Hands Across the Sand - Hanalei, Kauai

June 26, 2010
Aloha Ocean Lovers,

On the beach today and under the surf, all of us were concerned about the events in the Gulf, and we had local Hawaiians trying to bless our land and beautiful women, covered in oil. When will we learn to protect the sea that gives us so much? We are 3,000 miles away from the gulf, but the sea life already knows what is going to happen in Hawaii. Can you look into the eyes of this palani and answer the question she asked me? What the hell are you people doing to my ocean? I did not have an answer but I promised her, to figure it out and help protect her Ohana.

My father was taught to surf by the Duke, and as a little keiki I was told by them both that “If you give back to the sea more than you take, you have done good”. I think it is time to give back to the sea.

When my father died he told me  “To Die, is to Face the Wind and melt into the Sea.”  Give back to the ocean that gave you so many gifts. He was a smart man and at the end of every day at the beach surfing and catching our food for dinner we gave a prayer to the beauty we received that day.

Amama Ua Noa. The prayer has flown. Lets all start giving back to the sea. It is not too late to protect our beautiful island, but if we just ignore all of the worldwide changes we may loose what we have enjoyed on this island for thousands of years.

Aloha means, a gift of love. We need more aloha on this planet right now.

Please feel free to share any of my emails and pictures with anyone you choose. One does not own a picture, as the pictures was simply given to you as a gift to share.

Aloha,
Terry

Acanthurus dussumieri - Eye-stripe surgeonfish - Palani

"Dr. Conversation" Loren Ekroth PhD

The following excerpt is from an article in Better Conversation Newsletter put together by my friend Loren Ekroth, PhD.  It explains why those late night conversations under the stars, around the campfire, or over a brandy are so satisfying. The eternal questions about life, its meaning and our purpose (or even if we have one) seem to stimulate some pleasure endorphins released only by exercising our brains. Yes, deep talk actually makes you happy (happier.)

“Wow!  Profound news:  That people who participate in deep, meaningful conversations are happier than those who mainly engage in routine talk or small talk – like “weather talk” or gossip or which TV shows they liked.

Could this be so?  Well, at least tentatively when based upon the recent study by University of Arizona psychology professor Matthias Mehl. His published study involved 79 college students, 32 men and 47 women, who agreed to wear an electronically activated recorder that recorded little segments of their conversations for four days.  Those were then classified by researchers as either substantive talk about current affairs, philosophy, etc. or small and routine talk.

The findings?  Those whose self-reports on satisfaction with life and other happiness measures were higher had engaged in a much greater percentage of substantive conversations than those with lower “satisfaction with life” reports.  Professor Mehl is continuing his studies in this area, so stay tuned to learn if future research confirms his initial findings.”

If you would like to hear more about good conversation, and maybe subscribe to Loren’s newsletter, log on to his website: http://www.conversationmatters.com/

Here is a copy of his first emails – unedited – as emails always read best when raw….

July 3
I have arrived at the hostel, took the airport shuttle here, i need to
find a westpec bank to exchange most of my money because the place at
this airport pretty much offers only a slightly higher than a 1 to 1
rate, changed out 140 us and 148 aus which should have been more like 170
or something like that but oh well.

Hostel is very nice, pretty big has like 8 floors and is more like a hotel
but seems very clean. They have a 4th of july celebration tonight for americans
so I’ll probably attend that n see what happens. The rooms have lockers so
thats good, prolly just leave the luggage on the ground for other
stuff. Everyone in room is sleeping right now so i just dropped off
luggage and left.

Jul 4
Hi been having trouble getting the internet to work but i think i got
it figured out

Ok yeah ill try and see if that combo works, but yeah im really not too
worried about someone stealing my clothes anyways, one of the guys has
his laptop bag just sitting out but im happy i brought that padlock
cause there are lockers in the room but you are required to provide
your own lock so definitely came in handy.
Weathers been nice, not too cold as long as the wind isnt blowing.
Like today i didnt wear a sweater during the day cause i got to hot
from all the walking. First day was kinda lonely wandering all over
the city by myself n ended up straining my leg somehow. Leg hurts
pretty bad right now dunno if its from just walking way to much or
from the plane or what but went to the pharmacist today and they sell
ibuprofen with codeine without a prescription so that kinda saved my
ass.

Finally met my roommates last night n went out to some bars.
Went to an area called Darling harbor with one of my roommates and saw
the sydney aquarium and wild animal park which was not quite a zoo but
still had alot of cool stuff in it. But my roommates are pretty cool
and met some more people in the bar downstairs so hopefully can
reconnect with them tomorrow but i really need a phone.

My flight wasnt bad at all once i was finally boarded and stuff they
served dinner and watched the movie “date night” which was pretty
funny then I just passed out n by the time i woke up we ate breakfast
and there was like 1.5 hours left. It was only like a 13.5 hour
flight r something like that I thought it was supposed to be way
longer, but maybe thats the flight back or something.

Note: Skype.com conversation yesterday:

“Haven’t met any other Americans – Hanging out with Brits, some Germans. Leaving on Tuesday to fly to Gold Coast. Got a cheap flight. Sydney is very expensive. It’s more 24 hour than Vegas – it feels more like New York – a busy place with 20-30 people at every corner. Lots of Asians – maybe 60%, but the hostel is also close to Chinatown. Lots of Thai food. Cheapest dish in any restaurant is about $10-$12 Aus dollars. Nice places about $30 + a plate. Bar food in hostel bar $10 a plate and good. Quality everywhere is good though – had a great burger with high quality meat – you get what you pay for.”

Jul 6
I have arrived in the gold coast… pretty easy flight the aussie
airport was pretty relaxed, didn’t have to take shoes off and I had a
1 litre water bottle in my backpack i forgot about and they didnt say
anything.  Also my big suitcase somehow got heavier it was 24.5 kilos
limit was 23 but shoulda been less than 23.  But the girl let it slide
so that was cool, she said she had to fill out paperwork if she
charged me n she wanted to go home cause he weekend was about to start
haha.
But Im here gonna try and get settled in.

Brown Pelican in flight photo by Carol Georgi

Carol chose the brown pelican because this bird, loved both here and along the US coast of the Gulf of Mexico, is threatened by the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster.

Hello Ocean Lovers!

Every Other Breath is From the Ocean

Thank you for your interest in the Central Coast Extension of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

———————————————————————————————————
Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis

Survival of the Brown Pelican

We almost lost the brown pelican. According to www.pelicanlife.org/success/recovery.html

Pelicans were threatened by the use of DDT as a pesticide before the 1970’s. This pesticide greatly affected the calcium metabolism of pelicans, causing their eggshells to become thinner and more fragile. Their population decreased so dramatically that in 1970, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the brown pelican as endangered. As a result, the Environmental Protection Agency banned the use of DDT in the United States and the pelicans began to recover.

Unfortunately, the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill has renewed the threat to the brown pelican.  When diving beneath the water’s surface to find food, the pelicans’ feathers become oil-soaked, causing hypothermia and drowning. Pelicans also die by eating oil-tainted fish, which they may also feed to their young. In fact, “just six months ago, brown pelicans had been removed from the endangered species list. Now their recovery could be undermined by millions of gallons of oil in the Gulf.” (Greg Bluestein and Matthew Brown, Associated Press, May 24, 2010)

www.cbn.com/…/As-Spill-Grows-Oil-Soaks-Delicate-Marshes-Birds/

Also, thoughtless human activity continues to threaten the survival of the brown pelican. These destructive activities are the disturbance of breeding and nesting habitats as well as the abandoning of fishing lines and hooks that later may entangle and injure pelicans.

Description of the Brown Pelican

Brown Pelican photo by Carol Georgi

According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium   www.montereybayaquarium.org

The brown pelican is easily recognized by a distinctive large pouch that hangs from the lower half of its long, straight bill. These magnificent birds are gray-brown, with dark wings and white heads with a yellowing crown, yellow eyes, black legs and black, webbed feet.

Most interesting is the pelican’s bill that can hold three times more than its stomach can—nearly three gallons of fish and water. At the end of a successful dive, the pelican drains the water from its pouch and swallows the whole fish, flipping it if necessary, head first.

Brown pelicans dive for their fish using their keen eyesight and spotting fish from heights of 20 to 60 feet. They dive steeply, with their heads pointed straight down and their wings folded back, plunging into the water. These birds have air sacs under their skin to cushion the blow and to bring them up to the surface.

Usually flying in flocks , their flight pattern may be a straight line or a V-formation, with their powerful wing strokes alternating with short glides. Pelicans often fly close to the water’s surface, seeming to surf the uplift created by the oceans’ swells. They are beautiful birds to watch along the coast of San Luis Obispo County.

www.santalucia.sierraclub.org

www.slosurfrider.org

www.saveourseas.org

]]> http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/27/brown-pelican-threatened-by-bp-deepwater-horizon-offshore-drilling-disaster/feed/ 0 http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/27/why-rural-whites-still-vote-gop/ http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/27/why-rural-whites-still-vote-gop/#comments Thu, 27 May 2010 20:48:11 +0000 Sandra http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/?p=4026 This is an article I wrote back in November 2008, but as nothing seems to have changed, and in fact might even be accelerating with the rise of the Tea Party crowd, I think it worth dragging out of the archives for another look-see. Although the demographics of the typical Tea Party can be suburban, rather than rural, they display similar characteristics of “every man for himself” that is downright dangerous in our interconnected world.

Easy answers to complex problems is their mantra. Don’t I wish that were true!

______________________________________________________

With the election of Barack Obama, America selected not just a black President, but a visionary President with grand ideas for social reform and a better future. Although there was some crossing of party lines and a general acceptance by independents of the more progressive Democratic platform, rural whites held fast to their GOP loyalties and favored McCain-Palin with margins of 70-30 across the country, especially in the South and Midwest.

A month before the election, I made a quick visit to my parents’ home on 200 acres of pristine Ozark woods, overlooking the man-made river-lake that rises and falls like an unpredictable ocean tide with the demands of the two hydro-electric dams that created it. In the Ozarks of my childhood, whites aligned themselves to the conservative Democratic Party and the few blacks who could vote did so for progressive Republicans. No southern white Democrats today in this staunchly and proudly Republican corner of the world. I’m told that, if there are any Obama supporters in the area, they would be found in Sedalia where the blacks and Mexicans live.

I was confused by my relatives’ and their neighbors’ adamant opposition to what they sneeringly called “socialism.” Weren’t the older ones living on social security and taking full advantage of Medicare? Many locals have served in Iraq, mainly called up through the National Guard, a service they joined “part time” to receive government benefits. They hadn’t reckoned on actually going to war, but when it happened, they went and left small children and financially-struggling wives (and husbands) behind. Although they display proudly the American flag and staunchly defend the war, they quietly, and their mothers openly, count the days until their commitments are over – and pray fervently that they won’t be called to serve again.

