just

Brian Cazeneuve: Plushenko just one intriguing Olympic question mark

Brian Cazeneuve: Plushenko just one intriguing Olympic question mark
For four years since he won the men’s title at the Turin Olympics, Russia’s Yevgeny Plushenko has been the wildcard in the men’s figure skating equation, talking comeback and keeping out of sight. In October, he returned to the ice to win the Rostelecom Cup with a strong, but flawed, performance in Moscow that suggested he might make a run at another Olympics.

Read more on Sports Illustrated

just

Open Waters and Lush Fairways; Just What the Doctor Prescribed

As summer comes to an end, many vacationers and “snowbirds” are planning their retreats down to Florida. From Pensacola down to Key West, Florida’s coastlines offer breathtaking ocean scenes and some of the nations finest golf resorts.

Many travelers today are looking to couple luxurious amenities with variety for their vacation plans. Florida offers activities that everyone can enjoy. As a result, a Florida Yacht Charter Vacation is one of the most popular ways to travel the peninsula and make stops along the way.

The experience of staying aboard a Luxury Yacht Charter is comparable to a stay at the Ritz Carlton on Water. With a crewed motor yacht, a captain and crew are there to cater to their guests’ every whim. Before each charter a full itinerary is created to include all of the activities that a family or couple request for their personal vacation. Whether the guest is looking to fish, Jet Ski, golf or swim, a luxury yacht charter will have it covered.

For this upcoming winter season Golfing destinations will be showcased as a major highlight for charterers. With first class marinas located along the Florida Gulf and Atlantic Coasts, arranging a car service from the marina to the country club is no problem at all. Florida has quite a few innovative and prestigious golfing destinations that will challenge your skills and have views that will take your breath away. Most golfers won’t even have to leave early to warm up at the driving range because some of today’s luxury vessels have a personal driving range located on the top deck. Here are three fantastic golfing locations with exceptional designs and splendor that are unsurpassed.

The Breakers Palm Beach is one of Florida’s finest resorts. This paradise has two championship golf courses that challenge both pros and vacationers. The courses were meticulously designed for players of any caliber. The Ocean Course was Florida’s very first 18-hole golf course. The course was recently redesigned to preserve its traditional character but with less than 6,500 yards, shot precision is crucial.

If your looking for a designer course the Breakers Rees Jones® Course is located only a few miles away. This course was recently reconstructed and named to be one of the premier golf experiences in the southeast U.S., reflecting the unparalleled new-classic style of renowned golf course architect Rees Jones.

One of Florida’s most recently designed golf destinations is located in Port St. Lucie. Another water front fairway retreat is about to begin construction and will boast a challenging Jack Nicklaus Signature Designed Golf Course. Santa Lucia River Club will include a resort, condominiums, villas, spa, country club and a 67-slip deep-water marina with Ocean Access from the St. Lucie River. This exclusive locale will accommodate the complete mariner and country club lifestyle for discerning travelers and residents.

If the Keys are more appealing, then cruise down to Key Largo and try your luck at the Card Sound Golf Club. Golf Link.com’s viewers gave the Card Sound Golf Club a five star rating. This par 71 course located moments from the flats of the Keys, features 6,553 yards of golf and the course has an overall rating of 71.3 and has a slope rating of 127 on Bermuda grass. This magnificent oasis opened in 1976 and was designed by Bruce Devlin/Robert von Hagge.

No matter what your prescription may be, a luxury vacation with Open Ocean waters and emerald green fairways will remedy any soul. For more information about a Florida Yacht Charter please visit http://www.eyachtcharter.com to learn about what other gems that Florida has to offer.

just

Arindam Chaudhuri – it is Just not an American Crisis But a Global Crisis, Which Might See a Tectonic Shift of Power From the West!!!

