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Monday, January 3, 2011

Travel Light With The Right Luggage

With the holiday season behind us some think the travel industry is ready to slow down. Don’t be mistaken. The beginning of the year is a perfect time to take that much needed weekend getaway to relax and recharge after the holidays. January and February are great months for light travel and many people enjoy taking short trips during these months to get out of the cold and visit a warmer climate, or just get away from it all, if only for a few days. But just because weekend trips are short, doesn’t mean they don’t involve planning. And one step of the planning process you need to pay particular attention to is packing.

Quick vacations are great because they offer spontaneity and excitement. Often times these trips are spur of the moment getaways among friends or between a husband and wife. Because you don’t necessarily have an agenda all planned out, packing for a weekend trip can be difficult. Let’s face it, space in that American Tourister carry on is limited and as a result you’re probably not going to have room for everything that could come up. So how do you know whether you should pack it or leave it?

Start by taking inventory of the necessities. No matter what your destination, there are certain things you’re guaranteed to bring along. Socks, underwear, toiletries are all going with you whether it’s a weekend at Niagara Falls or South Beach. It’s also a good idea to pack a couple of casual outfits and one suit or dress for the possible romantic dinner at a four star restaurant or tickets to a Broadway style show. Try to pack interchangeable items, one pair of jeans can be worn with a few different tops and accessories to create multiple looks and save space. Avoid clothing that you wouldn’t wear at home. Chances are if you don’t like the look of that sweater back home in Indiana, you’re not going to like the looks of it in Boston either. Stick with clothing in your comfort zone.

Once you’ve laid out your vacation ensemble its time to start packing. But before you throw everything in the first bag you grabbed from the attic, stop and think about which of your luggage sets would work best for the space needed and style of travel.

For example, if you are flying by airline on your trip you want to be conscious about checking luggage. A lost bag can take days; even weeks to locate and return, and for a 3 night stay that can ruin the entire trip. Furthermore, most airlines are now charging fees for even the first checked piece of luggage. For a quick getaway you don’t want to add another $100 or more to your total bill. Choosing a wheeled carry on or pilot type bag can save you time and money when traveling by air. If you are taking the car you might have more room to pack, but you want to make sure you select luggage that is durable and can handle being piled in and out of the back of the SUV along the trip, as well weather appropriate luggage.

Another aspect of your vacation to consider is; are you going to be doing a lot of sightseeing? Many cities and vacation destinations offer travelers a wealth of sightseeing opportunities. From majestic mountain peaks and canyons, to century old buildings and museums there are always sightseeing opportunities no matter where you visit. If you plan to do a lot of sightseeing you are probably going to be doing a bit of walking as well. Of course you’ll need the right shoes, but you’ll also want to bring along a small satchel or backpack to help you tote along all those necessities. Kipling makes some great backpacks, shoulder bags, and totes for the discerning traveler. Not only do Kipling bags look good, but they are designed with tourists’ needs in mind, offering comfort, space, and plenty of compartments for your camera, chap stick, and whatever you need.

Now you’ve got the packing down, all that’s left to do is unplug the iron, lock the front door, oh and don’t forget your tickets – and of course, enjoy your vacation with your family and friends.

About the Author:

This article is written by Jayson Bailey.

Published at: Articlicious Article Directory – http://articlicious.com

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Choosing the Right Place to Stay at Myrtle Beach

With pristine white sand beaches, world class golf, and some of the best dining experiences in the lower 48 states Myrtle Beach is one of the east coast’s top vacation destinations. Every year millions flock to Myrtle Beach’s shores and tee up on one of the stretch’s award winning golf courses. And after a hard days work on the links or in the water there’s nothing better than sipping on some good ole southern sweet tea while dining on delectable dishes of crab and oysters on the half shell. For a stay you won’t forget, Myrtle Beach is a can’t miss destination.

Choosing to visit Myrtle Beach isn’t a difficult decision by any means, but choosing where to stay during your visit can be. There are hundreds of hotels on the Southern Carolina grand strand each offering a different vacation experience. Most the hotels in the area all claim to be centrally located and steps from the beaches. Some are, but many are not. And during peak vacation seasons these hotels book up fast and finding a room could be a nightmare. Especially during the summer months and spring break when thousands upon thousands of college students descend on the grand strand for plenty of sun and fun. All in all finding the right hotel in Myrtle Beach for your needs can be a bit of a daunting task.

But for those looking for an alternative to crowded and loud hotels Myrtle Beach offers the perfect complement; condos. Myrtle Beach condo rentals are especially popular with families and couples seeking a relaxing and quiet vacation experience. With a range of amenities from one bedrooms to four as well as multiple bathrooms and fully functional kitchens a condo rental on Myrtle Beach can make the perfect home away from home for just about anybody.

Many Myrtle Beach condos are located right on the beach as well, providing spectacular ocean views and people watching opportunities. And no Myrtle Beach condo stay would be complete without enjoying a glass of wine on the balcony while watching the sunset reflect a kaleidoscope of reds and oranges off the gentle lapping waves of the Atlantic. Now that is an experience no hotel goer is fortunate enough to have.

