So Melissa and I are walking past “Chrome” at Santa Fe Station, getting ready to check out the Dark Knight (yes Ledger is good as the Joker…Oscar worthy?  Not from where I sat.)  and who do we see/hear doing a sound check?  Why, it’s Bo Bice, of American Idol fame!  Sounded good!  Great voice, very rockish sound.  I expect that gig will be sold out.

Just saw on a local TV station (Channel 3, NBC) that Trump Towers is planning to lay off 73 people which equates to about 20% of their workforce.  According to the report, this is due largely because the close rate for their condos dropped significantly as a result of the ongoing mortgage crisis.   According to the report, “only a small fraction of the condos have been sold.”

Interestingly, Neil from the UK and I stopped by Trump Towers about a month ago to take a quick peek.  It was weird–I expected it to be super fancy-shmancy, and I guess it was–lot’s of gold stuff everywhere–but it didn’t look very significant.  Gold? Check.  Classy?  Uh…not so much.  Neil and I both thought that if you were to compare the look of Trump Towers to that of Wynn Las Vegas, there was no comparison.  Wynn looks much more substantial, more thick.  (To be honest, I thought Red Rock Casino looked nicer.)  Granted, we just checked out the lobby and the pool (from a distance. . .peering through the workout area), but we kept scratching our heads, wondering what the money was buying folks who chose to invest in a Trump Tower condo.

Hopefully, those 73 folks will be able to find work elsewhere, perhaps at Encore or Aliante Casino.

I’m telling you, our listeners are a lovely bunch of coconuts!  As I mentioned in episode 58, we were thinking about organizing an informal meet up with our listeners in conjunction with the upcoming New Media Expo.   Based upon the personal emails I received, we’d be crazy NOT to meet with some of the nicest people I’ve ever heard from!

We’ll pick a day (more like early evening) soon.  And to show my appreciation, I’ve decided that I’ve got a little gift set aside for the first ten LiLV listeners who shake my hand and introduce himself/herself.  (And no, the gift does not require that you buy me a drink. . .that would be uncalled for, not something I would ever expect, and I drink Tanqueray and Tonic.)

The Expo is happening from August 14-16.  My session is on the Thursday the 14th but I’m open to meet any day/night.  For those interested in joining us for a drink or two, how about sending an email to meetup@livinginlv.com and tell me what night works for you.  Based upon the majority, we’ll post a date/time on the website.

Stay tuned!

One of the reasons many folks who live in Las Vegas believe the good times are soon to return has to do with the upcoming hiring wave for all the new properties being build on the Strip.  Encore Wynn Las Vegas is the latest to announce its hiring plan.  If you’re interested in working for Steve Wynn, here’s the place to go.

58: It’s Here–The NEW Living In Las Vegas Website!

And on the thirteenth day of July, with thunder resonating from above, the Living in Las Vegas Podcast website goes from version 1.0 to version 2.0!  A great deal of work was put into our new site, we hope you like it (and tell us what you think!).  Show notes:

• Sponsor Podcasts Intersections by Interwoven, Interwoven’s GearUp Podcast, Acutrack Podcast, Polycom On Demand
• Weather/Pool Report: Lightning, Thunder and Swimming (not at the same time)
• Anybody going to the New Media Expo?
• Cheryl buys a house! (And saves a TON of money)
• Listener Voicemail: More about buying a house in Las Vegas
• Listener Emails: Moving from Scotland, buying a vacation home, best places to live, realtor recommendation, what to do with minor children during a visit, dealing with a hangover
• Let’s talk about our New Website!
• Local’s Choice Radio
• Living in Las Vegas Blog
• Five RSS Feeds
• New Photo Format
• Mailing List: Sign up using the form to the right!

Website: Presidential Limousine

If there ever was a city with high expectations when it comes to limousine service, Las Vegas is it. To celebrate the birthday of a close friend who was in town from the UK with his wife and another couple, I thought it would be really nice to surprise him with a super classy limo tour of the Strip. Discovering Presidential Limousine (and their super-stretch limos!) proved me right! (And made me a hero!) Today’s episode also includes my interview with Presidential Limousine GM Jeff Iverson.

Website: Acutrack

I’ve been in the business of selling CDs for some time now. The company that handles all the manufacturing and fulfillment using their very impressive on-demand model (which means I don’t have to carry any inventory!) is Acutrack. Following the review is my interview with Acutrack EVP Asheesh Barman.

Just heard that Aliante Station Casino will be hiring 1000 people for the North Las Vegas property.  The hiring process is to begin on Sunday, July 6.