I'm on Fire

Bruce Springsteen

Streets of Philadelphia - Bruce Springsteen

Whisper - A Fine Frenzy

DOOBIE BROTHERS - Long train running

Historic Photographs That Ended The Vietnam War

Old Man by Neil Young

This video was taken off of You Tube. It took awhile to download on You Tube, so it may take a while here. If you don't have the time to wait please return here when you do. It is worth the effort.

Fantasy - at The Luxor

Last Saturday was my second night out on the town since coming to Las Vegas the first week of June of this years. So, now maybe people will understand that I did not come to Las Vegas to search for my missing youth. Frankly, I have earned every wrinkle and gray hair I have. And, I wear it proudly.

My night out was to the Luxor (yeah, the big black pyramid) Casino for the burlesque style show called “Fantasy”.  Well, people, I know what a titty bar is. I know what a lap dance is. And, I have seen my share of the female anatomy. But, I admit I am truly innocent when talking about what a burlesque show really is. I just assume that I was at one. There were nine ladies on stage, together and in skits including only one or two girls. On this night they also had a black man doing some cornball jokes. Truthfully, although I enjoyed his act, no one was really sure why he was in this “Fantasy’.

We were maybe ten minutes into the hour-and -a- half show before they started loosing the tops of their costumes. But, by that time I already had a “xxxx” eatin’ grin on my face. What the show boils down to is an hour-and-a-half of bawdy, soft core porn entertainment. In Vegas you can see as much skin as these ladies showed  while your standing on a strip corner anywhere along the strip, day or night. But, after the show the ladies will sign autographs. Photo books are available, but I assume they will autograph your forehead if that is what you want. Imagine what you can stare at while they are doing that. Hmmm!

But, the show was fun and entertaining. And, for me, it was free. So, I can’t complain. For ticket information you can call: 702.262.4400. The show is on-line ate: www.fantasyluxor.com. Dinner and show packages are available.

This show was choreographed by Cris Judd. Additional choreography by Gustavo Vargas and Tiger Martina. The show was produced and directed by Emmy Award-Winner Anita Mann.

Sympathy For The Devil

The Rolling Stones performed at a free concert at the Altamont Speedway, east of San Francisco on Saturday, December 6, 1969. Security for the event was being provided by the Hell's Angels biker club. A "Stones" fan, Meredith Hunter, was stabbed and beaten to death by members of the Hells Angels biker club when they found that she was armed. Three other people died by accidents at this concert, considered to be the event that sparked the end of the hippie counterculture of the 1960's.

Driving My Life Away - Eddie Rabbit

This Time - Waylon Jennings

Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way

Waylon Jennings:

In The Air Tonight

Phil Collins

Sister Golden Hair

America

Life Changes Art

While I am still doing a lot of photography work, and selling some stuff, I am not currently pursuing a career in photography. I love doing the work, and I love the learning process. But, so much of the business side of the art actually turns my stomach, and I keep asking myself what the point of it all is. I took up photography because it was something that I could do for my own enjoyment. That is what I have returned to doing. Having to all but give it away to be able to claim a sale kind of defeats the purpose of calling it a business. It is not the competition for the quality of the photography that bothers me as much as it is the competition for the sale of my work Everybody and the grandparents now have a boatload of pictures for sale on the internet. What business today would pay $1000 to lease the rights of a high quality/resolution photograph taken with a $25,000 Hassie when they can click a few keys on a computer and find almost the same photograph except at a much lower quality/resolution taken by a cell phone camera. If the low quality photo will do the same job for a dollar that the Hassie shot will for $1000 which purchase would you make? And, there is a commercial on t.v. (I saw it yesterday) that is advertising for photos taken by their clients for use in their future commercials.

And, if that ain't bad enough just take a look at what now passes for a photo studio in major shopping malls today. And, yesterday I saw a booth in a casino where the photographer (?) was shooting pictures via a computer program that was supposed to give the impression of a family riding on a magic carpet. All I could think of was a trailer house with a "talking fish" hung on the wall of every room. "Hey Jethro, dat's some damn fine art ya got der. Ya musta paid at least a nickel for't."

Layla

Eric Clapton

Wonderful Tonight

Eric (Slowhand) Clapton

Whipping Post

Allman Brothers Band

Nights in White Satin - '67

The Moody Blues

I Know Your Out There Somewhere

Moody Blues

Vietnam War Memories

Saturday, May 16, 2009

Photographer who took famous 1975 Saigon photo dies

Hugh Van Es, a Dutch photojournalist who covered the Vietnam War and recorded the most famous image of the fall of Saigon in 1975 — a group of people scaling a ladder to a CIA helicopter on a rooftop — died Friday morning in Hong Kong, his wife said. He was 67 years old.
*****
I came across the above historical facts while doing research for a book I am writing. I thought some of you may want to see this information.

I'm Your Captain - Grand Funk Railroad

Imagine - John Lennon

Does anyone ever stop to think what this world might be like if John Lennon were alive today?

