Impact Fusion

Quitting drugs seems like an especially good idea if you live in Chicago. While the Windy City is known for its weather, its art museums, and pizza, it’s also known for something darker – its substance abuse problems. According to data collected about roughly three to four years ago, in 2008, when folks are arrested in Chicago, they are more likely than any other prisoner in a U.S. major city to test positively for drugs. In that year, 87 percent of those under arrest in Chicago came up positive for drugs. According to a report from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, in 2008, Chicago was the nation’s number one city for heroin use among those arrested.

Some other quick facts for Chicago and substance abuse:

Fifty-two percent of those under arrest in the Chicago metropolitan area test positively for cocaine, despite the fact that in the rest of America, marijuana is the most used illegal drug. Most likely, this may have something to do with the fact that individuals with drug addiction problems often commit criminal acts to keep their addiction going. They often, too, lose their jobs, and crime is perhaps the quickest, if not the safest or most reliable method of acquiring fast cash.

Thirty-five percent of those arrested in Chicago are what are known as “poly-drug” abusers. This means the substance abuse user is mixing different types of illegal drugs at the same time. It’s one way to obtain different side effects from the drugs, or to keep the effects of the drug going, even increasing the drug’s effects.

While it may seem that a large number of residents might want to quickly check into Chicago rehab programs , the use of illegal drugs is certainly not limited to Illinois.

In a report from September of 2010, 21.8 million Americans who were twelve years old or older used illegal drugs within the past four weeks (at the time the report was issued). This was up from 19.7 million Americans who used illegal drugs within the last month in 2006. Among the population, the highest usage demographic is among those aged 18 to 21 years old. The most abused drug appears to be marijuana with a total of 14.6 million users, whereas 2.4 million Americans will use cocaine regularly.

Other studies find that addiction and substance abuse costs the state of Illinois about $4.8 billion a year. Approximately $2.4 billion is for drug addicts and their care while in prisons and hospitals, while about $179 million is provided for prevention and treatment.

The developments in contemporary solar technologies have connections to science and the more ethereal realms. It is probably true that nearly anything does, as recent films and books have been making connections between art, science, and religion in ways that haven’t been in vogue since the Renaissance. There, the notion of the Great Chain of Being found a place in John Dee’s philosophy of “as above, so below.”

Queen Elizabeth’s court magician was not responsible for the phrase, of course, but his work did begin to tie things into interesting knots that still come to play a role wherever the mystical realms meet with science. So it is, then, that California solar installers have connections with sun rites from thousands of years ago. If sun worship involves the participation of a human being, interacting in relationship with the sun, in order to get something magical from it, then it’s not entirely difficult to make the connection to solar power in general.

Generalizations are, of course, dangerous, but they can start to point to ways things might connect. It’s not difficult, then, to imagine the way the Icarus myth plays out in an earlier imaginary, and consider the number of sun deities that have been present in cultures all over the world. The notion of harnessing power larger than life itself is one that is consistently haunting the human imagination, because it is in fact the way power works.

This is just a small taste, a small bite really, of what things were when they were the 1980s here. There’s room for more, but it might have to live in the spaces between doorways. A tone poem to the things that got away, the things that were causing earthquakes on earth for the short time they got to stay. Today, there are places of great nostalgia, and New South Wales has hotels where it’s close to the most interesting events the decade saw. It’s always been a place for seeing things happen, but in that decade, there was a spark that the world was actually ready for.

Michael Hutchence, the lead man for Sydney’s INXS, was born in New South Wales, and he has the energy of this part of the world working through his bones. It’s apparent on the videos, the ones that defined the excitement of that time, and perhaps it was a naive excitement, but some could see with clearer vision. It’s difficult to know what anyone else would have or could have done, in the same position, with the same circumstances. These kinds of lives spent in flames eventually lead to an end to the burning. A few years intervening between the end in 1997, and now, has been enough to show that the sparks on videos and discs burn longer than the difficult years at the end.

This is the place where people can find the real energy of the 1980s. For a continent that sees and anticipates the culture of the future, this is the place where it gets uncovered, and it happens again, at any moment. Maybe it’s time enough for the 80s to become vintage , but it still seems too hasty. His face is still somewhere, eternally young, refusing to let the wheels of time go forward too far, where it’s almost impossible to see the spark in the tunnel.

I really enjoyed San Antonio, but my new boyfriend not so much. Mutual friends of ours forewarned us of the uniqueness of Texas, such as how you need a passport (kidding) to get past the boarders and how there are border guards in the middle of the state (not kidding), just to make sure you aren’t an illegal foreigner. But they failed to tell us how Texan women have big hair, long red nails to accent the tons of jewelry they wear and how Texan men wear big cowboy hats, big silver belt buckles and cowboy boots. When we were at the Rivercenter Mall, a woman approached me who wanted to help me make my hair as big as hers, I politely reclined. Then my boyfriend was laughed at by a cowboy standing outside one of the luxury hotels. San Antonio should’ve been, we thought, a little more progressive than the rest of Texas, but I guess there will always be Texans’ no matter where you go in Texas.

My boyfriend and I visited the Alamo, a historical site of epic proportions, well at least according to San Antonio. I was really surprised that my boyfriend didn’t know much about the American War of Independence, or really for that matter, any other American war. So, I gave him a history lesson. I informed him that the general belief about the Battle of the Alamo and the the subsequent executions at Goliad led to Americans victory at San Jacinto, which resulted in the Texan Revolution. Basically, the Battle of the Alamo led Texas to join the Union. Also, the Mexican-American war led to New Mexico, Utah, Nevada and California to join too. The consequence of this ultimately led to a shift in balance between the Confederates and the Yankees during the Civil War.

