hotels articles

Planning to go on a vacation with your loved ones? You and your loved ones been busy for quite sometimes and have finally decided to go on for a vacation to get away with all those stressful works, what a great idea! If you and your loved ones haven’t spent quality time together, it is high time for you to go for a vacation and pamper yourselves, purely relax and enjoy. Do you desire to visit Florida and explore the beauty it possesses? So why don’t you do it and have fun.

Since you and your loved ones haven’t spent quality time together, how the heck you could give your 100% attention if you have to drive and think about parking, directions, and the like. It is quite a hassle for you to do and think all of this, now that all you want to do is relax, enjoy and focus to your loved one.

Everything is settled, you and your loved ones have planned and though about where to go, where to stay and so on. But now, what can make that trip and vacation more memorable and worthwhile? What can you do to make your loved ones happier and more excited? Renting for a limousine service is the answer…

Yes, you can make your loved ones even more excited with the trip knowing that they will have that long ride with a limo. It is an advantage to you too, since you do not have to worry driving, thinking where to park, what directions to make and the likes, since the limo driver will take care of that all. Sounds interesting, right! With a limousine service, all you have to do is relax and enjoy.

If you are going for a long ride, you can rent for a limousine with television and DVD player in it, so you and your loved ones and watch movies as you travel. Indeed, limo companies offer different amenities, it actually depends on what you need. In hiring a limousine, you need to consider the type, so you have to count the passengers in order to determine what type of limo you need. Think of the amenities that you want and discuss it with the limo company.

There are plenty of limousine companies, so if you desire to gain the best service with great price, so a little research. You can use the internet in finding the right limo company that you can book limo service into. Give a little time comparing several limo companies. Contact few companies and ask several questions that can be helpful to you in finding the one that can provide the best service.

When booking a limousine service, make sure to discuss all the important details with them. Make sure to put everything in writing. Read the contract carefully first before signing. Assure yourself that every details written in the contract is true and precise. With the use of a limousine service, you and your loved ones with truly enjoy your trip. It will definitely be a memorable and enjoyable one.

Staying connected while you are traveling is becoming easier each day. Not only are more businesses making WiFi available to their customers, but internet sites are popping up to let you know where you can connect and how.

It is becoming even more convenient with searches now available through your iPhone to search for free WiFi spots. Every state in the Unites States offers some WiFi hotspots for the eager traveler.

The locations have also expanded. It seems the coffee industry started a trend that everyone is jumping on board. Offer free internet connections to the customers and they will come. Now you can enjoy dinner or a coffee (or even get your oil changed) all while checking your emails or chatting away. The government has even jumped on board. Some city services (library, chamber of commerce, city hall) have free WiFi available to local residents and even just those who are passing through. There are even a few cities that are taking the WiFi services citywide (although it is still unclear how this will work for visitors).

Although WiFi connections are catching on, there is a catch to using them. You must be a customer or authorized user. Most of the connections will ask you if you are authorized to use the service - and you better be if you are going to log on. One man, who had been parking outside a local coffee shop to access its WiFi, was arrested for theft. If the WiFi is truly free then you won’t have to verify anything when you log on.

The best thing to do when you are traveling is to do a quick search before you leave. You should be able to find some WiFi connections along the way. Your hotel will most likely be wired, but that doesn’t mean it will be free. Many of the hotels I have stayed at required that you connect through a paid service (AT&T for example) and so the connection was available but it wasn’t free.

Royal Windsor, 20 miles west of London, on a curve of the river Thames is dominated by the Palacial castle after which the town is named. However, there is so much more to see and do in town than just walking around the castle grounds. Here is a different tour of Windsor which costs nothing but will reward the visitor with rich vistas and fascinating views.

