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Archive for August, 2009

Explore the Ancient Rainforests South of Brisbane

Written by Kathy Smith on Aug 31st, 2009 | Filed under: History

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, it is said that Australia was a continent covered in forests. It is said that Australias rainforests are actually remnants of this time and they are truly a sight to see. An amazing natural habitat covered with ancient trees the Gondwana Rainforest located in Lamington National Park just slightly south of Brisbane is considered to be the worlds best sub-tropical rainforests.

This is such a wonderful attraction, which is only a day trip away from Brisbane. The national park is not only home to this fabulous rainforest. While visiting you can also explore the living museum, which educates you on how flora, from today, came from the plant life of the past.

The Lamington National Park is not only home to plant life, as it houses various natural wildlife from 160 different species of birds, to frogs, reptiles, mammals and much more. While you are vacationing in Brisbane, whether with the family or on a romantic getaway, you will want to be sure to take a trip and visit all that the National Park has to offer.

While visiting you can take a guided tour, or explore independently, along the walking paths through the wilderness. When touring you will get the opportunity to enjoy breathtaking waterfalls along with amazing nature. The natural setting is so relaxing that you may also decide to spend a day or two there. If this is what you are looking for, there is a lovely retreat, OReillys Guest House, where you can enjoy deluxe accommodations and world class spa treatment.

Just out side of the busy Brisbane city you will be able to find tropical adventures that set the scene for a perfectly relaxing romantic getaway. No matter what you desire for your holiday Brisbane delivers. From remarkable cities, sandy beaches to the natural wonders of the land, Brisbane has something for everyone.

Kathy Smith is an expert on everything Australian. From brisbane accommodation to local events, she will assist you through it all. Take a look at her articles prior to deciding on which brisbane hotels are most suitable for you.

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Be Full Of Life

Written by Liz Thompson on Aug 31st, 2009 | Filed under: Spirituality

Dr. Jean Houston is respected world-wide for her work as a consultant/advisor to the United Nations, the Dalai Lama, past presidents and first ladies, corporations, and many government agencies. She is a past president of the Association of Humanistic Psychology, and she has spoken at colleges around the world.

Jean founded the Foundation for Mind Research more than 40 years ago along with her husband, Dr. Robert Masters. Also more than 25 years ago, she founded The Mystery School. The school strives to teach all aspects of spiritual and mystic studies, and Jean remains a principal teacher there today.

Dr. Houston has published over 25 books, including Jump Time, A Mythic Life: Learning to Live Our Greater Story, The Search for the Beloved, Mystical Dogs: Animals as Guides to Our Inner Life, and Women of Wisdom: Empowering the Dreams and Spirit of Women.

Jean Houstons childhood was very different from most of the children of her time. By age 12, she had already attended over 20 schools throughout the nation. Back in the 1940s and 1950s, there was no standard like there is today, so schools in the deep South were drastically different from those in the North or East.

Dr. Houston traveled so much as a child because her father was a comedy writer for big names like Bob Hope. Jean noticed that when she attended a school one year and then returned to that school a few years later, the fire was gone from childrens eyes. She wondered why and wanted to change that.

Two experiences played a major role in shaping Jean Houstons life. Without them, who knows where she would be today? First, she recalls an encounter with a ventriloquist, Edgar Bergen, and his dummy, Charlie McCarthy. Edgar many times would ask Charlie questions like, What is love? and What is the meaning of life?

The questions arent what caught Jeans attention so much as the conversation her father had with Edgar. Edgar knew that his brain was in control of Charlies words, but nonetheless, he insisted that he never knew what Charlie would say until he said it. This seemed brilliant to Jean, like another dimension of reality.

Helen Keller was the one whose experience would equally impact Jeans life. Helen was born both blind and deaf during a time when it was thought she would never communicate. When Jean met her, Helen was a very successful woman, so she asked Helen how she could be so happy all the time. Helens response was to live each day as if it were the last because, Life and all of its moments are so full of glory.

Do you have a intense interest for whats possible? Do you want to be sure beyond a doubt which opportunities will be the ones you can follow through on and succeed? Dr. Jean Houston can show you. Listen to the Dr. Jean Houston interview today!

