tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43795266100781362352024-03-13T21:12:16.670-07:00Legacy Landscape ContractorsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.comBlogger198125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-3573221908472118052014-12-01T13:33:00.000-08:002014-12-01T13:33:00.474-08:00Taliesin West - Home Design in the Desert of Scottsdale<div id="article-content"> <p>There are a number of reasons that Scottsdale, Arizona homes, land and real estate are so highly sought after by families. Here's one: there's so much to do, whether your lifestyle leans towards indoor luxuries or outdoor amenities.</p><p>For example, internationally renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright came to Scottsdale in 1937 and purchased what was then barren real estate. Designed as his personal winter home, studio and architectural campus, he built Taliesin West in the lush high Sonoran desert directly in the shadows of the McDowell Mountains in northeast Scottsdale.</p><p>Wright created a new form of architecture and established a legacy that still draws visitors from all over the world to Taliesin West, which is a living laboratory of Wright's ideas. The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation has made many renovations to Taliesin West over the years, giving guests the opportunity to view Wright's private home which has been restored inside and out to its original appearance.</p><p>Ranging from one to three hours, tours of Taliesin West are offered on a regular basis, allowing visitors to experience firsthand Wright's heralded ability to integrate indoor and outdoor living spaces. Depending on the tour you select, you can visit the Cabaret Theater, Music Pavilion, Kiva and Frank Lloyd Wright's office, all of which are linked by dramatic terraces, gardens and walkways overlooking the rugged desert and the valley below. Knowledgeable guides explain how the site relates to the surrounding desert real estate and provide a general overview of Wright's philosophies and theories of design. Twilight tours are offered during select months, providing sightseers with the extraordinary opportunity to view Wright's one-time home in a nighttime setting when the desert masonry structures, lighted from within, appear as sculptures.</p><p>According to the Scottsdale Convention and Visitor's Bureau, Wright's vision and influence are seen throughout Scottsdale, including at one of Scottsdale's premier resort properties, Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa. This luxurious resort enjoys a history filled with Hollywood celebrities as well as an architectural past linked to the Wright legacy. Representing the cosmopolitan side of Scottsdale with its clean lines and minimalist approach, the property was originally designed by architect Hiram Hudson Benedict, a protégée of Wright. What makes it even more unique is the fact that several stunning private homes are snuggled just steps away from the resort's front doors.</p><p>Vernon Swaback, a former student of Wright's, also has left an indelible mark on Scottsdale's real estate landscape. He spent more than two decades studying and working at Taliesin West and over the years has been involved in the design of award-winning hotels, office buildings, recreational facilities and custom homes throughout the Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Phoenix metropolitan area.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-38533766395509765362014-11-28T12:02:00.000-08:002014-11-28T12:02:00.178-08:00Landscape Paintings - A Distinct Genre of Painting<div id="article-content"> <p>Landscape Painting is a distinct genre of painting that captures nature in its natural form. The paintings are reflections of the skies, seas, rivers, sun, moon and greeneries on the canvas. One of the earliest and traditional painting forms, landscape paintings touch the heart of the modern art lovers with all their purity, naturalness and aestheticism. Visual documents of the panorama of nature the paintings with their timeless appeal have grown over the years as inspirations to the generations of artists. Indian selection of landscape paintings are the treasure trove of India. Watch them and get engrossed in the wilderness and unspoiled beauties of nature. Take a tour and enrich yourself with interesting information on landscape paintings.</p><p>The word landscape originates from the Dutch word "landschap" denoting areas of arable lands. Depicting natural sceneries in a medley of lines, colors and tones was the outcome of the natural inclinations of human beings to reflect what they mostly found around them. The early civilizations with less industrialization and urbanization presented nature in its complete bounties. Artists and poets admired them in their creations. Life was not at all complex and it was only nature and its diverse facets that formed the central theme of the paintings.</p><p>Landscape painting in its antiquated form can be observed in the pastoral sceneries of the Roman times. The paintings gained prominence with the emergence of Renaissance Art. Nature was romanticized and portrayed as philosophical and spiritual elements. Various religious and mythological events were represented via nature. Though the spiritual tones were absent in the Reformation times the paintings became more uniform and realistic in this era. The seventeenth and eighteenth century led to the flourish of the paintings with some master artists like Watteau, Gainsborough and Thoams Girtin. The breathtaking creations reached their acme in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Various movements of arts like abstract expressionism, impressionism and surrealism influenced the painting and brought in some new styles and techniques. Nature was observed scientifically and more importance was given to its hostile aspects. In the modern and postmodern landscapes nature is synchronized with human psychologies and complexities of life. The various facets of nature resemble the moods of human beings in manifolds.</p><p>Landscape paintings have several classifications. The skyscape paintings depict clouds, skies and weather conditions. Moon is aesthetically represented in moonscape paintings. The rivers and seas find visible expression in seascapes and riverscapes. The images of urban landscapes, industrialized cities, towns and streets are carved in cityscapes and hardscapes. The aerial landscapes offer an aerial view of the objects in the ground. Inscapes are visual images of the psychoanalytical mind as a three-dimensional space. Roberto Matta, Ajmes Gleeson and Jane Farnk are the specialists in inscape paintings. Various innovations and experiments with the landscape paintings are still going on. The paintings with all their connotations and aestheticisms are a connoisseur's delight and a prized legacy of art.</p><p>For detailed information on these Landscape Paintings please visit <a target="_new" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.india-crafts.com/paintings/landscape-paintings.html">Landscape Paintings</a></p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-78033280695216940962014-11-24T08:47:00.000-08:002014-11-24T08:47:00.073-08:00Las Vegas Golf Courses-A Guide To The Best Las Vegas Golf Vacation<div id="article-content"> <p>Are you planning on going to Las Vegas?</p><p>Did you know that Las Vegas golf courses are some of the</p><p>best golf courses in the world? There are numerous amounts</p><p>of Las Vegas golf courses and many more are being built.</p><p>The majority of Las Vegas golf courses are open all year</p><p>round, very beautiful and known for their quality and</p><p>spectacular features. They are a must for anyone traveling</p><p>to Vegas on vacation. So if you are looking at planning a</p><p><strong>Las</strong> <strong>Vegas golf vacation</strong> and do not know where to begin, let me</p><p>help you with this short guide.</p><p>First, The Legacy is one of the finest golf clubs in</p><p>Las Vegas. This is one of my favorite Las Vegas</p><p>golf courses to visit. What I enjoy about the Legacy Golf</p><p>Club is that it provides an unrivaled and most challenging</p><p>golf course because of its raised terrain, unparalleled</p><p>angles, configurations and lines, broad landing surface</p><p>area and excellent landscaping.</p><p>Second, The Bali Hai is another one of Las Vegas</p><p>golf courses that is noteworthy. The practice surface</p><p>area, banquet and clubhouse is excellent and has a great</p><p>family atmosphere.</p><p>Next, Reflection Bay is a wonderful golf club and people</p><p>continue to rave about it. The mission at Reflection Bay is to</p><p>provide all golfers a most pleasurable golfing experience.</p><p>Also, Lake Las Vegas Golf Club is a Las Vegas golf course</p><p>known for its awesome location. Located 17 miles from the</p><p>Vegas strip centered on a 320 acre privately owned lake.</p><p>In addition, other Las Vegas golf courses such as the</p><p>Painted Desert Golf Club, Desert Pines Golf Course</p><p>and the Silverstone Golf Club continue to get great</p><p>reviews.</p><p>Last, but not least, Las Vegas Golf vacation packages can</p><p>range from low-priced to very high-priced. With their</p><p>increasing popularity Las Vegas golf courses are becoming</p><p>more and more popular so you need to know how to beat the</p><p>crowds.</p><p>As you can see, Las Vegas golf courses have become Shangri-</p><p>La for golf enthusiast worldwide. With a little advance</p><p>planning you should have a wonderful <strong>Las Vegas golf</strong> <strong>vacation.</strong></p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-24564407583726905622014-11-19T20:38:00.000-08:002014-11-19T20:38:00.791-08:00Holiday Ideas For September<div id="article-content"> <p>Holiday Ideas for September, well its back to school and so prices will begin to drop, but across most of Southern Europe it should still be sunny and warm or hot right up until late September. Therefore its also a good time to searching out those late Summer bargains.</p><p>To help you find your ideal holiday for September we've split this into sections: <br/></p><ul> <li>Sunny Beach Holiday Ideas - Short and Mid Haul</li> <li>Sunny Beach Ideas - Long Haul</li> <li>Active and Activity Holiday Ideas</li> <li>Cheap September holidays</li> </ul><p></p><p>Short and mid haul would be up to 6 hours flying time, long haul is anything over this.</p><p><b>Sunny Beach Holiday Ideas: Short and mid Haul</b></p><p><b>Croatia, Makarska Riviera</b> A great September holiday idea is to visit the Makarska Riviera, 85km from Split (fly to Split) with its perfect semi-circular small harbour. Makarska lives up to its too-good-to-be-true appearance. The wide promenade, bursting with fashionable cafes, restaurants and boutiques, is backed by an old town of narrow, stone-paved streets. The modern hotels are built just outside the bay with their own curving, pine protected beaches. An excellent mixture of old and new: sports, relaxation, culture, sightseeing, shopping and eating out.</p><p>Most resorts offer a spectacular choice of watersports such as waterskiing, boats rides and scuba diving in the crystal clear waters of the Adriatic is a "must". Tennis, table tennis, bowling, mini-golf and volleyball are just as popular. Mountain-climbing is also a local tradition dating back to the early 1800s with a stunning unspoilt landscape, this is hiker's paradise. Croatia has the advantage that is is not part of the Euro zone, so prices will not have inflated due to drop in the pound against the Euro.</p><p><b>Marrakech, Morocco</b> The ancient Berber capital is rich in history, culture, and French-inspired restaurants. Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Atlas Mountains, Marrakech is traditionally Moroccan. By day, the main square of Djemaa El Fna buzzes with stalls selling everything from mint tea to cast-off teeth. By night, groups of exotic Berber dancers claim it for their own. <b>Cyprus</b> Mythical birthplace of Aphrodite, Cyprus offers a welcome as warm as its climate. The holiday season lasts all year long here, but in September temperatures will start declining from their Summer peaks (which could be well into the forties degrees centigrade) and will probably be in the thirties.</p><p>This should be more than hot enough for most sun lovers. Try heading for the resort of Limassol a good blend of beach life and night life which will still be in full swing. Villas in Cyprus are ideal for exploring the rich historic legacy of this island, sitting at the crossroads of three continents and bearing traces of many great civilizations. There are Greek and Roman remains to discover, as well as reminders of the island's Ottoman past, just a short trip from whichever villa you rent.</p><p><b>Sunny Beach Holiday Ideas: Long haul</b></p><p>One area to probably avoid at this time of year is the Caribbean/ Florida, this is the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season (from June and going into November), 6 hurricanes occurred in September 2008, two category four (almost the worst). This was big proportion of the total, so they are more likely in September than other months. Also avoid Southern India and Goa as this is the Season of the The Retreating monsoon (September) for this same reason also rule out Sri Lanka and The Maldives. So in September we should look for Holiday Ideas in Africa, Australia, South Africa, Brazil and the Southern India Ocean like Madagascar, and Zanzibar. Gambia is brilliant for pure beach holidays.</p><p><b>Activity and Active Holiday Ideas</b> If you are looking to do more than just Sun yourself on the beach we have some fantastic ideas for you in September its a really great time to be getting out and travelling in many parts of the world.</p><p><b>Fall in New England</b> The leaves start to turn towards mid September and are at their best at the end of the month and through October. The unpredictable factors that influence the rate at which leaves change colors are rain, the amount of sugar in the leaves, the number of daylight hours and temperatures. Peak foliage in New England works its way down from the north. The further north you go, the earlier the peak.</p><p>For Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, your best bet is anywhere from the last week of September through the first week or two of October. Make your trip about more than just leaves so that you won't be disappointed. There's more to autumn fun in New England than peak foliage. Sip hot cider, pick apples, take a hay ride, hike, bike or attend a festival. Keep in mind, too, that even a hint of colour can be beautiful.</p><p><b>Kenya / Tanzania</b> Receiving dry warm weather throughout August, with average temperature reaching 25 degrees celsius, and rainfall just measuring to 60mm, Kenya is a magnificent country to take a trip to. With two of the most famous game reserves in East Africa; the Masai Mara and the Amboseli, this country promises a safari experience second to none. Herds of wildebeest can be seen sweeping across the African savannah, whilst watching in awe as the wild elephants graze in the Amboseli. Revered by the local Kikuyu tribes, Mount Kenya, an imposing extinct volcano which is covered in forests, moorland and ice glaciers, is the highest peak in Kenya, towering over 5,000 metres of the African landscape.</p><p>All of the fascinating wildlife, the coral reefs, forest reserves and a rich historical heritage make Kenya a captivating country. The best game viewing you can fit into <b>13 days</b> - elephant, lion, wildebeest, black & white rhino, antelope of every kind, zebra and giraffe can be seen through the Great Rift Valley and in the confined space of the Ngorongoro Crater. Meet the Masai people and if you're lucky, experience a migration. See Mt Kilimanjaro's snow capped peaks from a distance or for the more adventurous, add on a Kilimanjaro Climb.</p><p>Alternatively for those with less time , or who want to pack in a bit of beach time too, there is a 7 day tour, meeting in Nairobi. You leave Kenya swiftly behind to enter Tanzania; home to the highest peak in Africa Mt Kilimanjaro, two of the largest wildlife sanctuaries on the continent, and the unique Ngorongoro Crater. This visit has us concentrating on the north west corner of this vast country, seeking out migrating herds of plains game and searching for the endangered Black Rhino on the crater floor. Add on a Zanzibar extension to make this tour a true environmental and cultural experience, one to invigorate and release the stresses of everyday life.</p><p><b>Istanbul, Turkey</b> The mysterious city straddles East and West with fine affordable restaurants and tantalising glimpses of the Orient. The Arcadia is a recently restored hotel in the old city, with the Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar nearby. As Europe's bridge into Asia and the Middle-East, Turkey is a uniquely diverse country in which to enjoy an activity holiday. In Turkey modernity meets tradition and east meets west: Byzantine folk music and contemporary rock music, ancient Hittite sites and Roman remnants, glorious palaces and towering skyscrapers, supermarkets and bazaars, and churches and mosques, all sit happily side by side.</p><p>With delicious cuisine, gorgeous architecture and people whose reputation for hospitality is well-deserved, Turkey will has a richness and diversity that will appeal to all, whether you are looking for a destination for your singles, teenage or family adventure holidays. Boasting high mountain ranges punctuated with clear lakes and rivers, picturesque villages enveloped in olive groves, deep valleys and canyons, and over 4,000km of beautiful Mediterranean coastline, Turkey provides endless opportunities for exploration.</p><p>After an exploration of exotic Istanbul's labyrinthine bazaars and ancient mosques, you fly Kayseri and travel to the Taurus mountains to enjoy great opportunities for remote trekking in Europe. Nine days of walking takes you from the Emli Valley into canyons, through woods, over high passes and alongside high mountain lakes, reaching a high point of 3723m. Each night is spent camping among the wild landscape. After the trek you head into Cappadocia, a bizarre landscape of eroded spires and underground cities created over thousands of years.</p><p><b>Nevada, Las Vegas</b> While the bright lights of Las Vegas might be Nevada's headline attraction, the Silver State is also home to a myriad of other exciting activities. September temperatures are in the mid thirties degrees, rainfall should be minimal.</p><p>Hiking and biking to fishing and hunting are all available amid the stunning National Parks, including the infamous Death Valley, while the winter brings snow and the possibility of skiingi at Lake Tahoe's 15 resorts in the north of the state. Moving into autumn, Hearts O' Gold Cantaloupe Festival and Country Fair will take place between September 4th-7th. The event will feature concerts, parades, a livestock show, mud volleyball, entertainment, kid's games, and cantaloupe foods and contests.</p><p>Head out to the Churchill County Fairgrounds in Fallon to taste the sweet fruit of the season and take part in the fun. The Annual Virginia City International Camel Races are also set for September. While not known for their speed, these desert troopers hit the racetrack as a nostalgic reminder of the Comstock Lode's bonanza days. This family event features camel and ostrich races for a hilariously good time.</p><p>Later in the month, the Wild West Extravaganza brings a 'boomtown' to life in the historic town of Pahrump with a gambling hall, stable, blacksmith's shop and sheriff's office. Gunfighters keep the crowd on its toes, while they browse vendor booths and listen to music. Don't miss the Civil War Re-Enactment or the dinner-theatre performance.</p><p>A couple of days later the Ruby Mountain Balloon Festival will see the sky over Elko fill with more than 40 brightly coloured balloons. Admission is free. However prepare yourself before you go, by finding out what to do/not to do: 7 ways to have a bad time in Vegas <a target="_new" rel="nofollow" href="http://govegas.about.com/od/lasvegasvacation/a/badvegas.htm">http://govegas.about.com/od/lasvegasvacation/a/badvegas.htm</a></p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-37949723835686111722014-11-17T07:13:00.000-08:002014-11-17T07:13:00.300-08:00SharePoint Development for Investment Consultants<div id="article-content"> <p><b>How SharePoint Can Help Investment Consultants.