Bodog announces open casting call for the “Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker II” starting July 5 - 8, at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas

With thousands of poker players from around the world in Las Vegas this July for the World Series of Poker, Bodog Entertainment will be in town looking to increase a few players’ odds of becoming poker’s next superstar and millionaire.

Open casting calls in Las Vegas this July 5 - 8, searching for contestants for “Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker II,” a new poker reality TV program where 12 amateur poker players compete for a $2-million prize package — the largest grand prize in reality TV history.

Bodog will hold all four days of auditions at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, in the “Sapphire 2″ room, between noon and 5 p.m. each day. Those interested in auditioning must be at least 21 years of old and bring a photo ID. Poker players of varying skills levels, from beginner to advanced, are welcome to audition.

Season one of “Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker” set ratings high in its time slot last year with Hollywood celebrities, big name poker pros, and amateur hopefuls battling it out for $500,000. Season two is raising the stakes much higher, with four-times more money on the line and without the pros and celebrities competing.

The 12-person cast chosen for this years show will be whisked away to an exotic locale, where they will live together in a mansion and compete against one another in a number of poker infused lifestyle challenges both at and away from the poker table. In the end, only one of the lucky 12 contestants will be crowned champion of “Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker II” and awarded the reality TV record-breaking $2 million grand prize — $1 million in cash and a $1 million Bodog contract that includes buy-ins and travel to poker’s biggest tournaments for a year after the show.

Filming for “Calvin Ayre Wild Card Poker II” begins fall of 2007 and will air later this year nationally, globally, and on BodogTV.

Michael Moore’s Sicko debuted to a sold out, standing room only audience Saturday night at the Orleans theater in Las Vegas. Judging from the excitement in the crowd, the numerous ovations, and the post movie commentary, Mr. Moore has another blockbuster on his hands. The movie sneaked a peek on about 43 screens in cities nationwide. Every one sold out. This has prompted the Weinstein boys to up the release numbers, a good thing for people looking to see the movie early.

Funny, thought-provoking, and sometimes explosive, the docu-flick attacks both sides of the aisle, with an especially piercing bit of information about Hillary Clinton. Michael Moore once again takes on corporate America with reckless abandon, sparing no-one, and offering no apologies. His attacks on the health care industry, and his ideas for a solution to the problem, seemed to touch a nerve with the audience.

Whether you like Michael Moore or not, see this movie. As the movie points out, this is a humanitarian issue, not a political one. This may be just the sort of discussion Las Vegas, as well as the nation needs.

Locals know to avoid the Strip at all costs, especially on evenings and weekends. It’s usually like being stuck in traffic, going nowhere fast. Some have referred to it as a parking lot.

Clark County Commissioners Tuesday approved a plan to create a parking lot on the Strip. But this parking lot is supposed to increase safety for tourists who just can’t stay away from the Welcome to Las Vegas sign.

Have you ever driven by to see several cars parked in the middle of LVB and many pedestrians disobeying traffic laws to get a snapshot of the Las Vegas icon?

The half-million dollar project will create a dozen parking spots, two handicapped spots and room for a tour bus or limo.

Also planned for the sign’s locale are 25 canary palm trees removed from the median up the Strip, soon to be relocated just north of the sign, creating a fitting backdrop for the welcome sign originally designed by Betty Willis in 1959.

The Springs Preserve, opened recently by the Las Vegas Valley Water District to commemorate and perpetuate the memory of Las Vegas Springs at The Meadows, and the role water played in developing a desert oasis, is an impressive achievement.

Go see it. It’ll knock your socks off. And one visit won’t be sufficient to see all of it. Tune in online at springspreserve.org.

Yet several historical inaccuracies and questionable features need to be corrected to satisfy citizen observers with a Stuttgart eye for detail. To wit:

• The fake railroad car dubbed “Las Vegas & Tonopah RR.” First, why build a simulated car when a real one could have been purchased from, say, the railroad museum at Perris Calif.? Is Californiphobia at work here? There was no such thing as “Las Vegas & Tonopah RR.” Properly, it would be the Tonopah & Tidewater Railroad, which was not a major feeder of settlers and lot buyers into Las Vegas around 1905. The railroad that was instrumental in Las Vegas’ development was Montana Sen. William Clark’s San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake Railroad. Again, Californiphobia?
• Streetcars in early Las Vegas? In one of the displays, a historical photograph used in a photo mural backdrop shows a couple of streetcars, one on a curved track, with Victorian era solid masonry buildings in the background. The implication is that Las Vegas is depicted. I don’t buy it.

The point is, if there exist historical inaccuracies and questionable features in some of the displays of “recent” Las Vegas history, what are we to think of the accuracy of the science and ancient historical data provided at the Springs Preserve?

So, don’t believe everything you see and read at the Springs Preserve. The museography is some distance from being brought up to Smithsonian Institution standards.

The Sin City Brewing Co., a Las Vegas-based microbrewery launched by long-time Gordon Biersch Director of Brewing Operations Richard Johnson, offers visitors to the city of sin the ultimate way to cool-down: with an ice-cold local brew.

