The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with a Senior Associate.

The other day I called a Senior Associate of mine. "Warren, am I the only guy in Las Vegas who sees what the hell is going on? Jesus, look at the gaming numbers the Asians are producing. That's just a precursor for what's to come!" My friend Warren has been around the block a time or two. Every so often I call and ask his opinion. Some times he will give it to me. "What do you mean when you say the gaming numbers are just a precursor for what's to come? I don't understand your philosophy behind that," he replied.

I often wonder if Warren and I read the same newspaper - but nonetheless - Whenever he asks a question, I always try in earnest to answer it. "Think of it this way Warren. When the market crashed back in '08. Well, it looked like the whole strip was going to have to file bankruptcy -That is until the China man came raging onto the scene - Today, Wynn and Sands are reporting record profits and it didn't come from guys sitting around a poker table in Kansas." The island of Macau, located 30 minutes by ferry from Hong Kong, deregulated their gaming industry in 2004. A number of American purveyors set up shop shortly after. Since then, profits have been at an all time high for the lucky few who had the foresight to do so.

"Now, I want you to listen real good to me Warren. If the gaming revenues in Macau are three times greater than Las Vegas produces in less than a decade of existence -The first American owned casinos were opened in 2008 - Just imagine what else the Asian consumer will spend their money on." I have been touting a food ordering/delivery website that focuses primarily on Asian restaurants in the Chinatown section of Las Vegas. "Warren, I hold this belief to be a true. If an outside business group establishes healthy business relations with Asian proprietors and consumers at the ground level in Chinatown, and thus is able to establish some solid 'American' concepts. Well, the sky is the limit!"

I never know if Warren is listening or not, so I asked him. "Warren, does what I am telling you make sense? I would really like you to come back out and take another look at Chinatown. This time come by yourself." After my statement, I patiently waited for his response. After a minute of silence I again asked if he understood what I was talking about. "Warren, are you still there?" I replied forcefully. Much to my chagrin, we had been disconnected. I immediately called back and the call went straight to voice mail.

The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with his friend Junior about Mad Max.

I hadn't talked with my friend Junior from Albuquerque in quite some time, so I gave him a call today. "Hey Owen, what's going on?" Junior is a big Pittsburgh Steelers fan, I call him Owen because of the fact they started the season 0-4 - The nickname ended up sticking - "What's going on Les?" After I started calling him Owen, not to be outdone, he started referring to me as Les. The correct spelling would actually be [Less] as in worthless, jobless, penniless, homeless. Well you get the picture. Anyways, we play catch up for a few minutes and then I ask if he has been reading my blog.

"Tell your uncle Ned not to get so worked up about things. What you should probably do is give Mad Max's phone number to Ned. That way Ned can call him directly and they can yell at each other. They'll probably give each other heart attacks." Turns out Junior has been reading the blog faithfully. He was referencing my previous post concerning uncle Ned's comments about my anarchist friend Mad Max. He then asked me this, "Is Mad Max really as hardcore as you portray him in your blog?"

Mad Max is no bullshit! I wanted to make sure that he understood exactly how hardcore Mad Max actually is. So I told him this. "You know what he told me. He said that his buddy owns a gun store and since Obama was reelected, sales have gone up six hundred percent in his friends store. Mad Max owns more guns than you can count. His rounds of ammunition are in the tens of thousands, multiple times over. I would say if there was ever a guy who was hardcore about his beliefs, it would be Mad Max."

The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with his uncle Ned about Mad Max.

I hadn't talked with my favorite uncle in a few months, so I decided to give him a call today. "Ned, what's going on? How the hell have you been?" Uncle Ned isn't in the best of shape nowadays, but he still seems to manage. "Rob, where the hell have you been? Why haven't you called?" I'll admit it, I've been neglectful the last few months in calling friends and family, but it's not that I don't care. It's just that I have had other things on my mind. "Sorry Ned about not calling. So what's been going on?" We play catch up for a few minutes and then I ask if he has been reading my blog.

"Who the hell is this Mad Max character that you've been blogging about recently? What a fucking idiot. Let me guess, it's got to be one of your buddies from Madison." Mad Max has been a mainstay in my blog recently and I have a gentleman's agreement with him that I won't divulge his true identity and told Ned such. Ned is a bleeding heart Liberal - Mad Max is an anarchist - So it puts them on opposite sides of the spectrum. "Don't tell me Mad Max is one of these guys who thinks the government is bugging his phone. Hey, if he doesn't like this country. Why doesn't he leave? 'America, love it or leave it!' That's what we used to say when I was young."

Mad Max is a friend of mine. So I felt it necessary to defend him somewhat against my uncle Ned's rant. "Look, Mad Max loves this country as much or more than anyone I know. He, along with many others, doesn't like the direction it's headed. He's entitled to his opinions, just as you're entitled to yours." It doesn't take much for uncle Ned to get his dander up. Lots of people mistake his passion for belligerence, but not me, I am used to it by now. "Look, tell this moron to move to the Soviet Union or Syria. That would give him a real good idea of what government control is like - Mad Max - Jesus, can't you come up with a more original nickname for whoever this tool is?"

The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with his friend Mad Max about the end of the world.

"The other night I dreamt of knives, continental drift divide. Mountains sitting in a line, Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs. Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom! You symbiotic, patriotic, slam bug net, right? Right."

R.E.M. - It's The End Of The World (As We Know It)

Today's version of the phrase - Mad Max - is best used as a connotation to describe chaos, disorder and anarchy. Example: "The other day I was in Chinatown eating lunch with a Chinese friend of mine. He told me China was sick and tired of being pushed around by the Japanese, and that one of these days he wouldn't be surprised one bit if China went Mad Max on Japan."

The following is an excerpt of a recent conversation I had with a friend of mine, I have affectionately nicknamed him Mad Max. He is an anarchist in every sense of the word:

"Mad Max, shut the fuck up. The end of the world is not coming. It's called change! Now, no one claims that change is always for the better, but I can promise you one thing is for certain. Change is the one constant in life. It's always going to happen!." I had just finished listening to a five minute diatribe in which he criticized everything from Ma Bell to the Federal Reserve. According to Mad Max, they're all out to fuck him. "Now you listen boy, and you listen good!" Unfortunately for me, his diatribe was only half way done. "The government is not your friend. The clowns we have in office right now are destroying the country. Now, it seems like every time I tell you to get ready for the end, you start laughing. You wait motherfucker! When the levy finally breaks, and it will break. I'll be ready!"

I have to admit a truth to everyone. I do find Mad Max and his ranting a bit far-fetched, thus making it humorous to me. But somehow, I was hoping his rhetoric would soften a bit. I told him such and his response was, well for the lack of a better phrase, classical Mad Max. "Listen motherfucker, you need to get this through that thick skull of yours. Now is the time to stockpile all the necessities. A complete collapse of the country is close. Whatever you're doing, forget about it and 'run to the hills." Mad Max and I go a long ways back. So it isn't that I don't respect his views, it's just that he's gotten too far out for me - I look at it this way - If what he's spewing really comes to fruition. Well, I'll find the nearest bridge and jump off of it. But until 'the end of the world' actually hits. I ain't gonna worry about it. I shared my sentiment with him and he told me this, "You're acting like a lamb just waiting for slaughter, but it's your choice. Just remember, when the shit house catches fire, I warned you!"

The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with his friend Mad Max...Part 3

Today's version of the phrase - Mad Max - is best used as a connotation to describe chaos, disorder and anarchy. Example: "Every so often my ex wife would suffer road rage in Las Vegas. One time she got it so bad that I was for sure she was going to pull over - grab the gun in her glove box -- and go Mad Max on a car that had just cut her off."

The following is an excerpt from a conversation I had with a friend recently, I have affectionately nicknamed him Mad Max, he is an anarchist in every sense of the word:

"My guns are loaded, the bunker is stocked, the RV and truck are full of gas. I'm just waiting for the shit to hit the fan. I am ready motherfucker! Are you?" My friend Mad Max is 100% convinced that the end of the world as we know it is close, very close. "I don't give a fuck if people think I am crazy. You wait boy! When the shit goes down, and it will go down, I will be looking like the genius, while the majority of the sheep will be herded and slaughtered." Mad Max is a full blown, 100% purified, no holds barred and whatever other catch phrase you want to use anarchist! 

A friend (reader) of the blog sent an email recently. He was curious to the true identity of Mad Max. I informed him of a gentlemen's agreement I had with Mad Max and thus am prohibited from divulging his identity. He asked if he knew Mad Max. I told him he did. He then told me that Mad Max reminded him of his father - I relayed the sentiment to Mad Max and he told me this - "There are plenty of other people who share in my 'Doomsday' scenario beliefs. I am by no means alone."

The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with his friend Mad Max about the China man.

Today's version of the phrase - Mad Max - Is best used as a connotation to describe chaos, disorder and anarchy. Example: "Man, sometimes I think the streets of North Las Vegas are only a homicide or two away from totally going Mad Max."

The following is an excerpt of a recent conversation I had with a friend - Whom I have affectionately nicknamed Mad Max - He is an anarchist in every sense of the word:

"You want to know something Mad Max? While you've been stockpiling ammo and guns, I have been trying to figure out how a Libertarian white boy from Kansas might be able to get rich in this fracas. And you know what my answer is, the China man, big-time." My friend Mad Max is an anarchist, he believes an outright collapse of the country is imminent. Me, on the other hand; I believe chaotic times provide ripe pickings for new wealth creation. "I am sick and tired of you talking about the Chinese. I know they have all the money nowadays, but I am an American. I like to do things with my own kind," he replied.

