Random Acts of Canine Kindness
Cedric the Dog takes a well-deserved break after an ill-fated attempt to shut down a white supremacist rally in Idaho.
You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. – Harry S. Truman
MORE Dog QuotationsEU Extends Ban on American Travelers — Again — With US COVID-19 Cases Far Outpacing European Countries
Curtis Tate, Deirdre Shesgreen
USA TODAY
For the second time this month, the European Union extended its travel ban on Americans on August 6 as COVID-19 infections continued to rise across the United States.
MOREBest Road Trips in the U.S.A.
Courtesy Elissa Leibowitz Poma
The United States has a grand variety of road trip-suitable routes, from straight shots across deserts to stomach-churning switchbacks through the mountains. Whatever type of adventure you seek, however much time you have, and whatever you want to see, there’s a road out there for everyone.
MORETravel Guys Take on Kirkland, WA
Ian Holm — RIP
Sir Ian Holm Cuthbert CBE (12 September 1931 – 19 June 2020), known as Ian Holm, was an English actor. He received the 1967 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor for his performance as Lenny in The Homecoming and the 1998 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor for his performance in the title role of King Lear. He has played more than 100 roles in films and on television. My favorite film performance is his first leading role (I believe at 44) in Atom Egoyan’s masterpiece, “The Sweet Hereafter.”
‘I’ve always been a minimalist. It was Bogart who once said, “If you think the right thoughts, the camera will pick it up.” The most important thing in the face is the eyes, and if you can make the eyes talk, you’re halfway there.’ – Ian Holm
Jazz Singer/Pianist Carol Welsman Discusses Her New Album, “Dance With Me,” with Jim Gordon.
“Our City Tonight” arrived in LA to chat with 6-time Juno Award Nominee, Carol Welsman. The gifted jazz singer/pianist talks about her new album, “Dance With Me”, which marks her foray into Latin Jazz.
WATCH THE VIDEOBerlin Tegel Airport to Remain Open Into November
By Kurt Stolz
The ongoing saga of Berlin’s new and old airports continues: Berlin Tegel Airport will remain open, at least for the time being.
In late May, city officials announced that Tegel – the city’s main international airport whose history goes back to the 1948 Berlin Airlift – would close temporarily on June 15, 2020.
MOREAmerican Airlines Unveils Major Upgrade to App with ‘Chat With Us’ Feature
American Airlines announced the release of version 2020.07 of its smartphone app, adding several new features including a new “Chat with Us” feature connects users with a virtual assistant and, if necessary, a customer service representative via chat.
The airline began to use a new format for numbering versions of the app earlier this year. The new format begins with the four-digit year followed by a period separator, which is then followed by the two-digit number of the version.
The Chat with Us system places the user in a chat session with a virtual assistant. The bot will transfer the user to a customer service representative based on the nature of the chat.
Earlier this year, American upgraded the app with a new “Waitlist” feature that combines upgrade and standby lists for a particular flight.
Waitlist will display traveler status by cabin. Once an upgrade request clears, the app will display the individual traveler’s name and new seat number on the list.
American’s app is available on both Apple iOS and Android platforms.
What Country Taught Me About Race
By Jessica Nabongo — Afar
I’m often asked what I consider the safest countries for black people or the most welcoming for black travelers. But I can’t answer those questions. I’ve been traveling internationally since I was four years old. For my Ugandan immigrant parents, vacationing was important — a way to learn more about the world through experience — and they made it part of our lives every year. Whether domestic or international, we went somewhere every summer: Canada, Minnesota, Jamaica, Disney World, the Bahamas. By the time I graduated from high school, I had been to seven U.N. member countries, and in 2008, I moved to Japan to teach English. From there, I continued living abroad, and continued traveling. And in February 2017, with 60 countries under my belt, I started a two-and-a-half-year journey to visit every country in the world
MOREHomeless in Border Town Getting By, Livin’
By Donovan Quintero, Navajo Times
She didn’t hesitate to give what she could give. Shylah Pettigrew knows all too well what it feels like to be hungry and thirsty. Her years of living on the streets, as well as the teachings of her mother, taught her to be compassionate, she said. “You can’t pass somebody by without offering,” she said. The Lupton, Arizona, native saw her cousin and several other people sitting outside where she was attending a birthday party. The people, whom the city of Gallup categorizes as transients, or homeless, sat on the concrete bench enjoying the warm Saturday afternoon sunlight in downtown Gallup.
