Where to Go, What to Do

Then and Now in Las Vegas

Came to Vegas in a Jaguar, Left on a Greyhound: Lots of jokes have been told about Las Vegas. Plenty of myths abound. Las Vegas had been called little more than phony glitter and tinsel. But I’m here to tell you that under all that phony glitter and tinsel lire real, live, Honest-to-God glitter and tinsel. But you’ll never know what’s happening if you don’t come to see us. And when you do, some of your options include:

Strike Gold at the Nugget: An old Sinatra standard croons, “Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars…” There are plenty of stars in Las Vegas and the Golden Nugget is doing their best to get you here on a comp. Continental’s One Pass mileage program turned 21 this month and since they are now old enough to play in a casino, the Nugget has decided to give away more than 21 million Continental One Pass miles. Awards were given August 9 as part of the winnings of the Golden Nugget poker tournament. Texan Bill Shiver won the tourney and walked, uh, flew away with 21 million frequent flier miles on Continental. Ten other winners in the poker tourney had miles added to their Continental One Pass portfolio as did another Texan who won a slot tourney at the same time. More info at jmcvay@goldennugget.com Book online directly at www.goldennugget.com.

Nugget Also Rides, and that’s no bull: The Golden Nugget has a history of supporting local activities. In that spirit they have agreed to partner with the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Association to be the host hotel for the PBR World Finals competition. The Hotel will house the competitors (the riders, no bull) as well as social events. The Championship will be held from Oct. 31 thorough Oct. 9. Bulls will be bucking at the UNLV Thomas and Mack Center but festivities will be at the Golden Nugget. Special packages for attendees are available. More info at jmcvay@goldennugget.com or book directly online at www.goldennugget.com.

Helping Las Vegas Homeless: A special benefit called “Listen to my Heart” will be preformed September 6 by a group of Las Vegas Strip performers. “Listen to my Heart; the Songs of David Friedman” will be performed by performers from such hit venues as Forever Plaid, Phantom, Mama Mia, Jubilee, and many other Vegas hit shows. The performance will benefit families who have become homeless and will help them get back on their feet. It will be held Saturday, September 6 at the Community Lutheran Church. More info at BruceEwing@gmail.com. Or buy tickets direct at www.FamilyPromiseLVTickets.com. Phone 702.245.0992.

Japanese Bomb Pearl Harbor: Sunday, December 7, 1941 in the lazy climes of the Hawaiian Isles Japanese bombers surprised residents of Hawaii and American sailors stationed there with a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. Sixty seven years to the day another group will be running. But this time there will be no war, except perhaps among participants, no sneak attack, and the running will take place along a given route. The famed Las Vegas Marathon will be run December 7, 2008. Japanese companies will be among the sponsors and participants. The international Japanese marketing company will include Midori Uekusa and Roy Kawaguchi. Las Vegas Marathon 2008 Executive Director will continue the record setting legacy of the Las Vegas Marathon as it wends its way between the Strip and downtown Glitter Gulch. This time the only guns to be heard will be the starting gun as Elvis belts out “Viva Las Vegas st the Mandalay Bay starting point. Nissan will sponsor a 2-day Quality of Life Expo preceding the marathon. This promises to be one of the most fun events held in Las Vegas. If tradition follows, participants will include several Elvi (plural of Elvis), Santas, and costumed crusaders from popular movies. For additional information go to http://vegasbuzznews.com.


A little blogging music Maestro... Bob Seger’s “Against the Wind.”

Dr. Forgot
See me also at http://vegasbuzznews.com/
and http://drforgot.com

Las Vegas Marathon Hero

A Hop Skip and a Jump

Where else but Las Vegas would 18,000 people show up to take off most of their clothes and run around early on a Sunday morning in December? Where else but Las Vegas would showgirls wearing more clothes than runners, hand out free drinks to people racing by? Where else but Las Vegas would 150 couples say their wedding vows while running 26 miles? And where else but Las Vegas would a Russian woman win $ 45,000 without first having pulled a slot machine handle? The 2007 Las Vegas Marathon has run its course and been put to bed until it will be revived next December.

President Bush and Vladimir Putin might be at odds over world affairs but Las Vegas showed the best kind of détente when Russian distance runner Silviya Skvortsova ran away with all honors including a heads up victory over her male competition. I'm not sure how much $ 45,000 is in rubles but no doubt it will spend like new money in the old Soviet Union. Aside from the money, why anybody would want to run a marathon is all Greek to me. My version of exercise is pushing the remote often enough to channel surf.

Admittedly Las Vegas is better known for its smilers than for its milers, but as in every event brought to our fair city the marathon was done with Las Vegas style and panache. With more Elvises per square mile than anywhere else on Earth, disappearing tigers, Blue Men, swooners, crooners, and even a few mooners, Las Vegas put its unique stamp on the Marathon.

On this day, however, there was one hero that was pretty much overlooked. Four years ago a couple of durggies who had allegedly been duped over the sale of some snow sought retribution. They knocked on the trailer door of the salesperson but only an 10 year old girl and her younger sister were inside. The druggies tricked the kids into opening the door and proceeded to stab both children viciously. The younger child died from her wounds but the 10 year old fought off death like the hero she is.

The injuries did take their toll though on Britteney. Paralyzed from the waist down she will be wheelchair bound for life. While adults all felt sorry for her, Britteney decided to get on with her young life and make the most of the hand dealt to her. She became an honor student and active in school activities. About three years ago she began to compete in wheelchair races and at age 15 she entered this year's Las Vegas Half Marathon wheelchair division. Oh yes, she not only completed the race, she won her division. Nobody who knew her seemed surprised.

The marathon was again a success. How about a little traveling music maestro.... let me think..... ok, "Hail to the Victors."

Dr. Forgot

Against the Wind Slowly

A Marathon Wait

Things happen fast in Las Vegas. I remember a cabbie once telling a couple who had come to town to get married, "I can have you wedded and bedded and back on the plane in two and a half ours." Dealers lay down hands quickly, restaurants try to turn tables as quickly as possible and slot machines spin so fast they make your head spin.

Each year for the more than a decade or so Las has hosted a marathon. Last December the race was won by Joseph Kahugu. His speed brought him winnings of $ 15,000 for a first place finish and an additional $ 50,000 for winning the male-female challenge for a total of $ 65,000. But as a wise sage once said, "Don't spend it all in one place, and Joseph didn't. In fact he didn't spend it at all because he did not receive the money in December, or January, or February, or March, or..... well, you get the idea.

Joseph's agent tried to figure why the delay? Let's see, administrative transactions could cause a delay of up to 45 days. Drug testing could add another couple of weeks to the check should have been in the hand of the male by the end of February. But no check. No mail.

Summer came and went and the temperature rose but Joseph's bank account did not. Finally in November, nearly a year after the victories, the pitter patter of the postman's feet arrived at Joseph's door with the check. And I'm sure the postman rang twice for the delivery. So why the holdup? Was it a male thing? Apparently not for the female winner of the race, Jemima Jelagat (you can call her JJ) just received her money from winning last year's race.

The year before the race a large group took over the race from its founder, Al Boka, a local man who had run it just fine, thank you very much. Locals are quick to point out that when an expert (defined by Mark Twain as somebody who lives more than 50 miles away and carries a briefcase) took over, the race had problems not previously seen. Of course, the sponsors have excuses, which don't pay the rent, but they promise things are now straighted out and a similar problem will not recur. In the meantime the runners, like Forrest Gump, continue to run everywhere they go. A little blogging music, Maestro... Do you know the Wizard of Oz reprise, "I'm late, I'm late, for a very important date...."

Dr. Forgot