Two lively Southeast Asian locales are featured- Singapore and Hong Kong. They were also two former British colonies. Both cities are surely two of the liveliest in Asia. If you had to choose between going to either one of these two places, which would you choose? This is another installment of my "Take Your Pick" series of blog posts, where I encourage my readers to share which is better. So let's do it!
--- Take Your Pick: Singapore or Hong Kong? ---
Which do you think is the cooler city? Visit the hypertext links in the headings to visit each city's official travel website. And, uh... TAKE YOUR PICK!
The city-state of Singapore is a lively and eccentric city, not to mention very beautiful. My racing fans know Singapore for the annual Formula 1 night race around the Marina Bay district of Singapore.
Often seen as the New York City of the Far East, Hong Kong remains one of the world's liveliest cities. I have always seen Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China as an exciting city. I think it is one of the most futuristic-looking cities. I often get blog hits from Hong Kong from all kinds of districts of Hong Kong. The only tower I'm familiar with is the tall IFC (International Finance Center) building that dominates most of Hong Kong's skyline.
A thing I learned about Hong Kong is that its flag bears a flower called the Bauhinia blakeana. By the way, the full official name for Hong Kong is: Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region, China.
So you now know about these two unique locales. Which is better?
--- Singapore or Hong Kong? ---
Both cities are nothing short of spectacular. I would go to both if I were traveling around the world.
Why Singapore?
Singapore has its own unique character. I usually think of the merlion statues shooting water into bays and fountains. They are a spectacular sight. Speaking of spectacular, the city looks amazing at night.
On the blogging side, Singapore is home to two bloggers I follow- missingavenue and Xiaxue. missingavenue is a fashion blog of a young blogger named Melody expressing multiple styles of hers. Xiaxue is a veteran fashion blogger proudly representing Singapore. Her material includes fashion and beauty.
I tend to like Hong Kong as it is a very futuristic city. Just watch when Hong Kong has some of its laser light shows when it's nighttime. Hong Kong is very futuristic.
Hong Kong is the hometown of one of my favorite bloggers, Miss Kwong. This is a fashion blog
Take your pick- Mykonos or Santorini? Many people instantly fall into the appeal of the Greek capital of Athens, but some may not know of the beauty of the South Aegean islands of Mykonos and Santorini. These are two beautiful Greek islands with immense charm. Semi-inspired by my blogging friend Jelena of "Glam and Fab Chameleon," I'd like to offer this "Take Your Pick" on two of Greece's most beautiful islands of the South Aegean region.
A Special Hello...
If any of you are from Greece or are Greek, I'd like to extend a special welcome to you to "John's Blog Space!" I do get a good deal of hits from Greece, so it's nice to welcome you Greeks and Greek-based folks over to my blog. Enjoy your stay. Hope this blog is to your liking.
--- Take Your Pick: Mykonos or Santorini? ---
They are two beautiful Greek islands- Mykonos and Santorini. They both have sapphire or turquoise seas. Angelic white buildings and structures. Both are eccentric party locations with great nightlife scenes. For all intents and purposes, these are islands with heavenly beauty.
--- Why Mykonos? ---
I have been more educated with Mykonos than I have been with Santorini. Mykonos just appealed to me more as I didn't know as much about Santorini than before I prepared this blog post.
Here is a video of Mykonos:
After looking at this video, my love of Mykonos has been verified. It seems like the kind of place an A-List celebrity can hang out at and enjoy life. Ancient and modern come together so nicely with an island like Mykonos.
--- Why Santorini? ---
How about a look at Santorini now? Santorini seems to be a lot less of glitz and glam of Mykonos, while still remaining a fantastic place. It has very gorgeous appeal that seems a lot less modernized than Mykonos. It also seems like you can do a bit more if you're the adventurous type compared to Mykonos.
Or if you want a video reason of "Why Santorini?", this is for you:
I'll tell you what- I now know more about Santorini after preparing this post than I have previously.
--- Which Would I Pick? ---
If I actually did travel, I'd want to visit both islands. Mykonos tends to appeal more to me than Santorini. Of course, that's not to say that Santorini doesn't have any appeal, because Santorini has PLENTY of appeal.
--- A Quick Salute ---
It was Jelena of "Glam and Fab Chameleon" who semi-inspired me to make this post. For you fans of fashion blogs, Jelena is a fashion blogger from Serbia based in Greece. She even designs her own jewelry with a line called Glam Chameleon Jewelry. For as much as she makes her own jewelry, Jelena is a beautiful gem herself, and so is her blog.
