Peace, sport and rock-n-roll!

As a high school history teacher, I have had the privilege of bringing my senior students on tours of Europe for the past fifteen years. I never imagined that I would get so many opportunities to travel when I went into the teaching profession, but I ended up working in a great district that made room in their budget for the senior class to travel to Europe and help make history come alive for them each year. I am so blessed to be a part of a district that is so committed to giving their students real life experiences. I have learned many things during my years of leading this trips, but one of the first things I learned was that you cannot go to Europe and return home with a clean conscience unless you have taken time to visit one or many cathedrals.

Europe is so full of history, architecture and sheer beauty that there is obviously too much to do in a ten day tour. Since I get to lead this trips each year, I have gotten to see almost all of the wonders of Europe, but I must plan carefully each year to see that my students get the most out of their ten day experience. I am careful to combine adequate amounts of history, modern attractions, and time for fun on our trips. But any of my students will be quick to tell you that whether we are visiting Ireland or Italy, I will never lead a ten day trip without making my team experience at least one or two cathedrals

I am not sure what attracts me to cathedrals so much except their sheer beauty. I have looked far and wide in the U.S. and have never seen any building that compares with the detailed intricacies that most European cathedrals hold. I guess because our buildings are not nearly as old as those in Europe we have a far lower standard of what is beautiful and of what is true architecture. I love dragging my students into cathedrals and seeing their jaws drop as their realize just how much history has happened in these European countries and as they see how young America truly is.

So, the next time you plan a trip to Europe for any reason, make sure that your trip includes time visiting cathedrals. You will be amazed by their size, their beauty and their architecture, not to mention the amazing amounts of history that have happened in each cathedral. I guarentee you'll be looking for more cathedrals to visit once you begin.

Prison and Detention Center Conditions
Prison conditions were poor and severely overcrowded. The prison population of approximately 168 thousand inmates was held in 139 prisons and detention centers designed for 111 thousand prisoners. Sleeping accommodations were insufficient. Medical care was inadequate and communicable diseases were widespread in some prisons. The number of full-time medical professionals increased significantly in 2004. The corrections department employed 17 full-time doctors, 309 full-time nurses, and 6 full time dentists. There were also a small number of part-time doctors to supplement the permanent medical staff. Prisoners who are seriously ill now may be transferred to provincial or state hospitals. A 500-bed hospital at Klong Prem Prison opened during the year.
Prison authorities sometimes used solitary confinement of not more than three months to punish difficult male prisoners who consistently violated prison rules or regulations. They also used heavy leg irons to control prisoners who were deemed escape risks and often for prisoners serving life sentences or on death row. There were unconfirmed reports that in some institutions designated prisoners were authorized to discipline other prisoners.
Approximately 23 percent of the total prison population were pretrial detainees, who were not segregated from the general prison population. Men, women, and children often were held together in police station cells pending indictment. During the year the government opened a number of juvenile detention centers, and at year's end separate facilities for juvenile offenders were available in 64 of the country's 76 provinces; but in some regions of the country, juveniles were detained with adults. An additional 12 facilities were scheduled to be opened in 2006.
Conditions in Bangkok's Suan Phlu immigration detention center met minimum international standards; however, conditions in nine provincial detention centers remained poor. Immigration detention facilities were administered by the Immigration Police Bureau, which reported to the Office of the Prime Minister and were not subject to many of the regulations that governed the regular prison system. There were credible reports that guards physically abused detainees in some detention centers. Overcrowding and a lack of basic medical care continued to be serious problems.
Access to prisons was not restricted, and the government permitted visits by independent human rights observers and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Spanish property for sale - finding YOURS
Spain is medium sized country with population thinly spread out throught the entire country. There is vast streches of hilly areas which over look the sea and have become a best location to build villas. These hills have their own water supply and hence it comes a feasible location for building a township or a villa as per the requirements of the customer. The speciality of these areas are that they are a short distance away from the main city. This adds special feature to the hilly locations. They have the peace of the hills and are easily accessible from the main city. Other an the hills, most of he apartments have a own community swimming pool and independent villas of course have their own swimming pools.
Finding a Spanish property for sale that fits the family wishes and requirements can be a daunting task.
First you have to ask what kind of Spanish property for sale that are you looking for. This includes searching for suitable areas, price range, property type etc. This takes some thinking and discussing over the family dinners and also researching Spanish property for sale over the Internet. You will find many a lot of Spanish properties for sale, but more importantly you will get an understanding of the Spanish market. Also, you can find other people who have already found their homes, and some of them share their experiences.
Make contact with the estate agent who has the Spanish property for sale you would like have more information about. This can be done from home, and you should also take time to speak to the agent on the phone (ask them to call you) to find out if the agent understands your wishes and requirements. There are many agents who will show you any Spanish property for sale, but take your time, and if it doesn't work with the first agent, then just call the next one.
The real estate agent assists you in finding a Spanish property for sale
Typically an agent will be escorting you on the viewing trip to see the any Spanish property for sale you have asked for and explain about the areas where they are located. The viewings are always arranged on a "one to one" basis, where you are the only client. The same agent will support you from start to finish, saving you the stress, and time, and hassle re-explaining your wishes and requirements. It is important to come to a decision with peace of mind and at your own pace. The buying procedure and how to obtain a mortgage will also be explained on the viewing tour if needed.
We found our "Dream Home" - support please!
A thorough step-by-step walk through of the buying process is often required, including the legal aspects of buying a property in Spain. An agent should go through different options on how to get the mortgage in place, and should visit one or more banks with you.
After having bought the Spanish property for sale where are looking for, the agent should be your contact to the Spanish, and assist you with renting, renovation work or any other help needed with your property.

