The King is Dead – Long Live the King!

~ Elvis fans rejoice.

Tickets are now on sale for the 11th annual Tupelo Elvis Festival, which will take place June 5 through 7 with headliners Jason Michael Carroll, Lucero, tribute artists Donny Edwards, Shawn Klush, Victor Trevino and Travis LeDoyt, and youth tribute artists Demi Downing and Nick Gutierrez.

Other activities include the third annual Tupelo Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Competition, the Elvis parade, the Ladybug’s Children’s Activities, the Sunday Gospel Show and free music on Broadway Street.

Oh, and who would dare to miss the Elvis-Look-A-Like Pet Parade? No, really.

“This is one of our most exciting events of the year,” said Linda Johnson, executive director of the Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau (she was talking about the Festival in general, not the Elvis-Look-A-Like Pet Parade!).

“Elvis was born and spent much of his early life in Tupelo, and we are so lucky to have that history and be able to celebrate someone who made such a positive impact on so many people,” Linda said.

At the Lyric Theatre in historic downtown Tupelo, 24 tribute artists will compete this year for a chance to win the grand prize of $2,500 cash, represent Tupelo in the Ultimate Elvis® Tribute Artist Qualifying Rounds in Memphis during Elvis Week in 2009, lodging for three nights in Memphis, a commemorative plaque, a guitar from Tupelo Hardware and a feature performer at the 2010 Tupelo Elvis Festival.

Music that influenced Elvis or was changed by his style will be performed on the Fairpark Stage Friday and Saturday. Artists include AllyeriA, Jamie Davis & Soul Gravy, Spunk Monkees, House Rockers, Drew Chapman and the Kevin & Bethany Paige band. The gates open at 4:30 pm Friday, June 5 and Noon Saturday, June 6.

Sunday afternoon at the First United Methodist Church of Tupelo, fans can hear gospel music Elvis sang throughout his career. Headliners are Travis LeDoyt, the Foyer Boyz and the Landmarks.

10 things you should—and shouldn’t—do abroad

~ Forbes Traveler dot Com has a fascinating online story detailing some of the many things you should do or not do while travelling abroad.

Here are the opening paragraphs:

"When Iraqi journalist Muntadher al-Zaidi threw his shoes at President Bush during a press conference in December, 2008, news outlets scrambled to explain the incident to American viewers. Al-Zaidi hadn’t intended to hurt the President; he meant to demean him. In Arab countries, the soles of feet are unclean, so you never throw a shoe at a person. For his gesture, al-Zaidi was given three years in prison.

You travelers probably won’t toss a shoe across a crowded room, and not every insult—intended or otherwise—will lead to jail time. But whether you're abroad on business or pleasure, knowing the local etiquette is crucial for every traveler.

Consider the case of Michelle Palmer and Vince Acors. In July, 2008, the British couple were arrested for engaging in romantic activities on Jumeirah beach in Dubai. At first, it's hard to feel sympathy for such loutish behavior, but according to The Times, the Brits were convicted not just for indecency; they were given three months in jail for "having sexual intercourse outside marriage." Even off-the-cuff, seemingly harmless decisions can land foreigners in hot water. In Sudan, British teacher Gillian Gibbons faced 40 lashes for blasphemy in 2007. Her offense? Naming the classroom's teddy bear Mohammed. Gibbons was ultimately pardoned after eight days in custody, but she had to leave the country."

Visit the Forbes Traveler site...
You can read the full article here...
You can see a slideshow of Travel Taboos, Do's and Don'ts here...

Of Such Small Pleasures

~ So there I was walking back from Largs Bay late in the afternoon, when I looked out to sea and saw this spectacular rain cloud just off the coast.

The sun is directly behind the cloud which accounts for the ‘backlighting’ effect. The jetty on the right is the Largs Bay Jetty.

This image was taken with the camera on my ageing Nokia 6280 phone!

If I had taken my digital camera with me, it would look as truly magnificent as it actually was. As always, when I don’t have my digital with me, I always seem to miss great photographic opportunities. You’d think I’d learn – but no, I never seem to.

I am grateful at least, for having my phone cam with me.

Of such small pleasures as these are my days made whole!