With the economy of the United States weakened under the pressure of the financial crisis, decreases in the value of the U.S. dollar against foreign currency has negatively impacted American travelers abroad. Compared to a year ago, the dollar has lost 10 percent of its value against the Euro, for example, despite temporary rebounds. OnRead more

I must confess that I’m addicted to Google’s “My Maps” feature. I use it to plan business trips. I use it for online supplemental material for stories I write for Lake Erie Living. And now, I have discovered that it works great for creating travel itineraries for foreign travel, too (as long as Google hasRead more

Today I watched a limp and lifeless child being pulled out of Lake Erie, shattering a beautiful Labor Day evening for at least one family. I knew something was amiss when I saw a life flight helicopter hovering over the lake while I was riding my bike. Twenty minutes later, when the whirring of theRead more

Bruce Campbell is the legendary B-list actor from Evil Dead. I’ve never seen the film, nor any of his others, but I can sing all the songs from Evil Dead: the Musical (of all things). I don’t think I’ve ever seen him in anything but a You Tube video in which he sings “Hungry LikeRead more

The television show, Lost, is always full of surprises. At Comic-Con, the surprise was the unbilled guest appearance by Matthew Fox, the star of the show, who surprised the crowd by appearing suddenly on stage during a Q&A session with the executive producers of the show–Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. Prizes were handed out toRead more

Saturday is Comic-Con’s biggest day and Chris was divided over which panel discussions to attend. He could either go see the cast of Battlestar Galactica or the Heroes and Lost panels that were back to back in another hall. He picked Battlestar, while I checked out the only two dramas on television that I watch.Read more

I have a car, I’m in San Diego, and I don’t want to spend my entire time here inside a convention center. There’s only one thing to do: go to the beach! But first, I hopped on the freeway and drove 10 miles south of downtown to Chula Vista to visit my dad’s brother, UncleRead more

Dad & Bobbie sent me an e-mail this morning. Paris Hilton swooped into Comic-Con last night to promote her upcoming film, Repo: The Genetic Opera. Aw shucks, I missed her and her entourage. I did however see Jane Wiedlin (formerly of the GoGos) on Preview Night jockeying for position (behind me) in line at theRead more

The southern California sunshine is beaming upon me, but I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. It’s 5:15 p.m., but my body clock is starting to remind me that I’ve come from three time zones away. I’ve come here for the world’s largest comic book, pop culture and television trade show–Comic-Con, which EntertainmentRead more

Flying back to Panama City yesterday afternoon was acknowledging that the trip was almost over. Six days is just not enough. The cab driver took us back to the Casa de Carmen, where we stayed on our first night. I don´t know if I mentioned this before, but the Casa de Carmen sounds a lotRead more