How Many Plastic Cards are in Your Wallet?

02. December 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Misc · Tags:

If you’re over a certain age you’ll remember a time when a wallet was full of photos and only had a few ID and bank or credit cards. Today, however, photos most likely reside on your cell phone or smartphone and your wallet is filled to overflowing with plastic card . You may even have key tags on your keyring which are just another form of card. The average person has many more cards now than they have bills in their wallet or than they used to have photos.

The most obvious type of cards are ID and insurance. A drivers license, perhaps a voter registration or a work ID card are givens. While you used to have one medical insurance card, today you may have one each for medical, dental, vision, and even flex spending accounts. There are also AAA, road assistance, and even auto insurance cards to keep track of.

Membership cards are the next largest category. In addition to library cards and club memberships, there are also cards for retail shopping clubs, such as Costco and Sam’s Club. Loyalty and reward programs are closely related to these. Many grocery stores, restaurants, department stores, and even service-related businesses now use these cards to apply discounts and accumulate rewards points for future purchases.

And don’t forget the original plastic that still resides in your wallet. Most people now have multiple bank or debit cards (one for each account) as well as numerous credit and charge cards from both banks and specific stores. The number of these has swelled over the years from a few to a dozen or more per wallet.

Can You Afford a Pool?

17. November 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Misc · Tags:

So many people dream of owning a pool, but the costs seem prohibitive or they live in an inhospitable climate, so they never move forward with the idea. Pools can be expensive, but the range of costs is actually quite wide and there are affordable options that might make the dream of a pool obtainable to those who think it’s outside their budget.

That’s not to say anyone should rush out and hire Pool builders in Houston . They still need to do some careful financial planning to determine whether or not a pool is financially feasible.

The first thing to consider is the actual cost of installation. This is going to vary based on location as well materials, size, and features. A small, bare bones pool with inexpensive materials and no special features can cost as little as $10,000 in the Houston area. However, adding on features, increasing the size and upgrading the materials can raise the price to $50,000 or more.

The other important thing to consider when deciding on a pool is what it will cost to maintain. This includes estimating water and electrical costs associated with the pool as well as hiring a pool cleaner or buying the supplies and chemicals to maintain it yourself. Additional budget should be set aside to pair for repairs and problems that might arise and there may be an increase in home owners insurance to cover liabilities associated with a pool.

Taking all these costs into consideration will determine whether or not a pool is an affordable investment for a family or individual.

Treating Dual Diagnosis Addicts

24. October 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Misc · Tags:

Drug addiction is a debilitating disease that hurts not only the addict, but their loved ones, friends, and even co-workers. Addiction can be exacerbated when a junkie has a second problem that requires treatment, though it is more common than most people realize. There is a definite link between eating disorders and substance abuse in a certain segment of the population and other mental illnesses such as anxiety disorder , depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder also seem to be linked to drug addiction.

It is vitally important than an addict with an additional problem be accurately diagnosed before entering a drug treatment program. This is because not all programs are equipped to provide dual diagnosis treatment , or they are only able to do so for certain combinations of diagnosis. The odds of an addict achieving a successful recovery are dependent on their ability to receive treatment for both problems.

The danger is that someone who successfully beats a drug addiction but still harbors another illness will be more likely to have a relapse when the untreated condition flares up. Someone coming out of rehab is going to feel a certain sense of elation at beating the addiction, but they will also feel vulnerable, and rightly so. One bout of PTSD or depression could send them back to the comfort of their drug and spiral them into another round of addiction.

Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale

06. October 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Misc · Tags:

Fort Lauderdale is world famous as a Spring Break destination for college students. It’s gorgeous beaches attract tens of thousands of visitors year round — and not just college kids. Families, couples, and even business travelers make their way to the city’s best hotels. Ft. Lauderdale tourists may wonder what to do once the sunsets and the beaches empty. Rest assured, there is plenty of entertainment to be had at the city’s many performance venues.

The Broward Center for the Performing Arts is the best place to find musicals, theater, and special performances in Ft. Lauderdale. There’s also The Filmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater, and the the Dreyfoos Concert Hall at Kravis Center.

If you’re looking for live music, try the Cruzan Amphitheater, the Hard Rock Live at the Seminole, Roger Dean Stadium, Sun Life Stadium, or the American Airlines Arena. Other performance venues in the area include the Culture Room and Revolution Live. You can also find stages at area casinos like Gulfstream Park and other racing and casino resorts.

Cooking Vacation in New Orleans

02. October 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Misc · Tags:

New Orleans has a wonderful range of cooking schools for people at all culinary levels of experience to help created a Louisiana vacation with a difference. New Orleans is famous for its delectable southern cooking and is the perfect place to not only experience incredible regional dishes, but to learn how to cook them as well.

The Louisiana city’s culinary schools, tourists can return home from a New Orleans vacation with the ability to whip up a fantastic southern style dish, rather than return home with a few strands of beads and a souvenir Bourbon Street cocktail glass.

There is a range of cooking schools that will cater to everyone from the burgeoning chefs to people who don’t even know how to boil water. Some classes can last for a few hours and focus on one dish and vacationers can stay at one of the five star New Orleans hotels , while other schools allow vacationers to move in for a few days and learn how to prepare a full meal.

The New Orleans School of Cooking is found in a renovated Molasses store in the city’s French Quarter and offers open or private demonstration lunch classes, hands on cooking classes and team building events. The New Orleans Cooking Experience is a culinary school that offers personalized cooking classes for small groups of no more than ten people. Most classes involve learning how to prepare a 4-course Cajun or Creole meal.

