Vegas 5

4 months ago Friends, Life, Vegas

When I am not doing WordPress related stuff, I spend time with my Girlfriend and my friends. Three times a month I attend/speak at local meetup groups. Through WordPress and meetups, I’ve met some of my best friends. We have a lot in common. The real way you find out what you have in common comes from hanging out. In hanging out with my friends, we have a few stories we share all of the time. This is one of them.

When you drink around your friends

My friends and I go to beer festivals. We Drink. I drink anything. Ben drinks most things. Alex drinks hardly anything. We share WordPress and beer together. You can imagine there has been a few times where we’ve gotten a little too drunk. That’s not the case. I’ve only been the one to get so drunk. While I was hammered drunk, my friends messed with me.

My friends messed with me in the funniest way. Even better, there’s video documentation. I hope you enjoy!

Video #1

Video #2

Video #3

blogging season

1 year ago Blogging, Life, Vegas, Workflow

I was just wondering why blogging isn’t broken up into seasons. Let’s not be dumb here. The point of having a blog is to make money. If you take 5 months off, you make zero dollars. Maybe you have a tool in place to auto-share content. I get that. However, What I’m saying is this. At some point, you need to take a break and step away. That’s what writers and film crews do. There is such thing as sitcom, silly, baseball and fruit & vegetable season. So why no Blogging Season? Would you really enjoy The Big Bang Theory putting out sub-par episodes in order to keep minimum cash flow rolling in? No. There is a reason to having a season. After reading some really awful blogs, maybe there should be a blogging season.

It’s not fair to compare

You can’t compare a blog and a television show. One makes a ton of cash, and the other writes for a living in order to pay bills. A blog and a television show could do both of those things now that I think about it. Regardless, it’s not fair to compare the two. They both have different goals / agendas. After writing that last sentence, I don’t think they do. They’re both entertainment. They could write about something irrelevant and toss some relevant topics into their pieces for SEO value. Comments are always nice no matter what medium they’re on. Both have an editor type of person to help make decisions. Both require a final run through before going to print. Maybe that means there could be a blogging season after all. Maybe it’s ok to compare the two.

Bloggers have to stay ahead of the curve. If you’re posting an article about the 4th of July on July 3rd, you’re already too late. Some of my blogging friends tell me they are six to eight months ahead. That means my blogging friends are already posting about Christmas 2016 and New Years 2017. So there is kind of a blogging season already. Summertime is the season to post about Christmas. Christmas is the season to post about summer. Wow. I never thought if it like that.

What would blogging season look like?

Have you ever visited a christmas blog? I’m talking about a website dedicated to Christmas. I would imagine this specific niche blog would only post articles three months before the season, and three months after the season. That’s roughly six to eight months out of the year to post about nothing but Christmas. That’s what I would call a blogging season. The other four to six months could be used for a summertime blog or a beach blog. See? Seasons. It kind of sounds fun, right?

via GIPHY

Who couldn’t have a blogging season?

My buddy Scott has a blog called Vital Vegas. He has a very specific niche blog. His blog is about Las Vegas. From Breaking Las Vegas News to thing’s you wouldn’t think about in terms of Las Vegas. He covers it all. The way blogs are set up, he couldn’t fall into a blogging season. Vegas has seasons. Not traditional seasons, though. There’s tourist season, convention season and construction season. Meaning that there are optimal times when each of the before mentioned seasons hit their peak. If you live in Las Vegas, you know that it feels like we never get a break from tourists or construction. Seasons my ass.

Sports have seasons. When it’s off-season for Hockey, there’s not a lot to blog about. Other than trades and free agents. So maybe there are actual blogging seasons? They revolve around subjects that actually have a defined season. I blog about WordPress. It feels like it’s always WordPress Season. So maybe it depends on the actual subject matter at hand? What do you think? What does Blogging Season mean to you?

Kyle Busch Leads Nascar in A Sandstorm

1 year ago Life, Nascar, Vegas

This year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway was nothing short of incredible. I personally have never been to a race with so many different types of weather elements that affected the outcome. Before this race, I thought that Kyle Busch was unstoppable. I was 90% right.

The weekend started off with pretty fair weather. A little cloud cover showed up during Friday practice and qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Saturday Cut the sun shining and hardly a cloud in the sky. Xfinity final practice and qualifying couldn’t have gone any better. The track showed some life and there was plenty of grip to go around.

