Man Dies of Caffeine Overdose

In April of this year, a 23 year old British man, Michael Lee Bedford died of caffeine overdose, after eating 2 teaspoons of pure caffeine while at a party then washing it down with an energy drink.

According to health authorities after his autopsy, it was believed that the amount of caffeine he ingested was the equivalent to 70 red bulls. 70!

Party goers swore statements that they seen a friend of the man give him the powder. Apparently the caffeine powder was purchased online for $5.38. The original packaging specifically stated not to consume more than 1/16th of a teaspoon, but it is unclear if the powder was given to Bedford in the original packaging or not.

The death was apparently quite violent and unpleasant (as one would expect) but this week police have officially ruled his death as accidental.

Featured Destination: Easter Island

World Famous Statues or Moai on Easter Island

This week's feature destination is Easter Island. Technically considered a "Special Territory" of Chile, Easter Island is one of the most beautiful, yet isolated places on Earth that is permanently inhabited. The island, also known as Rapa Nui is more than 3,500 km west of continental Chile. The next closest civilization is the New Zealand protectorate of Pitcairn Island, which is still over 2000 km away, and actually has less than 100 habitants.

Easter Island has a little under 4000 year round inhabitants, 65% of which are natives. The remainder of the residents are primarily Chileans who have married into Rapa Nui families.

The Rapa Nui are fiercely protective of their Island, and are working towards gaining more control over emigration to Easter Island. However, tourism is a major industry on Easter Island, and the residents are most welcoming of visitors, so long as they are committed to returning home eventually.

Pano Anakena Beach

Easter Island is perhaps most famously known for the many statues that litter the shores of the Island. Many are in good shape and still standing or have been resurrected. There are a number of different theories and legends as to why they were built, and it has long been thought that the erection of the huge monoliths contributed to the massive deforestation of the island, in that the Rapa Nui cut trees down to help lift and move the statues.

But there are many other things to see and do on Easter Island. There are beautiful beaches to relax on or do some snorkeling, such as Pano Anakena beach. The waters are pure and crystal clean.

In fact, the Island is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is fiercely protected with a number of ecological programs ongoing such as re-introducing native flora to the island. Try taking a tour of the Rapa Nui National Park.

Viewing Orongo From The Ridge of Rano Kao Volcano

Easter Island was formed by extinct volcanoes. Spend a day hiking up to the top of Rano Kao volcano. The summit is 400 meter high and offers spectacular views of the island and the South Pacific. While you are on your trek, you can continue onto the the site of Orongo. Here you will find dozens of archeologically restored stone houses used by the Rapa Nui centuries ago. The houses are near a lake filled crater that offers a spectacular vista.

Stone Houses of Orongo

(All images from wikipedia.org)

When you go to Easter Island, you are best to go in January or February, which are the warmest months with daily highs around 28C. Going in the winter months of July and August will won't be too bad, with daily lows reaching 18C. I do recommend staying away during the month of April, as it is typically the rainiest.

To get to the Island, you can take Lan Chile from Santiago. Lan Chile is the main airline in Chile so it is a safe and reliable bet. That being said, flying to Easter Island is not cheap, so if you are on a budget, try searching one of the many smaller air companies that fly to the island.

While you are there, you can use the Chilean Peso, US Dollar or Euro. Sorry Canadians and Brits, but you will have to convert currency. There are several different tours that travel Easter Island, so if you are looking for a guide they should be easy to find.

Eco Cabins of Morerava

There are several different accommodation options on the island. If you check out the Easter Island home page, they even reference being able to stay in a private residence. That being said, why not try Cabanas Moreava?

Master Bedroom

This company has built a number of eco friendly cabins. The cabins are comfortable and well appointed and are meant to be as eco self sufficient as possible, so as to not damage the delicate ecosystem on the island. The cabins collect and purify their own rainfall, use solar panels and are built so they will do no damage if moved. You can check out the Moreava website here.

