The village idiot of Las Vegas explains a China idea to his cousin Joel....

My cousin Joel lives in Las Vegas, he's my first cousin on my mother's side. Anyways, I don't see him a whole lot, but every once in a while we check in with each other, just to make sure we're both still alive. Now, I've been chatting with him off and on for the last couple of years about some Las Vegas ideas. The thing that I like most about sharing my ideas with him? He lives in Las Vegas, so he's much more able to relate to some of the things I'm spewing.

"Hey boy, what's going on?" I called Joel the other day. I wanted to let him know that my father and a couple of other people would be in town soon. I also had to bring him up to speed on what I was thinking. Judging by the tone in his voice, I think I might have woken him up? "Just working, same shit different day." Joel is not a guy who gets real descriptive when you ask him a question, short and sweet, that's how I like it. "I need to bring you up to speed on an idea I'm going to be pushing when the contingency comes into town. You've been paying attention to the online gaming laws in the State of Nevada?" I'm not sure exactly what he pays attention to, but this is Las Vegas and if anyone can process what I'm talking about, it would be him.

"I've been paying a little attention to it. Not a whole lot, but some." It was time to bring the cuz up to speed on a few things, so I told him this; "Online gambling is projected to be a 100 billion dollar business by 2020. The Asians dominate, in terms of total gaming revenue, the land based part of gaming and I expect that trend to continue online. Now think about this for a moment. When they legalize online gambling in Nevada, other States are bound to follow!" Now, when I first called Joel, I could tell that he was half asleep. When I told him this. I think he woke up?

"We are living in the gambling mecca of the world, soon we will be living in the online gaming capital of the world. Now, the most important thing we must do if we want to get in on the new action coming down the pike? Data base creation! When my group comes to town, we're going to head straight to Chinatown and discuss how the Asian market might be cracked. Imagine this for a minute, 10,000 Asians in a data base controlled by us, constantly gambling! The normal hold on a set-up like that is 4%! You know your fair share about the gambling industry. Do the math! One last thing, the Asian market is wide open for an effective growth strategy, not nearly as crowded as the traditional markets! So be ready to make a trip to Chinatown when my father and the rest of them show up in February." Like I said earlier, Joel isn't a man of many words, but I knew I had his attention when he told me this. "You better bet your blue boots! I'll be there!"

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having...Call it the village idiot thought of the day. "The projected growth of online gaming in the coming years is astronomical! How could someone get in on the growth? To me, that answer is simple! A whole lot of China!"

The village idiot of Las Vegas has a chat with his father..

I've been in my dad's ear for quite a while. He's not the only ear that I've been in, but he's the ear getting the most attention nowadays. Well, he finally told me that he was ready to make a trip out to Las Vegas and visit me. That made me happy:) Now, my goal is to bring a group of other people to visit when he comes. Thinking the 2nd weekend in February? I will have a definitive date for those interested, soon! Anyways, my dad asked me what we were going to do in Las Vegas. I told him that I had some ideas and places that I wanted to show him. He wanted me to be more specific, so I told him this:

"The first thing we're going to do? That's easy, I'm going to pick you up at the airport. Then you know what we're going to do after that? That's another easy one! We're going to drive directly to Chinatown. No Stop! No passing Go! Once we arrive at our destiny, we're going to have lunch/dinner with a couple of my Asian friends. After lunch is over, we're going to discuss possible growth strategies for Asian consumers. Now all of this is going to happen before we bother checking you into a resort. So don't worry about being entertained. I've got that covered." When he asked me what the plan was, I thought it best to be as descriptive, yet decisive as possible. "OK, sounds like it could be fun. I'll check my schedule and will find a time that works." When he told me he was finally game for a visit? It made me smile:)

Once I've got a time locked-up with the old man, I'm going to contact a number of people I know and see if they're interested in traveling to Las Vegas. In a perfect world, I'd have my father and about four or five other groups sitting at the table with me discussing how a solid consumer strategy for Asians might be ascertained. For those of you I've contacted already? The correct itinerary will be coming soon. For those of you I haven't called? Well, get ready to hear from me...Again!

