What’s the next big travel trend? Looks like it may be cruising the Asian seas. As Asian economies continue to grow, tourism is also on the rise. People who have tired of cruise ship vacations to Caribbean and Mexico, now have their sites on the such destinations as the southern Thailand’s idyllic oceans, emerald limestone peaks studding Vietnam’s Halong Bay, and famed port cities like Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai and Hanoi,

“We find (Asia) interesting and we’ve done the Caribbean … I think Asian cruises are extremely hot, there were actually quite a few we looked at that were already sold out,” says American traveler Donna Dana. She adds, ”I think Asian cruises are extremely hot, there were actually quite a few we looked at that were already sold out.”

The World Cruise Shipping Industry estimates that the number of cruise passengers in Asia will leap about 40 percent from 1.07 million in 2005, to 1.5 million in 2010. This growth is fueled in part, by Asia’s growing affluence and improved air flight options to regional port cities. Full article

Ever find yourself gift-hunting for a truly self-obsessed friend? If you’ve got a lot of money, then consider buying thim or her a reading of their entire DNA code–for a staggering $350,000!

A biotech firm in Cambridge, Mass. called Knome (pronounced “gnome”) is offering the service to hypochondriacs and their sympathizers. You could find out that you’re going to keel over from cancer before you get any symptoms.

Until now …. only J. Craig Venter, the brash gene-mapper, and James Watson, who discovered DNA’s structure, have gotten to look straight at their entire DNA code. A bunch of other companies recently surfaced that give consumers a glimpse of their genes for prices ranging from $985 to $2,500. Among them are Google, who funded 23andMe, Iceland’s Decode Genetics and Navigenics of Redwood Shores, Calif.

But the low-budget products sample only 1 million common gene variations. Knome is promising to look at all 3 billion letter pairs in a person’s genome, in a few months’ time. Cofounder George Church, a Harvard professor who is separately running a DNA sequencing effort, says he started the company after people had approached him saying they would pay great sums to learn their entire DNA. He joined with entrepreneurs Jorge Conde and Sundar Subramaniam.

No buyers yet, and you might think carefully before spending that $350,000. Scientists don’t understand fully how genes interact to produce a particular disease. On the other hand, you will be in an exclusive club: Knome will take only 20 people. Church suggests they might even have an edge when it comes to biotech investing.

In Doha Qatar, construction has started on Hotel Khalifa. It’s a 150-room luxury property with French chateau motif, coming up on the grounds of the Khalifa Sports Complex. “A soft opening is expected in March 2009, followed by a grand opening in June 2009,” a spokesman for J/Brice Design International, Boston, told Gulf Times. The project’s budget is estimated to be around $80M, and does not including site acquisition.

Once a sleepy way-station in this part of the world, Doha is embarking on an unprecedented building boom that will add 200 new hotel buildings and office towers to the skyline over the coming years. Do the unexpected in Doha, Qatar — a city that is quickly catching up to Dubai as the trendy international playground and commercial center of the Middle East.

“The Hotel Khalifa’s French chateau motif will be a counterpoint to the international architectural style sweeping Doha and will distinguish it immediately as a unique and iconic property,” J/Brice’s CEO Jeff Ornstein has been quoted as saying by transworldnews.com

The Hotel Khalifa lobby will boast a grand stairway and four-storey atrium with a magnificent water feature, according to the website. In addition to its 150 guestrooms, the four-storey red-brick, granite and yellow ochre stucco structure will include four duplex super-suites and amenities such as an Olympic-size pool, luxury spa and fitness centre, ballroom-conference space with state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment.

“A trend-setting nightclub with well-appointed game rooms featuring snooker, two theme restaurants offering Thai and Indian cuisine as well as a continental restaurant will make Hotel Khalifa a destination property for locals and travellers,” transworldnews.com said.

If you’re in the market looking for a luxury men’s watch, without spending an outrageous price to sport it, Tag Heuer has several options for you. They offer an array of different styles and categories to choose from.  Tag Heuer’s men’s watches provides customers an abundance of watches to select from.

One of the more popular luxury men’s watches within the Tag Heuer collection is the 2000 collection. There are several variations to the 2000 collection, ranging from a 2000 Aquagraph, 2000 Classic quartz and the 2000 Classic automatic watch. What makes the 2000 series so appealing is the reasonable price and sporty design.

With a majority of the 2000 series luxury men’s watches running around $1,000, this reasonable price for a luxury watch allows more people to sport it than most luxury watches. All of the watches in this classy series have a stainless steel silver bracelet and case. There are a few classic Tag Heuer chronograph models within this collection that range from $1,000 to $1,500.

The movement and dial colors do vary from watch to watch. Half of the watches run on an automatic movement while the other half are quartz movement. There is a wide variety of colors to choose from, which classifies the sporty motor racing style that Tag Heuer men’s watches offer, ranging from blue to black to white.

