Archive for June, 2010

Street Maps of the World

Friday, June 25th, 2010

As technology increases so does our ability to make maps. Some professional and passionate cartographers are taking advantage of this and making more and more accurate street map of the world . Many city maps are simple, using a grid to set them up, where others are more complicated. Technology has made it easier to be able to get a full view of these more complicated cities so that map makers can make the proportions and turns more in line with the actualities of the city. Successes in these areas have turned people to wanting to take on more complicated and interesting projects from across the world. While it should be no surprise that there is a market in city maps of villages in the countryside of some of the smaller Asian countries such as Japan and Thailand from those who are backpacking the world, there are a number of problems that arise from trying to get an accurate map of some of the areas.

One of the things that complicates the effort to make these new maps is that as you move away from the maps of developed areas you have to find new ways of defining a street or a street map. Are footpaths maps in areas that have no cars? What about biking trails? In that same front then are these things then streets in some sense in countries where there are cars? What about where cars are the main way to get around? Google seems to think so. The definition problem has been a debate in the community. It gets even more complicated when you are talking about small villages in Africa. For the most part people doing work in these small villages have needed to bring a guide and or a map maker on their first few trips to the village in order to make sure that they can get there again.

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Six Ways to Improve Your Search Engine Optimization

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

For those who are uninitiated, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) seems complicated. It can be too if you aren’t willing to keep up on it and watch for changes. Of course in the world of the internet things change on a dime and SEO practices that were once a good idea may not be anymore. Here are a few things that don’t look like they are going out of style any time soon so that you can stay on top of the SEO ladder and keep your website number one.

Be conscious of your keywords . What keywords are you ranking highest for? What keywords are most relevant to your site? Don’t be afraid to add more content that will improve these keywords and make them more relevant to your website. There is no need to stuff your page with your keywords though.

Include keywords in your URL. While this does not guarantee that you will show up for the keyword, it does help it.

Use social media services. Announce when new posts go up. Announce when anything changes on the website. Interact with fans. Use these to the fullest advantage you can.

Use SEO tools that you find. The people who make them usually know what they are doing. If you are willing to spend a little bit of money it is usually helpful in boosting your ranking.

Be ethical. If you are ethical in your business practices and in your SEO you will have an easier time rising through the ranks and becoming well known as you will develop some loyal customers and fans who might link to your site.

Make friends with others in your niche. If you are friends they may end up linking to your website and you may end up linking to theirs. This will give you both a little boost as traffic coming in stands a chance of going to the other person’s site as well.

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A Day at a Lisle Museum

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Lisle Illinois is a small town out side of Chicago that has been around since 1832. It started the most of America started with agriculture as its main industry. It also evolved in the same way that many towns in America evolved through the railroad industry. The town became quite the stop for travelers and cargo making their way to some distant city. Today the town has some really interesting museums that reflect its growth as well as growth from other areas of life like nature.  

If you find  yourself looking for something to do on an open day near Lisle you could check out the Lisle Station Museum . It is run by the area parks and recreation and is actually free which is an added bonus. It was put together by a cooperation of the Village of Lisle, the Lisle Heritage Society and with the park district to save and celebrate the local heritage. Find out how the community developed from the 19th century to today. See photographs, artifacts and read stories about events that turned this little farming down into Lisle Station. Take a walk through the historical train depot that has been preserved since 1978. There are many different programs offered with the museum and it may just interest the whole family. Along with the museum the park is offering up some interesting classes. They have one for learning how to blacksmith. During winter holidays, the museum and depot hare all lit up to celebrate the joyous seasons.  

The near by Benedictine University has a small nature museum as well. Much of the exhibits are collections of natures creatures and habitats that have been acquired by the students studies. They are open to the general public as well as the local schools and other groups who are interested in their collection. Five star Lisle hotels have the information to send you in the right direction.

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Great Southern Food in Atlanta

Saturday, June 19th, 2010

If you’re going to visit Atlanta, Georgia you should plan on a few things. The first one is that you’re going to have an incredible time and see some fascinating sights. Changes are also likely that you will enjoy some great entertainment options and experience the quality night clubs found throughout the city. And while the second sentence referred to some likely encounters you will experience during your stay at one of the hotels Atlanta USA , the second thing you are guaranteed to do is experience some of the great southern food that is available in the city.

The staff of the great hotels in the city will also be able to guide you to some of the top restaurant choices. Some of them will even feature great southern food restaurants right on the property. However, to fully experience any city, it is always a great idea to imbibe on some of the local food. The South City Kitchen is one of the midtown area staple restaurants. It has been in business for over fifteen years and in addition to offer traditional and contemporary southern faire it has added a bit of sophistication to the genre and is a hip contemporary venue. The food has won awards and the buttermilk fried chicken is a standard favorite.

