Monthly Archives: April 2010

How to buy an HDMI cable (and what it is)

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I needed an HDMI cable to hook my xbox to my TV. So I headed to Fry’s in Las Vegas and asked the sales associate for some assistance. He took me to the cable section and said, “This one is perfect for an xbox to TV connection.” I thanked him and he was on his way. Simple enough, right. Of course not. The cable he showed me cost $129 and was made by Monster Cable. Being the informed consumer that I am, I knew that this price was a little high. So I wanted to make sure you never buy an overpriced cable for your home entertainment.

So here is my guide to buying an HDMI cable:

Step 1: Find out how much cable you need. Usually you only need about 6′ (six feet) to get from the component to the TV or receiver.

Step 2: Go to your local Fry’s or Radio Shack (avoid Best Buy at all cost) and find the cheapest cable in that length. You need to ask the sales associate where all the cheap cables are located. They will not have an end cap or special display. They will be in simple packaging with ho-hum colors and information. These are the cables you want. The in-store cost is about $1.25/foot.

Step 3: If you don’t have access to a Fry’s or Radio Shack, please buy a cable online. Most will have free shipping and no tax (if it’s outside your state). I like Amazon.com or NewEgg.com.

So why can you buy a cheap cable for your high-end stereo system? Why don’t you need a double shielded cable with gold connectors? It’s very simple: HDMI is a digital signal cable and regardless of the environment, there is no signal loss. Digital signals are on or off, one or zero, black or white. There are no shades of gray (like in analog cables). So when you plug in a $100 HDMI cable to your system, you’re getting the same ones and zeros that can easily pass through a $6 cable. There is no difference and no proof that the $100 cable is better or that the $6 cable is worse.

So I hope this helps you and saves you some money when you purchase your next HDMI cable. In the end, I spent $5.95 on a 6′ HDMI cable.

What is HDMI:

HDMI (High-Definition Multimedia Interface) is the first and only industry-supported, uncompressed, all-digital audio/video interface. By delivering crystal-clear, all-digital audio and video via a single cable, HDMI dramatically simplifies cabling and helps provide consumers with the highest-quality home theater experience. HDMI provides an interface between any audio/video source, such as a set-top box, DVD player, or A/V receiver and an audio and/or video monitor, such as a digital television (DTV), over a single cable.

HDMI supports standard, enhanced, or high-definition video, plus multi-channel digital audio on a single cable. It transmits all ATSC HDTV standards and supports 8-channel, 192kHz, uncompressed digital audio and all currently-available compressed formats (such as Dolby Digital and DTS), HDMI 1.3 adds additional support for new lossless digital audio formats Dolby® TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio™ with bandwidth to spare to accommodate future enhancements and requirements.

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Friends With Benefits: Book Review

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Friends With Benefits: A Social Media Marketing Handbook

Friends With Benefits: A Social Media Marketing Handbook

I just completed reading “Friends with Benefits: A Social Media Marketing Handbook“. Did I enjoy it: Yes. Can I recommend it: Maybe.

If you are totally new to social media (as in you don’t have a Facebook or Twitter page) for your business, you will get a lot out of this book. If you run your own business and are thinking about getting into social media marketing, you will get a lot out of this book. But if you have been on Facebook and Twitter or you have your own blog, you can probably skip this one.

This handbook is written for the newbie (no disrespect) and I was able to only get a bit of knowledge out of it (I’m so advanced). I would have liked more information about using Facebook pages for business and how to Tweet for your business. The topics in the book are elementary (or 101 if you prefer).

The writing style is perfect for the content and explains all the terminology in detail, but fails to dig deep for the advanced user. Just a hit of this sub-surface information would have made the book a lot more useful (for me).

Overall, if you are considering social media marketing for your business or organization, consider “Friends with Benefits: A Social Media Marketing Handbook“.

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Drai's After Hours: Bachelor Party Hot Spot

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Drai's After Hours Club at Bill's Gambling Hall

Drai's After Hours Club at Bill's Gambling Hall

The bachelor party in Vegas can take on several different phases. There is the “gambling phase,” the “pool phase,” the “dinner phase,” the “strip club phase,” the “dance club phase,” and the often ignored “after hours club phase.” It is this last phase that I would like to sprinkle into your bachelor party in Vegas.

The after hours club phase takes place, well, after some of the other clubs have started to slow down. People are starting to head back to a hotel (not necessarily their own), some are grabbing a sandwich, and some are headed to Bill’s Gambling Hall on the corner of Flamingo and Las Vegas Blvd.

In the basement of Bill’s exist one of the greatest parties on the strip, Drai’s After Hours Club. What’s going on inside that makes this one of four must do’s on your bachelor party in Vegas? A dimly lit lounge, a full bar, two dance floors, and the hottest DJ’s on a Thurs, Fri, Sat., or Sun night. The place is dimly lit, its red velvet, and the people look good…no, they look great. If you want to get in the door, you have to look good to. The dress code is strict.

Dress Code at Drai’s: Guys have to look good, which normally means jerseys, baggy pants, tank tops, t-shirts, or jeans are out of the question. Women cannot wear tennis shoes but anything else is acceptable.

