From: Diva Las Vegas organizers (dlvorg@geekbabe.com)
Date: Wed Jan 12 2011 - 03:28:38 CST
In this mailing:
Org List
JoAnn's Thoughts
Activity thoughts and suggestions
Marisa's thoughts
Makeovers and crossdressers.com
Mexican dining
Beginner Open House
Golf assistance needed
Air Tours
Dining at Paris
RHPS
Karaoke
Activity thoughts
Working schedule
Administrivia
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Org List:
This is the DLV 2011 Organizational Mailing List (dlvorg@geekbabe.com)
Replies to this message will be forwarded to the DLVORG list and not
the DLV-Announce or DLV-Discuss list.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
JoAnn's Thoughts:
The scheduling "roller coaster" in working its way up the first
climb.... the ride this year will be quick so please keep in
touch as we plan and schedule all of activities.
Without your help our Diva week cannot be all that it can be!!
Annie and I have volunteered to do the Limo Tour on Thursday
and are looking for some help for that day [buying libations
in the afternoon and 'herding the cats' in the evening on the
tour].
There are many opportunities to help throughout the week, so we
await to hear from you....
JoAnn
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Activity thoughts and suggestions:
Moving forward ...
Major gatherings:
We have maximum-attendance gatherings scheduled for Monday and
Friday of DLV week. By precedent, those who coordinated these
last year have first refusal rights for the same or a similar
thing this year.
Marisa, are you up to doing your Firefly (or a similar thing)
this coming year?
Alanna and Susan? Are you up to doing something like the Bahama
Breeze again this year?
Personally, I think that both of these were major hits in 2010
and I would not mind at all having something similar to both on
the schedule for 2011.
Of course, I'm not everyone, so if anyone has any killer ideas,
please let them be known -- sooner, not later. :)
. . . . . . . . . .
Mid-scale activities:
JoAnn and I (Annie) have agreed to take the lead on the Limo
Tour for 2011, assuming nobody wants to arm-wrestle either of
us for the privilege. :) We'll be calling for additional
volunteers shortly, since it does take 4-5 to make such a thing
work.
Susan? Bob? Pity Party, Jam Session, similar activities? Are
you up for these this year? Densie (see below) is just itching
to do a Karaoke thing, so one idea might be to incorporate
Karaoke into the Pity Party.
. . . . . . . . . .
Smaller things:
One reason our last few events have been so highly rated has
been the rich and full schedule of activities. Many of these
were not "big gun" things, but many smaller activities which
came together in a "something for everyone" scheme and made
our event what it was.
Yes, we're going to need several of the smaller activities in
order to assure that we have a rich schedule this year.
We would like to encourage those of you who are new to the
DLV volunteer scene to adopt one of these suggestions and
make it happen.
For this discussion here, we'll concentrate mainly on those
activities which are simple to coordinate and can easily be
done by someone who is new to activity coordination or has
previously been inactive in the DLV planning.
. . . . .
Dining activities.
These are by far some of the easiest activities to do, and in
many cases are quite foolproof.
Although Ginger is the default hostess at our main daily lunch,
others are invited to take a day, or even plan a second-track
lunch on certain days.
We had multiple suggestions for some kind of a morning breakfast
or coffee session. The only way to see if this will work is to
try it, and all it takes is for someone to adopt it for one day
or more.
We're in need of dinner hosts/hostesses for Sunday evening and
for Wednesday evening. There are countless low-effort options
for both evenings. It can be as simple as naming a place and
agreeing to be there. As has been discussed, for a smaller
dining thing, it's perfectly acceptable to show up unannounced
and use available tables.
Of course if you want to do a more organized thing, please
do so.
. . . . . . . . . .
Shopping activities.
We've had these off and on over our years. Several themes and
venues have been suggested, such as Primm Valley Mall, Town Square,
and thrift shopping.
Cindy? Other shopping fans? Time to pick some timeslots! :)
Most of the effort in planning something like this is deciding
on where and when. Very easy!
