Foreign Travel With Minor Children - What Documents Are Required

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 18:59:43 GMT

The following article "Foreign Travel With Minor Children - What Documents Are Required" appeared on the blog "Updates in Michigan Family Law" written by Jeanne M. Hannah, Esq., and is very useful for Arizonan's especially. It deals with travel out of the country with children. Ms. Hannah has been a long-time family law blogger and is insighful and well-respected. Check out her blog regularly.

Minnesota Gerontological Association posts program on seniors and driving

kim.dayton@wmitchell.edu (Kim Dayton) — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:38:27 GMT

The Minnesota Gerontological Society has developed a program with Minnesota public television station tpt and other partners entitled "Love of Car: Transportation as We Age". Find the program at www.mngero.org as well as additional resources about transportation issues implicating older...

Where to Eat in Dodgy Places: Advice from a Real World Traveller

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:00:42 GMT

Joel Putnam is a world traveller in his early 20's. He recently reached Africa, his seventh continent in his travels around the world. As is typical of his generation (he is, in the interests of full disclosure, a friend of my son), he is blogging about it. His blog is very well-written, and the captions on his photographs are always witty and often downright hilarious.

Joel has apparently been reflecting more broadly on his experiences, and he penned an entry entitled "Travel Tip: Street Food Primer" that includes some excellent advice on how to select a place to eat anywhere in the world.

Here are some excerpts:

Lesson number one: In the developing world, street food is often safer than restaurant food. Yes, you read that correctly. Street food. The food that has made me the most sick while traveling has almost all come from restaurants. The reason why, is that with street food, you see it get cooked right in front of you, and you see who is cooking it. In restaurants, you see neither.

This is an important insight, although as readers of this blog know, you can get sick at the most sanitary of street stalls, or in the best restaurant on earth.

Lesson number two: usually, if the tap water isn't safe, neither is the ice. This is seems obvious when written, but it's one a lot of of people forget in practice. There are a few countries, mostly in Asia, where ice is actually factory made from safe water. But please take the extra step and check that that's the kind of ice floating in your drink.
Lesson number three: what's safe for the locals isn't necessarily safe for you, yet. . . . We all have little local beneficial bacteria running around our digestive tracts that helps us handle the local food. This differs from place to place. So take it easy for the first few days in a new place to develop your own. Legend has it local yogurt helps with this (though beware, yogurt that hasn't been refrigerated properly or that has expired is a fast way to making you sick). After you've been eating tame food (like vegetarian dishes) in a place for a bit, then try moving on to the more interesting stuff.
Lesson number four (this one is important): if the place is crowded, the food is probably good, and it's almost definitely being cooked fresh. This is an excellent way to pick street food vendors and restaurants. We'll call it the sheep method. The reason is that deserted restaurants and vendors are much more likely to leave things like meat lying around in temperatures that let nasty things start growing in it. Then when you order it, it'll get quickly reheated and served. Popular vendors, on the other hand, are having to constantly cook fresh batches to meet demand. And if it's in that much demand from the locals, it's probably because the food is especially good.

From the introduction to his blog entry, I might add a lesson number five: avoid hubris. He recounts the tale where he bragged to some fellow travellers that he had eaten so many different things in China that he should have no trouble in Mongolia. The natural result of that was that he had 12 hours of indigestion from his first Mongolian street food. But fortune follows the brave, since one of those fellow travellers from Wales was a doctor.

Joel's common sense advice can be used anywhere. We all have internal sensors that tell us when it's good to eat or drink something--our eyes, our noses, our taste buds, our ears. This is good supplementary information for how to deploy them in unfamiliar places.

I commend Joel's blog to you and not just for the travel insights. If you care to do so, vote for his blog as Travel Blog of the Year in the Blogger's Choice Awards. I also thank him for the delicious photograph accompanying this entry. I think we may safely assume he didn't get sick from that meal.

Does anyone really care, or are we just following the rules?

annalthouse@gmail.com (Ann Althouse) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:30:53 GMT

It's terrible that China, forbidden to use lead in children's jewelry, may have switched to cadmium, which is more toxic than lead.

But do we notice when our own morality works the same way? For example, here's a section from a NYT article called "The 31 Places to Go in 2010":

9. Antarctica
This may be the last year that Antarctica is open to mass tourism — not because the ice is melting too fast (though it is), but because of restrictions that would severely curtail travel around the fragile continent.

Until recently, most vessels passing through Antarctica were limited to scientific expeditions, but an exploding number of tourists now flock to what is arguably the world’s last great wilderness. The tourism boom, scientists argue, poses a major environmental threat. Indeed, several passenger ships have run aground in recent years.

