“TWEET HOUSE” TO HOST AN EXCLUSIVE OPENING NIGHT PARTY

IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER DURING THE

2010 SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST ® (SXSW) CONFERENCE & FESTIVALS

The “Tweet House” Will Join Forces With The Hollywood Reporter At This Year’s SXSW ® To Kick Off The Festival With A Stellar Opening Night Bash, Highlighting And Celebrating The Intersection of Hollywood and Silicon Valley

(Austin, TX – March 8, 2010) The Parnassus Group, creators of the “Tweet House” series of special events, has announced that The Hollywood Reporter will host the event’s exclusive evening Twitter-themed party during the 2010 South By Southwest ® Film, Music and Interactive Festival on March 12, 2010.

“The inaugural ‘Tweet House’ at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was an amazing success due in part to our partnership with Smashbox Studios for the evening events, said Steve Broback, Founder of the Parnassus Group and Host of the Tweet House. “We’re so excited to do it again at SXSW and partner yet again with a powerhouse brand like The Hollywood Reporter to create a networking hub where Hollywood and the Tech world can really cut loose!”

The Tweet House at SXSW ® will take place at Mellow Johnny’s, located at 400 Nueces St. in Austin, TX. Sessions covering Twitter and other Social Media topics relevant to the entertainment and music industry, will begin at 2:00pm and will be followed by a “Tailgate Party” BBQ hosted by Chevrolet ™.  The Hollywood Reporter party will host RSVP’d guests beginning 9:30pm with Hollywood’s DJ Menelik reprising his role as the evening’s entertainment.

“Twitter has become an essential tool in word-of-mouth marketing, and has opened up a new and significant communication channel throughout Hollywood,” said Nikki Hamedani, Senior Digital Marketing Manager with The Hollywood Reporter. “We’re thrilled to collaborate on an event celebrating the convergence of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.”

About The Hollywood Reporter

The Hollywood Reporter (THR) is the premier destination and most-widely trusted resource for entertainment news, reviews, videos and analysis. Founded in 1930, THR offers exclusive coverage of film, television, and international news, plus extensive photo galleries and reporting of industry events and festivals such as the Oscars®, Emmys, Sundance, Cannes and more. Our unparalleled content reaches the entire entertainment marketplace-allowing industry leaders, influencers and consumers to access the information they want whenever, wherever.  Visit www.THR.com for more details.

About The Parnassus Group

Founded in 2004, The Parnassus Group provides services to clients and partners seeking to participate in the social media space. They’ve helped everyone from Fortune 500 companies to sole proprietorships in their efforts to leverage technologies like blogs, Twitter, Facebook, and more. For more info go to www.parnassusgroup.com

For Further Information, Please Go To http://tweet-house.com/

Friends and Fans of The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas: Weekly yoga and guided meditation classes with Swami Ramananda.

Dr. Swami Ramananda better known as “Swamiji” is the author of the New Age Classic, BLISS NOW. Swamiji has lectured on yoga and Indian philosophy in over 90 countries worldwide. He is currently Professor Emeritus of Indian Philosophy, Yoga, and Feng Shui at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.   Swami was initiated in India by Sri Sri Anandamayi Ma, one of modern India’s greatest saints.  She was the guru of Mahatama Ghandi.  Swamiji lived with Sri Anandamayi Ma and received the highest initiations of any Western Swami.  Spending an afternoon in yoga and meditation with Swamiji will offer a glimpse into the world of yoga, Indian philosophy and personal rejuvenation.

As Las Vegas residents, we would like to invite you to experience a session with Swamiji at a special introductory rate of $35 per person.  Join a session on Wednesday at 3 p.m. or Saturday at 11:00 a.m. and feel the stress just melt away!  Space is limited to 12 people per class.

