Travel Kent Ninomiya : Traveler Kent Ninomiya

Currency Karma - Kent Ninomiya

2008-04-12T09:59:02Z

Right now is arguably the worst time in memory for Americans to travel overseas. The dollar is at record lows against many currencies around the world. Gone are the days when you could travel to �cheap� countries where the mighty dollar pounded the �monopoly money� of an economically weaker nation. America�s bully currency is now itself being bullied. The humiliation is humbling. I recently had to change an airline ticket in Europe. Even though I originally purchased the ticket in dollars, the airline demanded I pay the change fee in a more stable currency� Polish zloty. Business in third world countries often takes place in �hard� currencies instead of the inflation prone local money. Until now the dollar was the gold standard of hard currency. No more. I spoke to a friend of mine in Africa the other day who says no one wants dollars anymore. I remember back in the early 1980�s when a dollar was worth ten francs and nearly equal to the British pound. Americans ran off to Italy then Greece then Turkey chasing cheaper and cheaper sunspots where they could lounge on the beach while their dollars stretched further and further. If you believe in karma then this is just America getting payback. The euro came and did away with the lire and drachma. Southern Europe was no longer cheap. Our economy is now in the toilet and the United States is suddenly the travel bargain for international tourists, not the other way around. Could the day be coming when we have droves of Europeans talking loudly in our restaurants demanding to know why we don�t speak French or Hungarian or Swedish? If you believe in karma, it would only be fair. *** Kent Ninomiya

Asian Lunar New Year - Kent Ninomiya

2008-02-08T19:24:30Z

Kent Ninomiya - Happy Lunar New Year everyone! All around the world there are celebrations with feasts, fireworks and dancing dragons. It's a time for Asian families and familes of Asian decent to get together and revel in the new year. It is Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years Day all wrapped into one in asian culture. It's often called "Chinese New Year," but this isn't particularly accurate. While it is widely observed in China, it is also an important holiday for people throughout East Asia and of Asian ancestry all over the world. Believe it or not, there are still people out there who do not realize all Asian people are NOT Chinese. Lunar New Year is also a more accurate term. The holiday usually begins on the first day of the first lunar month. This makes the lunar calendar much more accurate than the Julian calendar. Jokes are often made about the Chinese being backward for celebrating the new year late. In reality the west celebrates the new year early. While the traditional Chinese calendar does not record continuously numbered years, 2008 is considered year 4705. So happy 4705 everyone! Kent Ninomiya

World Wide Economic Crisis - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-22T09:33:50Z

Kent Ninomiya - Asian financial markets are making it clear that they fear the economic crisis in the United States will spread world wide. Today Japan's Nikkei 225 index dropped 5.1 percent after falling 3.9 percent Monday. They stopped trading in India when the Sensex index free fell 9.75 percent in the first few minutes. Hong Kong's Hang Seng shrank 8 percent after diving 5.5 percent the day before. The same is happening in the rest of the world. In Europe Monday, Britain's FTSE-100 fell 5.5 percent and France's CAC-40 Index slid 6.8 percent. Germany's blue-chip DAX 30 plunged 7.2 percent. Likewise, benchmark indices in China, South Korea and Singapore each fell at least 4 percent. Australia's benchmark index slid 7.1 percent and Indonesia's market was down 9 percent. The pain is expected to come full circle. American stocks will probably fall even more leading to more selling around the world resulting in a planetary economic slowdown.So what is this we are facing? Is it just another economic swing or something much bigger? Ask 100 economists and you will get 100 answers. Here's my take on it. We are realizing that everything in our world is interconnected. The war on terrorism, the war in Iraq, our unpopularity overseas all have economic components. We are spending a whole lot of money to support our agenda around the world. The United States is a rich nation but we have a finite amount of money. This is all catching up to us and there will be a reckoning. Most Americans alive today are too young to remember truly difficult times. 9-11 was certainly a crisis but it didn't impact most of our lives directly. Most of us don't believe we face something of the magnitude of the Great Depression or a World War. The truth is we can and may. Our economy, security and environment are more fragile than we know. We may soon find out just how fragile. Kent Ninomiya

New Rules - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-19T06:21:41Z

Kent Ninomiya - The next time you cross the Canadian border be prepared to show you passport. Starting January 31, American and Canadian citizens over 18 must show government ID and proof of citizenship. Gone are the days when you merely had to tell the border agent your citizenship. The government sites national security concerns. Realistically they had to do it to be fair considering the tightening of the Mexican border to the south. It's a blatant double standard to restrict one border and not the other. Another log jam of passport requests are expected in the coming months. Last year when the rule took effect for travelers flying to border countries the passport office was overwhelmed. If you plan to cross into the Great White North anytime soon, you'd better get in line. Kent Ninomiya

