Mary Jean Wall

Women's Issues

You are currently browsing the archives for March, 2010.

Modesto Youth Activities

Modesto California is a great place for children. There are a number of activities for young people to get involved in and keep themselves occupied and active. Anyone who is considering relocating should come out to Modesto for a few days, get a hotel room , and check out the area.

There are basketball clinics that teach the fundamentals of basketball, including playing offense and defense, terminology and rules. There are a number of drills that are run to help the young athletes train their dominant hand as well as their off hands in order to become ambidextrous and even more dangerous on the court. That is the best way to become a double threat as one dimensional players are predictable and easier to defend. After the camp players can join the Modesto Slam N Jam One of the top camps in Modesto is located at the Maddux Youth Center and is hosted by Vernon Bradford.

For the youth that are not interested in sports there is no need to worry. In Modesto there is something for everyone. The Young Rembrandts is an elementary age curriculum that is designed to teach basic to advanced drawing skills, art techniques and vocabulary in a friendly, positive, and nurturing environment that brings out the best in each kid and encourages them to use their imaginations. No prior knowledge or art class experience is required. All materials are supplied by Young Rembrandts. There will be new lessons and experiences each class. The class is located at the Senior Citizens Center on 211 Bodem Street, Modesto.

Baton Twirling is another activity that the young ladies are often interested in. This class offers instructions for recreational and competitive twirling as well. It is a great place to learn the basic twirls for beginners then as you progress you will be able to move up to the advanced levels. Baton twirling is a great activity for developing hand eye coordination. However, the kids that sign up are doing it just to have fun or to help prepare themselves for high school cheer leading. Dandi Humphrey is the class instructor and the classes are held at the Senior Citizens Center at located at 211 Bodem Street.

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The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC

The National Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC is about to begin and announce the transition from winter into spring. This beautiful annual occurrence is just one of the beautiful aspects of Washington. There are numerous cultural landmarks, attractions and historic, as well as contemporary of course, elements of the city and the cherry blossom festival, while it is also one of the culturally based events, is also one of its natural beauty features. The beautiful display of beautiful cherry tree blossoms would be amazing on its own, and the festival is that occurs as a celebration of it is one of Washington’s premiere events.

Washington is popular with tourists from all over the country and also the world. And while the White House and Capital Hill remain the top two visitor destinations, visiting the city at during an event such as the cherry blossom festival is an extremely popular thing to do. Not only can you also visit all of the other great attractions and landmarks you get to be part of this amazing annual event and many of the capital’s hotels are full during this time. The blossoming trees are a beautiful commemoration of an event that took place in 1912 and marked the gift of the trees from Japan.

On March 27 of 1912, Mayor of Tokyo Yukio Ozaki presented the trees as a gift from the his country to the United States representing the friendship that had developed between the cultures and as well as an interest in continuing to build it. On that day in March, First Lady Helen Herron Taft along with Viscountess Chinda, the wife of the Japanese Ambassador, planted the first two trees of the orchard. These were planted along the north bank of the Tidal Basin in West Potomac Park. The United States responded with a gift of dogwood trees to Japan. Much later, in 1965, First Lady Ladybird Johnson received an additional 3,800 trees. This was a particularly special event and Johnson was well known for her national beautification efforts. The festival will take place in Washington from March 27th through April 11th.

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I-X Indoor Amusement Park in Cleveland

There is always a great number of things to do and places to visit in Cleveland, Ohio. Right now the city is getting ready to begin the events associated with its annual I-X Indoor Amusement Park . And just as many of the residents of the city look forward to this occasion every year, so do many of the guests in the Cleveland luxury hotels . The cityis popular with its tourist all year and there are numerous people from around the region as well as out of the state that visit during this event. And it is no wonder why they do. There are amazing rides, great food, entertainment and various animal petting stalls, among a great deal more displays and activities, to keep patrons happy and entertained.

The Amusement Park will be active from March 26th through April 18 at the I-X Center in the city. The event is structured for the complete entertainment and fun of children and adults and is one of Cleveland’s premiere family activity events. There are more rides than you could imagine and many of them you will be surprised to find in an indoor park. This year will feature a new ride called Vertigo, which will shoot passengers seventy feet into the air and then swing you ad maximum speeds. The Spinning Coaster is one of the park’s favorite rides and it will be back again this year, as well as will be numerous others.

