It might sound silly to you, but the reason for my spontaneous trip to Portland, Oregon was actually a biscuit.  The thing is that I saw a picture of a biscuit on Pinterest and when I clicked to follow the link it took me to an article about the best sandwiches.  The number one pick is what’s known as “The Reggie” at Pine State Biscuits in Portland.  After seeing that tasty sandwich I realized that I had never before been to Oregon, and what better time than the present to take a trip?  So, I went online booked my tickets and was off to try “The Reggie.”

The restaurant known for “The Reggie,” Pine State Biscuits started in 2006 at the Farmer’s Market.  Word got out pretty quick about their good eats, so they moved into a shop in 2008.  All of the ingredients that are used in their foods are fresh and local, so you can bet that you are getting the best foods available.

When I went into the shop on Belmont Street I was more than thrilled.  Here I was at Pine State Biscuits about to partake in “The Reggie.”  Once I looked at the sandwich in person my mouth was watering.  Delicious and crispy fried chicken sat covered in bacon and cheese in between the biscuit, and the gravy that topped it was divine.

If you are a sandwich lover, biscuit lover, or just find yourself in Portland, check out Pine State Biscuits.  You will not be disappointed.

One  thing people like so much about North Carolina is the presence of four distinct seasons;  spring and fall feel the way they should and last about the right amount of time — and summer and winter are very different from one another.  We have snow skiing in the mountains, and jet skiing off the coast.  Some of the world’s most famous personalities are natives of this great state:  singer Tori Amos, writer Thomas Wolfe, and country music star Bucky Covington are just three of the people who’s names you won’t see on the infographic below, but who are well known throughout the world.  Check out some other reasons people love North Carolina.

Each year, millions of dollars are spent illuminating the grounds and home.  People can come and spent a weekend surrounded by luxury and beautiful decor and literally living in what is practically a museum complete with art, delicious cuisine, and fireplaces large enough to park a bulldozer in.  It is simply breathtaking to walk about on the balconies and view the mountains and rolling hills and forests.  When planning your Biltmore getaway, be sure to work with your trusted home security team to keep your home safe and sound while you are away, because you will certainly want to stay for a while.

Granted, many cities and states around North America have their own version of this elaborate and festive German party, but non can compare to the original thing, as you’ll see in this video.  It’s only October 3, so it’s not too late to get in on the fun and games.  Call your local travel agent to learn about airfare, reservations, and places to see while you’re visiting Germany.  And don’t forget to take lots of pictures!  This is one Fall excursion you’ll never want to forget.

So you can visually see what I am talking about, there is an infographic that shows how much people are involved in activities and groups both physically and online.  You’ll see that religious, church, and spiritual groups are where the most people get active in the online world.  Other top runners are sports, and consumer groups.  IT makes sense because in an online setting, spreading the word about groups and interests is fairly inexpensive and not time consuming at all.  And it can seem much easier to navigate, like when you have a fleet gps, for younger people too.  It is likely that the online numbers are going to grow more and more in years to come.

Now, after having our credit rating decreased and substantially increasing the difficulty in paying off our debt, Congress is being forced to look at the situation in a new light and come up with some sort of compromise that will increase revenues enough not only to pay off some of our debt but also to aim at getting a AAA credit rating back. The original goal was to aim for a debt reduction of $1.5 trillion, a mere fraction of our $14 trillion in debt, but now Standard & Poor’s is recommending much more than that. The task of the newly formed Congressional supercommittee, although member appointments haven’t even been made yet, has now been made even larger than originally anticipated since S & P’s downgrade. Not only do they have to significantly reduce the annual budget deficit, but they also must halt the exploding government debt. Stopping the constant expansion of government debt would appease markets enough to stem interest rate growth and take a large stride towards regaining a AAA rating. Another major recession is inevitable at this point, but in order minimize just how crippling the recession will be, Treasury interest rates need to stay low enough that American tax payers aren’t seriously screwed.

The fact of the matter is that this is more than just a recession, and most people know that. There is an all out financial crisis taking place, and a large part of that is due to the American culture and mentality of entitlement, which reaches everywhere from the poorest to Congress. If US legislators can’t lose their sense of entitlement and stubbornness (a little humility perhaps) when they were under the gun before the latest bill was passed, then can they finally relent now that our country is on the operating table? Nothing will change over night, but the most pressing issues have to be addressed immediately before America turns even more for the worse (has anyone learned any lessons from Greece?).

