http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C18p7QIbWqc&feature=player_embedded

Magician Steve Wyrick has been a solid mainstay in Las Vegas since 2007, performing in a $35 million showroom located in the Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood.  He has disappeared nightly; but, this time the vanishing magic act is apparently a indefinitely canceled show. The performer failed to appear for last night’s show and, apparently, the show is no more. 

Wyrick shaped his reputation performing supposed dangerous stunts, but blew his magic cover when a July 4th vanishing act went awry after stage curtains around his “Death Drop” stunt burst into flames and a crew member was injured. 

Speculation about his Las Vegas reappearance has not materialized, yet.

Harrah’s Entertainment Inc. has filed an application to purchase the struggling Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, the Nevada Gaming Control Board said Monday. 

The casino giant has formed a new subsidiary, PHW Las Vegas LLC, with the intent of taking over the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. PHW filed the application to casino regulators last week, a person at the Control Board said. 

The Las Vegas Planet Hollywood is a separate entity from the restaurant chain, which has locations around the world. 

Harrah’s began pursuing Planet Hollywood in September when it purchased a $140 million piece of Planet Hollywood’s $870 million debt for an undisclosed amount from Goldman Sachs Group. 

A person close to the situation said that it appears the slice of debt Harrah’s purchased could give the casino giant enough influence over the other lenders to control the property. 

Harrah’s controls six contiguous Las Vegas casinos just north of Planet Hollywood. Those properties are across the street from City Center, the $8.5 billion MGM Mirage resort has been opening all this week in Las Vegas. 

In an email to employees last week, Harrah’s Chief Executive Gary Loveman reportedly said the location made the distressed Planet Hollywood an attractive acquisition. 

Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. currently manages the project’s hotel and also has a minority stake in Planet Hollywood. 

Restaurateur Robert Earl, who developed the movie-themed Planet Hollywood restaurant chain, and investment manager Bay Harbour Management acquired the Las Vegas property in 2007.

Today was a big day for Vegas with the opening of the first hotel, Vdara Hotel & Spa, in the CityCenter complex after five years of development planning and construction.  The development is co-owned by the Las Vegas-based MGM Mirage and Dubai World, the investment arm of the Persian Gulf state.  ”It’s going to be party central around here for a few weeks,” said Jim Murren, CEO of MGM Mirage.

I wonder if they’ll party so hard they fall behind on their debt like Dubai.  By the way, does anyone else find the irony in Dubai’s delinquency when it is a criminal offense for residents to fall into debt?

In other Vegas news, the WSJ reported that Harrah’s is continuing its plan to purchase the Planet Hollywood.  Apparently Harrah’s has been negotiating to acquire more of Planet Hollywood’s $860 million debt, which is in default.

Picture: LV Review Journal

We went and saw Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs we saw in the theater but chose not do to 3D because my kids hate having the glasses on and in 3D if you take your glasses off the screen is blurry… plus 3D costs more. I was the only person in my family excited to see the movie. I read the book growing up and was thinking it would be cool. I felt it was sort of a let down. Do not get me wrong the movie wasn’t horrible but I do not know that I will buy it.. Only time will tell though. I would give the movie 3 stars. My kids and husband felt pretty much the same way although my kids really loved all the yummy food and scientific stuff. The story was a bit weak though I think the essence of the book still shone through.

I saw both The Kung Fu Panda and WALL·E in the theater. At the time I probably would have said 4 1/2 stars for The Kung Fu Panda and 4 stars for WALL·E. Since I now own them both on Blu-ray and watch them quite often I would now have to say I rate them both 5 stars.

The Kung Fu Panda, is not only likable it is down right adorable. From the witty humor to the fantastic animation it is a solid movie. The story also is a good one with a good moral though I do not know if children grasp that level of it. I know my kids just think a big fat panda bear saying HI-YAH is hilarious.

WALL·E, on the other hand on first viewing was a bit depressing to me even though my kids thought it the most fantastic movie ever I was a bit annoyed. I think because I usually watch animation movies to escape the real world and this movie just made me think more about real things. It is a very deep movie. It delves into our world and how we are as people. Of course most kids won’t get this either. My two love it because there are robots and spaceships. Since it is Pixar you know the movie is Gold anyway.. or at least I do. Now that I have watched it a gazillion times I think my mind has kind of learned not to think on the things and just watch it for the silly parts, making it a more enjoyable experience.