MOREHow A Recent Trip To Montgomery Made Me Rethink The Deep South
Courtesy Essence
“History, despite its wrenching pain cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage need not be lived again.”
I spotted the reflection-inducing words by the late Maya Angelou just moments before entering the lobby of Montgomery’s Springhill Suites Hotel. They adorned a nondescript wall at the corner of Coosa and Bibb, which was steps outside of my temporary retreat. Now I’ve always been more Manhattan than Montgomery, slightly more Malcolm than Martin, with more northeastern edge than southern charm. But there I was, just days before the Christmas holiday, excited, and yet nervous, to be in what I considered the epicenter of Black history.
MORE7 Best & 5 Worst Frozen Foods
Courtesy Cheyenne Lentz, Insider
Frozen food can be great to stock up on because it can be stored for quite some time without going bad.
Since not everything maintains its quality when frozen, Insider spoke to chefs to help figure out which items are worth grabbing and which you should leave on the shelves.
Here are some of the best and worst foods to buy frozen (according to chefs)10 Cheap Foods That Last a Long Time
These foods with long shelf lives can improve your diet while saving you money
Courtesy Erin Huffstetler
If you’re filling your pantry, especially if you are on a tight budget, focus on cheap and nutritious foods that have a long shelf life, like rice, apples and peanut butter. You’ll spend less at checkout, and you’ll waste considerably less food at the end of the week. All price estimates mentioned were good as of March 2020.
MOREFree Video Tours of Frank Lloyd Wright Buildings Across America
The 20th-century architect defined a uniquely American style that used nature-inspired motifs and horizontal lines
Architecture fans can tune in to the #WrightVirtualVisits hashtag to watch experts lead short video tours of Frank Lloyd Wright’s famous and lesser-known buildings every Thursday afternoon.
The Frank Lloyd Wright Building Conservancy, the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation and Unity Temple Restoration Foundation teamed up to launch the initiative, dubbed Wright Virtual Visits, at the beginning of April.
Read Susan Breslow’s article on Taliesin WestMaster English Pronunciation at Home
Courtesy Olivia Valdes, ThoughtCo
We all know the embarrassing feeling of discovering we’ve been mispronouncing a word for years. On the other hand, some words are so commonly mispronounced that the “correct” pronunciation sounds downright strange. Don’t feel bad if you’ve been mispronouncing some of these tricky words. A living language like English evolves and thrives precisely because it’s spoken every day.
MOREHow to Join a Zoom Class
The Zoom platform is easy and convenient. Missing your favorite teacher or class? This will allow you to still take that class with that teacher at their regular time slots in the safe environment of your own home.
You will sign into the class you want to take through our website and receive the Zoom link that will give you access to the class live. The classes will be in their original format and will have time at the end for you to chat with your teacher! They will be streamed from the teacher’s home as well as from the studio. You can continue to use your class packages and will still be able to purchase through your account at The Yogi Tree by logging on to our website.
For more info check out this 1-minute Zoom tutorial
Out of the Cradle Endlessly Rocking
Walt Whitman — 1819-1892
Out of the cradle endlessly rocking,
Out of the mocking-bird’s throat, the musical shuttle,
Out of the Ninth-month midnight,
Over the sterile sands and the fields beyond, where the child leaving his bed wander’d alone, bareheaded, barefoot,
Down from the shower’d halo,
Up from the mystic play of shadows twining and twisting as if they were alive,
Out from the patches of briers and blackberries,
From the memories of the bird that chanted to me…
What the Airplane Cabin of the Future Might Look Like
Courtesy Amy Woodyatt, CNN
Air travel is still far from pre-pandemic levels, but it began bouncing back in May. Still, travelers are rightly nervous about climbing aboard a packed plane, but thankfully, designers are already thinking ahead at what the cabins of the future might look like.