Frequent Flyer programs allow you to earn free trips, upgrades (e.g., from Coach to First Class) or other awards based on how often you fly on that airline. In some programs you can earn credit by using specified hotels, rental car companies, credit cards, etc. It doesn't cost anything to join a program, and you can enroll in the programs of any number of different airlines.
However, it may not be to your advantage to "put all your eggs in one basket" with one plan by accumulating a high mileage balance only to find out later that another carrier's program suits your needs better. Here are some things to look at when selecting a frequent-flyer program.
* Does the airline fly where you're likely to want to go?
* Are there tie-ins with other carriers, especially those with international routes? Is some of the airline's service provided by commuter-carrier "partners"? In both cases, can you earn credits and use awards on those other airlines?
* How many miles (or trips) are required for particular awards?
* Is there a minimum award per flight (e.g., you are only flying 200 miles but the airline always awards at least 500)?
* Is there a deadline for using accumulated miles?
* Carefully examine the number and length of any "blackout periods" during which awards cannot be used. On some carriers, the Thanksgiving blackout may last a week.
* If you are planning a big trip and are thinking about joining that airline's frequent-flyer program, enroll before you travel. Airlines usually won't credit mileage that was flown before you became a member.
After you join a program, there are other things that you should know:
* Airlines reserve the right to make changes to their programs, sometimes on short notice. The number of miles required for particular awards might be raised, requiring you to use your old mileage (i.e., your current balance) under the more restrictive new rules. The airline may cease service on a route that you were particularly interested in-or it may drop the city you live in! The carrier may eliminate attractive frequent-flyer tie-ins with particular airlines or hotel chains.
* Cashing in your mileage frequently will limit your losses in case the carrier changes the rules, merges, or goes out of business. (Some private companies sell insurance covering some of these eventualities.) Accumulating a larger mileage balance will entitle you to bigger awards, however.
* Carriers often limit the number of seats on each flight for which frequent-flyer awards can be used. You may not be able to get reservations on your first- or second-choice dates or flights.
* Awards can often be issued in the name of immediate family members. However, if you sell or give an award to someone not named on the award or the travel document and the airline finds out, the recipient could have his or her ticket confiscated, and the carrier may penalize the program member's account balance.
* Ask the airline how mileage is registered; you will probably have to identify yourself as a program member when you book your flight or when you check in.
* Keep your boarding passes and the passenger coupon of your ticket until you receive a statement from the frequent-flyer program reflecting the correct mileage earnings for that trip. If a problem arises, get the names of the people you speak with and keep notes of your conversations.

