Seven Questions
Seven Questions
Norm Schilling
The voice of Desert Bloom talks about summer plant survival, the joys of dogweed and how gardening can help you pick up women
May 26th, 2011
When Norm Schilling was waiting to be fired from the city dump for selling salvaged goods on the side, he knew he was going to have to find another job. He observed trucks full of grass and plant materials making runs there and thought that landscaping was a job he could do. So he threw a mower, a blower and a weed whacker into the back of his truck and went into business for himself. Read more »
Seven Questions
Hank Goldberg
‘The Hammer’ on the Triple Crown odds, how he’d fix horse racing and his biggest Vegas payday
May 19th, 2011
It’s the first Saturday of March Madness, and while the overflow crowd at Lagasse’s Stadium—the sports book and bar inside the Palazzo—is fixated on the college basketball action, Hank Goldberg has his head buried in the Daily Racing Form, looking for the pony that’s most likely to pay in race No. 5 at Aqueduct. No surprise there, when you consider that the life of the man nicknamed “The Hammer” revolves around three passions: horse racing, professional football and figuring out a way to make money off of both. Read more »
Seven Questions
Paul Carr
The British journo talks about his month in Strip hotel rooms, having no worldly possessions and why he’ll miss us
May 5th, 2011
It’s true. Carr, a British journalist, has spent the past five years living in hotels across the world after leaving his far-too-expensive London apartment and ridding himself of nearly all his possessions. The book he wrote about his experiences, The Upgrade: A Cautionary Tale of a Life Without Reservations, comes out in Europe this month (W&N, $13), but before he could deal with the whirlwind of a book tour, Carr decided to spend a month in Las Vegas. And he did it as only Paul Carr could do it—by spending a night in every hotel on the Strip. Read more »
Seven Questions
Angel Porrino
Holly’s housemate talks about her new role, motherhood and her future fame
May 5th, 2011
The world was first introduced to the pint-size Angel Porrino when she auditioned for Playboy on the reality show The Girls Next Door. She wasn’t cast but quickly struck up a friendship with Hugh Hefner’s then-girlfriend, Holly Madison. When Madison moved to Las Vegas to pursue a role in Peepshow at Planet Hollywood, she brought a new reality show and Porrino with her. While Holly’s World focused on Madison, its supporting cast of friends—including Porrino in the role of assistant/understudy/housemate—gained fame. The 21-year-old Las Vegas native (who’ll be 22 on May 6) is out to prove she’s ready to step out of Madison’s long shadow with her new role in Absinthe at Caesars Palace. Read more »
Seven Questions
Paul Oakenfold
The venerable DJ talks about the emergence of electronic music, the new Ibiza and being in a youth-oriented business for 25 years
April 28th, 2011
Paul Oakenfold laughs when asked what he thinks about being an elder statesman for electronic music. The 47-year-old British-born DJ certainly has the rights that honor. During his quarter-century in the business, he was named the world’s best DJ in 1998, and earned Grammy nominations in 2004 and 2007. Read more »
Seven Questions
Jenna Morton
On her green commitment, her ‘veggie car’ and carrying on the communal wine tradition
April 21st, 2011
Jenna Morton’s surname may be widely known because of her husband (Michael, founder of the N9NE Group) and his family (Dad founded Morton’s The Steakhouse; brother Peter the Hard Rock), but she has built her own claim to fame locally with a very different, non-Vegas-nightlife mission: sustainability. Read more »
Seven Questions
Teller
The silent half of the intellectual magic duo talks about talking, the magic of his magic, and his No. 1 cause
April 14th, 2011
When you first hear Teller’s voice, it is a bit unnerving. Not because he has a deep, measured tone and is super articulate. It’s simply because you never hear it. He has, after all, made a career of being the short, silent half of magic duo Penn & Teller. While Penn Jillette is boisterous, Teller is mysterious, with communication that revolves around miming or being the consummate guinea pig. Read more »
Seven Questions
Greg Maddux
The ‘best right-handed pitcher born in the past 100 years’ talks about post-retirement life, his intensity on the golf course and how to win 300 games.
April 7th, 2011
When the Chicago Cubs selected Valley High School pitcher Greg Maddux in the second round of the 1984 Major League Baseball Draft, nobody could have predicted the career he would have. The Las Vegan won 355 games in 23 seasons, four consecutive Cy Young Awards (1992-95) as the National League’s top pitcher and a record 18 Gold Gloves for fielding excellence. He is the only pitcher in major league history to win at least 15 games for 17 consecutive seasons, one of 10 pitchers ever to collect 300 wins and 3,000 strikeouts, and Sports Illustrated once called him “the best right-handed pitcher born in the past 100 years.” Despite the accolades, Maddux, 44, remains extremely low-key since retiring after the 2008 season, playing golf whenever possible (he’s about a 3 handicap) and evaluating pitchers in his role as a special assistant to the general manager with the Cubs. Read more »
Seven Questions
Jim Marsh
The iconic car dealer discusses his gambles, fixing Nevada and never getting over the barrel
March 31st, 2011
When things were so bad in Seattle in 1971 that billboards said “Will the last person to leave Seattle please turn out the lights?” the savvy Jim Marsh packed up his belongings and headed to Las Vegas, where he reopened an AMC Jeep dealership at Fremont and 17th streets that the previous owners had driven into the ground. From there, Marsh went on to become a Las Vegas legend, showcasing his dry humor both on the lot and in TV ads that he wrote himself. As his public presence grew, he also became a sharp voice in Nevada’s political discourse. Read more »
Seven Questions
Brad Garrett
Why everybody expects Robert, what keeps him humble, and his comedy club’s guarantee
March 24th, 2011
There’s no mistaking Brad Garrett when he walks into a room. He’s 6 feet 8 inches tall, and his famously low, rumbling voice easily penetrates walls. It is when he gets into his stand-up routine that you may find him unrecognizable. Garrett is known for playing Raymond’s softhearted, bumbling brother, Robert, on Everybody Loves Raymond, but the actor is completely upfront when he says people are shocked to find he’s not Robert after all. Read more »
