[history in the making] country spread

For the first time in a very long while, the U.S. has surged ahead of the U.K. in my country spread of visitors. Another very noticeable thing, for me, is that I usually have a spread of countries as long as your arm - places like the Greater Antilles - but today it's quite narrow.

Canada was understandable because of the Vancouver post.

Have to say I'm delighted because, with a natural U.K. readership of this blog, this thing won't last but still - it looks kinda neat for now. Plus the chart was saved before most Brits woke up this morning.

[antarctic stayovers] see the ice melt

The Ritz Lockroy, Antarctica

Have you ever considered it?

Close to 30,000 people are expected to descend on Antarctica to observe penguins, seals and seabirds this year - about four times as many as 10 years ago. Tourists who pass through on vast liners without going ashore bring the total to 37,000.

With all the global warming, the Hilton Antarctica and Radisson Vinson Massif are just a melted glacier away. You can book now at:

Antarctic Stayovers

Dodgy Tours

Third cubicle on the left [between 23:00 and 23:15]

Heathrow Terminal 2 Western Toilet block [men's]

England

You won't be disappointed ... at first. Rumour has it that they're running Summer Stayovers in the Arctic Circle, just off Lappland.

[airlines] your credit card is their pleasure

Ready and waiting for you, suckers

Nothing's sacred any more:

Four employees from the American low-cost carrier JetBlue and a New York city corrections officer, have been charged with stealing credit card numbers from several airline passengers.

Investigators began looking at the group after one traveller, rushing to catch a flight, accidentally left his credit card behind at a JetBlue counter at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Three of the suspects are JetBlue customer service agents. One was a flight attendant.

You - er - ever used a credit card with an airline, by any chance?

[ukdp watch] wednesday edition

UKDP quotes a Tory spokesman about the mystery UKIP member who wasn't:

"She is not a member of UKIP. She was but has resigned. She is a loyal and committed Conservative and has been all the way through. There is absolutely no question of her having misled the people of Worcester."

A loyal member who joined another party. Interesting.

[mp3 clips from russia] 55 seconds of james

Doesn't anyone [sob, sob] want to [sniffle, sniffle] listen to my audio clips I prepared and [bawls his eyes out] I prepared them for you and hoped [sniffle, sniffle] that you'd tell me if you [slowly recovers his cool] like any of them? [Smiles his cutest smile for the reader]

Reader 1 responds: Of course I do, James - right away! Whatever was I thinking?

Reader 2 responds: What audio clips?

Reader 3 responds: From Russia? You're kidding, right?

[ukdp watch] tuesday edition

UKDP not so long ago uncovered Buddhagate:

I thought the story about Bolton Fire Brigade giving away hundreds of free deep fat fryers to Bolton residents in a bid to eradicate chip pans from the Lancashire town was daft enough. But that was before I read about The Armed Forces Buddhist Community Conference.