It’s the same song and dance as another country wants to break away from its parents to be independent with no clue what comes next if they do.
Have we not learned anything from the stupidity of countries like Greece joining the European Union? Greece thought joining the Eurozone would lead to prosperity as it would be seen as a respectable member of the European community. They fought hard to prove they belonged and finally gained admittance into the Union. What followed was the realization that abandoning the dhracma made their exports of olives uncompetitive, their beaches too expensive, and the cost of a gyro costing too many Euros. Now countries like Greece, Ireland, Spain, Cyprus, Italy, and Portugal are wondering what they really gained by becoming members.
First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes…
bailout and austerity.
Enter Scotland who is voting this week whether to remain part of Great Britain or try to make it on their own. This is the opposite situation of those countries mentioned above but will, in my opinion, have similar negative consequences.
First, banks like the Royal Bank of Scotland whose headquarters are in Scotland are already making contingency plans to leave Scotland if the referendum passes. Second, the producers of Scotch whiskey are feeling anxious that the intellectual property rights of this native drink will not be enforced due to a limited number of Scottish embassies in contrast to UK embassies worldwide. Next, there are serious questions as to what will happen if Scotland institutes its own currency that is not pegged to the British pound. All of this spells disaster for a country who appropriately wants its sovereignty recognized but has not done the calculus as to what happens if it is completely autonomous.
Investors will be appropriately weary of a country who rather abruptly decide to break free from one the most stable currencies in Europe, the British sterling, in favor of an unseasoned monetary authority. Access to affordable capital will be hard to come by spelling disaster should things not go well for this fledgling economy. And if things do go awry, who will Scotland turn to for help, the United Kingdom? One could only imagine the terms of that bailout.
If not, would they also considering joining the sinking ship of the EU? Hopefully not. We’ve all seen that movie before and it doesn’t have a happy ending.
So to all my 16 year old Scots who have inexplicably been given a vote to decide the fate of their country, I urge you to consider that you have not considered all that needs to be considered in making this historic choice.
That alone should convince you to vote no.
Cheers,
An avid whiskey drinker
The Trouble with Single Malts: Why Scotland Should Stay in the UK
Vegas Knockout: A Recap of Week 1
Vegas Knockout: Stardust vs Sahara (SLS), the Play-in Game
There are the days of Old Vegas. Think Tangiers Hotel, think The Rat Pack, think Moe Greene.
Then there are the days of old Vegas. Think Riviera, think Stardust, think Sahara.
The only one still standing both in the Knockout Bracket and in reality is the Riviera. But, for the sake of nostalgia and to mirror the true NCAA Tournament, I had to throw in a play-in game for the old school icons of the Strip. After all, everyone loves an underdog.
Today we have the Stardust vs Sahara with the winner taking on the number twelve seeded Palazzo. No play in team has ever made a significant run in March and I wouldn’t bet that either of these would do the same. However, there’s no harm in a little throwback, even if it isn’t on a Thursday.
A budget conscious law student, I stayed at both the Stardust Hotel and the Sahara hotel. Today, the camels of the Sahara have been replaced by the couture of the fashionable SLS Hotel. The 59 year run of another Vegas landmark has been overtaken by another boutique hotel purporting to be un-Vegas by becoming the standard for the new Vegas. (See Vegas Knockout: THEhotel Reads No Vacancy. L.V. Strip. September, 9 2014)
The same was supposed to happen to the Stardust but due to the economic crisis, the land remains undeveloped with only these pictures serving as memories of the fun times had.
Today, it looks like Disneyland. And while the kids play cardboard pirates, Mommy and Daddy drop the house payments and Junior’s college money on the poker slots. In the old days, dealers knew your name, what you drank, what you played. Today, it’s like checkin’ into an airport. And if you order room service, you’re lucky if you get it by Thursday.
Today, it’s all gone.
And if anyone cares, between these two, I choose the Stardust to take on, and mostly likely get thrashed by the Italian side in the opening round.