Here are various posts of Jelena in Santorini. The link is from a search result for "Santorini" when I visited this blog recently: "Santorini" pictures of Jelena
Jump into Jelena's Glam and Fab world by visiting "Glam and Fab Chameleon" today! You may also visit her blog and "like" her Facebook fan page. More information when you visit her blog. If Jelena herself is reading this, let me welcome you to John's Blog Space and thank you for your continued support of my work!
That concludes another "Take Your Pick" along with another blog post. I thank you for visiting. Which would you favor more- Mykonos or Santorini? Feel free to share your thoughts here. Thank you for reading!
New York City. Los Angeles. You want to go to either city. You've never been to either city. Which one would you want to visit most? Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to a new concept for my blog that I've long wanted to introduce- "Take Your Pick!" This blog post in the Take Your Pick category is one about which city you'd want to go to if given this choice. I'll share my own ideas here in this post.
"Take Your Pick" is a blog label where I invite my readers to choose between one or more items featured. There are certain parameters put into play to keep things interesting. I hope to have this as a method of generating a little debate and getting some more involvement from my readers.
Now, let's begin!
--- Take Your Pick: New York City or Los Angeles? ---
Why care about either location? Both are major cities. Truly international cities. They've somewhat been must-visit cities for almost anyone in the United States including internationally. These are two major cities on two different coasts. But which is better- New York City or Los Angeles?
Important Details:
When making a choice on this topic, here are some parameters to keep things interesting:
• You must have not been to either location. If you have been to both cities, you are free to choose which is better. • You must not be specifically from either location, including suburbs of the respective cities.
So let's do it!
--- Why New York City? ---
There's just something about a place like New York City that really draws people to it. For me, it's tough to argue against New York City- bright lights, tall buildings, unique character... quintessential American city.
Here is New York City in a video:
Here are some random talking points...
• You have a number of locales such as the Empire State Building, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Brooklyn Bridge, Rucker Park (for my basketball folks), and Madison Square Garden among many other locations. Don't forget about Times Square as well! If you're into fancy shopping, 5th Avenue is for you. Also- don't forget about that beautiful woman on Ellis Island: the Statue of Liberty.
• If you're a sports fan, you have plenty to be proud of- the New York Knicks, the New York Rangers and N.Y. Islanders, the New York Jets and Giants (even though they both play in New Jersey), New York Mets, and of course, the New York Yankees. Football (as in soccer) fans can enjoy the New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer who play at the beautiful Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. The New Jersey Nets will be moving to Brooklyn and will become the Brooklyn Nets starting with the 2012-2013 season of NBA basketball. There is also the New York Liberty of the WNBA. You may even be a fan of St. John's basketball as well for you college basketball fans.
• Your education options are vast in and around New York City- Columbia University, Fordham University, St. John's University, Manhattan College, New York University, City College of New York... all among MANY other institutions.
• Lot of media outlets are in New York City including many different shows that are aired in NYC. Some shows and businesses are mostly located within NYC. Shows like the Bill Cunningham Show and the Jeremy Kyle Show are filmed in New York City. Daytime talk shows like Maury and Jerry Springer have taped in recent years in a studio in Stamford, Connecticut, USA. Stamford is also the world headquarters of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). Popular nighttime shows like "The Late Show With David Letterman" and "Saturday Night Live" are shown in New York City. Let's not forget the COUNTLESS movies, TV shoes, video games, and things like that are either based in New York City or inspired by New York City. You gamers are probably playing two recent games that have NYC as its backdrop- "Crysis 2" and "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3."
• New York City is its own proper fashion hotbed. Therefore, you become accustomed to NYC fashion style including the allure of New York Fashion Week. I need only say Fifth Avenue for you fashionable types. Don't forget about New York Fashion Week as well if you are a fashion lover. Also, New York City is the home grounds for two of the most popular fashion blogs- Fashion by He and The Sartorialist.
• New York is great for eating out. The only one I know of, unfortunately, is Katz's Delicatessen. There was once a show called "24 Hour Restaurant Battle" (which I blogged about here on John's Blog Space) where people wanting to make their own restaurant had to prepare everything from food to furnishings to make their own restaurant. All of the action from this reality show was in New York City.
New York City just has so much to offer. And if you're from the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, you won't feel too far away from Europe or Africa.
