RepGuardian

Wine-loving ladies and gentlemen, start your drinking engines. The annual Hospice du Rhone, held each year in Paso Robles , California, is nearly upon us. The countdown is on! For three days, this year it’s April 29 through May 1, Rhone wine fans and producers gather together to celebrate Rhone wine.

There are 22 varieties of Rhone wine, and Hospice du Rhone participants are treated to an education about each. Additionally, opportunities abound to hobnob with more than 130 stateside and international Rhone winemakers, such as Yves Gangloff from a Domaine of the same name and Sondra Bernstein from the girl and the fig, at various planned seminars and meals. The two aforementioned wine producers are two of an exclusive group of 22 known as The Rhonely Hearts Club. This is the theme for 2010’s event, with an image spurned from none other than the album bearing The Lonely Hearts Club title. However, instead of four famous musicians in the picture, you have 22 renowned Rhone winemakers. Clever stuff.

A place to stay is vital, as you’ll need time to sleep off all the Rhone wine. All four Hospice du Rhone seminars are included in the $795 Weekend Package, along with two breakfasts and lunches and the Farewell BBQ. Purchasing the Weekend Package is the only way to gain entry to the seminars, as they are not offered separately.

Seminar One will be hosted by six South African producers who plan to share their winemaking techniques, history and wines (the best part) and will be moderated by Wine Spectator’s James Molesworth. Domaine Michel’s Stephane Ogier of Ampuis, France will head up Seminar Two, to be moderated by Hospice du Rhone’s founder, John Alban. Seminar Three, moderated by Alan Kropf of Mutineer Magazine, will be led by Washington State’s Charles Smith of K Vintners. Lastly, Seminar Four will feature two fellows from Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Clos Saint Jean’s Vincent Maurel and Tardieu-Laurent’s Michel Tardieu. They will be joined by Phillipe Cambie, a consultant who Robert Parker termed “the Michel Rolland of the Rhone”. The Rhone Report’s Jeb Dunnuck will moderate.

These folks know how to have a good time, as evidenced by the planned kick-off event, Rhone n’ Bowl. Held at the Paso Bowl, $100 will buy you a spot on a bowling squad, perhaps with your favorite winemaker! Roll on over to Paso Robles for a Rhone wine weekend blast.

Miami has gotten a reputation for being one of the hottest cities in America. As a So Cal girl, born and raised I have always maintain a certain level of skepticism. I enjoy the laid back feel of places like Huntington Beach and La Jolla cove. For a night out, San Diego is close enough to Los Angeles to have a Hollywood night, or impressive enough on its own to stay in town. Depending on your mood you can step out into the posh gas lamp district , or slip on some rainbows and head to the beach!

Even though San Diego is still full of many different options ranging from gallery night to salsa clubs to soma punk, is has recently been divided into two main subcultures: college students and snobs. A few places in the North Park area have been springing up in an effort to combat this phenomenon and offer another alternative. With a great mix of culture, music and patrons from all walks of life, North Park is embracing the melting pot that makes San Diego so amazing.

As a lover of all things mixed and blended, from fusion cuisine to spanglish conversation, I cannot overlook Miami. With a subculture of Cubans, Haitians, college students, retirees, and of course celebrities, Miami promises to be a river of many different waters. The divide between the haves and the have-nots is inevitable, but it is sad when even music and a good time cannot bridge this divide. I hope that Miami does not face the same dilemma San Diego has with the re-fusion of its patrons and leaving most stuck in the middle and out in the cold.

For some great hotels in Miami Click Here . Miami has been a shelter to many people escaping persecution and intolerable living conditions. See what there is to offer in a world of fusion.

Don’t take my word for it, go online and check it out . In a world that is becoming increasingly more insular, increasingly more isolated, in a world where human contact has been replaced by text messages and emails, personal touches and customer care have become rare qualities in business . This is nothing new for the corporate world, but it is quite new for smaller businesses and companies. Those who at one time, knew the names of their clients and often times their children’s names as well.

In too many cases nowadays, not only do companies many times never even meet their clients or their customers in person, many business owners do not even meet their own employees in person. The online lifestyle is great in so many ways, but is it not so much better to have coffee with a friend, than to figure out the correct application to send them a virtual cup of coffee on Facebook?

This is where a great property management team stands apart from so many of the other property management firms. There are websites to be found on flickr , Facebook, and Youtube, however that is simply to give prospective customers a better idea of what they have to offer. And many of the websites are specialized depending on the kind of rental property you are looking for, so there is no wasted time flipping through listings for properties that are not suitable to your needs. This time and care they put into creating these websites, reflects the time and care they provide when you become a tenant in one of their properties.

When you become a tenant these kinds of companies will know your name. They will know the names of your children. These are the companies that are currently setting the standards for what it is to be a truly great company to do business with. This is not about the business aspect it is about the personal aspect, the personal touch. In a world that is losing that in so many ways, it is nice to know that there is still a warm and welcoming place to come home to.

Well you have made it back to your San Francisco hotel www.hotelsanfrancisco.com after a long day of shopping to kick your shoes off and take in a nap. Then you will want to decide what to do for dinner and your night time activites. There are places to eat all over town with an emphasis on different ethnic foods you can head over to Japan Center for some sushi or Chinatown for some chinese cuisine. There is always some great Italian food in the North Beach area of town which also has Coit Tower to visit and see the skyline of the city lit up. Seafood can be found all over town but there are some great waterfront restaurants down on Fishermans Wharf. After you have had a great meal what do you want to do next? You sure don’t want to fall asleep to soon. You have to take in as much as possible and sleep when you get home.

How about taking in a some sort of live performance. There are always some out of the ordinary shows that you could only see in places like San Francisco, London or New York like Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band. For those of you who don’t live in one of these mega cities you may not know that Yoko Ono is still influencing the art and music world while keeping her world peace campaign going. She is now 76 years old and is releasing her latest project which is a blend of many musical styles. Fans can see her at places like the Fox Theatre in Oakland.

