world weather news

Sunday, June 23, 2013

Soprano talks of her 'sabbatical' from opera

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Her character Antonia literally sings herself to death in Offenbach's "The Tales of Hoffmann," but in real life Natalie Dessay says her own upcoming break from opera is not so irrevocable.

"I'm going to take a sabbatical, and then we'll see," the French soprano said in an interview. "The truth is my repertoire is shrinking. I'm not a young woman anymore, so I don't feel adequate for roles where I'm the girl in love for the first time. I don't want to eternally redo Lucia or Ophelie or even Manon. I want some new challenges."

So after the curtain falls on her last performance in "Hoffmann" at the San Francisco Opera on July 6, Dessay will vanish for a time from American opera stages. Her last scheduled operatic performances anywhere are in Massenet's "Manon" this fall in Toulouse, France.

After that, no opera, at least through 2015. But that hardly means Dessay is giving up singing. She has several concert tours planned with pianist Philippe Cassard, who will accompany her in songs by, among others, Clara Schumann, Brahms, Debussy and Duparc. She also will tour with Michel Legrand, using a microphone while singing works by a composer known for his popular songs and jazz.

"So I won't be doing opera ? but I will be doing things to earn money," Dessay said.

And she'd like to fulfill a lifelong dream by breaking into theater. In fact, she started out as a drama student. Singing came about almost by accident because she had to do some for a role in a student play, and "people said, 'Oh, you have a nice voice.'"

That nice voice ? agile and bell-like up to the soprano stratosphere ? catapulted her to international stardom in the early 1990s in such comic roles as Zerbinetta in Richard Strauss' "Ariadne auf Naxos" and the mechanical doll Olympia in "Tales of Hoffmann."

More serious dramatic parts followed ? the title role in Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," Ophelie in Thomas' "Hamlet" and Violetta in Verdi's "La Traviata."

But now, at age 48, she no longer can manage the highest notes, and her voice never grew big enough for heavier lyric roles like Mimi in Puccini's "La Boheme."

"For example, I'd like to be able to do Blanche (the heroine of Poulenc's "Dialogues of the Carmelites"), but that's not for my voice," she said. "It would be possible in a small hall, but in a big house it's not a good idea. I've done Melisande (in Debussy's "Pelleas and Melisande") in a small house, but I couldn't do it at the Metropolitan Opera."

Still, based on her performance as Antonia on Thursday night, Dessay seems an unlikely candidate for early retirement from the opera stage. Vocally she sounded in fine shape, her delicate soprano perhaps a bit small for the role but fitting perfectly with her character's fragile state. And dramatically she was as compelling as ever.

One casualty of her planned time away from opera is the role of the emotionally unstable Elvira in Bellini's "I Puritani." She had agreed to do it in Paris and at the Met, but ended up canceling both engagements.

"The music is wonderful, but I just don't see myself playing her," she said. "She becomes crazy in exactly 30 seconds, then she's not crazy anymore, then she's crazy again.

"I mean, the libretto is really too stupid," she said, wrinkling her nose.

A new part she is considering after her sabbatical is the wily maid Despina in Mozart's "Cosi fan tutte." It might seem a surprising choice, since it's by no means the lead role in the opera.

"The Met offered it to me, and I think it's a good idea," she said. "It's maybe not that interesting to sing, but it would be wonderful to play."

The role she most regrets never performing is the title character in Berg's atonal masterpiece "Lulu."

"I couldn't learn it," she said. "It's just horribly long. Musically, I'm not a good reader. And I don't have perfect pitch. It would have taken me two years."

Even though she'll be doing concert tours, Dessay is looking forward to spending more time at home in France with her family ? husband bass-baritone Laurent Nouri and their two teenage children. As of June, she had been on the road non-stop since February.

"I think they are very happy, because they will see me more," she said, adding with a smile, "of course, they may regret that after a few months."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/soprano-talks-her-sabbatical-opera-145442429.html

the secret life of bees full moon aubrey o day johan santana viktor bout ncaa hockey role models

Instagram, Give Me A Photos-Only Stream Or Give Me Death

You hear that? It's the sound of 130 million people closing the Instagram app. Ok, perhaps that's a bit hyperbolic, but I'm placing my bets right now: Instagram video is a big mistake. Huge.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/RUTllJgIhg4/

norfolk state st patrick s day parade duke invisible children garbage pail kids st bonaventure ncaa tournament 2012

'Mad Men's' Don Draper: Sexy, but so sad

Anna Chan TODAY

10 hours ago

Michael Yarish / AMC

Don Draper found himself surrounded by people, yet all alone and sad, in the ninth episode of the season, titled "Better Half."

