Las Vegas Cuisine - Friday's Leftovers

Another Week That Was

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow? The giant International Consumer Electronics Show is winding down. Upwards of 140,000 geeks and geekettes from around the techno world descended on Las Vegas for the annual showcase of all things new in technology. Among the 140,000 were Microsoft chair Bill Gates who played the opening act as he has for years, General Motors Chair Rick Wagoner, and honchos from just about anything remotely (pun intended) connected with the sounds, sights, feels, tastes, or smells of technology. The show has grown so large - only one has eclipsed it - Comdex which crashed along with the techno sector of the stock market early this century. But are the techno geeks victims of their own genius?

Advances in technology have allowed hotels to track and predict the number of rooms that will be occupied on a given night. That has result in occupancy-driven rates for every room. That is, the same room that might rent for $ 49 on a Sunday of a slow week, might rent for ten times that amount on a busy weekend. Hoteliers call that tracking. CES attendees call it gouging. They are threatening to pick up their stereo and go home and never return. Some locals shudder at the possibility. Others say, "Good riddance. They are cheap and don't tip."

Hut, Hut... Busted! The principal at Green Valley High School may have never entered a science fair but he's discovered how to become a lightning rod. He plans to randomly drug test athletes at the school. The proposal has brought mixed reactions. Many parents have taken up the cry of a recent movie, "Yeah, Baby!" But some students, especially athletes, have wondered aloud, "Why us?" The ACLU has weighed in as well. They contend that while random drug testing of athletes is constitutional, they wonder what consequences of a dirty test would be. Stay tuned.

Hit a jackpot to his the sack: Remember the song named for Van Gogh's "Starry Starry Night?" A bed maker has used the same name for their new reason to have you never have to leave the bedroom. Starry Night Sleep Technology was updated the two-bit magic fingers bed to one that does everything but pay your monthly bills. And those bills will increase if you buy this sleeping beauty. It can cost up to $ 50,000 and does not even promise a good night's rest - of course, you might be too worried about paying for it to rest.

The bed has anti-snoring technology built in as well as mattress adjusting technology, individual heat controls - from 68-117 degrees, the obligatory massage, breathing and body movement monitors, and will call 911 if it detects you're about to kick the bucket. It also includes an iPod docking station, surround sound, and a projection system to show movies. And, you ain't read nothing yet. It also includes a "love button" that can lower window shades, dim lights, and play preselected music. It has other features, "too numerous to name." But can it predict who will win the presidential election?

A little blogging music Maestro.... the Eurythmics, "Sweet Dreams Are Made of This."

Dr. Forgot

Las Vegas le gusta Hillary?

Not so Very Culinary

I'll give this to folks who want to get elected to the presidency: their campaign managers can be very creative and they as well as their campaign workers seem to be indefatigable. Hours before the New Hampshire results came pouring in pundits had Hillary pilloried, down and out, stepped on, lied to, cheated on, and treated like dirt. If your name was Hillary, you were bound to be hurt. But a funny thing happened on the way to the vote calculations... she won, albeit a narrow victory.

All of a sudden the idiots who were managing her campaign became geniuses. And the pundits who, of course, could never be wrong, decided it was because she had cried and become more human to women. Or it was because New Hampshire women were better educated than the farm girls in Iowa, or wait, no, it was the race factor. Ah yes, these are the same types of people who can always predict what will happen in the stock market AFTER it happens.

After the New Hampshire perk-up Hillary's strategists looked at their next challenge: the powerful Culinary Union in Las Vegas had thrown its support to the "O" man. That is important because the Culinary Union is made up primarily of Latinos and African Americans, a constituency that had historically been a core of Clinton voters. But Hillary Hillary didn't worry. Hillary didn't cry or scurry. She looked at her options, bad and good. And took her brood to the neighborhood. She made a cross country trek to the desert and with a better diet and more exercise took a brief tour of parts Las Vegas rarely seen by other tourists.

Hillary had a Democratic elected official from the neighborhood near Eastern Avenue and Washington Boulevard, one inhabited by plenty of minorities, walk her door to door, then she had a rally at one of the most popular Mexican restaurants in town, Lindo Michoacan. The only problem with the plan was that none of the Gringo newscasters were able to pronounce the restaurant's name properly. That aside, it seems to have been a coup for the Senator from New York. Or not.

Local Demo politico Rory Reid (scion of Senator Harry) and Congresswoman Shelly Berkley have tossed their support to Senator Clinton. But the Culinary Union is probably the most stalwart group in Las Vegas. Anybody who cleans a toilet, washes a sheet, cooks at a buffet, serves a meal, etc. etc. etc. is a member of that union. The good Senator from Illinois plans to visit the Valley of the Dollars today to embrace union members. So was Hillary's attempt at busting the union's solidarity commitment to BarackO successful? Ask the pundits. They might be right. Or not.

A little blogging music Maestro... How about "I Want You to Want Me" by Cheap Trick.

