>> The Switch
>> Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
>> The Other Guys
>> Salt
>> Inception
>> Cyrus
>> The Last Airbender
>> Grown Ups
>> Toy Story 3
>> The Human Centipede

Opening 9.10.10
>> Resident Evil: Afterlife (R) [trailer]
>> Bran Nue Dae (Limited) (Not Rated) [trailer]
>> Heartbreaker (Limited) (Not Rated) [trailer]
>> I'm Still Here (Limited) (Not Rated) [trailer]
>> Legendary (Limited) (PG-13) [trailer]
>> Lovely, Still (Limited) (PG) [trailer]
>> The Romantics (Limited) (PG-13)
>> The Virginity Hit (Limited) (R) [trailer]

Coming To DVD/Blu-Ray 9.7.10
>> Supernatural: The Complete Fifth Season [buy]
>> The Office: Season Six [buy]
>> Smallville: The Complete Ninth Season [buy]
>> Jillian Michaels: Shred-It With Weights [buy]
>> Criminal Minds: Fifth Season [buy]

Las Vegas: Satan Vacations Here
by Victoria Alexander
January 25, 2010

Back from Central America, The Critics' Choice Movie Awards, Hash House A Go Go at Imperial Palace, Chef Tina at The M Resort Spa Casino, Vulture Brains for Good Luck, Whistling Vessels, and more...

Back from The Route of the Maya Tour. We spent New Year’s Eve in Honduras. The vastness of the Mayan Civilization that spread across Central America will likely never be completely uncovered. Only 5% of the temples have been restored.

In Belize only the front of temples have been cleared away.

Surrounding the cleared and uncleared temples are mountains of jungle covering other temples! As far as the Mayan’s Long-Count Calendar predicting the End of the World in 2012, to even discuss it in Central America is verboten! More about our trip to Central America in the weeks to come!

The Critics' Choice Movie Awards. The Critics' Choice Movie Awards are bestowed annually by the Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) to honor the finest in cinematic achievement. Nominees for 2009 were selected by written ballots in a week-long voting period and announced on December 14, 2009. Winners were revealed at the 15th annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards ceremony on January 15, 2009 at the Hollywood Palladium and broadcast live on VH1 Television Network at 9PM ET/PT. CriticsChoice.VH1.com.

As the newest voting member of the prestigious BFCA, I was thrilled to attend the black tie dinner with my husband. What an absolute grand event! Chris Pine, Star Trek’s new Jim Kirk, was walking around taking photos with members of the press. Every star was in attendance! The entire cast of The Hangover and Precious. James Cameron was charming; Meryl Streep was coquettish; and Sandra Bullock put The Critics' Choice Movie Awards show on viral alert by giving fellow co-winner for Best Actress, Meryl Streep, a show-stopping open mouth kiss.

Meryl Streep had won already for Best Actress for Julie and Julia and was on stage already as the presenter, Bradley Cooper, called another winner, Sandra Bullock, up to the stage who jokingly says that it’s “bullshit” followed by lunging into Streep, 60, to plant a kiss on her and make out preceding her touching speech to fellow Blind Side cast members and her family.

Sandra Bullock ended her speech saying Meryl Streep was a “good kisser.”

The evening began with a cocktail reception, followed by the Awards Show hosted by Kristin Chenoweth. The mobbed after-party was hosted by Susan Sarandon, 63, and her daughter Eva Amurri at Katsuya. Susan’s 31 year-old rumored boyfriend, ping-pong entrepreneur Jonathan Bricklin (pictured), was nowhere to be seen (at least by me).

Susan is an investor in Bricklin’s New York Ping Pong social club Spin. Susan’s friendship with Bricklin apparently was the cause for her dumping her partner of 23 years, Tim Robbins.

So it’s not just old men with money who leave everything for a younger partner.

Bricklin’s youthful virility, ardor and “High School Boy in Love” pursuit must have charmed the skirt off world-wise Susan!

The 15th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards also included a special tribute to American film director and producer John Hughes, who passed away in August, 2009. As previously announced, renowned actor and philanthropist Kevin Bacon was presented with the third annual Joel Siegel Award by Meryl Streep. The 15th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards was executive produced by Bob Bain, Joey Berlin, Jesse Ignjatovic and Lee Rolontz. Paul Flattery served as producer and Kelly Brock as co-producer.

Hash House A Go Go. Imperial Palace now hosts one of Las Vegas’ favorite restaurants, Hash House A Go Go. The Imperial Palace location of Hash House A Go Go offers the same wildly popular menu of its landmark location on Sahara Avenue. Last Friday’s VIP opening brought out many Las Vegas entertainers including Frank Marino (Frank Marino’s Divas Las Vegas).

Hash House A Go Go co-owner and Nevada Restaurant Association’s 2009 “Nevada Restaurateur of the Year,” Jim Rees was charming all present with his affable welcoming style.

Imperial Palace’s Hash House A Go Go is located on the second floor, directly above the casino (take escalators adjacent to Ginza Bar). The bar and restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

For more information on the Imperial Palace or Hash House A Go Go visit www.imperialpalace.com or www.hashhouseagogo.com. (Photo of a food presentation and guest Kevon Stroker by VegasCommunityOnline.com columnist Nikki Artale)

Vulture Brains and Good Luck. Vulture brains are believed to increase luck in the lottery and at the race track. Africa’s protected vultures are becoming the victims of a growing trend: According to a popular superstition, smoking dried vulture brains will result in “visionary” powers. Vulture's excellent vision, which lets them spot carcasses from afar, leads some to believe that their heads will bring visions of the future.

