Print edition for November 6, 2005

Columnist Hal Rothman: This year's UNLV team might be something special: Hal Rothman; My guilty pleasure is to sneak away to watch UNLV basketball practice in the afternoon. It's a short walk from my office, and every now and again, I look at the clock and think that I'd like to hear the whistle blow, the tennis shoes squeak on the hardwood, the chatter of players, and the sound of the ball thumping on the court.

Q+A Vincent Falcone: On 10 years as Frank Sinatra's musical director: Vincent Falcone spent 10 years as Frank Sinatra's musical director in the waning years of the Chairman of the Board's 60-plus year-career. The superlative musician has written a book about himself and his years with his former boss, who died in 1998 at age 82.

Mitchell's distain for workers shows: The recently negotiated contract with New York City teachers is illustrative. The raises of about 15 percent for teachers were calculated by the city. Every New York newspaper and anyone with half a brain knew this calculation was independent of pre-existing steps. Mitchell and the R-J union haters will do anything to confuse the public. Unfortunately, they have succeeded.

Strip clubs scrutinized: Strip clubs have long been magnets for controversy, and a series of recent issues at Las Vegas clubs have renewed the debate over the strip club industry.

Poor planning at root of airport complaints: Complaints about airplane noise around airports are not new. The real problem is that the planners initially involved with zoning around McCarran International Airport didn't do their homework. If they had, they could have learned about this problem from other cities around the country.

Flashpoint for Nov. 6, 2005: Jon Ralson; What happens in Oscar Goodman's brain rarely stays in Oscar Goodman's brain. Ideas flow unfettered from his gray matter to his tongue, which apparently has no taste. His latest -- that thugs who deface public buildings should be de-thumbed on TV -- has garnered Las Vegas the kind of national attention only Goodman can bring. I'4m sure his comments will help him with those who love him. I think His Honor ought to combine his love for corporal punishment with his affection for Bombay Sapphire to make this humane: Give the kids some gin to dull the pain of the ...

Road to riches?: Nick Christensen; MOHAVE COUNTY, Ariz. -- On the west rim of the Grand Canyon, the side closest to Las Vegas, an Old West-style range war has American Indians pitted against a self-styled cowboy from England.

Columnist Tom Gorman: Kenny Guinn would be a good choice to steer the energy initiative proposed by Bill Clinton: I've got a job for Kenny Guinn when he's done being governor next year.

Where I Stand -- Brian Greenspun: On the potential of President Clinton's vision for Las Vegas' energetic future: When UNLV Chancellor Jim Rogers more than a year ago invited former President Clinton to speak to the Nevada Development Authority -- an invitation that resulted in Clinton's speech at the Bellagio a little more than a week ago -- Jim knew he was setting the stage for a major address to the people who could impact the future of Nevada's economic growth like no other single group.

In Reid's war room, the battle rages on: Benjamin Grove; The staff of Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid's communications "war room:"

Editorial: This could hurt a little bit: A third of U.S. patients reported they had received the wrong dose or type of medication or had received inaccurate or delayed laboratory test results, according to the study that was conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by the Commonwealth Fund, a nonpartisan foundation that supports independent research on health and social policy issues.

Columnist Ron Kantowski: QB is still a sore spot for Rebels: Have you ever noticed how coaches of bad football teams start using psychology to motivate their players during this stage of the season?

Columnist Jon Ralston: How Republican state Sen. Bob Beers, a candidate for governor, will bring an initiative on tax restraint to the fore in 2006: Bob Beers and I don't often agree. But on one critical point we see eye to eye: The most important vote Nevadans will cast in 2006 will not be for governor but on a tax and spending restraint initiative the Republican state senator has given buoyancy.

'Honest' Bush should fire Rove, Cheney: Referring to the Libby indictment, Brooks asks the question: "Why can't they (the compulsively overheated) leave it that way?" If you would indulge me for a few moments, these are the reasons why we Democrats are upset that more indictments have not been brought and why we can't let it go:

Turning the tide against the dark side: America elected President Bush twice! America has elected conservative presidents to serve 17 of the last 25 years and Republicans have controlled one or both houses of Congress most of that time.

Editorial: Living free is just too costly: And so it is with members of the Free State Project, who have ditched their self-imposed 2006 deadline to move 20,000 like-minded libertarians to New Hampshire. They planned to take over the legislature and create a veritable promised land devoid of government's constraints -- and, presumably, its services.

Editorial: Dilemma -- Rights versus safety: On July 21 the New York Police Department began a new policy of having officers randomly stop people about to enter subways. The purpose was to conduct searches of any packages or bags people were carrying. The reason was the terrorist bombings of a bus and three subway trains two weeks earlier in London. More than 50 people were killed and more than 700 were injured.

Columnist John Katsilometes: The touching personal message of U2's 'Miss Sarajevo': Thirteen years ago when I was living in Redding, Calif., a worldly friend of mine dating to junior high school pulled into town for a short visit. He brought with him unedited tapes of a documentary film he'd been working on called, "Miss Sarajevo."

Columnist Jeff Simpson: A poor start for Landry's chairman: By Jeff Simpson; Landry's Restaurants Chairman Tilman Fertitta has owned the Golden Nugget for six weeks, and the Texan is rapidly making an impression in Las Vegas.

Influential water official Underwood dies at age 60: Underwood, who was 60, was the chief executive and general manager of Southern California's Metropolitan Water District and had played a key role in negotiations over the Colorado River for several years.