RickMcCharles.com

Good news — under the Obama administration:

A series of new airfare rules put forth by the Department of Transportation (DOT) will go into effect Jan. 26 and offer travelers better “passenger protections.”

The most visible of the new rules is a law that requires airlines to include mandatory government taxes and fees in all advertised fares. Other rules pertaining to ticket cancellation policies and baggage fees went into effect on Jan. 24. …

IB Traveler

Luggage fees are still not included. And code-share flights not necessarily disclosed. When you buy a flight on Alaska, for example, you might find yourself on Horizon.

What happens in the States often ends up happening worldwide, the aviation industry so international.

via CBC

… Students can already save a few bucks by opting for a digital version of a textbook over a hardcover, and they can now save even more courtesy of Amazon if they aren’t too intent on hanging onto the book after they’re done with it. The company has just announced textbook rentals for Kindle, which promises to let students save “up to 80 percent” off the list price of those often pricey textbooks. That discount varies depending on the rental period — which can be anywhere from 30 to 360 days –

… The National Association of College Stores estimates that U.S. college stores posted $10.25 billion in sales for the 2009-2010 fiscal year with each student spending $745 on average.

read more on Mashable

This is only the beginning of the end for the many ripoffs associated with the textbook industry, but at least it is a start.

Congratulations to Jeremy and Sheena.

more photos on Facebook

In general, the more affluent the country, the fewer citizens report that they are ‘religious’.

Note that Kuwait and the USA are outliers, exceptions to that general rule.

click for larger version

via Ordinary Gentlemen

James A. Haught wrote about this trend:

Since World War II, worship has dwindled starkly in Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan and other advanced democracies. In those busy places, only 5 or 10 percent of adults now attend church. Secular society scurries along heedlessly. …

… males outnumber females among the churchless. “The ratio of 60 males to 40 females is a remarkable result …

A huge news story, barely noticed

Is this trend good or bad?

Good, I’d say, overall.

Religion works for some. I respect their right to freedom of religions so long as it doesn’t impose on others.

And any trend for less religiosity should diminish the fervency of religious extremists. We would hope.

Thanks Warren.

related – What atheists are really concerned about

Snopes confirms:

This time of year an email gets circulated about the 2005 rescue of a humpback whale tangled in the nylon ropes that link crab pots. It was off San Francisco.

Here’s one of the divers quoted, James Moskito:

… “When I was cutting the line going through the mouth, its eye was there winking at me, watching me,” Moskito said. “It was an epic moment of my life.”

… When the whale realized it was free, it began swimming around in circles, according to the rescuers. Moskito said it swam to each diver, nuzzled him and then swam to the next one.

“It seemed kind of affectionate, like a dog that’s happy to see you,” Moskito said. “I never felt threatened. It was an amazing, unbelievable experience.” …

“You hate to anthropomorphize too much, but the whale was doing little dives and the guys were rubbing shoulders with it,” Menigoz said. “I don’t know for sure what it was thinking, but it’s something that I will always remember. It was just too cool. …”

read the original article

This photo is of a humpback whale. But it was taken about 4yrs later in the South Pacific.

Thanks Dana.

Congrats Mr. President.

Globe and Mail – Obama finding a way through the legislative ‘gridlock’

Though most of the positive press features DADT, I’m far happier about the New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty). A symbolic event, perhaps.

But if it ever comes to nuclear war, we need Russia and USA to stand together against the aggressor.

START is a step forward, supported by former President George H. W. Bush and all six former Republican Secretaries of State.

I want to thank the 13 Republicans who defied their party’s leadership, voting to ratify the treaty.

… Before we get excited that the USA has got their act together, check the latest misguided CIA initiative:

WikiLeaks Task Force = … WTF

Is there a brain in that organization? WTF ??

Dr. Laura accidentally used the “N” word. … 11 times.

Oops.

Sarah Palin defended her. … There’s the next moron celebrity I’d like sent to the camp for reprogramming.

Dr. Laura fired herself …

After the N-word broadcast aired, Schlessinger apologized for using the racial epithet. “I articulated the N-word all the way out — more than one time,” she said. “And that was wrong. I’ll say it again — that was wrong.” She said she “realized I had made a horrible mistake, and was so upset, I could not finish the show.”

Washington Post

Or did she?

… Kevin Nealon on Twitter late on Wednesday: “Just think of all the millions and millions of people Dr Laura will help by being off the air.”

The most venomous commentary came from Stern, who also faces the prospect of wrapping his radio career at year’s end.

Stern seized on Schlessinger’s assertion during her King interview that she was quitting radio to regain her free speech rights, which he called “the most self-serving statement I ever heard.”

“I want to be free, Larry, to use the N-word,” he said mockingly.

“Just because you have First Amendment rights doesn’t mean all your speech is appropriate,” said Stern, no doubt speaking from experience. (Stern’s show has used the word in humorous contexts over the years, but he was mortified when staffer Artie Lange once pronounced guest Arnold Schwarzenegger’s last name with the N-word as a suffix.)

But Stern seems to think Schlessinger’s whole announcement was a publicity stunt.

“She won’t leave,” he said. “You’ll see. It’s all bulls–t.”

Toronto Sun

Great news.

Viacom’s bogus lawsuit, filed 2007, has been dismissed .

If you like YouTube, you should be celebrating.

The billion-dollar YouTube-Viacom case has finally been resolved, and the winner is … YouTube. In a statement published to its company blog this afternoon, YouTube writes, “The court granted our motion for summary judgment in Viacom’s lawsuit with YouTube. This means that the court has decided that YouTube is protected by the safe harbor of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) against claims of copyright infringement.”

YouTube goes on to say in its statement, “This is an important victory not just for us, but also for the billions of people around the world who use the web to communicate and share experiences with each other.”

Of course, Viacom could quickly appeal the ruling, and this case could be dragged out for several more years. Stay tuned.

Mashable

My Dad and I watched an entertaining and informative 18min talk from the TED conference.

The decline of many fish species may be irreversible. This is one bit of good news.

… Dan Barber squares off with a dilemma facing many chefs today: how to keep fish on the menu. With impeccable research and deadpan humor, he chronicles his pursuit of a sustainable fish he could love, and the foodie’s honeymoon he’s enjoyed since discovering an outrageously delicious fish raised using a revolutionary farming method in Spain.