From: http://fm4.orf.at/stories/1600875/

He pulled through, but can he deliver?

Political Campaigns …

… frequently provide plentiful fodder for those of us prone toward advanced realism. They have even been known to push one or two people over the edge into a bottomless pit of cynicism.

Why?

Well aside from the mudslinging baby kissing, attack ads, and general annoyingness of most campaigns, they are frequently followed up with an extreme lack of follow-through. Many promises are made, but very few are actually fulfilled.

Well, that’s the way it usually feels at least. The truth might be a completely different beast.

So putting together a site tracking the progress of campaign promises is a pretty good idea. It’s a good idea because it might help us help politicians keep their promises, and they are a good idea because it might help reduce the level of cynicism out there.

I certainly know I want to be able to believe in fluffy bunnies and rainbows again…

From: http://fm4.orf.at/stories/1600875/

If you are planning to improve your lawn or garden by gardeners and landscapers, you can always do so. And you need not hire a professional landscaper just to realize your dream of having a beautiful landscaping japanese gardens. You can do it all by yourself. All you need are some basic knowledge about landscaping, the right tools and equipment and of course patience and some hard works.

But, how do you really make your garden look like it was landscaped by a pro? Well, there are some basic things that you have to know before actually starting to do the landscaping. Here are some tips to remember for your do it yourself landscaping;

1 : Ask yourself why you really want to have a landscaped garden. This way, you will have a real purpose while doing the works; hence, you can focus on accomplishing your goals.

2 : Define the real purpose of your landscaped garden when it’s done. How many persons in your household will love it or benefit from it.

3 : Decide whether your landscaped garden should be used only by your family or will some party be hosted here.

Out of this information, you can now go about deciding which free landscape design downloads you will adapt for your garden. Details such as the kinds of plants to be used, paving, lights and layout can now be conceived. After that, you can plan for your budget.

Choose a Theme for Your Garden : It is important to plan for the theme of your free landscape design downloads. With a theme included in your landscaping plan, you don’t have to buy excessive tools and supplies because you already have an idea on what you will need and how many you need. You may want to have a formal garden, a gothic one, garden with herbs or with trees and shrubs. If you’re not sure about themes for landscaped garden, you can always get a landscaping book or magazine that you can consult. Better yet, the internet is where you can look up for different themes that you can use for your gardens.

Taking Care of Your Landscaped Garden : Now that you’re done with your do it yourself free landscaping computer program activities, it’s time to take some rest. But, never ever forget to take care of your garden. Give your landscaped garden all the care and the things that they need in order to thrive and grow beautifully.

Be sure to water your plants the proper way; water with the right amount of water depending on the need of each plants. If you want your landscaped garden to last for years, always remember to visit and care for them regularly.

Do It Yourself Landscaping Online : You may be a newbie when it comes to small backyard landscape ideas and don’t have any idea how you will start doing the project on your own. But you know what; you can always use the Internet to your advantage when looking for information regarding landscaping. There are lots of websites and blogs online where you can find different information, tips and guides on how you can make a successful do it yourself landscaping.

Need to know which landscaping tools or equipments are right for your do it yourself landscaping? Search the internet for landscaping forums and communities where you can ask for help from your fellow members regarding any landscaping needs that you have.

National Academy of Sciences report last week declared that the next solar maximum (2012), could shut down western civilization for up to 6 months.  That’s a respectable organization with a very dire outlook.

If you are looking for today’s weather about the clodest air of the season, click here.

The solar cycle reached it minimum in 2003, and instead of reaching low activity, the solar output went haywire. The group concluded that the expected solar maximum would result in the worst solar storms in 150 years.  It was 1859, when such solar activity caused telegraph wires to short out in the US and Europe sparking fires.   Today, our reliance on susceptible electronic equipment can lead to catastrophic problems.  With today’s political and civil environment, it could lead to a complete disruption of social and economic structure.

I heard a representative on the radio this morning talking about a possible 30 degree shift in the the polar axis.    There was also relevance to the year 705 BC, with 15 civilizations from the Middle East to China talking about a day the sun went backward in the sky as some gravity force influced the earth’s rotation. This event was also blamed for changes in our calendar.  What used to be a 360 day orbit around the sun, became 365.  That was compensated by leap days and leap years on calendar today.

