Now that the New Frontier is officially closed and Gilley's is no more (although there are rumors of a re-location), we ran across this article from Racket Magazine which covered the Minxx vs. Men's Club Gentleman's Club Mud Wrestling Championship.
~sigh~ We'll miss the wrastlin' and the bikini bull riding if not much else about the hotel.

If you feel the need for some fast times on 2 or 4 wheels, this article lists some of the Las Vegas driving schools and/or rental agencies for stock cars, open wheel cars, motorcycles and even dune buggies.

A theatre critic from the Toledo Blade (of all places) gives a quickie review of 10 shows on the Strip, including all the Cirque shows (mostly good except Zumanity), Le Reve (positive), Spamalot (very good), Phantom (his fave version), The Producers (disappointing), Stomp (good) and Jubilee (bland).

With all the troubles our troubled girls are having, many thought Las Vegas would never be the same. But with Britney in town a few days ago and a confirmed Paris sighting (at the Palms for a Fergie concert with sister Nicky), there's a feeling of normalcy in the Vegas air. If only Lindsey would show up we could all sleep better at night (or whenever we sleep).
Speaking of Lindsey...

While large casinos are exempt from the restrictions, smaller bars and lounges are trying to figure out ways to deal with the non-smoking laws passed at the beginning of the year, especially since the Southern Nevada Health District has started filing lawsuits.
To comply with the "smoking = no food service" regulation, some have closed their kitchens completely while others have enclosed a smoking section with a glass wall and separate A/C units. While many bars are still ignoring the law and are still serving food, some are getting around the ordinance by allowing customers to order food to be delivered from outside sources (yo, Dominos!) or are having patrons simply grab their own food from the kitchen window saying "we are not serving food since you are picking it up". The game continues.

A 2,985-square-foot penthouse at Sky Las Vegas, a condominium tower just north of Circus Circus on the Strip, claimed a Las Vegas all-time high in cost per square foot for an unfinished unit.
The $2.7 million penthouse on the 42nd floor of the 45-story tower commanded $904.53 per square foot -- a local record for a condominium sold in a "gray-shell" state, without flooring, wall coverings, appliances, lighting and other interior-design elements.
Most units in Sky Las Vegas are running at around $650 per square foot.

With the recent legalization of legal whorehouse ads in counties where prostitution is illegal, many in Clark County are bracing for an onslaught of over-the-top X-rated ads. Most of the brothels say that isn't going to happen.

With most of the Strip's land gone or just too darn expensive, the main entertainment district is expanding in all directions. A couple of places that have seen some growth is the so-called Harmon Corridor (on Harmon Ave., East of the Strip to Paradise) and all along Paradise, East and parallel to the Strip. And, with MGM Mirage's City Center zipping along, you'll see some new projects on Industrial Road, the 1st street West of the Strip.
Thanks to Station Casinos and some others, the latest growth area will be land immediately West of I-15, on Rancho behind the Palace Station and on Dean Martin Avenue, behind the Mirage down to other side of New York, New York.

Britney Spears, fresh off her mental breakdown, her series of bizarre 15 minute lip-synching performances and Friday's scuffle between her body guard and some paparazzi at Wynn (is she supposed to take the kids out of California?), is primed to be the celeb host at the grand opening of LAX nightclub over Labor Day weekend. Should be interesting...

The Culinary Union is frustrated by the stalled contract talks with MGM Mirage and is taking preliminary steps to a possible strike on down the road.

While we get some of the top entertainment talent in the country, we also have the top celeb impersonators in town. Who woulda thunk it?
Las Vegas impersonators claimed the top three spots Wednesday on ABC's talent show "The Next Best Thing", a contest for tribute acts. First prize and $100,000 went to Trent Carlini, who stars as Elvis Presley in "The Musical History of the King" at the Sahara.

"Welcome to the Las Vegas after-hours scene. Here, the parties don't start until Midwestern farmers wake up, don't end until the sun is heating the valley, and temporal and sensory disorientation isn't a maddening affliction but a pleasurable experience. And an expected one."
A look at the Las Vegas after-hours scene.

