Old news to some of you, perhaps, but it's never too late to enjoy a peek into the Pixar universe, about when point Wall*e was released.

I particularly liked the sign on the server room, like a 24-hour diner.

Filed under: Pixar, rotten tomatoes, wall-e, and tour

Looking oddly like space alien headquarters or deep-freeze pods for spacemen, these new Delta seats look like they will give flyers a bit of privacy, comfort and a better shot at some sleep during those monotonous overnight flights.

They look like a really interesting design, trying to use some of the unused space defined by the airplane's contours to give a bit more room.

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait until 2010 to give them a try.

And no more $12,900 fares (see below for that story).

Filed under: delta, tourist class, seats, airplane, airline, and flying

Have you ever wondered about North Korea, the shadowy nation much in the news through its belligerent threats and nuclear program? Are you disillusioned with ordinary religion and want to experience North Korea's bizarre worship of its leaders, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il?

Well, today is your lucky day! Our friends at VBS-TV went through months of bureaucracy slogging misery to get the legal permissions and show us the mysterious nation of North Korea, where tourism is discouraged, contact with the natives is impossible, and you are followed by a dedicated guide and minder everywhere you go.

So. They are there at last, sitting in their hotel room overlooking an obviously decaying city.

"We're in a hotel that's 47 stories tall.

"Nobody's in it.

"We think there's only one floor with people on it."

The view of North Korea from the hotel room has to be seen to be believed, with decaying Communist style structures as far as the eye can see.

The picture I selected was a view of the enormous breakfast hall, in which the tour group of about two were the only customers.

Bizarre doesn't begin to describe North Korea, not by a long shot.

This is a 14-part presentation but the parts are all short, less than 4 minutes each, and well worth your time.

Filed under: north korea, travel, and tourism

Tourist traps: Crowded places where you won't get a moment's rest, featuring nothing more interesting than schlocky souvenier vendors, where you will see more camera-wielding tourists than actual people.

Sometimes you can work around the crowds by visiting when the masses do not, and other times they are so expensive and tiresome that it's just not worth it.

Check out this Forbes magazine list of the worst of them and suggested alternatives.

Of course if you really don't like tourists, you can check out North Korea, where they are truly conspicuous by their absence!

(Image: Fisherman's Warf, San Francisco)

Filed under: travel and tourist traps

Imagine living under the sea ... or in a giant rain forest ... or even in a tiny, claustrophobic capsule looking remarkably like a tomb. You can do all of this and more in the world's weirdest hotels!

From the Poseidon Undersea resort, with stunning rooms under the water (see picture) to Japanese capsule hotels, just large enough for a small bed, there's a lot of weirdness in this one.

I really loved the Poseidon, which really needs to be seen to be believed. The suspicious among us, however, might note that the picture looks a bit like a 3D rendering. The hotel appears to be under construction at this time.

Most of the other hotels that made the list are spectacular natural environments and are meant for eco-tourism. So if you have even a slight interest in that, the link's well worth a click.

Filed under: hotels, poseidon, capsule, ecotourism, and environment