Living Room /Kitchenette

Easter Island is truly a unique place to visit. Their literally is no other place like it on earth. The island has only been inhabited for about 1000 years, but has such a rich history. It's a once in a lifetime trip, so if you go, take a million photos.

Happy Travels

Starbucks Out, Tim Hortons In?

Supermarket giant Safeway announced today that they will be pulling Starbucks kiosks out of 4 of their locations to test the famously Canadian Tim Hortons Brand instead.

2 locations in Calgary (Kensington & Castleridge) will be the first to make the transition this December, with the Callingwood location in Edmonton and the Transcona store in Winnipeg to follow shortly after.

Safeway has not said how long the test will be for before they convert the other locations or pull out the Tim's test stores.

Currently, the employees who run the Starbucks kiosks are direct employees of Canada Safeway, and will remain so with the brand changes.

From a consumer perspective, it is a smart idea, as most Western Canadian Tim Hortons locations frequently experience long line ups due to popularity. Also, Tims lower priced coffee will most likely be a boon to shoppers.

Number Crunching

Canada Safeway

Number of Safeway Locations in Canada: 222

Number of Safeway Canada Locations with a Starbucks located within: 168

Unusual Safeway Factoid: In the late 1970s, Safeway controlled nearly 80% of the Alberta grocery market, causing the Alberta government to launch an investigation into potential price fixing and/or price gouging of consumers

Tim Hortons

Number of Tims Locations in Canada: 3,040

Amount of Canadian coffee market held by Tim Hortons: 76% (1st place nationally)

Unusual Tim Hortons Factoid: By 2002, Tim Hortons overtook McDonald's both in the number of locations, and yearly sales revenues in Canada.

Starbucks

*Number of Starbucks Locations in Canada: 785 company operated stores & 266 "licensed concept stores". Grand Total: 1,051

*Amount of Canadian coffee market held by Starbucks: 7% (2nd place nationally)

*These numbers count only Starbucks branded stores. These numbers do not count the Seattle's Best brand (also owned by Starbucks) which is sold in various chains and stores, such as Mac's convenience stores.

Unusual Starbucks Factoid: In 1999, Starbucks covertly opened a number of eateries in the San Francisco Bay area under the name of Circadia. Unfortunately, the experiment didn't stay secret for very long. As word got out that the eateries were actually owned by Starbucks, they soon converted into Starbucks Cafes.

Crazy Quaids Claim They Are Refugees From US

I don't know how I couldn't have seen this coming. Yesterday I posted a story about Crazy Randy Quaid and his wife Evi and their numerous run ins from the law throughout the US, and that they were arrested in Vancouver for violating Canadian Immigration laws.

In what is clearly a last ditch effort to avoid re-arrest in California on outstanding warrants, the Crazy Quaids are now trying to claim refugee status! They claim that 8 of their close friends have been murdered in unusual circumstances, and they feel they are the next targets. To prove their point, they site the deaths of Heath Ledger and David Carradine as examples of these murders.

I guess they must not have read the news when it was stated that Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose, and David Carradine died in a sexual asphyxiation accident.

Unbelievable. And the worst part is that the Canadian Authorities released them on $10,000 bonds. So surely, they will disappear yet again. Even in the best case scenario, it will take months for their claim to be denied.

This is ridiculous. Would someone just lock up these people already?

Randy Quaid: When Bad Actors Do Bad Things

Randy Quaid Looking All Craaaaazzzzzy

I am not one who typically cares about Hollywood gossip, but I have got to say: What the hell is wrong with these people?

Every second week when I read the news, it seems there is some description of bizarre and illegal activities of Randy Quaid and his wife, Evi.

In case you have forgotten, last September, the Quaids had been arrested for failing to pay a $10,000 hotel bill. As I recall, Randy was said to be quite cavalier and insistent about not paying for the bill. They had been arrested, with a court date set, and the couple failed to show up to court, having fled to Texas. Warrants for their arrest as well as a request for extradition from Texas had been submitted.

Finally, they were re-arrested, with a new court date set, of which they failed to appear not once, but thrice!

