An army of slot machines greet you at the airport when you land in Las Vegas. There is an old Vegas and and new to tour through before pulling the rent a car into the valet. Everyone, so far, in Vegas, is friendly. These people must like their job. They must like the town that they live in.

The hotel is covered in slot machines, also, and so are the many restaurants and bars that are located within the hotel. Instead of saying, "one," the elevator says "casino" where you push the button to get out.

I haven't read "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" in a long time, but I'm pretty sure that the vision of Las Vegas that Hunter Thompson brought to us is dead, just like he is. There is an incredible amount of construction work going on in this town. "Thanks for a great 48 years," says a sign outside the ............., as the old hotel waits to be imploded. What will go up there next in it's place, in it's space. It won't be a flower garden, I can assure you that.

At seven am there are people sitting at the tables and facing the slots. The dealers have fresh smiles on their faces, like they've gotten a good night's sleep. Important looking men in dark suits still prowl the floor. A dealer here or there stands at attention at their table, waiting for someone to come along.