The signature motor racing Tag Heuer men’s watch collection is the Formula 1 Indy 500 Chronograph. This series is characterized by its bright and exhilarating colors. The dials to choose from include white, black, red and blue. The chronographs themselves bring the watch to life with bright colors as well, including black red and blue on the white dial and white red and blue on the black dial. This series is very affordable at just $650 to $850.

The last Tag Heuer men’s watch collection worth mentioning is for the person willing to empty their wallet. The Aquaracer watch collection is an expensive luxury men’s watch ranging from a retail price of $1,300 to $2,000. The Aquaracer chronograph watch runs at just over $2,000, but is backed up by its luxurious features. With a 41mm stainless steel case that has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, your watch is guaranteed to remain new for years. It has luminescent hands and hour markers and a double-safety clasp to prevent your watch from falling off the wrist at any time.

As hard as it is to believe, Tag Heuer men’s watches continue to surprise the world with their magnificent luxury watches. They continue to upgrade and add additional features that separate these luxury men’s watches over any others on the market. On top of that, the affordable prices make the watch more accessible to wider range of people.

The real estate market is in shambles, with foreclosures increasing by the day. But that doesn’t mean the entire housing market is left for dead. During the first quarter of 2008, Americans are expected to spend about $170 billion on home improvement. It’s a huge number, but is down 2.5% from Q4 of ‘07.

If you are one of the millions looking at re-modeling, you don’t need to break the bank. The key is to prioritize your home makeover project and set an affordable budget.  Where to start? If you’re looking to sell your home, Taniya Nayak, president of Boston’s Big Design says, “Luxury goes a long way in the kitchen. It also helps with the resale of the home.”  Full article

It seems like everyday we hear about another food that is bad for us and pushing us another step closer to the grave. But wait, maybe there is a silver lining after all.  As the holiday season winds down, most of us ponder all the food we devoured and notice those extra pounds around the mid-section.

We’ve all heard how chocolate, french fries and Burgandy wine are not wise choices for our health. However, that may be not true after all. Inhaling a box of chocolates isn’t wise, but just a small portion a day may actually help prevent cancer and stave off weight gain. Where do I sign up?  To learn more and see nine surprisingly healthy foods ….. Full article

As American Idol gets ready for another season, there’s no doubt that Simon Cowell and his brash personality, at times overshadows the singing contestants. Along with the other two American Idol judges (Randy Jackson and Paula Abdul), Simon has brought American Idol into mainstream pop culture and every day water cooler chat.

Simon Cowell has worked in the music industry for 27 years. He started in the post room at EMI Music Publishing. After starting his own label at the age of 23, Simon joined BMG in 1989 and began a relationship that has now lasted for 20 years. During his time at BMG, Simon has sold over 150 million records and has had over 50 number one records. His artists have included Westlife whose first 7 singles all went to No 1 and most recently Il Divo, whose first 2 albums have collectively sold 15 million copies around the world.

Simon first became a household name in England as a judge of the singing competition Pop Idol. When that hit how was brought to the U.S. as American Idol, well the rest is history. He also wrote the book titled, “I Don’t Mean to Be Rude, But…”.  Beyond his role as a judge,  Simon has produced the following reality TV shows Cupid,  American Inventor,  America’s Got Talent, and Celebrity Duets.

When asked about American Idol’s popularity, Cowell answered “No. 1, it’s a great TV show. The second reason is that it only runs once a year so I don’t think the public is bored with it. Thirdly, it’s probably the most realistic reality show I’ve seen on American TV.  There are so many under the banner that have no reality in them. My idea is to make the audience believe that they are looking through the keyhole. That is the true definition of reality TV.”

When asked who his role model is, “I actually really like Donald Trump. I think he’s entertaining. There are so many unhappy billionaires, and he’s a happy one with a great sense of humor. I didn’t think I’d like him. I like people [who] don’t take themselves too seriously.”

So behind the famous Cowell scowl, is a multi-talented entertainer who has the knack for finding winning shows and winning singers.  Some people hate him and think he’s too harsh. But with his long string of successes, my bet is he’ll be around for a long, long time.

To commemorate her achievements as a female pilot and champion of commercial aviation, Krone has created a limited edition Amelia Earhart fountain pen in a herringbone – patterned, blue celluloid with sterling silver accents.

The Amelia Earhart pen is the latest in a long list of exquisite limited editions offered by Krone. The brand is best known for its commemorative pens, the brainchildren of company founder Robert Kronenberger. A longtime collector of historic manuscripts, Kronenberger understands that many people are as passionate about their writing instruments as he is about history. Thus, he strikes the perfect balance in the pens he produces.

