Split (1)

train · 2.59M rows

text stringlengths 10 37.6k
It is hailed as the first holiday of the summer, although it occurs in spring. We look at it as a kick-off to summer because the hot, lazy days are expected to be right behind it.
Predictions say that the way summer is enjoyed will change because of the out-of-control price of gasoline.
The customary day trips, reports say, are being removed from many summer plans. Staying close to home this summer is the intended rule.
Those who do go away for a week or two may be staying pretty close to where ever they set down. At $3-plus a gallon price for gas, most people travel only when one has to get somewhere.
The prediction is that the cutback in travel will be felt this summer at resort areas. Of course such predictions have proven false in the past as Americans gulp at the pump price, but take to the road just the same.
As for the holiday, the honoring of the war dead will dominate public observances, military parades will be held, and flags at the graves of veterans of all the country’s wars will fly in the breeze whenever it ripples across cemeteries.
There may be more graves visited and decorated than in peacetime because wars tend to cause us remember.
The type of holiday it is will be measured afterward by how many travelers were at airports and how many cars were on the road and whether it was a prosperous weekend for merchants, supermarkets, restaurants and resorts.
This is the customary way of saying what’s important in a holiday is how it impacts on our economy.
There will be less attention paid to the memorials and tributes that are offered, although the link that exists between the family at home and the fighting troops in the Middle East will be stronger than ever.
Memorial Day deserves to be more than an economic indicator, and in the hearts and minds of those families that honor the dead, the practice shows what is wrong with how this holiday has changed.
Paying careful attention to reviews, checking out the area on Google maps and opting for places with female-only dorms or floors among advice for safe travel, the South China Morning Post reports.
A 2017 Princeton Survey Research Associates study revealed that 58 per cent of millennials worldwide are willing to travel alone, compared to 47 per cent of older generations.
The Princeton study found 26 per cent of millennial women have already travelled solo, while a further 27 per cent said they haven't but would consider holidaying by themselves.
In a Booking.com for Business survey last year, it was also discovered that 76 per cent of women globally will take the opportunity to add leisure time to a business trip.
However, according to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Business Traveler Sentiment Index from January 2017, only 55 per cent of women always feel safe when on a business trip, compared with 63 per cent of males.
"As a frequent solo female traveller, safety is top-of-mind for me," says Sarah Mathews, TripAdvisor's head of destination marketing for Asia-Pacific.
Here are some tips on what to look out for when booking accommodation for your next solo adventure.
While many modern travellers are happy to improvise when they're on the road, it's best to invest a little time into researching your accommodation if you're going it alone.
The Women's Travel Survey found that 94 per cent of women from Southeast Asia search the internet for hotel reviews, with a further 47 per cent researching the hotel's own websites. "A weight of good reviews from travellers similar to yourself is a good starting point," says a senior writer from the Hong Kong Travel Bl...
The Couchsurfing and Airbnb websites are popular among solo travellers seeking more of an experiential holiday. However, some women are put off by occasional horror stories that surface, such as one about a woman who said she was sexually assaulted by one of Airbnb's "superhosts", resulting in her suing the company.
Last year, Overnight – an accommodation booking service similar to Airbnb – teamed up with the female-only online community Girls Love Travel to launch a new feature called "Groups". Women who sign up receive a 30 to 80 per cent discount on accommodation, as well as the chance to network with other female globetrotters...
Networking site Maiden Voyage connects women travelling for business with city guides and makes hotel recommendations to help them explore new cities safely.
Selecting the right neighbourhood is a key factor when deciding where to stay, says 29-year-old Helen Lim, who has travelled alone five times in the last three years to places around Asia from her Hong Kong home.
"It may be the nicest hotel in town until you step outside," says the market researcher, adding she looks at the area on Google maps and reads up on it before booking.
Mathews looks for centrally located accommodation that is close to major attractions and transport links. This can be done through Google maps or TripAdvisor's map function and distance filters.
"Make sure it is not in or by a seedy area, as even a lovely hotel near a red-light district can feel uncomfortable, especially in the evening," Christopher R says.
According to a 2016 survey by Booking.com, 30 per cent of women who travel for business rank facilities as the top priority.
Mathews says that if she is planning a relaxing trip, she will look for a resort with a good pool, comfortable bed and enough in-house activities to keep her entertained. If she plans to do a lot of exploring, she will stay in accommodation that puts her as close to the action as possible.
"I may also look for hotels that offer special experiences like cooking classes or spa experiences," she says.
Being able to contact someone fast is also important. Christopher R recommends looking for a place with good free Wi-fi and an in-room phone. CCTV, a 24-hour reception, secure doors in the rooms and key card access to lifts can also contribute to your peace of mind.
