Archive for journalism

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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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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Cashing in for the love of the game

June 23, 2011 jarrode Digital Journalism, journalism, Photography

Pinball machines from the 1970's

You could go to a casino or you could go down to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but most people would not think to go to the Pinball Hall of Fame in Las Vegas. Located at 1610 E. Tropicana Blvd, the Pinball Hall of Fame is a fully functional and interactive “game room” as well as non-profit business

Tim Arnold, who started collecting pinball machines in 1972, established the Pinball Hall of Fame. In 1990, Arnold moved to Las Vegas from Michigan with a goal of wanting to combine his love for pinball and charity into one business.

When I first walked into the Pinball Hall of Fame, I noticed rows upon rows of pinball machines. I started playing on the pinball machines before I started taking pictures or reading the information cards on the various machines.

After playing for over an hour I decided to pull out my camera and I started to take photos because there is a lot to capture in the 10,000 square foot building.  The building currently houses over 152 pinball machines. In addition to pinball machines there is air hockey and arcade games such as the original Donkey Kong and Pac-Man.

The Pinball Hall of Fame has pinball machines that date back to 1947 and appear to be in great condition after 60 years of use. The collection also has games that were built as recently as 2009. The best part of the Hall of Fame is that the pinball machines are functioning and you can pay to play them for 25 cents to 75 cents per play.

The Pinball Hall of Fame also serves as a charity. The Pinball Hall of Fame uses the change from the machines to cover operating expenses and then donates all excess revenue to non-denominational charities, such as The Salvation Army.

The Pinball Hall of Fame is a great place to take your children or even go hang out for a few hours.  For more information, go to the Pinball Hall of Fame website and make sure to check out my photos from the game room on Flickr.

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Las Vegas Businesses Succomb To Economic Crisis

June 22, 2011 dalynb centennial hills, economy, flickr, journalism, Photography

 

When thinking about what I wanted to cover in this blog post, I couldn’t help but to focus on the way the economy has affected local businesses.

I remember that when I first moved here in 2005, the Centennial Hills area was right up there with Anthem and The Lakes in terms of posh amenities and multi-million dollar homes.

Fast forward to 2011. I bought a home up here last June for 1/3 of what it sold for in 2006. It is still a beautiful location lined with palm trees and Mount Charleston in the not too far distance. However, the downfall of the economy really shows in this area of town with one look at the businesses in the area. Huge, lavish buildings sit vacant. The architecturally stimulating Echelon apartments are empty-having not had a single tenant.

As I drove around taking pictures I wanted to make sure I captured the essence of vacancy. Hence the fence being included in the foreground of the Grand Montecito office buildings, and the picture of the Courtesy Import building with not a single car in the lot.

I used two different cameras. One being my Canon SD780 IS and the other being in the Hipstomatic app on my IPhone. I like the way that the app seems to capture the mood of the surroundings.

I took over 100 pictures today but find that these were the strongest and seem to really convey what the economic downturn has done to the area.

 

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