54 posts tagged “news”
A Las Vegas newspaper says it has been served a federal grand jury subpoena seeking information about readers who posted comments on the paper's Web site.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Tuesday that its editor, Thomas Mitchell, plans to fight the request, which the newspaper received after reporting on a federal tax fraud case against business owner Robert Kahre.
The subpoena seeks the identities and personal information about people who posted comments on the story. The newspaper said prosecutors told the judge in the case that some comments hinted at acts of violence and the subpoena was issued out of concern for jurors' safety.
Mitchell said anonymous speech is "a fundamental and historic part of this country." The newspaper would consider cooperating if specific crimes or real threats were presented, he said.
The newspaper said the subpoena bears the name of U.S. Assistant District Attorney J. Gregory Damm, a lawyer on the Justice Department team that is prosecuting Kahre and others on charges including income tax evasion, fraud and criminal conspiracy.
Grand jury proceedings are secret, and the subpoena is not a public record.
A spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney for Nevada declined to comment.
The newspaper said it received the subpoena June 2, a week after its story describing the government's case against Kahre, a Las Vegas construction company executive accused of paying contractors with gold and silver U.S. coins based on the precious metal value of the coins but using the much lower face value of the coins for tax purposes. Kahre and the other defendants have pleaded not guilty.
The official swimsuit photo of the Miss USA 2009 pageant contestants and reigning queen Crystle Stewart at Planet Hollywood.
Glamour photographers love to shoot at first light, and this morning, the 51 Miss USA 2009 contestants were up way before dawn busy with hair and makeup!
They selected their Jessica Simpson swimwear, and by 7 a.m. they were parading to the sixth-floor pool of Planet Hollywood. By 9 a.m., official Miss USA photographer Darren Decker had captured that one perfect photograph with the best lighting from the rising early morning sun.
Miss USA 2009 contestants rehearse at the entrance of Planet Hollywood.
Taking a page out of the new adult burlesque Peepshow, the 51 Miss USA pageant princesses will peel off in their opening number for next Sunday’s live NBC telecast. And judging from rehearsals, it will be the hottest, sassiest dance routine ever staged for an American beauty pageant.
“It will be hot. It will be sexy,” I was told. “Think of it more as an MTV video dance routine than a Dancing With the Stars waltz! There’s never been a sexier opening dance number in our history.”
Last night, Miss USA assistant choreographer Stephani Kammer put the girls through their paces and masterminded the maneuvers as official photographer Greg Harbaugh captured these exclusive shots.
I learned that Miss USA President Paula Shugart ordered the hot and steamy opening number as a ratings grabber from the get-go to ensure that viewers who tuned in stayed without reaching for the clicker.
“We’ve got America’s most beautiful, talented girls, and the dance number lets them all shine with their best assets. Viewers won’t be going anywhere when they see this,” I was told.
The beautiful blondes and brunettes appear first in short bathrobes as they provocatively parade and prance over the stairs and forecourt of their home at Planet Hollywood. Then the glamour girls strip off the wraps to reveal sparkling bra tops and shorts underneath!
The “shake it, baby,” number, which is certain to raise eyebrows and create controversy, will be pre-recorded. That will enable the TV directors to cut right from the Planet Hollywood exterior to the stage at the resort’s Theatre for the Performing Arts, where all 51 contestants will be waiting to kick off the two-hour showdown.
The pageant participants and executives attended a preview performance of Peepshow earlier this week. Click HERE for our exclusive coverage yesterday of Peepshow with new photos of stars Mel B and Kelly Monaco and the gorgeous striptease dancers!
I’ve also learned that, as part of modern, cutting-edge Internet technology in the Miss USA Web site arsenal, a male contestant will be added as a viral-marketing surprise starting early next week. Known simply as Awesome, he is a genetically engineered perfect man, and his arrival in the pageant is both unique and bizarre. His adventures in all the categories of competition will turn up on YouTube and the Miss USA Web site starting Monday. I’ve got the first exclusive interview with him after he discovered a loophole in pageant regulations allowing him to compete.
