For the past year or so, there’s been lots of chattering about this Web 2.0. The term came to life when Dale Dougherty of O’Reilly Media brainstormed with MediaLive’s Craig Cline.

Is it just another term that Web experts and personalities are spreading to drum up followers and business? If nothing else, many (resources at the end of the article plus we’ll skip quoting the ones that have been quoted a hundred times already) agree the Web is still maturing and it’s changing from “I go get” to “come to me,” says Thomas Vander Wal[1].

The term is hype. That is all it is. Hype. Cry and scream, if you want, but the Web can’t have a label like this. It’s not a project with a start and finish timeline. It evolves. When the first phone came to be, it didn’t get names like Phone 1.0 or Phone BC (before cell). The phone industry involved and now the lines are blurring between phones and Internet connections, even cable television.

But, the thoughts and ideas behind it are important.

Poster children for 2.0

The Web is no longer static and one-way — visitors read content and play no role. Instead, we’re seeing users who participate and connect to each other using services as opposed to Web sites. Applications are no longer limited to desktops or even the Web site itself as more Web-based applications come out.

Sites are becoming more interactive so users aren’t simply sitting and watching the Web go by. They can do something with the content they see, even if it’s not their own and it happens instantly.

Zimbra (http://www.zimbra.com/), Netvibes (http://www.netvibes.com/), Writely (http://www.writely.com/), CalendarHub (http://www.calendarhub.com/), ObjectGraph Dictionary (http://www.objectgraph.com/dictionary/), TuDu (http://app.ess.ch/tudu/welcome.action), and a Periodic Table of the Elements (http://code.jalenack.com/periodic/) are examples of two-way communication that occur in real-time. Go to these sites and play with them. It should be easy to see why these (and few other obvious that don’t need another mention) are the epitome of where the Web is going.

Repeating themes

In most Web 2.0 articles, the following are recurring themes:

*Semantic markup.

*XML.

*Portable content - content crosses paths, appears in multiple places, and connects.

*Users get real-time control.

*Adding metadata, tags, keywords to anything and everything.

Content can go anywhere thanks to RSS feeds and API (application program interface). Feeds allow people to subscribe to a Web site’s content or port them into their own Web sites or mobile devices. Google, Amazon, and eBay have APIs to let developers build applications that use these Web site’s tools. An example of API is adding a Google map to your Web site that shows how to get to your location.

All of these are indicators of the big steps forward we’re seeing on the Web. They should not be grouped and labeled.

I still don’t get it. What is 2.0?

Forget Web 2.0, but not what it represents.

It represents the change in how people and information interact on the Web. It represents designers and developers are thinking about how people use information and that users add value. It represents different approaches for making this happen.

To be honest, writing this article has been difficult. Read the many definitions of Web 2.0 on the Web and no two say the same thing. It’s yet another buzzword. As Rick Segal writes in his post on the topic, “Don’t look for the buzz words to get you into the game or get you a check.”

The term isn’t important. It’s about seeing a change in the Web as users enjoy more real-time control and participation while connecting to each other through many means. So to heck with the “label” and just know the Web is growing up and a lot of things are happening in terms of the advances made to make it a more interactive experience that puts the user in the driver’s seat.

“The term Web 2.0 particularly bugs me. It’s not a real concept. It has no meaning. It’s a big, vague, nebulous cloud of pure architectural nothingness,” writes Joel Spolsky of Joel on Software [4].

Vander Wal says, “There is more hype in Web 2.0 than great steps forward.”

Amen.

[1] http://www.vanderwal.net/essays/pic/050715/ [2] http://ricksegal.typepad.com/pmv/2005/10/web_20_a_check.html [3]http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2005/10/21.html

If you are chasing the best advice in relation to beaded jewelry.
When you’re seeking high-class information relating to beaded jewelry, it will be intricate extricating the best information from poorly sourced beaded jewelry submissions or guidance so it is sensible to know how to qualify the information you are often given.

Now we’d like to give you some tips which we really think you should use when you are searching for information concerning beaded jewelry. Hold in mind the advice we give is only pertinent to internet based information concerning beaded jewelry. We do not offer you any tips or guidance when you are also conducting research offline.

