Art in Vegas, won't stay in Vegas

From the Rebel Yell.

The Las Vegas Diaspora collection at the Las Vegas Art Museum is as vibrant and diverse as the city itself.

The 26 artists chosen were all graduates from the UNLV Master of Fine Arts program and protégés of former art professor, Dr. Dave Hickey. Their talents have garnered them exhibitions in the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art in New York, Tate Modern in London and galleries all over the world.

James Gobel’s collage, “Ridicule is Nothing to be Afraid Of,” is akin to the dichotomies of Magritte and dream-like symbolism of Dalí. In it, an arrangement of men dressed in 18th century garb stand around a naked, obese man that may represent obesity, hedonism, Americana and the pressures of being a gay man (as symbolized by a gash on his forehead). The colors have a velveteen sheen as they were painted onto felt.

One painting, specially made by Tim Bavington for the museum, took inspiration from the snow cone green color of the wall his artwork would be displayed on. Bavington takes cues from Kandinsky – he sees color when he hears music, choosing though to represent music in wide and thin vertical bands.

LVAM was established in 1950 and moved around until it finally settled at the West Sahara Library in 1970. Curator Libby Lumpkin, wife of Dave Hickey, was brought to Las Vegas by Steve Wynn to curate The Bellagio Fine Art Gallery. Her goal is to bring edgier, avant garde works to the museum. It seems fitting that she would choose Las Vegas, as pushing the envelope characterizes the city. In addition to their artwork, the artists varyingly different backgrounds, yet are joined together by a common artistic vision.

“When I joined the department of art at UNLV in 1990, I knew that students who chose Las Vegas to study art would have to be a special breed,” said Hickey, “[Las Vegas is] an extremely self-selecting venue … so I wasn’t surprised that the kids who came here were adventuresome, cosmopolitan, self-sufficient and indifferent to parental oversight. As a result of their industry and courage, some things that happen in Vegas don’t stay in Vegas. They go out and change the world.”

Vegas is run by little old ladies

No matter where you go; no matter how high you search, the truth is inevitable – Las Vegas is run by a league of older women.

At the Las Vegas Art Museum, I took tour of the Las Vegas Diaspora collection with none other than a little old lady. When I think "docent", I think hyper-stylized, late 20s, art aficionado. For example, Charlotte on Sex and the City; not my grandmother.

It is fine, but in a city where sexuality is pushed upon you like a ton of bricks, it's disheartening not to see other women like me in areas that I frequent. Museums, art galleries, music concerts, lectures, conferences, upper-management, wherever. We are decidedly absent. Usually, we tend bar or twirl our hair at front desks. That is, when we're not stripping or go-go dancing. But I hardly consider these legitimate careers.

I would like to get to the bottom of this. Maybe figure out the demographics of our city and why young women choose the professions they do.

But keep this in mind next time you go out – who you do see in positions of cultural leadership and upper-management? Not me.

Lunch with the Baroness

You haven't made it until you've dined with royalty.

I checked my texts before leaving work, and found an invitation to lunch at the Stirling Club with my boss and some of his friends.

When I arrived, I learned I was dining with a Baroness. Cue "Psycho" horror-movie music. Not a stitch of make up, messy hair, and cheap jewelry. I was primed for a meeting with nobles.

Lunch was pleasant despite my unpleasant appearance. The Baroness was rather down-to-earth, chatty, and friendly. It surprised me at how normal she appeared. Are titles really just glittery façades?

We discussed the differences between society on the West Coast vs East Coast vs Europe. As a local Las Vegan, I am aware of how incurably casual we are. Wearing backless sun-dresses, khakis and sport coats to dinner may seem apropos, but from the Eastern / European point of view, it's much too informal. But hey, we are the wild west!

What did I learn from the Baroness? Well, don't eat too much, shop between seasons at classified locations in Paris, drink with your saucer up, and always dress appropriately.

Holidaze malaise

Like many of you, I've been recovering from the Thanksgiving holiday and frantically trying to get energized for the next round of holiday frenzy. Apart from gritting our teeth at the table and getting tipsy on brut champagne, what do we Las Vegans have to look forward to this season?

