INXS Concert at VMworld 2010

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO VIEW AN ENLARGEMENT

Yesterday I was just finishing up a really packed week of back to back meetings and seminars and was feeling pretty exhausted. I thought I was going home last night to relax and just chill out a bit when my hubby sent me an email asking if I wanted to go to San Francisco to see INXS in concert. Um.... Let's see, go sit at home watching tv with my dog or go hear great music and see rock stars up in San Francisco. LOL it wasn't a tough decision.

Talk about total dorks. We got to the Moscone Center and went to the wrong stage area, marveling how we were going to be in the front row. After a few minutes we realized we were at the wrong stage and rushed around the building to get to the correct location in the basement of the Moscone Center. And guess what? We were still in the front row! Sweet!

Some of you may remember from past posts that my hubby has been a devoted INXS fan, and friend of the band, for years. When we do get to see them in concert, and are in the first or second row, it's always fun when the band members recognizes us and gives us a wave and a smile. Last night not only did Kirk Pengilly give me a wave, he also gave me a wink (click on the image and you can really see he's winking), tossed me a guitar pick and...

Posed for this picture while he was performing giving me this very cheeky smile when he saw I was trying to take a picture of him. He totally cracked me up :D They are the first rock stars I've ever met and have set the bar really high for any future rock stars I may ever meet. They are so talented and equally nice.

First song of the night was Suicide Blonde.

Second song was "Disappear" one of my favorites! They played lots of my favs, New Sensation, Taste it, Afterglow, Mystify, Never Tear Us Apart, etc...

Guitarist Tim Farriss is one of the three Farriss brothers who originally started a band called "The Farriss Brothers" in Australia back in 1977. Shortly after they changed the name of the band to INXS.

Was very hard to get a good picture of Andrew Farriss all night because he was further away and often behind some equipment. That's him on the left with Kirk Pengilly and Tim Farriss. Even more difficult was to get a picture of drummer John Farriss off to the right in the shadows.

Garry Gary Beers and J.D. Fortune

Most people are aware that the band's lead singer for 2 decades was Michael Hutchence, who tragically died in 1997. I can still remember how shocked and sad I was when I heard it on the news.

In 2005, the band launched a nationwide search for their next lead singer on a reality tv show called "Rockstar INXS." Canadian singer J. D. Fortune won the competition, recorded "Switch" with the band and began touring with them shortly after.

Because so many people have already asked about J.D.'s current status with the band... Last year there was a considerable bump in the road when it was stated by J. D. in a tv interview that he had been fired by the band. Whatever the issues were, they have been resolved and I'm really happy that they have regrouped and are performing together once again. In 2010 INXS has performed at least 6 special events with J. D. as their lead singer. I did see a tv interview one day where Kirk Pengilly confirmed that J.D. was once again part of INXS so hopefully things will continue to work out and they will all have many future successes together.

Kirk Pengilly plays both the saxophone...

And the guitar.

So there I was, basically just rocking out, when I was handed one of John Farriss' drumsticks by a crew member. Whu???? Tony walked up to the stage, picked up the drumstick, looked at the crowd, looked at the band members, turned around and handed the drumstick to me. For real??? It felt surreal LOL. First a guitar pick from Kirk and now a drumstick from John? I've never had a real drumstick before. I was drumming on the dashboard, window, console and my hubby's arm on the way home until he told me to stop :D

J. D. Fortune perfoming at VMworld 2010

Kirk Pengilly, Tim Farriss and Garry Gary Beers

Being a rock star J.D. had on some pretty stylish, ripped in the crotch jeans. LOL

Garry Gary Beers, Tim Farriss and J. D. Fortune

A spontaneous moment when Kirk took the mic from J.D. to introduce J.D. to the crowd. Judging by the reactions of the band it was a bit of a prank.

I think it always makes a show more fun when the audience sees the band having a great time onstage.

J.D. Fortune performing "Don't Change"

Tim Farriss and Kirk Pengilly closing the show with "Don't Change."

Inxs Members: Kirk Pengilly, Andrew Farriss, J.D. Fortune, Garry Gary Beers, Tim Farriss and John Farriss.

