Tag: Vacation

Planning Your Next Vacay

Finally for this week…..that dream vacation…..

It’s Summer and thoughts of the perfect vacation pop into mind….soon there will be a new destination for all those thrill seekers.

There are people out there that feel they must do the ultimate trip for their next vacation….some feel it must be unique and exotic…..well I have an idea for them….

North Korea is rolling out a new beach resort on its east coast, hoping to draw tourists—and much-needed revenue—into one of the world’s most secretive nations. Leader Kim Jong Un hailed the Wonsan Kalma resort as one of the country’s “greatest feats” of the year, though it comes six years after its planned competition. It was initially expected to open in October 2019 before construction delays and the coronavirus pandemic wrecked plans, per the BBC. Kim, who grew up in the town favored by the country’s elite, attended an event to celebrate the resort’s completion on Tuesday, alongside his wife, daughter, and Russian ambassador Alexander Matsegora.

The area will “play a leading role in establishing the tourist culture” of North Korea, Kim said, per the Guardian. State media report the resort on a 2.5-mile stretch of beach with hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and a water park, can accommodate up to 20,000 visitors. It opens to domestic tourists July 1. Some tour operators believe it will later accept Russian tourists—”currently the only foreign nationals allowed into some parts of the country,” per the BBC. The two countries have been tightening partnerships and, on Thursday, reopened a direct passenger train route between Pyongyang and Moscow after a five-year closure related to the coronavirus pandemic.

There you go….if you want unique and exotic then North Korea is the place for you.

How serious is this?

Will there be a Trump Tower coming soon?

Will people consider the past history of those ‘visiting’ this location?

Personally I will stay close to home….there is nothing in North Korea that I am dying (pun intended) to see…..but as my grandfather use to say….”if you feel froggy then jump”.

But if you decide to stretch your luck and it ends badly then tough sh*t…..what were you thinking?

As the weekend begins enjoy your Summer and as always….Be Well and Be Safe….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

A Vacation Of A Lifetime

There are many places that could claim that bold assertion…..places like Paris, London, Ibiza, Greece, etc but now we can add one more destination to that list….the country of….(what for it)….North Korea.

It’s not like North Korea tops any “top vacation destinations” lists, but tour companies on Wednesday were still excitedly touting the latest news out of the secluded nation: After nearly five years of even further isolation brought by COVID, the North will open its borders again to foreign tourists. “We have received confirmation from our local partner that tourism to Samjiyon and likely the rest of the country will officially resume in December 2024,” Koryo Tours, based in Beijing, announced on its website, per Reuters.

Another company, KTG Tours, made a similar announcement about Samjiyon—a mountainous town known for its winter activities, and where the country says a “socialist utopia” is being built—on its own site. Per the BBC, that agency wrote on its Facebook page that “we think that Pyongyang and other places will open too!!!”

NK News notes that most of the North’s prepandemic tourists came out of China, though visitors also included “several thousand Westerners” annually. The nation shut its borders once COVID hit, and it only recently started allowing Russian tourists in earlier this year, thanks to warming relations between Pyongyang and Moscow. Chad O’Carroll, who heads up the US-based analysis firm Korea Risk Group, is wary of the news. “I will believe it when I see it,” he tells the BBC. “For now, I am quite skeptical we will see any real movement in December.”

Seriously?

Well when Donald the Orange was visiting he talked about condos on a beach there….maybe that enticed Li’l Kim to consider opening up for some tourist dollars.

But before you dash off to sign up consider this….as an American what are your chances of being arrested for spying?

Would you chance your freedom and possible torture and death to visit this little nation?

I will pass….I will read about it in the funny papers.

Choose wisely for your next vacay.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

War Tourism?

To be brutally honest it is Sunday and I am feeling lazy so I thought I would re-post this article from my other blog, Gulf South Free Press, this for those readers that do not know of my other blog….I do not want to have them miss my brilliant interpretations of things.

I recently got an email from a person that served in the 9th Infantry Division, the unit I served with in Vietnam, saying that he and others were putting together a trip to Vietnam and would like it if I would accompany them as well.

My reply was short and sweet….NO!  I saw that country twice ….do not want to do it a third time.

That email got me to thinking about war tourism.

I know many people like to re-enact and visit famous battlefields and such….but why?  Most do not care one whit for history so what makes the ugliness of war so attractive?

I can understand to a point if you are a student in the field of Conflict Management or Political History….but to vacation with war is just stupid at least to me.