Brightlings Beads - Furnace Glass Beads
Bead and jewelry supply store features furnace glass beads for sale. Items are hand-blown and sold in one-ounce bags.

An excellent tip to follow when you are presented with information and suggestions on a beaded jewelry page would be to confirm the sites ownership. This could reveal the people behind the website beaded jewelry qualifications The quickest way to work out who owns the beaded jewelry website is to look on the ‘contact’ page or ‘about this site’ information.

Any reputable site providing information about beaded jewelry, will almost always provide an ‘about’ or ‘contact’ page which will list the owner’s details. The fine points should detail major points regarding the owner’s proficency and credentials. You can then arrive at a decision about the webmaster’s familiarity and qualifications, to offer assistance with beaded jewelry.

About the author:

Sally Smith is the webmaster for http://www.beaded-jewelry.info

The Ajax framework has introduced a novel way to look at the basics of a web application and has been touted by the likes of Google, Yahoo, and Amazon.com, but is it really worth investing the time to learn more about it? By the fact that you are reading this article, that question most likely has been answered, at least in part, beforehand. Hopefully, this article will help to confirm that answer, as Ajax really is that “next great thing” to hit the web development industry. In it, I will share the basic fundamentals of Ajax and the ideas we developed while undertaking a massive research project in Ajax late last year.

Ajax Fundamentals
Probably the most revolutionary aspect of any Ajax web application is its treatment of website pages, or more appropriately a lack thereof. You see, the end goal in any Ajax application is to mimic the functionality, speed, and efficiency of a desktop application on the web. This involves immediate response when a user clicks on a button, link, submits text, and interacts in other ways with the site. Customarily, we are all used to having the page reload essentially whenever the user interacts with a site. Ajax wishes to change this for good. Using JavaScript, Ajax applications dynamically change the website on the Client (which is key for speed and not reloading the page) in response to user input, without going back to the server.

JavaScript and Ajax
Given that Ajax applications attempt to reduce calls to the server to just data requests, much more of any Ajax system resides on the client, with JavaScript as the main language used to manipulate the web page, respond to user input, and communicate with the server. Despite the treatment of JavaScript as a trivial if not annoying aspect of web development and design in the past, Ajax has completely revitalized this language as a novel if not revolutionary way to develop applications for the web. Several key aspects of the JavaScript language provide the core functionality in any Ajax application: JavaScript’s manipulation of the web page DOM (Document Object Model, think XML), JavaScript’s XMLHttpRequest (how JS communicates with the server), and the existence of JavaScript on nearly every modern browser.

In order to truly understand how JavaScript is capable of manipulating the web page on-the-fly in response to user input, one must look at the layout of any web page as an XML document. The parent node is referred to as ‘document’, and is referred to by JavaScript as such, and every other part of the HTML document is a child node of the document node. To get a better idea of what I am talking about, take a look at Firefox’s DOM inspector (under the ‘tools’ menu). Using JavaScript’s ability to parse XML, one can edit, add, or delete elements from the web page on-the-fly. This becomes a crucial aspect of the Ajax application with respect to its goal of reducing page reloads, as the page can essentially redraw itself when necessary without receiving HTML from the server.

Within an Ajax application, communication with the server is typically limited to the exchange of data, usually in XML (or more recently JSON, JavaScript Object Notation). Using JavaScript’s remote scripting capabilities with the XMLHttpRequest, the application can communicate with the server asynchronously (the A in Ajax), allowing other parts of the application to function as normal while the application sends and receives data. This aspect of JavaScript is key to providing desktop-like functionality on the web, as user interaction with other parts of the site is not interrupted by the application’s communication with the server. Another important aspect of the XMLHttpRequest is that it can implement server-side scripts written in any server-side language, like PHP, ColdFusion, or VB.NET. This allows JavaScript to gain the functionality of server-side code right on the client.

Finally, probably the most important factor in JavaScript’s centrality to Ajax is the portability of a JavaScript program to nearly every modern browser, occasionally with some cross-browser fixes necessary to achieve full portability. With proposed changes to Internet Explorer in IE7, these cross-browser fixes will likely become less and less necessary.

