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Debriefing

The Weekly continues its quest to eradicate ignorance, one blog entry at a time.

12.3.08 · 12:54 PM

Libby Lumpkin leaves Las Vegas Art Museum

Libby Lumpkin’s unexpected resignation as director of the Las Vegas Art Museum has dealt a shocking blow to the arts community. In three short years, Lumpkin turned a relatively conservative, if not provincial, institution into a vital contemporary art museum. Beyond the WeeklyChief who set new course for LVAM is out, suddenly (Las Vegas Sun, 12/3/08)Her leadership, enthusiasm and intellectual exuberance has been an inspiration to the community; her faith that a world-class city needs a world-class art museum has ... Read more...

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11.27.08 · 10:31 PM

Camping out for computers on Thanksgiving Day

While heading to the grocery store for some last minute items that inevitably didn’t make the Thanksgiving dinner shopping list, I stumbled upon an unusual Thanksgiving tradition. Passing Best Buy, I saw a city of tents set up inside a barricaded area around the front of the store. Upon closer inspection, I realized this wasn’t a display of camping gear for sale; it was a line of enthusiastic shoppers eagerly awaiting the opening of the doors for Black Friday shopping ... Read more...

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11.26.08 · 5:27 PM

On the trail of “America’s worst governor”

Las Vegas Weekly has been committed to documenting the failures of Governor Jim Gibbons for a long time. We’ve reported on the special designation that lowered the annual property tax on his 40 acres in Elko County from $5,000 to $15. We’ve quizzed you on the salacious language in Dawn Gibbons’ now very public divorce motion. We’ve compared Gibbons’ May 2007 approval rating to President Bush’s – 29 percent versus 34 percent – and discussed the FBI inquiry into the ... Read more...

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11.5.08 · 12:37 AM

A generation later, a look back at the election of 2008

It is a generation beyond the administration of President Barack Obama. The questioner is a grade-schooler studying U.S. history. He wants answers to questions not found in the official, recorded account of American politics. He starts asking … “You saw him, didn’t you?” “Yes, when he campaigned in 2008, the first time. I heard him speak a few times during that campaign.” “Where?” “Once in a ballroom at the Paris hotel in Las Vegas, on what we called, ‘The Strip,’ ... Read more...

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11.5.08 · 11:37 AM

A night of civil rights history? Not for gay Americans

Encouraged by Obama’s inclusion of “gay and straight” in his recognition of the beautiful diversity that makes up this country, I’m going to try not to be totally dismayed by the residue of hatred that managed to stick around on an otherwise glorious election night: California, Arizona and Florida passed constitutional amendments against gay marriage. How’s that for a night of civil rights history? Granted, Nevadans already passed such a measure, but you try not to dwell on the fact ... Read more...

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11.4.08 · 11:26 PM

Despite all odds, “movers and shakers” ignore the election

Let’s start with the climax, except there isn’t one. Upstairs in Lavo’s Executive Suite, dozens of professionals are mingling in clusters with their backs to the election footage airing on two large flatscreen televisions. Suddenly, “Obama Next Elected President” is on the screen. Nobody reacts. No tears or cheers, no screams or swear words, no hugging or high-fiving; people turn to the television momentarily and go back to their conversations. “We’re just ready for it to be over already. Too ... Read more...

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11.4.08 · 11:41 PM

CNN’s holographic wonder

By far, the strangest thing I caught during my many hours of election TV viewing tonight involved CNN’s Anderson Cooper inteviewing rapper Will.i.am … via hologram?!? It seems the Black Eyed Pea (and apparent diehard Obama supporter) was too busy doing, well, something else, to actually show in person, so the network’s tech geeks figured a way to beam over his ghostly visage, which stood chatting with Cooper about the events of the day. Seriously weird. As was Cooper’s oddly ... Read more...

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11.4.08 · 11:44 PM

Effortlessly presidential in the Chicago night

The black family members came from stage left. The white family members came from stage right. The Obamas. The Bidens. Have we moved on from our historic difficulties over race? Likely not. Racial difficulties on the ground in this country remain. But the chance to start a new dialogue, a new conversation, a new paradigm…that a man who looks like Obama…a man who looks like me…is monumental. It’s so monumental that words like monumental are small and somehow petty. Looking ... Read more...

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11.4.08 · 11:06 PM

The sliver of doubt, for 20 minutes or less

The news of Obama’s victory came so quickly, some in the Brazilia Room of the Rio, headquarters for the Nevada Democratic Party’s election-results party, still seemed hesitant to believe it, even though they were pumping their arms and hooting and hollering. A sliver of doubt still remained, and for about 20 minutes, the atmosphere was surreal. Then John McCain appeared on the jumbotron, conceding defeat, and initially there was a deafening “boo.” But as he delivered a genuine, almost affectionate ... Read more...

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11.4.08 · 11:01 PM

Better than sports? The election rules on Tuesday TV

Just how attuned was Clark County to Thursday’s election results? For the first time, I witnessed the many flat screen TVs over the bar at the Claim Jumper adjacent to our office airing something other than ESPN—and at lunchtime no less, when presidential results were hours away from streaming in. Of course, most patrons paid more attenion to their burgers and salads than to the talking heads prattling on about early trends and possible voting irregularities, but kudos to Claim ... Read more...

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Videos

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Cocktail of the Week

Cocktail of the Week Dec 4, 2008
by Xania Woodman

Smash Pumpkin

It's all about economy and recycling really. Wondering what to do with those leftover cans of pumpkin puree in the pantry, the bowl of decorative mini-pumpkins and all those seasonal ...
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