As a Rule, We Don't Put Much Stock in The Artistic, Creative and Soulfully Medicinal Properties of Cockroaches, But In This Case We'll Make An Exception Because The Little Critters Have Big Talent, and Just Maybe, If You Show Up For This, You'll Learn Something Positively Theatrical While Exercising Your Improvisational Brilliance. ... Besides, There's Food
Cockroach Theatre Improv nights. ... Last Wednesday of every month. ... Starting June 29. ... 10 p.m. to midnight. ... Studio Open. ... 5115 S. Industrial Road. ... Suite 107. ... Seven bucks. ... Open to everyone. ... That means YOU.
The Rise Before the Fall?
The U.S. Senate is set to approve $4 million for developing the Hazmat Emergency Response Operations and Information Center in North Las Vegas. Could the center, which would track the 800,000-plus daily truck shipments of hazardous materials, one day be used to monitor nuclear waste cargo on its way to Yucca Mountain?
Urban Slang Phrase of the Week—The BGs
Acronym for: Bubble Guts.
Definition: A stomach ailment in which bloating and gas are common.
Usage: I'm gonna run to the restroom. I've got the BGs.
World Series of Poker—By The (Updated) Numbers
$100 million: Expected amount of prize money for the event, which takes place at the Rio and (for the last two days) at Binion's; up from $75 million.
$45 million: Prize money for 2004's event.
450: Poker dealers brought in for the series.
200: Poker tables to be used.
45: Number of events
Oops, They Did It Again
Organizers of the July 2 Centennial Concert featuring the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Weezer have moved the venue from the Convention Center parking lot to the Silver Bowl Sports Complex, across from Sam Boyd Stadium. This paragraph from the press release tactfully explains:
"Concert organizers decided to make the change in an effort to provide a more comfortable and enjoyable setting for the 50,000 fans expected to attend. The seating area of the new location is larger and will be cooler, as the grounds are covered with grass, rather than the heat-absorbing blacktop surface at the original parking lot site."
Translation: "Whoever picked the original site is a moron."
This One Hurts
According to news sources out of the UK, dance music maestro Moby is "disappointed" with Las Vegas. We don't know whether this refers to a recent trip or means only a generalized, ongoing disregard for Sin City.
"The first time I came here (Las Vegas) I had visions of Elvis and the Rat Pack," he said. "I imagined an odd, degenerate glamour. But after seven or eight visits I've never seen anything remotely glamorous about Las Vegas."
Well, true, even we sort of feel disappointed when we walk into a casino and instead of finding the Bond-like Jet Set crowd we only find people sort of like us. But then Moby goes on, "It just boggles my mind. That complete disregard for the truth of the places they're trying to plagiarize —there's something endearing about that."
A kitschy response to a kitschy place, sounds like. Make your stinging put-down, then pull back a bit. Of course, given how derivative Moby's last album was to the one before it, and given his own compulsive habit of sampling bits of music from all genres, we'd think he'd have a more nuanced appreciation of Vegas' "truth of place." Mobester, next time you visit, try to broaden your mind. Think of Las Vegas as a town that has sampled bits of city from all over the world. It's your kind of town, man.
But This One Hurts Worse
According to Variety, Bono—yep, that Bono, of the U2/Save the World ilk— is developing a movie—a comedy-drama called A Version of Las Vegas, about an Irish musician who emigrates to the US to work with a Vegas show band.
Ouch!
Why It's Good To Have Two Newspapers
Headlines for stories on the same subject, June 21, 2005:
R-J: "New bills for wild horses introduced / Measures designed to aid in placing, protecting animals"
Sun: "Bill may not help wild horses after all / Critics claim legislation is open to abuse"