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Prospecting has become an attention problem.
On Iowa’s Giant 50,000-watt KXEL: New data reveals the horri…
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This is a very long two hour and twenty minute interview that covers a lot of topics. From the Show: “You’ll be surprised with some of the statistics he has and how wrong our experts have it in Australia. He certainly took…
Dr. John Lott has a new op-ed on the upcoming push to pass the SAVE Act. . “The bottom line is this: voter ID is not controversial in this country,” Harry Enten, the chief data analyst for CNN, recently reported. Nor is it controversial in virtually any other…
56-year-old Robert K. Dorgan murdered two people and critically injured three others who were hospitalized on February 16, 2026 mass shooting at the Dennis M. Lynch Arena in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. Other information on mass public shootings by transgender murderers…
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All About the Chef’s Life Before Her Death – Hollywood Life
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Anne Burrell had a prominent culinary and TV career. As one of the most renowned celebrity chefs, the Worst Cooks in America alum became famous for her wit and skills in the kitchen. But her life was cut short in June 2025 when she was found dead at home. While fans mourned her, they also wondered what could have led to her death. After all, Burrell hadn’t disclosed any prior health issues, so her passing shocked Food Network viewers.
The television network announced on Instagram that it was “deeply saddened to share the news that beloved chef, Anne Burrell, passed away,” calling Burrell “a remarkable person and culinary talent – teaching, competing and always sharing the importance of food in her life and the joy that a delicious meal can bring.”
Throughout her decades-long career, Burrell starred in numerous shows, including Iron Chef America, Worst Cooks in America, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, Chef Wanted, Chopped and Food Network Star. On top of her TV career, Burrell was also a philanthropist and a cookbook author, having published Cook Like a Rock Star and Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire and Empower.
Below, learn what we know so far about Burrell’s health.
What Happened to Anne Burrell?
Burrell was found unresponsive in her Brooklyn, New York, home on June 17, 2025. According to TMZ, Burrell’s husband, Stuart Claxton, was the one who found her in the shower just hours after seeing her alive.
How Did Anne Burrell Die?
Burrell’s cause of death was officially ruled a suicide by acute intoxication, according to the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The fatal combination included diphenhydramine, ethanol, cetirizine, and amphetamine.
Before the autopsy results were released, several outlets reported that a large number of pills were found near her body at the scene.
According to TMZ, a spokesperson for the New York City Fire Department said the incident was initially reported as a cardiac arrest. Law enforcement sources later told the outlet that a “large quantity” of unknown pills was discovered near Burrell when her husband, Claxton, found her unresponsive in the shower.
A police report obtained by The New York Times confirmed that Burrell was “discovered in the shower unconscious and unresponsive, surrounded by approximately 100 assorted pills.” At the time, the NYPD was investigating the case as a possible drug overdose.
Eight months after her death, a report from the NYPD confirmed that a “suicidal note” was left in the primary bedroom of Burrell’s Brooklyn home, according to People.
Anne Burrell’s Health
Burrell never publicly revealed any major health setbacks before she died, but TMZ reported that EMS personnel were called in to Burrell’s Brooklyn home over a reported cardiac arrest.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or considering suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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The Rarest Homes Have Enclosed Front And Back Yards
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If you want to sell a home for a potential maximum overbid, you need something rare.
A tasteful remodel with permits helps. A highly functional layout helps. Being in a prime location helps even more.
Beyond those three fundamentals, I strongly recommend trying to buy a home with a view and or one that sits on a large, usable lot. These attributes make it easier to stand out when buyers are comparing dozens of similar listings.
If you can secure at least two out of these five qualities, I am confident you will be extremely pleased when it comes time to sell your property. You will likely have to pay a premium when purchasing, but you’ll likely get the premium back and then some when selling.
But there is one more rare attribute that can make some savvy homebuyers go absolutely nuts.
Having both an enclosed front yard and an enclosed backyard. This is the unicorn property you want to always be on the hunt for. If you can buy one off market, do your best to take it down!
Most single family homes have enclosed backyards. Some have a front yard and no back yard. Very few also have both enclosed front and back yards. It’s like having brains and beauty.
The next time you go for a walk or drive around your neighborhood, count how many homes actually do. There’s a good chance you won’t find any.
Just How Rare Are Enclosed Front Yards In San Francisco
In dense cities like New York City, they are essentially nonexistent.