Lim says an increasing number of her female friends are opting to stay in women-only accommodation options that are opening up across Asia. While many guest houses and hostels have female-only dorms or floors, hotels are also tapping into the trend.
Last year, capsule hotel brand 9 Hours opened a female-only designer hotel in Tokyo's business district, Kanta.
Solo females travelling to Singapore, meanwhile, can check in to JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach, a 643-room luxury property that boasts a ladies' floor accessible only with a special pass. The floor is also served by female staff, and if a male employee needs to attend the floor, he will be accompanied by a fe...
Bliss in Bali is a relaxing retreat that only opens its doors to women, offering yoga, meditation, spa sessions and a range of indulgent treatments.
Lotte Hotel in Seoul also has a floor for women, and an exclusive Ladies' Lounge where they can relax.
"When it comes to choosing accommodation, go with your gut and your personal preference," Mathews says. "I like well-located, boutique-style hotels that focus on individual service and a small number of rooms."
Sen. Arlen Specter told a chilling story Thursday in a floor speech in which he urged colleagues to vote to grant habeas corpus rights to foreign suspects taken prisoner in the war on terror.
Congress should, indeed, embrace a basic American principle that is at the core of a Senate amendment expected to be put to a vote this week.
The proposal would guarantee the habeas corpus rights of foreign detainees. Specter, R-Pa., is a co-sponsor with Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who chairs the Judiciary Committee. Specter was the only Republican on the committee to vote for the bill.
Habeas corpus gives a person the right to ask a court to reveal evidence that justifies his detention. If the evidence is insufficient, the court is supposed to release the person.
An inmate at the U.S. detention facility at Guantanamo Bay asked a military tribunal why he was imprisoned.
For associating with a member of the terrorist network al-Qaida, he was told.
"Give me his name," said the detainee.
"I do not know," said the president of the tribunal.
The detainee asked, "How can I respond to this?" He said he could not defend himself against the government's charge if he didn't know the name of the person with whom he was accused of associating.
No one in court knew the name, said Specter, who cited the court transcript.
The tribunal sent the man back to his cell.
What Specter called the "fundamentally flawed" and "unfair" tribunal system must be forced to grant habeas corpus.
All Things D says that it's in the works, and might ship.
Yesterday, I wrote about The Verge’s report that Nokia was furiously working on a low-end phone running a customized version of Google’s Android. I said I couldn’t figure out a reason why Microsoft — soon to be the owner of Nokia’s phone business — would support such an idea.
While Normandy has some open-source elements of Android at its core, Nokia would be heavily customizing the look of the software, as well as the services at its core, much as Amazon has with its Kindle line.
According to a Nokia source, the software has a look more similar to Windows Phone than to the “squircle” icons used on the Asha. Normandy would also serve as a way to deliver Microsoft services such as Bing and Skype.
That is seen by some at Microsoft as a more palatable alternative than watching more of those first-time smartphone buyers sign up not just for Android but also for Google’s array of services.
There’s nothing confusing about the idea of Microsoft wanting to offer smartphones to compete with the budget-priced ones that nearly always run Android. It’s just that the company accomplishing that by using Android — even in modified form — rather than some form of Windows Phone still short-circuits my brain.
Still, if it happens, it won’t be weird in a completely unprecedented way. Once upon a time, there was an HP iPod and a Palm handset that ran Windows Mobile. For the companies involved, they must have seemed like good, expedient ideas at the time. But both frankenproducts turned out to be short-lived, idiosyncratic exp...
Welcome to Timnath Ranch, a spectacular new TOWNHOME community by Landmark Homes. Rustic craftsman exterior, basement, fenced front porch, attached 2-car garage+inclusions like granite/quartz counters, hardwood&tile flooring, bronze/nickel fixtures, fireplace, A/C, stainless appliances, solid doors, ceiling fans& 9'10'...
For 17 years, excruciating abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting were part of the daily routine for Claire Reynolds.
Over the years she visited the GP 30 times, had eight trips to A&E, dozens of appointments with specialists and three exploratory operations but the cause was never diagnosed.
Doctors suggested a range of reasons for her misery, including appendicitis, a cyst, stomach bug or irritable bowel syndrome.
But she is now feeling well for the first time since she was a young girl following an operation to treat severe endometriosis.
The condition, which occurs in up to two million British women, is caused when cells normally found in the womb lining attach themselves to other areas in the pelvis, causing scarring and inflammation.
'I'm overwhelmed with relief. I can now get on and enjoy life,' said Miss Reynolds, 31, who qualified as a nurse this week.
'I just wish doctors had listened to me and spotted the severity of my case sooner. It would have saved years of agony.
It was in 1991 that Miss Reynolds, of Duxford, Cambridgeshire, first experienced 'crippling' pain was told she had a minor problem with her appendix, which was removed two years later.
But the problems persisted and at 16 she was put on the Pill to regulate her periods.
