Star Encounters In Vegas

There is a type of random encounter that allows me occasionally, albeit rarely, to meet entertainment celebrities in Las Vegas, which is amazing considering that my current health condition does not allow me to get out and about that much.

DAMN IT! I just re-read this first sentence and you must know that it is a bit of a lie --- there really are no coincidences and the "random encounter" is really a logical result of my wife's paramedical insurance job, where she is definitely "out and about" with her job as a nurse who does mobile physicals. She occasionally meets famous people as part of her job. I tag along and act as a combination car driver, porter, and "body guard" ( LOL ).

I met Criss Angel long ago this way before I knew who he was. I was clueless. I had the nerve to ask Criss' business manager what Criss does for a living ! I met some well known casino executive who will remain anonymous, who comped me to see shows like "Hairspray". And I also missed some of the trips with my wife; for example, when my wife met Teller from "Penn and Teller" --- he talked !! --- my loss in not meeting him , since I'm such a magic / illusionist fan. She also went to the home of Suzanne Somers and met Mike Love of the Beach Boys --- again my loss...

It is somewhat hard to write about this stuff, because I don't like "bragging" and I am not really by nature a "name dropper" --- I beg your indulgence -- but if I do encounter a celebrity, say, in a restaurant, I do find it hard to leave them alone and not say "hi" or at least ask for an autograph. Many years ago my wife and I were having New Years' day dinner at The Sands Hotel ( now you know it was many, many years ago ! ) and the late Redd Foxx came over to our table and talked to ( joked with ) my wife. Probably because she was staring at him and his wife. He asked her what she did for a living and she, SOMEWHAT startled and out of character for her, meekly replied "Nurse?". He told my wife "Please stay close--- an old man with my bad health may need your services soon !! ". Funny memories. There are others, but I won't bore you anymore. I am sure that many other people have had similar encounters. The real point is that living in a place like Vegas ( or New York or LA ) makes it more possible for anybody to have these fun "chance" meetings with celebs.

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Meeting George Bugatti

One such pleasant encounter recently occurred at the Casa di Amore restaurant where my wife and I shared Thanksgiving Dinner. I met the house resident lounge entertainer extraordinaire George Bugatti. George currently performs Tuesday through Saturday 6-10 PM at the Casa di Amore; he is the perfect entertainer for the "Old Vegas" ambiance of this great Italian restaurant. If you don't recognize the name, George is a "crooner" in the tradition of Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. George also performs songs from the 50’s 60’s and 70’s.

George's credits in his bio are so impressive. He sat and chatted with us for a while. He suggested ( and I would like ) to visit LA sometime to review the next running of his musical play "WIZARD".

"George is currently starring in “WIZARD” The Musical Story of Oz Composer Harold Arlen which is touring Performing Arts Centers across America. His business partner Sam Arlen, the composer’s son, also stars in this Broadway-bound show"

"George Bugatti created the Three Crooners expressly for the Arlen songbook. Featuring George Bugatti, Alistair Tober and Johnny K, the Three Crooners have settled into a six week run in the Las Vegas showroom after recently completing a 20 city tour, of America's most beloved Jazz based standards.
Although many might think of the Rat Pack when they hear the word Crooner, a term first adopted for Bing Crosby and later used to describe the likes of Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis, The Three Crooners have their own distinctive style, namely George Bugatti's unmistakeable masculinity and unique gift for melody and phrasing, and influences from mentors like Tony Bennett. With his relaxed style and Malibu surfer look, Johnny K, is more like the Chet Baker of the group, while Alistair is the broadway triple threat with many impressive TV and movie credits."

Video Promo For Debut Of "Wizard"

Whining About Wine In Las Vegas - Xtine Report

The following is an excerpt from Xtine's latest post at GrooVes Girl In Vegas. The complete post can be read here.

Fresh and Easy Market Is A Good Source Of Inexpensive Wine

We're getting a Fresh & Easy Neighborhood market in our neighborhood to replace where the CVS pharmacy has closed down. I wondered what type of store Fresh & Easy Neighborhood market is. After doing a bit of research on the "2 buck chuck" types of wine, I have learned that Fresh & Easy is like Trader Joe's. Yeah! It's going to be great to dash over to our Fresh & Easy to get some inexpensive wine. I browsed the blog for the chain, which is part of a company called Tesco. I noticed that Fresh & Easy claims to use a Master of wine to choose their wines. Apparently there are fewer than 300 Master of wines world-wide. They sell about 65 types of wine, many of which are less than $30 a bottle and two that are only $2.99 a bottle in their stores in Nevada and Arizona. In California the same wines sell for $1.99. I can only imagine that it's due to the competition from so many wineries in California that contributes to the price reduction.

