Global 2011: Room Service in Terminal B

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Flight canceled? How to get a cot, food, a shower and the fastest flight out.

Almost every night, stranded travelers can be found sleeping inside the terminals of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

"This is the new reality," said James Crites, DFW's executive vice president for operations. "You're becoming a hotel."

These days, airlines are canceling flights more readily due to bad weather and other disruptions. Re-booking is trickier than ever -- as many discovered during the recent snowstorms in the South and Northeast -- because airlines have reduced their schedules and are running at capacity. As a result, passengers should prepare for the dreaded airport sleepover.

Now, however, airports are doing more when they become the hotel of last resort.

Many provide meal vouchers and set up discounted hotel rates for travelers, for example. Some write requirements in leases that restaurants will remain open 24 hours a day when passengers are stranded. Massachusetts Port Authority, which oversees Boston's Logan Airport, has an arrangement with flight kitchens to cook up lots of meals for stranded passengers if the terminal restaurants run out of food or can't stay open. Newsstand vendors at Boston Logan are also required to stock baby formula and diapers for stranded families.

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111875/room-service-in-terminal-b?mod=family-travel

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Global 2010: First-Date Blunders You Should Try to Break

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Bob, a marketing professional, contacted Beverly, an attorney, after he spotted her profile online. The two began an email relationship that went smashingly well. After a few weeks’ worth of email, they set up a first date at a local restaurant that was halfway between their respective homes in the Boston area.

The first date seemed to be going well, and Bob was barely able to finish his

Bob’s mistake? “I didn’t give her a chance to get a word in edgewise,” he admits. “I spent the entire date talking about myself.”

Doing all the talking is a classic example of how guys can screw up that exalted first date. “I blew it,” Bob says.

It doesn’t have to be that way. Follow these five simple tips and make sure you get that second date:

1. Don’t brag 
2. Don’t go on about your ex 
3. Don’t force your faves on her 
4. Don’t drop her off and scram 
5. Don’t press for a goodnight kiss 

http://yahoo.match.com/magazine/article0.aspx?articleid=8433

Global 2010: Beat Bad Air Days

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All the major air pollutants (car exhaust, factory fumes, sidewalk smokers) are outside, right? Not so much. Indoor air may be the grimiest stuff our lungs filter each day. Studies show that things like candles, printers, and even shoes can fill your rooms with harmful contaminants, says Ted Myatt, Sc.D., an environmental scientist in Boston. But there's no need to live in a tent in your backyard—just follow these easy steps to lighten the load on your respiratory system. 

The Pollutant: Candles 

The Solution: Choose cleaner mood lighting in the form of electric votives, or buy 100 percent soy candles, which can burn at a slower rate and emit less soot. If you can't avoid burning paraffin, do so only occasionally and in a draft-free area. And cut out the heavily fragranced jar-style versions, says May; they produce more soot. 

The Pollutant: Printers 

The Solution: Set up your printer in a well-ventilated area and try to stand at least 10 feet away from it during a lengthy job (good advice for when you're at the office too). And remember to print in black-and-white whenever you can, because color ink produces more noxious debris. To see if your printer is on the high-emitter list, visit the International Laboratory for Air Quality and Health online at www.ilaqh.qut.edu.au. 

The Pollutant: Dust 

The Solution: Sweep a vacuum with a high-energy particulate airborne (HEPA) filter over your floors once a week, and wipe all other surfaces with a clean, damp cloth (make sure you dampen it with water—many spray cleaners, especially those with added fragrance, contain lung-irritating chemicals). And once a month, run your bedding—pillows, comforters, quilts—through a hot dryer cycle; the high temperature will kill any dust mites. 

The Pollutant: Shoe Debris 

The Solution: Dislodge clods of dirt or grass by rubbing your shoes over a durable outdoor mat (bristly coconut-husk types work best). Once inside, leave your kicks on a cloth mat by the front door. 

The Pollutant: Furniture 

The Solution: Ventilate, ventilate, ventilate. "A cheap window-facing fan can clear a room's air in minutes," says May. Or consider opting for solid wood, especially for kitchen and bathroom items, since humidity amps up emissions. If you must go the pressed route, stick with plywood, which releases the fewest fumes. 

The Pollutant: Mold 

The Solution: Indoor air that's 30 to 50 percent humidity is comfortable for you but discouraging to mold (buy a $30 digital hygrometer at a hardware store to check your room levels). Spores love dark, damp corners, so once a week mop around your fridge, sinks, and toilets with a mild dish detergent or diluted hydrogen peroxide. Just be sure to dry everything thoroughly; mold can sprout in just 48 hours. 

http://health.yahoo.net/rodale/WH/beat-bad-air-days

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