Up, which is also a Pixar movie, is a great film. We saw it in the theater and at that time I would have given it 4 stars but now that we own it on Blu-ray I have to say 5 stars. It has a deep story ( more so for the opening of the film.) But it is a light-hearted, sweet, family friendly movie. I will say that my oldest child got the depth of the beginning in a way.. She wanted to know why the lady couldn’t have a baby.. My son not so much but he is very frightened by the “mean” dogs.  Overall, I give it 5 stars and I think right now it is the family’s # 1 pick.

Bolt, my daughter and I saw in the theater. She loved it I thought it was so-so. At the time I would have given it 2 1/2 to 3 stars.  Since then we have bought it on, can you guess? Yep, Blu-ray. After re-watching it, I think I would give it 3 1/2 to 4 stars. I think the casting of the voice of the lead girl (Miley Cyrus) was a bad choice. Her voice is kinda raspy and deep and for some reason it really annoys me. However, I LOVE the hamster’s voice – I think it goes perfect. The storyline was not too bad but at times a bit cheesy to me. Overall still good enough to watch. FYI – My son is very afraid of the green-eyed man.

Cher has returned to the Caesars Palace – Colosseum in Las Vegas now until 12/20. Jerry Seinfeld will perforn two nights before Bette Midler returns on 12/30 and will perform a New Years Eve show on 12/31 at 7:30p.m. leaving plenty of time for a New Years party on the Las Vegas strip.

Jeff Dunham will perform two nights 12/11 and 12/12 giving Cher a two day break and the Gallows as well for one night only.

The UFC 106 is on though champion Brock Lesnar had to bow out recently against top contender Shane Carwin due to an illness the UFC 106 will go on. The UFC will headline a rematch between former UFC champions Tito Ortiz and Forrest Griffin on Nov. 21. The Lesnar vs Carwin fight will be rescheduled to a future date in 2010.

Santana is at the The Joint – Hard Rock Hotel now through Feb 2010 and Avant will perform at Planet Hollywood Fri, Nov 27.  Vicente Fernandez will be at the Mandalay Bay – Events Center on Sat, Nov 28 at 9PM followed by KISS at the Palms Casino Resort on Sat, Nov 28 at 8PM.

It’s a great time to visit Las Vegas with the National Finals Rodeo heading to Vegas in December and Metallica to perform on 12/5 also at Mandalay Bay.

Tickets for all events available online at Click2Vegas.com

I’ve been trying to write this bad boy for the last couple days. Just a simple blog. Sum up my feelings of the events of last week. However I haven’t been able to. You see, for the last 3 days I’ve been hung over. My mind has been shot. Creative juices. Zero. Motor skills. Non-existent.

(This brings me to my next point… I would like to remind my audience that if there are any spelling, or grammatical errors in the next few paragraphs, it is indeed because I am still drunk. As are most of these post here at Sarcasm.)

For those of you who don’t already know, I was in Las Vegas for the last weekend and apparently tried to commit suicide via drinking as much booze as my poor little liver and kidneys could handle.

It all started when my friend JDub informed me that her work was providing her with a hotel suite at the Mirage hotel in Las Vegas for one week. She was to work a show and be done Friday afternoon and have nothing to do the remainder of the weekend. So the logical choice was to ask me and a number of other friends to join her for some much need binge drinkingrest and relaxation. I immediately agreed for the thought of some time away from The Gym got me all giddy inside. Although the invite was extended to a many of peoples, the one confirmed attendee would be none other than Mr. Thompson.

Mr. Thompson and I go way back to our radio days. We worked very hard on a radio show being awesome and funny. No seriously. Awesome and funny. We were like John Stockton and Karl Malone(minus the short shorts). Or Rob and Big. Or Sammy Davis Jr. (minus the eye thing) and Frank Sinatra (or any of the other white dudes in the Rat Pack.) Basically what I’m trying to get at is we were the perfect tag team comedy show and qualified for equal opportunity employment.

It’s also worth noting, that before my friend Mr. Thompson moved to LA, he, JDub and I had formed a coalition of sorts. This coalition of sorts, was based around the three alcoholic beverages that we so gladly devoured and worshiped. Mine, was, and still is to this day, Mr. Jack Daniels. Mr. Thompson’s was Crown Royal. (it’s changed) and JDub’s was none other than Jose Cuervo. There may actually be a picture of the three of us chugging straight from the bottles of these fine spirits on one of my birthdays. The Coalition was a force to be reckoned with (and a driving force in sales of said liquors. Mr. Thompson and I had been known to get black out drunk Wed-Sundays. Ahhh radio.)