Miss USA 2009 contestants rehearse with assistant choreographer Stephani Kammer at the entrance of Planet Hollywood.
Justin Timberlake and Robin Leach at the pop superstar’s local 901 Tequila event.
Justin, who has begun planning his fall Shriners charity golf tournament and all-star concert here, chatted with me yesterday afternoon at the private launching of his new 901 Tequila. Then last night, he had his very first nightclub sampling of the drink at Victor Drai’s XS at Encore.
There was no sign of actress girlfriend Jessica Biel on his visit here. Justin had a small group of friends with him as he held court in a secluded and private VIP cabana on the second level of the pool area outside XS.
Several security guards were on duty to ensure a fun, peaceful time for the singer and his friends by keeping partygoers away from their prime real estate. During the hour at XS, Justin opened up his new 901 Tequila for cocktails and a celebratory toast. He selected the branding of 901, the area code for Memphis, Tenn., his hometown.
Security escorted his party out through a private rear exit of the pool area later, and the no photograph rule was strictly enforced!
Justin also hit Blush at the Wynn and The Playboy Club at the Palms during his nightlife whirl.
At each stop, it was time for 901 to be pulled out for his one-man sales storm. He arrived at The Playboy Club at 2 a.m. with his seven friends, and they spent another hour there doing 901 shots and still talking launch strategy and marketing ideas for the new tequila.
Peepshow at Planet Hollywood.
There’s no question about it! There’s no doubt at all! Peepshow, the new adult burlesque show set to premiere April 18 at Planet Hollywood, is one beautiful, big, brash and ballsy show. The full-blown Broadway-styled song and dance striptease production has “giant hit” written all over it.
Las Vegas needs a show like this that it’s never seen before. Scary Spice girl Mel B is a total joy and the ultimate hoot as the mistress of ceremonies. Her singing is sensational. Her humor and comedic timing is right on target. And then there’s her body. At 33, she will be the hottest siren on the Strip. The mother of two is an unleashed temptress as she cracks the whip over her stunning sexy singers and topless dancers! Her corsets and costumes will send chills to tingle every erogenous zone of your body. Mel brings provocative passion to her uncaged cougar antics.
General Hospital actress Kelly Monaco is a delightful and darling innocent who transforms into a daring and decadent hot-blooded woman. If you think the pink-paint scene is her pathway forward, just wait till the beauty almost bares all and dives into the real hot water of a bath routine that will go on record books as one of the “sexiest and steamiest seductions” ever. The Dancing With the Stars Season 1 champion and former Playboy cover girl is a dream woman at the finale wearing Swarovski pasties and panties that leave nothing to the wild imagination. Let lust live!
The choreography is sensational. The costumes are a miracle of sewmanship that somehow defy wardrobe malfunction by a centimeter.
There are two numbers that will have people talking for months: the blindfolded topless dancer who writhes with pleasure on a sex saddle that swings out over the audience and the trio of tigresses lined up in a huge tank of milky water who miraculously and marvelously perform an in-sync dance number with breasts and bums pressed against the glass.
I’ve traveled the world and have never seen that one before. Totally original. Totally unique, and no wonder it had the preview audience of men and women cheering and applauding with over-the-top enthusiasm!
Mel B in Peepshow.
Creator, director, choreographer and acclaimed Broadway hero Jerry Mitchell has inserted every fantasy known to man and woman. It’s why his revue is so different from any other on the Strip. There’s a strong hint of what Vegas shows used to be way back then — with boas and Swarovski crystals used for the barest of minimum pasties and G-string coverage allowed under the law!
Yes it’s unbelievably sexy, complete with fishnets, firing garter belts, thigh-high boots, ripped blouses and unhooked bras, but all done in great taste so even women will want to see the action. Tom Jones had better move over because the ladies are going to want to take home Peepshow’s hunky singers and dancers who thrill with both their soaring voices and boundless body movements.
