by David Paul Appell

It’s that time when the travel-hungry are scouring the media for word of next year’s “it” spots. We can play that game too, so, besides popular perennials, here are 28 we see looming larger on twenty-ten’s vaycaydar:

U.S.A.
For Americans at least, tight times mean Florida will tempt folks sticking closer to home; better deals down south include Fort Lauderdale and up north the Panhandle. The latter’s now marketed as the “Emerald Coast,” trying to softpedal the “Redneck Riviera” image; comparisons to Sardinia’s glam Costa Smeralda are laughable, but there are some fetching towns, inns, and some interesting attractions — but above all sugary beaches along a stretch including  Destin, Fort Walton, Apalachicola, St. Joe Beach, and Pensacola. Another hotspot due for a boost this year is Santa Fe, New Mexico, popping the corks for its 400th anniversary (and while you’re out here, add a couple of days to explore some cool nearby towns like Acoma Pueblo and Gallup).

CANADA
The big story this year is inevitably the province of British Columbia, with cool cities Vancouver and Victoria, stunning coastal and mountain scenery, eco/adventure tourism, and swell snow sports. The reason is, of course, is the attention focused on Vancouver and ski resort Whistler Blackcomb, hosting this February’s Winter Olympics.

MEXICO
The so-called Maya Riviera, on the Yucatan Peninsula’s Caribbean coast stretching southward from Cancun, continues evolving whether big luxury resorts, mass-market all-inclusives, exquisite small inns, or budget digs. Some also see a bump for Mexico City, whose pollution and security issues can be managed with common sense and which offers one of the world’s great urban experiences — and what other burg has not just a stunning Aztec pyramid complex (Teotihuacan) on its outskirts but several right in town — one smack in the middle of downtown?

THE CARIBBEAN
This winter/spring, more ships come online and cruising’s likely to stay strong, thanks to heavy discounting. Beyond the usual suspects, keep your eye on buttoned-down Barbados, where some resorts and dining spots have been updating of late, and scenic St. Lucia, with luxury properties coming online fairly recently (Jade Mountain, The Landings) or refurbing (Cap Maison); there’s also a movement toward sustainable — and less pricey — town and country tourism. Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos also continues to add fab resorts without sacrificing its limin’ vibe. Finally, could this be the year for Cuba, when the counterproductive, un-American, yet stubborn travel ban is dropped or relaxed for all U.S. citizens? Don’t count on it, but anything’s possible, and if it happens, go — unsavory regime notwithstanding, it’s one of the world’s great travel and cultural experiences.

EUROPE
Eastern Europe has been on a major upswing ever since the Berlin Wall fell. But even 20 year later, some destinations are still growing or even just emerging. Examples of the former include Croatia and the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. And lately we’re hearing more about Croatia’s neighbors, Slovenia and Montenegro. Both serve up stunning mountains with eco/adventure, historic cities and towns, and Adriatic seacoast with fine beach resorts. And this year, Montenegro welcomes AmanResorts’ fancy-schmancy Sveti Stefan, on an island of medieval architecture. On the western side of things, Iceland’s a nice land, with its superb eco/adventure, cool capital Reykjavik, short flight time from Europe and New York City, and some of the most affordable prices in years, thanks to the recent economic meltdown.

CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICA
In Central America, everybody’s jockeying to be “the next Costa Rica” — even El Salvador (who knew?). But watch Honduras; ‘09 tourism plummeted due to its political crisis but should be back on track — and hungry — once the new elected government debuts in January. Highlights: Maya ruins, colonial towns, exceptional eco/adventure, world-class diving.  Panama, too, with great rainforest, beaches, one of the hemisphere’s loveliest colonial quarters (Panama City’s Casco Viejo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site), and barefoot Caribbean isles like Bocas del Toro and the San Blas, home to the autonomous Kuna Indians. In South America, Colombia’s overall continuing security and economic progress will feed that diverse country’s tourism, especially to another colonial stunner, Cartagena on the Caribbean coast, and happening capital Bogotá (whose colonial quarter’s also nothing to estornudar at). Rising on the radar is the continent’s smallest and only Dutch-speaking country, Suriname, a multi-culti charmer with a cute, sleepy little capital and some of the hemisphere’s most unspoiled eco offerings.

MIDDLE EAST
With the steam let out of Dubai, look to UAE capital Abu Dhabi, also developing a-plenty yet without sacrificing traditional culture and flavor. On the Mediterranean, with political crisis at bay for now, Lebanon is still rockin’ the casbah — well, at least Beirut is, while the beach resorts, Roman ruins, and even wine country outside the capital provide a lower-key counterpoint.

ASIA
The tourism offerings in staid ol’ Singapore are getting something of a 2010 shot in the arm, with the elaborate, Vegas-style casino-resort Marina Bay Sands; the also elaborate Fullerton Heritage Complex crammed with shopping, dining, and lodging; and Sentosa Island’s Resorts World, with a Hard Rock Hotel and a Universal Studios theme park. Another “city-state” (now a semi-autonomous part of China) seeing some new action is Macau, where, again, it’s Vegas-style casinos that’ve been complementing the Portuguese colonial architecture and fueling a local boom. On a less glitzy, more laid-back note, since Sri Lanka ended its civil war last May, more travelers will be returning to its historic towns, Buddhist temples, and breathtaking beaches.

AFRICA
From Kruger Park to Cape Town to the winelands, South Africa is on the upswing again, thanks to interest generated by Hollywood hits like Invictus and District 9, and especially June’s soccer World Cup. Lower on the radar, the story of the year may well be the rebirth of safari tourism in Rwanda, 17 years after its genocide, and, believe it or not, Zimbabwe, despite still being a political and economic basket case.

As part of my journey to try and keep Fort Lauderdale healthy and happy, I have to document to my readers the devastating effects of a horrible, intrusive, and permeating drug: Crystal meth. I have little experience in detox from drugs, but last night seeing one of my closest friends reach bottom at the hospital made me almost pass out. I can only say readers: don’t ever touch it, don’t go near it, and if someone offers it, RUN. I rekindled my friendship with this man after six months of my own psychiatric journey (I am bipolar/schizophrenic) and stabilizing myself, only to think everything was just Disney.

