BULS

Have a special day coming up that you need to find a photographer for?  Well you’re in luck.  The experience I have gained as a San Diego Photographer will be to your benefit as I share some insights on what you need to do to find the right person for the job.  So before you roll the dice with any old photographer in the yellow pages, heed my quick tips and you will be very pleased in what photographer you find for the job.

For special days, most people want to capture those special memories with pictures, especially if it is a wedding, I know from first hand experience as a San Diego Wedding Photographer; so it is very important that you research the photographer you are going to trust for the job.  So why not ask friends and family for some recommendations.  Their recommendations will help you formulate a list of candidates for the job.

After talking with your friends and family, you should now have a good list of photographers to work with.  With that, take a look at their websites.  See if they have an online portfolio for you to view.  By looking at their past work, you will get a better idea of whether or not their style and the types of shots that they take are in line with what you have in mind.  By doing this, you can narrow your list down even more to the photographers whose work you like so far.

Third, start to call up the photographers and conduct a phone interview.  Once you have narrowed your list of photographers down to about two or three you can call them up and begin your interviewing process.  You can then make an appointment to meet with the photographer and view their portfolios if you have not already viewed it online.  During these phone interviews it is important to ask questions.  The more specific you are with your question the better understanding you will get as to whether or not the photographer is the one you are looking for.  While on the phone you should ask the photographer to bring in his collection of coverage of one particular event so that you will know exactly what to expect from that photographer.

Now, after meeting with the final photographers on the list, it is time to decide who will be the right person for the job.  Some of the factors you want to base your decision upon is, does this person understand what you want for this photo shoot, and how to capture the special moments.  Also is this a person whom you like.  Believe it or not, for something as intimate as photographing a special day, you want to make sure it is somebody you get along with.  After you believe you have found the perfect photographer, then go ahead and make the decision and let the person know you have chosen them.

Completing all these steps will be huge in helping ensure that you find the right person for the job.  Doing this simple process will help you determine a couple of very important things.  It will allow you to get to know your photographer more than any other method.  This is important because it will allow you to know if this person has the style and the vision you are looking for on your special day.  And most importantly you will have a piece of mind that you will not have found any other way in regards to knowing if you have found the right person.  On special days, the last thing you need to stress over is the photographer.

Technorati Tags: photographer, wedding photographer

Is Facebook Just A Big Data Miner

I have always thought of Facebook as a great social networking website that allows you and your friends to interact in so many ways but as of today I have second thoughts about the site. Lets face it even though facebook is a social networking site it still needs to make money and the one thing that facebook has lots of is personal information which is valuable to any business, facebook has been linked to selling your personal information for money. Facebook makes money in so many different ways and one of the points I’m going to talk about is the selling of personal information to 3rd parties and even the government. I should point out that Facebook isnt the only website that sells personal information but it is a great example. Whatever you search, or whatever website you visit that information is being stored by several parties and you will never be able to go unnoticed, why would you?unless you have somthing to hide?.

I strongly believe that the internet and your usage should be monitored to prevent online crimes but storing personal data such as age, address, education and work history is an invasion of privacy. The websites that store this information have different uses for it and its not always obvious to the user what they do with it. I don’t mind a website storing my personal information for the benefit of the site and usability of it, but I certainly don’t want them to sell my information to other companies or share it with my local government. We are all monitored on a day to day basis, they say each londoner is caught on average 300 times a day by CCTV and our local government has access to everything we spend our money on. We are being watched in so many other ways, for example Oyster cards log down your journey from start to finish and that information is also stored and shared with others.

Facebook is a free website but they have to make money some how and in the early stages before they became as popular as what they are now they were linked to large sums of money from other companies like paypal. Why would the CEO of paypal give facebook over half a million? Paypal isn't associated or integrated into the facebook environment in anyway.

In 2001 a company was formed by the name of "information awareness office" which was and has been designed to hold detailed records of as many people as possible. What has this got to do with Facebook? Well they have taken large sums of money from companies and organizations linked to government bodies and data centers. I have added a link to show you how these different companies are linked together and there involvement with Facebook. Click Here

When you sign up to Facebook allot of people put as much information about themselves as possible on there like, address, phone number, age, interests, education, work history, clubs, music, books and with all the different apps available the amount of personal information you share is endless. If you don't want people or companies to know your life inside out then be careful about what you share. Before I end I must also mention that Facebook buys information from other companies as well like instant messaging websites ect. If you already have a Facebook profile and want to delete it, you can put in a request to Facebook but what they will do is remove your profile and prevent you from logging in but will still keep your personal information and use it on there site. Everything you write or upload is property of Facebook, e-mails between you and your friends in Facebook is property of Facebook, all comments and pictures of yourself and friends is also property of Facebook ect.