They worry sick about getting sick and medical costs. Few aspire to more than a high school diploma because of the prohibitive costs of community college. Quality childcare for the working parent is not part of their lexicon. The only support system is family. They work low-paying jobs, and spend evening and weekends doing odd jobs, second jobs or truck-framing to survive. Living far from services such as grocery stores, doctors and work, a gas increase of $0.50/gallon can wreck havoc with the family budget. They drive 50 miles one way in their gas-guzzling trucks to shop at Walmart to make their pennies stretch.

I was puzzled by their adoration of Sarah Palin and their belief that a socialist Obama heralds the death of America. Convinced that the Republican Party is the only true representative of God and country, they fear the very changes in society that could vastly benefit them and ease their daily, anxious struggle to eke out a life for themselves and their children. Why do rural whites vote to protect the wealth of the upper-class Republican? How is the GOP underclass persuaded by appeal to patriotism, racial pride and religious belief to vote against their own self-interest?

Fiercely independent (how else could you live so far from every convenience?), their non-conformity does not extend to criticizing or questioning country and flag when there is war or perceived threat. “My country right or wrong, my country.” But when you have sacrificed time, suffering, blood and even life to the battle your country called you to, it is not easy to entertain the idea that it could all have been for naught. Who wants to admit that their son or daughter is just canon fodder for the paranoid ambitions of Republican powers in Washington – Republicans that they have so faithfully supported?

The rural GOP still clings to the feeling of god-given superiority that a white, “real-American” skin bestows. It’s an emotional buffer from the harsh reality of their ever-diminishing status in the socio-economic hierarchy. Threatened by the advancement of “others” and feeling estranged from a new American culture they do not understand, the concept that every American who achieves contributes to a greater America escapes them. Largely isolated by their geography and ideology, they don’t get that “All boats rise with the tide.”

It seems strangely medieval that a political philosophy could be so entangled with religious dogma that the interpretation of words in a book compiled millennia ago would dictate politics and social mores in 2008. It defies logic to allow the belief that a soul enters the egg at fertilization, or marriage may only be between man and woman, to condemn you to a life of anxiety and economic struggle. It’s quite incomprehensible that a religious and political belief would idealize living at the mercy of fate and bad luck, with no safety net to catch the precipitous fall of your family when your strength fails. But so it is for those 70-30 supporters of the Republican agenda.

Yet the Republican Party, even enjoying tremendous backing from strongholds like the Ozarks, will not survive as a political party based on religion, no matter how it tries to wrap itself in the flag and dress up its message in the American spirit of individualism and work ethic. The question is whether the rural white GOP will continue to oppose social reform once its benefits are made available to them.

Barack Obama’s message spoke to the millions of Americans who sense that the American Dream could be better, must be improved upon, and that the promise of everlasting life in an unproven paradise is not adequate compensation for the fall from paradise Americans are experiencing today. If President Obama succeeds in moving this nation into a new era, he might just convince everyone who needs help, including some of those who need it most – the Republican underclass.

]]> http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/27/why-rural-whites-still-vote-gop/feed/ 0 http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/26/launch-of-the-red-mirror-series/ http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/26/launch-of-the-red-mirror-series/#comments Wed, 26 May 2010 15:47:30 +0000 Sandra http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/?p=4018

Isis The Red Mirror Series

I finished “Isis,” the first book in the Red Mirror Series, am putting together query letters which feels a lot like college applications.  The final draft of “Isis” came in at 93,000 words or about 275 pages.  I like to create a total package, so put together the cover you see here.

The next book is spinning in my head and I’ve already done the cover for it. “Athena” will be set in Las Vegas, ancient Greece and Ptolemaic Egypt (325 BCE).  Isis is set in Las Vegas and Late Period Egypt (525 BCE).  That might seem like close to the same story for non-history buffs, but there were monumental world changes at those times.

The Persians invaded Egypt in 525 BCE and ended the last Egyptian dynasty ever to rule the Delta. Alexander the Great took Egypt from the Persians about 200 years later and starting constructing Alexandria from a little Egyptian village on the Mediterranean. He envisioned the greatest city ever built and the capital of his world empire.

more about my author life? visit www.sandragorenielsen.com

]]> http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/26/launch-of-the-red-mirror-series/feed/ 0 http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/25/save-the-whales-again/ http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/25/save-the-whales-again/#comments Tue, 25 May 2010 16:48:07 +0000 Sandra http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/?p=4003

A Whale of a Tale.

To save Earth from an alien probe, Kirk and his crew go back in time to retrieve the only beings who can communicate with it, humpback whales. Remember that great Star Trek IV movie from 1986? Maybe we need some intervention in 2010 cause it seems like even the Obama people don’t get it. How can that be possible?  I’m sure he has some good reasons for his position, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to say upfront that I can’t see how they could ever be good enough.  Start killing whales legally just to appease the three countries that have continued whaling illegally.  With that kind of logic, we should have no trouble passing legal marijuana.

Shame on you Obama

Sarah Christie did a good job of laying out the facts. Supervisor Bruce Gibson acquitted himself well in front of this supportive audience of environmentalists and sea lovers.  My bet is that every person there voted for both Gibson and Obama.  It’s really tough when your guy lets you down. Now we know what it must be like for Bush supporters (philosophically, anyway) who had to deal with reality.

Is it possible to stop this madness?  It certainly is difficult not to be discouraged.  Enjoy it while we have it, folks, cause it sure seems like the human race is fast outstripping our resources.  Our survival is going to depend on our ability to adapt to the unbrave new world we are creating. It looks more and more like it’s too late to turn the Titanic away from the iceberg.  We might have time to build more lifeboats if we hurry.

Morro Rock Rally for Save the Whales Again

for more local input: http://calcoastnews.com/2010/05/help-save-the-whales-on-sunday/
Also check out Carol’s Critters of the Sea on this blog.

]]> http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/25/save-the-whales-again/feed/ 1 http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/15/pelican-sunset/ http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/15/pelican-sunset/#comments Sun, 16 May 2010 00:18:59 +0000 Carol http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/?p=3997

Pelican Sunset photo by Carol Georgi

]]> http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/15/pelican-sunset/feed/ 0 http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/15/black-oyster-catcher/ http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/2010/05/15/black-oyster-catcher/#comments Sun, 16 May 2010 00:11:53 +0000 Carol http://www.sandraoffthestrip.com/?p=3991

Black Oyster Catcher photo by Carol Georgi

Hello Ocean Lovers!

Every Other Breath is from the Ocean

contributed by Carol Georgi

Please support the movement to establish the Central Coast Extension of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
for more info go to slosurfrider.org

Black Oyster Catcher

According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium   www.montereybayaquarium.org
The black oystercatcher is a brownish black bird with a long, bright-red beak, large pink feet and yellow eyes. This coastal bird forages along rocky shorelines at low tide, looking for molluscs—mostly limpets and mussels and seldom eats oysters.

The long, bright-red beak is useful in eating bivalves, because, like limpets and mussels, they have a strong muscle that holds the two shells tightly together—yet an oystercatcher can easily and quickly pry them open. The birds also sneak up on open mussels, quickly stab their beaks between the shells, sever the muscle, shake the mussel free and swallow it. With sharp jabs of their bill tips, oystercatchers dislodge limpets and chitons from rocks, turn them over and eat the soft tissue.

Breeding pairs of black oystercatchers make their nests by tossing rock flakes, pebbles or shell fragments toward their nest bowl with a sideways or backward flip of their bills. these nesting sites are above the high tide level and use the same nest year after year.

Since oystercatchers breed and forage near the shoreline, they’re highly vulnerable to oil spills.

Carol Georgi, Volunteer

Black Oyster Catcher photo by Carol George

New Blog for Dudes (and Babes) who love growing and living green.

If you are looking for fun and information all in one place, you should check out this new blog  TheGardenDude.com dedicated to sustainable vegetable agriculture in your own back (and front) yard. David is The Garden Dude from California who has perfected, or at least is on the road to mastering, the art of growing veggies totally organically in pots. Not that kind of pot!

He’s posted recipes and videos on cooking up these veggies and other healthy stuff like fresh fish. Being a true California Dude, David has music to really get you in the Dude Mood. Go to the resources tab on his site and select “veggie songs.”

Choose from: We are the Vegetables by INXS, Vegetables by Radiohead, Love you Like a Fresh Vegetable by Tony Rebel and Vega-tables by the incomparable Brian Wilson.  And of course, being that the Dude is totally rad and way California, you can cook down memory lane with the Beach Boys – Vegetables. You might need to download a plugin or two.

Remember “If the Dude can do it, you can do it.”

www.TheGardenDude.com

Way cool!

Every Other Breath is From the Ocean

Beached Sevengill Shark photo by Terry Lilley

Here is a critter from our San Luis Obispo County coastal waters for you to enjoy!

Please support the movement to establish the Central Coast Extension of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

for more info go to slosurfrider.org

Sevengill Shark

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Sevengill Shark        Notorynchus cepedianus
According to the Monterey Bay Aquarium   www.montereybayaquarium.org

Growing up to 10 feet long (3 m), the sevengill shark has a wide head with a blunt nose and only one dorsal (top) fin (most sharks have two), and seven pairs of gill slits (most sharks have five). Its back and sides are reddish brown to silvery gray, or olive-brown and speckled with many small black spots, and its underbelly is cream colored.

Sevengill Shark Teeth photo by Terry Lilley

The teeth on this shark’s lower jaw are comb shaped, and the teeth in the upper jaw are jagged. When biting large prey, the shark anchors its jaw with the lower teeth, and then thrashes its head back and forth to saw off pieces of flesh with the upper teeth.

Sevengill sharks prowl for food in shallow inshore waters, and they appear in deeper waters along the continental shelf. These sharks prey on almost anything, including octopuses, rays, other sharks, bony fishes and carrion, and may hunt in packs for seals. They are powerful swimmers that can be aggressive if provoked, and are considered potentially dangerous to humans.

During March 2010, two sevengill sharks were caught at Shell Beach. After each catch, harbor seals were seen in the water.
Carol Georgi, Volunteer

www.santalucia.sierraclub.org
www.slosurfrider.org
www.saveourseas.org

ExpertClick.com for Sandra Gore Nielsen press release

This is a fun press release for “A True Love Story” written by me, Sandra Gore Nielsen, for the book “Life Choices: Navigating Difficult Paths.” The book was published and edited by Judi Moreo, author of nine books and  founder and president of Turning Point International in Las Vegas.

Be sure to check out my author website SandraGoreNielsen.com. I like to put lots of photos and tell tales about my crazy and wonderful life.  It is a blog so feel free to comment.  We all love input.