Dr. Forgot

Vegas Update

Forty Million Tourists Can't Be Wrong

Las Vegas is the Entertainment Capital of the world. Visitors are the lifeblood that drives the economy of the Valley of the Dollars. Many tourists visit regularly. Some even have second homes locally. Although Laughlin is considered Snowbird haven, Las Vegas has its share of seasonal residents. But many transform themselves from visitors to residents. How many? Best estimates are that about 5,000 - 6,000 new residents arrive in the valley each month. That adds about 100,000 newbies every 18 months or so and that has kept Las Vegas at the front of the pack in terms of new residents for 19 of the past 20 years. There is no slowdown in sight.

Residents come to Las Vegas because there are jobs - mostly in the hospitality business but construction is still a lively occupation. Six new hotels are on the docket including the Palazzo, a sister to the Venetian which had a soft opening a week ago. Not all the action is on the Strip, though. Palace Stations $ 700,000,000 Aliante Station is scheduled to open later this year providing adding 1,700 new jobs. Along Boulder Highway the Eastside Cannery, which was recently sold to an Aussie outfit, will open this year. A farmer from Illinois was considering buying some Strip property in the 1950s. He ran the sand through his fingers and laughed at the salesman. "What the Hell do you think you could grow in this?" he asked. The salesman answered with one word, "Money."

Back on the Strip The Donald will open Trump's Tower later this year - his initial foray into the REAL gaming and entertainment business. In 2009 MGM plans to open the $ 1 billion "M" hotel, resort, spa, and casino further south on the Strip and MGM's $ 7.7 billion City Center is scheduled to open in Late 2009.

According to Deutsch Bank Securities, within the next four years 18 new major construction projects are scheduled at a collective $ 44 billion. Economists say that translates to 40,000 new rooms and 100,000 new jobs. Hold on to your hats. It looks like the E-ticket ride in Las Vegas continues at an unprecedented pace.

But not only residents move into this fine community. Some the business who are following the lead of The Donald and taking Horace Greeley's advice literally include AGO restaurant which plans to move open a branch of its popular LA restaurant to the Hard Rock. From Miami's South Beach in Florida, Opium Group brings its signature brand to Las Vegas with the opening of Prive' and the Living Room to Planed Hollywood, and Chef Kerry Simon opens Simon's at the Palms.

A little blogging music Maestro.... one more time for "Viva Las Vegas."

Dr. Forgot

Bowling for Dollars

A Free Education

Sitting in the living room of a star high school athlete the college coach makes promises to the parents. Their son will get an education, he will be looked after, he will be kept safe, the coaching staff will treat him as well as he is treated at home, plus he will eat at the training table so the parent's food bill will drop significantly. The parents laugh then express their concern that their son has never been the best student. Not to worry, says the coach, we have academic advisors who will help him select classes and tutors who will help him academically. He will become a student and an athlete. He'll earn a college degree - Free.

It is a spiel that is presented thousands of times in hundreds of homes across America each year as coaches recruit what they hope will be the best athletes in the country. Some coaches fly in private jets, others criss-cross the country in search of the elusive difference maker. Sounds expensive, right? You betcha. Last year THE Ohio State University was THE leader in the money game. THE athletic department took in nearly $ 60 million. Of that amount it spent more than half ($ 32.5 million) on its football program. While THE Ohio State University might be the national champion in income and spending, they did not win football's BCS Championship this year. That honor went to poor stepchild Louisiana State University who brought in a paltry $ 48 million and spent a measly $ 17 million on its program.

So where does all this money go? Can't pay for a tee shirt for an athlete. That is an NCAA violation. Ditto if a booster wants to take an athlete to dinner or buy him a warm jacket in the winter or make any other purchase that is not available to the non-athlete student. So what is in it for the athlete? A chance to play professionally and earn millions each year? That is the carrot, but the likelihood of a high school athlete becoming a brain surgeon is better than that of a high school athlete becoming a professional football player and earning multi-millions per year.

Ok, but at least the college athlete gets a degree, right? After all, the sportscasters in always refer to the athlete who "graduated from the University of So-and So." Wrong again. At least a misnomer. If the athlete is white and plays football or basketball he has a 50-50 chance of earning a degree. If he is not white those chances drop significantly. Remember, young men who are willing to trade their bodies for an opportunity to earn the big bucks for the most part start out as poor, inner-city, undereducated high school students, and often end up as poor, inner-city, undereducated college dropouts.

College student-athletics as it is presented by ESPN, ABC, NBC, Fox and other major media outlets and their advertisers is a fraud. Coaches make millions, TV and radio networks make hundreds of millions, bowl organizers and licensed product makers make millions, communities and colleges make millions and the watchdog NCAA makes millions. The athletes make.... nothing. Amateur athletics? A big lie.

