Higher gasoline prices greet Thanksgiving travelers

Thanksgiving travelers will find gasoline prices much higher than last year with little hope for respite heading into the rest of the holiday season, oil and gas analysts say.

The national average for a gallon of regular gas was $2.64 on Monday, slightly less than a month ago but up 72 cents a gallon from a year ago, the auto club AAA says.

Oil prices ended the day Monday up 9 cents, closing at $77.56 a barrel, indicating little change ahead for gasoline prices. "It's a fairly stable pricing environment," says Jim Ritterbusch, president of oil trading adviser firm Ritterbusch and Associates.

Thanksgiving travel provides an opportunity to gauge the mood of U.S. consumers, AAA says.

The auto club expects 2% more travelers on roadways this year than last, for a total of 33.2 million people.

The expected increase reflects improved consumer confidence, a rising stock market and growing sense among many consumers that the worst of the global economic crisis is behind us, AAA says.

Last year, Thanksgiving travel tanked 25% from the previous year in the wake of the housing and financial meltdown.

Now, gas prices could emerge as a drag on consumer spending with the nation's unemployment rate hitting 10.2% last month, says Tom Kloza, chief oil analyst for the Oil Price Information Service.

"When we dipped into the recession, cheaper energy was a silver lining," Kloza says. "That silver lining has disappeared and that will test this recovery."

In the next month, he says, he expects crude oil prices to be twice the level of last year, a situation that rarely occurs. Oil has traded between $76 and $82 a barrel for more than a month. Initially, it was driven higher on expectations of an economic recovery and a weak dollar. Because oil is priced in dollars, a falling dollar drives oil prices up.

Countering those factors are big inventories of gasoline, heating oil, natural gas and diesel fuel in the U.S., Ritterbusch says. "As long as we have unemployment above 10%, that'll keep a lid on rising gas prices or changes in people's driving habits," he adds.

The Energy Information Administration, the research arm of the U.S. Department of Energy, expects higher crude oil prices to drive gas near $3 a gallon during next year's summer driving season. Crude oil prices account for 64% of the cost of gas, the Energy Information Administration says.

YOUR MONEY: State-by-state gasoline averages from AAA

While $2.64 a gallon is a national average, drivers in different areas pay more or less. The EIA said Monday that regular gas is averaging $2.94 a gallon in California and $2.84 a gallon in New York, but $2.43 a gallon in Houston.

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Airplane part falls onto front lawn near NYC

An engine tail cone popped off a Delta Air Lines jet shortly after takeoff from New York's Kennedy Airport. It plummeted thousands of feet into a Long Island neighborhood before landing harmlessly on someone's lawn.

FAA spokeswoman Arlene Salac said Friday the jet doesn't need the part to fly and passengers on the Tokyo-bound flight weren't in any danger.

Neither the pilots nor people on the ground noticed the mishap when it happened Thursday evening.

The flight continued to its destination. Salac says Delta personnel reported the part missing after the plane landed in Japan.

The 20-pound part measured 4-feet long and 3-feet in diameter. A resident spotted it hours later and called police.

Delta says an investigation is underway.

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Soar above Vegas aboard the Cloud Nine Balloon

LAS VEGAS — There's a new way to get high in Las Vegas, and it's perfectly legal.

The recently inaugurated Cloud Nine Balloon is a 20-minute attraction that gives a bird's-eye view of the Las Vegas Strip day and night.

It's not a traditional helium balloon outing, since riders don't float for miles. Cloud Nine remains tethered to the ground at the south end of the Strip near the Mandalay Bay resort.

But about two dozen riders can rise about 500 feet in the air, and the balloon can be reserved for intimate Champagne outings and to elevate wedding and birthday fetes.

Cloud Nine, which opened in October, also offers views of the vast CityCenter complex, which is due to open in December. The cost of a flight is $22.50 for adults in the daytime; $27.50 at sunset and later at night. Flights don't go when the wind is high.

