The guy that set up the meeting between O.J. Simpson, his gun-toting friends and the memorabilla collectors who were allegedly robbed in a Palace Station hotel room has a capitalistic way of dealing with the massive amount of media scrutiny that will surely surround O.J's trial when it resumes here September 8th.

According to Norm, the R-J's gossip dude: "O.J. Simpson associate Tom Riccio will be a walking, talking sponsorship opportunity during the O.J. trial. Let us count the ways, according to pricing listed on the ex-con's Web site, www.BustedVegas.com. The site claims Riccio has more than 100 national TV, radio and print media interviews booked during Cirque du O.J.

The OJ Trial Sponsorship Opportunities (more)

As you might expect, the economy is having an effect on Las Vegas shows with several closing and more and more going the route of allowing the discount ticket booths to feature their productions.

Even Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil, who rarely discounted their shows (except Zumanity) now has three shows listed with Tix4Tonight, a booth where you can get show tickets up to a day in advance (it used to be same-day only).

Well, it looks like CityCenter won't end up an empty shell like some of the other construction projects on the Strip. MGM Mirage has been able to come up with $2.3 billion in financing leaving only $700 million of the overall $9.2 billion left to fund.

Whew, that was close...

It's a shame that Las Vegas can't be as liberal sexually as San Francisco. Maybe when you announce yourself worldwide as Sin City you gotta have controls or the place will quickly go to hell in a handbasket. Maybe it's like the line from the song Hotel California: "Call someplace paradise (or SIn City) and kiss it goodbye."

Anyone who has partied in San Francisco knows it's a little more, well, just more. Hey, you can watch live sex at Mitchell Brothers O'farrell Theatre and SF's yearly events like the Exotic Erotic Ball put our attempts at mass erotica to shame.

This is why the Strippers & Hustlers Ball going on at the Orleans this weekend will be interesting. Perry Mann, the guy who does the wild and crazy Exotic Erotic Ball in SF is going to see if it translates to Las Vegas. He is well aware he'll have to tone it down quite a bit.

"We're a little spoiled with what we get away with in San Francisco," the show producer says. In Vegas, "our girls cannot go down to pasties. They have to have the areola to the bottom of the breast covered." The Las Vegas "nipple police" will be working overtime, that's for sure.

It should still be a fun weekend, if only to see how Las Vegas and the Orleans react to all the people who prefer fewer taboos than pseudo-Sin City requires.

"I'm gonna Barack your world."
-- From David Letterman's "Top Ten Democratic National Convention Pickup Lines."

(Might be worth a try using it at the Lifestyles Convention in town this weekend)

Chris Rock is in town this weekend, doing his standup gig at Caesars' Colosseum. It's a far cry from the days he used to play at places like the Riviera.
An excerpt from an R-J article...

"Sometimes, Chris Rock thinks about the past.

"It's so weird, bumping into (Steve) Schirripa courtside of the Knicks game," Rock says of "The Sopranos" actor. In an earlier life, Schirripa managed the Riviera Comedy Club and booked the young comedian there. "We both look at each other and start laughing. 'Can you believe we're doing good?' "

The entire article

Krave Nightclub's Harmon Theater appears to finally have a headline show that might stick around for awhile. They've tried all sorts of productions including midget celebrity impersonators, magicians, and dog shows but haven't been able to come up with that marquee offering since the ahead-of-its-time Fashionistas left at the beginning of the year.

The Motown-themed Hitzville is also ahead of its time but much more palatable to the Vegas entertainment powers-that-be as several other showrooms have indicated a desire for a Motown production. Perhaps a Cirque du Temptations is in the offing.

Anyway, besides the top-notch show, you also get a Southern-themed buffet at the same time — fried chicken, collard greens and pulled pork, among other items prepared by chef Jon Landry.
Happy music and hearty food? Sounds yummy!

The LowLife listing for Hitzville

A Crying Shame: Hot Topless Women Leaving the Strip (more)

On one end of the music mogul spectrum...
We just announced that Jay-Z was selling his 40/40 Club nightclub in the Palazzo but it turns out the hotel itself is the buyer and has plans to turn the 24,000 square foot space into a large-scale race & sports book (along with a speciality restaurant).

The NY Post reports that Jay-Z will pocket $44 million for 1/2 the club and the deal gives the LV Sands--the Palazzo parent company--the right to open 40/40 Clubs in London and across Europe. 40/40 will close in late September and re-open in late October. Hopefully, the sportsbook won't be late in opening as Sands owner Sheldon Adelson might have to sue himself (see LAVO article).

