Las Vegas casinos have always been known for having some of the most hideous carpet designs you can find anywhere. We always thought they wanted to repulse you so much you'd leave your room and head down to the tables and blow your wad. But the carpet designs haven't improved that much over the years or, just maybe, they've always been a work of art. Maybe.

In any case, David Schwartz, a writer and historian for the Center for Gaming Research at UNLV, has been tracking carpet designs--he keeps track of lots of things like that--and has a visual record of a bunch of different capret samples from various Las Vegas hotels.

We just thought you'd want to see for yourself...

After all these years of Nevada residency, we're still amused--and even proud--that the day Nevada was let into the union was October 31st (1864--36th state).

Perhaps those that live in other parts of the state don't feel the same way, but to Las Vegans, where we live in a 365 day per year fantasy land, Nevada Day and Halloween just sort of go together.

It used to be the state holiday was celebrated on the 31st every year but since 2000 we've been observing Nevada Day on the last Friday of October, making it a 3-day weekend for state government officials, school kids and a few local bank employees.

This year Nevada Day falls on Halloween--like it should--so today we don't have to worry about speeding through those school zones.

Happy Nevada Day! Whoopee!

Nevada Day Closures (more)

The land has changed hands a few times and there have been several announcements of grandiose projects for the location but most of us thought that when MGM Mirage bought the southwest corner of the Strip at Sahara Ave. last year that the long-vacant property would finally get developed.

I mean, MGM is the biggest dog on the Strip and when they announced they would build a multi-billion dollar resort on 40 of the 78 acres purchased on the site and had solid partners in a Dubai capital firm and visionary partners in the people who built the very cool Atlantis resort in the Bahamas, many of us thought it was a done deal.

Unfortunately, the f*cked economy has f*cked up development on that corner again. MGM Mirage, in it's 3rd quarter conference call with investors, said it was not only doing some "corporate restructuring" (uh oh, more layoffs), reducing construction costs at CityCenter, postponing plans for a $5 billion resort in Atlantic City but it was, unfortunately, scuttling plans for a resort on that ol' corner across the street from the Sahara Hotel.

~sigh~ Oh, well, maybe next decade...

[Note: Hey, but Wall Street liked the plan as the stock jumped 33% despite the fact that 3Q profit fell 67% from last year. A bright note: the crown jewel of the MGM empire--the Bellagio--saw revenue actually increase 3%]

Critics, columnists, writers and reviewers for the local and national media outlets who were allowed to see the preview shows of the new Cirque du Soleil show "Criss Angel Believe" were asked not to give reviews of the production until the actual opening this Friday night.

Early exit reviews by non-media people were pretty negative but the general tone of reviews and write-ups since is that the show is improving as all the scenes have finally been incorporated into the act and the bugs have been worked out.

According to this article the timing in now "spot-on" and "the show has evolved considerably since the curtain was first raised last month. Several new sequences have been worked into the act, while additional props and new illusions have been incorporated into the show."

Ticket sales have been tremendous so maybe, just maybe, Mr. Mindfreak can pull this thing off...

A short while ago we posted an article entitled "Top 5 After-Hours Clubs" in Las Vegas and there was a bit of disagreement from our LowLife members. Now, the same website--BlackBookMag.com--has told us their "Top 5 Party Hotels" in Las Vegas.
Agree or disagree?

Las Vegas: Top 5 Party Hotels
1. Planet Hollywood (Strip: Central) - New bars, new clubs, new restaurants, new rooms: All share the same sleek décor and LA-glam vibe.
2. Hard Rock Hotel (Off-Strip East) - Still the favored hang for rockers and aspiring rockers. Nonstop scene in the bar, perpetual parties by the pool, and concerts in the parking lot.
3. TheHotel (Strip: South) - Mandalay Bay’s in-house boutique hotel is also where House of Blues acts stay: You never know who you’ll meet in the elevator.
4. Golden Nugget (Downtown) - Even without the shark tank pool, the cooler-everyday Fremont St. location means a new party is always within staggering distance.
5. The Palms (Off-Strip West) - Maybe the Palms is just a glorified clubhouse for those wild Maloof boys. A clubhouse with gourmet restos and trendy clubs, where NBA stars and Playboy bunnies to hang out.

Another Telco Name Change?
First it was Central Telephone, then Centel, then Sprint, now Embarq and soon our local wireline phone service may be called CenturyTel. Sounds like there will be a different name on your phone bill soon. Monroe, La.-based CenturyTel has proposed a $5.8 billion buyout of Embarq. More details, should you care...

