November 2014 rtt

November 2014

Pumpkin Spice Martini

Peppermill’s Craft Cocktails

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6 Editor's Letter 7 Community

It's My Community Store

NOVEMBER 2014 CONTENT

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100 Word Bias

10 A Probability of Words 13 A Woman Abroad 15 America Matters Media Art 17 Will Rogers Peterson Beauty 22 Aura Salon Business 29 Reno Yelp

Cover Story 30 Peppermill's Craft Cocktails

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38 41

Event DJ DC Makes Guinness World Record Attempt for Longest Marathon Club DJing Reno Comic Con Black Friday in MidTown

Fashion 42 Fashion 4 ways

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Feature The Shot Spot B-12 Bar Take 2 Performers Studio Talent Show Winners

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Food 61 Pignic Pub & Patio 63 Pretty In Pink Macarons 64 HATCH 68 Lit

Non-Profit Organization 73 For Pet's Sake Photography 74 Digiman Studio

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77 Radio 78 Radius Review 81 Zimmerman 82 The Bonfire Set 85 Reno Computer Fix

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Something about South Reno 87 MiScenarios Indoor Digital Shooting Range 89 Tantra 91 Theater

Wounded

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92 The Light Factor 95 Yoga

Editor/Publisher Oliver X Art Director Chris Meredith Design Associates Courtney Meredith Mike Robertson Kristine Palmer Contributing Writers Thomas Lloyd Qualls Cody Doyle Rory Dowd Sean Savoy Isha Casagrande Tony Contini Geralda Miller Amanda Horn Contributing Photographers Shelbi Carr Whitehead Chris Holloman Shannon Balazs Tony Contini Clayton Beck Anicia Beckwith Digiman Studio Kyle Volland Marcello Rostagni Ted Varney Interns Jayleen Popp Sara Pashall Matthew Bieker Sales 775-412-3767 Legal Counsel MATTHEW P. DIGESTI, ESQ. | THE DIGESTI LAW FIRM LLP Submissions renotahoetonightrocks@gmail.com Website renotahoetonightmagazine.com

All content, layout and design is the property of Reno Tahoe Tonight Magazine.

Duplication or reproduction is prohibited without the expressed written consent of Reno Tahoe Tonight Magazine. Copyright 2014. Reno Tahoe Tonight is produced on 10% recycled American paper and is printed with all soy and vegetable inks.

Editor's Letter Text Oliver X Photo Debbie McCarthy

Editor's L etter

This is the season of thanksgiving and I want to express my sincere thanks to two important individuals who left our ranks in 2014, but along the way, made us better and contributed their excellence to our lives and to our pages.

Graphic artist and design professional Mike Robertson worked with RTT for three years. We met while we were both at The Siena, and I was so grateful that he accepted my request to come aboard and help make our pages look better. Mike’s creative prowess, ability to make unique and astounding layouts and his bright, incredibly radiant energy made him a joy to work with and an honor to call a friend. Mike is sorely missed and I wish him and his lively wife and baby all the best in their journeys.

Nellie Davis is the 9th wonder of the world.

Mother, leader, mentor, student, entrepreneur, creator and soul seeker, Nellie might just be the first person to colonize Mars! I have watched Nellie grow as a woman; as a creative force in this community, and in the lives of her peers, who are elevated by the light of her brilliance.

I have always loved, admired and respected Nellie, now I get to watch her soar and achieve the greatness that is already so evident in her intention, in her work and in her glorious spirit. Go get it girl!

This issue has so many facets that shine like a diamond, and two of the brightest lights deserve special mention here.

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Lanette Katre, owner of The Shot Spot – A B12 Bar, is an amazing individual you will see a lot more of in RTT in the coming months. Lanette’s business is transforming lives, and not only is she stunningly beautiful, but she’s a remarkable motivator and totally HILARIOUS! Check out Lanette’s feature in this issue and visit The Shot Spot at 615 Sierra Rose Dr. Suite 4 Reno, NV 89511 (in back of Lowe’s off Kietzke Lane). 775-826-1008.

Jennifer Utu is stronger than Jonah in the belly of the whale.

The trials that she, her husband Danny and their three kids have gone through this year have been a profound test of faith. She responded with prayer, love and gratitude for her community and God has opened up a fountain of blessings for her, as she takes the helm as the new owner of Aura Salon, located on 2323 Kietzke Lane, Reno, NV 89502.

775-826-3117. Please read our feature on Aura Salon and go see Jennifer and her very special team of professionals.

Lastly, this issue deals with adult subject matter and boldly looks at sexuality, psychedelic drug research and the power of tantric touch. These topics are not suitable for children and may be disturbing to people with sensitivities to contextual expressions of journalistic curiosity and free speech.

I hope to inspire dialogue in all of these areas of our culture. As you explore these pages, remember how special this community is; a place where we can celebrate the talents and achievements of our neighbors, our artists, our businesses and ourselves.

It’s My Community Store Honored for Philanthropy

Community Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight

Jenifer Rose

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n Friday, November 14, It’s My Community Store receives the Cornerstone Award for “Outstanding Corporation,” from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Sierra Chapter at its 27th annual awards luncheon. The Cornerstone Awards celebrate the outstanding achievements and contributions of local fundraisers and philanthropists who have helped enrich and strengthen the community and lives of northern Nevadans. A committee of preceding Cornerstone Award winners and board members carefully select recipients of the award. The Cornerstone Award for “Outstanding Corporation,” has previously been presented to some of Reno/Tahoe’s most admired corporations, such as IGT, Meridian Gold Company, Renown Health, St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center and Wells Fargo.

Eric Lackshin, General Manager of Mercedes Benz of Reno. “In fact, we have saved money, received excellent service, and most importantly we were able to choose the Boys and Girls Club as our charity of choice and offer additional support to them through our office supply purchases. Supporting the community is important to us and this was an easy addition to our efforts."

“I’m honored and humbled that It’s My Community Store was chosen for this significant award,” said Jenifer Rose, Creator and CEO of It’s My Community Store. “It’s been heartening to see how much It’s My Community Store has given back to worthwhile community organizations in just three years of operation. It is thanks to the businesses that have chosen us as their office supply provider, that we have been able to triple our charity donations this year.”

“Office supplies are a multibillion dollar industry and a product that businesses use daily,” said Rose. “With the support from our community business partners, It’s My Community Store will be able to provide a steady stream of funding for our charities. And, we believe it will only increase year-over-year.”

It’s My Community Store is an office supply provider that partners with small to large businesses to, not only sell quality products at a competitive price, but more importantly, give back to local organizations of their choosing. This strategy allows businesses to purchase their already needed products, while having up to 10-percent of the total dollar amount of products ordered donated to a charitable organization of their choosing.

"At first I was skeptical, thinking we would have to pay more for our supplies but the prices were excellent,” said

During a time of shrinking economic resources, It’s My Community Store exemplifies how businesses can work together to support their local organizations. Rose believes that businesses shouldn’t wait for someone else to help.

With It’s My Community Store, businesses can help their local communities without expediting what limited charitable budget they may have.

About It’s My Community Store: It’s My Community Store was created as an easy way for people in every community, across the country, to support their own community and the things that are important to them. Businesses can order their technology, office, restroom, and break room supplies with up to 10-percent of the total dollar amount of products ordered going to a community organization of their choosing.Custom pricing, programs and next day delivery are offered to all businesses. To learn more about It’s My Community Store, call 855-720-2911 or visit itsmycommunitystore.com.

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100

Word Bias

100 Word Bias Text Thee Reverend Rory Dowd

Blunderbusst – Aphasia

The mighty Carson City indie rockers Blunderbusst have been quiet for much of 2014, playing only a few live shows. Instead they’ve been letting their three-song EP Aphasia do all the talking for them. This follow up to their 2010 release is a stunner. It has the skillfully layered sound and energy of their live shows mixed together with the cleanly ringing bell of truth. While I really and truly dig on the three minute end jam at the end of the title track, the lynchpin on the album for me is “Talisman”. It tickles the backpack rocker inside me.

Download the economical EP at blunderbusst.com

Father – All Bad News Come listen to the album of the band you will never see! Father is four veteran musicians and promoters from the Reno and Portland hardcore scenes, ten songs and zero shows. As someone who has listened to dozens of dozens of generic cookie-cutter, cookie monster hardcore bands in sweaty basements and tin shacks with shitty sound, I can definitively say – this is not that. Father is so much better than that. While raw and brutal, it is also precise and deliberate. All Bad News is mature and robust, like a fine wine that wants to punch you in the mouth.

Get in on the alternate history of hardcore at father1.bandcamp.com/releases

Donkey Jaw – Donkey Jaw Lives!

Snappy and high-energy, head bobbin’ and rockin’, Donkey Jaw is a shot in the arm. This is everything I like about punk rock music. It’s aggressive and jaded and goddamn catchy. Songs like “Wicked Man” and “Bad News” give me earworms for days. It’s wind-milling around the room, crashing into your friends and the coffee table music. Everything is either an anthem or a sing-a-long you can’t help moving to. Smart and fun, Donkey Jaw Lives reminds me I wasn’t always so settled and comfortable, that I once had a soul. And did I mention that it was goddamn catchy?

Follow the link to the punk rock show at soundcloud.com/donkeyjawreno

Priscilla Ford – The Blackout Club One word comes to mind: throbbing. Throbbing, like that vein on his forehead when he’s screaming out the lyrics, one foot on a floor monitor; elbow on his bent knee. The Blackout Club is blue-collar, hard drinkin’ and grinding rock ‘n roll. It’s heavy and wailing; excellent for driving down dark highways in the dessert while pissed off at everything. However, the rocky exterior of Priscilla Ford hides the soft intellectual center with evocative allegorical insinuations hidden under the whisky filled music.

One particularly special track is “Evil Manatees.” Ha! Now you have to listen to hear what I mean.

Get your epic rock hand ready and visit facebook.com/priscillaford13

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A Probability of Words Text Thomas Lloyd Qualls Photo Lynell Garfield

Look!

Open your eyes, as well as your heart and mind. The Buddhists say that awareness is the most important thing. Actually, as the teaching goes, it is the three most important things: attention, attention, attention.

Hiding in plain sight in that word is (the sound of ) the word tension.

Now, I suppose that when one has become a master, the tension part of attention goes away, and there is only relaxed awareness. But I'm not really qualified to talk about that. Knowing my limitations, I'm going to recruit a little help on this subject from David Foster Wallace.

Wallace once told a graduating class the story of an old fish swimming by two young fish, greeting them and asking, "How's the water?" After a while, one of the young fish turned to the other and said, "What the hell is water?" His point being that the most important things in life are often the most obvious and also the hardest for us to see.

I agree that we lean too heavily on our own ideas, beliefs, expectations, worldview, in order to get through the day. The irony is, these are also the very things that keep us from living the lives we want, that keep us from true happiness. And yes, that seems like a really cruel joke for life to play. But it doesn't make it any less true.

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Life is dangerous.

There are things that happen in life that cause us to pause. Like death or sudden violence, mostly. And so many things that don't. Like the patient presence of beauty all around us. Or, using the fish analogy, the air we breathe all day and night. Every day and night.

Our whole lives.

I can't explain exactly why, but the unexpected death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman shook me. It was just something I didn’t see coming. Something senseless.

Something that happens in a dream. And then you wake up and think, that was weird.

I was also a little embarrassed to talk about it. Or to write about it. I mean, lots of innocent people die every day all over the world in terrible circumstances, (and most of them did not voluntarily stick needles in their arms). So I processed it silently and (mostly) got over it.

Then came the suicide death of Robin Williams, our beloved O Captain! My Captain! And I decided, instead of just stuffing his death away as a silly romantic media-fueled event, I would explore why it felt the way it did. And do my best to write about what I found.

Life is uncertain.

Don't get used to any of it.

Just like the fishes' water or the air we breathe, there is much we take for granted. Like our ideas of the world, we somehow think that we have to take these things for granted, you know, in order to function. In order to do the so many other things there are to do in a day.

We get used to the light. Here in the high desert, we get used to more than 300 days of sunshine a year. So when it rains, we pay attention. I love the rain, more than I can express with words. And I also imagine if I lived somewhere like Seattle or Portland or London, I’d get used to the rain in the same way.

Yet I believe the masters would say that this thinking is folly, that this constant ignoring we do is part of the grand illusion. That, in fact, it is the exact opposite of what we think. That the reason we find life so difficult, so much of the time, is that we have stuffed away most all of the things that are essential to life, in favor of the illusion.

I believe death rocks us because it temporarily wakes us from our near perpetual slumber. Whether it is the death of a loved one, known to us personally, or the death of a bright light -- the likes of PSH, Robin Williams, or even Wallace himself – who we had come to take as a never-ending part of our human landscape.

We relied on them, like water or oxygen, to provide us with the illusion of permanency.

Life is beautiful.

The morning after I found out about PSH, I slowed down a little. Instead of being hurried and stressed about getting my son out the door in time for school, I just slowed down a little. I watched him. As we gathered our things. As I asked him for the seventh time to put on his coat and boots. As we walked to the car. As I fastened his seat belt.

I slowed down enough to watch what was happening.

I saw him. I saw us. I savored every little moment. As if it were a delicious tiny meal.

I hadn’t slept well the night before. We were late to wake up. And on top of that, all the usual Monday morning complications and frustrations were there.

But somehow these things didn’t get to me. A smile crept to the surface, even as I was struggling to get dressed and to collect all manner of things for our day.

We must let life happen. We must allow it to get our attention. To wake us up. And then we must do our best to stay awake. That is the whole point. Stay awake. Shake others awake. Grab them and hug them and kiss them. Show them the stars and the equally incomprehensible numbers of leaves of grass right in their own backyard.

Get down in the grass and see how we would look if we were tiny bugs. Stare into each other’s eyes and wonder at the remarkable ability we have just to see things, how many billions of organs and tissues and membranes and cells and firing neurons it takes just to look at the world, to gaze upon a bee getting drunk on a sunflower.

