IDEAS OF THE YEAR

Some Of The Concepts That Defined 2004

Dumb Is The New Stupid

"I was an idiot," Treasures attorney Mark Fiorentino told city officials
this summer, by way of recanting his 3-year-old promise that if even one
dancer from the upscale strip club was convicted for prostitution, the club
owners would forfeit their license. "I had no idea what I was saying."
(Treasures, having lost its liquor license, is now closed.) Speaking of
being idiots, the backers of a medical marijuana initiative confirmed every
stoner stereotype by forgetting to turn in a box containing 6,000 petition
signatures. Not the best argument for your side, fellas. Also not making a
good argument for himself was Las Vegas Convention and Visitor's Authory
chief Manny Cortez, who joked, "Frankly, the biggest thing I've had to do
the last few years is find a way to stay out of the way and let [the staff]
do their jobs." Cortez's LVCVA salary: $243,360. "How much," R-J columnist
Steve Sebelius asked, "is staying out of the way worth these days?"

[snip]