So we were destined to meet in the City of Sin.

I flew all by myself (a point that shall be very important later on) Mr. Thompson drove in from LA, and JDub was already there. As I was the second to arrive I made the executive decision to purchase the first bottle of booze on the trip. It was indeed JD and it was glorious. JDub still needed some to finish up the event, so I took it upon myself to sit and watch Leave it to Lamas in my bathrobe. And get drunk.

Mr. Thompson arrived and the decision we all came up with was to go to Pure at Caesars Palace. We got ourselves dolled up, and there was an actual conversation between Mr. Thompson and I regarding pant length, shoe choice, and which shirt looked best. I believe there were numerous comments from the JDub camp regarding our sexuality, to which we decided to ignore and continue said conversations until we looked smashing!

We made our way to Pure and upon paying a ridiculous amount to get in found our way to an open spot on the dance floor. Were we got our groove on to many of today’s hottest hits. At one point, some dude was grinding on a honey in front of me when I noticed a giant eagle on his back that reflected off the lights in the club. I quickly took it upon myself to start the Napoleon Dynamite Happy Hands club motion behind him in a mocking maneuver. To which the nice Asian lady to the right of our group saw, and began to giggle. Pretty sure there was a mental high five given, and received.

The night wore on, as did our intense drinking. At one point, Mr. Thompson was getting the eye from a classy girl dressed in a Zebra print dress standing in the VIP. Somehow or another, she got Mr. Thompson into the VIP area, which he in turn got me, which she in turn got JDub. So there we were, all in VIP. Having a good time, not buying bottle service. Not buying drinks from the bar, and in actuality, having drinks spilled all over my pants. Like ALL over. Right in front. Pretty much where my junk was. It was also very awesome of the bouncer to flash his flashlight right on my crotch. Allowing everyone in VIP to see my junk, and that it looked very much like I’d wet myself. Awesome.

During our time in VIP I learned that Zebra, was just a girl looking to make it big in Sin City. She moved out here from Arizona, and was just hanging with a group of her “friends” in the VIP area. Indeed her friends were dressed as “classy” as she was, and things began to dawn on JDub and I. Mr Thompson had moved his attentions away from Zebra to some dude I believe he met in the VIP area. I’m not sure what the exchange was all about, however Mr. Thompson was the only one who left the VIP area with a number.

It must be said, that while Mr. Thompson did leave the club with a number, it was JDub that could have left with much much more. After we all stopped paying attention to Zebra, she moved on to a new group of gentlemen. We decided that VIP was not our “scene” so we luckily enough were able to retrieve our previous spot on the dance floor and “posted up.” While posting up, we made it out to the dance floor a number of times to dance to a delightful ditty or two. On one said ditty, JDub were out there busting some moves and generally making people jealous of our awesomeness. So jealous that a bouncer came up to JDub grabbed her arm, and escorted away from me. Mid-Maneuver!! In most cases, I probably would have been concerned and been all what the fuck! where are you taking her. However Jack had indeed been invited and was beginning to take over the party. So instead of getting indignant and protective, I merely said… meh.

Apparently, Mickey, one of PURE’s finest bouncer, took a liking to our friend JDub. So much so, that he removed her form the dance floor and took her up to a stage area, where low and behold, only females were up there dancing. With one exception. Chris Angel was also up on said stage and there were throngs of women around him. Including our own little JDub. Mr. Thompson and I knew it was only a matter of minutes before America’s Douchiest Man got wind of our JDub and would be Mindfreaking her all night long. It was at that moment, we decided to act. And act fast we did. Mr. Thompson and I put our minds together, and worked out an ingenious plan. We pushed our way through the crowd, got as close as we could….. and ordered another round!

The night wore on, JDub got away from Mickey’s evil clutches, I was essentially blacked out, and Mr. Thompson had gotten a dudes phone number in the VIP of PURE. We decided to call it a night and began the walk back to our hotel room where some much needed sleep was in order. However, along the way, as we walked past the tall bushes that line the front of Caesars Palace for some reason or another, I fell into the bushes. Which actually prompted Mr. Thompson to start sprinting down Las Vegas Blvd. beacuase he didn’t want to be caught by the cops. Of course, as JDub described that next afternoon, “walking home with you guys was like trying to herd wild cats.” Mr. Thompson and I high fived. Excellent.

