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Can Britney Do It…One More Time?

June 26, 2011 dalynb blog, britney spears, concert review, Entertainment News, femme fatale, imds11, journalism, Music, UNLV

The Femme Fatale tour.

 

Sure, we have all heard about it. One of the biggest concerts of the summer, right? Britney’s comeback, right?

 

I was pessimistic.

 

On the eve of her return to Las Vegas for a show at the MGM Grand, I decided to take a little roadtrip to Anaheim to get a preview of what Vegas was in for. As I drove I had a million thoughts going through my head. Namely, the 2007 MTV Awards where a seemingly drunk Spears tripped her way through “Gimme More.” Her story seemed to have the makings to be another Hollywood tragedy….reminiscent of Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson.

 

Still, Spears seems to have kept her fans even through the tumultuous latter part of the decade. And why? Because she has “it”, though no one seems to really be sure what “it” is in regard to her. She’s not a great singer, although she does have a unique voice. She is no longer an incredible dancer, though she keeps up with her backup dancers. What she is, however,  is an icon. She has the stage presence that can’t easily be replicated…and believe me…JIVE Records certainly tried when they had all but given up on Spears.

 

Upon arrival to the arena I was in awe of the variety of patrons. School girls, womanizers, and simply crazed fans of all ages and races. As my friends and I sat bored out of our mind when Nicki Manaj performed to a half empty arena…it became more clear to me. These other pop stars may be more talented…but they just don’t have the presence that Britney does on stage….they can’t hold the crowd’s attention…though like I said in the beginning of this entry, no one seems to really understand what “it” is about Spears.

(shot on IPhone4)

As the countdown began to Britney’s stage entrance the screams of the crowd were deafening. I sat anxiously thinking, “comeback?” “worth it?” “train wreck?” I had no idea what we were in for. As the stage props split to reveal Spears standing atop a staircase it was immediately clear—the Britney that these people fell in love with is back. On a tour that strictly prohibits drugs and alcohol…it was refreshing to see an in shape and coherent Britney dance, sing (with track of course), and entertain a crowd that seemed to be disappointed when they were forced to leave at the conclusion of the show.

 

So…VEGAS, if you have a chance to catch the Femme Fatale tour, I strongly recommend it. Whether you are a fan or not…you certainly will be in awe of the production…the “it” factor of Britney Spears.

 

UNLV’s own and www.breatheheavy.com webmaster, Jordan Miller, called the show “amazing” and the “best Britney has looking in years.”

 

For a full list of Femme Fatale tour dates and a chance at discounted tickets straight from Britney’s camp, check out www.famos.com.

 

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UNLV Budget Cuts

June 26, 2011 kristinaf blog, budget cuts, Catherine Angel, interview, Photography, students, The Real World, UNLV

Budget cuts, budget cuts, budget cuts. We’ve about heard enough of it all, right? Well, does everyone know what’s it like to be in one of those departments that was about to be cut? Here’s Catherine Angel to help explain better the impact that budget would have had on one department, the photography department.

She explains to us that each college had to figure out where to cut, whether it made sense to us or not, depending on numbers. Unfortunately, the department had little to no control to deciding if UNLV’s photography program, along with a bunch of others, was going to be completely cut. With any vertical cut entire programs would be cut, whereas a horizontal cut would water down every department. Although more fair, it wasn’t as affective.

Photography is it’s own established art but it is always a bridge to the areas of study in the art department. There’s the fine art side, which is painting, drawing, and print making. Then there’s the more modern style that more people are attached to which would be the graphic design side. Photography is the connection between the two.  It allows us to get the image in an immediate result and graphics can enhance or modify the image. To cut that vital part of the department would alter the future outcome of those studying it.

With hopes of no farther budget cuts, the art department has cut the visiting artist position, which means one less class. Two professors have also retired leaving two open positions that aren’t going to be filled, as long with a professor finding a job else where. If there were to be budget cuts that would greatly affect the university this should help their department in not being affect as drastically.

Regardless where the budget cuts affect

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Babyboomers are Headed for Trouble

June 25, 2011 kathyd babyboomer, blog, healthcare, journalism, Medicare, People Are Like Trees, Twitter, youtube
    I was really just trying to complete my internship when I began the healthcare blog for babyboomers.  As I started doing all the research to come up with articles to post, I uncovered just how grave the situation really is. Martha Stewart recently wrote an article for the Huffington Post, dealing with how unprepared we are to deal with our aging population.  Very few doctors are trained in the care of the elderly. Currently, there is one geriatrician for every 10,000 baby boomers.  If a baby boomer needs a caregiver, the home care could cost as much as $150,000. Assisted living facilities could easily run $2-4 thousand a month and Medicare will not cover any of this. Currently, there are not enough assisted living facilities now or being built that will accommodate the overwhelming necessity that will soon be upon us. In an article  written in John Hopkins Health Alerts, the aging babyboomers and their need for more and more healthcare is referred to as being “The Perfect Storm.”   The current estimate is that by the year 2020, there will a shortage of 12 million nurses needed to care for the growing over 65 population. Another problem we babyboomers will be facing is with Medicare. An ABC News report has quoted statistics relating to the pressures that will be put on Medicare.   Right now it covers about 46 million people and costs the government about $500 billion a year.  But, in twenty years when the last of the....
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