For many people, the idea of Pittsburgh conjures up images of a grey industrial city, where there’s people who work, and people who watch football, and they’re usually the same people. There is a very strong work ethic here, and the Steelers are loved by nearly all, but there’s a bit more to the place than all this. Its reputation in industry hit rough times in the 70s, and it hasn’t recovered its glory as a manufacturing town, but it certainly has reached other heights in its multiple identities, and there’s always more than meets the eye here.

The downtown is really spectacular, with a very lively arts community. It’s not just the Andy Warhol museum, or the presence of Carnegie Mellon, but these certainly help. The citizens here are genuinely committed to making this city a center for visual and aural art forms, and the public events are usually refreshingly well-attended, and the atmosphere is fairly wonderful. There are also pittsburgh luxury hotels that speak to an elegance that merges old world customs and contemporary convenience. There are also spectacular used bookstores, great waterfront activities, and hidden gems everywhere you go. The mix of cultures that built Pittsburgh is still very much part of the fabric of everyday life, and there is a great diversity here. There’s a fairly strong Slavic community here, including Czech-descended people.

You don’t have to be Czech, however, to visit Cafe Kolache . Nestled on the main street in Beaver, one of the suburbs to the north, Kolache’s was started a few years ago by Kristi De Maiolo . She moved here from Houston, where there is also a large Czech population. There, kolaches are served in coffee shops and bakeries, but she noticed that there weren’t places in town to get them. Traditional families would prepare them from traditional recipes, but there’s no reason not to enjoy them in public. It’s a kind of sweet bread, in small squares, filled with meat or fruits or fillings, and when they’re warm, they’re delicious. They’re actually delicious any temperature, and this little neighborhood coffee shop is a fantastic place to go on a rainy day. With free wi-fi, and all the cool midwestern charm you could ever hope for, it’s a taste that’s contagious.

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Kolaches in Pittsburgh

I’m not going to come back again, I’ve decided, because this time, I am simply going to stay.  If there is no leave-taking, then there is endless return.  I would have liked to experience that sensation of the eternal return just once in the last five years, but I’ve flirted with the city enough, that now it is asking me to make a decision.  I’ve decided.  The five-star hotel that tells me that I’m in NY might eventually be a dream of the past, because I won’t be able to afford it, or won’t have the job that reimburses my expenses, and I will certainly miss the hospitality.

I’m not under the illusion that hospitality is the rule here, and I understand that it’s an exception that’s usually reserved for the visitors.  I don’t expect a parade for me, and I don’t even expect my new landlord to even be polite to me, and that’s all in the realm of the things that I’ve come to accept.  This has been a long, ongoing dance, my love of New York City.  Sometimes it’s fierce, and sometimes it’s quiet, but the pulse is always there.  This is what people mean when they talk about the tango.

My favorite dance here was the one I learned that last time through.  I was preparing for my meetings, and gathering together disparate pieces of a puzzle that were too large for someone so small, and I had the distinct impression of things falling apart.  On the way to catch a cab, I caught sight of a man on the corner, holding a hat.  As I approached, I saw out of the corner of my eye that he was looking at me and smiling.  I’ve learned how to avoid a gaze here, but when I got closer, I heard him whisper that he just wanted to know if I could spare a smile.  I had that on me, and since that day, I vowed to always donate whenever I can.  I might like it here as much as I love it.

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NY Smiles

The Missouri Theatre Center for the Arts in Columbia is a great multi-purpose establishment that hosts film festivals, great concerts and much more throughout the year. It is one of Columbia’s premiere cultural and entertainment centers and entices many of the people who are in from out of town and visiting the city for any number of reasons. And one of the great things about it is that it offers a great variety of performances and many people consider it to be their primary source of quality entertainment. Information on this and other major cultural establishments is usually available at the top resorts you can check the lobby or front desk of places like this for more information.

Various companies chose the center for their primary performance space. The calendar is usually filled with a diverse selection of music concerts, dance and other performances to serve the equally diverse audience community. Next month alone will include a performance by the Avett Brothers and a symphonic wind ensemble by the MU School of Music. Also on the schedule is the Plowman Chamber Music finals as well as the awards ceremony that will follow. The MU School of Music will also present a concert by the World Percussion Ensemble. There are many more events something new can be found almost daily.

The Missouri Contemporary Ballet will be at the center for a couple evening’s performances in early April. The company is a professional ballet group that is focused on providing great entertainment using the basic structure of ballet. They create unique live dance shows that incorporate various musical genres and are oriented toward entertaining audiences of all ages and backgrounds. They also have a strong commitment toward education and offer outreach programs for students and also take their performances to special engagements at retirement homes, schools and other places.