I like to find the comedy clubs in different towns especially in places like San Francisco where the truly talented go. There are some that have dinner available as well which is perfect for that one stop fun destination. Check out Punch Line Comedy Club on Battery Street. In February and March you will be able to catch Chris hardwick, Kevin Camia, Al Madrigal, Tony Rock, Rob Cantrell, and Robert Kelly. So take part in some real stress therapy and laugh.

I love the Little River Band, and I always have.  Ever since I first heard that song about the loser, I knew that these guys had somehow snuck into my room when I was sleeping and read all my mail.  And since then, I’ve been a number one fan, and one of the things that I really love about them is how they didn’t know what to call themselves, because they were Australian, and wanted to do music that the whole world would like, and when they were passing by a little river, the name was settled on, because it stuck.  But then over the years they’ve gotten to embrace their Australian roots even more, and this is an exciting evolution.

It’s great to hear that they will be playing in Ocean City this summer, because it’s to celebrate 35 years of their history as a band, and that’s the perfect age to be settled into an identity.  They keep changing, though, as multi-faced as the sphinx, and as timeless.  It would be a good idea to get a hotel ahead of time, and it would be a great excuse to get to see New Jersey.  This is the New Jersey with the shore and all the things in the Cool Change song, so it would be a romantic evening as well as an evening to reminisce about the past 35 years.

They’ve had a really great run, with a lot of hits in all of these years.  Every song speaks to a certain time in my life, when I had questions, or just wanted someone to be singing about what I felt.  They use harmonies, which is one of their big trademarks.  Even with all the different members they’ve had over the years, they’ve managed to keep that part of their musical vision intact.  Take It Easy on Me was the song that I loved the most when I was in high school, and I would play it whenever someone didn’t like me the way that I liked them.  It’s different now, being older, and that lonesomeness is replaced with a kind of beautiful move into an older me.

I know this might sound like a cliché statement but honestly one of the best trips I’ve ever taken was when I went to New York. And yeah, in addition to sounding cliché I must also sound kind of pathetic because I’ve only been there once in my entire twenty eight years of existence. What do you make of that? Anyway, I still want to talk about it because I’ve really been thinking about that trip lately and want to try and find a way to get back. There are plenty of great theatre packages available at some of the luxury New York City hotels and I really want to look into some of the possibilities. I want my good friend Cheryl to go with me, and part of my method of talking her into it will be to tell her about some of the great deals I find.

Anyway, the first trip, ha okay, I mean the only trip I’ve ever taken to New York happened six years ago and I went with my two best friends from astronomy class, Denise and Candy. We went to the Hayden Planetarium, I was the only one of the group that wasn’t planning on pursuing a career in astronomy though I really loved the class and have remained something of an amateur astronomer in my adult life. The planetarium is located in a beautiful building that kind of issued forth a sense of awe before we even entered. I found this to be common with most things in New York, which just seemed to take on a sense of grandeur and significance.

The planetarium and museum are located on Central Park West and actually, it turned out that there was really quite a bit to do there in the park. I always imagined a pretty empty open space with a few joggers and fountains. I couldn’t have been more wrong. There are tons of people all through the park and there was a dance performance going on while we were there as well as a lot of other stuff. That reminds me, I want to spend a whole day exploring the park when I go this time. Also, I hear the planetarium has a new show that’s supposed to be pretty incredible and is narrated by Whoopi Goldberg. That reminds me that I used to have a desire to be the narrator for the planetarium presentation. When I was in school I couldn’t imagine a better job.

It has been a rather hard year for so many towns that rely on tourism like Jackson in Jackson Hole area. There are always some die hard hunters that come through every year to get there fill but some of the other parts of town are having a harder time with less travelers coming to town for skiing or hiking. So it is a great time to find a great deal on hotels in Jackson and have a great vacation in spite of the economy. There are so many fun things to do in the Jackson Hole area during any time of year. You have the Grand Teton Mountains and Yellowstone Park close by to spend time exploring. The town of Jackson has many fun things to see and do all of its own.

The minute you pull into the center of town you will be taken with the Town Square. You can’t miss the amazing arches built up on each corner of the little park. The arches are made out of hundreds of elk antlers. It seems like thousands when you look at them. There is a memorial for soldiers that came from that area in the center of the square. On each street across from the park there are many shops, galleries and restaurants to spend your time in. Maybe you can find a deal on some trinket to remember your trip by.

There is a museum in town that is over 50 years old. The Jackson Hole Museum is on Glenwood Street and has over 12,000 artifacts and antiquities that come from early Native American tribes and tools that were used by the first settlers, trappers and traders that lived in the area. There are some stories that go along with some of those items and it should keep you captivated for a while. Then there is a short trip out to the National Elk Refuge. They have saved some land as a preserve for more than 5000 elk who migrate to the area every winter. You can take your kids on a horse drawn sleigh ride during the winter months.

One will find themselves in a city were many things began when staying at a Annapolis Maryland hotel www.annapolishotel.net. There are many nice places to stay and you will find them all on the mentioned site, in one place, for a convenient and easy comparison. One might be visiting this town specifically for the Annapolis Naval Academy that has been here since 1845. It is was originally built on the site of Fort Severn along the Severn River. They have expanded it over the years by reclaiming the land from the river to make more space. It is no wonder they built this academy here along a militarily strategic river. An early proponent of having an organized training for sea military was Commodore Matthew Perry. He fought in many early wars both at home and abroad. Some believe it was because of him that the Academy was built. If you have a chance to visit the academy while you are in town you could see the replica of the Gokoku-ji Bell that was a gift from the Ryukyuan Government which Commodore Perry brought back to this country.

