the "official" dish ...from Main-4 Show is one of the largest exhibitions of gems, minerals and jewelry in the world with, one-of-a-kind jewelry creations, estate jewelry, special exhibits, accessories, and products for everyone. Deep discounts and an infinite variety of beautiful and exotic gems, beads and jewelry can be found among the rows and rows of exhibitors at each show. In addition, free jewelry cleaning is available. Acclaimed gem dealer David Bachman (Booth #508) and designer Terri Haught will be displaying their handcrafted creations at the show. Among their unique designs, David and Terri will feature a 3.63 carat Blue Ceylon Sapphire ring, valued at $18,285. The piece has half-moon diamond accents and is mounted on platinum (please see the attached photo of this magnificent ring). David will also exhibit an Opalized clam shell pendant set in 14 karat white gold (valued at $8,800), as well as the “Great Wall of Zircon” Ring, a 4.91 carat Golden Zircon set in 14K yellow gold and accented with a .16 carat natural champagne diamond ($2,800). Bill and Elke Vance (Vance Gems, Booth #505) will also be on hand at Dallas Market Hall to exhibit their bold, dynamic gemstones. Among their collection is a 17.38 carat flawless Imperial Topaz. Mined in Brazil, Bill says this stone is the finest imperial topaz he has seen in his 43 years in the gemstone business. Bill will also exhibit a 3.01 carat Taaffeite, an obscure lavender and blue gemstone from Sri Lanka, and a 1.94 carat pink “velvet” spinel from Tanzania. “Gems have long been symbols of power, wealth, love and individualism,” said Arnold Duke, vice president of The International Gem and Jewelry Show. “This year’s exhibits will have stones and jewelry representing everything from the outrageous to the merely modest. And because beads have never been hotter, our show will have several exhibitors that are dedicated to beads offering thousands of unique strands for sale. Additionally, attendees will be in a unique position to purchase the latest designs in rose, white or yellow gold for just a small premium over their total karat weight. Jewelry specialists will have hundreds of pieces for nearly every budget.” The International Gem & Jewelry Show (Intergem) was founded 41 years ago by Herbert A. Duke. The company produces over eighty gem and bead shows each year, in cities across the country. It is one of the few shows of its kind open to the public, with a small section dedicated to professional jewelers, artists and others involved full-time in the jewelry-making trade. Intergem is based in Rockville, Maryland.

Bourbon Street Homes To Open For Tour Oct. 14

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collection of Creole and Victorian homes, along with their courtyard gardens, will open for the annual Treasures of Bourbon Street House Tour on Sunday, October 14 from 1 to 5pm. The event is sponsored by the Historic Bourbon Street Foundation, a non-profit organization that promotes the residential heritage of Bourbon Street and spotlights the fact that in addition to its storied nightlife, Bourbon Street can claim some of New Orleans’ most outstanding

1218 Bourbon Street on Treasures of Bourbon Street House Tour

homes. The street was the premier residential address of Old New Orleans and was named for the French royal family. Tickets are $15 and will be sold on the day of the tour at 804 Dumaine St. and 1452 Pauger St. Tickets must be purchased by 3:30pm. Houses located on or just off Bourbon Street that will be on view include: An unusual Creole cottage at 815 Dumaine St. with a front door that opens onto a side piazza in the Charleston style. The dormered cottage is the home of art consultant Arlene Karcher and its contents include a collection of primitive art. The courtyard gardens of Judith Ann Hartwell at 818 Ursulines St. feature lush plantings in two gardens, one behind the main house and the other behind a rear dependency. A quaint wooden gate leads to the second garden. A raised Victorian cottage at 1218 Bourbon St. is the future retirement home of Robert White and Kathi Metzgar of Dallas, Texas. Unusual for Bourbon Street, the house is set back from the sidewalk and has a large magnolia tree in front. The home’s furnishings include European pieces. The building at 1243 Bourbon St. was originally a corner Creole cottage but in the 1880s it was Victorianized and a second story added. It is now the home of Mr. and Mrs. David Bowen and the large ground floor space that was the store is now filled with American Empire antiques, old lamps and cozy over-stuffed sofas and arm chairs. On the wall hang old prints and oil paintings of French Quarter scenes. The house at 1452 Paugar St. (where Bourbon Street ends and curves to become Pauger Street) is a 135-year-old side hall Victorian cottage with a two-story rear wing. The home of Sammy Levy, the structure has been adapted for modern living. For information about the house tour, call 504-524-3621.

