As I was reading last week's cover article, Behold, The Super Party!, all I could think about was the sheer volume of rational thought and obvious logic it contained. Public financing of elections? Of course! Abolish the Electoral College? Naturally! Legalize marijuana to put the drug barons in their place? Indubitably! Will any of this pure common sense ever see the glorious light of day in Washington? Not a chance! It sinks my heart to know that David McKee's rational idealism is thought of as just that: idealism. Were our representatives in Washington not trying so hard to keep two men from holding hands, perhaps they could be utilizing these same ideas to truly bring us just a little bit closer to a utopian society. Thank you, Mr. McKee, for painting a picture of America's liberator; but, for now, he (or she) exists only in our dreams.
Josh Bell's contribution to our November 11 cover package—a snapshot of midnight at Bonanza Gifts—elicited this response:
I loved your article, Routine Announcements and Pressing Questions at the world's Largest Gift Shop.
My dearest girlfriend owned a gift shop in a thriving casino on Fremont Street for 19 years. Every day she would recite these daily events that go on in a Downtown gift shop world, with the same sarcastic Jewish wit and humor as you would see it. We laughed our asses off about this subject for years!
Our November 11 feature, by Michael T. Toole, on great old-school restaurants prompted a couple of readers to stick up for their favorite long-term eateries.
You forget to include Battista's Hole in the Wall among the restaurants that have been around 25 years or more. Battista's has been around for over 30 years, and we have been going to Battista's ever since moved to the Las Vegas area about 25 years ago. We try to bring all our out-of-town guests to visit Battista's, and they end up having as much fun as we do every time that we go. The staff is very friendly and the accordion player Gordie adds to the fun.
Editor's note: We agree heartily—there are few occasions that aren't enlivened by an accordion player. As for Battista's, had the list been a few entries longer, it might have been included.
Enjoyed Michael Toole's discussions of 10 icons of the restaurant business, those that have survived at least 25 years in one location that is not part of a mall or casino.
Perhaps you could do a feature on those who would qualify but gave up their ghost prior to Michael coming along with his pen, like Poppa Gars, maybe Chateau Vegas, surely Max C's Deli. I am sorry the coverage did not extend to a dozen; we would surely have included Shirley's Coachman's Inn, serving our town for over 30 years on Eastern just north of Desert Inn. But being out of business for six months between sale and buy-back broke continuity (but it was 25 years before this pause.)
And Bootlegger is old-time but at different locations. Does anyone remember Cohen & Kelly's, we hardly knew you!
On last week's letters page, we tagged a snarky editor's note at the end of an abrasive letter by one Pamela Tignor, accusing her of being a Bush voter.
I never vote, it's a waste of time. The country has gone to hell, voting won't ever change that.
Happy holidays.
Editor's note: Have you ever considered taking up the accordion? It's impossible to be so sour when you're cranking on a sqeezebox!