The Cosmopolitan Las Vegas will be an impressive resort when it opens…but who will own it then? From the WSJ:

The developer of Cosmopolitan Resort Casino on the Las Vegas Strip is negotiating for a rescue from two of his partners in the $3 billion project, people familiar with the matter said.

One scenario under consideration is for hotel giant Global Hyatt Corp. and hedge fund Marathon Asset Management to purchase the development, these people said.

The negotiations come about two weeks after the developer, Ian Bruce Eichner, defaulted on a $760 million predevelopment loan supporting the construction of the twin-tower resort casino. Hyatt officials had previously announced a deal with Mr. Eichner to manage and brand the 3,000-room hotel …

Casino Developer Seeks Rescue – Wall Street Journal

I find it hard to believe that the project would just fold at this stage because of a lack of funds. It’s a great investment opportunity, and there will probably be a few suitors eager to get involved.

It’s not like this is Atlantic City, where casino builders just run out of money mid-way through a project and leave an uncompleted mess of steel girders rusting on the skyline for years. Penthouse, anyone? How about the Dunes Atlantic City?

And if, like me, you’ve spent any time listening to sports radio (in particular the Jim Rome show), the headline might have reminded you of this famous 911 call, courtesy of OJ Simpson:

Simpson: “We have a problem here. I’m trying to get a girl to go to rehab…”
Operator: “Does anyone need rescue?”
Simpson: “She’s been doing drugs for two days with Pedro Guerrero, who just got arrested for cocaine, and I’m trying to get her to leave her house and go into rehab right now.”
Operator: “Is anyone hitting anyone right now?”
Simpson: “No, no. It’s nothing like that.”
Operator: “Does anyone have any weapons?”
Simpson: “No, no…”
Operator: “Does the girl need a rescue?”
Simpson: “No she doesn’t need a rescue…”
OJ Says Girlfriend Not On Juice

I know that possible domestic battery is nothing to make light of, but you’ve got to love how the operator, seeing OJ’s name on the caller ID, cuts right to the chase.

I’m up in Reno today with very little time to post, so I’ll just continue to urge you to vote in my Gaming Hall of Fame contest. I still don’t know what the winning prize will be, but that’s why they call it gambling, isn’t it?

After posting that item yesterday about betting on the news, I got to thinking about hosting a competition on this site.

Here’s the deal: try to predict who will be inducted into the Gaming Hall of Fame this year, and win an unspecified prize. It might be a load of Schrute bucks, it might be a signed copy of one of my books, or it might be something completely different.

I’ll put a link to this entry on the mainpage here, and manually add your votes to it.

If you need a refresher, here’s everything you need to know about the Hall of Fame:

Gambling has a long and fascinating history, but it’s only recently that those in the profession have chosen to honor their colleagues with exemplary careers with election to the Gaming Hall of Fame.

Induction into the Gaming Hall of Fame is the highest honor accorded by the gaming-entertainment industry. Each year, two or more individuals who have distinguished themselves through significant contributions to the gaming-entertainment industry receive this honor.

Created in 1989 with the induction of gaming industry legends Warren Nelson, Jay Sarno, William Harrah, Grant Sawyer and E. Parry Thomas, the Gaming Hall of Fame now holds more than 60 members, including such industry giants as William Boyd, J. Terrence Lanni and Steve Wynn.

The Gaming Hall of Fame

Send in your picks via email, and watch me post them in almost-real time!

PICKS:
Chuck (Vegas Tripping): Stanley Ho
George: Ernie Moody
Meighan: Gary Loveman

If you’ve got tremendous insight into current events, a new site can help you blow off some steam and earn virtual money based on your predictions of unfolding news stories. From Wired:

Nigel Eccles, a news junkie and former online betting site employee, wanted to try pursuing both interests at once.

Thus was born Hubdub – a new Web site Eccles and three colleagues in Edinburgh, Scotland, assembled – where customers will bet for fun, not money, on the outcomes of real news stories.

