No Glimmer of Progress in New Orleans
Teen Vandal of Robert Frost’s Historic Home Sentenced
“Get Down” With Kanye West’s New Travel Company
Cocaine As Tourist Attraction in Colombia
Google Docs Now Geared for Offline Use
NO GLIMMER OF PROGRESS IN NEW ORLEANS – The New York Times
City officials had finally announced their plan to redevelop New Orleans to progress from the post-Katrina catastrophe back in March 2007, but a year after that bill was passed, little improvement has occurred. The bill promised “cranes on the skyline” and Paris-esque streetscapes, but a mere walking path behind a shabby old market building is currently the only accomplishment. Frazzled residents have taken matters into their own hands and have scoured the plan’s 17 “target recovery zones,” but no transformation is noticeable. “I haven’t seen anything they’ve done to even initiate anything,” said Ms. Nolan, who had to raise her house here nearly four feet. “It’s too long. A year later, and they still haven’t initiated anything they decided to do?” The city official in charge of the recovery effort, Edward J. Blakely, said he understood the public’s vexation, but bureaucratic blockades have stifled the possibility of moving faster.
Link: The New York Times
TEEN VANDALIZES ROBERT FROST’S HISTORIC HOME – USA Today
The road to Robert Frost’s Vermont home will be less traveled, as it will be closed for repairs due to extreme vandalism. A teenager held a party on December 28 at a former summer home of Frost’s, the Homer Noble Farm in Ripton, which now is owned by Middlebury College. According to the college, antique chairs were smashed and torched, fire extinguishers set off and windows and picture frames destroyed. The damage totaled $10,000, and Andrew Ford, 18, was sentenced to two years’ probation, 100 hours of community service and a suspended sentence of six to 12 months in jail. He also was ordered to pay $3,500 in restitution and complete a study program on Frost.
Link: USA Today
“GET DOWN” WITH KANYE WEST’S NEW TRAVEL COMPANY – Modern Agent
If you’re a fanatic fan of Kanye West who wants to “get down” with travel, consider consulting Kanye Travel Ventures (KTV), which will be launched by West’s West Brands, LLC holding company. Solely focused on West’s loyal fans, this travel program will cater to their business and leisure travel demands and provide high-quality and cost-effective travel experiences. According to Neil Abrams, president of Abrams Consulting Group, Inc., a leading travel industry consultancy, “While celebrity brand-driven travel programs have been attempted in the past, none have demonstrated long-term viability due to the lack of resources, commitment, and expertise. … KTV, however, has been designed with Kanye and his executive team, and his energy and resources have been devoted to this innovative product offering.” Travel experts and consultants will customize fans’ trips on the KTV site, where fans can purchase Kanye concert tickets, performance-related merchandise and events, and fans even can book their travel reservations.
Link: Modern Agent
COCAINE AS TOURIST ATTRACTION IN COLOMBIA – The Guardian
Back in the good ol’ days of backpacking around the world, travelers might taste local dishes, or swap tales over communal meals in the always-exciting time spent in hostels. But now, in places that normally would be scorned for their drug trafficking, some travelers are sampling the drugs as they would a latte in Italy or a croissant in France. The infamous Colombia is being inundated with people curious about the availability of cocaine. A writer for the Guardian notes, “It seems the drug is becoming a tourist attraction in itself.” On a six-day trek to the Ciudad Perdida, or, the Lost City, hikers have a chance to visit a “cocaine factory,” where, after watching the pulping process, they get to try the stuff. Apparently, Colombia is looking increasingly attractive because of its perilous drug history, but the Foreign Office maintains that most trips for visitors are trouble- and drug-free. Unfortunately, there are a number of frightening exceptions to that statement, which Colombia is striving to discourage from happening in the first place.
Link: The Guardian
GOOGLE DOCS NOW GEARED FOR OFFLINE USE - InformationWeek
Google Docs has made sharing and accessing documents quite easy, especially for business travelers, but the con was one would have to be online to access the documents. Those days are over, because now the famous Google “cloud” will follow you—no Internet connection required. Now, if you’re stuck at an airport that doesn’t have free, or has no, Internet connection, you still can access documents, though some features will not be available. Referred to as Google Gears, it is a free, open-source multi-platform JavaScript application programming interface (API) that allows Web applications to work offline. All you have to do is install the open-source Gears extension, and all of your Google documents will be synced. Ken Norton, product manager for Google Docs. “If you lose your Internet connection, you can still open your documents and make edits.”
Link: InformationWeek
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