https://miamilivingteam.com/Nicole Kasten P.A. Broker Associate | Colfax Realty Group
cell: (786) 266-7523 email: nkasten@colfaxrealty.com
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BLANC de BLANC is now the newest show to open in Las Vegas.
Located in the all-new Sahara, formerly the SLS, formerly the old Sahara, the hotel has renamed their Theater the Blanc de Blanc in anticipation of this show. It blends vintage glamour with high-end circus, aerial and theater performances. 
Strut & Fret Production House out of Australia has produced this new show. Featuring giant champagne bottles, sparkles and lights and pinpoints on the aerials, this is truly what one would have called in the Roaring ’20s a
“Champagne Cabaret”. 
Very French and very nightclub party feel rolled into one. Plenty of “skin” and some other surprises, you might want to take this show next time around. Thursday thru Saturday dark Tues and Wed they have both 7 and 9:30 p.m. Tickets start at $56.00 available at any ticket broker or by calling the Sahara.
The Sahara is at the north end of the strip. Plenty of lovely restaurants and newly remodeled rooms. Easy parking.
Sigrid Undset’s masterpiece is actually a trilogy. Part 1 is called “The Bridal Wreath”, and was published in 1923; Part 2, “The Mistress of Husaby”, was published in 1925; and Part 3, “The Cross”, in 1927. The whole of this work is known as “Kristin Lavransdatter”.
The setting is medieval Norway, which the author portrayed with detailed realism and great beauty, and the story concerns Kristin’s life from childhood to old age. Though a devout Catholic, the protagonist sometimes goes astray; especially when she meets Erlend, a man with considerable baggage whom she marries against her parents’ wishes. Her marriage to Erlend is both impassioned and injurious. In Kristin’s own words: “…they who have loved one another with the fieriest desire come in the end to be as two vipers biting each other’s tails.” After her husband’s demise, Kristin joins a convent.
Although the entire work is engrossing, it is Part 3, “The Cross”, which has always stood out for me. The trilogy exceeds a thousand pages, which might be too lengthy for some readers; in which case I recommend Part 3 alone.
“The Cross” includes a vivid, terrifying depiction of the Black Death, a plague which lasted from 1347 to 1352 and killed off about a fourth of Europe’s population. With a mix of willingness, reluctance and fatalism, the nuns of Kristin’s convent provide palliative care to one of the plague victims. Of course, the consequence of their religious duty is exposure to the disease, and they too begin to die.
In the surrounding region, hysteria rampages alongside the plague itself; and desperate measures—including human sacrifice—are conceived by some. Kristin leads a heroic offensive against the latter, in the course of which she herself is stricken. She experiences an intimation of her forthcoming end in a description that has left its mark in my mind since the first time I read it some thirty years ago:
‘[I]t seemed to her that she was standing in a cavern of night, and that ‘twas the forecourt of death. The roll of breaking waves and the hiss of their waters ebbing among the stones of the beach kept time with the blood-waves surging through her, though all the time ‘twas as though her body must shiver in pieces, as a vessel of wood falls apart in staves—her breast ached as if something would burst it in sunder from within; her head felt hollow and empty and as ‘twere rifted, and the unceasing wind wrapped her round and swept clean through her.’
Medieval Norway comes alive in Sigrid Undset’s “Kristin Lavransdatter”, which rivals Dostoyevsky’s “The Brothers Karamazov” in terms of emotional intensity and religious depth. No serious reader should miss out on this experience.
I should also mention that Tiina Nunnally’s 2005 English translation is probably preferable to the older and more archaic rendition by Charles Archer.
Labor Day is always a great weekend for me. It is celebrated on the first Monday of every September and usually falls within a few days of my birthday.
In America, Labor Day honors millions of hard-working Americans across the country. It’s a day where we pay tribute to the greatest workers in the world; a time that consists of parades, festivals, and barbecues. Growing up in Connecticut, I recall it being the last big weekend of the summer. It has come to be known as the end of the summer event and the start of back-to-school season, and it’s also an ideal time to take advantage of some great sales.
Labor Day, especially for hard workers is always refreshing and it’s nice to take a break and just relax with family and friends.
As we all reflect on Labor Day and enjoy this day wherever you are, I’d like to share a few Labor Day inspirations.
-No work is insignificant. All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
Martin Luther King, Jr
-Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.
Confucius
-Work is no disgrace. The disgrace is idleness.
Greek proverb
-I’ve learned from experience that if you work harder at it and apply more energy and time to it, and more consistency, you will get a better result. It comes from the work.
Louis C.K.
-Without ambition, one starts nothing. Without work, one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
-A man is not paid for having a head and hands, but for using them.