 It all started when Lehman Brothers, one of the largest US investment banks, filed for bankruptcy protection. As if this wasn’t enough, another equally big investment banker, Merrill Lynch, resorted to a merger with the Bank of America, and along with all this, the world’s largest insurer, American International Group (AIG) was also found gasping for breath! In fact, the signals for such an impending crisis were visible from the time the sub-prime meltdown had started, with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac literally getting buried under the debris of bad mortgages. No wonder, this is just the beginning; and the big question in everyone’s mind is clearly: who is going to be the next casualty, and how far would this crisis extend.

But more than what meets the eye, as far as this crisis goes, what’s going to be most intriguing is what would be the final fallout of this crisis. It is needless to state that the intrinsic strength of the American financial market is so intense that whosoever controls it, invariable controls the US policy making. This brings us to an even more fundamental but sinister truth about America.

This question might often arise in anyone’s mind as to what makes the US so paranoid and concerned about the welfare of Israel or, in other words, the welfare of the Jewish community at large. Probably no other community in this world, barring the Christians, has so much worth of their lives. It is so for a simple reason: that there is no other community than the Jews who exercise an incredible grip over American and European (developed Europe) business and intelligentsia. They control almost everything that has to do with finance, media & entertainment, technology, energy etc. For the uninitiated, some of the major US based financial institutions – like the Goldman Sachs, Solomon Brothers or even Lehman Brothers – were started by German Jews’ investments. Many prominent US-based companies have some or the other type of Jewish connection, be it directly or indirectly. So whether it is JP Morgan, Warburg Pincus, AT&T, Comcast, the Wall Street Journal, The Coastline Trust Company or the Albertsons, each has a distinct Jewish origin. Reports even state that the owners of Wall Street Journal and News Corp, Mr. Rupert Murdoch, the Oracle promoter Larry Ellison and Michael Dell of Dell Computers, all have Jewish origins. In fact, if one takes a random selection, it would not be surprising if one gets the impression that every famous person in this world has been baptized to Judaism, whether it is Steve Ballmer, Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, Michael Bloomberg, Sergey Brin (of Google fame), Milton Friedman, Ben Graham, Andy Grove (Remember Intel?), Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, George Soros (needs no introduction), Sam Zell, Steve Wynn (Las Vegas Casino fame), Charles Saatchi or Steven Spielberg. But then, this cannot be denied that the Jewish contribution to global economy, particularly to that of the US, has been incredible (considering the fact that they comprise a mere 2% of the American population!). And it is not for nothing that today the US is a $12 trillion economy. Post World War II, US had opened its doors to the Jews all over the world and the Jews have literally reciprocated by using their ingenuity and perseverance to take USA to where it is. Not to forget that the rather infamous strife of supremacy between the Jews and WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) is known to many.

Now the question is, how is all this connected to the current financial crisis that the US is going through? It is indeed critical, for in the last few years, a significant structural change can be witnessed with respect to large American financial institutions. This change is the waning influence of Jews in at least the US financial markets, and that influence is being replaced by others, the most prominent ones being Arabs! Connectedly, on account of the cataclysmic losses that each of the financial behemoths has been suffering, and now with too little options remaining, many of them have been incessantly bailed out by petrodollars. So, while the investments of Kuwait Investment Authority this year have been to the tune of $two billion in Merrill Lynch, in addition to a bailout package of $three billion for the beleaguered Citigroup (In fact, the whole package of bailing out a literally fledging Citibank was worth $14.5 billion, in which the consortium partners, in addition to Kuwait Investment Authority, were the Singapore Government and Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal), there are monoliths like Abu Dhabi Investment Authority whose assets globally are above $800 billion on conservative estimates. Interestingly, this company is now the largest shareholder in Citibank through its investment of $7.5 billion. It now also has a stake in Carlyle Group (one of the largest American PE players), as well as a 28% share in the London Stock exchange.