If they are ever performing where you live there and you've always loved or liked their music, GO SEE THEM! This was my eighth show and I've loved every show I've seen. It's an evening of hit after hit after hit and you can tell the guys really have fun performing. You can check out the official INXS website for tour information as it becomes available at www.INXS.com

And why was the band in town in the first place? They were there to perform at VMworld, a virtual conference for cloud computing. They describe the U.S. conference on their website this way:

We have developed outstanding Sessions and Labs program this year, with more than 170 unique Breakout Sessions and 30 Lab topics offered across four days. General Sessions will be on Tuesday and Thursday. Plus, VMworld offers additional learning opportunities, such as the new Knowledge Experts Program, numerous networking events, and the Solutions Exchange featuring more than 200 companies showcasing the latest virtualization and cloud computing products and services.

If that sounds intriguing to you be sure to bookmark their website www.VMworld.com so you can stay up to date on their next conference in 2011. If you live in Europe it's not too late to attend the conference in Copenhagen October 12-14, 2010. CLICK HERE for more details about the European VMworld conference.

And... Because everyone always asks, I took these photos with my Panasonic Lumix DMC LX3 point and shoot pocket camera :)

Please Don't SPAM my Comments

First off let me say a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has ever left a genuine comment on this blog. You may have noticed I don't usually solicit comments so when people do leave them it means a lot to me and I appreciate them greatly. This post is not directed at you.

For those of you who are attempting to use comments as a means to create link backs to your own websites I would like to gently point out that my stated comments policy is:

Please do NOT post a string of keywords as your name. Comments received in this fashion will either not be published or the link will be removed. The Flirty Blog reserves the right to modify, delete or decline to publish comments that are considered to be SPAM.

Basically I'm asking you to please leave your real name, a user name or even your company name as the author of your comments. For instance if I leave a comment somewhere I might use one of three usernames with a link back to my blog or website:

1. Stacie Tamaki
2. The Flirty Girl
3. The Flirty Guide

What I won't do is leave a comment from "San Francisco Bay Area Wedding Resource" as a link back to my website. Yes, it may be keyword rich and may help to direct your readers to my website but quite frankly I think it's impolite and disingenuous to so overtly troll for potential clients on another blogger's blog.

My point is: Would you go to a party or to dinner at someone's home and introduce yourself to other guests as "what you sell" and immediately hand your business card to every person in the room? I'm hoping you're nodding your head *no*. So why do that on people's blogs and websites?

My best advice is if you want people to click on your name and visit your website, leave a very funny, clever, informative or thought provoking comment. It works. Trust me. When I read great comments on other blogs I'll click on that person's link to see what else they have to say about other things :)

Next Beginning Bloggers' Seminar is August 31st

*This Class is now Sold Out*

September Seminar may be in SF or East Bay. Let me know if you're interested in attending :)

A cost effective opportunity for anyone interested in learning the basics about how blogging can help you to market your business and how to create search engine and reader friendly blog posts. This is an informal seminar atmosphere where you will have plenty of opportunity for Q & A during the present...

Date: Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Time: 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Location: The Allied Arts Guild
(Located near Stanford Shopping Center)
75 Arbor Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025-5398
CLICK HERE for more details


We will cover:

• Why to Blog - The benefits of blogging
• How Search Engines Work
• Blog Traffic
• RSS (Real Simple Syndication: Subscriptions and Publishing)
• Viral Marketing
• Self Promotion
• Branding Your Blog
• Choosing a Platform
• Setting Up Your Blog
• Post Titles - Why they matter
• When to Blog / Post Frequency
• What to Write About / What not to Write About
• Keywords and SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• Links in Posts
• Anatomy of the Sidebar
• Images / Videos
• Should You Allow Comments?
• Legal Considerations

The Details:

• 4 hours long
• $150 (per person) to attend
• Does not include meals/complimentary snacks provided
• Limited Capacity: Only 10 attendees per session
• Seminars are offered on weekdays only
• Laptop not required
• Worksheet/Outline provided for note taking
• NEW: A (private) online tutorial is available to class attendees after the seminar

CLICK HERE for more details

Aarti Sequeira, Winner of "The Next Food Network Star"

To be honest I don't watch the show. But I saw this interview yesterday with Aarti Sequeira, winner of the 2010 reality tv cooking competition, who will now have her own cooking show on the Food Network.