The guys have all known each other for three years, all doing something different around the Austin music scene, from DJ-ing to mixing it up with prominent recording artists, all mostly separately. Manolo Black has played significant gigs – with acts like Broken Social Scene, RJD2, Jurassic 5, Diplo, Tortoiseand others, anything from inidie to hip hop to soul to electro to latin dancefloor bombs. Orion and Hobo D have been collaborating since 2007, but it wasn’t until Orion got together with another band member Patrick that the whole group really got together to start mixing and recording. Since then, they’ve take off on the Austin scene. But now they’re on to bigger and better things, lining up major night clubs in New York City and influencing many moombahton artists to incorporate more than just reggaeton and house beats into their newly minted genre.

Although Austin is closer to Mexico and Latin influences than many other major music cities, these guys still bring a unique flare to the city that many other groups don’t possess. The era of plain electronic beats and top 40 house remixes for major dance events is over, and many artists are looking to incorporate dialed back beats, like 60s and 70s traditional Latin dances of the Peligrosa All-Stars, to fit their own niche. While Austin can claim Peligrosa’s sound as an adaptation originating in its great city, this local flare is soon to go national and be heard by the masses.

There are several factors that have contributed to this recent drop in fence hopping. Living conditions and job availability in America have obviously plummeted since the beginning of the current economic slump (which actually started in 2001, yes we have been in a recession for an entire decade now), but the more recent euro crisis has had its impact on America, with the European and American markets highly intertwined, and our political alliances across the Atlantic clamoring for help. President Obama himself has even said that he underestimated the current economic status of the US. Combine a US recession and legal border patrol crackdowns with an increase in the Mexican economy and changes in their social policy, and you put a significant deterrent in front of Mexican citizen who previously saw America as an escape and a way to make money for their families to send back home.

In addition to better economic status at home while it is worsening abroad, the traditional Mexican culture is fading away in parts, especially in the area of education, where younger Mexicans before would focus on getting across the border without papers to make money, now more and more are either waiting for their visas, because they have work or school to keep them occupied at home, or they are deciding instead to stay at Mexican Universities and get their education. One thing is clear, however, and that is that stemming the stream of illegal immigrants to the US is hardly a controversy that is over, and while there are millions and millions of illegals still residing in the US, solving the problem is clearly going to involve youth culture and respecting current students wishes more than coming up with some policy objective and respecting the principles of individuals hundreds or thousands of miles away from the forefront of the situation.

Starting at the main stage, you can experience authentic ethnic dances with performances by teens and adults from all over the world continuously throughout the day. With over 20 hours of cultural dance acts lined up, you’ll be sure to get a taste of several traditional dances, as well as more recent dance trends and developments internationally, that’ll make you want to get up and groove. These exotic acts rely heavily on pulsating beats and eclectic jams that are nothing short of invigorating. Not to mention the exquisite costumes representing the intricate detail used in traditional designs from around the world.

But if you want to rule the dance floor (an not be intimidating by the precision and skill on the main stage), head on over to the Biergarten to enjoy international bands and dance the night away to their distinctive musical performances. Next time you go to an American rock concert, you’ll be better able to distinguish certain cultural rhythms and sounds and have a more rich experience. Or just head by the Biergarten to jam out and burn off some of those calories you consumed while visiting one of the cooking demos or indulging yourself in a meal from one of the sidewalk cafes, offering a wide variety of rich traditional menus.

While the kids may not appreciate exquisite cuisine, ethnic dances or the unique vibrations coming from the Biergarten, they can head to Sophia’s corner to learn new international games that they can play with their friends long after the fall weekend, or get face painting with designs unlike face paints at any other carnival or amusement park. They can discover their artistic abilities on the canvas painting wall, or just enjoy themselves in traditional American fashion and burn off all their extra energy in one of the huge bouncy castles. With crafts like Columbian basket weaving and origami, or demonstrations from magic carpet dancers and so much more, all ages are not only entertained by actively engaged in international culture all weekend long. International Focus, Inc. has over 25 years of experience putting on this amazing festival, so you can be sure that ti will not disappoint. So if you want an unforgettable experience that will inspire your whole family, come to Raleigh, NC for the International Festival of Raleigh!