Back from Vegas....... (earlier than hoped)

Nothing sexy like losing our shirt at the craps table or even losing our shirt to a long cool woman in a black dress, rather our early departure was the result of a logistical conflict back here in San Diego. It was a shame because after just 2 days there, we felt we were just getting comfortable... as if the initial scald of the hot tub had subsided and we were now fully immersed into the soothing rhythm of casino life.

Well, since Vegas is still on the mind, what better time to post appropriate than on the day after the 30th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death.

The man still dominates this nation's cultural conscience and sub-conscience more than any figure outside the political realm. We tread lightly here not wanting to trivialize the planet-altering, life-as-we-know-it-in-America-providing contributions of giants like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. However, the man whom Camile Paglia dubbed "America's first Protestant Saint", has left a legacy that continues to be interpreted and built upon, much as the 3 aforementioned Presidents, to this day.

(The picture posted above is of one of the finest books we have ever read and the image of Presley is evocative of Ms. Paglia's assessment. In fact, because the book was so unlike anything we had read and because it so effectively captured that "something" about the American experience and about American exceptionalism, we wanted to work the title into the blog name somehow. Alas, we failed to come up with anything remotely elegant that would not, in our eyes and minds, have been somewhat over-the-top and/or pretentious. So we settled for the image of corporate elites boozing it up with the True Believers in an effort to garner ratings points. Charmed, we're sure).

Anyway... Elvis as our best weapon against totalitarian oppression? Click on link below for full story.

http://www.tcsdaily.com/article.aspx?id=082102B

P.S. Many thanks to The Substitute (aka Brother Mike) for his fine work in holding down the fort. The kid ought to get his own blog, dontcha think?

P.P.S. You heard it here first... Late, great NASCAR driver, Dale Earnhardt: "America's second Protestant Saint."