Simple Steps for Losing Weight and Building Muscle

Step 1: Determine Maintenance Calories

Your maintenance calories is the number of calories you consume and burn each day to neither lose nor gain weight. Enter your information in this online calorie calculator by the Mayo Clinic. It uses the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation, which pros consider the gold standard.

For me, my maintenance calories is currently 2650 calories per day.

Step 2: Calculate Calories & Protein to Lose Weight and Build Muscle

Losing Weight (Fat)

In order to lose weight by losing fat, you just need one thing: a net deficit of calories. But you don’t want too large a deficit because then you’ll lose both fat and muscle. You should target a deficit of 5 to 10% of your maintenance calories. You can lose weight by just

  • consuming fewer calories without exercising
  • consuming more calories but burning extra calories by doing cardio exercises like running

Whether you just rest or you exercise, your net calorie deficit should be 5 to 10% of your maintenance calories. For me, this value is currently between 2385 and 2517 calories.

Gaining Muscle

In order to gain muscle, you need 4 things:

  1. a net surplus of calories
  2. strength training until failure
  3. sufficient protein consumption
  4. rest (minimum 7 hours a day)

For the calories, you don’t want too large a surplus because then you’ll gain both muscle and fat. You should target a surplus of 5 to 15% of your maintenance calories. For me, this value is currently between 2782 and 3047 calories.

For the protein, you should target consuming 1 gram of protein for each pound of body weight. So, if you weigh 180 lbs, you should consume 180 grams of protein.

The calorie (energy / fuel) surplus is needed to rebuild the muscle you’ve broken down during strength training. Breaking down muscle fibers only happens if you train to failure. The large protein consumption is needed because muscles are made of protein. Muscle (protein) synthesis occurs while you’re sleeping, which is why it’s necessary to sleep enough after strength training.

Target Calorie & Protein Summary
DayCalorieProteinMy Target
Rest or Cardio5-10% deficitAny amount2385-2517 calories,
any protein
Strength Training5-15% surplus1 gr / lb of body weight2782-3047 calories,
180 grams of protein

Studies show that consuming high amounts of protein while in a calorie deficit can preserve muscle mass and accelerate fat loss. Therefore, if possible, consume a lot of protein daily, not just on strength training days.

Step 3: Make a Weekly Schedule

Your weekly schedule would be a combination of resting days, cardio days, and strength training (weight lifting) days. Here’s an example.

DAYACTIVITYCALORIES
MondayRestCalorie Deficit, Extra Protein
TuesdayStrength TrainingCalorie Surplus, Extra Protein
WednesdayCardioCalorie Deficit, Extra Protein
ThursdayRestCalorie Deficit, Extra Protein
FridayStrength TrainingCalorie Surplus, Extra Protein
SaturdayCardioCalorie Deficit, Extra Protein
SundayStrength TrainingCalorie Surplus, Extra Protein

For strength training, you need to wait at least one day in between working the same muscle group, e.g. don’t do chest presses every day. Do them at most every other day because muscle protein synthesis (MPS) takes 36-48 hours on average and working the same muscles during that time will interfere with synthesis.

Step 4: Make a Meal Plan

When it comes to losing weight, you just need a calorie deficit, but you should consume healthy calories, e.g. no processed food, no added sugar, etc. For me, I try to stick to a keto diet, although that’s not absolutely necessary.

When it comes to building muscle, the hardest part will be trying to consume sufficient protein. If you weigh 180 lbs, you need to consume 180 grams of protein. That’s actually hard to do, which is why many people consume protein shakes to supplement their meals.

Here’s a list of protein-dense foods that can help you reach your protein consumption target.

FoodQuantityProtein (g)CaloriesProtein Density
Egg1 large6788%
Egg Whites1 large41822%
Chicken breast15328419%
96/4 beef pattie12515017%
Greek yogurt6 oz2014014%
Soy milk1 cup71006%
Whey protein concentrate supplement1 scoop2513019%
Turkey breast2612521%
Tuna2712821%
Premier protein shake13016019%
Kirkland chewy protein bar1101905%

I personally find chicken breast difficult to cook in a short amount of time while still tasting good. So, I opt for packaged options like Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Nuggets. These have added protein, are easy to cook, and taste decent. Other similar options taste better, but they have less protein and more calories, e.g. Kirkland Signature Lightly Breaded Chicken Breast Chunks, Boneless Skinless.

Example Meal Plan

Target Protein (grams) Consumption (muscle building):180
Target Daily Calorie Consumption (muscle building):2782-3047
Target Daily Calorie Consumption (weight loss):2385-2517

Since the hardest thing is consuming enough protein, the meal plan below will focus on foods that will hit the target protein amount of 180 without consuming an excess of calories. If there is a calorie deficit, you can easily add any kind of healthy food to reach the calorie target.

