Apparently things have changed for London's Metropolitan Police. Crime fighting is no longer just a job for the tenacious Superintendent Harry "Snapper" Organs.

Hijabs and turbans are replacing the once distinguishing uniforms of the London police. But mind you, the police are still ever vigilant in their crusade (or mission, if you like) to stem the tide of evil. 

No more vigilant are they, than when insuring the safety of public places, such as  the Houses of Parliament, and other areas where tourists may be found.

So, dear tourists, wherever from you may hail, be warned that upon entering London's popular tourist haunts, you will be searched for, and relieved of, all items deemed malicious. Such as your harmonica! 

Other items on the watch list:

• handcuffs
• nail clippers
• magic wands
• scooters
• cans of shaving foam
• children’s police helmets
• footballs 
• More here

If protecting the city is your idiom, and would engage you more than your present occupation as Graphic Designer, please consider volunteering as Special Constables. Your city needs you, more than you need it!

Der Arlberg ist ein mountain range or massif between Vorarlberg und Tyrol in Austria.

The Arlberg is the perfect winter escape, and a great draw for alpine skiers. However, this famous skiing region, joining Tyrol and Vorarlberg, is much more than that. 

For over 100 years, the Arlberg has been a tourist destination, with stunning orchids, large herds of ibex and red deer, and an growing number of marmots. 

In winter, large parts of the region are inaccessible to visitors, and in summer the trails are populated by travelers seeking to simply relax, but the area really belongs to the animals.

The highest peak is the "Valluga" at 9,222 ft (2,811 metres). The name Arlberg derives from the tradition of the "Arlenburg," who are said to have once established themselves on the Tyrolean side of the Arlberg passes. 

Another story derives the name from the "Arlenbushes" that are very numerous here. There is no mountain mit the name "Arlberg" proper. Popular places and famous ski resorts at the Arlberg are Lech, Zürs, Stuben, St. Christoph and St. Anton.

The Arlberg railway connects Innsbruck with Bludenz. Between St. Anton and Langen it runs through the 6.52 mile long Arlbergtunnel.

Just this morning, a very nice video was uploaded by Iztg of Lech Zürs . If you're stressing today, and need to relax, the vid is sure to make your brain quiver. Our suggestion: Suck on a mint and imagine crisp Alpine air.

We just enjoy the idea of riding The Metro. Petit tour sur la Ligne 6 du Métro Parisien.

Futuristic pods whisk travelers around airport
from msnbc.com: Travel 

Laser-guided travel pods that work without drivers or timetables were officially unveiled at London's Heathrow airport on Friday.

Luxury spa treatment we're dying to try: A 20 hands massage
from Gadling by McLean Robbins

There are luxe spa treatments and then there are one in a lifetime experiences. In honor of the resort's 20th anniversary, Grand Wailea, A Waldorf Astoria Resort is offering the lavish 20 Hands Duo Massage, a two-and-a-half hour couple's experience offered in celebration of Spa Grande's 20th anniversary through September 4, 2012.

Smithsonian Archives unveils new website
from Gadling by Sean McLachlan

The Smithsonian Institution Archives records the development of America's greatest museum. With a staggering amount of artifacts, recordings, books, and other records, it now has a new website designed to help people explore this matchless museum from home.

Booted frequent flier takes on airline
from CNN.com - Travel
Can complaining too much get you booted from a frequent flier program?

Vermont foliage road damaged by Irene reopens
from msnbc.com: Travel

New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch says Route 302 will reopen Saturday, more than a week ahead of schedule.

Airlines backing off on peak-travel surcharges
from msnbc.com: Travel

In a break for travelers, airlines have cut the number of days this holiday season on which they add a surcharge for flying during peak travel periods.

World's Most-Visited Tourist Attractions
from Chicago | Destination Guides | Travel + Leisure

Embrace the wisdom of crowds by adding the world’s most-visited tourist attractions
to your bucket list.

World's Best Airlines
from Chicago | Destination Guides | Travel + Leisure

Find out which airlines earn high marks with passengers, and which don’t.