Wine Lingo Or "Name That Wine"

While doing some research for this blog posting I ran across an interesting web site called "Appellation America." I learned that "Appellation" means "Origin." The web site is dedicated to informing the public about the over 300 officially designated wine regions in North America. That wine may seem confusing to people because it's known in this preferred order: Appellation/ Origin, Producer, then grape. Not to mention price and paring with cuisine. And Awards!

Vintage Vegas

With many drinks dished out in the state of Nevada, something like $50 billion worth annually state-wide I wondered what the wine drinking scene is like in Las Vegas. I have had the privilege of tasting some great wines at a few local charity events such as Taste of The Nation in The Las Vegas Convention Center, a benefit for Share Our Strength food program, Splendor in the Glass, a benefit for KLVX, Las Vegas' PBS station, and UNLVino has been doing an event for scholarships and higher education philanthropy in Las Vegas for 32 years(usually in May).

For locals and tourists alike there is a valuable resource in the local media to help guide you to where the wine is by way of The Las Vegas Review-Journal's Gil Lempert-Schwarz.

Mr. Lempert-Schwarz is the chairman of The Wine Institute of Las Vegas which serves to inform and educate Las Vegans about wine. I noticed that there are events on a monthly basis in Speiedini in the J.W. Marriott in Summerlin that pairs several wines with several courses of fine cuisine. Viaggio in Henderson, NV offers wine tastings with appetizers often as well. On the Las Vegas strip there are many restaurants that have earned awards from Wine Spectator for their wine selections. I noticed that the Bellagio has six restaurants that have the Wine Spectator's seal of approval. You shouldn't be afraid if you end up in a 'chain' restaurant such as Smith & Wollensky or Ruth's Chris Steakhouse while in Las Vegas if you want some great wine as they are on the award-winning list as well. There are two Asian restaurants that earned the Las Vegas wine list awards: Chinois in Caesar's Palace, and Dragon Noodle and Sushi Bar in The Monte Carlo Hotel.

The Orleans buffet will sell you a whole bottle of wine for as little as $5.00 and cork it for you. If you're not driving,i.e. taking a cab, travel van, bus, limo, etc. you can take it home or to your hotel/ motel or friends house. You can have open alcohol in Clark County if you're not the insured/ licensed driver of the vehicle that the open alcohol is in. When you consider that many times a bottle of water can set you back $5.00 it makes sense to get into drinking here!

My girlfriend and I went to a Rock N Roll wine event a few months ago in Studio 54 in MGM Grand. There were tons of people there. Jeremy Cornwall performed. I loved his sets of music! There was wine from all over. The tickets for the event are $20 or $30 in-advance. Local radio station 94.1 FM MIX sponsored the event. The headliner entertainer was the lead singer Patrick Monahan from the band Train (single "Drops of Jupiter". People often ask me while I'm out and about in the clubs especially, "Where are all the women in Vegas?" I can assure you that the local girls go to events like the Rock N Roll Wine Events.

Las Vegas women repeat after me: "Wine me, dine me!"

Respect, Peace and Light
Xtine on the sin city scene

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Global Peace GrooVes w/ Xtine

On the www and on MySpace:

Global Peace GrooVes.org

and
GrooVes Girl in Vegas Blog

and
Global Peace GrooVes Christine on MySpace.

The Road Not Taken - Vegas Locals Have A Choice

Photo Credit: Las Vegas Idiot.com

Las Vegas Idiot is a picture blog from a man on the streets in Las Vegas. The site is updated frequently and the quality of the photos are fantastic.

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Even for hard working Las Vegas locals, it is becoming more and more a question of how much it costs to drive across town to their favorite casino, restaurant, mall, or club for a little R&R. I'm referring to the casual gambling & dining local crowd, like me. The ubiquitous Station casinos are experts in designing awards programs for attracting locals with their frequent player cards, but I've never really played there enough to be sucked into that "black hole". The Station casinos are even reimbursing people for their gas on some 2 night hotel mini-vacation packages, which locals are buying up as Staycations! I give the Station Casinos a lot of credit ( bad choice of words ) for their clever marketing and ability to generate customer loyalty. My favorite Station Casino property, Green Valley Ranch, is literally within walking distance of my home in Henderson.

