Today Show, Etc., on Vdara Death Ray

Is this an important story? No. Is it fascinating and amusing and bizarre? You betcha.

Enough so, in fact, that Today had me at Miles' station late yesterday filming this bit. As I understand it, they were moving quickly so NBC could have its version done and out before CNN. Yes, folks, CNN. God I hope that means Jeanne Moos. That would be killer.

ABC posted a death ray story today, too, following up on my AOL News piece that showed the documentation that MGM Resorts knew about the solar convergence problem in 2008:

By the way, the Today Show's graphic was much more accurate, if not nearly as sensational, as the R-J's.


But I do have some hot questions:

* Why hasn't the R-J's Joan Whitely followed up yet on what is clearly the biggest, most widely disseminated story of her career? Why hasn't she done more of the MGM-knew-in-2008 story? You'd think if nothing else they'd do a media story about how much play this thing has gotten, no?

* Why haven't the local TV stations or the Las Vegas Sun followed, given the enormous national interest?

* Will this be a "bluff the listener" question or a "lightning fill-in-the-blanks" question on "Wait Wait Don't Tell Me?"

* Would this have taken off in the pop culture and mainstream media without the term "death ray"? And where can go to tip the pool attendants who dubbed it such?