Las Vegas Weekly

49 things to be thankful for

Sadly, hand turkeys did not make it on our list.

Photo: Road Fun / flickr.com

The desperate optimism that lets us believe bankruptcy is just the economy’s way of telling you it’s time for a fresh start

Julie Murray, CEO of Three Square Food Bank: making a difference

Frankie’s Tiki Room

Harry Reid’s tiki room (we have to believe he has one).

The lag time between stopping mortgage payments and being evicted.

That this is still a town where a music fan can, on December 12, go in nearly any direction: Muse (The Joint), Ice Cube (House of Blues), Andrea Bocelli (MGM Grand Garden Arena), Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds (Planet Hollywood), Miranda Lambert (Silverton) or Whiskey Breath (Freakin’ Frog). So stick it, crappy economy!

Fusion mixology, whatever that is

Photo: Steve Marcus

Jim Gibbons

Photo: MGM

CityCenter in October 2009.

Photo: Fox Greenberg PR

Top Chef: Las Vegas.

Top-shelf govertainment: the slapstick of Gibbons, the tap-dancing of Ensign, the illusionism of Reid, the vaudeville that is Goodman.

CityCenter. We don’t know if it’ll save the city. We do know this: It’s damn cool. Have you seen it up close? The scale alone is amazing.

Art at CityCenter, even if we do think Maya Lin’s sculpture of the Colorado River will be mistaken for a stock-market chart.

Desert blooms

KNPR: State of Nevada, yes; pledge drives, no. (Okay, grudgingly, yes.)

Green: When has this word ever meant so much?

The desperate optimism that allows us to hope layoffs foreshadow eventual lay-back-ons.

Top Chef Las Vegas

Spinach pie at Gyro Time. Try one; you’ll see.

The desperate optimism that lets us see stalled casino projects as head-starts on future casino projects.

That you know Pat Mulroy is already scheming to get the moon water.

UFC: violence, cash, marketing, fun! And the new favorite sport of boxing promoter Bob Arum, who likened it to “two men wrestling each other on the ground like homosexuals.”

Face to Face with Jon Ralston (shameless corporate-sibling plug!): The best chance to see hard political questions asked and answered.

Walking Downtown: Up the Boulevard from Charleston past Dona Maria’s and all manner of wedding chapels, hang a left on Bonneville and a right on Third Street to see justice at work (Regional Justice Center and Clark County Detention Center), left on Lewis, right on Casino Center, north to Fremont, stroll the tourist walkway and head to East Fremont for a beverage at Beauty Bar. Coupla miles, a lifetime of inspiration.

The coroner’s inquest process: a perfect existential screenplay waiting for its Beckett.

Las Vegas Marathon. December 6. Support it!

Hot Dog Heaven, a culinary hot spot in a tiny shack near Lake Mead Drive and Boulder Highway.

Brian “Paco” Alvarez’s consistently informative and relentlessly positive Facebook posts

Black Mountain Institute: raising our cultural intelligence one inspiring event at a time

Wayne Newton’s legacy

Photo: Leila Navidi

Marie and Donnie Osmond

Donny & Marie. Yes, we said it. Let it stew in your mind for a while. Osmonds. Vegas. Osmonds. Vegas.

The odd fact that, against all expectations, the Balloon Boy saga didn’t happen here.

A District Court judge’s ruling that Green Valley High drama students can perform The Laramie Project and Rent despite homophobic parental protests.

Chinatown. San Gennaro Feast. Greek Fest.

The media eating itself. Nina Radetich, John Fredericks.

Bette Midler: It was a good run, thanks, goodbye.

Colonic Elvis. Appearing daily on a corner in Green Valley.

Colonic Elvis: There are roadside sign-tossers, and there are roadside guys dressed as Elvis advertising colonics. This guy’s at Pecos and Wigwam. Worth a detour.

Friendly and efficient garbage men who smile and wave on their morning routes.

Photo: Leila Navidi

Hoover Dam bypass bridge

Hoover Dam Bypass Bridge: breathtaking, soon to be functional

Locals’ specials at casinos

Nellis AFB. Creech AFB. Thank you, visible and invisible troops.

CCSD teachers, may your goodwill be rewarded in heaven, because it won’t be rewarded by Gov. Gibbons.

The view from Sunrise Mountain at sunset

A new era in UNLV football

The desperate optimism that lets us believe that an admission of meth use by a glamorous, wealthy, respected athlete will dissuade kids from trying the stuff.

Our firm resolve not to include the media-saturated Luv-It Frozen Custard on this list, no matter how much we love that goddamn frozen custard. Let’s hear it for firm resolve!

New HOV lanes

Pinball Hall of Fame’s new home

Photo: Steve Marcus

Steve Wynn

This headline, from the November 16 Sun: “Some seeing signs of Strip recovery”

Sheldon Adelson, despite falling to No. 26 on the list of world’s richest, still fighting with Wynn for share of Macau. Still feisty. Feisty is good.

Steve Wynn. Because he’s feisty, too.

The future: bright—er?