Tag Archives: New York

Buffalo, New York’s Hyatt Regency offering specialness to visitors from Canada

November 8, 2014 The Silo Leave a comment

The City of Buffalo is experiencing an economic and cultural resurgence. Visitors from around the globe have been enjoying the majestic Niagara Falls, Sabres, Bills and Bisons sporting events, breathtaking Canalside, and terrific shopping. Located just steps from Buffalo’s Metro Rail, Hyatt Regency Buffalo is a quick trip to many popular activities, cultural attractions and dining options.

In recent years, Buffalo has undergone an economic and cultural resurgence. Hyatt Regency Buffalo is proud partner with the Buffalo Loves Canada campaign and welcomes all residents from Canada to enjoy the city’s many attractions and rich architecture. Located just steps from Buffalo’s Metro Rail, Hyatt Regency Buffalo is a quick trip to many popular activities, including visiting the Buffalo Museum of Science and HarborCenter, catching an exciting Sabres, Bills or Bisons game, walking around breathtaking Canalside, or shopping at the Fashion Outlets of Niagara, Walden Galleria, Elmwood Village, or Boulevard Mall.

Wonderfully historic- downtown Buffalo. image courtesy: s84photobucket/user/segaert-library

Additionally, Hyatt Regency Buffalo recently unveiled its luxurious new Penthouse Suite, a stunning high-end space with a panoramic view of the skyline of downtown Buffalo. The space is perfect for leisure or business travelers looking for a sophisticated retreat in the heart of downtown Buffalo—and for hosting exclusive corporate board meetings and executive retreats. Guests of the suite receive complimentary transportation in the hotel’s Mercedes-Benz shuttles, as well as their own personal concierge or meeting concierge.

Hyatt Regency has recently announced two exclusive “Maple Leaf” travel packages offering special rates to visitors from Canada. Buffalo is the perfect weekend destination for Canadians to watch hockey and football games, visit the U.S. side of Niagara Falls, and also offers a vibrant cultural scene as well as plethora of dining options.

The Hyatt Regency's "Huron Suite" with a splendid downtown view. — The Hyatt Regency’s “Huron Suite” with a splendid downtown view.

The “Maple Leaf” package starts at $99 during weekends and $109 during holidays and mid-week. Canadians can also choose from the Maple Leaf PLUS package, which includes luxurious overnight accommodations, complimentary valet parking, a $25 Visa gift card, and 20% discount on rejuvenating treatments in luxurious Spa Alexis (closed on Sundays). Rates for the Maple Leaf PLUS package vary per day. Advance payment and proof of Canadian Residency are required at time of check in. Both packages are non-refundable and subject to availability. Please call 716.856.1234 or visit www.buffalo.hyatt.com for details and to make a reservation. Please mention the Silo when contacting. Blackout dates include Nov. 15, 28 & 29; Dec. 13 & 31; Jan. 24; and Feb. 21, 27 & 28. Additional blackout dates may be added. For the Silo, Katharine Nichols.

If like us, you can't get enough of Rooftop City Viewing- you will love the pool. — If like us, you can’t get enough of Rooftop City Viewing- you will love the pool.

About Hyatt Regency Buffalo

Hyatt Regency Buffalo, 2 Fountain Plaza, is a 1922 landmark building in the heart of downtown. Adjacent to the Buffalo Convention Center and minutes from Niagara Falls, Ralph Wilson Stadium and Buffalo’s many cultural attractions, the hotel offers a contemporary retreat for work and play in the beautiful City of Lights. The property has 396 guestrooms, 17 suites and 23,479 square feet of flexible meeting space. Amenities include the StayFit^TM fitness center, a 24 hour, state-of-the art business center and pet-friendly rooms. On-site dining includes E.B. Greens Steakhouse and Atrium Bar and Bistro. For reservations, call (716) 856-1234 or visit www.buffalo.hyatt.com.

What a great lobby! Downstairs to The Atrium Bar and Bistro.

About Hyatt Regency

The Hyatt Regency brand is an energizing hotel brand that connects travelers to whom and what matters most to them. More than 140 conveniently located Hyatt Regency urban and resort locations in over 30 countries around the world serve as the go-to gathering space for every occasion – from efficient business meetings to memorable family vacations. The brand offers a one-stop experience that puts everything guests need right at their fingertips. Hyatt Regency hotels and resorts offer a full range of services and amenities, including notable culinary experiences; technology-enabled ways to collaborate; the space to work, engage or relax; and expert planners who take care of every detail. For more information, visit hyattregency.com or facebook.com/HyattRegency.

