For many of us, if over a certain age, Las Vegas conjures up images of The Rat Pack tuxedoed up at The Sands, others immediately see Elvis straining the seams of a rhinestone studded jumpsuit. Personally, we can’t help but love them both. However Las Vegas today bears little resemblance to either of those eras. Other than a few impersonators there is not much left that The King or The Chairman of the Board would recognize. Is it better? We’re here to find out.
For many of us, if over a certain age, Las Vegas conjures up images of The Rat Pack tuxedoed up at The Sands, others immediately see Elvis straining the seams of a rhinestone studded jumpsuit. Personally, we can’t help but love them both. However Las Vegas today bears little resemblance to either of those eras. Other than a few impersonators there is not much left that The King or The Chairman of the Board would recognize. Is it better? We’re here to find out.
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The old Vegas is alive and well! The Neon Museum Las Vegas has restored many of the classic bygone signs from The Strip and displayed them… CONTINUE READING >>
enlarge video
The old Vegas is alive and well! The Neon Museum Las Vegas has restored many of the classic bygone signs from The Strip and displayed them… CONTINUE READING >>
OK, show of hands. How many of us first heard of Yosemite from Looney Tunes? C’mon, reach fer the sky fragnabbit! On those childhood Saturday mornings Yosemite Sam introduced us to the name but he had nothing to do with the National Park. Friz Freleng just liked the plumb western sound of California’s premier park for his loud-mouthed, sourdough, going-off-all-half-cocked, six-shootin’ little fella. Fifty-odd years of Saturdays later yer flea bitten GypsyNestin’ varmints finally met Sam’s namesake… CONTINUE READING >>
OK, show of hands. How many of us first heard of Yosemite from Looney Tunes? C’mon, reach fer the sky fragnabbit! On those childhood Saturday mornings Yosemite Sam introduced us to the name but he had nothing to do with the National Park. Friz Freleng just liked the plumb western sound of California’s premier park for his loud-mouthed, sourdough, going-off-all-half-cocked, six-shootin’ little fella. Fifty-odd years of Saturdays later yer flea bitten GypsyNestin’ varmints finally met Sam’s namesake… CONTINUE READING >>
Growing up all we knew about San Francisco was that it was really cool. Eric Burden sang about it, Otis Redding sat on its dock of the bay and it required flowers in your hair if you were going there. Sure Tony Bennett left his heart there but Jimi Hendrix left his guitar, on fire! Well… it’s true, it’s true, it really IS cool.
We rode the subway under the Bay into town (comforting ourselves with the knowledge that the odds of an earthquake rolling through while we were underground were minimal)… CONTINUE READING >>
Growing up all we knew about San Francisco was that it was really cool. Eric Burden sang about it, Otis Redding sat on its dock of the bay and it required flowers in your hair if you were going there. Sure Tony Bennett left his heart there but Jimi Hendrix left his guitar, on fire! Well… it’s true, it’s true, it really IS cool.
We rode the subway under the Bay into town (comforting ourselves with the knowledge that the odds of an earthquake rolling through while we were underground were minimal)… CONTINUE READING >>
Once the mighty Mississippi disappears in the rear view mirror, there’s not much to look at for the next thousand miles except corn. An insane amount of corn. It goes on and on and on and then, the corn turns to wheat. An ocean of wheat. Amber waves of grain. Then, a few hundred miles farther West, the wheat turns to tumbleweeds and we can drop the “mid,” we are in the West.
To break up the monotony along the way, or perhaps because of it, there are signs. Millions of signs. This is the home field of the billboard. Every business garishly competes for attention. Out there, you’ve got to have a gimmick. See the World’s Largest this, five-legged that, First Ever this or two-headed that. Almost any collection becomes… CONTINUE READING >>
Once the mighty Mississippi disappears in the rear view mirror, there’s not much to look at for the next thousand miles except corn. An insane amount of corn. It goes on and on and on and then, the corn turns to wheat. An ocean of wheat. Amber waves of grain. Then, a few hundred miles farther West, the wheat turns to tumbleweeds and we can drop the “mid,” we are in the West.
To break up the monotony along the way, or perhaps because of it, there are signs. Millions of signs. This is the home field of the billboard. Every business garishly competes for attention. Out there, you’ve got to have a gimmick. See the World’s Largest this, five-legged that, First Ever this or two-headed that. Almost any collection becomes… CONTINUE READING >>
Of the 5000 souls that reside in Mulvane, Kansas, only one vies for the title of America’s strangest folk artist. On the main road cutting through this little burg, sits a house whose owner is a painter with, well…divine inspiration. The structure itself serves as his palate, his preferred medium — spray paint…. CONTINUE READING >>
Of the 5000 souls that reside in Mulvane, Kansas, only one vies for the title of America’s strangest folk artist. On the main road cutting through this little burg, sits a house whose owner is a painter with, well…divine inspiration. The structure itself serves as his palate, his preferred medium — spray paint…. CONTINUE READING >>
Mr. Nemechek has used his freedom of speech in a most unusual way. He has erected dozens of eye-catching signs protesting what he sees as a racial attack against his family of Czech descent “like done to the Jews – Czechs in WWII.” These signs accuse Noble County, the entire county mind you, of “ethnical cleansing,” “law discrimination” and the killing… CONTINUE READING >>
Mr. Nemechek has used his freedom of speech in a most unusual way. He has erected dozens of eye-catching signs protesting what he sees as a racial attack against his family of Czech descent “like done to the Jews – Czechs in WWII.” These signs accuse Noble County, the entire county mind you, of “ethnical cleansing,” “law discrimination” and the killing… CONTINUE READING >>
Driving down I-57 on a steel-grey Illinois afternoon, what to our wondering eyes should appear but the surreal sight of the biggest cross on the entire planet.
The 198 foot steel colossus stands ready to overwhelm truckers and tourists alike. With its 113 foot crossbar and 180 tons of steel, this modern day Tower of Babel offers a “Beacon of Hope… CONTINUE READING >>
Driving down I-57 on a steel-grey Illinois afternoon, what to our wondering eyes should appear but the surreal sight of the biggest cross on the entire planet.
The 198 foot steel colossus stands ready to overwhelm truckers and tourists alike. With its 113 foot crossbar and 180 tons of steel, this modern day Tower of Babel offers a “Beacon of Hope… CONTINUE READING >>
For many of us, if over a certain age, Las Vegas conjures up images of The Rat Pack tuxedoed up at The Sands, others immediately see Elvis straining the seams of a rhinestone studded jumpsuit. Personally, we can’t help but love them both. However Las Vegas today bears little resemblance to either of those eras. Other than a few impersonators there is not much left that The King or The Chairman of the Board would recognize. Is it better? We’re here to find out.