If you live in Henderson ( a city that adjoins Las Vegas to the South ) like I do, the thought of whether to 1) travel to the Strip or 2) a local casino for just some casual gambling or dining is becoming a "no - brainer", especially on a holiday weekend like the one coming up in 10 days ( July 4th weekend ), with all the crowds and the traffic. Don't get me wrong, I love to "play tourist" and go to the Strip, but there has to be a specific event or planned destination and a compelling reason for me to go there. Unless I have a specific reason to go to the Strip ( and God knows, I wish I had more reasons like the Tapis Rouge event last Thursday! ) I will go to the local places in Henderson like Green Valley Ranch Station Casino or Casino Monte Lago at Lake Las Vegas ( also in Henderson ).

With Vegas becoming a world class travel destination ( which implies higher prices for meals, shows, entertainment, shopping, etc. ) and with the current economic downturn, many Vegas locals are staying closer to home and holding on to their wallets. Look for some tourist casinos on the Strip going more out of their way to attract locals.

In the Las Vegas Sun article cited above, "Hey, neighbor, try our hotel", the Sahara Hotel, which recently changed ownership, is mentioned as an example of a Strip casino going out of their way to attract locals:

'The Sahara is promoting video poker machines that it says are paying percentages more akin to those offered at neighborhood casinos. Word about the machines has spread among locals, who track favorable games that come and go from casinos on Web sites and Internet chat rooms. But the Sahara has given away the secret — all the better to lure tourists who want to be in the know — with a sign designating a part of the casino floor “Locals Lane.”

The Sahara also has created a separate players club for locals that offers deeper discounts for meals, drinks, shows and hotel rooms that can be used for players or out-of-town friends or family.

The Sahara began working on the locals program last year after Los Angeles nightclub king Sam Nazarian bought the property and before the economic downturn.'

Oddz And Endz - A Mid May Vegas Potpourri

Another View Of Vegas' Slowing Economy

Neighborhood Food Market Offers Lower Prices Without Sacrificing Quality

My wife does most of the food shopping and we like the idea of convenience, low prices and quality ( who doesn't ?). We occasionally shop at the "Yuppie" stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joes. But the prices are usually too high and the distance is too far. We also take advantage of the deals at the 99 cent and dollar stores. Along comes Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Markets to save the day. They are invading Henderson, Vegas, and North Las Vegas and building new locations - I counted a total of 12 locations in their local flyer. There are two stores within a mile of where we live.

The marketing plan for Fresh & Easy is simple. Minimize the overhead costs but provide high quality and pass the saving on to the customer. ( For example, there is no fresh deli department, but their packaged deli products are high quality and fresh. ) No loyalty cards or product coupons ( other than their ubiquitous $5 off coupon my wife seems to get for every trip to their store ).

"Fresh & Easy or Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market is a chain of small supermarkets on the West Coast of the United States. It is a subsidiary of the UK-based retailer Tesco, the world's fourth largest retailer, and is Tesco's attempt to expand into the United States" - From the Wikipedia article.

My Favorite Multi-Reel Penny Games

Photo downloaded under a Creative Commons License

Click above for a larger image.

It has got to be "Invaders From The Planet Moolah" followed closely by "Cleopatra Keno" Hours of fun on chump change! :-O

My Spot Is Las Vegas

Did you ever wonder if where you are living is where you should be living?

I just finished the "Find Your Spot" quiz to find the best places in the USA that match my interests and lifestyle preferences and the answers that came back were uncanny!

Of the top five cities that came back as a best match for me, number two was Vegas, number five was where I now live ( Henderson, Nevada ) and number three was where I had lived before ( Albuquerque, New Mexico ).

None of the cities I liked in California came up as a match because I specified rental rates and a monthly mortgage range that was just too low for Cally. The first Cally city that comes up ranks way down the list, and it is a city ( Riverside or Long Beach, I can't remember ) where I would never consider living anyway.

My preference for a city with a good hospital nearby would severely limit the results, at least that's what I had thought. But even after relaxing that restriction, I got similar results. I know I like the sunshine and dryness of the Southwest, so this seemed to have the greatest influence on the final results. Oh, and the excitement of living near the "Entertainment Capital Of The World" might have also been an important factor :)

Try this fun quiz and see if "where you is" where you should be!!

Site Of The Day - Las Vegas Housing Bubble Blog

Local Las Vegas blogger "contrarian2day" at his ECONOMICROT blog gives a very bleak snapshot of the Las Vegas economy and real estate market in his latest blog Las Vegas Housing Bubble Update.

Very detailed analysis and commentary which is definitely worth reading. He apparently saw it coming and sold his house before the peak and fall. Now "we who rent" don't feel so bad!

Vegas New Year's Resolutions ?

Well, it is Jewish New Year today, so I can make some resolutions, right? Oy, Vegas! Yom Tov, everybody! (Yeah, I know, it's a stretch!)

