Vancouver, British Columbia is a beautiful seaside metropolis nestled between ocean views and mountain backdrops. Rivaling Seattle in size, and only four hours from that popular American tourist destination, Vancouver is well worth the trip north.

It features an incredible cultural diversity that has distinguished the city since its inception, beautiful parks and beaches, and a large variety of interesting destinations inside city limits that will impress any visitor.

If anyone asks why Vancouver . . . why not?

1. Urban landscape! Boundless nature!

Vancouver is a huge city, but don’t be fooled, nature-lovers: there is plenty of greenery and more than a few natural sites to explore. Consider any number of beaches for lazing in the sun or a game of frisbee or beach volleyball.

Some of the more popular destinations include Kitsilano or “Kits” Beach, English Bay, or Wreck Beach for those who like to trot around in the nude. You might also love the city’s beautifully kept Nitobe Japanese Garden, near the UBC campus, or Lynn Canyon and Stanley Parks.

2. Shopping and history galore

Take the trip to Granville Island and experience a quaint little marketplace in a former industrial area. Adopted by those with an interest in local goods, the Granville market has a plethora of products and goods, specifically food and handcrafts, that can be purchased and devoured either inside the market or at the nearby oceanside benches.

Another area of the city famous for its shopping and atmosphere is Gastown. The oldest commercial district in Vancouver, this part of the city is known for its Victorian architecture. Even if you don’t feel like stopping to buy anything, just walking through is a beautiful, historical experience.

3. I spy a cultural center

Vancouver is known for its diversity. Consider stopping at a few of its famous museums to take in local exhibits and art/artifacts of international interest alike. The Museum of Anthropology is a common stop for people interested in world culture. Inside are fascinating artifacts from various First Nation tribes, and other items that relate more to global natural history.

The Vancouver Art Gallery is another popular destination for tourists and locals. Really, it would appeal to any appreciator of beautiful art.

Where to Stay

There are a number of beautiful hotels you may call home upon arrival in Vancouver. For interesting scenery and proximity to the Granville Island market, consider the Granville Island Hotel, a 3-star get-up with relatively inexpensive rooms for the prime location, at around $150 a room.

Another option, near the airport, is the Sandman Hotel, with great service and beautiful rooms offered at comfortable prices. L’Hermitage Vancouver is centrally located, relatively inexpensive, and offers an extended-stay option, for those looking to linger in this beautiful city for a while.

Some guys have no clue when it comes to fashion, and dipping a toe in these strange waters can be overwhelming at best. Luckily, help is just a swipe or tap away. There are numerous fashion apps just for guys that are easy to use and won’t have them looking like Justin Bieber wannabes. Here are seven to get started–it’s like having a personal shopper on hand whether a guy is in Nordstrom or TJ Maxx.

1. Trenstop Trendtracker

This is a free app, and it’s equal parts entertainment and fashion help. Get a sneak peek at the crazy trends making the rounds, and decide whether or not to try out the new oxblood 70s-inspired coat or not. This app is only for risk takers (or those looking for a good laugh), and at the very least it teaches guys the fashion lingo they need to impress.

2. TouchCloset

Few guys will remember the scene in “Clueless” when Alicia Silverstone’s character could match up possible outfits in her own closet to see what works. Surprisingly, that technology is now available for just a .99 download (among many options). Guys can instantly see what’s already in their closet so there’s no buying the same thing twice, and it’s a snap to see just how well that tie at the mall goes with the dress shirt at home.

3. Cool Guy

This app is part personal shopper and part style planner. It gives advice on what to get to complement what’s already in the closet. A variety of looks are available, and guys can customize the app to suit their own personal style.

4. Men’s Hairstyles

Let’s start with the basics: A good haircut. Men’s hairstyles offers a variety of options and currently has over 240 looks for a 99 cent app. Forget pawing through the magazines at the salon, and find the perfect cut before even sitting down.

5. Tie Mentor

There are countless ways to tie a tie–and sometimes the same old Windsor knot gets boring. This handy app lets men effortlessly knot their tie on the go and however they’d like.

6. Fashion Style

This app comes in two formats: one for ladies and one for the guys. It’s completely free, is regularly updated with the latest trends and styles around the world, and offers offline storage of favorite finds and designers.

7. Go Try It On

Don’t trust the salesperson to provide an unbiased opinion? This app lets men snap a photo of their outfit and an online community will provide an honest assessment, feedback and advice.

Getting dressed can sometimes be no easy feat. However, with a little help, it just got a lot less stressful. Remember that accessories are what really pull any look together, and now it’s easy to shop for stunning accessories online from the comfort of the couch.

Amanda Bynes’ life has become an ongoing drama. The once-wholesome California teen-star, best known as a regular on Nickelodeon and the lead in Hollywood hits like What a Girl Wants and She’s the Man has lost more in the past year than her girl-next-door charm.

