Music Man Ditty Updated
Trouble in Carson City: One of my favorite musicals is “The Music Man.” One song in particular, “Trouble in River City” tells of problems in a bucolic little town. Nevada’s capital, Carson City, is the home (more or less) of Governor Jim Gibbons, former Delta Airlines pilot who was reportedly fired by Delta for missing too much work, then rehired after a reported ethical lapse over some alleged favors over a fuel tax. During his gubernatorial campaign there were allegations of his forcing affections on a cocktail waitress after a bout of drinking, and once in office, he left his wife and moved out of his home (the guv’s mansion, that is). A presidential election is coming soon. This is just too good not to have a song about, so in deference to Professor Howard Hill, we’ll do our own version of “Trouble in Carson City:
Well, either you’re closing your eyes to a series of fiascos you do not wish to acknowledge or you are not aware of the caliber of disaster in the State of Nevada by a Governor who reached a 28% approval rating in just five, count ‘em f-i-v-e months – a feat that took our President five YEARS to accomplish! You’ve got trouble, friend, right here in Carson City. Trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with G and that stands for “Guv.”
Sure I’m a voter. Mighty proud to say I’m mighty proud to take part in my right as an American citizen. Why I proudly display my “I Voted Early” sticker on the front window of my eco-friendly desert dwelling. I consider the hours spent researching political candidates and issues as golden. Helps you cultivate horse sense and a keen eye to read the ballot and eliminate any possibility of a hanging chad.
But just as I say it takes judgment, brains, and maturity to properly serve the people of the great state of Nevada, I say any fool can trick the public into getting elected. And I call that Nevada politics. The first big step on the road to feeding off the lobbyists of Washington Dee Cee.
I say to you, first it is a sip of wine at dinner with a group of friends, then after each one has ordered a round of booze you end up in a wrestling match with a cocktail waitress and try to blame it on not being able to find your car in a dark parking garage.
And the next thing you know he’s been voted into office and the state ends up with a half billion dollar deficit. Friends, you done elected a buffoon, that’s buffoon with a capital B and that rhymes with G and that stands for Guv.
Then week after week he gets to fritterin’ I say, fritterin away his time on the Official State Computer, going to the web sites of his old cronies who take him on vacation and treat him royally, which some say is in exchange for political favors. Yes, friends, you’ve elected a governor that’s ethically challenged, I say challenged with a capital C and that rhymes with G and that stands for Guv.
But wait, there’s more. Amid his budget slashing and taking money from schoolchildren the Guv decided to move out of the mansion and left Dawn to run the house. She asked what he was doing and he replied that he wants a divorce. A divorce, friends, with a capital D and that rhymes with G and that stands for Guv.
Voters of Carson City, heed the warning before it is too late. Watch for the telltale signs of corruption. An election is coming up this fall. Does your candidate have a record of being wined and dined by lobbyists? Has he or she made promises to the constituency that cannot be kept? Then has dinner with big donors whose huge donations help to renege on those promises? And do certain words creep into the conversation? Words like, “Tax cuts,” and “Big oil profits.” If so, you’ve got trouble friends. Trouble with a capital T and that rhymes with E and that stands for Election.
So the next time an opportunity arises to vote for a candidate, don’t get fooled. Demand more disclosure. That’s disclosure with a capital D and... well, you get the idea.
A little blogging music Maestro.... Kate Smith singing “God Bless America.”
Dr. Forgot
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Politics. Show all posts
Friday, May 23, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Viva Las Vegas
Politicians have amnesia for as long as they can remember.
Hillary ducks questions, not bullets: Ok, perhaps those paragons of media outlets CNN and FOX News have not shown the clip of Hillary taking flowers from the little Bosnian girl as often as they have shown the Wrong Reverend Wright, but it is now clear that the former First Lady’s recollection of the events surrounding her visit were, uh, not consistent with film of the event. The term, “I misspoke,” now has another definition – “Dang, you caught me.”
Las Vegas Whoopee: Remember Monte Carlo? No, not the one with Grace Kelly that was the setting of romantic movies in the 1950s but the one whose motto in January became, “You burn me up.” The façade burned. The only thing that was hurt was the pride of the workers who accidently started the fire. Turns out those workers were welders who neglected to get the proper permits for their job. The result was 6,000 guests displaced and $ 100,000,000 in damage and lost revenue to the hotel. But the fire chief took a line from the NBA and said, “No harm no foul.” Translated that means no charges will be filed against the miscreants. That makes it the world’s most expensive weenie roast.
Are local high school students “Dumb, da, da dumb?” It is often said of some of the more promiscuous dropouts, “They can’t add or subtract, but Lord, can they multiply!” Recent tests taken by nearly all local high school students seem to support the adage. 91% of Algebra I students, 87% of Algebra II students, and 88% of Geometry students who took the January exams flunked them. I guess they don’t know if pi r squared or pies are round.
Why Math is important: In a town that likes to keep the acne off its face, it is interesting to see local publicists embrace the new film “21.” The movie is based on the true story of an MIT math wizard who decided that if numbers are predictable, he should be able to win at the casino tables. And did they ever… well, I don’t want to spoil it for you. Perhaps the movie should be shown to those struggling students so demonstrate how good math skills can be helpful.
Could that thump you hear be the Real Estate bottom: Real estate markets across the country have been taking a beating. The news media loves to cite Las Vegas to be one of the worst hit. But to quote that famous Vegas philosopher, Francis Albert Sinatra of song, “The higher the top, the longer the drop.” Real estate prices went meteoric for a few years just like tech stocks had a decade earlier. As we pointed out I a previous post, had you bought a house for $ 200,000 in 2000, it would have appreciated to well over $ 400,000 before the market slide. That same house is now priced at well over $ 300,000. See the big picture?
A little blogging music Maestro… Johnny Cash, “Home of the Blues.”
Dr. Forgot
Hillary ducks questions, not bullets: Ok, perhaps those paragons of media outlets CNN and FOX News have not shown the clip of Hillary taking flowers from the little Bosnian girl as often as they have shown the Wrong Reverend Wright, but it is now clear that the former First Lady’s recollection of the events surrounding her visit were, uh, not consistent with film of the event. The term, “I misspoke,” now has another definition – “Dang, you caught me.”
Las Vegas Whoopee: Remember Monte Carlo? No, not the one with Grace Kelly that was the setting of romantic movies in the 1950s but the one whose motto in January became, “You burn me up.” The façade burned. The only thing that was hurt was the pride of the workers who accidently started the fire. Turns out those workers were welders who neglected to get the proper permits for their job. The result was 6,000 guests displaced and $ 100,000,000 in damage and lost revenue to the hotel. But the fire chief took a line from the NBA and said, “No harm no foul.” Translated that means no charges will be filed against the miscreants. That makes it the world’s most expensive weenie roast.
Are local high school students “Dumb, da, da dumb?” It is often said of some of the more promiscuous dropouts, “They can’t add or subtract, but Lord, can they multiply!” Recent tests taken by nearly all local high school students seem to support the adage. 91% of Algebra I students, 87% of Algebra II students, and 88% of Geometry students who took the January exams flunked them. I guess they don’t know if pi r squared or pies are round.
Why Math is important: In a town that likes to keep the acne off its face, it is interesting to see local publicists embrace the new film “21.” The movie is based on the true story of an MIT math wizard who decided that if numbers are predictable, he should be able to win at the casino tables. And did they ever… well, I don’t want to spoil it for you. Perhaps the movie should be shown to those struggling students so demonstrate how good math skills can be helpful.
Could that thump you hear be the Real Estate bottom: Real estate markets across the country have been taking a beating. The news media loves to cite Las Vegas to be one of the worst hit. But to quote that famous Vegas philosopher, Francis Albert Sinatra of song, “The higher the top, the longer the drop.” Real estate prices went meteoric for a few years just like tech stocks had a decade earlier. As we pointed out I a previous post, had you bought a house for $ 200,000 in 2000, it would have appreciated to well over $ 400,000 before the market slide. That same house is now priced at well over $ 300,000. See the big picture?
A little blogging music Maestro… Johnny Cash, “Home of the Blues.”
Dr. Forgot
Monday, March 24, 2008
Monday, Monday
A Leading Authority Has Guessed Right Once
Bang, Bang... Whoops: From the “Post- 9/11 Genius Ideas” department comes the one from Usless Air – er, U.S. Airways. Seems that the panic driven rule that allows pilots to carry guns onboard planes, uh, backfired when a gun went off in the cockpit of a plane. The U.S. Airways flight was bound from Denver to Charlotte and had 124 passengers on board. Nobody was injured except for the pride of the pistol packing pilot. Officials say it was a full flight but full of what? We’ve not yet heard from the NRA but I’m sure the response will be something like, “Pilots don’t blow out windows in airplanes, guns do.”
Tums and Rolaids won’t fix this gas problem: Pain at the pump can be felt throughout the U.S. A few weeks ago I was in the San Diego suburb of La Jolla and the Union 76 station on the main drag posted full service premium gas at $ 4.99 per gallon. Was that a gouge or harbinger of things to come? Average gas prices this weekend topped $ 3.40 per gallon in some states. Tipsters tell us how to ease the pain: stay away from stations in ritzy hoods, avoid stations that are also repair shops or car washes, buy Wednesday morning and use wholesale club gas pumps. Oh, and how about driving less?
Sounds like, “I am not a crook”: Kwame Kilpatrick, that lover-boy mayor of Motown insists he will be exonerated. He and an aide were charged with perjury and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors say that sexually explicit text messages between the two may have been sugar sweet but lying about them in sworn testimony was perjury. Poor Kwame. All around him are people who spew hate and they do not get into trouble. But try a little loving and BAM! Your career is in jeopardy. Perhaps he can get an attorney referral or seek advice about how to handle the situation from Eliot Spitzer.
Sad day in Paradise: Few things are sadder than the loss of a loved one. Over the weekend the Paradise Animal Hospital in Las Vegas burned. The fire was so intense that rescuers were unable to save a single pet during the midnight inferno. One can only imagine the grief of pet owners whose pets were recovering from illnesses or being boarded during the holiday weekend. Everything was destroyed but if the owners are able to reconstruct their client list they should send each owner a letter of sympathy and include perhaps a gift certificate from the animal shelter and a gift card for future services.