Our family prefers staying in rental condos on long vacations. With three children, one of whom is a toddler, the kitchen amenities alone make choosing condos for our lodging the perfect choice for us. We are able to save money and enjoy a little piece of family unity around the breakfast table each morning before heading off our separate ways for untold adventures. Of course in Myrtle Beach my adventures including playing as many world class golf courses as I can during our stay. My wife thinks no trip to the grand strand would be complete without a full blown shopping spree and of course the kids are content to spend their entire vacation at the beach playing in the sand and waves. By renting a condo right on the beach we’re able to start and end our days together in a casual, unrushed environment and that’s what makes our Myrtle Beach vacation one that we’ll never forget.

About the Author:

This article is written by Jayson Bailey.

Published at: Articlicious Article Directory – http://articlicious.com

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Obama signs health bill for 9-11 responders

HONOLULU -- U.S. President Barack Obama Sunday signed into law a bill that funds medical care for firefighters and other responders to the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001.

The five-year, $4.3 billion measure will provide medical treatment for emergency responders sickened by toxic dust inhaled at the World Trade Center site in New York in the days following the attacks.

It also includes a health program for responders sickened by the toxic debris and establishes a victims' compensation fund. Victims have five years to file claims.

Thousands of firefighters, police and other rescue and cleanup workers contracted respiratory problems and other illnesses from working at the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of the attacks.

"We will never forget the selfless courage demonstrated by the firefighters, police officers and first responders who risked their lives to save others," Obama said in a statement after the signing. "I believe this is a critical step for those who continue to bear the physical scars of those attacks."

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York welcomed the move.

"Our nation -- Democrats, Republicans and Independents -- all came together to do what was right and provide healthcare to the brave men and women who served with such heroism in the days and weeks following 9/11," she said in a statement.

Obama is on vacation in Hawaii. He arrives back in Washington on Tuesday.

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Afghan violence in 2010 kills thousands

KABUL -- The number of Afghan police killed during 2010 fell about seven percent to 1,292, the government said on Monday, despite violence spreading across the country as the war entered its tenth year.

Foreign military and civilian casualties are at record levels despite the presence of about 150,000 NATO-led troops, with 2010 the bloodiest year on record since the Taliban were ousted by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in late 2001.

Ministry of the Interior spokesman Zemari Bashary said 2,447 Afghan police were wounded, while 5,225 insurgents were killed and 949 wounded. He said the government did not have a toll of insurgent casualties for 2009.

There was a total of 6,716 security incidents in 2010, such as ambushes, roadside bombings, suicide bombings and rocket attacks, Bashary said.

The Taliban are at their strongest since they were ousted after they refused to hand over al Qaeda militants, including Osama bin Laden, after the Sept. 11, 2001, al Qaeda attacks on the United States.

The insurgency has spread out of its traditional strongholds in the south and east over the past two years into once peaceful areas of the north and west. The north in particular has become a deadly new front in the war.

The Interior Ministry said 2,043 civilians were killed and 3,570 wounded but it again did not have a toll for 2009. The United Nations has said 2,412 civilians were killed and 3,803 wounded between January and October last year -- up 20 percent from 2009.

The Defence Ministry said 821 Afghan soldiers were killed last year. It also did not have a toll available for 2009.

Brigadier General Josef Blotz, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), said the high number of casualties among Afghan security forces "is a testament to their sacrifice, to their efforts, to their commitment, they're fighting for their country."

He also noted the high number of civilian casualties.

Blotz said a surge in the number of foreign troops fighting in Afghanistan last year had led to an expected upturn in violence "but obviously this is a necessary step, a necessary phase in the overall strategy."

"Before it gets better, unfortunately is has to get worse and this is what we saw towards the end of 2010," he said.

Foreign forces suffered record deaths in 2010, with 711 troops killed, roughly two thirds of them American, according to monitoring website iCasualties.org. It was by far the deadliest year of the conflict for foreign troops, up from 521 deaths in 2009, previously the worst year of the war.

A war strategy review released by U.S. President Barack Obama last month found U.S. and NATO forces were making headway against the Taliban and al Qaeda but serious challenges remain. It said the Taliban's momentum had been arrested in much of Afghanistan and reversed in some areas.

NATO leaders agreed at a summit in Lisbon in November to end combat operations and hand security responsibility to Afghan forces by the end of 2014. Obama has promised to begin withdrawing U.S. troops from July 2011.

But critics say the 2014 target set by President Hamid Karzai is too ambitious and that there are shortcomings in Afghanistan's security forces, and that setting a target to begin withdrawing troops only emboldens the insurgents.

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Blight sends opium price through roof

KABUL -- Opium prices have almost doubled after a blight halved production in 2010, Afghan officials said on Sunday, raising fears more farmers would turn to the illicit crop in the absence of profitable alternatives.

Deputy Counter-Narcotics Minister Mohammad Ibrahim Azhar said the opium crop, which helps fuel the insurgency, had been cut by 48% in 2010 by a still unidentified blight.