Food / IngredientUnitProtein (g)CaloriesQuanitityTotal ProteinTotal CaloriesProtein Density
Breakfast
Eggs1 large6784243127.69%
Mozzarella string cheese stick178017808.75%
Premier Protein Shake (Chocolate)13016013016018.75%
Lunch
Keto Beef Cheeseburger
Keto burger bun1 bun9801980
96/4 lean beef pattie1 pattie25150125150
Cheddar cheese1 slice5901590
Mayo1 tbsp0351035
Ketchup1 tbsp0201020
3937510.40%
Protein Shake00
Vanilla greek yogurt1 cup (150 gr)20140120140
Whey protein powder1 scoop25130125130
Unsweetened soy milk1 cup6.310516.3105
Creatine powder1 scoop00100
Glucomannan powder1 scoop00100
Frozen berries1/2 cup0351035
51.337513.68%
Dinner
Keto Chicken Cheeseburger
Keto burger bun1 bun980198011.25%
Grilled Chicken Pattie1 pattie2012012012016.67%
Cheddar cheese1 slice59015905.56%
Mayo1 tbsp03510350
Barbecue sauce1 tbsp051050
3433010.30%
Kirkland Chewy Protein Bar1 bar101901101905.26%
Anything else (pasta, fries, etc)
Total195.31792

Step 5: Exercise

Cardio

For cardio, you can do anything from hiking, dancing, running, biking, etc. If you’re low on time, you can buy a recumbent exercise bike with resistance. It lets you lay back and exercise in a comfortable position. The one below is lightweight and small and costs $178. You can easily put it in your living room and use it while watching TV.

Marcy Recumbent Exercise Bike with Resistance ME-709

Another low-intensity option is to simply walk. A common goal is to target 10,000 steps per day, which is about 5 miles. You can also walk at home while watching TV. Some walking pads can easily be stored and don’t make a lot of noise. This one, for example, comes with the following features

  • optional 3% incline
  • low 45 dB noise
  • remote control
  • large display
  • belt dimensions: 17″ x 48″
  • overall dimensions: 27″D x 50″W x 5″H
  • supports Zwift and Kinomap
  • Speed: 0.6-7.6 mph (~1350 – 17000 steps)
  • foldable
Strength training

For strength training, you should do the following:

  • For each exercise, do 3 sets of 8-12 reps with 1-3 minutes of rest in between
  • For each set, do as many reps until failure (you can no longer complete a full rep)
  • Periodically increase the weights (progressive overload)
  • Ensure you feel stimulation in the target muscle. If you don’t, then you may be doing the exercise wrong and you will see limited results. Some call this the mind-muscle connection.

When it comes to building muscle, what matters most is volume. For example, both of the following will produce the same results.

Weight (lbs)RepsSetsTotal Volume
100531500
501031500
Accessories

While working out, I’ve found the following accessories helpful.

Compression t-shirt

A compression t-shirt helps you see your physique so you can visually see your progress and which areas to target. I use the Under Armour Men’s HeatGear Compression Short-Sleeve T-Shirt.

Bluetooth headphones

Playing certain types of music can be motivating and make exercising more enjoyable. Many people wear bulky on-ear headphones. I prefer in-ear neckband earphones because they don’t move around and are lightweight. They also block out ambient noise pretty well. I wear the Sony Wireless Behind-Neck Headset (WI-C400).

Workout gloves

If you don’t wear padded gloves, you can easily develop calluses (thickened skin that forms as a response to repeated friction or pressure). Lifting weights is much more comfortable while wearing padded gloves.

Step 6: Count Calories

For calorie consumption, you can count calories by adding up all calories for each ingredient or food you consume. Look at the nutrition label on food packaging and/or look at online calorie databases.

For calorie expenditure, don’t rely on a smartwatch. Their calorie tracking can be way off. Instead, wear a heart rate monitor like the Polar H10 Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap. You can track your calories both on your smartphone and online. Buy it on Amazon.

To see how inaccurate a smartwatch measures calories burned, today I used both my Fossil Gen X watch and the Google Fit watch app to track calories burned. I also used the Polar H10 chest strap. I did strength training for 1 hour and 10 minutes. When I started tracking on my watch, I chose “indoor workout,” and the phone app just started tracking calories, time spent, heart rate, etc. When I started tracking using the Polar H1 app on my phone, I was able to choose “Strength training” before the device started tracking vitals. Once I was done exercising, I stopped both apps. As you can see below, the smartwatch says “Run”, which I guess means it thought I was running on a treadmill. It also says I burned 482 calories. In the Polar H10 app on my phone, it says I burned 759 calories. That’s way more than 482, with a difference of 277 calories. While I was exercising, I had my Bluetooth earphones on. The Polar H10 app would send an audio message like “You are improving your fitness” or “You are burning fat”. It would say the former when I was doing strength training and the latter when I was resting.

Step 7: Measure Progress

Weight Loss Progress

Measuring your weight loss is easy. Just regularly weigh yourself. To automate this, buy a Wi-Fi scale that records and keeps track of your weight and shows a graph of your progress on your phone. I personally use the Withings Body – Digital Wi-Fi Smart Scale with Automatic Smartphone App Sync. If weighing yourself every day, make sure to do it right before bed or first thing in the morning for more accurate results.

Muscle Gain Progress

To track your muscle gain, you’ll need to track your strength training weights, reps and sets for each exercise. Personally, I log my workouts using the free version of the FitNotes app. It’s a simple and easy-to-use app that just works. I can easily see my most recent reps and weights so I can either match or exceed them.

If you are able to lift heavier weights and perform more reps, then you must be building muscle, even if it’s not immediately noticeable in the mirror. You can also try measuring the circumference of different parts of your body, e.g. your upper arm, but that’s a hassle and inaccurate if you measure right after a workout when your muscles are swollen.

Over time, you can compare your strength training limits to see progress. Below is an example showing my actual results.

