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Special Interest

Special Interest

An old book smells like ancient Egypt

A book has got smell. A new book smells great. An old book smells even better. An old book smells like ancient Egypt.  Ray Bradbury But a new Egypt is even better, and it is getting better every day, indeed, especially when it comes to new architecture. Contemporary Egyptian architecture draws from a rich history.…

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I’ve suffered for my art. Now it’s your turn

Art is a most wonderful thing, but it also is very subjective.  Obviously, there are masters of all strains of art, and there are some are that simply strain. Have you ever seen performance art and just wondered, “Why is this art?!” You’re not alone, and deciphering performance art is not as difficult or mysterious…

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Ne’er BnB

A major European destination just banished Airbnb. Will others follow suit? AirBnB has had a somewhat chequered past when it comes to the neighbours.  Most renters are polite and responsible.  But it doesn't take too many incidents for the love to sour. A recent crackdown in Barcelona portends stronger laws against short-term rentals across the…

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Win or loos

Loo design has barely changed in 150 years – until now. Will people trade their privacy for the chance to find out exactly what is in their waste? For the past 10 years, Sonia Grego has been thinking about toilets – and more specifically what we deposit into them. “We are laser-focused on the analysis…

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Sleeping around Europe

Germany’s green party has proposed an ambitious network of night trains across Europe, which could connect the UK with destinations including Barcelona, Paris, Copenhagen and Stockholm. The proposed network would see some 40 sleeper services operating across the continent, with routes extending as far as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Birmingham as well as London. Read more here courtesy of…

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Equitable cities

Environmental neuroscience is an emerging field devoted to studying the impact of social and physical environments on brain processes and behaviour. From the various opportunities for social interaction to noise levels and access to green spaces, the characteristics of the urban environment have important implications for neural mechanisms and brain functioning, thus influencing our physical state. Read…

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1,000,000,000 times

Waiting at the airport can be soul-crushing sometimes.  Especially if your flight is delayed.  But not always . . . Take a look at this cool new permanent artwork installed at California’s Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) Installed in the pre-security Arrivals Hall of Terminal B, A million Times (San José), by artists Humans since 1982, is…

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Imagine, if you will . . .

“Being like everybody is the same as being nobody.” “ There is nothing in the dark that isn't there when the lights are on.” Rod Serling Some of you may remember the ground-breaking Twilight Zone television show, which entranced so many of us (of a certain age) and still resonates to this day. If you loved the…

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All together now

Yay!  Common sense prevails in this day and age! The respective loyalty programs of our affiliate friends, Expedia, Vrbo, Hotels.com and other brands under the Expedia Group umbrella are to be unified into one service. The company says all brands and products will be in the program, covering flights, hotels, alternative accommodation, car rentals, cruises…

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Oooh la LA

Near the famed Los Angeles intersection of Hollywood and Vine, the highly anticipated Thompson Hollywood is now welcoming guests, as of August 2021, who enter through a greenery-laden walkway, the first sign that this new hotel is something special. Featuring a bar, terrace and views of city, Thompson Hollywood is located 701 m from Capitol Records…

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Science!

During the Airlines Confidential podcast, former Spirit Airlines CEO Ben Baldanza told an interesting story about trying to figure out whether a new route would be profitable. In normal times airlines have great data – required and reported by the federal government.  But, some looked at telephone data and remittance data to get a sense…

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Sin presión

There are records of tortilla production in the country going back as far as 500bc, so it’s fair to say that what the Mexicans don’t know about corn isn’t worth knowing. El Pastor restaurant co-founder Crispin Somerville shares his inside track on the tastiest snacks. Read more here courtesy of CNN.com Sin presión = no pressure. Southwest…

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Moral coral

You can be a part of worldwide coral regeneration schemes – here's how. Coral reefs are intricate ecosystems that quite literally breathe life into the world's oceans, but they are under threat. Destruction of reefs – such as mass coral bleaching – is the result of a combination of factors including climate change and pollution.…

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Why do we sleep?

‘That we come to this earth to live is untrue. We come but to sleep, to dream.’ – Aztec poem Humans have long wondered why we sleep. A well-rested prehistoric mind probably pondered the question, long before Galileo thought to predict the period of the pendulum or to understand how fast objects fall. Why must…

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Share a room with Tracey Emin

Most hotels consider a random collection of prints and local photography an “arts program.” At The Alfond Inn near Rollins College campus in Winter Park, Florida, their arts program features Julie Mehretu, Nicole Eisenman, Hank Willis Thomas, Tracey Emin, Jaune Quick-to-See Smith–top stars of contemporary art with solo shows attracting thousands of visitors at renowned…

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The Catskilled

Travel to countries that have collapsed around the world and one will find post-Apocalyptic worlds. In the former Soviet Union, one can find scores and scores of abandoned and crumbling factories and cities - crumbling ruins testifying to the once great Soviet Union. In America, one can find just one post-Apocalyptic world just outside of…

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