Hello?? Anyone home? Do you not realize that failure to appear multiple times is not going to help your cause any? Did they think that the matter would simply go away if they didn't show up? Maybe the Quaids thought "oh ya, the State of California will get bored with this and forget about it."

As though all that was not strange in its own right, in September of this year, the Quaids were again arrested. This time for burglary and trespassing. Apparently the couple broke into a house that they formerly owned in Santa Barbara and were, well, squatting. There were also reports of vandalism of the property.

The story gets weirder. Randy Quaid claimed the house had been unlawfully transferred to a third party illegally by a woman who forged the Quaids signature on real estate documents. They claim her name is Rhonda Quaid.

Simple solution right? Simply find Rhonda and ask for answers, right? Nope. Rhonda is now dead. Don't ask me how, as I have no idea. Perhaps we should be looking for a murder weapon in the Quaids suitcases??

At any rate, the Crazy Quaids AGAIN failed to show up for court, and new arrest warrants were issued.

To top it all off, Today, the Quaids were arrested in Vancouver, for violating the Canadian Immigration Act. Most likely because they fled to Canada with outstanding warrants for their arrest in California. Duh. Did they think that Canadian and US Boarder Services does not share that information with each other?? Though it does make one wonder how they were allowed into Canada to begin with. Did they swim to Canada, thereby bypassing Customs?

The Quaids have been arrested more times in a year than Lindsay Lohan has been sent to rehab. Thats pretty bad.

I think they both need a serious psychological evaluation. And stop letting them out on bail, for crying out loud!

Missing Missy and the Man Behind The Sarcasm

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.15am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Poster

Hi
I opened the screen door yesterday and my cat got out and has been missing since then so I was wondering if you are not to busy you could make a poster for me. It has to be A4 and I will photocopy it and put it around my suburb this afternoon.



This is the only photo of her I have she answers to the name Missy and is black and white and about 8 months old. missing on Harper street and my phone number.
Thanks Shan.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.26am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,

That is shocking news. Luckily I was sitting down when I read your email and not half way up a ladder or tree. How are you holding up? I am surprised you managed to attend work at all what with thinking about Missy out there cold, frightened and alone... possibly lying on the side of the road, her back legs squashed by a vehicle, calling out "Shannon, where are you?"

Although I have two clients expecting completed work this afternoon, I will, of course, drop everything and do whatever it takes to facilitate the speedy return of Missy.

Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 9.37am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Poster

yeah ok thanks. I know you dont like cats but I am really worried about mine. I have to leave at 1pm today.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.17am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,

I never said I don't like cats. Once, having been invited to a party, I went clothes shopping beforehand and bought a pair of expensive G-Star boots. They were two sizes too small but I wanted them so badly I figured I could just wear them without socks and cut my toenails very short. As the party was only a few blocks from my place, I decided to walk. After the first block, I lost all feeling in my feet. Arriving at the party, I stumbled into a guy named Steven, spilling Malibu & coke onto his white Wham 'Choose Life' t-shirt, and he punched me. An hour or so after the incident, Steven sat down in a chair already occupied by a cat. The surprised cat clawed and snarled causing Steven to leap out of the chair, slip on a rug and strike his forehead onto the corner of a speaker; resulting in a two inch open gash. In its shock, the cat also defecated, leaving Steven with a wet brown stain down the back of his beige cargo pants. I liked that cat.

Attached poster as requested.

Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.24am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

yeah thats not what I was looking for at all. it looks like a movie and how come the photo of Missy is so small?

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.28am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,

It's a design thing. The cat is lost in the negative space.

Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.33am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Thats just stupid. Can you do it properly please? I am extremely emotional over this and was up all night in tears. you seem to think it is funny. Can you make the photo bigger please and fix the text and do it in colour please. Thanks.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.46am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

Dear Shannon,

Having worked with designers for a few years now, I would have assumed you understood, despite our vague suggestions otherwise, we do not welcome constructive criticism. I don't come downstairs and tell you how to send text messages, log onto Facebook and look out of the window. I am willing to overlook this faux pas due to you no doubt being preoccupied with thoughts of Missy attempting to make her way home across busy intersections or being trapped in a drain as it slowly fills with water. I spent three days down a well once but that was just for fun.

