tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-71643679857396575112024-03-13T06:36:49.096-04:00Perpetual MotionMark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.comBlogger203125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-13981950774172588842016-03-01T09:09:00.003-05:002016-03-01T09:09:24.102-05:00The Ute in its Natural Habitat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Spotted this specimen in Western Australia...<br />
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Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-53494163125056154622016-02-22T12:56:00.001-05:002016-02-22T13:01:18.984-05:00Flying Fish Cove winery in Margaret River, Western Australia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I was lucky enough to be able to visit this winery recently, driving down from Perth and staying locally. It's set back from the road, as you can see, down a short path. Nicely decorated inside with photos of local surfing and the surrounding area (the founder is also a surfer). <br />
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Following a wine tasting, I picked up a 2011 "Wildberry" Cabernet Sauvignon. In the tasting, it was fruity and balanced. I'm looking forward to opening this bottle!<br />
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Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-11829130397128918242016-02-18T11:31:00.003-05:002016-02-18T11:31:57.290-05:00Marriott McDowell Mountain<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Although it has attractive subdued and area-appropriate architecture, I sometimes feel that the best view at the Marriott McDowell Mountain is the view <i>from</i> the hotel. Here is the view out from the front entrance/lobby:<br />
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Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-50349405908569532892016-02-16T12:09:00.001-05:002016-02-16T12:09:29.345-05:00Crossrail station at Canary Wharf is coming along well<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
You can see it on the right of this photo. Lots of new shops, and already it provides a way to walk over the waterway there without getting drenched when it is raining. Looking forward to when the trains start running, and getting quickly to and from Heathrow from Canary Wharf.<br />
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As a side point, I found this <a href="http://www.citymetric.com/transport/londons-crossrail-needs-rename-almost-all-its-stations-1742">blog post on the naming of Crossrail stations</a> very interesting. <br />
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Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-72858573365847992562016-02-12T13:55:00.003-05:002016-02-12T13:55:53.908-05:00Rolld in Brisbane<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I love these Vietnamese wraps - tasty and healthy. It reminded me of Freshroll in San Francisco. Highly recommended.<br />
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Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-38211616305371814622016-02-11T11:06:00.005-05:002016-02-11T11:19:58.318-05:00Beach at San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A really good Marriott property which I stayed at recently is the <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sjupr-san-juan-marriott-resort-and-stellaris-casino/?pid=corptbta&scid=b661a3c4-9c47-48c8-9e13-75b66089dd79">San Juan Marriot Resort and Stellaris Casino, in San Juan, Puerto Rico</a>.<br />
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Beautiful beach, though with high waves and not really suitable for swimming (at least when I was there). But the hotel has great pools, right by the beach, which more than make up for this.<br />
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Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-78675049211183793712016-02-10T10:44:00.000-05:002016-02-10T10:44:01.085-05:00Gallery Inn in San Juan, Puerto Rico<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I stayed at the <a href="http://www.thegalleryinn.com/">Gallery Inn in San Juan, Puerto Rico</a> recently, and highly recommend it. The eclectic decor and the Spanish-speaking parrots were highlights.<br />
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It's centrally-located, so it's a short walking distance from everything. <br />
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Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-48754425764792690342013-06-09T09:02:00.001-04:002013-06-09T09:02:14.838-04:00Bear Republic "Hop Rod" beer review<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I had some <a href="http://bearrepublic.com/">Bear Republic</a> beer this week at an excellent "<a href="http://www.chiefbeerofficer.com/">Chief Beer Officer</a>" event in London. It was the Hop Rod beer. Deep hops, very satisfying taste. Great to drink on a warm evening in London, with weather just like the beer's home in Sonoma County, California. Highly recommended. </div>