The next afternoon, we all awoke de-hydrated and damn near dead. Some of us were worse for wear. I, because of my alcoholism, looked at the half bottle of Jack Daniels left in the room, and realized, “I’m not hung over. I can’t remember many of the events from last night. Half a bottle of Jack is gone… maybe now would be a good time to address actually having a problem.” Little did I know that that statement would come much later in the trip. Upon everyone waking up, we had a little chat about the nights previous events. Mr. Thompson and I began a dazzling display of insults and jabs directed at JDub about her time with Chris Angel.

Mr Thompson or I: “JDub how did it feel getting Mindfreaked?!?”
JDub: “I didn’t get Mindfreaked!“
Mr. Thompson: “We saw you inching your way toward him! It was impressive.”
JDub: “I don’t even like Chris Angel. He’s a douche…”
Me: “No way, I saw you put the head bob, fling the hair, jazz hands move on him.”
Mr. Thompson: “mmmmmhmmm.”
JDub “You guys, stop. I did not get Mindfreaked.”
Me: “Mr. Thompson, guess what the best thing about getting Mindfreaked is….”
Mr. Thompson: “What?”
Me: “You don’t even know it’s happening so when you get up the next day, you can tell all your friends you met Chris Angel but didn’t get Mindfreaked…”
JDub: “I. DID. NOT. GET. MINDFREAKED*!!
Mr. Thompson and I: *laughter*
JDub: FINE! You guys want to do this!?!?! What about you Mr. Thompson getting worked over by a HOOKER!?!
Mr. Thompson: “WHAAAAA?!?!”
(*At some point, we stopped saying Mindfreaked, and started saying “done in the ass.” We figure a douche like Chris Angel would do something like that. If you re-read this exchange, I’m pretty sure it’s funnier with “done in the ass.” However here at Sarcasm, I at least attempt to show some tact and class in the beginning.)

The mere mention of the Hooker brought Mr. Thompson on the defensive. “What hooker?!?” “There was no hooker!”And then JDub and I began replaying the nights events out loud. The more and more we described a hooker, the more and more Mr. Thompson got defensive.

Mr. Thompson: “She was not a hooker! She was just a small town girl trying to make it big in the city.”
Me: “Dude, she was a hooker. Even “I” knew that. (This statement was indeed powerful because on one of my trips to Vegas, I got to know a nice young lady, only to find out she was a hooker by some friends the next day. I just thought she was being polite.)
JDub: “Mr. Thompson, she was totally working you. She got you into VIP hoping you’d buy shit and the club would get a percentage.”
Mr. Thompson: “No way, she just knew the bouncers. She said she goes there all the time.”
Me: “Dude.”
JDub: “Did you not see her with her friends? They were hookers too!”
Mr. Thompson: “It was just girls night.”
Me: “Duuude.”
JDub: “And PLEASE! You know of ANY classy girls that rock a short ass Zebra dress into the VIP?!?”
Mr. Thompson: “Maybe Forever 21 was just having a sale.”
Me: “DUDE!”
JDub: “She moved on to the next dude, who bought shit, after you stopped paying attention to her!”
Mr. Thompson: “She felt dejected after I turned her down.”
Me: “Dude. Seriously. Hook. Er.”
Mr. Thompson: “She wasn’t a hooker. She was a nice girl.”
Me: “Hooker man.”
Mr. Thompson: “I don’t believe you.”

The best part of this whole interaction is through out the rest of the day, at random times, Mr. Thompson would just say “She wasn’t a hooker.” Which made both JDub and I laugh a bit, and repeat, Dude, she was a hooker. The battle was finally given up later that evening after Mr. Thompson had a conversation with his sister. To which she replied, that she would have had to have seen the girl, and other details before she could make and informed decision, however…. it was most likely a hooker.

To Be Continued…

Until Next Time…

Email Me…
SarcasmAsAWeapon@gmail.com

Stay up to 10 days in a Hollywood Hip room for $599 non-refundable, no blackout dates, good through March 15, 2010. Nights need not be consecutive and include NYE, Super Bowl, etc. If you are staying enough peak nights, it’s a good deal. Of course, rooms require availability even though there are no official blackouts.

http://www.planethollywoodresort.com/ags_accommodations_phanatic.php?utm_source=SoMe&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=DPASS

Of course you can book regular discounted rates at Planet Hollywood here

Planet Hollywood’s’ topless review “Peepshow” plans to really lay bare someone- Aubrey O’Day, the co-lead with Holly Madison.  Reportedly, her contract will not be renewed when the current run ends in December. 

