Pilot Report

Archive for March, 2010

California beaches have a kind of magic that is somehow able to appeal to almost everybody, but remains very specific, and seems to hold something deeply personal to each person that spends any time here. It’s as old as any mystery that’s been part of the earth’s history for millions of years. So although one can spend time here watching new swimwear, and toys that roll, and hear sounds that have electronic beats, there is still something very ancient about the experience.

Clothes are part of a tradition of adornment, and every culture has its tastes. The objects that we use to move us around come about from the invention of the wheel. And the beats from hip hop come directly from West Africa , and can be traced back into a vanishing point that predates the oldest ancestors. Even the gorgeous hotels here, suited with all the latest technologies, speak to a convenience and hospitality that are as old as any civilization that has had guests. This is all part and parcel of the sea’s great mysteries, and there are times when we can be reminded that this is indeed where we all came from.

Or so it would seem, and even if the jump between the sea and the land is as hard to fathom as the moment before the universe exploded into what it is today, we are water. Our bodies are mostly water, and affected by tides and the turns and the whims of the moon . It’s a strange moment, to be vacationing in California, and wondering about how we don’t want to leave, not just yet. But in the greater picture, our lives are a flash, a blink, and we are always just visiting. Some things seem permanent, and they fade into the horizon, and the only thing that survives all of this, bearing witness to these events, is the ocean.

Self-improvement does seem to have a historical connection to the development of human psychology. There are probably a thousand factors that can explain the connection, but it’s likely based in an idea that human beings are formed by their environment as much as nature forms them at the beginning. This small idea also suggested that human beings, then, could also change, with some effort. From a personal and professional perspective, this has enormous implications that are still being mined today, and there may be no end in sight to what can be learned from this insight. It also certainly suggests that our attitude has a lot to do with how we look at the world.

Positive thinking is nothing new, and it didn’t have origins that came with the development of modern psychology. It’s an idea whose roots are much, much older. The notion that like attracts like is a natural principle that alchemists were playing with long before contemporary science accepted it as a maxim. However, it hadn’t been applied in quite the same way until the last century, and not on the same scale, where it was suddenly made accessible to millions of people. It has enormous potential still, in the realms of managing as well as training , and a number of other applications that haven’t been considered.

That’s probably due to its efficacy in the natural world. The idea that an intention can affect an outcome seems rather obvious, but there are times when it seems insurmountable as well. This is an ironic age, or perhaps even post-ironic now, where it’s difficult for anyone to say what they mean, because there is very little trust. Everything sounds like a quote, and it seems as though everyone knows the same secrets. However, these principles, based in common sense, address elemental issues of trust, by appealing to common sense and common traits, and making the most of a moment. It also means putting the heart and mind into the moment, and that moment is always the secret that can change everything for the better.

While staying in London it is a seeing a show in one of the great West End Theatre’s is a must do. The theatre here has given great influence to theatre’s all over the world. The shows performed here on a nightly basis are considered to be the some of the best in the world. Millions of people see the high quality productions each year. Over the past few years specifically the attendance records have been broken with major musicals like Billy Elliot, Mary Poppins, Wicked, We Will Rock You and The Producers on the scene. The productions have also attracted many major movie stars from America to perform such as Kevin Spacey and Val Kilmer. The history of the theatre district is a long one starting with the construction of the first playhouse in 1576, The Theatre. Then came along another called The Curtain . They both had performances by the William Shakespeare Company. There were some changes for a few years with openings, closings and rebuilding which lead to a restoration in 1660 and the licensing of two companies, the King’s Company and the Duke’s Company were allow to perform. This is when the first West End theatre was built called Theatre Royal in Bridges Street. Now that same site holds the Theatre Royal. All sorts of conditions were placed on who could perform what for a long time and but the creative stayed creative and were finding loop holes they could build into their performances that made most things possible. The late 1700s and early 1800s proved to be growth period for the districts as new theatres were going up every couple of years. Places like the Criterion Theatre , the Savoy Theatre and the Comedy Theatre went up with the boom until the slow down around World War I. Mixed in with many of these theatres is a great London hotel to find and rest ones head after a late night of decadence and excitement. Catch a great tour of the theatures in London and see if you may be able to meet some of the performers before they go on stage.

Cincinnati is commonly considered to be the nation’s first boom-town of the early nineteenth century located in the heart of the country to rival those that were located along one of the coastlines. It was compared to these coastal communities in size and wealth as well as industry. It is also frequently considered to be the first truly American city, meaning that it was entirely removed from British or European influence in its development. This are extremely strong reasons to give the city and its residence a sense of pride, and the professional sports teams that belong to it are representative of this and are perfect options to place one’s city passion in.

People from Cincinnati are proud of their city and they love their sports teams, as any major city’s inhabitants should. And while the tourists who visit this great American boom-town, may love those aspects of the city’s history, they are unlikely to share the same enthusiasm for the local sports teams. However, front desk hosts and other staff at some of the nice hotels are likely more than willing to bring guests up to date on the current sports stats.

