Boulder City Trading Post

Driving from the Hoover Dam back to Las Vegas, I saw this place called the Boulder City Trading Post and it had an unique feel to it and decided to stop and look at some the art outside it:

Hope everybody has a good and safe weekend.

"Holy Toldeo": Ken Korach Book Talk

Last Saturday at Barnes & Noble in Emeryville,  A's broadcaster Ken Korach talked about his wonderful book "Holy Toledo-Lessons from Bill King: Renaissance Man of the  Mic". I bought the book when it first came out last year and it is a wonderful read even for the non-sports fan. Korach was King's A's on-air partner for the last ten years of King's career.

Bill King was a broadcaster who is known for his work with the Golden St. Warriors, Oakland Raiders and Oakland A's. He broke into this market with the San Francisco Giants when they first moved here in 1958. King never went national and basically stayed in the Bay Area. His way with words was legendary, NFL Network said that he is one of the top ten 10 football broadcasters ever. Many people say he was the best the NBA broadcaster ever. I was lucky enough to grow up listening to him on the airwaves until he passed in 2005.

Korach does more than tell the history of King's broadcasting, he tells the story of King. King was a true renaissance man. He was a world-class sailor, loved the ballet, knew Russian history, fine diner, world-class painter. King was the only person who was a foodie but would have his second-inning snack of popcorn with nacho cheese, pickers, onions, etc. and enjoy the sulfuric haze he left behind in the booth. He was also quirky (never bought a car for more than $500 and never quite figured out how an ATM worked) and a true Bay Area icon.

A's broadcaster Ken Korach taking about his book

The book

I bought another copy and had it autographed

"Holy Toldeo" is a great book and one that even the non-sports, non-Bay Area person would enjoy.

Random Vegas Pics #2

I was planning to do something else but with the chaos that is life right now, I am going to take the easy way out. I think after this week, life will return to normal and I will be able to post other Vegas pics:

At the Cosmopolitan Hotel

Liberace's favorite car

Saw this piece at the Cosmopolitan's shopping area

At the Bellagio Hotel

This was at the Bellagio it is called "Soundsuit" by Nick Cave

At the Bellagio piano bar

"Typerwriter Eraser, Scale X"-Clases Oldenburg and Coosje van Bruggen

The last three are from the Silverton where they have an aquarium:

The Bass Pro Shop OCC bike

Monday Music-Hoilday Style

Here are some holiday tunes to get you dancing:

This video (below) was inspired in a real fact that happened during first World War:

Have a great Monday.

Random Vegas Shots #1

As I said, I took a ton of pics while in Vegas. This is the first batch of the random ones. I don't why but most of this batch was shot at the New York New York Casino and Hotel:

Outside the Gold & Silver Pawn Shop-The home of "Pawn Stars"

Now the rest were shot at New York New York:

I won $10 off this machine

A giant Swatch watch

Saw this outside the Sports Book

A replica of the Brooklyn Bridge

A custom checkered cab

Black Friday Book Scores

Talk about a lucky guy. I was in Las Vegas during Thanksgiving week and I went to Barnes and Noble om Wednesday before Thanksgiving to get the book by the great sportscaster Al Michaels. They told me if I came back on Friday that they would have a signed copy. They also told me that they had a bunch of other signed books and that they only had about five of each copy. They opened at 8:00am on Black Friday and I got there at 7:50am and there were about 20 people waiting to get in. They opened the doors and the rush was on. Got the Al Michaels book:

But I noticed another book in the section and decided to get it. It was the last signed copy there and at the register I found out with my B&N member discount it was also 40% off:

As I said I am lucky guy. And yes, I am reading both. One is for home and one on my commute to work.

Butterfly Gardens Art at Springs Preserve

Last week, I was on in vacation in Las Vegas and did not blog at all. Bad blogger I am. On the good side I took tons of pics of things I did. Most of it are places that many people don't go because it is not gambling or drinking. One of those places is Springs Preserve. It a place that celebrates the nature side of Vegas. I will blog about it later.

While walking through the Botanical Gardens part I noticed these metal butterfly's that serve as guideposts. I found that they are metal swallowtail butterfly's done by a Las Vegas sculptor names Miguel Rodriguez and were painted by local artists:

Hope you enjoyed. Much more to come from Vegas.