The site launches Monday as an influential technology conference gets under way in Palm Desert, Calif. – where Eccles plans to try drumming up support from investors.

Here’s how it will work. After signing up, you’ll receive 1,000 “Hubdub dollars,” play money that works only on the site. You can look at stories about, say, whether Gregg Williams will be named the next head coach of the Washington Redskins or who will win the Florida Republican primary.

Guess right, and you’ll win more Hubdub dollars. Lose, and your account will draw down. In the spirit of the board game Monopoly, where simply sticking it out is rewarded, you’ll also get 20 new Hubdub dollars ever day you log in.

Wired News – AP News

This seems somewhat similar to the TerrorDAQ idea floated a few years ago, but instead of helping authorities determine where terrorist attacks were likely, the users are just wasting worktime goofing around on the Internet.

This is really serious, awful news: the Monte Carlo casino in Las Vegas is currently on fire. From KLAS:

There is a 3-alarm fire on top of the Monte Carlo and evacuations are underway.

The fire started around 11 a.m. at the Las Vegas Strip hotel which is near Tropicana. The fire is burning on the south side of the hotel along the top floors. The Las Vegas Strip as well as exit ramps off of I-15 are closed.

Eyewitnesses tell Eyewitness News that embers are falling and sparking smaller fires.

Las Vegas Now – Breaking News, Local News, Weather, Traffic, Streaming Video, Classifieds, Blogs – 3-Alarm Fire Burns at Las Vegas Monte Carlo Hotel

I can see the eastern face of the Monte Carlo from my office, and there is thick black smoke pouring out of the building. On the KLAS live stream of the helicopter feed you can see (as of 11:50AM) live flames inside the upper floors and outside of the building.

No word on any injuries or fatalities yet, and our first thoughts should be for the Monte Carlo’s employees and guests.

UPDATE: Frequent reader Will Bradley sent me this link to pictures of the fire in progress.

UPDATE 2: As of 1 PM, it looks like the fire is out. Still no report on injuries. There seems to be major damage to the building’s upper fascia, but I’ve got no idea whether this is just cosmetic or if there are structural issues as well. I’m sure that the smoke and water damage will entail major cleaning, if not reconstruction, beyond the burned areas.

Update 3: The Las Vegas Sun has a surprisingly complete list of historic Las Vegas casino fires up. That was quick.

I’ve explained, opined, asserted, declared, and suggested, but at last I’ve reached the stage in my career where I can quip. From the Daily Review:

After defeat at polls in 1974, a gaming referendum in New Jersey succeeded two years later thanks to an alliance between gaming interests and the Roman Catholic Church, explained David Schwartz, of the Institute of Gaming Studies [sic] at the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.
Priestly blessings at casino ribbon cuttings aren’t unheard of, but aren’t routine either, he said.
“I certainly see a lot of people praying in the casino after it opens,” Mr. Schwartz quipped.

Multi-faceted clergyman: Indicted priest with alleged mob ties has many friends, talents

I really don’t have too much to say about this one. Trust me, I’m not quitting my day job for a career as a stand-up comic who specializes in gaming-related humor.

Atlantic City has an important decision to make: how to sell the last big piece of casino-developable land (at least until the zoning is changed). Right now, the Casino Redevelopment Agency is planning to take bids on the 140-acre tract at Bader Field, but Penn National wants to do an end-run around the process by hitting “BUY IT NOW” for $800 million. From the AC Press:

Penn’s plan could result in as many as 5,000 or 6,000 casino hotel rooms being built, Miller said. Penn also would finance roadway improvements to the Route 40 corridor to improve access to the site and alleviate flooding in the surrounding neighborhoods of Chelsea Heights.

“This means more money for the city, the property will be built sooner, there will be more jobs, more improvements and Chelsea Heights will be safer,” Miller said.