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas

Soak your stress away in The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas with elements richly designed to reflect the glamour and fusion of 1930’s Shanghai.  Western and Oriental influences fuse together through architecture and treatment options.  This 27,000 square foot space will set the mood of this bygone age of fantasy and luxury with seven Couple’s Suites, 10 treatment rooms, Hammam, Chinese Foot Spa, an intimate Salon, expansive Thermal experiences, and a beautifully appointed Fitness and Wellness Center including a Yoga and Pilates Studio overlooking City Center development on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Operating Hours

The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.  Fitness and Wellness Center open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Yoga and Meditation

The Yoga Studio is located on the 8th floor of the hotel, in The Spa at Mandarin Oriental. Set high above the architectural landscape of the City Center complex, the Yoga Studio offers spectacular views, providing an inspirational start or end to the day.  Please call to guarantee your spot. Please find our spa and salon brochure with treatments and prices attached.  Please contact our Spa Reservations Department at molas-spa@mohg.com or via telephone at 1-888-881-9530 to secure your reservation.

March 2010: As time remains an increasingly precious commodity Small Luxury Hotels of the World ™ (SLH) has developed an app to bring luxury to the palm of your hand. The new, free app allows guests to Discover, Enjoy and Share some ‘GR8 TLC’ in any one of our superb 500 plus properties in over 75 countries, anywhere at any time. The new app, will be available from March 2010.

Supported by rich imagery and information, customers will easily be able to book any hotel and share their favourite choices with friends and family – all with the simple touch of a button. The SLH app also helps find nearby points of interest including tourist attractions and other rich cultural and culinary experiences through the augmented reality function.

‘‘The free iPhone app was developed with our guests’ needs and wants expressly in mind,’’ says Paul Kerr, CEO of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. ‘‘It provides a highly flexible and easy way to search, browse and book a hotel whilst on the go, We are also pleased to be able to provide our guests with instant and personally selected recommendations for famous landmarks near their hotels through the help of augmented reality and Google maps with GPS, so it is virtually impossible to get lost.’’

Designed by SLH’s digital partner, Fortune Cookie, there are three main iPhone app functionalities:

‘Discover’ – allows iPhone users to browse and book their luxury hotel, through various search categories such as destination, specific experiences or the latest special offers for a quick getaway. Whether customers are seeking a blissful spa retreat, a secluded beachside escape or a sanctuary hidden amid the vibrant atmosphere of a bustling city centre, it is now all available from the iPhone.

‘Share’ – enables a shortlist of favourite SLH hotels and experiences to be shared with family and friends via Facebook, Twitter and e-mail.

‘Enjoy’ – search for points of interest near to your hotel as you walk the streets using an augmented reality layer which delivers expert personal recommendations from SLH.

Justin Cooke from Fortune Cookie says, ‘’We have designed the SLH iPhone application to allow SLH guests to engage with SLH at every stage of their journey – finding the right property to suit their needs, using the app to enhance their experience while staying at the property and of course, sharing the experience when they return.’’

SLH’s iPhone app also works on the iPod Touch and is available as a free download from the Apple Apps Store.

About Small Luxury Hotels of the World:

The Small Luxury Hotels of the World™ (SLH) brand is an unrivalled portfolio of some of the world’s finest small independent hotels.  Comprising over 500 hotels in more than 75 countries, the diversity of the individual hotels, and the experiences that they offer, is exceptional.  From cutting-edge design hotels to palatial 17^th century mansions, city centre sanctuaries to remote private islands, historic country houses to idyllic resorts, Small Luxury Hotels of the World offers only the very best.  Reservations can be made at any Small Luxury Hotels of the World property via www.slh.com.  Travel agents need only remember the GDS code LX for LuXury.

by Anthony, The Travel Tart–

I went riding down this road/glorified goat track on a mountain bike in late 2007.  Yungas Road  is located between the capital of Bolivia, La Paz, and the town of Coroico.

This ‘Road of Death’ claimed an average of 20 vehicles each year (and numerous lives) until a new highway opened in 2007 – in fact, the locals were so pissed off with using the old road, that they used the new highway during the construction period!

Just remember, Yungas Road was a two lane ‘highway’ – but it’s barely wide enough for one car width in some places!

