Lady Gaga seems like the perfect icon for Halloween. With her use of outlandish costumes, makeup and studio sets in her popular music videos, Gaga is an obvious choice for an outrageous Halloween costume (and we saw planty of Lady Gagas running around Las Vegas this past weekend!).

A couple of Las Vegas residents--sisters, in fact--have even gone so far as to christen the holiday "Gagaween" and made an elaborate music video to announce the newly named day. Hilly and Hannah Hindi are budding filmmakers and may have gotten a big boost in their career choice by none other than Lady G herself. After viewing the pair's latest effort, Gaga tweeted:

"OK THIS IS AMAZING MONSTER VIDEO, haus of gaga just peed in the bed laughing. This girl looks just like me!"

She also included the YouTube link which is most likely why the video now has close to 900,000 hits. Take a look and you, too, might just start calling today Gagaween instead of Halloween!

Notes: Hilly, 21, is the actress and video editor in the project while Hannah, 25, is the producer and videographer. Both gals handle the writing chores. And the backdrop just might look familiar as much of the video was shot at the Artisan Hotel which seems like a perfect place to celebrate Halloween Gagaween...

This news will suck if you are heading to Jaguars Gentleman's Club this evening for the Kasidie meet and greet. Metro has decided to set up a DUI Checkpoint right outside of Jaguars on Desert Inn near Valley View. If you've been to Jaguars before you know the main way to get there is via Desert Inn. And since it's a divided one-way street at that point ya kinda get sucked into it.

Looking at the map (right), you might want to plan on reaching the club by taking Procyon off of Spring Mountain. Even if you don't have a beer or two at the club it's probably better to avoid the checkpoint when you leave because by then you just know she's going to be taking her clothes off...

Oh, and on Saturday night Metro is staying on D.I. but is moving the checkpoint down on the other side of the Strip to Paradise Rd. which oughta make that extremely busy intersection a total clusterfuck.

Sounds like it's best to avoid D.I. the entire weekend.

TONIGHT!! Friday night!!! TONIGHT!!! Friday Night (10/28)!!!

The party with the hottest hoes, er, uh, ladies wearing next to nothing are the lovlies who will be partying at John Huntington’s Pimp ‘n Ho costume ball when it makes its return to Las Vegas.

For several years the Pimp ‘n Ho was held at the Palms over Labor Day weekend and before that at the Orleans Arena (but it was way too wild for the Orleans—see videos below) and before that at Mandalay Bay. Then it suddenly stopped.

Pasties? Did someone say Pasties? Fetish & Fantasy Ball says No! but Pimp ‘n Ho says Oh, yeah!

But now Pimp ‘n Ho is back! This time at the Chateau Nightclub inside the Paris--Friday night of Halloween weekend. J Woww hosts and John Huntington is part of a strong DJ lineup (see DJ list here) but the barely-there costumes like the ones below are the real stars.


Hmmm...this party might be hotter than some lifestyle parties...

But the lifestyle parties are where even the pasties come off so below is a listing of some of the wilder ones going on during Halloween weekend:

Dirty Rockstars/Kasidie, Speakeasy Events, Couples Oasis, JP JustParties, Power Exchange, KissParty, InCahootsEvents, or even the ol’ Red Rooster.

For EVERY Las Vegas Halloween party--lifestyle and vanilla--check out the American LowLife listing of more than 130 parties and events!

What started out in New York City as a protest against corporate greed has expanded to Las Vegas and has morphed into a protest over none other than sex and The Lifestyle. The Occupy Las Vegas movement has marched up and down Las Vegas Boulevard and on Fremont Street but seems to have taken up permanent residency in front of the American LowLife corporate offices, hence some local media outlets are calling it Occupy LowLife.