There are other great performances and events on the calendar and this year the park will have an all new live tiger show. There is also the Roberto the Magnificent Stage Show, which will delight and amaze audiences of all ages. The wacky antics and crazy stunts will keep audiences on their toes. Patrons of the park event will also have the opportunity to meet Scooby-Doo and Shaggy. The La Fiesta Latina is one of the popular annual events and it will occur this year. Good music and other live entertainment options will also be part of the daily events.

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A Historical look a Hawaiian Foods

The food of Hawaii is a fusion of many cuisines brought by immigrants from countless countries to the Hawaiian islands. Present day visitors to Hawaii can enjoy some of the traditional dishes prepared since that time like poi, laulau, kalua pig and lomi salmon which are traditional luau dishes. But the over all cuisine has continued to evolve adopting accents from Japanese as well as Korean and even Portuguese cuisine. All of these things come together to create some truly delicious and wonderful dishes. However, the Hawaiian foods we know today would not be if cultures hadn’t brought their crops with them.

When Polynesians first arrived on the Hawaiian Islands they found very few edible plants, aside from a few ferns and fruits that grew at higher elevations. Many archaeologists believe that the Polynesians introduced possibly more than 30 species of plants to the Hawaiian islands, primarily for food. The most important of them was taro the primary starch in Polynesian cuisine.For centuries taro and poi, a dish made by mashing steamed taro roots with water, was the main staple of their diet. In addition to taro the Marquesans, first of the Polynesian tribes to settle the Hawaiian islands, brought bread fruit. Later, when the Tahitian settlers arrived the baking banana, coconuts and sugarcane were planted on the islands. Very few Pacific Islands had any animals to hunt except bats and lizards, so ancient Polynesians sailed the Pacific with pigs, chickens and dogs as cargo. Pigs brought with the early settlers were raised for religious sacrifice, some of which was consumed by priests and the rest eaten usually only during a mass celebration. This by no means meant the other members f the island went hungry the early Hawaiian diet was diverse, and is believed to have included as many as 130 different types of seafood and 230 types of sweet potatoes along with many of the birds found on the islands. Some species of land and sea birds were consumed into extinction.

When the Europeans, and later Americans, began trading with Hawaii they introduced many new additions to the native menu. In the late 1700′s, Captain George Vancouver brought the first cattle to the islands as a gift to King Kamehameha I. With no natural predators, the cattle multiplied out of control; the king eventually hired an American man named John Parker to capture and domesticate cattle. Once domesticated, many of the cattle were butchered and beef was introduced to Hawaiian cuisine. Don Francisco de Paula Marin, a Spanish botanist and an adviser to King Kamehameha I, is credited with many things. Marin cultivated the first pineapples in Honolulu and is credited with Hawaii’s first vineyard and planting the first coffee crop in 1817. though his attempts failed coffee is actually a profitable crop today on Hawaii. Kona coffee is grown on the slopes of Hualalai and Mauna Loa in the North and South Kona Districts on the Big Island in Hawaii. This expensive coffee is highly sought after around the world.

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Downtown Denver has it All

My train ride to Denver was arduous and long. My trip on the train was overnight and the woman across from me snored the whole night! She sounded like a pig being slaughtered, I couldn’t believe that that’s anyway to get a good nights sleep. Her snoring didn’t allow me to get any sleep either, so needless to say, my first day in Denver was to catch up on my sleep I lost on the train.

When I woke up, I had to orient myself, I forgot I was sleeping in a hotel room in Denver! Plus, I had horrible dreams about a snoring monster following me everywhere. I went to my hotel window and saw that it must have snowed while I was asleep, there was fresh snow on the ground and on cars. I got dressed properly for the winter weather and went walking around downtown, which was relatively quiet and small for a major city. I liked how Denver offers free bus service, which is basically for the Mall, but you can get from one end of downtown Denver to the other end for free.