Countries that manage Antarctica are calling for limits on the number of tourist ships, for fortified hulls that can withstand sea ice and for a ban on the use of so-called heavy oils. A ban on heavy oil, which is expected to be adopted by the International Maritime Organization later this year, would effectively block big cruise ships.

With the new rules taking effect within two years, tour operators are promoting 2010 as the last year to visit Antarctica, while, at the same time, procuring lighter vessels that would be permitted. Abercrombie & Kent, for example, is introducing a new ship, Le Boreal (www.abercrombiekent.com), which its public relations firm argues “meets all the environmental regulations, so access to Antarctica via A&K will not be affected.”

Launching this year, the compact luxury ship holds 199 passengers and features an outdoor heated pool, steam rooms and private balconies that offer intimate views of some of the world’s remaining glaciers.

So, go now, because it's not banned yet? If you actually cared, you wouldn't go at all! But the NYT passes along — in quotes — the PR from one ship company, whose ship purportedly meets the new standards. Just meet the standards, and you — as opposed to that "flock" of tourists — can cruise right into that fragile environment. You can snuggle up with your "intimate views" of the frigid continent that you imagine you love so much.

But that's not all. The NYT is tipping us off right now: There are only 2 years left to scoot down there in one of the big non-luxury ships. Why put Antarctica on the list of places to go in 2010 unless you mean to get out the message to the people who aren't going to be able to afford the "compact luxury ship"? Connect the dots! You're supposed to scoot down there while it's still affordable, before the rules kick in.

***

Now, I know there is this kind of morality that says that voluntary individual action has too little effect. We need rules to control what the hordes of people do. We were just discussing that here a month ago in connection with an environmentalist's op-ed that said "Stop 'going green.'" What we want are rules, and then we will follow them?

So China makes kids' jewelry with cadmium, and tourists flock to Antarctica, and we do all manner of selfish, harmful things, because it's not against the rules yet.

Lifting of HIV Travel Ban Will Let HIV+ Partners of U.S. Citizens Immigrate

Mon, 04 Jan 2010 15:45:31 GMT

Since 1987, foreigners with HIV have not been allowed to enter the U.S. with rare exception. Today the ban has ended.

The lifting of the HIV travel ban allows U.S. residents with foreign partners to live together, and the foreigner can now eventually become a U.S. citizen. More than 36,000 binational same sex couples had not been allowed to live together in the U.S. while the ban was in place.

The process of ending the ban began two years ago when President Bush gave the Department of Health and Human Services the authority to lift the ban, which it did this past July. Only 11 other countries had similar restrictions on HIV travel.

Thanks to Google for the free WiFi gift.

annalthouse@gmail.com (Ann Althouse) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 19:30:49 GMT

Here at the Madison Airport, where — I might add — security was handled really well. It was better, more organized than before. People had to wait in the line — which wasn't long — so that we went through the boarding pass/ID check more slowly and with some deliberate though unobtrusive personal contact. That meant I had the tables to myself to get my stuff properly arranged in the various busing tubs, with one person (Meade) eventually catching up to me. It wasn't really noticeably slower, just more orderly and careful. I liked not having to feel that I needed to hurry to avoid delaying other people. After the metal detector, I got the pat-down. Meade didn't. Why? I am wearing a long skirt.

Let the President stay in the White House — or, at most, retreat to Camp David.

annalthouse@gmail.com (Ann Althouse) — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 03:59:34 GMT

"President Barack Obama’s Christmas Day began with a briefing about a botched attack on an airliner in Detroit and ended with a visit to a dining hall for members of the military. His holiday vacation was designed to be an island respite from the pressures of the White House."

Well, tough. Whoever puts himself forward to become President is asking to be on call constantly for the next 4 years — every day of the year, around the clock.

"Obama and first lady Michelle Obama made a quick trip to Marine Corps Base Hawaii after a private day exchanging gifts and eating a holiday meal of roast beef at their rented home in Kailua — between briefings on the disrupted plot of suspected terrorism."

Why, exactly, are they in Hawaii — over 5,000 miles* from the White House? I'm not criticizing Obama in particular for going on vacations. I mean to criticize all the Presidents who go far away from Washington. If they need respite, let them go to Camp David. It's close to the White House, and it's set up for security. I can see returning to one's permanent residence, but even that is a luxury the President should eschew. The Christmas Day terror attempt may seem paltry, but it is a reminder of what can happen. And when it does, it would be better if the President were not out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean (or even in some schoolhouse in Florida).

