Clipmarks | madame travels's clips

No 2010 Michelin Guides for Las Vegas and Los Angeles

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 01:56:19 GMT

A spokeswoman for the company said it will temporarily discontinue guides for Las Vegas and Los Angeles next year because of the economy, though it has plans to resume publishing for both cities in 2011.

"Everybody knows we're in a difficult economic climate right now," she said. "It's based on the economy.

"Michelin is a very conservative company, and we've taken a very conservative approach to spending during this economic environment."

Guides for New York and San Francisco in 2010 will still be published

the company is further pursuing guide developments in Asia, including Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Macau

Andre Rochat, owner of Andre's at Monte Carlo, said he received a notice from Michelin about the guide's cancellation. His restaurant received one Michelin star this year.

Rochat said the lack of a guide for Las Vegas would not hurt business "because there is no business pretty much in general.

Guggenheim Forum Live Chat Sessions

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 13:38:08 GMT

clipped by: madame travels

Clip Source: themoment.blogs.nytimes.com

Attention armchair curators and otherwise opinionated people: Today, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum inaugurates the Guggenheim Forum, a series of moderated online discussions. Each forum, which is pegged to one of the museum’s exhibitions, is two weeks long and includes live chat sessions with experts in various fields, while also giving visitors the opportunity to submit comments, some of which will be selected for posting

The inaugural forum, “Between the Over- and Underdesigned,” coincides with the museum’s exhibition “Frank Lloyd Wright: From Within Outward,” and addresses architecture’s social and environmental value in the context of Wright’s work and philosophy.

Upcoming forum topics will include the museum’s Kandinsky retrospective, which opens September 18th

Ultimate Guide to Airline Fees

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:06:42 GMT

clipped by: madame travels

Clip Source: www.smartertravel.com

Two dollars for a soda? Ten bucks for an aisle seat? If you're confused about airline fees, we can help.

With our Airline Fees: The Ultimate Guide, you'll find a one-stop reference chart for every major airline fee from every major domestic carrier.

Best of all, you can download the airline fees chart in PDF format at no charge. Because unlike the airlines, we don't make you pay for things that ought to be free.

Also available: The Ultimate Guide to Frequent Flyer Fees and our new companion piece, Airline Fees: The Next Generation.

(Editor's Note: The Ultimate Guide to Airfare Fees was last updated on May 1, 2009.)

Roswell UFO Festival 2009

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 20:04:31 GMT

clipped by: madame travels

Clip Source: www.roswellufofestival.com

UFO Festival Parade

Downtown Main St Friday July 3rd @ 7:30pm

Alien Costume Contest

Alien Animal Pet Costume Contest 10am @ Convention Center
3:00pm Friday July 3rd @ NMMI's Pearson Auditorium

SPECTACULAR JULY 4
FIREWORKS DISPLAY

Film Festival

Thursday July 2 8:00am - 7:00pm
"Roswell," "Sci-Fi Boys," "Roswell Down Under" with workshop by Producer Paul Davids

July 3, 2009 Jefferson Starship Plays Roswell
9:00pm @ NMMI's Pearson Auditorium

July 8, 1947 Front Page of Roswell Daily Record

READ FULL TEXT of 1947 ARTICLES

SKYTRAX: Airline, Airport, Flight and Seat Reviews

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 23:59:30 GMT

clipped by: madame travels

Clip Source: www.airlinequality.com

The world's largest choice of Airline and Airport reviews for over 620 airlines and 645 airports. Flight reviews, lounge Reviews, seat reviews ... and much more, including the Official Airline Star Ranking guide. Latest Reviews


SEAT GUIDES Seat Pitch guide Passenger "Best Seat" tips Economy class seat reviews First / Business Class		PASSENGER REVIEWS Millions of reviews online. LATEST Reviews Airlines : A-Z Index Airports : A-Z Index



News headline links Register for Skytrax newsletter

Airline Passenger Bumping 101

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:10:49 GMT

clipped by: madame travels
clipper's remarks: Airline rankings on the Department of Transportation website at http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov.

See clip source for Exceptions to the Rules

Clip Source: www.airfarewatchdog.com

Overbooking flights has become standard practice these days among the most airlines, and your chances of being booted are higher than ever. But before you resign yourself to a spot on the floor

if you're involuntarily bumped off your flight and the airline can't get you to your destination within an hour of the original arrival time, federal law requires that you be paid the equivalent of your one-way fare up to $200 or $400, depending on the length of the delay

Instead of waiting in line

call the airline 800 number directly

Speaking immediately to an agent on the phone can help you skirt any airport computer systems that give priority to frequent fliers or those who paid top dollar for their fare

One way to avoid getting bumped altogether is to fly JetBlue

Airtran

Hawaiian and Aloha

Atlantic Southeast Airlines, Comair, and Delta Airlines consistently score the worst

the easiest thing you can do to prevent getting bumped is arrive early

Airline Regulations We Need Now

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:00:07 GMT

clipped by: madame travels
clipper's remarks:

8. If a passenger buys a non-refundable ticket, and said passenger dies or becomes too ill to ever travel again, passenger’s fare must be refunded in full within 30 days, and all traveling companions must also have their fares refunded.

