Monthly Archives: August 2009

Aug24

Practicing Law for the Greater Good

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Practicing Law for the Greater Good

 Any Orange County law firm is well aware of the benefits of hiring great lawyers.  Lawyers with the knowledge of the laws and the United States Justice System, lawyers that work efficiently and effectively, are assets to any firm.  However, what makes a firm special, make them great is to have lawyers on their teams that go above and beyond the necessary requirements.  One of the aspects of a great team is to have members on the team who possess overall skills, but individual skills as well.

Good lawyers often have strong work ethics, they are professional in their behaviors as well as their presentation.  However some refer to the great lawyers as those who seem to have, and do actually possess a higher purpose, a drive that goes far beyond doing a good and professional job.  This is true for other professions as well, be it in the medical profession, in the world of art, or even the neighborhood car mechanic. 

Lawyers that are driven by more than personal or financial success, are those who really are concerned with not only the case of their client, but for the well being of their client as well.  Perhaps this just seems like a common sense idea, a known fact, however, this is an aspect of one’s personality that may wax and wane over time due to the work load and the stress that most lawyers experience from time to time. 

Many lawyers also face the public eye, which can be unforgiving and cynical with regards to the work that lawyers do.  There are two parts of the puzzle that come together in those who work from the place of a higher purpose, one is that they have a vision, and the second is that those with this vision actively take part in making that vision a reality.  Often times, this is a vision that they consider is not just their own personal vision, but a vision that concerns the greater good.

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Aug24

Kuala Lumpur and the Magic Wok

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Kuala Lumpur and the Magic Wok

“Now, we gotta make sure we eat at a mamak stall or maybe a…er, a pasar malam while we’re hear,” I said, flipping through my Malay dictionary guide book and trying hard to sound like I knew what i was talking about. Tanya just rolled her eyes and said, “Whatever,” because she knew it best to have at a new country’s (at least new for us) cuisine and see what, if anything, we could bring back to our restaurant in Niagara Falls, New York. We decided to hang out in Jalan Alor, which many at Kuala Lumpur Malaysia hotels will describe as a must stop on any culinary exploration. I was thumbing through the dog eared section of the language guide when we arrived at the once red light district of Kuala Lumpur, a place that won’t have air conditioning while we popped off the mono rail and check out the crazy quilt of restaurant and food stalls (mamak)  that overwhelm the senses. One place in particular caught our attention, a clean and tidy Chinese stall, really, and the fellow standing back was putting on quite a show with a fiery wok, that seemed to burst into flames as he ladled some into it, filling a to go container with a flourish. I told Tanya we had to try this place and headed over. We waited in a small line and stood transfixed by the cook’s deft handling of the wok, of the ladle, the quick, precise movements with a big cleaver he used as a paring knife at one point, a big chopper the next. I guess I felt jealous, my work station at our restaurant is in back, out of sight, and Tanya works the front of the house. I’ve always wanted and open kitchen, and thought again of ways to knock out the wall separating the front from the back. By then in my revery I had completely forgotten what to say in Malay and Tanya, to her great happiness, ordered for us.

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Aug24

Roy and Desai: Literary India

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Roy and Desai: Literary India

In the quest to find the world’s greatest five-star hotel, India holds some very worthy candidates.  India’s cities and regions all offer an enormously diverse selection of distractions, with ancient temples, beaches, amazing foods with fantastic variation from place to place, and night life.  Our hotels also have great variations, in design, cuisine, and special features.  However, there is a consistency in quality where you are assured a luxury stay in accommodations that meet the highest standards in the industry.  There will always be a splendid blend of tradition and innovation, where the classical values of hospitality and graciousness will accompany all the latest in technologies and amenities.  India is truly unique, and our hotels are a perfect place to begin your journey here.

One of the most exciting activities here, perhaps, is people watching.  The cities are incredibly diverse, and it is possible to while away glorious afternoons observing the parades of humanity.  In this activity, one might feel as though they are following in the footsteps of India’s great writers, finding inspiration in the cities and the people of this country.  There are hundreds of great Indian writers living in the world today, in multiple languages, narrating the stories of the human race.