From Argus of the Baraboo News Republic:
--"NBA referee Tim Donaghy agreed Sunday to testify against the mobsters for whom he fixed NBA games. A betting scandal could delay league expansion plans. There's now concern that an NBA team in Las Vegas could seriously erode the town's moral fiber."
--"David Beckham was a hit in his debut with the Los Angeles Galaxy Saturday. His knowledge of American rules will improve. David Beckham looked confused when the referee tripped him but the audience applauded the effort to pay off a gambling debt."
--Complete column

Whether you are a global warming proponent or not, something fishy is going on with Nevada's average temperatures lately.
Las Vegas‘ average temperature last summer was 3.6 degrees above the 30-year average from 1971-2000, while Elko‘s was 4 degrees above normal and Ely‘s was 2.1 degrees hotter.
"Only a tiny bit of this increase in temperature can be attributed to increased urbanization the so-called urban heat-island effect," one of the experts said. "Global warming is here, and we better get serious about confronting it."

According to Pregame.com, the referee who was supposedly under mob influence had some interesting trends on games he worked:
Gamblers Won 15 Straight Times:
The first 15 games of the 2006-07 refereed by Tim Donaghy that had big enough betting to move the point spread by at least 1.5 points were PERFECT against Las Vegas – meaning that the big money gamblers won a 15 of 15 times on his games. The odds of that happening randomly are 32,768 to 1.
Over/Under Bettors a Perfect 6-0
During the 2006-07 season, there were 6 games refereed by Tim Donaghy in which big “over/under” betting moved the Las Vegas line by more than 3 points . . . the big money gamblers won all 6 of those games.

The NBA has a grave issue on its hands with (at least) one of their referees allegedly being on the take and fixing games. This scandal was revealed just as Las Vegas officials were supposed to sit down with the NBA and have further discussions about acquiring an NBA team. At the same time there's a very serious proposal on the table for a new 22,000 seat arena which is designed to house an NBA team. Has this gambling issue hurt Las Vegas' chances?

A real estate company named FX Luxury, with licensing rights to the estate of Elvis Presley, recently took complete control of 18 acres on the southeast corner of Harmon Avenue and the Strip and plans to develop a mixed-used project stretching from the Harley-Davidson Café to the Smith & Wollensky building just north of the MGM Grand. A spokesman for FX Luxury says "It is likely the property will be used, in part for an Elvis-themed development given that Elvis was the embodiment of Las Vegas."
This is the company that now owns 57% of the Riviera and is working with Cirque du Soleil to develop a Presley-themed show for an 1,800-seat theater scheduled for MGM Mirage's $7.4 billion CityCenter scheduled to open December 2009.
It appears Elvis will be making a huge Vegas comeback...

The large, 2-day Halloween alt-music festival called Vegoose has announced additional details about the event including dates, the full line-up of entertainers and a confirmation that Rage Against the Machine will be the headliners.
The LowLife Event Listing

According to a business magazine called Fast Company, Las Vegas has a very dim future. The possibility of running out of water combined with having a labor force where most of us are just a bunch of uneducated, unskilled bumpkins spells disaster. Of course, those experts have been saying that for decades now...

Can the Luxor change its stripes? It has perhaps the most thematic building in all of Las Vegas--I mean, if you absolutely had to you could change the exterior of, say, the Excalibur or New York, New York, two other hotels with a very distinctive theme--but how do you change a pyramid?
Since they don't want to tear it down, the owners, MGM Mirage, are changing it from the inside out, getting rid of nearly all Egyptian references (except, well, the shape and name of the building), ridding itself of a kiddie connection and upgrading its attitude from upper lower class to perhaps lower upper class (perhaps). Will it be anything more than lipstick on a pig? (Although a very nice pig, we must say, as we've had some good times in those inexpensive suites with the raised Jacuzzi's and the excellent view)
The transformation of the Luxor.

There was Dino and Desi, and then there was Billy.
In the '60s, it was common knowledge that Dino was Dean Paul Martin, son of the Las Vegas legend, and Desi was Desi Arnaz Jr., the son of the most famous couple in show business, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
But the third member of the pop trio, Dino, Desi & Billy? That was Billy Hinsche, usually described, and not inaccurately, as "their friend from school."

