E-303: Have You Seen Minority Report?

Random Vegas

The Hacienda Hotel & Casino was one of a chain of 4 properties each featuring a distinctive horse and rider sign.  The other 3 locations were in California. (Neon Museum) 

Twitpic of the week

It’s so Vegas it's kind of annoying while simultaneously being sexy as hell.  If LED signage is eye-catching, what does one 30 stories tall do.  @Palms hopes it draws people to the off-strip property that kicked off the nightclub revolution in the city only to eventually be outdone by their strip counterparts.  Returning to the well is a risky proposition but how else do you recommend they reclaim their place in the market?  But when renovation costs exceed that of some newer projects, is there any chance they can recoup their investment?  Time will tell. 

News

m00nshot.com

Battle Born Pins

Encore Boston for Sale?

Vegas Fees Impact

LINQ VR

Stadium Parking woes continue

MLS in Vegas

Booking.com fights back

Eldorado/Caesars Merger Update

Meek Mills/Cosmopolitan Situation

Boyd Approved to leave NV Energy

E-301: Highest Functioning Autistic EVER

Random Vegas 

When bill acceptors were added to slot machines in the '90s, it generated a 30% increase in the amount of money played. (@VitalVegas via Natasha Dow Schull) 

Twitpic of the week 

The story of Rio is a tragic tale.  When it opened, it was a monster success, pioneering the move to fine dining and celebrity chefs.  3 years after opening in 1990, the property was so popular that it built and opened a 20-story expansion tower, showcased this week by @LuckysLasVegas.  In 1997, at a cost of about $200 million dollars, it unveiled the “Masquerade in the Sky” show.  When Harrah’s Entertainment decided to relocate their corporate headquarters from Memphis TN to Las Vegas in the late 90s, they didn’t feel they owned a property that was worthy to setup operations in.  So they purchased the Rio in 1999 for $888 million and established it as their corporate headquarters.  And so began its downfall.  Years later, after all the celebrity chefs left, CEO at the time Gary Loveman would admit that they made the mistake of thinking they could run Rio with the same way they run Harrah’s.  Despite making Rio the home of their prized acquisition, the World Series of Poker, the property has noticeably not received any of the renovation love that has been given out to all its sister properties.  While Rio has been at the middle of many sale rumors, the latest claiming it will be demolished so a baseball stadium can be built on the land would not only be its final indignity, it would be its most egregious.  The irony isn’t lost on me that a sport infamous for its many cheating scandals wants to move to a city that originally identified the importance of insuring that the games had to be fair to the player only to recently adopted the practice of hidden fees.   

News

360VV8 Eve

Neon Museum Expansion Plans 

Grand Sahara Residencies Coming

Cirque announces plans to refresh "O"

Pro Sports Impact

Eataly is run by morons

Wynnification

Eldorado's Caesars Acquisition Plan

Drug Amnesty Drop Box @McCarran

New Golden Gate Logo

E-299: Lesidency

Random Vegas

The La Concha Motel lobby was designed in 1961 by Paul Revere Williams, the first African American elected Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.  To this day it is considered one of the best preserved examples of 1950s googie architecture, a style featuring upswept roofs, curvaceous geometric shapes and its use of neon. The La Concha lobby is now the Neon Museum's visitors' center (Neon Museum & Research) 

Twitpic of the week

It’s quite simply one of the best marquees that has existed in Vegas history.  A truly mesmerizing sign whose presence was not only grand but glorious.  Shared this week by @summacorp aka vintageLasVegas on instagram, this whole style of architecture resonates with me in an unexplainable way.  I find the swooping curves breathtaking, get lost in the sparkle of the lettering and could spend hours watching the lights cascade back and forth.  It’s a special thing when signage becomes iconic.  While I like that owners of the small dive casino bar west of Lucky Dragon have resurrected the name and installed a smaller version of this marquee, make no mistake, the Mint has not returned.  That being said, here’s hoping that this is the start of a new era in Vegas where unforgettable brands return to the landscape. 

News

Battle Born Vegas Pins
MGM Sundries Surge Pricing
Cirque's R.U.N. coming to Luxor
Light Rail Transit System Defeated
The Massachusetts Manze
Wynn Resorts Eliminates Parking Fees
Paula Abdul Vegas Residency
Weed Lounges Approved

E-297: Does Mom Know?

Random Vegas

In 2007, the Brand Ranking survey saw Las Vegas rise to America’s number two brand, behind only google (The Strip – Las Vegas and the Architecture of the American Dream) 

Twitpic of the week 

Glorious is one way to describe the Galaxy Bar at Vegas World.  Vegas as fuck is another.  Say what you will about Bob Stupak, he got it right with this amenity.  Potentially inspired by what I can only imagine every brothel in Pahrump looks like inside, the use a mirrored ceiling to capture the reflection of the light feature creates the illusion of infinity.  Trapped in tacky you say? We should all be so lucky. That being said, I can’t help but think everything you see in the picture shared by @summacorp is sticky.

