title: Rwanda Defence Force

text: Flight International's "World Air Forces 2017" states the Rwandan Air Force has twelve Mil Mi-8/17 helicopters, five Mil Mi-24 and four Aerospatiale Gazelle SA.342.


title: Rwanda Defence Force

text: During December 2012 an aviation unit of three helicopters was sent to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). The Rwandan Aviation Unit was subsequently increased to six helicopters - reportedly Mi-17.


title: Rwanda Defence Force

text: Despite not being a former British colony, Rwanda has generally used British foot drill during official parades and functions. Since 2019 however, the RDF adopted the Chinese variant of the goosestep, which is today mostly used by countries in Central and Eastern Europe, by communist countries, as well as by countries with a large Prussian/German influence (Russia, China and Chile all being examples of each). It was first displayed in April during the military parade in honor of the Rwandan genocide's silver jubilee on Liberation Day, in which over 1,500 RDF soldiers and policemen trained by six members of the Beijing Garrison Honor Guard Battalion of the People's Liberation Army's Central Theater Command marched while using the goosestep. Mandarin parade commands are used, such as "Look to the Right!" to which the soldiers respond with "One! Two!", which is done similarly in the PLA honor guard Prior to this, only the rebels utilized the goosestep during the Civil War, as they received military training in the neighboring country of Uganda, which uses the goosestep.


title: Rwanda Defence Force

text: The Rwanda Defence Forces Army Band is the military band of the RDF. The RDF Band was founded in 1992 during the Rwandan Civil War and gave its first performance on 8 March 1992. After the war, it was re-established with 46 members. Although it represents the defence forces, it falls under the command of the Land Forces.


title: Skindred

text: Skindred are a Welsh reggae metal band formed in Newport in 1998. Their musical style mixes heavy metal, alternative rock and ragga. The band also integrate elements of punk rock, hardcore punk, reggae, dancehall, jungle, ska, hip hop, drum and bass, dubstep and various other influences into their music. They are well known for their energetic and involving live performances and have won several awards including "Best Live Band" at the 2011 UK Metal Hammer Golden Gods Awards and the "Devotion Award" at the 2011 Kerrang! Awards.


title: Skindred

text: Dub War was formed in Newport, Wales, in 1993 and eventually signed with Earache Records. According to lead vocalist Benji Webbe, "They would not let us record and just wouldn't give us money to live on, this made us fight internally till we had no option other than to go our separate ways or kill someone or each other." Originally, he started his career in song with a group of friends that filmed a music video to go along with a song named "Point of No Return" that was sung on location in Newport in 1990, with Benji Webbe, Que, John Friendly and Steven Draycott. Benji tried to form a band out of the people featured in the video (that was going to be called Bancall) however the name was changed to Dub War which disbanded in 1999.


title: Skindred

text: Webbe later formed Skindred with bassist Daniel Pugsley, guitarist Mikey Demus and drummer Arya Goggin after Webbe was unable to put together a new project featuring other members of Dub War. In 2002, Skindred released its debut album, "Babylon". After being reissued in 2003 by RCA Records, the album was re-released by Lava Records on 14 August 2004. AllMusic writer Johnny Loftus wrote that "Skindred doesn't seem to consciously want the reinvention tag; it has simply tapped into the same lack of pretension that fueled "Korn" and Living Colour's "Vivid" – records that were made visionary by an unadulterated honesty in both delivery and craft. [...] highly recommended for fans of literate genre jumpers like Soulfly and System of a Down, or any heshers looking for some heavy-hitting firepower that hasn't fallen victim to the anvil of corporate assimilation."


title: Skindred

text: In the United States, "Babylon" charted at No. 1 on the "Billboard" Top Reggae Albums chart, No. 5 on the Top Heatseekers chart and at No. 189 on the "Billboard" 200, and the single "Nobody" peaked at No. 14 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and at No. 23 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart in 2004. In 2005, the single "Pressure" peaked at No. 30 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. In 2006, "Babylon" once again charted at No. 1 on the Top Reggae Albums chart. On 23 October 2007, Skindred released its second album, "Roots Rock Riot" on Bieler Bros. Records. In the United States, the album peaked at No. 6 on the Top Heatseekers chart and at No. 22 on the Top Independent Albums chart. The album "Shark Bites and Dog Fights" was released in September 2009.


title: Skindred

text: In 2011, Dan Sturgess was added to Skindred's live lineup. The band's fourth studio album, Union Black, was released 25 April 2011 exclusively to the UK and Europe. On 1 July, it was released in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The band promoted this with a UK tour, supported by American post-hardcore group Chiodos and Blackpool band Me Vs Hero. The London show was filmed for Scuzz TV in the UK. Skindred also played at several major European festivals including Download Festival on the Acoustic Stage (Friday) and Main Stage (Saturday), Boardmasters Festival, Wacken Open Air, Przystanek Woodstock and Sonisphere Festival in Spain and Switzerland, the Swiss leg of Sonisphere being notable for the first live performance of Warning with Jacoby Shaddix, whose band Papa Roach was also performing at Sonisphere in Switzerland.


title: Skindred

text: In March 2013, the band posted a studio walkthrough of The Chairworks Studio in Cas Vegas, announcing their work on their fifth album. In April, they officially announced the title for their new album to be "Kill the Power". The album was then released on 24 January 2014. It debuted on the iTunes chart at No. 37 and then climbed to No. 32 where it peaked.


title: Skindred

text: Between their fifth and sixth albums, Skindred left their label BMG and signed with Napalm Records. On 30 October 2015, the band released the album "Volume", marking the shortest amount of time between albums. Alongside the standard release, a deluxe edition of the album that contained a documentary called "Rude Boys for Life" was available for pre-order through PledgeMusic. The documentary looks at life on the road, its ups and downs, celebrations, festival appearances and headline shows, studio access, and the band's Polish Woodstock headline show where they played to over 1 million people. The album debuted on the iTunes chart at No. 55 where it peaked.


title: Skindred

text: Skindred fuse heavy metal, punk rock, hip hop, electronica and reggae influences to create a unique style and sound. The band has previously referred to this style as "Ragga metal". Benji Webbe has also jokingly referred to the band's musical style as "nu-reggae", in reference to the term nu metal. Although Skindred has sometimes been compared to Bad Brains, Webbe states that "To someone who doesn't know anything about reggae music, of course we're going to sound like Bad Brains. It's like someone who doesn't know anything about opera might say that Pavarotti sounds just like Mario Lanza. But when your ears are trained and you know what you're looking for, you're going to say, 'Shit no, Mario Lanza don't sound nothing like Pavarotti.'"


title: Skindred

text: Skindred's bassist Daniel Pugsley played for the gypsy punk band Gogol Bordello for their appearance on "Later... with Jools Holland" on 16 June 2006.


title: Skindred

text: Skindred has appeared at a multitude of international music festivals. Notable appearances include the band's 2011 appearance at Download Festival, where the 'Newport Helicopter' was born. Skindred also made headlines at the same festival in 2006 when Benji Webbe took part performing Korn's track A.D.I.D.A.S. onstage at Download Festival with the band, after vocalist Jonathan Davis was unexpectedly rushed to hospital.


title: Mary Jane (shoe)

text: Mary Jane (also known as bar shoes or doll shoes) is an American term (formerly a registered trademark) for a closed, low-cut shoe with one or more straps across the instep.


title: Mary Jane (shoe)

text: Classic Mary Janes for children are typically made of black leather or patent leather, have one thin strap fastened with a buckle or button, a broad and rounded toe box, low heels, and thin outsoles. Among girls, Mary Janes are commonly worn with tights, pantyhose, socks, or completely without them (on bare feet), and a dress or a skirt and blouse. Among boys (less common), Mary Janes are traditionally worn with socks (or without them as well), short trousers and a shirt.


title: Mary Jane (shoe)

text: Children's shoes secured by a strap over the instep and fastened with a buckle or button appeared in the early 20th century. Originally worn by both sexes, they began to be perceived as being mostly for girls during the 1930s in North America and the 1940s in Europe. They were also popular with women in the 1920s.


title: Mary Jane (shoe)

text: Today, Mary Janes for children, particularly the more classic styles, are often considered semi-formal or formal shoes, appropriate for school (many schools worldwide require that girls wear them with their uniform), religious ceremonies, weddings, visits, and birthday parties for example. More modern styles are also worn in casual settings, however: playgrounds, shopping centres, sports (Mary Jane sneakers), etc. Although less popular than in the past, Mary Janes remain a timeless classic of children's fashion and, for many people, a symbol of girlhood.


title: Mary Jane (shoe)

text: Moreover, Mary Janes are a preferred accessory of many traditional or folk costumes, such as those of the flamenco female dancer and of the typical woman in Mao's China and the Kims' North Korea.


title: Mary Jane (shoe)

text: Mary Jane was a character created by Richard Felton Outcault, "Father of the Sunday Comic Strip", for his comic strip "Buster Brown", which was first published in 1902. She was the sister of the title character Buster Brown and was drawn from real life, as she was also Outcault's daughter of the same name. In Outcault's and his daughter's words, she was the only character drawn from life in the Buster Brown strip although "Mrs. Brown" resembled Outcault's wife.


title: Mary Jane (shoe)

text: In 1904, Outcault traveled to the St. Louis World's Fair and sold licenses to up to 200 companies to use the Buster Brown characters to advertise their products. Among them was the Brown Shoe Company, which later hired actors to tour the country, performing as the Buster Brown characters in theaters and stores. This strategy helped the Brown Shoe Company become the most prominently associated brand with the Buster Brown characters. The style of shoe both Buster Brown and Mary Jane wore came to be known by her name, Mary Jane.


title: Mary Jane (shoe)

text: While the classic Mary Jane still retains its wide popularity and appeal, platform style Mary Janes have also evolved since the late 1990s, with 1-cm to 3-cm (½-in to 1-in) outsoles and 8-cm to 13-cm (3-in to 5-in) "chunky" heels, often with exaggerated grommets or buckles. The 1920s-style Mary Janes were a famous part of flappers' ensembles, thus reinforcing the childlike style the flappers had. These styles were especially popular in the United States in the late 1990s and early 2000s, within punk rock, psychobilly and goth subcultures. Many times the wearers would accent the look with knee-high knit socks in dark-colored stripes or patterns and/or some form of hosiery (stockings/pantyhose), and often complete the look with a plaid, pleated schoolgirl-style skirt.