One can get a glimpse of some of the academy on the movie titled, Annapolis, which take the viewers on a journey on what it means to become a naval officer. Some of the notable buildings are the Bancroft Hall which is the largest building on campus as well as the largest dormitory in the world. The Memorial Hall and the Rotunda are open to the public. The Navel Academy Chapel is also a beautiful place to visit. It is located in the center of campus and houses the remains of John Paul Jones, who was the first notable naval fighter serving in the American Revolutionary War. It is a very large place. A city with in a city. And the starting point for many fine naval men and women who are eager to serve there country on the high seas.

One thing is certain, and that is that Fort Lauderdale, Florida is not the place for everyone. In fact, if you’re not interested in having a great time and enjoying your days on fabulous beaches and spending your nights dancing in clubs and enjoying a beautiful evening then Fort Lauderdale may not be the place for you. Oh, there is also great shopping opportunities, entertainment options and interesting cultural landmarks and events, so if none of that appeals to you or if you’re offended by great festivals and fine dining you should stay away from Fort Lauderdale. I’ve been saying this for years and meanwhile the tourists who continually fill the rooms in some of Fort Lauderdale’s hotels and luxury resorts never seem to get the message.

Okay, so I am being slightly facetious but that’s because I actually encountered a person who felt the way I described above. About five years ago I went with a group of friends and we all had an amazing time except one person, Morrie. He actually did not want to go to the beach with us and complained the entire afternoon when we dragged him along. He also didn’t want to go anywhere to get any food because he was afraid, oh I don’t remember what he was afraid of but something. And he simply complained about every thing everywhere we went. Finally we just stopped dragging him with us and let him hang out in the hotel everyday, where he still wasn’t happy. It was the oddest thing. We spent an afternoon that Riverwalk arts district, this was when we were still dragging Morrie with us, and he did nothing but whine the entire day. There was some really incredible music playing and art pieces along the way and he wasn’t interested in any of it. I’ve never known anyone like Morrie, but just as a warning always be sure you know the travel temperament of anyone you vacation with

We’ve been plenty of times to Myrtle Beach for golf, but this year, we decided to change it up and head west. We picked Scottsdale, Arizona and we thoroughly enjoyed what Scottsdale offers. There’s great golf, great food, the weather is warm in the winter, there’s a young University crowd, and we could see why people chose to retire here. There’s no humidity, it only rains occasionally, there are tons and tons of golf courses, no earthquakes, no hurricanes, no mosquitoes and the desert lawns need no mowing. What else could anyone need?

After we check in to our resort hotel, which we found this site: online, we went out for dinner, we were in the mood for Satori Sushi and the restaurant we found was very delightful, it’s called Pearl. They had a great special the night we were there, 2:1 sushi! They had a bar that was both on the inside of the restaurant and on the outside. At the bar we got to watch some sports as we ate very delicious sushi.

The next morning, we started off by going to the PGA superstore. After we purchased several golf items, we hit the golf course. It became very evident that there was a great amount of young people working at the courses and at the golf stores. This is so opposite of Myrtle Beach, where most of the people are retired and working at a reduced rate in order to keep there Social Security benefits. Scottsdale was teeming with young blood.

We never saw a rattlesnake, but we did see one on top of the tee box who had lost the battle to a nine-iron. Since we were here during the shoulder season, we got to pay reduced rates, which allowed us to play 9 rounds at 8 different golf courses. We heard if we come back in June, the rates drop even lower, but we doubt we’d enjoy golfing in 100 degree weather. We also found out that if we do come back during the Arizona summer, hotel rates drop dramatically also. Plus, if we purchase what’s called a ‘Southwest Pass’, this pass gives up to 50% discount on certain golf courses. We didn’t find that out until we were heading back home.

Tampa, Florida is a fantastic city for living, and it’s also a splendid place to visit.  The mix of gorgeous tropical weather, along with a very lively, multi-cultural local population, is a very sure recipe for an interesting time.  Visitors from all over the world, and all walks of life find something to enjoy here, and for the locals, there are many hidden secrets that make it an endlessly unraveling puzzle.  Many people come to visit with the idea that they might move here someday, and this site has some excellent lodgings for people coming to check things out.

Musically, there is a wide variety of tastes in Tampa.  You’ll no doubt hear a lot of pop and top 40 coming from car stereos, along with a heady blend of urban, hiphop, and Latin-inflected rock and rap, and a lot of the crooners will echo around at any given stoplight.  There is a very strong Cuban heartbeat here, and Cuban variations of urban and folk music can be heard from stereos as well as live renditions.  In this mix, then, one of the most anticipated events of the season will no doubt be the Engelbert Humperdinck concert in Clearwater in mid-February.

This show will be exciting particularly for students of culture, because it is a bit unusual, and it will be extremely fascinating to see who turns out.  The centuries will start to collide with each other as this Anglo-Indian singer from England performs his own brand of popular song.  Humperdinck was born Arnold Dorsey, and changed his name to honor the German composer of Hansel and Gretel.  The singer crosses cultures as well as histories, and it will be interesting to see how the local trickster gods of time and space negotiate this performance.

Matlock was a television series that was popular from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s. It starred Andy Griffith as the sharp instinctive and intelligent defense lawyer Ben Matlock who frequently proved his client’s innocence by trapping in the witness chair the individual who actually committed the crime. The series was set in Atlanta, Georgia and area hotels were a periodic setting for scenes. The series was a huge success for Griffith who had enjoyed a lifetime of great television characters and was well established in the minds of generations of Americans.

The show’s format was similar to that of Perry Mason, another popular legal drama thought it existed in a much earlier time period and ran from approximately 1957 to 1966. The basic difference between the two shows was that Mason’s clients usually endured the entire trial process and his outcome was usually decided by the jury, while Matlock generally concluded his cases in the pre-trial hearing. This is more of a difference that would be noted by legal buffs and courtroom followers rather than suspense and mystery fans, which simply enjoyed the story, and process of Matlock’s investigation and discovery. As with many television shows that are set in city’s across the country tourists frequently try and visit various set locations and this was the case with Matlock and visitors to Atlanta.

