March 8th, 2010
Tampa is one of the popular Golf Coast towns of southern Florida and is located along the west coast. Among other things, it is one of the state’s major sports cities and the professional teams are well supported by locals and regional residents. However, there is a distinction between Tampa Bay sports and those of another popular coastal town with professional sports teams, Miami. However, one thing is certain, southern Florida loves its sports and its sports teams. Ask any guest in one of the Tampa hotel rooms and they can testify that there is a love of sports in the area.
Of course that is not all that Tampa is known for, nor the only thing on the residents’ minds. This second largest metropolitan area in the entire state has a great number of cultural attractions and entertainment as well as dining options that keep residents happy and tourists entertained. This also explains why so many people are attracted to this city and enjoy its attractions every year. And of course it doesn’t hurt that the city is also nestled conveniently along the coast and that it has some of Florida’s great beaches along its edge. There are almost too many great and frequently unique aspects of this Florida city to mention in a few paragraphs, though many people have tried as they relate stories of fabulous vacations they have spent there.
In addition to the great beaches, there are numerous parks and recreation areas that are part of the Tampa Bay metropolitan region. Many of these are associated with the beaches though not all of them are and they have some great outdoor activities and attractions. The Lowry Park Zoo is just one of these and it attracts children and adults alike to the interactive exhibits, rides and educational programs. There are over 2000 animals in this environmentally oriented city institution. It continues to remain one of Tampa’s strongest environmental educational icons. So, if you’re planning a trip to Tampa, check out as many things as you can, but don’t miss the parks, beaches and of course the Lowry Park Zoo .
March 2nd, 2010
If you have spent some time in the San Francisco hotels www.hotelsanfrancisco.com and have experiences much of what the city has to offer you may want to plan some day trips on your next stay in the city. Nothing cures the dull drums of industry conventions like a drive to the near by wine country. Better yet, grab some work friends, get a limo and head to Napa and Sonoma for the day. You won’t ever forget it. There is nothing like driving down any given road in those areas and seeing all the great wineries that you have seen only on labels before. You may want to plan a little ahead so you get a chance to see which wineries are near each other and which ones you are a must see for you. If you head North up highway 29 you will hit some greats like Nickel & Nickel, Cakebread, Sequoia Grove, Saint Supery, and Frogs Leap which have corks that say ribbit. Dare to go even farther up the same road you will get to Merryvale, Freemark Abby and many many more.
Sonoma also has a fantastic group of wineries like Cline Cellars, Chateau St Jean, Buena Vista Carneros Winery, B.R.Cohn, Gloria Ferrer Caves, Schug Carneros Estate, Sebastiani and Valley of the Moon. Oh, the possibilities are endless with wine. You may have to come back for seconds or thirds. Many of these wineries have great tastings of there latest wines as well as gift shops with all sorts of other things like wine accessories, recipes and cookbooks, wonderful appetizers to nibble on and certainly some great wine making stories that end up being half the reason fall in love with a particular winery. So if you are in the bay area don’t miss out on a great opportunity to see the wine country you will love it.
February 28th, 2010
The Dallas nightlife scene has never been more interesting, or more appealing. It’s also never been quite so funny. In a time where it’s become a trend to take our fun very seriously, turning enjoyable evenings into shows of coolness, where smiling reveals weakness and a laugh is akin to surrendering to some strange order of things, it’s nice to see cracks in the skin of the machine. Dallas has always seemed poised for this, ready to question how things are done, or how we look at things, in order to make the world safer for the community here. This is one of the things that makes it such a splendid place to visit, and the hotels in Dallas always offer a graceful entrance into this lively city.
It’s all rather graceful here, in its own way. There is certainly a local style, and there are local flavors. In a city this size, there are always plenty of new players on the scene, and this isn’t just true in the nightlife, but can be found in music, art, and standup comedy. Poised on the edges of all of these is Honchie, one of the rising music groups. They list their influences as Andy Kaufman, and he singularly added a plurality of dada techniques to live comedy, and changed the way we thought about laughing in public. There is certainly a similar aesthetic going on here, and it looks like they’ve been at this for some time.
They’ve been compared to Tenacious D, Frank Zappa, and Ween, and these are also apt comparisons. It’s not that they’re derivative of anything, but they are simply hard to classify, because for one thing, they don’t seem to take themselves very seriously. In the world of rock, where attitude is everything, this might be bolder than anything Lou Reed ever considered as oppositional. This is very funny music, where the songs are a collapse of quotations from arena rock, hip hop, funk, pop, and alternative. The live shows are hilarious send ups of rock tropes mixed with performance art we haven’t seen since the Tubes. And, they also happen to be pretty fantastic musicians, which makes the joke go on for longer than one line, and, it looks like it might be long enough to sustain a career, if there is any justice.
February 26th, 2010
One of the finer things to do in any city, is to walk through the gardens. Most of these gardens have rich histories, filled with the lives of the men and the women who designed them, and those who have for them over the years. There is one such garden located in Princeton, New Jersey. Now, there are many fine examples of buildings and architecture in the center of the city, the older and fine hotels and restaurants, the museums and galleries, and the historical sites and monuments.
But there really is nothing like getting away from it all and strolling through the Italianate Gardens that surround the Drumthwacket Estate. This estate has a rich and a very long history, and is now the official residence of the Governor of New Jersey. The history of the Gardens begins just over one hundred years ago, when a man named Moses Taylor Pyne purchased the property and began expanding not only the mansion, but the landscaping and the gardens surrounding that mansion.
History is fill with people like these, people who had a desire to create something, a beautiful place for the people of the city to come to and feel at peace. A place where nature is nurtured, and returns the favor by nurturing the souls of the people walking through the trees and flower beds. The completion of the Gardens was in 1905, and was celebrated in one way, by making the cover of the October issue of American Home and Gardens Magazine.