It’s always a ‘Winter’ day at Clearwater Marine Aquarium
from MiamiHerald.com: Travel

Winter, the dolphin who lost her tail and is soon to be onscreen in Dolphin Tale is a resident of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

TSA fires 28 over improper luggage screening
from CNN.com - Travel

The Transportation Security Administration fired 28 of its employees -- in addition to three that resigned or retired -- following a probe that revealed bags were allowed onto planes at Hawaii's Honolulu International Airport without being properly screened, the agency said Sunday.


Boston museum lets you spend 'A Day in Pompeii'
from Gadling by Melanie Renzulli

Few sites in the world hold as much of a morbid fascination as does Pompeii, which was destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Pompeii is one of the most popular places in southern Italy for tourists, who come to view the city's ruins and relics, in particular the preserved bodies of the victims whose last moments were captured in ash. This fall, visitors to Boston will get a chance to learn more about the ancient Roman town and see some of its artifacts thanks to the exhibit "A Day in Pompeii" at the Museum of Science.

Airline fees reach $450 mark, USA TODAY survey finds
from USATODAY.com Travel - Top Stories

Airline fees have reached the $450 mark, and the charge for checking one bag has jumped to $43, USA TODAY's annual survey finds.

Fly Guy: 12 airline regulations we need now
from USATODAY.com Travel - Top Stories

Hobica proposes 12 new airline regulations to protect passengers that go beyond the tarmac-delay rule and increased compensation for involuntarily ...

Munich beyond Oktoberfest
from CNN.com - Travel

Munich's Oktoberfest is under way now, but a visit to the charming Bavarian town is a treat year-round. Whether you're visiting in winter or in summer, there is sure to be plenty to do.

U.S. national parks are fee-free this Saturday
from Gadling by Kraig Becker

Looking for something to do this weekend? Want to get outside and enjoy the first days of fall? Well, you're in luck, as the National Park Service is celebrating National Public Lands Day by waiving entry fees to all national parks this Saturday, September 24. That means you'll be able to visit more than 400 different parks across the country absolutely free.

Small town reflections from California's Point Reyes Station
from Gadling by Kyle Ellison

In the midst of a morning stroll down the main street of Northern California's Point Reyes Station, a calm, yet concerned brunette woman stopped her vehicle in the center of the road and approached me with a simple question.

Woman says her afro prompted TSA hair pat-down
from msnbc.com: Travel

Dallas resident Isis Brantley said she was stopped on Monday at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta after she went through security because of her hair.


Best Life-Changing Trips
from Chicago | Destination Guides | Travel + Leisure

From Africa to Antarctica, these amazing trips promise to be life-changing.

Great American Bites: Czech specialties at NYC's Bohemian Hall
from USATODAY.com Travel - Top Stories

The oldest beer garden in the city, Bohemian Hall is hardly trendy: It opened in 1910 and celebrated its centennial last year.

Superstitious fliers bring strange rituals to the skies
from USATODAY.com Travel - Top Stories

Superstitious rituals help travelers who would otherwise be sensible gain an illusion of control when they're in the sky, experts say.

'Avatar' land is coming to Disney World
from USATODAY.com Travel - Top Stories

An Avatar land, modeled on the hit 3-D film's lushly forested landscapes and flying creatures, will take up residence at Animal Kingdom in Orlando, ...

Hotel fees to rise to record $1.8 billion in 2011
from USATODAY.com Travel - Top Stories

Fewer hotel guests may be watching $13 movies or making long-distance calls from the room phone, but U.S. hotels will earn a record $1.8 billion ...

10 great places to noodle around with pasta
from USATODAY.com Travel - Top Stories

Chef Jody Adams of Rialto restaurant shares her picks in honor of National Pasta Month in October.

Foam on the Range: Colorado's Beer Trail
from USATODAY.com Travel - Top Stories

Craft-brew lovers immerse themselves in fun and foam on the Front Range.