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Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-83718546663108102412011-12-30T15:31:00.003-05:002011-12-30T15:39:26.248-05:00Climbing up to Coit Tower, San Francisco<a href="http://sfrecpark.org/CoitTower.aspx">Coit Tower</a> in San Francisco is often seen in scenic views of the city, but what some people don't realize is that the views from the tower itself are just as good. Here is the tower viewed from close to Washington Square:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6UkIleTvQPE/Tv4gk_6z_3I/AAAAAAAABZg/a8ic7q_Pq2Q/s1600/2011-10-06_18-24-26_931.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6UkIleTvQPE/Tv4gk_6z_3I/AAAAAAAABZg/a8ic7q_Pq2Q/s400/2011-10-06_18-24-26_931.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692022799048376178" border="0" /></a>The walk up to the tower itself passes some woods:<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ILqFADWXPRc/Tv4gHA7whRI/AAAAAAAABZU/LiNAcnplUB4/s1600/2011-10-06_18-42-55_227.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ILqFADWXPRc/Tv4gHA7whRI/AAAAAAAABZU/LiNAcnplUB4/s400/2011-10-06_18-42-55_227.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692022283924702482" border="0" /></a>At the tower itself, you see it close up, and can go in to a gift shop there:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sA617hSNdQY/Tv4glECqLZI/AAAAAAAABZw/fH6W3bPManA/s1600/2011-10-06_18-34-29_461.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sA617hSNdQY/Tv4glECqLZI/AAAAAAAABZw/fH6W3bPManA/s400/2011-10-06_18-34-29_461.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692022800155028882" border="0" /></a>But it's the view out to the Golden Gate bridge which is really worth the walk. Here it is at sunset:<br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dA4jXZW3bvY/Tv4gGiTW7mI/AAAAAAAABZM/1eUttDFrpPg/s1600/2011-10-06_18-35-16_578.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dA4jXZW3bvY/Tv4gGiTW7mI/AAAAAAAABZM/1eUttDFrpPg/s400/2011-10-06_18-35-16_578.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692022275702189666" border="0" /></a><br />Definitely worth walking up if you happen to be in that part of San Francisco at sunset.Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-32299228133069381712011-12-04T15:35:00.003-05:002011-12-04T15:36:20.065-05:00Airports with "prison-worthy" seatsEver wondered who makes those seats at airports? This HBR piece mentions that OMK makes "prison-worthy" seating for airports, self-sealing polyurethane can withstand a stabbing: <a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/11/stop_competing_to_be_the_best.html">http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/11/stop_competing_to_be_the_best.html</a> . Kinda fitting that airports would have "prison-worthy" seats.Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-26216742464674773472011-09-23T18:39:00.001-04:002011-09-23T18:42:34.825-04:00Films posters always look better in FrenchPhotographed on the Paris Metro:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yFODPc0d7hk/Tn0K6lqBg2I/AAAAAAAABO8/sZR3fTY9YnE/s1600/UnJour.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 400px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yFODPc0d7hk/Tn0K6lqBg2I/AAAAAAAABO8/sZR3fTY9YnE/s400/UnJour.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5655688708704273250" border="0" /></a>Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-81883548764951335962011-09-22T16:08:00.000-04:002011-09-22T16:09:22.894-04:00Corpus Clock in CambridgeWhat an amazing piece of public art the Corpus Clock is. With its eerie sound, unexpected features (the creature on the top blinks), and sheer cleverness, it is almost worth visiting Cambridge just to see it. Here it is, unusually without tourists in front of it:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/markkristenbeneve/6170832036/" title="Cambridge by MarkKristenBenEve, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6176/6170832036_b37372e88f.jpg" alt="Cambridge" height="281" width="500" /></a><br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class=" down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link"><img src="img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span><br />Here is a video of it in action. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_Clock">Wikipedia entry for the Corpus Clock </a>is well worth reading too.<br /><br /> <object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="267" data="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"> <param name="flashvars" value="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=9a167d8ee7&photo_id=6165676496"></param> <param name="movie" value="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377"></param> <param name="bgcolor" value="#000000"></param> <param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://www.flickr.com/apps/video/stewart.swf?v=71377" bgcolor="#000000" allowfullscreen="true" flashvars="intl_lang=en-us&photo_secret=9a167d8ee7&photo_id=6165676496" height="267" width="400"></embed></object>Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-21052501049542361242011-09-03T17:26:00.001-04:002011-09-03T23:32:13.183-04:00Great customer service from Gray Line Mexico CityI emailed Gray Line Mexico today, a Saturday, to confirm that I arrive tomorrow evening and will be taking one of their vehicles into my hotel in the middle of Mexico City. They replied right away with all the information I need. I'd booked the trip through Expedia so I was half expecting a "we have not got the fax yet" reply, but instead it all worked seamlessly. Nice customer service.
