It’s been said before that there’s nothing new under the sun, and in the field of electronic music, there’s nothing that hasn’t been tried before. In countless instances, there can be found traces of contemporary electronic recording techniques in the body of work produced by Raymond Scott . He’s one of those immensely influential figures who changed everything, although his name doesn’t get a lot of recognition except in the inner circles. In these inner circles, however, he is something like royalty, akin to the Edison of electronic music.

He was born and raised in New York, the city that births so many talented people who often go unrecognized. But it’s not that he wasn’t recognized in his lifetime. After he finished with degrees in technology and a musical pedigree from Julliard, his band, ” The Raymond Scott Quintette ” was wildly successful. His versions of jazz were very popular in the 30s, and his recordings sold like hotcakes. It was here that he started developing his ideas about pre-recorded music. He would edit studio takes himself, re-mixing at a time when no one else would have considered it. He was also at the forefront of Civil Rights, have one of the first integrated jazz bands.

It was in electronic music, however, that he gets the most attention these days. His recordings and performances were famous for his wild sense of humor, and it was heard in the music, too. The Cartoon Network, the Simpsons, and Ren and Stimpy have all used bits and pieces of his songs. They have a feel that is at once classical and futuristic, and reflect a compositional mind that was far ahead of his time.

Today, people visiting New York and relaxing at their boutique Manhattan hotel , may find themselves watching a new cartoon, without realizing that the music is his work. He is also the one who conceived of the first electronic theramin, as well as one of the big sources of inspiration for the moog synthesizer. The world has never been the same, and never been better off.

Rehab is not a place most people fantasize about going to. However, when someone you love or even yourself has become addicted to illegal drugs, alcohol or even prescription medications , the need for treatment becomes a necessary option. This is actually the point of no return. It is extremely difficult for people to reach the point of admitting to themselves that they have a problem that actually requires treatment. After that occurs it might seem like there’s a natural progression to finding a program and initiating your recovery. Well, that’s the simple perspective behind a much more complicated and difficult process.

After a person admits to themselves that they are addicted to a particular substance it is frequently an ebb and flow process to actually entering a rehabilitation facility. This is due to the very logical circumstance of the addiction. It is extremely difficult to let go of and the addict knows this. Almost immediately after the initial realization or admittance of the problem comes an arsenal of psychological resistance that will frequently place that same person in a state of denial and possibly even compound usage.

This is something that treatment programs understand and when completing intakes into a facility hesitation and denial is part of the process. While an addict may come to the point of understanding their addiction, and may want to recover from it, they instinctively know the process is going to be extremely painful and difficult and it is much easier to continue use. This is just one of the numerous obstacles addicts deal with in recovery and treatment programs incorporate this into the overall recovery process. Drug addiction is not a game and it should be taken very seriously if someone confides in you that they have a problem and are going to seek treatment. And if you think you have an addiction and need help dealing with it, then it is extremely important that you follow through with contacting a facility and entering the necessary program.

It’s just about possible to find near anything in Manhattan. For entertainment, it’s the greatest city in the world, with the best theatre, live music, dance, and just about anything one could imagine. It does indeed live up to its reputation, and the daring tourists are often surprised, and even delighted, to discover what’s considered experimental these days. For real experiments, though, it’s a challenge to try to find a food that a hundred locals don’t have an opinion about.

It’s all here, in the place where all cultures converge, and for a true gourmet, it’s a paradise. If one happens to prefer to get their food fried and on the cheap, it’s also a pretty glorious place, too. These days, two of the foods that the locals and the visitors are all raving about are, once again, probably unexpected for all the salivating they seem to muster. But one visit to each of these places, and it will be clear what the fuss is all about.

Close enough to NYU to walk (but everything is close enough to walk to, if one has the time), is Pommes Frites . Customers can eat these Belgian French Fries in the place, if there’s any room, or sneak away to the luxury NY hotel and indulge in private. This is the real thing, too, the way they do it up in German-speaking countries, where the potatoes are fried twice to give them the extra crisp, and ketchup is available, but mayo and curry or other sauces are recommended for a dizzying experience.

It didn’t take Sex & the City to put Magnolia Bakery on the map, but it probably didn’t hurt much. The secret golden offering here is the cupcake. It’s not the ordinary grocery store kind, although no one would expect that of New York. This is a blast of flavor and rich goodness, the kind that reminds people of childhood. These places are worth trying when visiting the city, though not necessarily on the same day. It’s good to stretch these guilty pleasures out, so that the memory can sink in.