Some say this action further waters down an already struggling show, replacing O’Day with local Las Vegas talent from Actors Equity in January, when the show takes a brief break before resuming shows. 

Madison will continue to be the show’s marquee draw.  

Show producers also have high hopes for an E! series, tentatively titled “Planet Hollywood,” as previously reported by Las Vegas Backstage Access.

Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas

Starting: Oct 31, 2009
Through: Dec 28, 2009
Book By: Oct 31 2009 11:59PM
# of Nights: 2

Supplier: Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
Property: Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, A Sheraton Resort
Terms: Terms & Disclaimers
ID: 1571141 $99.00 p/p MIDWEEK

FREE offers included

Resort Room Accommodations
Two complimentary buffets at the Spice Market Buffet
Two complimentary spa admissions at the Planet Hollywood Spa by Mandara
Complimentary amenity bottle per stay – wine, champagne, or spirits
Rates from $99.00 midweek and $189.00 weekend
2 night minimum

About Planet Hollywood

Inside Planet Hollywood you’ll find nearly three acres of casino action
including all your favorite slots, table games and The Playing Field Race
and Sports Book that has 33 plasma screens, two jumbo screens and
a VIP area. You’ll also discover The Pleasure Pit which features blackjack
and roulette dealt by beautiful women in chic lingerie, as go-go dancers move
to hot beats. But before you make any moves make sure you’re a part of
the a-List Players Club. If you’re not a member join today to earn room nights,
show tickets, PH Award Play and PH Bonus Play.

Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino features accommodations fit for
Hollywood Royalty. There are a wide range of rooms and suites including
our new Hollywood Hip Room. In both double bed and king bed rooms, you’ll
enjoy a spacious bathroom with a separate, oversized soaking tub,
seamless shower and marble vanity. In addition, every room boasts two,
double-line speakerphones, one with a dataport and a separate CAT-5
high-speed dataport. Each bedroom has a 42″ plasma television, a safe
and an iron. All guests receive complimentary Valet Parking or Self Parking.

When booking this vacation with Sig Lei Vacations, use promo code SAMEX. Call
us now at 1-888-300-0726 to enjoy Las Vegas today or you can contact us here
now. CLICK HERE

With the economy the way it is today, more and more of us have found that traveling this year might be harder than originally expected. Well fear no longer, Walt Disney is here to save the day with cheap vacations for the budget-conscious traveler. This Florida family vacation destination has many vacation deals as well as added attractions that are opening this year.

New attractions such as Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration, Hall of Presidents and Move It, Shake It, and Celebrate it, all located in the Magic Kingdom, are sure to excite young and old, and save money. Not only is Disney World adding more attractions, but they are also offering a number of deals valid only until January 1, 2010.

A favorite is the Magic Your Way package that includes accommodations at a Disney resort, a 30-minute arcade game card, Disney’s PhotoPass, Planet Hollywood $15 gift certificate and much more. To see what else this package has to offer, visit www.mousesavers.com/myw2009.html.

If you need a rental car for your family vacation, be sure to check out the great SUV rental deals Budget has to offer at the Orlando Airport. And for travelers who like freebies, visit Budget’s Snapfish promotion. You can get 50 free 4”x 6” prints through Snapfish just for pre-paying your car rental. The best part is that pre-paid rates are discounted, too!

Over the weekend, Planet Hollywood purchased the original emails exchanged between the stars of the 1996 cult classic, You’ve Got Junk Mail. Rumor has it that on the last day of filming the whole cast indulged in a round of steamy hugs! The most intense embrace involved Lindsay Lohan and Dakota Fanning, stars of the 90’s kid dark comedy, Dial Up Modem.

Presented in stunning AOL vision, the Planet of Rock has been awesome enough to share email correspondence between two American thespian treasures, Meg Fryin and Tom Hacks.

Dear Meg Fryin,

In New York City, nothing says Autumn like pencil shavings. I truly believe it would be hard to erase those early memories of me at my grandpa’s shop near Tubman’s square, sharpening pencils until my nose bled. You have to remember that this was the time before electric pencil sharpeners. You could say I was a pioneer in my field. The way the pencil rolled down the street as frustrated shop owners fought them off one by one with homemade brooms made me long for summer freedom.