With loads of companies online and offline wanting to make money and push there products to there targeted audience, websites like Facebook will always be in demand for selling personal details. Facebook currently has 175 millions active users, and has detailed information on what there users interests are and can offer companies personal information on idea clients in there market. We will never have enough solid proof to say for certain that a particular site has bought or sold information and we will never know for 100% where our Personal information will end up.

The Uk government is trying to tighten up even more and get as much information on people as possible, as of next week the uk government will be given access to detailed information on the users from the uk. To be honest I don't mind if it helps to combat crime, but we all know that information will be stored on a government computer somewhere and will be used to compile a profile about you. When the government gains access to Facebook they will be able to upload a photo of you and your address to there own private database from the information they will be given access to by Facebook.

Technorati Tags: data, facebook, information, miner, privacy

The pros and cons of oil drilling make for a lively debate  Here are some comments people made on both sides of the argument.

pros and cons of oil drilling

Shyrgneys, a blogger, had this to say about the pros and cons of oil drilling:  No.  We should not be drilling for oil in Alaska.  This is because of the Arctic Wildlife Refuge and so Alaska can be preserved as a natural resource.  If Alaska’s resources are never used, what’s the use of preserving them?

plu10 chimed in with his two cents:  There are so many reasons to drill for oil it isn’t even funny.  We need the oil for gasoline, and drilling does not kill the planet.  Hey, you have another planet to live on?

Someone else said this about the pros and cons of oil drilling:  We have to consider the wildlife that could be killed.  Alaska is home to one of the largest remaining caribou herds in the world.  Let’s harness oil from the Caribou, then we don’t have to worry about drilling.  

Strayman also had a comment about the  pros and cons of oil drilling”  Oil is a nonrenewable resource, so eventually it will run out.  Drilling is just postponing the shift away from oil.  We need to focus on ethanol.  That’s what Brazil has done.  Hey, don’t eat the food in your refrigerator because that just postpones having to go to the store for more food.

pros and cons offshore oil drilling

Cars with solar panels for all the sides would store enough energy to drive for hours.  Let’s power the cars with our feet like on the Flintstones!

Some more comments on pros and cons of oil drilling:  We need  leadership that looks ahead.  Our concern should be future generations.  A possible reply:  Then who worries about us?  Unless the future people have time machines they can’t help us.  PS time machines run on oil.

pros and cons of oil drilling in alaska

Thanks for reading this look at people’s opinions on the pros and cons of oil drilling.

http://drillingnow.com/

Technorati Tags: pros and cons of oil drilling, pros and cons of oil drilling in alaska, pros and cons offshore oil drilling

Whether you feel like filling your day with sports, arts, shopping or just a walk on the waterfront, Cardiff Bay is the place that offers the entertainment or leisure experience that you need. It’s also become a popular meeting place for people with VW campervans.

Known in the past as the largest coal exporting port in the world, by the 1980s Cardiff Bay was an empty land filled with abandoned buildings but it has changed its image and profile with the introduction of the Cardiff Barrage completed in 1999. This barrage impounded the River Taff and the River Ely to create a regeneration area dominated by the newly formed freshwater lake at the south of Cardiff city center.

Completed with the attractions it offers today, Cardiff Bay draws nearly two million visitors to its waterfront every year. Among the main attractions available now you will find The Welsh Assembly at the Pierhead, the Norwegian Church Arts Centre, the Wales Millennium Centre or the Goleulong 2000 Lightship, while the Techni Quest Science Discovery Centre and the Atlantic Wharf Leisure Village provide entertainment for the whole family.

Cardiff Bay plans for future attractions include a Welsh National Canoe and Rafting Centre complete with a 50m pool and a leisure water complex, an ice rink as part of St David’s, a Morrisons superstore and a Toys-R-Us store that will be the largest in Europe.

A visit to Cardiff Bay may also bring you to a local, national or international festival like the Welsh Food Festival or the MAS Carnival. With all this and much more to offer, Cardiff Bay must be among your favourite destinations when you’re looking for a fun time out.