It's been a long, sad season for Don Draper on "Mad Men." It seemed almost every episode featured at least one shot of the handsome ad man brooding -- and in some cases, even shedding a tear or two.

What's he got to cry about, you say? We hear you: He's a rich, very successful, good-looking guy with a gorgeous wife. As far as viewers can see, he's still got his health too. (At least, we think so. His liver hasn't started failing from all that drinking yet, right?) So why the long face, Don?

Turns out maybe we should cut the guy a little slack. Money and good looks can't buy happiness, after all. (Just a lot of other stuff that makes life a bit easier.)

Dumped
Nobody tells Don Draper what's what! Unless you're his neighbor/mistress, apparently. In the episode titled "Man With a Plan," the ad man does his own version of "50 Shades of Grey" and orders lover Sylvia to stay in her hotel room all day (although it felt more like days), even taking away her book at one point. By the end of that ordeal, she'd had an epiphany and dumped him. His response? Disbelief. Sad face. Begging. And later, more begging on the phone.

Who are you?
Daughter Sally delivered a knife to Don's -- and viewers' -- hearts this year. After the Draper residence is burgled while the adults are away and Sally was left behind to watch her little brothers, she explained to Don why she was duped into believing the thief -- a black woman -- was her grandma. "She said she knew you," Sally told her dad on the phone later. "I asked her everything I know and she had an answer for everything. Then I realized I don't know anything about you." Sad, ponderous face.

All by himself
Don's often surrounded by people, whether he's at the office, having a meal with clients or enjoying a little tryst with someone. When he hooked up with ex-wife Betty while visiting son Bobby at camp, he admitted that he'd missed her, hinting at how unhappy he is in his current marriage. "Why is sex the definition of being close to someone?" he asked. Her reply? "I don't know. But it is for me, it is for most people." Cue the sad face. And by the next morning, they were miles apart again. As Don headed into the diner for breakfast, he saw Betty sitting with her husband, Henry ... and Don shuffled off to sit alone.

Drowning
After smoking some hashish at a Hollywood party, Don started to hallucinate first the happy, then the sad. The vision of a pregnant Megan came to him first, then Dinkins, the soldier he met in the season premiere. Except now, the young man is missing an arm -- and is dead. "Dying doesn't make you whole," Dinkins told Don when asked why the deceased vet was still missing his appendage in the afterlife. "You should see what you look like." And what does the ad man look like? Depressed. And dead. Floating in a pool face-down dead. But fortunately for him, the dead part was a hallucination, but he really was drowning in the pool until Roger dove in and saved him.

Busted
When Don finally got caught cheating with Sylvia, it wasn't by who viewers -- or Don himself -- were probably expecting. It was Sally who walked in on the two lovebirds. This sent Don first into panic mode, which eventually morphed into depression. It became obvious two episodes later, when Don started out the penultimate episode of the season curled up in a fetal position on Sally's bed, and ended the hour the same way, realizing that his actions have cost him a relationship with his little girl.

What Sunday's finale holds for Don's happiness, you'll have to tune in and see at 10 p.m. on AMC.

Source: http://www.today.com/entertainment/mad-mens-don-draper-sexy-successful-so-sad-6C10367555

Doodle 4 Google Sergio Garcia kellie pickler miranda kerr brian urlacher NBA Mock Draft 2013 Xbox reveal

Gaza singer gives Palestinians a reason to smile

Palestinians watch the performance of Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf, a contestant in a regional TV singing contest, on a large screen in the West Bank city of Nablus, Saturday, June 21, 2013. Palestinians relished a rare moment of pride and national unity Saturday after a 23-year-old wedding singer from a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip won ?Arab Idol,? a regional TV singing contest watched by millions of people. (AP Photo/Nasser Ishtayeh)

Palestinians watch the televised performance of Mohammad Assaf, 22, a Palestinian finalist on the Arab Idol talent show, in Gaza City, Friday, June 21, 2013. Assaf, Gazan's powerful voice has propelled him to the final at the "Arab Idol" in a TV talent contest choosing a winner in Beirut on Saturday. He is the first Palestinian to qualify for "Arab Idol." (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

