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Living the M life: The ultimate Las Vegas experience

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Our weekend in Las Vegas living the M life had to come to an end, but the memories will last forever – and so will the photos! When we reported that Bullz-Eye was invited with other digital media members to experience the M life, there were very high expectations as to that was in the works. Well, first and foremost, the folks at MGM delivered on every point with a weekend like no other.

After a smooth flight in from Cleveland, I arrived at the Aria Resort and Casino quickly and was blown away by the sleek design of this gem on the strip. After checking in, I learned first-hand why so many visitors pick Aria as their first choice when visiting Las Vegas. When entering your room, the lighting, the window shade, the music… everything is tailored to your preferences and intuitive to your needs. Set them exactly the way you like and prepare yourself for the night ahead.

I headed down to Javier’s at Aria where we started the weekend and met my fellow influencers with signature margaritas and appetizers at ARIA’s newest restaurant. Javier’s brings a Southern California favorite to the Las Vegas strip and delivers a rich heritage of authentic Mexican cuisine along with hand-shaken margaritas and a high-energy ambiance to Las Vegas. Javier’s was a great place to get this M life party started, and we did just that! It was then off to the Hit Bar at Monte Carlo to channel our inner James Bond (or Bond girl) and learn how to craft world-class cocktails with this M life Moment available to all members. Monte Carlo’s Director of Beverage showed us the fine art and history of mixology and was behind the bar for an hour shaking up some cocktail classics, and we enjoyed them too! Things were just getting started, and when you’re a new M life member like we were, you don’t fully understand the kind of access at MGM Resorts this program offers. But we learned quickly.

We loaded up our group for a stunning tour of MGM Grand’s STAY WELL Rooms & SKYLOFTS. MGM Grand’s new STAY WELL collection features 42 rooms and suites designed for guests looking to take their wellness lifestyle “on the road” when traveling. We were also lucky enough to tour the Forbes Five-Star, AAA Five Diamond SKYLOFTS, a private, two-story sanctuary located on the top two floors of MGM Grand. This was amazing, and I’m sure many good people out there are using their M life points just to stay in this sleek spot in Vegas. I’m now floored by these Skylofts as we headed to dinner at Fiamma Trattoria & Bar at MGM Grand. From Sicily to Milan, Fiamma presents traditional Italian cuisine in sleek and sexy surroundings. We indulged vino from an award-winning wine list showcasing more than 700 selections from all over the world, and fresh, hand-crafted pasta creations from Executive Chef Pierpaolo Pittia. The food was fabulous and my entrée of scallops and prawns risotto was extraordinary. We then started another M life moment by attending “KÀ by Cirque du Soleil.” Taking photos with the cast prior to the show is an Insider (M life) Experience at MGM Grand and adds a first-class touch to your Cirque du Soleil experience. Also with M life, you will get to watch the show from VIP seats at one of Vegas’ favorite theaters. The show rounded out a well planned first day and the crew was able to gamble at the casino in Aria or just rest up for the following day’s M life Moments.

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“Live the M life” with the Ultimate Vegas Experience

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A few months back, we were invited to spend a weekend in Las Vegas to live the M life with fellow lifestyle sites and bloggers courtesy of the folks at MGM Resorts. Of course, I immediately checked into what exactly the M life was and had to offer. Bottom line is that the M life is a VIP experience like no other! Here is a quick breakdown Q&A for all of our friends out there who enjoy life’s best experiences, appreciate excitement and want to know more about the M life.

What is M life?

This isn’t just a player’s club. You’ll be rewarded for enjoying hotel, dining, entertainment and spa experiences, along with your slot and table play at any one of 15 MGM Resorts’ destinations. Your play and spend are recognized as a single account, making it easy to stay, play and win wherever you like, whenever you like.

What MGM Resorts’ properties participate in M life?

It isn’t just Las Vegas! You can use your M life card and enjoy the benefits in Las Vegas at Bellagio, ARIA, Vdara, MGM Grand Las Vegas, The Signature at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, THEhotel at Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo, New York-New York, Luxor and Excalibur; in Mississippi at Beau Rivage and Gold Strike Tunica; and in Michigan at MGM Grand Detroit.

What are some of the benefits?

Just for becoming an M life member, you gain access to benefits such as the ability to room charge from any other MGM Resorts’ destination, access to M life Moments, access to exclusive and personalized offers, pre-sale ticket access to concerts and fights, and the best room rate guarantee.