Any way there is a big industry in war tourism…Gettysburg, the Alamo, Battle of New Orleans, Normandy, Pearl Harbor, etc. etc., etc…..again….why?

War tourism, despite the contradiction in its name, refers to recreational travel to areas associated with past or current war zones. These destinations encompass active conflict zones, famous battlefields, war memorials, cemeteries, and museums. Sites of darker historical significance, such as prison camps, mass graves, and execution sites, even fall into this category. The motivations behind such travel are multifaceted, with educational and memorial purposes at the forefront.

While it may be challenging to comprehend the appeal of traveling to regions marked by devastation and conflict, war tourism is not new. It can be traced back to the 19th century, during wars like the Napoleonic, American Civil, and Crimean Wars. Early war tourists were observed visiting war-ravaged cities’ battlefields after the fighting had ceased. Onlookers would picnic at a safe distance from skirmishes and take home macabre souvenirs. Their motivations, it seems, ranged from morbid curiosity to a desensitization to death and suffering.

Another common motivation for war tourism is education and preserving collective memory. Students, scholars, and history enthusiasts often embark on tours of former battlefields, museums, and prison camps. Their primary goal is often to gain a deeper understanding of how wars have shaped a region’s history.

https://travelnoire.com/what-is-war-tourism

I do not agree that it is to educate and impart some sort of understanding among participants….like I stated earlier in this post….most could care less about the history behind the battle but rather some perverse sense of awe at the concept of death and destruction.

I visited many war sites but not out of fascination but rather to further my knowledge because in those days I was a grad student in Conflict and political history….did it help my understanding?

Not so much but it did throw some light on the myths that pop up around war.

So no I will not be going back to Vietnam for a ‘visit’…..I do not need healing, I do not want to heal, the war helped make me who I am and I will forever be grateful for that.

Any thoughts on war tourism?

Have a great Sunday and as always….Be Well and Be Safe…..

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Will You Travel This Summer?

Summer is around the corner and Americans prepare for their Summer vacation there is something they need to know if they are considering a car trip.

As usual the oil industry will taker advantage of the consumer with higher prices.

Saudi Arabia will reduce how much oil it sends to the global economy, taking a unilateral step to prop up the sagging price of crude after two previous cuts to supply by major producing countries in the OPEC+ alliance failed to push oil higher, the AP reports. The Saudi cut of 1 million barrels per day, to start in July, comes as the other OPEC+ producers agreed in a meeting in Vienna to extend earlier production cuts through next year. Calling the reduction a “lollipop,” Saudi Energy Minister Abdulaziz bin Salman said at a news conference that “we wanted to ice the cake.” He said the cut could be extended and that the group “will do whatever is necessary to bring stability to this market.”

The new cut would likely push up oil prices in the short term, but the impact after that would depend on whether Saudi Arabia decides to extend it, said Jorge Leon, senior vice president of oil markets research at Rystad Energy. The move provides “a price floor because the Saudis can play with the voluntary cut as much as they like,” he said. The slump in oil prices has helped US drivers fill their tanks more cheaply and gave consumers worldwide some relief from inflation. “Gas is not going to become cheaper,” Leon said. ”If anything, it will become marginally more expensive.”

A little FYI for my readers that are planning a road trip this Summer and will be working within a budget then plan on spending more for your gas.

I Read, I Write, You Kbnow

“lego ergo scribo”

Seriously? Are You Guys Kidding?

Pandemic is hitting new highs daily…..protests and deaths are everywhere…..millions unemployed……and yet the Congress has decided to go on a break since they work so hard (that is extreme sarcasm….these fools are part time help at best)….

A coalition of dozens of progressive advocacy groups and labor unions is planning a nationwide day of action in battleground states Wednesday targeting Republican senators for going on a two-week vacation as Covid-19 infections surge and millions of people teeter on the brink of financial ruin.

In Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Iowa, and other states, activists will hold socially distant rallies and deliver “failing” report cards to Republican senators reminding them that “they are responsible for the massive amount of suffering that people are experiencing across the country,” the coalition said in a press release Monday.

The Service Employees International Union, the American Postal Workers Union, Greenpeace USA, and other groups are calling on the Republican-controlled Senate to take up and pass the HEROES Act, a sweeping stimulus package the House of Representatives approved on May 15.

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/07/06/they-are-failing-nationwide-day-action-target-gop-senators-going-vacation-pandemic

While Moscow Mitch is home chasing donors and doing whatever it takes to get donations……hunger is rising and that is not important enough for the Congress to keep working to find solutions….

