In many of our destination articles, we include a link to the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency). Ever since they were created in 1947, with the
signing of the National Security Act by President Harry S. Truman, they have been providing helpful information to the citizens of the United States.
My favorite resource on their webpage is the World Factbook, which provides information on the history, people, government, economy, geography,
communications, transportation, military and transnational issues for 266 countries. You can also view maps of the major world regions, as well as
Flags of the World, a Physical Map of the World, a Political Map of the World, and a Standard Time Zones of the World map. I was just checking out
the Country Comparison of Life Expectancy at Birth and learned a few really interesting things. For instance, did you know that Macau is the country
with the longest life expectancy rate at 84.3 years? The lowest is Swaziland at 31.8 years. Gulp. Thank God I live in America. Another interesting
feature of the website is a kids section that has lesson plans for teachers and parents, and discussion points for you and your children/students to
learn more about the CIA and its history of intelligence.
Everybody loves to have pictures of themselves taken next to famous landmarks. I even see some travelers take pictures of themselves next to everything from insignificant signs and parking meters to store windows – you name it. Heck, I’m guilty of it, too. StoodThere.com lets you share the places you've been with others. In addition, you can vote for your favorites and find out which places their users rank as some of the best on the planet. Photo submissions are encouraged!
There’s no denying or hiding my love for the New York Yankees. What can I say? I grew up outside of New York and this is what was on TV when I was growing up. A few days ago, I received the book Legendary Yankee Stadium: Memories and Memorabilia From the House That Ruth Built by Thomas O'Connell in the mail. You know that my A.D.H.D.-inflicted self tore open that box and immediately began flipping through page after page, eager to see a unique look at the stadium and its history, through historic interviews with icons including Mantle, DiMaggio, Jeter and Yogi Berra. So if you never visited the old stadium, this is a good way to experience it. Regardless whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, you still have to appreciate the house that Ruth built. Let’s go, Yankees!
For all of you who will be traveling by car this summer, make sure you check out these Trunk Monkey commercials. As you will see, they’re all pretty darn funny and everyone could use a trunk monkey.