Hwy 58 Wildflowers (Lupine) photo by Peg Pinard

Thank you to Peg Pinard for providing these shots of the wildflowers growing along Highway 58 in California.  This is the lovely windy two lane scenic route from Santa Margarita over to Bakersfield, starting at Hwy 101 and crossing over the 5.  Hwy 58 will take you all the way to Barstow, but not many wildflowers on that part of the wild and barren landscape.

Wildflowers photo by Peg Pinard

photos by Carol Georgi

Dr. Nielsen and Dr. Georgi in the lab

This is rocket science.

The Thesis is complete.

Slainte! We passed!

Crescent Moon photo by Carol Georgi

Pot of Gold Rainbow from the Writers Bench photo by Carol Georgi

We call this our Writers Bench.  May the Rainbow be our muse!  Photo by Carol Georgi.

The best part is that I have a fresh list of foreign films to rent from Netflix.  And how do you see those marvelous shorts anyway?  Do any of you know?

My take?:

Avatar and Hurt Locker - as if you didn't know

Hurt Locker deserved everything it got.  One of the most suspenseful movies I’ve ever seen.  It has an air of authenticity that makes it special.  Probably needed a woman to show that much violence and tension and still keep the emotions honest.  Ouch – does that sound too gender-biased?
Still, a movie with no romance made by a woman.  That does deserve an award.  It was all about relationships though.

Yes, I saw Precious.  No, it was not that tough to take.  I mean, it’s plenty awful and everything, but the violence is emotional.  Most of us have suffered that.  People tell me they don’t want to see it because of fear of the rape scene.  It was not rape like you think of it.  The real rape was of the spirit and mind – and not by the father, but by the supposed protector of all protectors – mommy.

p.s.  The art direction could have gotten more credit.  The dingy way they lived was as depressing as the story itself.

Tributes:  I think the whole – “I love you, you are the most wonderful and kind and talented person in the world” – routine is already getting a bit old.  The worst last night was Julianne Moore praising Colin Firth and actually admitting that she had known him for 3 hours.  I mean, really, couldn’t they do better than that?  I know he’s from England or somewhere, but come on…….

What was with George Clooney?  He looked totally pissed off every time the camera was on him – well except when he was getting his pep talk tribute – then his eyes were glowing and he was transfixed.  Is he  just too good to be there? Didn’t he like his seat?

I thought the ceremony was the best I’ve seen in a while (except for the hosts which have mostly been lame since Bob Hope anyway):

• Liked the collages of the acting performances – gave you more idea of the scope than just one scene.
• There were 3 or 4 great acceptance speeches – Geoffrey Fletcher from Precious (best adapted screenplay) and Christoph Waltz (best supporting actor- Inglourious Basterds ) for starters.  One from the heart and the other from the head – two things a lot of the people up there don’t seem to have.
• As a writer, I loved the way they superimposed the script on the acting for the screenplay nominations.  That was a treat.
• And what about those dancers for the musical score?  Amazing choreography and innovative approach.  I liked it.  Will probably get rotten tomatoes thrown at my screen…..

Geoffrey Fletcher Best Supporting Actor "Inglourious Basterds"

Barbara Walters show was really interesting for a change.  This is is her last Awards show and she replayed bits from her interviews over the last 29 years. I loved it when she said she was quitting cause she’s “just sick of it.”  No wonder when you saw clips of interviews of recent times with young kids who really had nothing to say.  After you interview guys like Boris Yeltzin (tell me you remember him!), it must be hard to take.

If you are a true addict, you might enjoy this clip sent to me by my co-dependent film fan, Cheryl Weiss.  It’s generic trailer for academy award winning movies.  hint: it’s meant to be funny!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/07/a-trailer-for-every-acade_n_488999.html

Every Other Breath is from the Ocean

contributed by Carol Georgi

Please support the movement to establish the Central Coast Extension of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
for more info go to slosurfrider.org

West Coast Cormorants

3 species, Marine Migratory Birds

Brandt’s Cormorant Phalacrocorax penicillatus
Double-crested Phalacrocorax auritus
Pelagic Cormorant Phalacrocorax pelagicus

photos by Terry Lilley

West Coast Cormorant

According to Rich Stallcup, Biologist for Point Reyes Bird Observatory, correct identification of the three species of West Coast Cormorants can be difficult. He advises identification while in flight. Based on his drawings and descriptions, we often see the Brandt’s and the Double-crested cormorants nesting near each other in trees near the ocean along our central coast.  Both types of cormorants are colonial, building nests in groups.

Cormorants are beautiful black birds that like geese, will migrate flying silently in large arcs or in wedge-shaped flocks. Both the Pelagic and the Brandt’s cormorants will fly over water; however, the Double-crested with take short cuts, flying over land.

A Cormorant is an amazing marine bird to watch because it dives from the surface of the water and swims
underwater, chasing its prey. It grabs a small fish in its bill, without spearing it.
After diving, cormorants spread their wings to air dry, a beautiful sight.

Cormorants nesting

Habitat
All three cormorants are found along the Pacific Coast.
The double-crested cormorants are also found in other parts of the U.S.
These cormorants are part of the Pacific nearshore ecosystem.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Migratory Bird Management Mission:
To conserve migratory bird populations and their habitats for future generations, through careful monitoring and effective management.

The Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act with Canada, Japan, Mexico and Russia for the protection of migratory bird resources states it is unlawful to take any migratory bird, any part, nest or eggs.

The intent of the federal law is to protect sensitive habitat by not allowing habitat removal or destruction.

When guidelines for reproductive nesting dates are given, the purpose is to guide dates for habitat sensitive tree trimming, not removal, leaving the nests intact as they are in continuous and repeated use.

Carol Georgi, Volunteer

www.santalucia.sierraclub.org

www.slosurfrider.org

www.saveourseas.org

Sunset on a stormy day

Storms Storms and more Storms.

We still can be lucky and have a beautiful Shell Beach sunset, thanks to a fleeting break in the clouds.

photo by Carol Georgi

TAO Tent New Year's Eve 2009

For New Years Eve 2009/10 I decided that it was time to go big… real real big.  The past few years I haven’t done anything that special or memorable for New Years and every year I want to.  So when my friend Annie suggested we go to TAO (Together As One), I was really excited.  It had pretty much everything I was looking for:  a solid lineup for music (for a rave setting at least)  and a lot of people. It certainly wasn’t  just sitting at a friend’s house.  I bought VIP tickets presale so they were slightly cheaper – $125 instead of $150. The base price started at $50.

Rex and Annie at TAO Together As One

TAO takes place at LA’s Exhibition Park, the same place as Electric Daisy Carnival.  But  they utilized a completely separate area for TAO so it was almost like being at a totally new venue.  The Coliseum was closed, but the memorial basketball stadium was open instead – much smaller and indoors so it provided for a very different experience.

While I had a really good time at the rave, it was fraught with issues. First I want to talk about what I really liked.  The Lineup was completely solid, offering a lot of variable DJs with world class talent.  The main stage was outside in a huge tent (the biggest Ive ever seen for a concert) rather than inside, which I thought was weird since the inside had a much cooler atmosphere.  But as the night went on it made sense: the tent could fit a lot more people and stayed cool.  By 11:30 pm the inside was so hot I seriously thought I was going to pass out.

But back to the music. David Guetta was probably the best performance I saw which really surprised me cause I had a very little hope for his set and didn’t think he was going to be very good. Instead he blew me away.  We stayed for almost his entire 2-hour set and he just kept us dancing, and dancing hard the whole time.  I would highly recommend catching Guetta if you ever get the chance.

Digweed also put on a very good set and I watched some of Kaskade, which was a little slow for my taste, but was still a good performance.  I missed Dubfire but some of my friends said his set was amazing.  Markus Shultz was a little too trancey for me and at times just sounded like noise instead of music. DJ Reza, who I’ve never heard of, was tearing up the decks, playing a lot of really cool mixes of some classic songs.

Overall for the music I would have to give this event a straight A.

RAVE! TAO Together As One New Year's Eve 2009

But as I said earlier this place was fraught with problems…  The V.I.P. was complete bullshit, not at all like Electric Daisy Carnival which was totally worth it with your own area overlooking the main stage, 2 easy access bars, couches, and quick access from the main stage to the back areas of the grounds.

But at TAO, the “VIP” area was behind the stage, so when you were hanging out, you couldn’t see or really even hear anything – so who would want to hang out there?  The only way in or out was pretty much a double file line crammed between 2 fences.  Half the time you were stuck, unable to move while security took their time checking wristbands.  I get VIP pretty much just for the free water and a cool place to escape the mobs, but the bar line was such a nightmare that we had to wait 30 min just to get some complementary bottles of water. I would rather just pay for the damn things. Needless to say I felt totally ripped off as we only went to the VIP area like 2 times.

The layout was very confusing and there was no booklets with maps or lineups anywhere. In fact, there was no lineup posted anywhere period. Half the time I didn’t even know who was on stage and neither did the people around me.  We couldn’t even figure out how to get downstairs in the indoor stadium; we wandered around everywhere. My conclusion is that they must have had a separate entrance from the outside of the stadium.

One of my biggest problems was it felt more like a big New Years Party than a Rave.  There were almost too many people everywhere, especially close to midnight. We were packed in like sardines. I couldn’t move, getting pushed in one direction or another, barely able to breathe, smashed in with 100’s of other people.  While this can be expected at a rave in certain places, it was happening almost everywhere we went.  This led to a very impersonal feel to the crowd.

Everyone is normally very friendly and outgoing at a Rave; half the experience of being there is all the cool people you meet.  At this everyone just seemed to be with their group and uninterested in mingling.  That’s not to say we didn’t meet some cool people, but I think a lot of people were as overwhelmed with the numbers as I was.  Everyone was on the move to somewhere, and except for the times when we were hanging out in the bleachers , there were always trains of people sliding past me and bumping me around.  The whole night I couldn’t dance for more than 5 minutes without a 10 person train crashing through the crowd, forcing me to step back.  Nobody seemed to be there to stop and dance for an hour then move on; people just had to be everywhere, like how it is at a party.

Tao Rave at Exhibition Park Stadium

In the end I had a blast and loved being there.  I wanted people and I got people! I was torn between feeling unsatisfied at the rave part and how hard it was to relax and dance and let things go, and thinking that this was one of the most awesome New Year’s parties I’ve ever been too.  I highly recommend going and checking it out. It was defiantly a fun time and a far cry from hanging out on your buddy’s sofa. Just don’t make this your only rave of the year.

My final verdict on TAO:  it’s really huge New Year’s party with a rave theme. From that point of view it was completely awesome and I highly recommend it.  But if you’re looking to go an actual rave, I think you will be disappointed in most everything except the music.

Related: Electric Daisy Carnival- Los Angeles 10 out of 10

Electric Daisy Carnival in LA

Kelp Forest Monterey Bay Aquarium

Hello Ocean Lovers!

Every Other Breath is from the Ocean

contributed by Carol Georgi
with underwater photos by Terry Lilley and Sue Sloan.