If one thinks of luck as a lady, I think Ms. Vegas can be a @itchin@ whore or the sweetest angel of my dreams. So I will express my resolutions in an open letter to her, the girl of my dreams or a nightmare of schemes, Ms. Vegas. (PS - thanks, Mr. Masters):

Dear Ms. Vegas,

I love you. I am hoping we can get together and go out more often. But I must set some guidelines, if we are going to continue our special relationship:

• I will not buy your bottle service because I do not drink. Even if I did drink, I would not drink for $500. One Miller light for one dollar is my limit.



• I will not join your player's clubs because I like to gamble in private. Ms. Vegas, you don't have to know where I spend every last cent, it's none of your damn business. The only thing I ever get in return is an offer of "Dutch Treat" at some buffet.



• I will not stay at your overpriced hotels because I live here.



• I will not spend full price on your shows, because often I get to see them at a greatly reduced price and sometimes for free.



• I will continue to pay top dollar to see concerts of musical performers I like. As I get older, the number of concerts I would like to see is dwindling down to just a few, sadly.



• As a local, I will continue to hunt for places that tourists don't know about yet, until the tourists claim it for their own and declare "There are too many locals here." !



• I will continue to complain about the traffic. I know that the buses and especially the monorail will never save me from impending gridlock.



• I will continue to listen to STAR 102.7 FM to get free movie tickets.



• I hope you don't mind, Ms. Vegas, when I get tired of you, that I leave you occasionally to visit Ms. Socal and Ms. Sedona and Ms. Northwest. But I always know that you will be here for me when I return; and you will never be upset about my wanderings. Because, you know I am under your spell I and will always return to you.



• I will continue to vote for any tax that is targeted to visitors such as airport, hotel, and taxi fees.



• I will not be buying a 1,000 square foot high rise condo for one million dollars. Unless, of course, you let me win the Megabucks!



• I will not complain about the summer heat anymore. After all it is a "dry heat". I will bless you for not having earthquakes (so far, thank God), hurricanes, tornadoes, floods (except the "flashing" kind), tsunamis, snow storms, and forest fires.



• But most of all, I will continue to love you, Ms. Vegas, because no matter what time it is, day or night, you are always there for me.

Happy New Year and you owe me big time!

Yours truly,

- MercurialMike

National Geographic Votes Las Vegas Number One Adventure Town

Las Vegas has not been voted the number one city to live in, or even the number one tourist destination --- lately. Then what is the reason that National Geographic voted Vegas Number one? --- Adventure! Oh, yeah, baby! Gambling, shows, great restaurants,cruising the strip, right?

Nope, not quite. The National Geographic voted Vegas number one for opportunities to participate in all kinds of outdoor activities within a short distance of Vegas: hiking, boating, mountain biking, skiing, rock climbing, to name a few. And just as OJ is not only a breakfast drink, Vegas is not just for gambling anymore.

A secret has been revealed that we local have known about for a long time: Vegas is a good home base for outdoor adventure beyond the city limits.

Confessions Of A Las Vegas Street Mall Walker

I am under "doctor's orders" to exercise, recovering from a Congestive Heart Failure incident last February that hospitalized me for over a week. For somebody in my condition, this usually means something like low impact walking. The doc also said that I should not exercise outdoors when the temperature is over 80 degrees. The "cooler" days are rare to non-existent during the summer in Las Vegas. Since I don't own a treadmill, there really aren't too many options available other than Mall Walking.

Walking almost every day in the local mall, one can't help but make some observations:

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  Mostly everybody seems to be unhappy. Nobody is genuinely smiling. The mall workers seem unhappy, but wear fake smiles. The customers seem to be in some kind of hypnotic trance. I think they are thinking a lot about what they want and what they don't have: thoughts which would depress me if I held on to them for too long. The only ones who return my smiles are the babies and the very young children!


• 
  There are lots of mirrors in the stores for people to look at themselves, but like the casinos, there are no clocks anywhere, except perhaps at the watch repair shop. Mirrors are great for vanity and seeing how items bought look on you, but they are not flattering for people like me that are there for only one reason - to lose some weight by exercising!


• 
  Most people shopping in the mall appear to be in good shape. The second class citizens of the mall are the non-buyers: walkers like me who need exercise, and also the many disabled and handicapped seniors who sit wherever they can and are there just to people-watch and pass the time away. I keep thinking that the mall security may be tracking me and if I don't make a purchase in the next 15 minutes they will politely escort me to the exit. The people actually shopping are typically very slender and well dressed. They like to be seen. They can afford to buy there. They do not see me. In fact, they stare right through me.

