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Happy Chanukah!!! 

From: The S. Baron Family

 

Chanukah, often called The Festival of Lights is one of the best known and most joyous holidays for the Jewish community.   While not a particularly important religious occasion, Hanukkah is a special time for gathering and celebrating with family and friends.  This year Hanukkah is celebrated from sundown on Tuesday Dec. 4th and ends at nightfall on Wednesday Dec. 12th.

 

The word Hanukkah (also commonly spelled "Chanukah") means 're-dedication' in Hebrew.  The holiday of Chanukah commemorates the survival of Judaism 23 centuries ago.

 

For my fellow Vegans,  not already familiar with the holiday,  I offer this very abbreviated  version of the history of Chanukah.  

Palestine. the Jewish homeland,  was caught between two great powers Egypt and Syria who wanted the Jews to conform to their Greek dress & customs.   Even more serious, the Syrian emperor decreed that the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, the Jewish national house of worship, would become a temple to the Greek god, Zeus. 

 

A small band of soldiers led by Judah Maccabee staged a successful rebellion against thousands of Syrians and rededicated the Temple.  Hanukkah celebrates the restoration of  religious freedom, and the preservation of Jewish customs and the traditional Jewish worship service. 

 

The “Festival of Lights” refers to the legend of a miracle that occurred during the rededication of the Temple.  When the Jews sought to rekindle the menorah in the Temple sanctuary, they found only enough purified oil to last one day, yet miraculously, the small portion of oil burned for eight days – the length of time required to purify new oil.

 

Ever since, a candle is lit each of the eight nights of Hanukkah to commemorate the miracle of the oil in the Temple.  Nine candles are arranged in a candelabra called a menorah – one for each night, plus the shammus (servant),  the candle used to light the others. Candles are lit from left to right, and the shammus is placed in the middle at a different height.

Families gather at nightfall to rekindle the menorah flames, rededicate themselves to their faith, and share in festive meals. Blessings are sung or recited as the candles are lit.  Each night of Hanukkah may feature songs or games and gifts ranging from “gelt” (money), to candy, or other small presents.

One Hanukkah  tradition, especially for children, is playing the dreidel game with spinning tops. On each of the four sides of the dreidel, there is one of four Hebrew letters that stand for “Great Miracle Happened There.” 

Fried foods are customary because of the significance of oil to the holiday. Special potato pancakes fried in oil called “latkes” are served as a reminder of the miraculous oil.

 

If you've read down this far, I commend you.  My intention was to BRIEFLY explain the significance of this holiday BUT as you can tell, it ran into 'extra innings.'  I would like to add that when I was growing up in The Bronx some oomteen years ago, I remember thinking that Chanukah was our Jewish Christmas.  I remember thinking how lucky we were because we got 8 gifts, one for each night of the celebration.  Never dawned on me that the gifts were pennies ('chanuakah gelt') and chocolates while my friends who celebrated Christmas got dolls, trains and bikes. 

 

But times have certainly changed and along with it the expectations of our children at Chanukah. 

Last night one of my granddaughters phoned in her 'Chanukah Request.'  It wasn't for the 'gelt' or chocolate but for a silver bracelet from Tiffany.  "Please, please Nana.  Everyone in my school has one except me.  Please Nana." 

 

One thing that remained constant from my childhood to now is my grandmother's traditional Chanukah Potato Pancake Recipe (Latkes) which I proudly share with you.

 

HAPPY CHANUKAH!!!

 

Bubba Sarah's Potato Latkes

 

 

2 lbs. potatoes

2 large eggs

Salt

Oil for frying

• Peel & finely grate the potatoes. 
• Immediately plunge them into cold water. 
• Drain and squeeze out all the starchy  liquid. 
• (Update: After the soaking I put them in my salad spinner to remove all the liquid).
• Beat the eggs with the salt, add the potatoes.  Stir well.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and drop large spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil. 
  • It's okay to press down slightly with the spatula to flatten so the pancakes cook evenly. 
  • When one side is brown, turn over and brown the other side. 
  • Drain on paper towel.  Serve very hot.

BONUS TREAT

Besides serving with the traditional apple sauce, my family loves when

 I TOP THEM OFF WITH

A schmear of sour cream and a thin slice of nova (smoked salmon)

YUM!