A music mogul on the other end whacks his woman, lands in a Vegas jail... (more)

While LAVO has just opened at the Palazzo it looks like another club on the property won't be around long. Jay-Z announced that he will be selling his 40/40 club in Las Vegas for an undisclosed amount.

According to the statement issued by the rapper's camp, the Las Vegas 40/40 club will no longer operate under his 40/40 brand because the sale is for the lease and not the naming rights. Jay-Z did not reveal a reason for the club's sale but refereed to it as a “great business decision.”

The rap mogul would divulge that he plans to open 40/40 clubs in Chicago, Tokyo and Macau in the next 12 months. Jay-Z currently has two 40/40 nightclubs located in New York and Atlantic City.

You would think the guys who turned an extremely under-utilized space at the Venetian into the highest-grossing restaurant in the country would be cut some slack over at the Palazzo just because they are a little late in opening another club (well, maybe more than just a "little late"). But that's not the way Sheldon Adelson, owner of both hotels, works.

“He seems to embrace the court system whether he’s right or wrong,” says a lawyer who has gone up against Adelson in court. “He just likes to fight."

So, with the Tao boys opening up LAVO, a restaurant and nightclub with a bathhouse theme (not that kind of batthouse--there's no glory holes or dark rooms with men in towels lurking around that we could see) in a prime location just off Palazzo's main lobby (with a Strip-side entrance), you would think Adelson would be happy and settle the lawsuit between the two parties. Nope--doesn't look like that will happen any time soon as it appears the legal battle has actually intensified. Will the venue make it or will Mr. Adelson turn the place into a LAVO-tory? Stick around for updates...

LAVO just had their "soft" opening and will have their grand opening September 13.
The LowLife Listing for LAVO including a less-than-glowing review.

Football season is right around the corner and Nevada is the only place you can legally bet on the action.

Oh, sure, illegal bookies abound all over the country and if you are clever you can get around the restrictions on online gaming for us not-to-be-trusted American bettors, but the easiest and most legal way to put your money where your mouth resides is to wander into a Vegas sports book and place a bet.

Our favorite bettin' journalist is Jeff Haney and he gives us a nice list of which sports books he likes (such as the Hilton, Palms, South Point) and which ones you should avoid (like Harrah's).

More on Sports Book Betting (more)

At first we thought Station Casinos new resort Aliante in the northwest part of town might be another cool and trendy offering like Red Rock Station and Green Valley Ranch. But a recent article in the Las Vegas Sun has got us wondering if it'll mostly be a penny slot joint with waves of wheel chairs and free oxygen for keno players.

It seems the senior citizens in the retirement community of Sun City Aliante are totally stoked for the casino's opening in November. Right now, most of them head to Santa Fe Station but that's a 15 minute drive by car, a 45 minutes by golf cart. The new casino is just down the block.

Rumored Features for Old Farts at Aliante (more)

It's gonna be a hot time in the ol' town this Labor Day Weekend! Besides projected record high temperatures, the upcoming weekend will see a wild assortment of women dressed like they are sex industry workers accompanied by their sleazy-looking male companions. Throw into that mixture the annual swingers convention and you've got quite a mix of raging hormones.

The Pimps and the Hos will be doing their thing once again over at the Palms on Sunday night with top DJ's rocking the Palms with action happening at Rain and around the Palms pool. The Rubber Dolls are always fun to check out.

A new entry into this year's equation is brought ot you by Perry Mann who produces the wild and crazy Exotic Erotic Ball in San Francisco each year. Hopefully, the Strippers and Hustlers Ball will bring at least a portion of that infamous decadence to the Orleans Arena Friday and Saturday. Las Vegas' (and ALL's) own SnakeBabe will be one of the featured acts so stop by her booth and mention American LowLife and get a free signed glossy.

All That and SWINGERS, Too?! (more)

NBA basketballer Jason Kidd just won gold with the USA's vistory over Spain in the Olympic championship game but won't be keeping his medal very long. No, it doesn't have anything to do with drugs or a protest but has to do with a promise he made to Elaine Wynn, wife of casino mogul Steve Wynn.

"It's not a (gambling) marker or anything like that," Kidd told The Arizona Republic. "She's just a great friend and a really great person." They met last year when Kidd and the USA team stayed at the Wynn while training in Las Vegas.

"Last summer, we stayed at the Wynn for (what seemed like) a lifetime, close to three weeks," Kidd said. "We met at a banquet, we got to talking, and she really understands the game.

"I told her I'd make a deal with her, that if we won the gold medal, I'd give it to her. She thought I was kidding. But I told her I had one already, and the way they treated us at the Wynn, it was the least I could do."

Ya think his gambling markers will be quickly approved the next time he wants to play a little craps at Wynn?