Las Vegas Philharmonic's All New Holiday Program
That's right - it's all new! David Itkin isn't telling anyone about what's on the program, but I can hint that Andy Williams may be an influence. Featuring the Las Vegas Master Singers and three soloists.
When: Dec. 8 @ 8 p.m. and Dec. 9 @ 2 p.m.
Where: Artemus W. Ham Concert Hall, on the UNLV campus

Nevada Ballet Theater - The Nutcracker
If you like Tchaikovsky and pink tights, you'll like The Nutcracker. This has been a staple of the Ballet for years, maybe even decades? There are several performances, so there really is no excuse to miss it.
Click here for more information because I can't be bothered to write down all the dates.

Rainbow Co. Youth Theatre - Wizard of Oz
Check out the Phil's Director of Marketing shaking his tail as the Cowardly Lion in this iconic American musical. I say this because he's my boss and reads my blog. Oh and I used to be very involved with Rainbow Co. Go theatre!
When: Dec. 7, 8 , 13, 14 & 15 @ 7 p.m. and Dec. 9, 15, & 16 @ 2 p.m.
Where: Charleston Heights Arts Center

Kwanzaa 2007 "Loving the Lonely"
A new play by Keith Antar Mason depicts culture, love of family, and the celebration of Kwanzaa.
When: Saturday, December - 29th, 2:00pm
Where: West Las Vegas Library Theatre 951 West Lake Mead Boulevard

For more events, click here - City of Las Vegas Arts Thingy

Resume Writing

This is one from the archives. Still funny.

It's as if you have to have a degree in advertising to write an "effective" resume. Dozens of sites offer all sorts of advice or even paid services just to help people with their resumes. As someone trained in the arts, I've been too busy thinking about abstract things like, "Why did Mimi have to die!?" or "What is Mozart trying to tell me by using a neopolitan chord?" Therefore, dedicating time to selling myself as an employable product has been negligible. But now that I'm refocusing my career, I've had to apply to a number of internships and jobs...I don't really think any of this helps - I mean, they either think you have the experience/where-with-all to be hired or not - but here are some tips that I found logical.

Formatting - It's about looks. If your resume is too bland, hiring managers will be bored. Try using bright colors and bold print. Use a different font and color for each heading. To shake your hiring manager's day, try writing in a different angle so they'll have to turn the page around. Add graphics such as a little smiley for every skill you mastered.

Objectives - Must have if you are applying to an internship. The key to a good objective is to think like the employer. BE the employer. Channel his/her frustration over reading hundreds of resumes. What is their motivation to enduring endless paper cuts? What in their childhood influenced their decision to become a hiring manager? What is their favorite color? Look into checking-out some books on character sketches for theatre to truly embody your inner hiring manager.

Quantifiable Benefits - Instead of plunking down your job duties, try to think of ways you have improved your work environment, gained successes, awards you received and why. Employers don't just want to know what you did in your previous, but what you can bring. Did you win the office party hot dog eating contest? How did you do that? Did you train for weeks beforehand? Have you been labeled the office slut? What did you do to gain this prestigious title? Who did you sleep with - were they important in the company? Be specific! Use numbers! How many hot dogs did you eat in how many minutes? How many CEOs have you bedded?

I hope these tips help you all in your employment quests!

Vintner Grill - Where's my avocado?

Went to Vintner Grill on Charleston and Hualapai Way with the niece. Atmosphere is clean and crisp indoors. It's juxtaposed against the hard, uniform business complex surrounding it. Almost like a hole-in-the-wall.

The green theme had me craving for avocado, so I ordered a turkey burger with emmental cheese, bacon, and avocado. When I bit into this mammoth burger, there was no avocado. Que paso, Vintner? Bringing this faux pas to my waiter's attention did not seem to faze him. Normally, when you are out of an ingredient, you tell the patron. They didn't nor did they compensate me for it.

Bad customer service = scathing review.

The food wasn't that good, besides. Many restaurants in Vegas have good food, but it's not the mouth-watering, succulent, praise JESUS! cuisine you get when sitting at any French bistro. Maybe one day they'll get the whole flavor thing.

EAT ME!

Happy Turkey Day!

Reviews!

In case you missed the last concert, here are some reviews.