 

 

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Genealogy Research... Easier Than Ever
From: M. R. Feld

Genealogy by definition is the study and tracing of family pedigrees. Most of my adult life I wanted to know more about where I came from and who my ancestors were. My mom died when I was 12 (almost 55 years ago). Subsequently my dad cut my brother and me off from all of our maternal relatives. I grew up wondering about my mom, her mother and that side of my family. But that's all I was able to do...wonder.

 

With the Internet and the free time retirement has afforded me, I had the motive, the means and the opportunity of delve into my past.

For a period of a year or so I invested an hour or so a day at the computer and uncovered more information than I could ever have imagined. It's amazing what is available on line if one only knows where and how to search.
Each uncovered piece of the puzzle brought with it a 'high' unlike anything I've ever experienced. What amazes me to this day is the fact that I had absolutely no family member to question. No written records. I traced my maternal family back to the 1700s in Amsterdam strictly from information on the www.

I began with what I did know for certain.  I knew my mom's date of birth and her parent's names (my grandparents). From the state recorders office I ordered a copy of my mom's birth certificate. That gave me my grandmother's maiden name, her age and their home address at the time of my mom's birth. I again
contacted the state recorder to do a search for the marriage certificate of my grandparents. The marriage certificate provided my grandmother's maiden name and approximate marriage year being prior to my mom's birth date. (hopefully prior). From that I got the names of witnesses who signed the certificate.
I applied for death certificates which provided more information including cause of death.

Through the search engine Google's advance search I was able to see copies of NY Times obituaries  dating back to 1950. From the obituaries I found the cemetery where they were buried. On the Ellis Island web site I located the passenger lists of ships (manifests) which provided my great grandparent's country of origin and occupation. The online censuses of 1910, 1920 and 1930 presented great detail of who lived with my grandparents, their ages and occupations. Cyndi's list, the best genealogy site on the web (in my opinion) has an entire division for Jewish Genealogy.

I wasn't just collecting papers and hard facts. It was a story that I recreated. I made a special trip back east to visit the cemeteries of my great grandparents. My husband, who is normally very supportive, had 'cemetery issues' so I took a friend. The archival records of the cemetery are open to the public but one must wear archival gloves (to protect the delicate archival papers). From the cemetery book I learned that my grandmother had a brother who died when he was 2 years old. We visited the plots of my great grandparents. They were buried in a family plot area which provided even more names and information.

I must interject something here. What moved my friend and me to tears on that visit was the overwhelming number of headstones of children. More than a third of the headstones in the cemetery belonged to children under the age of 5 who died from epidemics rampant at the time. Innumerable headstones of women stated they died during childbirth. It was as if we were actually back in time. Unforgettable experience.

From the US Social Security office I got a copy of my grandfather's SS-4 Form. The form he filled out in his own handwriting to get his first job. It was in a chocolate and halvah factory in Brooklyn. He was 9 years old. I never knew my grandfather was a soldier in World War I. I was able to get his draft and discharge papers.

I could go on and on but I will stop here. I was able to make a beautiful family tree for my grandchildren.

The following are some of my favorite research sites should I have awakened anything in you to peruse your own family history. This is just a tip of the iceberg. One site will lead you to another and so on.   Let me add that these sites are extremely user friendly. Please don't be intimated.

Enjoy and good luck.

www.cyndislist.com
www.cyndislist.com/jewish.htm
ssdi.rootsweb.com/
news.google.com/archivesearch
www.ellisisland.org/
www.jewishgen.org/cemetery/northamerica/nyc.html
home.att.net/~wee-monster/military.html
www.ancestry.com
www.genealogylinks.net/europe/netherlands/index.html

 

 

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My Six Degrees of Separation

Ruby Oswald Kennedy

By: Mrs. S. Baron

 

I was young and new bride when my husband and I visited his parents on a Sunday afternoon.  Like the rest of the country we were transfixed on the television watching Lee Harvey Oswald being transported from the police station to the jail.  Suddenly commotion on the live broadcast and an announcement that Oswald had been shot.  My mother-in-law and I moved into the kitchen leaving the men in the living room with the TV.

    

Within minutes my husband started screaming incoherently. Thinking something terrible happened to my father-in-law we rushed back into the living room.  My husband, a tall man with an Arnold Schwarzenegger build, was hunched over on the couch, his head in his hands sobbing. 

