Hot Rods and Hot Java

Posted by Gina

Dec 29

 

As coffee cultures in the United States are becoming more sophisticated and nuanced, the subcultures of the country are starting to find their place within the love of the bean.  Although the image of the coffee house of the 1950s, with beatniks and poetry and long conversations about art is still very strong in the popular imagination, there are plenty of spaces for everyone else as well.  This definitely includes hot rod culture.

 

There are a number of roasters who take the hot rod image as part of its identity.  This is an example of one of those moments when icons meet up with other icons, and start to form interesting alliances.  Most of the cultures that are finding their centers around espresso do have certain connections with beatnik culture, enough to show that the self-aware in every crowd like to recognize their roots.  Today’s coffee houses may very well include the kinds of devoted hot rod fanatics who frequent www.hotrodhanks.com, and have the kind of coffee-house sensibility to talk about it for hours.

 

It is perhaps one of the inheritances of the beat generation to create the kind of atmosphere that’s based on sharpness of wit, ability to hang out and enjoy a moment, and still maintain a distinct ironic distance from the rest of the world.  This is not only the heart of a lot of coffee house culture, but it’s also very much in alignment with the hot rod world.  It’s based on modifications that don’t erase the past, but recognize it and honor it.  Both cultures are also becoming rather adept at incorporating the best parts of the things they like and leaving the rest for someone else to worry about.  Hot rods and hot coffee do mix together very well.

There are some hobbies or passions that do particularly lend themselves to the lifestyle of coffee drinks in the middle of the day.  In these times, the idea of the hot rod café is one that’s hard to sustain, simply because lifestyles have changed.  Coffee has always been a much safer companion to driving than a pint of beer, and it’s also a faster pit stop.  Drivers can refuel and find something to stimulate their nerves while getting ready to head to the next destination.  And those who decide to stick around for awhile just might find themselves in a heated conversation about rev wheels, or the best roadside attractions between this city and the next.

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Finding Community in a Calgary Cafe

Posted by Gina

Oct 26

An important aspect of life is the neighborhood one chooses to live in. The personality of a neighborhood is often defined by the shops and the merchants, as well as with the residential population. Cafes, wine bars and pubs create not only a place to sit and visit with friends or to drink and order food, but many times they offer the local heartbeat of the neighborhood through the artwork that is hung on the walls and the musical notes coming out the front door and onto the sidewalk.While looking for apartments for rent in calgary , one will notice that while there are many such eateries and watering holes along the streets, a few stand out not only for their service and their menu offerings, but for their dedication to the environment and to their fellow local business people.

Caffe Beano has been a local favorite for many years, and walking through the door it is not difficult to understand why. Although the coffee beans are shipped in, the company takes care in ensuring that they come from plantations which are organic and who participate in fair trade and ethical practices. But that is where the import of goods stops. All the other food that is prepared in the coffee shop is made with ingredients, organic when at all possible, from other businesses around the city of Calgary. The beef and other meat that is used in the sandwiches comes from a local farm and is purchased at the Calgary Farmers Market. The Market is where all the produce used in the coffee shop is purchased as well. The pastries, muffins and other baked goods are prepared fresh each day, and once again…all the ingredients are obtained by merchants who are practically down the street from the shop itself.

Two more aspects of a company that strives to further create a sense of community well being, are a sincere support of the arts and a dedication to the environment. This small coffee shop does just that. Long known to be a venue for local musicians and artists to sing and show their wares, Caffe Beano goes one step further and supports local arts and theatre companies as well. Walking from StarlightApts
to the theatre to the cafe and back home again, gives one a sense of completeness not only for a night out on the town, but for the sense of well being in the knowledge that in this world, there are places that exist wherein community is valued and important. Not even the coffee cup lids are overlooked, as all the cups and lids and takeout items are environmentally friendly and are congruent with striving to lower the carbon imprint while increasing the imprint on the soul, the taste buds, and the belly.

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Maryland Has Many DUI Laws

Posted by Gina

Jun 24

The anti-drunk driving campaigns across the country generally focus on a very specific message: don’t drive while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. What they fail to address is the complexity of DUI and DWI laws. This complexity is evidenced by the fact that crossing a state line changes all the laws, from what test can be administered and when to how high a BAC is allowable to the specific penalties for a conviction. Even within a single state the laws can be confusing, as there is always going to be more than one law that applies to a given arrest.

