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Winning Even
January 18, 2010
For those of you who do not live in the United States, today is a national holiday in our country. It is a time where everyone takes the day off from work and school to study the writings of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In 1492, Martin Luther King died for our sins on Plymouth Rock. After being reincarnated three days later, he proceeded to discover electricity by flying a kite in a thunderstorm, and later became our first President. Over the years, Doctor Reverend King cured cancer and taught full contact origami to a small band of Central American freedom fighters. You can see why he is a national treasure. Seriously, I don't know exactly what he did, but I'm not a huge fan of MLK's "kick my ass and I'll sing songs" tactic. I wouldn't have gone into battle with the guy. I would have sided with Malcom "By Any ... Read the full blog post...
The World’s Greatest Smartphone
January 16, 2010
Now that CES is officially in the books, it is time for a definite assessment of the state of technology, and who better to write such an article than yours truly. The New Year was rough from an electronic standpoint, and I rang in 2010 with a bit of technological discontent. My Blackberry has become too slow, the outages have been too numerous, and because of this I've spent a large part of the last week seeking its replacement. I swore up and down that I was not going to get another smartphone, but the temptation was too great. I bought the hype and I got caught up in the buzz. Droid! Nexus One! Samsung HD! iPhone GS! Here I was, the world's greatest blogger and smartest person in the solar system ... yet I had a laughable Blackberry Curve that I purchased in early 2008. The only thing ... Read the full blog post...
You Will Be Assimilated
Well, it's official. Harrah's Entertainment, Inc. will assume management of the hotel at the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip on January 16, 2010, at midnight. The Planet Hollywood hotel is adjacent to Harrah's Entertainment's Paris Las Vegas Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. "Harrah's has been in discussions with Planet Hollywood and its lender group regarding a restructuring of the ownership of the resort. We continue to work on a plan that would allow Harrah's to own and manage the entire casino resort property," said Gary Loveman, chairman, CEO and president of Harrah's Entertainment. "In the meantime, we are pleased to take on the management of the Planet Hollywood Hotel for the current owners." The cliffs notes version of the above release is that tomorrow at midnight, Planet Hollywood will hand over the operational reins of the property to Harrah's. While it is only a "management takeover" ... Read the full blog post...
In Defense of the Tribute Band
January 15, 2010
Throughout 2009, I have really enjoyed a large number of the tribute and cover bands that have become a mainstay on Fremont Street. Last week, I finally got around to looking at my full footage from New Year's Eve, and I went over some of my TributePalooza videos. Now, I know some people who do not like tribute bands on principal. They believe that they are inauthentic, and generally look down their noses at these bands. Personally, I generally disagree with this position. If any group of musicians on the planet play solely "for the love of the music", it is the tribute/cover band. Think about it. When you are in a tribute band, you are acutely aware of a few things: First of all, the tribute artist knows that he or she will never get radio airplay, nor will they ever see their faces on MTV. Second, the artist knows that he/she will never get a recording ... Read the full blog post...
The Year of the Tiger
January 14, 2010
Speaking of catering to clientele from Eastern Asia, the Bellagio has officially unveiled its Chinese New Year display. This is the "Year of the Tiger" on the Chinese calendar, and for those of you who do not understand Asian customs, it means that three tigers and two small chipmunks will copulate on your front lawn on the second Saturday of every month throughout 2010. Don't believe me? Find the nearest Chinese person and ask them. They'll gladly confirm this absolute fact. While the last 4-5 years have been extraordinarily crowded in the Chinese New Year exhibit, even on weekdays, it was pretty sparsely populated this time around. Our friends from the Far East had a much larger contingency in town over the Christmas weekend. On my stroll through the conservatory today, I was the recipient of a large number of dirty looks. "But Rex, you are so charming and have such a pleasant aroma ... I ... Read the full blog post...
We’re In The Money
January 13, 2010
Damn, I'm good. Reversing a 22-month slide, Las Vegas saw its first gaming win in November of 2009 with an 8.2 percent increase over the previous year. Since I more or less called it to the month, I take personal responsibility for this increase. Being the ultramega ok superdope pimp of Las Vegas, this town does what I tell it to do. And don't you forget it. Except for, you know, all the good stuff. I honestly don't remember mandating 6:5 Blackjack, but I swipe one of Oscar's martinis every now and then, and I'm pretty sure that alcohol isn't the only thing in those beverages. I think he puts Roofilyn in them. The morning after imbibing, I usually wake up with a showgirl, a horse head, a pack of Depends, and a "thank you" note from Steve Wynn on the pillow next to me -- so my poor judgement may very well ... Read the full blog post...
A Royale Facelift
January 12, 2010
While the tourism focus has been on City Center lately and Fremont Street and the Venetian have gotten their moments of seasonal love ... one small development on The Strip has flown almost completely under the radar. At the end of last year, Casino Royale remodeled many of their guest rooms, added a new neon sign to the exterior of the building, and a week ago they opened an improvement/extension to their casino floor. Even though this isn't exactly an earth-shattering development, I still think it's notable. While most older properties are scaling back and looking for ways to cut costs, Casino Royale is actively putting money into the casino in an attempt to spruce the place up a bit. This is even more impressive given its low-roller, redheaded stepchild reputation. Although I've always known the place as Casino Royale, the property used to be known as the Nob Hill Casino, and before that ... Read the full blog post...
The Naked Truth
January 11, 2010
Convention week is in the books, and it's all over now but the counting. The people will be counted, the money will be counted, and sometime next month numbers will be released indicating just how well the decade was started. It's also time for my own wrap-up and observations. From my own subjective point of view, the city crowds over the last several days have been decidedly thin. While there were certainly more people here than on an average weekend, the casinos and especially the streets didn't seem nearly as packed as usual for this time of year. It was actually possible to get a cab, and travel times even on Paradise was quite manageable. The AEE was jammed full of people, but the convention space itself was reduced, so a direct comparison to last year would be nearly impossible. It's like comparing eight people in a phone booth with fifteen people in a ... Read the full blog post...
Entertaining Adults
January 10, 2010
AEE 2010 is in full swing, and so far ... so great. I was a bit worried when I arrived at the Adult Entertainment Expo on Thursday and saw the sparseness of the crowd. Even though it was industry day, things seemed a bit light. Fortunately, my fears were unfounded as things quickly turned around when the masses arrived on Friday. While I have not been apprised of the official numbers, it feels more crowded this year than last. For some reason, traffic between the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Sands Expo Center has been much lighter than years past, but once inside the building, there is certainly no shortage of people. It almost seems as if conventioneers are skipping CES and spending most of their time at AEE. I can't say I blame them. While I'm not a huge convention buff, the AEE is a show that I look forward to ... Read the full blog post...
Convention Week Begins
January 8, 2010
Convention week is once again upon us. Early January is one of the busiest times in Las Vegas as the world and the world media descend on the town to check out the latest in electronic offerings at the Consumer Electronics Show. In my opinion, CES is interesting to a degree, but I quickly get bored. I like looking at the various prototypes and up-and-coming gadgets, but I've gotten less and less impressed over the years. I'm not terribly interested in 3D televisions the size of football fields, and the emphasis on form over function that has become the norm has left me wanting. Even the latest functional gadgets don't particularly grab me anymore. What do the electronic users of today want? Social stuff. And the technocrats have responded. Never before in the history of the universe has it been easier to know each and every time the third cousin of your eighty third follower is taking a ... Read the full blog post...
