Gadling

Yesterday's news brought the welcome breath of new life to Columbus ever since Skybus did us wrong, jilting us like an uncaring, unfeeling lover.

I heard in a radio news broadcast that AirTran Airways will begin flights between Columbus and Atlanta, Fort Myers and Orlando starting November 6. As the news commentator noted, this does not mean there will be a rush on low cost airlines to Columbus. Jet Blue, for example, has been there and done that.

Still, when I think of how Jet Blue used to be here before Skybus RUINED IT, I feel like Kate Winslet, almost frozen to death, floating on that piece of wood after the Titanic sank, hoarsely crying out, "Come back. Come back."

I'm glad that AirTran has noticed that Columbus is a viable market for folks going to Florida. If you've ever been in Columbus, Ohio between January and April, you'll know why folks are eager to get out of here and head south. The gray skies make this a place to leave if ever the chance arises.

If only AirTran wasn't bailing out of Newburgh, New York and would make that a Columbus connection as well, I'd be ever so thrilled.

According to this article in the Columbus Dispatch, AirTran has been one of the best managed airlines in the past nine years. Skybus was exactly the OPPOSITE. I'm still stinging from the break-up.

Erik Olsen, former Gadling blogger extraordinaire (he topped 4,000 posts) has a recent article in the New York Times about the U.S.S. Oriskany, a battleship that was turned into an artificial reef off the coast of Florida near Pensacola.

This "great carrier reef," Olsen reports, is one of the best places to dive in the United States and has put Pensacola in the money. Dive shops have done a booming business and the ship has generated a considerable sum for the county besides.

Along with divers, military buffs and those who served on the ship back when have come to see it.

John McCain, though, has yet to make an appearance. McCain's plane took off from the ship's deck almost 31 years ago on his last mission before he was shot down during the Vietnam conflict and found himself in the "Hanoi Hilton" aka, Hoa Lo Prison, most definitely not enjoying the city's charm like I have.

As Olsen points out, there are some environmental concerns regarding sinking ships, however the Environmental Protection Agency helped to ensure the ship was cleaned up enough to be turned into an ocean life haven. Studies are being done to see what adverse environmental footprints are being made, if any. The fear is that PCBs are being released.

Regardless of the possible downside, barnacles, sea urchins and 38 fish species now call the Mighty O--the ship's nickname, home. Also, it can't be denied that sunken ships make great diving spots for folks who know what they are doing. Two people did die while diving at the Oriskany. One person died after getting the bends from diving down too far and coming up too fast, and the other one had a heart attack. The guy with the heart attack would have died regardless of what he was doing--even knitting.

Diving at the ship sounds fascinating--and I have a fear of drowning. Reading Olsen's description gave me the inkling that learning to scuba dive needs to be bumped up on my things-to-learn list. Actually, I'm not sure scuba diving has been on my things-to-learn-list. I've penciled it in.

For a slide show of the ship, click here. Also, check out Olsen's article. The guy can write. He can also scuba dive. This video was taken during his dive of the Mighty O. Plus, he can take pictures. The photo, as you might notice, is by him. Jeez, what can't he do?

When Meredith Vieria from the Today Show was given a tour of the Olympic Village, specifically the housing of the Americans, trap shooter bronze medalist Corey Cogdell showed Vieria a painting in her room that was created by a child in China.

A framed picture of a child's artwork was given to each Olympic athlete as a room decoration. It's theirs to keep whether they medal or not.

Vieira was quite moved by the gesture of a child-produced gift. I thought about the excitement that the children must have felt when they were making their paintings knowing their creations would be going to athletes from around the world and how they were contributing to their country's mega, unforgetable, international event.

It can make a heart feel warm and fuzzy for sure.

Seeing the painting reminded me of the items to buy when traveling that offer more meaning than a production piece souvenir. Any work made by a child has been favorably received whenever I have given them as gifts.

I once bought three drawings by children that were sold in a fundraiser art show for a refugee center that houses families in India who were displaced by strife. I have forgotten the specifics of who received the funding, but I I can see the art clearly. I was touched by its hope and sweetness. The show was at the India International Center in New Delhi, a place that hosts high quality events, mostly centered on the arts. This is where I saw the writer Pico Iyer at a symposium of Indian authors who write in English.

Granted, framed paintings are cumbersome. Another option is handmade greeting cards that can be framed once you get home. Often these cards are used to make money for organizations that are searching for dollars.

