THE WATER COOLER

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

OUT THERE

HIKES

Travel Briefs

WASHINGTON

ADVENTURES IN BOOBY-SITTING

One of my favorite things about living in Las Vegas is all the visits from old friends. At least it was one of my favorite things when my wife and I moved here three years ago.

Stars gather for Canon customer appreciation reception

The 10th annual Canon USA Customer Appreciation Reception was Jan. 9 in the Grand Ballroom of the Bellagio, followed by a celebrity golf tournament at Tournament Players Club on Jan. 10.

Vegas has edge over Broadway

You saw it on “Saturday Night Live,” so it must be true. If you think the shows here have it bad, Broadway has it worse.

Animals await execution in ‘Deer Drive’

If you look right in front of you now, you’ll see a family of lovely, golden deer frolicking sweetly across a meadow of lush-green grass. Lucky you: You just happen to be standing in the middle of the field as they trot past your face and your gun, so feel free to — blow their heads off?

Giving up desire to control can lead to new experiences

Wee dawn. The airplane rages down the runway toward a Mojave Desert sunrise beckoning orange and purple and other colors of hope. To this day I retain a boyish fascination with aircraft, face plastered against the window, still astonished that metal can fly. The Boeing 737-700 series has 4 more feet of wing than its predecessor, ending in a dipsy-doodle spoiler. The lift is supernatural. When the pilot lifts the nose of this beast, the plane doesn’t so much climb as levitate. It nestles in the palm of God and rises like an express elevator.

‘Big Love’ shatters ‘dream’ of polygamist lifestyle

TV has a way of ruining fantasies, and I’m not just talking about the genius at E! who decided to let Hef’s one-time girlfriends talk — and laugh! — on “The Girls Next Door.”

Pay As You Grow

When Tamara Dungan was growing up, her grandparents would pay her $1 for every A on her report card.

Students see effects of crowded classes

Lindsay Richardson had to sit on a couch at the beginning of the school year. “I felt uncomfortable and like an outcast,” says the junior at Silverado High School. “I just wanted to sit at a desk so I could concentrate.”

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.

It’s not easy being green

Every day, pounds of paper in elementary, middle and high schools throughout Las Vegas are thrown in the trash. Though many students and teachers would prefer to recycle, it is simply not an option in many schools.

Railroad structures interesting remnants of Nevada’s past

Nevada once boasted about 70 railroads with thousands of miles of track linking remote mining towns with the transcontinental railroads. The mercurial nature of mining spelled doom for many of Nevada’s railways, but the development of the country’s highways led to the demise of railroads as our expanding young nation once knew them.

It’s time to start thinking about winter rose pruning

Don’t mistake winter rose pruning in Las Vegas with the way they do it in colder climates. We don’t need severe pruning to remove frozen canes. We fine tune pruning to maximize spring growth and bloom.

OUTDOOR BRIEFS

LEARNING OPPORTUNITY

THIS WEEK

Major business events and economic events scheduled for the coming week (some dates are tentative):

Taiwan beaches ready for action

The prospects for a beachfront casino resort in Taiwan that would be managed by Las Vegas casino veteran Larry Woolf received a boost.

Labor battle brews for ’09

Small-business owners typically think they won’t have to contend with union organizers in the workplace.

HOMEOWNERS HAVE COMPANY

Las Vegas homeowners aren’t alone in their struggle to stay above water.

UNLV commitment

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