Along with all this, in the last couple of years, while the world has been bleeding, thanks to the incredible rise in the price of oil, those have been the Middle East-based oil producing countries that have been ruling the roost. Reports state that a few of the Middle East-based sovereign wealth funds are already valued at a few hundred billion dollars; and given the incredible way they have been raking in dollars, it would not be surprising if the value of these sovereign wealth funds before long reaches the trillion dollar mark, making more petrodollars available for investments.

So where is it all heading and what would be the logical culmination of this tectonic shift that is happening in the major financial institutions? It is for sure that options in front of America and American institutions are too limited currently, and it is also sure that it would not be easy for the Jewish community to let go of the supreme power that they have earned and shielded for themselves – more so to Arabs, considering the legacy of the Israel-Palestine conflict (which is more than just a global conflict today). At the same time, what is needed to be observed is whether these Arab investments, which till now had been meant purely for business, would somehow intervene in bringing shifts in US foreign policy. If that happens, then to say that this world would see a tectonic shift of power from the West, would be to say the more than obvious!!!

just

Can i have some help with a report about Hot springs national park in Arkansas, or just some general info?

Im doing a report on Hot springs national park in arkansas, and i was wondering, what are some ways it helps protect the ecosystem and animal community. The park is surrounded by a city, so i have that it keeps the city from developing the land, but what else? It protects the springs, but i dont know exactly what it does to protect the wildlife and stuff. You dont have to know much about Hot springs national park, but do you have info on how other national parks protect stuff? Thank you for any answers. And for any cat lovers out there, HURRAY!!!

just

Skiing East v. West: It’s not just ice v. powder

Skiing East v. West: It’s not just ice v. powder
Long before settling amid the soaring peaks of southwestern Colorado, where she helped create a ski experience unlike any other in North America, Jen Brill learned to carve turns on blue ice at some of the better known ski resorts in the East.

Read more on The Victoria Advocate

just

Shopping for boughs of holly? Chestnuts roasting? Just what is the cost of Christmas carols?

Shopping for boughs of holly? Chestnuts roasting? Just what is the cost of Christmas carols?
What do you get the person who has everything? How about 10 lords a-leaping, eight maids a-milking, three French hens, two turtledoves and all the rest? Well, that wish list will set you back a pretty penny — more than $87,000, according to (appropriately) a wealth management company that tracks the annual cost of “The Twelve Days of Christmas .” (The 2009 price tag is only slightly higher than …

Read more on The Kansas City Star

just

Attractions Just Outside Your Door in Bend, Oregon

When you go on a vacation, the location of the place you choose to stay at may be the most important decision you make. Some people are content to spend their entire vacation reading a book indoors, but if you want to enjoy both natural beauty and outdoor recreation, consider staying a few days in Bend, Oregon lodging accommodations.

Bend lodging is truly attractive and comfortable, but the most appealing characteristic that defines it is ideal location. There are so many activities to enjoy in the area. If you like spending time outdoors, hike to Squaw Creek or Tumalo Falls. Fish, canoe, kayak or swim in the Deschutes River or one of the three lakes around Bend. State parks in the area provide mile-long hikes that are mild enough for the whole family and the evening sunset often paints the nearby mountain slopes with pink and orange hues.

Winter is also a great time to visit Bend. The dry snow that is characteristic of the basin area makes Bend a great place to find good skiing. For a little diversity, you can also spend some time snowmobiling, ice skating and sledding. A cup of hot coco, a bath and an hour or two in front of the fire will be the perfect way to wrap up a day on the slopes.

Whether you visit Bend in the summer or the winter, shopping in the area is also a fun way to spend the day. Between six different shopping districts there are a wide variety of goods for sale. You are bound to find a treasure or two in all the antiques, art, apparel, books, children’s toys, gifts, quilting supplies and jewelry that Bend has to offer.

Bend is also a scenic city. Walking the streets visitors will enjoy sculptures, historic sites like the Old Mill, the calm water of beautiful Mirror Pond. For night time entertainment, turn to Bend’s downtown Tower Theater where comedies, musical and ballets are performed. Guest bands and artists also visit the theater.