ExerciseDec 26, 2021March 12, 2022% increaseTarget area
lbslbs
V-bar pushdown5072.545%Triceps
Chest press machine7012071%Chest
Lat pulldown machine9013044%Back
Shoulder press machine407075%Shoulders
Tricep pushdown machine11517047%Triceps
Bicep curl machine6511069%Biceps

Find Pageviews From Custom UTM Parameters in GA4

Google Analytics version 4 (GA4) is quite different than the previous version, called Universal Analytics (UA). GA4 is event-based, and the UI is quite different. If you’ve got a link with UTM parameters like

www.example.com/?utm_source=marketo&utm_medium=email&utm_name=feb23-campaign&utm_id=12345

In GA4, if you go to Reports > Engagement > Pages and screens, you will see stats like pageviews for many pages. You can then filter to just one page like a free trial page by entering the page’s path in the search field, e.g. “/free-trial/”. You can then add a secondary dimension for source and medium. What you’ll end up will be something like this

This may not include the source and medium in your UTM parameters. A better way to get the traffic report based on a specific source and medium or name is by going to Explorations.

Here, you can create a new exploration. In the left “Variables” column

  • give the exploration a name like “Feb 2023 Campaign”
  • add some dimensions like
    • Page path and screen class
    • Session campaign
    • Session source / medium
  • add some metrics like “Views” and “Sessions”

In the middle “Settings” column,

  • drag some or all dimensions from the left column to the “Rows” field
  • drag some or all metrics from the left column to the “Values” field
  • add some filters like
    • Session source / medium contains market
    • Session campaign contains “Feb 2023 Campaign”

You will then see the report on the right.

Here’s the mapping between UTM query parameter and UTM dimension in GA4.

To find the number of clicks on a link with a UTM, go to

  1. Reports > Acquisition > Traffic acquisition
  2. In the primary dimension, choose session source or session medium or session campaign
  3. In the Search field, enter a value for the session source or session medium or session campaign
  4. Choose a date range
  5. Scroll to the right and under “Event count”, choose “click”.

Learn more about GA4 traffic sources

Create a Google Earth Movie/Tour That Flies Along a Path

In Google Earth Pro for Desktop, you can record a tour in real time by clicking the navigation controls or by clicking on saved placemarks. However, unless you are just moving from one point to another, the resulting tour may not be as smooth as you’d like. For example, if you have three placemarks, then as you click each placemark while recording the tour, the transition between placemarks will not be smooth.

To create a smooth tour that appears as if you are flying a plane or drone at a fixed altitude along a multipoint path, you need to create a path in Google Earth. Here’s an example. Let’s say we want to fly along the Las Vegas Strip.

Change Settings

Go to Tools > Options > Touring and change the settings as in this screenshot. Make sure to click the “Apply” button and the “OK” button to save your changes.

Now, click the “Navigation” tag and change the settings to match this screenshot.

Create Path

When adding a path, your mouse pointer will turn into a crosshair and you will need click to add points along your desired path. In this mode, you will not be able to zoom, change altitude, direction or pan by clicking on the screen because doing so would add path points. If you need to move around, you’ll need to use the navigation controls.

When creating a path, I find it easier to have your view facing straight down to the ground like this. In this example, my starting point will be just south of the south end of the Strip before the Mandalay Bay.

Click Add > Path

A dialog window will pop up. We’ll name the path “Las Vegas Strip”. Let’s also specify the altitude we want our flight path to be from the ground.

  1. Click the “Altitude” tab.
  2. Set Altitude to “400m” for 300 meters.
  3. Make sure “Relative to ground” is selected.

Click to add path points

In the screenshot below, you’ll see that I created 3 points. From bottom to top, there’s 2 red points and 1 blue point.

Since I need to pan to the north to add more points along the Strip, I will use the navigation control up arrow to do so.

After adding all the last point (just north of the STRAT), I zoomed out to check the entire path. As you can see, all but the last point are red and the path curves to the right as it goes north.

Now that my path is done, I’ll click the OK button in the path dialog window. That adds the path to My Places.

Since I don’t want to see the white path line / curve, I’ll uncheck the checkbox next to the path name.

To play the path tour, just click the path Play Tour button, as shown below.

If you’re happy with how the tour looks, you can record it by clicking the “Record a Tour” button and then click the Play Tour button.

Then click Tools > Movie Maker to export the video.

Here’s how the video tour came out.

Marketing + Product Org Chart

Functional Org Chart

In my 12 years working in Marketing, I’ve see a few different organizational structures at both low and high levels. And in my particular role, I’ve had to work with pretty much everyone, which has given me exposure to many issues that often go unnoticed. While there are many ways you can structure an organization, whatever way you come up should always make sense based on your particular organization’s needs. Following is a structure that I think makes sense based on my experience. The specific job titles (chief, VP, director, manager, senior vs junior, etc) are just an example. The important thing is that the structure and hierarchy groups people by function, commonality and importance. The structure below is for a 2000+ employee organization. Obviously, if your organization is much smaller or larger and has more or less dependencies on particular functions, some positions and groups can be removed or consolidated or even divided and expanded.

Level 1:

  • CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) or CPO (Chief Product Officer)

Level 2:

  • VP of Marketing
  • VP of Product

Level 3 and 4

Director of Content (or similar name)

This functional group primarily deals with marketing activities that involve text content. Since a big part of SEO involves text content, I put SEO Expert in this group.

  • Public Relations Expert(s)
  • Copyediting Expert(s)
  • Proofreading Expert(s)
  • SEO Expert(s)
  • Social Media Expert(s)
  • etc

Director of Design (or similar name, e.g. creative, etc)

This functional group primarily deals with marketing activities that involve visual design. Brand has to do with a company’s external public image, which relates to both public relations and design. Depending on your preference, this role could be under this “design” group or the “content” group above.