Our Malls are For Sale
General Browth Properties is having a hard time these days and are looking to sell the Las Vegas shopping malls they own. These include Fashion Show Mall, Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian, Shoppes at Palazzo, Boulevard Mall, Meadows Mall and two malls under development, Summerlin Centre and High Street at Echelon

No Echelon in '09
Boyd Gaming said they probably won't resume construction on the partially-built $4.8 billion Echelon project on the Strip in 2009.

Despite what you think you saw regarding Monday night's World Series game 5, you didn't see it the way Las Vegas spots books did. While the game was postponed in the middle of the 6th with the score tied 2-2, the Vegas books are paying out as if Philadelphia won. So, if you have a betting slip that says the Phillies on it, take it in and get your cash (unless you bet Philly or Tampa Bay straight up--see below).

According to Nevada gaming rules -- often referred to as "house rules" -- the final score of an official game is determined by reverting to the last completed inning. The Phillies led 2-1 after the fifth.

Las Vegas sports books are paying off Game 5 side bets (i.e. betting on a particular side) on Philadelphia, which was about a minus-170 favorite (i.e. spend $1.70 to win $1.00 for a total of $2.70 won). Wagers on totals and run-line bets are being refunded because rules stipulate that at least 81/2 innings must be played.

It would kind of suck if you had bet Tampa Bay on Monday night because the Rays could actually win game 5 when play is resumed but, according to "house rules", you're a loser...

UPDATE!: We just heard that the MGM properties included a disclaimer on their World Series tickets this year that they only pay out on completed games. It's unusual for Las Vegas sports books and unlike they practiced in the regular season but as long as they post it, it's legal. So, if you have a game 5 ticket from the MGM, hang onto it...

$140 Rooms at THEhotel
From the LA Times: "Deal: This promotion, which runs Oct. 29 through Jan. 6, includes a $50 resort credit (you can eat, go to the spa, visit the Shark Reef), 2-for-1 tickets to “Mamma Mia!” and a $300 savings certificate to Mandalay Place shops. Here’s the kicker: Rooms at THEhotel start at $140 a night, pre-tax." Complete story

First the economy, now this: Donny & Marie sign for 2 more years at Flamingo.

Mexican rocker Alex Lora, lead singer for the Mexico City-based band El Tri, received a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Stars, the 33rd star awarded/bought on the Strip.

A few weeks back, actor Dan Akroyd posted a rambling 8-minute video on YouTube saying something about 13 ancient crystal heads scattered around the globe that possess vast amounts of "radiant psychic energy", magical powers and healing energy. Sort of like the theme of most recent Indiana Jones movie. The actor then went on to hawk a new alcoholic drink--Crystal Head Vodka--that would be sold in cool crystal skull bottles. What was going on? Was it legit?

The Cool Bottle and The Crystal Skulls Legend (more)

If you want to visit some Vegas locales this Halloween season that just might have some some real ghosts hanging out, then maybe this article (and book) might be of interest...

"Janice Oberding claims the valley is crawling with formerly human residents. The author's fifth occult-related book, "The Haunting of Las Vegas," explores dozens of allegedly spooked locales, from the 75-year-old Boulder Dam Hotel (where pianos reportedly play by themselves and disembodied moaning fills the hallways) to the Old Mormon Fort (where the oft-sighted figure of a gaunt old man is alleged to be 1884 murder victim Archibald Stewart)."

The complete article...

Power Exchange: The iconic sex & BDSM club in San Francisco is closing down its famous Bay Area facility and will open a large and beautiful facility in Las Vegas! The grand opening for the all-new Power Exchange will be November 14th & 15th (note change from 7th & 8th)--all LowLifes will be invited!! More info coming soon...

Green Door: Besides celebrating Halloween on October 31st, the Green Door will also be commemorating their 10th anniversary. Local porn star Morgan Ray will be the hostess.

Morgan Ray: Speaking of our favorite--and insatiable--resident adult film star, American LowLife and Ms. Ray will team up for a sexy advice column offering all sorts of tips and advice for those in the lifestyle or those who are thinking about it. Not only is Morgan Ray a hottie but she also has a Master's degree in sex education and psychology (and well on her way to a PhD). Look for the continuing LowLife Forum topic soon!

Shmooze n Booze: A new entry into the upscale lifestyle event category, Smooze n Booze offers limos, nightclubs and party suites, specifically designed for mid-week partiers.

Vegas Club Erotica: Looks like a new party house that caters to BBW's.

Russian Candyman. ALL has another addition to our "Massage & Body Services" listings. The Russian Candyman is the creator of the Men of Russia dance troupe and a licensed in-room entertainer. We post legitimate and approved "body services" (massage, dancing, etc.) on this site figuring some LowLifes might want that sort of thing while on vacation. Providers are not allowed to solicit their services on ALL, however, except through site advertising.