Sounds like science fiction? If you are still stockpiles for Y2K, then you’ll rest easier.  As many of you know, I am not a doomsdayer. Just look at yesterday’s story about the arctic sea ice returning to 1979 levels.  However, there is a lot of chatter about the year 2012 something to happen.  The Mayan calendar ends on December 23rd in that year, and a lot of talk on line has ranged from civil unrest to the solar system crossing the Galactic plain.  Check out the video below from The Horizon Project, a group of scientists that claim to be collecting evidence, cross checking, and cross promoting science from fields that may have not been collaborating in the past.  The goal is to solve puzzles that specialized fields would not be able to on their own.

To continue go to: http://www.examiner.com/x-1586-Baltimore-Weather-Examiner~y2009m1d12-Solar-storms-worst-case-scenario

You will find all kinds of homes around the country and around the world. Some are big, some are small, and some are simply average. When you are searching for home theater systems you will find the same thing. This is particularly true of the home theater systems that come as a package deal. While I do not normally endorse these purchases, just as all homes are not alike, neither are all people. This means that what may be best for me and my home theater may not be the best plan of action for you and your home theater.

I definitely recommend listening to any home theater you are considering before taking the plunge and purchasing. There are many times in life when you get what you pay for. While most of us live within some degree of budget constraints you will find that most of us have certain things we simply will not go ‘cheap’ when purchasing. You should keep in mind that there are great ways to get outstanding bargains however, when it comes to purchasing electronics. One of these ways is by purchasing a home theater kit where all the pieces (generally with the exception of the television) are included.

Seeing is believing when it comes to value for most of us. The best way to find a home theater kit that you are going to be confident about purchasing is to take a look at the kit, listen to the speakers (the first 5 to 10 minutes of the movie Top Gun is an excellent test for sound), and take a look at the system to see how you find the interface. It doesn’t matter how great a system sounds if you can’t figure out how to use it once you’ve taken it out of the box. You might also want to look into the price of professional installation if you are electronically challenged when it comes to matters of programming and installation. These kits are also often appealing to those who find the prospect of shopping around for the parts and components tedious.

While it is difficult for me to accept at times, we were not all born shoppers. For people such as this, home theater systems that come as a package deal are often life rings tossed out in a sea of shopping among sharks. This convenience for some is worth any price that could be stamped on the box. The good news is that there is enough competition that prices are typically competitive according to quality.

Box kit home theater systems are appealing to many consumers for many different reasons. Those who live in small apartments or have very small home theater rooms typically find that it makes no sense to invest in a system that will rattle the walls or have the neighbors complaining. Those with limited budgets find that this is an economic way to get everything at once. People who have little time to invest in researching all the items they will need find it incredibly convenient that they will not need to worry about missing something important such as a receiver during the process. Still others find that they like knowing up front what the price for the total home theater experience is going to be, at least the electronics component at any rate.

It is important to remember that a home theater means different things to different people. Finding the ideal home theater for you may not necessarily equate to the ideal home theater for someone else who has grand visions of a cinema themed room with dark rich colors on the walls and muted lighting effects along with blacked out windows for the ultimate movie viewing experience.

Don’t get too caught up in the details and remember that it only has to work for you and your needs. Creating a wonderful home theater is a great way to bring the family together on a regular basis. Buying a pre made home theater kit or system is a great way to begin enjoying the wonderful benefits of a home theater experience while learning the things you like and dislike about your system. This could be a work in progress for many years to come as you learn more about what you do and do not prefer.

Philips HTS3565D/37 Home Theater System with iPod Dock | Slayo.com

Philips HTS3565D/37 Home Theater System with iPod Dock is a high definition picture and power…   Read more…

HOME THEATER

By DAVID SWANSON / Special Contributor to The Dallas Morning News

Order breakfast while you’re still in bed at the new Aura Cozumel Wyndham Grand Bay. You’ll have just enough time for a dip in the private plunge pool above your third-floor suite before room service delivers smoked salmon, fruit and coffee.

Check into a suite at Sandals Whitehouse in Jamaica and head straight to the sand while a butler unpacks your luggage and presses your clothes.

Spend the day exploring St. Lucia’s rain forest, then head to the bar at the intimate East Winds Inn for a sunset libation before a dinner of lobster caught fresh that afternoon, and an evening shared with no more than 60 guests.

If you thought all-inclusive options in the Caribbean were limited to huge, impersonal resorts short on island personality and quality dining, you’re in for a revelation.

You can still find plenty of cost-wise hotels geared to travelers who want no more than a beach, a swim-up pool bar and a bill without surprises. But today’s options include upscale resorts with only a few dozen rooms. From the fussiest jet-setters to wallet-battered survivors of the economic downturn, just about every traveler can find a suitable fixed-price Caribbean resort.

As a result, all-inclusive converts are coming from unlikely places.