I know there's been talk about this already. Time to get those
ideas on the schedule! :)
. . . . . . . . . .
Shows.
I know that Ginger has been planning to host(ess) one show,
but we're by no means limited to one, nor are we limited to
one evening at which we attend shows. Shows will fit nicely
on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday of our schedule, and even
maybe on Sunday.
Of course the big issue with shows is the logistics of being
seated together. In the Bad Old Days when the Mob Ran Vegas,
you simply "greased the penguins" and your party was seated
together with a great view. Today it can be more challenging
for people who do not pay together to be seated together.
For the smaller shows (such as Frank Marino last year) it is
still possible to do it by $aying the right thing$ to the
$howroom $taff. Most of the larger shows use computerized
ticketing and seating systems which require that if you want
seats together, they must be booked and paid together.
Some of our show hostesses have collected in advance and
purchased a block of tickets. Others have collected at DLV
and gone to the box office on the day of the show and bought
best seats available at the time, all together.
There are many variations on the theme. Coordinating a show
requires a bit more "real work" than doing a meal, but it can
be a highly-enjoyed activity!
. . . . . . . . . .
Recreational and touristy type activities.
The most frequently mentioned activity of this type is the Lake
Mead Boat Tour. We've done it several years and it's proven to
be popular.
This could be combined with a Hoover Dam tour or they could
each be stand-alone activities.
Kumiko and other ski fans? Your ski trip? It's time to pick
a timeslot and get it on the calendar.
The Erotic Heritage Museum has had multiple mentions as a
suggestion. A trip there could be simple or more elaborate.
Just naming a time is a minimalist approach. If you feel like
doing something extra for the group, contact their management
and see what can be worked out as far as group rates and such.
We've done Valley Of Fire twice but not in recent years. It's
an easy drive from Las Vegas and is a good non-intense thing
of the "outdoorsy" type. All it really takes is for someone
to adopt it and coordinate the carpool effort.
. . . . . . . . . .
"Art Tour" and the like ...
Marisa, Sarah, all ... time to select the timeslots on the
schedule.
. . . . . . . . . .
Various social activities.
One specific suggestion was an Ice Cream Social at Leatherby's
on Sahara. This is a very easy one. Pick a day and time and
just agree to be there to welcome the others. Low-maintenance!
We've had multiple suggestions for bowling and we have had a
few sessions. It can be as simple as seeking out a less-busy
time and using available open bowling lanes, or you could even
reserve a lane if you wish.
Matinee movie. This one has to be the absolute lowest of the
low-maintenance activities! Pick a film, pick a theater, and
be there.
Late Night Gaming. Pick a casino. Agree to be there.
Late-evening Dancing at Paris (or wherever). Kimberly will most
likely not be with us this year, so this one is up for grabs.
Easy ticket to voting status! Pick an evening (or more than one)
and just agree to be there and welcome the others.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Marisa's thoughts:
Marisa writes (quoted):
>On the bathroom issue, would this site (safe2pee.org) help if
>it is posted somewhere?
I'm for ANYTHING that might help alleviate the restroom issue!
That link has been posted several times in the Discussion Forum
and I know that one of our formerly-active people has input over
100 entries to the list on that site.
What might work well is to extract a subset of the list which
includes the venues and areas where our people are likely to
be. (I mean I don't think it would be particularly productive
to list 100-some laundromats and off-Strip bodegas and such.)
We could then include this in the Large Final Mailing.
Thanks for the suggestion.
Now, if you or anyone has any ideas of how we can better
encourage our people to actually seek out and use unisex
and single-occupancy restrooms, please speak up! :)
. . . . . . . . . .
>Has there ever been an organizers and future organizers
>planning, evaluating, recruiting party near the end of Diva
>week?
