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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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 barline 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.

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

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.

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

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)

ConservationNatural 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

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.

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

Thank you to www.peymanmeli.org for image.

If you are on Twitter, set your location to Tehran and your time zone to GMT +3.30.

Security forces in Iran are hunting for bloggers using location/timezone searches.

The more people at this location, the more of a logjam it creates for forces trying to shut down Iranians’ access to the internet.

Please pass on.

FYI :  Blogger M. Baseley says “Actually, changing the time zone has no effect, since the only person who sees the time zone is the account holder. Not sure what effect changing your location has, though.”

The Blazed and Confused Summer Concert Tour featuring Snoop Dogg, Slightly Stoopid, Stephen Marley, and Mickey Avalon is making a stop here out at state line performing in the Star of the Desert Arena in Primm. 

I am really looking forward to this concert – the lineup is rather amazing and should be one hell of a show.  I have never seen Snoop live but heard his concerts are a blast and Slightly Stoopid and Stephen Marley always put on a jam session. 

This is definitely a must see if you can afford to go.  The ticket prices are a little steeper than the average concert, but you are also getting to see 3 headliners in show  – so I think its definitely going to be worth it. 

Go to http://www.cttconcerts.com/ for the concert webpage where they have samples of all the artists’ music.

Tickets at the Door: ?
Tickets in advance: $54, $82.45, $109.95
+ $9 Ticketmaster fees

I had the privilege of seeing Larry Hart’s production of Praise in the reception hall of Hart Mansion when he first launched the show before a small private audience of friends and special invited guests.

The rhythm and sounds of this unique show reflect Larry’s spiritual diversity with an eclectic mix of tunes and dance drawn from a full spectrum of religious and spiritual roots.  This is not just gospel born from the American South, but a global gospel praising the Lords of all beliefs.

But no matter the origin of the inspiration, each number is indeed inspired and that inspiration is quintessential Larry Hart – all heart and masses of talent.

This is the kind of show that just makes you happy.  Your consciousness naturally expands and your heart chakra nearly bursts from your chest.  Don’t miss it if you want more joy in your life.

PRAISE
Grammy Award Winning recording artist
Larry Hart presents
Sunday July 12, 2009 @ 2:00 p.m.
South Point Casino Showroom

Tickets on sale now $25/$30/$35
702.796.7111
www.southpointcasino.com

Rex Reviews

Check this out!

Through the month of June the South Point Casino is offering every Friday a happy hour from 4pm to 10pm with any drink $1 – yes Dollar Drinks – at all casino bars.  That’s right -  everything’s one greenback from Patron to beer. 

This being almost too good of a deal to pass up, I hope I see you there. 

Only two Fridays left in June – Let’s Party!

I will post more details after I check it out this Friday. TGIF – almost.

Reggae In The Desert was jamming again this year.  For the past 8 years this event has had solid lineups and provided one of the best reggae music experiences you can find in Las Vegas.  I’ve attended the past 2 years – great bands and good times for a cheap price. 

With 9 hours of music this year’s Reggae in the Desert did not disappoint. The weather was much cooler than a typical Vegas June afternoon – what a gift – it made sitting in the sun enjoyable rather than torture.

The lineup was pretty solid all day, with a broad range of musical styles – a pleasant surprise as I tend to find when I watch a lot of live reggae, most the bands sound the same.

One Pin Short, the opening band, played in a sublime like style, performing a few good covers but with a lot of original music as well.

Yellowman was the most interesting performer; being albino he looks like like a skinny Irishman but sounds fully legit with a deep throaty Jamaican voice. He was high energy on stage and interacted strong with the crowd – a good performer.

My favorite performance of the night was Third World, an almost Reggae-Dub style with a lot of jamming and solos -  all musicians very highly talented.  I was disappointed in the Ky-Mani Marley Show. He had a few good songs but only played for a little over an hour; I felt he didn’t put on nearly as good a show as Third World.

The venue itself was completely packed by 8pm. When I was leaving I heard that the show was sold out -  easy to believe as there was nowhere to sit if you didn’t already have a spot. The whole front of the stage was packed with standing people.

I like the setup of the amphitheater. I was able to sit down, but had enough elevation to see over the heads of the people standing in front of the stage.

My chief complaint about the event was there was a lot of waiting. The bathrooms always had an miles long line. The food lines were even more ridiculous. I had to wait almost 40 minutes to get some Jamaican BBQ; the food was really good, but I missed half of Third World just standing around.