Please support the movement to establish the Central Coast Extension of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
for more info go to slosurfrider.org

Here’s more on the sea otter and its role in the Web of Life.

Southern Sea Otter   Enhydra lutris nereis

Perhaps the most familiar image of kelp forests is a picture of a sea otter draped in strands of kelp, gripping a sea urchin on its belly. Both sea otters (Enhydra lutris) and sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus spp.) play critical roles in the stable equilibrium ecosystem. Sea urchins graze kelp and may reach population densities large enough to destroy kelp forests at the rate of 30 feet per month. Urchins move in “herds,” and enough urchins may remain in the “barrens” of a former kelp forest to negate any attempt at regrowth. Sea otters, playing a critical role in containing the urchin populations, prey on urchins and thus control the numbers of kelp grazers.
http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/about/ecosystems/kelpdesc.html

Without a healthy kelp forest, most marine life, including fish would not be present.
Kelp forests provide habitat for a wide range of marine organisms. These include a diversity of species of smaller
algae, invertebrates, fish, marine mammals, and birds. The kelp forests of the Pacific coast of North America
are estimated to support more than 1,000 species of marine plants and animals.
Read more: http://science.jrank.org/pages/3751/Kelp-Forests-Kelp-forests.html#ixzz0R0lagNTn

Southern Sea Otter

In our central coast area, according to Terry Lilley, biologist, the sea otters keep the urchin population down and the kelp is thick and healthy. However, in southern California where there are no sea otters, the urchins have taken over the reef and killed much of the kelp forest!  This action ruins the entire ecosystem.

The following information is from the Monterey Bay Aquarium webpage:
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/AnimalDetails.aspx?enc=n3f4wmcSJaPjw3qk9B0zTQ==

Animal Facts
* ON EXHIBIT:
Sea Otters
* Scientific Name:
Enhydra lutris nereis
* Habitat:
Kelp Forest
* Animal Type:
Marine Mammals
* Diet:
crabs, snails, urchins, clams, mussels and other invertebrates
* Size:
to 4 feet (1.2 m) and up to 50 pounds (23 kg) for females and 70 pounds (32 kg) for males
* Range:
California: From Half Moon Bay in the north to near Santa Barbara in the south.
* Relatives:
weasels, skunks, river otters; Family: Mustelidea (sea otters are the only exclusively marine member of this family)

Gargani with sea urchins

Conservation Natural History
To stay warm in chilly ocean waters, otters wear the world’s densest fur. At its thickest, this two-layer fur is made up of more than a million hairs per square inch. (You’ve probably got 100,000 hairs or less on your whole head!)
To keep their luxurious coats waterproof, otters spend many hours a day cleaning and grooming. Such good grooming coats their fur with natural oils from their skin and fluffs it with insulating air bubbles.

Sea otters once thrived from Baja California to the Pacific Northwest of North America through Alaskan and Russian waters and into Japan before hunters nearly exterminated them in the 1700s and 1800s. The California population has grown from a group of about 50 survivors off Big Sur in 1938 to just over 2000 today. Although their numbers have increased, sea otters still face serious risks: oil from a single tanker spill near San Francisco or off the central coast could wipe out the entire California sea otter population.

Cool Facts
An otter may hunt on the seafloor, but always returns to the surface to eat. Floating there on its back, it uses its chest as a table. (And if dinner’s a crab or clam, the otter may use a rock to crack open its prey.)
An otter’s coat has pockets—flaps of skin under each front leg. An otter uses them to stash prey during a dive, which leaves its paws free to hunt some more.

To learn more with video and podcast, go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium webpage:
http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/AnimalDetails.aspx?enc=n3f4wmcSJaPjw3qk9B0zTQ==
Video: One of the aquarium’s staff aquarists talks while training otters.
Podcast: Don’t flush: How kitty litter is hurting sea otters.
Learn More: Saving sea otters, learn about the aquarium’s sea otter research and conservation program.
Also, view the kelp forest http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/efc/kelp.aspx

www.santalucia.sierraclub.org
www.slosurfrider.org
www.saveourseas.org

A Break in the Storms

Carol captures a calm clear Shell Beach sunset in between storms.

I came across a promising lead for an Entry Level Marketing / Advertising / Customer Service, with the company Pacific Advertising group.  It sounded good; an entry level position with no experience required in a fast paced environment for a growing company with the opportunity for promotions and to make lots of money.

I almost started the application process then my instincts kicked in and I decided to research the company first.  I googled Pacific Advertising Group and as I was typing it in, the Google suggestions came up with the company name first, then the name with scam after it.  I immediately thought “uh oh – a lot of people are searching for this company with scam in the title.”

The first hit was for The Landers Group Entry Level Jobs | One Day, One Job url: http://www.onedayonejob.com/jobs/the-landers-group/.
The website gave a brief description of the company and what they do and how it is essentially just a scam with shady recruiting tactics much like the perfume company I applied to before.  It was a different company than Pacific Group, but looking under the forum posts below the article I found this:

“RL October 29, 2008 at 11:43 am
Go ahead and add Pacific Advertising Group in that scam list. I just did a two day in row interview and went through the whole scenario of promises of a management position. I also went to ” a day of observation” and stood in front of a grocery store for 10 hours trying to talk to every customer that walks and walks out.
I was skeptical from the very beginning when they had rap music and a movie playing on the front desk. When the receptionist would answer the phone, she would answer with “Marketing, may I help you?” Not even once she answered with the proper name. I took me 30 minutes to find this office because they didn’t have a sign.
So the whole experience was bogus. I am located in the Las Vegas area so don’t get scammed by this company. All you do is sell coupons, that may or may not be accepted by the so called 500 fortune companies.. for free! Pacific Advertising Group is one of them..”

I was rather shocked to read that it is almost identical to my perfume experience and I almost believe that it is probably the same people behind it.  Sadly I have lost faith in Yahoo.com and am going to be very wary searching for jobs on this site.

Here’s a breathtaking shot by Carol Georgi of one of those surprise splendid Shell Beach sunsets that erupt unexpectedly out of a gray and clouded sky.

Hello Ocean Lovers!

Every Other Breath is from the Ocean

contributed by Carol Georgi

Here is a critter from our San Luis Obispo County coastal waters for you to enjoy!

Please support the movement to establish the Central Coast Extension of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
for more info go to slosurfrider.org

Southern Sea Otter

Enhydra lutris nereis

Sea otters are indicators of the ocean’s health for surfers and California’s nearshore ecosystem.

California sea otters eat, sleep, mate and are born and raised in the water. Bundled in dense fur, they live in the nearshore ocean or estuary during their 10-20 years of life. As such, they are exposed to many of the same diseases and toxins as humans. Therefore, their health is an indicator of how clean the water is while we surf, swim, and enjoy eating local seafood. Everyday chemicals like car oil and pesticides, as well as bacteria from cat feces are being found in otter tissue. The contaminants make their way into the otter diet through shellfish, which are filter feeders that soak up chemicals in the water. www.seaotterresearch.org/

Sea otters are declining in California. For the first time in nearly 10 years, the 2009 spring population census shows a decline in the California sea otter population, and some researchers believe the otters’ food may contain deadly pathogens.

What is killing sea otters ?    www.seaotterresearch.org/
Disease and Contamination in California Sea Otters    http://www.defenders.org/programs_and_policy/wildlife_conservation/imperiled_species/sea_otter/background_and_recovery/california/threats/disease.php

Increase in diseases
*Intestinal worms (acanthocephalan worms)
*bacterial infections
*fungal infection, coccidioidomycosis or San Joaquin Valley fever caused by inhaling fungal spores
*brain infection (protozoal encephalitis), caused by parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, is carried from land in cat litter feces.  One way this organism is migrating to the ocean is by flushable cat litter. Do not flush cat litter feces down the toilet.

Increase in pollution
*Agricultural runoff, organochlorine compounds and pesticides that build up, or bioaccumulate
*polychlorinated biphenyl (otherwise known as PCBs)
*heavy metals
*domoic acid, a toxin produced by decaying algae may be linked to the increase in pollutants in our nearshore waters.
*Tributyltin, from boat paints
*Oil pollution can cause hypothermia and organ damage in sea otters.
U.C. Davis Sea Otter Research website.
———————————————————-
Sea otter extinction could trigger a devastating chain of events in the aquatic ecosystem. Without sea otters to feed on sea urchins, the sea urchin population would explode and destroy the kelp forests on which it feeds. These kelp forests are the key habitats for many other species, including fish, snails and crabs. http://www.acfnewsource.org/environment/sea_otter_decline.html
———————————————————-
Our health may depend on studying sea otters to determine what toxins, diseases, and other harmful substances are in the our local coastal waters.
If you find a dead or beached sea otter, please call 1-87-SEAOTTER
———————————————————–

Sea Otter photos by Mike Baird,   flickr.bairdphotos.com photomorrobay.com

We are urging the United States Senate to pass the Southern Sea Otter Recovery and Research Act (H.R. 556).  The U.S. House of Representatives approved the bill earlier this year with a vote of 316 to 107.  If approved, the bill will allocate $5 million annually for research and development for five years.  Part of the money will help researchers discover what is causing sea otter deaths.  The Monterey Bay Aquarium has a pre-written letter you can email to your senator to urge him or her to support the Act.

Will you please take action to support the passage of H.R. 556?

Jupiter Carbine by Anthony Hicks

Rec′• la• ma′•tion
Cheryl Weiss, Curator

Exhibition: Reclamation
Dates: Monday, November 23,2009 to Friday February 19, 2010 Hours: Mon. – Fri., 8am – 5pm, Free
to the Public
Location: Betteravia Government Center, 511 E. Lakeside, Santa Maria

Santa Maria — The Santa Barbara County Arts Commission presents Rec′• la• ma′•tion,
a mixed media exhibition of regional artists curated by Cheryl Weiss, Professor of Art, Allan Hancock
College and Vice President of the Nipomo Arts Commission, facilitated by John Hood, Professor of Art,
Allan Hancock College and Arts Commissioner from the 5th District, from November 23, 2009 to
February 19, 2010 at the Betteravia Government Center, 511 E. Lakeside, Santa Maria.

Rec′• la• ma′•tion showcases the work of regional artists who use mixed media and found objects to
explore ideas about the act and process of transformation and revitalization. Among artists featured in
the exhibition are:, Larry Dellnger, Anthony Hicks, Juan Manuel Perez, Natasha Stanton and Patti
Screen-Smith.

Cheryl Weiss said, “ According to the dictionary, reclamation is the act or process of reformation,
restoration of use or recovery. As a theme, this seems especially timely to me. When artists use mixed
media and found objects, their works transform what may be commonplace and discarded. What was
lost, is regained. By revitalizing what appears useless and worn, these pieces elevate our perceptions. It
is exciting, emotionally moving and thought-provoking when our imaginations are actively involved in
the creative process as we view the work. What emerges reconnects us to our shared humanity, our
spirit, a reverence for all life, and often our sense of humor and sense of wonder. “ Among the artists
participating are some for whom the Central Coast was once home. “I invited their participation, so they
could return here through their art, to reclaim and reaffirm their connection to this community,” Weiss
said.

