| The Slow Traveller
A trustworthy face is often better than a second-hand opinion on the page. So when we arrived in Antigua, the picturesque former capital of Guatemala, we were happy to take a room in Estella's Guesthouse. We try to support local businesses, and our room was spick, span and even had cute family photos on the shelf. So we paid upfront and nested in for our four-night stay in town. Antigua is dominated by the dark shadows of monstrous volcanoes. The scars of the earthquakes that accompanied previous eruptions are also evident in the shells of shattered churches. So no visit is complete without scaling one of the volcanic peaks for a glimpse of the blood of the Earth, up close and personal. In the village at the base of Mount Pacaya we were met by a mob of kids selling walking sticks.
Auto Chrysler, GM Feel Effects of CAFE Updates
Despite the upgraded power and improved fuel economy, vehicles like the next generation Dodge Charger and Chrysler 300 will likely miss out on Hemi power. Instead, Chrysler is developing new "Phoenix" high-output V6 engine to take the place of the Hemi. The engines will feature dual overhead cams, variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation. Ranging-topping variants are likely to surpass 300 HP, like its competitors, and provide better fuel economy than its Hemi counterpart. When it comes to actual vehicle platforms, General Motors is already taking steps to comply with the update CAFE. The company originally planned to resurrect the Pontiac GTO -- again -- using the same underpinnings as the upcoming Chevrolet Camaro and Pontiac G8. Those plans are now shelved. "I think (the Monaro/Pontiac GTO) is gone for now," said GM's Bob Lutz.
Rock Stars in the Greenroom
I wasn't able to spend much time the greenroom today because I was on-set filling in for Gretchen. So, I temporarily deputized Maureen (fellow Jersey girl/make-up artist extraordinaire) and Jeisohn (famed hair stylist) to record all the behind-the-scenes action. Here's what they tell me: Brian Welch has a lot of tattoos. (Actually, I could see that for myself). The former lead guitarist of the heavy-metal band Korn is covered head-to-toe in them. Believe it or not, he got most of them after quitting the band, quitting drugs and finding God. Brian told Maureen that his favorite one is a picture of his daughter Jennea on his left arm. It took three months to get all of the ink done on that tat ... but he says that wasn't even the most PAINFUL one. That would be the flames on the top of his hands.
An eco-friendly inn in Madison
No one turned down the turkey bacon, but I had reservations about the orange juice, which tasted like Tang. Every evening, there's a fresh baked pie put out for guests.
Breakfast is the only time the inn's spell of seclusion is broken. Although there are individual tables, we inevitably ended up at a table with the woman reading "Germs, Guns and Steel" and she wanted to talk all about it.
The inn also offers complimentary drinks each evening, but we declined the margaritas and chips. In the adjoining building, guests have free run of the kitchen for beverages (coffee, tea, soda), which is delightful for insomniacs like me. I checked my e-mail late at night on a free inn computer, then retired to the common area to read by the fireplace.
AREA: The inn is located in the Dudgeon-Monroe neighborhood, which is full of parks and shopping and all measures of cuteness.
Pembs fabric stars in Christmas film
David and Margaret Redpath, who owned 200-year-old Wallis Woollen Mill, near Ambleston, for many years, were puzzled when their son and granddaughter said they had spotted the fabric in a trailer for the new Warner Brothers film Fred Claus'. The distinctive weave of bright turquoise, purple, scarlet and orange is worn by Santa's mother in the film and is unmistakably the Redpath's unique Crown Prince fabric, in a traditional Welsh tapestry design, which the couple wove to commemorate the Investiture of the Prince of Wales. .
Security lax for national treasures
Camera surveillance systems at the Statue of Liberty and other national icons offer inadequate security assistance to the U.S. Park Police, according to a new report from Interior Department Inspector General Earl Devaney. The 44-page report details serious shortcomings in the Park Polices ability to protect icons such as the Statue of Liberty, Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial because of problems with management, training, staffing and technology, among others. The findings are based on interviews with more than 100 police officers. Park police use closed-circuit TV cameras to supplement manpower, but that strategy is ineffective, the report states. U.S. Park Police has been unable to properly staff security posts; instead, U.S. Park Police relies on the use of closed-circuit television camera systems to augment security coverage even though these systems are not continuously monitored and are not fully functional, the IG wrote.
Nokia N78 - The New Candybar Nseries Device
While the N96 takes the plaudits, Nokia's N78 is probably going to be the bigger seller. With all the high spec features of the Nseries range (including assisted GPS; Carl Zeiss 3.2 megapixel lens with LED flash; and a 2GB ‘pre-fitted' memory card), but in a more traditional candy bar shape, along with an integrated FM transmitter, to pass out your music and video to a nearby radio (eg in a car). What is clear is the consistent style of the latest Nseries devices has been decided on. With a Multimedia Menu Button and NaviWheel, the physical interface started on the N81 has carried on into the N78 (and the N96), which should please software developers (and give the N-Gage developers some consistency as well). The candy bar format of the N78 is likely to go down very well in a number of territories, including America.This also appears to be the ‘basic' Nseries device which will be in the lower reaches of the price range, helping to get Nokia's ideas of the new mobility to the internet to the mass market.
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