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 chatting with my best buddy from Texas today. He told me how much he enjoyed reading the blog. Now, he's heard my pitch about about a number of ideas, and I didn't think he was quite getting it, but today? Well, we both agreed that I was on the right track to launching something. Not quite sure what that something is, but the genuine belief is I'm getting closer to figuring it out!"

The village idiot of Las Vegas and his Uncle Charlie in NYC..

Back when I used to play the role of big-shot, the ex and I used to hang out in New York City! Man, did the ex and I love that place! What's not to love about the Big Apple? I could pick a million things...fine dining, nice ladies, Time's Square...the list is long! What really brought the ex and I back? That's simple! It was are Uncle Charlie from the West village.

The first time the ex and I came to NYC, we stayed at the this fleabag hotel on 85th..Lodging in NYC is not cheap, unless you know someone, and that was our first trip to NYC:) We didn't know a soul. Well, after we got back to Kansas I told her this.."Melissa, we got to go back. Without Uncle Ned...Do the town right. The only thing we were missing in our maiden voyage? Proper lodging. My best buddy K.B.'s uncle, he knows a guy who has a place in the West village that he can hook us up with. It's a friend of the friend kind of deal. Anyways, he gave me the number, I called him, and he said his spot was open this weekend. I booked it, and the two of us our checking it out this weekend." Judging by the smile on my ex's face, I knew I had done right. "Honey back your bags! We're going to do NYC right this time!"

I remember the first time the ex and I met my Uncle Charlie, It was love at first site! When the cab first pulled us up to his brownstone in the West village? That's all it took. 79 Jane Street was a magical place for the ex and I. Now, I knew Charlie was a gentlemen the first time I met him.."Charlie my name is Rob Astle and this is my wife Melissa. I know that we are going to enjoy this place. We would also like to take you out for dinner tonight. The Palm!" My future Uncle Charlie looked at me said.."My pleasure, Steve told me that you were a nice guy, and that I would enjoy meeting you. What time shall I be ready for dinner?" After a little more get to know you. Charlie gave us the grand tour of our lodging. Oh my God, this place was marvelous!

Lodging in the West village is as pricey as it gets! So when he first showed us the loft we would be staying in. My jaw hit the fucking floor..It was beautiful! Re-modeled everything, but not so much that it lost its charm. Full kitchen, living, dining....After Charlie was through with the tour, I looked at my wife and asked her this. "What do you think? It's a little better then the last place we stayed at." When I looked at my ex at that moment, I could tell one thing was certain! She was happy! And when she was happy? So was I! "We got us a deal here Charlie! Dinner at seven."

The ex and I unpacked, made ourselves something to drink, read a little, and then got ready for our first big night on the town. We walk out the brownstone and meet Charlie at the curb. He has a cab already hailed, it was the Palm we were headed to, and everyone was excited..."Charlie you ever eat at the Palm?" Our new friend is NYC born and raised. Knows the streets and the people like a true New Yorker...So when he told me that he was unfamiliar with the establishment, I was a bit surprised, but when he told me this, I understood a lot better.."They're are a million restaurants in this town, and I don't get out as much as I used too, but I'm sure they're nice. Trust me my friend they're are a number of great restaurants in my wonderful city. You're going to enjoy your time in town." Charlie's manners are impeccable! He's one of those guys who can put anyone at ease, and the ex and I were loving every bit of it.

The Palm restaurant on 44th is a magical place for the ex and I. It didn't matter what kind of mood we were in that time, dining at the Palm was happy time! "So Charlie tell me a little bit about yourself?" Charlie is a lot different than the crew I was brought up with. Village his whole entire life, with a stop over in Santa Fe. He was smart, well heeled, and Charlie had class. To top it off, he told me that he was a writer. "I've been a writer most of my career with some other jobs mixed in, but my passion is writing." At the time he first told me this, I wasn't mature enough to realize a lot of things. Now I am!