Tools you’ll want (and need) to develop Ajax applications
Probably the most important tool that you’ll want to develop Ajax application is your favorite web developing software, whether it be something as complex as Macromedia Dreamweaver or as simple as Notepad. In order to test your JavaScript in your application, you’ll probably want something like Firefox’s JavaScript Console (in the ‘tools’ menu) to view any errors that the browser gives you. Additionally, any tool that shows you the webpage DOM is key in getting a visual reference of how JavaScript manipulates the page. Finally, a multitude of JavaScript libraries, specifically geared towards Ajax, are beginning to pop up all over the web. These libraries make it much easier to do both page manipulation and remote scripting. Simply do a search for ‘Ajax libraries’ or ‘JavaScript libraries’ to check out a few.

Some ideas for developing an Ajax application
Although Ajax’s presence on the web is still limited, one can already see how it is improving web functionality on several high-profile sites. Google has been the company that has seemingly invested the most time and money into this new technology. With Google Maps, Gmail, Google Suggest, and other Google products, Ajax is being utilized in full force by providing the user with instantaneous response from the application without annoying page reloads. Additionally, Yahoo and Amazon.com have begun to develop web portals using Ajax, which leads us to our first idea for an Ajax application: the web site portal. With JavaScript’s capacity to create windows, contextual menus, and movable elements, an Ajax application can mimic a desktop UI rather easily. As such, the Ajax web portal provides the user with a desktop-like interface to assemble information from a variety of sources (much like the same goal of the classic web portal).

Ajax can also be used to ease the portability of any desktop application to the web, such as online banking software, word processors, graphics programs, RSS aggregators, or industrial order processing software. With the ability to change the web page on the fly and communicate with the server asynchronously, the bounds are limitless when developing web applications using Ajax.

Christopher Alexander is a lead developer at CE InterWeb Solutions and a Managing Partner at Consolidated Energies.

He has been developing advanced web applications using a variety of frameworks since 2000.

The atmosphere is relaxed. The kids and parents are happy. Whether your toddler is hyper-active and you cannot keep up with him or your teen is so annoying you are starting to wonder what you did wrong, taking them to a family cruise will be rewarding for everyone. The atmosphere is laid-back so you won’t need to make sure everyone is dressed up for dinner. There bunch of fun activities for the kids of all ages so you won’t need to worry about keeping them occupied. Plus you can also add some educational shore excursions. Visit interesting sites or just go to water parks, aquariums or beaches. On the other hand, parents can really relax and enjoy a night out together without worrying about the kids. Remember your life before you became parents? No? Then, it’s time to find a cruise !While the cruise bargains are quite easy to find - since cruises are perfect year round no matter where you decide to go -, finding a cheap ticket to get to the departure port needs a bit of planning. Once you chose your cruise, look for a flight before you book the cruise departure date. The prices vary from week to week so you might be able to get a good bargain on your flight if you are flexible. It’s advisable to get to the city of departure a day before your cruise ship leaves. In case there are any delays you’ll be safe and won’t miss the cruise.

Situated on the marina in Cabo San Lucas, nestled amongst the many restaurants
and bars at Plaza Bonita, sits a lively little restaurant where flaming pans light up the
night.

Fire leaps high releasing the pungent aroma of herbs and spices while oohs and
aahs escape from the mouths of diners. Passersby stop to take in the show, some
walk on but many are drawn in by the culinary exhibition. Like us, they are soon to
be fans of Chef Alex Brulhart, owner of Alexander’s Restaurant.

Alex hails from Switzerland and brings a unique culinary style - crafted in his
homeland’s alpine heights - to sea level here in Cabo San Lucas. Combining French-
influenced cuisine of Swiss origin with hints of the tropics and Mediterranean, the
menu offers something for just about any palate and craving. Twenty years as a chef
have honed Alex’s skills and the proof is in the tasting. Couple his talents with a
well-trained staff and you have the makings of a memorable dinner with friends or
that special someone.

For starters, try the Escargot Chablisienne - Snails sautéed with white wine, butter,
garlic and herbs with mushrooms. For a salad, the Caesar prepared tableside with
only fresh ingredients and under Alex’s watchful eyes is a must. Both paired well
with a Cassilero del Diablo Merlot recommended by our waiter.

