Kendall Giles » Travel

Geek’s Guide to Vegas, Part 4: Extra Tips and Hints for Your Trip

Kendall — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 19:54:55 +0000

So far in this series we’ve introduced Las Vegas, covered what to pack and how to get around the city, and suggested what to do for entertainment and what conventions might be of interest, especially for geeks.

I’ll wrap up the series with a few tips, hints, and other observations you may want to keep in mind in order to make the most of your trip to Las Vegas.

Tipping

Las Vegas primarily is a tourism and entertainment service-based city, so be sure to tip (like the building above)! Here are a few guidelines:

taxi driver (about 15% of your fare)
waiter (15-20% of your dinner total)
cocktail waitress (about $2/round of drinks for a small group of people)
gambling dealer ($1+ per hand or spin)
bellman or shuttle driver if they help with bags ($1 per bag)

(PHOTO: Las Vegas MGM Lion)

Air Quality

Air Quality: In general the air quality in Las Vegas is better than, say, Los Angeles. However, unlike most places in the US, people are free to smoke inside restaurants, hotels, casinos, etc. So while the buildings seem to have decent air filtration systems, to non-smokers the air can still be smokey, especially late at night when everyone is out in full force at the various venues.

(PHOTO: Hotel Bellagio water show)

Books

Books: While I was there I never saw anyone reading nor did I see a bookstore. In fact, this one couple bought a kindle online and tried to get it shipped to their hotel, but somehow the kindle was never delivered. It’s kind of like there’s some sort of anti-reading forcefield around Las Vegas. So if you plan on getting any reading done, it’s best to bring your own books or kindle or other electronic reading device.

(PHOTO: Vegas Paris slot machines)

Electronic Security

As in any public venue, it’s best to use extra caution when you are using your electronic gadgets or your wallet. Here are some precautions.

Turn off Wi-Fi until you actually need it. Before re-enabling Wi-Fi, be certain your computer is patched, file sharing is disabled, you have deleted cached pages and stored cookies in your web browser (to reduce the effectiveness of cross-site scripting attacks), and you have purged the deleted files in your trashcan.
Disable Bluetooth as well on any device, including laptops, smart phones, and other electronic gadgets.
Be sure your firewall is properly configured: block all incoming ports and manually approve applications requesting network access.
Enclose passports and credit cards that are RFID-enabled in RFID blocking wallets. Note that every legitimate vendor asks for your ID when making credit card purchases. Bring an ID!
Avoid USB sticks anyone might give or lend to you. Be wary of free downloads and CDs.

Physical Security

As for physical security, at least near the Strip, I’ve found Las Vegas to be a surprisingly safe city, especially given the number of people and the pervasive availability of alcohol. Every fourth person walking around seems to be carrying these huge frozen drink containers! You should be fine walking outside, though of course the later it gets in the day the more drunk people will be wandering around.

Use sensible precautions:

Don’t walk alone (especially if female).
Avoid people who come up to you on the streets (they are most likely trying to sell you something or scam you).
Stay on the beaten paths, unless you know what you are doing. Most people come to Las Vegas to have a good time, not to cause trouble, but there are always a few in any crowd seeking to prey on the weak or naive.
Test your hotel room to validate it really locked your door. For instance, our door had a tendency to close without locking… you had to give it an extra little push to secure it.

The most common interaction walking along the Strip you’ll likely have is with the many people handing out cards and pamphlets to nudie shows. Their common strategy is to offer you a card with a naked lady on it, often making a snapping sound to get your attention. When dealing with these people the best strategy is to avoid eye contact, do not take what they are trying to hand to you, and keep moving past them.

Besides the nudie show hawkers, there are other people running scams or wanting money, as in any big city, so use common sense and you should be fine. There is a police presence, especially along the Strip and in the casinos, so help should be close should you need it.

That’s it, I hope you have a great time in Vegas!

Here are the four parts of this Geek’s Guide to Vegas series:

I hope to improve this guide over time, so if you have any more suggestions or ways I can make this guide better, please let me know! The best way to get in touch with me is to use my contact page.