The setup time between the last 2 bands was way too long, and while DJ Rhamma did a good job of mixing tunes in between bands, Marley took over 45 minutes to come on – way too long.

Event was hosted by Steve Edwards from The Reggae Ting.

Final verdict:  Reggae in the Desert well worth the $25 price tag.  Go next year.

**recommend bringing water bottle and blanket for sitting on grass.

Clark County Amphitheater
500 South Grand Central Parkway
Check out their website for full info:
http://www.reggaeinthedesert.com/

related: Chris’ Reggae Wine Event

YouTube – Buscando Estrellas - Primer programa grabado en vivo en Las Vegas Nevada MEGA TV 32 en el Hotel y Casino Greek Isles.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vComdw9uORo&feature=email

Nuestra Mision es llevar sano entretenimiento hasta todos los hogares in nuestro idioma y resaltar lo positivo de nuestra gente.
Our mission is to bring family entertainment to Las Vegas in Spanish and to highlight the positive in the Latino community.

Nuestro elenco artistico conformado por Franco de Leon, Sofia de Mexico, Damian Vazquez, Raul Morales, Jaqueline DiCaro, Cristina Pacheco con el apoyo de la Doctora Lynda Shore y el Sr. Alex Ezqueda y La Familia Palmer, Foto Estudio Palmer en coordinacion de camera y fotografia.

Muchas gracias por todas sus muestras de carino y apoyo.
Thank you to our cast and backers as mentioned above for their loving dedication and support.

Related: Buscando Estrellas – Looking for Latin Stars

A sample of the M’s sous chef’s braised pork ribs, nibbles of cupcakes from Retro Bakery and tastes of “Vegas” wines were highlighted by a visit from a cutting edge floral designer and a real Vegas-style showgirl.

The radio host Mario Bosquez was upbeat, entertaining and everything you would expect from a representative of a class act like Martha Stewart. Studio B is a brilliant little spot with great seating and a fully-equipped kitchen primed and ready for TV/video viewing.

One of the audience expressed surprise that there was something to “see” on a radio show.  In fact, a radio broadcast in the genre of Martha Stewart’s Living Today is little different from a TV show.  The crew video tapes the guests (audience and interviewees) as well as snaps photos for the blog; it’s a multi-media event.

Your job in the audience is to applaud and be sufficiently boisterous to communicate enthusiasm across radio waves, ask questions, sample good food, be educated and entertained.  Not bad work if you can find it.

Living Today

Weekdays 1 pm – 5 pm ET

Hosted by Mario Bosquez.

http://www.sirius.com/marthastewartlivingradio

Jubilee

Bally’s

The Showgirl, all 6 feet of her, swept her way to the microphone amidst wows and applause.  With a great personality and obvious love of her job, she carried her plumed headdress with confidence and aplomb.  The Jubilee cast of 85 with 9 costume changes each every night and a stage half the size of a football field gives you some idea of the production sophistication of this most Vegas of all Vegas shows.  Jubilee is a must see if you want to experience the real Las Vegas.  p.s. If you have aspirations of joining the show, grow to 6′ (male) or 5′8″ (female) and be prepared for 2 shows a night, rehearsals and carrying anywhere from 10lbs to 40lbs on your head – while wearing 3″ heels – if female.

http://www.lasvegastourism.com/jubilee.htm

Destinations by Design

Allison Hart

According to Allison, designer from DBD, the trend to green is also driving the floral arrangement market.  Allison brought a wheatgrass table arrangement with driftwood “vases,” orchids and moss balls – all requiring very little water and made from recyclable materials.  Earthernware-appearing vases were actually made from newspaper, with metallic cores for holding the flowers.