He just does not know how many people really care about him. The drug has turned him into a different human being and has devastated his sister and myself. It killed me to see him almost toothless last night. My initial reaction was “Run, run Marco run,” as I have always relied on him to be MY backup when I needed him. But six months ago when I had a bipolar breakdown, he was not there for me. He was only there for the drug. He thinks hr has everyone fooled, that he is smarter than everyone. But that’s the insidious nature of the drug.

His use of the drug has probably preceded all of our friendships.  He has had money problems for longer than we can imagine. His body is infected with third stage syphilis, possibly fourth, which means it has invaded his brain. The fourth stage is the beginning of dementia. I forgave him after not speaking to him for six months, possibly due to reading Sir John Templeton’s website on forgiveness: The Power of Forgiveness. There is also en entire site devoted to it, http://www.thepowerofforgiveness.com/.

Love & Forgiveness Website

It was November 30, 2009, the day after his birthday. I was in my [selfish] retreat: the tanning bed. I realized once again I missed his birthday by one day. I always think of it as November 30. It was time to mend fences, was a message from the goddess.

The goddess compels me. I drove to the Galleria and bought him the finest regular coffeemaker on the market. [We all love coffee.] He didn’t know what to think. I don’t know if he could even conceptualize the emotion of forgiveness. I forgive you. He is still so trapped in the delusion, the anger, the fear, the feeling of superiority–that I am afraid he may never escape.

The Solution for Cleansing Your Body

Burdock root. Burdock root. Burdock root. Say it three times and never forget it. It’s the solution for detox. Daily detox might provide some refuge for my friend, to remove the toxins quickly, if we are not too late.

Steve has had the de rigeur tanning salon in Fort Lauderdale, Electric Sun for about 15 years. He started with a salon full of 30-minute laydown beds and has progressed to having a selection of the finest tanning beds in the country. In addition, he has some of the best high pressure beds, and the incredible multi-layer spray-on tan [which, yes, looks totally authentic!]. Steve runs a full-service tanning salon, and is the most knowledgeable owner of any business that I know.

Electric Sun tanning salons are the premier salons in Fort Lauderdale because Steve knows almost 99% of his clientele on a first name basis and probably 95% on a full name basis. He is not a passive business owner; he makes sure that the beds are immaculate and sanitized himself.

Modern and Futuristic Salons

The tanning center info website says:

“While getting a tan is the first benefit most people think of, in reality, there are other benefits of tanning beds that you might not have considered. For example, in the past few years, new scientific research has been conducted whereby it has been identified that exposure to UV rays actually helps the body create a natural supply of Vitamin D.

Since many unfortunate diseases are linked directly to Vitamin D deficiencies to include both osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, using a tanning bed to increase these vitamin levels is a huge benefit. In addition to strengthening bone, Vitamin D is also essential for the prevention of many forms of cancer to include prostate, colon, and breast.

Some people will tan indoors simply because of convenience. Take people who live in states where sunshine is a rare occurrence. In this situation, a tanning bed can be substituted for the lack of sunlight but keep in mind that because most beds emit from 50% to 100% the UV rays over that of the sun, the individual should be responsible about the amount of time spent in the bed as well as the frequency of use.

Interestingly, the number of men versus women who use indoor tanning beds is just about equal. Most people will tell you that when they have tan skin, they feel better, look healthier, and have a thinner, fit appearance. While there are risks associated with tanning beds, the fact remains that people feel better when they have a tan. For that reason, indoor tanning continues to be a popular solution.

In fact, more than 50% of people who enjoy indoor tanning say that they actually use this form of tanning as a means of controlling how much exposure to the sun they get. In other words, they can determine the amount of UV rays by choosing the schedule time in the “sun.”

If you are interested in tanning indoors, just remember that along with several valid benefits there are also risk factors to consider. UV rays are UV rays whether they come from the sun or a tanning bed. Therefore, the amount received must be limited to avoid damaging the skin and eyes. With some good, old-fashioned common sense, tanning beds do provide a means for establishing and maintaining a beautiful, golden tan.”

Electric Sun is located in 2 locations:

Two Locations

Fort Lauderdale Location
2410 N. Federal Hwy.
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33305
954-537-1045

Lauderhill Location
5450 N. University Drive
Lauderhill, FL 33351
954-749-3366

Two South American Airlines Offer New Routes to the U.S.

Photo from Aerogal

After my latest trip to Europe, I swore off flying yet another domestic airline: United. (I’m running out of U.S. airlines that haven’t destroyed a vacation or two.)  Lost baggage, canceled flights, and downright unfriendly service are just a few reasons why flying domestic makes me appreciate international carriers a little bit more. I’m always on the prowl for alternatives, and when I found two South American carriers offering new routes to the U.S., I did a little happy dance.

Ecuador-based AeroGal Airlines has rolled out daily nonstop flights between New York City and Guayaquil, with introductory fares starting from $548 round-trip – with taxes included (not too shabby). Onboard, flight attendants serve traditional Ecuadorian dishes (think empanadas). In addition, the airline also offers service to Miami.

Colombia based Aires will be flying to the U.S. for the first time between Fort Lauderdale and Bogota, and has plans to add more routes in the near future. After a quick sample search, I was able to track down fares for around $220 round-trip – adding serious competition to Spirit Air, which also offers this route for dirt-cheap.  However, Spirit Air is like flying a school bus with wings – with service that matches the miserable attitude of your fifth grade bus driver. Speaking of grade school, in order to book tickets online, you’ll need to think back to Intro to Spanish. Both airlines’ websites have yet to offer English options.

