist and top-rate magician, discussed his martial arts use in a flying sword bisection trick while foam bunnies flew out of thin air and cards that shouldn’t be present were just there. Before it it even started it was over. The gnome with the bad accordion sang us our siren song and we migrated to see Bill Shatner. Man, what a cat to be where he’s at. Fat stacks of cash for a chat on Bill just being Bill. Nobody asked him about the salt-sucking succubus in episode 62 or the fate of Ensign Liebowitz. He is a man who closes saying he believes in love and why not. He’s passed his endurance test well and rocked the house talking about Czech acrobats in furry suits on a fake airplane wing of Rod Serling production sets.

Karaoke was attended by some, eschewed by others. Whiskey Politics became whiskey and life. Basil Hayden, Makers 46, Jack Daniels, if you please, were the order and so was a stroll into bowels of casino world. Cards with women and prices on them, men offering to find you “whatever,” women offering whatever, hookers of all colors with metal stuff in their faces, and a million other people a day being fed the adrenaline of a city that runs on Red Bull, lust, vice, and thrill. I wanted a food treat, so Dave and I wandered through Caesar’s to people-watch. A club had a 1,000-person line slowly moving. The line was a throng of 95 percent women, half of them scantily clad. My foot has been acting up, so we had to go at my slow pace down the line of beauties. Asians, Blacks, Whites, Hispanics, you name it, and the skin was showing. A younger, single me would have braved the horrific music and dancing to be on that end of the female/male ratio, superior to any George C. Scott mine-shaft society. We talked with security guards and a few guys in line. We left. The odds were good but the goods were odd.

I suppose in the end, the scantily clad eye-candy ladies were like the old Indian’s hard rock candy in The Outlaw Josie Wales, “It’s not for consuming, just looking at.”

Along the way, life happened and a couple Hemingway-esque guys both realized they were in similar endurance phases of business and fatherhood. A million people running around the electric city looking for distraction and we found meaning in camaraderie. This happens when men forge common ground over libations and may this ritual last for eternity.

I saw Dunkirk today and thank the Rico folks for preparing me. Heroism, horror, and cowardice on the Imax. Worthy enough. Our world will have a moment like this again but it may be a financial one. I wonder if we will aid our fellow men then or run away from duty to God and country. God and country are not the motivations of many now.

My gold storage bunker in Belize calls me like a cheap Grand Canyon chopper ride barker, but I think I’ll stick around this country. I had a call yesterday from a man with a renal contusion peeing red. “Me too,” I said, “but it’s followed by white and blue.” Man, I love this country. Freedom Fest 2017. Adios, Vegas.

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  1. Nanda Panjandrum Member
    Nanda Panjandrum
    @

    Love yunz, DJ & DS @docjay and @davesussman…Thanks for being the WhiskeyPolitics eyes, ears, and voices in Vegas, baby, Vegas!

    • #1
  2. Melissa Praemonitus Member
    Melissa Praemonitus
    @6foot2inhighheels

    So that’s what happened to you guys when @nicegrizzly and I needed help moving all the heavy video equipment…

    • #2
  3. Rocket Surgeon Inactive
    Rocket Surgeon
    @RocketSurgeon

    DocJay: They may be doers, they may be don’ters, but they all need donors.

    DocJay: The odds were good but the goods were odd.

    You’re good, Doc.

    • #3
  4. DocJay Inactive
    DocJay
    @DocJay

    Melissa Praemonitus (View Comment):
    So that’s what happened to you guys when I needed help moving all the heavy video equipment…

    Repetitive 4 oz whiskey curls resulted in an overuse syndrome.  The pain of being a man was being quelled.

    • #4
  5. Melissa Praemonitus Member
    Melissa Praemonitus
    @6foot2inhighheels

    DocJay (View Comment):

    Melissa Praemonitus (View Comment):
    So that’s what happened to you guys when I needed help moving all the heavy video equipment…

    Repetitive 4 oz whiskey curls resulted in an overuse syndrome. The pain of being a man was being quelled.

    I think it’s more about two guys in an epic friendship meeting for the first time.  Glad you guys got away from all the work and had some fun

    • #5
  6. Mike LaRoche Inactive
    Mike LaRoche
    @MikeLaRoche

    Were Roman Genn and Rob Long there? The last time you three all met up was quite epic.

    • #6
  7. Melissa Praemonitus Member
    Melissa Praemonitus
    @6foot2inhighheels

    Mike LaRoche (View Comment):
    Were Roman Genn and Rob Long there? The last time you three all met up was quite epic.

    Are you kidding?  We don’t have nearly enough insurance to cover the potential damage.

    • #7
  8. Matt Bartle Member
    Matt Bartle
    @MattBartle

    400K?! You mean, like, dollars??

    • #8
  9. DocJay Inactive
    DocJay
    @DocJay

    Matt Bartle (View Comment):
    400K?! You mean, like, dollars??

    American dollars.  A few hours of work.  Nice gig if you can get it.