  • Graphic Designer Expert(s)
  • Web Designer Expert(s)
  • Brand Expert(s)
  • Video Expert(s)
  • UI / UX Expert(s)
  • etc

Director of Web (or similar name)

This functional group primarily deals with marketing activities that involve websites. Due to the criticality and complexity of today’s websites, significant dependencies that all functional groups often have on a company’s website, and unique technical skills that members of this group have, I made this group a standalone group rather than a subset of another group. Also, since email marketing is very effective, and because HTML emails contain code like that used on a website, I put HTML Email Expert(s) in this group. Though many marketing automation tools like Marketo include an email builder tool, I’ve found that they are limited in features and produce emails that don’t look professional unless the user has web development skills.

  • HTML, CSS Expert(s)
  • JavaScript Expert(s)
  • WordPress Expert(s)
  • HTML Email Expert(s)
  • etc

Director of Marketing Operations (or similar name)

This functional group primarily deals with marketing activities that involve marketing automation tools like Marketo, revenue attribution tools like Bizible, data analysis and reporting tools like Tableau and Google Analytics, customer relationship management tools like Salesforce, lead processing and routing, etc.

  • Marketing Automation, e.g. Marketo Expert(s)
  • Customer Relationship Management (CRM), e.g. Salesforce, Experts
  • Reporting and Data Analysis Expert(s)
  • etc

Director of Channel Marketing (or similar name, e.g. demand generation)

This functional group primarily deals with marketing activities that fall under certain channels like events, e g. virtual or in-person conferences, partner marketing, etc, and demand generation activities like advertising campaigns such as Google Pay Per Click (PPC), email marketing, digital media marketing, print advertising, etc.

  • Event & Event Marketing Expert(s)
  • Partner Marketing Experts(s)
  • Google PPC Expert(s)
  • Campaigns Expert(s)
  • etc

Director of Product (or similar name)

This functional group primarily deals with product management and product-specific marketing. For example, many tech companies have multiple products. Each product requires a specific subject matter expert, as it may be uncommon to find someone who is an expert in multiple products. Each product expert (commonly called “product manager”) basically is responsible for their own product, from understanding their product’s customers’ needs, making product feature decisions, helping market a product, e.g. by writing product page content, product-related blog posts, giving product-related webinars, etc.

  • Product Expert for Product A
  • Product Marketing Expert for Product A
  • Product Expert for Product B
  • Product Marketing Expert for Product B
  • etc

Project Manager

There is one role that doesn’t quite fit in any of the categories above. Needless to say, many marketing activities require the collaboration of multiple functional groups, but each of these groups specialize in their own areas. There’s no such thing as a person or group who specializes (or is even interested) in everything. One big issue I often see is how certain marketing activities with a specific hard deadline, e.g. due to an earnings release or predetermined and pre-marketed event taking place, results in chaos, with many people working nights and weekends due to lack of planning, ownership and project management. That’s why there’s a particular title called Project Manager (PM) or Project Management Professional (PMP) and a certification where people can get a PMP certificate. These people don’t specialize in the various components that go into a project, but rather they keep a project on track to avoid delays, mistakes, oversight, etc. Sometimes, they have the boring task of having to keep reminding people to do their part to avoid delays caused by blocking subsequent tasks. Assigning a random person to be a temporary project manager may work for small projects involving few people, but for large projects involving many people, a “real” project manager who actually specializes in project management is needed.

Title Hierarchy

Here’s a title hierarchy commonly used in many companies.

  1. CEO
  2. President / COO
  3. Executive / C-Level
  4. EVP
  5. SVP
  6. VP
  7. Senior Director
  8. Director
  9. Senior Manager
  10. Manager
  11. Individual Contributor
    • Principal
    • Lead
    • Staff
    • Entry

Things To Do in Las Vegas

Personal Opinion

Shows

Awakening at Wynn5/5
Chris Angel Mindfreak4.5/5
Vegas! The Show3/5
America’s Got Talent Superstars3/5
“O” by Cirque du Soleil2.5/5
Ka by Cirque du Soleil1.5/5

UPDATE: I watched the Sphere Experience “Postcard from Earth” show at the Sphere in June 2025. It was just okay. I’d give it a 3.5/5.

Buffets

Buffet at Wynn5/5
Buffet at Caesars Palace4/5
Buffet at Palms3/5
Buffet at SouthPoint2/5

Note: Though the food at the SouthPoint Garden Buffet was just 2/5 on average, the prime rib was delicious. As one the cheapest buffets in Vegas, if you like prime rib like I do, then this buffet is worth it for $36.

Prime Rib Cooked Medium at SouthPoint’s Garden Buffet

Water Parks

Vegas can get really hot in the summer, which may make you want to go to a water park.

Mandalay Bay Beach

  • Website
  • Mon-Sun 8:00 AM – 7:00 PM
  • Personal opinion: the wave pool isn’t impressive. There’s only one wave every few minutes. The lazy river is small, but it has a strong current, which is nice.

Cowabunga Bay (Henderson)

  • Website
  • $50
  • Hours
  • 30 mins from the Strip by car
  • Directions
  • Personal Opinion: This is a relatively small waterpark compared to the ones I’ve tried in Orlando, FL. However, it wasn’t crowded, which meant lines were short. There was a decent variety of rides and they were all fun. The wave pool creates large waves every 5 minutes and they last for maybe 5 minutes. Definitely a lot of fun as the strong waves can push you towards the beach. The lazy river is of decent length, however, the current wasn’t very strong.

Wet ‘n Wild / Cowabunga Canyon (Summerlin)

Buffets: All-You-Can-Eat Food

This is just a small selection of unique buffets. Scroll further down for buffets at each hotel.

