The Most Scenic Train Rides from Around California

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Next to boats, trains are probably one of the most relaxing ways to get around through most parts of the world. You can sit back, relax and enjoy the countryside speeding past your window as you speed toward your vacation. The best news is that travelling to some of these destinations is just as beautiful as the trip itself. California is fortunate enough to have almost every kind of region you can imagine, so naturally there are quite a few beautiful and scenic train rides to take through the state.

Coast Starlight

Connecting Los Angeles to Seattle, the Coast Starlight train takes its passengers through some incredible vistas. The snowy Cascade Range and Mount Shasta are both breathtaking to behold, but the train has a number of modern amenities too. The Pacific Parlour Car, for instance, includes free Wi-Fi and games you can play from your seat.

California Zephyr

Taking passengers daily from Chicago to San Francisco, the Zephyr is one of the most popular train lines that Amtrak runs. You’ll travel through the great plains of Nebraska, over and through the Rockies, and then ending your trip through Sacramento and into San Francisco.

The true sight to behold is  Donner Lake, which is 300 feet deep and the temperature is almost always a cool 75 degrees all year long.

Dinner Trains

A number of dinner trains, such as the Sierra Railroad, offer a getaway for the evening and take passengers to secluded areas. The fine dining fair is just as good as the views too. It’s unconventional, maybe, but it brings to mind the wonders that people first felt riding America’s railways in those early days.

Bio: Archbishop James Provence retired from the Church and now lives in Vacaville. James Provence is a volunteer docent at the California State Railroad Museum.

Why Wilderness Therapy is the New Boot Camp

Article written by Ez Biz Niz

Wilderness therapy provides all the advantages that a boot camp does without the emotional and physical abuse.

mountains-lakeWilderness therapy programs are helping troubled teenagers get back on track with their lives through the use group therapy along with a process facilitated by counselors in the wilderness. The core of the program is based on the environment. The wilderness, unlike your everyday surrounding, presents a setting that cannot be manipulated by teens that are defiant. Licensed counselors will then emphasize positive peer pressure, teamwork, and other activities that promote cooperation, responsibility for one’s self and others, strong work ethics, and primitive skills.

How Therapeutic Wilderness Programs Work

By using nature as a therapeutic medium, students will be void of any distractions that normally arise such as parties, television, video games, etc. By removing the teenager from this environment, he or she will be able to explore the true inner conflict that has been the root of the problem from the get go. Teenagers that are suffering from behavioral issues and emotional problems will be given the change to build relationships with others and learn to conform to authoritative members such as family and peers.

The Ultimate Goal of Wilderness Therapy

Positive peer pressure replaces negative peer pressure with wilderness therapy. Unlike boot camps or a school for troubled youth, these programs encourage teens to participate in the necessary wilderness activities as opposed to physically and emotionally forcing them to. One can almost look at it as a therapeutic vacation that provides results. It’s no wonder these programs are continuing to have a beneficial effect on today’s society and young adults.


Wood Creek Academy is one of the many therapeutic boarding schools that offer effective wilderness therapy programs. Visit them online for more information.

Why Boarding Schools Are Reversing Dysfunction

Boarding schools continue to be a positive outlet for children that are suffering from emotional distress.

Written by: Wood Creek Academy

When it comes to finding the right solution for troublesome children and young adults, many families are turning to boarding schools for troubled boys. These types of schools are designed to nurture your child and help them through whatever pent-up anger or frustration that they are unleashing on you or the environment. Remember, it’s always important that you seek out the right type of help before it’s too late. Your child may end up causing destruction and falling into a deeper emotional hole than they began with.

Breaking Traditional Views

Now, you may think that this is completely similar to a boot camp for teenagers that teach with discipline, rather than other techniques. However, these boarding schools are a different breed when it comes to youth mentoring. For one, there are numerous types of boarding schools – so the stigma that comes from all the Hollywood movies don’t actually apply to every boarding school in the country.

Wilderness Therapy Programs

Some of these troubled youth programs incorporate bonding with nature and using the power of the outdoors to help heal the soul and soothe the anger that’s been bogging the child down for so long. Choosing between one or the other is a matter of personal preference and choice. If you feel that a militarized-style of mentoring is the right way for your family, look into boot camps. However, if you want a different methodology of discipline, wilderness therapy programs may be the right choice for you.

Tips to Help a Mobile College Student Move, Save and Transfer Files

The annoying thing about renting or purchasing a new laptop is that it comes without many of the files and programs that you use everyday. Luckily, there are easy ways that you can transport files from an old computer to a new one.

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Windows Easy Transfer

If you are not afraid to open your new laptop and then connect the new hard drive to your old computer through a SATA USB adapter, you can easily transfer your files from your old hard drive to your new one with a program that comes with Windows: Windows Easy Transfer. The program comes with modern versions of Windows and will transfer your files using an easy wizard. However, you can’t remove a hard drive from a laptop rental in Orange County.