Visiting Thailand only requires a passport for visits that are 30 days or less. This pertains to U.S. citizens. Citizens from other countries need to check with their country's embassy or consular section and see what the rules are.
For Americans, a current passport and a visa are required if you are planning on vacation of more than 30 days. You can pick up the visa at the nearest Thai consulate or embassy. Online forms and information are all over the place making it easy to get current information and prepare better.
The normal requirement is your passport, a filled out visa request form, and two pictures. There is a fee of approximately 50 but you should check and see what the current fees are. If your passport is going to expire within the next six months, you may be required to purchase a new one.
If there is no consulate near your home, you can pick up a visa upon arrival at the airport or visit the immigration office in Bangkok, Pattaya, Phuket, or Chiang Mai. The easiest and recommend way is to get the visa before you go so you don't have to worry about it when you are in Thailand.
There are other types of visa available for foreigners. You can get a work visa if you are going to be employed in Thailand. Check the rules and regulations for this. There are serious criminal penalties for working in Thailand without a work visa.
If you are planning on retiring in Thailand, you can get a one-year visa. You still have to check in with Thai immigration every 3 months, but the one year visa has been a godsend for most expats. It sure beats making quarterly visa runs to Laos or Cambodia. You have to be at least 50-years old to qualify for this visa. There are also some medical and financial requirements. Check for the latest as it seems that the rules for this visa change annually.
There has also been some mass confusion on some changes that were imposed in 2007 limiting the amount of days that a foreigner could spend in Thailand with visa extensions. Again, check for the latest updates and be prepared for additional changes. Hopefully, the new Prime Minister is favorable to foreigners.
Visiting Thailand can be a wonderful experience and can be enhanced by staying even long than the normal 2-week vacation. For most countries, acquiring a visa for an extended stay is a minor bureaucratic exercise and only requires one form, 2 pictures, and a little bit of money. With the cost of fuel and airline fares, I prefer to stay longer than shorter.

You may apply for your passport by mail if you meet the following requirements:
You can submit your most recent passport.
Your previous passport was issued on or after your 16th birthday and was issued within the past 12 years.
You use the same name as that on your most recent passport or you have had your name changed by marriage or court order, and can submit proof of the change in name
How to Proceed
Obtain Form DSP-82, Application for Passport by Mail, from one of the U.S. passport agencies, from a Federal or state court, from a U.S. post office that is authorized to accept passport applications, from your travel agent, or from the Internet.
Complete the information requested on the reverse side of the form.
(1) Sign and date the application.
(2) Include your date of departure. If no date is included, passport agents will assume that your travel plans are not immediate, and you will receive your passport within 25 working days from receipt of the application at the passport agency.
(3) Enclose your previous passport. (Your previous passport and other documents that you may have submitted will be returned to you with your new passport.)
(4) Enclose two identical 2x2 photographs.
(5) Enclose the 40 passport fee. (The 15 execution fee is not required for applicants eligible to apply by mail.) Check for current fees.
(6) If your name has changed, submit the original or certified copy of the court order or marriage certificate that shows the change of name.
(7) The person that you list to be notified in case of an emergency should be someone who could act on your behalf. The person should be someone to whom you have given or could give a power of attorney.
(8) For processing, mail the completed application and attachments to the National Passport Center, listed on the application form. An incomplete or improperly prepared application will delay issuance of your passport.
(9) If requesting Expedited Service, include the expedite fee.
How to Pay the Passport Fee
The following forms of payment are acceptable when you apply by mail:
A bank draft or a cashier's check
A check: either a certified check, a personal check, or a traveler's check (The check should be made out for the exact amount.)
A money order: either a U.S. postal money order, an international money order, a currency exchange money order or a bank money order
Checks must be made payable to Passport Services.
When You Receive Your Passport
Sign it right away! Fill in page 5, the personal notification data page. (For the emergency contact, do not include the name of your traveling companion; instead, write in pencil the name, address, and telephone number of someone who is not traveling with you.) Your previous passport and other documents that you may have submitted will be returned to you with your new passport.