What else should we add to the list? Now be reasonable! And add your comments below.

45% of Airfare Watchdog's readers voted for regulation. 52% said no thanks and AW is guessing that the prospect of higher fares is the reason. Higher fares vs Passenger rights?

Clip Source: www.airfarewatchdog.com

1. If an airline changes its schedule before you depart on a trip, and such schedule change no longer suits your schedule, the airline must secure you transportation on another airline at your original fare.

you are forced to spend money on hotels and meals, such as a forced overnight midway in your trip, the airline must pick up the bill

cancels a flight and you’re traveling on a frequent flyer ticket, any fees associated with that fare must be refunded

refund must be paid in full in 30 days

5. If your flight is delayed or canceled due to anything within the airline’s reasonable control, the airline must provide adequate lodging, meals, and transportation. It must also put you on another airline’s flight if that flight will get you to your destination sooner than your original airline’s next flight out.

loses or delays your checked luggage

all checked bag fees must be refunded in full within 30 days, in cash

on the runway for more than three hours

passengers be allowed to disembark

Ban on U.S. travel to Cuba may be lifted

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:41:39 GMT

clipped by: madame travels
clipper's remarks: Of course, it has always been possible for Americans to travel to Cuba via Mexico without detection as the Mexican and Cuba immigration services do not stamp U.S. passports on that route.

Clip Source: www.latimes.com

Reporting from Washington -- A bipartisan group of senators predicted Tuesday that Congress was ready to pass legislation to allow all Americans to travel to Cuba.

Removing the travel ban would produce a burst of tourism, create thousands of jobs and generate as much as $1.6 billion in business a year, an independent research group said.

A Senate news conference Tuesday and one in the House set for Thursday reflect new attempts to lift the travel ban, a key part of the U.S. trade embargo imposed after Fidel Castro took power in Havana in 1959. The broader trade embargo would remain in place.

"Punishing the American people in our effort to somehow deal a blow to the Castro government has not made any sense at all," said Sen. Byron L. Dorgan (D-N.D.). "At long last, this policy, which has been in place for 50 years and has not worked, will finally be removed."

Leopards in Kenya

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 17:00:52 GMT

clipped by: madame travels

Clip Source: www.wildernessdiary.com

It's not every day you're lucky enough to see a leopard...but in the past week or so, it has been an almost daily occurrence here at Kulafumbi

We often hear the baboons' and vervet monkeys' barking alarm calls in the early morning and at dusk, signifying the big cat's presence again, but often without us catching sight of it. And frequently below the house, we see other leopard tracks in the sand, including that of a small female passing by under the veil of darkness. And in the dead of night, we often hear the distinctive rasping leopard call, such a haunting sound of the African night, sometimes near and bone-rattling, sometimes distant and sonorous

a cautionary note, let's not forget what happens to the hapless creatures caught by this most efficient of hunters: here are the only remains of a dikdik whose path crossed that of a hungry leopard. We picked this up on our driveway. As you can see, there's not much left to tell the tale, but quite enough to tell all that needs to be told!

Geese in Kenya

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 00:57:03 GMT

clipped by: madame travels

Clip Source: www.wildernessdiary.com

Our goslings are flying! Well, sort of...they make it about one foot off the ground for a few yards...but technically, it IS flying...

Early flight (20th October 2008

Which is a good thing, because those attacks by their father (or imposter, whatever he may be) are not letting up...The chase is now on, in the air and on land.

It's difficult to describe how vicious these attacks on the young goslings are. For a start, the adult goose is a much heavier, more powerful bird (that can also fly properly). What makes it worse is that the adults are still meant to be protecting the goslings, not trying to harm them or chase them away...not yet...let them get a bit older first...

more and more brutal...

gosling tries to escape...

attacker does not relent...

nasty peck!

mother goose

tries to intervene...

mother chases the male

Until eventually, amidst much noisy scolding from the mother, the male goose finally pulls back and lets the traumatized gosling escape...at least until next time...