I have had so much contact with spirits, that it has become routine to me.  Don’t get me wrong, I still have a feeling of gratitude and wonder towards the experience.  It is always a gratifying thing to speak to and hear from the Other Side…

So in tribute to all the spirits that have taken the time to come through and see us, I wanted to talk about friendships that can take place between people who have “died” and those of us still here working on our physical lives.

This is a story about a dude named Simmie Williams…he was 17 years old when he was “murdered” in Fort Lauderdale, FL in 2008.   He “died” early on a Friday morning.  On the next day, Saturday, I woke up here in Richmond, Virginia, in the late afternoon, from a strange dream and felt like something was different, but I wasn’t sure what it was.  Getting up from my nap, I could see a young black dude in my “mind’s eye” with a bunch of palm trees and a reddish sky behind him.  I knew it was a spirit, but I wasn’t sure who.

I turned on the computer and started randomly reading news articles on the Net.  I came across an article regarding the murder of a 17-year-old transvestite in Florida the day before.  Looking at the picture that was included in the article, I was surprised to see that it was the young brother I could see around me in my apartment.  I started speaking with him, and felt him there in the apartment with me, just hanging out, chilling with me.

At this point, I called Jeremy, who, as you all know, is a medium, and asked him what he saw.  He saw the same spirit as I was seeing.

I could feel Simmie riding along with me in the car several times.  I could feel him sitting behind me, massaging my shoulders while I drove around.  I felt an incredibly strong connection, spiritually and otherwise, to him, and told him he was always welcome to hang around with me anytime, as I truly appreciated his company.

Jeremy channeled him for me a few months later; he came through wearing white pants, a white shirt, with some kind of unbuttoned cream-colored shirt over the white shirt.  He was holding a white cat.  He said that he and I had a lot in common, so that is how he found me.  After he left his physical body, he could freely move around and be anywhere he wanted with the speed of his thought.  He ended up gravitating to me.

Simmie was not condemned and thrown in some “hell” by some angry “god” for wearing womens’ clothing, even though the Bible condemns the practice.  He was not condemned and judged for being attracted to men, and not women, even though the Bible says “men lying with men” is an “abomination to God”.

Simmie is the kind of person I would have liked to have met in the physical world.  He is a very sensual person; he likes being physically affectionate more than sex itself.  I could have easily become good friends with him here in the physical.  But I am happy just to have him around, chillin’ with me from time to time, in spirit form…

Jeremy said he felt Simmie is living it up in the Spirit World.  While his family, friends, and others who love him and are still in the physical world are crying and grieving, he is partying and enjoying himself like never before.  Let me tell you:  one thing the spirits want you to all know is : DO NOT GRIEVE.  Sadness from time to time is OK, that is part of the process of loss.  But continued grieving does nothing good for you, or for them.  In fact, it can actually bring them down:  thoughts about them attract and pull them to the person thinking about them, automatically.  If you are constantly grieving, for a long time, you are draining them as well as yourself.

When a person “dies”, there is NOTHING to be upset about.  In fact, when a person leaves this world, we ought to throw a BIG PARTY for them!!  For real…that is what a spirit would want!!  Party for them: knowing that they are there with you, partying with you, even though you might not always be able to see or hear them…

As I write this piece, I see and feel Simmie here with me, looking over my shoulder, reading along with me…

For sure, a good friend doesn’t have to be only in a physical body!!

One love to you Simmie, for real, thanks for everything you have done, and do, for me…I hope you continue to consider me worthy of your friendship – and I can’t wait to get back to the Spirit World & chill with you for real!!

In peace, in love, in harmony

…your friend Matt

Announcements have always been awkward, boring, and disruptive to our student ministry worship services. However, I do believe they are necessary to communicate “what’s happening” in the life of the student ministry and the Church.  I felt like every single week, no matter who delivered the announcements, students tuned out and started talking amongst themselves.  So we created “what’s happening” as a fun, entertaining way to deliver our weekly announcements.

Here’s an example of what we do:

It’s short, sweet, and to the point.

What are some creative ways that your ministry does or has done announcements?

Christmas Services  CBG

Join us as we celebrate the REAL reason for the season. We will have 11 exciting Christmas services:

Thursday, December 17th @ 7pm
Saturday, December 19th @ 5 & 6:30pm**
Sunday, December 20th @ 8:30*, 9:45, 11:15**, 12:45 & 6pm
Thursday, December 24th @ 4, 5:30 & 7pm

Infant to Pre-K care will be available for all services
KidStuf, a K-5 worship service, will be available at all services (except 12/17 @ 7pm)
* Denotes our “traditional” service.  All other services will be the same style.
** Traducción disponible al español

Click here for door-to-door directions to Church by the Glades.

We believe that Church by the Glades is the PERFECT church for IMPERFECT people…

Earlier This Year, Trane won its third consecutive award for outstanding design in the sixth annual Dealer Design Awards Program, which is sponsored by The Air Conditioning Heating & Refrigeration (ACHR) NEWS magazine (the leading trade magazine in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industries). 41 contractors picked Trane out of 124 entries from 84 different brands.

The Trane ComfortLink™ System (see animation below) was selected as the Bronze Award Winner in the Residential Controls category. This technology is a smart home technology that allows all the components in a home’s cooling and heating system to communicate with each other to make sure they are automatically and properly charged. Thanks to this latest win, Trane has now been recognized for excellence in product design for three straight years. The company also received an honorable mention in 2006. “We’re extremely thrilled to be recognized again for our innovation and product design,” said Dave Pannier, president of Trane Residential Systems. “As a company, Trane is constantly making investments in innovation, especially when it comes to creating value for our dealers and their end customers. As a manufacturer, we can design and build the best energy-efficient products and systems, but it’s the dedication, knowledge and skill of our dealers that truly deliver the real value to customers by ensuring we’re always providing them with comfortable, clean and healthy air.”

Demonstration of the ComfortLink II system.