News

Nightclub News

Virgin Hotel Rendering

Cosmopolitan For Sale

E-296: Bill Cosby Head Shake

Random Vegas

Per a recent press release, since opening in 1995, the Joint @Hard Rock concert venue has hosted 709 shows, 14 residencies, 42 comedy shows, 45 Rap / Hip-Hop / R & B Acts, 52 Country Acts, 392 Rock ‘n’ Roll Acts, played 2,127 hours of music and sold 1.14 million tickets (@VitalVegas) 

Twitpic of the week

An Arthurian representation of wealth housing a den of vice for those who are not wealthy.  An icon of the Vegas strip that declares without saying a word that there is something for everyone in the city to enjoy.   Selected this week, not only for the view it shared but the joke attached to it.  @Bluestorm2000‘s cleaver wordplay delivered with a regal accent that would make the queen proud somehow permeates even via text.  Apropos considering the inspiration for the concept.  The longer I live Vegas the more I feel the responsibility to find out the great answers mankind has sought after, like what is in that center tower?  Is it office buildings? Is it storage? What kind of storage? You know, the hard-hitting sort of journalism that changes the world.  If you're thinking to yourself, “What was the joke attached to the picture?”  I guess you’re just gonna have to go to twitter yourself and see. 

News

Wynn/Crown Deal Off

More Proposed Vegas Transportation Options

California Visitation to Vegas Down

E-294: Patting the Soft Helmet

Random Vegas 

In 2002, Stratosphere owners proposed a roller coaster attraction that would depart from the base of the pod, drop passengers to the ground at a top speed of 93mps before curving at the bottom into a misshapen "U" track that would cross Las Vegas Blvd.  The project was blocked by residents claiming it would not only be a distraction for traffic but would undermine plans to revitalize the area by discourage new residents from moving in. Almost 20 years later, the revitalization plans have yet to materialize (No Limit) 

Twitpic of the week 

This week I realized I will not be able to get a helicopter pilots license; because there is a 100% chance that I’ll be too distracted enjoying views like the one shared this week by @MaverickHeli and die in a fiery crash.  That being said, what a way to go.  If I could only guarantee that I’d crash into a remote area so I was the only one hurt.  But again, I can’t, because I’d be too distracted looking at views like the one shared this week by @MaverickHeli.  Something else this picture forces me to realize is I need to work on my patience so I can take a Helicopter ride over Vegas, or many of them.  Or maybe not so I can continue to be captivated every time someone shares a unique view.  Shit, now I have dueling patience issues. 

News

Elon Musk's Underground Loop to Nowhere

2019 Oscars Betting

Wynn Resorts Received Record Setting Fine

Sports Betting History...ish

MGM Booze Dispensing Machines

Neon News 

Palms' Crushes

E-290: The Betty White Affair

Random Vegas

Like Cosmopolitan, due to Luxor’s unique design, it has been a popular place for people to commit suicide.  The most infamous of which was in 1996.  A 23 year old women climbed over the ledge of the 26^th floor of the atrium and jumped, landing near the long line to the buffet at the property, causing her body to “burst”.  A hazmat team was bought in to clean up the mess as rumors that the jumper had AIDS spread and social ignorance at the time began to cause panic.  Luxor offered free counseling sessions with a therapist to guests who saw the incident.  The idea of installing Plexiglas on the corridors was entertained to prevent something like this from happening again.  However the fire department informed them it would violate fire code as it would trap smoke in the hallways outside guest rooms.  Another idea was adding wire screens to catch jumpers but that idea was eventually nixed as the nets were not only unattractive, they were distracting and gave a haunting reminder of why they were there. (Book - Super Casino) 

Twitpic of the week 

Come on man, seriously.  Seriously?  @Vegasphotograph just sees and thinks differently from the rest of us.  Rain in the desert is uncommon enough but mix that with Vegas signage and those that love the city can’t whip their phones out fast enough to catch the neon reflections everywhere.  But a picture of the Stratosphere reflected in drops of water is some next level shit.  Reflections in fucking drops of water.  As I reflect on this picture, I feel like it’s a great representation of how my love for this city has evolved since moving here.  Similar to how the love for a spouse evolves and grows deeper than one could imagine over time, living here has given me the opportunity to move beyond the feeling that I only have 5 days or however long I’m staying to enjoy the city as much as possible before I have to go home and transitioned to enjoying every single aspect of it I can possibly think of, further deepening my appreciation for it.  While I’ll never be half the photographer this guy is, I can only hope I write with the same askewed view. 