Entrée selections are diverse, and while we heard great things about Alexander’s
Shrimp Tempura with a Thai coconut-chile sauce, we opted for the Chateaubriand
for two. One of many entrées prepared tableside the show is not to be missed. Chef
Fabricio Petrelli expertly prepared our entrée with a showman’s style coaxing flavor
from the spices sprinkled from high above the pan and controlling the dance of fire
that seared those flavors into the premium cut of Sonoran beef. Soon we cut into
butter-soft beef tenderloin with a rich but subtle Béarnaise sauce. Accompanied by
mashed garlic potatoes and tender-crisp fresh vegetables we were nothing but
delighted with the dish.

Seafood lovers will most certainly enjoy the catch of the day as it is a fresh as fresh
can be. Caught locally aboard boats managed by Alex, the time from catch to pan is
very short. In addition to the fresh catch, Alexander’s also offers a succulent Surf
and Turf combination featuring Shrimp and Filet Mignon, Shrimp Stuffed Chicken
Breast, Whole Lobster and Shrimp Capice - fresh local shrimp sautéed with capers
and cognac. For the meat eater, Alexander’s offers a variety of steaks as well as
lamb chops in a red wine and rosemary reduction. In addition the menu also
features a Seafood Platter for two that includes the catch of the day, lobster tail, filet
mignon and scallops. House specialties include fondue dinners for a minimum of
two people featuring cheese, seafood, beef or Fondue Bourguignon. Homemade
pastas complete the selection of entrees.

No meal is complete without dessert and Alexander’s is the only restaurant we know
of in Cabo that features the longtime Swiss favorite, fondue. Dipping fresh fruits
into a decadent chocolate fondue is an experience not to be missed. Other desserts
include Bananas Foster and a variety of crepes all prepared tableside with more fire
and flare.

For those who look for the finer things in life and believe that great food is one of
life’s greatest gifts, Alexander’s Restaurant is not to be missed. Whenever you
venture south of the border to the tip of the Baja peninsula, do yourself and your
taste buds a favor, stop in for a wonderful meal by the sea.

For more information, visit them online at http://www.alexandersrestaurants.com
or call them at 1-817-866-6702 from the U.S. or 624-143-2022 while in Cabo. For
more information about Cabo, visit http://www.CabosBest.com

Richard Chudy is the author and President of Cabo’s Best, a travel website dedicated to
Los Cabos. To learn more about Cabo, visit http://www.CabosBest.com or email
Richard at cabo rich@cabosbest.com.

Monte Carlo is the city of glitz and over the top indulgence. I had to see it for at least a day trip and ended up finding my food paradise.

Monte Carlo Surprise

Monte Carlo is the where you go to see the pretty people. Well, maybe not pretty, but definitely wealthy. I was loafing in Nice for a few days and decided to join two travelers for a day trip to Monte Carlo. Monte Carlo is only a ten minute train ride from Nice, so it seemed like the perfect day trip.

Monte Carlo is the kind of place that makes you feel insignificant. The place screams yachts, money, plastic surgery, money, Ferrari and did I mention money? This is not a travel destination for the faint of budget.

Monte Carlo is mostly about beaches, being seen and a high end casino. We had already hit the beaches in Nice, weren’t important enough to “be seen” and had been denied admission to the casino, so it was off to the museums.

Museums in Monte Carlo are pretty run of the mill with one notable exception. Spend enough time in them and you’ll become convinced the Grimaldi royal family is solely responsible for human civilization. I’ve been known to embellish on occasion, but the museums are ridiculous.

As day turned to evening, it was time to find something to eat. There were plenty of restaurants, but we either couldn’t afford them or weren’t dressed appropriately with our shorts. Walking back to the train station, we stumbled upon paradise itself.

Growing up in San Diego, California, one becomes addicted to Mexican food. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of Mexican food restaurants in Europe. In fact, I hadn’t eaten a rolled taco for two months. That was about to change.

Turning the corner on one of many endless little streets in Monaco, we were stunned to see a line of people waiting outside a door. The sign over the door read “Juan’s” and paradise was before us. Turns out the restaurant was owned by a San Diego resident and served authentic Mexican food. Rolled tacos, chicken tortilla soup and Dos Equis beer.

