The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with a Senior Associate.

The other day I called a Senior Associate of mine. "Warren, am I the only guy in Las Vegas who sees what the hell is going on? Jesus, look at the gaming numbers the Asians are producing. That's just a precursor for what's to come!" My friend Warren has been around the block a time or two. Every so often I call and ask his opinion. Some times he will give it to me. "What do you mean when you say the gaming numbers are just a precursor for what's to come? I don't understand your philosophy behind that," he replied.

I often wonder if Warren and I read the same newspaper - but nonetheless - Whenever he asks a question, I always try in earnest to answer it. "Think of it this way Warren. When the market crashed back in '08. Well, it looked like the whole strip was going to have to file bankruptcy -That is until the China man came raging onto the scene - Today, Wynn and Sands are reporting record profits and it didn't come from guys sitting around a poker table in Kansas." The island of Macau, located 30 minutes by ferry from Hong Kong, deregulated their gaming industry in 2004. A number of American purveyors set up shop shortly after. Since then, profits have been at an all time high for the lucky few who had the foresight to do so.

"Now, I want you to listen real good to me Warren. If the gaming revenues in Macau are three times greater than Las Vegas produces in less than a decade of existence -The first American owned casinos were opened in 2008 - Just imagine what else the Asian consumer will spend their money on." I have been touting a food ordering/delivery website that focuses primarily on Asian restaurants in the Chinatown section of Las Vegas. "Warren, I hold this belief to be a true. If an outside business group establishes healthy business relations with Asian proprietors and consumers at the ground level in Chinatown, and thus is able to establish some solid 'American' concepts. Well, the sky is the limit!"

I never know if Warren is listening or not, so I asked him. "Warren, does what I am telling you make sense? I would really like you to come back out and take another look at Chinatown. This time come by yourself." After my statement, I patiently waited for his response. After a minute of silence I again asked if he understood what I was talking about. "Warren, are you still there?" I replied forcefully. Much to my chagrin, we had been disconnected. I immediately called back and the call went straight to voice mail.

The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with his friend Junior about Mad Max.

I hadn't talked with my friend Junior from Albuquerque in quite some time, so I gave him a call today. "Hey Owen, what's going on?" Junior is a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I call him Owen because of the fact they started the season 0-4 - The nickname ended up sticking - "What's going on Les?" After I started calling him Owen, not to be outdone, he started referring to me as Les. The correct spelling would actually be [Less] as in worthless, jobless, penniless, homeless. Well you get the picture. Anyways, we play catch up for a few minutes and then I ask if he has been reading my blog.

"Tell your uncle Ned not to get so worked up about things. What you should probably do is give Mad Max's phone number to Ned. That way Ned can call him directly and they can yell at each other. They'll probably give each other heart attacks." Turns out Junior has been reading the blog faithfully. He was referencing my previous post concerning uncle Ned's comments about my anarchist friend Mad Max. He then asked me this, "Is Mad Max really as hardcore as you portray him in your blog?"

Mad Max is no bullshit! I wanted to make sure that he understood exactly how hardcore Mad Max actually is. So I told him this. "You know what he told me. He said that his buddy owns a gun store and since Obama was reelected, sales have gone up six hundred percent in his friends store. Mad Max owns more guns than you can count. His rounds of ammunition are in the tens of thousands, multiple times over. I would say if there was ever a guy who was hardcore about his beliefs, it would be Mad Max."

The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with his uncle Ned about Mad Max.

I hadn't talked with my favorite uncle in a few months, so I decided to give him a call today. "Ned, what's going on? How the hell have you been?" Uncle Ned isn't in the best of shape nowadays, but he still seems to manage. "Rob, where the hell have you been? Why haven't you called?" I'll admit it, I've been neglectful the last few months in calling friends and family, but it's not that I don't care. It's just that I have had other things on my mind. "Sorry Ned about not calling. So what's been going on?" We play catch up for a few minutes and then I ask if he has been reading my blog.

"Who the hell is this Mad Max character that you've been blogging about recently? What a fucking idiot. Let me guess, it's got to be one of your buddies from Madison." Mad Max has been a mainstay in my blog recently and I have a gentleman's agreement with him that I won't divulge his true identity and told Ned such. Ned is a bleeding heart Liberal - Mad Max is an anarchist - So it puts them on opposite sides of the spectrum. "Don't tell me Mad Max is one of these guys who thinks the government is bugging his phone. Hey, if he doesn't like this country. Why doesn't he leave? 'America, love it or leave it!' That's what we used to say when I was young."

Mad Max is a friend of mine. So I felt it necessary to defend him somewhat against my uncle Ned's rant. "Look, Mad Max loves this country as much or more than anyone I know. He, along with many others, doesn't like the direction it's headed. He's entitled to his opinions, just as you're entitled to yours." It doesn't take much for uncle Ned to get his dander up. Lots of people mistake his passion for belligerence, but not me, I am used to it by now. "Look, tell this moron to move to the Soviet Union or Syria. That would give him a real good idea of what government control is like - Mad Max - Jesus, can't you come up with a more original nickname for whoever this tool is?"

