● Evening Call (Strip: South) - Mandalay Bay hotel bar that specializes in spiking: coffee drinks, ice cream drinks and plain ol' drink-drinks.
● Fusion (Strip: Central) - "La Vida Loca" Latin-themed bar at the Palazzo, with appropriate cocktails to match.

The holiday season is now all jumbled up into one long blast of synchronized hype for the final months of the year, even spilling into the next -- one long sprint from Labor Day to Valentine's Day. I know it's not even Thanksgiving, but some people are already thinking about New Year's Eve, and Las Vegas wants to put their bid in early. The Strip is one giant boozefest for the countdown to midnight, with fireworks in the sky and huge drink-bongs littering the streets. If that sounds like fun to you, get on Twitter and start tweeting your love for Sin City.

My design business took me to Las Vegas for a night and a day. I can't tell you what it's all about yet because it really isn't anything until it really becomes something, and if I told you everything, you wouldn't need to come back Monday to find out more. I'm not a Vegas kind of guy. As far as I'm concerned, what happens in Vegas can stay in Vegas. As I don't gamble, enjoy shows, or whore around, I spend my time looking at what my design idols build when developers throw bushels of money at their projects. The story of a guy like me being flown out here to design something bodes well for the economy. A town built on gambling hasn't thrown too many building dice for over a year. Old projects with money in the pipeline have been built through the recession, although some are a little late and some a little less extravagant. New work has been as scarce as the crowds at the tables. My flight and the Las Vegas airport were packed, as a big fight brought all the players to the dessert.

Thank God Las Vegas finally came to its drinking, gambling, and whoring senses and gave up on trying to change its zeitgeist slogan "What happens here, stays here." Out with the family-friendly, wussy slogan the tourism bureau tried to fly with -- "Take a Break" -- and in with the tried and true trampy Vegas. Other forgettable slogans the city tried to pass off as legit siren calls to the city included the utterly boring "Vegas right now" and the kooky-but-still-lame "Crazy times call for crazy fun."

Forbes trotted out a "Most Toxic" survey, and proudly crowned Atlanta the Queen of Dirty, with Detroit coming in as runner up (can they ever be the best at anything?), and Houston, Chicago, and Philly rounding out the top five. And by "toxic" they don't mean backstabbing and trash talking, so unfortunately they're not referencing NeNe, Kim, Lisa, Kandi, or Sheree. Instead, the survey focuses on air quality and the amount of toxic chemicals released into the water and air in the metro areas. Atlanta takes the top spot because of its dirty immediate neighbors -- Forbes is quick to point the finger at Sandy Springs (holla Sheree!) and Marietta.

British Airways is launching a direct route from London to Las Vegas, and they're sure excited about it. So excited, in fact, that they're busy planning a big welcome-to-Vegas party for next Thursday. And if you go by the press photos, said party will also include Vegas-style showgirls in burlesque costumes getting sucked into jet turbines.

True Blood wrapped its second season, The Vampire Diaries debuted, and we've got the release of second installment of the Twilight series, New Moon, coming in November. You can always check out the fangbanger cruise set to tour Alaska and parts of Seattle early 2010. But if you can't wait that long (and who can), pop in some fangs and dress up like a (slutty) vampire for Veuve Clicquot Yelloween at the Venetian's Tao and Lavo nightclubs on October 31.

You know who's long overdue for a Get Out of Jail Free card? No, not Courtney Love, you jokesters! Mariah Carey, naturally. Even if in the past, she had the gall to chalk up the failure of Glitter to September 11 and not the screenplay itself, the stormy weather here in New York on this solemn day lets us know that it's time to forgive Mariah her trespasses against decency, people with ears, and basically anyone who has now come to associate Mean Girls with this tune. Until her next highly-publicized stumble, anyway. So how exactly will Mariah be spending this particular 9/11?

● Hard Rock Cafe (Strip: Central) - Cheeseball cafe opens state-of-the-art flagship on the Strip.
● The Pub (Strip: Central) - Burgers, brews, beer pong and boobs make for a Brohemian Paradise on the strip.

The travel industry loves it a gimmick, and here comes 9/9/09, just in time for chronological-numerological huckstering. Granted, it's not quite as auspicious as 7/7/07 was, or not as magical as 8/8/08, but 9/9/09 is what we got this year, and there are deals to be had. The gaming industry loves a number trifecta: Atlantic City's Borgata Hotel is offering $99 room rates, $99 spa treatments, and a chance to win $999 in bonus slot dollars. Over in Vegas the Hilton is offering a $99 wedding special including ceremony and photo, plus a witness, gratis!