Although you may not necessarily be looking for a Trane ComfortLink system, Cousins Air is your source for Sales, Service, and Installation of Trane, Carrier, Rheem, and Amana A/C systems. The professionals at Cousins will work with you to customize a system to meet your family’s criteria, and will assess your comfort needs and design a system to decrease energy bills, improve indoor air quality, and give you optimum comfort. Contact Cousins Air in Broward at 954-596-6999 or in Palm Beach County at 561-333-3389, or visit their website for more information.

NAR has recently released the 2009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.  The report compiles the results of 9,138 surveys returned by buyers and sellers who sold or purchased a home between July 2008 and June 2009.  The surveys were sent to buyers and sellers based on deed transfers and other public records.  The complete report is available for purchase at www.realtor.org . 

• 47% of all buyers were first time buyers.
• 62% of first time buyers reported that the primary reason for buying a home was the desire to be a homeowner, 35% of all buyers reported that as the number 1 reason.
• The median age of all buyers was 39, same as last year.
• 83% of all first time buyers are under the age 44. 
• 62% of all buyers are under age 44.
• 63% of all buyers had no children under the age of 18 residing at home.
• 90% of all buyers used the internet to search.
• 84% of buyers reported the photos to be the most useful information.
• The number one action taken after viewing a home online was to drive by or visit the home.
• 66% of buyers reported that they used a print ad to search, but only between 84% to 90% (depending on the print medium) reported that those sources were “not useful”.
• 36% of buyers found the home they purchased through an agent, 36% found the home they purchased online, less than 3%found the home they purchased in a print ad.
• 77% of buyers purchased their home with an agent.
• 85% of sellers sold their home with an agent.
• 39% of the mortgages were FHA loans.
• 87% of buyers viewed real estate as a good investment.

During the Holiday season, it is a great time to get involved with philanthropic efforts – helping out neighbors, giving to charity and of course, buying presents for family.  If you are currently involved with a charity or similar organization, wonderful! If not, I urge you to get involved. It is a great feeling to give to those in need – not only for their gain, but for yours.

We all have heard of the universal rule of give and take. Notice the order – give, THEN take. In everything we do, we have to give our time, in order to take something in return – whether that by wages, knowledge, friendship, experience, etc. Another twist to this is that if you want to have more of something, you must be able to give that very thing away. For example, a quick way of earning someone’s trust, is to give them your trust. If you want to know more about someone’s life, share with them some of your life’s stories.

Keeping this in mind, charity efforts will have similar returns. If you donate your time to help the underprivileged, life will find a way of helping you out in some unexpected way. Donate money to a charity fund, and suddenly financial opportunities will present themselves to you. At the very least, the gesture of giving to your fellow man is a rewarding to the spirit – and that is something you cannot put a price on.

Want a simple way to start? At the Freestyle Fighting Academy, we are doing a food and toy drive for Toys for Tots. It is running from today until Wednesday, December 23rd. Last year, we had brought in a huge donation of toys and food. This year, we want to give an even bigger donation.

In fact, we are doing a Christmas Sale at FFA for all new memberships, with discounts of up to 40% off! All you have to do to qualify is bring a toy or 3 cans of non-perishable food. If you want to learn more about it, send an email to helpothers@ffagyms.com.  So come on down to the Freestyle Fighting Academy and ask about the Christmas Sale and Toy and Food Drive – you will be glad you did!

What do you need to do for sports injury rehabilitation?

A sports injury rehabilitation program with a physical therapist can do many things for you after taking into account your issues, needs and desires.

In general, if you have experienced from a sports related injury or any physical injury for that matter then sports injury rehabilitation routines may assist you to get back to playing your ideal again as soon as possible. Not only that, if the sports injury rehabilitation therapeutics are approached properly they can be very uncomplicated and should be considered very essential for the successful therapy of any physical injury. Research has shown that, it is absolutely required by any athlete or anyone who participates in a sport to undertake sports injury rehabilitation processes and physical therapy for the injury using the appropriate means to become injury free and restore their body to playing shape. In effect, physical therapy and exercise are a vital ingredient of any kind of sports injury rehabilitation. Additionally, the process during which physical therapy also known as physiotherapy are used to help a adult to his normal physical health can be described as sports injury rehabilitation.

Essentially, the basic intention of sports injury rehabilitation therapeutics is exceedingly simple; that is, to assist the athlete and/or individual improve to prior health and get his or her game playing body as soon as possible. Depending upon the form and severity of the injury a sports injury rehabilitation program is be distinctive to account for the particular demands of the person to produce a advantageous result. Because of this reason, that’s where a physical therapist and sports injury rehabilitation treatments come in; besides, sports injury rehabilitation usually accounts for fifty percent of favorable outcomes after injury or surgery. We have a number of adept and educated physiatrists in sports injury rehabilitation treatments as well as orthopedics, physical and/or occupational therapy.

Most hefty athletes in our society these days have their own personal trainer and physical therapist to help them care for sports injury and sports injury rehabilitation therapeutics. Whether you’re a part-time sportsperson who wishes to prevent an injury (or treat a current one), a youth or high school student injured on the field, or a sportsperson who wishes to improve your game, a sports rehabilitation workout utilizing physical therapy will assist you achieve your hope. Almost all professional athletes have experienced a physical injury maybe or maybe not due to a sport but by utilizing a sports injury rehabilitation workout with the assistance of a physiatrist and following remarkable expert suggestions have regulated to come back each and every time and go back to playing the sport they love.

So, in spite of what you may have heard, for you to comprehend the causes of certain sports injuries and the principles of sports injury rehabilitation treatments are needed for any dedicated professional athletes in this day an and age. Sports injury rehabilitation treatment are created so that competitive athletes can get back on their feet so as to be the best they can be and reach the top result. Almost all sports related or physical injuries such as breaks, fractures, sprains and strains can basically be combated by physical therapy workouts and sports injury rehabilitation processes.

If you don’t know, sports injury rehabilitation exercises for a precise injury will institute a lot of exercises that will aim attention at simply on the injured region and assist you to move and work the injured area of your body normally and properly again. In any way, if you play sports, it would seemingly be a pretty exceptional idea for you to have some knowledge of sports injury rehabilitation processes, physical therapists and physical therapy because there’s a strong possibility of you getting injured in in the end.