I didn’t need to get a rental car, because everything I needed was within walking distance from my hotel, I usually find it hard to get in exercise when I travel, so I always pick a hotel that has a fitness room and is close to anywhere I need to go and walking will get me there. I walked around the 16th Street Mall and found a great salad bar, which I ended up going to almost everyday. This salad bar basically met my daily 5 food requirements with ease.

I walked to the Denver Art Museum , which has a really great section on South America Artifacts, I think I spent almost 2 hours perusing the exhibition. My time in Denver was short, I was just there to wrap up loose ends, which was easily done. I think I’d like to come back here in the summer to see where else I can walk and not freeze to death.

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The Art of Santa Monica

Santa Monica, Ca, has been nicknamed the creative city by the sea. It is home to many artists, starving and overindulged. Taking a stroll down the board walk always proves to be an adventure. No where else can you find a wider array of personas. Venture out a little further and you will find yourself in the heart of Venice beach. Known for its muscle men and roller-skate performers, this is live uncensored entertainment at its finest. This is what the Los Angeles art scene is all about. Have your face drawn, or get your name on a piece of rice, whatever your fancy, a souvenir you will find! You can hold the memory of the spectacular sunset in your minds eye forever, or have it sketched on a postcard to share with a friend. The possibilities are endless. It is no wonder that LosAngeles is the city of dreams. A strong current of energy runs through the streets and infects the people with a strange vigor for life. There is almost nothing you cannot find in Los Angeles. And if you can’t find it, you can be sure there is someone that can get it for you.
With a myriad of activities offered throughout the city, it is an obvious vacation choice. Santa Monica alone has an endless number of activity options to choose from. Plan a day or stay for two! From the pier to the boardwalk, you find a million and one different things to do. If you plan to make your stay a little longer five star hotels santa monica can accommodate as many nights as your plans call for. In addition to activities and one of a kind souvenirs, Santa Monica is known for its great restaurants. The city is not limited to one type of cuisine. In fact, it is most famous for its innovative fusion flavors. The ideal trip for a glamorous evening out in Hollywood coupled with bohemian beach relaxation during the day. All in all, the city is at your disposal. Enjoy it as you wish and create lasting memories that will rival your most splendid dreams.

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Spring Break in Hawaii

Signs of spring are popping up in parts of the world, making people who live where winter has laid her heavy hand , or where spring is a reminder that a hot summer is just around the corner, want to get some sort of relief from being pent up inside buildings or houses for months. This is when it makes sense to take a trip to the Big Island Hawaii where the weather never changes, the leaves never fall off the trees, which stay continuously lush and green, the birds never leave, but the tourist (snowbirds) flock in by the millions per year, and all because tropical Hawaii has no extreme seasons and getting there has become very affordable.

Yes, there are subtle signs of seasonal changes. Daylight rises earlier in the mornings and the sun sets later in the evenings, but that only gives more time to do Hawaiian activities . It can still be somewhat rainy in the spring months, but as the subtle season change, the refreshing rain is less frequent. The winds may bluster, but that only makes sailing activities more conducive to weekend sailboat races, which continue until the subtle changes of the fall months. If exploring all the activities of the Big Island is not on the itinerary, then the ocean waters are wonderful to swim in and the perfect Hawaiian days are made for taking long walks along the beautiful beaches seeing interesting sea creatures in tide pools and days made for laying on a beach towel soaking in the warmth of the sun.

Exploring the Big Island activities , is exactly why the winter and spring months are the most popular with the tourist. Staying on the Big Island for more than a week or two has also become very affordable because of all the special offers and vacation package deals given out by the tourist industry and hotels. Hawaii has the best travel deals in the industry, especially for attracting people that need a spring break .

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Common Goals and Teamwork

In the contemporary business world, learning how to work together might just be the single-most important skill in maintaining a competitive advantage. Being able to approach the daily goals along with the long-term vision with a unified front is not just good sense, but a proven way of getting things done. It also makes for a much more active workforce, where the team can function as a self-contained system, where people inspire each other to do their best, and to give their all. The secrets of success here are not based on any kind of hidden quantity, like some elusive philosopher’s stone for effective business practices, but are actually based on simple and practical techniques .

