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August 24, 2010

Aspen: Physics and the art of attracting a mate

Yeah, a free public lecture from the Aspen Physics Institute on finding true love entitled Birds do it, Bees do it: Physics and the art of attracting a mate.

Lecturer Eric Dufresne wants to know how things work. His laboratory investigates the physics underlying materials and biology. On a given day, you could find him studying the motion of a tiny plastic ball suspended in water, filming a grasshopper jump with a high-speed camera, watching paint dry (it’s actually really interesting!), or studying how immune cells fight off infectious disease. Eric is excited to be sharing his current research on how birds and other animals use physics to attract mates. hosted by Aspen Center for Physics at 6:30p, Wednesday August 25 in Paepcke Auditorium behind the Music Tent.

Free dating advice? Always a win.

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August 2, 2010

Austin: Another Daily Deal Group Coupon Site

Eversave launched in Austin today, even though they’ve been doing trial deals for a couple of weeks. You get a $5 instant credit when you join.

Like Groupon, LivingSocial, aDealio, and Localiter, Eversave offers local daily deals called “Saves” to Austin-area residents. The Saves feature fun things to do in and around the city including sporting events, restaurants, spas, salons, entertainment and more. Already I’m sad I missed out on Bedtime Bones (calming dog bones? count me in) and Rock-It speakers, the cheaper way to make cooler speakers for toooobing the river, during their soft launch in July (yes, it’s August already. WHAAA?).

Unlike the rest, Eversave is also a bit of a destination site that offers articles, helpful tips, polls, printable coupons, and tons of other features. It’s like a little savings magazine, minus the Costco factor.

Eversave is ALSO committed to giving back to the community, a unique feature as compared to other similar services. A portion of the proceeds from select Saves will be donated to local schools, charities and other non-profit organizations. For instance, with the Austin Aztex Save, 10% of the proceeds were donated to the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Texas. “We were thrilled to be the first Save to be featured in Eversave Austin’s launch,” said John Nelms, Director of Development of the Austin Aztex.

“Austin is a bustling city that offers its community so much fun and excitement with an abundance of activities — both day and night,” said Jere Doyle, President and CEO of Prospectiv, the parent company behind Eversave. “Eversave allows Austin residents to try out new places and events at a discounted price that they may not have tried before. The Saves give local merchants and businesses the opportunity to welcome in new customers.”

Try out Eversave by joining here (you know I get referral $, so use my link, please!)

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July 16, 2010

Aspen: Yoga Rocks the Mountains July 16-18

There’s yoga, music, camping, dancing, delicious food … what isn’t to love about Yoga Rocks the Mountains, this weekend in Snowmass?

Yoga Workshop Schedule (full schedule here) … I’m just listing the classes with Aaron, my instructor at King Yoga, who I LOVE and who trains Lance Armstrong, so even if I didn’t ALREADY think so, he must be badass.

1) YoGroove Yoga: Aaron King and Amy Baker with the music of Cameron Williams

Nest Patio & Pool, FRIDAY, 5-6pm

YoGroove- Vinyasa flow class that infuses Live Guitar by Cameron Williams and Heartfelt Rocking Yoga by Amy Baker and Aaron King.  An all levels sequence of yoga asanas to the sweet grooves of a guitar creates a healing positive vibration in the mountains of Snowmass, Colorado. This class is a Donation based yoga class. All Welcome!

2) Rhythm Sanctuary Dance Party (FREE)

Nest Patio & Pool, FRIDAY, 6pm

3) Yoga for Cyclists: Aaron King

Salon 1m SATURDAY, 12:30-1:30pm

An hour of yoga designed to maximize your strength and flexibility and breathe while cycling.  This class will focus on opening our hips and heart through a specific sequence of poses to release tightness from riding alot. All levels welcome.

Tickets for the whole weekend are $80, individual classes/sessions are available for as little as $25.

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July 7, 2010

So You Think You’re An Elite Athlete?

That’s right, CrossFitters and other people who think they are awesomely fit … there’s a new reality show called I Wanna Be a World Class Athlete! and they’re casting this summer. Sure, you’ll have to trek to get to an audition, but imagine the possibilities! They’re transforming individual competitive and recreational sports players into World Class Athletes.

They say that even if you’re not athletic and just want to transform your body and lifestyle by working out like the pros, you could be chosen for the show. Everyone has a shot!

The casting directors are looking for hungry, hardworking athletes ages 12 and older (competing in three categories — youth, high school, adult), who want to take their training to the next level in front of a national cable television audience, in hopes of landing their share of $1,000,000 in cash, prizes, and athletic scholarships and a chance to compete to win $1,000,000 on each of 10 episodes.