Did you like this post? If so, please consider shopping for yourself using this link to Amazon.com. Thanks!

Geek’s Guide to Vegas, Part 3: Conventions and Entertainment

Kendall — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:22:13 +0000

Las Vegas is a great city for entertainment and conventions! The two biggest reasons a geek would want to travel to Las Vegas are the two uber-geek computer security conventions, BlackHat and Defcon.

(PHOTO: Defcon 19 banner)

Defcon, for example, is now in the Rio, and just finished its 19th convention for the hacking and security 1337 (elite). This year at Defcon 19 there were sessions titled, for example, “Staying Connected During a Revolution or Disaster,” “Bosses Love Excel, Hackers Too,” and “Introduction to Tamper Evident Devices.”

(PHOTO: Defcon 19 cryptic symbol)

In case you were wondering what the differences were between the two conventions, this article offers one take on the differences between Blackhat and Defcon.

There are many other conventions held in Las Vegas, from the Consumer Electronics Show to the Toastmasters International Convention. For more information on convention what/where/when, check the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

For entertainment, in addition to gambling (yes, they even have slot machines in the airport), there are many wonderful shows available, such as Phantom of the Opera or one of the Cirque du Soleil acts.

Geeks may be most interested however in one of the many magic acts available. The best (in my opinion) on the list is Penn & Teller, who have been dazzling audiences with their smart brand of bad boy magic in Las Vegas for over 10 years. And if you get to the show early, you might be treated to a wonderful jazz concert by this duo (geeks should be able to identify at least one of the musicians).

(PHOTO: Penn & Teller pre-show with Mike Jones and Mystery Bass Player)

Show tickets can be expensive, so your best strategy for securing seats is to go to one of the half-price ticket vendors, such as tix4tonight and halfpriceshows. The name says it all: on the day of a show, you can often get reduced-price tickets for that evening’s performance (though not always for 50% off). The reduced-price ticket vendor will give you a voucher you then take to the show’s box office in exchange for the actual tickets. As long as you exchange your ticket at least an hour before showtime, you should be able to get tickets without any problems.

There are also live bands most nights in the various bars, clubs, and hotels, along with dancing and/or dancers. And gambling.

Alas, one of the best reasons to visit Las Vegas, Star Trek: The Experience, is no longer open. It ran 1998-2008 at the Las Vegas Hilton.

You also might enjoy just people watching, buying something from a street vendor, watching the nightly water show at the Bellagio, or walking through each of the many hotels along the Strip. The Luxor has an Egyptian theme. The Excalibur has a medieval theme. Caesers Palace has a Roman theme. The Venetian has a Venice theme, and so on.

(PHOTO: Las Vegas Arc de Triomphe)

The Paris section has an Eiffel Tower, and especially at night taking a ride to the top is the best way to get a panoramic view of the city. For example, here’s the view from the Eiffel Tower looking south along the Strip:

(PHOTO: Looking south along the Strip from the Las Vegas Eiffel Tower)

Note that the Eiffel Tower rides are cheaper during the day than during the night, and the coupon book we got in our taxis had a 2-for-1 coupon in it!

If the glitz, glamour, blinky lights, and noise get a little too overwhelming, you may want to find something to do outside of Las Vegas. For example, you could visit the Hoover Dam. Or drive to San Diego. Or tour the Grand Canyon. Or visit the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, home of the History Channel’s Pawn Stars.

(PHOTO: street artist, who works his magic with cans of spray paint)

Finally, for the geek, high on your list might be to take a defensive handgun course, take other firearms training, learn to rappel and climb with ropes, or even learn some unarmed defensive techniques. About an hour away from the Vegas strip you can find all of this at one of the premier firearms training institutes, Frontsight.

Next: extra tips and hints for making the most out of your Las Vegas visit.

Here are the four parts of this Geek’s Guide to Vegas series:

I hope to improve this guide over time, so if you have any more suggestions or ways I can make this guide better, please let me know! The best way to get in touch with me is to use my contact page.