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The Missouri Contemporary Ballet at Center for the Arts

When shopping for window blinds , often the first thing that we look at is the design. Does the style match the rest of the room? What about the color? Unless we have previous experience we seldom think of the many safety aspects that should be considered when purchasing blinds. While there are many potential risks associated with different types of window treatments, one of the biggest concerns in recent years has been lead poisoning. Every one of us has probably seen workers going through the parks and playground equipment ensuring that the playground is a lead free environment , but when was the last time we checked our homes? Lead was most commonly used in aluminum mini-blinds and, although it is rare, there are a few companies still manufacture blinds using lead based paint. If you have older blinds, there is a greater possibility that they could contain lead as well. The only way to verify is to speak directly to the manufacturer or buy a lead test kit at your local home improvement store. As the blinds hang in the window, the sun gradually breaks down the paint turning it into dust. That dust then gets blown around the house onto food, clothes, and toys. A safer option is wood blinds . Wood blinds are made of natural materials that are better for the environment and your family. While they give the room a natural, classy look they are also great insulators and will help cut down on the electric bill. Wood blinds come in a variety of styles such as horizontal, vertical, and mini. Wood blinds can be ordered in store or online directly from the manufacture for a custom look and fit. While there is no price tag on ensuring the safety of your family, the prices are very competitive as well.

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Avoiding Lead Blinds

Seattle has the most spectacular library building I’ve ever had the privilege to visit; the building is so interesting architecturally speaking. I know Seattle in known for many things such as the Space Needle, Microsoft, Pike Market, Starbucks, rain, Nordstrom, great food, grunge bands, and a really good ferry system, but I found a this Seattle Public Library, so simple, so iconic.

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Seattle Has the Best Library

The ways to live a more energy conservationist lifestyle, are not new. For many years we have been reminded to turn off the lights when leaving a room, to carpool to work, and to walk to the corner market instead of taking the car. And while these “oldies but goodies” are relevant and valid, there is a bit more too it. One of the aspects, a simple fact but a true fact, is that aggressive drivers are not only scary and annoying, but the havoc they wreak on the roads does not really compare to the havoc they wreak on the environment. Gunning the car engine not only will cause their brand new Falken tires to wear out, but it sends large amounts of exhaust up into the the atmosphere.

If these drivers could be put on a bicycle, and then told to ride it the same way that they drive, they would realize instantly the wasted energy they expend. Just riding a bike into a headwind makes the pedaling much harder, and what they do not realize is that this is same for an automobile. It takes much more energy and burns much more fuel to race around at 75 MPH than it does to just slow down a bit to 65 MPH. Each car is different, and just as there is not one single best speed for all cars, there is not one single best recommendation regarding air pressure of tires. Each tire is different, from the Toyo tires to the BF Goodrich tires, just as each make and model of car is different.

It is best to take care of the overall maintenance of your vehicle, taking into consideration all the factors that contribute to the use of fuel. Get oil changes on time and schedule regular tune-ups. Make sure that your tires are in good shape and do check the pressure of them once a week. And while it may be an obvious tautology, if you want to save gas–don’t use so much of it. If you want to protect the environment–don’t take advantage of it. If you want your vehicle to run at optimum performance levels–take care of it. You will find that in the long run, you not only save money, but you live a more efficient life all the way around.

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Living a Fuel Efficient Lifestyle

There are many ways of eating under the vegetarian umbrella. There are those who are the purists and say that only Vegans can call themselves vegetarians. Veganism is more than a diet it is a lifestyle. There is no meat or animal bi-products in any foods or clothing for a person practicing Veganism. The largest reason for become a vegan comes from a moral conviction and concern for animals and there rights. Then the environment, human health, and spiritual reasons make a strong play in the decision to become a full vegan. It has to be done right or the health benefits will not be there. Some of the things that could be missing from an unplanned vegan diet would be Calcium, Iodine and some other vitamins like Bs and D. So if your interested in becoming a Vegan than make sure you do your research.

Then there are some varying degrees of vegetarianism like Lacto-ovo Vegetarianism which does allow a person to eat some animal products like honey, milk and eggs. This is the most come kind of vegetarian in the United States. There are many more restaurants for vegetarian diets that can cater to a Lacto-ovo Vegetarian. The Seven-day Adventists are a religious group that encourages this kind of diet. They have been eating this way for over 130 years.

Another extreme type of vegetarian come from the Buddhism religion called Su vegetarianism. This is were one does not eat any meat or use any animal products and they also don’t eat any vegetables from the allium family. The allium family has vegetables like onions, scallions, leeks, shallots and also garlic. Which is interesting because many of the dishes that are made for vegetarians use plenty of onion and garlic in them. That might make eating out even more interesting because they would have to not eat many sauces.