The Las Vegas Weekly

"Those particular dinosaurs might have died off by now, or been chased back to their taxpayer-supported university music departments, but in a town such as this, where symphonic culture has only been precariously established, it definitely shows courage on the part of the Las Vegas Philharmonic’s new director, David Itkin, to have put the one-time colossus of the last century, Dmitri Shostakovich, on the bill of last Saturday’s concert."

The Las Vegas CityLife

"Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time in a year, one can say -- early in David Itkin's tenure -- the orchestra now plays with attitude."

Las Vegas Review-Journal

"The Las Vegas Philharmonic's bounty of classical music Saturday gave concertgoers an early reason to be thankful."

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Are you Shostaphobic?

Some people have an irrational fear of Shostakovich. We can call them Shostaphobics.

During the Las Vegas Philharmonic's second Masterworks concert, Shostakovich was in full frolic. Ballet Suite no. 1 is playful and lyrical. The orchestra spritely danced around the piece. It was almost carnival-esque. But that was last concert.

Watching Ilya Yakushev's fingers scamper across the piano keyboard brought back memories of music school crushes. There's something about the lightness of the touch and fluid strokes that get my juices going. I'm sure it gets yours. It didn't help that Ravel's Piano Concerto in G major is a solidly romantic, jazzy piece. It plays on your heartstrings and other things.

I skipped out on the Schubert, having listened to it early on. I can do a whole lieder cycle of Schubert, don't know if I could last through a symphony.

My friends and I arrived early to Sidebar/Triple George. This bar is suppose to be a throwback to old school Vegas - you know, Mafiosos and swingers. On four TV screens were two different movies: Casino and Swingers. There was lots of sex. And violence. I guess that's what Vegas is? But if you ever are at the Sidebar, try the "Inspiration." It's delicious. It tastes like Bath&Body Works (my friend's words).

Didn't really meet any new people. Like, at all. Just averted crises as usual.

Pencils Down, Writers up

This article was featured in the UNLV Rebel Yell.

NEW YORK – A crisp breeze blew through the narrow street. Only slivers of clear blue sky peeked through stony buildings. Bustling black suits exited and entered the glass doors. Tucked away in a side street off of 5th Avenue were protestors at the Rockefeller Center.

At the “Top of the Rock,” tourists crowded around the ice-skating rink and gleaming golden statues. They paid little attention to the placard holding Writers Guild of America strikers merely 20 feet away.

On Nov. 5, the WGA officially announced they were striking after unsuccessful negotiations over the weekend. Tina Fey, executive producer and star of NBC’s “30 Rock,” grabbed a picket sign and joined the protest. Comedian and actor John Leguizamo showed up in solidarity.

Although the tourists weren’t paying attention on that cool November morning, they would notice when they cozied up on their couches and turned on their televisions.

According to the A.C. Nielsen Co., 99 percent of Americans own a television and the average American spends six hours a day in front of the boob tube. The WGA’s website lists 2,014 struck companies – a list that breaks a web browser’s scrollbar. That’s a lot of TV shows we may never know the ending to.

College student favorites like “The Daily Show,” “The Colbert Report,” and late-night talk shows went dark. Local New York news channels bandied about the threat of turning to arcane forms of entertainment, like reading. CNN said if the strikes last long enough, the only thing on TV will be reality shows.

At the heart of the issue are residuals. The Directors Guild beat the WGA to the punch during early negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on DVDs, giving only 0.3 percent of the profits. Now that companies are offering TV episodes with advertisements online, guild members don’t want to make the same mistakes.

But many are disappointed about the strike, mostly because of the collateral damage. “I am disappointed for the crews. I can’t justify putting people out of work,” said Carla Kettner, writer on the FOX series “Bones.”

“The Office” recently shut down and “The Daily Show” head writer Steve Bodow expressed guilt in New York Magazine for non-union workers. Alex Taub, a writer on the not-yet-aired ABC series “Eli Stone” just wants to get back to work.

“I want a quick deal that everyone is disappointed with,“ Taub said jokingly.

In the meantime, when writers aren’t picketing 20 hours a week, they are looking to other creative venues like novel writing and prose. Kettner is thinking outside the box.

“I baked 300 pumpkin breads with my daughter to feed the homeless.”

But what effect will this have on future writers?

Sean Clark, associate professor of the UNLV film department, thinks that writers need to get ahead of the curve.

