Brendan Buhler

Story Archive

'Mistress of Sensuality' makes 'Zumanity' accessible: Friday, May 29, 2009; Christopher Kenney’s job description is “Mistress of Sensuality” in Cirque du Soleil’s “Zumanity” at New York-New York. The description really belongs to his drag creation and other self, Edie, an impossibly tall, black-haired throwback to 1960s chanteuses with long, slender (and large-kneed) legs.
Director has high hopes for Nevada Cancer Institute: Wednesday, May 27, 2009; As a doctor, John Ruckdeschel, the recently installed director of the Nevada Cancer Institute, is a clinical oncologist specializing in lung cancer.
Big Elvis: Big man, big voice: But the biggest thing about Pete ‘Big Elvis’ Vallee is the 500 pounds of him that are no longer there, thanks to old-fashioned diet and exercise and the above-and-beyond dedication of friends; Sunday, May 24, 2009; The first time you see him, on the sign, he’s a cartoon, an apple-bellied goof in a gold-studded white jumpsuit, tall black hair, a guitar and gold sunglasses. Big Elvis, the sign says. He’s the free weekdays lounge show at Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon.
Master of the trash truck: Driver gets national recognition for safety record, but that doesn’t begin to tell how good he is; Tuesday, May 19, 2009; John Thomas is happy to tell you, again and again, that despite the award and the large banner of congratulations that hangs outside his workplace, he has an easy job. Thomas drives a garbage truck. He is, in fact, the Environmental Industry Association’s garbage truck driver of the year — industrial class, large company division.
A way to farm the desert: Indian tribe plans to use waste wood to revive land, break ground on business opportunity; Friday, May 15, 2009; Way outside of Las Vegas, halfway to Utah, over the Moapa riverbed and past the horses and cattle grazing on clover, something new is rumbling on the reservation.
UNLV astrophysicist: In search of universal truth: Tuesday, May 12, 2009; Bing Zhang takes the long view, peering back sometimes as far as a billion years after the birth of the universe and some eight billion years before our own sun and planets precipitated from a hydrogen fog drifting in the void.
But seriously, he’s a weather guy: Jokes at his expense may come with the job, but here — believe it or not — it’s an important one; Friday, May 8, 2009; Michael Staudenmaier Jr.’s job title is “meteorologist in charge,” which makes him sound omnipotent, Zeus-like or at least like he has the number for Zeus’ private cell phone, the one he carries even when he’s a lustful swan.
Filipino lawmakers can't meet -- they're in Las Vegas: Friday, May 1, 2009; The Philippines' House of Representatives does not have enough members to legislate next week, as at least 50 members, including the speaker of the House, are traveling to Las Vegas to attend this weekend's boxing match between national favorite Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton.
Good ‘magic’ is bloody science: Behind the scenes, ‘Director of Covert Activities’ keeps Penn & Teller safe, audiences in awe; Friday, May 1, 2009; Nathan Santucci has worked for Penn & Teller (hereafter referred to as “the guys”) for 15 years and 2,600 shows, both on stage and television, and for the past nine years has had the G. Gordon Liddy-esque job of “Director of Covert Activities,” which has many responsibilities, chief among them building and maintaining magic props.
Among swine flu’s unknowns: Impact here: Tuesday, April 28, 2009; It was as if we had made the cosmic mistake of asking what more could go wrong for tourism. Ah, yes -- swine flu. Just what tourism needed. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority declined to comment.
Rat-a-tat, unpack and back: Drummer who makes his home in Vegas has life lived on road; Friday, April 24, 2009; Daniel de los Reyes is a drummer, a scion of a family of Cuban musicians, raised in Las Vegas as the son of a drummer and brother of a drummer.
It’s just fun to crush things: Entrepreneur puts adventurous sorts in touch with their inner child — in bulldozers; Wednesday, April 22, 2009; Every 3-year-old boy in the world is exactly right. And Michael Price is hoping to make a business out of it.
In Las Vegas, good news always trails bad press: Sure, the wheels have come off our big boom, but here’s why there’s hope; Sunday, April 19, 2009; National media organizations in recent weeks have been exploring stories on the death of Las Vegas. For Las Vegas, however, this is actually wonderful news. If our town's history shows anything, it is that when the nation’s media sound the death knell for this city, good times are on the way.
Trainer’s passion for horses unbridled: Las Vegas native scrimps, saves and travels the world to experience all things equine; Friday, April 17, 2009; Jon Wall has spent more than half a century training and breeding Arabian horses, with every horse he bred attaining the rank of champion.
Do-it-yourselfers can’t resist: There’s lots of interest when a business is sold off for parts, even with the economy foundering; Thursday, April 16, 2009; A chipped and hole-pocked utility table is loaded with door handles, knobs and hinges, some in their original packaging, some not.