Rrrrr-eeee-bbbb-eelllsss: The chant of the UNLV athletic teams was born during the Harvey Hyde football days. It has since been adopted by nearly every other UNLV sport and was heart during the March Madness tournament. Hats off to a ragtag group that the national media continually referred to as “Two walk-ons and a former air conditioner repairman.” Hats off to Coach Lon Kruger as well for bringing out the teams character rather than having to clean up after a bunch of characters.
A little blogging music Maestro… From the Rebel fight song, “U-N-L-V, UNLV Go Fight Win.”
Dr. Forgot
Bang, Bang... Whoops: From the “Post- 9/11 Genius Ideas” department comes the one from Usless Air – er, U.S. Airways. Seems that the panic driven rule that allows pilots to carry guns onboard planes, uh, backfired when a gun went off in the cockpit of a plane. The U.S. Airways flight was bound from Denver to Charlotte and had 124 passengers on board. Nobody was injured except for the pride of the pistol packing pilot. Officials say it was a full flight but full of what? We’ve not yet heard from the NRA but I’m sure the response will be something like, “Pilots don’t blow out windows in airplanes, guns do.”
Tums and Rolaids won’t fix this gas problem: Pain at the pump can be felt throughout the U.S. A few weeks ago I was in the San Diego suburb of La Jolla and the Union 76 station on the main drag posted full service premium gas at $ 4.99 per gallon. Was that a gouge or harbinger of things to come? Average gas prices this weekend topped $ 3.40 per gallon in some states. Tipsters tell us how to ease the pain: stay away from stations in ritzy hoods, avoid stations that are also repair shops or car washes, buy Wednesday morning and use wholesale club gas pumps. Oh, and how about driving less?
Sounds like, “I am not a crook”: Kwame Kilpatrick, that lover-boy mayor of Motown insists he will be exonerated. He and an aide were charged with perjury and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors say that sexually explicit text messages between the two may have been sugar sweet but lying about them in sworn testimony was perjury. Poor Kwame. All around him are people who spew hate and they do not get into trouble. But try a little loving and BAM! Your career is in jeopardy. Perhaps he can get an attorney referral or seek advice about how to handle the situation from Eliot Spitzer.
Sad day in Paradise: Few things are sadder than the loss of a loved one. Over the weekend the Paradise Animal Hospital in Las Vegas burned. The fire was so intense that rescuers were unable to save a single pet during the midnight inferno. One can only imagine the grief of pet owners whose pets were recovering from illnesses or being boarded during the holiday weekend. Everything was destroyed but if the owners are able to reconstruct their client list they should send each owner a letter of sympathy and include perhaps a gift certificate from the animal shelter and a gift card for future services.
Rrrrr-eeee-bbbb-eelllsss: The chant of the UNLV athletic teams was born during the Harvey Hyde football days. It has since been adopted by nearly every other UNLV sport and was heart during the March Madness tournament. Hats off to a ragtag group that the national media continually referred to as “Two walk-ons and a former air conditioner repairman.” Hats off to Coach Lon Kruger as well for bringing out the teams character rather than having to clean up after a bunch of characters.
A little blogging music Maestro… From the Rebel fight song, “U-N-L-V, UNLV Go Fight Win.”
Dr. Forgot
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
A Serious Matter
Another Award Winning Speech
Barack talks for 37 minutes: Normally I don’t take sides in this blog. I’m an equal opportunity jokester. I make fun of the president’s gaffes, of Hillary’s crying, McCain’s age, Obama’s turban photo (who does he think he is - a NY taxi driver?), and the rest of the plethora of candidates that began this race. But after listening to one of the most moving, eloquent, relevant speeches I’ve heard in decades, I am stunned to see pundits from the other side belittle and demean the words that are needed to heal a most divided country.
Rush and other nut cases: When Rush first came on the scene I got a huge chuckle out of his shtick. But then a funnier thing happened. People started to take that satire seriously and Rush’s ample head and body began to relish the attention to the point that I think he might actually believe his fawning ditto-heads. It is no sin to believe strongly in your side whether that side is your church, your country, or your political party. But to extend your belief to extreme in either direction, left or right, is to blind yourself to reason, fairness and objectivity.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, open your heart: Despite the fact that Barack Obama’s speech could have been given by few, if any other orators simply because of much of it was based on his experiences, had members of the opposition not known who was giving the speech and listened simply to the content, no rational person could have disagreed with most of what was said. Our country is divided. We are at a precipice in time, while publicly unspoken racial, class, religious, and other hatred eats like a cancer at the very fabric of our great nation, threatening to cast it further into the depths of despair. To attack simply for the sake of attack, simply because the speaker looks or speaks, or worships differently than we do is contrary to what our founding fathers and our soldiers in every war since fought for. Yet it has become chic to use the airwaves as bully pulpits of hot air, demagoguery, and to spread seeds of hatred.
Fair and balanced is neither: Media outlets have catchy phrases to tout their supposed positions – Fair and Balanced, Best political team on television, and other arrogant boasts which rather than being based in fact are so much puffery. In a two day period while admittedly watching only part of the time, I counted 35 showings of the hateful language by a pastor that the reporters attached to one candidate, yet I heard nary a word about the hate spewed by pastors on the other end of the political continuum who marginalize minorities and other groups with hate-filled rhetoric. So much for fair and balanced.
What this country desperately needs is a huge dose of kindness and understanding by its leaders and men and women of God. But even more so we as proud Americans need to show the world what makes us proud, what has made us the envy of the rest of the world, and what has made this country grow and prosper. Lose the hate, friends. Pay homage to the melting pot we once were and the tossed salad we have become. God bless America.
Dr. Forgot
Barack talks for 37 minutes: Normally I don’t take sides in this blog. I’m an equal opportunity jokester. I make fun of the president’s gaffes, of Hillary’s crying, McCain’s age, Obama’s turban photo (who does he think he is - a NY taxi driver?), and the rest of the plethora of candidates that began this race. But after listening to one of the most moving, eloquent, relevant speeches I’ve heard in decades, I am stunned to see pundits from the other side belittle and demean the words that are needed to heal a most divided country.
Rush and other nut cases: When Rush first came on the scene I got a huge chuckle out of his shtick. But then a funnier thing happened. People started to take that satire seriously and Rush’s ample head and body began to relish the attention to the point that I think he might actually believe his fawning ditto-heads. It is no sin to believe strongly in your side whether that side is your church, your country, or your political party. But to extend your belief to extreme in either direction, left or right, is to blind yourself to reason, fairness and objectivity.
Close your eyes, take a deep breath, open your heart: Despite the fact that Barack Obama’s speech could have been given by few, if any other orators simply because of much of it was based on his experiences, had members of the opposition not known who was giving the speech and listened simply to the content, no rational person could have disagreed with most of what was said. Our country is divided. We are at a precipice in time, while publicly unspoken racial, class, religious, and other hatred eats like a cancer at the very fabric of our great nation, threatening to cast it further into the depths of despair. To attack simply for the sake of attack, simply because the speaker looks or speaks, or worships differently than we do is contrary to what our founding fathers and our soldiers in every war since fought for. Yet it has become chic to use the airwaves as bully pulpits of hot air, demagoguery, and to spread seeds of hatred.
Fair and balanced is neither: Media outlets have catchy phrases to tout their supposed positions – Fair and Balanced, Best political team on television, and other arrogant boasts which rather than being based in fact are so much puffery. In a two day period while admittedly watching only part of the time, I counted 35 showings of the hateful language by a pastor that the reporters attached to one candidate, yet I heard nary a word about the hate spewed by pastors on the other end of the political continuum who marginalize minorities and other groups with hate-filled rhetoric. So much for fair and balanced.
What this country desperately needs is a huge dose of kindness and understanding by its leaders and men and women of God. But even more so we as proud Americans need to show the world what makes us proud, what has made us the envy of the rest of the world, and what has made this country grow and prosper. Lose the hate, friends. Pay homage to the melting pot we once were and the tossed salad we have become. God bless America.
Dr. Forgot
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Money and Politics
If your feet smell and your nose runs, you’re upside down
Running for office: Obama gave one heck of a speech. No known connection but as the O man was talking the DOW was climbing. Both were pleasant surprises. Hillary decided to release her schedule while First Lady. If she wins the election, will be First Laddie? Meanwhile, back at the oasis, Senator McCain spoke to his camel, his troops, and anybody else who would listen. Three candidates, two parties. This reminds me of some of the fuzzy math that was spoken of during past elections.
Nosing around: Meanwhile, Dick Cheney, the “Where’s Waldo” of politics was spotted in Israel. No, it was Oman. Whoops, I mean the West Bank, Wrong, it was Saudi Arabia. Uh, uh, he flew into Turkey. That man moves faster and is seen less than a guilty husband during the holidays.
From the Sunshine State to the Rust Belt: Who is the bad guy here? Let me see if I have this straight. The states of Michigan and Florida, both members of the “Me first” club, wanted to upstage other states by having their primaries early. The Democratic National Committee said that if they do it would not count, but they did anyway. All eight candidates (back in the days before the dropouts dropped out) signed an agreement to ignore the to baddies who had violated the rules. Now the baddies are crying “Foul!” Sir Walter Scott got it right: “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”
Some good news and some bad news: ICE and Homeland security have teamed up to sweep many of those who entered this country illegally back from whence they came. More than 380,000 illegal entrants have been deported in fiscal 2007 compared to 186,000 a year earlier. That is a good thing, right? Maybe yes, maybe no. Reports from around the country show that many menial jobs typically held by illegals are going unfilled. Labor intensive job are among those where shortages exist.
Snip snip. How much will it help?: At this writing the feds just announced an interest rate cut of 0.075%. Within minutes the DOW dropped over 100 points. Not sure where it will end but the free fall continues. We will keep you posted.
A little blogging music Maestro... “Every Little Bit Hurts” by Alicia Keys.
Dr. Forgot
Running for office: Obama gave one heck of a speech. No known connection but as the O man was talking the DOW was climbing. Both were pleasant surprises. Hillary decided to release her schedule while First Lady. If she wins the election, will be First Laddie? Meanwhile, back at the oasis, Senator McCain spoke to his camel, his troops, and anybody else who would listen. Three candidates, two parties. This reminds me of some of the fuzzy math that was spoken of during past elections.
