Americans prefer playing elsewhere

When did Las Vegas stop being America's top playground? Try swallowing this: We didn't even crack the Top 10 of America's Fun Cities. We're No. 26, one spot behind the beer-and-brats metropolis of Milwaukee, according to Portfolio.com .

We rank No. 1 in gaming, a slam dunk. But here's the slam: Las Vegas ranks 44th in food and drink, 19 spots behind Omaha? Oma-gawd!

Long considered one of the shopping meccas in the country, Las Vegas is 81st in shopping on the online magazine's Top 100 list. Omaha, at No. 75, outclasses us again.

We're left to wonder: Did somebody have a really bad weekend at the gaming and dining tables and blindly stagger past the scores of shopping options?

I guess almost 40 million people a year must be wrong.

The Portfolio rankings were determined through a process that began with the collection of federal statistics for 14 types of businesses, from retail stores and restaurants to casinos and golf courses. Each market was graded on the volume and concentration of such businesses.

Results were grouped in seven broad categories : shopping, food and drink, culture, popular entertainment, gambling, and high-impact and low-impact sports. Top scores went to markets that performed well in an array of categories.

The Top 10 are New York City, Chicago, Boston, Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland (Maine), Philadelphia and Minneapolis.

REPORT: MICHAEL JACKSON GAY

Just when you thought the Michael Jackson story couldn't get any stranger, KVBC-TV, Channel 3 entertainment reporter Alicia Jacobs dropped a bombshell Thursday in her debut as special correspondent for "Extra" (KTNV-TV, Channel 13).

Jackson was gay, a former dermatologist's assistant in Beverly Hills told Jacobs in a taped interview.

Jason Pfeiffer, a heavyset man in his mid-30s, said he began a "passionate and sexual" relationship with Jackson shortly after they met in 2008 in the office of Jackson's dermatologist, Arnold Klein.

Pfeiffer said the relationship continued right up until Jackson's death last June.

Klein, a longtime confidant of Jackson's, was rumored to be the biological father of the singer's two older children, Prince and Paris.

THE SCENE AND HEARD

Playboy's Playmate of the Year will be announced at the Palms for the second year in a row, on May 15. This time it's in Rain nightclub instead of a ballroom and it's open to the public. Grammy winner Robin Thicke will perform, and Pamela Anderson will receive an honor. Tickets: $38 general admission; $69 for floor seats.

MAY I RECOMMEND ...

The Grand Tasting of Vegas Uncork'd, presented by Bon Appétit magazine, takes place May 7 at the Garden of the Gods at Caesars Palace. The gnoshfest features more than 50 restaurants and an all-star roster of chefs. Grand Tasting tickets: $175 in advance or $195 at the door. For more information, including reserving hotel accommodations starting at $120 during the week or $160 for the weekend, visit www.harrahs.com/uncorkd.

SIGHTINGS

Wayne Newton and Holly Madison, taking part in the "Camp Vegas" summer marketing campaign Thursday at the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign. A dozen bikini-clad skydivers braved tough winds and landed nearby . ... Actor Chazz Palminteri, dining in a private room Wednesday at First Food & Bar (Palazzo) after the opening show of his mob-flavored "A Bronx Tale." To set the mood, the staff added wine bottle candles to his table.

THE PUNCH LINE

"President (Barack) Obama's national security adviser, James L. Jones, apologized for telling an ethnic joke at a speech. Political insiders were shocked; someone said something stupid and inappropriate, and it wasn't Joe Biden?" -- Jay Leno

Norm Clarke can be reached at (702) 383-0244 or norm@reviewjournal.com. Find additional sightings and more online at www.normclarke.com.