Q: does anyone know a site where i can find tourist attractions for the mississippi river area?
pleassseeee!

A: The Mississippi river is 2,320 miles long….. which “Mississippi river area” do you mean?

Q: can anyone give me a site that has tourist attractions and activites, etc for the Mississippi River?
not wikipedia obviously.
THANKKSSSS <3

A: http://www.mississippiriveradventures.com/
http://www.mississippi-river.org/

http://www.tripwolf.com/en/guide/show/308992/United-States-of-America/Tennessee-TN/Memphis/Mississippi-River-Museum

Q: What would some cool tourist attractions be?
In math class, we have to do a project where we create a trip. Our group (all teen guys) is looking more in the area of the eastern side of the US..

Starting from Wisconsin, headed to Florida.. we don’t want anything too far west of the Mississippi River and nothing too far north of West Virginia on the coast.

Any suggestions? Any at all?

A: If you’ll be going down the east coast of FL, I would recommend the Kennedy Space Center.

Getting way south…the Everglades

Depending upon your interests you will probably be passing near some Civil War battlefields

If you’ve got your route mapped out, you might get some better detailed suggestions

Q: Does the East coast or the West coast have more tourist attractions?
I choose the west coast for the simple fact of NY and WA but please let me know what u think. Dividing line is Mississippi.. so anything East of the Mississippi is East and anything west is West. U.S only

A: When was NY moved to the West coast?
You think I would have noticed/felt it

Q: Tourist Attractions part IV?
I need info on the following places. Just tell me what you know or what you have heard, or even a website I could visit to find out more information: N.Y.C., Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Silver Lake State Park, Brooklyn, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hoosier National Forest, Flagstaff Lake, Chessapeak Bay, Roanoke Rapids, Harrison Lake State Park, Lake Wateree State Park, White Mountain National Forest, Arlington, Washington D.C., Clevleand Tenn., Chattanooga Aquarium, Virginia Beach, Merle Beach, Staute of Liberty, Niagra Falls, Broadway N.Y., Bronx Zoo, Bristol Tenn, And any other good tourist attractions in the east coast states to the Mississippi River.

A: Here’s some great resources. Traveling’s in my blood so I like to check these out often.

http://www.frommers.com
http://travel.yahoo.com

http://www.lonelyplanet.com

Frommers especially will help you out a lot. And yahoo will give other people’s perspective on attractions.

Q: Tourist Attractions?
I’m traveling with a mission team to Gulfport, Mississippi to help Katrina victims rebuild their houses and I’ve been assigned to find tourist attractions down there so we have something to do with our down time or our off days. The Internet doesn’t really do any good because it gives me businesses and semi-annual events, like Christmas Tree Lighting. So is there anyone out there who lives down there and could help me out? Or anyone with any ideas to help narrow my search on the web? Thanks so much!

A: The main tourist attractions in Gulfport are the beach and the casinos. That’s about it.

That sounds like a noble cause on the surface, but anyone who hasn’t rebuilt their house after three years is probably just waiting for you to show up and do it for them. Anyone with the tiniest drop of self-reliance has rebuilt their lives by now.

Q: About Mississippi….?
What is the mississippi landmarks?
Tourist attractions?
and major industries..

A: Jackson, MS has a park with go-carts, and arcades located on Lakeland Drive.

Natchez, MS has some pretty nice historical buildings and landmarks to see.

Tunica, MS & Vicksburg, MS has casinos, if you’re interested in that.

There are also some really good seafood places to visit, that offer a great bit of “Southern Hospitality” culture.

I hope you’re able to find what you need and also enjoy what Mississippi has to offer…remember “It’s Like Coming Home…”

Enjoy! We’re glad to have you!

Q: Tourist Attracktions part II?
I need info on the following places. Just tell me what you know or what you have heard, or even a website I could visit to find out more information: N.Y.C., Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Silver Lake State Park, Brooklyn, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hoosier National Forest, Flagstaff Lake, Chessapeak Bay, Roanoke Rapids, Harrison Lake State Park, Lake Wateree State Park, White Mountain National Forest, Arlington, Washington D.C., Clevleand Tenn., Chattanooga Aquarium, Virginia Beach, Merle Beach, Staute of Liberty, Niagra Falls, Broadway N.Y., Bronx Zoo, Bristol Tenn, And any other good tourist attractions in the east coast states to the Mississippi River.

A: You should try Hersey PA, its where the herseys chocolate plant is, its a whole town dedicated to chocolate…. a womans best friend

Q: Which Southern states do you really like? Can do without?
I wanna know what you think, but as for me…

I like:
-TEXAS: Like a “Lone Star” in terms of its hospitality and generosity.
-Oklahoma: Lot like Texas
-Tennessee: Laid-back, mellow
-North Carolina: Much like Tennessee outside of the cities
-South Carolina: Old South charm, Charleston is nice tourist attraction
-Mississippi: Old South charm, sweet people
-Louisiana: Food, culture, that down home feeling
-Alabama: Much like Mississippi
-Georgia: Just as long as you avoid ATL

I can do without:
-Kentucky: Might as well be Ohio. Bad drivers, very unwelcoming to outsiders, snooty women…and I’m from there!
-West Virginia: There’s nothing there!
-Virginia: like New York/New Jersey south
-Florida: like New York/New Jersey south-south
-Arkansas: had several bad service industry-related experiences in this state. Plus it elected BJ to four terms as Governor.

This is my opinion based on life experience. Every state has its good and bad points, though!

A: I support the southern states

Q: Family vacation suggestions? Similar to Gatlinburg-hotels within walking of shops, attractions, restaurants?
We enjoy Gatlinburg, but want someplace different.We like staying downtown and walking everywhere, maybe taking the trolley once or twice. We are looking for something East of the Mississippi, and not in Florida. A nice tourist town with small things to do, fudge shops, restaurants, etc. Hopefully hotels/motels located nearby for walking. Historical is fine.

A: I would suggest maybe trying something like Charleston or Savannah area? There’s alot of history and charm in Georgia and South Carolina. In Charleston, you can see where the first shots of the Civil War were fired. Visit Boone Hall, which is a large cotton plantation. In Savannah, tour the first national headquarters of the Girl Scouts. Visit its historic district and the grand Gilded Age “cottages.” Tour St. Simons Island and see its famous lighthouse. Spend time in St. Augustine, the oldest city if the US. There a lot of things to do nearby! I have used this travel website I really like, go to:www.everydaytravelconnections.com

Q: What is each U.S. States Main Tourist Attraction?
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming

A: I share the ones I believe:
Alabama=Mobile (civil rights)
Alaska=Denali National Park
Arizona=Grand Canyon
Arkansas=Clinton Library
California=Disneyland/San Francisco (Golden Gate Bridge)
Colorado=Pike’s Peak
Conneticut=Mystic Seaport
Delaware=Amstel House
Florida=Walt Disney World/Kennedy Space Center
Georgia=Martin Luther KIng’s grave/Stone Mountain
Hawaii=USS Arizona Memorial/Waikiki or Volcano’s
Idaho=Hells Canyon
Illinois=Chicago as a whole/Lincoln’s Tomb
Indiana=Indianapolis 500 Speedway
Iowa=Hoover Library
Kansas=Dodge City
Kentucky=Churchill Downs (Home of the Kentucky Derby)
Louisiana= New Orleans
Maine=Bar Harbor (Lighthouses)
Maryland=Chesapeake Tunnel Bridge/Annapolis Naval Academy/Fort McHenry
Massachusetts=Boston Harbor/Salem
Michigan=Ford Library
Minnesota=Mall of America
Mississippi=Graceland
Missouri=Gateway Arch
Montana=Yellowstone
Nebraska=Boys Town
Nevada=Las Vegas/Hoover Dam
New Hampshire=America’s Stonehenge
New Jersey=Giants Stadium
New Mexico=Carlsbad Caverns
New York=NYC (Empire State Building, Ground Zero, Times Square, ETC)
North Carolina=Kitty Hawk
North Dakota=Fargo
Ohio=Cedar Point in Sandusky
Oklahoma=Site of the Oklahoma City explosion
Oregon=Mt Hood
Pennsylvania=Liberty Bell
Rhode Island=Narragansett Bay
South Carolina=Myrtle Beach
South Dakota=Mount Rushmore
Tennessee=Grand Ole Opry/Dollywood
Texas=Alamo
Utah=Great Salt Lake/Temple Square
Vermont=Montpelier
Virginia=Arlington National Cemetery
Washington=Seattle Space Needle
West Virginia=New River Gorge Bridge
Wisconsin=Lambeau Field (home of the Green Bay Packers)
Wyoming=Yellowstone

Q: Tourists Atractions part III?
I need info on the following places. Just tell me what you know or what you have heard, or even a website I could visit to find out more information: N.Y.C., Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Silver Lake State Park, Brooklyn, Sleeping Giant State Park, Hoosier National Forest, Flagstaff Lake, Chessapeak Bay, Roanoke Rapids, Harrison Lake State Park, Lake Wateree State Park, White Mountain National Forest, Arlington, Washington D.C., Clevleand Tenn., Chattanooga Aquarium, Virginia Beach, Merle Beach, Staute of Liberty, Niagra Falls, Broadway N.Y., Bronx Zoo, Bristol Tenn, And any other good tourist attractions in the east coast states to the Mississippi River.

A: man, that’s a long list. maybe you should break it up into several questions.
NYC-i don’t like it.
smoky Mt’s-beautiful, don’t miss it.
Washington dc-many things to see. don’t miss the Smithsonian
Chattanooga aquarium-haven’t been but i hear its great. i like the city of Chattanooga, you could spend some time there
Niagara falls-a must see

Q: Which Southern state(s) do you like? And, don’t like (if I may ask)?
I love the South—the culture, weather, people (most of them, anyway.) It’s just a great place to live, with a couple of exceptions, which I’ll get to.

My TOP picks: Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, western North Carolina, west and middle Tennessee

Not my top picks but still great places: the rest of NC and TN, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Arkansas (west of Little Rock,) and Oklahoma.

Here are my exceptions:
-Kentucky: that place has the sourest people I’ve EVER seen in my life. Try making bets that very few people (especially women) will even say “thank you” when you hold a door open for them…I bet you’ll win. The place sucks!
-Florida: same reasons, but it does have lot of jobs. It’s kind of boring after you hit all the tourist attractions, however. (Side note: I like the weather.)
-Virginia: too rushed, b/c it’s the southern end of the Megalopolis.

West Virginia doesn’t count as South, no offense to anybody who lives there.
Intelligent and curious: Actually, I do agree with you. That’s an insult to true Southerners. I went on and included it b/c Jefferson Davis…but that’s it. Thanks!
Gay Jesus: WTF are you thinking?! Texas is great! It’s the best state in the South!

A: Florida is best, particularly West Palm, North Miami Beach and St. Pete’s area. Best of both worlds. There are lots of northern transplants and the weather is great (minus the hurricanes).

As for the Carolinas, Georgia, Virginia, Mississippi, etc., that’s just too country for me. Sure, some of it is beautiful, but it’s still too, too country and rural once you get outside the metro area. Visiting is fine, but as for living, I tried it and didn’t like it. Also, politically, the folks are a little too right wing and fundamentalist for my taste. For those that are like-minded, please, feel free to go. But unless it’s southern FL, I think north of the Mason Dixon line is better.

Q: Geography Questions please help! not homework!!!?
1.The Great Divide Basin, located along the crest of the Continental Divide, in the southern part of which state?
2.Joshua trees and yuccas [YUCK-uhz] are most common in which state? (California or Rode Island)
3.The Mackinac [MACK-in-awe] Bridge connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas in which state?
4.Which state produces more peanuts then any other state?
5.The Merrimack River runs through Manchester, the largest city in which state?
6.Upper Klamath Lake is found in the Cascade Range in which state?
7.For just over a half century, St. Mary’s City was the colonial capital of which state?
8.Forests cover approximately 60% of which state (Arizona or Virginia)?
9.The oyster industry is important along the coastal region of which state (Connecticut or Missouri)?
10.Which state was the first to be surveyed using the township and range system in the early 1800s?
11.The slogan “Pike’s Peak or Bust” was used during the 1858 gold rush to a U.S. territory that later became which state?
12.Zion National Park and the Great Salt Lake are two major tourist attractions in which state?
13.Springfield, once a key stop on a California-bound stagecoach line, is located in which state that gets hydroelectric power from a dam on the Osage River?
14.Hot Springs, a city that shares its name with the nearby national park, is a famous tourist attraction in which state?
15.Which state is nicknamed “The Mountain State” because it has the highest average elevation of any state east of the Mississippi River?
16.Uluru [oo-LOO-roo], or Ayers Rock, is a sacred area to the aboriginal people of which continent?
17.To barter with a vendor in Bangkok’s floating markets and to see a teak forest you would travel to which country?
18.To see the Altai [AL-TYE] Mountains and climb the four holy peaks around Ulaanbaater [oo-LAHN-BAY-tahr], you would travel to what country?
19.For centuries the Chinese emperors lived in seclusion in the Forbidden City, which is located within what present-day city?
20.What river flows through Lake Kariba and forms a border between Zambia and Zimbabwe?
21.The city of Massawa, Eritrea’s main port, is located on what body of water?
22.Name the strait that separates Sri Lanka from India.
23.Hinduism and Buddhism are two of the major religions that have their origins on which continent?
24.The Han [Hahn] are the largest ethnic group on which continent?
25.To navigate the Suez Canal and to visit Cairo’s City of the Dead, you would travel to what country?
26.To visit a mosque in the country with the largest Muslim population and to stay at a luxurious resort on the island of Bali, you would travel to what country?
27.In Islam it is the duty of every Muslim who can to make a once in a lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca. This city is located on which continent?
28.Finnish is one number of a language family originating in the Ural Mountains. The Ural Mountains are located in Kazakhstan and which other country?
29.In the past, Mongol invasions greatly affected the way of life for people on Manchuria. Most of this region is now part of which country?
30.Which island, the easternmost in Melanesia, has a population that includes a large number of south Asians?
Well it is not. I didn’t get homework Christmas brake.

A: sure sounds like homework to me!

Q: Geography questions please help me!?
1.The Great Divide Basin, located along the crest of the Continental Divide, in the southern part of which state?
2.Joshua trees and yuccas [YUCK-uhz] are most common in which state? (California or Rode Island)
3.The Mackinac [MACK-in-awe] Bridge connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas in which state?
4.Which state produces more peanuts then any other state?
5.The Merrimack River runs through Manchester, the largest city in which state?
6.Upper Klamath Lake is found in the Cascade Range in which state?
7.For just over a half century, St. Mary’s City was the colonial capital of which state?
8.Forests cover approximately 60% of which state (Arizona or Virginia)?
9.The oyster industry is important along the coastal region of which state (Connecticut or Missouri)?
10.Which state was the first to be surveyed using the township and range system in the early 1800s?
11.The slogan “Pike’s Peak or Bust” was used during the 1858 gold rush to a U.S. territory that later became which state?
12.Zion National Park and the Great Salt Lake are two major tourist attractions in which state?
13.Springfield, once a key stop on a California-bound stagecoach line, is located in which state that gets hydroelectric power from a dam on the Osage River?
14.Hot Springs, a city that shares its name with the nearby national park, is a famous tourist attraction in which state?
15.Which state is nicknamed “The Mountain State” because it has the highest average elevation of any state east of the Mississippi River?
16.Uluru [oo-LOO-roo], or Ayers Rock, is a sacred area to the aboriginal people of which continent?
17.To barter with a vendor in Bangkok’s floating markets and to see a teak forest you would travel to which country?
18.To see the Altai [AL-TYE] Mountains and climb the four holy peaks around Ulaanbaater [oo-LAHN-BAY-tahr], you would travel to what country?
19.For centuries the Chinese emperors lived in seclusion in the Forbidden City, which is located within what present-day city?
20.What river flows through Lake Kariba and forms a border between Zambia and Zimbabwe?
21.The city of Massawa, Eritrea’s main port, is located on what body of water?
22.Name the strait that separates Sri Lanka from India.
23.Hinduism and Buddhism are two of the major religions that have their origins on which continent?
24.The Han [Hahn] are the largest ethnic group on which continent?
25.To navigate the Suez Canal and to visit Cairo’s City of the Dead, you would travel to what country?
26.To visit a mosque in the country with the largest Muslim population and to stay at a luxurious resort on the island of Bali, you would travel to what country?
27.In Islam it is the duty of every Muslim who can to make a once in a lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca. This city is located on which continent?
28.Finnish is one number of a language family originating in the Ural Mountains. The Ural Mountains are located in Kazakhstan and which other country?
29.In the past, Mongol invasions greatly affected the way of life for people on Manchuria. Most of this region is now part of which country?
30.Which island, the easternmost in Melanesia, has a population that includes a large number of south Asians?

Thank you for your help!

A: →1. Wyoming
→2. California
→3. Michigan
→4. Georgia
→5. New Hampshire
→6. Oregon
→7. Maryland
→8. Virginia
→9. Connecticut
→10.Ohio
→11.Colorado
→12.Utah
→13.Missouri
→14.Arkansas
→15.West Virginia
→16.Australia
→20.Zambezi River
→21.Red Sea
→22.Palk Strait
→23.Asia (South Asia)
→24.Asia (East Asia)
→25.Egypt
→26.Indonesia
→27.Asia (Middle East)
→28.Russia
→29.China
→30.Fiji Islands (38% Indo-Fijians)

Q: How long should I stay in Rome? I’m planning a trip for next yr but I’m on a student budget. 1 week too less?
I was looking at different vacation options and thought of Rome. I went on some travel sites and they had some summer deals that were about 1200 a person. BUT it was only for 4 nights. Is that way too less time to see Rome completely? If so, what’s the minimum amount of time I should spend there.

P.S. I’m on a student budget

A: I spent 5 nights there and it wasn’t enough. However, we also had some serious jet lag and missed a few mornings of sightseeing, so you may be able to cram it in in 4 days.

I strongly urge you to get a Fodor’s gold guide and a city guide. This way you can make the most of your time and plan your days to the fullest. There is NO point in just doing one thing a day when the city is small enough to walk from end to end. The Colosseum is right next to the Imperial Forum which is right next to the “Wedding Cake” (Il Vittoriano). The Pantheon is near Piazza Navona and some great food & shopping. The Fodor’s gold guide gives FANTASTIC walking tours that you can do in a few hours (or more). The only ‘most of the day’ sight that I found was St. Peter’s and the Vatican Museum. If you love art & archetecture, spend as much time here as possible.

The Fodor’s guide also give tips for churches that you might have missed. We never would have gone to what ended up being our favourite church, Sant’Ignazio or to San Pietro in Vincoli to see the STUNNING “Moses” sculpture.

But, we also aren’t “drive by tourists” – we like to really admire what we visit; not just say we saw it.

Have fun!

Q: How does the bus and transportation system work when visiting Rome?
I am going to Rome on vacation and looking into several options for transportation. I have looked up some bus and train details but wonder if the schedules are user friendly for Americans and how far apart they are, etc. Would this be easy to use or should a car rental be the best option for local use?

A: I live in Rome and believe me you do NOT want to hire a car for use in the city. If you’re not convinced see this video I took at Piazza Venezia in Rome http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXb6FN1ti9U – the video was taken out of season in November.

For more advice about transport in Rome see http://www.romanlife-romeitaly.com/public-transportation-in-rome-italy.html it has information on buses, night buses, electric buses, trams, Metro etc and plenty of maps to help you find your way around.

Enjoy, Rome is fantastic (but not the traffic!)

Q: Which Is nice for Vacation Rome or England or France?
My dad who is kinda old around his late 50s wants to take me and my older sister to one of these locations and i was wondering which one will be good for him to go and would be intresting for a 15yr old and a 21yr old something fun and exciting. So i would appreciate your opinions and options very much and Links as well(: Thanks For The Help

A: I’m still young and I’m just 66. I have more get up and go than many youngsters I know. Remember this, life doesn’t begin until you are over 50.

I have just returned from a holiday in Lazio, which is just north of Rome. It is the second time I’ve been to that fantastic amazing place. We drove from Málaga in Spain.
Excitement comes in many forms, so you should elaborate on that. We get excited by visiting the Vatican, but your excitement may be different. If you are looking for beach fun and excitement, then come to Málaga.

Q: how much does a vacation to Rome cost?
Me and a friend would love to go…the cheapest way possible. lol. Is there an off season? When is it? Is staying outside the city an option? Etc.Etc.Etc.

A: the cheapest way is to travel there by car or train and stay in hostels. Also, pick a hostel that will let you cook your own food. While there, travel either by walking (cheapest) or by public transportation. If coming by car, do not park in the city as it is rather expensive. M

Q: How long is the Eurail ride from Rome to Venice and Rome to Milan?
I will be in Rome next month on vacation and I was wondering if anybody knew the time it takes to get from Rome to Milan and Rome to Venice. I have to catch a flight and I was wondering which city to book the flight out of and I am basing it on the time it takes to get to each city by way of Eurail. Also, if there is an option to take a high-speed train, how much would that cost? Thanks!

A: Depends on the line. If you take the EuroStar (slightly more expensive than the IC trains) Rome to Milan is about 4-4.5 hours. Milan to Venice is 3 hours by IC train and around 2 by Eurostar. Direct from Rome to Venice, I’m not sure but check out this website. Don’t worry, just click on the button for english and it will translate just fine.

Q: Vacation to Rome: 1 week or 2?
I plan to take my girlfriend to Rome sometime in 2009. We’re both history buffs and love the artistic side as well. We are both in our 20’s and getting around the city, walking or metro, is no problem. The only issue is, we’re in our 20’s and money is sort of tight. I’d like to spend less than $3,500 but preferably under $3,000.

My question is, is one week sufficient to see Rome or is two weeks more necessary?

Also, I’d ideally like to see all of Italy, but that may be pushing it. I’ve heard there is a moderately priced Italian rail pass which could be an option. It would kill me to be that close to Pompeii, Florence and Venice and never get to see them.

On a side note, I’ve heard that flying into London then taking an inter-european flight is cheaper than flying direct. Is this true? What’s the best thing to do?

Please help. I want to make her dream come true.

A: If you’re looking to visit Rome and Pompeii, a week is fine but if you want to extend to Florence and Venice (and perhaps another city or two) then you should definitely consider two weeks.

Central Rome is quite accessible by foot, and during my previous trips I’ve always walked around pretty much everywhere. When I first visited Rome I used the guide from Enjoy Rome (http://www.enjoyrome.com/index.html ) and found it useful that I’ve used it every time since, with exception when I was visiting and my friend from Rome was incidentally home at the same time. That trip, I had a personal tour guide

Metro in Rome is not particularly handy, often not going near the historical sites. The reason is simple – anytime that they try to dig for metro construction, they’ll come across some part of ancient Rome and an excavation would then be required! If you must, take the buses and they’re quite cheap. For more information on public transportations in Rome, check this link (http://www.enjoyrome.com/tourist/cityguide/public.transportation.html )

There is no need to get an Italian rail pass. Train in Italy, especially the regional ones, are cheap enough that a rail pass is actually not worth it. For destinations that are just a couple of hours away from Rome then regional trains are certainly the way to go. E.g. train for Rome-Naples is about 10euro one way, where you will then grab a bus to go to Pompeii.