One of its great contemporary writers is Arundhati Roy whose novel The God of Small Things won the Booker Prize in 1997.  It was hugely successful, placing on all the bestseller lists, and making her reputation instantly.  Since then, she has not written another novel, but instead has produced a sizable body of writing on politics and culture that is perhaps as exquisite and observant as her fiction.

Then there is Kiran Desai, whose novel, The Inheritance of Loss also won the Booker, in 2006.  Coming from an extremely literary family (her mother is Anita Desai), she has been in the limelight for a good part of her life, and her extraordinarily compassionate vision of humanity is evidence throughout the body of her work.  Both of these writers have a major prize and a country in common, and their work is extremely distinctive, offering only a taste of literary India.

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Aug21

Ibiza the Beautiful

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Ibiza the Beautiful

We started the day at Croissant Show and had breakfast before taking a boat out to Ses Illetes on nearby island of Fromentera. There we had the mud baths all to ourselves and dipped ourselves in the mud, which dried on us like a husk in the sunny air. Mud covered, we thought how we’d look at an Ibiza night club muddied up like this but it was hard to smile through all the caked mud and dove into the sea to wash it off.

Ibiza is famous for its club scene, yet with little effort you can be in protected sites and beaches of the most beautiful sort. Or you can go shopping with the best of them in the little market of las Dalias near San Carlos for some rather high end and very unusual fashion. You can get leather moccasins and cool batik dresses from India and Balinese manufacturers, as well as unusual silver jewelry. The Salina, on the south of the island, are two thousand year old salt fields. They still use them today.

In fact, this market is part of the hippy culture that  that arrived with artists in the fifties and sixties. The wonderful architecture that’s famous the world over is visible in Sa Pena, with Arab styled buildings that line narrow cobble streets. this is the old fisherman’s quarters.

We went to Caves Can Marca where it’s possible to view the bay and the muradensis lizards which abound here and watch the setting sun. Luckily it’s close to the aforementioned market (little did we know) and we can see why people come here year after year. the Mediterranean climate, the beaches, the views and scenery and the cuisine bring people back. We talked to one couple who’ve been returning here for ten years and they say they’ve found a slice of heaven. Who can argue?

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Aug21

The Power of Intention

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The Power of Intention

What are the powers of our intentions? Can our thoughts actually have an effect on reality? Actually create it? The idea that our thoughts can create the reality in the world around us is a profound one. The idea that continuous negative thinking will produce negative out comes. It seemed the cruel dichotomy here is that if we think negative we build negative neuro pathways in the brain and the neuro pathways caring positive transmissions diminish. This creates a problem when it comes to changing thought patterns as the nerve lines servicing one set of thoughts is bring used the ones not being used atrophy. The good news is a change in thinking patterns can change these pathways the negative ones will diminish and the positive ones strengthen when they begin to be used more. The difficulty is the mental awareness and discipline to maintain focus on positive thinking. Of course a change in ones thinking is something that happens gradually over time. The process would be one engaging in the usual thinking patterns, recognizing that those thoughts are occurring and then consciously changing the thoughts to positive ones. I had time to relax and was imagine if everyday we looked at ourselves in the mirror and liked what we saw, as I laid by the pool in a 5 star Lanzarote hotels? Knew we would accomplish out life’s purpose for that day? Knew we could do anything we can imagine and that we are only limited by the limits we choose to think in? There are folks doing a lot of work around this. Lynn McTaggert of the UK organizes regular experiments regarding the power of intention. Last fall an international experiment conducted. People were asked to focus intentions of peace onto a specific location on earth at the exact same time for seven days. On the first day of the experiment the location to be intended on was revealed. The island of Sri Lanka was chosen. The country had been fighting a civil war for over 20 years. Every day participants in the experiment signed in to the sites web page. At the same time throughout the world the page would change on the participants computers and the the ‘powering up’ would begin. Powering up is consciously raising your vibration level via focused meditation. After powering up the page changed again showing violent images from Shi Lanka for about a half an hour the participants meditated, prayed, thought about peace in Sri Lanka. When signing into the daily intentions one could feel the undescribable feeling of being part of a larger whole. In the spring after these intention experiments the civil war has ended in Sri Lanka. Was this a result of the intention experiment, after all the fighting had gone on for 20 years with no sign of ending. Or simply a coincidences that the fighting ended a short time after the experiment.