In San Francisco, they are rare as well. Even in the most expensive neighborhoods such as Presidio Heights and Pacific Heights, fewer than five percent of homes (1 in 20) have truly enclosed front yards, despite properties routinely selling for $5 – $30 million.
Citywide, I estimate that only about 3% – 4% of single family homes in San Francisco have both an enclosed front yard and an enclosed backyard.
Once you layer in the need for a meaningful front setback, permission or grandfathering for a taller front fence or gate, and a layout that does not compromise sidewalk access, the pool shrinks dramatically.
In denser neighborhoods with narrow lots and minimal setbacks, the share is likely closer to 1% – 2%. In more suburban parts of the city, it may approach 4% – 5%.
This rarity matters, as I think it is underappreciated by today’s homebuyers. When buyers realize there may only be a handful of comparable homes in the entire city that offer privacy and safety in the front and freedom in the back, competition can turn fierce. Emotional competition is where outsized overbids are born.
Why An Enclosed Front Yard Is So Valuable
One of the strongest human instincts is nesting, especially once a woman becomes pregnant. There is a powerful desire to find safe and comfortable shelter for your most precious asset.
This is why bidding wars for move-in ready single family homes are so common. It is also why I recommend buying a home before pregnancy if possible.
Buying while pregnant is like going to the supermarket without a shopping list after not eating for 24 hours. You are hungry, emotional, and discipline tends to disappear. It’s easier to overpay given your time crunch.
An enclosed front yard taps directly into this instinct.
Once you walk through the gate, the outside world gets psychologically locked out. Even if the gate could technically be climbed, the psychological safety of having a defined boundary is incredibly powerful.
Parents are genetically programmed to protect their young, and an enclosed front yard creates a buffer between your front door and the street.
As children grow into toddlers and beyond, an enclosed front yard becomes invaluable. You can let them play outside with far less anxiety. They are not going to run into the street or wander off unnoticed.
A Personal Example Of Why This Matters
With a prior home I sold in 2025 with a preemptive offer, the house had ocean views and a large side by side driveway where my kids and I would draw chalk and scooter around. But I was always nervous when they were there. One careless chase of a ball into the street could have resulted in disaster.
So I improvised. I parallel parked my car in front of the driveway to act as a buffer. I then lined up the trash, compost, and recycling bins along the sidewalk edge for extra protection.
It worked, but it was a workaround.
Meanwhile, passersby would constantly stop to chat. Most were friendly, but sometimes you just want to be left alone. Having an enclosed front yard would have helped.
If you have pets, the value increases further. An enclosed front yard and backyard is dog heaven. You stop worrying about traffic, escape attempts, or recall commands that mysteriously stop working when a squirrel appears.
Why Having A Gate Is Essential
To truly have an enclosed front yard, you need a gate.
A usable front yard is still wonderful. However, without a gate, it does not provide the same mental relief. A gated yard creates a sense of privacy and control that landscaping alone cannot fully provide.
The higher the gate, the stronger that feeling becomes. Meanwhile, consider planting hedges all around your yard that will eventually grow thick and tall, giving you even more privacy.
Having a gate is similar to getting a term life insurance policy when your children are born. You feel a tremendous sense of relief. However, unlike securing affordable life insurance, not everyone can enclose their front yard due to city code restrictions.
Why Enclosed Front Yards Are So Rare In Big Cities
Most people assume enclosed front yards are rare simply because land is expensive. That is true, but incomplete.
You actually need several things to be true at the same time, and cities are designed to prevent at least one of them from happening.
You Need A Meaningful Front Setback
An enclosed front yard requires depth. Based on city codes, you need enough distance between the sidewalk and the front wall of the home to create a usable outdoor space. I’m talking enough space to kick or pass the ball around.
However, in many classic urban neighborhoods, the building comes right up to the sidewalk. Think New York City brownstones, Boston rowhouses, and many older San Francisco blocks. You might get a stoop or a narrow strip of landscaping, but not enough space to create the feeling of a separate front yard.
Most single-family homes in San Francisco have setbacks of between 0 – 10 feet from the sidewalk. A home on a 2,300 sqft lot I sold in 2017 had a gate the opened right out to the sidewalk. It was on a busy street around the corner from one of the busiest streets in San Francisco. Although it had a small backyard, it didn’t feel comfortable raising young children there.
