Las Vegas Graphics

Marilyn and Elvis in Las Vegas, America's Royal Couple

Elvis and Marilyn

Elvis and Marilyn are everywhere in Las Vegas. Not only are they depicted in outdoor situations like this, but also real life impersonators may be occasionally seen along “The Strip”. Though both iconic figures have long passed into the next world, their costumed imposters make us believe that perhaps their spirit still lives on.

Holiday Motel on Las Vegas Blvd. in Las Vegas

Old School Graphics

Motels like this venue on the “Strip” have been around for decades. In fact, ordinary signs like this often take on a new life after the sun sets and the neon lights start doing their thing. It seems that every motel has its own little display and art style.

Bail Bonds

Vegas Bonding Agents

For some strange reason Las Vegas abounds with bondsmen advertising their wares to those who might need their services. My guess that the per capital number is rather high, especially compared with other cities. I guess when you have such a large number of visitors, drinking gambling and having a good time, it is inevitable that somebody ends up in jail and needs a bail bondsmen. Some of their outdoor advertising, suggests that the market for customers is quite competitive.

Meoow Sign at the Cat Hostel

Pushing the Medium

This wall construction at the Cat Hostel displays very large letters that suggest a certain phonetic sound instead of a living word with actual meaning.

Free Things To Do In Las Vegas

Palms and the stratosphere in Las Vegas, Nevada.

About Las Vegas

There are two towns in the west named Las Vegas, which translated from the Spanish, simply means the meadows. One of these towns can be found on the eastern slope of the Sangre de Christo mountains in New Mexico, while its more famous relative occupies the arid southern tip of Nevada near the Arizona-California border. Las Vegas, New Mexico is the older settlement as it was a Mexican land grant that became a stop on the Old Santa Fe. In its heyday it was a wild town that supported gaming halls, saloons and prostitution. Some its more famous visitors include Doc Holiday, Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid and Jesse James. Today it is a quiet Hispanic town with a popular hot springs.

The Welcome to Las Vegas sign is located on the south side of town on Las Vegas Blvd.

Welcome to Las Vegas, Nevada

At the south end of town  on Las Vegas Blvd. (also known as “The Strip” visitors will find the famous sign. On any given day (or night) there will invariably be several picture taking tourists located right in front of this sign. And of course there will be the picture takers snapping away with their new digital cameras. It doesn’t cost anything to visit this popular site (except maybe some gas and wear and tear on your vehicle) so you might as well join the crowd and check out this Las Vegas icon.

The Luxor Resort on the Las Vegas Strip has a distinctly Egyptian theme

Walking the Strip

It’s a long walk from where the strip begins near Sahara Ave., but if attempted in the cool of the evening, the long walk can be a very enjoyable stroll. Incidentally, the Luxor Resort is located at the far south end near Tropicana Ave. Numerous elevated crosswalks make crossing the busy avenues much easier, as both the road surface and the sidewalks can be filled to near capacity. There is much to see along the way, not only in exterior architecture, but also in the plush interiors of the casinos, performance halls and retail outlets. Be sure to take along a comfortable pair of shoes and drink lots of water.

The Treasure Island sirens know how to really heat things up.

The Outdoor Night Shows

Two venues namely the Mirage and Treasure Island put on free nightly shows, which can easily be enjoyed by those walking “The Strip“. At the Mirage the main feature is the Volcano, a simulated replica of the real thing that erupts every hour from 8 p.m. till midnight, accompanied by some hot Tiki-techno drumming. The volcano is located on an island in the middle of the lagoon that borders the sidewalk. After watching the street show, you might to walk inside the Mirage to play a game, eat or enjoy a drink at the bar. The interior design alone  is worth the journey. At the Treasure Island Resort and Casino there is a more ambitious free performance that features some titillating conflict between a band of pirates and just as many sirens. Check out this short one act play for some lively music and clever scripting.

Indoor Performances

Live (and free) circus performances can be enjoyed at the Circus Circus Resort and Casino. A special stage and trapeze can be found inside for all types of performances which are listed inside near the stage. And for those who want to sit on yet to be released TV productions can make arrangements to do so at the MGM complex. Just be aware that giving your opinion of the show comes with the free admission.

The Heart Attack Grill can be found on Fremont Street just past the covered area.

Fremont Street Experience

Away from the strip is Fremont Street, which includes a pedestrian mall that serves up lots of free entertainment, including live musical performances,  after sundown. One controversial restaurant provides free meals for patrons, who weigh over 350 pounds, provided they check in with a doctor or nurse first and they don’t share their food with anybody else. The place is called The Heart Attack Grill as the name of the restaurant and most of the dishes will start you thinking about your own diet and mortality.

On a saner note, well designed light shows go off every hour from dusk till midnight. These shows only last about ten minutes, but they feature an incredible array of images and music projected against a huge overhead screen. A must see for anybody spending any time in Vegas.