There are a plethora of fun activities to choose from in Bend, and just as many options when it comes to lodging. Luxurious resorts tempt visitors to enjoy their stylish rooms and guest pools and Jacuzzis, but there are also more economical hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, and beautiful campsites to choose from. Every budget can find a place in Bend to set up a base camp of sorts so that you can enjoy all the attractions in the area.

just

Vail, Aspen ? They’re not Just for Skiing

Vail, Aspen, the names summon images of skiers and snowboarders flashing down steep slopes of pristine, powdery snow, forests of trees covered with Christmas lights, pricey shops, tony restaurants and fancy hotels. Now think summer. Think of hotel rates which may be half those of winter. Think of restaurant discounts and bargains at fashionable shops. Think of carefully groomed golf courses.Think of rafting and canoeing and hiking, concerts and dance and theater. Then think of a drive along mountains more than 14,000 feet high.
The two resorts are 90 miles apart just around the corner in western terms of distance.
The best way of seeing both of them during the summer is an auto trip that takes you through passes as high as 12,095 feet. It goes through Leadville with its history of colorful characters as Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, Baby Doe and the Unsinkable Molly Brown. It takes you into trendy Aspen with its tree-lined streets and sandstone and brick buildings, then over to Glenwood Springs named for its warm mineral water pools and caves and from there east to your starting point.
Vail is where most visitors are likely to start the trip, since it’s a direct, slightly less than two hour‚ drive from Denver via the I-70 interstate.
Vail is beautiful during the ski season, its beauty augmented by the brilliant whiteness of newly fallen powder snow on the dark mountains. In the summer, Vail’s beauty comes from the dark greens of the evergreens, the lighter green leaves and white trunks of aspens, the dazzling blue of the sky and processions of cumulus clouds rubbing against the sharp peaks of the mountains.
Summer visitors come to golf on five top-rated courses. Younger and more vigorous tourists come to mountain bike, torturing muscles and lungs by pumping up steep mountain roads and trails or taking a ski lift to the top of a high peak and plunging down its side on two wheels, dodging rocks and holes and small animals, staging a heart-stopping, animated display of why Vail has one of the nation’s largest hospitals specializing in sports injuries and rehabilitation.
Older and less vigorous tourists are likely to restrict their athletic activities to hikes, canoeing or fishing on a peaceful mountain lake, viewing the Vail Valley from a hot air balloon, or riding horses through parts of the surrounding national forest.
In the summer, Vail Village resembles a sidewalk sale of skis, jackets and other winter equipment and clothing marked down as much as 50 percent, sometimes more. In the winter, its impossible to find a hotel offering rates lower than $125 a day or bed and breakfasts under $100. Summer hotel rates are as low as $59. Many restaurants also cut their prices during the summer or offer two for one specials.
My wife and I stayed at the Minturn Inn, a rustic but comfortable bed and breakfast in Minturn, an old mining and railroad town five miles from Vail Valley. Many of the town’s weathered buildings have been converted into inns, excellent restaurants and a variety of small, arty shops and galleries, selling items as Indian head dresses, buffalo heads and light fixtures made from elk horn.
Minturn’s main street is Route 24, aptly named the Top of the Rockies Highway, which leads off I-70 just west of Vail. Its the most scenic route to take on the first leg of the trip to Aspen.
South of Minturn, Route 24 begins a sharp ascent. Off to the right is the 14,005 foot high Mount of the Holy Cross. The 1,500 foot cross, created by natural crevices in the face of the mountain, can be seen high on the northwest side of the peak.
Continuing toward Leadville, we came into a high, level valley nestled between mountain ranges. Here is the site of Camp Hale, where the 10th Mountain Division trained on skis and snowshoes before engaging in bloody combat in World War II. Robert Dole trained at the camp. So did the founders of the Aspen and Vail Ski Resorts.