Sin City Beer is available on tap at dozens of resort and bar locations throughout Las Vegas. Sin City Brewing Co.’s premier bar is located at the epicenter of Las Vegas Boulevard, inside Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. The Miracle Mile Shops location is the first microbrew bar for Sin City Brewing Co. and provides the ultimate rest stop on a long walk along the famed Las Vegas Strip.

Visitors can relax in the bar, or order a beer from the “to-go” window while they shop and explore.

Acclaimed for his award-winning beers, Johnson has been professionally brewing beer for 19 years, from the beginning of the micro-brew revolution.

The Beers . . .

Sin City Weisse - Weisse is nice.
It wouldn’t be sin city without a little vice. Sin City Brewing Co.’s traditional German Hefeweizen, Sin City Weisse, is an unfiltered, straw-colored wheat beer with a low hop profile that features a distinct clove aroma and citrus undertones. Originally a summer brew at 4.5% alcohol by volume, it’s a perfect fit for the Las Vegas climate.

Sin City Light - Never pass up a blonde.
Refreshing and crisp, Sin City Light will appeal to both domestic beer drinkers as well as imported light beer aficionados. A premium product micro-brewed with imported malted barley, it is lightly hopped with a satisfying CO2 bite.

Sin City Amber - Say hello to Amber.
Full-bodied and proud, this amber hued lager may be an Oktoberfest-style beer, but it is available to be enjoyed year round. A strong, robust micro-brewed lager made with imported and specialty malts, Sin City Amber balances a full-bodied malt character with imported German Hallertauer hops and is deceptively strong at 5.7% alcohol by volume.

Sin City Stout - The darker side of sin.
A traditional Irish Dry Stout, Sin City Stout is a strong beer at 6% alcohol by volume. It is a full, richly flavored beer with a roasted, coffee-like taste and a hint of chocolate balanced with an abundant hop profile that delivers a satisfying dry finish. A thick, creamy head rests on top and holds the rich roasted aromatic qualities in the glass. This is truly the darker side of sin.

To learn more about the Sin City Brewing Co., visit its website.

Distinctive choices for shopping and dining are beginning to materialize on Las Vegas’ South Strip. Town Square, now well under construction, is a 1.5 million square foot super-regional lifestyle center featuring 150 retail shops, an 18-screen movie theater, 12 restaurants and 352,000 square feet of Class “A” office space.

Situated on 117 acres on the South Strip at 6711 Las Vegas Boulevard South, just south of Mandalay Bay on the site of the former Vacation Village motel and casino, Town Square is being shaped into a super regional mixed-use lifestyle center.

Shopping opportunities are to include Robb & Stuckey Furniture, Borders, Abercrombie & Fitch, Hollister Co., Apple, Bath & Body Works, Cashe, Fossil, J. Crew, Kenneth Cole, Sigrid Olsen, and Soma.

Restaurants making their Las Vegas debut at Town Square are Tommy Bahama’s Tropical Café, Yardhouse, and Texas de Brazil. Other restaurants include Sapporo, Brio and Claim Jumper. To help you keep in shape there will be a 24-Hour Fitness center. Rave Motion Pictures has signed to operate the 18-screen Multiplex cinema.

One of the first commercial tenants announced for Town Square is none other than the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce.

Along with the construction of Town Square, developers Turnberry Associates and Centra Properties are funding a multimillion-dollar flyover road off Las Vegas Boulevard into the center. The overpass will provide northbound boulevard traffic access to Town Square, which is on the west side of the street, without causing traffic backups.

Shopping, dining and entertainment options for Valley residents continue to multiply. Already in operation on the South Strip are a huge Fry’s Electronics which will be the southern-most anchor of Town Square and the Las Vegas Premium Outlet complex just down the road.

The Desert Garden Center at CCSN offers a wealth of desert planting information and plants. CCSN students both staff the Desert Garden Center, learning valuable skills for life after graduation, and nurture the plants to keep them healthy.

The retail plant nursery specializes in Mojave native and desert adapted plants. The Desert Garden Center’s charter is to be an educational partner, helping students and the community understand what grows best in Las Vegas weather conditions. Regardless of the season, the Center is an ideal place to purchase plants at prices typically below that of retail nurseries.

The Desert Garden Center is unique in that not only is it the premier source of hard to find, rare and unusual plants, it’s also part of CCSN’s ornamental horticulture program. The Center carries everything from groundcovers to trees, perennials, cactus and succulents. It also has an extensive source of information sheets for all gardening needs: native plants, advantages of xeriscape, poolside and container gardening, desert tortoise plants, etc.

We’re headed into summer temperatures, so now’s the time to finish up your water-smart planting, before it gets too hot.

Looking for a fun family outing? The Ritz-Carlton’s Executive Pastry Chef, Chris Hanmer, spent more than 100 hours creating two sugar sculptures that are now on display at the resort. Each showcases 45 orange and blue pieces created by hand from 150 pounds of sugar. Chef Hanmer will make new sculptures for each season.

Hanmer has nearly 15 years of experience in the culinary industry. He competed in the World Pastry Team Championship in 2004, which was televised on the Food Network. At the age of 26, he became the youngest American to win this championship.