The show went through various transitions and changes in cast members as it continued through the years and one area that saw changes was in Matlock’s assistance and daughters. A few of the enduring characteristics of Matlock’s character and the series is that he remained a simple and down to earth person and always seemed to win his case. He was known for taking extremely difficult murder cases where everyone in the world, other than Matlock, believed he was guilty. It wasn’t until his final questioning of the actual murderer in the witness stand did everyone else realize that his client was innocent. And Matlock also seemed to have an interest in representing only those that were truly innocent of the crime and sincerely needed his help, though they paid large sums of money for it.

The quiet Northwestern town of Portland, Oregon is home to many things, gardens, bike trails, farmer markets, art festivals, organic restaurants, best Portland hotels …and ghost stories.  From large cities to small towns, one of the things that every community has in common are the myths, the legends and the tales that produce chills on cold nights around a campfire.  There are many old buildings in the city of Portland, all of which lend themselves to spooky tales and stories of ghostly sightings. 

One such building is the Pittock Mansion.  The mansion is more than one hundred years old, and was purchased by and renovated by the city in 1964.  Since then there have been many sightings and stories of strange things happening.  Pictures move from wall to wall, and misty figures are said to take tours along with real live visitors.  Some say that they can detect the strong aroma of roses, while other hear the sounds of heavy footsteps.  People who work in the mansion have their own stories as well.  One tour guide reported that windows have a way of shutting and locking themselves, only to be opened back up a few moments later. 

In taking a tour of the haunted buildings of Portland, there are a few others that should not be missed.  The Bagdad Theatre is allegedly haunted and the woman who runs it now has some pretty scary accounts of things happening in the theatre late at night.  Lights coming on by themselves, and chilling breezes running across the stage.  And of course there is a haunted pub, there always seems to be a haunted pub.  The White Eagle Tavern has become a favorite spot for those wishing to catch a glimpse of the paranormal.  Menus and the “Specials” boards have been seen to fly through the pub late at night, causing the staff themselves to believe in the strange and unusual.  Ghost tours of any city are fun, provided you are aware that you may see something that will blow your mind and make you question reality as you know it.

Simply turn on the news and you can see that most businesses right now are suffering. With the economy still somewhat shaky and the light not quite visible at the end of the tunnel, now is the time to enhance your business. Every day the web becomes a greater part of how we live. We use it daily to search for information, products and services, and entertainment. In an effort to make your business stand apart from the rest, the web needs to be a bigger part of your business.
Anytime a customer is looking for a product or service, they are going to begin on the web. They are looking to see if you offer the services they require, what prices you charge, and any other information that can help them make a decision. This is why it is important to have a solid, easy to locate website. If you really want exposure for your business consider setting up a page on one of the social networking sites like Facebook or Twitter. Something else that potential clients will be looking for that could make or break their decision are user reviews. If, in their search for your company, they find a string of bad comments or reviews, they will probably start looking for someone else. This is where Online Reputation Management comes in.
Online Reputation Management is a process of monitoring the information provided by search engines such as Yahoo or Google. If there are negative comments or reviews then companies like Elixir Interactive can begin the process of moving those sites out and replacing them with positive ones. The key is vigilance. By staying on top of competitors, clients, and former employees are saying, you can catch issues before they become a problem. For more >> information on the importance of online reputation management and what you can do for your business, visit elixirinteractive.com.

For many people nationwide this difficult financial time has left them not just tightening their proverbial belts, but instead has left them without a job and means of income completely. All are left with an uncertainty of where to turn next, but not all choose the same path. For some this is an opportunity to pursue things they never had time to before. Many head back to school for degrees that will help put them a step ahead when the job market begins to improve. They attempt to better themselves while they wait out the storm. For many more there is no other option except to find a new job. Before you hit the pavement with resumes in hand, there are a few things that you can do to prepare and, hopefully, deliver that long-awaited offer.
With the world becoming ever more internet based, it is not unusual for employers to utilize this tool when considering an individual for employment. Before you begin you job search try typing your name into Google and see what comes up. If nothing comes up or it is all positive then you are free and clear for this part. If there are some negative comments you may need to consider some reputation management. Monitoring can be done fairly easily from your home or by contacting an marketing agency that specializes in that type of work. Even if they can’t help you, they may be able to suggest some things you can do yourself or perhaps a link that can get you going in the right direction.
The next things that you want to check is your social networking sites; Facebook and Twitter. Look them over closely for anything that could be damaging or incriminating. New reports estimate that nearly half of all employers check the Facebook’s of potential employees. Don’t leave anything on there that you wouldn’t want your boss to see. For many this will be their first impression of you, so make it the best.
Once your online reputation is cleaned up and you have revamped and strengthened your resume, you are ready to not just hit the job market, but knock their socks off.

From coast to coast, around the nation’s shores, there lie ship museums, vessels that once plied the oceans and now are moored to piers to enlighten travelers and tourists alike.  In San Diego, California, you’ll find the H.M.S. Surprise, a replica of a Royal Navy 28 gun frigate, which was used in the film Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, as part of the Maritime Museum of San Diego; while, on the other side of the nation, in Tampa, Florida, you’ll discover the SS American Victory, a 455 foot long VC2-S-AP2 merchant ship used in World War Two, which now is a floating museum devoted to celebrating the men and women of the American Merchant Fleet, which provided its service to the world ever since 1775, two hundred and thirty-five years ago. 
 
Check out the local Tampa hotels by visiting the site here, and prepare to come aboard and receive an amazing education on American Maritime History.  The idea of the American Victory Mariners Memorial & Museum Ship is to preserve and interpret maritime culture, as well as its legacy of the maritime industry, encouraging young people to share the enthusiasm and understanding of the important contributions the industry made in history.  
 