Mad Max and I share a lot of the same beliefs, but when it comes to the China man. Well, we couldn't disagree more. "Mad Max, I don't understand what your hang-up with the Chinese is?" I say that, but I know exactly what it is. My friend lives in an area where the nearest China man is probably a hundred miles away - Trust me, that ain't the case in Las Vegas - So I had to let him know, "Fox News isn't telling you the whole truth. Just look at the imbalance. China is holding three and a half trillion in currency reserves, much of it is from the United States, while we're 17 trillion and counting in the hole." I make that statement not to alarm, but to educate. The imbalance has created and will continue to create tons of new wealth for the Chinese. Wealth that undoubtedly will find its way to the United States.

"Think about this for a moment Mad Max. The new leadership of China's number one goal is to create a vast amount of new Chinese consumers. I have studied numerous reports that forecast a Chinese middle class of 100 million strong by 2020. It is imperative that entrepreneurs consider the buying power they will possess!" There was a brief silence on the phone after I made the statement, and then he said this. "How the fuck do you think you will get in on the action. The Chinese only like to do business among themselves." I can't stress enough how far from the truth his statement is, so I had to line him out. "Listen Mad Max, growth in the Asian sector is skyrocketing while traditional markets are slumbering. The truth is most Asians have no idea who they want to do business with. That's how new and untapped the consumer section is! Perhaps it said better this way. They will to do business with whomever they believe can prove beneficial for them, and I have all the connections in Chinatown to launch a number of fruitful ideas. I know this sounds hokey to most and I said it earlier in our conversation, but the Chinese are begging for a Libertarian white boy like myself to come in and sell them on a number of 'American' ideas."

I get to ranting a lot of times and I wanted to make sure Mad Max was getting the gist of what I was saying, so I asked him. He told me this, "Look man, I don't know what the fuck to think about your Chinese ideas. I, like everyone else in this country, realize how far in the hole we are to them, but I don't see much of a future chasing Asian consumers." The only thing I can say to people who share Mad Max's view about there - not being much of a future in chasing Asian consumers - Well, go back and look at your Econ 101 book. Read the section entitled supply and demand! Then flip a few chapters over to the part where it talks about emerging markets. Now, after you have done those two things, break out your calculator and figure out the trade imbalance between the two countries. OK, that's enough, it breaks down to this for me. I would like to be rich and successful. Not just a little rich or a little successful. I'm talking about being filthy rich! I realize my statements are bold, but the fact of the matter is quite simple to me. Traditional markets and consumers are clogged! The amount of time and money it would take to unclog them is not feasible! It proves much wiser to set goals on segments that are wide open and developing, such as Asians. I am going to end this post with a quote from one of my favorite movies. I apologize in advance for the vulgarity in the quote, but hey, it's how I feel.

The movie is Scar Face - The scene is towards the beginning - The quote comes from the Al Pacino portrayed character Tony Montana.

"This town is like one big pussy just waiting to get fucked."

The village idiot of Las Vegas chats with his friend Mad Max...Part 2

Today's version of the phrase - Mad Max - is best used as a connotation to describe chaos, disorder and anarchy. Example: "Man, sometimes I look at what's going on in the world and I could swear Mad Max is coming."

The following is an excerpt of a recent conversation I had with a friend. He is an anarchist in every sense of the word:

"I tell you what the fuck is going to happen. First, the Middle East is going to implode. One of those countries will finally work up enough balls to take a swing at Israel and then Israel will retaliate. You think that place has problems now, just wait. All hell will break loose soon." My friend, who I have affectionately nicknamed Mad Max, is watching way too much Fox News in my opinion, but hey, who says that he couldn't be right? "And then when Israel gets itself in a jam, of course, we are going to have to ride to the rescue. But I don't believe are current leadership has the balls to back Israel up. Which in turn will cause a major ruckus in this country." 

As I stated earlier in the post - Mad Max is an anarchist - Me, I am a Libertarian. Lots of people think they are one and the same. I am here to tell you they're not! An anarchist wants to see the government dissipate, a Libertarian wants to see it shrink. "Mad Max, why the hell would I care about what happens in the Middle East? There isn't a thing I can do about it. As a Libertarian, I feel the country is best served on concentrating their resources inwards, lifting regulations, shrinking the government and letting the grip of entrepreneurship run its course! When that happens! Everything will begin to turn around." Mad Max and I are in agreement on a number of things, but the notion that everyone should be stockpiling guns and ammunition for a forthcoming collapse is a bit ludicrous to me. But hey, it isn't to him.

"All I hear from you is how you believe this country and the world can cure itself by entrepreneurship and I would have agreed with you a few years back, but not now, not even close. It is far too gone for your style of thinking to be relevant anymore. If I were you, I would invest in guns, ammo and gold. Those three things will never go out of existence in this country." Even though Mad Max and I have been friends forever, I can only take so much of his banter at one time. So I told him that I had to go, but before I hung-up, I took the parting shot. "Mad Max, right now is a time of change in this country. I believe you can either adapt or perish. Now, a lot of times I feel a guy like me and the way I see things are dinosaurs of the past, but hey, what the world needs is an economic revival. I am holding on to the hope that once current leadership changes hands, it can happen. If leadership stays the same in this country. Well, you better dig a big enough foxhole for me to fit in there with you."

The Apocalypse

"I couldn't get no silver, I couldn't get no gold. You know that we're too damn poor to keep you from the gallows pole. Hangman, hangman, hold it a little while. I think I see my brother coming riding a many mile. Did you get me some silver? Did you get me some gold? What did you bring me, my brother, to keep me from the gallows pole."

Gallows Pole ~ Led Zeppelin

I called a friend from Kansas today. We had a lengthy discussion about the current state of the country - "I don't give a shit! When the whole shit house catches fire. I will be ready! I just purchased more guns and another 10,000 rounds of ammunition." I have known this dumb son of a bitch since the fifth grade and he hasn't changed one iota - "Mad Max," I say with a degree of intensity, "I agree with you on a number of points, but I don't find it necessary to stockpile weapons and ammo. What do you think is going to happen? Do you think they're coming to get you?" 

The mocking tone I used irritated him - "Think about it you stupid bastard. We are a button flip away from nuclear war with North Korea. The guy over there is a complete nut job. Couple that with the hurricanes and all the other shit going on in the world. I am telling you the end is near. I can't help it if you are too dumb to realize it." 

Mad Max has always been blunt with me, and me with him. Why stop now? "Look, you fucking idiot. We are not going to get in a nuclear war anytime soon. You need to turn off the news and spend your time doing something else. Your paranoia has reached new heights." He has been a paranoid bastard from the get go. But now his rhetoric had elevated to what I would categorize as stage 5. 

You can only take so much of his 'the end is near' bullshit. So before I hang up I tell him this - "Why don't you forget about the Apocalypse for a minute and bring your ass out to Las Vegas. We will get drunk, hit up the dispensary, chase some women. You know? Do all the shit we use to do when we were young. It definitely sounds like you need the distraction." He clears his throat and says, "Do you think this is all a big joke?" My reply - "Yes, as a matter fact that's exactly what I think it is. I think you need to take a serious chill pill." Usually he laughs at my jokes, but not this time - "Be ready boy. The end is near." He then hangs up without saying goodbye...asshole.

The village idiot of Las Vegas eats an Angus and Three Cheese Bacon sandwich from Arby's.

Simple Simon met a pieman.
Going to the fair.
Says Simple Simon to the pieman.
Let me taste your ware.

Says the pieman to Simple Simon.
Show me first your penny.
Says Simple Simon to the pieman.
Indeed I have not any.

Simple Simon - a popular English language nursery rhyme.

The other day I was walking down the sidewalk minding my own business when I looked up and saw a billboard advertising the Angus and Three Cheese Bacon sandwich from Arby's. Damn, did it look good! Ten minutes or so pass by after seeing the billboard and I walk directly past an actual Arby's. The front window had a huge decal of the Angus and Three Cheese Bacon sandwich plastered on it. By now my mouth was salivating like a starved dog.

Well, unfortunately for me, my wallet is an empty one. I thus continued on my trek with a vision of the Angus and Three Cheese Bacon now dancing in my head. A block or so after Arby's I walk upon a Metro Link stop. Usually, you are apt to find a number of people waiting at the stop for the bus, but not this time. The stop was completely empty. As I am passing through my peripheral vision picks something up. It was an Arby's bag sitting on the bus stop bench. Curiosity tends to get the better of vagabonds like me so I grabbed the bag and opened it.

It is times like these when I know there is a god. The very thing I was craving was now directly in front of me. That's right, the Angus and Three Cheese Bacon sandwich that had been dancing around in my head the last twenty minutes was now right under my nose, and fries to boot.

My immediate thought was someone had bought it and planned on eating it on the bus then subsequently forgot to take it with them. Anyways, it was mine now. I grab my newfound bag of goodies and walk into the corner convenience store to use the microwave. After finishing - I walk outside, perch myself on the curb and began devouring the sandwich. Goddammit, I have to admit something, the sandwich tasted every bit as succulent as it appeared on the billboard and decal!

I'm not a religious man by any stretch. But they say God works in mysterious ways. See, at the time I was feeling disappointed that I didn't have any money to squelch my desire and then, voila, the very thing I was desiring at the moment was provided to me. In conclusion, I am unsure if I should take it as a sign or just chalk up my bout of good fortune to dumb luck. However, one thing came as an absolute certainty from this experience - the Angus and Three Cheese Bacon from Arby's is a mighty tasty sandwich.

The village idiot of Las Vegas dreams of the Chiefs in a Super Bowl.