Check out their website for diverse and innovative travel and meeting planning services of Destinations by Design.

http://www.dbdvegas.com/

Retro Bakery

Kari Haskell

A tight bundle of energy, Kari is so imbued with enthusiasm that she could hardly be contained in the space of Studio B.  Inspired by Dairy Queen from her childhood days in Oregon, she has developed her signature butter cream swirl in so many flavors and variations that it would take days to try them all.  Her husband is the cake master and together they are re-inventing the American standard in home-style gone commercial baking.

http://www.retrobakerylv.com/

http://twitter.com/retrobakery

M Resort

Hostile Grape

Mark Thomas, Director of Beverages

Mark poured two wines from the selection of 160 found at the M’s Hostile Grape.  The two reds were from California, one a husky Syrah and the other akin to Chianti – both reasonably priced in the $10/bottle range.  A third white was from Pahrump NV, but not enough for the audience to sample.  The label Pahrump Valley Winery is a bit misleading.  If you visit, you discover that they mostly blend with grapes from California.  They have produced and released a locally grown Zinfandel – quite a feat for the Mojave Desert . p.s the restaurant there was good, worth the drive. http://www.pahrumpwinery.com/

You can read more about the M Resort at:

New M Casino Modern Chic Oasis

Les’ Wines and Vines is a weekly radio show with a live audience that moves from restaurant to restaurant around the city.

To find out more:

Les’ Wines and Vines Radio Show

They call Las Vegas the 9th Island, so it seems appropriate for me to mention an eco design company based in Hawaii that is now up for sale.  It you have access to some cash (apparently there are a few of those people left) and have a hunger in your soul for an alternative livestyle, check out the link below to read about the eco business  Savage Designs with an Eco-RV.

Sunny Savage of Hale Paiku in Maui wants to transition to the next adventure and sail around the world in a floating mobile documentary film studio.

She is offering a 2 in 1 package – an Eco-RV home and an eco conscious clothing company.

After researching the globe for natural fibers, Sunny discovered indigenous Nepalese who wildcraft fibers and found a cutting edge designer to create Savage Designs, an eco conscious clothing company like no one else on the market.

The RV is bio-diesel, has eight solar panels, and a garage in the back that would be a great editing bay!  The interior is totally remodeled in bamboo and cork with organic bedding and other eco-friendly accessories.

Do yourself a favor.   Dream for a minute or two.  This may just be the opportunity you have been looking for.

savagedesigns.net/forsale/

 By the way, if you are interested, mention you saw this on my site.  Most of my readers are not from Las Vegas – I have a big following in Germany, for instance.  I would love to know if someone from Augsburg followed their dream.
 

Last night the Coliseum at Caesar’s Palace was filled with supporters of Sen. Harry Reid, but it was President Barack Obama that elicited the sheer joy and exuberance that electrified the air.  Broad smiles and glowing faces, strangers interacting like old friends, the mood was one of both relief and gratitude.  So many in that vast audience had worked so hard for so long and now was time for celebration.

The last time Barack Obama was in Las Vegas, he was a candidate.  Last night he was President.  Even he quipped that he was impressed with his room upgrade from his previous stay at Caesar’s.  “We love you!” was shouted from the balcony – undoubtedly true, but for many of us, it is the idea of Barack Obama that we love and the ideas that he represents.  Mention of Sonia Sotomayor, his Latina nominee to the Supreme Court, brought a roar from the audience and a standing ovation.

Harry was, well, Harry – an unassuming guy from Searchlight, not a great orator, not a man brimming with charisma, but certainly a man with enough tenacity and grit to have represented red state Nevada for years in the US Senate, and now to work as Majority Leader with enough success to allow President Obama to list last night an impressive agenda already accomplished.

Bette and Rita had ample opportunity to throw barbs at our previous President with Rita quipping that ex-Pres Bush was writing a book – a small one – a comic book.  Bette Midler confirmed with the audience “Wasn’t it great to have a President that was actually funny on purpose?”

I’m glad I was there last night.  It’s a wonderful thing to see joy and hope manifested.  There are plenty of problems out there, many that seem without resolution.  A few hours of happiness and unity are a welcome respite.

Related: Create Reid’s campaign slogan and meet Obama

Back in the Midwest on that great expanse of prairie, we used to dream of California as a beacon of light and progress and everything that we considered forward thinking in American society. 

We used to believe that as goes California, will the rest follow in time.

I never thought I would see the day when Iowa was more socially advanced than the Golden State.

The California High Court has just ruled that the ban on same sex marriage, as voted by the electorate in one of California’s famous (and infamous) propositions, must stand.  They cited that the constitution allowed for the voters to make such restrictive legislation and that it was not the Court’s place to interecede.

I certainly am no legal scholar, but am certain there is adequate precedent in the law to support the Court’s position.  But I do feel grateful that the California voters have not voted to reinstate slavery  – although in a sense, that is just what this ban represents.  It this isn’t tyranny of rule by majority and violation of minority rights, I don’t know what is.