</b></p><p><b>Investment Consultant Roles</b></p><p>Investment consultants formulate strategies and guide investors to make correct long-term and short-term investments. They manage and constantly monitor clients' portfolios to meet desired results. Their aim is to preserve and grow clients' investment/asset over the long term and keep them abreast of the latest financial products. Further, they have to manage a large pool of documents/artifacts and seamlessly mentor their clients over a long period of time.</p><p><b>Role of IT and Challenges (SharePoint Helps fill these gaps)</b></p><p>With a dynamic economic landscape, Investment experts face a lot of challenges before them - both at macro and micro level. They need to survey possession distribution more often because of the unpredictable and dynamic market swings. They need to evaluate the magnitude of losses and continually track macroeconomic variables. Their current innovation set up is inadequate in more ways than one to handle these intricacies.</p><p>Internally, they have to maintain a large pool of information, archives and artifacts pertaining to each of their clients and also interact with them to meet their monetary objectives. At present clients require personalized and focused services from these investment consultants. An elevated turnaround time in responding to customers' queries might bring about competitor switch and in nonappearance of synergistic correspondence might hamper connection with clients.</p><p><b>Apart from the above challenges there are several in-house challenges that linger in current investment consulting firms:</b></p><p></p><ul> <li>Investment Research</li> <li>Investment product evaluation and performance measurement</li> <li>Customer relationship management</li> <li>Lack of Value added services offered to clients</li> <li>Usage of Obsolete/Legacy Systems to manage clients data</li> <li>Unstructured Data Management</li> <li>Downgraded system performance</li> <li>Single Point Access to Data</li> <li>Low collaboration with clients</li></ul><p></p><p><b>How a SharePoint Set-up helps?</b></p><p>A SharePoint set-up renders a collaborative platform in the form of Intranet portal for investment consultants to share information related to clients' activities, better interact and engage with clients, enable value added services by providing customers with research reports, whitepapers etc.</p><p>It can build a central repository of data and can allow single point access to fetch relevant documents pertaining to a specific clients' portfolio and prevent the system from any unauthorized access. Apart from these SharePoint 2010 offers a host of other features to manage document types, retention policies etc. Investment consultants can also utilize other SharePoint features like document versioning, task listing etc. to improve task visibility, employees' collaboration, configuring indexing services, building custom search service for faster and accurate search results.</p><p><b>SharePoint Integration</b></p><p>SharePoint Consultants can help integrate existing CRM with SharePoint to overcome native functionality limitations of CRM by creating a central repository of data. They can facilitate integration of SharePoint with other in-house customer LOB application used to generate research col-laterals.</p><p><i>SharePoint integration enables consultants to have a consolidated view of data residing systems to improve TAT and user experience.</i></p><p><b>SharePoint Portal, Development & Customization</b></p><p>Apart from host of in-built features, SharePoint can also be customized and developed according to clients' requirement. SharePoint Custom Scripts can help monitor database growth and compartmentalize database to keep system performance optimal. It can also help in migrating obsolete clients data from legacy systems to SharePoint for better exception handling and control. SharePoint can also be developed using custom codes for data clean up and maintenance to reduced maintenance overheads.</p><p><b>How to choose a SharePoint consultant for your organisation?</b></p><p>It is important to seek external SharePoint consultants' assistance before implementing SharePoint solutions for your organisation. Full scale implementation of SharePoint solutions requires in-depth business domain experience. Hence before you select a SharePoint consultant for your business, it is important to know whether the consulting company has prior knowledge and experience in the same domain.Besides, you should also take into account factors like projects handled by them, location of your consultant, years of experience in the field, pricing per hour, reputation in the market etc. If you are planning to outsource SharePoint consulting to get cost advantage you should take into account the location of your SharePoint consulting firm. For most of the companies situated in USA, UK or Europe, the best choice as a country is India due favored factors of IT policies, infrastructure, English language proficiency, time zone difference and a reputation of global leader in IT outsourcing landscape.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-69263625410168732122014-11-14T15:15:00.000-08:002014-11-14T15:15:00.100-08:00Awaken the KING in YOU!<div id="article-content"> <p>Two years ago, our nation and the world witnessed the historic event of the inauguration of President Barack Obama. With this trust came great opportunity, responsibility and challenges. From the near collapse of major financial institutions, and automotive companies that required Federal bail-out money, to the housing industry and double-digit unemployment, which left many Americans homeless and jobless, President Obama took office at the peak of the Great Recession. In the face of brutal realities, President Obama persuaded Americans to trust that his leadership would usher in "<strong>CHANGE, WE CAN BELIEVE</strong>"! Throughout his campaign for the Presidency, he referred often to what "WE" can do together to create the change so many of us longed for. Two years later, President Obama continues to demonstrate an unwavering resolve to stay the course of creating positive change, in the face of great challenges and opposition. What about you? Edmund Burks stated, "<em>All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing".</em></p><p>What actions are you taking to contribute solutions to the vast array of challenges faced by your neighborhood, state and nation? Are you engaged in activities that are creating a positive impact OR are you standing on the sidelines, complaining about what hasn't change, what's not right, what's not happening and who isn't doing enough? Can we continue to approach our present level of challenges with the mindset of "business as usual" and expect to experience progress in our neighborhood's and in our nation? Einstein stated, the "problems we face today cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them."</p><p>As citizens of the great United States of America, we have a responsibility to take an active role in the governing of our nation and the quality of life we experience. We cannot rest on our laurels or leave our destiny solely in the hands of elected officials, business and community leaders. We have to nurture and sustain at the grass-roots level a spirit of collaboration. It is critical to our individual and collective progress that we consistently leverage our ideas, knowledge and experiences with open dialogue. The diversity of people that color the landscape of our nation is our strength. Within our diversity, we have a wellspring of potential which collectively we've failed to maximize in the best interest of our neighborhoods and nation. To move beyond our present challenges, we have to engage the vehicles in our respective cities and states, that will bring about sustainable growth and progress. We have to be willing to adapt and be flexible to our changing realities. We have to converse with those beyond our comfort zone for the sake of a greater purpose; the progress of our families, neighborhoods and nation. We have to make difficult decisions. Times such as this, defines a generation. What will be the legacy we create as a result of our response to the Great Recession?</p><p>Will the history books tell how we rebuilt our country on timeless principles; unwavering faith and persistence in a spirit of collaboration or will they read that we allowed political bickering, religious intolerance, racism and sexism prevent us from stepping up to the challenge with "ALL" hands on deck? This is our moment in time. This is our time of reckoning. Now is the time to awaken the KING in YOU! Martin Luther King Jr. stated, "<em>each of us can be great because each of us can serve."</em></p><p>In the book, The 8th Habit, written by Stephen Covey, he writes, "...this new reality requires us to build on and reach beyond effectiveness. The call and need of this new era is for greatness". This dimension can be accomplished through the nurturing and development of The 8th Habit which is to Find Your Voice and Inspire Others to Find Theirs. Covey further explains, "It is the voice of the human spirit-full of hope and intelligence, resilient by nature, boundless in its potential to serve the common good. This voice...will survive, thrive and profoundly impact the future of the world". Our voice defined by Covey is "the unique personal significance that is revealed as we face our greatest challenges and which make us equal to them".</p><p><em>When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds. Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every directions, and you find yourself, in a new, great and wonderful world.</em> -The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali-</p><p>When we remember Martin Luther King Jr., its his significant contribution to the Civil Rights Movement, which eventually lead to the realization of the Civil Rights Act that created his legacy of greatness. Dr. King's famous speech, I Have a Dream, prophetically spoke of our nation as one in which the character of a person would have more bearing on his or her opportunities versus the color of his or her race. He spoke of America at its best. The election of President Barack Obama is a moment in time in which America manifested its best self.</p><p>With a history of unwavering faith, passionate persistence and enterprising efforts, as a nation we have demonstrated time and again that collectively we are capable of overcoming insurmountable obstacles, defy odd to win in the end. This positive aspect of our nation indicated that when we set our minds towards a unified purpose, we'll not settle for "what is" when "what can be" is possible.</p><p>The time is now to Awaken the King that dwells within us, individually and collectively. In a unity of spirit, mind and body, we can usher in <strong>Change We Can Believe In</strong>. By becoming agents of change, we'll become the much needed catalyst to stimulate growth and progress in our families, neighborhoods and nation. Empowered by mountain moving faith, organized knowledge and effort, sincere concern for the betterment of one another, and our Nation, we can harness the power of our voice to inspire others to find theirs. The significance of our collective contributions will profoundly impact the legacy of our generation and the progress of our family, neighborhood, nation and world. In the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, <em>"The future is literally in our hands to mold as we like. But we cannot wait until tomorrow. Tomorrow is NOW".</em></p><p>It's Your Move~Aspire Higher</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-75622819152756270852014-11-10T01:30:00.000-08:002014-11-10T01:30:01.385-08:00Montegrappa Pens Symbolize Italian Finesse<div id="article-content"> <p>Montegrappa Pens are the oldest and the most famous pens of Italy renowned for their extraordinary designs and superior quality. These pens were made by the union of Heinrich Helm, a German engineer and Alessandro Marzatto, a Veneto businessman. The pens are named after Italy's oldest fountain pen manufacturing company, Montegrappa which is originally named after a famous mountain in the landscapes of Italy. Montegrappa was founded as the "manufacturer of gold and fountain pens" in 1912. These pens embody the Italian heritage and legacy. The products are manufactured in the original company which is located by the river Brenta in the North eastern part of Italy. The company started gaining fame during World War 1. In 1930, the company enjoyed its key position, because at this period fountain pens were most widely used.</p><p>Montegrappa Pens gained popularity because of their quality and their sober designs. The precise manufacturing techniques of these pens have added to its credibility. With these beautifully carved pens in the middle of your finger, you will enjoy the bliss of beautiful writing experience. These pens are for people who are valued and reputed in the society as they are much more than mere writing instruments. They symbolize classical tastes complemented with modern luxuries.</p><p>After so many years of preserved excellence, the brand is still known for its A- class accessories and luxurious goods. Montegrappa Pens still continues to carry the legacy and maintains the superior craftsmanship and designs exclusive pens for every individual who values luxury. The brand manufactures a regular range of products for people who wish to indulge in the daily luxuries and a limited editions range which is inspired by the ancient passions for writing and some great moments of the past. The pens are available in variety of shapes, designs and colors. The high quality nibs which are generally gold nibs add elegance to them. The pens have exteriors which are manufactured with gold and other high quality metals.</p><p>Montegrappa pens are still known for their unsurpassed quality and the materials used for making these pens. The striking features and the ease and comfort of writing with them are remarkable. The limited editions generally are based on people or things which have historical importance such as classical Greece and tribute to ballet. The classic collection also features the best quality pens with fantastic features. The barrels of the pens are made with high quality materials such as Yellow celluloid, yellow gold and diamond or can also be silver enameled. The caps can either be silver enameled or made of yellow gold and silver. The clips can be of sterling silver or any other high quality metal depending on the theme of series. Thus, Montegrappa pens can add to the style and repute of an individual with its superior designs and features.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-69120605545995258982014-11-07T01:30:00.000-08:002014-11-07T01:30:00.704-08:00Historic Britain and Its Hidden Gems<div id="article-content"> <p><b>200 Years of Charles Darwin</b></p><p>It was at Down House that Charles Darwin worked on his scientific theories, and wrote 'On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection' - the book which both scandalised and revolutionised the Victorian world. Today the house remains much as it was when Darwin lived here.</p><p>On the 13 February 2009 Down House will reopen after a few months conservation work with a new exhibition celebrating the bicentenary of the birth of Charles Darwin and the 150th anniversary of 'On the Origin of Species'. During a visit you will enter the study where 'On the Origins of Species' was written, get a glimpse of family life in the ground floor rooms, audio tour narrated by Sir David Attenborough and relax with a cup of tea or coffee in the cosy tearoom. <br/>English Heritage has also restored the gardens to their appearance in Darwin's time, where you'll see honeybees working in the fascinating observatory beehive just as Darwin did almost 150 years ago. You will also follow in Darwin's footsteps on his famous path 'The Sandwalk' and marvel at the carnivorous plants in Darwin's garden "laboratory" and unusual varieties of vegetables growing in the vegetable garden.</p><p><b>Kennet's 5000 year treasure hunt</b></p><p>As you may not know where this area lies, find Bath on your map and then go east to Chippenham, Devizes and Marlborough. It is a place where you can delve deeply into past centuries, visit ceremonial landscapes and hills that are steeped in mystery myth and legend. Here you will find the World Heritage Site of Avebury which was built in around 3000 BC. Unlike Stonehenge, you can touch and feel the stones that surround this Neolithic spot. If you allow enough time, you can also take instruction in the ancient art of dowsing, prior to or after a traditional ploughman's lunch in the Red Lion pub which is located INSIDE the ancient stone circle. It is also reputed to be one of the most haunted pubs in the south west with Florrie, being that its most well known ghost. The well she is supposed to have been thrown down after being murdered can be seen inside the lounge bar, so no misbehaving while you're there! Proof that mankind has always had an urge to leave an impression can be seen in the White Horses which have been cut out of the chalk on the Wiltshire Downs. The story behind each one is fascinating. Another site of mystery and legend is the West Kennet Longbarrow, which is one of the largest Neolithic burial tombs in Britain and the nearby Wiltshire Heritage Museum in Devizes houses the world renowned Bronze Age collection from the barrows surrounding Stonehenge and Avebury. The Black Swan in the Market Place in Devizes goes back to the 16th century and has an interesting past and was featured on Living TV's "Most Haunted". With prior notice you can roam the cellars and search the blackness for orbs, detect energy and electro-magnetic fields. If you are seeking thrills of a different kind there is plenty of paranormal activity in the area. After a visit to the Back Swan, take a Ghost Walk around the town. This is NOT for the faint hearted and you will need that drink at the end of the evening...</p><p><b>Hastings Old Town</b></p><p>Just round the corner from the caves and shore lies Hastings Old Town, home to many famous smuggling gangs including Ruxley's Crew and the Hastings Outlaws. They were a violent bunch and in 1768, 13 of Ruxley's gang were hanged for their part in the gruesome murder of the master of a Dutch ship, off Beachy Head, near Eastbourne.</p><p>The Old Town is packed full of narrow streets, unusual shops and buildings. Its smuggling legacy remains with the annual bonfire celebrations during Hastings Week, where bonfire society members don the outfits of either smugglers or the revenue officers tasked to catch them.</p><p>Explore the Gardens of England's England <br/>Whether you are a keen gardener looking for inspiration or simply appreciate the beauty of English gardens, make sure you take time to explore the gardens of Shakespeare Country.</p><p>From early spring to late autumn, discover a profusion of scents, colour and creation as the gardens of Shakespeare Country flourish with trees, shrubs and flowers. Even the winter months are exciting and you'll often come across gardeners working hard to prepare their gardens for the following seasons.</p><p>Shakespeare Country and the neighbouring Cotswolds are home to some of England's most enchanting gardens from almost every period of English garden history. From landscaped to cottage, exotic to herbal, the gardens are a delight to explore as they grow and change over the seasons and years.</p><p>Explore the gardens of England's England, enjoy the colour and the quiet, and remember where they are as you will almost certainly want to return.</p><p><b>On the Wales England border</b></p><p>One lesser known area of England is the county of Herefordshire, where England meets Wales. It has been back drop for several well known films including Shadowlands with Anthony Hopkins, which was filmed in the Wye Valley - visitors can follow the Shadowlands Trail. More recently filming has taken place in the Black and White Villages of North Herefordshire for a new film "Unconditional Love" starring Julie Andrews, Cathy Bates and Rupert Everett. The film was launched in the fall of 2000. Literature has always been key to the county, Elizabeth Berrett Browning grew up in Ledbury and John Masefield was also born in this pretty market town. Poetry fans may like to visit Ledbury in July for the annual poetry festival.