If you are thinking of coming to Las Vegas but just need a good deal on a hotel room, check out these specials:
--$160/night at THEhotel
--Mirage for $88/night
--$32/night at the Tropicana

Sounds like some tempting rates, eh?

A rumor reported by TMZ--and confirmed by local sources--has singer Toni Braxton as one of the contestants on the upcoming season of ABC's "Dancing With The Stars".

A few months ago, Miss Braxton, a Henderson resident, was hospitalized with chest pains and eventually claimed to be too ill to continue with her "Revealed" show at the Flamingo.

Several years ago, Braxton was diagnosed with pericarditis, an inflammation of the tissues surrounding the heart.

So, will the rigors of learning dance moves week after week be less stressful to her heart than singing? Or was there more to her leaving the Flamingo as her show certainly wasn't selling out nor receiving rave reviews?

In any event we wish the sexy siren a long, healthy run in the show and look forward to seiing her trademark sexy outfits.

"Action News!" The term conjures up images of fast-paced, exciting, in-your-face reporting of the world around us. Well, it seems that an Action News reporter for the local ABC affiliate--KTNV Channel 13--liked that sort of exciting "action" in his personal life, too.

Jeff Gradney, who has worked for the station for the past three years, was fired earlier this week for searching for a single male to join him and his girlfriend in a, gasp!, in a three-way!! (No report if a station cameraman would be recording the "action"). His big mistake was posting a recognizable photo of himself and his gal having sex with each other ON CRAIG'S LIST with the description "Hot, intensely passionate couple looking for a cool guy to play with."

Let's see...I have to be extremely discreet, where should I advertise for sex partners? (more)

If you haven't been to a Sinsations house party, you've got exactly one more chance to do so. The 8,000 sq. foot house has been sold and the new owner won't be doing those kind of parties.

The last party at the "estate" is this Saturday (8/23) so put yourself on the RSVP list and help send the house out with a bang!

Oh, you'll still be able to party with the ever-cool Sinsations couple but it'll be on their houseboat after this weekend so watch for that announcement in the near future.

David Cooper is a name both familiar and infamous in the Las Vegas swing community. David and his wife Virginia have been a part of the local swing scene for some time starting with their "Plush" on-premise house and mansion parties of several years ago. Later the pair hosted off-premise mixers at the Oba Lounge, an upstairs lounge that is part of Mandalay's House of Blues.

Their latest venture was an on-premise club in Commercial Center just down from the Green Door. We heard they put quite a bit of money into the place to make it into a very nice, high-end swinger's club officially called Sextasy (although it was advertised in local rags as "Show and Tell"). Now, it looks like all of that is coming to an end, also. Cooper has been evicted by the county because his original application was listed as a restaurant and, while there may have been some "eating" going on in the club, the county inspectors found Sextasy/Show and Tell didn't meet the criteria for the type of eatery they had in mind.

More on the "Persecution" (more)

Should Americans be allowed to spend their hard-earned money in the privacy of their own home any way they want as long as they aren't hurting anyone (or doing those extremely obscene things, of course)? As you might expect, we think you should be allowed to partake in most anything behind closed doors or open doors with an invite (except the kid thing, and restrict the animal thing to Saturday nights only).

It used to be the Democrats were the ones that poked their nose into people's private lives as they supposedly knew what was best for everyone. Increasingly, with the influence of the religious right, the Republican party is doing the same thing.

Take internet gambling, for example. In 2006, a Republican-backed bill was passed that outlawed gambling online. While clever Americans can skirt the regulations if they want (shhh! Don't tell anyone!!), the legislators effectively told us we can't be trusted with our own money, at least online.

In fact, the Republicans have gone so far as to add some verbiage about it in their 2004 party platform: "Millions of Americans suffer from problem or pathological gambling that can destroy families. We support legislation prohibiting gambling over the Internet."

The million-member Poker Players Alliance--most of which are Republicans--aren't cool with this aspect of the GOP and are trying to push the party to at least remove the reference to internet gambling from the 2008 platform. Ideally, they would like to see online gambling re-legalized but ya gotta start somewhere

In 1988 the federal government legalized tribal casinos and it's been a wild ride ever since. California's tribal casinos, which account for 29% of the nationwide tribal total, generated $7.8 billion in gambling revenue last year versus Nevada's $12.8 billion.

Nationwide, Indian casinos generated 5 percent more gambling revenue in 2007 than the previous year in spite of an economic slowdown that began to take effect in the fourth quarter of last year. It was the first year tribal gaming didn't see double digit growth, however.

Last year tribal casinos pulled in $26.5 billion, gaining on the non-tribal total of $32.2 billion (which only had a 2% growth rate).