The largest coal exporting port in the world has certainly changed its image with the construction of Cardiff Barrage, creating a freshwater lake measuring approximately 500 acres and resulted in 8 miles of waterfront. The barrage was used to impound two nearby rivers, the River Taff and the River Ely and it resulted in the now regenerated area that continues to develop as a leisure destination and a favourite among tourists from all corners of the world.

The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation, created in 1987, was the key player in the development of the area and by the year 2000 it had achieved most of its goals. The empty land and torn down buildings had turned into an unrecognizable area with a freshwater lake and habitats for several freshwater species at the mouth of the River Taff. This also resulted in an economic growth of the area with new apartments built, new jobs available, private lands becoming open to the public and much more.

The main attraction of Cardiff Bay is probably the waterfront, a perfect destination for a romantic walk, and it draws over two million visitors every year. When you visit the Cardiff Bay waterfront you will encounter its other attractions like the visitors centre known among the locals as “the tube”, the Cat-cruisers, Techni Quest, the land train or the Norwegian Church Arts Centre. Another popular place to visit is the spectacular Wales Millennium Centre for the performing arts that can offer you a day filled with art, be it ballet, opera or a musical. This is just one of the many cultural attractions in Cardiff.
If you prefer, you can just go shopping in the many shops the centre houses within its walls, or you can simply enjoy a refined dinner in one of the restaurants overlooking the beautiful Cardiff Bay. There are walking tours of the waterfront available and if you need to take a break you can choose from the wide range of bars and restaurants of Mermaid Quay. Cardiff Bay is also home to the MAS Carnival and several festivals of local, national or international importance like the Welsh Food Festival.

One of the developments planned for the near future is the International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay, located on the Ferry Road peninsula and intended to be used as an Olympic training venue if completed by 2012. Other projects under construction at this time include an ice rink temporarily framed in timber, a leisure water complex and a 50m pool as part of the Welsh National Canoe and Rafting Centre. The leisure water complex will be completed, like the International Sports Village of Cardiff Bay, around the year 2012. The growing development of the area also includes the building of new stores like the largest Toys-R-Us store in Europe meant to replace the one demolished in the city centre and a Morrisons superstore that will most likely reduce the dominance of local grocery market giants Asda and Tesco. Some of the historic buildings will be spared by the development plans like the Norwegian Church and the Pierhead building but the rest of the historic area of the quay side will be fashioned with leisure facilities like cinemas, restaurants, shops, offices and even housing. The plans also include a new home for the National Assembly for Wales that will be designed by Richard Rogers.

Whether you are looking for a fun filled day, a romantic time out or you want to spend your time enjoying a quality artistic performance you can find it all in Cardiff Bay. The various shops and superstores offer you a wide variety of quality shopping at very low prices that can make your day a lot of fun. The Wales Millennium Centre for the performing arts is always ready to offer a quality show whether it is ballet, opera, dance or a musical. If you would prefer a more romantic pastime you can enjoy a refined candle light dinner for two with a view of the beautiful Cardiff Bay or simply take a walk along the Cardiff Bay waterfront. Either way, you can’t go wrong if you spend your day in Cardiff Bay.

Susan Ashby
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-and-family-articles/spend-your-day-in-cardiff-bay-129117.html

Technorati Tags: Cardiff bay, Regeneration, VW Campervan

A shop in Brighton, England has sold a toy parrot to a mother, which decided to shout swear words at her daughter when she pulled the toys cord.

Tina brought the parrot from a toy shop when her daughter was throwing a paddy and hoped that it would help keep her quite. But when she gave the toy over to her daughter and pulled the cord for her, the toy parrot’s first words were “Oi! What are you looking at a***hole.Tina was very much taken aback, but wondering if what happened had just been her imagination, she made the parrot speak again. The parrot made a small sound and then came out with “Sod off, sod off”. This caused a huge amount of embarrassment on Tina’s part as everyone in the area turned to see where the swearing was coming from. To save her self any more embarrassment she rushed off down the street and took shelter in another shop.

Later, out of ear shot from her 11-month old  daughter, Tina decided to see what other expletives had been programmed into the toy.Among the most offensive, “I’m going to rip your head off and s**t down your neck.” and “Oi! B****r off.It is simple not acceptable for toys like this to be available for people to buy when all they are after is something innocent for their children says Tina. She also mentioned that she will be sticking to dolls house toys from now on.

