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It's a Dog's Life for John O'Hurley

John O Diversity, thy name is John O'Hurley. The man who would be King Arthur in the Wynn Las Vegas production of Spamalot has already achieved pop culture immortality more than once, after almost winning the first Dancing With the Stars competition, and for his classic portrayal of J. Peterman on Seinfeld.

On Thur., April 19 at 7PM, O'Hurley waltzes into the Clark County Library Theater and into the hearts of dog lovers everywhere when he drops in to discuss his book, It's Okay to Miss the Bed On the First Jump. O'Hurley, an avid dog lover since childhood, shares lessons learned from his life with canine companions such as "Never Miss a Nap;" "When One Person Stops Petting You, Move On;" and "You're Only as Big as You Think You Are."

A book signing and reception will follow the talk. Books will be available for purchase at the door.

Urban sombrero dress is optional.

Five Favorite Finds at The Manilow Store in Vegas

Trust Me, My Owner is a Manilow Fan dog sweaterWhat would you expect to see at The Manilow Store at the Las Vegas Hilton? Music CDs, souvenir t-shirts, books about the famed singer/songwriter, and other memorabilia that fans would enjoy. What would you not expect to see? Here are five items that surprised me.

1. Barry Manilow Margarita Mix – I know Tony always tended bar at the Copacabana, but this still seems like a stretch.

2. A Dog Sweater that reads "Trust Me, My Owner is a Manilow Fan." I guess there's nothing wrong with it, until your pooch runs into a dog that prefers Zeppelin.

Live, From Omaha, It's the Berenstain Bears in Henderson

Berenstain Bears in VegasWhat happens when the Berenstain Bears play Las Vegas? Two things: the sports books put them up as a seven point favorite against the Detroit Lions, and I have the assignment to write about it. Robin Leach gets the Pussycat Dolls and I get the Berenstain Bears. Somebody call my agent.

Acutally, as someone who proudly still watches Scooby-Doo and Underdog cartoons, I guess I'm the right person after all to cover this adaptation of a popular series of children's books that debuted back in 1962. "Berenstain Bears On Stage!" combines five of the most popular stories (The Messy Room, The Double Dare, New Baby, Get Stage Fright and The Truth) into a new stage musical.


Vegas Star Spotting: Why Star Trek Kicks Star Wars' Asteroid

Star Trek-themed Quarks Bar in VegasFor 'Star Trek' fans, one of the best things about living in or visiting Las Vegas is the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton. Every couple of months I spend part of an afternoon there, looking over the memorabilia in the shops, playing with the food replicators, having a Class M Pizza at Quark's, and hanging out with fellow Trekkers, and the occasional Klingon, Borg and Ferengi who are there to pose for photos and plot the Federation's demise.

And for guys, no visit is complete without setting off the talking urinals in the men's room.

Food and Films II

Last year, the Winchester Theater presented 'Food and Film,' a film festival featuring movies about the preparation and/or enjoyment of a great meal. The festival, which included such films as Babette's Feast, proved successful enough to inspire a sequel. 'Food and Films II begins on March 8 and continues every Thursday at 7PM through April 26. Admission is just $3 for each film.

This year's lineup:

Mostly Martha: The life of a German chef is altered when her sister dies, leaving an 8-year-old daughter behind.

What's Cooking?: Mercedes Ruehl stars in a story about how four different ethnic families celebrate Thanksgiving.

Eat Drink Man Woman: A modern classic from writer/director Ang Lee. Senior Master Chef Chu lives with his three unmarried daughters in a large house in Taipei. The story revolves around elaborate Sunday dinners and the love lives of the family members.

The Scent of Green Papaya: A 1993 Anh Hung Tran film centers on a little girl's life growing up as a servant. As a young woman she is sent to the home of a pianist and his wife, where she learns to read and finds love.

Tortilla Soup: Hector Elizondo, Paul Rodriguez and Raquel Welch star in this tale of a retired Mexican-American chef who also shares his home with his three single daughters.

Feast at Midnight: Sometimes described as the 'Dead Poet's Society' for food lovers, this 1995 British film focuses on a new student at a British public school who forms a secret society based on the love of food and midnight feasts with other school misfits and outcasts.

Simply Irresistible: Sarah Michelle Gellar and Sean Patrick Flanery star in a romantic comedy about a clumsy chef who inherits her mother's fledgling restaurant.