“Writers need to look to the music industry on downloads, videos, and digital platforms,” he said.

In fact, the film department is holding forums with recent graduates all working with digital media. They are also developing courses where students write for mobisodes and webisodes - TV episodes aired on a cell phone or website.

Kim Oshea, a senior in film, is optimistic about digital media. “It’s the way of the future. I feel like this is going to be our generation’s contribution,” she said.

Crowd Control

This article was featured in the Huffington Post.

Vegas audience acts as back-up in Dem debate

Las Vegas political activists aren't known for polite listening and conservative behavior. Two days before the presidential debate on Nov. 15, UNLV students gathered to watch a mock debate between college Democrats and Republicans. It was a blood bath. Question and answer time with the audience showed no mercy.

With baited breath, we waited outside of the Cox Pavilion Thursday afternoon for similarly provocative discussions. As a UNLV alum, I was eager to see the media circus and if we would turn up the heat.

Inside, big wigs in Nevada politics meandered along the blue carpet. State Senator, Dina Titus chatted with students. Lou Dobbs strolled on-stage for a brief segment. We were apparently in the "Situation Room." It's kind of cramped in the situation room.

Howard Dean smiled broadly at the incoming crowds. Nobel Peace Laureate and advisor for the new UNLV Black Mountain Institute Wole Soyinka was one of 100 chosen to sit in the "red zone." Wolf Blitzer sat at his clear plastic podium, looking grumpy and serious.

The 800 of us campus representatives climbed into our seats all along the right side of the stage. The other 26,200 students strolling across campus were wholly unaware that UNLV was making history.

The university and CNN kept the whole affair mum. Students and faculty were picked out of a lottery to win seats. There was little to no press presence on the campus itself – it was split between chaos and oblivion. Those lucky few took advantage of the opportunity.

Once the debate began, it was evident that the crowd would be the second moderator. John Roberts second question on the attacks on Hilary Clinton received loud jeers. "Get to the issues!" shouted someone across the hall.

In the middle of the debate, Obama was booed for criticizing Clinton. Some think the audience was stacked with Clinton supporters, but the attacks went on for way too long. It may be uncivil, but it's a message to other candidates to move on and actually answer some questions. Albeit, loaded questions.

Driver's licenses for illegal immigrants – yes or no? Human rights or national security? Merit-based pay for better teachers – yes or no? Litmus test for Supreme Court justices – yes or no? Senator Chris Dodd was right about having debates solely on education – and maybe all other issues too.

William S. Boyd Law School professor, Scott Burnham, was against the yes or no format. "It's a matter of balance. " But he did feel this debate was a good opportunity to get to know the candidates personality.

Senator Joseph Biden seemed to be a crowd favorite. He showed humor without being rehearsed. He gave insightful answers without digressing. Kucinich couldn't get a word in edgewise. Governor Bill Richardson's Latino thunder got stolen by Dodd's shout out to his service in the Dominican Republic with the Peace Corps.

Questions from the audience didn't have the bite we were looking for either. Normally, long, drawn-out questions referring to very specific legislation passed and injustices incurred would be thrown at speakers. CNN chose softball questions from Iraq veterans and mild-mannered citizens. Where was the usual fire lit under asses?

A collective groan could be heard from the UNLV side of the Pavilion after the last question, asked by a student, to Clinton –"Diamonds or pearls?" Way to represent!

Many students were undecided on who they supported. Senior anthropology major, Angeline Caballero, is one of them. At the end of the debate she was still unsure. "No, I still don' t know. But it gives you a lot to think about."

Project project

Which one of these do you think lost? The left one that Heidi said looked as though she was "pooing fabric"? Or the right one that Michael Kors said looked like she dressed in the dark?

Well, Simone LeBlanc lost with her "modern antiquated" look on the right. Which threw me because Elisa Jimenez's blue-faery design was a MESS.

So if you haven't heard - Project Runway is back! It's the fourth season and supposedly going to be the best. You know, they always say that, but we shall see.

I'll save you the boring rundown of every designer and their design and just give you the best and worst. You can look on the Project Runway website for more information.