One opponent of the proposed deal, Thomas D. Carver, executive director of the state Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, doubted that Penn would be able to fulfill its promises. He said Penn would pocket much of the money by subdividing the land and bringing in other developers.

“They have been peddling this stupid deal for a long time. They came to us and we told them to get lost,” Carver said of Penns talks with the CRDA.

Carver, whose agency has proposed a different plan for selling off and redeveloping Bader Field, said the city would lose millions of dollars if it rejects the CRDAs proposal in favor of the Penn deal.

“They would be selling Bader Field for a pittance. They would leave millions and millions of dollars on the table,” Carver said. “If I thought this was the best deal for the city, I would tell them to jump at it. But its not the best deal.”

But the mayor and several City Council members say the CRDA deal strips the city of its control of the redevelopment of Bader Field and offers just half of the tax relief that Penn is proposing in its first year of payment.
Penn National makes offer for Bader Field

Tom Carver is pretty frank about the sale, calling it a “stupid deal.” Since I’ve got Plan 9 on the brain (after posting about it yesterday), play this video, jumping ahead to about the 3:15 mark:

“This is a big piece of land…what if we buy it for $800 million and split it up ourselves?”
“You see? You see? Your styupid minds! Styupid! Styupid!”

If casino hearings went like that, this would be a lot more fun.

Actually, I think that’s exactly how the Columbia Sussex relicensing hearing went.

If you want my opinion, I think Carver is pretty close to the mark. Selling Bader Field shouldn’t be a one-time cash grab for the city–it should be the centerpiece of a planned development process.

I’m back from the Winter Getaway, transitioning from creative non-fiction back into gaming archives and analysis. So why not plug my recent column in the LVBP prognosticating on the coming year?

The massive consolidation that left Harrah’s and MGM Mirage as the world’s largest casino companies likely won’t return, but developments on the ownership front will stay interesting. With a credit crunch benching some domestic contenders and a weak dollar making American assets uniquely attractive, expect more foreign investment in American gaming.

Last year saw the beginnings of this trend: Dubai World’s investment in MGM Mirage and Crown’s purchase of Cannery Casinos. But there’s probably going to be more international shopping at American casinos — either by Dubai World extending its stake in MGM-related projects, James Packer’s Crown buying more American casinos, or other investors jumping into the picture.

And remember, no matter what the year ahead brings, future events like these will affect you…in the future.

Las Vegas Business Press :: David G. Schwartz : Not too late to look ahead at the gaming world in 2008

As much as I want to raise serious questions about gaming issues, I just couldn’t resist the Plan 9 reference at the end there:

I wrote that back on December 31, so it really is a prediction of the coming year, not something that I threw together in mid-January.

No, the Tropicana didn’t sign Celine Dion. Instead, in the best AC tradition, the casino is launching a new advertising campaign to convince visitors that there’s no place for squalor and surliness in the court-appointed conservator-run casino. From the AC Press:

Tropicana Casino and Resort is overhauling its battered image with the help of a new, upbeat advertising campaign that invites customers to “experience the difference.”

The $1 million publicity push includes print advertisements, mailings, billboards and a 30-second television spot that begins airing today in the Philadelphia, New York and New Jersey markets.

Tropicana’s management hopes customers will give the casino a second chance following a turbulent 12 months of mass job cuts, lagging service and unsanitary conditions under the previous owner, Columbia Sussex Corp.

“We want to get away from a period of time when it was tumultuous, and say to our customers, ‘When you come to Tropicana, you’re going to have a great time,’” said Mark Giannantonio, the casino’s president. “We want people to stay at the property.”

To lure customers back, Tropicana is launching an advertising campaign based on the theme “Experience the Difference.” The goal is to portray Tropicana in an entirely new light – countering negative publicity about bedbugs, smelly rooms, overflowing toilets and surly employees during the casino’s disastrous licensing hearing last month.

Angered by those problems, the New Jersey Casino Control Commission stripped Tropicana of its license Dec. 12 and deemed Columbia Sussex an unsuitable owner. Tropicana is now under the control of a state-appointed conservator, who will oversee the casino’s sale to a new buyer.