Nosing around: Meanwhile, Dick Cheney, the “Where’s Waldo” of politics was spotted in Israel. No, it was Oman. Whoops, I mean the West Bank, Wrong, it was Saudi Arabia. Uh, uh, he flew into Turkey. That man moves faster and is seen less than a guilty husband during the holidays.
From the Sunshine State to the Rust Belt: Who is the bad guy here? Let me see if I have this straight. The states of Michigan and Florida, both members of the “Me first” club, wanted to upstage other states by having their primaries early. The Democratic National Committee said that if they do it would not count, but they did anyway. All eight candidates (back in the days before the dropouts dropped out) signed an agreement to ignore the to baddies who had violated the rules. Now the baddies are crying “Foul!” Sir Walter Scott got it right: “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.”
Some good news and some bad news: ICE and Homeland security have teamed up to sweep many of those who entered this country illegally back from whence they came. More than 380,000 illegal entrants have been deported in fiscal 2007 compared to 186,000 a year earlier. That is a good thing, right? Maybe yes, maybe no. Reports from around the country show that many menial jobs typically held by illegals are going unfilled. Labor intensive job are among those where shortages exist.
Snip snip. How much will it help?: At this writing the feds just announced an interest rate cut of 0.075%. Within minutes the DOW dropped over 100 points. Not sure where it will end but the free fall continues. We will keep you posted.
A little blogging music Maestro... “Every Little Bit Hurts” by Alicia Keys.
Dr. Forgot
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Fun With Spitz and Kris
Stupidity Left Untreated, is Self Correcting
What was the Guv thinking?: It might be three months past Christmas but the words “Ho-ho-ho must be ringing in his ears. Client #9. Too bad he didn’t get caught in traffic. Then he would have been “Client #8 and perhaps missed all this. A comment on yesterday’s post pondered, “Where was the official Guv Security Detail while all this was, uhm, “going down?” This puts a whole new meaning to red lights on the Secret Service cars. Let’s see, did 2-timing Client 9 go Code 3 down I-87 to arrive at Room 813 on 2/13 by 10 p.m.? Was Kristen 2 good 2 be 4 gotten? Will he be the ex-Guv by 3/17? 10-4.
Flee to escape political persecution: This pilgrim boarded the Mayflower in hopes of escaping political persecution but will likely be facing legal prosecution. There might not have been anybody to deflower at the Mayflower, but when the voyage was complete the charge for the Mayflower compact was $ 4,300. That is more than a week’s salary for the Guv but an hour or so work for an unelected official. But the Guv overpaid by $ 500 according to reports. Was the extra five “C’s” a tip, a down payment for a future voyage, or did the trollup ask if he could loan her five hundred until she got back on her back? Such mysteries we may never know.
Las Vegas gossip: For the young hip crowd who know the difference between MTV and the MGM, we’ve discovered that “The Hills” star Audrina Partridge will head from the hills to the Valley of the Dollars to dance onstage as one of the Pussycat Dolls. Doesn’t ring a bell? Think Paris Hilton, Carmen Electra, and Gwen Stefani, other stars who’ve bumped and ground their way onto the PURE stage at the Luxor. No dead mummies in that pyramid, only scantily clad hardbodies and maybe an IRS agent or two.
If you got the money, honey, Vegas has the time: Ok boys and girls, today’s lesson will be on gambling. Why do we go to Las Vegas? Right, to gamble. To Atlantic City? Right again, to gamble. And is there a chance you might lose your money when you test the fates with the gods of dice, cards, and sports books? Yes. That is why it is called… GAMBLING! Ok, one bonus question: what do lawyers do? That’s right. They SUE.
Since you got 100% class, we’ll tell you about Arelia Travis, an accomplished attorney who earned well into six figures annually. She gambled in Las Vegas and Atlantic City and, wonder of wonders, she lost! Whose fault would that be? Right! The casinos. The disbarred lawyer is now suing seven casinos for $ 20 mil because they ENABLED her. Hello! Counselor! That is what casinos do. They are not there for the 49 cent shrimp cocktail. Here’s a tip, counselor: you’ve got to know when to hold, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away and know when to run…”
A little blogging music Maestro... What else but Kenny Rogers, “The Gambler.”
Dr. Forgot
What was the Guv thinking?: It might be three months past Christmas but the words “Ho-ho-ho must be ringing in his ears. Client #9. Too bad he didn’t get caught in traffic. Then he would have been “Client #8 and perhaps missed all this. A comment on yesterday’s post pondered, “Where was the official Guv Security Detail while all this was, uhm, “going down?” This puts a whole new meaning to red lights on the Secret Service cars. Let’s see, did 2-timing Client 9 go Code 3 down I-87 to arrive at Room 813 on 2/13 by 10 p.m.? Was Kristen 2 good 2 be 4 gotten? Will he be the ex-Guv by 3/17? 10-4.
Flee to escape political persecution: This pilgrim boarded the Mayflower in hopes of escaping political persecution but will likely be facing legal prosecution. There might not have been anybody to deflower at the Mayflower, but when the voyage was complete the charge for the Mayflower compact was $ 4,300. That is more than a week’s salary for the Guv but an hour or so work for an unelected official. But the Guv overpaid by $ 500 according to reports. Was the extra five “C’s” a tip, a down payment for a future voyage, or did the trollup ask if he could loan her five hundred until she got back on her back? Such mysteries we may never know.
Las Vegas gossip: For the young hip crowd who know the difference between MTV and the MGM, we’ve discovered that “The Hills” star Audrina Partridge will head from the hills to the Valley of the Dollars to dance onstage as one of the Pussycat Dolls. Doesn’t ring a bell? Think Paris Hilton, Carmen Electra, and Gwen Stefani, other stars who’ve bumped and ground their way onto the PURE stage at the Luxor. No dead mummies in that pyramid, only scantily clad hardbodies and maybe an IRS agent or two.
If you got the money, honey, Vegas has the time: Ok boys and girls, today’s lesson will be on gambling. Why do we go to Las Vegas? Right, to gamble. To Atlantic City? Right again, to gamble. And is there a chance you might lose your money when you test the fates with the gods of dice, cards, and sports books? Yes. That is why it is called… GAMBLING! Ok, one bonus question: what do lawyers do? That’s right. They SUE.
Since you got 100% class, we’ll tell you about Arelia Travis, an accomplished attorney who earned well into six figures annually. She gambled in Las Vegas and Atlantic City and, wonder of wonders, she lost! Whose fault would that be? Right! The casinos. The disbarred lawyer is now suing seven casinos for $ 20 mil because they ENABLED her. Hello! Counselor! That is what casinos do. They are not there for the 49 cent shrimp cocktail. Here’s a tip, counselor: you’ve got to know when to hold, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away and know when to run…”
A little blogging music Maestro... What else but Kenny Rogers, “The Gambler.”
Dr. Forgot
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Running From Office
A Fool and His Money Are Parted at the Mayflower
The Guv who was: Client 9. How long until that becomes the trade name of an expensive perfume, or a line of Victoria’s Secret negligee, or even a code work in the escort business for a high roller? After watching the wife of the N.Y. Guv at the press conference today, I’m sure she deserves plenty of retail therapy. Perhaps he can get the Kobe Bryant playbook. Perhaps the Guv can buy the bauble from Kobe’s wife. Somehow, watching him say he is sorry just doesn’t seem like enough punishment. Poor wifey looked like she was hungover – the wrath of grapes.
More Political Brickbats: Ok, let’s see if we are able to make heads or tails of this political game. One of Barrack’s minions called Hillary a monster and resigned under pressure as a result. One of Hillary’s minions struck back with a nya-na-na-na-na stating that the only reason Barrack is running is because he is black. Huh? If that were the case President Jesse Jackson would have had his Rainbow Coalition Cabined in place several elections ago. BTW, the statement maker was none other than the first female VP candidate. Oh yes, Hillary’s reaction was a severe mild slap on the wrist. Can’t we all just get along?
Another Politician in Trouble: These are difficult times for politicians. Yet another scandal has rocked the foundation of the political system in New Haven, Connecticut. That bucolic community that boasts Yalies and other Elis has seen one of its icons tumble from grace. Michael Sheridan was discovered to have committed a crime and was stripped of his political office. He was barred from attending activities surrounding his office and was banished from the city-owned property where he had served. Michael, formerly class vice president, had committed the grievous error of purchasing a bag of Skittles from a classmate. A school official stated that candy sales had been banned in the school district since 2003. Is there no end to the transgressions of rogue politicians?
Leaving Las Vegas: Visitor volume has declined in Las Vegas over the past year a whopping 0.6%. That is less than one percent. Such a downward trend must be stopped and reversed! Fortunately the brain trust of those who take care of such nagging problems plan to spend $ 12 million to tease the gamblers back to the Valley of the Dollars. If you snooze, you lose.
The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Clinics, doctors and nurses continue to come under scrutiny as officials investigate unsafe practices. Hepatitis and other diseases could have been transferred. Those implicated and shown to have been a party to the fiasco need to update their resumes: References – “None. I’ve left a path of destruction behind me.”
A little blogging music Maestro... “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” by Boy George.
Dr. Forgot
The Guv who was: Client 9. How long until that becomes the trade name of an expensive perfume, or a line of Victoria’s Secret negligee, or even a code work in the escort business for a high roller? After watching the wife of the N.Y. Guv at the press conference today, I’m sure she deserves plenty of retail therapy. Perhaps he can get the Kobe Bryant playbook. Perhaps the Guv can buy the bauble from Kobe’s wife. Somehow, watching him say he is sorry just doesn’t seem like enough punishment. Poor wifey looked like she was hungover – the wrath of grapes.
More Political Brickbats: Ok, let’s see if we are able to make heads or tails of this political game. One of Barrack’s minions called Hillary a monster and resigned under pressure as a result. One of Hillary’s minions struck back with a nya-na-na-na-na stating that the only reason Barrack is running is because he is black. Huh? If that were the case President Jesse Jackson would have had his Rainbow Coalition Cabined in place several elections ago. BTW, the statement maker was none other than the first female VP candidate. Oh yes, Hillary’s reaction was a severe mild slap on the wrist. Can’t we all just get along?