In Maryland it is possible to be arrested for attempting to drive a vehicle while impaired by alcohol. This is known as DWI. There are actually four main categories of illegal driving in Maryland: DUI, DUI Per Se, DWI, and DWI Drug Impairment. In addition to these, additional penalties will be faced by those driving with a minor in the car, those causing a life threatening injury or those causing a homicide. There is a zero tolerance law for any driver under 21 years of age with a BAC of .02 or higher. And anyone arrested for DUI who is found driving within twelve hours of their charges will face additional penalties.

Unraveling all of these laws requires an expert Prince Georges Maryland DUI attorney . Drivers have rights with regards to which chemical tests they must submit to and who is allowed to administer the test. Law enforcement is required to inform suspects of specific laws in the course of questioning or arrest. Any failure on the part of law enforcement or testing personnel can result in evidence being thrown out of court or the arrest itself being dismissed by a judge. It takes an experienced legal mind to understand all the nuances of DUI law in a given locality.

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Plan a Grand Canyon Adventure

Posted by Gina

May 29

It is not really an exaggeration to state that everyone wants to visit the Grand Canyon sooner or later. Even people who are afraid of heights are drawn to the amazing views of this natural wonder. If you are one of the five million people planning to visit the Canyon this year, you should take some time to figure out exactly how you want to experience the Canyon.

The Canyon is home to over 300 species of animals, birds, and reptiles. The best way to see them is to walk the Canyon. This can be done by hiking around the rim or by going down into the Canyon. The latter can be accomplished on foot or by taking a mule ride to the bottom.

An aerial view of the landscape is a one of a kind experience. There are numerous Grand Canyon helicopter tours to choose from. Some will simply fly over the Canyon from nearby cities while others will take guests to the bottom of the Canyon where they can enjoy time on the ground before flying back out.

Adventurists may choose to camp out in the Canyon for several days, to give themselves plenty of time to explore. They may also decide to take a raft trip down the Colorado that will allow them to look up at the Canyon from a mile below.

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The Value of a Good Map

Posted by Gina

May 24

There is a trend in reality television that has to do with appraising the value of objects. This started with the public television program where viewers brought in items from attics and garages to discover if their family heirlooms were worth millions or worthless. Now there are shows that discuss the value of objects from pawn shops and storage units as well as numerous shows featuring garage sale and attic finds.

Finding an old map in the bottom of a trunk or an old desk drawer may raise questions about whether it has monetary value. Antique and rare maps can be worth thousands of dollars to the right collector. However, they must be in excellent condition and must be verified as to their age and origin. Just because a florida map looks old, doesn’t mean that it’s valuable. Experts will be able to date the map by comparing the place names and towns or cities represented. Because borders change over time and towns grow, disappear, and are replaced, it is possible to date a map simply by looking at the things represented.

Most printed maps are going to be too common to be worth a lot of money, though there are exceptions. A bunch of road maps from the 1940s may actually be valuable if they were collected from specific gas stations as promotional items. It was common practice for stations to give away these maps and many collectors are looking for either entire sets or for specific maps that will complete a set they have started.

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Hawaii on a Budget

Posted by Gina

May 15

How to afford a vacation is a question on the minds of many people these days. For many Americans, household budgets are still tight and juggling current expenses against past debts while planning for the future may leave little room for luxuries like a vacation. There are, however, lots of ways to save money on travel even to exotic locations like Hawaii.

Airfare is going to be the biggest expense, so families and couples need to do a lot of research and plan ahead. There are all sorts of ways to get discounted airfares. Learning how to capitalize on sales, seasonal cycles, and when to cash in those credit card rewards or business frequent flyer miles are all important in this calculation. Those individuals who live on the West Coast are likely to have cheaper options, but even those on the East Coast can find companion fares and other deals to make getting to the islands affordable.

Once they arrive on Oahu or another island the biggest expense is going to be lodgings. Careful planning here will go a long way to saving money. Hotel chains offer their own equivalent of frequent flier clubs and rewards points can be used here. There are also discounts available to members of Triple A or other organizations. By working the discounts, these costs can be significantly reduced.

Then it is just a matter of seeing the sights. Getting a Go Oahu Card can make popular attractions more affordable. Many parks, beaches, and museums are free, or at least free on certain days. With a little internet research it is possible to locate deals on dining, entertainment, and recreation so that even large families can afford to enjoy their island holiday.