Be flexible in your travel plans in order to get the lowest fare. The best deals may be limited to travel on certain days of the week (often Tuesday through Thursday, or Friday night through Sunday morning) or particular hours of the day (e.g., late-night departures). This applies to each of your flights, not just the first flight in your itinerary. After you get a fare quote, ask the reservations agent if you could save even more by flying a day earlier or later, or by taking a different flight on the same day. Or simply ask the agent what the lowest fare is, and what you need to do to qualify for it.
Discount seats are usually "blacked out" during holiday periods. However, you might be able to get a discount fare if you fly on the holiday itself (e.g., New Year's Day).
Plan as far ahead as you can. Most airlines set aside only a few seats on many desirable flights at the lower rates. The real best bargains often sell out very quickly. On the other hand, if a particular flight is not selling as well as expected, air carriers sometimes make more discount seats available for a particular flight just before the advance-purchase deadline expires. For example, if the lowest fare has a 21-day advance-purchase requirement but is sold out for most dates, and you can go any time, ask about fare availability on flights 21 or 22 days from when you call.
While planning ahead is a good general rule, if you can bide your time you might encounter a "fare sale." Many airlines put seats on sale for brief periods several times a year (although you usually can purchase tickets for flights weeks or months after the end of the sale period). It is difficult to predict when these sales will occur, although they often fall during times when people are less likely to buy airline tickets (e.g. early autumn or right immediately after New Years).
In a large metropolitan area, the fare could depend on which airport you use. For example, if you are going to Southeast Florida and plan to rent a car, it might not make much difference if you fly to Miami or Ft. Lauderdale, except for ticket price. Also, a connection (change of planes) or a one-stop flight is sometimes cheaper than a nonstop. Always check on alternate airports and routings when pricing a ticket.
Look into all airlines that serve the market you are interested in, including low-cost carriers that offer low fares. Many times the major carriers will match the fares of a low-cost airline between the same cities; but often this will only be for a certain limited number of seats on each flight. On a low-cost carrier, find out what you get for your money: baggage transfers from one carrier to another, meals, advance seat assignments, etc. Note that small airlines sometimes have only one flight per day in many markets, and they frequently will not reroute you on another airline if your flight is canceled or delayed. In such cases you may have to wait until the next day to fly.
Ask about all restrictions on your fare. Typical requirements for discount fares include purchasing a round-trip ticket, buying the ticket a certain number of days before departure (e.g., for many fares, at least 14 or 21 days before you leave), purchasing the ticket within 24 hours of making a reservation, staying over a Saturday night, traveling during a certain time of the year, staying no more than 30 days, and, as discussed below, refund/change restrictions.
Ask about your ability to change or cancel your flight if you need to. Even if you get sick, you cannot assume you will get a refund. In fact, most discount tickets now are non-refundable, but can be applied toward the purchase of other tickets on the same carrier. You must usually pay an administrative charge and any difference between the fares for the old and new flights when you do this.
Consider using a travel agent. Agents usually do not charge a fee (they get a commission from the airline), and they can tell you about "consolidators" and other sources of discounted seats that are not available directly from the airline. However, consolidator seats can have even more severe restrictions than the airlines' own deep-discount fares, particularly if the flight is delayed or canceled. A few travel agents sometimes have access to special deals with a particular airline (either discounts or extra services). If you are flying to a popular foreign destination, or to Las Vegas or Hawaii, ask the travel agent about Public Charters. These charters sometimes offer lower fares, but again with significant restrictions that are spelled out in an operator/participant contract that you should review carefully.
Ask the travel agent if the city where you live or the city where you are going is an airline "hub." If it is, fares may be higher than for flights to other nearby cities because of reduced competition. Someone who lives at a hub might save money by leaving from another nearby city, even if they end up connecting through the hub to get to their destination.
A number of airlines send e-mail messages every week to receive notification of last-minute fare specials for departures within the next few days. See the airlines' World Wide Web sites for information about these programs, or call their reservations line. (Do not assume that an airline reservation agent or travel agent will be aware of the fares offered to e-mail subscribers.)
Many airlines offer a seniors discount off any fare to travelers over a certain age. In addition, some carriers offer bereavement and emergency illness fares with varying documentation requirements and discounts.
If you are a member of an airline's frequent-flyer program and you are considering buying a promotional or deep-discount fare, ask if that fare will earn frequent-flyer miles.
After you buy your ticket, you may wish to call the airline or travel agent once or twice before departure to confirm your reservations and check the fare. Fares change all the time, and if that same fare goes down before you fly, some airlines will refund the difference. But you have to ask.