The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with his friend Mad Max about the end of the world.

"The other night I dreamt of knives, continental drift divide. Mountains sitting in a line, Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs. Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom! You symbiotic, patriotic, slam bug net, right? Right."

R.E.M. - It's The End Of The World (As We Know It)

Today's version of the phrase - Mad Max - is best used as a connotation to describe chaos, disorder and anarchy. Example: "The other day I was in Chinatown eating lunch with a Chinese friend of mine. He told me China was sick and tired of being pushed around by the Japanese, and that one of these days he wouldn't be surprised one bit if China went Mad Max on Japan."

The following is an excerpt of a recent conversation I had with a friend of mine, I have affectionately nicknamed him Mad Max. He is an anarchist in every sense of the word:

"Mad Max, shut the fuck up. The end of the world is not coming. It's called change! Now, no one claims that change is always for the better, but I can promise you one thing is for certain. Change is the one constant in life. It's always going to happen!." I had just finished listening to a five minute diatribe in which he criticized everything from Ma Bell to the Federal Reserve. According to Mad Max, they're all out to fuck him. "Now you listen boy, and you listen good!" Unfortunately for me, his diatribe was only half way done. "The government is not your friend. The clowns we have in office right now are destroying the country. Now, it seems like every time I tell you to get ready for the end, you start laughing. You wait motherfucker! When the levy finally breaks, and it will break. I'll be ready!"

I have to admit a truth to everyone. I do find Mad Max and his ranting a bit far-fetched, thus making it humorous to me. But somehow, I was hoping his rhetoric would soften a bit. I told him such and his response was, well for the lack of a better phrase, classical Mad Max. "Listen motherfucker, you need to get this through that thick skull of yours. Now is the time to stockpile all the necessities. A complete collapse of the country is close. Whatever you're doing, forget about it and 'run to the hills." Mad Max and I go a long ways back. So it isn't that I don't respect his views, it's just that he's gotten too far out for me - I look at it this way - If what he's spewing really comes to fruition. Well, I'll find the nearest bridge and jump off of it. But until 'the end of the world' actually hits. I ain't gonna worry about it. I shared my sentiment with him and he told me this, "You're acting like a lamb just waiting for slaughter, but it's your choice. Just remember, when the shit house catches fire, I warned you!"

The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with his friend Mad Max...Part 3

Today's version of the phrase - Mad Max - is best used as a connotation to describe chaos, disorder and anarchy. Example: "Every so often my ex wife would suffer road rage in Las Vegas. One time she got it so bad that I was for sure she was going to pull over - grab the gun in her glove box -- and go Mad Max on a car that had just cut her off."

The following is an excerpt from a conversation I had with a friend recently, I have affectionately nicknamed him Mad Max, he is an anarchist in every sense of the word:

"My guns are loaded, the bunker is stocked, the RV and truck are full of gas. I'm just waiting for the shit to hit the fan. I am ready motherfucker! Are you?" My friend Mad Max is 100% convinced that the end of the world as we know it is close, very close. "I don't give a fuck if people think I am crazy. You wait boy! When the shit goes down, and it will go down, I will be looking like the genius, while the majority of the sheep will be herded and slaughtered." Mad Max is a full blown, 100% purified, no holds barred and whatever other catch phrase you want to use anarchist! 

A friend (reader) of the blog sent an email recently. He was curious to the true identity of Mad Max. I informed him of a gentlemen's agreement I had with Mad Max and thus am prohibited from divulging his identity. He asked if he knew Mad Max. I told him he did. He then told me that Mad Max reminded him of his father - I relayed the sentiment to Mad Max and he told me this - "There are plenty of other people who share in my 'Doomsday' scenario beliefs. I am by no means alone."

The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with his friend Mad Max about the China man.

Today's version of the phrase - Mad Max - Is best used as a connotation to describe chaos, disorder and anarchy. Example: "Man, sometimes I think the streets of North Las Vegas are only a homicide or two away from totally going Mad Max."

The following is an excerpt of a recent conversation I had with a friend - Whom I have affectionately nicknamed Mad Max - He is an anarchist in every sense of the word:

"You want to know something Mad Max? While you've been stockpiling ammo and guns, I have been trying to figure out how a Libertarian white boy from Kansas might be able to get rich in this fracas. And you know what my answer is, the China man, big-time." My friend Mad Max is an anarchist, he believes an outright collapse of the country is imminent. Me, on the other hand; I believe chaotic times provide ripe pickings for new wealth creation. "I am sick and tired of you talking about the Chinese. I know they have all the money nowadays, but I am an American. I like to do things with my own kind," he replied.