In her late teens she began working as a health care assistant in a hospital despite her constant ordeal. One year she needed 45 days off sick.
'It feels like someone is wringing or squeezing tour stomach out. I would have nausea and sometimes vomiting,' she said.
When she was 19 her first laparoscopy - an internal examination using a camera inserted during keyhole surgery - showed she had had two uteruses, one of which was functional, although this didn't explain the pain.
Doctors thought it was caused by a cyst or pelvic inflammatory disease and, as the symptoms were sporadic, Miss Reynolds was discharged when the pain subsided.
At 20, she was among a group of people who came down with food poisoning but she continued suffering long after the others had recovered.
Surgeons performed another laparoscopy but she was again released from hospital as no cause could be found.
A doctor did later see her discharge form and referred to a specialist after noting she had a 'small amount of endometriosis'.
She was given a hormone inhibiting drug over the next two years but was hospitalised again when the pain overwhelmed her.
Again, a laparoscopy found nothing and she was told she might have a stomach bug or irritable bowel syndrome.
The next few years were spent battling through each day in pain as she tried a variety of contraceptive pills.
But in June this year she was readmitted to hospital where an emergency ultrasound showed a small cyst.
This led to a fourth laparoscopy to drain the cyst, during which 'severe endemetriosis' was found.
The adhesions caused by the condition were removed during more keyhole surgery three months later.
'When I woke up after the operation I said "I haven't felt this good since I was 13". Now everyone says how well I look,' said Miss Reynolds, who has never had a partner because of the constant pain.
Endometriosis UK said the average time for diagnosis was eight years.
Spokeswoman Diane Hicks said: 'The time Miss Reynolds waited was exceptionally long, considering it is such a debilitating disease.
Laparoscopies were the most reliable way to spot the condition, she added, but it was still possible to miss as the affected area might be microscopic or hidden behind the bowel.
Money can’t buy you love but it can buy happiness — as long as it’s money for someone else.
Can money buy you happiness? Yes—so long as you spend the money on someone else. According to new research, giving other people even as little as $5 can lead to increased well-being for the giver.
That's the insight into the secret of happiness by Harvard Business School professor Michael Norton and two colleagues from the University of British Columbia, Elizabeth Dunn and Lara Aknin. Their article, "Spending Money on Others Promotes Happiness," appeared in the March 21, 2008 issue of Science.
"Intentional activities—practices in which people actively and fully choose to engage—may represent a promising route to lasting happiness. Supporting this premise, our work demonstrates that how people choose to spend their money is at least as important as how much money they make," the researchers explain.
"Our findings suggest that very minor alterations in spending allocations—as little as $5 in our final study—may be sufficient to produce non-trivial gains in happiness on a given day."
Norton and colleagues found these results to hold in three different studies: a nationally representative survey, a field study of windfall spending, and an exploration in which participants were randomly assigned to spend money on others rather than themselves.
We asked Norton to elaborate in an email interview, an invitation to which he cheerfully agreed.
Sarah Jane Gilbert: What prompted you to conduct this research into the connection between money and happiness?
Michael Norton: One of the most puzzling paradoxes in social science is that though people spend so much of their time trying to make more money, having more money doesn't seem to make them that much happier. My colleagues Liz Dunn and Lara Aknin—both at the University of British Columbia—and I wondered if the issue wa...
We conducted a number of studies—from national surveys to a field study in which we examined how the manner in which employees at a Boston-based company spent a profit-sharing bonus impacted their long-term happiness—in which we showed that money can buy happiness, when people spend that money prosocially on others (gi...
Q: What are the psychological factors involved when it comes to individuals and feelings they encounter when giving away their money? Does it matter how wealthy you are?
A: We found that it was the relative percentage of their money that people spend on others—rather than the absolute amount—that predicted their happiness. In the bonus study described above, for example, the size of the bonus that people received had no impact on their long-term happiness. It was the percentage of that...
Q: So many of us equate having money with happiness. How does this relate to your findings that showed giving it to others is what promotes happiness?
A: Although a large body of research does show that people become happier as they move from being very poor to lower middle class, after this point the impact of income on happiness is much weaker. Think of someone who makes $100,000 one year and $110,000 the next—do we really expect this additional income to suddenly ...
Q: If we were aware that giving equates to happiness, would we be more likely to spend money on others instead of on ourselves?
A: We were actually most worried about the opposite problem, whether knowing about the effect of prosocial spending might erase it, if people engaged in prosocial spending in a calculated manner in order to "get happy." We conducted a survey in conjunction with the New York Times "TierneyLab" in which readers who had j...
Q: What are you working on next?

Subsets and Splits

No community queries yet

The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.