First of all, I do like the term "party" for such a thing
and not "meeting" or something like that! :)
We've had suggestions for such things off and on, and pardon
me while I speak freely and emit "The World According To ..."
rantings and such. :)
I have mixed feelings about any kind of organized planning or
organizing meetings during DLV, particularly if any kind of
binding decisions are to be made. I do, however, think that
the brainstorming that goes on at DLV, regarding the current
and future DLVs, is valuable, is to be encouraged, but occurs
spontaneously, and should not be limited to an organized
planning session.
One of our former volunteers used to push for planning
meetings, the rationale being that other events had such
sessions. I wasn't too keen on the idea then, and I admit
I'm still not very keen on it now. I would rather spend my
time at DLV enjoying things and taking it easy!
We've also had suggestions off and on for a "volunteers only"
get-together. I admit that I've opposed this idea, mostly on
the grounds that I'm opposed to about anything which excludes,
which is not open to the general DLV attendee base. In the TG
community there's far too much along the line of status
consciousness, pecking orders, and an "us and them" mentality.
What I would support would be some kind of a "volunteers and
prospective volunteers" gathering, for, as you say recruiting,
team building, brainstorming, etc., with the understanding,
of course, that any major decisions do need to go through our
established procedures.
If you feel like planning something like this, please go
ahead and do so, and I do agree that toward the end of the
event would be best.
Oh, a venue with adult beverages please! Arm-twisting goes
much better when the twistee is well-lubricated. :) :)
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Makeovers and crossdressers.com:
Sara writes:
I have attended DLV the last two years and look forward to this year's
event. I have a couple questions.
1. I participate on a message board site, crossdressers.com. There is a
thread where a few of us are talking about DLV...
www.crossdressers.com/forums/showthread.php?144382-Diva-Las-Vegas-April-3-8
(You don't need to be a member of the site to view that thread. I am
"Sara Jessica" on the site and as you can see, I am sort of moderating
this particular conversation. I hope I am doing DLV proud!!!)
Anyway, I was wondering if when the schedule is about to be announced if
we could tag one of the mid-week dinner activities as a meet-&-greet for
the CD'ers.com folks. This of course would be a side thing, not
something that is exclusive. Please let me know if this is possible. I'm
thinking one of the Wednesday dinners or possibly Thursday (ie - last
year's Firefly would have been a perfect setting for such a thing).
. . . . .
JoAnn responds:
Maybe Tuesday or Wednesday [not Thursday] would be better so long
it is "open" to others to join the CD Group. We should suggest a
venue other than Firefly which will be on the "opening Monday".
. . . . . . . . . .
Sara continues:
2. Makeover event. I know last year there was a thing with Bare
Essentials. I'm partial to Macy's and have a couple connections
there to possibly do a similar event. I'm envisioning something
that would involve 6 to 8 of us maximum and there would be a
minimum purchase requirement at the counter, probably in the
$50-75 range.
I'm thinking this would be a late afternoon thing on the last
Friday, before the final dinner event. Please let me know if
this is something that can be put on the activity list should
the store be willing to host such an event. I don't want to
appoach my contacts unless DLV is willing to let this be on
the schedule.
. . . . .
JoAnn responds:
I would think that Macy's is fine since they usually have several
cosmetic counters together. However, (i) it might be better to suggest
a minimum purchase of $50 as a better way to state it, and (ii) as to
the time, I would suggest early afternoon when there is less "traffic"
in the store-- [say prior to 3pm], and (iii) I would limit it to 8
persons. On Friday would be good.
. . . . . . . . . .
Annie responds:
First of all I agree with most of JoAnn's remarks. I think
both of these are good ideas. I envision the "CD Com Social"
as being very similar to the SBS Socials we've had in years
gone by. As long as it's understood that it's open to all,
I'm all for it.
Now let me switch gears here ...
I think it's a Good Thing<tm> for you to encourage those on
the cd.com web site to attend. The more the merrier, and the
more from your group that you can get involved, the better.
Let me share some thoughts and offer a few very strong
suggestions, in order to maximize the experience and the
enjoyment of DLV by the individuals in your group.
