This May 20, 2012 the a narrow swath of the American South West will bear witness to one of nature's most awe-inspiring spectacles—an annular or "ring of fire" solar eclipse. Where better to see it than one of our National Parks? The beauty of the parks' surroundings plus their unobstructed, unpolluted night skies could make viewing the eclipse a once-in-a-lifetime experience for those lucky enough to be in the eclipse's shadow.

There are few things in life more adventurous, unpredictable, and thrilling than taking a long journey on a short budget. When you’re not sure where you’ll find your next meal, your next ride, or your next bed to sleep in — but know that you’ll be paying for it mostly with quarters — there is never a dull moment. So if you happen to be a bit bored with your humdrum daily grind, why not go collect that final paycheck, tell your boss to shove it, strap on a backpack, polish up your panhandling routine, and hit the open road?

At once autobiographical and political; philosophical, historical, and practical; controversial and commonsensical, Cannibal succeeds in weaving into a seamless whole a number of distinct modes of thought. This is no mean feat. In fact, its author richly deserves to be congratulated for scoring an achievement of the highest order, for in the hands of less adept thinkers this ensemble of voices would have fast degenerated into a cacophony. By the grace of Mercer’s pen, in stark contrast, it is transformed into a symphony.

These specimens and their equally heart attack inducing cousins from around the world could hardly earn a place at the top of the table in culinary excellence. The humble cheeseburger, it is said, was created by a rather incompetent chef who used a piece of conveniently square-shaped cheese to cover his mishap. A mistake no doubt, yet the end recipients were stupid enough to hail it as a great idea and probably didn’t notice the burnt meat which is still evident in today’s retail offerings.

Food lovers like to travel and when they do, they look for restaurants that have been highly recommended. Combining these two passions, dining and travel, is the Michelin Guide to restaurants. The Michelin Guide helps travellers around the world with recommendations for local restaurants and provides reviews for many eateries around the world.

Traveling is great fun only when you make efforts to ensure it’s fun. Before you travel, take some time to understand the local customs, traditions, and dos and don’ts. You may think this much attention to detail just a tad excessive, but it pays off. The more you blend with the locals, the better your travel experience, as these 20 tips will show you.

1. Don’t Let Your Clothes Stand Out

Wear muted clothing that doesn’t stand out or mark you as a visitor. Don’t let your clothing shout logos, brands and labels, especially if you’re traveling in poorer regions.

2. Check Out Local Culture

Look up images of your destination online before you pack. It’ll give you an idea of what regular people wear and look like. You won’t get this info from guidebooks and travel brochures.

3. Purchase Clothing Locally

Buy clothes where locals buy, if you’re not sure what to wear at a particular destination. You’ll at least save on baggage costs!

When a tragedy occurs, it’s natural for people to start questioning their personal safety. After 9/11, people were wary of flying; many still are to this day. With the recent tragedy involving 11 deaths aboard the cruise ship Costa Concordia, people are questioning whether or not traveling aboard cruise ships is safe. If you have been thinking about changing your plans for a cruise vacation, please continue to read — the statistics concerning cruise ship safety should put your mind at ease.

Between 2005 and 2011, a six year span, approximately 117 million people traveled aboard cruise ships. Among these people, only 21 died as a result of maritime incidents. While no death is acceptable, this number represents less than one percent of passengers; you are far more likely to perish in an automobile accident while commuting to work.

According to Royal Caribbean’s Captain William Wright, the majority of passenger safety drills took place before their ships ever leave port. The technology of today ensures that each passenger attends these drills. Passengers must swipe their cabin entry cards as they attend the musters. These swipes also ensure that each passenger is in the proper muster station and can be moved if need be.

There is nothing worse than missing out on getting tickets to those amazing events you've always dreamed about, so here I’ll advise you on the best ways to secure your tickets early — to make sure you don’t miss out on your big night!

You might want to recruit a friend or two to help you out with buying tickets, as sometimes having a few people trying to grab the best bargain is better than just having one. They might spot something you didn’t — so get them to help! When you do this though, remember to consult with each other before buying, always double check!

To start, keep an eye on tour dates and release dates of tickets. The only way you’ll be able to guarantee getting your hands on tickets before anyone else is by keeping yourself well informed about what day the ticket comes out and where and when the performances will be.

A great way of ensuring you get your tickets first is to research some loyalty programs and early bird offers. O2 offers a great scheme called “O2 Priority” — meaning you get sent text alerts every time a venue near you has new tickets coming on sale and it also means you get the chance to buy your tickets before everyone else. If gigs and music concerts are a big part of your life, then signing onto something like this is the perfect idea for you.

