Travel Blog: News and Briefs
Elvis Week in Memphis, a ‘City of Losers’
by Eva Holland | 08.15.08 | 11:15 AM ET
It’s been 31 years since the man who elevated white jumpsuits to an art form passed away, and—as in every other year since—the fans are still flocking to Graceland to commemorate his life and death. Yes, it’s Elvis Week again in Memphis. In honor of the event, the Independent’s Alistair McKay offers this short, compelling profile of Memphis, the “city of losers” that produced the King. Said one interviewee: “I don’t think that this music or this city could have existed, separate from each other.”
Email to friend
del.icio.us
Digg
Facebook
Furl
Ma.gnolia
Mixx
Reddit
StumbleUpon
Yahoo! BuzzNo More Removing Your Laptop From Your Bag at Airport Security?
by Michael Yessis | 08.15.08 | 11:14 AM ET
Beginning tomorrow, you won’t have to pull your computer from your bag—if your bag meets new TSA standards.
Related on World Hum:
* Laptop With Personal Info of 33,000 Travelers ‘Probably Stolen’
* Disclosed: Travelers’ Laptops Can be Confiscated at U.S. Borders Without Reason
Philadelphia’s Newest Attraction: It’s ‘Comcastic’
by Valerie Conners | 08.15.08 | 11:13 AM ET
The Liberty Bell. Independence Hall. Cheesesteaks. The lobby of cable giant Comcast’s world headquarters? The list of Philadelphia’s attractions has grown by one this summer, surprising pretty much everyone in the City of Brotherly Love, not least of all, Comcast.
In Praise of Amtrak (Again)
by Eva Holland | 08.14.08 | 3:25 PM ET
The Telegraph’s Paul Mansfield is the latest British travel writer to enjoy traveling America by rail. His ride on the Sunset Limited is shared—as all good train rides should be—with a colorful cast of characters, and his story makes for an enjoyable read.
A Travel-Heavy List of Things Every Man Should Do
by Michael Yessis | 08.14.08 | 1:01 PM ET
Esquire’s Tom Chiarella has a traveler’s spirit. Of his list of 75 things every man should do in his lifetime, at least 15 involve getting up and going somewhere. I endorse the following picks, whether you’re male or female:
Woody Allen’s ‘Love Letter to Barcelona’
by Eva Holland | 08.14.08 | 10:51 AM ET
Woody Allen’s latest film, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, opens this weekend. The Globe and Mail’s Gayle MacDonald caught a sneak peek, then headed to the Spanish city to see whether Allen got his depiction of the Catalan capital right. Her verdict, after a few days spent wandering in Barcelona?
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame to Go Global
by Valerie Conners | 08.13.08 | 3:58 PM ET
After forgoing my chance at pseudo-rock stardom when I realized I was a dud at Rock Band, I’m pleased to learn all hope of exploring my inner Dylan may not be lost: The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is hitting the road—first stop, New York City.
How David Brooks Explains the World
by Michael Yessis | 08.13.08 | 11:51 AM ET
Among the ways he says the world can be divided: Societies with an individualist mentality versus societies with a collectivist mentality. Specifically, he writes in the New York Times, “Americans usually see individuals; Chinese and other Asians see contexts.” Intriguing, but also a ridiculous generalization, according to James Fallows.
Air Travelers Who Forgot ID Were Placed on TSA List
by Michael Yessis | 08.13.08 | 11:49 AM ET
USA Today reports the TSA had been keeping records of passengers who arrived at airport checkpoints without identification since late June.
Egypt Plans to Ban Hustlers, Peddlers From Giza Pyramids
by Michael Yessis | 08.13.08 | 10:31 AM ET
The area surrounding the pyramids used to be “a zoo,” Zahi Hawass, Egypt’s chief archaeologist, told the AP. Now the area will be modernized, with a new entry building, X-ray machines and a 12-mile-long security fence.
Hawaii: Too ‘Foreign’ and ‘Exotic’ for a Presidential Vacation?
by Michael Yessis | 08.12.08 | 3:01 PM ET
Barack Obama’s Hawaiian vacation has stirred up some laughable comments, but none as laughable as this: On the pundit circuit, Cokie Roberts has floated the idea that Obama’s trip to Hawaii sends the wrong idea about the candidate and his campaign, implying that his vacation spot—his birthplace, the home of his grandmother and, of course, a U.S. state—puts him out of the American mainstream. “It has the look of him going off to some foreign, exotic place,” Roberts says. “He should be in Myrtle Beach if he’s going to take a vacation at this time.”
Laptop With Personal Info of 33,000 Travelers ‘Probably Stolen’
by Michael Yessis | 08.12.08 | 11:19 AM ET
An unencrypted laptop containing data from travelers who applied to the Clear program disappeared at San Francisco International Airport last week. After the TSA announced the suspension of new enrollments in the program, though, the computer reappeared. “Investigators are now treating the disappearance as a theft,” according to the AP.
The Latest Inflatable Beach Prop: The Blow-Up Church
by Valerie Conners | 08.12.08 | 10:33 AM ET
Lord knows, finding time to worship on a beach vacation isn’t always easy. Cue a group of Italian priests and nuns who, with some gumption and an air pump, have brought church to the beach.
In Beijing: Olympic Travel Junkies
by Eva Holland | 08.11.08 | 1:49 PM ET
My companions at the hotel here vary by age, gender, nationality and sport of choice—but as we’ve chatted over breakfast or on the shuttle to the subway, I’ve learned that there’s one thing many of them have in common: this isn’t their first Olympic Games. “Calgary, Barcelona, Atlanta ... Sydney, Nagano,” one man rattled off during a subway ride. His wife added: “Don’t forget Salt Lake!” Another man scratched his head thoughtfully when I asked how many Games he’d attended. “I guess I got started back in ‘76,” he said, “in Montreal.”
Volcanic Ash Causes Alaska Airlines to Cancel Flights
by Michael Yessis | 08.11.08 | 12:19 PM ET
Kasatochi volcano in the Aleutian Islands erupted on Thursday, and the resulting “towering plume of ash” has caused an impediment for flights to Alaska, Reuters reports.
Related on World Hum:
* Letter to a Volcano
