Travel

There’s nothing like receiving a Christmas album in early January. The management of Tommy James sent me his I Love Christmas release as a gift for reviewing his compilation album, 40 Years: The Complete Singles Collection (1966-2006). And so here we are. The career of Tommy James has now passed the 45 year mark. He is best remembered for his work with the Shondells. They produced 19 chart hits between 1966-1970 with “Hanky Panky” and “Crimson & Clover” both reaching number one. Following the dissolution of the Shondells; Tommy James has remained active in the music industry. He continued to record and tour and has released 13 solo songs that have reached the American charts. 2004 found him issuing the CD single “I Love Christmas.” Four years later he released a full Christmas CD by the same name. He combined some traditional Christmas hymns with some well known holiday pop songs and then filled out the album with three original tunes. He
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Although the bulletin stresses Airbus is not prejudging a formal investigation outcome, it makes two specific recommendations. The first is that during painting of an aircraft care should be taken that key sensors are not painted over. The second warns that low-speed tests must be performed at a safe altitude. The Air New Zealand French manufactured Airbus A320 had been under charter to a German firm. It was taken to Perpignan in southern France where it was re-painted into Air New Zealand livery by EAS Industries. On November 27, two German pilots, four Air New Zealand officers and a New Zealand aviation inspector flew the plane out of Perpignan and over the nearby Mediterranean Sea. For as yet unexplained reasons, the plane suddenly plunged into the sea without being able to send out a distress call. No one survived the crash. Airbus said in their bulletin that as a result of preliminary work and in line with international treaties, "without prejudging from the outcome of the
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Sometimes, the stars all seem to align—you arrive at your hotel, weary from your travels, and check in at the front desk. The smiling clerk announces you’ve been upgraded, and you make your way up to your newly assigned suite, enjoying its luxuries for the cost of a standard double. What, this has never happened to you? It’s not mere fantasy—read on to find tried-and-true recommendations for getting upgraded for your next hotel stay. Don’t Be a Stranger. If there’s a hotel you visit frequently, make sure the staff knows you’re there and that you plan on returning again in the future. Be courteous and get to know the manager, front-desk clerks, and concierge. When you next make a reservation, contact the hotel directly, not a central reservations line. Before your arrival, get in touch with the property staff and let them know you’re arriving (offering a compliment on the property, service, etc., couldn’t hurt, either). Then, once you get there, politely mention your
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With the big game coming up, you’ll need all the best ideas and recipes for a super bowl of guacamole - and they can be found at FoodNetwork, the No. 1 food and cooking site on the Web. Are you a guacamole greenhorn or an avocado aficionado? No matter, FoodNetwork will help you guac your socks off just in time for the biggest snack day of the year: Super Sunday. FoodNetwork is your one-stop-guac-shop for every party snacking need with guacamole recipes, guacamole troubleshooting, guac news and trends, and a “Guac of Fame” contest. Let’s see some of the great things FoodNetwork is dipping into: В• Nearly 200 Guacamole recipes: When searching how to make guacamole, look no further than FoodNetwork, where guacamole recipes abound from the quick — like Rachael Ray’s “Guac & Roll” recipe — to the easy, like Alton Brown’s version (FoodNetwork’s most popular guacamole recipe). Ellie Krieger’s “Chunky Guacamole” is a low-cal alternative, while Tyler Florence’s dip offers a
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Wynn’s Encore Resort in Las Vegas offers an exciting new make-up service. It is not simply a make-up application, but an actual lesson. Jennifer — my tall, blonde, well dressed (and perfectly made-up) beautician — greets me in the super swank, very elegant Salon which looks out over the lush Wynn property and offers floor to ceiling views of the city. You will find the Salon so large and airy you feel good just being here, especially if you are lucky enough to be pampered by the expert staff. “Come to my table,” Jennifer says, beckoning me to her private and impeccably clean spot near the window. Introducing myself, I explain that I’ve been doing my make-up the same way for a few months now, and wanted an expert’s opinion of what I am doing right and what needs improvement. I’ve also applied eyeliner and asked if I’ve applied it thin enough, and implore her to tell me tricks to keep the eyeliner from moving. Jennifer listens to me, nods, and removes my make-up so we can