Mad Max and I share a lot of the same beliefs, but when it comes to the China man. Well, we couldn't disagree more. "Mad Max, I don't understand what your hang-up with the Chinese is?" I say that, but I know exactly what it is. My friend lives in an area where the nearest China man is probably a hundred miles away - Trust me, that ain't the case in Las Vegas - So I had to let him know, "Fox News isn't telling you the whole truth. Just look at the imbalance. China is holding three and a half trillion in currency reserves, much of it is from the United States, while we're 17 trillion and counting in the hole." I make that statement not to alarm, but to educate. The imbalance has created and will continue to create tons of new wealth for the Chinese. Wealth that undoubtedly will find its way to the United States.

"Think about this for a moment Mad Max. The new leadership of China's number one goal is to create a vast amount of new Chinese consumers. I have studied numerous reports that forecast a Chinese middle class of 100 million strong by 2020. It is imperative that entrepreneurs consider the buying power they will possess!" There was a brief silence on the phone after I made the statement, and then he said this. "How the fuck do you think you will get in on the action. The Chinese only like to do business among themselves." I can't stress enough how far from the truth his statement is, so I had to line him out. "Listen Mad Max, growth in the Asian sector is skyrocketing while traditional markets are slumbering. The truth is most Asians have no idea who they want to do business with. That's how new and untapped the consumer section is! Perhaps it said better this way. They will to do business with whomever they believe can prove beneficial for them, and I have all the connections in Chinatown to launch a number of fruitful ideas. I know this sounds hokey to most and I said it earlier in our conversation, but the Chinese are begging for a Libertarian white boy like myself to come in and sell them on a number of 'American' ideas."

I get to ranting a lot of times and I wanted to make sure Mad Max was getting the gist of what I was saying, so I asked him. He told me this, "Look man, I don't know what the fuck to think about your Chinese ideas. I, like everyone else in this country, realize how far in the hole we are to them, but I don't see much of a future chasing Asian consumers." The only thing I can say to people who share Mad Max's view about there - not being much of a future in chasing Asian consumers - Well, go back and look at your Econ 101 book. Read the section entitled supply and demand! Then flip a few chapters over to the part where it talks about emerging markets. Now, after you have done those two things, break out your calculator and figure out the trade imbalance between the two countries. OK, that's enough, it breaks down to this for me. I would like to be rich and successful. Not just a little rich or a little successful. I'm talking about being filthy rich! I realize my statements are bold, but the fact of the matter is quite simple to me. Traditional markets and consumers are clogged! The amount of time and money it would take to unclog them is not feasible! It proves much wiser to set goals on segments that are wide open and developing, such as Asians. I am going to end this post with a quote from one of my favorite movies. I apologize in advance for the vulgarity in the quote, but hey, it's how I feel.

The movie is Scar Face - The scene is towards the beginning - The quote comes from the Al Pacino portrayed character Tony Montana.

"This town is like one big pussy just waiting to get fucked."

The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with his friend Mad Max...Part 2

Today's version of the phrase - Mad Max - is best used as a connotation to describe chaos, disorder and anarchy. Example: "Man, sometimes I look at what's going on in the world and I could swear Mad Max is coming."

The following is an excerpt of a recent conversation I had with a friend. He is an anarchist in every sense of the word:

"I tell you what the fuck is going to happen. First, the Middle East is going to implode. One of those countries will finally work up enough balls to take a swing at Israel and then Israel will retaliate. You think that place has problems now, just wait. All hell will break loose soon." My friend, who I have affectionately nicknamed Mad Max, is watching way too much Fox News in my opinion, but hey, who says that he couldn't be right? "And then when Israel gets itself in a jam, of course, we are going to have to ride to the rescue. But I don't believe are current leadership has the balls to back Israel up. Which in turn will cause a major ruckus in this country." 

As I stated earlier in the post - Mad Max is an anarchist - Me, I am a Libertarian. Lots of people think they are one and the same. I am here to tell you they're not! An anarchist wants to see the government dissipate, a Libertarian wants to see it shrink. "Mad Max, why the hell would I care about what happens in the Middle East? There isn't a thing I can do about it. As a Libertarian, I feel the country is best served on concentrating their resources inwards, lifting regulations, shrinking the government and letting the grip of entrepreneurship run its course! When that happens! Everything will begin to turn around." Mad Max and I are in agreement on a number of things, but the notion that everyone should be stockpiling guns and ammunition for a forthcoming collapse is a bit ludicrous to me. But hey, it isn't to him.

"All I hear from you is how you believe this country and the world can cure itself by entrepreneurship and I would have agreed with you a few years back, but not now, not even close. It is far too gone for your style of thinking to be relevant anymore. If I were you, I would invest in guns, ammo and gold. Those three things will never go out of existence in this country." Even though Mad Max and I have been friends forever, I can only take so much of his banter at one time. So I told him that I had to go, but before I hung-up, I took the parting shot. "Mad Max, right now is a time of change in this country. I believe you can either adapt or perish. Now, a lot of times I feel a guy like me and the way I see things are dinosaurs of the past, but hey, what the world needs is an economic revival. I am holding on to the hope that once current leadership changes hands, it can happen. If leadership stays the same in this country. Well, you better dig a big enough foxhole for me to fit in there with you."