A Photo Tour of the American Southwest

(N.B: I recommend clicking on the photos to enlarge them, particularly the photos of nature.)The weekend in Las Vegas came and went. Though time in Las Vegas is unlike time elsewhere, the Vegas excursion was fairly typical. One special moment: while playing poker at Caesar's Palace, I had the misfortune of sitting next to someone who looked like John Travolta in Swordfish and talked like Val Kilmer, only stupider and more tone deaf. I didn't sit down to play until 12:30 in the morning on Saturday, and the room was fairly quiet. My table was especially tame. Players went about their business solemnly, and there was no conversation. Occasionally, someone would nod at an opponent after a good hand, and sporadic chuckles filled the awkward silences that followed the dealer's jokes. To his credit, Silvio was working hard.Val Kilmer was the exception. He was chattering incessantly and inanely, but largely to himself. In a span of ninety minutes, I turned $100 into $167. Kilmer...