Another Politician in Trouble: These are difficult times for politicians. Yet another scandal has rocked the foundation of the political system in New Haven, Connecticut. That bucolic community that boasts Yalies and other Elis has seen one of its icons tumble from grace. Michael Sheridan was discovered to have committed a crime and was stripped of his political office. He was barred from attending activities surrounding his office and was banished from the city-owned property where he had served. Michael, formerly class vice president, had committed the grievous error of purchasing a bag of Skittles from a classmate. A school official stated that candy sales had been banned in the school district since 2003. Is there no end to the transgressions of rogue politicians?
Leaving Las Vegas: Visitor volume has declined in Las Vegas over the past year a whopping 0.6%. That is less than one percent. Such a downward trend must be stopped and reversed! Fortunately the brain trust of those who take care of such nagging problems plan to spend $ 12 million to tease the gamblers back to the Valley of the Dollars. If you snooze, you lose.
The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Clinics, doctors and nurses continue to come under scrutiny as officials investigate unsafe practices. Hepatitis and other diseases could have been transferred. Those implicated and shown to have been a party to the fiasco need to update their resumes: References – “None. I’ve left a path of destruction behind me.”
A little blogging music Maestro... “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” by Boy George.
Dr. Forgot
Running From Office
A Fool and His Money Are Parted at the Mayflower
The Guv who was: Client 9. How long until that becomes the trade name of an expensive perfume, or a line of Victoria’s Secret negligee, or even a code work in the escort business for a high roller? After watching the wife of the N.Y. Guv at the press conference today, I’m sure she deserves plenty of retail therapy. Perhaps he can get the Kobe Bryant playbook. Perhaps the Guv can buy the bauble from Kobe’s wife. Somehow, watching him say he is sorry just doesn’t seem like enough punishment. Poor wifey looked like she was hungover – the wrath of grapes.
More Political Brickbats: Ok, let’s see if we are able to make heads or tails of this political game. One of Barrack’s minions called Hillary a monster and resigned under pressure as a result. One of Hillary’s minions struck back with a nya-na-na-na-na stating that the only reason Barrack is running is because he is black. Huh? If that were the case President Jesse Jackson would have had his Rainbow Coalition Cabined in place several elections ago. BTW, the statement maker was none other than the first female VP candidate. Oh yes, Hillary’s reaction was a severe mild slap on the wrist. Can’t we all just get along?
Another Politician in Trouble: These are difficult times for politicians. Yet another scandal has rocked the foundation of the political system in New Haven, Connecticut. That bucolic community that boasts Yalies and other Elis has seen one of its icons tumble from grace. Michael Sheridan was discovered to have committed a crime and was stripped of his political office. He was barred from attending activities surrounding his office and was banished from the city-owned property where he had served. Michael, formerly class vice president, had committed the grievous error of purchasing a bag of Skittles from a classmate. A school official stated that candy sales had been banned in the school district since 2003. Is there no end to the transgressions of rogue politicians?
Leaving Las Vegas: Visitor volume has declined in Las Vegas over the past year a whopping 0.6%. That is less than one percent. Such a downward trend must be stopped and reversed! Fortunately the brain trust of those who take care of such nagging problems plan to spend $ 12 million to tease the gamblers back to the Valley of the Dollars. If you snooze, you lose.
The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Clinics, doctors and nurses continue to come under scrutiny as officials investigate unsafe practices. Hepatitis and other diseases could have been transferred. Those implicated and shown to have been a party to the fiasco need to update their resumes: References – “None. I’ve left a path of destruction behind me.”
A little blogging music Maestro... “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” by Boy George.
Dr. Forgot
The Guv who was: Client 9. How long until that becomes the trade name of an expensive perfume, or a line of Victoria’s Secret negligee, or even a code work in the escort business for a high roller? After watching the wife of the N.Y. Guv at the press conference today, I’m sure she deserves plenty of retail therapy. Perhaps he can get the Kobe Bryant playbook. Perhaps the Guv can buy the bauble from Kobe’s wife. Somehow, watching him say he is sorry just doesn’t seem like enough punishment. Poor wifey looked like she was hungover – the wrath of grapes.
More Political Brickbats: Ok, let’s see if we are able to make heads or tails of this political game. One of Barrack’s minions called Hillary a monster and resigned under pressure as a result. One of Hillary’s minions struck back with a nya-na-na-na-na stating that the only reason Barrack is running is because he is black. Huh? If that were the case President Jesse Jackson would have had his Rainbow Coalition Cabined in place several elections ago. BTW, the statement maker was none other than the first female VP candidate. Oh yes, Hillary’s reaction was a severe mild slap on the wrist. Can’t we all just get along?
Another Politician in Trouble: These are difficult times for politicians. Yet another scandal has rocked the foundation of the political system in New Haven, Connecticut. That bucolic community that boasts Yalies and other Elis has seen one of its icons tumble from grace. Michael Sheridan was discovered to have committed a crime and was stripped of his political office. He was barred from attending activities surrounding his office and was banished from the city-owned property where he had served. Michael, formerly class vice president, had committed the grievous error of purchasing a bag of Skittles from a classmate. A school official stated that candy sales had been banned in the school district since 2003. Is there no end to the transgressions of rogue politicians?
Leaving Las Vegas: Visitor volume has declined in Las Vegas over the past year a whopping 0.6%. That is less than one percent. Such a downward trend must be stopped and reversed! Fortunately the brain trust of those who take care of such nagging problems plan to spend $ 12 million to tease the gamblers back to the Valley of the Dollars. If you snooze, you lose.
The Gift that Keeps on Giving: Clinics, doctors and nurses continue to come under scrutiny as officials investigate unsafe practices. Hepatitis and other diseases could have been transferred. Those implicated and shown to have been a party to the fiasco need to update their resumes: References – “None. I’ve left a path of destruction behind me.”
A little blogging music Maestro... “Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?” by Boy George.
Dr. Forgot
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Love American Style
Sin Is Attractive Because Wages Are Paid Immediately
The Guv’s hooker was a looker: Good ole Client 9. Did he use Love Potion #9? He asked what his gal looked like and was told she was pretty. For $ 4,300 she’d better be. To resign or not to… that seems to be the question. Hillary prays he does not (he’s a Super-delegate pledged to her). Obama hopes he does (the replacement will pledge to the Barrackster). Rumors have it the First Lady of Noo Jork has wrapped yellow crime scene tape around his waist. I guess that would be considered Capitol punishment
Who’s Number one?: The CDC (Center for Disease Control) released a study that cited statistics on STDs, (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) which showed that one in four teen-aged girls are infected. This is a sad fact. The U.S. is number one in many areas but does not care to have this statistic amongst the bragging rights.
The Professor and Maryann: Here on Gilligan’s Isle. The popular comedy series from about 1,000 years ago starred Bob Denver as Gilligan and among others, Dawn Wells as Maryann, the pure, sweet girl-next-door character who was cast opposite sexpot Tina Louise. We always wondered how the Professor was able to invent all manner of life sustaining contraptions but could not figure out how to patch their boat and get them off the island. We should have wondered what they smoked in their spare time. Bob Denver was busted for smoking grass numerous times and sweet little Maryann was recently busted in Idaho for smoking while driving. She copped a plea.
Remember Voodoo politics: Ah that burning question on the lips of every candidate and Florida and Michigan delegate, “Who do the Voodoo that you do so well?” All the doo doo about the do-over would put Rover in the clover. But the manure spread by both candidates over whether or not to redo the primary or caucus in the states begs this question: “Didn’t ALL candidates sign an agreement to ignore the two states that broke the rules?”
Who shot the ice cream lady and why: Remember a couple of weeks ago when a Henderson ice cream couple got in trouble with the cops? Hubby was pulled over for speeding and the cops called his wife. I’ve been pulled over for speeding a few times and nobody ever called my wife. But it wasn’t in Henderson. Maybe that’s the difference. Anyhow, wifey arrived and argued with the cops and was shot. Cops claim she was threatening them. Hubby said she was on the ground when it happened. An independent autopsy showed she was on the ground. Whoops. I smell a lawsuit if the lawyers have time between Endoscopy centers.
Here’s a tip - No outrageous behavior: The extortion that went on at LAX and perhaps other night clubs, as documented in the Las Vegas Sun tells a lot about the young generation. Back in the 1800s when I was a young bachelor in Las Vegas the closest thing to clubs were lounges and the drinks were free.
A little blogging music Maestro... “Memories.”
Dr. Forgot
The Guv’s hooker was a looker: Good ole Client 9. Did he use Love Potion #9? He asked what his gal looked like and was told she was pretty. For $ 4,300 she’d better be. To resign or not to… that seems to be the question. Hillary prays he does not (he’s a Super-delegate pledged to her). Obama hopes he does (the replacement will pledge to the Barrackster). Rumors have it the First Lady of Noo Jork has wrapped yellow crime scene tape around his waist. I guess that would be considered Capitol punishment
Who’s Number one?: The CDC (Center for Disease Control) released a study that cited statistics on STDs, (Sexually Transmitted Diseases) which showed that one in four teen-aged girls are infected. This is a sad fact. The U.S. is number one in many areas but does not care to have this statistic amongst the bragging rights.
The Professor and Maryann: Here on Gilligan’s Isle. The popular comedy series from about 1,000 years ago starred Bob Denver as Gilligan and among others, Dawn Wells as Maryann, the pure, sweet girl-next-door character who was cast opposite sexpot Tina Louise. We always wondered how the Professor was able to invent all manner of life sustaining contraptions but could not figure out how to patch their boat and get them off the island. We should have wondered what they smoked in their spare time. Bob Denver was busted for smoking grass numerous times and sweet little Maryann was recently busted in Idaho for smoking while driving. She copped a plea.
Remember Voodoo politics: Ah that burning question on the lips of every candidate and Florida and Michigan delegate, “Who do the Voodoo that you do so well?” All the doo doo about the do-over would put Rover in the clover. But the manure spread by both candidates over whether or not to redo the primary or caucus in the states begs this question: “Didn’t ALL candidates sign an agreement to ignore the two states that broke the rules?”