Let us start in front of the castle, facing the statue of Queen Victoria with the castle behind her. The statue was placed here in 1887 to mark the Queen’s golden jubilee. At her funeral in 1901 the coffin was brought by train to Windsor (the station is to your left) and was carried past where you are standing along the high street . They paused briefly in front of the Guildhall so the locals who had crowded the streets could pay their respects. Let us follow the same route and go and see the guildhall ourselves. It is the colonnaded white building on the far side of the road with the statue of Queen Anne. This was built by Sir Christopher Wren and was where Prince Charles married Camilla Parker Bowles. Keep walking past the guildhall and church and on your right you will see the high windows of one of England’s very first commercial photographic studios. Now on the opposite side of the road you can see two letter boxes. The rare blue box was placed here for airmail only. The world’s first Airmail service began in 1911 in England between Windsor and Hendon in North London to celebrate the coronation of George V.

Now continue along Park Street’s fashionable georgian fronted houses and stop at the two brewers pub. This is one of Windsor’s oldest and finest, before continuing through the gates at the end of the street to take a look at the lovely long walk. It is three and a half miles of straight tarmac to the copper horse at the far end, with a deer park taking up one third of the route.

The Long Way Round

Armed with three BMW R1150GS Adventure bikes, cameras, motorcycle communications devices and a bag full of a sense of daring and spirit, world-renowned Scottish actor Ewan McGregor and his friend and fellow actor/ adventurer, Englishman Charley Boorman, set out for the journey of a lifetime.

Accompanied by cameraman Claudio von Plata, the duo left London on April 14, 2004 and traveled eastwards on their motorcycles until they reached their destination: New York City. All in all, their group rode for more than 3 months, covered 19,000 miles and rode through the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, USA, Canada and New York. The trip, McGregor described, was borne out of their “desire to ride motorbikes for a very long time”.

As to be expected, the modern adventurers’ trip was neither an easy nor an uneventful one. In Kazakhstan for example, the local police insisted on escorting the group whenever they went. The locals (with the aid of the cops), aware not only of McGregor’s popularity but also of the significance of what the duo was trying to do, kept inviting them to parties (invitations which they could not possibly refuse).

During their trip, they were also held at gunpoint twice. One was by local authorities at the Ukranian border who, because they rode ahead of the local TV people filming them, did not recognized the pair and the other by a lone gunman in Kazakhstan, who apparently did it as a joke as he left the terrified travelers laughing.

In Mongolia, they ate a bowl of sheep testicle soup, a native delicacy.

Minor accidents like getting icy-cold water into their engines, machines breaking down, having petrol sprayed into their eyes, getting rear-ended also kept occurring while the two finished their journey.

In spite of these mishaps though, the two look at the 107 days they spent on the road with nothing but fondness and glee. Not only were they able to see and experience firsthand the generosity of the people of the countries they visited, the experiences they shared during the trip also transformed them from “friends, to brothers”.

Motorcycle Diaries

While the McGregor’s and Boorman’s journey can definitely be described as truly adventurous and quite groundbreaking, it was not however, the first of its kind. More than half a century before the Scot and the Englishman traveled around the world, two young men from Argentina, has already embarked on a similar motorcycle adventure.

In 1951, Alberto Granado and Ernesto Guevara, the future Che Guevara, traveled the length of South America starting from their hometown of Alta Gracia. Unlike their modern counterparts who traveled with GPS devices, powerful bikes and motorcycle intercoms, the young Argentinians only had themselves and their rundown 1939 Norton 500 cc (which they dubbed the “Mighty One, the Second”), to depend on.

Despite having to share one old bike (which was not really in its best condition), the duo was able to travel to 24 different locations in 5 different countries.

While McGregor and Boorman’s journey opened their eyes to the kindness and generosity of the people of the places they visited, Guevara and Granado saw the poverty and inequality that plagued the countries of South America. This journey and the dire conditions he witnessed helped shape the political views and stance Guevara would later try to spread in South America as Che.

As we know, there are times when a business needs to be relocated. This can cause a great deal of stress to the business owner, apart from the time involved, while the details are taken care of, customers and clients that need to be informed. In order that the move is smooth, without disruption in the business, the employees stability carefully handled - all these issues and various other factors that involve relocation for a business can be handled effectively by professionals dealing with business relocation consulting.