The start of the Xfinity race had mild wind blowing in from the east. It was nothing unusual, to say the least. During the middle of the race clouds moving and the tractor started to drop. card gardens around the track and crowd got to see some amazing side by side racing. When it was all said and done, Kyle Busch was crowned the winner. He lead 199 of 200 laps in a dominating fashion. The Last Vegas native has never won a Xfinity Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Sending retarded with a light downpour of rain.The cars had to be covered and festivities were put on hold for about 25 minutes. Finally, the weather let up and the track began to dry. We knew that racing was in our future.

30 laps into the NASCAR race we saw a competition caution. There was rainfall the night before and Nacar had made the decision. Had it not rained before, there probably still would have been a competition caution.

After the competition caution cloud start to move away and the Sun started to shine. The cars started to slide and get loose due to the rising temperature of the track. Some cars reported that they drove better in the cold and others were better in the heat. As the temperature started to fluctuate, minute by minute, Cars would either gain or lose track position.

What an incredible sight to see.

SEND IN THE SAND

At one point during the race on Sunday, the wind started to pick up immensely and a sandstorm was created. The crowd assumed that the tiny drops of white stones were hail. Further inspection showed that it was in fact, raining sand.

In high wind storms, dirt tends to get swept into the air. At some point, what goes up must come down. During this shower of sand, the cars resumed racing. As the cars came barreling out of turn four, you could see for a brief second before you lost sight heading into turn one.

The sandstorm was so great, at one point the visibility was less than 60%. I’m saying that it was hard to see the mountain range, Nellis Air Force Base and the rest of Las Vegas.

THE BEST PART OF THE DAY
After the sandstorm settled down, the announcer on PRN radio made a comment that captured the tone for the day. “Well race fans, we’re patiently awaiting the arrival of the locust from the good book. Then we claim this day to be the beginning of the Apocalypse.” As shocking as that sounds, it was exactly what everyone was thinking.

Cold to hot, dry to wet, clear to cloudy. We experienced almost every type of weather element. Except for snow. How often does it snow in Vegas? It hardly snows in Las Vegas. Even on the coldest days during the year.

Almost A Kyle Busch #18 Win

It’s no secret that I am a Kyle Busch fan.Anybody who knows me will tell you the same. Kyle Busch led almost 50 laps during the Sprint Cup Race in Las Vegas, NV. As the laps wound down, my rituals started to increase. I’m not a superstitious person. If it would have helped Kyle Busch win, I would have tried to do it. At one point, I started to yell “Rain! COME ON! RAIN!”.

When more than 50% of the race has been run, and bad weather causes the cars to come off track, Nascar usually ends the race. Whoever is leading at that time will be crowned the winner. Now you know why I was yelling. Kyle Busch was leading. With less than 5 laps to go, the #18 Toyota Camry had finally given up. There was a report of a bad vibration. The car became very hard to drive. Which means that the lap times started to rise.

A much faster, and stupid head, Brad Keselowski drove around Kyle to take his second win in Las Vegas within three years.

Was I sad? You bet I was. I almost saw an #18 win.

I did, however, see some of the best racing I have ever seen. In crazy weather.

Fun Facts About Nascar and I

I, personally, have been waiting to see a win by Kyle Busch, in any of the three major NASCAR touring series, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. I have seen Kyle Busch win in the Sprint Cup Series. That was during the 2013 season. His win came in Fontana California. My second favorite track. That will forever be my favorite win of his.

The summer before that win, I saw Kyle Busch win in the Nationwide series at Phoenix International Raceway. He was in the Monster Energy #54 Toyota Camry. Kyle had driven up to the front, dropped to the back for a speeding penalty and back to the front in spectacular fashion. That was officially the first Kyle Busch win that I witnessed in person.

Russell Aaron in front of Kyle Busch Pitt Stall
Here I am, standing on pit road during happy hour final practice Las Vegas 2016.
Russell Aaron in the Neon Garage wearing Kyle Busch
A view of The Neon Garage at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Clear Weather Before Kyle Busch Leads In Vegas
This is what the weather was like before the sandstorm rolled into Las Vegas for Nascar
Kyle Busch Leads Nascar in A Sandstorm
A view of the track during the Dust storm at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as Kyle Busch Leads the race.
Kyle Busch after is Xfinity Series win in Las Vegas
Kyle Busch signs autographs after his interview in victory lane.
DJ's are part of the TEN WORST THINGS ABOUT LIVING IN LAS VEGAS

1 year ago Education, Travelling, Vegas

Any Vegas local will tell you that the worst part of Vegas is meeting for drinks on the Strip. Even if you’re meeting fro drinks in a dive bar on Sunset and Las Vegas Boulevard. You have to deal with traffic and construction on all of the streets. It’s defiantly number one on my list of the Ten Worst Things About Living In Las Vegas according to a local.