--- Why Los Angeles? ---
It seems like everybody is from California or living in California, especially Southern California; and almost especially the Los Angeles area. Come on now- Torrance, Santa Monica, Venice Beach, Long Beach, Beverly Hills, Riverside, Azusa, Studio City... you name it. Don't forget about the big "Hollywood" sign in case you forget where the heck you are. I would need an entire blog (not just a single post) to discuss the many movies, TV shows, and all that take place in Los Angeles. I mean- there are SO many movies and such based in Los Angeles, you almost wonder if everybody and everything is in Los Angeles.
This is a video showcasing Los Angeles:
• Why Los Angeles? Obvious reasons- lots of star power. Rodeo Drive. The USCal Trojans and UCLA Bruins rivalry. If you're into sports, you love you some Lakers basketball (and the Clippers) and some Dodgers baseball. You may even be fond of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Also, who doesn't love being among the stars and celebrities that call L.A. home? Who doesn't love being in the movie-making industry?
• Care to learn in Los Angeles? Many institutions are within reach- the University of Southern California, the University of California-Los Angeles (better known as UCLA, of course), Loyola Marymount University, California State University-Los Angeles... all among many others.
• One instantly feels star power in Los Angeles, especially knowing you are within distance of various studios and media outlets. Paramount Pictures, Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox, Warner Brothers... I can go on.
• Los Angeles has a number of famous eateries and chains. Among others, Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles and In-N-Out Burger come to mind immediately to me.
I talked about NYC and not being far from Europe and Africa. With Los Angeles, you feel closer to home, if home to you is Asia or Australia.
--- Which Would I Choose? ---
I've never been outside of Texas as of this post, but would I choose New York City or Los Angeles?
Through my childhood, I've always seemed to want to visit New York City more than I do Los Angeles. Both cities are surely worth visiting. I just seemed always more enamored with New York City than I do Los Angeles. The city is truly classic to me. I would absolutely enjoy seeing the New York City skyline from across the Hudson River at night.
This is going to sound funny- I would feel more lost in Los Angeles than I would in New York City. I honestly do wish I knew more about Los Angeles and surrounding areas than what I do know. I would probably most want to visit Rodeo Drive and all the various shops and such. I may even be interested in seeing Watts and the Watts Towers.
Most of all- I have one big fear about being on the West Coast (or even Japan)- fear of being in an earthquake. That kind of is a deterrent for me being around the Ring of Fire. It's also why I'm a bit fearful of going in another California city I love- San Francisco.
So I would most want to visit New York City if I had to choose between New York City and Los Angeles.
I would like to specially thank the YouTube channel, "vidatown" for allowing their videos to be embedded. So that's the concept of "Take Your Pick." Which would you choose- New York City or Los Angeles? Thank you for reading! Get social with me! Here's how:
News, weather, and traffic; all to get you going for the day. When the NewsFix was in for CW 39, it meant radical changes to compete for news supremacy in Houston. Another radical change was Eye Opener. Though Eye Opener has been on since May 9, 2011; my first time really seeing Eye Opener was not too long ago. It is therefore time to offer thoughts on CW 39's brand of morning news. I welcome you to John's Blog Space and another blog post on JBS!
Love John's Blog Space? If so (and if you haven't yet subscribed or followed), Subscribe and/or Follow!
NOTE: This is not any paid review or anything. The material you are about to see is all based on personal commentary and my own personal review of this program. I will make any needed changes or edits needed to better service my reading audience if need be. I would encourage my loyal readers to contact me any sort of way of any changes I need to make.
--- Eye Opener at a Glance ---
I usually start off with a picture, but I couldn't find a good enough one to feature here to set the mood for this blog post. So I'll be using this one:
Eye Opener is a different kind of morning show meant to compete with the other morning newscasts. Remember Mia Gradney (featured among my favorite Houston news personalities)? Yeah. Well, Mia is one of the different personalities of Eye Opener. Each weekday morning, this crew delivers up news in a very casual way. It is television morning news that is as unpredictable and as unconventional as some morning radio shows.
This is the Eye Opener crew (click on any hyperlinked names to read his/her bio): • Sean Dowling, reporter • Mia Gradney • Bohuš Blahut, Casual Expert (first name pronounced "BOH-hoosh") • Kirby O'Connell • Adam Lee Campbell (better known as ALC), "Acapella with ALC" • "Wrench"
These are among some of the many personalities of Eye Opener. Only Mia Gradney is the one I've mentioned previously here on John's Blog Space, among some of my favorite Houston on-air news personalities.
What You Must Know...