Buffalo downtowners know how to embrace all the Seasons- a scene from the first Winter Festival in 2010. image: juliafinucane/blogspot.ca

Art

McMaster University Art Show Was Organized By UK Architectural Association

January 9, 2014 The Silo Leave a comment

François Dallegret, L’IntroConversoMAtic, 1963. photo collage and drawing. Dimensions variable. Photo: François Dallegret — François Dallegret, L’IntroConversoMAtic, 1963. photo collage and drawing.
Dimensions variable. Photo: François Dallegret

In 2014 McMaster Museum of Art presented GOD & CO: François Dallegret Beyond the Bubble. An exhibition organized by the Architectural Association, London UK

François Dallegret trained as an architect at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris in the late 1950s. He moved to North America; first to New York and then Montreal in 1964. Dallegret has since and continues to slip between disciplines, working as an artist, entrepreneur, theoretical architect (before the term was in general use), industrial and graphic designer, writer and social commentator.

Although his work over the past fifty years has been firmly planted within the possibilities offered by contemporary technologies—his 1964 drawing of a personal, wrap-around electronic communicator l’intro conversomatic has become a commonplace reality in the current world of smart phones & “pads”—Dallegret can be seen been in the context of 19^th century idealism; the engineer as artist, the inventor as philosopher and so on. And while his work carries the sense of wonder of the modern age, manifest in the pure beauty of the object, it is also tempered by the realities of social, economic and cultural issues, and often framed with a quixotic sense of humour and irony.

GOD & CO offers a unique view into Dallegret’s work and activities, a de facto retrospective that engages his active thoughts. Organized by the Architectural Association School of Architecture (UK), it opened in London in late 2011 and has subsequently been presented in Paris and Zurich. This was the first presentation In Canada.

The 2014 exhibition was accompanied by a 384-page illustrated publication with texts by Alessandra Ponte, Laurent Stalder and Thomas Weaver. For the Silo- RoseAnne Prevec.

Supplemental- François Dallegret’s website: http://www.arteria.ca/

Sci-Tech

Brampton’s Skylink offers home app for mobile- allows phones to control home devices

September 23, 2013 The Silo Leave a comment

Ahhh Jane Jetson- you really know how to take advantage of technology.

We know they let you watch TV on the go, surf online, send emails and, oh yeah, make phone calls. But an innovative new tool now also gives you the power to use your mobile device to switch on any light in your home, open your garage door or turn on any other piece of electronic equipment, no matter where you’re located.

Ontario Technology firm: The Skylink Group – which previously introduced Skylink HomeControl, an affordable and easy-to-use system to wirelessly control your entire house – recently launched a mobile application, Skylink HomeControl App, that effectively turns your smartphone, tablet or PC into a remote control.

The handy app allows users to control just about anything in their home with the touch of a couple buttons on a virtual keypad, which can be customized to the specific devices they want to be able to access remotely.

You might be surprised to learn that home automation has been around for a long time and since the earliest days of electricity in the home, inventors and entrepreneurs have scrambled to find a useful and profitable way of harvesting radio waves and electricity. Tesla was one such visionary and among his many accomplishments is perhaps the first use of control by remote- considered at the time, an important form of automation. In 1898 he constructed and demonstrated this remote control model boat in New York. image: kerryr.net — You might be surprised to learn that home automation has been around for a long time and since the earliest days of electricity in the home, inventors and entrepreneurs have scrambled to find a useful and profitable way of harvesting radio waves and electricity.
Tesla was one such visionary and among his many accomplishments is perhaps the first use of control by remote- considered at the time, an important form of automation. In 1898 he constructed and demonstrated this remote control model boat in New York. image: kerryr.net

“Anyone who already understands how to use a mobile device or a computer tablet will be able to use this app easily. That’s the key to getting the
greatest benefit from new technologies – making them easy to understand and user friendly,” says Philip Tsui, CEO and the Chairman of Skylink Group.

The Skylink HomeControl System is designed for do-it-yourselfers and uses control modules which can be wired out of sight and wireless receivers plugged into wall outlets or lamp sockets, even wall switches and dimmers which replace your existing wall switches. For professionals, the Skylinkhome Wireless Control System has modules with three wires that can be installed almost anywhere.