I wrote a post about the best five free things in Las Vegas according to a local. Naturally, you should write a post about the worst part of Vegas.

That way you don’t seem bias.

Going to the Strip is like taking an entire day and going to a theme park. You’re going to overpay for everything.

You have to deal with long lines. Some of the Top Vegas Casino’s have even started charging for parking in their structures. It’s a nightmare, to say the least.

Let’s not forget that all of the attractions run on a half hour schedule. Take The Mirage Volcano for example.

Just face the fact that you’re never going to get there on time. You’re going to miss the start time by 5 or more minutes.

Which means that you’re going to stick around for another half hour to see the part you missed. It’s not worth it. I Promise.

I’ve done it twice. Once for the Mirage Volcano and once for the Sirens of T.I. Thank god that sexy-stupid show closed for good.

Ten Worst Things About Living In Las Vegas

  1. Going to the strip / asked to meet for drinks on the strip. Every realtor likes to tell you that the strip is only 15 minutes away. That’s true. If you’re going at 3:45 in the morning and taking dirt streets that do not exist yet.
  2. Picking up friends at the airport. The airport has made some major improvements over the years. However, they neglected the busy part and focused only on the international terminal. Sure, give them 5 lanes roads. We don’t mind.
  3. Getting / Giving the hookup. Yes, we live in Las Vegas. Sure we have some friends. They may even work at the best nightclubs in Vegas. No, they do not want to give my friends V.I.P. access. If you are looking for Tips on getting into a Vegas Nightclub, I suggest you read a post by my friend Kitty Lusby. It involves being pretty. Sorry guys.
  4. Driving on the major roads / freeways. I have lived in Vegas for just about 10 years. I’ve never seen Tropicana Avenue, Flamingo Road, Charleston Boulevard, or Sahara Avenue without a construction cone. Right now, I’ll bet there is construction in Tropicana. Trop as the locals call it. I’m right. That’s how I get to work. The freeways are always under construction. I’m also going to include any road trip that involves seeing the Hoover Dam or Lake Mead.
  5. Star Gazing in the night sky. Forget about it. Unless the Hoover Dam decides to implode, in which case Vegas becomes a city with no lights, you’re not going to see any stars in Vegas. Unless you’re talking about celebrities. Seth Rogen yes, Betelgeuse (actual star in space) no. Point Seth Rogen.
  6. Getting Dinner Reservations . Want to go to one of Gordon Ramsey’s famous restaurants? You should tell your Vegas Local months in advance. There’s no way that you’re going to get in on a Friday night without a reservation. Especially if you want to go the same night that you get in town.
  7. Shopping in the Casino Malls. This one is actually not as bad as it seems. If you have a Skilled Vegas Shopping Expert, you may have a slight chance if getting in and out without hassle. Tourists like to bring their kids. Which means there will be strollers. Strollers in a Casino equals Death To All. Every kid in a stroller will scream.
  8. Age Restrictions. Speaking of kids. Are you coming to Vegas with children? You just eliminated 60% of the things to do in Vegas. Good News: There are two water parks in Las Vegas. Bad News: They are both on the outskirts of town. Casino’s don’t like having the young ones inside. Three-year-olds and 45-year-old Marble Floors do not get along. Ask Steve Wynn about it.
  9. Gambling & Sports Betting. Vegas Casinos are full of daily gamblers. I have two friends that make a good living gambling. Here’s the deal. The Casino floor is horrible. They do that on purpose. That way you won’t want to look down. You don’t want to look up either. They force you to stare at the games and hope you get encouraged to gamble. Yes, I gamble from time to time. It’s once in a few years.
  10. Stip Clubs. Going to any strip club Monday through Thursday means that you are not going to see the club’s A-Squad. They only appear Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. They’re also very expensive. You can’t touch them. What’s the point? You can see just as beautiful women on any porn site online. WHat’s the difference? $500 bucks and a power connection.
  • Bonus Round: The Concert Venue’s in Las Vegas are small. If there are seats, they are packed tightly like sardines. Most of them are standing only. The Vegas Concert Venues with lots of room are in the Casinos. You have to pay a pretty hefty price to see the artist.

An explanation as to why. No Promises.

I’ll give you the points upfront. Based on the list that I just gave you, there are a lot of things to do in Las Vegas.

Most of the best vegas attractions are free.

It still neglects the fact that you have to get to those attractions. Which involves dealing with people and rules. If you have the money, you may be able to book a helicopter ride.

All of the best times are taken months in advance.