It's really more like gluttony, if you think about it

While the common theme is about sex, it seems that there's a diverse opinion as to what the focus should be. Some feel that American LowLifes--i.e. the 1%--are greedy when it comes to sex, receiving a disproportionate amount of sexual activity compared to the rest of society or, that is, the remaining 99%. ALL's Mr. Admin was arrested by Metro police when he came out to confront the crowd yelling "Greed is Good, Greed is Good!" His two scantily-clad female companions were detained by Metro but were not booked.

However, as more people joined in the movement additional viewpoints were heard. "We're not all bisexual!" said marcher Lisa McGovern echoing the views of a number of females in the lifestyle. Tracy Williams, on the other hand, was upset that there weren't more female-only bisexual parties in Las Vegas. "In L.A. there are always bi fem orgies but not here--it's just not fair. It’s not what I was promised!"

They both have good points to make

On the other side of the gender equation, John Winston was visibly upset over his perception of the way single males are treated in the lifestyle. "They allow single females to go to all the swinger parties but us single guys are treated like we’re dirt unless we find a chick." Winston says he was thinking of filing a class action suit if he could recruit enough males to join in.

One woman was arrested when she wouldn't stop pounding on the front doors of American LowLife. She was demanding that AmericanLowLife.com be re-opened to enable new memberships. American LowLife has not allowed new members since being purchased by Kasidie.com in May of 2010 and the unidentified woman was upset because some of her friends were members of ALL and she was not allowed to join in on the fun.

You can still hook up with many LowLifes at the Kasidie parties. Hurry up and post bail, girlfriend!

ALL staff members yelled out of opened second story windows that she should protest in front of the Kasidie mansion as they were the ones who make those kind of decisions.

The American LowLife News Bureau will keep you posted on this continuing development with around the clock updates. Meanwhile, we need to get back to that orgy we were in the middle of when we were rudely interrupted by some madwoman pounding on our front doors...

...on stage but not naked...

If you’ve gone to any of the classier lifestyle parties in Las Vegas then chances are you’ve been to a HeavenLasVegas event. For several years HeavenLasVegas has been hosting lifestyle parties all over town including Hustler Club, the Artisan, Jaguars, the Kasidie Mansion and Rumors Hotel.

If you know the hosts personally—Darren & April—you probably know that Darren is an excellent guitarist and often plays in rock bands around town and sometimes at lifestyle events, recently playing Spanish-flavored numbers on acoustic guitar at the sexy Gipsy Fire party.

What you probably didn’t know is that Darren has cut some albums of his own material and released an acclaimed solo electric guitar album along the lines of a Joe Satriani or Steve Vai.

He’ll be performing selections from that album—“FreeSpirit”--live, on stage at Palace Station this Monday night (10/24) at 9 p.m.

The setting will be the Gibson Artist Showcase inside the Louie Anderson Showroom. Gibson Guitars provides top-of-the-line guitars, basses and drums which are used by invited bands to showcase their skills in a showroom setting. You can read more on the Showcase here.

If you’re out and about on Monday night and want to check out some good live ‘n’ local music in a comfortable atmosphere with quality a sound system and no cover charge (and cheap drinks!), head over to Palace Station's Louie Anderson Theater Monday night at 9:00 for a worthwhile musical experience.

There will be a bunch of Vegas lifestylers attending so let’s make it a party! (Here’s the link to the Kasidie party/RSVP post)

Note: Darren opens the concert so get there by 9 sharp. There will be two other acts to follow.

Actually, we took some liberties here. Darren and David Lee Roth were never that close.

The Electric Daisy Festival and it's 230,000 attendees (that was this year's tally) have announced the dates of the 2012 event: June 8-10 which is a couple of weeks earlier than the 2011 extravaganza ran.

Young, tender, nearly naked and probably on ecstasy--good viewing for all ages abounds at EDC

While many Vegas residents, officials and old farts predicted doom, gloom, death and destruction, the massive even went off without a hitch and was, in fact, praised by nearly everyone in the tourist, government and law enforcement sectors.

