I just looked at the schedule for next week, and didn\'t see TGJB\'s name anywhere. As my 14 year old stepson has started saying: \"Wadsup wid dat, yo?
Dodie:
I would tell your stepson to lay off the \"Hooked on Ebonics\" tapes.
Richie B
Pls tell me you don\'t disapprove of \"American Urban\" as a completely legitimate variety of English, no different in appropriateness for its speakers than the \"Midwestern\" variety spoken in Iowa or the \"Tidewater\" variety spoken in coastal Virginia.
I applaud my stepson\'s willingness to explore all aspects of what it means to be American, just as long as he doesn\'t expect me to pay for that \"grille\" he\'s been talking about.
Dodie:
Our posts confirm the fact that the United States is made up of diverse
peoples separated by a common language...and I do not know what a grille is.
I also noted that TGJB was not listed on the most recent Expo roster; I think
those who have already paid should be seeking a partial refund.
Dodie-- I bailed on the Expo. They had me on a panel that didn\'t involve our type of handicapping, so they didn\'t need me. I only put myself through the stress last time because it was the only way to get Friedman in a public forum, and this year he\'s on a different panel than the one they wanted me for.
I do wonder if that was at his request...
Tnks JB.
a \"grille\" is urban slang for the metal appliques many urban musical artists have on their front teeth that makes them look so menacing.
About as menacing as a kid with braces. They\'re basically meant to show that the wearer can afford expensive dental work that he doesn\'t need, like gold teeth used to be.
Bob
My bags are packed....leaving on a flight from the East coast to Vegas later today. Going out a night early to Caesar\'s Palace before going to the Wynn for the EXPO. Hey the seminars and format isn\'t perfect....and maybe it lacks some things that are relevent and useful....but it is a great reason to enjoy a weekend in \"sin city\" Nice to meet people who enjoy the game. Hey, I go with an open mind....a desire for a massage in the spa.....a thirst for a martini and a hunger for some fine dining. The racing discussions are icing on the cake!
Anyone go to the Expo? How was it?
I attended. The beautiful Wynn property in Las Vegas is as nice as it comes. The seminars at the conference were a mixed bag. That is a difficult format for guest panelists to get very specific about the infinite nuances of handicapping..... but I believe there was a sincere desire by most speakers to bring relevent information and experience to the participants. I thought Crist, Dickenson, Davidowitz, Bray, Free and the heavy hitter from Keenland {forgot his name} were good. Imagine a college professor trying to cram a semester into fifteen minutes of dialogue. Some of the lectures were on simultaneously so you had to choose which ones you wanted to attend. As a result i missed a couple of people I wanted to see. {Mark Cramer, Len Friedman } There was a temporary race book set up so you could play on the breaks or if you choose to skip a session without having to leave the area to find a window. The speakers were accesible to anyone who had questions. The two cocktail parties and banquet dinner were also opportunities to pick their brains. I sat next to Lee Tomlinson and chatted with him at length at the dinner. We also had the representatives from the sponsor \"Case the Race\" at our table. They have an interesting concept of measuring the athletic potential of a young horse. As their product developes.....their numbers could provide a potential handicapping edge for young lightly raced horses. Breeders and pin hookers use them now to evaluate young stock. The general consensus was that this expo was better than the last one....and I understand the last one was better than the one before that. Worth the trip if you enjoy that type of general learning and want to rub shoulders with some of the voices in the game. Sponsers included YouBet, DRF, ExpressBet, Case the Race and some of the tracks.