Who shot the ice cream lady and why: Remember a couple of weeks ago when a Henderson ice cream couple got in trouble with the cops? Hubby was pulled over for speeding and the cops called his wife. I’ve been pulled over for speeding a few times and nobody ever called my wife. But it wasn’t in Henderson. Maybe that’s the difference. Anyhow, wifey arrived and argued with the cops and was shot. Cops claim she was threatening them. Hubby said she was on the ground when it happened. An independent autopsy showed she was on the ground. Whoops. I smell a lawsuit if the lawyers have time between Endoscopy centers.
Here’s a tip - No outrageous behavior: The extortion that went on at LAX and perhaps other night clubs, as documented in the Las Vegas Sun tells a lot about the young generation. Back in the 1800s when I was a young bachelor in Las Vegas the closest thing to clubs were lounges and the drinks were free.
A little blogging music Maestro... “Memories.”
Dr. Forgot
Monday, March 10, 2008
Whores and Politicans
Politics: Poly (Many) + Ticks (Bloodsucking parasites)
May your Mayor check his Willie: The Big Apple’s serpent slithered into D.C. According to news wires, the law and order Guv of New York left Time Square to walk the plank on board the Mayflower – Hotel that is. The Loot Guv, as blind justice works, will now become the Guv. Seems that while he crusaded against bad guys doing nasty stuff by day he was a hooker booker after the sun went down. Like the song in Les Miz: “She plays a virgin in the light but needs no urgin’ in the night.”
Who’s Number one?: You’ve got to give the Clinton campaign credit. They’ve learned a lot by getting attacked in office for four years. Slick Willy helped trick with Hilly as she offered Obie-one the chance to be Obie-two. Here’s the logic: “You flunk the P{resident test so let’s put you a heartbeat away from the presidency.” Huh? Obama paused for a comma, then pointed out the ludicrousness of the suggestion. Perhaps the Clintons did not learn well enough from the marauding Rovers - the attempt to flip flopped.
The Mac flies above the flack: Several months ago everybody in the Repub party including many of his campaign workers and that crew whose politics are three miles to the right of Attila the Hun were taking part in the McCain mutiny. He was carrying his own bags, made a seat on Southwest Airlines his company plane, and pundits said the wheels had come off the Straight Talk Express. But just look at him now! Basking in the glow as a presidential nominee, he smiles and waves and holds the hand of his pretty Rodeo Queen wife. What a life!
Shaking the family tree can cause embarrassments: Ever since Alex Hailey’s book Roots hit the best seller list nearly 40 years ago genealogy came out of the Mormon closet and into the limelight. Somebody did a family background check and discovered that Obama and Vice President Lon – uh, I mean Dick Cheney were cousins. Barack admitted that the revelation caused embarrassment in his household – related to a Republican?
Speaking of the Vee Pee: Speaking of the Dickester, he leaves aboard Air Force Too in a week or so to visit Oman, Saudi Arabia, and other oil produ
cing countries. It is said he is headed there to visit his other relatives – the Halliburtons. We’re not sure if this trip qualifies as visiting a prostitute.
Is Oregon clinic going nuts?: Our final bit of today’s blog comes from the Pacific Northwest where people quack up and Ducks play sports. The Oregon Urology Institute wants to add a little sadness to March Madness. The institute’s director suggested a vasectomy for men who want to watch the entire weekend of basketball. It will give them an excuse to sit on the couch four days to recover.
A little blogging music Maestro... Is there a musical version of “The Agony and the Ecstasy?”
Dr. Forgot
May your Mayor check his Willie: The Big Apple’s serpent slithered into D.C. According to news wires, the law and order Guv of New York left Time Square to walk the plank on board the Mayflower – Hotel that is. The Loot Guv, as blind justice works, will now become the Guv. Seems that while he crusaded against bad guys doing nasty stuff by day he was a hooker booker after the sun went down. Like the song in Les Miz: “She plays a virgin in the light but needs no urgin’ in the night.”
Who’s Number one?: You’ve got to give the Clinton campaign credit. They’ve learned a lot by getting attacked in office for four years. Slick Willy helped trick with Hilly as she offered Obie-one the chance to be Obie-two. Here’s the logic: “You flunk the P{resident test so let’s put you a heartbeat away from the presidency.” Huh? Obama paused for a comma, then pointed out the ludicrousness of the suggestion. Perhaps the Clintons did not learn well enough from the marauding Rovers - the attempt to flip flopped.
The Mac flies above the flack: Several months ago everybody in the Repub party including many of his campaign workers and that crew whose politics are three miles to the right of Attila the Hun were taking part in the McCain mutiny. He was carrying his own bags, made a seat on Southwest Airlines his company plane, and pundits said the wheels had come off the Straight Talk Express. But just look at him now! Basking in the glow as a presidential nominee, he smiles and waves and holds the hand of his pretty Rodeo Queen wife. What a life!
Shaking the family tree can cause embarrassments: Ever since Alex Hailey’s book Roots hit the best seller list nearly 40 years ago genealogy came out of the Mormon closet and into the limelight. Somebody did a family background check and discovered that Obama and Vice President Lon – uh, I mean Dick Cheney were cousins. Barack admitted that the revelation caused embarrassment in his household – related to a Republican?
Speaking of the Vee Pee: Speaking of the Dickester, he leaves aboard Air Force Too in a week or so to visit Oman, Saudi Arabia, and other oil produ
cing countries. It is said he is headed there to visit his other relatives – the Halliburtons. We’re not sure if this trip qualifies as visiting a prostitute.Is Oregon clinic going nuts?: Our final bit of today’s blog comes from the Pacific Northwest where people quack up and Ducks play sports. The Oregon Urology Institute wants to add a little sadness to March Madness. The institute’s director suggested a vasectomy for men who want to watch the entire weekend of basketball. It will give them an excuse to sit on the couch four days to recover.
A little blogging music Maestro... Is there a musical version of “The Agony and the Ecstasy?”
Dr. Forgot
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
All the News That's Fit to Blog
FULL NEWS DAY
Sweet Sounds of Phil: The New York Philharmonic Orchestra made a landing in North Korea – the most Americans to land in Korea since the Korean War. Whew, at least the president didn’t make another pre-emptive attack on one of the “Evil Empire” countries. Instead this one was no bomb. In fact, the Koreans gave the Philos the equivalent of a standing “O.” It was cold, bleak and snowy outside the concert hall but inside it was pure love. Could fiddles in Washington while North Korea thaws.
One not so lucky Asian: While North Koreans were looking down on the orchestra in Ping-pong town, another Asian was looking down on some bad news in Texas. Houston Rockets star Yao Ming was watching his version of “My Left Foot,” and did not like what he saw. A stress fracture will require surgery or not. Either way he will likely be lost for the rest of the season. The screwed up injury will likely require screws to hold his foot together. Talk about seven feet of bad news.
Learn baby, learn: Some say Las Vegas is a cultural wasteland filled with pimps, hos, and pleasure palaces. Despite the numerous theaters, concerts, and other cultural activities the stereotype is difficult to shake. Libraries abound, although it is true that the one in Henderson will begin to close Sundays as budgets are reduced. Another bookstore has closed and the one in Mandalay Bay has announced it will close as well. But this week is reading week and dozens of local celebrities will read at local schools – a thirty-year tradition. Perhaps Senator Harry Reid will encourage the movement by changing his name to Harry Read.
Shortage of clicks flicks Google in a fix: Years ago if a floorman in a Las Vegas casino needed to order a drink for a customer he would click a Halloween clicker to summon the cocktail waitress. The mighty click has taken on new status online where every click on one of Google’s ads yields advertising money for the information gatherer. But over the past several months a dearth of clicks has caused Google’s main source of income to wither sending their stock value from a high of $747 per share to a low of $ 447. Google is trying to bounce back from the nadir.
Speaking of nadirs: That sometime politician with all the personality of a box of rocks, Ralph Nader has again announced a run for the presidency. Many thought his involvement in 2000 was the chad that broke the Democrats back. No known connection but shortly after the announcement the lights went out in Florida leaving 3 million people in the dark. The Republican National committee immediately rushed to get the votes counted for next fall’s election.
A little blogging music Maestro… how about “The Night the Lights Went Out.”
Dr. Forgot
Sweet Sounds of Phil: The New York Philharmonic Orchestra made a landing in North Korea – the most Americans to land in Korea since the Korean War. Whew, at least the president didn’t make another pre-emptive attack on one of the “Evil Empire” countries. Instead this one was no bomb. In fact, the Koreans gave the Philos the equivalent of a standing “O.” It was cold, bleak and snowy outside the concert hall but inside it was pure love. Could fiddles in Washington while North Korea thaws.
One not so lucky Asian: While North Koreans were looking down on the orchestra in Ping-pong town, another Asian was looking down on some bad news in Texas. Houston Rockets star Yao Ming was watching his version of “My Left Foot,” and did not like what he saw. A stress fracture will require surgery or not. Either way he will likely be lost for the rest of the season. The screwed up injury will likely require screws to hold his foot together. Talk about seven feet of bad news.
Learn baby, learn: Some say Las Vegas is a cultural wasteland filled with pimps, hos, and pleasure palaces. Despite the numerous theaters, concerts, and other cultural activities the stereotype is difficult to shake. Libraries abound, although it is true that the one in Henderson will begin to close Sundays as budgets are reduced. Another bookstore has closed and the one in Mandalay Bay has announced it will close as well. But this week is reading week and dozens of local celebrities will read at local schools – a thirty-year tradition. Perhaps Senator Harry Reid will encourage the movement by changing his name to Harry Read.
Shortage of clicks flicks Google in a fix: Years ago if a floorman in a Las Vegas casino needed to order a drink for a customer he would click a Halloween clicker to summon the cocktail waitress. The mighty click has taken on new status online where every click on one of Google’s ads yields advertising money for the information gatherer. But over the past several months a dearth of clicks has caused Google’s main source of income to wither sending their stock value from a high of $747 per share to a low of $ 447. Google is trying to bounce back from the nadir.