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What are M life Moments?

M life moments are unique experiences that give you exclusive access to just about any part of your favorite resort. Every M life resort offers M life Moments, and only M life members have access to them. As you move up Tier Levels, you unlock additional M life Moments.

Now that we’re all on the same page and understand just how cool the M life is, remember that I’m going to experience the M life first hand very soon. I’ll be updating our social media channels with awesome experiences, including pictures. My itinerary will be packed with totally amazing events that will be exclusive to M life members, so stay tuned for reports on Bullz-Eye. In addition to attending the Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational and checking out exciting new hotspots and amenities the weekend of April 4th, we’re going to enjoy unparalleled access to the best of Las Vegas through M life Moments – experiences available exclusively to members. A signature feature of the program, M life Moments offer a diverse collection of behind-the-scenes experiences, including those catered to travel enthusiasts.

It’s on soon, so wish me luck and keep an eye on Bullz-Eye.com for M life reports!

  

Picture of the Day: Linda in lingerie

We discovered Linda in Budapest on our World Tour and we’re thrilled to see this brunette beauty in this thong and bra set, along with all of the other looks in her gallery.

Linda in lingerie

  

‘Spirit of the King’ debuts in Palm Springs

The growth of Palm Springs as a gambling destination has been very impressive, and now we’re starting to see premium shows there as well that remind us of the glory days of Las Vegas. Veteran Las Vegas performer Steve Connolly will reprise his award-winning role as the legendary Elvis Presley in the stage production of “Spirit of the King” in the Cascade Lounge of the Spa Resort Casino. The show kicked off on Wednesday and a red carpet premiere is scheduled for next week on the 27th and Bullz-Eye.com’s Paul Miller will be on location to cover the festivities. Paul took the photos above of the Marilyn Monroe impersonator who joins Connolly on stage for the show.

Veteran producer Dennis Levinson is bringing the show to Palm Springs, and he brings years of experience working with a wide variety of performers, including Johnny Cash, James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Mickey Gilley, Jose Feliciano, Sam Kinison, Starship, Air Supply, B.J. Thomas, The Mamas & The Papas, Marshal Tucker, Gallagher, Wayne Newton, Eddie Fisher, and Rita Rudner.

“Connolly takes his considerable skills as a recording artist, composer, writer, TV personality, musician, singer, humorist, and fine artist, to craft a totally unique show,” explains Dennis Levinson, producer of Spirit of the King. “The new show will focus on the glory days of 1960 when Elvis lived in Palm Springs. Connolly has always wanted to create a special show for Palm Springs, and this is the central theme of ‘Spirit of the King.’”

Dubbed “The hardest working KING in show biz,” Steve Connolly has performed as Elvis Presley more than 4,000 times in his career. He remains the only entertainer depicting Elvis to be chosen by the Las Vegas Review Journal’s staff as “Best Elvis in Las Vegas” in 2006 and 2007. Connolly also devotes a small portion of his 75-minute performance to creating a speed-painted ‘portrait of the King’ which is then sold to the highest bidder at the end of the show. Check out the video below for a preview.

Located just over an hour from Los Angeles, Palm Springs has been a popular destination spot for decades. But with the growth of the casinos and now regular entertainment like this show, it’s becoming a real alternative for many who don’t want the much longer drive to Vegas.

Show times for “Spirit of the King” are Saturday-Wednesday nightly at 6:30 p.m. with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Tickets for this unforgettable performance start at $35 and are available at the show website or by calling 800-585-3737.

  

Ullr Fest 2013: Get Your Snow On

By any standards, the United States boasts some truly worthwhile winter getaways, from the blue shores of Lake Tahoe, to all those East Coast resorts that try to compete with their Western counterparts yet never do. Out in Colorado, a state known for its generous mountain profile and equally epic outdoors scene, a major holding of winter locales are routinely bustling with activity and serving up satisfied customers. Bullz-Eye was given the chance to experience a few days at Breckenridge, one of the premier resorts Colorado has to offer, during one of its most enjoyable times of the year: Ullr Fest.

When I first got the email regarding Ullr (pronounced Ooler) Fest, I was in a state of complete darkness as to the meaning. In the back of my head, crude images of massive stone hammers and snowy, bearded warriors filled the void, vainly trying to conjure up any sort of applicable knowledge. It turned out my premonitions weren’t completely off, and the whole celebration was in fact Breckenridge’s way of honoring the Norse god of snow, Ullr.