Open Skies - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-15T10:06:35Z

Kent Ninomiya - Next summer British Airways hopes to fly non stop from the United States to the European Continent. They would skip the now required stop over in the United Kingdom. This would likely be good for travelers since it would increase competition and theoretically lower fares. However there are many who don't want to see it happen. European and American based airlines don't want the competition. They will lobby against regulatory approval from the European Commission and American regulatory agencies. Landing rights will also need be be obtained from airports. Still, the announcement shows thawing in the traditionally restrictive international travel rules. More choices are always good for the traveler. However, if the dollar doesn't get stronger soon there will be few takers come this summer. Kent Ninomiya

Half Million Dollar Idea - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-13T08:08:41Z

Kent Ninomiya - How would you like to make a half million dollars? The company Clear is offering the $500,000 prize to whoever can design technology that can speed up those maddening airport security lines. You know... if I had the cash I would pay someone a half million dollars myself to get through those lines faster. The company says the innovation can be an improvement on existing technology or something completely new. Here is my idea for the record. We use the honor system so everyone speeds through. However, if you are caught with contraband then on your flight you will be forced to sit between a smelly religious zealot who wants to recruit you into their cult and an irate complaining woman with a screaming baby. That will keep everyone honest. Kent Ninomiya

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2008-01-09T10:28:36Z

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clean up your act airlines! - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-06T09:26:19Z

Kent Ninomiya - If you travel much then you know that airport delays are getting worse not better. The airlines are full of excuses. Of course it's never their fault. They blame the weather or unions or gate shortages. The truth is they overbook and overly ambitious about how many people they can get from here to there in the allotted time. They don't mind canceling flights and inconveniencing people if it suits their needs. The sad part is the traveling public just accepts it. After all, what can they do about it? Walk? If the airlines wanted to, they could do a better job. They could stop overbooking flights and being so eager to cancel ones that are sparsely populated. Remember, when the cancel a flight that affects other flights down the line. The plane that didn't fly was expected for a flight somewhere else. Also, they could move their hubs to cities where the weather is better. As someone who has wasted away years of his life stuck at Chicago's O'hare airport due to weather, I say it's about time. Why would you put the busiest cross country hub in the city with the worst weather in the country? I never could figure that out. Enough excuses airlines! Clean up your act! Kent Ninomiya

Anti missile planes - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-05T00:24:43Z

Kent Ninomiya - The next time you fly on an American Airlines jet you could be sitting on top of the latest anti missile technology. It scary and reassuring at the same time. (AP) Up to three American Airlines jets carrying passengers will be outfitted with anti-missile technology this spring in the latest phase of testing technology to protect commercial planes from attack. An American Airlines spokesman said Friday that the test will determine how well the anti-missile system holds up under the rigors of flight.

The first Boeing 767-200 will be equipped in April or later, said the airline spokesman, Tim Wagner. American operates that Boeing model mostly between New York and San Francisco and Los Angeles.

American said it is "not in favor" of putting anti-missile systems on commercial planes but agreed to take part in the tests to understand technologies that might be available in the future.

The technology is intended to stop a missile attack by detecting heat given off from the rocket, then firing a laser beam that jams the missile's guidance system.

The device on the belly of the Boeing 767-200 aircraft will be operational but won't be tested on regular flights, Wagner said. The use of a signal to mimic a missile attack has already been tested in the air, Wagner said.

American, the nation's largest carrier, has been working with defense contractor BAE Systems PLC on the project for a couple years. In 2006, BAE installed its hardware on a Boeing 767 that wasn't used to fly paying passengers.

About a year ago, reporters were invited to American's maintenance base in Fort Worth to see a jet outfitted with the laser-jamming device on its belly.

"We are now entering the next phase," Wagner said, which is "to see how the system holds up on an aircraft in real-time conditions � weather, continuous takeoffs and landings, etc. � and to test its maintenance reliability."

Wagner said American is also collecting more information on how the laser-jamming device affects fuel consumption.

Congress has approved funding for anti-missile research partly out of fear that terrorists armed with shoulder-fired weapons could hit jetliners as they take off and land. U.K.-based BAE won a contract from the Homeland Security Department to test its technology.

Fort Worth-based American, a unit of AMR Corp., has said anti-missile defense is best handled by stopping terrorists from getting missiles that could shoot down commercial jets and by improving security around airports.

Lithium battery warning - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-03T20:55:06Z

Kent Ninomiya - The new year brings with it new restrictions on air travel. The rules of what you can and can't take on an airplane are getting more byzantine every year. Now it's lithium batteries. Take note. This from Yahoo travel: The FAA has taken aim at lithium batteries, a response to the bevy of exploding laptops that menaced offices and airports alike over the last two years (one of which occurred at LAX).

The new rules are confusing and extensive (and are being reported incorrectly in numerous mainstream publications), so I'll try to boil it down for you here, accurately. Hit the link at the end of the story for the entire text of the new rules straight from the horse's mouth. The rules took effect on January 1, 2008.

Installed batteries (already in your phone, laptop, camera, etc.) and spare batteries (carried loose) are treated differently. Only lithium-based batteries are concerned here; not nickel-based rechargeable or alkaline batteries.