This winning design by Rami is, as the Gunn says, "Stunning!" Indeed, I would wear that and in that color. It truly is a vision. But didn't we similar draping on Keith Michael's design last season? You know - the dude that got booted for having design books?

It's only the first episode, so I hope there is more and better and DIFFERENT to come.

Jaw dropping - UNLV's mock debate

Tonight, UNLV held a mock debate between one democrat and one republican on the issues du jour, moderated by TV debate show host of Face to Face, Jon Ralston.

For the Dems, Awais Khaleel, vice president of the National College Democrats, came all the way from University of Wisconsin to debate. For the Republicans, Ciara Turns, president of the UNLV College Republicans, showed up as a last minute replacement.

The crowd was mostly filled with Democrats: only one Republican party representative stumped for Ron Paul during the pre-debate shout outs. Students from the Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Biden and Kucinich campaign hyped their candidates and various pre-Democratic Presidential debate tail gate parties. Clearly, the Dems like to party.

All the action came from on stage however, once Ralston finally arrived.

Khaleel opened with a very energetic, talking point filled speech which Ralston described as "bringing the fire and brimstone." Turns only gave a half-hearted intro. But she would turn on Khaleel later on.

Turns didn't hold back on the ad hominem. She patronized Khaleel by acting like a mother trying to explain to a very distressed 4-year-old that 2+2=50.

"Let me state this as simply as possible so you can understand," was uttered more than once throughout the debate.

As for the issues, there was a lot of back and forth on Iraq. Turns' main point was that the war in Iraq is already over, and that the Democrats are conflating the war in Iraq with the war on terror. Khaleel retorted that if this were the war on terror, then the government should be going after Bin Laden.

When the healthcare issue was brought up, Turns advocated illegally purchasing drugs from Canada because they are cheaper, wholly missing the point that our own government should provide inexpensive prescription drugs. I wonder why they are so cheap? Oh yeah, because Canadians have "socialized medicine."

But the piece de resistance came when the issue of gay marriage was brought up. Turns speculates that anti-sodomy laws prevent gay marriage. Without anti-sodomy laws, then gays can get married. She then pointedly says to Khaleel, "You know what sodomy is right? It's something you are very familiar with."

[Let me digress one moment to point out the flawed logic. Laws are not (or should not) be enacted to prevent fringe consequences. We do not have drunk driving laws to prevent alcoholism, for example. Secondly, at best, it’s speculation that sodomy has anything to do with gay marriage or homosexuality in general. Do lesbians necessarily have anal sex? What about the countless HETERO couples who have anal sex? I think I recall some research on virginity pledgers who had anal sex because it wasn’t “real sex”. Back to your regular programming…]

Little gems like that littered the debate. But she got speechless at the very end when faced with an immigration question.

Ralston: "If you were 4 years old when you were smuggled in here by your parents. You go to school now, you're college age. Should you be booted back to your country?"
Turns: [long pause] [paper shuffling] "Yes. Yes. Sure."

Khaleel didn't do spectacularly well either, but he at least refrained from calling Turns a blonde bimbo while she kept throwing out every Democratic stereotype known to man. Khaleel kept going a bit off tangent (although not as off tangent as Turns, going from poverty to abortion to global warming in a single breath) and spoke very passionately. It was a bit odd considering the other two spoke very calmly.

Both were essentially reduced to either talking points or sound bites. I don't know if I learned anything at all about either party or felt more assured about my own. But at least the university is hosting events like this to keep the channels of communication open. Rather than, say, appointing free speech zones.

For those in the neighborhood, contact your local party or campaign office to find out about any pre-Democratic Presidential debate tail gate parties. I know I totally want in on the festivities.

By Invitation Only

Last week, UNLV notified me that I was selected to attend the Democratic Presidential Debate this Thursday!

It's very exciting to bare witness to the clusterf@#k to the White House, as the Daily Show puts it. There will be a distinct chaos associated with news cameras, broadcasters, enterprising journalists, and Las Vegas's finest flocking to the event. And I will be in the middle of it all.

Additionally, I'll be writing an article about it for my journalism class and will surely post it here, grade or no grade. As the Daily Show and Colbert Report are currently MIA due to the writer's strike (which I am covering too, so stay tuned), perhaps I can provide the comical commentary for my readers.

