Thanks giving week in Miami South Beach

Surgeon General Advice for South Beach, originally uploaded by Ricardo Carreon.

This is a photo showing a funny notes for visitors, but there is news that two persons who were stranded high in the air aboard a stalled fair ride have been rescued after nearly an hour. Footage from media showed the riders turned horizontally in their seats, with their feet dangling above the fairgrounds. Around 2:45 the ride was shown slowly moving again toward the ground before the people got off. A spokeswoman from the fire department said a call came in at 1:54 PM on Tuesday to report the stalled ride at the Miami-Dade County Fair.

Obama Signs Historic Health Care Bill

US President Barack Obama signed the historic health care reform legislation bill into law during a triumphant ceremony for congressional Democrats, Chip Reid of CBS reports in this video.

Tiger Woods' first interview after break from golf

Tiger Woods said that he is concerned about the reception he will get from fans when he returns to competition at Masters Tournament next month after almost four months he was away from golf. Woods spoke with ESPN and the Golf Channel in his first interviews since admitting marital infidelity and taking a break from golf. Bloomberg's Erik Schatzker reports in this video.

Barack Obama: It's Time to Pass Health Care Reform

President Barack Obama addresses the House Democratic Caucus and says that the time is now to vote for health care reform for America.

Tiger Woods aboard USS George Washington

Photo: American Navy sailors watch professional golfer Tiger Woods hit a few golf balls during a demonstration in the hanger bay of the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). Woods, was accompanied by Elin Nordegren, PGA player Mark O'Meara, and caddies Steve Williams and Greg Rita, visited the Norfolk, Va.-Based carrier in the Arabian Gulf before participating in the European PGA Tour's Dubai Desert Classic. The George Washington Carrier Strike Group (CSG) and Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW-7) were deployed to the Arabian Gulf in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom (photo dated March 3, 2004).

Tiger Woods' Private Yacht 'Privacy'

Tiger Woods' Yacht Privacy, originally uploaded by thelastminute.

American professional golf player Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren own this luxurious 155-foot, 6500 square feet (600 squire meters) yacht, which is named ‘Privacy’ that cost him $20 million. The vessel has a theatre, gym, a master suite and six staterooms, Jacuzzi, and it sleeps 21 people. The vessel is registered in the Cayman Islands and was built for Woods by Christensen Yachts, a Vancouver and Washington based luxury yacht builder.

US Airline Passenger Bill of Rights

Video: CBS Travel editor Peter Greenberg discusses the new three hour rule for holding planes on the tarmac and the Virgin America flight that held passengers for 16 hours.

It is expected that new rules regarding how the passengers are going to be compensated and how airlines have to behave in case of undue delays are expected soon, possibly by the end of April. As you can understand from this video, it is expected that while airlines passengers may welcome the legislation, airlines are not likely to be amused.

According to a recent report in USA Today, "The rule also requires airlines to provide adequate food and water for passengers within two hours during a delay, as well as operable lavatories and, if necessary, medical care."

But from April 29, the video says, if the Airline does not take care of you, like feeding and hydrating you, and do not return you to the gate after three hours, they have to pay $27,500 per passenger. It is definitely going to improve the situation and mitigate the suffering of the passengers who some times wait without any facilities for hours together.

That said, there is hope that the passengers won’t be stranded on the tarmac indefinitely. This comes amidst stories of passengers who waited indefinitely, only to be told later impassionedly that their flights are cancelled.

However, there are reports of airlines saying that the new rule will only prompt more cancellations it is profitable for them to cancel flights rather than pay $27,500 per passenger as fine. So, the so-called "Passenger Bill of Rights" that is going on the Senate this week is going to cause quite a bit of flutter! Happy flying till then!

Map: Israel, Palestinian territories, Golan Heights, etc

Map: Israel, the Palestinian territories (West Bank and Gaza Strip), the Golan Heights, portions of neighbouring countries, and also United Nations deployment areas in countries adjoining Israel or Israeli-held territory, as of January 2004. This is a heavily modified map by/at source.
CLICK on the map for an enlarged view.

According to Wikipedia, in the area known before the 1967 war as East Jerusalem, a census conducted by the Israeli authorities in 1967 and it registered 66,000 Palestinian residents (44,000 residing and 22,000 in the West Bank area annexed to Jerusalem after the war). Only a few hundred Jews were living in East Jerusalem at that time. By June 1993, a Jewish majority was established in East Jerusalem: 155,000 Jews were officially registered residents, housed in 17 Israeli settlements, as compared to 150,000 Palestinians.

As of 2006, the population of East Jerusalem was 428,304, comprising 59.5% of Jerusalem's residents. Of these, 181,457 (42%) are Jews, (comprising 39% of the Jewish population of Jerusalem as a whole), 229,004 (53%) are Muslim (comprising 99% of the Muslim population of Jerusalem) and 13,638 (3%) are Christian (comprising 92% of the Christian population of Jerusalem). The size of the Palestinian population living in East Jerusalem is controversial because of political implications. In 2008, the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reported the number of Palestinians living in East Jerusalem was 208,000 according to a recently completed census.

As of 2005, East Jerusalem's main Arab neighborhoods include Shuafat (34,700), Beit Hanina (24,745), a-Sawana (22,127), Jabal Mukaber (16,030), Ras al-Amud (14,841) and the lower part of Abu Tor (14,614). East Jerusalem's main Jewish neighborhoods include Pisgat Ze'ev (41,208), Gilo (27,258), Ramot Alon (22,460), Neve Yaakov (20,156), and East Talpiyot (12,158). The Old City has an Arab population of 32,635 and a Jewish population of 3,942.

Source: Wikipedia. Go to Wikipedia for more correct and updated info on Israel, Palestinian territories, Golan Heights, East Jerusalem, etc.

Hillary Clinton re-affirms US support for Israel

Hurva Synagogue, Jerusalem, originally uploaded by Tom on Formosa.

Photo: Hurva Synagogue, Jerusalem

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the US and Israel had a ‘close, unshakeable bond’ but the US wanted both Israel and the Palestinians to prove their commitment to peace. Clinton also said the US had an ‘absolute commitment to Israel's security’. This follows reports of the American envoy George Mitchell’s postponed visit to Israel.

Meanwhile mounting tensions in Jerusalem have led to violent clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police, who said that about 60 Palestinians had been arrested. The situation in East Jerusalem worsened in recent days with the settlements issue and rededication of a synagogue in Jerusalem's Old City, which Palestinians have condemned.

The reopening of the Hurva synagogue, which was destroyed twice in the past, in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City triggered a violent backlash. Thousands of people gathered in Gaza to protest against the rededication of the synagogue which is near the al-Aqsa mosque, Islam's third-holiest site.

The Hurva Synagogue, is a historic synagogue located in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City of Jerusalem.

Palestinian's anger spills over East Jerusalem streets

Palestinian protesters flooded into East Jerusalem and other parts of the West Bank to show their anger over the restoration of a historic synagogue. They claim that Israel's action is endangering the al-Aqsa mosque, one of their most important sites. Israel's annexing of two other holy sites last month is part of their plans to build more Jewish settlement homes and it has further angered Palestinians, Sherine Tadros reports from occupied East Jerusalem.