Mexican food in Monaco was definitely my idea of paradise. Of course, it set me back $75, but I really didn’t care at that point.

Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com - makers of travel journals. Visit NomadJournalTrips.com to read more articles about Monaco and Adventure Travel.

You step through the darkened entranceway, leaving the tropical night behind. Suddenly, waves of sound crash over you Iike ocean surf. Breaking out in a sweat, your heart pounds to the rhythm of bass, bongos, bells and brass. The walls seem to pulsate. The pungent smell of perspiration mixed with perfume assaults you. As your eyes adjust to the dark, broken by hypnotic flashes of the multi-colored strobes, you realize it’s not walls that enclose you, but dancers scores of dancers gyrating, weaving and swirling, limbs flashing, hips thrusting in quartertime beat. You fill your lungs with the spicy aroma, tighten your belt a notch and plunge in. Welcome to Chango’s in Cali, Colombia - one of Latin America’s hottest Salsa night clubs.

Cali, a modern, festive city, lies in the heart of “the Valley.” when Colombians say “the Valley” they mean the Cauca valley, a not so little Garden of Eden a hundred-fifty miles long and some fifteen miles wide between the coastal mountain ranges and the Central Cordillera. Until the turn of the century, this valIey was little more than a rural outpost.

Then, with a population of some 15,000, the Cauca Valley was largely cattle country, parceled out in vast tracts among the “haciendados.” These were proud, almost haughty men who raised cattle for leather and beef. Some had plantations of sugar cane used to produce the sweetener “panela” and distill the crystal-clear but potent “aguardiente” still sipped today. Life was slow, measured, patriarchal and unchanging.

It has been said that the Cauca region is to Colombia what the South is to the United States. Indeed, there are similarities. In bygone days “hidalgos walked the unpaved “calles” in coats of velvet or scarlet broadcloth embroidered and buttoned with gold and silver, their waistcoats of flowered silk, and the ruffles of their shirts were of the finest batiste,” says Kathleen Romoli, author of Colombia: Gateway to. South America. And like the Southern states in colonial rimes, large numbers of slaves were imported to work the fields and serve the gentry.

Time has brought many changes. Today vast sugar cane plantations still carpet the Valley. Mechanized production of cotton, rice and cattle has turned the Cauca Valley into Colombia’s most important agricultural area, after “King Coffee”. And with economic growth has come industry. A leisurely colonial town in 1900, Cali has grown into a large manufacturing center with more than a thousand industries at last count

There is Salsa in the air

Yet with all the changes, Cali retains a homey charm, a personality different from other cities, an atmosphere you might expect to find in the Caribbean. Romoli describes it well:

The most striking thing about Cali today is not the plaza with it imposing government buildings and rows of taxis, along the avenues of giant palms, nor the suburbs with their modem villas, and churches, whose bells chime melodies instead of clanging as it Bogot, nor the busy factories. It is the pervasive air of cheerfulness almost of gaiety Not that it is a city of many amusements; Cali is not gay by virtue of commercial facilities for organized diversion but by the grace of god.

Cali attracts travelers from all over; tourists, businessmen, back packers, scientists, and students. And, of course, salsa fans and salsa artists. Recording studios, “rumberias”,”discothques” and “viejotecas” abound.

What is Cali’s appeal? The city’s buoyant atmosphere? The spectacular sunsets? The natural beauty of the soaring Andes? The vaunted beauty of its women? Perhaps it’s the climate where it’s always June. Or could it be its remarkable cleanliness? Many Colombian towns are clean, but Cali is so clean it stands out. Or maybe it’s the trees and flowersthe billowing crimson and purple bougainvilla that tumbles in profusion from the walls, the cup-of-gold that drips from the eaves, the waxy bells of the trumpet flow, the poinsettia bushes, gorgeous gardenias, the trees with magenta leaves and carmine flowers or others with feathery greenwhite blossoms or pale clusters of pinkthe wild extravagance of blooms among which humming birds with iridescent green bellies flit even in winter.

