Holly Madison, the pulchritudinous star of “Peepshow” at Planet Hollywood and “Holly’s World,” has further assured her place as the official-unofficial face of Las Vegas by being named Miss Atomic Bomb 2012.

Las Vegas never met a photo op it didn’t like, so in honor of the 55th anniversary of the original Miss Atomic Bomb, the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority had Madison recreate a 1957 photo taken by Las Vegas News Bureau photographer Don English.

Holly Madison just radiates sex appeal.

Holly Madison’s version of the photographic homage to Vegas kitsch was captured by Darrin Bush, also of the Las Vegas News Bureau. Bush has been with the Las Vegas News Bureau for an astonishing 23 years. Read more.

The release of the updated Miss Atomic Bomb photo marks the 65th anniversary of the Las Vegas New Bureau, which captures photos and video of special events, entertainment and the resorts of Las Vegas known around the world.

Showgirls have a certain glow about them, don't they?

The model in the original Miss Atomic Bomb photo (above) was a showgirl, Lee Merlin, who was working as a Copa Girl at The Sands at the time of the photo. Apparently, Vegas fans have been trying to track Merlin down for some time. Read more here and here. A lesser-known version of Merlin can be viewed here. Get more on this intriguing story at LasVegasAdvisor.com.

Here’s some news coverage of the Miss Atomic Bomb 2012 unveiling.

If you’re not all that familiar with Vegas history, you might wonder, “Atomic bomb? What’s up with that?” We hear you. Well, in the 1950s, there was quite a bit of above-ground nuclear testing done in Nevada, and creative Vegas marketers made the most of the tests by playing them up with viewing parties and all things atomic. Flamingo Las Vegas, for example, even served a popular Atomic Cocktail. Yay, capitalism!

For 12 years, an average of one bomb every three weeks was detonated in Nevada, with flashes seen as far away as Montana. Read more about Sin City’s part in the atomic bomb craze. Las Vegas even has its own National Atomic Testing Museum attraction.

Now you know! Thanks to Holly Madison for being such a great sport, and for making us an offer we couldn’t diffuse.

Harrah’s Las Vegas comedy-magician Mac King has a thing for the Kentucky Derby. Each year, he hosts a party leading up to the race, and a who’s-who of Las Vegas magicians and other entertainers show up in droves. Except for the ones wearing pants. They show up in pants. And in honor of the Kentucky Derby, some also show up in hats. Or in the case of Mac King, pants and a hat. Thankfully.

We do not fully understand Mac King's Kentucky Derby obsession, but this blog doesn't judge.

Also in attendance were Penn Jillette, the taller half of Penn & Teller at Rio Las Vegas, who was recently booted prematurely from “The Celebrity Apprentice,” and fellow comedy-magician The Amazing Johnathan, who seemed a lot less freaky in person than he does in his show at The Harmon Theatre at Planet Hollywood.

Relax, Teller, this was not a job interview. Probably.

Next up, our pal, Paul Vigil. He does a mind-blowing free show inside King Ink at the Mirage on Wednesday nights. And did we mention how free it is? Find out more.

Whenever we shake hands with Paul Vigil, we count our fingers afterward. Just saying.

The photographically-less-cooperative Lance Burton (below) was also on-hand for the festivities. Among his many talents, we learned Lance Burton is an amazing pool player.

Yeah, we probably won't be invited back. The things this blog does for you.

The party guests weren’t all magicians, of course.

Some of this blog's favorite guests were mint juleps, official hooch of the Kentucky Derby.

The Kentucky Derby, by the way, is billed as “the most exciting two minutes in sports.” As opposed to sex with this blog, billed simply as “the most exciting two minutes.” Oh, how we crack ourselves up. And speaking of cracking up…

Also in the house (literally, since the party was in Mac King’s house) was Vinnie Favorito, longtime headliner at Flamingo Las Vegas. Learn more about his hilarious, off-the-cuff show.

Don't make Vinnie Favorito angry. His tongue doubles as a fencing sword.

Popular Las Vegas singer Clint Holmes also came to play. Holmes used to headline at Harrah’s Las Vegas, and you can visit his official site to see his current performance schedule.

Clint Holmes fact: He's the son of a jazz musician and an opera singer.

Naturally, there were also colorful hats galore.

Our personal favorite. If you're into that kind of thing.

