While it's still questionable whether or not humans could really thrive in space, we now know that, even if our own bodies are doomed to become weak and decrepit, any bacteria we tote along has every chance of living a full, happy life. Because according to new research, space might be exactly what bacteria needs to become a thicker, stronger, superpowered mutant version unlike anything we've ever seen on Earth.
More specifically, though, the two astronaut crews involved in the study were growing colonies of biofilms?some of which are strongly associated with disease. And what they found proved to be a bit unsettling, depending on how you feel about giant, nearly unmanageable colonies of bacteria. According to NASA:
The space-grown communities of bacteria, called biofilms, formed a ?column-and-canopy? structure not previously observed on Earth. Biofilms grown during spaceflight had a greater number of live cells, more biomass, and were thicker than control biofilms grown under normal gravity conditions.
And the biofilm they used (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) was lovingly cultivated in artificial urine for three days aboard two different shuttle missions?meaning that these results are coming from the very same environment that humans on longterm space flights would face. With waste management and water recycling being an ongoing issue, bacteria would have even more time to multiply, so what we're seeing in this study could really just be a fraction of a possible gargantuan bacteria biosystem.
Of course, this applies strictly to zero-gravity spaceflight, and conditions for human colonies on other planets?oh, say Mars, for instance?could mean stunting the prolific biofilm in much the same way our atmosphere does here on Earth. But the research has practical applications, too. NASA notes:
Examining the effects of spaceflight on biofilm formation can provide new insights into how different factors, such as gravity, fluid dynamics, and nutrient availability affect biofilm formation on Earth. Additionally, the research findings could one day help inform new, innovative approaches for curbing the spread of infections in hospitals.
Even if it turns out that it's just as easy to keep bacteria in check on other planets, our attempts to understand its growth could do worlds of good to curb bacteria growth here on Earth, which is still a very real problem. So for now, let's just be glad that the only bacteria we have to grapple with is, in fact, of the non-crazy-mutant persuasion. [NASA via PopSci]
The first week of July for those of us here in the States brings a barrage of cookouts, cold beverages and patriotism. In fact, we've dedicated the entirety of this week's double issue to the good ol' US of A. Crammed into the pages of this e-magazine is a first-hand account of the struggle to construct America's most sustainable city, a survey of developments in stateside manufacturing and much more. Eyes-On packs into some US-made bags, Weekly State tallies STEM job growth and IRL returns with more of our everyday gadgets. We'll be taking next week off to recover from the feast of hot dogs and impending firework burns, so be sure to swipe this edition to tide you over until our return.
A souvenir vendor set up his street shop with scarves showing portraits of former South African President Nelson Mandela near the Hector Peterson Museum in Soweto, Saturday June 29, 2013. The White House issued a statement Saturday that President Barack Obama plans to visit privately with relatives of former South African President Nelson Mandela, but doesn't intend to see the critically ill anti-apartheid activist he has called a "personal hero." (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A souvenir vendor set up his street shop with scarves showing portraits of former South African President Nelson Mandela near the Hector Peterson Museum in Soweto, Saturday June 29, 2013. The White House issued a statement Saturday that President Barack Obama plans to visit privately with relatives of former South African President Nelson Mandela, but doesn't intend to see the critically ill anti-apartheid activist he has called a "personal hero." (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
A South African girl holds a poster showing former South African President Nelson Mandela, while her family and other well wishers gather at the entrance to the Mediclinic Heart Hospital where former South African President Nelson Mandela is being treated in Pretoria, South Africa Friday, June 28, 2013. Members of Nelson Mandela's family as well as South African Cabinet ministers have visited the hospital on Friday where the 94-year-old former president is critically ill. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
Vendors selling shawls bearing the image of former South African President Nelson Mandela, stands at the entrance to the Mediclinic Heart Hospital where former South African President Nelson Mandela is being treated in Pretoria, South Africa Friday, June 28, 2013. Members of Nelson Mandela's family as well as South African Cabinet ministers have visited the hospital on Friday where the 94-year-old former president is critically ill. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
A man looks back as he walk past a mural of former South African president Nelson Mandela in the town of Umtata, South Africa, Friday, June 28, 2013. Members of Nelson Mandela's family as well as South African Cabinet ministers have visited the hospital where the 94-year-old former president is critically ill. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)
A man passes a advertising board for the Nelson Mandela museum, showing the face of former South African president Nelson Mandela, right rear, in the town of Umtata, South Africa, Friday, June 28, 2013. Members of Nelson Mandela's family as well as South African Cabinet ministers have visited the hospital where the 94-year-old former president is critically ill. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)
JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? In November, just before Nelson Mandela's health began a long downward spiral, the leader of a project to build a children's hospital named after the former president briefed him on efforts to raise construction funds. Mandela, 94 years old and infirm, was exasperated by the delays. Then the reflexes of the world statesman took over.
"Well, get me a few business people. Sit them around my table here and I'll tell them why this is important," Mandela said, according to Sibongile Mkhabela, CEO of the Nelson Mandela Children's Hospital Trust. The fundraiser didn't happen, but the remark was a poignant hint of the Mandela of old, the charismatic leader who, as Mkhabela put it, "knew how to make people believe in things that were not there yet."
Today Mandela is critically ill in a Pretoria hospital, seemingly close to the end of his life. As the day approaches, whenever it comes, many South Africans are caught in an emotional reckoning. They celebrate this father figure, whose jail-time sacrifice and peacemaking role in the transition from apartheid to democracy resonated worldwide, but they face the hard road of trying to emulate his example and implement his legacy after he is gone.
"There's a part of Mandela in each of us," said Anthony Prangley, a lecturer at the Gordon Institute of Business Science, a University of Pretoria business school whose campus is in Johannesburg.
"It's important to keep that in mind because we can start to see him as someone who is not accessible, or infallible," Prangley said. "In doing so, we miss the potential to learn from his leadership."
Mandela's achievements were historic even though he admitted imperfection and sought to share credit with others. That humility left a deep impression on many who met him.
The anti-apartheid leader spent 27 years in jail, but was seemingly free of rancor on his release in 1990, steering South Africa through a delicate transition to all-race elections that propelled him to the presidency four years later. The outpouring of support for the ailing Mandela, who was taken to the hospital on June 8 for what the government said was a lung infection, attests to his ability to connect and inspire in his country, even if it is struggling to live up to his soaring vision, and around the world.