The stores that seem to be doing the best ( where there are the most people ) are the food courts, the book stores, electronics stores, and the athletic shoe stores, which are mostly visited by the urban hipsters and gangsta wannabees. The upscale clothing specialty stores ( with maybe the exception of Victoria's Secret? ) seem strangely empty every time I walk past them. The younger crowd seems to be there mostly to socialize. It is also strange that not many people are carrying shopping bags; I wonder if they deposit their purchased items into their car immediately after buying them, rather than lugging them around. Or could it be that there are many more window shoppers than buyers? Have I discovered a new kind of economic predictor?

Being A Las Vegas Local Has Some Advantages - Station Casinos

I am a Las Vegas local, so of course I like the Station Casinos ( although I realize not all locals do ). I've heard tourists say they would not go to a casino because it is a "local place". If I were a tourist, I would go to the locals casinos precisely because they are frequented by locals. Just like the best restaurants just off the Interstate Highways are frequented by the most truckers, who should know where the best food is for the money. The three closest casinos to my home in Henderson are: The Green Valley Ranch (just down the street), The Sunset Station, and The Fiesta Henderson.

I can't say that my gaming experiences there have always been fortunate, but most often I seem to go back for reasons other than using my Boarding Pass to win the Super Jumbo Jackpot. When you eliminate having to chose a hotel for its accommodations, then all that's left are the three biggies: gaming, food, and entertainment. The last time I went to the Fiesta was to eat at their wonderful reasonably priced (especially with a two for one ticket) buffet. I recently went to Green Valley Ranch to see a movie and walk around The District, always a lot of fun.

Tomorrow night I'll be celebrating the midpoint between my wife's birthday ( July first ) and mine ( August sixth ) by having a nice meal at the Costa Del Sol Restaurant at the Sunset Station followed by the Johnny Rivers concert at the Boulder Station.

See, being a Las Vegas local does not always imply spending hours in front of a video poker machine!

The Newest Station Casino Is Furthest Away

I have yet to visit the Red Rock Hotel Casino, Resort and Spa, but have received offers for mid week room discounts for locals. I will have to check it out ASAP, I've heard only good things about this newest property.

With 30 million pieces of crystal comprising white, blue and deep orange chandeliers furnishing the hotel, Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa is located four miles from Red Rock Canyon in Las Vegas, Nev. Canyon Pointe Shopping Center is one-half mile away. The hotel is 12 miles from the Las Vegas Strip.

Hotel Features. Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa features nine restaurants, including Terra Rossa with Hell's Kitchen winner Heather West as Senior Chef. Terra Rossa serves authentic Italian foods including homemade pastas and thin pizzas from a wood-burning oven. Grand Café, open 24 hours, features burgers, pastries, breads, desserts, and all-day breakfasts. Sandbar, a shoes-optional seasonal poolside café, serves sandwiches, burgers and salads. The hotel contains a business center, 70,000 square feet of meeting space and wireless Internet access for a fee. The 70-acre hotel showcases a 30,000-square-foot, Asian-inspired spa with a full-service salon, fitness area, movement studio, boxing ring, and lap pool with three outdoor cabanas. A three-acre oasis contains gardens, a sandy beach, private cabanas and a pool. The 87,000-square-foot casino features 2,700 slot and video poker machines, 60 table games, a race and sports book, a 15-table poker room and a 600-seat bingo parlor. The hotel contains a 16-screen cinema complex.

Address : 11011 W Charleston Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89135, USA

"Free" Buffets At Station Casinos

From Las Vegas Blog

Site Of The Day - (Las Vegas ) Housing Doom Housing Bubble Blog

The outlook for the Las Vegas real estate market for home sales is bleak.

The best advice I have seen for potential buyers in the Las Vegas housing market is to rent for now, and then wait for the correction of housing prices of up to 30% in the next few years.

The site of the day is the Housing Doom Bubble Blog where a Technorati search on "Las Vegas" reveals an interesting running commentary on the current Las Vegas market.

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Is Las Vegas A Safe Place To Live?

I've been reading the local Vegas forums lately, and somebody always says that Vegas is a great place to visit, but they would not necessarily ( or they would "definitely not" ) want to live here. Just Google for "bad areas in Las Vegas" or something, to get the flavor of it all.

The short answer is Vegas can most definitely be a good place to live. (Lord knows, enough people are moving here!) So if that satisfies you, read no further. Honestly, I owe no homage to the Tourism Bureau, they spend millions developing mere slogans and are more interested in attracting tourists than making Vegas a better place to live. That would be the Mayor's and City Council's job, and since I am not a political blogger, no comment.