The winner of the Kentucky Derby on May 5, 2012: I’ll Have Another. Yes, that was the horse: I’ll Have Another.

Which, coincidentally, we heard coming out of our mouth a lot as the mint juleps were being passed around. Hey, we wanted to get into the spirit of the event. The things this blog does for you.

What would you do with $1.2 million? A player at Rio Las Vegas is going to have to figure out an answer to that question, because on May 1, 2012, the $1 Wheel of Fortune progressive jackpot hit for $1,224,957.

This blog loves when that happens!

This is not the actual winning machine. We can't be everywhere, you know.

They should call it the “Wheel of We Hope They Don’t Take Out Too Much in Taxes.”

This blog actually made a contribution to another Wheel of Fortune progressive machine at Flamingo a few hours prior to the big win at Rio. What might have been.

We don’t have any further information about the lucky guest at Rio, other than this magical number: $1,224,957. And, honestly, isn’t that enough?

As usual, the Wheel of Fortune progressive jackpot was reset to a cool mil after the win. This blog calls dibs on the next jackpot, but you can give it a try if you’d like.

The hours until the closing of O’Sheas may be growing fewer (the beloved casino closes at noon on April 30, 2012), but if you move quickly, even if O’Sheas is gone, it won’t be forgotten.

We just learned O’Sheas has issued limited-edition (just 3,000 were produced) gaming chips commemorating the end of an era on the Strip.

Chip collectors, like this blog, lose their gourd over stuff like this.

The $5 chips, “Celebrating 23 Great Years,” haven’t been put into circulation, so you’ll need to visit the casino’s cashier cage to get one. Collectible chips like this don’t tend to last long at face value, so you’d better move it!

In other news, the entirely awesome Lucky the Leprechaun (real name: Brian Thomas), the mascot of O’Sheas, had a live online chat with his fans today, and we were there!

O'Sheas fans love them some Lucky.

Lucky assured his legions of fans that he’s not going anywhere. The next iteration of O’Sheas will be part of the $550 million dollar Linq project, an entertainment, retail and dining corridor set to open in 2013. Read more.

When asked by a chat participant how you close a casino like O’Sheas, Lucky responded, “With lots of police.” Nice!

Of course, all work and no play makes Lucky a dull boy, so he took advantage of the Flamingo Go Room (O’Sheas doesn’t have rooms) where the online chat was held.

Please note: This blog is not liable for injuries sustained while jumping on Las Vegas hotel beds.

Lucky’s going to be busy as the final days of O’Sheas tick by. He’s going to be working noon to midnight each day during the casino’s final weekend.

The “Final Countdown” celebration begins in earnest on April 28, starting at noon. Guests will be able to get discounted memorabilia and drink specials galore, and live entertainment will also be on tap.

Guests can be a part of O’Sheas history by signing a memory wall which will be photographed with Lucky and placed in the new O’Sheas inside the Linq.

Construction on the Linq is in full swing, a fact we confirmed by grabbing this pic from atop the monorail platform behind Imperial Palace. Yes, we had to purchase a monorail ticket, so, technically, this photo cost us $5. You’re welcome.

Vegas doesn't do anything on a small scale. Except Lucky. Wait, that didn't come out right.

There is so much going on with the Linq project, we can’t even keep up!

For example, an entire poker room at Imperial Palace is gone as of today. Well, not gone, moved (to near the hotel’s sports book). Nevertheless, the new wall pictured below seemed to go up overnight.

What just happened? The site of the former Imperial Palace poker room. Linq, you'd better be awesome, because you're creating some havoc on the Strip.

We couldn’t resist strolling through O’Sheas again. Especially because April 26 is National Pretzel Day. And the food court at O’Sheas, you know, sells pretzels. Don’t try to make sense of it. We’re very emotional about O’Sheas closing at the moment.

Yes, we'll even miss you, giant, dusty pretzel replica.

We’re also going to miss the lack of pretense at O’Sheas.

Which, given the photo below, may be the understatement of the last 23 years.

We're going to miss you, too, craps table duct tape.

So, yes, we have some mixed feelings about the demise of O’Sheas. If we can pull ourselves away from our gaming chip collection long enough, maybe we’ll add to our list of Things We’ll Miss When O’Sheas Closes.

Is this blog going to miss taking photos of little people in bath tubs? Oh, hell, yes.