Admitting mistakes, Tropicana looks to remake its image

For months, the union and the Casino Control Commission were blasting this place in the papers, convincing the public that the Tropicana was not a “first-class resort.” Did they think that this would have any effect besides running off customers? Of course the ads are going to say, “things are great,” but I would hope that patrons aren’t so naive as to automatically believe that just because the “baddies” are leaving town, the Trop is once more first-class.

If it only takes an ad campaign to restore the Trop’s luster, then things weren’t so bad in the first place. So maybe it will take a major renovation (which hopefully includes sprucing up the exterior) to re-establish the place.

And maybe the organizations who were so quick to trash the place in the press should work just as hard to rehabilitate it, and the city’s image. I think that people in Atlantic City lose sight of the fact that the world off of Absecon Island isn’t paying rapt attention to who owns which casino. Ninety percent of the city’s target demographic probably just heard “Atlantic City casino…bedbugs…stinky toilets” and figured “why not play in PA instead?”

To use an area-appropriate analogy, it’s like a Boardwalk merchant feeding the seagulls every day then complaining because the birds are fouling the passers-by and driving off business. What did he expect?

If you’ve ever wanted commit to something but need online peer pressure to make you go through with it, check out stickK.com (via the Undercover Economist):

On stickK, you draw up an official commitment contract that binds you to achieving a personal goal, be it big or small. By agreeing to this contract, you publicly state your goal and commit to achieving it. Or, if grand public pronouncements aren’t your style, you can tell only people you select. Either way, you’ve committed to a goal and people know about it – so now it’s your reputation at stake!

To make you accountable as you work toward your goal, you file weekly reports on your success. (And don’t even think about lying — because you appoint someone you know as a “referee” to verify the accuracy of your reporting!) You also enlist as many Supporters as you’d like to encourage you, via the website, every step of the way. If being part of a group gives you momentum, you can join a community of people on the site who are working toward the same goal as you (this feature will be ready in February). To keep yourself focused throughout your adventure, you record your progress – daily — in a personal journal.

Want to up the ante? Gamble more than your reputation. Place a financial wager on yourself. If you accomplish your goal, you get your money back. If you don’t, your money goes to charity or to someone you’ve designated in advance. (How about to a foe, or to a cause you dislike, for some added incentive?)

All these support tools make you more likely to stickK with it — until your goal envisioned is a goal accomplished!

Why? Because when people put their goals in writing, are accountable to someone monitoring them, have a support network around them, and regularly record their progress, they’re more liable to stay on trackK. Then there’s putting even your money on the line; research has shown that people with a vested interest in accomplishing a goal are two to three times more likely to succeed than goal-seekers with nothing invested!

stickK.com – Put a contract out on yourself!

Because who needs to do something for personal integrity, when you can gamble on it?

If there was any possible way to make money off of these gambles (instead of breaking even), advantage players would be all over it.

I’m just fascinated that we’ve reached a stage where betting money on something is actually considered a healthy moral choice. I’m not saying it isn’t; I’m just saying that fifty years ago, this would have really freaked people out.

In a few days I’ll be heading the the Winter Poetry & Prose Getaway in Cape May, NJ to lead a workshop in creative nonfiction, so don’t expect too much from me the rest of the week.

You might have noticed that I’ve gotten away from straight-up gaming news stories in the past few weeks. For a while in December I stopped writing about gaming completely. Mostly it’s because I want to keep having fun doing this, and posting gaming news with instant analysis gets repetitive. Plus I’ve been getting so many calls asking for comment on various gaming stories that by the time I go to post something, I’ve said it so many times that it sounds trite and self-evident.

Also, there hasn’t been that much interesting gaming news that hasn’t already been covered elsewhere. So look for more book reviews and posts about stuff almost, but not entirely, unrelated to gaming (apologies to Douglas Adams for that last bit).