title: Mary Jane (shoe)

text: During the early 2000s, block-heeled Mary Jane shoes were popular in the United Kingdom and were fastened by a rectangular chrome buckle and were made under various brand names such as "No Doubt", "Koi Couture" etc.


title: Mary Jane (shoe)

text: Mary Janes are a popular part of kinderwhore and Lolita fashion. A pump with a strap across the instep may be referred to as a "Mary Jane pump", although it does not have the low heels or wide toe of the original Mary Jane (and a pump is generally strapless by definition).


title: Alex Mack

text: Javon Alexander Mack (born November 19, 1985) is a former American football center. He played college football for the University of California, Berkeley and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the first round with the 21st overall of the 2009 NFL Draft. He also played for the Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers.


title: Alex Mack

text: Mack was born in Los Angeles, California. He attended San Marcos High School in Santa Barbara, where he was named the Channel League's Co-Most Valuable Player on defense and earned a first-team all-league selection. He was also selected to the All-CIF team. In addition to football, Mack wrestled for four years with the Royals, losing only two matches his senior year and reaching the state final. He was a CIF champion as a junior and a senior.


title: Alex Mack

text: Mack played for the California Golden Bears football team while attending the University of California, Berkeley. He made 39 consecutive starts for the Golden Bears registering 256 key blocks/knockdowns, 32 touchdown-resulting blocks and 29 down field blocks. Mack compiled a 3.61 undergraduate GPA at the University of California, Berkeley as a legal studies major. He graduated in 2008 and played the 2008 season as a graduate student in education. He won the Draddy Trophy, also dubbed the "academic Heisman", for his academic success in 2008, becoming the first Cal player and the second consecutive center to earn the trophy, following Dallas Griffin of Texas. He also won the Morris Trophy in 2007 and 2008, making him the third offensive lineman and the first since Washington's Lincoln Kennedy in 1991 and 1992 to win the award twice. Mack also represented Cal at the 2009 Senior Bowl.


title: Alex Mack

text: Projected as a first-to-second rounder by "Sports Illustrated", Mack was the highest ranked center available in the 2009 NFL Draft. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns with the 21st overall selection. He was the first Golden Bears offensive lineman selected in the first round since Tarik Glenn in 1997.


title: Alex Mack

text: Mack signed a five-year contract with the Browns on July 25. During the 2009 NFL season, Mack started on the Browns offensive line every game. After a shaky start, the Browns line, anchored by Joe Thomas, paved the way to three consecutive 100+ yard games by Jerome Harrison and one game in which Harrison ran for 286 yards, which stands at third all-time in one game. At the end of the regular season, Mack was selected as center on the All-Rookie team. He started all 16 games, committed only 1 penalty and allowed just 1 sack.


title: Alex Mack

text: During the 2010 NFL season, Mack again started every game for the Browns. He was named to the 2011 Pro Bowl roster as a second alternate to replace Nick Mangold. During week 5 of the 2011 NFL season, Mack played through appendicitis during a loss to the Tennessee Titans. Mack had an appendectomy during Cleveland's bye week and came back and started against the Oakland Raiders the week after the bye week.


title: Alex Mack

text: On December 27, 2013, Alex Mack was voted to his first Pro Bowl Selection, after having been added in 2011 to replace an injured player.


title: Alex Mack

text: On April 9, 2014, it was announced that the Jacksonville Jaguars had offered Mack a five-year contract, worth reportedly $42 million. The Browns had a maximum of five days to match Jacksonville's offer, which they did on April 11. Mack had been previously assigned the transition tag, nullifying his free agency unless a team signed Mack to an offer sheet. During Week 6 against the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 12, 2014, Mack was carted off the field due to a leg injury. X-rays tested positive that his leg had a broken fibula, forcing Mack out for the rest of the 2014 campaign. Prior to Mack's injury, he had never missed a single snap in his professional career. On March 2, 2016, Mack voided his contract with the Cleveland Browns thus making him a free agent.


title: Alex Mack

text: On March 9, 2016, Mack signed a five-year, $45 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons, including $28.5 million in guaranteed money.


title: Alex Mack

text: In the 2016 season, Mack and the Falcons reached Super Bowl LI , where they faced the New England Patriots. Mack was the starting center in the game for the Falcons. In the Super Bowl, the Falcons fell in a 34–28 overtime defeat.


title: Alex Mack

text: On December 19, 2017, Mack was named to his fifth Pro Bowl. On December 18, 2018, Mack was named to his sixth Pro Bowl.


title: Alex Mack

text: Mack missed Week 16 of the 2020 NFL season due to a concussion, ending a streak of 90 consecutive regular season starts. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on December 31, 2020, and activated on January 13, 2021.


title: Cyber Monday

text: Cyber Monday is a marketing term for e-commerce transactions on the Monday after Thanksgiving in the United States. It was created by retailers to encourage people to shop online. The term was coined by Ellen Davis of the National Retail Federation and Scott Silverman, and made its debut on November 28, 2005, in a Shop.org press release entitled Cyber Monday' Quickly Becoming One of the Biggest Online Shopping Days of the Year". Cyber Monday takes place the Monday after Thanksgiving; the date falls between November 26 and December 2, depending on the year.


title: Cyber Monday

text: Cyber Monday has become the online equivalent to Black Friday and offers a way for smaller retail websites to compete with larger chains. Since its inception, it has become an international marketing term used by online retailers around the world.


title: Cyber Monday

text: According to the Shop.org/Bizrate Research 2005 eHoliday Mood Study, "77 percent of online retailers said that their sales increased substantially on the Monday after Thanksgiving, a trend that is driving serious online discounts and promotions on Cyber Monday this year (2005)".


title: Cyber Monday

text: In 2017, Cyber Monday online sales grew to a record of $6.59 billion, compared with $2.98 billion in 2015, and $2.65 billion in 2014. However, the average order value was $128, down slightly from 2014's $160. The Cyber Monday on November 30, 2020 was the biggest online shopping day in U.S. history with a total of $10.7 billion in online spending.


title: Cyber Monday

text: The term "Cyber Monday" was coined by Ellen Davis, and was first used within the ecommerce community during the 2005 holiday season. According to Scott Silverman, the head of Shop.org, the term was coined based on 2004 research showing "one of the biggest online shopping days of the year" was the Monday after Thanksgiving (12th-biggest day historically). Retailers also noted the most significant shopping period was December 5 through 15 of the previous year. In late November 2005, "The New York Times" reported: "The name Cyber Monday grew out of the observation that millions of otherwise productive working Americans, fresh off a Thanksgiving weekend of window shopping, were returning to high-speed Internet connections at work Monday and buying what they liked." At the time, a lot of people had slow Internet at home. The idea for having such a holiday was created by Tony Valado, in 2003 while working at 1800Flowers.com, and coined "White Wednesday" to be the day before Thanksgiving for online retailers.


title: Cyber Monday

text: According to Argentine press and marked a tenfold growth in users taking advantage of online sales over the previous year.


title: Cyber Monday

text: Beginning at 7 pm AEDT on November 20 in 2012, Australian online retailers decided to hold a similar event for the first time, dubbed "Click Frenzy". Many websites immediately crashed, went offline, or had major server issues, including the Click Frenzy promotion website. David Jones, a major retailer, ran a competing sale dubbed 'Christmas Frenzy' on the same date.


title: Cyber Monday

text: In Belgium, Cyber Monday has gained popularity since 2016. Due to efforts off several major online shops launching large Cyber Monday campaigns, the average revenue during Cyber Monday has increased with 50% compared to the 2015 edition.


title: Cyber Monday

text: Cyber Monday came to Canada in 2008. The "National Post" featured an article published on November 25, 2010, stating that the parity of the Canadian dollar with the US dollar caused many Canadian retailers to have Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales of their own. According to the article, an estimated 80% of Canadians were expected to participate in Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Speculation has been made that with all major US television broadcasters—which are typically available to Canadians—emphasizing Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales for stores that are also doing business in Canada, Canadian retailers needed to mimic sales offerings in order to keep Canadian dollars from being spent in the US.


title: Cyber Monday

text: Chile's first Cyber Monday took place on November 28, 2011. The companies participating in the event are participants in the Santiago Chamber of Commerce's Electronic Commerce Committee. In 2015 the Chilean Cyber Monday had 85 stores participating, 390.000 transactions and US$83 million in sales. 36% of that was mobile. In 2016 Cyber Monday will be held on November 7. 140 companies are registered as official partners.


title: Cyber Monday

text: The first Cyber Monday in Colombia took place on November 26, 2012. It was organized by the Colombian Chamber of Electronic Commerce and sponsored by the Ministry of IT and Telecommunications.


title: Cyber Monday

text: Inspired by the U.S. phenomenon, the term Cyber Monday was first used in France in 2008. France is a country.


title: Cyber Monday

text: Amazon.de announced that it brought Cyber Monday to Germany in 2010. As of 2014, amazon.de continues to advertise Cyber Monday and has extended it to an 8-day period ("Cyber Monday week") beginning on the Monday before Thanksgiving.


title: Cyber Monday

text: India got its own version of the Cyber Monday (Great Online Shopping Festival) on December 12, 2012 when Google India partnered with many e-commerce companies including Flipkart, Snapdeal, HomeShop18, Indiatimes shopping, and MakeMyTrip. Google said that this was the first time an industry-wide initiative of this scale was undertaken. In November 2015, Google announced that the event would not be repeated.


title: Cyber Monday

text: Amazon.co.jp announced it registered as Cyber Monday with Japan Anniversary Association in 2012. Amazon.co.jp ran the Cyber Monday Seven Day Sale from Dec 10 through December 16, 2012.