With Hoover Dam playing a central role in the new Transformers movie, this article takes a look at other movies the dam has been seen in (including the original Ocean's 11, The Amazing Colossal Man, Diamonds Are Forever, etc.) and also what it takes to get a filming permit.

Even long-time locals didn't know too much about the tunnels under Las Vegas until an editor from the weekly rag Las Vegas City Life investigated and wrote a book about them.
But the tunnels are everywhere, even under casinos, and they are inhabited by the homeless (except when it rains, of course). There are currently 450 miles of these flood channels in town, including 300 miles underground.
A writer takes a tour of the tunnel that starts North of I-15, goes under the interstate, Caesars Palace, the Strip and emerges in an Imperial Palace parking lot.
A tunnel under Caesars? Sounds like a starting point for an Ocean's 14 movie...

If you saw the movie "Casino" you know how Tony "The Ant" Spilotro was an out of control mobster roaming around Las Vegas in the early 80's doing pretty much whatever he wanted. With the recent testimony of someone who participated in Spilotro's unltimate demise, we get a look at how it all played out in the end.

The Thomas & Mack arena, located on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, ranked No. 2 in the world in ticket sales from November to May. Only New York's Madison Square Garden Arena outsold the Thomas & Mack.
Making the center's jump into the No. 2 spot even more remarkable is the competition it faces within two square miles. The Thomas & Mack must battle the 14,000-seat MGM Grand Garden Arena, the 12,000-seat Mandalay Bay Events Center and the 7,000-seat Orleans Arena for sports contests and concerts. No other arena in the Top 20 has as many big rivals nearby.

Spamalot seems to be one of those rare Broadway-type shows that might actually make it here in Las Vegas. The crowds have been very good and the reviews have been extremely enthusiastic.
The star of the show is loving it--it's what keeps him happy while he's doing all the other things he's involved in.
Here's a look at John O'Hurley, who says he is slowly becoming his "J. Peterman" character from his "Seinfeld" days.

This article details Caesars' plans for additional growth including a cool aerial map showing the previous expansion efforts. They've sure packed a lot of buildings onto their 85 acres. Hard to imagine they held a Formula 1 race on the property 20-some years ago. It's tough after 40 years to remain relevant in Las Vegas but the ol' emperor is sure trying. Hail Caesar!

We have definitive proof that the Supreme Being likes gamblers, as long as you strike a bargain with him/her to give a percentage of the winnings to charity.
Jerry Yang, the World Series of Poker winner said he got down on his hands and knees in the Rio restrooms during tournament breaks and prayed to win. "I held my kids' picture in my hands, and I asked the Lord to let me do good for others," Yang said.
The two, God and Jerry, split $8.25 million. Not bad for a $225 investment and some break-time genuflecting.
So grab a photo of a kid or two, make a divine pact to give a piece of the winnings to a God-approved 501(c)(3) and head to the nearest casino.
Praise the lord and pass the dice!

Downtown is starting to show signs of life and may one day be a very cool place for bars, clubs and live music, perhaps like a downtown Austin. To help you get to know downtown Las Vegas better, several of the bars have joined together to offer something that sounds like big fun to us: a pub crawl.
To go along with the Downtown Art District's First Friday and Second Tuesday events, there's now a Thirsty Third Thursday tour of six near- or on-Fremont Street drinking establishments: Hennessey’s, Jillian’s, Hogs & Heifers, Sidebar, Mickie Finnz, and the Brass Lounge.
Thursday evening might be a good time to see what's going on in Las Vegas' red-headed step-child district.

Jerry Yang, a 39-year-old psychologist and social worker from Temecula, Calif., won the $10,000 buy-in main event of the World Series of Poker and its $8.25 million top prize.

Of all the downtown hotels that come to mind when thinking of a trendy, chic, boutique hotel the Gold Spike would be one of the last on the list. However, the new owner of the 4th & Ogden property says "Our specialty is taking crack houses and turning them into four-star boutique hotels. I think the Gold Spike is perfect for that." There will be drastic upgrades to the hotel's approximately 107 rooms, with plans for a hipper casino and a minispa at the one-acre property.
Hmmm... A hip and happening 107 room hotel and all those trendy bars and clubs going in downtown? Might be a good place for a lifestyle takeover some day...