There are different services offered by business relocation consultants. They are able to offer advice on relocating, so that the business suffers the least possible loss, and they may even take it upon themselves, if you so desire, to make all the decisions, which will involve the venue, the employees, handling of customers, advertisement and even the minor hassles of relocation. This will allow the business to run smoothly, while the move is in progress.

Improving Business in the new location

Consulting agencies or consultants before the move is also a good idea, so that a new location or site can be well handled with the least possible expenditure - in other words, they have the expertise to look for a good deal at a bargain price which would save the business money. Also, they will handle employees relocation, so that they are comfortable and not stressed out.

The Different Agencies and Consultants

There are different groups, both individual and those that have interests in promoting their sites for businesses, in the hope of making economic gains to the area. Some groups are wholly private and do not have interests in any economic developments. They concentrate on helping the business relocate, and provide them with advice, strategy, and take the entire load of moving and relocating on themselves. This leaves the business free to concentrate in their present location, while their moving needs are taken care of simultaneously by the business relocation consultants.

There are various options to choose for the business that is in the process of moving. Individual needs of clients need to be met, the main focus being the client or customer, who needs to be comfortable with the move. If they have been dealing with the business for many years, they would like to continue to do business. So they need to be comfortable with the move and the location.

They will be prepared to adjust, depending on their rapport with the Company. Employees need to consider the effect on themselves and their families, the mode of transport facilities available to them, the time involved in traveling, the facilities for food, if the area is away from the city - these are considerations that businesses will do well to take into account while handing over their requirements to experts in Business relocation consulting.

DON’T THINK THAT RETIREMENT IS ALL ABOUT TRAVEL and leisure. As you grow older, you could become frail and dependent upon others for constant care. If you need to go into an institution or hire professional home-care aides, the stratospheric cost could wipe out the retirement fund that you worked so hard to build.

That notion has been a concern for 56-year-old Ronald Henderson, Ph.D., who resides in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Henderson, the director for the Washington, D.C.-based National Education Association, and his wife, Inez, have built up their nest egg through their respective company-sponsored plans. He has invested in the Vanguard family of funds, including its Capital Opportunity and Primecap offerings. Inez, a 56-year-old educator, has stashed away a portion of her dollars in the equity and fixed-income funds in her 403(b) plan.

So, to protect himself and his wife, Ronald, a self-professed golf enthusiast, instead of dreaming of golf courses in faraway places, has been clipping articles on long-term care. He is actively shopping for a policy so that, if necessary, he and Inez can receive top-notch health care. “If you’re going to rely on the government, you’ll have to spend down all of your money first,” he says. “There’s a big hole in the safety net.”

Indeed, falling through the hole can be downright catastrophic. For example, experts say that nursing home costs can grow to $4,000 to $5,000 per month in the Southeast and even higher in other parts of the country. Where is the money to pay for the home going to come from? Out of your pocket. Or maybe your children will have to foot the bill, putting a crimp in their retirement savings plan.

Your key to fighting the danger of rising health costs in the future may be long-term care (LTC) insurance. Financial planner Edward Fulbright tells his clients that they don’t have to wait until they’re senior citizens to consider purchasing an LTC policy. “If you buy before age 70, these policies can be affordable, perhaps $1,500 or $2,000 per year,” he says. “With a good company, those premiums will remain constant over the years. After age 70, though, premiums become much more expensive.”

In fact, his 37-year-old wife, Genevia, a CPA and business advisor, says she purchased an LTC policy several years ago. “I’ve had one since I was 30,” she says. “I did some volunteer work in a long-term care facility, so I saw the need for this coverage. I also saw how much it costs. One of our elderly clients is paying $6,500 per year for coverage. Since I bought a policy when I was so young, I’m paying under $200 per year.”