Mary Mac’s Tea Room has been one of the most prominent southern food establishment in Atlanta for over sixty years. Dining here has become a tradition for many people, and it is frequently referred to as the choice place for first timers to encounter some of the city’s great southern food. It is open for lunch and dinner and the pork chops and ribs are extremely popular. Chazz Southern Cooking is one of the city’s prime places for inexpensive but good southern food. The friendly atmosphere of the privately owned establishment is one of the inviting features.

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Direct Selling Association Annual Meeting News

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

With as many door to door sales people and companies which have been under fire lately for being scammers, too harsh on workers, or otherwise bad companies it is nice to see some summertime news that the direct selling business is not only alive and kicking, but is also thriving with companies that have good intentions . There are a few companies (actually it was somewhere over 1,000 legitimate direct selling companies) that came together recently for the Direct Selling Association ‘s Annual Meeting. One of the most amazing things about this number of direct sellers coming together for a is that it shows the number of companies out there who do actually care. The Direct Selling Association is dedicated to providing a collection of direct sellers with resources that are extremely useful and in exchange all companies that become a member must abide by a set of ethics that prevent them from abusing the trust of the average person. All of those who showed up to this meeting had to be members. It really puts the few bad apples into perspective.

Some of the many guests who were there, including Southwestern Company and Avon Products, were honored for the amount of time they have been open, selling, and for their many contributions to the direct selling market. Southwestern Company may be one of the longest lived direct selling companies around having been selling products on the market for more than one hundred fifty years. With a time range like that one is almost tempted to think that they might be the original direct sellers in America. While it is a long time, there were others who were established before them, and there were probably sham companies at that time too. Many of themhad to go away as groups such as the Direct Selling Association came to be. The more information that was out there about these scams, much of which the Direct Selling Association has helped distribute, the harder it is for them to operate. That is probably one of the reasons why companies like Southwestern Company like belonging to this group so much.

The truth is that the Direct Selling Association hasn’t even been around that long compared to some of the direct selling companies that are around today. However the association was formed out of knowing that there was a market of well intentioned companies out there who could use the advantage over those who were giving the market a bad name.

They were started in 1910, so this was their one hundredth birthday. In celebration there were a number of classes and presentations on some new and important innovations in the industry. Over all the whole thing went very well and most of the members went home satisfied with some new information that will help distinguish them from other companies out there now.

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arteamericas Fair in Miami

Monday, June 14th, 2010

It’s now in its 8th year, and already plans are well underway for the 9th edition of arteamericas, the Art Fair of the Americas next Spring. This event makes Miami continue to be the most interesting city to see art, and is a wonderful thing for the local economy. It’s also great for tourists and travelers wondering where the best place to see new work might be, or which city has the best 5 star hotel. Miami shines in so many respects, and it’s proving itself to be a very powerful force in the 21st century.

This fair is focused on Latin America, which is sort of like focusing on the light when looking at the sun. There are so many cultures and countries folded into the word that it seems enormously unwieldy. And it actually is unwieldy, and fantastically so. This year, the fair also opened up to Germany, Haiti, and Spain, so that the definitions could get broader and broader, and for the strange times we live in, this seems like a very appropriate move.

It’s difficult to see the names of the artists featured here and not wonder why people are talking about Latin American art being a rising trend. Because it seems apparent that it’s always been a major contributor, inheritor, and influence on the art of the rest of the world for some time. When we see works by Salvador Dali and Wifredo Lam in the same space, it starts to help connect the dots in many wonderful ways.

There are plenty of new faces here, as the bulk of the work demonstrates the wide and wild styles of the artists working on capturing a moment right now. But the previous generation’s works do come into a kind of clearer context when seen in relation. Dali’s surrealism came out of a movement that was considered to be essentially European, borrowing images from other cultures and continents (and particularly Africa).

Yet when we see Lam, it starts to seem odd that his works are so brilliantly in line with European culture, but came from a spiritual source that was and is enormously local (and also very African). It starts to seem that these things are connected, and that the movements of the 20th century were much more globally conceived, with no one in the position of claiming paternity or maternity, but there are geographies and patterns of migration that need to be written into the history.

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The Benefits of Investing in Window Treatments

Monday, June 14th, 2010

Windows are an important part of building, whether it is an office, a business or a home. They do a lot to enhance the style and tone of the building. On a more practical level they provide light and fresh air. However, it is also important that they are able to provide privacy and security. Often times this comes in the form of window treatments. Window treatments come in variety of styles, colors, and prices and can easily serve different purposes.

Now it would be easy enough in most cases to run into the local discount store and pick up some curtains for less than the gas it took you to get there; however, most of the time they are poorly made and before you know it you’ll be running back for more. Even though they cost a little more, it is worth the cost to invest in quality window treatments from companies like Next Day Blinds that specialize in custom projects.