Vegas Is An "Island Oasis" In The Desert

Let me start with this biggie downer: when gas prices go into the 5 to 10 dollar a gallon range (see Life After The Oil Crash) Vegas will no longer be Vegas as we know it. We depend on over 90% of our goods (food, materials,etc..) being shipped here, mostly via trucks. If those trucks stop rolling, the supermarket shelves become empty in a few days. Even at the current three dollars a gallon, I see a trend where the hotels are offering rebates to their customers who drive here. A large portion of Vegas' revenues are from Southern Californians who drive to Vegas. Next, as prices keep going up, the casinos will have to subsidize the truckers to keep those buffet lines moving!

Is It Safe?

No place is absolutely safe to live. But Vegas can be relatively safe if you carefully chose where you live. Sound simplistic, but this is true in any large city - we all know that the crime rate is rising everywhere. So live in the area with the lowest rates, like much of Henderson and all of Summerlin, for example. The safest areas are always in the more affluent suburbs. But if you can't afford to live there, there are good alternatives if you just do your homework. Contact a competent realtor and check the local crimes stats. Learn how to protect yourself and be alert to what is happening around you. Good advice anywhere, not just in Vegas. 'Nuff said.

Unnatural Disasters

Vegas is actually in an earthquake zone, but I don't remember there ever being a major quake here. (we had a 2+ a few days ago). Even the Nevada Test Site has stopped shaking the tall buildings with their occasional underground nuclear bomb tests. Vegas gets no tsunamis (unless you count Wayne Newton constantly washing on our shores), hurricanes, or tornadoes. We do get the occasional dust storm and flash floods. ( Please, don't drive through rushing water. ) Heat waves occur every year (It's called Summer) and kill about 30 to 40 people annually. Remember to drink plenty of water and stay indoors in air conditioned comfort, if at all possible. Rev. Mercurial Mike's sermon is over, pass the collection plate, please. (Oh, I forgot, OK to party here but please don't drink and drive!)

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Click here for recent earthquakes near Las Vegas.

Gangs

There are currently over 300 unique gangs in the Las Vegas Valley and the number is rising. There are over 8,000 gang members residing here. The gangs are mostly originating from Southern California, and the police are not quite on top of the situation, having to create more and more task forces and special anti-gang units. The number of gang bangers and wannabee gang bangers swells during Vegas events like boxing matches, certain concerts, and the Final Four games.

This trend can only get worse and hopefully won't be in your neighborhood soon. I have lived in other cities where I had to move to get away from the effects of the spread of gangs. Support your local police by reporting any and all gang activity.

Terrorism Target?

As the modern Gomorrah, sin city will always be in the top ten list of potential target cities. Be alert! Report suspicious activities. 'Nuff said.

"In order to prevent terrorist attacks and other crime in London, the government installed cameras to watch the streets. Metro police want to do the same..."

In light of the recent car bombing attacks in Great Britain, maybe this is a good idea?

See the entire article from Las Vegas Channel 8 Eyewitness News.

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Is Vegas on the list of cities that are targeted by terrorists?

Is Vegas Family Friendly?

In some suburbs of Vegas, it is no different than any other typical Southwestern city. When I raised a family here, it was in the late eighties. The schools were great then. Can't really say for sure what is going on now. I would rather not comment on the state of the educational system today (a complete failure?) but like I said, this is not a political blog. Maybe somebody can volunteer their opinion. I see kids walking home from school, and I wonder who is caring for them.

If You Live Here, You Can't Gamble Here

Not true. I see plenty of people who live here gambling. :)

It does take some control and recognition of when it is becoming an addiction - no different than drinking. There is the social drinker and there is the alcoholic. There are enough nickel and penny slots to keep me busy for hours on a very small, affordable "investment". Costs less than a hour with a good shrink. It's supposed to be entertainment, folks. Each person should judge when it no longer is fun and when gambling becomes a problem.

Perhaps the greatest advantage of living in the "open all day and night" town known as Las Vegas is this: if I want to visit Vegas, all I have to do is roll out of bed and jump into my car! (Uh, shame on you, you know what I meant! Yes! I would get dressed first! )

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Related: Las Vegas Tries to Prevent a Water Shortage - article from Popular Mechanics.

Related: LAS VEGAS - A survival kit for when good times go badfrom The Chicago Tribune.

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Oh, I Forgot To Mention...

