To Each Their Own

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    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
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    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

  • Very similar reaction to loud, noisy places now Grant. (Perhaps it's an age thing) But I really love getting to chat to people, and sitting around screaming at each other (to be heard) leaves me pretty cold now. (And I spent much of my life playing in bands...)

    And also not a gambling fan. When I was young, I thought anyone who didn't like it was just weird and prudish.

    Now I think very differently. The call it an "industry" but it's far from it. Today, I just see gambling as spreading pain and misery throughout the community, and mostly to people who aren't too bright. I don't know what people think when they walk into casinos, clubs, etc. but it doesn't take Einstein to realize that you don't get huge shiny buildings by giving money away. I find it generally just preys on people with addictive personalities. And as for the chance of any reasonable winnings, I see it as a tax on people who didn't do enough maths (math for the US folk) at school. Invariably, the community is left to pick up the mess.

    I've done work for a number of gambling organizations. Mostly that's because I was unaware that's what they did before I became involved. But anyone who's seen it from the inside tends to have a strong distaste for it. Have a young friend who was working for a popular sports betting company here in Australia, and eventually, he just couldn't stomach seeing it all from the inside.

    Hope you're well.

  • I can't honestly say if I'd enjoy Vegas or not, and I've been there.  Once.

    But I do have a limit to how long I can "survive" large, loud crowds before I have to go find myself a quiet corner to regroup.  I've been to a few events at bars and, well, the music does NOT need to be turned up to 11 dang it!  If I'm at an event where there's an expectation of talking to people, TURN THE MUSIC DOWN dang it!  Can not stand having to bellow at the top of my lungs six inches from someone's ear just so they can mostly hear me.  It probably doesn't help that I've got a bit of tinnitus, and the volume does not help that...

    But, there are some large / loud(ish) / people-full events I can deal with.  I think it comes down to, is there something to do that I enjoy?  Vegas, I'm not a gambler, I don't drink, the one time I went I enjoyed the shows I saw but those are only in the evenings, and at least the one time we were there the people watching on the strip was, shall I say, not very interesting.

  • It was great getting to see you at the Microsoft Fabric Community Summit, Grant. I also enjoyed all the classes and networking opportunities that went along with the event. I learned a lot about Microsoft Fabric, and am eager to get on a Fabric project soon.

    Vegas can be fun / interesting for a limited time, but after a few days I'm ready to go back to a place where the loudest sounds are the sounds of animals doing their thing. I find that each time I go out there, I see more and more of the glitz wearing off revealing the dirt and nastiness underneath. I don't gamble ~ I learned enough about probability and statistics to know that the casinos are more likely to "win" all my money than vice versa ~ so smoke filled casinos are only hostile places to pass through on the way to other more interesting things like nice restaurants, fun art displays, and shows.

  • I've never been to Las Vegas.  First of all, I've been in a casino exactly once, just so I could say I have done it, blew a whole ten dollars on machines, had dinner, and left.  We are at the stage in life where we enjoy dinners with one or two other couples but are careful where we choose.  We make reservations, ask for soft padded seats, and go early before the after-work crowd.  This then gives us longer quiet evenings in the comfort of home.  I regularly leave 'suggestions' with business places where the noise is too loud due to lack of sound-deadening materials and loud music, we do regular online reviews of places we visit and I'm not afraid to ask places to turn down the 'music' so we can hear each other.  We like to be able to hear conversations without distractions.  Public indoor smoking is very well-controlled in our state so that isn't a problem.   The way we see it, we've 'paid our dues', so now it' time to enjoy and reap the benefits.  I've mentioned before that one of our favorite times is having friends come to sit on our patio or deck for what we call 'merlot time', and often having younger folks stop by after their workday.

    Rick
    Disaster Recovery = Backup ( Backup ( Your Backup ) )

  • I've never been to Las Vegas. I'm not too fond of crowded and noisy places. Hills, forests, my parents' garden patio, with a glass of red and a good book, such spots for me. When I was young(er), a few decades ago, at least these were the best. Now, the beautiful hills are full of influencers who are taking the "unique" selfie with other dozens, the forests with quads, and my parents' garden patio is gone. Left my room's comfy chair and the glass of red for me. I have grown old. I think.

  • Ten years before I retired my wife and I built a log cabin on an old 10 acre mining claim Skeleton #1, looking out east to the Continental Divide.  There were quads around, we had three, and could ride 30 miles over the divide through National Forest to have lunch at Frenchy's historic bordello in Tin Cup.  We were blessed to be there then, because now the  little mining town of Pitkin is growing and becoming too modern.  We could have 2 to 20 folks on our deck for afternoon wine or evening steak grilling, surrounded by 70 foot lodge pole pines and colorful aspens.  No loud talking, no crowds, just good friends.

    Rick
    Disaster Recovery = Backup ( Backup ( Your Backup ) )

  • Thanks for the reminder, Grant, that fun means something different to all of us. I will remember your term "wrong fun". It does seem that a lot of people only want others to have the same kind of fun they have, but the world is a rich tapestry of people with different perspectives and ideas on what "fun" is. As long as no-one is hurt, let people have their own fun.

  • I've never been across the pond to the USA but I hate pubs here in the UK where the music is too loud and everyone is having to talk loudly to have a conversation. It is very noticeable how much quieter and happier groups are when the music is off and normal talking is resumed.

    I would say that it is actually bad organisation to hold a major conference in such a busy, noisy place since the out of session intercommunication is such an important part of these events. Worth pointing out to the organisers maybe?

     

  • It's not just different strokes for different folks; sometimes one "folk" wants different things at different times. There's a pub in my town that puts on live music and I go there on the heavy rock/metal nights, so I can do "loud". We also have a local brewery with a tap room where the music is kept at a low background level and we can sit around chatting with friends without anyone having to raise their voice. I enjoy both - as well as quiet evenings at home.

  • Thanks everyone for the responses. We see just here that different people like different things for different reasons at different times. It's all cool and I'm pleased you embrace it. Have fun, regardless of how you do it (yeah, as long as it's not hurting others, implied or assumed but unstated til now).

    "The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood"
    - Theodore Roosevelt

    Author of:
    SQL Server Execution Plans
    SQL Server Query Performance Tuning

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