Moodswing. Moodswing, a lifestyle party host that throws once-a-month events in their large home, has re-done their website making it more readable and informative. Also, the all-girl party has been postponed...

PurrfectLV. The annual porn convention in January brings out the sexiest lifestylers every January. PurrfectLV is hosting the must-attend event featuring 3 days/nights of upscale debauchery. Check out the RSVP list!

Sinsations. B & K planned to sell the big party house in the northwest and just have the occasional houseboat party. The economy messed up their plans. Their loss is our gain--it's party time again at Sinsations! The grand re-opening is Halloween.

The li'l bisexual hottie was here in town for something or other but after I started looking at her photos on Google (safe-search turned off, of course) I can't for the life of me remember what it was for. I think it was for an opening or something. That might be it. But Ms. Tequila (who says she can't even drink tequila because she is allergic to it) has some mighty fine photos out there in cyberspace from the likes of Playboy, Penthouse, Maxim and elsewhere that lead one to distraction.

Tila is Singapore-born to Vietnamese parents and spent her formative years in Houston where she was supposedly a wild child. To escape her past (and her gang--yes, a cholo gang--affiliation) she headed to Queens, NY where she was discovered by a Playboy scout in a shopping mall. Later she was on a "Bachelorette" type show where she had to choose between men and women for the final pairing (she chose a woman who actually spurned her).

Anyway, she was in Las Vegas recently for...something...hmmm...~focus!~...ok, it's coming to me...something to do with the Luxor...I think it was a restaurant opening...Mexican, in fact, which is the "Tequila" tie-in, I guess...yeah, something called T&T--which stands for Tacos & Tequila--opened at the Luxor and Tila was the celeb they brought it. Ok, got it, cool.

A Picture of the New T&T Restaurant in the Luxor (more)

Ever since the owners of the Palms--the Maloof Brothers--bought the Sacramento Kings basketball team in 1997, you haven't been able to bet on an NBA game in their sportsbook due to league restrictions.

That restriction has finally been lifted beginning with the upcoming NBA season. You still won't be able to bet on Kings games but the rest of the league's matches will be on the board.

Let's say you have kids in elementary school... How would you feel if Michael Jackson moved into a house across from the school your kids attended? While Michael was acquitted of child molestation charges in 2005, might it make you feel a bit uneasy knowing that the eccentric singer inhabits the big mansion just down the block? Is he peeping out one of the upstairs windows with a birdwatching telescope trying to catch a glimpse of some frilly whites (or, in his case, tighty-whities)? Maybe he's staring out through lace curtains while sitting in a rocking chair with a wig and a dress on ala' the movie Psycho (although he may not need a wig these days)?

There are some parents who have children attending Wasden Elementary School (off of Charleston, slightly west of UMC Hospital -- see map below) who are a bit concerned. One mother said: "Of all the residences he could stay at why choose one across from an elementary school?" The school principal reportedly can clearly see Michael's house from her office window. No reports thus far of weird curtain movements or glimpses of bright, reflecting lights coming from the place.

On the other hand, Michael is 50 now and has been living in Las Vegas for a year with his children Prince Michael, 11, Paris, 10 and Prince Michael II, six, (most recently in a Palm's Hotel suite) and he might be a really cool neighbor. Bet his Halloween decorations are fabulous and invites to the kids' birthday parties would be a must-have.

A Map of The Neighborhood (more)

The BIG Las Vegas Fetish & Fantasy Halloween Ball is always held on a Saturday and always on or before the 31st so, with that being the case, if you are going to attend this year you had better kick it into high gear as the BALL IS TONIGHT (10/25)! OMG!!!

If you haven't purchased your tickets yet, American LowLife can save you a few bucks through TicketMaster. The details are in the LowLife Event Listing.. There's a nice bunch of RSVP's, we must say!

If you still need a costume, take a look at our extensive listing of places in Las Vegas that sell costumes and other related items such as material, accessories, shoes, corsets and BDSM gear. Check out the stores in the Sexy Sahara Fashion District (see map below). All have discount coupons on this site.

Map of Sahara Fashion District (more)

First is was Jaguar's, an upscale gentleman's club on Valley View and Desert Inn. But the owner got into a bit of legal trouble and the place became Scores, like the NYC club Howard Stern used to rave about. The Las Vegas Scores kept the Jaguar's feel and remained one of the classier strip joints in town--they even had topless acrobatic aerial acts and the like--and seemed to do a pretty good business.