We'd bet that the closer-to-home Indian casinos will do a heck of a lot better than Nevada casinos in 2008 once all is said and done. Good thing we have Cher to equalize everything...

"Police in Denver are getting ready for the Democratic Convention in Denver. They're ordering the stun guns, the barbed wire, the plastic handcuffs ... and that's just for Bill Clinton's room." -- Craig Ferguson

Don't ya just know ol' Bill woulda been a swinger if things worked out differently...

They have 'em in some California card clubs, in Canadian casinos and recently in Atlanatic City but the Excalibur will be the first casino on the Strip to convert their poker room to a completely automated, card-less and dealer-less style of card game.

Beginning Friday, you'll be able to sit down to a cashless, 10-person poker table with individual touch screens for each player and a 40-inch flat screen in the middle to display community cards, players' table stakes and the pot.

Over 40 poker dealers lost their jobs--many who had been there since the resort's opening in 1990-- to make way for the new tables so if the experiment is successful here, poker dealers will want to start looking for a new profession.

Hey, at least ya don't have to tip the dealer anymore, right?

Parking fees at McCarran International Airport -- along with charges for cabs, limousines and buses -- are about to go up, as much as 50 percent in some cases. McCarran just wants to break even, they say.

Valet parkers will be hit the hardest. The daily fee for valet parking will increase from its current $16 to $21. When McCarran first started offering the service, it cost just $8 per day ($6/day for long-term). Long-term parking, which applies to most of the vehicles using the parking garage, will increase from $12 to $14 per day.

In other McCarran news, after delays and mess-ups and redesigns, a skywalk connecting the B and C concourses is nearing completion. Also, a new two-level, 12-lane security checkpoint is about to open, too, which should speed things up for those who fly Southwest (C gates) and also United, Delta and the other D-gaters.

Four Las Vegas golf courses and one golf course located in nearby Mesquite, Nev., have made the prestigious GOLF Magazine Top 100 You Can Play List for 2008.

Tom Fazio's Shadow Creek is the highest-ranked of the Las Vegas golf courses at 13, while the Rees Jones-diesgned Cascata comes in next at 46

At 51 is Wolf Creek Golf Club, designed by Dennis Ryder and located in Mesquite, a mini golf mecca located about 77 miles from Las Vegas. WYNN Las Vegas Golf and Country Club, another Fazio creation in conjunction with Las Vegas casino legend Steve Wynn, stands at 56th. And Jack Nicklaus' Reflection Bay Golf Club is 64th.

Joe Passov, Golf Magazine's Course Rankings and Architecture Editor, writes that the golf courses ranked in the Top 100 are "Among the best public golf experiences your money can buy."

Mike Weatherford, a columnist from the Review-Journal, poses a question many of us have asked for quite some time: How much Cirque du Soleil is too much for Vegas? With Criss Angel's Cirque-based magic show "Believe" opening next month and and Elvis-themed Cirque opening whenever CityCenter opens, many locals have been wondering if the town has reached a Cirque saturation point.

But there are signs that we may see more Cirque in the future. A couple of weeks ago, Cirque sold one-fifth of the company to Dubai World, the same holding company that has 50% of CityCenter. The Dubai money should aid the "acceleration of our development," says the Cirque prez.

Another indication that more Cirque shows could be in our future: While other shows along the Strip have been getting beat up during this economic downturn, collectively the Cirque shows saw a 3% increase this year.

The likely place for another offering is in the Mandalay after Mamma Mia! leaves in January. So far, the MGM Mirage people haven't heard any ideas they like but it's getting close to crunch time so expect an announcement soon.

There has been lots of chit chat around town for several months that there is something going on with the 40/40 Club at the Palazzo. Norm, the R-J's gossip dude references yet another gossip source so you know this must be true...

"Those persistent rumors that hounded Jay-Z's 40/40 Club at The Palazzo since it opened New Year's Eve may finally have come to fruition.

Page Six, the New York Post's gossip column, reported on Thursday that the hip-hop mogul may be selling half of the sports-themed club to the landlord, Las Vegas Sands Corp., the parent company of The Palazzo and The Venetian.
Jay-Z would get $44 million in the deal that reportedly would turn 40/40 into a megasports book operation and give The Sands the right to open 40/40 clubs in London and across Europe.

A 40/40 representative said the club would have no comment."

Crazy Girls, the topless revue at the Riviera, stirred up quite a bit of controversy back in the mid-1990s when huge billboards (and smaller taki signs) were erected in key locations (there was one on 95 near downtown) showing the girls of Crazy Girls and their nearly naked rear ends with the tagline "No Ifs, Ands, or... ". There were stories that the signs caused a bunch of car accidents at the time and more than a few conservative (and perhaps practical) people wanted them taken down.