I have amended and attached the poster as per your instructions.

Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 10.59am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

This is worse than the other one. can you make it so it shows the whole photo of Missy and delete the stupid text that says missing missy off it? I just want it to say lost.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.14am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.21am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Poster

yeah can you do the poster or not? I just want a photo and the word lost and the telephone number and when and where she was lost and her name. Not like a movie poster or anything stupid. I have to leave early today. If it was your cat I would help you. Thanks.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.32am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Awww

Dear Shannon,

I don't have a cat. I once agreed to look after a friend's cat for a week but after he dropped it off at my apartment and explained the concept of kitty litter, I kept the cat in a closed cardboard box in the shed and forgot about it. If I wanted to feed something and clean faeces, I wouldn't have put my mother in that home after her stroke. A week later, when my friend came to collect his cat, I pretended that I was not home and mailed the box to him. Apparently I failed to put enough stamps on the package and he had to collect it from the post office and pay eighteen dollars. He still goes on about that sometimes, people need to learn to let go.

I have attached the amended version of your poster as per your detailed instructions.

Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.47am
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Awww

Thats not my cat. where did you get that picture from? That cat is orange. I gave you a photo of my cat.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 11.58am
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Awww

I know, but that one is cute. As Missy has quite possibly met any one of several violent ends, it is possible you might get a better cat out of this. If anybody calls and says "I haven't seen your orange cat but I did find a black and white one with its hind legs run over by a car, do you want it?" you can politely decline and save yourself a costly veterinarian bill.

I knew someone who had a basset hound that had its hind legs removed after an accident and it had to walk around with one of those little buggies with wheels. If it had been my dog I would have asked for all its legs to be removed and replaced with wheels and had a remote control installed. I could charge neighbourhood kids for rides and enter it in races. If I did the same with a horse I could drive it to work. I would call it Steven.

Regards, David.

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.07pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Please just use the photo I gave you.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.22pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.34pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

I didnt say there was a reward. I dont have $2000 dollars. What did you even put that there for? Apart from that it is perfect can you please remove the reward bit. Thanks Shan.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.42pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.51pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Can you just please take the reward bit off altogether? I have to leave in ten minutes and I still have to make photocopies of it.

From: David Thorne
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 12.56pm
To: Shannon Walkley
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

From: Shannon Walkley
Date: Monday 21 June 2010 1.03pm
To: David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Awww

Fine. That will have to do.

The above email had been sent to me recently as an amusing joke. I must admit I found it roll-on-the-floor-laughing-while-trying-not-to-soil-myself funny. I had to find out if Shanon was a real person, if she indeed lost her cat, and if she had ever found it.

The series of emails actually comes from a man named David Thorne, who lives in Adelaide, Southern Australia. His website is called 27b/6. It is a blog in which he seems to intentionally not pay bills or respond to business colleagues until the situation can be dealt with humorously through email, which he then documents and posts online for our amusement.

By reading the website, one can believe that Shanon is indeed a real person whom he works with. David published a book about his internet adventures, which you can purchase on Amazon.com for about $18. I encourage you to check out the website, as it is a hilarious waste of time.

Incidentally, if David should read this post and see that I published the above transcript without his permission, I am sorry. Simply send me an email (of which I am sure you will have no shortage of things to say) and I will remove it.

Air Canada Sticks Up For Nut Lovers

So in a bizarre and ridiculous ruling this week, the Canadian Transport Agency has ruled that Air Canada must create 'nut free buffer zones' for passengers who may be allergic to nuts.

These nut free zones will be the seats immediately to the left and right of the affected person, as well as the entire rows in front of and behind them. This means that any nut lovers who may be sitting within a 5 foot radius of a allergy sufferer will not be permitted to enjoy their mid-flight peanutty snack.