“I always resisted all-inclusives, and then I stayed at the humongous Iberostar in Riviera Maya,” said Maribeth Mellin, author of The Unofficial Guide to Mexico’s Best Beach Resorts (Wiley, $19.99). “I finally got it: that an entire family of several generations could vacation in the same place. The kids could play in a fabulous pool area, the grandparents could sit in a shaded bar area playing cards, and that there was a huge, wonderful spa.”

To these families, whether they were in Cancún or Punta Cana didn’t matter, Mellin said. “What they cared about was the price and the ability to spend a week somewhere where everyone could have a good time.”

Travelers who do care about location have plenty of choices. Although the vast majority of hotel rooms in Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and along Mexico’s Caribbean coast are all-inclusive, set-price resorts also have opened in St. Lucia, Antigua and Cuba. In fact, few islands are without at least one all-inclusive option.

Jamaica, one of the early meccas of all-inclusive vacations, once again is experiencing hypergrowth. By the end of 2009, the number of hotel rooms will climb by 20 percent, and most of the additions are midrange all-inclusives run by Spanish hotel chains. Established firms such as Sandals are countering with the new Grand Pineapple Beach Resort, priced lower than its current Sandals and Beaches resorts. SuperClubs is going a step further: Last summer, it opened its second branch of Rooms on the Beach, a no-frills hotel that includes only breakfast, with rates starting at $100 a night in high season.

Price and style in the region vary significantly, from luxury boutique hotels charging $700 per room in low season to sprawling campuses with basic rooms that cost less than $200. Says Adam Stewart, CEO of Sandals, “All-inclusive can mean anything today.”

In 2007, Sandals replaced the term “all-inclusive” with a trademarked tag line: “Luxury Included.”

But “luxury” may be the most overused word in lodging today, and as the chains compete ever more fiercely for an increasingly cost-sensitive market, quality is often the first item to get trimmed.

“I think it’s better to emphasize value,” said John J. Issa, executive chairman of SuperClubs, the Jamaica-based operator of the Grand Lido, Breezes and Hedonism resorts.

John Long, a vice president for the Spanish chain Iberostar, which operates 100 hotels around the world, said, “At first glance, they all look luxurious.”

So, how’s a traveler to sort it all out? As always, price is one signpost, but not the only one. Here are some of the options.

Two decades ago, most all-inclusives were designed for couples, and some are still for couples only. Then, Sandals launched the Beaches brand to tap the family market. SuperClubs has the Hedonism resorts with an atmosphere that borders on X-rated, but also has family-oriented Breezes and Starfish hotels. Most Club Meds have shifted to a family-friendly ambience where parents can join their kids in trapeze classes.

The smaller FDR resorts in Jamaica even include a nanny for each family checking in. She takes the kids swimming, teaches them tie-dye or travels with you on day trips to Dunn’s River Falls.

The stakes are increasingly being raised. Kids may think they’ve gone to Disney-World-by-the-beach come Jan. 20, when upscale Beaches unveils the expansion of its Turks and Caicos resort, with 600 new rooms and 16 restaurants. Its Pirate’s Island Waterpark will grow to 10 times its original size, with nine water slides and a surf simulator that replicates white water and surf conditions for boogie boarders.

Some resorts have off-season specials for single-parent families (most all-inclusives base prices on two adults per room).

Spanish-speaking destinations have long courted the European market. So it’s no surprise that if you stay at one of the midpriced, Spanish-owned Barceló properties on Mexico’s Riviera Maya, you’ll find many languages, a breakfast buffet oriented to European tastes (lots of cold cuts and cheeses) and hundreds of lounge chairs lined up in the sand, as on Mediterranean beaches.

Club Med, with French roots, also tends to have a more European style and crowd, although the company has resorts in non-French destinations such as Turks and Caicos and Cancún.

If the quantity of restaurants and pools at some all-inclusives overwhelms, smaller hotels such as the Aura Cozumel and East Winds Inn focus on intimate settings.

In Jamaica, just a stone’s throw from a huge Riu resort, 65-room Sunset at the Palms is one of the few in Negril not directly on the beach. The hotel turns this into an advantage, by emphasizing its intimate environment among lush gardens, away from the beach bustle.

Despite having only two restaurants and one pool, the resort consistently ranks at or near the top of Jamaican hotels recommended by Trip Advisor readers.

The Spanish Riu chain showcases options for budget-conscious travelers.

Its resorts are eye-grabbing, and Riu calls all but one of its 23 Caribbean hotels “luxury.” But pools and beaches can be crowded, and dining options limited. At the 400-room Riu Palace Riviera Maya, guests line up each morning hoping to snag dinner reservations for the 12-table gourmet restaurant Krystal.

