04.30.10 · 11:31 AM
Pier 1 has problems
Last week, I went wedding gift shopping at Pier 1 on Charleston. Here are some thoughts on what I saw: -This discount shelf was filled with individual letter plaques. Mostly “Q”s “U”s and “X”s. Really, Pier 1? You couldn’t foresee that these wouldn’t be big sellers? -In many cases, more is better. But not when it comes to playing cards. I don’t think you’re going to win anyone over by advertising a deck of cards as having “56 Pieces.” Are ... Read more...
E-mail
iPod
del.icio.us
digg
Facebook04.28.10 · 11:17 AM
This is not a message from your sponsor
Diablo’s Cantina at Monte Carlo painted these four words onto the restaurant’s south wall: “Stay thirsty, my friends.” That’s a cute slogan, but isn’t it really just a polite way of saying, “We hope you’re never cured of your alcoholism”? Read more...
04.27.10 · 3:33 PM
The last big DVD
Most Lost fans (“Losties”? “Losters”? “Dharmanators”?) are wondering whether the series will end with a satisfying conclusion. What I’m wondering is this: What are we supposed to do when the show is done? Go back and watch every episode again, obviously. But when? And how? I think we’re supposed to wait a few months and then buy a DVD box set for $179.95. I know that sounds like a steep price, but remember: the box set will probably have 50 ... Read more...
04.26.10 · 10:53 AM
Survivor slip-up
I couldn’t be less impressed with CBS.com right now. Like a lot of busy Americans, I’m rarely by a TV on Thursday night. So I catch Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains on CBS.com. On the site, each episode is introduced by a two-to-three-sentence blurb, like the ones you’d find in TV Guide. Here’s part of the blurb CBS.com ran with last week’s episode: “Meanwhile, the Villains begin to turn on one another after one tribe member makes a costly mistake at ... Read more...
04.24.10 · 6 AM
How to talk to Siegfried in a bookstore
I ran into Siegfried at the Barnes & Noble on N. Rainbow. I was walking from the café to the bathroom, and the blond Austrian magician was perusing the photography books. He was with a woman wearing a Siegfried & Roy sweater, but I still I used the opening line, “Excuse me, are you Siegfried or do you just look like him?” I just couldn’t think of anything else to say on the spot. “The first one,” he said, in ... Read more...
04.23.10 · 11:39 AM
Morgan Freeman’s sad horse (and other important letters)
Only the comings months will tell whether these letters will be published, too, so keep your your head in the magazine rack and your eyes peeled… Dear Gothic Beauty, While I enjoyed the bulk of Jessie Seitz’s piece on Jessica Louise Clothing, I didn’t enjoy the story’s second sentence: “Let’s be honest though, your Siouxsie shirt is becoming quite faded and all black can get a little tedious.” Oh, Jessie, you couldn’t be more wrong! Black is limitless, black is ... Read more...
04.22.10 · 3:44 PM
Dear Rick…
Sometimes when I write a Letter To The Editor, it doesn’t get published, but it does get a personal response from the editor… My letter: Dear Culture: The World On Cheese, One observation regarding your Consider the Cracker piece: Your cheese suggestions are spot on (as always), but many of the crackers mentioned would be better off with no cheese at all—particularly the 34 Degrees Crispbread, the Valley Seed Crisps, and the Potter’s Crackers. In other words, the crackers are ... Read more...
04.22.10 · 11:49 AM
Dear Editor…
A few months back, I began reading random magazines and writing letters to the magazines’ editors. I wanted to see how many of my letters I could get published. I’d hoped the results would give me some insight into Americans’ penchant for giving their uninformed opinions and the media’s penchant for running ‘em. Insight pending. What I can tell you right now is that the letters were difficult to write at first (Who am I to say this? I’d think), ... Read more...
04.19.10 · 11:21 AM
I’m just okay, OKAY?