Levon Helm Dies at Age 71

Levon Helm playing in Woodstock, NY in 2004, from Wikipedia

Brief Bio

Levon Helm, the long-standing drummer and superb tenor vocalist for the Band, died today in Woodstock, NY after a long struggle with cancer. Having grown up in Turkey Scratch, Arkansas, the talented singer and musician brought a lot of talent to one of the most popular rock groups of the 60s and 70′s. After The Band broke up, Helm went on to record with other Band members (excluding Robbie Robertson) and eventually doing his own solo recordings. The drummer-singer is known for some of the most riveting vocal leads in recording history, including the lead voice in “The Weight”, a R&R Classic.

Helm’s Feud With Robertson

Martin Scorcese filmed the last concert of the Band (it’s called the Last Waltz) and unknowingly produced a Rock & Roll classic. Though not very apparent to most film viewers, Robertson and Helm were feuding before, during and after the live performance. Their differences became quite obvious after the break-up of the Band. Since that time the two have had limited contact with each other. The most common form of communication between the two musicians indicates a general dislike of each other. One point of contention was the break-up of The Band. Robertson was for, Helm was against. Another component of their feud was Helm’s claim that he did not receive complete credit for his songwriting contributions. Nonetheless, Robbie Robertson had this to say about Helm recently, as it was widely known that his death was eminent, “We all need to send out love and prayers to my Band mate Levon Helm.”

After The Band

After the break-up of the Band both Robertson and Helm have had distinguished solo recording careers. In contrast other members of the group have remained on the sidelines. While Robertson went Native, Helms chose to continuing exploring his rural Arkansas roots. By coincidence Helm was the only American member of The Band. Special praise should be given to Levon for his literary biography of the Band, entitled “This Wheel’s On Fire.” It is Helm’s tribute to rock & roll history and by most accounts the book is a stimulating and forthright account of the rise of a five-piece, musical group known worldwide, simply as “The Band”.

Bob Dylan and the Band playing in Chicago, 1974, from Wikipedia

Bus Trip To Las Vegas

Restored Neon sign on Central Ave. (Route 66) in Albuquerque

Leaving New Mexico

Since my winter employment at a popular New Mexico ski resort has no come to an end, I have decided on a road trip to the West Coast to find employment until next winter. First stop on my journey was Albuquerque, where I spent a night in a motel on old Route 66. This is not the motel, but it is located right next to the El Don, where I spent the night. Both places have classic neon signs, which have been restored with the aid of federal funds. El Don rents rooms to smokers and is considerably cheaper than the recently renovated Monterey Motel.

Route 66 in Albuquerque (daytime)

April Snowstorm

My real journey began with a bus ride west from Albuquerque to Las Vegas, NM another western locale that excels in its lighted night time roadside displays. However, the big story was the mid-April snowstorm that descended on Flagstaff and the nearby Four Corners region. As my bus ride traversed the beautiful mesa of western NM, temperatures plummeted and snow filled the skies. It did not stick to the road, but quickly covered the desert landscape making for a very unusual April landscape. And once the bus arrived in Flagstaff, AZ just short of midnight, everyone was in for a bigger surprise – more snow. For here, it had been snowing all day with the white stuff covering the roads (and everything else) with a good six inches of wet snow.

View of Nevada from a Greyhound bus

Down from Flagstaff

I fell right to sleep as the bus left, the high altitude mountain town. At that point in time it was still snowing, but when I awoke at sunrise in Bullhead City, the temperatures were quite warm and there was not a snowflake in sight. Not until the end of my journey in Las Vegas did I see any signs of snow and that was only on a few mountain tops visible in the far distance. Today, I walked around Las Vegas with temperatures being in the 60s and 70s and quite pleasant. Such is life for travelers in the western mountains.

View (from a walkway) of the Las Vegas Strip on a busy April Sunday.

 

Friday The 13th

Black cats like Friday the thirteenth are often associated with bad luck.

Friday the 13th

Though the number 13 may be associated with bad luck, the linkage between Friday the 13th and unfortunate events seems to be mainly a 20th century phenomena. For a long time, 13 has been considered a sign of bad luck to many people, including Christians, who dislike the number because 13 people were in attendance at the Last Supper, which occurred the night before Christ was killed. Incidentally, Christ’s death is thought to have occurred on a Friday, yet few scholars believe this event is the incentive for Friday the 13th.

A Twentieth Century Novel 

A much more likely scenario for development of this fascinating tidbit of folklore concerns the publishing of a popular novel in 1907, titled “Friday the Thirteenth”. The book was written by Boston stock broker Thomas Lawson and the story revolves around an evil businessman, who tried to crash the stock market on a Friday the 13th. Less weight is applied to other literary efforts, such as Dan Brown’s, Da Vinci Code, where observance of the date is traced back to 1307, when a large number of the Knights of the Templar were arrested by the French crown on a Friday the 13th.