Savannah, Georgia is one of the state’s beautiful and genteel cities that emanates southern charm with a graceful dignity that belies its progressive contemporary cultural aspects. Savannah is also one of the nation’s historic cities and was originally established in 1733. As you might have already realized, it is one of the country’s cities that actually predates the establishment of the nation. And for those cities that were here during the colonial period and saw the country through the Revolutionary War and contributed to the development of the new nation, the sense of pride that comes with that is inherent to the overall atmosphere of the city and in Savannah this distinction has not been lost in time and remains part of the tradition and heritage of much of the city.

In addition to all of this southern charm and historical national pride that is prevalent in the city, there is also a great deal of attractions and exciting things to do there when you visit. The Savannah Music Festival occurs every spring and is one of the top festivals in the city and surrounding area. It features some great names in jazz and other music genres and is a giant celebration of song, food and spectacle. It generally lasts two weeks and the luxury Savannah hotels are full during that time.

The Savannah Theatre is a great place to see top shows form various performance genres. Hit musicals, major concerts and more are part of the status quo at this major city cultural institution. The Telfair Art Museum is another great place to visit while you are in town. It has the distinction of being the oldest public art museum in the south. It has been open since the 1880s and has brought great exhibits to the city and continually increased its permanent collection. The beauty of the museum itself has contributed to the cultural landscape of the city for over a century. At this point the permanent collection includes over 4000 pieces and it continual presents special engagement and touring exhibits.

Manhattan is a not only a great world city it is a truly magnificent and special city in this country. In addition to all of the actual landmarks and great cultural features, there are so many symbolic attachments to this city that in many ways it represents and epitomizes the American dream. And of course this is particularly true for people from all across the nation, and even the world, who dream of careers on the Broadway stage. Being on one of the great stages is not the only Broadway oriented dream and many people passionately pursue careers behind the scenes directing, designing and or writing the plays and musicals that have contributed to the legendary status of the Great White Way. And one of the favorite things to do for most of the guests in the five star hotels Manhattan is to attend one of the great musical productions.

Andrew Lloyd Webber has been a major powerhouse in musical theatre for most of his career. He is responsible for some of the greatest musicals and rock musicals of all time and he is one of those rare composers whose songs have made the difficult transition into mainstream popularity. Cats, Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera and Evita are just of few of the great musicals he has created during is career.

Phantom of the Opera opened at the Majestic Theatre in January of 1988 and continues its run with no signs of slowing down. It is one of the all time favorite musicals for people from around the world. Music of the Night is the most famous song from this great production. Evita is scheduled for a revival production that will star Ricky Martin and Elena Roger. Jesus Christ Superstar remains one of the most popularly produced musicals in the country and Ted Neeley continues to tour with the official production. Cats, based on T.S. Elliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats, introduced many people to the beauty of the Broadway stage. It’s hit cross over song Memory continues to haunt audiences across the world.

Florida Grand Opera in Miami , announced their 2010-11 70th Season: The Mysteries of Love, beginning November 13, 2010 with Turandot by Puccinin. Followed by The Tales of Hoffman, by Jacques Offenbach – January 2011; in April 2011, Mozart’s ‘Don Giovanni’ and ‘Cyrano’ by David DiChiera. Florida Grand Opera (FGO) is located at The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts – 1300 Biscayne Blvd.

There’s never been a better line up of 4 of the best operas being performed in one place. Turandot – consists of opera’s most famous music, and the thrill of heroic voices create the theatrical experience whom every opera lover dreams of. Puccini had an unmistakable melodic gift, which has enriched the world’s most beloved operas. Turandot, is his final opera and represents Puccini’s culmination of the Italian tradition of Grand Opera. The story goes: The Ice Princess Turandot, challenges the Unknown Prince to answer her three riddles, and he succeeds where so many others have failed. In the famous aria, ‘Nessun dorma,’ he in turn challenges her to learn his name.

One of the best-loved French operas, ‘The Tales of Hoffmann’, brings the stories of E.T.A. Hoffmann to life. Hoffmann regales his friends in the tavern with the stories of his 3 past loves, while at the same time, his current love, Stella, is performing in the opera house nearby. By the time he has told of his romantic defeats, he is overcome with drink. Stella enters, but sees Hoffmann drunk, making him yet again lose another love.

Don Giovanni, by Mozart, is considered, by many, to be the most perfect opera ever written. Even today, Don Giovanni continues to thrill audiences. Don Giovanni is the story of the infamous lover, Don Juan. Another sad romantic opera is Cyrano, about the famous story of Cyrano de Bergerac, who has inspired many interpretations, but composer David DiChiers’a new opera, with libretto, by Bernard Uzan, premiered in 2007 at Detroit and in Philadelphia. This romantic opera received standing ovations and wonderful reviews. Cyrano, a nobleman skilled in both sword and pen, but has a very unsightly nose, has despite his desperate love for the beautiful Roxane, agreed to help his younger rival, Christian to win her heart.