All people who share a love for the outdoors have some sort of relationship with the weather. Cyclists pray for absence of rain, surfers yearn for hearty swells and so on. Snowboarders and skiers have that similar connection, yet take it to a whole other Bobby and Whitney sort of magnitude. The degree of snowfall can literally make or break half of the year for those who passionately delegate an entire season to winter sports. On a grander scale, resorts can lose significant amounts of revenue due to lackluster precipitation and the disinterested wake that follows.

So what actually happens at Ullr Fest? Are there droves of cute females walking the streets, clad only in fur bikinis and Viking helmets? Is the whole town mobilized into a party mode that rivals New Year’s Eve levels of intensity? And better yet, what does the whole experience say about Breckenridge and its ability to provide a worthwhile winter vacation? To make a long story short, the whole week was quite an epic adventure, but to adequately answer those questions, an introduction must be made about the team who participated, because seldom are the times when an individual alone is able to truly breathe in all the possibilities a new area has to offer:

Press:

Dane, Thrillist: More or less average build, with a clever and hilarious way of adding to every conversation and setting. Mannerisms similar to comedian Dane Cook.

Seth, Maxim: Nickname earned due to his uncanny facial similarity to Seth Rogen; if it weren’t for his towering height, he may actually be a full-fledged twin.

PR:

Drew: Pleasantly down-to-Earth, yet seriously extensive in her knowledge and passion for the area. Drew Barrymore doppelganger.

Daphne: Beautiful, interesting and once from Seattle. Being that Martin Crane’s physical therapist is just about the only female I know from the area, the nickname will have to stick, and yes, that was a “Frasier“ reference.
Kanye: The mastermind behind the entire organization and execution of the trip. A true professional, and much like the aforementioned rapper, Chicago raised.

Early frustrations

Do you ever have nightmares depicting missed flights or late/botched airport arrivals? Both seemed to rear their ugly heads last Tuesday when I stared in disbelief as my phone relayed a text from my “ride.”

“Shit came up, can’t give you a ride. Sorry man.”

Can’t give me a ride? Two hours ago would have been a perfect time to drop such a bomb, but not now. Oh well, I quickly thought, all is not lost – Go-Go Gadget Drive Myself. I flew down to the car and punched it aggressively for the next hour, cursing the heavily inundated 19th Avenue of San Francisco and looking at every red light as if I had never seen such an atrocity before.

As I neared the airport, the horrible realization was that I had zero time to drop my car in nearby Millbrae and instead was forced to throw up a Hail Mary. I drove straight into 2-hour parking, tossed my luggage outside, and then left forty dollars, the parking ticket, and my car keys in a tissue box deep inside the trunk. The final touch was the front door unlocked and a text message to my buddy who lived a short distance away, pleading with him to grant me this one favor.

Colorado, finally

After the day unexpectedly morphed into such a hectic beast, I was overjoyed when the plane touched down in Denver and I was soon aboard the hour and 40 minute shuttle towards Breckenridge. Something needs to be said about the drive up to Breckenridge. The road lazily tilts upward and soon you get the feeling that an ominous space mission is being made into the dark skies, ear-popping and all.

It was throughout the drive that I found myself laughing at our shuttle driver, Ted; not at him personally, but at the routine which followed whenever he chose to make but the slightest change in heater settings. He’d crank the dial ever so slightly and almost immediately, a reprieve would echo from the shadowy passengers in the rear.

“Umm, Ted, can you turn that down a hair?” or, “Ted, could you make it blow less? Like, the temperature is okay, but there is a lot of air coming out, right on my head,” and further, “Ted, the passenger in the back would like it to be a bit colder. Thanks.” This pattern repeated itself multiple times, to the point where the lady in the front seat reached over and patted his shoulder, saying, “You’re doing great, Ted.” This made me laugh.

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Tanit Phoenix back as Katrina Banks in ‘Death Race 3′

The beautiful Tanit Phoenix returns as Katrina Banks in “Death Race 3: Inferno,” and she’s just as badass as ever. She has some pretty incredible fight scenes in this third installment of the “Death Race” series and one very hot scene as well.

Bullz-Eye.com was on location in South Africa for the filming of the movie, and senior photographer Paul Miller had the opportunity to talk to this stunning South African actress and model. He also helped the unit photographer set up some of the sexy photos above as well. Tanit has a great sense of humor as you can see in this video, and you’ll definitely want to pick up the Blu-ray/DVD set after watching her interview.