The field of sports injury rehabilitation for competitive athletes and/or those who actively participate in sports is a relatively youthful field or sub-field of physical therapy.

What’s more, we supply a variety of specialized services which include:
• physcial therapy or physiotherapy
• sports medicine and sports injury rehabilitation
• backcare and sciatica exercises
• physical therapy exercise prescriptions
• occupational rehabilitation
• orthopedic consultations
• chiropractic referrals and services
• acupuncture

Our vast sports injury rehabilitation and physical therapy knowledge or experience in post-surgical joint and hip replacement, fracture and/or break reconstruction and rehab, spine care and sports injury rehabilitation enables us to provide our clients with the productive treatments they need to recover their body, regain range of motion and their health.

Sports injury rehabilitation & medicine provides physical therapy, chiropractic services, orthopedics consults, EMS, and so much more.

Physical Therapy Ft Lauderdale

Free Gifts from LoseTheBackPain.com

The word “Scoop” as defined by dictionary.com: a news item, report, or story first revealed in one paper, magazine, newscast, etc.

So, now that I’ve defined the word “scoop” I’ll now give my report on “My Special Assignment” which took place here in Israel between November 30th-December 6th and which covered the areas of Tel Aviv, The Negev Desert, the Dead Sea area, and the biblical hilltop fortress of Masada.  And, why do I refer to this story as “The Big Scoop?”  That is because I’m the first person to write in “first person” about the adventures of Lt. Col. Allen West, and Joyce Kaufman (both from Florida) from right here in our Holy Land of Israel where all the excitement happened!

First things first, and that is “Who is Lt. Col. Allen West and Joyce Kaufman?”

Lt. Col. Allen West served in the United States Army for 22 years, having seen and participated in all kinds of combat, including serving in the 1st Gulf War, Afghanistan, Iraq, but now that he has retired from his duties in active combat, he is embroiled in another type of battle.  A political one.  He is running for Congress in the 22nd District of Florida (The Broward and Palm Beach County areas) on the Republican ticket.  And, politics can be war-like!  Yet, this brave, but humble “officer and a gentleman” is not one to shirk from a fight, and therefore he is leading the charge to help restore the USA to a country that can be once again proud of its achievements, and a country which need not apologize to any nation for its role in helping to maintain freedom in a world where tyrants and dictators seek to rule, and that includes both within the borders of the USA, and in foreign lands.  In addition to the Lt. Col. being a patriotic American; and having proudly served his country; he is also pro-Israel, recognizing the fact that Israel is the shining light, and the beacon of democracy in the Middle East.  Therefore, when he was asked to visit Israel as a guest speaker having immense expertise on the subjects of counter-terrorism, crime, internal security, and to participate on a panel that was part of the Safe City Tel Aviv 2009 Conference, he jumped at the chance.  In the following days after the conference, he would experience Israel in a way that tourists are never privy to.

When asked how he might sum up his experience in Israel he simply answered, “Awesome.”  However, that’s just the short version.  In the weeks and months to come his experiences here in Israel will have been instrumental in rounding out his pro-Israel agenda; and along with his domestic agendas, they will be expressed on the many TV Shows, Radio Shows, that he will guest on, and in the many articles being written about him and about his race for Congress, as well.  Truthfully, I think Lt. Col. West is awesome; and so did everyone else here in Israel who had the pleasure of getting to know him.

How did I get mixed up in all this?  After all, I live in Israel; and as a dual Israeli/American citizen; I’m not even a resident of Florida!  Let’s just say it started with a letter of thanks and appreciation that I wrote to Lt. Col. Allen West last spring; and the next thing I knew I was part of the GO WEST TEAM!   So, naturally, when it was learned that he would be visiting Israel as part of a conference and a fact-finding mission of sorts, it was I who was called into action to help with the peripheral logistics of his and Joyce Kaufman’s trip to Israel, and that included the setting up of several very important meetings, media bookings, and of  keeping things in generally good order, and of being of assistance in any way possible.

OK, enough about me….let’s get to:

Joyce Kaufman; a native New Yorker (we discovered many similarities between us, for example, we hail from the same neighborhood in Upper Manhattan) however Joyce Kaufman now makes her home in the tropical and bustling South Florida city of Ft. Lauderdale.  She is the hostess of her own conservative radio talk show, (which is fabulous, if I may add) and she is a mover and a shaker with getting events  organized for the good of her Community, her State, and for the USA!  We have come to call her “The Lioness of Judah” and believe me; she’s earned that noble description!  She had also been invited to Israel to participate in the Safe City Tel Aviv 2009 Conference, and be part of the panel where the topic discussion was centered around, “The Media’s Role in Matters of Terrorism and Security.”  She also took part in the especially designed “Israel Experience Tour” (as did Lt. Col. Allen West) that was meticulously arranged by Marc Kahlberg, the Chairman of ICTOO.org (American Israeli Counter Terrorism Officers Association) and an all around great guy!

Now this brings me to the best part; pictures!   Since there is a lot of ground to cover the entire experience and story will be divided into 4 Parts as not to overwhelm you, my dear readers, as there will be a lot to take in.   Let’s begin then, and therefore, Part 1 will open with November 30th; (the day of their arrival and the pre-Gala photos) and with December 1st; and a few nice photos from the actual conference.

Please make your way to this link and click!

http://doiop.com/WestKaufmanIsraelPart1

Hope you enjoyed this article.  Stick around as Part 2 is coming your way next week!

No the title has nothing ot do with Eddie Murphy or Nick Nolte…who rememebers this movie?

Classic!

Last week I was fortunate enough to be invited on the largest passenger cruise ship ever made, the Oasis of the Seas, before it opened to the public!

My adventure began on Saturday night, I was up until 2am working on a diets for a couple of clients (you’re welcome Sandra & Kristen!), my flight was for 7:15. So I was suppose to be at the airport at 5am!