In a newly released concept, UK-based design studio PriestmanGoode has developed a post-pandemic cabin to focus on hygiene and personal space and keep passengers safe and relaxed.
MOREU.S. Adventure Traveler Sentiment — June-July 2020 Report
In June-July 2020, the ATTA surveyed U.S. customers of ATTA adventure tour operator members to understand their sentiment on a host of topics and gauge their travel and spending preferences in the next 12 months.
493 U.S. adventure travelers from 42 states shared thoughts on the following.
MORE9 Countries Welcoming Remote Workers
People around the world are dreaming about escaping their tiny urban apartments or suburban homes, and countries are making it a reality. Some destinations, like Barbados and Bermuda, have recently launched remote visa programs for incoming visitors, while other countries, like Portugal and Germany, have had similar arrangements in place for years.
Here are 9 countries with programs designed to welcome remote workers:
MORELoyal Good Boi Waits At Wuhan Hospital For Three Months, Unaware That His Owner Died Of COVID-19
Remember the classic tale of Hachiko, a loyal Japanese Akita dog who waited patiently at a train station for his owner to return home from work for nine years, not knowing that his owner died at the office?
MOREDecade-Long Search for Rocky Mountains Treasure Yields Trove Worth $2 Million
By Alex Fox; smithsonianmag.com
Nine clues embedded in a 24-line poem led to art dealer Forrest Fenn’s hidden chest of gold, gems and rare artifacts
“The treasure has been found,” declares a sparse blog post dated to June 6. The words signal the end of a ten-year search for a chest of gold, jewels and rare artifacts hidden in the Rocky Mountains by art dealer Forrest Fenn, reports Danielle Prokop for the Santa Fe New Mexican.
As many as 350,000 people unsuccessfully sought the treasure, which is worth an estimated $2 million. Five died while searching with only a poem said to contain nine clues to guide them.
MOREJamaica Is Now Open – Here’s What You Need to Know
Travel Pulse
Jamaica is reopening its borders to international visitors for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic on Monday, June 15. Like many places that have recently welcomed back tourists, the Caribbean country will require all arriving visitors to undergo a temperature check and follow local safety protocols, which include face-coverings and social distancing. Travelers will also need to complete a travel authorization application so that officials can conduct a COVID-19 health risk assessment prior to arrival.
Revealed: The World’s Best Passports
Passports were ranked on visa-free travel, international taxation laws, global perception, dual citizenship and personal freedom.
Americans may be surprised to learn that they don’t own the best passport in the world.
According to research conducted by world-leading offshore consulting firm Nomad Capitalist, Swedish, Luxembourgish and Irish passports are the best ones to own.
Nomad Capitalist has ranked the best passports in the world by scoring 199 different passports in five categories. Each passport was scored on visa-free travel, international taxation laws, global perception, dual citizenship and personal freedom.
MORERecipes With Only 3 Ingredients
Courtesy Christine Clark
Cooking at home is usually healthier and more affordable than going out, but with more and more restaurants temporarily closing due to the pandemic, quick and easy recipes have become essential. If you’re busy with work, family, or lockdown life in general, it can be hard to find the time and energy to fuss with complicated recipes. If hunting down a long list of ingredients makes you want to quit before you’ve started, take heart. We’ve rounded up our favorite 3-ingredient recipes — 25 of them, ranging from breakfast to dessert. As long as you have kitchen staples like salt, pepper, and olive oil, these tasty recipes will be a breeze.