To whet your appetite via Crooks & Liars:

Please Let Me In! – How to schmooze at graduate school fairs / open houses

I just got back from New York last night. It was a pretty eventful trip. The point of going there was to attend New York University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences open house. Basically, it's a way for prospective students to ask questions about the program, meet other students (competition), and get face time with the important people: the professors and administration!

My interest was in the Institute of French Studies and Journalism School. Here are a few things I learned while working the tables:

1. Go there a day before to familiarize yourself with the area. This is especially true for out-of-towners. When I did recon, I got lost. I went three blocks in the wrong direction. It's also a good idea because then you can time yourself from the metro/bus stop to the school.
   
2. Wear professional attire. It may sound superficial, but remember: 80% how you look, 20% how you sound, 10% what you say.
   
3. Some schools are more open than others. More popular schools will tend to be less than enthused to see you. They have thousands of applicants, so don't take it personally if they don't want to answer every one of your questions.
   
4. If you meet with someone who is really trying to recruit you, take that time to ask good questions. The questions are VERY important. They will show that you have done your research and are really interested in getting to the "good stuff" of the department.
   
5. Schedule time to sit in a class and/or seminar. At the IFS, I sat in for both. It gave me a very good idea of the relationships between students and professors, other students, and administration.
   
6. Before you got there, you should have made contact with the graduate coordinator. Meet with him or her. Ask questions about what they are looking for in a candidate. Some are very specific, others are open. Take mental notes of where you stand.
   
7. Talk to other students with similar interests. Again, at IFS, I spoke with C, who is doing the joint French studies and journalism program. She helped me gauge if it's a good fit for me.
   
8. If the info is not readily available, ask for a map of the campus, course listings for the fall and spring semester, schedule of events (seminars, lectures, etc), business cards* .
   
9. *It is very important to get the contact information of EVERYONE you meet. Just as you make notes on their interests and conversation topics when networking, make notes of who these people are, what they did for you, and their contact info. When you get home – SEND THANK YOU CARDS! You took that big step to go all the way over there, may as well follow through.
   
10. Finally, the big lesson: Ask questions. The questions you ask will show the kind of person you are. You can interject some tidbits on your research interests, but if you ask specific questions instead of blathering on about how you love Algeria, the person on the other end will still get a sense of your goals. Your whole purpose for being there is to ASK QUESTIONS.
    

Thus ends the lecture on attending graduate fairs. The whole process is rather intimidating, but as long as you plan ahead and be your sparkling self, the school will want to recruit YOU.

Humor at the Met

Check out the "Ask Figaro" section of the Met. It has a couple of questions that answer some of the wardrobe and appropriate behaviour queries I addressed in my "How to attend a concert" post. But this Q&A had me in stitches:

via Metropolitan Opera

Q.

Pagliacci is one of my favorite operas, and I plan to see it at the Met this season. One thing about it confuses me, though: Tonio bangs his drum and invites the villagers to the show “a ventitre ore.” He even repeats this a few times, and on high notes, so I know it’s important. Now, I know that translates as “23 hours.” I also know that 23 hours means 11 P.M. Wasn’t that a little late for a clown show to begin? Shouldn’t the kids have been in bed by then?

A.

If that’s the most perplexing question you have about Italian opera, you’re in pretty good shape. A show might well start at 11 P.M. in Madrid, but in rural Calabria? Before electricity? As it turns out, many places in Italy marked time the old-fashioned way until clocks were standardized in the 20th century.

And by “old-fashioned,” I mean biblically old-fashioned, as in starting the clock at sunset. “Ventitre ore,” therefore, meant an hour before sunset – a perfectly respectable time for the kids to come to the show and witness a double murder.

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Live from...

I made a pitch the other day to do a live blogging of a Philharmonic performance.

This idea came from a commercial for the iphone. In it, a ballerina/blogger talks about how she can use her phone to blog behind the scenes during a performance. Light bulb! Ding! Why can't I do the same thing?

You, the wonderful viewing audience, would be able to sit BACKSTAGE with me during a concert. I mean, people pay top dollar to sit on-stage, and you can do this for free!

But there's more! Since I'm an official MUSE member, I will also be blogging about the hot cocktail party action before and after the show. It's like a society column, a&e column, and interactive experience all rolled into one!