The American Victory offers a tour of the restoration process, allowing visitors to see what an operational merchant cargo ship from the 1940s is like.  The vessel in three wars: World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars.  If you go, you’ll be able to see almost the whole ship: immense cargo holds, the hospital and galley, weaponry, radio gyro rooms, steering stations, a flying bridge, wheelhouse, crew and officer messes, the engine room, crew cabins, the chartroom and lifeboats, and so on.  You’ll also see a photographic history of the ship and other period merchant vessels, including uniforms and documents and medals.  Admission for adults is ten dollars, while children pay half that, and those under three years of age attend for free.  Once you’re finished in Tampa, consider heading for San Diego next to visit all the museum ships available there!

Lowell, Massachusetts, is where the Industrial Revolution really took hold in the United States in the 19th Century.  Known as the Mill City, Lowell in the 21st Century now features a National Historic Park, turning several mill buildings into museums that thoroughly explores that historical era.  You’ll find such museums as the Boott Cotton Mills Museum, which explores the Boott Mills and its one hundred and twenty year life, which ended in 1955 (you’ll find here original mill equipment, allowing visitors to both feel the vibrations of these machines and hear their constant, thrumming roar).  While the American Textile History Museum is currently closed to the public, you can certainly see the National Streetcar Museum as well as the New England Quilt Museum.
 
More interesting to me, though, is the Revolving Museum in Lowell.  This facility is designed to be a kind of “evolving laboratory of creative expression,” intended to serve people in different ages and abilities and backgrounds.  The idea is to allow people to express themselves and experience art’s power as an experience of transformation.  How is this done?  By exhibiting public art displays, both at the Museum and other locations, using educational programs, working with Lowell’s residents and students.  Just three years ago, in 2007, the Revolving Museum won the Massachusetts Culture Council Commonwealth Award, an award intended to honor how the Museum integrates the arts, the sciences, and the humanities in Lowell. 
 
The museum’s founder, Jerry Beck, operates from the principle that “art can be made anywhere at anytime with anybody.”  At first, the Revolving Museum was centered in Boston, some thirty miles away from Lowell, from 1984 to 2002, moving from location to location. Finally, the museum made a permanent home in Lowell in the historic Lowell Gas & Light building, constructed in 1859.  Since its time in Lowell, only a few years, the museum has held fifteen major exhibition, promoting social values with Lowell’s youth as it does so. 
 
If you should happen to stay in one of Lowell’s hotels, take the time to check out this intriguing museum and its work for the community.

Okay, this time I really just could not wait to arrive at LaGuardia Airport in New York. I had only been to the city three times prior to this last trip and while I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each of them, I have to be honest and say that my excitement and also reason for visiting this last time was not surpassed by any of my previous experiences. Even when I saw Kathleen Turner on Broadway in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Okay, so yeah, that was a great experience, and one that I will never forget. Nor will I forget seeing Cyndi Lauper and Allen Cummings in Bertolt Brecht’s Threepenny Opera. Oh, and to be fair the music for that show was by Kurt Weill. So yes, those great Broadway shows and my previous experiences in New York City were absolutely incredible, but still, they just can’t compare to my most recent trip.

And yes, I guess after all that over the top introduction, anyone reading this certainly deserves to know the reason why my last trip was so special. And if you haven’t already figured out why I was so eager to settle into my five star hotel New York City, I was going there to finally meet in person the love of my life. Well, maybe that sounded a bit strange without being privy to the actual background of this relationship.

It just so happens that I met Alex through an online dating service. It was actually as a fluke that it happened, especially since I don’t even live in New York. A friend of mine was desperate to meet someone and she wanted to join this service but was too nervous to do it alone. She begged me to sign up as well, and while it’s not like I had date offers lining up at the door, I was just never really interested in these services. So, to help my friend I went ahead and put up a profile, but I listed New York as my preferred search area. It just seemed like a big enough city that my actions couldn’t come back to haunt me. Well, I guess the joke would be on me if I wasn’t the one laughing. It turns out Alex responded to my ad and we just started talking regularly. I would still be a skeptic, but we’re getting married next month so I guess I can’t be.

It’s our last full day in Miami, Florida. We decided to head to the beach today. We’ve pretty much stuck around our hotel because it’s so fantastic, there was really no reason to leave this wonderful resort of Florida: check out this site and you’ll see why.  At the beach, we found out that it would cost us a bit of cash to rent a deluxe lounge chair; the price was kind of a shocker for us, $18! We really didn’t want to put our microfiber towel on the sand, so we just ended up walking along the beach for a couple of hours, then headed back to relax poolside at our resort hotel and that didn’t cost us a thing!

Later, we thought we catch a bus to explore some of Downtown Miami and check out Little Havana. Little Havana was not so big a place. From there we walked around downtown Miami, and it was pretty much like any small city with its tall buildings. We ended up at the Bayside Market, which we found had some very interesting stalls, shops and restaurants. We actually ate at ‘Bubba Gump Shrimp Company‘, it’s a whole restaurant devoted to the Bubba character in ‘Forest Gump’. They truly had tons of ways to serve the shrimp and there was a little gift shop. After that, we enjoyed getting a fruit smoothie at one of the vendor stalls. Today as been one of the more relaxing days we’ve had in a while, which is a strange thing to say, being on vacation and all, but we’ve been on the go from day one of our trip, catching all the trains, buses and waiting. Lots of waiting. Then having to find a great restaurant to eat at and catching a taxi to take us there, so today was a real treat. There was nothing on our agenda, which dawned on us that maybe that’s how we should travel from now on, no agenda, because today really was a very nice and relaxing day, a day that made us really feel like we were on a vacation.

Pete Sampras found a rickety racket in the basement.  In that moment his life changed forever.  His parents and others knew it to when they started to notice how hard he could hit the ball.  It made dings in the garage door of his childhood home.  Since then his burgeoning talent has taken him to soaring to great heights of fame and fortune.