I talked with Peepshow producer Scott Zeiger about the unique production. He told me: “It’s a little daunting when you launch a brand new show and concept that’s never been done before. I think if we’d done this on Broadway, there would have been a theatrical community around us to endorse a completely new work with anticipation and interest, but we don’t have that in Las Vegas. I’ve produced Phantom of the Opera, Jersey Boys and Stomp here, and they were already branded productions.
Kelly Monaco in Peepshow at Planet Hollywood.
“This show, though, is an only in Vegas experience. Maybe you could have seen something near this in Paris because this is a genuine spectacular. Normally, we talk about a category killer, but Peepshow is a category creator unto itself. It’s impossible to explain it or convey it because we’ve created an experience for people to embrace. It’s a fantastic production, but I have to admit I’m nervous because it’s a new genre of entertainment, and there’s been nothing like it before in Vegas.
“It will blow people away. Right through the preview period, we have the laser and scalpel out to fine-tune it. In today’s world, every nuance has to be polished as if you are attacking the very craft itself. The cast and crew are all so motivated because it’s like a Big Broadway spectacular with production numbers that will make jaws drop.
“Mel B is an extraordinary woman — a true entertainer, way more than a pop star. Kelly is just gorgeous and much more as she goes on the journey of transformation into woman powered by fulfillment. Of all the shows I’ve been involved with, none have been as challenging or as satisfying as this because it’s simply the first time something has been done like it. You could call it a hybrid show — but it’s cool and provocative at the same time as being a topless adult show, but not in any way raunchy. It’s also a great excuse for grand production numbers. In many ways, it’s back to the days of old Vegas but totally updated. This is the new version of what Jubilee! began with floor shows all those years ago — except we have no comedian, no juggler to break the flow of the gorgeous girls dancing.”
Jerry Mitchell with Kelly Monaco and Mel B.
Scott revealed that the $500,000-a-week production is lavish because he sent $12 million to stage it even before Planet Hollywood converted the real estate of the old Stomp theater into a modern cabaret clubroom. “This is way more expensive than lighting up a movie theater. But the adrenaline keeps pumping nightly her with its excitement live.”
He summed up: “Our diva guide Mel B is one killer singer, and she has no competition in any other Strip show. Josh Strickland, who came out of American Idol to play Tarzan on Broadway, is a sensation with the ladies in the audience. We don’t have them singing or performing to track. The beautiful band of ladies is live, and our singers are live. That gives the show a real sound instead of cheap canned recordings.”
We’ll be back on the red carpet gala opening night next weekend and will have the full review of the show. There are so many more things to tell you about, including the full details of the human spinning disco ball, the pink-paint erotica, the seductive showstoppers, the sexy schoolgirls and the seven stripper poles! Most of all, we’ll rave about Mel and Kelly.
Peep Show cast mates Allie Meixner, Josh Strickland, Kelly Monaco and Michelle Martinez.
I can tell you already that Caesars Palace headliner Bette Midler popped in to watch it and loved it. She raved to the cast afterward. I can tell you that Dancing With the Stars winner Brooke Burke also popped in and cheered on the cast with a standing ovation! I can tell you that — and you heard it here first — Brooke and Holly Madison may well wind up in that brazen bathtub boiler down the road as conversations, with a rotating celebrity cast every three months, continue. I can tell you that Mel B and her family have moved here because I think they know they’re going to be here for quite an extended stay!
Flo Rida and Teairra Mari.