We spoke to a police officer who was working the recent Blink 182 concert at Red Rock Ampatheater and said he loved working the EDC as it was so much more peaceful compared to, say, the Blink 182 concert which was fight-filled and saw several ejections.

While the (mostly) younger adults (18-23 or thereabouts) didn't gamble much, their room demand enabled the resorts to jack up the room rates to levels rarely seen in the summer months.

Here's the link to the LowLife listing for EDC which includes information on early ticket purchase. And below is the official 2012 EDC video teaser...

Much to our chagrin, there are not too many public places where you can go in Las Vegas and legally watch a display of cunninlingus. I suppose you could say the Green Door or the Power Exchange would be a good place to watch--and they are--but whether it's 100% legal or not is a bit murky.

But next Wednesday you can saunter on over to the Erotic Heritage Museum and watch a guy give a lady a real live dose of oral sex, right there in a public facility. Of course, it's all done under the guise of "education"--which is the exact excuse we give to our interns as we give them some larnin' on our desk tops--but in this case there will be a couple of female sex doctors looking on who will include lectures about anatomy, the history of oral sex and tecnhiques, tips and tricks (something we don't include when we munch on our interns).

When good head goes bad.

So, if you would like to pick up a few pointers on muff diving, plan on attending The Art of Cunnilingus (click on that link for more info) and then just lean back and enjoy the show...

"Las Vegas is a weird place for politics. Why would something known for sleazebags, prostitutes and gambling want to be associated with Las Vegas?"
-- Craig Ferguson

After last night's Republican bar room brawl, er, presidential debate in Las Vegas, we here at American LowLife have determined that the perfect candidate for the job of President of the United States isn't running and, in fact, is actually barred from doing so. No, the man I am referring to isn't a convicted felon (seriously, he isn't) and was, indeed born in the United States (so, no, not Ah-nold) but is, in fact, a former two-term president which means he's gone the way of term limits.

Yes, I speak of Bill Clinton.

Now, some of you may cringe at the idea of ol' Bill back in office but with the state of the Republican party--as witnessed last night--and the popularity, or lack thereof, of the current president and with all the anger going on in the Tea Party and Occupy movements I think we need some levity thrown into the political process.

And we think Bill Clinton fits the, um, bill. Clinton is not only more popular right now than any of the candidates from either party but he's got a far better sense of humor. I mean, which of the candidates seem to even have a sense of humor? And, if you consider the ex-presidents and their humor, well, it's slim pickins. Neither of the Bushes nor Carter were known for their levity (although Bush senior had his moments). And, while Gerald Ford was great at slapstick funnies, he done gone went and kicked the bucket recently.

So that leaves Bill.

I'm thinking you watch the video below and then write your congressman and ask for him to vote to repeal the term-limit law. And to add in a provision that blow jobs in the White House done by interns are legal, just in case he's still into that sort of thing (something we, personally, never held against him and, in fact, try to emulate in our offices on a daily basis).

Even if you don't contact your congressman, you might like the video below. It features some of the biggest Hollywood stars trying to come up with ideas for Bill Clinton and his Clinton Foundation, Celebrity Division. Fun stuff at a time when we need something sweet to counteract the bile from last night...

Notes On The Video (Continue reading this post->)

We're just here to help.

Yesterday we posted our take on the lady with the world record-length fingernails (i.e. Chris "The Duchess" Walton") and the dude with the 100 pound nut sack (Wesley Warren Jr.) and today both of them are better off than before. Coincidence? I think not...

It seems Station Casinos is having a little problem with using a photo they may or may not own.

This is called "Mindi Smith Hot and Ketchup" which you may have seen in Station Casinos advertising during the past couple of years

Supposedly the alleged copyright holder of the graphic is demanding Stations stop using the image while the casino giant is saying that they have full rights to use the sexy image which can be seen on their website and in association with some of their sportsbook advertising. Stations has filed suit against the man saying the copyright was fraudulently obtained.

