According to The New York Times, a Web site for the World Chess Beauty Contest, built by chessmaster Vladidslav Tkachiev and his brother, aims to boost the image of Chess by adding some glamour, a few provocative photos and an opportunity for any female chess lover to enter. Tkachiev’s site features Chess superstars such as…
If you have a portable music player, you might want to complement it with a portable music speaker system. That way, you can listen to your favorite music at home, at work, in a hotel or at the beach. It’s compatible with iPod, iPod Mini, iPod Shuffle, MP3 players, CD players, PCs, NoteBooks, and MP3…
My great-grandparents were from Vienna. Maybe that’s why I’ve always loved it. Where else can you hear opera and jazz? Dine on Wiener Schnitzel and Sachertorte? Or view gothic and art noveau? Now, you’ll love it even more with Austrian Airlines’ Vienna City Steal — a 4-day, 3-night promotion priced at just $569 per person…
I’m fortunate to have traveled to the top of both the Empire State Building and the World Trade Center to see their unparalleled views of the Big Apple. Now, my mother, brother and his family just visited the Top of the Rock™ at Rockefeller Center, home of NBC. It re-opened on November 1st, offering 70-story-high,…
The weather outside is frightful, but your bosom can be so delightfully warm in the proposed Warm-Biz Bra shown at a Tokyo fashion show. It featured reheatable gel pads (by hot water or micorwave) and a sensor that flashes, even buzzes, if the room temp is above 68 degrees F. Though the company has no…
Smartphones are all the rage. But this Nokia N90 has a looooong list of features that would be great to capture holiday travel highlights. It’s palm-sized and stylish with: • A flip phone; • A 2 MP camera, 8x digital zoom and Carl Zeiss optics; • An MPEG-4 video recorder; • Music playback; • A…
Now that the holidays are upon us, local police departments and state highway patrols are out in force. So remember: don’t drink and drive. Designate a designated driver. And enjoy this hilarious, true DUI video from Web site for the the city of Atlanta. It’s less than two minutes long and gets better the longer…
Take a dilapidated hotel in an iffy area. Pour millions into renovating it. Add 18-foot-high ceilings in the lobby. Throw in faux leopard and zebra fabrics. And create the Fifth Floor five-star French restaurant on its top floor. What do you get? You get the four-star, four-diamond, Condé Nast Gold List 2003 recipient Palomar Hotel…
On this day when most Americans gather with friends and family to celebrate the bountiful harvest of our ancestors, Vagablond would like to give thanks: • To our growing list of worldwide visitors and record traffic from over 25 countries; • To our dedicated contributors who always keep it fresh; • And to all of…
My mother and brother’s family flew to NY yesterday from SFO after a 3+ hour delay because of mechanical problems on their Delta plane. Like them, mllions of Americans are hitting the road this week at airports, bus terminals, train stations and on the freeways. Today is the busist travel day of the year. In…
Pubs used to serve beer, brats and burgers. Now, they’re going upscale, big time. One notable pub is The Spotted Pig in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, where the walls are lined with old butcher paper charts, the bar is lined with plain brown-paper place mats, the menu is filled with seasonal British and Italian offerings like…
For those who travel a lot or a little, on business or on pleasure, for a weekend or a long holiday, hotel living can get a bit old. So the great folks at StayingCool.com are offering more space and flexibility than a hotel, with more style and originality than you’d expect from a serviced apartment…