The service industry workers of Nevada are not comfortable with my current emotional state. “How are you?” they ask. “I’m okay,” I respond. And then they say, “Just okay?” They say “just” the way Steve Martin says “Excuse me.” Then they tag on something else like, “That’s too bad! You should be feeling great!” Next time somebody tries to cheer me up by telling me that I’m wrong to feel what I feel, I’m going to respond thusly: “I do ... Read more...
04.18.10 · 7:17 PM
Inside the “seductive message”
I’ve been reading Susan Douglas’s Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message That Feminism’s Work is Done. Easily the best book I’ve read in 2010. Easily the most important. (Runner up: Game Change) One thing that really impresses me about Douglas’ writing is her ability to use contextual language in context. Let me show you what I mean: Example One (taken from a discussion of Melrose Place): “Unfortunately, the show’s depiction of a black woman was totally jive. Rhonda was an aerobics ... Read more...
04.17.10 · 12:02 PM
The CAPTCHA career
Yesterday I helped a friend start a Facebook account. The CAPTCHA was, “the haitian.” Today I left a comment on a friend’s blog. The CAPTCHA was “volest,” a familiar-sounding combination of “volume” and “molest.” The Wikipedia entry on CAPTCHA was fascinating (turns out it’s an acronym for Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart), but it didn’t answer my primary CAPTCHA question: Who the hell creates these things? Is it a computer? Is it some guy? ... Read more...
04.15.10 · 11:55 AM
The sorcerer’s death sentence
Ali Hussain Sibat is a Saudi TV psychic. He claims to practice black magic with the help of Satan and Jinn. He says they allow him to see into the future. I usually have no sympathy for those who claim they can predict future events. But I’ve made and exception for Sibat. In fact, I feel awful for the guy. Why? Because a Saudi Arabian court just sentenced him to death for the crime of “sorcery.” Said the court, “All ... Read more...
04.14.10 · 12:19 PM
Over-hyping the iPad’s hype
I was watching a CNN segment on the iPad—CNN had nonstop iPad coverage for three days straight—and the anchor asked the tech expert, “Is the iPad revolutionary?” The tech expert replied, “The word ‘revolutionary’ is always so over-hyped.” That’s a funny linguistic error, isn’t it? The guy meant to say something along the lines of, “Calling the iPad ‘revolutionary’ would be over-hyping it, but that sort of over-hyping is common with product releases such as these.” Rarely is a word ... Read more...
04.14.10 · 12:02 PM
Give Heidi Montag a break
I am sick and tired of people making negative comments about Heidi Montag’s appearance and character. First of all, you shouldn’t make fun of somebody for her appearance. Second of all, you shouldn’t judge a girl based on her looks. (Didn’t we learn those lessons in kindergarten?) And third of all, Heidi is attractive. It’s like The Emperor’s New Clothes, but in reverse: Everybody is afraid to say how good Heidi looks because they’re afraid of looking shallow. Or maybe ... Read more...
04.13.10 · 12:14 PM
Ask me no questions
Recently, I went to Tryst with S., and my friends Ting and Phil, who were visiting from New York. We drank flavored vodka, danced beneath the waterfall, and befriended some guys from Canada. Towards the end of the evening, Phil mentioned that he was going to a bachelor party the following night. “There are twelve of us in the group,” he said, “and we’re trying to figure out which club we should hit up. You got any suggestions?” I declined ... Read more...
04.12.10 · 6 AM
Pike Place Roast: Now, still the same!
Starbucks has a new ad campaign. They’ve plastered their windows with signs that read, “PIKE PLACE ROAST, $1.50, Tall, Hot & Brewed.” The price is nothing new; the new thing is Starbucks calling attention to its cheapest drink option. Here’s the funny thing: I’m pretty sure the new signs are going to make people order more expensive drinks. Sound crazy? It’s not… Last year, researchers at Duke found that including healthy options on restaurant menus caused diners to make less ... Read more...
04.11.10 · 11:36 AM
Breaking up is hard to do (on TV)
Last week I was pretty depressed. And during my depression, I came up with a brilliant idea for a reality show. The show is called Dumped, and here’s how it works: A guy believes he’s going to be on a reality show in which 20 women will compete for his love. But when he shows up for filming, the host tells him how it’s really going to go down: Each week, one of the 20 women is going to dump ... Read more...