Fletch, a blogger for Vegas Pop, give 5 ways he beats the dry heat in Las Vegas which includes the indoor snow at Caesars and night golfing.

It appears some evil Mrs. United States contestant tried to sabotage the pageant at the Silverton Casino by messing up two of her fellow competitor's costumes with a brown marker. We've seen the movie Showgirls so we know how ruthless dancers can be. Looks like pageant contestants are from the same stock.

An LA Times writer and a group of her girlfriends decided to get in touch with their "inner hottie" and take lap dancing lessons while on vacation in Las Vegas.

Starlet Lindsay Lohan completed her 45-day alcohol treatment program and was in Pure nightclub the next night. This time, however, she wasn't drinking and was voluntarily wearing an alcohol-detection anklet.
While she wasn't drinking, she might have been fooling around a bit as she and "Mindfreak" magician Criss Angel ended up back in her Caesars suite together...

Caesars Palace could begin construction on a fourth tower and an expansion of its existing casino space in the next couple of weeks. Clark County officials approved the property's plans on June 20 to build a 350-foot-high tower with 1,017 rooms. The new rooms will increase the hotel's room inventory to 4,388.
Harrah's Entertainment was approved in January to add 37,122 square feet of casino space and 110,000 square feet of commercial space including restaurants, retail, and convention areas. The new tower will face Flamingo Road next to the Augustus Tower. The project is estimated to cost $1 billion.

Golf Digest Magazine ranked the top 40 golf courses in the United States owned by casino companies, and only two Las Vegas courses made the top 10. Five were listed in the overall top 20.
Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas, built by Steve Wynn but now owned by MGM Mirage, was considered the No. 1 casino course. Cascata, located off U.S. Highway 93 between Henderson and Boulder City, ranked third. Cascata was acquired by Harrah's Entertainment when the company bought Caesars Entertainment in 2005.
Meanwhile, the Wynn Golf and Country Club ranked 12th; Reflection Bay Golf Club at Lake Las Vegas tied for 15th and the Rio Secco Golf Club in Henderson tied for 19th

In 1979 it was ruled that ya couldn't advertise legal brothels in counties where prostitution was illegal (as in Clark County). That ruling was finally overturned recently so there's a good chance you'll see Chicken Ranch and Sheri's Ranch (among others) advertising on billboards, in newspapers or even on this site (we're whores for that sort of thing).

Due to new federal rules that have taken effect this month, casinos are required to keep closer track of your casino winnings. It used to be ya had to fill out a form when you wanted to cash out $10 grand or more but now casinos are requiring people to do it on far less--the feds now want player transactions tracked all day long because of the possibility that, by day's end, the aggregate amount may eclipse $10,000.

If you want to grab a piece of the New Frontier before it closes you had better hurry. Sunday at midnight (well, Monday at 12:01 actually) the hotel will be boarded up in anticipation of turning the property over to the new owners on August 7th. People are grabbing everything that has the distinctive "F" on it and even peeling room number plates off the hotel room doors.
An article about the closing and a brief history of the resort.

If you just gotta see the action at the final table of the World Series of Poker going on at the Rio, ESPN is broadcasting the event live in high definition on pay-per-view beginning July 17th. Delayed coverage can be seen on ESPN now through the end of October.
Last year's coverage garnered an average 1.0 rating (about 962,000 households), which ESPN considers a ratings success — especially for summer. It makes it one of the network's highest-rated original series.

While most LowLifes visit Las Vegas without kids, every once in awhile some of us will find ourselves with a youngster and a delayed flight. Jerry Chandler of Cheapflights.com gives this recommendation for McCarran:
"This airport imported the mind-set of the city itself: that you need to provide a place for both kids and parents to play," Chandler says. Little ones will be attracted to the mini control tower in the Concourse C play area, and older children can visit the Howard W. Cannon Aviation Museum on Level 2. It celebrates the early era of air travel with interactive videos, quirky memorabilia and a full-size Cessna 172."
Older "kids" can play the slot machines, of course...

