We have all heard about the volcano that erupted in Iceland and how air travel all over Europe has been affected. You might have had a personal experience, or you might know someone who suffered. It certainly has cost a lot of people (and businesses) considerable amounts, but Iceland is not taking it sitting down.

In fact, the government is taking this chance to highlight all the other things that their country has to offer visitors. The volcanic eruption has placed the country’s geothermal assets into the forefront. After all, the very same geological reasons for the eruption make Iceland the foremost destination for hot springs!

Indeed, the government has offered all stranded travelers free access to the eight hot pools of the capital, Reykjavik. The temperatures in these pool range from 29 degrees Celsius to 42 degrees Celsius (84 to 108 Fahrenheit). The pools are known for their relaxing and healing properties and are frequented by both locals and visitors alike. Iceland has one of the highest concentrations of these kinds of pools in the world, thanks to its geological resources.

The response of the people has been encouraging, as the government’s offer has not been ignored. In fact, the government says that there are so many people taking them up on their offer that the pools have been full!

The eruption took place (is taking place, rather) under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier and countless airports in Europe have been affected by the ash. Some airports have resumed their operations while others are still at a halt.

Short on cash but need a vacation? Who doesn’t? For those who have been having trouble coming up with a plan for the summer due to cash flow problems, the Rancho Bernardo Inn in Southern California just might have the solution for you.

Contrary to what many other hotels and resorts are doing (that is to offer more perks, freebies, and amenities in a bid to attract more customers), the management of Rancho Bernardo Inn is making lemonade, so to speak. They are currently offering what is dubbed the “Survivor Package,” which is an adventurous way of saying that guests receive practically nothing.

Well, there is a room with no bed, no toilet paper, no towels, and no air-conditioning. At least there is a bed, right? Oh, and there is only ONE light bulb to go by. This is the most basic package, costing $19 per night. There are variations, with amenities being added to the list. Naturally, the price goes up with each upgrade.

At first glance, I think that any sane person would be horrified at the thought of having to pay for a room without anything in it. Then again, I have been wrong before – and it seems that in this case, I am. A lot of people are actually buying into this marketing idea. Families are delighted that they do not have to spend hundreds of dollars on a room and they do not seem to mind bringing their own toilet paper and towels with them. As one mother put it, the boys feel like they’re camping and she can still go to the spa.

It was not long ago that we heard of the “best job in the world.” Sandy beaches –among the best in the world – free housing, blogging, fish feeding, and the works; these are the things that the winner will have to face for six months. No wonder that the server of the organizers got swamped and crashed in the days following the announcement!

This time, they have a different sort of announcement: the winner of the contest!

Ben Southall, 34, is the lucky guy who won. He is a British charity fundraiser who was part of the 16 finalists who entered video clips to get the chance to live in paradise for half a year. And how does the winner feel about this? He is quoted as saying:

To go away now as the island caretaker for Tourism Queensland and the Great Barrier Reef is an extreme honor. I hope I can fill the boots as much as everybody is expecting, my swimming hopefully is up to standard and I look forward to all of the new roles and the responsibilities that the task involves.

Starting July 1, Southall would have the chance to “fill the boots.” He will not be alone in the island, however, as his Canadian girlfriend has been allowed to join him. All I can say is that these two are perhaps the luckiest people in the world right now.

As for the tourism department of Queensland? They are hoping that this stunt will result in dollars – lots of it – spent in tourism in the area.

Have you ever experienced going on a long drive and doing your darnedest best to stay awake and alert? We all know that one of the biggest – if not THE biggest – enemies of a motorist is sleep or fatigue. That is why we always hear of safety admonitions to get some rest before driving, and that if you feel tired while on the road, it would be better to stop and nap rather than to push on.

How about an alternative wake up call? In China, the police have found a way to wake their drivers up and keep them safe on the road while at it. This novel wake up technique does not make use of the traditional caffeine jolt. Neither does it involve encouraging motorists to nap and rest. Instead, the police are serving motorists with raw chili.

Yes, raw chili. According to Reuters, the police in the southwestern part of the country (Chongqing region) have made it their mission to keep drivers awake. Their main strategy is to offer loads of raw chili in highway service stations. This is also in keeping with the Chinese belief that people become sleepier during spring.

And what do the drivers have to say about this? Chen Jun, a van driver plying the southwestern route says that “It’s really good to have some hot peppers when you are tired from driving. They make you alert.”

If the chili is as strong as I think it is, then it would certainly keep you alert for hours.

Everybody’s heard of Florida and the many other vacation hotspots all over the US but not many have heard of the recently discovered Sea Isle City New Jersey. New Jersey is one of the most diversified US states that has a little something to offer for everybody. From skiing to mountaineering with the wonderful snow capped ski slopes and trails, to more warmer fun in the surf at Sea Isle city. Sea Isle City has a lot of trekking trails, bike trails and beaches, did we mention the wonderful beaches within reach of some of the best sea isle city rental properties in the state.
Get down and relax at the beach with the family, or go on a bike trip it sure breaks the monotony of daily life in the city. Many people have been kept from the beautiful state that is New Jersey and all it has to offer, till now. Give it a try and visit the state where sun, mountain peaks and surf share a common goal for your enjoyment and your family.