Poncho and Lefty - Willie Nelson and Merle Haggard

The Highwaymen

Jesus Is Just Alright - Doobie Brothers

Terrafugia - Flying Car

Flying Car Video -  Terrafugia @ Yahoo! Video

Jessica - The Allman Brothers

Freebird - Lynard Skynyrd

Bob Dylan - Tangled Up In Blue

That Was Fast

 

New York, New York Casino/Hotel from Wild Wild West Casion/Hotel on Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas, NV.

*****

Well, that didn't take long. Two days ago I decided to do away with a lot of my excess baggage so that I could hopefully do higher quality work on what is left. And, here is just a start.

I am not new to Las Vegas. I have been traveling through and making deliveries here, and getting to know the town are two different things. Las Vegas is a vibrant city. And I am not just talking about The Strip. If you cannot find something to do in Vegas you are already dead and do not need to worry about it. But, if you want to see the real Vegas you need to leave the strip and learn about the locals. Or, you can check back with this blog. I now live here, and I will be writing articles about Las Vegas as long as I stay here.

Meanwhile:

Las Vegas Tourist Tip #1

The most important tip you need as a tourist in Las Vegas: When you stand outside the Luxor and calculate how far you have to walk to get to Caesar’s Casino/Hotel do yourself a favor and catch a cab or a bus. Yes, it’s further than it looks.

Glenn Beck Shrugged

Today on the Glen Beck t.v. show they were talking about the Ayn Rand book, “Atlas Shrugged“. If you have not read this book - you should. Although I have to admit that I thought the book was about 200 pages too long. I got very bored with what was supposed to be the "love story" inside the main story. But, the essence of the book was the introduction of socialism into the United States and around the world.


Today you could replace the railroad transportation industry with the oil industry. There are dozens of parts of the book where one capitalist enterprise could be replaced by a similar one from our society today. What one has to remember is that this book was first published in 1957. Atlas Shrugged is Ayn Rand's novel about the mysterious disappearance of the world's industrialists and innovators from a period in Ayn Rand's youth, during the Bolshevick Revolution. What is scary is to realize that Ayn Rand is writing about what is happening in the world today.  What you will take away from this book is the similarities you will see between what has happened in the first half of the 20th century and what is happening in societies around the world today.


This book, and the research you will want to do afterward, will teach you about the true evils of collectivism (A system of government where the factories, industries, farms and product distribution systems are owned and controlled by the nation’s people.) Today collectivism is generally referred to as socialism. Socialism, however, is only one aspect of collectivism.

Glenn Beck Shrugged

Today on the Glen Beck t.v. show they were talking about the Ayn Rand book, “Atlas Shrugged“. If you have not read this book - you should. Although I have to admit that I thought the book was about 200 pages too long. I got very bored with what was supposed to be the "love story" inside the main story. But, the essence of the book was the introduction of socialism into the United States and around the world.

Today you could replace the railroad transportation industry with the oil industry. There are dozens of parts of the book where one capitalist enterprise could be replaced by a similar one from our society today. What one has to remember is that this book was first published in 1957. Atlas Shrugged is Ayn Rand's novel about the mysterious disappearance of the world's industrialists and innovators from a period in Ayn Rand's youth, during the Bolshevick Revolution. What is scary is to realize that Ayn Rand is writing about what is happening in the world today.  What you will take away from this book is the similarities you will see between what has happened in the first half of the 20th century and what is happening in societies around the world today.

This book, and the research you will want to do afterward, will teach you about the true evils of collectivism (A system of government where the factories, industries, farms and product distribution systems are owned and controlled by the nation’s people.) Today collectivism is generally referred to as socialism. Socialism, however, is only one aspect of collectivism.

Today on the Glen Beck t.v. show they are talking about the Ayn Rand book, "Atlas Shrugged". If you have not read this book - you should. Although I have to admit that I thought the book was about 200 pages too long. I got very bored with what was supposed to be the "love story" inside the main story. But, the essence of the book was the introduction of socialism into the United States and around the world. Today you could replace the railroad transportation industry with the oil industry. There are dozens of parts of the book where one capitalist enterprise could be replaced by a similar one from our society today. What is scary is to realize that Ayn Rand is writing about what is happening in the world today. What one has to remember is that this book was first published in 1957. Atlas Shrugged is Ayn Rand's novel about the mysterious disappearance of the world's industrialists and innovators from a period in Ayn Rand's youth. What you will take away from this book is the similarities you will see between what has happened in the first half of the 20th century and what is happening in societies around the world today.

I am deactivating all my HKB Photo accounts. My "HKB PhotoBlog" will soon have a new name, and can be contacted thru maddadkeith@yahoo.com.

A Friendly Mare

 The Eyes Have It.

*****

d.011068: File size = 3.3MB, 05/31/2007, Nikon D200,  24mm, 1/125 second at f/3.8, shutter priority, ISO 100, white balance on Auto, partly cloudy.