Hussein Lalani, commercial director of 99p Stores has apologised and said that it should not have been on sale in the toy section of the shop. He has stated that such an incident will be examined well. Also looking into the story will be Brighton and Hove City Council’s trading standards.  They have not given any further details about the incident but have suggested that selling such a toy is not something that should be slipping through the net and procedures should be put in place to stop similar incidents happening again.

Technorati Tags: childrens toys, news, parrot, toy shop, Toys

It is unbelievable how nine days can just fly by. Today my brother, sister-in-law and our two Austrian friends are scheduled to fly back to Graz, Austria, via Vienna. There has been an increasingly palpable sense of sentimentality in the air, in light of the fact that this wonderful time is coming to an end alarmingly quickly.

It’s also amazing how many activities one is able to cram into a short amount of time. I wanted to give them a really good taste of everything that I love about the city of Toronto and my new country. So occasionally I put a few too many things on our plates and we ended up racing through a few of the activities. On the whole though, I think our European guests had a fabulous time and they fell in love with Toronto, just like I did, many years ago.

Saturday all six of us went off-raoding in a VW T25 syncro (known as Vanagons or Westfalias over her) - loads of mud and getting stuck. The we went golfing to a little par-3 golf course in the East end of Toronto. None of my Austrian guests had ever golfed before, so a couple of days earlier we started with a few buckets of balls at the driving range, followed up by an indoor putting practice session on the carpet. Saturday we would get to try the real thing. The attempts at the driving range didn’t look all that great, with balls spraying all over the place, to the left and to the right. But on Saturday afternoon, another gorgeous day, our four Austrian guests performed quite admirably and only lost 2 balls in the water hazard.

They really enjoyed golf, a sport they had never even dreamed of playing, but the Toronto area with its several hundred golf courses, many of them reasonably priced, made it easy to give this sport a try. All preconceived notions about golf only being a sport for old people went out the window, and they enjoyed the challenge of trying to sink the round little ball in the hole.

Sunday came our second big excursion: a driving tour through the Kawartha Lakes (again in the VW T25). I had only planned two major driving tours: a wine-tasting tour through the Niagara Peninsula, and a second one to the lake district of the Kawarthas. We started by driving east on Toronto’s 401, a 12 to 16 lane highway whose size duly impressed my European visitors. Then we headed north-east through rolling farm country to Peterborough, a rural university town with a population of about 70,000. From there we drove north into the Kawarthas, a gorgeous lake region set in the rocky landscape of the Canadian Shield.

Our first stop was Buckhorn, where we watched the mechanics of lift locks of the Trent-Severn Canal that links Lake Ontario with Georgian Bay. We saw how several boats assembled inside the lock following by an opening of the sluices and the water level equilibrating itself with the level of the lower portion of the river. The Parks Canada lock supervisor explained the whole process to us and it only took about 10 minutes for the boats to reach the lower level.

From Buckhorn we drove through rocky and marshy countryside to the quaint village of Bobcaygeon where we took an extended stroll. We had a nice waterfront lunch, looking across to the marina, seeing the the boats come in an out of the canal. Particularly our Austrian friends Luis and Isabella love boating and seeing the many houseboats on the Trent-Severn Canal gave them a few ideas for future vacations in Canada.

The lunch was delicious and we took a little stroll around this charming town, admiring the waterfront parks and picnic facilities that allow great access to the water. From Bobcaygeon we drove on to another little picturesque country town: Fenelon Falls, whose name comes from a waterfall in the middle of town that has been used for electricity generation since the 1870s.

After a sizeable line-up we picked up a few delicious cones of Kawartha Dairy ice cream and strolled over to the bridge over the falls and then down to the little peninsula that sticks out into the river. From there you can look into a rocky gorge where both sides of the river are surrounded by high rocks.

Again, we watched boats being lifted and lowered, this time in lock 33 of the Trent-Severn Canal System. This is another town with a beautiful little park right by the locks with lots of opportunity for barbeques or simply for a relaxing snooze in the sun . Time was flying by and by this time it was already 3:30 pm so we had to start our return to the city. We only took back roads and my brother lost count of the numerous golf courses that dotted the landscape. It was a nice relaxing drive through rolling countryside and we made it back to Toronto in less than 2 hours. All four of my Austrian guests had fallen in love with the Lake District and the prospect of another vacation in Canada to explore the waters north of Toronto seems ever more likely.