I set my alarm for 4am. However I didn’t wake up till 6am! Arrived at the airport at 6:45am. Needless to say I missed my flight!

I had to wait 3 hours before the next flight out.

Eventually made it on that flight and landed in Fort Lauderdale at 4:30 after a lengthy layover in Atlanta.

When I met up with my group of friends they wanted to go to Miami Beach. A place I’ve always wanted to visit!

For dinner we went to the Fountainebleau. This place looked like something out of  CSI: Miami.

A little peice of heaven fell to earth appearently!

Audi was having a function there that night, there must have been  20 Audi SUV’s there. A high up in the company was also there he had his own special parking spot for his R8.

Looks fast standing still!

After dinner we went down to South Beach, in particular Ocean Dr. I absolutely fell in love with the place. There was a guy walking around with a white albino python, and of course it ended up on my neck! It was quite and experience. (when I get the pictures I’ll post them)

The following day we ate breakfast on the beach front in Fort Lauderdale, and once again it was perfect weather and picturesque.

I think I'm in love with this place!

After breakfast it was time to board the Oasis. Just sit back and take in the view!

Approaching the Oasis

 When I first got onto the ship, it felt like I was in a mall. I thought to myself, when do we go on the ship?! 

Looking down into central park

Free booze and food, this was going to be fun! After a couple drinks I decided to jump on the Flow Rider! The first video was my first time a little shakey to say the lest, the second I was actually on for a decent amount of time before the recording started, I was feeling quite comfortable, so then he told me to try a 360!? You can see the results!

Ascending the wall

Carasile

High above was the zipline

Solarium was beautiful

Real ice! Yes I'm still on board the ship!

Am I the boy toy or are they the harem? LOL- haha

Strutting on the redcarpet, I could get use to this!

Gloria Estefan was amazing!

Keshia Knight Pulliam- RUDY HUXTABLE!!!

I didn't know who this was but everyone was getting a picture with her! Turns out she's Karina Smirnoff, from Dancing with the Stars

The current winner of Dancing with the Stars, Shawn Johnson (former gold medal gymnast)- picture came out great, but this was after a night of dancing in the club, we're both actually soaking in sweat, I swear she left a sweat mark on my cheek! LOL

I wish I could get into all that happened, but suffice to say it was the most fun I’ve had over a 48 hour period! (free food & liquor may have helped!) What do you guys think, trade snow for hurricanes?!

There is a constant war being waged for your time. Work fights for your time, your family, friends, sales people, TV, radio and a endless list of warriors  – all hungry for your attention. With such a large battle going on, it can be hard to miss out on one soldier out of the legions. This one person is the most important key to your happiness. This one person will decide your fate. This one person is you.

Think about it, how much time do you give to speak with yourself? When is the last time you sat down and just thought about your life? How are you feeling today? What things have you learned today? How much progress have you made with your goals? What problems are you experiencing? How can you solve them? These are just a few questions that you can be asking yourself. A lot of times, people are just running on auto pilot – going with the flow.

It is important to treat yourself like another person. Pretend that you have a meeting with yourself everyday before bed. The point of this meeting is to evaluate your performance and happiness. Ask yourself questions, find problems and create solutions. At the very least, take some time just to recognize all of the great things you have done.

Pull out your day planner, and schedule an appointment for yourself tonight. Be there on time

Stop! Before you panic and lock yourself into a bomb shelter, I need to warn you – you will not be safe there. It doesn’t matter where you are, how many different medications and vitamins you are taking – you can still catch this. In fact, it has been around for thousands of years. The symptoms are so varied that it is hard to diagnose. Everyone you have ever known has felt the effects of this epidemic – including YOU. The good news – it is not always bad. But when it is, it can be hard to get rid of. Often times, it attaches itself to someone or something that you care about deeply, and you are at a loss to find a cure.

You may have heard of it before, it is called “emotions.” Wait, wait don’t leave yet! I am serious – emotions are a very real phenomenon. Yes – even men have them too, probably more so than they care to admit! What I will tell you is common sense, yet without actually thinking about it, you will let them run your life.

What is an emotion? That is a very good question. There are many different theories describing the function and root of emotions. To go into depth would take much more page space that I care to write. For the purposes of this blog, I will talk about classical emotions, such as anger, happiness, sadness and fear. If I were to describe it, it would be a reaction from your subconscious mind to external stimuli. You feel emotions consciously, but they are created subconsciously. That is why it is difficult to tell someone to be happy when they are depressed – we do not choose our emotions consciously.

There are many emotions, such as happiness, sadness, fear, excitement and anger. Each of this serve there own purpose. It is not my intention to discuss that. What I want to make known is that emotions are contagious. They can be picked up by just a chance meeting with a stranger. From walking into a room. Watching an emotional event. The truth of the matter is that emotions are everywhere to be found.

Imagine the following. You are working in an office. You walk into a conference room to pick up some documents. You intrude upon two men in a heated debate. One man is banging his fist into a table while the other one is yelling angrily at him. One of them notices you. He turns around, curses at you and throws a pen at you. What emotion would you feel at that moment? How would you respond?

Now picture that you leave this room carrying a large stack of documents. As you are walking down a hallway, a man clumsily bumps into you, causing you to drop everything – mixing up all of your important work all over the floor. What are you feeling now? What do you do?

From the above, it is easy to see that one could easily be infected by another person’s emotions. Then in turn, an innocent mistake from a stranger could cause you to lash out and infect yet another person. Much like a disease, emotions can be spread quickly all emanating from one person.

Knowing this, you should be weary of your surroundings. If you hang out with someone who is angry all the time – chances are you will become angry as well. Take notice of your feelings, and try to understand them. Rather than just saying, “I’m sad,” think about WHY you are sad. Look for the root of the problem, rather than the symptom. If you notice that every time you go to the park you feel very happy, that should tell you something – go to the park more often!