But I’ve been more active in posting on other people’s blogs about gaming stuff–I’m always getting a word in at Two Way Hard Three and I posted for the first time on Marginal Revolution today. And if you think there’s a gaming story that I should write about, send me a link and I’ll give it a shot.

I’m hoping to get more reviews done, too, because I’ve been reading some interesting stuff.

Ordinarily I wouldn’t spend the time posting about an adult entertainment expo, but this Las Vegas Sun article got me thinking, particularly this bit:

Representing a more directly applied technology, Marques Lyons, a promoter for Zeus Electrosex, is luring passers-by with a demo of his somewhat frightening battery-operated products. “What we’ve done is take stimulation which can be very complex for people and simplify it.”

It’s porn, it’s business, it’s legit – Las Vegas Sun

I’m going to turn the question in the headline into a statement:
Best. Name. Ever.
Thanks to the G-rated description of Zeus Electrosex’s wares, I’m not 100% sure about their product line, but I’m completely confident that I’ll never walk into a store and say, “Hey, this stuff looks okay, but do you have anything by Zeus Electrosex?” Even so, this has got to be one of the best names I’ve ever heard for anything. It just sounds like the perfect name for a purveyor of “somewhat frightening battery operated products.”

You probably think I’ve painted myself into a corner here, but I can pull this back into gaming and related issues.

Back in November, Las Vegas Sands announced that they had come up with a name for the Venetian/Palazzo/Sands Expo complex. Something evoking style, sophistication, and luxury. Something that they’d hopefully put a great deal of thought into. Something to set them apart in an increasingly crowded upscale Strip market. And the name they chose (get ready for it) was…
MEGACENTER.
In all caps, no less. There was a spirited comment thread on Two Way Hard Three. One guy laughed so hard he almost spit his oatmeal out. Others wondered whether they could get their tires rotated there. I helped out, too: I referenced Megaweapon, completely mystifying anyone who didn’t watch a show that was on at midnight on Comedy Central 12 years ago.

What gives? The guy selling sex toys can come up with an absolutely perfect name for his wares, but the people running a multi-billion dollar resort complex can only offer something that makes the local strip mall sound upscale. Seriously, if someone asked me to choose between buying my groceries at Desert Crossing or MEGACENTER based on the name alone, I’d choose the former.

Here’s a win-win-win scenario: Las Vegas Sands hires the guy who named Zeus Electrosex as a consultant. He comes up with an equally evocative name for the resort juggernaut at Sands and the Strip. LVS wins because they get a better name. Mr. Electrosex wins because he gets some money in his pocket. And we all win because we don’t have to live in a world where one of the most expensive pieces of real estate in the country is called MEGACENTER.

Ever wonder what sorts of information you’d need to disclose if you want to own a casino? If you’re really curious, you could download the Multi Jurisdicitonal Personal History Form (pdf) yourself. If not, check out this list of tidbits that’s I’ve pulled out on a slow news day. You’ve got to tell regulators:

Any aliases that you’ve had.

What sorts of tattoos you’ve got. I don’t know if that’s just for identification or to judge your lack of taste.

Every place you’ve lived for the past 15 years.

How many times you’ve been married.

The names, DOBs, addresses, telephone numbers, and occupations of all parents, parents-in-law, former parents-in-law, and legal guardians, even if they’re dead.

Whether you’ve ever been court martialed.

Where you went to high school, but not which clique you were in.

Every job you’ve had for the last twenty years.

If you’ve ever been disciplined at work.

If you’ve ever been arrested.

If you’ve ever been named an unindicted co-conspirator.

If you’ve ever been pardoned.

If you’ve ever gone bankrupt.

If, in the past ten years, you’ve had anything repossessed.

Information about any offshore bank accounts you’ve got.

All about any safe deposit boxes you have.

How much money you have in the bank.

What kind of car(s) you own.

Your net worth.