As for longer distance destination such as Venice, look into either travelling overnight (so your accommodation budget can go for the train+sleeper) and arriving in the morning. On faster trains, if you buy your tickets ahead of time, you can avail of Amica prices which usually is discounted in comparison to the normal rates. The the rail network in Italy is run by Trenitalia (http://www.ferroviedellostato.it/cms/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=3fdbe14114bc9110VgnVCM10000080a3e90aRCRD )

As for flights, it depends. Sometimes you could get cheap enough flight even though it’s direct to Rome. Sometimes perhaps it’s more expensive than flying to London then grab an inter-European flight, but is it cheaper after you add the costs of US-London AND London-Rome?

Flying direct to Rome means you’re not wasting time to go to London, then having to change an airport (most low-fare, no frills flights operate from other airports and not from Heathrow) and you’ll need to account for travelling to/fro the airports (prices in GBP, which is expensive if you consider USD-GBP conversion) too. Not only that, low cost airlines don’t do connections so if you miss your flights it’s your problem. On top of that, they also tend to have major luggage restrictions and additional charges for check-in luggage etc. Sometimes, taking into account of all these, unless you’re making significant savings to fly to London, then I would say save yourself the hassle and just fly direct to Rome.

Besides, see it this way. If you’re only saving about 100USD per person but you waste some 6-8 hours transitting in London with no guarantee on flight connections, is it worth it? Is the value of your time not worth more than that? You can’t ever buy lost time so why not have more of them in Rome (and Italy) than navigating different airport system and security etc?

I recently gave an answer to another question related to travelling in Italy (http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AjKwxD8k2IBcQ5I7Jo7Xj8Dty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20081202054031AACe9pS&show=7#profile-info-pObxZvs5aa ) so have a look at the details there. I was suggesting to the asker a potential itinerary for his rather tight schedule for Venice – Verona – Florence – Rome – Venice but of course this is just for guide, and to give you some idea of how the trip could be roughly planned, and the kind of train ticket prices that’s applicable.

If you need any other information, let me know and I’ll see if I’m able to help. I travel to Italy regularly and although I may not know everything, if I can answer any of your question, I’ll happily help.

Happy planning!

Q: I am considering a honeymoon vacation in mid october between Italy and France.Which should be a better option
Which would be a better option in terms of weather?
In France i intend to cover paris and the French Riviera and in italy it is venice,rome and florence.
Some suggestion and tips would be really handy in making a memeorable honeymoon.
Thanks.

A: If you go to the top of the Eiffel tower hang on the wind blows strong there, that is about all France has and it is in Paris.Can’t say any thing for Italy. Happy Honeymoon. France also has a lot of good wineries that you can visit.

Q: HELP, i’m clueless! Which tours should i choose to go on in Rome next week?
I plan on going on vacation with 4 friends next week, and I’m absolutely overwhelmed with the numerous options for tours. i could definitely use a word-of-mouth suggestion of an itinerary that could cover 3 days worth. I wanted to do a vespa tour, but it seems like they’re VERY expensive. Any other recommendations for sight seeing options are also welcome (e.g., any sort of live show?)

A: i have just came back from ROme a week ago,if you will go to Rome for 4 days only i recomColosseumt u should never miss going to the colossum its beautiful, also the fontana de trevi (where u through coins and make a wish), the piazza navona its amazing u can have a portrait or a carecateur drwan for you there by one of the artists there, also go to the vatican and the st. petro baslica its greaaaaaaat.
for all this site seeing u can take the bus from termni station Bus 40 or H or 175 they will take u to all the main site seeing places in rome, also the metro the daily ticket is for 4 euros.
for shopping u can go to via del corso, via nazionale, the area at the vatican, and there is a greaaaaaaat shopping center in Rome called euroma 2 everything is there from A to Z all shops just take the metro line B going to laurentina and get down in eur palasport station when u get out of the metro infront of the station take the bus no. 777 get down in the third station u will find it there and when u leave do the same take 777 from the other direction just cross.
at night there are night life and free music concerts at st. jeovany’s castel
i hope u enjoy ur trip and have lots of fun there )))

Q: How to travel light in Italy?
I’ll be flying to Rome, and spending the bulk of my vacation there. But I would also like to spend a day in Milan, and perhaps head to Pompeii for a day or two. Short of hauling all my luggage around in trains, are there any other options that don’t include having a hotel room in Rome and someplace else?
Thanks for both answers!!

A: In order to travel light, the best thing to do is to pack light. Italians don’t like watching your luggage anymore than you do.

There are fairly cheap (about 5.00 euros a day) staffed luggage check services or self-serve lockers at most major Italian train stations (I remember seeing one at Roma Termini last time I was there), but some travellers report the underpaid and bored attendants themselves as being less than trustworthy.

If you’re staying at the same hotel in Rome after your side-trips, the front desk might be willing to watch the luggage for free (since you’re coming back in a couple days anyhow), but again, most of them do not take legal responsibility for potential losses.

Just a thought from a seasoned traveller: You might want to seriously look at your itinerary as well. Europe may be the smallest of the continents, but it’s bigger than many tourists seem to think. What you’re proposing is similar to landing in Los Angeles, and asking whether it would be feasible to do San Francisco as a daytrip.

Furthermore, I don’t see one day in Milan as justifying a 6 hour train ride from Rome. Milan is just not that interesting to begin with (unless you’re there on business). It’s a very no non-sense corporate city. In terms of shopping, Romans are just as discerning shoppers – and all the major designers have shops throughout Italy. And with the exception of the Cathedral, Milan is also dissapointingly modern and unattractive.

Q: will you take my survey?
ok i have a couple questions ANSWER THEM

1.fav color
2. fav breakfast food
3.fav stores
4.fav socks (knee highs, ankle, ect)
5.fav purse designer
6.fav place to go on vacation (options are beach, paris, camping, and rome)
7.fav animal
THANK YOU

A: 1. Pink ♥
2. Mini Muffins (chocolate chip)
3. Hollister, Abercrombie, Love Pink…..
4. Ankle socks, this may sound weird but I kinda think those knee high socks are cute.
5. COACH/Vera Bradley
6. Domican Republic, and TN
7. Dolphins

Q: Can foreigners rent cars in Europe? I’d like to stay in Tuscany but make 2 day trip to Rome. I’m from the U.S.?
I am thinking of taking a vacation mid June. The vacation will be 8 days long with travel to and from the US. so basically 6 days in Italy. I’d really like to just enjoy the area rather than site see. We are more concerned with wine and food tasting and relaxing. I don’t want to be in the city, I want to be surrounded by nature if at all possible. My husband is actually in Iraq currently and when he returns this is a short romantic trip that we want to take together to sort of reconnect. So relaxing and romance is key. But we’d like to take 1 day to see Rome. There’s just so much there that seams so beautiful and interesting that we can’t miss it if we go all the way to Italy.

So can you rent cars or would a bus be our only option? Are there any secluded lush vinyard like areas with hotels any closer to Rome then Tuscany?

Thanks for your advice!
Thanks so much for that info! We’ll need an automatic, I sure hope it doesn’t limit us but due to being unable to bend my left knee (disability) I can’t drive a stick shift… Of course my husband could drive but I’d love for him to be able to see the sites sometimes too. – As for the drinking, no worries we won’t be drinking and then driving. We are going to see about staying at a B&B located at a winery so that if we do get a little toasted we can just walk to our room and sleep it off. Thanks for the advice though! The AAA advice is awesome. We would have never thought of that!

A: Fantastic!

Yes, of course you can rent a car, provided you have a valid driver’s license.
I am really glad you are already thinking of this so you can make good plans by the time you depart.

I do need to point out…..Driving in Italy can be very stressful for people who are not accustomed to it. Also…whomever is driving will not be able to enjoy much wine. Italian law and the police are very strict about it. Using public transportation mitigates both of these concerns.

A few points:

=A=================
You definitely won’t want a car while in big cities like Rome, Florence, etc. I’d suggest having a car for a few days, but the other days, relying on public transportation. Ask a travel agent for suggestions.

Here’s a possible idea:

1
Fly into Rome, take the train into the city [costs11 Euros each; takes 30 minutes, runs every 30 minutes]

2
Enjoy your time in Rome without a car.

3
Pick up a car when leaving Rome [hopefully from an office in the outskirts that you could reach by train or bus....less stressful than driving through Central Rome]

4
Spend some days in the Italian countryside of Umbria and Tuscany

5
Drop off the car at Rome airport when you leave Italy. [you can arrange to pick up a car in one place and drop it off in another]

=B=================

Renting a car with an automatic transmission is almost always MUCH more expensive than renting a car with a manual transmission ['stick shift']…This is because automatic transmission cars are uncommon in Europe.

=C=================
Getting an International Drivers Permit [available in any AAA office] is a good idea:

http://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html

It basically translates your license [what class of vehicles you are qualified to drive] into many different languages.

Again, a travel agent can help you in many different aspect of your trip.

I sent my thoughts and prayers for the safe return of your husband and his unit.

Q: Has anyone taken a roadtrip in Italy?
We are planning 2 week vacation in Italy.We plan on rentinga car for the stay.How long will it take for us to travel from Tuscany – Milan.Milan – Venice.
Is it better to stay one week in Tuscany and see Rome,Florence,and some of the villages there and then move to Milan or the North and stay there to see Venice,Dolomites etc…
I just wanted to know my options…
Thankyou in advance

A: Put in Italy in Yahoo search. Print out a map and plan your vacation first. Driving in Italy is challenging. Some places are better reached by train–eg. Venice. Figure out where you will be staying. It might be better to go to the most remote southern places by train. Venice is expensive; however, there is a little island named Lido. If you stay on Lido and buy ferry passes, every time you leave Lido you are in Venice. Morano Glass factory is on Lido. You might want to stay two days on Lido. From there you could explore Venice properly. Then after you decide where your next town is working northwards, then you might consider picking up your car and driving thence. Get out your map and plan your itinerary properly.

Boaz.

Q: where to honeymoon for $2000 for two ppl overseas including air?
I want to know what is the best deal you have come across for a trip overseas…anywhere. We are planning to elope this fall anytime from September to November for about 7-9 days. We will fly out of Nashville, tn or Chicago, il. I would like to know the cheapest airfare you have seen and/or vacation packages. We would really like to go to Rome, Italy but are checking out all options. You know what they say…”If the price is right…..
just thought I would add that I want airfare and hotel for $2000 or close to it. Don’t worry I have money budgeted for food and fun…..Please only respond with ACTUAL DEALS you have found. I am quite aware of all the travel sites….just don’t want to sit here and type in EVERY country and EVERY date…that’s why I asked on here…..
READ the entire post before replying!!!!!! Not asking for any personal opinions…there are a lot of places a person can go for $1000 for air and hotel….just want to see which ones you have found. Do NOT give me sites or offer opinions…If you are just trying to get points…do it somewhere else please!!!!!!!

A: You could probably manage this, but do you really want to ?

Every aspect of the trip would have to be the
lowest-cost option.

(Trafalgar Tours has a 1-week in London package for $835,
their only offering under $1000/person, not including air.)

Realistically, you would be better off finding a
nice place closer to home for your honeymoon,
and saving up for a while so that you could do this
right, with more time and more money,
rather than being jet-lagged, “bargain basement”
tourists for a week. (And newlyweds at that!)

Q: Schengen visa- Switzerland?
Me and my Husband are planning to travel to Italy for a vacation. We have Indian passport and therefore need Schengen visa for visiting Italy.The Italian consulate in NYC has given me a visa interview appointment 3 days before my travel date.Our flight tickets to Rome is booked and is non-refundable.We were told by people that we can book hotel in another schengen country and show it to be our main destination and then once we get the visa, we can travel withing the schengen countries easily.So, we booked a cancellable hotel in Geneva and showed it to be our main destination while out port of entry and exit is Rome.The Swiss consulate now wants a fax from the geneva hotel stating that the booking is confirmed and non-refundable. WE are in a catch 22 situation now.Please help with options and alternatives!!

A: Well the “people” you spoke to gave you very bad info and you really should have checked this rather than trusting them. I also don’t understand your story as you mention both the Italian and Swiss consolate. To which are you applying?

To obtain a Schengen visa then you need to apply to the embassy of the country for which is your main destination and it is only if this is not known (or equal with another country) then it is to the embassy of the country of which is the port of entry. (You can read about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_visa#Schengen_visa)

Therefore in your case you should have requested a visa from the Italian embassy as this is your main destination. Booking a cancellable hotel with the intention to lie to the authorties (which this is) is a very foolish action. As part of the application you have to submit and sign a ‘Declaration on True and Complete Information’ when you know that you are planning to cancel the hotel from the onset. Really not a good idea!

I can only suggest that you speak to the Italian consolate and explain there is a change of plans and that you will stay in Italy only and have cancelled the hotel in Geneva and how can you proceed with this..

This may mean that they will give you a visa which allows travel to Italy only (one thing many people do not realise that is possible with a Schengen visa), but that is the risk you now have to take if you want to travel (and this assumes that they don’t ask you to make a new application from scratch)

Never listen to what “people say” including travel agents. Always read info on official sources such as embassy sites e.g. here is the German one in Chennai http://www.chennai.diplo.de/Vertretung/chennai/en/04/Visa__New/unterbereich__SchengenVisa.html which confirms what I stated about the main destination issue.

Q: What to do about speeding tickets in Italy?
Hello,
Over the summer, June 24th to July 11th, I was in Italy on vacation. My wife and I rented a car and drove all around the country. I recently received 2 speeding tickets in Italy, for 173 euros each. I was just wondering what my options are. This seems like a ridiculous amount to have to pay, but i also do not want to not pay and then not be able to go back to Italy. In addition to this, I have another charge on my account from Hertz, so i think i have at least a 3rd ticket coming. This scares me to think of how many of these things I may end up getting. Does anyone have any advice on what to do with this? I wasnt trying to be reckless with my speeding, I was most of the time just going with the flow of traffic, not really concerning myself with the speed limit, I figured if everyone else was driving at the speed, that it must be safe (when in Rome right? …) Also, I am wondering if this will affect my US driving record or insurance at all? If anyone can help me with this i would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks,

A: Pay them! we do…but you wont obviously…
In Italy is NOT allowed to have the speed you like..the fact that some other person was running DONT allow you to do…people get bills here ..and pay it!! If you dont we have to pay YOUR ticket because it will go on the PUBLIC bills…so i have to pay your ticket only because you are an arrogant one?What about if i go in Us and i dont?…Before put the thumbs down like childrend…think about this!

Q: Hi sir i got one mail from INTERNATIONAL CARGO COURIER DELIVERY PLANS‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏‏ regarding the loter,?
24 hrs 7 days week.

57 Euston Grove,Ring wood
Hampshire BH24Ifb
London,United Kingdom.

Dear Valuable Customer,

Welcome to International Cargo Courier Service We offer 24 hours services From Sunday To Saturday

This mail is to officially inform you about the completion of your winning verification process and on the other hand to intimate you that your approved winning cheque of Seven Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great Britain Pound Sterlings{750,000.00GBP} Only is ready for delivery/pick-up.

We will only deliver the parcel to the address received from the Yahoo/Msn & Microsoft Windows Lottery Board Organization and we will only hand over the parcel to the beneficiary ONLY whom will sign for its collection. This individual must have a valid identification of him/herself as proof. Also we do not allow customers to send their friends or relatives to pickup their parcel on their behalf, due to security reasons.

INTERNATIONAL CARGO COURIER LTD has gone through a transformation from a mere quoting method to becoming an essential tool for shippers, entities who perform projections and inspections, and the general public We make it simple. INTERNATIONAL CARGO COURIER LTD has put the world in your fingertips. We are not a broker, we are licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission as a non-vessel operating common carrier (N V O C C) to produce original shipping documents, and we are licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration under the TSA as an indirect air carrier (I A C) to engage in air cargo worldwide, therefore we can leverage our technology with our experience to save your money and serve you on a global basis.

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Let it be known to you that all taxes has been paid by (Yahoo/Msn & Microsoft Windows lottery Board Organization). Therefore, you will only be required to pay for the Clearing charges which is 25,000 INR only for the clearing of your consignment from the Indian custom upon the arrival of the delivery officer to your country India.

The delivery officer (Diplomat Garvin Brown) will personally present to you all the relevant documents and your winning cheque and certificate and also assist you through all the process of remittance there in your home country (INDIAN).

NOTE: You are advice to make the required 25,000 INR available to him once he arrives India to enable him fulfill the normal Indian customs clearing obligations at the International Airport so that your parcel Seven Hundred And Fifty Thousand Great Britain Pound Sterlings{750,000.00GBP} can be release to him by the Indian customs so that he can proceed to your address for the delivery. Please, you must keep secret of your winning until it arrives your doorstep for security reasons.

The delivery of your prize is currently on the way as it is passing through the British Security Screening. We realize recently that such procedures have been adopted on your consignment leaving UK for Asia.

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Departure Date/time:-JUNE 23RD 2010- 4:50 :00 PM

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Congratulations and have a nice day.

Mr.Robert Willaims
Dispatch officer,
INTERNATIONAL CARGO COURIER,

This e-mail and any files transmitt

A: You don’t get anything for nothing, , it’s a scam do not answer do not give personal information.The following sites give more information
http://www.snopes.com/
http://www.scambusters.org/
please answer nothing that you are doubtful about.Good Luck and be careful

Q: is it the beginning of a new dark age?
AP: Muslim countries seek blasphemy ban

GENEVA (AP) — Islamic nations are mounting a campaign for an international treaty to protect religious symbols and beliefs from mockery — essentially, a ban on blasphemy.

Documents obtained by The Associated Press show that Algeria and Pakistan have taken the lead in lobbying to bring the matter to a vote in the U.N. General Assembly.

Such a ban would face great resistance in Western nations that enshrine freedom of expression as a fundamental right.

The countries that form the 56-member Organization of the Islamic Conference are currently lobbying a Geneva-based U.N. committee to accept its plan, a first step for it to eventually be put before the General Assembly.

If that occurs, Muslim countries and their allies in the developing world would stand a decent chance of mustering the simple majority needed in the General Assembly to adopt such a treaty.
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Yahoo! Buzz Mixx

Posted 44m ago
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Comments: (13)
Showing: New: Most recommended!

User Image
Sidnee (4 friends, send message) wrote: 27m ago
Is this a joke? Haven’t Islamic “leaders” already banned EVERYTHING?

Recommend 8 | Report Abuse
User Image
demsoutnow (0 friends, send message) wrote: 21m ago
Sure. It’s OK for huge numbers of their populations to use their twisted religious teachings to chop off heads and blow babies up, but not OK for anyone to complain about it.

It makes sense to me. How about you? Geez…

These nations are a plaque upon the world.

Recommend 7 | Report Abuse
User Image
steelbird (20 friends, send message) wrote: 20m ago
GENEVA (AP) � Islamic nations are mounting a campaign for an international treaty to protect religious symbols and beliefs from mockery � essentially, a ban on blasphemy.
———————-
Does this mean that the Islamic nations want the Taliban prosecuted for destroying the two giant buddahs?

Recommend 5 | Report Abuse
User Image
steelbird (20 friends, send message) wrote: 19m ago
If that occurs, Muslim countries and their allies in the developing world would stand a decent chance of mustering the simple majority needed in the General Assembly to adopt such a treaty.
———————–
This is why the US needs to get out of the UN.

Recommend 2 | Report Abuse
User Image
Don R. Blue Dog (53 friends, send message) wrote: 13m ago
They can ban anything they want inside the borders of their own nations. We’ll still post pictures of Mohammed wearing a bomb shaped turban all we want here.

Recommend 1 | Report Abuse
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Quilasdad (0 friends, send message) wrote: 8m ago
One more step towards DESTROYING the freedoms we all enjoy and the freedoms that others have dies for.

Recommend 1 | Report Abuse
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kamas716 (0 friends, send message) wrote: 3m ago
The only way I could come close to supporting this is if at the same time freedom to worship any/all religions is enacted.

Recommend | Report Abuse
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max wolfe (0 friends, send message) wrote: 4m ago
Islam is a religion that the world can do without.

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Quilasdad (0 friends, send message) wrote: 6m ago
If the UN does approve this and WE in the USA remain as members of the UN, WE ARE THE FOOLS… It’s LONG PAST time that we drop out of the U.N. (Let them move to Iran)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-11-19-Muslim-countries_N.htm?csp=24&RM_Exclude=Juno

A: There aren’t very many Muslims in Europe. This tiny minority has already caused the rise of right-wing parties in Europe. Already, many European countries, such as Ireland, are paying foreigners, in particular Muslims, to repatriate back to their original countries.

You overestimate the extent of Islamic influence in the West. Even if Muslims had a considerable amount of influence in the West, it would inevitably collapse, because loads of fed up people would vote anti-Islamic, right-wing parties into office.

Q: please tell me if this freelottery from the united Kingdom is lagit. arev they for real?
I have a new email address!

You can now email me at: freelottocomp@yahoo.co.uk

CONGRATULATION!!!

THE FREE LOTTO COMPANY

UK OFFICE

SUITE 23-30,LION TOWERS

CENTRAL LONDON

ENGLAND

Dear Winner,

My name is Stella Stone and on behalf of FREE LOTTO COMPANY OF UNITED KINGDOM, I wish to congratulate you as the one of 10 lucky winners in the free lotto draw held on the 10th January 2006.All 10 willing addresses wererandomly selected from a batch of 50,000,000 international mails. Your email address emerged alongside 9 others as a A category winner in this year’s Annual Free Lotto Draw.

Consequently. you have therefore been approved for a total pay out of £350,000,00(Three hundred and fifty Pounds Only).The following particulars are attached to your lotto payment order.

Please contact the under listed claims officer under category A winners as

soon as possible for the immediate release of your winnings.

Mr. Derrick Anderson

Royal Finance & Securities

342 Walworth Road,

London

SE172NA

United Kingdom

Email: derrickanderson212@hotmail.com

Once again on behalf of all our staff Congratulation!!!

Sincerely,

Stella Stone

This email notification is auto-generation its contents are vaild for only two weeks and it is unmonitored so not reply.

****************************************************************************

********************************************

The Microsoft proudly sponsors the free lotto Awards Corporation, the Intel group. Toshiba, Dell, computer. Mackintosh and a conglomerate of other international IT companies. The Free Lotto international draw is held once in a year and is so organization to encourage the use of the internet and computers worldwide. We are proud to say that over 10 million pounds arewon annually in more than 150 countries worldwide.

Million are won on daily basis on one of the word’s most famous lotto organization.

- freelotto lotto
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A: If you don’t pay money to enter a lottery, it most certainly is a scam.

Here are the hallmarks of a lottery scam:

You never paid money or bought a ticket to enter.
Your “winning” notification is probably not personalized.
Your “winning” notification came by email, probably from a free email
address such as yahoo.com or msn.com.