04.10.10 · 11:32 AM
How not to write a book
Recently at the bookstore I looked through the Writing/Publishing section. I hope the author of whichever novel I read next didn’t read any of the following books: -No plot? No Problem! -Book In A Month: The Fool-Proof System For Writing a Novel in 30 Days -How Not To Write A Novel Read more...
04.9.10 · 1:31 PM
GPS mom
I’m heading back to Michigan in early May for a wedding. While there, I’m probably going to visit my friends in Ann Arbor. Whenever I drive to Ann Arbor, I get directions from my mom. I don’t know why, though. My otherwise-talented mom has got to be the least effective directions giver on the planet. “You’re going to go south for 10 minutes, and then you’ll see a sign for 96 East. Big green and white sign for 96 East. ... Read more...
04.7.10 · 12:25 PM
Sexism circa now
I’m reading a book on feminism, and I’m bragging about it nonstop. Every woman in my life has heard all about Susan Douglas’s Enlightened Sexism: The Seductive Message That Feminism’s Work is Done. The idea is this: When I slip up and make a sexist remark in the future, it won’t seem so bad. I’m loving the book, by the way. On page 40, and Douglas came out swinging. Douglas on Abercrombie & Fitch ads: “The blow-up black-and-white shots of ... Read more...
04.6.10 · 11:43 AM
Write me and I’ll write you back
Have you left a comment on LasVegasWeekly.com yet? If not, you’ve got to set up an account (i.e., create a user name and password), and then confirm your account details by email. The whole process takes just 60 seconds. All I’m sayin’ is this: If you leave a comment on one of my posts or stories, I’ll leave a response to your comment that’s twice as long. Try me. Read more...
04.4.10 · 6:12 PM
That autograph will cost you
Two years ago I wrote an awesome book called Lawyer Boy. Some guy is selling a signed copy on Amazon.com right now… for $132.00. Folks, for that kind of money, I’ll write you a personalized Lawyer Boy copy by hand, in your favorite color ink. Check out the lovely description the book re-seller posted: “This copy is very prominently, beautifully, and hilariously signed and inscribed in black marker on the title page by the author: Thanks for picking my book ... Read more...
04.2.10 · 11:52 AM
Time traveler
I’ve been lusting after this watch for over a year now. I saw it at the Fossil Discount store two Decembers back. I tried it on. It was love at first sight. For a while I tried to convince myself that I didn’t need the watch - that I’d be better off without it, that a cheaper watch would satisfy me. To no avail. Well, I’m proud to report that last week I bought the watch. Now I can sleep ... Read more...
04.1.10 · 4 PM
This cat’s no dog
I’ve been saying a lot of nasty things on this blog about my roommate’s cat MonkeyBunny. And some misguided readers—readers who don’t even know MonkeyBunny—have jumped to the feline’s defense. Well, cat apologists, maybe you’d change your tune if you saw a photo of the cat you’re defending. Take a good look. I challenge you to look me in the eye and tell me with a straight face that MonkeyBunny isn’t the cockiest, most judgmental, most condescending animal you’ve ever ... Read more...
-
Friday
2013-05-24
The Strip
-
Friday
2013-05-24
Activities-Pool Parties
-
Friday
2013-05-24
Comedy
- More ›
-
Saturday
2013-05-25
The Orleans
-
Saturday
2013-05-25
The Strip
-
Saturday
2013-05-25
The Strip
- More ›
-
Tuesday
2013-05-28
Concert
-
Tuesday
2013-05-28
Paris
-
Tuesday
2013-05-28
Drink Specials
- More ›
SMS Alerts
Featured Cocktail
May 15, 2013
by
Sabrina Chapman
The Golden Pillar: An architectural cocktail built for XS
This Sunday, XS nightclub celebrates the grand reopening of its after-dark pool party, Night Swim. Along with the bash comes a new offering of signature cocktails served by the pitcher, ...
Read more...