Like most professional tennis players, he discovered his dream early on to play tennis and never stopped pursuing that dream.  His fierce talent isn’t the only thing that makes him a success on and off the courts.  He has a charm and the looks that prove popular with fans and advertisers alike.  Unlike the tennis bad boys of the seventies and the eighties, most players like Sampras have toned it down a bit, and try to keep temper to a minimum, thought there are always going to be a few flare ups from time to time.

However, Sampras is the kind of player that rarely loses his cool.  During the year 1990, he won the US Open.  At age nineteen, he is the youngest to do so, especially since you can only start to play the hard and heavy players at age eighteen.  Throughout the years he has racked up some impressive numbers that are a testament to his strength and his skills as a player.  With Grand Slams, he ranks with more than ten wins.  At Wimbledon, he has been there and won that seven times.  Additionally, he has two Australian Opens under his belt, and with the latest Australian Open Tennis Championship, he is looking probably to put one more there.

His style is part of what defines him as a player.  He has great serves and volleys and a demeanor to match.  He is always pleasant at interviews and to fans.  He might not be flashy, but he does have certain kind of grace and gentleman charm.  He is the Gary Cooper of the tennis court.

One of the spaces in the city of Austin, that has become one of the beloved spaces, is the thirty acre garden located along the banks of the Colorado River, the Zilker Botanical Garden.  In many cities, in fact just about every major city, the botanic gardens are rich with history, rich with the tender loving care of someone who planted them years and years ago, and the continued care provided by those alive today.  This garden in Austin has a few varied sections, each with its own theme.  There are the delicately tended Japanese gardens, the herb gardens, and the rose garden, all situated along the banks of the streams that run throughout.  There is even a section that is dedicated to the prehistoric dinosaur era.  A fascinating section for kids, as I know no child, male or female who is not totally enthralled by that long ago time period.

Like most things in Austin, Texas this garden is a unique anomaly, a collaboration between the Austin Area Garden Council and the Department of Parks and Recreation.  When looking for an adventure on a budget, and heading out from your room in one of the Austin luxury hotels, make a stop at the garden as it is, and always has been, free to the public.   The garden remains open year round and offers classes, seminars and docent led tours.  The Zilker Garden was established in 1955 and has followed through with their commitment and their mission, which is to promote the love for and the education of gardening for people of every age.  More than half a million people visit the garden each year, from all corners of the world.  And throughout the years, thousands upon thousands of school age children, and adults alike, have benefited not only from the peaceful nature of the garden, but from the information provided as well.

Micro-loans, otherwise known as Payday loans are making life easier for thousands of individuals everyday. With this downturn in the economy, a majority of people are feeling the pinch of financial issues and a short-term loan is the best solution to free them from feeling helpless and trapped. Once an application is filled out on-line, the funds will be wired to their bank account, sometimes within hours.

When there’s not enough funds in the bank account, or credit cards are at their credit-limit, these micro-loans are best when there is an emergency, such as a loved one admitted to the hospital for an emergency surgery, an expensive auto repair bill, or an unexpected high utility bill.  Searching on the Internet, you will see pages and pages of payday loan companies and usually the borrower will not have time to do due-diligence when it come to finding the best micro-lender, such as the Money Mutual Montel Williams TV Campaign, which is one of the better micro-lenders on the net and one that will benefit any ’strapped-for-cash’ individual quickly and compassionately.

The benefits of applying for a Payday loan, is that most financial institutions, such as banks, will deny most short-term loans, plus they will want to know what the loan if for before they deny the loan. With a Payday loan, there will be formalities to fill-out on the application, but the reason for the short-term isn’t necessary and the money will be wired to the individuals bank account. Then, once the individuals paycheck is deposited, the micro-lender will get back the amount loaned along with the interest due. Another benefit is just how fast the loan is approved so the borrower can immediately take care of business and keep their peace of mind.

It’s always wise to do comparison shopping when it comes to Payday loan companies, because they are very competitive when it comes to the interest rate charged for the short-term loan. When financial aid is in need, Payday loan companies are there to help not only the borrower, but the creditors as well.

Paul is two things, he is an incurable romantic and he is addicted to traveling. So it’s only natural that when he heard that the Cook Islands are frequently considered to be the greatest secret in the Pacific, he absolutely had to go and he wanted to take a date. As can sometimes happen with extreme romantic individuals, Paul seemed to be slightly more into the idea of romance than with whom he was enjoying the experience. A good example of this occurs every year on February fourteenth. Regardless of the amount of time he has been dating a woman he goes to every length possible to make Valentine’s Day an event to remember. This was even true for the one year that he didn’t have a girlfriend on that significant date. He ended up having a first date with a woman and scheduled it on Valentine’s Day just so he could carry out his annual ritual of roses, wine, chocolate and fine dining followed by a river cruise.

When Paul found out about the intrigue of Cook Islands he happened to be in a relationship with Judy, a woman he had been dating for two months, which was a long time for him. Unfortunately he had also been thinking about ending things with Judy as she was just too practical for him and was showing signs of growing tired of the constant love notes and surprises. So, while this seemed like the perfect romantic trip to Paul he found himself in something of a dilemma. He wasn’t sure if he should plan the trip and make reservations in a Cook Islands hotel right away or if he should hold off, wait for Judy to break up with him and take someone else. Well, one other tendency Paul had was to be impatient, or as he preferred to say, spontaneous. So, once again another surprise came Judy’s way and she was presented with the tickets and reservations. This time she was actually excited and the two of them had a fabulous time, and yes it was even romantic with the beautiful beaches and sensational sunsets. They spent a full week on Rarotonga, one of the largest of the fifteen islands, which is also were they flew into.