The way this scam works is, if you respond to the email, after one or two email exchanges with the so-called “lottery officials” or “claims agent,” perhaps accompianied by some official looking but fake documents, you will be asked to pay fees for “taxes” or “handling” or some other reason. This is the scam, you pay the fees and never see any winnings, mainly because there are none to see.

Source(s): www.fraudwatchers.org

Q: E-mail Comment Del.icio.us Digg Reddit Technorati Furl Is Inter the best club for Tevez?
ARGENTINA legend and national coach Maradona has advised Manchester United’s Carlos Tevez to move on to save his international career, specifically to Inter Milan where former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho has taken charge.

THE POSTMAN LIM SAY HENG says: It seems increasingly likely that Tevez may move on from Old Trafford, even though he is a fans’ favourite. But if he does move, is Inter the right club for the young Argentinian?

The good news is, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the only “untouchable” in a front-line that sometimes goes up to three strikers. Adriano, the Swede’s usual strike partner, could be on his way out following speculation of a bust-up with Mourinho earlier this season.

And with Hernan Crespo and Julio Cruz already reaching his mid-30s, and Mario Barotelli and Victor Nsofor Obinna barely out of their teens, Tevez could be the perfect blend of youth and experience that Mourinho can use up front.

The bad news is, Mourinho has been rotating his five other strikers to partner his chief predator Ibrahimovic up front, and Tevez may not get as much time on the field as he would with Manchester United, where he has less competition for a spot in the starting line-up.

But at least he would be better off there than Real Madrid, where the competition for a place in the team is even tougher, and the politics of the club make it difficult to really settle down properly, especially when the coach keeps getting replaced.

A: I will not mention Julio Cruz ever again because I hate him and he is a disgrace to Argentine football. Now, Tevez needs to stay in the EPL. This is the best league in the world, and Tevez will 1. make the most money and 2. have his legacy improve. If he does move on, I think he’s 7-8 years too young for the Italian league, so he’ll be better off in Madrid improving the Spanish league.

Q: DANUITTI or Other computer geniuses Please help??? Is there a way……..?
Is there a way to run an external hard drive on two computers at the same time? I have a works laptop (IBM Thinkpad) which is set up with a secure VPN into the international server and a home computer which I work off to write and process my reports (the laptop is to small and uncomfortable to work off all day and my home computer has a large screen and orgonomic keyboard) – I have to move the USB hard-drive between the two computers throughout the day to save from one computer and transfer over to the laptop to be able to e-mail or save via the VPN (pain in the a ss).

Any help or advise on the best way to set up the two computers would be gratefully received.

A: Set up a network between the two computers via Ethernet. Set the two computers with the same Workgroup, but give them different Names. Do through by a Right Click on My Computer, then pick PROPERTIES. Set this in the Network Identification section.

Then install the USB drive on one of the computers, and use SHARING to share that big drive. You see, this could act as a mini-file server, or be used as an awesome backup. Be sure to create a good logical file structure name, so you are well organized. It can get out of hand pretty easy, and you won’t be able to find anything.

But YES, it is also pretty easy to just PLUG in the drive when you need it.

Thanks for inviting me to answer a question.

Q: I received this e-mail today and I think it is a scam. Can Yahoo check this?
This e-mail was sent to me. This looks like a scam. What agency can I send it to for possible prosecution?

Note: forwarded message attached.
——————————————————————————–
Subj: CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Date: 04/28/2007 10:12:12 AM Eastern Daylight Time
From: Mrs. Mary Adams. [hytrew@bellsouth.net]
Reply To: mrs.woods_lottery007@yahoo.co.uk
To: info_lottery@yahoo.com

Government Accredited Licensed Promoters!
Venderloop 1902 AB, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
REF: EL3/9318/04
BATCH: 8/163/EL
Attn:Sir/Madam,

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the Lottery Winners International programs held on the 26th of April 2007, Your e-mail address attached to ticket number 653164251591-6011 with serial number 7321410,batch number 151085135,lottery ref number 6376527711 and drew lucky numbers 4-9-17-36-44-78 which consequently won in the 1st category, you have therefore been approved for a lump sum pay out of 1.500,000.00 Euros (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Euros)

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Due to mix up of some numbers and names, we ask that you keep your winning information confidential until your claims has been processed and your money Remitted to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double claiming and unwarranted abuse of this program by some
participants. All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from over 40,000 company and 20,000,000 individual email addresses and names from all over the world. This promotional program takes place every year. This lottery was promoted and sponsored by
Association of software producers. we hope with part of your winning,you will take part in our next year 20 million Euros international lottery.
====================================================================
To file for your claim, please fill the enclosed form and send it by email to out lottery paying officer for the processing for your claim with the informatin below:
Dr. Anthony Goldsmith,
Remittance Director,
TEL NO +31-61 671-9561
FAX NO +31-84-723-8267
EMAIL: lotterypayingoffice_190@yahoo.com.hk
===================================================================

FULL NAME:…………………………………………….
RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS:……………………………………
OCCUPATION:……………………………………………
DATE AND PLACE OF BIRTH:………………………………..
COUNTRY OF RESIDENCE:…………………………………..
TEL NO:……………………………………………….
EMAIL:………………………………………………..
TICKET NUMBER:…………………………………………
BATCH NUMBER:………………………………………….
AMOUNT WON:……………………………………………
OUR E-MAIL ADDRESS:…………………………………….

I…………………………………HEREBY DECLARE THAT THE ABOVE
DATA ARE TRUE AND IN CASE OF ANY UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES MY NEXT OF KIN HAS RIGHT TO CLAIM MY TOTAL WINNING. GAL PROMOTIONS SHALL ACT AS MY AGENT IN FACILITATING THE TRANSFER OF MY FUNDS TO ME DATE:

Yours Sincerely,
Mrs. Mary Adams,
For Management. Games/Lottery Coordinator.
Lotto International Netherlands.

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A: Of course it’s a scam. I have seen these by the hundreds. You probably can’t prosecute them, because it most likely came from Africa, where certain areas are notorious for such scams.
The best thing you probably should do is just hit the “mark as spam” button and move on.

Q: Is this a scam HELP!!?
I am saving up money for a new computer and I put my Xbox 360 and all my games, guitars (guitar hero) , etc. on ebay.

5 hours later I get this e-mail: ( I censored the Information lol)
“Hey,
i have interest in your listed item on eBay would like to know if i can purchase it for an amount of US $750.00 plus including shipping internationally through USPS International Mail Express 8 days and i want the item ship out today end the auction and send me paypal payment request to ————@yahoo.com i promise i will not let you down

Regards

Mrs Elizabeth ——-

and you can add me for instant message to this email address below :

Yahoo Messenger:—
Aim: ——
Msn :——
Gtalk:——-”

I really need the money, I dont want to be scammed, im broke.
I understand its a scam.

A: It sounds like a scam to me, tell them to bid like everyone else has to & dont send anything until funds are cleared to your paypal account. Also I would NOT send anything like that internationally unless it was insured & trackable (this would cost of small fortune for the buyer & may put them off if not sincere, ultimately its to protect you the seller)
Just my two cents worth…Not very trusting am I?

Q: Please take legal action against the mail given below?
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 13:30:14 +0200
From: “PROMOTION COMPANY” Add to Address Book Add Mobile Alert
Subject: CONGRATULATIONS! (YOU JUST WON)
(Accredited Licensed Agent to Transglobe lottery International )
Ref Number: 132/756/4007
Batch number:538901527-BB67

Sir/Madam,

We are pleased to inform you of the result of the NLF ONLINE International Lottery programs that entered your email addresses amongst other addresses for the international lottery programs conducted by NLF ONLINE.
As a result of your visiting various websites we are running the
e-business promotions for. You/Your Company email address, attached to
ticket number 343-221-8756, with serial number 454-17 drew the lucky numbers 3, 8, 13, 22, 27, 41 and Bonus number 12 and consequently you won in the Second Category of the JAPAN FORTUNE LOTTO DRAW.

Your winning Ticket is Number. 343-221-8756
Your Serial Number. 454-17
Your lucky draw Numbers are. 3, 8, 13, 22, 27, 41 Bonus Number 12
Your INSURANCE Number: FLS433/453L/GMSA
You have therefore been approved for the payment of the sum of
US$500,000,00 in cash, which is the winning amount for the Second
category winners.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

All participants were selected through a computer ballot system drawn from over 20,000 companies and 30,000,000 individuals email addresses and names from all over the world. This promotional program takes place every year. This lottery was promoted by some software corporation to compensate some few individuals with website and email addresses. After the Microsoft anti-various incident on August 2003.

However, To file for your claim now, please contact the Transglobe finance lottery Agent. Mr.Lius Park
EMAIL: nlfdraw@myway.com
Please provide him with your 6 digit numbers 8, 3, 7, 9, 5, 2 and your password RRTAz15. You are also advised to provide him with the under listed information as soon as possible:

1. Name in full:
2. Address:
3. Nationality:
4. Age:
5. Occupation:
6. Phone/Fax:

If you do not contact your claims agent within 7 working days of this notification, your winnings would be revoked. Winners are advised to keep their winning details/information from the public to avoid fraudulent claim (IMPORTANT) pending the transfer/claim by Winner.
congratulations once again!

Sincerely yours,
Mrs Rose Chen
LOTTERY COORDINATOR.
EMAIL:rosechen@consultant.com

http://www.transglobefinasia.com

——————————————————————————–

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A: This type of con is coming in thick and fast from Nigeria. It’s just a scam, but one that cleans out peoples bank accounts and leaves zero on their credit cards. NO ONE gives money away and asks for all your personal details

Q: Has anyone used the international “one price” free mailing boxes in the U.S. ?
We got these “free” priority mailing boxes at the post office. They were printed on them that anywhere in the U.S. one price $8.00 BUT it also said one price anywhere out of the country but did not say how much, my husband took 2 to the post office & not until AFTER the man weighed & stamped them did he say $37. each !! No way we could of taken them back home & packaged them in our own brown boxes & would saved a bundle. What a rip off !!!!!

A: yes it sounds like they found a new way to charge money, just think next postal rates are going up

Q: hi i got a mail that yahoo inc. loterry organise a programme every month in which i won a prize is this true.?
hi,
i have received a mail which say

YAHOO LOTTERY WINNING NOTIFICATION
We happily announce to you the draw of the Yahoo Lottery Intl Inc
programs held on the 6th of July 2007 in London. Your e-mail address attached to ticket number: with Serial number so and so drew the lucky numbers: ………………, which subsequently won you thelottery in the 2nd category. You are therefore, been approved to claim a total sum of ……………………………for the month of June 2007 lottery win promotion which is organized by MSN & YAHOO LOTTORY INTL INC .Every month.
CLAIMS PROCESSING LOTTERY AGENT CONTACT INFORMATION contact our agent for your winning prize.
contact person:Mr Van puller
E-mail:agentvanpuller_2007@yahoo.co.uk
FULL NAME :
COUNTRY :
PHONE NUMBER :
OCCUPATION :
FULL ADDRESS :
Serial number
Draw lucky numbers:
Lotto number
Winning number……………….
Congratulations once more!!
Yours Sincerely,
Dr BRAIN HUNT(PHD)

“ATTENTION:WINNER,

CONGRATULATIONS!This is to inform you that you have been cleared a winner of the YAHOO ONLINE LOTTERY online Sweepstakes International program. I am happy to inform you that i have forwarded your Original Certificate and your Certified bank cheque to the courier company.Find below the details of the courier company.

TNT COURIER SERVICE
Address:22 Agnes Jones Way,
London,SE181ZX,United Kingdom.
ENGLAND. UNITED KINGDOM.
NAME:MR BARIN WHITE(dispatch officer)
Email:tntcourier4@yahoo.co.uk
Email:tntcourier4@deliveryman.com
Tel: +447024039265
Tel: +447045726205
Tel: +447024078026.
FAX:+44 8704791460
FAX:+448709748649 .

You are adviced to send the courier company a mail to their email address for their courier cost .When contacting them,you are to include this order number as your subject.Please you are adviced to write down the order number and save it.

Identification Number:
Note: you are to Quote your complete names,address, Serial number Draw so that they can honour your letter.Once again i say congratulations and always inform me with your dealings with the courier company.

Thanks,

Mr Van Puller,
Fiduciary Agent,
YAHOO ONLINE LOTTERY.”

so i want to know that whwthwr it’s true, is there any yahoo on line lottery or this is some fraud company dealing with this and also they are asking for ourer charges ,
so kindly help me with this issue

my e mail : bhardwaj_shikha@yahoo.co.in

A: If you didn’t enter something you can’t possibly win it.
Simple rule; NO ONE gives money away for free
The clue is, “You need to provide your full name and address”
This is an identity theft scam.
DELETE IT

Q: Surface post from Canada to UK – I need help…?
Hi, A friend of my posted me an big/large parcel, he lives all the way in Canada.

Because parcel is so big about 100cm X 50cm X 40cm he posted it by surface mail CanadaPost to save money…
I got given tracking number with it and tracing says that:

2009/12/1117:44WINNIPEGItem accepted at the Post Office
2009/12/12 15:55WINNIPEGItem processed at postal facility
2009/12/1315:55WINNIPEGItem processed at postal facility
2010/01/0713:47 International item has left Canada

So those that all mean that my parcel has been in Canada for nearly 4 weeks and just 3 days ago it left Canada? Really is that possible?

So now, is my parcel on air plane or ship (Boat) because my logic says that if it’s surface mail then it should be on boat but boat would take over 4 weeks to cross the ocean, would it?!

So is it possible that my parcel is on plane now?
What does surface mail really mean?

Thanks for looking and I hope you can help me.

A: Go to Canada Post website www.canadapost.ca
Click on English for a language (unless you prefer French
Now 3 choices About Us, Business and Personal. Click on Personal.
On the left half way down the page click on Send.
Now click on Parcels.
Scroll down to International Parcels.

Here you will see the quoted time frame of 4-6 weeks, for International Parcel Service. And yes your friend only paid for the slowest service.
It is going to go by Sea. Your parcel was probably put aside during the Christmas rush as a very low priority. Other packages were processed during Christmas rush that occupied the time.

You won’t see any more scans until it arrives in England, as it should be in a container on the ship.

Six weeks after posting would be around January 24th for delivery.

Q: I have received the mail of yahoo lotery is it a scam?
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From: “Yahoo!”
Subject: Yahoo! Mail announces you as one of the 10 lucky winners in the ongoing Yahoo Lottery Draw held on the 31st of January, 2008.
Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 16:27:15 +0100
Messenger Yahoo! Lottery Results you won £400,000.00! Yahoo! Mail
congratulates you!

Yahoo! Mail announces you as one of the 10 lucky winners in the ongoing
Yahoo Lottery Draw held on the 31st of January, 2008.

All 10 winning email addresses were randomly selected from a batch of
50,000,000 international emails each from Canada , Australia , United
States , Asia, Europe, Middle East, Africa and Oceania as part of our
international promotions program which is conducted annually,
consequently, you have been approved for a total pay out of 400,000.00 GBP (FOUR
HUNDRED THOUSAND GREAT BRITISH POUNDS STERLING ).

This Lottery was promoted and sponsored by a conglomerate of some
multinational companies as part of their social responsibility to the
citizens in the communities where they have operational base.

Further more your details(e-mail address) falls within our British
representative office in United Kingdom , as indicated in your play coupon
and your prize of 400,000.00 GBP will be released to you from this
regional branch office in UK.

HOW TO CLAIM YOUR PRIZE

These are your identification numbers:-

Batch number…………………Lwh09445
Lotto number…………………..Lwh09446
Winning number……………….Lwh09447

Yahoo’s Agent for Notice of claims of copyright or other intellectual
property infringement can be reached as follows:

FIDUCIARY AGENT Email: yahoo.verificationdepartment@googlemail.com

You are to send the completed verification form below to our Agent in
the United Kingdom whose email address is given above so that you will
be advised on what to do to get your prize money. Congratulations once
more!!

FULLNAME:

AMOUNT WON:

DATE OF BIRTH:

RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS:

SEX:

MARITAL STATUS:

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:

OCCUPATION:

COMPANY NAME:

TELEPHONE:

E.MAIL:

INDICATE PREFERRED MODE OF PRIZE COLLECTION:

(A) CHEQUE:

(B) DRAFT:

(C) TELEGRAPHIC TRANSFER:

DATE NOTIFIED:

APPROVED FOR PAYMENT.

THIS FORM IS TO ENABLE US HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
PRIZE WINNER WHICH WILL BE

FOWARDED TO OUR MANAGEMENT BANK OR THE COURIER AGENCY FOR YOUR TRANSFER
OF FUND & CHECK. IT WILL ALSO HELP THE RELEASE OF WINNER’S CERTIFICATE
TO YOU.

PLEASE FILL IT AND SEND TO US FOR YOUR DOCUMENTS OF CLAIM. AS SOON AS
YOU FILL THIS FORM, THE MANAGEMENT WILL FORWARD IT TO THE BANK FOR THE
TRANSFER OF YOUR FUND TO YOUR BANK AND YOUR WINING CERTIFICATE WHICH
WILL BE SENT TO YOU AS A BONAFIDE WINNER.

Again, remember, all funds not Claimed on or before the fixed date will
be returned as Unclaimed and donated to charity organization.

For security reasons, we advice all winners to keep this information
Confidential from the public until your claim is processed and your prize
released to you. This is part of our security protocol to avoid double
claiming and unwarranted taking advantage of this programme by
non-selected winner or unofficial personnel.

Yours Sincerely,
Dr Terry Simel
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
www.yahoo.com
YAHOO INC®.
Yahoo! Lottery Results.
Yahoo! Lottery is a free service that does not require you to be a
Yahoo! registered user.

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A: Yes, it is a scam.

In one version of this, they tell you to pay taxes up front, you send them the money, and you never hear from them.

In another, they ask for your bank routing number to deposit the funds, but they clean out your account instead.

Q: Do Barbie shoes fit Blythe?
I’m waiting for my Blythe doll in the mail but want to know if i can cheat (to save on international postage) by buying locally stocked barbie. Any other tips would be great!

A: no- barbie has big feet

Q: What Now? Change is here, your government check is in the mail.?
Now that President Obama is now in office, is this the change you were looking for? Are you on the giving end? or, the receiving end? meaning do you draw a government check? Is this country better off today than it was a year ago? two years ago? Do you favor the changes that are being made in your best interest? Are you more comfortable with government having the right to make important decisions for you? Are you really paying attention to whom is making a profit from the economic downturn? We are in this situation because 1. High School & College Students are vastly uneducated regarding life in the real world (in other words, they don’t earn their own livings), 2. The American public is lazy, uninterested, and like having someone else make decisions for them as long as they don’t have to put forth any effort. 3. We are uninformed, we watch sitcoms instead of the news, newspapers, and other forms of information. What are we going to do about it? Are you making a plan? Where will you turn when the bill collector comes for you? Race relations are falling apart, international relations are used up, we are alone, no one is going to save us, I guess we’ll have to do it ourselves, Remember: A government of the people, for the people, and by the people. Welcome to the new world order. Please respond. Please no stupid comments, if you happen to possess two brain cells that bump together and form a competent thought, then go ahead and respond.
It seems that someone doesn’t want to answer the question. Down with Socialists has yet to answer. As a rule, I don’t play party politics, but, research shows that the economic downturn actually began when the Democrats took power, of course, to this responder facts seem to mean very little. As far as leaving, Why? I served my country as a US Army Ranger for 22 years with combat tours so you may maintain your uneducated opinion. You have that right because of me and others like me that have protected you and your rights through the years, remember, a competent and informed response is required, when you have given to your country like the rest of us Vets, then and only then, may you ask me to leave.

A: The man just got into office. The economic situation we are under is years in the making and it will not change with the snap of your fingers. All these people who like to put the blame on Obama make no sense. Stop the ignorance, he is a man, he is not God. If you fall, you’re supposed to get up and keep on going. Not sit there dwelling on why and what happened? As far as life is concerned, there will always be hard workers and lazy people around and there is nothing that we can do to change it. I do hope that the welfare system gets reformed. It was supposed to help people not become a career. That would help the economy alot. But then again, alot of welfare recipients turn to disability or social security for income in order to avoid working.

This country has had recessions before and it pulled through. It can be done again. If you have no faith and hatred, I have a suggestion…LEAVE! No one is forcing anyone to stay here.

Q: I got sms on mobile that you have won prize money of 200,000 GBP is It Save…?
Dear Winner,

We are in receipt of your e-mail and wish to thank you for your Co-operation. Your fund is deposited with our Affiliate Bank here in U.K in a temporary Account and shall be sent to you on the Approval of your payment. You will receive this fund by Telegraphic Transfer [Bank Wire] or any other means you may wish to your Locality Account / Country.

However, the 2010 UK Telecom International Mobile Award is no doubt, a momentous achievement in the chequered history of this Corporation. On behalf of the entire staff of the Organization, I wish to congratulate all non-Governmental Organizations who have in no little way contributed immensely towards the success of this draw as well as taking concrete steps towards it’s actualization.

All participants were selected randomly from World Wide Mobile Directories. This promotion is part of the financial empowerment program of the UK Telecom International in it’s struggle to alleviate poverty.

While basking in the euphoria of this achievement, I wish to seize this opportunity to acquaint you with guidelines as you must follow in order to complete your claims. On our part, we have a mandate to see you through.

We will work assiduously to realize this mandate as we respect your views, opinions and most importantly protect your Privacy. You are advised to send with the fund release Application Letter to Alliance and Leicester Credit Bank by E-mail: alcbank.plc@financier.com,

As soon as your application is received, they shall process and transfer your money to you. This process will not take more than 7 working days in as much as you follow the procedure as directed.

A: IT IS A SCAM! BEWARE!

Q: feel good, just got back from holiday, how do i stop depression symptoms setting back in when go back to work?
i have had depression for 3 years now and ocd paranoia and ptsd and panic attacks i am now on duloxetine and tryptophan tablets which seem to be working

just been on holiday to cornwall and had a great relaxing time

i am feeling really good but in the back of my mind i am a bit worried that this good feeling will go when i go back to work on monday

the main reason i worry is because am constantly paranoid when i am at work and this tends to set in as feeling down but i really dont want to go backwards when the holiday has helped me come this far

do you have any helpful suggestions when you feel really good how not to go back down again

thanks for your answers

xxx vici

A: Regular exercise, 7-8 hrs. sleep, & balanced diet. I know it’s a cliche but it works for me & all clinical studies say the same. Hope you feel better.