When passengers comment on airline service, most airlines do listen. They analyze and keep track of the complaints and compliments they receive and use the information to determine what the public wants and to identify problem areas that need special attention. They also try to resolve individual complaints.
Like other businesses, airlines have a lot of discretion in how they respond to problems. While you do have some rights as a passenger, your demands for compensation will probably be subject to negotiation and the kind of action you get depends in large part on the way you go about complaining. Start with the airline. Before you call or write to DOT or some other agency for help with an air travel problem, you should give the airline a chance to resolve it.
As a rule, airlines have trouble-shooters at the airports (they're usually called Customer Service Representatives) who can take care of many problems on the spot. They can arrange meals and hotel rooms for stranded passengers, write checks for denied boarding compensation, arrange luggage repairs and settle other routine claims or complaints
If you can't resolve the problem at the airport and want to file a complaint, it's best to call or write the airline's consumer office at its corporate headquarters. Take notes at the time the incident occurs and jot down the names of the carrier employees with whom you dealt. Keep all of your travel documents (ticket receipts, baggage check stubs, boarding passes, etc.) as well as receipts for any out-of-pocket expenses that were incurred as a result of the mishandling.
Here are some helpful tips should you choose to write a letter.
* Type the letter and, if at all possible, limit it to one page in length.
* Include your daytime telephone number (with area code).
* No matter how angry you might be, keep your letter businesslike in tone and don't exaggerate what happened. If the complaint sounds very vehement or sarcastic, you might wait a day and then consider rewriting it.
* Describe what happened, and give dates, cities, and flight numbers or flight times.
* Send copies, never the originals, of tickets and receipts or other documents that can back up your claim.
* Include the names of any employees who were rude or made things worse, as well as anyone who might have been especially helpful.
* Don't clutter up your complaint with petty gripes that can obscure what you're really angry about.
* Let the airline know if you've suffered any special inconvenience or monetary losses.
* Say just what you expect the carrier to do to make amends. An airline may offer to settle your claim with a check or some other kind of compensation, possibly free transportation. You might want a written apology from a rude employee or reimbursement for some loss you incurred-but the airline needs to know what you want before it can decide what action to take.
* Be reasonable. If your demands are way out of line, your letter might earn you a polite apology and a place in the airline's crank files.
If you follow these guidelines, the airlines will probably treat your complaint seriously. Your letter will help them to determine what caused your problem, as well as to suggest actions the company can take to keep the same thing from happening to other people.