But now Scores is officially gone, too, as the building now sports a Rick's Cabaret sign. While Rick's has been operating as Rick's during the soft opening, the 3-night grand opening is this week (Th-Sat) and you can score, um, receive free cocktails and hor d' ourves each night from 8-11 plus special guests including a former Miss Nude World! Woo hoo! The LowLife Event Listing

Some Interesting Rick's Cabaret Tidbits (more)

Criss Angel thinks his new Cirque du Soleil show "Believe" is not just a hit but a huge, honkin' hit. Advance ticket sales have been so robust, said Angel, that "I believe we're beating 'Love' and 'O' and every Cirque show, and we're now the No. 1 or No. 1 best-selling show in Vegas."

Well, alrighty then. Maybe all the ticket-buyers heard they no longer have Angel sing a song at the end of the show...

The $100 million "Believe" officially opens at the Luxor on Halloween.

One of the larger mixed martial arts promoters, EliteXC, has suddenly gone out of business leaving Las Vegas-based UFC and Affliction as the reamining two large-scale MMA organizations.

EliteXC put all their chips on fighter "Kimbo Slice" who turned out to be a farce as he was whipped by a last-second replacement fighter a couple of weeks ago in a fight telecast on CBS. Additionally, the Florida State Athletic Commission is investigating allegations of pre-fight tampering by the organization.

While we've grumblings in the past from some of the UFC fighters over general fight purse sizes, overall they are probably pretty happy the UFC is the most professionally run MMA entity and gotta be even happier still that the organization is backed by one of the wealthier men in the US, former Station Casinos president Lorenzo Fertitta.

Last year was the first year the famous Michelin Guide began rating Las Vegas (and Los Angeles) are restaurants and for the second straight year Joël Robuchon inside the MGM was awarded the only 3-star award handed out. Michelin granted its three-star honors to only six restaurants in the United States, and 69 worldwide so it's a pretty big deal to those that follow such stuff.

Michelin also awarded one local resort its highest honor for hotel excellence. Wynn Las Vegas earned Five Red Pavilions from Michelin. It's the second consecutive year Wynn grabbed the top accolade. Just seven properties nationwide won the honor. The other six were in New York City.

The Complete Listing of Michelin Star Winners in Las Vegas (more)

According to BlackBox.com, a trendy site leaning towards the high-brow, the five top after-hours places to visit in Las Vegas are the following:
1. Drai’s (Strip: Central) - Locals and tourists, gays and straights, executives and wage slaves, all party together until 9 a.m. in this small, sophisticated, plush club.
2. Jet (Strip: Central) - Huge nightspot features three different rooms, each with a different soundtrack and atmosphere. The later it gets, the more room there is to dance.
3. Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce (Strip: South) - The transplant of Los Angeles’ famed burlesque revival club does something they’d never do in LA: stays open until 8 a.m.
4. Gipsy (Off-Strip East) - Las Vegas’ favorite gay club only gets wilder as the sun comes up.
5. Seamless (Off-Strip West) - After 4 a.m., this stripper room turns into a somewhat mookish club, but, hey, it’s open until noon.

Ok, maybe not the real Sarah Palin but Club Paradise Gentleman's Club is trying to round up enough Sarah Palin look-alike strippers from around the country for a night that is designed to highlight the democratic process, a night filled with debate and the power of the vote.

Here's the press release:

SARAH PALIN LOOK A LIKE PAGEANT TO TAKE PLACE IN SIN CITY

LAS VEGAS – October 2008 -- With only a month of national exposure as the GOP’s vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin has become one of the most impersonated figures in America. With such abundant coverage of Palin’s beauty pageant history, Club Paradise Men’s Club in Las Vegas has announced the Official Sarah Palin Look a Like Pageant will take place in “Sin City”.

More Details on this Important Pre-Election Campain Event (more)

Aliante Station opens next month in the far northwest part of town and, while some of the physical structures will remind one of its sister property, trendy Red Rock Resort in Summerlin, Aliante will cater to a decidedly different market: lower income North Las Vegas and fixed income Sun City Aliante.

For example: Some 1,500 of Aliante Station's 2,500 slot machines are multidenomination penny-based games. The property has budget-conscious restaurants, such as T.G.I. Friday's and the Original Pancake House. MRKT, the resort's steakhouse, evokes images of the upscale Hank's at Green Valley Ranch Resort and T-bone's at Red Rock. But the average dinner check could be 30 percent lower, which is always cool (means we have more money for alcohol).

Of course, if the economy keeps going at its current pace, penny slots may be the only entertainment most of will be able to afford.

If you drove in from So Cal and partied and gambled so much you forgot to catch an infamous Las Vegas topless revue show, well, fear not! You can catch a pair (or six) on your way back home.

The 300 seat showroom at Whiskey Pete's (Primm) has a new topless show called "Sin City Kitties" and, for your driving convenience, they have a matinee show on Sunday starting at 2:00 pm. Convenient, eh?