Q: can you relate to these symptoms of depression?
i tred thinking today about somthng i thought is really pi55ing me off with a colleague at work, then i realised actually it dosent bother me atall

then me and my husband were going to have takeaway he said what do i really really fancy, i realised it didnt bother me, i dont taste anything, i dont fancy anything, i dont get stimulated taste buds or exited tingly thoughts about food

then i realised i dont get excited tingelly thoughts about anything, like holidays, watching HOUSE a programme i was addicted to, i dont want for anything, i dont want to go shopping, i dont worry i have no friends, i dont have a interest in seeing my friends, idont enjoy activities, i am not interested in doing art and craft the things i really enjoyed, i dont want to go out

i have been off tablets since feb, for ptsd, depression,panic attacks but for 5 or 6 days every 3 or 4 weeks i have complete darkness and sick and low time and the s word comes to mind, the rest or the time i am much better

A: The loss of interest in ‘everything’ is definitely a sign of depression. I think that House has been going down hill for some time now, so that’s not such a bad thing. I suffered very bad depression many years ago, and actually left my home to do the s thing on three occasions. I didn’t have the nerve, though I think on a fourth I would have done it. I tried many various tablets from the doc, and none really worked, then, out of total desperation, I bought an aromatherapy book and the oils it recommended. That was over a decade ago, and I haven’t been treated for depression since. However, I think it would be cheaper, and easier, to go to an actual aromatherapists for some pre-prepared oils. Try it, you have nothing to lose. The depression just goes away, without you even noticing it.

Q: Is this normal…..? (about Jet Lag Symptoms) Please Help?
I am normally fine, can always eat and snack well, but i have just come back from Las Vegas 2 days ago (8 hour time difference) and since then i have experienced:

Hunger although i have no appetite what so ever i feel a bit sick when trying to eat
Genrally feel sick
Tiredness
A bit of anxiety (i think this may be due to the tiredness and i am feeling a bit down about feeling ill)

This is my 4th time in Las Vegas and it has effected me everytime but normally i just feel a little after holiday depression.

Does anyone else get these symptoms due to Jet Lag?
I also get a bit light headed

A: Yes, I definitely get the symptoms of being very tired and feeling sick and hungry at the same time. Wikipedia says that symptoms include:
* Dehydration and loss of appetite
* Headaches and/or sinus irritation
* Fatigue
* Disorientation and/or grogginess
* Nausea and/or upset stomach
* Insomnia and/or highly irregular sleep patterns
* Irritability, irrationality
* Mild depression
Here’s a website with tips about how to avoid jet lag in the future: http://www.nojetlag.com/jetlag3.html

Q: How do I push past these feelings of sadness, lonliness, rejection and depression?
Every year starting on my birthday in October I get the “winter blahs”. My birthday marks the beginning of the holiday season for me and I get the symptoms of Seasonal Affectiveness Disorder that doesn’t go away until March. But this year I am on Seraquel and Topamax for BiPolar Disorder so I know I don’t have a chemical imbalance in my brain. This is “all in my head”. It wouldn’t matter if my b-day was in July and Thanksgiving and Xmas were in August- I would get the blues then because of the stress of the holidays and what the holidays represent to me.
On my birthday this year I started “taking inventory” and for another year I am alone, I have not matured any mentally. I feel like a 27-year-old in a 33-year-old body. I am going to school but I can’t work full-time and go to schol full-time like a lot of married w/ children peers I know. I get lonely during holidays.I’m not on speaking terms with the insane half of my family. How do I avoid these feelings every winter?

A: My first thought when i read this was; you simply arent fulfilling your desires of life. You mentioned women with children, married etc. The seasonal thing is not central to your condition its only peripheral because there are people who thrive or prefer a cold climate so its a peripheral to you. Sounds like you need to get involved in more “survival” groups. This may sound cliche or corny but join a church, a singing group, a political action committee, mentor at a girl scouts club, teach literacy skills at your local library. These are just a direction(s) to consider. If it helps join a dating website and specify that you are looking for a penpal only. Let whatever develop – develop from there. But you definitely need to get out more. Oh on the family thing, we can pick our freinds but we cant pick our family they are just as human as the ones you pick. They are not worse or better, we expect them to be better cause we know them or love them but the truth is they are not better than anyone else you meet. So expect less it will be easier on you to get along with them. And hey, if you’re feeling that down my email is up there, you can find me some where, im a child of God and a netizen. Dont suffer in silence or alone.

Q: Has anyone ever been to a GP about depression and found them very uncaring?
After more than 10 years of severe depression symptoms, including suicide attempts when I was younger, I finally went to a GP about some help. He went through some of the motions with me, got me to fill out a questionnaire etc, and asked if I was suicidal (I’m not), but basically he was grumbling about not wanting to fill out so much paperwork as he was going on holidays the next day, and told my partner that in his country (I think he’s from somewhere in Africa), there’s no such thing as depression because people have real problems. This was the first time I ever had enough courage to talk to a doctor about what I’m going through and it was awful. He did prescribe meds and gave me referral to a psychologist, so I know he did his job, but his attitude was so uncomfortable. Is this the normal experience with most doctors?

A: Well I went to see a GP when i was 14 with depression. My mother took me and spoke for me as i have anxiety issues and i was very embarassed about the whole thing. I was sekf harming, which my mother told him, and my school grades had gone down as i was so apathetic. He laughed when my mam said i was self harming. He chuckled and said “what do you think you will achieve by that?” I was sooffended and upset, we both left and arranged an appointment with a different GP. He said that he didnt think i had depression, i was just a “normal” teenager (despite the fact iwas cutting myself). So he did hormone tests and we went back 2 more times but he basically said my hormones were fine and i was too young for him to prescribe medication to. He basically said “what do you expect me to do about it?”. We went backk for a 3rd time 6 months later and he still did nothing.

3 years later i still self harm, i havent grown out of it. I have attempted suicide and I am so crippled by anxiety i cant go to college, work, or barely leave the house at all. I now see a psychiatrist, no thanks to my GP though. That came after a referal from the hospital.

So yes. I found my GP uncaring. At least yours did his job

Q: Symptom of depression.?
I suffered with depression for a number of years and didn’t really take any notice of it, following a marital split with my wife I finally saw a doctor who gave me a couple of weeks off work which I followed with a very refreshing holiday, I then went back to work feeling much better. The underlying causes were never dealt with and although I am now blessed to have a very special woman in my life I have really gone downhill in the last three months. I have dealt with the loss of my father last May, a late miscarriage a few days later, death of (intended) father in law in January and most recently the death of my mother just a few weeks ago. I am in a stressful situation at work and I have very little job security at present. As recently as December I was enjoying my job but that feeling is now long gone, I used to play on the Wii almost every day ut now it is 2 or 3 times a month, I used to go out every couple of weeks-I have been out only twice this year, I don’t sleep properly,
I have recently not been eating properly either, I just have no motivation to do anything anymore-not even stuff to do with my wedding in September. The longer this goes on the more I risk alienating my partner, I am already distancing myself from my family for reasons that I just don’t know.

So is it worth going to my doctor about this? I just figure that even if he believes me he will just hand out some pills or give me time off work-neither of these are really helping me get over whatever is causing the depression to start with.

I live in the UK if that helps.

A: You have been through a HELL of a lot. You poor bastard – seriously – that is really crap.

Give yourself credit for coping with some of that AND for recognising the fact that you are trying to cope with (and finding it very difficult) for huge changes in your life.

You need help – now you have to find it but recognising this and asking is a huge step to begin with.

I’m amazed you’ve done so well – really! You’ve been through one hell of a mill.

You really need to talk to several people. Some of this will be easy – some of it will not.

Firstly, your partner – she will understand that you want to change yourself for the better. It will be a long haul and I’d be very surprised if she didn’t want to join you on this – she may need professional support too for her miscarriage. Miscarriages are very shitty and any woman can do with extra support and help. She and you will benefit for counselling on this.

But the other many difficult things you’ve been, well – it seems to me from you question – suppressing also need to be addressed. This will also take time.

Try, if you can, to keep it separate from you partner’s miscarriage and her father’s death. It will be difficult but you need to work on the other difficult things you’ve been through yourself. That doesn’t mean not letting your partner know about it, or eventually involving her with that but you do need to concentrate on that and on you, for your own good which will benefit your life.

Go to your GP – he/she will no doubt offer anti-depressants and advise counselling. Ask LOADS of questions about the medication and where to get counselling, why he/she recommended a certain service, medication, what can it do for you, what are the side effects, be honest and open, give him/her as much information as possible to help you.

And then follow up – keep up with the medication – you may not need it forever or even only for a few months but keep on it until you get medical advice to change or stop. That is important.

Go to counselling. It is very hard work but the more work you do for yourself in talking and connecting with the professionals who can help the friends and loved who will keep you happy/balanced/together and listen the better you will be. Take the advice given and try it out. If it doesn’t work – tell them – if it does – tell them too.

And the Wii… Well, so what? It’s a gaming device. You have great things in your life, really, you do. CONCENTRATE on those things now – no need to worry yourself with mechanical devices.

Though I’m really glad you connected here for some advice and help, please keep in touch with the real people in your life. They are key and will be so much more beneficial than any machine, or the excellent internet – EVER.

If you decide to go this way you will be embarking on a difficult and sometimes harrowing journey but I’m sure you’ll be a better friend, lover, brother, person, etc for it.

And take care. Good luck..

Q: Depression vs Chronic Fatigue?
Last week i was diagnosed with depression from a fill in dr while my dr was away on holidays so i went back to se MY dr today the one who has been seeing me for quiet some time and she said im not depressed but i have chronic fatigue… she has thought this for the past 8 months because all blood tests and urnine tests come up normal but im still extremerly tired and run down but apperently sense its now over 6 mths its safe to say its chrionic fatigue. So my question is, Is the symptoms of depression and chronic fatigue somewhat similar?
Im always sick with a throat infection, I had my tonisls taken out 11 months ago but im still gettin a sore throat every 6 weeks and i have a persistant chesty cough which lasts for months then comes back again i also have backpain more noticable when stressed and really bad headaches.If that helps

A: DEPRESSION
Depression is an illness that causes a person to feel sad and hopeless for much of the time. It is different from normal feelings of sadness, grief, or low energy.
People who are depressed may also:

Lose interest in things they have enjoyed in the past.
Think and speak more slowly than normal.
Have trouble concentrating, remembering, and making decisions.
Have changes in their eating and sleeping habits.
Be preoccupied with death and/or suicide.
Have feelings of guilt, worthlessness, or hopelessness.
Depression affects men and women of all ages and has often been shown to run in families. A person can have one or many episodes of depression in a lifetime. Each episode of depression makes a person more likely to have another episode of depression.

Most people who are depressed get better with medicine, counseling, or a combination of the two. Some people with depression may need to be hospitalized.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
What is chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)?
Chronic fatigue syndrome, sometimes called CFS, is a condition that makes you feel so tired that you can’t do all of your normal, daily activities. There are other symptoms too, but being very tired for at least 6 months is the main one.

Many people improve in a year or two and do not have a relapse. Some people continue to have severe fatigue and other symptoms for many years.

The disease is not well understood. Most experts now believe that it is a separate illness with its own set of symptoms. But some doctors do not believe this.

There are no tests for CFS. Because of this, many people have trouble accepting their disease or getting their friends and family to do so. Having people who believe your diagnosis and support you is very important. Having a doctor you can trust is critical.

Your tiredness is real. It’s not “in your head.” It is your body’s reaction to a combination of emotional and physical factors.

What causes CFS?
Doctors don’t know what causes CFS. Sometimes it begins after an illness like the flu, but there is no proof of any connection. It’s likely that a number of factors or triggers come together to cause CFS.

What are the symptoms?
Extreme tiredness, or fatigue, is the main symptom. If you have CFS:

You may feel exhausted all or much of the time.
You may have problems sleeping, or you may wake up feeling tired or not rested.
It may be harder for you to think clearly, to concentrate, and to remember things.
You may also have headaches, muscle and joint pain, a sore throat, and tender glands in your neck or armpits.
Your symptoms may flare up after a mental or physical activity that used to be no problem for you.
Depression is common with CFS, and it can make your other symptoms worse. Antidepressant medicines can help you feel better.

How is CFS diagnosed?
There are no tests for CFS. Doctors can diagnose it only by ruling out other possible causes of your fatigue. Many other health problems can cause fatigue, and most people with fatigue have something other than chronic fatigue syndrome.

How is it treated?
There is no treatment for CFS itself, but many of its symptoms can be treated. A good relationship with your doctor is important, because the two of you will need to work together to find a combination of medicines and behavior changes that will help you get better. Some trial and error may be necessary, because no single combination of treatments works for everyone.

Home treatment is very important. You may need to change your daily schedule, learn better sleep habits, and start getting regular gentle exercise.

Q: Having Depression Issues – Help!?
So I’ve been having depression-like symptoms for a while now, and I’m not really sure what to do. Now it is definitely peaking around New Years and the holiday season, where loneliness is certainly kicking in. I mean I can point to two very big things that are probably at the center of it:

1) Being single for a prolonged period of time, and really struggling to find someone

2) Economic situations, having debt and unable to really pay it off..

I mean I’ve had a general lack of enthusiasm to really do much of anything and completely bottom-out on the self confidence factor. It’s unbelievably frustrating and I’m having a hard time dealing with it. Should I be going to a therapist or some sort? I mean fixing these things is easier said than done, I think…but I’m really not sure.

Please, any advice would be great. Thanks again and have a safe new years.

A: I’ve struggled with clinical depression for more than 10 years now. My therapist has saved my life with nothing more than words at least 4 times. I feel like I’m on the upward swing now, but it was really hard work getting here. Here are some insights I gained.

1) My depression is linked to the light level. I live in a temperate zone where winters are oppressive. I go to work before the sun rises and I get home just as it’s going down now. I deal with this with something called a “Happy Light.” It emulates natural sunlight to replace what we miss in the winter. My depression peaks right about now too, this device has kept me sane. It’s expensive, but so are funerals.

2) Medications work for the vast majority of depressed people, but not for me. I’ve taken just about every anti-depressant under the sun and they all kept me from being crushingly sad. I felt like they took away the highest upswings as well as the lowest lows and I wasn’t willing to give that up.

3) A therapist is someone who has had the training required to be a good listener and help you figure things out for yourself. For this service they charge a good deal of money (Mine is $90/hour but I’d gladly give her double that for what she has done for me) Often, all it takes for me to work through something is to bounce it off another human being. They seldom provide insight, but to verbalize my problems to something more than the mirror or my paintings helps me understand myself.

4) The internet is one of the greatest threats to our mental health. With websites like WebMD we can all self-diagnose and jump to conclusions that a medical professional wouldn’t.

I would recommend seeing a therapist of some kind. look in your local yellow pages and find someone close to your house if you can. At the very least, see a doctor and tell them what’s going on and see if they’ll write you a script for an anti-depressant. Take it for 2 months and see if you feel better by the beginning of March.

I’m pulling for you; we’re all in this together.

Q: what is the difference between depression and regular teen behavior?
I have found that the symptoms of depression are as follows (from an informational website:https://health.google.com/health/ref/Major+depression). I have all of these symptoms however I am fifteen. I am wondering if these symptoms are common in young teenagers anyway or if I should seek help.
* Agitation, restlessness, and irritability
* Dramatic change in appetite, often with weight gain or loss
* Extreme difficulty concentrating
* Fatigue and lack of energy
* Feelings of hopelessness and helplessness
* Feelings of worthlessness, self-hate, and inappropriate guilt
* Inactivity and withdrawal from usual activities, a loss of interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed. (for me I got a present that I’ve always wanted for the holidays but I wasn’t as happy as usual, instead I had to hold back tears for some reason- not sure why)
* Thoughts of death or suicide
* Trouble sleeping or excessive sleeping
this has been going on since april (8 months).
no it is not me PMSing because it happens all the time and girls do not PMS 24/7 lol

A: Misbehavior and acting out are two of the symptoms of depression that you’ll see in a child, and sometimes, two of the primary symptoms. In fact, a lot of the kids that I’ve seen diagnosed with depression had a very intense acting-out component to their behavior. Why? Because they could not access their problem-solving skills. When people can’t solve their problems, they act out in one way or another, and when children can’t solve a problem, they tend to act out their feelings. The most important thing parents can do is help their kids access their problem-solving and coping skills, whether they’re medicated or not, and give them the support they need to develop them. If you’re a depressed kid with no coping skills and you go on medication, then you’re a medicated kid with no coping skills.

It’s just that simple: children need added direction, structure and support when depressed. One of the most important things parents need to know is that during those periods of sadness, your child still needs to take responsibility for solving problems; that does not stop. In fact, letting your child avoid their responsibilities because they’re down is a big mistake. If you’re an adult and you tell me you’re depressed, I will tell you what tens of thousands of therapists will tell you: “Get up off your butt and go do the dishes. When you’re done with the dishes, go down to the park and walk the dog. Buy the paper and read it.” In other words, the whole idea about depression is you still have to live your life. Listen, growing up is hard, and if kids find a place to hide out, they will. Many kids find a place to hide out through acting out behavior. And they hide out there until they’re young adults, by being verbally and physically disrespectful and abusive. That’s how they really avoid growing up.

Read More Below:

Q: Why have I lost interest in my hobbies?
Im 15 years old and Ive lost interest in all my hobbies ever since I got over my anorexia.

I used to love music but I never listen to it anymore. I play guitar but today I quit lessons. After I told my teacher on the phone and hung up, I cried and I have no idea why. I quit because I get so bored of it sometimes, but whenever I begin to hint I wanna quit, I start to like it again.

I dont have any hobbies or interests at all. Sometimes I cant be bothered calling friends or seeing them on the holidays.

Do I have depression or something? What are the other symptoms of depression? How can I get into a new hobby again? Do you think I cried about my lessons because deep inside I wanted to keep going?

Thanks.

A: Hi Jay,
That does sound like depression to me. I’m a lot older than you, but I have the same thing. Can’t get into my fave pastimes/TV shows/music etc.
Maybe you should get some counselling AND try all the stuff the other posters have suggested. It can all help.
All the best…

Q: Can 14 year old girls get depression?
I’m 14 year old girl.
I’ve endlessly looked at websites on depression and i have all the symptoms listed. I’ve tried making new friends, doing activities to make me busy and not think about being sad and i have tried getting into a regular sleeping pattern. All have failed miserably and i have decided to stop doing to prevent myself from becoming mad with the end result.
I have also considered bipolar depression, about the mood swings. Most of the time i am really really down and can really feel like im in a dark hole, turning insane. Then the next day ill be really hyper and happy for no apparent reason, making it look like there’s nothing wrong with me. But whilst having this high mood i still think why am i doing this? why am i happy? why should i be happy?

I’ve been feeling alone for years now. I’ve just recently moved house and joined the local school. I don’t have many friends but there is a group of girls i talk to. Its the summer holidays and they are all on holiday leaving me at home by myself. Where i used to live the only two friends i had are on holiday for the entire 6 weeks. Even though they are not the problem, i hate being alone all the time.

So all i would like to know from you guys is
- Can 14 year old girls get depression
- ( if the above question is true ) Do you think I could have depression or bipolar depression or a depression i have never heard of?

Many thanks to all who contribute.
In response to the first answer. I know i’m 14 and going through alot but i think a lot differently. but then again everybody is different. But trust me on this i do. And i know im going through a lot, but ive had this for years.Almost 3 years and it has been such a pain to deal with.I have told my mom about it and she said that we can go to the doctors to discuss it but that was a few months back and we have never done so.

A: Yes 14 year old girls and boys for that matter can get depressed, not only cause puberty hits young women so hard, but their life around them can influence them so much too.

Q: Do you get these symptoms with anxiety?
I have always suffered from Anxiety and on/off depression. Recently though I have been getting symptoms that I havent really had before, like my muscles aching and twitching in mainly my arms, legs, back and really weak hands like you get when you have just woken up. I also get alot more heart palpitations that I used to.
My Doctor says that my muscle aches and twitching are restless leg syndrome and gave me a mild dose of amitryptyline – this hasnt helped though. The only time my symptoms went away was when i recently spent 3 weeks in a hot bright country – which fits in with the depression / anxiety as i wouldnt have felt like that on holiday in the sun.
I am under alot of anxiety at the moment being unable to sleep in my bedroom due to noisy neighbours and therefore am also not getting full nights sleeps, there is also tension in my marriage and therefore could all of this anxiety accumulate in all these new symptoms or should i be checked out for something more serious like MS, Lupus – i already mentioned Fibromyaligia to my Doctor and she doesnt believe in the illness, she says its just a label given to a random collection of symptoms that don’t have a name! Help!

A: I have anxiety disorder, restless leg and restless arm. Nothing helps restless leg that I have ever found. when my anxiety gets bad my heart rate goes up (sometimes to 130) and my hands will go numb. I am on a benzo for the anxiety and it helps a lot!!

Q: What do i do???? VERY confused and upset?
I’m just so confused
I’ve been feeling real down a lot for near;y a month now. I’ve looked at depression websites, and i can see that i show a lot of the symptoms of depression when i feel down. But the thing is, i don’t always feel down. But the down feelings have become worse, especially these last few weeks. I’m thinking maybe it has something to do with the fact that I’m in the 2nd week of a 2 week school holiday break (I live in Australia) and i have a lot of time on my hands
I’m scared that i will be diagnosed with depression. I don’t know what everyone is gonna do. I come from a church where everyone seems to discover anything. I don’t know how people will react if they discover i have depression.
I feel as if my family don’t really like me. And i can’t blame them at all- i’ve been snappy and horrible to them a lot more frequently.
My dad came and asked me what was wrong this evening, but i just couldn’t tell him. It’s like my tongue got tied to the roof of my mouth. I guess half the problem is that i don’t really know what to tell him, because there really doesn’t seem to be and particular problem that’s causing me to feel down. And he also practically demanded i tell him what was wrong (he was almost yelling at me, but i don’t blame him) I’m still trying to figure out what’s wrong myself. Dad said he noticed a change in me. He said that the whole family still loved me. But for some reason, i find it difficult to believe him. Why would they love me after how horrible i am to them??

I feel as if when i tell my parents my problems they will just think i’m being ridiculous. My mum thinks she understands me (this is what she says) and then she tries to read my mind, making all these conclusions about me which aren’t even true. Just today she told me off and then there was a silence, and then she said “don’t go thinking horrible thoughts about me” when i wasn’t even. This definitely isn’t the first time this has happened. Little things like this happen all the time.
Sorry this is so long, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to
Britney
But i never feel really high. I feel low or i feel no emotions at all

A: like the other guy said you might be depressed or bipolar to a point but its not a bad thing at all we are all normaly unnormal to a point and some day you will see its just fine, do you think being more active will help? you might feel better if you keep busy,dont tell your parents whats wrong . you might want to re word it and ask then questions about it. you will figure it out.dont worry about your family loving you. things always change , one week not comunication the next to much. life is never balanced its like a ride going up and down back and forth. you just got to learn to gop with the flow. dont let you get you upset at you any more make you happy , it takes effort, go pull weeds for 10 min go for a walk see things that are free and count them , we all get depressed. i dont know why you think someone will think less of you because your not a robot and have feelings and whats wrong with that, im at times an emotion waiting for a place to happen and i dont feel guilty about it. oh well accept me as me or what ever i hope you can see you can pull yourself together, and stop worrying about other people so much . caring and worrying are 2 different things. care for you and dont worry what other people think about you, you are you.