Share your O’Sheas memories on the casino’s official Facebook page, and we’ll see you at O’Sheas. Actually, we’ll probably see three of you, but you know what we mean. It’s O’Sheas.

The fetching cast of Flamingo’s X Burlesque show celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the saucy show in Las Vegas with a party at Pure inside Caesars Palace on April 24, 2012.

This is how people in Las Vegas nightclubs look. Exactly like this. Every single one. All the time. We swear.

Thanks to Al Powers for the pic.

This anniversary marks the topless revue’s fifth year at Flamingo Las Vegas. It began its Vegas run at the Aladdin, now called Planet Hollywood.

When “X Burlesque” opened in 2002, it was called just “X.” Producers felt a clearer name was needed after several unfortunate incidents involving pirates looking for buried treasure. (We may have made that last part up.)

Yes, we forced ourselves to see this show. For research purposes. The things we do for you.

Among the props used during the show’s fantasy sequences: Bathtubs, guitars, lollipops and feather boas. So, yeah, pretty much a typical night in Vegas.

Just click on this photo to view the topless version. Really. That's totally possible. Just keep clicking. We'll wait.

Read more about the history of “X Burlesque” at the Las Vegas Sun, or if you’re like this Las Vegas blog, and not a fan of “reading,” just look at our exclusive photo gallery we’ve been dying to find an excuse to share again.

There’s definitely been one degree of separation between Las Vegas and the TV juggernaut “Dancing With the Stars” lately.

On the April 23, 2012 episode, Imperial Palace headliners Human Nature joined the popular show for a Motown-themed blow-out.

Yes, this blog takes photos of its TV. Why, what do you do with your spare time?

The four freaky-talented members of Human Nature, Andrew Tierney, Toby Allen, Michael Tierney and Phil Burton, performed Motown-era hits throughout the show. They also took the opportunity to promote their new album, appropriately called, The Motown Album.

We want to get lighting like this for our cube at work.

Also featured in the Motown episode of “Dancing With the Stars” were music legends Smokey Robinson, Martha Reeves and The Temptations.

But mostly Human Nature, because they have a Las Vegas show.

The “Dancing With the Stars” connection to Las Vegas doesn’t stop there, of course. “Dancing With the Stars: Live in Las Vegas” is in the middle of a 12-week run at the Tropicana. Read more.

Las Vegas is also home to a genuine “Dancing With the Stars” champion, Donny Osmond. Donny Osmond’s disco ball trophy is actually on display in the lobby of Flamingo Las Vegas. Yes, we took a photo. This blog rocks it like that.

Las Vegas even has bling inside its bling.

Here’s some video of Donny Osmond just after he snagged his prize in Season 9.

Congrats to Human Nature for stepping it up and representing Las Vegas on “Dancing With the Stars.” Catch Human Nature live at Imperial Palace, in all their synchronized, harmonized glory.

The new Carlos’n Charlie’s restaurant has officially opened its doors at Flamingo Las Vegas, to much fanfare. Which is oddly appropriate, because this blog is already a “fan” of its “fare.” And just about everything else at this lively, liquor-fueled, tongue-in-cheek dining experience.

Why do we call it an experience? The best analogy we can think of is that Carlos’n Charlie’s is like being on a cruise ship, but without the need for Dramamine.

This is the inside, but the weather's also perfect for the outside.

Like we’re not going to show you the outside.

Our new casa away from casa.

Carlos’n Charlie’s has more than a few surprises in store. Among them, the impressive girth of its beverages.

Behold the “Big Mama,” below ($28, or $26.50 for Total Rewards loyalty program members). This cup holds 28 ounces of liquid, but because of a removable inner chamber, could ultimately be used for drinks with 138 ounces. Fingers crossed.

It's a little like Tom Cruise filming a scene with Shaquille O'Neal. Or something.

Signature drinks have names like Dumb Bet, Strawberry Squash, Caipirinha, Sunset in Las Vegas and the one in the goblet above, Crazy Bastard on the Strip. We are not making this up. We have to say, the strawberry margarita was up there with the best in Las Vegas. And we have a fairly large sample size to compare it to. Ahem.

Highly recommended appetizer: The chicken quesadilla. This one pretty much rules as the best we’ve had in Sin City, ever. Quesadilla, by the way, is Spanish for “mind, meet blown.”

