Brian Kirsten // Brian Kirsten is an entrepreneur, software engineer, writer and publisher. He currently owns Brain Scan Studios, a digital media company focused on publishing comic books and graphic novels. He’s recently launched FictFact with his wife, Christine Kirsten.
The Mirage today welcomed its newest addition to Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat - six-week-old white, white-striped and golden tiger cubs. The public will get its first chance to see these rare and adorable cubs in a special nursery created for them in the Secret Garden Friday, June 13, 2008, which happens to be Siegfried's 69th birthday.The Mirage welcomes tiger cubs to Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden & Dolphin Habitat
Las Vegas is in a crappy geographical location, surrounded by desert, water is scarce and nearly everything needs to be trucked or piped in. With the influx of new construction one has to wonder if the Vegas money men are thinking towards the future, hopefully trying to secure Las Vegas as a quasi-environmentally aware oasis in the desert or just the wasteful wonderland many perceive it to be. I was surprised to find out that "The Palazzo", the new luxury tower in the Venetian empire earned itself the silver LEED certification in green building, making it the largest "green" building in the world. The more investments into green tourism the better, and this type of movement towards green building will hopefully continue to spread across Vegas and beyond.
The Palazzo Las Vegas, a Las Vegas Sands Corp. (NYSE: LVS) property, announced that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) made its "green" status official with the presentation of a Silver LEED(R) Certificate (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) at an award ceremony held today. Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons and David E. Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency at the U.S. Department of Energy were also on-hand to honor this impressive accomplishment.
The Palazzo employs such effective environmentally-efficient technologies that it conserves enough water to provide each Nevada citizen with 266 eight-ounce glasses of water for a year and saves enough energy to light a 100 watt light bulb for 12,100 years. It even promotes alternative modes of transportation by offering valet parking-for bicycles. Key features that contribute to The Palazzo's tremendous conservation include:
-- Artificial turf, drip irrigation and moisture sensors in planted areas
result in over a 75% reduction in irrigation needs.
-- Swimming pools at The Palazzo are heated with an expansive solar pool
heating system. In the summer, the excess solar energy not needed for
the pools is directed to the hotel's hot water system, reducing the
need to heat water for guest suites.
-- Air conditioning controls in guest suites that automatically setback by
several degrees when guests are not present and reset to the desired
temperature upon return.
-- Team member service areas equipped with lighting occupancy sensors that
shut off lights when no one is in the area.
-- Interior plumbing fixtures use 37% less water than conventional
buildings as a result of water-efficient showerheads, high efficiency
toilets and low-flow lavatory faucet aerators.
-- Moisture sensors monitor real time, site specific air temperature,
humidity, rainfall and other factors to provide daily watering cycle
adjustment.
-- A waste recycling program implemented from demolition through
completion diverted over 70% of waste from the landfill.
-- The building's structural steel averaged 95% recycled content, while
the concrete averaged a 26% recycled content rate.
The Palazzo Las Vegas Named Largest 'Green' Building in the World
After little to no major attractions opened in the last bunch of years (and no the re-theme of Earthquake to Disaster doesn't count), Universal finally jumped back into the Orlando roller coaster wars.
Universal Studios is about to build a new signature ride: a high-tech roller coaster full of lights, music, loops, twists and turns -- and a quick trip over the heads of people walking through the nearby CityWalk entertainment district.
The Hollywood Rip, Ride, Rockit is planned to be big, bright and brash enough to become the new visual symbol for the theme park when the coaster opens in about a year. Universal Orlando officials said Tuesday that it also will feature enough digital technology to appeal directly to what they refer to as the "YouTube culture."
Universal Orlando officials said the coaster will rise 167 feet into the air and feature numerous loops and corkscrew turns. Rockit -- the first big, outdoor thrill ride for Universal Studios -- is set to open in spring 2009.
I shuddered when I read the part about the "YouTube culture", I can just imagine how the planning meeting went.
"What's hip to the kids these days?"
"My daughter is into this Youtube-thing."
"Great! Work that into a ride somehow."
New 'Rockit' high-tech roller coaster coming to Universal Studios Orlando in 2009
Drinking beer in a wet Islands of Adventure
