Whether you’re craving smoked salmon, French toast or poached eggs… whether you’re in the mood for breakfast or lunch… whether it’s a weekly family occasion or a special get-together with friends, there’s no better treat than Sunday brunch. So, go ahead and sleep late on Sunday morning, then when you finally wake up, find a good place for your brunch. We have a few suggestions.

Usually eaten sometime between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., this American tradition has become quite popular for just about everyone… so whether it’s in your home town or someone else’s - grab the Sunday paper, line up with the locals and take in the sights as you wait with your Mimosa in-hand (many of the best places don’t take reservations!)

These are chosen picks of where breakfast meets lunch perfectly in the our choices for the Best Brunch spots. This is just the beginning of the list.

Season’s Restaurant (Chicago, Illinois) - Located in the Four Seasons Hotel, Season’s Restaurant is an exceptional choice for brunch when in the Windy City. Combining France and North American influences, the restaurant boasts a cozy dining area with views of Chicago’s sweeping cityscape and a menu of specialty items that range from Cheese Blintz’s and freshly prepared house donuts to Peking duck and Atlantic Salmon.

Clinton St. Baking Co. & Restaurant (New York, NY) - With only 32 seats in the place - you’d better run, not walk to Clinton St. Baking Co. & Restaurant. Known for the best pancakes in town (they’re even available on the dinner menu!) This Lower East Side joint is a restaurant and bakery all rolled into one. And with other specialties like buttermilk biscuits and French Toast, just remember - you definitely can’t count calories in this place. Oh, and don’t forget to try the Hot Buttered Cider - a definite hit.

Café Luxembourg (Amsterdam, Netherlands) - Tagged by many as the “one of the world’s great cafes” - Luxembourg is world-class hotspot that draws an international crowd. Offering an extensive range of brunch options that include, breakfast choices, sandwiches and soups - the place also serves one mean cup of coffee! Which is exactly what you’ll need after a long night of sightseeing and partying.

Absinth Brasserie & Bar (San Francisco, CA) - Serving everything from caviar and oysters to soups and salads, Absinthe is the choice when in San Fran. An upscale choice, the place serves amazing French Bistro fare and well-known creative cocktails. Psst… Go for the Banana-Blueberry Souffle Pancakes.

Vingt-Quatre (London, UK) - No matter what time of the day you find yourself hungry, this is the place to go. A leading 24-hour restaurant in London, Vingt-Quatre serves a great brunch - with crowd-pleasing options like potato pancakes, steak and frites, and naturally, a host of different omelets. Just make sure you’re not watching your waistline at this place - Vingt-Quatre serves some of the best desserts, including: muffins, banana pie and apple turnovers.

For many more exciting brunch spots, cruise on over to the journeyPod article and find a brunch near you!

The new Motorola RAZR V3i mobile phone comes in a sleek, stylish and highly designed casing making it much sophisticated in appearance. This model from Motorola comes with a sculpted metal keypad and a brushed metal casing which makes it look sophisticated. This model hand set is too comfortable to be held in hand and to get slipped into the pocket. The RAZR V3i model mobile phone from Motorola comes with a 1.23 megapixel digital camera with an 8 x zoom that assures excellent pictures of perfect quality. The phone comes with a video record and video playback feature that helps the user to capture special moments of life and get them saved on the MicroSD removable memory card. The external screen of this mobile phone is very bright and clear with 65k colours.

The added colorful feature of the mobile phone is the SCREEN3 technology that will help the user in seing the latest worldwide news, sporting events & entertainment. Thereby this model mobile phone from Motorola assures that the users are updated with the current events around the globe.

The Motorola RAZR V3i mobile phone comes with a fabulous MP3 player and the phone has iTunes® music software that gives the user the freedom to download and transfer his favourite tunes directly to the mobile phone. The Motorola RAZR V3i guarantees perfect musical entertainment for the user with excellent sound quality. This mobile phone also has the option of downloading polyphonic ringtones depending upon the tastes and preferences of the user. The presence of quad band technology in the mobile phone helps the user in roaming across countries and continents with ease. The Bluetooth technology always supports the user in wire free connection. The Motorola RAZR V3i mobile phone has the option to download videogames on the mobile phone bringing an element of entertainment on the handset.

