Archive for May 20, 2010

5DC (Dalia Cracken) | May 20, 2010
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Outdoor Movies in Zurich

One of the great delights about travel, when there’s enough time to see the sights and still have enough down time to connect with the local culture in a meaningful way, is seeing films in another country. Even travel in the most luxurious of places can be a little tiring, when the daily negotiations of directions, the languages spoken there, and new flavors in food eventually reach a saturation point. Sitting in a movie theater after a long day can be the most welcome feeling in the world. Even films in another language still have some familiarity, because the ritual of seeing a movie is essentially the same everywhere you go.

There are always local variations, however, and these can be enormously fun to observe, and participate in. Movies in Zurich are a very special occasion. The local culture is rather studied in art, and everyone seems to know a little something about the history of global cinema, so it’s a wonderful chance to see some really first-rate work. While the indoor films are interesting all year round, the summer is a very special time in Zurich, when the outdoor film culture comes alive. This part of Europe really comes to life in the summer months, when the weather is really spectacular and most everyone likes to be outdoors.

July and August are especially good months to travel here, when many of the local entertainments are taking a break, in order to re-connect with friends and family, and Orange Cinema is one of the favorite meeting places. It’s a great time to venture out of the Zurich hotel and enjoy the cafe lifestyle. A perfect evening here just might be a long meal of your favorite food, and then taking in a movie with the rest of the city when the sun goes down.

Orange Cinema isn’t the only way to see a movie in Zurich , but it’s an experience not to be missed, if there’s an opportunity. People gather and sit, stadium-style, looking over Lake Zurichhorn, and when the film is about to start, the screen rises up so that the lake view is turned into a spectacular cinema experience. They show a wide array of films, with critically-acclaimed new releases, independent and alternative films, and cult classics. This is a wonderful way to enjoy a night out, and connect with the local Zurich culture.

Category: Entertainment, Travel | Tags: , ,
5DC (Dalia Cracken) | May 18, 2010
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London Club Notes

Anyone who goes to a club is looking for something. Usually it’s something very particular, and usually is exactly what everyone thinks it is, and that’s a good thing. Because it’s easier to meet people knowing that everyone’s there for the same reason, or reasons. The chance to meet the perfect someone is always on the front of the brain, but the same brain often lets you know that it’s a slim chance, so better come up with some other ideas. In that moment, drinking, dancing, and hanging out with friends becomes the theme of the evening, and it’s a great way to spend time anywhere.

Visiting London, the game is still the same. Clubs are clubs wherever anyone might go, and none have an edge over another for getting people out of their instincts. They’re driven by instinct, in fact, because the beats per minute are designed to open up the animal nature in everyone. In London, however, the science of the beat is a little more refined, because this is one of the central cities where it all began. This is all to say that London club culture is very sophisticated.

At its best, it is very open, engaging, and keen on allowing people to have the chance to be themselves, while maintaining a sense of fashion and common cultural precision. Places like After Skool Klub are the height of this notion. It’s all 18 and over, and there is a pretty modest fee of only 7 pounds to get in. There are a number of discounts available, too, so look into that before paying the full cost. Here the atmosphere is very accepting, as long as the tastes aren’t too pedestrian. Death Disco at Nottinghill Arts Club is another local scene that’s very hip, and pretty open to new ideas in music and fashion. Be brave and daring at all costs.

The Forbidden London guides also have some excellent suggestions, but these are often the upscale clubs where it’s nothing to spend hundreds of pounds a night, and make a show of how easy it is to spend. In certain circumstances, it’s a lot of fun, but the guest list and the scrutiny at the door might keep people away, looking for the real London crowds. They all add up to good reasons to spend time away from the London hotel room and get out into the streets to see what the city does after dark.

Category: Music, Travel | Tags: , ,
5DC (Dalia Cracken) | May 17, 2010
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Western Conference Finals Suns vs. Lakers Starts Tonight

Tonight is the first game in the series of the Lakers versus the Suns for the Western Conference Finals and the chance to move on the NBA Championship. There has been a lot of speculation over this series. The Lakers are a formidable opponent; however I think the Suns, and Nash in particular, have had enough of getting shut out of the playoffs and will rise to the occasion. Both Kobe and Nash are suffering from injuries that could affect the outcome of the game but both have strong bench support. While I would really like to see the Suns pull this one off, I’m willing to settle for a decent series. To read more previews on the upcoming game, visit this site.