It is a good idea to have a journal of your strong feelings. Right down what you felt, when you felt it and why. It will give you a better understanding of yourself – which you probably know a lot less about than you actually think!

District 22 Congressional candidate Lieutenant Colonel West is on fire! His conviction, beliefs, and lack of teleprompter are quite impressive and inspirational. I wish he was more publicly recognized during the 2008 elections and that we could have more candidates like him.

Anybody with one month of BJJ training knows this move. It is one of the most basic techniques in a grappling practitioner’s arsenal. It is truly a classic Jiu Jitsu technique, dating back to the origins of the martial arts inception. If it could file a restraining order on me, it would have done so years ago. I have used this move so much that everyone who has trained with me knows that I am going to use it against them. The best part, it that I still catch everyone with it.

I have bastardized this  hold and have made it my own. I have so many variations with it, that I have had to map it out on a piece of paper. On people who are not familiar with my devilish twist to it, they are easy prey – succumbing quickly to it and a mix of horror and amazement. To those who have been to the depths of my hell, they dread it’s face – when they see it coming, they simply close their eyes and pray for their salvation.

It amazes me that more people haven’t used this technique like I have. I myself, had picked up on this from a chance meeting with a BJJ black belt. He too, abused this technique thoroughly – catching many unsuspecting victims off guard. I owe him greatly for this, but in my endless study of this move, I have taken it to another level. I hope to meet with him some day so we can compare styles and see if there is anything we can teach each other.

Until that day, I will keep honing my weapon and make it as deadly as possible. I show my students how to use this mighty attack, and watch them practice it against each other – learning from other viewpoints. I attempt it from my different positions, figuring out how versatile this tool is. Amazingly, it is applicable from nearly every situation I have encountered.

If you have trained with me, you know him by his name. Named after a great Japanese martial artist who used this technique to break both of Helio Gracie’s shoulders – Kimura. If you have trained for a few months, you are probably familiar with how to execute a Kimura from your guard or side mount. If you have more experience, you know how to attack with this hold from your half guard, the north/south position, and from the turtle. If you are savy, you can pull this off from your feet. Then if you are me…well, you can pretty much go into this move at will.

Most people get frustrated, especially when you know a move is coming and you STILL get caught in it. “Not again damn it,” is what goes through there minds. This is how you become a juggernaut – developing exceptional skills in one key area and utilizing it as often as possible. Look at great grapplers like Marcelo Garcia – infamous for his arm drag. People know he is going to do it, and STILL get caught.

Many people think that to be great, you have to know MANY techniques. This is not true – it is practicing one technique MANY times that develops greatness. Becoming an expert in one move, that is, having practiced a technique so much that you have learned all the nuances of the hold and know every possible outcome. Like a master chess player, you can see your opponents moves ahead of time and trap him.

So be like the spider, spending his time perfecting his web. Sometimes expanding on his creation, other times beginning from scratch to create an even better trap. There are many ways to hunt, but the spider has perfected his craft so well, he only needs one. Because of his effectiveness, a spider never goes hungry. If you learn from his example, you too will be unstoppable on the mats.

Honolulu Seawater Air Conditioning, LLC of Honolulu, HI, is undertaking a massive new $248 million project to cool downtown Honolulu. This innovative project is expected to slash energy usage in the warm city by up to 75 percent yearly, and also drastically reduce carbon emissions and the usage of ozone-depleting a/c refrigerants. Overall, electrical costs will be only 1/10 of a conventional A/C system, and overall maintenance costs will be quite low.

So how exactly does Sea Water Air Conditioning (SWAC) work?
A 5-foot wide pipeline will be installed well below the surface of the sea (as in several hundreds of feet), which will take in thousands of gallons of water. This water will then be discharged from air-conditioning systems throughout Honolulu, which will help cool the buildings within the city. Afterward, the warm water will be discharged into the ocean at a temperature and level that wont affect aquatic life. Ground will be broken on this project in Summer 2010, and the first 40 buildings should be on this system by 2012. If this works as successfully as planned, the technology may be extended to nearby Waikiki, where heavy tourism means even heavier air conditioning usage.

So why not Ft. Lauderdale or Miami?
Other major cities, such as Stockholm and Toronto, have already implemented similar systems, but this is the first time this is being done on such a large scale in a warm-weather city. In 1975, the United States Department of Energy surveyed many coastal cities to find which cities would be the best candidates for a large-scale seawater cooling project. Not surprisingly, the top two candidates turned out to be Honolulu and Ft. Lauderdale/Miami. However, it was noted then that the major limiting factor for both areas was the ability to send large underwater pipelines to depths of 1/4 mile or more. New technology has made this more feasible, and all it would take is a willing city or state government and an intrepid group of investors to see this happen in South Florida. Of course, a success story in Honolulu wouldn’t hurt either.

Diagram of the SWAC process, courtesy Honolulu SWAC Company

Although it may be years before a similar system makes it to Ft. Lauderdale / Miami, you can be assured that Cousins Air are your experts when it comes to the latest in Air Conditioning technology in South Florida. Cousins Air is one of Broward / Palm Beach County’s most recognizable air conditioning repair, sales, and installation companies, and has been serving clients since 1995. For more information, visit CousinsAir.com, or call 954-596-6999 in Broward, or 561-333-3389 in Palm Beach County.

U.S. homes lost $489 billion in value during the first 11 months of 2009. That’s significantly less than the $3.6 trillion lost during 2008 and evidence that home values are stabilizing, says Zillow.com, online real estate research firm.

Properties in 48 of the 154 markets tracked by Zillow rose in value this year, but Zillow’s Chief Economist Stan Humphries believes prices could decline again in 2010.

“We believe that demand will come under downward pressure as mortgage rates creep back up after the first quarter and that housing supply will experience upward pressure as the volume of foreclosures continues to remain high. Both these factors will challenge the recent stabilization of home prices,” Humphries said in a statement.

