Neiman Marcus in Dallas

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June 29, 2010

The Dallas of today still has to contend with a national image that comes from a couple generations ago. Today it’s a vastly cosmopolitan city, where politicians, artists, bankers, and intellectuals all have a place in the grand order of things. People from all backgrounds, with different languages, traditions, and cultural practices live in the urban center. Something interesting is happening every day, and there are moments when the cultures, and subcultures push together to make unforgettable moments that speak to a very sophisticated practice in the art of making a community.

The old image, however, is still around, and it’s one that even gets forgotten occasionally. Its origins, coincidentally enough, are roughly in line with the beginnings of the Neiman Marcus retail stores. They started up in 1907, and at the time, they were known for their exquisite taste, providing some of the most luxurious clothes around. They also had a strong reputation from their fashion shows for being one of a kind, and of a very high quality. Their men’s department was added long after they’d been known as a top purveyor of women’s fashion, but that, too, reached a height that earned the respect of competitors as well as shoppers.

It’s still very much that way today, and Neiman Marcus has certainly grown over the years. It’s even become the source of a popular urban legend . It’s still synonymous with high culture and fashion, and the people behind the scenes have tastes which do partly determine how the world will dress in the coming season. For that reason alone, it’s enough to draw a visitor to stay in a five star hotel Dallas offers.

Today, however, it’s a sensibility that’s more widely available than it was at the turn of the 20th century. In those days, the Dallas oil millionaires were the ones who were seen frequenting the store. It’s that idea, of the city slicker living in Dallas, freshly wealthy from a well, that still permeates the cultural imaginary. It did have a place in the history of the city, and may still show remnants of its former self now and then, but today the city is another place entirely, and worthy of endless exploration.

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Plymouth Monument Greets Travelers

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June 26, 2010

One of the primary reasons people, including large numbers of families, visit Plymouth every year is because of its major historic significance and symbolic association to the development of this country’s colonial period. There are many stories about the pilgrims landing in Plymouth and the rock that they first set foot on has come to symbolize the pursuit of freedom and the glory of this country. It is one of the stories, along with the first Thanksgiving, that grade school children don’t leave elementary without knowing and incorporating into their socialized perspective of this country’s history. And those are extremely powerful symbols, enough so that families flock in great numbers to this Massachusetts town every year.

You can pick almost any room in a hotel Plymouth and you will likely find a family who is there to uncover some of their country’s early history. This is an extremely exciting and satisfying experience for most people and fills in the mental images they’ve held throughout their lives. The Mayflower II, which is an exact replication of the original ship and Plymouth Rock are standard points of interest for almost everyone who visits, though there are actually a large number of additional historic landmarks and locations that are great places to visit while you are there.

The Pilgrim Hall Museum has recently been renovated and has expanded to include more displays and exhibits. The museum contains actual relics from the time and has great exhibits that tell the story of the early pilgrims’ experience in the new world. The National Monument to the forefathers stands at the top of a hill facing the harbor. It is the largest granite monument in the country and displays a welcoming beacon into the country. The First Parish Church is an active place of worship and also has tours available. It is the oldest continuous ministry in New England. The congregation traces its origin back to 1606 in England.

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Kansas and Tamara

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June 24, 2010

It is one of those great stories that seems right out of a storybook. A young woman in Kansas grows up with an impossible dream of being in the movies one day, and then one day she does it. For Tamara Feldman , it didn’t seem like a short wait, but in the bigger picture, for any movie star it has to be short. There’s a very small window where one can get discovered and landed in the industry, and it’s only open for a couple of years. It’s enormously unfair, and for women it’s even worse, but that’s how the industry still runs.

So, when a girl from Witchita hits the big-time, it’s a big deal. The Mexican-Native-American actress hit the ground running in the year 2000, at only 20 years old, which is the perfect time to be knocking on doors. They did open, at least, enough of them, to get her parts in shows like CSI, Monk, One Tree Hill, and Boston Legal . This is enough to get the attention of filmmakers, and has two new releases coming out, one this year, and one in the next. It’s not an easy business, but the 20-something on the verge of the next decade is showing that it’s possible to make people pay attention.

She may not be found lurking in Wichita, or visiting the local hotels Kansas is famous for, but the aura is here, and her story is one that does repeat through the ages. It will be interesting to see how Hollywood reckons with her as she starts to show that her intelligence is as bright as her smile, and that people want to see her do more work. In the meantime, her relationship with Bruce Willis sometimes eclipses her own merits, but that’s another pitfall that comes with the territory. When Hollywood notices, it’s handsome men also do, too, and if they do stay together, the age difference will get less and less as the years go by, at least in theory. Her talent can outshine any gossip anyway.

