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The New York New York Casino Spokesperson is…
November 23, 2009
Today was the day! This morning the announcement was made to see who won the contest for the new Vinny Spokesperson for the New York New York Casino in Las Vegas. The announcement was supposed to be made last week, but there were so many votes to count that they put off the big day until today. Vinny Blue and Vinny Red made their grand entrance with big smiles just after a long parade of fans came in wearing red t-shirts and blue t-shirts. They were ready. They both looked like they thought they had won, but there was only going to be one winner. Both Vinnys were in a great mood and joking around with each other. A long speech was made to thank each Vinny for all the effort and fun they put into the contest. Each Vinny brought something special and unique to ... Read the full blog post...
A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing
November 21, 2009
Apparently, November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. Personally, I hate the concept of “awareness months” because they are meaningless at best, and intellectually insulting at worst. Tom: “Hey Jim, you've been coughing up blood for three months and there is a basketball-sized tumor sticking out of your chest. What's going on?” Jim: “You know, I hadn't noticed. If only there was some kind of month that would have drawn my attention to this matter before now, I may have gotten it checked.” ... One month later ... Jim: “Hey Tom, I took the American Lung Association's advice and got screened. I had cancer after all. The drugs and surgery were $190,000 and I lost my house in bankruptcy proceedings. Can I sleep in your garage?” Tom: “What garage, Jim? My wife got a free mammogram and found out that she had breast cancer a day after running for the cure. After racking up tens of ... Read the full blog post...
CityCenter set to open soon
November 20, 2009
The City Center, a joint venture project for MGM Mirage and Infinity World Development corp., is scheduled to start opening in just a couple of weeks on the Las Vegas Strip. This has been a very much anticipated face lift for Las Vegas. To hear some news reports, it not only will save Las Vegas from its unemployment crisis by employing thousands, it will save the planet as well with all its renewal resources in its design. And well, it is just plain cool. The first part of City Center to open will be Vdara on December 1st, 2009. This all suite hotel and spa has nightly rates from $159 to $2000. This is a nongaming, nonsmoking hotel. If you enjoy gambling, it is very close by in the City Center as well as entertainment, shopping and dining. Vdara offers a luxurious wellness spa ... Read the full blog post...
Slots A Plenty Not!
November 19, 2009
I was driving around on the Vegas Strip several days ago and took some pictures. It wasn’t easy, well, I was driving at night and that isn’t ever easy. I was also taking photos while I drove. I wonder if that’s illegal? Not really, I took them while stopped at red lights. When I went to Hooters Casino I got caught in a big old traffic jam on Tropicana. That pretty much sucked. I was so happy to be zooming along because the construction was done! Woohoo, and then I hit the slow down. Somebody got in an accident and was clogging up my good time. So I pulled out the camera and took photos while I was in a standstill. Once I was done with what I had going on at Hooters I thought I would drive down the Strip to see ... Read the full blog post...
In The Books: G2E 2009
Today was the final day of the 2009 Global Gaming Expo. Since this was my first year of attendance, I would not be able to hazard a guess as to whether there was an increase or decrease in the number of attendees, but the turnout appeared solid for a typical convention of this size. The majority of the event went off without a hitch, but I hit one or two bumps in the road along the way. My little identification badge caused enough problems that I had to take it off and put it in my pocket. In the hour I had it displayed, one model read my tag and begged me not to make fun of her because she was self-conscious, and a gentleman in the Bally's upper-deck read my tag and simply said “dick”. I think I finally met the mastermind behind 6:5 Blackjack. As hard as this is to believe, while ... Read the full blog post...
Christmas Vegas Style
November 18, 2009
It is that time of year already! Ethel’s Chocolate Factory has lit the Christmas lights for the season in their famous cactus garden. Some cities have a Christmas Street and here in Las Vegas we have the Ethel M’s cactus garden. Odd, I know, but we like it. Last night local entertainers George Wallace, Zowie Bowie, Michael Grimm and the group Mosaic ushered in the winter season with Christmas songs and entertained the crowd while they waited for the lights to come on in the garden. I’m a big blues fan and was pleased that Michael Grimm played the only Christmas song I actually like. At about 6:30pm, the switch was hit and the desert garden illuminated in the night to cheers from the anxious onlookers. George Wallace offered a special deal to see his show later that night. He told everyone that the first one hundred ... Read the full blog post...
Echelon Part 2: This Time It's Personal
Talk about being lowballed. Today, Penn National Gaming said in a regulatory filing that it will offer $50 million for the 70% finished Fontainebleau. Given that the projected cost of the Fblue was $3 billion, Penn National's bid represents a roughly 98% discount. Penn would also pay $52 million in bankruptcy expenses, but that will do little for the property itself. Fortunately, this amount will simply serve as an opening bid for the property, which is scheduled to be sold at auction on January 21, 2010. If nobody else shows up with a higher amount, however, this could conceivably be the selling price for the tallest hotel structure on the Vegas Strip. Even without the building, the bid price represents an offer of roughly $2 million per acre of Las Vegas Boulevard real estate. Two years ago, this same land was going for about $27 million per acre. Were Penn National to knock the ... Read the full blog post...
Dispatches from the 2009 Global Gaming Expo
November 17, 2009
Except for a stint on the West side of the Valley in a neighborhood called “The Lakes”, I've been fortunate enough to live within very easy access to the Las Vegas Convention Center for quite some time. In 2005, I could hop the monorail at MGM or Bally's for a 10 minute ride north to the LVCC. A couple of years later, I was within walking distance of the halls themselves, and these days … since the Sahara Monorail Station is on the southern edge of Rexville, it's once again a 2-3 minute rail trip. Most people have to take a few days off and drop serious change on airfare, rooms, food, and surface transit to get to a show. I just have to roll out of bed, scratch my balls twice, pick some clothes up off the floor, and stagger out the door. This is why, despite a high level of contempt ... Read the full blog post...
The Greatest Chefs All In One Spot
Emeril Lagasse Foundation’s 5th annual “Carnivale du Vin” took place last Saturday at the Venetian in the ballroom. Over seven hundred guests were there to take part in the event and fundraising auctions. Carnivale du Vin raises money each year for children’s charities such as Three Square Food Bank Kid’s Café in Las Vegas and Edible Schoolyard in New Orleans, among others. Chefs from all the over United States were in attendance. I took photos but there were so many famous chefs that I simply became overwhelmed with the task. There were so many and they just kept on coming! Some I recognized immediately, like Emeril Lagasse and Wolfgang Puck. The photographers were lined up directing their poses and the chefs were having a great time talking amongst themselves as they said hello to new and old friends. It was quite the ... Read the full blog post...
The Way We Were
November 16, 2009
I have some folks coming into town next week and today they called and made one, and only one request of me. “We want you to take us to see an impersonator show”, I was informed. '”No problem”, I said, “it's been awhile since I've seen an impersonator show.” I have known these people for 30 years and they are part of a small handful of humans that I don't hate. This is the highest compliment I typically give to anyone. This being the case, of course I shall indulge their wish. The night after attending a Hawaiian luau at the Imperial Palace on my first trip to Vegas, I returned to the IP to see my very first impersonator show. The IP was a happening place back then. Seriously, I really liked the place. The show I saw was “Legends in Concert”, and I thought it was absolutely brilliant. Off the top of my head, ... Read the full blog post...