Prior to joining The Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas in 2005, he served as assistant pastry chef for Bellagio in Las Vegas. He has also worked at the International School of Confectionary Arts in Gaithersburg, Md., where he participated in national and global demonstrations with famed confectioner Ewald Notter.

Hanmer’s educational background includes a certificate in culinary arts from Orange Coast College, in Costa Mesa, Calif. and advanced culinary studies in France at L’ Ecole Du Grand Chocolat.

Infections in the mouth not only cause bad breath, the loss of teeth and a major change in the quality of life. Now, we know these common infections (called “gum disease”) are specific infections that can also contribute to heart disease, stroke, preterm babies, pregnancy complications, worsening of diabetes and certain forms of cancer.

The fact is that infections anywhere in the body can aversely affect a person’s health and even shorten your life. Periodontal (gum) infections are the most common chronic infection in the U.S. population.

Today, a new test is available that allows dentists and patients to combat gum disease and identify hereditary risk factors for major illnesses. The test is called DNA-PCR and is administered at Dr. Azimi’s downtown Las Vegas dental office.

There are two parts to DNA-PCR testing. The first, Micro Ident, costs around $150 and identifies oral pathogens for the accurate diagnosis of periodontitis, or gum disease. The second, PST, is administered for about $130 and evaluates the person’s susceptibility to gum disease.

“Using DNA technology, the DNA-PCR test allows us to specifically identify oral bacteria that cause infections much earlier and treat them before they cause severe damage to a person’s health,” said Dr. Azimi, DDS, the first general and cosmetic dentist in Nevada certified to administer the DNA-PCR exam.

“To administer the test, we gather saliva samples from the patient’s mouth using cotton-tipped swabs,” Dr. Azimi continued. “The samples are then shipped to a laboratory for analysis. The lab sends us a detailed report identifying the oral bacteria present, allowing us to quickly and precisely diagnose and treat periodontal disease.”

In the past, periodontal disease was treated by clinical signs and symptoms. Now DNA-PCR uses molecular biology technology derived from the Human Genome Project to provide a concrete method of identifying the disease, allowing dentists to prescribe an accurate treatment. The Human Genome Project, begun formally in 1990, was coordinated by the federal Department of Energy with the chief goal of identifying all of the approximately 25,000 genes in human DNA.

There are more than 600 different types of bacteria present in the human mouth. Scientists at the Forsyth Institute in Boston have identified 13 strains of pathogenic bacteria which are the most common chronic infection in the U.S. population. These strains cause gum disease and can also contribute to heart disease, stroke, preterm birth, pregnancy complications, worsening of diabetes and certain forms of cancer. Early treatment of periodontitis may help prevent these other health problems.

Gum disease, which affects 90 percent of Americans during their lifetime, is contagious and should be taken seriously. If one family member is diagnosed with periodontitis, other family members should be tested and receive treatment if necessary.

An oral health study—the largest government examination of the nation’s dental health in more than 25 years—by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on April 30 noted that the percentage of adults who said they’d seen a dentist in the previous year dropped to 60 percent, from 66 percent.

“Knowing that good oral health is an indicator of overall health, and may in fact help prevent systemic disease, should be motivation enough for everyone to regularly visit a dentist,” Dr Azimi said. A systemic disease is a disorder that affects the entire body.

“Some insurance plans will cover the DNA-PCR test,” said Dr. Azimi. “But even without insurance reimbursement, the peace of mind that comes as a result of the exam is worth it.”

A co-worker of mine has shown a bit of his true-self as I sat down to interview him on Capoeira, a synthesis of dances, fights and musical instruments from different cultures, from different African regions. It is a synthesis created on Brazilian soil. If you don’t know what Capoeira is…well let me tell ya.

Slaves were brought to Brazil, in the sixteenth century, and with them they brought their culture. The slave owners would not allow the slaves any form of fighting or self-defense so they made up Capoeira to hide their fighting techniques within the dance. To this day, when a person is baptized into capoeira at the batizado ceremony, they may be given an apelido.

One theory suggests that capoeira originated from a courtship dance in Angola used by suitors of young women, however, capoeira’s origins are often disputed. The exact origin of Capoeira is under dispute, but you get the idea. Each of the ritual dances is done with a ‘band’ playing in the background and the pace of the performers is controlled by the tempo of the band. One of the instruments used in Capoeira is the Berimbau is a single-string percussion instrument, a musical bow, another is the Pandeiro, a type of hand frame drum that differs from a common tambourine in a few ways.

Participants form a roda (circle) and take turns playing instruments, singing, and sparring in pairs in the centre of the circle. The game is marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints, subterfuge, and extensive use of groundwork, as well as sweeps, kicks, and head-butts. Technique and strategy are the key elements to playing a good game.

The Portuguese word “Capoeira” derives from the word capão, which translates as capon, a castrated rooster. The sport’s name may originate from this word since its moves resemble those of a rooster in a fight. There is a local Capoeira team here in Las Vegas if you want to check out some awesome moves and fun. Heck you might even join if you think you can hang.

Photos by Tiffany Brown