Q: What is wrong with me?????
I’m just so confused
I’ve been feeling real down a lot for near;y a month now. I’ve looked at depression websites, and i can see that i show a lot of the symptoms of depression when i feel down. But the thing is, i don’t always feel down. But the down feelings have become worse, especially these last few weeks. I’m thinking maybe it has something to do with the fact that I’m in the 2nd week of a 2 week school holiday break (I live in Australia) and i have a lot of time on my hands
I’m scared that i will be diagnosed with depression. I don’t know what everyone is gonna do. I come from a church where everyone seems to discover anything. I don’t know how people will react if they discover i have depression.
I feel as if my family don’t really like me. And i can’t blame them at all- i’ve been snappy and horrible to them a lot more frequently.
My dad came and asked me what was wrong this evening, but i just couldn’t tell him. It’s like my tongue got tied to the roof of my mouth. I guess half the problem is that i don’t really know what to tell him, because there really doesn’t seem to be and particular problem that’s causing me to feel down. And he also practically demanded i tell him what was wrong (he was almost yelling at me, but i don’t blame him) I’m still trying to figure out what’s wrong myself. Dad said he noticed a change in me. He said that the whole family still loved me. But for some reason, i find it difficult to believe him. Why would they love me after how horrible i am to them??

I feel as if when i tell my parents my problems they will just think i’m being ridiculous. My mum thinks she understands me (this is what she says) and then she tries to read my mind, making all these conclusions about me which aren’t even true. Just today she told me off and then there was a silence, and then she said “don’t go thinking horrible thoughts about me” when i wasn’t even. This definitely isn’t the first time this has happened. Little things like this happen all the time.
Sorry this is so long, you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to
Britney

A: You sound just like my son. And believe me, as it will be with your parents, no matter how snappy you may be right now, you’re parents will love you always.

I know it’s not easy to explain to us ‘oldies’ about the pressures/struggles you’re facing. But I tell my son that if he can’t/won’t talk with me, who does he want to chat to then?

You’re probably going through changes right now, and you need to voice that. Remember we parents are not mind readers. But we do always care. And I’m an Aussie mum so I now our kids.

Keep praying, God’s got ya back, mate!

Q: I think I am on the brink of a severe eating disorder.?
I am nearly sixteen years old, and since I was about thirteen weight has played a big part in my life.
As a child i was skinny, but during puberty i put weight on round my legs and bum, which realy upset me as people used to make comments. At fourteen i decided that i wanted to become a model, like all the ones in vogue and i worshipped all of the skinny girls in the magazines.
I was told by a modelling scout at the clothes show that facially i was model material, but that i was ‘big boned’
i stopped eating, i cut down to one meal a day without my parents noticing, but then i collapsed at school with agonising stomach pains. It went un-diagnosed but scared me into eating again.

FOr the last year i have been eating normally again, but excersising excessivly. I wont own any mirrors and i always wear clothes that cover me up. All that i ever think about is my weight, and i feel terrible guilt when I eat. It is making me very miserable and i fear i am suffering from symptoms of depression. I keep telling myself that i will stop eating on monday, that i will stop eating after my holiday, but i keep getting to afraid that i wil have a repeat of last time.

Does it count as an eating disorder if it is giving me depression and taking over my life?

btw, i am 5ft4 and weight just under 7 stone.

x

A: Yes. I was the same exact way. You are definitely on the edge. Tell your parents, and call a doctor.

these sites may help with getting help :]

http://www.mentalhelp.net/poc/center_index.php?id=46

you can search for the doctor you need in the place you need them here:

http://www.something-fishy.org/

or call 866 690 7239

okay? hope this helps.

Q: Is this Europe Trip worth $7,000?
Itinerary
Day 1 – Fly overnight to England
Days 2-4 – London
Arrive in London
Take a guided tour of London
Optional: Windsor Castle Days 5-7 – Paris
Take the Eurostar train to Paris
Take a guided tour of Paris
Visit Notre Dame and the Louvre
Optional: Versailles Days 8-9 – Brussels • Amsterdam
Visit Brussels en route to Amsterdam
Take a guided tour of Amsterdam
Optional: Volendam and Zaanse Schans (March-September) Day 10 – Heidelberg
Take a guided tour of Heidelberg Days 11-12 – Lucerne
Travel via the Black Forest and Rhine Falls
Take a guided tour of Lucerne
Optional: Mount Pilatus Days 13-15 – Munich • Salzburg
Visit Neuschwanstein Castle
Take a guided tour of Munich
Visit Dachau
Visit the salt mines in Salzburg Days 16-17 – Venice
Travel via Innsbruck and Dolomites
Take a guided tour of Venice
Visit the Doges’ Palace
See a glass-blowing demonstration Days 18-19 – Florence
Take a guided tour of Florence
Visit the Duomo
See a leather-making demonstration Days 20-21 – Assisi • Rome
Visit the Basilica of St. Francis
Take a guided tour of Vatican City
Take a guided tour of Rome
Visit the Colosseum Days 22-23 – Pompeii • Night ferry
Visit the Roman ruins of Pompeii
Board a night ferry to Greece Days 24-27 – Meteora • Delphi • Athens
Visit two Meteora monasteries
Take a guided tour of Delphi
Take a guided tour of Athens
Visit the Acropolis – 3-DAY TOUR EXTENSION
Days 28-31 – Greek island cruise
Cruise information »
Program fee includes:
Airfare: Round-trip flights
Transportation: Comfortable motorcoach • Eurostar high-speed train • Night ferry • Cruise with extension
Accommodations: 25 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms • 1 night ferry accommodations • 3 nights cabin accommodations with extension
Meals: European breakfast and dinner daily
Tour Director: Full-time EF Tour Director
Sightseeing: 13 sightseeing tours led by licensed local guides • 3 sightseeing tours led by your tour director • 5 walking tours (6 with extension) • 1 orientation tour
Extras: Whisper headsets

Optional excursions: Windsor Castle • Versailles • Volendam and Zaanse Schans (seasonal) • Mount Pilatus • Greek Evening

During the cruise extension, optional excursions are offered by the cruise line.
The $7000 includes airfare and all extra expenses like souvenirs and stuff. I have estimated that this would be the price if went on a school trip next summer. Should i go?
The currency is United States Dollars

A: Definitely. That is about how much I spent on my trip to Europe and I spent 20 days in Europe. Went to England, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Germany, and Switzerland. It was the trip of a lifetime. I do not regret spending that much money. It was beautiful over there, very different cultures. Great to see all of the sites and see the different cultures and try their food. It was an amazing trip and I think it was worth every penny. You are visiting many of the same places that I had visited when I went and I had an Amazing time. So I would recommend going when you get the chance.

Q: does this trip to italy and spain sound worth it to you?
i know it’s a crammed trip, but it’s only $3000, including flights, hotels, most meals, and all tours. what do you think? i’m only a junior in highschool so it sounds good. plus i’ve never been to europe & don’t know when i’ll have this kind of opportunity again. here’s a sample itinerary (a few changes may be made if they’re worth it):

Day 1 : Fly overnight to Italy

Day 2 : Rome
Arrive in Rome

Day 3 : Rome
Take a guided tour of Vatican City:
Sistine Chapel
St. Peter’s Basilica
Take a guided tour of Rome:
Forum Romanum
Visit the Colosseum

Take a walking tour of Rome:
Piazza Venezia
Pantheon
Spanish Steps

Day 4 : Assisi • Florence
Take a guided tour of Assisi:
Basilica of St. Francis
Continue on to Florence

Day 5 : Florence
Take a guided tour of Florence:
Piazza della Signoria
Ponte Vecchio
Gates of Paradise
Visit the Duomo
See a leather-making demonstration
Pisa
Day 6 : Florence • Barcelona
Enjoy free time in Florence
Travel to Genoa
Take a guided tour of Genoa:
Via Garibaldi
San Lorenzo Cathedral
Board a night ferry to Barcelona

Day 7 : Barcelona
Arrive in Barcelona
Take a walking tour of Barcelona:
Las Ramblas

Day 8 : Barcelona
Take a guided tour of Barcelona:
La Sagrada Familia
Montjuïc Hill
Barrio Gótico
Barcelona Cathedral
Visit Parque Guell

Day 9-10 : Madrid
Travel on the AVE train to Madrid
Take an orientation tour of Madrid
Visit the Prado
Take a guided tour of Madrid
Plaza Mayor
Puerta del Sol
Visit the Royal Palace

Day 11 : Depart for home
*the trip is in fact with EF Tours.

A: For the amount of money and considering your first time you should consider yourself lucky to be taking on such a culturally rich trip. You’ll be on the move plenty and so my advise to you is to keep focused and keep a journal. Don’t get boozed out – it’s easy to do because at 16 & 17 years old you can get beer and wine at the bars but you’ll loose time and may even get in trouble.
I think it a good trip and I’m sure you and your group will enjoy it very much. Do yourself a favor and study up (get a study group together) before going across. The more you know before you go the more you’ll want to know when you are there.

Q: Is a summer study abroad trip to Italy for $5,000 worth it? (for 25 days)?
This is only a very small peek at all we will do and learn.

Day 1 – Fly overnight to Italy

Day 2 – Rome

Arrive in Rome

Day 3 – Rome

Take a guided tour of Rome
Visit the Forum Romanum (No guided tour included)
Visit the Colosseum (No guided tour included)
Take a self-guided walking tour of Rome:

· Trevi Fountain (These three are free to everyone to see as public sites)

· Pantheon

· Piazza Navona
Learn to make pizza with a pizzaiolo

Day 4 – Rome

Take a guided tour of Vatican City
Visit the Sistine Chapel
Visit St. Peter’s Basilica
Optional: Roman Catacombs (If it says optional, it costs extra)

Day 5 – Rome

Enjoy a free day in Rome
Optional: Florence (If it says optional, it costs extra)

Day 6 – Rome

Take a guided tour of Ostia Antica
Enjoy free time in Rome this afternoon (you’re not over jet lag yet and it’s time to go home?)

– 2-DAY TOUR EXTENSION

Day 7 – Pompeii • Sorrento

Travel to Pompeii
Take a guided tour of Pompeii (You will spend only 50 minutes here)
Visit the Roman ruins
Continue on to Sorrento

Day 8 – Capri • Rome

Travel to Capri
Take a guided tour of Capri (This is just an expensive shopping day)
Take an island cruise
Return to Rome

Day 9 – Depart for home

Program fee includes:

Airfare: Round-trip flights
Transportation: Comfortable motorcoach (share a crowded bus with 30 other people you don’t know)
Accommodations: 5 overnight stays in hotels with private bathrooms Hotels are 1 or 2 stars while ours are 3 or 4 stars) (7 with extension)
Meals: European breakfast and dinner daily (Breakfast is a roll and coffee and I hope you like American style French fries and dry roast beef every night)
Tour director: Full-time Tour Director
Sightseeing: only 3 sightseeing tours led by licensed local guides (5 with extension)
Experiential learning: Pizza making (big deal, you can do this in your apartment with fresh groceries you buy from the store.)

Optional excursions: Roman Catacombs • Florence (If it says optional, it costs extra)

A: Wow quite detailed! But not enough I am afraid.

What program/company are you going with? And am I mistaken: It says 25 days at the top, but only says 9 days of itinerary? If it is only 9 days than I must say that $5000 is not a very good deal.

First I must say that it is probably a once in a lifetime opportunity! Are you going with a school trip or on your own? If it is with your school, then take the time to spend with your classmates as it will be unforgettable, regardless of cost.

A few things to consider upon reading the itinerary:

It says only 5 nights are paid for the hotel…how about the other 2? Must you pay them yourself?
A 1 or 2 star hotel in Europe is not like a one or two star hotel here in the States. They aren’t fabulous, large, or amenity filled, but they are clean, friendly staffed, and a place to rest overnight. Hotels are extremely expensive in Europe and 3 or 4 stars is a waste of money.

Breakfast = roll and coffee. This is much more than it sounds. A european breakfast is typically not at all like an american breakfast with greasy things. That’s why they call it a european breakfast. Most hotels in Europe offer breakfast included with the rate and are very bountiful. They include (all you can eat) rolls, juices, coffees, teas, cold cuts, fruit, and much more. They don’t weigh you down like greasy American food, and you don’t want to be weighed down while trekking all over the countryside. If you’re looking for bacon and eggs you won’t find it. As for dinner…it can vary greatly, but usually sticks to the regional flavor.

Motorcoaches in Europe are not like in the US either. They are big and spacious and oftentimes the only way to get around in crowded places to see the sights.

Sightseeing tours suck. They are nice for certain places, but most times you just want to get out and explore by yourself. With tourism nowadays, most museums and places have info in English. If you want more, go to a museum and pay for a tour guide to take you around if that’s your thing. There are often schedules where they will speak English to a group of people for very cheap prices.

Flight – depending on the time of year, flights to Italy can easily cost upwards of 2000, especially in the summer.

Making pizza – This is really a unique experience! It may sound too simple to be enjoyable as you can easily make pizza at home, but how many people in the world can say that they made AUTHENTIC pizza, with a real pizza chef, in ITALY. Now THAT is impressive.

If you let me know more I can give you loads more information. If you wish to contact me, my email is end_of_an_ageathotmail.com <-----change the 'at' to @

Q: Need advise for a 5-day trip Rome-Venice by train.2/ 3? nights in Rome,what next before Venice?Rome must sees?
The best pass for Rome sightseeing? Should we take a guided tour? Should we take a sleeping car to Venice to save hotel costs? Can we include Florence for such a short time? Where should we spend night #4? Any advice for Venice, budget hotels/B&B?

A: We went to Rome and Venice last year in Sept. Rome was okay but wish I had spent more time in Venice as I loved it so much. Some good sites that I used to get tips as far as where to stay, eat, see:

www.virtualtourist.com (found some great places to eat with this site and you can save any information you find)

www.tripadvisor.com

I booked our B&B with www.venere.com LOADS of nice B&B’s, hotels, etc on there.

Venice is a nice place to just walk around and soak up the atmosphere. Rome is very educational. And they have the BEST gelato.

Q: Please recommend a great Italy tour guide for us?
We are a group of 6 in our early 30s, most married, and business working professionals who need a nice vacation before some of start thinking about starting a family. We want to visit Rome, Milan, Florence in about 12 days. Since it’s our first time, we want to visit the major sites, do some serious outlet shopping, and enjoy some fine dining, and maybe visit some special experiences like visiting a winery or taking an italian cooking class, etc. We would sincerely appreciate a referral to someone who can plan all of this out for us and guide us all over Italy. We are definitely willing to pay for a great experience since we don’t get to travel as much as we’d like to. We would like to stay at nicer hotels, ideally some with elevators. Thanks in advance!!

A: If you want to plan your own trip start by going to www.venere.com. This is the italian version of Hotels.com. Here I found the Hotel Constantini in the center of Florence, where with $50 per person per night we had breakfast included (keep in mind we went in November – low season).
In Rome, Hotel Tirreno is a good one to stay in.

Petrillo Tours is an all inclusive tour operator and certainly a great place if you do not wish to worry about the details.

Try Cantalupo Tours also www.cantalupotours.com who are very highly rated.
And here is another option for you. A bit on the expensive side but their itineraries are quite extensive and their affiliations impressive.

http://www.escorteditalytours.com/

Q: Going to Italy…have a few questions.?
So I’m going to Rome, Florence, and Venice. I wanted to ask…
Is the Euro a coin or paper?
What’s the spring time weather like in each of these cities?
What do you suggest I wear(jeans, shorts, skirts, ect)?
It’s a guided tour for most of the time and then we get to go explore ourselves, so what is a good cheap walking shoe? (was thinking about getting a new pair of converse, will that do the job?)
Will a regular over-the-shoulder purse be okay?

Thanks so much for taking the time to read and answer my many questions!!
Also…I forgot to ask if there was tax on things, like when you buy stuff is there an additional charge for taxes??
And…I live around Seattle so do I just expect kinda the same weather? I am leaving right at the beginning of April and I have heard that Venice will be the most drastic of changes between the three cities and it will be the coldest. How cold exactly will it be in the beiginning of April? 50, 60, 70??
(I’m talking farenheit here.)

A: Question: Is the Euro a coin or paper?

Answer: “Euro” is like “Dollar”, so we have both coins and paper. The coins are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 cents and 1 or 2 euro. Paper money is 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 euro.

Question: What’s the spring time weather like in each of these cities?

Answer: well, it depends: what do you mean with “Spring”? If you mean, for example, beginning of April, it will be a bit cold in Venice (not so much) and average warm in Florence and Rome. If you mean end of May it will be warm everywhere. Maybe not enough to go to the seaside, but anyway warm

Here in Rome, after an incredibly cold winter, it seems that finally spring has come.

Question: What do you suggest I wear(jeans, shorts, skirts, ect)?

Answer: well… wear however you want! Just remember that to enter in certain churches (like St. Peter’s basilique in Rome) you MUST be dressed not too flashy, your skirt must be under your knee, and your shoulders have preferably be covered.

Question: It’s a guided tour for most of the time and then we get to go explore ourselves, so what is a good cheap walking shoe?

Answer: well… i’m not a fashion expert, but my suggestion is definitely to wear comfortable shoes: especially here in Rome you’ll have to walk a lot.

Question: Will a regular over-the-shoulder purse be okay?

Answer: I guess it will be OK.

Enjoy Italy!

Q: What clothing should I take with me when I go to Europe April 11-21? see details…?
I’m going to go to ITALY-Rome (2 days), Florence (1 day), Venice(1 day), SWITZERLAND Lucerne (2 days), FRANCE Paris(2 days), and ENGLAND London (2 days).
I’ll be on a guided tour so we’ll be going to lots of museums.
As I said in the main question, ill be there from april 11th until the 21st.
whats the weather going to be like? temperation and (sunny, windy, rainy)?

A: for all of italy it should be warm to not very hot but hot enough so be prepared for that
switzerland im not sure i think cold so pack warm cloths
france should be cold to mild
and london well i live in Ireland which is close enough and the weather is all over the place tuesday morning it was snowing like a blizzard and then by lunch time is was really warm

so prepare for both plus alot of rain

Q: Good/Budget Italy Vacation Packages?
Can anyone suggest where online I can find good/budget vacation packages to Italy. I am looking to go with my girlfriend sometime in September and I would like to have airfare, hotel, and local transportation taken care of. Or at least hotel and airfare. However, I do not want to do any guided tours or group things. I would like to do things on our own. Would like to visit 3 different cities within a 10-14 day period, e.g. Florence, Rome, Venice. Most of the things I found online consist of guided or group tours. Also, if your suggesting based on a personal experience, details of your trip would be nice. Thanks.

A: Try Untours (www.untours.com)! They’re perfect for independent travelers who just want the basics. They set you up with airfare, then give you a rail pass or car rental, and apartment. You really get to know an area and live like an “untourist.”

I’m looking at the brochure now and they have the following regions in Italy listed:Sicily, Tuscany South, Tuscany North, Umbria, Rome and Venice. You can use them to see the area you’re in, and as a base to go touring “off the beaten path.”

Also says here that there’s something called La Notte Bianca in Rome in September when museums, shops and restaurants stay open all night! And something called Regata Storica in Venice with sensational processions along the waterways.

I’m getting jealous- think I’ll go too! Happy travels!

And whatever you do, don’t miss the gelato- to die for!!!!!!!!!!

Q: Is it better to tour San Francisco on your own, or take a tour?
I will have a rental car, so I can drive wherever I desire; however I do not know if you have to pay for parking at Pier 39, China Town, Golden Gate Bridge, Curviest Road, Shopping Places, Restaurants, etc… I also wanted to know of a good hotel (affordable) to stay in downtown SF. In addition, are there any famous restaurants that can only be found in SF only? I heard some of the Iron Chefs have restaurants there. Please help! Thanks all!

A: You won’t really need a rental car in SF. In fact not having a rental car is an asset. Parking is expensive and you can get around by cab much faster and cheaper.

As others have said, get yourself a decent guide book. Try your local library they will have some. This will give you a basic idea of what attractions are available, weather, maps, etc. There are certain areas and topics that tours are good for. The one neighborhood that I think is best experienced with a tour guide is Chinatown. There is so much going on and you miss better than half the experience if you don’t have a guide to tell you about what you are seeing. Some ideas
http://www.footours.com
http://www.wokwiztours.com

http://www.sfcityguides.org

Limit your time at Pier 39, nothing but a tourist trap.

I second tonalc’s advice about Joie de Vivre hotels.

For shopping check out Union Square, Chinatown, and Hayes Valley.

Check out the SF dinning out resolved questions or post one of your own. Be sure to tell folks your location, food preferences and budget. The City abounds in great restaurants and you don’t have to pay an arm and leg on each meal.

Here is my list of
Must Do San Francisco

1. Ride a Cable Car, the only moving historical landmark in the world. Stop off at the Cable Car Barn at Washington and Mason to get a full understanding of this unique form of transportation. Riding the Powell Hyde line will allow you to walk down Lombard Street, the famous crooked street.

2. Visit Alcatraz, this former prison is the most popular destination in San Francisco. The bay cruise to and from the island will give you the opportunity to see the skyline from the water a unique perspective. During the height of tourist season it is wise to purchase tickets before you arrive as tours are often sold out days to a week in advance.

http://www.alcatrazcruises.com

3. Discover Coit Tower, Beautiful murals inside, impressive bay view from the tower or Pioneer Park at the base. After the tower descend Telegraph hill via the Filbert Steps on the east side of the park for a unique view of how folks on Telegraph Hill live. More beautiful bay views and the chance to hear and see the famous Parrots of Telegraph Hill.

4. Golden Gate Bridge, not just a feat of engineering, this 1.7 mile span offers incredible views of The City, the bay and the Pacific ocean. Be sure to visit Ft. Point under the bridge for a different view of this San Francisco Icon.

5. Explore Golden Gate Park, this large urban park can consume a whole day [or two]. The New Academy Science, Japanese Tea Garden, Deyoung Museum [American Art], the Arboretum, Bison Paddock, and Paddle boats are all worth a look and watch the sun go down over the Pacific over a drink or dinner at the Beach Chalet.

6. Chinatown, the most densely populated portion of San Francisco offers the largest Chinese center for shopping, food and unique architecture found outside of Asia. The best place to buy souvenirs to take home to friends and family.

7. North Beach, traditionally the Italian section of the city which has no beach but abounds in quaint shops, great restaurants and The City’s best coffee options.

8. Civic Center, the largest collection of Beaux Arts buildings in the US. Home to San Francisco City Hall, with a dome larger than the US Capital, the Asian Art Museum and the Modern San Francisco Library with its San Francisco History Room housing an eclectic collection of city artifacts and photographs.

9. Buena Vista Gardens, this urban park is home to; the Museum of Modern Art the Museum of The African Diaspora, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Contemporary Jewish Museum, Cartoon Art Museum and the Metreon will keep you entertained for hours.

10. Twin Peaks, see The City and the bay spread out at your feet. Especially captivating at night when the lights seem to go on for ever.

Q: my wife & myself are taking a tour of san francisco,osibo,los angles,los vegas ,fresno and back to san fran?
want to know the best places to visit and tings to do.both in our 50s

A: For San Francisco, Vegas, and Los Angeles, here is a listing of half-priced tickets to plays, comedy shows, etc.

https://www.goldstarevents.com/join?p=F367327RP

It is a pretty cool website and free to join.