Las Vegas Fine Art Culture

28. September 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Misc · Tags:

CENTERpiece Gallery presents the works of Las Vegas local artists, which began on September 16, 2010 and will run through November 7, 2010. The Gallery is located along the lower level of the Crystals Place, which is situated inside the Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas porte-cochere next to Kiton and Carolina Herrear at 3720 Las Vegas Blvd. South, Suite 181.

‘Locals Only’ is the 2nd installations by The MCQ Fine Art and CENTERpiece Gallery , which is held quarterly. Each exhibition has featured the works of selected artist from the Las Vegas community such as Sush Machida. ‘Locals Only’ is his first solo exhibition.

CENTERpiece Gallery is a 2,500 square-foot fine art and design venue that focuses not only on the traditional mediums of contemporary art, but also presents unique and functional design objects and furniture. The gallery showcases works by many of the contemporary artists and architects featured throughout CityCenter. The exhibit is free, open to the public and is within walking distance from a Las Vegas hotel .

Resent past events of the gallery included Fine Art Jewelry celebrating designs by Lola and George of Las Vegas and The Art of Fashion; a contemporary fashion event that highlighted fashion inspired by Las Vegas and previewed Carolina Herrera Pre-fall Collection.

Singapore Sun Festival

23. September 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Misc · Tags:

Those wishing to Experience 10 Days of Living Well are encouraged to reserve a Singapore hotel and plan to attend the Singapore Sun Festival, October 29 – November 7, 2010. The annual event, which began in 2007, is known as Asia’s premiere music and lifestyle festival. It features a dazzling array of star-studded performances and high profile events in seven different disciplines: music, literature, film, visual art, wellness, food and wine.

The Sun Festival this year features headliners Natalie Cole, David Foster , Charice, Peter Cetera, The Canadian Tenors, and Ruben Studdard in HITMAN – David Foster and Friends for two gala nights. Other performances include Jose Carreras with the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory Orchestra, George Benson and the The Creole Choir of Cuba. Look for onstage interviews with stars, presentations by writers and filmmakers, visual exhibitions by arts such as Jimmy Ong and Diana Francis , and a Sumatran exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum. Award winning and celebrity chefs as well as leading wine experts and critics will provide meals and classes and there will be yoga, meditation and wellness sessions throughout the event.

Awarded “Leisure Event of the Year” by the Singapore Tourism Board, the Sun Festival is sister to festivals held in Tuscany and California.

Vancouver Fashion Week

19. September 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Misc · Tags:

Fashion came to Vancouver this week, with the annual FMA Fashion Week running September 12-15, 2010. Produced by Andy Chu, the event brings together the stars of fashion, music, and art and awards leaders in all three categories as well as Canadian Achievement. Runway shows, art exhibits, and exciting musical performances are all part of the fabric of FMA 2010.

This year’s awards were handed out at the September 12th Opening Night Awards Reception. RozeMerie Cuevas of JC Studio earned the fashion award recognizing a quarter century of business success. Others earning awards this year were Chan Hon Goh (ballerina), Elise Estrada (singer), Emanuel Sandhu (dancer and figure skater).

Originally a single event at the Centre for Performing arts, fashion lovers can expect designers, artists, and musicians to occupy Vancouver hotels as the event expands to a week-long festival. Retail outlets will offer discounts to ticketholders who visit the stores during the Week and area restaurants are also offering discounts to attendees. Funds raised from auctions, ticket sales, and partnerships with restaurants will benefit the Sarah McLachlan Foundation.

Unlike other fashion events at this time of year, which focus on selling Spring lines to buyers, FMA Fashion Week focuses on the consumer. Designers will be showcasing fall and winter fashions that attendees can buy right away.

Meditation for Heightened Awareness

03. September 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Misc · Tags:

Thinking of all the benefits that meditation can offer, perhaps the most obvious is heightened awareness. The importance and benefit of heightened awareness, however, can’t be over-stated. Awareness means living fully in the moment, and there are many philosophers of mystic traditions who make a very convincing case that this is the great secret. Those who have experienced the kind of bliss offered by yoga, transcendental, or Sahaja Meditation have a taste of the sensation of living in the now.

Most everyone does have a memory of being fully present, and everyone has that capacity. It’s something that young children and animals seem to have most of the time. This means living without yearning from the past, or worry for the future, but being able to breathe fully into the moment at hand. It seems difficult when one is far away from the present, and very easy when one has arrived.

It is perhaps as close to Buddha-hood that one can get while inhabiting the body. What makes it so remarkable is that being present not only means being able to be fully responsive to the people present at the moment, but ones thoughts and feelings are entirely at hand, not necessarily controlled, but made useful, so that compassion may determine the course of things as the moment unfolds.

Mapping Your Way Across Africa

30. August 2010 · Write a comment · Categories: Misc · Tags:

It is common to many people from most countries to dream of traveling the world. And most people discover that once they visit a foreign country they become almost obsessed with traveling . There are many reasons for this and most of them are incredibly life enhancing. In fact, the only non-enhancing aspect most analysts can think of is the potential budget deficit. However, any traveler will tell you that the money they put aside for traveling is a non negotiable part of their budget and they would rather eliminate almost anything before giving up travel. Besides, a Europe or Africa map really doesn’t cost that much.

Africa is actually one of the top tourist destinations for many people from Europe and the Americas. South Africa has some incredibly vibrant cities and amazingly beautiful coastal areas and the rest of the country is rich in geography and cultural heritage. National geographic maps and magazines offer quality insight to some of the standard features of African countries as well as those from across the world. Interactive features associated with some online maps provide fun and exciting explorations into the Serengeti and other places you would like to travel. They are also great at providing solid information on your destination and frequently present special attraction notices.

Looking at any map prior to a visit will usually enhance your trip and provide a general overview awareness of the location. This is especially important when traveling to a place where the culture speaks a different language or with which you are highly unaware.

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