Pam's New Trick @ Planet Ho

So our observation that Carmen Electra didn't seem to be "there" at the Planet Hollywood press event last week and rumors in Norm's column that she was being difficult proved prescient. She's out before the thing even starts.

Alas, Carmen always was the pretender "Baywatch" Babe, and so here comes the real thing, a much more jovial and upbeat Pamela Anderson, who popped out of a box today. She seemed very happy to be there and will serve as Klok's assistant in "The Beauty of Magic."

You can hear the raw audio -- it's about 8 mins -- of the big event here on a special edition of "The Strip", including a rare press-conference question asked by yours truly that revealed she'll start out on a three-month contract.

There were a couple of cringe-worthy moments on this audio:

* MAJOR WHHSH VIOLATION: "What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas," Robert Earl said. "Carmen is gone. She didn't stay in Vegas." Groan. Ick. Sigh.

* BROKEN GAYDAR?: Hans Klok has an extremely fey on-stage presence, not to mention he's the spitting image of Siegfried. But then he goes on about how he used to watch "Baywatch" and always thought Pam was "hot." So maybe it's not that he's gay; maybe he's just European.

* MALAPROP MAN - OR NOT: "Is that your first ever trick?" Earl asked Pam.

Finally, I know get no points for this because I didn't blog it, but last night I guessed the mystery star would be Pam both to the show's publicist, who wouldn't spill it, and to Miles. So there. But Norm tells me that they also tried to get Paris Hilton. I like this choice much better, don't you?

Want to SEE it instead of listening? Check out RawVegas.tv's footage!

Oh yeah, and we're in the newspaper, too!

Norm! of the Review-Journal today found it of interest that Nicholas Pileggi, author of "Casino," told us on "The Strip" podcast that his next book will be about former Vegas sheriff Ralph Lamb. The entire chat was really terrific, and you can hear that by clicking here. You can also right-click here to download the show and hear it whenever you want or you can subscribe to get all the shows on iTunes.

Adelson's grandmother's testicles

So I'm reading this longish AP piece about Macau which basically says -- shocking! -- that it's a hot new gaming market. Fine. The Review-Journal published it because, even though it's the most important story for Las Vegas interests going on in the world, they're too cheap to send someone down there to check it out.

The writer, William Foreman, does a fine job, although it's kind of obvious he's new to the Adelson-Wynn world because he doesn't even bother to note how much these two hate each other. (Hear my Wynn and Adelson interviews from the podcast or see what Norm wrote about it.)

Anyhow... this is the part that made me want to barf in my Cheerios:

Adelson brushed off speculation that Macau could be threatened by the possibility the Chinese government will legalize casinos in other parts of the country.

"It's like the threat to my grandfather that my grandmother will develop testicles and then she would be my grandfather," he told the AP.

Umm...gross.