Here’s 25 Recipes with just 3 IngredientsWhat the Mississippi Delta Teaches Me About Home — And Hope
Courtesy National Geographic
Finding struggle and resilience on a road trip through the birthplace of the blues. I’ve thought a lot about home during the quarantine. The place and the idea. The way it calls to us, and the way the pulse of daily life can sometimes drown it out. My home is near the courthouse square in Oxford, Mississippi, a vibrant modern college community. That’s where we wake up and make scrambled eggs for our toddler. But I’m from a nearby place called Clarksdale, birthplace of the Delta blues, the town that gave the world the likes of Muddy Waters, Sam Cooke, and Nate Dogg—a place where on a clear night I can hear plantation blues, the protest soul of Stax Records, and the heavy sound of G-Funk LA all mix in the open air.
MOREThe 5 Best National Park Live Webcams
Missing the great outdoors? While planning our next national park vacation than we are being outside, we’re making the most of quarantine with these live webcams of national parks.
VIEW WEBCAMSSmithsonian’s Earth Optimism initiative
The Environment Is Healing Right Now. Can We Sustain That as Travel Ramps Up?
One silver lining has emerged from the Coronavirus pandemic: the environment is healing. When travel gradually picks back up, what will that mean for the environment—and how can we sustain those benefits?
MORE17 Easy International Recipes That Bring Travel Home
From comforting Vietnamese pho to spicy-sweet Dutch cookies, these simple recipes recapture the spirit of travel.
MOREDigging Into the Past to Find Optimism for the Future
By Cat Kutz
Dr. Nick Pyenson is the curator of fossil marine mammals at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, DC. His expeditions have taken him to every continent studying the evolution and ecology of marine mammals. Along with his collaborators, he has named over a dozen new fossil species, discovered the richest fossil whale graveyard on the planet, and described an entirely new sensory organ in living whales. Ahead of the Earth Optimism Digital Summit, during which Pyenson will hold a Deep Dive on science diplomacy, Earth Optimism communications lead Cat Kutz asks him how he finds optimism while digging into the Earth’s past.
MORETen Trends That Will Shape Science in the 2020s
Medicine gets trippy, solar takes over, and humanity — finally, maybe — goes back to the moon
Courtesy Katherine J. Wu , Rachael Lallensack
When the 2010s began, private spaceflight had barely gotten off the ground, Google was rolling out early personalized search results and CRISPR-Cas9 gene-editing technology was still in its infancy. By decade’s end, artificial intelligence had trounced people at a bevy of board games, SpaceX had become a household name and genetically modified human embryos became a controversial reality.
Clearly, a lot can happen in a decade — but innovation has to start somewhere. Based on what’s breaking through now, here are some trends that have the potential to shape the 2020s.
MOREEnglish Pronunciation Isn’t Easy But This Quick Primer Can Help You Get it Right
Courtesy Olivia Valdes, ThoughtCo
We all know the embarrassing feeling of discovering we’ve been mispronouncing a word for years. On the other hand, some words are so commonly mispronounced that the “correct” pronunciation sounds downright strange. Don’t feel bad if you’ve been mispronouncing some of these tricky words. A living language like English evolves and thrives precisely because it’s spoken every day.
MOREReaders’ Ideas for Finding Community and Cheer at Home
Courtesy The New York Times
As much of the world adjusts to a new normal of restricted living, our readers share tips for finding everyday joys.
Many of us are now entering the second, third or fourth week of restrictions on our movements, and it is becoming ever clearer that overcoming this crisis will be a marathon, not a sprint. As we all collectively adjust to our unique situations, we asked New York Times readers to share their ideas for pursuing the traveler’s spirit of discovery, curiosity and delight within their new limitations at home. Following are their responses, which have been edited for clarity and length.
MOREPredicting the Future of Travel in 2040
Allianz Partners’ Futurology Report Predicts Airline Passenger Numbers will Double, ‘Faces’ via Facial Pattern Recognition Systems Will Replace Passports and Boarding Passes
Courtesy Allianz Global Assistance
By the year 2040, international travel will be a faster, easier and more ecologically sustainable activity than ever before, according to a report commissioned by Allianz Partners to help prepare for the travel-related needs of their customers in the future. Allianz Partners is a world leader in B2B2C assistance and insurance solutions, delivering global protection and care, and offers dedicated travel insurance services through the Allianz Travel brand.
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