I can think of few other examples when so few have toiled to enrich so many. And the few who toiled, risking permanent injury, are so poorly compensated. How can this happen? It was once summed up to me by a coach in simple words that even I was able to understand: Sports has its own section in the newspaper. A political debate or math competition does not draw 102,000 screaming fans. Those screaming fans, who pay the freight, don't care if the gladiator for whom they are cheering attends class, gets a degree, or is paid part of the spoils. Go State.

A little blogging music Maestro.... "Hail to the Victors."

Dr. Forgot

Vegas Follies

Only in Las Vegas?

Hear Ye, Hear Ye. Court's in Session: In the old days when the Mafia ruled Las Vegas a saying often heard was, "An honest judge is one who will stay bought." Whether or not it was true those days are long gone, but not the follies from the bench. One judge was castigated for sealing the record of a fellow judge's divorce case. Another judge has decided not to run for reelection. No reason given but allegations have been swirling regarding possible misuse of campaign funds. Then there is the forever law clerk who ran for office and won.

Her term was still in its infancy when charges were made against her and she was temporarily removed - although still kept her hundred grand salary. The charges recently have become official and they include: looking for information in all the wrong places, the judge improperly contacted a family court hearing master to get the goods on an attorney who appeared before her, fell asleep during at least three trials, engaged in improper contact with deliberating jurors, assigned herself two unqualified people to act as bodyguards, attempted to breach computer security in order to read employee emails, and made false statements to the media. And we've not even addressed the sexual harassment allegations. The judge is still suspended... and still drawing a hundred grand salary.

Judge-ment Day Cometh: Despite the number of judges in and around Las Vegas who are having their own trials, the filing period for those who would wear black robes recently opened. Of the 40 seats in the Valley of the Dollars that will be seeking bench warmers, more than 50 have applied for anointment. And there are 10 more shopping - uh, I mean filing days until the courtroom door slams shut.

Reading, Writing, and Economics: Everybody has money problems these days, it seems. With the housing market in the tank it is no wonder that tax revenues are down. Our governor has hit on a solution with the battle cry, "Take money from the kids. Full speed ahead!" The little nippers are not required to give up their piggy banks, but the state wants at least 96 million of its budgeted dollars back. Cuts will probably occur in kindergarten (the littlest kids are easiest to take candy from), and remediation programs.

The Guv had said that state school districts would be exempted from the cuts. Liar, liar, pants on fire. One senator suggested the unkind cuts are unnecessary. The state has a so-called "Rainy Day Fund" of $ 267 million. Baby, the rain must fall, so tap the rainy day fund says the state senator. The superintendent claims that if the day is not rainy enough to tap the fund, at least count the $ 67 million that was not required because the school district came in below enrollment projections. It must be true: figures don't lie but liars figure.

A little blogging music Maestro... how about "Rainy Days and Mondays Always Get Me Down."

Dr. Forgot

Gates to Las Vegas

Las Vegas Happenings

All Hail the Techies: They keep on coming - a flood, a plethora, a locust-like stream of people using every means of transport are coming to town. 300,000 New Years celebrants have returned to their homes and have been replaced by 140,000 Consumer Electronics Show attendees. They were led Sunday by Elvis and his guitar.... well, Elvis was played by King William of Gates and the guitar was played by an X-Box. The Gates Man played the big room as well as the other King, Midnight Idol, or Sigfried and Roy. Ok, he didn't make anything disappear, except perhaps anxiety over the next decade of technology, he did not play multiple instruments, at least not musical ones, and he didn't toss his scarves into the outstretched hands of crooning women. But he wowed his audience just the same.

His performance marked a decade as the headliner of the CES. Future performances might be less frequent as he soon will change his focus from all things Microsoft to philanthropic endeavors. He reflected on the success of technology's first decade and teased the audience with peeks into the technological future. Microsoft's sync technology for music and talk while in the comfort of your car is just around next model year's corner. Hollywood will come to the home theater (uh, the media room) room through the X-Box and allow for more interaction. Voice recognition and touch screens larger than life are but a few of the future ways of life. Bill Gates has become our Jules Verne.

Nugget Becomes More Golden: The Golden Nugget Hotel and Casino, one of the stalwarts among the Fremont Street Experience, has once again reinvented itself. I watched in the 1980s when then new owner Steve Wynn personally sat behind the wheel of a vehicle and crashed a wrecking ball into a Nugget wall as a symbolic gesture to tear down the old and replace it with a newer, better, more glamorous property. The Hotel-wrecker has since gone on to grander designs and the Golden Nugget has changed hands a few times.

Present owners have announced another expansion and makeover of the property to the tune of $ 60 million. A multi-purpose events center to be called the Grand and expanded gaming floor will complement the Red Sushi, a new restaurant and an even grander night life venue will be called, what else? The Gold Diggers. The dance floor will be bordered by bartenders to cater to the whims of the movers and shakers on the dance floor. The nightspot opens up on an over sized balcony to give party goers a grand 180 degree view of the Fremont Street Experience. Something about the Nugget seems to attract designers of vision.

A little blogging music Maestro... How about Ian Brown's "Golden Gaze."

Dr. Forgot

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