There are people and things who shine brighter than others. And we need their light. Their light is important to remind us of beauty, of humor, of lightheartedness, and grace. And, as Master Ajahn Chah taught us, the glass is already broken, so enjoy it all the more. This is the balance of the spiritual and the material worlds, a practice that is essential for us to master if we want to suck all the marrow from life.

Life is random. Life is complicated. Life is often unforgiving. And we must each live it anyway. And I don’t mean live it as if it were a chore, something to be endured, survived. I mean dig in, get muddy, howl at the moon, take pictures of sunsets, play in the rain, make love, savor your food, smile as much as you can. And cry when you’re sad.

Live it despite the fact it sometimes pisses you off.

Live it and pay as much attention as you can muster.

So when a light goes out, as even the sun will eventually, you can say, Damn, now that was a beautiful one!

A version of this essay also appeared on rebellesociety.com Thomas Lloyd Qualls is a writer, a condition that is apparently incurable. He manages his condition, in part, by regular contributions to Reno Tahoe Tonight Magazine and to the borderless virtual tribe known as Rebelle Society.

He also finds it helpful to talk with other humans. Feel free to write to him at tq@tlqonline.com. You could also friend him, follow him, or just invite him out for a beer.

His debut novel, Waking Up at Rembrandt’s, has received local and national critical acclaim. The second edition is available in print (think of vinyl, only for books) and on multiple e-version platforms. (If you want to stop what you're doing and buy it right now, go ahead. We'll wait for you.) There's also a book of poetry, love jaywalks, an upcoming collection of essays and a second novel, painted oxen, due out just as soon as all the words finish lining up, which admittedly is taking far longer than he expected.

In the meantime, feel free to visit his website whenever you like. There's more stuff there. tlqonline.com.

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A Woman Abroad

I'm traveling over 3000 miles to move my friend Pam and her 2 Great Danes from Reno to Connecticut. We're taking old Route 66, the Mother Road as far as we can.

But if the kitschy spots spark interest like a civil war bullet hole that is said to bring a single gal a marriage proposal within six months of her ring finger entering it, we'll stop!

We're not falling prey to the urge to 'get there.' We live in the fastest-paced culture the world has ever seen. We rush to get on a plane to take us to an amusement park where we're in line to buy a churro longer than we're enjoying a ride. We never fully slow down to enjoy the journey.

Things I remember most from many of my trips were random – pancakes from a backyard 'diner' in Ghana; the indoor courtyard complete with pond and koi fish in a Beijing hostel; the laughing and playing slugbug in the car on the way to some National Park. This trip is 100% unplanned moments.

A great American road trip has been a dream of mine for forever. I've grown up with movies, cartoons, TV shows and songs detailing trips along the famed Route 66. It helped create the rise of mom and pop motels, the fast food industry and roadside attractions to liven up life on the road. It linked rural communities with the rest of America and was the first major thoroughfare from East to West. Road trips were a mainstay experience - stuck in the back with siblings, seeing the landscape change and morph from the window of the family roadster.

When that fell away for plane rides to amusement parks, whole towns closed up shop and National Park revenues dropped. Now, it's a deal to see this great country's Parks.

A pass is free for military, the disabled and verified

A Woman Abroad Text and photo Melody Brewer

volunteers. A lifetime pass is just $10 for seniors. And for the rest of us, it's $80 a year.

And the adventure begins - a trooper let us out of a ticket in Fallon; we ate a greasy meal in an old casino cafe that smelled of grilled cheese, Aqua Net and 40 years of cigarette smoke; we inhaled the chocolaty goodness of a monster candy store/gas station; and we were waved away from the Hoover Dam because trailers are not allowed. But the mile deep crack in the desert did not disappoint. Rocks at the bottom of the Grand Canyon date back millions of years. But it's not what gets the most questions about this adventure. People ask after a piece of our shared heritage and history, Arizona's Wigwam Motel. It's one of the last of a motel chain that began in the 1940's. And it's exactly what I wanted it to be - a circle of cement teepees in the middle of a little town. There are rusty classic cars permanently parked in front of each with a 'Mater' of Cars fame, near the office. Inside fits a tiny desk and 2 beds with just enough space between them to get to the bathroom. The highest point of the room is smack in the middle, so taller sorts can't fully stand along the edges or in the shower. But it's clean and quaint with Native American accents. As I fell asleep, I imagined all the families that had stayed here.

Clean-cut, 1950's kids giddy at the fact they're sleeping in a teepee.

These are the experiences that are missed if traveling by plane. The nostalgia and history remain untouched if we're speeding along. “Life is a journey, not a destination.”

Next up, Devil’s Rope Museum...

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America Matters Media Text Kelly Rush Photo of Larry Bigler by Debbie McCarthy

Larry Bigler, CPA Larry Bigler is a busy guy! He sits on multiple boards, including as Treasurer for both Nevada Matters, Inc. dba America Matters Media, and the Wynema Ranch Wild Horse Sanctuary non-profit organization, wynemaranch.com. He hosts a weekly radio talk show called Money Matters every Monday at 9am on Renegade Radio 101.3FM; every Wednesday at 4pm on NBC Sports AM1060, and every Saturday at 7:30pm on Fox Talk 99.1FM. Oh, and he’s also a CPA who runs his own local firm here in Reno.

Larry Bigler has over 35 years of experience working with clients in the mining, real estate, retail, and lodging industries, among others. He also served stints as CFO, VP, and Director for Oro Nevada Resources, and Treasurer and Controller of Getchell Gold. He worked for both companies through the Initial Public Offering (IPO) process, securing significant assets for both.

Not only is Larry Bigler a licensed CPA, he also holds degrees in both Accounting and Economics. He has also taught at University of Nevada, Reno, Oklahoma Wesleyan, and University of Utah, and has been widely published. Just for the record, his favorite color is green-like money! He’s also a lot more than just a tax guy.

both in a personable and professional manner. As cliché as it sounds, it’s because they truly love their work, they love their community, and they care. Larry’s pro bono work on behalf of the Wynema Ranch Wild Horse Sanctuary alone helped bring that organization into existence, and set it on its current strong foundation.

Larry’s current practice areas are comprehensive and cover the entire spectrum of business, personal, and family taxes and accounting. Larry and his staff can do everything from incorporate your business or set up your non-profit to estate and trust planning, to standard annual tax filing. They can also do your bookkeeping and payroll if you’re a small business. In other words, if you have a financial question, call Larry Bigler. If it’s not within the scope of his services, he’ll know who to refer you to.

As we enter the fourth quarter and barrel quickly toward the end of 2014, that also signals the approach of tax season. Now is the time to get organized and plan for your return so you’re not scrambling at 11:59pm on April 14th. Larry offers a free consultation for all new clients, so if you have questions about what information you need to gather, how to account for your health insurance, if you qualify for certain deductions, etc., get in touch with Larry Bigler, CPA.

Probably the most notable thing about Larry Bigler and his staff is how they form personal, long-term relationships with their clients. Business and personal finances are sensitive matters and the Bigler firm handles

You can contact Bigler by visiting the website at larrybigler.com, or via email at cpa@larrybigler.com.

The phone number is 775-323-8131 and the office is located at 1155 West Fourth Street, Suite 210 in Reno.

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teaching, nurturing, supporting... locally 17 South Virginia Street Reno, NV 89501

Calendar of Events IN THE GALLERY WILL ROGER PETERSON

775.329.2787 www.sierra-arts.org

NOVEMBER 2014

Provocative Portraits Erotic Dance Photography November 4-26 Reception, Nov. 6 FIRST THURSDAY ARTWALK Art Spot Reno Thursday, November 6, 6-9pm

BROWN BAG ART DOCUMENTARY SERIES

SHAKESPEARE UNCOVERED Episode 1: Macbeth 11/12: There’s daggers in men’s smiles. With Ethan Hawke 12pm, BYO Lunch, FREE

Gallery Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10am-5pm

Become a member and support...

Sierra Arts Foundation is the local arts agency where our mission is to educate, nurture, and support the arts in Northern Nevada and Northeastern California.

Art

Will Roger Peterson Provocative Portraits at the Sierra Arts Foundation Reno November 4 – 26

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Art Text Oliver X Photos Will Roger Peterson

Opening reception November 6 Part 1 of a Two-part Interview

N

udity is political. We project our sexual fears, biases and belief systems onto public displays of nudity and pronounce them untoward. From Michelangelo’s David and Carlo Saraceni’s Saint Sebastian, to George Dureau and Robert Mapplethorpe’s homoerotic male nudes--which pricked the sensibilities of the nation’s art establishment over thirty years ago--we deem the willful artistic expression and celebration of sexuality while naked as sinful and obscene.

No stranger to sin and unbeholden to such dogma, I was particularly delighted to bite the apple and welcome photographer Will Roger Peterson’s visually arresting erotic nude series Provocative Portraits to our pages. Peterson’s Portraits challenge, titillate and engage the viewer through balletically collaborative still to live studies that employ photographic techniques that dramatically capture movement and gesture in his subjects, while conveying an emotional compendium of eroticism, euphoria, danger, freedom, whimsy and the grotesque. As Peterson’s work illustrates, a thin line of culturally conditioned perception separates pornography from the art of eroticism.

Fresh off of a three and a half week run last month at Las Vegas’ Sin City Gallery, (where he sold three pieces at the closing reception) Peterson, a former administrator and associate professor at the prestigious Rochester Institute of Technology’s School of Graphic Arts and Photography --whose formal education includes a degree in analytical chemistry--holds a Master of Arts and a Master of Science degree, and is one of the six founders of Black Rock City, LLC, (now a non-profit organization) best known as the producers of the annual Burning Man Festival in the Black Rock Desert.

In our conversation, Peterson described the impact of Robert Mapplethorpe’s 1989 NEA funding controversy as a catalyzing moment in his decision to pursue what would become some of his most experimental work. Mapplethorpe had been pushing and blurring boundaries of “acceptable” artistic expression for many years prior to the incident that

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brought him international media attention. The New York photographer’s exhibit, entitled “Robert Mapplethorpe: The Perfect Moment”--which featured a self-portrait of a bull whip protruding from the artist’s anus and depictions of europhagia— was hosted at Washington DC’s Corcoran Gallery, creating a firestorm of protest over public funding of “obscene art.” The exhibit was eventually pulled in response to immense conservative outcry from republican members of the senate and congress, most notably from North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms, who paraphrased Justice Potter Stewart’s famous legal opinion in 1964’s Jacobellis v. Ohio decision, reversing a theater manager’s obscenity conviction for showing the French Film The Lovers, by stating: “I can’t define pornography, but I know it when I see it.” Peterson noted that the artistic community sarcastically referred to the repressive sentiment expressed in Helm’s utterance over the Mapplethorpe exhibit as that of an “artificial art official.”

I spoke with the gifted Peterson in a phone interview about his Provocative Portraits series, debuting November 4 (with an opening artist’s reception on November 6) and running through the 26th of this month at the Riverwalk District’s Sierra Arts Foundation in downtown Reno.

Oliver X: After a twenty-year hiatus from publicly exhibiting your work, what inspired you to return with this series and how did it evolve conceptually?

Will Roger Peterson: Well all of this work is from twenty years ago, or longer. This is not new work; this is old work. Can I just go into why I did the work?

Oliver X: Yes, of course.

Will Roger Peterson: I did my Master’s thesis based on the philosophy of Georges Ivanovich Gurdjieff, who basically proposed that humans have three major centers, and that you need to work on all three of them to create the fourth center—which is spirit. The intellectual, physical and emotional centers are the things that I worked on and I put those in my thesis.

Underwater photography actually was the physical part; I did peripheral strip photographs which were the intellectual part and I did some street shooting, which was the emotional part. And in the underwater stuff, I took some nudes of my then wife, who is the well-known photographer Marilyn Bridges. It was a nude shot [of her] and when I did my thesis defense, the old stodgy professors wanted me to take that down. And I basically said no, let’s go forward. And then the female professors came in and said that my work honored women and that I should keep it up-and that it was really good! And they sort of saved the day; it was really cool.

Art

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Fashion Vice

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Art

Will Roger Peterson

So this set me off into thinking that our ideas of nudity as a culture and our ideas of what is erotic; what is fine art, and what’s pornographic-are kinda blurred. And it’s a cultural thing that’s different in each culture. And it’s a learned thing. It isn’t something that’s basic to humans; it’s something that’s learned as we grow up in a culture. That kind of got my interest. I started to think, Gee that’s interesting.

Then I had another show down in Allentown, Pennsylvania and it was in a multi-purpose room.

Most of the time it was a gallery, but people could rent the space for little functions. I had some of this work up and there was a minister who was doing something with his parish there. He thought my work was pornographic--but only some of it. Instead of editing the work, he had the janitor come in and he let the janitor make the decision on which pieces he would cover with brown paper.

Oliver X: Wow! Will Roger Peterson: OK, so that made the work!

Oh shit…people were coming in. I left the brown paper up, and people would pick up the paper to view the photographs. (I actually used that device later.)

It’s kind of interesting…so that gave the person a choice whether to look at it or not. And sure enough, everybody came into the gallery and looked under the paper. The curiosity was really intense. So that means then that not only do we have ill-defined boxes for pornography, eroticism, fine art and the human figure (we really don’t know what we like and don’t like), but we’re also very curious about it.

Oliver X: What followed this period?

In the immediate aftermath of the Mapplethorpe controversy, I really decided that I would look into this further. So that’s when I began the work that would make up this series.

I’d left Rochester Institute of Technology, where I was an associate professor. My background is in technology and I have a degree in analytical chemistry. I ran the chem lab there for a while and became the assistant director.

Then I started teaching biomedical photography and finally I got my fine art degrees. I’d run an aerial

photography business with photographer Marilyn Bridges, who I was married to for about twelve years. We broke up and got a divorce and I moved to Oakland. And what I decided to do was set up a portrait studio around this work. The name of the studio was called Provocative Portraits. I set up the studio the way I wanted it and people started paying me to do this kind of work. It was fascinating because we found that it was therapeutic. People were creating their own mystiques and their own images based around their sexuality.