External Hard Drives

If you are uncomfortable with removing your new hard drive, purchase an external hard drive and transfer your files onto this drive. You can leave the data on the external hard drive and also copy it onto your new hard drive. This way, you will have a second place where your files will be stored in case your laptop rental in Santa Ana crashes.

Put Your Files On The Cloud

Even easier is to use a cloud storage service to upload your entire computer or only your important files. Simply download files you need to your laptop rental in Irvine.
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OCComputerRentals is dedicated to helping students find a laptop rental in Irvine, Santa Ana, Orange County and Los Angeles.

Top Tutorials for Android App Development

Android app development is an activity that can be quite lucrative if someone hits the mark and creates an addictive app. The process may be a little complex for a newbie with a personal computer. That person will need to visit a site that offers tutorials.

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The tutorials can teach the interested person about all the components he or she has to download as well as how to operate inside of the platform for app development in Los Angeles. An interested person can visit one of the several top sites that provide extensive tutorials.

Android has its own website where it teaches developers all aspects of the app creation process. The site takes people through a step-by-step tutorial of the application development stages and brings them all the way through to creating their first amazing app.

Lynda.com is another site that offers a plethora of tutorials and courses for people who want to engage in activities like mobile app developers Los Angeles do. The site offers training on creating animations and building security. It offers classes on how to develop apps that are suitable for Kindle, as well.

Sitepoint is another place that an interested person could go to get a good education on app building for Android devices. Sitepoint is a user-friendly website with many pictures, charts and teachings on it. It is a site for absolute beginners who want to start getting into the game of creation. A newbie could start by visiting one of the previously mentioned sites today.
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Halcyon Innovation is an iPhone app development company from Los Angeles offering tailored technological solutions to startups and mid-sized businesses.

Therapeutic Programs for Troubled Teens

If your teen is suffering from behavioral issues, seek out the many therapeutic programs that can offer guidance.

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When teenagers start to grow into their own, they tend to assert their independence in the search for their identity. This doesn’t come without behavioral changes however. Your once-sweet child has now turned into an argument-prone adolescent that disregards everything that you say – the times have definitely changed.

Physical/Mental Problems

If you are the parent of a troubled teenager, you’re going to be faced with numerous behavioral and emotional issues that could lead to some serious consequential decisions that could come in the form of criminal acts, harming someone, or even getting arrested. There are even times when they will begin exhibiting mental problems such as depression, eating disorders, or anxiety on a frequent basis. If your child has been displaying any of these symptoms for long periods of time, there are therapeutic options that don’t require prescription medication or recurrent consultations.

Christian Boarding Schools

Christian boarding schools for boys were designed with your child’s mental health in mind. Trained counselors work tirelessly to figure out the core of the issue so they can come up with a solution to assist your child move past it. Behavioral issues are common in all teenagers these days. What they truly need however, is proper guidance.

Now, there are a variety of programs and boarding schools for troubled boys. For instance, a juvenile boot camp is a military-style boarding school that uses hardened tactics to essentially shock them into recovery. While this is a sort of controversial/last-resort style of treatment, nonetheless, many kids come out with a different attitude and outlook on life.

Wood Creek Academy is a school for troubled teens that offers wilderness therapy programs unlike a typical juvenile boot camp. 

Common Areas a Home Inspector Should Look At

Home InspectorDuring the home buying process, you may want to hire a home inspector to ensure that the house isn’t in a near-destroyed state. What may look like a sturdy structure on the outside might be completely different on the inside. Home inspectors tend to thoroughly look through the entirety of the house and report whatever problems there may be back to you. If you’re looking to hire a home inspector, make sure that the most common areas of the house.

Wood Regions

Water is a home’s worst enemy. Water damage is not only costly, but it can rot wood and spawn toxic mold that could potentially cause health concerns. If your home contains wooden supports or beams, ensure that your home inspector goes through each area to ensure that no mold or mildew growth is prevalent. Additionally, the foundation of the home is also another area where water damage can occur.

Electrical Wiring

As bad as it sounds, many homeowners fail to disclose any electrical faults that need to be repaired. Faulty switches and wiring can cause more than the occasional blackout; it can actually lead to a fire. Have your home inspector carefully check all of the wiring within the walls. Exposed electrical wires are one of the most common electrical problems that could potentially lead to a more serious issue if kept in that state.

Roof

Aged surfaces can result in a hefty repair bill. Repairs can range anywhere from a simple retiling job to replacing the entire roof. Your home inspector should point out these issues to you so you can work with a competent roofer.

Bio: Kuba Jewgieniew is the head of Realty ONE Group, a full-service real estate brokerage firm with nearly 6,500 associates, headquartered in Irvine, California.