While homes on larger than standard 2,500 lots may have setbacks as deep as 15 feet, which is rare. However, even with a 15 feet deep front yard, that’s not very big.
As land values rise, builders and owners have a strong incentive to push the structure forward and maximize interior square footage. Over time, the market quietly votes against front yard depth, which is why it’s so rare. You need an enormous lot, which is also rare.
Cities Often Discourage Tall Enclosures Facing The Street
Cities like visibility. They want eyes on the street, predictable sightlines, and sidewalks that feel open.
In San Francisco, fences in required front setbacks are generally limited to three feet. Three feet marks territory, but it does not create privacy or the feeling of a protected courtyard.
To get that enclosed feeling, most people want something closer to chest height or preferably higher. That is exactly where the rules tend to bite. You would need a permit to build a fence that’s taller, which is sometimes not approved based on what your neighbor’s have. Further, 75% of the fence needs to be open air.
Your Front Yard Might Not Fully Be Yours
In many cities, the area that feels like your front yard may overlap with required public access zones or even the public right of way (ROW).
In San Francisco, anything that encroaches into sidewalk space can trigger permits and enforcement. Pedestrian standards often expect a continuous clear path, with six feet wide considered desirable and four feet considered the minimum.
This is why people sometimes receive unexpected notices from the city after making improvements they assumed were allowed on their property.
I learned this the hard way during COVID. After building three and a half foot planter boxes in the front yard of my old house with openings in 2015, seven years later, I was either reported or noticed by the city and told to remove them or pay a $3,000 fine.
They looked beautiful and were not on the sidewalk, but on my property. What a crock.
Enclosed Front Yards Create Private Value But Public Friction
An enclosed front yard is like a private outdoor room. The sidewalk is a public corridor. Where the two meet, cities tend to prioritize access and predictability over personal sanctuary.
Enclosures can block sightlines, narrow the effective sidewalk width, and change the feel of a block. One person’s peaceful courtyard is another person’s complaint about a street feeling closed in.
This tension explains why the default setting in many cities is to make enclosed front yards difficult to build. So if you can find a home with one grandfathered in, all the better.
Even Where Front Yards Exist Full Enclosures Are Still Rare
In more spread out cities, front yards are more common. But full enclosures remain the exception. Fence height limits, transparency requirements, and placement rules often prevent turning a front yard into a semi private room.
So rarity is not just about whether a front yard exists. It is about whether you are allowed to enclose it in a meaningful way.
The Practical Takeaway
Before you fall in love with a home’s enclosed front yard potential, check two things carefully: the required front setback and the permitted front fence height. Ask specifically whether the front yard can be enclosed and, if so, how far out the fence can extend. It is not always obvious, and assumptions can be costly.
If a home already has both a gated front yard and an enclosed backyard, especially on a larger lot with a view, you are looking at something extremely rare. Move decisively before others do.
Outdoor space also quietly enhances your quality of life. In spring, summer, and fall, your living space expands outdoors. When it is 75 degrees and sunny, you are not eating lunch inside. You are enjoying peaceful picnics under mature trees in your own cozy private space.
So the next time you are house hunting, pay attention to how few homes offer both an enclosed front yard and an enclosed backyard. If you find one, buy it. When it comes time to sell, that rarity will likely command a meaningful premium over comparable homes without an enclosed front yard.
Readers, do you own a home with an enclosed front yard and backyard? Did you realize just how rare enclosed front yards are in your city? Have you ever deliberately searched for a home with this type of outdoor layout?
Invest In Real Estate Passively
Not everyone can buy a single-family home with an enclosed front yard and backyard, especially in big cities. When one does come on the market, competition is fierce and prices can quickly stretch beyond what feels reasonable.
That does not mean you have to miss out on the feel good wealth effect of real estate.
One way I continue to invest in real estate beyond my own properties is through Fundrise, my preferred private real estate investment platform. Fundrise provides diversified exposure to residential and industrial real estate across the country without the headaches of property management or the stress of local bidding wars.
The platform focuses on assets with scarcity value, constrained supply, and long term durability, the same traits that make enclosed front yard homes so desirable over time. Fundrise is a long-time sponsor of Financial Samurai as our investment philosophies are aligned.
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miso chicken and rice – smitten kitchen
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I’d say this safely serves 3 people but if you’ve got other food on the table — we always make a cucumber salad to go with, if not another vegetable — it might stretch to 4 servings.
