STATE OF THE CITY |
The bid to restrict public-sector employees from being legislators is the sort of on-one-hand, on-the-other-hand issue that quickly makes you realize you'll need a lot more hands to think this thing through. On one hand, we're all for sticking to the state constitution. On the other hand, a Legislature made up of private-sector types—doctors, lawyers, businessmen—seems like a benefit mostly to whomever rents out Lexuses in Carson City. On the other other hand, who wants to side with double-dippers? On the other other other hand, Republican George Harris' initiative, for all his blah blah blah about the constitution, smells a lot like a partisan play, too (most public-sector lawmakers are Democrats). On the other other other other hand ... aw, hell, this is where we throw up all of our hands and wonder about the real questions: What sort of state does each side want to see? How much damage will ultimately be done in this tug of war over competing visions? Whose hands do we want on our state? |
Dave Hickey Once Said That Everyone in Vegas Wakes Up Happy They're Not in Salt Lake City. Not So Fast, Dave!
"Want fun? Forget Vegas—try Salt Lake-Ogden"
Yes, that's an actual headline from the Deseret News, following a ranking of the most "fun cities" by the makers of the board game Cranium. Vegas ranked No. 25, Salt Lake ranked No. 9, and Minneapolis was No. 1.
Let us just say, Cranium isn't a fun game. And Minneapolis has mosquitoes the size of 747s, so no wonder they're hunkered inside over a board game. But it's hard to deny that a fun-filled trip to Salt Lake-Ogden—Look, honey, there's a giant temple and some missionaries!—has always been one of America's favorite vacation getaways.
Mis-Fortune
"You want to know about Merv?" asks Lee Rich, who co-founded Lorimar Telepictures (Dallas, Falcon Crest, The Waltons) with Merv Adelson, in a Fortune magazine article. "Go to Las Vegas. You'll learn all about Merv Adelson."
If the name Merv Adelson—whose June DUI arrest in Aspen and September bankruptcy filing sent shockwaves through Hollywood—sounds familiar, it should.
Merv is the son of Nathan Adelson and co-creator, with Irwin Molasky, of Nathan Adelson Hospice. Opened in 1978, the 4141 Swenson St. facility has treated more than 20,000 terminally ill patients. Twenty years prior, in 1958, the duo opened Sunrise Hospital. Adelson, who owned a 24-hour grocery store and built houses, found wealth in real-estate projects, the biggest being the famed La Costa resort in California.
Merv's fall from grace, according to Fortune's financial autopsy, came from excess—private planes, fancy cars, multiple homes. Once worth more than $100 million, he owes creditors $112.5 million.The bankruptcy case is pending.
This Portion of Gray Matters Is Not Suitable for Children Under 18, Easily Shocked Adults or Pahrump Residents Offended by Puerile Humor About Their Town
Brothel joke of the week, from a local message board:
Q: What do you call a high school girl in Pahrump?
A: A brothel sprout.
Where are our brothel sprouts, Oscar? We want our brothel sprouts, now!
The One-Minute Food Critic: Long John Silver's Crab Cakes
First thought when I saw the sign advertising Long John Silver's limited-time crab cake special: Shouldn't they spell crab-cake with a K, as in crab-product, crab-substitute, crab-like?
First thought when I looked it up on their website, hoping to find their ingredients: Oh my god, they not only don't spell crab with a K, but they stuff their crab cakes with lobster!
Of course, that wasn't enough to stop this intrepid journalist in her krab-tracks. Nor was the ad that said "Add a crab cake for only 79 cents!" No, I pulled up to the drive-through window, placed my order, listened to the bubbling oil kissing my made-to-order crab snacks (this is what I tell myself, please don't interfere in the fantasy), and took them to eat in a place not decorated with anchors, fish nets and pirate hats.
Savory Description: These crab cakes, which are really conglomerated-crustacean cakes, have a kind of cornmeal coating, different from the fried chicken and fish. It's at first resistant to the fork, but once you're past the coating and into the center, it's soft, chunky and the color of Thousand Island Dressing. The taste is salty, with a kind of fishy perfume attached to it—more of a smell than a flavor. The texture is a mix of moist-flaky-chunky-wet. Disturbing, but not all bad. If you think of the cake as a vehicle for ketchup, as I consider all of the fried delights at Long John Silvers, you'll enjoy. Gibson and Margot, who are a dog and cat, respectively, even savored the treats ketchup-free.
Coming Next Month: A Fashion Spread Shot in Meskeet!
November's GQ, in a story about a mystery writer, refers to the Nevada city of Loughlin.
Growth's Hidden Impact
Best known as the state's only city outlawing gambling, Boulder City is gaining new distinction as the valley's best place to ditch the deceased, the Las Vegas Sun reports. Six homicide victims have been recovered in the city's jurisdiction this year, compared with one the past five years; cops say five of the murders were likely committed elsewhere, with the bodies dropped off in Boulder City.
Cops point to urban sprawl as the cause—with neighborhoods sprouting with zit-like efficiency, once-barren land is being devoured, thus robbing criminals of stash spots.
As Boulder City Police Detective Jeffrey Lomprey told the Sun: "With the growth of the Las Vegas Valley, we are getting a splash-over because there are not enough remote places left to hide bodies in Las Vegas."
Fun Facts About Ross Becker, Channel 13 Anchor, According to a Direct Mail Advertisement for the Station
He likes the climate in Las Vegas. He's "afraid of failure." He plays golf. He sometimes forgets to take off his stage makeup before leaving the studio and "freak(s) people out." He's a clotheshorse. His wife is impressed that he picks out his own clothes. He's a Packers fan. He's a Dodgers fan. He's a Clippers fan. He thinks Vegas is "a great place for a broadcast journalist to really make a difference." He has two black cats.
If you require more information, e-mail him at [email protected]