This exhibition is a project of the County Arts in Public Places (CAPP) Committee of the Santa Barbara County Arts
Commission.

untitled by Juan Manual Perez

Here is link to article in the Santa Maria Sun:
http://www.santamariasun.com/art/3450/art-reclaimed/

Sex and the Zen of Shopping or How to Shop Smart in a Dumb Economy (color edition)

A bit like a small child, a book seems to suck all the creative energy right out of your soul.  If you don’t feed it and nurture it all the time, it withers and dies.  That’s where I’ve been – creating and rearing my book-child “Sex and the Zen of Shopping” – focusing on it’s well being above all else.

Finally ready to go away to college (publication), we’ve passed so many important milestones – the goal finally does seem just at our fingertips.  The experience of creating a book is for yet another article.  Here is meant to be an explanation to my readers for my absence from Sandra Off the Strip.

In addition to writing my own book on some of my favorite topics –shopping, philosophy and human need, I have written a piece for an upcoming anthology titled “Life Choices.” Turning Point Publications has scheduled release for Jan 30, 2010.  My piece “A True Love Story” is another of my pet subjects.

Because my life is entering a new era, so must Sandra Off the Strip evolve.  I loved sniffing that underbelly of Vegas with its hidden treasures to harvest the tidbits that make living and visiting here such an adventure.  The changes in the blog are sure to displease and disinterest many of my readers who looked to Off the Strip for updates on all the wild, eclectic happenings in Las Vegas, the world capital of crazies.

So I’m breaking the first rule of a problem-free life – “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”  More than a fix, the changes are alterations.  My life is changing so Sandra Off the Strip has to change too.  I don’t believe in boring lives though, so I anticipate new adventures in new territory.

You are most welcome to come along for the ride.

http://www.sexandthezenofshopping.com
http://www.lifechoicesbook.com

Throbbing Las Vegas with its pulsing avenues lined with a crazy patchwork of tall towers fulfilling a thousand different fantasies is that illicit tryst in a luxury suite with hot tub and champagne overlooking mauve mountains and flaming sunsets, a wild place where strangers gather for martini’s and everyone is charismatic and energetic and trying to sell you something.

Little Shell Beach with its narrow streets lined with a crazy patchwork of beach houses fulfilling a thousand different fantasies is that calm and safe harbor where neighbors gather for a glass of wine to watch the golden sun set into the vast sapphire Pacific and no one locks their doors unless they go away.

Never get attached to anything in Las Vegas because what’s here today will soon be gone.  It’s sole purpose for existence is change because entertainment demands a new thrill or the audience is bored.  It’s just the nature of the place.

Change is slow and resisted in Shell Beach.  People are attached to each other, to the old ways of classic California, to the sea otters and comorants.  An ocean storm with waves rolling all the way from the Philippines never ceases to thrill an audience that is never bored.  It’s just the Nature of the place.

I don’t want to choose.  I want my safe husband and my thrilling lover.  I want to be two women – I am two women.  I finally get it.  I finally understand how a man can intensely love his wife and family and desperately yearn for his mistress.  And why men (and women – although far fewer) with money have always had both.

It’s always about the money, isn’t it?

All this and tasty little slices of gourmet pizza are served up with live acoustic guitar strumming (ever so gently) on the patio of Dolphin Bay’s Lido Restaurant in scenic and serene Shell Beach CA.

Eight bucks gets you all these pleasures every Tuesday starting at 5:30. No tourists here – you need to be a local to know about this quasi-private party. You can even catch the mayor of Pismo Beach enjoying what her constituents have to offer.  Tough job, but someone’s gotta do it. (Mayor Maryann Reiss is seated on right above.)

There’s valet parking and ample self-parking.  Exit 101 at Spyglass and go north a short block on Shell Beach Road.  Driveway entrance on ocean side.

Dolphin Bay Resort & Spa – Lido Restaurant
2727 Shell Beach Road
Shell Beach, CA 93449
805.773.4300

http://www.thedolphinbay.com

I looked in the Sunday Review-Journal Classifieds.  In the Miscellaneous section I found several job postings that didn’t really describe the job, but pretty much said “want friendly people, no experience required, $500 a week etc.”  One ad had “FREE BEER” in big font.  “What the hell, I’ll try anything at this point.”  It’s called DESPERATION.

After getting a busy signal over the course of an hour, I finally got through when a man answered the phone (sounded like the Billy I would later meet). Told him I was calling about the job in the Classifieds, and he just said “Oh sorry bro, job’s been filled.” – kind of chuckling as he said it.  About a week later, I was looking online at the R-J Classifieds and saw the FREE BEER ad again.

“Huh that’s strange,” I thought, “he said the position was filled, but here’s the post again today.  I’ll call them.”  I got through after about 15 minutes and a girl answered and asked me a few questions like “Am I 18 or over?” “Do I have my own vehicle?”  She then said they had several positions open including managers and assistant managers, and asked if I would be able to come in that day for an interview. Kind of stunned, I agreed.

I quickly ironed my suit, took a shower and tried to do some quick research online, googling what info I had. Nothing really turned up and it was time to go.  I showed up 25 minutes early to my 4pm interview.  Located in an industrial section of town on Polaris with a series of garages, mechanics and other random businesses, I pulled up in front of the window where it said “O. W. O.” in big letters with ”all-star motivation” underneath.

I was getting some weird vibes, but still walked in. There was a young woman sitting at very plain desk with just a telephone and some magazines. No computer? She told me to sign my name under “Billy” and fill out a form. She led me to a small, very austere waiting room with a bunch of chairs and no table.  There was a shelf in the corner with a mini TV and a bunch of perfume and cologne bottles.  She turned on the TV, hit play, tuning in on Anchorman about 1/3 of the way through.

The form looked like it had been made on MS Word, very basic, with just an underline after the questions.  Another guy came in and started filling out the same “paperwork.” After we handed in the forms, the two of us speculated about what kind of job we thought this was. An optimist and admittedly more than naive, I said I thought it was a liquor distributor (free beer?).  He was way savvier and pointed out the perfume bottles.

Next came the “interview” with Billy in another bare basics office. Billy was wearing a white t-shirt with a chain around his neck (tucked under the shirt) – kind of under-dressed for a job interview.  Not to mention that he was interviewing both of us at the same time.

His shtick was that O.W.O. is a rapidly expanding company selling fragrances, opening offices in Las Vegas, Arizona and California, and looking for people to run the outlets.  He claimed they get their perfume from their own factory in Holland where they have a vertical operation including packaging and bottle production as well as the perfume itself.  With no middle men, they could get the products cheap – very cheap.  I was skeptical; wouldn’t it have to be a pretty impressive factory, especially the glass part?  Seems it would be cheaper to outsource it.

He then went on to explain that this wasn’t a telemarketing job, or door to door sales, or cold calls; it was definitely not multi-level marketing. He asked the other gentleman several questions about his availability, in what job he was interested, and then told him “Thank you very much,” gave him a card and said someone would contact him shortly.  Dismissed.

He asked me similar questions and I told him that I’m a recent college grad; I’m excellent with people and willing to train and do whatever it takes to learn the job.  He seemed pleased and asked if I could come in for a second interview at 10am the next day.  He said it was a suit-and-tie kind of thing and that there would be several other people there.  I went home extremely pleased thinking I had a legitimate shot at getting into some kind of management training program.  I KNOW – I SHOULD HAVE GOT IT.

I was anxious about the interview and couldn’t sleep, so I researched the company a bit to show I have some initiative for the second interview.  I admit that some other things bothered me, like the fact the ad said “free beer” and the job didn’t have anything to do with beer. If you are trying to find managers is that really the best way to attract them – beer?  The location of the office and its setup were also suspect. I googled O. W. O. world perfume with the top hits www.ripoffreport.com, www.complaintsboard.com, www.shamscam.com, www.rippedoffemployees.com.  You get the idea.

I was immediately like “Uh oh, this is bad.” Clicking the first link, I read an experience that sounded like mine: newspaper ad, called, got same day interview, asked to come back at 10am for second.  He then went on to describe the second “interview” and how it was just a scam – and then that he didn’t even get paid for the work he eventually did do.

No longer nervous but wary, I went to the interview the next day.  When I arrived there were several men in suits, “bosses” I guess, who shook my hand and told me to sign in and go on in.  There were 60 some chairs, and a TV playing the movie “Old School.”  The room was fairly full with most people looking very unprofessional.  I felt way overdressed in my suit; I was the only one other than the company guys.

A guy named Eric did a kind of a stand up comedy routine for 30 minutes while people were showing up, giving a spiel about the company and himself.  I was shocked the last person strolled in at 10:25. In what world can you show up 30 minutes late for a management interview?

Billy was up next and did a lot of talking about the company and vast amounts of money.  He introduced several young men in suits, but they all had a ghetto appearance – their haircuts, the way they spoke, their body language.  Their language was –well – colorful.  These were not college grads and definitely not corporate material.

Billy explained that all these branches are opening up, how they need managers to staff them, and it’s just an 8 to 16 week program.  He played to the crowd extremely well.  He was entertaining, I’ll give him that.  His own story about himself and how he started – had no experience – and all he was looking for was someone to give him a chance to show that he could do the work and become management etc. was right on the money for the crowd. It was something that everyone in the room, including myself, was struggling with, so after baiting everyone with the whole management opportunity, “we don’t judge people,” “prove yourself” speech, he began to explain the “training” program.

The company’s divided into 3 parts:  marketing, management, and administration.  And here’s where the scam comes in full force.  Their hype is that there is no middle man because everything is produced in a factory in Holland and all the perfumes are “exclusive,” giving them a monopoly on the product line.  “The perfume dealers” supposedly sell an average of 10 to 20 bottles a day and make $5 to $10 CASH (he emphasized “cash”) commission on $25 to $35 bottles of perfume.  This is the base of the company: the grunts running around and selling.  We, however, were going to be managers, but needed to understand all aspects of the business first and that’s where the “training” comes in.

The “marketing” aspect of training consists of door-to-door hustling of the products.  The sales quota is 100 bottles of perfume in two weeks; “paid training” is by commission on sales.  Successful at that, we would graduate to the “management” portion of the training.

Off go the flags in my head.  First off, I was told this is not door-to-door sales, or cold calls. But you would have to go door-to-door in order to sell the product, because I certainly don’t know anyone I could sell a hundred bottles too. That was Lie #1 – no door-to-door?