A few notes on this initial blog post...
• I saw Eye Opener at around 7:39 AM Central [Daylight] Time on Friday, October 28, 2011. What I discuss here is based on the 20 minutes of Eye Opener I was able to see from today and from what more I saw on Eye Opener online.
So with this out the way, it's time I make my own review of "Eye Opener."
--- Eye Opener: Basic Thoughts ---
This is really a different sort of morning show. It is surely non-traditional, as most morning news have a traditional newscast designed to get you going for the morning easily. If a usual morning newscast is like starting a day with a cup of coffee, then watching Eye Opener is like starting your day... with a can of Red Bull (or any other energy drink). The same sort of irreverent material you'd probably see on NewsFix is what you'll find on Eye Opener. To my knowledge, Eye Opener isn't all Houston-based and all Houston-operated. In fact, I read the Eye Opener material is based in Chicago with Houston news breaks. It is mostly a national show as opposed to a Houston-exclusive program.
Speaking of the aforementioned NewsFix, when I first tuned in to actually see Eye Opener for myself, there was NewsFix-style news on Eye Opener when I tuned in. And I'm like... oh, I remember this from back in March when I compiled my lengthy review of NewsFix. I can't bring myself to watch NewsFix. So I basically muted out the NewsFix part. I later saw and heard Marci Izard (reporter and sometimes anchor for CW 39 News) make mention to news, weather, and traffic. Unlike NewsFix's "f___ anchors and f___ reporters" format, Marci's voice actually discussed the weather in a brief manner. Later the attention goes from the CW 39 team to the Eye Opener team as they came along with some... interesting topics. Newsworthy topics are discussed, just not really typical stories about typical topics (like politics, for example).
Online Dish With Maggie.
At around 7:45 AM, "Online Dish With Maggie" was on. This was the first time I've seen Maggie Flecknoe on my TV since the CW 39 News format gave way to NewsFix. The beautiful blonde from Colorado still dishes on some of the most interesting and gossip-worthy topics. I have seen some of the most recent Online Dish segments from Maggie (or "Blondie") in preparing this post. No shortage of interesting topics from Maggie including her unique commentary.
Trending videos are as much a part of CW 39 News as anything else. Your taste of the most interesting Internet videos get some face time on Eye Opener. These would be those videos that get all kinds of hits online or are worth watching.
Those are the segments I was able to see on TV. To learn about other segments featured on Eye Opener, such as Your Moment of Cuteness, visit Eye Opener's website.
--- Eye Opener: Final Thoughts ---
Touted as a different kind of morning show, Eye Opener is just that. It is a morning show that is more casual and in-your-face while not severely overdoing it. Eye Opener is not NewsFix (a good thing for NewsFix haters), but some of the sort of swagger of NewsFix is instilled in Eye Opener's news. It is surely a different sort of morning news experience. For someone who used to watch FOX 26 Morning News a lot and even ABC 13 Morning News, Eye Opener is radically different. CW 39 delivers mostly casual news in Eye Opener and NewsFix while having a deeper tie to the Houston-area and Houstonians than most of the major local networks do at trying to showcase things on a local level. Eye Opener is no different.
Would I watch Eye Opener again if I were up earlier or if I wanted to see it again? If on a scale of 1-5, where 1 means "least likely" and 5 means "most likely," I would put Eye Opener at 3.5. Or at the most, 3.75 or even 4. I have basically stopped caring about TV/radio news except for weather and sports. So I can't honestly say I'd watch Eye Opener again if I wanted to.
It was pretty cool seeing Eye Opener and actually seeing what it was mostly about. Too bad I didn't get to see the lovely Mia Gradney on TV in preparing this blog post.
Perhaps I should see more of the show more often so I can provide a better look at Eye Opener. This will do for now, though. Thank you for reading! That concludes this blog post. Hope you enjoyed it.
Warm weather or cool weather? Personally, I prefer cooler weather. There is just something enjoyable about cooler weather than warmer weather. Especially here in Houston, where Summer can be brutally hot, cooler weather is always welcome for us Houstonians. Many people either love cool weather or warm weather. It all depends on what you're used to and what you can really tolerate. There are a number of people from Frost Belt states who lovingly go south and west to get away from the snowy north and east during Fall/Autumn and Winter.
But which do you prefer- warm weather or cool weather? I've been wanting to debut this new label for my blog posts for the longest, and here you go:
"Take Your Pick" is a blog label regarding my readers to pick one or more sides of something. I will mostly encourage my readers to choose between one or more featured items. The point is for my readers to choose between two or more different items featured in a post. My hope is to get some more involvement and commentary from readers.