One hand gives Obama an invite, the other a slap: Friday, April 10, 2009; When is an invitation not really an invitation? On Tuesday, Gov. Jim Gibbons invited President Barack Obama to meet with him. In a polite letter, Gibbons said he understood Obama would be in town in May and that he hoped the president could find time to meet with the governor and various business leaders to talk about finding ways to help Nevada’s ailing tourism economy.
How did the ferret weasel into this mess?: Parsing the oft-maligned furry creature's stormy relationship with politics and pop culture; Thursday, April 9, 2009; Enraged ferret. The words became a sensation moments after they appeared in the court filings Monday. They rocketed around the Internet and made their way onto national newscasts. People found the term a hilarious way to convey acrimony. Was it a nice thing to say about your soon-to-be ex-wife? Who cares? The better question is: Why a ferret? Why not a rattlesnake or a rabid bat?
Glitzy spectacle in desert is ‘the unprecedented city’: Doctoral student at Cal-Berkeley bases his work on rise (and, perhaps, fall) of Vegas; Friday, April 3, 2009; Stefan Al is Dutch by birth, an architect by training and a student at the University of California, Berkeley, where he lives. But he’s getting his doctorate in Vegas.
Advocate for the fish he serves: Las Vegas chef, restaurant owner Rick Moonen stumbled into role as environmentalist; Tuesday, March 31, 2009; Celebrity chefs, Las Vegas has. What sets Rick Moonen apart, like an Alice Waters or a Nora Pouillon, is a passion for environmentally sensitive food.
Former DJ comes full circle: Man who once coached Brazil’s national women’s team molds young athletes, this time in Vegas; Tuesday, March 24, 2009; For 15 years Marcelo Figueiredo coached Brazil’s national women’s gymnastics team, training athletes for international and Olympic competition.
Economy eating into charity: Food pantry, like many businesses, is struggling to pay its monthly bills and rent; Friday, March 20, 2009; Little charities — some, like LACE, called food pantries — distribute food to the needy. LACE is on the brink of closing, overwhelmed by demand, short on donations.
No shortage of fun in this act: Lucky the leprechaun turns on the charm at O’Sheas with free shots in a party atmosphere; Tuesday, March 17, 2009; He’s four-foot, one-inch tall, dressed in green. His jacket with tails and the floppy top hat have come off, because right now the man who works as Lucky the leprechaun is straddling a woman lying on the casino bar.
Bedbugs: Dog devoted to pest detection: Summerlin man hopes to build a business on her ability to sniff out bedbugs; Friday, March 6, 2009; Meet Sara. She’s young, blond and frisky. And she likes to sniff hotel sheets. She’s a Labrador retriever mix, trained to detect the scent of bedbugs.
Desert soil: It’s a dirty job, but ...: Head of hydrology division at DRI studies soil to help us plan our lives in the desert; Tuesday, March 3, 2009; At the Desert Research Institute, Michael Young heads the largest university hydrology division in the country.
Freshly stimulated, bank spreads wealth in supermarket shopping spree: Saturday, Feb. 28, 2009; Here is what the afternoon of promotional charity looked like: Surrounded by red and blue balloons, the 24 lucky Bancorp clients gathered around a table full of store-made Easter cookies.
Now that’s green energy: UNLV scientist works on way to harvest the power of algae; Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009; Oliver Hemmers has modest goals for his new job. Among them, he would like to break America’s dependence on foreign oil, remake the chemical industry and cut carbon emissions.
Times tough on the animals, too: Animal hospital treats, houses numerous strays, struggles to find adoptive homes; Friday, Feb. 20, 2009; The cat they would call Scratchy arrived in June. She was left outside the animal hospital in a crate, an older cat inside with her. There was a note.
Judge was once hell on wheels: Hard hits of roller derby league prepared her well for field of mostly men; Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009; Judge Valorie Vega’s chambers are decorated with the sort of Father’s Day-necktie gifts of the legal world: globes, scales and gavels. And then there’s the framed green and yellow roller derby uniform. Hers.
You can’t keep a good manse down: Turnkey 9,000-square-foot home awaits multimillionaire; Friday, Feb. 6, 2009; It’s an old-money neighborhood, as Las Vegas understands the term.
Adam Carner, adjunct professor, barkeep and restauranteur: Wednesday, Jan. 28, 2009; When Adam Carmer moved to Las Vegas in 1993, he was hired as a relief maitre d’ at two restaurants at the just-opened Treasure Island.
Instructor brings international flair to the test kitchens: Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2009; Heinz Lauer is the executive chef of Las Vegas Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts, master of 550 would-be gourmet chefs, whom he guides through subjects such as knife handling and American politics (really).
A cancer fighter with a new formula: Tinkering with a proven protocol makes it safer for patients; Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009; If leukemia patients find their treatment less dangerous, they’ll have Dr. Ken Foon to thank.
