The full article HERE.  The Randolph College, a private liberal arts school in Lynchburg, Va, organizes a trip the students will surely not forget.

“Each semester the course examines a strain of American culture and ends with a class trip. Past destinations included post-Katrina New Orleans, Walt Disney World and the Civil Rights Memorial Center in Montgomery, Ala.”

Well, this year, the teachers wanted their students to explore the wonders of a hidden world, secluded deep into the deserts of Nevada: legalized prostitution. And where did they go? To the Chicken Ranch. Yes, that’s how the brothel’s called. Don’t be fooled by the name, they don’t raise any chicken there, it’s a code name: chicken=fresh meat=naked ladies,  ranch=white sauce=…=easily affordable?

The place even has a general manager (of course), and she says, I quote: “We’re always open to trying to educate the public about legalized prostitution”. I can imagine hearing a sentence that starts with “we’re trying to educate the public…” from any other source but a brothel.

The students also took some interviews with two of the working girls. One of them was a blond that said the “job” gave her the opportunity to write a book about her life (”The Adventures Of A Chicken” became a best-seller because most people thought it was a children’s book. Now angry moms want they’re money back - just kidding ). The blond has a tattoo on her left breast that reads “Famous”. It doesn’t say for what, and we might wonder if the fame came from her being an exquisite… ranch chicken? (what’s the politically correct term for a woman working in a brothel? I guess prostitute…), or from being a best-selling author? Rumor has it that she might get another tattoo on her right breast that reads “Rich”.

Why rich? Because the woman is in real estate. She just works in a brothel because it’s a hobby: “I enjoy giving back what some people don’t get in their lives…” She also says: “Most women in this business wear the pants in the family”. Yeah, I guess it’s a “business” that does require some pants, around 10% of the time.

Upon leaving, the students received some menus and key chains. Yes, they have menus, they’re not called Chicken Ranch for nothing. You might want a fat chicken, a skinny chicken, a medium-rare chicken, a well-done chicken, and so on… And those key chains are good as souvenirs for your family and friends when you go back home, and make a unique accessory for your keys or backpack.

I do hope those students learned a lot from this experience. What I’ve learned from reading this was: Don’t get tattooed on my breasts. Develop a normal hobby, like knitting or painting. If I do get tattooed on my breasts, avoid the word “Famous”. It is possible to sell your body and houses at the same time.

Time for another Vegas related video! Two of them this time. The first is a video of young Elvis singing Viva Las Vegas, and the second a video of the Bellagio fountains dancing on the song. Enjoy!

Here’s the King’s version:

And here’s Bellagio’s version:

It’s quite an experience to see these fountain dance on the King’s music at night, surrounded by the city’s bright lights. If you’re in Vegas, you have to do it, it’s a free show that you will definitely remember. 

   I found an article here that caught my attention.

So it seems that Las Vegas is a heaven for celebrities. Sin City is proving to be Celebrity City. Why? Lets think of big cities like L.A and New York as savannas, and of paparazzi as lions. Of course, celebrities would be the gazelles. Las Vegas is the jungle where the gazelles get lost in. George Maloof, owner of the eccentric Palms casino, says that Vegas is a “celebrity playground” , because they feel safe to party here, knowing the casinos go to great lenghts to protect treir privacy.

And with casinos being this huge, who needs to go anywhere else when you have everything you need in one place? Restaurants, malls, spas…Celebrities come here by themselves, like normal people, with no bodyguards. All casinos of course offer their own 24/7 protection, and there’s little chance of celebrities being stalked here by flashing cameras.

You might not hear often about what famous people have been doing in Las Vegas, or who has been a guest at the Palms this week. And make no mistake, the city and the casinos are always home to the rich and famous. You might just bump into one at the club tonight. Or at the mall, or the spa.  But the bottom line is Las Vegas is doing a good job at preserving privacy. After all , what happens here stays here!

You want to attract attention to yourself when you come here? Keep in mind this is a crazy city and you see all sorts of stuff all the time, so going a little overboard to attract attention is OK  (just a little).

What will you do with all this attention you’ll be attracting, you might ask. Enjoy it and think of yourself as a superstar, people will want to take pictures of you. That’s just how we are in Vegas. Tell people you’re from a foreign country and you’re famous there. Or just be flashy and enjoy it. It’s Vegas, baby, anything goes!

Here are some ideas of how you can dress to impress in Vegas:

1. Dress as Elvis or Marilyn Monroe. Get the whole outfit-wig-makeup thing.
2. Buy the flashiest costume you can find (there are special stores where they sell show costumes), wear a bright red (or yellow) coat that sparkles like a thousand suns and then put some lights on to make you look like a Christmas tree.
3. Dress old-fashioned. It’s something classy about that and always attracts attention. Go back in time as far as you’d like, from the 70’s disco look with high platform shoes and bushy wigs, to the wild-wild west, or even back to the caveman
4. If you’re from a different country, it would be very interesting for you to wear the national costume of the country. I can assure you if you do that, you’ll have hundreds of people asking for a picture, and you’ll feel famous. Even if you’re not from a different country, act like it, dress a national costume for “support” of that country.
5. Dress as a movie superhero. Get a Matrix costume, some black shades and you’re set. Or some fake knifes at your waist, and a pair of tall high-heeled black boots. Bbbbaaaddd to the bone, baby!
6. Choose a color and stick to it. Red is your thing? Make people think you’re Red Riding Hood. Red hair, makeup, clothes, nail polish, shoes, purse, accessories. You’ll get noticed just like that!
7. If you’re with your friends, make yourselves some personalized tees for all of you to wear, many people do that in Vegas. Then everybody will know you’re all together, and you’ll be in the center of attention. Make up something funny!