A year of living badly

It started in March last year with a seemingly routine traffic stop. Amanda was talking on her phone while driving, something that’s against the law in Los Angeles, and she received a ticket. From there things devolved into a landslide of incidents, each worse than the one before.

In early April, three days after her birthday, Bynes was arrested for DUI (driving under the influence) after shaving a layer of paint off a police car with a side-swipe, a crime she wasn’t officially charged with until June. By that time Bynes had already managed to rack up a few more offenses — both hit-and-runs — for which she was charged in September and which temporarily cost Bynes her license.

She proceeded to drive without her license, which resulted in the loss of her vehicle. Around this time Bynes announced her second “official” retirement from acting, pledging to concentrate on fashion and rapping, her new career choices.

Bynes pleaded not guilty to the hit-and-run charges, and they were eventually settled and dismissed. After submitting a no contest plea to the charge of driving with a suspended license, Bynes was sentenced to a mere three years’ probation. By this time, a full year and two months had passed since the initial incident, and no new charges had been filed against Bynes since September. Perhaps the drama was finally ending.

Trouble with the straight and narrow

Then, late in May, police were called to her apartment on a marijuana complaint. The doorman claimed Bynes was smoking in the lobby. At this point, things took a truly sinister twist. It’s reported that Bynes was followed to her apartment by police who claim they saw a bong, which Bynes allegedly tossed out her 36th-floor window.

To further confound her fans, Bynes was seen wearing a platinum wig as she was arrested and taken to Roosevelt Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation before being taken to the police station. She’s been charged with criminal possession of marijuana, tampering with evidence, and reckless endangerment.

Her lawyer speaks out

Richard Hutton, the DUI specialist who represented Bynes in her previous cases, is speaking out in her defense. Hutton is not representing Bynes against her current charges, but says he believes the incident was “blown out of proportion,” and it “doesn’t seem like much of a case.” He points out that while the rumor mill has been running wild, there is no physical evidence to prove that Bynes is guilty; that is, no marijuana and no pipe.

When building a defense against anything substance-related, whether it be criminal possession or DUI, having a good lawyer is more than half the battle — as Amanda Bynes can attest. Securing reputable, experienced, and quality representation can mean the difference between a settlement and jail time.

Bynes has been lucky so far, and maybe she’ll take her good luck as a sign to keep her day job; the life of a rapper is kind of hard.

Perhaps nothing captures the imagination of the American public like football. Seeing armored gladiators do battle in bouts of intense strategy and teamplay has led to the game occupying a place in the national psyche like few things before it. However, the competition comes at a price to players, who often find themselves on injury lists. For a growing number of those players, those injuries have become more serious, and the National Football League finds itself in a battle of its own: the battle between the NFL and brain injuries.

Concussion Problems

Last season, the NFL and its respective teams admitted to 240 concussions sustained by players (not counting milder head injuries). Even as the league wants to grow and add more games to its seasons – simply two more games in a regular season could net $500 million – it has to do so with player safety in mind.

The NFL has come a long way from the days it denied there was significant link between head trauma and brain injuries. In 2000, a neurologist – who happened to be a consultant for the NFL – said there was no connection between “being knocked out briefly” and “having amnesia and not being knocked out”.

Changes in the NFL

Today, however, things are different. Perhaps it took the slow demise of Hall of Famer Mike Webster, or the suicide of Terry Long, or the violent death of Justin Strzelczyk – all who suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy – to convince the NFL that something needed to be done to protect players from damage to the brains – which, like it or not, was happening on their football fields. Changes in the kickoff rules and encouraging umpires to crack down on illegal hits are some of the ways the league has attempted to make the field a safer place. Later this year, kneepads will become mandatory gear for players – not only to protect their knees, but protect the heads of whoever is hit with those knees. Independent neurologists will be on-hand at every NFL game to assess player injuries.

The Brain Injury Battle

However, with millions of dollars at stake, both for players and the NFL, it’s difficult to see how effective the league will be in completely eradicating the danger of brain injuries. Forbes magazine points out that in a sport based on hulking, armored men throwing themselves at one another, concussion may be a necessary evil. Players will underreport the severity of their symptoms for fear that they will not be allowed to play. League officials may similarly turn a blind eye to worrying statistics and reports in order to prolong a season, at the risk of exposing players to the possibility of more injuries.

The Legal Fight

Some players, and players’ families, have begun to fight back. A class action lawsuit was filed by over 4,000 players and their families, accusing the NFL of covering up information that head injuries on the field led to serious brain trauma. As far back as 1994, the league acknowledged the dangers faced by players, but Bloomberg Businessweek points out that the NFL were more interested in denying the reports of brain injuries, than actively trying to make the game a safer environment for players.

