Empty Voices

Moving is one of the most stressful activities that humans engage in. There are so many things to plan and address, that most people forget about window treatments in the rush of moving into a new home . Setting up a new house is the perfect time to think about an overall room design, instead of just transplanting existing furnishing and maybe adding or subtracting pieces depending on the size of the new space.

When contemplating a new space, homeowners should think about their personal style. It’s highly likely that most of their existing furniture and accessories will reflect that style, even if unconsciously. A move offers the opportunity to consciously review current possession in light of that style and decide on what to keep. This should include reviewing window coverings closely. Since very few windows are alike, it’s highly unlikely that the blinds, drapes, or other treatments that work in one home will properly fit the new one.

For many in this tough economy, the funds won’t be available to create a brand new design for their new home. However, since they will need to get new window treatments to fit the new house anyway, it’s a good way to impact the design of the new home. The choices available are mind boggling, from bamboo wood blinds to blackout shutters to elaborate draperies, homeowners can make their windows into key design elements that reflect whatever personal style they want.

College is one of the most exciting times of your life. It’s a chance to get out on your own, try new things, make life-long memories, and begin planning your future .
Some of the biggest parts of those years are, of course, the classes. Unlike high school you get to study whatever you want and have more freedom in choosing your classes. It’s the time to choose your path and begin acquiring the skills that will help you in your future career .
Along the same lines in the learning process are the all-important internships. The opposite of classes, internships, like those at Southwestern Company , allow you to really get your hands dirty and experience the job first hand. A good internship allows you get involved in projects and be a part of the team. You can get testimonials from previous interns and employees online at websites like the Southwestern Company blog
The main goal of college and the later teen years is to begin planning your future and then putting that plan in place, but you don’t want to forget to have fun. Make the most of your time before marriage and a career to spend time with friends, study abroad, or develop a new hobby. These years will be the most liberating of your life so make the most of them.

Many baseball fans don’t consider their lives complete until they’ve visited every major league baseball park in the country — or at least the big ones, like Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. Opened in 1912, Fenway is the oldest MLB stadium currently in use and is the oldest venue used by any professional sports teams in the country. Boston baseball fans are proud of this distinction and are rabid about their team, the Boston Red Sox. Many out-of-town members of the Red Sox Nation will stay in Boston hotels to attend major games and playoffs.

Fenway is named for the Boston neighborhood. It was not the original home of the Red Sox, who played at the Huntington Avenue Baseball Ground before moving to their current home. In order to stay in the same stadium through the last hundred years, a number of renovations and adjustments have been made to Fenway over time. In 1999 a proposal was announced to build a new Fenway Park, but after several years of public debate about demolishing the historic park, the plans were dropped.

The most well known feature of Fenway is the Green Monster, the left field wall that rises 37’2″ and is a little over 300 feet from home plate. Originally constructed in wood the wall was covered over in tin and concrete in 1934 and then hard plastic in 1976. The scoreboard, which was added in 1934, is still updated by hand today.

San Diego has a reputation for nurturing research and development. The La Jolla Village and Sorrento Valley in particular house numerous biotech companies with both administrative offices and actual research facilities. San Diego was ranked by the Milken Institute as the top US biotech cluster. In 2009 there were nearly 2000 full-time biological technicians employed in the tri-city area (San Diego-San Marcos – Carlsbad). In addition to being a mainstay of the San Diego economy, research organizations bring visiting scientists, investors, and international representatives to the San Diego luxury hotel s in the area.

Over 140 Contract Research Organizations (CRO) call San Diego home. These CROS provide contract services for the local life science companies. Major biotech companies with offices and labs in the area include Nventa Bopharmaceuticals, BD Biosciences, Integrated DNA Technologies, Neurocrine Biosciences, Merck, Vertx, Pfizzer, and Genzyme, amongst many others. There are also non-profit health care and biotechnology institutes in San Diego , including the Scripps Research Institute, the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, the West Wireless Health Institute and the Sanford-Burnham Institute. CROs with a strong San Diego presence include Catalent Pharma Solutions, Pharmatek Laboratories, Accelrys, bio-Quant, Explora BioLabs, Alta Analytical Laboratory and MicroConstants.

Take the family to San Diego this October and you’ll enjoy not only the lovely climate, but the chance to celebrate Halloween at two of the area’s biggest attractions: SeaWorld San Diego and LegoLand. So figure out transportation, book a San Diego boutique hotel , and prepare for lots of fun!

SeaWorld San Diego will be celebrating their Halloween Spooktacular Oct 1st – 31st. Kids can trick-or-treat for candy and healthy treats at 10 sea-themed stations while strolling amongst the various sea life who call SeaWorld home. Costumes are encouraged throughout the month. There will be a variety of Halloween-themed shows and some of your kids’ favorite characters will be sharing in the Halloween spirit.

Those willing to head north to Legoland will be able to attend Brick-or-Treat Party Nights each weekend in October. Travel the Brick-or-Treat Trails to find the treat stations, enjoy Halloween entertainment, music, and complete in costume contests for prizes. There will be special, spooky lighting effects as well as the traveling Boo Crew to make the party complete. Several of the Legoland areas will stay open late just for the Party Nights, including Castle Hill, Coastersaurus, Land of Adventure, the Imagination Zone, and Safari Trek.