</p><p><b>Hatfield House - where Elizabethan history began</b></p><p>Henry VIII sent his children to live and be educated at Hatfield when Elizabeth was just three months old. Elizabeth spent most of her childhood at Hatfield, and it's said that she heard the news that she was to become Queen while sitting under an oak tree in the Park. Elizabeth: the Golden Age starring Kate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush and Clive Owen was filmed at Hatfield House. Mary, Queen of Scots' house Chartley Hall was recreated in the Armoury and other state rooms were used for Sir Francis Walsingham's home. As Geoffrey Rush Commented: "The first day of filming, for me, was the death scene and we'd recreated Walsingham's bedroom in Hatfield House and we knew that she had walked there some 450 years earlier. It just ups your game because you play into it with a greater sense of relish." Visitors can see the Banqueting Hall of the Old Palace of Hatfield where in November 1558, Elizabeth held her first Council of State and also see the site of the famous oak tree.</p><p>2008 marks the 450th anniversary of Elizabeth's accession to the throne and as part of the celebrations there will be exciting new events for all the family to enjoy. Experts on the period will be talking about life in the Elizabethan times in a new series of lectures. Documents from the Collection will be on Display, together with the famous portraits of Elizabeth. For younger visitors, there is a chance to try on period armour and learn about life as a fighting knight. On Friday evenings, Banquets are held in the Old Palace. A sumptuous four course dinner and excellent entertainment set within wonderful surroundings. During the evening, the Players will entertain with period music, song and theatre from King Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I and their Courtiers followed by dancing.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-82361085153375047222014-11-02T19:18:00.000-08:002014-11-02T19:18:00.494-08:00Planting a Wildlife Food Plot<div id="article-content"> <p>Developing your own plot of wildlife and fauna may sound just a bit over-reaching and foolish to some but be assured it is far from impossible! You can grow your own wildlife and sustain it with proper nourishment with the help of proper tools and equipment. The farming equipment is handy and can be transported and fitted into small spaces where even tractors can't fit into.</p><p>If anyone's wondering why you'd want to grow crops for wild animals...well, here are some good reasons:</p><p>• You care about wildlife and want to sustain the fauna close to your country home.</p><p>• You will be able to provide better nourishment for animals, particularly deer, than is available for them in the wild.</p><p>• You can buy bags of good seeds particularly suited for their nourishment requirements and help the animals to remain healthy.</p><p>• You can attract deer and other animals to your food plot and have the opportunity to observe nature wild and up close.</p><p>• You can instill in your children respect and love for nature and they can learn a lot about wildlife from observing these harmless animals from close quarters in their natural habitat.</p><p>• You can pass your wildlife knowledge as a legacy to your children and experience the pleasure of close bonding with your children and family.</p><p><b>Advantageous for Landscape Planting:</b></p><p>Feeding the local wildlife may be a good idea as they will help protect your beautifully landscaped garden. As the deer habitat is shrinking due to human activities and deforestation, the deer are forced to wander closer to our homes and will feed on whatever is available in your front yard. Even though deer are not particularly fond of being displaced from their wooded habitat and brushing shoulders with humans, they do find the lush greenery around our homes quite tempting. They love to munch on plants like your prized tulips, roses and hostas. So it is to your advantage that you plant crops like chicory, clover and buck beans in a plot of land away from your beautiful garden to keep them away from the yummy greenery you have waiting for them at your doorstep.</p><p><b>Source for good hunting:</b></p><p>The last but certainly not the least reason for you to maintain a plot of food crops for wild animals is the nurturing of a big pool of animals that can be used for the purpose of good hunting. So when hunting season comes round you will not have to travel far and wide to harvest for prize trophies. The animals will be right there close at hand so you won't have to travel and spend extra money on commuting. Added to that is the advantage of not having to lug the animals after you've made your mark. All these factors add up to a very favorable reason for you to plant crops for wild animals and help nature sustain her wildlife.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-61738607818188682412014-10-30T14:29:00.000-07:002014-10-30T14:29:00.223-07:00The $750,000 Accountability Story<div id="article-content"> <p>Keith was in his mid-50s, and was a managing partner in a large CPA firm. He'd gotten to that level because he was very good at business development - specifically, bringing in brand new clients.</p><p>His partner group, on the other hand, were mainly in the 40s. They were all highly competent in their technical abilities, but not very good at bringing in new business. Up until then, they hadn't needed to concern themselves with that - it was raining clients. And they also saw plenty of growth just from adding on new services to existing client accounts.</p><p>All of that changed with the economic landscape in 2008 when the firm began losing clients. And that's when Keith hired me.</p><p>Keith had the skills - they were natural to him. He just couldn't figure out how to transfer those skills to the people around him. "How do I get people to go to market (when they've never had to) and bring in new business??"</p><p>The first thing Keith had to understand to become a more accountable leader was that just because something came easily to him, doesn't mean it came easily to others. "They're not you," I often reminded him in our early sessions.</p><p>Instead, Keith needed to apply all the components of my accountability system - recapping, meeting his people on a regular basis, asking open-ended questions, developing his people, etc.</p><p>Instead of riding the bike for them by micro-managing, managing all the new client meetings himself and exhausting his own network and database to make introductions, he began to use my three core skills of leveraging, collaborating and strategizing.</p><p><strong>Leverage</strong>: When people told him excuses about how their databases weren't big enough to bring in any new business, Keith showed them how to mine the gold from even the smallest database. For example, an old college fraternity chum whose brother-in-law happens to be the CFO at one of the firm's target companies.</p><p><strong>Collaboration</strong>: As I worked with Keith to show him these strategies, I was also modeling a collaborative approach to putting our heads together to come up with solutions. Keith learned that there was a lot of middle ground between doing everything himself and trying to get people to carry out tasks they weren't yet equipped to handle.</p><p><strong>Strategy: </strong>As I taught Keith the accountability system and he started putting it into place, he and his people discovered that those same practices can apply to meetings with new prospective clients. For example, they started slowing down the process and preparing a strategy long before they actually got in front of the potential new client. That way, they weren't just reacting in the moment and then catching up to the conversation (an approach that certainly hadn't been working).</p><p>Keith wanted to create a legacy at his firm, and his own talent for bringing in new business had brought him a lot of success and the title of managing partner. As a leader, though, I helped Keith see that the real legacy he was creating was empowering his people to land their own new business successes.</p><p>The accountability system that I helped Keith put into place resulted in $750,000 in absolutely new client business.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-24350295422845428252014-10-27T00:25:00.000-07:002014-10-27T00:25:00.466-07:00Louisville's Beautiful Network of Parks and Parkways - A Model For All
Other Modern Cities<div id="article-content"> <p><b>First Glimpses of a City of Parks</b></p><p>A serene well-patterned naturally beautiful landscape interlacing an intricate network of similar structures arrested my sight on touching down on Louisville Sunday the 26th of June 2006. We drove past buildings all set in uniform symmetry with the well-terraced and tended gardens of the meadows as one should see in Eden.</p><p>The newest hall of residence in the University of Louisville, Kurtz Hall, which should be our new residence for six weeks,smelled fresh and fragrant. The surrounding well-tended gardens were constantly watered with the hedges and the carpet of greenery trimmed with quiet efficiency. The harmony with which nature intermingled with architecture all over the campus was impressive. The brown-brick-like box structures with terraced roofing patterns were all harmoniously blended with the green-carpeted parks surrounding each with adjoining tarred car parks with squirrels frolicking about in this nest of soothing beauty which were healing and diverting the mind.</p><p>Families of rare white squirrels frolick everywhere in the expanse of green space especially where one could find a huge variety of some of the biggest and oldest trees in Louisville as well as lush lawns. The compact Belknap Campus is itself a walker's paradise with a cardio path around Cardinal Park, as well as huge, shaded sidewalks throughout the serene campus.</p><p>The University of Louisville has been struggling to develop and maintain an aesthetic atmosphere since the 1920s. In 2000, when Dr. James Ramsey became president of the University his wife, Jane, started working towards transforming the campus into a "more attractive, safe and community-oriented environment" for students to live and learn in.</p><p>New signages around, became part of the ongoing beautification to create a better student atmosphere as well as make the university more attractive. Ramsey and the Campus Beautification Committee have introduced water sprinkler systems, tree-lined streets, painted Cardinal medallions on street surfaces and painted overpasses. thus making it "a more exciting and prideful campus." Stansbury Park on Third Street is to be returned back to its original 19th century design made by Fredrick Law Olmsted, the designer of Central Park and most of Louisville's parks and parkway system.</p><p>Olmsted's concept of a park is contained in the following classic statement: . 'My notion is that whatever grounds a great city may need for other public purposes, for parades, for athletic sports, for fireworks, for museums of art or science such as botanic gardens, it also needs a large ground scientifically and artistically prepared to provide such a poetic and tranquilizing influence on its people as comes through a pleased contemplation of natural scenery, especially sequestered and limitless natural scenery'</p><p>He was quite clear that while provision for sports for example was important, it should not take over sections of the park at the expense of the majority of park users, and should only be included where it could be accommodated within the park and not permanently take over sections of it.</p><p>"The redesign of Stansbury Park, along with plans for more bike pavilions by Cardinal Stadium, increased signage around the campus and downtown" and further involvements in development efforts in surrounding neighborhoods, according to Ramsey, "are all aimed at making this a more attractive and functional community."</p><p>Ramsey, who grew up in the south end neighborhood of Louisville said "This effort is important to me. I have a love for this neighborhood and this university and I want to be engaged in making it a better place for future generations."</p><p>Such pristine beauty is replicated in the whole city from downtown to the Churchill Downs area where every home is adorned by well tended gardens and lawns studded with flowers of varying alluring descriptions.</p><p>Louisville's beauty is greatly enhanced by its extensive networks of parks and gardens with green carpets of grass decorating pathways, hedges, and roadsides. It is reputed to have the most beautiful parks in the U.S They were developed from 1891 when Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed New York's Central Park as well as parks, parkways, college campuses and public facilities in many U.S. locations was contracted to design a system of public lands that would be free to all forever.</p><p>Olmsted created on all contours of the landscape</p><p></p><ul> <li>Shawnee Park, a plain of river bottomland featuring the concourses that afford extensive views and the expansive Great Lawn, Louisville's spot for large formal gatherings, enclosed with border plantings and a tree-lined circular drive;</li> <li>Cherokee Park one of the most visited parks in the U.S., featuring a 4.2 kilometre mixed-use loop and many well-known landscaping features, where Beargrass Creek wanders among woods and meadows;</li> <li>Iroquois Park, a tall, rugged escarpment offering vantage views of the city;at the heart of which is a 10,000-year-old forest, blanketing the knob's steep hillsides with a great variety of rare plants and animals and. a network of pedestrian paths, bridle trails, and circuit drives</li> <li>and Tyler Park which is a jewel of solitude in the city bustle.</li> </ul><p></p><p>A scenic 7 mile River-Walk stretches from downtown's 4th Street Wharf westward to Chickasaw park. Running parallel to the Ohio shore this path offers a variety of views, from the lakes and dam on the shipping channel to quiet, wooded portions where the occasional deer roams. East of River Walk, Linear Park has a playground with attractions for all.</p><p>The Louisville Waterfront Park prominently located on the banks of the Ohio River East featuring large open areas showcases the waterfront with overlooking walking paths, the Festival Plaza, a water feature with a series of pools and fountains, a children's playground and a harbor. Resplendent with yachts and sea and motor bikes with police mini-vehicles it was agog with millions celebrating amidst the jocose display of fireworks, a veritable medley of colors and sounds criss-crossing each other in the sky in heralding yet another anniversary of America's attaining full nationhood last year, when I was there. Free concerts and other festivals are frequent occurrences here.</p><p>Further out from the downtown area is the Jefferson Memorial Forest which, at 6,057 acres, is the largest municipal urban forest in the U.S. which is already designated as a National Audubon Society wildlife refuge offering over 50 kilometers of various hiking trails. Otter Creek Park another large park nearby, .while actually in Brandenburg, Kentucky, is owned and operated by Louisville Metro government while. Otter Creek, from which it is named, winds along its eastern side.</p><p>A scenic bend in the Ohio River, which divides Kentucky from Indiana, can be seen from northern overlooks within the park which is a popular mountain biking destination, with trails maintained.</p><p>Other outdoor points of interest include Cave Hill Cemetery where Col. Harland Sanders was buried, Zachary Taylor National Cemetery where President Zachary Taylor was buried, the Louisville Zoo and the Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area. Towards Bardstown one of the most famous slave houses Farmington Historic Home stands amidst a verdant lush greenery. This house with well tended lawns interlaced by wooden and concrete paved paths and a pool at the far side was part of the slave-holding plantations of the South where hemp and rice were grown as well as wine brewed.</p><p>Louisville's fantastic parks system, owes much to people like Gen.John Breckinridge Castleman who as first parks commissioner, brought Frederick Law Olmsted to Louisville in 1890 to work on its parks design and donated land for Cherokee Park--with his statue now standing in Cherokee Triangle in tribute. More recently David Karem, led the popular Waterfront Park's development, while David Jones Sr., co- founder of Humana Inc, leads an ambitious drive to establish a green-ring around Louisville called "City of Parks."</p><p><b>The Value of Parks and Gardens</b></p><p>The preservation of Louisville's natural environment through expanding parks and forests amidst an urban space improves water and air quality, cools the city and provides a natural habitat for the animals and birds who in turn build up a natural and refreshing atmosphere for leisure.</p><p>Park DuValle has been transformed into a series of traditional Louisville neighborhoods linked by a continuous network of streets and parkways. For Louisville's western neighborhoods were dominated by two crime-ridden public housing projects and a badly deteriorated apartment complex with virtually no existing retail outlets in the neighborhood except small convenience stores.</p><p>These parks achieve the hallmarks of Olmsted's social vision. As the source of healthful inspiration - through mental, physical and social recreation - they provide a respite to the stresses of modern city life, spaces where people can come together to create a stronger community, whilst exhibiting all the classic physical elements of an Olmsted park: graceful topography and alignments; ease and accessibility; balance of uses; expression of native character and use of native materials; separation of traffic modes; and subjugation of built elements to nature. The Olmsted Parks are a magnificent work of art that must be preserved to continue their enormous contribution to the quality of life in Louisville. The landscapes in and around the parks thus remain a crucial resource for serving the cultural and recreational needs of the public.</p><p>As Mayor of Louisville, Jerry Abramson said. the green-print will unite neighborhoods and people, with a trail that will help connect all parts of the community," "Parks draw people together who might not otherwise encounter one another, bridging the gaps between city and suburb, between rich and poor, between white and black. Parks raise property values and make our community more attractive to new residents, businesses and visitors. Parks preserve irreplaceable landscapes. Parks give our kids a place to play, and they allow each of us to take a break from the daily hustle and bustle."</p><p><b>Studying the Creation of a Unique Park System in Louisville to Replicate in all other Cities</b></p><p>The restoration of historic buildings is a widely accepted activity, for either re-using them for different activities, or restoring them as landmarks and attractions for visitors, whereas designed historic urban parks and landscapes are generally less favored for historic preservation or conservation.</p><p>Landscapes are sometimes more difficult to characterize. Erosion of the original design and loss of individual features, usually makes it hard for the general public to identify that they were actually 'designed' at all. Public perception is often that these urban landscapes were just bits of land that weren't built upon or left-over bits of countryside that escaped development, and were kept as such for public recreation.</p><p>Parks need to both restore their value as cultural resources within communities as well as enhance their recreational value. Much could be learnt from the Americans about historic urban landscape restoration through their successful restoration through innovative, best practice and good design in Louisville which both respect the original design whilst remaining relevant to today's communities. The designed as well as neglected landscape legacy of cities are great assets to restore and continue the tradition of park building to reflect the mood of 21st century cities. When done successfully, with sensitivity good design and good future stewardship this can achieve both the conservation of built landscape environments, as well as provide meaningful, beautiful and robust new landscapes to cater for changing and expanding communities.</p><p><b>A) The realization of the need to upgrade Louisville's look</b></p><p>In the 1980s, Louisville was another declining industrial town in the Mid West. Then it recognized the value in its park network as being vital for the city's ecological health, economic growth and for improving the quality of life for its dwindling inhabitants. The network was designed in 1891, to provide an escape from the industrial city into the healing world of nature.