Children 12 and under soar for $17.50 in the day; $22.50 at sunset and later. Kids 4 and under fly free. There is a $5 discount for locals, military and teachers with ID. Information: cloud9vegas.com; 800-585-8688.

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New York's El Museo del Barrio celebrates reopening with new exhibit

Galleries at El Museo del Barrio have reopened after an 18-month renovation.

El Museo del Barrio is the Museum Mile's only institution devoted to Latino art.

The museum's facilities have been reconfigured to include space for its permanent collection, a cafe, a new glass facade and a redesigned 4,500-square-foot courtyard. It is marking its 40th anniversary this year with public programming, events and performances.

The reopening included the launch of an exhibition entitled "Nexus New York: Latin/American Artists in the Modern Metropolis." The show explores connections between Latino and non-Latino artists working in New York in the early 20th century, and how their exchanges and cross-influences impacted avant-garde art movements. The exhibition includes more than 200 works by artists from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, as well as U.S. and European artists working in New York.

The show will be on view through Feb. 28.

The museum is located at 1230 Fifth Ave. between 104th and 105th Street. Manhattan's Museum Mile starts at 82nd Street with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Other museums on that stretch of Fifth Avenue include the Neue Galerie New York, the Jewish Museum, the Museum of the City of New York, the Guggenheim and the Cooper Hewitt.

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FBI uses facial-recognition technology on DMV photos

In its search for fugitives, the FBI has begun using facial-recognition technology on millions of motorists, comparing driver's license photos with pictures of convicts in a high-tech analysis of chin widths and nose sizes.

The project in North Carolina has already helped nab at least one suspect. Agents are eager to look for more criminals and possibly to expand the effort nationwide. But privacy advocates worry that the method allows authorities to track people who have done nothing wrong.

"Everybody's participating, essentially, in a virtual lineup by getting a driver's license," said Christopher Calabrese, an attorney who focuses on privacy issues at the American Civil Liberties Union.

Earlier this year, investigators learned that a double-homicide suspect named Rodolfo Corrales had moved to North Carolina. The FBI took a 1991 booking photo from California and compared it with 30 million photos stored by the motor vehicle agency in Raleigh.

In seconds, the search returned dozens of drivers who resembled Corrales, and an FBI analyst reviewed a gallery of images before zeroing in on a man who called himself Jose Solis.

A week later, after corroborating Corrales' identity, agents arrested him in High Point, southwest of Greensboro, where they believe he had built a new life under the assumed name. Corrales is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles later this month.

"Running facial recognition is not very labor-intensive at all," analyst Michael Garcia said. "If I can probe a hundred fugitives and get one or two, that's a home run."

Facial-recognition software is not entirely new, but the North Carolina project is the first major step for the FBI as it considers expanding use of the technology to find fugitives nationwide.

So-called biometric information that is unique to each person also includes fingerprints and DNA. More distant possibilities include iris patterns in the eye, voices, scent and even a person's gait.

FBI officials have organized a panel of authorities to study how best to increase use of the software. It will take at least a year to establish standards for license photos, and there's no timetable to roll out the program nationally.

Calabrese said Americans should be concerned about how their driver's licenses are being used.

Licenses "started as a permission to drive," he said. "Now you need them to open a bank account. You need them to be identified everywhere. And suddenly they're becoming the de facto law enforcement database."

State and federal laws allow driver's license agencies to release records for law enforcement, and local agencies have access to North Carolina's database, too. But the FBI is not authorized to collect and store the photos. That means the facial-recognition analysis must be done at the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles.

"Unless the person's a criminal, we would not have a need to have that information in the system," said Kim Del Greco, who oversees the FBI's biometrics division. "I think that would be a privacy concern. We're staying away from that."

Dan Roberts, assistant director of the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division, added: "We're not interested in housing a bunch of photos of people who have done absolutely nothing wrong."