"If and when he passes from this place, one thing I think we'll all know is that his legacy is one that will linger on throughout the ages," President Obama said in Senegal before arriving in South Africa on Friday as part of an Africa tour. Obama is to meet with Mandela's relatives Saturday, though he has said he will not visit the hospital where Mandela is receiving treatment.
The United Nations has recognized July 18, Mandela's birthday, as an international day to honor themes of activism, democracy and responsibility embodied by the former leader. Organizers of events in his honor suggest participants spend 67 minutes engaged in acts of goodness on that day ? 67 corresponds to the number of years Mandela is said to have spent in public service.
"It's possible for our societies to have 'Mandelas' so long as we don't take away from ourselves the responsibilities to learn, to be better, to aspire to something bigger," said Mkhabela, the CEO. She said she worried when people put Mandela on "such a high pedestal," setting aside the need to follow his humanitarian values.
"This just sounds like another way of saying: 'We don't want to be responsible, we feel and fear in us there is a 'Mandela' that could be unleashed. It's too big a responsibility, too big a challenge,'" she said.
The business world has taken note of Mandela as a role model. He ranked fourth on a list of admired leaders, according to a global survey late last year of 1,330 chief executive officers in 68 countries. Winston Churchill, Steve Jobs and Mahatma Gandhi led the field in the survey, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers.
The survey said many CEOs "chose leaders who were persistent in the face of adversity ? as well as transformational leaders and leaders who did the 'right thing.'"
Prangley, the business school lecturer, said a great leader doesn't just inspire and have many followers, but also reaches out to other constituencies. Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., he said, became more effective by winning over white Americans, and Mahatma Gandhi sought to unite Muslims and Hindus, even though India was partitioned. President Obama energized crowds early on but now struggles to rally people when things sour, according to Prangley, who praised Mandela's political skill.
"He understands when to push and when to bring other people to the table," he said of Mandela's skill in balancing firmness and compromise.
Prangley said he met Mandela as a student volunteer in Mozambique in the late 1990s, recalling how the former president told him and his young colleagues that it was a "wizened" group of older leaders who had led the negotiations that ended apartheid.
"In South African society, it was the older generation who began to compromise and brought change," Prangley said. "It was a message to us, as young people at that time, to kind of learn from that experience."
Mandela, though, was hardly a stuffy patriarch. He had cross-generational appeal. He wore colorful, patterned shirts when president and was known for warmth and attention to personal detail despite a somewhat regal, even stiff bearing.
Those who have worked with Mandela, a philanthropist who joined the fight against the AIDS epidemic in South Africa and other humanitarian causes, often share what they learned with colorful anecdotes about the former president, also known by his clan name, Madiba. Achmat Dangor, the former head of the Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory, a Johannesburg-based foundation, picked up tips about the stubborn art of fundraising.
"I've been on occasions with heads of state and certain great persons somewhere who made a pledge, and Madiba called me and said, 'You sit here until they give you something in writing, you don't leave,'" Dangor told a foundation audience in May. "'Thank you, Prime Minister. Your Excellency, thank you.' And yes, I didn't leave without a note. A million pounds came a couple of years later, but it came."
Mandela also stressed the importance of getting opposing sides to speak to each other, said Dangor, who described how he and a colleague once approached Mandela to discuss dialogue initiatives.
Dangor recalled: "He listened very carefully and then he said, 'Listen I want to tell you something. You know, when you get people together who agree with each other, and they're friends, that's not dialogue. That's a chat. Bring together those who disagree with each other.'"
People rescue garment workers trapped under rubble at the Rana Plaza building after it collapsed, in Savar, 30 km (19 miles) outside Dhaka in this April 24, 2013 file photo. Sources says President Obama will suspend U.S. trade benefits to Bangladesh.
President Barack Obama is expected to announce on Thursday that the United States is suspending trade benefits for Bangladesh after two tragedies in a year in the country's garment sector that killed more than 1,200 workers, a congressional source said.
U.S. trade officials have said they expected Obama to announce a decision on the matter by the end of June. The U.S. Trade Representative's office did not have an immediate comment on whether an announcement would come Thursday.
Suspending Bangladesh from the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences program would increase U.S. duties on an array of products the Asian country exports to the United States, such as tobacco, sporting equipment, porcelain china, plastic products and a small amount of textile products.
But it would not directly affect Bangladesh's main export, clothing, since garments are not eligible for duty cuts under the GSP program, which was created in 1976 to help economic development in the world's poorest countries and to reduce import costs for U.S. companies.
In 2012, Bangladesh was spared about $2 million in U.S. duties on about $35 million worth of goods under GSP, but it paid about $732 million in U.S. duties on $4.9 billion of clothing exports not covered by the program, according to Ed Gresser, a trade analyst with the GlobalWorks Foundation.
Still, Obama's decision would be a repudiation of working conditions in Bangladesh following the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory building in April that killed 1,129 people and the Tazreen factory fire in November that killed 112. Clothing for several American and European retailers is made in Bangladesh.
It also could influence the European Union's decision whether to suspend trade benefits for Bangladesh, which would have far more impact since Bangladesh's clothing and textiles exports receive duty-free treatment there.
The EU imported roughly 9.2 billion euros ($12.13 billion) of goods from Bangladesh last year, according to data from the EU's executive, the European Commission.
Clothing and textile products ranging from towels and bedding accounted for almost 93 percent of those goods.
EU officials have threatened to kick Bangladesh out of the program - a process that could take more than a year - unless it improves worker safety conditions.
A mourner wipes her eyes on the porch as she attends the wake of actor James Gandolfini at a funeral home in Park Ridge, New Jersey
Friends and family gather for the late actor.
Friends and family gather for the late actor.
The Robert Spearing Funeral Home was blocked off to only those close to Gandolfini for the first part of the day.
Flowers are pictured on the ground outside as family members gather for the wake of actor James Gandolfini.
Mourners gather on the porch as they attend the wake of actor James Gandolfini at a funeral home in Park Ridge, New Jersey.
Mourners gather on the porch as they attend the wake of actor James Gandolfini at a funeral home in Park Ridge, New Jersey.
Mourners arrive for the wake of actor James Gandolfini at a funeral home in Park Ridge, New Jersey.
0?of?0? Previous? PreviousNext ?Next ?
Tomorrow, thousands of people, celebrities to average fans, are expected at the public funeral for James Gandolfini at The Cathedral Church of St John the Divine in Manhattan.
But today, the family of the Park Ridge-bred actor held a wake in his hometown that drew primarily close family and friends, many of whom knew Gandolfini before he became famous.