See where I’m going with this? Do you see why these are my Ten Worst Things About Living In Las Vegas? Excellent.

Living in Las Vegas is not as bad as it seems.

Every city has their bad parts. Vegas just has more.

What about the heat?

Don’t get me started on the heat. I didn’t specifically mention the heat due to obvious reasons. The South West United States lives in constant cold/heat.

We get less than a month of actual nice weather. Other than that….

It sucks no matter where you are.

However, gambling does not. I’ve gambled in Canada and it wasn’t that bad.

Maybe I’ll do an entire post on the heat. We’ll see.

The Best Five Free Things To Do In Las Vegas According To A Local

The Bellagio Water Show . Five Free Things in Las Vegas

1 year ago Community, Drinking, Life, Travelling, Vegas

I was reading an article over on a popular Las Vegas website called Vital Vegas. It mentions the 20 Best Things To Do In Vegas. This is my list of Five Free Things To Do In Vegas According To A Local.

On Vital Vegas’s website, number one should have been High Roller Sex.

To me, that’s a no-brainer. I happen to know the guy who runs the site. So I feel like I can say that without the course of retaliation.

His article got me thinking. What are my five favorite things to do in Las Vegas?

Three years ago would have put the Bellagio Conservatory at the top of my list. That place is usually the first thing tourist learn about when traveling to Vegas.

It is beautiful and they make sure that every flower in the place is fresh. If it’s not, they change the flowers out.

Disclaimer: Nothing in life is ever free. You may need to get a ride to these locations. I suggest Uber instead of a Las Vegas taxi cab. You could save $10 each way and pay for drinks at these locations. Assuming drinks are $5 each.

You’re not going to want to drive and park anytime soon as some hotels in Las Vegas are planning on charging to park in their structures. Yeah, you read that right.

The 5 Best Five Free Things in Vegas

  1. People Watching on Fremont Street Experience. If you are looking for the best place in Las Vegas to Photobomb and people watch, I don’t know what beats this location. Seriously.
  2. Lake of Dreams at the Wynn Las Vegas. Grab a cocktail at Parasol Down and enjoy the show. Runs nightly, every half hour beginning at dusk until 11:30 p.m.
  3. Show in the sky at the Hotel Rio. It’s very easy to find and they even throw Mardi Gras beads. The show closed at the end of 2013.
  4. CBS Television City Research Center inside of the famous MGM Hotel and Casino. I, one day, wish to be on T.V. This is a great way to learn about the vast history.
  5. Open Air Concerts at Carnival Court in front of Harrah’s Las Vegas. I’ve seen some amazing bands play including ClockWork. This band features the former lead singer of the band “The Higher“. His name is Seth Trotter and he’s amazing.

Why these are the best five free things to do in Las Vegas

People watching is by far the best free thing that you can do in Las Vegas. Especially for the young ones. That’s why it’s on the top of my Five Free Things list.

I grew up in Reno, NV. It’s a fairly secluded city that didn’t see a lot of tourists.

Mostly because the tourists were up at Lake Tahoe or Virginia City. When I moved to Las Vegas, it was a huge change of pace for me. The sidewalks on the Strip were filled with people from all over the world.

I headed down to Fremont St. and there I found the best place to photobomb. I’d guess that a Billion pictures are taken every month. So the chances of being in at least five random photo albums (Facebook Albums) is very likely.

Valentines day was just a couple of weeks ago. The Lake of Dreams is a very romantic place to take your date for the first, or possibly second, time. Drink prices are a tad bit high. I’ll give you that. I know this is supposed to be a list of Five Free things to do in Vegas. The show is free. I never said drinks would be.

However, look at your date. Aren’t they worth a ver hundred dollars in drinks?

Don’t answer that.

I’m Kidding. You’ll probably spend about $45.00.

Maybe your date is a little on the wild side? That’s where Carnival Court and the Show in the sky come in. I’ve gone on dates where some have flashed their naughty bits at the entertainers to get some Mardi Gras beads and free drinks.

I love television. Dan Rather and Larry King are a few of my idols. Those two men have broken more news and interviewed some of the world’s biggest stars, than anyone else. Maybe not more that Opera and Barbara Walters.

However, I didn’t dream of being a female news anchor. So there’s that.

The CBS Television City Research Center is full of rich information and they have some equipment there that will truly blow your mind. It’s also a great place to get the latest Big Bang Theory Sheldon Cooper T-Shirt.

I know what you’re thinking. Yes, I have two. One in Red and one in Black. Bazinga!

The Ten Worst Things About Living In Las Vegas According To A Local