Pyne and his wife were socialites, and where known for having wonderful parties and for their style and elegance in entertaining. Pyne paid concentrated attention to the design of the gardens, and as he was well educated in landscape architecture, this attention to the small details of the park is what makes it all so exuistite today. His gardens flow in and out of the house, and were heavily influenced by the Italian Gardens created by Charles A. Platt. This is a breathtaking bit of land, and one that should not be missed during any visit to the city of Princeton, New Jersey.
February 24th, 2010
When a company makes the decision to use a celebrity, a sports figure or any public figure to endorse their products or their services , they are taking a risk. This risk may prove to be worth it, or it may prove to be disastrous. The public is interested in the lives of public figures, sometimes obsessively so. It is for this reason that the character of the person making the endorsements be taken into consideration. Online companies such as moneymutual.com have employed the use of celebrity endorsements, just as the endorsements have been used through other mediums such as TV and Radio. Take the current situation with golf legend Tiger Woods . Due to his personal life becoming public knowledge, he has lost corporate sponsors and lost his credibility when it comes to speaking for companies services and products. It is not whether or not a person’s private life should be anyone else’s business. It is that regardless, Woods is in the public eye, and when that happens there is no long a life that is lived privately and discreetly. The other side of the celebrity endorsed advertising campaign coin, is world renown cycling legend, Lance Armstrong . Here is not only and extraordinary world class athlete, perhaps the greatest cyclist of all time, but due to the strength and the courage he demonstrated during his long battle with what should have been terminal cancer, he has gained not only the respect of the those in the world of biking, but the respect of all those struggling with fighting cancer themselves. The Nike advertising campaign is well known. It is the simple statement, Just Do It. Nike took a risk on Armstrong. Due to the fact that Armstrong came back to win so many Tour de France titles following such an extreme medical situation, he was accused of taking drugs to enhance his performance. This is the kind of accusation that makes him a greater investment risk and could have the end endorsement gigs for him. But the man was tested more in one year than most other athletes get tested throughout their careers, and he always proved to be riding clean. And not only that, his strength and determination was even more emphasised, creating a more powerful spokesman for the the Nike Company. This high risk investment paid off, and their Armstrong campaign is one of the most successful campaigns of all time.
February 18th, 2010
I could go on for a long time about this man, but here is the short biography.
Montel Williams was born in San Antonio, TX. He was an athlete, a musician and a great student. Well loved by his peers and very caring, it is not hard to see why he makes such a great talk show host. His show lasted for twelve years in which time himself and the show he put on won awards. Although he has sometimes gotten in trouble for the things he has said, he has only ever stuck up for what he thought was right. This seems to best explain the things he has decided support with his money and fame. This includes the Montel Williams MS fund, and Money Mutual. He obviously made a point of only supporting the products that he feels will give people a better quality of life. This site has some more information on him.
Money Mutual for an example is a leading cash advance loans company, and one of the few out there to be trusted. Their goal is to match you with the best loan possible, to help you out when you fall on hard times. They don’t require a credit check, or a background check, and just trust you to pay back the loan. It is short term, and not intended to deal with situations where you have lost a job and need some income to live on for a few months, but is perfect for those times when something unexpected hits and you don’t have the money to take care of it until your next pay check. No one wants to have to take the bus to work longer than they have to, and when the car breaks down between pay checks, cash advance loans are proven to be the best way to get the money you need fast. All you need to do is be 18 or over and make a steady income of $800 a month or more. It seems super easy.
If you are interested in seeing him speak on this, there is more information here. I’m glad to be able to see Montel Williams on television and know that he is dedicated to helping people when they fall on hard times.
February 16th, 2010
Well if you are a snow bunny couple and like to snuggle up for Valentine’s Day then check out the winter town of Jackson in Jackson Hole Wyoming. There are many charming hotels around Jackson that you can find here that should ever everything you need to romance your sweetheart. When you make your reservations you can add on things like have a bottle of wine, cheese and box of chocolates in the room for when we arrive. There is nothing like getting into the luxurious room and having a glass of wine with a nice treat. It is a great way to start of the vacation.
Then you can get out and walk around the old western town. The square has a quaint little park in the center that has massive antler archways at each corner entrance. When you stand in the snowy center of the little park you can turn around and see it surrounded with shops, galleries, restaurants and saloons. It is a charming as it gets as you chat about your favorite subjects while swinging on a swing set under the snow filled trees. When the sun goes down you may start to feel the need for a hot totie as the chill hits your face and all you need to do is walk across the street to a place like the Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse
The Million Dollar Cowboy Steakhouse is offering up some specials for Valentine’s Day along with other restaurants in town. The Mangy Moose has bee in town for a while and is considered quite the hot spot. It is a restaurant and Saloon that features live entertainment through out the week. You can head in for dinner or after dinner and catch a favorite cocktail and see The Ooo La Lahs for Valentine’s Day. They play bluegrass/folk music and should keep you twirling you love around the dance floor all night.
February 14th, 2010
We had one week off from school and we took one week off from work, so My family and I are off on a road trip to San Antonio. We packed our bags in the Volvo and had not an inch to spare. The six of us set off on the first road trip for my family. We stopped for a great lunch at this cafe in Austin, the food was fresh and most of it was grown in the gardens behind the restaurant. What a treat is was for us to eat fresh food; it was so much better than fast foods any-day, but I know I’ll never be able to convince my kids otherwise.
We arrived in San Antonio late in the afternoon and we checked into our hotel, I got us a great deal on 2 rooms at this website, the site was really helpful and I had a great choice of hotels to pick from according to my needs. We spent almost an hour to get everyone unpacked and who was sleeping in what bed. So, later we walked along the river-walk path, which winds past nice buildings, cafes and restaurants that are all below street level. We found a place to have dinner, one that catered to adults as well as children, because it was time for mom to have a margarita!