</p><p>Since World War II, Louisville's public parks, had been falling into decline, with lack of investment, over-use and natural disasters like tornadoes thus bringing a breakdown in the relationship between the community and its landscape. The spiraling cycle of disrepair and subsequent reduction of use became damaging for both the parks and their users, with further neglect following.</p><p><b>B) The creation of Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy</b></p><p>A group of concerned citizens formed the 'Friends of Louisville's Olmsted Parks' in the early 1980's, and prepared a report on park conditions. In the late 80's Mayor, Jerry Abrahamson created the Louisville Olmsted Parks Conservancy to stop the rot, and turn the parks around in an attempt to make their park system the best. The Conservancy was set up to act as a non profit, sister organization to the 'Metro Parks', to assist in the planning and funding of this massive renewal program to both preserve and enhance this great work of landscape art. The city invested $1million in setting up the Conservancy as a separate but complementary organization to the City funded parks department. The initial funding established the conservancy and paid for a Masterplan to be drawn up for all the 2,000 acres of parks and 15 miles of connecting parkways, to set the stage for the future private investments in the parks improvements.</p><p>In 1995 with the master plan document finalized a practical plan was set out for its implementation. It pulled together specific projects, management strategies, and new maintenance techniques, all designed to work together to enhance all the parks in the system.</p><p>Frederick Law Olmsted, had in 1891, urged the people of Louisville to 'Adopt an Ideal, and to let it guide all planning and actions'; The Conservancy's master plan reiterates this ideal and continues to set out the way forward for Louisville's Olmsted parks. His systems comprised of parkways which would connect the separate parks with each other, and the downtown to them, thereby structuring the growth of the cities. They were to be planted with trees creating a park-like feel, and separating the modes of transport used on them.</p><p><b>C) The structure of Louisville's park system</b></p><p>Louisville's park system is composed of three distinctly different landscape types. Louisville's natural landscape and scenery were the starting point for Olmsted's design. He took the distinctly different terrains and landscape characters of the three sites to create Shawnee, Cherokee and Iroquois Parks. These were to be the three principal parks whose uses and designs he planned to be compatible with the scenic experiences they could provide.</p><p>Shawnee being situated adjacent to the Ohio River, took advantage of its river views both in their own right and as a backdrop for the concert stage. It provided access to the river for boating and bathing, and the rest of the park was created as a large open area of rolling meadow interspersed with shade trees, which could be a major site for recreations and sport. Thus he provided the recreational elements which Olmsted knew to be necessary in city landscapes, but always wanted to prevent from interrupting his composed 'natural' scenes which could be designed in his other parks.</p><p>Cherokee Park was almost exclusively dedicated to the enjoyment of scenery, and designed to exploit the setting of its location in the stream valley, and contained less provision for formal activities than any other he had designed.</p><p>The third major park was Iroquois. Sited on a steep hill, It had originally been known as the ''Burnt Knob' due to the original savannah vegetation which was managed by a cycle of burning and regeneration by the native American Indians. Its steep terrain was deeply forested. Olmsted proposed that this site should be treated as a scenic reservation as its topography, character and vegetation was unsuitable to providing open parkland, which was in any case, amply provided by the other two. Iroquois was to represent the forest scenes of the Appalachian Mountains, experienced on the journey from the Mississippi south, to Virginia.</p><p>The last major element of Olmsted's design was the parkways connecting the parks with each other and the Downtown. The construction of these was carried out in piecemeal. As well as the major parks and parkways, several smaller, neighborhood parks were designed by Olmsted and later the Olmsted brothers, all 18 contributing to the overall network.</p><p><b>D) The loss of many character defining features of the parks</b></p><p>Over time many of the character defining features of the parks have been lost. Physical and spatial elements have been overlaid, replaced with contemporary elements or altered. The onset of the car, over use, natural disaster, installation of contemporary structures, flytipping, malfunctioning equipment, general disrepair and invasive species had all led to the erosion of the original vision and structure.</p><p>The parks were originally designed specifically for 'ease'. So visitors should be able to move through and enjoy the different views and scenes while pursuing their passive or active recreation with ease. Routes guide you through the gently unfolding and ever changing scenery, whether on foot, bicycle, car or horse. The circulation system became fragmented and dysfunctional as the agents of change took their toll, making layouts confusing and movement difficult through some areas leading to perceived dangers and fear for personal security. Ease of use was thus lost.</p><p>Shawnee Park, originally designed with recreation in mind had become a victim of its success as it got covered with baseball fields and associated fencing, which obliterated its naturally inspired landscape and led to the exclusion of most other uses and users.</p><p>The topography of Iroquois Parks had been taken advantage of as a natural lookout point, first by the American Indians and later, as Olmsted had intended. The summit becoming a desirable vantage point for drivers, thus became over trafficked. The large open grassed 'Summit Field' at the top of the park, 'The Knob' was often to be found covered in cars. This soon became a poorly drained, muddy field, leading to further run off from the summit and erosion of the forested slopes and circulation systems contained within.</p><p>Vegetation erosion and loss, as a result of car parking on the edges of the scenic drives, and damage done by the 1974 tornado, has been a major agent of decline of Cherokee Park. The tornado felled 2000 trees in its 20 minute crossing, and subsequently allowed an invasion of alien species to colonize, causing dark masses of impenetrable vegetation. Blocked off views limited the public's natural way-finding ability and led to desire lines, further degrading the visual quality of the designed landscape and creating physical problems with storm water runoff. The characteristic long vistas through the stream valley with meandering paths through the landscape had largely disappeared as a result. Sports pitches and bland, functional, but ugly structures had been placed around the park, further interrupting the composition of the various scenes. Combined sewer outfalls into the Creek degraded water quality and increased flow, thus reducing the creeks natural ability to withstand erosion of its banks by floods.</p><p><b>E) Strategy for the revitalization of the parks</b></p><p>The strategy for the Olmsted Parks, was to first define the 'period of significance' within the life span of the parks' history. In this case it was defined as being mostly from the 1890s to 1916, and partially into the 1930s, when the parks and parkways were designed and built.</p><p>Its significance, as a designed historic landscape, is recognized through the designation of the Louisville system as being listed on the National Register of Historic Places thus recognizing its importance as a cultural resource for its citizens . It also offers it some protection from federally funded projects that may impact on these historic resources. As the three separate parks were designed to be distinctly different from each other the rehabilitation strategies had also to be distinctly different for each. The key concept of 'ease of use' was one of the major and constant considerations taken into account with the rehabilitation strategy.</p><p>Shawnee Park's formal sports provision has been condensed into one area, thus restoring the informal landscape and therefore the park's pastoral quality. Strategic views to the river have been restored by vegetation clearance and land form alterations, overcoming physical and visual barriers created by flood defenses.</p><p>Problems of car domination at the top of Iroquois have been overcome by redesigning the former muddy grassed field into a native Savannah wildflower meadow. This has transformed the car dominated mud bath into a flowering oasis, while also saving on maintenance costs, being now managed by burning on a 3 year rotation, as the American Indians do with only grass paths mowed regularly.</p><p>The flowing lines, vistas and routes of the river valley landscape in Cherokee Park have been restored with the creation of additional new paths, giving access to a long derelict stonework seating area surrounding the seasonally running Barringer Springs, re-interpreting both the natural and designed aspects of the park.</p><p>The preservation and rehabilitation strategies of the master plan and the other park programs designed by Louisville Metro, are in the process of reversing decline. Louisville will thus receive the full benefit of the Olmsted legacy, while meeting the need for current and future recreational needs, through sensitive design and the creation of new facilities which do not compromise the original vision.</p><p><b>The extension of Olmsted Parks' legacy throughout Greater Lo</b><b>uisville</b></p><p>The mission of the Louisville Conservancy is also to extend the Olmsted legacy throughout Greater Louisville for the benefit of generations to come who could enjoy an extensive green space in Louisville 'The City of Parks' The long term vision of the Mayor of Louisville in 2005 to build upon the groundwork laid down over 100 years ago, is to ensure, as the community grows, that all residents have access to quality parks and open space.</p><p>The delivery mechanism for this is a significant public private partnership consisting of several organizations including Metro Parks, the Olmsted Parks Conservancy, Louisville Metro Government, 21st Century Parks (A new not for profit organization established to accept donations for land acquisition and for development of new parks) and the Trust for Public Land, (a national not for profit group which works to conserve land for the public to enjoy)</p><p>This partnership is working together to accomplish three major projects:</p><p>- Acquire land which will become a new interconnected system of parks</p><p>- Create a 100 mile, green loop and trail around Louisville's perimeter to tie together its diverse parks and communities, and control sprawl, ( like a usable greenbelt)</p><p>- Invest in improving the existing parks.</p><p>So far, the local government has earmarked $20million over a multi-year initiative with $1million pledged in the 2005-6 budget. $38million was secured from federal funds in 2005, and with private contributions, the total raised by December '05 was $60million. The setting up of the '21st Century Parks' organization has enabled the acceptance of tax deductible donations.</p><p><b>Innovative Park Creation for Restoring, Enhancing and Preserving A Brighter Future for All</b></p><p>The City of Parks initiative, while mostly acquiring land and building new parks, is also crucial, in helping with the 'restore, enhance and preserve' mission of the Conservancy. The Olmstedian 'Ease of Use and accessibility' philosophy is being continued and expanded thus aiding access to the original as well as new parks. The new parks can incorporate new requirements, such as state of the art skateboard facilities and interactive water features, rather than having these facilities squeezed into landscapes which weren't designed to accommodate them. 'Extreme Park' skateboard and cycling park is just such a facility, located in downtown Louisville, an extension of Waterfront Park a brilliant service which has become nationally renowned. Facilities such as bike hire are provided in the new sites, thus increasing visitors. The new Waterfront Park is an exciting collection of activities, ecologies and spaces contributing to the richness of Louisville's collection of parks.</p><p>Waterfront Park has helped to jump-start the downtown area. Over $400million has been invested in the downtown riverside area since 1994. The park itself costs £100million. Historic buildings have been retained and re-used within the development zone, with the history and character of Louisville respected as people are re-connected with their waterside. Jobs in that area have grown from 400 in 1986, to over 5,300. Metro Parks department are developing new parkways to add further connections from the downtown to the parks, thus increasing accessibility and use of the system. Louisville's early recognition of the value of parks, has enabled it to stop, and then reverse the spiral of decline, and resuscitate this resource on a massive scale for the benefit of the city. In doing so, it has helped in continuing to define the city's form, preserve the rich native landscape and improve property values.</p><p>Louisville's Olmsted Parks and Parkways a unique component to the fabric of the city, contributes to the quality of life for all citizens. The value of the clearly-planned system of large landscaped parks connected by tree-lined parkways, and smaller parks, playgrounds, and squares is greater than ever. For parks have the ability to improve almost every aspect of life for individuals and the community at large. Caring for these historic treasures and seeing that they remain valuable assets for every community should therefore be the perennial preoccupation in all cities in the world.</p><p><b>Further Reading:</b></p><p><a target="_new" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.olmstedparks.org/">http://www.olmstedparks.org/</a></p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-23876628966704506552014-10-24T00:17:00.000-07:002014-10-24T00:17:00.860-07:00Lanzarote Benefits From the Legacy of Cesar Manrique<div id="article-content"> <p>Lanzarote, the fourth largest of the Canary Islands, owes a great deal to one of the islands most famous residents, Cesar Manrique.</p><p>Through his vision the island was saved from extensive tourist developments during the 1970's which helped preserve the natural look and feel that so many people return year after year for today.</p><p>Unlike some of the other Canary Islands, Lanzarote does not play host to tall high rise buildings. Indeed, many buildings do not even break the tree line and are white in appearance. This is thanks to Manriques vision and him imposing certain restrictions on developments on the island through colour, location and height.</p><p>It is also thanks to Manrique that there are no advertising billboards lining the (few) roads on the island of Lanzarote. This has also helped to keep the natural look and appearance of island and keep it from becoming over commercialised.</p><p>Manrique, an artist by trade, also helped to shape some of the natural attractions on the island, all of which I have been lucky enough to visit on several occasions.</p><p>Through the use of natural landscapes and lava tunnels Manrique created a number of visitor attractions throughout the island, some of which are detailed below.</p><p>In the North of the island Mirador del Rio looks out over the island of La Graciosa. Mirador (Spanish for lookout) sits on top of the northern cliffs of Lanzarote and offers amazing views out over the neighboring island. There is also a coffee shop / bar here. It is a very relaxing place, as indeed Lanzarote is a very relaxing island!</p><p>Manrique was also responsible for the restaurant located in the Timanfaya National Park. This restaurant provides a totally unique "natural" grill where food is cooked from the heat of the underlying volcano.</p><p>It is with regret that Manrique was tragically killed in 1992 in a car accident just a few metres from his home (now the Cesar Manrique foundation), however it is clear that we owe a lot to Manrique for making Lanzarote what it is today.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-11218881207250107232014-10-21T05:26:00.000-07:002014-10-21T05:26:00.086-07:00Top 10 Great Things to See & Do in Andalucia, Spain<div id="article-content"> <p>1. Sun and Sand</p><p>With a thousand kilometers of coastline there is one common factor: the Sun. Come and be captivated by Andalusia's coast, where you will find a endless miles of unspoilt beaches, majestic cliffs, salt marshes brimming with wildlife and a little-known undersea world simply waiting to be discovered.</p><p>Andalusia's coastal beaches are its natural heritage and each have their own distinct personality. The coastline, includes the Costa Del Sol in Malaga, the Costa de la Luz in Cadiz and the Costa de la Luz in Huelva, the Almeria Coast & the Costa Tropical in Granada, all are idyllic natural settings, with crystal clear warm waters and year round sunshine.</p><p>2. Golf</p><p>If golf is your passion, you will be in the best region in Spain for this sport. You can enjoy the sun whilst playing golf in Andalusia all year round.</p><p>From the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, Andalusia offers a generous host of courses with first class facilities and stunning surroundings that are worth visiting simply in their own right.</p><p>Whether you are an novice or a pro, you will find Andalusia the perfect place to play, thanks to its excellent weather and the quantity and quality of the courses. There is an extensive range to suit all players. The variety of the courses, their facilities and their track record with many of the major championships being held, which help guarantee golfing quality in Andalusia.</p><p>3. Entertainment & shopping</p><p>Choose from one of the many amusement parks in Andalusia; Descubre Isla Magica or El Parque de las ciencias being just two of the options available to a visitor to the region</p><p>For shopping lovers the huge El Corte Ingles shopping complex provides a superb shopping experience, or visit Puerto Banus for its exclusive brand name boutique shopping beside the delightfully quaint harbour.</p><p>Markets (or mercados in Spanish) are a common sight in the towns and villages throughout the Andalusia region, They are noisy, colorful and highly entertaining and an experience to be witnessed, whether you plan to shop or not. Markets thrive throughout the province and are the pivotal centre of life in towns and villages.</p><p>4. Nature</p><p>Get closer to nature in Andalusia by enjoying the magnificent Whale & Dolphin Watching off the straits off Andalusia. There are two national parks in Andalusia: Donana and Sierra Nevada providing a great way to spend time amongst stunning natural landscapes.</p><p>Andalusia is a bird watcher's paradise as it lies on the Europe to Africa migratory routes.and attracts ornithologists all year round. There are in fact so many ways to connect with nature when visiting Andalusia from visiting its abundant Forests, Sampling its Salt water and Fresh water fishing or simply admiring the wonder of its numerous Olive groves and Cork trees.</p><p>5. Sports</p><p>Whether indoors or outdoors, Andalusia offers a broad range of sporting activities, and there are numerous kinds of national and international competitions held in the province.</p><p>Sporting competions held regularly at Andalusia's different stadiums, circuits, pitches, sports halls and courts also allow spectators to enjoy watching live sporting competition at the topmost level. Famous events include Formula 1 Grand Prix or the Motorcycle Racing World Championship can be witnessed alongside international surfing and body board competitions.</p><p>6. Relaxation & Therapy</p><p>Andalusia has all the right ingredients and is the perfect setting for you to enjoy a personalized health and beauty treatment experience. It is an ideal place to combine action and pleasure.