The collection of dresses that R&B artist Teairra Mari wore while shooting her new music video would cause a scene wherever she went — even if her new single wasn’t titled “Cause a Scene.” The Jay-Z discovery formerly known as “The Princess of Roc” while at the rap mogul’s Roc-A-Fella label filmed for 12 hours at Rain in the Palms as she readied her debut album release with Warner Bros. next month. For the record (pun intended), Teairra parted ways with Jay-Z’s house of hits so she could complete her high school education and then return to the mad music world of savagely short skirts, fabulous flirty fashions and mind-blowing eye makeup. While filming the music video, she wore one silver ensemble made up of pieces of mirror as a walking disco ball, and her gold crocodile hot pants sent temperatures sky high! Another outfit by designer Tom Tom was a sparkly, corseted, black one-piece that plunged so low, it almost met up with the cut-so-short hemline! Teairra posed provocatively in it for my own digital snapshot, and then winked to display the green and silver squared eye shadow!
It was an extra long day for Flo Rida. After he finished singing for the cameras at Rain, he raced over to Blush in the Wynn and performed a 45-minute set while standing atop the bar there at 1:30 a.m. yesterday! During his performance, Flo Rida caused his own scene and made it rain by tossing $10,000 to the crowd. Fans surrounded him for photos and autographs! Professional poker player Antonio Esfandiari drank champagne and watched in quiet amazement.
 |
| Bernard Madoff made his way to the courthouse Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to conducting the biggest Ponzi scheme ever. |
 |
| After pleading guilty and explaining how he ran his scheme, Madoff was sent to jail to await sentencing which is scheduled for June 16. |
Bernard Madoff, who stole billions from investment clients, was ordered jailed Thursday after pleading guilty to all 11 criminal counts in one of Wall Street's biggest swindles ever.
"I operated a Ponzi scheme," said Madoff to the packed courtroom, after U.S. District Judge Denny Chin told him to explain his crimes.
"I thought it would end quickly, but it proved impossible," said Madoff, who stole from thousands of victims through his investment firm. "I am ashamed for these criminal acts. I always knew this day would come."
U.S. District Court Judge Denny Chin remanded the 70-year-old to jail following his confession. He was taken to Manhattan Correctional Center, near the courthouse in lower Manhattan.
He could face a maximum 150-year sentence. His sentencing was set for June 16.
Madoff admitted that he never invested his clients' money, and that he deposited the funds into a "Chase Manhattan" bank.
"When money was requested, I paid it out from the Chase account," he said.
As Madoff wrung his hands and made other nervous gestures, the judge suggested that he pour himself a glass of water.
Madoff had successfully avoided detention after his December arrest, posting $10 million bail and cloistering himself with his wife in their $7 million Manhattan apartment.
He was able to remain in his residence, despite accusations from federal prosecutors that he tried to hide his assets from seizure by mailing diamond-studded jewelry to relatives. Only a fraction of the missing money has been recovered.
Madoff created a decades-long scheme in which new investments were used to fund payoffs to earlier investors, to falsely create the appearance of legitimate returns.
Richard Friedman, an accountant who said he lost $3.1 million to Madoff, told CNN that he hopes Madoff is sentenced to the full 150 years and that he "lives a very long life" in prison.
"The crime is really unimaginable," said Friedman. "It's not just a typical Ponzi scheme. It affects society as a whole. You don't just have to be a Madoff investor to be affected by this."
Friedman also blamed the Securities and Exchange Commission for allowing the scheme to go undetected for so long, and said that Madoff's family members are probably complicit and should go to prison.
"There's no way he could have acted alone," said Friedman. "There had to be other people involved. The whole family, as far as I'm concerned, once proof becomes available, should be thrown in jail."
In Thursday's court proceeding, Madoff faced many of his alleged victims -- with 50 courtroom seats reserved for them. Some of the investors entrusted all their savings to his firm, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC.
But not all is lost for these burned investors. They could be eligible for $500,000 from the Securities Investor Protection Corp., a government entity that provides funds to victims of failed brokerage firms, according to Irving Picard, the court-appointed trustee for the liquidation of Madoff assets.
At a Feb. 20 meeting at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan with several hundred Madoff investors, Picard said that $650 million had been recovered thus far. He said the assets would be divided among the creditors, commensurate to how much they put in.
