STATE OF THE CITY |
Nuke Industry Squeezes Yucca! Will Money Pop Out?
"The vast majority are going to seize on this as a reason to expedite Yucca Mountain when we know it is unsafe."— Shelley Berkley, Nevada congresswoman.
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In an R-J Editorial Ideas Meeting, No One Can Hear You Scream
Kudos to the Review-Journal for publishing, on the front of Sunday's In Depth section, a tribute to R-J editorial cartoonist Jim Day by R-J columnist John L. Smith. Just the other day, Gray Matters turned to a colleague and said, "I'm really getting tired of picking up the In Depth section and seeing stories about issues of pressing local, regional or national importance. When will they give us a little self-promotional hand-jobbery instead?"
Thanks, R-J!
While You're Out, Pick Up A Quart of Milk, a Dozen Eggs, a Box of Tampons and a Cummerbund
The sole occupant listed on the large marquee of a strip mall at the corner of Durango and Tropicana: Jerry's Tux Shop.
How Many? Geez, That's More People Than Would Pay to See An Eddie Murphy Movie
At a homebuyer's workshop sponsored by a local builder—yes, for purchasing an eternal money pit of repairs, you get to go to a class, complete with three-ring binders of rules, advice and maintenance schedules—an instructor noted that the Las Vegas housing market has gone so berserk that at a recent "lot lottery," one development in the Valley found itself swamped by more than 200 cars full of anxious wannabe-homeowners.
"Can you imagine that?" she asked. "There is just absolutely nothing left here in Las Vegas. In all my years, I've never seen a housing market like this one."
Are we becoming the next New York City? Start saving now for that adorable Downtown, ridiculously-low-$2,500-a-month studio apartment (utilities not included, no pets).
You Mean He Was Too Busy to Personally Accept the Film Industry's Most Prestigious Award Named for a Chemical?
"The recipient of the Fifth Annual Silver Nitrate Award [handed out by the Nevada Film Office] is Anthony E. Zuiker, creator/executive producer of the television series CSI. Although Mr. Zuiker was not able to attend, his mother, Diana Zuiker of Las Vegas, was present and accepted the plaque on his behalf." — From a film office press release
It Spends Just Like Straight Money, You Idiots
The raging success of Neonopolis certainly justifies rejecting the bid of an Ohio businessman to open a gay nightclub, because who needs all that two-income, no-children, pockets-full-of-disposable cash Downtown?
Is There Any Part Of Vegas Attorney, TV Talk Show Host and Would-Be Politician Ed Bernstein We Haven't Seen?
The TV show Homes Across America is going to feature "local celebrity" Ed Bernstein's home this spring. Notes the press release, "Bernstein's home was selected for its uniqueness of style and its very 'un-Vegas' qualities." That's right. It refers to Ed Bernstein and "un-Vegas" in the same sentence.
Investment Tips From the Weekly
Back issues of Las Vegas Weekly are priceless artifacts! Or, y'know, possibly worth 10 bucks on eBay. Two copies of the "rare" December 18, 2003, issue, with The Lord of the Rings on the cover, are up for sale on the online auction site, one for $9.99 and the other for $5. No bids have come in as of yet, but with five and six days left on the auctions, there's plenty of time to snag these oh-so-collectible items.
Sensing a gold mine, and still stinging from our failure to capitalize on the last Internet boom, the Weekly staff has upped the ante by posting on eBay a copy of that issue autographed by us. Asking price: $1000 OBO; bid as of press time: $1.
A search of the site revealed no listings for Las Vegas CityLife or Las Vegas Mercury.
Weekly Contributor Makes Good
Illustrator Brandon Bird, a frequent contributor to this paper, recently created a coloring book based on the popular TV show Law & Order. Last Wednesday, on Conan O'Brien's show, the host presented Law & Order star Jerry Orbach with a copy. Brandon is selling the coloring books for $12 each on his website, www.brandonbird.com.