Fun Trip To New York City

Review:vyjayanti mehra


NewYork is a busy city of United States Of America .The mention of United States is incomplete without naming New York .The name of New York is mentioned with the Historic mention of its world wide famous wonder ‘The statue Of Liberty .’The statue of Liberty proudly greets the visitor to New York . The Statue is a magnificence in itself and is simply fabulous . It not only makes the city proud but also satisfies the sight seeing thirst of the visitor. The statue also has a remarkable history to mention .The statue is a token of friendship between the people of United States and the people of France .It was presented by the people of France to the people of States .It is a statue that symbolizes harmony and liberty throughout the world .The statue depicts both personal and communal liberty.It symbolizes freedom from unnecessary cobwebs and shackles.The statue is very old and has celebrated its one hundred and twentieth birthday in 2006 AD. It was built in 1886 AD . This amazing wonder is one hundred and fifty one feet tall and weighs nearly two hundred and twenty five tons.Its pedestal is eighty nine feet tall and is made of granite.Overall the statue is a metallic wonder.It was designed by a French designer Frederic Bartholdi . The interior iron framework was designed by Alexender Gustav Eiffel who was also the designer of the Eiffel Tower.The statue’s Pedestal was designed by American architect Richard Morris Hunt .It is located in the New York harbor and promises freedom to the world.
New York touring is exciting if you approach the right services at the right hour .New York presents money saving schemes like chauffeured service which offers new vans, motor coaches and new sedans at great and reasonable rates. Helicopter rides over Manhattan, Statue of Liberty, Empire State building is available at reasonable rates. The rides provide a remarable view of the statue and Manhattan .If Helicopter ride seems costlier then one can take the open top buses or even the boat for a clearer idea. New York touring is incomplete without seeing Brooklyn which has wonders to offer.In Brooklyn one should not miss Astroland Amusement park which awakens the child in you . It offers cyclone roller Coasters,Arcade game rooms and thirty five thrilling rided and attractions.

The New York aquarium which is situated in the Surf Avenue ,Brooklyn has three hundred species of aquine animals .It is spread around fourteen acres .Sea Lion Shows ,Walrus encounters,gift shop, Eatery etc are the mentionable parts of the aquarium .The Brooklyn Botanical Garden, is spread in fifty two acres and offers a collection of valuable flora .The tour to the Botanical Garden can be aided by a ride .

The Asia Society and museum located in the Park Avenue aids to communicate between the people of Asia and the People of America .They display each other’s art pieces ,organize exhibitions and also perform the Media shows . It aims at bringing the peoples of Asia and America together and also provokes love among them. The Bronx Zoo is the country’s largest zoo with more than six thousand animals of over six hundred species .The exhibhits include Tiger Mountain ,Jungle World ,Himalyan Highland ,World of birds,African Plains ,Wild Asia ,Baboon Reserve and 6.5 acres of Congo Guerilla Forests .The zoo has eating and shopping arrangements within the campus. Then the Alexander Doll Company presents the liveliest collection of dolls and Handicrafts. These handicrafts include all kinds of collectable dolls.
Then the world known collection of seven hundred wine show cases, the Alto is situated in the Madison Avenue of New York. This is not all about the mention of the nation’s prestigious city. There are a hundred and one places which are yet to be visited. This article is incomplete if I do not give an idea about staying in New York .The visitor may consult the following to get an idea of residing in New York. Brooklyn Tourism and Visitor Centre ,situated in 209 Joralemon Street ,Brooklyn is the full service tourism centre .It provides counseling information on arts ,events ,attraction etc,.

The Ginger Root located in the Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, provides gourmet cuisine in warm friendly environment. This café also arranges Site dining and site catering. The following sites provide useful information and a complete idea for reasonable dining in New York City: www.available-aahotels.info www.travel.yahoo.com can help you to find cheap hotels in New York City www.newyorkcity.com www.crownplaza.com www.holidayinn.com provides free internet and free eating for kids. www.hotelcompany.com is giving 75% discount for all the visitors who visit New York. So New York is a wonderful city and is reasonable if you visit the right places. Happy touring!
Fun Trip To New York City Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/travel/websites-online-communities/505493-fun-trip-new-york-city/

St Lucia Travel

Review:Literati

One of the most popular destinations for weddings and honeymoons, the Caribbean island of St Lucia is blessed with stunning scenery and amazing weather all year round. A visit to www.stlucia.org puts you straight at the gateway for organising your holiday and provides a zoom map to help you find out more about the island. Don't miss the chance to arrive in style by helicopter when you travel from St Lucia's main airport to your holiday destination! The top beach resort is Rodney Bay, boasting fine hotels, many offering all-in services, plus a selection of the best restaurants that St Lucia has to offer. The locals are friendly and will help you with getting around the island and making the most of local crafts and shopping opportunities. You can even book a guide for the day; local taxi drivers near your hotel will be happy to assist you with a bespoke tour at a reasonable price. An unusual feature is the municipal zoo, where you can be “up close and personal” with the island's most fascinating inhabitants, the iguanas. The island was in fact originally named after them, as Hewanorra, meaning island of the Iguanas! Alternatively, you can go hiking in the rain forest and indulge in a spot of sailing or windsurfing. Mostly, though, a break in St Lucia should involve soaking up the sun and enjoying the laid back atmosphere encouraged by the soft sea breezes. Caribbean themed cocktails often contain the national drink of rum, made from sugar cane. If you are feeling brave you can try the high octane version, double the strength of any normal rum! If you need a change of pace you can enjoy water sports including jet ski or a spate of snorkelling or diving around the beautiful bays.

For the restless shopper a trip to Castries, the island's capital, will take you to the hustle and bustle of the local market. Plus you can usually buy local items such as jewellery made from volcanic rock and brightly coloured sarongs from local sellers in your resort. Either way, remember to chill back down again in the evening, back at your resort, with a cool drink of pineapple juice! Why not also take in a local curry for your evening meal? Or try some Creole style locally caught fish. A little Calypso or Reggae music is about as hectic as it gets for a typical evening's entertainment - so be ready to relax! Things hot up at the weekends at St Lucia though, with local street parties at Gros Islet and Anse La Raye, where you can try locally barbecued fish and chicken and get a real taste of Caribbean carnival spirit. The music will be loud, so be ready to dance! And whilst you’re there why not learn a little St Lucian: if you buy a t-shirt to take home you will see one of the most famous local expressions there: “Chill, Mon!” Remember to visit the stlucia.org website to find special promotions and check details of everything from car hire to currency to dining out.
St Lucia Travel Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/travel/websites-online-communities/3163-st-lucia-travel/

Black People and Nature:a strange phenomena

Summary:Odienne

Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St. James’s Park, the Green Park, Regent’s Park, Primrose Hill, Richmond Park, Hampton Court, and Greenwich Park. What have they all got in common? They’re green, wide, welcoming, pleasant, and all have an almost absolute absence of black people.
I’ve always enjoyed walking, and parks are a particular weakness of mine. The fresh air in the lungs, the relaxing composition of the ambience, the unmissible water feature, the squirrels, the birds, the ducks and geese, and the inevitable dog chasing after them.
The Serpentine is a favourite of mine whenever I am in London. The recently past summer I indulged myself ambling by the lake perimeter whenever I had a few minutes of free time. I strolled along in the early hours of the morning, mid-morning, lunch time, early afternoon, mid-afternoon, late afternoon, early evening, evening and late evening, and the black people I saw sauntering about had a job being counted on the fingers of one hand. There were Spanish, Portuguese, French, Italians, Slovaks, Romanians, Checks, Polish, Russians, Chinese, Japanese, Asians, Americans, and dozens of Arabs, but hardly any black person. Why?
Hazel Thurston in her book Royal Parks for the People introduces Hyde Park as “all things to all people…part and parcel of the everyday life of London’s citizens.” Something had obviously gone amiss when catering for the African descendent population given that, according to the National Statistics of 2001, there were three millions of them living in the capital.
A brief Internet search brought up only one relevant site that took the time to look into0 the strange phenomena. William L. Yancey of Temple University and Jane Snell of Vanderbilt University in their research Parks as Aspects of Leisure in the Inner City looked into the leisure habits of 301 lower, working, and middle-class people of which 152 were black.
The findings, although not definitive, proved some clarification about the absence of black people in parks and generates further questions.
Let’s start by analysing the findings.
1) Black people tend to socialise in small groups with frequent home entertaining;
2) The urban poor’s primary concern is with problems of housing, food, and clothing; only secondarily with recreation and leisure;
3) More blacks than white don’t use parks at all.
The conclusions drawn were that blacks might not be attracted to parks’ activities; that a higher level of community cohesion and a general pattern of not venturing into what has traditionally been regarded as white territory has kept blacks out of the city parks; and finally that middle-class blacks are inhibited and use parks less frequently than whites.