A Palestinian girl carries a poster of singer Mohammad Assaf, 22, while watching the televised performance of the Palestinian finalist on the Arab Idol talent show, in Gaza City, Friday, June 21, 2013. Assaf, Gazan's powerful voice has propelled him to the final at the "Arab Idol" in a TV talent contest choosing a winner in Beirut on Saturday. He is the first Palestinian to qualify for "Arab Idol." The poster, front, reads "Vote to Arab Idol Mohammed Assaf," "we have the same dream, our dream is close," and "Vote and the Bank of Palestine votes with you." (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Palestinians dance and sing while watching the televised performance of Mohammad Assaf, 22, a Palestinian finalist on the Arab Idol talent show, in Gaza City, Friday, June 21, 2013. Assaf, Gazan's powerful voice has propelled him to the final at the "Arab Idol" in a TV talent contest choosing a winner in Beirut on Saturday. He is the first Palestinian to qualify for "Arab Idol". Arabic on the sign on the table reads ?Vote to the son of Palestine NO. 3" and "Vote and the Bank of Palestine votes with you." (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) ? Palestinians relished a rare moment of pride and national unity Saturday after a 23-year-old wedding singer from a refugee camp in the Gaza Strip won "Arab Idol," a regional TV singing contest watched by millions of people.

With the announcement of Mohammed Assaf's victory, fireworks lit up the sky over the West Bank and Gaza.

Thousands who had watched the final show on outdoor screens in the two territories broke into cheers and chants of "Palestine, Palestine." In Gaza City, young men on motorcycles waved Palestinian flags and women dropped candy from balconies.

Rasha Salman, 42, an engineer in Gaza City, was moved to tears. "He brought joy to our hearts and dried some of our wounds," she said. "For a few moments, he united us behind his cause, which is art."

The singer with the bright smile and warm voice had put Palestinian pride center stage during the competition.

In a performance Friday, many in the audience in the TV studio in Beirut jumped to their feet when he struck up his signature anthem to Palestinian nationalism, "Raise the kaffiyeh."

The show, produced by the Saudi-owned MBC Group, was broadcast from the Lebanese capital. Now in its second season, this year's competition began in March with 27 contestants.

Assaf, who was born to Palestinian parents in Libya and grew up in Gaza's Khan Younis refugee camp, almost didn't get to compete. He says he had to plead with Hamas to let him leave Gaza, then bribe Egyptian border guards to let him enter the country en route to Lebanon. A fellow Palestinian gave up his slot during the audition phase because he believed Assaf had a better chance at winning.

As Assaf advanced in the competition, excitement and national pride kept building in the West Bank, Gaza and east Jerusalem, the territories where the Palestinians one day hope to establish a state.

Rooting for the talented performer has allowed Palestinians to feel as one people, forgetting at least briefly their political and geographic split.

Gaza is cut off from the West Bank and east Jerusalem, which lie on the other side of Israel. Israeli travel restrictions over the past decade have deepened that separation. Since the Hamas takeover in 2007, Gaza has become more isolated, amid growing animosity between the Islamic militants and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who administers part of the West Bank.

Politicians have tried to latch on to Assaf's popularity.

The Western-backed Abbas called Assaf last month to congratulate him on his strong showing and later, in a statement, urged people across the region to vote for the singer.

After Assaf's victory, Abbas issued a statement saying that "this is a moment of pride and victory for our people, on the way to achieving the dream of establishing the independent state with Jerusalem as its capital."

Hamas at first seemed critical of the "Arab Idol" fever sweeping Gaza, with a spokesman saying last month that the name and idea of the show are blasphemous.

However, Hamas is known for not going against public opinion. In a sign of a shift, a Hamas lawmaker in Gaza, Yehiyeh Moussa, this week praised Assaf as the "ambassador for Palestinian art."

Some religious leaders, though, remained harshly critical. Mohammed Salim, delivering a sermon Friday at Islam's third holiest shrine, the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, said Palestinians lost sight of their struggle for independence by getting preoccupied with the show.

"Voting for songs and immorality, evil and sin is not only forbidden, it is a crime against the cause of our people," he said.

___

Daraghmeh reported from Ramallah, West Bank.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-06-22-Palestinians-Arab%20Idol/id-159e4f1ce3c241bf96456128bd160a98

courtney robertson ben flajnik hunger games premiere red meat bachelor ben jon hamm kim kardashian law school rankings

Saturday, June 22, 2013

U.S. arms makers emerging hopeful in face of budget cuts

By Andrea Shalal-Esa

PARIS (Reuters) - The fallout of U.S. defense budget cuts was plain to see at this week's Paris Airshow in a range of scaled back displays that in the past were packed with a crowd-pleasing array of U.S. military hardware.

