Science: Noise Makes Airplane Food Awful
Posted on 10/04/2016, 4:00 AM
An academic named Professor Barry Smith, who founded something called the Centre for the Study of the Senses in the Philosophy department of the University of London, had an idea on a flight. He flew British Airways round-trip to Istanbul both with and without noise-cancelling headphones, and he ate the food. That’s adventurous enough, you might say. But the learned man came away ...
Backstreet's Back in Las Vegas Residency
Posted on 10/04/2016, 4:00 AM
Everybody! (Yeah!) The biggest boy band of all time, a group that has sold over 130 million albums, is the latest throwback act to announce a residency on the Las Vegas Strip. So rock your body! (Yeah!) Their show, “Backstreet Boys: Larger Than Life,” starts at The AXIS at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino (where Britney Spears also did it again) beginning March 1, 2017 through ...
Alaska Cruising at a 7-Year High
Posted on 10/03/2016, 4:00 AM
Alaska is hot! Increased demand has put cruises to America's northernmost state on the boil again. This summer, reports the Associated Press, the millionth passenger cruised to Alaska, the first time the industry has hit that milestone since 2009. As the recession becomes a memory, as tourists grow wary of the Mediterranean, and as Zika grows as a concern, Alaska is well-positioned ...
Terrible Person Vandalizes Death Valley
Posted on 10/03/2016, 4:00 AM
Some awful human being has defaced a precious and panoramic dry lake bed in Californian’s Death Valley National Park by taking a swerving, 10-mile joyride across the thin crust of the delicate formation. The thoughtless vandal took the name of the feature, the Racetrack, seriously and used it as their personal off-road playground. A witness reported it while it was happening, and...
NYC Landmark Carnegie Deli to Close
Posted on 09/30/2016, 9:45 PM
New York City's world-famous Carnegie Deli survived nearly eight decades. But it won't survive its current owner. The deli, which opened its doors in 1937, had been having a rough go of things lately. It closed for a year in 2015 following the discovery of an illegal gas hookup. Staffers filed a lawsuit over wages. And a backroom soap opera unfolded in the gossip pages when it was allege...
Report: Marriott-Starwood Marriage Means Higher Rates
Posted on 09/30/2016, 4:00 AM
A carefully orchestrated spin campaign (including some paid partnerships with major travel bloggers) has meant that much of the news coverage surrounding the new Marriott-Starwood merger has focused on its effect on loyalty program members. But there are deeper ramifications than that. One aspect of the consequence of consolidation has been relatively unexplored: What the merger will do t...
Cell Phone Coverage to Invade National Parks
Posted on 09/30/2016, 4:00 AM
"It's a real drag at Artists Point," one Yellowstone National Park tour operator told the Associated Press. "While people are trying to enjoy themselves, somebody's on their phone waving their hands and gesturing and walking around in a circle." Until recently, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, huge swaths of public lands were inaccessible to the owners of cell phone towers and so...
See a Guy Moonwalk Across Europe!
Posted on 09/30/2016, 4:00 AM
Just what we need on Friday this week: Something blissfully non-partisan. We give you a masterful video compression of young Travis DeRose's recent two-month, 22-city trip through Europe into 28 seconds. He moonwalks through 13 countries, He doesn't tell you exactly where he is, but you'll catch on fast, because he grooves past some of the most noted tourism icons. You wish you'd thought ...
Air Rage Takes Off
Posted on 09/29/2016, 4:00 PM
The International Air Transport Association, a trade group representing 83 percent of world air traffic, says incidents of air rage have shot skyward. There were 10,854 cases reported by airlines in 2015, and 11 percent of them got physical. Compare that to 9,316 incidents the year before. Some 23 percent was thought to be connected to alcohol consumption. The IATA blames the passen...
Scientists: Disney World Helps Pass Kidney Stones
Posted on 09/29/2016, 4:00 PM
A patient suffering from kidney stones passed a stone after each of three consecutive rides on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. Word of that even got researchers thinking: Was there something to it? It turns out there was. According to the Daily Telegraph, research concluded that yes, people are more likely to pass non-obstructive kidney stones if th...