"Hope is a waking dream."

- Aristotle

A friend of mine recently posted a riddle to his Face Book page. The riddle pertained to what I would do first if my parents showed up at three in the morning for breakfast (see the great giraffe challenge). The correct response to the riddle seemed elementary so I answered. Naturally, my reply was wrong. The consequence for my blunder was changing my profile picture to a giraffe for three days and re posting the riddle to my page. Thank goodness, turns out I am not the only dummy in the world. A number of people responded to my re posting of the riddle and a majority were incorrect. I found solace, albeit not much, in knowing that I wasn't the only person who had to change their profile picture to a giraffe for three days.

I was still a twinkle in my father's eye when the Chiefs last made an appearance in the Super Bowl. I liken being a Chiefs fan to what it must have felt like to be a Red Sox fan before they finally ended their World Series drought (86 years). With that said, I can remember vividly going to Arrowhead when I was young, as the years progressed so did my passion for them. I have been quoted many times saying something of this nature. "All I want to see before I die is the Chiefs in the Super Bowl. They don't even have to win; they just have to make it there. That will be good enough for me. You can count on one thing! If they ever make it, I will be there!" Years have gone by since I last made that statement, yet I was reminded of it by an old friend of mine the other day. He said this to me, "If they make it you had better be there. I mean it has only been forty three years since their last visit and let's face it. You have been waiting a lifetime to see it happen."

I am going to venture out on a short limb and say this, "If the Chiefs can somehow get past Peyton Manning and grab home field advantage in the playoffs. They have a decent chance of getting to the Super Bowl. Counting your chickens before they hatch is never a good idea, but hey, it could happen!" I stated earlier in the post how 'all I wanted to see before I die is the Chiefs in the Super Bowl and my intentions of going if they made it.' Here I go again, me and my big mouth. If the Chiefs make it the Super Bowl, which is being held in NYC this year. I will make the trek to the 'Big Apple.' The problem being, at this juncture I have no idea how I would fund a journey of such magnitude. I'd probably have to hitchhike from Las Vegas to NYC, sleep on the street for a few days and then pray a ticket falls out of the sky for me. At the surface, an itinerary of such sounds ludicrous; the thing is, if the Chiefs are fortunate enough to make it to the Super Bowl this year; it would be a dream come true for me. Now think about this for a moment. How often do your dreams actually come true?

The village idiot of Las Vegas loses another job.

My new job is no more; the boss and I had far too many cultural and language barrier issues to overcome. It was a mutual parting and I want him to know that I wish nothing but the best for him. With that said, let me better explain the concept of online food ordering and delivery.

The concept is simple: Place a number of quality restaurants on a website and offer their food for sale. When a customer orders food from the site; they are given two choices. Do they want the food delivered? Do they want to pick the food up themselves? Revenue is generated by keeping a percentage of the food cost. Example- The industry norms for delivery are 18%-25% of pretax sale coupled with a buyer charge for delivery. Pick-up fees range from 10%-15% of pretax sale. According to a number of my friends in the restaurant business; the percentages charged by a service of this sorts fall below the traditional thirty-percent profit margin for food. Thus when a company utilizes the service; they make money, albeit incrementally.

Many of you reading the blog are similar to me in at least one fashion. Our youth was spent without the conveniences of an online world. I still long for those days every so often; but the truth is simple. The days I am reminiscing about are long gone. "Change is the one constant in life." A good friend of mine in Kansas told me that a long time ago. Everyday, the world becomes more and more convenient. Anything you want can be a few clicks away, including food.

Las Vegas is a town with lots up for grabs! Example; in the spring I was doing some contract/volunteer work for a site of this sorts. The majority of restaurants I signed for the service were located in the Chinatown district of Las Vegas. Within a month's time, I signed a number of restaurants with the assistance of a few of my contacts. The majority of the restaurants were established and had unlimited potential. Much to my chagrin, none of them were marketed properly after I signed them...So basically my efforts went for not. I have a remedy for that situation. My own site!

I state this with every shred of confidence I possess - If I had a quality website of my own, one that I had some control of; the contacts and ability to place scores of quality restaurants on the site are already established! I would then dedicate every waking moment promoting the heck out of the site and the restaurants on it.

The underlying problem is building a quality database. I have a solution for that as well. A good slice of the last twenty years of my life has been dedicated to selling and dealing with people and I have become very proficient at it. The last few weeks I spent a good portion of time marketing my previous employer's site. The response was healthy, a number of people in the businesses that I marketed had no idea a site of such nature existed in Las Vegas. The market for a service of this nature is ripe! The key is introducing it; and I will do that face to face with as many people as possible!

In conclusion, I would like to ask a favor from the readers of my blog. If you are well schooled in web design or know someone who is interested in building a site like the one I am describing, contact me. I would cherish the input. Before I go, I must add one more thing to the post; Attached is a link to the leading local site, it is a nice site. I have been told by a number of sources that it produces anywhere from fifty to a hundred orders a day, and the amazing thing is; the vast majority of people in Las Vegas that I talk with have never heard of it. I make that statement in order to give everyone a better idea of how 'wide open' this concept really is! www.roadrunnerfood.com

The village idiot of Las Vegas and the South American stunner.

Yesterday, my boss Pago and I had a long discussion about how things work in America. "What is it with all you Americans? If I was from this country originally, I would be millionaire many times over. You Americans don't know how good you have it compared to the rest of the world." I love Pago like a brother, known him since I moved to town, and a lot of things I agree with him on; but after a while it gets old listening to him bitch. So I always tell him the same thing. "If you don't like it here, you can always go back to your country. I will even help you pack."

Pago is a hard nosed motherfucker, most Eastern European guys are. He told me the other day that if I didn't get my ass in gear he was going to quote "scratch my ass." Every once in a while the language barrier is funny with him. So I felt it my job to correct him. "Pago, when you threaten a person. You don't tell them that you're going to scratch their ass. You tell them that you're going to put your foot up their ass or kick their ass. Guys from Kansas will think you're strange if you say you want to 'scratch their ass."

The last week and a half I have been visiting a number of businesses in the SW Las Vegas area. The purpose of the visits; spread the word about Pago's website, onlinerestaurants.com. The job is fairly simple; walk into as many businesses as possible and say this, "My name is Rob and we have a new website that I know you're going to love." I usually end up giving my pitch to the secretary or receptionist, but that's OK, some of them are listening, not to mention they play a big role in where the office decides to order lunch. The other day I walked into a plastic surgeon's office to give my pitch, and I saw her.

Everyone knows what my favorite thing in Las Vegas is; the Aphrodite standing directly in front of me ratified my thoughts. She was phenomenal! Brazilian maybe; but definitely South American. The skin was a light mocha, dirty blond hair; her smile was immaculate. When she looked at me and said may I help you; I thought I was going to faint. I gathered myself enough to give the pitch. After the pitch was over, she asked me this. "Do you have any vegetarian restaurants, I like to eat mostly vegan." Her body was phenomenal, this gal was very well kept; I managed to mumble this. "Yes Ma'am, we have the best vegetarian restaurant in town on our website. It is called 'The Veggie House' and we can deliver it to you anytime you would like." After my statement, she looked at me with a smile that could start a war and says, "You really know how to impress a lady."

This girl was a mile out of my league, but I was feeling a vibe, so I went for it. "Maybe, if you got some time? I know the owner really well at 'The Veggie House.' We could go down there and I could buy you dinner." My heart was about to pound out of my chest as I waited for her response. She gives me the up and down with a big smile on her face. I could have sworn she was getting ready to say yes and then, like always, something got in the way. "I am here for my two o'clock with the doctor." A patient had walked in and abruptly killed the mood. She left me hanging "Hi Judy, the doctor will be with you in a minute. I will be sure to check out your site when I get a chance. I have to go back to work now." When I walked out the door, I let out a deep breath. Even though she didn't say yes. I could sense some interest. My plan is to wait a week or so and then go back and see her with a meal from 'Veggie House' in tow.

The village idiot of Las Vegas gets offered a job by his friend Pago.

Things are looking on the up and up for me. No more homeless town! The credit for the turnaround is vast, I'll boil it down to two: Family and friends helped and I got a new job. Thanks again everyone for all the love and support:)

A few years back, I met a guy, a Bulgarian guy; he has been pushing a website of his called onlinerestaurants.com for some time now. It is a food delivery system set up along the industry norms. Well, my friend called me the other day and said he had a job for me. "Rob, I have a job for you, and I know it is one you're going to like. I want you to go to as many businesses and offices as you can and tell them about my site. I don't have much money, but I can pay you some."  Pago is an interesting story. He moved to Las Vegas about the time I did. We met at this Italian joint where I used to work and have been friends since. My underlying admiration for him is in the 'entrepreneur spirit' he possesses.

Job creators are a dying breed nowadays, so I accepted his offer without hesitation. The big reason I like Pago's job offer so much is because it mimics a number of concepts I am good at. I told him soundly, "You got a deal Pago. I will be your guy on the street! I have a number of accounts already established, plus I will call on all the businesses!" We then worked out a few minor details and just like that I was employed again.

It has been quiet on the lady front for me since Roxy left town. With that said, the new apartment complex I moved to has an attractive spa and hot-tub. Last night I decided to give it a whirl; as I'm sitting in the hot-tub all by lonesome; two ladies, both wearing robes, suddenly appear. They proceed to drop their robes and walk into the other side of the hot-tub: Lord knows; I have been saying this long enough; it is moments like these when I really appreciate living in Las Vegas. I did my best to strike up a conversation without trying to look too creepy. Both were cordial but not very receptive. I did get a few details though; both were from Israel originally, both had just moved to Las Vegas, both were looking for jobs in the entertainment industry. Fifteen minutes or so go by and they tell me they must leave, Svetka and Anivil were their names. As I watch them exit. Well, like I said earlier in the post; it's times like these when I know Las Vegas is the town for me.