Her story is so inspiring to me that I wanted to share it with all of you who have a passion or a dream but you've been waiting for the "right" time to begin. Aarti started blogging and that led to her greatness and the opportunity to live a more fulfilled life. If you would like to find a way to follow your passion her story is a great blueprint.

Take a peek at this 3.5 minute video that outlines the steps she took to land her own tv show:

A Custom Dog Bridal Veil

Something to make you smile. These were two of my very first clients when I first started my custom accessory company 13 years ago.

I had made the bride's veil and after she picked it up she called me back to apologetically make a special request: Would I consider making a veil for her dog Amber? Being such a dog lover and because I always enjoy taking on new challenges, I said I would. And this was the veil. Because the pastor wouldn't let Amber in the church, she had to settle for modeling her veil throughout the duration of the wedding reception. The bride said that Amber loved her veil. Never knocking it off once all evening!

If anyone wants to know how I did this just post it in the comments of this post and I'll create a tutorial for you over on The Flirty Guide.

Feeling Suicidal? Call the Suicide Hotline for Help

I was just reading the news an hour or so ago and noticed that a photo I took and posted on my blog two years ago is being used (with attribution) in a story about a suicide that took place last night at The Mountain Winery. A young man, (eta: facing some serious legal charges) leapt to his death from the roof above the stage during a live concert performance :(

My sympathies to his family, loved ones, the band, the first responders who tried to resuscitate him and everyone in the audience who certainly have to feel traumatized by witnessing his death.

Obviously this is neither a fun nor flirty topic... So why post about it? Because I want any of you who ever think about suicide to know that you can always call the Suicide & Crisis Hotline. In fact, if you think about it a lot, put their number in your speed dial so you always have it with you. If you call, there are people on the other end of the phone who not only care, but want and will do their best to help you simply by letting you talk, vent and share whatever pain it is you're going through. In San Jose there is someone to talk to 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. The local Crisis Line phone number is (408) 279-8228.

If you live anywhere else in the country you can call the numbers below if you feel like you need to talk to someone.

From their website:

"...Talking to someone can temporarily change your perspective - Human contact changes the brain chemistry & opens that emotion "pod" of pent up emotions for temporary relief - and it may not be what they say, but just the exchange of emotions like empathy, compassion, & concern.

Will they cure us - no.

Will they take the pain away ?

Maybe ease it for a little while.

Even if you know you may be upset or suicidal again soon, just give it a try.

Even though non-depressive humans won't really know exactly how you feel --

Let them try to help the best they can.

Talk to them, let them listen.

Most of them are not even getting paid.

The only reason they are there is for you.

They may not always say the exact right thing, but they are hoping that somehow they can help you make it through a difficult night, to live & fight another day."

CLICK HERE to read the rest on suicide.com

IMO it's a normal and understandable reaction to feel a little or a lot of resentment or anger at being forced to watch someone take their own life, or to be angry and hurt for being left behind. I also know people will often accuse a person who committed suicide of being "selfish" for only thinking about themselves and not about what they are forcing others to endure on their behalf. But more than resentment, I can't help but feel compassion.

There are many causes of depression. If you've never experienced a suicidal depression and felt the urge to take your own life you're lucky that your genetics are good, your brain chemistry is well balanced and you were born with emotional fortitude strong enough to endure and overcome all that life puts before you. You're fortunate to not feel emotional pain so deeply that all you can think about is death as an escape from pain so intense it drains the will to live away until there is no will, and no hope left.

If you are severely depressed and you know it, reach out. Ask for help before things get too bad. Call the Crisis Hotline.

Facebook Places: Join in or Decline?

Facebook Places is, from what I've read, similar to foursquare, which is a more sophisticated version of someone tweeting where they are at any given moment.

For those of you who enjoy living in the now and don't mind the whole world (or the large portion or small portion you have friended through your social networking accounts) to know where you are (restaurants, concerts, bars, malls, etc) and where you aren't (home, so thieves have a better idea of knowing when to strike), Facebook Places will be another fun way to keep in touch with your friends and the world.

Call me a stick in the mud...

