January 2019

Publisher's Note January/February 2019

Max & Joanne Friedland

So folks, here goes the next 100 DAVID Magazines! We have labored mightily to create a January/February publication worthy of your time and attention, as well as the auspiciousness of the occasion. Let’s start by toasting this new cycle and, obviously, the New Year 2019, L’chaim!

Our editorial calendar describes this issue as a “Life Choices” edition, focusing on creative living, relationships, and health & wellness. The beginning of the year traditionally has been a time for reflection and resolutions aimed at self-improvement. This year we chose topics that beg your consideration.

Our cover story focuses on a couple of local celebrities who really live big, bold lives. Elizabeth Blau and husband Kim Canteenwalla are the co-founders of Blau + Associates, an international restaurant development and consultancy, as well as the owners of restaurants Honey Salt and Andiron Steak & Sea, both in Summerlin. After perusing a copy and salivating over the elegant pages of their recently published tome Honey Salt, A Culinary Scrapbook, the call went out to food writer Jason Harris. His piece, Morsels & Memories, My Conversation with Elizabeth Blau, can be found on pages 28-31.

Along with recovering from surgery, Jason has been very busy. His regular Taste piece features the latest efforts of Antonio Nunez and Scott Commings. In Let’s Do Brunch, pages 36-40, he visits The Stove, their new brunch house in Henderson.

World Aids Day was celebrated last year on December 1. The UMC Wellness Center, a major player in the battle against the dreaded disease in Southern Nevada, marked the occasion with a series of activities at their facility. Scott Kerbs covered the event as well as UMC’s efforts to improve detection and treatment of HIV. His piece, Fighting for the Future, can be found on pages 32-35.

Continuing the health and wellness theme, please find The Year of Living Well, by Paul Harasim, on pages 42-45. This month, he interviews Dr. Alison Netski, the Department Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health at UNLV School of Medicine. They discuss mental health and the need to set small, achievable goals to improve one’s quality of life. Who of us would not benefit from some reflection on this important subject? See you all on the hiking trail or in yoga class.

We end this month’s table of contents with two pieces directly and indirectly relating to the negative impact technology has had on our lives. Smart phones give us a world of information in the palm of our hands. We have, however, sacrificed quality for quantity and in many alarming reports, the immersive experience of a good book. Reading in the New Year, pages 46-51, is a new feature that will run in our publication at the beginning of each year. It is our attempt to encourage our readers to sit down with their Kindle (or in my case a hard or soft cover) and get back to those basics. We have tried to cater to a diverse spectrum of tastes; I hope our efforts include something for you.

Finally, I asked Jaq Greenspon to look at our love affair with our devices. In Cellphone Confidential, pages 52-56, he visits the dark side of this phenomenon. My family has had serious conversations (face to face) about the need for a weekly technology Sabbath. We’re going to try no phones or computers for 24 hours, oy vey!

As always, enjoy our magazine, and see you in the racks.

Max D. Friedland

max@davidlv.com

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