Gone are the days when states made drivers' licenses by snapping Polaroid photos and laminating them onto cards without recording copies.

Now states have quality photo machines and rules that prohibit drivers from smiling during the snapshot to improve the accuracy of computer comparisons.

North Carolina's lab scans an image and, within 10 seconds, compares the likeness with other photos based on an algorithm of factors such as the width of a chin or the structure of cheekbones. The search returns several hundred photos ranked by the similarities.

"We'll get some close hits, and we'll get some hits that are right on," said Stephen Lamm, who oversees the DMV lab.

The technology allowed the DMV to quickly highlight 28 different photos of one man who was apparently using many identities. It also identified one person who, as part of a sex change, came in with plucked eyebrows, long flowing hair and a new name — but the same radiant smile.

The system is not always right. Investigators used one DMV photo of an Associated Press reporter to search for a second DMV photo, but the system first returned dozens of other people, including a North Carolina terrorism suspect who had some similar facial features.

The images from the reporter and terror suspect scored a likeness of 72%, below the mid-80s that officials consider a solid hit.

Facial-recognition experts believe the technology has improved drastically since 2002, when extremely high failure rates led authorities to scrap a program planned for the entrances to the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Lamm said investigators reviewing the galleries can almost always find the right photo, using a combination of the computer and the naked eye.

Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, questioned whether the facial-recognition systems that were pushed after the Sept. 11 attacks are accurate or even worthwhile.

"We don't have good photos of terrorists," Rotenberg said. "Most of the facial-recognition systems today are built on state DMV records because that's where the good photos are. It's not where the terrorists are."

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Universal Orlando to Host Holiday Concerts, Macy's Holiday Parade

Universal Orlando Resort kicks off a brand-new holiday concert series featuring Christmas-music sensation Mannheim Steamroller and artists Natalie Cole and Chris Isaak. The concerts are a new way to experience the holidays at Universal -- and add to the Grinchmas celebration at Universal’s Islands of Adventure and the Macy’s Holiday Parade at Universal Studios. Holiday celebrations at Universal Orlando Resort begin Dec. 5 and run through Jan. 1. Mannheim Steamroller -- the iconic holiday music masters who have sold more than 30 million albums worldwide -- performs at Universal Studios on Dec. 5. Chris Isaak performs on Dec. 12 and Natalie Cole performs on Dec. 19. Each concert begins after that night’s Macy’s Holiday Parade. Cole and Isaak will perform a mix of holiday classics along with their most popular hits. The performances will take place at the new Music Plaza -- a new, outdoor permanent concert venue located in the heart of the Universal Studios theme park.

The Macy’s Holiday Parade at Universal Studios features the balloons and floats from Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. In addition to the parade, Universal Studios guests can enjoy performances by marching bands from across the country, a nightly Christmas tree lighting, and themed holiday shows including The Blues Brothers, Woody Woodpecker’s Kidzone and Barney. At Islands of Adventure, the Dr. Seuss book “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” is brought to life in Grinchmas, a live stage show featuring an original musical score by Mannheim Steamroller. During the show, six songs are performed by a live cast, including The Grinch and The Whos from Whoville. As a part of the Grinchmas celebration, guests will also have the opportunity to meet The Grinch.

Guests of Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel and Loews Royal Pacific Resort will be immersed in the spirit of the season with tree-lighting ceremonies, special musical performances, holiday “dive-in” movie presentations and holiday dining events. Loews Portofino Bay Hotel kicks off the season on Nov. 27 with “Holiday Harbor Nights,” a wine-tasting, food and jazz celebration on the piazza. Hard Rock Hotel welcomes Santa to the Kitchen restaurant on Fridays in December, and Loews Royal Pacific Resort rings in the New Year with Aloha 2010, a New Year's Eve celebration. Guests can also enjoy the holiday cheer at CityWalk with decorations, live music on the plaza stage and strolling entertainment on select dates throughout the event.