The other kind of heat that can get you in Vegas... Please co-operate with the local authorities. They have to deal with all kinds of people, especially in Vegas, and 99% of the time they are only doing their job. If you really are innocent, then what do you have to fear, just listen and do what they tell you to do. The police are following a play book and procedure to protect both you and them, and they don't know who you are if they approach you for any reason. And they must always have a good reason.

The video below clearly demonstrates what happens when someone decides not to listen to what the police are saying to them:


Cops-Las Vegas Heat - More bloopers are a click away

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And this little item just came in from Lew Rockwell's Blog:

July 06, 2007

Four Wounded in Vegas Shooting

Posted by Casey Khan at July 6, 2007 09:14 AM

Is New York, NY casino in Las Vegas safer than New York City? Is it safer than Virginia Tech?

At 1am, a local man came into the casino and began opening fire, shooting 4 until tackled to the ground by "officers and patrons." Were these "officers" private security guards or cops? In any case the casino is already up and running this morning performing "business as usual." Maybe they should move the New Stock Exchange down to Vegas, they mind find better security and capability to keep their operations open.

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City Data Forum Discussion Thread: "Is Living In Las Vegas Overrated?"


City Data Forum Discussion Thread: "Las Vegas Is A Cesspool"

The Future Of Las Vegas

Ahhh, progress!! This is all going to seem like so uncool to younger readers. But I'm an incurable romantic. I have a case of nostalgia that no doctor can cure. I'm old school, old fashioned and well, just "O.L.D." (acronym for "Often Lying Down").

Question of the day: is e-mail really an improvement over the old fashioned written letter? Why write a letter when you can e-mail! Maybe because letters are, uhh, personal? Think of the impact today if you got a personal, handwritten letter in the mail?

Just like that letter to e-mail transition, Vegas is growing so fast that if I were to fall asleep for ten years and wake up (highly unlikely with my current medical condition, but let's just pretend) I probably would hardly recognize the place. And I believe Vegas is becoming a little less personal and friendly.

Following the present growth trend:

• Soon only the very rich will be able to afford a night in a hotel. All others will be working here for minimum wage plus tips.



• The casino workers will not be able to afford to live here, so they will sign up as "indentured servants" living in casino provided rooms (they already do this in Primm).



• The Vegas skyline will make NYC seem "smallish" and "quaint".



• It will take seven and a half hours to cruise the strip.



• A condo about the size of Paris' jail cell will sell for over a million dollars.



• Every gaming machine will be networked and connected to every other machine, allowing instant messaging amongst your "friends" and the sharing of recipes amongst players.



• You will need to somehow hitch a ride to traverse the vast expanses of the casino floor. Walking, unless you pack a lunch, will just take too long.



• Players will be paid off not in dollars but in "Vegas credits", which will be credited to your Universal Vegas Player Card. This new coin of the realm will be like a Vegas "Buyer's Club" card. Use your credits to buy a car at Fletcher Jones, etc.



• There will be a monorail station near my house in Henderson (actually, I am not really very confident of this prediction!

Vegas reminds me of the early Internet about fifteen years ago before it experienced an exponential, quantum leap of growth. Before they built those hot properties like Yahoo and Hotmail and Google and YouTube and Ebay and Myspace and ... Well, I can go on and on.

Back then, I lived in a kind of "Mosaic" world (the popular browser in the early nineties) where the greatest attractions on the strip for me were the dollar hot dog with the 99 cent shrimp cocktail.

Why Would Anybody Want To Live In Las Vegas?

Judging by the statisics, maybe 5,000 people a month are moving here. An amazing statistic.

Let's observe the obvious: Las Vegas is one of the few cities where the local economy depends almost entirely on tourism ( just like our southern neighbor, the country of Mexico, depends mostly on tourism, - that is, if you discount illegal drug and other trafficking! ). If Las Vegas were a super-hero ( using a rather forced metaphor here - let's call this superhero "Oscar de la Godman" )and Oscar were stripped (pun intended) of his super powers, namely: hotels, gaming, and all forms of entertainment, then what would be left to give him amazing strength in that never ending fight for Truth, Justice and the Almighty American Dollar?

Unfortunately, very little. Bugsy Segal had a vision when this place was mostly desert that few of his Chicago "associates" shared. Why would anybody want to travel to the desert? And stay here? - it's either too hot or too cold, and the sand keeps blowing in your eyes. Bugsey had a vision, and as they say, the rest is history.