<br />Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-22465157523813990162011-09-02T00:25:00.002-04:002011-09-02T00:28:07.888-04:00Getting from Rental Car to the terminal at Philadelphia airportWhen at PHL, I find that it's better to simply walk from the Rental Car return area to the terminals. The buses weave a circuitous route around the airport to reach the terminals, which are actually in close (5 minute) walking distance from the Rental Car return area. So next time, simply walk :-)
<br />Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-47263203028383117682011-07-27T22:23:00.002-04:002011-07-27T22:26:45.115-04:00Review: Hyatt Place Dallas NorthOverall I like this hotel. Great comfortable bed. Friendly staff. But I'm not sold on the whole Hyatt design of their breakfast room. I first ordered a breakfast wrap to the server there, but then had to tap it into the system using a touchscreen. I guess it does make sense if I'd first gone over to the touchscreen, but that seemed impersonal when there was a person there to take the order. But the wrap was delicious (though too big to finish).<br /><br />Good location for meetings in the north of Dallas and right beside a great steakhouse. For great local Texas barbeque I recommend the nearby Spring Creek Barbeque.Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-64435818364107540262011-06-05T01:02:00.003-04:002011-06-05T01:03:45.346-04:00Nice quote by the BA pilot flying into Singapore last nightFlying into Singapore last night with British Airways, the pilot said "the time is 9.30pm on Saturday, for those of you interested in that kind of thing". I guess I am usually interested in "that kind of thing" (knowing what time it is) but it was nice to imagine that there are people who are not.Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-67442024443919312982011-05-30T22:20:00.002-04:002011-05-30T22:25:38.919-04:00Sydney's seemingly useless monorailI've always wondered about this monorail, everytime I visit Sydney. What is the purpose of it? The distance it travels can be easily walked. Even the old trolleys in San Francisco have legitimate usage to avoid walking up Nob Hill. It just baffles me.<br /><br />The monorail in question:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ciMBARuS6N0/TeRQpp5_9_I/AAAAAAAABIA/drC9JNmvHHo/s1600/5778674003_26aa12ac69_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ciMBARuS6N0/TeRQpp5_9_I/AAAAAAAABIA/drC9JNmvHHo/s400/5778674003_26aa12ac69_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612699712164460530" border="0" /></a><br />One of the stations, at Darling Harbour:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-APjSw_cZHG4/TeRQpZQ7xMI/AAAAAAAABH4/WhQXL3v7ffE/s1600/5771263576_151f2993fb_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-APjSw_cZHG4/TeRQpZQ7xMI/AAAAAAAABH4/WhQXL3v7ffE/s400/5771263576_151f2993fb_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612699707697251522" border="0" /></a><br />Looks like some people have trouble finding the door?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hmiFo8dpYIs/TeRQp9reocI/AAAAAAAABII/UGwLFFlE8WI/s1600/5779219102_645105161e_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hmiFo8dpYIs/TeRQp9reocI/AAAAAAAABII/UGwLFFlE8WI/s400/5779219102_645105161e_b.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612699717472264642" border="0" /></a>Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-81606799037187299682011-05-29T05:33:00.003-04:002011-05-29T05:44:17.660-04:00Emirates Airbus A380 Dubai to LondonRecently I flew Emirates from Dubai to London. One of the highlights of the flight was the inflight video. Compared to other in-seat video I've seen, it is more widescreen, and sharper.<br /><br />Here is the view from the tail camera before take-off at DXB:<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UQU4d9ev1H0/TeIUOEMjbcI/AAAAAAAABHY/lkUpGqDcGd8/s1600/2011-03-03_07-57-23_544.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UQU4d9ev1H0/TeIUOEMjbcI/AAAAAAAABHY/lkUpGqDcGd8/s400/2011-03-03_07-57-23_544.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612070317534178754" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Here is the video showing the location of the plane:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzOKTZwu6V2XA0vPZYunMqIQnGmX3RR9PFZ_T-5xtwIsBgwXakfrGxgXaP_GIf2klFH-hSP2U2YdM1wDE5eJQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />Here is the same tail camera, in the air:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k9_7otk1I0A/TeIUN3fuA0I/AAAAAAAABHQ/-Xywak3sY14/s1600/2011-03-03_15-05-09_172.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-k9_7otk1I0A/TeIUN3fuA0I/AAAAAAAABHQ/-Xywak3sY14/s400/2011-03-03_15-05-09_172.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612070314124903234" border="0" /></a><br />Here's the plane location map, in Arabic (of course it is also presented in English, but Arabic makes for a better screenshot):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iVZ5hXkVv9w/TeIUNvqSLoI/AAAAAAAABHI/NtSf2tZgah4/s1600/2011-03-03_15-05-51_906.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iVZ5hXkVv9w/TeIUNvqSLoI/AAAAAAAABHI/NtSf2tZgah4/s400/2011-03-03_15-05-51_906.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612070312021732994" border="0" /></a>Here is the flight information screen:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vJvXt7eoBgA/TeIUOWBaOuI/AAAAAAAABHg/jOS6wxKsvHs/s1600/2011-03-03_10-05-17_782.