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Website Marketing Attracts Customers

Posted by Gina

Apr 29

Customers are the real purpose of any business. It’s not about creating the perfect product, but about delivering that product to people who can benefit from it. The greatest invention in the world is useless if no one knows about it. In the increasingly web-based society of today, the best way to tell people about a product or service is by using website marketing.

The most popular website marketing services focus on drawing more visitors to a specific site or even an individual page on a site. Originally this would be part of a company’s main website, however nowadays companies are creating marketing campaigns that drive visitors to their social media sites, like a YouTube channel or Twitter account.

The best web marketing campaigns are going to capture the imagination of the public. These are the things that get people sharing URLs on Facebook and via email. Known as viral campaigns , companies create something interesting, exciting, or funny that people want to share with each other. The company then sits back and lets word of mouth do the rest. Of course, there is a lot of planning and strategy that goes into designing these campaigns, however simple they may appear on the surface. It is becoming harder and harder for content to be seen as noteworthy, but when it does, even if it appeals to a small, targeted audience, it results in a dramatic increase in traffic to a page or site and those people can then be converted into new customers.

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Hammurabi on Compensation and Modern Workers

Posted by Gina

Apr 22

It would be difficult to make connections between events that may seem as disparate as a broken bone in Florida right now, and ancient law from 4,500 years ago. That is, it would be difficult without the help of a historical perspective. Contemporary technologies make it much easier to find links between things, and the process of making connections is one of the most pleasurable intellectual acts.

These connections might begin with a few well-placed leaps, so that the events of a distant past enter into the future. Like the hopscotch one might be able to play with a Workers compensation Lawyer, Florida law, the history of the legal system, and the time of Hammurabi. Such connections might even seem a bit forced, but they are certainly there.

In fact, there are times when larger leaps of time and space are called for, because people do tend to think in larger and larger frameworks. In this way, paradigms shift. Where the last generation would know about Hammurabi on a wide scale, this one can easily learn that the famous Emperor owed a rather substantial debt to Ur-Nammu . In this way, the world becomes smaller, not only in terms of geography, but in terms of ideas and connections, and in this way, links that were once uncertain become easier to integrate into modern thought.

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Career Choices in Banking Include Loan Officer

Posted by Gina

Apr 14

Historically speaking, a career in the banking industry has been one of great social respectability and honor. To be a banker was a title of distinction and it frequently indicated an extremely large salary. And while a very similar orientation or perspective remains today, the banking industry includes a wide spectrum of positions and career options that far exceeds those of the early days.

The decision to become a banker continues to be a quality ambition, and the options available to recent graduates are inspiring. One of the more popular, and also in high demand, positions is that of a loan officer. Loan officer training demands can very depending on one’s level of education and previous experience. If your education is satisfactory, on the job training is sometimes available and all that is needed to excel in this position.

In addition to the amount of jobs that are available and the continued growth that is expected in the field, there are also a variety of contexts in which a loan officer can work. And one of the most attractive aspects of this career is the level of income that can be expected. Entering into the position with a bachelor’s degree , and at least some class work history in finance, you can probably anticipate fitting into the median salary of $52,000. And from there, an MBA will put you further ahead, and the top earners in this field enter the triple digit pre-comma annual income.

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Cars & Tires are Part of Americana

Posted by Gina

Mar 29

To much of the world, the United States is still a relatively young country. Barely over two hundred in political age, this country is much younger in terms of having a coherent, overall culture that can be defined and recognized by outsiders. This is partly because of the melting pot nature of the country — with so many immigrants bringing traditions from elsewhere, figuring out what is distinctly American took time.

The twentieth century was a watershed in defining Americana . A huge factor in that is the American love affair with the automobile. The wide open spaces and sprawling metropolises that characterize the US were instrumental in making the automobile so important. They were also formed, in part, by the widespread adoption of cars. More than any other nation, Americans bought cars — outfitting them for families, businesses, farmers, and general use. They even adapted them for sport, using american racing wheels to turn a regular car into a street racer.

Everything associated with the automobile has also become a part of Americana by default. American highways, truck stops, and unique road side attractions are easily distinguishable from those in other countries. Likewise the huge variety of vehicle brands available not to mention that there are dozens of brands of accessories and tires (choose from goodyear, michelin, firestone, or nitto tires ). Movies about cars, songs about cars, and entire magazines and websites devoted to nothing else.

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