Vegas Knockout: Rio’s Whopper Bar Is King
The Icebar Tokyo
One day I will tell you about my visit to the Tsukijii Fish Market to eat the world’s freshest sushi. One day I will tell you about visiting the Tokyo Imperial Palace, an opportunity available only twice a year, for the New Year’s Greeting. But today, I will tell you about my visit to the Icebar Tokyo in December of 2006, an experience everyone should partake in whether it be in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden or Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
After a week in Tokyo where my friends and I had seen and done just about everything including preparing for a festive New Year’s celebration, I needed to plan something special that would rally the troops who were beginning to show signs of libation fatigue. Unbeknownst to them, I made a reservation for the Icebar and proceeded to convince them that tonight, we would take it easy.
Unable to communicate the address to the taxi driver, we were running late for our appointment and I grew increasingly anxious. My friends began to question what I was up to, an accusation I deflected by pointing out the window and exclaiming, “Oh wow, look at that!”
After more argument with the taxi driver, we arrived at our igloo. Actually, from the outside you wouldn’t even know it was a bar let alone a frozen one. Once inside, the secret was revealed and everyone’s spirits were lifted.
We were each given space suit coats to protect against the Arctic frost and instructions that we could only survive inside for a period of 45 minutes. Indeed, the bartenders themselves were rotated on quick shifts to prevent a worker’s compensation claim of frostbite.
Safety instructions noted, hazmat suits zipped, we made it inside and ordered a round of drinks.
We ended up with a pun of stories:
Vegas Knockout: THEhotel Reads No Vacancy
(26) Riviera vs (7) THEhotel (Delano)
What makes March Madness special are unexpected upsets whether it be (6) Michigan State vs (11) George Mason in 2006 or (6) Ohio State vs (11) Dayton in 2014.
The same can be said of the Winner’s Bracket of Where to Stay in Vegas. What fun would it be if the favored seed moved ahead every round leaving a predictable Final Four. There would be no incentive to keep up with the tourney nor would there be any controversy. That is why in the battle of the Riviera and THEhotel, the Riviera squeaks by with the upset!
How can this be? Isn’t the Riviera more of a motel than its superstar luxury counterpart THEhotel? Although the answer is yes, the reason THEhotel comes up short is two-fold:
1. My first time in Vegas I stayed at the Riviera and nothing can duplicate the fun that was had on a limited budget.
2. THEhotel is no longer Ahotel. It has been rebranded as the Delano, an offspring of the beautiful Delano Hotel in South Beach.
The Delano Las Vegas faces some stiff competition as the new hotel on the block Strip while the Riviera has been around since 1955 making it one of the oldest hotels to survive the booms and busts of the City of Lights. But, in keeping in with the rules of the Vegas Knockout, this post is a review of the hotel being eliminated. The Riviera will have to wait its turn, unless it manages to pull a Butler upset by advancing to the Final Four.
I have yet to stay at the Delano but preliminary pictures released online have not wowed me into accepting that this chic hotel is superior to its predecessor. Indeed, I am a little off put by the huge boulders that now reside in the lobby.
But, let’s not dwell on the present. Instead, I would like to pay tribute to the past by writing a review on one of my favorite hotels in Vegas, hoping that its legacy lives on despite the new ugly font prominently displayed on the golden tower.
Walking past the chorus of ringing slot machines and after a cloud of blinding smoke, you arrive at the silent, dignified entrance of THEhotel. From this perspective, THEhotel was one of the best because there is no gaming on the premises, a criteria that is not a critical component of my evaluation for a Vegas hotel.
Vegas quickly takes its toll on the mind, body, and soul which can only be tolerated by teleporting to a suite of peace and calm. THEtoilet paper, THEpillow, THEshampoo, was a unique marketing tactic to describe everything in THEroom. The king size bed was so comfy I didn’t bother to leave the room on a Saturday night, apart from going to the lobby to pick up my pizza. Staying in is a mortal sin in Sin City but I did not care because I was far removed from the flashing lights that bait tourists to spend money.