San Francisco check out
1. Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39 and Ghirardelli Square
2. The Golden Gate Bridge
3. Alcatraz (make reservations) (415) 705-5555. or online http://gocalifornia.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?zi=1/XJ&sdn=gocalifornia&cdn=travel&tm=24&gps=100_981_1121_698&f=01&su=p531.22.152.ip_p532.6.150.ip_p284.7.420.ip_p284.5.420.ip_p531.20.420.ip_&tt=2&bt=0&bts=1&zu=http%3A//alcatrazcruises.com/
4. Many of the city’s museums offer free admission one day per month, usually the first Tuesday or Wednesday. They include:
Asian Art Museum
California Academy of Sciences
Exploratorium
Mexican Museum
Museo Italo Americano
Legion of Honor
Admission is always free at:

Cable Car Museum
Chinese Culture Center
San Francisco Fire Museum
North Beach Museum (1435 Stockton)
National Maritime Museum
Museum of Money of the American West (400 California St.)
Wells Fargo History Museum
Free Performances
Golden Gate Park Band Concerts: Concerts Every Sunday April through October
San Francisco Mime Troupe: Free shows in city parks and indoor venues
San Francisco Shakespeare Festival: Free performances in area parks, all summer
Stern Grove Concerts: Free outdoor concerts on summer Sundays

For Vegas, there are lots of free things to do. Check out the shows at the hotel. Many hotles offer many different kinds of shows to animal shows to comedy or music.

For Los Angeles check out http://www.alllosangelestours.com/?pref=02&aid=ltg1012&gclid=CILLlMydkIsCFSFgYQodMglpQg

http://www.2seewhales.com/

For Fresno, check out

http://www.what-where.info/usca_fresno.htm

For Obispo check out http://www.thesloguide.com/fun_links.htm

Q: What is the best San Francisco Wine Tour?
I’m looking for suggestions from people who have actually taken the tours to find out what the best (and worst) Wine Country tours are that leave from San Francisco??

I’m not asking what WINERIES are good to go to, or for a list of links telling me some of the wine tour options… I’m asking for actual reviews and recommendations of which of the companies that offer the wine country tours is the best based on experience.

Thanks!

A: A few years back my husband and I went on 3 different tours.

Hess Collection – There isn’t really a tour here, but really good wine It’s more a nice drive up the mountain to the winery with a good tasting. The main attraction here is the art museum.

Mondavi – By far, the best tour. They actually take you through the fields and then inside to where the wine is made. And of course, there’s a wine tasting at the end. Very Very informative.

Coppola – Once again, not much of a tour. This is more of a museum of all of the Francis Ford Coppola movies and stuff. The tasting was ok, but definitely more of a touristy/commerical feel to it.

Personally, I loved Mondavi!

(Sorry I just reread your question and realized you wanted something different – I’ll leave it up here for others to view though)

Q: Have you ever visited San Francisco and taken a tour around the prison?

A: When I visited S.F. the first time in 2001, it was fairly simple to get a ticket and take a tour around Alcatraz. It was a wonderful experience, however there is a fair amount of walking. It’s very educational and the tour takes about 2 hours, though you can stay and wander around longer if you like. Ferrys make runs every half hour.

One warning: I just returned from a trip to S.F. a month ago and wanted to take my husband to Alcatraz since he’s never been. I was told at the ticket counter that the soonest available tickets were for 4 days later. If you go, be sure to call ahead to the tour angencies and book for your party in advance.

Q: What is the best guided tour in San Francisco when you have limited time?
My husband and I are going to San Francisco and will be there only one day, Saturday. We will not arrive till after 2pm. That is a guess because we are going with a group. Want to take a guided tour, but don’t know who to choose since we are limited from arriving at maybe 2pm and need to be back by 9pm. Will be dropped off at Fisherman’s Warf.

A: The motorized cable car tour is fun and about 2 1/2 hours. I like it because you’re outside and can feel more connected with what you’re viewing.

http://www.buysanfranciscotours.com/tours/san_francisco_cable_car_tour.html

Q: What’s the must-sees of San Francisco?
Hey, I plan to take a San Francisco tour next month. So could you recommend me the must-sees of it.

Don’t just say the Golden Gate Bridge. I have visited it. Give me more suggestions. By the way, I have 4 days for my San Francisco tour.

A: Except the Golden Gate Bridge, you can go to visit Chinatown. There you can exprience the full-bodied Chinese Culture.

Alcatraz Island is also a nice place. Its light scene is very beautiful and fascinating.

When travel to San Francisco, don’t miss these exciting places with your San Francisco tour. Hope you have a nice vacations.http://www.tours4fun.com/san-francisco-tours/

Q: Can someone recommend a reputable wine/Muir woods tour company out of San Francisco?
I’d like to do some comparison shopping. We’re looking for a good day trip tour out of San Francisco- preferably with hotel pickup, that will take us to Muir woods and wine tasting.

A: Gray Line tours has a decent wine country tour with hotel pick up.

http://www.grayline.com/Grayline/destinations/us/sanfrancisco.go

You may be able to find discount tickets on Gold Star.

http://www.goldstar.com

Q: Photographers: Alcatraz–(San Francisco)–should we take the day or night tour?
I recently purchased a new SLR camera, and i’m so excited to use it during our Califonia trip this summer. One of our choice locations to visit is Alcatraz. I know they have a day and night tour. For the sake of the tourist experience AND the type of amazing pictures I can get with my new Canon SLR–would you recommend the day tour, or night tour? Thanks!

A: I’d suggest you ask your question again in the “cameras” section of consumer electronics.

Generally speaking, the best time for outdoor photography would be in the early morning and late afternoon (an hour or two after sunrise or before sunset). Try to book your Alcatraz trip with that in mind. I’ve personally never been there, but I’m thinking you could get some cool shots of sunrise/set through the bars, long shadows etc…

Get a polarizing filter for your lens, makes the colors brighter and sky bluer. If you were going to do this at night you would want to have a tripod. Even with a good SLR you can’t hold the camera steady enough for blur free night shots.

Q: How can I get to Grand Canyon from San Francisco by bus or van in a day?
I want to take a roadtrip tour from San Francisco to Grand Canyon…but all tours I found are start from Las Vegas or Phoenix to Grand Canyon….I just don’t have enough time to do that…..thank you for all answers

A: Take the Van option. From S.F. head east on Interstate 80 past the Reno/ Sparks area until you reach Fernley, NV. Then take highway 95 south to Las Vegas area, from there either 15 east or 40 east depending on what side of Grand canyon you want to be on. It will be a long haul, expect anywhere from 600 to 700 miles.

Q: What are some of the best city tour guides in san francisco?
Is it best to take a bus, cruise, bike or a combination of these things?

A: The best way to see any city is to walk it. This is especially true of San Francisco which is compact.
Some options for walking tours:
http://www.foottours.com
http://www.sfcityguides.org

http://www.sfvampiretour.com

A cruise on the bay is a great idea, but if you plan to visit Alcatraz you’ll get to be on the bay so there is no real need to book a separate cruise.

Bus tours are ok to get your bearings only if you can book them half price. Check out your options on Gold Star which has 1/2 price tickets for lots of different things.

http://www.goldstar.com

Q: Beach Cruiser Bike Tour from Los Angeles to San Francisco?
With a multi-speed Beach Cruiser, Can I go from Los Angeles to San Francisco? If not, why not? I don’t want a mountain bike or anything like that. And if yes, any advice or tips? I plan to take it slow because it’s my first time.

A: Theoretically you could do it… but you’d be crazy to. As others have pointed out, that’s a heavy bike and not well-suited to the very challenging hills you’ll have along the Coast Highway, particularly in the Big Sur region.

Also, there are stretches of road where there are no hotels/motels/facilities for 40 miles and up. On a beach cruiser over that kind of terrain, 40-50 miles is hard. Without good pedals/cycling shoes, it’s even harder. Where will you sleep at night? You could carry camping gear, but that requires racks on your bike, bags for gear, etc.

Also, clothing’s an issue. LA’s nice and warm. ‘Frisco ain’t. In fact, in the mornings, the central California coast can be decidedly cold and wet, even in August. Where are you going to carry your warm clothes? Where are you going to put them when the day warms up?

I did this trip a few years back (in the opposite direction). The coastal route’s considerably longer than the I-5; it’s about 420 miles. We went further south, and it took us a week, but we were in great shape and riding touring bikes with the minimum gear. We camped begrudgingly, otherwise hit hotels. It was fast & a blast, but not a breeze.

Still, you could gonzo it. Use a back pack, get a cheap sleeping bag, like those overblown blanket bags kids use for sleepovers, and a water-proof track suit to wear over your shorts & shirt, wear it in the mornings, stuff it in the backpack in the afternoons. Go to AAA if you belong, or just google-maps a route up the coast. Plan on 40 mile days/legs, sleep in cheap motels or under park benches, go to the Upper Crust in Santa Cruz when they have their all-you-can eat pasta night; we did and the sons-of-guns actually cut us off for eating too much.

Q: san francisco bay cruise…?
we are taking a tour of alcatraz. is there a need to do one of the san francisco bays tours that are offered or is the boat ride out to the rock sufficient?

A: The Bay Cruise goes under the golden gate bridge, past the rock and under the Bay Bridge, takes long, the trip is about an hour. Alcatraz is much better, you get the boat ride and a tour and it does get kinda windy out there.

Q: Im visiting California (Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco) mid November any native money saving tips?
Im going to Cali mid November. We are landing in Los Angeles. We are going to visit The Zoo area of San Diego, and also go to San Francisco (possibly take a tour). Im going to need a rental car, and hotels for 7 or 8 days. Im hoping not to fall into any tourist traps. Anyone have any money saving ideas or must see’s? I am 32 she is 27, and its just us two. She is not a big party animal. We just want to see amazing things, and enjoy Cali to the fullest!

A: Some things in LA to see:

-The drive along PCH (Pacific Coast Highway) from Malibu to Santa monica.

-Santa Monica 3rd st promenade, the cliffs in Santa Monica and the pier.

-Venice Beach, the Venice canals.

-Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. Visit the Piers, shopping, restaurants etc…

-Palos Verdes cliffs, drive along the cliffs from Redondo Beach to San Pedro, try to find a place to walk on the beach under the cliffs.

-Rodeo drive, the houses in Beverly Hills. Drive Sunset Blvd from Beverly Hills to Hollywood, this will take you through the ‘Sunset Strip’

-Visit Hollywood, drive the Hollywood Hills, visit the Griffith Observatory for the famous views of LA, great pics.

-Visit Farmer’s Market and the Grove for food and shopping.

-Drive Sunset Blvd from Hollywood to downtown LA, visit Olvera St, the fashion district, Broadway etc…

**Stay off of the freeways to see more!!

In San Diego visit Balboa Park. The San Diego Zoo is supposed to be good (I’ve never been there) but the San Diego Wild Animal Park is great, you can ride a trolly through the park and see animals living together, looked like Africa to me.

Santa Barbara is nice, visit the old mission, the city has a Spanish feel.

On the way to Frisco, visit the Redwood trees, they are some of the biggest and oldest in the world. The 101 freeway from LA is a long drive but it is beautiful.

-

Q: for first time tourists, what would be the best tour in chicago. LA and san francisco?
I’ve seen a lot of tours and am now confused as to which tour group is best. am referring to a guided bus or shuttle tour, not the narrated/recorded one, with lots of opportunities for picture taking. However, I wouldnt want the hassle of taking public transport as I cannot afford to get lost given my limited time there

A: You don’t say how long you have in each place but, assuming it’s more than 1 day per city, with a decent guidebook in hand (check out Lonely Planet’s range) I would recommend walking around LA & Chicago yourself. The main touristy places in each are quite compact and the locals are friendly if you’re unsure which way to go.

However, I do recommend that you take the Architecture boat trip in Chicago. It goes from by the bridge near to the Intercontinental Hotel but you’ll almost certainly have to book in advance. I can’t remember their name but they’re mentioned in the Lonely Planet guidebooks. You sit wherever there’s a space so be warned that people start to queue up early. Sit on the left (as you’re facing the front), if you can.

The company that operates from Fisherman’s Wharf in San Fran run good tours. I can’t remember their name either but I used them to go out to Sonama (wine tasting), down to Carmel & Monterey and to Muir Woods & Sausilito. They also offer tours of San Fran that would probably have been reasonably priced if I hadn’t already walked most of it.

Q: Does anyone know of any tours from Las Vegas to San Francisco?
My husband and I are visiting Vegas in August for a week…we also want to see San Francisco(sorta like a day trip). Question is does anyone know of any tour companies that will take us from Vegas to San Fran for a day? I really don’t want to drive or take Greyhound(its way to long). Any help would be great. Best answer is gets 10pts.

A: It’s such a distance from Las Vegas to San Francisco that you’ll have to fly. If you do fly, I would suggest Southwest Airlines and fly into Oakland or San Jose, then drive to San Francisco. First, Oakland is a major hub for Southwest and the flights will be significantly cheaper and second, Oakland and San Jose don’t encounter the air-traffic control delays that are typical this time of year with the “June Gloom” overcast that dominates the morning and late hours in bay area. With Southwest flights to San Jose and Oakland and a car rental, a day-trip to San Francisco certainly isn’t out of the question.

Q: do you take your child’s friends along on vacation?

A: We’ve never been on much of a vacation, but when the kids were younger and we went to the beach or the zoo or anyplace for the day, I’d let the kids bring friends. We now have many great memories with not just our own kids but with some of their friends that we’ve known for a long time.

Q: Children’s birthday parties?
My son will be turning 3 years old soon. I’ve NOT been a big fan of birthday parties. Is that weird or wrong of me? We take my son on vacations instead. Is that okay to do instead of birthday parties with other children, cake, hotdogs, hamburgers, etc.
The reason is when my child turned 1 year old I tried to invite my closest friends and family. My family live 3 hours away and couldn’t come. My sister’s mentally unstable and started fighting with me about coming to my child’s first birthday. A friend’s dad was in bad health saying she couldn’t come. She did end up coming after snapping at her. Therefore, I said “F them!” and never want to have a birthday for my child again where I have to depend on people. It was very hurtful. My child’s first birthday had 4 good friends of mine show up and my in-laws and sister-in-law were there. It was a special good day but it was too much of a headache.
Are vacations normal to do for children’s birthday? Anyone else feel the same?

A: I think vacations are great for kids on their birthdays. My family does that a lot with the children in the family.
Nothing wrong with not having a birthday party. Maybe as he gets older and goes to school, and makes new friends you could try the “party” thing again. Inviting only his classmates and their parents. That way you can socialize also with grown ups with things in common as you (ie kids in same school).

Don’t stress over these things. It’s hard to plan party sometimes when you have other personal things going on.
Plan your vacations around any birthday or holiday. I’m sure your little one will not mind if his mommy got him a ticket to a theme park or plane trip.

Q: Where can I find these children’s choir songs?
When I was younger I was in a children’s choir at school and outside of school. A friend of mine wants to know where she can find some children’s choir songs. I want to give her the songs that we did that I remember, but all I remember are the lyrics. I don’t know where I would direct her to get the songs and sheet music. Google isn’t really being my friend today, so could you help me?

Here are the lyrics I remember:

–Summer Vacation–
Summer vacation
We can take a trip to see the world
Summer vacation
Or stay right here at home

something something something
The shopping mall is too
I don’t have any homework
So much to see and do!

–Silent Night—
*first they sung the traditional first verse of Silent Night then they sung*

High in the silent sky
Millions of stars go by
Shining down their silver light
Making all the world seem bright

Far beyond the stars in a manger there lies a child
Promise of peace on earth in a a baby so meek mild
something something and rest peaceful as sweet
Sleep in peace

*then they would sing both verses together*

*This next song wasn’t a choir song, but it’s cute and was really popular among the kids in my age range at one time. It’s a call and response song*

I’m special (I’m special)
You’re special (you’re special)
My ideas (my ideas)
Are good ideas (are good ideas)
You’re ideas (you’re ideas)
Are good ideas (are good ideas)
I’ll treat you the way I want to be treated (I’ll treat you the way I want to be treated)
I’ll treat you the way I want to be treated (I’ll treat you the way I want to be treated)

I will be smart (I will be smart)
Won’t let it start (wont’ let it start)
If it’s to be (If it’s to be)
It’s up to me (It’s up to me)
If it’s to be (If it’s to be)
It’s up to me (It’s up to me)

..don’t laugh…

Those are all the English songs that I can remember right now. I’m only going to focus on songs in (or mostly in) English because I think this is the first year she’s doing this. If she wants songs in other languages I’ll be back.

A: Try here:

http://www.kidsmusictown.com/

Q: christians(other-religions)why didn’t God protect the devoted and faithful children’s of his….?
you see Im a good friend of some God believers, my friend is a very devoted muslim,he always pray and help those that are in need,even give up all that he had if the other is really in need(financially or food)he work so hard and try his best to support his family back home-newly wed with one beautiful daughter. one day he went for a vacation in his homeland and came back to work again and he did everything as usual and that same year about a month after he came back, little that he know that natural disaster would wipe his family out of this world.tsunami took his new family,friends and extended relatives were taken away by force to be buried. RIP.
why didn’t God help this devoted man’s family.?didn’t he pray enough or giving alms enough,what? what is his mistake?why didn’t God protect them for his sake.? why why and why?
same thing happen to them faithful christians couples,these couples are very faithful and devoted to God’s words, they tithe their 10% and give extra out of their heart and did likewise like the muslim and still something very terrible took place in their homes, their home got caught on fire and killed their baby sitter and their three beautiful children’s(son and their two daughters), why didn’t God protect them or warn them of the tragedy? it say’s in his words that if you are faithful and true then he will protect you from the enemy/satan,demons. what’s wrong now was the offering short? are they not faithful enough? anyway, my muslim friend and christian couples became Godless after the tragedy that happen in their life.. and right now, they don’t believed God exist,they left religion all together, b/c He didn’t protect their families for their sake. every single day these people prayed for their families protections and wisdom for their good health..
I don’t understand how a just and true and so called loving God would let this happen to such beautiful people.maybe you religious people have the answers to all these, but as for me, God don’t exist,and if He was then where was He.? why didn’t He come to their families rescue..?WHY!?
@cindy lu: thank you very much*tears*
you bring tears to my eye’s.. it’s not fair that bad things happen to mostly good people and bad people exit earth without the bad things to happen to them. but only things they brought on themselves. it’s so not fair at all..!!! but anyway thanks so much, I understand that we will all have our time of death.
but why the good people,why not the bad ones instead? they deserve it more.. forgive me, but that’s how I feel it should be done.

A: I’ve been wondering if God exists my while life. I am still in questioning. What I really do know, and it’s been proven, that when you die, you relive again. As a completely different person, forgetting your past life. His family is out in the world, ready to be born again. It’s been proven, because there’s this group who do really dangerous stuff. Like soul traveling. Well anyways, someone who is good at focusing can probably do it. You go in front of a mirror and do some stuff that I cannot mention. Then a face will appear, people say that’s who you were before in the past life. But I also do believe spirits exist. Just; not angels and stuff like that.

Just believe that they will always be there with him, in his heart.

Q: My ex said he can’t help pay for our child’s private school because he has no $, but he takes lavish vacations?
Am I being selfish?

My ex and I decided last year that our child would be better off in private school. So I did tons of research, did site visits and finally got to a short list which my ex and I both evaluated. We agreed on which school would be best, and she was accepted. The new school is great–and my daughter is happier than ever.

My ex was worried about the cost. At the time I started looking at schools, I had a large salary and had saved a lot. I said I would pay the majority–and asked him what could he contribute. He grumbled that he could contribute $2k per year…which would be less than 10% of the cost. He explained he had credit card debt that was burdening him. Sounded kind of bad and I don’t want him living that close to the edge–after all, it’s not good for my kid to see her father stressed about money. So I said, keep the $2k, and get out of debt.

3 months later: he takes her on a week long vacation at Universal Studios, and then a few weeks later takes another vacation with a friend. A few weeks after that, he takes our child indoor skydiving (cost $200). He frequently takes her out for $$$ sushi dinners, and buys her clothes from expensive stores. Today he told me he is letting her throw a halloween party for 20+ friends at his house, and about all the great games and decorations and food the will have.

Since he is clearly not hurting for $$$ anymore, shouldn’t he be paying for part of her tuition? And if he won’t help, should I get a lawyer–or will they just tell me to suck it up since I have savings?

As an aside: I am no longer making as much as I used to, though I do have a good amount saved.
He does not pay child support. We have split 50/50 custody. Neither of us gets child support or alimony.

A: Sit him down and explain to him that your financial situation has changed. Your salary isn’t what it was when you both decided to place her in a private school.

He has had 3 months to concentrate on his debt, and that his situation has obviously improved based on the fact that he is now taking vacations and funding other expensive activities.

Just put it on the line for him. I either need you to start paying 50% of her tuition or I’ll have to put her back in the public schools.

You say you have savings, and that is great. But if this is your only savings it is a bad idea to exhaust it on private school tuition. You need enough money set aside for emergencies, if you lose your job, get sick or injured.

Also what about saving for her college tuition and your retirement?

Q: Parents, do you take away recreational books as a punishment?
I have a14-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter. You may have seen my other question about how I ground them for bad grades- if not, how it works is that now that they-er both in middle school, at midterm report cards, I ground them for the rest of the semester if they get anything below a B. At the end of the school year, I ground them for 1 week for each B, 2 weeks for each C, a month for each D and for the entire summer if they fail any classes. This summer, I grounded my son for the entire summer for failing math and he’ll be grounded for the first week of the school year for getting a B in earth sciences. My daughter was grounded for the first five weeks of summer vacation for getting “B”s in 5 subjects. In our house, grounded means no TV, computer, phone, video games, electronics, or desserts; no going outside or leaving the house; no bedroom door.

When I ground them for grades, I also take away all their books except for textbooks, plus I also let them have a bible and a dictionary. I do this to reduce distractions so they’ll have more time to study, and also because both of them enjoy reading, so taking away fun books is a good punishment. If they’re allowed to read books they enjoy, they won’t learn their lesson.

I recently posted some other questions about my son and whether or not I should call off the rest of his grounding since he passed summer school, which he had to attend in order to pass the math class he failed. Some permissive parents who clearly would rather be their children’s friends though it was extreme to take away books as a punishment. So, I’m wondering, what do other parents think of this? Am I right to take away fun books as a punishment? Have you ever used this on your kids? Would you ever do so?

Thanks in advance.

A: It is not wrong. If it gives them pleasure then it becomes like anything else ( wii, tv, computer ect) and should be taken away.

Tell your kids they are lucky I myself don’t just take toys away but throw them away.

By the way reducing your sons grounding because he done good is brilliant. He will see that you are fair and that he will get rewarded for good behavior. You will show him that you are not doing things to be mean and only have his best interest at heart.