So, just in case that doesn't go well, American LowLife has learned that Stations has retained the services of The Duchess to replace the Hot Dog girl and we've obtained an exclusive photo showing a scene from the upcoming ad campaign.

Not quite Mindi Smith: An actual un-unretouched photo of the "Hot Dog Duchess" (photo available for purchase)

The fact that Walton can barely grab a hot dog due to her long nails appealed to the casino. "Being a now-famous Las Vegas resident she fits right in with our current 'We Love Locals' campaign," said Stations spokeswoman Judy Nelson. "Besides, it's so easy to grab a hot dog and a beer in our sports books that you barely have to lift a finger much less a finger nail."

Our insider sources tell us that due to the over 19 feet of fingernails, Walton had a difficult time gripping a hot dog and the video crew actually had to wedge it between her hand and nails.

In any event, we're happy that the aspiring artist has been able to get some commercial endorsements because of her outrageous fingernails.

And speaking of commercial endorsements, Wesley Warren is close to inking a deal with the Heart Attack Grill, the new fast-food joint that recently opened in Neonopolis. The Heart Attack Grill boasts that they are very unhealthy to one's diet with offerings such as an 8,000-calorie "quadruple bypass" burger and their "flatliner fries" which are fried in pure lard.

They also boast that if you weigh over 350 pounds you can eat free at the grill so, anticipating that the 450 pound Warren might start taking his daily meals at the restaurant, the owner is trying to put the big fella--and his big scrotum--to work promoting the grill. They used to have a 575 pound spokesman at their original Arizona location but he died recently.

"I'm willing to bet having a guy with a 100 pound scrotum will get people in the door," said the Heart Attack Grill owner Jon Basso.

If American LowLife had anything to do with the two Las Vegas oddities suddenly receiving new employment possibilities, well, we can only say You're welcome...

There are a couple of Las Vegas locals that have become famous in world record fashion of late but in looking at them we kinda think that the sources of their fame has got to lead to diminished or even on-existent sex life.

Two Las Vegas locals have made the news lately for having record-setting body parts. And no, the records have nothing to do with breast size as you might expect in Vegas.

One record—and this is now a Guinness world record—has to do with length of fingernails and the other—possibly some sort of unofficial U.S. record—is for a huge...get this...an outrageously huge scrotum!

One—the fingernail lady—did it on purpose over a period of 19 years and the other—the scrotum dude—isn’t quite sure how his condition came about as one of his nut sacks have been growing by leaps and bounds for around three years.

To us—and this is the important part of the whole thing, of course—is that both conditions would lead to a diminished or even non-existent sex life.

The nail lady, a.k.a. Chris Walton (a.k.a. “The Duchess” as she calls herself) has fingernails that measure a combined 19 feet, 9 inches. They twist and spiral out of her fingertips in all sorts of an disorderly fashion. She hasn’t trimmed them in 19 years! See the mess below.

No long sleeves for this gal

She’s not too bad looking so we’d think she could still attract the eye of potential suitors but we also think she might do more to those eyes than just attract them--such as poke one or two out now and then when in the throes of passion. She looks downright dangerous.

I mean, she can’t even do the basic things like scratch an itch, pick her nose or, as one person asked in the Comments section of the article, How does she wipe her rear end?

Further, how does she do the basic sex acts one does with their hand like masturbate, give hand jobs and massage a prostate? I mean, really!

In trying to imagine the positions she could have sex in, ya gotta rule out a whole bunch of them, certainly the ones where she would put any pressure on her hands. I suppose she could just lay on her back with her arms extended, palms open but that doesn’t seem like a whole lot of fun. Kinda reminds me of this really drunk sorority chick in college. But we won’t get into that.

Well, I suppose we’d still give it a try if the opportunity came up although we’d be terrified that during a heaving pounding we’d hear a crunch/crackle/snap. Kinda like what the previous record holder heard when she got in a car wreck and broke her—and I’m not lying—28 feet of fingernails!