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) white or red miso
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- White pepper or freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound (455 grams) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch strips
- 8 fresh shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced, or 4 dried shiitakes, soaked, stemmed, and thinly sliced
- 1 cup (200 grams) jasmine rice
- 1 cup (235 ml) chicken broth or water, plus 2 tablespoons extra for the oven option
- 1/4-inch slice of fresh ginger, minced or grated
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced, whites and greens separated
Both cooking methods: In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce, wine, miso, salt, sugar, sesame oil, and several grinds of white pepper. Add the chicken and mushrooms and stir so that they’re evenly coated.
In a rice cooker: In the bowl of a 3-cup or larger rice cooker, combine the rice, 1 cup broth, and ginger. Scrape the chicken mixture and any marinade left in the bowl on top. Scatter with scallion whites. Close the cover, start a Quick or Regular cycle, and cook until the cycle is done. Open the lid and check the chicken for doneness; occasionally I need to move the pieces around and give it 5 more minutes to finish. Scatter with scallion greens and eat right away.
In the oven: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). In a 1.5- to 2-quart baking dish (I used this), combine the rice, 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons broth, and ginger. Scrape the chicken mixture and any marinade left in the bowl on top. Scatter with scallion whites. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, checking on the early end, until rice is tender and chicken is cooked. Double-check the chicken for doneness; you might need to shuffle the pieces around and give it 5 to 10 more minutes to finish. Scatter with scallion greens and eat right away.
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New AI repos catalog at Cisco DevNet Code Exchange
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Now you can discover MCP servers and AI Agents related to Cisco technologies https://developer.cisco.com/codeexchange/ai/.
In Code Exchange, with thousands of code repositories, you can find examples created and maintained by Cisco engineering teams, community contributors, and individual developers.
As of now, two official MCP servers are available: Splunk and ThousandEyes, as well as community-building servers such as FMC, Meraki, Radkit, ISE, NetBox, and more.
Available features
You can choose related filtering options, such as Category and specific filters.
For AI agents, you can filter by supported models (local and cloud) and by supported protocols/frameworks: A2A, MCP, AGNTCY.
For MCP servers, you can filter by Deploy Type, which can be transport stdio, HTTP/Stream, or HTTP/SSE. And supported Features like: tools, prompts, and resources.
You can use an MCP Inspector in your browser to explore available MCP tools. You can test the MCP server using Inspector’s intuitive GUI. Try the MCP HelloWorld demo.
You can also submit your AI project. All you need is a project published on GitHub with proper documentation and under a valid open-source license.
Share your experience, thoughts, and feedback with us in the Code Exchange community.
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1200+ historic ‘Survey of India’ maps
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The Survey of India was established in 1767 – just a decade after the Battle of Plassey (1757), which reshaped political power in the subcontinent. In other words, mapping came on the heels of conquest, as British authorities sought to document and manage the land they now ruled.
What began as military and administrative necessity soon became one of the most ambitious cartographic projects in the world. Over the next century, British surveyors systematically measured, classified, and recorded South Asia’s landscapes, transforming terrain into legible data for governance and control.
These maps marked infrastructure, resources, wells, trade routes, places of worship, and settlements, translating complex lived landscapes into administrative knowledge. Today, that cartographic knowledge-project is becoming newly accessible.
A new open-access search-portal brings together metadata for 🗺️ 1,200+ historic Survey of India maps – with hundreds digitised, and free to access.
The Mapping Archaeological Heritage in South Asia (MAHSA) project, in collaboration with Cambridge University Library and the British Library, has launched a digital search platform for historic Survey of India maps.
The database brings together geospatial data and 400+ high-resolution scans, made openly accessible via IIIF (under a CC BY NC license). This means you can view, download, and work with many of these maps for research, teaching, or creative exploration (but NOT for commercial use).
You can access it here.
Using the MAHSA search database
Using search-by-terms
If you already have a rough idea of what you’re looking for, the search bar is a good place to begin. Typing in terms such as “forest” surfaces suggested matches as you type. Selecting a result marked as Historic Maps immediately does two things: it zooms the map on the right to the present-day location, and it surfaces a corresponding record in the results panel on the left.
This dual view (map and list view) makes it easier to move between geography and individual map sheets, even if the interface takes a little getting used to.