Did you like this post? If so, please consider shopping for yourself using this link to Amazon.com. Thanks!

Geek’s Guide to Vegas, Part 2: Packing and Transportation

Kendall — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:19:51 +0000

(PHOTO: Las Vegas: New York New York)

In general, it’s best to pack light. The weather in Las Vegas is very warm in the summer months, and the winter months aren’t very cold, so you likely won’t need bulky clothes. For best mobility, ease of travel, and no extra airline fees, try to avoid checking in any bags.

The best carryon bag I’ve found so far is the Red Oxx Sky Train, which can be carried like a suitcase, over the shoulder like a messenger bag, and even as a backpack. Soft-sided, high quality, and very roomy, this bag easily held clothes for two people for six days.

We also carried along an empty Red Oxx Market Tote for overflow as a result of accumulating too much Las Vegas swag while there. Just pack it empty in your main bag and bring it back full as your “personal item” on the plane if you need to. If you want more tips on traveling light, you may want to check out this interview on NPR with Doug Dyment of onebag.com.

We also each carried along a laptop briefcase. For my laptop and other electronics, I use the Timbuk2 Commute Messenger Bag and here’s my review of it.

We saw a variety of apparel while in Vegas, including long maxi dresses, short evening gowns, dress suits, jeans, shorts, and swimwear used as tops. Really, anything goes, and no one will blink twice at whatever you select. For most geeks, the default wardrobe consists of black t-shirts and jeans. If you want to dress better for shows or evening dinners, feel free, but I saw lots of shorts and t-shirts even in the evening shows because there does not seem to be any dress codes. Just keep in mind that black t-shirts, the geek’s favorite, are very effective heat absorbers in the Nevada sun.

Speaking of the Nevada sun, it’s important to stay hydrated in Las Vegas, especially since the air is very dry. I like the Klean Kanteen Wide Mouth Insulated Water Bottle, but you can even just keep with you an empty plastic water bottle. Just empty the water container before going through airport security and then fill it afterwards at any water fountain.

A minimal list of things to bring with you on your trip to Las Vegas might be:

Laptop
Camera/smartphone
Kindle or other electronic book reader
Comfortable shoes
Warm weather clothing
Bathing suit, sunscreen (if you plan on swimming)
Snacks for plane flight
Cash for taxis, tips, etc.
Earplugs
Hat
Water container

Finally, for the well-connected geek, you may also want to bring a wireless network hub.

(PHOTO: Las Vegas: Statue of Liberty in New York New York)

In general, be prepared to walk. Even if you never leave the hotel, the hotels are very large. For example, the Excalibur is about a 4,000 room hotel, in addition to housing multiple restaurants, a gym, pools, a full casino, and showplaces (including knights jousting and fighting with swords!). This means that even to get from your hotel room down to the restaurant and back will require a lot of walking. And if you want to walk to any other venues or hotels, be prepared to walk outside in the heat. A walk from the Excalibur to The Venetian, for example, is more than 2 miles, one way! So comfortable, durable footwear is a must.

(PHOTO: Las Vegas, looking north along the Strip from the Eiffel Tower)

Unless you want to visit places outside the Strip, you likely won’t need a rental car–there are plenty of transportation options in addition to walking.

You may find it most convenient to use a taxi or shuttle. There are plenty of taxis available—you will have no trouble finding one. Most taxi rides around the Strip will cost about $8-$12. However, there are free hotel shuttles available, if you know where to look, so be sure to ask at your hotel. For example, there is a free shuttle between Ballys and the Rio, and between Harrah’s and the Rio.

There is also a monorail, though this is more convenient for hotels on the east side of the Strip. And there are buses that run directly up/down the Strip. These require exact change, which is an inconvenience.

Shuttles are also available to/from some hotels and the airport, so be sure to check because they may be cheaper than taking a taxi. Shuttle prices are about $7/person.