The next morning, we visited the Alamo and after that we took a river cruise starting at the La Villita Historic Arts Village. For dinner, we arranged for a babysitting service, which our hotel helped us with, so my Husband and I could go fine dining at a restaurant called the Fogo de Chao, a Brazilian steakhouse. 15 different cuts of meat, which have already been grilled, were brought to our table, we could sample which ever meats we wanted and the waiter sliced pieces off for us. I loved every piece I tried, it was really hard to choose, but I ended up with a 7 ounce sirloin and my husband pick the Fillet Mignon. For dessert, we shared a creme brulee’.
The next morning we went to Sea World, which was about an hours drive from San Antonio. We watched seals and walrus, but what we all enjoyed the most were the Killer Whales. My children were able to feed the dolphins and I must admit, it was pretty thrilling to watch my children toss fish to one of the most exquisite creatures on this earth. We drove back to San Antonio and had a Japanese dinner. It was fun to show the kids how to use chopsticks, I think they now actually prefer the chopsticks over forks and spoons.
Our last day, we spent poolside at our hotel, to just take it easy. My husband and I looked over at each other and smiled, we knew we were staring a great road-trip tradition.
February 10th, 2010
My wife had been trying to talk me into buying a summer home in Ogunquit, Maine for as long as I can remember. Well, as it turns out her good friend’s parents have a place there and last summer she invited us to visit them with her. I agreed, but have to admit it was with hesitation because I was worried the trip might further progress this madness that seemed to be developing in Sarah. As I mentioned before she seemed to have always wanted to get a home there but the desire was growing in her and it began to be a standard topic of conversation. Maybe not a full conversation, as I generally tried to change the subject before an actual conversation could develop.
However, almost as soon as we arrived in Ogunquit, I was completely enchanted and found the entire area to be absolutely beautiful. My wife had a great time of course and she and her friend went off together. I’m not sure what all they did, probably shopped. I spent my time down along the Ogunquit River and found such a peace of mind that reminded me of my carefree college days. I could definitely see myself learning the fine art of deep-sea fishing along here in the summer.
Just as I had imagined my wife had been out shopping all day but the most interesting thing she brought home was information on the Ogunquit Playhouse. I have always loved life performances and this seemed like a great little place. That night I had to confess to my wife that I was convinced that this was the perfect place for us to have a summer home and maybe even plan our retirement. Sarah grinned her knowing smile and told me that she knew all I had to do was visit the place and I would fall in love. Next summer we’re going to stay in one of the local Ogunquit hotels and try and pick out a potential place to buy.
February 8th, 2010
There is always a gorgeous scene in Georgia. Whether it’s the open country that speaks to those who come from here, causing at least a little bit of an ache in the heart when you see it, or whether it’s the entertainment and art produced by the people who live here, there is a sense for beauty here. The same could be said for its opposite, and it would be expected that the same artists that can create sweetness can also invoke the bitter in a second, because the extremes tend to exist simultaneously. This is particularly true in the music, and here, the indie-alt scene is very strong. This is one of the birthplaces of this music, after all, with REM reigning in from Athens, and kicking the thing into high gear with Murmur.
Today it’s possible, and even likely, to come into town and stay in a local hotel, and spend your evenings out on the town, and discover some new band that speaks to the bitter and the sweet sides of the human heart simultaneously. I don’t know why it works like that for me, but live music in a particularly small place can make me think of lost love quicker than bitter almonds. For my money, one of the coolest new groups out there worth watching is TrancesArc.
They have drive, and they certainly have innovation. It shows in their music, and it also plays out in their presentation, soliciting funds on their website to release their new EP. This is real indie, without compromising anything. TrancesArc is also uncompromising in its music. This is tight and brilliant stuff, the drummer pulling together the dueling chords from the guitars and the vocals singing from a place that knows what it’s like to know too much and still feel the pain of the ignorant. This is music sung from the place where love doesn’t understand you any more, but you don’t understand it, and you’re both locked in a sweet agreement to misunderstand.
January 29th, 2010
Every time you leave your house you check it for safety. Is everything turned off? Are the windows closed? Is the alarm turned on and the doors locked? The same reasoning should apply to your car. The top 10 cities for car theft include Modesto, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Stockton, California; Phoenix, Arizona; Visalia, California; Seattle, Washington; Sacramento, California; San Diego, California; Fresno, California; and Yakima, Washington. Even if you don’t live in a high theft city, vehicle theft happens very quickly and in just a few minutes your vehicle is gone. However, just like your house, there are a few things that you can do to keep your vehicle safe.
One of the first things is probably the most obvious but also the most frequently forgotten. Lock your doors. Even if your just running into the store for a minute, that’s all the time it will take to jump in your car and go. And it is even easier when you leave your keys in the ignition. Also, if you park your car up close to the entrance, and under a light if you are out at night, it will be less appealing than the car parked in the dark corner at the back of the lot. Though most new cars come with them, you can get yours fitted with an alarm. Even though many people ignore car alarms these days, they do draw attention and that is exactly what a potential car thief does not want. If you are looking for something a little cheaper, you can buy a steering wheel club that prevents your steering wheel from being turned and creates extra steps for anyone who would want to steal your car.
There are also a few things that you can do to make your car less appealing. Always keep items hidden. This includes removable stereos, shopping bags, and personal items such as clothing or purses. You never know what will catch a potential thief’s eye. If you have any custom truck wheels or accessories, make sure you have them securely locked. That also goes for
20 inch rim and 26″ rims ; especially if they are ones that you have spent a lot of money on.
By taking these simple steps, you too can have the assurance of having a complete vehicle whenever you come looking for it.
January 25th, 2010
When I was a child, and I lived in a small town in the Northwest, my parents would venture the two hundred and forty-odd miles to Seattle, Washington, the largest city I knew about, to buy a new camper shell for a pick-up or simply to see the sights, such as the Seattle Space Needle or Puget Sound. There’s one sight, though, that exists in Seattle that wasn’t there when I was a kid (and as a kid I would have loved to see it): The Fremont Troll, which crouches below the Aurora bridge at the north end.
