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Archive for February, 2010

Vegetarian Pantry

Saturday, February 27th, 2010

Well there isn’t always a great vegetarian restaurant www.vegetarianrestaurant.com.sg around or maybe there is but you just don’t feel like eating out again. At some point it will be important to stock up on some things to make at home. Learn to enjoy cooking will be a must unless you have someone else doing it for you. That would be nice. Anyway, if you are your own cook here are a few ideas that will help make the meals you make at home more interesting.

Many vegetarian dishes, as you may have figured out already, have a strong influence of Indian or Asian foods and spices. You may want to stock up on Soy Sauce, Miso , Tahini and other stir fry sauces. Soy milk,  coconut milk and olive oil will get used. Also nut butters are great for many things. You can either eat them off of fresh veggies like celery or crackers. They are also great as thickeners in things like home made cookies. When it comes to spices many of them you have already in your cabinet like Basil, Pepper, Chili Powder, Garlic Powder, Oregano, Onion and Parsley. There is another more mysterious spice that you may not be using right now and that is Curry.

There are plenty of vegetarian cookbooks like 500 Vegan Recipes by Celine Steen, that will help you learn more about Curry. You may have had some curry in dishes at Thai food restaurants or India food restaurants. It is actually a combination of spices that make up most curry dishes like turmeric, cumin, coriander, red pepper and fenugreek. In the western world curry is a spice but as you learn more about it you realize that it is actually a sauce. There are quite a variety of curries depending on what kind of dish you are making.

Monkeys in Miami

Thursday, February 25th, 2010

It’s hard not to love a monkey.  In the United States, at least, we’ve been enjoying monkeys since childhood, with such kid’s books as Curious George and a whole host of monkey movies — from Tarzan films, to  2001: A Space Odyssey, to Clint Eastwood’s 1978 Every Which Way But Loose — monkeys abound.  We may not know them all by name — Beppo the Super Monkey, Bonzo, Gleek, General Urko, Zira and Cornelius, even the Evil Monkey from Family Guy — but we know they have saturated the popular mass consciousness and most of us love them.  This all points to the good time you can have by actually going to Monkey Jungle in Miami, Florida.

Children at Monkey Jungle gift shop have been known to simply cry out, “Monkeys!” because they can’t stand the fact that they’re this happy.  Inside, you’ll find an interesting twist on the usual zoo-like enclosure.  At Monkey Jungle, you’re the one in a cage, and the monkeys run free to their heart’s content.  This arrangement began back in 1933, when an enterprising man named Joseph DuMond built a ten acre hammock and released six Macaques or Java monkeys from Southeast Asia.  He wanted to build a colony of monkeys, but these first monkeys tended to attack the visitors.  He built a tunnels of wire cages through the hammock  to protect guests, creating one of the few places in the world where monkeys can run wild and the patrons are in the cage.  Those first monkeys grew into a colony numbering well over  a hundred, and there’s dozens of other primate species here, too: orangutans, howlers, spider monkeys, gibbons, even squirrel monkeys.

There is a sign that reminds people that “All Monkeys Bite,” so it’s for the best that the humans are in the cage.  You may find this little monkey haven at 14805 Southwest 216th St, in Miami.  It’s open daily from about nine thirty in the morning to five in the afternoon, but you may want to call first from your hotel, and you can do that here: 305-235-1611.  If you don’t yet have a hotel, find one here at a great price.

La Jolla Playhouse at UC San Diego

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

My friend Carrie is currently an undergraduate student at the University of California San Diego. While I know that this is a well-respected institution, she’s getting a degree in theatre, so I’ve always kind of thought, well, you know, how difficult can that be? And she was so proud to be going to UC San Diego that I’ve never really said, “yeah, to study drama, that’s like getting a degree in recess studies or something” though that’s really kind of how I feel. And I know that drama students also have to take other basic classes, like the rest of us, it still just feels like one of those coaster degrees. Anyway, I’m not here to belittle or criticize my friend, it just kind of bugs me when she says how difficult school is or how much work or whatever it is she claims.