I began to get a reputation in the San Francisco underground for doing this kind of primal work.

I was just beginning to make it when the digital camera came out. The cool thing is that the Werewolf image that you like so much, I ran it as an ad for Provocative Portraits and the East Bay Express and The San Francisco Bay Guardian both ran it. I was really surprised, but they were both progressive and it was really cool. And then who shows up at my open studio, but Crimson Rose. She was an artist model and she became one of my models. Crimson Rose introduced me to Burning Man in 1993, and in 1994 I went to my first Burning Man. And that’s the year I shut my studio down. The really good thing that I got from that was Crimson, my life partner. We’ve been together twenty-two years in June.

Oliver X: What happened to the work you did in the studio?

Will Roger Peterson: In the back of my mind I never felt like I had showed this work. I had probably 5,000 negatives I’d shot over a ten year period in this controlled studio setting and some of them are really good. So what I did a few years ago is I scanned a few of them and showed them to my friend Laura Henkel, who runs Sin City Gallery, and she said, “Let’s have a show.”

Since one of my minors as a graduate student was printmaking, I know how to do all kinds of now antiquated print-making techniques. I bought some printmaking paper and actually did ink-jet printing on it, and discovered that I fell in love with the work again. And I decided that this should be seen. It’s timeless, and it rides that edge of fine art, eroticism and pornography--which is primal. I get a visceral, primal response often from people who view the work.

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Beauty Text Oliver X Photos Shelbi Carr Whitehead - Scarr Photography

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ura Salon is one of the liveliest destinations in town for quality cuts, color, styling and aesthetician services.

With an experienced, fabulously talented staff and classy environment, Aura has earned one of the most loyal customer bases in northern Nevada’s fiercely competitive salon culture. In the coming months, new owner Jennifer Utu sees the salon getting a stylish remodel. Hearing the ideas she has for the salon revealed an entrepreneur with superb taste and a strong vision.

I spoke to Utu about her plans for the everexpanding salon and how she and her staff make the customer experience one of the key elements to their success.

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Beauty Aura Salon

Jennifer Utu

Oliver X: How did you get into beauty and cosmetology as a career?

Jennifer Utu: I actually had just graduated from college at UNR with a degree in psychology.

I planned on going away to get my Masters degree. Then I met Danny and we started dating. He proposed to me after a year.

Danny was doing so well at his job; I didn’t want to make him move away. So I decided to stay here and do hair. I went with one of my best friends to beauty school here in Reno at the International Academy of Style (now called Redken International) and I fell in love with doing hair. I knew as a stylist, that I was going to use Aveda products.

Oliver X: What are a few of the things that set Aura apart from other salons?

Jennifer Utu: One of the important things that make us special here is our product line. We use Aveda and you can’t buy it in supply stores.

It’s organic based and environmentally safe.

Aveda is pro community, using natural dyes from holistic sources and supporting clean water systems. So our product line fits our culture.

Our team is like family. Craig Randall was my hairdresser for ten years prior to me doing hair.

I’ve been at Aura since 2008. Everyone here is an experienced industry veteran and we know the product line really well. We all get along as a unit and I think that’s so important. The energy is contagious, and our customers have a blast with us!

Our main competition comes from the other local Aveda salons L’Essence and Tangerine.

But we pride ourselves on having no snooty vibe here. We entertain people. People feel comfortable here. People feel at home. We offer snacks and beer and kid’s services like coloring books and a small play area for them to enjoy.

I think we succeed because we offer people a taste of culture, without pretense.

Oliver X: How did you acquire the salon in the midst of one of the most difficult times in your personal life?

Jennifer Utu: Former owner Janelle Norris has been great through this whole process.

You know I was supposed to buy the place in April, but then my husband Danny got sick. I had all my paperwork and my loan secured; I had everything ready to go. But I had to tell Janelle that I wasn’t gonna be able to do this

right now; I didn’t know if my husband was going to be alive. But then Danny’s health improved unexpectedly. Janelle said her lease would be up in September. I told her I already had everything in place. Everybody was super excited!

Oliver X: How long had Danny’s heart been on the up before you felt confident enough to move forward with the transfer of ownership?

Jennifer Utu: You could tell after the defibrillator and pacemaker were put in, his health started steadily improving at every check up. At each appointment the doctors were noticing that he was looking better and his blood work was good. We tested it in September and it was much improved.

Congestive heart failure was part of his family health history. Everybody on his father’s side had pretty much passed away from it. So at 38 years old with three kids, there was a hope that he was young enough to turn a negative pwrognosis around with treatment and changes in diet and lifestyle--and not have to have a heart transplant. There have been so many members of the community offering prayers for us. The support has been unbelievable!

Oliver X: How much more work is it for you now that you are the owner? Did you have management experience at Aura?

Jennifer Utu: I was just a stylist. [Laughter] So no, I had no management experience running a business--other than renting my booth here of course. But all of us are so close here and everyone is so great at what they do. This place practically runs itself. We have a great receptionist and every stylist has been in business a very long time. Janelle Norris did an awesome job establishing Aura as one of the top salons in town and we have exceptional customers who we treat like family.

Over the next six months we are planning a remodel which will modernize the look and feel of the place, with stylish accents and an industrial polish. I wanna take Aura to the next level. We have the energy and motivation to build this out to its full potential. And for me, it’s how we will give back to the community for all it’s done for us. Business philanthropy is a big part of the new model I will execute as a foundation of Aura’s community service. You have to have a great ground point. We’re planning to have two large fundraisers per year for local non-profit organizations. We also have a fundraiser with Wild River Grille coming up.

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Meet the Aura Salon Team Luisa Wanco has been doing hair in the Reno area for 40 years. Her training includes 3 trips to the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Toronto, Canada.

She finds that color is her passion. Every day she looks forward to visiting with her clients, whom she has built close relationships with.

Araceli Hernandez has been a stylist for 5 years and has been with Aveda for 3.5 years. She has attended the Vidal Sassoon Academy in January 2014 and is continuously taking classes to further her education. She has always had a passion for hair and truly enjoys what she does.

Craig Randall has been a stylist for 23 years, working within the Aveda network for over 14 years. He has studied extensively at the Vidal Sassoon Academy in Los Angeles and San Francisco and is currently training to become a Certified Educator for Aveda. He specializes in precision haircutting and customizing Aveda Full Spectrum hair color.

Jenessa Norris has been an Aveda stylist for 13 years. She enjoys being creative by doing “funky” and “unique” color and cuts. She has taken many Aveda and Vidal Sassoon Classes; she loves education. One of her passions is teaching and she looks forward to becoming an Aveda instructor in the future.

Heather McHenry has been a stylist for 5 years.

She is starting her 3rd year with Aveda. She consistently takes classes to keep her work creative and cutting edge. Her specialties are in men’s haircuts and creative color. She loves to make people feel beautiful and happy when they leave her chair.

Catherine Seyler is 26 years old and is in her 3rd year of being an Aveda Stylist. She finds that Aveda provides a product and experience that she is proud to be a part of. She plans to stay with Aveda throughout her career. She feels she is a creative stylist who is never afraid to branch out and try something new.

Jennifer Utu is starting her 10th year as an Aveda stylist. Her dream of owning an Aveda salon has finally come true! She is very excited to take Aura to the next level. Jennifer has furthered her education with Aveda classes and believes that the beauty industry is ever changing; she feels that continuous education is necessary to set you apart. Her passion is customizing color, men’s haircuts and making her guests happy with their experience.

Tracy Daynes has been practicing Esthetics since 2008 after graduating from Cinta Aveda Institute. She is continuously educating herself in progressive treatments and advanced product knowledge. She is passionate about giving you the best facial experience. She is highly experienced in facial massage, acupressure, aromatherapy, high frequency and facial peels. Tracy provides excellent client care and creates an atmosphere of rest and relaxation.

Christy “River” Fruhwirth trained out of the Cinta Aveda Institute in San Francisco. She has been creating her art since early 2008. Christy specializes in custom coloring, as well as precision and blunt cutting, all coupled together with a creative approach. She continues her training with Vidal Sassoon and is always excited to be inspired by every guest she has the pleasure of crossing paths with.

Dharma Luster is a nurturer by nature; she strives to help those around her to be happy, healthy and feeling great. She has been licensed since 2005 and has had additional training. As a former Esthetic educator sharing her passion with skin, health, and nutrition is a must. By providing her expertise and knowledge she creates the perfect customized treatment for each individual. She believes in radiating health from within to the beauty shining out.

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Beauty Aura Salon

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Late Harvest September 27, 2014– January 18, 2015 LEAD SPONSOR Louise A. Tarble Foundation MAJOR SPONSORS Barrick Gold Maureen Mullarkey and Steve Miller National Museum of Wildlife Art The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts SUPPORTING SPONSORS Anne Brockinton Lee and Robert M. Lee Nion McEvoy Mondriaan Fund Deborah and Andy Rappaport Meg and Earl Tarble SUPPORTING SPONSORS Nancy and Alan Maiss

Donald W. Reynolds Center for the Visual Arts | E. L. Wiegand Gallery 160 West Liberty Street in downtown Reno, Nevada

Three Tips to Master Your Online Reputation Mastering your online reputation is an important part of being a small business owner, and with only so many hours in a day, it can be difficult to decide how to focus your efforts here. Fortunately, the Yelp Business Owner Blog, filled with tips, best practices, and inspiring success stories, is a great resource, and this month, I've assembled three tips to help you master it.

Determine where you want to focus your attention.

To keep things manageable, start by setting up your business’ profile page on the top five websites that your customer is likely using to find your business.

While other sites play a part in marketing and growing your business, consumers go to Yelp to make buying decisions.

With 138 million monthly unique visitors to the site and 68 million to the mobile app, Yelp is certainly a place business owners should focus some of their attention.

Attract potential customers using the free tools available to you.

Business

Yelp Text Michael Tragash

Connect with your customers.

With tips one and two complete, you’ll be ready to connect and communicate with your customers in a timely fashion.

When someone reviews your business on Yelp, you have two options to connect with them: send a private message or add a public comment. A private message is like sending a personal email and goes directly to the reviewer.

A public comment posts directly below the consumer’s review for the public to see. Whichever response tool you choose to use, respond diplomatically, thank the reviewer for sharing their feedback and ask someone less involved in your business to read your response before you hit ‘send’. Always remember, consumers are looking at the BIG picture about how your business is being perceived, so don’t focus or obsess over any single review.

Michael Tragash

Once you’ve selected the five sites, optimize each page.

Start by asking yourself, What would cause a potential customer to walk through my door? A discount? Photos?

Store hours? More content about my business?

On Yelp, you can optimize your business listing by using the suite of free tools available in your Business Account.

Initially, focus your attention on these sections:

• Business Information: This section allows you to

add your business’ website, hours and other basic information as well as a 3,000-character description.

• Photos: No matter what kind of business you own, adding photos is highly recommended. In fact, people searching Yelp stay on a business page with photos two and a half times longer than one without.

I’m here to help, so as always, if you can’t find what you’re looking for on the blog or just have a question, email me at Reno@Yelp.com or use #YelpUsOut on Twitter!

• Deals & Gift Certificates: Setting up a Yelp Deal and Gift Certificate are great ways to entice potential customers to make a buying decision while on your Yelp page. It’s free to set up a Yelp Deal or Gift Certificate; though there is a revenue share should it lead to a sale.

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Cover Story Text Constance Aguilar Cover and feature photos Becky Murway and Frank Haxton Digiman Studio

Peppermill’s Craft Cocktails

Whiskey Sour with Orange 30 Reno Tahoe Tonight

The roaring ’20s, an era when Prohibition reigned over America and counterculture took place in a Speakeasy to the tune of a hundred brass horns, brimming with bowties and bearcats, doused in bootlegged whiskey.

It was a period that cast a dark shadow on the emerging art of the cocktail--a time that most liquor aficionados wouldn’t place high on an artisanal scale. With troughs of bathtub gin topping bar menus, it’s a wonder we ever recovered.

And now, a beautiful and seemingly strange resurgence of whiskeys, gins, and every libation in-between has risen from an unlikely source – a casino lounge. It’s no secret that The Terrace, housed inside the Peppermill Reno, has made leaps and bounds to separate itself from the unflattering cliché that haunts other gambling watering holes. Assistant Director of Nightlife Julia Jeffers works tirelessly to stock entertainment offerings with a mixture of modern indie rock sounds and crowddrawing local talent. Jeffers’ most recent undertaking has come to fruition behind the bar – inspired by a national restoration of an undervalued occasion: the cocktail hour.

The millennials’ adoration of classics like Manhattans, Whiskey Sours and Aviations inspired The Terrace’s team of award-winning mixologists to revisit its menu, fill it with throwback cocktails, and garnish with a selection of local microbrews. This wasn’t done just to capitalize on the movement, however. Peppermill Reno has thoughtfully invested in the concept to support local distilleries and breweries, as well as to provide their guests with a unique experience through an item as seemingly simple as a cocktail.

“It all starts with quality ingredients,” said Dylan Evans, nightlife mixologist, United States Bartenders’ Guild member and Bombay Sapphire Gin’s 2013 “Most Imaginative Bartender Cocktail Competition” winner.

Evans has been experimenting and adding custom spins to beverages for The Terrace – crafting approachable and modern versions of time-honored staples.

With a team of USBG members and cocktail competition winners, The Terrace is pumping out innovative concoctions using local brands like Seven Troughs Distilling, as well as the peculiar flavor profiles from national names such as Angel’s Envy.

The uprising of craft cocktails yielded a boom in product availability – particularly with specialty, experimental, and small-batch liquors.

“Our Peppermill executive team provides the incredible support for us to carry out almost any idea or desire we have for nightlife,” said Jeffers. “They are as excited as we are to contribute to the movement and provide visitors to Reno with a first taste of how cool this city is.”

Patrons can expect to find a solid selection of local beers on tap in addition to the rotating cocktail choices.

