Garrett's shirt from Threadventures

Here is a close look at Garrett Parris' shirt. It was made by Threadventures.

Garrett Parris interview

Interview with Garrett Parris

part 1
part 2
part 3

Richard Branson's Next Challenge

Cara Roberts photo

On a day when his luck nearly ran out, like his friend Steve Fossett's, British billionaire Richard Branson moved a step closer to joining the superheated Las Vegas casino business.

Branson, the founder and chairman of Virgin Group, confirmed Wednesday that he's working on a Las Vegas deal.

"We had some meetings today and I think Virgin will be flying over Las Vegas within a couple years," Branson told me during a red carpet interview at Tryst nightclub at Wynn Las Vegas.

Rumors have been flying for several years that Branson, one of Europe's most successful entrepreneurs, has plans to take on Las Vegas .

Meanwhile, with his injured hand heavily bandaged and still sore from another bruising stunt, Branson, 57, was counting his lucky stars.

In one of his most dangerous outings of all, Branson survived a wild and windy 407-foot plunge from the top of the Palms' Fantasy Tower.

"I've never done a stunt like that before," said Branson, who took such a beating that his tuxedo pants were torn apart. "That was my first fall like that. I've done some mad things but I've never done anything quite like that."

Tricky 20 mph wind gusts kept slamming him into glass and concrete during his fall. He was wearing a full-body harness connected to a cable.

" You're going 100 mph and you're banging against the wall. It was slightly unnerving. But I'm well, everything's fine."

Read the rest of this story in the amazing Norm Clarke's column.

BRANSON INJURED IN SUCCESSFUL STUNT AT PALMS

British billionaire daredevil Richard Branson suffered a cut hand and bruises during an 80-second per feet descent Wednesday from the 407-foot mark of the Palms’ Fantasy Tower.

A shaken Branson limped away to his room to change clothes after his pants were ripped during the wind-plagued stunt. Gusts of 20 miles per hour nearly caused Branson’s latest adventure to be postponed, a member of his team said.

Just before his descent in a full-body harness, Branson outstretched his arms and took the plunge from a perch near Moon nightclub near the top of the tower.

He was lowered by a high-speed cable winch, which was similar the same one used in Spider Man films.

Branson did not address the media, because of his medical needs.

— NORM CLARKE, Vegas Confidential from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.