Thirty (30) real-world athletes and wanna be athletes  will be worked by a professional training staff on tough-to-complete training programs involving cardiovascular fitness, strength training, plyometric training, sport-specific skills, sport psychology, and proper nutrition. The show features athletes benefiting from using cutting edge technology, “high tech” training equipment, and special effects illustrating their performances.

And OH YEAH, the show’s producers are also seeking a female host with a background in health, fitness, and sports performance training.

Casting Calls (they must know how awesome we are down south with TWO calls in Texas!)

Billings, Montana — August 2-4, 2010
Minneapolis, Minnesota — August 6-8, 2010
Long Island, NY — August 12-15, 2010
Tampa, Florida — August 20-22, 2010
Dallas, Texas — August 27-29, 2010
Houston, Texas — September 3-5, 2010
Scottsdale, Arizona — September 11-12, 2010
Los Angeles, California — September 24-26, 2010 (metro area)
Las Vegas, Nevada — October 1-3, 2010

I don’t know which of those locations is closest to Aspen? Erm …

To view the entire audition process and to register, hit up the audition website: www.aworldclassathlete.com.

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July 5, 2010

Aspen: Aspen Smart Kids (Ideas) Festival July 5-11

They say all the real business in the world happens in Aspen, in secret. Well today kicks off the Aspen Ideas Festival, the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic magazine’s gathering of great minds, including 13+ former heads of state and Bill Clinton (who a friend of mine shamelessly chased down the street last time he was in town for this festival), that runs through next Sunday. Their goal is to “offer a stimulating and invigorating celebration of some of the liveliest minds,” and to “engage its participants in a variety of programs, tutorials, seminars and discussion events that together are guaranteed to charge the atmosphere with vibrant intellectual exchange. Think of it as a week-long summer university for the mind – remarkable lectures and classes across a stimulating array of topics.“

Think SXSW but smarter and more broad, and you get Aspen Ideas.

I’m signed up for two panels that I’m really, really excited about. The first is:

LIVING DIGITALLY: Is Social Media Transforming Journalism?
Speakers: David Kirkpatrick, James Bennet, Vivian Schiller, Arianna Huffington
Moderator: Charlie Firestone

I’m excited to see what some of the people on the forefront of new media and models of journalism have to say about the future of journalism!

The second panel is near and dear to my heart:

WOMEN + GIRLS: CHANGE AGENTS: Go, Girl: How Title IX Galvanized Play for Women
Speakers: Nancy Hogshead-Makar, Sheila C. Johnson, Beth A. Brooke
Moderator: Tom Farrey

I’ve studied Title IX extensively and think that–in a nutshell–it’s a great idea that was intended to be enforced in spirit but is instead enforced in letter, which is unfair. Depending on how good this panel is and what they say, I’ll share more, but it’s not until next weekend :-)

The festival is sold out, but they so have single-session tickets for select sessions starting at $20. Snag some at the Wheeler Opera House, online at www.aspenshowtickets.com, or by calling 970-920-5770.

#aif2010 is the hashtag for Aspen Ideas Festival / Check out The Atlantic’s explanation of the festival – it rocks.

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June 29, 2010

Summer Reads

LN@CM
I have been nerding it up lately, what with spending a ton of time working at the library and eschewing Friday nights on the town for cuddling up with a good book. But this places me in a newly-minted position suggest some good reads. Below is an eclectic bunch, from newbies to classics, beach reads to slightly-more-serious, mysteries to self-help. Enjoy!

1) Four or five people recommended new bestseller The Help by Kathryn Stockett, and it didn’t disappoint. I couldn’t put it down. It’s set in Jackson, Mississippi at the beginning of the civil rights movement and is told from both black and white perspectives.

2) My brother’s girlfriend’s favorite book ever is JD Salinger’s Franny & Zooey, a book I’ve never read. It’s on my to-read list.

3) I love KENDRA on E! and watched her “write” her book with a ghostwriter, so I can’t wait to read the thing: Sliding Into Home by Kendra Wilkinson

4) My intern loved People’s Revolution guru Kelly Cutrone’s If You Have to Cry, Go Outside: And Other Things Your Mother Never Told You and I can’t wait to read it too.

5 & 6) Sloane Crosley’s How Did You Get This Number, and the precursor I Was Told There’d Be Cake. I’ve heard EVERYONE say girl is seriously funny, time for me to find out for myself.

7 & 8) I don’t know much about Just Don’t Call Me Ma’am: How I Ditched the South, Forgot My Manners, and Managed to Survive My Twenties with (Most of) My Dignity Still Intact by Anna Mitchell and The House of Gucci: A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed by Sara Gay Forden, though the latter is a must-read for fashionistas.

9) I hated her Devil Wears Prada book but loved the movie based on her story, so I can hardly skip Lauren Weisberger’s next novel, Last Night at Chateau Marmont: A Novel.