Big Pimpin' at Drai's

Big Pimpin' at Drai's

Here’s the thing about Drai’s, the party don’t start till about 1am. But you shouldn’t show up until 230am. The party really gets going about 4am. Here’s our recommendation: Get into Vegas on Friday afternoon, check into your hotel room, have a nice big dinner, then a hot bath and a long nap. Set your alarm for 2am. Get dressed. Get your ass to Bill’s and walk up to the door (get table/bottle service) and check your name off the list. Let the bouncer guide you to you table. Crack open your drinks, call over as many ladies as you like. Have a good time, and repeat.

To book your table, call: 702-737-0555 and leave a message, they will call you back.

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Gold Spike Hotel and Casino: Bachelor Party Hotel

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When my friend suggested I write about the Gold Spike hotel as a value hotel for a bachelor party in Vegas, I hesitated. I remember this hotel as a smoke filled trash can behind Fremont Street. Well, a lot of things have changed in downtown Las Vegas, including my opinion of the Gold Spike.

The Gold Spike was purchased a few years ago and basically gutted. It was replaced with a very modern boutique hotel in the heart of downtown. Quartz walls, tile floors, wood accents, and new everything make this a great home base for your Bachelor Party in Downtown Vegas.

The restaurant at the Gold Spike

The restaurant at the Gold Spike - home of $5.99 Prime Rib

If you are looking for value, the Gold Spike is a pretty good deal. Not only are the rooms affordable, but the food in the casino is well priced. That includes the $5.99 12 oz. prime rib (with veg and potato). The rooms in the hotel have also been remodeled and they look amazing. Comfortable beds, flat-panel TVs, and other modern décor and traditional amenities make your drunken sleep a pleasure. Standard rooms offer a king bed or two queens, but for downtown, I recommend you shoot for the stars and get a King Suite or a Queen Suite. You get quite a bit more room for your hotel party.

Recently Remodeled Rooms at the Gold Spike

Recently Remodeled Rooms at the Gold Spike

Again, I suggest the Gold Spike for your downtown bachelor party in Vegas. You are only a block from Fremont Street and if you do want to hit the strip, you are freeway close (about a $20 cab ride). You can also take the Deuce from downtown to the strip for $3 (for a 2-hour bus pass).

Overall, the Gold Spike was a nice surprise and I can easily suggest you check it out as your downtown bachelor party destination. To book your room, check out the Gold Spike website: http://www.goldspike.com

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Tao Pool Party at the Venetian: Bachelor Party Pool

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The Venetian is a fantastic hotel. The lobby is amazing, there are some great restaurants, it’s got one of the hottest clubs on the strip, and one of the hottest pools in Las Vegas, TAO Beach.

Tops Optional at TAO Beach Las Vegas

Tops Optional at TAO Beach Las Vegas

TAO Beach is a top-optional pool (adults only) and that is one reason it makes our list of Bachelor Party in Vegas Pools. For the full experience, I suggest you rent a cabana. As a bachelor party, the cabana will help bring the ladies (topless and other). What do you get for your cabana dollars, only a HD plasma screen TV, DVD Player/X Box 360 and full DVD/Game library, internet access, private safe/storage, a custom stocked mini fridge, chilled luxury terry cloth towels, complimentary sandals and even pre-programmed i-Pod rentals. Plus you never have to struggle to find a drink as you have a waitress on call. When you get a hunger in your belly, you can order from the TAO Asian Bistro kitchen that is easily the best pool food in Las Vegas. During the summer, TAO Beach will be packed. It is recommended you pool your cash and reserve that cabana early, like now.

Even if you don’t have a cabana, you’re going to have a great time. The DJs at TAO Beach are world class. No matter where you are, there is eye candy, so bring your shades you pervert!

Call now to reserve your cabana: Phone: (702) 388-8588

Cabanas at TAO Beach in Las Vegas

Cabanas at TAO Beach in Las Vegas

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Smith and Wollensky: Bachelor Party Dining

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Steak and Wine

A special dinner is paramount during your bachelor party in Vegas. The strip is saturated with great restaurants, theme cafes, and fast food. One of the best restaurants for on the strip is not located within a hotel, but in a strip mall of Las Vegas Boulevard – Smith and Wollensky.

Smith and Wollensky is a traditional steakhouse and they make their own pastries, french fries, salad dressings and soups fresh daily. In addition, they hand cut the dry-aged steaks when you order them. You want some wine with that, no problem. The wine selection is top notch.

Smith and Wollensky is a diamond in the rough and reservations are recommended. It makes a great start to your bachelor party weekend. Great steaks, good wine, full bar, and a well-informed staff make this place a consistent award winner. Call and book your table today:

3767 South Las Vegas Boulevard
(On the Strip: Opposite the Monte Carlo)
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 862-4100

Las Vegas Steakhouse Hours:
Open 7 Days a Week:
Sun – Thurs: 11:30am – 12:00am
Fri & Sat: 11:30am – 1:00am

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Las Vegas Sign: Bachelor Party Destination

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“What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.”

I think we can pretty much agree that this is a good rule of thumb for a bachelor party in Vegas. However, there is also a lot of drinking and dragging a camera around is not recommended due to the previously mentioned rule. So how can you prove you had a great time in Vegas? You can get a tattoo or you can take one simple photo. The “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign.

Located at the south end of the strip (5100 Las Vegas Boulevard South) , about a mile past the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino, the sign sits in the middle of the street. A parking lot was recently added to the median allowing easy access to shutter bugs and your limo. This group shot is all you will need to remember all that happened in and all that you left behind in Las Vegas.

Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas Sign

Welcome to fabulous Las Vegas Sign

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