A look at the National Statistics by the Government Office identifies that black people of British, Caribbean or African descent had, in the spring of 2002, an unemployment rate of 61%. It was also found that 77.2% of all black workers were in skilled or unskilled jobs with 60% of them in an intermediate labour force. There were no identifiable blacks, males or females, in the professional sector. Furthermore, blacks were considerably under-represented in the proprietor and director sphere given rise to the consideration that a high majority of blacks is too concerned about making ends meet to entertain the concept of leisure activities.
The second hypothesis has to look into the history of the race in the Western world. Parks have been off-limit for centuries and have only been opened to them since the mid ‘50s highlighting the finding that perhaps black people aren’t completely free of the chains that have kept them tied to “their place” for so long.
Tresa N. Taylor an Crystal Fountain wrote in their research Black Psychology and Black Psychologists, “What people do is motivated by what they believe, and what they believe springs from what they do and experience.”
Segregation in the Western world ended over fifty years ago but the former segregateed are still outside looking in from behind the bars.


Further information can be found in the following publications:
Black Psychology and Black Psychologists, by Tresa N. Taylor and Crystal Fountain, Psych 2001, Prof. Garner 11/03/02 Houston (1990) Chapter 2

National Park Service, Research in the Park, NPS Symposyum Series No.1, Parks as Aspects of Leisure in the Inner-city: An Exploratory Investigation by William L. Yancey and Jane Snell

Royal Parks for the People, by Hazel Thurston, Newton Abbot, London 1974

National Statistics, focus on London 2003, Government Office for London, London:TSO

And on the following websites:

www.ruralmissouri.org
www.enquirer.com
www.washingtonhistory.org
www.aafla.org
www.abdn.ac.uk
www.statistics.gov.uk
www.dadlos.org
www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books
Black People and Nature:a strange phenomena Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/exact-sciences/6158-black-people-nature-strange-phenomena/

Best Seller Books and Top Fantasy Books for the Bookworms

Review:MarisePayne

Books are a man’s best friends. This saying has been proved true time and again. People who like reading books can go on reading for hours together. Also, there are so many books in this world that even if a person reads books day and night, he cannot finish reading all the books in a lifetime. Everyday hundreds of books are released. A number of libraries and book banks have been developed and maintained for the readers. Some of these book banks and libraries are maintained by government while others are private owned. But irrespective of their ownership, they offer a rich bank of books to their readers.

If you are planning to inculcate the habit of reading or even if you are already in the habit of reading books, then you need to know what books you should read. For this, first it is important to know the area of your interest. For instance, you might be interested in reading fiction, autobiographies, novels, thrillers, etc. Or you may even like reading all. Once you know what your area of interest is, you can easily explore the Best Seller Books in that particular domain. For this reason all the libraries are divided into different sections for the convenience of the readers. So, you do not have to waste much time looking for the book of your choice.

Since in this globalised world today everything has become technologically sound, why should the libraries not take the advantage? A number of virtual libraries have also been developed. You can go online, register yourself on the website and read the book of your choice. If you are a fantasy books lover, then you will find some of the Top Fantasy Books online. Similarly, if you like fiction, then the best fiction books will be available in the virtual libraries. The best thing about the virtual libraries is that they are much ahead of the actual libraries which are made of brick and mortar. The reason is that uploading a soft copy of a book is much easier than launching an actual book. Also, you can read sitting at the comfort of your home, without travelling at all. You can even buy books online. You can buy the soft copy as well as the hardcopies of the books available on the internet. Thus, you can create your own library with these virtual or the actual books.

Best Seller Books and Top Fantasy Books for the Bookworms Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/books/science-fiction/2406942-best-seller-books-fantasy-books/

Traveling To Spain - The Spanish Regional Travel Guide

Summary:xoomout

Traveling To Spain - The Spanish Regional Travel Guide


Up to 60 million visitors travel to Spain every year to delight in the country's 315 sunny days and its rich and diverse history and culture. As a result the Spanish government spend millions of Euros per year on the travel and transport infrastructure to service the country's growing population and its ever growing numbers of visitors.

Therefore Spain has to be one of the easiest and most affordable of the world's popular destinations in terms of its accessibility - particularly from the UK and Northern America. For example there are cheap flights available from all British airports to main and regional airports across Spain daily and direct flights from the main Spanish hubs to the US daily. As an alternative for British and European travelers there are fantastic countrywide train, coach and ferry links and great access for those who prefer to travel by car.

This article breaks down the main Spanish travel options by region.

Northern Spain - The easiest way to access this region is by plane from one of the main UK airports flying directly to Bilbao or from the US to Malaga with transfer to Bilbao. It's possible to connect with Iberia flights for connections across the North and throughout Spain. Alsa and Eurolines have sophisticated coach networks and it's possible to travel all the way across Europe to Bilbao or San Sebastian and then pick up local coaches or rail connections. You can also sail from the UK port of Plymouth to Santander with Brittany Ferries, or you could take the P & O route from Portsmouth to Bilbao.

Castile and La Rioja - The cheapest way to access these regions is possibly to fly to one of the main Spanish hubs - Barcelona, Bilbao or Madrid for example, and then either drive or get connecting flights. You can connect with Iberia for flights to Logrona in La Rioja or Valladolid in Castile. Castile, Rioja and Navarre are serviced by an excellent road network which makes getting around simple and again, Alsa coaches will connect you with major and minor destinations across the regions and the entire country.




Central Spain and Madrid - Central Spain's main airport is Madrid and it welcomes direct flights from all the major UK and US airports and some of the smaller ones as well. As Madrid is such a major city you can imagine it acts as an important travel hub for the whole of Spain. Coach and rail networks and main auto routes all radiate from the city. Madrid has two main stations with trains departing for regional and international destinations, and the city has an underground metro system as well.


Costa Blanca - Most visitors for this region enter via Alicante airport. With the Costa Brava well serviced by roads and Alicante airport offering great car hire opportunities many people prefer to access the rest of the region by road, though RENFE, Eurolines and Alsa offer excellent rail and coach alternatives.

Costa de Almeria - You're spoilt for choice when it comes to airports serving this region, you can fly to Alicante or Murcia and travel by road or rail into the region or you can fly direct to Almeria airport. The cheapest flights are often to Alicante. RENFE have mainline train services from Almeria to the city of Granada, Eurolines, Alsa and Enatcar all offer coach services across Costa de Almeria. The major routes in the region are the N340 which runs from Costa Calida through the town of Almeria and on south to the Costa del Sol, the A92 which connects with Granada and the A348 which connects Almeria with the Alpujarras. In terms of sea access, Transmediterranea have ferries from the port of Almeria to Northern Africa.

Costa del Sol and Andalucia - If you can't get a flight to this region of Spain you must be doing something wrong - or maybe just hoping to travel during peak season! The main airport is Malaga and nearly every single airline you can think of flies from almost every UK and US airport you can think of! If you can't get a flight and you're in the UK you might consider driving to the Costa del Sol! In which case your best bet would be to sail from Plymouth to Santander or from Portsmouth to Bilbao and then travel the 900 or so kilometers south. If you start off in Bilbao you'll need the A68 and A1 to Burgos, or from Santander take the N623 to Burgos - then from Burgos travel via the N1 to Madrid. From Madrid head to Granada, from Granada head for Malaga ... phew! Alternatively get a Euroline coach all the way from the UK to Estepona or Malaga or travel from Paris on the fast night train to Madrid and connect with the AVE fast train to Cordoba which in turn connects up with regional Costa del Sol services.


