2008 January

Tonight at 7 p.m., the famous Welcome to Las Vegas sign will turn red.The red is to support the fight against heart disease by the American Heart Association and CardioVascular BioTherapeutics, Inc.Because tomorrow, Feb. 1, is National Wear Red Day, didn’t you know?

The sign is on the Strip between Russell and Sunset.

Click here to see other Red events going on across the country.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 10:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Use the above coupon this Sunday, Feb. 3 for $5 off a $20 food purchase at Gameworks (this works for all Gameworks, not just the Las Vegas location — click here for a location near you). Click the coupon for a larger sized version to print.The big game that some might say is super this weekend will also kick off other Gameworks specials such as $2 baskets of wings, $10 buckets of domestic beer, and select video games for only a quarter.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 10:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

While the new poker room is being built at Hard Rock (still another 9 months away), Royal Hold’em made its debut last weekend.

From a company called New Poker, Royal Hold’em takes the standard Texas Hold’em but uses just 10s, Js, Qs, Ks, and As in the deck.

That leaves 20 cards, and with a max of 6 players and 3 burn cards, the entire deck will be used.

The game is played in the pit at a regular table with autoshuffler. Dealers are still adjusting to learning to deal poker (like regular poker, the game is played against other players, not the house), but the game has already proved popular at 5/10 limit.

What we found interesting is that it completely changed our view and strategy of hold’em. No flush is possible except for a royal flush. Full houses are much more common. And practically everyone played every hand. If you hit something big, you’ll be called down.

You can download and play the game at this link.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Beginning Friday, Feb. 1, you can earn your seat into NBC’s 2008 National Heads-Up Poker Championship for just $70 and possibly win half a million.

‘Course, you gotta win a couple times in a row, but that’s the easy part, right?

$70 and $140 super-satellites sit-n-gos will run ’round the clock to provide the winner (two winners in the $140) entry into the championship satellite.

That satellite is Feb. 17 at 2 p.m., with a buy-in of $540.

Win that, and you’ll get a $20,000 entry into being on television.

Oh, and you may get assigned to Shannon Elizabeth. That’s worth it, eh?

The satellite is no longer a rebuy tourney and will now begin players with 7500 in chips and a beginning blind of 25/50 with 50-minute levels. Cash will be awarded to top placements, with the grand prize being a seat into the championship.

Satellites and tournaments take place in the Caesars Palace poker room.

This year’s heads-up championship will be Feb. 28 through March 2. It’s the fourth annual, with prior winners Phil Hellmuth, Ted Forrest, and Paul Wasicka.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 10:58 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The much-aligned I-15 has received a much-needed widening.

The freeway runs parallel to the Las Vegas Strip and at peak times is often just as congested.

One new lane in each direction will be created between Sahara and Russell (pictured above in green), about a 5.5 mile stretch. The lane will be created off road shoulders, what motorists use anyway when traffic is backed up.

This plus one existing lane will be two express lanes that will travel this route without any stops, lest a possible fine.

The budgeted $35 million project is expected to come in closer to $25 million and be completed by summer 2009.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 10:31 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you’re looking to buy a cheap house, try Nevada.

According to RealtyTrac Inc., we had the highest amount of property foreclosures in the country.

The increase was over 200 percent from the previous year, with 66,316 filings on 34,417 properties.

Most recently is the possibility the $3 billion under-construction Cosmopolitan will foreclose after its $760 million loan has defaulted, despite 84 percent of its condo units already sold.

In 2007, sales of new homes were 19,670 — down 45 percent from 2006 and the lowest since 1995.

While we haven’t yet seen a downturn in gaming revenue (discounting downtown Las Vegas), we’ll be keeping an eye on the casinos that cater to locals. With increased unemployment (almost a 30 percent increase from 2006 to 2007), less spending, and foreclosures, it’s natural to anticipate immediate cutbacks in gambling.