City boys on the streets with wood locks for bats, all hoping they had it in them to be the next DiGiorno, swung and missed too many times to count. Now look at us rushing around nearly forgetting the things that made us who we are today. One must question, where have all the cowboys gone? What about you? Any memories you cherish?

Truly, Madly, Deploy,

Tom Hacks

Dear Tom Hacks,

Cherish is a harsh word, a lot like my childhood. Yours sounds so much more fun compared to my tortured beginnings. My grandpa owned a toy shop near Mussolini Square, where I would polish marbles until my eyes bled.

As the youth trampled the pavement in high-top Pumps, I was shamefully subjected to the faggoty flop of my Richard Simmons aerobic sneakers. Another careless purchase from Payless. The silver lining, I was not as shameful as those who wore Gloria Estefan scrunchies and strawberry shaped hair barrettes. What year was this? Hard to say. The youth have dabbled in these urban movements since the days of Hell’s Kitchen.

P.s. Do you find yourself using really photogenic words like, ’silver lining’ and ‘rambunctious’  all the time? I do. I should really get back to working on my memories now. Bye! :>)

From your AOL basket case, waiting and baking for you…,

Meg Fryin

Роб – весел, усмихнат и с типичния си завладяващ поглед! Искаме да виждаме по-често такива негови снимки!

Amber Heard is one of the stars of the new movie The Stepfather so that means she is going around doing the promo rounds at places like, Planet Hollywood. Now seeing these pictures got me thinking two things; 1) Amber Heard is beautiful and 2) Does Bruce Willis still open a stake in Planet Hollywood? I did some research on that last thought and came up with nothing. Then my A.D.D. kicked back in and i found myself staring at the ring on Amber Heard finger. It’s not that big. So there you have it, Amber Heard is hot and has a ring on her finger and Bruce Willis may or may not still own stake in Planet Hollywood. You learn something new everyday, doesn’t mean that the knowledge is helpful though.

T-Rex Cafe

Rainforest Cafe

O Downtown Disney é uma espécie de bairro da Disney, onde se concentram lojas variadas, restaurantes, boates, bareszinhos e, principalmente, onde se situa o Cirque du Soleil de Orlando (do qual falarei no próximo post).

De grandes restaurantes, há uma filial do Rainforest Cafe (que é falado no meu post sobre o Animal Kingdom) e da mesma rede, o T-Rex Cafe (todo ambientado no período Jurássico de nosso planeta).

A área divide-se em três diferentes setores: Marketplace, Pleasure Island e West Side onde está a mais nova atração Disney, o DisneyQuest, um complexo de cinco andares, repleto de brinquedos eletrônicos e realidade virtual.

família Lego

cute, cute, cute

Há a loja da Lego (impressionante o que se pode fazer com os bloquinhos), uma lojinha de doces do Pateta (Goofy), uma loja maravilhosa de enfeites de Natal, a maior loja de artigos da Disney (World of Disney) – sempre com pequenos animaizinhos próximos a nós, como os esquilinhos – cute, cute, cute…

Almoçamos no Captain Jack´s Restaurant – fica numa marina perto da lagoa do Downtown. 

É todo ambientado como um bar de navio, praiano e a comida é cajun (comida apimentada, com influência francesa e caribenha – típica dos Cajun). 

Cajun shrimp and chicken étouffée with rice Pilaf (camarões e frango em molho apimentado com arroz maluco)

Jumbo lump crab cakes with cajun green asparagus and roasted garlic butter red skin potatoes (carne de caranguejo com aspargos e batata assada ao molho apimentado)

Lá, comemos, Cajun shrimp and chicken étouffée with rice Pilaf (camarões e frango em molho apimentado com arroz maluco) e Jumbo lump crab cakes with cajun green asparagus and roasted garlic butter red skin potatoes (carne de caranguejo com aspargos e batata assada ao molho apimentado).  Para sobremesa, Key lime pie with raspberry sauce (torta de limão com calda de amora).  Esse almoço, sem o Disney Ding Plan, sairia por volta de U$ 49,00, sem a tip e o vinho.