Garden Buffet – South Point Hotel & Casino

  • Website
  • Uniqueness: Cheap
  • Breakfast: M-F, 7-10 am, $17, Menu
  • Lunch: M-F, 11 am – 3 pm, $20, Menu
  • Prime Rib Dinner: 4-9 pm, $29, Menu

A.Y.C.E. Buffet – Palms Hotel and Casino

  • Website
  • Uniqueness: Small but high quality
  • Brunch – $32.99, Saturday & Sunday | 9am – 4pm
  • Dinner – $36.99
    • Monday & Tuesday | 4pm – 9pm
    • Saturday | 5pm – 10pm
    • Sunday | 5pm – 9pm

Bacchanal Buffet – Caesar’s Palace

  • Website
  • Uniqueness: High quality, largest buffet in Vegas
  • Regular Brunch, $60, Thursday – Monday | 9 AM – 1 PM
  • Dinner: $80, must RSVP, very crowded

The Buffet – Wynn

  • Website
  • Uniqueness: High quality
  • Dinner: $75, not as big and crowded as Bacchanal but still very good
  • Monday – Thursday
    • Early Riser Breakfast, 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. – $40
    • Brunch, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. – $47
  • Friday – Sunday
    • Early Riser Breakfast, 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. – $46
    • Gourmet Brunch, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Daily – $51

Attractions By Hotel

Note: This is not a complete list of hotels and attractions.

Mandalay Bay

  • Website
  • Opened in 1999
  • 3209 rooms

Michelob ULTRA Arena

(various shows)

Shark Reef Aquarium
Daily 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Last Admission 7:00 PM
$29

Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson ONE
Daily, 7 pm, 9:30 pm, $70

Shopping

The Shoppes at Mandalay Bay

Mandalay Bay Beach

(wave pool, lazy river, etc)

Take free tram to Luxor and Excalibur or walk through the enclosed walkway

Luxor

  • Opened in 1993
  • 4400 rooms

Take pictures of Egyptian architectural theme

Titanic Artifact Exhibition
Apr 27 – Sep 4 | 11 AM – 8 PM; Last admission 7 PM
Sep 8 – Nov 12 | 11 AM – 6 PM; Last admission 5 PM
Nov 13 – Dec 31 | 11 AM – 8 PM; Last admission 7 PM
$32

Bodies… The Exhibition
Apr 27 – Sep 4 | 11 AM – 8 PM; Last admission 7 PM
Sep 8 – Nov 12 | 11 AM – 6 PM; Last admission 5 PM
Nov 13 – Dec 31 | 11 AM – 8 PM; Last admission 7 PM
$32

Discovering King Tut’s Tomb
10 AM – 8 PM | Last Arrival 7 PM
$20

Carrot Top Comedy Show
Mon – Sat 8:00 PM
From $40

Blue Man Group
Mon – Sun 5 PM & 8 PM
From $49

America’s Got Talent LIVE
Wed, Sat & Sun | 6 PM & 8:30 PM
Thu & Fri | 7 PM
From $49

Take free tram from Luxor to Mandalay Bay and Excalibur

The Buffet at Luxor
MON – TUE: Closed
WED – SUN: 8 AM – 3 PM
Price Range: $

Excalibur 

  • Opened in 1990
  • 3981 rooms

Ultimate 4-D Experience
Daily | 12 PM – 11 PM
Last Show | 20 min before close
From $12

The Australian Bee Gees show
Mon, Wed, Thu & Sun | 7 PM
Fri & Sat | 5 PM
From $40

The Buffet at Excalibur
MON – SUN: 7 AM – 2 PM
Price Range: $

New York New York

Ride the Big Apple Coaster
Mon – Thu | 11 AM – 11 PM
Fri – Sun | 11 AM – Midnight
From $25

Stroll through Greenwich Village
MON – THU, SUN: 7 AM – 2 AM
FRI – SAT: 7 AM – 3 AM
Price Range: $

See Terry Fator
Sun – Thu | 7:30 PM
From $35

Mad Apple by Cirque du Soleil
Fri – Tue | 7 PM & 9:30 PM
From $25

Park MGM (Formerly Monte Carlo)

Eataly (huge Italian-inspired dining destination)
MON – THU, SUN: 7 AM – 10 PM
FRI – SAT: 7 AM – 2 AM
Price Range: $


Watch a show at the Dolby Live Theater

Take the free tram to Bellagio, Aria, Crystals, and Park MGM

Aria

  • opened in 2009
  • has 4,000 hotel rooms

Eat at Aria’s Proper Eats Food Hall

  • Laughing Buddha Ramen
  • Easy Donuts
  • Seoul Bird (Korean Street Food)
  • Shalom Y’all (Shawarma, Kebabs)
  • Pizzaoki
  • Wexler’s Deli
  • Egghead
  • Temaki Bar
  • Lola’s Burgers
  • Easy’s Cocktail Lounge
  • Proper Bar

Take the free tram to Bellagio, Aria, Crystals, and Park MGM

The Cosmopolitan

  • Opened in 2010

Eat at Block 16 Urban Food Hall

Eat at Wicked Spoon buffet
Breakfast: $38
Mon – Fri | 8 – 11AM
Lunch: $45
Mon – Fri | 11AM – 3PM
Brunch: $49
Sat & Sun | 9AM – 4PM
Wicked Spoon Menu (PDF)

Have breakfast at Eggslut
Mon – Thurs | 7AM – 2PM
Fri – Sun | 7AM – 3PM


Bellagio

  • Opened in 1998
  • Has 3,933 guestrooms

Walk Through the Bellagio Conservatory
Summer
5/27/2023 – 9/9/2023
Harvest
9/16/2023-11/4/2023
Holiday
11/11/2023- 1/6/2024

Gaze up at Dale Chihuly’s Fiori di Como (a glass floral sculpture)

Watch the Fountains of Bellagio
M-F: Every 30 min from 3 pm to 6:30 pm, every 15 min from 7 pm to midnight.