No Salsa No Dates

Cali has all these. But undoubtedly for many, the principal attraction that lures them to this charming city is Salsa music. The sensuous, tropical rhythms of Salsa pervade the lives of the two million plus Caleos. On every bus you’ll hear Salsa. Go for a walk, to school or shopping there’s salsa in the air. And, of course there’s Salsa on almost all of the more than two dozen local radio stations. All over town, 24-hours a day, Salsa blasts from speakers on the streets, in parks, in stores, from cars, portable radios and private homes. Cali lives and breathes Salsa. But why Salsa? Many other musical traditions, styles and types of folk music flourish in Cali (including the traditional Cumbia, where machete wielding dancers stomp around full-busted women in ruffled skirts). What’s so special about Salsa? After all Vallenatos, a brand of folk music with roots back to the days of the Spanish conquistadors, is still hugely popularespecially as sung by the likes of Colombia’s Grammy award winner Carlos Vives. Boleros (check out Luis Miguel’s “Inolvidable”) and Merengue continue to have strong followings here.

Why has this one style ingrained itself so deeply into the culture? To aficionados the answer is simple: “I love salsa music.” Whatever the reason for it’s universal popularity in Cali, Salsa is more than just music, more than a dance. It’s an indispensable social skill explains my friend, Carmenza, “No salsano dates.” You can’t meet others if you can’t dance.” And that’s why there are salsa dance schools throughout the city. You pay for lessons by the hour. Prices range from $2 up to $6 per hour for more private, one-on-one instruction. Group classes fu up fast. Salsa classes are not just the place to go for learning, but to practice and perfect your moves or pick up some new ones. They’re a good “meeting place” for neighborhood residents. “It’s important to dance very well or you’re boring,” says Sofia, an avid Salsa fan.

Cali calls itself the “Salsa Capital, of the World,” a title wrenched from post-Fidel Cuba and often shared with New York City. But even those who might take exception to “World Capital” will agree that Cali is certainly the “Salsa Capital of South America.” The top Latin salsa performers, like New York’s Jerry “King of 54th Street” Gonzalez, regularly fly in to strut their stuff. At any given time you can see all the famous names in salsa, artists hike Cuba’s “Queen of Salsa,” Celia Cruz; guitarist, singer and songwriter Juan Luis Guerra from the Dominican Republic; Frank Raul Grillo, the Cuban American also known as Machito; Reuben Blades, the popular Panamanian singer, songwriter, actor and politician renowned for his musical innovations as well as traditional Salsa; Willie Colon; Oscar d’Leon, and others.

SALSA CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

And you don’t have to go far in this city of dancers to hear all the different styles and variations of Salsa. Juanchito, with 120 of the hottest dance halls, is the throbbing rhythmic heart of Cali’s Salsa nightlife. Every week throughout the year, two hundred thousand locals pour into this eastern suburb to party. Cali teems with discos and “viejotecas” for the young and not so young. Latinos of younger generations typically favor a smoother, more sentimental music known as Salsa Romantica, popularized by bandleaders such as Eddie Santiago and Tito Nieves. Internationally popular salsa singers of the 1990s included Linda “India” Caballero and Mark Anthony. The Puerto Rico-based orchestra “Puerto Rican Power” is another hot group with ardent fans both in Cali and Puerto Rico.

While it’s thrilling to hear famous performers of Salsa music from abroad, don’t forget Cali’s many own outstanding world class groups and musicians of Salsa fame blending the old with the new. The classic and the innovative. It’s worth a trip to Cali just to hear the vibrant non-traditional sounds of Jairo Varela and the Grupo Niche. Or other artists like “Son de Cali,” the allfemale “Orchestra Canela” and Lisandro Meza who also inject new blood into Cali’s Salsa scene. These and the intoxicating classic Salsa sounds of Kike Santander, Joe Arroyo and Eddy Martinez thunder through the air and flow in the veins of “coca-colos” (late teens to early 20s adolescents) and “cuchos” alike in discos, salsatecas and even in viejotecas that draw the over-35 crowd.