Keep your eyes open. Thailand, Vietnam and India are wonderful places to look for such items. I still have cards I bought to give away. Even if the cards aren't made by kids, or go to charity. handmade cards are helping to support someone.

As one of the duties to make sure air travel is safer, TSA inspectors check planes for security issues while the planes are parked.

Unfortunately, knowing which parts of planes should not be touched, and what a ladder looks like is a skill set that still needs some fine tuning.

According to this ABC News report, an inspector at Chicago's O'Hare Airport used sensitive instrument probes as handholds while climbing into nine American Eagle airplanes. These TAT probes, pictured, are important to the operation of flight computers. As a result, 40 commuter flights were delayed.

At the time, the TSA agent was attempting to determine if the aircraft could be broken into and an agency official is quoted as saying "Our inspector was following routine procedure for securing the aircraft that were on the tarmac."

Next time, try using a ladder and a brick.

This fountain in Madeira, Portugal says summer. How great would it be to run through this on a hot day?

I'm reminded of the other fountains where water arcs upwards from the ground. There's the fountain that Matt Harding of "Where the Hell is Matt?" dances in along with other dancing folks in Atlanta, Georgia, the one at the playground in Knights of Columbus Park in St. Cloud, Minnesota and the pop jet fountain at the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colorado.

This fountain shot by Donner00 looks almost animated. I can hear the sounds of the water--almost.

If you have a shot that has captured your fancy, capture ours at Gadling's Flickr photo pool. It could be chosen as a Photo of the Day.

Perhaps watching the Olympics has inspired you to congratulate the athletes in your life--or someone else with a spiffy accomplishment. Here's an idea that has an Olympics and Chinese-flavored twist.

You could give the person a bouquet of flowers with Chinese symbolism. Jim Wells wrote a post on Flora2000's blog that outlines just what you need.

• You've probably noticed that the bouquets handed out during the medal ceremonies are red. Red is the color of good luck. Pink and yellow represent happiness.
• The presenters also offer the bouquets with both hands which is the Chinese tradition.
• If there is a congratulation note, it's never written in red ink.
• Also, eight is a lucky number, so eight flowers would be terrific.
• Don't give only four though, because four is unlucky.
• Although yellow is a color for happiness, don't give a yellow chrysanthemum--or a white one. Those are only used for funerals.

Jim's recommendation for a perfect bouquet is one made of white and pink Oriental lilies and red roses. To be ultra classy, he says to give flowers from Europe. They are quite popular in China these days.

(At the time Jim wrote his post, Michael Phelps only had 5 gold medals. Weren't those races something to watch?)

First of all, the water park Zoombezi Bay and Disney have nothing to do with each other, but there is a common element in their stories--their businesses have done swimmingly well this summer.

Zoombezi Bay, a new addition to the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium opened on Memorial Day. When I was talking with the associate director last Thursday, he said that they are fiscally ahead of where they had hoped to be and have plans to increase offerings next year. Attendance has been terrific despite their worries that gas prices and the sluggish economy (in Ohio it's a bit of the pits) may adversely affect the numbers. On the contrary. The thought is that perhaps the "stay-vacation" trend may have swung in the water park's favor. The weather has also cooperated ever since June's rainfest ended.

According to this article published in the L.A. Times, Disney resorts and theme parks have not been adversely affected by the economy either. Although, there has been a slight dip in Disneyland's revenue because of an attendance drop, the numbers have not been as bad as feared. Disney World execs were worried that the number of flights being cut to Orlando would equal a lower attendance, but this had not occurred.

Perhaps Zoombezi Bay and Disney attractions hold what attracts many vacationers. You don't have to play guesswork when figuring out what you'll get when you hand over your hard-earned dollars. When the sun is shining, you are usually guaranteed a good time, and in the summer, the sun usually shines. Zoombezi Bay has the added bonus of being new.

(The photo of Zoombezi Bay is from Trip Advisor. Erinslone, the person who posted it, loved the park. Three other commenters were disappointed and frustrated because when they were there the park was incredibly busy. The associate director said more space is being added. I was there Thursday late afternoon and there was plenty of chairs available. My husband was there all day yesterday with our son and neighbor friends. They had a great time.)

The story I read today about an adolescent girl with psychiatric problems being pushed out of China before the Olympics reminded me of details people need to consider before moving to another country to live with their children.