During the first hour, designated for the immediate family, a large black van was moved to diagonally block off one part of the driveway, to shield those arriving from view of the public and media gathered outside the Robert Spearing Funeral Home in Park Ridge.
Men in black suits provided further protection, using opened black umbrellas to escort the mourners to the front door.
This was so effective that most of the photographers set up on the street outside the home did not get a clear shot of the arrivals of Gandolfini's ex-wife, Marcy Wudarski; their 13-year-old son, Michael; his widow, Deborah Lin; or their 8-month-old daughter, Liliana.
Some 18 police officers from the borough Police Department, the reserves and the Bergen County Police Department were dispatched to keep order, said Captain Joseph Rampolla of the Park Ridge police.
For the most part, the media and the public respected the boundaries, Rampolla said.
Among the few guests departing the funeral home who spoke to reporters outside were friends Dan Katz of West Orange, New Jersey, and Gloria Lowell of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
As they left the wake around 6:15pm, they described the mood inside - where the coffin was closed - as subdued. The crowd, they said, was all friends and family, with no "Sopranos" cast members or other celebrities present, at least up to that point.
The modest actor, Katz said, "would probably be incredulous at the fuss being made over him in death. ... He would be laughing at the flag (at the state government buildings) flying half-staff. He was a very private person. He didn't like the limelight."
Bob Sottolano, from Westwood, New Jersey, a friend of James' sister Leta Gandolfini, also spoke briefly to reporters on his way out of the wake.
"It's like a roller coaster. The emotions are flying, like when anyone dies suddenly," Sottolano said, adding that with Gandolfini's son Michael, "All I can do to a kid that (young) is shake his hand and pat him on the back."
The traffic cones and a road closed sign that blocked off Berthoud Street at one end of the home's driveway caused a little rubbernecking. Occasionally, people snapped photos as they drove by. One man beeped his horn and shouted, "Goodbye, Tony," as he passed.
Across the street, people gathered at tables in front of the as-yet-unopened Dairy Queen hoping to catch the procession.
"I'm retired. It wasn't out of my way," said Pat Murphy of Pearl River, New York, who arrived around 2pm. "I wanted to see what was happening."
The Tangelosi family from Garfield, New Jersey, had been staked out inside their air-conditioned Kia in the Burger King parking lot across the street, hoping for some celebrity sightings. "Maybe I'll see Robert De Niro," Angie Tangelosi said.
Across the road, in a little strip mall, Paul Herdemian, a guy who bears such a striking resemblance to Gandolfini that his friends "bust" him about it, sat behind the counter of his store, The Jeweler's Workbench, which created the faux bling worn by the gaudy mobsters and mobster wives on "The Sopranos." In a glass case on the counter, you can see Paulie Walnuts' black onyx ring, Carmela's sapphire earrings, and a synthetic ruby ring worn by Gandolfini, whose photo with Herdemian is in a frame on the counter.
"(The Sopranos) was a great thing for this area," Herdemian said.
So was Gandolfini, whose funeral will no doubt reflect his star status. But on Wednesday, his hometown wake was intentionally small - probably the closest thing to a regular-guy send-off Gandolfini could have ever asked for.
27 June 2013Last updated at 11:45 ETBy Jonathan AmosScience correspondent, BBC News, Toulouse
The European Space Agency (Esa) has appointed Thales Alenia Space (TAS) of Italy to lead the construction of its "dark explorer", Euclid.
The organisation's Industrial Policy Committee has approved the issuing of a contract worth 322m euros (?275m).
Euclid will launch in 2020 and look deep into the cosmos for clues to the nature of dark energy and dark matter.
These phenomena dominate the Universe, and yet scientists concede they know virtually nothing about them.
"Euclid will be so impressive; it will be a cosmologist's dream, and we are making it happen step by step," Prof Alvaro Gimenez, Esa's director of science, told BBC News.
The TAS contract, which will be signed in the coming weeks, completes the sourcing of the two major elements that make up Euclid.
A contract to build the payload module, which will hold the 1.2m telescope and two instruments, has already been awarded to Europe's other big space company, Astrium.
Its value, some 72m euros, will come out of the global sum that will now go to TAS as prime contractor.
Thales Alenia's job will be to direct the industrial project, constructing the spacecraft's basic structure and then integrating all other parts.
As is often the case with Esa science missions, the instruments will be delivered direct, and paid for, by individual member states.
Euclid will make its observations using a visible-light camera from the UK and a near-infrared camera/spectrometer from France.
The latter needs special detectors that will be acquired from a US specialist, Teledyne.
"As you know, we will be paying for the development of the infrared detectors but it is Nasa who will pay for the flight models," said Prof Gimenez.
By picking up this bill, in the region of 30m euros, the US space agency is effectively buying positions in the Euclid science consortium for 40 American researchers.
Distorted view
Dark energy and dark matter are two of the most pressing problems in science.
Continue reading the main story
Dark energy and dark matter mysteries
Gravity acting across vast distances does not seem to explain what astronomers see
Galaxies, for example, should fly apart; some other mass must be there holding them together
Astrophysicists have thus postulated "dark matter" - invisible to us but clearly acting on galactic scales
At the greatest distances, the Universe's expansion is accelerating
Thus we have also "dark energy" which acts to drive the expansion, in opposition to gravity
The current theory holds that 68% of the Universe is dark energy, 27% is dark matter, and just 5% the kind of matter we know well
Together, they account for about 95% of the energy density in the cosmos, but researchers are nowhere near a description for either.
Dark energy is the name given to the "force" that appears to be driving the Universe apart at an accelerating rate.
Dark matter is the extra material that is unseen but which astronomers know to be there because of its gravitational effects on the matter we can observe. Galaxies, for example, could not hold their shape were it not for the presence of some additional "scaffolding".
Euclid will try to plot dark matter's distribution by looking for the subtle way its mass distorts the light coming from distant galaxies. It will do this over a third of the sky.
The mission will go after dark energy by mapping the three-dimensional distribution of galaxies. The patterns in the great voids that exist between these objects can be used as a kind of "yardstick" to measure the expansion through time.
Ground-based surveys have done this for small volumes of the sky; Euclid however will measure the precise positions of some two billion galaxies out to about 10 billion light-years from Earth.
And American involvement raises the prospect of an additional method being used to study dark energy. Many US scientists have used exploding stars, or supernovae, as the distance measure instead of galaxies. Euclid would be well equipped to try this approach also.