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Fort Lauderdale and Puya

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June 22, 2010

The music of Puerto Rico has been making its way back and forth between the mainland states and its own clubs. It has always had a very significant influence on the music of the world, whether the rest of the world knew it or not. But thanks to the efforts of enormously creative people who are pushing artistic barriers and making new work, along with a few who are enormously talented about being outspoken, it’s been a very interesting time in the world of music.

Puya’ s time spent in Fort Lauderdale was unquestionably time well spent. It got them the gigs they needed, and connection to a large city close by, in order to start getting the songs out there. It earned them enough attention to warrant their being invited to play opening for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and they’ve also spent more than enough concerts playing the headliners as well. They are a musical phenomenon throughout the world, but Latin America has a very special love for them, and between San Juan and Fort Lauderdale, they’ll always have a home.

Fans today can occasionally catch them in Fort Lauderdale. Cheap hotels are plentiful and comfortable, and give a great vista from which to enjoy the city’s live music scene in general. But there’s no one around who plays quite like Puya. They sound like heavy metal mixed with a little bit of punk at first introductions, but after a little listening, the salsa influence starts to come through, and the punk core starts to get stronger. These are very accomplished musicians, and they’ve got almost two decades of experience together.

Their name is a reflection of both culture and sensibility. Puya could mean the point of a spear, or a strong shot of coffee

Categories: Art.

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Local Music Clubs in Chicago

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June 17, 2010

After a long day exploring the city of Chicago, it will be time to get out and see some of the local or international talent that may be performing. This city is known for its music scene and your not going to want to miss it. There is a club for all styles of music. I am sure there is a club or venue not far the luxury hotels chicago is also famous for and your going to enjoy.

Head over to Reggies Rock Club for some great rock music. There is a great band playing every night and they pride themselves on their comfort food. They have a shop called Record Breakers that enthusiasts can search through and hopefully find an old classic on vinyl. It is filled with great CD’s, Movies, T-shirts, posters and other music related items. If your a sports fan as well, this club also features TV’s to watch your favorite game before the show begins.  

You can find some of the best Jazz in the city at Andy’s Jazz Club . This place has a great reputation for bringing in some of the best jazz artists of the city and world. The local musicians bring all forms of jazz to the club like Swing, Fusion, Latin and Afro Pop. It is an intimate setting which is a special feature when jazz is being played. The audience gets to feel like they are in the band. Check out this amazing club that has been around since the 1950s and has hosted some of the greats in the industry.  

Blues is one of Chicago’s legend styles of music and one of the legends of blues opened a great club. Buddy Guys Legends is the place to see some of the best blues in the world. This is one of the newest clubs in the city and it is sure to bring in some of the best.

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Myrtle Beach Unveiled

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June 15, 2010

The way the rhythms become contagious in a small town is a very different rhythm than the way they move in cities. Myrtle Beach has a certain something that is very hard to define, and hard to pin down, and when things start to buzz, it’s a separate sort of communication than can happen anywhere else. When something striking starts to meet the surface of the daily rituals of the town, it usually hits in new and unusual ways.

This is true for interesting events that are happening in town, as well as the things that happen nearby, and it’s not at all unusual for the people here to travel all over to see interesting new work. So when an exhibition like Cynthia Farnell’s “Presence (Veils)” opens in McClellanville, the people here are eager to go. Less than an hours drive is not far in these parts, and it also is an opportunity for visitors staying in Myrtle Beach 4 star hotels to see some local work.

Not to say there’s nothing happening in Myrtle Beach, because there are plenty of things to do all day long, but part of the charm is also in its atmosphere where laid back is the usual speed, and there isn’t another speed anyway.

Professor at Coastal Carolina University , Farnell has created a multimedia installation that looks at the idea of the caul. In many traditional cultures, being born with a caul is a sign that they will have second sight. This refers to the ability to see into spirit worlds, to hear the voices of the dead, and occasionally can include some gifts for telling the future. It is a very old and common idea, but one that has been held under its own veil of secrecy for many years, so the work will speak to local culture in a very provocative way. It’s also quite gorgeous, and the opportunity to see it in person is perfect for the locals as well as for visitors.

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How to Turn Your Internship into a Job

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June 12, 2010

For some people the point of an internship is to just get the requirement over with. When you first start an internship you may not know if you want to work in that field and that is ok. By the end of the internship however it is probably very clear how you feel about the field you have been working in, both to you and to your boss. If you love this field there is no reason why you can not turn this internship into a job. If you don’t love the field you are working in, it may be a little harder to turn the internship into a job , but you have to remember that there are always connections that you have gained who may have job opportunities that will help you move on to the next place you may want to be employed.

