Getting from point A to point B in the Venetian invariably involves a trip through the casino area. Sitting at a restaurant, about to sink my teeth into a stale, $10 turkey wrap and wash it down with a $3 bottle of water, I have to go back through the casino to get to a restroom where I can wash my hands. At first, I'm amused by trips through the smoky, dimly lit casino floor. But then I see the people sitting at the slot machines. I stare at one of them, and after a few seconds, he looks back. I see the utter despair and shame on his face. His glazed-over eyes tell me, "I have a fixed income. I have no life savings. I can't stop coming here. Help me."
I walk away perplexed, thinking maybe they're not all the same. But they are. I see them at other casinos, cigarettes slowly turning to ash in their hands, their hopes and dreams long smoldered away. I try to convince myself that the despair stops there. But it doesn't. I walk on and past a cocktail waitress, fake breasts compressed by a dress that's too small and gait slowed by heels that are too high...
The different side of CES
Posted on Tuesday, January 11 2011 @ 5:01 CET by Thomas De MaesschalckThe Tech Report writer Cyril Kowaliski reports about his the experience of his first time at CES. It's quite a different story to what you usually hear, you can read it over here.