Next I ran some numbers in my head.  50 bottles a week would be almost impossible to reach.  Who realistically can sell overpriced perfume to 50 different people in a week?  My heart sank into my feet.  They were talking about near impossible goals and the “paid training” I was expecting was commission-based.  The $500 a week that was originally promised is attainable if you manage to meet your quota, but you if don’t sell, you don’t get paid.  Lie #2 – paid training?

It was a trap.  People sign up, making money for the higher ups for every bottle they sell, never reach their hundred bottle quota, and keep restarting, never reaching the second “management” phase of the training.

Billy did a good job of making these numbers seem easy and factual like the average sales are this blah blah, so it sounded like a really good deal.  Most people in the room were nodding and agreeing like 100 bottles was an easily attainable goal.

When you graduate to management, you are given a crew of 4 to 6 people who sell, with you getting a commission based on their sales.  He claimed the average crew sold 200 to 300 bottles per day and explained a complex commission system. If a crew of 4 to 6 sells 250 a day, that’s 40 bottles a person in a 6 man crew – hard for me to believe that’s ever going to happen.  Lie #3 – 40 bottles per day?

He passed around some samples of the product so we could see the cool looking bottles and smell some of the fragrances.  I must admit they had some attractive and creative looking bottles that you could probably promote, but the perfumes didn’t really smell that great – the proverbial cheap perfume.  Can’t see anyone spending $35 on anything they passed around.  I noticed a sticker on the bottom of a bottle with some info about the importer so I jotted it down.

Once you hit a certain amount with your crew, you move into administration which involves test-running an office. After 5 days of successful operations, you are given your own “company” as he called it and you start running 2 to 3 crews out of your office.  Running a bunch of numbers with all the crews and the complex commission system, the payback equaled a minimum of $2000 a week.  Lie #4 – that’s a LOT of perfume!

Billy then finished up the number crunching and said, “So you can clearly see that this isn’t some kind of multilevel marking scheme. You don’t have to pay anything to join us, and you get paid for how much work you put in.”  Lie #5 – not MLM?

I almost burst out laughing, while everyone else in the room seemed mesmerized and eating out of Billy’s hand.

“Hey, dude, you just explained your company structure to us, which is the very textbook definition of multi level marketing, and then with a straight face, you’re going to say that it’s clear you aren’t running a pyramid scheme?”

Billy then laid out the big carrot, claiming he has had a 100% success rate for the past 5 years of everyone completing training – and that you’re not getting a new job, but a new life.  Lie #6 – who ever has a 100% success rate at anything?

Everyone in the room is now commenting like, “I could use that money!” or “Oh man, my kids would be so happy!” – all completely suckered in.  Now, of course, there are 50 or so people in the room and he says “We obviously can’t hire all of you, but here’s a phone number to call within the next hour and we’re going to conduct a phone interview. If we like you, there’s a 3rd session tomorrow where you will begin training under your new manager.”

“Clever,” I thought, “you could hire everyone in this room, just split them up with different trainers in different locations, and they think the 7 or 8 people they are with are the ones who “made” it.  Lie #7 – it’s an exclusive job.

I, of course, just left and didn’t call.  I pitied all those who were stupid enough to believe the spiel by Billy and his ridiculous sales numbers that supposedly banked thousands of dollars for you.  Billy must have been doing well for himself though; he drove a Maserati, and claimed he had a huge house.  He’s on the top of the pyramid – he gets a commission on everyone in that room that signs up.  It doesn’t matter if they fail to meet their quota.  If 30 people sign up and only manage to sell 10 bottles each, he still is making probably about $3K for himself, while the individual apparently sometimes doesn’t even get paid.

So very disappointed and sad, I decide to investigate the company more – the internet had been right on with all the scam warnings.  The company is a bunch of lies or at best, serious bending of the truth.

I looked up the info I got from the perfume bottle. The company is based in Holland but imports the perfumes from a factory in China.  SURPRISE.  I found the factory website; all the perfumes they produce are the products that O. W. O. sells – so yet another lie.  Lie #8 – made in Holland?.

To top it off, I called some of the other telephone numbers from the Classifieds to discover they all lead to these guys.  Pretty much every job posting in the miscellaneous section is just O. W. O.  Lie #9 – 6 different ads, same place.

They managed to get my hopes up twice now, first making me think I was getting a management-training job and second suckering me into thinking that there were several jobs available in the classifieds when they were all just dead ends.  Don’t fall for these scammers. I think it’s disgusting how in this economy, with so many people struggling, that these guys prey on people’s desperation.

Hey – anybody got any leads on a job for an eager and now lot smarter college grad?

FREE BEER Plus up
Las Vegas, NV United States 10/28/2009 (See Ad for Details) FREE BEER Plus up to $500/wk. Intl Wholesale Co. has several positions avail. No exp necessary. Call 257-9557…

Open 24 hours

Rebel’s pizza, which opened over the summer, has already become a UNLV hot spot in just a few short months.  Not surprising considering their incredibly cheap deals.  Catering mostly to the UNLV market (obviously named Rebels for a reason), the place always has people in there eating and picking up pizzas, even late at night.

There’s a wall dedicated to UNLV Graduates where you can sign your name. It’s pretty cool looking at all the comments and doodles people have put up…

They have a decent number of tables with fresh grated Parmesan instead of the usual powder  – and salt/pepper mills.

Open 24 hours, they offer a simple menu at incredibly cheap prices. The base cheese pizza is $3.50 plus tax with toppings only 99 cents each. A one topping pizza comes out to $4.80 with tax, which is cheaper than Little Caesars and other similar discount pizza companies.  You can even get an unlimited topping pizza for $7.99.

Not only are they cheaper but better quality too. The pizza tastes better and is always made to order – not sitting in a heater.  Don’t get me wrong – it’s not the best pizza ever. Don’t come here expecting to get a Metro pizza, but for the price, this place is unbeatable  – especially at 3am.

Besides pizza they have a sandwich combo for $5 which includes a sandwich with unlimited veggies, drink and thick cut fries.  I’ve tried 3 of their sandwiches and I have to say I wasn’t very impressed.  Avoid the roast beef;  I thought it was almost inedible. The club wasn’t bad, considering the price.

I pretty much stick to their pizzas. They offer salads and various other sides, but have yet to try them.

Overall Rebel’s Pizza is an incredible deal and  perfect for parties or events.  Get 10 one topping pizzas for $48 and you’re hard pressed to cater an event for less.

I highly recommend trying it out – especially if you’re living on a budget and like, who isn’t these days????  But  remember you get what you pay for.

p.s. Most of their toppings are good except I don’t recommend the mushrooms. They are the canned kind and very soggy.

4440 S Maryland Pkwy, Las Vegas, NV‎
(Maryland and Harmon, across from UNLV)

(702) 982-8181

My friend David Georgi leads guided hikes in San Luis Obispo County for the Sierra Club and the Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers. He is an avid Pole Walker and instructor in how to reduce the energy you use hiking by using poles that look similar to ski poles.

He invited me to join him for a hike to Point San Luis Lighthouse.  The lighthouse is on PG&E land housing an atomic power station near Avila Beach, CA. Due to security concerns you can only make the hike on guided tours and all participants have to be registered.

See http://www.sanluislighthouse.org/index.html for details.

The Saturday docent led hike starts at 9:00 am throughout the year. You meet at the Memorial for fishermen lost at sea next to the PG&E Power Station Gate in Avila Beach.

The hike is 1.3 miles one way and of moderate difficulty. Over half of our group was in their 50’s and 60’s. Bring a backpack with water and snacks. There are restrooms at Avila Harbor and at the lighthouse.

David lent me a pair of walking poles so I could try them out and we were off.

Right off we hiked up the hill. The steepest parts have stairs and there are a lot of them. Up and down. And we all quickly were out of breath. Most of us were not in good shape but we made it anyway. It took us an hour to reach the lighthouse.

The views were spectacular. The hillside was covered in native California vegetation with lots of old California Oaks. Our three docents told us about the history of Avila and the lighthouse during frequent breaks so we could catch our breath.

Avila Beach was sunny and in the 70’s when we left, but the lighthouse around the corner of Point San Luis was in the fog. It was in the lower 60’s, cold and windy. Bring a jacket.

Using the poles took a while to get used to but on the return trip from the lighthouse I had stopped thinking about it; it had become automatic. If you know how to do it you should be able to save 10-20% of your energy when hiking. You also fall less when you loose your footing on steep slopes. Four legs are better then two.

The Lighthouse was a work in progress. The Coast Guard stopped maintaining the lighthouse buildings when they went to unmanned automated electric lights in 1974 and the buildings deteriorated dramatically. In 1992, the Port San Luis Harbor District received the 30-acre site from the Federal Government with the requirement that the station be restored and opened to the public.

The Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers non-profit corporation was formed in 1995 to take on the responsibility of restoring the lighthouse.

The members are all volunteers and dedicated to restoring the lighthouse to its original state in 1890. So far they have spent 8 years and 80,000 hours working on restoring the lighthouse and other buildings. It will probably take another 8 years to complete the work.

The lighthouse is in good shape. All the gross work of new roofs, stairs, removal of old paint and repainting has been done and period furnishing gives a good idea of the life of the lighthouse keepers family.

The original Fresnel lens has been restored and can be seen at the SLO County Library. It should be installed at the lighthouse next year in 2010.

The trip back went fast. It is predominantly down hill. We were back around 1 pm. The whole hike took 4 hours.

For 3 days after the hike I was very stiff in the morning when I woke up and every time I had been sitting down for more than an hour.

Even my shoulders hurt from working the poles.

For more info on pole walking or hiking in the Central Coast, go to David’s link http://www.csub.edu/~dgeorgi/_CurrentBU/sierraclub/index.htm

Both are surrounded with the best that nature has to offer in the way of clean air, perfect summer climate and breathtaking vistas of craggy mountains, deep green forest and dazzling blue water. But it’s the money that makes the difference – in architecture, in services and, especially in demographics.

King’s Beach could be on Maui or along any of the thousands of miles of Oregon and California coast, with it’s tiny cabins, cheap(er) hotels, unpretentious eateries and kayak rentals. Instead of surfers, you have jet skiers, but the look and age-group is the same.

King’s Beach is home to the younger tourist set and to the worker bees that service the visitor industry in summer and winter.

Incline Village on the Nevada Side is the epitome of wealth and exclusive lifestyle that comes with having lived your life with a lot of smarts and luck. The reward of years of intelligent investing or picking the right parents pays off with a seasonal retreat home and cocktails at the Lone Eagle at the Hyatt on the Lake.

The dock at the Hyatt serves up drinks to landlubbers and boaters alike, with private yachts and chartered sport fishing boats mooring in the late afternoon for a daily celebration of the good life.

Otherwise it’s drinks and goodies on the patio with a splendid view over the fabled sapphire waters of Lake Tahoe.