</p><p>If you are looking for that healthy holiday for both body and mind, then your senses will be satisfied by the exceptional facilities and treatments awaiting you here in Andalusia.</p><p>Thermal waters, a range of mud treatments, therapeutic baths, water jets, algae therapies, massages... these are the main components for revitalising treatments at specially designed spas and hotels.</p><p>7. Flamenco</p><p>Flamenco is a passionate and seductive art form of dancing, a mysterious and misunderstood culture that has been practised in Andalusia for nearly half a millennia, and today flamenco has numerous aficionado's worldwide.</p><p>Many people witness flamenco in some form or another during their summer vacations in Andalusia, especially on the Costa Del Sol, where there are great flamenco Tablaos in abundance</p><p>8. Culture</p><p>Andalusia has a wealth of culture that will take you way back into history, with major archaeological sites, the legacy of the different cultures and civilizations that made their home in this rich, beautiful land in the south of Spain.</p><p>The Great Mosque of Cordoba, the Alhambra in Granada and the Giralda in Sevilla are first class World Heritage monuments, an immense artistic legacy that has been passed down across millennia of history.</p><p>The stunning Moorish, Renaissance and, especially the Baroque architecture can be seen in its most important buildings, the fortresses, the castles, and monasteries to be found throughout andalusia, which help to complete a hugely valuable array of cultural heritage.</p><p>9. Sierra Nevada</p><p>Snow & Sun, Sea & Mountains, Sport & Relaxation, Art & Gastronomy, Shopping & Therapy at a Spa, Sierra Nevada offers you the perfect combination of all of these.</p><p>Sierra Nevada is a paradise for snow lovers. It has the number-one ski resort in southern Europe, where you can enjoy the maximum number of sunny days a year, is the perfect place for all winter activities.</p><p>The quality of its services and facilities together with its lively atmosphere and nightlife make this mountain retreat a five star spot for winter sports lovers.</p><p>10. Gastronomy</p><p>The Mediterranean diet is in vogue. Basic products such as fresh vegetables and pulses, fresh fish, ripe fruit and virgin olive oil have made Andalusian cuisine a major force to reckoned with.</p><p>Andalusian cuisine centres around fresh, localy sourced ingredients, with fresh fish dishes available in all coastal areas and the finest meat dishes inland. A huge variety of sun ripened fruit is to be found throughout.</p><p>The gastronomy of Andalusia owes much of its origins to the Moorish cuisine of Al-Andalus. Its style came to transform many customs. It was the people of Al-Andalus who first created the dining room and the current order of dishes served in a traditional Andalusian meal.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-50654489493307063742014-10-17T13:51:00.000-07:002014-10-17T13:51:00.836-07:0010 Cool Things To See On Berkshire Trails With Your Dog<div id="article-content"> <p>"If your dog is fat," the old saying goes, "you aren't getting enough exercise." But walking the dog need not be just about a little exercise. Here are 10 cool things you can see in the Berkshire Hills while out walking the dog.</p><p>CCC BUILDINGS<br/>During the Great Depression of the 1930s President FranklinRoosevelt put thousands of unemployed men to work in the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Work camps were set up across the country with the mandate to build roads, reforest denuded lands, and construct recreational facilities for public use. Some of the greatest legacies of this "Tree Army" are in the Berkshires, including Bascom Lodge on the summit of Mount Greylock. Designed by Pittsfield architect Joseph McArthur Vance, the rustic shelter was designed to blend in with the landscape using native materials of stone (Greystone schist) and lumber (red spruce and oak).</p><p>GLACAL ERRATICS</p><p>The great ice rivers of the last Ice Age melted from Massachusetts about 15,000 years ago, scraping and shaping the landscape and leaving behind a fair share of debris. Strange rock formations from retreating glaciers are known as erratics. The greatest oddity in Pittsfield State Forest is a glacial erratic known as Balance Rock. The massive 165-ton limestone boulder teeters precariously upon a small, 3-foot piece of bedrock.</p><p>GRAZING CATTLE</p><p>Does your dog have any herding instincts? At Tyringham Cobble the canine hike begins in an open field where you may find yourself hiking with your dog through a free-ranging herd of Hereford cattle - as they have done for 200 years.</p><p>MASSQUATCH</p><p>A canine hike in October Mountain State Forest may be your best chance to spot Massquatch, New England's version of Bigfoot. There have been occasional sightings of a hairy, oversized, human-like creature in Massachusetts across the years from the Atlantic beaches to the Berkshire Mountains. The Berkshire Eagle twice reported encounters at October Mountain in the 1980s, including an up-close and-personal at a former Boy Scout camp near Felton Lake.</p><p>MODERN ART</p><p>After World War II interrupted his career as a Williams College librarian, Lawrence Bloedel purchased the former Nathan Field farm with his wife Eleanore. In 1948 the couple retained Edwin Goodell to build a house to accommodate their expanding collection of contemporary American art. He responded with a modern, window-dominated design adorned with simple lines. In 1966, Ulrich Franzen delivered a Victorian Shingle-style house for the Bloedels' grandchildren, known as The Folly. The Bloedels donated their blend of architecture and nature to the Trustees of Reservations in 1984 and when you hike with your dog at Field Farm today you can walk among 13 modern sculptures, including works by Richard M. Miller, Jack Zajac, Bernard Reder and Herbert Ferber.</p><p>MYSTERIOUS GLENS</p><p>Nathaniel Hawthorne called the Ice Glen, a cleft in the rocks between Bear and Little mountains behind the town of Stockbridge, "the most curious fissure in all Berkshire." It is a ravine without a stream - all the water around Ice Glen flows on a south-north axis while the gorge is aligned east to west. In fact, the glen, stuffed with stacked boulders and draped with hemlocks, was once a glacial lake. Tucked away from the sun's rays, the season's last snow melts here, hence its name. Further west, beyond West Stockbridge, Stevens Glen was once one of the busiest tourist destinations in the the county. In the late 1800s Romanza Stevens built bridges and staircases to the Glen and its waterfall and charged 25 cents for tourists to view the magic of Lenox Mountain Brook.</p><p>RARE DAMS</p><p>In Natural Bridge State Park, the site of a marble quarry until 1947, is a dam built totally of marble blocks, etched in black on the edges. As Ed Elder, who operated the property as a roadside tourist attraction, would describe it, "This is the only marble dam outside Athens, Greece."</p><p>SACRED RELIGIOUS SITES</p><p>Shaker communities were required to clear the summit of a nearby hill for worship. Near Hancock around 1842, this site was atop Mt. Sinai, now known as Shaker Mountain. The trail today leads to two Shaker sacred sites that have been leveled out on the top of Mt. Sinai and Holy Mount. When the Shakers worshipped here non-believers were not allowed on these grounds.</p><p>SLUICES, SPOUTS AND CASCADES</p><p>All over the Berkshires your dog can view and swim under hydrospectaculars. Some are reached with hardly a hike (Campbell Falls, Windsor Jambs, Wahconah Falls), others with a little effort (The Notch Brook Cascades, Bash Bish Falls, Tannery Falls) and other waterfalls are rewards for a spirited canine hike such as Sages Ravine in Mount Everett State Reservation.</p><p>STONE WALLS BUILT FOR THE AGES</p><p>The stone walls found throughout Massachusetts are some of the most beautiful walls ever built. The fact that so many can be found in Berkshire woods attests to the skill used in construction. You could not just pile up rocks found around your property and call it a wall. When a stone wall was finished it needed to be inspected by a fence viewer. If a wall was deemed sound the owner could not be liable for damage done to his crops by other farmer's animals.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-10912860139597378742014-10-14T10:27:00.000-07:002014-10-14T10:27:00.278-07:00Travel Sedona's Red Rock Country - The Jordan Family Legacy<div id="article-content"> <p>Although one could stay for months in the beautiful red rock rimmed landscape of Sedona, many of the 4 million tourists per year visit just for a day; perhaps on their way to the Grand Canyon or up from Phoenix to escape the heat. On any given day, Uptown Sedona is buzzing with tourists shopping at the quaint boutiques, crystal shops and art galleries, sampling local treats and enjoying the spectacular 360 degree view of crimson monoliths. In the heart of Uptown Sedona, just a few blocks up Jordan Road, visitors can also get a taste of life in the early days of Sedona by visiting the Sedona Heritage Museum. Jordan Road is named for one of Sedona's early families who devoted their lives to developing Sedona into a thriving community for their children and future generations.</p><p>The story of Sedona's famous Jordan family begins with William and his wife, Annie Bristow Jordan, their sons George and Walt and their wives, Helen and Ruth. This industrious, hard-working family and their orchards became a cornerstone for Sedona's commerce.</p><p>William Jordan originally began farming in Arizona in 1881 about 20 miles west of Sedona near Clarkdale. There he had great success until the toxic fumes from the nearby Clemenceau smelter killed his crops resulting in one of the first U. S. Supreme Court battles against a firm for environmental pollution. He conducted tests of air samples to determine how far away he needed to move to resurrect his enterprise. In 1926, he purchased 175 acres at the mouth of Oak Creek Canyon from Claude Black who had only just purchased it a few years earlier.</p><p>There were 9 children born to Will and Annie Jordan: six sons and three daughters. When the two eldest sons went off to fight in WW1, Walter, the third son, dropped out of high school to assume his brothers' duties on the farm. It was Will's fourth son, George who bought out the orchard from him in 1927 and started marketing produce as far as 120 miles away. Walt worked with George until 1928 and then began his own farm on a 65 acre of patch of dry land that Will acquired from Jesse Purtyman for $1000.00 and 12 creek side acres of the original Jordan property. Not much for dry farming, Walt needed to figure out a way to irrigate his crops. He investigated purchasing a water wheel system from New York, but it cost more than the entire purchase price of the original 175 acres. Determined, Walt enlisted the help of George, who had studied engineering back east. Together they poured over the drawings of the water wheel and during the following winter, George began building the components for a giant water wheel right on the living room floor much to the dismay of his tidy wife, Helen. By spring they had the beginnings of the Sedona City water works.</p><p>During the Great Depression, produce prices were low and it was difficult for local farmers to make a profit, so George began a co-op. Local farmers would bring their goods to his packing shed where the produce was uniformly packed and readied for market. George would then take the fresh fruits and vegetables to his customers in the neighboring towns of Jerome, Cottonwood, Clarkville, and Prescott as well as Flagstaff and other northern Arizona towns.</p><p>Walt could have been considered a Renaissance man of his time. He researched and taught himself all aspects of farming and running an orchard: soil nutrients, grafting and pruning fruit trees and using bees for pollination. He even set up his own weather station and devised a thermostat system to monitor the conditions for frost.</p><p>Walter started his farming legacy by growing carrots and driving the hand bundled bunches 12 hours by Model A Ford to Phoenix. There he and his wife would sell them to the hotels and restaurants. Using the money he made from marketing carrots, he was able to pay off his father for the parcel of land, purchase some fruit trees and build a 14 x 20 foot cabin which became the Sedona Heritage Museum in 1990. During the years it took for the fruit trees to mature, he grew strawberries, beans and other vegetables for income.</p><p>Getting his precious cargo to market was often a harrowing experience. After working in the orchards all day, he then worked into the night packing the produce on his modified truck. With little or no sleep, Walt had to drive at a snail's pace over steep slopes and navigate some tight places with plummeting drop offs on northern Arizona's early rugged roads.</p><p>The Jordan family legacy lives on in the Sedona Heritage Museum located inside Jordan Historical Park.</p><p>It was Ruth who desired to preserve the history of Sedona and after Walter's death she approached the Sedona Historical Society with an idea for a museum. In 1991 the Jordan home became the property of the City of Sedona and is now managed by the Sedona Historical society.</p><p>Visiting the museum is a great way to experience the life in the early times of Sedona. In addition to the cabin with its original furnishings and the packing house, the museum displays antique farming implements, various exhibits and has a quaint gift shop. The Sedona Historical Society hosts many events there and continuously strives to preserve and teach Sedona's history.</p><p>A walk around the park gives the visitor an opportunity to stand in Walter and Ruth's shoes.</p><p>The homestead is surrounded by inspiring red rock formations such as The Fin and The Sail. These shapes were familiar <em>friends </em>of the Jordan family. One outcropping, The King and His Three Wives overlooked Walt and Ruth's first home. This configuration consists of a group of small monoliths. The <em>king</em> is off by himself facing a cluster of 3 monoliths, his <em>queens</em>. It is noted it by their daughter, F Ruth Jordan in <u>Following Their Westward Star</u> that Walt thought the tree on the ledge of the <em>king</em> appears to be his boutonniere.</p><p>There are several hiking trails just behind the park where an avid hiker as well as the casual visitor can enjoy the natural beauty of Sedona. Walk the trail around the formation known as the Cibola mitten named for the mythical Spanish City of Gold or take a longer trek on Brin's Mesa. As you drink in the boundless beauty surrounding you, imagine life as an early settler; working endless hours under primitive conditions relying only on resolution, endurance and ingenuity.</p><p>Look for more articles in this series Watch for Red Rocks by Ann Galgano-Bellile.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-8721829018248067102014-10-10T22:16:00.000-07:002014-10-10T22:16:00.610-07:00Custom Software Development Makes Economical Sense For Extranets -
Asian Paints Case Study<div id="article-content"> <p>Twenty years back most companies the world over had no choice but to use custom developed software. Custom Software developed for self use provided the only means of mapping and automating the business processes within. Large IT teams typically were hard at work developing customized software for business users. These were well before the days of software outsourcing.</p><p>Then came the wave of out of box enterprise solutions like SAP, Peoplesoft, Baan, Oracle and corporate IT lapped them up in a big way. Centralized databases and real-time view of data were the buzz words and any company worth its salt did not want to be left behind. Legacy custom developed softwares were quickly consigned to the dustbins (oh OK Recycle bins!) and the long and painful implementations (not to miss on the lighter wallets) began. We will not get into the debate on Custom Software versus Enterprise Apps as that is not the subject of this article.</p><p>Instead we would like to explore why it makes sense to look at custom software solutions in the current context specially for extending the enterprise to channel partners like distributors, dealers, service centers etc. the example used is of Asian Paints. Asian Paints has always been at the cutting edge of technology implementation</p><p>I will take the example of MySAP Call Centre implementation replacing the legacy software at <a target="_new" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.asianpaints.com/">Asian Paints</a> a leading corporate in India. <strong>Asian Paints</strong> was operating a 12 seater distributed call centre with a custom software solution. At that time, the software at Asian Paints was made by a single member team and met <strong>all the requirements of Asian Paints</strong>. The only problem was that the custom software used by Asian Paints made use of distributed databases. In the year 2002 Asian Paints (an existing SAP customer) wanted to explore the feasibility of shifting to MySAP to manage the Call Centre. We are not sure what level of evaluation was undertaken by Asian Paints besides - "It's from SAP so it must be worth it!". Certainly no usability study and impact on Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) was undertaken by the team at Asian Paints.</p><p>Nonetheless, MySAP was rolled out swiftly to the <strong>Asian Paints Mumbai Call Centre</strong> by the <strong>Asian Paints</strong> IT team (thankfully saving the fat implementation bill at least). Our familiar Custom Software lay firmly in the bin!</p><p>But just a few months on when we (at Asian Paints) looked at the effectiveness and cost benefit we were in for a surprise. Why? Read on...</p><p></p><ul> <li>For a simple call that needed very few data fields to be captured in the Custom Software solution, Asian Paints agents now had to fill many more data fields as dictated by MySAP leading to longer call handling times </li> <li>The training required to learn to use the software increased many fold leading to higher induction time and cost for Asian Paints. </li> <li>The call centre needed leased line connectivity to the Asian Paints servers so add a connectivity cost into the equation </li> <li>If there was a power failure or link failure the Asian Paints Helpline would stop working - so add the backup power, and backup connectivity cost </li> <li>The screen was so cluttered that the Asian Paints Helpline agents needed bigger monitors so add the cost of new workstations </li> <li>Some of the reports specifically required by the Asian Paints Call Center were not available or configurable easily </li> <li>We are of course not going to talk about the license costs etc. that Asian Paints had to bear. So we end up with significantly greater costs (the increase in costs are too embarrassing for me to share) for one great achievement - Real time data! </li> </ul>And that too for a 10 odd seater Call Centre that Asian Paints had to operate! What's the alternative? Maybe a simple custom software solution using xml web services based synchronization could have saved Asian Paints thousands of dollars every year. Is it possible? Of course and quite effective. <a target="_new" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.interface.co.in/t-xml-ERP.aspx">Read this article</a> for more on distributed solutions.<p></p><p>One last question is bound to come up. What if we want to have data synchronize with SAP? Well we just write some ABAP code and expose some methods to consume data from third party applications.</p><p>The technology landscape has changed and it is now possible to extend corporate ERPs to partners through third party custom Software quite easily without incurring the heavy overheads thus significantly reducing TCO.</p><p>Food for thought?</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-78236190536642851982014-10-08T02:58:00.000-07:002014-10-08T02:58:00.184-07:00Landscape Edging Stones - A Great Way to Spruce Up Your Garden<div id="article-content"> <p>Now that the harsh winter of 2009-2010 is just a memory it may be the right time to get outside and make some of those landscape improvements that will allow the days spent on the lawn a more pleasant experience. Of course, the reason people spend time outside is to enjoy nature so why not make those improvements with a natural landscape edging stones.