Come on Down to Harrah's & Meet Author of The Price Is Right Oct. 14

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n October 14, Harrah’s New Orleans will host a book signing for Stan Blits, the author of Come on Down. Filled with fun anec-

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the "official" dish ...from Main-6 dotes, photos and fascinating facts,“Come on Down takes fans behind the scenes of The Price is Right, one of America’s longest running and most beloved game shows. An Emmy Award-nominated writer, Blits is the show’s music director and contestant coordinator. He has worked on the set of The Price Is Right for almost three decades.

On October 14, patrons can purchase Come on Down for just $15.95, and Blits will autograph for free from 6 -7:30pm. As an added bonus, swipe your Total Rewards(r) card between noon and 5:45pm to enter into a drawing for the chance to play Plinko, the famous Price Is Right game. Don’t have a Total Rewards card? Sign up for your free card at the Total Rewards desk next to the Canal Street entrance to the casino. Twenty-one lucky winners will be guaranteed the chance to play Harrah’s version of the Plinko game. The top prize? A cool $1,000! Must be 21 to enter casino and to gamble. For more information, visit www.harrahsneworleans.com.

Satyricon Presents Opening Night of Cabaret Diva Klea Blackhurst

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he Mystic Krewe of Satyricon will sponsor the opening night local debut performance of internationally acclaimed cabaret diva Klea

Blackhurst performing her tribute to Ethel Merman, All That The Traffic Will Allow, on Thursday, October 18, 8pm, at Le Chat Noir, 715 St. Charles Ave. Tickets for this performance only are $30 and may be obtained by calling 504.525.4498. For tickets to other performances, please call 504.581.5812.

Boswell Sisters Centennial Celebration to Mark Connee Boswell’s 100th birthday

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he Boswell Sisters Centennial Celebration commemorates the music and lives of the Boswell Sisters, a national singing sensation in the 1920s and ‘30s whose unique musical stylings influenced legendary singers such as Ella Fitzgerald, The Andrews Sisters, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra and Wynonna Judd. The four-day happening includes live music performances and labs, a documentary short, and a series of seminars that covers the Boswell Sisters contributions to New Or-

leans music and their influence on jazz and harmony – and Connee Boswell, the most famous of the sisters, whose musical career extended into the 1960’s. The celebration runs Friday, November 30 – Monday, December 3 in New Orleans at various locations. December 3, marks the 100th birthday of Connee Boswell. Connee died in 1976 at age 68. With her sisters, Martha and Helvetia “Vet” Boswell, she performed in the 1930’s as The Boswell Sisters and became a highly influential singing group via recordings, radio and movies. By the time Connee retired in 1963, she and her sisters had recorded more than 300 songs, sold 70 million records and changed American popular music forever. However, over the years, the impact of the Boswell Sisters blended harmonies and unique arrangements has been overlooked. Live performers include the Pfister Sisters, Shout Sister, The Stolen Sweets, YazooZaz and Jan Shapiro, in addition to an array of distinguished speakers. Organized by the Boswell Sisters Centennial Committee, the Centennial is made possible by a grant from The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Foundation, Inc., and partnerships with the Louisiana State Museum, The New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park, and the Midlo Center for New Orleans Studies at the University of New Orleans. For more info visit www.bozzies.com/centennial.

Fulton Street Invites Saints Fans to Black & Gold Fan Fridays

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ulton Street will host the ultimate Saints fan gathering and Pep Rally every Friday from 48pm before a Sunday home game through December 21. It’s FREE and Open to the Public. Fans are encouraged to come dressed in their best black and gold attire and bring their spirit and join in on the fun! Each Fan Friday, Fulton Street will host a new live band, drink specials and delicious food from the promenade’s popular restaurants-Riche, Gordon Biersch and Grand Isle. Guests will have the chance to win fabulous prizes every half hour, including Black and Gold Gear for the big game and game day tickets for Sunday home games in the “Bud Zone” of the Superdome. The entertainment lineup includes: Friday, Oct. 19, Rebirth Brass Band & Charmaine Neville; Friday, Nov. 2, Christian Serpas & Ghost Town; Friday, Nov. 9, Louisiana Spice; Friday, Nov. 30, The Wiseguys; Friday, Dec. 14, Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. & The Zydeco Twisters; and Friday, Dec. 21, The Topcats and Benny Grunch and The Bunch. The “Who Dat” Brass Band will be the opening act each Black and Gold Friday. Black and Gold Fridays are sponsored by Harrah’s New Orleans Casino and Hotel, Bud Light, Jack Daniels, Stoli and Bacardi.