Currently, The Terrace offers selections from Brasserie St. James and Great Basin Brewing Company.

Brasserie, headquartered only a few blocks north of the Peppermill, is one of the only breweries in the country who uses Pilsner Malt as their base malt – ideal for the German and Belgian styles common to their product line.

Evans and Jeffers say that they regularly send hotel guests to the brewery for tours and tastings after introducing them to the local flavor.

Artisan craft distillery Seven Troughs Distilling Company, based in Sparks, is known for their adoration of the golden age of distilling and Battle Born pride. A craft distiller by all definitions, Seven Troughs provides The Terrace with its house signature whiskey: a scorching, 120-proof spirit housed in a chamber of oak planks.

Evans serves it with just a dash of bitters to fan the flames and complete the flavor profile of this custom beverage.

Speaking with Evans, his passion for the art of the cocktail and dedication to honoring vintage recipes for an entirely new generation to appreciate is undeniable.

He credits the USBG for supporting the comeback of traditional liquors, and he also pays tribute to women’s involvement in the movement, as well.

“Right now in Reno, the support for mixologists to bring back classic drinks with new twists on flavor profiles and support craft distillers puts us on par with any other city in the country,” said Evans. “And the coolest thing about it? Here, it’s women that are leading the charge.”

It’s true. In an interesting flip of the script when compared to the rest of the country, Reno’s local chapter of the USBG is comprised mostly of women – including their officers. This includes Award-winning Peppermill mixologist Ilona Smith who is the chapter’s current Vice President and the proud architect of The Terrace’s bestselling cocktail for the past two years— a light and bright vodka-based delight called The Lady-Like. Smith is a core part of the mixology crew, and her creative libations regularly treat the taste buds of consumers.

The Peppermill Reno nightlife crew considers the property to be a gateway of sorts. Visitors from all over the world are brought here for a number of reasons, and they want to treat them all to a great Reno experience. A visitor’s first impression is often dependent on what they encounter before stepping out to explore the city. Jeffers’ job is complete when she and the staff can wow guests with the reinvention of a cocktail classic or surprise them with a great locally brewed beer.

“It’s more than just a drink,” said Jeffers. “We hope the experience of rediscovery and the impact that a quality cocktail and inviting atmosphere has for guests develops a bond between us and our customers. We share our enthusiasm and knowledge, and soon, guests are asking us for the must-sees of our area. Their experience in Reno, and what they take away from here, can be defined by what follows. And it can all start with a cocktail.”

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Cover Story

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Peartini

Apertif

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Cover Story

34 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Lady Like

Old Fashioned

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creative services + brand specialists

GUINNESS

Event

WORLD RECORD ATTEMPT

THE LONGEST MARATHON CLUB DJ-ING

DJ DC

TOP

200 HOURS NONS

BODEGA NIGHTCLUB, RENO

21 NOVEMBER 30 NOVEMBER ST

9 PM

TH

CHARITY EVENT PARTNER:

www.crisiscallcenter.org

LIVESTREAM # WWW.MIXCITY.COM

DJ DC Makes Guinness World Record Attempt for Longest Marathon Club DJing Downtown Reno’s Bodega Nightclub to Host Record Breaking Attempt November 21-30 with a Portion of the Proceeds to Benefit the Crisis Call Center.

If you’ve ever pulled a graveyard shift at work, or partied like it’s 1999, you might get an idea at just how hard it would be to stay awake (let alone function productively) for over an entire week! So imagine the near impossible task Austrian born DJ DC has ahead of him, as he attempts to set a new Guinness record spinning a marathon, continuous DJ set at Reno’s Bodega Nightclub this month.

The current record, set in 2012 is 168 hours, achieved

by Smokin' Joe Mekhael. The 33-year old DJ DC, a respected musician and House DJ, will provide a party atmosphere as he aims to spin for 200 straight hours, selecting and spinning over 6,600 records over the duration of his marathon set.

Bodega Nightclub owner John Tamayo says they are excited to be the host venue for this attempt. “We want the community to come out and experience this event,” says Tamayo. “This event is made possible by our sponsors, who have provided things like airfare, accommodations and a ton of collateral to support the record breaking attempt.”

Oliver X: What inspired the world record attempt?

DJ DC: The Guinness World Record is more than an event for me. I will be pushed to my limits, but I keep

seeing how people like it and support me. The feeling of breaking a world record is indescribable. I have already broken four world records and I´m not going to stop!

Oliver X: What are some of the health risks for attempting a marathon of this nature?

DJ DC: No doctor can say for sure what might happen to me because I've done it several times and nothing happened after 150 hours. But in the worst case scenario, I could have a stroke Oliver X: What preparation and training is done to ready yourself for the event?

DJ DC: There is no training because it is a pure head thing. I try to be balanced. I exercise every day to keep my body fit and healthy.

Oliver X: Talk about the support you have received for the attempt from colleagues and sponsors.

DJ DC: The most important person for me is Laz. He is my mentor and manages my career with his 25 years of experience in the nightclub business. Another influential person for the world record attempt is John Tamayo. He is very motivated and the perfect partner to bring the World Record to the USA. We are sponsored by Red Bull, who is supplying me with energy drinks. UDG Gear gives me bags and cases to be able to bring my equipment safely to Nevada.

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Event

N O C C I M O C R ENO VEMBER 21-23 NOV EM

Norman Reedus, William Shatner, Jewel Staite, Bruce Campbell Headline Celebrity Guests at Inaugural Wizard World Reno Comic Con

are among the celebrities scheduled to attend the inaugural Wizard World Reno Comic Con at the Cox Business Center. It is the final of 16 events scheduled in the 2014 series produced by Wizard World, Inc. (OTCBB: WIZD) and will also feature a top-drawer collection of well-known comics artists and writers and a variety of activities, exhibitors and special attractions.

WWE® Superstar Roman Reigns™, Divas The Bella Twins™, Billy Dee Williams, Adam West, Burt Ward Also Headline Pop Culture Festival At Reno-Sparks Convention Center

Reedus, Staite and Campbell will appear on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 22-23; Shatner will attend on Friday evening and Saturday, Nov. 21-22; the WWE stars will attend on Saturday; Williams, West and Ward are scheduled for all three days.

Reno is abuzz with anticipation for the inaugural Comic Con Reno event, delivering a HUGE lineup of movie and television stars and entertainment legends to The Biggest Little City. Some of the comic world’s greatest artists and most influential writers will also be in attendance, making this a must see event for comic book fans, collectors, nerd promers, Cosplay enthusiasts and anybody still living in their parent’s basement.

Other notables scheduled include “The Walking Dead” stars Michael Rooker, Andrew J. West, Jon Bernthal and Scott Wilson, Eliza Dushku (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer, True Lies), Sean Astin (The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Rudy), Lou Ferrigno (“The Incredible Hulk,” “The King of Queens”), Jason David Frank (“Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers”), Kevin Sorbo

RTT was stoked to be on the ground floor for this event, as our street team was tapped for poster distribution. Additionally, RTT will be giving away tickets to the convention on the Reno Tahoe Tonight Show Thursday mornings at 9am on KRNG 101.3FM, and there’s a rumor that there just might be a pair of tickets hidden in a copy of Reno Tahoe Tonight at any one of our 250 locations in northern Nevada and beyond--so keep your eyes peeled to be one of the lucky winners.

Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead, Boondock Saints), William Shatner (“Star Trek,” “Boston Legal”), Jewel Staite (“Firefly,” “Stargate: Atlantis”), Bruce Campbell (Army of Darkness, Evil Dead), Billy Dee Williams (Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Brian's Song), Adam West and Burt Ward (“Batman”) and WWE® Superstar Roman Reigns™ and Divas The Bella Twins™ 38 Reno Tahoe Tonight

(“Hercules,” “Andromeda”), Walter Koenig (“Star Trek,” “Babylon 5”), Sara Underwood (“Attack of the Show”) and the Boondock Saints duo of Sean Patrick Flanery and David Della Rocco.

Superstar comic creators scheduled to attend include Eisner Award Hall of Famer Neal Adams (“Batman,” “X-Men”), Ethan Van Sciver (“Green Lantern,” “Flash”), Phil Ortiz (“The Simpsons,” “Muppet Babies”), Kevin Maguire (“Justice League,” “Batman Confidential”), Michael Golden (“Hulk,” “Star Wars”), Arthur Suydam (“Marvel Zombies,” “Army of Darkness”), Ty Templeton (“Batman & Robin Adventures,” “JLA”), Ken Kelly (KISS album covers, “He-Man”), Pop Mhan (“DC Universe vs. The Masters of the Universe,” “Gears of War”), Greg Horn (“Guardians of the Galaxy,” “The Avengers”) and Rob Prior (“Heavy Metal,” “Spawn the Impaler”).

Wizard World Comic Con events bring together thousands of fans of all ages to celebrate the best in popfi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, cosplay, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. Wizard World Reno Comic Con show hours are Friday, Nov. 21, 3-8 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 22, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 23, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Reno Comic Con is also the place for cosplay, with fans young and old showing off their best costumes throughout the event. Fans dressed as every imaginable character – and some never before dreamed – will roam the convention floor.

For more on the 2014 Wizard World Reno Comic Con, visit wizd.me/RenoPR.

About Wizard World: Wizard World (OTCBB: WIZD) produces Comic Cons and pop culture conventions across North America that celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, television, cosplay, comics, graphic novels, toys, video gaming, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more. A first-class lineup of topical programming takes place at each event, with celebrity Q&A's, the Wizard World Film Festival, comics-themed sessions, costume contests, movie screenings, evening parties and more.

Wizard World Remaining 2014 Schedule November 7-9 – Wizard World Tulsa Comic Con November 21-23 – Wizard World Reno Comic Con Wizard World 2015 schedule available at: wizd.me/PRSchedule2015.

Reno Tahoe Tonight 39

Event Text Amanda Horn

For better or for worse, Black Friday shopping has become a holiday tradition. The turkey settles, families start to weary of one another, and the lure of deals and steals becomes a welcome distraction for the masses.

If we're going to shop anyway, shouldn't we push ourselves to avoid the giant flat-screen temptation and shop local? Many of us do a fairly good job of supporting local business. But what about taking it further? The Creative Coalition of Midtown Reno, a group founded on the notion of business-art collaborations, challenges us to push forward that hyper-local commitment and shop for a cause.

Last year the CCM hosted a Black Friday shopping pass event that benefited not only the small businesses in Midtown, but also local kids. Partnering with the Washoe County School District’s Children in Transition, the group encouraged shoppers to donate a pair of shoes or boots--or a monetary donation--for the WCSD program supporting impoverished children who need warm winter footwear. The inaugural event collected more than 100 pairs of shoes and an additional $400 to support the program.

This year, the event has garnered more local business involvement and hopes to double the donations raised.

The Midtown neighborhood will bustle with carolers, live music, artists' village, Selfies with Santa, and also kicks off the Midtown Business Window Decoration Contest.

In addition to a fun family outing, the event helps neighborhood kids who need warm feet for the cold days.

Each pair of shoes or boots and all monetary donations will be used to provide footwear for a child in need right in the Midtown area. The WCSD Children in Transition program benefits children living in motels or multiplefamily households, in shelters, or even homeless.

Here's how it works: Shoppers are asked to donate a pair of new tennis shoes or boots, or a minimum of $20 cash.

Drop the donations at The Sticks in Midtown and receive a limited-edition Black Friday in Midtown Shopping Pass. Each participating business will offer deep discounts of a minimum of 15% off. Each business will have fun, family-friendly festivities. That's it! Shop local and support a good cause to boot. What better way to ring in the holidays?

Black Friday in Midtown takes place Friday, November 28, 9 am to 3 pm. Drop your donation at The Sticks and let the shopping begin. For more information, visit creativecoalitionreno.com.

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Fashion 4 Ways

Haute Handbags

42 Reno Tahoe Tonight

A

Photos Shelbi Carr Whitehead/ Scarr Photography Model/Makeup Artist Amanda Berry

handbag to your outfit is what icing is to a cake. It is the sweet topper to add sugar and spice to your look. It is an expression of your personality.

It is the statement piece that defines your style. Here are four styles to make you look haute all season long.

Clutch Me (above) – Pink Cosmo leopard clutch $42, lace pant $59, bracelets from $18 and rings $5-$18 Lipstick Fashion Lounge & Salon.

The Dark Side (opposite page) - Dolce & Gabbana bag $428 Labels Consignment Boutique. Jacket $89, dress $59, bracelets from $18 and ring $18 Lipstick Fashion Lounge & Salon. Nine West booties $89 Macys.

Envelop Me (above) - Pink Cosmo envelope clutch $42, dress $59, ring $18 and earrings $18 Lipstick Fashion Lounge & Salon.

Fringe Benefits (left)- JJ Winters fringe bag $203 from Labels Consignment Boutique. Free People dress $159 Macys. Bracelets and earrings from $18 Lipstick Fashion Lounge & Salon.

Isha Casagrande is a fashion stylist and owner of Lipstick Fashion Lounge & Salon who has a passion for fashion and a love for shopping. Isha’s attitude is that fashion is about confidence and confidence is about style. Welcome to her world where labels do not matter, but your self-worth does.

Go to LipstickLLC.com for more information.

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Feature Text Oliver X Photos Shelbi Carr Whitehead - Scarr Photography

The Shot Spot B-12 Bar

W

e are living in an exciting era where access to information is more widely available than ever.

Yet the persistent devaluation of natural treatments and healing modalities keeps many of us in the dark regarding viable alternatives to western medicine’s addiction to pharmaceuticals that carry more side effects than benefits. For example, the recently identified Endocannabanoid System of receptors, that have been shown to activate our body’s natural healing responses to ward off disease, are stimulated by the body’s consumption of delta-9tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in cannabis sativa. But despite groundbreaking trials world-wide and nearly

44 Reno Tahoe Tonight

fifty years of clinical research in Israel, and more recently in Spain, this natural healing system is almost totally unknown to us here.