    

Short story long....My husband had an army buddy with whom he was fairly close. During our courtship he told me stories of this friend who moved to Dallas and opened a night club.  My husband joined him in Dallas and worked in the night club for several years before returning to New York. 

    

I heard great stories of this colorful guy who as I was told, 'lived on the edge.'  I remember him telling me that he had a dark side from which my husband was shielded.   If my husband asked too many questions, he was told, "What you don't know you can't tell." 

 

We were married just two months before this November day.  We had invited his friend to our wedding but business kept him from flying in.

    

By now you must realize, my husband's army buddy and friend was Jack Ruby, the accused assassin of Lee Harvey Oswald.

 

 

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THANKSGIVING with the GRANDKIDS
POPPY'S ENCHANTED THANKSGIVING
From:  S. & J. Plavin

The grandkids visited for Thanksgiving.  With so much for them to do all they wanted was to go to the movies to see "Enchanted."  I'm definitely a betting man and
would've bet the family farm that there was no way I would ever see a movie like this Disney presentation.  Well, blow me down if I wasn't the oldest person in the theatre.  I did, finally get to see the magnificent multiplex over at Sam's Town.
State of the art theatre in every conceivable way.  Love seats that are also rocker seats.  But I digress. This is about an old man suckered in by two pint size little ladies into seeing this Disney flick.  So pleasantly surprised was I that I actually found myself laughing out loud and even applauding at one point.  Of course I took more away from it than the little ones did. Well, maybe not more, but certainly on a different level.  Clever and gimmicky albeit too much slapstick.  Innuendos amuck which soared high over the young audience.  Lots of location shots in Manhattan that
gave me a glimpse of what my hometown looks like now.
  

We met up with my wife (who opted for Bingo instead of the movies).

 

Over dinner the kids were telling my wife everything that happened in the movie.  Suffice it to say, I was so rapt up in the adult references of the movie dialogue, that I totally missed the point of the story which was detailed by the children. Duh!

Poppy!

 

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Base Stealers
From Roberta Brodie

The '55 Brooklyn Dodgers, after 65 years finally won the World Series and were probably able to recall clearly every base they ever stole....much UNLIKE Bush's former memory challenged Attorney General Alberto Gonzales.

 

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 The Beat Goes On

From S. Baron

 

The beat goes on with the "Dick and George Show:"

We already know that Mr. GWB has an obsession for listening in on telephone conversations.

 

And now our Bushman along with the TSA (Transport Security Administration) propose that all airline passengers would need advance permission before flying into, through, or over the United States regardless of citizenship or the airline's national origin.

 

Where are the Democrats throughout this?  Where is their heroic effort to

attempt to defeat this arrogant seizer of power. Where is the little Dutch boy with his finger in the dike?

The true Americans like the Trumans, the FDR's and the  Eisenhower's have been

replaced by the superstars of mediocrity, The Dick & George Show. 

 

P.S. The two elections that our Prez stole brings this to mind:

 

One of my favorite Broadway shows Fiorello, the 1959 Pulitzer Prize winner is based on

the true story of Fiorello LaGuardia, the aggressive US Congressman and Mayor of New York.

A popular song from that stage play called "Politics and Poker" seems apropos for our Mr.

Bush especially in this forum. 

 

"Politics and Poker, Politics and Poker
Playing for a pot that's mediocre
Politics and Poker running neck and neck
If politics seems more predictable..
That's because usually
You can stack the deck

 

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Here We Go Loopty-Loo

From: Zelda L.

 

Good Going, Dick!!

 

The old news is that of all of the Bush administration is riddled with ties to the weapons, engineering, construction, and oil companies that have the most to profit from a war in Iraq. Of all the administration members with potential conflicts of interest, none seems more troubling than Vice President Dick Cheney. 

Cheney is the "former" CEO of Halliburton, an oil-services company hat also provides construction & military support services (including obscene overcharges for every single meal served to our military).

 

To the Vice President goes the wartime spoils!!  Halliburton is constantly being awarded: "NO-BID" contracts in Iraq <<<AND>>> our dearly beloved Mr. Bush issued a waiver that, according to the Washington Post, allowed "government agencies to handpick companies for Iraq's lucrative reconstruction projects." 