title: Cyber Monday

text: In the Netherlands, the term Cyber Monday was first used in 2012. Since then, Dutch online retailers have taken advantage of Cyber Monday in promotional purposes, because it is perfectly timed before the celebration of Sinterklaas which is celebrated by buying gifts for each other in Netherlands. Since 2012, the popularity of Cyber Monday has grown strongly every year in the Netherlands. In total there were 105 participating online stores during the Cyber Monday period of 2017. During Cyber Monday 2019 the total of shops increased with 40 to 189 shops in total


title: Cyber Monday

text: Online retailer Belly Beyond held the first Cyber Monday Sale in New Zealand on November 29, 2010. The sale lasted for five days, from Monday to Friday.


title: Cyber Monday

text: In Romania, Cyber Monday is the first Monday after Black Friday, which is held by the biggest retailers one week before the US Black Friday.


title: Cyber Monday

text: In Sweden Cyber Monday is growing rapidly and several of the largest online retailers regularly launch Cyber Monday campaigns. Cyber Monday was first established on larger online retailers in Sweden 2010.


title: Cyber Monday

text: According to a 2009 "The Guardian" article, UK online retailers are now referring to "Cyber Monday" as the busiest internet shopping day of the year that commonly falls on the same day as the US Cyber Monday.


title: Cyber Monday

text: In 2006, comScore reported that online spending on Cyber Monday jumped 25% to $608 million, 21% to $733 million in 2007, and 15% to $846 million in 2008.


title: Cyber Monday

text: In 2009, comScore reported that online spending increased five percent on Cyber Monday to $887 million and that more than half of dollars spent online at US Web sites originated from work computers (52.7 percent), representing a gain of 2.3 percentage points from last year. Buying from home comprised the majority of the remaining share (41.6 percent) while buying from international locations accounted for 5.8 percent. According to comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni, "comScore data have shown that Cyber Monday online sales have always been driven by considerable buying activity from work locations. That pattern hasn't changed. After returning from the long Thanksgiving weekend with a lot of holiday shopping still ahead of them, many consumers tend to continue their holiday shopping from work. Whether to take advantage of the extensive Cyber Monday deals offered by retailers or to buy gifts away from the prying eyes of family members, this day has become an annual ritual for America's online holiday shoppers."


title: Cyber Monday

text: In 2010, comScore reported the first-ever $1 billion online shopping day ($1028M), an increase of 16 percent over 2009. In 2011, comScore reported that Cyber Week saw US consumers spend over $6 billion online from November 28 to December 2. In 2012, comScore reported that Cyber Monday saw a 16% increase in sales from 2011, totaling $1.5 billion. In 2013, Cyber Monday sales continued their growth and recorded their highest grossing day ever at $2.29 billion.


title: Cyber Monday

text: In 2014, the average planned expenditure was $361 per person. 46 percent of people expect to pay with credit cards and 43 percent expect to pay with debit cards. Sales are up 8.1%, according to IBM Digital Analytics. The average order is $131.66, flat with last year, though the number of transactions is up and people are buying more items on average per order.


title: Cyber Monday

text: In 2016, according to Adobe Digital Insights, Cyber Monday hit a new record with $3.45 billion, and which was the first time that online sales in one single day surpassed $3 billion in US history. The numbers went up 12.1% from the previous year.


title: Cyber Monday

text: In 2018, according to Adobe Analytics Cyber Monday hits a record $7.9 billion of online spending which is a 19.3% increase from a year ago.


title: Cyber Monday

text: In 2019, according to Adobe Analytics, Cyber Monday mobile transactions totaled $3.1 billion with total online sales reaching a record $9.4 billion.


title: Cyber Monday

text: U.S. employers have been cracking down on employees using company equipment and company time for non-work-related purposes, including Cyber Monday. As of November 2011, 22% of employers had fired an employee for using the Internet for non-work related activity; 7% of human resource managers surveyed had fired an employee for holiday shopping; and 54% of employers were blocking employees from accessing certain websites. According to CareerBuilder's annual Cyber Monday survey, more than half of workers (53%) say they spend at least some work time holiday shopping on the Internet, up 3% from 2015. Of this group, 43% spend an hour or more doing so, compared to 42% from 2015.


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: Our Lady, Star of the Sea is an ancient title for the Virgin Mary. The words "Star of the Sea" are a translation of the Latin title .


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: The title has been in use since at least the early medieval period. Purportedly arising from a scribal error in a supposed etymology of the name "Mary", it came to be seen as allegorical of Mary's role as "guiding star" on the way to Christ. Under this name, the Virgin Mary is believed to intercede as a guide and protector of seafarers in particular. The Apostleship of the Sea and many coastal churches are named or Star of the Sea.


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: The name "stella maris" is first applied to the Virgin Mary in the manuscript tradition of Saint Jerome's Latin translation of the "Onomasticon" by Eusebius of Caesarea, although this is in fact a misnomer based on a transcription error.


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: For reaching this meaning the Hebrew name (originally pronounced "Maryam", but by Masoretic times pronounced "Miryam") was first rendered into Greek as "Mariam" (). It was this form that was etymologized by Eusebius. He interpreted "Maryām" as "mar-yam" () "drop of the sea", based on "mar", a rare biblical word for "drop". St Jerome adopted this interpretation and translated the name into Latin as "stilla" , "drop of the sea", but at some later stage a copyist transcribed this into , "star of the sea", and this transcription error became widespread.


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: Another opinion states that Jerome himself interpreted the name as meaning "star of the sea" or Stella Maris, by relating it to a Hebrew word for star, (ma'or), from the verb ('or), to be light or shine.


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: The etymologization of the name of Mary as "star of the sea" was widespread by the early medieval period. It is referenced in Isidore's "Etymologiae" (7th century). The plainsong hymn ("Hail, Star of the Sea") dates from about the 8th century. Paschasius Radbertus in the 9th century has an allegorical explanation of the name, writing that Mary is the "Star of the Sea" to be followed on the way to Christ, "lest we capsize amid the storm-tossed waves of the sea."


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: In the medieval period, came to be used as a name of Polaris in its role as lodestar (guiding star, north star); it may have been used as such since Late Antiquity, as it is referred to as "always visible" by Stobaeus in the 5th century, even though it was still some eight degrees removed from the celestial pole at that time.


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: In the twelfth century, Saint Bernard of Clairvaux wrote: "If the winds of temptation arise; if you are driven upon the rocks of tribulation look to the star, call on Mary. If you are tossed upon the waves of pride, of ambition, of envy, of rivalry, look to the star, call on Mary. Should anger, or avarice, or fleshly desire violently assail the frail vessel of your soul, look at the star, call upon Mary."


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: Pope Pius XII, in his encyclical , also quoted Bernard of Clairvaux in saying: "Mary… is interpreted to mean 'Star of the Sea'. This admirably befits the Virgin Mother… (for) as the ray does not diminish the brightness of the star, so neither did the Child born of her tarnish the beauty of Mary's virginity."


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: "Stella maris" was occasionally also used in reference to Christ. Robert Bellarmine (writing c. 1600) deprecated this use of the title, preferring the allegory of Christ as the morning star as the "brightest star of all", classing the less-bright polar star as "paltry" ().


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: The idea of Mary as a guiding star for seafarers has led to devotion to Our Lady, Star of the Sea in many Catholic coastal and fishing communities. Numerous churches, schools and colleges are dedicated to ", Our Lady Star of the Sea," or "Mary, Star of the Sea."


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: Stella Maris Monastery, the foundation house of the Carmelite order, was established on Mount Carmel in Haifa in the early thirteenth century. The abbey was destroyed several times, but a refounded monastery is still considered the headquarters of the order.


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: Devotions to this title of Mary are found in the popular Catholic hymn, "Hail Queen of Heaven, the Ocean Star" and the ancient prayer . The widely sung "Sicilian Mariners Hymn", , also reflects this devotion.


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: Our Lady, Star of the Sea is the patroness of the Netherlands. The Roman Catholic Church honors Our Lady, Star of the Sea, with a feast day assigned to 27 September.


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: The Apostleship of the Sea (AOS) is often known locally as , whom seafarers recognise for providing pastoral, practical and spiritual support via their port chaplains and ship visitors in ports around the world. Our Lady Star of the Sea is the patron of the AOS.


title: Our Lady, Star of the Sea

text: The Apostleship of the Sea has for many years now, been commemorating the Feast of , Our Lady, Star of the Sea, with Mass each year in September for seafarers. It is a day to pray for all seafarers and give thanks for their contribution to global trade. The dates, times and venues of Masses for 2019 in England and Scotland can be found here . At a gathering during the Mass in Westminster Cathedral in 2016, Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols said, "Caring for seafarers is a profoundly Christian thing to do."


title: Carlson Gracie

text: Carlson Gracie (August 13, 1932 – February 1, 2006) was a practitioner of Brazilian jiu-jitsu. A member of the Gracie family, he was the eldest son of Carlos Gracie, and nephew to Hélio Gracie, founders of Gracie jiu-jitsu.


title: Carlson Gracie

text: Carlson Gracie is considered one of the most important and influential Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners. He and his students created various innovative techniques and strategies which revolutionized Jiu-Jitsu. He is also a mixed martial arts pioneer, having participated in multiple vale tudo matches in the 1950s and 1960s. His academy had one of the first programs for specific training for MMA, and many of his students would become world champions and go on to establish their own academies.


title: Carlson Gracie

text: Carlson was an early pioneer in mixed martial arts, founding one of the most successful teams of the era, which spawned many champions. In 2000, following a financial dispute, many of Carlson Gracie's students would split from him to form another MMA team, the Brazilian Top Team. These students were called "creontes" by Carlson Gracie because of perceived lack of loyalty.


title: Carlson Gracie

text: Carlson fought a total of eighteen vale tudo fights, with only one loss to Luta Livre fighter Euclides Pereira in a fight that was held in Bahia. His first fight was on March 17, 1953 against capoeira practitioner Luiz "Cirandinha" Aguiar, apprentice of Mestre Sinhozinho. Carlson won by submission due to mounted strikes after a tough fight. His second match was a draw against another capoeirista, Wilson "Passarito" Oliveira, in May 1953. Carlson had a rematch with Passarito in March 1954 in the longest fight of his career, which he won in the fifth 30 minute round. Most notable are his four matches with Valdemar Santana, who had defeated his uncle Hélio Gracie in a fabled match in May 1955. He beat Santana in the first fight avenging his family. In October 1955 Carlson fought Santana to a draw in a jiu-jitsu match. In 1956 and 1957 Carlson won two fights and in 1959 they fought to a draw.