Speaking of nadirs: That sometime politician with all the personality of a box of rocks, Ralph Nader has again announced a run for the presidency. Many thought his involvement in 2000 was the chad that broke the Democrats back. No known connection but shortly after the announcement the lights went out in Florida leaving 3 million people in the dark. The Republican National committee immediately rushed to get the votes counted for next fall’s election.
A little blogging music Maestro… how about “The Night the Lights Went Out.”
Dr. Forgot
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Silly Sweets and Guns
43% of All Statistics Are Made Up
Kiss kiss, bang bang: A rash of shootings has brought Las Vegas into the spotlight recently. For more than a decade local media boasted that between 5,000 and 6,000 people moved to the Valley of the Dollars each month. But nobody seemed to take notice that all the incoming Vegans were not doctors, lawyers and casino executives. Many were second chance people who had issues with theft, drugs, rock and roll, and violence. Gang members from the streets of other large metropolitan areas moved with the flow and as local population topped two million, big city problems became part of the new Las Vegas.
The gun violence is not unique to the Valley. Bucolic campuses in Virginia and Illinois have been hit with gun violence. Yet spineless politicians continue to pander to the gun lobbies while the proliferation of weapons continues. Said lobbyists are so frightened on both sides of the aisle that despite the gun violence wreaked on the American public, nary a word of solving the problem has passed the lips of any candidate. Until Americans grow a spine the violence will continue.
Hershey, Utah? Probably the best know name associated with Utah is Senator Orrin Hatch. But the state that gave us crickets, BYU, and a basketball team named the Jazz has cut a sweet deal with chocolate company Hershey. America’s largest manufacturer of chocolate and other sweets announced recently that it will accept an incentive from Utah and build a distribution center in Ogden, just north of the City of Salt. To date Ogden was best known as the home of Weber State University.
What good can possibly come of such a move? Will Reese’s Pieces become Tabernacle Tidbits? Will Hershey’s Kisses become Brigham’s Busses? Will the Great Salt Lake be renamed Sugar Central? Possibilities are endless.
Demos look like dummies: Say what you will about the Democratic presidential nomination race. It is colorful (no pun intended), offers two strong candidates running neck and neck, and well organized. Well, maybe not so well organized in the Silver State. Dems had a convention last weekend and rented a room at Bally’s that could hold up to 5,000. Problem was more than 10,000 showed up. I suppose that is better than holding a convention where nobody came, but not by much.
Perhaps the parties should share leadership. The Republican frontrunner, Sen. John McCain is a military man from Arizona. He could have given the Democrats some sound advice on organization. Instead this fiasco reeked of “Ready, fire, aim.”
Turban Warfare: Did Hillary’s campaign leak a picture of Barack wearing an African turban to the news media? If so (or if not), this is a story because? Who cares? At the risk of being accused of plagiarism of one of Senator Obama’s lines, this is the silly season in politics. Dump the minutia. On with the substantive stuff – like Hillary ditching that yellow blazer or Barack taking notes, or whether or not John made googley eyes at a female lobbyist.
A little blogging music maestro… a silly song for the silly season: “You Can’t Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd,” by Roger Miller.
Dr. Forgot
Kiss kiss, bang bang: A rash of shootings has brought Las Vegas into the spotlight recently. For more than a decade local media boasted that between 5,000 and 6,000 people moved to the Valley of the Dollars each month. But nobody seemed to take notice that all the incoming Vegans were not doctors, lawyers and casino executives. Many were second chance people who had issues with theft, drugs, rock and roll, and violence. Gang members from the streets of other large metropolitan areas moved with the flow and as local population topped two million, big city problems became part of the new Las Vegas.
The gun violence is not unique to the Valley. Bucolic campuses in Virginia and Illinois have been hit with gun violence. Yet spineless politicians continue to pander to the gun lobbies while the proliferation of weapons continues. Said lobbyists are so frightened on both sides of the aisle that despite the gun violence wreaked on the American public, nary a word of solving the problem has passed the lips of any candidate. Until Americans grow a spine the violence will continue.
Hershey, Utah? Probably the best know name associated with Utah is Senator Orrin Hatch. But the state that gave us crickets, BYU, and a basketball team named the Jazz has cut a sweet deal with chocolate company Hershey. America’s largest manufacturer of chocolate and other sweets announced recently that it will accept an incentive from Utah and build a distribution center in Ogden, just north of the City of Salt. To date Ogden was best known as the home of Weber State University.
What good can possibly come of such a move? Will Reese’s Pieces become Tabernacle Tidbits? Will Hershey’s Kisses become Brigham’s Busses? Will the Great Salt Lake be renamed Sugar Central? Possibilities are endless.
Demos look like dummies: Say what you will about the Democratic presidential nomination race. It is colorful (no pun intended), offers two strong candidates running neck and neck, and well organized. Well, maybe not so well organized in the Silver State. Dems had a convention last weekend and rented a room at Bally’s that could hold up to 5,000. Problem was more than 10,000 showed up. I suppose that is better than holding a convention where nobody came, but not by much.
Perhaps the parties should share leadership. The Republican frontrunner, Sen. John McCain is a military man from Arizona. He could have given the Democrats some sound advice on organization. Instead this fiasco reeked of “Ready, fire, aim.”
Turban Warfare: Did Hillary’s campaign leak a picture of Barack wearing an African turban to the news media? If so (or if not), this is a story because? Who cares? At the risk of being accused of plagiarism of one of Senator Obama’s lines, this is the silly season in politics. Dump the minutia. On with the substantive stuff – like Hillary ditching that yellow blazer or Barack taking notes, or whether or not John made googley eyes at a female lobbyist.
A little blogging music maestro… a silly song for the silly season: “You Can’t Roller Skate in a Buffalo Herd,” by Roger Miller.
Dr. Forgot
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Another Hump Day in Paradise
Politics, Weather, and Other Olios
Hell hath no fury: Today's temperature in parts of the Valley of the Dollars is expected to reach the low 70s. A couple of Easterners we know left these balmy temps yesterday and crossed the country and walked smack into an iceberg. Snow, ice, sleet, road closures and pileups. Those are but a few of the reasons why so many Las Vegan have chosen to relocate from the rust belt.
Stick 'em up: That phrase has a whole new meaning these days especially when listening to baseball players and other athletes. The great steroid scandal continues to be played out as former baseballer Roger Clemens maintains his innocence. Perhaps his testimony was full of mispronunciations of names, misuse of words and rambling because he was nervous. I don't think one of the side effects of steroid use is the stupids. Come to think of it that could be a prerequisite for injecting that poison into one's body. But try as they might to blame the user, it is becoming clearer with each testimony that the use of performance enhancing drugs, if not subtly encouraged, was at least ignored by those who should have been watching - and we don't mean the fans.
Sorry Bill, it's for the good of the party: David Wilhelm, former head of the Democratic National Committee and former national manager of President Clinton's campaign is going to (or from, depending on your point of view) the dark side as he has agreed to team up with Barack Obama. He claims it is for the good of the party. That has to come as a severe blow to presidential nominee candidate Senator Hillary Clinton who is watching the wheels come of her campaign bandwagon with the replacement of two top campaign workers.
Build it and they will come: The lights of Las Vegas still shine despite the recent report that Lake Mead will dry up and quit producing electricity in a decade or two. Last year those lights were enjoyed by nearly 40 million people who left the one-arm bandits, table games and other forms of entertainment 11 billion of their money. The record setting pace of visitors and money to the Valley of the Dollars is welcome news to the hoteliers who currently boast an average occupancy rate in excess of 90%. Other communities would kill for that rate. And by 2009 thousands of rooms will be added to the inventory.
How 'bout them Rebels? Congratulations to the UNLV basketball team. Talk about underdogs! Just before the season began their star center left the team. He had been the only tall guy among the hoopsters, leaving a group of midgets - the tallest player is 6'8." Problem is, somebody forgot to tell the Rebels and their coach Lon Kruger that they couldn't cut the mustard. They are a whisper away from another 20-win season and a game behind league leading BYU.
A little blogging music Maestro... how about the UNLV Rebel fight song?
Dr. Forgot
Monday, February 11, 2008
Monday, Monday
USA and Chinatown
Who’s Your Daddy? Candidates on both sides of the aisle continue to cry, “Me…. Me…. Pick me.” To the of Senator McCain stands Governor Huckabee. Those right wing religious conservatives seem to heart Huckabee more than a Big Mac. Many openly complain that Mac does not lean as far to the right as they would have him. Reverend Huck has embraced the so-called Religious Right and together they have faith that without their endorsement Big Mac will be unable to sustain his march to the party nomination or a victory in the subsequent election. Pundits favor Mac as the victor but we know how accurate their predictions have been in the past (Think Rudy).
Would the Opposition Rather Pillory Hillary? Or Bomb Obama? Everybody has an opinion regarding who the Republicans would rather run against. Sleazemasters Rush Limbaugh (self proclaimed “On loan From God”) and Anne Coulter (quoted as “I’d rather vote for Hillary than John McCain”) have opinions that inflame and while rarely are on the mark are always in the money. One set of theories is that the Republicans would prefer to run against Hillary because they’ve been preparing for her longer and she and her potential First Laddie seem to be an easier target. Others accept the fact that it will be a horse race regardless of the Democratic nominee.
When your team is losing fire the manager: Such is the policy in baseball, football, and so it seems in politics. The campaign manager for Hillary recently had her sword broken, stripes ripped from her shoulder, and sent packing in favor of a replacement. Whether the newbie can stop the flood of Obama victories remains to be seen.
Happy New Year, Rat: Chinese New Year is typically a big celebration in Las Vegas. Last year it happened to coincide with the NBA All Star Game and the two constituencies meshed like Democrats and Republicans during an election year. Suffice it to say a culture clash was evident that made many Chinese visitors rethink their future visits to the Valley of the Dollars.
Chinese tourism which represents only a small fraction of tourists is expected to Shitake, uh, mushroom in the future. Gaming is still forbidden on Mainland China but with the replication of much of the Las Vegas Strip in Macau, many Chinese residents have had a taste of the Vegas experience and are expected to come to the Valley to experience the real thing. Oh yes, this is the Chinese New Year of the Rat. Local promoters hope stands for Register At The Strip.
A little blogging Maestro… How about the theme from “Chinatown?”