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Lucie and Desi Arnaz Celebrate Lucille Ball in a Legacy of Laughter

Lucille BallMany years ago, Desi Arnaz, Jr. escaped from Hollywood's fast lane to the quiet, Mayberry-esque community of Boulder City. With his wife, Amy, he operates the Boulder City Ballet Company and the Historic Boulder Theatre.

On March 3 at 7PM, Desi will be joined by sister Lucie for Legacy of Laughter, a celebration of comedy and fond remembrance of its most famous woman, Lucille Ball. The guest roster also includes actor Sean Astin (Lord of the Rings, The Goonies), and Christina Carroll, the daughter of I Love Lucy writer Bob Carroll, Jr.

Legacy of Laughter begins at 7PM at the Boulder Theater. Tickets are $20. For more information, call 702-293-1161.

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Pure to Open Sexy New Bowling Alley, Restaurant, Bar and Nightclub, Lucky Strike

Lucky Strike Lanes opening at Rio from Pure NightclubBowling has been in and out on the pop culture radar more often than Wayne Newton. In most of the country it's an entertaining way to kill an evening or a Saturday afternoon, and an excuse for employees at the same company to get together after work and wear funny shirts with their names sewn on. But when people come to Las Vegas, bowling is probably the last activity on their minds, though it may still rank above searching for the perfect dice clock.

Pure Management Group and the Rio Resort hope to change all that with the Lucky Strike Lanes, scheduled to open in March. A combination 10-lane bowling alley, restaurant, bar and nightclub, Lucky Strike puts the beer back into the beer frame. Dining specialties include Bite Size Mac & Cheese Balls and Buffalo Chicken Crisps, as well as the standard alley cuisine of burgers and pizzas.

At night, Lucky Strike Lanes morphs into a nightlife hotbed complete with bowling, bar and beats. A neon-lit, script-lettered Las Vegas sign radiates light over the black-lit lanes. The venue will house state-of-the-art technology including five projection screens, which descend from a cascading, wave-patterned white ceiling, and feature score screens complete with picture-in-picture. And where else could you see hot girls in sexy dresses, wearing ugly shoes with the size displayed on the back?

Click for Lucky Strike photos

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American Idol Watch: Josh Gracin and Bucky Covington Heading to Vegas

Josh Gracin Publicity shotJasmine Trias isn't the only former American Idol contestant coming to Las Vegas. Season one standout, miliatary man Josh Gracin (pictured) opens for Jo Dee Messina at Buffalo Bill's Star of the Desert Arena (which is actually in Primm, a 20-minute drive from the Strip) on March 10.Tickets are priced at $45 and $32.75.

And on April 27, Bucky Covington will appear with country band Sawyer Brown at Boulder Station. Like Gracin, Bucky would have been equally at home on Nashville Star, but the blond hair and twang didn't work as well for him as it did for Carrie Underwood. He was voted out early on in last year's contest, but like practically everyone else in the top 12 he scored a record deal and is still getting work. Tickets are $22.50, $27.50, $37.50 & $47.50.

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Hot at Box Office, 'The Ghost Rider' Blazes Into Madame Tussauds

Visitors can get up close and personal with movie stars, singers and athletes at Madame Tussauds, and now the famed wax museum has unveiled its first wax figure inspired by a demon spawned in Hades. Nope- not Kevin Federline. It's Johnny Blaze, as played by Nicolas Cage in the new film adaptation of 'Ghost Rider.'

Cage's wax figure is outfitted in the black leather riding suit that appears in the film, and stands next to the original Hell Cycle custom chopper. As with all Madame Tussauds interactive attractions, visitors can be photographed with the Cage figure and the Hell Cycle.

Cage has been chasing a comic book movie for years now. He auditioned for Superman and was linked to John Constantine before Keanu Reeves, and would probably have worn fishnets if a good Black Canary script surfaced. Finally, the Oscar-winner and comic collector achieved his fantasy, and one can only hope Ghost Rider will prove a better adaptation of a Marvel hero than Elektra and The Incredible Hulk. The movie opens on Friday, Feb. 16.

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Gung Hay Fat Choy: Chinese New Year in Las Vegas

Chinese New Year is a surprisingly big deal in Las Vegas, thanks to the Hong Kong high rollers who drop the equivalent of a new Lexus with each bet at the baccarat table. To keep them happy there are concerts featuring Asian superstars in many of the showrooms and special dining options at several resorts.

