Merlot's Road Movie Screeings, and Poker Party

Greetings Voignier, and Kind readers,

This evening, we have resolved to entertain at the Basin with tastings and screenings of several classic films, including three so called "Road" movies staring Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. In attendance were several influential media executives, entertainers, television personalities, news writers, new readers, tax accountants, a golf pro, several dozen Ford Agency Models, high ranking officials from the Mayor's office, journalists from the New York Times, The Post and Daily News.

The films of course, were back drop, as wall paper with motion. Most of our guests spent time socializing and discussing everything under the sun. It was a rather welcome counterpoint to our recent domestic troubles here aboard our watercraft, as our guests sample a wide variety of North America's leading boxed wines. By 9pm, poker tables had been set up for certain of our more sporting guests, which subsequently lead to a run on area ATM machines, if you would. Cash was indeed king at the boat basin this evening, as several of our guests were beaten down to their socks.

At several tables, the conversation turned from sports, business and womanizing to politics, which in turn lead to several heated discussions about Paris, Bagdad and, at one point, Lima, Peru. Mr. Ito for his part, was superb, as he was called upon to exercise his advanced judo skill to break up two fellows who found themselves down on their luck, but on separate sides of the blue state, red state cultural wars. Nevertheless, judging from the number of empty casks, our boxed wine selection seemed offer the lubricant as these conflicts over conscious, vision, belief, and alas, winnings were resolved until the last chip was won or lost, depending your viewpoint.