My boyfriend was impressed about the many webs that made-up America’s history. He connected the fact that the Battle of the Alamo helped end slavery in the United States. I gave him an ‘A’ for the day, but told him to do more research about American Wars and their significance in the events of the world. He just looked at me like I was some kind of fool. Ah, when will I find a history buff just like myself?

There is nothing more needed after a long flight than a walk barefoot in the grass. Let your body relax back on the ground with fresh air and birds chirping in the distance. While you are in Hong Kong it is important to get out of the hotel for some time in on the water or in the parks. There are plenty of parks to visit. The whole island is a park really. Victoria Peak is a great park on the hill and there is a beautiful ride up the mountain in a
tram to reach and leaves you in a sort of destination park. You will find a mini zoo with lots of smaller animals and birds around as well as a hiking/running track. There are lots of places to bring your lunch and let the kids run and play. There are also fun activities planned like festivals during certain times of the year.

Hong Kong Park is right in the middle of the city and offers wonderful areas to relax and let your family roam. It is a great place to see some of the many birds in the trees and the fish in the lakes and ponds. There are some old British Barracks like the Victoria Barracks as well as the home of the Commander of the British armed forces from way back. The home is now also a museum called the Flagstaff Tea Museum were you can go and see the history of tea and tea ware that is unique to China like the Yixing teapot. Knowing a little more about the tea in China will make you feel like you are in the club of worldly tea drinkers.

Then there is, of course, a day at the Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens which is always a treat when you are visiting a country that is very different from your own. This is quite the walk through some interesting history of the Chinese culture and the many visitors that came and went for hundreds of years.

More and more each year people are picking a room at one of the many hotels Alicante Spain has along it’s beach. This city of over 300,000 residence is along the east coast of Spain and is apart of the Costa Blanca. Some of the neighboring cities are Murcia which is south and Valencia which is north. It is a wonderful mix of modern and classic people and places that blend well together. The area has evidence of prehistoric times and has endure many changes for thousands of years.

In the mountains above the city people like to visit the old castle. Castillo de Santa Barbara is a large medieval fortress. One of the largest castles in Europe. It was built on the whole summit of the Benacantil Mountains. The purpose of the castle is as many are of that time period, to house the royalty and protect the city below from harm. From this mountain top they could see danger coming from miles away. There is the normal way to get to the castle by driving up but there is also a special way to get to the castle, by elevator. From the Paseo Maritimo you can catch an elevator that will take you straight up to the castle.

One of the churches to visit is the Iglesia de Santa Maria.  It is the oldest church in Alicante. It was a mosque for the Moors and was built between the 14th and 16th centuries. It has some beautiful towers and some beautiful baroque stonework. Then there is the Cathedral de San Nicolas which began its construction in 1616 and finished in 1662. It has a Communion Chapel that has some amazing Spanish Baroque work. This is truly the most important building in the city. The Monastery de la Santa Faz is another must see for the church explorer. It is now a convent for Saint Clare.

There’s a certain appeal about a steak cooked on a grill that can’t be matched with anything else.  It has a certain flavor and texture, to be sure, and the best outdoor cooks know just how to add that perfect touch of spice in the marinade, or rubbed onto the meat directly, to bring out its natural savory flavors without losing any of its essential substance.  Cooking is a delicate balance, and it requires a certain amount of practice and flair, along with a spirit of improvisation, to make just the right tastes.  When it works, it’s magnificent, and everyone participating in the meal understands at the exact same time that they’re taking part in an important event, or at least a very pleasurable one.

Today, it’s much easier than ever to master the art of cooking outdoors, and with the latest developments in built in barbecue grills, it’s almost easy.  But no matter how well a meal might turn out, there is always more to learn, and this is one of the most exciting parts of owning your own grill.  It’s often perceived to be a particularly modern phenomenon, and even the iconography of grills goes back just a few decades, to an image of a Norman Rockwell kind of Americana relating to picnics and barbecues during summer parades.

It’s very likely that our own conception of grilling in the U.S. comes from a much earlier tradition. Of course, we could go back to the invention of fire and argue that cooking outdoors is what we used to do before we had houses.  But the way we conceive of cooking today probably has some origins in the traditions of Northern Mexico, where indigenous traditions were firmly in place for adapting to a hunter-gatherer kind of lifestyle.  The lifestyle and the way of living in earlier times on this continent attest to a sensibility that has not left us, and the roots are still there, just beneath the surface.

The last time you relaxed in your spa almost always feels like the first time.  It’s a splendid sensation that never gets old, where the worries of the day melt off when the hot jets start to do their magic on your skin.  Having a spa is the kind of luxury that you’ll never cease to appreciate, because it does create a certain wonderful change in your lifestyle.  Hot tubs and spas can do wonders not only for your social life, but for your physical health as well. The positive effects of a spa are well-known, but perhaps not so well-known is their prominence in cultures all over the world.

Wherever there is a prominence of hot springs, there is an interest in the therapeutic effects of water, and the technologies in creating the contemporary portable spa come from these natural sources.  The thought of harnessing the healing attributes of water in your own home is enormously welcome, and it’s also very possible.  One of the best spots in the world for exploring the effects of natural hot springs on the local population is in Budapest, Hungary.  It’s one of the greatest reservoirs for these healing waters in the world, and there is a long tradition of public bathing here.

There are some places where the natural springs are left much as they were centuries ago, but it’s more likely to find some cosmetic changes.  Some places, such as the Szechenyi Baths, have become incredibly ornate gathering places, where you can join in the ritual with large groups for a modest fee.  But they all speak of the wonderful possibilities of your own spa in your own home, where the experience of incredible relaxation can be taken in by yourself, or with large groups.  It’s entirely up to you, and how you decide to use your imagination, now that this other world is at your disposal.