This was a solution which was offered by Air Canada itself, and agreed upon by the Transport Agency in response to a complaint issued by two women, Sofia Huyer and Rhonda Nugent.

Apparently, the ruling is still not satisfactory for either woman. Huyer, in the complaint she submitted to the transport agency said she felt that nuts of any form should not be served on any aircraft which she may be flying in.

She also said that she was "startled and astonished" that the Transport Agency agreed to the suggestion.

Seriously? This woman needs to back off. She deserves a dose of reality, and I for one would have liked to see the Transport Agency give her the proverbial middle finger.

Don't get me wrong, I sympathize with people who have severe nut allergies, and once witnessed the near death of a close friend who accidently ingested nuts due to a careless restaurant that mistakenly promised a nut-free dessert. That being said, the chances of someone having an allergic reaction simply from someone sitting 10 feet away eating peanuts is slim to none. Apparently the Transport Agency brought in medical experts who agreed that this scenario is extremely unlikely, especially with the specialized, high quality ventilation on air planes.

Additionally the Transport Agency stated: "Simply put, it is neither practical nor possible to ban all substances to which any person may be allergic in a mass transportation system, nor is it feasible to eliminate all risks,"

But where does it stop? Are we going to eliminate bulk sales of nuts from grocery stores because someone may stroll through the aisle and inhale a nut particle? Are we going to sell peanut butter and nut related products only in special stores which do not allow minors? Enough is enough. Already we can't allow our children to eat a simple peanut butter sandwich because the substance has been banned from most schools.

And what many medical experts will tell you if you ask: we are making nut allergies worse and more deadly by doing this. Studies have repeatedly shown that a large percentage of young children display mild symptoms of nut allergies. This is both common and normal. Traditionally, as these children are exposed to nuts and nut products more frequently, the symptoms dissipate, the allergy goes away. By panicking and removing any and all contact from nut products, we allow the allergy to develop and get more dangerous.

The world is not wrapped in bubble wrap people. Certainly we have a responsibility to ensure the safety of people in daily activities, but at what point do we try to preserve simple things that contribute to the quality of life?

Naheed Neshi: New Mayor of Calgary

So I have been terribly busy these last few weeks. It seems like I have a million things to do each day, and I never get them all done.

That being said, never fear, as I always keep track of topics I want to write about on the blog.

One hot topic this week was the municipal election here in Calgary. This is the first election that I have not voted in. With recently relocating here, I felt that I did not know enough about the history of the candidates to make an informed choice on who to vote for. Sure, you can always find the candidates online and read their platform, but I like to know some history about the candidates: were they in politics before? Did they live up to previous promises they made? Are they reputable business people? Personally, I believe idiots that make an uninformed decision on who they are voting for are far more dangerous than those who abstain.

But I digress.

Much to many people's surprise, Naheed Nenshi, who was considered a distant third runner up during the entire campaign won by a reasonable margin.

Naheed Nenshi Celebrating (photo from www.nenshi.ca)

Naheed Nenshi ran against Barb Higgins, a well know former news anchor on CTV news, and Ric McIver, an older white businessman and former city alderman, who people seem to either somewhat like or openly despise.

Barb Higgins, a well known television personality and attractive white female, was considered the front runner in the race the week prior to the election, though she jumped on the political band wagon relatively late in race.

But, in a rare turn of political progression, Naheed Nenshi pulled ahead when it really counted. Naheed is a Harvard Graduate with a Masters in Public Policy, and has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Calgary. He currently is a professor at Mount Royal University here in Calgary.

So he has solid credentials. Why would this be considered a progressive political choice? Because not only is Naheed a visible minority, (a first for Calgary mayors) but he is now the first Mayor in Canada who is Muslim.

Yes, I said Muslim.

Lets be honest. Muslim is an attention getting word these days. I think draws more attention in the US, certainly, but even still it is capable of causing heated debate here in Canada.