In my opinion, let’s not be so quick to condemn this before, at least, trying it once. I refuse to condemn the practices of other cultures. Should our Western Society make up a list of objectionable practices and go around the world demanding they be stopped? If a cultural practice were harmful and served no purpose, wouldn’t they be voluntarily ended? Should we judge other cultures?

When we visited the Masai in Africa, I brought up a certain cultural practice condemned by the West. I was told by a Masai leader that they told the missionaries to go home and mind their own business.

Thanks to an unfortunate superstition that attributes visionary powers to vulture brains, this protected species is becoming even more scarce in parts of Africa.

Traditional African healers promote a wide array of benefits from vulture brain consumption. And business in downtown Johannesburg’s traditional medicine (”muti”) market is booming.

Tucked away under a highway in downtown Johannesburg, the Mai Mai market (pictured) is a hidden world where traditional African healers ply their trade. Dubbed "Ezinyangeni" (the place of healers) the Mai Mai market is dedicated to traditional African medicine or "muti."

Rolled into a cigarette or inhaled as vapours, vulture brains can also help at the horse races, boost an exam performance, or lure more clients to a business, according to believers. Next to snake skins and ostrich feet, as well as donkey fat to chase away bad spirits, a tiny bottle with just a speck of ground brains sells for about 50 rand ($6.47).

Apparently, the brain is dried and then mixed with mud. The mixture is then rolled into a cigarette and smoked.

Despite the fact that vultures are a protected species, there is little being done in the way of public awareness to help people understand the importance of vultures in the ecosystem. A tragic result of such an oversight has already occurred in India, where the declining vulture population has been linked to the spread of rabies in humans.

In every country I visit, I ask to visit the traditional medicine market. I looked for magic potions in Bamako, Mali. The cost was $150 for magic beads to curse someone. I was never offered smoked vulture brains. They must think Americans are lucky enough.

Thanks to Gordon Kuhne (Sacred Sound Healing master) for directing me to this story. Gordon’s Sacred Healing Vessels ceremony, held last month in Texas, was sold out. http://www.sacredsingingbowls.com

In ancient times shamans in Peru used ancient whistling vessels in their rituals and healing work. They created "binaural beats" that bring about specific, physiological and spiritual balance.

When 8 to 10 people get together, a relaxed and enjoyable circle is opened. It requires no experience or skill as all whistles are blown together. This stimulates an otherwise unused part of the ear to create healing sounds. Binaural beats balance the left/right hemispheres of the brain, as well as sodium/potassium levels in the body. Trance states, deep relaxation, and spiritual insights, and spontaneous healing are often reported.

Gordon ends every ceremony with a healing gong bath with the playing of 3 planetary gongs. The Earth gong, attuned to the heart chakra, the Saturn gong attuned to the third eye, and moon gong attuned to the sacral chakra. In the final stages of the gong bath all three are played together in a sacred geometric triad to produce a powerful sound healing experience.

Martini Time with Chef Tina Martini. We braved the cold downpour to go to the media special preview performance of Martini Time with Chef Tina Martini at The M Resort Spa Casino. Beginning tomorrow, January 26, Chef Tina begins the newest, and best, live show in Las Vegas. I took plenty of notes and plan on doing some serious restaurant supply store shopping.

Chef Tina mixes cooking with nutrition, valuable information, fitness and wellness for a deliciously entertaining and educational experience. Chef Tina (photo by Tom Donoghue, but Chef Tina far more attractive in person!) is fabulous! I negotiated a return visit for another cooking lesson.

Martini Time with Chef Tina Martini is presented exclusively inside Studio B Buffet’s intimate cooking studio – which features multiple TV cameras and lights, the latest Viking appliances and state-of-the-art kitchen cutlery and equipment. The kitchen within a kitchen concept was custom-built specifically for an ongoing cooking show.

Similar to a network television cooking show, the 60-minute Martini Time with Chef Tina Martini treats a live audience to entertaining and educational demonstrations, complimentary food/beverage sampling and a special “handy hints” and “tasty tips” handout – a Chef Tina signature. The five-day-a-week show covers a variety of topics centering on three key areas of living healthy: nutrition, fitness and mind/body.

Widely known as the “naturopathic chef,” Chef Tina makes healthy living fun, generously providing a great deal of information on the nutritional value of herbs.

Tickets will go on sale later this month. Ticket prices will include a Studio B Buffet lunch or dinner (depending on show times) as well as reserved seating at the buffet immediately following the show. Guests must be 12 years or older to attend. The M Resort also plans to launch a dedicated Web portal for Chef Tina with recipes, video and updates and tips from Chef Tina.

Show times are Sunday-Thursday at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. A complete show schedule can be found on the M Resort website at www.themresort.com. Tickets are $39.95, $49.95 and $59.95 inclusive of taxes and fees.

The Studio B Buffet is an extravagant Roman emperor-style feast. It was awesome! Beer and wine is included free with lunch and dinner. You should see the dessert section.

There were no slave girls walking around but there were lots of patrons indulging in one of the most enjoyable of the Seven Deadly Sins.

A $39.95 ticket to Martini Time with Chef Tina is a fantastic bargain, since you get a cooking lesson, a wonderful serving of the prepared dish (in our case it was the elegant Portobello Napoleon and a non-alcoholic martini), as well as reserved seating at the buffet. And, as buffet patrons know, the line for the M Resort’s Studio B buffet is often a very long wait.

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