"It could happen. It would be a bonus, but first we intend to measure the galaxies to get at dark energy," Prof Gimenez told BBC News.
Euclid will launch on a Soyuz rocket and make its observations at a position about 1.5 million km from Earth.
Esa expects its total expenditure over the lifetime of the project to be just over 600m euros.
Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk and follow me on Twitter: @BBCAmos
It was about 20 years ago that Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce launched its Aeroplan credit card, the country?s first air flight rewards card, which quickly became a money spinner.
Now Toronto-Dominion Bank is looking to grab that franchise. Canada?s second biggest bank and Amia Inc., owner of the Aeroplan loyalty program, on Thursday announced a deal under which TD would replace CIBC as the primary issuer of Aeroplan credit cards.
The current agreement which expires at the end of the year gives CIBC the right of first refusal, or the ability to match any competing offers. But according to Amia and TD, that right expires August 9, so the clock is ticking.
Brad Smith, an analyst at Stonecap Securities, argues that much hangs in the balance.
?While CIBC has provided little information regarding the potential impact of this agreement on its domestic banking business, and has not confirmed whether it intends to exercise its right of first refusal? the loss of the Aeroplan arrangement would in our view come at a very unfortunate juncture for CIBC,? Mr. Smith said in a note to clients.
Canada?s fifth largest bank signaled back in May that the deal was coming up for renewal, so none of this is a complete surprise.
But observers speculate that even if CIBC manages to out-bid its rival, it may still end up with a less preferential agreement.
According to National Bank Financial analyst Peter Routledge, up to now CIBC has enjoyed a ?pretty sweet deal? with Amia, primarily because of the low price the bank had to pay for loyalty rewards, significantly under the market rate.
?We suspect the cost/point issue constituted a major sticking point in the negotiations between CIBC and Amia,? Mr. Routledge said in a research note.
According to Mr. Routledge, the proposed agreement with TD would resolve the problem at least from Amia?s perspective by boosting the price of reward miles.
CIBC could come back with a better offer but it would still be paying more than it is now. (In a statement on Thursday afternoon, the bank reiterated its position that it was not properly notified of the TD offer. ?[W]e have concluded that the notice and document provided by Amia to CIBC appears to have been intentionally structured in a way that attempts to nullify CIBC?s right of first refusal and any ability to match,? it said.)
But here?s another view. Back in the early days of the Aeroplan deal it was a lucrative arrangement for the bank, but since then the other major banks have come out with their own air flight rewards programs, some created in-house, others through tie-ups with Amia competitors. Even CIBC now has a non-Aeroplan flight rewards card.
Bottom line: The flight rewards business has been commoditized, and as a result the once-pioneering arrangement has lost at least some of its value.
No slouch when it comes to deals of this sort, TD is putting a lot on the line. But maybe that?s more an indication of the tooth-and-nail competition in the current retail banking environment than anything else.
And sometimes, when it feels like it?s 100 degrees and you?re sweltering in line, you need more than a cold drink. You need a frozen drink!
Fortunately, there are lots of palate-pleasing options found in all corners of Disney World. And we?ve got great options whether you?d like to go alocholic or non-alcoholic! Refreshment is just a menu choice away?
Today, we?re taking a closer look at our very favorites!
Frozen Lemonade
Sweet-tart and chilly, Frozen Lemonade calls to mind seaside treats from our favorite resort towns. And there?s nothing like it for reviving you on a super hot, sticky Florida day.
The secret is in the balance. A too-sweet treat can leave you feeling not so great while you?re standing in the bright sun. That little kick of sour rounds out the flavors and makes the beverage a true refresher.
Raspberry Lemonade Slush at Magic Kingdom
If you?re a lover of frozen lemonade, I have great news for you: there are tons of different varieties to try around the parks and resorts! You could make your own personal frozen lemonade crawl. (Hey! That?s a great idea?)
One of our favorites is the Raspberry Lemonade Slush that you find at Magic Kingdom?s Cheshire Cafe, located on the outskirts of Fantasyland. You can find a similar drink across the castle hub at Sunshine Tree Terrace in Adventureland. And if you?re looking for frozen lemonade in Disney?s Hollywood Studios, you can find an awesome, slurpee-type version at Herbie?s Drive-In.
If you prefer your frozen lemonade with a little kick, one of our favorite adult versions is available at Animal Kingdom?s Dino Diner Snacks. The Frozen Bacardi Raspberry Rum Lemonade has been inspiring random cravings for me ever since I tried it.
Frozen Bacardi Raspberry Rum Lemonade at Animal Kingdom's Dino Diner
Check out other locations to score frozen lemonade slushes when you?re parched in the parks.
Dole Whip Float
Part beverage, part Dole Whip soft serve, this is one of Disney?s classic must-eat treats! The Dole Whip Float combines sweet-tart soft serve pineapple goodness with pineapple juice to provide one of the most refreshing icy drinks in the Kingdom.
Breakfast of Champions!
You CAN get this with vanilla or orange dole whip as well ? either choice will cut the tartness a bit. But I prefer pineapple-on-pineapple, myself! Find this great treat at Aloha Isle in Magic Kingdom?s Adventureland.
Ice Cream Martinis
Looking for a new entry on your Drinking Around the World card? THE newest frozen drink concoction in Disney World can be found ? where else? ? World Showcase!
Head to Epcot?s newest eatery, L?Artisan des Glaces in the France Pavilion for the beautiful and crave-inspiring Ice Cream Martini.
Ice Cream Martini from L'Artisan des Glaces in Epcot's France Pavilion
The drink-sundae fusion is made by combining two scoops of Housemade Ice Cream or Sorbet with a shot of Grand Marnier, Rum, or Whipped Cream-Flavored Vodka. It?s the perfect grown up ice cream indulgence!
Grey Goose and Grand Marnier Slushes
Another classic indulgence in the quest for frozen drink goodness ALSO comes to you courtesy of the France Pavilion in Epcot. This list would not be complete without a stop at the Vins de France kiosk for a Grown Up Slush, featuring premium French liquors.
You can choose from a tart lemon Grey Goose Slush, or take it one step sweeter with an orange Grand Marnier Slush.
Grand Marnier and Grey Goose Slushes in Epcot's France Pavilion
With a slushie consistency that will melt fast if you let it, this is the perfect way to cool off as you make your trip through the countries of World Showcase.
And since Epcot is Festival Central, there are also usually some fun Special Event Slushes during events too! If you happen to be in the World during the Epcot Food and Wine Festival in the fall or the Flower and Garden Festival in the spring, you may just happen upon some other delicious, limited-time options!
