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I'm coming to Tennessee for a week's vacation. I still don't know what I will be doing when I'm down there. What is there to do that is of interest to a visitor? Anything I shouldn't do that might get me killed by the locals? Any little places that are pleasant that most people don't know about? I'd appreciate any assistance for this.

"nothing whatsoever"

Nepalese officials said Wednesday they are changing the route that climbers take up Mount Everest after an avalanche killed 16 guides last year, the deadliest accident in the mountain's history, AFP writes.. The new route will take climbers through the centre of the treacherous Khumbu Icefall just above Everest base camp, avoiding the section to the left of the glacier where last year's avalanche occurred.

Planning a 4 day trip to New Orleans. Tourism Suggestions please?

Secretaries of state from Ohio and Kansas say that the documents—driver’s licenses and Social Security numbers—being provided to the illegal immigrants granted amnesty by President Obama open a “loophole” that will make it easy for these non-citizens to vote in our elections. Presidential Press Secretary Josh Earnest questioned the characterization of potential voting by these persons as a “loophole. I would say it would be more accurately described as a ‘feature’ of the President’s executive action regarding the ‘dreamers’ he is trying to aid.” Earnest also took issue with the premise that the “dreamers” being granted these privileges are “non-citizens....

Earlier today we heard that the new Lutz Pathfinder driverless car would be launching in the UK later in the year, trials will begin on footpath routes in the UK at first and are then expected to be rolled out to roads. Now the UK government has approved the use of driverless cars in the UK, and legislation to allow the technology to we widely used in the UK will be brought in some time in 2017. UK Transport minister Claire Perry said the following about driverless cars in the UK:- "Driverless cars are the future. I want Britain to...

Though initially heralded by Elon Musk as Tesla’s biggest potential market after the United States, China is shaping up to be an enormous blind spot for the electric car maker. Tesla sold just 120 cars in China last month, according to Reuters -- a dismal figure that has Musk seeing red. He allegedly blasted out an email to managers in China in January threatening to fire and demote executives who were “not on a clear path to positive long-term cash flow.” And so it is. Today, June Jin, Tesla’s vice president of communications in China, has left the company, Bloomberg...

Daniel Nocera's artificial leaf splits water using the sun's energy, but the world isn't yet set up to use the hydrogen gas it produces. New research uses bacteria to convert the hydrogen to liquid fuel. Daniel Nocera pioneered an "artificial leaf" that mimics the real thing, using only the sun and water to produce energy. He's touted the silicon cell as a breakthrough that could allow every home to become its own power station. His compelling concept, unveiled a few years ago, attracted a lot of publicity but hasn't quite taken off. The leaf—a cheap, wafer-thin device—works well, Nocera says,...

IT has always been the case that knowledge is power. A guiding force. But unlike the discipline of mathematics where fuzzy math bullsh-t doesn't compute, certain areas of study lend themselves to a more fungible interpretation. In essence, they are open to "ideological" spin. Critical thinking (and facts), be damned. SUCH is the case when it comes to (revisionist) history, as well as its lessons learned - or not. YES, within teaching the history of Islam, especially re the attendant contributions of Muslims to the world - with special emphasis placed on America - the fabrications are particularly mendacious. Demonstrably,...

Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) castigated the media for its “lackadaisical support of the President’s innovative solution to this chronic problem.” As Gutierrez sees it, “the vilification of amnesty opponents and the glorification of illegal immigrants the media have been doing is too mild. They still go through the motions of pretending that there is another side to this issue rather than accepting that the President has laid down a new law.” The Congressman warned that “President Obama may have to institute strict controls over what is reported if the media doesn’t fall in line. Their job is to help the...

It’s a day of wild stories in the tech sector, with Amazon (AMZN) reportedly looking to open a huge chain of stores and Google (GOOGL) said to want to compete with Uber in the ride sharing market. Neither blockbuster story has been confirmed. Amazon isn’t commenting on the report that it might want to take over stores from near-bankrupt RadioShack. And Google is indirectly denying the report it would take on Uber, a company it has backed via its venture capital unit. But would either move make sense? Both are certainly debatable and full details obviously are not available. There’s...