Many of the investors seem to be angrier with the SEC than with the man who stole their money.
At the Bankruptcy Court hearing, 77-year-old investor Raymond Spungin, who claimed he lost $700,000 to Madoff, yelled, "We're not just the victims of Madoff; we're the victims of the incompetence and irresponsibility of the SEC!"
He was answered with loud applause from the crowd of ripped-off creditors.
The SEC had been alerted to Madoff's fraudulent behavior by whistleblower Harry Markopolos, a Boston accountant who repeatedly contacted the commission but was ignored for his efforts.
"I gift-wrapped and delivered the largest Ponzi scheme in history to them and somehow they couldn't be bothered to conduct a thorough and proper investigation," he said, in testimony to the House Subcommittee on Capital Markets on Feb. 4.
But the times are changing. In January, Mary Schapiro assumed the role of SEC chairwoman, after the former chair, Chris Cox, resigned under severe criticism.
Schapiro on Wednesday requested more funds for the commission to ramp up enforcement and examination staff. Also, the SEC is taking steps to centralize whistleblower tips to better follow leads, rather than have them funneled through separate departments.
Markopolos, in testimony, said he's already alerted to the SEC to two new fraud cases, but provided no further details.
I personally think this peice of dirt had better be given no prefferential treatment in jail at all and even that's nowhere near enough suffering that this guy should have to edure
Here's a list of what i think are the best free, paid and 3rd party apps available for the iphone and ipod touch. I personally have all of these apps on my phone and am kept quite busy with the ones on this list, my list is not a finished product since i keep searching for and adding and deleting different apps from my device but these ones as of today are the ones that have survived the cuts. If your a big fan of the iphone or ipod touch you might want to give these a try im sure you'll enjoy them.
Top Free iphone Apps
Shozu
- ShoZu means you can share the moment, be it photos or video or a
blog. You can send your stuff to friends and family, email or social
networks as simply as pressing the button.
Tap Tap Revenge - is an iPhone music game that puts your rhythmic skills to the test in all-new ways. Tap through the beats or shake left and right as the arrows fall. Download exclusive tracks or take on your friends in Tap Tap's unique two-player mode.
fring - Voip
& Chat service for mobile phones has launched their much awaited iPhone App via the App Store that allows iPhone users to make Skype and other VOIP calls over Wi-Fi and also chat with others on a variety of networks including Skype, MSN, GoogleTalk, AIM, Yahoo, Twitter, ICQ.
Truphone - Truphone is a free application that lets you make international mobile
calls from your own phone over the internet at incredibly low rates.
Evernote - Evernote lets you remember anything that you want using your iPhone. You can jot down stuff that you need to buy for home, save interesting pictures when you're out with friends, take a snapshot of a product that you'll purchase later or capture an interesting quote from a conversation.
Exposure - Exposure brings the wonder of Flickr to your iPhone and iPod touch. If you like great photography, Flickr has the images and Exposure brings them right to your mobile device.
Last.fm - Listen to free streaming radio on your iPhone with Last.fm. Last.fm allows you to listen to your favorite artists, discover new music, and share music with the friends in your iPhone contact list. Based on your music taste, Last.fm creates radio stations from its 5 million+ track music catalog.
Midomi - Sing--just sing or hum a few seconds of a song; Say--just say the song or artist name you're looking for; Type--just type a song or artist name the way it sounds, regardless of spelling; or Grab--just hold your phone to a speaker playing original music for a few seconds. Regardless of which way you search, midomi will find your song. Once you find a song, you can share it with friends, watch it online, or buy it from the iTunes store. You can also browse artist photos, albums, and biographies.
Stanza - Stanza is a free and fantastic ebook reader for your iPhone.
The free application comes pre-loaded with several sources for downloading free or public domain books (including the entire Project Gutenberg library), so you can easily download books like The Art of War, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, or Walden in just a few seconds without spending a dime.