 

The NO-BID Halliburton contracts are not publicly announced until more than 2 weeks after they're awarded.

The contract was open-ended, had no time limits and no dollar limits. It was also a "cost-plus" contract, meaning that the company is guaranteed to recover costs and then make a guaranteed profit on top of that. Its value is estimated at tens of millions of dollars.

 

Halliburton is making annual payments to it's former CEO, Dick Cheney in amounts upwards of one million US Dollars per year.

Cheney's 'former' company has made billions off our military conflict.

Good going, Dick. . It's obvious that you and The Decider know what's best for our country. Certainly know better than most Americans do.

 

Fast Forward

 

Nine days after registering his presidential exploratory committee last November, RUDOLPH  GIULIANI appeared in Singapore to help a Las Vegas developer make a pitch for a $3.5 billion casino resort, it drew GIULIANI into a complex partnership with the family of a controversial Hong Kong billionaire who has ties to the regime of North Korea's Kim Jong Il and has been linked to international organized crime by the U.S. government. 

 

 Giuliani's participation as a security consultant in the Singapore gambling venture illustrates the challenge he faces while attempting to win the Republican presidential nomination with a law-and-order message while maintaining a far-flung, international business portfolio, an unknown portion of which remains in the shadows

 

What's Old Is New Again!!!

(People.. forewarned is forearmed.. or is it?)

 

 

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The Decider
From Roberta Brodie

 

I am by no means  a fan of the president, but "The Decider" made one comment that I happen to agree with. It not a big deal, but I had to search hard to find some praise for the most incompetent individual to hold that office in this nation's history.

I will try and overcome my suspicions of this man and his entire administration, in this instance, and assume his statement came from his heart. 

The president speaking about immigrants, said that at the very minimum they should fully understand the character of the Star Spangled Banner, the American flag and the ideals of freedom that they represent. I hope he does believe that when you're a guest in someone else's house or someone else's country, you have an obligation to obey their laws and
customs.
 
I hope the president and his administration find compassion toward those who may have been forced by circumstances to find a better life for themselves and their families.

 

 

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Food for Thought and/or Thoughts of Food

From  S. Baron

 

With Thanxgiving just around the proverbial corner I would like to share with ya all the most incredible titillating recipe for a cranberry side dish.  When prepared (in under 5 minutes) and presented in a clear glass serving bowl, it makes a spectacular presentation.  Enjoy your holiday meal. 

 

(What do you get if you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by it's diameter?  Pumpkin Pi.)  (Sorry 'bout that. Couldn't help myself!)

 

Canned Cranberries

 

1 (8-oz) can whole cranberries (not jellied)

1 (6-oz) can mandarin oranges (drained)

1 cup walnuts

1 cup pecans

 

In a medium size bowl, gently fold together all of the ingredients.

Serve in a clear glass serving bowl for optimum effect.

 Serves: 6 - 8

Prep Time: Less than 5 minutes

 

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You Never Forget Your First
By: B. Wetherole
 

Like your first kiss, I guess you never forget your first NEW car. It inspires memories of pleasure and pride, shiny metal and lusty acceleration that linger.

In my case, that is doubly so: I'm still driving that car, even though it is now 28 years old and rapidly approaching its 250,000th mile.
In some ways, my relationship with my black Lincoln Town Car  has been among the most enduring in my life. Since buying it, I have changed jobs 5 times moved twice and had several grandchildren. 

Today, rust is eating away at the rear fenders and the genuine leather upholstery has been ripping steadily.   Each new noise -be it a grinding from the transmission or a clunking from the steering column - is approached with dread. Is this the car's death knell, I wonder.

When I bought this car, I was working in New York and Town Cars seemed to be the car of choice for the well established.   They were large fuel guzzlers at a time when the energy crisis wasn't very much on people's minds.

But more than anything, they were luxurious to drive and even more rewarding to be seen driving them.  The handling was smooth, the comfort incomparable, like sitting on the living room couch.  Mine is fully loaded with moon roof, CB radio (long before cell phones), 8 track, and totally reclining front seats. It's difficult to describe the excitement of owning such a luxurious car.  The car comfortably seats 6, is large enough to transport large pieces of furniture and has done so more times than I am years old. 