Lockheed Martin Corp , whose F-35 radar-evading jet is the biggest weapons program ever, conspicuously left the mockup of the fighter which normally graces Europe's premier industry meeting at home in favor of a billboard picture.

Yet there was also further evidence of a shift towards previously neglected markets in Asia and the Middle East, where economies and defense budgets are still growing strongly, which the industry says will allow it to weather the downturn.

The talk of the show among its U.S. participants was about how well they seem to be riding out the biggest defense cuts in a generation - and how next year's federal budget may prove more forgiving than had been feared.

"The other shoe hasn't dropped yet," said Tom Captain, head of aerospace and defense at the Deloitte consulting group, told Reuters at the air show. "The question is, will it ever?"

U.S. defense budgets are being cut by hundreds of billions of dollars after more than a decade of strong growth, but the top 20 global defense companies reported only a 1.3 percent drop in combined revenues in 2012.

The uncertainty over revenues at home is taking a toll on investments, but executives also say big backlogs, strong international demand and commercial orders have alleviated the worst effects of the sequestration that kicked in in March.

Some companies like Northrop Grumman Corp skipped the show entirely, a reflection, some argued of the industry's shift in geographical priorities.

Lockheed Martin Corp , Boeing Co , Raytheon Co and others are rapidly building up offices in countries including Saudi Arabia, Brazil and India, where military spending is increasing.

Lockheed made about 17 percent of its $47 billion of revenue abroad in 2012, or $8 billion, and the company's senior vice president for corporate strategy and business development, said it will "absolutely" exceed this year's goal of 20 percent.

"We're moving much more aggressively in the international domain," Pat Dewar told Reuters at the airshow. "We're going global in a much bigger way.

FOCUS SHIFT

Industry executives are growing impatient about the inability of U.S. lawmakers and the Obama administration to resolve their differences over future budget levels but Captain said lawmakers were proceeding with fiscal 2014 budget plans as if further cuts would be avoided.

He said companies specialized in next-generation precision strike and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance would perform better in coming years than those that saw big gains from ground vehicle demand in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

But Marion Blakey, president of the Aerospace Industries Association, which led an intense, but unsuccessful campaign to avert the $500 billion in across-the-board budget cuts, said many companies were scaling back investments because they still did not know how deep the cuts would finally go.

The first batch of cuts under sequestration took effect on March 1, but many lawmakers and government officials still hope to avert or reduce those planned over the next decade.

"Companies continue to hold back on investment. The uncertainty makes it impossible to move ahead in as aggressive and robust a way as they normally would," Blakey told Reuters.

Mark DeYoung, chief executive of Alliant Techsystems Inc , said the sequestration cuts and lack of clarity over funding made companies more cautious about investing in new technologies, which could have a rippling effect across the economy, limiting jobs and growth in coming years.

ATK reduced its investment plans by 10 to 15 percent during the most recent planning cycle, and further reductions may follow, depending on what happens this year, DeYoung told Reuters at the air show.

"There's uncertainty about making investment and having a return on that investment, so it makes you be more cautious," he said. "As we get through this year and see how sequestration is actually going to be implemented, it may help -- or it may make companies feel the need to pull back even further."

William Swanson, chief executive of Raytheon Co , said he remains focused on things he can control, including delivering weapons on time at the promised cost.

But he can't hide his frustration about what he considers an unprecedented level of uncertainty about U.S. budget levels.

"Every meeting I have, people want to talk about sequestration. That's what sucks all the oxygen out of the room," he said.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal-Esa; editing by Patrick Graham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-arms-makers-emerging-hopeful-face-budget-cuts-165504549.html

octomom stoudemire jordan hill tony nominations dark knight trailer dallas mavericks washington capitals

FAA moving toward easing electronic device use

FILE - This Feb. 23, 2011 file photo shows United Airlines planes taxing at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco. The government is moving toward easing restrictions on the use of electronic devices by airline passengers during taxiing, takeoffs and landings. An industry-labor advisory committee was expected to make recommendations next month to the Federal Aviation Administration on easing the restrictions, but the FAA said Friday that deadline has been extended to September. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Relief may be on the way for airline passengers who can't bear to be separated even briefly from their personal electronic devices. The government is moving toward allowing gate-to-gate use of music players, tablets, laptops, smartphones and other gadgets, although it may take a few months.