Top paid iphone apps
OrbLive - OrbLive has released a 2.0 version with the ability to record live streams for later playback, zooming during playback, and a few other playback enhancements
Ocarina - a networked musical instrument that allows you to listen to songs being played around the world in real time.
RSoccer09 - For all you soccer fans, the best soccer app for your device!
High quality soccer game with many licensed teams.
Ace Tennis Online - Play 3D tennis on your iPhone with players online from around the world. Find an opponent and get going in a few seconds. Keep playing while you chat, manage a friend list and more. Moves use the accelerometer. You can also play offline against the computer.
iShoot - Battle your friends or the computer as you compete to be the last tank standing in this new take on the classic artillery game genre.
iShoot features 25 different weapons including shells, missiles, cluster bombs, and nuclear weapons which blast huge holes in the destructible photorealistic landscapes. Bury your opponents under a Portable Mountain only to watch them escape using the Excavator and repay the favor!
MONOPOLY Here & Now - Go Global with MONOPOLY Here & Now: The World Edition on your iPhone! Why buy Baltic when you can own Istanbul? Trade in your Race Car mover for a Sumo Wrestler. The ultimate family-friendly entertainment comes alive with animations, multiple board views and customizable rules.
iBeer - Brew and drink beer on your iPhone and iPod touch.
This hilarious sight-gag is fully interactive and behaves like a real
glass of beer thanks to the iPhone sensors and our spare time.
Tilt to sip, shake for foam, even pour iBeer from iPhone to iPhone. Modeled after our original e-spresso from 1999 this virtual pint of beer takes full advantage of iPhone's high-res screen, accelerometer, and speakers.
PocketGuitar - PocketGuitar turns your iPhone or iPod touch into a virtual guitar. You can press and strum strings, just like a real guitar.
You can choose the sound from 6 instruments - Acoustic-Electric Guitar, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Muted Guitar, Electric Bass and Ukulele. You can also choose effects from Distortion, Chorus and Delay and edit parameters.
iFitness - iFitness is a comprehensive exercise database that provides clear pictures and instructions – all within the palm of your hand.
Regular exercise is essential for becoming and staying fit. Experts recommend changing your workout routine regularly to keep your body from growing accustomed to the same old routine and to keep things interesting and enjoyable.
Top 3rd party (jailbroken) iphone apps
Cydia
- It’s with Cydia that you download third-party applications to your
iPhone or first-generation iPod touch. (Included are applications for
regular folks as well as developers.
Cycorder
- Cycorder lets you shoot videos with your iPhone’s camera at frame
rates from 6 to 15 frames per second. The resulting movies are encoded
with MJPEG compression lets you shoot videos with your iPhone’s camera
at frame rates from 6 to 15 frames per second. The resulting movies are
encoded with MJPEG compression
Snapture
- Snapture 2.0,brings multi-touch gesture zoom, cleaner user interface
a delay timer and four color modes. You can also now delete pictures on
the "viewfinder" which is nice, or go slightly more advanced with the
self-timer and the ability to shut off rotation. It's free as long as
you jailbreak your iPhone, but $7.99 if you want the premium version
without ads and with QuickView delete/thumbnail stack/thumbnail enlarge.
Twinkle - Discover, connect, and send messages to people nearby. Upload photos and update your Twitter account. Contact old friends and make new ones, all with Twinkle, the location-aware network for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
SmartRSS - The app is an RSS Reader and it has a wonderful GUI. It includes features like adding, deleting, editting feeds and refreshing feeds. The GUI is the best part of the app which uses many transitions. This app is a must have. The app is available in French and English versions.
VNsea - Now you can control your computer from your iPhone or iPod Touch. Install a VNC server on the one you want to control and setup the details in your device.
BossTool - When you run out of space to install applications. . .BossTool is here to help. This will move all of your applications to another partition(media). Once you do this you can install hundreds more(depending on the size of your device).
PhotoDial - Call your contacts by finding their photo.