We've had groups attend off and on over the years, and in all
but a very few cases, groups do not return. I think the reason
for this is that the groups tend to keep to themselves and
don't really circulate, don't fully participate and don't get
to know the others.
A good example of this was a few years ago when a member of
such a group said to me at the Charles Bar "I would have loved
the Limo Tour but nobody else {in my group} wanted to do it."
The pattern is that unless there's close to a unanimous consensus
among the group, the entire group will be absent from an activity.
What I would strongly suggest you do is to encourage the
members of your group to pick and choose the DLV activities
they want to do individually, along the line of what they
personally find to be of interest, and not limit their
participation to what your group as a whole wants to do.
Likewise when you're at one of our activities, please do
encourage your group to mingle and circulate. Too many times
I've seen groups just camp out at their own table, giving
the "closed" sign in their body language, and never interact
with the others.
I think your idea of a "CD Com Social" would be a very good
means of getting your group more involved with the others who
attend and encourage interaction.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mexican dining:
Rosada writes:
Hello girls,
I have narrowed the search for our Evening of Mexican Dining to
four restaurants: They are Macayo's, Las Palmas, Lindo Michoacan,
and Viva Mercado's.
Now begins the process of narrowing down the choices to select
only one.
I know the ladies attended a pre-DLV dinner at Las Palmas last
year. Any feedback from those that attended?
Was this place good? Not so good? Should it be eliminated from
the list of possible locations?
Have any of you had any dining experience at the other sites I
have listed? Please let me know.
. . . . .
Thanks Rosada. :)
Comments, on any of these, ladies? (Gentlemen?)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Beginner Open House:
Cynthia Phillips writes:
I'm going to take some initative here and step forward with
the following info.
In case Sarona has not officially announced Open House or been
in contact with you, I will disclose what I know of it up to
now.
Sarona, of course, is currently in Japan with her hubby and is
not 100% sure if she will be back for Diva. She has however taken
the lead and reserved a condo in the same complex as last years
event for Mon. Tues. and Wed. of Diva week, so at least the
infrastructure is in place.
I and two other volunteers stand ready to host the event and
man (woman) the condo in the event she decides to stay in Japan.
As to exactly what type of events she has in mind for the three
days, I'm not sure at this point. As soon as she has something
definate in mind, either she or I will let you know right away.
I assume the condo will run along the same lines and hours as
last year.
Since one or the other of us volunteers will be staying in it,
someone will always be there and all it will take is a phone
call to let us know you're coming over. Consider us tentative
to solid for at least the three days.
. . . . .
Thanks, Cynthia.
Sarona had previously confirmed the Beginner Open House for
Monday, but not for Tuesday and Wednesday. We'll extend it
out on the schedule.
You mentioned two other volunteers. Let's please get their
names on file so they get credit for assisting with a DLV
activity.
In the past, we have not posted the address for the condo,
so we'll need (a) phone number(s) as the date approaches.
Sarona has also traditionally hosted (hostessed) a safe-option
dinner (nothing fancy, just order-in Chinese or pizza or
something like that) on one of our multi-track evenings, plus
some kind of a safe-venue lingerie party or slumber party or
the like. Please let us know if you want to do anything like
that.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Golf assistance needed:
Mindy writes:
Just a quick heads up.
Katlin cant do the golf. It needs to be adopted soon if it is
going to happen. I can advise but I cant do the deposit,
collection, ect.
. . . . .
Thanks, Mindy.
Golf fans? This needs to be adopted, and the clock is ticking,
so if it's gonna happen this year we need to get some plans
made soon, like now!
I know that Ed, Mardi, and Other Annie have assisted in the
past, but anyone who is interested may volunteer. Mindy will
advise, but others will need to do the "real work". :)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Air Tours:
Densie writes:
Why not throw air tours in for Monday morning? That way, we can
do Rocky Saturday night, kind of take it easy Sunday (if it works
out that way), and be ready to fly reasonably early.