Vitamin B12 just might represent one of the most important natural elements for health maintenance now available. Scientific studies surrounding its use and effectiveness treating a myriad of maladies, including heart disease, mental disorders, insomnia, inflammatory bowel disease, vitiligo, migraine headaches, male infertility, asthma and others is overwhelming. According to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, which specializes in micronutrient research for optimal health, vitamin B12 has the most complex chemical structure of all the vitamins.

The institute further notes that vitamin B12 absorption is commonly impaired in individuals 60 years or older (the fastest growing population in the United States), placing them at risk of deficiency. Both depression and osteoporosis have been linked to vitamin B12 deficiencies and high homocysteine levels. Elevated homocysteine levels in the blood has been linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease—the number one killer of Americans each year.

Vitamin B12 has been shown to decrease high levels of homocysteine. [1] This essential vitamin cannot be produced by the body and must be obtained through dietary means by consuming organ meats like liver, eating eggs, milk and fortified cereals and through supplements. Vitamin B12 is bound to protein and is released by stomach acid. Studies have shown that the modern American diet (often flippantly referred to as “the cancer diet”) with its high animal fat, high cholesterol, high sugar and low nutrient content, plays a key role in digestive dysfunction and disease. The Pauling Institute cited “the long term use of certain medicines such as inhibitors of stomach acid secretion can adversely affect vitamin B12 absorption.”

So how do we get more vitamin B12 into our daily life?

Lanette Katre has built a business around doing just that. After experiencing what she called a “midlife crisis of sorts” she changed her lifestyle to a paleo based system and included vitamin B12 shots as part of her regimen. She lost forty pounds, her hair gained a luxuriant luster and she felt fantastic, with increased energy and a clearer frame of mind. The statuesque beauty decided to start her own business and The Shot Spot B12 Bar was born.

Using intramuscular injections of natural Methylcobalamin administered by a medical professional (Nurse Practitioner Amanda Brothwell, MSN, APRN, FNP-C) in a gorgeously appointed, safe environment, Katre’s client base has grown to over forty visitors a day.

“I use Methylcobalamin, rather than the commonly used Cyanocobalamin that other places in town use because Cyanocobalamin, which does not occur in living organisms is synthetic and must be converted before the body

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Feature The Shot Spot B-12 Bar

that Plastic Surgeon has to see you before you can get a B12 shot, unless a Nurse Practitioner is there and she gives you the injection.”

When asked whether there were screening criteria that would disqualify a person from having a B12 shot, Katre states, “Generally no, unless you have Leber’s Eye Disease a degenerative inherited form of vision loss. We follow the regulations of administering a prescribed medication to the letter.”

A major DNA building block and red blood cell producer, athletes and people who are constantly on the go benefit in a major way from vitamin B12 shots. “Another important benefit of B12 is that when you drink alcohol, it depletes your liver of B12 and that gives you that hangover feeling.

Some people like to get a pre-party shot before they go entertain.”

can recognize and use it,” notes Katre. “The formula we use for our shots does not burn like a lot of shots do. You don’t feel it. We really pride ourselves on doing good shots here,” Katre states.

Creepy like a barber giving a bloodletting, the unfortunate thing about the trending administration of vitamin B12 shots that concerns many is that there are beauty shops, spas and “healing centers” sticking people with needles with no professional medical staff on the premises! “That’s a really big controversy right now,” asserts Katre. “A lot of companies have been doing it the wrong way for a long time.

Our Nurse Practitioner sees everybody, so you have to be cleared to get a B12 shot because it is a prescribed vitamin. Even though we say it’s a vitamin that’s benign, you have to have a DEA license to get it, and then a Nurse Practitioner has to administer the shot. So if you’re going to a medical spa that’s in a Plastic Surgeon’s office, 46 Reno Tahoe Tonight

Known to burn fat, carbohydrates and increases metabolism, B12 cannot be placed in the category of fad remedies for weight loss. People have been getting B12 shots for over 50 years for health maintenance benefits, much the same way as our parents and grandparents did when they gave us Castor Oil as a folk remedy for medicinal purposes. Katre concurs. “Yes! I love it when I hear people tell me that my grandmother used to use B12.”

And Katre’s client base could not be more glowing in their testimonials about both The Shot Spot’s impact on their lives, and the lovely proprietor’s humor, commitment to their wellness and her beautiful soul.

“My weekly visit to The Shot Spot has erased my cranky, poor sleeping and low energy self.

I now feel rested when I wake up; I have more energy and I do not wear cranky pants anymore.

Lanette's positive energy is contagious. She is supportive, encouraging, and realistic with goals--and might I add that she is hilarious?

I will admit it took me awhile to buy into her “Paleo Princess” ways, but once I did, the weight came off too. I have lost 30 pounds and am not miserable eating clean. My goals began simply.

I am married with three kids and I work full time. I wanted to sleep better and have more energy. That happened quickly with the shots.

After I started feeling more energetic, Lanette and I discussed new goals. I warned her of my “mean weight,” letting her know that when I was a size 8 (for a fleeting second), that I was mean. It's like those size 8 pants were bitchy pants. I was hungry and cranky and if I even looked at a cupcake those freaking size 8 pants didn't fit. In her sparkly way, Lanette encouraged incorporating Paleo and promised I would continue to be nice. I am proud to say I am in those size 8 pants; I am nice in them and I can still indulge in cupcakes every once in awhile.

The Shot Spot, plus Paleo, plus exercise equals a happy me in my nice girl pants. Everyone needs a little Lanette in their life and I encourage everyone to give The Shot Spot a shot!”

- Anni Chadwick

I still have some to go and have no doubt I’ll get there; the right way--the healthy way—and with Lanette by my side. Encouragement in one hand, a shot in the other.” - Julia Jeffers Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The information in this article is not medical advice.

Always consult your physician before starting any new supplement program.

References 1. lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/ vitamins/vitaminB12

“Going to The Shot Spot was the best thing I've done for me in over 30 years.

I get the B12 with a combination of amino acids. I have the energy to go to my gym 3 or 4 times a week and my workouts are great. I haven't missed a day of work, which is standing on my feet for 8 to 12 hours a day--starting at 3 a.m. I'm certain I wouldn't be able to do what I'm doing without Lanette's great service/product.” - Charles Moss 57 years old “I am a huge believer in the Shot Spot.

The benefits I’ve seen from regular B-12 include better sleep, more energy, weight loss and even clearer skin. But for me, it’s not just the B-12--it’s Lanette. When I met Lanette, everything clicked into place. After just a few moments with her, I felt compelled to accept that I had been neglecting my physical and mental health, putting it aside far too long. Hiding, really. Lanette empowered me to take control, right then and there, and it all started with a shot. The Shot Spot provided this great cocktail of B12, which I felt physically almost immediately.

But Lanette provided support, encouragement and guidance. She turned bad days into good days and setbacks into steps forward, with just a few words. The Shot Spot is this incredible fellowship of people from different backgrounds, but with common goals. With Lanette’s continued support I’ve lost 35 pounds.

Reno Tahoe Tonight 47

The musician’s intent is to keep America’s roots music alive while interjecting new creativity into genres of music that flourished decades before, namely rockabilly, Western swing, rhythm and blues, garage and punk.

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Take 2 Performers Studio Talent Search Winners Singer Aleeta Barnaby, Model/Dancer Catherine Velasco and Actor Maggie Regeir Win Take 2 Performers Studio Talent Search with Dynamic Performances South Reno based Take 2 Performers Studio recently rewarded their late summer talent search winners with a photo shoot by internationally acclaimed photographer Anicia Beckwith at her Pixella Productions studio.

The young winners competed in a variety of categories and their top prize packages included a feature spread in our pages.

Feature Text Oliver X Photos Anicia Beckwith Pixella Productions

"Upon seeing her first photos in Anicia's camera, tears appeared in Aleeta's eyes and she said ‘I feel like you guys are changing my life,’” said Tru Talent Agency owner Justine Reyes of talented singer Aleeta Barnaby’s reaction to her photo shoot with Beckwith. “That is why I love what I do,” notes Reyes. “To think that maybe, just maybe, we are touching someone’s life--even in a small way--is rewarding. Not everyone will find success in this industry, but hopefully through the process we have helped them develop more confidence and self-esteem, while helping them get one step closer to their goal." take2performersstudio.com

Bios Aleeta Barnaby – “I was raised in California by my beautiful mother and I have a little brother as well. My mom, who is very smart and has her master's degree, did a very good job raising me. She showed me right from wrong. But no one is perfect and my mom ended up dealing with her own demons, which caused me to be left in Reno, Nevada. Life changed when I was 13 years old.

Mom ended up having to go to prison for six years while my brother and I had to go to foster care. I have always

been upbeat, loud, positive, outgoing and motivating, but at that time it was difficult. I have been in Reno for about 10 years now. I gained wisdom, knowledge, motivation of true self, God, upliftment, and most importantly, I found my gifts during the storm. That’s how blessings work.

My mother taught me that. She is well and healthy now, so we have been working on our relationship. She has overcome and conquered. I do truly look up to her.”

Catherine Velasco – “After dancing from a young age, I'm hoping I can bring some of my dance training into my modeling. I'm originally from the UK, so would like to think I have a classical, royal side to me. I love Broadway, music and theatre performance, as the costumes are always unique. I'm quite young at heart and would like to think I bring a fun and bubbly

personality to modeling. I am very close to my family and I am a fraternal twin. We are like best friends. My older sister, who is a performer, is still living in the UK for her work and we stay in touch frequently. My mother is more like one of my friends as well as a mother. We are very close; she and my stepfather are very supportive of me and all my goals in life.”

Maggie Regeir - I am a junior and a very active president of my drama club at the Performing Arts Center at Damonte Ranch High School. I love to act and perform whenever possible; it's a way to express the many different sides of my personality. I hope to major

in Theatre Studies with a minor in Film or Hospitality at Southern Oregon University, and later pursue my career by moving to Los Angeles. I live by the famous words of William Shakespeare, "All the world's a stage,/And all the men and women merely players."

Reno Tahoe Tonight 51

Feature

“Music to me means life, heart, earth…positive energy” – Singer/Dancer Aleeta Barnaby

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Feature

“I’d love to be known as someone who can portray any vision and bring it to life.”

- Model/Dancer Catherine Velasco

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Feature

“I love how acting can touch people’s hearts.”

– Actor Maggie Regeir 56 Reno Tahoe Tonight

FITFOD

for the love of

Photography My name is Donna Harn and I am a photographer and recent graduate of the Graphics Communication Program at Truckee Meadows Community College. I’m also the owner of my own business called Olive Tree Photo & Design located here in Reno.

I discovered my passion for photography shortly after enrolling in the GRC program and I’m thrilled to report it has changed my life completely. I’m currently a portrait photographer specializing in occasion photos such as weddings, engagements, family sessions and graduates. I also specialize in headshots, portfolio and website photos as well as pretty much anything I can get my lens in front of.

My work can be found on my business Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ olivetreephotodesign and also on my personal website www.donnaharn.com.

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Donna Harn

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PIGNIC PUB & PATIO

OPENS IN DOWNTOWN RENO Noble Pie Parlor owners Trevor Leppek and Ryan Goldhammer announce their newest restaurant, Pignic Pub & Patio, is now open for business in downtown Reno. Inside, it's a turn-of-the-century sports parlor where fans can catch an NFL game or play shuffleboard. Outside, it's a do-it-yourself BBQ patio and community hangout.

Diners can purchase local beef, pork or poultry from Pignic or bring their own to grill. Diners pay $10 per person for grill use, and they get a $10 drink credit.

They sign a waiver and proceed to an outdoor kitchen complete with gas and charcoal grills, four kitchenettes with electric burners, and plenty of al fresco seating.

The Pignic staff will provide seasonings, prepared sides such as collard greens and potato salad, and grilling advice.

Pignic serves 20+ beers on tap, many of them local, and boasts a craft cocktail menu featuring fresh ingredients such as herbs from Pignic's edible garden. Pignic is also a retailer of most of the grills you'll find there, allowing would-be grill masters to test a new model before they invest in one.

Pignic recently hosted a standing room only kickoff party attended by over 400 enthusiastic foodies for Reno Bites/Restaurant Week, where attendees enjoyed the fruits of the arduous construction build-out that required months of specialized labor and installs. Fans of Leppek and Goldhammer’s other venues (Noble Pie Parlor and Monolith respectively) were delighted by Pignic’s décor and interior ambience featuring period accents, original maple hardwood floors, and walnut/mahogany toned wall trim.

Food Photo by Kiley Howard Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight

"Pignic is an exciting new addition to our community; a place where they can both grill and chill,” says Yelp Community Manager Michael Tragash, who helped promote and host the launch event and Reno Bites Restaurant Week. “Pignic is a place where you can come to just grab a great drink; a place where you can entertain friends without worrying about the mess; a place to hold unique community gatherings, meetings, or parties, and a place where you can come when you feel like cooking but want to get out of the house. Pignic is a unique concept with unlimited potential that must be seen to be fully understood."

Owners Goldhammer and Leppek put a ton of work into getting the place ready for their official opening.

“We reused or refurbished all the existing craftsmen style details and kept them intact,” noted Goldhammer.

“We recycled and repurposed nearly everything, from reclaiming an old charred screen door and setting it on the walls as art, to using the old pocket doors in the living room for the main bar fascia,” says Goldhammer.

“Our back bar was built out of an original built-in book case, repurposed for the shelving for our glassware.

Noteworthy exterior landscape elements include a spectacular 600+ square foot elevated back patio made from durable Trex composite decking material; the side walkway is made from broken slate, and the lovely front patio features tastefully rendered pavers and the aforementioned herb garden.

Pignic Pub & Patio is a great choice for formal and informal gatherings, private events and special occasions.

Call for details.

Pignic Pub & Patio: 235 Flint St., Reno, Nevada.

