If you haven’t quite gotten around to those New Year’s resolutions you made over a month ago, you’ve got one more chance– Chinese New Year began this weekend.

This year, the Lunar New Year, as it is also known, begins on February 18, and ends on March 4, and will be celebrated all over the world in locales with large populations of Chinese people.

So you don’t have to travel all the way to China to partake in an authentic Chinese New Year celebration.

Here are a few suggestions for you to get your New Year started off right.

New York

The Firecracker Ceremony and Cultural Festival takes place on Sunday, February 18, 2007, from 11 a.m. …

Many people believe that the airlines have become much safer for pet travel today.

While some numbers provided by the airlines themselves seem to indicate this to be true, there are a number of pet owners who would argue otherwise.

Consider the case of Terrence Ing, a 29-year-old pet owner, whose English bulldog, Willie, died after a flight from New York to San Francisco in August 2005. According to Ing, the young dog was “vomiting and breathing poorly” after getting off the flight, but because he had flown in the cargo hold, he was handled as “damaged baggage” by an AA baggage manager. Ing wasn’t allowed access to his dog to bring him to …

Fewer things are more frustrating than waiting in long lines at theme parks, so here’s how to avoid them — without getting in trouble for cutting.

Buying special passes or staying in theme park-owned hotels can help your family avoid waiting in line at amusement parks.

At Walt Disney World in Orlando, guests staying at on-site Disney hotels can enter the park an hour earlier and stay three hours later than normal guests.

To avoid lines at Universal Studios Hollywood, consider buying a “Front of the Line Pass.” Available for $79.95 at Universal Studios.com, the “Front of the Line Pass” gets you admission, priority access to rides, reserved seating at shows, and behind-the-scenes access.

And at most Six Flags theme parks, ride …

Whether you’re helping to organize a destination wedding or getting everyone together for a family reunion, group travel planning websites can be a big help.

Nowadays, websites like Groople.com and GroupTravelPlanet.com specialize in booking tours for large groups, whether you want a Caribbean cruise wedding or a family reunion in merry ole England.

When booking group travel, avoid the big name travel sites like Expedia and Orbitz — most don’t exactly cater to groups.

The main search pages on Travelocity and Expedia only allow searches for up to six travelers, while it’s a maximum of nine at CheapTickets and Orbitz.

With a site like Escorted Group Tours.com, you’ll find in-depth help on group packages that could fit …

February 14, 2007

My middle initial is S. Not SSSS. Confused? Read on…

There is no such thing as effective airline/airport security if it doesn’t embrace — by definition — intelligence, intuition and common sense. And these days, the tweezer-hunting folks at the TSA seem to possess none of these traits. In fact, based on my observations, they’re not even allowed to think. It’s part of policy…

That in itself is scary.

Consider this: In the last week, I have taken about 12 flights, many of them connecting: Los Angeles to Dallas, Dallas to New Orleans and back. Then to Greenville, Spartanburg, South Carolina, and back. Then to New York. Then Westchester to Washington, D.C. …

For some, Valentine’s Day seems like the perfect day to propose marriage, and many will do just that on February 14th in a romantic restaurant, on a sunset beach walk, or even at a sports event.

But what about those of us who need a little more excitement, a little more…adrenaline?

For those of you seeking more than just the thrill of the moment itself, consider popping the question in one of the following venues. Because whether she says yes or no, it’s unlikely that she will ever forget the proposal — or you.