Sat, Sun, and Holidays: every 30 min from noon to 6:30 pm, every 15 min from 7 pm to midnight.

See Cirque du Soleil’s “O”
Wed – Sun | 7 PM & 9:30 PM
From $79

Eat at The Buffet at Bellagio
MON – SUN: 8 AM – 3 PM
WED – SUN: 5 PM – 9 PM
Price Range: $

Window shop at Bellagio’s high-end shops

Caesars Palace

  • Opened in 1966
  • Has 4,000 guest rooms

Walk the Forum Shops

50,000-gallon Atlantis aquarium

Fall of Atlantis show (free)

Eat at Bacchanal Buffet
Regular Brunch, $60, Thursday – Monday | 9 AM – 1 PM
Dinner: $80, must RSVP, very crowded


Take the free tram

Mirage

  • Opened in 1989
  • Has 3,044 guestrooms

See Cirque Du Soleil’s Beatles LOVE show
7:30 PM, 9 PM
From $69

Watch Shin Lim – Limitless (magic show)
Mon, Thu – Sun | 7:30 PM
From $50

See the atrium and the aquarium

See Mirage volcano show
Every evening at 7 pm, 8 pm, 9 pm, 10 pm, and 11 pm.

Resorts World

  • Opened in June 2021 on the land where Stardust used to be

Watch a show at Resorts World Theatre

Eat at Famous Foods (16 vendors)

Circus Circus

  • Opened in 1968
  • Has over 3,700 guestrooms
  • One of the cheapest hotels on the strip

Adventuredome Theme Park
$60

Midway and Arcade (carnival games)
SUN – THU: 11 AM – 9 PM
FRI – SAT: 11 AM – 12 AM

Eat at THE Steakhouse
Mon – Fri, Sun: 4 PM – 9 PM
Sat: 4 PM – 10 PM
Price Range: $$$

STRAT

SkyPod observation deck
10am – 1am Daily, $20

Big Shot
Daily 2pm – 10pm, $31

Insanity
Daily 2pm – 10pm, $31

X-Scream
Daily 2pm – 10pm, $31

Eat at Top of the World Steakhouse (floor rotates)

Watch a show

Sahara

  • Opened in 1952

Take the Las Vegas Monorail to get to other hotels

Wynn/Encore

See Lake of Dreams (free show)

See “Awakening” show
Sun & Mon at 7 pm
Tue, Fri & Sat at 7 pm and 9:30 pm
From $99

Explore the Conservatory

High-End Shopping

Treasure Island

  • Opened in 1993

See Cirque du Soleil’s Mystere
FRIDAY – TUESDAY*
2 Shows | 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Arrive 30 mins early for pre-show entertainment
Actual performance time is approximately 90 mins
$64 – $135

Venetian/Palazzo

  • Venetian opened in 1999
  • Palazzo opened in 2007
  • Both hotels connected by the Grand Canal Shoppes

Walk the Grand Canal Shoppes

Take a gondola ride
$39

Visit Madame Tussauds Wax Museum
10 AM – 8 PM

Harrah’s

  • Opened in 1973
  • Has 2,530 guestrooms

LINQ

High Roller Observation Wheel
Daytime (Daily 12 PM to 7 PM)
Adult $23.50
Night (Daily 7 PM – 12 AM)
Adult $34.75

FlyLINQ Zipline
4 PM – 12 AM
$35

Mat Franco’s Magic Show
7 PM
$49 – $108

Eat at Hash House a Go Go (huge portions)
SUN-THU: 7:30 AM-3 PM
FRI & SAT 7:30 AM-10 PM

Walk the LINQ Promenade (food, shops, etc)

Flamingo

  • Opened in 1940s

See the Wildlife Habitat
7 AM – 8 PM

Check out Piff magic show
Mon, Thurs-Sun: 7pm
From $50

Cromwell

  • Formerly Barbary Coast

Grab a cheap snack at EatWell

Horseshoe (formerly Bally’s)

Check out “Real Bodies”
Starting at $29.50

Check out Grand Bazaar Shops out front of Horseshoe

Istanbul Mediterranean in Grand Bazaar shops

Dirt Dog Bar at Grand Bazaar Shops

Happy Lemon

Paris

Grab dinner in the Eiffel Tower

Take in a Great View from the Eiffel Tower Observation Deck

Enjoy the Eiffel Tower Free Light Show

Planet Hollywood (Formerly Aladdin)

Eat and drink at the Miracle Mile Shops

Ocean One Grille

See Criss Angel Mindfreak magic show
Wed-Sun: 7pm
$69 – $121

See a Big Name Performer: The Bakkt Theater

MGM Grand

  • Opened in 1993
  • Has over 5,000 hotel rooms

Check out Cirque du Soleil KA
Sat – Wed | 7 PM & 9:30 PM
From $69

Swim in the elaborate lazy river

See Jabbawockeez (dance show)
Mon, Wed – Sun | 7 PM & 9:30 PM
From $50

See David Copperfield magic show
Sun – Fri: 7:00 PM & 9:30 PMSat: 4 PM & 7 PM & 9:30 PM
From $72