Category: Sports |
5DC (Dalia Cracken) | May 16, 2010
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Geneva Music Festivals

As one of the larger financial centers for all of Europe, Geneva is a city that attracts a rather broad array of visitors every year. Some come to do business, of course, but the rest come to enjoy the hotel accommodations and all that the city has to offer. The locals are very cosmopolitan, and pretty well-versed in world history as well as world culture, and they tend to like outdoor activities, taking advantage of the temperate weather here. Winters are typically snowy, and skiing is a prime attraction here, and the rest of the time there is a potpourri of choices. Because of the cultured population, music festivals are at a premium, and for live music, it’s hard to beat.

Geneva’s Fete de la Musique is one of the big events in the city, and is also a major music festival for the rest of the world. Those fortunate enough to be traveling here in June can enjoy a three-day music festival that is one of the largest in the world. It truly has something for everyone, with 50 stages that have a constantly-rotating lineup of everything under the sun, from classical to hiphop. There are plenty of local acts, along with some stunning international acts that represent the best in their genre. Plan on using the city’s public transport during this time, since the roads are blocked off to make room for the music and the crowds.

For the more esoteric tastes, there is the Akouphene festival , which happens for four days in September. Here, the focus is on music that crosses over into other genres, from Brutism rock, experimental, and noise rock, and way, way beyond. This is one of the most exciting festivals for those who are deep into the eclectic, and have a taste for the ultimate in modern. European art tastes tend toward the remix and mash-up these days, and these new genres are some of the most exciting experiments from young and adventurous world musicians.

Those who like performance mixed in with their live music should try to attend the La Batie Festival. The focus here is more theatrically-based, with a big emphasis on the visual arts. Again, this is something that represents contemporary trends for mixing genre and playing with form, and demonstrates some of the best artistic minds working today.

There is plenty more where this came from, and those looking to discover the music scene in Geneva don’t have to wait for festivals. Live music is heard in clubs, pubs, and performance spaces all around town.

Category: Music, Travel | Tags: , ,
5DC (Dalia Cracken) | May 14, 2010
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Video Rental in Austin

The film industry is very much alive and well in the city of Austin. Ever since the release of the underground classic, “Slacker,” in the 80s, Austin has registered on the radar of nearly every member of the hip and infamous, and has now begun to register on their offspring. It’s a bit strange to think that the Gen X’ers are now having kids, but these things are inevitable, and the irony is not lost on the city. It’s established itself as a hub of national alternative culture, and maintains a high standard of cultural literacy, and there are plenty of things going on here.

Music has always been rather excellent in Austin, and with the SXSW festival, it’s even better. That same festival has also boosted Austin’s prominence in the film world. It’s no accident, then, that there are so many great video stores in Austin . The knowledge of the film industry is very broad and intense here. Like everything that the locals in Austin like, film is admired with a rather ridiculous passion. In any of the video rental places, it’s likely to get into a conversation about film with the owners and the workers, because the next best thing to watching film is talking about it.

However, it might be only a short conversation about what’s available on video in Austin before it seems like talking might even be better than the real thing. Other customers also join in on the conversation, and it can become a lively night out. You’ll certainly find out about other people’s tastes, but it’s also likely to learn about the movie industry, too. The people in Austin simply know a lot about film, and that’s one of the most exciting things about the city.

If you are visiting for awhile, you might even consider getting a membership at one of the Austin video joints. It’s worth the trouble to have the access, and most places will rent to out-of-towners. And it is a pleasure to rent a cult classic or something new and strange, and watch it from the privacy of your hotel room .

One thing to remember, too, is that the video stores have a sense of humor that is as open and engaging as everything else. The owners and the employees like to laugh, generally, and have a pretty witty take on the world of video, along with everything else. Check out some of the store policies, too, where some will offer amnesty on the first of the month and cut the late fees in half, and other places offer free beer on some evenings. There are things in this town that are impossible to manage anywhere else.

Category: Entertainment, Travel | Tags: , , ,
5DC (Dalia Cracken) | May 13, 2010
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Landing the Sale with Effective Presentations

In the world of sales, some things are always changing, and some things will always stay the same. In terms of the latter, what will always stay around are the old-fashioned values that have worked for our forbears, having stood the test of time. These have to do with earning a potential client’s trust, and have more to do with honesty and an open, friendly approach than tricks of the trade. However, when it comes to the tricks of the trade, these are changing all the time, and with a population that is becoming increasingly more savvy with media , this includes the tricks for making an effective presentation.