This is the form you have to fill out for the Nevada Gaming Control Board and regulators in most other US jurisdictions if you want to buy or build a casino, or have an ownership position in a casino.

The thing about the tattoos got me thinking, for some reason, about Harry, the man with the snake on his face.

Also, the part about the cars reminded me of that scene in Swingers where the girl asks Mike, “What do you drive?”

So filling out this form could actually be quite funny, if you’ve got a dry sense of humor. Not having millions invested in the project probably helps, too.

If you’re a Vegas fan, you’ve probably read plenty of stuff about the 5-star, 5-diamond properties, three-star Michelin restaurants, and other top-notch accommodations. If you can’t afford to stay or eat at one of these places, you might get Vegas envy worrying that other people are having a better time in town than you. But it’s all relative. Because if you’re staying even close to the Strip, you’re not staying in the worst place in town.

According to Trip Advisor, the Good Day Inn is the worst–or at least worst-reviewed–place to stay in Las Vegas. Reviewers say that the pool isn’t filled, strange odors greet guests, and those brave enough to stay should bring their own Lysol. For example:

When we went down the stairs the first morning there was a person sleeping on a piece of cardboard. He had better accomidations than we did.
The elevator also smelled of urine so we even had to spray it the one time we rode it.

The rooms were very filthy. Rooms that are rented by the hour are probably better than this one!!!!!!!!!!! DO NOT STAY HERE!!!!!!!
Las Vegas: Good Day Inn – Traveler Reviews – Do NOT stay at this facility – TripAdvisor

There are page after page of these unstintingly negative reviews. Compare this to the reviews for MGM Grand’s Skylofts: the most negative one I could find rapped delays in limo service and complained that the in-room technology was difficult to master.

So no matter where you stayed last time you were in town, no matter how long you had to wait for your car at valet or how many calls to room service it took to get fresh towels, you can proudly say that you didn’t stay in the worst place in town.

Don’t necessarily believe what you read: they just remodeled the Taj bac pit and are now calling it a salon. For a laugh, check in there and ask for an appointment for a cut and color. From the AC Press:

This is no mere gambling den or baccarat pit, but rather, ahem – French accent required – a gaming salon.

Drawing inspiration from the chic gaming parlors of Monte Carlo, Paris, Macau and other cities worldwide, it features tuxedo-clad dealers, crystal chandeliers and gently cascading fountains.

Gamblers are pampered in elegant surroundings, but they also should know that it may not be all fun and games. Some serious money will be spread around in the new high-stakes gaming salon at Trump Taj Mahal Casino Resort.

“When you step down there, youve got to ante up. This is not for the faint of heart,” said Mark Juliano, chief executive officer of Trump Entertainment Resorts Inc., the company that operates the Taj Mahal and Donald Trumps two other Atlantic City casinos.

Bets range from $100 to $6,000 per hand at the nearly 30 baccarat, blackjack, craps and roulette tables in the salon. Rosalind Krause, Taj Mahal general manager, also noted that special games for ultra-high rollers can be set up consisting of top bets of $100,000 for baccarat and $25,000 for blackjack.

That much money may be unthinkable for gamblers who are used to plugging away at penny or nickel slot machines, but Juliano said the typical customer in the gaming salon will be $200,000 to $500,000 players, and, in some cases, $1 million to $2 million.

“Most of them are men. They are domestic and international gamblers. Many are Asian or Latino customers, primarily from the Northeast – Philadelphia, New York and Washington, D.C.,” Juliano said.

…

The Taj Mahals gaming salon is part of a trend toward high-end gambling attractions to separate Atlantic City from the low-stakes slot parlors popping up in Pennsylvania and New York. Atlantic City is reinventing itself as more of a Las Vegas-style, overnight tourist resort of upscale gambling, retail shops, restaurants and nightclubs to counter extra competition from surrounding states.

“What distinguishes us from those markets are our hotel rooms and table games. Thats why were making such a big investment in table games and rooms,” Juliano said. “High-end customers are very important to us. More important than ever before.”