Also, check out our interviews with Michelle Van Schaik, who plays Olga Braun, along with our interview with the Death Race Nav Girls.

  

Michelle Van Schaik debuts in ‘Death Race 3′

Michelle Van Schaik is a stunning Dutch model who was working in South Africa and then auditioned for a role in a new film. Now she’s made her acting debut in “Death Race 3: Inferno,” and Bullz-Eye.com was on location for the film production. Senior photographer Paul Miller got the awesome assignment that included an interview with the blonde beauty that you can watch below. Paul also assisted the unit photographer in getting some exclusive glamour shots of the Michelle in her costume from the movie that you can see in the slideshow above.

Michelle does a great job in the film as she’s the lone female driver among the 12 drivers in the Death Race. She has a badass scene that we can’t tell you about, so you’ll have to pick up the Blu-ray/DVD to see it.

Also, check out our interviews with Tanit Phoenix along with our interview with the Death Race Nav Girls.

  

New Series ‘Bid & Destroy’ premieres on Nat Geo Channel

Premiering this Wednesday on the Nat Geo Channel, “Bid & Destroy” combines the thrill of finding lost treasures with the demolition and destruction of homes and businesses with wild results that are amazing to see! This new 12-part series, produced by the guys behind “Pawn Stars,” begins this Wednesday, October 10th at 9:00 and 9:30pm ET/PT for a double stack of episodes.

Set in New England, this crazy series showcases the wacky crew of Danley Demolition as they go on modern day treasure hunts inside condemned homes and buildings just before they demolish them with the “claw and destroy” technique. The company bids on demolition jobs and then effectively owns all the contents of the home/building that will be torn down, so they have a limited period of time to scour the place for valuables. The posse tending to this modern day scavenger hunt is led by Brian “Cowboy” Gurry, one of the co-owners of Danley Demolition. These guys have a near mystical ability to find what everyone seems to have lost once in their life, like wallets with money, jewelry, and family valuables along with forgotten treasures like sports memorabilia and even the miscellaneous safe or forgotten muscle car or two. Gurry told us that many people love to hide money and valuables and then forget about them, which explains why he’ll check every book he finds in a house for money stuffed inside, often with great success.

The intrigue surrounding the search for hidden treasure is then combined with the fun of watching home and buildings get torn apart. The great production quality includes wild camera angles complete with remote GoPro mini video cameras inside homes as they are being destroyed, giving the audience a hair raising perspective and view to the awesome power and destruction that goes on the act of complete demolition like never filmed before!

To get a “hands on” experience of what it would be like to really have the ability or tear through a building with the touch of a button, Nat Geo invited us to Las Vegas to operate some heavy machinery and building destroying excavator equipment at Dig This, the heavy equipment playground located just off the Strip. As you can see from the photos above, they had several full scale Cat brand excavators and bulldozers available for us to try out. After taking the requisite breathalyzer test, (BAC +.06 is a no – no), we climbed into the huge yellow machines. Fortunately my sushi and saki hi jinks from the night before were long behind me and I passed with flying colors! The destructive powers of these machines shocked me at first, but soon I was chucking around 2,000 pound tires like they were tot-sized life preservers at the neighborhood kiddie pool. Brian Gurry was on hand to relate some of his experiences with us on how the heavy equipment we were using applied to building demolition, and his comments on how a somewhat larger version of the Cat excavator I was using could easily chomp straight through the lobby of the Mandalay Bay casino and go out the other side were quite revealing!

We had the opportunity to spend some time with Brian as he explained how the business worked and his techniques for finding hidden value in old buildings, and with 25 years experience in home demolition he has some great stories. The proverbial needle in the haystack is Brian’s specialty, and he gave use a few tips that anyone can use to find hidden valuables. We at Bullz-Eye were so impressed we following up with some features like top ten ways to find lost things in your home or hotel based on Brian’s advice.

We think you’re going to love watching Brian and his somewhat maniacal crew of seek and destroy excavator and bulldozer operating misfits. The personalities make the new series very watchable along with all the fun looking for hidden treasures and then ripping buildings down. Brian’s casual demeanor and humorous banter on camera with his nephew Eric added greatly to the show. All initial 12 episodes promise to be winners, and the two screeners showcased for us this week were no exception. Check out “Bid & Destroy” tomorrow night on Nat Geo.