Q: AM I WRONG? I MEAN THIS IS A KID WE’RE TALKING ABOUT.?
This has made me extremely angry and I need someway to get over it so that I do not end up taking my anger out on others. I just do not understand why people have such trouble with telling the truth.Let me start out by saying that I did send him $150.00 two weeks ago for car repairs that he couldn’t afford. I actually had someone that I am friends with tell me they needed me to send them $ for their daughters funeral that is going to be taking place while he is on vacation! Who takes a vacation during their child’s funeral????? It sounds to me like he just wants vacation $ and thinks I am a sucker. I am sooooo angry right now that he would even use a child’s death in that way! He told me a year ago that he had twin girls 6 yrs old, then it was a 14 yr old girl and a 5 year old girl, now it’s a girl and a boy and one has passed away, but he can’t go to the funeral because of a VACATION?!?!?! AM I HEARTLESS OR SHOULD I ASK FOR THE NAME AND NUMBER OF THE FUNERAL HOME TO SEND THEM THE $ AND MAKE SURE IT GOES TO THE RIGHT PLACE, OR SHOWS HIM TO BE A LIAR?
Sorry about the caps.
I have no clue how this got into singles and dating….sorry

A: dont give him money at all sounds like he is a user tell him to find money somewhere else.

you are clearly being taken advantage of.

Q: Do you over-compete with your significant other (especially regarding your children)?
I’m talking of to the point where you’re competing, but your partner has no idea…and in some cases not even you have any idea. You realize it long after the event or the damage or strange vibes are gone.

Ex: I have awesome kids–by the standards of many people–their teachers, coaches, and friends’ parents repeatedly ask me what I have done to have such thoughtful, considerate, respectful, hard-working,creative, talented and responsible children…..My significant other, on the other hand has a really annoying, spoiled, slutty step-daughter from a previous marriage and a child who is really dull, hard-to-motivate, excite, or interact with.

I feel really annoyed at having to spend time with the kid because no matter what I do, it’s like pulling teeth…and the slutty step-daughter is shunned even by my significant other…she has done many inappropriate things to warrant being avoided (such as trying to pull her stepdad–my significant other–into a Victoria’s Secret Store a few years ago, when she was about 14 years old. She also chastised him for dating “someone like me” early on. I have never gotten to meet her, but she has communicated with me via internet and I’ve heard her on the phone when my significant other was telling her to butt out of his life…that he and her mom were over…but that his ties with her and her half-brother (his son) would remain, but she needed to stay out of his personal life.)

I really enjoy spending time with my significant other. We are very compatible and have many interests in common, and except for this main issue, communicate well in other areas. He has indicated that he would like a future with me and I’m interested…but not if I have to deal with the child that irritates me.

Irritating: the child does not listen to basic directions or obey when re-directed if his dad is not right there with me; the child’s mother doesn’t work and takes the kid out to eat daily and also goes on big vacations every break and on three-day school holidays (she lives off a pension/survivor’s annuity, a disability check, and the child support paid by the two fathers of her kids)

So I think that I may be just secretly (so secretly I didn’t realize it at first) competing with him…my kids are smarter, sweeter, stronger, etc. than his…but I feel terrible.

I need advice. I know that I’ll probably get a lot of negative feedback for this question, but I really would like to figure out what to do with my weird feelings (jealousy? disappointment? embarrassment?)…and also I need to figure out whether I should let this wonderful guy go because I’m not totally accepting him as a package deal….I am rejecting his child.
THIS IS NOT A GAY-BISEXUAL-OR TRANSGENDER ISSUE…hetero….but I feel too “old” to say “boyfriend”………sorry I didn’t even ck the category when I submitted it.

A: I’ll take a swing at this.

If you’ve tried to motivate his uninspired child then give it up for now. You can lead a horse to water ya know. This kid at this time has low ambition and you can’t fix that. So, don’t beat your head against the wall unless you’ve got some real nice painkillers on hand LOL.

As for his stepdaughter, insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I don’t know what’s been tried to hem her in. But, clearly what’s been tried doesn’t work. Perhaps you can be a breath of fresh air in this arena and give your significant other some new ideas and strategies.

As for hanging with the kids, nobody should have to tolerate insolent behavior. I think the two of you can agree on proper standards of behavior and enforce them as a united front. You should not be the bad cop 100 percent anymore than he should be. If his kids and your kids want to hang with you two for a day or a weekend or whatever, then they need to know what goes and what does not and hear that from the both of you all of the time.

Now one more comment. Your feelings are yours and they are proper. Don’t feel weird about how you feel because you can’t control how you feel about anything. Nobody can do that. What you can control is what you say and do about your feelings.

I really think here you are more focused on how to fix your feelings vs. how to fix how you two will interact with all of the children. It is this: fix my feelings then I can try to fix these kids. Sorry, but you can make an effort with the kids in spite of how you feel.

I think you might be a positive force his children need. How about focusing on that and letting your feelings flow whatever they are and however they make you feel. Focus on your words and actions and see what shakes loose.

Q: My wife is going on vacation in Peru with a girlfriend from work…?
without me of course. For two weeks. From May 18-June 1. I understand that her co-worker is going (she’s actually from there) to spend her child’s birthday with her (turning 9 I believe). My birthday also falls within this time frame. I am utterly furious that my spouse seems so adamant about going without any regards to how I feel. I wasn’t invited and this isn’t a trip with her family. I’m actually thinking of telling her that if she goes I won’t be here if & when she comes back. She spends TOO much time with this friend and has recently taken a 4-day trip to northern California with her as well. She claims I don’t like going places but I don’t have a job that allows spontaneous trips and I can’t go during school months (I’m trying get my BA).

I’m tired of her ALWAYS placing her friends and family first & expecting me to be ok with it.

A: She is not being understanding of your feelings at all and that is a BIG problem for your marriage. You should put your foot down so she’ll know how serious you are about this. Personally, from the information that you have given, I think that she is extremely selfish.

Q: My friend is about to make the MISTAKE of her LIFE?
My friend is dealing with a jail bird who is in jail so much coming out is like a mini vacation. He has pending charges against him and she pays his lawyer fees and gives him money.She met this guy 6 months ago when he had a baby on the way by his ex of 5 years. The baby is born now and my friend gives him money to take care of his child because he just got out of jail. My friend has severe acne and always felt bad about herself but he calls her beautiful. I have a huge problem because the mother of his children said she slept with him the other day and she tried to warn my friend but she doesn’t want to hear it.He spends hours over his children’s mother house not answering my calls (she gets me to call from my # to bug him because she doesn’t want him to think she is insecure) The only thing he has to do is come home at night She is 18 and live with her mom and he is 28. He smokes allday sitting around the house eating.I told my friend she is being used he is facing 10 years in jail and she said she wants to marry him and wait for him. I told her to talk to his ex about him but he told her never to contact his ex and trust him. He is a loser and gets all of my friends money ! I think he still has feelings for the mom because she cursed my friend out and he doesn’t allow my friend to respond. I’m concerned about the waiting for 10 years part she’s known him 2 months outside of jail and she would send him money every week come to find out he calls my friend collect and his baby moms PREPAID with my friend moey.He came home 5 days ago and got in trouble for assault.Who knows he may go on the run and she will be holding this fugitive because the police does not have her address Just the mother of his children’s and his grandmother’s Any advice on how to get her to wake up and realize she don’t need a man to make her feel beautiful ?

A: Sounds to me this man is using her weakness…her insecurities against her. It is an evil thing to do, and there is nothing you are going to be able to do about it. This is one of those things she is just going to have to learn on her own. She is just going to get angry with you if you try to intervene. Perhaps you can involve her parents?

Q: How do you stop an obsessive controlling mother who is interfering with your life and you child’s life?
How do you stop a obsessive controlling mother from interfering with you and your child life?
At 50 years of age I am stilling having problems with my mother. I have had problems with her every since my child has come into this world. When my son was born the Doctor risked if I was going to nurse. She told him no that I wasn’t. Here is a list of things I have endured over the years with her.MM child has a scar on his head when she left him unattended and told me this when I came back into town. She did not take him to the emergency room to get it sewn up. When the child has spent time with her and my step dad has gone through his suitcase and called me up arguing with me why did I not tell her that I put $20.00 dollars in the suitcase.She has cut up his clothes and bleached them because she felt that they were to small or that the child needed some new ones. She tried to get me to buy a car for the child when the child was at toddler age. I told her if she wanted the child to have she should buy it. She has filed CPS on me. I had a good job then. She has taken my child out of state without me knowing about it, but when I wanted to take my child on vacation with me she turned into another person with me. Little did I know that I would interfering with her plans to take him out of state. She has tried to burn my house down.She has tried to keep my broke with doctor bills and wanted me to leave my credit card with her so she could pay for the visits.She has gotten fired from a job. She is trying to ruin me financially right now. I have moved away several years ago but that doesn’t help she has commissioned her friends and people she knows to attack me verbal about her.She has accused me taking money out of her account. She has commissioned her family to get involved with our relationship. I have had the door slammed in my faced by her because she would not let me see my child. I’ve had to visit my child in a hotel room and not at her house. When he was younger I had to call repeatedly to speak to him he was always busy or sleep.I am stilling counting the infractions that she keeps us involved in. But she’ll tell you to find the positive and it was done all in the name of love. She will be quick to quote you a bible verse. How can you trust someone like this? It almost reminds me of Borderline Personality Disorder . It’s like one way or another she is going to make sure I can not forget about her. It’s like brainwashing sort of speak. I am tried of the mentally, verbally, and emotional abuse from her. She wants me to not have any contact with my step dad.This child is almost grown and I am still having problems out of my own mother. I don’t talk to her any more I am experiencing the same type of behavior from her when I was a child and she was married to my father. The arguments and the most traumatic thing that a child can witness by her own eyes. Like then she had everyone believing her but no one ask the hard question what did you do? They rush to take her side and attack you. But they don’t know the whole story behind everything. So in the meantime she keeps attacking you to break you down so that it becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. She always denies that she had anything to do with it. It’s always the other person fault for why she is doing what she is doing. She sees your wrong but not hers. All the secrets and lies.

A: Have you ever checked her on the psychopathy scale? You should. I have no doubt she will score high on it. I am strongly encouraging you learn more about psychopathy and their behavior. This will open your eyes on many things. Hare’s psychopathy checklist http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathy Check how she scores on it. Good article about psychopathy http://www.cassiopaea.com/cassiopaea/psychopath.htm
You can also join the “I Hate My Mother” group. http://www.cafemom.com/group/22770 You are not alone in this situation. There are others that are going through the same thing you do and they will support you 100%. That woman did an incredible damage to 50 years of your life. Don’t allow her to destroy another 50.

Q: Did you here Rush today?
RUSH: This is a fascinating, fascinating piece. It’s right up my alley here, and I’m surprised that this piece got published in Newsweek — and furthermore, that it was put on the PMSNBC website. The woman who wrote it is Paula Spencer who lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and I can’t believe she will last there very long after having written this. “We Protect Kids From Everything But Fear — With hand sanitizer and long-sleeved swimsuits, we’re teaching our children a dangerous lesson.” This is in the April 2nd issue of Newsweek, by the way. “Four 11- and 12-year-old girls stood in front of my open pantry, mouths gaping wide. ‘Look! Fruit Roll-Ups!’ ‘Oh, my God! Chocolate-chip cookies!’ ‘You have regular potato chips? We only get the soy kind!’ After 14 years and four kids, I thought I’d feel comfortable as a mother. Instead, I’m increasingly aware of a prickly new sensation: that I’m some kind of renegade.

“Who knew that buying potato chips would become a radical act? Or that letting my daughters walk home from school alone would require administration approval? How did I, a middle-of-the-road mom, become a social deviant? Fear is the new fuel of the American mom. If it’s not fear of her child becoming obese, it’s the fear of falling behind, missing out on a sports scholarship or winding up with a thin college-rejection envelope. Apparently I’m not nervous enough. Last summer while I was loafing in front of the TV with my kids, the most benign things morphed into menaces. For example, the sun: long-sleeved, UV-protective swimsuits were all the rage at my neighborhood pool, while I could barely remember to bring the year-old sunscreen. The water wasn’t safe either: at the beach I saw tots dressed in flotation belts and water wings — for shelling along the shore.” They weren’t even in the water! “And goodbye, cotton candy and hot dogs! At a major-league game I saw moms and dads nix the stuff as if they’d never eaten the occasional ballpark treat.

“As if their children would balloon into juvenile-diabetes statistics if a single swig of sugary soda passed their lips. Half my kids’ friends — who already make A’s and B’s — had summer tutors in order to ‘keep it fresh.’ I thought vacation was for relaxing and recharging. What would our pioneer foremoms think? (You want something to worry about, let me show you frostbite, typhoid and bears!) Heck, what must our own mothers think? (Snap out of it! Go worry about something truly scary, like how you’re going to pay for retirement!) I thought that once the kids were back in school, things would calm down. Instead, a fresh seasonal crop of anxiety sprouted, this time over corruptive candy fund-raisers and insufficient use of hand sanitizer. I know one mom who wants to change her son’s schedule because he doesn’t know anyone in his classes; she’s worried he’ll be ’socially traumatized’ all year.

“Another is afraid of a learning disability she just read about, though her child seems bright and charming to me. And then there’s playground panic. I had to laugh when an Australian study recently found that playground injuries continue to rise despite safety improvements. One of the suspected reasons: the safe new play structures are so boring that kids are taking more risks in order to have fun. The fears are as irrational as they are rampant. Recently my children’s elementary school failed to meet adequate yearly progress goals for a particular minority’s reading progress under the No Child Left Behind Act and was placed on a warning list. This meant parents might gain the right to transfer their children to another school in the district. Never mind that this very same school sent more kids to the district’s gifted program than any other, or that this entire district has the highest SAT scores in the state. The day the news broke, six different moms (none in the affected minority) asked me if I was planning to transfer my kids. From neighborhood pride and joy to threat to child’s future overnight.
“It’s not that I think parents shouldn’t worry about anything. I’m personally petrified of SUV drivers on cell phones. I fret as much as the next mom about how to pay for college. I pray my kids won’t wander onto MySpace and post something dumb.” Hey, that’s probably already happened. “But you can’t go around afraid of everything. It’s too exhausting! No matter how careful you are, bad stuff happens (diaper rash, stitches, all your friends assigned to another class). And it’s seldom the end of the world. Watching my daughter’s friends ogle my pantry, I realized there’s one big, legitimate fear that I haven’t heard anybody mention: what’s the effect of our collective paranoia on the kids? Yes, these very kids we want to be so self-sufficient, responsible, confident, happy and creative (not to mention not food-obsessed).
The rest of the story.

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_032807/content/01125111.guest.html

A: I thought that you were talking about the real RUSH. The Band “Rush”.Limbaugh is a complete buffoon!

Q: Schedules for child’s benefit – does anyone else feel this way?
Normally I don’t ask questions like this, but I’m becoming frustrated with something and want to know if I truly am alone in my P.O.V. or not. I’m only looking for people to respond who DO feel the same way, as I am abundantly aware that I seem to be the only one who feels this way, and aslo extremely aware what the other people’s differeing view point is, so I don’t need a million people answering that they disagree with what I’m about to say and proceeding to tell me why – that’s my point…I KNOW I’m alone on this matter and that everyone seems to disagree nowadays. My question is that I’m looking to see if anyone DOES agree. Here it is:
I feel strongly about keeping my child on a schedule. It’s a pain-in -the u-know-what for me, but I know it’s a proven fact that babies, children and even adults feel better on schedules. it’s a proven fact that our bodies are like little clocks and when we stick to schedules we sleep better, eat better, are healthier and usually happier AND FOR CHILDREN it helps them feel more secure. Recently someone commented that my life must be “sad” because I”ll stick to the schedule even on hollidays, like christmas, or vacation. But to me, it’s not about me. Why would I want to mess up my kid’s routine for my own fun? Or even for their fun…because if I keep them up late on christmas eve “for their own benefit” then the next day they may be agitated, or tired or cranky, feeling sick or maybe overtired and easily overwhelmed or over stimilated as a result. All it would do is ruin my child’s day. Ruin my child’s time. That having been said, I am very aware that some, not many, but some kids take well to lack of schedule or a disruption in it. And if someone knows their kids takes it well I have no problem with their choice to disrupt the schedule. but I beleive a lot fo parents just don’t think about the bigger picture or just don’t notice if their child is crabby or less-than-normal the next day. I know some kids who will have their whole day thrown off even if their NAP is only TEN minutes off. I also know some parents keep their kids on schedules regalarless of whether their kid could operate well without one…and in my opinion playing it safe is fine, too. But I’m starting to feel like nobody else out there would even consider sticking to a schedule if it might mean things not being as convinient for themselves as parents. I don’t really care what other people do….it’s your business….but I’m sadened by it for any of the parents whose kids DO need a schedule but aren’t kept on one, (or have it disrupted all the time) and this question is just to perk me up in the hopes of finding at least a few other people that agree a schedule is a schdule and meant to be followed. and I should also mention I’m not a tyrant….I’m referring mostly to the younger babies and toddlers in specific. Not older kids who want a sleep over with friends or stay up late on new years, etc. I’m getting at the crucial young years.
lol i know it’s impossible 100 percent of the time, lol….and don’t worry, i’ll let my ten year old stay up for new years. (read down the answers for this to make sense)

A: I think schedules are very important. With toddlers and elementary age children, they are crucial. Kids need structure, and they also need to learn that there is a time for playing, a time for eating, a time for chores, and a time for sleeping. Life is happiest when we are all well rounded people who know what to expect.

With infants though, I can’t say that a schedule is practical. Babies can’t tell time; they are hungry when they are hungry, regardless of when “feeding time” is. Because there are so many fluctuations in their growth patterns, you cannot expect to put them to bed at exactly the same time every day, etc. Instead, a ROUTINE is what is called for: You do things in about the same order every day, so as the child grows, they have some idea what to expect, and so do you.

With older kids…school age and beyond, I do think it is important to have SOME flexibility. You have to teach kids that a certain amount of spontaneity is the spice of life; but they should come AFTER all the important stuff is taken care of.

Q: Helping a poor friend (single mom w/2 kids) – Is this the right thing to do?
A good friend of mine is a single mom with two kids and they live in poverty. The mom makes $9 an hour at a fast food restaurant and gets no help from the children’s father. My husband and I have no kids and make $120k a year. I probably spend around $300-$400 a month on my friend and her kids, sending them clothes, gifts, and sometimes money. (They live in another state) At Christmas we totally spoil them, and we have taken them on two vacations with us. I love my friend and her kids very much, but I wonder, do you think I am doing the right thing by helping her, or am I an “enabler”?

A: I think you have a very generous heart along with your husband. Not many people worry about others anymore, let alone a friend that lives in another town.

I would ask you, does she call and ask for things? Does she hint around or suggest items for you to purchase? Does she borrow money? If not, then she is not taking advantage of you. I’m sure she is very grateful to have a caring friend like you in her life.

If you are truly worried about enabling her, talk to her about going back to school so she can get a better job. Ask her why she chooses to continue working in fast food. She may have some good reasons like the hours she can work.

Once you are caught in a situation like this, it is hard to get out of. Your friend may not know how to check out colleges, apply for financial aid, and register for classes. Most kids have the help of guidance counselors and parents to help them. She has missed out on that.

She is probably thinking it is impossible to go back to school, work, and raise kids too.

Withdrawing your help completely at this stage would probably throw her into chaos. I’m sure there is some relief felt everytime she hears from you. She probably also experiences the worry of you deciding not to continue. BUT she did not ask you to send these things so she did not cause the situation.

Your best tool here is communication. You love your friend very much. Please talk to her so that you can really help her.

Good luck.

In addition: Sometimes a good friend can be more important in your life than family members. Spending time with these kids like taking them on vacations provides a wonderful experience they wouldn’t have otherwise. I’m sure they look upon you as a favorite aunt instead of as a friend.

Q: Boyfriend doesn’t like traveling with me….or am I crazy?
We’ve been together for about 6 years. After 4 years, I got into a car accident and am now a paraplegic. I have all these new-found insecurities that make me feel like a burden on him and anyone else. A lot of my friends travel and I always hear of their adventures abroad. I can’t help but cry on the inside that I can’t just fly away on a whim and backpack through Europe without intricate planning and the use of a wheelchair and other medical equipment. I’ve approached my boyfriend about traveling, but he says he’s not really the traveling type and likes to stay home. I sometimes think that maybe it’s because I’m such a hassle to travel with. He says it’s not because of me.

The first trip we went on together after being injured was on a 7 day cruise to the Bahamas with a few friends. That trip alone, took me a few years of nagging before he finally agreed to go.

He went to Vegas with the guys a few months ago and he had no problems deciding to go. It was just so easy for him to decide. Whenever I ask, he says, he has to check for vacation days, see if he has the funds etc…(which is sad cause in Vegas he spent 2 grand..which is way more than when we went on our cruise.)

Just recently, he told me his family is going back home to visit for a month (Spain).

He’ll go with his family on a trip, but has never had the same willingness to go for a short vacation with me. Plus, his family gets him so angry, when we fight, it looks like child’s play.

I don’t know what to think, am I just frustrated over nothing? I feel that I’m making him do chores by asking and pleading with him to travel with me. It makes me sad thinking that one day in the future, he’ll just become more reluctant.

What do I do? I feel guilty that I imagine being with someone else that wants to explore the world with me.

A: I’m very sorry to hear about your accident, and even more to hear about your boyfriend. It sounds to me like you are right and he rather travel with other people. But maybe we are looking at this all wrong..I mean was there a special occasion for the Vegas trip? Maybe a birthday? Or something..I dont know. And about his family trip, I understand because well its his family of course they are important. Maybe he does feel reluctant because things are different than how he imagined them to be. Maybe he is concerned about you and the only reason he doesn’t want to travel is because he doesn’t want you to go through it if its an inconvenience to you. I dont know, but you need to talk to him heart to heart and be prepared for what he will say. Tell him how much you love traveling, and if he loves you too he will be more open to it. This whole accident changed his life too, so maybe a little consideration on his side as well would be good. Maybe he is not used to this whole situation yet, and you need to know if he is. I dont know, I’m sorry I’m not of much help but just talk to him and figure things out. Talk about how he sees his future, and if you are in it. Is he in yours even without the trips??

Have a long talk about this…

Best luck with everything in life, and have fun exploring the world..with or without him

Q: I am looking for a family camping vacation package…affordable and fun?
I want to find a family vacation package for 2 adults and 2 children that includes lodging, activities, and food for under $2000, anyone have any suggestions? Any where in the US is fine.

A: I found this a lot of fun.

The Florida Everglades National Park/Biscayne National Park/Elliot Key Island.

I started out by camping at Flamingo Campground/Florida Everglades for 3 days. I rented a kayak and paddled the mangrove forest.

Then, at Biscayne. I took a boat over to Elliot Key Island from Biscayne and camped on the island for 3 days. There, I was able to snorkel the shallows and enjoy the coral reefs off of Elliot Key.

WARNING: If you snorkel. YOU MUST USE A RED DIVING FLAG. (A person was snorkeling without a diving flag while I was there and died because a boat did not see him) Walmart has/had a snorkeling kit for 20 bucks(flippers, mask & snorkel)

ALSO, I recommend doing the Everglades during the late winter/ early spring when the bugs and heat are not as bad.