Pageonce - allows you to monitor all your accounts in one easy to use, clean interface. With once touch, and on one screen, I have all the critical information for my bank accounts, Netlifx queue, cell (including minuets and texts message count), credit cards, PG&E etc. I highly recommend it, but schedule about 30mins to setup your account at www.pageonce.com. Your passwords and sensitive account information are never displayed incase your phone goes missing.
The Bloomberg app is one of the best apps out there. The app is a shinning example how great design can make mountains of complex information accessible and easy to understand. Through this app I have a much better grasp how the stock market works, and I finally have a solid definition on the term blue-chips.
Jaadu VNC, you can connect to your computer from anywhere in the world as long as you have cell phone reception or wi-fi hookup. Awesome. From the remote location, you can view files, open apps, run a presentation etc. The biggest feature is that it turns your iPhone into a second monitor with touch controls. Here is a link with more info and screen shots. Download VNC lite for free to get the basic idea.
My bet is that when the new XS nightclub opens at the Encore to its fully sold-out crowd on New Year’s Eve, more than one of the new Black Pearl drinks will be sold -- even though it’s $10,000! It is the world’s most expensive cocktail -- but you do get two glasses of the concoction to share with your soul mate. The club’s new signature cocktail will actually be known simply as The One, and the cocktail recipe is of rare vintage Dom Perignon Enotheque champagne and a shot of prized Louis XIII Remy Martin Black Pearl cognac. You can’t get more expensive champagne or cognac if you tried. As a keepsake of experiencing the world’s best, you will be presented with either a ladies 18k gold chain and black pearl pendant or a set of men’s sterling silver cufflinks with black pearl insignias.
Danny Gans.
*Is it possibly true that included in the new contract Steve Wynn executed with entertainer Danny Gans, he gets two rounds of golf a week as a perk at the prestigious and super-private Shadow Creek Club? Danny is adding 50 percent new material to his long-running Strip show, which moves to Steve’s new Encore in February. … Other leftover notes from my opening-night jottings: It took a total of three years from start to finish to execute the sprawling XS day-and-night entertainment complex. … The Switch restaurant, where the ceiling and walls change five times during the unique dining experience, was Steve’s very own idea -- and it’s the only restaurant in the world that becomes its own different venue nightly! I’ve got a reservation there next Monday with my longtime friend executive chef Marc Poidevin. Although we’ll have photos of Marc in his kitchen and at his antique Parma ham-slicing machine, The Switch is the one restaurant Steve says he will never allow to be photographed by anybody for any reason. That’s solely because you have to see the amazement with your own eyes as the changing scenes, sliding walls and retracting ceilings could never be captured on film or video for full effect. I’ll do my best to describe it for you next week, but my advance peek yesterday proved it will be more than the food that will make your mouth open wide! … The official red-carpet, star- studded gala opening of Encore will be Jan. 24 to coincide with Steve’s own birthday, and more than 200 VIP guests including Hollywood celebrities will be on hand for that soiree!
*In a late-breaking series of escalating rumbles this morning, it may well be that yet another major Strip hotel will be sold now to an out-of-state gaming company with plenty of cash on hand that has been looking for a while to expand into Las Vegas. This could be very interesting to see new neighbors at play as Steve Wynn keeps insisting “let’s decorporatize the Strip” -- as he did at last night’s Encore opening.
Mirage Las Vegas
Penthouse Magazine CEO Marc Bell has made public the details
of a plan to buy a major Las Vegas strip property. Does this mean we
will be seeing nude dealers throwing cards in the future? Perhaps
considering Penthouse has indicated some of the magazines’ ladies would
do double duty as dealers at the property.
Any bets on what property they might acquire? Rumors have been floating down the boulevard that MGM Mirage might be shopping the Mirage for cash to complete the CityCenter mega-project. Nudes swimming with dolphins, what a concept. Could this be a sneak preview of the next revision for the neon city that constantly reinvents itself?