title: Carlson Gracie

text: Carlson Gracie trained many top competitors, including, among many others, Ricardo De La Riva, Allan Goes, Murilo Bustamante, Mário Sperry, Wallid Ismail, Pablo Popovitch, , André Pederneiras, and Ricardo Liborio. He was also responsible for introducing Vitor Belfort to Gracie jiu-jitsu.


title: Carlson Gracie

text: Carlson Gracie trained Stephan Bonnar, a finalist in the UFC reality show The Ultimate Fighter 1. He was in Bonnar's corner during his fight against eventual The Ultimate Fighter winner Forrest Griffin. He is the author of a book on the subject of Jiu Jitsu titled "Brazilian jiu-jitsu: For Experts Only," which includes his student Julio "Foca" Fernandez.


title: Carlson Gracie

text: The oldest son of Carlos Gracie, who founded Gracie jiu-jitsu in Rio de Janeiro during the 1920s, Carlson reigned as world champion for thirty years covering the '50s, '60s and '70s.


title: Carlson Gracie

text: Carlson catapulted to fame at the age of 23 when he avenged the defeat of his uncle Helio Gracie. A former student of Helio's, Waldemar Santana, had defeated the much older Helio during a match in 1955. That match lasted four hours. Carlson's rematch with Santana in 1956 was a much shorter affair: four rounds of vicious vale-tudo combat came to draw.


title: Carlson Gracie

text: Carlson's influence on no-holds-barred fighting and mixed martial arts is extensive as well, for the style of jiu-jitsu he taught at his academy was distinct from that being taught by Helio. While Helio's brand of jiu-jitsu emphasized defensive techniques aiming to allow the smaller and weaker to defeat the stronger opponent, Carlson and his brothers Carley Gracie and Rolls Gracie favored a much more active, 'warrior style' of jiu-jitsu that encouraged physical prowess and barraging your opponent with a series of attacks.


title: Carlson Gracie

text: Some of Carlson's lineage can be seen in the creation of some of the greatest MMA gyms in the world: Brazilian Top Team, Nova União and American Top Team were all founded by Carlson Gracie's black belts.


title: Carlson Gracie

text: Carlson Gracie died on February 1, 2006, in Chicago, Illinois, of heart failure, apparently the result of complications of kidney stones (and possibly his pre-existing diabetes), following a hospitalization of several days. At the time of his death he was a ninth degree red belt and was referred to as Grandmaster.


title: Carlson Gracie

text: Carlson had 3 children; Rosane, Karen & Carlson Gracie Jr. He had two grandchildren. Julia by Karen, and Carlson III by Carlson Jr.


title: Carlson Gracie

text: Gracie was a close friend of fellow martial artist and Wing Chun Grandmaster Samuel Kwok. The two often touring and holding seminars together before his passing.


title: Black oxide

text: Black oxide or blackening is a conversion coating for ferrous materials, stainless steel, copper and copper based alloys, zinc, powdered metals, and silver solder. It is used to add mild corrosion resistance, for appearance, and to minimize light reflection. To achieve maximal corrosion resistance the black oxide must be impregnated with oil or wax. One of its advantages over other coatings is its minimal buildup.


title: Black oxide

text: A standard black oxide is magnetite (FeO), which is more mechanically stable on the surface and provides better corrosion protection than red oxide (rust) FeO. Modern industrial approaches to forming black oxide include the hot and mid-temperature processes described below. Traditional methods are described in the article on bluing. They are of interest historically, and are also useful for hobbyists to form black oxide safely with little equipment and without toxic chemicals.


title: Black oxide

text: Low temperature oxide, also described below, is not a conversion coating—the low-temperature process does not oxidize the iron, but deposits a copper selenium compound.


title: Black oxide

text: Hot baths of sodium hydroxide (NaOH), nitrates such as sodium nitrate (), and/or nitrites such as sodium nitrite (NaNO) at are used to convert the surface of the material into magnetite (FeO). Water must be periodically added to the bath, with proper controls to prevent a steam explosion.


title: Black oxide

text: Hot blackening involves dipping the part into various tanks. The workpiece is usually dipped by automated part carriers for transportation between tanks. These tanks contain, in order, alkaline detergent, water, sodium hydroxide at (the blackening compound), and finally the sealant, which is usually oil.


title: Black oxide

text: The NaOH (caustic soda) and elevated temperature cause FeO (black oxide) to form on the surface of the metal instead of FeO (red oxide; rust). While it is physically denser than red oxide, the fresh black oxide is porous, so oil is then applied as post treatment to the heated part, which seals it by "sinking" into it. The combination prevents corrosion of the workpiece. There are many advantages of blackening, including:


title: Black oxide

text: The oldest and most widely used specification for hot black oxide is MIL-DTL-13924, which covers four classes of processes for different substrates. Alternate specifications include AMS 2485, ASTM D769, and ISO 11408.


title: Black oxide

text: Iron(III) chloride (FeCl) may also be used for steel blackening by dipping a piece of steel into a hot bath of 50% FeCl solution and then into a hot boiling water. The process is usually repeated several times.


title: Black oxide

text: Like hot black oxide, mid-temperature black oxide converts the surface of the metal to magnetite (FeO). However, mid-temperature black oxide blackens at a temperature of , significantly less than hot black oxide. This is advantageous because it is below the solution's boiling point, meaning there are no caustic fumes produced.


title: Black oxide

text: Since mid-temperature black oxide is most comparable to hot black oxide, it also can meet the military specification MIL-DTL-13924, as well as AMS 2485.


title: Black oxide

text: Cold black oxide, also known as room temperature black oxide, is applied at a temperature of . It is not an oxide conversion coating, but rather a deposited copper selenide (CuSe) compound. Cold black oxide is convenient for in-house blackening. This coating produces a similar color to the one the oxide conversion does, but tends to rub off easily and offers less abrasion resistance. The application of oil, wax, or lacquer brings the corrosion resistance up to par with the hot and mid-temperature. One application for cold black oxide process is in tooling and architectural finishing on steel. It is also known as cold bluing.


title: Black oxide

text: Black oxide for copper, sometimes known by the trade name "Ebonol C", converts the copper surface to cupric oxide. For the process to work the surface has to have at least 65% copper; for copper surfaces that have less than 90% copper it must first be pretreated with an activating treatment. The finished coating is chemically stable and very adherent. It is stable up to ; above this temperature the coating degrades due to oxidation of the base copper. To increase corrosion resistance, the surface may be oiled, lacquered, or waxed. It is also used as a pre-treatment for painting or enamelling. The surface finish is usually satin, but it can be turned glossy by coating in a clear high-gloss enamel.


title: Black oxide

text: On a microscopic scale dendrites form on the surface finish, which trap light and increase absorptivity. Because of this property the coating is used in aerospace, microscopy and other optical applications to minimise light reflection.


title: Black oxide

text: In printed circuit boards (PCBs), the use of black oxide provides better adhesion for the fiberglass laminate layers. The PCB is dipped in a bath containing hydroxide, hypochlorite, and cuprate, which becomes depleted in all three components. This indicates that the black copper oxide comes partially from the cuprate and partially from the PCB copper circuitry. Under microscopic examination, there is no copper(I) oxide layer.


title: Black oxide

text: Hot black oxide for stainless steel is a mixture of caustic, oxidizing, and sulfur salts. It blackens 300 and 400 series and the precipitation-hardened 17-4 PH stainless steel alloys. The solution can be used on cast iron and mild low-carbon steel. The resulting finish complies with military specification MIL-DTL–13924D Class 4 and offers abrasion resistance. Black oxide finish is used on surgical instruments in light-intensive environments to reduce eye fatigue.


title: Black oxide

text: Room-temperature blackening for stainless steel occurs by auto-catalytic reaction of copper-selenide depositing on the stainless-steel surface. It offers less abrasion resistance and the same corrosion protection as the hot blackening process.


title: Yandex Maps

text: Yandex Maps () is a Russian web mapping service developed by Yandex. The service provides detailed maps of the whole world, it provides directions and estimated times of arrival for driving, walking, cycling, kick scooter, and public transportation navigation. It includes a search, information about traffic jams, routing and street panoramas. The service was launched in 2004.


title: Yandex Maps

text: Yandex Maps is the most popular cartographic service in Russia. It has about 11.5 million users in Russia per month, and over 20 million worldwide.


title: Yandex Maps

text: The service initially had maps only of Russia and Ukraine, but now includes world maps. Detailed maps were initially provided for Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Kyiv. Originally, the program could not be used to search for address but only establishments.


title: Yandex Maps

text: Maps are available in four versions: maps, satellite images, satellite images with captions, and legend (hybrid).


title: Yandex Maps

text: Users can measure distance and get directions by dragging between spots on a map. The search is available by both geographical objects (addresses, streets, cities, regions and countries) and by organizations. The illumination of the district, city or region is available after searching the organization on the site.


title: Yandex Maps

text: On Yandex Maps it is possible to view street panoramas. There are street view even of Pripyat and Chernobyl. In 2016 a "street view" of Everest was photographed.


title: Yandex Maps

text: Users can make new data on the map with the help of the Yandex Map editor. In geographies where it is hard to find providers of good map data, user contributions could be used to increase map quality. Any registered Yandex user can edit the map through a simple web editor pending edit moderation.


title: Yandex Maps

text: The editing interface also allows for additional data to be added to certain categories of objects, such as the height of buildings, the direction of traffic at the roads, hours of operation, phone numbers etc.


title: Yandex Maps

text: Yandex Traffic is a feature on Yandex Maps that displays traffic conditions in real time on major roads and highways. It can be viewed at the Yandex Maps website, or via the app.