</p><p>Natural stone lends itself to a variety of aesthetic applications, such as edging around a flower bed to add to the natural feel of the plants growing there or to create a walkway to make it easier to go from place to place. Natural stone can even be used as a retaining wall to protect the earth that is being held back from erosion. Unlike wood or plastic, stone will last forever and needs little to no upkeep once it has been installed.</p><p>Stone has been used in a great many ways in the past and many of the structures it has been used to create are still standing centuries after their first application. It is not unusual to see stone structures built centuries ago throughout the world that are living on and being used by modern day man. This is not only a testament to the builders of those structures but to the quality of the material itself. For those wishing to leave a legacy for future generations, natural stone is the way to go.</p><p>When using natural landscape edging stones for a do it yourself project a few techniques should be considered. Remember that it will be necessary to displace some of the earth and sod from the spot that will receive the edging. By laying a plastic barrier down before placing the stones weeds and grass will have no place to grow and pop up in the cracks between the stones. That means a little digging and a bit of extra work, but the effect will be worth it.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-48625113674370323652014-10-05T11:52:00.000-07:002014-10-05T11:52:00.086-07:00Take Care Of Your Business, VIII<div id="article-content"> <p><em>Respect Yourself And The Country Around You</em></p><p>A few weeks ago, I drove from Colorado to North Carolina and back. I wanted to see my son and daughter and grandkids, and haul out several holidays' worth of unshipped presents to them. And I wanted to have a little adventure, the type of which you can only have when you see the U-S-A in your Chev-ro-let (or, in my case, your little import pickup truck).</p><p>I wasn't in a hurry. I took some back roads. On the way out east, I stopped by the Shiloh National Battlefield and filled myself with a new consciousness of the courage and perseverance it took to preserve freedom in our Union a century-and-a-half ago. And on the way back, I meandered through the coal mining countryside of West Virginia and Kentucky, where I gained a new respect for, well, respect.</p><p>The poorest economic areas of our nation are now in the inner portions of our big cities. Social programs have drawn an ever-increasing percentage of our population to the cities where poor people can be "helped" (or supervised, or - some might say - enslaved), so the poorest part of the country is no longer the rural coal-mining region. But you can still see the ghost of poverty everwhere you look in coal country, from the hollowed-out mining towns to the once-bustling shop districts now devoid of humanity.</p><p>But the worst thing I saw was the garbage.</p><p>In rural North Carolina, near the area now called the "research triangle" and where the elite class now lives, the countryside may not be pristine, but it's pretty. Same for Virginia. But by the time I got to coal country, I saw a volume of roadside garbage that surprised me, and the likes of which I don't see anywhere else (and I've driven extensively throughout the American countryside). Occasionally, the road widened and I'd see a cluster of huge, ostentatiously-pretty homes with attractive landscaping. Then I'd drive around the next bend in the road, and there again, I'd see piles of trash.</p><p>Why doesn't anyone get out and clean this up? I wondered. Out west, on the way out, I'd seen jail crews out in their orange vests, filling bags with roadside trash. Why don't the coal country communities even care enough about how their towns and landscapes look to dispatch jail crews to clean them up? I mean, I hadn't seen trash like this since the last time I walked around the poor inner-city areas of Denver, or Phoenix, or Los Angeles, or San Francisco, or Atlanta, or Dallas, or Chicago, or New York.</p><p>You know, the places young protestors like to "Occupy" these days.</p><p>I have a theory: there's a legacy of victimhood in these places that doesn't soon depart, once people become accustomed to being taken care of by the government and not to taking care of themselves. And wherever people feel poor and incapable of self-determination, the cycle becomes deeply rooted and the trash starts to pile up. The answer, I figured, was this: they don't have the habit of self-respect in some places in America, and you can tell those places by the garbage.</p><p>Forget for the moment the inner workings of collectivist economics. Forget the inner city. Focus instead on your inner self. Are you feeding your inner Victim with negativity, envy, jealousy, class-warfare, and self-loathing of everything from your own nation to your own talents? Or are you feeding the opposite part of your nature - your inner Entrepreneur - with optimism, self-reliance, generosity, and self-respect of everything from your resume to your community?</p><p>If you think of yourself as just another cog in the great machine, as just another unit of human resource to be deployed (or not) by your government masters, as just another number to be called at the unemployment office... please, for the sake of us all, think again. Think of yourself as a business. You're in business to share the best of your skills and talents with an eager market. You're in business to find and keep happy customers. Whether or not you actually own and run a commercial enterprise, you're in business to be the best you can be. Don't concern yourself with getting your "fair share" - focus on making the world better, and trust that everyone will get a better share when there's simply more to go around.</p><p>Make, don't take. Expect to take care of yourself and others, not to be taken care of. Thinking of ways to create new opportunities beats sitting around and lamenting the opportunities politicians say you never got. It beats it every time.</p><p>While I was in coal country, I took the opportunity to go by Coalwood, where the story of "October Sky" is set. It's an inspiring movie, and therefore one of my favorites. It's a story about overcoming adversity, not succumbing to it. And you can still see the self-respect in that tiny little place, where rockets took off and true hope soared, more than half a century ago. Folks there are probably still poor... but the town's a little cleaner, and there is almost a palpable optimism in the air that still hasn't left Coalwood since the days of Homer Hickam and "the Rocket Boys."</p><p>Then, just around the corner, on the way back to the main road, there are piles of garbage by the side of the otherwise-beautiful country road. I tried not to look at the trash. I tried to look at the opportunity there - the opportunity to clean up the landscape and reclaim the beauty of this one little corner of America.</p><p>The government wants to grow by making you diminish. Your opponents in life want to keep you hopeless, helpless, and self-loathing. But you don't have to be those things. You can ignore the victim-makers. You can take care of your own business with true self-respect, and watch your fortunes take off - like a rocket.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-57890299436498352152014-10-01T23:02:00.000-07:002014-10-01T23:02:00.503-07:00Changeability - Can You Drive Your Business Without it?<div id="article-content"> <p><i>"...a systematic and institutional capacity for</i><i>change may now be a company's single most valuable asset." </i><i>Michael Hammer, </i><i>Beyond Reengineering</i></p><p>You may be in charge of your company but are you in control of it? How many times have you tried to manoeuvre your company in a particular direction to find that it is incapable of responding in either the right timescales or manner? Make no mistake, your ability to steer and move your company is only as good as its inherent ability to respond to the need to change, its business change capability. Would you accept a car that had a rubber steering column and did 0-60 in whatever time it felt like? Of course not, so why accept the equivalent in terms of business change management?</p><p>Take a good look at your own company. Operationally you may be doing a good job of servicing the customers. Management wise you've probably got a good team doing your planning and overseeing the day-to-day operations but how well are you coping with your changes? How many IT projects do you have on the go? How many reorganisations or office moves? What's the impact? What's the cost? What's the benefit? Who's doing what to whom and when? How do you know? Is it within your means to change the direction and momentum of that reengineering programme? Is change a necessary evil or an opportunity to succeed? It's probably a bit of both but one thing is for sure, it's not going to go away.</p><p><b>The Change Imperative </b></p><p>All businesses must change over time or else they will fail. The commercial landscape is constantly changing due to the interplay between the market, legislation, technology and competitors. Two things are needed to navigate that landscape: headlights and a responsive vehicle. New and small businesses tend to have the latter by default. They don't have the massive cultural, technical and customer legacy of larger, older companies to hold them back. The smarter of these businesses will have also invested in a good set of headlights. As they succeed they too accrue a legacy to slow them down, unless of course they have developed a business change capability in line with their growth.</p><p><b>When is a Change Not a Change?</b></p><p>So what is a business change capability? Let's start by defining a business change. All businesses can naturally cope with a limited amount of variation in the cases they handle. Shops can handle different basket sizes and mixes, manufacturers can produce customised products and hospitals can treat a variety of illnesses and injuries. The twin daily operational goals of efficiency and effectiveness produce a compromise position. Increases in efficiency tend to result in specialisation that in turn reduces the ability to handle variation whilst the drive to be effective requires an ability to handle all the variation being thrown at it by the chosen market. It's fast food versus a la carte service. At the end of the day a particular operational model is implemented. Any change to this operational model is a business change. A business change capability is the means to efficiently and effectively (there they are again) perform a business change.</p><p><b>House of Cards</b></p><p>That's OK then, all you need to do is improve the way you reorganise, implement systems or move office. If only it were that simple. Businesses are incredibly complex and sensitive organisms. They can swallow directorial dicta without blinking but change the coffee in the finance department and your invoices take three times as long to process. The operational model mentioned above is not as simple as an organisation chart or a flow diagram. It is multidimensional. Move location and you affect processes, roles, infrastructure and communications. Change a department's structure and you can impact jobs, systems, facilities, information flow and loyalties. Implementing a new system will change processes, skill-sets, responsibilities and data. Any potential change needs to be considered holistically to increase the chance of success (or for those whose cup is half empty, to reduce the risk of failure).</p><p><b>The Whole and Nothing but the Whole</b></p><p>Taking a holistic perspective of change brings with it a whole new mindset compared to some of the more traditional change efforts. No longer do you have 'system implementation' projects, you have 'process improvement through faster access to information and the removal of organisational boundaries' projects. No longer do you have 'reorganisation' initiatives, you have 'the clarification of roles and responsibilities through the clear ownership of processes and the implementation of supporting systems' initiatives. The days of dropping a new system or organisational structure from a great height into the operational business without making sure it fits must come to an end.</p><p><b>Turning on the Lights</b></p><p>Now that we have a holistic view of a business change we start to notice something. There appears to be more interference between the various change initiatives taking place in the company. Joe's new customer care processes rely on roles that Fred is removing in his web interface project. Helen's team-working initiative is being impacted by Sue's relocation project. The holistic viewpoint has not created these overlaps it has simply made them more visible. To complete the picture we need a common language across all the initiatives that enables these overlaps to be seen. That language comes in the form of business models.</p><p><b>Super Models</b></p><p>Business models provide a pictorial and textual description of a business. They act as a set of maps onto which change activity can be plotted. Only by using a common set of models across the business and for all change initiatives can we determine who is doing what to whom and where effort is duplicated or lacking. Without this, time, money and energy will be wasted regardless of the skill and best intentions of the participants. These models must cover the various perspectives required by the holistic view. This includes process, organisation, systems, data and location. 'That's all well and good' I hear you say 'but these models will always be out of date'. 'Not if you build their maintenance into your change processes', I reply. Which brings us nicely to the next topic: method.</p><p><b>Process Rules</b></p><p>Whether they like it or not all businesses have method or, if you prefer, processes. How good they are is another matter but all businesses have a way of working. They know what to do when certain events happen such as a customer placing an order. Similarly, in order to conduct business change we need a method or a set of processes. What do we do when a potential change is identified? What do we do when a change project needs to change scope or fails to deliver? How do we handle a new corporate vision? How do we handle a simple process improvement? How do we allocate resources across dozens of competing changes? A permanent business change capability needs to be able to answer these questions by providing a set of processes, roles and supporting systems capable of dealing with all of these situations. Such a capability has the added bonus of being self-improving. It is just another set of business processes etc that can be modeled and changed.</p><p><strong>So What.....?</strong></p><p>So what does all of this mean? It means that, with a set of repeatable processes that help define potential changes holistically, assess their impact and interdependencies, determine the optimum mix of integrated change initiatives across the company and maintain an accurate set of business models, you have some hope of driving your company through that mixture of mine-field and oil-field, the corporate landscape. Without it you'd better get used to that rubbery steering and sponge-like response ...but then again maybe it is time for a service.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-64457026134407382682014-09-28T01:04:00.000-07:002014-09-28T01:04:00.477-07:00Louis Riel - A Controversial Canadian Historical Figure<div id="article-content"> <p>Many residents and citizens of Manitoba Canada are currently celebrating a provincial holiday "Louis Riel Day" - a day off of work in the Canadian province of Manitoba in the months of February without fully appreciating who this local Manitoban authority was and what was his import and his importance to the history of this geographical and community area.</p><p>To begin with as with most controversy and controversial personalities it all depends on which side of the Canadian historical fence or side you are reside on and which historical view and viewpoints you partake of.</p><p>It can be said, that in the Canadian historical and political landscape, of which many in the world would point out are rather apolitical, and that Louis Riel's role in history is disputed even today. To some, he is the defender of Canadian - especially Manitoba and Saskatchewan aboriginal Native First Canadian Nations (Indian) peoples against unfair treatments by the then Canadian governments. To others he was a rank traitor. With the passage of time and passions, since the last century, Louis Riel as now seen in the historical record overall a the founder of the Canadian Province of Manitoba and as a defender of Western Canadian interests during the formation, in the last century, of the early nation state of the Dominion of Canada.</p><p>In the year of 1868, when the Western Canadian geographic land area was being acquired by the leaders of Eastern Canada, from the Hudson's Bay Company, as the great land mass then known as the Hudson's Bay Companies '"Rupert's Land", Louis Riel and his band of followers prevented the entry of the then assigned Canadian representatives from physically entering the Winnipeg and Manitoba "Red River Settlement "areas. Mr. Riel and his agents then a local governmental authority, termed a "provisional government" to negotiate successfully terms with the then Canadian governmental authorities. This set of events, the first of Louis Riel's historical legacy actions, for which he is well known, has been termed in the Canadian historical record as the "Red River Rebellion". Although this was accomplished overall, without apparent bloodshed to attain its political aims, there was one noted expression of violence done under and via Louis Riel's command. A contrary and unruly (at least in the eyes of the Red River Provisional governmental authorities", prisoner named "Thomas Scott", was executed. This execution or what was termed in the rival political areas of Eastern Canada (primarily English Canadian Ontario regions), as an illegal act of simple murder, caused major consternation and controversy in "English Canada". Louis Riel was considered culpable and directly responsible for this heinous act, himself.</p><p>After fleeing the regions in the 1870's to the Montana regions in the United States, Louis returned for yet another historical conflict of what was termed on his side great injustice to the local Aboriginal First Nations and the Canadian Metis communities in the present day Canadian Provinces of Saskatchewan & Manitoba a second revolt was organized. In the eyes of the local North American Indians and of the Metis nation (descendants of the French Canadian Coureur des bois adventurous fur traders and the local Canadian First Nations), it was a replay yet again of settlers from Eastern Canada displacing them, their properties as well as the dominant culture and languages. Add to the mix that Louis Riel imagined himself and became convinced (at least in his mind and that of many of his followers), that he indeed was none other than a direct prophet of God, and on top of that adopted the name and personage of Mordechai of Jewish decent and origins.</p><p>At this point in time, the Canadian government of the first Canadian Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald felt they had little choice but to show action and authority and put down this rebellion and revolt. The government of that day was much better prepared to take action, along with the partially finished Canadian Pacific Railway.</p><p>The "North West Rebellion" was quickly quashed and put down by the representatives of the eastern Canada order - the North West Mounted Police (precursor of the R.C.M.P Royal Canadian Mounted Police". Mr. Riel turned himself in to the local legal police authorities.</p><p>After being held for some time as an inmate at the Stony Mountain facility nearby Winnipeg Manitoba, Louis Riel was prosecuted in a well publicized trial. Even though no less a personage than the queen of the British realm, Queen Victoria herself as for mercy and clemency for Louis Riel, this controversial figure was found guilty of "high treason" against "the Crown". Ultimately Louis Riel was hanged in Regina Saskatchewan on November 16, 1885.</p><p>This execution, of a local hero and political celebrity caused a furor between the essentially Protestant English community of Ontario Canada and the fundamentally French Roman Catholic Province of Quebec. It is only now after more than a century that the historical record and legacies of Louis Riel are finally coming clean and being appreciated in a more balanced as well as historically relevant perspective and perspectives.