Whatever your final destination you should be able to find cheap flights to some of Spain's main airports and then use local and regional travel services to access your destination of choice; as I hope I've shown, the whole of Spain is incredibly easily accessible.
Traveling To Spain - The Spanish Regional Travel Guide Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/f/humanities/5482-traveling-spain-spanish-regional-travel/

Spain Travel III - Cordoba - Best places to visit

Review:Iulia

Cordoba La Mezquita - the most beautiful and original building of all Spain. The Cathedral Puente Romano: Roman bridge over Guadalquivir river, consisting of 16 arcs and once forming part of the Roman Via Augusta. In the central part of the bridge was added a monument to San Rafael, the town's patron, in 17th century. Torre de Calahorra: Arabian fortification at the Southern end of Puente Romano, originally consisting of two towers connected by an arc, to which was added a third tower in 14th century. Along the river there are rests of Moorish mills, most important being the mill of Albolafia, which was pumping water up to the gardens of the Alcazar. Vis-a-vis there is a Baroque monument to San Rafael of 1781. Alcazar de los Reyes CristianosXI (very beautifull) The Palace of the Christian Kings, built in 1328 by Alfonso, was residence until the reconquest of Granada. Here was kept prisoner the Moorish caliph Boabdil. In the interior of the palace there are remarkable Ara bian baths, Roman mosaics and a sarcophagus of of marble from 3rd century. Originally there were four towers at the corners of the Alcazar, three of which can be seen still today: the Torre de Los Leones, the oldest, which forms the entrance to the palace, the octagonal Torre del Homenajeand the round Torre del Rio. The fourth tower, Torre de la Vela, was destroyed in 19th century. What to eat: Gazpacho and Salmorejo, delicious and refreshing cold soups made mainly of mashed vegetables and olive oil is the indispensable first dish during the hot season. Equally indespensable is Jamon, cured ham, which is produced in extraordinary quality especially in Valle de los Pedroches. Salchichon de Pozo Blanco, a typical sausage, Caña de Lomo and Morcilla, blood sausage, are more specialities.

Despite of the hot climate, there are of course as well warm dishes: you should try specially the ragouts of oxtail, Estofado de Rabo de Buey, and of lamb, Cordero en Caldereta. The typical desserts mostly show Arabian influences: Alfajores, made of almonds and honey, Pestiños, a sweet fried in oil and covered with honey, and Pastel Cordobes are the best known. Cordoba: Excursions The Ruins of Medina-Azahara (8 km out of Cordoba) In 936 caliph Abdul Rahman decided he needed a new residential town, and had built Medina Azahara, at that time the largest town in all the region, by 10.000 workers within 25 years. 4.300 columns, all of them originating from older buildings in all the Mediterranean area. On top of a hill there was the palace, Alcazar Califal, below the administrative district with parks and gardens, while the actual town was located in the flat land. Chroniclers tell us about the extraordinary beauty of the palaces "Throne Hall" and "Golden Salon", both with arcs of ebony and ivory and ornaments of marble, gold and precious stones. In the center there was a basin filled with mercury, which reflected the rays of sunshine. This colossal work existed for only 74 years - then it was conquered and destroyed by the Bereberes. Most of the artworks were stolen, and many of them were lateron integrated in the many palaces of Cordoba. Medina-Azahara was all but forgotten, until archaeologists started to excavate it in 1910.
Spain Travel III - Cordoba - Best places to visit Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/internet-and-technologies/392522-spain-travel-iii-cordoba-best/

Spain Travel Trip - Zaragoza - Best places to visit

Review:Iulia

Zaragoza - It was founded some 2000 years ago, and Old-Iberians, Romans, Goths and Arabians equally left their heritage. Zaragoza as well includes important buildings of Spanish baroque. Zaragoza, capital of Aragón, is often said to be the most Spanish city in Spain. The city's appeal lies in the fact that it has been left relatively untouched by tourism: most travellers know it only as a train station on the way from Barcelona to Madrid. Attractions include the Aljafería, the greatest Moorish edifice outside Andalucía, the Roman Forum of ancient Caesaraugusta, The Basilica de Nuestra Señora del Pilar. This church is one of the most visited places of pilgrimage in all Spain, consecrated to the "Holy Virgin of Pilar". Palacio de la Aljafería This splendid king's palace of 11th century is one of very few remaining Moorish buildings of the dynasty "Taifas". La Audiencia, in the street Conde de Aranda, was built in 1551and served as residence to the Counts of Morata. It is considered one of the most beautiful palaces in Aragón. The Roman Town-Walls The rests of the Roman fortifications, of 3rd century, are a landmark of Zaragoza. Very well conserved parts you can find close to the Tower of Zuda and to the church Iglesia de la Magdalena, alongside Ebro river. Excursiones: 24 kilometer from Uncastillo is located Sos del Rey Católico, another town which seems to be a medieval museum. It is surrounded by impressive town-walls with seven doors, and has a fortress that is well worth seeing. When you walk through its picturesque narrow lanes you may think that time really has stood still here for 700 years. Finally you arrive to Yesa, in a great landscape with an impressive storage lake, known as "Lago de los Pirineos".

The Route of Wine Cariñena is the home of the well-known wine D.O. Cariñena. Apart of offering the possibility to try this great drink at the place where it is produced, this small town is worth a visit also for its colossal town-walls, its town-hall in typical aragonesian style of 16th century, and its fortificated baroque-church. The church Santuario de Nuestra Señora de las Lagunas, at 7 kilometers from Cariñena, is certainly one of the most beautiful baroque buildings in all the region. In Fuentetodos you may visit the birth-place of great artist Goya. Daroca is enclosed by town-walls of 4 kilometers length, with beautiful doors you have to pass still today to enter the town. Its skyline, with at least 100 towers in Arabian style, is truly breath-taking. What to eat : Some of the best known regional specialities are: Bacalao al Ajoarriero, cod-fish with garlic and eggs, Huevos al Salmorejo, eggs with a sauce of asparagus, Longaniza de Fuentes", a highly appreciated kind of sausage, Ternasco Asado, roasted veal, Pollo a la Chilindrón, chicken in a sauce of cured ham, tomatoes, onions and paprika, Cordero a la Pastora, "Lamb Sheppard's style", Lomo de Cerdo a la Zaragozana, cutlett, and Recao, made of beans, potatoes and rice. The excellent wines of the region, Cariñena, Borja, Paniza, Lecera and Valle de Jalón, are a perfect company to the recipes mentioned above. Traditional sweets are Turrones, Roscones and Mostillo.
Spain Travel Trip - Zaragoza - Best places to visit Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/f/internet-and-technologies/392527-spain-travel-trip-zaragoza-best/

Spain Travel Trip - LA MANCHA - Best places to visit

Review:Iulia

La Mancha This region, made famous by Cervantes in his "Don Quijote", presents itself exactly as the visitor expects. In Illescas, located half on the way between Toledo and Madrid (at 35 km from each), we find traces of a very old history, from Palaeolithic to middle-ages. The most important monuments are: the Hospital Nuestra Señora de La Caridad, founded by Cardinal Cisneros. In its interior there are exposed 5 paintings of El Greco; the church Iglesia de Santa Maria, of 13th and 14th century, with its well-known tower called Giraldilla de Sagra; the church Iglesia de las Terciarias, with its Puerta de Ugena, an 11th century Arabian door. Esquivias was the home-town of Cervantes. Ocaña is worth a visit because of its Roman rests, its elegant Renaissance palace and its beautiful main square, Plaza Mayor, of 18th century. Tembleque , very typical in its regional style, offers an original Plaza Mayor, with beautiful galleries. The Route of the Castles A large number of old castles you can find in this region.