Of course, had I wanted to go out, THEhotel is connected to Mandalay Bay which has replaced Rum Jungle (my first club in Vegas) with Light, for those of you who like pulsating loud noise, somehow regarded to be music. THEhotel also had a rooftop bar which is a nice place to start an evening. But, my father and I both were disappointed by the critically acclaimed Michael Jackson One.
As far as cost, using the Priceline Trick I managed to lock in a reasonable rate of $100 a night. And perhaps this belongs in the Mandalay Knockout review but be sure to get the incomparable lobster roll at Citizens Kitchen & Bar.
All in all, THEhotel will always have a place in my heart because it was all that is Vegas and all that is not.
With that I would like to say so long MYhotel, I hope you are left in capable, caring hands.
Vegas Knockout: Giving the Hooters Casino Hotel the Bird
Vegas Knockout: Disqualification of the Priceline Pretenders
It’s with a sense of deflation that I begin the Winner’s Bracket of Where to Stay in Vegas because so many of these choices appear to be losers. But as my gamblaholic friend says, “There’s always a winner on the board!” Hopefully you are not staying at the following hotels that were lucky enough to make the bracket but not worthy enough for a detailed review.
Recall, only the hotel that is knocked out will receive a review, saving my pen and paper for the more worthy candidates for another day.
(28) Stratosphere vs (5) Mirage: The Priceline Trick:
A popular trick for landing a great hotel in Vegas is to utilize Priceline’s “Name your price” tool by booking your hotel the day of your reservation. Priceline is a double edged sword leaving you either ecstatic from the value, e.g., “I’m staying at the Bellagio for $100!” or frustrated, “Really, this is a 3.5 Star?”
So how do you get the room you want without conforming to Priceline’s rule that you have to either raise your price or lower your star requirement? The trick is very simple.
First, start off by deciding where you want to stay. For this example, I have chosen the South Vegas Strip. So I check the appropriate box.
The next menu asks you to pick your star level.
Note that 1-Star through 5-Star are available. Click 5-Star then select your price of say $150, a steal for a hotel of that caliber.
Follow the prompts and hit reserve. You will most likely receive a message that your reservation was not processed giving you the option to either increase your bid amount, change your star level, or change where you want to stay.
Warning! Do not automatically say, “Maybe $250 is reasonable,” and up your bid dramatically. Nor should you react by saying, “I can deal with a 4.5-Star for the same price.”
So what do you do? The trick is to change where you want to stay.
“But all my friends are staying in the South Strip, I don’t want to stay in the North even if they have hotels in my price and star range.”
Don’t worry, you don’t have to do so. All you have to do is add another place you want to stay that doesn’t have the 5-Star rating and name your price again, this time slightly higher.
The Knockout: The Winner’s Bracket of Where to Stay in Vegas
Vegas baby! Vegas! It’s time to kickoff the NFL season the right way- by losing all your money on a four team parlay!
Don’t forget to checkout the Flight Reviews section where I wrote about the best way to get to sunny Las Vegas!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWfATSKvHGo
The Press in Istanbul
The press in Istanbul Is Turkish for when you visit Constantinople you don’t drink espresso. Turkish coffee is alarmingly strong, straight to the point, and captures your attention.
The same can be said about the Turkish people whose abrupt attitude can be misinterpreted as rude and their lackadaisical service can be misinterpreted as indifferent.
The country is currently in a tug of war between traditional ideals and modern ideology. Protests in Taksim Square have led to riots and killing resulting in increased censorship. The government once thought to be progressive has, at times, blocked Twitter and silenced anti government protests with force. Ironically, the initial conflict was over the government’s desire to turn Taksim Park into a modern development. In this debate, it was the young who are keen on social reform protesting the superficial change by the establishment.
When drinking Turkish coffee, it is custom to turn the cup over in order to read one’s fortune. The same can be said about Turkey itself. The germination of democracy has metaphorically upended the status quo, but only a clairvoyant knows what the future holds.