The point is that my other friend, Dana, who’s getting her degree in social work like I am, and I will be visiting Carrie early next month and I though I will be very happy to see her I just don’t want to have to hear about the school work, you know? And Dana just got a letter from Carrie saying that she had tickets to the La Jolla Playhouse while we’re in town. Dana is excited because the tickets are for some show called Diary of a Madman and it’s supposed to be a one-man show by some famous actor or something. Oh, that’s right, it’s John Leguizamo who is the actor. I don’t know who he is but Dana is extremely excited and says he really incredible or something. But think about it, if he’s so incredible, why is he performing at some school’s playhouse? Shouldn’t he be on Broadway or something? I’ll try not to be snobby sounding but I can’t make any guarantees. Oh, that reminds me, we still need to reserve a room in one of the cheap hotels in San Diego.

A Greener Way to Inflate Your Car Tires?

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

For many years, race car tires and jet tires have been filled not with air, but with nitrogen. Now many people are investigating whether or not adding nitrogen to passenger and commercial vehicles will be better in the long run for the environment. Many of those who are for this change, state that nitrogen leaks out of tires at a slower pace than air. This means that the full capacity of pressure will remain more consistent for longer periods of time, which has a great effect on the gas mileage a vehicle gets. Makes sense. Car companies are constantly looking at innovative ways to increase their vehicle’s fuel efficiency, and this is one way people can do it on the cars that they already own.

From newer models to old classics with antique tires, cars will become more efficient. Studies have shown that while it is recommended that drivers check the pressure of their tires weekly, most people do not do it. Many never do it unless the tire becomes visibly lacking in air, to the point that it starts to go flat. A study was conducted in Europe and the results were that 93.5% of drivers, are driving cars with tires that are under inflated. Each year, this means that 2.14 billion gallons of petrol are being wasted. This is a waste that adds up to billions of dollars being thrown away by consumers and it wreaking havoc on the environment, a waste that is so easily rectified. And the scary thing is that analysts are certain that should this study be conducted in the United States, the numbers would be just about the same.

Hankook tires are one of the brands that are brilliantly designed, but the fact is that all tires loose air. Not everyone is convinced that filling tires with pure nitrogen is the answer, as 78% of the regular air used to fill tires, is nitrogen. However others state that it is the 22% of oxygen that is causing the problem, and by removing the oxygen the problem will be solved. Whether or not it is nitrogen that is the answer, the main goal is to just keep your tires at their recommended level of pressure, for your pocketbook and for the environment .

Buffalo People

Thursday, February 18th, 2010

The area of Buffalo New York has an interesting history of migration. The first settlers of the area were mainly New Englanders. The are people who were first from areas like Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island and massechusetts. They were apart of the first settlers that came from England. The Plymouth Pilgrims. Then at some point there was a group of Germans that came into the city. The area of Buffalo that reflects the German influence is called Kaisertown. The there is the Irish immigration that can be seen in the old First Ward of South Buffalo. It is still one of the largest groups of Irish Americans. This area was also the home of many steel mills, auto manufacturers, refineries and machine shops until the industry changed.

The city would then be filled with Polish, Italian, Jewish and Latino people. The Polish communities are located in the Broadway Market area which is a great place to visit while you are staying in Buffalo.It is a real cultural mix of cultures that comes out in the music and art of the city. Somalian, Sudan people and Asian people have been the late comers to the city of Buffalo. On the east side of town you will find the African American community who are decedents of the people who came during the Great Migration. If you are in the area in the summer time you may catch the big festival, Juneteenth, which is a celebration held in the Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

Buffalo is changing from an industrial city to a more financial and health care based industry. It is steadily becoming a more tourist and service city. When you are looking here for a hotel keep in mind the amazing food, history and events you will experience because of the incredible mix of different cultures that make up what is now Buffalo New York.

