CES: All Good Except the Vegas Part

Am I getting old and cranky or does Las Vegas get more annoying every year? In other words, just got home from CES. Despite staying at the grossest hotel, the Luxor (WHY didn't anyone warn me?) and having a few bizarre dining/late night experiences (stories are staying in Vegas, don't ask), it was a great time.

The highlight was clearly the party I hosted with Brian Solis, Frank Gruber and Tony Hsieh. It was held in a cavernous club that could accomdate Obama's entire inauguration, but we managed to fill, well, the front of it handily with several hundred party-goers who did some admirable damage to the Intel-sponsored open bar. Afterwards Mr. Solis turned on his Pocket-Sized-Ricky-Ricardo charms to sneak a few of us into a packed club, where we did a little more damage to the Palazzo's stock of champagne and a little dancing to the Lacy-Ellis-Hine house favorite, Lil' Wayne.

HUGE thanks to my co-hosts who each did far more work putting the party together than I did and HUGE, HUGE thanks to Intel for the check. We've already had a few offers to sponsor one next year, so who knows? I may wind up back at CES in 2010. (I won't however be staying at the Luxor again, even in a world with a frosty hell and airborne pigs.)

Here are some pictures, in case you missed it.

From the party, courtesy of Brian Solis. In order, me and Miss Julia Allison, me and Hammer and me with Frank, Brian and Julia just chillin' :

Also, here are Frank and I acting tough just before we lost horribly in SanDisk's Battle of the Bloggers Rock Band Competition. We were beat by NonSociety and they didn't play a SINGLE note. Hmph! I take back that hug above, Julia! (Photo courtesy of Frank.)