Yesterday was their last full day in Toronto, and we took our bikes out for a spin one more time. Since we all love water we rode down to the Eastern Beaches again, and leisurely explored the waterfront. We watched some lawn bowling, and one of the participants kept coming over to us to explain the rules of the game to us since none of us was familiar with this sport. My guests commented several times on the friendliness of people in the stores, restaurants, in line-ups and even I myself was surprised at the approachability of Torontonians, often known as a more reserved breed of people. But we truly kept having very positive experiences, equally with people employed in the service sector, as well as with regular citizens, taking a stroll, playing a game of lawn bowling or going for a walk with their dog.

Of course we admired the inukshuks by the beach, a public play area for adults with rocks of various shapes and sizes that are used by passers-by to create interesting stone sculptures. We watched a few tense points at the Kew Gardens Tennis Club, and checked out the picturesque Kew Gardens park itself. From there we headed west past the beach volleyball facilities to the little peninsula west of Ashbridges Bay which always offers a fabulous view of Toronto’s skyline. We took in the tranquil atmosphere and soaked in the sun for a while before we started our return back along the waterfront. My European visitors commented several times how incredible it is to have all this publicly accessible land right along the waterfront and how in some secluded spots you don’t even realize that you are in a major metropolitan area.

To get back up to our house we had to climb back up from the waterfront and this time we chose the Glen Stewart Ravine, where a little brook has carved a valley into the slopes leading down to the waterfront. It is a densely forested area and when you are in there it feels like you are in a remote forest somewhere, not right in the middle of Toronto.

Once back at our house, preparation got started for our final goodbye barbeque and we had invited a few extra friends to join us to give our Austrian guests a proper sendoff back home. We enjoyed some excellent food and they sampled a few more varieties of Canadian wines and beers, all of which they had commented quite favourably on. We didn’t sample much restaurant cuisine since my brother is a talented chef, but the fresh ingredients that he purchased in Toronto’s various markets made for some truly delicious dinners.

In the evening we took one more spin in the car, first to revisit the Distillery District at night. Luis had wanted to buy some beer glasses at the Mill Street Brewery as a souvenir, but unfortunately the brewery and restaurant were closed. The whole Distillery area was a little quiet, not surprisingly, since it was Labour Day, the last official day of summer, and the final day of respite before school would begin again. We continued our driving tour with a little spin through downtown and up Yonge Street before we turned east on Bloor Street. We crossed the Bloor Street Viaduct and arrived on the Danforth, Toronto’s Greek area. As always, Greektown was quite busy and people were milling about. We sat down on the patio of one of our favourite restaurants and enjoyed some Greek snacks before we headed home after another long day, all of us a little sad, commenting how nine days can pass so quickly.

Today we’ll have to take their four rented bicycles back and around 2:30 we’ll have to start the trek to the airport. It’s been a fabulous 9 days, an extended sleepover with four great people and we won’t forget this holiday for a long, long time. We are already hoping for another reunion, either in Austria, or back here in Canada, to deepen this fabulous connection.

Susanne Pacher
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/hello-from-toronto-part-5-novice-golf-driving-through-the-kawarthas-a-little-offroad-mountainbiking–101689.html

Technorati Tags: golf, mountain-biking, Toronto, VW t25, VW t25 syncro

Although Amsterdam is officially designated as the capital of the Netherlands it has never been the seat of the parliament court or government, of the Netherlands, which are all located at The Hague. 173 nationalities live in the city.

Schiphol Airport is less than 20 minutes by train from Amsterdam Central Station. It is the biggest airport in the Netherlands. It handles about 42 million passengers a year and is home base to KLM since 2004.

Known as one of the bicycle friendly cities in the world. There are about 700,000 bicycles in the city, about 80,000 bikes are stolen every year and 25000 end up in the canals. Parking fees are steep and streets are closed off to cars as a discouragement to them.

Trams are the best way of getting around Amsterdam and run regularly. Trams are frequent, fast and reliable. You need to hail a tram to let the driver know you want to get on. If the tram has a conductor you must use the rear door to get on.

The canals are Amsterdam s number one attraction. The Canal Bus is the perfect way to get around Amsterdam. The comfortable boats offer a hop on, hop off service along different routes.