Restrictions on cellphone calls and Internet use and transmission are not expected to be changed.

An industry-labor advisory committee was supposed to make recommendations next month to the Federal Aviation Administration on easing restrictions on using electronic devices during takeoffs and landings. But the agency said in a statement Friday the deadline has been extended to September because committee members asked for extra time to finish assessing whether it's safe to lift restrictions.

"The FAA recognizes consumers are intensely interested in the use of personal electronics aboard aircraft; that is why we tasked a government-industry group to examine the safety issues and the feasibility of changing the current restrictions," the statement said.

The agency is under public and political pressure to ease the restrictions as more people bring their devices with them when they fly in order to read e-books, listen to music, watch videos, and get work done.

Technically, the FAA doesn't bar use of electronic devices when aircraft are below 10,000 feet. But under FAA rules, airlines that want to let passengers use the devices are faced with a practical impossibility ? they would have to show that they've tested every type and make of device passengers would use to ensure there is no electromagnetic interference with aircraft radios and electrical and electronic systems.

As a result, U.S. airlines simply bar all electric device use below 10,000 feet. Airline accidents are most likely to occur during takeoffs, landings and taxiing.

Using cellphones to make calls on planes is regulated by the Federal Communications Commission. There is concern that making calls from fast-flying planes might strain cellular systems, interfering with service on the ground. There is also the potential annoyance factor ? whether passengers will be unhappy if they have to listen to other passengers yakking on the phone.

The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that a draft report by the advisory committee indicates its 28 members have reached a consensus that at least some of the current restrictions should be eased.

A member of the committee told The Associated Press that while the draft report is an attempt to reach consensus, no formal agreement has yet been reached. The member was not authorized to discuss the committee's private deliberations and requested anonymity.

There are also still safety concerns, the member said. The electrical interference generated by today's devices is much lower than those of a decade ago, but many more passengers today are carrying electronics.

Any plan to allow gate-to-gate electronic use would also come with certification processes for new and existing aircraft to ensure that they are built or modified to mitigate those risks. Steps to be taken could include ensuring that all navigational antennas are angled away from the plane's doors and windows. Planes that are already certified for Wi-Fi would probably be more easily certified.

Although the restrictions have been broadly criticized as unnecessary, committee members saw value in them.

One of the considerations being weighed is whether some heavier devices like laptops should continue to be restricted because they might become dangerous projectiles, hurting other passengers during a crash, the committee member said. There is less concern about tablets and other lighter devices.

FAA officials would still have the final say. An official familiar with FAA's efforts on the issue said agency officials would like to find a way to allow passengers to use electronic devices during takeoffs and landings the same way they're already allowed to use them when planes are cruising above 10,000 feet. The official requested anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak by name.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta told a Senate panel in April that he convened the advisory committee in the hope of working out changes to the restrictions.

"It's good to see the FAA may be on the verge of acknowledging what the traveling public has suspected for years ? that current rules are arbitrary and lack real justification," Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., one of Congress' more outspoken critics of the restrictions, said in a statement. She contends that unless scientific evidence can be presented to justify the restrictions, they should be lifted.

Edward Pizzarello, the co-founder of frequent flier discussion site MilePoint, says lifting the restriction is "long overdue."

"I actually feel like this regulation has been toughest on flight attendants. Nobody wants to shut off their phone, and the flight attendants are always left to be the bad guys and gals," said Pizzarello, 38, of Leesburg, Va.

Actor Alec Baldwin became the face of passenger frustration with the restrictions in 2011 when he was kicked off a New York-bound flight in Los Angeles for refusing to turn off his cellphone. Baldwin later issued an apology to fellow American Airlines passengers who were delayed, but mocked the flight attendant on Twitter.

"I just hope they do the sensible thing and don't allow people to talk on their cellphones during flight," said Pizzarello, who flies 150,000 to 200,000 miles a year. "There are plenty of people that don't have the social skills necessary to make a phone call on a plane without annoying the people around them. Some things are better left alone."

___

Mayerowitz reported from New York.

___

Follow Joan Lowy on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-06-22-Cellphones-Planes/id-8c15556d2f694e779e0bd018e3c6e952

superbowl ads Super Bowl Ads 2013 Buffalo Wild Wings Superbowl Start Time Jim Harbaugh Who Won The Superbowl Super Bowl Halftime Show 2013

Thursday, June 20, 2013

London: Millennium Bridge

Overview and History

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." - Samuel Johnson

Do you know all the verses to the children's song, "London Bridge is falling down"? They will take you through the history of London so let's have a look, shall we?