Florida Grand Opera 2010 -11 season is guaranteed, if you’re not already, to make you an avid opera lover. There are plenty of Miami luxury hotels ready for you to make reservations and come to see, if not all, one of these fantastic performances. FGO will not let you down, they haven’t been around for over 21 years for nothing.

Rape is one of the most serious charges that can be laid against someone and it is also one of the least often crimes to be filed for after it has happened. People who have been robbed tend to want justice, while people who have been raped usually are so upset that instead of blaming their attacker they will blame themselves. Some of these victims may even need someone else to push them to press charges against the attacker. On the other hand, in a sexually awakened America some vengeful women think that it is a fitting punishment on some men to accuse them of rape. While that is not to say that all women who do so have not been raped, it is becoming a trend to accuse ex-boyfriends of rape or other men as a way of getting revenge.

It should be generally acknowledged that anyone who would do this to someone, man or woman really does deserve what they get in the end, but for those men who did not actually hurt anyone it could be the beginning of the end of their lives. A rape charge can mean that you can’t get a number of jobs, housing or other opportunities. Some people have even been run out of town for such things although it is usually not as bad in larger cities like Phoenix Arizona. Lawyer s can help take care of some of these problems if notified within a reasonable amount of time. The trick is being able to prove that the witness is not reliable or is lying.

There are some law offices that are happy to take on these cases. They pose a large challenge, and most often the jury is going to be against the defendant unless their is substantial proof to the contrary. The force of such a charge is the attraction to defending these cases and making sure that those who are innocent will be able to go free. There is very little a law office like this can do after the case has been tried however, so as soon as a person knows these charges have been made they should make a call to the lawyers of their choice and work on getting themselves freed.

There are so many things to recommend Princeton as a city worth visiting. It’s been ranked in the top 20 for the country’s most livable cities, and the fact that it’s home to Princeton University plays a big part in that. The University draws some rather interesting characters, including the reclusive author Joyce Carroll Oates, and was home to Einstein for a time. It also has some pretty colorful characters who can name Princeton as their own home town, and perhaps it even seems unlikely that it would be the birthplace of Trey Anastasion , one of the founding members of Phish.

But perhaps it’s not so unlikely after all. Princeton is a city that fosters intense creativity, and specializes in thinking out of the box. There might not be a place further from the box than the great band that’s famous for its long riffs and excursions into musical tangents that can make up the bulk of their concerts. The band formed in the early 80s at the University of Vermont, and had a long and strange career until they broke up in 2004. The breakup only lasted a few years, until 2009, and in 2010 Phish is once again on the road, playing a wild montage of concerts to the delight of their hardcore fans.

Because of their enormously dedicated fan base, they’ve earned many comparisons to the Grateful Dead. The even began by calling themselves a cover band for the Dead, but have gone on to develop their own very distinctive music style, that’s still very much under construction to this day. They seem to reinvent it at every concert, and that’s one of the big appeals for fans, because they’ve never played the same show twice, and rarely play songs the same way. In a city that’s famous for its intellects and the hospitality of its hotels, Princeton really is a perfect birthplace for a phenomenon that succeeds only be refusing to succeed in the usual ways.

Manila does seem to be adequately poised for recognition for its vast contributions to global culture. In terms of visual art, design, architecture, and the performing arts, there is a lot going on in the city on any given evening. The cultural mix here is substantial, giving a distinctively eclectic flavor to all the works. The city itself is so rapidly moving, that it’s easy to get caught up in all the dazzling distractions and forget to look for the real cultural treasures. But they’re definitely here.

Even a form of art that has always been precariously close to its own demise, poetry, is very strong here. It always has to compete against the more shiny entertainments, and it’s rarely a victor in terms of numbers at the moment, but generations pass and reveal that its influence runs deeper than can be counted by a ticket machine. So the new generation of poets here are on the verge, or perhaps have already crossed the threshold, into a new way of making art. Taking the consciousness of poetry’s precarious position, but still maintaining faith in the spoken word as a unique way of communicating the real underlying truths and half-truths of the contemporary world, these new artists are making headway into new territory.

They owe as much influence to the past as poetry ever did, and one of the greats living in Manila is Gemino Abad . Born in 1939, he is a professor at the university here. In the great tradition of poets past, he teaches the multiple voices of poetry that feed the local muses, and makes music on his own that is simply sublime.

Last year he won Italy’s highest literary prize, the Prize Premio Feronia – Citta de Fiano , putting him in the same ranks as Xingjian, Coetzee, Grass, and Amiri Baraka. It’s a magnificent feeling to wake up in a Manila hotel room and realize that this is a poetic city, and there is much more to come.