Finally, a friend who travels frequently to Las Vegas gave the following advice:

It’s too hard to find parking, you can walk most places, there are cabs galore for other places, and if you want to take a tour, say, of the Hoover Dam or something like that, a bus tour booked by your hotel concierge is the best and least expensive way to do that. If you are exhausted from walking, you can rent a bicycle or take the public bus across town, etc. We never rent a car, and we go all over the place to clubs, etc. Love Vegas.

With that great segue, next up in this travel guide: conventions and entertainment!

Here are the four parts of this Geek’s Guide to Vegas series:

I hope to improve this guide over time, so if you have any more suggestions or ways I can make this guide better, please let me know! The best way to get in touch with me is to use my contact page.

Did you like this post? If so, please consider shopping for yourself using this link to Amazon.com. Thanks!

Geek’s Guide to Vegas, Part 1: Introduction

Kendall — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 04:27:28 +0000

(PHOTO: Las Vegas: Paris street view)

While you might not initially think of Las Vegas as a Mecca for geeks, this city actually does offer some hidden gems to make your trip worth your while. So if you’ve never been, in this series I’ll offer a few tips and observations, from travel planning to getting around town to what to see and do in “Sin City,” with recommendations biased for the geek/nerd.

What’s the primary reason a geek would want to go to Las Vegas? To hack it, of course. But that’s already been covered in the book 21: Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions.

What does Las Vegas offer other than gambling? Quite a lot actually, so read on for more.

As an overview to the city in general, here are two official Las Vegas tourism videos:

(PHOTO: Las Vegas: ceiling in The Venetian)

There’s plenty to see and do in Las Vegas at all hours, but the city really comes alive during the night, offering opportunities for sensory overload. For example, here’s the Excalibur by day:

(PHOTO: Las Vegas: Excalibur Hotel, day)

Just another hotel built like a castle, right? Well, here’s the Excalibur at night:

(PHOTO: Las Vegas: Excalibur Hotel, night)

Here are the four parts of this Geek’s Guide to Vegas series:

I hope to improve this guide over time, so if you have any more suggestions or ways I can make this guide better, please let me know! The best way to get in touch with me is to use my contact page.

Did you like this post? If so, please consider shopping for yourself using this link to Amazon.com. Thanks!

Where Have All the Children Gone?

Kendall — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 13:06:55 +0000

Where Have All the Children Gone?
By Kendall Giles

I have to make a confession. When I was in the fourth grade at Sandusky Elementary School, I was one of those kids who dealt in the black market. See, there was this other fourth-grader there named Jerry C., and I had inside knowledge that he was in the market for a certain something–a certain something that, if brought to school, would get that person in really big trouble, like with the Vice-Principal Rubinberg or even Principal Fauber.

Jerry was careful though, and he never really talked about “it” when other people were around. But one day when we were out on the playground, we wandered down onto the lower soccer field where no one else was around, and that’s when he mentioned he was in the market for a snake.

There was actually a pretty healthy black market back then in our elementary school for lots of things. You just had to know where to go and what to ask for. Like one time I sold Allen F. some drawings of some dinosaurs I made. And when I found a small bottle of that glue that you could put on your fingertips, let harden, then eat the waxy residue off, well, I traded that to Jason J. for his pencil box. He didn’t ask me where I got my glue from, and I didn’t ask him were he got his pencil box from. It was a simple playground exchange, and no one suspected anything.

Another time Robbie D. was going to sell me four drawings of Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Peter Criss from the rock group Kiss, but I couldn’t get Robbie to drop his asking price below 25 cents. He drove a hard bargain. But I played it cool, and the next morning I got to the school early, and made a deal with one of the cleaning staff. I vacuumed the carpet on one wing of the school so he could slip away for a few minutes, and in return he paid me 25 cents. Oh, yeah.

Anyway, my biggest deal happened with Jerry, though one lesson in the black market is that sometimes it’s all about being in the right place at the right time. Jerry was really into snakes, and I was too, so we hatched this idea of writing our own book on snakes. We’d read all the snake books in the library and we thought we could write an even better book. So our first idea was to cut sentences from all the different snake books and then combine all those sentences into one great, big snake book.