Due back at the 2013 Epcot Food and Wine Festival is the Eiffel Sour Cosmo Slush. It features Grey Goose Vodka, Grand Marnier Liqueur, and Cranberry Juice in a bright red concoction that is sure to grab attention as you stroll and sip.
Eiffel Sour Slush at Epcot's International Food and Wine Festival
Not to be outdone, the L?Orangerie Booth at Epcot?s 2013 International Flower and Garden Festival featured a gorgeous La Vie en Rose Slush made with Grey Goose and St. Germain liqueur, combined with White and Red Cranberry Juices.
La Vie en Rose Frozen Slush at Epcot
Whatever is available, you can be sure that there are some memorable options to add to the frozen drink list as you pass by the Eiffel Tower!
Milkshakes
You can?t talk frozen drinks without discussing the original that started it all ? Milkshakes!
While strolling around the park with a milkshake might not immediately leap to mind, there are some really delicious options for the creamy drink throughout the resort.
For milkshake lovers who can?t have just one, there?s no better place to be than Whispering Canyon Cafe at Disney?s Wilderness Lodge. Many things make this an awesome stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner, but one of the most delicious reasons to go there is their Bottomless Milkshake.
Bottomless Milkshake at Whispering Canyon Cafe
Yep, you read that right! Order your choice of Vanilla, Chocolate, or Strawberry, and your jelly jar glass will be replenished throughout your entire meal ? which means you don?t have to save room for dessert!
Many guests also clamor for the milkshakes at 50s Prime Time Cafe in Disney?s Hollywood Studios. And the favorite here, hands down, is the PB&J Milkshake.
PB and J Milkshake at 50s Prime Time
And if you really love that PB&J Milkshake, you can make it at home with our delicious recipe! And here?s a TIP: If you?re in the parks and don?t have time for an advance dining reservation, you can get it take-away from the Tune In Lounge!
If PB&J Shakes are a theme you?d like to expand on, there?s another fantastic version at The Fountain. Located a stone?s throw from both Epcot and Disney?s Hollywood Studios at the Swan and Dolphin Resort, this fun soda shop offers up a host of comfort food favorites. But the real reason to visit is the incredible dessert menu.
While my favorite is the Apple Pie Sundae, be sure to check out the gorgeous PB&J Milkshake here, too.
PB and J Milkshake at The Fountain
With lots of peanut butter flavor and ribbons of strawberry sauce, it?s a winner!
Another favorite fun spot for a frozen refresher is Beaches and Cream Soda Shop at Disney?s Beach Club Resort. While we normally head here for my favorite sundae ? the uber fabulous No Way Jose ? they also have some great shakes and malts. And one fun variation on the shake theme is the Frozen Sunshine.
Frozen Sunshine at Beaches and Cream
A cross between an ice cream soda and a milkshake, this slightly lighter option will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to hit the slide at Stormalong Bay!
Wheezy?s Breezy Freezy
When you want a frozen drink that?s as fun to say as it is to drink, head to Disney?s Hollywood Studios for a Wheezy?s Breezy Freezy.
You?ll find these chilly coolers at Hey Howdy Hey Takeaway (love LOVE that name!) in Pixar Place.
Wheezy's Breezy Freezy in Wild Cherry
The little kiosk has an assortment of standard Disney snack fare, but the real draw are the fun drinks.
Choose from Watermelon, Coke, Wild Cherry, or Lemonade (flavors may vary on your visit), and enjoy slurping away as you wait in line for your turn at Toy Story Mania!
Goofy?s Glaciers
For frozen drinks with lots of variety (you can even mix them!) you should try out Goofy?s Glaciers.
Head to Big Top Treats in Magic Kingdom?s New Fantasyland, or Goofy?s Candy Company in Downtown Disney for these brightly-colored beverages.
Goofy's Glacier Combo at Big Top Treats
Less icee and more slushie, they?re more liquidy than some slushes, which means you have a better drink to ice ratio?a very important detail.
And there?s no end to the fun flavors you?ll find! Goofy?s Glacier Apple, Pucker Purple, Rootin? Tootin? Red, Orange You Happy Orange, and my favorite, Gawrshly Berry Blue, mean you?ll be smiling as you order and when you drink!
Yak Attack
Time to take a look at another deelicious drink just for the grown ups.
One of my absolute favorite spots in all of Disney World is Asia in Disney?s Animal Kingdom. Maybe it?s the lush landscape, or the fact that Florida?s humidity really could make you think you?re in an exotic locale. But when I?m thirsty and ready to indulge in something extra delicious, I head to Anandapur Local Food Cafes, Yak and Yeti?s counter service spot.
Quality Beverages
There, around the corner from the main ordering area, you?ll find a quiet little drink counter, featuring some amazing ?Quality Beverages.? True enough! And my favorite is the Yak Attack.
Yak Attack from Anandapur Local Food Cafes in Disney's Animal Kingdom
Slightly odd name notwithstanding?this is pure amazing. Mango Puree, Light Rum, and a contrast of Wildberry work together to form a sweet and sour drink that I can?t resist. And it?s got more of a punch than you realize ? until you stand up!
You can also find this awesome frozen drink at Yak and Yeti Restaurant.
LeFou?s Brew
One cool new frozen drink to savor in Magic Kingdom is LeFou?s Brew at Gaston?s Tavern.
Gaston's Tavern -- Magic Kingdom's New Fantasyland
This beautiful drink ? really, check out that picture! ? is the almost-dry park?s answer to ?brew?.
LeFou's Brew from Gaston's Tavern in Magic Kingdom's New Fantasyland
Made from No-Sugar-Added Frozen Apple Juice with just a hint of Marshmallow Syrup, and topped with a Mango-Passionfruit Foam, guests either love it or hate it.
Many liken it to a liquid version of a caramel apple. And don?t fear: if you?re looking for LeFou?s Brew in Disneyland, head over to Disney California Adventure and order a Red?s Apple Freeze at the Cozy Cone Motel. It?s the exact same drink with a different theme!
Frozen Margaritas
When your tastes run to frozen drinks made with a helping of tequila, there are lots of great options for you. But when I?m in Epcot and I?m craving a margarita, I head to the Mexico Pavilion in Epcot?s World Showcase.
Mexico Pavilion
There, you?ll find the awesome frozen margaritas at La Cava del Tequila ? one of our favorite Disney watering holes. Choose from a variety of flavors and drink them at La Cava ? or get one to go.
