American Airlines to offer Samsung Galaxy tablet as in-flight entertainment

In-flight movies and music aren’t enough to relieve the boredom of long flights? American Airlines is offering passengers the use of the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1″ tablet. AA isn’t the first to offer a tablet computer to customers, as Australian airline Jetstar has been letting customers use iPads since last June, for a $10 (Australian) fee. AA will offer their tablets for free … for business class or first class travelers. It’s not clear whether or not unwashed peons will have to cough up money for the privilege.

North Korea wants YOU as a tourist!

North Korea must be desperate for money. They’ve seized South Korean assets, and now they’ve put out a full-page advertisement in Time Out New York‘s back cover in an attempt to lure tourists. (Be very sure not to enter illegally.) Here’s one quote that they included:

“An eye-opening experience” — Anderson Cooper, CNN

A lie of omission. Here’s the full quote:

“Watching 5-year-old children being forced to battle feral dog packs for scraps to eat in Pyongyang garbage heaps was an eye-opening experience. Particularly the local police placing bets… On the dogs!”

Of course, you won’t see the gulags where they imprison entire families and murder half-Chinese babies.

But you don’t need to go there (and line Kim Jong-il’s pockets). Just watch Vice Guides series of videos which they made when they went there (and pissed off some of their handlers in the process).

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

The videos are also on YouTube, but in 14 parts. Here’s Part One (use the search function to find the others).

Visitors to Korea will be required to give fingerprints

Possibly as early as this summer, all visitors to Korea will have to submit their fingerprints.

Foreigners who enter Korea will have their fingerprints registered from July at the earliest, the Justice Ministry said yesterday.

At a meeting of the heads of organizations on entry to and from the country, the ministry said, “At a time when the number of foreign residents and visitors has exceeded 1.16 million, the establishment of a system to prevent foreign crimes is needed.”

“It’s assumed that about 2,000 foreigners enter Korea every year with forged passports.”

(source)

Hmmm … I wonder who those people with forged passports could be?

Learn about temple stays

Here’s an article about temple stays in Korea.