Not 100% sure what the show is about (does that matter?) but it takes place in an old west setting and looks at some very hard working saloon girls just trying to make a buck. As the release says "Parlor Mistress Lily will sing her heart out while divulging the fantasies and secrets of each of her kitty counterparts". Sounds like can't-miss entertainmant, right? (hope we can get comps and a gas card to go see it)

The same people who bring you the "Sin City Heat" lounge revue at the Hilton are doing this one, too, so you know the girls will have energy if nothing else.

Delay that drive--have a Bloody Mary, $24.95 worth of bouncin' breasts and chill for awhile. Remember, breasts are calming--it's a proven fact. It will be very theraputic for the rest of the drive home.

The LowLife "Sin City Kitties" listing

If you've never stopped by to goof around at our Swing! On the Strip parties this will be your last chance. If you're free tonight, c'mon by and do some dancin', drinkin' and spankin'.
Feel free to bring floggers and paddles as it's also a special birthday party, too.
The Swing! On the Strip party listing (i.e. RSVP, online ticket discount, more details, etc.)

If you are fans of the '70's comedy duo Cheech & Chong you can see the two old stoners as they reunite for the first time in a couple of decades at the Palms Saturday night.

Here's an interview with the pair and what you can expect to see should you attend.
(Hint: They think their musical routines "Basketball Jones" (a radio hit) and "Mexican Americans" have held up well over time.)

And you might see more of the pair in Las Vegas, or at least reasonable facsimilies of them, as they are also planning a Cheech & Chong stage show of the early days, sort of like a smokier version of Jersey Boys, I guess.

Of course, if their reunion tour flops it probably won't happen but we're pulling for it to be successful as we'd like to see a moral counterbalance to the Donny & Marie production...

Last month we did a "ya heard it here first" thingy and told you that Star Trek: The Experience would be moving from the Hilton where it had been for many years to Neonopolis on Fremont Street.

Well, now it's been confirmed by the "real" media and it came via a slip-of-the-tongue by our beloved mayor, Oscar Goodman. Things like that can happen if you can get him talking after a three-martini (gin, of course) breakfast...

From an LV Sun investigation:
Nevadans consume more hydrocodone, also known as Vicodin or Lortab, per capita than residents of any other state, and rank fourth highest in the consumption of the narcotics morphine, methadone and oxycodone, the primary ingredient in the drug OxyContin.

Yet another thing Governor Gibbons can be blamed for and, as soon as I get my Oxy fix, I intend to write him a letter giving him a piece of my mind... (what there is left of it)

Norm, the Review-Journal's gossip dude, takes a look at the Las Vegas nightclub scene and, according to his industry sources, it isn't doing well at all. Which probably means it'll be much easier for all of us to get in without bribing a doorman.

Norm's report:
The Wall Street crisis has sent a chill through the once-blazing Las Vegas nightclub industry, with reports of downsizing and the slashing of celebrity fees. "Business was down 10 percent before the crash. Now it's 20 to 25 percent," said a veteran club operator. "Wait until November or December. The bigger places will have to trim the fat."

Clubs that routinely paid six figures for celebrity hosts during a free-spending three-year run have dramatically cut back, said a club entertainment executive. Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey and Jessica Simpson will still get $100,000-plus, the source said.

More on the Nightclub Crash in Las Vegas (more)

Vegas Vic is the name of the (formerly) waving and talking neon cowboy that has looked over Fremont Street since 1951. For some reason, the Las Vegas Sun newspaper uses that as the name of their pseudo-investigative staff reporter who checks out Vegas-related urban myths and rumors, i.e. "Answers to questions that baffle mankind."

Anyway, if you ever wondered about the "official Las Vegas temperature" and how that is gathered, here's Vegas Vic to answer your question.

How the official Las Vegas temperature comes about (more)

Justin Timberlake is trying to infuse some life into the annual PGA tour event that has been held at TPC at Summerlin since the early '90's. The organizers have high hopes that with Timberlake fronting the event he will attract his entertainment and sports celeb friends, and, of course the female demographic which, in turn, attracts males, and they will see record attendance numbers. Which would be great 'cause the event has never been something to get excited about and usually doesn't attract the top PGA golfers. And besides, proceeds go to the Shriners Hospital for Children so the more that show up the merrier.

Some of the celebs that will be on hand are Olympic swimmer Amanda Beard, actors Josh Duhamel, John O'Hurley and George Lopez as well as singers Chris Kirkpatrick and Josh Kelley, all who will play in a celebrity pro-am. The event is going on now through the end of the week.

Timberlake is actually a pretty good golfer and depending on the amount of time he gets to play, has a handicap from a 4 to an 8. Here's some quick golf talk with Justin Timberlake.