H.C. Frick: America’s Most Hated Man

By Samuel Phineas Upham

Henry Clay Frick is best known today for the extensive art collection he donated to the city of New York, as well as his mansion and its furnishings to be used as a public art gallery. The gallery is small compared to most modern museums, but the collection of old master paintings is still something worth celebrating.

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He earned the title of “Most Hated Man” through two specific actions. The first took place in 1889, but the buildup began a few years prior. Frick had created a fishing club, which included Andrew Carnegie and a few of his friends. Frick was a business partner of Carnegie’s, and, although Carnegie didn’t acknowledge it much, Frick was responsible for much of Carnegie’s fortunes. His fishing club consisted of roughly 60 members, who came across a dam in need of repair.

It happened that this dam was positioned near Johnstown, which was home to a steel rival of Andrew Carnegie. While there is little direct evidence to prove otherwise, historical documents suggest strongly that this fishing group made inadequate repairs to the dam, and, when heavy winter snows fell, the dam burst.

The second incident occurred three years later. Frick and Carnegie were arguing over how to deal with the Homestead Steel Strike, which got so bad that both sides were armed. Frick decided to hire Pinkerton strike detectives (notoriously violent men who existed solely to break up striking workers), and a small scuffle ensued that ended in the deaths of nine workers.

An assassination attempt was later made on Frick over this incident. Frick survived two gunshot wounds to the neck, and four stab wounds to the leg as he and an associate wrestled with his assailant. The attempt brought discredit to the worker’s movement, and made labor unpopular in the press. As a result, the public chose to express their general discontent with a moniker they felt fit the man.


About the Author: Samuel Phineas Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media and Telecom group. You may contact Phin on his Samuel Phineas Upham website or LinkedIn.

Examples of Troubled Teen Programs

Article written by Career Advantage Portal

Troubled teenagers require the proper support to get their life back on track.

If you are one of the many parents that struggle with their troubled teenager at home, know that there is hope. There are numerous programs that provide the support that you and your child need to turn around their life and change their habits. Here are some examples of support programs that you may be interested in.

Summer camps operate for about 3 months during the summer season. These camps are filled with outdoor activities, bonding time with other members, academic assignments, and more. Note that this is a short-term program and can be used in conjunction with school enrollment. This does not affect his or her enrollment status.

A boot camp for teenagers is essentially a military-hardened program that utilizes harsh discipline and regimented schedules to push your teenagers into good behavior. Remember, this camp may not be for everybody as emotionally-fragile individuals may break and become scarred for long periods of time.

There are a variety of boarding schools that can be with or without religion involved. There are gender separated options if you feel the need to allocate your child to their gender. A boarding school for boys typically functions differently than that of a boarding school for girls. You’ll want to do some background research on each school that you are interested in to see if they are accredited as well as what they offer are beneficial and provide actual support to your teens.

Sending your child to a troubled school is always a difficult decision as you’ve been holding their hand since their first breath. They’ll always be your little jewel no matter how old they get. Give them the support and the foundation that they need to find their true self.


 

Wood Creek Academy offers accredited troubled youth programs. Located in the rugged mountains of rural Western Montana, this remote setting is the ideal environment for struggling teens to begin a positive direction in their lives.

Choosing Between Living On-Campus and Off-Campus

Article written by Educational Solutions, keeping you informed in educational matters

Your freshman year in college should be a memorable one. Not only will you interact with a variety of social clubs, but you’ll also receive the freedom of living an independent life. This means living on your own and caring for yourself without thChoosing-Between-Living-On-Campus-and-Off-Campuse help of mom and dad.

You’ll need to decide whether you want to live on-campus or off-campus. Colleges often charge a hefty amount per year for students choosing to live on campus, which will leave you with ultimately making a decision. Here is a breakdown on the positives of both.

Living on-campus will put you directly in the middle of the social life that colleges have to offer. You’ll most likely end up being more involved with school activities and events hosted by the different clubs on campus. If you want to enjoy the numerous social gatherings and the clashing of cultures, then the on-campus lifestyle is right for you.

Finding an apartment off-campus will not only save you money, but you won’t necessarily be grouped up with the same people in your age group. You won’t directly be on campus and will have the freedom to live in a much larger space than a standard dormitory room. There won’t be set rules that are upheld by a designated student leader and you’ll probably be able to study a little easier without having to worry about the immature party animals that you were grouped up with.

Both options provide a great experience nonetheless and when it comes down to it, your personality plays a role in where you fit in the best. Think it through before deciding where you want to stay because it could either be the best decision of your life or the worst.

Bio: Kuba Jewgieniew is the head of Realty ONE Group, a real estate firm that has grown to become the largest real estate brokerage in Nevada and the fastest growing real estate company in Arizona and California.