Money Mutual Gave Me Money for My Bills

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

I was having a problem last week. The electric company was threatening to shut off my power because I haven’t been able to pay my bills. It’s been a couple of months and it seems that one thing after another kept happening with the money. My car broke down in December, and then my fiance was mugged at the beginning of January, so I helped her out. She is mostly back on her feet now, so the paycheck I just got in today was going to be dedicated to paying those bills off. They were going to shut off the power on Monday and I was freaking out. If I couldn’t get on the computer I wouldn’t have been able to work to make the money to pay off the bills. I called my friend, not wanting to tell my father the mess I got into.
Luckily for me, my friend works for Montel Williams and is therefore always hearing about cash advance loans. It’s actually a pretty good deal. I got on, gave them my information around noon Saturday, two days before they shut off my power. Sunday morning when I woke up, I had the loan. There was a little bit in between where I had to review the loan information I was getting myself into, but it didn’t even take me a whole hour of my time to apply and read over the information. I am absolutely amazed. You really should see some of their videos and see what I’m talking about.
There are some requirements, you have to be over 18, and have a steady job making $800 or more a month. I have terrible credit because my money is a little erratic, but I always have at least $800 a month. They didn’t care about all that though. They didn’t check my credit using the big three reports, and therefore didn’t ding my credit in the process. Something else I thought was cool was that it didn’t cost me anything to apply. If they hadn’t found anyone who was willing to lend to me, I wouldn’t have been out any money. My favorite part is that it was completely confidential, only my friend and I knew what was going on for that week. The electricity is still on, and I’m paying back my loan today. I am so glad my friend told me about this and I hope you will share the tip too.

Miami is a Good Place to Stay Before Going Abroad

Sunday, February 14th, 2010

I had a big night out last night, so I wasn’t pleased to hear the alarm go off at 7am, nonetheless, I got up, picked through my suitcase and headed down to a buffet breakfast. That’s where I met up with Dawn and Daniel. We shared a table and even though I wasn’t hungry, I sure managed to do my fair share of chowing down.

After breakfast, we all got on a bus to Cocoa Beach, it was 8am, so I managed to get a little bit more shut-eye before we arrived to our first  rest stop at Port St. Lucie, which was around 10:30am. We were back on the road for about another 2 hours and reached Cocoa Beach right at noon. We hit the beach which was just a few steps from our bus.

Cocoa Beach is a great beach, it’s so different than South Beach and it’s much less crowded; quieter all the way around. The sand was soft and fine and the ocean was the color of turquoise. I really am not one for swimming, but Dawn and Daniel were, they told me the water was warm and that I should try it. I still preferred to lather up on sunscreen and enjoy sunbathing.  We stayed on the beach for several hours, piling on more sunscreen to avoid a newbies mistake and get a very painful sunburn. It was almost time to head back to our bus, so we gathered up all our belongings and went to a hotel to shower off the sand and sunscreen. The hotel was a part of the tour, just for drinks or showers really. I couldn’t believe all the sand I had to shower off, it seemed to be everywhere on my body.

Once we got back to Miami, I went to my room and caught up on emails and Facebook. I also checked out this site, which was were I found this great hotel I’m staying at, to see if there was a hotel I could find something closer to the airport, because of my up coming trip to Europe in three days from now. I’d like to not feel hurried or rushed when it comes to travel. I did find one right next to Miami’s airport, so I went ahead and booked a room for the night before I leave.

Miami Scene

Friday, February 12th, 2010

When you think of American city scenes with unique flair one of the first to come to mind is Miami. Miami is such a scene. The mix of people in Miami is incredible. It is filled with creativity and life. The music and the party is over the top. This is a place that attracts the rich and famous from all over the world. There is always a good reason to get a great room at one of the incredible hotels around Miami Florida click here.