The village idiot of Las Vegas gets drunk with a good ol' boy from Kansas.

Friday, I received a message from an old Kansas friend. He was coming to town for the weekend and was curious to know if I was interested in meeting for a drink. Naturally I accepted his offer. "I got to ask you something Robbie. What's the deal with Roxy? You haven't said much about her lately." Turns out my friend is a fan of the blog and had a few questions for me: Roxy is an interesting story, she was a Las Vegas call girl friend of mine and every so often she would give me a freebie. I considered her my part time girlfriend with the hope of it becoming permanent. One problem, the feeling wasn't reciprocal with her. Anyways, I told him this, "Roxy left town on me. She ended up moving back to San Diego with some 'Johnny California' type. Before she left, she told me she was giving up the life and starting anew with this douche bag. Bottom line, she was a mile and a half out of my price range." The two of us shared a chuckle and then he asked me what my price range was, my answer. "Free or they pay me. That's what I am looking for nowadays." Unfortunately for me, a plan like the one I quoted only works in 'Fantasyland.' How do I say this? The gals in Las Vegas are far too adept for a strategy of my sorts.

We were three or four drinks in when he asked me about a business idea I have been blogging about. "I have been reading your blog since the beginning and I am curious to know what you would do with, oh let's say, a thousand dollars. How would you improve your blog? What would be your first step? Most importantly, how would you make money?" I answered his questions directly. "Starting a web based business is all about hits! The more people who hit the site/blog the better chances of monetizing. The first thing I would do with an investment of that sorts is doll the blog up with video and pictures. Once the blog was dolled up. I would hire a number of panhandlers to push it; and when I say push it; I mean face to face interaction with as many people as possible. The money would be distributed piecemeal and the effectiveness would be judged by keeping track of hits through the analytic features of the site. If we get new hits/users (specifically in Las Vegas) to the site in a certain time frame, it is working, and then we look to sell product and services, but before that happens, a street level database has to be created! If we're not getting the intended results through the strategy, and we will know fast, a retool will happen immediately."

By now we were eight drinks deep when he said this to me. "I need to know one more thing; are you really as tight with the Chinese as you state in your blog?" A few months ago I was doing some contract work for an online food delivery/ordering site. I utilized my connections in Chinatown to sign up ten restaurants. I say this with all the confidence in the world! If I had a site of my own, one that I controlled, signing up another ten restaurants in Chinatown, even more, could be achieved lickety-split. With that in mind, I told my friend this, "I don't know what your politics tell you. Frankly I don't care, but if a would be entrepreneur isn't willing to shift some of their focus to both Asian businesses and consumers, especially in Las Vegas, well, in my humble opinion; that would be foolish. They are buying up the country and areas such as online food delivery/ordering are ripe for the pickings in Chinatown! That is just one area where they are under served! One last thing, look high, look low, look anywhere you want. It is impossible to find a gringo who knows and is connected in Chinatown better than me. That may not seem like much to some, but think about where the Asian economy is headed, especially in Las Vegas! I have been emphasizing this for a long time, and one of these days someone besides myself will take it to heart: There is plenty of room for small town white guys in China. The key is in the approach!"

My friend is a hell of a guy, he brought his daughter with him to Las Vegas for her twenty-first birthday. The three of us spent the better part of Saturday trying to drink every beer and bottle of Crown Royal in Las Vegas. We did our best but fell short. It was getting late and they had an early flight to catch in the morning. Right before we parted ways; he said something that I appreciated and pray it comes to fruition. "Robbie, I love reading about all your adventures in the blog, and so do a lot of other people back home. I am convinced that one of these days you will figure out how to make things work. When that happens, don't forget about your old buddy from Kansas."

The village idiot of Las Vegas responds to feedback on his blog...

The other day I chatted with a friend about my blog. He told me this, "I can't believe you put a post in your blog about dumpster diving. You're better off keeping things like that private. Keep a journal instead of putting it out there for everyone to read." Nowadays, I write my blog in what's commonly referred to as 'reality genre.' Basically, I'm doing my best to keep it real. Now, after my friend was done complaining about my dumpster diving endeavors, I told him this. "Look, that particular post was written to show people that some times, like many others, I don't always have enough money to buy food. Well, most of the time that particular problem can be alleviated if a person isn't too prideful enough to spend a little time in a restaurant dumpster or two."

My friend and I are on opposite sides of the universe when it comes to the socioeconomic scale. Which is good for him. I've always been proud of him for doing so well in life. He then asked me. "Don't you find it embarrassing to admit to dumpster diving. How in the world is anyone going to take your business ideas seriously if they know you spend time in the dumpster?" He wasn't being an asshole or degrading to me one bit, it's just that his personal belief's are different than mine, so I told him this. "If I found it embarrassing to dumpster dive, I'd most likely starve to death nowadays. As for turning any potential investor off who might read the blog. Well, I came to the conclusion awhile back that the readers of my blog could care less about any business idea I have. They're far more interested in hearing about 'real life.' It's not that I've abandoned my ideas, it's just going to have to happen another way. From here on out, this blog or any other blog I write is going to be dedicated to 100% reality, with a twist of humor added to keep it from feeling somber."

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "My friend is a writer of sorts, I've read a little of his work and it was adequate. He tends to stay private with his writing, unlike me; I believe that if you're going to make the effort, and that's what writing is, effort; you should share it with as many people who are willing to read it."

The village idiot of Las Vegas reminisces about his boyhood idiot Larry Bird...Part 3

"How many times have I told you not to dribble the ball in the house?" I was only in eighth grade, but there was no doubt in my mind that I was on my way to the NBA. So whenever my mother scolded me for practicing my ball handling skills in the living room, it tended to go in one ear and out the other. "Mom, I've got to be able to handle the rock when the Celtics call my number. Larry Bird says that no matter where you're at you should always be practicing." Unfortunately, my mother was never a big believer in my NBA dream. "Look, when you make a million dollars a year like Larry Bird. You can dribble your basketball as much as you want in the house. Until then, go outside."

"Get the ball to Larry!" It was Game 7 of the '88 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Celtics were in a fight for their playoff lives against the upstart Atlanta Hawks. Dominique Wilkins was the star for the Hawk's and he was putting on a shooting clinic to the tune of 19-23, with a game high forty seven points. Everyone, including myself felt the Celtics were going to lose: Enter Larry Bird - The final quarter will live in NBA playoff lore forever - Bird scored twenty points to lead the Celtics to a two point victory, thus advancing them to the Eastern Finals.

I've been in one jam after another the last five years. I always ask myself the same question when I need a pick me up. "What would Larry do?" The answer is always the same, "Dig deeper! Try harder!" I'm holding onto the notion that sheer determination will get me what I'm looking for. Nowadays, my once unwavering confidence is shaken to the core. That's not a good thing according to Larry. "The one trait a successful person has to have in life is confidence. If that ever leaves you; forget about it." That's a direct quote from his autobiography.

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "I called my ex wife the other day. I wanted to make sure that we were square. She told me this, 'Don't worry about a thing between the two of us. We're square, it's you that I worry about.' Knowing the two of us were square was a relieving feeling for me."

The village idiot of Las Vegas reminisces about his boyhood idol Larry Bird...Part 3

"3,2,1...Astle gets the shot off. It's good! The Celtics win the championship!" Countless, is the only word that comes to mind when I tell people how many times I imagined that scenario as a kid practicing my jump shot. If I missed the shot: No big deal, I'd take another one. If I missed that one: No problem, I would just keep shooting until I hit the championship shot. Oh the joys of being young. I still remember the first time my dad asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. "I know exactly what I want to do when I get older pops. I'm going to play for the Celtics. I figure by the time I'm done playing basketball at The University of Kansas; Larry Bird will be looking at retirement, the Celtics will draft me and I'll step in and take his spot." Looking back on the prediction: I would have had a better chance winning the lottery, but back than I was young and had my whole life in front of me - Anything seemed possible.

"Remember when Magic Johnson made a sky hook to beat the Celtics in game four of the '87 finals." I'm president and my cousin Joel is vice-president of the Larry Bird fan club in Las Vegas. So when he asked me if I remembered that shot. I rolled my eyes and told him this. "Of course I remember that shot. How could I forget? But, do you remember what happened after Magic made that shot?" Usually, I consider it sacrilege to say anything negative about Larry Bird. But the the truth of the matter is Larry had a chance to win that game, even after Magic made his shot. "There was still a few seconds left on the clock and Larry had a clean look at the basket for the win. His shot rimmed out and the Celtics ended up losing the series." As much adulation as I have for Larry Bird; he's still human. You would've had a hard time convincing me of that in my younger years.

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "I've completed a three-year projection for an online food delivery business that I've been proposing in Las Vegas. Some of you who've been following the blog for awhile are familiar with what I'm referring to. If anyone is interested in seeing what the projections resemble. Please message me and I will be more than happy to share and explain them to you."

The village idiot of Las Vegas gets lectured by his fifteen year old Honduran friend...

"Mr. Rob, it's time to wake up. The park is closing." I spent the better part of yesterday getting drunk and then sleeping it off in the park right next to my apartment. My young Honduran friend Felipe was kicking me in the shoe to let me know the park was closing and it was time to go home. "Mr. Rob, you're worse than all the cholos in Las Vegas. Why you sleeping drunk in the park like a culo? Mi madre made you some tamales." My friend Felipe is only fifteen, every day you can find him and a number of his buddies playing soccer in the park. I helped him awhile back with some of his homework and we've been friends ever since.

