DestinationGuideTravel Tips: 2011

Thursday, December 1, 2011

[DestinationGuideTravel Tips] New comment on [DestinationGuideTravel Tips] New comment on Chenn....

Maria has left a new comment on your post "[DestinationGuideTravel Tips] New comment on Chenn...":

Hello,
Thanks for the great blog. I like your style of posting and useful information about Chennai Hotels..
Which you always provide. Your post is really knowledgeable...

Thanks Again...
Hotels in Chennai
Hotels in Bangalore

Posted by Maria to DestinationGuideTravel Tips at December 1, 2011 3:10 AM

[DestinationGuideTravel Tips] New comment on [DestinationGuideTravel Tips] New comment on Chenn....

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

[DestinationGuideTravel Tips] New comment on Chennai Hotels - The Four Star Experience.

Grand World has left a new comment on your post "Chennai Hotels - The Four Star Experience":

Tirupati is really an amazing place. This is our sacred place. I had there 7 times. I used to stay in Grand world which is one of the best tirupati hotels. Hotels in Tirupati

Posted by Grand World to DestinationGuideTravel Tips at November 30, 2011 9:53 PM

[DestinationGuideTravel Tips] New comment on [DestinationGuideTravel Tips] New comment on Tirup....

Grand World has left a new comment on your post "[DestinationGuideTravel Tips] New comment on Tirup...":

Tirupati is really an amazing place. This is our sacred place. I had there 7 times. I used to stay in Grand world which is one of the best tirupati hotels. Hotels in Tirupati

Posted by Grand World to DestinationGuideTravel Tips at November 30, 2011 1:36 AM

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

[DestinationGuideTravel Tips] New comment on Tirupati Hotels - Do Your Darshan in Comfort.

Grand World has left a new comment on your post "Tirupati Hotels - Do Your Darshan in Comfort":

Its very wonderful information about tirupati trip and Hotels Accommodation.Thanks for the inofmration.After reading this i have planed to visit tiruapti. Awesome post. Hotels in Tirupati

Posted by Grand World to DestinationGuideTravel Tips at November 23, 2011 9:59 PM

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Saudis to be trained in hospitality trade - Arab News

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RIYADH: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, will open its first hotel in the Kingdom on Monday, in Riyadh, Bob Kharazmi, hotel's global officer worldwide operations, said on Monday.

"This is going to be our 77th hotel in the world and eighth in the Gulf region," Kharazmi told a press conference, adding that the last one was opened in Oman following the Ritz Carlton in DIFC in Dubai. "We'll have one more in Abu Dhabi in May next year," he said, adding that the company has plans to open another hotel in Jeddah.

The palatial hotel, with 493 rooms and suites, is prominently situated next to the Diplomatic Quarter and adjacent to the King Abdul Aziz Convention Centre, one of the largest in the region and host to international summits and conferences.

The Ministry of Finance owns the building and the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC, will manage the hotel.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC of Chevy Chase, Maryland, currently operates 76 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. It claims to be the only service company to have twice earned the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, which recognizes outstanding customer service.

Designed by Al-Rasheed Engineering Company and constructed by Oger International, The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh regally faces spectacular fountains fronting a one kilometer driveway. Originally envisioned as a royal guest palace for visiting dignitaries and heads of state, the hotel's stately architecture is modeled on traditional palaces and elegant Arabian residences, with ochre facades blending gracefully with the verdant landscape of the gardens. Native palms, 600-year old olive trees from Lebanon, and water fountains abound on the property, providing an oasis of serenity amidst the city centre.

"This majestic hotel's prime location in the literal heart of the Arabian Peninsula offers many significant advantages to visiting guests and dignitaries," the official said. "We are privileged to be managing this spectacular palace which fits our luxury brand perfectly, and we are extremely proud that The Ritz-Carlton, Riyadh represents our first hotel into the Kingdom," he added.

Currently, he said the hotel has recruited 380 hotel staff from 25 nationalities and 50 trainers are training them. "At present, we have 20 percent Saudis including local women working in finance, public relations, human resources and other departments in the hotel," he said, adding that the hotel will visit Kingdom's universities to recruit more Saudi graduates.

"We'll give more job opportunities for young Saudis who are interested in the hospitality trade," he said pointing out that the hotel's target is to reach 30 percent of Saudi staff very soon.

18 Oct, 2011

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Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNFky5DtD181U-7mTxT5fwbEj2FLig&url=http://arabnews.com/economy/article519828.ece
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Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa Announces Dream Waterfront Wedding Giveaway - MarketWatch (press release)

CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md., Oct 18, 2011 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- The Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa is proud to announce that they will be giving away a Dream Waterfront Wedding to one lucky bride and groom. The Resort will announce the winner at their second annual Bridal Show on Saturday March 31, 2012. The winner of the wedding will receive a ceremony to be held at the Chesapeake Waterfront Dome, a reception to be held at the Rod N' Reel Restaurant, and a wedding buffet with open bar, and more for a total value of $12,000. Anyone interested in winning the Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa's Dream Waterfront Wedding should register online before March 30th, 2012.

The Resort is located directly on the Chesapeake Bay and was voted one of the top 10 most talked about venues in D.C., Maryland and Virginia by The Knot Magazine. The Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa has grown to become a premier waterfront destination location for anyone wanting to have a quintessential Chesapeake Bay Waterfront Wedding experience. The venue includes a luxury hotel and full service spa, two Marinas, three waterfront restaurants, ballrooms, beautiful bay views and beachfront. Amusements at the Resort are many with Bingo and Gaming, Charter Fishing and other water sports, special weekend packages for all ages and beachside musical entertainment. Co-owner Gerald Donovan states, "With all we have to offer here, this is truly an ideal location for a destination wedding event. We can orchestrate the rehearsal dinner, wedding, reception, wedding brunch, and provide spa services, entertainment and accommodations for the Bridal Party and their guests."

Wedding Event Manager Lori Kirby-Medlin says, "In addition to announcing our Wedding Giveaway winner, at this year's Bridal Show, we are also excited to debut our new Chesapeake Waterfront Wedding Dome, the latest addition to our selection of event sites here at the Resort". The new Wedding Dome is located right on the water enabling couples to utilize the Chesapeake Bay as a gorgeous backdrop for their ceremony. The Dome is also location for special engagement and anniversary dinner packages now provided by the resort. Bridal Show attendees will also enjoy tours of the entire resort property including their up-scale hotel suites and newly renovated Salon and Spa. The facility will be dressed in its "wedding finest" to illustrate the various waterfront wedding ceremony and reception scenarios it offers. Brides will be able to consult with the area's leading wedding vendors, view the latest in bridal fashion and enjoy complimentary tastings of the Resort's exquisitely catered wedding fare and complimentary champagne.

The Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa Bridal Show will take place on Saturday, March 31, 2011, from 2 to 5pm. To purchase advance Bridal Show tickets click here, and for more information visit www.cbresortspa.com . The Resort complex is located at 4165 Mears Avenue Chesapeake Beach, Maryland, 20732. Minutes from Annapolis and the DC beltway, the Resort is also one of the easiest event venues accessed by boat from the Chesapeake Bay. Flashing Green "1" at: LAT 76 degrees 31 20 W, LONG 38 degrees 41 30 N.

Lori Kirby-Medlin

410.257.2735 Ext. 137

lori.kirby-medlin@chesapeakebeachresortspa.com

www.cbresortspa.com

4165 Mears Ave, Chesapeake Beach, MD 20732

866-763-6733

www.CBResortSpa.com

This information was brought to you by Cision http://www.cisionwire.com

http://www.cisionwire.com/alchemi-design---publications--llp/r/chesapeake-beach-resort---spa-announces-dream-waterfront-wedding-giveaway ,c9173840

The following files are available for download:

This news release was distributed by GlobeNewswire, www.globenewswire.com

SOURCE: Chesapeake Beach Resort and Spa

                          wkr0001.pdf       PDF            [Image]           Chesapeake Beach Resort & Spa            [Image]           Wedding

18 Oct, 2011

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Daytona Beach city employee accused of beating man during Biketoberfest - Central Florida News 13

DAYTONA BEACH --

A man likely has scars permanently disfiguring his face after a beating, officials say, from a Daytona Beach city employee.

According to the Daytona Beach police arrest report, officers were flagged down by an employee of the Iron Gate Bar on Main Street Saturday during Biketoberfest. The employee told officers said that Mark Lucke Criswell severely beat another employee, David Summers, after an argument.

When the officers started to talk to Criswell, they noted a heavy smell of alcohol coming from him. Criswell told them he worked for the city of Daytona Beach and that he told Summers to turn the music volume down after showing him his city business card. Criswell claimed that was all that happened.

According to the police report, Summers told officers that Criswell approached him and told him to "turn the [expletive] bass down." Then, according to Summers, Criswell told him if he didn't do it, he would shut the business down. He then threatened Summers by saying "he would be in a world of hurt" if he didn't listen to him. Criswell shortly then started punching Summers in the face and head repeatedly.

Summers was taken to Halifax hospital with injuries to his face and head. The arrest report noted his injuries were severe enough to likely result in scars permanently disfiguring him. Summers also said he could no longer see out of his right eye.

When Criswell was being placed under arrest, he briefly struggled with officers before being handcuffed and taken into custody.

Criswell is facing charges of aggravated battery and resisting arrest.

Criswell is a Daytona Beach City Building Official and not an elected official.

18 Oct, 2011

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Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNHBX6r7pulQjtJIlsIAQ4a-s-WLzQ&url=http://www.cfnews13.com/article/news/2011/october/331381/Daytona-Beach-city-employee-accused-of-beating-man-during-Biketoberfest
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Mother of Fugitive Boynton Beach Cop Pleads Guilty to Helping Son Flee - NBC Miami

A Boynton Beach police officer accused of moonlighting as a drug dealer is on the run, officials said.

Cop of the Year on the Run

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The mother of the Boynton Beach cop who authorities say fled to Brazil days before he was to go on trial on drug charges could be heading to jail herself after she pleaded guilty to helping her son flee the country Monday.

Janiber Vieira, 51, is expected to be sentenced Nov. 21 in federal court on one count of conspiracy for helping son David Britto buy a one-way ticket from Miami to Brazil on Aug. 24, according to the Sun-Sentinel.

Vieira faces five years in prison. Under the plea deal, charges of lying to DEA agents and contempt of court will be dropped.

"She was trying to save her son," defense attorney Margot Moss said after Monday's hearing.

Vieira, of Coral Springs, was arrested earlier this month as she was about to board a flight to Brazil at JFK International Airport. Authorities say Vieira bought her son's plane ticket to Brazil then lied to federal authorities concerning his whereabouts.

Britto, Boynton Beach's 2010 "Officer of the Year," had been on administrative leave following his arrest in July for allegedly selling over 500 grams of methamphetamine between June 2009 and March 2011.

Rather than face the charges, authorities say Britto, who was out on $100,000 bond and under house arrest at his mother's home, broke curfew and removed his ankle monitor. That same day, authorities say he boarded a flight from Miami to Brazil.

Britto, 28, was born in Brazil, which doesn't allow extradition for nationals, and has dual citizenship there and in the U.S.

An international fugitive, Britto was officially fired by the Boynton Beach Police Department last month after he failed to show for his trial.

Moss aid Vieira doesn't know where her son is. U.S. Marshals are still pursuing him.

Posted Tuesday, Oct 18, 2011 - 9:28 AM EDT

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18 Oct, 2011

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Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNE-5nlvRN_guqlRXlqGmp-9Sy7exw&url=http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/Mother-of-Fugitive-Boynton-Beach-Cop-Pleads-Guilty-to-Helping-Son-Flee-132046098.html
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City of San Jose Awards TransCore Real-Time Adaptive Traffic Management Contract - MarketWatch (press release)

ORLANDO, Fla., Oct 18, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- TransCore was selected by the City of San Jose to implement adaptive traffic control technology at approximately 50 intersections in seven areas of the City, each challenged with varying traffic congestion resulting from commutes to freeway interchanges, travel to regional shopping malls, and trips to local business and commercial districts. The system will be phased in over the coming months and is expected to be fully operational by May 2012.

The adaptive traffic control system known as SCATS (Sydney Coordinated Adaptive Traffic System), operates in real-time to adjust signal timing in response to changes in traffic demand and system capacity, and provides immediate and historical traffic information. TransCore has previously installed SCATS in nearby Menlo Park, adjacent to Stanford University in Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Santa Rosa in Sonoma Valley, and will be deploying the system for another 37 intersections in the San Francisco Bay Area City of Hayward.

San Jose, the Capital of Silicon Valley, is the tenth-largest city in the United States and the third-largest in California. Silicon Valley has the largest concentration of technology expertise in the world with more than 6,600 technology companies located in San Jose. With continued growth in the region, the City is expanding its intelligent transportation systems infrastructure to enhance operational efficiencies of the City's roadways, as well as provide a safe and efficient travel experience for all modes of travel. By deploying a dynamic traffic management system in the areas most prone to saturated traffic flow, the City's goal is to reduce vehicle emissions, fuel consumption, travel times, and stops. As the reliability and efficiency of the City's roadway system improves, the quality of life, the environment and the movement of goods and services should also improve.