How Has Your Friday the 13th Gone

Mine Friday has not been a particularly good day. It started off by my going to a temp service, where there was almost nil chance of work. The rest of the day has evolved around the making of my travel plans from New Mexico to the West Coast. All in all this Friday the 13th has been marked by both good and not so good happenings. I hope your Friday the 13th is uneventful.

Fireballs, Meteors, Meteorites and Other Assorted Extra-terrestrial Phenomena

Meteor from the Leonid Shower in 2009 courtesy Wikipedia

Texas Daytime Fireball

Last week a rare daytime meteor was observed flashing across the Texas sky. To observers on the ground, the celestial object appeared brighter than even the sun. According to NASA, spring fireballs come from asteroids and have a tendency to peak during the months of February and late March/ early April. The article went on to say that fall meteors originate from comets. Much of this information comes from observation and specially located cameras set up by NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office. Still, much has to be learned about this natural phenomenon.

Green Fireballs In Northern  New Mexico

This winter while walking home at 8 p.m. in northern New Mexico, where I currently reside, I was fortunate to witness a meteor that dropped straight down out of the sky. As it neared the earth’s surface, the glowing object exploded into a large green-colored fireball and then abruptly disintegrated before hitting solid land. My first impression was that I had just witnessed a shooting star, which almost landed. However, a little research indicated some other cause and effect may be at work here. Other sightings by New Mexico residents, along with international data indicate that this particular event has a higher than average frequency in New Mexico. Nonetheless, I was delighted to be a witness to this unique astronomical event. Even stranger was the local radio D.J., who recounted on the air a similar observation made at a different time.

Green Fireballs and Ball Lightning

Nonetheless, the strange downward path of this lighted object raises some questions about the true nature of the nocturnal sighting. Could there be something else at work in this case. A timely article about some similar night time lights in Australia suggest that these green fireballs that drop straight down may be linked to ball lightning. Anyway, it is fun to sit around to sit around on dark winter nights and discuss the meaning of unusual astronomical sightings.

Meteorites, like this one that landed in  Niger, are meteors that survived a descent through the earth’s atmosphere. source meteorite-recon

Pond Skimming At Taos Ski Valley

Last Day of the Season

Today, Easter Sunday was the last day of the ski season at Taos Ski Valley in New Mexico. As I am an employee, I was fortunate enough to be assigned to a spot, where I could view the crazy antics of the many skiers and snowboarders, as they came flying down the slope and tried to negotiate 40 feet of open, chilly water. The competition went on for a couple of hours, as costumed skiers and snowboarders flew down the slope and tried to cross the makeshift body of water. A good time was had by all as only a few lucky individuals made it across the watery course. Losers got to soak in a hot tub that was set up right near the temporary body of water.

Late Season Snowstorm

This event would not have been possible without the cooperation of Mother Nature, who earlier this week graced the New Mexican Sangre de Christo Mountains with over a foot of the white stuff. TSV collected almost two feet, which made for some great skiing and boarding. If not for this recent snowstorm, the popular annual event would have been canceled because of the unseasonably warm temperatures that have descended on the region. Several weeks of 60 and even 70 degree days have turned much of TSV’s snow cover to a mushy meal during the daytime, only to be frozen again overnight. On this last day of the season, these conditions were returning, though some good early morning skiing was still available at higher elevations.

Pond skimming at Taos Ski Valley

There’s Always Next Year

Though thoroughly enjoyed by all, a definite sadness descended over the crowd that had gathered to watch the fun and games. For once five o’clock rolled around and the event ended, everyone had no choice to head for their vehicles and make the long drive down the mountain, knowing full well that the next skiing days were now over six months away.

The Moon and Easter

An image of the full moon from NASA

 

Holiday Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Easter, a holiday that is widely celebrated by Christians around the world. The event is linked to the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, both of which occurred nearly two thousand years ago. While the Sunday celebration of Easter is central to a Christian belief, some may wonder why the religious holiday changes from year to year.

Passover and Easter

Easter varies from year to year because the early Christian fathers wished to correlate the holiday with the Jewish celebration of Passover. In doing this it was necessary to take in account the lunar cycle, which plays an important role in determining the occurrence of Jewish historical and holiday dates. Because of this, the actual date of Easter can vary from March 22 through April 25.

A More Detailed Explanation

In general, Easter falls approximately on the first Sunday after the first full moon following the equinox. I use the word approximate because there is something called the Paschal Full moon, which is not quite the same as the vernal equinox full moon. In fact the Paschal Full Moon uses the date of the vernal equinox as it occurred in the year 328 A.D., which just happened to be March 20. Therefore all Easter Sundays are based on the arbitrary rule that the equinox happens on March 20, though in reality the equinox may occur as late as March 22. To further complicate things Orthodox Christians use a different calendar for calculating Easter. In their world Easter may fall between April 3 and the first week in May. The Orthodox Easter also varies from Passover and the western Christian date of Easter.