There are many organizations that run into difficulties, without knowing exactly where things started to go off track. With a little work and plain old-fashioned elbow grease, it’s always possible to find the way back to that yellow brick road that can lead toward the original vision that started things rolling in the beginning. Effective teamwork is something that’s not necessarily easy, but it is based on certain principles that teams tend to fall into rather naturally, when they are introduced in the right way, and at the right time. This is exactly how teams can grow, too, and when there are training courses to reinforce the learning, then something spectacular can happen.

Teamwork begins with a common experience to help the team remember why they are there in the first place. Courses and seminars can be an entirely effective tool in unifying a group, so that working toward a common goal becomes obvious, and rather liberating. Human beings seem to be geared toward a work ethic that means working together. It is fulfilling, emotionally and financially, to pursue single tasks together with a singular vision. It can be a tricky balance, where individuals need to be recognized for their individual contributions, while simultaneously being recognized for their ability to pursue visions together. It’s quite possible, however, and the rewards seem to be never-ending.

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Surf your way skinny in Honolulu!

Surfing is so much harder than it looks, and so much more fun and relaxing at the same time! It is an amazing sport that is more like a hobby and even an addiction for some people. Once you get the hang of it, it can be a soothing and relaxing stress relieving activity. There are some people who can brave the winter months and get out there to catch the mother waves. Others prefer the warm waters of Hawaii to rip it up . Warmer waters allow you the freedom to forget about the wet suit and show off your bikini body. Take a look at some Honolulu hotels for your warm water options.

Surfing is a great way to stay in shape. Even if you can’t actually surf, the paddling out itself will get your shoulders burning in no time! The constant adjusting and balancing on the board is great for those core muscles. Once you can manage to stand your legs will definitely reap the benefits as well.

This is a great exercise regimen for women especially. The lean muscle you gain is much sexier in comparison the bulk you gain from lifting weights. You gain strength and endurance and can see the pounds just slide off! Flatter abs, toned shoulders and a great tush! Be sure to lather on that sunscreen and get a good conditioner for your locks. Surfing can be great for the body’s shape, but the sun and salt water can wreak havoc on your skin and hair.

Not only is surfing great for you physically, but it has euphoric effect on your mind as well. Sitting out there, in the middle of the ocean, becoming one with the water is amazing. The sun smiling down on you, its rays dancing lightly on the water can only be described as more than magical. It is amazing that such an experience does not need to be bought, but is waiting out there for someone to catch it!

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Crime, Health and Singlish in Singapore

While staying in Singapore, I was riding on the train and notice a poster saying something in the line that even though Singapore has a very low crime rate, doesn’t mean there’s no crime. I noticed this kind of poster throughout the rest of Singapore after that. I guess Singapore still wants to remind people, even though there’s hardly any crime, to still stay vigilant. Another interesting poster I saw around the city was one concerning health; this one was about advising people who are sick to stay home, but if they have to travel then wear masks. I wonder how this poster would go over in America.

Another thing I notice, was the cultural diversity, while I was on the train, I heard people speaking Hindi, Malaysian, Singlish (a mix of Chinese and English), and of course, Chinese. The Singlish was really fascinating, I overheard one conversation go something like this: ha na na diaow nah cha going to see my girlfriend tonight liabi swaud yeah it’s been really good hilom jing auwba. I really noticed the cultural diversity as I made my way to a restaurant in the Clarke Quay area called Hot Stones, which I found doing an Internet search for good restaurants at this site, apparently, the area the restaurant is located is a veritable melting pot for the young, up and coming crowd. When I made it to the restaurant, I was so impressed with it’s simple elegance and the menu choices would please any type of palate. I ordered the Wagyu Tenderloin for my main course and for starters I ordered the Sashimi plate, which consisted of an assortment of salmon, hamachi, maguro and scallops. Delicious!

The last impression I got, while still on my train ride, was just how beautiful Singapore is, just how clean and friendly. Singapore is a jewel compared to other Asian countries; they have worked hard to make this city a very livable and viable place for locals and tourists alike.

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