"An adaptive system capable of providing instantaneous analysis of traffic flow by adjusting signal timing on the spot, in real-time, is an enormous advantage to managing congestion," said Michael Mauritz, managing director of TransCore's Western Region.

This immediate correction results in reduced traffic congestion and travel times. SCATS is currently one of the most widely used adaptive traffic control systems around the world controlling more than 30,000 intersections globally and more than 1,000 intersections in the United States.

Mauritz added, "What makes SCATS appealing is each corridor can be configured differently, providing the best adaptive operation for that corridor. Other systems don't have that level of configurability or flexibility."

San Jose will be able to match each implementation to the distinct needs of the corridor since certain areas have large Silicon Valley commuter traffic while others have high shopping and retail traffic.

SCATS projects have provided marked improvement in congestion mitigation. Outside San Diego in Chula Vista, Calif., delays were reduced by an extraordinary 45 percent. In Menlo Park, Calif., bordering Palo Alto and Stanford University, travel time was reduced up to 25 percent and delays were reduced by 70 percent. The City of Santa Rosa in the heart of Sonoma Valley saw an average reduction in travel time by 32 percent.

About SCATS Capabilities

SCATS has an open architecture for communications, controllers and detection. This allows a city to utilize various manufacturers' equipment. SCATS specific capabilities include:

-- True real-time, cycle-by-cycle 100 percent adaptive control capabilities;

-- Capable of being monitored from up to 30 concurrent workstations at the same time with eight varying access levels;

-- Capable of being easily expanded;

-- Has more than 30 years of proven field adaptive operations experience;

-- Operates in adaptive mode 24/7, 365 days a year without manual intervention;

-- Provides real-time and historical detection monitoring and alarm features;

-- Has been field integrated with Ethernet IP communications;

-- Easy to monitor and use by operational, engineering, and maintenance staff and includes city-wide, corridor, and intersection graphical displays;

-- Capable of identifying system malfunctions and abnormalities and generate alarms for operators or maintenance personnel;

-- Automatically records timing and detection information for 365 days for historical analysis;

-- Provides pre-emption and transit priority features.

About TransCore

TransCore's 75-year heritage supporting the transportation industry spans the development of RFID transportation applications at Los Alamos National Labs to implementation of the nation's first electronic toll collection system. The breadth of the company's expertise includes traffic management systems, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), systems integration, design consulting, operations, maintenance, RFID manufacturing, and extensive Web-based logistics systems. TransCore has installations in 46 countries and a vast portfolio of intellectual property. In 2011, Engineering News-Record (ENR) ranked TransCore No. 154 out of the Top 500 Design Firms.

TransCore offers an extensive suite of enterprise software applications, business process outsourcing, system integration, customer care and maintenance services to provide complete solutions, configurable to customers' requirements. TransCore is a U.S. owned and operated company with headquarters in Harrisburg, Pa. TransCore operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of Roper Industries, a Standard and Poor's S&P 500 Index company. For more information, visit www.transcore.com .

SOURCE: TransCore

                        TransCore           Barbara Catlin, 972-740-7150           barbara.catlin@transcore.com           Booth #1949

18 Oct, 2011

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Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNF4_ZYUFvEDeW5bfK70KH97ft7U1Q&url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/city-of-san-jose-awards-transcore-real-time-adaptive-traffic-management-contract-2011-10-18
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Travel misery for commuters - The Press Association

Travel misery for commuters

(UKPA) – 7 hours ago

Rail and Tube passengers have endured morning rush-hour travel misery, with services to a main London terminus badly disrupted.

Overhead wire problems in the Bethnal Green area of east London led to long delays and cancellations to trains in and out of London's Liverpool Street station.

Among those affected were air passengers using the Stansted Express to Stansted airport in Essex.

Two Underground lines were also hit by delays. The Bethnal Green problems led to a reduced train service running between Shenfield in Essex and Stratford in east London to Liverpool Street. No trains were able to operate between Hackney Downs and Liverpool Street.

Trains between Cambridge and Liverpool Street were running only between Cambridge and Tottenham Hale, while the Stansted Express was reduced to a half-hourly service, starting and terminating at Stratford. Hertford East services were also starting and finishing at Stratford.

Delays to services that were able to run to Liverpool Street were as long as 60 minutes, with the National Express East Anglia train company advising passengers not to travel unless necessary. On the London Underground, late-running engineering work in the Harrow area of north west London led to severe delays on the Metropolitan line during the morning rush-hour.

There were also severe delays on the Piccadilly line, which was suspended between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge due to a signal failure in the Ealing Common area of west London. There were long delays between Acton Town and Rayners Lane.

Bob Crow, leader of the RMT transport union, said: "Tube delays are occurring on almost a daily basis, with worse to come over the winter because of the impact of maintenance cuts."

A Transport for London spokesman said: "Following late-finishing engineering work on the northbound Metropolitan line first thing this morning between Baker Street and Rickmansworth/Rayners Lane, services began operating at 5.57am.

"On the Piccadilly line, due to a signal failure, there was no service from 6am between Acton Town and Uxbridge. London Underground engineers worked hard to resolve the problem as quickly as possible and services resumed at 7.30am. We apologise to customers for disruption caused to their journeys this morning."

18 Oct, 2011

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Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNH2yyvdvVN99N0A3Y9tVA751gYLQA&url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hR8vpv0lGvAqJsmErHIZ7n2GUCOQ?docId=B8961841318930302A00000
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Hotel Monaco Portland Adds Electric Car Charging Station - San Francisco Chronicle (press release)

Among the first in the city, Green Key certified Hotel Monaco Portland adds electric car charging service for eco-minded guests at no charge.

Portland, OR (PRWEB) October 18, 2011

A long-time leader in sustainable travel practices, Kimpton's Hotel Monaco Portland adds another notch to its proverbial green belt with two electric car charging stations. The hotel is among the first in the city to provide this service, and offers the charging complimentary to all hotel guests who drive and park electric cars.

"The Hotel Monaco and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants have always led the way in environmental initiatives and technologies," said Craig Thompson, general manager of the Hotel Monaco Portland. "This new service we are offering to our guests is one more example of our commitment and dedication to providing as sustainable a travel experience as possible."

The Hotel Monaco Portland has been a pioneer in environmental responsibility, becoming one of the first hotels in Portland to achieve Green Key Certification in 2011. This means the Monaco meets stringent environmental standards designed to reduce impact on the environment and human health. The Hotel Monaco's long-time commitment to environmental responsibility was recognized by Oregon Business Magazine as the Best Green Company to work for in 2010. The hotel also offers a 50% discount on parking for hybrid cars.

