New Airline Program Pairs Seatmates Based On ‘Mood’

by Jessica Festa on

“Do you want your seat neighbor to be like-minded, share hobbies with you or speak a specific language? Do you want to chat, or to rest while flying?” These are the questions asked by airBaltic, the national airline of Latvia who is introducing a new SeatBuddy program.

SeatBuddy is designed to pair seatmates based on three specific “moods”: those who want to do work, those who want to make new contacts and those who simply want to be left alone. Passenger information will be collected in a secure database, and will take into account fliers’ hobbies and interests to seat those with similar personalities together.

SeatBuddy is optional and free, and testing of the service will begin at the end of this month. From there, the airline will be able to see its commercial potential. The idea grew after KLM Royal Dutch Airlines implemented social media seating and allowed passengers to choose seatmates via Facebook.

What do you think of this new service?

Why Are Young Adults Shunning The National Parks?

by Kraig Becker on

For decades America’s national parks have been popular destinations for travelers of all ages and attendance numbers have been at near record highs even in recent years. But the National Park Service has begun to see a disturbing shift in the demographic of its visitors over the past decade or so, as young adults appear to have fled the parks en masse.

According to a recent story from MSNBC, the average age of visitors to the national parks has risen steadily since 1996. Part of that increase is due to a continued interested in the parks by aging baby boomers, but the twenty-something crowd, who were once a mainstay in the parks, seem to have nearly disappeared. According to the story, young adults between the ages of 20 and 29 now make up just 11 percent of the visitors to Yosemite and a stunning six percent at Yellowstone.

Exactly why young people are no longer visiting the national parks is a bit of a mystery, but if the trend continues it could be a major problem for the Park Service down the line. Finding funding for the parks in these challenging economic times is already a tough task, but if attendance falls dramatically in the future it could prove to be herculean.In an attempt to reverse the trend, the National Parks Conservation Association has launched an initiative to connect people with the parks. The goal is to deliver a personal connection with these iconic landscapes and inspire more people to visit. This ambitious project hopes to not only get young people into the parks, but diverse ethnic groups as well. Only time will tell if the plan will be successful.

As a big fan of the national parks, these statistics are very disheartening. The parks represent some of the most breathtaking landscapes on the planet and it is a shame that more young people aren’t showing an interest in experiencing them. Additionally, the parks are great places to hike, camp, climb or do just about anything else outdoors. My fear is that as many young adults turn away from those activities they are also turning away from the parks themselves. Hopefully this trend won’t continue into the future and America’s wild places will continue to receive the support they deserve.


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Israel Border Protection Searches Tourist Emails

by McLean Robbins on

Najwa Doughman, a 25-year-old architect and University of Virginia graduate living in New York City, arrived in Israel on May 26 with a friend, Sasha Al-Sarabi, another UVA grad working in finance in the same city. Doughman was visiting Israel for the third time, Al-Sarabi for the first. But it turned out neither would see the country beyond the walls of Ben Gurion Airport.

As Doughman chronicles on the Israel-focused blog Mondoweiss and as Israel focused publication Haaretz reported, the women’s trials began about an hour after landing, when Doughman was asked her father’s first name. Both Doughman and Al-Sarabi’s parents are of Palestinian descent and were expelled from Haifa and Akko in 1948.

Sad as it is, it is rather commonplace to be detained at the Israel airport (21 activists were barred in mid-April), particularly for those of Palestinian descent, although less so for young American-born women on vacation.

She writes of being heckled and searched repeatedly by guards, stating that one guard inquired repeatedly as to her motives for entering the country:

But you have been here two times already. Why are you coming now for the third time? You can go to Venezuela, to Mexico, to Canada. It is much closer to New York, and much less expensive!

Two notable instances came out of the interrogation, however – the first that Doughman claims that she was forced to log into her Gmail account and allow security to run searches for words like “Israel,” “Palestine,” “West Bank” and “International Solidarity Movement.” The second is that Doughman claims that the American Embassy was less than sympathetic to her plight and simply urged her to leave the country on the next available flight. She wrote:

If we were two American citizens in a Syrian or Iranian ‘facility,’ would the American embassy’s reaction be the same? Would Obama himself not have made a statement by now, demanding our release? If we were Americans of Polish or Chinese descent, would we have been treated this way? American citizens are usually given a three-month visa upon arrival. Why were we an exception? There are a lot of things wrong with a lot of systems, but when we are funding one with billions of our tax dollars, this means that we are supporting it.

A sad situation indeed, if the events in fact occurred as described.

What do you think, readers? Has anyone else had a similar experience?

Destruction, Looting Of Syria’s Ancient Heritage Continues, Report Says

by Sean McLachlan on


The upheaval in Syria has been going on for more than a year now, and in that time thousands of people have been killed, including many civilians and children. Syria’s many ancient sites are also getting damaged. Previously, we’ve talked about how the Syrian army has shelled the ancient city of Palmyra and the Crusader castle Crac des Chevaliers. Both of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites, of which there are six in the country.

A report by the Global Heritage Fund states that these and many other sites and museums, are getting damaged and looted in the chaos. Sites like Tell Sheikh Hamad, pictured above in this Wikimedia Commons image. This Assyrian town was inhabited for several centuries and archaeologists have found numerous cuneiform inscriptions there. Recently it became a battleground between the Syrian army and deserters. An Assyrian temple reportedly collapsed when it got hit by shellfire and the rest of the site likely suffered serious damage as well.

The medieval citadel of Hama has also been shelled, as can be seen in the video below.

Besides the fighting, historic sites are getting damaged by troops digging trenches, tanks rolling over fragile areas, and snipers building positions atop historic homes. Not even mosques have been safe, with several historic mosques suffering damage.

Looting is also a serious problem since members of museum staff are often not around to guard their collections due to the fighting. In Crac des Chevaliers, looters kicked out the staff at gunpoint and started digging.

With no end in sight for the Syrian Civil War, it’s certain that more of the nation’s previous heritage will be destroyed or stolen.

National Geographic Television Casting New Adventure Series

by Kraig Becker on

National Geographic Television has put out an intriguing casting call for a new adventure series that is set to go into production in the near future. The network is seeking an experienced adventurer to join its cast and the job description certainly isn’t one that you’ll find in the local classifieds. That description reads as follows:

National Geographic seeking to hire a multi-disciplinary team leader with multiple extreme and expert outdoor skills to guide challenging field expeditions around the world. Must be experienced navigating through remote areas, able to handle rapidly changing situations, passionate about exploration and adventure, and as comfortable on camera as in the field. Full-time employment with a minimum one-year contract. Be prepared to inspire a team and have the experience of a lifetime.

If interested, please email us at NGTeamLeader@gmail.com and let us know about why you’re perfect for the job. Make sure to include your name, contact information, and a photo and/or video links. (Submissions without photos or video WILL NOT be considered.) U.S. passport and enthusiasm required.

Beyond that, not much is known about the new series or the job itself, but it sounds like there is something interesting coming our way soon.

Do you have the qualifications necessary to join the team? If so, fire up that email and send in your resume. Who knows, you just might become the next big reality TV star.