Gifts you bring back for your personal use must be declared, but you may include them in your personal exemption. This includes gifts people gave you while you were out of the country, such as wedding or birthday presents, and gifts you have brought back for others.
Gifts intended for business, promotional, or other commercial purposes may not be included in your duty-free exemption.
Also note that by federal law, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and perfume containing alcohol and worth more than 5 retail may not be included in the gift exemption.
Gifts worth up to 100 may be sent, free of duty and tax, to friends and relatives in the United States, as long as the same person does not receive more than 100 worth of gifts in a single day. If the gifts are mailed or shipped from an insular possession, this amount is increased to 200.
Unless returning to the United States from an insular possession, you don't have to declare gifts you sent while you were on your trip, since they won't be accompanying you.
Gifts for more than one person may be shipped in the same package, called a consolidated gift package, if they are individually wrapped and labeled with each recipient's name. Here's how to wrap and label a consolidated gift package.
Be sure to mark the outermost wrapper with the:
* Words "UNSOLICITED GIFT" and the words "CONSOLIDATED GIFT PACKAGE;"
* Total value of the consolidated package;
* Recipients' names and
* Nature and value of the gifts inside. For example, tennis shoes, 50; shirt, 45; toy car, 15.
For instance:
To John Jones - one belt, 20; one box of candy, 5; one tie, 20.
To Mary Smith - one skirt, 45; one belt, 15; one pair slacks, 30.
If any item is worth more than the 100 gift allowance, the entire package will be dutiable.
You, as a traveler, cannot send a gift package to yourself, and people traveling together cannot send gifts to each other. But there would be no reason to do that anyway, because the personal exemption for packages mailed from abroad is 200, which is twice as much as the gift exemption.
Your personal belongings can be sent back to the United States duty-free if they are of U.S. origin and if they have not been altered or repaired while abroad. Personal belongings like worn clothing can be mailed home and will receive duty-free entry if you write the words "American Goods Returned" on the outside of the package.
If a package is subject to duty, the United States Postal Service will collect it from the addressee along with any postage and handling charges. The sender cannot prepay duty; the recipient must pay duty when a package is received in the United States.
For more information about mailing packages to the United States, visit the page called "Sending Goods to the United States" (Sending Items Back to the United States) at the Customs and Border Protection website. Make sure you get the latest information before your travel.

The theme of modern society seems to be give me convenience or give me death. In the case of booking trips, this convenience will really cost you.

Do Not Use 800 Numbers When Booking Trips

Toll free numbers are touted as a service offered to make our life easier. If I need to call a business, the toll free number allows me to do so without spending a dime. The real question, however, is just how much money are we saving? In fact, are we saving any when it comes to vacations?

When booking a trip, there is an inherent desire to get everything done as easily as possible. This makes sense since who wants to call airlines, car rentals, hotels and so on? In each instance, however, using the toll free number can really cost you.

Here is some breaking news. When you call a toll free number, you are getting a national call center who more or less has a set list of prices. In many instances, these prices are actually higher than if you just walked into the business at your destination. In exchange for the convenience of a toll free number, you are paying a premium! Let's take a closer look.

Car rentals are the most obvious area where you get killed using the national toll free line. They may give you a slight upgrade, but nothing compared to the local office. The best approach is to contact the lot the morning you are flying in to simply see if they expect to have extra cars. Don't reserve one unless they are going to be tight. Upon arrival, just stroll over and ask for a deal. They will always give you upgrades and tremendous pricing. Even better, take a cab into town to a local car rental. You will save anywhere from thirty to fifty percent on the pricing.

Hotels and toll free numbers are also a bad mix. The call centers are concerned about overall sales across the entire chain. The desk clerk of a hotel, however, is only concerned about his bookings. This gives you an opportunity to score a deal. Instead of calling the toll free national number, find the local number and see what you can score. Unless there is a convention in town, you can usually do very well.

Face the facts. Using a toll free number doesn't save you much on calls. It can, however, cost you a bundle in your travels.