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Aug20

Troy Innocent in Sydney

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Troy Innocent in Sydney

When traveling to Australia, look only for the best Sydney hotel, to make for a perfect vacation to refresh the spirit. Sydney is one of the most livable cities in the world, and our hotels offer an exceptional elegance from which to begin your stay. One of the most liveliest cultural centers in all of Australia, Sydney is buzzing with energy and activity. Your stay in our hotel will offer sumptuous amenities and state of the art facilities to help restore a sense of balance and well-being. World class design and old world hospitality will greet you here, and your comfort is our highest priority. A fantastic night’s rest and a lovely meal prepared by our top chefs, and you’ll be on your way to see the city.

The city’s excellent reputation is no exaggeration. There are galleries, museums, theatres, and music venues that offer a stunning array of choices for daytime touring and exciting night life. While restaurants and clubs offer exceptional entertainment, the fine arts activities in the city are not to be missed. There are galleries that will show fine examples of traditional art forms, but there are also galleries like the Boutwell Draper Gallery that show the work of cutting edge artists like Troy Innocent.

Troy Innocent has been working in the relatively new medium of digital art since 1989, and is one of the pioneers of the form. Having studied at Swinbourne, and now on the faculty at Melbourne’s Monash University, Troy Innocent began working in the cyber realm when the discipline was just emerging. His work has grown and evolved in the past twenty years toward creating some of the most interesting experiments in computer art in the world. He works in many realms here, creating digital visual art, online games, sculpture, and video and sonic installations. His presence in the city is a testament to its commitment to present some of the most challenging and exciting works of art in the world, and firmly establishes Sydney’s presence in the global art scene.

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Aug19

Thomas Hardy Fictionalized Wessex

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Thomas Hardy Fictionalized Wessex

The Suffolk county of England is well known for its diverse country scenery and beautiful coastal areas. It has also been the subject of great paintings, settings in literature, and the home of at least two world class artists. Thomas Gainsborough is a painter who was born in this region and his depictions of landscapes and portraits continue to hang in the top world museums. Tourists who are staying in one of the quaint Suffolk hotels will be able to witness first hand the beauty that inspired this great painter. Many of his landscapes portray the land in a particular mood or state of existence. He had an amazing ability to capture and impending storm and incorporate it into the personality of the landscape.

Gainsborough is one of the most famous portrait painters to come from the English 18th century. He was born in May of 1727 in Sudbury, Suffolk. His father worked in the wool trade and was a skilled weaver. Perhaps the creativity involved in weaving lead him to recognize the early talent Gainsborough was demonstrating with his pencil drawings. This led the father to send him to study with a trained engraver in London.

One of the greatest and most prestigious offerings for a portrait painter is to be asked to paint members of the royalty or monarchy. Gainsborough painted portraits of King George III and his queen in 1780. Following this he received many commissions and strong patronage. It also established him as a major portrait painter and gave him some influence in the Academy. It also gave him the freedom to expand on his own technique and play with styles and painting theory. He developed his technique from strong observations of the nature of physiology and the world. Some of his constant subjects were his daughters and landscapes.

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Aug19

Recycle, Reuse, Reduce

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Recycle, Reuse, Reduce

Recycle, Reduce, Reuse. The three R’s are a good motto to live by especially in these tough economic times. Every family is trying to think of ways they can reduce their cost of living. And doing so might be easier than you thought. The answer to reducing your cost of living a little could be simple as flipping off a light switch or closing a window. Here are some tips.

Turn off lights when you leave a room: This is the oldest tip in the book, but it is effective. If you turn off lights when you leave you won’t be paying for electricity that you are not using. This will be even more effective if you use energy efficient light bulbs (https://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls) instead of traditional ones. And really every little bit counts, and living a light on in a room that is not in use is just like throwing your money away.