(775) 376-1948 Fall/Winter Hours: Mon.-Thurs., 3pm-midnight Fri. 3pm-1am Sat. 10am-1am Sun. 10am-11pm

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Food Text Oliver X Photos Eric Stamps

PRETTY IN PINK MACARON I never was a big fan of the often sickly sweet French macaron--until I tried April Solomon’s sublime creations. The cute as a button entrepreneur is whip smart, creative, tenacious and extremely ambitious, qualities she pours into every batch of the French macarons she makes for Pretty In Pink Macaron brand, produced out of the Rounds Bakery commercial kitchen in South Reno and currently available at The Hub and Rounds Bakery.

Groomed under the tutelage of Whole Foods’ sensational Head Baker Tom Sharp, who helped her fine tune her recipe, coffee king Mark Trujillo was sufficiently impressed with Solomon’s skills to make her his pastry chef—where, besides providing the roaster with her delicious macarons—she handles all of The Hub’s baking duties. But Solomon’s passion is the French macaron, and her signature Strawberry Cheesecake variety is already a word-of-mouth sensation--having been a hit at last month’s Fantasies & Chocolates gala.

Solomon’s fall calendar is now filling up fast, with her macarons scheduled for stops at the Wedding Library’s fall wedding event at the Summit Mall and the popular Power of the Purse event on November 21.

April Solomon

One aspect of Solomon’s initial success might just be scarcity. She launched in June at the top of the market with few real competitors. “It’s hard to find a proper French macaron in northern Nevada,” Solomon notes.

“Other bakeries only offer them intermittently. The macarons are naturally gluten free and the process to make them is intense; that’s why very few bakers make them--they take so much time to get just right,” Solomon says.

The Pretty In Pink Macaron brand stands out for me for their fantastic taste, texture and Solomon’s delicate touch. Her macarons manage to be rich, crisp, flakey, and creamy all at the same time—without being overly sweet. She takes care to craft a gourmet confection that is time consuming to create, but well worth the effort.

With her tasteful, cleanly designed packaging (social media reviews have given her presentation raves) and a well-earned buzz growing by the week, Solomon is ready for her close-up. Her immediate goal for Pretty In Pink Macaron is to get the brand into Whole Foods, which would bring the product to a much broader audience. Lucky us!

The public can order the delicious Pretty In Pink Macaron online for any occasion at prettyinpinkmacaron.com or by calling (775) 527-4169.

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HATCH Maselli Photography Photographer Briana Maselli Models Kristin Maselli & Ronnie Stafford HAMU artist Grace Avila Shot at Hatch Main Set props from Red Carpet Design Theme, dark fashion

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HATCH

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Lit

Edited and Introduced by James Penner Text Oliver X Photo of James Penner

by Shirley Mori

James Penner

Timothy Leary The Harvard Years: Early Writings on LSD and Psilocybin with Richard Alpert, Huston Smith, Ralph Metzner, and others - Park Street Press

I

n this groundbreaking look at Dr. Timothy Leary’s early scholarly writings, many of which were previously impossible to find, James Penner has assembled the seminal research experiments documenting the most prolific period of Leary’s trailblazing work in psychedelics. Penner’s exhaustive compilations deftly survey the essential scientific and philosophical contributions and landmark breakthroughs in personality and behavioral analysis that underpinned Leary’s fascinating explorations into human consciousness. Penner reviews Leary’s work

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in set and setting, game theory, existential transaction theory and he and colleague, Richard Alpert’s concept of the fifth freedom “the freedom to expand one’s consciousness beyond artifactual cultural knowledge…”

The result is an inspired and lucid exposition of Leary's "legitimate" academic research; a formidable and arguably restorative work of scholarship by Penner, of the Leary legacy.

I spoke at length with James Penner during his late summer California press junket for the book.

Oliver X: Prior to writing Timothy Leary The Harvard Years I'd imagine you had, like most of us, only a cursory knowledge of Leary's scientific research--knowing him better as the “public intellectual” face of the psychedelic movement.

What led you to his scholarly work and the creation of this important book?

James Penner: I first discovered Leary when I wrote roughly ten pages about him in my first book, Pinks, Pansies, and Punks. I was primarily interested in how his ideas shaped the counter culture and the zeitgeist of the 1960s. As I researched Leary’s life, I gradually became obsessed with The Harvard Drug Scandal and I decided to collect everything that Leary wrote from before and after he was fired by Harvard in 1963. Many of these articles from 1960 to 1965 were deeply controversial. When I first read Leary’s scholarly work, I was amazed at how good it was—it was far better than his later work from the 1970s, 1980, and 1990s. How could this be? Why is Leary’s best writing out-of-print and unavailable? I decided that I had to create a book that contained all of Leary’s early writings on psychedelic drugs. The articles in The Harvard Years are important because many intellectuals dismiss Leary without actually reading his serious work. Most people also have no idea that Leary wrote so much during this period. Most people don’t understand how a person who took so many psychedelic drugs could be so prolific and intelligent.

Oliver X: You point out that prior to his recruitment to Harvard, Leary was a rising star in the world of psychology. Talk about his early career and the contrarian ideas that ignited his professional ascent, attracting the attention of David McClelland, Chair of the Harvard Center for Research in Personality in 1959.

James Penner: In the late 1950s, Leary’s first book made some waves in the field of personality. His second book was an attempt to revolutionize psychotherapy and the therapist/ patient relationship. Leary wanted to dismantle the hierarchical barriers that separated the psychologist from the patient. Instead Leary proposed a new paradigm: open collaboration. For example, the psychologist becomes a “coach” who shares information with the patient. The psychologist and patient should avoid hospitals and mental health facilities and spend “space and time” in alternative settings (cafes or bars). At the heart of Leary’s revolutionary theory--he called it “Existential Transaction Theory” (ETT) --was the notion of empathy with the patient. McClelland was very impressed with Leary’s ideas and decided to hire him. I should point out that Leary had never taken psychedelic drugs when he came up with ETT in the late 1950s. However, a year later he discovered Magic Mushrooms while he was vacationing in Cuernavaca in the summer of 1960. The sacred

mushrooms were a revelation because they were the perfect leveling experience. They removed all the social barriers that typically separate the psychologist and the patient. Leary’s existential transaction theory eventually morphed into the Concord Prison Project in 1961 and 1962. Leary’s willingness to take psilocybin with inmates at the Concord State Prison was proof of his radical commitment to reforming clinical practices.

Oliver X: In your book you describe the events leading up to the Harvard Drug Scandal of 1963 and the resulting fallout for Leary and Richard Alpert (now known as pop psychology guru Ram Dass) in riveting detail, referring to the scandal as a "watershed event." Your research suggests that their dismissal was something of a reactionary concoction by the Harvard administration. Take us back to the political climate that Leary and Alpert found themselves in at that time.

James Penner: Today we now know much more about The Harvard Drug Scandal than we did ten years ago. Several books have come out in the last five years revealing what really happened behind the scenes. Nathan Pusey, the President of Harvard, conducted a closed-door investigation and interrogated various Harvard undergraduates.

His investigation produced only one confession: Ronnie Winston, heir to the Harry Winston jewelry fortune, admitted to taking psilocybin pills with Dr. Richard Alpert. When Pusey learned that Alpert and Winston were also involved in a clandestine homosexual affair, he decided that Alpert must be fired. So we now know that homophobia was also a crucial part of the Harvard Drug Scandal. The key informant in Pusey’s investigation was Andrew Weil, then a 21-year-old Harvard undergraduate.

Weil, who would later become a famous author and advocate of holistic medicine, was actually Ronnie Winston’s dorm mate. Weil disliked Leary and was apparently envious of Winston’s intimate relationship with Alpert.

Pusey also wanted Leary’s professorial head on a platter because the tabloid press—The Boston Herald—was publishing sensationalist stories about Leary’s psilocybin research project.

Several of Leary’s colleagues in the Psychology Department—especially the ones who opted not to take psychedelic drugs—were also envious of Leary’s rising popularity with graduate students.

They wanted Leary out. Thus, Leary and Alpert were effectively charged with the Socratic sin of corrupting the youth. It’s an age old story: the people who are having too much fun eventually get punished by the dour and humorless people who are filled with resentment.

Oliver X: Explain the context and meaning behind Leary's assertion that "...the cortex could be cleared."

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Lit James Penner: Leary famously wrote of psychedelic drugs: “In three hours under the right circumstances the cortex can be cleared.” The sentence epitomizes Leary’s rhetorical style: he is poetic and scientific at the same time. This was his genius. He was remarkably articulate when he attempted to describe the human mind in the throes of a visionary experience. Leary believed that the psychedelic experience could be therapeutic and life altering. He believed it was the essence of what he termed “behavior change.” He felt a psychedelic experience was much more valuable than six months of psychoanalysis and other forms of psychotherapy.

Oliver X: In your lecture at Diesel Books in Oakland, California in August of this year, you stated that Leary was an “artist of the epiphany.”

Talk about what you meant by that.

James Penner: Leary was a gifted writer and an avid reader of literature. One of his favorite writers was James Joyce. His writings on psychedelic drugs often contained a dramatic epiphany. For Leary, the moment of illumination was a crucial part of the psychedelic experience. Leary’s description of his first LSD experience is a good example of Leary’s moment of revelation; it is deeply personal, yet also poetic and philosophical. Leary wrote: “I have never forgotten my first LSD Trip… nor has it been possible for me to return to the life I was leading before that session. I have never recovered from the shattering ontological confrontation. I have never been able to take myself, my mind, and the social world as seriously. Since that time five years ago I have been acutely aware of the fact that everything I perceive, everything within and around me is a creation of my own consciousness.”

with the therapist; the patient’s moment of revelation becomes a life-changing experience.

All the studies that I have mentioned are FDAapproved and were conducted at various high profile American Universities: UCLA, the University of Arizona, Johns Hopkins University, NYU and Harvard. You can read about them on the MAPS. ORG website. I believe that various psychedelic drugs will gradually become legal in the next twenty to thirty years. It’s a very slow process, but in the end, science will prevail and medical authorities will eventually recognize their therapeutic usefulness.

The irrational prejudices against psychedelic drugs will wither away when sober-minded people examine the results that can be achieved. Eventually a licensing model will be adopted. I am in favor of psychedelics to be licensed to doctors, psychiatrists, therapists, and spiritual leaders. I believe that psychedelics should not be used in a cavalier and indiscriminate fashion. I dislike the term "recreational" because it sounds like psychedelics are merely child's play. Psychedelics should be taken in a safe and aesthetic setting. Leary taught us that bad trips can be virtually eliminated if a warm and supportive social environment is provided.

James Penner, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of English at the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras.

A graduate of Brown University and the University of Southern California, he is the author of Pinks Pansies and Punks: The Rhetoric of masculinity in American Literary Culture. He lives in San Juan Puerto Rico.

Oliver X: Why does Leary matter today? In your opinion is a "breaking open the head” on the immediate horizon for research/treatment with psychedelics as an effective therapeutic modality in modern psychotherapy and psychiatric medicine, for what is now being treated exclusively with pharmaceuticals?

James Penner: Some fifty years after The Harvard Drug scandal of 1963, psychedelic drugs are making a big comeback. LSD began as a “wonder drug” that would unlock the mysteries of the human mind, and now it is returning to its birthplace: the fields of psychotherapy and neuroscience. Patientcentered psychedelic therapies are being used to treat a wide range of ailments: nicotine addiction, cluster headaches, alcoholism, and end-of-life anxiety. MDMA (Ecstasy) is being successfully being used to treat chronic forms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. The key aspect of many of these treatments is the notion of catharsis. The patient achieves a catharsis during a psychedelic session Reno Tahoe Tonight 71

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Non-profit Organizations For Pets' Sake Inc. Special to Reno Tahoe Tonight

FOR PETS’ SAKE, INC. LOVE A RESCUE • RENO •

F

or Pets’ Sake Inc.’s mission is to rescue, improve health and rehome pets. We strongly believe that every animal deserves a safe, caring and loving home.

takes place. It is our vision that these efforts along with spay/neuter education will produce a drastic reduction of abandoned animals being killed because they are simply not wanted.

Specializing in small dogs, rescues come from local shelters and private owners. Each one is evaluated and any medical or emotional issues are addressed. We at For Pets’ Sake offer these little orphans safe and loving foster care until the perfect home is located. The adoption applicants are screened and then a home visit and approval

For Pets Sake is a 501(c)3 non profit organization created and incorporated in 1989 by Sara Petersen, and is located in Reno , NV. Find us on Facebook at facebook.com/forpetssakereno or call us at 775.852.7111 or 775.224.1100.

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Photography Digiman Studio

Some look but never find it, others abuse what was once beautiful. I found you ten years ago and will hold on to you as long as you will have me.

I will never take for granted that love is friendship, love is respect, love is sharing, and love is to cherish every minute with you throughout our lives.

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Your birth was a gift of a friendship that we will have throughout our entire lives. As children we played, cried, and laughed in the back of the car together.

We loved our parents and hated our parents.

We grew up trusting each other and knew we could conquer the world together.

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America Matters Media’s AM News

A

merica Matters Media is a production company that creates, produces, and markets talk shows for live radio broadcast, streaming, podcast, and appcast. We currently have 40 topic-based talk shows covering a range of subjects from eateries to entertainment, wild mustangs to money making, and business profiles to books to buying local.

The AMM studio is located at the Reno Town Mall and features a live audience seating area. We always invite our listeners to come to the station in person, watch the hosts and guests in action, and even get behind a microphone if you’d like to add to the conversation! We also have a literature cart right in front of the studio that’s loaded with free information about local events, businesses, candidates, and publications. You can even pick up your copy of Reno Tahoe Tonight magazine there. Stop by and check it out!

America Matters Media kicked off its operations just over three years ago, and has been growing and evolving ever since. As the international home of community radio, America Matters Media has a unique business model that is driven by advertising, events, and community support. Our shows depend on two things – sponsorship and listenership. We offer many lines of communication and they are always open to you.

Every weekday morning starts out at 5am with a replay of one of the previous week’s shows. At 6am the mics go live with AM News, hosted by Dennis Romeo & Eddie Floyd. This fun, three hour call-in show proves that it really is a small world as D & E field calls from over 40 foreign correspondents in 26 different countries, as well as callers from all 50 states.