The girl, who is from Ohio, was living in Beijing with her parents. Her mother was a teacher at one of the international schools. After moving to China, the girl began to get into trouble due to some psychological issues. Prior to the Olympics, the Chinese officials put pressure on the family to get the girl out of China.

According to the article in today's Columbus Dispatch, the Chinese government wanted it to be smooth sailing when the guests arrived so people who were problematic, such as, political dissidents and protesters were removed from the city's scenery. The girl happens to fit the profile of undesirables.

Now that the girl and her mother are back in Ohio, they are having a hard time getting services to help the girl because they are technically not residents of Ohio anymore. They have overseas residential status, sort of. The health insurance they had in China doesn't cover them in the U.S.

In the meantime, the father is still working in China in order to make enough money to return back to the U.S. Depending on the contract he has, he may not have the cost of a flight back covered in his contract if he has to leave early. This is conjecture on my part, but plausible.

Remember Michael Fey, another teenage Ohioan who had issues while he was living in Singapore with his mother and step-dad? He was also sent back to the U.S., but not before being arrested, jailed and caned for punishment.

Although living the expat lifestyle overseas can be a wonderful experience, for people who have children with special needs, it can turn into a disaster. The support services are generally not there when it comes to special education and mental health issues. At least they are not typically as available as they are in the United States, and people can be left stranded to try to deal with problems on their own with little to no help.

Schools the students attend can be supportive up to a point, but they are in a position where they need to maintain a good relationship with the country in which they are located. If the boat springs a leak, so to speak, the person causing the leak my be dumped overboard. It's not personal. It's business.

If you're contemplating moving overseas with your family, know what services are available in a country before you ever sign a contract and get on that airplane. This is particularly important if you have a special needs child. The stress of adjusting to this new life can cause issues not anticipated as this Ohio family found out.

The issue of old cars becoming art is not a new one. A few years back, driving along Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas, I looked out for the 10 Cadillacs half-buried, nose first in a row off the highway. I saw them as funky and fun. The piece was titled Cadillac Ranch.

If you've ever driven through this part of Texas, you may understand how anything that breaks up the flat scenery is welcome. At least, that's my opinion. Some have felt over the years that those cars are nothing but junk--an eyesore. Evidently, they've become more junky since I saw them. (see article)

There is another art car issue in Texas. This one is very recent. Another car, this one painted by Austin-based artists as a protest to pollution, is involved in a tug of war between the artists and those who say that a car that won't run is junk. Those people want the car moved. The car, now a cactus planter, is art, the artists say and they want it to stay where it is on I-35 outside Planet K in San Marcos.

According to this article in the Austin News, a judge is to decide if the car should stay or go. Perhaps, the artists need to come up with a spiffy name and attractive signage similar to what one might see in a world class museum. It worked for Wilbur, the pig in Charlotte's Web. He was saved from the chopping block by Charlotte's web- weaving handiwork. "Super Pig" could be translated to "Super Car." PR can work wonders. Even a weird funky item is enough to draw tourists into an area.

I have looked to see if I can find out the ruling, but came up with nothing.

Meg wrote a post yesterday that had tips on the best time to visit an amusement park. Depending upon your sense of the absurd, or what strikes you as a bit funny-- or oddball, or perhaps pitiful, here's a different take on when to visit--or not.

You may not want to visit when the costumed characters--those folks whose jobs are to make children smile--look like they are being arrested. Or if you want an unusual scene, perhaps you do.

Arrests are what were happening at Disneyland this past Thursday. Peter Pan, Cinderella, Tinkerbell, Snow White and other storybook friends were handcuffed and put into police vans after they realized that life is not a fairy tale after all and staged a protest.

Even though Walt Disney had an idea of what a Utopian society should look like when he created the Magic Kingdom, the vision has shrunk. It doesn't include health insurance for everyone any more, or wages that are equal to what other workers who are doing the same job in the region are making, according to this article posted at msnbc.com.

Hotel workers, i.e., bell hops, maids, cooks and dishwashers, are the ones who will be affected by the cuts and are not too pleased. That's why some of them dressed up as Disney characters and headed for Disneyland's main gate from the hotels shouting out things like, "Mickey, shame on you."

While the protest was happening, and the arrests were being made, tourists were witnesses to the scene. I bet there were some interesting stories told to the kids who were taking in the action.

The arrests were made based on misdemeanor charges, and everyone is out of handcuffs once more. Negotiations are still in the works. Hopefully, folks will find happily ever after like this Peter Pan in the photo.