The next example of an extreme body part isn’t so lucky. Wesley Warren’s condition isn’t by choice and he couldn’t have sex if he tried, mostly because he can’t even find his penis.

No, it’s not that his penis is small or anything it’s just that he simply can’t find it because it’s covered up by a 100 pound scrotum!

The condition started around three years ago when—he thinks—he smacked his balls with his leg while twisting in be and felt a tremendous pain. Bu the next day his nut sack was up to soccer ball size and hasn’t stopped growing.

This isn’t the dude with the big scrotum, obviously, but it gives you some idea of the size involved

Warren has trouble getting dressed, walking, and even urinating. He kind of sprays uncontrollably from under the scrotum and even the author of the article mentioned the unmistakable smell of urine.

He’d like to have a girlfriend and have sex but right now it’s impossible. He found out that it’ll cost around a $1,000,000 to get the thing removed and even then he might lose his penis. He recently went on the Howard Stern Show in order to generate publicity and, hopefully, to find a rich benefactor.

Normally we’d say something snide and snarky because that’s how we roll but, in this case, the story is so sad and even pathetic that we’ll just wish him good luck on getting that thing fixed.

And then we’ll make fun of him.

There's a bug going around and it's a nasty one. It's been gathering momentum throughout society for years and is now coming to a fevered pitch. It affects those from all walks of life, from all social strata, and doesn't discriminate based physical on characteristics, although those with plastic surgery seem to be more inclined to be infected.

You can avoid tainted cantaloupes or lettuce but this disease is much more difficult to escape as it is transmitted by taste, touch, smell and sight and attacks both brain and genitalia in an immediate and stunning fashion.

Please watch the following public service announcement (below) regarding this contagion and learn what you can do to survive this ordeal. Whatever you do, Beware of Swing Flu!

If you or anyone you know exhibits the symptoms of Swing Flu, advise them to visit Kasidie.com immediately for a full range of treatment options. Information and remedies presented in a clean, concise and arousing manner.

Above: A bold statement--or two--to set the proper tone for this post...

With the final days of October fast approaching one’s thoughts likely turn towards which of the many Las Vegas Halloween parties one will attend and, perhaps more importantly, what to wear to the event (or events).

If you are attending a lifestyle Halloween party at a private residence or a swing club then you can go crazy with a sexy, minimalist frame-of-mind—i.e. less is more. More fun, that is, and definitely more sex.

Many nightclubs will allow the ladies to get away with wearing a good ol’ set of pasties on top. The missus has often slapped on a fancy set of Nippies after leaving a swing party and just prior to jumping into the vanilla scene. (Helpful hint: Try the Hustler Club's store for a wide variety of pasties)

Actually, she had “poke-through” pasties at the lifestyle party and then switched out for the cover-up job in order to gain entry into a club with a liquor license.

One place that you won’t be able to simply cover dem boobies up with just pasties is the town’s biggest Halloween event, the 16th annual Fetish & Fantasy Halloween Ball.

You wont see these wonderous orbs (left) at the F & F Ball this year although you might see a Philly cheese pastie like the one above

The F&F Ball has moved (once again) and will be at the South Point Casino this year. And, as has been the tradition of late, the F & F people (Jeff Davis, the founder, actually) has posted a warning on his website:

"Ladies may wear sheer fabrics, and revealing outfits, but NO NUDITY WILL BE ALLOWED. Pasties and liquid latex are no longer acceptable, due to the wisdom of our elected officials, nor will rubber or other artificial genitalia. The fragile reputation of Las Vegas is at stake after all."

These are the types of things the F&F website is referring to just in case you had any misunderstandings.

As I’ve said before, Jeff is certainly not the prude in this whole thing as we know him to be a most outstanding perv, mostly along BDSM/fetish lines. We’re pretty sure he would have copulating couples on stage as part of the evening’s entertainment if he could get away with it.

But he can’t. And, partly due to the massive size of the event, he can’t get away with a whole lot, even less than what many nightclubs allow it seems to us. They—the evil and prudish they—are always lurking around the event just hoping to spy a errant nipple so they can give him grief.