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Vegetarian Style

What lead us up to the endless luxury in the hotels of Miami Florida found here. Today everything is fast and big and it is easy to forget what things were like during the years that lead up to today. We were not born then so how do we know. It seems like people have always been able to keep themselves busy. The area of Miami, before the Europeans came in, was the home of the Tequestas Indians. They were first introduced to new people when the Spanish curseder Pedro Menendez de Aviles came in to take claim to the area. Then there would be a strong woman to move into the area and that is when things started to roll.

Julia Tuttle was a local citrus grower who convinced a major railroad tycoon, Henry Flagler, to bring his railroad down the coast to Miami. She had purchased a very large citrus plantation in the area after her husband had died. She had was the lucky one when a big freeze over Florida wiped out everyone accept her crops in Miami in 1895. She was the only one who could provide fruit for the year. She used her great fortune of escaping the freeze to lure that railroad owner down to her area and was successful at convincing him it would be worth it. He ended up building the railroad down and also built a hotel resort. She would end up giving him some land in exchange for the railroad construction.

The grandeur of Miami was eventually set in motion. The area boomed with workers and builders. One of the first places to stay was the Royal Palm Hotel. Miami grew up strong and many notable people would visit the city from all over the world and it is quite the hot spot.

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Miami Start

After I graduated from high school I had a burning desire to be out on my own. In fact I wanted to be out of my home city and even my home state. It wasn’t that I didn’t like my hometown, which is Atlanta, Georgia, it’s just that I had a stubborn streak of independence that kept pushing me to investigate the rest of the country and live on my own. I wanted to experience my self and life in a city that I wasn’t familiar with and one in which I didn’t know anyone else. And I mean anyone, no friends, no family including extended family, no one. My parents were pressuring me to go to college but to be honest I never did send out my applications. I wanted to take a year off of school and travel the country. I was so restless I really didn’t know what I wanted, I just wanted to move on, that much I knew.

So I packed up my little dog Paint and a few of my clothes and books, oh and of course my guitar, and I drove off. My parents were slightly horrified but they knew this was coming and they also knew there was no changing my mind once I decided something. It turns out I didn’t get far. I was just going to drive until I found a place that I felt like living in for a while. This happened a lot sooner than I expected. I passed through Savannah, yes I was till in Georgia, and was absolutely enchanted by the town. And it fit all of my qualifications for living in, except that it was so close to home. So, I moved in to a small studio and worked in a café for six months. I did enjoy my time there but soon I felt the need to be moving on. When my lease was up Paint and I packed up and headed out.

This time we got all the way to Chicago, Illinois. And for various reasons I ended up staying in Chicago for five years. I had a brief relationship, which held me here at first, but I loved the blues clubs and the theatre and I even got a few gigs playing my guitar. I was happy here for the most part until I suddenly an inexplicably began to yearn for Atlanta. Even Paint seemed to be missing home. I thought about Rosa’s Pizza, which had been my regular stop all through high school. There wasn’t a Chicago pie that could tame my cravings for Rosa’s. There was also the Carroll Street Café that I missed. I would love to be sitting at their outdoor patio as I passed the numerous patio cafes in Chicago. That’s it, I knew Atlanta was where I wanted to be and was anxious to move back. I reserved a room in one of the local Atlanta hotels and bought a plane ticket. Atlanta loved me, it set me free and now I’m returning and am hers to keep.

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Born, Bred and Destined for Atlanta, Georgia

2010 is going to be a great year for music.  Los Van Van, the Cuban empresarios of Timba, are touring again.  Although it will be spectacular to hear them play in Vienna and Berlin, cities which are known for a population with excellent taste in music (if we leave out Falco), it’s something else entirely to hear them play in Miami.  Luxury hotels will likely be hosting lots of their fans, and if you’re in Miami and don’t know the group, you will soon enough.

The last time they toured here was 10 years ago, and it was a bit of a rough reception.  There were protestors from the so-called Miami Mafia who obviously had not heard about how to properly treat guests, especially of musical stature as elegant as Los Van Van.  This time around, there is a younger generation that will be part of the mix of fans, and it will be exciting to see the torch of inspiration passed on in a live concert.  These guys are really good, and the comparison with Puerto Rico’s El Gran Combo is entirely justified.

They play a salsa that has become known as Timba.  The group has been together, under the guidance of Juan Formell, for over four decades now, and they keep evolving in new directions under the vision of the leader of the band.  The innovations in the musical style incorporate the spirit of improvisation from jazz, and the syncopated drum rhythms that come from African influences on the island.  It’s a very local kind of music that has an absolutely resonant global appeal, and when they play, it’s sometimes difficult to remember exactly where you are.  In Miami, this will be especially interesting, where their popularity has been very high but without the chance to watch diaspora work in the moment, something that only happens in the live event.

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Los Van Van Come to Miami