You can't pack spare batteries in checked baggage... but you may check equipment with batteries installed.

In your carry-on baggage, you can take as many batteries along as you want (installed or spare), as long as they contain less than 8 grams of lithium content each. How do you know how much lithium is in a battery? An 8 gram battery equals about 100 watt-hours of power. Now, your battery won't say how many watt-hours it provides, but it's easy to do the math. Look on the bottom and you'll find a voltage rating and a mAh (milliamp-hours) rating. Multiply these two together and divide by 1000. That's your watt-hours. In the (big) battery I'm looking at as an example, it offers 11.1 volts and 7800 mAh. Multiply and divide by 1000 and you get 86.58 watt-hours, acceptable under the new rules.

Now, you can also bring two spare batteries that break the above rule. These two batteries can have a total lithium content of 25 grams, or about 300 watt-hours. Where might you find such a giant battery? Namely in those third-party laptop battery slabs designed to give you a full day of computing. A product like this Electrovaya PowerPad 300 would just barely make it... but would probably earn you a delay at security.

These rules mainly concern lithium-ion batteries. Lithium metal batteries (which are comparably rare) have more stringent rules. Check the link for full details if you use lithium metal batteries, but since lithium metal batteries are usually quite small, there's not that much cause for concern.

Whew! Bottom line: Most travelers are fine as they are now, especially if they don't bring along spare batteries. If you do carry spares, take a look at the FAA's safety tips, which advise placing spare cells in a plastic bag to prevent short circuits. Just make sure those spares aren't too big, and only carry two.

Iowa - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-03T07:28:48Z

Kent Ninomiya - In honor of tomorrow's Iowa caucuses here's a look at Iowa tourism just in case you may want to visit the state on your next vacation. The official Iowa tourism web site describes the state like this: Put aside the rush of your daily routine and indulge in a getaway that puts balance back in your life. The hospitality of an Iowa destination helps shuffle those priorities to make 'what really matters most' at the top of the list. Iowa's all-season playground provides an ideal backdrop to connect with family and friends. To awaken your spirit of adventure. And satisfy your appetite for urban cultural pleasures. Discover the changes that spending quality time together in Iowa can make in your life.

Notice how they don't mention anything specific? That's because there is nothing to do in the state. Their big draw is that you can put "balance back in your life." Does boredom add balance? Iowa takes the national stage tomorrow for the caucuses then sinks back to anonymity again for the next four years. Unless you are a journalist working the caucuses there's no real reason to go there.

Happy New Year! - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-02T06:10:17Z

Kent Ninomiya - I would like to wish everyone a Happy New Year! I hope your 2008 is fullfilling and fruitful. Let's all treat each other well and work toward peace and harmony. Kent Ninomiya

Times Square - Kent Ninomiya

2008-01-01T03:37:55Z

Kent Ninomiya - Just once in your life you should be in New York's Times Square at New Years. Just once. It's an experience to remember but unless you are a native or glutton for inconvenience you probably wont want to make it an annual tradition. First of all it's usually cold. Sometimes it's very cold and raining or snowing. You need to be there early to stake out a spot so you are stuck out in the elements the whole time. There are a lot of people. How many? When you are awash in a sea of humanity you will swear that all of them are there. Food and bathrooms are available but expect to wait and be disappointed with the quality. Did I mention that there were a lot of people? Most of your time in Times Square you wont be able to move, and you will experience the world famous New Yorker charm as you brush up against the locals. Good luck getting home afterward. It takes hours to empty out the square. Of course you could book a hotel room in Times Square. That is if you remembered to book more than a year in advance and are willing to be gouged. Despite all this, Times Square has no equal when it comes to New Years. Dave Clark made sure everyone is watching that ball drop and you should see it for yourself at least once. I recommend just once. Kent Ninomiya

Windy City winter - Kent Ninomiya

2007-12-29T00:52:41Z

Kent Ninomiya. Accepted wisdom suggests tourists should avoid Chicago in the winter. After all, they don't call it the "Windy City" for nothing. Yes, I realize that it wasn't nicknamed that because of the wind but it is windy and it is cold so both interpretations apply. If you are willing to throw on a coat Chicago has much to offer the winter visitor. A fresh layer of snow is quite beautiful especially when draped over holiday lights on Michigan Avenue, Daley Plaza and the Lincoln Park Zoo. Shopping and dining are even more fullfilling when you are escaping a brisk Chicago chill. If you are a glutton for punishment take in a Chicago Bears game and tough it out with the true football fans. Besides, most of the fair weather visitors are scared away so you will practically have the place to yourself. Check it out! Kent Ninomiya

Merry Christmas Everyone! - Kent Ninomiya

2007-12-25T22:30:31Z

Since I can't send a Christmas card to everyone, i'd like to use this blog to hand out my best wishes to all of you this holiday season. Thank you all for your support and interest. May you have a happy and fruitful new year as well!

Take care,

Kent Ninomiya