Crocs, Storks and Geckos in Kenya

Sat, 28 Feb 2009 00:49:24 GMT

clipped by: madame travels

Clip Source: www.wildernessdiary.com

There’s no denying it: crocodiles are bizarre creatures. There’s been so much croc-action-at-Kulafumbi recently (sounds like something out of a hyped-up TV programme, doesn’t it?). Every day we hear their crashing in the reeds and the deep guttural hiss-roar that crocodiles make, and if we’re quick, we catch a glimpse of them as they chase each other at great speed from the reeds into the open river, when inevitably one will turn tail.

As you may remember from our earlier discussions back in 2007, it can be tricky to tell whether these great toothy reptiles are courting or fighting

The other day one clutched the other’s snout between its jaws and simply would not let go (“Ow!” say I

if I was the smaller crocodile, I think I’d also be getting out the way

Yellow-billed Storks

follow the smaller crocodiles around (or vice versa?) to find the best fishing grounds

I told you these creatures are unfathomable…Look at these two: far from being aggressive, they seem inseparable

siblings?

friends”?

Carnaval dates until 2040

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 01:09:02 GMT

clipped by: madame travels
clipper's remarks: Clipped to year 2030

Clip Source: www.worldsamba.org

One of the most frequent questions we get here at our website is "what is the date of Carnaval this year?". Well, believe it or not, it is not an easy question to answer. You have to be part astrologer, part mathematician, and part priest! Here is how you calculate the carnaval date:

50-47 days before the first Sunday after the first full moon after Vernal Equinox, or in layman's terms, Ash Wednesday is calculated as 46 days before Easter Sunday, and carnaval falls on the 4 days before Ash Wednesday. Complicated, no?

2009 - February 21-24
2010 - February 13-16
2011 - March 5-8
2012 - February 18-21
2013 - February 9-12
2014 - March 1-4
2015 - February 14-17
2016 - February 6-9
2017 - February 25-28
2018 - February 10-13
2019 - March 2-5
2020 - February 22-25
2021 - February 13-16
2022 - February 26 - March 1
2023 - February 18-21
2024 - February 10-13
2025 - March 1-4
2026 - February 14-17
2027 - February 6-9
2028 - February 26-29
2029 - February 10-13
2030 - March 2-5

In Kenya: Flights of Fancy

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:56:22 GMT

clipped by: madame travels

Clip Source: www.wildernessdiary.com

One of the wonderful things about our house being set on the edge of a precipice, falling away to the river below, is that we are eye to eye with the birds as they pass by on the wing...and often we even get a bird's eye view of the birds themselves!

It's impossible not to wonder at the beauty and diversity of these feathered creatures, and yes, I suppose to envy them their freedom a little too.

Here are just a few of the passers-by, in all their glory...

A gorgeous Black Stork, on a winter's visit from Europe

Spur-winged Plover

Pied Kingfishers

Blue-cheeked Bee-eater

African Fish Eagles

Goliath Heron

A female Bateleur Eagle (the aerial acrobat of all aerial acrobats

Our resident Glossy Starlings bred successfully this year, and have been bringing their youngsters to the bird table. The immature birds have dark eyes, in contrast to the white-yellow eyes of the adults. Here's one of the young ones finishing off our Christmas pudding:

they are as comic as they are colourfu

In Kenya: Hippos for our Hippo Lawn

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 00:42:19 GMT

clipped by: madame travels

Clip Source: www.wildernessdiary.com

Despite the dry, hot months we’ve been having, Ian has succeeded in nurturing our lawn – with the aid of a couple of strategically placed, ever so persistent sprinklers - and yes, we really can call it a lawn now, rather than a few hopeful tufts of grass! You might remember our plan was to have a conventional lawn up around the house (and it’s done a wonderful job in softening the look of the house, below), and then on the Hippo Lawn, to let the wild grasses grow really wild, and wait for a hungry, grateful horde of hippos….which didn’t come and didn’t come, despite the star grass growing thick and tall (some of it is waist high)…

star grass

And then all of a sudden – and to our great delight! - one night about ten days ago, we heard a sound outside our bedroom window in the middle of the night, much like an over-sized horse munching on lush green grass. A hippo at last for our Hippo Lawn!

Is the TSA Violating Your Privacy? New Body Scanning Machines

Thu, 30 Oct 2008 19:50:11 GMT

clipped by: madame travels

Clip Source: current.newsweek.com

Virtual strip searches" are currently being done using full-body scanners at Los Angeles International, JFK, Baltimore-Washington International, Miami, and many other airports

Passengers are randomly selected to step into the machines. The scanning process takes about 40 seconds. You make two quick poses. One with your arms up and the other with them down.

But late last week, Germany decided that it would not allow its airports to use full-body scanners. And many other people are concerned that these scanners are an invasion of privacy. What do you think? At the right is a sample photo, one of many posted by Der Spiegel