APA Pool Championship At The Riviera

I know very little about pool, except that it's very photogenic and, compared to poker, there's no money in it.

The Black Widow Of Pool Meets Her Fans

Jeanette Lee, the Black Widow, the best female pool player in the world, meets her fans and signs autographs at the APA Tournament at the Riviera.

Scenes From The Star Trek Convention

The Star Trek cookbook?

Never too young or too human to be a Trekkie

My favorite Bond villain Jaws

The convention is a highlight of a Trekkie's year - everyone had a grand, if expensive, time.

Arriving In Costume At The Star Trek Convention

If the carpet looks familiar, it's because this is the Amazon Ballroom at the Rio, where the WSOP took place.

Hundreds arrived in costume at the Rio in attempt to beat the Guinness Book of World Records for the  most people in Star Trek costume.

Star Trek Convention In Vegas

Not being a Trekkie myself - only seen a handful of the Shatner episodes and a couple of the movies - I had no idea who these people were, except for Spiner. But at $20 for a meet and greet and an autographed photo, they must be important. Trying to look as you did decades ago is very hard work.

It's Expensive To Be A Trekkie

Price list to have a photo taken with your favorite

I never paid $20 to take this

Olivia D'Abo's entourage  was very rude (never heard of her, but her cousin was a Bond girl)

Not only was it expensive to attend the world's biggest Star Trek convention  (I gatecrashed), once inside they hit you up for every last dollar. Most of the minor Star Trek characters - the $20 brigade - were predatory whores. Not all - some of them were really cool, but not the ones above. Oh, horror of horrors, I took their picture without paying - I guess I went where no woman has gone before.

Hip Downtown

Emergency Arts Center

Beauty Bar

Go downtown to get a tattoo, see art at the Emergency Arts Center and have a $3-4 beer at the Beauty Bar - it's a young people's kind of hip.

Always Crowded On Fremont Street

Wedding parties stroll, musicians entertain and people fly overhead on Fremont St downtown.

Nascar Cafe Sale

I seem to be visiting the Sahara a lot more since it closed... The Nascar Cafe had a sale of its racing memorabilia and pots and pans. Now who would want a used mattress from a hotel? Other hotels? I'd rather sleep on the floor.

Loving Elvis

Elvis is to Vegas what Edith Piaf is to Paris - our local deity, except they don't sell Piaf bubble gum. Loving Elvis becomes a social occasion - all the collectors meet, exchange news and gossip and purchase never-ending Elvis crapola. The DJ was playing Elvis love songs, I have nothing but Elvis rocking out on my I-pod - hard to believe it's the same artist. The beauty of Elvis is that he's all things to all people.