New Hope for the Jobless - Secret Unfolded by John Mattes

In October the national unemployment rate hit 10.3% this equates to approximately over 15 million Americans left jobless, many with little hope of returning to work in the near future. However perhaps there is hope out there a hope that has yet to be revealed.
INVESTIGATIVE GUY John Mattes has uncovered a federal program designed to give free gas cards to the unemployed but is a secret to those it's designed to help. The U.S. Labor Department provides millions of dollars in supportive services to the states for the unemployed. The program in some areas provides free gas cards, child care assistance and even pays for job interview clothing -- but the program has never been publicized so the unemployed don't know it exists or how to ask for it.

Asian Style Baby Clothes by Lucky Wang

Brought to you by Sterling Mgmt.

I just stumbled across the cutest baby apparel brand called Lucky Wang. They have little komodo wraps for babies, draw string pants like the kind Bruce Lee wore and more.

Not Blogging, But Still Traveling (kind of)

I know I haven't posted here in awhile. But that doesn't mean I've stopped traveling. I just got real busy all of the sudden. However in the past year, I did go to Bahamas, St Thomas, St Martin, Miami, Texas, Atlanta, San Fransisco, Lake Arrowhead and Los Angeles (too many times).

Visit my myspace and see pictures of recent places I've been. I try to keep it updated.

Subscribe to this blog, so you can see some pictures I plan on uploading in the next few days.

Here's a picture of my Sister and I in the Bahamas.

Too Much in One Night - New York Day 2 Pt.2

Wicked - On Broadway - New York City

Now it was time to get all dolled up and go to Broadway. The strike had ended a day before we arrived in New York and I was ecstatic that the lights were on in Broadway once again and we would get to see Wicked. I had long heard great reviews of Wicked and had always wanted to see it, my brother worked hard to get us last minute tickets and I am so thankful for that. James again was hesitant on going to a musical he wasn’t sure what to expect and although he was up for everything, in his head he thought it might not be too exciting. We stepped out of the New York subway in the middle of Time square and made our way to The Gershwin Theatre. The streets were crowded with people everywhere and we were running late but luckily we made it just in time and James even had time to stop for a bite to eat and go to the bathroom before the curtains opened. The show was absolutely everything I had expected and more and for James, it was a ton more than he expected. We loved the show and couldn’t stop talking about how funny and amazing it was. Definitely a great start to an even greater trip.

New York City - Day 2 (Part 1)

Rockefeller Center

The late night before combined with the extremely comfortable bed at The New York Hilton caused us to sleep our day away and we didn’t get out of bed till 1pm. Today my heart was set on one thing and one thing only Ice skating in Rockefeller center. James had never been ice skating before and I could tell he was hesitant but there was nothing about to stop me I even threatened to go by myself. For the last four years I have gone ice skating at Rockefeller Center during Christmas when the big tree was lit and I wasn’t about to miss it this time around. We stopped and got Gyros on the way and ate them in line as we awaited the next skating session. We waited about 30 min and then we entered the rink, rented our skates and got out there. Of course it was crowded but that didn’t stop us from having the time of our lives. James caught on really quickly to skating and at the end of the day ironically he was the one that wasn’t ready to leave. We skated for two hours and took multiple pictures by the beautifully lit up tree. During our skating session there were two marriage proposals. It was so amazing to be a part of and everyone there was aweing and ohhing it was a great experience and I can’t wait to go back again next year.

New York City - Day 1

The New York Hilton - Time Square New York, NY

As we landed onto the runway my heart beated with anticipation this was about to be our first big trip together and I was so excited. All the planning and wondering was over now it was time to sit back and enjoy the ride. We landed at JFK at approximately 5pm and after driving through an hour of heavy New York traffic we arrived at our hotel. For the first three days of our trip we were to reside at The New York Hilton. When we walked in the lobby was buzzing with excitement and I knew this was going to be a trip to remember. The New York Hilton was just how I imagined it and suddenly all the trouble I went through to book the room seemed obsolete.

We stepped into our room and it was breathtaking the room was extra big compared to what I was expecting in the heart of New York City and the décor was fabulous. The room had a huge window with a view of all the excitement on the street. We looked down with wonder and amazement. So many places to go so many things to see but for now we were confused where to start.

We buddled up and decided to go on a search for some alcohol, the mini bar was far too expensive and we had a long trip. We went to a couple little markets but to our surprise there was no alcohol sold in any of them. After walking block after block we ended up at a tiny store called Liquor. The prices were absurd and the service was bad but we were determined and money nor would poor attitudes get in our way. We purchased a bottle of vodka and a bottle of rum and made our way back to The Hilton New York.

By this time we were starving and decided to dine in the Hilton’s restaurant. It was a cute little place called The Marketplace we ordered hot wings, pizza and chicken fingers. Food was great but we were ready to explore, so we asked for a to go box half way through the meal and went up to our room to plan our night.

Gotta Love California!

Here is a picture of the Seals in La Jolla, CA, in my home town San Diego, California. Just enjoyin' the summer!

Lebanon | A Maical City in the Middle East

I just felt like blogging some info about a country I'm currently learning about in my History of the Middle East Class.

Lebanon is a small and beautiful country on the Eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It is located at the meeting point of three continents and, as such, has been the crossroads of many civilizations whose traces may still be seen today. Its coastline is about 225 km (150 miles) in length and is, on average, 45 km (30 miles) wide. The total area of the country amounts to 10,452 square km (4,500 square miles). Along the coast are the five famous cities of Beirut, Byblos, Sidon, Tripoli, and Tyre (see interactive map under Tourism). It is bordered in the north and east by Syria and, in the south, by Israel.
Lebanon's beauty is illuminated by its geography -- its narrow coastal plane and two parallel north/south mountains (the mountains of Lebanon and anti-Lebanon). The fertile Bekaa valley, with its Litani and Orontes Rivers, separates these mountains and nourishes the terrain. Residing majestically over the valley, Qournet Assaouda in the north of Mount Lebanon (altitude 3,083 meters or 10,112 feet) and Jabal al-Sheikh in the south of the anti-Lebanon range (altitude 2,814 meters or 9,230 feet) remain the highest peaks in the country.
This unparalleled natural splendor is enhanced by Lebanon's moderate, Mediterranean climate. Lebanon enjoys about 300 days per year of sunshine. The winter is mild on the coast and snowy in the mountains, while the summer is hot on the coast and mild on the mountains. It is possible during the spring months to ski in the mountains and swim on the coast in the same day.

Change in Traveler's Trade Pictures

So I decided to change the whole theme of my website. My memories of Europe are getting very foggy. I changed all my pictures to look like I remember them now. + I get bored in my Computer Photoshop class. I enjoy 'tweeking' out my pictures. Check them out here.

Before this month is out, Traveler's Trade will look almost completely like my 'tweek travel pictre page'.



Tell me what you think.
Give me some tips and advice.

Thanks
James
International Travel Guide