Stay tuned for more news.... ;)

Know your angles

So I went to the REVOLUTION lounge for M's birthday last night, and realized that dancing+sweating+lots of makeup do not go well. A photog from mojorepublik.com took our photo together. I looked like a bleeding hot mess. Not cute at all. Part of the problem was the angle I chose to pose in. Lesson learned. Either don't let photogs take pics of you, or better look DAMN good.

So for yours and my benefit, here are some tips from About.com:

Secret No. 1: Turn partially sideways to the camera, planting one foot in front of the other. Point your toe to the camera and place your weight on your back foot.

Secret No. 2: Pull head forward slightly to minimize any appearance of a double chin.

Secret No. 3: Hold arms slightly away from your body. This keeps upper arm flab from flattening out and therefore appearing flabbier (much like thighs do when one sits on a couch).

Secret No. 4: Pull shoulders back, chest forward and gently suck stomach in. Be careful not to suck stomach so far in that your ribs show, thereby causing those who later see the photo to cluck to themselves in a bemused, sing-song voice, "She's sucking i-in."

Secret No. 5: If you can get away with it without looking like a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Cover Girl wannabe, try the look away trick. To do this, look away from the camera, then turn towards it, breaking into a smile just before the camera clicks. Your smile will appear fresh, not frozen. This trick takes practice behind closed, locked doors.

When taking a photo it's also important the photographer does not snap the picture from below. This adds another 20-50 pounds to the 10 pounds automatically and annoying added by the camera. Find out why cameras add 10 pounds in this article by Geek Sugar.

More tips on looking 10 pounds thinner in photos:
Use objects you are holding to your advantage by placing them in front of parts of you you'd prefer to hide. A purse or corsage in front of your belly. A jacket slung over the shoulder. (Gwyneth Paltrow used a perfectly placed purse to hide her baby bump before she announced her pregnancy with Apple).

Check out Spanx hosiery. The very modern version of the corset, Spanx are famous for making women all over the world appear 10 pounds thinner. I own four pairs. (Don't invest in the panty hose, like most hose, they tend to tear and these are pricey).

Fake tans will make you look and feel skinnier. Unfortunately, they tend to reek, except for GlowFusion, a spray tanner I swear is not odorous.

It's not just black that makes you look thinner. Wearing an entire outfit of just one color will do the trick as well, whether it be white, beige, brown, blue or red. One color tends to elongate your figure. Avoid entire outfits in pink, however, unless you are four years old or younger.

How did opening night go?

Las Vegas Weekly: The maestro takes over
New Philharmonic director delivers a commanding opening performance - K.W. Jeter

Las Vegas Sun: Philharmonic Convergence
Ovation after ovation greets Itkin's quest for excellence - Kristen Peterson

Review-Journal: Philharmonic conductor off to a promising start
Julia Osborne

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Bouton de train

We should all get a hobby. Having a hobby introduces you to others who have the same passions, exposes you to new ideas, and helps you to learn from experts. It’s also a great avenue of socializing.

My hobby is French. It’s not necessarily an activity, but it is a passion. I love all things francophone. Food. Music. Culture. History. All of it intrigues me. There’s a lot to be learned from studying francophonie – European history, gastronomy, great artists and musicians.

Every weekend I meet up with fellow Francophiles and Francophones to speak French over a cup of Joe. It’s the only place where I feel really comfortable in a group. Normally, I’m a one on one kind of person. But having that commonality with others greases the wheels.

In an exercise during the “How to talk to strangers” seminar, people were asked to find three things in common with two other people. It felt forced. When applied in a real scenario, it’s even more awkward. What kind of questions do you ask someone you’ve never met before now? There really isn’t an inherent commonality between strangers at a cocktail party. What do you talk about?

I have no clue. But last night, chatting in French with others, I felt confident. I had a whole arsenal of conversation topics taken from reading newspapers, journals, essays, experiences. Everyone there had been to France. Everyone there knew something about French culture, politics, history, food and music. Pick something and you’re golden.

The one French person at our post-coffee dinner complimented me in saying that I was the “bouton de train”, that is to say, the person who keeps the conversation going, the one who jokes around, laughs, and creates a great environment.

That’s the kind of person I am. How do I translate that elsewhere?