To visit the most important of them, start your journey in Guadamur, with one of the most beautiful medieval fortresses of all Spain. Barciense has a gothic castle, and in Torrijos, the old residential town of Pedro I. the Cruel you will see the Colegiata with its extraordinary plateresque portal. The castle of Maqueda , of 15th century, was built over an old Arabian fortress. It shows beautiful elements of Mudejar-style. This town was of great strategical importance and so a lot of famous battles were fought here. In the manorial Escalona , hometown of Infante Don Juan Manuel, there are the ruins of its impressive Alcazar. What to eat – Perdiz Estofado – con beans Perdiz con Pochas; Potato omlette –Tortilla a la Magra; Queso Manchego (cheese); Marzipan cheese. Wines: D.O.C. La Mancha y Mentrida.
Spain Travel Trip VI - LA MANCHA - Best places to visit Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/f/internet-and-technologies/392531-spain-travel-trip-vi-la/

The Second Gilded Age: The Great Reaction in the United States, 1973-2001

Summary:EddieB

When I was working on the assembly line at General Electric in 1979, a boss came down one day and gave each worker a share of stock worth $3.00. I tore mine up and threw it in the trash. Even so, the company kept it on record, and from time to time in the 1980s and ‘90s contacted me to say that the stock had split and increased in value. To make a long story short, by August 2001, that lonely share of GE stock had multiplied like capitalist loaves and fishes into 90 shares—now worth $4,500. Not being much of a capitalist, I gave away my totally unearned loot to my family or the Catholic Worker community. Even so, when I imagined from this one example just how much the rich, the near-rich and the obscenely rich must have increased their wealth during this time, I understand just what Michael McHugh meant when he called it a Second Gilded Age.
Anyone interested in politics, culture and race will certainly be enthralled with this book! It describes the cycles of US History from the time of the First Gilded Age (1873-1901) to the Second a century later. Both were periods of laissez faire capitalism, of Robber Barons who exploited new technologies to establish giant industries such as John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil in the 19th Century or Microsoft a hundred years later. In these capitalist heydays, wealth and incomes are highly concentrated in the hands of the top 10% of the population, while the living standards for most of the population stagnated or declined. Far from protecting and defending the interests of the common people, politicians serve the oligarchy during these Gilded Ages, while manipulating the voters through the calculated use of racism, religious and cultural issues, law and order and nationalism. It is no accident that these capitalist heydays are also the heydays of right-wing populist movements like the Ku Klux Klan and Moral Majority.

McHugh compares these Gilded Ages with what he calls the Historical Exception Period of 1945-73. He shows us how prosperity after World War II, when the American Empire was at its strongest, also gave working people social democratic and modern liberal capitalist welfare state. Building on the New Deal and Fair Deal of the 1930s and 1940s, the New Frontier of John Kennedy and the Great Society Lyndon Johnson created programs that uplifted the city’s and fed the hungry plus Medicare, which enriched the elderly with help on their medical expenses. As a result of the Second Reconstruction of 1954-65, new laws were passed to protect minorities in voting rights, affirmative action and desegregation of schools and work places. In the 1968 election, the Vietnam War was tearing the fabric of the nation apart. Nixon beat out Humphrey for the presidency. Nixon was the last president of the Historical Exception Period and the initiator of the Second Gilded Age. He promised to dismantle the Great Society programs that benefited poor women with children the so called ‘welfare queens’. He was effective in manipulating the backlash of white voters, which Republicans called the Southern Strategy. Nixon also used the issue of ‘law and order’ to erode the gains which minorities and working people had gained during the Historical Exception Period. Reelected in a landslide against George McGovern in 1972, only the Watergate break-in and his disgrace and his ouster from office prevented him from establishing a new Republican majority. Nixon self-destructed in 1974, but the conservative backlash endured and prospered despite this.

I cannot do this book a great enough service. In The Second Gilded Age, Dr. Michael McHugh has given a concise critique of the history of the workings of our society and political system in an amazing way. This book should be read by scholars or anyone who is concerned about the future this country and our world. It at least offers the hope that the Gilded Ages are cyclical and that although they might have seemed endless at the time, they have never been the last word in history.
The Second Gilded Age: The Great Reaction in the United States, 1973-2001 Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/social-sciences/919272-second-gilded-age-great-reaction/

A Glimpse of Japanese Social Changes Through Bathing Custom

 Review:TsingHua

As an island country, Japan possesses its unique island civilization. With the development of economical and cultural exchanges with the outside world, mixed culture has gradually become the nation's mainstream culture. Among all kinds of Japanese folk customs, bathing custom has got its own distinguishing features. Japanese have been enjoying bathing for a long time. Japanese took rivers and hot spring as their bathing places, which was later on developed into bathing rooms in Buddhism temples; people took baths in sento (a public bathing place for populace, where people clean their bodies with soaps and hot water outside of the bathing pool.then soak in the pool)and nowadays they can bathe in their own family fulo (a bathroom with a bathtub), what's more, psychological changes of Japanese bathing are worth researching. The reasons for these rest with mangaspects:Firstly, it owes to Japan's geographical locations——hot spring and rivers spread all over the country; Secondly, Japan has contained a great deal of outer culture, especially since the prosperity of Buddhism which promoted Japanese bathing customs in shape; Thirdly, the development of the newly emerging classes forces caused great changes in Japanese bathing places; Finally, the success of modern industrilization made bathing as populace's enjoyable amusement and entertainment. On the whole, each political, economical & cultural transformations in Japanese bathing will have a great influence on its bathing motives and forms. Therefore, it is absolutely possible for us to peep at the Japanese social changes by knowing its bathing culture.
A Glimpse of Japanese Social Changes Through Bathing Custom Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/business-management/1599114-glimpse-japanese-social-changes-bathing/

Japanese Cuisine- unique gastronomy

Summary:ehr

Japanese cuisine may be one of the most popular cuisines worldwide. In about every city in the entire world there is at least one Japanese restaurant, if not more. Usually, for a specific cuisine to cling in people's life like Japanese cuisine did, a certain originality in taste has to exist, and Japanese cuisine has it. The ideal Japanese meals are sushi, rice, and Yakisoba (fried noodles), those three were directly affected by the Japan's geographical features. Japan, located off the East coast of Asia, is an archipelago nation comprised of four main islands, from North to South: Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku, and over 3500 smaller islands. Mountains occupy over 80% of Japan's landmass, in which 186 of them are volcanoes; about sixty of them are active. Though living next to a volcano includes a maintaining risk of eruption, the volcanoes in Japan can be seen in a positive point of view on general. With all defaults, volcanoes can become a huge plus, considering the rich soil they leave surrounding themselves. The soil around volcanoes has many vitamins and is very nutritious, leaving the crops grow around the volcano as never seen before. This geographical feature, the volcanoes, has effected dearly on the Japanese cuisine. Beside the volcanoes, Japan's location has too played a major role in the creation of Japanese cuisine. Japan, from one hand, is in the Northern Hampshire, which means it has a similar weather to North America and Europe; cold to freezing winters with snow. With that weather on several regions, tropical weather exists too in Japan, due to the south area, which is closely located to the equator. Another factor and may be the main factor, which influenced the formation of Japanese cuisine may be the fact that Japan itself is an island, and is surrounded all around by sea. Rice, eaten daily in Japanese culture, is a plant grown only in warm weather with lots of rain.