Embodying Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants EarthCare initiatives, Hotel Monaco Portland
incorporates more than 100 eco-friendly practices into daily operations, including in-room recycling bins, low-flow faucets, toilets and showers, and the donation of unused amenity bottles to local charities. New initiatives recently added to Kimpton's daily environmental practices include converting certain paper products to Fiberstone, a tree-free, water-free, natural paper alternative and converting to printer ink with a 70/80 ratio of bio-renewable content (higher BRC than soy ink).

Guests can make reservations at 1-800 KIMPTON or www.monaco-portland.com.
For more information, please contact Brandyn Hull at (206) 340-6678 or Melanie Blair at (206) 516-5049. Photos available upon request.

###

For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2011/10/prweb8881384.htm

18 Oct, 2011

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Philly police: Disabled victimized by theft scheme - Seattle Post Intelligencer

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A woman convicted in the starvation death of a man nearly 20 years ago is facing charges of kidnapping and false imprisonment for allegedly preying on four mentally disabled adults, locking them in a basement and wresting control of their Social Security disability checks.

Linda Ann Weston was charged Monday with kidnapping, false imprisonment and other offenses, with bail set at $2.5 million after her landlord stumbled upon the four adults, all weak and malnourished, in a dank, foul smelling boiler room on Saturday.

Also charged were Eddie "the Rev. Ed" Wright and Gregory Thomas as Philadelphia police and the FBI investigate.

Detectives also found dozens of ID cards, power-of-attorney forms and other documents in the apartment, suggesting the alleged theft scheme involved more than just the four captives.

In 1983, a 13-year-old Philadelphia boy testified that his older sister had beaten another sister's boyfriend with a broomstick and locked him in a closet. The man died of starvation weeks later.

Linda Ann Weston was convicted of murder, but it's not clear from court records how much time she spent in prison.

She's now behind bars in another heinous scheme that echoes the earlier case.

Weston, now 51, is accused of preying on four mentally disabled adults, and locking them in a basement crawlspace in northeast Philadelphia. A landlord found them Saturday, weak and malnourished.

Police suspect Weston and two others were keeping them in squalor while wresting control of their Social Security checks. One victim said he met Weston through an online dating service.

"That was real dirty of (her). That was wrong," Derwin McLemire told KWY-TV on Monday. "I escaped one time to one of the house that we used to live in, of hers, and I didn't get away so they got me."

He and two others told the station they had been on the move for about a year with their alleged captors, traveling from Texas to Florida to Philadelphia.

"They moved them around," Police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said Monday after examining the boiler room-turned-dungeon inside a small apartment house. "Whenever it looked like people knew what was going on, they moved."

The landlord found the victims Saturday morning after he heard dogs barking in the area. He found the door to the foul-smelling room chained shut. Inside, Turgut Gozleveli lifted a pile of blankets to find several sets of human eyes staring back at him. One man was chained to the boiler.

Philadelphia police soon arrested Weston at her daughter's apartment upstairs, along with two other men.

"Without a doubt. This is just the beginning of this investigation," Lt. Ray Evers said Monday. "She's been out of jail for a period of time, and we think she's being doing this for quite some time."

Exactly how long, how much money the scheme brought in, precisely how the disabled were deceived, and how many people in all were victimized are still unclear, investigators said. The FBI has joined the investigation.

Weston was charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment and other offenses, with bail set at $2.5 million. Also arrested and jailed were Wright, 50, whom she described as her boyfriend, and 47-year-old Thomas.

"Talk about preying on the weak and weary," Evers said. "You can't get any lower than this person."

A Florida girl missing from West Palm Beach, where neighbors said the group had come from earlier this month, was also located by police. The girl's mother told WPTV-TV she was friends with the son of one suspect and disappeared around the time one suspect abandoned a home there.

As of Monday, the defendants did not appear to have lawyers.

The victims, a woman and three men, were found in a crawlspace that reeked of urine and was too shallow for an adult to stand up. There were mattresses and blankets, but the only food found was a container of orange juice. The adults shared their space with three dogs.

Gozleveli called police, suspecting they were squatters, then watched as officers and ambulance workers helped them up the steps to the street in a working-class section of the city's Tacony neighborhood.

The victims, ages 29 to 41, had the mental capacity of 10-year-olds, along with some physical disabilities, authorities said. One could barely see.

Neighbors said the defendants and their alleged captives had arrived in an SUV from West Palm Beach, Fla., about two weeks ago, though it does not appear the victims spent the entire time in the basement.

Danyell "Nicky" Tisdale, a block captain in the neighborhood, said that about a week ago, a man and woman and four mentally disabled adults held a yard sale, selling piles of shoes, jackets and other clothing on the sidewalk.

Since the arrests, police have slowly and patiently been trying to elicit information from the alleged captives. All four were treated at hospitals and placed with social service agencies.

The woman had been reported missing by her family in Philadelphia in 2005, police said. One of the men was also from Philadelphia, and a second one from North Carolina. Their relatives were contacted. Police were having trouble finding family members for the fourth victim, 40-year-old Herbert Knowles.

According to an investigative report obtained by The Associated Press, Knowles was reported missing in Norfolk, Va., in December 2008 after a mental health case worker couldn't reach him and family members failed to hear from him.

The case worker reported that Knowles' Social Security checks were going to a Philadelphia address. The report said Philadelphia police went by the address and were told no one there had ever heard of Knowles.

Knowles' government benefits were stopped at one point after his mail was forwarded to Philadelphia, but Weston took the man to a Philadelphia social service agency in 2008 and showed identification, and the checks resumed, Norfolk police said.

Norfolk police spokesman Chris Amos said police did not continue looking for Knowles because as an adult he was under no obligation to report to his case worker.

"It's not illegal to be missing," Amos said. "A lot of people are missing by choice."

Scam artists can get control of a disabled person's checks by visiting the Social Security office with the victim, who then designates the other person to receive the payments, said Nora J. Baladerian, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles and advocate for people with disabilities.

Only if there is a report of suspected abuse would social service agencies enter the picture, she said.

In Florida, Weston and Thomas appeared to live with several disabled adults, including a man and woman who had bruises on their faces, neighbors in a poor section of West Palm Beach said. The woman also had what looked like a large burn mark on her face, neighbor Ronald Bass said.

He said he often heard yelling, apparently from the disabled women, and that police frequently went to the house.

Another neighbor, Sadie Pollard, said she saw bruised lips and other facial injuries on the disabled people, but was told they had been fighting with each other.