Besides timing what other factors should you consider when shopping for an LTC policy?

QUALITY OF THE INSURANCE COMPANY

Experts say you should do your homework and buy a policy only from an established company in excellent financial condition. John Haslett, a long-term care insurance specialist in Reston, Virginia, agrees. He advises consumers to choose a nationally recognized insurance company that has not raised rates for existing policyholders. “Some companies have made honest mistakes and priced their policies too low,” Haslett says. “Claims have been higher than expected, so they’ve had to raise premiums. Other companies have used bait-and-switch tactics, enticing consumers with prices they knew would be raised in the future. Either way, you should avoid the companies that have increased premiums in the past.”

Haslett mentions companies such as GE, John Hancock, Transamerica, and Unum as financially sound industry leaders that are likely to maintain premiums. “Insurers like these don’t want to attract negative attention in the media nor do they want to trigger adverse legislation,” he says. “Therefore, they can’t afford to be too aggressive in raising rates, so it’s likely that your initial premium will remain fixed.”

INFLATION PROTECTION

“Your policy should have an increasing benefit,” says Fulbright. “You might buy a policy that pays $100 per day but, by the time you need care, which might be 10 years from now, that $100 won’t cover the costs.” A sound policy, he says, will increase that benefit each year, so it might pay $150 per day when the policyholder is in need of care.

FULL COVERAGE

Home care is now as expensive as institutional care, so your LTC policy should pay benefits in either situation. An exception to the rule is single women–especially widows–who live alone. They are probably better off in a facility if they need care. Home-care aides can present a huge security risk to these women since background checks on these workers are rarely performed.

Since single women may be better off in a nursing home or assisted living facility, they might as well buy an LTC insurance policy that covers only facility care. Such policies are usually 40% less expensive than those that cover home healthcare.

TAXES

Before buying LTC insurance, consider the tax consequences. “Federal law permits deductions for the premiums in some cases, but only 4% of all taxpayers will qualify,” says Haslett. “Therefore, at least 30 states offer tax breaks of their own. Often, you can take state income tax deductions for the premiums not deductible on your federal tax return.”

Dear Fixer: I have called American Express three times to cancel my account, and, even with confirmation from company representatives, this has not been done, and erroneous charges keep appearing on my account.

A brief history: On July 15, I paid the outstanding balance, which made this account paid in full.

Then, on my August statement, I received a bill for a food-and- wine magazine subscription for $29 and a travel-and-leisure magazine subscription for $39 — which I didn’t order.

I called the company and was assured these charges would be removed. On my October statement, these charges were deleted. I informed the company I no longer used the card and had destroyed it.

Then, in January, I received another statement, showing a charge from December for $69.95. I called American Express again and was told the charge would be removed and my account would be closed within 48 hours.

My latest statement, due March 25, showed a balance of $103.35 — including the $69.95 charge plus late-payment fees and finance charges.

Dotty Manweiler, Oak Lawn

Dear Dotty: Clearly, some crook who likes fine wine and travel is messin’ around with your old AmEx card number. We got in touch with American Express’ Monica Beaupre, who quickly fixed your problem and closed the account. You also have been given a “private phone number” at AmEx, with instructions to call if any other mysterious charges come your way.

Dear Fixer: I have a 2001 Ford 150 pickup truck. I received a letter from Ford in September, stating that my cruise-control unit had been recalled. Ford said to bring the vehicle in, as the unit could catch fire even if the vehicle was not running.

In the letter, Ford said the part would be available in mid- November. In November, they said the part would be in on Dec. 1. In December, they said: mid-January. At the end of January, they said they have no idea when the new parts will be in!

I am getting ready to sell my vehicle, but who’s going to buy it with the cruise not working? I hope Ford is not too large for your superpowers.

