Courtney Love Opens Her First Art Exhibition

by Sean McLachlan on


Courtney Love has opened the first museum exhibition of her artwork at the Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London, Connecticut.

“Mentoring Courtney Love: David LaChapelle and Courtney Love” showcases Love’s artwork and examines the role artist David LaChapelle has played in mentoring the musician’s experiments in a new medium. Love’s artwork on display are all portraits sketched on paper using a variety of methods such as pastel, watercolor, graphite, colored pencil, charcoal, acrylic and marker. Some are self-portraits, such as this one shown here courtesy of the museum. It’s titled “Don’t You Know Who I Am, 2012.”

David LaChapelle is an artist and photographer who focuses on realistic portraits. He was a protégé of Andy Warhol.

“Mentoring Courtney Love: David LaChapelle and Courtney Love” runs until August 10. If you can’t make it to the exhibition, a 360-degree view is available on the museum’s website.

[Image courtesy the Lyman Allyn Art Museum]

Memorial Day Travel Ideas: Consider The Source, No Cheating

by Chris Owen on

Memorial Day weekend begins Friday, May 24, and marks the start of the summer travel season. One of the most popular times of the year to travel, finding a destination that fulfills our three-day weekend dreams can take some work. Considering a visit to the Upper East Coast? Maybe not such a good idea to visit beaches ravaged by last October’s hurricane. Or is it?

If you are looking for a quiet break from your normal routine, avoid busy places like big cities, theme parks and major tourist attractions. Reverse that decision if daily life rides a cubicle and getting lost in a crowd is required. We could do a lot of research, compile lists of possible destinations and make up budgets to get the plans – or we could cheat.

Earlier this month, Kayak released the results of 100 million monthly searches made so far this year. These are numbers that represent places Kayak users are actually thinking about going as opposed to destinations promoted by airlines, hotels, tour operators or cruise lines.In the results, Kayak saw searches cut in half for Atlantic City, New Jersey, a top Memorial Day destination last year. That makes sense: thank you hurricane Sandy. Digging a bit deeper though we find a different scene.

“Despite the vast destruction caused by Superstorm Sandy, all of our State parks and beaches on Long Island are expected to be open for New Yorkers and visitors by Memorial Day weekend,” assured Governor Andrew Cuomo in a LongIslandPress article.

Your mother was right, cheating is wrong.

Instead, consider a variety of sources and read between the lines. Look down deep inside and ask, “Where do I really want to go?” The answer might take you no further than your own back yard.


Tanzania Government To Fishermen: ‘Stop Catching Dolphins, It Upsets The Tourists’

by Sean McLachlan on


The government of Tanzania is urging fishermen to stop hunting dolphins, a report in the Daily News says.

The report says dolphin hunting has become common practice in the Dar es Salaam and Tanga regions. It’s often done by “dynamite fishing,” in which explosives are chucked into the water to kill all marine life in a large area. Dolphin meat is used to bait sharks, which is what the fishermen are really after. Shark fins are a delicacy that sell for high prices.

Tourists have even spotted fishermen catching dolphins in Tanga Coelacanth Marine Park. Tourism is big business in Tanzania thanks to its diverse wildlife and being home to the Mt. Kilimanjaro part of the Serengeti. Seeing Flipper being blown up, hauled into a boat, cut to pieces and used as shark bait would definitely ruin an ecotourist’s vacation.

Dolphins have been a protected species in Tanzania since 2009. It’s not clear how well this is known among fishermen, however. Even if fishermen do know they’re flaunting the law, the need to be breadwinners for their families may outweigh any concerns about conservation or the health of an industry of which they are not a part.

[Photo courtesy Flickr user hobbs_luton. There is no indication that these particular Tanzanian fishermen are engaged in dolphin hunting]

Staying Safe On The Road: Tips For Traveling

by McLean Robbins on

As the tragedy in Boston earlier this week has taught us, travel to any location can involve unexpected danger. The incident served to illustrate that travelers visiting any location should be sure that their trip planning involves basic travel precautions both standard and new.

Warren Chang, Vice President and General Manager of Fly.com, has helped us develop this list of travel precautions.

Pre-Travel

  • Read State Department travel alerts and warnings. Remember that alerts relate to short-term events and warnings are more long-term concerns. While warnings and alerts are issued countrywide, it may not necessarily mean that an entire area is unsafe for travel.
  • Inform the State Department of your travel itinerary via the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program when you are traveling internationally.
  • Consider planning your trip with a travel agency or tour company if you are visiting a foreign country where you do not speak the language or if your travel has many destinations.
  • Remember to refill your prescriptions and other medical necessities pre-trip.
  • Activate your phone for international calling and data, or purchase a pre-paid phone for travel.
  • Consider travel or medical insurance for overseas visits, if necessary.
  • Make a copy of your passport and travel documents, leaving them in your hotel room or a reliable party back home.

During Your Trip:

  • Keep one ATM and one credit card in the hotel safe in case robbery occurs while out and about.
  • Avoid wearing flashy jewels or designer clothing, or clothing that overtly brands you as an American traveling overseas.
  • Keep money in a safe place – back pockets and dangling purses are easy targets for pickpockets.
  • Abide by all local customs and traditions, as appropriate.
  • Know where the local consulate or embassy is, and have a plan for a meeting place in case of an emergency.
  • Arrange tours and activities through the hotel concierge. These vendors are vetted for guaranteed pricing and can at times be more reliable than on-the-street finds.
  • Chang suggests avoiding use of the “do not disturb” light on your hotel room door in dangerous areas. “This may sound a bit paranoid (if not neurotic), but I chose not to use the ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign at night so that in the event that terrorists are looking to capture hostages, I would not have an LED light or big sign on the doorknob indicating that the room was occupied.”

Have any tips of your own? Leave them in the comments below.

[Image Credit: Foreign and Commonwealth Office]

Rain, Snow Snarls Flights Nationwide

by Libby Zay on

Bad weather has put a damper on air traffic in the Midwest and Southwest, causing hundreds of cancellations nationwide.

At O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, more than 300 flights were canceled because of strong rainstorms, and at Denver International Airport, more than 400 flights were grounded due to a snowstorm forecast to dump 7 inches of snow on the Mile-High City, CNN is reporting.

Both these terminals are amongst the top five contenders on the list of busiest airports in the U.S., meaning the cancellations are sure to reverberate throughout the country. Stranded travelers should check out this list of handy smartphone apps that can help fliers check statuses, rebook or even find fun ways to pass the time while stuck at airports.

[Photo by Flickr user CameliaTWU]