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-40526804947515853192014-09-24T15:52:00.000-07:002014-09-24T15:52:00.138-07:00A Lake Legacy<div id="article-content"> <p>Watching the children grow and mature, seeing the wife having fun, and I must admit a little selfishness for myself because I like to fish a bit and explore with the sail boat; are the most important things to me. We live and work in a congested city. Even relaxed times are punctuated with some tension. We traveled to the beach one summer week end and found a different living style and a different pace.</p><p>We bought a house and enjoyed it for two years. Then the deterioration of the house and equipment from ocean corrosion, and the crowded congestion reminded us that we had accepted conditions at the beach that are all too similar to our urban living.</p><p>A friend from college days called and invited the family to spend the week end with his family at "the lake". I was not thrilled with the thought of a day at the lake when I had the whole ocean. Our two daughters thought it would be fun. I knew that was because my college buddy would have his daughter and handsome teen age son there. So, we agreed to spend the week end at "the lake".</p><p>His house was modest, but the water and the view were spectacular. I was surprised at my first impression. His house was nine years old and looked like it was two. No corrosion and very fine landscaping. The first morning there we just sat and caught up on the past while the children giggled. That afternoon we sailed a bit. The next morning we fished. I found that I was relaxed and did not look forward to leaving. Some friends came over the previous evening for a chardonnay party, but crowds were non existent.</p><p>The next week I thought about it all. My wife said "why do we drive to the beach and that confusion, when the lake is so comfortable"? That was all I needed. We sold the beach house and built a house we really like at the lake. We spend many week-ends there, and I am even more pleasant at work.</p><p>By the way, our house is in North Carolina at Kerr Lake. We may even retire there when the time is right.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-88665210862036762612014-09-17T01:15:00.000-07:002014-09-17T01:15:00.364-07:00The State of Modern Music<div id="article-content"> <p>Today's practitioners of what we once called "modern" music are finding themselves to be suddenly alone. A bewildering backlash is set against any music making that requires the disciplines and tools of research for its genesis. Stories now circulate that amplify and magnify this troublesome trend. It once was that one could not even approach a major music school in the US unless well prepared to bear the commandments and tenets of serialism. When one hears now of professors shamelessly studying scores of Respighi in order to extract the magic of their mass audience appeal, we know there's a crisis. This crisis exists in the perceptions of even the most educated musicians. Composers today seem to be hiding from certain difficult truths regarding the creative process. They have abandoned their search for the tools that will help them create really striking and challenging listening experiences. I believe that is because they are confused about many notions in modern music making!</p><p>First, let's examine the attitudes that are needed, but that have been abandoned, for the development of special disciplines in the creation of a lasting modern music. This music that we can and must create provides a crucible in which the magic within our souls is brewed, and it is this that frames the templates that guide our very evolution in creative thought. It is this generative process that had its flowering in the early 1950s. By the 1960s, many emerging musicians had become enamored of the wonders of the fresh and exciting new world of Stockhausen's integral serialism that was then the rage. There seemed limitless excitement, then. It seemed there would be no bounds to the creative impulse; composers could do anything, or so it seemed. At the time, most composers hadn't really examined serialism carefully for its inherent limitations. But it seemed so fresh. However, it soon became apparent that it was Stockhausen's exciting musical approach that was fresh, and not so much the serialism itself, to which he was then married. It became clear, later, that the methods he used were born of two special considerations that ultimately transcend serial devices: crossing tempi and metrical patterns; and, especially, the concept that treats pitch and timbre as special cases of rhythm. (Stockhausen referred to the crossovers as "contacts", and he even entitled one of his compositions that explored this realm Kontakte.) These gestures, it turns out, are really independent from serialism in that they can be explored from different approaches.</p><p>The most spectacular approach at that time was serialism, though, and not so much these (then-seeming) sidelights. It is this very approach -- serialism -- however, that after having seemingly opened so many new doors, germinated the very seeds of modern music's own demise. The method is highly prone to mechanical divinations. Consequently, it makes composition easy, like following a recipe. In serial composition, the less thoughtful composer seemingly can divert his/her soul away from the compositional process. Inspiration can be buried, as method reigns supreme. The messy intricacies of note shaping, and the epiphanies one experiences from necessary partnership with one's essences (inside the mind and the soul -- in a sense, our familiars) can be discarded conveniently. All is rote. All is compartmentalized. For a long time this was the honored method, long hallowed by classroom teachers and young composers-to-be, alike, at least in the US. Soon, a sense of sterility emerged in the musical atmosphere; many composers started to examine what was taking place.</p><p>The replacement of sentimental romanticism with atonal music had been a crucial step in the extrication of music from a torpid cul-de-sac. A music that would closet itself in banal self-indulgence, such as what seemed to be occurring with romanticism, would decay. Here came a time for exploration. The new alternative --atonality -- arrived. It was the fresh, if seemingly harsh, antidote. Arnold Schonberg had saved music, for the time being. However, shortly thereafter, Schonberg made a serious tactical faux pas. The 'rescue' was truncated by the introduction of a method by which the newly freed process could be subjected to control and order! I have to express some sympathy here for Schönberg, who felt adrift in the sea of freedom provided by the disconnexity of atonality. Large forms depend upon some sense of sequence. For him a method of ordering was needed. Was serialism a good answer? I'm not so certain it was. Its introduction provided a magnet that would attract all those who felt they needed explicit maps from which they could build patterns. By the time Stockhausen and Boulez arrived on the scene, serialism was touted as the cure for all musical problems, even for lack of inspiration!</p><p>Pause for a minute and think of two pieces of Schonberg that bring the problem to light: Pierrot Lunaire, Op. 21 (1912 - pre-serial atonality) and the Suite, Op. 29 (1924 serial atonality). Pierrot... seems so vital, unchained, almost lunatic in its special frenzy, while the Suite sounds sterile, dry, forced. In the latter piece the excitement got lost. This is what serialism seems to have done to music. Yet the attention it received was all out of proportion to its generative power. Boulez once even proclaimed all other composition to be "useless"! If the 'disease' --serialism --was bad, one of its 'cures' --free chance --was worse. In a series of lectures in Darmstadt, Germany, in 1958, John Cage managed to prove that the outcome of music written by chance means differs very little from that written using serialism. However, chance seemed to leave the public bewildered and angry. Chance is chance. There is nothing on which to hold, nothing to guide the mind. Even powerful musical personalities, such as Cage's, often have trouble reining in the raging dispersions and diffusions that chance scatters, seemingly aimlessly. But, again, many schools, notably in the US, detected a sensation in the making with the entry of free chance into the music scene, and indeterminacy became a new mantra for anyone interested in creating something, anything, so long as it was new.</p><p>I believe parenthetically that one can concede Cage some quarter that one might be reluctant to cede to others. Often chance has become a citadel of lack of discipline in music. Too often I've seen this outcome in university classes in the US that 'teach 'found (!)' music. The rigor of discipline in music making should never be shunted away in search of a music that is 'found', rather than composed. However, in a most peculiar way, the power of Cage's personality, and his surprising sense of rigor and discipline seem to rescue his 'chance' art, where other composers simply flounder in the sea of uncertainty.</p><p>Still, as a solution to the rigor mortis so cosmically bequeathed to music by serial controls, chance is a very poor stepsister. The Cageian composer who can make chance music talk to the soul is a rare bird indeed. What seemed missing to many was the perfume that makes music so wonderfully evocative. The ambiance that a Debussy could evoke, or the fright that a Schonberg could invoke (or provoke), seemed to evaporate with the modern technocratic or free-spirited ways of the new musicians. Iannis Xenakis jolted the music world with the potent solution in the guise of a 'stochastic' music. As Xenakis' work would evolve later into excursions into connexity and disconnexity, providing a template for Julio Estrada's Continuum, the path toward re-introducing power, beauty and fragrance into sound became clear. All this in a 'modernist' conceptual approach!</p><p>Once again, though, the US university milieu took over (mostly under the stifling influence of the serial methodologist, Milton Babbitt) to remind us that it's not nice to make music by fashioning it through 'borrowings' from extra-musical disciplines. Throughout his book, Conversations with Xenakis, the author, Balint András Vargas, along with Xenakis, approaches the evolution of Xenakis' work from extra-musical considerations. Physical concepts are brought to bear, such as noise propagating through a crowd, or hail showering upon metal rooftops. Some relate to terrible war memories of experiences suffered by Xenakis, culminating in a serious wound. To shape such powerful sounds, concepts akin to natural phenomena had to be marshaled. From the standpoint of the musical classroom, two things about Xenakis are most troubling: one is his relative lack of formal musical training; the other, or flip side, is his scientifically oriented schooling background. In ways no one else in musical history had ever done, Xenakis marshaled concepts that gave birth to a musical atmosphere that no one had ever anticipated could exist in a musical setting. One most prominent feature is a sound setting that emulates Brownian movement of a particle on a liquid surface. This profoundly physical concept needed high-powered mathematics to constrain the movements of the (analogous) sound 'particles' and make them faithful to the concept Xenakis had in mind. There is, as a result, a certain inexactitude, albeit a physical slipperiness, to the movement of the sound particles. Nice musical smoothness and transition give way to unpredictable evolution and transformation. This concept blows the skin off traditional concepts of musical pattern setting! Its iridescent shadows are unwelcome in the gray gloom of the American classroom.</p><p>In their haste to keep musical things musical, and to rectify certain unwanted trends, the official musical intelligentsia, (the press, the US university elite, professors, etc.) managed to find a way to substitute false heroes for the troubling Xenakis. Around the time of Xenakis' entry into the musical scene, and his troubling promulgation of throbbing musical landscapes, attendant with sensational theories involving stochastic incarnations, a group of composers emerged who promised to deliver us from evil, with simple-minded solutions erected on shaky intuitional edifices. The so-called 'cluster' group of would-be musical sorcerers included Krzysztof Penderecki, Henryk Górecki and Gyorgy Ligeti. These new musical darlings, with their easy methodologies, gave us the first taste of the soon-to-emerge post-modernism that has posed as our ticket to the Promised Land for the last thirty years. It seemed that, just as music finally had a master of the caliber and importance of Bach, Schonberg, Bartok and Varese in the person of one Iannis Xenakis, history and musicology texts seemed not to be able to retreat quickly enough to embrace the new saviors, all the while conspiring against an all embracing creativity found fast, and well-embedded within the turmoil of the stochastic process.</p><p>Alas, Xenakis has been exiled from American history, as much as the powers have been able to do so! His competition, those in the intuitive cluster school, became the fixtures of the new musical landscape, because their art is so much easier than that of Xenakis. Ease of composing, of analyzing and of listening are the new bywords that signal success in the music world. Those who extol such virtues herald the arrival and flourishing of post-modernism and all its guises, be it neo-romantic, clustering or eclecticism. The proud cry these days, is "Now we can do about anything we wish." Better, perhaps, to do nothing than to embrace such intellectual cowardice.</p><p>The promise of a return to musical fragrances that walk in harmony and synchronicity with intellectual potency was precious and vital. It should signal the next phase of evolution in the creative humanities. The challenge to write about this potential of a marriage of humanities was overwhelming. No adequate text seemed to exist. So I had to provide one. All that was lacking for a good book was a unifying theme. <br/>Algorithms control the walk of the sounds. Algorithms are schemata that work the attributes of sound to enable them to unfold meaningfully. An algorithm is a step-function that can range from a simple diagram to stochastic or Boolean functions. Even serialism is an algorithm. While they are important, algorithms take second place in importance to the focus of music: its sound. This concentration is given a terminology by composer, Gerard Pape: sound-based composition. Isn't all music sound based? It's all sound, after all.</p><p>Well, yes, but not really. The point of the term is to highlight the emphasis of the approach being on the sound, rather than on the means used for its genesis. In sound-based composition, one concentrates on a sound, then conjures the way to create it. In serialism, ordering takes precedence over quality. The result often is vapid: empty sound. Directionless pointillism robs music of its vital role, the conjuring of imagery, in whatever guise. The other leading practitioner of sound-based composition is Dr. Julio Estrada. In his composition classes and seminars at UNAM (Universidad National Autonoma de México), he emphasizes the mental formation of an imaginary, sort of an idealized imagery. Then the composer/students are directed to formulate a conspirator sound essence that conveys something of the élan of this imaginary. Only then, once the construct of sound is concocted, is the method of sound shaping in the form of notation employed. Understanding of imagery and of fragrance precedes their specification. This is a sophisticated example of sound-based composition.</p><p>A curious, special case arose out of the arcane methods of Giacinto Scelsi, who made explicit what long had been lurking in the background. He posited a '3rd dimension' to sound. He felt that the trouble with the serialists was in their reliance upon two dimensions in sound: the pitch and the duration. For Scelsi, timbre provides a depth, or 3rd dimension, explored only rarely until his groundbreaking work. He devised ways to call for unusual timbres, and evolutions of timbre that resulted in his focusing on the characteristics of, and the transformations between (within!), attributes of single tones. Indeed, his Quattro Pezzi are veritable studies in counterpoint within single tones!</p><p>This concept of sound-based composition provided the unifying seed around which a book could be built. It would be one that could salvage something of the first principles of the union of intellectual discipline and a vibrant sound context: that is, music with meaning, challenge, discipline, ambience and something that requires courage and commitment in its conception. Such would be a music that yields special, beautiful, powerful, alluring fruits, which, nonetheless, disclose their secrets only reluctantly, demanding skillful teasing out of their magic.</p><p>This epiphany revealed a road by which we could reestablish the Xenakian ideal of musical power attainable primarily through processes that have their basis in the physics and architecture of the world around us. Here was not only the answer, the antidote, if you will, to the rigidities of serialism, but also a cure for the sloppiness of unconstrained chance composition. Here was a way out of the impasse confronting composition in the 1960s. The question should be not what method to use to compose, for that leads only to blind alleys (serialism, chance or retreat), but why compose? What is in the musical universe that can open pathways not yet explored, pathways that reveal something that stir a soul? What is the best way to accomplish that?</p><p>If we abandon the search for unique roads and for challenge, we will become the first generation ever in music to proclaim that backwards movement is progress; that less is more. Yet the very apostles of post-modernism will have us believe just that! They hold that the public has rejected modernism; the public has held modernism to be bankrupt. Post-modernists will lure you into the trap that, because of its unmitigated complexity, serialism promised only its demise. "The only road into modernism is sterile complexity; we need to root this out, and return to simplicity. We won't have a saleable product, otherwise." This is the thinking that gave us minimalism, the nearest relative to 'muzak' one can conjure in art-music. One composer, a one-time avant-gardist, actually apologized for his former modernity, on stage, to the audience, before a performance of his latest post-modern work!</p><p>There is an inscription in the halls of a monastery in Toledo, Spain: "Caminantes, no hay caminos, hay que caminar" (pilgrims, there is no road, only the travel). This was a beacon for one of music history's most courageous pilgrims - a fighter for freedom for the mind, for the body, and for the ear: Luigi Nono. His example could serve us all well. He exposed himself to grave danger as a fighter against oppression of all kinds, not least of all the musical kind. It takes courage to create. It isn't supposed to be easy! Nothing worthwhile ever is. It would seem to me that Nono's example serves as the antithesis to that of the previous composer.</p><p>I examine music history of the 20th century to find clues as to why certain composers generate more excitement than others. Is it possible that sound-based composition has flourished in an intuitive way from back into the 19th century? Has it been around a while, but just not codified explicitly as such? I feel that is so. To some extent the roots of this idea can be found in the so-called nationalism of such composers as Bartók and Janacek. Nationalism has gotten something of a bad rap due to folksy, cutesy concoctions usually redolent within its environments. But, upon reflection and examination, the more rigorous efforts in nationalistic composition yield tremendous fruits. Note especially Bartók's highly original devices of twelve-tone tonality (e.g., axis positions and special chords). Less well known, but important as well, are the special folk vocal inflections resident in Janácek's music. These special qualities spilled over from the vocal to the instrumental writing. So it appears that we can make a strong case for sound-based composition (composition focused on special sound qualities) being rooted in the music by the turn of the 20th century.