All holiday entertainment -- including the Mannheim Steamroller concert, is included as part of admission to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure. Take advantage of the ‘Tis the Season for Holiday Offers: a two-park, unlimited ticket, good for seven consecutive days is $99 plus tax; the Stay More, Save More at on-site hotels deal allows guests who stay for five nights to pay the price of three or guests who stay seven nights to pay for four. Guests who stay three or more nights between Nov. 29 and Dec. 17 enjoy a kids eat free for lunch and dinner deal. Plus, guests can receive complimentary Universal Express access to bypass the regular attraction lines. The Holidays Vacation Package includes a four-night stay for the price of three as well as seven days of unlimited theme park admission; $50 in Universal Dollars to spend on food and merchandise throughout the resort complimentary transportation between the hotel and theme parks; plus early park admission. Rates start at $210 per person. For more information,
call Supreme Clientele Travel @ 407-413-9578

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Disney World's Epcot Adds RoboSim 4-D Simulator Ride

Kuka Robotics Corporation announced the usage of the RoboSim 4-D Simulator ride system as part of a new exhibit at Innoventions in Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The addition of the RoboSim 4-D Simulator is an expansion of Kuka’s current presence at Innoventions at Epcot. Kuka currently sponsors Rockin’ Robots -- a 2,000-plus-square-foot interactive exhibit allowing guests to conduct a robotic band located in the Innoventions West building. The Kuka RoboSim 4-D Simulator creates a four-dimensional experience through 3-D robotic motion and “wind” by controlling air movements to stimulate the senses providing a more realistic simulation experience involving high speeds, quick direction changes and different climates for a unique sensation. The appeal of the two-seat simulator is that it does not fully enclose the rider, but allows the rider’s legs and feet to be suspended. The spherical carbon-fiber hood, which is integrated as part of the unique Kuka RoboCoaster ride system, immerses the rider into a true sensory experience by using high definition video combined with stereo sound and controlled air motion. The RoboSim 4-D Simulator is TÜV certified and includes safety devices such as smoke alarms and temperature monitoring. Video cameras and microphones allow RoboSim operators to monitor passengers at all times.

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United's new twist on fees: $249 for a year of checked luggage

United Airlines put a new twist on baggage fees Monday, introducing a sort of all-you-can-carry fee for luggage.

The airline said travelers could pay $249 for the right to check two bags every time they fly United or United Express for a year.

The annual fee covers domestic or international flights. It also covers standard checked bags for up to eight companions traveling under the same confirmation number as the subscriber, United said.

United charges $20 to check the first bag at the airport and $30 for the second. So a traveler would break even checking two bags after five trips. A family traveling together might break even or even save money on their first trip.

The nation's third-largest airline called it an "introductory price." It didn't say how long the price would be available, or how high it might rise once the introductory period ends.

The fee does not cover charges for oversized and overweight bags.

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Delta, Northwest frequent-flier programs are now merged

Delta Air Lines has completed the integration of its frequent flier program with that of its subsidiary, Northwest Airlines, Chief Executive Richard Anderson said Thursday.

The combined program has more than 70 million members.

Separately, another airline executive said that about half of the old Northwest Airlines planes that will get Delta's colors have been repainted, and the rest will be finished by mid-2010.

Atlanta-based Delta, which became the world's biggest airline operator with its acquisition in October 2008 of Eagan, Minn.-based Northwest, remains on course to obtain a single operating certificate by the end of this year.

Anderson said in a recorded message to employees that the changeover in the frequent flier program occurred Wednesday night.

"It's all SkyMiles now," Anderson said. "We have a single frequent flier program now, with a single database with a single technology platform."

The changeover means that Northwest frequent flier members have had their WorldPerks converted to SkyMiles and will have SkyMiles issued to them in the future for eligible travel and credit card purchases, Delta spokesman Paul Skrbec said.

He said frequent flier members would be notified, and that process would continue through October.