When I arrived in Cali 1995, I thought my salsa was OK. After all, l’d picked up some smooth moves from a bevy of hot Puerto Rican beauties during a summer stint in San Juan. Even back in my home state of Pennsylvania, there were opportunities on Friday or Saturday nights to slip out and mix with Latinos at our local Hispanic watering holes. I’d perfected a double-quick step in a rectangular pattern, too, and added whirls and spins to the heavy beat. I had no trouble getting, and keeping, dance partners. Then in Miami, during a Labor Day weekend retreat, I met a Latin cutie. I invited her for dinner and dancing later that week at “La Cima,” one of the city’s top Salsa clubs, to show off my moves. She was impressed. A year later we married and after a couple more years we moved to her native Colombia.

Colombian salsa is a different beast. The style, rhythm and beat are similar in other places but it’s a different story on the dance floor. My feet recognized the beat, but behaved as if 1 were wearing Bozo shoes. For a while, 1 stuck to downtown places like “Cuarto Venina,” perched on the banks of the brownish, knee-deep Cali River. It’s listening only, no dancing here. The music is so subdued you can carry on a conversation over empanadas and cold “Costea”. It can be just the right touch for a Sunday afternoon. Nowadays, my Latin cutie and 1 are considered “cuchos” (the over-35 set). It’s been ten years. We’re still here though, still dancing Salsa. And I’m still showing off my moves.

Larry M. Lynch is a writer and photographer specializing in business, travel, food and education-related writing in South America. His work has appeared in Transitions Abroad, South American Explorer, Escape From America, Mexico News and Brazil magazines in print and online. As an expert author he can ghost-write original articles for your articles marketing campaign and content for your website, newsletter, blog or e-zine. Contact him at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com.

Budapest, with its perfect blend of eastern and western cultures, is the best locale for a stag weekend. Referred to as the “Paris of the East”, this stag weekend venue will provide you with all that you can ask for - beautiful landscapes and undulating hills on one side, and shops, restaurants, markets and exciting nightlife on the other. The Pilis Mountains provide an ideal location for all sorts of adventure sports and rally driving stag activities. If you feel fatigued after some hectic stag weekend activities, you can definitely visit one of the numerous outdoor thermal spas to relax yourself. Filled with bars, pubs, clubs, restaurants and open-air dance clubs, Budapest is the best place for spending your stag weekend.

Stag Do in Budapest - Bet it up at the Traditional Tracks

From quad biking, paintball, horse racing, five a side football matches to thermal baths and bacchanalian spa, Budapest is filled with stag weekend activities. One of the most exciting stag weekend activities in Budapest is the thrill of Horse Racing at the traditional Hungarian racetracks. More attractive than the actual horse racing is the price at which you can buy a can of beer - this stag venue is the best place for extremely cheap beer and liquor.

This is one of those stag weekend activities where you get a chance to place your bet. Bet it up at the traditional racetracks of Hungary. Sit at the gallery and watch the fun as the horses perform carriage and gallop racing for you. Remember to keep your fingers crossed; you may even win the bet!

Don’t worry about your stomach; there is constant supply of food available to purchase on-site. Chillisauce makes sure that this stag weekend of yours turns up to be the best stag weekend you ever had. You will be provided with transportation, a proper guide and rounds of beers.

The Benefits of a Stag Do in Budapest

Chillisauce, after years of fine-tuning, live, eat and breathe stag dos thus making your stag weekend in Budapest a perfect one. The horse racing in Budapest is one of the best stag weekend activities; as it absorbs you completely in the game, and makes you feel one with the game. Apart from providing a steady supply of beer and entertainment, this stag weekend activity relieves your mind and cheers you up from the core of your heart.

chillisauce.co.uk/stag-weekends/budapest/horse-racing/

Landlords and rehabbers take notice - you may soon be focused on the new concepts of “Virtual Real Estate Investing“. There are many variations on what this term means, encompassing everything from using the internet to aid in real estate investing efforts to participating in online games such as SecondLife.

To get the facts, I sought out the man generally considered to be the father of virtual real estate investing: Bryan Ellis.

When I began using the term virtual real estate investing in the late 1990s, I did so because I saw clear parallels between the strategies used for profiting from physical real estate and those that would create income in the online world, said Ellis.