The drop over the edge is ‘only’ usually 600 metres (1900 ft).  Only travellers are silly enough to use this road now via mountain bike trips.  In fact, about 10 people have lost their lives mountain biking down this magnificent part of Bolivia.  I guess that means they don’t score the ‘I Mountain Biked Down The World’s Most Dangerous Road’ T-shirt.

The trip is about 70 kilometres (44 miles) long and starts at 4000 metres (13000 ft) above sea level – sometimes in the snow –  and finishes at 1500 metres above sea level – in tropical forest. It takes about 6 to 7 hours cycling downhill.  The hardest part is a 3 kilometre uphill pedal at 3500 metres – which almost burst my lungs.

Some masochistic people have cycled up The World’s Most Dangerous Road – and this takes about 12 hours.

Believe me, it’s worth risking your life to ride this fantastic track!  I was on a high for days after cycling down The World’s Most Dangerous Road – in fact, I wanted to go again!

It’s easy to organise a trip – many places in La Paz organise the trip there, which also includes chocolate and bananas for extra energy!

Also, please find attached a video link here with some great footage about the road:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNGnLyGtN1I

My website is: The Travel Tart – Offbeat Tales From a Travel Addict (http://www.thetraveltart.com)

Twitter: twitter.com/thetraveltart

Like Wonder Woman For Your Skin…

Healing Stick Saves the Day

Being outside is the best part about the summer, but what about all of the unfortunate things that happen to your skin? When spending hours in the great outdoors, everything from bug bites to poison ivy can strike. Ever wish there was a miracle product that would help solve all of summer’s woes? Cue the Healing Stick from First Aid Beauty! This convenient, travelable, packable, multipurpose remedy does it all!

This on-the-go repair stick provides quick relief for:

• Itchy skin
• Rashes
• Bug Bites
• Irritation from shaving
• Dry, scaly skin and cuticles
• Symptoms associated with eczema, psoriasis and other inflamed skin conditions

This 1% hydrocortisone formulation works to cure just about any skin irritation! Unlike other hydrocortisone products on the market, this is an anhydrous stick, not a cream so it stays put and doesn’t run to areas where the skin doesn’t need it. The First Aid Beauty Healing Stick is available at Sephora stores and at Sephora.com for $14. Please let me know if you would like additional information or samples. ]]> http://adventuregirl.com/beauty-healing-stick-first-aid-beauty-for-travel/feed/ 0 http://adventuregirl.com/roma-restaurants-ciao-lauras-top-picks/ http://adventuregirl.com/roma-restaurants-ciao-lauras-top-picks/#comments Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:14:24 +0000 Laura Faust http://adventuregirl.com/?p=1476

Traveling to Italy? There on a whim? Or simply planning the next foodie holiday? Well, we’ve got the “girl in the know” on the ground in Roma! Italy expert, Ciao Laura finds the best of Rome’s restaurants, trattorias and even a mozzerella bar, and shares her piping hot picks with Adventure Girl.

Gratzi Laura!

Trattoria Cadorna, Via Cadorna 12, Roma

Tel +39 06 482 7061

Gusto 28 Bar e Ristorante, Piazza Augusto Imperatore, 28 – 00186 Roma

Tel. 06 68 13 42 21

LAURA’S TOP PICK! Okika Roma Prefetti (mozzarella bar – FAB)

Piazza di Firenze – corner Via dei Prefetti, 00186, Roma

Tel. +39 06 6832630

Ristorante Giggetto al Portico d’Ottavia , Via del Portico, 21/A • 00186 Roma

Tel  +39 06 6861105

Ristorante “La Taverna dei Monti, via del Boschetto 41,  Roma

Tel. +39 06 48 177 24

Open Colonna, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Scalinata di via Milano 9A Roma

Tel. +39 06 4782264

Roscioli Restaurant, Via dei Giubbonari, 21, 00186 Rome

Tel: +39 06 6875287

Case Bleve, Via Teatro Valle, 48/49, 00186 Rome

Tel +39 06 6865970

QuakeCon 2010

WHAT: QuakeCon is a free convention held yearly in Dallas, Texas brought to you by id Software, Bethesda Softworks and their parent company ZeniMax Media Inc.. Thousands of gamers gather in one location to play with their friends on a giant gaming network, see the latest in cool technology, hear about upcoming games and compete in world-class tournaments.