Going to networking events is kinda one of those things you are ’supposed’ to do for your business. Some people love’em, some people hate’em. But, the truth is, especially for a new business, making face-to-face and heart-to-heart contact with people is incredibly powerful.

Unfortunately, networking events can seem like pretty gross, low-energy, artificial affairs, with people glad-handing left and right, and business cards so thick in the air you can’t even see where the complimentary bottled water is.

Let’s take another look at networking, and see if we can find the heart in it, so that your business can actually benefit without you feeling yucked out.

The truth about networking.

What is a ‘network’? According to the Oxford American Dictionary, a network is “a group or system of interconnected people or things.”

If you’re thinking of a networking meeting as a smash-n-grab raid, where people are just out to get immediate business, with all the friendliness of a shark tank… well, that’s not really what a network is.

Spiritually, everything is connected. We are all One. As we see in the ecosystems around us, everything depends on everything else to really thrive. No one is an island.

Networking, from the heart, is really about discovering who else is a part of your business’ ecosystem. Who are the close friends and colleagues, and who are the more distant acquaintances, each of which is still saying “attagirl/boy” rooting you and your business on.

Going to networking meetings isn’t about getting a new client right then and there (although that does happen.) It’s about creating a long-term support network for your business.

Hmmm… kinda strange… can that really be true?

Oh, yes it can. But only if.

Bring your authentic intention.

Instead of thinking you need to have just one single intention for every networking event you go to: “Must make valuable contacts,” what if you could just be authentic? And I don’t mean floppy authentic, meaning you show up and cry on everyone’s shoulder (although I wouldn’t rule that out.)

What if you could identify your true heart needs/emotional state, and show up with an intention that fit where you were?

You want a ‘fer instance?’ Okay, here’s a fer instance.

Fer instance:

Wow, I’m feeling a little tender today, and I’m needing to not feel so alone. I’ll go to that meeting with the intention of finding 2-3 people and asking their advice and feedback.

Another? Sure. Fer instance:

I notice I’m feeling a little low energy and shy, and I’m needing some depth. I’ll go to the meeting with the intention of finding just one person to have a real conversation with about something important, business or not.

It could even be like this. Fer instance:

I’m feeling kinda energetic and adventurous, and the networking meeting seems not exactly my cup of tea. But, I’ll go with the intention of finding 2-3 people who might be ‘adventure buddies’ to go with me to check out the wildflowers by the river at the park.

But that’s not business networking. Oh, yes, it is. You can find people that you have an authentic connection with, without betraying your emotional state to try to be in ‘networking mode.’ You can be your real self, and build trust with them.

And I bet you quite naturally end up telling each other about your businesses. And with that trust established at a deeper, more authentic level, there’s a much better chance that they’ll refer potential clients to you.

Is there more to it than that? Well, sure, there’s always more. Let me share a couple of tips with you.

Keys to Heart-Centered Networking.

• Don’t go for clients, go for referrals.

If someone you meet at a networking event is a potential client, they’ll self-identify, or it will become obvious during a conversation.

So, take the pressure off you and them, and instead look for people to whom you would refer clients, and who would refer clients to you, too.

• Find your genuine curiosity in humanity.

The other person is a human being. Ask them questions about themselves. Ask questions about their business, about their family, about anything that’s genuinely interesting to you.

And listen. Asking and listening seem like no-brainers, but when you get into ‘networking mode’ when you’re only focused on ‘getting business’ it can be easy to forget to connect and learn about the person in front of you.

• Backend. Backend. Backend.

Networking is about building a long-term connection with people, not about immediate gratification. So, do yourselves a favor and get a good contact manager that will help keep track of the people you meet, and remind you to send thank you cards and ‘nice to meet ya’ emails.