Congrats. You just met your new favorite appetizer. You're welcome.

Another surprise? Spoiler alert: If you order ketchup, you’re going to get an ample supply. In our case, we were just thinking about asking for ketchup to accompany our Parmesan & Swiss Chicken (below). Carlos’n Charlie’s, apparently, is staffed by ketchup psychics.

Leave your pretentious, other you at the door.

It’s hard to explain, but every waiter and waitress converges on your table with ketchup. You’ll have to see it for yourself, hilarity-wise.

Oh, and there’s also a ketchup ambassador. (Probably not his official title.)

Don't panic. It wasn't weird. Just let Carlos'n Charlie's do its thing. Trust us.

Also, surprisingly not weird, were the spontaneous outbursts of dancing at Carlos’n Charlie’s. We usually hate that kind of thing. But the staff’s having such a blast, you almost can’t help but take part. Almost. We had other things demanding our attention. Which leads us to…

One of the happier surprises involves the restaurant’s desserts. Just brace yourself. Objects photographed are much, much larger than they appear.

You won't have room, but you also won't be able to resist. These are the kinds of conundra for which this blog lives.

We took extensive notes about the desserts at Carlos’n Charlie’s. Unfortunately, looking at those notes today, they appear to have been written while inside a tumble dryer. Oh, well, let’s just say our favorite was the brownie thing, above.

See more goodness in our photo gallery. There was something with bananas. Something with chocolate. Something creamy. And pretty much everything had ice cream. And was scrumptious to the point of nearly forcing us to use the letters “OMG,” despite the fact this blog is not a 14-year-old girl.

Granted, not every "dessert" has chocolate in it.

Enjoy our exclusive photo gallery of some of the offerings at Carlos’n Charlie’s at Flamingo Las Vegas, and get in line! It’s going to be a wild ride, and one you won’t want to miss.

The 40-acre site currently occupied by Flamingo Las Vegas was originally owned by one of the early settlers of Las Vegas, Charles “Pops” Squires.

Nobody does bling like Las Vegas.

The Las Vegas thing you may not have known: Squires paid a whopping $8.75 an acre for the land.

It’s worth several dollars more than that now, from what we understand.

His name is Jaymes Vaughan. He’s in the Chippendales male revue at Rio Las Vegas. But that’s kind of just the beginning.

Don't say this blog never did anything for you.

You see, Jaymes Vaughan does it all. He’s the ultimate Renaissance Man, like Galileo Galilei, but shirtless.

Vaughan not only dances in Chippendales, he’s also the featured singer, and also does his thing in the Rio’s free stage extravaganza, Show in the Sky.

This blog has generously slapped together a snippet or two of his performances just so your eyes have something to do for the next few minutes, ladies.

From what we can tell, this guy has quite the charmed life. He was also named one of the “10 Sexiest People in Las Vegas.” See more.

Note: Quite a bit of the "Show in the Sky" doesn't actually take place in the sky.

Jaymes Vaughan definitely gets around. We bumped into him while doing emcee duties at an event at The Miracle Mile Shops at Planet Hollywood, and it turns out he’s also a gifted public speaker. Damn him.

Jaymes is fairly dashing even when he's forced to wear a shirt.

Vaughan has also been on his fair share of magazine covers, so let’s add “print model” to his list of talents.

This blog did a sit-up once.

You never know where he’ll turn up. We were browsing the saucy merchandise at the Go Sexy shop at Flamingo Las Vegas, you know, as blog research, and came across the costume below. Guess who?

Subtext: Your boyfriend or husband will look exactly like Jaymes if you purchase this costume. Good luck with that.

Vaughan is also, apparently, a member of the armed services. Or at least pays homage to them with this Go Sexy item.

Insert "landing strip" joke here.

He also has some colorful friends. Below, Vaughan hangs out with stars from Frank Marino’s Divas Las Vegas, the drag show at Imperial Palace, before one of his “Show in the Sky” performances at Rio.

Yes, he just looks like that. All the time. If you're into that kind of thing.

Consider your beefcake quota for the week filled. Learn more about this multi-talented guy in the profile below with Vegas journalist Dayna Roselli.

See Jaymes Vaughan live in Chippendales at Rio Las Vegas, or just about anywhere, come to think of it.