The troll is a gigantic sculpture, created by four area artists for the Fremont Arts Council (Ross Whitehead, Will Martin, Steve Badanes, and Donna Walter). This object of art consists only of the troll’s head and shoulders, but he’s still eighteen feet all, suggesting an immense creature lurking under the bridge. Its hair is shaggy and he has a gleaming metal eye that stares to the south. He’s holding in his left hand an old Volkswagen beetle. Every October 31st, the local community celebrates with the troll in a kind of movable feast known as “Trollaween.” The party starts at the bridge next to the troll, then moves along to other art sites in Fremont, such as the biggest statue of Lenin in the United States.
If you’re traveling out to Seattle for a vacation, seeing the Space Needle or taking the Underground Seattle Tour, be sure to include the Fremont Troll. You can visit it during daylight hours at N. 36th St. in Seattle, beneath the Aurora Avenue Bridge (also known as the George Washington Bridge). There’s plenty of spots in and around the troll to pose and take pictures, and that’s fine to do. I know that if the Troll existed when I was a child, I’d have insisted on going, because who can resist the opportunity to stand in front of an eighteen foot tall monster?
January 19th, 2010
We were up early to return our car hire in New York, then headed to City Hall in order to apply for our marriage licence. We were warned to arrive early as possible, because New York’s City Hall is a very busy place.
We hailed a taxi and went to the Financial District, where we found City Hall. We went inside and were astounded by the huge reception desk. We were asked by a man why we were there, we told him and he pushed a button and gave us a specific ticket and then points to where we must wait in queue. As we waited, we felt like it was waiting for our goods in Argos. We got to look at computer screens that showed the numbers and informing us which desk we will go to for service when its our turn. We apparently didn’t get here early enough, because the queue was already quite long.
We were having an interesting time, that is if you enjoy people watching. City Hall is the best place to people watch, all kinds of people are going into the chapel, and coming right back out in what I’d say about half a minute! We saw a young girl wearing a designer dress and blue Manolo Blahnik shoes, the same ones from ‘Sex in the City Movie!’ We saw a young Marine and his fiancee’ with both of their families at their sides and they were dressed to the nines. There were people that were dressed in jeans, just as we were, which made us feel slightly better. There’s a small shop in City Hall where they sell beautifully made bridal bouquets and they also have a backdrop set up to take photographs.
We waiting in queue for an hour before we got our marriage license. We went outside and it was freezing! We weren’t dressed for the sudden cold front, so we ducked into the nearest restaurant and ordered breakfast. Afterwards, we headed back to our hotel to get on some warm clothes and our coats. We then headed back out to see Ground Zero. It was really strange when walking to the site and we were surrounded by all these buildings and then when we turn the corner there’s wide open space. But, from what we could tell, not for long, the new construction seems to be moving right along.
We then went to the Flower district to meet up with our florist. I was a longer walk than we expected, so we were a little late. Our florist, Saul, was really great! He had us all set with the perfect arrangements for our wedding. That only took us a half-an-hour, were we thought it would take hours! So, we headed up to Times Square were we were to meet our friends, who are a part of the wedding party. Since we were there earlier than expected we got to check out several of the stores there and got to watch a few street performers.
We will soon be married, right here in New York City. We couldn’t think of a better place to be right now.
January 18th, 2010
Our first morning in Seattle, after having breakfast at our hotels restaurant, we hopped on the shuttle to the Seattle Center, which is home of the Space Needle, the Experience Music Project, theaters, parks, performing arts venues, fountains and the Key Arena. We had eagerly been anticipating the EMP and we weren’t disappointed. The design of the building was totally awesome; it’s the brain child of Frank Gehry. Inside were well-designed exhibits all about Jimi Hendrix, an interesting history of the guitar and of the music scene concerning the Pacific Northwest. The highlight was the music lab! We got to play with all the musical instruments: drums, electric guitar and the keyboard; we had a blast!
From there, we took a brisk walk to the waterfront and went through the Olympic Sculpture Garden. The weather was absolutely perfect, which made our expedition more pleasant. We back-stepped to the Seattle Center and found an Italian Heritage Festival taking place in another area. They had grape stomping, food booths, cooking demos by some famous TV chefs, singing groups, a cured meat competition, a bocce ball tournament, a beer and wine garden, which had a strolling accordion player. Then there were the vendors selling everything from olive oil to t-shirts. We soaked up the fantastic atmosphere and had a cannoli!
We returned to our hotel, which wasn’t too far away from the Seattle Center. We found this luxury hotel on this site: http://www.seattleluxuryhotels.com, it had the best location and reasonably priced. We were beating ourselves up for forgetting to take the elevator to the top of the Space Needle. There were too many wonderful distractions. Besides, there’s always tomorrow, since we plan to head back to the Seattle Center and see what surprises are in store for us and to play along.
January 16th, 2010
I’ve heard lots of stories about children and railroads, but this one really takes the cake. I’ve lived here long enough to know who’s the head cow in the herd, and I know which side my bread gets buttered on. I’ll give you a hint: it’s the side I don’t touch so as not to get butter all over my hand. It’s just common sense. Now, there were lots of times in my short life when I’ve been out well past midnight, with a flashlight and a little sifter can full of baking soda, ready to make some headlines with my discoveries of ghosts, but I haven’t found anything yet that I can’t explain.
Now it might be all right for some people to come here for a vacation and have a taste of luxury. San Antonio hotels are really something else. There’s no doubting a good thing. But some people like to come here looking for ghosts, because they say there are more here than in most places. I say that’s a lot of hooey. Any place that has people in it is going to have its share of ghosts and what-have-you. No place is more special than any other, but maybe, just maybe, they’re a little more active here. That’s because they’re mad. They’re not mad at anything in history, mind you, but just annoyed at all the people who come looking for them.