The signs remained and eventually a bronze sculpture of the ladies and their butts appeared outside the Riviera but one rumor about the photos has lingered for years: one of the "girls" was actually a boy.

A spokesman for the Riviera says no: “Rest assured, there’s no man in there. (The rumor) probably goes back to when there was a transsexual in the show in the mid- to late -’80s. The hotel found out later that she really had been a man. She had left (the show) long before we took the shot.”

In Know It ALL news posted earlier we reported that the Girls Gone Wild founder, Joe Francis, owed Wynn Casino more than $2 million in gambling debts and that they had asked the district attorney to go after him.

Wait a minute, says Francis, Mr. Wynn did some shady and downright illegal things to get him to play, keep him playing and to bloat the amount he owes.

Francis also claims Wynn Las Vegas “intentionally miscalculates markers and forges the high-rollers’ signatures in order to change a high-roller’s win to a loss.” He goes on to claim that the resort also changes computer records to match the altered markers and destroys surveillance videotapes of the gambler’s play at the casino to make it more difficult for the gambler to dispute his losses.

Serious charges indeed. Wynn, of course, denies all the allegations and has filed a defamation suit against Francis. Even if the charges are true--and we're not saying they are, of course--does anyone think that a purveyor of soft porn with numerous other past and current legal problems would actually win this sort of battle--in Nevada, especially-- against one of the most powerful men in the state?

Not even his attorney thinks so: “They should be interested in looking into this conduct, but I’m skeptical that they will because the industry protects itself.”

Imagine this, if you will: Las Vegas has an 80,000 seat, state-of-the-art football stadium specifically for the purpose of hosting every Super Bowl and Monday Night Football game. Or maybe a BCS Championship game or even a World Cup? Sound cool or sound like a pipe dream (or maybe a cool pipe dream)?

That's what our beloved Mayor Oscar is proposing, despite the fact that the NFL hates us and treats us like crapola.

Goodman threw out the idea when the subject of the Cashman Center--where our AAA baseball team plays and small conventions are held--came up. It seems the LV Convention and Visitors Authority--the folks who run the facility--want to dump the thing and do something else with the land.

While we don't see Goodman's idea coming to fruition, it would certainly add some glitz to MNF and the Super Bowl and at least we'd have enough hotel rooms for everyone (unlike Phoenix, Jacksonville and others).

The Wynn aims to collect debts it is owed. A few months ago Wynn went public with attempts to collect money former NBA star Charles Barkley owed them. The public embarrassment worked and Sir Charles paid the resort within a few days. We're not sure if this new debtor will pay or not, however.

Joe Francis, founder of the video company “Girls Gone Wild,” is back in trouble with the law. At the request of Wynn Las Vegas, the district attorney’s bad check unit has opened a criminal investigation of Francis in an effort to recover $2 million in gambling debts.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Bernie Zadrowski, who runs the bad check unit, says Francis will be given an opportunity to pay back the money before an arrest warrant is issued.

Wynn Las Vegas filed a lawsuit against Francis in District Court on June 27, alleging he has paid back only $800,000 of the $2.8 million in gambling markers extended to him at the Strip resort in February 2007. Francis also faces tax evasion charges in Reno.

The good news--for visitors anyway--was that the average room rate dropped 16% in June, the largest drop in rates in 6 years (a post-9/11 response). Unfortunately for Las Vegas, there were 3.1% less people visiting our fair city for the month.

On the gaming side, gamblers lost $949 million during June, only a 1.1% decrease from the previous month--a much better figure than the 15.2% decrease of May.

In particular locations such as Northern Nevada the news was much worse. Washoe County (Reno area) posted a 19% decline which was the 12th consecutive month of bad news.

A little over a year ago the founder of the Moscow Ice Circus brought 42 ice skaters over from Russia (and other former Soviet-bloc countries), froze the water in the long-running Riviera show "Splash" and debuted "Ice: Direct from Russia" in its place. And the show is still here.

If you want to see elegance and grace--much like the Lowest LowLife on the dance floor (you betcha!)--check out the show at the Riviera. It's kinda like a Cirque on ice which only figures since the show's choreographer has worked on "Mystere " and "O". If nothing else, Ice: Direct from Russia will give you a mighty cool break from the oppressive August heat.

If you're an AC/DC fan and would like to catch 'em in concert more than just every few years, then head over to Sante Fe Station on Fridays, pay a few bucks cover, slam a few shots and sit back and check out TNT. You might not even realize they aren't the real thing after awhile as they are pretty convincing, even down to guitarist "Angus Young" running around the stage in his school-boy outfit.