Before you make any major purchases or investments, it is a good idea to determine exactly what its purpose will be. Do you want window treatments that easily open and close? Do you want something that will allow a lot of natural light in or block the light out? Do you want the windows to be a focal point in the room? The answers to each of these questions will help you decide the best kind of window treatments for your home or office.

If you prefer window treatments that are easily opened and closed, perhaps vertical blinds or shades would be a good choice. Next Day blinds has many to choose from in a variety of colors and materials. Some are made from fabric and some from vinyl or wood that allow varying amounts of light in as well as differing levels of privacy. They can also be dressed up or down with curtains , swags, or cornices.

There is no end to all that you can do when you invest in quality window treatments.

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The Peak Tram in Hong Kong

Thursday, June 10th, 2010

One thousand eight hundred and ten feet above sea level stands the Victoria Peak or, more simply, The Peak , arguably one of Hong Kong’s greatest sites. It is the highest mountain on the island and served as a natural place in which to signal cargo ships in the eighteen hundreds. In the summer, it was the place to go for residents of the city to escape the heat; today, seven million visitors a year make it their destination, usually using one of Hong Kong’s most enduring symbols of its past, the Peak Tram.

The Peak Tram was developed by Scotland’s Highland Railway in 1881, connecting the south of Murray Barracks to Victoria Gap on the Peak. Quickly, the Peak became known for its views of the city and harbor, and the Peak Tram itself, over decades, has been seen in a variety of films and television programs. Among other films, the tram was seen in a Clark Cable movie called the Soldier of Fortune in the 1950s, and also in an episode of the 1970s American television program titled The Love Boat.

Originally built in 1888, the Peak Tram was the first cable funicular in all of Asia, and the length of the ride was 1,350 metres or 4,430 feet, and connected with five stations. In that time, the carriages were made of timber with open rows of seats at the front and rear, with a compartment in the middle; the tram’s capacity carried thirty passengers at a time, with first class passengers reserved for the center compartment. Operated with coal-fired steam boilers, the Peak Tram was of use to 600 passengers on its first day, and to around 150,000 people in its first year.

From any Hong Kong hotel , it’s easy to find a way to the tram, where guests will rise out of the busy city to the heights of Victoria Peak and experience not only an amazing view, but a piece of history as well.

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The Old Red Museum of Dallas County

Monday, June 7th, 2010

Where can you find under the same roof a mammoth tusk, a World War I-era gas mask, Clyde Barrow’s gun, Tom Landry’s fedora, and Lee Harvey Oswald’s handcuffs? No where else than inside the Old Red Museum of Dallas County . There are few better places to learn about the history of Dallas than this 1892 restored Old Red Courthouse, where you can find artifacts important not only to Dallas and the state of Texas, but materials connected to events of national and international significance.

Stay where you like, from hostels to the 5 star hotels Dallas offers it guests, and venture to the national historic landmark district where the museum is located near the JFK Memorial and Dealey Plaza and across from a replica of city founder John Neely Bryan’s cabin. Upon entering the museum, you’ll find a special exhibit gallery on the first floor; on the second floor, you’ll find the main exhibits, including 41 touch screen computers, a learning center, as well as four mini theaters.

The museum strives to inspire and teach its guests about the economic, political, and social history of the Dallas County Area, showcasing the several cultures needed to form the Dallas that exists today.

Divided into four sections, the galleries explore the history of the area, starting with pre-history to 1873. Dallas originated with John Neely Bryan, settling in late 1841 at a crossing of the Trinity River where Dealey Plaza stands today.

Next, you’ll explore the Trading Center Gallery, which continues the history from 1873 to World War I. Examples from this era include a high-wheeled bicycle and a World War I era gas mask. The arrival of two railroads turned Dallas into an important center for trade.

The next gallery, known as the “Big D”, after the nickname for the city, traces Dallas as it comes of age as a mature city. Here, you’ll find the infamous Clyde Barrow’s gun, a “flapper” wedding dress, a banjo used by blues musicians, and the first traffic light in Dallas County.

The final gallery explores the national tragedy of the assassination of John F. Kennedy, and how the city and county developed afterwards, reinventing itself in the 21st Century. In the World Crossroads Gallery, you’ll discover legendary coach Tom Landry’s trademark fedora as well as the Stetson hat worn by actor Larry Hagman as he portrayed J.R. Ewing on Dallas, the nighttime soap opera that brought world-wide attention to the area.

Building tours are offered as well and only adds a dollar to the five dollar admission. The tours are recommended because they will explore areas of the building not open to the general public and will include a look at a restored courtroom from 1892. The hours are from 9 in the morning to 4 in the afternoon, M-F. On Saturdays and Sundays, the museum is open an extra hour.

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