Krone focuses on writing instruments that commemorate significant people and events. And Kronenberger assembled a design team of twelve creative young artists to carry this out. Their mission is to bring history alive, not only for traditional pen collectors, but for anyone interested in a particular event or individual. They are charged with being “creative” when conceiving a new pen by looking for new techniques and materials to create beautiful products with imaginative packaging. After the Krone team has completed its images and specifications, craftsmen in Italy, who work in resin and celluloid, and craftsmen in Germany, who work with sterling silver and precious metals, turn the designs into a unique and fully functioning limited edition fountain pen. Other master craftsmen are involved as needed. For example, Russian painters specializing in miniatures decorate the barrels of some models.

The limited edition pens produced by Krone are intended to foster an emotional bond between the owner of the pen and an aspect of history. In doing so, Krone has broadened the appeal of high-end fountain pens beyond pen enthusiasts. Thus, acquiring a Krone pen can be a symbol of something that resonates with a person’s values, beliefs, or occupation. For example, the Abraham Lincoln Pen, which has a piece of Lincoln’s DN A embedded in it, appeals not only to pen collectors, but also to Civil War enthusiasts, attorneys, politicians and American history buffs in general.

Other Krone limited editions commemorate an individual’s achievements or contributions to world culture. The Sir Edmond Hillary Mount Everest Pen, which includes a polished piece of rock from the summit of Mount Everest in its cap, recalls a great adventurer and symbolizes the quest for the nearly unattainable; the William Shakespeare Pen contains a minute piece of the mulberry tree Shakespeare planted outside his house at Stratord-upon-Avon; and the Apollo 11 pen includes a piece of the actual Kapton foil that survived reentry from the moon-landing flight. Similarly, the Krone Lindbergh Pen, the HMS Victory Pen, the Babe Ruth Pen and the Charles Dickens Pen contain artifacts related to the persons and events these pens commemorate.

Still other limited edition writing instruments offered by Krone are revered for their exquisite artwork. For example, masterpieces by Russian miniature lacquer work artists demonstrate craftsmanship of a very high order in several collections, including Anno Domini, A Space in Time and Moses. In these collections, the painting is executed on a mother-of-pearl barrel, allowing the luminescence of the shell to shine through the paint.

This latest Krone limited edition, the Amelia Earhart Pen, reflects the best of Krone craftsmanship and also salutes the life and achievement of a remarkable and unconventional woman. It is available now from select retailers.

There are just 388 pens available, each priced at $2,900, and 68 rollerball pens, priced at $2,800. The fountain pen is also available with rose gold accents, (18 pieces), priced.

I’ve heard of people getting “lit up” from tying on a few too many drinks, but this is getting crazy. I guess a judge will be the judge of that. Three women claimed a bottle of rum used to pour their shot became a ‘flame thrower’. You be the judge. Full article

Lexus announced the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the all-new 2008 LX 570 luxury utility vehicle. The third-generation LX offers significantly increased performance and new safety features over the LX 470 model it replaces with a number of significant technological advancements as well as a new, high-strength chassis. Lexus made significant upgrades to the suspension and full-time four-wheel-drive system to improve the ride and overall performance.

The new 2008 LX 570, with its new technology features, enhanced safety, performance and comfort, will demand a base MSRP price of $73,800.  MSRP does not include a delivery, processing and handling fee of $765.

The LX 570 features a brand new 383-horsepower, 5.7-liter V8 engine matched to a six-speed sequential-shift automatic transmission built to handle very demanding tasks with smoothness and refinement. The various powertrain advancements make the 2008 LX 570 engaging to drive while providing an increased towing capacity of 8,500 pounds. An electro-hydraulic system with four-wheel Active Height Control (AHC) and Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) reacts more quickly and allows for a greater range of adjustment than the system it replaces.

With several first-in-class features, the LX 570 offers perhaps the most compelling combination of luxury, safety, on-road smoothness and off-road performance of any vehicle in its segment. The new Crawl Control regulates throttle and braking, allowing the driver to focus more on steering over particularly rough ground. In addition, LX 570 is the first Lexus to offer a new Wide-view Front & Side Monitor feature designed for use in certain urban settings such as parking garages. For enhanced occupant safety, the new LX 570 is equipped with a segment-leading 10 standard airbags and a segment-first Active Front Headrests. The optional Pre-Collision System with Dynamic Radar Cruise Control is also a segment first.

The LX 570’s standard luxury features include a four-zone climate control system, a first-in-class power sliding second-row seat, and a power-folding third-row seat. Options include a 19-speaker Mark Levinson® Reference Surround Sound audio system, Intuitive Park Assist, climate control front seats with heated second-row seats, and a rear-seat entertainment system.

What a CEO drives often reflects the type of person he or she really is.  Take conservative Warren Buffett for example.  He’s worth about $42 billion, but for years he drove a silver 2001 Lincoln Town Car with Nebraska license plates, titled: THRIFTY.

CEO’s obviously have high profile positions and what they drive likely communicates a lot about the person. A recent survey of 3,000 people, found that only about 10% did not know what vehicle their chief drove.

“Of all the products in the world, cars are the most reliable representation of an individual’s personality,” says Golden Gate University psychology chair Kit Yarrow.  Full article