If AC/DC isn;t your thing you can catch Purple Reign as Prince, Aeromyth as, well, Aerosmith and loads of other pretty good musicians who perform tributes to Zepplin, Ozzy, Skynyrd, and others.

Station Casinos will often bring these groups to town at their various properties. In fact, if you like the big hair bands you can catch a whole bunch of them rolled into one with Steel Panther over at Green Valley Ranch on Friday nights. Listen to dead-on performances of Motley Crue, GNR, Poison and Van Halen. Steel Panther also throws in some Spinal Tap parody in their costumes, on-stage anitcs like scissor kicks and chick-baiting shtick and, of course, the hair. Oh, yes, the hair...

A couple of weeks ago, when LA had an earthquake register a 5.4-magnitude, tremblors were felt by our beloved Mayor Oscar so he asked a couple of state seismilogists to draft some scenarios as to what would happen if Las Vegas got hit by a sizable quake.

Interestingly enough, Nevada ranks third among all states in earthquake hazards behind Alaska and California (comforting news, especially if you moved here from Cali to escape that threat).

Nevada registered 19 significant earthquakes between 1968 and 1994, and a repeat of those same quakes -- which generated a total of $17 million in damages at the time -- would cause $1.57 billion in damage today because of the state's growth, the Nevada Earthquake Safety Council said.

Two Quake Disaster Scenarios for Las Vegas (more)

The 11th annual Black Hat computer and internet security conference and its sister event Defcon (held at Caesars Palace and the Riviera respectively) give Las Vegas the highest concentration of hackers outside of Moscow, at least for awhile (an interesting story on a Russian hacker).

There is a ton of cool but frightening stories and warnings coming out of the conferences about all the different ways cyber criminals can and do operate but a high-tech hack involving an iPhone sounds like part of a Mission Impossible plot.

Basically, you rig an iPhone up with some custom software, install an extended-life battery, Fed-Ex it to a non-existent employee in some large company you want to hack, have it call you automatically and then start probing the wireless network of the target from the inside. The wireless Trojan Horse will sit in the mail room a few days at least until the mail sorter can figure out what to do with it, giving ample time for the hackers to find the vulnerabilities.

Other stuff going on at Black Hat/Defcon (more)

You can bet on a lot of things in this town but that doesn't mean it will happen. Now, there is a chance the Runnin' Rebel basketball team could win the NCAA championship (they look pretty good this season) but the UNLV football team winning the BCS? Ha! You'd be better off betting that the NBA All-Star game will come back here in the next few years (yeah, right--over Steve Wynn's dead body).

In any event, the Wynn sports book and a neighborhood joint called Barley's will take your money if you want to bet it on UNLV football. Just be aware that UNLV has had one winning campaign over its past 13 years. In each of the past four seasons, it has won only two games.

Anyway, the odds are 1000-1, the longest shot listed for any team on the board. Go ahead alumns, throw a few bucks down--stranger things have happened (although I can't recall anything stranger off-hand).

UNLV Rebels' '08 Schedule includes high school team, community college? Say it ain't so...

The pop, rock, jazz, whatever group Steely Dan is playing at the Pearl tonight and has always had an affection for Las Vegas. They've mentioned Sin City--either directly or indirectly--in several songs and actually taped a promotional video for their previous tour from the back seat of a Vegas cab while driving up and down the Las Vegas Boulevard, picking up typical Strip characters--the type that might be mentioned in a Dan song.

It all started with the first song on their very first album in 1972 "Can't Buy A Thrill".
From "Do It Again":
Now you swear and kick and beg us
That you’re not a gamblin’ man
Then you find you’re back in Vegas
With a handle in your hand ...

FYI: The name "Steely Dan" comes from the name of a dildo in the William Burroughs novel 'Naked Lunch'.

A look at Steely Dan visiting "Lost Wages".

While some parts of the valley got hit with three inches of rain on Thursday, overall the parcipitation only added .16 inches to our total rainfall this year which brings the cumulative amount for 2008 to 1.04 inches. Normally we are at 2.92 inches by this time so we are definitely experiencing a dry year which doesn't help in replenishing our already low water supplies.

Caesars Palace is near capacity for weddings Aug. 8. Paris Las Vegas and the Bellagio are expecting nearly double the number of weddings of a typical weekend, and the Flamingo has booked 60 weddings in its six chapels compared with the 16 on a typical weekend.

07/07/07 was a huge day for weddings in Las Vegas but we expect August 8th to be as big or bigger. While 7 is a lucky number to many, 8 is lucky to Chinese (because it sounds like "wealth") and the number 8, when placed on its side, is the infinity symbol which is pretty cool thing to attach to a marriage.