Nevada casinos won $1.143 billion from gamblers in May, eclipsing by $2 million the previous $1.141 billion record set in January 2006. And they would have had an even better month had baccarat players not done so well.

Road rage, fights, murder--they all increase as the mercury rises. Studies show tempers flare when temperatures flare above 100 degrees as many local professionals will attest.

Can you imagine a World Series of Poker--or any poker table experience--with out poker chips, cards or dealers? One company recently licensed in Nevada thinks that's the wave of the future (or, at least, hopes so). While most players feel it would be nothing more than playing cards at one's computer, many casinos are considering the concept, at least for tournaments, since it doesn't tie up all of those dealers at one time, it's more accurate and, of course, more hands dealt and no labor to pay means more profit to the casinos.
Well, at least ya don't have to tip the dealers...

While they can't do much about the pyramid shape (although they did consider implosion), Luxor owners MGM Mirage have decided to spend $300 million to upgrade the interior of the hotel, removing most everything that has anything to do with Egypt (the original hotel cost $375 mil. to build in 1993).
Our favorite place to meet LowLifes staying at the Luxor, Nefertiti's, is now fancier and called the Aurora Lounge, and a trendy new nightclub, LAX, an off-shoot of the Los Angeles nightspot of the same name, opens Labor Day weekend.
The kiddie stuff on the 2nd floor will soon be gone and a restaurant and "European-style" lounge (whatever that is--sounds expensive, though) called CatHouse will open in the fall (guess ya can't have kids hanging around a cathouse, can ya?).
It sounds like it's gonna be so happenin' that you'll think you're in a pyramid-shaped Hard Rock or Palms. Pretty soon we'll be parking at the Mandalay and walking over to the Luxor instead of vice versa.

An L.A. Times writer looks at three diverse Las Vegas music venues: The Bunkhouse, The Canyon Club and The Pearl.

Alas poor Crazy Horse, we knew you well. Too well, probably. It looks like the days of wine & roses and 36 double D's are over at the legendary strip club as Crazy Horse Too has shut it's doors. Yes, Elvira has left the building.
After losing it's liquor license and not being able to find a suitable buyer to replace the allegedly mobbed-up owner, the bras were ordered put back on and the spot lights were turned out. However, before the door was locked, all the girls lined up on the main stage and sang (to the tune of "Last Dance")...
"Lap dance
lap dance for love
yes, it's my last chance
for big cash tonight
I need you, to buy me,
beside me, to guide me (to the VIP room),
to hold me (tonight only), to scold me,
'cause when I'm bad
I'm so, so bad (or at least I want you to think that)
(and so on...)
It was touching and brought a tear to even the most cynical eye. We'll miss ya CH-Too! Bye girls... ~sniff, sniff~

In what has been attributed to the government's ban on online gambling, the World Series of Poker has far less players competing this year and therefore the prize money is down a bit.
In total, 6,358 players entered the 2007 championship, well below the record field of 8,773 players a year ago but topping the 2005 field of 5,619 players.
The winner will collect $8.25 million from the prize pool of more than $59.8 million. Last year, Jamie Gold won $12 million in winning the world poker championship, while Joe Hachem won $7.5 million in 2005.

Dice clocks, Vegas snow globes, talking parrots--how do the owners of these Las Vegas souvenir shops decide what to stock on their shelves? It all has to do with the kitsch factor.

Well, it's not exaclty a LowLife-sponsored event but we have friends in high places (or is it high friends in places?) who are throwing a mixer and said we could bring some of our LowLife buds. Not sure how long the tab will last (probably a good several hours) but there will be free drinks at Hogs 'n' Heifers Saloon starting at 8:00 tonight (7/10).
H & H ain't Tryst or Light or Tao but it can be fun when you are in the right mood (i.e. down and dirty). See you downtown!
FYI: Hogs & Heifers New York was the original inspiration for the Coyote Ugly movie, not the Coyote Ugly bar in NY.
Event Listing

If you've ever wanted to get into the legal brothel business, the world-famous Chicken Ranch is for sale. Despite the place having a well-known name and located next door to the successful Sheri's Ranch, finding a buyer has been difficult, possible due to the lengthy background check prospective owners have to go through, difficulty in getting bank financing and "rampant (illegal) prostitution in Las Vegas."