It’s been said Las Vegas is recession-proof. Here’s hoping we don’t have to prove it.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In a strange deja vu moment, a second casino rooftop fire occurred earlier today in Connecticut at the Great Cedars hotel of Foxwoods, the largest casino in the world. Three floors were evacuated and no one was hurt.

Like Monte Carlo, they do not yet know what caused the hour-long fire.

Workers at Monte Carlo are busily getting the casino back into shape, and all employees will be paid their full wages in the process.

Although Clark County inspectors have given the casino and hotel a safety thumbs-up, it will remain closed because of the possibility of falling exterior debris.

No word on how soon the casino can reopen, but their website prevented any online reservations through mid-February, and currently the reservations system is down.

Hats off to the fire department for containing the fire as fast and as efficiently as it did. And to the 6,000 guests and employees who evacuated in an orderly manner. It proved lessons were learned from the MGM fire of 1980, which caused safety standards to improve across all new casinos and to retrofit into old buildings.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tickets are available for the June 17 performance by Elton John who has scheduled several dates for March through June at Caesars Palace.The Red Piano takes the audience inside Elton John’s world. LaChapelle creates a dreamscape dripping with rich imagery of Hollywood and Las Vegas icons

The Red Piano is designed with a Vegas theme and mature audiences in mind. The video imagery that accompanies the music may at times be considered risque, and includes montage style scenes that include brief frontal nudity. The video content is designed within the context of the songs and overall theme of the show.

Posted by Desert Rock at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Think you can pole dance among the pole dancing elite? It is Vegas, after all, where talent flies in every weekend to show off their skills (and other things).

JET (at Mirage) hosts the annual Pole-a-Palooza tonight (last year’s gravity defier at Bellagio pictured above).

Over 50 competed for the $10,000 top prize, and another $10,000 is up for grabs this year.

If you have what it takes to take control of the pole, stop by JET tonight between 10:30 p.m. and midnight.

The contest begins at 12:15 a.m. and will continue until each pole dancer as strutted their stuff.

Some rules: 21 or over, no nudity, and you must wear pasties with a top over.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

More unpublished photos from the 2008 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo held at the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas to keep you warm while you’re watching the Tiger Golf Show today. LasVegasVegas photographer Flipchip was assigned to cover the AVN and the unrelated Consumer Electronics Show (CES), also happening at the Sands Expo Centers, and considering the volume of girly images Flip apparently spent most of his four days at the AVN Expo instead of the CES. When confronted with this “evidence” Flip said, “Well, you see one big screen, you’ve seen them all; but, those ladies…” To back up his position the following Flipchip Photos from the 2008 AVN AEE.

A dozen photos from the show floor after the jump…

Posted by flipchipro at 6:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The grand opening of McFadden’s (at Rio) continues all this weekend.

McFadden’s is the new Irish bar that replaced the old Irish bar. We miss the kilts, but we’ll give the new place a try.

Tonight, Kevin Dillon (of HBO’s “Entourage”) hosts the Calendar Girl Finals, from last night’s girl search that was hosted by Area 108.

The winner will receive $1,000.

From 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., there’ll be an open bar for the early arrivers. We figure we could rack up $1,000 in free drinks pretty fast, where everyone would feel like a winner.

To get on the guest list, visit this link.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Playboy magazine’s Miss February 2008 (pictured above, apologies for cropping out the naughty bits) will host the Playboy Club (at The Palms) After Dark party.

The event takes place tomorrow, Jan. 27, beginning at 10 p.m.

To reserve a table, call (702) 942-6832.

For $10 and a self-addressed stamped envelope, Miss February will send you a personalized autographs on an 8×10 headshot by sending a money order or cashier’s check to Michelle McLaughlin, P.O. Box 7389, Beverly Hills, CA 90212. (It’s $25 for just an autograph.)

Oh and not that we subscribe or anything, but the February issue also features a Women of Hooters pictorial, including Hooters Girl Aimee (pictured below).

Posted by R.C. Clark at 9:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ashanti will launch her new single “The Way That I Love You” tonight when she hosts tonight’s party at Pure (Caesars Palace) beginning at 10 p.m.