The Cincinnati Reds are the city’s major league baseball team. One of the older franchises in existence, they were first established in 1882. They were originally known as the Red Stockings, which was later shortened to Reds. Their home games have been played at Great American Ball Park since 2003. The Cincinnati Bengals are the professional football team from the city. They’re not nearly as old as the Reds, though the city still loves them. They are currently enjoying some strong players and periods of success. They are the AFC North Division Champions. The Bengals play their home games in Downtown Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium. Anthony Munoz, Charlie Joiner and Paul Brown are all Bengals Pro Football Hall of Famers
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Slept in this morning, it was my third day in Denver. I wasn’t out of bed until 8am. I woke up once in the night wondering where I was, it took me about a minute to remember I was in a hotel room. I barely managed to catch the complimentary breakfast before it closed. I was lucky to find this place online at this site , a day before I came to Denver. I’m meeting an old friend of mine from high-school, who lives in Fort Collins, at the Denver Zoo by 10:30am. She wanted me to meet her little girl, which I haven’t seen since she was born.

We both thought that meeting at the Zoo by 10:30 would be easy and we could also have time to enjoy parts of the City Park before we entered the zoo. But, we were totally wrong, by the time I got to the Zoo and it was really packed. So packed that the parking garage was closed because it was full. Luckily, I saw someone leave, so I pulled in to that parking spot. My friend and her daughter weren’t so lucky. They ended up having to park far away and walk quite a distance to the Zoo entrance. It was 11am by the time we met at the front of the Zoo. After officially meeting her daughter and many exchanges of how much we missed each other, we decided to give up on the City Park and just go into the Zoo.

The Denver Zoo, fortunately is very huge, so it didn’t seem that crowded inside. The zoo has some very nice outdoor and indoor exhibits. I really appreciated the indoor exhibits, because of the snowy weather and I’m sure the desert animals did too! We saw half of the zoo and decided it was time to have lunch. Afterwards, we continued along through the zoo and hopped on the carousel and the train before her daughter fell asleep. We finished up the zoo while she slept, including seeing the Lorikeet exhibit. It was near the end of the day, so the birds weren’t interested in feeding from the cups of nectar all the little children offered. It was funny to watch all the children still try to feed the birds. They would stick their cup right up in the Lorikeets face, and they didn’t give up even after a few bird bit back.

By the time 5pm rolled around, her daughter woke up and I walked them both back to their car, I would’ve drove them, but I didn’t have a child’s seat. We decided to meet over at my hotel and grab a bite to eat before they had to drive back to Fort Collins. During dinner we both agreed to stay in better touch with each other, and for the life of us, we couldn’t figure out why we were lapse in the first place.

Some people believe the desert is the last place on Earth to find super fresh sushi. Some people would be wrong. The Phoenix metropolitan area is home to sushi showplaces as well as hidden gems serving spectacularly fresh Japanese cuisine.

However, not all people like sushi. I’ve converted many friends and family members into sushiholics and must admit it’s a fun transition to witness. Sushi bashers start off by insisting they’d never put a piece of raw fish into their mouths, so the trick is to start them on something cooked. Or make sure they drink enough sake to get them feeling adventurous. I’ve attempted starting sushi newbies on tame rolls such as cucumber or California, though to my surprise, I’ve often discovered what they like best is the sashimi. Meaning no rice involved. The same folks that begin their sushi journey by freaking out about eating raw fish end up loving it served straight up. Sushi irony.

For people that fall into this bracket, try a beginning a social evening with sushi or sashimi at Benihana Benihana before gathering round the teppanyaki table for entertainment and more food than will fit in your belly. For a quieter evening at a place with a neighborhood feel, check out Sakana. With four Valley locations, all serving lunch and dinner, there’s something on the menu to please everyone. Those who continue to turn up their noses at sushi, despite your best efforts, are bound to find something delectable among the pork, chicken and cooked fish offerings.

Swanky Scottsdale sushi venues include great date spots Roka Akor and Stingray Sushi. Roka Akor boasts a sexy Shochu Lounge, serving top notch cocktails featuring this Asian liquor. Stingray serves what some people comment are the best Lollipop rolls in town. A long, fresh strip of cucumber is wrapped around a selection of fish and then speared with a skinny wooden stick. Arranged artfully on a white plate, the colorful “lollipops” are presented for your enjoyment.

Learn more about where to dine on stellar Japanese cuisine at japaneserestaurants.com.sg .

I’ve been interested i circadian rhythms for most of my life.  When I first heard about these in sixth grade, I thought that this meant that the whole world was a mess.  The idea that our natural clocks are different from the way the sun spins us around just seemed unnatural or something.  At the same time, I had an inkling that there was some kind of hope in all of this.  We seem to be powerless over the measures of time, in the world, and in our own bodies, and these forces are not as far from our reach as we think.  I’ve always felt like I was peculiarly maladjusted for city life, and this, for some reason, meant that I should be in a city, or at least close.

The possibilities are there for enjoying the rhythm of a city like New York, with five-star hotels that offer comforts and hospitalities that cater to a comfortable rhythm.  It seems like a way of beating nature, almost, and it also can seem like it’s a way of reinventing ourselves.  New York certainly is a place where one can go, leaving the life before spectacularly behind, and find out what we are like if we pretend to be something else.  For some, this kind of fluctuation in identity is unnerving, and for others, it’s a means to liberation, a kind of Buddhist negation of self that recreates something out of the fires of our experience.

The rhythms of Manhattan are particularly complex, based in the complex of human desires that number in the millions.  This creates a general sense that things are in complete chaos, and yet they seem to be working on their own accord in spite of ourselves.  There are few days here that really feel like 24 hours, and most of them go much faster.  This, for me, is really good news.  It means that I might have a chance to reset my own circadian clock.  It’s a means of short-circuiting all the senses, so that, at the end of the day, we get to rest alone with the person that we are becoming.