The main area in Amsterdam for shopping is at Kalverstraat. This section of the city can be found close to Dam Square. A variety of designer boutiques have set up shop in this area. Waterlooplein Flea market is a outdoor bazaar, best for the second hand clothing and full of general bric-a-brac. Traditionally oldest and most interesting market of Amsterdam.

Leidseplein is one of Amsterdam s most popular places for nightlife full of restaurants, clubs and cinemas. In summer you will find street jugglers musicians and other performers. Rembrandtplein is another area lined with cafes, bars, restaurants and hotels and is a tourist area. It includes traditional Dutch bars. Around the area you will find night clubs, gay venues, diamond dealers and souvenir shops.

Amsterdam is also famous for the red light district. Prostitution is legal in the Netherlands at specific places. The red-light district is located in the centre of the city along major canals and is clearly marked on maps.

Coffee shops sell cannabis this is not completely legal but is tolerated when small quantities of cannabis up to 5 grams are involved. Some coffee shops, especially in the Netherlands, are places where the sale of cannabis for personal consumption by the public is tolerated by the local authorities.

Douglas Scott
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/city-along-major-canals-121458.html

Technorati Tags: Amsterdam, Urban Leisure

When you are planning a tour of the Iberian peninsualr in your VW campervan, Granada has to be high on your list. The city of Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains at the confluences of the Genil and Darro rivers. Granada is one of the pearls of Spain, most visited by tourists from all the world. During the period of Muslim domination, Granada was the finest city on the peninsula.

Granadas first new mosque for 500 years was opened in the summer of 2003 to a backdrop of anxiety following the post September 11 focus on radical extremism. Despite fears the leaders of the mosque, built in Granadas old town district of Albayzin, went out of their way to welcome all people into the house of worship and the controversy soon died down.

The greatest Muslim legacy in Europe, is in Granada and one of the most inspiring attractions on the Continent the 11th century Alhambra. From outside, its red fortress towers and walls appear plain, if imposing, rising from woods of elm and cypress with the Sierra Nevada forming a magnificent backdrop. Inside the marvellously decorated emirs palace, are the Generalife gardens and Palacio Nazaries. Water is an art form here and its sounds take you far from the bustle of the city. The spell can be shattered by the average 6000 visitors who traipse through this Unesco World Heritage site each day. The Alhambra has two outstanding sets of buildings, the Palacio Nazaries and the Alcazaba Citadel. Also within its walls are the Palacio de Carlos V, the Iglesia de Santa Alhambra, two hotels, several book and souvenir shops and lots of lovely gardens.

At the Paseo de los Tristes, you will find many bars offering Tapas for the hungry especially popular are snails and fried fish and beer, wine and refreshments for the thirsty. This is especially true during the warm season, when all the summer terraces are open. This is exactly the right place to begin a long granadinian night or to put yourself in the right mood to visit one of the many concerts in the magic the gardens of the Generalife.

Granada is a busy university city with a lively street life which goes on through the night until breakfast time some discos do not even open their doors until midnight. The hustle and bustle created by student night life and traffic offers an interesting contrast to the generally laid back atmosphere.

The city offers a variety of shopping experiences, from lively, modern streets to quiet alleys with workshops selling local handicrafts. The Calle de los Mesones, with its designer shops and buskers, is a real treat to wander down in the evening, a good selection of handicrafts can be found in and around Plaza Nueva, including hand made guitars, weaving, basketry, leather goods, ornate Moorish style lamps and ceramics. Plaza Bib-Rambla has a selection of market stalls selling mainly flowers.

Douglas Scott
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/one-of-the-finest-city-140572.html

Technorati Tags: Granada, historical city, Urban Leisure, VW Campervan

There are so many awesome things to do in San Diego that you need a way to get around and see them all. And unless you know someone who lives there, you need some help. Old Town Trolley Tours might just be your answer. It was ours. These tours are San Diegos only regularly scheduled on-and-off, fully narrated tour of San Diego and Coronado. Colorful anecdotes, humorous stories and historical information are combined into a fast paced, two hour narrative that will both entertain and educate.

We started our tour at the Cruise Ship Terminal. There was free parking there on weekends so we left our VW T25 there. Plus, we got to tour the waterfront before the tour began. That saved us another stop. After the tour we also decided to take a sunset bay cruise so ending the tour at the waterfront helped us in that regard as well. All we did was step off the trolley and straight onto the boat. Some of the better seafood restaurants are in the area as well.