The LowLife listing for the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open

A few days ago we showed you what appeared to be a new direction in McCain/Palin campaign strategy with a revealing look at Sarah Palin.

Not to be outdone, Barak Obama's wife, Michelle, has upped the ante with a show-all display of the potential first lady in Newsweek Magazine.

We applaud the openess and hope to see more of these two ladies.

LV Marathon to Return

The Las Vegas Marathon (and 1/2 marathon) is a unique race--one of the few times the Strip is closed besides New Year's Eve--and features all sorts of interesting Vegasy twists on a normal marathon such as a pack of jogging Elvi (Elvises?), bouncing showgirls, run-through wedding ceremonies and the Blue Man Group playing along the way.

Unfortunately, the organizers never had too deep of pockets so prize money and payments to vendors in the early December event often went unpaid until the November after, right before the next race.

The Race Survives; Running Elvi (more)

Las Vegas has a wild and crazy history but, due to our "newer is better" addiction, actual physical landmarks of the past are more and more difficult to find.

Here's an interesting article on some of the remaining remnants of old school Las Vegas that still exist today. In addition, you'll find out cool facts like:
--The Golden Gate Casino had the first working telephone number in Las Vegas (ya dialed "1", of course). The hotel above the casino was named the Sal Sagev which is "Las Vegas" backwards.
--The Fremont was the tallest building in town and the best place to watch the above-ground atomic testing which happened fairly regularly at the Nevada Test Site.
--Golden Steer is the oldest surviving Las Vegas steakhouse (1958).
--In 1955, the Riviera stole a reluctant Liberace away from the New Frontier for an amazing sum of $55,000 per week!

We have some crazy car-collecting friends in town for the prestigious Barrett-Jackson auction Oct. 15-18 held this coming week at the Mandalay. If you've been wondering what to get Mr. Purrfect for his birthday (besides a good flogging), you could pick up some good ideas here (you could even hand him the keys at the last Swing! On the Strip event on the 17th!).

Among the cars you'll be able to bid on: John F. Kennedy's personal 1962 Lincoln Continental that regularly transported the Kennedys (and, word has it, Marilyn Monroe) around Palm Beach will be on the sales block at a Barrett-Jackson auction at Mandalay Bay.

Bette Davis' "Black Beauty," a 1980 Ford Mustang, which she ordered on the morning of her 72nd birthday, is among the more than 500 vehicles up for auction, including those owned by Toby Keith, Evel Knievel and Nicholas Cage, as well as Carroll Shelby's first race car, a 1949 MG.

The LowLife Listing for the Auction

Besides the Bonnie and Clyde Death Car, a pretty good factory outlet mall, some country music concerts and the closest place to buy California lottery tickets (supposedly the highest-selling location in all of California), there really wasn't a whole lot of impetus for Las Vegans to make the 35 mile trek on I-15 to Primm, Nevada. Besides, we still haven't forgiven Gary Primm for vainly renaming the town in his family's name (it was named State Line for years).

Ok, so maybe we didn't care enough to be annoyed for very long and maybe Primm had a right to call the place whatever he wanted since they owned pretty much everything in the town including the 3 casinos (Whiskey Pete's, Primadonna--now Primm Valley Resort--and Buffalo Bills) and maybe there was another Stateline in northern Nevada but it still seems a bit vain, doesn't it? Or, maybe Primm knew he was going to sell the whole thing to MGM Mirage in 1999 (for $612 million--most of which was later sold to Terrible Herbst Gaming in '06 for $400 million) and wanted a legacy left behind while he went and played on his $17 million yacht. Well, whatever the motivation, the State granted the name change so now you drive through Primm instead of driving through State Line going to and coming from So Cal.

Temptation Through Tickets (more)

Normally we don't get too political on this site but I like the direction this campaign is heading.

Who says ya can't win for losin'? Las Vegas Sands Chairman Sheldon Adelson lost so much last month that he was proclaimed "Biggest Loser" by Forbes Magazine. In the month of September, Adelson saw his net worth decline by $4 billion. 4 bil in one month! Yeowzah!

Overall, it's been a tough year for the Venetian/Palazzo owner. Adelson has lost nearly $13 billion of his estimated $28 billion bucks during the past 12 months. Last October the Sands (LVS) stock was at a high of $148.76. Now, after a look at today's market, it's trading at $13.50. Holy moley!

Kirk Kerkorian, the majority shareholder in MGM Mirage was also a loser as he lost $1.2 bil. in September. MGM (MGM) shares have gone from about a $100 a year ago to $15.36 today.

Yikes! There goes the American LowLife pension fund. Time to stock up on top ramen for those golden years...