Filtering by location and time
The search tools in the top-right corner allow you to refine results further. By default, the database opens in map search mode, but you can also switch to Advanced Search or use the calendar icon to filter by date.
The map search is the most intuitive entry point. You can search using present-day place names, and the interface will surface historic map records linked to that area. Clicking through a result takes you to a record page, which includes metadata and a link to a zoomable IIIF image.
You can also click directly on purple-highlighted areas on the map, which indicate locations with available resources. The saved queries icon (next to the calendar icon) offers useful shortcuts, including a filter for records with images only.
As I explored the database using the map tool, I found myself drawn to places I’m already familiar with, tracing their cartographic histories backward in time.
Zooming into legends and symbols can reveal a lot
From the record page, the IIIF image link takes you to the map sheet hosted by Cambridge University Library.
Zooming in reveals the dense visual language of the maps: wells, streams, forests, trade routes, and settlements.
Later maps feature police stations, post offices, Dak bungalows, and so on – markers of expanding administrative presence.
Viewing and downloading maps
The Cambridge University Library interface allows you to download a 2000px image directly from the viewer. While this is useful for reference or print, the IIIF zoom experience is far more revealing, especially when examining dense areas or reading fine symbols. For close looking, zooming beats downloading.
The MAHSA search database makes it possible to move back and forth between geography, metadata, and image, piecing together how the landscape was seen and recorded.
From a research point of view, this is already a compelling tool and serves an important function. Looking forward, it isn’t difficult to imagine how future integrations with tools like Wikidata could deepen the experience by connecting map sheets to broader place histories.
Once upon a time, these maps were instruments of empire. Today though, they offer an opportunity for critical readings and new ways of looking. If this resource sparks new questions or perspectives, we’d love to hear from you.
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How to Be a Considerate Traveler (Flying Edition) • Tips for…
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When traveling, there are certain rules to follow and things or actions that are prohibited or illegal. But there are also behaviors that some travelers do, which are not technically against the law, yet can be inconsiderate and bothersome. Sometimes, they inconvenience other passengers. Other times, they are overtly disruptive.
Travel is a collective experience, especially when flying. Unless you’re on a private plane, you’re sharing the flight with dozens or hundreds of other passengers. This is why flying etiquette is a thing. Still, many are not yet familiar with how things works at the airport and on the plane, especially for first-time fliers.
So in this article, we’ll be sharing some tips on how to be a mindful, respectful, and considerate passenger. Hopefully this helps, and if you know someone who is flying for the first time, feel free to share this with them too.
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT! If your are traveling soon and still on the planning stage, you can also visit our The Poor Traveler Masterlist. Here, we compiled travel essentials, including immigration requirements and all our recommended hotels and tours. Just visit this page: TPT Masterlist. We have a compilation for destinations around the world.
AIR TRAVEL DOS & DON’TS
1. Let other people sit.
Let’s not place our bags on the seats when it’s obvious that there are a lot of people around, especially if we see seniors or pregnant passengers nearby. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Prada, Goyard, or LV bag. Carry it or put it on your lap because seats are meant for people.
On our last flight, most of our companions were seniors, and all priority seats were already taken. We had a hard time finding vacant seats because several bags were occupying them.
The thing with us Filipinos is, we are non-confrontational, so we just tend to stay quiet and let it be. And honestly, I get it, because we don’t always know the real situation. Maybe the bag was used to reserve the seat for a companion who’s in the restroom or buying food. We usually give people the benefit of the doubt. So, it’s better if someone within the group speaks up because they know the full picture.
For example, you’re traveling with friends or family, and one of them does this. Let’s call them Friends/Family Without Etiquette in Travel or in short, FWET (pun intended). If you are traveling with someone who is acting like a FWET, be the one to tell them to give the seat to an elderly (or PWD or pregnant) passenger.
We’re not saying we should never place our bags on seats. It’s totally fine if the boarding gate is not yet packed with people. But if it is, and we see several people standing or sitting on the floor, let’s be considerate.
Also, be aware of our surroundings. Even we have been guilty of this. There was a time when we fell asleep while the area was not yet crowded. Vins put his bag on the seas beside him. Then, we didn’t realize that the area had already started to fill up. But as soon as we noticed, we cleared the seat right away and let others sit.
And again, on our last trip with mostly senior companions, it was an early-morning flight, and a lot of people were lying down, occupying four seats at once. So, the elderly passengers were left standing because others had turned the seats into bed.