Clean and replace air filters: Air filters are an important part of an energy efficient home. If you clean or replace them to the recommendations of the manufacturer, you will prolong the life of the heating and cooling systems in your home.

Turn up your thermostat: If you can stand to have the air conditioning just one degree higher in the summer or one degree or two cooler in the winter you will save money and energy. You should especially do this when you are not at your house. Who are you heating or cooling if nobody is home?

Get window coverings: Blinds are a simple way to solve a big energy problem. They will help keep your home cooler in the summer because the sun will not be beating throughout your house. Check out Next Day Blinds for a good selection of window coverings. Next Day Blinds has many options to be stylish in your home and save some cash and energy.

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Aug18

Wonderful Massages in India

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Wonderful Massages in India

I had no idea when I visited India that I would be treated to so many different massage modalities. Back in the States, I only knew about a full-body massage, but here in India, I was over-whelmed with the choices I had. The Place Hotel India where I was staying told me India has many different types of massages, it was up to me to read up on the differences and see which one suited me best. I decided to experience them all and here’s what I found.

Okay, so I’ve heard of the Chair Massage, the Deep Tissue Massage and the Stone Massage, I’ve just never thought about them too much. I had The Chair massage in my hotel room and it was wonderful. It lasted about 15 to 20 minutes. A portable massage chair was set up and I remained fully clothed. No oils were used. My neck, shoulders, upper back, head and arms were massaged. Then, the next day, I went to the day spa in my hotel and got a Deep Tissue Massage. That one can hurt, but feel so good afterwards. They told me how the Hot Stone Massage works: hot or cold stones are placed on key energy points, like the Chakras http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chakra or Meridians which will improve the energy flow and healing process of the body. I didn’t try that one.

The one I found the most interesting was the Pranic Healing. In India, this massage modality is highly developed and it’s a test system of energy based healing techniques that will utilize ‘prana’ to balance, harmonize and transform the body’s energy. Prana is Sanskrit for ‘life-force.’ Pranic Healing is base on the and influences the innate ability for the body to heal itself. It accelerates this process by increasing the life force or vital energy on the affected part of the physical body. It’s hard for me to describe just what the practitioner did to me in about an hours time, but when I left, I was fully energized and felt so light and happy. I could feel the effects of the Pranic Healing for a whole week, even though it wasn’t a massage per se, it seemed to have a deep benefit and it was longer lasting. When I get back to the States, I’m going to look up and see if I have any Pranic Healing spas in my area.

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Aug18

hotels formentera

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hotels formentera

There’s no a lot to do here, which is, of course, the point. Formentera is the smallest inhabited island of the Balearics near the eastern Mediterranean sea coast of Spain. The ancient Greeks called the place Gymnesiae because the people there went around nude. Well, that hasn’t changed much and people happily sunbathe with sunblock all over. The quiet hotels Formentera boasts reflect that easy going attitude.

It’s slow here, and we begin to unwind, and walk along white sandy beaches in a Mediterranean paradise of turquoise water. The island is mostly flat, very sandy and craggy, and tourism is the biggest part of the economy. It seems to be entirely managed like a park. There’s no airport here, and it’s easy to get here from Barcelona by boat. The main language is a Catalan dialect called formenterenq.

There are many wonderful snorkeling locations with a good dive center in Savina. Another good bet is to rent a moped and head down to the beach and have lunch at a small beach restaurant. Check out the church in Sant Francesc. It was built in 1729. the island has a rich and varied history. There you will notice the scent of thyme and rosemary and pine. Today people come from all over the world to enjoy the island’s peace and beauty.

Shops at Sant Ferran de Ses Roques have hippie-ish clothes like sandals and straw bags. Goats wander the roads on the way to Punta de Pedrera, a nature preserve, with its rocky landscape on the sea. There and everywhere else we saw the beautiful Formentera lizard, darting about, brightly colored in emerald greens and turquoise. And they are all over, dashing under beach table restaurants to gather crumbs, and will come right up to you for a morsel of fruit.

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