Tuesday, October 30, 2007

First Class Seats at Coach Prices

clipped from www.10news.com
Airline Secrets Could Land Flyers In First Class
So, how would you like to sit in the front but pay less than someone way in the back?
What's the travel trick? While booking a flight, ask the agent about a special type of fare. It's most commonly called a YUPP. But some airlines also use codes like QUPP and Z.
The leading airlines all confirmed they offer this kind of fare, describing it as either a coach seat with an automatic upgrade or deeply discounted first class.
In addition to sitting in the front of the plane, the YUPP seats offer even more benefits.

Experts said they're generally fully refundable seats, and you may get extra frequent flier miles for being in first.

Monday, October 15, 2007

Deceptively Delicious: Jessica "Mrs. Jerry" Seinfeld

[I LOVE the writers at Jezebel, their style amuses me.] I am quite the happy carnivore, but I have friends who are vegetarian. Whenever they start preaching to me about the virtues of vegetables, I look them in the eye an say: TOFURKEY.
clipped from jezebel.com


Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious": Kinda Deceptive, Not So Delicious

seinfeldoprah101507.jpg
We were wary when we first saw Jessica "Mrs. Jerry" Seinfeld on Oprah last week, heralding the benefits of steaming and pureeing the shit out of vegetables and then "hiding" them in kid-friendly foods so that kids will stop throwing temper tantrums at the dinner table and actually eat their vegetables.
Apparently, one man's bullshit is another's inspiration: Jessica Seinfeld has anchored her new cookbook Deceptively Delicious in precisely this school of culinary trickery: Broccoli puree and flaxmeal-coated chicken nuggets. Beet puree enriches chocolate cake. Spinach and chocolate get it on. Gross.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Traveling with Wine

I have had (knock on wood) great success when I wrap wine bottles in straw beach mats, bubble wrap or several cotton sarongs. I always put the bottles in the middle of my largest suitcase and surround them with my shoes (especially great if you are a Crocs fan), and surround that tidy cocoon with clothes and other goodies. Works great!
clipped from www.gadling.com
Tips for Bringing Wine back from Abroad
Whether you're bringing back a bottle of wine from the Bordeaux region of France or a bottle of Kahlua from Mexico, alcohol is not only a souvenir from your travels but also a story to share around the dinner/card/pool table.
if you want to bring more than two bottles of wine back with you, go to a specialty wine store and tell them you'll be traveling with the the wine. They'll either package up the wine for you really well or sell you a crate. If you have to package it yourself, use many layers of material and lots of padding -- a hard shell with soft padding in and outside is a good start.

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Flying Hooks

In the walk-in closet that I am building in the back of my mind, these suspension hangars are everywhere, in various colors (coordinated to distinguish pants from skirts, of course), at varying levels.

Yes, it's a very big closet.
clipped from charlesandmarie.com

Flying Hooks

suspension hangers, designed by Ariëtte Bos and Tom Couvée for Goods in the Netherlands that are attached to your ceiling and then just hang down, making your fly clothes appear as if they are flying in mid air.
Flyinghooks 1
the stainless steel cable is about 8.2′ long (250 cm) and the black polypropylene hanger is 3.5″ wide (9 cm), the rest you should know…
Flyinghooks 2

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Free Helicopter Transfer Service

I'll have to do some follow up research on this. How cool would that be, to make arrangements for a client to transfer via helicopter--make sure that client isn't afraid of heights!

US HelicopterInternational BusinessElite® passengers with Delta Air Lines can now benefit from a free helicopter transfer to New York’s JFK International Airport from the city’s midtown heliports. The service is being provided by US Helicopter to premium passengers holding non-stop tickets for flights between JFK and destinations in Africa, Brazil, India or Europe, where BusinessElite is the premium cabin. Estimated travel time is eight minutes. The offer is valid until the end of the year for tickets bought after 1st July 2007.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

World's Most Expensive Cocktails

Suddenly, I am quite thirsty...
Ambitious bartenders are developing premium repertoires that combine some of the world's finest and rarest alcohols with equally esoteric mixers.

Imagine what happens to the bar tab when these combinations are embellished with tiny gold swords for skewering olives, or rubies instead of maraschino cherries.

Three of the list's most spectacular drinks are the Ritz Side Car from Paris, the Diamond Cocktail from London, and the Platinum Passion from Duvet in New York.
Topping our list is the holder of the Guinness Record for the world's most expensive cocktail, and perhaps the most elegant mixed drink to be found anywhere: the Ritz Side Car served at Bar Hemingway in the Paris Ritz.
But the magic lies in the hotel's astonishing store of cognac, the 1830 Ritz Reserve.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

Video Bloggers love TubeMogul

TubeMogul is a new service that allows you to upload your videos to multiple online video services at the same time, and track how often those videos are being viewed.
clipped from www.tubemogul.com

What is TubeMogul?


TubeMogul is a free service that provides a single point for deploying uploads to the top video sharing sites, and powerful analytics on who, what, and how videos are being viewed.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

How Killer Is Your Elevator Pitch?

This is a great exercise!

How to Craft a Killer Elevator Pitch That Will Land You Big Business

This is the 30-60 second business description of what you do and why someone should work with you. It's called an "Elevator Pitch" because it describes the challenge: "How would you explain your business and make a sale if fate placed you in an elevator with your dream prospect and you only had the time it takes to get from the top of the building to the bottom?"
This article will explain the elements of a powerful elevator pitch and then walk you through how to craft yours.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

14 Numbers to put in your cell phone NOW!

This is one of the few "things you should do" that I actually agree with; enough to Clip and pass on!
14 Numbers Your Cell Phone Can’t Live Without
Local Fire Department
Local Police Department or Law Enforcement
Nearby Hospital(s)
ICE (In Case of Emergency)
Taxi Company Dispatch
Water and Power Department
Doctor and/or Pediatrician
Poison Control
Animal Control
Coworker or Boss
Your Next-Door Neighbor
Tow Truck Company
Car Insurance Carrier/Broker
Pizza/Chinese/All-Night Take-out Food

Monday, July 30, 2007

10 Sexiest Beaches [Conde Nast]

I'll add these to my "Places to Go Before I Die" list. Who doesn't want to say they've been to one (all?) of the world's sexiest beaches?

World's sexiest beach?Concierge.com, the online home for inspired travel from Conde Nast has posted its picks for the third annual World’s Sexiest Beaches list.  Beaches are both on and off the beaten path and are chosen for their beauty, buzz factor and overall steamy appeal.  Here’s their top ten:


  1. Caprera Island, Sardinia, Italy

  2. Salvador, Bahia, Brazil 

  3. Cousine Island, Seychelles 

  4. Playa de los Lances, Tarifa, Spain

  5. Pink Sand Beach, Harbour Island, Bahamas 

  6. Kuta Beach, Bali, Indonesia

  7. South Beach, Miami, Florida 

  8. Pigeon Point Beach, Antigua 

  9. Bodrum, Turkey 

  10. Santa Maria Beach, Ilha do Sal, Cape Verde

Monday, July 16, 2007

HDTV on Your Laptop!

Now I can justify taking my laptop on vacation!
Turn your laptop into HDTV player

Plextor (www.plextor.com) has come out with its Mini Digital HDTV Receiver, which connects to a laptop's USB port. The $99 receiver has an external antenna and software that scans for over-the-air HD signals.
Plextor's receiver only works with computers running Windows XP or Vista. The more computing horsepower you have – both memory and graphics – the better your viewing experience. Underpowered systems can produce a picture that occasionally stutters.
His Naima. Get yours at flagrantdisregard.com/flickr