2. Wait for your turn to board.
Don’t cut in line, and wait for your turn before lining up to board.
For first-time fliers, it’s important to note that the boarding process is done by batch. We are not boarding all at once. Usually, the airline calls PRIORITY passengers first (seniors, pregnant women, PWDs) and business class passengers, if applicable. And then, the rest of the passengers are called.
Most of the time, boarding is organized by ZONE or GROUP. Your designated zone or group number is indicated on your boarding pass. So if they call GROUP 1, and you’re in GROUP 4, don’t line up yet. Let GROUP 1 finish first, so things stay organized. There’s a reason behind the grouping system, and it’s for efficiency.
Other airlines board BY ROW instead. For instance, Cathay Pacific calls passengers by row number, like Row 15-25. So just wait until your row is announced. But the problem is, as soon as the agent approaches the microphone or the boarding gate desk, people tend to stand up immediately and rush to form a line even when their group has not been called yet. So, things start to get chaotic.
Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines doesn’t assign seat number at all. You really get your seat on a first-come, first-served basis. But even then, the boarding is still done by batch. You’re still assigned a group number.
On one of our previous flights, a woman lined up early, but the agent refused to process her boarding pass and asked her to step aside. She then complained that people who were behind her were already getting ahead of her. But that’s because she was part of Group 4, and they were still calling our group, which was Group 2.
Don’t get overly excited because the airplane won’t leave without you as long as you’re in the boarding area. Just follow the grouping system.
One more thing about priority boarding for seniors, PWDs and pregnant women: usually, only one companion is allowed. If there are ten of you in the family and only one senior, let the senior and one companion board first. Then, the rest of the group should wait for your turn.
What frustrates me most is that many local airlines are too accommodating. Even when staff can clearly see that it’s not someone’s turn yet, they still let them through instead of strictly enforcing the rules. But airlines in other countries really ask you to step aside and line up again. And that’s how it should be.
3. Don’t block the aisle.
This applies both when boarding and when disembarking. Do not block the aisles. When boarding, move quickly. Store your carry-on bag in the overhead bin and take your seat right away.
Don’t take other passenger’s seats. And if you’re traveling as a group and planning to switch seats, or still can’t decide who gets the window seat, save that discussion for later. Let everyone pass and get to their seats first, then swap once the aisle is clear.
Same with getting off the airplane. Don’t try to get up right after landing. It is unsafe. Most aircraft accidents don’t happen mid-air but during landing, approach, and even takeoff. Just because we’re on the ground doesn’t mean we’re already in the clear. Wait until the seatbelt sign turns OFF.
Even then, don’t rush to stand. Passengers in front exit first, and sometimes, for full-service airlines, they let people with connecting flights go ahead. And even if you try, you’ll just find yourself stuck in the aisle waiting. Instead of sitting comfortably, you’re just standing there for nothing.
Also, when you crowd or block the aisle, you’re making it harder for other passengers to get their bags from the overhead bin. You might even get hit by a luggage, then you’ll get annoyed, when you’re the one blocking the aisle in the first place.
4. Mind your smell.
Have you ever been on a flight where the person next to you had really bad body odor? On one of our flights, I think that was Orlando to Sacramento flight, the guy beside me smelled so bad. And on top of that, he kept lifting his arms to stretch! It was not a good experience.
But our worst experience was with a woman who was right behind us in a line during boarding. We could really smell her. So when we saw her take her seat three rows away and on the other side of the aisle, we felt relieved. But it was too early for us to take that sigh of relief because the smell still reached us! It was so bad that the person beside AND behind her ended up changing seats.
So, just be mindful. Expect that traveling comes with different kinds of smells. Bring an oral kit or mouthwash, especially on a long flight, to combat bad breath. If you know your feet have funky smell, don’t take your shoes off.
And it’s not just about bad smells. Avoid wearing strong perfume, just in case your seatmate is pregnant or sensitive to certain smells. Again, this is not illegal, but if you want to be considerate, go easy on the perfume. Try not to overdo it.
We experienced this in Japan. I collect perfumes, and I finally bought my dream perfume in Osaka. I really saved up for it, so I was so excited to use it that I sprayed a bit too much. When we rode the elevator, the people with us covered their noses. I was so embarrassed.
So it goes both ways. Let’s jus be conscious of how we smell.