(You can also hear the single on her MySpace page, but don’t you want to be there live?)

For information and to get on the guest list, call (702) 731-PURE or visit this link.

To reserve a table, call (702) 289-2002

Posted by R.C. Clark at 9:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Channel 8 has video of a three-alarm fire atop the roof of the Monte Carlo casino on the south Strip.

The fire was reported half an hour ago (11 a.m.) and firefighters are on the scene trying to contain.

Whenever we hear of a fire, we immediately think to the 1980 fire that broke out inside MGM Grand (where Bally’s now stands). MGM Mirage owns Monte Carlo.

No further information is onhand, but we will update as we find out.

Update: People are being evacuated from the casino. Las Vegas Blvd. and offramps are now closed.

Update 2: The fire is on the south side of the hotel in the center section, approximately four floors from the roof.

Live photos from KVBC Channel 3:

Update 3: Evacuees are being taken to sister casinos of MGM Mirage, including MGM Grand, New York New York, and Bellagio.

The eyewitness cellphone photo below is from zyphlar’s blog. More photos here.

Update 4: Clark County Fire reports no major injuries. The fire on the south wing is almost contained; the fire on the west wing is contained. The top floors have been evacuated completely; lower floors are being checked to ensure everyone has left.

In afternoon trading, MGM Mirage shares have fallen 3.71 percent, though this shouldn’t imply the fire has been a direct result.

Update 5: Clark County Fire reports the fire is confined to the exterior. Welders were spotted working on the roof. Firefighters took hoses up the stairs from the ground floor because the 32-story resort rooftop was out of reach from ladders.

Monte Carlo is next to Project CityCenter, MGM Mirage’s $7.8 billion mixed-use complex. The casino has over 3,000 rooms, with the top floors reserved for 211 suites and penthouses. It employees over 3,000 employees.

Update 6: Traffic is gridlocked. The casino remains closed. The Strip remains closed from Trop to Harmon, as well as exits and exit ramps. A comment blog has been set up at Channel 8 for eyewitness accounts.

Reports of people being trapped on the roof are false.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

On Saturday, Jan. 26, Miss America (pictured above are last year’s hopefuls) once again lands in Las Vegas at Planet Hollywood, where 1 out of 52 women will vie for the crown.

Roulette has better odds.

A four-part reality TV show “Miss America: Reality Check” has been following the contestants around in a mocking way, poking fun at one of America’s institutions.

In a nod to Fox’s “Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader,” the show has a segment called “Are You Smarter than a Miss USA Girl?”

A cheeky Miss America?

Ratings for the pageant have been on a decline, with its move to Las Vegas three years ago (not to mention a drop from network primetime on ABC) as a last-ditch effort to drum up interest in the 87-year-old program.

And if trying to appeal to the YouTube generation where anything goes, may we suggest a Miss America hotdog eating contest?

The reality series airs on the TLC network, leading up to the pageant on Saturday at 8 p.m. EST, also on TLC.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 10:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

She hasn’t yet gone onstage, but Bette Midler is already talking retirement.

With The Showgirl Must Go On, Midler’s two-and-a-half-year residency in Las Vegas at the Caesars Palace Colosseum will fill the high heels of Celine Dion, whose A New Day took a final bow Dec. 15, 2007 after 717 shows.

Midler tells Parade magazine that she will likely retire after the show, when she will be 64.

“Everything is a bit slower,” she says. “Things don’t stick the way they used to.” On the other hand, “I certainly don’t want to die in a harness.”

Midler opens her show Feb. 20.

