The Next Big Las Vegas Industry

I recently listened to a radio segment that suggested the only hope for Michigan's economy is giving up its reliance on the auto industry and in favor of something new. That made me start thinking about the potential for Las Vegas to bring itself back by creating a new industry that would be more recession-proof. I know what you're thinking, prostitution IS recession-proof. But everyone knows prostitution is only legal outside the city limits. Here is a list of my predictions for what industry Las Vegas will transition to when the big guys realize Casino's can no longer sustain us.

1) Prostitution: See above. If it were legal, we'd have more jobs, more tourism, and there are already plenty of hotels to bring a John to.

2) Marijuana: Medical marijuana is already legal, which has spawned dozens of new hydroponics shops. It's an ideal crop since it can be grown indoors. The only foreseeable problem here is a lack of water.

3) Eco-tourism: We're surrounded by beautiful mountains and desert, and we're certainly worthy of the schlep. Imagine how good someone would feel after a week of digging up lawns to replace them with socially-responsible, sustainable rock gardens.

4) Fine dining: We already have better dining options than pretty much anywhere in the US outside of NYC. But I think we're still doing a shitty job advertising it. Plus, we could use better and more frequent food festivals.

5) Furniture: What ever happened to Mayor Goodman making us the furniture capital? We don't even have an IKEA yet. I'm not sure how people are going to haul their stuff across the desert, but it's actually a legit industry, so who am I to argue?

I Heart Mayor Goodman

Some of you may have noticed I haven't blogged in quite some time. That's because I worked about 65 hours this week. I've been saving this post up for days now.

Alas, Oscar Goodman's reign as mayor of Las Vegas is coming to an end. And for the first time, I really hate term limits. Suddenly I realize that just about everyone really loves our mayor. This is rare for a city. It's rare to find a politician that matches a city's personality so perfectly.

Mayor Goodman is real and famous, crass and street-smart. He remembers your name. Once, he participated in a fundraiser for our synagogue called "The Wedding Game" with his wife. It was basically The Newlywed Game, and Oscar divulged details about everything from his sex life to his favorite food. He was totally transparent, and he took time out of his busy schedule to do something selfless. Our next mayor has to be the same way: real and famous. And intelligent. Vegas is weaker now than it's ever been in the past, so we need someone strong.

People Las Vegans Hate

I'm starting a running list of people Las Vegan's hate. Here is the beginning in no particular order. Feel free to suggest additions:

1) Paris Hilton
2) The guy(s) who defaced the Welcome to Las Vegas sign
3) Lil Wayne
4) Sharon Angle
5) Candidates who try to de-thrown Oscar Goodman
6) The Hoff
7) Militant evangelists who picket on Fremont Street
8) East Coasters who go to the A.C. because it's closer
9) People who walk in front of our cars around The Strip
10) Cabdrivers who try to cheat us like we're tourists