One example of the parallels between virtual and physical real estate Bryan Ellis cites is the similarity between the monetization of domain names versus physical property. He points out that control of a domain name or even a specific web page is much like controlling a real estate property ” those assets can be monetized in similar ways: By selling them for a profit, by leasing them, by offering advertising, etc.

The parallels really are obvious. Consider: A valuable piece of real estate is valuable largely due to the interest that other people have in that specific location. Similarly, ownership of a desirable domain name is valuable for the same reasons. In either case, you could sell or lease the asset and turn it into cash.

In our next installment of this series on virtual real estate investing, Bryan Ellis will share the internet analogies to the physical concept of real estate development.

I am a dumpster diver. I love waste. I’d rather go without most things, than buy them new, because I will wait until someone near my home will throw it away for me to find, first. I have even collected toilet paper and soap, new of course.. But I get my shoes, housewares, clothing, linens, furnishings, cleaners, paints, nuts and bolts, tools, tractors, lumber, computers…you get the idea why I am a dumpster diver.

Now what I can do with all these treasures. Some end up at Milan Hirst Nursery and Treasures which is our store at our nursery located in Milan Pa. along rt. 220 in Bradford county. Some I use as freebies.

The net is a free market at is best. Our Internet users all love free stuff. So we try to give them what they want. Free items. This is a lesson that I learned many years ago. I always try to offer a customer something that is free. Customers remember the free item more than items that they buy. Of all the different types of adds that I have run over the years, its the free offers that people cut out and save. After all think about coupons that people save. They don’t collect product adds they will collect coupons. That is why I like to always advertise my free items. I even plan days around free give aways. When customers are at nursery I will even make up a free offer on the spot many times such as when I ask the customer, ” Do you know what day it is? Do you know its free Lilac day? Let me show you a Lilac that is free today”. I will then give them a lilac and say such things as every landscape needs at least one lilac. I can them show them all the different lilacs that we have and promote many different lilacs. I never give away a teaser. I make the free plant a quality gift of real value. This is what is remembered by customers.

This is a copy of my most recent email newsletter. This was an overwhelming success. We had an estimated 600% weekly sales gain by using this newsletter add.

*********************************************************** January 2006 The Early Bird Gets the Worm—Don’t Delay Free Tree Day Jan. 28Th is a Free Higan Weeping Cherry Tree Day Greetings! January 28, 2006 is free Weeping Higan Cherry Tree Day…..All members of our email club can receive a free Higan Weeping Cherry when you bring your pickup to our 5275 West Swamp Rd. Fountainville Pa. location. These trees are 10-12′ tall and in 24″ baskets. These trees must be picked up on the 28Th, before 5pm. sorry, no rain checks. There is a limit of one per family and you must have been a member on or before January 27, 2006 of our email club. Sincerely, Bill Hirst Free Tree Day Jan. 28Th, 2006 is Free Tree Day 5275 W. Swamp Rd. Fountainville, Pennsylvania 18923 January 28, 2006 8:00AM-5:00PM Reasons to Come to this Event We are selling 150 acres of our nursery and we must liquidate many trees and plants. Some of of plants are in quantities that would supply us for many years of sales. But we can’t move that number of trees. Thus they will be either sold at a discount, destroyed, or given away. I like the last option. Thus if you bring your pickup to the farm today, Saturday the 28Th, we will give away 1 free Higan Weeping cherry to each email newsletter subscriber to Highland Hill Farm that picks up the tree by 5PM. Sorry you must be have be signed up by Jan. 27Th, to qualify. There are no rain checks. These trees are in 24 and 28 inch baskets and are app. 10-14′ tall. We will help load them in your pickup. We have a total of 75 trees ready to give away while the supply lasts. All other trees and plants are 20% off today. Driving Directions to the Farm Highland Hill Farm 5275 W. Swamp Rd. Rt. 313 Fountainville, Pennsylvania 18923 myhirst@yahoo.com HTTP://www.seedlingsrus.com We will have other free tree offerings each month. So keep in touch. ************************************************************** Within 15 minutes of this email being sent people started to arrive to make selections. We would have had no customers on this day. Yet we sold enough other stock to make this offering possible. We gave away 52 trees and this was even covered by the press showing up and giving us exposure in local papers.