***

* I came up with the 5,000 miles figure the way I normally get the miles between 2 places in the U.S.: I put the names of the 2 places into Google maps to get driving directions. What does Google maps do when there is a big ocean in the middle of the drive? Check it out. It's funny.

ADDED: Instapundit thinks it's okay for the Prez, like anybody else, to take "a tropical island trip," as long as he shuts up about carbon emissions. (I'd take that deal too.)

Tigerhawk thinks we ought to cut the Prez some slack because "for him, it is going home." He got to be President via Chicago. He cultivated deep roots in Chicago as a very conscious political scheme. So I'll accept the "home for Christmas" argument if he goes to Chicago.

In Costa Rica

anduril13@gmail.com (Andres Guadamuz) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:38:39 GMT

I’m in Costa Rica for the rest of the month. Why am I away? As the always excellent PhD comic accurately comments, nobody in academia works in December:

Now, where did I put the suntan lotion?

I’m in Costa Rica for the rest of the month. Why am I away? As the always excellent PhD comic accurately comments, nobody in academia works in December:

Now, where did I put the suntan lotion?

We left Albany at about 1:30 pm (Eastern Time) yesterday, and we pulled into the driveway here in Madison at 2:30 am (Central Time).

annalthouse@gmail.com (Ann Althouse) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 17:35:14 GMT

Not easy, but we had 2 drivers, and we're both good at napping in the passenger's seat, and it's not fun to stop in a just-off-the-interstate motel around midnight and go through the tedious routine of getting stuff out of the car, checking in, getting a few hours sleep, checking out, getting stuff back in the car, when you could be rolling along and end up in your own bed, with the next morning free to luxuriate in the glorious routine of breakfast and blogging in the Meadhouse dining room. And there are a number of ways to make the driving fun. One that I can show you here is trying to grab photographs from the car window. I'll post a bunch. The compositions are half chosen and half determined by the movement of the car through the American landscape.

1. Kurver Kreme:

2. Babyland:

3. Liberty Income Tax:

4. I-90 sunset:

5. Near Chicago and midnight:

Where we are...

annalthouse@gmail.com (Ann Althouse) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:24:05 GMT

... in America...

Fashion.

annalthouse@gmail.com (Ann Althouse) — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 03:55:03 GMT

No one seemed to notice where we were in the photo in the previous post. It's actually easy to see if you look at all closely. Today, we're somewhere else. Here's a favorite picture from today. It doesn't much reveal where we are, but there are pictures to come that will make it crushingly obvious.

Thanksgiving Travel

aleonard@nyls.edu (Arthur S. Leonard) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:11:30 GMT

I approached the airport for my trip from Newark to Orlando with some trepidation yesterday, but actually everything worked out quite pleasantly, perhaps due to the phenomenon noted in the NY Times the other day that people are doing their Thanksgiving travel earlier and earlier. In any event, Terminal A at Newark was not particularly crowded Wednesday morning, getting through security was no big problem, my JetBlue flight to Newark departed the gate on time, took off reasonably soon thereafter, landed in Orlando close to the scheduled time, and let us off the plane only about 5 minutes after the arrival time listed on my ticket. The Orlando airport also did not seem particularly crowded by comparison to my non-holiday travel experiences. The only slowness I encountered was at the Budget Car Rental line, where they could have had a few more agents on duty to keep the line moving faster. So the vaunted holiday madness did not materialize. Let's hope the same holds true for my return on Saturday morning.

CPSC Recalls Wooden Playsets, Travel Mugs, Microwaves

kamini@hardisonwood.com (D. Hardison Wood) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:40:51 GMT

The CPSC issued several recalls on November 5th.

Adventure Playsets recalled about 275,000 (n the US) wooden playsets. The plastic coated lumbar on the horizontal ladder (aka. the monkey bar/swing beam) can weaken over time due to the rotting whitewood thus resulting in a serious fall hazard.

Description: This recall involves wooden play sets with swings, slides and ladders. Each set has an overhead monkey bar ladder that acts as both the monkey bar and swing beam, and an end ladder coated with cranberry or green plastic. The instruction manual has the name "Adventure Playsets" and one of the following model numbers printed on the cover.

Durango 1-AP016 and 1- AP018

Yukon 1-AP052

Tacoma 1- AP017 and 1-AP051

El Dorado 1-AP016

Bellevue 1-AP048, and 1-AP012

Dakota 1- AP046

Sherwood 1-AP049

Sedona 1- AP002

Ventura 1-AP008

Madison 1- AP006 and 1-AP015

Belmont 1-AP003

Note: The Bellevue,Tacoma and Durango swing sets were previously recalled due to detaching frames and a fall hazard.

