What Happens in Vegas: Straight People Allowed!

This is a novel and cute ad campaign to draw gay people to Las Vegas. Well at least I think it's novel and cute. I'm sure the (not really) 1 Million Moms have their collective conservative panties in a twist over it.

Notice the clueless straight couple on the left.

Source: BuzzFeed

What Happens in Vegas: Las Vegas Gets a New Slogan

Oh, they're still using "What Happens Here, Stays Here."  But they're refining it, to deal with smart phones and social media. Sure you can share your experiences. . .just know when to say when!

It should be pointed out that those of us who live in the Las Vegas Valley are not allowed to use the "hey, it's Vegas, baby!" excuse when we misbehave. We don't think it's fair and just might document those things that "the code" disallows! So, watch yourselves. . .




Thanks to Stupid Monkey Planet for the link.

What Happens in Vegas. . .You Forget You're in Vegas!

I've lived in the Las Vegas Valley for over 16 years, four in Henderson, and twelve in Silverado Ranch (which is a region in Paradise Township). Both jobs that I've had since I've lived here have to do with working directly with casinos and hotels. I've been in more hotel rooms in this town than a high-priced call girl. Putting up signs mostly. But most days, I forget I live in a tourism mecca. It simply doesn't register.

One of many shots I took and blogged of the Monte Carlo fire.

I cross Las Vegas Boulevard (The Strip) almost every single day. I see the entire strip from the south end just as often. From my office window--if I stand up--I can see the Palms, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, Cosmopolitan, Planet Hollywood and City Center.  If I stand on the library stool, I can see more of the strip, as I did the day that the Monte Carlo caught fire (picture here taken after I climbed up on my office roof!). But unless it is for work related reasons, or someone has come from out of town, I simply ignore it all for the most part.



On those occasions that I go gambling (rare these days, thank goodness), I usually hit Silverton Lodge & Casino, a locals joint between work and home.  When I drive to work, the only time I even notice the skyline is if something is different, or if the sun is bouncing off the Luxor into my eyes. If I need to go to the strip, I'll do my best to avoid LV Blvd. north of Tropicana at all costs, and fortunately, there are back ways and side ways to get many places. I can't tell you how often my best laid plans are thwarted though--I'll misremember a turn or traffic light--and end up stuck in crawling traffic. Ugh. Hate it.

And when it comes to the big resorts, I've yet to check out City Center or Cosmopolitan at all. I feel like I've seen it all, literally from the inside out. Nothing wows me. Wynn and Encore? Yawn. But every now and again, I'll look out the window of my car, or--as in this shot--simply look up when I'm on my 4-mile walk, and say, "Hey! I'm in Las Vegas!" Then the moment passes. This time, I had my cell phone camera though, so the moment was captured for posterity.



My usual walk, toward the Wynn and the Stratosphere. We live
about four miles south of McCarran Airport.



Science is Cool: Space Tourism Ready for Liftoff!

Photo from source, Scientific American

Sure, it will be something probably only available to the super-rich. But who knows, if it gets popular enough, maybe the price will come down. Do you suppose they have standby lists?

[Excerpt]

Space Cadets, Grab Your Sunscreen: Space Tourism Set for Liftoff

Eager not to be left behind when space tourism takes off, rocket engine maker XCOR Aerospace in Mojave, Calif., announced Wednesday that it will be ready to blast ordinary (albeit wealthy) Earthlings into space within two years. XCOR reps said at a press conference Wednesday that its Lynx suborbital spaceship, still in the prototype phase, will be a two-seat (one pilot, one passenger) craft that takes off like an airplane and glides back to Earth like a space shuttle. During the journey to and from the outer edge of the atmosphere, a passenger will be treated to a 30-minute ride that includes a minute and a half of weightlessness. . .

Read more at: Scientific American