Areas where home prices rose the most in 2009 were:
Boston
Providence
Denver, Colo.
Atlanta, Ga.
Rochester, N.Y.

Areas where homes continued to lose the most value:
Los Angeles
Chicago
New York
Miami-Fort Lauderdale
Phoenix

Source: Zillow.com (12/0920/09)

It’s the single largest opening on a home and the most frequently used entrance. Yet when it comes to winterizing, many homeowners forget to include the garage door on their list of items to inspect and repair.

Here are some tips to help get your garage door ready for the cold.

Keep the Heat In
Keeping the garage warm in the winter doesn’t have to be a challenge. The easiest way to trap heat in and keep cold air out is with a weather seal. If you see a gap between the bottom of the garage door and the driveway when the door is closed, it’s time to replace the stop.

If cold living spaces above or next to the garage are an ongoing problem, upgrade to an energy efficient garage door. Today’s insulated garage doors can help keep an unheated garage 10 -20 degrees warmer on a cold winter day. If you purchase a qualifying energy efficient garage door by December 31, 2010 you will not only save on their heating costs, and may be eligible for up to $1,500 in federal energy tax credits, thanks to the new stimulus legislation.

Visually Inspect Hardware for Wear and Tear
Look for bent or loose hinges, broken wheels, bent shafts or worn out bearings on steel rollers, and bent or misaligned track. Tighten or replace loose or missing bolts on the door and track supports. Check the spring lift cables for proper operation. Regardless of its age, your garage door should open and close smoothly. If it doesn’t, the spring system may be out of balance.

The bottom brackets, cables, pulleys and springs are under great tension and should ONLY be repaired by a garage door professional.

Clean and Lubricate Hardware
Use a clean rag to remove any debris, grease or dirt build-up from the track. Lubricate all moving parts of the door (hinges, metal rollers and track) with 3-in-1oil. Never use heavy oil or grease. DO NOT LUBRICATE nylon rollers, plastic idler bearings or locks. Use graphite to keep locks in operational condition.

Surface Cleaning
Wash steel and aluminum door surfaces with a mild household detergent and rinse with water. In harsh coastal environments, applying car wax to a painted steel door surface will help maintain its finish.

Remove Rust
Visible rust or flaking paint on a steel door indicates that moisture is taking its toll. Sand the rust, apply a zinc-rich primer, and paint with a quality exterior latex.

Water Marks
On a wood door, look for blackish marks near the bottom of the door. These can signal rot and should be attended to as soon a possible. Sand the areas where you find flaking or peeling paint. Prime and apply two coats of finish coat.

Replacing your garage door
The average life span of a garage door is 15 to 20 years, so chances are if you’re the second or third owner of a home, you may have never been faced with replacing the garage door. Today’s doors are much better engineered for durability and energy efficiency than in the past and the design choices are unlimited.

Call or email Broten Garage Door & Gate today to discuss your particular requirements.
800-683-2768

I want this man to run for President of the United States of America:

How lucky we are to be in Fort Lauderdale right now and not flying in…

Yesterday we were in Philly – it was raining and snowing and doubtful that we would even get out of the city.  We got a call from an Air Tran rep saying that our flight had been cancelled and wanted to rebook on the next flight.  Since that was only an hour away, we were not able to make it to the airport on time. So we rebooked for a later flight.  When we got to the airport, we found that the new flight was delayed and it was doubtful that we would make our connection in Atlanta.   We decided to go ahead and fly to Atlanta and the AirTran rep went ahead and rebooked our connection for the next day, to get us into Ft Lauderdale in enough time to get to the port for our cruise.  We cancelled our hotel reservation at the Comfort Inn and rebooked a hotel in Atlanta. 

Our flight actually left Philly a little earlier than expected.  I think that might have been because they were rushing us to get onto the plane quickly so that we could take off.  If we took too much time, we might not be able to get off the ground and would have to wait until the next day.  Needless to say, everyone rushed to get on the plane!

When we got to Atlanta it was 9:30 pm and the last flight out to Ft Lauderdale was at 10:10 pm. Since the gate for that flight was on the same concourse, we decided to see if we could get on that flight.  Thanks to a great ramp agent, Brad, we were able to get on the flight but he wasn’t sure if our bags would make it with us but that they would definitely make it to Ft Lauderdale the next day.  Imagine our surprise when we found ourselves in business class.  I quickly called Comfort Inn and was told that the reservation had not been cancelled so all was good with that… or so we thought!

We get to Ft Lauderdale and it’s just before midnight.  We go to the baggage claim, hoping and praying that our bags made it on the plane.  Lo and behold out they come with all the other bags and we are exuberant!  Thank you Brad for your fantastic customer service.  I definitely recommend flying with AirTran, every rep that I have come into contact with has given us great customer service!

We call for the courtesy shuttle that the Comfort Inn South/Cruiseport provides and they get there in very good time. The shuttle driver was very nice and courteous and engaged us in some small talk during the ride. We get to the hotel, which is in Hollywood and right next to the Hampton Inn, and go to check in.  Small problem, our reservation was indeed cancelled.  But no problem, they could rebook and had a room available. 

Today, we are getting ready to leave on a shuttle that is provided by the hotel to the Port of Miami.  It is not complimentary but the cost is very reasonable, less than others that I checked on. 

I have to recommend this hotel (Comfort Inn South/Cruiseport) to anyone who is coming into either Fort Lauderdale or Miami for a cruise.  The people are very courteous and it is obvious that they care about the hotel, their customers and their appearances.  Everyone has been very nice and have been able to provide anything that has been asked for.  Our shuttle to the Port of Miami is not until 11:30 and they are allowing us to stay in our room until then,  They have a continental breakfast for all guests.  There are bagels, toast, cereal, fruit, yogurt, waffles, milk, juice, coffee and tea. Oh and I did even see hard-boiled eggs and biscuits and gravy!  Everything that anyone could want for breakfast except for the sausage or bacon.

Well, have got to wrap up now, it’s off to the port to start our cruise on NCL’s Jewel!