Side note: After 15 straight years at #1 on the list, Microsoft man Bill Gates slipped to number two as he lost $1.5 bil in September. Our write-in candidate for president, Warren Buffet, actually gained $8 billion (to $55 bil) to become the top dog.

Poetry Nightclub in the Forum Shops is probably the city's most popular hardcore hip hop and rap club and has a largely black clientele. It seems the club patrons have been forced to use a back entrance, hire more security and even had continuous--and mysterious--air conditioning problems. Poetry thinks it all boils down to racial discrimination with the goal of Caesars and the mall operator forcing Poetry to move somewhere else.

In a complaint filed in Clark County District Court, Poetry nightclub at the Forum Shops at Caesars has been joined by Wolfgang Puck's Chinois restaurant in alleging racial profiling by Caesars Palace and the owners of the Forum shops. According to the complaint on Poetry's behalf, Caesars Palace and the Simon Property Group, the Forum Shops owners, "engaged in an ongoing and concerted campaign of harassment and misconduct against plaintiffs."

More On the Allegations (more)

"Tom Brokaw leaves early to catch 9:15 showing of 'Beverly Hills Chihuahua.' "
-- From David Letterman's "Top Ten Signs You're Watching a Bad Presidential Debate"

OJ Simpson didn't party it up the night before the verdict on his kidnapping/weapons case was read. According to a source (probably a restaurant worker), Simpson stopped into Rosemary's Restaurant on west Sahara (an excellent choice, btw) with a few friends, sat down at the bar, had a Johnny Walker Black and Coke and supposedly called it a night.

After the following day's guilty verdict was delivered, Simpson was taken to the Clark County Detention Center (downtown at Casino Center and Lewis) where he will be staying for awhile as he tries to figure out his appeal. His room is substantially similar to the one pictured to the right.

Just in Case You Want to Visit... (Oh, be sure and tone down the dress!) (more)

The Plaza Hotel downtown is known for, um, for cheap stuff like drinks, shows, food, and even transportation (the Greyhound Bus terminal is there and the Amtrak train station used to be). Heck, we still call it the Union Plaza more often than not (which it was named for many years). The exterior of the hotel has banners running down it advertising prime rib, a Chinese buffet and bingo. Rooms during the week are running for about $25

Then there's the other Plaza Hotel which is planned for the Strip on the site where the New Frontier used to be (near the Fashion Show Mall and the Trump). The Las Vegas version of the famous Manhattan landmark will, if actually built, have seven towers, 6,700 hotel and condo rooms, the largest casino on the Strip and will cost about $6 billion to build. They will have $800/night hotel rooms, too. Oh, and this Plaza promises there won't be any banners running down the side of the building nor a Greyhound bus station.

What Did the Jury Decide? (more)

As Las Vegas keeps looking for ways to increase its water supply--methods that don't just involve expensive lawsuits or extensive water table-sucking pipelines--a UNLV scientist has come up with a novel idea: mobilizing mothballed warships.

Inactive decommissioned ships, especially old aircraft carriers, would be perfect floating desalinization platforms, according to geoscientist David Kreamer, as they are already equipped with the ability to remove salt from sea water since they need to do that for the ship's large crew anyway.

So, in a nutshell: take the ships out of dry-dock, anchor 'em off-shore with a very skeleton crew, beef up their desalination capabilities, produce drinking water non-stop, deliver it to L.A., Las Vegas increases its allotment of Colorado River water (taking some from Californi's share), more people can move to Las Vegas. Yippee!

Simple! When do we start? Ahoy, maties!
Does USS stand for "U Suck Saltwater"?

If you're a fan of alt-entertainment then Las Vegas is starting to become a place where you can find some decent entertainment options. For the past several years we've had a pretty good alternative music scene based primarily in clubs near the East Fremont district (although Double Down and Dive Bar are notable non-downtown exceptions) but we haven't had that many non-traditional theatre offerings, primarily due to a lack of quality performance venues.

Following the "build-it-and-they-will-come" philosophy, The Onyx Theatre has become a premier place to see all sorts of edgy and "out-there" theatre, dance, comedy and music productions. Seating nearly 100, the Oynx boasts superb sound and sight lines complete with comfortable theater seating and even a lounge and concession area.

The Onyx offers a little bit of everything from the talents of the Cockroach and Insurgo theater companies and alternative film festivals to BDSM seminars by Midori and the twice monthly fun of a good old-fashioned audience-participation Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Where is this nifty li'l gem? As the intro to a review says: "There is a theater in town located in the heart of the Commercial Center district. That's right, a beautiful theater in the back of the Rack Bondage shop next to the Green Door swingers club."
Sounds perfect to me...