Final preparations are under way for the opening of a new restaurant, Carlos’n Charlie’s at Flamingo Las Vegas. We breached security to bring you a sneak preview of this fun new dining experience on the Las Vegas Strip.

Outside first, then inside. Work on that patience thing, will you?

The construction walls are down, and Carlos’n Charlie’s is expected to open April 18, 2012 if all goes according to plan.

The patio and bar area. FYI: Still, technically, outside.

The unique new restaurant promises to serve up Mexican favorites (and their mutant, international offspring) as well as an irreverent, party atmosphere, the evidence of which one can already see inside the quirkily-decorated restaurant.

Outside the restaurant, inside the casino. This isn't the quirky part.

Much of the furniture is still wrapped in protective material, and all the other myriad pieces of the kitchen, bars (inside and out), patio and dance floor are coming together much as they would during a military operation. If the commanders were Cheech and Chong. We kid.

The place is looking great, and we can’t wait to see the finished product.

Thanks for letting us see you without make-up, Carlos'n Charlie's.

Among our favorite decorative touches are the bar stools shaped like legs, providing an interesting optical illusion when viewed from the rear.

Is Carlos'n Charlie's a perfect fit for Las Vegas, or what?

On the day we visited, Executive Chef Froylan “Froy” Vazquez (in red, below) was grilling his team about the wide variety of offerings on the restaurant’s expansive menu. See what we did there?

Chef Froy runs a tight barco. Which, we're 56% sure, means "ship" in Spanish.

The photos of the Carlos’n Charlie’s food you see here represent the first few times these dishes have been prepared at the restaurant’s Las Vegas location. There are other Carlos’n Charlie’s locations in places like Mexico, Spain, Brazil and elsewhere in the U.S.

See all the locations here, and note the use of “thingy,” one of this blog’s favorite words.

On the Carlos'n Charlie's menu, there's a section called "Moo, Splash & Peep." 'Nuff said.

The restaurant’s General Manager (and resident troublemaker), Genaro Dispa, was somewhat reluctant to let us take photos of the dishes, saying, “These are the first ones we’re making. I promise you, by the time we open, they’re going to be much, much worse.” Remember what we said about the irreverence thing?

Traditional Mexican favorites this blog doesn't recognize!

We’re happy to report that even the “experimental” dishes were delicious, and this blog may have found its new favorite entree in Las Vegas: The Parmesan & Swiss Chicken. We don’t know if that’s the actual name, because we’re not a fan of “taking notes” or “remembering things,” but that’s sure what it tasted like.

Easily the best breast-related thing to be introduced to Las Vegas since the implant.

Not only was this dish fantastic on the outside (crispy breaded chicken breast topped with Alfredo sauce and Parmesan cheese au gratin), but inside there was surprise. Through some sort of voodoo, there’s more deliciousness in the form of Swiss cheese.

A choir of angels should be singing right now.

Also on hand at the new restaurant were the waiters, waitresses and flair bartenders, all intensively being trained for the upcoming opening. We’re thinking a sense of humor was one of the major job requirements for this gig.

We love this place already!

Enjoy more exclusive photos from inside Carlos’n Charlie’s at Flamingo Las Vegas, the newest place to party on the Strip, and we hear that will even include a conga line where participants receive shots of tequila. We are so there on opening night.

It’s time for a meaty new offering at Flamingo Las Vegas. The official grand opening of Center Cut Steakhouse is April 1, and we’ve got a sneak peek at the food and decor at this schnazzy new restaurant offering.

This blog does not use the word "schnazzy" lightly.

The Center Cut Steakhouse, in the former home of The Burger Joint, features a black and white decor, going for a classic Vegas atmosphere. Unobtrusive plasma TVs throughout the restaurant display photos of classic Vegas.

"Filet mignon" translates from the French as "dainty fillet we are tempted to devour in one bite."

The real heart of any restaurant, of course, is the food. The menu sports steakhouse favorites like the 20-ounce rib-eye and 24-ounce porterhouse, featuring natural premium beef from Aspen Ridge Farms in Colorado. All the steak dishes are free of hormones and steroids.

These "pop-overs" are baked fresh daily using souffle dough and accompany every steak.

The menu also has an ample selection of seafood dishes like Diver Scallops, Scottish Salmon, Maine Lobster, Alaskan King Crab Legs and more.

"Center Cut Shrimphouse" just didn't have the same ring to it.