The maritime history of Baltimore is rich and extensive.  The city was built on the shores of the Inner Harbor, and through the years this harbor has been responsible for the growth and the success of this fishing town in Baltimore.  International trade and commerce has thrived, the port was once only second to New York in welcoming European immigrants, and consequently, the city has one of the most impressive collections of historical ships in the country.

For fans of history, fans of the shipping industry, this is a place wherein many dreams come true.  From tours to midnight strolls on the decks of these ships to a Baltimore restaurant experience out on the waters in the Harbor, to educational programs, this city has it all.  One such impressive ship is the USS Constellation.  For many years during both World Wars, Baltimore was the ship building capital of the country, and the USS Constellation is one of the finest examples of the work that was done during those years.

This ship was actually built very early on in the industry, in 1787 she was launched in the harbor, designed by Josiah Fox and Joshua Humphreys at the Sterrett Shipyard.  Her first journeys include trips to the West Indies and to the Caribbean captained by Thomas Truxtun, in order to protect the United States trade interests in those foreign waters.  Then a few years later in 1799, the ship and her crew successfully captured a French ship, L’Insurgente in a battle at sea just off of the island of Nevis in the West Indies.

She survived many such adventures, but was damaged by winds in the Delaware Bay in 1801, and required numerous repairs.  In all this is a ship where just walking on the decks one will be filled with the hundreds of years this ship and her crews have taken to the open waters.  Word has it around Baltimore, that some of those crew members still walk the ship from time to time, and it is for this reason that the USS Constellation is often included in the ghost tours of Baltimore.  If the sea, and the ships, and the possibility of catching a glimpse of a ghostly captain are things that you are interested in, this is one historic location in Baltimore that should not be missed.

I remember the fireplace accessories my grand-parents had sitting just aside their fireplace.  They consisted of a cast iron basket in which to hold the logs, and a stand which contained just three things, a fire poker, a small broom and a small cast iron “dust pan” on the end of the handle.  My memories of this flood back when I see these sets of accessories today, and great waves of nostalgia. However, with the new designs of fireplaces, the new additions and alterations to the fireplace, there are so many more accessories that are not only functional, but are artistic and intended to enhance not only the building and maintaining of a fire, but the beauty of it and the fireplace as well.

Now, one may choose to add a “fire-back”, which is a reflective piece of metal put along the back, behind the fire, which will greatly enhance the visual effects as the dancing flames are doubled.  Andirons are another accessory, and are used for function and for beauty.  Instead of the standard grate that is used to keep the logs from rolling out of the fireplace and onto the floor, the andiron keeps the logs in the fire, and will also protect the fire-back from damage of the flames.

Many people will add a touch of the charm of the old days, such as adding a steamer or a kettle.  And again, they serve to not only create a mood or an atmosphere, you fill these pots with water, and the humidity levels will rise in your home.  This is a great addition to consider as fires may dry out the already dry winter air.  Beauty and function may also sit atop the mantle, for not only are there many beautiful vases in which to hold your long fire matchsticks, the matchsticks too, now come in an array of colors.  So you may decide to incorporate them into the overall color scheme of your home decor.  With so many options, the fireplace can now not only be the functional centerpiece for a room, but the focal point of design as well.

The culture of instant stardom is something that takes a toll on everyone, whether you have close ties to the entertainment industry, or if you’re living far off the map, planning an internet-based revolution.  It’s difficult to escape that instant need to look at three or more things without putting them into some kind of order in your mind.  This could very well be the result of the shows where people compete and try to have talent in front of other people.  There are judges, and there is a pithy host, and there is usually an audience, and all of these units have the ability to make a judgment.

Sometimes it’s a swiftrank, and sometimes it’s less quick, but we have a new reflex in us that we’ve never seen before.  It’s a fascinating phenomenon, but it may be one we will have to reckon with in the years to come.  Who knows what kinds of realities are shaped when we can have access to all kinds of new information in seconds?  This becomes even more complex when we add the culture of stardom to the equation.  Of course, the idea of celebrity is really nothing new.  Milan Kundera’s Immortality has some fantastic and elegant passages about the history of the sound bite, arguing that it was in existence long before the phenomenon of recording media accessible today.

We have always had an uncanny ability for discernment, and it’s one of the great pillars of wisdom.  What’s possibly novel, in these times, is not our ability to discern, but the need to judge.  It is built into how we look at the world, and it’s certainly something that’s peculiar to the age where rising stars are often determined by instant ratings on television and the internet.  What’s peculiar here is not the act of judgement itself, but the impulse behind it.  We are programmed as if our ability to make quantitative judgments was in fact a life of death proposition.  And the fact of the matter is, there is no giant elk running toward us, threatening our lives if we don’t decide who is the better pop singer.  Interestingly, we are at the point where we all have ready answers, and are willing to speak into the elk’s antlers at the drop of a hat.

It’s funny how things that cycle through the common wisdom of the times, and how each generation always has to go through a little process of reinventing the wheel to discover what works now is often very much like what worked before.  In the early days of business training, we were taught to have a winning attitude, and that this was sometimes everything.  It’s come around again this generation where that wisdom is coming back into vogue, and of course, it never really left, but just had to work its way into the language again.

There are often times when things work so well for so long, that we decide collectively that there must be ways of improving on what we know to be true.  That’s always a genuinely good-intentioned assumption, but it never goes very far before we start looking deeply at the complexity of our times, to try to find some hidden patterns that we didn’t see before, in order to gain some kind of new wisdom for what we need to do to make things work.  It does seem as though this always results in discovering, somewhere along the way, that there is no new wisdom at all, but the lessons of the past are still relevant to our times.  Perhaps the only new wisdom, then, is that the old wisdom works, and that’s why it’s called wisdom to begin with.

