Sunday, January 6, 2008

Las Vegas Weekend Wrapup

All the News That's Fit to Blog

The Geeks Are Coming: The geeks are here! Today begins the annual Las Vegas homage to geekdom. Some 140,000 loyal followers of all things geek will bow at the alter of technology and show secrets that will further make our lives better - or at least different. The King of all Geeks, His Majesty William of Gates will present the keynote chatter tonight that will no doubt be backed by more than just bells and whistles. Stay tuned to this blog for a summary of what new stuff the Gatester will show and predict."

We Want our Money Back: Buyer beware. It might come as a surprise to some investors that real estate is not guaranteed to increase in value regardless of economic conditions. Many of those getting bitten in the wallet right now had dollar signs in their eyes a few years ago when they bought spec homes and properties hoping to continue to ride the wave of inflated housing prices in the Valley of the Dollars. Some buyers are not only above the Strip, but are over their heads.

Earlier in the decade when land began to become scarce and buildings began to reach for the sky, a new concept was brought to town - the condo-hotel. The idea is to own a high rise condo that overlooks the lights and glamor of the Strip and rent it out to tourists. The hucksters who sold the units allegedly painted very pretty pictures and became prophets of profits which have not materialized. Their penthouse is sending them to the poorhouse. "Foul!" cried the investors and thus far about 40 have sued the company for misrepresenting profits. Can you say, "What you see is what you get?"

Lost in the Translation: Ever tried to tell a joke in a foreign language? Too often the punch line is lost in the translation. Other times innuendos and double entendres just don't make it in the other language. Such was the allegation of an insult at a pre-Christmas show attended locally by a large group of Iranian-Americans. A featured artist made a comment in Farsi, the local language, that some in the audience found offensive. Others said those offended didn't understand the context of the remark. Still, the question remains, did the Farsi folks parse the program to pillory the presenter, or was it just a farce? I have no clue. I'm sticking to English.... "A Rabbi, a priest, and a minister..."

Flooding in Fernley, Nevada: Dateline Fernly Nevada.... Congratulations to the news staff at CNN who, despite their east coast studio location, were able to properly pronounce Nevada (the "a" sounds like the "a" in cash. not like the "a" in "aaaaw, busted"). Some are calling the bursting of the levee "Little Katrina." Probably a good analogy since nobody has seen hide nor hair of FEMA. It will be interesting to see if any of the presidential candidates who arrive for the January 19 Nevada caucus will tour Fernley.A little blogging music Maestro... How about Brittany Spears, "You Drive Me Crazy."

Dr. Forgot

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