Experience a full range of exotic flavors at the 1st Annual Asian Food Festival, a charitable event taking place at the Las Vegas Hilton on February 18, from noon to 5PM. More than just a glorified holiday buffet, the Festival will feature a variety of cultural shows, including Chinese dragon dance, Japanese taiko drums, Hawaiian hula dance, Korean tae kwon do, karate demonstrations and an Asian fashion show.

Proceeds from the Festival benefit Asian children's programs and special scholarship funds.

Batman and Green Lantern Fly Into Vegas

Comic book readers of a certain age will remember The Brave and the Bold, a classic long-running DC series that teamed up silver age characters against menaces too big for one superhero. This month The Brave and the Bold returns to comic shops with a new #1 issue written by Mark Waid, with a cover by the brilliant George Perez.

Batman and Green Lantern are featured in the first issue, as they travel from Gotham City to Las Vegas on the trail of a frightening new weapon. Somehow, I can't picture either of these guys taking in Celine Dion's show, though Green Lantern might take a side trip to the Thunderbirds Museum at Nellis Air Force Base, as he used to be a top test pilot. Yes, I do know too much about comic books.

NBA All-Stars Appear at Fashion Show Mall

How can you meet some of the NBA's best players who are in town for the All-Star Game? Stalking is always one alternative, but it's easier to head for the Fashion Show Mall.

On Feburary 16 from 3-5PM, Shawn Marion will appear at Dillard's, to sign basketballs for anyone who buys $50 worth of Perry Ellis clothing. And on February 17 at 3PM, Allen Iverson will be at Macy's, offering autographs with purchases of Sean John merchandise.

The Palms Hosts New Las Vegas Golf Pro-Am


Three thousand bucks for three rounds of golf? That's the tab to enter the first Vegas Cup 2007 Pro-Am, scheduled for April 22-26. To be fair, players also get four nights at the hosting Palms Hotel and Casino, an invitation to a welcome party and awards dinner; transportation to and from the courses and a daily on-course lunch. For that money they better give you the big bag of chips with your hot dog.

Teams of five-four amateurs, one professional, compete over four days at Bear's Best Golf Club, DragonRidge Country Club and TPC Canyons. The format is Best Ball, Vegas Cup Rotation and Vegas Scramble. What this really means is you better start working on your game. Try one of these Top Vegas Golf Courses.


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Vegas Tops the List of America's Fattest Cities

It's shocking that a place with 400 all-you-can-eat buffets would top a list of America's fattest cities. Las Vegas rises to the apex of Men's Fitness magazine's ignoble annual list, edging out San Antonio and Miami.

The magazine ranked Albuquerque, New Mexico as the fittest city nationwide, followed by Seattle and Colorado Springs.

Men's Fitness didn't actually ride to the top of the Stratosphere Tower and count all the obese people waddling down the Strip. They reached their conclusions by measuring data that includes how much city residents exercise, how healthy they eat, how much they use gym memberships, how many times they hit the fast food drive-thru, and how much time they spend sitting in traffic. We probably won it on that last one alone.

The magazine says that seven out of 10 Las Vegas residents are so sedentary that doctors suggest they're putting their health at risk. There was more in the article, but I couldn't read it after my chili dog leaked all over the pages.

Mighty Manilow: The Largest Hand Painted Mural in Las Vegas is Unveiled

Barry Manilow has been filling the Las Vegas Hilton showroom since his "Music and Passion" show debuted in February of 2005. But apparently the Hilton wants to make sure that everybody knows where to find the pop superstar, hence the unveiling of the largest hand painted mural in Las Vegas. The 128' X 56'10" image of the man behind "Mandy" is now on display on the property's main tower.

It took five days to prepare and paint the mural, which towers over the city like a Copacabana colossus. And the company who created the mural promised that "just like Barry, it will have staying power-the elements can't affect it." Fans can sleep safe in the knowledge that Barry will not be felled by wind, rain, or pelting from disgruntled heavy metal fans. South Park viewers may already be counting the days until uber-Barry squares off against the Mecha-Streisand in a titanic battle for dominance on the Easy Listening charts.

The largest hand painted mural in Las Vegas

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