Look, we all know that regional pilots don’t make big bucks. But for a pilot to start a business on the side designed to sell kits to help you pass drug tests seems like a real no-no. To make it worse, the kits were marketed to truck drivers, train engineers and other pilots.
The pilot, Stephen Sharp was selling his product through the web site “yourintheclear.com” from November 2006 till May 2008. During this period, he was flying planes for PSA airlines (flying as US Airways Express).
The product consisted of a powder that had to be mixed with cranberry juice, and promised a 100% success rate at beating the U.S. Department of Transportation drug tests – the same tests used to screen pilots.
During a massive sweep against people who sold products specifically designed to defeat federal drug tests, Sharp was caught, and pleaded guilty to “conspiring to defraud the United States”.
As soon as his employer heard of the case, they placed him on non paid leave, and after his sentencing, chances are he won’t be flying any time soon.
Each week, Gadling is taking a look at our favorite festivals around the world. From music festivals to cultural showcases to the just plain bizarre, we hope to inspire you to do some festival exploring of your own. Come back each Wednesday for our picks or find them all HERE.
The Berlin Love Parade has been described as the Mardi Gras of Germany. It is a festival that started in 1989, four months before the fall of the Berlin Wall. The first year’s theme, “Peace, Joy and Pancakes” echoed a time of intense change and excitement, with hope for a bright future.
Though many have looked at the Love Parade in recent years as a massive rave party with scantily-clad dancers lining the streets, it was really started as more than that – a political movement to bring a sense of unity to a divided country that was about to rise up again in the western world.
As 150 people gathered in Wittenbergplatz, the parade began in West Berlin and became a celebration of cross-cultural unity, while maintaining individual identity. Twenty-one years later, it is a mega-event that brings nearly 2 million participants. The individual identities they sought to preserve remain strong as visitors walk down the streets of the Kurfuerstendamm and hear musical genres from every walk of life, each one louder and more exciting than the one before.
Dancers and visitors to the Love Parade can dress however they like; lavish costumes add to the exhilaration and ambiance. Germans and visitors alike of all ages come and, though it’s more racy than some traditional German festivities, its exciting for the whole family with floats and decorations and, of course, good ol’ German Beer.
Although it was briefly canceled in 2003 due to the lack of sponsors, it was brought back by popular demand in 2006 and has now developed into a huge “the world’s largest dance festival” with many different themes co-existing. Although it is no longer held in Berlin, it is now known simply as “Love Parade” and is held in different regions each year throughout Germany. Parties are even held in cities across the globe to celebrate Love Parade’s theme and message of love, joy and hope, from Tel Aviv to San Francisco.
The 2010 Love Parade is scheduled to be held in Duisberg, Germany, on July 24th. Fans from every corner of the world will be packing their neon leggings as they anxiously await the start of the “World’s Largest Dance Festival” to kick off once again this Summer.
Pets need a little pampering, too, at least that’s what the owners of Catnip ‘n’ Biscuits believe. The new luxury pet ‘hotel’ is opening this Saturday in Savannah, Georgia, giving pet owners are new reason to leave town.
Catnip ‘n’ Biscuits, a doggie day care and luxury pet hotel, is similar to human hotels in that it has individual rooms for pets, heating and air conditioning, and recreational and eating areas, but the pet hotel offers something human hotels don’t: obedience school. “All pets are tested for temperament, and there’s an attendant on duty at all times,” said Cathi Denham, co-owner of the hotel. “We’re not a kennel with chain link fences and concrete floors. We have recycled rubber floors and theme rooms with toddler beds and TVs.” In addition, Denham says that pets older than 7 months must be spayed or neutered to attend the day care at her luxury camp (insert joke about illicit hotel room affairs here).
According to the website, dogs have their pick of luxury themed-boarding suites complete with a toddler bed and padded bedding and throw rugs, TVs and DVD players. Felines stay in kitty condos, a private area of the facility far away from all the dogs.
To make sure pets are well taken care of and to eliminate any parent-pet anxiety, parents can check in our their furry friends via Web cams, thanks to state-of-the-art equipment the owners installed in the camp area.
Laugh as you might over this new luxury amenity but there’s a simple fact that makes this hotel a cash cow: Data from the American Pet Products Association, a not-for-profit trade association, estimates that $47.7 billion will be spent on pets this year, up from $45.5 billion last year and $43.2 billion in 2008.
To help understand the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull, Gadling has teamed with Online Schools to develop an easy-to-understand infographic, which explains everything from how to pronounce the name of that silly volcano to an analysis of how much hotels tried to gouge stranded passengers. Keep reading for some amazing numbers — and for the only solution for clearing the next ash cloud from the skies.
You don’t have to be Canadian (or even from Vermont) to appreciate the power of the maple tree.
Ska:ná, the Oneidas’ luxury spa at Turning Stone Resort and Casino in Verona, NY is celebrating the arrival of spring in a fashion inspired by rituals of the Oneida Indians themselves: using maple syrup in their treatments.
“The sap [from the maple tree] was used as a food but it also had medicinal purposes, including serving as a cleanser for the body,” says Oneida Nation Member and language instructor Sheri Beglen. She added, “The sap flows through the tree like blood flows through our veins — serving as a source of nourishment. And, Oneidas today still use maple for its food and health properties.”
“These signature treatments are infused with warm fresh maple and other natural products, including green apple and pear, to awaken the senses and revitalize the body.” … “The treatments we will offer throughout the spring include a maple and green apple body treatment, a maple and pear antioxidant facial, and a maple and green apple manicure and pedicure,” says Loretta Taylor, Turning Stone’s director of spa operations.
A trip to upstate New York is always a good way to reconnect with nature — but nothing says “connecting with nature” like having maple syrup rubbed all over your body, leaving you clean, nourished and sweet. If you are interested in the treatments, contact Ska:ná for more information.
Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.