Fast forward to present time. I got an e-mail from my Uncle Charlie the other day. Turns out, he's a big fan of the blog. His one complaint? My sometimes abuse of the English language, but hey, he offered to work as my editor/writer/copyright guy. You know what! I gladly excepted his offer...Bottom line...I'm going to keep putting things out, and Charlie is going to tweak it here and there.

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having... Call it the village idiot thought of the day."Thank you Uncle Charlie for your help! I am 100% positive that I can start something special if the right person will help! I've done enough legwork! My friend Big Ugly in Kansas told me that I would run into the right guy sooner or later. I'm starting to think that guy might be Charlie?"

The village idiot of Las Vegas meets a guitar playing bum..

If you are going for a walk in Las Vegas be prepared to pay because you never know when you're going to come across a panhandler. Well, the other day I decided to walk down to my neighborhood Walgreen's. And directly in my path stood a homeless man with his guitar. I thought about crossing the street early to avoid him. But what fun would that be?

"Would you like me to play a few chords for you?" the homeless man says as I am walking by him. "What the hell buddy, let's hear what you got," I respond. I figure if I was going to give this guy a few bucks, he might as well earn it. He then looks at me and says, "I bet you're too young for this one, but let me know what you think anyways." He then breaks into a cappella rendition of Buddy Holly's Peggy Sue. As I watch him sing and play his guitar, a warm feeling comes over me. It was obvious he was happy, if just for the brief time he was singing for me. He was happy- not to mention the excellent job he was doing on the number.

After finishing, he asks what I thought of his performance. I tell him this, "Not bad brother. I can tell you have skills. For a minute, I thought I was standing next to Buddy Holly in the flesh." After I say that, a big smile comes across his face. "You are far too kind sir, there will only be one Buddy Holly, but thank-you for being so gracious." Judging by his manners and the twang in his voice. I was guessing he hailed from Texas. I then told him to keep up the good work and that I had to be on my way. As I'm leaving, he yells this, "Friend, this is my corner, next week I'll be playing Roy Orbison! So be sure to stop by and take a listen!"

The village idiot of Las Vegas spouts off about the 1st & 2nd Amendments..

For the most part, I've got three things I like to talk about when it comes to Las Vegas. Women, that's by far and away my favorite subject. Weather, the mild climate of the Las Vegas Valley is hard to complain about, except in the summer, but you can jump in a pool to solve that problem. And the last thing, well it's new to my list; Politics.."Jesus boy, when are you going to get it through your thick skull? Know one! And I mean not a fucking soul care about your political views! Please spare people the rhetoric! Boring!" Uncle Ned is by far and away the biggest critic of my blog. He tells me in no uncertain terms what he likes about it and what he doesn't. Sometimes I heed his advice, sometimes I don't.

The other day I noticed a friend of mine on Face Book was taking some good natured razzing about his beliefs on the Second Amendment. Before I get going, let me prefix myself by saying.."I don't even own a gun, but I'm a firm believer in the Constitution. Does this country have a gun problem? Maybe? What's the solution? Their isn't one!" With that said, If a guy wants to own a thousand guns, as long as they're all legal and registered, he should be allowed that privilege. The other day I was watching Piers Morgan and he was ranting about how England and a number of other countries in Europe only had a handful of gun deaths because of the strict laws they've enacted. Well, I have some news for Mr. Morgan and others like him. It's the First Amendment in this country that allows you the freedom to speak against the Second Amendment, and it's the Second Amendment that plays the major role in protecting our First Amendment..My friend and I who are both law abiding citizens of this country are thankful for both!!!