Now I know all about the Gravity Hill ghosts. Supposedly, there were some children in a school bus stopped on the tracks somewhere in yore, whenever that was. The train hit the bus, and now whenever a car is stopped on the tracks, it will roll by itself. That much is true. The other part of the story is that if you put powder on your bumper, you’ll see little handprints, from these little ghosty children pushing your car over the tracks. Well, I say it’s the powder industry that’s got us all fanagled in this one. You’ve got to look at the bottom line, to see which direction the cookie crumbles. And if you want to know what scares me, it’s not ghosts, in fact, it’s clowns. Pure and simple.
January 14th, 2010
There are plenty of fabulous hotels Key Largo has waiting for you. It’s time to check in and see what all the fuss is about. This is a paradise that offers up the best most relaxing or sporting experiences off the coast of Florida. It is the home of the very first underwater state park. There are many unique adventures available at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. The amazing colors of coral and fish is best appreciated with a snorkel in your mouth. There is a two and a half hour tour that you can sign up for. There is no scuba skills needed. Just bring your swimsuit. Masks and snorkels can be rented for a reasonable price.
Think of all the island music you will hear when you visit the local restaurants and pubs. Some of the great songs of Jimmy Buffett come to mind or how about some Bob Marley. The Beach Boys are not just a California band. They have written Key Largo into one of their big hits Kokomo. Notice that the music of such artist reflects a light happy tones with upbeat danceable rhythm. The inception of Reggae music happened to come along in the early sixties around the same time as the formation of the Beach Boys. Jimmy Buffett came into play in the late sixties. All were inspired by living or being around the oceans of the world.
Each of these three performing acts were known for different things. The Beach Boys had their sweeping perfect harmonies. Jimmy Buffett had is well written songs about everything you would see, find or do on or near a beach. Bob Marley and the Reggae he put out into the world reach a spiritual side of people with its steel drums and deep bass oriented grooves.
January 8th, 2010
Mats Wilander is among the greats of tennis. He has earned eight titles from various Grand Slams and thirty three titles in singles. In many ways, he has continued the great reputation Sweden now has for its tennis players since Bjorn Borg came on the scene in the seventies and started to wow people with his awesome playing style and strength. In 1988, he was the top player worldwide.
In other years, he did not fail to impress. In 1982 for instance, he was only seventeen when he won a single title at the Grand Slam for that year against Guillermo Vilas, his opponent favored to win. He also was the youngest to win that kind of fame and glory in tennis with that triumphant victory. in 1984, contined to keep his title and fame in the Australian Open against Stefan Edberg, who would later go on to beat him in another game.
He now spends most of his time coaching up and coming players and sharing his talent and wisdom with them. Wilander in addition to his coaching captains more. He also has a lot more time to criticize them as he famously did during the 2006 French Open to Roger Federer, claiming he lacked the focus to be truly great. Wilander will, no doubt, have a few more words to say this year at the Australian Open Tennis Championship. However, unlike others in tennis who famously lack tact, such as John McEnroe, he later apologized to the younger tennis player for his lack of respect. He is also involved in charitable efforts these days as well. His child, Erik has epidermolysis bullosa, a skin condition without any known cure, and as such, he has put a lot of money into various funding ventures seeking to search out a cure for it. He is one of the greats that has made tennis such a popular sport world wide since its growing popularity in the seventies and eighties.
January 5th, 2010
Whether it’s Andy Warhol in New York, or Richard Diebenkorn in Southern California, the artists of an area or a city, tend to define that city. Such is true of the Florida Highwaymen. From the desks of the Miami luxury hotels, to the roadside diners, a group of African-American artists left their mark on the state of Florida. In a southern state, it was a bewildering and a beautiful time, the 1950’s. Twenty-six artists took their creativity, and their destinies into their own hands when they began to sell their landscape and seascape paintings out of the trunks of their cars, along the highways that criss-cross the state of Florida.
Their colors were vivid and vibrant, and their compositions exemplified life on the coast in a way that moved all of those who were lucky enough to come across them and their works as they made their family road-trips and holidays. Palm trees bent by the tropical and forceful winds, calm sunsets and the blossoms of the poinciana bushes were their subject matter. They had no fancy warehouse studios in New York City nor formal training, they painted what they saw and what they felt, on the side of the road or in each others’ garages…loaded up their vehicles each weekend and sold their work to unsuspecting tourists.
The original “highway man” was Alfred Hair. He gained confidence under the tutelage of A.E. Backus and soon found that he could actually make a living selling his artwork, a momentous discovery for any painter, in those days, and in these days as well. Unsuspecting in the meaning of or the reason for these landscapes, people bought them up like crazy. And unsuspecting in that these paintings are worth a substantial amount of money now. They represent not only a time period, but an artistic movement. And back then, in the 50’s, these brilliant painters sold their work for around twenty-five dollars a piece. There are art collectors now, willing to spend much more than twenty-five bucks a piece…much, much more.
December 29th, 2009
Sometimes, we find ourselves with an unexpected expense right when we’re in the middle of a financial crisis. For example, our car breaks down on the highway and needs to be towed to the nearest mechanic, our loved one suddenly needs to be taken to the emergency room with a broken bone or an illness, creditors won’t stop calling, or our credit cards are at there limit; any of these can cause us distress and depression to set in, but there is a solution for our financial woes: Payday loans, otherwise known as Money Mutual, short-term, or Micro-loans.
We may not have the option of borrowing from family or friends and our local banks are useless when it comes to a small individual loan, this is when a Payday loan comes to the rescue. A Payday loan is an instant loan in low amounts that will be wired to our bank account and usually on the same day. This short-term loan has a high interest rate and needs to be paid back by the next payday. Anyone can apply for these loans on-line, even if they have bad credit, no credit, or have filed for bankruptcy, because a credit check isn’t necessary, plus,a reason for the loan is not necessary. All that is necessary is proof of regular income, usually from a job or any other type of income like an annuity.
