The New Orleans’ Times-Picayune photographers and staff have put together an eye-opening 25 minute retrospective video about their coverage of Hurricane Katrina, their photos, and the stories behind the photos. This video is no less than amazing.

If you’re at all curious about how the media covers disasters, this is a great insight on just how they get their information, stories and photos: watch the Eyes of the Storm.

In certain hospitals, cell phones are prohibited so that patients can get their full rest. It might also help their health.

According to a recent study, Dutch doctors concluded that “cell phones may interfere with critical care equipment such as ventilators and external pacemakers.”

So if you’re unsure about your hospital’s cell phone rules and you’re headed there for a stay or a visit:

• Bring along a phone calling card
• Bring extra rolls of quarters for pay phones.
• Ask about the cost of local and long distance calls from your hospital room, if you’re a patient planning on an extended hospital stay.

For additional tips on what to bring to the hospital, read our Be Prepared - Hospital section.

With the Internet as the number one booking agent for travel, chances are you are your own travel agent these days.

I just got back from a fantastic vacation in San Francisco, and aside from a plane change due to a problem with an “auxiliary power unit,” everything went without a hitch.
So if you’re thinking about your next trip away, if it’s next week, next month or even next year, here are a few tips that I’ve pulled from friends, travel agents, my past travels and more to get you started. Happy planning!

1. Start a folder, binder, notebook - whatever works best - to keep all your itineraries, brochures, coupons, reservation confirmations, directions, maps, receipts, etc. all together.
2. Start mentioning your trip and destination to friends, family and coworkers. They might have already been there and might have some invaluable tips or personal connections.
   • Visiting a friend? They might know about special tips regarding public transport, airline shuttles, baggage claim secrets or other tricks when arriving in the airport.
3. When booking a hotel or rental car, be sure to ask about discount rates and membership deals (Diner’s Club, AAA, frequent flyers, credit card rewards, etc.).
4. Visit your destination’s travel and tourism bureau web site to learn more about your destination. Tourism sites will often have a list of suggested events, attractions, hotel recommendations and so on.
5. Keep reading…

Is the worst time to fly, according to the September 10th issue of BusinessWeek magazine.

“Over the past year, half of all flights in the U.S. set for departure during that hour were delayed. In New York, fully two-thirds of departures were delayed.”

I’ll be testing out my own travel tips this weekend and I’ll report back to you on the blog on Tuesday. (Thankfully, both my flights are in the morning!) I’ll being paying special attention to public transport, airport security and other handy tips along the way!

In the meantime, read the other past travel blog entries or check out our Be Prepared - Air Travel and Car Travel sections. See you Tuesday!