We caught a glimpse of a three-story seafood monster (pictured below) which took six weeks and three backhoes to prepare. (We may have just made up two of the three backhoes.) The “Seafood Tower” (small, $54 and large, $94) includes a dizzying selection of lobster medallions, shrimp, king crab and oysters.

This is the large. Did you need to ask?

Also on the menu are free range chicken, The Ultimate Steakhouse Kobe Burger, rack of lamb, as well as tempting salads, sides (like lobster mac and cheese, an organic wild mushroom blend and organic pink mashed potatoes) and mouthwatering desserts.

Did somebody say "desserts"?

Take a look at the full Center Cut Steakhouse menu (.pdf format).

Center Cut Steakhouse accommodates about 175 guests, and also has a private dining room we forgot to take a photo of, which is bound to happen, especially if you try the restaurant’s signature Caramel Apple Martini, which this blog would never do while it’s working, believe us.

There you've got your caramel, and there you've got your apple, and there you've got yourself a new crush on a beverage.

An existing bar and lounge area just outside the Center Cut restaurant has been renovated to fit with the swanky theme, and offers specialty martinis, classic cocktails and wines by the glass.

Signature martinis include the Pomegranate Lemon Martini, Skinny Maggie Martini, Pear…fect Martini, Cosmopolitan Martini and Cucumber Martini, many of which are made from things we have near heard of before, like the “rock candy syrup” in the Pomegranate Lemon Martini. Yes, please.

Oh, like you're only going to have one dessert. We suggest giving the Coffee Toffee Crunch a try. The ball is entirely edible, too.

Enjoy more exclusive pics from Center Cut Steakhouse at Flamingo, and add this new steakhouse to your “List of Things to Chew in Las Vegas.” Which may not make all that much sense at first glance, but did we mention how great the Caramel Apple Martinis are?

The Go Sexy Shop at Flamingo Las Vegas is stacked with clever keepsakes that are sultry, saucy, suggestive and scandalous. And several other “s” words we’ll whip out if we need to. Due to the inappropriate nature of the merchandise at Go Sexy, this blog definitely does not condone them. That said, let’s take a look!

The temporary tattoos below aren’t just temporary tattoos. They’re temporary tattoos uniquely suited to Las Vegas. Specifically, they’re made for the bosom. Or bosoms. We can never keep those straight.

Shouldn't these temporary tattoos, technically, be sold in cans?

Next up, the Sex Casino game. Or, to be exact, “25 Outrageously Fun Bedroom Games.”

In this casino, the ticket-in/ticket-out process can result in painful paper cuts.

The Sex Casino game includes “Sexual Favor” chips, “naughty dice,” “Scratch and Win Lotto Cards,” and a “Sexy Spinner” game. Note: Some items are more difficult to not condone than others, that’s for sure.

Item number three: The “Ring for Sex” bell.

The part inside a bell that makes it ring when it's shaken is called the tongue, or clapper. Awk-ward.

The next items we don’t condone are a two-fer. Go Sexy, not surprisingly, has any number of edible things. These would be two of them.

Yes, his and hers. We are an equal opportunity non-condoning blog.

Heavens, people. You know the Flamingo has a number of restaurants and a food court, right? Moving on.

Lastly, there’s this nurses costume, one which appears to make the human nipple invisible.

We did not retouch this photo. Which makes it all the more disturbing.

So, there you have it. Please make sure you avoid this merchandise during your next visit to the Go Sexy store at Flamingo. If you’re into that kind of thing. Which we aren’t. A couple of times a week or so.

Longtime Flamingo Las Vegas headliner Marie Osmond has snagged a deal for a one-hour talk show on the Hallmark Channel.

The new talk show, “Marie!,” will premiere later this year (fall, 2012) and will air weekday afternoons.

The show, which will replace the canceled “Martha Stewart Show,” is being described as “an inspirational journey to help people make a difference in their own lives,” and will feature celebrity and non-celebrity guests. The show will cover “lifestyle tips and trends, socially important issues and breakthroughs that empower families.”

Marie Osmond meets with fans (there are very, very many) at Flamingo Las Vegas.

“Marie!” will be produced in Las Vegas, which, we’re thinking, will make it extra super good. Because, you know, it’s Las Vegas.