--- Take Your Pick: Warm Weather or Cool Weather? ---
So where do YOU stand? Please note that "warm" can mean warm days and hot days, and "cool" means cool days and cold days.
Why Warm Weather?
For most people, not having to wear layers or heavy clothing are the main reasons why many love warm weather more than cool weather. There are also those who enjoy going to the beach. No better way to enjoy life on the beach or in coastal areas than on a warm/hot day. People also love wearing shorts for warm days, and many others also love wearing sandals to embrace the warm weather. And not one day will go by where you will see at least one pair of flip-flop/thong sandals being worn on these days.
Most females enjoy wearing capris, skirts, and certain dresses to take in the warm weather. That's why most love wearing their short shorts and mini skirts on such warm days. I refer to this as beating the heat by looking hot. :) These times of year are usually the times where you normally see beach-inspired fashions and surf-inspired fashions take over for wardrobe. Girls usually embrace the warm weather times with shorts and skirts from makes like Hollister, Abercrombie and Fitch, Volcom, and brands like those.
Sports fans enjoy and know warm weather times for sports like baseball. Various Spring and Summer sports are also popular and well-loved around these times of year.
Why Cool Weather?
Cooler weather allows you to dress comfortably and not have to worry about battling the heat. My idea of a beautiful day is a sunny day with temperatures between 65°F to 79°F. I also like sunny cool days that have only calm winds or even breezy days. Considering how hot it can be in Houston, anyone sick of the Texas heat reluctantly look forward to cooler weather times.
For many that love warmer weather, most people dislike cooler weather because of having to wear layers and bundling up. Many people feel like wearing shorts and sandals rather than longer jeans/pants and covered shoes. A number of females are reluctant to tuck jean legs and pant legs into a chic pair of boots. From my popular "Party Time!" blog post, there are lots of ladies who would love to head out on the town in cocktail dresses.
I know and love this time of year for gridiron football. Then later, basketball season rolls around. So it's a great time to be a sports fan this time of year.
So where do you stand- warmer weather or cooler weather? Take your pick! Thank you for reading!
Heels are hot! Flats are comfy! How do you choose between the two, though? This is just a quick blog post of mine just based on opinions rather than actually share some actual insight. Are heels or flats better? You're about to get my own commentary with this blog post.
Why Flats?
Many females prefer the comfort of flats because of their comfort. You sometimes feel more like wearing something flat rather than go towards heels. I've always liked ballet flats that most females like to wear with their outfits. The only flats I usually dislike are most flat gladiator sandals, peep-toe flats, and open-toe flats.
You can argue in favor of flats for one reason- riding boots. Riding boots are about the most stylish flats besides ballet flats. Riding boots tucked into jeans makes for some great equestrian chic. For some other fashionistas, rain boots are also stylish flat boots.
Why Heels?
Going with heels is the way to feel both comfortable and hot. If it were up to most females, many could wear heels all day long if it were possible. Especially a pair of high heels exudes abounding levels of chic. To some people, wedges are fake high heels. Depending on who you ask, stiletto heels are hotter than wedge heels. I mentioned peep-toes in the previous section. As you may know, peep-toe designs are better left for non-flat shoes. I think peep-toes are a showing of elegance and are best expressed with high-heel shoes (high-heel platform peep-toe shoes are even better).
Which is Better?
Whichever is better depends on your fashion tastes. Some prefer flats; some others prefer some sweet heels. Depends on taste and one's views on heels. I follow two fashion blogs by males who both think heeled shoes for females are wonderful. On a message board called the Fashion Spot (tFS), I come across some females who want to have both some flats and some heeled shoes. Some don't have any good flat shoes, so they shop around for some flat shoes. Some don't have very nice heeled shoes, so they want opinions on certain heeled shoes they like. It all really depends on the tastes of the individual interested in them.
My inclination is to ho with heels. Even high-heel wedges, and even high-heel casual wedges and espadrilles exude a level of girly charm no flat can ever emulate. A pair of espadrilles or wedges with a cork or straw base can be hotter than some flat shoes or sandals.
But all in all, everything is about comfort. Wear what makes you feel attractive and/or comfortable. Never mind what most other people dare say.
That's what I think about heels vs. flats. What is/are YOUR views on heels vs. flats? Feel free to comment away! Thank you for reading!