Skip Skrobuton, Orland Park

Dear Skip: Superpowers? Gosh, no pressure there. We called David Reuter, Ford’s Midwest public affairs guy. Turns out there was a delay due to a manufacturing issue, Reuter says. He explained that this is a brand new part, so it took longer than usual to get it to the dealers. All dealers should be adequately stocked now, he says. We checked with Terry’s Lincoln Mercury in Orland Park, and that was just the case.

Banking glitch won’t go away

Dear Fixer: Three times now, I have informed my credit card company — Capital One — that I want to opt out of electronic checking. That lasts for about a year, then they go back to electronic checking.

This third time, I wrote to them and got this response: “We are unable to send you the original checks you requested. The original documents are kept for our records.”

I want to get my checks back and want this to stop — two years ago!

Dorothy Dieffenderfer,

Park Forest

Dear Dorothy: The Fixer loves battling the banking industry’s computer systems. We called Capital One’s Pam Girardo, who said the company received your opt-out request in February 2005. But in August they upgraded their computer system, and your account was set back to the default setting — meaning they once again began processing your checks electronically. Now, everything’s been put back the way you want it. Girardo says Capital One was contacting you about getting copies of the checks that had been processed electronically. They also gave you an apology.

Where’s our magazine?

Dear Fixer: In June, my husband ordered a magazine subscription to Mac Addict from a very endearing young lady who said she was selling subscriptions as a way to work her way through college. Normally, we do not order magazines this way, and we are starting to regret it.

I have contacted Chapel Sales via e-mail at least three times and have received responses stating that we should be patient and that they have re-entered our information and that our subscription should start soon — but still no magazine.

Michael and Christine

Jedrzejak, Evergreen Park

Dear Michael and Christine: The Fixer asked Chapel Sales’ Tina Hovington to investigate this deal-gone-bad. She said a number of subscription orders had been lost in the company’s computer system but sent a refund check for $52.

An expanded version of this column is available online at www.suntimes.com.

Thanks this week to contributors Mike Nolan, Patrick Ferrell, Meg Dedolph, Danielle Braff and Long Hwa-shu.

Getting the runaround over a consumer problem? Tell it to The Fixer at www.suntimes.com. Or you can mail a brief description of your problem, with your name, address and phone number, to: The Fixer, Chicago Sun-Times, 350 N. Orleans St., Ninth Floor North, Chicago, IL 60654. Please don’t send original documents. The Fixer can’t make personal replies. Letters are edited for length and clarity.

MarchFirst, the beleaguered i-shop giant, dropped its other shoe last week, projecting a fourth-quarter loss of 25 to 30 cents per share, forecasting lower-than-expected 2001 results and detailing plans to scale back its operation to 500 key clients and seven vertical markets.

The announcement follows the Chicago based agency’s previous week’s statement that it would need to borrow an additional $50 million this year and next to meet its short-term cash needs. The company also plans to lay off 1,000 employees, or about 10 percent of its staff, in an effort to trim $100 million from its costs next year.

The scale-back plans come as the agency blames significant losses on both market weaknesses and the shifting desires of major clients to large-scale, high-value projects. Not that marchFirst hasn’t done its share of such projects: In the past year, the agency has created online presences for such established brands as Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma and Audi.

But according to some analysts, the company, created from a merger last December of Whittman Hart and USWeb/CKS, has yet to find firm traction among either clients or investors. “They just weren’t very aggressive about what this [merger] meant,” Preston Dodd, a senior analyst with Jupiter Communications told IQ recently. “And I think we’ve seen that reflected in client confusion and ultimately, their stock price.”

The company said it will now focus on serving its top 500 existing clients–which account for about 80 percent of marchFirst’s revenue–while determining which relationships with more than 1,000 smaller clients should continue.

“It’s not that we’re letting people go,” said a company spokeswoman, noting that marchFirst serviced 1,700 clients in its third quarter alone. “We’re just not going to be chasing the small guys anymore.”

With this change, marchFirst said it will also follow the lead of many of its competitors in walking away from Internet pure plays. The company said it will focus instead on helping traditional companies build their e-commerce businesses.