There are thousands of micro-loan companies on-line, such as Money Mutual, Montel Williams endorsed short-term cash advancements. These loans are very convenient and easy to apply for on the Internet. Requirements consist of proof of employment, a bank account and being 18 years of age or older. The loan will be approved within 24 hours and wired to the borrowers bank account; there are many Payday loan companies that will transfer the funds within hours and will directly withdraw the funds from the next deposited payday check. Depending on the needs of the borrower, a carefully research on these Payday loan companies will inform the borrower of which company best suits them.
There are many advantages in applying for a Payday loan like just how fast and easy it is to get the loan. There are no credit checks. The competition for your application is highly competitive, so do research on-line to see which company offers the best interest rates or fees. These loans will help improve the borrowers credit rating and will give the borrower a peace of mind and a sense of security from the knowledge that their debts are taken care of.
December 28th, 2009
It’s impossible to say anything of importance about the coconut in just a few sentences, as there is more complexity to this fruit than any one person could ever know. Its ability to provide sustenance is fairly common knowledge, and travel in Singapore will no doubt expose even the most uncurious minds and eyes to ways of using coconut in remarkable ways that have no doubt gone unconsidered for years, if not lifetimes. But in the short time that I’ve been looking at the coconut and its many uses, beginning with what I learned in my all-too-brief travels in Singapore, I’ve discovered that there are worlds indeed contained in the husks of this amazing food. I’m at a point where I’m not entirely sure I can even consider it a food, such is the depth of degrees of its many uses.
Again, as I’ve mentioned, the culinary uses are multiple, and in Singapore, most any of the remarkable seafood restaurants will make good use of it. It seems to work well with all the tastes that are found here, from curries to seafood soups, to the splendid desserts that remind me of temblique, my favorite dish that was prepared by the family’s house chef, who always excited my child’s mind with stories of gods and goddesses of fire and water that she claimed to know in person. Only now do I begin to understand a portion of what she was truly attempting to teach me, and I even harbor naive hope that she wished I would follow the path toward understanding what the food can do when properly cared for.
The mystical properties had gone unknown to me until I was in Singapore, and found myself having a stream of bad luck. A local doctor, whose practice I do not remember, recommended to me that I would have to procure a one-eyed coconut, in order to turn my fortune around. I assumed this was a mere superstition, and did nothing to find the necessary Ekakshi until I found myself with my back against a wall. The details of this will have to go unwritten, but suffice to say, it did the trick, and only then did I start to pay attention. Since then, I have found many other spectacular uses, where they are helpful not only to make a soup come to life, but also can predict a destiny, but that is something of a secret.
December 28th, 2009
One day I’m going to take a tour of the world’s great art museums. I’ve been to some already: The Louvre in Paris, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, as well as museums in London and Amsterdam; of course, this was all some time ago, and the number of museums I haven’t seen well out number the ones I have. I haven’t seen a single museum in Chicago or New York. Nor have I seen any museums in Philadelphia; I’ve been missing out on the Phildelphia Museum of Art in particular, one of nation’s largest.
Currently, in Philadelphia, there’s a Picasso exhibit titled, Picasso and the Avant-Garde in Paris. Picasso’s work abounds, from Spain to France to the States (where there’s a nice few artworks at the Norton Simon in Pasadena, to mention one), and ever since I saw a show that combined all his work together, I’ve always attempted to see his art anywhere it’s displayed. It’s difficult for some people to understand his work unless they see the art through all the various stages in his life, and that’s what this exhibition does. It follows Picasso and his career from his experiments in abstract art to the actual creation of Cubism; it includes, too, works that delve into Surrealism and various other art movements. Seen from this vantage point, it’s possible to see more precisely his role in the art world.
The focus will be on Picasso’s work from 1905 to 1945, his most creative and dynamic period, but the exhibit will also examine how Paris influenced the art world in that early half of the 1900s, and how many artists followed Picasso to that city. So the show will be larger than Picasso, including works from Marc Chagall, from Man Ray, Jacques Lipchitz, and Patrick Henry Bruce — collectively known as the School of Paris.
The show will run from February 24 until April 25 in 2010, just enough time to make arranges for a flight and book a room at a Philadelphia cheap hotel and see the art that inspired not only the 20th Century, but the 21st as well.
December 21st, 2009
It’s a marketing tool that was on its way for a long time, and it’s one that really hasn’t surprised anybody. The schools of thought that are currently developing around SEO are varied in outlook, when looked at from certain points of view, but in their essence, there is nothing to remarkably distinguish one from the other. There might be some who would claim that certain kinds of optimization are worse than others, but in the end, it’s all advertising, and all of it would fall under the same suspicion and should be given the same scrutiny.
It seems disingenuous then to look askance at issues such as page speed, and how this can affect a website’s performance in an international marketplace. The swift rank changes to a site after it does a few minor touch ups with its key words sometimes cause suspicion, but whatever the cause, the reasons are the same as any other operation or organization using marketing strategies to improve its numbers. At the end of the day, we will probably not be judged by the quantifiable analyses of our actions, but on the actions themselves.
Still, it’s necessary to perform up to industry standards, even if it is simply to save face in the eyes of your peers. Perhaps in many cases, or even most cases, it is only your peers who are paying attention to such things, anyway. A good marketing strategy, then, may not result in any vast increases in revenue or even in interest. It may only have results in virtual realms, and only exist virtually for a fraction of a moment. It’s something that may or may not ever entirely make a difference in how the world decides to spin, but it can certainly take up the bulk of a day’s thought, if only to attempt to conceive of how to conceive of such things.
December 21st, 2009
The neighborhoods of Baltimore Highlands and Little Italy are located close together, within five minutes in a car or a bit longer when taking a leisurely walk. Both areas, as in most every one of the areas in the city, are rich with culture and ethnic history. This is found in the art galleries and the markets, on the streets and the buildings, and in every Baltimore restaurant and family owned business. A few of the other neighborhoods in the area include Fell’s Point, the Inner Harbor and Canton.