Congrats to Marie Osmond for this next big step in her amazing career, and catch Donny & Marie in their funny, heartwarming, funny, toe-tapping, funny and, we might be a tad biased here, very funny show at the Flamingo.

This blog loves it some Las Vegas tchotchkes. We’ve got just about every refrigerator magnet, shot glass, poker chip, key chain, bottle opener and cozy you can imagine. And don’t get us started about those Las Vegas dice clocks.

Recently, at Flamingo Las Vegas, this souvenir caught our eye.

Nothing says Vegas like a blinged-out flamingo. Probably.

These beaded flamingos are $59, and made by a company called Grass Roots Creations. The intricately-constructed flamingos are part of what’s described as “a whimsical, handcrafted line of beaded sculptures inspired by nature.” Read more.

This blog knows whimsy when it sees it.

You can get your fancy flamingo at the Promenade Gift Shop.

Of course, you can see actual flamingos just dozens of feet away from the gift shop at the Flamingo’s Wildlife Habitat. It’s a free attraction which you and your family can enjoy, in its entirety, in just under 11 minutes. The habitat features several flamingos, which are kind of Nature’s bling if you think about it.

The real deal. Note: You don't get to take these home.

Bonus flamingo fact: The funky, backward-bending “knee” of a flamingo’s leg isn’t really its knee. It’s the ankle. The knee is closer to the bird’s body and isn’t visible because of the feathers. This blog totally just won you a bar bet.

Comedian and actor Jon Lovitz brings his unique comedic flair to Flamingo Vegas, Mar. 16-17, 2012.

We asked the TV and film veteran some probing questions, which, in blog parlance tends to mean “softball,” which is O.K. in this instance because Lovitz lists “A League of Their Own,” a movie about baseball, among his credits. Let’s slide right into the interview.

POV Blog: Most people know you from “Saturday Night Live” or your films. How do they react when they hear you do stand-up, which you’ll be doing at the Flamingo?

Lovitz: Most people assume I started my career as a stand-up and am going back to it. I used to do Woody Allen and Lenny Bruce’s routines in my college dorm. I started doing my own material nine years ago and have been touring the United States and Canada the last seven years.

Bonus fact: Jon Lovitz's father was once the family doctor for the Jackson family. You know, Tito and Jermaine. That Jackson family.

POV Blog: What’s your stand-up show like? Do you do your classic SNL characters?

Lovitz: I do all new material in my act. I don’t do any of my characters from “Saturday Night Live.” It’s just my own personality. I make fun of myself, religions, celebrities, men, women and play the piano and sing funny songs.

POV Blog: What do you think of the new crop of SNL writers and performers? Do you think there was a golden age of SNL?

Lovitz: I think the group on now is terrific. I did a cameo on the show when Dana Carvey hosted about a year ago. I thought, “I’m meeting all the new guys on the show.” Turned out, they’d been there eight years! They were all very nice and, I thought, extremely talented!

The SNL crew in the late '80s, including Dana Carvey, Phil Hartman, Jan Hooks and Jon Lovitz (far right).

POV Blog: Why does The Groundlings (an L.A.-based improv company) produce so many comedy superstars, and does it involve some kind of brainwashing?

Lovitz: Larraine Newman was hired from The Groundlings by Lorne Michaels in 1975 for the original cast. Lorne came back to the show in 1985 and hired me. So, it’s really Lorne who keeps going back to The Groundlings for the show. The Groundlings have a great school and comedy group. They really know how to teach improv, writing sketches and creating characters. It’s the perfect training for “Saturday Night Live,” although that’s not why the group exists. Once you’re lucky enough to be chosen for “Saturday Night Live,” you have to work your butt off. The show is very competitive and you have to come up with new and great ideas every week. So, if anyone succeeds off that show, it’s because of their talent and hard work. But without The Groundlings, I never would have gotten “SNL.”

POV Blog: You were in “Big.” We love that movie. Not really a question, per se, but we thought you should know. Care to share any memories?

Lovitz: “Big” was fun. I only worked on it a week. Penny Marshall had befriended me and hired me for “Jumping Jack Flash,” and then “Big.” I had become friends with Tom Hanks, so it was great working with him. And I was excited to work with him as an actor. He really is so real, it makes you better. And I kept trying to make him laugh, which I did. So, it was working with friends on a great movie.

Jon Lovitz was pitch-perfect as Tom Hanks' co-worker in "Big."

