Change to Pay-for-Parking Underway

Visitors to Las Vegas have long been used to and expected free parking at casinos as one of the perks that casino operators offered to attract customers. However, the era of free parking is ending as MGM Resorts International’s properties start to charge for parking this week.

Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Bellagio, Aria and Vdara are the first ones to implement the controversial paid parking program on Monday June 6, 2016, charging customers up to $10 per day. Luxor, Excalibur, and Circus Circus followed on Tuesday June 7; MGM Grand and Mirage are joining in today. Visitors to Mandalay Bay and Delano customers will lose their free parking privileges on June 13, 2016.

Local residents can still park for free until the end of the year. Members of MGM's M Life loyalty program who earned the Gold, Pearl, Platinum and NOIR status will receive free self-parking. Short term parking up to one hour is also complimentary.

While customers can book other properties that do not charge parking for now, the worry is that all other resorts on the Las Vegas Strip may soon follow the trend.

Postcard US-2002271 to Australia shows many MGM properties on the Las Vegas Strip that are affected by the changes, with MGM Grand on the left, and Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, New York-New York, and Monte Carlo on the right.

Happy Birthday to Blake Austin Griffin

Outgoing postcard US-3841691 to the United Kingdom shows the statue of mythical creature at the Mandalay Bay Hotel on October 16, 2014, wearing a Los Angeles Clipper jersey No. 32 which belongs to Blake Austin Griffin. Before playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, Blake Griffin played college basketball for the Oklahoma Sooners. Born March 16, 1989, he turns 27 today.

On Oct 30, 2014, the Clippers managed to hold off the Oklahoma City Thunder 93-90 in a season-opening game, although it couldn't build more than a 10-point lead. Blake Griffin scored 23 points, and made two free throws with five seconds left to the game.

Happy 56th Birthday to Michael Jackson

Outgoing postcard US-2955783 to Italy was made of a magazine cutout from the August 2014 issue of Desert Companion, showing Michael Jackson ONE, a Cirque du Soleil production and a tribute to the work, innovative spirit, and legacy of Michael Jackson as the King of Pop, the genius, the visionary, and THE ONE through aerial performance, hip hop dances and acrobatics with vivid choreography by 63 cast members at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Today on August 29, 2014, Michael Jackson ONE show is celebrating what would have been Michael Jackson's 56th birthday with a special performance.

My favorite Michael Jackson song was his 1991 single "Black or White" from his eighth studio album Dangerous. He declared in the lyrics: "It don't matter if you're black or white" and "I ain't second to none." It also featured morphing animation for the first time in a music video, which seamlessly transformed human faces from various races, symbolizing the celebration and appreciation of diversity.

Lovely Day For A Guinness

In this St. Patrick's Day, we present postcard US-2399729 to Japan that shows a classic Guinness poster "Lovely Day for a Guinness" produced by S.H. Benson's advertising with art works by artist John Gilroy. Along with other distinctive posters created in the 1930s and 1940s such as "Guinness for Strength", "Guinness Makes You Strong," "My Goodness My Guinness," "Guinness is Good For You", the advertising campaigns contributed to Guinness's success. On the card, "the Flight of Toucans delivering the Black Stuff !!" It featured toucans that had become a symbol of Guinness among other animals such as a kangaroo, ostrich, seal, lion.

The postcard was purchased at the Guinness Store, located in the Shoppes at Mandalay Place between Mandalay Bay and Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. It is the first official Guinness store opened in the U.S. and boasts the largest selection of Guinness merchandise in one place outside of Ireland.

Balancing Men by Cirque du Soleil

Balancing Men

I bought this postcard at a Cirque du Soleil show gift shop. It noted: "Balancing Men: the powerful, yet fluid, movements of the Hand-to-Hand act mesmerize audiences with their fusion of strength and grace". However, we were reminded of the real risk in those unreal acts by the recent accidents.

Last week was a bad week for the Cirque du Soleil shows. First, a cast member was injured at Mandalay Bay during “Michael Jackson One” preview on Wednesday, June 26, 2013. The aerial artist was performing the “Stranger in Moscow” routine when he slipped off the slack rope and fell to the stage. Next, on Saturday, June 29, 2013 inside the MGM Grand, performer Sarah Guyard-Guillot in "Ka" died after a 50 feet fall near the end of its 9:30 pm show. Future performances of "Ka" are canceled until further notice.

I went to see "Ka" early last year and Sarah was mostly likely in the show since she had been an original cast member from 2006. I will remember the excitement and determination Sarah and other artists brought to me by taking the risk and turning those seemly impossible acts into reality.

International Surfing Day

According to Wikipedia: "International Surfing Day, held annually on or near the date of the summer solstice — usually June 21 (June 20  on leap years) — is an unofficial, environmentally conscious sports-centered holiday that celebrates the sport of surfing and the surfing lifestyle and the sustainability of ocean resources".

However, the summer solstice was on June 20 in 2013 although it is not a leap year. Therefore, the International Surfing Day in 2013 actually falls on June 20. Nonetheless,  The events celebrating the International Surfing Day spreads from June 17 to June 23, and onto June 30, 2013. Chances are you can probably find a location near you (except in Las Vegas, where the closest ocean is more than 270 miles / 435 km away).

Fortunately, there is a huge man-made beach at the Mandalay Bay. I bought this postcard US-2255631 at Ron Jon Surf Shop in the Shoppes at Mandalay Place.