Any millionaire can buy themselves a fancy yacht, but if you want a conversation piece ... well, it helps if it has a story behind it, and the Lockheed Martin-built Sea Slice certainly does. Launched in 1996 by the US Navy as a military support vessel, the experimental watercraft features a unique hull design that reportedly allows it to remain as stable as a conventional ship three times its size. It cost US$15 million to design and build, but you can have it now for the low, low price of just $180,000. The Sea Slice utilizes a variation on the...

Uber chief Travis Kalanick said he wants to expand operations in Europe and, in the process, create 50,000 jobs and take 400,000 personal vehicles off the road. Kalanick said the ride-sharing service isn’t opposed to regulation, but wants “progressive regulation” that promotes safe and affordable rides and generates tax revenue without limiting competition. Cities around the globe have been going after Uber and other services, using a mix of existing regulations and new laws. “We want to make 2015 the year where we establish a new partnership with (European Union) cities,” Kalanick said, speaking Sunday at the DLD Conference in...

A study prepared by University College, London says severe restrictions on the use of fossil fuels are needed to prevent a forecast 2º centigrade increase in temperature over the next 100 years. Lead researcher Dr Christophe McGlade asserted that “decreasing the global consumption of fossil fuels is both essential and attainable. Humans can survive without these polluting commodities. In colder climates people can wear more layers of warmer clothing. We can drastically reduce the amount of combustion used to keep warm.” “In warmer climates people can let their own bodies’ sweat evaporation process keep them cool,” McGlade pointed out. “I...

San Francisco to Los Angeles in 35 minutes flat—that was the dream of the Hyperloop. Back in 2013, Elon Musk introduced the world to this dream a 60 page white paper. The paper caused a stir. The idea—a levitating, solar-power supersonic train—was both pure geek porn and a transportation revolution in the making. It definitely captured people’s imagination. But would it ever get made—now that was the question. Musk himself said he was too busy to take on the project, but if other people wanted in on the cause, well, that was just fine with him. As it turns out,...

Impossible Objects is, even for the 3D printing world, apparently doing the impossible. The focus of the company is to create the world’s first composite 3D printed objects, using an impressive variety of materials, to revolutionize the already-revolutionary 3D printing space. Larry Kaplan heads up the Impossible Objects team as the CEO. The former CEO of Navteq, Kaplan is leading the five-employee firm’s chaimpossible objects logorge in developing novel 3D manufacturing machines to enhance upon the presently available capabilities. “Current technologies are 20 or so years old,” said Kaplan. “They are great for prototyping but too slow compared to volume...

The new Mercedes-Benz CLA has absolutely killed its sales since it debuted earlier in the year. Mercedes wanted a new entry-level model that would bring in a younger generation of buyer, and the CLA and GLA have absolutely knocked it out of the park. Now Mercedes wants to expand the lineup for the cars’ platform. We’ve already seen the CLA 45 AMG, and the GLA, but according to Mercedes, what the CLA needs is a shooting brake. Or what us Americans call “a wagon.” Gone are the days of dorky wood-lined station wagons. Today’s modern iterations are some of the...

Delta Flight 81, en route from Atlanta to Los Angeles was diverted and forced to make an unscheduled stop in Albuquerque over an incident in first class that began with “a 27-year-old Wichita man’s singing aloud to music playing from his headphones, which bothered other passengers.” When asked to stop singing by another passenger and then by a flight attendant, he “made references to the recent Ferguson, Missouri incident” and “also stated he was being harassed because he was black.”(continued)

Car nerds, you just got an extra present under the tree. Tesla announced Friday an upgrade for its Roadster, the electric car company’s convertible model, and said that the new features significantly boost its range -- beyond what many traditional cars can get on a tank of gasoline. The company is installing three retrofits for the vehicle. First up is a battery upgrade that marks a 31 percent increase in capacity. Next is an “aero kit” that’ll alter the car’s profile slightly, producing a 15 percent reduction in wind drag. Finally, the Roadster will be getting new, more efficient tires....

President Barack Obama was briefed on the ambush killing of two NYPD cops while on the golf course in Hawaii this afternoon, according to the White House press pool report. “The President has been briefed on the Brooklyn police shooting. White House officials continue to monitor the situation,” reported Wall Street Journal’s Carol Lee. Obama endured harsh criticism for golfing minutes after issuing a statement on the beheading of James Foley at the hands of Muslim militants in September. “You know, it is always a challenge when you’re supposed to be on vacation because you’re followed everywhere. There’s always going...