“We will be doing some business with pure plays,” the spokeswoman said. “But they will have to be spinoffs.”

Overall, marchFirst said it will shrink the industries its serves to seven: manufacturing, financial services, high-tech and telecommunications, health care, consumer products/retail, media, entertainment and communications, and transportation/travel and leisure.

MarchFirst also said it will concentrate on “six core strengths”: brand and market development, customer acquisition and retention, revenue channel expansion, supply chain integration, intellectual capital optimization, and technology optimization and management. It will also centralize its global operations and streamline its geographical profit centers from 72 to four.

Following the announcement last Tuesday, marchFirst shares continued their slide, closing at $1.06, down 69 cents. At the time of the merger last March, marchFirst stock was trading at $48.31.

Going forward, the company said its expects to generate revenues ranging from $235 million to $250 million in its fourth quarter, although losses will hover around 25 to 30 cents per share. Additionally, the company said it would take a one-time restructuring charge of $25 million to $35 million in the fourth quarter to pay for its reorganization. Analysts had expected a 7 cent per share profit in the fourth quarter.

For 2001, the company foresees revenues of $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion and earnings per share of 25 to 35 cents.

According to Robert Bernard, marchFirst chairman and CEO, the changes follow a four-month strategic study of marchFirst’s internal assets.

“We are concentrating on leveraging our core capabilities and pursuing the most lucrative opportunities in our markets,” he said. “The restructuring supports this new strategic focus and also signals a renewed commitment to the sound business principles of cost containment and operational efficiency.”

COMPANY profit warnings have fallen back in the first quarter of this year but businesses and consumers are being urged to be cautious as key industry sectors remain vulnerable.

According to Big Four accountant Ernst & Young, in quarter one of 2006, 85 profit warnings were issued by quoted companies. This was 11-per cent down on the fourth quarter of 2005, although it was the same figure as quarter one of 2005.

Tom Burton, corporate restructuring partner at Ernst & Young Scotland, said: “Profit warnings in the first quarter of 2006 are at the lowest since first quarter 2005. Yet the outlook still remains uncertain for both corporates and consumers. The picture for the last quarter is very mixed. Confidence is clearly growing and warnings are falling. However, the warning level for the past 12 months is still high and the proportion of companies warning continues to give cause for concern.” Profit warnings for the past 12 months totalled 381 compared with only 307 in the preceding year this means that for the past two reporting periods, the annual total has remained at its highest level since 2001-02, the time of the dotcom bust.

This important measure for the strength of the quoted corporate sector followed the decision by the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee to leave interest rates unchanged on Thursday for the eighth consecutive month.

The worst sectors were software and computer services with 12 warnings, general retailers with 10, and support services with six. Three further areas:

food producers; healthcare equipment and services; and travel and leisure had five warnings each.

Last year proved tough for retail, with 42 profit warnings in total.

Although consumer and business confidence may be improving in 2006, the prospects do not look markedly better, with 10 warnings in the quarter to March 31.

Burton said: “It may simply be that consolidation and the high number of administrations that occurred in 2005 has reduced the number of weaker companies more likely to issue warnings. Just as concerning is the fact that the market is already starting to see some of last year’s IPOs struggling, and that does not bode well for a continued downward trend in warnings.” Food producers is another sector which has struggled, with five warnings issued this quarter compared to one in Q4 of 2005. Burton said: “Supermarket chains are insisting on broader and new product choice, lower prices and rapid response to fast-changing promotions, putting food producers under pressure like never before.” He added that although growth is picking up, interest rate cuts and a shift from consumer to business spending may be necessary to sustain economic momentum.

The new warnings come as the Scottish Chambers prepares to publish its quarterly business survey, which is expected to show that increasing transport and energy costs are threatening Scotland’s economic growth.

This is the time of year to learn a lot and have some fun checking out the latest world almanacs. Many ideas and insights can be gleaned about electronics, and everything else, by browsing over these thousand-page tomes that regularly show up just before New Year.