5. Recline gently and don’t push the seat in front of you.
If your seat can recline, then you’re allowed to do so. But please do it gently for the person behind you. They might be on their laptop, and reclining your seat suddenly could damage it. Or they could be eating. Speaking of, the best practice during meal time is to keep your seat upright so the person behind you has more space.
Also, don’t tap, push, or kick the seat in front of you. So yes, be considerate of the person behind you AND the one in front of you.
If you are traveling with kids or teenagers, please remind them also. This one really gets to me because I experienced it first hand. Every time I was just about to fall asleep, the person behind me would kick my seat. I couldn’t sleep at all! And this was a long-haul flight. We were coming from Barcelona, I think. And it was a teenager. Someone old enough to know better. It got to a point where I had to ask a flight attendant to step in.
Anyway, since we’re already talking about seats…
6. Follow the armrest rule.
Armrests are the battleground of economy class. Because think about it: three seats have a total of four arm rests. But many people agree that the middle seat gets both armrests.
The window seat already has the armrest next to the wall and the actual wall. There’s something to lean on and a view. The aisle seat provides extra space or legroom. For the middle seat? Not much. Honestly, it’s the least comfortable seat.
Imagine, if the window-seat passenger takes both armrests, and the aisle-seat passenger does the same; what’s left for the person in the middle seat? So in the spirit of fairness, equality, and justice (JUSTICE?!), the middle seat should get the right to both armrests.
7. Be quick and clean in the lavatory.
Don’t take too much time in the restroom. Remember that there are only a few lavatories on board. Imagine someone waiting for you for so long, and when it’s finally their turn, a turbulence hits. It’s not a good feeling being caught in turbulence inside the lavatory. You are much safer in your seat when that happens.
Also, don’t make a mess in the restroom. Throw your trash properly into the trash bin. Keep it tidy out of respect for the next person and for the flight attendant who has to clean up.
Speaking of flight attendant…
8. Treat the crew with kindness.
Flight attendants are trained professionals who are there to keep you safe and the journey smooth. They are not your servants or babysitters. And being a passenger doesn’t give you the right to disrespect them in any way. Let’s treat them with kindness. Their job is not easy. Don’t give them attitude for no reason.
Sure, we’ve encountered a few FAs who were a bit grumpy, even though we were not doing anything wrong. But most of the time, they’re very patient. A simple “hi” when you board, a smile, or a “thank you” when they hand you snacks goes a long way. Be polite and decent.
Avoid inappropriate comments also. Yes, a lot of flight attendants are good-looking, but that doesn’t give you the right to be inappropriate to someone, even to your fellow passengers.
We’ve even experienced seeing a passenger mocking a flight attendant during a safety demo just to get her attention because he thought she was attractive. It was not cool. It was plainly disrespectful. That’s what we call ultimate PWET (Passenger Without Etiquette in Travel) move. Let the flight crew do their job in peace.
Vins’s favorite memory with flight attendants was the one when we flew to Hong Kong, and they kept bringing us food and snacks. Mine was on a long-haul flight, when the FA moved us to a row with no one next to us. We got one row each all to ourselves, so we were able to sleep better.
Sometimes, being nice to the FAs has perks, too. But more than the perks, it’s the right thing to do.
9. Keep quiet.
This one is quick, since it’s very straightforward.
Don’t be too loud because many people are trying to sleep on the flight. Keep conversation at a reasonable volume. And if you’re watching something on your phone or listening to music, use your earphones. On our last trip from Puerto Princesa, the passenger in front of us was watching videos on her phone at full volume.
Also, if you’re a light sleeper, bring ear plugs to help block out the noise.
10. Stay behind the yellow line at the carousel.
Your airplane has finally landed, and you’re about to pick up your luggage.
At the baggage carousel or claim area, you’ll usually notice signs or floor markers that say: WAIT BEHIND YELLOW LINE. Sadly, many people ignore this and crowd right pas that line. But what is actually the purpose of this yellow line?
Basically, it’s there to create a gap between the carousel and the people waiting to claim their bags. But why? Here are the reasons:
- Safety. It’s for your own safety. When people lift their bags from the carousel, they tend to swing it to the side, especially when it’s heavy. If there’s no gap, there’s a possibility that the luggage could hit you or the people behind you. Step forward only when you’re about to pick up your luggage.