Last year, the Clark County Marriage Bureau got overwhelmed with licenses requests and people in line were fainting due to the 110-115 degree temps. This year, taking a cue from Disney Land, the Bureau will be issuing express passes to come back at a certain time so that should help.
(Note: Ya gotta get the certificate from the Wedding Bureau before you can get married in a Vegas chapel.)

Not sure how 09/09/09 will be. The Chinese are cool with it because it sounds the same as the word "longlasting". The Japanese consider 9 to be unlucky, however, because it sounds similar to the Japanese word for "pain" or "distress" (which, come to think of it, is also associated with many marriages!),

Let's see... There have been 12 construction-related deaths at Strip construction sites in the past 18 months. And now the Review-Journal has done an investigation and found that some CityCenter workers pound a few before work and during lunch at a Monte Carlo bar, at the Hawaiian Marketplace and also over at the Harley Davidson Cafe across the street from the project.

Hmmm... could the two things be related? Nah, couldn't be... (and the State isn't talking about what the toxicology tests revealed about the dead workers)

CityCenter's general contractor is shocked--shocked!--I tell ya to discover that CityCenter workers would do this. I mean, watching "The Wire" on HBO we discovered that Baltimore dockworkers drank before work (raw eggs in a beer was often breakfast) but who would have suspected Las Vegas construction workers would do such a thing?

With so much attention being paid to the rash of injuries and deaths on Strip construction sites, you just know those identified in the videos will be made an example of in the worst way. And that's fine--it's pretty dumb to do such a thing in light of all the recent publicity--as long as the overall issue of workplace safety doesn't get swept under the rug due to this.

Workers fired already

It's well-known that Howard Hughes had a major influence in Las Vegas and is generally credited with bringing corporate America to Las Vegas casinos at a time when it appeared that the mobsters would push their influence far enough to cause the Feds to shut down our gambling mecca entirely.

The front man for almost all of Hughes' Las Vegas operations was Robert Maheu. Maheu played an unusual role in the Hughes saga, serving as the reclusive mogul's public face from 1955 to 1970. "Whenever I spoke, it was Howard Hughes speaking. We had an incredible relationship." On behalf of Hughes, Maheu bought a bunch of casinos (Desert Inn, Sands, Frontier, Castaways, Sliver Slipper, Landmark), Las Vegas land (including the Summerlin area), and a local television station (Channel 8, KLAS) so he could have the late-night movies he wanted to watch. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the Hughes/Maheu relationship was that the two never met in person! Maheu felt that Hughes didn't want him to see the billionaire in a state of declining health so everything was always done on the phone or by hand-written notes.

Robert Maheu, who died in Las Vegas on Monday at age 90, was an instrumental figure around Las Vegas for decades--even after Hughes died in 1976--and his funeral will be held on Saturday at St. Viator's over on Eastern Avenue.

A quick look at Hughes & Maheu in Las Vegas.
Maheu anecdotes as told by his good friend including his involvement with the CIA as a spy and the Bay of Pigs/Cuba invasion.

Some guy from Sun City, Arizona has seen Mandalay's Mamma Mia! 61 times. His wife has seen it 55 times and his daughter has seen 48 shows (and it has inspired her to take up acting).

Of course they are sad the show is closing in January but may have already found a replacement: Jersey Boys at the Palazzo...

It sounds even better than Showgirls! It looks like a shot-slammin' B-movie drinking game!! I think we'll buy the flick to play at our Swing! On the Strip parties...

The long-time producer of the long-time production of Crazy Girls at the Riviera has gotten a movie made which features his scantily-clad girls saving the world! Leading this pack of hot babes is Playboy Playmate, swimsuit model and sorta actress (Austin Powers "Goldmember") Nikki Ziering so you know it has to be good (at least to look at)!

And this movie won't be one of those direct-to-disc deals. Au contraire! This is a big time movie--huge I tell you!--and it will have at least one screening at Johhny Brenden's theater over at the Palms on August 12. Not sure if you can Fandango this one, however...

The Johnny Brenden Drinking Game (more)

While it sounds scandalous to say Steve Wynn got into a predicament with a propositioning prostitute, it looks like Mr. Wynn was only trying to rid his property of some prostitute sisters who had been kicked out of the resort previously.

One of the girls probably should have known better that it's not a good idea to proposition Wynn in the valet parking area of the Wynn Hotel. The other girl probably should have thought twice before slapping the casino mogul across the chops in front of Wynn door men and security personnel.

But, alas, they didn't and the girls were charged with trespassing with a possibility of a slap-related battery charge.

Bras, bras, and more bras...
The theme is "Bras-A-Poppin'!" so get out those fancy bras and let's see 'em at Swing! On the Strip this Friday!