Such plant grew successfully in Japan due to the warm and tropical weather in the southern part of Japan. As in for sushi, the best known Japanese meal developed too as a result of culture interacting with Japan's geography. Due to the fact that Japan is completely surrounded by waters, if there was something Japan didn’t lack were fish supplies. The Japanese too had a belief in which a fish is at its best for meal when it's fresh of the water, raw. And when geography allowed the growing of rice and rich quantities of fish, the wonderful combination was created, and so called sushi. A unique fifteenth-century development shortened the fermentation period of sushi to one or two weeks and made both the fish and the rice edible. It is true that each country has its own agriculture, but Japan's culture wouldn't have standout as much if it wasn't for its location. Usually a country as its own special costumes and food, but as time goes by; it loses a bit of its value due to the other cultures that surround it. Since Japan was an island somewhat far from other countries, it maintained certain agriculture values like in cuisine, which would have been probably influenced differently if Japan neighbored another country. A perfect example is the 1600's in Japan, when Japan's shotgun closed Japan's gates to visitors, after he feared European will take over the country. During that period Japan's agriculture grew, by being isolated, Japan's special values were maintained and it grew its own taste in cuisine and such.
Japanese Cuisine- unique gastronomy Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/humanities/484541-japanese-cuisine-unique-gastronomy/

Authenticity of a Food Festival

Review:miruku

What is tradition? What is culture? Tradition is “a practice, custom, or story that is memorized and passed down from generation to generation”1 while culture refers to “patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activity significance.”2 In another words, both of them are playing the role as a status or identity of something. Identity is the feeling of belonging to a group. Every group has its own special characteristic which people can easily distinguish it from the other. For instance, Sushi to Japanese, Kimchi to Korean, and Dim Sum for the Chinese. Identity also can be explained as a brand. Taking a very good example on the fried chicken in KFC and the fried chicken in McDonalds, they are named the same, fried chicken. However, they taste different because of the use of spices, method of cooking and other secret recipe. That is their distinguish feature, that is the identification. We, as human being created and transmit culture because it helps us in defining ourselves in this world.

Today, tourism has become a crucial subject in the study of culture. To experience ‘a new something’ became the goal and the purpose of the tourist endeavors that ceased to be solely holidays. Hence, creating ''new something'' became a motivational imperative for the professionals in tourist industry. This can be explained by the quote from George H. Lewis: “Spawned by the desire of communities to put themselves on the map, creating positive images and symbols for themselves (which in turn, generates spirit as well as attracting tourist and business interest); and by the need of to belong, to participate in a community, to feel a part of social groups (even if they are contrived and last only for a day or two), this sort of invented community festival has become increasingly common in our society.”3 In many places of the world tourism has become a key agent in constructing and reconstructing ‘traditional culture’. In fact, today, traditional dress, traditional dances and traditional houses often exist only for the tourists.

The argument I would like to bring up for this case is, most of the festival celebrations we have today are contrived or reconstructed for tourism purpose yet the traditions that serve as powerful touchstones for identity cannot be contrived or invented. Tradition cannot be born again, the medieval stones are here but the spirit is gone. But atleast they have the medieval stones. The minimum requirement in organizing a festival is, they must have atleast have a “local culture and foodstuffs as, really, an excuse to create, or invent, a tradition for purpose that are to some extent.”4 Traditions and cultures were originally fully embedded in the folk lives, a way of living. Now culture is highly institutionalized, classified and ready for use in ''cultural tourism''. At the same time traditions are put up as scenes or "reconstructed". By the time traveling, one doesn’t actually need vivid imagination, but rather a particular location and the knowledge to recognize. In this case, I’ve eventually chosen a study on the Tadau Ka’amatan (Harvest Festival) by the Kadazan in Sabah.

Brief Introduction on Sabah & the Kadazan
Sabah is one of the states of Malaysia. “Located at the northeast corner of Borneo, Sabah was known in ancient times as the ‘land below the wind’ because it lies below the typhoon belt. Sabah''s terrain is rugged, with Mt. Kinabalu, at 4,101 metres, dominating the surrounding landscape. It has a wide diversity of flora and fauna, as well as one of the world''s largest rainforests. The state capital of Sabah is Kota Kinabalu, which is formerly known as Jesselton. Sabah''s people comprise 31 different indigenous groups, including the Kadazans, Muruts, Bajaus, Kedayans, Sulu, Bisaya, Rumanau, Minokok, and Rungus.”5 The Kadazan are the largest ethnic group indigenous of Sabah. They are found mainly on the west coast of Sabah, theocales, and various locations in the interior. Kadazan culture is heavily influenced by the farming of rice, culminating in various delicacies and alcoholic drinks prepared through differing home-brewed fermentation processes. Tapai and lihing are the main rice wine variants served and consumed in Kadazan populated areas, and are a staple of Kadazan social gatherings and ceremonies. The Kadazan has “ancient beliefs on the verity that everything has life - the rocks, trees, and rivers are all living things. They have souls and spirits that must be appeased from time to time through specific rituals. In these modern times, some of the rituals are less performed accept during certain festivities.”6

Tadau Ka’amatan / Pesta Ka’amatan (Harvest Festival of Kadazan)
The Tadau Ka’amatan, Sabah''s very own Harvest Festival, is intricately connected with rice cultivation, and with the cycle of life. Rice is Sabah’s golden crop, the grain of life, and the Tadau Ka’amatan marks the end of the planting cycle. It is closely associated with religion, culture and social order. The Kadazan Ka’amatan Festival is perhaps the most indigenous and grandest Festival in Sabah. Merry celebrations are held at all levels, commencing with the kampung (village) level, then district level and climaxing with the state level celebrations on 30th and 31st May every year. During the festival celebration, throughout Sabah Kadazan celebrants gather in village community halls, at the houses of affluent personalities, and even in town ‘padangs’ (fields) and community centers to thank the spirits for a good harvest and pray for blessings for a better harvest the following year. “Agricultural shows, exhibitions, cultural programs, buffalo races, and other traditional games are held during the festival. There is much merrymaking and feasting with rice wine flowing freely throughout the festivities.”7 Traditional costumes are worn by the Kadazan and enjoy a carnival atmosphere which stretches from daybreak till dawn.

History of Tadau Ka’amatan / Pesta Ka’amatan
Since times immemorial it has been the traditional practice of the natives of Sabah (the Kadazan in particular) to hold a yearly harvest celebration. Historically and traditionally, the Ka’amatan Festival was usually held at the first sighting of the full moon immediately after the harvesting season. The appearance of the full moon was commonly referred to as the period of tawang (full moon). During the tawang the natives made strict observances and would refrain from hard labour. Instead, they would rest to hold a village celebration that could last for two to three days.

In the district of Tambunan (a small village in Sabah), as in many other areas, the preparations for the Tadau Ka’amatan involved everyone, regardless they are young or old, man or woman. The men used to organize group hunting expeditions to provide enough meat for the celebrations, while the women organize themselves to produce enough rice for making rice wine (tapai) and for cooking on the day of the Ka’amatan celebration.

At village level, the eve of the Ka’amatan Festival was lead mainly by the Bobohizans, the ritual specialists paying homage and offering thanksgivings to Bambaazon, the rice spirit, for the good harvest. Then, on the first day traditional sports took place, and on the second day communal reunion through feasting, drinking, music and dancing.

The Kadazan believe that in the days of yore the people suffered a great famine. Their God (Kinoingan) took pity upon them, and sacrificed his daughter, Huminodun, by cutting her into small pieces. Her flesh was sown over the land and from these sprang the first rice plants. Thus the Kadazan community believes that the transfigured sacrifice of Huminodun is embodied as the spirit of rice known as Bambaazon. The Ka’amatan Festival is particularly significant as it marks not only the occasion to honour Bambaazon and to thank God for
Authenticity of a Food Festival Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/books/1688259-authenticity-food-festival/

