Travel Media

When genius and futurist John Naisbitt put out Megatrends in 1982 calling our future the “information age” even he could not have predicted the amount and value of information we would inhabit by the turn of the century. With all forms of media, security cameras cell phones recording our every move there is more news and not-really-news than we can assimilate in a day.

News magazines have become a helpful and needed conglomeration of information to help us sort out fact from fiction and keep us up on the need to know we encounter. Although they all relate news, each of our three major news magazines offers a different slant on the events of our times.

Politics Stage Left or Right

For political coverage above and beyond media scope the distinct leader is Newsweek. From its quotes of politicians and media stars to its “Conventional Wisdom” meter, Newsweek offers all its news with a very political approach. If there’s an article about global warming, it will talk about how politician’s respond to the crisis.

If there is a movie review it will take note of any imagery or idea that is remotely political. People who love Sunday morning news talk shows are the type who enjoys Newsweek’s Capital Hill coverage and view of the world from the policy makers of power. Like most publications, Newsweek is only as bipartisan as the writers on staff, but it does work hard to objectify its coverage and does offer a range experiences to play in its politicized arena.

What About My Wallet?

While some keep up with national and global affairs because it’s interesting and fun to know what’s going on, others keep up to manage their money. Economics and the things that effect finance play a decisive role in the slant of U.S. News and World Report. This magazine doesn’t put on the same friendly front as Newsweek and instead covers hard news stories, often with a financial or economic world angle as part of the picture. For investors or people who care about the price of tea in China because it affects their trade interests, U.S. News and World Report is an obvious choice.

News For The Rest Of Us

Then there are folks who simply like to keep up to date in a more generic or general way. We want to be informed but don’t want to take a college class on government or business to understand our events. For these folks, Time is the leading magazine of choice. Time covers politics and money but includes a plethora of other topics as well. Time was a groundbreaking force in bringing spirituality articles to the cover and front of the magazine and handles movies, media, and human interest with the same warm professionalism as it does politics, money and demographics. Time’s famous “Person of the Year” is often the subject of controversy and is popularly awaited every year. The person is not always a political leader, and not always a popular choice but reflects the world’s focus on the event of our age.

There’s a lot of stuff going on every minute of every day and we are privy to most of it via media. Selecting a news magazine that fits your focus of information helps funnel that coverage into a meaningful block of knowledge.

Travel safety is the utmost of importance especially when traveling with your family. Tourists and vacationer often fall prey to perpetrators because they do not prepare properly before embarking on a road trip. Make sure to follow these 5 simple steps for a saver vacation.

1. Proper planning.

Before you even leave the house, try to be sure you’ve thought through every possible scenario. Make sure to bring medical records for everyone in the family, particularly for kids and the seniors or anyone with medical issues. Have a first aid kit tiny enough to keep on you at all times.

Have a common medications bag, with things like children Tylenol for the flu and colds. If anyone takes prescription meds, be sure you carry enough for your trip and have a copy of prescriptions just in case. If your vacation will be extended or out of the country, consider buying travel insurance

2. Situational awareness.

The second key to safe traveling is situational awareness. Distractions because of luggage, children, hotel personnel, strangers, etc. can put you at risk. Know your surroundings and stay in control of every situation.

3. Protecting your belongings.

The third important factor is protecting your belongings. Never list your home address on the luggage tag. If on business, put the company’s address on the tag; if visiting friends you can list their address. Use covered luggage tags as well. Stay with your baggage until the baggage is checked. If you must put your bag down, keep one foot on the handle. Carry important papers with you all time in a fanny pack or brief case

4. Hotel Safety.

The fourth component is hotel safety. Try to only stay in a hotels that uses magnetic cards to open room doors and make sure your room has a peephole and a deadbolt lock on the door. Secure the chain and secure the room door by pushing a rubber stop under it. Also Never take the elevator if a fire or smoke is detected. Make sure to use the stairs instead.

5. On the road.

If you’re traveling by car while on vacation, make sure it’s in great working condition. Not only will this contribute to your safety as far as crime, but it will also mean you’ll have much less risk of being in an auto accident or having a breakdown Make sure your tires are inflated to proper levels. If the pressure is too low or too high it can be risky.

When your car breaks down, your personal safety is at risk in more ways than one, especially when you’re away from home. Make sure you look under the engine and other parts of the car for drips and leaks. Verify the rental vehicle has a spare tire, and a jack, and a non an emergency spare is preferable. You should also keep a good working flashlight in your car. A flashlight can be of great help if the car breaks down at nights.

Following these steps will insure your family has a fun safe trip with few surprises.

During the winter holiday season, it can often seem difficult coming up with fun activities that the entire family will enjoy, especially the kids. The cold weather can often make people feel bored and depressed. Fortunately, there are many holiday activities that can be enjoyed by the whole family, including small children. Below are a number of winter holiday activities that will help keep the winter blues away.

1. If you live in an area where there is a lot of snow each winter, you can take your family skiing. Your children can take advantage of qualified ski instructors and practice on the bunny hill. The adults and older children will have a great time on the slopes. If skiing is not a popular choice, there is also snowboarding, cross country skiing, hiking on nature trails, horse sleigh rides, sledding, snowmobiling, ice-skating, horse-back riding, snow-tubing, and snow-shoeing, Enjoying time in the fresh air will rejuvenate the entire family. If you want to spend time outside close to home, building snowmen in the yard is fun for the whole family.

2. During the winter holidays, your local community organizations will hold a variety of holiday events. For instance, take your children to the mall to see Santa, attend local plays and musicals such as the “Nut Cracker,” attend musical events put on by community organizations, and take in a holiday parade and a tree lighting. There are also many holiday craft festivals that your family can attend. As well, have a special dress-up evening where the entire family goes to a nice restaurant for a delicious meal.

3. There are many activities a family can do at home during the winter holidays. Making a gingerbread house together is always a fun activity. The family can also decorate the home together, get a Christmas tree together and decorate it. Making homemade ornaments is always fun. As well, making holiday cookies and other sweets is a fun family activity. The holidays are also a great time to watch all of those classic holiday movies. Board games are another fun family activity. There are many games that the entire family can play together.

4. The holidays are a special time of giving. Get your family to volunteer for a special cause. For instance you and your family can donate old clothing to a homeless shelter, visit a nursing home and entertain the residents, make food for a homeless shelter, walk dogs at a dog rescue shelter, give away old toys for needy families, and much more. Check your local community to see what charities may need your help. You can show your kids that helping others is an important part of celebrating the holidays.

It is essential to plan ahead for holiday activities. Take some time to sit down with a pen and notepad and come up with a list of activity ideas. You can even ask your family what they would like to do to celebrate the holidays. Whatever family activity you choose, it will make your holidays much more fun and provide you and your family with long lasting memories.