While everyone involved knew full well that there were significant risks playing football, the suit contends that the NFL played down the severity of injuries. In 2007, for example, an NFL pamphlet said that “Current research [...] has not shown that [...] one or two concussions leads to permanent problems if each injury is managed properly.” Even as the league attempts to move forward to protect more players, the future of player safety in the NFL may come down to the argument a Brain Injury Attorney“>brain injury attorney can make to a jury.

It’s costs over $20,000. It tilts, rotates, talks, and has cupholders. It’s not a car. It’s a chair.

The Emperor 1510 LX is the ultimate “seat of power” for those who need to do some serious computing. Check out this video. Be sure to put your bib on first, as drooling will ensue.

When a business hires a designer, they’re hiring a creator. Design shows up in tons of places: print, signs, text layout, web design, social media presence– the list goes on and on. Anyone who is starting a business, or wants to bring in more attention to an existing business, should take a look at how to improve and build on the current design aspects of the company.

Why Design is Important

Having a unique product isn’t enough to start a business on. A company needs marketing to get the word out and reach the right customers, and part of effective marketing is effective design. Among the many reasons why investing in design is a great idea, a few definitely stick out, and knowing these tips can help out businesses at any stage:

The Dos and Don’ts: There are a lot of common mistakes made by amateurs and experienced entrepreneurs alike. Rather than list them all here, especially since most of them are subjective, the most important thing to remember is audience. Any design element should be engaging, understandable, and accessible to the kind of audience a business wants to have.

Create a Stronger Online Presence: Everyone’s looking to make an impression online, and the look of a website or profile page is always up for scrutiny by potential customers and other businesses. Just as people judge a book by its cover, they judge a business by its website (just as they have always judged businesses by their sign outside of the store). The quality of a website, advertisement, or print material is going to reflect the business as a whole, and hopefully it makes a good impression.

Support an Artist: There are tons of designers out there with unique skills and talents, and they’re often happy to get more freelance work. Hiring a designer doesn’t just help the business, but it helps that designer directly.

Save Money: It might seem counter-intuitive, but investing in great design can help a business save money in the long run. First of all, a business’ website is like an employee that works 24/7, so it better do a good job. Second, solid design can save face in the absence of other marketing tools.

Creating Something to be Proud Of: Every entrepreneur wants to create a business that they are proud to show off. Good design can show off the best aspects of a product, create something visually appealing in and of itself, and give a business owner a tangible visualization of their ambitions.

I’ve had migraines since I was about 8 years old. My mother had them, and I caught her affliction.I never gave much thought as to why I got them; it was a familial thing. Flawed genetics. I still get them, and I still get that wave of panic when I become aware of what’s going on.

I was also a very fussy baby. I had a ton of digestive issues, including colic, and I had to have specialized formula. To put it in perspective, my family had a set grocery budget – half of it went to by food for my mother, father, and brother for two weeks, and the other half went to buying formula for me for two weeks. Although I’d known about my gastro-intestinal issues, I hadn’t given a lot of thought to it. I don’t remember that period of my life, so I filed it to the back of my mind and didn’t give a second thought.

But now…

I’ve found that prominent medical scientists are theorizing that there is a link between infant colic and migraines later in life. Many scientists have thought that colic might be a pain disorder moreso than an actual stomach issue, and that having this pain disorder early in life opens up the child to other pain disorders (like those that cause migraines) later on in life. There is also evidence that the children who are suffering from colic are actually experiencing a severe headache that causes nausea instead of strictly a stomach complaint. The research also studied the two subtypes of migraines – those that occur with some sort of migraine aura and those that do not.

What does this mean?

No one wants to hear their child crying and not be able to make the baby feel better. This sentiment, I’m sure, doesn’t change whether the child is an infant crying from colic or a teenager in bed (or the emergency room) from the severe pain of a migraine headache. These new links will definitely lead to new remedies for colic which will hopefully reduce or eliminate migraines later in life. But for now, we have very few “cures” for colic. (Fun fact – actress Emma Stone got her signature low-pitched voice from crying so much when she had colic as a child).

We do know of some things many mothers and fathers try when dealing with a colicky child, and many of them have to do with food. If the mother is breastfeeding, she might have to watch what she eats, because the baby might be sensitive to or have allergies to certain foods. We know that broccoli and certain dairies can cause issues for the little ones, and we suggest that the mother stop one food at a time for a period of a few days to a week in order to gauge what the baby doesn’t respond well to.

Another way involves natural gas drops – simply drop the medicine into the baby’s mouth, and as the drops move through the digestive tracts, they eliminate the gas that might be the cause of the pain. Also, gentle tummy massage and some heat might be a great way to alleviate the pain as well.