We thought about this idea for a while, and over the course of several days discussed the plan on our walks around the lower soccer field. Then one day, I don’t remember whose idea it was, but one of us pointed out that our snake book would be even better if we had a real live snake to talk about. Like, if we could write about a snake after actually having seen a real one, then that should be better than writing about a snake after having only read about it in a book, right? It made sense at the time. So Jerry was now in the market for a snake, and he was even willing to pay money for it.

Well, that’s where being in the right place at the right time came into play. Each morning my mom would drive me to school by the Sandusky Park and Pool, which were set in some woods by a big creek. The pool was super fun, and if you got tired of swimming in the pool you could cross this wooden bridge over the creek and play on the playground or play basketball on a small court, or you could hop down the bank and splash around in the creek itself.

Moreover, in the springtime, before the pool had opened, a few of us knew a secret way to get into the pool and we could collect all the tadpoles we wanted. Except that time Russell K. and I got caught by the neighbor lady in the pool with our jar of tadpoles. No, I’m no longer bitter about the incident, but, I mean, what, she spent her whole day looking out her window watching over the pool?

Anyway, unless there was a water moccasin slithering in or something dead washed up on the basketball court or the creek overflowed its banks and dumped muddy water into the pool, the Sandusky Pool and Park were fun places to hang out as a kid.

I mention this because one morning I thought I had seen a dead snake by the side of the road where it dipped next to the creek by the pool and park. So I asked Jerry if he’d put up money for a dead snake.

We looked at each other for a minute and, again, I don’t remember whose idea this was, but one of us suggested that a dead snake was even more valuable than a live snake, since you could put the dead snake out in your yard and it would attract other snakes to it, like the live snakes would come around in sympathy, or mourning, or something. We weren’t sure about the exact scientific explanation, but somehow it seemed reasonable that the dead snake would whisper to the live snakes, attract them, and then all Jerry’d have to do is catch the live snakes.

It seemed like a good plan, so in the end Jerry offered me one dollar for my extremely valuable dead snake. Now, all I had to do was connect the buyer with the goods. Oh, yeah.

The next day on the drive to school I managed to convince my mom to drop me off at the pool and let me walk the rest of the way to school–it’s about a half mile from the deceased snake point to the school. Somehow my mom relented, and so dropped me off about ten feet from the dead snake.

The snake was belly up by that point, and there were a few flies around, but only one end of it was squished. I thought for a few minutes about how to actually get the snake to school. After a flash of insight, I took out from my brown paper lunch bag my peanut butter sandwich. It was in a plastic bag, and so I took out the sandwich and put it back into the paper lunch bag, then picked up the snake off the ground and put that into the plastic bag, then put the plastic bag with the snake into my paper lunch bag. Boom, just like that. I then walked the rest of the way to school with my extremely valuable lunch bag. During recess, Jerry paid me the dollar and I gave him the snake. Entrepreneurism is good!

I quickly forgot about the deal, but then a couple days later Principal Fauber tapped me on the shoulder and summoned me out of social studies class. That’s when I learned I was in big trouble. See, Jerry had left the snake in his locker the whole time and there was this awful smell and mess everywhere. I was soon fingered. Needless to say, it wasn’t a pretty sight nor was the aftermath. Let’s put it this way–thus ended my experiences as an elementary school black marketer.

That was all some thirty years ago, and for the most part I’ve put the matter behind me. I guess it’s a bit underwhelming for me to confess to being an elementary school black marketer now, perhaps much like Paul McCartney a few years ago finally confessing what the song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” was really all about.

So why am I bringing this up?

I drove by the Sandusky pool the other day and it’s been filled in and covered with asphalt for a parking lot. The creek is still there, but the playground and basketball court are gone. And I saw recently where several resorts with Bumper Car rides are too worried that kids will get hurt bumping cars, so they are forbidding that the bumper cars actually bump each other; they’ve re-named the rides from Bumper Cars to Dodgems. And it seems that some elementary schools are providing condoms for their students. And I read in the news about an elementary school student bringing a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol to school to sell, for $3.50.

