Archive for March 16th, 2010

From Pizza Prez to Bakery Boss

From Pizza Prez to Bakery Boss
The former president of North Texas-based CiCi’s Pizza has big Dallas plans for Nothing Bundt Cakes.

Read more on NBC Dallas Fort Worth

Vdara Sky Pool

Recorded on March 3, 2010 using a Flip Video camcorder.

Las Vegas Wedding Planning – How to Plan the Perfect Wedding in Las Vegas

Las Vegas Wedding planning can be a difficult task, especially if you have never done it before! Many people think that planning a Las Vegas wedding is a simple task, until they get to Vegas and find out it can be more challenging than they think. Las Vegas is well known as the quick wedding capital of the world. Where else in the world can you get married in a blink of an eye. Las Vegas wedding planning can be extremely fun because having a wedding in Las Vegas allows your friends and family the opportunity to have fun with plenty of things to do to keep them busy.

Believe it or not thousands and thousands of weddings are planned and performed each and every year in Las Vegas. That is a staggering number and the main reason why many people go to Vegas to get married is because of all the choices. One of the most amazing weddings in Vegas is a planned wedding in one of the many luxurious Las Vegas hotel casinos and resorts. There are tons of people in Las Vegas that are available to help you plan a wedding no matter which one you want.

Las Vegas wedding planning will require you to consider a few things. You will NEED to make reservations for your hotel you plan to get married at. If you choose a chapel to get married at in Las Vegas, you must call ahead to make sure they can fit you in. If you decide to have a wedding in Vegas in the summer, be careful because the temperature can get in the 110 + degrees. Another great thing about planning a Las Vegas wedding is that to obtain a marriage license it will cost you less than $60.00. Most people think that having a Las Vegas wedding is really expensive, even if everyone has to travel to Vegas to see your wedding. In all actuality, having a Las Vegas wedding is CHEAP! 1 person can get a round trip to Vegas including flight and hotel right now for around 300 dollars for 5 days! That is amazingly cheap and well worth every penny for the amount of fun you will have in Vegas. Remember, if you do decide to have a wedding in Vegas during the summer please remember to have it indoors as opposed to outside. Having it outside during those conditions can be life threatening. Many people have outdoor weddings in Vegas during the fall months.

That is definitely the most pleasant time as temperatures remain in the upper 70s. Your guests will enjoy the outdoor activities during the day and the nightlife of Vegas at night. Many people are reluctant to have a wedding in Vegas because they think it is way to expensive. Now you know that it is rather inexpensive and very doable to accommodate all your guests for cheap. I wish you the best of luck in planning your Las Vegas wedding!

Custom-made furniture Michael Jackson planned to use during his London tour up for auction

Custom-made furniture Michael Jackson planned to use during his London tour up for auction
LOS ANGELES – The 22 pieces of custom-made furniture Michael Jackson commissioned for his London home are going on the auction block.

Read more on Minneapolis-St. Paul Star Tribune

Which is the BEST place to live? Miami? San Diego? Las Vegas? New York? Why?

I am an aspiring fashion design student. I’d like to live somewhere that is rich in culture and has a GREAT nightlife and has nice people. Out of Miami, San Diego, Vegas & New York, which is the best place to live [that is also moderately affordable for rent]?

Las Vegas Strip Morph

A morph video showing the progress of Las Vegas Strip construction from 1997-2004-2005-2007,to the music of Frank Zappa

Las Vegas Hotels – Then and Now

Las Vegas is all about illusion and transformation. While on the strip, and you’re walking past palm trees or through a lush tropical gardens, keep in mind that this is the result of some exceptionally creative landscaping. It wasn’t that long ago that this area was nothing but sand and cactus. The stark, barren desert provided the blank canvas for everyone from the first Spanish explorers, to Howard Hughes whose vision helped make Vegas what it is today.

Over the years, Las Vegas has seen a lot of change and most of these changes have been substantial. From the 22,500 acre Summerlin master planned community, to the mega-hotels on the Strip. When a Vegas developer begins a project, it often stakes a benchmark for future development, and each one is bigger and better than the next. This is particularly dramatic when new hotels are being constructed. Existing renovations are rare, and in most cases, the old must come down to replace the new.

The most common method of demolition is by implosion. Combine a few hundred pounds of dynamite, a small stage show and a few seconds later, no more hotel.

Here are some of the famous implosions featured on the Las Vegas strip over the years:

Oct. 27, 1993 – Dunes Hotel: Complete with an imposing 35 foot fibreglass sultan on its roof, the Dunes goes back to May 23, 1955. This desert-theme hotel was host to big name entertainers the likes of Frank Sinatra, and was the first club to offer the topless revue, Minsky’s Follies. After being purchased by a Japanese millionaire in 1987 for $155 million, Steve Wynn snagged it for a cool $75 million in 1993 and after imploding, used the property to develop what is known today as “Bellagio.”

Nov. 26, 1996 – Sands: Open on December 15, 1952, this was the site of the original Oceans 11 movie starring the rat pack. The Sands had many owners, but during the reign of Howard Hughes, the famous 500-room circular tower was added. The impressive Venetian Hotel has now replaced the Sands.

Dec. 31, 1996 – Hacienda: In spite of its proximity to the McCarran International Airport, the Hacienda had rough start and could never really compete with the larger resorts. It began as a modest 240 room hotel, and later expanded to 1,140 rooms, but remained closed for a couple years due to problems obtaining a gaming license. The Hacienda made a flashy exit on New Year’s Eve of 1997 and was replaced by the Mandalay Bay. Its famous neon horse and rider sign, lives on at the intersection of Fremont Street and Las Vegas Boulevard.

April 27, 1998 – Aladdin: Originating as the Tally-Ho, then the King’s Crown, the Aladdin was purchased and completely renovated for only $3 million dollars by Milton Prell. Probably its biggest claim to fame was hosting the wedding of Elvis & Priscilla Presley. After owner Prell suffered a stroke in 1972, he sold the hotel for $5 million. The new owners revamped the Aladdin, to the tune of $60 million, with the addition of a 19-story tower. After being imploded in 1998, a new and improved $1.4 billion Aladdin re-opened, but it too changed hands and is currently known as Planet Hollywood.

‘Robin Hood’ Gambler Wins Money In Vegas, Gives It All To Those In Need

‘Robin Hood’ Gambler Wins Money In Vegas, Gives It All To Those In Need
What’s Your Reaction? A self-made blackjack player who calls himself RobinHood702 (the 702 comes from Las Vegas’ area code), finds those in need and wins hundreds of thousands of dollars at casinos, just for them.

Read more on The Huffington Post