Mark Riordan, a spokesman for the Florida Department of Children and Families, said a search of its databases as well as vital statistics and school records, found no record of the alleged perpetrators, the victims, or the children who lived with them.

"This family has clearly led a nomadic lifestyle and had become quite adept living beneath the radar. Until now," he said.

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Associated Press Writers Randy Pennell and JoAnn Loviglio in Philadelphia, Dena Potter in Richmond and Matt Sedensky in West Palm Beach contributed to this report.

18 Oct, 2011

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Debris litters beach after DeLuna Fest weekend - Pensacola News Journal

As work crews quickly broke down DeLuna Fest stages, packed up barricades and loaded up scaffolding on Monday, Josalan Credlebaugh dug in the sand on the edge of the water on Pensacola Beach and pulled up a discarded mini-vodka bottle.

"Look what I found," she exclaimed.

Trash is not what the 5-year-old and her family from Dayton, Ohio, thought they'd find on their first trip to Pensacola Beach.

"It's very disappointing to see the trash," said Josalan's mother, Julie Credlebaugh, 30, pointing to another tiny liquor bottle poking out of the sand, along with plastic straws and cups and even a discarded sock.

It was clear, DeLuna Fest fans did not read the sign at Lazy Days beach chair and umbrella rental at the Hilton that stated: "Leave only your footprints."

Trash from the three-day concert was strewn down the beach and even buried in the sand late Monday and included plastic water bottles, Jell-O shot cups, duct tape, DeLuna Fest beverage signs, plastic utensils, glass liquor bottles, T-shirts, a vendor's event receipt, dozens of cigarette packages and countless cigarette butts.

Toilet paper sprayed out onto the crowd Friday night by electronic music artist Girl Talk was mixed in with all the trash in front of The Dock lounge.

Hopefully, the Credlebaugh family will get a chance to see the beach in its pristine glory before they leave by the weekend.

At least, that's what Five Flags Tourism Group's managing partner Scott Mitchell promised.

"By Bands on the Beach, you won't even know we were out here," Mitchell said about today's 7 p.m. weekly concert series at Casino Beach, sponsored by the Santa Rosa Island Authority.

Mitchell said it's in his contract to put the beach back the way it was before DeLuna Fest, which began Friday and ran through Sunday night.

The Island Authority staff is expected to meet with DeLuna Fest officials today to make sure everything is buttoned-up to the Island Authority's expectations.

Last year, it took a few days to return the beach to normal. But last year, the trash was isolated to the Casino Beach area, not spread a quarter of a mile down the beach.

"DeLuna Fest will clean it up, or we'll do it and send them a bill," said Santa Rosa Island Authority Executive Director W. A. "Buck" Lee.

With work moving quickly on Monday to pack up all the DeLuna Fest gear and equipment, Lee said he expects Casino Beach parking lot to cleared of any sign of the three-day music festival by tonight.

Bands on the Beach fans should not have any problems finding parking for the performance of the Sawmill Band from the Farmers' Opry House in Chumuckla, he said.

18 Oct, 2011

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Gogobot Takes Social Travel Discovery Platform Mobile With iOS App - TechCrunch

Travel discovery startup Gogobot is making its first entry into the mobile space today with a new, free iOS app.

In case you aren't familiar, Gogobot is sort of like a Yelp for travel. The site leverages social data from Facebook, Foursquare and other services. You can navigate Gogobot by searching for places or things and see where a particular user has gone by navigating his or her passports. Check out our launch post from last year for a detailed review of the service.

The new iOS app includes all this functionality and more, plus allows you to create and share real-time digital postcards, find nearby restaurant, hotels and attractions to your current location, and access personalized trip plans.

Users of the app can select their current location, snap a photo and choose from more than ten different styles and filters to transform their photos (or photos from Gogobot's extensive catalogue) into beautiful, geo-tagged digital postcards. It's sort of like an Instagram experience but tailored for travel.

Users can rate the places they have been to on the fly, write reviews and share the postcards immediately with friends via Facebook or Twitter. Each postcard is added automatically to a user's Gogobot Guide on the site.

The Gogobot App also allows users to access the trip plans that they've created on their Gogobot.com profiles, including maps, reviews and more. Additionally, the 'Nearby' function lists the best restaurants, hotels and attractions automatically based on a user's location, making it easy to find recommended places on the fly. Similar to Gogobot.com, the app sorts destinations based on your friends' ratings.

As we mentioned above, this is Gogobot's first entry into the mobile space, and an Android app will be arriving early next year, says Gogobot CEO Travis Katz. With the company's mobile strategy, "the whole idea is how to capture mobile behaviors when people travel (i.e. taking pictures, checkins) and to make the experience it useful and beautiful," he explains.

Called by Michael Arrington "one of my favorite new startups for 2010," Gogobot connects you with friends to make planning and sharing your travels fun. Based in Silicon Valley, Gogobot launched its private beta in November, 2010. The site has been covered by TechCrunch, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, AllThingsD, Trendslate, the nationally syndicated Nate Berkus Show, WGN-TV Chicago and was mentioned in Trendwatching's 11 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2011. The site was founded by ex-MySpace exec Travis...

Learn more

18 Oct, 2011

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Nazi death camp inmate art exhibited at Auschwitz museum, travels next to US - Washington Post

WARSAW, Poland — Photos of drawings and artifacts clandestinely made by Nazi death camp inmates during World War II are on show at the Auschwitz museum and are to travel next to the United States.

A museum spokesman, Pawel Sawicki, said Tuesday that the "Forbidden Art" exhibition is on show at the former camp bath building at Auschwitz I, the original part of the death camp.

Large color pictures show drawings and sculptures made by inmates of Auschwitz and the Buchenwald and Ravensbrueck German death camps.

The exhibition is also to travel to Washington and Detroit this year. The originals remain in storage at Auschwitz to protect them from possible damage.

More than 1 million people, mostly Jews, died at Auschwitz between 1940-45.

18 Oct, 2011

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Celebrate Passenger Ship Travel with Thomas Cook Cruises - MarketWatch (press release)

LONDON, Oct 18, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- As part of its running series of infographics- celebrating 170 years since being founded in 1841- renowned worldwide travel company Thomas Cook has turned its attention to the high seas; celebrating the triumphs of shipping exploration, which have contributed in today's large cruise liners taking thousands of holidaymakers to all corners of the globe.

As Cunard's Queen Elizabeth celebrates her own one year anniversary, to mark the evolution of passenger ship travel, Thomas Cook is today launching the Passenger Ship Travel Through The Ages info-graphic -- a graphically illustrated timeline highlighting those historical feats of exploration and engineering, which have enabled passenger ship travel to evolve into today's globally popular holiday cruises.