I could go on, but I have to ask: Where have all the children gone?

Mushrooms on the mulch pile and galumphing through the Internet

Kendall — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 13:59:42 +0000

Above is a picture I took yesterday of a little cluster of mushrooms I discovered on a pile of mulch in our yard.

Below are a few Internet links from the last couple of weeks. Highlights include why creative people are eccentric, six exercise machines to avoid, word of a new Sherlock Holmes story on the way, and the power of the Dark Side.

“Legal” disclaimers at the bottom of emails are useless and annoying

Six exercise machines you must avoid

A new Sherlock Holmes story is on the way

[ VIDEO ] Little girl unexpectedly vows to join the Dark Side at new Star Wars show in Disneyland [seems like Disneyland was caught off guard--who knew someone would want to join the Dark Side? I say: smart kid]

Why creative people are eccentric

Are you a dictator of a third-world country who wants a PhD from a prestigious Western university? Here’s how to get such a PhD

The return of Michael Moorcock’s ‘New Worlds’ Magazine

A camellia and galumphing through the Internet

Kendall — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 14:45:41 +0000

Spring keeps pushing through, as shown by our camellia, but I hear winter is going to make another stand this weekend.

Links this week include writing tips and commentary from James Patrick Kelly and Will Ludwigsen, some insight into the genius of Ben Franklin, a six month journey along the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail condensed into 5 minutes, and a movie trailer for Captain America.

James Patrick Kelly on how writing teaches writing

Japan vs the Ivory Coast, Haiti, Liberia, and New Orleans: looting as a reflection of culture

Interview with Will Ludwigsen

The wonders of Ben Franklin, by Maira Kalman

Don’t be a slacker, Virginia. The best you can do is 37th in a ranking of socially networked cities?

Electronic Publishing Bingo!

[ VIDEO ] A six month journey along the 2,200 mile Appalachian Trail, condensed to a five minute video

[ VIDEO ] Captain America trailer–you know you want to see it

The Boar’s Head and weekend reading links

Kendall — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 14:06:01 +0000

Above is a boar located at the excellent Boar’s Head Inn in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Below is a potpouri of reading links. This week includes a space shuttle launch, someone fighting shadows with a sword, how to make a pan flute, and lots of recommended science fiction, fantasy, and horror books and authors. Oh, and Charlie Sheen.

[ VIDEO ] Japanese sword fighter vs shadows
[ VIDEO ] Space shuttle launch viewed from a passing airplane
Locus Online 2010 Recommended Reading List [Lots of great book and author recommendations]
How to build a bullet shell casing pan flute
[ VIDEO ] Hillary Rodham Clinton reads The Makers by Howard Nemerov
2010 Bram Stoker Award Nominations [lots of great book and author recommendations]
Farm Animals Get 80 Percent of Antibiotics Sold in U.S. [ Hey FDA, you're doing it wrong ]
Charlie Sheen quotes as New Yorker cartoons
The US does seem to love its entitlement programs

First Virginia Snow and Weekend Reading Links 10 December 2010

Kendall — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:42:57 +0000

Okay, for those in the South — we got our first snow of the season in Virginia this past week!

For those in the North, please stop snickering.

For everyone: please enjoy this week’s list-o-links.

Cheers.

Oops – I guess printing money isn’t that easy for the US government after all
Ouch – US students still behind, rather far, the students of other nations
The Salvation Army won’t accept Harry Potter and Twilight toys?! That doesn’t seem very charitable.
[ WATCH ] What are the values we stand for? What are the values you stand for?
[ WATCH/LISTEN ] James Bond theme on the eigenharp

Kendall Giles » Travel

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Geek’s Guide to Vegas, Part 4: Extra Tips and Hints for Your Trip

Tipping

Air Quality

Books

Electronic Security

Physical Security

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Geek’s Guide to Vegas, Part 3: Conventions and Entertainment

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Geek’s Guide to Vegas, Part 2: Packing and Transportation

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Geek’s Guide to Vegas, Part 1: Introduction

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Where Have All the Children Gone?

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