Elbert Hubbard
-Before The reward, there must be labor. You plant before you harvest. You sow in tears before you reap joy.
Ralph Ransom
-The supreme accomplishment is to blur the lines between work and play.
Arnold J. Toynbee
-It is labor in deed that puts the difference on everything.
John Locke
-Follow your passion, be prepared to work hard and sacrifice, and above all, don’t let anyone limit your dreams.
Donovan Bailey
All successful people will tell you that in order to accomplish great things, it takes an incredible work ethic. Let me encourage you to keep pursuing your dreams and work hard at it. Celebrate your success and enjoy the journey.
Have a wonderful Labor Day!
RICH NORTON
Regional Sales Manager RMSNPC
www.RetrieverMerchantSolutions.com
More and more people are giving meditation a go and incorporating a regular practice into everyday life. This surge of interest in meditation has come about as a result of a mounting scientific evidence that shows how it can change people’s lives in drastic ways.
Research shows that it can be used as a treatment for depression and anxiety, it can help people overcome addiction, and it can help victims of past trauma and abuse to heal. Needless to say, regular meditation practice can indeed have a powerful effect on our mental and physical health.
Meditation can help us overcome life’s obstacles
Everyone remembers the infamous line from Forest Gump – “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get“. This is something that all of us can relate to. Life is inherently unpredictable and sometimes we are dealt bad cards. We regularly come across unexpected obstacles in our life to be overcome, and everyone at some point will have to deal with extremely difficult events like loss, relationship breakdown, or personal health issues.
Given life’s many challenges, it’s important that we put ourselves at the best advantage possible to overcome these difficulties and bounce back stronger so that we can always move forward positively with our lives. Meditation can equip us with the tools we need to do just that.
Learning to live in the present moment
During meditation practice, the mind is focused and calm for long periods. This is an instant stress reliever, that over time can help someone learn how to engage more with the present mind and clear their mind of any unwanted or unhelpful thoughts, worries, or concerns.
Meditation raises our self-awareness
Through meditation, we learn that we are not defined by what has happened to us in our past, or any mental or physical health issues we might have. Instead, we can learn to disassociate and detach ourselves from any unhelpful labels or any recurring negative thought patterns. It brings more peace and calm into our lives and we can learn how to be more composed and thoughtful, as well as developing a greater awareness of ourselves. After just 8 weeks of regular meditation practice, you will start to experience all of the many benefits that meditation can bring.
Meditation changes your brain
Research has shown that regular meditation practice can actually reverse brain patterns associated with mind wandering and poor attention. This is as a result of practice focusing the mind for long periods. This can decrease stress and anxiety and help someone feel much more calm and centred.
Breaking the connection between brain regions associated with depression
Further research has shown that meditation breaks the connection between brain regions linked with anxiety and depression. The medial prefrontal cortex is found to be much more hyperactive in depressed individuals as it is this region that processes stress, worries, and concerns related to yourself and your life. This in turn triggers the amygdala, otherwise known as the fear centre, which releases a stress hormone to deal with these threats that only exist in the mind.
In this way, both of these brain regions actually work together to cause depression and anxiety. Regular meditation practice however, can help to calm down both of these brain regions and break the connection.
La Monja, a Mexican restaurant with a fish market feel, has opened in downtown Las Vegas, two blocks east of most of the Fremont Street partying. 
Located in an older hotel, Fergusons, it has been completely remodeled and landscaped. Gone are the hotel rooms, and instead is this great new La Monja with both indoor and outdoor seating. 
Done with plenty of bright colors and a large pig roasting spit, the food is terrific. We had, of course, the pork tacos, ceviche sides, and potato-like dumplings. This being said, I had to sample one of each of the three premier margaritas.
Chef Noel Flores has taken over this kitchen. La Monja relies more on coastal seafood with low prices, fewer burritos and tacos, and more ceviches. 
Las Vegas native Flores started in the restaurant world when at the age of 16, he began an apprenticeship with famous chef Jose Andres. He went on to work with Aitor Zabala, Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, and Lorena Garcia. Heading to Mexico City to become a stagiere for Jorge Vallejo’s restaurant, Quintonil; Flores then returned to Las Vegas to open Meso Tortillas.
Las Vegas Fremont Street and the overhead canopy of lights is a fun spot to spend one evening when you are in town. 
Take a walk and you will uncover numerous unique venues including the Mob Museum, the Speakeasy below it, and the infamous El Cortez.
HOOTERS CASINO AND HOTEL HAS A NEW SHOW AND ALSO A NEW OWNER.
September 5th the show that started in Los Angeles, and came reinvented to the Tropicana two years ago, is now starting at Hooters on the Night Owl stage.