10) The Last Summer (of You and Me) by Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants author Ann Brashares. I love the Pants series, I’ve got to read her latest novel…

Amazon.com Widgets

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June 25, 2010

Aspen: Top Ten Things Newbies Should Know

I should know, since I am a newbie. Top ten things I didn’t get until I moved to Aspen:

1. There are no weekends. Any given night could be a party.

2. There are two offseasons: May and October. At least half of the restaurants and businesses will be closed at least half of the time.

3. Check the bus schedule. Yes, it’s awesome they have public transportation. No, sitting in the bus station for an hour is not fun.

4. Don’t drink and drive. Not even a little. Cops have nothing else to do.

5. Learn the mountains. It’s not enough to know what Ajax, Highlands, Buttermilk, and Snowmass look like. You need to be able to identify them and at least the Bells, Pyramid, Red Mountain, Smuggler, Red Butte, and Sopris.

6. Aspen is very dog-friendly. Apartments for rent are hardly ever dog-friendly.

7. You live at 8,000 feet. You think you’ve adjusted to the altitude. Then you hike at 10,000 feet. You haven’t adjusted. Give yourself time. And hike a lot.

8. True: it’s all about who you know. In business, relationships, and getting hooked up at bars.

9. Summer sports: Wednesdays the good people play sand volleyball at Koch Park, though you can find a game almost any day; the most competitive soccer league is in Snowmass; there’s pickup soccer at the high school Fridays at 5:30pm and Sundays at 10:30am; there’s pickup basketball at Yellow Brick on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the late afternoon.

10. Aspen is a lot like summer camp. Resist the temptation to become a lifer/10-year-ski-bum. Stay focused!

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June 25, 2010

Austin: Weird Beer Weekend

Saturday you can start the day out with the first annual Great Austin Beer Fest (4-8pm), then head to the 5K Keep Austin Weird Run at 7pm, or just to the party afterward.

Great Austin Beer Fest

… sounds awesome! Local faves (512), Independence, Shiner, St. Arnold, plus some nationwide microbrews (VT’s Magic Hat, Portland’s Deschutes, both breweries I’ve been to and beers I enjoy), full brewery list available here. Tix for the thang are almost sold out, cost $40, and according to the facebook page comments include samples of as many of the 41 breweries as you want … erm … Great Austin Beer Festival

Keep Austin Weird Fest

Always an Austin special time. The Fest starts at 2pm and goes on through the race time (7pm) with headliners Bright Light Social Hour playing at 8:30pm. Costumes are the big deal during this day/race, the latter which includes such unorthodox water stops as ones with Amy’s Ice Cream. There’s tons of food and a big party before AND after the race too.

Other music includes White Ghost Shivers (6:30pm), Bruce James Soultet (5pm), and Dustin Welch (3:30pm).
Beer and running all in one Saturday? Always a win.

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June 23, 2010

Aspen: Cathedral Lake Hike

It’s an “easy” day hike, starting near Ashcroft and only about 2.8 miles to Cathedral Lake. You climb almost 2,000 vertical feet, though, so it’s not for flatlanders or those unadjusted to altitude. I haven’t had a hard time adjusting to much about the altitude, but this hike kicked my ass!

It’s a National Forest, so dogs have to be on leash the whole time. Nali carried her food and water bowl:

Reward for the grueling hike:

Yes, please. Then, camping!

Fire + bison hot dogs!

So Nali didn’t run away and get eaten by a mountain lion:

Hiking out the next morning too early:

Gorgeous!

Getting down was quick. If you’re looking for a hike in Aspen, it’s definitely a gorgeous one, and you get to go through Aspen forests, up some rocky mountainside, over some switchbacks, and to the lake. I’d bring hiking poles, I know I need to invest in some. And next time we want to get to Electric Pass–just past Cathedral Lake but up to 13,600 feet!!

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June 22, 2010

Take Back Your Lunch

There’s a new movement starting this Wednesday across the country called “Take Back Your Lunch.” All you have to do is dine with friend in a park or public place to get away from your computer for an hour.

Why? Take Back Your Lunch is a part of The Energy Project for Tony Schwartz’s new book “The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working,” now a NYT best seller. Taking an hour for lunch has the potential to change the way people work across the country by empowering them to take back a “lost benefit” — lunch! Did you know that the average worker takes only 20 minutes for lunch, often at their desk? A break can re-energize an re-focus you for the afternoon.

As someone who–when she was in a corporate office anyway–INSISTED upon lunch, even if it was just fifteen minutes for a stroll around downtown in 100-degree heat, I fully support this notion. I think the time you take away from your desk completely refreshes you, making you that much more productive in the afternoon. I also used to go work out during lunch, which has the added benefit of clearing your head and helping you generate new ideas.

In Austin, the fabulous crew from Giant Noise is headed over to Central Market tomorrow at 12:30pm, go meet up with them!

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