Pool Parties Return

While the summer will not officially start until June 20, 2016, it certainly feels like one already when the high temperature hit 95ºF / 35ºC in Las Vegas yesterday. Fortunately, pool parties have returned to cool us off as the blistering heat is coming soon. More concerts, festivals and out-door activities are being announced. It looks like an exciting summer in 2016. Postcard US-3975290 to the United Kingdom shows a photo taken by the pool at Luxor on July 12, 2015.

Greetings from Nashville, Tennessee

Postcard US-3064194 from Michigan, USA was a "Greetings from Nashville", Tennessee card that highlights its nickname "Music City" with an antique guitar. As the capital of the state of Tennessee, Nashville is located on the Cumberland River in the north-central part of the state, serving as a center for the music, healthcare, publishing, banking and transportation industries. It also has a large number of colleges and universities.

Today, the United States Supreme Court agreed to hear the case Tanco v. Haslam, No. 14-562 from Tennessee challenging state laws barring the recognition of same-sex marriages performed outside the state. It was part of the consolidated cases in which the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld the bans on same-sex marriage in Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee. By granting petitions seeking review from plaintiffs challenging those bans in each state, the United States Supreme Court posed to decide once for all whether the Constitution requires states “to license a marriage between two people of the same sex” and whether states must “recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex when their marriage was lawfully licensed and performed out of state.” The Supreme Court's decision is due before the end of June. Governor Bill Haslam of Tennessee, a Republican, did what litigants who have won in the lower court usually do by urging the Supreme Court Justices not to hear the case.

#ShopSmall

Between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it is Small Business Saturday on November 29, 2014. Launched in 2010 by American Express, it is the 5th year for a growing number of people to think and shop at local small business and independent retailers. President Obama and his daughters went to an independent book store Politics and Prose in Washington D.C. to buy books today as a way to show his support.

Postcard US-2941533 to Russia was shaped Guinness Beer Glass card purchased at the Guinness Store at the Shoppes at Mandalay Place in Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, next door to the Rí Rá Irish Pub, a participating small business where Guinness beers are served and traditional Irish music bands are playing.

Formula One U.S. Grand Prix Austin, Texas

Postcard US-2886187 to Spain shows the major attractions around the Formula One United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Austin, the Texas capital with a population of 885,000 in a 2013 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, is hosting the race this weekend for the third time and offering spectators with great food and live music.

The race is on at 2 p.m. on Sunday November 2, 2014 at the Circuit of the Americas, the first purpose-built Formula One track in the United States. It held the First Grand Prix in 2012. With the number of laps at 56, circuit length at 5.513 kilometers and race distance at 308.405 kilometers, the lap record of 1:39.347 was set by S Vettel in 2012. The practice sessions in 2014 were held on Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and Saturday morning from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., with qualifying on Saturday afternoon from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.

On a side note, there are recent discussions in bringing a Formula One street race back to Las Vegas, Nevada.

50 Years since the Beatlemania in Las Vegas

Fifty years ago today, the Beatles played two concerts at the Las Vegas Convention Center on August 20, 1964. It was their first and only visit to Las Vegas.

Interestingly, in spite of the Beatles' surging fame oversea, the establishments on the Las Vegas Strip back then could care less about a band that was perceived to be popular with teenagers. So the city did not extend the red carpet welcome. However, the kids knew better than the casino bosses and their parents, recognizing something new and exciting; the shows were sold out. The rest was history. Some audience to the shows would later become prominent figures themselves. For example, Shelley Berkley was elected as a U.S. congresswoman, representing Nevada's 1st congressional district from 1999 to 2013.

Now, we even have a Cirque du Soleil show Love, a theatrical production since 2006, which combines the music of the Beatles with a circus-based stage performance played at The Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

Postcard US-2293200 to Japan shows the cover of With The Beatles, the second studio album by the Beatles released on November 22, 1963. The cover photograph was taken by the fashion photographer Robert Freeman. It held the top music chart spot for 21 weeks and served as a prelude of the British invasion that led to the Beatles' first live US television performance on The Ed Sullivan Show, watched by 73 million viewers or 34%  of the U.S. population in February, 1964, and a 30-concert tour of 23 cities, including the stop in Las Vegas, in August, 1964.

Forward it to my Palm Pilot

Postcard US-2776605 to Germany shows a plane taking off from tropical islands. The caption under the palm tree stamp on the bottom left reads "Margaritaville", indicating it is a Jimmy Buffett-themed merchandise associated with Jimmy Buffett's casual dining American restaurants and chain stores, named after his hit song "Margaritaville".

In Las Vegas, a Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville restaurant opened at the Flamingo Hotel and Casino in December 2003; a Margaritaville "minicasino" inside the Flamingo opened in October 2011. The postcard was purchased at the gift shop there.

All In or Nothing

Expired postcard US-2293198 to Ukraine, sent on June 28, 2013, was about to enter the postcard graveyard after 365 days. It features a fantastic sunset view of the famous music water fountain at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, with a column of gaming-chip styled tokens to spell out "Las Vegas."

At the 2014 FIFA World Cup yesterday, USA lost to Germany 0:1. However, helped by the result of the match between Portugal and Ghana, Team USA still advanced to the next round. It sounds like a typical Las Vegas story: you try hard, but may still lose; yet with a little luck, you may still come out ahead.

So, give your best shot, and leave the rest. #allinornothing

Human Nature

Postcard US-2452490 to Norway is an advertising card for Human Nature, an Australian pop music vocal group. It was originally formed in 1989 as the Four Trax by four schoolmates in Sydney. After signed by Sony Music and renamed as Human Nature, it released the debut album Telling Everybody in 1996. In Australia, the group has seventeen hits in the country's Top 40 music chart, and five hits in the Top 10; three of their albums reached multi-platinum certification, and four reached platinum; and sales of over 1.6 million records. After transitioning from a boy band to a Motown tribute group, they are currently performing at the Sands Showroom in the Venetian Hotel and Casino. (Human Nature will be DARK from November 28, 2013 to December 26, 2013)

Electric Daisy Carnival

Summer Display at Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Las Vegas 2013 starts a few hours ago in the evening on June 21, 2013 and will last for three days until June 23, 2013. It is an international annual electronic dance music festival that drew more than 300,000 people last year in 2012. It is held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway where the organizer Insomniac has transformed this 1,000-acre race field into six areas of music, carnival rides, vendor village, interactive art installations and other festival attractions. Sirius XM channel 52 has EDC radio throughout this weekend.

Sunset at Bellagio Hotel and Casino

Postcard US-1555333 reached Portugal in 12 days. It shows a beautiful sunset view at Bellagio, a luxury hotel and casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA. The design was inspired by the Lake Como town of Bellagio in Italy, It is famous for the large music water fountain on an 8-acre or 3.2 ha lake, as shown in front of the hotel on the card. I usually come here to watch New Year's fireworks.