</p><p>The process of creation is the focus; not the glorification of the superficial sounds that only mimic real music. The reinstatement of Xenakis', Nono's, Scelsi's and Estrada's ideals to preeminence was crucial. The recognition of these trends, in preference to those of the more facile and easily attractive ones espoused by Penderecki, Ligeti and others, had to be ensured. The easy lure of cluster music had to be resisted.</p><p>If we don't make this distinction clear, all that follows is nonsense. Too many people apply modernism to anything that resided in the 20th century that contained a little dissonance. That is a common error. For others, modernism exists in any era - it simply is what's happening at a given time, and is appropriate as a description for music in that era. This, too, is wrong for its reluctance to confront the creative process.</p><p>We mustn't yield to these impulsive descriptions, for to do so renders the profound efforts of the 20th century meaningless. There is a unifying thread in music that qualifies it to be considered modern, or modernist, and it isn't just a time frame. Modernism is an attitude. This attitude appears periodically in music history, but it is most effectively understood in the context of creativity, most pronouncedly found late in the 20th century. Modern music is the music composed that results from research into the attributes of sound, and into the ways we perceive sound. It usually involves experimentation; the experimentation yields special discoveries that bear fruit in the act of composition. This distinction is crucial; for even though much cluster music, and some neo-classical music, contains high dissonance, their focus is reactionary. The experimental work of Schonberg, Berg, Webern, Bartok, Varese, and that of some Stravinsky, is forward-looking, in that the music is not a solution unto itself: it provides a template for further work and exploration into that area. Even more so, the works of Cage, Xenakis, Scelsi, Nono and Estrada.</p><p>The composers chosen for discussion herein are the ones I consider to be the most exemplary models in the development of sound based composition. They are as follows:</p><p>-Janacek (nationalist inflection) <br/>-Debussy (chord-coloration) <br/>-Mahler (expressionism and tone-color melody) <br/>-Ravel (impressionism) <br/>-Malipiero (intuitive discourse) <br/>-Hindemith (expressionism in a quasi-tonal context) <br/>-Stravinsky (octatonic diatonicism) <br/>-Bartok (axial tonality, arch form, golden section construction) <br/>-Schonberg (expressionism, atonality, klangfarbenmelodie)) <br/>-Berg ('tonal' serialism) <br/>-Webern (canonic forms in serialism, klangfarbenmelodie) <br/>-Varese (noise, timbral/range hierarchies) <br/>-Messiaen (modes of limited transposition, non-retrogradable rhythms, color chords) <br/>-Boulez (special live electronics instruments) <br/>-Stockhausen (pitch/rhythm dichotomy) <br/>-Cage (indeterminacy, noise, live electronics) <br/>-Xenakis (Ataxy, stochastic music, inside-outside time attributes, random walks, granularity, non-periodic scales) <br/>-Nono (near inaudibility, mobile sound, special electronics) <br/>-Lutoslawski (chain composition) <br/>-Scelsi (the 3rd dimension in sound, counterpoint within a single tone) <br/>-Estrada (The Continuum)</p><p>There is so much glitter in the world, and so much noise pollution that we are being rendered incapable of reflection and of creative thought. We become mortified at the thought of a little challenge. We are paralyzed when faced with the challenge of keeping our evolutionary legacy in focus. We cannot afford to trade away quality for mediocrity, just because mediocrity is easier and more enticing. This would not be an acceptable social outcome. To live we must thrive. To thrive we cannot rest.</p><p>Entertainment is a laudable pursuit in certain settings and times. It cannot be the force that drives our lives. If a composer desires to write entertaining music, that is all right. But that composer must be honest about his or her motives for doing so. Do not write entertainment and then try to con the public by claiming this is great music. It is best to be able to discover the key to the writing of a music that can fulfill a need for tomorrow. By understanding nature, the nature of sound and the human condition, we can write music capable of conveying something essential. That goes beyond entertainment. It fulfills music's most crucial purpose: providing a teaching role. What better way to go through a learning process than to find oneself doing so while wrapped in a cocoon of beauty? Music can be our best teacher.</p><p>It is all right to find beauty in old sources. Even Respighi can be very charming, engaging. It is also just as good to listen to soothing, euphonious music as it is to write such music. But can't we as composers do better than this? Why can't we give something besides pleasure to tomorrow? Young composers today are at a crossroads. They can fulfill a vital mission by helping fulfill a tradition that carries on a cultural legacy. Today's composers must begin to dream; and then compose.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-460397808490015662014-09-14T16:06:00.000-07:002014-09-14T16:06:00.082-07:00Kicking Up the Game of Your Longer-Term Employees: Getting the Tenured
and Tired to Grow and Evolve<div id="article-content"> <p>"A lot of us have been here a long time."</p><p>I didn't know whether to laugh or cry over the phone when a salesperson gave this answer to my question about investing in a sales and service training program for her team. To me, these few words were both comical and tragic to me at the same time, and told me all that I needed to know about the organization - and why it was behind in its performance.</p><p>Many organization leadership teams and managers no doubt face this same dilemma. While it has long been thought that people with many years of experience at their jobs translates to permanent success, many things today prove otherwise. "Evolve or die" is not so much a threat as a prediction nowadays. And we can learn this lesson from many different industries.</p><p>In a recent interview on ESPN, Alabama Head Football Coach Nick Saban, who knows about winning (his teams have won three NCAA titles in four seasons) says that "The future and legacy of a team will be determined by what happens ahead of them, not what happened before... There is no continuum for success, it's an ongoing process regardless of what we've accomplished in the past."</p><p>TEACHING OLD DOGS NEW TRICKS</p><p>I'm sure the above-quoted salesperson, who had been at her post for several years, answered me in the manner she did because she thinks that you cannot necessarily teach old dogs new tricks, or - worse yet --- she feels that they likely already know everything they need to know in order to do their jobs, and don't need to learn anything new.</p><p>"I just taught my 15 year old dog to not jump on the couch, so you CAN teach old dogs new tricks," offers Chris Durso, Major Market Developer with InterContinental Hotels Group, "In fact, if you're losing market share, you're not done learning."</p><p>Greg Ayers, President/CEO of Discover Kalamazoo (MI) weighs in on continuing the learning in his organization: "While our team possesses a wealth of experience, we are always looking for ways to further develop our talent... One of our strategic priorities is to continuously improve." Greg backs it up by engaging outside consultants to conduct a sales team program evaluation that reviews everything they do to generate new group business for Kalamazoo, "even if we don't want to hear some of the answers," he adds.</p><p>Like Ayers, true leaders are about taking chances, and either checking under their own hoods or engaging others to do it, just to make sure the engine parts are still working efficiently and effectively.</p><p>"I've been down that road of hearing 'we don't need training' for our seasoned staff or salespeople," says Wade Bryant, Director of Sales and Marketing for the Embassy Suites Hotel in Charleston, SC. "You could probably classify half of our long-timers in the hospitality industry as insane, if by definition that means, as Steven Covey said, doing the same things over and over again and expecting a different or better result. The fact is long-timers probably need it (training) the most."</p><p>To a team leader, it can be a fine line between managing a seasoned, happy team member who uses their great wealth of experience in handling certain (often difficult) situations vs. the "been-there-too-long" team member who carries a burned-out or sluggish attitude around the business, refusing to embrace any new wrinkles. Never mind that as a business owner you may want (or need!) to change things up or move your customers or products in a new direction. From many of these folks, you may be getting push-back and old-style thinking.</p><p>THE TIMES - AND YOUR CUSTOMERS - ARE CHANGING</p><p>It's like nails on a chalkboard for me when I hear "we've always done it that way." Sure, many companies are thriving again and have built their legacies of service and stellar treatment of their customers in the past. But those customers are changing. The expectations of the baby-boomers, not to mention the greatest generation, the gen-X'ers, and the millennials can all be very different. A business's service teams have to be able to evolve their skills in order to stay viable to a changing demographic with changing needs and expectations.</p><p>Are your long-time employees those who have their habits so ingrained that they cannot change or be flexible to the new wave of customers or changing landscape in your competitive landscape? Do they feel that they are above training and "refreshers" aimed at re-invigorating their efforts or re-focusing them? If so, it's time for management to step in and take training (or re-training) by the nose. It won't happen by osmosis.</p><p>"I'm often encountering life's plodders, doing just enough not to be fired," remarks Phil Anderson, veteran of the hospitality and resort business as both a general manager and a sales/marketing executive. "It seems like the theme is 'sustained mediocrity' in some places I go, and when you inherit a veteran or tenured staff to manage, it can mean trouble."</p><p>Of course, not all long-term employees are toxic, not by a long shot. Many frequent customers have come to enjoy seeing the smiling faces and feats of great service from these veteran team members over the years. The ones with great attitudes and abilities to teach can also be key in getting new employees up to speed on their jobs and tasks. Indeed, to some customers, the veterans ARE the company or product.</p><p>CHANGE IS INEVITABLE, GROWTH IS OPTIONAL</p><p>But still, change is inevitable. It's the growth part that's optional. And long-timers need to evolve their skills to stay relevant. After all, the "I want it now" generation is taking hold. The speed has quickened a bit, including service and value expectations from members.</p><p>"If you and your team don't take the time to reinvent your approach to business, you will lose, plain and simple," says Doug Small, President/CEO of Experience Grand Rapids (MI). "While others have decreased their budgets for professional development, we have gone the other way... we actually set goals for enhancing the skill set of our employees in a variety of disciplines to help them stay ahead of an ever-changing marketplace." Small even takes it beyond his own team on a larger scale: "We 'fund' education for our member hotels, too, as it's a collaborative approach to increasing revenues for all."</p><p>INVESTING IN YOUR TEAM'S GROWTH</p><p>Consider these points when deciding about training and re-training:</p><p>* If you're not getting better, you're getting worse. This in itself can keep hospitality managers up at night.</p><p>* Many people fear change, and being trained or re-trained represents change. Get your best long-timers around the reasons for a program - Illustrate "what's in it for them?" and they're more likely to visibly support the training initiative to other team members. This will cut down on the grumbling.</p><p>* Assess which specific areas you and your guests feel need the greatest attention, and start your training there. Chew the elephant in small bites.</p><p>* Support it visibly, actively, and often. Nothing kills a training program faster than when upper management doesn't come to the workshops or meetings, or get involved in the follow-through. The line staff then gets the feeling that "they must be above all of this."</p><p>* Determine roles, goals, responsibilities, and accountabilities in your program. Have a plan, don't just scatter-gun a few hours here and there for some parts of your facility - After all, your hotel/resort has a culture, and it's a family, not a bunch of independent silos.</p><p>* Make continued training and learning a culture, not a fleeting "program of the month" that will quickly be forgotten. Make your training programs just that - programs - that are sustainable. Constancy and consistency will help insure long-term success.</p><p>Tenured and tired, or growing and evolving? Take a look under your hood and keep your long-time team members in forward motion with preventative maintenance and frequent tune-ups. Your customers will thank you with their return business and positive social media reviews.</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-36754831821688062392014-09-06T22:49:00.000-07:002014-09-06T22:49:00.701-07:00Experience the Charm of Rajasthan Forts and Palaces During a Rajasthan
Tour<div id="article-content"> <p>Rajasthan forts and palaces are no doubt the best manuscript which utters the saga of audacious Rajputana clans. Rajasthan is the Land of Romance and Chivalry which is known throughout the world for its magnificent forts dotted along the barren sandscape of the Thar Desert. These eloquent of the bygone era are among the most popular attractions of Rajasthan which are visited by scores of tourists round the year. These forts are the paragon of architecture which not only illustrate great works of craftsmanship, but also famous for their majestic color combinations with the surrounding landscapes. The magical attractions of these grand monuments are among the best Places to see in Rajasthan. Some of the most famous Rajasthan forts and palaces are:</p><p>Chittorgarh Fort:</p><p>The Fort of Chittorgarh is the largest and the grandest fort of Rajasthan as well as of India. This is located in Bhilwara the city in Mewar region of Rajasthan. It is among the grandest fort and prominent attraction of Rajasthan tourism which is perched on a 180 meters high hill and sprawl over an area of 700 acres. The Fort is a treasure trove of history which offers great deal of insight into the life of the Great Rajputana dynasties who ruled this fort for centuries. This fort can be accessed through entrance gates like Padal Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ram Pol and Bhairon Pol.</p><p>The fort houses a number of palaces within the complex which include Rana Kumbha Palace, Fateh Prakash Palace, Padmini's Palace and more. This magnificent fort is known for its impressive 13 kilometer long wall and soaring towers. The Vijay Stambh (Victory Tower) is an imposing 37 meters high nine storied structure covered with an exquisite sculptures of Hindu deities and the Kirti Stambh (Tower of Fame) is a 22 meters high tower dedicated to Adinathji, the first of the Jain Tirthankaras are the most striking monuments of this fort.</p><p>Kumbhalgarh Fort:</p><p>This is the second most important fort of Rajasthan after Chittorgarh which was built in 15th century A.D. by Maharana Kumbha. It is located 90 km north-west of Udaipur in Rajasthan State and famous for its 36 km long wall which is the second longest continuous wall in the world. Rounded bastions, soaring watch towers and crenellated walls make this fort an impregnable structure which had nurtured Mewar kingdom for centuries. The fort complex houses around 360 temples among which Shiva Temple is worth visiting because of a huge Shivalinga.</p><p>Apart from this the fort is also known for its beautiful palace known as 'Badal Mahal' or the Palace of Cloud. This is the birth place of great warrior Maharana Pratap which is renowned for its beautiful rooms with lovely color combination of green, turquoise and white.</p><p>Forts of Rajasthan are known for its grandiose structure, majestic constructions and delicate decorations which preserve the cultural as well as historical legacies of royal dynasties who ruled Rajasthan for centuries. Some of the other famous forts of this heritage land are Mehrangarh Fort (Jodhpur), Jaisalmer Fort (Jaisalmer), Junagarh Fort (Bikaner) and Taragarh Fort (Bundi).</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4379526610078136235.post-67834591237316427152014-09-03T16:06:00.000-07:002014-09-03T16:06:00.406-07:00Essence<div id="article-content"> <p>My son and I share a passion for history. I must admit that as I write this, he knows more about it than I do. I look at history in terms of people, what drives them. <br/>I love old houses. They have character. They are imprinted with the signature of the previous owners. I love the house that we live in. It is perfect for the four of us. My son, my two dogs and myself.</p><p>The house that we live in is quite ordinary. It has three bedrooms and two full baths and a half bath outside. I always wondered why there is a bathroom outside of the main house. One of my previous colleagues told me that it was probably constructed for the help who landscaped the yards. It does have a very big backyard. It took me two years to find this house and it was as perfect then as it is now. I had to change a couple of things here and there, but the yard is pretty much the same except for the addition of a water fountain. Oh except one of the trees fell off when hurricane Lily passed. On it's stump I placed a concrete statue of the buddha. This one is unusual because it is a smiling buddha and the hands are not folded in a meditation posture. It is as if the buddha is just enjoying the traffic of all kinds of birds taking baths in the fountain, the squirrels that tease the dogs and, one day, even a snake. All part of the dance of life in my backyard.</p><p>The couple who used to live here are retired and they did a terrific job of landscaping the property. Even now, when azaleas are in bloom, ours is the only home surrounded by magnificent colors in our neighborhood which also an older neighborhood. I can only remember one house that seems to change owners unusually frequently for as long as we have lived here. Most of the residents on the houses lining the street are either retired or working at home, so on any one weekday, the cars are parked on the carport as if it were a weekend. <br/>The pine tree in the backyard is the tallest on the street. I can see it as long as I am on the same street. It serves as a beacon to me.</p><p>The flowering plants that continue to give us flowers were planted by the previous owners. I am always grateful for the generosity of spirit of the previous owners for leaving us this gift. I can tell they loved the land as I do now.</p><p>That is the history of this house for me. That is what I will remember when I either move away someday or die. I wonder how it was for the people who built it? I wonder how my son will remember it when he goes to college? He always thought it too small. No swimming pool. No tennis court. Not a place for big parties. For me, it is perfect. Small enough that I know where he and the dogs are at any one time even when I am at work on my computer.</p><p>I will always remember this house as the house where I found the most peace. When I pass on the ownership of this house to someone else, I wonder what they would change and what they would keep? What kind of signature will they leave? I hope that at least they will keep the bananas and the lemon tree and the dogwoods that I planted. Oh and I will leave them the buddha on the stump and the water fountain as my gift, just like the previous owners left calla lilies and african daisies and the enormous fig tree as their legacy to the future occupants of the land. For the land remains. The house may change, the occupants do change, but the land will always keep a record of the life that was there.</p><p>© 2007 by Melinda M. Sorensson</p> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17790535310620572595noreply@blogger.com0