The Struggle To Recover - New Orleans After Katrina
The New orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors bureau has its work cut out trying to convince the world that post-Katrina New orleans is the fabulous vacation place it was before the catastrophic events of 2005. In an attempt to revive the city's fortunes, the agency has received almost $9 million in federal funds and will be responsible for re-branding the city and persuading visitors to return to re-vamped, renewed New orleans.
Ironically, the traditional tourist areas in the French Quarter (and especially Bourbon Street) were relatively unscathed by the storm, as it was the outer lying areas and neighbourhoods of the city that suffered the most damage. Even so, many people have been put off visiting New orleans because of the negative perception given by the news coverage in the aftermath of Katrina, according to Kelly Schulz, VP of communications and public relations at the Visitors bureau. As a result the city has invested in a new campaign named 'Forever New Orleans', which is designed to stress the Big Easy's 'resilience, unwavering spirit and culture'. "The one thing that Katrina didn't wash away was our culture and the experience and emotional connection people have with this city," says Schulz.
35 percent of New Orleans' operating budget is generated by tourism and hospitality, amounting to $5 billion in a good pre-Katrina year, so the campaign's success is critical to the city's economy. In 2004, the city attracted almost ten million visitors and employed 85,000 workers in the tourism sector. Post-Katrina the city has struggled to get anywhere near those figures, with only 3.7 million visiting during 2006. That creates a huge hole in the city's finances and many New orleans residents wonder just how the city will recover, if ever.
However, things may be looking up if this year's Mardi-Gras is any indicator. Pre-Katrina visitor figures for the festival topped the one million mark and this year's were estimated at 800,000 - up 100,000 on 2006's figures. The event is crucial to the city's finances as it generates as much as $20.5 million in tax revenues alone. On the downside, although visitors are returning for one-offs such as Mardi-Gras, in general hotels in New Orleans are running at a dismal 35 per cent occupancy.
So, although the restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels in New Orleans' tourist area may be open for business, many of their proprietors are wondering if the visitors will ever return in the numbers seen before the disaster that was hurricane Katrina. Only time, and perhaps an aggressive marketing campaign by the New orleans Metropolitan Convention and Visitors bureau, will tell.
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Essential Snowboarding Gear
Snowboarding is one of the most popular winter sports. Due to its popularity, many manufactures and retailers are selling snowboarding gear to ensure that snowboarders are safer during rides. Technically in snowboarding all you need is a snowboard but there is enough gear available to ensure this winter sport is safe, convenient and enjoyable.
The most essential safety equipment in snowboarding is a helmet. today, one can see snowboarders pulling of unbelievable stunts and having a helmet on can make all the difference. Snowboard helmets are not only safe but also comfortable and warm. Some helmets come with built in ear phones for mp3 and cell phones. However, keeping safety in mind, it is not advised to listen to music or chat on a cell phone.
The next important part of a snowboard gear is goggles. On bright sunny days, sunglasses will do just fine. However, when it starts snowing, it is just snow goggles that can provide protection and comfort. The goggles also help to protect the face from natural elements. However, if the weather is specially inclement, then a balaclava will keep your face warm and comfortable.
These day, special types of snowboard jackets and pants are available. Keeping the younger generation in mind, sellers keep baggy style snowboarding clothes. Snowboard jackets and pants are designed for comfort and warmth. They look stylish and will help to keep you dry.
Many snowboarders end up with gloves on the slopes. It is important to carry gloves or mittens based on your preference. The only thing you need to ensure is that they are water proof. Nothing spoils snowboarding like a wet glove or mitten!
About the writer: Nigel Kerry is an American free lance writer born in Los angeles, california. Kerry writes Sportsbook reviews, sport book articles and articles with respect to Sports Betting.
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Playing Golf Shots Over Water
If I gave you a million dollars do you think you may have one or two thoughts about the money? Of course you would. If we were driving very fast along a road perhaps you would have some thoughts about the speed we were travelling? Quite probably. And if you were standing on the tee of a 170 yard par 3 hole with a small lake in front of the green do you think you may have some thoughts about the water? Absolutely!
But what very often happens is that the instant those thoughts appear we become lost in a drama. We act as if there is something wrong with the thought. Perhaps we focus on what we dont want to happen - OK, just keep it out of the water, the voice in our head tells us, so we swing not really sure if we are laying up, going for the green, or focussing on the water. A top, a fat shot or a splash is the likely result.
Or perhaps faced with this shot we try and convince ourselves that the water isnt there, we visualise it as grass or use some other mental trick to try and block out what we see. There is no water we may tell ourselves on one level, but at a deeper level we know it is there, weve seen it, and we are not fully integrated as we swing.
Surely it would be better just to acknowledge reality. See the water, decide what shot you can confidently play (there is no shame in laying up if that is what you know you can comfortably do), fully commit to that shot, and play it.
I used to get a bit anxious when faced with a shot over water. But then I realised I was making this much more significant than it really was. It wasnt so much a water trap, more of a mind trap.
The nervous system sees water and produces a thought about it - thats absolutely normal. What begins to drag us down is when we react to that perfectly normal thought and begin to make a story about it - Oh, oh, maybe Ill use a cheap ball on this hole, just in case I drop it in, or Oh heck, the last time I was here I knocked two balls into the lake. You dont need that kind of pressure. We jump forward into what if? scenarios, or drag up all of our past mistakes. We are certainly not fresh and in this moment with this shot.
one of the things that makes the GolfInTheMoment approach so unique is that we are not trying to control our thoughts. That is virtually impossible and uses us a horrific amount of mental and physical energy. Its much easier to simply let them be, but not get involved with them. Life is experienced with much more peace and fluidity in this way.
These past few weeks I have been working with the head professional of a leading course in Scotland. Last week we played the Torrance course at St. Andrews Bay resort, a beautiful links course which I highly recommend. As we were playing he shared that he often experienced fear at times during competitive matches, and he had tried many methods to manage or reduce this. When we looked a bit closer at this it became obvious that the biggest fear he faced was the fear that fear may strike. This induces timidity into our play, where we focus on trying to hold it together during a competitive round rather than relaxing and exploring just how good we can be on that particular day.
But he was now beginning to have a different experience as he was able to use these new techniques to let go of trying to control his thoughts and emotions. He felt freer, able to see that he had a choice, and that if he simply didnt get involved with the thoughts and emotions they would move on their own anyway.
And very often our interpretation of them is wrong. For example, those first-tee nerves that you have convinced yourself you always have - well, maybe thats just excitement. They both have a similar physical sensation.
So, your homework from this article is very simple - let everything be as it is, just accept it. Thoughts are normal and natural, and having energy moving through your body is absolutely OK.
And if you really want to go for broke, take a ball and deliberately play it into the water, then take a look around. Is there any blood on the ground? Have your arms fallen off? Have you gone bankrupt as a result of it? Has anything in your world suddenly fallen apart? No, so lets get some perspective on this thing, eh? Even the best players find water now and then, and they accept that it is part of the game. So if that attitude serves them it surely will serve you too. Until next time, have fun.
Mahadeva Ishaya is a monk of the Ishaya Order, and also an avid golfer. He is the publisher of http://www.golfinthemoment.com which is committed to helping golfers of all abilities realise that mastery of the "inner game" of golf is not only vital, but simple and enjoyable.
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