For those who love the Italian way of life, the art, the food…this is the area to visit. One historic family operated business is Santoni’s Market. This is one of the most popular markets in the entire city. The market still operates with customer service in mind, but it is a kind of customer service that is not done to meet quotas or raise profits, it just is. It is the way that the Santoni Family just is. Not only is the market open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, they offer delivery service as well. Di Pasquale’s is another Italian market and deli. This too is a family run operation, that spans three generations.
It is not a surprise, given the integration of cultures in Baltimore, that the original families to settle in the neighborhood were of German descent, and the family businesses were meat packing plants and butcher shops. Still to this day the streets are filled with people from various cultural backgrounds and an ethnic mix that includes those of European descent, American Indians, Hispanic, and African Americans. The neighborhood too, is a mix of blue and white collar workers.
In some cities this mix causes tension, however this is not like those areas in other cities. This is one of the unique aspects not only of Baltimore Highlands, but of the city on the whole. The differences bring people together, the crime rate is low, and the harmony and friendships that were formed throughout history still grace this neighborhood, and most every neighborhood in Baltimore. This is a great place to not only visit, but to live each and every day as well.
December 17th, 2009
Another historical fight with the British Empire ended up being the biggest tea party in history. But it wasn’t a very quite afternoon tea party. It was a battle that would start the beginning of setting a new land free to become its own country. It was the ultimate protest to the measure that protests fought today can sometimes have references of the Boston Tea Party. A small reminder of the fight goes a little something like this. The British Empire was still trying to hold onto the new found America land as part of a new colony. The French and Indian War cost a lot for the British so they were looking for a way to pay for it. King George III wanted to tax the American colonies to get his money back. The were also trying to solidify their control over the new colonies who had become a bit more independent while the King was distracted with the war. There had been a few events that angered the colonists like the Stamp Act of 1765, the Townsend Acts and the Boston Massacre. They were already angry so now that the King wanted to tax the tea that was imported they were as angry as stoned beehive.
Tea at that time was a major staple to the colonial life. Not having tea was not an option. So the King thought. But the colonists would rather give up their tea than give the King any power or money. The colonials stopped the ships coming to major cities like Philadelphia, New York and Charleston from unloading the tea. One cold December, 7,000 angry colonists lingered on the dock. They had decided in the morning that the ships were to be sent back full of tea with no duty paid. When British customs refused to send the ships away, the crowd made a plan and made there way onto the three ships and dumped the cargo of tea into the harbor. Of course the King was now pissed and passed the Intolerable acts which closed the Boston Port and sparked the fire of the American independence. Visitors can come and look across the harbor near the site of the big event but the Boston Tea Party Ship museum was taken down by fire. There are still many historical landmarks that will make your head spin. You can find information at your Boston hotel.
December 15th, 2009
We arrived in Kuala Lumpur and we were struck by just how modern the city was; it’s in stark contrast to Cambodia. The roads were smooth, not a single pot-hole to be found. The buses were comfortable and we were delighted to see the bus we were on actually cruised down the highway at the speed limit! We’ve noticed that the vitality of a city or country can fall apart if the infrastructure isn’t there to support it, poor roads can mean the downfall of the cities and country’s economy do to lost time because of trying to get around on terrible roads.
Kuala Lumpur reminded us of New York City, the skyline, which we got to view from the Menara Tower was spectacular. KL is also a very diverse city; being predominantly Muslim, we found it to be very tolerant of all the other cultures. Plus, all the other ethnic cultures, like the Indian and Chinese communities flourish. From what we could tell, they all live in relative harmony.
We found a wonderful Indian restaurant near our airport hotel. It was inexpensive and they gave out huge portions of the most delicious Indian food we’ve ever had. It was truly amazing. I think we managed to eat there at least once every day we were in KL. Besides eating our way through KL, we did a little bit of shopping. The malls seemed almost American except for all the veiled women. We actually bought a pair of jeans. We’ve read in all our travel books that jeans would be to cumbersome and too heavy for the hot weather, but we found most people there, wearing jeans!
We visited the Batu Caves, and just outside the caves is a 270 step staircase and the statue of Murugan, who was the youngest son of Shiva and Parvati according to Hindu mythology. The caves host Malaysia’s most precious Hindu shrines. Over 1.5 million people visit this site every year during the Thaipusam festival. This festival is where the devotees undertake extreme acts of self-mortification. What we liked the most was all the monkeys crawling on the staircase. They were so cute. We highly recommend seeing the Batu caves, it was the most fascinating part of our trip.
December 14th, 2009
A beautiful place offering splendid vistas from nearly every angle, Berchtesgaden is a haven for nature-lovers, as well as for skiers, and anyone criss-crossing the complex lifelines of history. Today it is a place for rock-climbers and anyone looking for time to spend enjoying the solitude of nature, where splendor is everywhere. Some of the most stunning mountain drops in Bavaria are here, and the Berchtesgaden hotels are specially designed to highlight the magnificent views along with the comfort and hospitality of nature. It has a very complicated and rather fascinating history, and some of the pieces of the 20th century have only recently come together.
But Berchtesgaden is much older, having been mentioned as early as the beginning of the 12th century as a place famous for salt mines. As the centuries passed, and history passed through it, more nations became interested in it, and it had a name for being a kind of painter’s paradise. It certainly is that today, attracting wildlife and nature artists from all over for its spectacular imagery, and calm atmosphere. It also attracted one of the most infamous painters in history, Hitler himself, who had a summer home here during the war. It’s hard to know what attracted that painter here, but we do know what he liked in art, thanks to the heroic efforts of John Pistone, who was with the U.S. military when they came through here at the end of the war.