Below, Dion sings a Christmas song as her farewell to five years in Las Vegas.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 8:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Over the course of their 30 year-plus career, the Canadian power trio emerged as one of hard rock’s most highly regarded bands; although often ignored by critics and mainstream pop radio, the group nonetheless won an impressive and devoted fan following while their virtuoso performance skills solidified their standing as musicians’ musicians. Rush formed in Toronto, Ontario, in the autumn of 1968 comprised of guitarist Alex Lifeson (born Alexander Zivojinovich), vocalist/bassist Geddy Lee (born Gary Lee Weinrib), and drummer John Rutsey. A self-titled LP debuted in 1974, at which time Rutsey was replaced by drummer Neil Peart. Rush boasts 24 gold records and 14 platinum (3 multi-platinum) records with world wide albums sales estimated at 40 million.

Tickets are on sale here starting January 25.

Posted by Desert Rock at 1:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A reminder to readers that we will have another mini-gallery of previously unpublished photos from the 2008 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo posted for the weekend. Flipchip is busy sorting and preparing more images from the thousands of pics he shot so come back and warm up. As always, absolutely no charge…It’s totally free!

Posted by flipchipro at 1:19 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

1/29/2008–

Meg & Dia, Jillians
Price: US $11.00
Reserve your tickets online now!

1/31/2008–

Drew Carey & The Drew Improv All-Stars, MGM Grand (1/31-2/3)
Price: US $89.00
Reserve your tickets online now!

2/1/2008–

Joe Rogan, The Palms
Price: US $
Reserve your tickets online now!

Artie Lang, Mandalay Bay
Price: US $45.00-67.00
Reserve your tickets online now!

Age Ov Reason, Jillians
Price: US $10.00
Reserve your tickets online now!

Jonas Brothers, Planet Hollywood
Price: US $39.50-49.50
Reserve your tickets online now!

Lyfe Jennings, House of Blues
Price: US $20.00-30.00
Reserve your tickets online now!

Jerry Seinfeld, The Colosseum at Caesars Palace (2/1-2/2)
Price: US $75.00-150.00
Reserve your tickets online now!

George Strait, MGM Grand
Price: US $52.50-99.75
Reserve your tickets online now!

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC 81), Mandalay Bay
Price: US $50.00-800.00
Reserve your tickets online now!

Sammy Hagar & The Wabos, Pearl Concert Theater at The Palms
Price: US $47.00-72.00
Reserve your tickets online now!

2/3/2008–

Velvet Revolver, The Joint at Hard Rock
Price: US $49.50-125.00 (VIP package, $300.00)
Reserve your tickets online now!

Posted by Human Head at 1:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

So you think there isn’t much innovation going on in furniture?

Showing at the Las Vegas Market, Florida-based Nirvana Swing Co. has a reclining leather chair that swings in as smooth a motion as, well, a swing.

The patented Comfort Swing chair swings along an arc in a continual motion and assists with stress reduction. Studies from Nirvana showed a 10 percent reduction in blood pressure after a swing session.

So you can either get some goldfish to look at or get a new swing chair.

Click here to see a video of it in action.

The closest retailer is Surroundings Plus at 241 North Stephanie St. in Henderson.

Cost is approximately $2,000-$2,500.

Note: this isn’t a paid advertisement, but if one of these chairs happened to drop in our Las Vegas Vegas laps, we wouldn’t be at all offended. Though it would make typing a challenge.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Is it possible to lose weight in Las Vegas?

Las Vegas Herbalife is a new pilot program dedicated to providing webinars and in-person meetings to support health and wellness for men (and may extend to women, children, and seniors).

In its infant stage, the website is a bit shoddy and looks like it’s so far geared toward hawking Herbalife products, but their press release says a $3 membership fee is all it takes to gain access to online resources, support, exercise programs, and guest speakers.

An Herbalife distributor acts as Caseworker and Personal Wellness Coach.

For more information, call Kyle at (702) 403-6863.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Got a Leap Year birthday? Head to the races!

If you were born on Feb. 29, come celebrate with free NASCAR Spring cup Pole Day tickets at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway (7000 Las Vegas Blvd.).

To reserve, call 1-800-644-4444 or stop by the ticket office. You must show I.D.

NASCAR weekend begins Feb. 29 and runs through March 2.