News

ViceLounge Online Review - Jefferson's Grand Selection
360Vegas Vacation 8
Bond Barbershop Update
Wynn/Genting Settle Out of Court
Encore, Resorts World, Wynn
More Wynn Legal Shit
Christina Aguilera Vegas Residency
Hard Rock Neon Returns
Tony Spilatro's former home

Coming Attractions

Blue Oyster Cult
Fabulous Thunderbirds
The Roots

360 FHE

Carson's Kitchen

E-289: The Grand Lie

Random Vegas

At 188 feet, the Stardust sign with the shower of stars around the name, was the tallest in the world when it was introduced in 1968 (Neon Museum) 

Twitpic of the week 

Reflections.  With so many glass buildings on the strip there are almost limitless opportunities to catch a glimpse of a distorted reality.  A manifestation of euphoria captured by @evilsamgraham and shared so all can fondly recall those moments when you realize the countdown to passing out has begun and the journey to your room needs to begin immediately.  A dreamlike state in which details will need to be told to you by friends who better paced themselves.  An adventure always worth the price of admission, no matter how much it costs. 

News

18 Fremont is now Circa
Resorts World Responds to Wynn Lawsuit
Eataly Opens
MGM Grand Strip Renovations Planned
"Demon with Bowl" Coming to Palms
Downtown Grand Expansion Begins
iHeartRadio coming to Fremont St Experience

360FHE

Yardhouse@LINQ Happy House
Triple George Grill @Downtown Grand Happy Hour
Frankie's Tiki Room

18 Fremont is now Circa

Resorts World Responds to Wynn Lawsuit

Eataly Opens

MGM Grand Strip Renovations Planned

“Demon with Bowl” Coming to Palms

Downtown Grand Expansion Begins

IheartRadio Fremont St Experience

360FHE

YardHouse @LINQ Happy Hour

Triple George @Downtown Grand Happy Hour

Frankie’s Tiki Room

E-265: Fun Cunts

Random Vegas

Ralph Engelstad, owner of the Flamingo Capri before it became the Imperial palace, was once offered a contract to play for hockey professionally for the Chicago Blackhawks.  He turned it down to build his own construction company.

Twitpic of the week

Based on the landmarks pictured, its a little before my time. But it still captures the essence of the city as it was introduced to me in 2004.  It wasn't by design but there was magical transition that used to exist just beyond the northern curve of the Las Vegas strip.  It felt almost like traveling back in time at a leisurely pace. The Mirage kicked off the next generation of Vegas resorts on the strip to be built around and south of it, while the elder statesmen of the market continued to do their thing to the north.  However just like a mid-life crisis corvette, the desire to feel young again eventually took hold.  And just like a pick up game of basketball with people 20 years your junior, at some point you realized you can't keep up.  Best intentions to improve on a proven formula returned the majority of north strip to the desert.  What was once densely populated by the icons of yesteryear, showcased in the picture shared by @tonyIllia, are now mostly giant undeveloped parcels of land again.  Glass half full, they're prepped and ready for the next visionary to make their mark on the city. 

News

Wynn Resorts Rundown
Las Vegas Convention Center Expansion
Podcasters After Dark Tickets
Vegas Golden Knights News
Icahn Sells Tropicana

E-264: Savory Yogurt

Random Vegas

In 1995, a monorail was built to connect the MGM Grand to, fittingly enough, the former MGM Grand, now known as Bally's.  It would later be incorporated into the Las Vegas Monorail, making MGM Grand one of its anchor bookend properties

Twitpic of the week

Neon, signage and history are just a few of my favorite things about Las Vegas.  The concept that is Brilliant! at the Neon Museum takes the "dream come true" metaphor to another level.  If Nightmare on Elm St has taught us anything, it's that a person can be aware that they are in a dream, while in a dream.  I'm pretty sure other movies have said that as well but I'm going with Nightmare on Elm St.  Write your own fuckin monolog.  One of the ways one can help the subconscious recognize that they are in a dream is by identifying the things that are just slightly out of place from the way they are in reality.  Take the Stardust sign, shared here by @RaisingLasVegas and brought back to life by the Brilliant! light show @Neon Museum and such an experience can be described as a "dream come true" to some. But take a step back on the "come true" part and look closer at what you're seeing.  Yep, there it is.  Those are two different fonts being used.  The A is from the original font used at the property known as Electra Jag. The rest is the Futura Typeface font that replaced it in 1991 (some argue Helvetica, whatever).  And that's when you realize it; this isn't real, this must be a dream because these two fonts never existed together in reality.  Hold on, don't freak out, this a cool thing. You're aware you're in a dream. Try doing something cool like flying or something without consequences like playing triple zero roulette. Write a random sentence, and read it during the show, in a cadence that sounds like, your wrapping up this monolog.

News

Zorkfest Individual Events Announced
Promocode - Zork360Insane
MGM Explores Wynn Acquisition
Yogurteria Coming to Palazzo
 Aria Esports
Park MGM Pool Price Points
Kind Heaven Coming to LINQ
Chocolate Chair Coming to Grand Bazaar
Knights Vow