Big jumps in prices already meant farmers were earning far more for their crops than in 2009. Azhar said the price for opium, a thick paste from poppy plants processed into heroin, had risen 190% by the end of December 2010.

Afghanistan has long been the producer of about 90% of the world's opium. Most of it is exported in a thriving world trade estimated at $65 billion a year, although the number of addicts in Afghanistan is also rising.

The Taliban in Afghanistan derive $100-400 million dollars a year in revenues levied from drug production and trafficking, according to United Nations data, fueling the insurgency and threatening instability across South and Central Asia and into Russia.

Rising demand, and prices, without sufficient support from outside donors to provide alternatives will leave farmers few choices but to sow poppy fields again, Azhar said after delivering departmental findings for December 2010.

"Our report from the month of December shows that opium prices has jumped up to 190%, which has further increased our concern and fear," Azhar told a new conference in Kabul.

"Lack of assistance from the international community will worsen the situation," he said.

Afghanistan's government and its Western backers have struggled to come up with viable alternatives, ranging from destroying poppy fields to promoting wheat and other crops, since the Taliban were ousted in late 2001.

Azhar said destroying poppy fields would never work unless the 1.7 million farrmers who grow opium, mostly in the Taliban heartland in the south and east, were offered alternatives.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report in September, farmers were estimated to have generated $604 million in income from opium in 2010, up 38% compared with 2009.

In 2009, wheat prices rose and poppy prices fell, giving farmers a reason to reconsider their planting plans for fields harvested in 2009. In 2010, the reverse was true, with farm-gate opium prices at times reaching $169 per kg of dry opium and higher in 2010 compared with $64 per kg in 2009.

Output for 2010 has been estimated at around 3,900 tonnes, the lowest since 2003, compared with 6,900 tonnes in 2009. Even so, opium production last year accounted for 5% of gross domestic product, up from 4% in 2009.

Aside from leading the world in opium production, Afghanistan has become the biggest producer of hashish, or cannabis resin, turning out between 1,500 and 3,500 tonnes a year.

Foreign enforcement agencies are increasingly seeking ways to curb the opium trade as part of the wider battle against Taliban-led insurgents, who use profits from the trade to battle about 150,000 foreign troops in Afghanistan.

Military and civilian casualties are at record levels, with 711 foreign troops killed in 2010, by far the bloodiest year of the war.

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Saturday, December 25, 2010

Gbagbo's funds cut as Ivorian standoff deepens

ABIDJAN, - Incumbent Ivory Coast leader Laurent Gbagbo faced a cash crunch that could make it tough for him to continue paying public salaries, after the West African regional central bank cut his access to funds.

World powers and African states have heaped pressure on Gbagbo to concede defeat in a Nov. 28 poll to his rival Alassane Ouattara in a standoff that has killed nearly 200 people and threatens to tip the country back into civil war.

Ministers from the Central Bank of the West African Economic and Monetary Union issued a declaration late on Wednesday saying the bank would no longer recognize Gbagbo's authority as president, and that access to funds would only be given to Ouattara's "legitimate government."

The move follows a World Bank decision on Wednesday to freeze some $800 million in committed financing, adding to expectations that Gbagbo may soon struggle to pay wages — including to troops.

Gbagbo's Finance Minister Desire Dalo did not comment when reached by telephone late on Wednesday. A spokesman for Ouattara's government said the decision by the central bank was "a very important move toward controlling the economic power."

Military support for Gbagbo is seen as one of the main reasons he is able to defy calls to step down.

Ivory Coast’s $2.3 billion bond due 2032 fell nearly a point to a record low on Thursday as investors worried that the country would be unable to meet a $30 million bond payment on Dec. 31.

Turmoil in the world’s top cocoa-producing country has also boosted cocoa prices to recent four-month highs, disrupting export registrations and raising the possibility that fighting could block transport and shipping.

GRAVE BLOCKED

The election in the former regional star economy was meant to reunite the country following a 2002-03 civil war, but has instead aggravated divisions.

The United States, the United Nations, the European Union, the African Union and ECOWAS have all recognized provisional electoral commission results showing Ouattara as the winner, with Washington and Brussels issuing sanctions on Gbagbo and his inner circle.

But Gbagbo has shown no sign of caving in to pressure and insists he won the election after the Constitutional Court, which is headed by one of his allies, threw out hundreds of thousands of votes from pro-Ouattara constituencies.

The standoff turned violent last week after gun battles broke out briefly between government soldiers and rebels who now back Ouattara. Residents of pro-Ouattara neighbourhoods have said masked gunmen are now breaking into homes by night and kidnapping people.

A statement issued by the U.N. mission in Ivory Coast on Thursday said that masked supporters of Gbagbo armed with rocket launchers have been blocking a road to Anyama, around N'Dotre, which it said is "a village outside Abidjan where allegations point to existence of a mass grave."

The U.N. Human Right Council issued a declaration of condemnation on the human rights violations and called for reconciliation to prevent civil war.

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