"Mr Rob, you're such a smart guy. Why don't you find a good job and stop sleeping in the park?" Felipe, his three brothers and their mom live in the apartment right below mine. Everyday you can smell his mother's cooking from my apartment window. Every so often they will bring me a plate of tamales or burritos. Felipe and his brothers are 'anchor babies.' His mother and father immigrated to the Untied States from Honduras eighteen years ago and started a family. His dad was deported a number of years ago for trafficking drugs. His mother was granted a permanent work visa, but not citizenship.

"Mr. Rob, go home and take a shower. You look like hell." It's a humbling experience to be lectured by a fifteen year old, but at the time my head was hurting so bad I didn't care. "OK Felipe, thanks for waking me up and tell your mom thanks for the tamales. I'll bring the plate back after I finish." I then stumble to my feet, walk over to a park bench, sit down and immediately begin devouring the tamales Felipe had given me. "Mr. Rob, can I tell you something?" Felipe and the rest of his family are wonderful people with big hearts. So when he told me he had to tell me something; I was more than happy to listen.

"I read your blog post about how you thought you were cursed. I told my madre about it as well. She told me that she had felt that way after my padre was deported. She wants me to tell you that she knows how to lift your curse." When he told me he had something to tell me; I figured it would be along the lines of how he scored a couple goals at his soccer game or how his brothers were getting on his nerves. The last thing in the world I expected was for him to give me advice on how to shake a curse. "Mr. Rob, mi madre says that you need to look deep into your soul and ask yourself what it is that is holding you back. She believes that once you release those demons, things will turn around for you."

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "I've got to hand it to Felipe and a lot of the other 'barrio kids' in Las Vegas. They do without a lot of the conveniences that most kids their ages take for granted. Felipe and his friends keep themselves entertained the old fashioned way: They play sports and read books...I'll tell you one thing is a certainty. You don't see many fat kids in the barrio I live in."

The village idiot of Las Vegas reminisces about his boyhood idol Larry Bird...Part 2

The other day my cousin and I were discussing our favorite Larry Bird moments when we were youths. "You remember that time in Madison when all of us were crowded around your TV watching the fifth game of the '87 Eastern finals. You and your friend Steve were yelling at the TV. You guys were yelling, 'Get the ball to Larry!' Well, he made his move to the basket to win the game and his shot got blocked and it ended up being the Pistons ball. There was only 4 seconds left and it looked like the Celtics were going to lose. You started cussing and Steve punched a hole in the wall." I remember my cousins statement like it was yesterday. I also remember what happened after that.

Larry Bird never quits and he ended up stealing the ensuing inbound pass from the Pistons. He then fed it perfectly to a teammate streaking to the basket and the Celtics wound up winning the game by one point at the buzzer. That's probably my favorite all time Larry Bird moment. My cousin and I shared a laugh and then he asked me if I remembered when Larry won the inaugural three-point shooting contest at the NBA all star game in 1986. "Come on Joel, how could I forget that." Larry actually won the contest three years in a row, but the '86 win was his most memorable. He ended up making his last ten shots to nose out his challenger. His last shot will be forever sketched in my memory.

He had made his previous nine shots and the final shot was for all the marbles. He lets loose of it and everyone in the world knew that it was going in. As a matter of fact, his last shot was taken from the baseline three point spot and by the time it swished through the basket: Larry was already standing at the top of the key with the #1 finger on his right hand sticking straight in the air. The truth of the matter is they're so many Larry Bird moments from my youth that I would have to write a book to do all of them justice.

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "My cousin Joel told me that I should relabel myself as the 'Larry Bird of Chinatown.' I like that moniker, but it would be a slap to the face of Larry Bird and his legion of fans. See, Larry is a finisher, a closer, a winner. Whenever an obstacle got in his way, he ran right through it. Me, on the other hand, would be fortunate to make a free throw nowadays."

The village idiot of Las Vegas swears he's cursed...

"You're a fucking loser. You've always been a loser and you will always be a loser. Why don't you do everyone a favor and jump in front of a bus." I called my cousin Sally in Kansas the other day. We had a falling out awhile back, but, I figured we were past it; as usual, I figured wrong. "Look dumb shit. You're a fucking hack. No one and I mean no one, gives a shit about what you think. Why are you calling me anyways. I told you a long time ago to lose my number."

After Sally hung up on me, I decided to walk down to the store and get a beer. I leave the store with my beer and decide to stop off at the local park and drink it. You're not supposed to be drinking alcohol in the park, but, the unwritten rule is if your discreet about it, no one will hassle you. I grab a seat in the grass, crack open the beer and then I start thinking about what Sally said to me earlier. It's like she wants to put a curse on me or hurt me. This wasn't the first time she'd been nasty to me, but it seemed like she really meant it this time.

As I'm getting ready to take my first sip of beer, I feel something funny. It felt like my skin was on fire. I didn't pay much attention at first, but then it began to feel like it was really on fire. "Oh God, the bitch has finally gone and done it. She's put a curse on me and now she's going to try an kill me." That was my immediate thought as the sensation worsened. Well, I came to my senses and it turns out I was sitting in an anthill. When I looked down, I was covered with fire ants and they were enjoying my fat ass for lunch. After a five minute ant dance. I was able to shake most of them.

Looking back on the incident, it's silly that I thought Sally was trying to kill me from afar or with a curse. That's not rational thinking, but you want to know the truth. A lot of times I feel like I'm cursed. It seems like no matter how hard I try: I'm incapable of succeeding. Lord, I hope things change for me soon.

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "I was supposed to hook up with a guy this weekend and show him a few things I'd been blogging about. I moved a lot of things around to accommodate him and he ended up blowing me off. I guess that's just how things go nowadays for me. I can tell you one thing is for sure. If I catch this guy in Las Vegas again I'm going to give him a big piece of my mind."

The village idiot of Las Vegas talks numbers with his father...

I had just finished giving my vaunted Chinatown tour with my father when I told him this. "We're ready to stuff all the restaurants in Chinatown onto an E-commerce site. Restaurant promotion and sales online are a burgeoning business! I've got the approach to capturing some of it!" Seamless and Grubhub are the big boys in the business, last year they did a combined 100 million in revenue. By the way, they just merged. The difference between my model and theirs, not much, except I would put more emphasis on Asian-American proprietors and consumers.

My dad is the old banker type, many of you reading the blog know him or have known him. Well, he wanted to know the numbers. "Right now, I've got a guy who will put together a functional site for five thousand. It will do the basics and that's all we need. He's also a hell of a graphic designer." The gentlemen I'm referring to was referred by a friend in Chinatown. He has twenty years experience in the Las Vegas market. For those of you who know how much good tech cost, five grand for a custom site like I'm talking about is fair. He then asked me what kind of return a potential investor could expect. I gave him a couple of scenarios.

1. Each restaurant on the site has a certain value, for the sake of simplicity let's say they are worth $50 each month. If you have thirty restaurants on a site and they make $50 monthly, we have $1500. After subtracting operating cost, $750 would be left. If you have, for example, five thousand invested. You would receive a percentage of the net, as net increases, so does the amount an investor receives. My projections, which my father is assisting me with, will propose a twofold increase in investment within a year and a half period (five thousand invested will return ten thousand).

2. If an investor is interested in a long term approach. I would offer a scenario of this sort. A five thousand dollar investment would buy a percentage of the site. As the company rises in valuation, so does the equity stake. For the sake of simplicity, let's give the company a valuation of $100,000. If an investment of $2500 is made. I would be willing to give an equity stake of 2.5%. As the company rises in value, the value of the equity investment rises with it.

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "I'll have detailed projections soon, but, I felt it necessary to give potential investors an idea of what they should expect on their returns."

The village idiot of Las Vegas has a Q&A session with himself...Part 2

Of every $100 wagered in the United States -- $99 of it is illegal. Whether it be online, the neighborhood bookie, illegal card rooms, office pools and others. I've seen estimates as high as 300 billion a year as pertains to the revenue generated by illegal gambling. This years Super Bowl was estimated to have 10 billion bet illegally on it:

Let's cut to the quick; recently Nevada passed a bill that makes online poker legal in its boundaries. Nevada's population isn't large enough to support the online gaming business as a whole. So they're going to look at forming compacts with other states. At this juncture, online gaming is a state by state issue. California, Nevada's neighbor to the West, estimates an additional 150-300 million could be put in the state coffer if online gambling is legalized there. For the sake of not sounding redundant; I anticipate online gambling to be legalized throughout most of the country in the next few years. The revenue it will produce for those who are ready will be tremendous.

(Q). How does a novice like me get into a business like online gambling?

(A). Asians: Ex. Ernst & Young recently published a report. It stated by 2030, two-thirds of the worlds middle class will be of Asian descent. Couple that with the fact Asians account for 60% of all land based casino revenues and it becomes clear why they would be an obvious target market for online gaming.

(Q). How do you get to an Asian crowd as pertains to online gambling?

(A). First you must prove to them that you can be beneficial for them. The Asian community in Las Vegas is under served in many facets compared to traditional markets. Online food ordering and delivery coupled with creative marketing approaches like reality and Guerrilla Marketing will serve as the gateway to the greater market.

(Q). What's the competition entail with your approach to Asian growth strategies? Why don't you focus on a more traditional market?

