(News 3 Las Vegas) Oct. 9, 2024: Bombers (controlled demolishers) love spectacle in Iraq as in the U.S. Some purposely rigged and blew up (blew in) the famous Tropicana Hotel in Lost Wages, Nevada, this morning, while a fireworks show and drones were seen swarming the desert sky.

There was advance notice of the event and, in true Vegas style, rooms were being rented out in neighboring high rise hotels for better views of the destruction and subsequent implosion. As with 9/11 and the purposeful bringing down of Twin Towers real estate in Manhattan (NY, NY), the entire area was "Trop dusted," with dangerous particulate matter now clogging the lungs of Las Vegans breathing without protective firefighter filters, iron lungs, and/or sufficiently stringent facemasks.

This is the 15th such takedown (controlled demolition) on or near the Vegas Strip. Will future lung cancer cases be compensated? Stay indoors until the skies clear and blow this over into the desert and all over Bunny Ranch.

This whole spectacle is reminiscent of the "shock and awe" campaign the U.S. military rained down on Iraq (Mesopotamia) that time it wanted to steal artifacts like Gilgamesh's body and tomb relics and control the Middle East with its partner and client state Israel no matter what Iran or Saudi Arabia had to say about it. More: News3LV.com

(ITN Archive) On 21 March 2003, ITN's John Irvine reported from CIA Asset and Supreme Leader Saddam Hussein's Iraqi capital of Baghdad as the "shock and awe" phase of the US-led war campaign by air got underway. While the US bombardment of Baghdad had begun on 19 March, this had in fact consisted of relatively limited strikes targeting Saddam Hussein himself (who was hiding faraway in a tunnel), senior regime officials, and other specific targets. At 17:00 UTC on 21 March, the air campaign moved into the next phase. In one night, 504 cruise missiles were launched [dumped out of the US armory so that new more modern ones could be justifiably ordered to enrich private war profiteers like the Bush Dynasty, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Powell, and others] at Baghdad's government district. The pictures captured by ITN's cameras that night are to this day considered defining images of the 2003 invasion and the Iraq War as a whole.

Mt. Lee with antenna peak, sign on upper left

It's odd how similar Los Angeles, the capital of the world, and Kathmandu, the capital of Buddhist Nepal, are. Both are buttressed against a great range snowy.

Behind Los Angeles to the north is Angeles National Forest, and LA County seems to continue behind this great forest, headwaters, and occasionally snowy peaks. Just like the view of the Himalayan range north of Kathmandu, it's not possible to tell which one is Mt. Everest.

That's odd since, allegedly, it's the tallest mountain in the world. It's actually probably about the fourth or fifth tallest, behind Mt. Sumeru (which may have sunk and become the current tallest) Mt. Mauna Kea, K2 above ancient Gandhara (the Buddha's country Afghanistan-Pakistan), and one that allegedly bulges at the equator to be the tallest when measured from the center of the planet.

List of mountain peaks by prominence. The iconic Hollywood sign rests on the scrub brush slopes of Mt. Lee in Hollywood along Beechwood Canyon, the street the first Theravada Buddhist temple in Los Angeles was set up by the Sri Lankan community (farther south right next to Hollywood Blvd.)

The name of the mountain (Mt. Lee) separating Hollywood from The Valley is not "Mt. H Sign," and Mt. Everest isn't the name of the peak in Nepal. Its actual name is Sagarmatha ("Goddess of the Sky") in Nepal and Qomolangma ("Holy Mother") in Tibet.

Griffith Park Observatory's clear view of the sign

(Wonderhussy Adventures) Sept. 18, 2024: Welcome to Wonderhussy Adventure #827. Date of adventure: 8/1/24. Wonderhussy's friend Mike Z promised to take het up to the world-famous Hollywood sign — "but wouldn’t you know it, he brought me to the ass end" (rear entrance)!

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens is opening evening access to its Twilight Garden Strolls hours during the summer months so more people can enjoy the gardens in cooler temperatures. Previously, only members could get tickets to the special program.

Why the Huntington is extending hours: “Opening in the evening allows us to welcome more visitors who can enjoy green spaces and see our gardens in quite literally a different light,” said Director of Membership and Visitor Services at the Huntington Kristin Voss.

The program has been such a success for members that the Huntington is now expanding ticket access to the general public.

What’s different about the gardens in the evening hours: With the shift in temperatures and lighting, the gardens take on different sights, smells, and sounds.

One can see the campus during the “golden” or “magic” hour -- a favorite time for photographers when the sun is just about to set and casts an ethereal quality on plants and flowers.

“The Desert Garden is one of my favorites,” said Voss. “There's something really lovely about the unusual shapes and colors matched with the warm tones of sunset during summer.”

How to take a tour after hours: This year, the Huntington has added Twilight Garden Estate Tours, a docent-led walk through many of the gardens and looks at some of the historic architectural features, on campus.

When and how to attend: There are three Twilight Garden Strolls left scheduled for the summer, but they will return. Hours are 4:30-8:00 pm. Reserve tickets ONLINE for $20.00. Tickets to the Estate Tours cost an additional $25.00. More: LAist.com