AND FOR GAWD SAKE. DO NOT PLACE YOUR CHILD ON A ALLIGATORS BACK WHILE THEY ARE SUNNING ON THE ROAD. (true story – saw a tourist place his 4 year old son on a alligators back for a photo opprotunity.

Elliot Key only has access by boat or seaplane. There are NO stores on the island. SO, you have to pack in/out your food and water. Pack food in air tight containers. Racoons on Elliot Key are master thieves. I had my breakfast muffins tied up in a tree. The racoons still got them.

Q: what website can i find a cheap family vacation package? (to the dominican)?

A: depends in which country you live. If you are in Canada: Check below.

Q: Where can i find the absolute best and most convienent site on all-inclusive family vacation packages?

A: Expedia works for me.

Q: which is the cheapest family package hawaii vacation? springbreak 2008? any ideas?

A: Visit Pleasant Holidays:

http://www.pleasantholidays.com/PleasantHolidaysWeb/Hawaii-Main

Use to be Pleasant Hawaiian Holidays but now that they have branched out a bit they needed a more inclusive name. Still the best deal in town and can’t be beat for price. If your spring break is the week before or after Easter, don’t expect any big discounts. However if it’s a different week, you can. Spring isn’t a high season in Hawaii and discounts are easy to find until May.

They have discounts for just about every property in Hawaii including airfares. You just can’t put together a better price on your own. Make sure your deal includes breakfast and a rental car as those are two great dollar savers to have. If you really want to save money, your best bet is one of the hotels not on the beach on Oahu, or the Kihei beach area of Maui.

Q: How to start planning a Disney World family vacation…?
How do you know where to stay, what parks to plan to visit, the least expensive options, etc.
I don’t want to get into a “Vacation Package” and discover that the lodging in poor or there is some hidden restriction that ruins the trip.

A: The best thing to do is to book a vacation package through the official Walt Disney World website. If you’re going to the area specifically to visit Walt Disney World it’s really simple.

Where to stay?

Stay right on property. There’s over 25 different Resort options – Value, Moderate, and Deluxe. You certainly wouldn’t have to worry about poor lodging. The Walt Disney World Resort is the number one vacation destination in the world. They only offer the best. Each of the Resorts also offers complimentary transportation anywhere on property.

What parks to visit?

If you’re going to Walt Disney World you should visit all four of the theme parks – Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park, the Disney Studios, EPCOT, and the Magic Kingdom. I have no clue why, but people get this idea that it only takes a few days to do everything at Walt Disney World. Really, there’s enough things to do to keep one occupied for a good month. I don’t go for less than ten days. It’s just not worth it for me. I know all that Walt Disney World has to offer and I’d feel very badly if I missed out on anything. If you have the time and money plan on spending at least one day at each park. There’s two water parks, too, that are a lot of fun, and there’s Downtown Disney. I always spend one day at each theme park, one day at each water park, one day at Downtown Disney, and then a few days around the Resorts, enjoying the recreation. The Magic Kingdom and EPCOT are very large parks, though, and could easily take two days each to complete.

If you book directly through the Walt Disney World Company, either online or over the phone, you won’t have to worry about hidden restrictions or poor lodging. The Resorts are beautiful and very well-themed. And there’s basically no restrictions if you’re staying right at the Walt Disney World Resort. It’s also the most affordable way to book a package because any other company has to buy the package through the Walt Disney World Company for you, so you end up paying the regular price, plus extra so the other company can make a profit.

Hope I could help! Feel free to email me with any other questions!

Q: Looking at traveling for a 10 year anniversary family vacation to Australia or Hawii? Which is better?
We are looking at going on vacation in 2010 to Hawii or to Austrailia for our 10 year anniversary. Which would be the best in you opinions, and what would be the difference in cost? What would be the most affordable, do you know of any good vacation packages, travel agents, etc? It would be really helpful to start paying payments, so we need a travel agent who would let us do that, plus who knows of cool activities. Can anyone shed some light?

A: Check out this website. Follow the link and click on book travel. The rest is fairly simple from there. http://www.moorefreedom.worldventures.biz

Q: Need help planning Disney World Trip for family of 4 vacation package?
So me & my family want to go to Disney World in June.

Arrival Date: June 16th
Departure Date: June 23rd or 24th whichever

We remember seeing a Disney commercial talking about a vacation plan for a family of 4 for $1200 or $1300 for a stay of 6nights and 7 days??

Is it possible to get a 6 night-7day vacation plan for Under $1500? It doesn’t need to be a deluxe hotel or anything.
We willl have 2 adults, and 2 children.
Child 1: 6 years old
Child 2: 15 years old

We would like to be at a disney resort so we can get free transportation in the parks & free parking for our car. (& we want fast passes)
We’ll be driving 6hrs down from where we live in south carolina.
As for eating, we’re fine with just eating cheap, any vacation packages that include eating breakfast lunch & dinner?
And if not any nearby places we can go to to eat? What is the best way to eat cheap?
Does the package tickets & going to all Disney Parks & places? Any attractions or good deals around this time in June?
If someone could find us a good package for around that price it would be awesome if not, can you give us a rough estimate of the cheapest way to get a vacation package?

-Please help & Thanks!
does the package INCLUDE* ticketsand going to all disney parks & places?*
does the package INCLUDE* tickets and going to all disney parks & places?*
I also forgot to include we want park hopper tickets so we can go & come when we want!
Also we want park hopper tickets so we can go & come whenever we want into the parks!

A: actually the comercial stays that a family of four can go for as little as $1600 (not $1200/$1300).
and thats if you just get the basics of a value resort and 4 day base tickets.

its gonna cost you a lot more if you want
-a value resort
-lets say 6 day park hopper tickets (that way you have a couple of relax days)
-the quick service dining plan which gets you 2 quick service meals per person per night, 2 snacks per person per night, and 1 refillable resort mug per person. (you can make that into 3 meals a day if you eat light for breakfast and use a snack credit to get something like a danish, a piece of fruit, or donuts….and then use the quick service meals for lunch and dinner and then have a snack at some point)

for all of that it will cost you about $2,879.22.

and thats not including admission to places like the water parks, disneyquest, disney’s wide world of sports complexk, or the golf course.
if you want to do those things you’d either need to pay separately at the gate or add them to a package. if you’ like to go to more than one of the things i mentioned above you are better off adding the water parks fun and more option onto your package cuz in the long run it will cost less that way.

oh and by the way FASTPASS IS FREE.

Q: Is there a vacation resort that allows 2 adults and more than 2 kids in a room or joining room?
It is hard to find a vacation package that will let you have your family altogether. What do I look for on the Internet for family vacation deals that keep your family together and where are some great places to go in the Caribean or Bahamas.
I forgot to tell you that we live in Alberta Canada. So leaving from Edmonton or Calgary if possible

A: The best resort in the Caribbean for families is Beaches. It’s designed with families in mind. All-inclusive with plenty of activities for the kids. The one in Turks and Caicos is wonderful. It’s located on Grace Bay in Providenciales, T &C.

http://www.beaches.com

Good Luck and enjoy)

Q: Where can I find an affordable vacation package to Hawaii for a family of 5?
I would like to take a week vacation in Hawaii (any island is fine) since it’s my first trip to Hawaii. Is there an affordable package out there? Maybe a website that will let me pay as I go? Please help. The kids are 1, 5, and 10.

A: Try igougo.com. They have flight only, hotel only, and packages, so you could probably find a good one there. I love their site — it compares travel packages from several different websites (like Expedia and Kayak) all at once! I’ve used igougo a couple of different times since I discovered it and have always been happy with what I’ve gotten. I always save a bit of money by booking a package through them rather than separate hotel and flight with other travel websites.

Q: I want need help sellin United Airline Travel Certificates?
I have 5 $200 dollar United Airline Travel Certificates that we got after canceling a family vacation package. I was wondering if i could sell them on ebay. Ive seen auctions on the same Certificates, but my question is how can they use them if it has the names of my family members on them??

A: http://airlines.bandblog.info/31_airlines_.html

Q: Where can I find the best deals on Canadian vacation packages?
I would like to plan a family vacation for four to Canada this upcoming year. What websites should I visit for good info?

A: Expedia is a good site to consider. Do you know where in Canada it is that you would like to visit? If so, I can provide you with specific Web sites for that region.

Q: Anyone besides me and my family, vacation in Walt Disney World?
I just got back last night, I had a great time. I took advantage, of the Package deal, they offer this time of the year, which included the Dining Plan, the Park Tickets. I stayed at the Disney Music Resort. They made me air fare arrangement, and I must say even that went well. No delays, coming or going at the airport.

Next year, I plan on taking the Disney Cruise.

Have a magical night.

A: I’ve vacationed around the world and been to many, many places. I can honestly say that Disney is still one of my favorite places to go. It is just never ending fun, the food is good, it is just a great time.

If you love Disney World, you will have an absolute blast on the Disney Cruise. All the magic and fun of Disney World, but in a more relaxed environment. The service is great, just as good if not better than some of the higher end cruise lines, great food, tons of fun, the best shows at sea. Plus, if you are traveling with kids, the programs are great and there is really something for everyone, so if you aren’t traveling with kids you don’t have to worry about the boat being filled with kids. The kids have so much fun in the kids programs that they tend to stay there.

Just as a heads up, the further out in advance that you book with Disney Cruise Line, the lower the cost. I know your plans are not set yet, but if you can book something now, you will more than likely save money, if a lower rate would come out it can be changed. Disney raises prices as the ship fills, so the closer you get to sailing, the higher the price is… Just wanted to let you know!

Q: Where can I go to get inexpensive vacation packages for a family of 4?
I would like to take the kids to Disney world or somewhere along the east coast to the beach. We are tight on money though so we are going to do this as cheaply as possible. Any suggestions?

A: Find a place on International Dr in Orlando that you can go through a time share. When you spend about 90 minutes of your time doing that, they usually give you park tickets for free. Try it! I’ve done it.

Q: With American Airlines, how many Addvantage Miles do you need to book an entire Advantage Vacation Package?
Basically, when booking with online with AAVacations the total for a specific vacation for my family turns out to be about $3,000. This is with Airfare, Hotel and hotel amenities included.

I am just curious, can I use my miles to cover the entire cost or are the vacations limited to lower amounts?

I have about 300,000 miles and want to take advantage (no pun intended) of a sweet vacation.

A: WHY, if you have soo many miles with AA and wanting to use them, wouldn’t you go to AA with this question?? what would make you post that question here?? Don’t you think the best place for an exact answer to this question, would be American Airlines???
Why get a bunch of guess answers to your question, when you can get a definitive answer instead??

Q: How would I request a package for Tropical Winds Resort/Hotel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina?
My family and I are planning to go to Myrtle Beach for a family vacation. Buy my mom wants me to get a package sent to my house with all the information about the rates of the rooms and so forth. I need help trying to find out where I would go to get that information from. I have been on the web site but they don’t have thing about getting a package sent I really need HELP! thanks )

A: hi there,hotel as had restoration,is now called BLUE.
information on this link for you..

click on contact on info bar top of the page,e-mail them and they will send a brochure..same info bar will give you prices,hope this helps,,good luck..

http://www.hotelbluemb.com/

best regards pops..

Q: How do you get work at Travel Channel, National Geographic as a travel photographer? Or as anything?
I want to work for travel channel, it must be my job to travel the world. Im studying film directing and taking photography courses. How and where do you think i should get a job that will allow me to travel?
Thanks a mil…

A: Photographers for National Geographic are at the top of their field. Don’t expect to get an offer right out of photography school. Look for a job that pays the rent first. Having discouraged you, let me say that there is hope. I attended one of their seminars, which was an excellent orientation to the field. Here is the link to the schedule: http://ngtravelerseminars.com/. In the one I attended, there was a section for pitching ideas. If they heard something that sounded interesting then they pursued it. They seek the kind of imagery that tells a story. It’s not the stuff you can buy in a postcard store. So travel and bring your camera. Look for the unique, rare, or surprising and which conveys an emotion or evokes one in the viewer. Build up your experience. Hone your skills. Be self-critical. A good photographer can get a winning shot with a 3 megapixel camera, while a hack will still get junk from an $8,000 DSLR.

Q: What happened to tribal odyssey on the travel channel?
I used to love this show and now I can’t find it anymore? Is it still on the travel channel? Anyone know when? Thanks!

A: canceled.

Q: Has a person formt he travel channel ever did the dominican republic?
i’m curious if anoyne form the travel channel went to the dominican republic. I am interest because so far i’ve seen that they allmost wnet everywhere in the carribean expect DR . This is just a curious answers, thanxs in advance!

A: HBO did a show about the prostitutes/nightlife and stuff like that in the country.. in spanish it is called sexo urbano santo domingo.. look it up maybe you can find it! i have the DVD.. lol

dont know if travel channel has done anything.. ohh and WILD ON from E! tv was here a couple years ago too..
mostly the zona colonial in santo domingo…

Q: How do you get into a job at places like the Travel Channel?
I don’t understand how people get jobs at places like the travel channel (like Anthony Bourdain or Samantha brown) They have such cool jobs, they get to travel to awesome places and do whatever.

So my question, How do you get jobs like that?

A: They are trained in other areas and work a long time in different industries and eventually work up to those jobs. Andrew Zimmern from Bizarre Foods is a chef, food critic, and writer amoung other things. He actually knows flavors and knows everything he’s talking about, it’s not like he’s just some random guy who eats foods. Same with Bourdain, he’s a writer and other things.
But I agree, I wish I could get a super cool travel job like that

Q: How do I apply for a job with the travel channel like Samantha Brown’s job?
I’m soon to be retired and will have time to travel constantly. How do I get a job like that with the travel channel?

A: I used to study Radio Television & Film. At that time, students were told that they could not expect to get a job in television very readily, and that usually someone has to “croak” before someone else gets hired. Jobs in entertainment, and in many fields are typically acquired via connections.

Keeping that information in mind, the best way to get a job like Samantha Brown’s is to do all of the following:

1) Observe her style, and that of others who have similarly successful programs. Combine all of their best qualities, then add something unique and interesting of your own, to differentiate your presentation. Then perfect it.

2) Write/create 1-3 sample shows, featuring you as the host, on site in some interesting places (even if they are local). Utilize your newly perfected presentation skills to make your sample show/travel piece, and the place that you’re describing irresistable. Have friends and family critique your presentation, and make adjustments as necessary, to perfect it.

3) Get (Hire for a small fee) a graduate film student/videographer at a local college to video-tape your performance. (Ask him/her if you can see his/her work 1st; the video should not look gritty, grayed out, or shaky; it should be well-lit, but not over-exposed. In other words, the video should be clear.).

4) Create a blog or website, and post similarly perfected videos, and related stories on your site; and, post them on YouTube, in order to get a major following. Networks/Cable companies care about viewers, who will watch their commercials. If you have a large following… you will have a SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER CHANCE of SUCCEEDING.

5) Finally, make several copies of your final products, and send a copy along with a well-written, mistake-free resume, and cover-letter describing your talent, interest in this field, and availability to the Travel Channel, and to all other similar channels; and to casting agents, who cast talent for such shows. Also, look on these channels’ websites, to get the name/title of the proper contact/submission/HR person. (Make sure that only positive comments show up on your blog/website, and then… make sure to mention your site and its popularity/number of “hits/clicks” on your resume or cover letter (only if your site is in fact popular)).

6) Also, check out the Ross Reports (for talent/casting agents) & BackStage magazine online for similar jobs, and for advice cracking into this field: http://www.backstage.com/bso/production-listings/index.jsp

Goood Luck!
AJABATWORK
Anyone else have a question about Jobs/Careers/Work?
Please feel free to ask your question in the comment section of any post on my blog:

http://www.ajabatwork.blogspot.com
: )

Q: Anyone know where I can find the travel channel special about Disneyworld at Christmas?
I am looking for a special that aired on the travel channel on Christmas eve about Christmas at Disneyworld. I believe it was hosted by Samantha Brown. I wasn’t able to find it on the travel channel’s webpage. Any ideas?

A: I saw that show on December 14th, 2003. I don’t expect it to be on any time in the moth coming, but plan on it around the Holiday season, starting from Thanksgiving-Christmas.

Around that time I’ll go onto my search mode on my DVR and type in “Disney” and look at the options. The show you are speaking of is titled “Walt Disney World Holidays”.

I have this show recorded onto my DVR and it’s very enjoyable! Samantha Brown gives a very detailed account of all that goes on during the Holiday season.

The thing I love about the Travel Channel is that they air a show almost 10 times every two days. So if you miss some of it, plan on it being aired in another hour or so.

Wait until the holiday season, and then start sarching. I remember it being on frequently.

Best of Luck!
-cap10hook72-

Q: Where can i watch the david blane street magic on the travel channel online?
I want to watch David Blane, the illusionist’s show on the travel channel soooo bad, please help me find it.

A: you check this link.i think i solve your problem.

Q: How do I contact the travel channel Please help?
My school has a school news paper about travailing like places to travail,tips on traving and how to travail stuff like that.We want to get the travel channel to sponsor us so if you cued get the phone number and email we will relay appreciate it.Please and thank you

A: Ok, it’s really easy.

Step 1: go to travelchannel.com
Step 2: click on the link at the bottom of the screen that says “viewer relations”
Step 3: fill in the contact info

http://www.travelchannel.com/About/Viewer_Relations

Q: How can you be one of the travel channel cruise shows as a cruiser?
I was watching Great Cruises on the Travel Channel and my family was thinking the people that say “cruiser” and they focus on that one family were getting all those excursions for free. We don’t actually think were gonna do it, but it might be fun to do or to see how to. So does anybody know how to do that?
Thanks

A: I saw that show too!! There were 3 shows on. And im not sure how you can get on. Maybe you would have to sign up on the travel channel website. I don’t see anything on the website now but maybe once in awhile they have. I love watching cruise shows. If I find out how to get on the show i’ll edit my post. And i think that it would be a lot of fun to be on the show!!

Q: How does the travel channel get soundtracks?
The answer doesn’t have to specifically apply to the travel channel. It could apply to smaller budget documentary style shows or even something like Amazing Race. Do they actual have people compose new soundtracks for every show? Do they license already existing music for every show? Do they buy a giant royalty free soundtrack library? or is it a combination of all three? Also I’m working on a travel documentary and need a soundtrack but can’t spend a fortune (no > $500) and am hoping people can make some recommendations for going the royalty free or similar route.

A: most of the credits in the documentaries of BBC, Discovery, list actual composers of the music. Since these composers work for companies that provide material to the networks, they are salaried.

I have noticed some documentaries use licensed soundtracks but have the freedom to edit/mash-up the music as see fit.

I would check with kijiji or check local musician website, to put an add for somebody to collaborate with for free – many of us musicans will work for free to get exposure and credits in work/film.

Q: What private adults only island did Samantha Brown on Travel Channel go to?
A couple years ago Samantha Brown from the Travel Channel went to a private adults only island and did a reveiew from it. I think it was a review on the greatest hotels or something like that? If someone could please find that out I would aperciate it so much!

Thanks

A: Peter Island maybe

Q: Why is the Travel Channel so much better than Food Network?
I love watching food shows and am consistently disappointed in the quality of food network shows. Why does Travel Channel (aka Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern) have so many higher quality, better produced, and generally more entertaining and insightful food shows than anything on Food Network?

A: Your answer lies within the difference in those channel’s demographics. The Travel Channel is geared toward a more cultured, worldly audience, while Food Network caters to a more basic, middle american housewife audience.

The Travel Channel also gets to film their original programming on location the majority of the time, and Food Network conducts most of their filming in studios.

Q: How can I contact TV producers to pitch an idea I have for the Travel Channel?
I have a good idea for a show that I think would fit well on the Travel Channel. However, I’ve heard that they only accept pitches if you already have a production company to work with. Does anyone know of any production companies who deal with this kind of thing?

A: Perhaps you can use a film or movie club from the local university, or even one of the related academic departments to help get your idea noticed, or even picked up.

Local Public Access Television might be a viable place to start. Many of the “niche channels” (History, Food, etc) pick up shows and ideas from places like local tv stations and university groups.

Another way would be to form a “club” yourself to actually start producing and orienting your idea. You don’t have to film anything, just set up the logistics and general accounting, and maybe block out some episodes with a rough script and some research. These days all it takes is desire to be heard and effort to make it happen.

Q: What places were featured on this travel channel show?
Today, Friday, January 9th, 2009 on the Travel Channel, around four thirty I was interested in the place they were discussing.
How can I find out at least the shows that were playing around this time, and what would be even better is a list of the places featured. Thanks

A: Travel Channel has a TV guide on there and they do it by show. If you remember the host, you can probably find it.

Q: What restaurants that you’ve been to have been featured on the Travel Channel or Food Network?
Does it pi$$ you off that they let other people in on the secret and puts it in danger of becoming a tourist destination?

Dang Samantha on the Travel Channel found one of my secret joints that can only be reached by water or a dirt road. B*tch!

A: Paula Dean’s restaurant in Savanah GA, is the bomb, it’s called The Lady and Son’s. I would highly recommend it. The little town is a great get away as well.

Q: Weird dream, but what does it mean?
Weird dream, but what does it mean?

I was on the Ark from Evan Almighty with the people on it, and we were catching waves that were formed by the water from the broken dam flood. I wanted to get off and probably said that, and suddenly I was on a garbage can lid, the types they have in NY, and going down the freeway on it fast in a straight line. At the end of the road there was I guess the nunnery hotel, and on the deck was Anton not wearing sunglasses, which is quiet rare, he was in one of those deck chairs and there was about 20 kids about yr10/11 age, it appears to be summer. It looks like the Duke of Ed. Camp. Anton said “Good Morning Madame” and I said something and called him sir, then he said “It’s nice to see you again”, and I said that he looked familiar but I couldn’t remember his name. And he said “You know very well what my name is”. Then he suddenly announced to the kids lunchtime was over and they all disappeared.

The scene changes and I’m in a Japanese classroom, the class is also wearing Japanese uniforms. I asked the teacher who had glasses and wore the uniform too, if she could help me find my way out. She gave me something, I think it was a folder and told me to give it to Clare.

The scene changes to the bottom of a grand staircase where Clare, Beck and another girl in HT uniform are standing around and chatting. I gave the item to Clare and she told me to go into the room across the grand staircase.

The scene changes, to Anton walking down some about 1m wide stairs, the wall have those plants that seem to snake across the walls. The building looks like it could be in the Mediterranean somewhere, perhaps Venice or Italy. He says I can join them. I follow him.

He goes into a doubled doored room where in one corner there’s a retro styled dinner/canteen. For most of the room there’s a classroom set up. There is one big table in a rectangular shape where the kids sitting listening to Anton talk. I’m sitting at a table to the right of his table, next to a blond girl I don’t know and there’s a guy who stole my diary, he’s standing and learning again the desk I say “Hi Peter” and says his name is Mr. Peter.

A: Most dreams are just replays of things people saw or imaged during waking hours.

View your dream is pure entertainment, nothing more, nothing less. Not all dreams have meanings. So many dreams belong in the fiction section of a dream library.

That is not to say all dreams are a matter of fiction. No, some dreams can foretell upcoming events. Yours appears to belong in the fiction category. Don’t fret about it.