Talk to your boss as the internship ends. Many internships turn into jobs within the same company. Sometimes it is doing the same thing that you were doing before, but more often than not there is an increase in responsibilities and many more things to learn. Sometimes it even means an entire job change. Southwestern Company is actually built on this principal that you get a bunch of summer interns, and those that work out well get hired on to other parts of the company. Some of them will work directly with the company, but others will work as one of Southwestern C’s independent contractors who get jobs through some programs that Southwestern Company keeps going. This gives them to opportunity to work either for Southwestern Company’s clients or to work for themselves. If you can’t take sales for a whole summer there are other instances of this happening. The key to remember here, like in any other part of the world is that starting from the bottom can be rewarded if you work for the right people and you do the things you love.

If your boss does say no and they can’t afford to hire you back on, chances are that you have been hanging with the rest of the company, talking to them, getting to know them, learning from them. Some of your co-workers may know of places where you can go job hunt. The experience that you have interning will work to your advantage and rival companies will be able to see that you were an asset at the other company. Just make sure that you don’t tell people why you left the other company. Revealing financial instability is not considered a good hiring point.

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How Tennis is Scored

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June 9, 2010

Tennis captivates the attention of people from all over the world, and the majority of people will take a swipe a tennis ball at some point in their lives. In addition, there is a population of people who regularly get on the court and hit a few balls across the net though they never understand the details of the sport , and more importantly how it is scored. And this is no surprise as the score structure of the game is not as obvious as it is for some other sports. And if you’ve ever looked at some of the Wimbledon scores charts, or those from other major tournaments, it might make your head spin. But of course, there are also those enthusiasts who have a complete understanding of the rules to the game and how it is scored. Cheers to you.

So, how do you score a tennis game and how is it structured? Well, first of all, it’s a tennis match and not a game. Secondly, it’s actually not that complicated and there are a few key terms to understand that will get you on your way. Oh, and Wimbledon tennis is structured no differently than any other tournaments, so once you can read their score chart, you’ll be good to go with all the others.

The basic structure of a tennis match includes points, games and sets. Yes, the word game does play into it at some point. A traditional tennis match concludes with a winner of the best of three sets. One of the unique aspects of tennis scoring is that there is a term that corresponds to specific point values. We’ve all heard the term love used, and this indicates there are no points achieved. I point is referred to as 13, two points is 30, three points is 40 and four points is game. The set is won when the first player achieves game and is at least two points over the opponent’s score. In addition, the score is called with the server’s score first, followed by the receiver’s. That is when you’ll here the term love, love and so on. And in the case of ties, with any point level of three or higher, the score is called as deuce.

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In Positano’s all the Restaurants are Good

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June 1, 2010

When staying in Positano, Italy, it’s recommended to at least try all of the restaurants if at all possible. They are all very good and each one is as different as their chefs. Positano’s is a place where the rich and famous come to relax and dine and wine while working on their tans, so naturally, all the restaurants cater to please their international visitors, but more importantly to please the taste buds of their very discerning local people.

The ‘Chez Black’ offers superb food with a view. Even though the restaurants food is delightful, it’s the view that brings in the crowd. Chez Black is located right on the beach, and it’s one of the two places where you can eat right on the beach. When you come, make sure to get a table outside on the patio, so you can take in the spectacular view of the beach as you eat and drink. The cuisine at Chez Black is a seafood fare served alongside Italian dishes of that region. Try the spaghetti and meatballs, which seems very ordinary, but the way it’s prepared is surprising and the sauce is so flavorful, you’ll want seconds, but instead get the homemade sausage which come with grilled olives on the side. Chez Black is expensive, but the whole town of Positano is expensive.

Ask the staff at your Positano hotels which is the best restaurant to eat at, and they’ll probably say ‘Il Fornillo’ . You won’t hear about this restaurant in the travel books, but it’s considered a favorite amongst the locals. All the dishes are well prepared and memorable, especially their seafood dishes. Of course the restaurant isn’t on the beach, but you’ll really like the fact that it isn’t a tourist trap either and the prices are reasonable, comparatively speaking.

On your honeymoon in Positano? Then you and your new partner must go to ‘Pupetto’s’ for a romantic dinner. Located above the Fornillo beach and only a few minutes walk away from the crowded town center, this quaint little restaurant is on a terrace above the beach and the outdoor tables are right on the edge of the terrace that overlooks the sea and allows the moon to shine down upon the you as you dine by candlelight.

During the day, check out the Delicatessen, which is a little grocery shop and delicatessen located half-way up Via Cristoforo Colombo, just above the little square. This place offers a wide selection of cheese, grilled vegetables, meats, prepare side dishes to create your own fabulous sandwich, which will feed two, or save what you can’t eat as a snack later on in the day. The grilled courgette with chili, garlic oil, buffalo mozzarella cheese and prosciutto sandwich is to die for, the next day, you’ll find yourself wandering back to the Delicatessen to try another scrumptious sandwich.

Categories: Food.

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