| The Middle East's ultra-luxury hotels
Business and leisure travel to the region has climbed 18 percent a year since 2005 , according to Deloitte's annual Hotel Benchmark Survey, released this week, and is expected to grow another 6 percent this year, to 41 million visitors. This has fueled renewed interest in the palace-style hotels that once pampered kings and aristocrats more than a century ago. As a result, exquisite restorations of such ancient structures, including cave dwellings and Bedouin camps (some dating to the 1st century) coupled with modern luxuries such as air conditioning and Bulgari toiletries are now available to luxury travelers across the Middle East, from Bethlehem to the Turkish hinterlands. And new hotels are going up "at breakneck speed," says Lorna Clarke, director of the survey. .
Religion too big a part of elections
That was a real stretch. Now I suppose you will tell me that the slaughter of hundreds of millions by the communists was an act of love. Starving the people of the Ukraine to death must have also been the intellectually superior act of love. Adolf Hitler was as left wing as you could ask for. I don't allow the propagandists to tell me what that creep was. Too many of our families were slaughtered by that left wing extremists. Do a bit of in depth study please. What pray tell do you think the word NAZI means? " .
For Carmakers, High Performance Equals High Profit
In March, Lexus is launching a high-performance division. Called the F—for "Flagship"—the first model will be the sporty, $56,765 Lexus IS F. Several more F models are in the pipeline, including a luxury sedan and an SUV-wagon crossover. This represents a radical departure for Lexus, which has enjoyed enormous success as Toyota's (TM) luxury brand, despite being often faulted by driving enthusiasts for making cars that are unexciting, albeit attractive, well-built, and competitively priced. Now obviously Toyota's top brass wants to change this impression—and that is something that should concern executives at the high-performance divisions of its luxury rivals, specifically Mercedes-Benz (DAI), BMW (BMWG), and, increasingly, Audi (NSUG). Mercedes offers an AMG version of nearly every model it sells, including light trucks.
Thieves steal from Safari Park
The lead was destined for the roof of the fire-ravaged mansion in the grounds, which is currently being rebuilt. But between Sunday evening and early Monday morning, raiders used cutting equipment to burn the doors off the large metal container where the eight tonnes of lead was stored. Safari park spokeswoman, Wendy Jackson, said the theft was an inconvenience but did not believe it would hold up the construction work. She added: “We are progressing very well with the house so it is not going to cause any major delays. .
Burglar makes off with two pairs of panties
A Fort Walton Beach burglar recently lifted unmentionables from a mobile home during a break-in. The resident of a Heritage Road mobile home told a deputy she noticed the rear door to her trailer "slightly open," according to an Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office offense report. She also said someone had removed the window unit air conditioner and opened the window. Among the items missing from the home were her son’s Sony Playstation and a controller ($200), about 20 games ($15 each), about 10 DVDs ($15 each) and two pairs of girl’s panties. .
How a 5-foot waterboy at Texas became a football icon
The powder blue '95 Oldsmobile heads down Guadalupe Street, slightly above the speed limit, air conditioner full blast. The driver, 78-year-old William E. " Rooster " Andrews , has been animatedly telling stories for nearly four hours, first in his Rooster Andrews Sporting Goods office, then during lunch at Trudy's Café. But now, during a late-afternoon errand, his distinct and, yes, rooster -like, scratchy voice takes on a reflective tone. .
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