When it comes to autumn we envision  cooler days, leaves taking on colorful hues, and ferocious beasts cutely playing with melons like they were severed heads. 

It's Fall and once more the Bronx Zoo gives us their newest adorable clip of brown bears doing what comes natural. Of course, this is all in spite of the fact that there is a PUMPKIN SHORTAGE this year due to Hurricane Irene!

Bon Appétit cute furry creatures!

This colorful photo comes from last weekend's San Francisco International Dragon Boat Festival via danishdynamite's (Brian Sørensen's) FLICKR posting. 

Let us know about the good stuff in San Francisco.

WOW! Actually, London Wow, is a You Tube channel working  the blahness out of blah travel videos. 

London Wow's ever cavalier, devil-may-care, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, insouciant, lighthearted, unconcerned, jolly, jovial, merry, and mirthful Joel Slack-Smith currently hosts subtly satirical factoids about the city of London in six short features.

Since we are prone to appreciate the upbeat, offbeat, and zany -- we could easily develop a man crush for Slack-Smith. Of course we would have to be prone to bromance, and since we aren't -- we do like the insights into the city with a twist of humor.

That, at least, keeps us engaged and offsets the ADHD problems.

Tell us about the ADHD or man crush thing.

Too bad -- this would have made a great April Fool's joke.

We especially like the Branded Partnership bit. We're assuming that one would have to be a absolute loser,  really needing some money, to actually list your facilities -- but then we know too many who really like to show off. This would really be great for them.

We have a feeling this also might appeal to some that are very lonely, or perverse. And -- watch out for the hidden cams!

What do you think? Tell us all the smelly details. 

Movie trailers are common place, but museums using trailers? Now that's different. At least that voice never said, "In a world of impressionist art .  .  . ".

The trailer is Tate Britain's promo for their John Martin exhibition of hellish visions. Visions that could scare the Bejesus  out of art gawkers. (Eat more Bejesus prior to visiting for extra fun.)

The epic landscapes go on exhibit beginning today, and will be hung until January 15, 2012. Since Martin specialised in scenes of devastation (great moments in Bible mayhem), this should coincide with the Mayan-end-of-the-world predictions of a scheduled destruction due later in the year. (That's going to mess up travel plans.)

Guests of Tate Britain and lovers of all-mighty smoting  will be treated to abundant depictions of fury, doom and damnation that have influenced the likes of   Alan Moore, HP Lovecraft, George Lucas, and Metallica.

If you're currently touring in China, the answer to our question today could be, "Quite possibly."

WARNING: If you are eating right now, especially in China, you might delay reading further.

It seems that black-market swill oil, or gutter oil, (illegally reprocessed cooking oil)  is a fairly lucrative business in parts of China. So lucrative in fact, producers of the rank product may be willing to kill to protect their interest.

Li Xiang, a reporter investigating the swill oil market in Henan for Luoyang TV,  was found dead early Monday morning. Li had been stabbed 10 times on his way home from an evening of karaoke with his friends. Bloggers said they suspected Li's death was related to his reporting.

Police are treating the case as a robbery-murder. Li's laptop is missing. The last post on Li's micro-blog on September 15 said web users had complained that Luanchuan county (in Henan) has gangs manufacturing gutter cooking oil. However, the food safety commission replied that they didn't find any manufacturing in the area. Because of Li's reports, he had been embroiled in recent disputes with the food safety commission itself. 

Recently, Kunming law enforcement busted a swill oil factory reported to have been processing up to 1 ton of swill oil per day. The swill oil was sold for $0.52 (fifty-two cents) per pound, and from records recovered, this factory sold close to 50 tons of the crap between June and August. That's $52,000 revenue for that period, or an estimated $300,000 to $400,000 per year! And that's just one processor!

At that rate Chinese experts agree that out of every ten times you eat out in China, one meal will probably have been prepared from swill oil. Just do the math. How much swill oil will you consume during your stay in China?

More concerning, with the drive to cut operating costs, would any of this swill get past the FDA in the US? Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Tinsel Town -- we hope not!

Your comments and concerns are appreciated.