title: Yandex Maps

text: Yandex Traffic works by analyzing the GPS-determined locations transmitted to Yandex by a large number of mobile phone users. By calculating the speed of users along a length of road, Yandex is able to generate a live traffic map. It processes the incoming raw data about mobile phone device locations, and then excludes anomalies such as a postal vehicle that makes frequent stops. When a threshold of users in a particular area is noted, the overlay along roads and highways on the map changes color.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Hard Rock Hotel and Casino was a resort located near the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada. It now operates as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. The resort is located on on the corner of Harmon Avenue and Paradise Road, about a mile east of the Las Vegas Strip. At the time of its closure, the Hard Rock included 1,506 rooms across several hotel towers, a casino, and a music venue known as The Joint. It had also hosted a weekly pool party event known as Rehab.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Plans for a Hard Rock hotel were announced in 1991, and the resort opened on March 10, 1995, as the world's first rock and roll-themed hotel. The Hard Rock Hotel began as a joint venture between Hard Rock Cafe founder Peter Morton and Harveys. Following disagreements, Morton bought out Harveys' share of the resort in 1997. A new 11-story hotel tower was added in 1999, as part of a $100 million renovation.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Hard Rock was featured in various media, including television shows and music videos. It was also a frequent source of controversy and legal problems. In the 2000s, drugs and sexual conduct were common issues at the resort's nightclubs and pool area. The Hard Rock was also criticized for its advertising. The resort catered to a younger demographic, and it began using risqué advertising to compete against the Palms resort, which opened in 2001. However, such advertising led to a complaint from the Nevada Gaming Control Board in 2004. The board alleged that the Hard Rock ads promoted casino cheating and drug use, and a battle ensued over the resort's free-speech rights. The complaint was eventually settled.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In 2004, Morton announced plans to add a $1 billion condo hotel, but this was canceled after he received purchase offers on the Hard Rock. Morgans Hotel Group and DLJ Merchant Banking Partners bought the resort in 2007, and Morgans handled operations. A $750 million renovation and expansion project began in 2007, and was completed three years later. The project added two additional hotel towers, as well as new restaurants and nightclubs.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Morgans ended its involvement with the resort in 2011, when it was sold to Brookfield Asset Management with Warner Gaming as the operator. Virgin Hotels and a group of investors purchased the Hard Rock in 2018 and announced plans to renovate and rebrand it as a Virgin hotel. The Hard Rock closed on February 3, 2020, for renovations. Virgin Hotels Las Vegas opened on March 25, 2021.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: A Hard Rock Cafe opened in September 1990, on the southeast corner of the property that would eventually include the Hard Rock resort. The restaurant entrance featured a 45-foot-tall Gibson Les Paul guitar sign. The Hard Rock hotel-casino was announced on June 5, 1991, as the first such project in the company's history. It would be built beside the restaurant. Company co-founder Peter Morton said, "We did a lot of marketing studies. Everything gave us an extremely strong indication that there are a lot of 30-year-olds in America who go to Bruce Springsteen concerts and like to gamble." Groundbreaking was scheduled for later that year, with a planned opening in late 1992 or early 1993. The casino would be developed and managed by Harrah's Casino Hotels, the gaming subsidiary of Promus Companies. Plans to build the project with Harrah's were later abandoned.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In September 1993, Hard Rock announced a partnership with the Lake Tahoe-based Harvey's Hotel & Casino. They formed a new corporation and planned to begin construction of the Hard Rock hotel-casino later that year for an opening in December 1994. Harvey's (also spelled "Harveys") had previously made an attempt to purchase the Bally's resort in Reno, Nevada, in 1992. Harveys' banker had also been working separately on the original Hard Rock deal between Morton and Harrah's. When the latter deal also did not work out, the banker brought Morton and Harveys together to partner on the Hard Rock project. Harveys arranged the project's financing through a consortium of six banks led by First Interstate Bank of Nevada. Morton was a majority shareholder in the project, with a 60 percent interest. Harvey's held the remaining 40 percent and also managed the property, including the casino, with a contract that was to last until March 1998. The property for the eventual resort was co-owned by Paul Lowden of Santa Fe Gaming, and the land was sold to the Hard Rock developers in 1994. A groundbreaking ceremony took place on February 23, 1994. Attendees included Nevada governor Bob Miller and singers B.B. King, Eddie Van Halen, Chris Isaak, and Robin Wilson. The opening was on track for December 1994. The Hard Rock was built at 4455 Paradise Road, at a cost of $90 million.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Hard Rock Hotel ultimately opened on the night of March 10, 1995, with a grand opening event attended by various celebrities. The resort included a casino and an 11-story hotel with 339 rooms. The Hard Rock was small compared to megaresorts located on the nearby Las Vegas Strip. Morton disliked the emerging trend of megaresorts in Las Vegas and described the Hard Rock as a smaller alternative. Approximately 12,500 people applied for jobs at the new resort, and 950 were selected to staff it. The resort intended to target the Generation X demographic. It was the world's first rock and roll-themed hotel, and the grand opening included performances by Al Green, Sheryl Crow, and the Eagles. The Joint was the Hard Rock's 1,200-seat concert venue, which held rock concerts. Aside from the guitar sign at the nearby cafe, the resort had its own giant guitar located atop the porte-cochère. It was the world's largest Fender Stratocaster guitar. Danny Way later performed a skateboarding stunt in which he dropped onto a ramp from a platform positioned near the top of the guitar sign.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The property had environmentally friendly features, including low-flow toilets, biodegradable cleaning products used by housekeepers, laundry and pool water recycled for irrigation, automatic shut-off valves on each of the public faucets, recycle bins located throughout the resort, and the donation of leftover food to charities. In addition, the earnings from certain slot machines were donated to environmental organizations such as Conservation International and Rainforest Foundation. T-shirts featuring the Hard Rock logo were sold at the resort and proved to be popular. In its first year of operation, the Hard Rock earned more revenue from the T-shirts than its hotel rooms.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: A planned 350-room expansion was on hold as of October 1996, due to disagreements between Morton and executives of Harvey's Casino Resorts. The disagreements related to the management of the Hard Rock, the timetable for expanding the resort, and the marketing of the property. Morton had purchased an option that year to buy an adjacent parcel occupied by Las Vegas Discount Golf & Tennis, which would be replaced by the intended expansion of the Hard Rock. However, Morton reportedly did not want to approve the expansion while he was in the process of extending Harveys' management contract. Morton later said that Harveys did not want to proceed with the expansion because of differences with him.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In mid-1997, it was announced that Morton would purchase Harveys' share of the resort for $45 million. The deal included paying Harveys $24.2 million to end the managing agreement, and another $20.7 million to buy Harveys' stake in Hard Rock Hotel common stock. At the time, the resort was considered overwhelmingly successful. The sale was approved by the Nevada Gaming Control Board and the Nevada Gaming Commission in October 1997. The purchase increased Morton's ownership to 90 percent, while the remainder was held by investors such as film producer Jon Avnet and MTV chairman Tom Freston. That month, Morton had plans for an expansion that would include a new hotel tower, a six-story parking garage, a health spa, and an enlargement of the Hard Rock Beach Club. Morton also planned to add four new restaurants, as hotel guests would frequently get tired of the limited dining options and would often leave the premises to eat elsewhere. Morton said the casino, which had 800 slot machines, would perform better with new restaurants and additional rooms. Morton purchased the land owned by Las Vegas Discount Golf & Tennis for $8.5 million, and the sale increased the Hard Rock's total property size to more than 18 acres. The $85 million expansion was expected to begin in early 1998.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The new 11-story hotel tower opened on May 10, 1999, with 330 rooms for a total of 670. The expansion cost a final total of $100 million, and included 35 suites, four new restaurants, the Baby's nightclub, of meeting space, and a bigger pool. Morton had county approval to add another 350-room tower, but he felt that such an addition would hamper the Hard Rock's boutique hotel nature: "I think if we grew this much larger ... it would definitely lose that intimacy and that ability to make the product personal." Morton said the Hard Rock's limited size was inspired by Las Vegas hotels of the 1950s, which were smaller than the newer megaresorts that had become common on the Las Vegas Strip. The expansion also included the Hard Rock Athletic Club and RockSpa. A two-day celebration was held to showcase the expansion, which brought increased revenue.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Hard Rock hosted its first boxing match in August 1999, between David Reid and Keith Mullings. That month, the Hard Rock laid off approximately 75 employees, reportedly because Morton was disappointed with the resort's financial results following the expansion. However, Morton said the resort was performing well. In late 1999, Morton invested an additional $28 million in the Hard Rock. A new general manager, Rick Richards, was named in August 2000.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In late 2000, the Hard Rock began a one-year, $8 million renovation of the 339 rooms in the original hotel tower. The Palms resort opened in Las Vegas in 2001, and it competed with the Hard Rock, where the targeted clientele consisted of young adults. The Hard Rock tried to stay competitive by paying for top-dollar musicians such as The Rolling Stones and Ozzy Osbourne. Howard Stern also hosted his radio show at the Hard Rock on several occasions, from 2001 to 2004. Richards resigned his position as general manager in September 2001, and the hotel was subsequently operated by a committee of executives until the following year. Another new general manager, Don Marrandino, was named in early 2002, becoming at least the fifth person to hold the position since the Hard Rock's opening. Morton had a reputation for being a perfectionist who was difficult to please. During the second quarter of 2002, the Hard Rock spent $600,000 on entertainment and marketing expenses, including a national advertising campaign. The expenses brought increased revenue, and the resort had plans to eventually add extra banquet space, several new high roller suites, and a few additional floors in the parking garage.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: John Entwistle, the bassist for The Who, died of a heart attack in a suite at the Hard Rock on June 27, 2002. Entwistle and the band were scheduled to perform at the Joint the next day to kick off a North American tour. The hotel declined to publicly identify the number of the room where Entwistle died, and it turned down dozens of requests from people wanting to stay in the room days after his death. The room was made available again four days later, although the hotel still withheld its location. It was later revealed to be room number 658.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Hard Rock refinanced its bonds in May 2003, raising approximately $25 million for expansion work over the next two years. A parking garage expansion began in 2003, after years of consideration. The expansion cost $4 million and it increased the six-story garage to eight stories. The expanded garage would alleviate past issues regarding a lack of parking, as concert-goers at the Joint would frequently occupy most of the resort's parking for prolonged periods of time. There were also plans to expand the convention and meeting space, but not the hotel. The resort's chief financial officer said it was unlikely that the hotel would ever exceed 800 rooms, because of a desire to maintain the resort's small scale and because of lack of space. The garage expansion was completed in January 2004, and added 280 new parking spaces. Construction on additional meeting space was delayed while hotel officials evaluated whether to add a new hotel tower, which would be built simultaneously with the meeting facility.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: An email marketing campaign was launched in December 2003, targeting 250,000 Hard Rock subscribers. The goal of the campaign was to have customers reserve rooms directly with the resort, bypassing online bookers. The first two days of the campaign produced the highest number of direct reservations in the hotel's history. In 2004, a multimillion-dollar marketing campaign was being planned to promote the resort's image as a party environment, with young adults as the target demographic. The Hard Rock launched a second, successful email marketing campaign later that year.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In July 2004, the Hard Rock was considering a purchase of 23 acres located directly west of the resort. The property was occupied by the Paradise Bay Club apartments, with nearly 550 units. The land would be used for an expansion of the Hard Rock. Morton purchased the adjacent property in September 2004, at a cost of $86 million. That month, Morton announced plans for a $1 billion condo hotel addition, consisting of four towers with a total of at least 1,500 units, to be built on the newly acquired property. At the time, Las Vegas was experiencing a condominium boom. Morton described the new project as a chance for people to own "a little piece of the Hard Rock." Other features in the project would include restaurants, retail shops, nightclubs, and a health spa. Construction was expected to begin in 2005, with completion of the first phase in 2006.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In March 2005, early planning work was underway on the proposed expansion, which was scheduled to open in mid-2007. Part of the expansion would include a relocated and expanded version of the Joint that would also open in 2007, while the original Joint would be demolished, to make room for new casino space. Supermodel Claudia Schiffer and her husband Matthew Vaughn purchased a $2.5 million suite in one of the planned towers.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Hard Rock celebrated its 10th anniversary on April 30, 2005, with concerts by Nine Inch Nails and Bon Jovi. Various celebrity guests were also in attendance at the resort for its anniversary. The late celebration was timed to coincide with the opening weekend of the Wynn resort on the Las Vegas Strip. During the weekend celebration, Morton unveiled further details about the proposed residential expansion, which was unanimously approved by the county in May 2005.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: By October 2005, the Hard Rock had secured a $1.25 billion loan from Credit Suisse First Boston for the intended expansion. The project was expected to begin construction later in the year and would consist of three elements: The Residences, a luxury condominium property with 372 units spread across three high-rise towers; The Flats, an 800-room condo hotel; and The Bungalows, consisting of 36 private beachside villas. By the end of 2005, the proposed residential project had reached $800 million in advance sales.