Eat at the Buffet at MGM Grand
MON – SUN: 8 AM – 3 PM
Price Range: $

Tropicana

  • Opened in 1957

Other Attractions

Visit the Sphere
$69 – $129
Opens in Oct 2023

Take picture at the Las Vegas sign

The Grand Canyon
If driving, 4.5 hours from the Strip
Driving directions
Helicopter tours

Hoover Dam
9 AM – 4:15 PM Daily
Last tour departs at 3:45 p.m.
45 mins from the Strip by car
Directions


Downtown Las Vegas – Fremont Street

Watch Vegas: The Show
Nightly at 7 PM
75 mins
$100 – $160

Map of Strip

Customized Strip Hotel Google Map with My Personal Points of Interest

View Map

Hotel Property Maps

Maps on SmarterVegas.com

Weather

Low-Cost, DIY Ladder Fall Protection

Last week, I had solar panels installed on my roof. The installers secured their ladder to my roof / eaves using the Guardian Fall Protection “Ladder Stability Anchor”.

The way it works is you clamp the clamp onto your eaves, secure the hooks to the hole on the clamp, then wrap the straps around your ladder, securing it using the hook and loop velcro.

It’s a simple idea, but the price is $90. It just went on sale for $56, but that still seems overpriced. Not sure why Harbor Freight hasn’t created a cheaper alternative.

Anyway, you can probably make your own for much less by just using

  1. a C-clamp ($5)
  2. a strap: ratchet strap ($10) or cam buckle strap ($10)
C-clamp
Ratchet strap
Cam buckle strap

For an easy-to-transport ladder, this telescoping ladder ($160) is great.

If you need this for your own home and there is one spot you would always use to get on the roof, and if you want a more secure solution, replace the C-clamp with a large screw eye or eye bolt with nut and use the ratchet straps instead of the cam buckle strap.

screw eye
eye bolt with nut
I just used one cam buckle strap.

Programmatically Migrate a Website From Handlebars to Nunjucks

I’m currently migrating a large website from Handlebars to Nunjucks. Since the website is being updated daily, and because there are too many pages, I can’t convert the Handlebars syntax to Nunjucks syntax manually. To solve this, I started writing a script to convert the syntax programmatically using JavaScript (nodeJS). So far, it’s working very well. Here’s how I’m doing it, and how you can do something similar when confronted with a migration project.

Basically, the way it works is

  1. it recursively finds all files in a folder called “temp”
  2. if the file path ends with “hbs” – indicating it is a Handlebars file – then for each file, it executes a series of regex search and replace commands, e.g.
    • replace {{#if class}} with {% if class %}
    • replace {{/if}} with {% endif %}
    • and so on.

Those are simple search-and-replace situations. There may be a situation where you’ll need an advanced search and replace, e.g. when replacing

{{> social-list 
    dark="true" 
    centered="true"}}

with

{% set dark="true" %}
{% set centered="true" %}
{% include social-list.njk %}

In this case, you can use a “replacer” function, which allows you to do much more to manipulate the output.

If you need to test regular expressions, https://regexr.com/ may come in handy.

When you’re all done and you’ve built the HTML files from both the handlebars templates and the nunjucks templates, you can write a script that recursively reads all HTML files in the build output folder and lists each HTML file path generated from each handlebars and nunjucks template along with their respective file size. The file sizes should be the same or almost the same. If some are not, then the migration script didn’t convert those templates correctly. Maybe something like:

File PathFile Size (KB) (hbs)File size (KB) (njk)Difference (KB)
/index.html181.3180.70.6
/about/index.html153.223.5129.7
/products/index.html353.6350.23.4

Dutch Hagelslag: Low-Calorie DIY Donut

The average sprinkle donut has 260 calories.

For a similar low-calorie alternative, replace that with Dutch Hagelslag. The recipe below contains only 120 calories!

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Spread butter on one slice of bread. If the butter is hard from being in the fridge, leave it out for a while to soften.
  2. Top with sprinkles
  3. Eat

Compare

If you must have the shape be like a donut, you can use a large and small cookie cutter to turn the bread slice into a donut.

US Federal Taxation

This post explains at a high level how taxation in the US works. This article only talks about federal taxes, not state taxes.

Income

There are 2 types of income

  1. Earned income, e.g.
    • salary, wages and compensation
    • appreciated assets that have been sold during the tax year
  2. Unearned income, e.g.
    • canceled debts,
    • government benefits (such as unemployment benefits and disability payments),
    • strike benefits,
    • lottery payments,
    • interest,
    • dividends,
    • rents,
    • capital gains

Filing Status

When you file your taxes, you can choose from one of the following, depending on your situation:

  • single
  • head of household
  • married filing jointly
  • married filing separately

Ordinary Income Tax Rates By Income (2023)

Filing status = single

IncomeMarginal Tax Rate / Bracket
Up to $11,00010%
$11,000+ to $44,72512%
$44,725+ to $95,37522%
$95,375+ to $182,10024%
$182,100+ to $231,25032%
$231,250+ to $578,12535%
Over $578,12537%

Ordinary Income Tax Rates By Income (2023)

Filing status = married filing jointly

IncomeMarginal Tax Rate / Bracket
Up to $22,00010%
$22,000+ to $89,45012%
$89,450+ to $190,75022%
$190,750+ to $364,20024%
$364,200+ to $462,50032%
$462,500+ to $693,75035%
Over $693,75037%

For brevity, I omitted other tax filing statuses, including

  • head of household
  • married filing separately

The tax rates are also called “tax brackets” and “marginal tax” rates.