For those who have not done air tours, the air is smoothest
earlier in the morning, and it is easier for the plane to climb
before it gets too hot.
. . . . .
Thanks, Densie. It's on the schedule. I'm putting it down for
8:00am. Please adjust this if it's not a good time.
Also please be thinking of the logistics such as where and
when to meet, etc.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Dining at Paris:
Densie writes:
> *dinner at Mon Ami Gabi at the Paris
Yeah! http://www.monamigabi.com/vegas
There are some other restos at Paris too, in all price ranges.
http://www.parislasvegas.com/casinos/paris-las-vegas/restaurants-dining/index.html
I would be willing to host this one, since we'll be staying there.
. . . . .
Thanks, Densie.
Just let us know when, and confirm that it's Mon Ami Gabi or
some other place.
As to when it would best fit on the schedule, I would suggest
either Sunday evening, as one of a handful of dining options,
or Wednesday as an Eating Out Night option.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
RHPS:
Densie writes:
>Are you SURE that time (10:00pm) is correct? I thought all RHPS
>shows were midnight. Also the date? The Saturday leading up to
>DLV 2011 is April 2.
First Saturday of Every Month 10 PM @ Regency
Tropicana Cinemas, 3330 E. Tropicana Ave.
Be there or be L7.
. . . . . . . . . .
Hmmmm ... It is correct, but odd!
My guess is that we'll get a better turnout among DLV folks
having it at 10:00pm than at midnight. It should flow very
nicely from some kind of Pre-DLV gathering.
(Now to figure out how to shoehorn it into the schedule at that time.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Karaoke:
Densie writes (quoted):
>>* Karaoke. (taken, but not limited to 1)
>Have we found a KJ who will play disks that we bring in?
I don't know, have we? :)
Since Mindy will most likely not be with us, we probably will
not have a DLV-owned Karaoke machine to play with.
>Some of them get uppity about playing CDGs or MP3+Gs that are
>burned, rather than pressed, which would be a real bummer for me.
>I mix all of my own karaoke, because the stuff that I do these
>days isn't available commercially.
My suggestion would be to contact places which are known to
us which have Karaoke at times, such as the Beauty Bar, Escape
Lounge, or maybe Crewsn (nee Keys/Zingers) and ask.
As was mentioned above, you might want to hook up with those
doing the Pity Party, as Karaoke has been a feature of that
over the years.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Activity thoughts:
Densie writes (quoted):
>>* Oh and The Power Exchange
>Umm...just what sort of activities are we planning to do in
>the Power Exchange?
Probably some fun and games that somehow involve both Galiano
[sic] and Lidocaine.
. . . . .
>>* have the boat tour have som group breakfasts more tours
>I like the boat tour idea. Somebody please step up to this one!
It's up for grabs. Any takers?
. . . . .
>>* I think clubbing can be really nice...
>You bring the baby seals, I'll bring the clubs!
It's on the schedule, for Saturday:
9:00am: Baby Seal Clubbing (LV Wildlife Preserve) - mv
>>* tour of Vegas.
>In a limo, maybe?
We have the Limo Tour, what I think the OP was hinting at was
more along the line of the driving/walking tour of various
LV attractions, kind of like what was frequently done in the
earlier DLV years.
. . . . .
>>* erotic history museum (which really is a museum)
>That sounds interesting.
Yes, and all it takes is for somebody to take it on and seek
out the details. (>>HINT<< anybody ...)
. . . . .
>>* Hoover Dam Tour
>I'm up for this.
Again, all it takes ... There was some talk last year about
doing a combined Lake Mead Boat Tour and Hoover Dam Tour.
OBTW, the whole traffic situation around Hoover Dam is fixed!
The new bridge, just south of the Dam, is open and the Dam
itself is no longer a through road. It's basically open for
workers and tourists only, the access being from the Nevada
side just south of the Hacienda casino.