I’m horrible at sending cards and emails- but if the contact manager ‘bing’ pops up in my face with a task to send an email or a card, I’ll do it. Make it easy.

I have a favorite contact manager myself, and it’s web-based. It’s by a company called 37 Signals, and it’s called Highrise: http://www.highrisehq.com

I happen to like it because it’s web-based. Which means that our assistant can access it, and support me with tasks really easily. And I can access it even from a hotel while at a conference, or other event.

Networking can be fun, and it can fit who you are. You don’t have to leave yourself at the door to have networking benefit your business, and your heart.

Oh, and one more resource: Biznik You know, I’ve been thirsting for a real way for online and in-person networking to really work together. It rarely does. And yet, it can, and does, on Biznik.

Biznik is specifically for indie business owners, with this tagline: “Business networking that doesn’t suck.” How great is that?

I’ve been really impressed with the quality of the people there, and I’ve met the co-founders, Dan and Lara, and they are very cool, all about supporting people to get what they need.

I wrote a blog post about it, come and read it.

Or check Biznik out directly. (This is not an affiliate link. It does keep track of how many people I’ve sent their way, but I get no financial compensation whatsoever.

Despite the fact that we live in a world increasingly populated by vegetarians and constant-dieters - it’s a relief to know that not everyone hates meat or is watching his or her waistline!

With its original ascent to modern popularity in the late 1800’s, the hamburger has become the quintessential American tradition (which has also found its way across many borders). Sold anywhere from food carts on a city corner and good ol’ burger joints, to fine dining establishments and distinguished steak houses, a good burger can be a real delight.

Whatever topping or condiment is chosen to accompany the burger usually depends on where you’re from - New Yorkers love lettuce, tomato and raw onions, Californians loves chili or mustard, while the Southerners can’t get away from adding some spicy hot sauce to give the burger a little kick.

Either way, if you often find yourself in a burger mood… or wonder what’s the best and where it can be found - wonder no more! With no shortage of great burgers havens from around the globe, get ready to chow and loosen those belt loops at one of these picks:

The Apple Pan (Los Angeles, CA) - A longtime burger destination for over 50 years, The Apple Pan is an unassuming joint with a horseshoe-shaped counter that offers no tables but a damn good burger that makes up for the lack of sitting space. Try the Hickory burger (topped with Tillamook Cheddar and BBQ sauce) - our favorite! Oh, and if you have any room left afterwards, try the legendary apple pie.

Banana Boat Restaurant (Turks & Caicos) - Anyone who has been to the Turks will tell you that this is a festive spot with great burgers. A quintessential island hangout, the place serves amazing half-pound burgers (you’d better be hungry!) and tasty conch burgers you won’t find anywhere else. Oh, and if you can… swing by on a Sunday afternoon to enjoy some of the best reggae music with your delectable burger.

Daniel Boulud Brasserie (Las Vegas, NV) - Who would want to pay $40 for a burger and fries? We would! We did! And, we loved it! Talk about the fanciest burger in the world - the “Original NY DB Burger” as it’s called is a 9 oz. sirloin burger consisting of foie gras, wine-braised short ribs and black truffles on a parmesan bun served with tomato and horseradish. So… if you’re looking for something different - this is definitely it.

Joe Allen (Paris, France) - Going strong since 1972, Joe Allen (with its sister restaurant in NY) was the first restaurant to bring American fare to Paris. A favorite of local businessmen and celebrities alike, Joe Allen serves the city’s best burger and some of the most superb cocktails!

Daddy O’s (New York, NY) - Craving a good ol’ burger in NYC - never has one tasted this divine. (Just don’t forget the tater tots that go with it!) Located in the West Village, this downtown relaxed staple is the ideal hangout for folks wanting to escape the pretentious carb-counting crowd you’d find in other places in NY. They are open late and are the perfect spot to grab an alternative beverage with your closest friends.