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vJvXt7eoBgA/TeIUOWBaOuI/AAAAAAAABHg/jOS6wxKsvHs/s400/2011-03-03_10-05-17_782.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5612070322319276770" border="0" /></a>And finally, here is the landing in London:<br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzlBx0Dp6668xX6OjXOxQ8rnANUy4rSXIVQNPIdhaTn7PV4bGK0zfFjhERLwItDLfN7jbUHXPDJksSUH2A35g' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br /><br />All in all, this provided some diversion on a long long flight. I also watched a bunch of films on the flight, and revisited Emirates excellent "Every top 10 on the UK charts for the last 30-odd years" archive.Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-61658504998805132892011-05-28T00:00:00.003-04:002011-05-28T00:05:43.823-04:00When in Detroit...Thanks to Enterprise for upgrading me on a recent trip to Detroit. This Chrysler was a really good car and it looks like they really are making world class cars now. Good to see an American car that is unashamably American too.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4XlhBa5hweA/TeB0FlU1IvI/AAAAAAAABHA/2neOI0_Ilao/s1600/2011-05-04_07-44-55_118.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4XlhBa5hweA/TeB0FlU1IvI/AAAAAAAABHA/2neOI0_Ilao/s400/2011-05-04_07-44-55_118.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5611612774971286258" /></a>Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-82912624717559413672011-01-25T11:36:00.002-05:002011-01-25T11:37:57.811-05:00Verizon removes their unlimited global data optionI called Verizon yesterday and I can confirm it's true. They have removed the $69.99 a month global data option, which I recently used on a trip to Europe. This was one of my reasons for moving to Verizon (that and a new Droid Global for $40 on Amazon Wireless).<br /><br />More discussion here:<br /><a href="http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-2-global/116365-vzw-unlimited-global-data-going-away.html">http://www.droidforums.net/forum/droid-2-global/116365-vzw-unlimited-global-data-going-away.html</a>Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-33717439243406376802011-01-04T09:10:00.004-05:002011-01-04T09:14:02.760-05:00Airports with art: Add Amsterdam to that listCNN has a list of <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/12/23/five.airport.artwork/index.html">"airports with art worth seeing". </a>They only list US airports though. I would add Amsterdam Airport to that list, for the outpost of the Rijksmuseum there:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nu5SNZshYes/TSMqqXE-QOI/AAAAAAAABDA/w6_p9INHf3A/s1600/AmsterdamAirport.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nu5SNZshYes/TSMqqXE-QOI/AAAAAAAABDA/w6_p9INHf3A/s400/AmsterdamAirport.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558333272343068898" border="0" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nu5SNZshYes/TSMqqXE-QOI/AAAAAAAABDA/w6_p9INHf3A/s1600/AmsterdamAirport.jpg"><br /></a>Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-47349744365295551572010-10-25T13:33:00.003-04:002010-10-25T13:35:49.967-04:00Ireland tops the Conde Nast Traveler resorts pollHeaded by Ashford Castle in Mayo, there are a striking amount of Irish resorts on<a href="http://www.concierge.com/tools/travelawards/readerschoice/resorts#europe"> the list of best European resorts voted by Conde Nast Traveler readers</a>. I wonder what it is about Irish resorts? I've been to the top-placed resort, Ashford Castle, but it scored lower for me when I realized it is not actually an old castle, just a recreation of one...Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-71089275504688854852010-10-19T10:10:00.001-04:002010-10-19T10:11:41.408-04:00Scenic traveling with Google MapsHow about this for a nice view of Kerry, Ireland, from Google Maps: <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?ftr=sv.seven:loc=eu:page=2&hl=en&hl=en&layer=c&utm_campaign=en&utm_medium=ha&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-sk-svn&utm_term=7">http://maps.google.com/maps?ftr=sv.seven:loc=eu:page=2&hl=en&hl=en&layer=c&utm_campaign=en&utm_medium=ha&utm_source=en-ha-na-us-sk-svn&utm_term=7</a>Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-23907566851205757932010-08-31T12:02:00.001-04:002010-08-31T12:03:14.836-04:00French language announcements at Little Rock AirportInteresting to note that the PA announcements at Little Rock Airport in Arkansas are in <span style="font-style: italic;">French </span>and English, rather than Spanish and English which you expect elsewhere in the US. Possibly due to the Cajun / French history in that part of the US?Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7164367985739657511.post-24538738683025194382010-07-09T15:34:00.003-04:002010-07-09T15:35:21.745-04:00Atlantic City at night from the Sheraton Atlantic CityNot the best Sheraton I've stayed at (coffee machine in the room didn't work, no bill under the door when I was to check out) but nice view at night:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nu5SNZshYes/TDd5zY-aRoI/AAAAAAAAA_k/cHVQsfD_dcQ/s1600/AtlanticCity.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 145px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_nu5SNZshYes/TDd5zY-aRoI/AAAAAAAAA_k/cHVQsfD_dcQ/s400/AtlanticCity.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5491992194386118274" border="0" /></a>Mark O'Neillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03202416986720435011noreply@blogger.com0