As I was having dinner with my cousins tonight, I realized that Las Vegas has done some amazing things to remove money from your pocket. Here are three things that I feel are the smartest.
ONE: Beer Pong at O’Sheas – imagine you are in college, you have been playing beer pong in your dorm room for four years and now that you’re 21, you are in Las Vegas. You don’t have a lot of cash and you are not too interested in playing $25 blackjack. As you’re walking down the street, you see o’Sheas has beer pong. 4-hours later, your wasted and you spent about $200. On top of that, as you are walking out of the hotel, you spend another $100 on blackjack because your too wasted to not play. That was $300 worth of beer pong. Genius!
TWO: Oxygen Bars and Water Massage in the Malls – I have seen these in many malls in Souther California, but I have never been interested in trying them. I’m sure you feel the same way, and so do all the customers sitting at the oxygen bar and getting massages. There is something magical about Las Vegas that makes people want to do something they won’t do at home. It could be as complex as getting a tattoo, visiting a hooker, or something as simple as getting a water massage. Genius!
THREE: Painting the ceiling of the mall to look like dusk – today we had lunch at the mall inside the Venetian. I stress inside because when we put our name in at the front, we were asked, “Would you like to be seated inside or outside?” We then had to take a group evaluation and the conclusion was, “Outside is good, it’s nice out right now.” But there is no OUTSIDE, there is only INSIDE. We were covered by 42 floors of steel and concrete. The air was cool and still, the light was artificial and unchanging, but today, I had lunch outside, inside the mall at the Venetian and I never once considered leaving the mall and going to a great local restaurant only a few blocks away. Genius!
There are plenty more Genius ideas in the City of Sin. I’ll be sure to let you know all about them.
I needed an HDMI cable to hook my xbox to my TV. So I headed to Fry’s in Las Vegas and asked the sales associate for some assistance. He took me to the cable section and said, “This one is perfect for an xbox to TV connection.” I thanked him and he was on his way. Simple enough, right. Of course not. The cable he showed me cost $129 and was made by Monster Cable. Being the informed consumer that I am, I knew that this price was a little high. So I wanted to make sure you never buy an overpriced cable for your home entertainment.
So here is my guide to buying an HDMI cable:
Step 1: Find out how much cable you need. Usually you only need about 6′ (six feet) to get from the component to the TV or receiver.
Step 2: Go to your local Fry’s or Radio Shack (avoid Best Buy at all cost) and find the cheapest cable in that length. You need to ask the sales associate where all the cheap cables are located. They will not have an end cap or special display. They will be in simple packaging with ho-hum colors and information. These are the cables you want. The in-store cost is about $1.25/foot.
Step 3: If you don’t have access to a Fry’s or Radio Shack, please buy a cable online. Most will have free shipping and no tax (if it’s outside your state). I like Amazon.com or NewEgg.com.
So why can you buy a cheap cable for your high-end stereo system? Why don’t you need a double shielded cable with gold connectors? It’s very simple: HDMI is a digital signal cable and regardless of the environment, there is no signal loss. Digital signals are on or off, one or zero, black or white. There are no shades of gray (like in analog cables). So when you plug in a $100 HDMI cable to your system, you’re getting the same ones and zeros that can easily pass through a $6 cable. There is no difference and no proof that the $100 cable is better or that the $6 cable is worse.
So I hope this helps you and saves you some money when you purchase your next HDMI cable. In the end, I spent $5.95 on a 6′ HDMI cable.
What is HDMI:
HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the first and only industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. By delivering crystal-clear, all-digital audio and video via a single cable, HDMI dramatically simplifies cabling and helps provide consumers with the highest-quality home theater experience. HDMI provides an interface between any audio/video source, such as a set-top box, DVD player, or A/V receiver and an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV), over a single cable.
HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC HDTV standards and supports 8-channel, 192kHz, uncompressed digital audio and all currently-available compressed formats (such as Dolby Digital and DTS), HDMI 1.3 adds additional support for new lossless digital audio formats Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™ with bandwidth to spare to accommodate future enhancements and requirements.
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Drai's After Hours Club at Bill's Gambling Hall
The bachelor party in Vegas can take on several different phases. There is the “gambling phase,” the “pool phase,” the “dinner phase,” the “strip club phase,” the “dance club phase,” and the often ignored “after hours club phase.” It is this last phase that I would like to sprinkle into your bachelor party in Vegas.
The after hours club phase takes place, well, after some of the other clubs have started to slow down. People are starting to head back to a hotel (not necessarily their own), some are grabbing a sandwich, and some are headed to Bill’s Gambling Hall on the corner of Flamingo and Las Vegas Blvd.
In the basement of Bill’s exist one of the greatest parties on the strip, Drai’s After Hours Club. What’s going on inside that makes this one of four must do’s on your bachelor party in Vegas? A dimly lit lounge, a full bar, two dance floors, and the hottest DJ’s on a Thurs, Fri, Sat., or Sun night. The place is dimly lit, its red velvet, and the people look good…no, they look great. If you want to get in the door, you have to look good to. The dress code is strict.
Dress Code at Drai’s: Guys have to look good, which normally means jerseys, baggy pants, tank tops, t-shirts, or jeans are out of the question. Women cannot wear tennis shoes but anything else is acceptable.
Big Pimpin' at Drai's
Here’s the thing about Drai’s, the party don’t start till about 1am. But you shouldn’t show up until 230am. The party really gets going about 4am. Here’s our recommendation: Get into Vegas on Friday afternoon, check into your hotel room, have a nice big dinner, then a hot bath and a long nap. Set your alarm for 2am. Get dressed. Get your ass to Bill’s and walk up to the door (get table/bottle service) and check your name off the list. Let the bouncer guide you to you table. Crack open your drinks, call over as many ladies as you like. Have a good time, and repeat.
To book your table, call: 702-737-0555 and leave a message, they will call you back.
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