The UAW-Dodge 400 qualifier launches the start, with the most elite drivers competing in time trials. Regular ticket prices are $25, with ranges from $117 to $257 for weekend packages.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

What’s better than a free continental breakfast?

Through Feb. 29, if you stay at El Cortez downtown for at least three nights between Sunday and Thursday, you’ll receive three free all-you-can-eat breakfast buffets.

Visit this link for the coupon, and present it at the front desk when checking in. You must be a Jackie’s Club Cortez member, but you can sign up for free at the player’s club.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 1:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As much of a bum rap the Las Vegas monorail is getting, we still like it. It seems anti-Vegas in a way, where we seem to be in a pristine foreign country while waiting to go to Paris or The Sahara.

For the first time since opening in July 2004, the $650 million monorail went into cash reserves this month to cover a scheduled bond payment.

The $2.3 million withdrawn was anticipated from its $69 million in current reserves.

Experts predict the reserves will keep the monorail going until 2010.

One bright spot is that also for the first time, ridership was almost 8 million in 2007, up almost 1 million from 2006 (the last quarter of 2007 helped the spike, pulling in 21 percent more riders from the same period in 2006).

Fares received, however, still did not break even in operating costs.

Financing is still trying to be secured this year for an extension to McCarran, which would hopefully bring added riders.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 9:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

If you thought Beer Pong championships in Las Vegas were out there, get ready for cornholing.

Known to much of the midwest, Cornhole is a game of tossing beanbags into a hole, much like horseshoes but less dangerous.

And now Las Vegas will play host to the American Cornhole Organization’s King (or Queen) of Cornhole, who will win a guaranteed $1,000.

Other cash prizes to be awarded: $500 for 2nd, $100 for 3rd-4th, and $50 for 5th-8th.

Cornhole carnival games and Cornhole doubles will be played throughout the day.

The event takes place this Saturday, Jan. 26 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. at the Sport Center of Las Vegas, 121 E. Sunset, just off the Strip. The Sport Center

Registration is $50, which includes a t-shirt, membership into the ACO ($15 value), an official cornhole ranking, and entry into the event.

To register, visit this site, or call 1-888-563-2002.

Posted by R.C. Clark at 10:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gino Vannelli, who performed to sold-out shows in March 2007, returns to the Flamingo this February.

His past achievements include “People Gotta Move,” which made it to #22 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1974 and on February 15, 1975, Vannelli became the first white performer to appear on Soul Train. In 1978, the song “I Just Wanna Stop” earned Gino an American Grammy Award nomination and was a number #1 single in Canada (#4 in United States). Vannelli’s album “Brother To Brother” was certified platinum in early 1979. He continued to earn awards into the 1990’s before moving away from pop music and into classical.

Flamingo to Host “Crossing Over” Star, John Edward

Author, lecturer, and psychic medium, John Edward, will appear for a limited time at Flamingo Las Vegas. Edward will captivate audiences with his uncanny psychic abilities, February 14 and March 15.

Tickets for his February and March dates are on sale now at the Flamingo Box Office, by phone at (702) 733-3333 or (800) 221-7299 or by visiting the Flamingo Las Vegas Website.

Posted by Desert Rock at 12:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A little something to help our readers stay warm while they sit around watching the Sunday playoffs to determine the teams going to the 2008 Super Bowl. The two games are being played in temperatures ranging from the teens at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough to sub-zero misery complete with snow flurries and wind at Lambeau Field in Greenbay. When you’re feeling the extremities going numb and only a degree separates you and terminal frostbite, fire up the computer and check out these ladies, guaranteed to spread warmth to places where the sun doesn’t shines.

If you look through these previously unpublished photos from the ’08 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo and need more then check out the following links for many more photos — AVN AEE Day 1 – AVN AEE Day 2 – AVN AEE Day 3 – AVN AEE Day 4.

Even more in the Flipchip AVN Photo Gallery — AVN Day 1 – AVN Day 2 – AVN Day 3 – AVN Day 4.

Posted by flipchipro at 6:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)