Still, the price may be right. The Riu chain often advertises off-season per-person rates below $100 a night. This includes the chain’s fourth Jamaica property, a resort opened in Montego Bay last year next door to a Sandals.

North of Playa del Carmen in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, Iberostar offers almost 2,000 rooms scattered across a minicity of five side-by-side hotels with shopping mall, spa, discos and a shuttle service between them.

Prices and amenities are set at four levels, from the budget- and family-oriented Paraiso Del Mar and Paraiso Beach starting in March at $2,338 per week, double occupancy, to the adults-only, all-suite Grand Hotel Paraiso, priced from $4,186.

A similar Iberostar complex in Jamaica opened a year ago near Montego Bay, with three levels of hotels.

Some hotels don’t wear the all-inclusive badge on their sleeve.

At Curtain Bluff in Antigua, “fully inclusive” includes more than almost any other hotel in the region: meals, drinks, water-skiing, diving and even deep-sea fishing.

What you won’t find is rah-rah theme nights, and at dinner – served in a single restaurant – men are required to wear slacks, a collared shirt and dress shoes.

Nightly winter rates start at $995 plus 20.5 percent tax-and-service fee, double occupancy. The price falls to $645 after May 15.

And then there are the traditional hotels getting in on the act.

The dominance of all-inclusives in Jamaica prodded the Ritz-Carlton Rose Hall to create an Escape to Luxury package for summer (from $409 nightly per room) that includes three meals, drinks, tax and gratuities. For a true luxury hotel with room-only rack rates starting at $209 plus 21.25 percent tax-and-service fee, the package is a smart buy.

David Swanson of California writes the “Affordable Caribbean” column for Caribbean Travel & Life magazine.

From: http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/fea/travel/thisweek/stories/DN-caribinclusive_0111tra.ART.State.Edition1.e18163.html

Technology is constantly evolving and introducing new products to an already full line of home theater products. While not the newest kids on the block, wireless speaker technology is also advancing at a rate that prices are no longer out of reach of the average consumer and the value of being able to move your speakers around without going to the work of rewiring is appealing to consumers on an increasingly large scale.

I always try to keep in mind when buying new electronics and electronic components that this year’s technology will sell at half the price this time next year. For this reason I have a hard time investing in the latest and greatest when it comes to technology and tend to remain exactly one generation behind the curve when buying new products. I like to save money whenever possible and in most cases my like of saving money outweighs my like of having new gadgets and gizmos at the high price they often command.

I also have a nasty habit of keeping those products until they are no longer useful at all (I still have my little 13 inch television from my college dorm and I won’t tell you how long ago that was). I will keep it until it no longer works. It is currently being used in my television. I only mention this in order to convey the fact that making a sizeable investment in electronics in most cases is an investment that will last for quite some time unless you are one of those people who has to have the latest and greatest new tech toy each and every year.

Back to my original point wireless speakers have been emerging technology for a few years now. We’ve finally developed enough competition that market prices are trending downwards. This makes now the perfect time to look into the option of purchasing wireless speakers for your home theater. They are still a sizeable investment for the average home theater consumer but well worth it in my opinion for the freedom of choice and movement that they provide.

This is a great add on if you have an existing home theater in place and are considering an upgrade. I think that many people will find that the options this affords makes it well worth the investment that will be required in order to achieve. I strongly recommend however that you do not simply go online and buy the first set of wireless speakers and receiver that you find. This is a serious gamble, as you have no idea what kind of quality you will receive. The best possible recommendation is to make the rounds of local stores and listen to the various systems that are on the market.

Once you’ve found the one wireless sound system that appeals most to you it is time to go online in order to compare prices. Once you’ve found the best price online you should then check your local stores and see if they offer a low price gurantee that will match the online price you found. This is a great way to find better deals and save a little money (by not paying shipping charges).

You should always keep in mind that there are no absolutes when it comes to creating a home theater. You do not have to follow a specific code, or use certain components or even certain seating. The best thing you can do is to create an atmosphere in which you and your family can best enjoy your television and movie viewing experiences. You should keep the sounds you like in mind when selecting speakers and choose speakers that will provide the fullest amount of sound that you are comfortable with the idea of paying your hard earned money in order to purchase. Seriously, this is your money and your home theater is an investment you should take great care to make the best possible investment for your money.

Philippe Starck Zikmu Wireless Speakers | Gizmo Ave

“The new Philippe Starck Zikmu wireless speakers for Parrot. These sleek speakers fe…   Read more…