Avocado Margarita in Epcot's Mexico
Also in Mexico you?ll find the ubiquitous Frozen Margarita at the Mexico Pavilion Margarita Stand. This is your typical mix that packs a punch!
Strawberry Frozen Margarita from Mexico's Margarita Stand
These aren?t gourmet by any stretch; but they are fruity and sweet, and strong! If you?re looking for a drink that you?ll feel as well as taste, this one?s a safe bet. And with options like Lime, Strawberry, and Mango (and usually some other interesting choices), you?re sure to find a variety you like.
But for a fun twist on a frozen margarita, check out one of my favorites at Disney, the Mangled Margarita. A swirled mix of Frozen Margarita and Frozen Sangria, this is a completely unique drink, and it?s great for sipping while sitting waterside at Downtown Disney.
Mangled Margarita at Paradiso 37
You?ll find this gorgeous drink at Paradiso 37, along with some of the best tapas and appetizers (Crazy Corn!) to go with it. With its Latin American-inspired menu, it?s one of my favorite places to grab drinks and apps in all of the resort.
Another must-try frozen margarita is the Triple Yeti Blast in Disney World?s Animal Kingdom. This one combines three great flavors ? strawberry, lime, and mango ? to form a triple threat!
Triple Yeti Blast
You?ll find this sweet-tart option at Upcountry Beverages, a tiny kiosk tucked into the brush between Asia and Africa in the Animal Kingdom. This spot also features the non-alcoholic-but-awesome Shangri La Berry Freeze!
What Are YOUR Favorite Icy Drinks in Disney World?
That about does it for our very favorite frozen drinks! Whew ? brain freeze! These coolers are the perfect way to beat the heat on a steamy Disney day! But I can?t wait to hear what you?ve found on your travels!
Now it?s your turn: tell us in the comments below what your not-to-be-missed frozen Disney drinks are!
MONTREAL - Why are there going to be Downton Abbey-branded wines? Because the world is full of suckers.
A big Bordeaux producer, Dulong Grands Vins, will make the stuff for Wines That Rock, a U.S. marketer. ?These are wines the Crawley family would have been proud to serve at Downton,? WTR co-owner Bill Zysblat told thedrinksbusiness.com, keeping a straight face all the while.
By coincidence, Paul Giamatti is about to join the Downton cast. You?ll recall that Giamatti made his name in the 2004 wine-centric movie Sideways.
Downton Abbey red and white wines are to be sold in the U.S. and Canada, although I won?t hold my breath until the SAQ lists it.
- - -
In Dallas, a white suit once owned by Col. Harland Sanders, founder of Kentucky Fried Chicken, has fetched $21,500 at an auction. The buyer was KFC Japan?s president, Masao (Charlie) Watanabe.
The suit came with a certificate of provenance: Sanders gave it to a friend, about 35 years ago, to wear as a Halloween costume.
Sanders ? who was once in the U.S. army but was never an officer ? died in 1980, at age 90.
- - -
Quote of the day: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, 52, tells Health mag about appearance and aging:
?Getting older, it?s like, ?Yeah, this is who I am, (bad word) off,? as opposed to, ?This is who I am, I?m sorry.?
?You know, there?s something about getting older and owning who you are that is a good thing.?
- - -
Model/entrepreneur/TV host Heidi Klum broke up with singer Seal in January 2012. Now she?s undergoing removal of the tattoo she got to feel closer to him.
It?s an abstract design ? she said something about initials, but it looks random to me ? on the inside of her right arm, below the elbow.
People mag noted that recent photos show the marking has faded away; they asked, and sure enough, she?s having it erased.
- - -
How the movie business works: In 2008, Liam Neeson made a movie called Taken ? ex-CIA man?s daughter gets kidnapped and sold into sex slavery, and he gets her back the hard way.
Personally, I?d rather watch paint dry, but the picture cost $25 million and grossed 11 times that amount. Neeson, who has some pride, didn?t want to do a sequel, but 20th Century Fox and something called EuropaCorp offered him 15 million good reasons; he did it, and that picture, on a $45 million budget, grossed $376 million, well more than the first one.
Who among us will be surprised to learn that Neeson wants more money to do it again? He got it, too: Deadline.com reports that he will accept $20 million for No. 3. Famke Janssen and Maggie Grace still need to be re-signed, but that will happen, Deadline suggests.
- - -
So, Armie Hammer, what was it like working with Johnny Depp on this Lone Ranger movie? That?s what Hollywoodlife.com asked the actor. His answer: ?Terrible! Hated it, hate him and never want to see him again in my life!?
Then, perhaps fearing Depp is irony-impaired, Hammer added this: ?No, it was great!?
WASHINGTON (AP) ? In a historic victory for gay rights, the Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a provision of a federal law denying federal benefits to married gay couples and cleared the way for the resumption of same-sex marriage in California.
The justices issued two 5-4 rulings in their final session of the term. One decision wiped away part of a federal anti-gay marriage law that has kept legally married same-sex couples from receiving tax, health and pension benefits.
The other was a technical ruling that said nothing at all about same-sex marriage, but left in place a trial court's declaration that California's Proposition 8 is unconstitutional. Gov. Jerry Brown quickly ordered that marriage licenses be issued to gay couples as soon as a federal appeals court lifts its hold on the lower court ruling, possibly next month.
In neither case did the court make a sweeping statement, either in favor of or against same-sex marriage. And in a sign that neither victory was complete for gay rights, the high court said nothing about the validity of gay marriage bans in California and roughly three dozen other states. A separate provision of the federal marriage law that allows a state to not recognize a same-sex union from elsewhere remains in place.
President Barack Obama praised the court's ruling on the federal marriage act, which he labeled "discrimination enshrined in law."
"It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people," Obama said in a statement. "The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it."
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said he was disappointed in the outcome of the federal marriage case and hoped states continue to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman.
The ruling in the California case was not along ideological lines. Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, joined by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Elena Kagan and Antonin Scalia.
"We have no authority to decide this case on the merits, and neither did the 9th Circuit," Roberts said, referring to the federal appeals court that also struck down Proposition 8.
In the case involving the federal Defense of Marriage Act, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, joined by the court's liberal justices.
"Under DOMA, same-sex married couples have their lives burdened, by reason of government decree, in visible and public ways," Kennedy said.
"DOMA's principal effect is to identify a subset of state-sanctioned marriages and make them unequal," he said.