The smoked salmon pizza at Lone Eagle is an epicurean delight and worth the visit alone. Half price wine is served from 4:30-7:00, Mon-Thurs, but otherwise no deals here. This is not a place for the budget-minded, although it is definitely worth a visit once just to see the Tahoe Riviera and take in the magnificent boats and confident resort fashions.

If you want a good deal on an ok hotel, try Tahoe Inn which is right across the road from CalNeva, the casino that literally straddles the California-Nevada line.

The bagel with cream cheese, lox, onions and capers was just like it should be.

Judging by the steady flow of customers and sometimes long (but quickly served) queues, the Java Hut is well-known on the northern end of Tahoe to be the place for your morning brew.

Their menu includes hearty breakfast burritos with a multitude of combinations along with sandwiches, bagel combos and healthy salad greens.

Related Quest for the Perfect Cappucinno, reJAVAnate – A Coffee House with Community

How far they have come in these 15 years or so with their hectare upon hectare of vinyards spreading along the old Highway from the airport down the valley in the direction of Arroyo Grande.  Tolosa is a cooperative effort with several local owners with other lives like prominent attorneys and civic leaders – people fulfilling their passion and dreams in a truly magical California way.

On a Saturday morning a small green and red trolley carries an elite group from vinyard to vinyard, with tasting stops along the way among the palatial homes, rolling hills and endless lines of grapes stretching into the azure blue horizon.  There’s not a wind, the day is a perfect 85 degrees and all is well in this peaceful and unspoiled Eden for worshipers of the fermented grape in all its colors, textures and variations. Not overly commercial and over-run like Napa, the area around SLO (San Luis Obispo) retains an authentic, homey flavor typical of everything in this county.

Our tour guide is a Cal Poly grad, well-versed in all the scientific know-how that goes into growing the consistent quality of the California vintage, fielding questions with ease and enthusiasm.  Although her job is to grow the grapes – others produce the actual wine – there doesn’t seem to be much she doesn’t know.  From meticulous measuring of the drip drip of the irrigation to the careful pruning of the sunny side of the arbor, allowing the grapes to mature in favorable sunshine on the one side and shaded from the harsh rays on the other, every baby step is based on scientific research and the latest in enological technology.

The competition to be the most environmentally aware in California is keen.  The Central Coast has developed a voluntary SIP certification (Sustainability in Practice) with a lengthy process of constant improvements in growing techniques to result in a grape cultivation and wine production with the least possible impact on the environment.

A box lunch was served under the shade of a sprawling California oak, accompanied by more of the wine just tasted in the fields.

The Tasting House, designed by Cal Poly architecture students to utilize the working materials of the winery – wood, cork, metal, glass – has a stunning modern effect – a little cold perhaps – reminiscent in style of the new M Casino in Las Vegas.

Wood and Glass Door

View from Private Tasting Room

Related New M Casino Modern Chic Oasis

Buffet 5 out of 10

One good thing the M has going for it is if you sign up for a player’s card, they give you a free buffet coupon or $10 in slot play.

Leaving the bar with no appetizers, we decided we were hungry and went and signed up for the card and got our coupons. The buffet line didn’t look very long but we ended up waiting 45 minutes to get in.

First off, let me say I’ve been to a few buffets around Las Vegas and am not a huge buffet fan, other than the Rio buffet. I am usually disappointed with the mediocre food and high price tag to get in.

But back to the M Casino Buffet, once we got inside I didn’t really like the setup of the place. It’s basically one big room with all the tables scattered about with the food in the middle of the room – making 1 big line. I felt like I was eating inside a cafeteria.

It was a smaller buffet but the food selection was good; they offered a lot of variety and most the things I ate were pretty good. Most important, the food was fairly fresh. I hate when I go to buffets and the food’s been sitting out for an hour and is slimy and gross.

They offered a little bit of everything from American BBQ to Thai and sushi. There is complementary beer and wine, which is a big plus for all the drinkers out there. They even have their own M lager, which I personally thought was terrible. The wine was only white zinfandel and cabernet, but both were actually decent tasting wines and didn’t taste cheap.

Overall this was one of the better buffets I’ve been to out here in Vegas. The free beer and wine defiantly helped but I probably wouldn’t go back unless it was free again. Maybe for lunch since its only $15. But if you’re a buffet person, it’s no Rio – but  way better than a Station Casino or the Hilton and I would recommend the M Casino Buffet with the qualifications I just mentioned.

Related: Be wary of M Casino Happy Hour deals, M Casino 32 Degrees Beer Bar Happy Hour, New M Casino Modern Chic Oasis, Martha Stewart Radio Show from the M

Food vendors peddling cuisine as far ranging as Mediterranean, Italian and Chinese line both sides of street blocked off to cars to create a Thursday evening “walking street.”

Most famous for charcoal broiled ribs, chicken, trip tip and garlic bread, it is a mandatory experience to eat on the curb or find a spot on the steps.

One end of the street fair is a true Farmers Market with a bounty of produce and flowers from the County and surrounds.

Interspersed among the food vendors are booths touting services from temporary tatoos to promotion of local clubs and action committees.

There is the excitement of a medieval fair, complete with musicians for every taste – and puppet shows for children of all ages.

Everywhere you see evidence of the earnestly environmental California mentality.  There’s a special parking lot for bicycles and organic fare is the norm.

From religion to sunflowers – it’s all there.

EDC gets 10 out of 10

Electric Daisy Carnival – or EDC for short – is the biggest electronic music festival on the West Coast (probably in the United States) and has sort of become the rave for non-ravers and first timers. If you’re only going to attended one rave a year, EDC has become the spot.
It is technically a “massive,” not a rave (basically the same thing except a massive has way more people and is usually multistage).

Two days long this year, EDC boasted its highest numbers to date with 45,000 people on Friday and 90,000 on Saturday.  The people in attendance is an interesting mix of hardcore’s and newbie’s alike – all mixed together for one helluva crazy time. It was my first rave 3 years ago – I know plenty of other people who came this year for their first time. Located in the LA Coliseum, get ready to get crazy with thousands of other people who are all there just to have a good time.

This year’s EDC boasted probably the best lineup from past years, but the fact that they had the highest number count wasn’t a good thing. In my opinion, they way oversold tickets. Friday was a lot of fun; it was immensely packed, but you were still able to navigate around comfortably. Saturday, however, was way too many people. You could barely walk on the sidewalks and there were times where staff shut down the main stage, not letting people in or out, because of the numbers of people – and the main stage is about the size of a football field…

I had friends who were climbing fences to get around because everywhere was just too jammed full of people; half the time I felt like I was being herded around like a bunch of cattle. I went VIP which has special access points which made my life easier getting around, but I felt bad for everyone else. Near the end of the night even the VIP area was too full. The promoters definitely cared more about ticket sales and making a profit than actually putting on a fun event for everyone.

But don’t get me wrong. Despite the over crowding, this party is off the hook. There’s nothing quite like dancing in a crowd of 30,000 people with glow toys all getting down to the same DJ.

The event is huge -6 stages; they have carnival rides everywhere, including Ferris wheel, zipper, and bumper cars, just name a few. They have crazy art and interactive things everywhere. For instance, they had a wood house with blacklights inside and furnished cups with multicolored florescent paint and brushes – everyone who came by painted something on the wall or wrote a message.  I thought it was very cool.

Every year a large proportion of the worlds best DJ’s attend:  this year featured Paul Van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold, Thievery Corporation, Bennie Bennasi, Infected Mushroom, Kaskade, Markus Shulz, Crystal Method, Cosmic Gate just to name a few. Even DJ AM, who’s a resident at Rain here in Vegas, was there. Each stage was broken up into a genre of music, everything from your standard Trance/Techno, to electro and drum and bass. You can pretty much wander around and find good music anywhere. I generally stuck just to the main and secondary stage, but that’s all I needed. I heard awesome music and met some cool people.

The best performance was put on by Crystal Method, who played most of their CD tracks but did them live, mixing it as they go. I was already a fan of their music, but now I have an immense respect for them as DJ’s.  Most people you watch are basically doing nothing more then putting on other peoples music and hitting play, blending the songs together when its time for something new. Crystal Method, on the other hand, made everything from scratch, mixing and tweaking as they went.  It was awesome. Bennie Bennasi and Van Dyk also put on an exceptional show.

There are way too many DJ’s to list here that did a good job, but I do want to mention some of the disappointments.

STS9, one of the bands I was most looking forward to seeing again, was a massive let down. They are normally a very weird type of music I can’t really classify – a mix of techno, jam band and trip. But all the members of the band are phenomenal musicians, most of them playing multiple instruments and switching off in the middle of the song. Here, however, they only brought their laptops, no bass or guitar or any instruments. I can understand what they were trying to do – being at a rave setting, trying to be more DJ and less a band, but I want to see them play their music  and not do it on laptops.

Another group who was a let down was Infected Mushroom. This was the 4^th time I’ve seen them. They usually put on a really good show and I tell everyone that they are one of the best groups to see at a rave. They dance around and spit fire and have crazy visual effects. But this time they didn’t have any of that. They just didn’t do it for me – as the final headliner for the secondary stage I thought they put on a poor performance. They just didn’t hold my interest, and I left after an hour and watched Van Dyk finish up.

Final Verdict: All in all, EDC is a must.

Everyone needs to go at least once to experience it.
Even if you hate techno, you need to go.
If you’ve never been to a rave, you need to go.
If you’re a raver and have never been a massive, you need to go.

This is the end all of all Massives.
It doesn’t really get any better than this – except maybe Monster Massive during Halloween.

http://www.electricdaisycarnival.com/

Rex Reviews

Terzetto 2 out of 10 (would be higher if wasn’t a scam)

Since the beer bar was a failure, (see link below to my post on M Beer Bar Happy Hour), my friends and I decided to see what the rest of the casino had to offer.

A TV screen inside the casino said the Terzetto restaurant had half price martinis, 2 for 1 Mojitos and half price appetizers so we decided to get some drinks and a few appetizers there to lift our spirits. The hostess told us to sit wherever we liked. A waiter promptly came and introduced himself and asked us if we would like to start with any drinks. I ordered a martini and he asked me what type of vodka I would like. He listed a few vodkas, Ketel One and Grey Goose being the two I remember. I asked what the price difference was and he said the Grey Goose was $8.50 right now – a good deal since a normal Goose martini is $12. I was immediately confused because wouldn’t half price be $6?

So decided to get 2 Mojitos and split one with my friend. We ordered a strawberry banana Mojito and my girlfriend ordered a chocolate martini. Our drinks came promptly and were delicious. I highly recommend the 2 for 1 Mojito deal since it was only 6.50 for the 2. The chocolate martini was very good as well and was $8.50.

We decided to order some half price appetizers and the waiter informed us that 1st off, we needed to be sitting in the restaurant, which was ridiculous because we were sitting at a table inside the restaurant.  I guess we needed to be further from the bar or something. Then he says that the Happy Hour is not actually half price appetizers, but when you order an entree (sitting in the “restaurant”), and order an appetizer you get a second one free… I thought this was very lame. I thought very highly of the M the other time I came, but am now very disillusioned.

