Internet search results show soldiers are thinking of home

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Life in Iraq isn’t necessarily what you think. While there are tough conditions for those outside the gates, life on the large camps that shares some startling similarities with major U.S. military installations at home. On Camp Anaconda, for example, you can visit a library, shove some fast food fare into your mouth and burn your quads at the gym. Of course, the occasional mortar does get through the defense systems … these communities do sit right in the middle of a war, after all.

Among the amenities now available at major camps in Iraq is internet access, and Google Insights shows the interesting search objectives of the 140,000 military personnel and civilian contractors serving over there.

Most searches are linked with special occasions, such as holidays and personal celebrations (e.g., birthdays and anniversaries). “Christmas gifts,” “gift shop,” and “Valentine’s gifts” are among the top search terms for Americans serving in Iraq, according to a recent study. A “regional interest” index calculated by Google Insights pegs these search terms at 100 (based on a maximum value of 100) or English speakers in Iraq, compared to 80 for the United States and 58 for Great Britain.

It’s pretty clear that the internet helps our troops act on concerns they have about what is happening at home (no surprises there). Thanks to fairly plentiful online access, they have an easier time of participating in the normal activities that we take for granted, such as buying birthday presents.

For people stationed on the larger posts (such as Camp Anaconda), it’s possible to gain satellite internet access in the barracks, though this option can be expensive. Free internet access is offered through Military Welfare and Recreation (MWR) centers on these installations.

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A Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt in Brooklyn

by Brenda Yun on
My apologies for the poor quality of this photo. You can click on it to get a better view of it through Flickr.com.

This image is actually a design composed by Steph Goralnick of street heart art made by Chris Uphues. Goralnick boasts a large collection of professional designs and photographs on her website, but for this particular holiday she decided to disperse her collection of Valentine’s Day cards around Brooklyn and some are still yours for the taking! You can go on your own Valentine’s Day scavenger hunt by following Goralnick’s heart-shaped Google map.


View Larger Map

Goralnick writes, “i was going to put them up for sale online, but then decided that since the economy is in a state of such deep suckage i would spread the love and give them all away for free in order to ensure that people have a little something to give to their friends, enemies, lovers, moms, coworkers, neighbors, secret crushes or total strangers on the subway… i have scattered 22 packets of cards around town, all hidden within plain sight. if you’d like to go hunting for some, you can use this handy map to guide you.”

So, for those of you Brooklyn or NYC residents still in need of a few Valentine’s Day cards, get out there and get searching — pronto — while supplies last!

Is a romantic getaway in your future?

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Nothing beats dashing off for a weekend of pure bliss. Your husband, wife, girlfriend, whatever plans a great trip to a romantic spot, and you’re the main event. Well, you’ve probably noticed in my Valentine’s Day posts that there’s a lot of belt-tightening going on. And, the news just keeps getting worse.

A pool by SpeedDate.com shows that first dates are costing the bare minimum. Most singles, according to the site, are spending less than $100 on their first dates. Almost a third are spending less than $50, while a bit more than a third are willing to shell out between $50 and $100. Close to 20 percent are willing to spend between $100 and $200, but only 13 percent see $200 as the low end.

The good news is that your first date probably won’t involve travel. But, could this sort of frugality suggest that a snowed-in weekend at a lodge in Vermont isn’t in your future?

It sounds like a good conversation for that first date!

Love in the air – Germans most likely to flirt, Swedes most likely to have sex

by Scott Carmichael on

It’s the most romantic time of the year – which means companies are releasing all kinds of love related news and surveys.

The latest comes from British Airways, who did a quick interview of European travelers, and how often they flirt with their fellow passengers.

According to the survey, Germans are the most likely to try and hit on you in the sky, followed by the Swiss.

The “passionate” Italians are all the way down in 6th place. At the bottom of the list are the Dutch and Belgians.

To spice things up a little, British Airways also asked passengers if they belong to the Mile High Club.

The results are quite surprising – 7% of Swedes claim they have joined the club, followed by 5% of Norwegians and 5% of the Dutch passengers who participated in the survey.

Once again, the Belgians painted a pretty bleak picture of their country, by coming last with just 1%.

Of course, these numbers could also be the complete opposite, and the results might mean that 7% of Swedes lie about having sex.

So, lets have our own little survey, and see whether Gadling readers are kinkier than the Swedes (or that we can lie more than they did!)

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(Via: Dutch Telegraph)

Which of these ladies got busted for “loving in the air”?

Love on a private jet

by Annie Scott on

Ever wanted to have a romantic evening at 33,000 feet? Hot, right?

Though it’s available all year, we thought Valentine’s Day would be a good time to talk about SwiftJet‘s “Love is in the Air” packages, which start at just $3,500.

SwiftJet is a Canadian private jet company with an easy-to navigate website where you can even check their fleet’s availability! Their motto is “Anywhere. Anytime. Fast.” We like this notion.

Their “Love is in the Air” package includes champagne, chocolate-covered strawberries, and red roses. It is especially intended for marriage proposals, but really, you can’t go wrong with a surprise private jet rendezvous any day of the year. A concierge can help you arrange a limo, fine dining, and a hotel at your destination, and the plane can even be personalized with monograms and special love messages. Basically, they’re into making it awesome.

There’s sofa-style seating, soft lighting, and the usual audio-visual entertainment systems for you to cozy up to with your loved one. Quiet evening in … the air? Now that’s a Valentine’s Day.