With songs such as “American Woman: A Rock n’ Roll a Go-Go”, Cherry Boom Boom will open to a much smaller and more intimate showroom. Filled with artistic style and mind-blowing music, this is the sexy side of America. Zeppelin songs are certainly in the mix. Running Thursday thru Saturday nights at 11 p.m., all attendees must be 21. 
And to add some more intrigue to Hooters, they have just been sold for $135 million to the brand name of OYO Hotels. They are the largest hospitality company in India and are the third largest in the world. Starting in September they will begin a total renovation but will keep the iconic Hooters restaurant. OYO hotels are committed to spending $300 million to buy hotels across the United States. Hooters is located on Tropicana, directly next to the Tropicana hotel and across from MGM. Free parking which is great for Las Vegas.
The idea of teaming Guillermo Del Toro with André Øvredal to bring Alvin Schwartz’s popular Y.A. novel to the big screen is enough to make horror fans giddy with excitement. Schwartz’s Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark was so successful in the ’80s that it spawned two other books and eventually had two compilations in 2004 and 2017. Even with the controversy of being too violent, featuring murder, cannibalism and disfigurement, young readers ate it up much to the disapproval of some parents and activist groups.
This is prime territory for Del Toro, the man who gave us Pan’s Labyrinth, The Devil’s Backbone, and The Shape of Water. Del Toro also did us a great service by handing the directorial reins to Øvredal who delivered quirky fantasy/horror with Trollhunter and the highly disturbing The Autopsy of Jane Doe. Together, along with their team of writers, the filmmakers lay out a new kind of creepy Creepshow that manages to rival some of the best horror anthologies, but with a PG-13. That rating does not dampen the horror or the fun one bit.
The filmmakers are not interested in telling just a straight forward anthology, and that’s what makes these scary stories so refreshing and different. There is also the added benefit of placing everything in 1968. The film beautifully captures the era along with the turbulent times (Richard Nixon, Vietnam, racism). And, then there is the small group of friends that reminded me of the popular Netflix series Stranger Things which actually owes a lot to films like Stand By Me, The Lost Boys, and The Goonies. Director Øvredal and his cast are able to make these kids believable as well as likable.
On a dare, four young people explore a “haunted house” on Halloween night. There is an urban myth about the young girl that died there. One would ask her to tell you a scary story, and it would be the last story you would ever hear. When the kids discover a secret room where the child was kept and subsequently find the book that the child wrote scary stories in, they runaway with the book. They soon discover that the book starts to write new scary stories involving them and people around them. This eventually leads to gruesome deaths.
The effects are nightmarish, especially the eerie, grinning large scale trolls. Gil Bellows (Ally McBeal, Patriot, Jett) along with Dean Norris (Breaking Bad, Under the Dome) are great grounding rods to bring everything down to earth, bringing an edgy skepticism to it all. They play off the kids so well. As for the kids, Zoe Margaret Colletti is a standout as Stella Nichols, the young girl that feels she’s responsible for her mother being gone along with any other bad thing that happens to anyone she knows. Michael Garza plays it cool as the new kid in town, a Hispanic boy that is trying to lay low and basically a fish out of water in the small town that he’s passing by. The rest of the cast, as mentioned, are a likable bunch, but it is Colletti’s performance that is the heart of the movie.
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark may not break new ground, but it maintains a sweet nostalgic feel while giving us goosebumps. The scares may not be as horrific as some would like, and there is very little gore. This is also what makes Del Toro, Øvredal, and Schwarz’s tales so inviting along with the gothic foreboding of it all. Watching these tales in a darkened theater on a big screen, and even bigger sound is the kind of thing us horror hounds howl about.
Directed by: André Øvredal
Release Date: August 9, 2019
Run Time: 108 Minutes
Rated: PG-13
Country: USA/Canada
Distributor: Lionsgate
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Many people talk about becoming successful but, unfortunately, that’s all they do–talk. Most of their sentences begin with, “Someday, one day, soon, as soon as, etc.” The reality is they procrastinate and never begin.
First of all, in order to be successful, you have to decide what success means to you. Once you have decided, it’s important to write your dreams out. Once you have done that, the next step is to establish a plan on what it’s going to take to achieve those dreams. This is how you turn your dreams into goals. Goals are dreams with a plan.
After you have all that in place, the next step is to take action. Keep in mind that success does not happen overnight. You are going to experience a lot of failure but that is all part of the learning process. It takes a 100% commitment. No matter what happens, you are never going to give up and you are sticking to your plan of success.
Let me share with you a few success strategies that will help you achieve your dreams. Keep in mind, these are behaviors that must be embraced.
Be Disciplined with Rituals.