Os Cajun (pronúncia: quéidjã – corruptela do francês acadien) são descendentes dos Acadianos - grupo étnico que foi expulso do Canadá e que se fixou na Louisiania, especialmente, Nova Orleans, no sul dos EUA.  Esta população tem uma cultura própria, em especial uma variedade de música popular e de culinária.  Uma vaga de perseguição religiosa levou à deportação desses Acadianos, entre 1755 e 1763, para diversos portos do Império Britânico na América do Norte (entre eles – Louisiania) , para prisões inglesas ou para a França.

Planet Hollywood

Bongos Cuban Cafe da Gloria Estefan)

Seguindo o Downtown – chegamos na Pleasure Island, onde está o Planet Hollywood e outras casas de shows (House of Blues – onde achamos os incensos mais perfumados que já compramos), bares (inclusive o Bongos Cuban Cafe da Gloria Estefan) e boates. 

museu da Princesa Diana

Há um local onde se pode pegar carona num balão e sobrevoar a Disney (não é tão caro – U$35,00 por 30 minutos, por pessoa). 

Disney Quest - complexo de 5 andares de video-games

Tem um complexo de 24 salas de cinema, um absurdo museu em homenagem à Princesa Diana e um complexo de 5 andares de vídeo-games – O Disney Quest. 

objetos de design by Romero Brito

Também, na Pleasure Island, encontramos uma lojinha indescritível, só com peças de arte e design dos anos 80 – onde compramos nosso primeiro Romero Brito.

mapa do Downtown Disney

What do you do for fun when your personal resume includes things like being a former mayor, TV news reporter, talk show host and lawyer?  You head out to Las Vegas, silly, and jump on the stage of Planet Hollywood to serve as the emcee of “America’s Got Talent Live!”    Or, at least, that’s what you do if you’re Jerry Springer and have recently completed a run on Broadway in the musical “Chicago.”

Springer says that hosting the Simon Cowell produced television show “America’s Got Talent” in Las Vegas was “…the best show I’ve ever done on television…”  Springer approved of the democratic process of selection and enjoyed the overall atmosphere of the show during his time as host.  

Springer also participated in last year’s one-night performance of the live show at the MGM Grand.  The success of the 2008 event encouraged the producers to bring a longer run back to Las Vegas leading to the current 10-week engagement at Planet Hollywood. 

According to Springer it’s the perfect tie-in opportunity:  “When people come to Vegas, whatever they’ve been planning to do, they walk along and see the billboard ‘America’s Got Talent,’ and they’re going to like at least three of the eight or 10 acts.”  

The current Planet Hollywood show includes eight of the top acts from the last season of the television show, including the winner, Kevin Skinner – a former chicken farmer now turned country singer.

Colorful Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman, an-Mob lawyer, and Las Vegas’ version of Lady Gaga, Holly Madison, will be joined together this week as filming begins on her VH1 reality show, “Planet Holly,” at Planet Hollywood Resort.

His appearance will involve him naming five things that will make Las Vegas better; she will then go out and do those five things.  

During his weekly media sit-down meeting last Thursday, the mayor talked about his participation in the reality show and also mentioned he will be narrating another reality show about Las Vegas.

So I know back in July I said I would review Harry Potter 6 as soon as I saw it but I was pretty disappointed with it that I did not want to even think about it. Reflecting back I think I might have been a bit harsh on the movie. I think that there was a lot of good stuff left out and some things added in that were not in the book.. After reading the first 5 books and re-watching those movies I realized that all of the HP movies have done it to some degree. I think overall the movie flows well and is enjoyable but it doesn’t do the book justice (none of the movies do.. well #1 was really close). I was very upset that after movie 5 being PG-13 they decided to give movie 6 a PG rating.. Movie 6 is darker than 5 and I think to show it’s full effect they needed to be more brutal than they were.. I REALLY hope for the last two movies they go PG-13 again and show the darker side that the book wants portrayed. I will buy the movie (on blu-ray) when it comes out although I do not know how often I will watch that installment.. who knows maybe it will grow on me and brainwash the book out of my mind hahaha. On a final note I give this movie 3 1/2 stars.

 I also want to say I think the actors/actresses did a good job especially: Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy)

 Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley)

and

Alan Rickman (Severus Snape).

Prive Nightclub at Planet Hollywood Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas welcomes Good Charlotte’s Joel Madden this Friday for a special DJ set.

VIP Entry Passes are available that guarantee your entry into Prive.

A Sienna Entertainment VIP Host will meet you on-site and escort you past the line and into the club.

For more information or to purchase your VIP Entry & Bottle Service, go to: www.siennaentertainment.com

For a free quote call us toll free: 1.800.956.3809

Even in wild, anything goes Las Vegas, apparently, there are limits on what can and can’t be done in nightclubs.

