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Friday, May 11, 2012

Austria's Upside Down House Tourist Attraction


(photos: Reuters)
The Upside Down House in the western Austrian village of Terfens fits its name inside and out. Both the exterior and interios are completely upside down. Designed by Polish architects Irik Glowacki and Marek Rozhanski, the house is opened to the public this month and includes among its rooms an upside down garage, bathroom and kitchen.

Others have tried to make similar upside down creations but many of these involved putting furniture on the ceiling. But this house is truly upside down including the house's foundation. This is not the first time this type of structure has been built. Sakasa, a restaurant in Japan, is upside down complete with inverted fixtures and sign board. In Orlando, Florida an upside down laboratory at WonderWorks is a popular visitor attraction. The Tibetan-style mansion called the House of Katmandu on the island of Majorca is also a popular tourist attraction.

View a tour of the house in the YouTube video below.






(photos: Reuters)

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Mobile App for Discrimination at U.S. Airports


Just when you think there can't be an app for that, there is one. Civil-rights groups led by the Sikh Coalition offers an app for mobile devices that allows airline passengers to report suspected discrimination at U.S. airport checkpoints.

One news report dubbed it the "discrimination app" but its development was in response to a serious issue. Sikhs have complained for years that they are targeted by the Transportation Security Administration because of their turbans, which they wear for religion. But the app is made for everyone who is interested in filing a formal report alleging discrimination based on gender, race, religion or disability directly to the TSA and the Department of Homeland Security.

The app is free and offers a user-friendly form to enter the details of the discrimination and to send the report as soon as possible. It also offer information about passenger rights.

In response to the app, a TSA official has said in a USA Today article that race and ethnicity are not factors taken into consideration when TSA officers are scrutinizing passengers for suspicious behavior. Passengers with concerns can ask to speak to a supervisor at the airport, submit feedback through the agency's website or file a civil-rights complaint.

Click HERE to download the FlyRights app for iPhone or visit fly-rights.org to download for Android phones.

The Sikh Coalition is a community-based organization that defends Sikh civil rights. It's broader mission is to provide direct legal services to persons whose civil or human rights are violated; advocate for law and policies that are respectful of fundamental rights; and promote appreciation for diversity through education.



Monday, May 7, 2012

Fast Foods You Can't Get in the USA

There are some fast food dishes found at McDonald's in Hawaii that you can't find on the mainland USA. These include portuguese sausage, spam and rice, saimin noodles and fruit punch. Recent limited specials have included taro pie and coconut pie as a dessert option in lieu of the traditional apple pie. But travel around the world and you'll find even more unique items on the fast food menu.

The good people at Smarter Travel has found these non-stateside delicacies:

(photo: andrea.y/flickr)
McDonald's, France: Macarons. These extra fancy delights come in such exotic flavors as mandarin and mango.

(photo: Pizza Hut)
Pizza Hut, Japan. Seafood Pizza. The pizza is topped off with a combination of tuna with mayonnaise, squid and prawn. Photo above is the Winter Double King Pizza, an amped up seafood pizza.

(photo: McDonald's)
McDonald's, Australia, Rosti Brekkie Wrap. A flour tortilla wrap stuffed with ham, egg, cheese and grated fried potato. A rosti is a potato cake.

(photo: norsez/flickr)
KFC, China: Breakfast Congee. Rice porridge with pork, pickles, mushrooms and preserved egg served with a side order of Youtiao (fried dough sticks). The photo above shows the a side of fried tofu and soy milk.

(photo: peteri/flickr)
Starbucks, Japan: Coffee Jelly Frappuccino. Cream and coffee-flavored gelatin that you suck through the straw.

(photo: sodahead.com)
Burger King, Germany: Chili Cheese Nuggets. Deep fried gooey cheese flecked with chili peppers.
(photo: Domino's)
Domino's, France: Kebab Pizza. Topped with roasted chicken kebab, lightweight cream, tomato sauce, mozzarella, green peppers, onions and oregano.
(photo: Dunkin' Donuts)
Dunkin' Donuts, China: Curry Beef Donut. As if you didn't know, this savory option is filled with curry and beef.

(photo: Pizza Hut)
Taco Bell, India: Chocodilla. Instead of a quesadilla stuffed with cheese, these are stuffed with hot molten chocolate.

(photo: ivanlian/flickr)
McDonald's, India: McSpicy Paneer. Deep-fried cheese in a bun.

McDonald's in India offers a "Spicy Delights" menu and orders can be placed online for delivery. I think that's a great idea to make it easier for us to expand our wastes. Visit smartertravel.com for the full article.