Forbes.com recently named the best and worst cities for recession recovery. Cities in some states, such as California, could take years to recover. But Forbes says Austin (including Round Rock) is one of the country's cities best poised for a quick recovery.

Forbes calculated which cities were best geared for recovery by analyzing unemployment levels, projected gross domestic product, incomes and affordability data.

Forbes says one reason why Austin (and several other Texas cities) have survived well is because we were not involved in the housing bubble that occurred in states such as California, Nevada and Florida, so we didn't experience the burst they did. The fact that we have a diverse economy with growth in the education and health care fields gave us a great advantage. "From now to the end of 2010, the economy of Austin is projected to grow by $5 billion," Forbes says.

In April, Forbes also declared Austin as the best big city for jobs. Are you job searching? Read this list of the best places to find Austin jobs online.

Happy 4th of July, Austin! Independence Day in Austin comes with plenty of celebrations, so be sure to go out and enjoy yourself. Whether you want to see fireworks, hear live music or watch cannons fire, there is a July 4th celebration in Austin this evening that you will enjoy! Have a wonderful Independence Day.

I recently jumped at the offer to attend a tequila seminar and dinner at Twin Liquors Marketplace and found it a wonderful escape from the Texas heat! A Don Julio representative used a PowerPoint slide show to explain what qualifies as tequila, the painstaking process of making tequila, and the various types of tequila. We then sampled four types of tequila and she helped us identify the different aromas and flavors. It was very educational, but so much fun at the same time. We then dined on a delicious dinner catered by Iron Cactus. Not a bad way to spend a summer evening!

I discovered that Twin Liquors offers lots of great events like this. While the event I attended required an admission fee, some of the events are free, such as Wine 101 Class, which is held every other Wednesday (all you need to do is RSVP). On July 18th from 2-6 p.m., there is a free tasting tour at the Marketplace, with 20 different wines you can sample. On some evenings, you can sample Russian vodka along with authentic Russian bread and pickles. If you want to get out of the heat as badly as I do, one of these events at Twin Liquors is a great way to cool off and relax.

Actress Farrah Fawcett, most famous for her role in television hit "Charlie's Angels" and her gorgeous '70s hair, passed away last Thursday. She lost a long battle with anal cancer, which was documented in a moving television special called "Farrah's Story." Reuters has announced that her funeral will be held tomorrow.

Despite her Hollywood fame, Fawcett's roots were here in Texas. The Corpus Christi native attended the University of Texas and studied with a major in microbiology and minor in art. She was named as one of the most beautiful people on campus in the school yearbook. An agent who noticed her beauty encouraged her to pursue acting, so before graduating, she moved to L.A., where her career took off.

The actress was well-loved and fought bravely during her final years. What are your best memories of Farrah?

Photo by Brenda Chase/Getty Images