As events in the the blogging world go, YearlyKos is the big thing right now. 3QD contributor Jennifer Ouellette, who shares my love of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and John Donne, reports on her blog.
Las Vegas, Jen-Luc and [Jennifer’s blog persona and avatar] I have decided, is a fascinating mix of high and low culture, a city in which seedy shops for tacky souvenirs exist side-by-side with posh Cartier boutiques. Everything’s all squished together into one long strip. Our hotel, the Riviera, is in the mid-range of this bizarre continuum: several cuts above, say, a Motel 6, yet nowhere near the ostentatious luxury of the justly famed Bellagio. For one thing, the Riviera doesn’t have that incredible fountain. (Jen-Luc Piquant was thrilled to discover, during her Cyber-travels yesterday, that there is a scientific tribute to the Bellagio’s one-of-a-kind fountain exploiting the explosion effect of mixing Mentos and Diet Coke.)
The Bellagio has its luxurious charms, but so do some of the other establishments. Circus Circus, across the street from the Riviera, bills itself as a family casino, and has the garish, child-friendly decor to match. But it is also home to one of the best steakhouses in New York. And when Virginia Governor (and presidential hopeful) Mark Warner decided to throw a posh reception in conjunction with the YearlyKos event, he chose to hold it at the top of the Stratosphere. There was a lot of pre-fete buzz before that event, which turned out to be much deserved. It was a catered affair, with live entertainment by a pair of Blues Brothers impersonators, and an open bar where the mixed drinks were poured through gigantic ice sculptures. Lindsey Beyerstein (a.k.a. Majikthise) wondered aloud whether these kinds of events really changed anyone’s mind for election purposes. No sooner had she spoken, when an inebriated blogger stumbled up and declared, “Mark Warner rocks! I am SOO voting for him!” So apparently Warner has a lock on the drunken freeloader sector of the blogosphere.