I read a book a few years ago which postulated that the city of Los Angeles (and surroundings) had basically willed itself into being. The land was uninhabitable desert before settlers came and brought water in from outside. I get the same feeling from Las Vegas, except it's as though the dream is still present and palpable. (Maybe it's just the heat wavering the air--when we drove through last July, it was 115°.)
I was really fascinated by a description I read of a woman winning a payout on a slot machine. It was the author's distinct impression that the woman wished it would stop paying out so she could go back to playing. For the addicts, I think the real drug of the slot machine is weightless, dizzying moment when all the cylinders are spinning and anything can happen. The moment they stop, you're back on earth.
Also, should anyone wish to play the slots: don't play the ones in the airport. They have the absolute worst odds in the whole state. (This I learned from a programmer who worked to create those odds.)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2006-08-13 01:08 pm (UTC)I was really fascinated by a description I read of a woman winning a payout on a slot machine. It was the author's distinct impression that the woman wished it would stop paying out so she could go back to playing. For the addicts, I think the real drug of the slot machine is weightless, dizzying moment when all the cylinders are spinning and anything can happen. The moment they stop, you're back on earth.
Also, should anyone wish to play the slots: don't play the ones in the airport. They have the absolute worst odds in the whole state. (This I learned from a programmer who worked to create those odds.)