I hope that the voters don’t decide one day to make Spanish the official language of California  – or to deny still other civil liberties based on sexual orientation.  Could gays be required to carry special ID cards because the voters are hoodwinked into thinking that such an action would help save society from the scurge of AIDS?

More than anything, I pray the rest of the country will NOT follow California’s lead  – that we will move forward instead of backward in our national vision to provide equal protection under the law for all citizens, regardless of race,  ethnicity, gender, age or sexual orientation.

Related articles: National Coming Out Day

I’m not going to go into a lot of detail here about the 11th CineVegas Film Festival that runs June 10-15 at the Brenden Theatres at the Palms Casino. They have a dynamic website that will give you all the information about tickets, showings and star-studded events. (see link below)

When I am asked, which is often, about some of the greatest experiences I’ve had with SandraOfftheStrip, I always put CineVegas at the top of the list.  I’ll admit that I am an avid film lover, especially independent film, and this opportunity to see some of the best new directors and their work is a treat that no one in the Vegas area should miss.

If you don’t have the time to spend four days and nights watching exciting new films, both feature length and documentary (my definition of Heaven,) then go to the site and select a couple out of the myriad of choices in this year’s program. 

If you are in town that week, you can buy tickets at the box office in the Palms.  Take a break from gambling or partying and treat yourself to a unique Vegas experience.

Check out some reviews I did of CineVegas 9 in the pages section of this site.
Check out the CineVegas 11 website for full details of the festival as well as the Café Series being held at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

9th Annual CineVegas Film Festival (see internal links for other pages.)

CineVegas website: 
www.cinevegas.com/cv/index.php

Tea Rooms

The Market Tea Room at Antiques at the Market, with its High Tea of fresh scones, devonshire cream and assorted finger sandwiches is a charming retreat from typical Las Vegas.  But don’t think that this is a place for the delicate only; the sandwich and soup choices are hearty enough to satisfy any appetite.

Open Mon-Sat, the Tea Room is tucked at the front corner of the antique mall on Eastern just south of Sunset with access from the mall or directly from the parking lot.

Owner and chef, Carolyn Geiger, moves between kitchen and tea room with bowls of soups, plates of house-specialty sandwiches and elegant 3-tiered serving dishes overflowing with sweet and savory delicacies – all created in house. Gregory helps serve with a broad smile and an eagerness to please that makes you feel immediately at home.

The vegetable soup, with finely chopped ingredients was utterly superb.  With an imaginative combination of spices and herbs, Carolyn used fennel to introduce the delicate flavor of asparagus but let cayenne kick in on the back end for a delightful play on the taste buds.  The balance was just right – soothing and exotic with just a hint of picante.

The chicken salad sandwich on rich grain bread with cranberries and walnuts is a perenniel favorite.  If you’re in the mood for something more “fresh” to the palette, try the veggie sandwich with avocado, cucumber and dill cream cheese.

Hot teas of various types are always served, but the iced tea selection is perfect for Vegas summer months.  If tea isn’t your thing, you can dive into an old-fashioned root beer float.

Please leave room for dessert, or at minimum, one of Carolyn’s scones served with authentic devonshire cream and fruit preserves.  I tasted the best while living in St. Ives, and can say with complete confidence that you will not be disappointed.

Chef/owner Carolyn has a way of retaining authenticity while adding that special touch that makes her cuisine entirely her own.  No weird and strange concoctions for the sake of originality at Market Tea Room – just wholesome, hand-crafted delicious food made with a true love of the art of cooking to please.

This is a delightful spot for little girls in frilly dresses to experience a much-revered British tradition of High Tea that seems almost fairy-tale like in its charm.  Although there is a special appeal for the gentle sex, the diverse menu choices and excellence in quality draw a mixed clientele of all ages and both genders.  We shared the Tearoom on Saturday with a large family celebrating Grandma’s 84th birthday – I want to take my mom too!

Example Pricing:

$6.50  Hearty sandwiches with homemade breads and choice of side
$5.00  Market Fresh Salad
$5.75  Half sandwich and cup of homemade soup
$3.50  Bowl of homemade soup
$14.95-$18.95  High Teas
$7.95  Dessert Tea with assortment of sweets

Everything on the menu is made from scratch.
Reservations recommended for High Tea with larger parties.