Remember, COUPLES who pre-pay online save $10 bucks over the door charge!

Check out the Incredible Bras-A-Poppin' Flyer... (more)

No, it wasn't some sort of kinky BDSM role-playing game at Libertine Dungeon where NBA star Paul Pierce had some handcuffs slapped on his wrists. The Boston Celtics' captain, final's MVP and recently self-proclaimed "greatest player in the world" was stopped around 3 a.m. Sunday morning for driving erratically on the Strip near Tropicana.

The specifics on why he was cuffed haven't been released but a Metro police spokesman says that's pretty routine when "an individual is loudly hostile." And a loudly hostile guy who is 6'7" and weighs 235 is probably a bit intimidating.

Anyway, Metro did a sobriety test and Pierce registered below the .08 level so wasn't cited but went ahead and had a valet in a nearby casino park his car (not sure which one) just to avoid any more trouble.

It all started with MTV's "The Real World", the show that introduced the Palms Hotel to much of America, and continued on with "Inked" (the Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company), the VMA's at the Pearl (where chunky Britney stumbled her way through a performance) , "Party @ The Palms" (Jenny McCarthy), "The Girls Next Door" (Hugh, his 3 blondes, the Hefner Sky Villa and the Playboy Club), "Keeping up with the Kardashians", "Living Lohan" and now, finally, season two of "Sunset Tan".

If you wander up to the 6th floor of Palms Place you'll find many of the people from the show's first season--all of them actual employees of LA Sunset Tan (well, they are getting paid, anyway--whether they actually work is another thing). And, even though the now-fairly-famous "Olly Girls" were fired last season, they are back once again. This new season will focus on the employee's outside lives which will certainly include a ton of shots of them wandering around the various Palms' food and entertainment venues.

The Palms has become the best at getting exposure of their properties out to the MTV demographic and has become a must-visit for many of that age group when they come to Las Vegas.

The Riviera Hotel and Casino has been high on the list of "Most Likely To Implode" for many years but so far the resort is still standing. When the New Frontier sold for a crazy $34 million per acre last year (last year? seems so long ago) there was a lot of wishful thinking that some of the other properties on the north end of the Strip would be sold and new resorts be built there.

Dozens of potential suitors came and went but the Riv kept doin' what she had been doing for awhile: upgrading the property. A new $11 million sports book opened in February and $17 million is being spent on room renovations and other improvements this year alone.

A remodeling of the 979-room Monaco Tower is scheduled to be completed Oct. 15. Upgrades range from $2,500 to $14,000 per room and include amenities such as flat-screen televisions, iPod docks and Wi-Fi.

And you know what? The Riv had their best year in their 53-year history last year. With all these fancy smancy resorts along the Strip maybe there's still a place for a mid-priced hotel with a feel of old-time Las Vegas. Keep chuggin' away, Riv--we can't lose Crazy Girls!

Many visitors to Las Vegas live far enough away that it's impractical to bring their Ferrari or Rolls Royce with them (with the price of gas we rarely drive ours any more) and if being caught in a rented Sebring, Impala or a Mustang would be embarrassing, then Fantasy Car Share just might be the answer.

For the mere pittance of $1500 (just to apply to the auto time share club plus the actual rental fee which varies by car), you can be stylin' down the Strip in a Maserati, Bentley coupe, an Aston Martin or a Lamborghini.

If you want a mobile orgy, you can rent the Mercedes Party van (right) which has a floor-to-ceiling dance pole, two bars, party lighting and four HD cameras to make sure what happens in Vegas doesn't stay here.

An article on the car share.
The Fantasy Car Share website

There are trace amounts of lead, a known carcinogenic, in casino poker chips manufactured by a Las Vegas company. Is it enough to cause health problems? California thinks so (of course) and will post signs at over 20 card clubs informing customers that the chips contain the substance which can possibly cause cancer, birth defects and other health problems.

However, you probably won't see the warning signs in Nevada casinos any time soon. Independent tests showed it was physically impossible for either dealers or players to receive a harmful dose of lead by coming in contact with the chips.

Besides, even if the chips do cause cancer, large Nevada casinos will probably somehow receive an exemption much like they did on the cigarette issue.

Motley Crue is still alive and kicking and if their latest album "Saints of Los Angeles" is any indication, they haven't changed all that much. In attitude, at least. They have toned it down on the coke, heroin and whiskey (but not women, however) and gotten back to their music.

Tonight at MGM they headline the inaugural "Crue Fest" along with Buckcherry, Papa Roach, Sixx A.M. and Trapt. If it's successful and the band stays together then it might become a regular event featuring different bands. But then again, maybe not.

A look at the new, yet old, Motley Crue.