Friday, July 06, 2007

 

Daily Update 07/06/2007

Hello and welcome to my page

I am planning on posting daily things that I find interesting on the internet. I hope you enjoy these items as much as I do. Most topics posted on this page will be completely random. Just various stories and news tidbits I have discovered today.

My Favorite Featured Story
Brought to you by Yahoo

The United States has lost billions of dollars and an immeasurable amount of good will since Sept. 11, 2001, terrorism attacks nearly six years ago because of a decline in foreign tourists. Several senators are now trying to get the government involved in bringing those visitors back.

The Senate Commerce Committee has approved a bill to establish a nonprofit public-private corporation to promote the United States as a tourist destination and clear up misperceptions about U.S. travel policies. It also would create a new office in the Commerce Department to work with other agencies on fixing visa policies and entry processes that discourage visits.

Visits to the United States from countries outside of Canada and Mexico totaled 21.7 million in 2006, down 17 percent from a peak of 26 million in 2000, according to Commerce Department figures. In the same period, cross-border travel around the world was up 20 percent.

"The global pie of international travel is steadily increasing, while the U.S. share has been slowly decreasing," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the Travel Industry Association.

Visits from the six countries that provide the most tourists — Britain, Japan, Germany, France, South Korea and Australia — have dropped 15 percent since 2000 while travel from those six to other countries was up a robust 39 percent. There were 4.2 million arrivals from Britain, last year, down 11 percent from 2000, and 3.7 million visits from Japan, down 27 percent.

"It's a situation that really is disastrous when you take into account the overall global trends in international travel, and the fact that the U.S. currency makes travel to the country so attractive," said Adam Sacks, managing director for tourism economics at Oxford Economics. The weakening of the dollar against the euro and other currencies makes the money of foreign tourists go further.

Oxford Economics, in a recent analysis of travel policies written with former Homeland Security Department Secretary Tom Ridge, said the 17 percent drop in visits since 2000 has cost the United States $100 billion in lost visitor spending, almost 200,000 jobs and $16 billion in lost tax receipts.

It noted that the United States is the only global destination without an ongoing program to promote itself. Greece spends $150 million a year, Australia $113 million and Britain $90 million.

"We have lacked a coordinated program to promote travel to our country," said Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., one of the sponsors of the Senate bill.

The new corporation envisioned by the bill would be funded by industry contributions and a $10 user fee levied on travelers from the 27 countries participating in a visa waiver program with the United States.

But industry experts also stressed that increased advertising about the wonders of Broadway or the Grand Canyon must be accompanied by changes in the visa and entry systems that keep people away.

Geoff Freeman, executive director of the Discover America Partnership, a business group working to improve the U.S. image, said 70 percent of foreign visitors have a great experience once they get beyond the airport. At a time when many in the world have negative feelings about the United States, 74 percent return from visits with favorable views.

"Unfortunately the first three hours" — trying to get through customs — "is creating a poor impression and becoming a great barrier to coming," Freeman said. European papers are "filled with horror stories about why you don't want to come to the U.S."

Entry problems are hardly confined to tourists. Investors from countries such as Brazil or India, where it can take months to get a visa, may take their business elsewhere. People willing to pay considerable amounts to study in the United States or receive medical treatment here may consider other options.

The Oxford study recommended that the United States expand the visa waiver program and apply the proposed $10 visa waiver fee to both promotion and entry security improvements including hiring more border and customs officers.

It said such steps could increase overseas travel to this country by nearly 1.6 million visitors a year, and yield $8 billion in new visitor spending and $850 million in federal tax revenue.


My Favorite Story Trash News Story
Brought to you by TMZ

Lauren Conrad may be giving "Laguna Beach" bad boy Jason Wahler another chance ... for ratings at least.

TMZ caught LC filming portions of the next season of her MTV reality show, "The Hills," and Wahler was by her side during the taping outside of Ketchup. For those not savvy to the dating habits of the blonde from "The Real OC," LC and Jason broke up -- for the second time -- last August and Wahler has since been arrested four times ... in four different states!