From Camp Hale, the highway begins its ascent to the Continental Divide and Tennessee Pass, 10,424 feet above sea level. Fifteen minutes away and six feet higher is Leadville, which describes itself as North America’s highest city. It’s been more than 100 years since Doc Holiday killed two men in Leadville and Soapy Smith and his thugs ruled the town, over a century since Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson walked the streets and Leadville Johnny Brown and his young wife Molly gave parties.
The gambling tables and brothels are gone, but you can still belly up to a bar where Buffalo Bill Cody and the James brothers downed their drinks and the restored 1866 Delaware Hotel from the rough days of wealth and sin remains open for guests. The Tabor Opera House, once described as the finest between St. Louis and San Francisco, still stands, although in need of refurbishing. It is open for tours from May 30 to Oct. 1.
Once past downtown, there are unobstructed views to the west of Colorado’s highest peaks, Mt.Elbert at 14,433 feet and Mt. Massive, only 12 feet lower.
Mt. Elbert continues to dominate the western skyline as Rt. 24 continues south from Leadville. Fifteen miles later Rt. 82 intersects. We turn right toward Aspen. Driving west, Mt. Elbert looms larger on our right. On the left is the Twin Lakes Reservoir, popular for fishing and camping.
Beyond Twin Lakes, the highway climbs in a continuing succession of unguarded curves and hairpin turns to Independence Pass, which crosses the Sawsatch Range at 12,095 feet. The pass is sensibly closed doing the snow season.
On either side of the pass are turnoffs and parking spaces and footpaths where sightseers are offered a feast of mountains, streams and dense forested wilderness.
West of Independence Pass, Route 82 dives down the canyon of the Roaring Fork River. The Roaring Fork flows through Aspen, which got its start as a silver mining center in the 1880s, but found gold nearly a century later as a ski resort. Located in a glacial valley surrounded by magnificent peaks, upscale Aspen, with its many rust-colored buildings dating from the turn of the century and mature trees shading the downtown streets, gives the impression of more permanence and history than modern Vail.
Both are trendy and pricey, the playgrounds of movie and rock stars and a billionaire or two.Vail is a golfers’ paradise, but Aspen ups Vail by also offering travel by helicopter, underground trips through old silver mines and treks into the back country with a llama to carry your gear.ÂÂÂ
Aspen also has the edge on culture, earning an international reputation for its annual summer jazz and classical music festivals.
We linger in Aspen only long enough to window shop at the fashionable shops and galleries and to people watch as we nibble on crepes served from an old popcorn wagon standing outside near one of several downtown fountains.
Then its back on Route 82 to follow the Roaring Fork River through red rock canyons to Glenwood Springs.
The Ute Indians regarded the hot springs and vapor caves as a sacred place of healing. The old gunslinger Doc Holiday may have hoped to find confirmation in that Indian belief when he came to Glenwood Springs afflicted by tuberculosis. If so, he was disappointed. His grave is now a tourist attraction.
But most visitors come to swim and bathe in the hot water pools, or try to sweat away tensions and stiffness in the caves.
After drying off, we start on a fast 60-mile drive back to Vail via I-70. For the first 12 miles, we follow the Colorado River as it courses through the scenic Glenwood Canyon. The stream is swift here and endowed with challenging rapids with names like Maneater and Tombstone. With those names, its not surprising that it’s a popular stretch of the river for rafters and kayakers.
We halt for a late supper in the Gas House, a popular restaurant in Edwards, 15 miles west of Vail. Frequent guests include Frank Gifford and Kathie Lee, who have a house nearby. Then its back to our b&b for a night’s long sleep.
###

just

Courchevel — a Ski Resort You Just Can’t Miss

Courchevel is part of the Savoy department of France. It is actually five ski resorts in one. There are nearly 120 km of cross-country ski tracks and over 180 ski lifts-and one ski pass to ride them all. There’s everything from four-star top-notch hotels to two-star itsy-bitsy rooms available for accommodation.

