Audio By Carbonatix
THU 6
VW Beetle owners will travel around the country to hang out at Bug Jams with other Beetle drivers. A biker who loves his Harley-Davidson would rather see his sister in a brothel than his brother on a Japanese crotch rocket. And don’t even mention a PC around Apple lovers. Are consumers a little too devoted to certain brands? Douglas Atkin, an ad agency strategy director, spent years researching cults and customer loyalty and found creepy similarities. The Culting of Brands: When Customers Become True Believers is an interesting read that will make you realize you’re not the only one who is emotionally bonded to your grocery store chain — which better be Publix. Atkin will discuss how company “cults” attract new members tonight at 7:00 at the Wolfsonian-FIU, 1001 Washington Ave., Miami Beach. The event is free for Wolfsonian and Miami Ad School members and ten dollars for everyone else. Call 305-531-1001 or visit www.wolfsonian.org. (LO)
FRI 7
Ladies beware. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 700,000 hysterectomies are performed annually in the United States. Despite readily available alternative treatments, more than twenty million American women have undergone this severe, irrevocable procedure for relatively benign conditions like uterine fibroids. About 80 percent of women are simultaneously castrated, meaning otherwise healthy uteruses and ovaries are removed for no reason, often without the patient’s knowledge. Why? Because doctors know modern women crave a quick fix, and hysterectomies are a multibillion-dollar industry. Rick Schweikert‘s play Un Becoming reveals the procedure’s negative side effects, such as personality change, genital damage, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Our fair area is the 42nd stop on a 51-city tour that will culminate in a major demonstration in Washington, D.C. this March. Tickets are free tonight at 8:00 at Arts at St. Johns, 4760 Pinetree Dr., Miami Beach. Call 305-613-2325 or visit www.unbecomingplay.com. (PEGY)
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SAT 8
It’s a new year with new resolutions and it’s time to formulate a workout plan. You know the ladies want a man who’s lean and cut, so put down the chips, pat that beer belly one last time, and start doing some crunches. Do you need a little inspiration? Or maybe you need a big, hulking man to convince you to leave the bar and pick up some barbells. The World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Triple H, a.k.a. Paul Levesque, will be in town to sign copies of his fitness manual Making The Game: Triple H’s Approach to a Better Body. Don’t worry, this wrestler isn’t going to crush you with unrealistic bodybuilding techniques: Triple H encourages form over volume, warns against overtraining, and even includes a dietary plan. Get pumped to meet the man behind the muscle today at noon at the Virgin Megastore, 5701 Sunset Dr., South Miami. Call 305-665-4445. (LO)
SUN 9
MON 10
Aluminum furniture may not sound like the sturdiest pieces to have around the house, but at least they’ll be easy to recycle once you tire of them. “Young Furniture Designers: Aluminum in the Garden” is an outdoor installation on display on the Great Lawn at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden (2000 Convention Center Dr., Miami Beach) through today. More than a dozen creative Furniture Design Program students at Miami International University of Art and Design will showcase original works, including a canopy bed complete with an aluminum mesh drapery covering and your standard chairs, loungers, tables, and shelving units. MIU’s furniture program director John Marquette says aluminum “is the perfect material to shape and form” and this project encourages students to explore “not what furniture design is, but what it can be.” The exhibit is open from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and is free. Call 305-673-7256 or visit www.mbgarden.org. (LO)
TUE 11
WED 12
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