The New Year’s weekend snowstorm that blanketed the New York region left me some idle time in the house to do just that. The week before, I had carefully scrutinized the various offerings at the local bookstore before picking the one I usually get, the latest edition of The World Almanac and Book of Facts from World Almanac Books. It has claimed to be “the authority since 1868,” the year it was first published by the New York World. I particularly like its colorful flags, maps and photos.

While much of the same information can be found in other reference books or on the Web, I like finding all sorts of interesting and thought-provoking stuff along the way while heading for the map of Asia to check the spelling of Kuala Lumpur.

Among the first things I look at in a new almanac are the major news events and pictures of the previous 12 months. Almanacs are usually put to bed around mid-November, in time to include October’s World Series and early November’s election results, and still be ready for Christmas shoppers and the start of the New Year. While the Yankees’ victory over the Mets was amply documented, last year’s presidential election proved particularly challenging for the almanacs. The election also underscored the power and immediacy of the Web. Editors of my almanac, and others I looked at, all solved their presidential crisis the same way, running extensive articles and pictures about Bush and Gore, describing the inconclusive election night and raging Florida controversy, then providing readers with a Web site to learn later developments, like who won.

Accounts and pictures of other news from last year in the 2001 almanac brought many thoughts to mind. A smiling Bill Gates is seen arriving on Capitol Hill in April to tell his side in the government’s antitrust suit, which later resulted in a federal court ordering Microsoft to split up, a decision now under appeal. Will Gates still be smiling when the appeal is over?

A page depicting how the world greeted 2000 shows the stunning photo of the Eiffel Tower surrounded by fireworks, a picture duplicated in every almanac I checked. Kudos to France for the world’s coolest millennium celebration. Speaking of that momentous day and associated Y2K anxiety, I guess we’ll never really know if tremendous foresight and planning averted disaster, or the risk was way overblown. My feeling is better safe than sorry. My almanac, while citing the advance preparations, noted that “concerns that the Y2K computer glitch would cripple businesses and governments … proved unfounded. Some $350 billion had been spent globally to address the glitch.” I think a calamity was averted because for every single dollar out of those hundreds of billions, a dollar’s worth of problems was solved. That’s my productivity analysis and I’m sticking to it.

The pain and glory associated with great endeavors in science and electronics is reflected in some of the other items. It is sad to see Russian sailors lighting candles for 118 comrades lost on the nuclear submarine Kursk. Those 118 join the countless others throughout history who paid the ultimate price to further technology.

The depiction of human genome developments spotlights the tremendous potential for biotechnology to improve life expectancy and the quality of life. And remember, future biotech wonders will also likely mean big bucks for electronics firms.

A glimpse of the International Space Station reminded me of the tremendous potential and challenges of space, both for our industry, and society. Rockets and space travel will be dominant themes of the next 100 years, just as airplanes and air travel have been defining forces in the past 100 years. And extensively moving beyond Earth will require massive outlays of electronics.

I suspect all sorts of human activities will ultimately be conducted in space, from commerce, art, travel and leisure to defense. President-elect Bush apparently agrees on the coming importance of space-based defense. Reports out of Washington suggest that a key reason he chose Donald H. Rumsfeld to be secretary of defense was Rumsfeld’s strong support for a strategic defense initiative — Star Wars-type missile program. Space-based defense will be as crucial in the future as having an air force is today. Of course, threats of chemical and biological warfare can be mounted surreptitiously from inside the country, but these weapons of mass destruction can also be launched from outside with missiles, and we must guard against all future possibilities.

Getting back to airplanes and air travel, it actually all started just under 100 years ago. According to the almanac’s list of notable aviation firsts, it was Dec. 17, 1903, to be exact, near Kitty Hawk, N.C., where brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright made the first human-carrying, powered flights. Developers of games and other electronic products take note: start working up cool stuff to celebrate the 100th anniversary of aviation in 2003.