Be wary of any “deals” or Happy Hours the M casino offers because there always seems to be a catch. I hardly see how 1/2 price appetizers is actually “order a bunch of stuff and get 1 free” – and half price martinis at $8.50 is scandalous. Yes, the chocolate martini was well made and delicious, but I would never ever consider paying the full price of 17 dollars – or was it $12 like the waiter said? – and they really just give you like a 25% discount instead of half off.

Bottom line: Be wary of the M Casinos “deals” and “happy hours” because everything seemed to have a catch or be some kind of scam.

M Casino 32 Degrees Beer Bar Happy Hour

The kickoff show of the Blazed and Confused tour in Las Vegas was a huge success and a lot of fun.  The lineup was amazing and the artists performed way better than I was expecting.

I have seen Stephan Marley before at a festival but don’t really remember it, so it was basically like watching him for the first time again and he was very entertaining.  He had a kid (son maybe) on stage the whole time dancing and waving around a Jamaican flag on a stick.  The arena was fairly empty while he played (less than half full i would guess) so i felt kinda bad for him.  The audience wasn’t very into his show; people were constantly shuffling around and trying to find seats or leaving to go get drinks.  But his musical performance was great and he was probably the best opening band I’ve seen at a concert – albeit every band in this show would normally be a headliner.

Next Slightly Stoopid came on and they were my favorite show of the night.  A very hard band to classify in a musical genre, I would call them a mix of reggae, ska, punk, and jam band with a heavy Sublime influence.  A pretty big band, they have a lot of rarer instruments for a band including a trumpet, saxophone and bongos.  They put on an amazing show opening with a jam session for a few minutes then moving into some of their more traditional songs, often allowing for guitar and brass solos.  They engaged the crowd in their performance, getting everyone up to cheer and dance.  They even had a reggae singer come out for a while and sing some of their popular reggae hits.

This leads me to some of my chief complaints about the event.  While the sound wasn’t terrible, it was pretty bad.  There were lousy acousitcs at the venue, so often you could hear an echo which interfered with the music.  I could rarely understand what the singer was saying; it just sounded like noise over all the instruments, For a $60 ticket, I expect excellent if not perfect sound.

The other major problem was the heavy police presence.  Slightly Stoopid was getting the crowed pumped up throughout the show and, before one of their smoking songs, told the audience to light it up if they got it – same with Snoop Dogg. I saw at least 4 or 5 groups of people being pulled out of the seats or escorted down the hallway by the police for smoking;  even saw a fight breakout between the police and a man as he tried to run away.  I have no idea what happened to these people. I’m hoping they just got kicked out and not arrested or given a ticket, but i think its completely outrageous for the police to to be grabbing people out of the crowd at a concert – period.  Much less at one called Blazed and Confused.

The title makes it seem like your almost supposed to be smoking – and even the music and bands are encouraging it.  But you’re going to have the police arresting people for it, it’s very hypocritical of the venue and Vegas promoters. Disappointing.  Coming into the concert, there wasn’t even the normal pat down from security; they just ripped your ticket and you were inside.  This contributed even more to the illusion that it was okay to bring in marijuana. While I’m not complaining at the no search – I think all concerts should have it – you shouldn’t not search people, then arrested them for contraband without giving people some kind of warning it’s just plain stupid.

Back to the concert.  Slighty Stoopid played most of their hit songs, although I was disappointed that I didn’t get to hear my favorite song, but they jammed plenty of other tunes to make me happy.  Snoop Dog performed last, and by this time the venue was pretty packed; it seemed to me like most the audience was just there to see him.  Very understandable as Snoop straight rocked the house!

It been a long time since i have seen a crowd so into a performer; he knew exactly how to get the crowd going, and keep em going, not just doing a musical act, but being a performance artist as well.  He setup his songs nicely. He put on Jamie Foxx’s “Blame it,” (which I think is extremely played out, but the ladies still seem to love it), and just danced around and got the crowd engaged.  Everyone was standing in their seats dancing and singing along. When the song finished, he said, “Now I know what all you guys is drinking, how bout we pour me some of my favorite drink, you all know what that is!?” The whole crowd started shouting “Gin and Juice” “Gin and Juice” and he broke out into the song.

He did several songs like this, which was awesome for keeping the crowd on their feet and full into the moment.  I personally am not a fan of Snoop’s newer work: I feel like he sold out in some respect and went way too mainstream. He only played 3 or 4 newer songs and the rest were classics.  I have to give it to Snoop though.  He is an amazing performer and it’s incredibly rare to see someone get the whole crowd involved and feeling the concert like he did.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the show. I do think the ticket prices were way too expensive, especially considering that some of the other destinations for the tour are around $40 for premium tickets instead of a $60 minimum.  For the price I paid, I felt Ishould have been on the floor, not the side balcony.  The sound was a bummer, but didn’t  interfere with the overall sensationalism of the show. The police presence was overkill, but for the law-abiding attendees, it wasn’t a problem.

I would cautiously recommend this show as it was a very fun concert.  But for the price tag, I would definitely consider how badly you want to see the bands in the lineup – big fans of Snoop and Slightly Stoopid would say the price was worth it.  But I’d say skip this one, unless you are willing to pay anything to see them.

Other Rex Reviews:

Dollar Drinks, M Casino 32 Degrees Happy Hour, Reggae in the Desert Vegas Style,

The Bob Jones Bike Trail connects San Luis Obispo (the city) to the coast at Avila Beach and affords the enthusiastic cyclist with miles of protected riding through breathtaking terrain.

If you hankering for succulent crab, sweet and plentiful, go on Tuesdays to either Ciao Bella in Morro Bay or Spyglass Restaurant in Shell Beach (northern Pismo Beach).  Both Central Coast California restaurants have superior water and sunset views:

Ciao Bella located on the Morro Bay Embarcadero looks onto Morro Rock, sail and fishing boats.

Spyglass is perched on the Shell Beach cliffs with vast open waters framed by the headland of Port San Luis and Avila Beach.

www.spyglassinnrestaurant.com

UNLV has announced its

You can check out details at liberalarts.unlv.edu or call 702- 895-3401.

Aug 27 – The Supernatural as Natural: An Evolutionary Approach to Religiosity Prof. Michael Winkelman, School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University

Sep 09 – In Search of Dark Matter Prof. George Rhee, Department of Physics and Astronomy, UNLVGovernment, University of Texas

Sep 10 – The Body as Metaphor Profs. Louis Kavouras, Margot Mink Colbert, and Roberta Sabbath, Department

Sep 17 – Do Children Have Constitutional Rights?  Prof. David S. Tanenhaus, Department of History, UNLV

Sep 24 – Polish Heroes: Those Who Saved Jews  Consul General of the Republic of Poland, Los Angeles, CA

Sep 30 – Comedy à la Aristotle Prof. Paul Schollmeier, Department of Philosophy, UNLV

Oct 01 – Graffiti Photos: Self-Photography in Japanese Girl Culture Prof. Laura Miller, Department of Anthropology, Loyola University of Chicago

Oct 15 – Close Calls with Nonsense: Reading New Poetry Profs. Stephen Burt, Department of English, Harvard University, and Donald Revell, Department of English, UNLV

Oct 22 – A Poetry Reading Prof. Claudia Keelan, Department of English, UNLV

Nov 04 – Green Our Vaccines! Mercury Moms, Autism, and the Immunization Wars Prof. Danielle Roth-Johnson, Department of Women’s Studies, UNLV

Nov 12 – Galileo’s Telescopic Discoveries, 1609-2009: Repercussions and Lessons Prof. Maurice Finocchiaro, Department of Philosophy (Emeritus), UNLV

Nov 19 – “No Dreaming, No Story”: Baz Luhrman’s “Australia” Prof. Patrick McGee, Department of English, Louisana State University

Dec 03 – The Millennium Villages Project Prof. Yesim Tozan, School of Public Health, Boston University

If you want to know more about various opportunities for free lectures at UNLV, jump to :
3 Different UNLV Lecture Series Free to Public

As you can tell by the photos, this ain’t Vegas.  Back on the Central Coast for July, we celebrated this little piece of paradise on the planet with a Bar-B-Q on the patio in San Luis Obipso (known to natives as SLO)

and followed with fireworks on the beach by the Pismo Pier.

A perfect day in paradise……

Last Friday I attended the South Point for their dollar drink special.  I arrived around 8pm and the place was already packed, the first bar by the parking garage was full, and there were no tables or spots at the bar.  But waiting for drinks wasn’t really a problem. 

I was skeptical when I first arrived about "every drink one dollar", but as soon as I ordered I quickly found that it was legit.  While sometimes they skimped on the liquor pour for some drinks, overall everything I ordered tasted right and was decently strong. 

For example, I ordered 4 Surfer’s on Acid and the bartender made it with 3 shots instead of 4 – but when the price is only a dollar a piece, who’s complaining?  Literally every kind of booze was a dollar. They will give you well liquor unless you specify, but I was drinking Jack Daniels Single Barrel and Patron as well as some normally expensive shots all for a dollar. 

A bit later we moved over to the sports bar where we managed to find a table.  By about 9pm the sports bar was completely jammed.  I waited 15 to 20 minutes to get a drink. I even started waiting at 9:45 to get a last round and didn’t get served until 10:10. The bartender still gave me the drinks for a dollar since I was in line -  very decent of her.  

Overall I had a really good time, with a crowd of interesting people.  You cannot beat this for the price -  anywhere.  It’s the real deal – no Vegas gimmicks.

The offer is advertised only for the month of June, so unless they extend – Fri Jun 26 is your last chance for a boozer’s dream.

Beer Bar: 3 out of 10 (happy hour)

Earlier I had a posting stating that the 32 Degree beer bar located inside the M Casino has a happy hour during the week from 4pm to 7pm that was all domestics $1 .

Well, I am sorry to report that this isn’t nearly as good of a deal as I originally posted. Despite the fact that on their menu pricing the domestics are considered to be anything brewed inside the US (including micro breweries and premium US beer), the $1 drafts are limited to the standard "domestic" pisswater beers such as Bud light and Coors light.

I was very disappointed when I drove all the way out to the M in order to partake in the happy hour and taste a variety of delicious beers for cheap and found out I basically wasted my time.

I apologize to any readers that may have read my article and did the same thing as I did.

Last time I was at the M, I noticed that their Beer Bar 32 Degrees has a Happy Hour Sunday through Thursday from 4 to 7 with all domestic pints $1. 

This is a better deal than you think because at 32 Degrees, "domestics" aren’t just Bud light and Coors. 

If its brewed here in America, it’s a buck – including Samuel Adams and a wide selection of micro-brews – all draft and served ice cold.

Related: M Beer Bar the best in Vegas