Ask any local why they live here and they will do that "eyes skyward to the forehead" gesture, and after a few moments may give you some reasons; and if gaming is one of them, it is most likely because they work in the gaming industry. Rule #1: you quickly learn, if you live here you can't gamble like a tourist (for very long- unless you are very affluent!) Of course there are exceptions, but not many. Most people who live here are no different than people who live in any other large Southwestern city. They go to work everyday, buy or plan to buy homes in the suburbs, pay their bills and taxes (but no state income taxes!), save for their kid's education, and yes: drive the kids to soccer practise. Then there are the retirees who hang out at the local casinos, always looking for the deals. And students attending the local colleges, and Air Force personnel on Nellis Air Force Base. And many other stories (millions of them) in the naked city.

People used to move to the Southwest for a variety of health reasons. For example, the dry air and sunshine were considered to be a treatment for such maladies as rickets (vitamin D deficiency) and consumption (tuberculosis) before the advent of modern antibiotics. If you were allergic to the flora back East and it triggered asthma attacks, chances are the desert was a good alternative to the ocean cruise as a way of avoiding the allegins like pollen. Arthritis symptoms could sometimes be ameliorated by a reduction of humidity. There are still some people who cite health reasons for living here, but the average relative humidity rises yearly due to watering all those lawns and golf courses, and all those native trees from back East have been replanted here. So there aren't too many specifically health related reasons to live here, anymore. On second thought: maybe mental health could be a reason, as I have heard perhaps apocryphal stories of many people suddenly dropping everything and moving here for a "new start". And, with all the days of sunshine, living in Vegas could easilly be a cure for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).

You may ask, and rightly so, "Why do I live here?" OK, here's my best shot at an answer: I live in a retirement community. The golf course is available most days. The outdoor heated pool is almost always available. If you drive in any direction it doesn't take long to be in the desert and away from the smog of the city. I suffer from insomnia, so it's nice to know that there is a place to go at 3:00 AM . I like the access to the casinos, and the shows and glitter of Vegas, knowing it is always there if and when I want it, but always tempered by the fact that it is always there! Too much of any good thing..., well you know! Las Vegas is also a good central location as a point of embarkation for visiting some of my other favorite Southwestern cities, like Albuquerque, LA, Tuscon, Sedona (AZ), San Diego; and other not-so-Southwest cities like San Francisco and Seattle. But I always come back here, and I like calling Vegas my home.

Somebody summed it up: you either love or hate Vegas, there is very little in between.

I would be interested to hear from other locals about why they like it here. And visitors who would like to live here.

Las Vegas Growth Pains

Las Vegas Growth Pains

OK. My turn to rant. I'm losing my beautiful Vegas.

I remember when New York City had a campaign to reduce crime in the city. At the time the murder statistics were something like one murder a day in Manhattan, which was deemed shocking at the time. Now the newest statistics are out for Las Vegas - it is something like the forth most dangerous city, according to the newest survey. Vegas now has the same murder rate that motivated Mayors Koch and Giuliani to clean up the city. Besides the diurnal murder, Vegas has a robbery every hour, a car is stolen every 10 minutes, etc., etc...

I used to frequent restaurants and casinos in some of the worst areas of Vegas (see my web page) and not feel especially threatened, I took normal precautions - just circumspection and vigilance walking to and from my car. Now I'm having second thoughts about visiting some of these crime ridden areas of the city. Just the other day, for example, an off duty police officer was car jacked in one of these bad areas, not far from the casinos on Fremont Street - he did not fight back for his own safety, thank God they didn't kill him. The crazy thugs took his gun, his badge, and his privately owned vehicle.

My wife is a nurse who visits peoples' homes in Las Vegas, and I find I have to accompany her wherever she goes, especially in some Vegas neighborhoods after dark. She carries mace and I sometimes wish I had a concealed weapon permit. (Yeah, all you gun control people out there read my lips: if it meant saving your family's life you probably would wish you had a weapon available too!)

Don't try to find too many local or even national news articles on Las Vegas' ranking in this new survey. It's bad for business in Las Vegas, and somehow this information is magically suppressed. But I doubt if these new statistics will affect the nearly 300,000 visitors who come here every weekend, they are probably safe enough in the big hotels on the strip. I don't live in Vegas. I live in Henderson, a suburban city in its own right, just south of Vegas. Henderson fared much better in the new survey. It does not yet have the influx of gangs and illegal aliens that is plaguing Vegas, but it does have the same tremendous growth that will inevitably lead to the same problems neighboring Vegas has.

I just tuned into the "new" morning news talk station KDWN and they have changed their programming format to sound just like a Los Angeles station I used to listen to. Instead of the old format of some old guy sharing recipes with grandma, it now reports every damn crime as it is occurring. I understand that bad news sells, but I will no longer listen to this station - I'd rather not think too much about what is happening to my beautiful Vegas.

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