(A). Competition in the Chinatown section of Las Vegas is non-existent for the ideas I'm proposing. That's what makes it so attractive! I've spent years developing the critical relationships needed. My cohorts in Chinatown have shown an eagerness to help; provided proper resources and a well defined plan are established. On the other hand, traditional markets are diluted with competition. I'm going to borrow an analogy from my colleague Kam, "In the traditional markets, you will find lots of dogs chasing a few rabbits. In the Asian markets, you will find a few dogs chasing lots of rabbits."

(Q). How many licenses have been granted in the State of Nevada for online gaming? How would you get in on the action without a gaming license?

(A). Currently, eight licenses for online gaming have been granted in the State of Nevada. The legislature has enacted a two year moratorium before any other licences will be awarded. The first thing licensees are going to be searching for once their gaming sites become active: DATA BASES! Ex: If a data base of Asian gamblers is created under ones control; it's going to be worth a substantial amount of money. Ex.--According to industry sources, gaming sites will lease a data base at a percentage of loss. The going rate is 35-40%. (A gambler can win and it won't cost you a thing if you're in a leasing agreement with a site. On the other hand, lessors of a data base would be entitled to 35-40% of total losses occurred by their data base). Industry norms for a well run gaming site are 4-5% net.

Summary

In the near future, online gambling is going to hit like an avalanche. According to industry sources: OG will grow from a cottage industry to North of 100 billion in revenues by 2020. Asian gamblers will contribute heavily to that number. I'm proposing a number of sensible strategies be put in play to capture the future growth.

The village idiot of Las Vegas has lunch with a Bruce Lee fan...

Today at lunch in Chinatown, my Asian colleague Kam told me he enjoyed reading my previous post about Larry Bird. Take one guess who his favorite basketball player is. If you guessed Yao Ming. You'd be correct.

"Kam, let me ask you something. Who was the main man in Chinatown when you were a kid?" Kam was born in Hong Kong and his family immigrated to the Chinatown district of San Francisco when he was eight. "Oh man, that's an easy one. It was Bruce Lee. My friends and I used to walk to school everyday and practice our karate kicks while pretending to be him. All of us wanted to be just like him when we got older. After he died, the flag at the post office was half mast for a week. That's how much everyone in Chinatown loved Bruce Lee."

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "I got an e-mail from a friend of mine today. He said I was using the apostrophe incorrectly in a number of my posts. I went back and checked; he was right. I want to tell him thanks and that I appreciated his feedback."

The village idiot of Las Vegas talks about his boyhood idol Larry Bird.

Back in the day it was Larry Bird 24/7; and why not? A small town kid from the middle of nowhere ascends to one of the top basketball players of all-time. If you're a small town white boy and don't admire Larry Bird...Don't come around me!

The Larry Bird story starts like many others; born and raised in a small town, local hotshot, the wonder boy of French Lick. After a stellar high school career Bob Knight recruits him to play for the Hoosiers. He makes his way to Bloomington and things go to hell for him quickly. He was always use to being the man. IU had just completed an undefeated season the year prior and they had plenty of 'the mans.' Couple that with the fact Larry had never been out of French Lick...needless to say, he didn't last long.

After his brief stay at IU, Larry heads back to French Lick. He knew a job working for the city was waiting for him. The only job open at the time; garbage man. After a year on the garbage truck his mother can't anymore. So she calls the coach at Indiana State. He comes down and talks him into playing for them...The rest is history!

Recently, I watched a special on ESPN that documented Larry's life. My favorite part is when they are interviewing Bill Walton. He said this about him, "It's game 5 of the Eastern finals and everyone in the building thinks the Celtics are going to lose except Larry. The Pistons let their guard down thinking it was over and he made them pay. People forgot that Larry Bird never gives up!" For those tried and true Celtic fans. You remember the moment Walton is referencing. 

When I was a young, Larry was the king in small town Kansas, every kid wanted to grow up and be him. My friend Jack told me a story about a friend of his from Kansas who actually met him. He said the guy was driving past French Lick and decided to take a look at where his boyhood idol had grown-up. He then found out where he lived. He figured, "What the hell. I'll just go knock on his door." He does just that and Larry answers. He then tells him he was a fan and always wanted to meet him (this is my favorite part of the story). Well, Larry tells him to hold on for a minute and puts his shoes on. The two of them end up shooting baskets, shooting the breeze, chewing Skoal and having a good time for a couple of hours. That's got to be one of the best stories I've ever heard.

 I was in Chinatown the other day eating at a crowded restaurant with my colleague Kam: When an Asian kid walks in wearing a vintage Bird jersey. I told the kid I liked his jersey and asked him what he knew about Larry. He started rattling off everything and I become impressed rather quickly by his knowledge. I then thought to myself. 'Go figure, Larry Bird is popular in Chinatown as well."

The village idiot of Las Vegas talks about the coming onslaught that is online gaming...

According to the 2010 census; Clark County has over 200,000 residents of Asian descent. That's a 122% increase from the 2000 census. I'll say this with all confidence, "When I look into my crystal ball. It tells me the Asian population in Clark County will get bigger, much bigger. I'd be willing to make a future bet that Clark County will be a quarter Asian or somewhere in that neck of the woods by 2020." (The 2010 census stated Las Vegas' metro population at just over two million). I'm drawing a clear picture. They're a lot of Asians in Las Vegas that could be catered to immediately and their number's will only increase as time moves forward.

By now, anyone reading my blog on a consistent basis is familiar with my idea of creating a website for online  food ordering and delivery with the restaurants in Chinatown being the jumping off point for it. I'm going to give that a rest in this post and talk about something else coming down the pike; online gaming. The State of Nevada passed a bill recently legalizing online poker in Nevada. The initial licenses are being given to a handful of existing gaming companies in the state. As it's written now, you'll only be allowed to gamble online if you're a resident of the state; that will change soon. For now, the federal government is leaving online gaming up to the states. Nevada is the standard bearer in gaming worldwide. Once Nevada has the framework and regulatory process in place; they're going to look at striking compacts with other states; California being the first. Since most states in the Union are revenue starved; many people, including myself, hold the belief that online gaming will be legalized throughout the country because of the tax revenue it creates. If online gaming gets legalized full boat --sports, poker, etc.-- Estimates for revenue according to Ralston reports: 100 billion plus by 2020!

How does a person get in on the action of online gaming? That's a good question and I have a solid answer; Asians. Gaming revenue is dominated by them! Example: Macau is a gaming enclave located 30 minutes by ferry from Hong Kong. The gaming revenue there is six times greater than its nearest competitor; Las Vegas. 

The Asians who live in Las Vegas like to gamble! Many of them will gamble online when it becomes legal. If I'm able to implement a few of the strategies I've been blogging about as pertain to Chinatown and Asian growth (online food ordering and delivery, reality) and the Asians take a liking to them. Well, it opens up the door for more things such as online gaming. Basically, they've got to like you and trust you. Once that happens, you'd stand a great chance of selling other services to them such as online gaming. Once they legalize online gaming in other states; you'd look to sell the service there as well. Think of it as a 'snowball effect' and Chinatown Las Vegas would be the start of it.

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "A well run gaming site is going to net 4-5%. The key is volume! An effective growth strategy aimed at Asian businesses and consumers would provide that volume! Think of it this way: If you've got 10,000 people signed up for a gaming site. And the total action for a day is one million dollars. The site would net $40,000-$50,000. I'm quoting a lofty number, but again, the key is volume. The most viable group to find volume for a venture of this sorts; Asians!"

The village idiot of Las Vegas gives his reality pitch to his friend from Nielsen...

"Whenever I start telling people that I've got an excellent idea for a reality show in Las Vegas, well, they tend to look at me like I have three eyes. I realize the idea sounds out there, but this is Las Vegas I'm talking about. Reality viewing is on the fringe of being the norm. I tell you this with all seriousness; it's an idea that would prove feasible given the right script." At the time, I was giving my reality pitch to a friend of mine who works for Nielsen's.

"What's the concept? What would it revolve around? You've got to have something really unique if you're going to get people to watch. There's a lot of them right now. So it better be something different from the norm." He was reiterating things that I already knew. "Look where we're at. Look at the big picture. Read the blog. How many small town white guys from Kansas will you find running around Chinatown that have the skills, connections and vision I do? I can answer that question for you in one word; none." 

Nielsen is one of the top rating agencies in the world, especially when it comes to television. "Who would be the target market for a show like the one your talking about? What would the characters look like?" At this point, I'm only giving the elevator pitch. I'm more than happy to go full out once I find an investor who shows interest. So I hit him with the basics.

"I'd be the protagonist (narrator), the show would revolve heavily around me interacting with a number of characters in not only Chinatown, but Las Vegas as well. I would also recruit a couple of other characters for the endeavor, sex it up some; I'm envisioning a Duck Dynasty moves to Chinatown kind of feel." Being that my friend works for Nielsen; I had one more stat to throw at him as pertains to a target market.

"You're aware that the season finale of 'Super Girl' had North of 400 million viewers." Super Girl is a Chinese reality show that would be akin to American Idol. "Think about this for a moment. If a reality show like the one I'm proposing could crossover to the greater Asian viewing market. Who knows what could happen?"  

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "Out of all the stats I share in my blog as pertains to the Asian growth strategies and Chinatown; 400 million viewers watching a season finale of a reality show is the most astonishing! That's four times more Americans then watched the Super Bowl this year. For the sake of simplicity; I'm going to end my post this way. If a reality show about Chinatown becomes successful in its initial market. The chances of getting more people to watch are astronomical given the untapped potential that a market like Asia holds."

