PREGNANT PAUSE

Antonio and Julie Coca spent months working with fertility specialists and handling the roller coaster ride of uncertainty before they got word they would be parents.

Let’s see show of hands on cell phone use

I was talking to a couple of Carson City insiders who indicated that banning cell phone use while driving is unlikely to be passed during the upcoming 2009 legislative session.

Top News

In a special session that lasted less than nine hours Monday, lawmakers approved a series of budget Band-Aids to cover the $340 million hole in the state’s finances.

IN BRIEF

six media companies

Were they just ‘unaware’?

It may be cold comfort to those who learned they were infected with a serious disease through no fault of their own, but Larry Matheis, executive director of the Nevada State Medical Association now says, “I do believe that there will be significant long-range benefits to the nation’s health care” resulting from the Las Vegas outbreak of infectious diseases including hepatitis C, even though “the price has been high for patients who should not have been placed at risk and for the lost confidence in the health care system.”

Is the era of Kumbaya Republicanism over?

Putting a few last Band-Aids on the Nevada budget to tie the government over for the remainder of this fiscal year was the easy part of last week’s special session in Carson City. Getting Assembly Republicans, now in a super-minority, to go along with the quick-fixes was another thing altogether.

‘The money we have is finite’

It’s become a familiar dialogue with state (and other government) employees.

Teaching Obama a finesse

Barack Obama may turn out thankful for Arkansas, though he got creamed there. This little state can give him an excuse for not obliging the left, which will help him with the vital center.

Conspiracies and a corruption probe

U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald is known for his tenacity, his willingness to keep digging and probing long after he has solved the case, looking for further charges against those who refuse to cooperate.

Brains the size of walnuts

When it comes to higher taxes and the state’s recurring spending debacles, Nevadans resemble that classic “dinosaurs in crisis” cartoon by “Far Side” artist Gary Larson.

Act now on renewable energy

Adverse events of the past two years have exacted a heavy toll on the Silver State’s economy. The most recent unemployment rate stands at 7.3 percent, the sixth highest among the states. Conditions will likely deteriorate further in the months ahead; a drawn-out recession remains a possibility.

The federal government is here to help you

The flood of federal bailouts has been especially maddening for Las Vegas resident Molly Orr. Congress is throwing hundreds of billions of dollars at failing companies, but lawmakers are content to let Orr’s growing business — and thousands like hers — collapse less than three months from now.

SAY WHAT?

“Unless I get something real good for (Senate Candidate 1), shit, I’ll just send myself, you know what I’m saying. … I’m going to keep this Senate option for me a real possibility, you know, and therefore I can drive a hard bargain. You hear what I’m saying. And if I don’t get what I want and I’m not satisfied, then I’ll just take the Senate seat myself. … (The Senate seat) is a (expletive) valuable thing, you just don’t give it away for nothing.”

Christmas travel could be easier this year

Traveling this holiday season in something other than a reindeer-powered flying sleigh? The good news is that, like Santa, you needn’t worry about crowds. Fewer people are expected to clog Interstate 15 and McCarran International Airport than last year — this despite falling gasoline and airline ticket prices.

R-VOICE

NICOLE SCHWARTZ

Singing games fun but not music to the ears

All the new music video games make me so angry at myself. I can play the plastic guitar and drums just fine in “Rock Band 2” and in “Guitar Hero World Tour.” But when it comes to singing in those games, or in the karaoke games “Lips” and “SingSong,” I don’t sound anything like a star singer.

BOOKMARK

Here is a listing of events designed for book lovers. Information is subject to change or cancellation without notice. Additions or changes to this listing must be submitted at least 10 days in advance of Sunday publication to Bookmark, Las Vegas Review-Journal, P.O. Box 70, Las Vegas, NV 89125. For more information, call 383-0306. SIGNINGS

OUT THERE

HIKES

Guidebook is perfect gift for desert lovers

An excellent guidebook on Southern Nevada, “Geologic Tours in the Las Vegas Area,” is now available with updated content and GPS coordinates. If you hurry, you can still obtain the newly released edition in time for holiday gift-giving. Sure to please desert lovers and Nevada buffs, the guide will be a welcome addition to collections of reference materials on the state.

ALL ABOUT THE CLOTHES

With the new school year rolling along, incoming freshmen are becoming acclimated to the atmosphere of high school. Along with new teachers and classmates, new rules and regulations have taken effect. One of the more discussed rules is the stricter dress code that Clark County’s public schools have implemented.

Good Heavens!

Hanging atop the bedroom doorway in Gloria and Don Hill’s home is a carved wooden wall decoration that features a handful of angels and the words: “Angels Gather Here.”

THE WATER COOLER

Here are a few things in news, entertainment, sports and popular culture that we’ve been talking about lately.

How Low Can They Go?

It almost seems counterintuitive: Shop at designer boutiques during the biggest economic downturn in 27 years.

People who break barriers carry added burden

My mother was born in 1932. Had she been born 30 years later, I think she would have been an Episcopal priest. But, when my mom came of age, women just didn’t do that … yet.

OUTDOOR BRIEFS

GIFT IDEAS

End near for ‘Mamma Mia!’ cast

You can almost count theater gigs in dog years. “In our business, the average length of a run is six weeks,” says Derrick Trumbly.

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