The $5 million gaming salon continues the transformation of Trumps flagship Taj Mahal from a gaudy pink- and purple-hued throwback to the 1990s to a more sophisticated casino decorated in softer brown, gold and beige tones. Next on the list is a new high-limit slots area scheduled to be completed by this summer.

New gaming salon at Trump Taj Mahal features big bets, lavish decor

That’s a very specific target group the Taj is shooting for: “domestic and international.” And they might be…Asian. Speaking a language that might be…Asian. That’s a rare Cable Guy reference, if you didn’t catch it.

They should just be honest and say, “We don’t really care who comes in here, as long as they’re gambling big money.”

Also, I get a kick out of “gaudy pink- and purple-hued throwback to the 1990s” for two reasons. First of all, it makes it sound like the 1990s were fifty years ago. Second of all, when I think “1990s” in design, gaudy pink and purple hues don’t automatically come to mind. In fact, I can’t think of too many places besides the Taj that had a big pink and purple thing going on. So it’s not a throwback to a grunge aesthetic, just the design choices of the previous managers.

This story didn’t happen in Las Vegas, but it could have. From the LVRJ:

A 6-foot-3, 265-pound man says a restaurant overcharged him for his trips to the buffet line, then banned him and a relative because they’re hearty eaters. A spokesman for the restaurant denies the claim.

Ricky Labit, a disabled offshore worker, said he had been a regular for eight months at the Manchuria Restaurant in Houma, eating there as often as three times a week.

On his most recent visit, he said, a waitress gave him and his wife’s cousin, 44-year-old Michael Borrelli, a bill for $46.40, roughly double the buffet price for two adults.

“She says, ‘Y’all fat, and y’all eat too much,’” Labit said.

Labit and Borrelli said they felt discriminated against because of their size. “I was stunned, that somebody would say something like that. I ain’t that fat, I only weigh 277,” Borrelli said, adding that a waitress told him he looked like he a had a “baby in the belly.”

Houma accountant Thomas Campo said the men were charged an extra $10 each on Dec. 21 because they made a habit of dining exclusively on the more expensive seafood dishes, including crab legs and frog legs.

“We have a lot of big people there,” said Campo, who spoke for owner Li Shang, whose English is limited. “We don’t discriminate.”

Labit denied ever being told he would be asked to pay more than the standard adult price.

The argument grew heated, and police were called.

The police report states, “The incident was settled when the management advised that the bill was a mistake and, to appease Ricky, the meal was complimentary.”

Labit said he insisted on paying but was told not to come back. He complained that when seafood on the buffet line runs out, the restaurant only grudgingly cooks more.

reviewjournal.com — Associated Press News

I know that I’ve been posting sporadically lately–and it’s probably going to get worse this spring–but if there’s one thing that’s sure to draw my attention, it’s injustice at the buffet.

I can’t imagine anyone with even a tiny sense of shame getting so worked up about a buffet that the police have to be called. I would have liked to have read the incident report for that call.

Kudos to the waitress for “you look like you have a baby in your belly.” That’s some ace customer service right there. Obviously, the guy just had a lot of crab legs and frog legs in there.

As far as “I’m not fat–I only way 277″ goes, I put the guy’s given stats into the body mass index calculator and discovered that, with a score of 34.6, he’s officially obese.

I don’t know who’s right here, but I wouldn’t get in the way of a 277-pounder and the crab legs.

Yes, it had a very soft opening last weekend, but in my mind the Palazzo is now really open for business: its carpet is immortalized in the Die is Cast casino carpet gallery.

Clearly the color palette is related to the Venetian’s, yet it is different enough to have its own identity. But it still all comes down to circles and flowers. Remember, life is fleeting, so double down and live fast! But only if you take your marching orders from floor coverings.

As an update from the other day, here is a shot of the “three women ascending to heaven on a Tron light beam:”