Columnist John Katsilometes: Getting to the pint at a blood-letting with Penn Jillette

Tuesday, Dec. 20, 2005 | 8:49 a.m.

Fabulous Las Vegas runs Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in the Las Vegas Sun. Reach John Katsilometes at kats@lasvegassun.com or at (702) 259-2327 or (702) 812-9812.

Penn Jillette knows how to generate positive news.

In his case, O-positive.

The juggling, vocal half of the comedy/magic team of Penn & Teller plopped his 6-foot-6-inch frame into a reclining chair Monday afternoon and donated a pint of blood as part of Penn & Teller's 13 Bloody Days of Xmas donation drive at United Blood Services at 6930 W. Charleston Blvd.

Getting into the spirit, I also donated, from a seat next to Jillette's (and at the moment I must say I'm a little dizzy, Miss Lizzy). But, as Jillette reminded, there is always a need for blood, and through Dec. 31 anyone donating at UBS receives two complimentary tickets to a Penn & Teller performance at the Rio.

This is the third year the duo have held the donation drive.

"The first year, I went off half-cocked, which is nothing new for me," Jillette said. "The last two years have been better-planned."

Two Penn & Teller fans, Edward and Joan Watkins, drove from Dana Point, Calif., to donate and secure the two free tickets (valued at $150). Monday was Edward's 75th birthday; Joan is 72. It was their third such visit to Vegas and, as Edward said, "They give you great seats -- we had third row last year."

Edward also has a rare blood type -- A-negative.

"I used to give just for myself," he said. "But I give for others, too."

Potential donors can call 233-9620 for information and to make an appointment.

NoteMart

Gallop poll: South Coast is scheduled to open Thursday; a VIP party is set for tonight. We're most interested in that South Coast Equestrian & Events Center, which opens with a pair of cutting shows -- produced by Paula Gaughan, wife of Coast Casinos Inc. boss Michael Gaughan -- on Feb. 24.

But don't expect equestrian events to be the only shows held at the arena, which is expertly operated by Tim Lanier, formerly of the Will Rogers Memorial Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Long-range plans include any number of smaller concerts, motocross events, speaking engagements -- similar to the types of shows held at the Orleans Arena ...

We'll take the No. 3, for here: Denny's restaurants are especially busy on Christmas (24-hour restaurants open on holidays are somewhat rare, we have learned) and the Denny's on the Strip next to the MGM Grand was the third-busiest of the chain's restaurants on Christmas Day 2004.

A total of 2,201 guests visited this location last Christmas. The busiest hour was from noon to 1 p.m., when 200 guests were served; during a normal business day, 90 guests visit the restaurant during that hour. Denny's top Christmas restaurant in 2004 was in Anaheim, Calif., near Disneyland, which served 2,609 guests. No. 2 was San Antonio, which seated 2,204 -- just three more customers than Vegas, so let's get cracking, folks ...

Case of the spins: The Sin City Roller Girls' Neander Dolls opened their 2005-2006 season with a 116-88 victory over the Boston Derby Dames' Boston Massacre at the Las Vegas Roller Hockey Rink at 953 Commercial Center (on Sahara Avenue, west of Maryland Parkway).

And they covered the 25-point spread. Kidding, of course.

Unlike the old, staged "Roller Jam" TV shows featuring the likes of the Bay City Bombers, this is a for-real competition. "What we're doing -- anything can happen," Neander Doll Ivanna S. Pankin said Monday. "It's fully competitive." The Neander Dolls' next bout is Jan. 7 against the visiting Duke City Day of the Dead of Albuquerque.