Happy hour, or classy hour?: In midst of recession, Las Vegas begins to experience a renaissance of mixology; Friday, Jan. 16, 2009; At 2:30 in the afternoon, executives and bartenders met behind closed doors at Aliante Station’s glossy surf and turf restaurant, MRKT, turning the bar into a tasting laboratory.
Paving the way for public art: Architect Jeffrey Rhoads started the trend of decorating highway bridges in the Las Vegas area; Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2009; Jeffrey Rhoads has, in a small way, bettered the lives of nearly every driver in Clark County. Hundreds of thousands of drivers see his work or the work he has inspired.
The showman behind the bar: Dorian Oldan practices long hours, risks injury to entertain tourists and compete with his peers; Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009; If you haven’t smashed a finger or cut yourself, Dorian Oldan says, you’re not working. At least not at his job. Oldan is a flair bartender — juggling bottles, rolling glasses down your arm, slinging garnishes.
Amid the decline, decadence for the feet: Monday, Jan. 5, 2009; “You have really good feet,” Sonja said.
She went back to filing, trimming, scrapping, sanding and buffing. Later, she would apply toner “to close the pores and make your feet look young,” Sonya explained. And nail polish.
Obama’s in, so they’re coming to Vegas: Republicans plan to ditch D.C. for the inauguration; Monday, Jan. 5, 2009; Finally, good news for Vegas! Oh, Republicans, you and us, we had a bad 2008. In Vegas, we saw foreclosed houses grow thick as flies on an overturned seafood truck and watched our tourism revenue drop like a hot rock through Jell-O. You, of course, were blamed by an ungrateful public for misadventure abroad and economic ruin at home and then hurled out of the executive branch like a hobo off a freight train and now the Other Guy’s poll numbers are ... Oh, sorry.
The jam band scene’s mellow master: Greg Serensits heads a local group that keeps the music alive, taking itself semi-seriously; Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2008; Greg Serensits has been in Las Vegas since April Fool’s Day of 1995, but the real bad joke wasn’t played on him until 2000, when his favorite bar closed.
Santas on demand, direct to your door: Everything, they say, has a price — even Saint Nick; Thursday, Dec. 25, 2008; Say you don’t have a chimney. Or perhaps, as a jaded adult, you do not trust in the costumed melding of Nordic tradition and Christianity.
Lord of a dance: Tango master teaches the crisp moves along with his love, a former Cirque du Soleil performer; Tuesday, Dec. 23, 2008; Marcos Questas has danced at the Olympia in Paris, the National Theater in London and Carnegie Hall in New York. He’s opened for Frank Sinatra and Tom Jones.
Desert dwellers (mostly) cheery in brief winter wonderland: Friday, Dec. 19, 2008; On Wednesday afternoon the mall’s Santa danced a jig in it, the hardware store sold plastic putty knives to scrape it off windshields and in the Christmas tree lot, the noble firs were, for once, naturally flocked.
Long commute worth it for the food alone: Thursday, Dec. 18, 2008; When Stacy Standley went to India, he didn’t know much about it. Little things, like which hemisphere it was in (the northern).
Driver’s ed for hard bargainers: UNLV professor with impressive resume teaches art of negotiation in rising program; Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2008; UNLV’s law school has made an astonishing run in its young life -- 10 years old and it has cracked U.S. News and World Report’s top 100 -- but in one specialized area it has done even better, cracking the top 10.
His pitch: Invest here, now: Contrarian marketing Vegas homes to Californians as smart buys; Thursday, Dec. 11, 2008; At the height of the real estate madness a couple of years ago, the San Francisco Bay Area was littered with billboards and radio ads hyping real estate in Las Vegas.
Welcome to the rolling disaster that is Nevada’s budget: They looked ahead. Did they hit the jackpot?; Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2008; The state is on pace to cut $1.5 billion from its budget before the end of the year and its had to do the cutting in chunks.
Inventor’s plea: Take my ideas, please: Monday, Nov. 24, 2008; Vince Fodera is trying to be heard. If you listen, he’ll tell you how he’s trying to save the world.
He’s seen the world, and Mars too: Well, he’s studied the red planet, but scientist now focusing on Earth’s environment; Friday, Nov. 21, 2008; You would not expect to find Herve Mazzocco in Las Vegas, but then, it is hard to imagine a universe in which you would expect to find him at all.
Election predictions: They looked ahead. Did they hit the jackpot?; Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2008; Elections are like a blend of the Academy Awards and the Super Bowl in that people love to guess the winners and the score. Also: lots of people guess wrong.
Tax-cut crusader praises state’s policies: Arthur Laffer sees a rosy future for Nevada — so beware; Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008; Anyone who spent the past three years even casually watching economic news on CNBC probably got to know Arthur Laffer a little bit.
After-the-vote depression: It’s not just for Republicans: Saturday, Nov. 8, 2008; Are you suffering from feelings of shock and alienation? Or of exhaustion and abandonment?