Some in the crowd outside the court hugged and others jumped up and down just after 10 a.m. EDT Wednesday when the DOMA decision was announced. Many people were on their cell phones monitoring Twitter, news sites and blogs for word of the decision. And there were cheers as runners came down the steps with the decision in hand and turned them over to reporters who quickly flipped through the decisions.
Chants of "Thank you" and "USA" came from the crowd as plaintiffs in the cases descended the court's marbled steps. Most of those in the crowd appeared to support gay marriage, although there was at least one man who held a sign promoting marriage as between a man and a woman.
Kennedy was joined in the DOMA decision by the court's four liberal justices.
Chief Justice John Roberts, Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, and Scalia dissented.
Same-sex marriage has been adopted by 12 states and the District of Columbia. Another 18,000 couples were married in California during a brief period when same-sex unions were legal there.
The outcome is clear for people who were married and live in states that allow same-sex marriage. They now are eligible for federal benefits.
The picture is more complicated for same-sex couples who traveled to another state to get married, or who have moved from a gay marriage state since being wed.
Their eligibility depends on the benefits they are seeking. For instance, immigration law focuses on where people were married, not where they live. But eligibility for Social Security survivor benefits basically depends on where a couple is living when a spouse dies.
The rulings came 10 years to the day after the court's Lawrence v. Texas decision that struck down state bans on gay sex. In his dissent at the time, Scalia predicted the ruling would lead to same-sex marriage.
Massachusetts was the first state to allow gay couples to marry, in 2004. When same-sex unions resume in California, there will be 13 states representing 30 percent of the U.S. population where gay marriage is legal.
The other 11 are Connecticut, Delaware, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington.
Outside the court, gay marriage proponents celebrated both wins.
May the marriages begin," said the Human Rights Campaign's Chad Griffin, who helped spearhead the lawsuit challenging Proposition 8. The two same-sex couples who sued for the right to marry also were at the court Wednesday.
In New York City's Greenwich Village, the Stonewall Inn, where a riot in 1969 sparked the gay rights movement, erupted in cheers and whooping.
Mary Jo Kennedy, 58 was there with her wife Jo-Ann Shain, 60, and their daughter Aliya Shain, 25.
She came with a sign that could be flipped either way and was holding up the side that says "SCOTUS made our family legal".
They have been together 31 years and got married day it became legal in New York.
The broadest possible ruling would have given gay Americans the same constitutional right to marry as heterosexuals. The justices said nothing on that topic in either case.
The decisions Wednesday have no effect on the roughly three dozen states that do not allow same-sex marriage, including 29 that have enshrined the bans in their constitutions.
The federal marriage law, known by its acronym DOMA, had been struck down by several federal courts.
The justices chose for their review the case of 84-year-old Edith Windsor of New York, who sued to challenge a $363,000 federal estate tax bill after her partner of 44 years died in 2009.
Windsor, who goes by Edie, married Thea Spyer in 2007 after doctors told them Spyer would not live much longer. She suffered from multiple sclerosis for many years. Spyer left everything she had to Windsor.
Windsor would have paid nothing in inheritance taxes if she had been married to a man. And now she is eligible for a refund.
___
Associated Press writers Connie Cass, Jessica Gresko and Bethan McKernan contributed to this report. McKernan reported from New York.
VIENNA (AP) ? VIENNA ? The U.N. drug control agency on Wednesday sounded the alarm on the spread of designer drugs, which are sold openly and legally and sometimes result in deadly highs, while reporting that global drug use generally remains stable.
Such substances "can be far more dangerous than traditional drugs," the agency said in a statement accompanying its annual report. "Street names, such as 'spice,' 'meow-meow' and 'bath salts' mislead young people into believing that they are indulging in low-risk fun."
A six-page summary of the report by the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime warned that "the international drug control system is foundering, for the first time, under the speed and creativity" of their proliferation.
It said countries worldwide reported 251 such substances by mid-2012, compared with 166 at the end of 2009. The problem, said the report, is "hydra-headed" in that as fast as governments ban the drugs, manufacturers produce new variants.
Nearly 5 percent of European Union residents aged between 15 and 24 have already experimented with such drugs, said the report.
In the United States, 158 kinds of synthetic drugs were circulating during 2012, more than twice as many as in the EU, and use was growing in East and Southeast Asia, including China, Indonesia, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
Gil Kerlikowske, director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy, said the United States faces "continuing challenges with prescription drug abuse and new synthetic drugs." But he also noted successes, telling participants meeting in Vienna for the report's launch that U.S. cocaine use has decreased by 50 percent since 2006.
In a statement accompanying the organization's 151-page report, UNODC head Yury Fedotov said that while drug use and production overall appears to be stable in recent years, illicit drug consumption still kills around 200,000 people each year.
However, the office lowered its estimate of the number of people injecting drugs and those living with the HIV virus worldwide because of such injections.
It said 14 million people between the ages of 16 and 65 inject drugs and of those, 1.6 million have the virus as a result of such injections ? 12 percent and 46 percent less respectively than last estimated five years ago.
In other findings, the agency reported:
? heroin and opium use remains steady at around 16.4 million people, or 0.4 percent of the world's adult population.
?heroin use appears to be declining in Europe, with users aging and because of more efficient drug seizures.
?cocaine use, although still rare, appears to be growing in China and Hong Kong as shown by seizures of the drug, apparently reflecting the growth of a more affluent society.
?U.S. cocaine use fell by 40 percent between 2006 and 2011, due in part to less production in Colombia, more efficient law enforcement and disruptive turf wars among drug cartels.
?seizures of "amphetamine-type" drugs rose by 66 percent in 2011 compared with the year before, to 123 tons.
?the use of "ecstasy," one such drug, is declining globally but appears to be growing in Europe.
For youtube videos, paste embed code directly in the text box
-
Members do not need to provide an address
-
Rate Article
1
2
3
4
5
Total votes: 0
Select Comment Validation Method Member Name/URL (Guest) FaceBook (Guest) Member Commenting:
Authenticate with Facebook before submitting
OR
Make your LabSpaces comments count. Start earning LabSpaces points by becoming a member! Learn more. Please verify that you are human:Register for LabSpaces Make your LabSpaces comments count. Start earning LabSpaces points by becoming a member! Learn more.
Please authenticate before trying to post a comment.