POV Blog: Is stand-up more pressure than performing as part of an ensemble?

Lovitz: It took me 20 years to get the guts to start doing stand-up. It’s very hard, being up there by yourself. My heart would be pounding through my chest. But now, I have a lot of fun. I asked Dana Carvey, who’s a great stand-up, “How do I get over the fear of being onstage alone?” He said, “Just keep getting up there and eventually it goes away.” He was right. But there’s always a tiny bit there, right before you go on. Once I’m out there and the audience is cheering, it goes away.

POV Blog: You guest-starred on “Seinfeld” and “Friends” in the same week. What the hell?

Lovitz: Lisa Kudrow and Courtney Cox had just gotten “Friends.” They called me up to ask if I’d be on their show. “Friends” was just starting. I was the first famous guest star on the show. It was their eighth show. I’ve known Lisa since she was five. Her brother is my best friend and I grew up with her family. I had met Courtney in 1988 on a movie, “Mr. Destiny,” and we became friends. So, six years later, there I was on “Friends.” I was in rehearsal for “Friends,” and that weekend, on a Sunday, Larry David called me up and asked me to be on “Seinfeld.” I said I was shooting “Friends,” so he said he’d work around their schedule. I ended up shooting “Friends” and “Seinfeld” the same week. I did “Friends” as a favor to Lisa and Courtney. You have to remember, it wasn’t a big hit when I shot it, it was just starting. I thought it would be fun to work with Lisa and Courtney, and also, to have Lisa’s parents see us working together. “Seinfeld” was a huge hit at the time, but by the time my “Friends” episode aired, “Friends” was huge and I thought, “Well, they did me the favor by having me on it.”

POV Blog: Charlie Sheen. And, begin…

Lovitz: Charlie Sheen is a great guy. I met him years ago and worked with him on a movie, “Good Advice,” and also on “Two and a Half Men.” Everyone who knows him, loves him. He’s very smart, charming and funny. And he’s very professional. On “Good Advice,” I was extremely impressed by how prepared he was and how great an actor he was. He’s very, very talented and hard-working. And I was just as impressed by his professionalism on “Two and a Half Men.” We’ve become friends and I have nothing but nice things to say about him. He’s very, very funny!

POV Blog: We’ll give you a pass on that one. We’re a blog, not a “TMZ.” Although, people might enjoy your roast of Charlie Sheen on the YouTubes. What’s more fun and/or challenging, acting or stand-up? What do they have in common, and what’s different?

Lovitz: To me, stand-up is acting. Acting is performing. But there are different requirements. In a movie, you are doing a scene with another person and are reacting off of them. In stand-up, your scene partner is the audience. They are both very difficult to learn to do well and take years of practice. The whole art of stand-up and acting is to make it look like you are just talking off the top of your head. But you’re not, and it’s a lot of work to make it look easy and fun. Just like a ballet dancer, they look effortless dancing. And it’s literally years of practice and tremendous strength, coordination, timing, stamina and using your brain. Although, in stand-up and acting, you can be fat and still do it. Otherwise, it’s ballet.

Another surprising Lovitz fact: He’s a talented singer. We know this because it takes a great singer to sound like a bad one, as he exhibited with his take on “Ladies Night” in “The Wedding Singer.”

POV Blog: What are your impressions of Las Vegas? What restaurants do you hit when you’re in town?

Lovitz: I love Las Vegas. The quality of the food at the restaurants is the best in the world. It’s unbelievable, the best fish is in the desert! Joe’s Stone Crab (at the Forum Shops at Caesars Palace) is a favorite of mine. Just get their salad. You’d swear they just picked the lettuce from the ground and washed it off and served it. It’s so fresh and crispy, it’s amazing. I’m not joking, it’s literally amazingly delicious! And the stone crabs there are so sweet and fresh, like it just came out of the ocean. Amazing. SW at the Wynn. Fantastic food. Rao’s at Caesars Palace is also incredible. The scrambled eggs at Mr. Lucky’s at the Hard Rock, amazing, the best ever! How the desert has the best food in the world is a feat in itself. The shows in Las Vegas are great, the hotels are great, the pools are great. People should come here. It’s the best deal in the country!

Thanks to Jon Lovitz for indulging our annoying questions, and see the comedian and actor live at Flamingo Las Vegas. Learn more and get tickets.