I want in! And so does the rest of the gazillions of people inhabiting this tiny planet of ours. Last week, an ad was placed online, encouraging people to apply for what is touted as the best job in the world. The job description?

Whoever “wins” the post gets to be the caretaker of a little island paradise in Australia. This is what is written in the job description as published in the official web site:

The role of Island Caretaker is a six-month contract, based on luxurious Hamilton Island in the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a live-in position with flexible working hours and key responsibilities include exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef to discover what the area has to offer.

You’ll be required to report back on your adventures to Tourism Queensland headquarters in Brisbane (and the rest of the world) via weekly blogs, photo diary, video updates and ongoing media interviews.

But that is not all! There are other tasks which the caretaker might be asked to do, including (but not limited to) the following:

Feed the fish - There are over 1,500 species of fish living in the Great Barrier Reef. Don’t worry – you won’t need to feed them all.

Clean the pool – The pool has an automatic filter, but if you happen to see a stray leaf floating on the surface it’s a great excuse to dive in and enjoy a few laps.

Collect the mail – During your explorations, why not join the aerial postal service for a day? It’s a great opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of the reef and islands.

Now tell me if anyone can ever resist that job? Apparently, everyone and his mom visited the site after hearing about the job opportunity, making the web site crash.

It is every traveler’s nightmare. Imagine this. The pilot has a mental breakdown mid-air and the flight attendant has to make an emergency landing. No, its not a Naked Gun remake, its real life.

The bizarre and terrifying incident occurred on board an Air Canada flight bound for the UK. It began with the co-pilot speaking in “rambling and disjointed” conversation, according to air accident investigators. He was then forcibly removed by the crew (one of which suffered minor injuries!), and restrained. The captain then ordered the crew to find someone who could fly a plane, and luckily, a female flight attendant offered her services as she had a commercial pilot’s license (so what was she doing being a flight attendant?).

The plane in peril made a safe emergency landing in Ireland’s Shannon Airport, and the disturbed co-pilot was whisked away to the psychiatric unit of a local hospital. According to the Telegraph newspaper:

“….The official report into the incident by the Irish Air Accident Investigation Unit (AAIU) did not explicitly refer to the co-pilot’s medical condition.

But it recorded the views of two doctors onboard that he was in a “confused and disorientated state”.

The captain also reported that his senior colleague became uncharacteristically “belligerent and unco-operative” and was “effectively incapacitated”.

One passenger at the time reported seeing the distraught co-pilot yelling for God as he was being restrained.

The AAIU praised the actions of both the captain and crew in diverting to the nearest airport and removing the co-pilot from the controls.

“For his own well-being and the safety of the aircraft, the most appropriate course of action was to stand him down from duty and seek medical attention which was available on board,” said the report.

“The commander (captain) realising he was faced with a difficult and serious situation used tact and understanding and kept control of the situation at all times.

“The situation was dealt with in a professional manner… As such the commander and flight attendants should be commended for their professionalism in the handling of this event.”

There were no safety recommendations from the investigation.”

Since the Finnish have been in the spotlight due to their taking the reigns in the European Union’s presidency, a startling passion of the Finns has been revealed to the world – a penchant for Latin.

Latin is far from dead in Finland apparently, where even Elvis songs have been translated into the language and gets played, translated, in public places like hotel bars. Dr.Jukka Ammondt, an academic who translated and sings some of the ing’s hits, like “Can’t Help Falling In Love” – or “Non adamare non possum” explained:

“The legend of Elvis Presley lives for ever, and it’s of course very important to sing Elvis Presley’s songs in the Latin language, because Latin is the eternal language”

In Finland, the passion for Latin also extends to the news, where national broadcasts are also made in Latin. Apparently, its gets quite a good audience of around 75,000 listeners, which is more than some radio shows on the BBC.

Things couldn’t have been worse for Indonesia. Two events in the news from this part of the world shocked people for simultaneous tragedies, a rarity in this world but heartbreaking as well for loss of human lives without reason.

First was the earthquake which shook the country that claimed 52 lives last March 6, 2007 in Sumatra Islands Jakarta, Indonesia. Then there was the plane crash that followed that killed 23 people of a packed Indonesian jetliner which crashed and erupted in flames. Dozens of people, bloodied and severely injured were the sight that Indonesia had on this faithful day.

Of the two tragedies, it is the plane crash coming from its original destination, Australia which has been put under close investigation, considering that it has now become a trend for commercial jetliners coming in the country. Similar incidents where a jet plunged into sea and killed 102 passengers on New Year’s Day also occurred. The Indonesian government has started to make probes to find out the actual causes and possible relations if any.

People will always put their focus on the front page which would usually contain the headlines of latest news and current events going on locally and the world. But technically, the editorial section is similar to that of a blog where a person would make entries about certain aspects to which they expound on. Ideally these issues would be in line with the ongoing events since they provide supporting insights on such issues.

Editorial from people will provide the opinions and ideas stemming from references on actual events and facts. They are not placed for the sake of argument of one person only. They cover the negative and positive aspects of such issues and provide further analysis so that people may easily understand the whole essence of the headlines and events.

Also, these editorials are technically chains from past issues and events since they refresh the memory of people who may have forgotten about connections to the current topic at hand. These are the things that have already occurred but have been forgotten. It is through editorials that they can be recalled.