Regardless of the reason you decide to visit Montreal, Canada there are some standard attractions that you will definitely want to see while you are there. This is one of the world’s most beautiful and livable cities, and to really experience it you will want to pursue as many of the cultural dynamics as you can. Meanwhile, you will also want to explore some of the great cuisine of the city, and there is plenty of that and the city’s restaurants represent food from around the world.

However, for the guests in a Montreal hotel , sampling some of the local fare is on the top of their list. And of course, coming from such a strong French tradition, and as well as strong French influenced contemporary culture, you are going to find some excellent French food in Montreal.

Le Cartet is one of the more hip places to dine, though if that’s not quite your style, you will be drawn by the quality of the food. They have recently introduced a sit down breakfast, which quickly gained popularity with locals. And the food market at the front of the restaurant is great for picking up a few items on the go. Have a great time exploring Montreal, just don’t forget to eat while you’re there.

Steamboat Springs, Colorado is not one of the state’s largest cities, though it most definitely boasts having one of the state’s as well as the nation’s most popular ski resorts. It is located near Mount Werner and the Yampa River, which makes it an ideal vacation destination in both the summer and winter as well as the two seasons in-between. It’s appeal as a ski destination is known throughout the world and the winter guests that fill the luxury Steamboat Springs hotels come from across the globe. There are great professional instructors that are perfect for beginners or skiers of all levels and the degree of difficulty on the slopes is also suited for various skill and experience levels.

Meanwhile the summer also has some spectacular offerings. And the Steamboat Gondola is the prefect way to tour the mountain and enjoy some of the most panoramic views of the surrounding country available. In addition, horseback riding and hiking are extremely common along the summit and are popular throughout the season. The Coca Cola Adventure Zone is another popular summer season attraction and has plenty of great outdoor adventure options for children and adults. And one of the favorite aspects of the trip for many people is the great on mountain dining options. Establishments like Hazie’s are easily accessible from the gondola ride and offer delicious food with amazing views of the enchanted Yampa River Valley.

My husband has always been one of those adventurous types that loves to get in the car and drive off in any direction just to explore some new area. We have taken more road trips than airplane flights and if we do happen to fly somewhere you can be sure that an extended road adventure has been at the other end of the flight. Last summer we were in a small town in Central Florida and were standing in line in a grocery store when suddenly John grabbed a map of Orlando off of the rack and I knew instantly where we were going.

As it turned out, we had two weeks left of our vacation time when we arrived at the Orlando hotel . We decided to visit Sea World and had an amazing time. The Up Close tours with some of the marine animals was absolutely amazing and seeing the penguins and dolphins so close was a truly an experience. The next day we went to Universal Studios and spent a large part of the day in the Harry Potter Wizarding World. This was mostly John’s idea and I expected to find ourselves in the middle of a ton of children. As it turns out there were a large number of adults there and I had as much fun as John did. In fact, I think this trip introduced my husband into a new way of seeking adventure and making new discoveries. Tomorrow we’re headed to Disney World .

There’s plenty to do in New York City, especially this Labor Day Weekend, beginning September 3rd. You can head on over to the action packed West Indian Parade and Carnival in Brooklyn, or if you’re looking for something less exuberant, head on over to downtown to do some shopping at the internationally famous Barney’s Warehouse Sale. If that’s still not your thing, head to Greenwich Village for their annual weekend-long Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit. See! There’s literally something for everyone, so book a room at one of the New York City hotels and get cracking.

Also happening in New York City this Labor Day weekend is the New York City Summer Restaurant Week 2010. There will be over 270 of the best restaurants such as Nobu, Tao, Atlantic Grill and Dos Caminos offering lunch at huge discounts. A 3-course meal will only cost $35 or under!

The Children’s Museum of Manhattan at 212 West 83rd Street will have tons of events and workshops for children of all ages happening all Labor Day weekend. Children 4 and under can develop their science and creative skills with ‘Mural Wall Painting’, children 5 and up can invent a toy by using recycled materials. Admission is free on Friday after 5pm.

Finally, the Manhattan East Community Association will be hosting a Family Festival. There will be over 80,000 people attending and will feature over 450 authentic and original artists from crafts to fine arts, from collectibles to fashion. Admission is free and there will be fashion shows, cooking demonstrations and productions of opera and ballet.

Hong Kong is an extremely dynamic city that presents a great progressive contemporary atmosphere, while also maintaining a strong sense of tradition and cultural heritage. Honoring the past is part of the culture, though clinging to it is not. This is evident in a number of the performance art establishments in the city, and popular entertainment is representative of both traditional customs as well as cutting edge performance genres.

The theatre scene is one of the thriving arts scenes and there are productions that represent theatre customs from around the world and through various historic eras. Productions of Shakespeare , Broadway musicals and the latest cutting edge comedies and dramas are all part of the performance scene of Hong Hong. And Cantonese opera is a favorite for audiences of all ages and backgrounds. And some of these performance companies are among the best in the world.

Many of the great hotels in Hong Kong also serve as tremendous resources for finding popular attractions or helping to make decisions about specific productions. In addition to some of the great theatrical productions music and dance are a large part of the culture. Festivals take place throughout the year that honor traditions from around the world and the Salsa Festival is one of the most popular in the city. It takes place for an entire week and features great performances as well as the chance to learn the art with a professional instructor.