He grabbed an album in the house of the fuhrer, which has since been demolished, thinking that it was a photo album. Recently it’s been discovered that it is one of the 13 volumes of art planned for a museum in his hometown in Linz, Austria. That particular museum had an awful lot of plans, none of which came to light, and today, visitors in Linz can take underground tours where they will occasionally exhibit incredible installations of art curated to remember the holocaust, underlining the way the angel of history can sometimes pause for a moment of grace, like a moment of reflection in a forest in Bavaria.
December 10th, 2009
When Curtis moved into his new townhouse he was excited about the purchase and the changes he wanted to make. These were minor and simply included replacing the carpet and painting. It has his first house, however, and he wanted to make it feel as much like his own as possible. He looked out at his backyard and wondered what he could do in the small space that came with his property. He decided to worry about that later after he had finished the adjustments to the interior of the place. Later that evening as he was organizing his spare room upstairs, he looked out the window and noticed his neighbor’s yard had a hot tub in one of the corner areas. That was something that had never occurred to Curtis and he decided to ask about it the next day.
His neighbor, whose name is Bill, was more than happy to show off his hot tub to his new neighbor. It was a recent purchase and he was incredibly pleased with it. Bill answered all of his questions and Curtis was amazed at how easy to buy, install and care for they seemed to be. Curtis loved the way that it looked in that backyard and felt that it gave the yard area a nice intimate feel. He imagined how he would light his own backyard area around the hot tub, which he was now certain he wanted to install.
After a month or so of shopping, Curtis finally settled on one of the 2 person hot tubs models he had been looking at. He felt this would be perfect for his little space and figured that he would usually be the only person to use it. Interestingly, after he had it installed, his friend Amy started stopping by more frequently as did Reece and Tina. Curtis loved sharing the hot tub with friends and made his backyard space as attractive and accommodating as possible.
December 8th, 2009
Phyllis had played the violin professionally for seven years. She first began studying the instrument when she was six years old and her uncle Weston, who was also a musician, gave her a one half sized violin for her birthday. His intention was simply to expose her to musical possibilities and he hoped she might try and play with it a little, though he fully expected the instrument to become a decoration on her bookshelf in a short amount of time. What was least expected was that she would take to the instrument like a fish to water and even showed an initial aptitude for it.
This of course pleased Weston, as well as her parents, quite a bit and he offered to pay for private lessons for the young Phyllis. Her parents were slightly hesitant at first as they didn’t want to put undue pressure on her and knowing that Weston was a professional pianist, they thought it might be his natural inclination to do so. However, they used their better judgment and realized he was simply offering her a gift and they let her take the lessons.
Phyllis thought about those early days of playing and how awful she must have been at the time without realizing. She sipped her coffee in the small café located in one of the Malibu hotels in which she was staying. She was in town because she had an audition for the Malibu Symphony, which was later in the afternoon. Auditions never seemed to make Phyllis nervous and she wasn’t sure why because everyone else she knew dreaded them. She suddenly started to chuckle a bit to herself as she realized she was probably just unaware of how bad she was at them, just as she must have been unaware of her lack of abilities so many years ago. Oh well, she thought as she bit into her raspberry croissant, ignorance is bliss. Then she went back to her Sudoku puzzle and enjoyed her coffee.
December 8th, 2009
Any kind of change, positive or negative, can be stressful. Since change is probably the only constant thing in our lives, this means that there is always stress, or almost always, to some degree, and it’s always been our challenge to live with it gracefully. Positive changes are much easier to deal with, of course, but it’s important to remember that there’s still some stress involved. No one can doubt that buying a hot tub for your own personal use is a very good thing, but it also means change. Buying from choosehottubsdirect.com can take out most of the stress, and leave you room and energy to prepare for the new lifestyle ahead.
Their extremely user-friendly website can make your initial selection process easy and even fun, looking at all of the wonderful tubs that are available right now. They have some of the latest models and styles, so you’ll have the most advanced technology available in your own personal spa. There is a lot of variety in size, style, and features, so that you can get exactly what you’re looking for. Also, another great benefit of working with this company is that their business ethic is focused on the customer’s needs, so that they’re extremely helpful in finding the perfect hot tub for your tastes, personal style, and budget. It’s a long-term investment, and it’s a comfort to be working with people who have your own long-term in mind.
They’re also there to serve you in all areas of the transaction, from the shipping to the installation, and can help make it easier for you to make all the necessary arrangements to get your own spa working, so that you can start enjoying the benefits of a hot tub right away. Because it is a long-term investment, and it will change how you live, and even more importantly, how you relax into your life, there is stress involved, but with the ease offered by their excellent customer service, the stress is minimal, so you can get ready for the splendid evenings ahead of you.
December 2nd, 2009
There are many historical buildings in Ottawa, Canada, many under the constant care of TransGlobe Property Management. What makes this so special, is that the community and the vibe of the city is translated through the managers of this company. Many of the buildings are located close to the attractions, to the parks and the golf courses that are plentiful in the downtown area. Ottawa is the capital of Canada, and is the fourth largest city in the country. It is cosmopolitan, yet retains the home sweet home feel of the culture and the history and the outdoors. There are many restaurants and urban settings for shopping and people watching. It is a relaxed city, with a lot of things to do.
This is how the managers at TransGlobe Property Management operate, relaxed while they have much to do. Taking care of rental buildings takes experience in communication, in proactive problem solving. They must be the go-between, of the owners of the buildings and the tenants and they do this well. They serve to keep everyone on every level, informed of the business at hand. That may be in the financial realm, or in the realm of simply keeping the grounds of their properties well maintained. They question and they keep all parties involved, giving them not only a say, but an investment as well.
And when people feel invested? in a place that they are simply renting? that is the show of a great management team. They are constantly working a balancing act, between financial bottom lines and client satisfaction. They meet the call when anticipation of and the handling of issues is necessary without losing site of the big picture. This is not so easy to come by these days, but rest assured if your property is in the hands of TransGlobe, and rest assured should you be renting in a property run by Transglobe, needs will be met and concerns will be taken to heart.