According to Norm, the Vegas gossip guy, OPM workers were on edge the other night:
"Security at OPM nightclub at the Forum Shops at Caesars had some anxious moments early Sunday.
About 2:30 a.m., rivals Miami Dolphins linebacker Joey Porter and Cincinnati Bengals offensive lineman Levi Jones entered OPM in separate parties.
Security was immediately beefed up and peace was maintained.
Porter and Jones had a scuffle March 18 at a Palms blackjack table. Porter pleaded no contest recently and paid a $1,000 fine for punching Jones, who was not charged."

Despite the growing popularity of European-style sunbathing at hip Strip resort pools, The Venetian no longer allows women to lounge topless.
Tao officials weren't very revealing when it came to discussing the change. "In the course of our operations at Tao Beach, we have found that the topless aspect was not vital to our success," a Tao representative said in statement.
But for women who prefer to go topless, pools at the Wynn Las Vegas, Stratosphere, Manadalay Bay, The Mirage, the Flamingo and Caesars Palace still offer the European experience.
We've heard the topless problem has something to do with the County as they are giving topless pools a hard time in general. They don't want "party" associated with "topless" so, while many hotels (Flamingo, Mirage, Venetian) initially thought that going topless would be a good theme to build an event around, the County is telling them it's a no-no. We would bet you'll either see a lot less topless pool advertising or a return to covering nips, if just for particular events.

This article gives pointers on how to get drinks quicker and tips for better service from bartenders in Las Vegas clubs.

The gunman who opened fire on people in New York, New York Casino was tackled by several tourists before any police or security personnel got into the act. If you run across any of these heros, buy 'em a drink or two!

This really doesn't have anything to do with Las Vegas or the lifestyle in particular but we ran across it and, like passing a wreck on the freeway, couldn't stop staring at it. So, we thought we'd pass it along to you. This is what happens when body builders take it just a wee bit too far...
(Be sure and click on "next photo" to see entire slide show)

Bodog, the Costa Rica-based gambling and entertainment operation, will conduct an open casting call from noon to 5 p.m. today through Sunday at Planet Hollywood for "Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker II," a poker reality show in which 12 amateur players live together in a mansion and compete in a variety of events.
The show's grand prize will be worth $2 million, according to Bodog. Filming is to begin in the fall. Players of all skill levels are welcome at the auditions, which will take place in the hotel's Sapphire 2 meeting room. No reservations are required, but players must be 21.

If you've ever driven into las Vegas from L.A., you can't help but see the famous 134 foot thermometer sitting outside the Big Boy Restaurant. Thursday, that baby hit 125 degress reflecting high temps all across the West.
Officially, Las Vegas hit 116 (remember, that reading is taken in the shade at McCarran) causing overheated transformers and electrical pole fires due to a run on air conditioning.
At least we have A/C as several other places around the West don't generally have it and were feeling the heat.

Music legend Michael Jackson has moved into a luxury $60 million property in Las Vegas. The singer was forced to give up his 10-bedroom mansion in Nevada's Sin City suburbs because his $1 million lease on the property has expired.
Jackson and his three children -- Prince Michael I, 10, Paris Michael, 9, and Prince Michael II (Blanket), 5 -- have now moved into Spanish Trail, the compound owned by Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei.
His new neighbors include Andre Agassi, Greg Maddux, Siegfried Fischbacher, David Copperfield and Randall Cunningham.

Around 1:00 a.m. this morning (Friday), a man in his early 50's, believed to be a Las Vegas resident, crossed over the walkway from MGM into New York New York Casino and started firing a gun into the gamblers below. He was tackled by security and patrons but not before wounding four people. 2 men and 2 women are being treated for non-life threatening injuries.