So as for outfits, I see everything in Vegas, don’t be afraid to put on something you always wanted to wear but never could back home. You’re in Vegas now, and it’s a playground for adults. Let your imagination loose!

    Though this recording is not about Vegas, there is something at the end…enjoy!

Did you enjoy it? I for one couldn’t stop laughing the first time I heard it.

I’ve been recently focusing more on videos, since I want you to have a better “taste” of Vegas. So to continue with this series of Vegas related videos, here’s one from the 2007 opening of the Mandalay Bay Beach. Since summer is already here in Vegas, and pool season is about to start, I thought this might be a good idea.

For those who don’t know, Mandalay Bay is a hotel&casino located on the Strip. It’s home of the famous rumjungle nightclub, House of Blues and Shark Reef.

The pools here are one of the best in Vegas, featuring a wave pool with sand beach, a lazy river and a topless pool.

It’s great to forget for a second you’re in the desert, and enjoy this luxurious beach. The sand, the waves, a cocktail in your hand… what can be better? I’m not sure this is what Rudyard Kipling had in mind when writing his “Mandalay” poem, but it’s definitely an experience you want to try!

Take a look at this cool video I just found on youtube. At www.RVcookingshow.com a full-time RVer presents recipes along with a bit of trivia about the region. In this show Evanne finds herself  (where else) in fabulous Las Vegas. The show begins with some useful info about the city, and then continues with an easy to cook pizza recipe. You might think you know this already, but you don’t. It’s a pizza made on the grill.

I found this video very entertaining and cute, and I must say her idea could prove to be of interest to Las Vegans in those hot summer days when we all barbecue outside. Why not add a cool pizza to the grill this summer? Visualize: a hot day at the pool, a sizzling grill with crunchy mouth-watering pizza cooking, a bunch of curious neighbours asking you what the hell is that you’re grilling, and the wonders of the Strip staring at you in the background. What a perfect day. I’m hungry now. Anybody got some pizza?

 I thought a video like this would be fun, and maybe give you some ideas for your next trip to Vegas.  Are you up for it? I know I’m not.

The ride extends out 64 feet over the edge of the Stratosphere Tower at a height of over 900 feet.  At speeds of up to three ‘G’s, you’ll be facing straight down.

You can ride the Insanity Sunday - Thursday, 10 a.m. - 1 a.m., Fridays, Saturdays and holidays, 10 a.m. - 2 a.m. The cost of a ticket is around $17 or $31 for a whole day pass.

The Insanity has over 100 ride variations, so you can enjoy a different experience every time.

Would you go on this ride? I for one feel dizzy just by looking up at the top where the ride is.

    According to FoxNews, The King will have his very own casino on the Las Vegas Strip.  FX Real Estate and Entertainment is the company that owns the rights to his name and image, and they have big plans.

The project will cost well over 3 billion dollars, and is scheduled to begin in 2009, and end in 2012.

Now we all know there are several Elvis impersonators in Vegas, and I was thinking how good they will have it if this casino will be built. Just like the Palms has playboy bunnies running around everywhere, the new casino will probably have Elvis dealers at the tables, and pretty much anywhere else they can afford one. So good news for those who where struggling to get a dollar out of that tourist with a camera in search of a memorable picture. They will be paid good bucks to dress, move, sing, act and talk like The King. They will wear flashy clothes and get tips for pictures.

I wonder, will they also make a Marilyn Monroe casino? Wouldn’t that be fun? Or a horror Marilyn Mason one. What I would really like is a cartoon-themed casino, where you can meet Bugs Bunny, Mickey Mouse and others. Wait, that’s Disney Land. Never mind. Graceland is better.

With casinos like New York-New York, Paris, The Venetian, Treasure Island, Excalibur and others, the Strip is becoming more and more a playground for adults, a fantasy town where anything is possible. So why not bring some of that Elvis magic in? This should be interesting…

Maybe you have a nice evening gown on, you’re dinning at a restaurant, or simply gambling at the tables. Anyway, you’re in a sophisticated mood. You want some champagne or wine cocktail, instead of your usual. Here’s just a few to get you started:

 Wine Spritzer

• white wine
• club soda or mineral water

Simple, refreshing, light.

Sangria

• red wine
• soda
• a small amount of spirits (like brandy, triple sec, rum, etc.)
• sweetener (honey or orange juice)
• fruits

It’s a famous wine punch, that has many variations, basically made out of red wine, club soda, some kind of juice and marinated fruits.

Mimosa

• sparkling wine
• orange juice

Delicious and easy to make.

Rizz Fizz

• Amaretto
• Blue Curacao
• lemon/lime juice or sour/sweet&sour
• champagne

This elegant, classy drink was created as the signature cocktail for the Ritz-Carlton hotel. It’s not very complicated to make, so why not try it?

Flirtini

• champagne
• vodka
• pineapple juice

It has a catchy name, right? No wonder it’s a cocktail that starred in “Sex and the City”. So why not try it on your next night out with your girlfriends?

That’s all for now, my friends. More coming soon, until then enjoy every night out with a delicious cocktail!