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Morton announced the postponement of the residential project on February 23, 2006, stating that he had received offers to sell the Hard Rock to new owners. The sale would include the 23 acres intended for the expansion, which Morton delayed as it was unclear what the new buyers would want to do with the property. In addition, Morton's prospective partner had pulled out of the residential project, which was ultimately cancelled. Construction had been expected to begin in 2006, with completion in 2008. Morton's sudden announcement of the sale was unexpected for many of the resort's employees. MGM Mirage considered purchasing the resort and the Hard Rock Cafe. The Rank Group, which owned the Hard Rock Cafe chain, also considered purchasing the Hard Rock Hotel.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: On May 11, 2006, Morton announced that he would sell the Hard Rock and the 23 acres to Morgans Hotel Group for $770 million. Morton believed it was the right time to sell, saying he was pleased with the offer price and that, "I just sort of felt there came a point in my life where I wanted to do more with my life and re-evaluate things. I want to do some different things." As part of the deal, Morgans retained the rights to use the "Hard Rock" name for hotels and casinos in the Western United States and certain other territories. Morgans planned to raise the resort's hotel room rates to increase revenue, and intended to appeal to a more affluent clientele who would also spend money on the resort's gaming and restaurants. Morgans did not have any immediate or specific plans for the vacant property adjacent to the Hard Rock.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Analysts and investors were initially skeptical about Morgans' financial ability to purchase the Hard Rock, as the company was a boutique hotel operator with only eight properties. In November 2006, Morgans announced that it had signed an agreement with Credit Suisse's DLJ Merchant Banking Partners to help finance its purchase of the Hard Rock. Through the deal, the two companies would form a joint venture, Hard Rock Holdings, which would own the resort. DLJ and its affiliates would invest up to $250 million in Hard Rock Holdings.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Hard Rock Hotel was Morgans' first casino venture. Morgans announced that Golden Gaming would temporarily operate the casino, until Morgans received its own gaming license, a process that was expected to take about a year. Golden Gaming was approved as the interim casino operator by Nevada gaming regulators in January 2007. Golden Gaming would receive a management fee to operate the casino and could share part of the gaming revenue after expenses. The balance of any revenue from the casino would be placed in an escrow account which would go to Morgans once it became licensed to operate the casino. In addition, around 520 of the Hard Rock's employees would be loaned to Golden Gaming for the casino operations. The deal was described by gaming regulators as being somewhat uncommon.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The $770 million purchase of the Hard Rock was completed on February 2, 2007, after nearly nine months. DLJ invested $100 million to help fund the purchase of the Hard Rock, gaining a two-thirds investment in the resort. Morgans contributed $50 million to $60 million for a one-third stake, and also operated the non-gaming areas of the resort. The resort's environmental efforts were continued under the new ownership.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Details for a $750 million expansion and renovation project were unveiled in March 2007. The project would double the size of the resort with additional hotel rooms, convention space, and a larger concert venue. The hotel expansion would consist of a 15-story tower with 550 rooms and a separate VIP tower with 400 suites. The expansion was scheduled to begin construction in October 2007 for completion in mid-2009, although renovations to the existing hotel rooms and restaurants began immediately. The Hard Rock remained open during the renovation project. NRFC HRH, an entity of NorthStar Realty Finance Corporation, provided $100 million as part of a $1.36 billion loan that was used to finance the 2007 purchase and the subsequent renovation and expansion.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: New York architect Mark Zeff designed the property's existing and future facilities. Zeff wanted to give the resort an "elegant, young vibe." A renovation of the hotel's 64 suites, located on the hotel's 11th floor, began in June 2007. Zeff had four different redesigns which were implemented into the suites as a way of gauging how customers react to them, ahead of construction for the new hotel towers. The new towers were intended to target boutique hotel customers who visit the Hard Rock but may stay at more upscale hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. The Hard Rock performed better than expected in the first full quarter of its new ownership.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: As part of the expansion, the Paradise Bay Club apartments would be closed and demolished. The apartments would be replaced by new parking for employees and guests, and the land would also serve as a temporary staging area for construction. The expansion would ultimately utilize only 8 of the 23 acres, and the remaining acreage would be left vacant with the future possibility of development. Meanwhile, the parking lot located in front of the resort along Paradise Road would be replaced by of convention and meeting space, as well as the new and enlarged Joint. The original Joint, capable of holding 2,000 people during concerts, would be opened up to make room for of new casino space, for a new total of . The new Joint was built on what used to be 300 parking spaces. The Paradise Bay Club apartments were closed in July 2007, and demolition was underway the following month. A groundbreaking ceremony had been planned for August 7, 2007, but was postponed as hotel officials wanted to wait a few months for a backdrop that would be more photogenic. In addition to a parking garage, the former apartment land would also be used for the new hotel towers.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Morgans was licensed to operate the casino in January 2008, ending its agreement with Golden Gaming. Renovations on the upper-floor suites were finished, while lower-floor suites were in the process of being upgraded. The resort initially performed well, despite the presence of construction vehicles and disruptions caused by the renovation work. To prevent traffic problems, much of the construction work was ended each day around 12:30 p.m. By June 2008, construction was underway on the new, northern hotel tower, which had reached the fourth floor. Later that year, construction began on the south tower.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: During the Great Recession in 2008, Morgans Hotel Group began gradually reducing its equity in the Hard Rock joint venture, and the resort suffered financially as a result of the recession. As of August 2008, Morgans held a 20 percent stake in the resort. The Hard Rock took advantage of the recession by hiring skilled construction workers who otherwise would have been busy working on other projects, if not for the economic slowdown. Construction proceeded ahead of schedule, with 1,600 workers and M.J. Dean as the general contractor. The company had worked on a previous expansion of the Hard Rock as well. Later in 2008, the Hard Rock experienced its largest quarterly revenue drop under its new ownership. The poor revenue was attributed to decreased consumer spending as well as disruptions caused by the ongoing expansion work.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The 17-story north tower, with 479 rooms, was topped off on October 24, 2008. The 15-story south tower was topped off on February 6, 2009, and approximately of meeting space was added. In May 2009, Morgans announced that due to declining revenue caused by the recession, it would reduce its ownership stake to 14 percent by the end of the year. Despite decreased revenue, plans remained on track to open the new hotel towers, which had already been fully financed. The Hard Rock planned to hire 1,200 people to operate the new additions to the resort. This would include 800 employees who would be split between the two new hotel towers. More than 3,800 people interviewed for the 800 available job positions.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Paradise Tower, located on the north portion of the property, opened ahead of schedule in July 2009. Despite the recession, the hotel was performing well because of the new Joint and convention space, and the additional rooms were considered a necessity. The tower opened with 479 rooms, while 10 suites and a penthouse would be finished the following month.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In August 2009, the Hard Rock Hotel was in discussions with its lenders to delay the upcoming maturity date on its $1 billion loan, from February 2010 to February 2014. The extension was granted at the end of 2009. The south hotel tower, the HRH Tower, opened on December 28, 2009. With the towers complete, the Hard Rock Hotel had a new total of 1,506 rooms. The original hotel towers, which are connected, became known as the Casino Tower. The $750 million renovation and expansion project was completed in 2010, and the resort had approximately 2,800 employees. Additional restaurants and nightclubs were among the new features added during the expansion.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In March 2010, the resort's chief operating officer of three years committed suicide. Fred Kleisner, the chief executive officer of Morgans, took over the position temporarily. A permanent replacement was announced in June 2010, after a dozen potential candidates from around the world had been interviewed for the job. The Hard Rock continued to experience financial difficulties during 2010, and the resort ultimately turned out to be a costly investment for Morgans and DLJ.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In February 2011, NorthStar filed a notice of foreclosure against the resort regarding its earlier $100 million loan. The dispute related to an alleged agreement that the Hard Rock made to rent out its entertainment venues, which NorthStar claimed to be a violation of the loan provisions. The Hard Rock filed a lawsuit against NorthStar, claiming that the latter had no right to foreclose on the resort. The Hard Rock's lawsuit also alleged that the foreclosure process was being rushed. NorthStar subsequently stated that the resort missed a monthly loan payment of $460,000 that was due at the beginning of the month, with $96.2 million still owed in total.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: NorthStar contacted 160 prospective buyers, and planned to have Navegante Group operate the resort in the event of foreclosure. A public foreclosure auction of the resort was scheduled for February 2011, but it was cancelled after NorthStar and the Hard Rock came to an agreement. The deal would give the Hard Rock until the end of the month to continue negotiations with NorthStar.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In late February 2011, Nevada regulators approved a plan for the Las Vegas-based Warner Gaming to take over operations of the resort from Morgans Hotel Group. Through the deal, Hard Rock Hotel lender Brookfield Asset Management would also invest additional capital in the resort and take over the stake held by Morgans. The deal was finalized in March 2011, and the debt was restructured to approximately $897 million. Brookfield's purchase included the property occupied by the adjacent Hard Rock Cafe, but the restaurant itself remained under the ownership of Hard Rock International. The Hard Rock Hotel experienced another year of financial loss in 2011, because of the poor local economy and new competition from the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, which targeted the same demographic of young, hip people. However, financial losses for the year were not as bad as 2010.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In 2012, the Hard Rock began hosting the annual AVN Adult Entertainment Expo, which would return to the resort each subsequent year. In 2012, Brookfield and Warner Gaming were nearing completion on various renovations, including a new restaurant, the Vinyl music venue, and additional gaming space. The project cost between $20-$30 million. The Hard Rock regained an interest among people between the ages of 25 and 40. The increase in this demographic was attributed to the AVN expo, a Mötley Crüe mini residency at the Joint, and the resort's hosting of the Dew Tour. Actor Ben Affleck, a longtime gambler at the Hard Rock, was permanently banned from the casino's blackjack tables in May 2014, on suspicions of card counting.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The casino's Center Bar closed in June 2015, for remodeling. The circular-shaped bar was built in the center of the casino and was opened in 1995, with the rest of the resort. The Center Bar had been popular among celebrities and local residents, but it was also largely unchanged since its opening, prompting the renovation project. The expanded Center Bar opened several months later, and it subsequently began hosting DJs.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Although the Joint was built as a music venue, it was also frequently being used as convention space, with groups often competing for the venue. At the suggestion of convention clients, the Hard Rock began construction on additional convention space in October 2015. The expansion was built on a Hard Rock parking lot located along Paradise Road. The addition was topped off in May 2016, and it was finished by 2017, adding . A renovation was also completed on 575 rooms in the Casino Tower, and the resort added a large hair salon as well.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Hard Rock Cafe closed on December 31, 2016, as Hard Rock International wanted to focus efforts on its newer location at the nearby Showcase Mall. The café sat vacant for several years, and its Gibson Les Paul guitar sign was disassembled in October 2017. YESCO had built the sign and rented it to Hard Rock International while the restaurant was in operation. The sign was refurbished and put on display at the city's Neon Museum in 2019.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In early 2018, construction was underway on a 700-seat venue to host , a live stage show scheduled to open later that year. Base Entertainment was constructing the facility on land adjacent to the café.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In March 2018, the Hard Rock was purchased by Virgin Hotels in partnership with a group of investment firms. JC Hospitality became the majority owner of the resort. At the time of the sale, plans were announced to renovate the property and rebrand it as Virgin Hotels Las Vegas by late 2019, later delayed to 2020. Following the purchase, Base Entertainment pulled out of the plans for The Voice: Neon Dreams, leaving the facility only partially built.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: It was announced in August 2019 that the Hard Rock would close for approximately eight months beginning in early February 2020, to allow for the renovations to take place. Initially, the resort was to remain partially open during renovations, but it was determined that a full closure would be more efficient. As part of the Virgin project, the Hard Rock Cafe was demolished in November 2019, making room for landscaping, additional valet parking, and vehicle for hire companies.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Hard Rock Hotel closed on February 3, 2020. Casino operations began shutting down around 1:00 a.m., and the resort was fully closed at 6:00 p.m. with a brief ceremony in which the entrance doors were chained shut. A four-day celebration, The Last Great Party, was held in the days leading up to the Hard Rock's closure. The celebration included free live music, discounted food and drinks, and a chance for guests to win memorabilia. A Super Bowl LIV party was also held at the resort. The Hard Rock's hotel furniture was sold to the public. Approximately 14,000 people had worked at the Hard Rock over the course of its history. At the time of its closure, the Hard Rock had 1,850 employees, who had the option of returning to their original jobs once the property reopens. By March 2020, the hotel's guitar sign had been disassembled and was in the process of being sold to an interested buyer. Virgin Hotels Las Vegas eventually opened on March 25, 2021, after several delays.