For Sale--Cheap--Chinese Acrobats. The court says I can't keep 'em anymore so I got to get rid of them. All are in good condition, flexible and have skills that took years of training. They are inexpensive to own, don't eat much and will sleep 4 or 5 to a room. You must work them out several times per day in the garage to keep them in performance shape but they will add an amazing spice to any parties you throw. Trainable, housebroken and are used to a firm hand. A steal at $350/acrobat! Take a 1/2 dozen and get a discount. We have all papers.

More and more Vegas businesses are getting into the 7/7/07 craze, especially the ones dealing in weddings. More than 60 couples are to be wed in a mass ceremonies at Mandalay Bay and Caesars Palace hotel-casinos. The Flamingo has scheduled 77 back-to-back weddings, running virtually nonstop from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. The Venetian opened up a second bridge location to hold weddings and trimmed its gondola-ride rites to 30 minutes to squeeze more people in.

It's been fairly big news ever since Steve Wynn implemented the sharing of dealer's tips with floor management at his Wynn hotel several months ago resulting in disgruntled workers, votes to unionize, and even lawsuits by the dealers. Boss Wynn, of course, has his side of the story on why he did it.

It all started with the Mirage back in 1989 and now spas are a necessary part of most every resort built since, such as the new 50,000 square foot Qua Bath and Spa at Caesars. A look at the growth of spas in Las Vegas.

Dry heat or not, it's still a scorcher out there and blistering temperatures should continue through Friday, at least. While the official Las Vegas temperature is recorded in a shady spot at McCarran airport, the temperature you feel might be some 10 degrees hotter. There's a distinct possibility the thermometer will hit the all-time record of 117 Wednesday or Thursday and if you are heading to Lake Mead to beat the heat, look for something close to 123 degrees.

Looking for something a little different in a wedding? One columnist suggests perhaps jumping out of a plane, a Star Trek Wedding, an Elvis theme or letting the cabbie decide.
Or, how about a gothic wedding with vampires or a Rocky Horror theme? Sounds like the start of a beautiful relationship...

A California-based matchmaking company called Elite Professional Search appears to have ripped-off a bunch of Las Vegas customers looking for love in all the wrong places. With fees ranging from $3,000 to $15,000 and not receiving any compatible matches, lawsuits appear to be imminent.
American LowLife doesn't guarantee matches either but we've heard a whole bunch of encouraging results from quite a few of you pervs out there...

If you watch Fox's long-running TV show The Simpsons, you know about Kwik-E-Marts (and Buzz Cola, KrustyO's cereal and Squishees). Well, now you can actually buy those products in a temporary promotion going on at most 7-11's around the country. Taking the concept one step further, eleven stores nationwide have actually been transformed into real, live Kwik-E-Marts, including one store in Henderson. And yes, the Las Vegas store is actually owned by a man with the name of Kumar Assandas, an immigrant from India.
Note: We contacted Kumar and he said his store will remain a Kwik-E-Mart until August 1st.

Congressman Barney Frank asks: "If an adult in this country, with his or her own money, wants to engage in an activity that harms no one, how dare we prohibit it? Adults are entitled to do with their own money what they want."
While this doesn't seem to apply to swinging, it may apply to internet gambling if a bill currently before Congress is passed.
If the bill does become law, local gambling giants like MGM-Mirage are ready to dive in head first.

Gentleman's club Crazy Horse Too, unable to complete a sale to a new owner, has lost their liquor license but has remained open for now serving $8.00 bottles of water and $7.50 glasses of Coke.

A mutual fund called the Vice Fund is doing quite well thanks to its emphasis on companies involved in gambling, alcohol, tobacco and the defense industry. In good times and bad, people will gamble, drink and smoke so these stocks generally rise, especially lately with the proliferation of gambling worldwide and Big Tobacco selling cigs in China. Also, says the fund manager, when the government receives a ton of money from taxing the vice, they have a vested interest to make sure it continues to generate revenue.

Heidi Fleiss, the "Hollywood Madam" from several years ago, has settled in the nearby town of Pahrump, has opened a laundromat, has adopted a whole bunch of birds and is still planning on opening "Heidi's Stud Farm", a legal whore house where men are the sex workers.