Bellevue Strawberry Festival: Childhood Memories

Summary:eurekaedora

Strawberry Festival
If I were to be restricted to but one more visit to my native
town, I think I should choose to make that visit at the time of the
Strawberry Festival. In my eyes it holds all of the glamour and sparkle
of a trip to a foreign land, so completely is our town changed while it
endures. As I see it now it is through the eyes of the child who saw it
then.
I can''t seem to keep my eyes to the ground as I walk down the
street, for there are so many intriguing things to be seen above. There
are the great, splashy signs across the street saying that this is the
way to the Strawberry Festival. The street is strung with lovely
brilliant lights that shine overhead at night and transport one to
Fairyland. All of my friends, both young and old, are laughing and gay.
We all feel that it is our duty, and a delightful one at that, to don
our festive manners and welcome visitors to our fair city. When we
reach the gates there is a great deal of good natured bantering going
on. As ever there are the very impressive state patrol men in their
immaculate uniforms. My extreme respect for officers of the law never
fails to make me sidle past them with down-cast eyes. The boy-scouts,
who are parking cars so methodically, are included in my awe of
official uniforms. I have nothing in common with them today. I have a
hearty respect, too, for the men who manage the last details, and,
despite their shirtsleeves and bare heads, retain their dignity. Safely
past the "powers that be" I assume my air of nonchalance once more,
although I am fairly bubbling with excitement inside. I have always thought that our park was beautiful, but today,

teaming with life as it is, it is even more beautiful in its cool,
green wildness. It is not in the least a civilized, citified park, but
now with its neat rows of tables and striped awnings it has the air of
being dressed for the occasion. The most impressive structure (next to the band stand) is the
serving booth. Here I take my stand to feast my eyes upon the visions
of snowy biscuits oozing with juicy, red strawberries and topped with a
luscious mound of whipped cream. Finally, clutching my pennies in my
fist I push my way to the front, no longer content to merely look.
Because I am such a little girl, the lady-who-works-in-the-post-office
gives me an extra large helping. With my precious burden balanced
safely, I trot to the table where a group of children of my own age
have gathered. With a sigh of relief I note that they all have
shortcakes too. It is not long before the band begins a stirring
concert. From that time on, much to my joy, there is a succession of
skits, songs, and dances upon the platform. When it begins to get dark
people become more and more hard to recognize until the lights come
twinkling on one by one. Then my land of fancy is a reality.
Bellevue Strawberry Festival: Childhood Memories Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/humanities/1672014-bellevue-strawberry-festival-childhood-memories/

Pawn Shop St Louis- The Best Customer Focused Pawn Shop

Review:leewood

Pawn Shop St Louis provides you with the best inventory related to jewelry, electronics, loan etc.
Pawn Shop St Louis is a fantastic pawn shop. This is one such pawn shop that may provide you with a variety of attractive items. The items available here may catch your attention at an immediate note, while you may just give a glance at the items sold by them. The pawn shop generally puts up music instruments, jewelry made of gold, diamond, and silver, watches, computers and electronic goods, television sets, etc. for auction. If you a person out in the market for watches or jewelry this is the best place for you as you may find the best things possible at great attractive deals. The pawn shop offers perfect quality items in a good condition. This shows that most of the items sold by the shop are durable as they stand up to the experimentation of time and handling.
However, before you begin your shopping spree at any of the pawn shops possible you should have an appropriate idea about them.
Firstly, you should have complete information about the pawn shop. You should clear your doubts with regard to every question that arises in your mind. You should have adequate knowledge about the shop’s strong hold and its presence on the internet. Try to gain knowledge about the shop’s online store and gather information on the deals available there.
Second, you should keep a track of the fact whether the store is customer friendly or not. In order to do this you should definitely pay attention to the fact whether the staff acknowledges you as and when you enter the shop. The acknowledgement and behavior of the staff is very important for customers. In fact, this is the only thing that can help you to understand whether the store is customer focused or not.

Third, you must try to pay attention to the people around you. In fact, you must also notice whether there are other customers in the shop who are buying the items that have been displayed in the shop. Also try to find out if there are people who are applying for loans here.
Fourth, you should pay attention to the cleanliness of the store. Cleanliness along with excellent organization of items should be the store’s first priority. Clean and well organized stores generally draw the attention of on lookers at a spontaneous level.
These are indeed a few things that you should keep in mind before entering a pawn shop or while you are at a pawn shop. However, pawn shop St Louis is one such shop that pays close attention to each and every detail possible so that their customers don’t complain. In fact, it is due to this nature of the shop that most customers often don’t believe in questioning them either. The very nature of the workers presents the shore as a complete customer focused store.
This article is written by Lee Wood. He has got into writing professionally and uploads regular informative articles. You can refer to the articles and the information put down by him and clear your doubts on buy gold St Louis

Pawn Shop St Louis- The Best Customer Focused Pawn Shop Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/business-management/entrepreneurship/2402311-pawn-shop-st-louis-best/

JADE CULTURE OF CHINA REMOTE ANTIQUITY A SOURCE OF CHINA COMITY AND CONFUCIANISM

 Summary:TsingHua

Chinese jade culture is rich in content and renowned both at home and a broad. A depth study of its evolvement track and correlative social and cultural system is significant to promote jade culture development.Through textual research and analysis of the unearthed relic and historic literature,expounded the spectacularity of before century jade culture, origin of comoty civilization and the evolvement from witch to Confucianism of the religion activities during Xia and Shang dynasty. It is believed that Chinese jade culture experienced a process of theorization and standardization, finally forming an integrated special cultural system, lead by witch toward the kingdom of Confucianism, becoming part of the ruling theory. The reason why jade culture theory could become state ruling theory was further demonstrated through the analysis of jade's function in Zhou 's comity which followed Yin and Shang's comity culture. In the end it is concluded that Chinese comity and Confucianism is origin in Chinese remote antiquity jade culture through the analysis of regulations of jade use in Shanli (three etiquettes).
JADE CULTURE OF CHINA REMOTE ANTIQUITY A SOURCE OF CHINA COMITY AND CONFUCIANISM Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/humanities/1606399-jade-culture-china-remote-antiquity/

The Society Of Sherlock Holmes In London

Review:Faysal

London , 1950. St Marylebone Borough Council was hard at work trying to decide how to celebrate the Festival of Britain the following year. The Public Libraries Committee suggested an exhibition about Sherlock Holmes. Others on the council were not impressed - 'is this character, associated with murky crime, the best we have to offer' someone demanded. Why not do something on slum clearance? Letters began appearing in The Times - from Dr Watson, Mycroft Holmes, Inspector Lestrade - seventeen of them in all. Some even said that they had some mementoes of Sherlock Holmes, and offered to lend them for exhibition. Bowed down by public opinion, the Council relented. A small group of enthusiasts got together to plan the exhibition. Eagerly they designed and collected - a Persian slipper for Holmes’s tobacco, a gasogene for Watson's soda, a jack-knife for Holmes to skewer his unanswered correspondence to the mantelpiece. On an upper floor of Abbey House, the Baker Street headquarters of Abbey National, a meticulously detailed recreation of the famous sitting room at 221B took shape. Fresh crumpets - bitten into by two different sets of teeth - were supplied every day by a local bakery. Over 54,000 people came to see it. It was a triumph.
For its creators, though, the job was over. Then they thought - why don't we resurrect the Sherlock Holmes Society? There had been a small Society in the 1930s, whose members had included such distinguished scholars as the leading cleric Mgr Ronald Knox and the crime writer Dorothy L Sayers. The war had brought an untimely end to its activities. On Tuesday 20 January 1951, the new society was formed - called the Sherlock Holmes Society of London to distinguish it from the pre-war ancestor from which it can nevertheless claim direct descent. The first Sherlock Holmes Journal appeared in May. It included articles on Holmes's personality and Watson's gambling habits, and a review of the films of The Hound of the Baskervilles . Its membership list included just over 130 names. There are more than 1,000 today.