The nonprofit group Hunger Free America announced Monday that it is running “Hunger Clock” billboard ads across the country to call out GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and other Republican senators for blocking $16 billion in food assistance for Americans struggling in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is simply unconscionable that Leader McConnell and the Senate GOP are playing politics with food aid while massive numbers of their own constituents struggle against hunger,” Hunger Free America CEO Joel Berg said in a statement. “Food delayed is food denied.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/2020/07/06/hunger-clock-billboards-blast-mcconnell-and-gop-senators-blocking-16-billion-food

Since these guys do not seem to want to work for their pay then I suggest that we get rid of the Senate and go unicameral, a People’s Assembly…..

I admit it…..I have written about this before….some 13 years ago…..https://lobotero.com/2007/03/28/when-is-one-better-than-two/

The Congress has not worked since the 1990s and the mad dash for donations instead legislative work….they spend more time traveling than the spend doing the country’s business…therefore they should be paid as part-time help on a sliding scale by work accomplished.

If it does not work the way it was intended then rid the thing from the government and find something that does work.

Do not get me started on the co-equal branches of the government….that ship set sail awhile back.

Pretty simple, huh?

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

In The Land Of The Lost

Before I get into the meat of my post there is a bit of ranting I need to get off my chest…..stupid people!

People like those that go climb a mountain in Winter and get caught in a snow storm and need to be rescued…..but they were experienced….no they were stupid.

Okay more….remember those Americans in Iraq that went for a hike and winded up in Iran and we arrested as spies….stupid people…in a war zone and have no idea where they were…stupid.

Then there are those people that go to North Korea or Iran on “vacation”….seriously two rogue states and they wanted to go on a walk around…..stupid people!

And now for today’s rant…..it seems that a couple went into a war torn country like Burkina Faso for a walk around…..stupid!

Burkina Faso?

Image result for burkina faso images

Burkina Faso (formerly Upper Volta) achieved independence from France in 1960. Repeated military coups during the 1970s and 1980s were followed by multiparty elections in the early 1990s. Former President Blaise COMPAORE (1987-2014) resigned in late October 2014 following popular protests against his efforts to amend the constitution’s two-term presidential limit. An interim administration organized presidential and legislative elections – finally held in November 2015 – where Roch Marc Christian KABORE was elected president. The country experienced terrorist attacks in its capital in 2016, 2017, and 2018 and continues to mobilize resources to counter terrorist threats. Burkina Faso’s high population growth, recurring drought, pervasive and perennial food insecurity, and limited natural resources result in poor economic prospects for the majority of its citizens.

Now for the two that disappeared……

It was Edith Blais’ “lifelong dream” to travel to Africa, her mother tells the CBC. But after the 34-year-old Quebec woman achieved that dream last year, she disappeared—she and her companion, 30-year-old Italian man Luca Tacchetto, have not been heard from since Dec. 15. They were in Burkina Faso at the time, and on Sunday, Canadian officials said their vanishing is being treated as a kidnapping, the CBC reports. The pair was planning to travel to the capital city, Ouagadougou, for a few days before heading to the neighboring West African nation of Togo to work on a restoration project for a month. But they never arrived. While many have reached out with tips via a Facebook page Blais’ family set up to help with the search, her mother says what’s “difficult” is that “there is nothing tangible” and it’s not clear what leads should be followed up on.

Blais’ mother says her daughter, a visual artist, led a bohemian lifestyle, traveling often since age 18; she and Tacchetto were in Europe before heading to Africa. “They weren’t worried about anything,” Blais sister tells CTV of the traveling companions. “They were having a really happy trip. She has been dreaming about traveling to Africa for all of her life.” But a former Canadian diplomat tells CTV he cautions against traveling in the troubled region, and the Canadian government has an active travel advisory for Burkina Faso advising against any non-essential travel. Of particular concern are its borders with Mali, Niger, Benin, and Togo due to threats including terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping. A state of emergency was declared in Burkina Faso last week following terrorist attacks in the north.

Did these two “rocket scientists” think about checking for travel advisories?  It is not hard…the internet has all the info they would have needed…..

Travel aboard information from the UK……

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to the following parts of Burkina Faso: all areas of the country north of the town of Boulsa; areas within 40km of the western border with Mali and 40km within of the eastern border with Niger; the south-eastern provinces of Gourma, Kompienga, and Tapoa (including the W National Park and the Arly National Park and their contiguous reserves and hunting areas).