Radio Text and photo Kelly Rush

The AM News show is like an on-air family reunion with new members joining every day. There is Maria and her family in Olde, Germany; Dunn in the Australian Outback, and Venant in Indonesia. Stateside we have “Captain’s America” Matt Bruce, “Cowboy” Rich Cotton in Red Bluff, CA, Bob Liggett in San Antonio, Texas, Trooper Dave of the Nevada Highway Patrol; country singer Michael Martin Murphey; comedian Jeff Foxworthy, former Steelers kicker Matt Bahr, and 14 long-haul truckers, just to name a few.

There have been times where Dennis and Eddie have handled 17 calls plus 5 on hold in one hour! None of the show is planned or scripted, so you never know who will call-in or what they will say. Every hour of every show is different every day.

Other entertaining and informative shows include the Reno Tahoe Tonight Show with Oliver X; Money Matters with Larry Bigler; Ken’s Bulls & Bears with Ken Roberts; Conversations From the Capitol with Senator Don Gustavson and Assemblyman Jim Wheeler; Gastro Gab with yours truly; Health Matters with Dr. James Forsythe; Buy Nevada First with Dave Asher, and many more. Go to americamatters.us and click on the “Schedule” tab for all the show names and times.

Local Phone – 775-827-8900 Toll Free Phone – 855-790-TALK (8255) Text – 775-557-5210 Email – talk@americamatters.us Facebook – facebook.com/americamattersmedia. (Many of our shows/hosts also have their own individual pages.)

Radio Signals – 101.3FM, 99.1FM, 1060AM Online Stream/Podcast – americamatters.us Appcast – TuneIn Mobile App On 99.1FM Fox News Talk I Heart Radio - iheart.com Reno Tahoe Tonight 77

Radius Text Amanda Horn Photo Brad Horn Photo of Amanda Horn

by Alina Vincent

[radius] = reflection, from the heart

I

’d like to get a little personal with you, readers. And a little bit spiritual. If you mind, move on to the next piece. It’s November and the time has come for me to reflect from the heart.

I’ve never been particularly skilled at articulating transformative experiences in prose.

Poetry usually wins that struggle. So, let’s begin with borrowed sacred verse from Rumi’s Little Book of Life: Indulging our pride, we run after every fleeting image. How odd that being so unimportant we cultivate such grand illusions.

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In the last year my life has radically shifted into a place I now recognize as home, but could not earlier see. I had locked myself out, chasing a mirage of success in a proverbial fog, soul slipping from body, magic waning.

From the outside looking in, one would not have necessarily discerned my struggle with this disposition. But for me, something big was missing.

My connection with the Divine was being called into question. My failure to pay attention to the signals the Universe was sending me to slow down, reorient my priorities, and focus on family and presence resulted in a literal smack to the skull. A hard one.

A year ago, I fell off a ledge and landed on my head, resulting in a week-long hospital stay. I escaped with no permanent damage, but the crack in my cranium let the Light in. A seventh chakra smack-down.

I named this column [radius] because of my deep fascination with boundaries. Some people are really good at setting and keeping them. Some of us created a life lived so far on the edge that we erased them almost totally. This strategy, I have learned in my feeble attempt to move toward the center, has dramatic and unforeseen consequences. Not ever caring much for personal boundaries has made setting professional ones challenging. I never wanted a career that would be only a job, disconnected from my personal values. That’s the main reason at 20 years old I quit college and started a circus sideshow. I followed my heart. Though it wasn’t the easiest path, it scores big points for being the most magical.

The challenge with that choice arises with the erasure of boundaries. I lived on the road, at times traveling with forty people. This was rock-n-roll, baby. Let’s just say we were pretty open. We pushed the edges, both in entertainment and personal exploration.

When you live and perform with that many crazy anarchistic artists, the definitions of both personal space and professional expectation defy what most people consider reasonable. And you are always on.

Character bleeds into persona. The two become one and the same. While it’s a blessing to forge a career interlinked with your identity, as a performer the ego can get in the way. Notions of grandeur skew perceptions of reality. A life forged on faith and imbued with gratitude subtly gives way to a goddesscomplex. Playing too much in the realm of id leaves reason and good-taste shattered.

most recent calamity. Another near-death experience.

What can I say? When you live at the edge, you risk falling off.

The lesson? Pay attention to the signs. The Universe speaks to us in a voice easiest heard in quietude.

Take time to be still and recognize the blessing of existence. Feel the subtle vibrations linking you to every sentient being on the planet. Take a moment of gratitude and sow the seeds of happiness in those around you.

I’m grateful for the universal re-direction provided me a year ago. One of the most blessed results led to my job at the Nevada Museum of Art. Divine intervention is wholly responsible for leading me to my position at the museum, one linked to something larger than myself. I also pray that next time I get off-course; I will have cultivated better listening skills so that the lesson need not be so harsh.

As we begin, so shall we end, with another sacred verse from Rumi: Come back, my soul. Do not waste time with the coldhearted. They do not know your worth. Why do you seek water when you are the stream? Have you forgotten?... you are a ray of the Beloved. A divine wonder!

Happy November, y’all. Give thanks.

Amanda Horn is a Reno-based writer, yogini, and creative community enthusiast. A former circus performer, she has been pushing boundaries most of her life, constantly redefining her own and testing the radius of the world she inhabits. She currently serves as Director of Communications for the Nevada Museum of Art. Follow her on Twitter @TeboHorn or email her at amanda. horn@nevadaart.org.

Living on the fringes has awesome benefits as well.

Following my heart required a total leap of faith into the unknown. I dove head first into the Divine, knowing that success would be measured not in monetary value but in the richness of experience. For this, I had to be fearless. And being fearless is good, especially in your 20s.

Ironically, it was this same fearlessness that also led to my first fall, off a cliff, exactly 12 years prior to my Reno Tahoe Tonight 79

Review Text Three Reverend Rory Dowd Photos Tony Contini

Z i m m e r m a n Hopefully Broken Keeping the Faith in the Biggest Little The Reno music scene is a robust one, encompassing and embracing many musical styles – acoustic, metal, funk, punk, EDM, Americana and more – yet one often overlooked genre is that of faith-based music.

Zimmerman, a Reno area faith-based rock band, knows that being labeled as “Christian rock” comes with a lot of baggage and garners apathetic or negative connotations from many audiences and many in the music industry, but they haven’t let that stop them. Five years after their debut album, extensive touring and personal investment in the Living Stones Church on South Virginia, they have released their extremely powerful and polished second album, Hopefully Broken.

signature sound on this album. The content of the lyrics is, unsurprisingly, very personal and about the modern complications of living a life of faith. Lead vocalist and songwriter, Donald Zimmerman, shares, “I’ve been on a long road to deconstruct many of the things I believed and disbelieved about God, the collective church, and what a life of faith and doubt means. I’ve written largely about the tension between what is broken and what is healing, between experiencing deep joy and paralyzing pain. Anyone living a life of faith must look these tensions in the eyes.”

Zimmerman was able to produce Hopefully Broken with the overwhelming support of their community of fans, raising over $21,000 this year via Kickstarter. Early reception of a three-song EP cut from the album had been positive, generating over 25,000 plays on Spotify.

Zimmerman is definitely another up and coming Reno band to keep an eye on in the future.

With a very contemporary and edgy sound, reminiscent of Imagine Dragons or Peter Gabriel, the eight-song Hopefully Broken sheds a lot of preconceived notions about what faith-based rock music is “supposed to” sound like. Edgy riffs and powerfully somber vocals are a

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Review Text and Photo Tony Contini

The Bonfire Set On the Road There are solo acts. There are a plethora of three and four piece bands out there. The Bonfire Set are seven music lovers and a cactus.

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Their initial crossroads met while becoming friends in elementary and high school in Reno, they formed the band after going to Coachella 2013 together. They are full of running inside jokes, including the one about the pet cactus that follows them to shows and photo shoots.

Of course, the band doesn’t solely joke around.

After reaching a $5000 Kickstarter goal, these business savvy college kids recorded their first release with Reno’s producing guru, Tom Gordon.

“On The Road” was mastered by Ed Brooks of RFI Mastering in Seattle, who’s worked with indie and folk bigs like Death Cab for Cutie, The Shins and Pearl Jam. A fork in the road might be the opportunity for the title track to be played during the PBS program, Roadtrip Nation.

The seven songs make turns through intertwining male and female voices and chants, popular in the early 2000s from bands such as The Forecast and The Hush Sound. Many changes in gear are smooth and sweet, others are jumpy and exciting.

Jack Kerouac changed the life prospective of The Bonfire Set’s lead singer, Jamie Apostol.

He was fed up with the monotony and greed of the education system. A major catalyst to the hate was the novelist’s work given by a humanities professor to read in college.

“You don’t need it,” Apostol said while talking about formal education. “You need a more hands-on experience. It’s all in who you know. ” The Bonfire Set know hard work. Apostol recalls double days during the summer. Two four-hour practices... per day.

“It was hectic,” Apostol said. “The garage was steaming hot.” But they had fun.

Casey Frasca, guitarist and vocalist, had written songs with Jamil previously. Apostol usually comes to the band with lyrics and a chord progression.

They mix their styles and experiment from there.

He calls their song writing process magical.

“Jamil brings in an artistic sensibility that is more outside of the box,” Frasca said. “That makes him a lot of fun to collaborate with.”

They use Apostol’s strengths, take the simple structure of a song and turn it into a further moving piece.

Apostol wants “On The Road” to showcase alternative lifestyle options opposing the forever-stressed university path.

The possibility that you can attain by doing and trying, instead of studying. He also wants their musical path to lead listeners to Kerouac and great literature.

“We have an amazing music scene in Reno” Apostal is a reader. He gets inspiration from books and meditation, classic rock to EDM – he loves it all.

He produces beats for local rappers like Franc Friday, and attended Tom Gordon’s production class in college. He writes poetry on the side.

He is equally fueled by Kanye West and The Grateful Dead With Mr. West, it’s content – his ever-varying and evolving production. With The Grateful Dead, it’s approach – their cult following and guerrilla tactics, including live sets recorded by fans.

They aim to steer passed glossy radio repetition and make music with real instruments for real people, instead of processed top 40 hits.

The members of The Bonfire Set don’t all love the same music, sometimes they don’t even like the same stuff.

“But what we do share is a healthy respect for other musicians and listeners, and the same excitement and energy when we write up a new song or hear a new band,” Frasca said.

Many of the bands they love are from their hometown.

“We have an amazing music scene in Reno,” Apostol said. “We are a hidden gem for sure.”

Apostol would love to have Reno groups act as a cohesive unit, family or scene. He believes support will help get Reno noticed. This is a common sentiment amongst hard-working Reno bands.

In the midst of a small hiatus, while the band finishes college, and drummer Nathan DePaoli finishes percussion studies at the Musicians Institute in Los Angeles, they are all still busy creating and playing in side projects.

Apostol and their second electric guitarist, Patrick Zbella, started an electronic project, still currently unnamed. Frasca and bassist, Ryan Widmer are performing in Reno with Pompeiio.

From humble beginnings, rocking their first two shows at Walden’s Coffeehouse, Apostol and company now have their sights on the road to world tours and Grammys.

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Tipsy Turkey

Wine Walk NOVEMBER 15, $20 - 2-5PM

Reno Computer Fix

Text & Photo Courtesy of Michelle Haryasz Quartermaster at Reno Computer Fix

Taking a Peek into the New Windows

I

n mid-October, Microsoft released the Technical Preview of Windows 10. Yep, they skipped right over 9. The tech blogs –and yours truly- have joked that it is to put some distance between 8 and 8.1 and the next incarnation. Why was Windows 8 so poorly received, and why do many have high hopes for Windows 10? Well, let’s discuss the most common reasons.

When first encountering Windows 8, many people did not care for the lack of a Start menu, and the inclusion of the new Metro interface. The release of 8.1 in late 2013, about one year after the release of 8, reintroduced a Start menu of sorts when in desktop mode. When not in desktop mode, the system switches to the Metro screen.

What this means is that the screen is covered in app tiles, reminiscent of an iPad or other tablet. If using Windows 8/8.1 on a tablet or other touch screen system, it’s not too bad.

But many laptops and most desktops are still using regular non-touch screens, causing the user to struggle with an awkward non-intuitive interface. In addition, the app-based tiles in the Metro screen open in a full screen view.

This eliminates the familiar minimize, maximize, and “X” to close…that’s like taking the windows out of Windows! It is sharp looking; it is decently designed for tablets, but it is something that takes some getting used to.

Some home users and many enterprise users (i.e., businesses) just don’t feel it is what they are looking

for in a system that they want to use to actually get work done. On the bright side, for those who are unimpressed by 8 and 8.1, Windows 10 looks like it is seriously trying to be the best of both worlds: the glitz of Metro combined with the practicality of good ol’ Windows 7.

As of mid-October, a million people registered for the Windows 10 Technical Preview. Basically, that means there are a lot of people Beta testing the next generation OS. It has a built-in feedback app, and Microsoft says this information will be utilized in the evolution of the new system. One rather cool item that I discovered while reading up on current industry news is the Windows Suggestion Box. Anybody, not just people using the Windows 10 preview, can submit suggestions to Microsoft at windows.uservoice. com so long as they follow the guidelines for posting that are explained on that page.

Reno Computer Fix 1170 South Wells.

Open 10 am to 6 pm, Monday-Friday, and noon to 4 pm on Saturday. Call us (775) 996-0212, or check us out online at renocomputerf ix.net or on Facebook!

We are always glad to provide a no-cost, noobligation initial analysis on your desktop PC, Mac, MacBook, or laptop PC. This way, you can make confident and informed decisions regarding your system.

Remember, don’t suffer in silence!