With New Years out of the way and February just around the corner, Carnival season is nearly upon us. Traditionally held to mark the beginning of Lent in the Christian calendar, the celebrations encompass the best of street performance and dance with fancy dress and masquerades, circus elements, and huge, colourful processions. Carnival season this year is from the 15th - 22nd February; here's a round-up of five top carnivals in 2012.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro boasts perhaps one of the most famous and long-running carnivals in the world. It's also one of the most organised — the parades are a showcase for several samba schools and groups, who compete for the crown at the climax of the festival. Each group portrays a different theme, so you'll see plenty of familiar stories and concepts amongst the wildly-coloured costumes and dances, and you'll soon find yourself picking favourites to win! There's a wealth of Brazilian and African culture on show, especially in terms of music and dance, with heavy percussion and huge samba performances across the city. Watch and cheer from the sidelines, or join the parades and street parties across the city for three days of merriment and mayhem!

Steven Yates, Four Cardinal Errors: Reasons for the Decline of the American Republic. Drayton, S.C.: Brushfire Press International, 2011; 314 pages.

There are some disturbing trends to modern life that are becoming more and more noticeable. Some of them are big, as in the decline in middle class incomes, alarming unemployment, and the worrisome problems in our schools along with the increased police presence there, to name just a few.

Others are less obvious but increasingly noticeable nonetheless. Among these are carefully managed communities that infringe, through the work of “community associations,” on the most basic rights of property. In one egregious case, a community association told a husband and wife that they could not let their grandchild live in their house because the community association forbade residents under a certain age. This despite the fact that the couple in question owned their own home and were current on their mortgage. Again, this is to cherry pick only one of many possible examples of lesser signs of decline.

Actor Sean Penn got more than he bargained for when he ran into former co-star Maria Conchita Alonso recently during a chance meeting at the Los Angeles International Airport.

According to reports, the actress, who co-starred with Penn and actor Robert Duvall in the 1988 crime drama Colors, wanted to confront Penn about his support for Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez.

Alonso, who was born in Cuba, was raised in Venezuela.

According to the UK’s Daily Mail, when Alonso spotted Penn at the airport she walked up to him to tell him that she was “appalled” that he supported Chavez.

Fatima Jabbe, the Gambian actress, entrepreneur and politician, has carved a niche for herself by being an inspiration to a new generation of Gambian youths who see her as a role model. In this interview with correspondent Emeka Umejei, held at the World Travel Market (WTM) Custom House, London, she speaks about her failed marriage, her career and her life.
 
Q: Your role in the famed Mirror Boy has won you several awards including British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) and Zulu African Film Academy Awards (ZAFAA) and so on, how does it feel?
 
Fatima Jabbe: It feels fantastic because it is not every day you do something and the world notices what you do. So, if you started doing something and the world is singing your praises, then you know you are on the right part. So, I feel good and happy.
 
Q: It appears the excitement over Mirror Boy is on the wane. What is next for you?

Although handmade products usually carry a higher price tag than their mass produced equivalents, there is certainly still an attraction towards them. But why do people believe paying extra for handmade items is a worthwhile investment? There are many reasons that people choose to turn away from the high-street, whether they’re searching for the personalised effect, or maybe looking for something that could hold a higher sentimental value. We thought we’d explore some of these reasons and see if there is still a place for handmade products in today’s world.

More than Just a Product

If you look back in time at some of the most successful companies in history, they all stood for something much more than just business. They all had something to say and believed that they could make a difference to people’s lives. It’s much the same when you are looking into handcrafted products. Often times, consumers will ‘buy in’ to the values of the designer or maker they are purchasing from. Buying something that’s been made by hand often means that the item carries more meaning that simply being a product.

For some time now, artists have been veering away from traditional “art materials” in their artwork. Instead of the typical paints, polymers, lacquers, gels, pastes, charcoal, and inks you find at your local art store, artists are finding art media elsewhere. For example, Albanian artist Saimir Strati found his inspiration for his latest mosaic in the humble coffee bean, which he then used as the medium for his work.

On Monday, Strati submitted what is the largest mosaic made out of coffee beans to the Guinness Book of World Records. According to Strati, the mosaic measures 25.1 square meters and contained 309 pounds of coffee beans.

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Today is the last day of November and in the northern states the temperature is dropping. Snow is around the corner and Christmas is on its way. In other words, most of us living in such cold regions and climates start to cheer themselves up about now with memories of warm summer vacations. In my case, I can look back on an amazing family trip to the pristine Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, and boating and camping amongst the magical islands and sparkling blue waters of Lake Superior.

If you have never visited the Apostle Islands and nearby Bayfield, Wisconsin, then you need to take some time out of your summer and visit this place. An extraordinarily beautiful sight to see is when you get into Bayfield and drive to the waterfront. It reminds me of what I would think the famous seaside vacation towns of the East Coast would look like.