Now the funny thing about it all is I have heard a few people talking about the record voter turn out for the recent election. There were more than 300,000 votes cast which means an estimated eligible voter turn out of approximately 46%. I have heard several people mention that they felt Nenshi won because many of Calgary's visible minorities made sure they got to the polls this year.

While that may be true, I am not sure that the motives were race or religion oriented. Calgarians en masse were definitely ready for a change. Over the course of the last year, most of the local media ran editorials about how the city needed a political change. Additionally, many opinion based publications called for an all out recall of city council. And, if that wasn't convincing enough, there were a record amount of candidates for the mayors chair. At one point during the election, there were 15 declared candidates.

As an added analysis, here are some brief statistics about Calgary:

Population: 1,079,000 (2006 census)

Visible Minorities 23.7% (2006 census)

Number of declared Muslims 26,000 (2001 census)

So looking at all of the numbers, even if every declared Muslim in the city of Calgary was eligible to vote, and casted a ballot for Nenshi, it still would be less than 25% of the votes received. Add that to the amount of eligible minority voters, and it still would not have put him over the top.

After all of that, I think the only fair way to sum up this election, is that the best man won. Simple as that. Nenshi is a well educated, succinct speaker who ran a clean campaign and had a solid platform.

I don't believe the media will let the minority issue or religious affiliation drop anytime soon. But, I hope that Nenshi is clever enough and tactful enough to use it to his advantage. If he spins the media attention correctly, he can bring more positive attention to the city of Calgary and attract a lot of important investment and cultural opportunities to the city.

Good Job Naheed, and good luck with the political career.

Lobe Licker at Large

So in a bit of bizarre news today, police in St. Catharines, Ontario are on the hunt for a man who assaulted a Dollar Store employee by licking her ear.

According to reports, a man went into a My Dollar Shop, purchased several cans of spray paint, and left the store. He came back about 5 minutes later, motioned to the female clerk to lean closer to him, then allegedly licked her ear and began whispering sexual comments to her.

When a male coworker approached, the man fled the store. He is described as being a very tall black male, between 6'2" and 6'5" with a shaved head and wearing a green and white stripped sport jacket.

Seriously? Whatever happened to the day where sexual assault used to just be an inappropriate slap on the behind? Not that I am condoning that either, but licking a strangers ear? Gross.

I recommend the women in St. Catharines wear ear muffs for the foreseeable future until this man is apprehended.

U.S. Issues Travel Alert For Europe

The US government today issued a warning for American traveler to be vigilant while in any European state.

The US government sites intel about al-Qaeda potentially launching a terrorist attack somewhere in Europe, similar to the Mumbai shootings that took place in 2008.

While the US government did not specify a particular region within Europe, the British authorities said Germany or France may be likely targets.

Following in the footsteps of the US and UK, Canada also issued a warning for Canadian travelers to be extra cautious while traveling.

While I am not making light of a potentially dangerous situation, I have to question the value of issuing a travel warning for the entire continent of Europe.

I think the warning was excessively broad, and will instill more fear than vigilance. Additionally, in our global economy, we need to be cautious about issuing frivolous warnings that can effect national economies (ie, national tourism). Europe is a large place and there is more international travel within Europe than anywhere else on the planet.

Blanket warnings can often cause more harm than good by scaring potential tourists away from locations which may be perfectly safe, such as Greece or Switzerland. Similarly, both Canada and the US are vast nations. If there were to be a potential security threat in say, Vancouver or Los Angeles, there could be far reaching consequences if other national governments were to issue travel advisories for all of Canada and the US.

So, to international travelers, I say this: You should always be vigilant while traveling regardless of potential security threats. There are always chances of theft, assault, or worse no matter where one goes. General caution should always be used, but do not let fear rule your life.

Also, as a note, no matter where you go or when, it is always good to register with a local embassy or with the Register of Canadians Abroad service. They can be invaluable services in cases of civil unrest, such as the recent riots in France or in cases of natural disaster such as the earthquake it Haiti. It is always good to have a line of communication available.

Happy & Safe Travels