Dr. Forgot
Would the Opposition Rather Pillory Hillary? Or Bomb Obama? Everybody has an opinion regarding who the Republicans would rather run against. Sleazemasters Rush Limbaugh (self proclaimed “On loan From God”) and Anne Coulter (quoted as “I’d rather vote for Hillary than John McCain”) have opinions that inflame and while rarely are on the mark are always in the money. One set of theories is that the Republicans would prefer to run against Hillary because they’ve been preparing for her longer and she and her potential First Laddie seem to be an easier target. Others accept the fact that it will be a horse race regardless of the Democratic nominee.
When your team is losing fire the manager: Such is the policy in baseball, football, and so it seems in politics. The campaign manager for Hillary recently had her sword broken, stripes ripped from her shoulder, and sent packing in favor of a replacement. Whether the newbie can stop the flood of Obama victories remains to be seen.
Happy New Year, Rat: Chinese New Year is typically a big celebration in Las Vegas. Last year it happened to coincide with the NBA All Star Game and the two constituencies meshed like Democrats and Republicans during an election year. Suffice it to say a culture clash was evident that made many Chinese visitors rethink their future visits to the Valley of the Dollars.
Chinese tourism which represents only a small fraction of tourists is expected to Shitake, uh, mushroom in the future. Gaming is still forbidden on Mainland China but with the replication of much of the Las Vegas Strip in Macau, many Chinese residents have had a taste of the Vegas experience and are expected to come to the Valley to experience the real thing. Oh yes, this is the Chinese New Year of the Rat. Local promoters hope stands for Register At The Strip.
A little blogging Maestro… How about the theme from “Chinatown?”
Dr. Forgot
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Hey Big Spender
The Agony of de Feet
Oh nooooooo: Mitt Romney could have borrowed a line from a TV celebrity today. As the cartoon character Mr. Bill from Saturday Night Live used to say whenever he was about to get pulverized, "Oh noooooo." Perhaps he ran out of pocket change after spending $ 50 million of his own money, or perhaps he got tired of being beaten up by his fellow Republicans, or perhaps he cut a backroom deal to provide for a Big Mac. Regardless of his motivation, the Mitt has been smit from the race. That leaves only Reverend Mike to stand in the way of the Commodore. It also means that each party is down to two little candidates (see January 30 post Hungry Candidates Await Supper Tuesday and "Ten Little Candidates").
Mitt Wastes $ 50 Mil? He's a piker: Those of us "Little People" as described by the late Leona Helmsley might think that the ability of Governor Mitt to spend $ 50 million of his own money is a huge commitment. Wonder how much he has left (whoops, sorry about the use of the word "left"). I guess it just depends on one's perspective. Steve Wynn, chair and CEO of Wynn Resorts has seen his stock holdings decline by $ 1.4 billion (with a B).
Could it be worse? It could if you're Kirk Kerkorian, majority stockholder of MGM Mirage has seen his portfolio slip by a whopping $ 4.6 billion (also with a B), more than triple the loss of Steve Wynn. And his losses weren't the worst for Las Vegas stake holders!
Local hotel magnate Sheldon Adleson, dreamer and builder of the Venetian and Palazzo Hotels in Las Vegas has had seen an adjustment in his portfolio of nearly triple the amount of Kirkerkorian's loss - $ 10.8 billion! That is a big hit, even if last September he was cited as the third richest American with holdings of $ 28 billion. It reminds me of the sage who once said, "A million here, a million there... pretty soon you're talking about real money.
"Please sir, can I have a little more?" Compared to the guys above, Las Vegas schoolteachers seem a bit like the Charles Dickens character, orphan and beggar Oliver Twist when he dared ask for another morsel of food. Local teachers, hat in hand, have for years begged the legislature for a humble increase in their pay but state budgets have kept them ranked among the bottom few states in pay. One justification is that perks such as no state income tax should make up the difference.
But teachers have come up with a different tack, asking that Fagin, er, the gaming industry's tax rate be increased by a mere three percent with monies designated to be spent on teacher salaries. The state's largest industry compensating teachers??? What a concept!
A little blogging music Maestro.... How about the old Cricket's tune, "Money (That's What I Want)."
Dr. Forgot
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Hump Day
Super Tuesday Settles It… Or Not
Mac, Mitt, Mike: Those to the right of center – but far enough right according to some in the party are each claiming victory. Mike cried “Hallelujah and Amen” as voters in ‘Bama, his homies in Arkansas, peaches in Georgia, volunteers in Tennessee, and mountaineers in West Virginny all decided they hearted Huckabee best. Brother Mitt found Alaskan Eskimos, Colorado Rockers, three M’s (Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Montana) were mmmm-mmmm good to him, as were ballot punchers in N. Dakota and Utah.
The big winner, despite rantings and ravings from a certain pill popper in Florida, was Mac who knifed through nine states (AZ, CA, CO, DE, IL, MO, NJ, NY and OK), all of which were okay to Mac by delivering 423 delegates on a silver platter. Mac must have been singing Abba’s “The Winner Takes it All” as he relished in the Republican rules in most states which give all the state’s delegates to the winner. Super Tuesday’s outcome did not dampen the spirits of either of the other two candidates, however as they still consider themselves contenders.
Tales from the left of center: Hillary must feel that yellow blazer is her lucky coat. Either that or she is considering becoming a school crossing guard after her political career ends. Whether it was the magic yellow blazer or Bill’s lip being zipped, she came out on top Arkansas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma as well as states with large urban centers and heavy Latino makeup – AZ, CA, MA, and the two News; York and Jersey. However, in all states except Arkansas (69%) she took 56% or less of the vote.
If Hillary took the diverse urban states, Barack cruised in the mostly white rural states including 80% of the ballots cast in Idaho, 75% in Alaska and Kansas and 65% in his home state of Illinois. The results made one thing clear – there is no clear winner on the Democratic slate and probably will not be for another month or so. One thing is for sure – there is no sure thing.
When is a flag just a rag? Las Vegas’ Liberty High School colors are red, white, and blue and its mascot is a Patriot. What better setting for a self-proclaimed 18-year old atheist to refuse to stand during the morning flag salute because he objects to the phrase, “One nation under God?” The student was sent to the Dean to get things sorted out but instead called Mommy who told him to come home. He now could be in trouble – not for refusing to stand. The law allows for that. But for leaving campus without permission. What a country!
A little blogging music Maestro… Tommy Blakes, “Freedom.”
Dr. Forgot
Mac, Mitt, Mike: Those to the right of center – but far enough right according to some in the party are each claiming victory. Mike cried “Hallelujah and Amen” as voters in ‘Bama, his homies in Arkansas, peaches in Georgia, volunteers in Tennessee, and mountaineers in West Virginny all decided they hearted Huckabee best. Brother Mitt found Alaskan Eskimos, Colorado Rockers, three M’s (Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Montana) were mmmm-mmmm good to him, as were ballot punchers in N. Dakota and Utah.
The big winner, despite rantings and ravings from a certain pill popper in Florida, was Mac who knifed through nine states (AZ, CA, CO, DE, IL, MO, NJ, NY and OK), all of which were okay to Mac by delivering 423 delegates on a silver platter. Mac must have been singing Abba’s “The Winner Takes it All” as he relished in the Republican rules in most states which give all the state’s delegates to the winner. Super Tuesday’s outcome did not dampen the spirits of either of the other two candidates, however as they still consider themselves contenders.
Tales from the left of center: Hillary must feel that yellow blazer is her lucky coat. Either that or she is considering becoming a school crossing guard after her political career ends. Whether it was the magic yellow blazer or Bill’s lip being zipped, she came out on top Arkansas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma as well as states with large urban centers and heavy Latino makeup – AZ, CA, MA, and the two News; York and Jersey. However, in all states except Arkansas (69%) she took 56% or less of the vote.
If Hillary took the diverse urban states, Barack cruised in the mostly white rural states including 80% of the ballots cast in Idaho, 75% in Alaska and Kansas and 65% in his home state of Illinois. The results made one thing clear – there is no clear winner on the Democratic slate and probably will not be for another month or so. One thing is for sure – there is no sure thing.
When is a flag just a rag? Las Vegas’ Liberty High School colors are red, white, and blue and its mascot is a Patriot. What better setting for a self-proclaimed 18-year old atheist to refuse to stand during the morning flag salute because he objects to the phrase, “One nation under God?” The student was sent to the Dean to get things sorted out but instead called Mommy who told him to come home. He now could be in trouble – not for refusing to stand. The law allows for that. But for leaving campus without permission. What a country!
A little blogging music Maestro… Tommy Blakes, “Freedom.”
Dr. Forgot
Monday, February 4, 2008
Sunday Olio, Super Chooseday
New York, Political, and Other Giants
Show class in victory and defeat: No longer can the i be removed to make them the New York Gnats. The Pat Riot is over. The Patty-cake from the land of baked beans found that cactus country ended the dry spell of their cross-a-couple-of-states rivals. Brady did not have the beauty from all the other games as the Beast belittled the Pats. As any Monday morning quarterback can say, I saw it coming. The Perfect Pattys could easily have not been so had it not been for a bad call at Baltimore or a bad bounce against Sand Diego or even their previous meeting with the NY Ogres. Eli is due his gin as is the rest of the team. Pat Coach Belichick's belly-ache post game interview could have shown more class. I'm sure his radio played "Hurt So Bad."
Yes We Can: get as many endorsements as possible. Who is winning the race for California backers? Hillary seems to be leading the pack with some 30 high profile backers including politicos Gary Davis, Diane Feinstein, Maxine Waters, and seven city council members as well as entertainers Ron Howard, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ron Howard, Rob Reiner, and Steven Spielberg. Barack trails with some 22 major endorsements including less well known politicos and George Clooney among his actors. On the Republican side Johnny Mac claims 12 endorsements from Sly Stallone, Guv. Arnold, and a host of politicos. Mitt boasts endorsements from 11 politicos including the Orange County GOP chair, and five boosters heart Mike Huckabee including the co-founder of the Minuteman Project, former candidate Duncan Hunter, and tough guy actor Chuck Norris.