Location:  6665 So. Eastern Ave
(Eastern & Sunset at Antiques at the Market)
Phone:     702-362-4832
Open for lunch Mondays – Saturdays.  Closed Sundays.

p.s. Chef Carolyn is working on a cookbook which promises to reveal some delectable secrets.

There are just three requirements:
1. Nevada resident
2. purchase a ticket to the fund raiser Tues May 26 at Caesar’s Palace
3. submit an original campaign slogan by 11:59 pm Sat May 23.

This is the link to send the slogan: http://www.emailmeform.com/fid.php?formid=315798.

Reid’s campaign manager Brandon Hall will choose the winning slogan.

The Good Fight: A Tribute to Nevada’s Senator Harry Reid is a fundraiser Vegas-style super event benefiting Reid’s re-election campaign for 2010 Tuesday night with a showcase of talent featuring Rachel Yamagata, Rita Rudner, Sheryl Crow and Bette Midler -  and the Super Star of the night – the President himself.

Place: The Colosseum ® at Caesar’s Palace. 
Time: 7:30 pm, Tues May 26
A limited number of seats are still available for $250, $125, and $50. 
Go to ticketmaster http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/170042ABE6FD8589

Buscando Estrellas

Janet Revere de KMCC Ch 32 “Buscando Estrellas” quieria agradecer a todo el publico por el apoyo al talento local y la oportunidad de disfrutar de un sano entretenimiento en español para la gente de esta gran ciudad.

La cita es:
el lunes 25 de mayo desde las 8: 00 PM
en el Hotel y Casino Greek Isles
305 Convention Center Drive
(entre las calles  Paradise y Desert Inn)
$30
mayores informes y reservaciones
702- 771-1809

Con la colaboración de E WORLD ENTERTAINMENT y su director el Sr. Alex Ezqueda y compañeros como Legendario Musical de don Cristóbal Valladares, y sus muchachos, así como parte de el elenco de Buscando Estrellas como: Sofia D México, Franco D León, Víctor Morales, Raúl Morales, Damian Vázquez, Cristina Pacheco, y tambien el apoyo de la Doctora Lynda  Shore.

De la misma forma el apoyo de el Sr. José Villaseñor, Director de la Escuela Latinoamérica de Futbol y toda las familias que pertenecen a esta escuela con gran trayectoria en Las Vegas NV, en beneficio para la juventud y familias de esta region.

El poder tener un espacio en un teatro para destacar lo positivo de nuestra comunidad y de esa forma que nuestra nuevas generaciones se sientan orgullosos de nuestro idioma y de ver los valores de nuestra raza.

Buscando Estrellas (TV)
Fines de semana al medio dia
en MEGA TV CANAL 32

Looking for Stars (Buscando Estrellas) gives the Latino community in Las Vegas the unique opportunity to showcase local talent.  500,000 Spanish-speaking Las Vegans have no permanent theater to enjoy their rich and diverse musical heritage.  This project is looking for Latin talent and support to establish a cabaret type musical theater in Las Vegas that would be appropriate for the entire family.

You can watch Looking for Stars every weekend at noon on Mega TV Channel 32. 

showtime:  Buscando Estrellas Mon May 25 @ 8pm
Greek Isles Hotel and Casino
$30 pp 
purchase tickets at the door or phone 702- 771-1809 for reservations, in English or Spanish. 

Related: Buscando Estrellas (Looking for Stars) YouTube

To Tweet or not to Tweet?  That is the question. Are you trying to decide?  Do you really want the world to know what you are doing via Facebook?  What’s wrong with old-fashioned email?  Are you overwhelmed?  Do you fell too old to keep up (or catch up)?

Do you ask yourself – “How is this going to improve my life?”  Is this worth the TIME?  Don’t I already have email, text messaging, cell phone and a blog?  How much technology do I NEED anyway?

Do you feel like the Universe is speeding away from you?  You’re not alone.  Take 5 minutes out and watch this You-Tube called “Shift Happens” developed after the 2008 Rome conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpEnFwiqdx8.

When you finish, note it doesn’t even mention Twitter which has grown exponentially since the 2008 meeting in Rome happened.  Before you ask, “what meeting” – that part is less clear.  My research shows there were many world meetings in Rome in 2008.  I have posed the question to the U-Tube site.  But whatever the meeting, the info in the U-Tube doesn’t set off any alarms on my “BS” detector.

p.s. by the way, you can follow me @LVsmart!