WHO: Fans of computer and videogames. The event is FREE to all attendees thanks to the support of id and Bethesda as well as the QuakeCon volunteer staff and the 2010 event sponsors and exhibitors.

WHEN: August 12-15, 2010

WHERE: Hilton Anatole Hotel – Dallas, Texas

WHY: Play in world-class tournaments, meet and interact with game developers, be the first to learn new information about upcoming computer and videogames and have the opportunity to frag with friends on QuakeCon’s massive Bring Your Own Computer network.

More details about QuakeCon 2010 will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Media Contact:

Tracey Thompson

Director of PR

Bethesda Softworks

1370 Piccard Drive, Ste. 120

Rockville, MD 20850

Phone: 301.354.4216

Email: tthompson@bethsoft.com

By: Ryan Seslow

Taking action on traveling opportunities as often as I can, makes me lucky, I admit it. Since 2005 my sweetheart and I have been on a two month per year streak of visiting European cities. A native and well-traveled European herself, and me- a fluid explorer of easy adaptation, we are up for the challenge and excitement of exploring new cities and cultures.

Between 2006 -2009 I began documenting and collecting a series of photographs that emphasize the graffiti and street art in the cities I had spent more than 4 weeks in. As a longtime lover and participant in the graffiti and street art medium, I am always excited to discover what artists are doing around the world. There are tons of fantastic sites and daily blogs that are covering the continued evolution of the street art and graffiti medium, but there is nothing quite as good as seeing the real thing.

Sketch books and my cameras are the usual means of immediacy while I travel, with a good still and a video camera constantly attached to my hand. As a college professor of fine arts, I have a great need to share, discuss, debate, accept, and integrate the content discoveries into my existence. Documenting also allows me to create new works, show  art on a regular basis both domestically and internationally, thus cultivating images of street art into video was a symbiotic step in artistic visualization.

The works are site specific, the entire surrounding environment play a role in the composition of how the art functions. Graffiti and street art  is a form of public art. Everyone has the same potential viewing opportunity, and creates a form of equal inspiration. Some works are outright blatant, but some of which are more subtle, clever and demand your keep eye for retention, and each time I experience new works in a new city, I’m energized.

The video I created is a collection of still images that have left a lasting impression on me and my work, giving my perception of a “traveled to location” a new context. From Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Lyon, Rouen, & Paris France, Verbier, Switzerland, to Antwerp, Belgium, the video also inspired me to conduct several interviews with some of the artists working in the medium, some of which still require translation.

The other side is the debate about graffiti and street art equating to vandalism, a controversy which will go on forever, but the fact of the matter is, its here to stay, and you can find it growing in every part of the world.

The human need to express oneself in an action of immediacy, or in the event of planned longevity seems to be ongoing.

So, next time you pass by street art while traveling, think about what an artist might have been exploring, thinking, sharing to create a truly unique and personal travel moment to take home with you.

“Photographing European Street Art & Graffiti: Video 2006 – 2009″ video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lk8521pTMpY

VANITY FAIR MAGAZINE

(February 2010 Issue)

–NO OSCAR REQUIRED: ULTIMATE “RED CARPET” TAHITI EXPERIENCE FEATURES FIRST CLASS AIR, PRIVATE ISLAND ESCAPE, YACHT CHARTER, BORA BORA ROYAL ESTATE, HELICOPTER TRAVEL & MORE

13 Nights From $170,000 Per Couple; Travel June 14, 2010 – May 31, 2011

LOS ANGELES, CA, March 1, 2010 – This year’s Academy Awards takes place Sunday, March 7, and promises its usual bevy of sensational movie icons, glittering gowns and glamour-filled bashes. But A-list celebrities aren’t the only ones who can enjoy star treatment. Jet-setting travelers can sashay in ultimate VIP style onto their own red carpet in Tahiti and Her Islands with Tahiti Legends and Air Tahiti Nui’s “Ultimate Tahiti Experience.”