Sold at: Walmart, Toys R Us, Academy Sports, Menards, and Mill stores nationwide, and online at Walmart.com, ToyRUs.com, Willygoat.com and through the DMSI catalog from January 2004 through December 2007 for between $300 and $600.

The Life is Good Company recalled approximately 15,000 Newbury travel mugs. They can become excessively hot and burn the users. There have already been three reports of excessively hot mugs and one suffered a burn to the hand.

SamsungT Over-the-range microwaves have been recalled due to a shock hazard.. This recall involves about 43,000 units. If an installation bolt comes into contact with an electrical component found inside the microwave, and the microwave is plugged into an ungrounded outlet, a shock hazard may present itself.

Help national leaders devise affordable, reliable public transit for seniors and persons with disabilities

kim.dayton@wmitchell.edu (Kim Dayton) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:11:01 GMT

The Federal Interagency Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) invites you to participate in the United We Ride National Dialogue! Do you have suggestions and ideas that you would like to share with national leaders that can assist communities...

The Haunted Pool Room

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:58:01 GMT

Just in time for Halloween, another haunted house story, but this haunted house story is one about a haunted pool room, called--what else--the Flying Saucer, located in Nashville, Tennessee. The pool room is a converted train station. Paranormal investigators are...

"President Barack Obama's failed bid to bring the 2016 Olympic Games to Chicago cost more than a bruised ego."

annalthouse@gmail.com (Ann Althouse) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:16:13 GMT

"Taxpayers shelled out probably $1 million or more for the president, his wife and others to fly to Copenhagen and back to woo members of the International Olympic Committee. A 2006 congressional study pegged the cost of flying Air Force One at $56,518 an hour. The Pentagon recently said it cost $100,219 an hour to fly the huge, reconfigured Boeing 747 without Obama aboard.... [P]residential travel requires additional spending, especially for security personnel and equipment. Also, first lady Michelle Obama and some administration officials traveled to Copenhagen at public expense ahead of the president."

And please calculate the "carbon footprint" too while you're at it.

***

Maybe the President should never travel anywhere. We've got him set up to work at home. Let him stay there. Let people visit him. Maybe the occasional truly momentous summit, but basically, work from home, President.

Althouse goes to Washington.

annalthouse@gmail.com (Ann Althouse) — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:59:38 GMT

An upcoming event.

Prenuptial Agreements Make Gay Marriage Portable State to State

gideon@galperlaw.com (Gideon Alper) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 14:50:51 GMT

Married gay couples often worry about whether they can keep their marriage benefits when they travel or move to another state. They are smart to worry, because out of state gay marriage recognition is uncommon.

But here the law can help. Nancy Van Tine, a Massachusetts attorney with over 30 years of domestic relations experience, discussed in the July issue of Boston Spirit magazine [PDF] how married gay couples with proper planning can keep their benefits across states:

A prenuptial agreement can make gay marriage portable state to state. . . . A prenuptial agreement can contemplate these additional tax burdens [from the effects of DOMA] on a payor and help couples plan accordingly. A prenuptial agreement is also extremely important because the federal government will not recognize a same-sex partner as the recipient of retirement and pension benefits under ERISA and other federal laws governing benefits. A prenuptial agreement is the best instrument to plan for the property, tax and benefit issues arising out of the federal government's decision to deny same-sex marriages.

For straight couples, just a single marriage certificate makes automatic the many benefits given to them in all states. While gay couples can't get these benefits so easily, prenuptial agreements help simulate many of the same effects.

They aren't just for married gay couples either. Often same sex couples have to settle for whatever their state offers. Written agreements about property and income still lets these couples operate more like marriages.

One American's Kashmir

jdhull@hullmcguire.com (Holden Oliver) — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 22:11:53 GMT

This summer WAC?'s peripatetic friend Maryam, a Morocco-based photojournalist at My Marrakesh, visited the legendarily beautiful but long-troubled Kashmir region of India, in India's northwest. She came away with some arresting photos like the one below. See them here....

This summer WAC?'s peripatetic friend Maryam, a Morocco-based photojournalist at My Marrakesh, visited the legendarily beautiful but long-troubled Kashmir region of India, in India's northwest. She came away with some arresting photos like the one below. See them here.

jdhull@hullmcguire.com (Holden Oliver) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 23:13:52 GMT

Two Windsor Castle gargolyes...

Two Windsor Castle gargolyes

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