Courchevel Rapid Fire Facts:

- Courchevel is actually five ski resorts in one.

- The name of each resort ends with the appropriate height in meters.

- However, the biggest-Courchevel 1850-is in reality only 1747 meters.

- Courchevel 1550 was the original Courchevel.

- The area is the largest internally linked ski resort in the world.

- One town in Courchevel does not have a corresponding height attached to it-LaTania.

- Courchevel 1850 was not originally a town. It was built from the ground up as a ski resort.

- The Courchevel airport is only 525 meters long with an 18.5% gradient.

- The five names of Courchevel reflecting the altitude with the preceding number are Courchevel 1850, Courchevel 1650, Courchevel 1550, Courchevel Le Praz 1300 and La Tania.

- The area of Savoy (Courchevel) fell to the Roman Empire around 1030 and later became known as the “Gatekeeper to the Alps.”

- In the 1930s, the French Commission of Tourism wanted a “super ski resort.” They wanted the largest ski resort of any the world over. With the connection of lifts and valleys, today the dream is a reality.

Courchevel, France: Height of Ski & Class

Courchevel is part of the Savoy department of France. It is part of Les Trois Vallees or The Three Valleys. Because of its super-chicness, it receives millions of tourist per year. Though planned previously for the moneyed and privileged of society, today the moneyless too can stake a claim on any one of the 600 km of ski slopes, with an additional 150 km of ski runs in Courchevel proper. Moreover, there are nearly 120 km of cross-country ski tracks and over 180 ski lifts-and one ski pass to ride them all! The classes merge into one as the slope and trails swallow skiers into jovial oblivion.

Courchevel: Offering Something Fun for Everyone

Though it may not matter how many banknotes you carry in your pocketbook, it does make sense to select a ski slope or course suitable to your level. Courchevel offers all sorts of slopes, trails and piste for newbies to advanced skiers alike.

Since many of the slopes are north facing, and the ski resorts hire just as many winter workers as summer laborers, it’s no wonder that the snow is groomed and always reliably fast. You can take morning ski instruction classes from one of three ski schools, shake a leg at snowboarding in the afternoon and then fine-dine throughout the evening. You’ll easily have time for all of it-as the lifts should be called express lifts-because they carry thousands of skiers uphill every hour of every day. Plus, with nearly 500 snow cannons and a couple-dozen piste bashers, you’ll never run out of paths.

Courchevel Hotels

Because Courchevel is known for its high-class swank habitués, the hotels have been built to suit. With an abundance of 90 resorts in all of Courchevel (1850 to La Tania), there’s everything from four-star top-notch hotels to two-star itsy-bitsy rooms. Though, here, the star system is used to reflect the level of facilities-including proximity to trails-and not just the level of interior comforts. One hotel might be starred higher than another, for example, but the other may, as matter of fact, have more luxury.

Examples of Courchevel Resort Hotels:

Four-Star Courchevel Resort Hotels:

- ALPES HOTEL DU PRALONG

- HOTEL ANNAPURNA

- HOTEL CARLINA

- HOTEL CHEVAL BLANC

- HOTEL LE MELEZIN

- LES GRANDES ALPES

Three-Star Courchevel Resort Hotels:

- HOTEL LES FLOCONS

- HOTEL MONTANA

- HOTEL TELEMARK

- HOTEL LES PEUPLIERS

just

How much is the rent for just one bedroom in California?

I am planning to move out of my parents, and I want to just rent a bedroom, in the southern California area, preferably the San Fernando Area, and since I’ve never had to pay rent here, I want to plan out how much I will have to set apart monthly. I just need a bedroom with a closet, where my full bed and vanity fit. Thank you. Your answers will be greatly appreciated. Have a great day…

Next Page »