Join The Club at Oakwood Center to Win

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retna-Join The Club at Oakwood Center by visiting oakwoodcenter.com and register for a chance to win one of three [continued on Main-10]

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clubs & krewes by Douglas Minich, New Orleans E-mail: [email protected]

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hat a weekend! Congratulations to the Lords of Leather and to the Crescent City Outlaws, both for great times. The Outlaws held their annual run Jailbreak 7: Escape to Las Vegas from September 28 – 30. Outlaws' Mina, Rich, Kevin, Nan and Eric did a great job putting together a weekend full of fun. Sure there was plenty of eating and drinking but more than that, was the obvious friendship of all those in attendance. I can attest to there being run participants from as far away as Minnesota with clubs from Chicago, Iowa, Atlanta, Nashville, Memphis and beyond. Quite a crowd to come here to the Big Easy. The weekend started with a welcome party at Cowpokes, the Outlaws home bar, with food provided by Bywater Mike of Bywater Bar.B.Que fame, and Mona Lisa Restaurant. Saturday, the Outlaws had a full day scheduled from breakfast being served at JohnPauls on Elysian Fields, lunch at Cowpokes, and a trip to the Aquarium of the Americas in the afternoon. The formal banquet was held Saturday evening at 5 Happiness in the Imperial Room. If you haven’t been to 5 Happiness, you are missing out on the best Chinese cuisine in New Orleans! After the banquet the Outlaws presented awards in thanks for the support they have received from many, many in attendance. Sunday again started with breakfast with a wind down and open microphone session after lunch. From the parts of the weekend I was able to attend, it was obvious that all in attendance had a great time. If you have ever had weekend guests and know how tough that can be, imagine having 80+ weekend guests. It is a huge amount of work to put a weekend run together and all of the Outlaws deserve a big round of applause, they really did a great job. All this and they also hosted the Fall MACC meeting to boot. Also, congrats go to Bywater Mike as he did an incredible job of feeding the crowd all weekend. It is always good to see Michael in town too! I can guess that all the Outlaws are taking a big sigh of relief this past week but I also know they are not ones to lay too long. They are already getting ready for Jailbreak 8 next September. They also have their annual Ho Down coming up November 17 at Cowpokes. Keep an eye out for details on this fun event.

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he Lords of Leather held a pool party at the Lions Inn Bed and Breakfast on Sunday, September 30th with the theme Flying Down to Rio. Even Carmen Miranda made a surprise appearance courtesy of Lord Alan. Food was a plenty with grilled chicken, black beans, salsa, and more. A keg was tapped and there were some great frozen slushy drinks, aka daiquiris. All this in the wonderful setting of the Lions Inn. Special thanks to Lions Inn proprietor's Floyd and Stuart for being such gracious hosts! Now I can’t tell everything that went on

there but all the attendees and guests reportedly had a great time. Awards for Teeniest Thong, Best Tan Line and a special award of Ms. Fernando Llamas were presented as well as a 50/50 Raffle. Congratulations to Lord Gary and all the others for a job very well done. Find out more about the Lords on their web site www.lordsofleather.com. You can also catch them at their monthly Beer/Soda/ Video Bust every 2nd Sunday of the month at the Phoenix Bar.

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he Southern Renegades over in Mobile are getting ready to host a Pour for a Cure night there in order to raise money for Breast Cancer charities. Renegade Darwin tells me that even as gay men they have a kindred spirit with the lesbian community and want to offer there support. Check the Renegades web site, www.southernrenegades.com, to find out more. The Renegades also have some Pensacola Pride events on their calendar. Quite a bit for this new group, keep up the good work guys!

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he New Orleans Bear and Bear Trapper Social Club is busy maintaining their schedule as well. Meet these great guys at their Twice Monthly Beer Busts on the First and Third Fridays of every month over at their home bar, the Phoenix. Also check out their great web site, www.bearsofneworleans.com, for a list of all their events.

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he first cool front of the year has made it to New Orleans and the weather the last few days has been incredible. I know the humidity will return but it won’t last long and fall will be upon us before we know it. There will also be lots to do most every weekend going. Come on out and enjoy the weather and friendly faces here in our great city!

the "official" dish ...from Main-8 $1,000 shopping sprees being given away during grand re-opening weekend. Once registered, participants will receive advance notice of sale events, preferred offers through direct e-mails and have a chance each month thereafter to win an additional $100 shopping spree. Registration is free to all users. No purchase necessary. Join The Club at Oakwood Center now through October 18 and receive a voucher for a free t-shirt on grand reopening day. When t-shirts are received on opening day, October 19, registrants will automatically be entered to win one of the three $1,000 shopping sprees. The tshirt voucher is limited to the first 1,000 people who bring in the printed voucher on October 19 only. Grand re-opening winners will be chosen and notified via phone at the end of each day during the October 19 grand re-opening weekend.

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