My car was washed and waxed regularly.  Through the first 100,000 miles I assiduously followed the recommended maintenance schedule. After that I  became much less fastidious.  A wash every now and then, an oil change whenever it seems time and a tune up every year or two is about the best I can muster.

Don't recall how many mufflers, sets of brakes and new tires I've gone through.  Even had two rebuilt engines.  The dents and minor fender benders display their wounds proudly.  Decorative chrome has long gone.  Most of my contemporaries have had 4, 5 or 6 new cars in the time that I am still driving my Lincoln.

But for now, I will continue to savor the pleasures of something I have known and loved for years, something that has aged gracefully and still performs admirably.


 

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Kid Carey's Blue Man Group column

From Sam Rivkind

 

 

Kid Carey's Blue Man Group column of last Friday was right on target. The audacity, insolence, impertinence & chutzpah of the Venetian to call this entertainment. It is overly hyped and has long overstayed it's welcome. Loud, obnoxious, unentertaining and shameless.   Fall asleep did you? We couldn't catch our forty winks because of the roar of the crowd. I wonder if there is a maximum IQ allowed in the theatre.  I believe anyone

with an IQ above that of an amoeba would be better off forgetting the blue and saving their green.

 

 

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DWT the new DUI
From M. R. Feld

Along with reading, applying makeup or talking on cell phones while driving, you can add a new type of behavior: TEXT MESSAGING  (DWT ~ Driving While Texting).  DWT is the newest car accident danger.
Text messaging while driving can actually cost lives.  Still many teens and others do it, and don't think twice about the possible consequences.

Research by the AAA shows 58 per cent of motorists aged 17 to 29 would read a text message while driving. One-third of drivers under 30 felt they could safely take their eyes off the road to send a text message or talk on the phone. In a recent insurance company survey 37 percent of teens said they found text messaging to be extremely or very distracting while driving. These are frightful statistics.

 Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs is bad enough.  But allowing yourself to get distracted when you're behind the wheel is never wise. If a driver's eyes are away from the roadway for two seconds or more in a six-second window, their risk of being involved in a crash is two times higher than an alert driver.

As we approach the major drinking and driving Holiday Season we must now add texting while driving  to our list of warnings.  I implore you, from every fiber of my being, to talk the talk with your teenaged driver and make them walk the walk.  Literally, if they don't abide with the no texting while driving rule, then they must walk! 

Please, let's all have a safe holiday and a safe 'the rest of our lives.'
 

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The Mayonnaise Jar & 2 Cups of Coffee

From Bob Maxwell

 

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the 2 cups of coffee.

 

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

 

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

 

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

 

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

 

"Now," said the professor as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things--- your family, your health, your friends and your favorite passions---and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car.

 

The sand is everything else---the small stuff. "If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

 

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Spend time with your parents. Visit with grandparents. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first---the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

 

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked."

 

It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend." Please share this with someone you care about. I JUST DID!

 

 

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Writer's Strike

From of Beth Paige

 

As a dues paying member of WGA (Writer's Guild of America representing TV and movie writers), I want to let the readers of VCO know that I did  indeed vote for the current strike.  That being said,  I would like to clearly spell out for you, albeit briefly,  what the Guild is fighting for.  A huge chunk of a writer's income is based on residuals when content is rebroadcast or sold on DVD or placed in syndication.  The newest mediums cell phones and the internet have not been included for residuals which we feel it should be.  Between 30 to 50 percent of a writer's income is from residuals. There isn't any reason for the newer distribution platforms (cell phones/internet) to  be exempt.  Management does not accept this interpretation and wants to keep all of the additional revenues for themselves.  I truly hope negotiations continue and we can return to work.

 

 

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The Jewishness That's Vegas

By: S. Baron

 

FACT

The largest U.S. city population gain of any Jewish community reported in the United States between 2000 and 2007 was in Las Vegas.

 

But, vas es dus?  But what's this? 

Vegas Community Online doesn't have a Jewish column devoted to our little community within a community.

 

Well, here I am.  Maybe a little late, but I'm here!

 

VCO's personal Yiddisha Madel.  Kind of like your Jewish Concierge.

If you'll have me, I'd love to pop in now and then with some reflections, provocative thoughts and community events of particular interest.