The Society quickly established a pattern of activities which it continues to this day - a twice-yearly journal, regular meetings, an annual dinner in January. Its tone was witty, erudite, but always with a light touch. The writer Mollie Hardwick once described the Sherlockian game as a huge family joke, and a sort of family the Society indeed is, whose skills and responsibilities are passed down the generations.
One of the Society's greatest early triumphs was the celebrated pilgrimage to Switzerland in 1968 - forty members and least twice as many Press, all in full Victorian costume. High above the Reichenbach Falls, the Society's President Lord Gore-Booth shed his mantle as head of the Diplomatic Service to become Sherlock Holmes himself, locked in the death struggle with the evil Professor Moriarty, played by leading barrister Charles Scholefield. And when the BBC made the fight at the Falls the first item in its evening news bulletin, the Society knew that it had reached a new pinnacle of success.
Since then, there have been no fewer than five further pilgrimages to Switzerland. In 1993, the Society made its first visit to France. Full costume was again de rigeur as members visited Bordeaux and Cognac, concluding in Montpellier, where Holmes had spent part of his exile while all the world believed him to be dead, exactly one hundred years earlier. And in 2001, to celebrate its fiftieth birthday, the Society took a cruise in the Baltic, with visits to Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Tallinn, St Petersburg and Helsinki.
The Society Of Sherlock Holmes In London Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/f/internet-and-technologies/181812-society-sherlock-holmes-london/

The View from Castle Rock, Alice Munro

Review:marjory kempe

If only James Frey had been as honest and eloquent as Alice Munro in describing what a fictionalized memoir is. In the foreword to A View from Castle Rock, Munro explains how writing this collection of stories and historical narrative was a means for her to explore her own life. Beginning with, but not bound to the facts, Munro writes that "some of these characters have moved so far from the beginnings that I cannot remember who they were to start with." The book falls into two parts. The first, "No Advantages," sums up her family's history in the Ettrick Valley. Munro begins in this boggy, hilly part of Scotland with a straightforward account of the region's history and a visit to the local graveyard. Here we meet the characters to whom she will later add flesh and blood, so to speak. She makes them live by telling their stories in the present tense and using a simple, lilting prose that matches the oral story-telling tradition. Will Laidlaw is first, a larger-than-life character from the end of the seventeenth century renowned for both his tremendous physical abilities and his uncanny meetings with spirits. Munro moves down the generations in a somewhat stark yet revealing summary until she reaches Andrew Laidlaw, at which point the folk narrative dissolves into a proper Munro story. The remainder of the first portion continues in this way, intertwining Munro’s fictionalized version of the Laidlaw saga with historical commentary and even quotations from letters, tombstones, and journals. She was rather fortunate to have so much information to work with, having pleasantly discovered that every generation of her family had produced at least one prolific letter-writer or journalist. The second section, "Home," is Munro at perhaps her bravest. The stories are not strict autobiography, but they do follow so closely her own experiences that the reader cannot know where Munro ends and the fiction begins. All the stories are in the first person and begin with more or less the same family group--Munro's own family.

It's a rural family precariously balancing the line between lower middle class and working poor; consequently, social expectations are a constant undercurrent. The mother suffers the humiliation and bewilderment of long-undiagnosed Parkinson's disease, and the clever father with his marginal fox farm and foundry job bears the faint scent of failure. Curiously, of the three children, two are non-characters. The brother is only referred to in the briefest way and the younger sister appears only occasionally as a contrast to her sister’s peculiar attachment to nature and other unconventional views. This sister is the narrator and protagonist of the stories, and she must be, to some extent, Munro herself. The stories are arranged in a loose chronological order, jumping from the disappointments of first relationships with friends and boyfriends, to a farm girl's first job as a maid on Georgian Bay, to a young woman’s discovery of her family's romantic past just as she plans to desert it through her own marriage. The last two stories explore end-of-life issues as the narrator faces first her father's mortality and then, in a brush with cancer, her own. People have often said of skilled writers that it is impossible to believe that their characters never actually lived and breathed. With Alice Munro's accounts of her family, brought to life with her spare, accurate rendering, it is impossible to believe that they no longer live. The stories have an intimacy that history lacks without detracting from their historical context. They make you wonder what your own family might have been up to three hundred years ago.
The View from Castle Rock Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/books/novel-novella/487372-view-castle-rock/

An Online in Home Salon & Spa Service for the on the Go Desses New York

Review:PstyLnyc

Parvati-M is Parvati Lifestyle’s in home mobile salon & spa experience for busy, ‘On the Go’ NYC dwellers. The mobile experience allows them to avail our services in the comfort of their very own homes, saving them precious travel time and the hassle that accompanies having to leave your house to get to your salon. We know you’re busy, so we designed a service that would give you more “you-time.”

The best part of this process is that everything happens online. You don’t need to call or email to book appointments or check your membership reward points. Our website pstylnyc is where you, our NYC members, can keep track of all this information. It’s very secure and each members goes through a three step validation authentication process before membership can be validated. Your profile page contains the validated information.

From your personal dashboard, you can book new appointments, check up on existing appointments, keep track of your reward points and see how far along you are towards advancing to the next stage of the Lifestyle.

To book an appointment, simply Log In to your personal dashboard and click on ‘Book Appointment’. The first step is to select your stylist. If you’re only looking to get hair cutting and styling services, select Hernani, our resident hair stylist, but if you need Lifestyle Services like threading, waxing, facials, mani and pedis, click on a Parvati-M Tech. Next, select all the services you want. You’ll be able to see your total in the checkout box. Just remember that you’ll need to meet a $49.99 minimum per hour! Pick the date and time you’d like the service to be rendered and make your payment. That’s all it takes!

If ever you need to re-check your appointment details, click on ‘My Appointments’.

The ‘My Points’ section allows you to keep a track of all the membership reward points you have received and what you have received them for, so that always have a record of the points you have received for the various services you’ve booked. As soon as you validate your membership, you received 10,000 points. For every appointment you book, you receive 500 points, and on every dollar you spend on a service rendered by a Parvati-M Tech, you get 1,000 points in return, while for every dollar spent on a featured stylist like Hernani, you receive 100 points.

An intrinsic part of the Parvati Lifestyle is our unique membership program. With three stages, Join, Live and Spread, members always have something to look forward to. The ‘My Rewards’ section allows you to keep track of your membership status. Your reward points contribute towards your membership status. It tells you how many points you’ve got gathered so far, and how many you have left to go. The more points you earn, the closer you are to reaching your next membership milestone. Each time you hit a milestone, you’ll be eligible for a free service, of which you will be notified via email and SMS. At your next appointment booking, you will automatically be given $50.00 off your salon & spa service booking.

Author Bio:

The Author is an enthusiastic writer and social media specialist who revels in receiving relaxing manicures and facials New York City courtesy of his favorite In-Home Salon & Spa experience, Parvati-M. For more information visit our site www.pstylnyc.com
An Online in Home Salon & Spa Service for the on the Go Desses New Yor Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/lifestyle/fashion-and-beauty/2369131-online-home-salon-spa-service/

Worldmark Windsort Resort Is a Hidden Gem in Sonoma's Wine Country

Review:TheresePope

 I was a guest of a friend who is a timeshare owner with the Worldmark Windsor in Windsor, CA. The customer service was excellent - from the moment we walked inside the lobby/guest services to the moment we left. I stayed there for two days in early March. Despite the rain, it was a nice getaway and the lobby area was cozy and very pretty. They have two pools, jacuzzis and the two bedroom suite was amazing. It's also family friendly and there is a basketball court, barbecues, a nice gym and full-service spa if you want a massage or facial. The resort is HUGE and very spacious and the rooms are very modern, clean and cozy. They have gas fireplaces and the decor is wine country theme which I thought was appropriate and fitting since we were in Wine Country.

My friend is a premiere member and we found out she received free wifi access. That's the only down side to the Worldmark resorts. You have to pay a weekly wifi/internet access fee. With how swanky this place is, I feel that guests should be able to access free wifi (the weekly fee is pricey - around $15 per week).

I had some technical issues with setting up the account for my friend so she could get free wifi access. However, I was patched through to their live customer service and the problem was taken care of immediately. I was impressed by their tech support's help, and everything ran smoothly and they took care of the account issue immediately. Thumbs up!

I highly recommend the Worldmark Windsor and it's in the perfect location in Sonoma County. You are close to literally hundreds of wineries. The customer service team and concierge were fantastic and they have the full scoop on the wineries, tours, restaurants, etc. They hooked us up with free wine tastings and pointed out the best wineries and gave us a huge map of the wineries. This is a perfect place to stay for a wedding, honeymoon, family reunion, birthday, anniversary or any special occasion. If you love wine and are a fan of the Alexander and Russian River Valley wines, then the Sonoma County wineries are where you need to be. I highly recommend Family Wineries (my friend's cousin is the tasting room manager) and the drive around Sonoma County is beautiful - very scenic and picturesque.

