I’m witnessing the near-death experience of the iconic Twinkie with a mix of sadness, satisfaction and schadenfreude. In case you’re living under a bed of kale: In January, Hostess filed for bankruptcy and announced plans to shutter its factories after years of plunging revenue; now management is huddled in mediation with employees in a final attempt to avoid liquidation.

Raucous laughter, a good wine buzz and decadent treats. This is the life of an artist? Bring it on.

Local style icons on why they wear what they wear so well Joele Corrigan Full-time mother, board member of Nevada Ballet Theatre, co-owner of the Michael Corrigan restaurant group Personal style: I always like to be comfortable, yet feel a little sexy and stylish. Favorite designer: Balmain.

Frankly, we’re still waiting to see if Justin Bieber is a highly advanced Canadian bioweapon whose head is going to robotically partition to fire an earth-exploding neutron laser. But The Tragically Hip? Pretty sure they’re an actual pretty damn good Canadian band.

Downtown upstarts with fresh moves and fine-dining citadels on the Strip upending their own traditions — 2012 was a year of surprises, mashups and fertile chaos. The gastropub dished up a remix of the artisanal and casual; desserts refused their status as sweet epilogues and rushed the stage; and Vegas culinary institutions strove anew not to just meet a standard, but to forge a new one.

Q: What’s it like being an executive sous chef at a high-end Strip restaurant? A: It’s intense, sometimes crazy, but always rewarding. My day starts at around 9 a.

“If you can adopt a highway, why can’t you adopt a teacher?” Good question. It’s the question retired carpenter Dan Kowal put to his wife Joyce one evening.

Family classics NEVADA BALLET THEATRE’S THE NUTCRACKER Dec. 15 & 21, 7:30p; Dec.

“The Nutcracker” ballet is a beloved and timeless holiday classic. Wait ’til you see what NBT’s James Canfield did to it James Canfield needs just five words to sum up his quirky new take on an old ballet: Tim Burton meets Dr.

In Las Vegas, pioneering black architect Paul Revere Williams challenged established thinking and challenged himself African-American architect Paul Revere Williams achieved international success in a profession that had very few black practitioners. Known for his restraint and elegance, he made a name for himself designing Colonial and Tudor-revival Hollywood mansions for well-known celebrities such as Frank Sinatra and Desi Arnaz.