CSPAN Class Act: The get-together of the girls for "O" man included "O" ladies Oprah and Michelle, along with supporters Caroline Kennedy and Maria Schriver - wife of the Governator. Oprah was.... well, Oprah. Caroline was fine and Maria made a strong case for her support of Senator Obama. But in this writer's opinion, Michelle Obama stole the show. If was one of the first times she has spoken at length in a national forum. Ms. Obama was as eloquent as she was "down home." Her message is sure to touch the hearts of the young and restless. My only concern is that some conspiracy theorist will start looking into Obama, Oprah, Iowa, and find that there are just too many vowels.
Flipping real estate in Las Vegas: The media gives us our daily dose of the shaky Las Vegas real estate market but we can prove that there are still bargains out there. One report gave upbeat sales figures to commercial buildings and more recently the Gold Spike, which had been purchased six months ago for $ 15.6 million, was recently flipped, or resold for $ 21 million. Not a bad profit.
Bits of Tid: We reported in a post recently that the Monte Carlo and MGM Mirage management showed class in the way guests were handled in the aftermath of their fire. Several guests have spoken out and most seem to be in agreement that personal trauma was kept to a minimum and many were upgraded to suites at other properties. North Las Vegas has grown from its "Northtown" image of a bedroom community for Las Vegans to a formidable competitor to Las Vegas and Henderson. The community or 200,000+ plans to add 330 acres of new gaming and hotel rooms in the I-15/215 area. Remember, Las Vegas was once little more than a watering hole.
A little blogging music Maestro... Kenny Rogers, "The Gambler."
Dr. Forgot
Friday, February 1, 2008
Friday's Follies
Super Summary
Super Bowl Sunday: This weekend's game in Arizona will be another boon for Las Vegas. From the prop bets - Hilton alone offers 50 pages worth - to betting on the outcome of the game (Pats are hands down favorites but will they cover the spread?), to packages that go through Las Vegas, this will be one of the biggest sports weekends of the year. Beer and snack sales are up, big screen TV sets and recliners are being lugged out of stores, and pizza makers are bracing for an onslaught. A call-girl cal has even gone out since there are not enough escorts to escort fans. The big bowl helps to keep Las Vega$$$ green.
Slip sliding away: Taxable sales slipped in November - a whopping 1.3% according to those who report such things. Can't help but wonder why they did not report that November sales were at 98.7% of last year's record? Still, the weekend should boost sales taxes as well as casino spending. The Valley of the Dollars is usually considered a destination but many Super Bowlers stop here for a few days then mosey on down to the game. Those without tickets opt to stay and see it locally. It is cheaper that way and they get to see replays and tho
se fancy new commercials.Are candidate debates de bait? It is looking more and more like both parties have their two finalists for the pageant. The Republicans had their debate the other day on the right side of the left coast and Mitt and John seem to be the emerging candidates. Last night the Democrats had their Kodak moment on the left coast as Hillary and Obama continue to be center stage. Seems like it should be a movie - actually two movies. The Rebub debate was cast as "Grumpy Old Men" and the Dem debate was cast as "Love Story."
Where have all the flowers gone? We don't know about the other flowers but if a Rose by any other name (as in Thomas Rose) doth appear as a Peter Piper of Paradise Plumbing, he may have pilfered a peck of palettes from the public pavilion. Police partook plenty of packages from the pigeonhole that belongs to the owner of Paradise Plumbing. Problems persist pursuant to pilferage of University Medical Center property that has pitfallen into places where they should not be perched. Paradise Plumbing was paid 50 grand to replace valves without the benefit of a bidding process. That is perplexing.
Won't you be my friend? It wasn't Mr. Rogers but President Bush who flew into the Valley of the Dollars looking for friends. But most of the Republican officeholders were conspicuously absent to greet him for photo ops. In fact, members of the media were kept at such a distance that it was nigh impossible to get a photo shot of him. The Pres was able to dig up a few supporters including the Guv, who is having many of his own problems that are not unlike those of the Prez. During a 30-minute speech the hand picked audience that gave the biggest round of applause to his correctly pronouncing "Nevada."
New meaning may come to The Strip: Like Rodney Dangerfield, some people just don't get no respect. Take strippers for example. Wait, let me rephrase that. An estimated 10,000 strippers - uh, exotic dancers, actually pay for the privilege of getting naked as independent contractors. But a group of the ladies have sued to become employees and be paid wages by club owners for whom they work. When they say "minimum" they are talking about attire, not wages. A recent ruling cleared the way for a class action lawsuit that some may consider no-class seeking to change the work status. One might say the new law would cover the uncovered.
A little blogging music maestro..."Your Mama Don't Dance" by Poison.
Dr. Forgot
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Marx's Tomb. A Communist Plot
Sunnyday Tuesday in Sunshine State
El Primerio - Fighting it out in Florida: Today is the day that Rudy Guiliani will find out if his battle plan worked. Like the beggar who asked for $ 500 for a cup of coffee, Rudy decided to put all his begs into one ask-it. Senator McCain is basking in the limelight of having received the endorsement of the Guv. Pundits say that gives him the battle but not the war - yet. Mut the Good Guv Mitt is not ready to be smit by the McCain machine. His pundits say the race is a dead heat. If they tie, it is going to be interesting to see how the 57 Florida delegates will be split. In the back of the voting classroom Rudy and Rev. Huckabee are doing their best Horschak imitation of "Me, me me. Pick me!" We will bring you the results in tomorrows post.
Democratic Faux Pas? The Dems have certainly had a quiver-full of Florida frustrations from hanging chads in 2000 to touch screen fiascoes in 2004. So what is their strategy this year in the fourth most populous state with oodles of big money donors? They play hooky. The DNC punished Florida for moving its primary to January 29. But the spanking backfired as it left the Republican candidates almost unlimited free airtime the week before Super Tuesday. That showed those nasty little Florida legislators. Note to the DNC: Can you say, "Ready, Fire, Aim?"
Top of the Monte Carlo Conversation: We reported yesterday that workers would try to begin to repair fire damage to the Monte Carlo despite high winds. Instead we are imagining a conversation between a couple of rooftop construction workers that may have gone: Worker 1: Windy, ain't it? Worker 2: No, it's colder than Thursday. Worker 1. Me too. Lets get a hot cup of Joe. Work will begin in earnest today.
Bits of tid: This is a new segment of our posting. We will occasionally provide a gaggle of activities and happenings. Are you strapped in? That "Whole Lot of Shakin' Goin' On" in the Lake Tahoe area was not Jerry Lee Lewis. A 3.2 temblor hit the Incline Village area yesterday. One finger salute from the auto dealer who wants to fly an oversize flag on an oversized pole. City fathers say, "No, no." Car dealer says, "Watch this!" That white stuff on Mt. Charleston is legal. Sixteen inches of snow fell in the mountains around Las Vegas this weekend. Snow bunnies are delighted. Of course the curmudgeons say, "The more snow, the more opportunities for avalanches. Right. And the more rain the more opportunities for drowning.
A little blogging music Maestro... "Going Out of My Mind"
Dr. Forgot
Monday, January 28, 2008
Everything in Moderation. Even Moderation
Everything you Want to Know
Equal rignts; Equal justice: Life just isn't always fair. Take for instance the penalty for dognapping in Virginia - a felony that can result in up to 10 years in the hoosegow. But steal a cat (would that be a cat nap?) and the penalty is but a misdemeanor. Local politicians are up in arms, er, paws about the discrepency. The proposal has been dubbed, "Ernie's law" after Ernie the kitten that was stolen from the SPCA. At this writing we're not sure if the law will pass or if it will be scratched. But we do know that being in the doghouse means trouble but being in the.... well, you get the idea.
Off-Strip dining elegance: Last night we attended a birthday dinner way off the Las Vegas Strip. A recently-opened restaurant called Six Tables is on Lake Mead and Rampart, about as far away from the strip as one can get. But it is somethingt new for Las Vegas - elegant and upscale with a strong European flavor. Six tables is the maximum that will be seated at any given time and only one seating per night - 7:00 p.m. Las Vegans are nortorious for arriving fashionable late but Chef Roland tells us they're getting there on time. A full course meal with no microwave preparation. A two hour dinner. No need to fight the tourists. How much better can it get?
Nothing is guaranteed but death and taxes: Take actor Wesley Snipes. Ok, if you don't take him the government might. The feds are sniping at the actor for no other reason than he stopped paying his income taxes. Oh, yes, he also demanded $ 11 millon in taxes that he'd already paid. Who does this guy think he is, Halliburton? Prosecutors ask that if he likes the number 11, how does he feel about 16? That is the number of years he could serve if convicted.
Windy with a chance of cleanup: Today's weather in Las Vegas emulates some politicians - blowhard. When the winds blow the cradle might fall but hundreds of cleanup workers put on their longjohns and gear up to clean up the Monte Carlo after the fire. The 2,400 guests, all of whom were relocated to rooms in other hotels where the smoke did not get in their eyes, have mostly left Las Vegas. Employees of the hotel are at this writing drawing their full salaries. Some have been asked to participate in cleanup efforts and the others are asked to check a hotline number daily. A tip of the hat to the Monte Carlo and owners MGM-Mirage for their class in handling of this event.
Politics ala Republican: As candidates get ready for the opening bell in the Florida primary the M&M boys, Mitt and McCain, continue their slugfest for position while Rudy must be asking himself, "Is anybody out there listening to me?" Rudy's strategy was like a marathon runner who did not start the race until the rest of the pack was five miles down the road. Meanwhile, back at the boxing ring Senator McCain accused Mitt of having a plan for troop removal. Mitt got so angry he said, "You, you... are being dishonest!" Wow. That should put the Arizonan in his place.
Politics ala Democrat: Hillary and Bill, who have been doing their best Billary campaign performance, walked directly into a haymaker from left field. Call it the Kennedy Krunch. Sunday's media told of Caroline's support letter for Senator Obama, then today Teddy and Patrick of the Kennedys announced their Barack support as well. Senator Clinton will take a standing eight count while her corner's cutman wipes the blood from her scorecard. Between rounds, from now until Tuesday her camp will try to figure out a strategy to overcome today's blow.
A little blogging music Maestro... "Not Ready to Make Nice," by the Dixie Chicks.
Dr. Forgot
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