In July, gaming regulators slapped the Planet Hollywood casino with a $500,000 fine for its Prive nightclub’s bad behavior, including “topless and lewd activity” and dumping club-goers in the casino “in various states of consciousness.”

The same month, the Rio closed its Sapphire topless pool, managed by a local gentleman’s club, after authorities arrested 10 people on suspicion of prostitution and drug crimes. Over Labor Day weekend, eight more arrests on similar charges were made at the Hard Rock Hotel’s pool club party, Rehab.

It’s all part of a crackdown by Las Vegas authorities on what they see as clubs gone wild.

“The quarrel is not, ‘You guys are offering entertainment that’s going to offend Middle America.’ We all want to keep Middle America coming to us to have fun. But we have rules,” said Randall Sayre of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. During the heyday of the “What happens here, stays here” tourism campaign, the must-have accessory for any Las Vegas Strip casino was a pulsating nightclub that lured Hollywood starlets and drunken tourists willing to pay for a few hours of shimmer.

That has sometimes proved to be an ill-fated mix. Though the clubs are reliable moneymakers and publicity machines, some have vexed officials with their fraternity-style antics — including stripping contests, fistfights, and alleged drug use and sexual assaults.

In the last decade, smoky lounges on the Strip gave way to three-story mega-clubs and booze-drenched pool parties. Out on the cutting edge of trendy are clubs such as the bronze-walled XS, the centerpiece of casino magnate Steve Wynn’s resort Encore.

Most of the clubs, which pull in tens of millions of dollars from high-volume sales of alcohol and special seating, successfully keep thousands of tourists under control. But the venues, jostling for the same young crowd, have a penchant for envelope-pushing — and the casinos, Sayre said, have mostly kept their hands off the cash machines.

In the last two years, Clark County has warned clubs about a wet-boxer-shorts contest and women shedding shirts at events named “Lose the Tan Lines” and “Boobs or Bust.” Some clubs launched stripping contests; others tried to sneak around no-nudity ordinances by slathering women in body paint.

Many nightlife problems are far graver, however, which could prove problematic for casinos in the long run. Gaming regulators can hold them responsible for most anything that unfolds on their properties.

In 2006, the state Gaming Control Board told casinos it was concerned about reports of violent, excessively drunk and underage club-goers. In the last year, authorities have noticed an uptick in prostitution and narcotics crimes at Strip hot spots, said Officer Bill Cassell of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

But it was “Prive-gate” that truly rattled the town’s after-dark scene and it appears no end is in sight for the enforcement and creation of new clubbing rules to govern Las Vegas partygoers.

Scandalous photographs recently snapped at a risqué Las Vegas show have raised questions about technology versus security. 

The photos were of performer Aubrey O’Day in topless revue “Peepshow” at Planet Hollywood. 

Between cameras and cell phones, pictures can be easily snapped and even full length movies can be recorded — causing rising concerns now to producers and performers. 

The pictures taken were not suitable for children and were something the performer did not want to see surfacing on the Internet. 

“I decided to call out tonight because of some nude photos that were illegally obtained last night at the show,” O’Day said.   

O’Day cancelled an appearance earlier this week after the nude pictures circulated the Web. She later posted a video on YouTube addressing the candid photos. 

“It made me feel bad. It made me insecure about my body,” O’Day said. 

Security officials said they are not sure how the photos were captured. “We don’t allow any cameras in the theater,” said vice president of BASE Entertainment Marks Chowning. 

But even with all the security detail and bag checks, many devices still do sneak inside. 

Chowning works for the company that manages “Peepshow” and said it’s a problem that’s getting tougher to handle.  “It’s somewhat of a losing battle. As you know, the devices are getting smaller and better equipped with more technology,” Chowning said. 

At almost every Las Vegas show, nude or not, recording is forbidden.  Knowing it’s almost impossible to stop everyone, “Peepshow” uses trained eyes and even night vision goggles to weed out clandestine photographers. 

“We will be more aggressive about watching the audience. We will have the night vision goggles in use, and people who are found in violation of the policy will be ejected from the theater,” Chowning said.  “Really trying to protect what the women want protected, which is not having naked pictures of them strewn about the Internet,” Chowning said. 

O’Day has since returned to “Peepshow” after sitting out one night. The show opened earlier this year.