    • #9
  10. Dave Sussman Member
    Dave Sussman
    @DaveSussman

    Just got a message from the ghost of Hunter S. Thompson: He officially passed the baton on to you Jay. That was poetry.

    If anyone hasn’t heard Jay crack wise while spinning pearls of health care wisdom, check out the Whiskey Politics After Dark episode.

    I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours.” -HST.

    • #10
  11. Judge Mental Member
    Judge Mental
    @JudgeMental

    Melissa Praemonitus (View Comment):
    So that’s what happened to you guys when @nicegrizzly and I needed help moving all the heavy video equipment…

    Hey, there was womens around.  Look forward to a bunch of Whisky Politics out of this.

    • #11
  12. DocJay Inactive
    DocJay
    @DocJay

    Judge Mental (View Comment):

    Melissa Praemonitus (View Comment):
    So that’s what happened to you guys when @nicegrizzly and I needed help moving all the heavy video equipment…

    Hey, there was womens around. Look forward to a bunch of Whisky Politics out of this.

    Dave has double digit interviews of some big wigs.  Worth the price of admission sir.  He’s very much a professional, unlike me.

    Melissa and Grizz are married, far be it for me to objectify those hot ladies.  ;-)

    • #12
  13. DocJay Inactive
    DocJay
    @DocJay

    Dave Sussman (View Comment):
    Just got a message from the ghost of Hunter S. Thompson: He officially passed the baton on to you Jay. That was poetry.

    If anyone hasn’t heard Jay crack wise while spinning pearls of health care wisdom, check out the Whiskey Politics After Dark episode.

    I have a theory that the truth is never told during the nine-to-five hours.” -HST.

    I had a blast with you dude.    The world was our oyster.

    • #13
  14. cdor Member
    cdor
    @cdor

    Rocket Surgeon (View Comment):
    DocJay: They may be doers, they may be don’ters, but they all need donors.

    DocJay: The odds were good but the goods were odd.

    Had the exact same two sentences ready to quote. Well said Doc. Inebriation brings out the best in you.

    • #14
  15. Lois Lane Coolidge
    Lois Lane
    @LoisLane

    DocJay: They may be doers, they may be don’ters, but they all need donors.

    Great line in a piece with a lot of great lines.  You’ve got a very cool voice on paper, though the whole scene kept making me think of some weird excerpt from a movie like Blade Runner (definitely not Dunkirk) with a unique twist of freedom (a bit like lime) and a whole lot of salt.  I don’t know why.

    • #15
  16. Del Mar Dave Member
    Del Mar Dave
    @DelMarDave

    Really sorry to miss all you guys there, especially Melissa*, Dave Sussman and @nicegrizzly – “Hi!” to each of you.  And doubly sorry that Annie and I will miss this evening.  Fun gatherings with great people.

    Onward…

    • Great series of pics on FB!
    • #16
  17. Addiction Is A Choice Member
    Addiction Is A Choice
    @AddictionIsAChoice

    To say I was thrilled to meet @docjay, @davesussman@nicegrizzly, @cowgirl, and the rest is an understatement! Garin, you knocked our socks off! And seeing the always delightful @6foot2inhighheels is a treat beyond measure! @knotwisethepoet, you’d have enjoyed this one!

    If you haven’t attended a Ricochet Meetup, I heartily encourage you to do so! Your fellow Ricochetti are every bit as charming, every bit as informed, and every bit as fun as you imagine!

    Oh, and thanks for the kind words, Doc! I might have made an even stonger impression had I been able to rock my signature pompadour.  (AC problems; long-story…and still unresolved! After I left you guys, I had to go to Home Depot to buy some portable AC till the new unit gets installed on Tuesday.)

     

    • #17
  18. Knotwise the Poet Member
    Knotwise the Poet
    @KnotwisethePoet

    Addiction Is A Choice (View Comment):
    To say I was thrilled to meet @docjay, @davesussman, @nicegrizzly, @cowgirl, and the rest is an understatement! Garin, you knocked our socks off! And seeing the always delightful @6foot2inhighheels is a treat beyond measure! @knotwisethepoet, you’d have enjoyed this one!

     

    I know I would have.  I spent most of this summer break trying to find a house to move into.  My wife and I finally got that sorted out and spent the last couple of weeks moving stuff over.  So now this weekend and this coming week are all I have left for visiting family in Utah and Idaho before I have to start work again.

    While I am sad to have missed the meetup, let me tell you, the climate and scenery here in Idaho are like paradise after roasting in Vegas for the past couple of months.

     

    • #18
  19. Boss Mongo Member
    Boss Mongo
    @BossMongo

    DocJay: “Me too,” I said, “but it’s followed by white and blue.”

    A-yup.  Thanks, Doc.

    • #19
  20. JimGoneWild Coolidge
    JimGoneWild
    @JimGoneWild

    Damn! Another 7 on come-out roll.

    • #20
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