The Prude Patrol is somehow offended by nipples, even as depicted in artwork on the side of the Erotic Heritage Museum. The Museum had to actually add pasties to the wall murals--can you believe it?!

Which is one reason the lifestyle crowd often avoids the F & F event after an obligatory look-see visit. Sure, many of the costumes are elaborate and yes, there will be many hot, tipsy vanilla girls present with teasing on their minds but overall it’s a bit of a downer for those that are used to a “happy ending” to go with the sexual frenzy they have worked themselves into by adorning barely-there outfits.

As the County rightly surmises, these babies--even when covered by tasteful pasties--will send even the most righteous man—and bisexual woman—into a foam-at-the-mouth frenzy. It’s best to unleash these WMD’s (WMDD’s in this case) within a controlled environment.

If you haven’t been the F & F Ball you oughta go at least once to check it out. It IS something to write home about. However, if you are looking for something that you can’t write home about then you might want to try one of the parties hosted by Dirty Rockstars, Speakeasy Events, Couples Oasis, JP JustParties, Power Exchange, KissParty, InCahootsEvents, or even the ol’ Red Rooster.

Someone sent us a photo and we couldn't figure out who it was. If you haven't seen it, can you identify the singer?

Larger size photo--and singer--in the photo viewer

We were shocked when told it was Christina Aguilera. Yikes! What the freak happened, girlfriend?! We just saw you in the Burlesque movie and you looked slim and trim, possibly even on the skinny side although still quite alluring to us (even though the movie was just OK).

Trying to eat that mic? Perhaps we should have had a clue...

New photos of Christina performing at the Michael Jackson tribute concert have fans wondering what happened to the sexy singer and whether or not she’s okay.

Over the past year, Christina has not only been battling weight issues but she’s also been photographed several times in a variety of drunken states, often displaying erratic behavior.

Back in the early 2000’s, Christina Aguilera was plagued with rumors of an eating disorder. She was stick-thin, totally toned with not an ounce of fat on her teeny tiny body. Needless to say, that has changed.

Hopefully, she can get her act together like her rival Britney did and get back in the saddle.

A long, long, time ago in a bar that wasn't so far away I was bending over a juke box--the kind with the 45's--and looking over their music selection. It was a Saturday night and it was crowded like it always was on a Saturday night at this particular bar.

Suddenly, I jumped a bit as someone sort of pinched/kind of grabbed my ass. Thinking it was someone I knew, I turned around with a smile but didn't see anyone familiar. I did catch the eye of an extremely attractive brunette who was walking away but glancing back at me with a smirk. Then she went out the front door so I ran after her.

Hey, where ya going?
Not sure yet.
Were you the one that...
What?
That grabbed my ass?
Why, yes, I suppose I was. Why?
Um, well, I was just wondering, that's all.
And just what are you going to do about it?

The urge struck and struck hard. And I grabbed her and sort of gently/kind of roughly shoved her up against the side of the building and started kissing her passionately. It was like one of those scenes out of a movie. People were passing us smiling, laughing, commenting, yet we kept at it, me reaching inside her blouse and her squeezing my hardening manhood through my jeans.

I grabbed her hand and told her to follow me and she did. We got into my car, which, luckily, was parked in a fairly dark corner of the lot, and took up where we left off, wildly peeling off shoes, pants, shirts, bras, whatever. We ended up having full out sex right there in the reclined passenger seat of a Honda Accord, steaming up the windows and sweating up the upholstery.

Eventually I rolled off her--over the emergency brake--and plopped down in the driver's seat, trying to catch my breath and cool off. She started to get dressed and I found my pants, pulled out the key and turned the ignition so I could get the air conditioning working to cool us down.