The FCO advise against all but essential travel to the rest of Burkina Faso, including the capital Ouagadougou.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/burkina-faso

The US also…..

Reconsider travel to Burkina Faso due to terrorism.  Some areas have increased risk.  Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Do not travel to:

  • The northern Sahel border region shared with Mali and Niger due to crime and terrorism.
  • The provinces of Kmoandjari, Tapoa, Kompienga, and Gourma in East Region due to crime and terrorism.

https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories/burkina-faso-travel-advisory.html

These are the warnings from all the nations about travel in Burkina Faso…..https://www.reisewarnung.net/en/burkina-faso

All these warnings and these two went hey how dangerous could it be?  Let’s give it a go!

You Can’t Fix Stupid!

It’s Vacation Time

July and August are the typical month that Americans take a vacation if they take one at all…….me?  No need to worry for I am on a permanent vacation….it is called retirement.

When I was working I seldom took any time off…..a workaholic…….but I read something that made me think about all this time off stuff…..

Life for the medieval peasant was certainly no picnic. His life was shadowed by fear of famine, disease and bursts of warfare. His diet and personal hygiene left much to be desired.

But despite his reputation as a miserable wretch, you might envy him one thing: his vacations.

Plowing and harvesting were backbreaking toil, but the peasant enjoyed anywhere from eight weeks to half the year off.

http://www.businessinsider.com/american-worker-less-vacation-medieval-peasant-2016-11

Let’s be honest most Americans cannot afford to take the time off……plus if married trying to get the spouses off at the same time is a bit of a juggling act.

But if you do get the stuff all in line and take a holiday to the beach then you might want to try a new bathing suit…..

We call this bikini “duct tape chic”

And now duct-tape bikinis have officially made their runaway debut. Yes, you read that correctly.

Last week, models took to the runway for fashion brand Black Tape Project to show off the experimental style.

As part of a Miami Swim Week show, the styles ranged from glitzy gold swimwear chic to the more obvious “I’ve wrapped myself in black duct tape” look.

But if donning tape instead of a conventional cossie wasn’t daring enough, let’s just say this style isn’t for the faint of heart.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/fabulous/6788937/duct-tape-bikinis-catwalk-miami-swim-week/

I knew Duct Tape had many many uses….but as a bathing suit….that is a new one….Who Knew?

In a generation that thinks there is something wrong will all body hair the removal of the bikini would not be too painful…so there is that.

Thoughts?

Places That You Should Not Visit

An IST FYI post…….

I know that we are in the clutches of winter and not  really thinking about our next vacation…that is unless you are cabin bound and need some day dreaming to get through the day…..anyway when you do consider that big trip there are a few places you probably should not go…..

  • The Galapagos: The annual influx of tourists is making the island chain’s “fragile marine and terrestrial ecosystems” vulnerable.
  • The “places that don’t want you to visit”: Some locales, such as Venice and Peru’s Machu Picchu, are simply overwhelmed and their resources strained by so many visitors; Fodor’s says the people there need a brief “staycation” from the rest of the world.
  • The Taj Mahal: The iconic landmark is going to be coated in mud for much of the year (a regimen meant to keep the structure from yellowing). That doesn’t exactly make for great photos.
  • Thailand’s Phang Nga National Park: The “rush to paradise” has marred the park’s coral reefs and disrupted its marine life. It desperately needs some recovery time.
  • Myanmar: It’s a matter of humanitarian conscience that puts this country on Fodor’s list. The publisher doesn’t think anyone should visit while the persecution and “ethnic cleansing” of the Muslim minority Rohingya continues there.

Check out the other no-go locales on Fodor’s list, then view the “coolest places” to see in 2018.

You could always go to Israel and learn how to kill protesters……think I am kidding?

Several Israeli firms are promoting fantasy, “anti-terror” camps that offer tourists from all over the world training by former Israeli army commandos.

There, tourists are given a made-real war environment at “counter-terrorism” boot camp where they are trained to kill “terrorists” who happen to look a lot like Palestinian Arabs.

Implemented across the regime’s occupied territories, tourists are charged $115 for adults and $85 for children.

Just a few suggestions of places not to visit…..of course you could go to NYC and try to catch a glimpse of Fearless leader….me?  I have a garden and I enjoy it every day….

The weekend begins…..be well, be safe…..chuq

Stand By Your Man

Not a cheesy country song from the 60’s…..but this about our new leader, Trump and his supporters.