The info-graphic was designed by young illustrator Anna Trench -- known for her political satire illustrations with the Guardian.

From the behemoth sized, Syracusia, which only sailed once in 240 BC, to the large cruise liners regularly operating today, the timeline represents the achievements of those historic explorers who continually showed endeavour when battling the high seas; sailing these remarkable ships to new unforeseen worlds. Their astonishing courage has ensured that today every destination on earth is always within our grasp.

Some of the most famous ships have been catalogued; beautifully illustrated along with simple facts beside them to truly show how special they were.

Commenting on the info graphic, a spokesperson for Thomas Cook said "From those early vessels, which helped explorers travel to the unknown, to the iconic feats of engineering, which have shaped passenger travel today, it's truly remarkable to see how much things have changed. This info-graphic beautifully represents the triumphs of nautical travel."

With over 30 cruise lines to choose from, Thomas Cook has been successful in building an enviable reputation as the UK's number one cruise retailer able to search the entire market to find the best cruise deals and provide independent, specialist advice for its customers.

To view the timeline, visit http://blog.thomascook.com/cruise/passenger-ship-travel-through-the-ages-infographic/

Thomas Cook UK & Ireland is part of Thomas Cook Group plc. For more information please visit http://www.thomascook.com .

SOURCE: Thomas Cook

                        Thomas Cook Group Plc           pressoffice@thomascook.com           +44 (0) 1733 417271

18 Oct, 2011

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Lot18 Ventures Turns Wine Into Wine Country Excursions - All Things Digital

Lot18, which offers wines online for a discount, is expanding into travel deals that are packaged especially for lovers of the fermented grape.

With the launch of the travel vertical, the members-only, flash sales site treads more heavily into others' territory, which has been working on travel packages and other experiences for much longer.

Several other daily deals and flash sales sites have already gotten into the business of offering travel packages, ranging from Groupon's partnership with Expedia that afters the mass market to Gilt Groupe's high-end and exclusive vacations on its own Jetsetter.com.

The company's new Lot18 Experiences will offer a twist and focus exclusively on wine-and gourmet food-themed excursions, ranging from vineyard tours to dinners at well-know restaurants.

New York-based Lot18, which has raised roughly $13 million in total from investors, including the founders of Amazon-owned Diapers.com, has 550,000 members and has sold more than 500,000 bottles of wine.

The capital was expected to be used for launching new verticals, and now the launch of Lot18 Experiences coincides with the company's one-year anniversary.

When it goes live today, travel packages will include a seven-week trip to several of the world's major wine regions (Bordeaux, Napa, Mendoza, South Africa, Italy, Spain, Germany and Portugal). On a smaller scale, there will be one-night-only offers, such as food-and-wine-pairing dinners at Auberge du Soleil, in Napa and Le Bernardin in New York.

It will soon also launch in Chicago, Los Angeles and other major cities through a network of partner sites, to be announced later.

In addition to wine and experiences, the site also offers gourmet food products, such as olive oil, chocolate, caviar, coffee and more.

18 Oct, 2011

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Arrest ends SWAT officers' standoff in Cocoa Beach - Florida Today

COCOA BEACH — At about 6:30 a.m. Monday, James Varnadoe walked outside to smoke a cigarette on his porch in the pre-dawn darkness before getting his first-grade son, Luis, ready for school.

That's when he said Stephen Downey, his erratically behaving neighbor in Unit 10 of The Courtyards apartments, shined a light at him and threatened to stab him.

"He was beet-red, yelling and screaming and waving the knife around and threatening to cut me up," Varnadoe recalled.

"I was fearful that the guy was going to cut me up or attack my son," he said.

Varnadoe called 9-1-1 — and Downey tried to slash the Cocoa Beach police officer who responded to the scene, Maj. Jay Harmon said.

A morning-long standoff at complex ensued after Downey barricaded himself inside his apartment, which is at South Orlando Avenue and Fourth Street South. He even donned a gas mask to fend off tear gas deployed by camouflaged SWAT-team members, Harmon said.

The standoff ended about 11:45 a.m. when SWAT officers entered the ground-level apartment and shot Downey with a Taser, Harmon said. Downey was arrested, placed shirtless in the back of a cruiser, and taken to Cape Canaveral Hospital for evaluation and to remove an embedded Taser probe.

No bullets were fired and no other injuries were reported during the standoff, which snarled southbound State Road A1A traffic, locked down nearby Freedom 7 Elementary, and attracted dozens of neighborhood spectators.

"I've never seen anything like this since I was back a long way away from here," Steve Cole, who served a combat stint in Vietnam from 1966-68, said from a nearby sidewalk while watching flak-jacketed officers patrol the property.

Downey faces charges of aggravated assault, aggravated assault on a law-enforcement officer and resisting officers with violence. The 43-year-old was transported to the Brevard County Jail Complex and held on $90,000 bond.

Harmon said Downey had an altercation with a Cocoa Beach police officer who responded to Varnadoe's 9-1-1 call. Then Downey slammed his apartment door shut and refused to open it.

Mark McConnell has lived at The Courtyards about three years. He said Downey stopped taking medications, and his behavior became erratic and escalated out of control the past two weeks.

Sunday, McConnell collected petition signatures from neighbors asking their landlord to evict Downey.

"He went from being a friendly guy to talking all kinds of crazy conspiracy theories," he said.

The SWAT team deployed a wheeled remote-control robot during the incident. Harmon said negotiations proved unsuccessful, and all three of Downey's windows had shattered by the end of the standoff.

18 Oct, 2011

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A Room With a "Boo": TripAdvisor Announces America's Top 10 Haunted Hotels - MarketWatch (press release)

NEWTON, Mass., Oct. 18, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced America's top 10 spookiest accommodations, based on properties featuring the greatest number of traveler comments referencing "ghosts" or "haunted" on TripAdvisor.com.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please click: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/49247-tripadvisor-announces-america-s-top-10-haunted-hotels

With 17 percent of travelers maintaining they have had a ghostly or supernatural encounter in a hotel, according to a TripAdvisor site poll of more than 800 respondents, these spirited properties put the host in "g-host" for specter-seekers and supernatural-skeptics alike.