The Wireless Control System can be used to control anything electronic, including:

. Lamps

. Coffee makers

. Fans

. Stereos

. Fire places

. Ceiling fans

. Indoor and outdoor lighting

. Garage doors

. Security systems

. Countless other electronic devices and appliances

Often cited as the "McDonald's of Home Automation" X-10 modules were considered a major breakthrough when they entered the consumer market in the 1970's. A central control unit (here seen in lovely 70's woodgrain) controlled separate modules that were plugged directly into a home power outlet. An appliance requiring automation such as a lamp, was plugged into the module and controlled via wired or wireless control from the X-10 'brain'. CP — Often cited as the “McDonald’s of Home Automation” X-10 modules were considered a major breakthrough when they entered the consumer market in the 1970’s. A central control unit (here seen in lovely 70’s woodgrain) controlled separate modules that were plugged directly into a home power outlet. An appliance requiring automation such as a lamp, was plugged into the module and controlled via wired or wireless control from the X-10 ‘brain’. CP

For those who may not have a smartphone or computer tablet, Skylink also has a remote control – the credit card-sized SkylinkPad – which can be used to wirelessly control devices in your house.

In addition to convenience, the Skylink HomeControl System helps users realize significant energy savings. With the touch of a button, you can shut off all of your lights or set up motion sensors to work with the system. The wireless system also uses timers to ensure that lights and electronic equipment can be shut off when they’re not needed. Dimmers also reduce energy usage, contributing to a greener environment and lower electricity bills.

About Skylink Group:

The Skylink Group understands the needs and concerns of the homeowner in providing a safe and comfortable environment for their family whether they are at home or away. Established in 1990, Skylink Group operates out of Brampton, Ontario. On
Twitter at @skylinkhome.

Supplemental– The Genius of Nikola Tesla http://www.teslasociety.com/radio.htm

The History of Home Automation http://www.eddriscoll.com/timeline.html

Earth

Surviving Hurricane Sandy

November 4, 2012 The Silo Leave a comment

JerseyShoreline — Pedestrians come to the aid of a motorist stuck on a flooded-out road along the shoreline area of Milford, Connecticut ahead of Hurricane Sandy October 29, 2012. The storm began battering the U.S. East Coast on Monday with fierce winds and driving rain, as the monster storm shut down transportation, shuttered businesses and sent thousands scrambling for higher ground. photo: REUTERS/Michelle McLoughlin

Dear Silo- I live in Jackson, N.J., about 10 miles inland, and did not get the devastating storm surge from Hurricane Sandy. And yet, I have never experienced such a catastrophic weather event.

High winds brought down thousands of trees, taking out power lines and crashing into homes. The destruction here is something I never imagined I would see.

NASAbeforeandafterMantolokingBridge — images courtesy: NASA imaging

The Mantoloking Bridge, where the sea came into the bay, is where I crab all summer. It’s now crumpled in the water, surrounded by flooded homes. It’s heartbreaking to see images of the place you love destroyed.

Since most homes did not have power or internet immediately after the storm, we did not get to see the images of ravaged iconic Jersey Shore towns like Seaside Heights, Point Pleasant, Manasquan, Mantoloking, Atlantic City and Asbury Park. Local residents are shocked at the extent of the devastation revealed in newspaper photos. Entire shore towns are gone; there is nothing left.

People are starting to lose it by the day; they’ve never gone so long without power. People in New York are eating from Dumpsters. The lines for gas, if you can find it, are miles long. A few more days like this and I worry civilization will start to break down.

Thankfully, my family is OK. I’m nutty about preparation, so we have everything we need. It is so important to be prepared for disaster.

Since I had a generator and plenty of fuel, the loss of power was tolerable. I was able to run my refrigerator and freezer, charge my cell phone and iPad, light my house and watch DVDs on the flat screen. The biggest complaint from those without generators has been boredom.

My 4G iPad was a lifesaver. I was able to tune into local radio stations and keep up with the news; view pictures and videos of the
devastation; and play games to pass the time.

Water is worth its weight in gold during a crisis, you can never have too much. Canned food, candles, flashlights and batteries are other must-have prep items.

It is very difficult to get gasoline as many stations have no power or have not had any gas delivered. There are mile-long lines at the stations that do have power and gas. The traffic around them is incredible — it’s a wild scene!

Why did so many people have so little gas that they would line up for hours to fill their tank? Because they did not prepare for the major disaster that had been forecast for the greater part of a week. My three cars are all full because I filled up BEFORE the storm.

The Jersey Shore will come back, but it will take a very long time. I feel a profound sadness seeing the beautiful shore destroyed and witnessing the suffering of those who have lost everything.

Please use this tragedy to prepare your family for disaster natural or man made. The best investment you can make is a generator. Buy one BEFORE a crisis hits. Louis Scatigna

In 2014 McMaster Museum of Art presented GOD & CO: François Dallegret Beyond the Bubble. An exhibition organized by the Architectural Association, London UK

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