Word on the street (as well as The Strip) is that a gaggle of Slopers have gathered in Las Vegas – – an irregularly scheduled event that has gone on for many years named SlopeFest. Regrettably, because this is a graduation/end-of-school weekend for my beloved children, I am unable to attend. There will be more pictures to come, particularly tomorrow night, but The Director was kind enough to send this first snapshot (Market Sniper, AKA Dutch, is the mustachioed chap in the back).

I’ve got a huge challenge ahead of me, trying to write up anything about this god-awful market of ours, but – – this isn’t the first time I’ve had to try to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.