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tournantpopupreno@gmail.com 775-400-3855 / tournantpopup.com

MiScenarios Indoor Digital Shooting Range

Something About South Reno Text Heidi Bethel Photo David Block

Interactive training for real life danger

Engaging the digital villain

Imagine … You’re in bed when you hear the sound of breaking glass downstairs. Then comes the creaking shuffle of steps toward the staircase. With only seconds to respond, you quickly grab your pistol and quietly peek around the corner to see an intimidating intruder making his way up the steps. What you do next could mean life or death for you, the aggressor and possibly a family member.

Whether it is a corrupt cowboy in the hills of Texas, a thief lurking near an ATM, or the next zombie apocalypse, MiScenarios helps folks learn to acclimate to certain stressors. Through time, they begin increasing the circumstances to a point where it seems as real as real can get.

This is the exact interactive setting that I was placed in during my first visit to MiScenarios Indoor Digital Shooting Range and U.S. Firearms Academy. Here they use technology originally designed for use by military and law enforcement to teach civilians how to protect themselves.

“We train with a variety of different weapons and in a multitude of situations. MiScenarios gives the opportunity to develop protection skills,” said training manager Jay Hawkins. “We begin our situational training program teaching students about threat assessment and increasing comfort in identifying the pre-cursors while pausing to think about their next action.”

Hawkins goes on to explain that many times the victim in a crime can be mistaken as the aggressor by witnesses in a public setting. “Say you’re in a parking lot and you just drew a firearm and shot a suspect with a knife trying to harm you. The incident will draw people in and they may not have seen what happened first.

“One of the most important things to do when you feel there’s a threat is to speak loudly and clearly to the assailant so that they and those around you can hear. Tell them to stop. If you have a firearm, tell them that you will use it if they come further. And, notify the police as soon as possible.”

“We train as close to the mission as possible, so when our students do encounter a situation it doesn’t overwhelm them,” Hawkins explains. “We even offer a home invasion class where we create the sense that you are in a bedroom with portable walls and a bed. You have a nightstand, lock box and phone. As the scenario begins, the room is completely dark. Then you hear the crashing noise.”

Which brings us back to my home invasion scenario…

What did I do during the first run through? I panicked.

(It is so realistic; my heart was pounding, hands shaking.) After a few tips from Hawkins, I ran through it again. This time, with a little more confidence, I yelled at the intruder, told him to stop and that I had a gun.

After he continued up the stairs passing my “line in the sand,” I shot two rounds and got him just above the collarbone, stopping the attacker.

“The opportunity of going through these scenarios makes you think about it more and become prepared,” Hawkins continues. “There’s not a straight answer to every ugly situation, but we train for the options that give us the best possible outcome.”

MiScenarios Indoor Digital Shooting Range and U.S. Firearms Academy are located at 294 East Moana Lane, Reno. miscenarios.com

Heidi Bethel is a resident of South Reno who recently started her own business, Bethel Communication and Events. She enjoys the wide range of restaurants, stores and happenings in the area and loves to tell people all about them.

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The Power of Touch As we enter the autumn season, I invite you to notice the subtle changes in the environment. The leaves are beginning to change colors, there is a brisk coolness in the air, the days grow shorter and the nights longer. There is a particular energy that can be felt as wildlife as we journey through the changes of the seasons. What changes do you notice in yourself?

Perhaps you want to stay in bed a little longer, or go to bed earlier with the darkness of the evening. Maybe you are preparing more hearty meals— soups, stews...

Maybe you desire more snuggle time with your beloved, even if that beloved is yourself.

The desire for connection and touch is a fundamental human need that most people lack in their daily lives.

Touch is an important form of communication that we all share. We can begin nurturing ourselves by exploring the modalities of touch.

“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.” — Leo Buscaglia A sweet practice is to become present with your breath. While sitting quietly, close your eyes and allow yourself to focus on your breath. Begin to deepen your breathing.

Taking full inhales and complete exhales for two minutes. This practice enables you to relax and feel your body more fully. With your eyes still closed, bring your awareness to your hands.

Tantra Text Lisa A. Rizzoli Photo Kai O'Connell Place them palm-to-palm and breathe love into them. Then rub them vigorously, creating friction and heat. Slowly move them over your body, starting at the top of your head, down over your face, hair, ears, neck, torso, arms, belly, legs and feet. Notice the sensations you are experiencing in your hands and on the parts of your body you are touching.

Hold your feet firmly in stillness for a minute.

Now, begin tapping with all five fingers on your feet, up your legs, on your belly, arms, torso, neck, face and head—stop tapping and notice the sensations. Bring your awareness back to the breath. Be creative and explore other modalities of touch: kneading, scratching, slapping, pinching, etc.

Discover the type of touch that feels best to you.

Regular practice of conscious touch can enhance your relationships. I encourage you to join us at our monthly puja to deepen your awareness and practice of this incredible modality of touch.

“That’s what it feels like when you touch me. Like millions of tiny universes being born and then dying in the space between your finger and my skin. Sometimes I forget.”

— Iain Thomas, I Wrote This For You Lisa A. Rizzoli, ACTE tantrasacredloving.com Rizzoli leads monthly Puja ceremonies in Reno; facilitates workshops; leads International Tantra Adventure Tours and offers private sessions for men, women and couples who wish to further explore Tantra and the modality of spiritual sexuality.

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Monday = Movie Night Tuesday = Ladies Night Wednesday = Trivia Night Thursday = Wine Night Happy Hour 3p-6p daily

The Merry War Theatre Group’s “Wounded” And so tomorrow, there will be another number/ for the one who had a name.

- “Celebration Guns” by Stars According to CostsOfWar.org, over 52,000 American soldiers came home from the Afghanistan and Iraq wars with serious injuries. These individuals came back with severe bouts of post traumatic stress and depression, fractures and traumatic orthopedic injuries. We hear about these men and woman sacrificing their lives on the evening news. Some civilians make fun of these soldiers’ newly acquired disabilities.

Others are concerned with their needs when we hear that they are not getting the best of treatment at veterans’ hospitals. Yet many of us do not know these hurt soldiers’ stories; what they experience on a daily basis with their friends and family and the mental anguish they go through, not only during the healing process--but through their entire lives. “Wounded” does a terrific job exploring that world and bringing light into the lives of the people who served our country.

The Merry War Theatre Group’s “Wounded” is the story of three soldiers, dealing with their emotional and physical scars after coming home to heal from the battlefields. Lachlan McKinney plays “Doc,” a Southern gentleman of sorts who is amputated below the knee.

The play explores his relationship with his wife, “Ellen” (played by Haley Forsyth) and two of his fellow soldiers: double amputee, “Beth” (played by the play’s director, Chase McKenna) and “Bill” (Christopher Franklin), who was blinded while in action. We watch these characters live their lives trying to heal at a VA hospital and the

Theater Directed by Chase McKenna Text Andrea Tyrell

challenges they face now that they’re back home. Doc and Ellen’s marriage slowly crumbles as Doc focuses on his video game rather than his wife’s feelings of desire and care. Beth hopes to go back to the battlefield where she flew helicopters, but gets a hard dose of reality when she finds out that she can’t. Bill is angry and unstable, refusing the help his psychiatrist provides. Civilian “Angel” ( Jasmine Jiang) comes to the VA Hospital to find that her boyfriend is a triple amputee. The characters are complex and at times, terrifying.

Held in the VFW Underground Military Bunker, “Wounded” donated half its ticket sales to the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The scenery is appropriate; war memorabilia from the last several wars abroad decorate the walls.

The amputee prosthetics the actors use is realistic and chilling.

There were some moments in “Wounded” that made the audience jump and that caused tears and heavy sighs of despair. When the performance ended, the room was silent for a brief moment before someone initiated the applause.

It was almost like we were all shell shocked ourselves. I discussed the play with some friends afterward and we realized the life of returning soldiers was something we never thought about.

We civilians drive by the VA hospital on Kirman Avenue every day, yet we don’t think about the people inside. We don’t humanize the stories we see on television; just watch and then go back to our dinners.

“Wounded” provides an intimate and extraordinary portrayal, allowing us to glimpse into the life of a healing soldier in order to understand the ramifications of the people who protect our freedom and our homeland.

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The Light Factor

Text Sean Savoy Photos Courtesy Andean Explorers

“Peru, Peru – My heart’s lighthouse.” – Steven Patrick Morrissey (English singer) Nazca Hummingbird

Sacred Places of Peru, Part 2 Dateline: Reno, Nevada How does a small-town boy from Reno end up leading twelve people on a sojourn in one of the world’s most beckoning destinations? Suffice it to say that however unlikely it may seem, Reno has been the home to the non-profit Andean Explorers organization since my dad moved here in 1972. After years in South America as one of the foremost experts in Andean exploration – he was the discoverer of the last capital of the Inca Empire – the sun, high deserts, and mountains of Nevada called him back to the US. With him came the club he founded in Peru in the 1950s.

world’s ancient places, but our specialty has always been Peru.

I followed closely in his footsteps, spending many seasons exploring citadels lost to time, and working with experts in archaeology to recover traces of pre-Columbian civilization in the Americas. Our programs introduce adventurers, spiritual seekers, history buffs, and amateur archaeologists to the

August 2-6: “Mysteries of Nazca” – Lima, Paracas, Ica, Ballestas Islands, Nazca

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I promised a recapitulation of my August adventure: Peru’s Sacred Places of Power Cultural Tour & Pilgrimage, so I hope that this brief summary, in two parts, will stimulate your imagination and compel you to visit this amazing country with me.

Note: To arrive at our destinations, we traveled by plane, train, bus, car, and boat. We even dune buggied and surf boarded in the desert!

Our cultural tour started in Lima’s main square, where the new capital city was founded as “The City of Kings” in 1535. We visited the presidential palace, the

Huacachina DuneBuggy

Back in Lima, we stopped by the Parque de la Reserva to see the Magic Water Circuit, the world’s largest display of ornamental, cybernetic, and interactive fountains. We concluded this part of the tour at La Dama Juana restaurant in Lima’s bohemian Barranco district to savor Peru’s world famous “Creole” cuisine and enjoy a live folkloric show of Peru’s many and varied colorful regional dances.

Check out the next RTT for the concluding chapter of the tour. To learn more about the Andean Explorers, please e-mail Sean at sean@xpeditions.org.

archbishop’s palace, and Lima’s magnificent cathedral.

Next, we stopped at the 17th-century St. Francis Monastery for a tour of the subterranean catacombs, where 25,000 of Lima’s residents were laid to rest until 1808. The convent also boasts a world-renowned library with 25,000 antique texts.

THE LIGHT FACTOR is a featured column on spirituality, consciousness, science, energy and adventures into the unknown. Sean Savoy is an ordained spiritual educator, explorer, radio personality, community advocate, writer, raconteur, and public speaker who lectures in the United States and abroad. seansavoy.com

Next stop: Private lunch at the home of Lima’s Luna family in modern San Isidro. Their home houses a world-class collection of popular art. For historical context, we went to Peru’s National Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology, and History, the nation’s oldest state museum, and later, to quench our thirst, we stopped at a 16th-century tavern where we learned to make Peru’s national drink: the Pisco Sour. ¡Salúd!

A trip overland along the Pan-American Highway took us through the seaside towns of Paracas and Ica, where we enjoyed wonderful seafood and warm, tranquil evenings on the Pacific Ocean. The days were adventure filled. We ventured to the “Oasis of the Americas” where we surf boarded down windswept dunes and dune buggied at high speeds over hot, white sands that seemed to stretch endlessly toward the horizon.

Then, we were off to see the famous and mysterious megalithic Nazca Lines that depict coastal, highland, and jungle fauna, as well as geometric figures etched in the sand. The geoglyphs’ construction is a mystery, as they can only be seen from the air. A high speed boat ride from the port of Paracas took us to the Ballestas Islands, home to sea lions, Humboldt penguins, pelicans, and other creatures protected in the Paracas National Reserve. From the water, we sighted the Paracas Candelabra, another pre-historic desert geoglyph.

Sean Savoy

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Yoga

Yoga

Text Rachel Douglass Photo Rob Retting

“Comparison is the thief of joy”~ Theodore Roosevelt

I start each of my yoga classes with the recommendation to let go of any stresses, worries, competition and judgment; quieting the mind and creating a space where you have the opportunity to observe yourself objectively without bias. So many facets of our practice can be taken into everyday life.

We live in an age of social media, and although at times enjoyable, it can give us a false definition of happiness, a distorted sense of where our own lives should be in comparison to others.

Together, let’s focus on letting go of judgment in our practice and accepting ourselves where we are today.

Every day is a gift, although different from the next depending often on which side of the bed you woke up on. Maybe your balance is spot on, or maybe your low back is grouchy and forward folds just feel less awesome.

Where ever you are in the day, just give into it and embrace it, and let yourself come back to center. Be free of judging yourself and just allow the moments to be what they are. This is where you are.

The universe is as it is. When you fight against where you are, you are struggling against the entire universe.

It is human nature to be critical. Looking towards the student next to you exhibiting a perfectly formed triangle pose often fails to help you as you seek your perfect form. It turns on the internal voice that critiques the experience, keeping you from feeling the sensation of your hips opening and back lengthening. Comparing yourself to others doesn’t allow you to honor and listen to your body and its needs. Give yourself the freedom to accept your beautiful and unique practice.

Feeling competitive in class can keep you from honoring and listening to your body and its desire to be in balance.

The ego is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. We all have a voice in our head that reminds us of our shortcomings.

If heard the right way, this voice can be used to motivate and encourage, keeping one striving for improvement.

Life does not become easier, but if we allow it, it will become better. Be kind and loving to yourself. When we are kind to ourselves, in return we can be kind to each other. Kindness is contagious.

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OPEN 7 D A Y S A WE E K !

NEW HOURS!

Mo n -S at 1 0a m-7 pm & S u n 1 1 am - 6 p m Stun n i n g Ar r a y O f H a nd m ad e G las s Pip es F r o m A w ard W in nin g Art ist s Jew e l r y Ac c e s s or i e s & Clo thing F o r Men & Wo m en Ful l Li n e O f Wi l d B e r r y H and m ad e A m er ican I ncense Ove r 150 Ar t P r i n t s & Po s ter s