Speakeasy Diner (Kyoto, Japan) - A café by day and full service by night, the Speakeasy Diner is an amazing hangout in the heart of the city. Known for its great international menu and amazing burgers, the place is famous among locals and out-of-towners alike. Speakeasy also offers English language versions of Japanese papers and large screen TVs that always have CNN on. Seating is limited (about 40 people), so make sure you’re prepared to wait.

This is just the top of the list. If you want all the information we have on the Best Burgers in the world, cruise on over to journeyPod.

Family lodging Planning

Planning a vacation? Already know your destination or city? You might want to take a look at what will be going on in your destination of choice while you are there. To this end there is an easy way of locating city event information without contacting the city hall or getting a paper from the city delivered. The Event Guide Network is a wonderful website that gathers events and information happening in cities around the globe. There you will find information on events searchable by month and day in many cities, states, provinces, and countries. The event guide can help you determine where you want to plan you vacation and make reservations for your family lodging.

Family lodging Deals Online
There are many deals to be had online. You need to conduct an effective search or knowing where to go and how to obtain reservations and bookings. Family lodging can save dollars and enable you to spend that saved money on other aspects of your trip. The internet is your friend when it comes to saving money and travel and family lodging is only one area. There are forums and websites dedicated to saving your cash and putting dollars back into your wallet. Some of these sites include:

Family Travel Guide

AIA’s Lodging for Vacations

Family Travel Network

If you are interested in conducting your own searches and finding some great sites and specials for your family lodging you can try the following excellent search engines.

Hotbot.com
MSN.com
Google.com
Webcrawler.com
Yahoo.com

Each of these sites is capable of returning many results based on any search you conduct. To help you search faster and smarter you might consider a search using keywords such as:

1. Family Lodging

2. Discounts

3. Specials

4. Attractions

5. Keywords specific to your chosen city or area

6. Travel

7. Savings

Family Lodging Tips

When booking your family lodging reservations online you should always:

1. Do your research in advance.
As always finding the best family lodging means planning in advance for your trip. Look for the best current prices on hotels for your desired quality range, dates, and destination using the search engines and websites listed in addition to those you find yourself. You can make multiple reservations online, but always check to see if there is a cancellation fee before you do. Take into account that you should be saving money by booking family lodgings.

Here are some of the places to check:

• Discount travel websites, such as Hotels.com, which give prices for specific hotels.

• Hotels.com which lists hotels sorted by best values. Family lodging specials are often listed to assist families in finding the best rates and deals on multiple booking reservations.

• AAA auto club members may access www.aaa.com to check on price ranges, discounts, and other benefits featured.

2. Consider days and season of travel.

• Keep in mind the days of the week you want to book your family lodging.

• Hotels will usually offer their best rates and discounts on weekends which include Friday, Saturday, and sometimes Sunday as well as holidays, except during special events. Convention and resort areas may be exceptions. Such as Orlando, Las Vegas, and Hawaii.

• As a result, hotels in these resort areas give bigger discounts during their off-seasons. Booking during these times can help save money in family lodging.

Finding Family lodging

Finding lodging for your family is not that difficult. Most hotels and lodgings offer rooms capable of 4 to 5 person accommodations. Should you require additional privacy or accommodations for larger families you can get adjoining rooms with a door between them. This is a feature of some hotels. Simply call and request this option or inquire about accommodations to fit your family lodging needs. If none are available, check into local villas or suites for more value based options. Examples of hotels that offer special accommodations for families include:

Holiday Inn Family Suites

Wyndham Hotel and Resorts

Disney World Resorts and Hotels

Travel Lodge in Orlando

Poconos Ponnsylvania Family Resorts

Marriot TownePlace Suites

Military lodging
The U.S. Military provides travel and lodging to its service at a reduced or free rate under certain conditions that vary from branch to branch. Listed here is a summary of the information for each branch.