This is vital if you want to have long-term success. Very often, many people simply fly by the seat of their pants. Starting today, map out a very disciplined success schedule. Plan out your whole week. For those of you with RMS, you should know exactly where you are going to be working every day.
Start waking up earlier. Get your body moving. Get on an exercise routine. Eat healthy. Do what it takes to become successful. Make a commitment to leave the house no later than 7:30 A.M. and to be home by 6:00 P.M. Be disciplined with the sales calls that you are making. The bottom line is, you need to get as many people in front of you as possible in order to have success.
Throughout the day, start making phone calls to the most successful people in the industry and get to know them. Make sure that your circle of influence is super positive. Be 100% committed each and every day to your goals and work hard at it. This is discipline.
Continue to Grow.
Once you stop growing, you start shrinking. No matter what level of achievements that you reach, make the decision to constantly improve. This applies to all areas of your life. Look for ways to grow in your relationships, your career, and your health.
If you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room. Surround yourself with people that you can learn from. Read books and watch videos to help you become motivated.
Have a Blast Every Day.
Starting today, adopt this slogan: “I am too blessed to be stressed.” Remember that being happy is a choice. Life is way too short to worry about the little things. Write down five things that you are extremely grateful for and focus on the positive all the time. Greet every person that you encounter with a smile and a positive, welcoming spirit. Your attitude should be that everyone you meet will have a better day just because they have met you.
As soon as you get out of bed, begin by making this statement: “Today is going to be an awesome day and I am going to have a blast!” Keep your focus positive throughout the day and do not allow any negativity to hold you back.
You are on your success journey. I’m rooting for you. I believe in you. Work on these success strategies and go for it! You can do this!
Have a blast this week!
RICH NORTON
Regional Sales Manager RMSNPC
www.RetrieverMerchantSolutions.com
Obesity is a major health concern in the United States with prevalence rates at 39.8% for adults and 18.5% for children. This means that millions of Americans—both young and old–have a higher risk of coronary heart disease, ischemic stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer. For those who are physically inactive and have sedentary habits, one of the best ways to prevent obesity and obesity-related conditions is by making healthy lifestyle changes. It doesn’t have to be drastic; even light, regular exercise can help you live longer. If you’re serious about making a change, certain lifestyle changes can significantly boost your fitness levels and overall health.
How Current Lifestyle Affects Your Fitness and Health
Though biological factors like age and genetics certainly play a part, the way you live your life can also have a significant effect on your overall fitness and health. Your current weight can reflect the life you lead, specifically your eating habits, activity levels, work schedule, and sleeping patterns. Those with unhealthy diets, low activity levels, demanding schedules and sleep problems might see a higher number when they step on the weighing scale. This is echoed by a study’s findings that obesity and higher body weight are strongly associated with a sedentary lifestyle and physical inactivity. So, if you want to prevent obesity and obesity-related conditions, lifestyle modification with a focus on proper diet and exercise habits is one of the best ways to achieve better fitness and health.
Importance of Regular Exercise and a Healthy Diet
Regular exercise and a balanced diet are the hallmarks of a healthy lifestyle. You don’t have to immediately go all-out once you commit to a lifestyle change. You can start slow and steady by doing light exercises such as brisk walking or jogging for 15 to 30 minutes each day, replacing junk food with healthier and more nutritious foods, and weaning yourself from bad habits like smoking and drinking. Eventually, you’ll start to see positive results with these healthy lifestyle changes.
Though it might not seem like much in the beginning, even slight weight loss can already lessen your likelihood of developing health complications associated with obesity. In one study, participants who were able to reduce their initial weight by 7% and engage in 150 minutes of physical activity per week were able to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes by 58%.
Similarly, a healthier diet and increased physical activity were able to lessen the prevalence of hypertension in participants with above-optimal blood pressure.
How to Sustain a Healthy Lifestyle
Once you’re able to establish a healthier routine, you can amp up your efforts in order to achieve a truly active and fit lifestyle. You just have to be ‘S.M.A.R.T’ to see long-lasting changes.
This means having specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound goals when it comes to exercise, diet and other lifestyle activities. As long as you have motivation, conviction and confidence, you’ll be able to stick to these healthy lifestyle changes and in turn, this will lessen your risk of obesity and obesity-related conditions.
Obesity is becoming more and more of a problem due to our modern lifestyle—one that’s static and very unhealthy. As a result, we are also seeing a rise in obesity-related conditions like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
In order to lessen the likelihood of developing these conditions, it’s important to improve your overall fitness and health. The best way to do that is through healthy lifestyle changes such as regular exercise and a healthy diet. As long as you stick to these lifestyle changes, you’ll be able to look and feel healthier. You’ll also have peace of mind knowing that you’re doing everything you can to boost your life expectancy.
Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash
