Quick and Dirty: A notebook of news and politics

Red dawn

Mikhail Gorbachev, the former Soviet president who helped end the Cold War and dismantled his nation's totalitarian government, drew an impressive 6,000 people to the Thomas & Mack Center Monday evening to hear his views on global issues. The tickets were free, but the turnout nonetheless reflected a significant interest among Southern Nevadans in what is happening beyond the neon jungle.

On the other hand, a few clearly had come primarily for the spectacle of seeing the legendary Russian in person. This became evident when Gorbachev actually expressed his views on world affairs, to the dismay of some who walked out when he called the Iraq war a mistake.

What these folks expected from Gorby, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990, is not clear. Did they think this former commie would be a big Bush supporter, defending what, from his international perspective, can only be seen as arrogant and indefensible? Did their talk radio conspiracy training leave them spooked by Gorbachev's support for the United Nations and his advocacy of a "new world order," despite his insistence that the reference did not mean "one-world government"?

Thankfully, those who walked out in a huff represented just a smattering of the mostly appreciative crowd, which applauded Gorbachev's calls for greater attention to global environmental crises and increasing cooperation among nations. Noting that only one-third of the world's population lives in "decent conditions," Gorbachev said the spread of democracy will fail if social and economic problems are not addressed. He said terrorism "cannot be solved through military means," but must be addressed by tackling "backwardness and poverty." He said a major cause of terrorism is the West's "humiliation of whole nations and cultures." The United States should not act as a "global policeman," he said, and its power should not be used to create an "American empire."

Good points all.--GS

Growth controls

Interesting poll result reported in Monday's Review-Journal. When Clark County voters were asked whether they would support limiting water permits for new construction until drought restrictions are lifted, 77 percent said yes. This question was all but ignored in the news story dealing with multiple water-related poll questions, but it is hugely significant in terms of gauging public sentiment about growth.

Clearly, a large majority of locals are sick and tired of this runaway growth, and they find it especially appalling in light of the drought. The growth-addicted business community and its government toadies are trying mightily to counter this building sentiment, saying the sky will fall if we slow things down, but they appear to be losing the battle.

The poll result also calls into question, once again, the makeup of a new county task force that will discuss growth issues. The 17-member task force includes a diverse crowd representing different interests, but it appears to be woefully short of residents who advocate slowing or stopping growth. In fact, it's not clear whether there is a single person on the committee who represents this viewpoint. That seems a little skewed when 77 percent of local voters support growth controls.--GS

Las Vegas Idol

Although there probably won't be any washed-up pop stars or snarky British record executives doling out disapproval, KVVU Channel 5 will be launching a local version of "American Idol" this spring called "Gimme the Mike!" The show will run for six consecutive weeks on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. and will conclude with a one-hour finale live from Sam's Town on July 13.

"We're actually going to bump `Friends' for seven weeks, and `Friends' is one of our top-rated shows," says Executive Producer Terri Peck.

According to Peck, the "Gimme the Mike!" franchise has already been successfully implemented in Houston, San Francisco, Miami and Detroit. At least partially, she attributes the show's breakaway success to its all-inclusive nature.

"It's 18 and older," says Peck. "In fact, in Miami I think it was a 48-year-old firemen that won their competition the first year. It's an opportunity for the community to really get behind and rally these contestants. They know them. They're their neighbors or their co-workers or their baby sitters. These are people from all walks of life, not just teens hoping to be the next Britney Spears."

Open auditions for "Gimme the Mike!" are set for Friday, March 26, and Saturday, March 27, at the United Nissan at Sahara Avenue and Boulder Highway. For more information, call the show hotline at 855-3515.--NB

Take two

Two films with local connections--one high-budget, one no-budget--are finally slated for the big screen after years languishing in the can. Tequila Express--a political thriller partially filmed in Las Vegas and starring Christopher Atkins, ex-New Kids on the Block member Danny Wood, Anne Jensen (Romy and Michele's High School Reunion) and Jesse Borja (Dumb and Dumber)--has been in limbo since 2002 but will be screened for a limited time at the Brendan Theatres beginning March 29.

On the other end of the spectrum, The S.I.N.: Special Intelligence Network will debut for festival audiences on April 19 at the Palm Beach International Film Festival. Starring local comedian Sandy Hackett (son of late comedian Buddy Hackett) and Karen Faetsch (of QVC fame), the $3,200 film was originally screened in Las Vegas two days after Sept. 11, 2001, but it was subsequently put back into production to tone down explicit references to terrorism.