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."They're a number of things I would like to change about this country, but I can't. I accept them for what they are! Acceptance is a big part of living free! I've got a simple solution for people who don't want to accept this country for what it is. You can always leave. That's another good thing about being an American! You've got the freedom to make that choice!"

The village idiot of Las Vegas and a Naomi Campbell look-a-like..

I promised Uncle Ned that I would try to curtail the non stop women talk on my blog. Call it a Resolution for 2013. Sorry Uncle Ned, I'm sure if you lived in Las Vegas, you would understand? It's hard being a single, heterosexual, red-blooded, corn fed, and whatever else you want to call it kind of male in Las Vegas. Maybe I should say it like this? If your a straight single guy living in Las Vegas? Just looking at all the pretty girls in town can turn into a part time job rather easily. "It's not like any of them are going to give you the time of day. Lets face it boy, your a Loossserrr." It's hard for me to get upset with Ned's assessment of me. Lets face it, he's about 95% correct. With that said, I've got another story about a Vegas 10 that I want to share.

A friend of mine in Las Vegas is a dead ringer for Naomi Campbell, I kid you not! She looks exactly like one of the girls you see in a Victoria Secrets catalog. Long, lean, mocha skin, goddess like face, a smile that would stop any guy in his tracks! I could go on and on about how beautiful she is! No reason to! By now everyone gets the picture! If not? Let me draw it for you! This girl is an absolute 10! I first met her when I was working at 7-11, God I miss that place! Anyways, she would always come in and buy the same things; Djarno's and bottled water. As expected, whenever she came into the store? Everyone, including myself, stopped and stared. You would to if you saw her! Well, I used to right a blog about 7-11 when I worked there (Talesfrom711), and I remember her coming in and me telling her about it. She asked me when I was going to right a post about her. Believe me! She was on my mind big-time! But this girl? Classie, way out of my league, so creating a proper post about her wasn't as simple as seems.

Now, I ran across her the other day on Face Book, and I started thinking about how I still owed her the proper respect in a blog post. Usually, I'm pretty aggressive and confident when I see something I want to blog about. This time around? I'm keeping a very respectful tone to my writing. Let me just cut to the quick. If I had to sum this girl up in a sentence or two. I would say this.."She is nice! Very nice!"

I like to end every post of mine with a thought I'm having..Call it the village idiot thought of the day.."A friend of mine told me that I'm coming on to strong when I blog about the women in Las Vegas. He says that it makes me look like an online stalker or some kind of weirdo. Now, I've blogged about a bunch of them, and I've told a number of them that they were the subject of the posts. A few of them have even read it..And to this day, I've never had complaint one from any of them."

The village idiot of Las Vegas watches a couple argue at McDonald's..

I was sitting in my booth at McDonald's enjoying my Extra Value Meal # 5 when I hear someone yell from a few booths away, "You are such a fucking loser! My mom was right about you! I hope you die!" I glance over to see exactly what is happening. Turns out a couple were having a nasty fight. And she was proceeding to tear him a new asshole - "Fuck you! We are done! I never want to see your worthless ass again!"

At the juncture - everyone in the place is staring at them. The guy gets up out of the booth and says, "I am going to break your jaw bitch!" He then stands up and begins to hover over her with a clenched fist, "Someone please help me! He's going to break my jaw!" She yells frantically. The guy looks at me after she yells. I shake my head at him. He then sits down. After that, the lady gets up and leaves. As she's leaving, she turns and yells, "Fuck you! I'm not going to ever be with a man who threatens to break my jaw. We are through!" The guy yells back, "You are nothing but a lousy crack whore! Why don't you go kill yourself!" They trade a couple of other insults and the manager finally says, "I am going to call the police if you two don't leave right this moment!" The threat of Metro showing up and hauling them to jail was enough to get their attention. They both left.

I am going to end this post with a thought I am having...call it the village idiot thought of the day. "I wouldn't be surprised one bit if I opened up the paper and saw the lady dead and the guy in jail for killing her. That's how unhealthy these two looked."