- More time to check or spot your luggage. Before picking anything up, always check first if it’s really yours because most suitcases look the same. By staying behind the yellow line, you are giving others enough time (and space) to identify and collect their luggage.
- Temporary space for claimed bags. After retrieving your luggage, you can use that gap or space to briefly set down your bag before you find your way through the crowd. Just make sure to leave the gap as soon as you have your bag.
What other tips would you add to this list? Have you had any experiences related to what we mentioned? Share them in the comment section below. And remember plan smart, travel safe, and make every trip WORTH IT!
Join The Poor Traveler Support Group
✅ If you have any questions or need travel tips, feel free to post them to the TPT Support Group. The members are very helpful. This Facebook support group has been around for a long time, and many members have found travel buddies through it. You can join too! Just visit The Poor Traveler Support Group. Note that this is different from The Poor Traveler Facebook page.
Protect your finances when traveling!
Getting a travel insurance is optional, but we highly recommend this, especially when traveling abroad. Travel can be unpredictable, and though we hope we’ll never use it, having it gives us peace of mind in case of unexpected delays, cancellations, or emergencies.
For international destinations, consider PGA Sompo’s TravelJOY Plus insurance. You can GET IT HERE. Don’t forget to use WORTHIT for a special affordable rate.
Updates Log
2026 2 17 – First uploaded
Edited by: Asta Alvarez
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The Courtauld Gallery presents “Seurat and the Sea” » Art & …
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From 13 February to 17 May 2026, the Courtauld Gallery presents the exhibition “Seurat and the Sea”
Source: Courtauld Gallery. Image: Georges Seurat: Seascape at Port-en-Bessin, Normandy, 1888.
The Courtauld will present the first ever exhibition dedicated to the seascapes of the French artist Georges Seurat (1859–1891). Opening on 13 February 2026, this major exhibition will be the first devoted to Seurat in the UK in almost 30 years. It will chart the evolution of his radical and distinctive style through the recurring motif of the sea.
The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea follows major Impressionist exhibitions at The Courtauld, such as Cézanne’s Card Players, Van Gogh. Self-Portraits and, most recently, the acclaimed The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Monet and London. Views of the Thames, which was seen by a record 120,000 visitors and sold out its entire run, including extended opening hours to meet demand.
The Courtauld holds the largest collection of works by Seurat in the UK. The artist is best known as the creator of the Neo-Impressionist technique, in which shapes and light are rendered by juxtaposing small dots of pure colour. Due to his early death at the age of 31, Seurat has a very small pool of works and exhibitions devoted to him are rare.
The Griffin Catalyst Exhibition: Seurat and the Sea will bring together around 23 paintings, oil sketches and drawings made by Seurat during the five summers he spent on the northern coast of France, between 1885 and 1890. Working in port towns along the English Channel, including Honfleur, Port-en-Bessin and Gravelines, Seurat captured their seascapes, regattas and port activity in his distinctive Neo-Impressionist technique. He sought, in his words, ‘to wash his eyes of the days spent in the studio [in Paris] and to translate in the most faithful manner the bright clarity, in all its nuances’.
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West Point, MS mass murders: Daricka M. Moore charged with k…
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Posted on January 11, 2026 by mylifeofcrime
Victims
Glenn Moore, 67 (father)
Quinton Moore, 33 (brother)
Willie Ed Guines, 55 (uncle)
Mikiylia Guines, 7
Rev. Barry Bradley
Samuel Bradley
6 die in MS shooting spree including 7-year-old, police arrest suspect
Man charged with murder after 6 are killed in a shooting rampage in northeast Mississippi
6 people killed in Mississippi rampage, including 7-year-old girl. Suspect charged with murder
6 killed in Mississippi mass shooting, suspect charged with murder
Man arrested in killing of 6, including his father, brother and a 7-year-old in Mississippi
Mass shooting in Clay County
6 People, Including 7-Year-Old Girl, Dead of Gunshot Wounds to the Head Following Shooting Spree Spanning 3 Different Homes
INMATE INFORMATION
Filed under: child murder, crime, Domestic Violence, domestic violence murder, high profile, Monsters Among Us, murder, murder in the 21st Century | Tagged: 2026, Apostolic Church of The Lord Jesus, child murder, crimes against children, Family/Domestic Violence, homicide, Mass Murder, Mississippi, Monsters Among Us, shooting, West Point |
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