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...
SeaWorld Enters an Alternate Reality
Posted on 09/29/2016, 4:00 PM
SeaWorld Orlando is breathing new life into its oldest roller coaster by adding virtual reality. The Orlando Sentinel reports that starting next year on its steel Kraken coaster, riders will have the option to put on video goggles that will be attached to the cars. The eyewear will broadcast an animated undersea virtual-reality adventure that will be timed to match the physical sensations...
The World's Biggest Bouncy House
Posted on 09/28/2016, 12:00 AM
A company called V-Formation has created what's being billed as the world's largest bouncy house. Dubbed The Beast, the inflatable behemoth stretches across a length of 893 feet—though the company would like to extend that to a nice round 1,000 feet. It's not just for kids and it's not just for jumping. Crossing the entire thing requires bouncing your way through a snaking obstacle course ...
West Elm to Open Boutique Hotels
Posted on 09/28/2016, 12:00 AM
Furniture seller West Elm is getting into the boutique hotel business. Partnering with hospitality management and development company DDK, the retailer (which is part of Williams-Sonoma) will design, furnish, and market two hotels—one in Detroit, the other in Savannah—expected to open in 2018. West Elm, which has experienced a lot of growth in recent years, sees the hotel project as a way...
What Kinds of Therapy Animals Should Be Allowed on Airplanes?
Posted on 09/28/2016, 12:00 AM
At the moment, there are very few regulations limiting the kinds of animals that can be carried onto commercial airplanes, as long as the given dog, pig, hamster, rooster, capuchin monkey, or what have you has been designated a provider of emotional support for its owner. That could change, however, once a committee of airline representatives and disabled-rights advocates that has been meetin...