She got out of the car wearing only her panties and an unbuttoned blouse and put her pants on while standing behind the open car door as a couple of guys who were heading to the bar stopped and watched. She grabbed her shoes, purse and bra from the floor of the car and said Thanks, I needed that. Then she walked to a Honda Civic four spaces over, got in and drove off, not looking back as far as I could tell.

I went back to the bar every Saturday for the next month but never saw her again, although I would occasionally see a similar Civic in the lot and have my hopes raised for a few minutes.

And that's my favorite memory of Skinny Dugan's.

Back in the day, Skinny Dugan's was a pretty happening place with live bands and big crowds. It was one of the places to check out if you were making the circuit, looking for action. Of course, back then that part of Charleston (near Decatur) was a more lively place with the Red Rock Theater (since torn down) thriving along with several other bars in the area.

Then Skinny Dugans closed down and then it reopened (maybe a couple of times) and I think I went back once or twice but it wasn't all that special anymore and then it was suddenly closed for quite awhile.

And now it's open again.

Here's some of the history of Skinny Dugans and a bit on the new owners, one of which used to sneak into Skinny Dugans when he was in high school.

Guess we'll have to check it out one more time. Might have to do the missus in the parking lot for old times sake...

Favorite Bars
Speaking of bars locals like, the staff at Las Vegas Weekly compiled a list of their Top-10 favorite bars to kick back in including the Huntridge Tavern, The Crown & Anchor, The Garage and the Freakin' Frog.

Zappos.com, the large online shoe retailer with headquarters in Southern Nevada, has made yet another bold move to entrench themselves into the city of Las Vegas. Zappos has purchased the naming rights for the Fremont Street Experience. Starting in mid-2012, the outdoor attraction with the lighted canopy will be known as the Zappos Street Experience.

You’ve probably heard that American LowLife’s very own Mr. Admin had a four martini lunch with Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh last year and convinced him to move his headquarters from Henderson, Nevada to downtown Las Vegas into the soon-to-be-vacant City Hall (see below for an exclusive photo showing Hsieh and Mr. Admin palling around together). (Note: You may have read the City Hall deal went down slightly differently than reported here but who ya gonna believe—old or new media?)

Tony Hsieh (pronounced SHAY) of Zappos is a visionary and Mr. Admin of A.L.L. has vison problems--as witnessed by the suit and tie he picked out--so the pairing was a natural

Since that time Hsieh and other Zappos execs have been on a spree either buying influence, parts of Las Vegas’ culture or good seats at the Smith Center for the Performing Arts (where Hsieh donated $2 million). Hsieh sees downtown Vegas as an up-and-coming world-class club, bar and music district much like fabled Austin, Texas, except without as many fat chicks.

“I don’t want it to take as long to develop as it took in Austin. We have to make it happen,” said Hsieh in a recent inverview. "And the best way to do that is to buy up as much of the city as me and my friends can, gently kick out the old-timers and make the city cooler, faster."

Evidence of that philosophy can be seen in the purchase of the city's arts & music festival First Friday which a group of Zappos execs bought from the festival founder last month. Rumors abound about changes to First Friday including turning it into First Weekend or possibly First Week and that if you can show a receipt for a pair of shoes purchased from the retailer you will receive free parking to the event and a really neat What Happens In Vegas refrigerator magnet if you visit any gallery in the Arts District.

The Zappos gang also want downtown to be loud, as in rock 'n' roll loud, and they are opposed to the proposed sound ordinances being kicked around by the City Council. Fremont East was originally exempted from city noise ordinances but the decible level seems to be causing nearby crack heads to grind their teeth more than usual so some are concerned.

Zappos has another program where they are trying to start an intellectual incubator-like setting downtown so that the county's sharp, Silicon Valley-level go-getters can feed off of each other and be inspired. Currently, both of the prospects live in different parts of the valley and the distance makes it very difficult to bounce new ideas around even with an iPhone and iPad.

Aside from the move of Zappos' headquarters to downtown--which should take place in 2012--perhaps the most aggressive Vegas directed action was today's purchase of the naming rights for Fremont Street Experience. Beginning roughly around the same time as the firm's relocation, downtown's main thoroughfare will be called Zappos Street Experience for at least through 2017.