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Hard Rock featured various memorabilia in conjunction with its music theme. Warwick Stone was the longtime curator for the Hard Rock Hotel and Hard Rock International. At the time of its opening, the resort contained $2 million worth of music memorabilia, including concert outfits worn by Aerosmith, Lenny Kravitz, Madonna, and Van Halen. The Hard Rock also had a display dedicated to Kurt Cobain, and a piece of the plane that Otis Redding died in. Other items included one of Elton John's pianos, a drum kit used by Stone Temple Pilots, and the shoeshine stand that James Brown worked at as a child. Casino chips featured the likenesses of rock musicians such as Jimi Hendrix and Bob Seger. The resort's Viva Las Vegas Lounge featured a façade with screens showing music videos. Other music-themed features included a piano-shaped roulette table and a chandelier made of gold saxophones.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: As of December 1998, the Hard Rock's collection of musical memorabilia totaled more than 10,000 items, including guitars autographed by Bob Dylan and George Michael. Other items included an Elvis Presley jumpsuit and black acoustic guitar which were worth $300,000. The Hard Rock also had a collection of various Beatles memorabilia worth more than $100,000. The oldest item in the collection was a Les Paul guitar from around 1955 that had been played by Bill Haley. Many of the items came from musicians who performed at the Joint. Because of a lack of space, some items were stored in warehouses and were expected to be put on display at the Hard Rock once the 1999 expansion was complete.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: When Morton agreed to sell the Hard Rock in 2006, the sale agreement included all of the music memorabilia, with the exception of two items that his sons wanted: a floral print jacket and Flying V guitar, both used by Hendrix. A storage room, located on the sixth floor of the hotel, contained memorabilia that was not currently on display. Exhibits in the collection were rotated based on current popularity and relevance. For example, items relating to a specific singer would be put on display following the singer's death.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: As of 2011, one of the most photographed and recognizable items in the collection was a British flag dress that had been worn, more than 15 years earlier, by Geri Halliwell of the Spice Girls. Other items included Hendrix's address book; a leather jacket, guitar and top hat worn by Slash; and a colorful suit worn by David Bowie. Also in the collection was an airbrushed painting of Bowie that was used as the cover art for his 1974 album "Diamond Dogs". At the time, one of the most expensive items in the collection was the Elvis Presley jumpsuit, worth $300,000.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Stone left the resort in 2016 and chose Beau Dobney to replace him as the overseer of the collection. At the time, the resort had more than 3,000 pieces of memorabilia, with approximately 200 items on display. In 2019, Dobney opened a exhibit to commemorate the upcoming 25th anniversary of the Hard Rock Hotel. The exhibition included rare items from musicians, and hard hats and shovels used in the resort's 1994 groundbreaking ceremony.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Hard Rock opened with a casino, which included 800 slot machines. By June 2005, the Hard Rock's Peacock Lounge had become one of the first venues in Las Vegas to use "smart" casino chips embedded with radio-frequency identification hardware. As of September 2008, a $30 million poker room had been opened in the casino, replacing a cigar shop. The poker room measured and included 18 tables. Following the resort's 2007-2010 expansion, the casino measured . Up to that time, the casino portion of the resort had not been a significant source of revenue.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In February 2010, the Hard Rock signed a deal to begin offering eDeck portable devices, created by Cantor Gaming. The eDeck allowed customers to play gambling games in non-gaming areas of the resort such as bars, restaurants, and near the pool area. Simultaneously, the Hard Rock launched an effort to attract Asian gamblers, a group who had frequently played at other resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. The casino began offering popular Asian games such as baccarat, and the resort also scheduled several events to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Later in 2010, modifications were made to table games and slot machines in an effort to appeal to local gamblers. Cantor also began operating a sports book at the resort. A high limit gaming area was added in 2012. At the time, Asians made up 10 percent of the casino's clientele, and the Hard Rock hoped to increase the figure to 30 percent within a year.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Hard Rock opened with 339 rooms in its 11-story hotel tower. The 1999 hotel expansion consisted of another 11-story tower, built north of the original, that increased the total room count to 670. The two towers that were added in 2009 increased the room count to 1,506. The 17-story Paradise Tower had 490 rooms, including 10 suites and a penthouse. The HRH Tower was an all-suite facility with 374 rooms, including 359 regular suites, eight spa villas with pool access, and seven penthouses located on the 16th floor. After the new towers were added in 2009, the original, conjoined towers became known as the Casino Tower.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Paradise Tower was built on the north side of the Hard Rock property, and the HRH Tower was built on the southern side. While the Paradise Tower was designed with corporate and convention guests in mind, the HRH Tower targeted a sophisticated, upper-class clientele. The HRH Tower included a hair salon and the Reliquary spa, while the original Rock Spa also continued to operate at the resort.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: In 2003, the hotel unveiled a new high roller suite designed by Kelly Wearstler. The suite included its own bowling alley and a 24-hour on-call butler, as well as two televisions providing live footage of performances at the Joint. The suite cost $7,500 per night. As of 2012, the hotel included the Provocateur suite, which had an intimate setting and rented for $3,500 a night. The HRH Tower included the Nirvana suite, typically reserved for high rollers. The suite measured nearly and had its own outdoor plunge pool.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The original Joint opened in 1995. It initially had capacity for 1,200 people, later increased to 2,000. It closed in February 2009, and the new, larger Joint opened two months later.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The 1999 expansion added a nightclub named Baby's, located in the Hard Rock's basement. Ownership of Baby's was split between the resort and Los Angeles nightclub operator Sean MacPhearson, who operated Baby's as well. Baby's closed in February 2004, for a $6 million renovation to take place. It reopened three months later as Body English. Peter Morton named the new nightclub after an Edward Ruscha painting with the same name, which he came upon while collecting artwork in New York. Body English was designed by Kelly Wearstler. Hard Rock executive Harry Morton, son of Peter Morton, said, "We wanted it to resemble a 1960s British rock star's mansion. There's a big move to get ultra-modern. We wanted a throwback." Attendees to the club's opening included Robin Leach, Joey Fatone, and Chris Kirkpatrick. The club offered memberships at a cost of $25,000 a year.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: A club, with occasional live performances, opened in July 2008, under the name Wasted Space. It was designed by Carey Hart and was a joint venture between him and the Hard Rock. Other investors included Benji and Joel Madden, as well as Jason Giambi. Wasted Space had capacity for 400 to 500 people, and it had a less-strict dress code compared to other Las Vegas nightclubs. It occupied space previously held by the Viva Las Vegas Lounge. Wasted Space showcased local musicians on Friday nights, and also hosted independent musicians on Tuesday nights before largely scrapping such acts in 2009. The club subsequently sat vacant on Tuesday nights, as it often did on Mondays. A renovation in 2009 tore down walls to expose the club's lounge to the casino area, in an attempt by the resort to increase its liquor profits.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Another nightclub, Vanity, opened with a New Year's Eve celebration on December 31, 2009. Vanity was built on the second floor of the HRH Tower. It included two seating areas, and an outdoor terrace overlooking the resort's pool area. The club's centerpiece was a $1 million floor-to-ceiling chandelier with 20,000 crystals. Vanity was owned by Jason Giambi and Cory McCormack. The club was created by Charles Doell and Mister Important Design. Vanity measured , and numerous mirrors were located throughout the club for patrons to check their appearance. The club had a theme of self-importance, with McCormack saying, "Vanity will cater to your ego, where the most important person in the club is you." The women's bathroom at the club consisted of and included several vanity stations, as well as a $40,000 chandelier.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Body English closed with a New Year's Eve party on December 31, 2009, and was only occasionally used for special events over the next few years. It was announced in August 2010 that Wasted Space would close some time before spring 2011. It ultimately closed on September 19, 2010, with Alien Ant Farm as the final performance. Wasted Space was closed to become the site of the Hard Rock's race and sports book.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Another music venue, Vinyl, opened in August 2012, taking the former site of the Hard Rock Lounge. Vinyl had capacity for 650 people, and it often featured after-shows following other performances held at the Joint, as a way of keeping customers at the resort longer. Vinyl was described by the Hard Rock as "an incubator for young bands" who could later go on to perform in the Joint. Michael Grimm had a short-lived residency at Vinyl during 2015, and a musical, Raiding the Rock Vault, premiered there in March 2017. The venue also hosted stand-up comedians such as Tom Green, Andrew Dice Clay, and Steve-O. Drummer Vinnie Paul had his final performance at Vinyl in June 2018, five days before his death.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Body English reopened in December 2012, before closing again in July 2015, to become a new entertainment space. In November 2014 the Rockband Kiss played a historic nine-show run at the Hard Rock Hotel. In May 2016, the Hard Rock announced plans for a male revue show, "Magic Mike Live", based on the 2012 film "Magic Mike". The show had been in the works for more than a year, and was part of an effort to attract more of a female demographic to the resort. Body English was turned into Club Domina, a 450-person cabaret nightclub. "Magic Mike Live" debuted at the club in April 2017, and 500 shows were performed within a year of its opening. "Magic Mike Live" surpassed 1,000 shows in 2019. It was announced that the show would end that year and relocate to Sahara Las Vegas in 2020, as a result of the Hard Rock's impending closure and renovation.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Upon its opening, the resort included the Hard Rock Beach Club, featuring a pool, cabanas, and a sandy beach. Each year from 1996 to 2006, the hotel hosted beach volleyball tournaments. During the 1999 expansion, the pool and beach club area was expanded by two acres, and became one of the most popular party spots in Las Vegas. The pool included two floating craps tables. In 2004, the resort launched a public pool party known as Rehab, which became a successful, annual event until its end in 2018.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: By 2006, the pool had been chosen as one of the top 10 pools in the world by the Travel Channel, and the property occupied by the pool was valued at $50 million. A series of poolside concerts debuted in 2007, under the name Friday Night Live, and it continued in subsequent years. A $4 million redesign of the north pool area had been completed by June 2008. During 2008 and 2009, the hotel offered its Relax pool parties as a laidback alternative to Rehab.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: HRH Beach Club opened in March 2010, along with the two-story Skybar. The area was meant as a quiet and sophisticated alternative to the original, adjacent Hard Rock pool, where Rehab was held. The new beach club added three pools to the resort, and it featured an upscale and modern design similar to the HRH Tower. Skybar was designed as a relaxing location, with capacity for only 200 people, to avoid crowding. In 2015, the pool area was ranked number one by "USA Today" readers, as part of a list of the top 10 hotel pools in the U.S.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Aside from the adjacent Hard Rock Cafe, the resort itself included two restaurants at the time of its opening: Mortoni's, an Italian restaurant; and Lucky's 24/7, a 24-hour coffee shop, later known as Mr. Lucky's. Mortoni's was popular among celebrities. The restaurant had seating for 120 people and featured a view of the pool area. Several restaurants were added in 1999 with the resort's expansion. One new eatery was Nobu, a Japanese restaurant by Nobu Matsuhisa, with actor Robert De Niro as a partner. Nobu continued operations inside the Hard Rock until the closure of the resort in 2020. Peter Morton's father, Arnold J. Morton, was involved in developing the new restaurant A.J.'s, also added in the 1999 expansion. In addition, Harry Morton created Pink Taco, a restaurant which also offered approximately 150 types of tequila.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Simon Kitchen & Bar, by chef Kerry Simon, was added in November 2002, before closing five years later. A new Italian restaurant, Ago, was open by 2008, as part of ongoing renovations. Ago was owned by Agostino Sciandri and De Niro, and it replaced Simon. At the time, Nobu was in the process of an expansion. A steakhouse, Rare 120, opened in April 2009. It was developed and marketed by the Dolce Group, and was operated by the Hard Rock Hotel, before closing in 2011. A 170-seat restaurant, 35 Steaks + Martinis, opened in 2012. The Culinary Dropout restaurant opened later that year, and featured a uniform-free wait staff.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: By 2013, the resort included an Asian restaurant known as Fu. Forte Pizza opened in 2015, and Goose Island Pub opened its first Nevada location inside the Hard Rock in 2016. In 2017, the 16-seat Oyster Bar opened inside the HRH Tower, and MB Steak opened at the resort after the closure of 35 Steaks. MB ("Morton Brothers") was created by David and Michael Morton, the brothers of Peter Morton. The steakhouse marked the return of the Morton family to the Hard Rock Hotel.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The Hard Rock had several retail stores. An expanded retail store opened in November 1998, as part of the then-ongoing expansion. The store measured over , more than three times the size of its predecessor. A lingerie store was added in 2003, and it eventually began offering delivery service of its products to hotel guests. Carey Hart opened a tattoo shop, Hart & Huntington, at the Hard Rock in April 2009. John Varvatos opened a clothing store at the Hard Rock later that year. The store sold vinyl records and vintage music equipment, and had a stage for live musical performances. Affliction, a chain of clothing stores, opened its flagship store at the Hard Rock in October 2009. The resort's retail store was replaced by casino space in the 2012 renovation, and a store was opened elsewhere in the resort. The earlier store was considered too large, and the new location carried items typically sold in casino souvenir stores, rather than rock and roll merchandise. Three luxury retailers opened in 2017, specializing in clothing, jewelry, and wristwatches.