For those of us who are more wary and enjoy more (as opposed to less) privacy, the thing to know about the new Facebook Places is that even if you don't use the new feature, your friends can "tag" you into their Places updates to let everyone they know where you are.... And aren't. To remove the option (of giving away your location) from your fun loving and free spirited friends you need to go into your Facebook privacy setting and set your account to "disable."

This post on Gawker shows you how to do this step by step :)

DIY Recycled Jewelry Stand

Are you an ex-hunter who loves fashion accessories? A DIY type who loves to repurpose and reuse items into functional new pieces? Are you an eco-friendly tree hugger who hates to see wood items wasted and has an extensive collection of bracelets and necklaces? Are you none of the above but have a bunch of jewelry that sits in tangled piles on your dresser top?

If any or all of these descriptions describe you, this may be a great idea you'll want to try out...

A gun rack I found at a yard sale that I repurposed and refurbished transforming it into a perfect jewelry display stand. Inexpesive and eco-conscious it was a win-win.

Take a peek at more close ups and details about how I did this over on The Flirty Guide by CLICKING HERE

Eco-friendly Idea: Bring your own cup!

There are a few restaurants we dine at that give you a paper or styrofoam cup to drink from when you dine in. I've always felt that since I normally drink water it's really wasteful for me to use a throw away cup with my meals...

My solution? I went to the drugstore and purchased a hard, clear, plastic cup. So far I've found at least 4 restaurants we go to on a regular basis where bringing my own cup comes in handy. The restaurant staff have always been really cool about it and I just bring it home with me when we leave. Perfect.

I'm happy that I have continued to think of ways to make dining out a more eco-friendly experience. Past ideas have included bringing my own to-go containers and travel chopsticks :) If you have any other eco-friendly dining out ideas to share please leave them in a comment. I'd love to hear them and be inspired!

Beautiful Bridal Shoes vs. Comfortable Bridal Shoes

In a perfect world the best shoes would be both beautiful and comfortable. Sadly, all too often, women realize that a choice of one over the other has to be made... Beauty or Comfort.

When we were kids didn't we all have a toy similar to this? You know, the one where you fit a shape into a similarly shaped hole? As kids it made sense once you figured it out and in most aspects of an adult woman's life it still does, with one exception...

Why do so many women think the shape on the left "fits" into the shape on the right?

This morning I spotted a really informative bridal shoe post on the I Want 10 Courses bridal blog... Echo, the blog's author and Bride-to-be, ran through the pros and cons of wearing flats to high heels on your wedding day. The article (associated to an image she used) was FULL of information about how high heels do damage the wearers feet, nerves and joints over time.

And I've seen or heard about most of this damage firsthand because I used to sell Ladies Shoes at Nordstrom. The hammer toes, bunions, corns, post op surgery scars, deformed toes and all kinds of funky weirdness that comes from fitting rectangular shaped feet into pointy toed and high heeled shoes. Honestly, seeing the cumulative damage shoes can wreck on a woman's feet cured me from ever wanting to wear beautiful shoes just for the sake of fashion on all but truly special occasions.

To view this page on The Washington Post CLICK HERE

For my own wedding I can only tell you that I struggled with "Do I want beautiful or comfortable shoes?" I'm sure a lot of brides ask themselves the same thing. In the end I bought two pairs of shoes, one beautiful, the other comfortable...

And ended up wearing the comfortable ones on the right. It turned out to be the right decision as my gown was so heavy that by the reception my shoulders were aching from the sheer weight of the skirt. Had I worn the stiletto pumps I'm sure my feet would have been killing me. And I didn't want to have to take off my shoes during the reception because I know the hem of gowns can be ruined by dragging them on the ground. Fine if you're shooting a trash the dress session with your photographer after the wedding but if your gown is going to be something you save and hand down or resell, you'll want the hem to remain clean and intact.

The flatter, wider straps on the uppers and the wider heel base were the right choice. By the end of the night I hadn't experienced any blisters or pain at all :)

If you're wondering what shoes Echo purchased for her wedding just CLICK HERE to visit her blog and read the post. Hopefully the advice you find there will help you to make a decision if you're shopping for bridal shoes and aren't sure which way to go... Comfortable or beautiful.