LC's enemies Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt were also spotted inside the restaurant.

My Favorite Press Release Today
Brought to you The Open Press

PokerListings.com, the world's best and biggest online poker guide, has been behind the ropes at the 2007 World Series of Poker from Day 1, with live action updates, daily video reports and inimitable coverage of poker's biggest spectacle - and will be there right through to the dramatic final table climax of the imminent $10,000 Main Event. It also happens to be the world's best source for online poker's biggest sign-up bonuses.

Curacao, Netherlands Antilles July 6, 2007 -- The mission at PokerListings.com (http://www.pokerlistings.com/live-tournaments/wsop), the world's biggest and best online poker guide, is two-fold.

One: To guarantee the best online poker sign-up bonuses for its players, bar none. So signing up through a PokerListings.com link will always get you the most money to play with at the poker site of your choosing.

has been everything it was expected to be, and then some.
Two: Provide the best live poker tournament coverage from around the world.

Of particular note over the last few weeks: Superlative and acclaimed live coverage of the 2007 WSOP from Las Vegas.

The esteemed PokerListings team of reporters, photographers and videographers has been between the ropes and behind the scenes at poker's most iconic event from Day 1, with live updates from every event, provocative interviews, daily video and more.

The mysterious disappearance of Vinnie Vinh. Phil Hellmuth's record-setting 11th bracelet. A hallway face-off between poker pros Chad Brown, Vanessa Rousso and Aaron Been. Diminutive Freddy Deeb's miraculous comeback to take the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E. championship. Dave "Devilfish" Ulliott's salacious lust for affection.

PokerListings.com has been cheek-by-jowl with the movers and shakers, and brought the finest details to light for their readers. And will continue to do so, right up until the final card is dealt and the expected $10 million plus is handed to poker's next world champion July 17.

"The 2007 World Series of Poker," says Camilla Sundell, Press Secretary at PokerListings.com, "has been everything it was expected to be, and then some."

"Great stories, great pictures, great characters," she adds. "Eli Elezra and Scotty Nguyen having a two-fisted showdown for a bracelet in Seven-Card Stud. Opie Taylor look-alike James Mackey steamrolling to a bracelet in No-Limit Hold'em."

"It would be impossible to list them all," she says, "but the PokerListings team has caught the best of it and posted it around-the-clock in our Live Tournaments Section. And they'll be there right up until the dramatic and much anticipated finish."

PokerListings.com (http://www.pokerlistings.com) was launched in 2003 and quickly became the largest online poker guide in the world. A free-to-use Web site, it provides poker players across the globe with in-depth analysis of all major online poker rooms, the world's best sign-up bonuses and promotional offers, and detailed content on poker strategy, tournaments, news, and freerolls. PokerListings.com also has the best live poker tournament reporting on the Web, including unparalleled coverage of the entire seven weeks of the 2007 World Series of Poker.


My Favorite Spam e-mail of the day
I don’t know about you but I am consistently getting spam e-mail. Some of these e-mails totally crack me up. I’ve decided to post my favorite spam e-mail daily.

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My Weather: Kansas City
Brought to you by the NOAA

Today: Plentiful sunshine. High 89F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight: Mostly clear. Low 69F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow: Sunny skies. High around 90F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.

Tomorrow night: A mostly clear sky. Low 71F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph.

Sunday: Sunshine. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the low 70s.

Monday: Isolated thunderstorms. Highs in the upper 80s and lows in the low 70s.

Tuesday: Scattered thunderstorms possible. Highs in the low 80s and lows in the low 70s.

My Daily Horoscope (Virgo)
Brought to you by Yahoo Astrology


Quickie:
Facing your fears today will leave you feeling high-spirited well into the evening.

Overview:
Pretty words are fine and dandy, but you need to put your money where your mouth is. Loosen the reins on your self-control and see what happens when you let yourself go with your instincts. It'll be pretty fabulous!

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