We could not have chosen a better spot to start our tour.The trolley tours through San Diego and Coronado on a continuous loop. Start the tour at any one of the stops throughout the day. Stay on board the trolley and get a fascinating narrative and a great overview of San Diego until you return to your starting point in about two hours. Or hop off the trolley at a few of your favorite sites then reboard and continue on with the tour until you return to the starting point. The earlier you start the more time you will have for visiting San Diego attractions, shopping, and dining.

You only get one go around, so if you plan your stops beforehand you can make a day of it. In fact you can see all the best places and things to do in San Diego on the tour in one day.

There are ten stops around the city:
Old Town State Park
Cruise Ship Terminal
Midway Aircraft Carrier Museum
Seaport Village
Marriot Hotel and Marina
Horton Plaza
William Heath Davis House
Coronado
San Diego Zoo
El Prado

You can spend hours or even a full day in any of these stops, especially if you like to shop. Restaurants and dining facilities are all over and at every stop as well.

If you love the beach you will want to stop at the island of Coronado. They have a beautiful beach and a historic hotel that has been made famous in several movies. The trip across the bridge to the island is also a must do just for the view.

We skipped the stop at the Aircraft Carrier but we did enjoy the stop at Seaport Village. And we went back there after the tour was over for dinner and a wonderful evening stroll.

Balboa Park, which is the El Prado stop, was also a great place to stop and stroll. There are so many museums to visit it can take you several days. If you go on a weekend, there are also street performers and vendors as well. An added bonus is the free trolley tour of the park which is provided for all park guests and not connected to the Old Town Trolleys. The San Diego Zoo is also in the park and you can visit here as well, but I recommend you send a whole day there.

Horton Plaza is the place for shopping. They have all the large stores and smaller boutiques as well. Old Town State Park is the stop for experiencing San Diegos Mexican heritage. Great Mexican restaurants, shops, and cantinas abound.

Normally tour guides are fountains of information. But these tour guides not only knew their stuff, but they had audio clips that served as jokes as well. Sitting on a trolley was a bit more fun than sitting on a coach bus.

If you have only one day to send in San Diego, this is the tour you want to take. It is cheap and it covers everything worth seeing. Plus you get to decide where you want to spend the most time.

Ameen Kamadia
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/things-to-do-in-san-diego-ca-old-town-trolley-tours-56902.html

Technorati Tags: San Diego, trolley bus, Urban Leisure, VW t25

What do those grades next to the “citizenship” category on a report card really mean? Now that you are older you may understand that it is indeed an important part of education and business. Corporate citizenship requires being a good role model, teaching children that what they do, both bad and good, has an impact on others as well themselves. Show them that good administration practices, the highest level of integrity and legal conformance are all part of what is needed in order to make their community, locally or globally, a better place for everyone.

After September 11, all big companies are expected to practice good citizenship on a corporate level or corporate philanthropy. Shortly thereafter, companies were asked to produce both social and environmental reports, but only about 1/4 of them have even attempted to do so and even those fell short of the required standards in many cases. There are four areas that are used to track a company’s citizenship rating and they include Operational Transparency, The Workplace, Community Help and Engagement and Sustainability.

Community Engagement is one of the key areas and it refers to how much companies encourage their employees to volunteer and donate their time as well as resources to help with community development programs and health care problems. Another key area of corporate citizenship is Operational Transparency, which includes working to build the public’s trust by being more open (transparent) about all processes, setbacks and progresses. Regular feedback from members helps to monitor the progress.

As you can see, this type of sustainability and citizenship goes beyond the normal scope of finances, as that only really tells one side of the story. Corporate giving includes a strong sense of responsibility to the community and that in turn leads to a higher rated performance.

The third key element is Sustainability, which means, for example, that along with committing to internal recycling, the employees also pledge to give local community help by agreeing to make changes in both their home and work life. This internal sustainability program will be used to support appropriate environmental choices and practices. The last of the key elements in corporate citizenship is the Workplace, which simply put means creating work environments that are conducive to diversity, education and to promote the best environmental choices and practices. Companies can do this by providing courses on leadership to employees, regardless of location and their position with the company.

Technorati Tags: community development, Community Help, corporate citizenship, corporate giving, corporate philanthropy, local community help