1. 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa, Eureka Springs, Arkansas - Average Nightly Rate: $91 - $214

Constructed in 1886, this mountaintop spa resort boasts a number of spirits, including Michael, an Irish stonemason who fell to his death while building the hotel, and even a cat, named Morris. Daily ghost tours ($18 for adults; $7 for under-12s) offer a behind-the-scenes peek at the property, and access to otherwise off-limits sights including the basement and morgue. According to one TripAdvisor traveler, "I found it to be the spookiest of all the 'haunted' hotels I have stayed at... I was surprised to find many orbs in the photos we took."

2. Hotel Queen Mary, Long Beach, California - Average Nightly Rate: $89 - $179

Since making her maiden voyage in 1936, this historic steamship has served as a luxury ocean liner, troopship and in more recent years, a stationary hotel. Some 55 ghosts are rumored to linger on-board, including Jackie, a young girl who can be found taking a dip in the swimming pool. One TripAdvisor traveler noted, "I want to believe that everything that we experienced was real. We did record some orbs flying around our room while we slept. (We set up our video recorder on night vision)."

3. Stanley Hotel, Estes Park, Colorado - Average Nightly Rate: $142 - $291

This property, which first opened its doors in 1909, is known for its inspirational role in the Stephen King classic, "The Shining". Regular ghost hunts ($7 - $50 for adults) take travelers to some of the property's most haunted hotspots, including the concert hall, in search of paranormal experiences. One TripAdvisor traveler wrote, "Had a lot of activity from the playful spirits there. The closet door opened and closed several times, the TV turned itself off and on, the covers were pulled off of us in the night and there was audible whispering in the room."

4. Copper Queen Hotel, Bisbee, Arizona - Average Nightly Rate: $75 - $150

Completed in 1902, this property was the product of a booming mining town, and built to accommodate visiting investors and dignitaries. Today, guests can rub shoulders with three resident ghosts: Julia Lowell, a lady of the night; a dapper gentleman wearing a cape and a top hat, and a mischievous young boy. One TripAdvisor traveler noted, "If you want to try finding a ghost ask for an 'active' room! We had an active room and let's just say I couldn't quite explain all that I saw and heard!"

5. Marshall House, Savannah, Georgia - Average Nightly Rate: $112 - $236

Designated as a National Historic Building by The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation, this property has served many different uses since being built in 1851, including serving as a hospital for Civil War soldiers. Since reopening as a hotel in 1999, many guests have reported ghostly sightings. One TripAdvisor traveler stated, "...Heard someone running in the room above me. Upon telling the staff we were told the entire floor above us was empty. So if you're looking for a ghostly experience, definitely consider this hotel."

6. Admiral Fell Inn, Baltimore, Maryland - Average Nightly Rate: $154 - $333

This historic property, comprising seven different buildings dating back to the 1770s, boasts a rich history. Among other uses, the Inn has formerly served as a theater and a boarding house for sailors - and today, travelers can choose from 80 unique guestrooms and partake in free ghost tours on Friday and Saturday evenings. "If you are searching for character, charm, great service and ghost history this is the place to stay," suggested one TripAdvisor traveler.

7. The Menger Hotel, San Antonio, Texas - Average Nightly Rate: $90 - $175

This hotel, situated next to the Alamo, was built in 1859 on the site of Texas' first brewery. Photos of prominent former guests, from Babe Ruth to President Theodore Roosevelt, line the walls - and Roosevelt's spirit is rumored to have since been seen sipping on a drink at the hotel bar, in which he recruited cowboys for the Rough Riders. One TripAdvisor traveler noted, "...Felt cold spots in several places in and around the hotel and got plenty of goose bumps during our stay, but I never once felt afraid."

8. Bullock Hotel, Deadwood, South Dakota - Average Nightly Rate: $100

This historic hotel was founded in the 1890s by Deadwood's first Sheriff, Seth Bullock, and today, visitors to the town can pay their respects to the former lawman and other notable Wild West figures, including Calamity Jane, at the nearby Mount Moriah Cemetery. Hotel guests may be in for a much closer encounter with Bullock, whose spirit has supposedly roamed the property since his passing in 1919. One TripAdvisor traveler commented, "Heard tell of the ghost tour, but didn't need to go on it as we could feel Seth Bullock's presence in the hotel already!"

9. Place D'Armes Hotel, New Orleans, Louisiana - Average Nightly Rate: $119 - $480

Located in the heart of the French Quarter, this property is said to have been built on the site of a former school house that was destroyed in a fire, in which many perished. Resident ghosts are rumored to include former pupils, as well as an elderly bearded man dressed in 1800's attire. One TripAdvisor traveler noted, "...My husband and daughter said they heard children laughing and playing in the next room and the ceiling fan came on all by itself. There was no next room, it was a brick wall outside!"

10. Hotel Del Coronado, Coronado, California - Average Nightly Rate: $289 - $720

Sun, sand and spirits are the order of the day at this beachfront getaway, built in 1888. The property has seen a stream of famed visitors over the years, from Charlie Chaplin, to Humphrey Bogart - but it is a former guest by the name of Kate Morgan who has continued to make her presence felt, since taking her life at the resort in 1892. According to one TripAdvisor traveler, "I brought my K2 Meter (it's believed the meter can pick up the 'magnetic fields' of spirits). I actually got some 'hits' on it while we were having breakfast in our room."

"Paranormal experiences may not be guaranteed at these 'haunted' properties, but their rich histories and colorful pasts offer travelers an entertaining and spine-tingling trip back in time," said Karen Drake, senior director of communications for TripAdvisor.

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features (including Flights search, TripAdvisor Mobile and Instant Personalization) with seamless links to booking tools.

TripAdvisor® Media Group, operated by TripAdvisor LLC, attracts more than 65 million unique monthly visitors* across 19 popular travel brands**. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors***, 20 million members, and over 50 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide****, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also operates TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor's millions of monthly visitors. The division includes Business Listings, which allows hoteliers to connect directly to millions of researching travelers, and Vacation Rentals, which helps property managers and individual home owners list their properties and showcase hotel alternatives.

TripAdvisor Media Group websites have been recognized as top travel resources in 2010 by Conde Nast Traveller, Good Housekeeping, TIME magazine and Travel + Leisure.

TripAdvisor Media Group generated $486 million in revenue in 2010. TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Group are operating companies of Expedia, Inc. /quotes/zigman/97682/quotes/nls/expe EXPE -0.82% .

TripAdvisor and the TripAdvisor logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TripAdvisor LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Media Group Sites, Worldwide, August 2011

** In addition to TripAdvisor, The TripAdvisor Media Group of websites includes: www.airfarewatchdog.com , www.bookingbuddy.com , www.cruisecritic.com , www.everytrail.com , www.familyvacationcritic.com , www.flipkey.com , www.holidaylettings.co.uk , www.holidaywatchdog.com , www.independenttraveler.com , www.onetime.com , www.seatguru.com , www.sniqueaway.com , www.smartertravel.com , www.travel-library.com , www.travelpod.com , www.virtualtourist.com , www.whereivebeen.com , and www.kuxun.cn .

***Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, August 2011

**** TripAdvisor sites operate in 30 countries worldwide: www.tripadvisor.com , www.tripadvisor.co.uk , www.tripadvisor.ca , www.tripadvisor.it , www.tripadvisor.es , www.tripadvisor.de , www.tripadvisor.fr , www.tripadvisor.jp , www.daodao.com , www.tripadvisor.in , www.tripadvisor.se , www.tripadvisor.nl , www.tripadvisor.com.br , www.tripadvisor.com.tr , www.tripadvisor.dk , www.tripadvisor.com.mx , www.tripadvisor.ie , www.tripadvisor.com.au , www.tripadvisor.com.sg , www.tripadvisor.co.kr , no.tripadvisor.com, pl.tripadvisor.com, th.tripadvisor.com, www.tripadvisor.ru , www.tripadvisor.com.gr , www.tripadvisor.co.id , www.tripadvisor.com.ar , www.tripadvisor.tw , www.tripadvisor.com.my , and www.tripadvisor.com.eg .

SOURCE TripAdvisor

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Gross Sight in Hotel Window, a Hot Time at the Dentist's - Patch.com

Each week, Patch takes a peek at some of the more surprising, shocking, stunning and occasionally silly police-related incidents reported throughout New Jersey for "OMGs from NJ PDs." Some of this week's reports:

Cleanup, Aisle 9: If you're a frequent shoplifter, you're probably pretty cynical about loss prevention specialists and other store employees. You're a pro. Ain't no rent-a-cop gonna slow you down. But you probably aren't quite as cocky when you run into the real, badge-possessing deal, are you? Toms River police said one shoplifter had the misfortune of crossing paths with an off-duty officer. And things got a bit messy when the shoplifter got into a tussle with a store employee, police said. We're thinking the alleged shoplifter and his wife, also charged, probably didn't save enough with their alleged five-finger discount to pay for a combined $10,000 in bail.

Nothing to Smile About: No one likes going to the dentist. But you'd probably like it even less if while you were there, someone tried to burn down the office. Bloomfield police say a man tried that, pouring a flammable liquid on the floor, because he was upset about dental work from five years before. Clearly, he didn't know he could just leave a review on the Bloomfield Patch places page (we've got one for businesses in every Patch-covered area), which we're sure would have gotten his point across just as effectively.

Some Things, You Don't Try to Lift: Cops like holding onto their guns. Well, it's not so much that they like holding onto their guns, as they really don't like you trying to get a hold of them. Parsippany police said a shoplifter learned that the hard way after he tried to disarm an officer. The shoplifter failed, and wound up with a face full of pepper spray, police said.

Special Delivery: When you've got a warrant out on an alleged Megan's Law offense (and we're really hoping that's a totally hypothetical you, not the literal you), the last person you want to see is an officer. So the last place you probably want to wind up is at an officer's house (well, second to last; the last place is probably jail). South Brunswick police say they caught a man when he showed up to a house offering to cut down trees, and an officer in full uniform opened the door. The officer was skeptical of someone going door-to-door and thought the man was acting suspiciously, so he investigated further, police said. We're thinking telemarketing might be a better gig for this guy in the future. It's less confrontational.

Yuck. Furthermore, Yuck: You know what's ickier than a guy allegedly exposing himself from a hotel window to passers-by? A guy allegedly doing it twice. The second time, South Brunswick police say, the man had the blinds pulled down to obstruct his face (but not to obstruct the things you'd want obstructed). But it didn't take long for officers to figure out who was staying in the hotel room. And even if they didn't recognize the description, they recognized his alleged behavior, as he'd been arrested in a similar alleged incident just a few weeks earlier.

About this column: "OMGs from NJ PDs" reviews the surprising, shocking, stunning and occasionally silly police-related incidents reported by New Jersey Patch sites over the last week.

18 Oct, 2011

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Pebblebrook Hotel Trust Announces Third Quarter Earnings Call to Be Held on ... - MarketWatch (press release)

BETHESDA, Md., Oct 18, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Pebblebrook Hotel Trust /quotes/zigman/580005/quotes/nls/peb PEB -2.03% (the "Company") today announced that it will report financial results for the third quarter of 2011 on Thursday, October 27, 2011, after the market closes. Management will discuss the Company's third quarter results and its business outlook for the remainder of 2011 on Friday, October 28, 2011, at 9:00 AM EDT.

To participate in the conference call, please follow the steps listed below:

On Friday, October 28, 2011, dial (800) 441-0022 approximately ten minutes before the call begins (8:50 AM EDT);

Tell the operator that you are calling for Pebblebrook Hotel Trust's Third Quarter 2011 Earnings Conference Call;

State your full name and company affiliation and you will be connected to the call.

A live webcast of the Earnings Call will also be available through the Company's website. To access, log on to http://www.pebblebrookhotels.com ten minutes prior to the call. A replay of the conference call webcast will be archived and available online through the Investor Relations section of http://www.pebblebrookhotels.com .

About Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

Pebblebrook Hotel Trust is a publicly traded real estate investment trust ("REIT") organized to opportunistically acquire and invest primarily in upper upscale, full service hotels located in large urban and resort markets with an emphasis on the major coastal cities. The Company owns 20 hotels, comprised of 14 wholly-owned hotels, with a total of 3,812 guest rooms and a 49% joint venture interest in 6 hotels with 1,732 guest rooms. The Company owns, or has an ownership interest in, hotels located in nine states and the District of Columbia, including 14 markets: Bethesda, Maryland; San Francisco, California; Buckhead, Georgia; Washington, DC; Minneapolis, Minnesota; Stevenson, Washington; Santa Monica, California; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; San Diego, California; Seattle, Washington; West Hollywood, California; Miami, Florida; Boston, Massachusetts; and New York, New York. For more information, please visit www.pebblebrookhotels.com .

For additional information or to receive press releases via email, please visit our website at

www.pebblebrookhotels.com

SOURCE: Pebblebrook Hotel Trust

                        Pebblebrook Hotel Trust           Raymond D. Martz, 240-507-1330           Chief Financial Officer

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18 Oct, 2011

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Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&usg=AFQjCNG34i9_tk0XP7RErCtC5Y-Nu_fURQ&url=http://www.marketwatch.com/story/pebblebrook-hotel-trust-announces-third-quarter-earnings-call-to-be-held-on-october-28-2011-2011-10-18
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