The village idiot of Las Vegas eavesdrops on a lovers quarrel at McDonald's.

"I know you were with her. Don't lie to me," it's hard not to eavesdrop when people are speaking within earshot of you, "She told me about how the two of you had sex when I was out of town. Is that true?" She was mid-twenties, he was the same. It sounded as if he'd been caught red handed, but still he was denying it - "I don't care what that bitch said. I was never with her. She's lying," both then fell silent as they ate their meal...it was a chilly silence.

The silence is then interrupted by her statement - "This isn't the first time you've done this to me. You are lying to me again. I told you that if you screwed around on me again we were finished," her voice is now full of rage and anger.

"OK, I'm sorry, it won't happen again! I was drunk and I didn't want to but she kept pushing things. I'm sorry, please forgive me!" He found himself cornered and decided best to admit his wrongdoing and deal with the consequences.

After hearing his admission from my neighboring booth I expected her to slap him or a big public blow up, but that wasn't the case, not at all. "Did you fuck her on our bed?" she asks calmly. He nods yes, she then says, "Our next stop is Furniture Mart and you are going to buy a new bed. The old bed is going in the trash," he nods his head yes again.

 

The village idiot of Las Vegas does a Q & A with himself...

Hyperlocal connotes information oriented around a well defined community with its primary focus directed around the concerns of its citizens ---Wikipedia.

(Q). Why do you think hyper-local is the best approach for marketing your service to Chinatown?

(A). Chinatown is small geographically compared to the whole of Las Vegas; but don't let that be deceiving. The four mile stretch that encompasses it is top heavy, to say the least, on restaurants that could use a service like the one I'm proposing (online food ordering & delivery). A scenario of this sort provides dream like logistics for a start-up of our nature.

(Q). Do you have the necessary connections to enter the Chinatown market?

(A). Yes, as stated in previous posts. I have two colleagues who are fluent in both English and Mandarin/Cantonese. We've acquiesced ten restaurants in Chinatown for the service so far and have commitments from a number of others. One colleague has worked in a Chinatown restaurant for the last 20 years and the other has been a Chinatown resident for 17 years. Both are highly respected members of the Asian community.

(Q). Currently, are there any existing competitors in Chinatown for the service you're proposing?

(A). This is the variable I find most attractive about Chinatown. Competition for a service like ours is non-existent. If we're able to apply an effective hyper-local approach. We would be the first of our kind in Chinatown. Thus giving us a foothold against any future competitors. As stated earlier, we have ten restaurants under contract with a number more on the hook. At this juncture; we lack an adequate website to place them on.

(Q). If Chinatown is such a good idea for a service like the one you're proposing. How come another company hasn't already moved in?

(A). That's a question I have given much consideration. I've got a few analogies; the first is that Asian proprietors have been stigmatized. Mainstream marketer's share a notion that they are hard to deal with or they only want to do business with themselves. My belief's rest on the notion that mainstream marketers are not clever enough to develop a plan like the one I'm proposing. My underlying opinion, the team and the approach that's been assembled is far superior to what any would be competitor could dream of having.

(Q). Shouldn't an online food ordering and delivery website have more than just Asian cuisine on it?

(A). Absolutely, the ideal situation is to have a wide array of cuisine to offer customers. This is another appealing aspect about Chinatown. It provides instant volume. I say this from the voice of experience. I worked briefly for another site and it only had three restaurants signed when I started. Before I made my way to Chinatown; I wasn't having much luck signing anyone up. The complaint I was hearing most. "You guys don't have any restaurants signed up." It wasn't appealing to proprietors because we appeared too small. The volume provided by restaurants in Chinatown will give us the credibility we need to sail past any complaint about appearing too small.

(Q). How much revenue are you entitled to once product sells on the site? What's the length of the contract?

(A). The introductory rate is 18% of total net. The initial contract length is 3-4 months. The long term goal is to show businesses that the service is beneficial for them. Once that's accomplished; a renewal rate of 22-25% will be quoted. In addition, a variety of industry standard charges will be added to the customer side of the equation.

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "I'm believing that my message is getting across somewhat. I never really know for sure without feedback. I could go on further about how things work; but I'm going to save it for future posts. Trust me, I wouldn't be putting the effort in if my vision wasn't clear."

The village idiot of Las Vegas talks about strip land values and Asian gaming...

The Echelon was a planned mega-resort on the Las Vegas strip that mothballed in 2008 due to the recession -- Fast forward to present day -- A Malaysian gaming company recently purchased the skeleton and the 87 acres it sits on for 350 million dollars. Their intentions, according to the newspaper, are to build an Asian themed mega-resort with a replica of the Great Wall of China running through the middle of it. The paper also stated that they were intending a capital investment of two to seven billion over a four year stretch.

Here's something to gnaw on; the Asians paid 350 million dollars for 87 acres of North strip land (a skeleton of what was intended to be the Echelon is included in the purchase). The last major purchase of raw land on the strip (prior to the Asians) was 2006. An Israeli group paid 1.2 billion for 33 acres right next door to the Echelon. The market tanked right after the purchase and the land has set empty since. Let's do the math:

350 million (the price the Asians paid)/ 87 (amount of acreage purchased)=4 million per acre. Now take into consideration what the Israelis paid for 33 acres of comparable strip land in 2006 -- 1.2 billion (price paid in 2006)/ 33 (amount of acres purchased)=36 million per acre.

Compare and contrast: The Asians paid roughly 4 million dollars an acre for strip land in today's market while the Israeli group paid close to 36 million an acre in 2006. Off the top of my head; I'm calculating an 80-90 percent drop in strip land value compared to boom prices. Yikes!!

Macau is an island 30 minutes away from Hong Kong. A few years back the Chinese government deregulated the gaming market there; thus allowing a number of new gaming companies to set-up shop. Macau's 2012 gaming revenue number (40 billion) was six times greater than Las Vegas'. I have a theory about Macau and why it will be good for Las Vegas: The Asian gaming dollar is so massive and promising that it will eventually bleed back to Las Vegas. If you take into consideration the recent purchase of strip land by the Asians; my theory begins to make sense.

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "I received some good news today. My father and brother are coming to Las Vegas at the first of the month to visit me for my birthday. I'm looking forward to it."

The village idiot of Las Vegas and his cousin Joel from Kansas City...

"What happens if you can't make it work? How long are you going to keep trying?" The other day I was chatting with my cousin Joel. He moved from Kansas City to Las Vegas a year prior to me. The last few months I've been in his ear constantly about my belief's as pertains to Asian growth strategies and Chinatown. He's been a great sounding board; but he's starting to worry about my obsession. "Let's face it cousin. You're holding a tiger by the tale. I'm not sure you have the wherewithal to wrestle it to the ground and I get the vibe that I'm not the only person who feels that way."

I appreciate him watching out for me; but I've made a commitment to seeing it through and it needed to be reiterated. "Look, I appreciate your concern. I know this idea I'm chasing is something most people don't understand or believe in. The thing is if I don't do it someone eventually will. The last thing in the world I want to be is that guy at the bar crying in his beer because he gave up and someone else didn't. It makes all the sense in the world to me. Take into consideration how much the Asian population is exploding in Las Vegas. Eventually they're going to buy the whole town up. Online food ordering and delivery is non-existent in the restaurants of Chinatown; and it's not because other companies don't want to be there. They don't know how to attack it like I do! The first person to successfully box Chinatown in is going to reap a reward that most only dream of."

He's heard the pitch before and agrees to a varying extent. "I know it makes sense, I'm not arguing that point; but still, what happens if it never works out for you?" I decided to cut right to chase with him. "I don't have a Plan B. I'm going to pursue it until it works or I'm in a pine box. If I didn't believe in it I would have abandoned it a long time ago. The numbers, the projections, the model, the connections. It all points in the direction of Chinatown!" After my explanation I thought I was done with the conversation; but Joel had one more legitimate question for me. "When are you going to find an investor for your idea?" That's a question I ask myself frequently, "Joel, one of these days the right person with resources will come along and appreciate all the legwork that's been done. They'll share the vision and that's how it will happen. When will that person come? I don't know, but they'll come."

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "I received an e-mail from a reader of mine the other day. He said that he was tired of hearing about Asian growth strategies and Chinatown. 'Get back to writing about all the women in Las Vegas' were his exact words. I understand his gripe; but like everyone else. He doesn't fully understand how vested I am in Chinatown and Asian growth strategies. If it makes him feel any better; the first thing I'm going to do once I get my idea off the ground; have my partner Kam get me a suite at Hard Rock. After that happens, I'm going to invite every girl in Las Vegas over for a soiree."

The village idiot of Las Vegas and his 98 year old grandmother...

The only person who is really happy to hear from me nowadays is my 98 year old grandmother in Kansas. I cherish that fact. Well, I hadn't talked with her in a few weeks so today I decided to give her a call.

"Hi grandma it's your grandson Robbie in Las Vegas. How are you today?" The first thing to do when calling grandma is identify yourself. She has six other grandchildren and sometimes she'll get us mixed up. "Robbie, how are you doing sweetheart? How is Las Vegas treating you?" Once she tunes in everything is wonderful. "Same stuff grandma, just plugging away. What's going on in Kansas?" After a brief rundown on all things Kansas she then asks me how my deal with the Chinese is going.

"Grandma, it's going slowly but surely. I'm searching for more investment." I've told her a number of times how Asian growth strategies could be beneficial. I believe she understands what I'm saying. The truth is I'm not quite sure; but she always asks. "Robbie are there a lot of Asians in Las Vegas?" Questions like that are the reason I believe she's paying attention. "Grandma, there are a lot of them; and the number just keeps getting bigger." I'd love to run all my belief's and stats by her but I don't. She'd get confused and I don't want it to get in the way of us having a nice conversation.