If you haven't been there you might want to check it out one of these days. Here's our venue listing for Onyx Theatre and here's a quick interview with the director of the theater John Beane.

Vegas throat? Stomach issues? Or, maybe man problems, perhaps...

From Norm, the R-J gossip dude:
"Cher canceled two more shows this weekend at Caesars Palace, which identified her health issue as asthma-related bronchitis. That raised eyebrows for several reasons.

Cher's publicist, Liz Rosenberg, told a reporter last week that Cher is suffering from a condition called "Vegas throat." That after Caesars Palace spent millions on a giant humidifier designed to protect Celine Dion's voice from the dry desert air in The Colosseum.

Adding to the mystery: Cher was spotted at Neil Diamond's concert on Thursday night at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, according to a Website.

Cher had six cancellations in less than a month. The Saturday and Sunday cancellations ended her 2008 engagement. "Cher looks forward to her return to The Colosseum early next year with performances to be announced soon," Caesars Palace said in the release.

Rosenberg denied reports that Cher's problems were related to rumored chronic abdominal issues. There has been speculation that her problems are related to a recent breakup with former Hell's Angel Tim Medvetz."

Can't see Caesars putting up with much more of this kind of behavior...

O.J. Simpson said earlier in the week that he kind of liked Las Vegas and, if he could make things work with his kids and everything, he was considering moving here.

Well, it looks like O.J. doesn't have to worry about all the complicated logistics involved in a cross-country move as the decision has been made for him. 13 years to the day after Simpson, 61, was acquitted for the infamous double murder charge, a Las Vegas jury--which, curiously enough, didn't include a single black--convicted him of robbery and kidnapping with a deadly weapon so O.J. will be spending at least 15 years in our fair city.

Actual sentencing is December 5th and, of course, Simpson will appeal but for now he had better make himself at home. O.J. has found out first hand what the meaning of our famous marketing phrase--"what happens here, stays here"--actually means.

Simpson Was Confident, Had Acquittal Party Planned (more)

The Mormon Church is generally not known for their sense of humor and while church members are encouraged to have a Chevy Suburban full of kids, overt sexual expression is definitely frowned upon. Which is probably why Las Vegas resident and LDSer Chad Hardy got booted from the temple in July for "conduct unbecoming a member of the church."

Hardy, founder of the company Mormons Exposed, is the guy who put together the "Men on a Mission" calendar which depicts returned Mormon missionaries is semi-sexy poses (without their holy undergarment--OMG!). While the guy who put together the calendar got excommunicated, so far the models who posed for the 2008 version only received warnings.

We'll see what happens to the 2009 models. The new edition is now available and with all the brouhaha about the first one it would seem rather difficult for the shirtless dudes to plead innocent about their modeling assignment. However, in such a male-dominated religion it's possible they'll get away with nothing more than a wrist slap but I would think the new project Hardy is working on just might cause those church elders to throw a hissy fit.

Mormon MILFS Coming! (more)

Criss Angel responds to the criticism of his new Cirque du Soleil show "Believe" which is currently in the preview mode over at the Luxor. “The skeleton for the show is in place," Angel said. "Now we just have to put meat on the bones. "I think we’re in really good shape."

In what qualifies as the most expensive bank-owned home in Nevada (and possibly in the entire United States), savvy shoppers can pick up this li'l number on the cheap for a mere $7.95 million dollars--a bargain when you consider the $10 million value of the place.

The 10,700 square foot house overlooks the 4th hole at TPC Summerlin golf course, has 7 bedrooms, 10 baths, an 8-car garage and you'll get to be neighbors to Venetian owner Sheldon Adelson.

Bring your 20% down payment ($1.6 mil) and grab this beauty. With a 30 year fixed mortgage at 7.24% interest your monthly payment will be only $43,343. Yes, per month.

At that rate you may have to give up a lifestyle party or two to make the payments but you can hold some kick-ass events at your new crib. Maybe Sheldon and his babe will attend. Let us know and we'll co-promote with you. I can see it now: "Swing! At TPC! (and we don't mean golf)"! We're ready when you are...

Actually, unless you wear aluminum foil panties (or have lots of sediment in your drawers), it won't matter if you wear freshly-laundered undergarments or not, the new "whole body imaging" device at McCarran will be able to see right down to your skin. Anything that blocks the skin--anything with any density at all-- will show up on the monitor screen. Excited about performing in a peep show for the TSA?

McCarran has just installed the $180,000 machine and demonstrated it yesterday. Not everyone will be scanned, even if you are an exhibitionist and want to have your body imaged (well, I suppose if you act really suspicious you can probably get yanked from the main queue and then allowed to "perform").

Here's the Rundown on How It All Works including a Sample Scan Image: (more)