. . . . .
>>* Side trip, Valley Of Fire
>This too...along with the fireworks shop, of course.
Since I quit renting a car for DLV (I really enjoy it much
better without one) I've been hesitant to coordinate things
like this. If anybody wants to take it on, go4it! Very easy
daytime activity.
. . . . .
>>* All day Blond Hair Day
>Every day is blonde hair day.
I tried on a blonde wig once ...
I couldn't do math for a month! {rimshot!}
. . . . .
>>* Gun Show
>Is Gina picking up the gun show again this year? I would
>really like to go shoot full auto.
I'm sure that Gina and the other gun nu^H^Henthusiasts will
do some kind of a shooting activity this year. I'm not sure
if full auto will be an option.
Last time we checked, IIRC there was not a local gun show on
in LV over the DLV dates.
. . . . .
>>Uh, you won't give up on that nun thing, will you?
>Umm...I used to dress as a nun quite frequently, but lately
>I've been out of the habit.
. . . . .
>>No, that was the rebranded San Remo, now known as Hooters,
>>a few years ago just after the renaming.
>Yes...my brain must have been leaking gas.
>Who can forget the San Remo? A dump! The Sahara was more depressing,
>though, because it used to be our home away from home until it slid
>downhill.
>Seeing a hotel that you've actually slept in, with someone you
>love, go to pot... well, I can understand why Annie is so upset
>about the Del-Mar now. :p
>>Hmmmm ... Maybe it's time to re-introduce the DLV Trivia
>>Quiz? :)
>Yes!
Let me think of a few new relevant questions.
For those who have never taken the quiz, the latest one is
still on line here:
http://www.geekbabe.com/annie/dlvkwiz2.html
The original one is still out there too. Surf here:
http://www.geekbabe.com/annie/dlvkwiz.html
These are somewhat anachronistic, but may be of interest to
those interested in DLV trivia and lore.
. . . . .
>>Oh, and for those listening in, there are quite a few unanswered
>>friend requests sitting out there! >>hint!<<
>dionysia and fnordia never answered my friend requests *sob*.
Check again. :)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Working schedule:
Diva Las Vegas 2011 schedule
Tentative and subject to change
All times Pacific Daylight Time
Sunday, April 3:
11:00am: Religious Services (Metropolitan Community Church) - sv
6:00pm: Happy Hour options (various)
6:00pm: Caesars Happy Hour (Caesars) - ms
7:00pm: Dining options (various)
7:00pm: Caesars Buffet Dinner (Caesars) - ms
8:30pm: After-dinner options (various)
Monday, April 4:
8:00am: Air Tours (TBA) - ms
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (Stratosphere Buffet) - ms
3:00pm: Beginner Open House (See notes) - sv
6:00pm: Happy Hour (TBD) - mv
7:00pm: Dinner (TBD) - mv
8:30pm: Welcome Celebration (TBD) - mv
Tuesday, April 5:
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (LV Hilton Buffet) - ms
3:00pm: Beginner Open House (See notes) - sv
Wednesday, April 6:
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (Harrahs Buffet) - ms
3:00pm: Beginner Open House (See notes) - sv
6:00pm: Happy Hour options (various)
6:00pm: Buffalo Happy Hour (The Buffalo) - sv
7:00pm: Eating Out Night (various)
7:00pm: Milano's option (Milano's) - mv
8:30pm: Mainstream-Alternative Night (various)
8:30pm: Alternative Bar Crawl (Buffalo) - sv
Thursday, April 7:
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (Paris Buffet) - ms
9:00pm: Limousine Tour (tba) - ms
Friday, April 8:
1:00pm: Lunch With Ginger (Imperial Palace Buffet) - ms
6:00pm: Happy Hour (TBD) - mv
7:00pm: Dinner (TBD) - mv
8:30pm: Farewell Celebration (TBD) - mv
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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Diva Las Vegas 2011
April 3 - 8, 2011
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
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