We chat a little while longer about the weather and then she asks me if I had heard from my ex wife Melissa lately. "You know what grandma, she was out in Las Vegas last week and I got to spend some time with her. From the sounds of everything she's doing fine." Grandma then asked if I showed Melissa everything I was talking about as pertains to Chinatown and the Asians. I wasn't quite expecting the question; but nonetheless, I was happy to answer. "You know what she told me grandma. She said that it was a shame I didn't have it altogether when we were a couple. She would've have invested after seeing all the work I've done. Now, she lives back in Kansas and makes half the money so it's not feasible. She was being sincere about it. She wasn't just saying it to appease me."

Grandma calls it like she sees it and when I told her what Melissa had said; her answer was straight grandma. "I bet you wish you wouldn't have let her go. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20. Maybe you'll find someone else to show your work to. If I was forty years younger; I'd come out and see what you've been talking about."

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "The best part about calling grandma is the end. I know that doesn't sound right at first glance; but let me explain it better -- she always tells me good luck and that she loves me -- I never hear those words from anyone but her. It makes me feel good."

The village idiot of Las Vegas walks into the wrong apartment...

Last week I moved into a huge apartment complex near Chinatown; the lease was up on my old place and I needed cheaper digs. Anyways, it's one of those places where everything looks the same. After I got off work Friday night; I decided to walk down to Chinatown and have dinner at my friend Mike's restaurant (Mike is one of the guys assisting me in my Chinatown endeavor). After dinner is over, I tell him that I will 'catch up with him later' and then proceed to walk the three blocks back to my new apartment.

I don't know how many apartments are in my complex for sure. I can tell you one thing is for certain; there's  a lot of them. As I'm walking through the complex I see a swimming pool; my new place overlooks a swimming pool. I then took a gander at the units next to the pool. Like I said earlier, all of the places at my complex look the same. I walk up to the door of my apartment. I decide to forgo the key and check to see if the door was unlocked; I reached down and turned the knob; it was unlocked. As I'm opening the door I hear a couple of voices. My initial thoughts at the time were that my roommate had company. I open the door fully and get ready to step in when I notice something bizarre. 

Sitting on an orange couch were two Mexican ladies and right next to them on the floor were a couple of kids playing with an erector set. The two women looked directly at me with a startled look on their faces. Something wasn't making sense. What were these people doing in my apartment? I take a quick glance around the apartment; nothing looked familiar. After that, I turned and glanced at the apartment number on the door; it read #197. My surprise turned to embarrassment instantly. I don't live in #197! I was in the wrong apartment!

The only thing on my mind was getting out of there before they decided to call the police or better yet take a shot at me. So I told them this - ''Lo siento Senorita's, I'm in the wrong Casa. Please forgive me." After my apology they both looked at each other and said something in Spanish. Whatever it was it must have been funny judging by the laughter they shared. After they were done laughing; one of them looks at me and says, "No problem amigo, but pay attention next time. I don't want my husband thinking I've got a wedo as a boyfriend."

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "At the time I walked into the wrong apartment I was stone-cold sober. I'd have a much better excuse if I was drunk:  I told my roommate what happened, he couldn't stop laughing. 'Pay attention amigo and be glad that her vato wasn't there. If a Mexican male sees something like that; he's automatically going to think worse case scenario and that's never good.' One thing is a certainty; I'm going to do my best not to make a blunder like that again."

The village idiot of Las Vegas and the return of his ex wife to town...Part 4

"When you talk about reality television and Chinatown; people find it hard to comprehend. You've got to explain it better. Now that you've shown me everything in detail; I get it, but you've got to be more detailed if you want other people to understand." My ex wife Melissa has been listening to my ideas about Chinatown and Asian growth strategies for quite some time and for the most part it had gone in one ear and out the other; but now, things were different; she was seeing it firsthand; and it was making the intended impression on her.

I told her this: "People are attracted to things that are an anomaly. The plot line would be a small town bumpkin from Kansas promoting all things Chinatown and Las Vegas. The emphasis would be on keeping things humorous and informing. I'm putting myself in a unique situation with a format of this nature. You've told me that you like my blog. So think of it as bringing the blog to life. Now, if I wasn't in a town that was as unique as Las Vegas; I'd be the first to admit that it sounds crazy; but that's not the case. I live in Las Vegas and ideas like reality are on the fringe of being the norm. Remember, Las Vegas is a next level town and if you're going to try something like reality; you won't find a more cooperative atmosphere!"

Melissa is a big believer in karma; so am I. So when she told me this after my statement, I could tell that a bell was ringing in her head. "Look, you're a lot different than most people. You're reaching for the stars. The things that you're showing and telling me are finally coming into focus for me. Like I said earlier, how come you didn't have all of this in play when we were together? That's water under the bridge now. I don't know what else to tell you except to keep pushing forward with your belief's"

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "I chatted with a relative of mine the other day and he told me this, 'You've been trying to get things going for a long time and I still don't see anything concrete from you.' In a way he was right, but, he was only looking at what was visible to him. So I told him this. "Come on out to Las Vegas and let me show you the core of what I'm talking about. It's unfair to judge a book by it's cover.' Hopefully, he'll take me up on my offer."

The village idiot of Las Vegas and the return of his ex wife to town...Part 3

"Go across the strip and turn right on Paradise. If you're going to find customers for online food ordering and delivery this has to be the most fertile recruiting grounds in Las Vegas. Hell, maybe even the whole world." The town of Las Vegas has over 140,000 hotel rooms. Last year it had 40 million rooms rented. The two numbers I shared are by far and away the greatest amount of any city in the country - I didn't know this; but the only city in the world with more hotel rooms than Las Vegas; Paris, France. It has 142,000 according to Wikianswers.

At the time of my statement, I was smack dab in the middle of giving my ex wife (Melissa) the Chinatown tour. "So let me get this straight. You're telling me that you already have ten restaurants in Chinatown signed up and ready to go with another ten more on the hook." Well, ten restaurants and ten more on the hook is being modest about how many could actually go on the site; but for the sake of simplicity I answered her query as follows. "Look, I'm positive that we could sign forty restaurants in Chinatown alone. After that, the sky is the limit! I say this because I'm well versed in how it all works. When I was working for another site. The drawback was I didn't have many restaurants; so a lot of the proprietors automatically start to think you're an amateur and pass on the service. Now, I've got the connections to load Asian restaurants like no one else. So the plan would be to use Chinatown as the jumping off point. Once other proprietors see that kind of volume. They'll line up to sign with you. The Mexican joint, the Italian place, the hamburger stand. The volume provided by the restaurants in Chinatown will give us the credibility we'll need to sign everything else!"

After the visual part of the tour was over, we decided to stop at The Cosmopolitan for a drink. "I see the restaurants and the places to market your service. What would you do for a website?" I answered her question from a voice of experience. "Look, when I was in Texas. We bought a clone site and it was OK. The thing is, I was unable to get all of the other functions going. Times have changed! I'm talking about a massive amount of relevant content now! I'd sleep better at night and so would any potential investor if they knew the site was in the hands of a professional and when I say a professional; I mean someone I know personally. I realize that it might be cost prohibitive in the beginning but I've had a web guy pegged for a while.  I'm not sure what his thoughts are. I take that back. I know exactly what his thoughts are. He wants to see investment before he does anything. There's another guy in Las Vegas who would be an ideal candidate as well; but again it boils down to what any potential investor thinks."

After our drink at the Cosmo, we walked next door to watch the fountain show at Bellagio; for those of you who have never seen it; I recommend it highly. As we're standing there waiting for the show to begin, I tell her this. "Look, I know you got it. Tell me you got it." She looked at me and nodded. I then added this, "Grandma was kind enough to throw a starving dog a bone. I took that bone and spread it all around Chinatown. Not only was I able to sign up a number of restaurants. I gained a nice degree of credibility with my Asian partners. Grandma's generosity allowed me to knock on the door, so to speak. If I'm going to keep talking in puns. Think of it this way: If I can find other people to throw me a bone or two. I'll knock the door down on this. The research, the work, the planning, the focus, the vision, it's all there. I just need a stroke of luck soon."

I couldn't make this up if I tried. After I told Melissa that I needed a stroke of luck. The fountain show started. The show is accompanied by a music ensemble and the first song that played was Sinatra's 'Luck be a Lady.' If I live to be a thousand; I will always remember that moment.

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "Today Melissa and I had lunch before she had to go back to Kansas. She told me something that made me want to both punch myself in the nose and pat myself on the back. 'It's too bad you didn't have your Chinatown idea together when we were a couple. I was making twice the money then. I would have stroked you a check in a heartbeat; but now that's not possible. Don't lose your hope. If you can find the right person with the necessary resources to absorb everything you showed me. You'll make it work."

The village idiot of Las Vegas and the return of his ex wife to town...Part 2

"I'm going to skip the movie tonight. Maybe we can go see one after you give me the Chinatown tour tomorrow; I'm going to a party tonight with my friend Naomi." The ex wife (Melissa) has lots of friends in Las Vegas and her stay is brief. So when she called me tonight and cancelled out on a movie; I understood.  

I'm not a guy who gets in the way of someone having a good time. So I wrapped up the conversation with this. "I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow. The plan is for you to swing by and pick me up around two and then head to Chinatown for a meeting with my partners." She said fine and that's all I was looking to hear.

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "I have nothing else on my mind whatsoever but giving her the Chinatown tour tomorrow."