  

HP Unveils Exciting New PCs and Notebooks

Hewlett-Packard (HP) announced the release of several exciting new products today, including new desktops and notebooks for both professionals and consumers. Continuing in the direction in which the company has been going, these new models are sleek, stylish and equipped with many advanced features, such as Beats Audio, HP TrueVision webcams and a choice of Intel or AMD processors. Let’s take a look at some of the innovations HP has in store for the near future, beginning as soon as late October.

The HP Spectre is a very nice looking ultra-thin all-in-one desktop with a 23-inch flush glass display, 3rd Generation Intel processors and an optional solid-state drive. Perhaps most impressive of all, it features near field communication (NFC) technology that allows easy wireless sharing of photos, contacts, websites and more, all with a simple tap of the touch-sensitive screen. In fact, the Spectre can be used in conjunction with a user’s smartphone or tablet, which then becomes like a remote control for the computer’s operation. The Spectre is expected to be available in the United States on November 14, at a starting price of $1,299. The HP ENVY 20 and ENVY 23 TouchSmart PCs and the HP Pavilion 20 All-in-One PC also feature this technology, and will be available in the United States on October 23, at even lower starting prices. These devices are all a step up from traditional non-mobile units in that they provide connectivity with mobile devices the consumer may already have.

Some of the most impressive new devices announced by HP today are its notebooks, the HP ENVY m4 Notebook, and the HP Pavilion Sleekbook 14 and 15 PCs. The latter are especially nice-looking, in sparkling black or ruby red finishes, with super-slim, lightweight design. They each weigh under four pounds and measure only 21 mm thick, and at a starting price of under $500, they offer many of the same features as most $1,000+ models.

The HP ENVY m4 Notebook, on the other hand, features faster renders and more powerful graphics than the Sleekbook series, as well as a few very innovative HP exclusive features. CoolSense is a new development from HP that keeps the exterior of the notebook cool during extended use, and SimplePass is an extraordinary new security technology that uses fingerprint identification instead of typed passwords. In fact, each of a user’s fingers can be programmed to a different website, if the user so desires. For example, your index finger could bring up Facebook, while your middle finger accesses YouTube, etc. With these and other cutting-edge devices, it is easy to see why HP remains on top of the game for both professional and consumer electronics. 

  

HP and Arjan Writes Present Special Preview of Ellie Goulding’s New Album in New York

Last night at Manhattan’s posh Hotel on Rivington penthouse suite, HP and blogger Arjan Writes presented a special preview of “Halcyon,” the new album by British pop sensation Ellie Goulding. Best known in the United States for her monster hit, “Lights,” Goulding has gone on to great success stateside, appearing on “The Late Show with David Letterman” and “Saturday Night Live,” as well as a special guest appearance at the White House last December, where she sang Christmas carols onstage with Barack Obama. For all of her enormous success in the last few years, though, Goulding is a very humble, down-to-earth and endearing personality.

The evening began with a bit of background on Goulding, who grew up in the small town of Hereford and got heavily into music early on. “My mum was cool with music,” she says. “She would buy every new thing that was out. We really had no money, but whatever we did have, she’d spend it on CDs and tapes.” Idolizing singers like Bjork, Joni Mitchell, Beyonce and Stevie Nicks, Goulding says she quit college because “something was pushing me into music.” Elaborating on what that something is, she also says, “Having people come together for the same cause is really important. The fact that I can do that with shows is really awesome.”

Delving into “Halcyon,” we heard samples of a few tracks, including the clearly Bjork-influenced “My Blood,” which shares thematic water imagery with other songs on the album. Goulding says, “I have a fascination with the ocean, being lost at sea. I kind of want to be a mermaid.” The title track, “Halcyon,” addresses another theme of the album in its plaintive chorus: “When it’s just us, you show me what it feels like to be lonely, you show me what it feels like to be lost.” “I write songs out of being alone,” Goulding says. “I’m around people all the time, but there’s a theme of loneliness on this album.”

That is not to say the album is relentlessly downbeat or somber, however, as Goulding is quick to point out that “I like making things that give people hope, I suppose, in the least cheesy way possible.” Ellie Goulding’s career certainly seems to show a lot of hope, with unreleased collaborations with the likes of Skrillex and Swedish House Mafia possibly on the way “in the next couple of years,” proving her mantra that anything could happen.

  

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