Airline Wine: Will It Get Better?

by Elizabeth Seward on


Airline wine has never severely disappointed me, but it’s never left a lasting impression on me either -– though it seems it may soon do just that.

While airlines have been scrambling almost universally to add fees and reduce amenities whenever possible to make up for rising fuel prices, it appears as though airlines are becoming increasingly concerned with having quality wine around for their passengers. A piece from USA Today yesterday described the thorough process Qatar Airways undergoes to procure its wine. According to the article, Qantas Airlines spends more than $19 million on Australian wine alone each year. It seems as though airlines’ wine programs are becoming more thorough in response to consumers’ tastes. And I think that’s inarguably a good thing.

Magic Restroom Cafe: Would You Pay To Eat On A Toilet?

by Elizabeth Seward on


Perhaps the Magic Restroom Cafe is magical in part because it has done something other restaurants have yet to do: require patrons to sit on a toilet while they dine. According to the restaurant’s owner, Yo Yo Li, restroom-themed restaurants have been a hit so far in her native China and Taiwan. Their surprising success influenced her decision to open the Magic Restroom Cafe in City of Industry, California – just east of Los Angeles – on October 11.

The Magic Restroom Cafe‘s tables are outfitted with actual toilets (never used, not hooked up) as seats. But the restroom theme doesn’t stop there. The restaurant’s lobby showcases both urinals and toilets. The cafe’s signature dish is called “golden poop” rice. They also serve dishes with titles like “black poop,” “smells-like-poop,” “bloody number two,” and “constipation.” The food itself arrives to the table in a miniature version of a floor toilet.

So this all begs the question: would you pay to eat bowel-movement-themed food while sitting on a toilet?

Sports Map Of America

by Elizabeth Seward on


The talented illustrator Jess Fink over at Slate worked with Chris Kirk on interactive design to create the sports map of America. The map shows which sports are most popular in individual U.S. states with graphics. The full sports map, which can be seen here, includes information on each state, like its official state sport, if there is one, and other sports that were considered when making their decision. Most picks don’t come as a surprise -– mountain climbing goes to Colorado, skateboarding to California, and ice hockey to Michigan – but others are less obvious.

Go click around, have some fun and learn a thing or two about the athletic tendencies of Americans by state.

Woman Evicted From Hotel After 9-Year Stay

by Gadling Staff on

Nearly a decade after moving to a hotel after losing her home in foreclosure, a Wisconsin woman faces eviction for an unpaid bill of $29,000. Jana Ganjian says that her poor health put her out of a job and then her home, and that she’s only stayed at the hotel all this time because she was unable to find a place to rent.

Read more at AOL Real Estate.

Shutdown Status: States Pay To Reopen Some National Parks

by Meg Nesterov on

We’re going on two weeks of government shutdown, with tourists hoping to see national parks having to sneak in or go home. Thousands of park workers have been furloughed and local businesses who generate income from tourism are feeling the pinch. Several U.S. states are taking matters into their own hands, effectively paying the federal government so that they can reopen.

The status as of today:

Arizona: It’s costing $651,000 to open the Grand Canyon for a week, though no money is allotted past that time and some local businesses worry it won’t help them in the long run.

Colorado: Over 10,000 visitors went out the Rocky Mountain National Park this weekend after the state reached an agreement to pay over $40,000 per day to keep it open.

New York: The Statue of Liberty re-opened yesterday, costing New York $61,000 per day out of its tourism budget — but visitors generate an estimated $350,000 daily.

South Dakota: Mount Rushmore will cost over $15,000 a day to reopen, with corporate donors helping the state open the park again today.

Utah: 8 attractions will reopen today, including Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park, at a cost of $166,000 per day.

See the status of all the national parks here.