Starting at $170,000 per couple and valid for travel June 14, 2010 – May 31, 2011, this unique travel-like-a-celebrity experience kicks off with VIP airport handling and first class (Poerava) roundtrip flights from Los Angeles to Papeete on Air Tahiti Nui.  The first five nights of the 13-night package are spent in wonderful solitude in a luxury villa on Motu Tetaraire, a completely private nine-acre Rangiroa island with no other inhabitants except the tropical fauna and attentive wait staff who cater to every whim.  Next it’s time to hit the water with three nights sailing the magnificent crystal clear French Polynesia lagoons on a customized course aboard the Roa, a privately chartered 77-ft motor yacht.  Then it’s off to the luxurious St. Regis Bora Bora, where the 2009 blockbuster movie Couples Retreat was shot, for five nights in the resort’s famous 15,000 sq. ft “Royal Estate” where Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban honeymooned.

No Tahitian experience is complete without sightseeing, and VIP options are included in this ultimate package.  Travelers will enjoy “Taha’a Heli Vanilla,” a scenic helicopter ride from beautiful Bora Bora to fragrant Taha’a, the “Vanilla Island” for a private tour of Vanilla Valley to pick their own vanilla beans before returning to the St. Regis Bora Bora for a three-course gastronomic vanilla tasting menu created by Executive Chef Phillippe Egalon at Lagoon, a Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant.

On the “Private Lagoon Cruise” guests enjoy an unforgettable day circling Bora Bora aboard a private 23-ft Cap Camarat with a Polynesian guide, stopping to snorkel in beautiful coral gardens alongside graceful manta rays and to discover their own black pearl under the sea.  The day is topped off with a motu barbeque picnic lunch with Champagne.

Finally, the “Luna Sea Tour” is a half-day deep sea fishing excursion in the legendary waters of French Polynesia aboard the Luna Sea, a 34-foot Black Watch.  Deep warm-water canyons just offshore provide the opportunity to catch blue and black marlin, wahoo, mahi mahi and other game fish.  Guests then enjoy their catch during a private sunset dinner on the beach.

Rounding out this uber-luxurious package is a relaxing couples massage and Illuminating Black Pearl Facial at St. Regis Bora Bora’s Miri Miri Spa, plus a memorable dinner for two at Bora Bora’s A-list restaurant Villa Mahana.

Travelers on the “Ultimate Tahiti Experience” will receive private transfers and meet and greets as part of the VIP handling throughout. All meals and most hotel activities are included, in addition to the noted excursions above.

For more information on Tahiti Legends and to book “Ultimate Tahiti Experience”
visit www.tahitilegends.com or call 1-800-200-1213.  For VIP requests, please e-mail sales@tahitilegends.com.
For more information on Air Tahiti Nui, visit www.airtahitinui-usa.com or call 1-877-824-4846.

About AIR TAHITI NUI
Air Tahiti Nui, with a route network linking the South Pacific to four continents, is the leading carrier to French Polynesia featuring daily nonstop service from Los Angeles. Air Tahiti Nui was named the “Best Airline – Pacific Region” and recognized as having the “Best Cabin Staff – Pacific Region” in the 2009 Skytrax World Airline Survey® for the seventh consecutive year; it was also named one of the “World’s Best” international airlines by Travel +Leisure in 2008. The airline has headquarters in Papeete and operates from Faa’a International Airport on the island of Tahiti. The company was founded in 1996 and commenced flight operations in 1998.

The web site www.airtahitinui-usa.com helps travelers plan and book flights and vacation packages to Tahiti, Bora Bora, Moorea, Huahine, Raiatea, Taha’a, Rangiroa, the Marquesas, and Tuamotu.  In addition to featuring special honeymoon, cruise and diving packages, flights to Paris, Auckland, Sydney and Tokyo are bookable online or by calling Air Tahiti Nui toll-free at 1-877-824-4846.