Historical US income tax rate brackets

Income from Capital Gains

  • Capital gains is the profit you make from selling a capital asset.
  • Capital assets include stocks, bonds, precious metals, jewelry, art, and real estate.
  • Selling a capital asset after owning it for one year or less results in a short-term capital gain.
  • Selling a capital asset after owning it for more than one year results in a long-term capital gain.
  • Net capital gains are calculated based on your adjusted basis in an asset. This is the amount that you paid to acquire the asset, less depreciation, plus any costs that you incurred during the sale of the asset and the costs of any improvements that you made. 
  • Short-term capital gains are taxed as ordinary income from your salary or wages.
  • Long-term capital gains are subject to a tax of 0%, 15%, or 20% (depending on your income).

Short-Term Capital Gains Tax Rates By Income (2023)

Filing status = single

IncomeShort-Term Tax Rate
(same as ordinary income tax rate)
Up to $11,00010%
$11,000+ to $44,72512%
$44,725+ to $95,37522%
$95,375+ to $182,10024%
$182,100+ to $231,25032%
$231,250+ to $578,12535%
Over $578,12537%

Filing status = married filing jointly

IncomeShort-Term Tax Rate
(same as ordinary income tax rate)
Up to $22,00010%
$22,000+ to $89,45012%
$89,450+ to $190,75022%
$190,750+ to $364,20024%
$364,200+ to $462,50032%
$462,500+ to $693,75035%
Over $693,75037%

If you have $90,000 in taxable income from your salary and $10,000 from short-term investments, then your total taxable income is $100,000.

Long-Term Capital Gains Tax Rates By Income (2023)

Filing status = single

IncomeLong-Term Tax Rate
Up to $44,6250%
$44,626 to $492,30015%
Over $492,30020%

Filing status = married filing jointly

IncomeLong-Term Tax Rate
Up to $89,2500%
$89,251 to $553,85015%
Over $553,85020%

Taxable Income

  • Taxable income is the portion of your gross income that the IRS deems subject to taxes.
  • It consists of both earned income and unearned income.
  • Taxable income is generally less than adjusted gross income because of deductions that reduce it.
  • Taxable income = Gross income – deductions
  • For a business, revenue – business expenses = profit. Profit – deductions = taxable income.

Deductions

The IRS offers individual tax filers the option to claim the standard deduction or a list of itemized deductions.

Standard Deduction

The standard deduction is a set amount that tax filers can claim if they don’t have enough itemized deductions to claim. For the 2022 tax year, individual tax filers can claim a $12,950 standard deduction ($13,850 for 2023). If you are married filing jointly, the standard deduction is $25,900 ($27,700 for 2023).

Itemized Deductions

If you plan to itemize deductions rather than take the standard deduction, these are the records most commonly needed:

  • Property taxes and mortgage interest paid (form 1098)
  • State and local taxes paid (this is on form W-2 if you work for an employer)
  • Charitable donations
  • Educational expenses
  • Unreimbursed medical bills
  • Documents related to operating a rental property, such as receipts for repairs, advertising, etc. Learn more.

Learn more about deductions

Tax Credits

A tax credit will lower your tax liability (any taxes you owe). If you don’t owe any taxes, then you may or may not get a refund, depending on the tax credit details. Some tax credit examples are

  • 30% credit off the total cost of a solar panel installation
  • $7,500 tax credit when you buy a qualifying electric vehicle

Learn more about tax credits

Refundable vs. Non-refundable Tax Credits

Refundable tax credit: If your tax credit is refundable, then even if you have no tax liability, e.g. if you are retired, then you will still get a refund for the entire tax credit amount.

Non-refundable tax credit: If your tax credit is non-refundable, then you will only get the full credit if your tax liability is at least as much as the tax credit. For example, if your tax credit is $1000 and your total tax liability before applying the credit is $1500, then your updated tax liability is reduced to $500. However, if your total tax liability before applying the credit is $800, then your updated tax liability is reduced to $0 and you will NOT get a refund for $200. For that reason, you should ensure your tax liability is at least as much as the tax credit you want to apply.

How to Calculate Taxable Income

  1. Determine Your Filing Status
    • single,
    • married filing jointly,
    • etc
  2. Gather Documents for all Sources of Income
    • form W-2 for earned compensation
    • form 1099-INT for interest income
    • etc
  3. Calculate Your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI)
    Your AGI is the result of taking certain “above-the-line” adjustments to your gross income, such as contributions to a qualifying individual retirement account (IRA), student loan interest, and certain education expenses. These items are referred to as “above the line” because they reduce your income before taking any allowable itemized deductions or standard deductions.
  4. Calculate Your Deductions (Standard or Itemized)
  5. Calculate Taxable Income
    Taxable income = AGI – deductions

Marginal vs. Effective Tax Rates

The US has a progressive tax system, so your income is taxed at different rates. If your total annual income is $125,000 and your taxable income is $100,000 (income minus deductions and credits) and you are filing single, your tax liability would not be 24% of the entire $100,000. Instead, it would be $17,400. In this case, your “effective” or “average” tax rate is $17,400/$125,000 = 13.9%, which is much lower than 24%.

Short-Term IncomeMarginal Tax RateTax Liability ($)
Up to $11,00010%$11,000 x 10% = $1,100
$11,000+ to $44,72512%($44,725 – $11,000) x 12% = $4,047
$44,725+ to $95,37522%($95,375 – $44,725) x 22% = $11,143
$95,375+ to $182,10024%($100,000 – $95,375) x 24% = $1,110
$182,100+ to $231,25032%N/A
$231,250+ to $578,12535%N/A
Over $578,12537%N/A
Total$17,400

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