Army:

1. Central Reservations
TOLL-FREE: 1-800-GOARMY-1 or 1-800-462-7691
COMMERCIAL: (256) 313-2790
DSN 897-2790

2. Availability of Quarters and Dining 3. TRADOC Schools - Dining Availability

4. Major Military and Associate Installations Information - Worldwide relocation information on major military and associate installations for use by service men and women and their families during permanent change of station moves.

Navy:

1. Navy Bachelor Housing

2. Dining Facilities

3. Navy Lodge

4. Major Military and Associate Installations Information – Worldwide relocation information on major military and associate installations for use by Service men and women and their families during permanent change of station moves.

Marines:

1. TRANSIENT BILLETING QUARTERS

2. TEMPORARY LODGING FACILITY DIRECTORY – Facilites used for Family lodging and military lodging for short-term housing accommodations for military members, their families, and guests both on official travel and while on non-duty status.

3. Major Military and Associate Installations Information - Worldwide relocation information on major military and associate installations for use by Service men and women and their families during permanent change of station moves.

Air Force:

1. Family Lodging and Dining Facilities The information contained in the listings below describes the availability of Air Force lodging and dining facilities throughout the world for personnel in a TDY travel status.

—CONUS LOCATIONS

— OVERSEAS LOCATIONS

— Codes used in Conus and Overseas listings

— Glossary of References, Abbreviations, and Acronyms

2. Reservations & Lodging Facilities Directory

3. Major Military and Associate Installations Information - Worldwide relocation information on major military and associate installations for use by Service men and women and their families during permanent change of station moves.

4. Air Force Crossroads - Essential information on over three hundred military bases from around the world. Most of the information is provided by the bases themselves, giving you firsthand knowledge of the installations and their local surroundings.

Other:

1. OAG’s Hotels @ Per Diem - This new website offers the Government traveler up-to-date information on Hotels that are at Per Diem, and FEMA approved

2. GSA Best Available Military Lodging Values - The General Services Administration offers a web site for best available military lodging values that provides listings of lodging accommodations in cities across the U.S. You may also contact the GSA Hotline at (415) 522-4671.

3. Premier Lodging Program (PLP) - Under this program, the government contracts with lodging properties in specific geographical areas for military lodging, which guarantee rooms at a set rate within the established per diem.
If you are in a branch of the armed forces and wish to use military lodging or discounts you can acquire more specific information by contacting your commanding officer.

Military lodging General Information

Lodging under the military is not only afforded those servicemen in uniform but also to some contractors and civilians.

Information about Contractor Travel.

Information about Living Quarters Allowance.

Information about Military Lodging taxes.

Most military servicemen are eligible for per diem, a compensation rate for lodging. This per diem can be applied to a hotel for lodging expenses and there is a program available for hotels at the per diem cost. This program is known as Hotels at Per Diem.

The government also makes available a free travel planner that contains the most comprehensive worldwide travel information available to the government or military traveler. You can acquire the free travel planner here.
http://www.islandhideaway.net

Imagine soaring down a road in Dallas, Houston or elsewhere in Texas at 70+ mph while lying on your back, just inches from the asphalt. That’s the sport of street luge, an extreme gravity-powered activity that involves riding a street luge board, or sled, down a paved road or prepared course. Street luge is also known as land luge or road luge and, like skateboarding, street luge takes balance and lightening quick reactions. The only difference between street luge and the winter Olympic sport is the lack of snow and ice. Street luge was created in Southern California when downhill skateboarders found they could reach faster speeds by lying down on their skateboards. But, like regular luge, the concrete version picks its winners based on top speed.

In 1975, the first professional street luge race was held at Signal Hill, California, hosted by the U.S. Skateboard Association. The boards used in that race varied from basic skateboards to complex skate cars, in which the rider was completely enclosed by plastic or fiberglass. At the time, the sport was not referred to as “street luge,” but the term luge was used to describe some participants’ riding position. Most contestants stood up, however an opening in the rules enabled riders to choose their on-board position — including prone. By 1978, repeated injuries to both riders and spectators halted the races at Signal Hill.

