| A well-manicured Spanish ghost town
Francisco Hernando Village is neat and well-manicured for a ghost town. The complex near Sesena Nuevo, some 30 miles south of Madrid, should be home to around 40,000 people, but as I wander around I hardly see a soul. Will places like this be the key to next week's General Election? The climbing-frames and swings in the playground are in bright primary colours, their shine unscuffed by children's feet. No one disturbs the unbroken views across the park, with its neat line of spring flowers, shaded areas and rows of palm trees. No one stares across the large crescent-shaped lake at the 100-foot high fountain. Three sides of a large, new and modern block of flats, brown brick and big balconies, curve round a wide-open space complete with a court of ball games and a large swimming pool.
Gotta love the bump -- to a better grade of service
They worked the system. To unlock the secrets of free or discounted upgrades for planes, hotel rooms, rental cars and cruise cabins, we went to industry experts and frequent travelers. Here are their tips. AIRLINE UPGRADES • Use the upgrade certificates airlines send you for being a frequent flier, or ask friends holding transferable coupons with looming expiration dates if you can take them off their hands. • Though airlines most frequently award their elite passengers upgrades, it never hurts to be the first in line at the gate counter and inquire about a bump in class. (Ask the gate representative, not the check-in agent, who does not control domestic first-class seating assignments.) Alternately, don't be the first to board; hang back in case economy seats are needed and there is extra space in first class -- you just might be offered that elite seat.
Officials Threaten to Block Tanker Funds
Tiahrt told Bloomberg News late Wednesday that there is a possibility that Congress will block funding for the program. This comes after members of Connecticut's congressional delegation formally requested a briefing with the Air Force over the tanker contract. Had Boeing won the deal, as expect. Pratt & Whitney would have built the engines for the 600 tankers and Hamilton Sundstrand would have worked on the electrical systems. Both companies are based in Connecticut. In a letter sent to Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne Wednesday, the lawmakers expressed concern that the award did not consider the U.S. jobs that would be affected. They also said the Air Force did not take into account the subsidies from European governments to its aerospace industry, which puts the U.S. contractors at a disadvantage.
Mayor’s office plots $1.8B spending plan
Mayor Mufi Hannemann's administration is proposing what city Budget Director Mary Patricia Waterhouse calls a "bare-bones" $1.8 billion operating budget for next year that will not raise property taxes. The budget also calls for $831.5 million in construction and other capital costs. About $265.1 million would be spent to plan, design and break ground on construction of a new mass-transit system. 2009 City Budget Operating budget: $1.8 billion Capital improvement budget: $831.5 million Revenues From property taxes: $788 million, an increase of $27.6 million from 2008. The mayor is proposing to keep property tax rates the same and offer a $100 tax credit for qualified homeowners. Spending Retirement and health benefits: $51.9 million toward paying down an estimated $1.2 billion shortfall during the next 30 years in health and other benefits for city workers Transit: $265.1 million for planning, design and construction of a mass-transit system; $4 million to continue operation of TheBoat; $31.1 million to buy 50 hybrid buses; and $1 million for bikeway improvements Sewers and garbage: $245.3 million for sewer projects; $5 million to ship garbage off island; $8 million to expand curbside recycling Roads: $77 million for repair and maintenance of city streets Police and fire: $63,000 to start up a Honolulu Police Department parks patrol; $5.5 million for 58 patrol cars, 10 motorcycles, a helicopter and other police equipment; $4.3 million for three fire engines, two ladder trucks and other fire equipment.; $1.9 million to plan and design a new East Kapolei Fire Station Housing: $7.3 million to renovate the Kulana Nani affordable rental housing project in Kaneohe and acquire the fee interest in the land; $2 million to develop the River Street Residences in Chinatown Parks: $15.6 million for parks improvements; $6.9 million for a new Asian tropical forest elephant facility at the Honolulu Zoo.
Outrageous fortune for a novice sailor in Wisconsin's Apostle Islands
The boat is called Outrageous, and to my landlubber's eye it lives up to the name. It's like a 37-foot floating knife blade of metal and fiberglass. ''This is a boy's boat,'' my friend Bob Deeg says proudly. ``Built for speed. Women don't think it's comfortable enough.'' We're standing on the dock at Port Superior Marina in Bayfield, looking over the vessel that will be our home for the next three days as we sail the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. My companions Bob, a Sprint employee from Kansas City, and Chris Powell, an acupuncturist from Lake Tapawingo, Mo., have rented this boat before. They enlivened the drive up from Kansas City rhapsodizing about her speed and handling. ''What do you call two sailboats heading in the same direction?'' Chris asks.
Backyard nuptials require proper planning
Frugal couples might think a backyard wedding will spare them some of the stress and expense of tying the knot. But experts warn that poorly planned home nuptials can be just as nerve-racking as a fairy-tale wedding at a chichi chateau. "I would never recommend doing (a wedding) at home just to save money," says Michelle Gillette, owner of a Denver party-planning company. "People who choose to have their ceremonies at home would have to have a romantic attachment to that space because it's more difficult to do than people think." The upside to home weddings is they provide the opportunity to really personalize the event. Karen and Jim Gruber's wedding guests arrived at the couple's Denver home in late 2005 thinking they were attending a Christmas party.
Protect Your Pets From Winter's Woes
Dogs seem to be quite well insulated even on their feet, they're walking around barefoot in the snow," Dr. Nield said. He said to keep your pets warm in the winter, the good 'ole fashioned doghouse is the way to go. And when it comes to outdoor hounds, the vet said they may scarf down more than usual to get enough body heat to stay toasty. But for Jack, he's just wagging his tail and loving life, no matter what the weather may be. "He's pretty spoiled as you can see." The best prescription for keeping your pal happy and healthy- just snuggle up and give 'em lots of love. The vet says it is a good idea for thin-coated breeds to layer up if they're going to be outside. Again, Dr. Nield said it's very important for your pets to be out of the wind, off the ground and always dry.
The Hanging Church
The Holy Family is then said to have traveled back to Old Cairo, across Sinai and back to Palestine. The Monastic Craze Religious scholars agree Egypt was the birthplace of Christian monasticism, which spread to the rest of Christendom. In Sinai, the Coptic monasteries of St. Anthony (Deir Mar Antonios, fourth century) and St. Paul (Deir Mar Boulos, fifth century) are the oldest in the world. Located in the cliffs of Gebel Al-Galala Al-Qibliya, they are accessible from Zaafarana. They're open to visitors during the day and you can hike between the two, if you have a guide and the stamina. You can stay overnight at St. Paul's guesthouse, with permission from its residence in Cairo (tel: (02) 590-0218). St. Paul is known as the first Christian hermit and St. Anthony is credited for founding and spreading monasticism.
|