Presentations training can open up a number of doors for one’s employees, and help to create the perfect dream team, where everyone is performing up to their potential. Because there are so many ways of making effective presentations these days, it’s becoming increasingly important to marry presentation skills with old-fashioned values . Even the most remarkable, even stunning presentations, can be undermined if there is nothing solid at the base to back it up. This means having the confidence in the process necessary to deliver a solid presentation, and that comes from having a solid understanding of the value of the goods being sold.

The goods can be material objects, but they can also be something more intangible, such as an idea, an attitude, or an outlook. This is the point where presentation skills can be further enhanced with customer service training seminars . These offer skills that can reach into many different areas of sales, but can also speak to an organization’s vision in general. Knowing the customer, and knowing how to gain their trust can be further understood in terms of how an audience responds to a presentation. Taken together, they can offer some solid material to build splendid success, and even separately they can offer meaningful and valuable skills toward an efficient and effective company.

Category: Business | Tags: , , ,
5DC (Dalia Cracken) | May 11, 2010
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News in Amsterdam

With the very high amount of alternative shops and alternative culture in general in Amsterdam, it’s pretty reasonable to suspect that there’s a lot of alternative newspapers in circulation. There is certainly plenty of reading material, and given the European propensity for maintaining a steady flow of knowledge, historical and contemporary, it’s easy to find lots of papers here. Cafes and record shops all become reservoirs of free information, and it’s a lovely way to spend a morning, poring over the various sources of news with a coffee and thinking about the day ahead.

Of course, seeing the world from the luxury of one’s hotel in Amsterdam is also pretty lovely, because it’s one of the most interesting cities in the world. It can be very lively, with a nightlife, and a daylife, that’s pretty hard to beat for fun, but it can also be pretty laid back and rather beautifully calm, too. Having access to the news in a strange city in another country can offer some very telling truths about one’s own country, and the pace of the city allows for these kinds of contemplation. Something that often happens here is that foreigners discover that their own home countries are not the center of the world at all, and in Amsterdam, there’s little of the sense that the people here feel they’re the center of the world, either. That’s one of the great pleasures about staying in a truly cosmopolitan city.

There are many different sources of news, then, for those wondering what’s happening in the city. Apart from the indie rags that can provide some very insightful commentary, along with some that only offer ads, there are online sources that can give a sense of what’s happening here. These can be helpful before leaving, but they can also be good references for when one comes home, and starts to miss Amsterdam. Everyone who has visited will miss it eventually.

Some online sources, like topix are user-generated sources, which is a very contemporary trend, and has some excellent links. It’s important to watch out for messages that are adverts, however, since access is fairly open. Pink point is an excellent source for Amsterdam’s GLBT community, which began as an ice cream cart in 1998 and has grown by leaps and bounds since then. Radio Netherlands Worldwide is a fairly broad, and purportedly objective, source for news here that’s available in English.

There are many sources for news in Amsterdam, however, and it’s important to keep that in mind, because they very much value the notion of keeping a point of view that can be shifted.

Category: Travel | Tags: , , ,
5DC (Dalia Cracken) | May 9, 2010
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Phillies vs. Cardinals: More than Just Baseball

Fans in attendance of the Phillies and Cardinals game Monday night got more than they paid for.  As if the game wasn’t exciting enough, a teenage boy decided to jump the fence and run around the outfield.  Not a good idea.  After being chased briefly, a Philadelphia police officer tased him and quickly had him in custody.  There is an ongoing investigation into whether or not the officers actions were justified.  I’m sure everyone will be rethinking running onto the field at any sporting event.

To read the whole story click here or to see the video click here.

Category: Sports |
5DC (Dalia Cracken) | May 7, 2010
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Another Side of Kobe Bryant

Many of us, sports fans or not, are well acquainted with LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant. He’s tough and focused both on and off the court. However, a recent interview with Los Angeles Times Magazine showed that there is a side to Kobe that we never get to see… and it’s not just the blinding white wardrobe. Click here to read the whole interview.

Category: Entertainment, Sports |
5DC (Dalia Cracken) | May 4, 2010
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Congratulations to Super Saver!

A heartfelt congratulations goes out to Super Saver for winning the 136th Kentucky Derby! It was a record breaking year for many. Jockey Calvin Borel became the first to win the Derby 3 times in 4 years.   This win is particularly sweet to trainer Tod Pletcher who has entered 24 horses in the Derby throughout his career; however this is first win.  Anyone who watched the race would agree, it was the best 2 min in sports! Good luck to Super Saver as he moves on to the Preakness and, we can only hope, to capture the Triple Crown!
Kentucky Derby 2010

Category: Sports |
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