FRANK WRIGHT
The historian this state was lucky to have.
SI REDD
Two questions for the late gaming pioneer, answered with quotes he gave to Las Vegas Life magazine in November 2001.
You really invented video poker? "My engineer, Dale Frye, and I actually did invent video poker. We just copied Pong."
Wow, that's cool! "I'm not so proud of the poker machine. It was too good. I'm concerned about the problems it may have caused people."
DAVE COURVOISIER'S MUSTACHE
MIKE TYSON'S SOLVENCY
PARIS HILTON'S VIRGINITY
Whoops, wrong year!
OUR FAITH IN THE CLAIMS OF ALIEN-BELIEVING, BABY-CLONING RELIGIOUS CULTS
We won't be so gullible next time!
LA REVE
Nothing says "class" like naming things in French, and La Reve practically shouted class. Wynn Las Vegas simply says Wynn Las Vegas, which we already knew.
CAFE ESPRESSO ROMA
A concise oral history of the closing of the beloved local coffee shop and hangout for culturatti:
Owners: We're closing.
Culturatti: Damn!
And so passed into local lore—on the heels of Enigma Cafe and Cafe Copioh—one of the few places where people who are too cool for Starbucks could mingle with people too cool for Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.
GLASS POOL INN
We'll always have that Robert Plant video.
HALF OF LAKE MEAD
OUR FAITH IN THE CLAIMS OF LEGISLATORS WHO SAY THEY'RE PRO-EDUCATION AND THEN GO TO CARSON CITY AND SCREW THE POOCH, EDUCATION-FUNDING-WISE
We won't be so gullible next time!
BUDDY HACKETT
THE GUGGENHEIM BIG BOX
So long to the world's most architecturally pedigreed motorcycle garage. When we think of the exhibits this space might have hosted —The Art of the Backhoe— we can't help but be wistful about the squandered potential.
ANY LINGERING DOUBTS THAT HUNTER S. THOMPSON'S BRAIN IS A TUREEN OF LUMPY GRAY STEW
Dr. Gonzo's embarrassing appearance at CineVegas—drunken shenanigans, failing to show at the much-hyped discussion panel—only reinforced what we already knew: The sozzled author of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas is chemical-ridden enough to qualify as a Superfund site.
CITY COUNCILMAN MICHAEL MCDONALD
From 60 to zero in record time.
JOHN CORBETT'S LUCKY
Johnny, we hardly viewed ya.
THE SIEGFRIED & ROY SHOW
THE VERY THINGS THAT KEEP US CIVILIZED
Bumfights 2 went on sale in August.
OUR FAITH IN THE CREATIVITY OF GOVERNMENT AD CAMPAIGNS
A concise oral history of the creation of Dusty the Dusthole, star of the county's "edgy" campaign against dust-creators.
Creative Person 1: What if we call them assholes by calling them "dustholes"?
Creative Person 2: Edgy!
Sometimes, what happens in an idea session should stay in an idea session.
OUR HOPE THAT THE NEXT U.S. SENATE RACE WILL BE A SERIOUS DEBATE ON ISSUES VITAL TO SOUTHERN NEVADA'S WELL-BEING
Richard Ziser declared himself a candidate.
THE MOULIN ROUGE
The landmark casino went up in flames this year. Question is: Was it a big blow to black Las Vegas or just to our nostalgia?
H&H BARBECUE
A great restaurant lost to fire.
SONIO'S
Another great restaurant lost to fire.
DAVE HICKEY
An art department genius, lost to academic politics (he'll teach in UNLV's English department now).
BOBBY HATFIELD
No, he was the
other Righteous Brother.
OUR RELATIVE UNFAMILIARITY WITH MICHAEL GALARDI
OUR TOTAL UNFAMILIARITY WITH JANET MONCRIEF
TRAFFIC PROBLEMS
Obligatory jokey item
LIZ MOORE
For a while, there wasn't a day that passed in which this liberal activist didn't fire off a mass e-mail about some rally, some meeting, some issue we needed to know about. From Native American rights to antiwar protests, she was the go-to voice of the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada—before she ditched us for the Golden State.
FREEDOM FROM THE SNEAKY EYE OF CELL-PHONE CAMERAS
OUR FAITH IN THE RELATIVE NON-ORWELLIANNESS OF THE ONSTAR SYSTEM
Feds investigating G-Sting used the in-car computer system to eavesdrop on suspects.
MILK DUDS AT REGAL CINEMAS
This wrong, wrong decision—to replace the classic movie-going treat with bags of Snickers balls—threatened to collapse Hollywood and shred the fabric of America.
THE VENETIAN
The restaurant, not the resort. Another dining institution lost.
SHOW ME THE CHICKEN
Great chicken at a good price, gone. Damn this uncaring, unfeeling town! Why don't we preserve our own heritage?
OUR LAST MOLECULE OF HOPE FOR NEONOPOLIS
OUR FAITH THAT WE CAN WALK OVER ELECTRIC BOXES WITH IMPUNITY
It took the life of one unsupecting tourist, scared the begeezus out of a child and a dog, and burned a little bit of innocence out of all of us. Now we have to think about more than cracks and mamas' backs while walking.
FOUNTAINS. EXCEPT AT EXPENSIVE STRIP PROPERTIES.
OUR FAMILY-FRIENDLY IMAGE
We haven't pushed the family-friendly image for years, and the rest of the world is just starting to catch on with the "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" campaign. Though it's good they're starting to understand us a little better, the whole "Spit-take! Vegas! Family-friendly!" reaction from outsiders is getting old.
OUR FAITH IN THE ABILITY OF A BRAND-NAME COACH TO TURN AROUND AN AILING COLLEGE SPORTS PROGRAM
We won't be so gull ... aw, hell, yes we will.