I'm a northern California girl and only live a few hours from Windsor but it was a nice getaway and will definitely return to this timeshare. Fabulous resort! The Worldmark Windsor is, by far, one of the best resorts I've stayed at and I would prefer to stay here as opposed to a higher-priced hotel. Far better customer service than most hotels!
Worldmark Windsort Resort Is a Hidden Gem in Sonoma's Wine Country Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/travel/destination/2279127-worldmark-windsort-resort-hidden-gem/

What Is Distinctive in Alaska Fishing Trips?

Summary:DeanTsay

Despite the fact that the fishing trips at a number of sites ensures for motion and exhilaration, the fishing trips to Alaska is relatively distinctive with a good amount of pursuits. This is why it is proposed as being the most effective position amongst tons of best ranged fishing spots. The marvellous views more than lakes, oceans and many h2o bordering parts of Alaska invite holidaymakers with heat welcome. This most suitable put also convenient the fishing fans with superior lodging amenities in the process. So, this place is the ever very best to have fun with your fishing family vacation with no need of any hassles.

Some special functionality of Alaska fishing trips just launch with new drinking water fishing. And the hassle-free catching of fishes at some lakes improvises the boldness of fishers. The fishes are close to the water surroundings from eight to seventy kilos. As a result, if it is your blessed day you are able to get lbs and kilos of fishers under your belt. This will assists to get back the amount which you shell out for fishing. The massive fish residence Alaska is also well-known for sightseeing in the process. So, catching significantly more fishes with wonderful fight back again provides you additional cash so you can get preferred Alaska fishing lodge.

In some sectors, the sort of fishes which current in drinking water seemed to become far too tremendous which not decent for a few people. But, even while traveling to Alaska for fishing holiday it is easy to pick the location depends upon your expertise and physique excess fat. By way of example, the silver salmon from the some lakes of Alaska practically never body weight additional than fourteen pounds. Nonetheless, some fishes are fantastic to sale with a lot more hard cash just by catching at 8 lbs. So, enter into the most important point out of U.s. to obtain world-class fishing working experience.

The following stunning matter that everyone could marvel concerning the fishing within this point out is the Alaska fishing lodge. Given that greater part of lodges are current close to the fishing place. It'll choose fishers to straightaway enter into fishing in minutes. And it will allow them to get ready the fishes to try to eat as the refreshing piece. The fishing lodges also symbolize the natural and organic look at in obvious fashion. As a result, following getting ready the food items you can actually take in it by just seeing the natural natural beauty of lake or rivers. Other than that the private cabin in some lodges, permits folks to help keep a sufficient amount of privacy at all times. Even some resorts also current with ample space for the spouse and children being to savor under spacious a single.

The Point out Alaska is open for fishing throughout the year. Commonly, some fishes are very uncommon to capture at some seasons. The fishing machines also must be apt with the type of fishes which you're going to capture throughout Alaska fishing trips. But, these struggles are just appear out with educated guides present in that area. As a result of they just examine all kinds of things about fishing because of on-line web pages http://www.mgalaskafishing.com/ they usually give good enough aid during fishing to go through the perfect. Even some lodges itself give machines and security steps for fishing. Hence, the just stop by the Alaskan condition within your vacation and feel really ideal advantage during fishing.

Creator Bio

In case you choose to receive the most fantastic Alaska fishing vacation offers, it is easy to see www.mgalaskafishing.com. This small business offers you first-class service from the most outstanding fishing steerage and economical fishing charges. You can make your anticipations about fly out fishing trips into fact here.
What Is Distinctive in Alaska Fishing Trips? Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/humanities/film-and-theater-studies/2406924-distinctive-alaska-fishing-trips/

Naval Strategies VI From CANADA To ALASKA

Summary:Molitor

The Canadian Naval Strategy, is an American Arctic extension of the North Atlantic, Naval Treaties, which includes Britain, Denmark,the Netherlands, Germany, Norway,Sweden,and Finland,as well as Scotland, not forgetting the Neutral Nation of the Republic of Eire, who is a signatory of a Naval treaty with Britain,without realizing in Naval Strategy there,s no Neutrality. This is an encompassment of both the Geopolar positions of both Russia and China, the early warning towers of Canada are well known. The CN Tower in Toronto is a prime example of Technology, a Microwave Installation, with electonics by Philips of the Netherlands, and Staffed by American Personnel. The meeting under the Thatcher Government in Japan for the return of the Kuril Islands, in the Pacific was to be the Precursor to the Installation of Top Secret Naval Listening Posts in the Kuril Islands, the negotiations between Cheltenham GCHQ, and the Minister of the Japanese Naval Affairs, this was monitored by the then Soviet Union, and totally unknown to the Americans,or indeed the Canadians!. All this was because Britain was to leave Hong Kong, the French got into the act by the Taiwan frigate affair,and by the Greenpeace NZ affair.

Far from being the face that launched a thousand Ships,( Helen Of Troy) Mrs Thatcher, nearly sunk two thousand, closed more Shipyards than Admiral Donitz could dream of,and closed more Factories than the Luftwaffe, or Goering could ever have Imagined. This Canadians playing at the Neutrality Act has extended until this present time, especially in the Maritime Field. This has come to a Head when Russia announced its Sovereign Right to it,s Territorial Borders (ie) the North West passage, first looked for by John Cabot,also it,s Naval Security, and because its Ice free wants to secure its National Integrity.Hence Russia,s Flag Planting Game. In the next abstract , I will address Australia and New Zealand, the French dis- connection of the Pacific region, then the North and South Poles.
Naval Strategies VI From CANADA To ALASKA Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/exact-sciences/1724823-naval-strategies-vi-canada-alaska/

THE CULTURAL TOURISM IN BEIJING:STATUS QUO·DIFFICULTY·STRATEGY

Review:TsingHua

Cultural tourism is a core product of tourism industry in Beijing. Beijing is the best area rich of six world culture heritages, such as the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace, the Heaven Temple, Beijing Ape-man Relics in Zhoukoudian, the Ming Tombs. However, the studies on how t o improve Beijing tourism development through the angle of Culture tourism are rarely seen, as well as the studies on how to satisfy the needs of culture tourists. Based on the culture tourism definition given by the World Tourism Organization and the researches on European culture tourism products and its development, the author classify the culture tourism products in Beijing, analyze their present conditions, and conclude the difficulties of developing Beijing tourism culture. Based on this, Six suggestions are put forward. Because of the abundance and best quality of cultural and historical relics in Beijing, the attraction of cultural tourism products is irreplaceable and thus it is easily to hold the market, but the system, management and service need to be improved. There are large quantities of museums of various kinds in Beijing, while they are not in top grade and their function as educational and culture-spreading base has to be enhanced because of the backward system and outmoded notion. Education tourism is a large potential market for Beijing, but it is not well developed yet.

Among those active culture tourism products, the regular theater performances are well developed for tourists, and the organic connection between culture, art and tourism is not established. More over, there is no one big theme park which with Chinese culture characteristics in Beijing. At last the author put forward six measures to improve the development of Beijing culture tourism. 1.To enhance the quality of all the heritages in its way of displaying. 2. To develop the folk customs, pay more attention to the folk festivals to increase the categories and attractions of cultures tourism product. 3. To search variety modes of managing on the culture tourism resources;4.To make a joint effort of scenic spot, hotel, travel agency, restaurant, transportation and business enterprises to build the culture tourism atmosphere. 5.To increase the scientific and technological elements in culture tourism development. 6. To make great efforts in marketing the image of Beijing culture tourism.


THE CULTURAL TOURISM IN BEIJING:STATUS QUO·DIFFICULTY·STRATEGY Originally published in Shvoong: http://www.shvoong.com/business-management/1597618-cultural-tourism-beijing-status-quo/