Some of the people that were born in Miami include actor Sidney Poitier. When he was working the scene he was a true activist for civil rights. The roles he played in movies broke the stereotype of black characters and added much needed credibility to black actors. He was the first black person to take home a Academy Award for Best Actor for the character he played in the movie Lilies of the Field. He went on to star in other popular films like To Sir,with Love, In the Heat of the Night and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. He is considered one of the best male actors of our time.

Eva Mendes is also a native to Miami Florida. She as had a great career as an actor in movies like 2 Fast 2 Furious, Hitch, We Own the Night, The Spirit and the crazy Training Day. Then you have some actors who were born else were and ended up making Miami their home. Don Johnson who is most known for his role in Miami Vice. Andy Garcia moved to Miami with his family from Cuba when he was five. Then there is the entertaining Dwayne Johnson who started as a UM Linebacker and then wrestler, were he got his name The Rock, and now movie star.

Brits in NYC

Monday, February 8th, 2010

New York has long been considered the great forge, where artists will go to develop their voices and their visions in a setting that is extremely competitive, and also extremely stimulating.  This is the place where people who like peace and quiet lose their bearings, and those who can withstand the pressures of constant stimulation get their rewards with more of the same.  It’s also one of the most enjoyable places to take a vacation, with a variety of attractions and exciting things to do around town.  New York is stocked for boutique hotels and can accommodate every taste with these tasteful lodgings.

It’s also a place to check out the best and the brightest of the current generation of artists.  There are many different types of artists here, and they work in every conceivable medium, at least as far as what’s so far been conceived.  Comedy has always been an appealing entertainment here, and right now the Daily Show seems to be sprouting the next batches of comic actors.  It’s sort of what SNL used to be, where the correspondents who make the biggest impressions on the largest cross-section, get whisked away by talent brokers to being their next career in film.  It could happen with John Oliver just as it happened with Steve Carell.

It’s hard to know whether such a loss for the show would be a gain for the film industry, as Carell’s career has spun into magnificent orbit.  It would surely be missed, though.  Oliver’s particular brand of humor is extremely relevant to the times, where the dry wit mixes with the lion’s share of courage and feigned arrogance, making for a persona that is constantly undermining itself, and keeping us on edge.  His recent comedy shows are reminding us that his roots in stand-up are still growing strong, and it’s simply fortunate for us, no matter which way he goes, that we’ll get to continue watching him.  And we certainly will.re are probably a few good conversations that can come out of the deal.

Theatre and Psychology Degrees at Naropa University in Boulder

Thursday, February 4th, 2010

As a performance artist that has combined music, acting and dance into original productions, I have been considering graduate schools to attend. I gave a lot of thought to the decision between an MA and an MFA and have come to the conclusion that I will pursue the MFA and not an MA/PhD combination. And as a practitioner, though also a theorist, it just feels like this is the best decision for me. In addition to performing I am interested in how the performance arts can heal and serve as various therapy tools. This is one of the reasons I am so drawn to the Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.

I had heard of the University and was not surprised when it turned up in my initial and broad possible option list. However, I became extremely attracted to it after further investigation. My interest is in an MFA performance degree in theater and they have an incredibly interesting and dynamic acting program. I am totally drawn to the Contemporary Performance program, which incorporates the psychophysical philosophy of Jerzy Grotowski. I imagine this should be incredibly demanding and commitment oriented and I also imagine I’m right in thinking so. I also like that they have a focus on traditional Eastern arts and a meditative contemplation. It seems like an incredibly creative atmosphere and there seems to be as strong focus on application of theory.

In addition to the actual theater program one of the amazing features of this school is that it also has an incredible psychology degree. Their MA in Somatic Counseling Psychology is absolutely perfect for my combined interests. I’m interested in the Dance/Movement Therapy program attached to this degree and can’t believe my luck in finding this school. So, instead of thinking about the MA/PhD plan, I am certain that the MFA/MA plan is right for me. I plan to visit the campus this summer. You can find information here, like I did, on hotels to stay in. I’ve only been to Boulder once before and that was when I was a child. I remember really liking it though and am excited to go back.