First we need a bridge, in order for it to fall down. The Romans were nice enough to build the first one, probably using a combination of floating platforms and walkways. During Roman times the River Thames was much wider and shallower than it is today, so you could get away with mud hopping. As London has grown it has continually reclaimed the riverbank and funneled the river into a tighter channel, causing no small floods in the lower-laying areas.

Now, London Bridge first fell down and became a song when the English were fighting Viking invaders from Denmark. The English won by pulling down the Danish garrison and the bridge along with it.

Whoops! Wood and clay will wash away, wash away, wash away. Well.. that's part of the story. In 1014 more Viking invaders decided the bridge was in the way of their tall ships, so they tied ropes to it and rowed at full speed to help the bridge wash away.

Verse Three: "Build it up with bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar, bricks and mortar." The first stone construction began in 1176 and took thirty years to finish. This one lasted six centuries, but it still caught on fire and nearly collapsed a few times. This was the famous long-standing bridge bearing not only a church and houses, but also the heads of traitors preserved in tar and mounted on stakes.

Of course, a multi-colored thread of zany events came to pass in the seven-century lifespan of the stone London Bridge -- witch burnings, boating collisions and drownings, the Plague -- it's all part of becoming the world's largest city, a rich title which London achieved in the nineteenth century.

Oops! "Bricks and mortar will not stay, will not stay, will not stay." Build it up with iron and steel. The then-decrepit and chokingly narrow stone bridge was rebuilt by John Rennie in the 1830's. Legend has it that the British custom of driving on the left-hand side of the road was an early attempt to solve the congestion on the bridge.

If you can believe what comes next, Rennie's bridge was SOLD to an American investor who carted it off to Arizona. That was 1968.

The current London Bridge was dedicated in 1973. Its concrete and steel construction was financed by the sale of Rennie's stone bridge. Hmm... was this sale an elaborate financier's gambit, or just clever adaptation of existing circumstances?

Getting There

Heathrow Airport is the main one, although there are eight airports in the greater London area. Heathrow is the world's busiest airport in terms of international flights.

Other main airports are Gatwick and Stansted, all have good transportation links into central London, choose rail or bus.

Transportation

With the oldest and best underground system in the world, you can literally get anywhere quickly, the 'tubes' do get a little overcrowded, so why not see the sites above the ground and take a bus or river boat.

Like Hong Kong, London uses the Oyster card system to let you pay electronically for all sorts of things, especially moving your body from place to place. Fares go for about two pounds per ride for the underground and ?1 for the bus. Travel cards have a cool price cap on the bulk ticket purchases, so you can ride more without being charged more, after a certain point.

Consider avoiding the much loved 'black cabs' for long journeys, as it can be an expensive way to sit in traffic. Traffic can get busy in central London, but is improving alot since the introduction of the now very famous 'congestion charge'.

People and Culture

The British invented marmalade to protect their mighty navy from scurvy, and they drink a lot of tea ! "Thank you very much and have a lovely evening".

Well, those are the stereotypes. British culture can have the reputation of being stuffy and repressively polite, but the warmth and volume of pub life more than make up for it. The people in general are hilarious, sarcastic and quick-witted. They love their pints, their fish and chips and their football.

Like other megalopoliptic international and throbbing cities, London is tricky to congeal into a sliceable pat that one might conceivably be able to spread on one's toast. You'll simply have to come here and see it for yourself.

Things to do & Recommendations

First off, read some Shakespeare so you understand why you need to go to the Globe Theatre. Think about the double and triple meanings built into the text; this will give you a foundation in the British sense of humor you're walking into.

With that under your belt, walk on into The London Dungeons. When you're finished looking at these cages for people, you can look at some cages for animals at the London Zoo!

Science lovers can teleport right over to the Natural History Museum and laugh at the dinosaurs, who couldn't tele-anything.

The British museums are some of the best in the world, possibly even the best, owing to the Empire's history of world exploration. The National Gallery houses some of the greatest Western painting anywhere.

London is basically jam-packed full of history, food, music, theatre, art, banks and people to boggle your brains. I would try to describe it to you, but...

But Samuel Johnson already said it best.

Text by Steve Smith.

Source: http://www.360cities.net/image/millennium-bridge-2

Wreck It Ralph Movember USC shooting halloween lsu football lsu football Jessie Andrews