If you would like to remain anonymous, please enter a new name and link below
1 in 10 female German or British tourists holidaying in southern Europe suffers sexual harassmentPublic release date: 24-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Press Office info@agenciasinc.es 34-914-251-820 FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology
The European Institute of Studies on Prevention (Irefrea) surveyed more than 6,000 people in various airports in Mediterranean countries during summer 2009 to find out the levels of harassment and sex against one's will that had occurred. According to the experts, one in ten female English or German tourists has fallen victim to these practices while on holiday in southern Europe, as well as one in 15 males, as published in the journal 'Archives of Sexual Behavior'.
An international team of researchers, led by Amador Calafat from the European Insitute of Studies on Prevention (Irefrea), surveyed 6,502 people in different airports across southern Europe (Crete, Cyprus, Italy, Portugal and Spain). Those surveyed were young people between the ages of 16 and 35, who had visited tourist hotspots in summer 2009 and were returning home. The aim of the survey was to discover the levels of sexual harassment and sex against one's will suffered by these tourists. Their study is published in the journal 'Archives of Sexual Behavior'.
"In this article we have gone into detail with a broad sample on an issue that receives little attention in tourist environments: sexual harassment and sex against one's will. Research was conducted on English and German tourists because they are the most frequent visitors to southern Europe and it is easier to obtain results," Amador Calafat, the Irefrea researcher leading the study, informs SINC.
Despite the known increase in substance use and risky sexual behaviours among young people during holiday periods, issues of sexual harassment and sex against one's will have not received adequate attention, according to the researchers.
The results of the study show that 8.6% of people suffered sexual harassment during their holidays and 1.5% suffered sex against their will. "2.4 times as many women as heterosexual men claimed to have suffered from sexual harassment. However, gay and bisexual men showed similar levels to women and high levels of sex against their will," the expert notes.
Predictor variables for risk
The researchers applied different variables to predict the risk of falling victim to one of the two behaviours studied. "With regard to sexual harassment, those who claimed to have suffered these practices the most were tourists who were visiting Mallorca and Crete, young, British, gay or bisexual, frequent drinkers or attracted to bars where people get drunk, or cocaine consumers," Calafat highlights.
"We're not talking about casual sex, but rather issues that show a correlation, so we must continue researching," the scientist explains.
The Spanish group Irefrea has led various European projects and participated in others on the subjects of violence, driving, sexual behaviour, drunkenness, drug use, differences between countries, management of venues that have an influence on drunkenness and violence, etc., and has prepared Health and Safety European Standards for nightlife venues.
"The first preventive measure is to be aware that these problems exist, since we tend to always think positively about holidays. There are measures that depend on tourist destinations, which are often promoted as places with a high level of sexual permissiveness and advertise cheap alcohol. The venues themselves can also avoid these situations by adopting good management in accordance with already established standards," Calafat explains.
###
The article is part of a long series of publications on nightlife issues that Irefrea has been publishing in recent years.
References:
Amador Calafat, Karen Hughes, Nicole Blay, Mark A. Bellis, Fernando Mendes, Montse Juan, Philip Lazarov, Barbara Cibin, et al. "Sexual Harassment among Young Tourists Visiting Mediterranean Resorts" Archives of Sexual Behavior 42: 603-613, 2013. DOI 10.1007/s10508-012-9979-6
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
1 in 10 female German or British tourists holidaying in southern Europe suffers sexual harassmentPublic release date: 24-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Press Office info@agenciasinc.es 34-914-251-820 FECYT - Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology
The European Institute of Studies on Prevention (Irefrea) surveyed more than 6,000 people in various airports in Mediterranean countries during summer 2009 to find out the levels of harassment and sex against one's will that had occurred. According to the experts, one in ten female English or German tourists has fallen victim to these practices while on holiday in southern Europe, as well as one in 15 males, as published in the journal 'Archives of Sexual Behavior'.
An international team of researchers, led by Amador Calafat from the European Insitute of Studies on Prevention (Irefrea), surveyed 6,502 people in different airports across southern Europe (Crete, Cyprus, Italy, Portugal and Spain). Those surveyed were young people between the ages of 16 and 35, who had visited tourist hotspots in summer 2009 and were returning home. The aim of the survey was to discover the levels of sexual harassment and sex against one's will suffered by these tourists. Their study is published in the journal 'Archives of Sexual Behavior'.
"In this article we have gone into detail with a broad sample on an issue that receives little attention in tourist environments: sexual harassment and sex against one's will. Research was conducted on English and German tourists because they are the most frequent visitors to southern Europe and it is easier to obtain results," Amador Calafat, the Irefrea researcher leading the study, informs SINC.
Despite the known increase in substance use and risky sexual behaviours among young people during holiday periods, issues of sexual harassment and sex against one's will have not received adequate attention, according to the researchers.
The results of the study show that 8.6% of people suffered sexual harassment during their holidays and 1.5% suffered sex against their will. "2.4 times as many women as heterosexual men claimed to have suffered from sexual harassment. However, gay and bisexual men showed similar levels to women and high levels of sex against their will," the expert notes.
Predictor variables for risk
The researchers applied different variables to predict the risk of falling victim to one of the two behaviours studied. "With regard to sexual harassment, those who claimed to have suffered these practices the most were tourists who were visiting Mallorca and Crete, young, British, gay or bisexual, frequent drinkers or attracted to bars where people get drunk, or cocaine consumers," Calafat highlights.
"We're not talking about casual sex, but rather issues that show a correlation, so we must continue researching," the scientist explains.
The Spanish group Irefrea has led various European projects and participated in others on the subjects of violence, driving, sexual behaviour, drunkenness, drug use, differences between countries, management of venues that have an influence on drunkenness and violence, etc., and has prepared Health and Safety European Standards for nightlife venues.
"The first preventive measure is to be aware that these problems exist, since we tend to always think positively about holidays. There are measures that depend on tourist destinations, which are often promoted as places with a high level of sexual permissiveness and advertise cheap alcohol. The venues themselves can also avoid these situations by adopting good management in accordance with already established standards," Calafat explains.
###
The article is part of a long series of publications on nightlife issues that Irefrea has been publishing in recent years.
References:
Amador Calafat, Karen Hughes, Nicole Blay, Mark A. Bellis, Fernando Mendes, Montse Juan, Philip Lazarov, Barbara Cibin, et al. "Sexual Harassment among Young Tourists Visiting Mediterranean Resorts" Archives of Sexual Behavior 42: 603-613, 2013. DOI 10.1007/s10508-012-9979-6
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Make your LabSpaces comments count. Start earning LabSpaces points by becoming a member! Learn more. 
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 24-Jun-2013
Share ]