I visit lots of different blogs and most are well thought out and well written….even some of the ones that cheer lead for Trump.  I do not mind that they support their man…all good American voters should stand by their choices….but there are times when they seem to be less in support and more just cheese eating….

There is even an article about this phenom…..

Lee Snover is a born-again Christian, a mother of one, and a boss. She runs a drywall and framing business based in Northampton, Pennsylvania. She manages 15 full-time employees – 50 when you count subcontractors. She calls them her “guys”. They work in four states. She supported John McCain for president in 2008 and Mitt Romney in 2012. She wasn’t in love with either candidate, but it didn’t matter. Her father was a Republican activist and she took after him. She has always been a loyal party soldier.

Then Donald Trump came along, and Snover’s investment in politics changed. “Whatever it takes, that’s what was running through my mind,” she told the Guardian last week. “If I have to lose it all, I need for him to win.”

Source: Trump loyalists stand by their man – but the resistance is taking root | US news | The Guardian

Like the article said…even some of his biggest supporters in the election are starting to see that he is NOT the person they thought he was during the campaign…..

For instance the lies about jobs….jobs….jobs!

There is one industry that is just not seeing an uptick in business and will not create many new jobs that is unless something changes….tourism…..

America – that great land of opportunity – doesn’t seem to be an attractive travel destination anymore.

At least that’s the conclusion being drawn from a study by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), who claim that the US travel industry suffered $185million (£148million) in lost revenue since Trump’s executive order banned citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries.

According to travel agency Hopper, flight search demand to the US dropped 17 per cent since Trump’s inauguration and the implementation of the travel ban. This is compared to the final weeks of Obama’s presidency.

In fact, flight searches to the US dropped in 94 of the 122 countries Hopper has data on.

Source: Donald Trump’s presidency has cost US tourism £148million already | indy100

But never fear these nose picking ass scratchers that support Trump will have an answer for this slow down in tourism….and I for one cannot wait for it.

The one I want to hear about from these people is the money spent.

For 8 years there was endless whining and ranting about how much the Ohama get-a-ways cost the taxpayer…..they would go on and on about the money that was wasted on the trips and the golf games……and now I want to hear from them on this steaming pile of manure…..

A few years ago, President Trump called then-President Obama’s travel expenses “unbelievable,” ABC News reports. According to the Washington Post, those expenses were estimated at $97 million over eight years. Trump and his family are on pace to exceed that total in just seven months, and taxpayers are footing the bill, New York Magazine reports. It starts with the president himself. Despite once promising he would “rarely leave the White House,” Trump is spending the weekend at Mar-a-Lago for the third week in a row. Those three trips are estimated to have cost the US Treasury about $10 million. And the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office says it pays $60,000 in overtime for every day Trump is at his golf resort.

But it doesn’t end with the president. New York City is paying $500,000 per day for security at Trump Tower, where Melania Trump and Barron are living, and estimates it will spend more than $180 million per year. Meanwhile, Trump’s adults sons and their Secret Service detail are in the United Arab Emirates for a Trump-brand golf course opening this weekend. A similar trip to Uruguay recently cost the Secret Service and US Embassy nearly $100,000. All told, the Trump family’s “unusually elaborate lifestyle” is expected to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars over the next few years—far more than is typical for presidents. And some of that money will go directly to Trump himself, as he hasn’t divested from his businesses.

There is one thing you can say about Obama and his trips…..not much to the money spent went into is personal checking accounts….can Trump say the same thing?

Everybody Needs Rest

After 8 years of bitching and moan on the Right about Obama’s trips to Hawaii or golf or a number of other things…..mostly about him not doing his job as president I am wondering what the ass scratchers on the Right will have to say about this turn…..

The President-elect says he plans to do absolutely nothing for his first two days in office and that his “day one is gonna be Monday”.

Mr Trump explained this was because he doesn’t want his signing of orders to clash with the celebrations.

He told the Times of London: “One of the first orders I’m gonna sign — day one — which I will consider to be Monday as opposed to Friday or Saturday. Right? I mean my day one is gonna be Monday because I don’t want to be signing and get it mixed up with lots of celebration, but one of the first orders we’re gonna be signing is gonna be strong borders.”

Let me see if I have this right….he is now president and the first order of business is to go on a mini vacation?

But if you think that those mental deficient that support Trump will see any problems then you are deluded….they will justify any and all situations with the simplest terms with insults to critics and mind numbing stupidity.

Happy holiday, Mr. President.