Representation and seniority list integration has been resolved for pilots of the two carriers and for several other work groups. The issues remain unresolved for the two biggest work groups, which include flight attendants and ground workers.

Anderson told employees in his recording that he hopes the issues are resolved soon. He urged the unions that represent pre-merger Northwest employees in those groups to not delay a vote.

"Everyone of you is entitled to prompt resolution of representation issues," he told all Delta employees.

Meanwhile, Delta has painted about 138 of the 250 Northwest planes that are getting a new paint job, said William Lentsch, Delta's senior vice president for Minnesota operations. That doesn't count smaller planes for Northwest's regional operations Compass and Mesaba airlines.

Northwest planes that are being retired, such as some of its aging DC-9s, aren't getting the Delta colors, he said.

Minnesota lawmakers called Lentsch to testify at a committee hearing for an update. They're especially interested because Delta has agreed to keep 10,000 jobs here through 2016 and 400 flights a day at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Lentsch also said that Delta:

• Employs about 13,000 Minnesotans, and that most of the job transfers to Delta's Atlanta headquarters are finished. He said he doesn't expect them to get close to the 10,000 floor anytime soon;

• Is meeting its commitment for 400 flights a day at the Minneapolis airport.

Northwest ticket and gate agents in Minneapolis and Detroit are getting week-long training on Delta's new, integrated computer systems, he said.

The integration is happening at a time when the industry is shrinking dramatically because of a sharp drop in business travel and steeply discounted leisure travel. He said the airline industry's capacity is down about 7% compared with a year ago — the steepest drop since 1942, the first full year the U.S. was fighting in World War II.

The industry is in "a very weak revenue environment," Lentsch said. "We don't see any real near-term recovery on the revenue side."

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Rare Leonardo da Vinci sculptures on display in Atlanta

Leonardo da Vinci once spent nearly two decades creating a 26-foot sculpture of a horse to honor a royal Italian family, only to have the plaster masterpiece destroyed by French soldiers.

The Italian artist best known for his paintings and inventions rather than sculpting abilities created more than a dozen sculptures in his lifetime, many of which have disappeared.

A rare U.S. exhibit of the remaining few sculptures and dozens of sketches by da Vinci and his contemporaries will open Tuesday at Atlanta's High Museum of Art, featuring art never seen outside of Europe.

The exhibit will remain in Atlanta until February, when a modified version will travel to the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles. It includes pieces from the Vatican's art collection, the Louvre in Paris and the royal collection at Windsor Castle in England.

"One of the marketing lines that fell on the cutting room floor was, 'Approved by the queen and blessed by the Pope,"' said the museum's deputy director, Philip Verre.

The centerpiece is a nearly 30-foot recreation of da Vinci's destroyed horse statue, which towers over the plaza outside the High. Inside the museum are the meticulous drawings and anatomical notes he made of the Sforza family's horses in hopes of perfectly capturing the animals' motion.

He even mapped out the machines he needed to invent to cover the giant plaster horse in bronze and how to transport it once it was completed. Those plans never came to fruition, though, because the bronze intended for the statue was used to make cannons for a war with France. When the French army invaded Milan, the plaster horse was destroyed by soldiers.

The exhibit also includes three pieces believed to have been sculpted in part by da Vinci, though his name was never put on any of them, said exhibit curator Gary Radke, a Syracuse University humanities professor. Those are a silver sculptured panel depicting the beheading of John the Baptist, a small bronze horse and a terra-cotta angel relief.

"These are just drop-dead gorgeous," Radke said during a tour of the exhibit Wednesday. "For me, it is a real joy to help people see that Leonardo was a student of sculpture as well as a master sculptor himself."

The exhibit also features a marble statue of a bearded prophet by Donatello, the first time a life-size sculpture by the artist has ever visited the U.S. It also includes three bronze statues of John the Baptist preaching to a Levite and a Pharisee by Giovanni Francesco Rustici, a student of da Vinci who was influenced by his teacher's work.

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