A view of what Fremont Street Experience might look like next year

Tony Hsieh presented Mayor Goodman with a check for $5 million in a ceremony underneath the FSE canopy where the Zappos name was prominently displayed both in lights and via signage, perhaps giving an inkling of the company's future promotional intentions.

Zappos also has an option to name the Fremont East District as they please but a spokeman said plans weren't finalized for the city's club, bar and restaurant zone. Rumors have been circulating that it might be changed to Austin West District but that could not be confirmed at press time.

Living in Las Vegas it's always with great interest I read about ways people try--and often succeed--at cheating the casinos. The cheaters can't be faulted for creativity, at least, and always seem to come up with new ways--and variations on the old ways--to outwit the house.

Sometimes the angle is simply tipping the house odds a little more in the players favor like the gang of M.I.T. students did in the Kevin Spacey movie "21". Often it's a sleight of hand with the cards or the dice. Sometimes it gets quite a bit more elaborate with the use of high-tech devices like something out of Ocean's 11-13. And quite often there is an insider working at the casino who aids in the gambit.

According to this article 2011 has been a very good year for cheating the gambling industry. And, with the proliferation of legalized gaming in Asian countries, you can probably bet that the cheaters will only get more and more creative.

Check out the article for the latest scams. One we particularly like is the "Switched Shufflers" where "thieves in Macau scammed several casinos out of $24 million by installing cameras in card shufflers. They stole real shufflers off baccarat tables, then replaced them with shufflers rigged with cameras, mirrors and transmitters."

Of course, the one where the dealer is involved isn't very creative but at least the dealer had some fun before he was busted: "The player befriended a dealer by taking him on trips and treating him to visits with prostitutes, then persuaded him to turn a blind eye to the man’s cheating at the roulette wheel. The high-roller made late bets placed after the ball had dropped and wagered $500 a pop instead of the normal $100 limit."

It's probably about time. We've done it and most people we know have done it but most of us would admit that it's probably a dangerous activity that oughta be controlled.

We're talking about chatting on a cellphone while driving. Or, worse, texting while driving. Hell, we've surfed the web while talking on the phone while driving. And you can't do that with an iPhone on Verizon, in case you were wondering, and, as of this past weekend, you can't do it on any phone while driving in the State of Nevada.

As of October 1st it has become illegal--using a hand-held electronic device--to drive and use some of those unlimited voice minutes, drive and text (or sext), drive and surf the web, drive and GPS it, even drive and iPod it.

I used to think Oh, this person must be stoned for driving 15 miles under the speed limit or This person must be drunk as the vehicle keeps veering into the lane divider bumps (thank god for those babies) but when I get closer I almost invariably discover they are fiddling with a phone--either talking on it or trying to text. Or, worse than that, talking on the phone AND putting on make-up while driving.

So I've kind of jumped on the bandwagon of late. At first I thought it was another case of the government trying to clamp down on personal liberties but the more I experience drivers trying to multi-task the more I agree it's a public safety issue.

Oh, you can still talk on the phone using a Bluetooth head piece and if you program your GPS in advance of your drive you'll be ok but there's a whole list of things you can't do anymore so we decided to post a link to an informative primer on what you can and can't do based on the new law. For example, you can't even talk/text on the phone at a stop light which actually sorta sucks. I might be violating that portion of the bill now and then.

Anyway, if you get pulled over goofin' on the cell for the next few months it won't cost you a ticket--mostly just embarrassment--as we're now in a 3-month grace period but after that, starting January 1st, you can get fines up to $250.

I have to admit, texting one-handed with a beer in the other, receiving oral sex and steering with a knee could, at times, be a bit risky--to make it safer I used the cruise control--but now I'll just stick to the beer and oral sex. Leave a message--I'll get back to you soon. Probably at the light...