Because there are so many new ideas, it’s always beneficial to learn the basics, and to keep refreshing ourselves on these, so that we can remain solid in what we do.  And there certainly have been new lessons to learn in how the basics work, and that’s one reason why sales process improvement comes with immersing ourselves in the traditions and techniques that have always made great salespeople who they are.  A winner’s edge in this day and age may have some new accessories, but the heart of the attitude is still very much the same, and very much worth cultivating at every turn along the way.

My first full day on Sentosa Island, which is across the water from Singapore. After a great sleep at one of the Sentosa hotels Singapore offers as well, but I decided since I came to Singapore to visit Sentosa only, why not just stay on Sentosa. I missed the complimentary breakfast, I stayed in bed and ordered room service instead. I had arranged to meet up with these two guys I met on the plane trip, they too wanted to see Sentosa Island, but were staying in Singapore. We were to meet at 12:30 at the Merlion statue.

I forgot to bring a charger for my phone! So my mobile was dead, so there was no way to call the two American guys in-case our meet-up time and place needed to be changed or there was a mix-up. They had my hotel number though. As I was waiting by the Merlion statue and it was getting to be 1pm, it dawned on me that there are two Merlions! One here on Sentosa and one at the Singapore harbour. I mean, we didn’t specify which Merlion to meet at, I was assuming the one on Sentosa, but they could have meant the one on Singapore. I waited until 1:30pm and they were a no show. I thought I’d give it enough time for them, if they figured it out that I’m at the Sentosa Merlion, to take the cable car over here. But, by about a quarter till 2pm, I figured this was a bust.

I headed back to my hotel room to see if I got a message, I did! They were wondering why I stood them up. I returned their call from my hotel room and left them a message about the two Merlions, and that I’d be out and about all day today, since I only have today and tomorrow here. I told them if they’d like to try again tomorrow, same time, same place (my Merlion) to leave me a message at my hotel.

I finally broke down and bought a phone charger, ugh, an expense I wasn’t counting on, but I feel helpless without a mobile phone. Then I explored what Sentosa could offer me. It’s like a holiday island with tons of visitors and attractions. Since I already visited the Merlion, a main attraction here, I went to the Singapore tower, which is a revolving tower that gives great views of the skyline. I didn’t realize just how massive Singapore’s port of harbor is, it’s huge with loads of container ships scattered all over the bay. I then went on the Luge, which is this 700 meter concrete course with plastic sledges with which you go down the hills. I really had a great time there, if I meet up with the American boys tomorrow, I’ll have to take them here. It’s so much fun.

When I got back to my hotel, I got another message, they will meet with me tomorrow, here on Sentosa! Now, I’ll start having a fantastic time here, those boys are fun!

In the last year, I’ve had no less than two friends return from Italy, each with a digital camera or video recorder filled with photos and clips of their stay, from Florence to Rome.  Although I’ve traveled fairly extensively myself, I began those journeys later in life, and so have begun to think not only of the places I’ve been, but the places I still wish to go, and the trips of my friends have made me add not only a new country to the list, but a new city, too: Sorrento.

Many cities in Europe were founded in around the 11th Century, such as Neuchatel, Switzerland, or Tallinn, Estonia, but Sorrento claims history as long ago as the 1st Century B.C., when the Romans colonized it and, similar to Pompeii, it became a resort for the rich.  As with any place that has lasted this long, a number of interesting things have happened: It’s seen many battles; once the Roman Empire fell, the city was taken by the Goths, conquered again in 552 A.D., by the Goths, and, until the 10th Century, was a part of the Byzantine Duchy, receiving independence in 1067, then conquered again in 1133 by the Normans.  It passed through several more hands and fought peoples and towns, only to be destroyed by pirates in 1558.  Immediately afterwards, the town was rebuilt, boasting new fortifications — defensive towers and walls.

Walking through the center of Sorrento, you’ll find Medieval Buildings.  On the west side of Piazza Tasso, at 14 Via Pieta, you should find the Palazzo Veniero, with 13th Century facades, much like wood marquetry.  The former Palazzo Correale contains two 14th century windows and a portal at number 24.  Then, walking a few more steps, you’ll find the town’s 15th Century Duomo (the Cathedral of San Fiolippo and San Giacomo).

Sorrento is perhaps best known for its the craft of wood inlay and marquetry.  To take a look at 19th Century marquetry furniture, as well as frescoes, take a look at the Museo Bottega della Tarsia Lignea, which is to be found inside the 18th Century Palazo Pomaranci Santomasi.

Throughout the town, though you’ll find examples of architecture from the 11th Century to the 18th Century.  Personally, I can’t wait to look through the hotels Sorrento has, and make a reservation for my own visit to Italy.

Well they they have all been here over the centuries. This little port town, Roquestas de Mar, has seen the likes of the Romans, Greeks and Phoenicians as they came and went in the early years. This town like many on the coast of Spain started as a modest fishing town with agriculture in the lands behind it. It has the old Castle of the Las Roquetas. They also call it Santa Ana and it was built by the Muslim settlement that came here in the eighteenths century. In the Parrales, there are vineyards they used to cultivate.

As they got more into their agriculture they created the first greenhouse which of course made them famous. It was such an innovative design that worked so well that they shared it with the surrounding areas and it became a success. The province of Almeria was the innovator of a new cultivation technique. Since fishing was a small trade in Roquestas de Mar, they put more into their agriculture and that is were they gained there wealth. In the 1960s, people became more internationally mobile and this quaint little town wanted to attract more visitors. It’s efforts paid off and it became the center of national tourist interest in 1964.

After visitors have checked into one of the sweet roquetas de mar hotels, they can set out for some little adventures. There is always the beach and water to spend time on. In the San Jose bay water sport enthusiasts can take off on may kinds of water crafts, toss a line out for some fishing or do some underwater photography. If it is land adventuring that is more interesting, spectators can take a day trip to a small lost village in the middle of the mountain range. There are a few hidden forgotten treasures in the woods like the Castala, the Alcolea, or the Laujar which were old residences to the Moorish Kings.