"It's hard to get a film seen that costs less than most films' catering budgets," says Kelly Schwarze, co-filmmaker on The S.I.N. "I think that after people see what we did for under five grand, they will be blown away."--NB

Brothers in arms

If you think Las Vegas somehow is connected to everything, you may be right. Recently, the New York Times appointed a new editor of its Sunday book review: Sam Tanenhaus, author of a best-selling biography of journalist and communist-turned-witness Whittaker Chambers, and a contributing editor to Vanity Fair. A Las Vegas connection? His brother, David Tanenhaus, is an associate history professor at UNLV who holds a joint appointment in the Boyd School of Law as the James E. Rogers professor of history and law. Nor is Sam the only Tanenhaus publishing books. David Tanenhaus recently published Juvenile Justice in the Making, a history of the nation's first juvenile court, through Oxford University Press, one of the world's most respected publishers.--MG

Centennial on

the web

Unless you're a homeless dude busy avoiding a crazed, bat-wielding Mayor Oscar Goodman, you probably didn't miss last week's hypefest over the Las Vegas Centennial. Hurray hurray, blah blah.

Now that the blather's done, you might be interested to know that the city of Las Vegas launched an official Centennial website, www.lasvegas2005.org. Like the city's main website, it's homely but clean and functional; best of all, you can find out everything you wanna know about next year's 100th birthday celebration.

Most interesting stuff on the slate thus far: bringing back the Helldorado cowboy party, a tradition harkening back to 1934; the reopening (finally) of the historic post office on Stewart Avenue as a museum/lecture space; and kickoff of the Las Vegas Walk of Fame, which will highlight Vegas entertainers.

Scariest thing on the slate: the unveiling of the Centennial Quilt. No, we're not kidding. Now we know what they mean by "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas."

Disclaimer: Stephens Media Group is a partner in the Centennial celebration and provides web hosting services for www.lasvegas2005.org.--AK

The power of math

Sometimes, the world can drag a person down, and no amount of substance abuse or sexual perversion can lift the spirit out of its restless funk. At those times--when all hope seems lost--it's best to turn to Mark Malone and Renee Thibodeaux, a pair of faith healers who offer better living through Native American flute and spiritual geometry.

"They're combining a scientific sound wave with intuitive healing and the rejuvenating power of geometric crystals," says the Rev. Virginia Anderson of the Spiritualist Church of Eternal Light. Her church will host Malone and Thibodeaux on Friday, March 26, at 7 p.m. at 3430 E. Tropicana Ave. in the Tropicana Plaza. Although Anderson does not guarantee spiritual transcendence during the one-hour session, she does dangle the carrot of inner peace.

"Everyone should go away feeling that they have peace inside, and that they can reach a higher level of consciousness in their daily lives. Once they've found that focus, there's no telling what kind of energy they can transfer to those around them."

There is no charge to attend the event, but a "love donation" is requested.--NB

Not our fantasy

Obviously, Maxim magazine loves Vegas and Vegas advertisers love Maxim. Both are promoting the same sort of fun, casual sexuality or, at least, the fantasy of casual sexuality that readers and tourists alike can imagine and live vicariously through. Still, an ad in the April issue gives us pause. The ad features the new Borg Invasion at the Star Trek Experience with the caption "It's sinister. It's sensual. It's out of control. Perfect for Vegas." Technically, yes, the show engages the senses, but in the more common sense of the word "sensual," well, all we can say is yuck. If anyone is seriously getting his freak on over this show, he has some serious issues to discuss with his therapist. If you're a tourist reading this and getting wood thinking about slimy, pallid, yellow flesh and cybernetic implants, we beg of you, please go back to Baltimore.--AT

Socratic methods

Maybe the days of a piece of literature spawning a revolution are long over--one suspects the Federalist Papers would be considered conspiracy-nut fare if published these days--but Christopher Phillips came pretty close to inspiring one in 2001 with the publication of Socrates Cafe: A Fresh Taste of Philosophy. The book, which exalts the Socratic method of open-ended inquiry and dialogue to get to the truth of things, inspired more than 150 Socrates Cafes to take root across the United States, informal meetings where people could foster independent thinking about everything from religion to politics to personal issues.

Miraculously, the U.S. capital of fake boobs, neon and SUVs managed to scare up its own chapter. "All too often these days, people who get together to converse only end up in nonredemptive arguments in which he who browbeats and interrupts the most and engages in the most one-upmanship 'wins,' whatever in the world that can mean," local Socrates Cafe member Cecilia Chapa says in an e-mail. "We're trying to offer a healthy and viable alternative to that kind of trashy discourse. We're trying to replace verbal combat with a thoughtful sharing in which participants are often very impassioned about their cherished views, as well they perhaps should be, but in which they also genuinely want to hear what others have to say."

The Socrates Cafe met Tuesday at the Chocolate Swan at Mandalay Place; for future meeting times and places, contact group coordinator Ron Filardi at Ron_Filardi@yahoo.com. Hmm, maybe civil discourse hasn't been completely drowned in this O'Reilly-fied nation.--AK