Several dedicated riders from the Signal Hill races kept the sport alive by continuing to hold races in Southern California. Throughout the 1980s and into the early 1990s, both underground and professional races continued to be held in Southern California by such organizations as the Underground Racers Association (URA), the Federation of International Gravity Racing (FIGR) and the Road Racers Association for International Luge (RAIL). Race organizers in the 1980s and 1990s started implementing many more equipment, safety and race regulations.

Meanwhile, in the early 1990s, some Austrian skateboarders started sitting down on their skateboards on the way back from teaching skiing in the Alps. This activity led to a classic style street luge race in Austria, riding wooden boards closer to large skateboards than the usual street luge, which is heavier, longer, has larger wheels and more trucks than a skateboard or classic luge. There is now a healthy street luge riding and racing presence in many European countries.

In the mid 1990s, ESPN’s X Games introduced street luge to the world and the sport was originally sanctioned by RAIL, then by the International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA). NBC followed ESPN’s lead and created the Gravity Games, where the sport was sanctioned by Extreme Downhill International (EDI). Smaller events also appeared in Canada, South Africa, Australia, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden and the U.K. Qualification criteria for these events varied and was controlled by each of the sanctioning bodies.

While no longer a sport in either the X Games or Gravity Games, street luge is still a burgeoning sport in numerous countries, with competitions around the globe. There are approximately 1,200+ active street luge riders in the world.

The actual street luge itself hasn’t changed too much since the sport began. Street lugers still ride modified skateboards in the prone position. The design of these boards is based on the rules set forth from different governing bodies. Luge design elements include:

1. The use of lean-activated steering skateboard style trucks.2. The prohibited use of mechanical brakes.3. Front and rear padding.4. Length, width and weight restrictions — details depend on sanctioning body.5. The prohibited use of parts that enclose the rider’s body or hinder braking.

Current street luge boards are made from many materials including steel, aluminum, wood, and carbon fiber. The majority of the street luge boards are custom made, although commercial models are also now available. Actual board designs can vary, as the construction rules are extremely open and allow for numerous design considerations.

Riders participating in sanctioned racing events are required to wear safety equipment including: Hard shell helmet with chinstrap and face shield or goggles; leather or Kevlar racing suit; and leather or Kevlar gloves

Races are usually held on mountain roads but have also been held on city streets. Courses can range in length from 0.5 to 3 miles (1 to 5 km) and vary in layout, including the number and severity of turns.

Physically demanding sports such as street luge can be a great way to exercise to maintain good health. If you’re a young individual who likes to try difficult sports like street luge to keep healthy, you should take a look at the revolutionary, comprehensive and highly-affordable individual health insurance solutions created by Precedent specifically for you. For more information, visit us at our website, www.precedent.com. We offer a unique and innovative suite of individual health insurance solutions, including highly competitive HSA-qualified plans and an unparalleled “real time” application and acceptance experience.

The old style audio system with its large speaker enclosures and number of components is today a prehistoric curiosity compared to the modern system. In spite of strong competition over the past 15 years, new sound system rental companies are emerging all around the globe. It is their widespread knowledge of the sound system rental industry and outstanding customer service that make the company name to consider. All those who wish to purchase or take the audio systems on rental would be wise to use their wide experience of sound system applications as a sound system may require very elaborate and complicated technology.

Seminars and events have always been developed in a holistic fashion to maximize the achievement of the goals set for the project. Thus, organizing an event requires widespread planning and homework with most work implemented at least a few months before the actual event. So always make sure to use the most relevant sound system design for your event.

In the audio system market, the high degree of dedication to the customers who rent or buy their products is second to none and its excellent support services signify this philosophy of effective marketing.

The corporation is tremendously expert in the field of high end corporate events, with a huge stock of compact truss mounting boxes and other paraphernalia, enabling us to guarantee that your client’s video presentation and keynote speech can be heard properly to the back of even the largest arena. It has provided entire audio production to many events.