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Ambitious projections of a jump in tourists from Australia have also been dumped. The predictions of dropping numbers from New Zealand's key tourism markets Australia, Britain and the United States are "on the money", Tourism New Zealand chief executive George Hickton said. The numbers come from an industry report by Goldman Sachs JBWere analyst Shamubeel Eaqub that picks a drop of 45,000 tourists from those top markets. With Australians making up 37 per cent of inbound tourists and American and British visitors typically big spenders, Mr Eaqub's "worst-case" predictions equate to $113 million less tourism income in 2009. The figure includes only what the tourists would spend in New Zealand and does not count international airfares. Tourism Ministry figures picking an almost 4 per cent increase in visitor numbers from across the Tasman this year have been scrapped. Prime Minister John Key, also the tourism minister, got back to business yesterday after a
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How do you celebrate Martin Luther King Day? Do you use this day off from work or school to volunteer for your community or to help those in need? Do you take the time to reflect and engage in conversation about the impact that America’s greatest civil rights leader has had on society? Do you read about his life or watch his speeches? However you commemorate Martin Luther King Day, the fact is many people don’t. Many view the third Monday of January as an excuse to sleep in and perhaps “have a dream” of a different sort. The holiday gets lumped in with President’s Day, Veteran’s Day, Labor Day, and Columbus Day as just another day off. Dr. King is taken for granted simply as the “I have a dream” guy, and not seen as the man who sparked a movement that changed the course of civic and social America. How could this be? Although America has a long way to go in the battle for civil rights and equality for all, we have made great strides since the early days of the movement. Perhaps this
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Big changes in the world of air travel are coming in 2009. From merger mania to airport security adjustments, here’s what’s on our shortlist of important changes in the year ahead.Merger ManiaLate in October, Delta’s proposed merger with Northwest was approved by the Department of Justice, and the airlines will enter full-blown merger mode in early 2009. The tie-up may not be fully complete until 2010, but you can expect Northwest’s name and brand to be phased out in 2009. The SkyMiles and WorldPerks frequent flyer programs will be merged towards the end of this year. For up-to-date information, visit Delta’s FAQ page. Of course, there’s always the possibility that the Delta/Northwest merger will spark other mergers. As a recent Reuters report predicted, “The answer is likely to be yes in an industry that clearly has excess capacity, is adding surcharges despite a retreat in fuel prices, and is facing international competitors that are expected to consolidate in the coming
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Okay, let’s face it! Certain things are to be expected when you think of a Las Vegas steakhouse, and good steak is almost the least of them. If you are like me, you are expecting a very sultry, sexy, lounge-type atmosphere with incredible dГ©cor and the kind of ambiance that whispers anything — yes, anything — can happen. You expect to be guided to your table by hostesses that are slightly too friendly and attractive for comfort. And since you’ve been eating at high-end steakhouses for more years than you care to remember, you are secretly hoping something will happen that will make the evening memorable enough to tell your friends back home. Welcome to Botero, the new steakhouse at the Wynn Encore resort in Las Vegas. Created by nightlife impresario Victor Drai (I loved his restaurant in Beverly Hills) and Executive Chef Mark LoRusso, this is arguably one of the sexiest restaurants in Las Vegas with a vibrant, upscale crowd that looks as if they live and eat well. In
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Anyone planning to travel to the US for fewer than 90 days for business or tourism without a visa will be required to obtain an on-line travel authorisation before they go. Travellers from 35 countries are being asked to obtain authorisation from the US Department of Homeland Security at least 72 hours before they board a plane or cruise ship destined for the US. The Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) is a web-based automatic question-and-answer system that can determine the eligibility of visitors to travel to the US under the visa-waiver programme. The programme has been voluntary since August and is now mandatory. Further information is available on the website https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov, where online applications are available. If an application is declined, travellers will need to contact their nearest US consulate to obtain a visa. The online application form asks travellers to say if they are drug users and to divulge certain criminal convictions or past terror
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