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Ciro’s Nightclub: An Icon Of Entertainment History

Written by Ross Everett on Aug 31st, 2009 | Filed under: History

Today, the Comedy Story sits on the same spot and has for over twenty years. In it’s earlier incarnation it was Ciro’s, and it was for a time the center of the entertainment universe.

When Herman Hover became manager of Ciro’s in 1942, he made it into a destination nightspot for the best talent in the world. In 1950, it launched the career of a comedy team that would rise to superstardom together and separately in Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. A year later an opening act called the Will Mastin Trio would tear down the house and leave the headliner that night–Janis Page–in the dust. The Trio itself would become the answer to a trivia question when one of its members left to become one of the biggest stars on the planet–a young singer/dancer/comic named Sammy Davis, Jr.

The audience at Ciro’s was frequently more star packed than the stages at most venues. The clientele represented the very top of the entertainment world starting with Frank Sinatra and Humphrey Bogart and all of their “A-list” contemporaries including Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart, Judy Garland, Jack Benny and countless others. Ciro’s was the “in” spot for stars and would be stars, making it the hottest ticket in town.

In a more civilized era, the biggest cities had a network of top level nightclubs that would provide the best entertainment, drinking and dining in a luxurious atmosphere. Some of these venues included the Copa Room at the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, the Coconut Grove in Miami, the 900 Club in Atlantic City and the Villa Venice in Chicago. Even before its heyday, Ciro’s was still among the top tier of nightclubs hosting tars such as Bogart, Lauren Bacall, George Raft and Betty Grable. When the club began to ‘cool off’ and the clientele began to defect to the jungle themed Mocambo Nightclub, Ciro’s fell on hard times and briefly closed until Herman Hoover reopened the club.

Hoover, who had a background in running a nightclub”he was lured away from Columbia Universitys Law School by the potent mix of wiseguys and chorus girls at New Yorks Silver Slipper, which was a prohibition era joint owned by Arnold Rothstein and Charles Lucky Luciano among others. Hoover became a fixture at the club, along with Harlems Cotton Club before moving to Los Angeles in 1936.

Ciro’s reopened on the day after Christmas, 1942. The headliner that night was Sinatra crony Joe E. Lewis and the crowd included the aforementioned “Chairman of the Board” along with Mickey Rooney, Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz and Cary Grant. Xavier Cugat was next to headline (he’d later to on to marry 1970’s gameshow fixture “Charo”) and became a regular.

Hoover had hosted Dean Martins wedding in 1949 to second wife Jeanne, and Martin and Lewis debuted at Ciros in 1950. They remained loyal to Hoover and his club, and even when they were pulling down an astounding (for the 1950s) $100,000 a week to perform they insisted on holding their fee at Ciros to what they were originally paid–$7,000 a week. Sammy Davis, Jr. got his start at Ciro’s and returned to the stage after his mid 1950’s car accident in what may have been the biggest event ever at the club. Following an introduction by Frank Sinatra, Davis put on a scorching performance before an adoring and emotional crowd of the biggest stars on the planet.

Ironically, the growth of the desert gambling oasis to the east would eventually spell the end for Ciro’s and the nightclub circuit nationwide. Las Vegas simply had the money, connections and amenities to lure away the best talent to play in its showrooms. Headliners didn’t have to travel to earn a tidy sum as casino headliners, and they were able to live the showbiz life 24 hours a day in “Paris in the Desert.” Eventually Ciro’s closed its doors in 1957 and was sold at a public auction two years later.

It also represented the end of an era in Los Angeles. Sunset Boulevard remained a vital commercial artery, but the glamorous strip of adult entertainment that became part of American mythology gave way to a tacky mishmash of restaurants, strip clubs, and tattoo parlors intermingled with more upscale businesses. Although another revolution would emerge from Sunset Boulevard”a culinary superstar named Wolfgang Puck, and his restaurant Spago”the world became a little less civilized with the passing of Ciros. The building has been the Comedy Store for the past 26 years, and has started its own crop of stars along the path to fame.

Ross Everett is a Las Vegas and food industry historian as well as an expert on CFL football betting. He has served as a customer relations consultant for many restaurants, casinos and other hospitality firms. In addition, he’s a noted fight sport journalist, and writes extensively on strategies to successfully bet on CFL football, MMA and boxing.