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The guitar sign at the Hard Rock Cafe is featured in the 1992 film "Honey, I Blew Up the Kid". The Hard Rock Hotel is featured in the 1997 film "Con Air", in which a plane crashes through the hotel's Fender Stratocaster guitar sign. The film inaccurately portrays the hotel as being on the Las Vegas Strip. The Hard Rock's Joint hosted the world premiere of "Con Air" on June 2, 1997. In 2000, scenes were shot at the Hard Rock for the film "Tomcats". The Hard Rock was also featured in the April 2001 "Girls of the Hard Rock" issue of "Playboy".


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: The 2004 video game "" features numerous fictional casinos based on real ones, such as the V-Rock Hotel, inspired by the Hard Rock. In 2004, scenes were shot at the pool and a penthouse suite for a first season episode of "The O.C." A 2006 episode of "Entourage" titled "Vegas Baby, Vegas!" was shot at the Hard Rock as well. Scenes were also filmed there for the 2008 film "21".


title: Hard Rock Hotel and Casino (Las Vegas)

text: Rehab and its security, bartending, and waitressing staffs are the subject of a reality television series titled "", which aired for three seasons from 2008 to 2010. The of "The Real World", which premiered in 2011, was filmed partially in a suite at the Hard Rock's Casino Tower, which served as the living quarters for the show's participants. The suite was redesigned to accommodate filming, and it was reopened to hotel guests after production concluded.