 

No, I won't announce Uncle Fred's son's Bar Mitzvah, but I will tell you when his temple is having a dance.  A bissel of this, a bissel of that....a little of this, a little of that..

 

Vegas'  Yiddisha  Mamma

Lʼshana haʼba-ah bʼYerushalayim." means "Next year in Jerusalem."  These words are said as part of the Passover Sedar.  It means that for years, the persecuted Jewish people looked forward to leaving their homes and celebrating their next Passover in Jerusalem, fulfilling the ancient dream of being a free people in their own land.

 

Last year at my own family's Passover Sedar Table we said, "L'shana ha'ba-ah b' Las Vegas."  "Next year in Las Vegas."

 

And here we are!  Locals at last! 

We have joined the every growing Jewish population in Vegas.

 

What is a Yiddisha Mamma?

 

The Yiddisha Mamma, a character from a bygone era, a part of history, long gone but

is still remembered and still longed for.  Al Jolson sang "My Yiddishe Momme"  in the

first talkie The Jazz Singer. 

 

The Yiddisha Mamma was the immigrant scraping by, devoted to her family, her watchful eye always on her children and stuffing their mouths with a morsel of food.

 

Cooking, cleaning, shopping and then more cooking, cleaning shopping. We called her a balabusta.  She and she alone ruled the kitchen. There was always a pot of soup ready to warm us on those cold winter days.  Never wasted, never thrown out.  Leftover food made tomorrow's soup. We had to eat or break her heart. That was my grandma.(circa 1900 - 1960) Fast Forward to my daughter (circa 1960 - present) My daughter, now a mother of her own two Jewish American Princesses has a career and a demanding and exhausting schedule.  Cooking? Cleaning? Frozen foods, take-out and cleaning services !!!

 

My daughter may not be the Yiddisha Mama of my grandma's day, she is a

Hi-tech Jewish Mama.  Her concern for her children doesn't come out as chicken

soup and another piece of bread stuffed in her children's mouth.  She has a desire to

give to her children the best in the world to which she lives.  Her children will go to

the university and get a degree. 

 

My Hi-tech Jewish Daughter will pass on the Jewish values and the concern

for others.  Her giving and kindness is there, just like she received from me

and I received from my own Yiddisha Mama and Grandma. 

And her children will take from her and pass on to their children.

And so the Yiddisha Mama lives on in the natural kindness of today's

Jewish Hi-tech mother.

 

 

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VCO'S OGDEN NASH
by S. Baron

VCO has everything, shy of one thing missing
Each issue comes out and I keep wishing
A poem, a ditty or an ode
Would on the web site load
But to no avail
So I'm sending MY email
Keep in mind
I'll keep it light, not maligned
A pithy and funny light verse
Slightly perverse, mostly diverse
Will send it off in a flash
And be VCO's Ogden Nash
So without further ado
Welcome to my poetry debut
 
Audrey Roberts' columns overflow with art essentials
Certainly she has impeccable credentials
Adele Zorn, known to us as Z.Z.
Is one of our best, we all agree
The columns of Dr. Altman
Make us search within
 
Went to Caesar's Palace
To stir up some malice
Took my aunt Alice
Who's from Dallas
 
Dashed over to Wynn
To give the wheels a spin
Imagine my chagrin
When I actually did win...
 
Finally arrived at the Gold Coast
In bowling we became engrossed
My game, if diagnosed
Was nothing of which to boast.
 
In came my sister Joanna
Bringing with her our nana
They flew in from Montana
Where'd I take 'em? Tropicana..!
 
They wanted to go to the MGM
Had heard it was a gem
So I took them
 
Downtown we went to Four Queens
Three hours they played the machines
Lost all their beans
 
Then came the highlight of the day
We went to The Rio for their Buffet
What an incredible display
Quite an impressive array
 
Hope you thought my little ditty
Was somewhat witty
Don't need 'no committee'
Don't want 'no pity'
For my ode about our city

 

Dear Mr. Baron,

Thank you so much, we LOVE your poem!
 

We have had one wonderful Christmas poem from one of Vegas' funniest entertainers and VCO insider, Pete Barbutti. It is with great pleasure for VCO to give our community another glimpse into the mind of of this comedic genius. If you haven't seen it before you're in for a treat and for those of us who have seen it we're sure you will enjoy it again!