Guinea pigs are adorable little animals that make great pets. They can overheat easily, though,^[1] and become very sick. An overheated guinea pig needs to be treated by a veterinarian right away, so it will be important for you to recognize when your guinea pig is too hot and get him the care he needs as soon as possible.

EditSteps

EditGiving Your Overheated Guinea Pig First Aid

1. Recognize the signs of heatstroke. Your guinea pig’s small size increases his risk of heatstroke. When the outside temperature reaches at least 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius) and the humidity is high, he may be at even higher risk of overheating.^[2] Knowing what your guinea pig will look like when he is overheating will help you jump into action and get him the care he needs.
   • Guinea pigs suffering from heatstroke will have trouble breathing, have a bright red tongue, and start slobbering (‘wet chin’). They will also become very weak, look depressed, and maybe even start convulsing.^[3]
   • An overheated guinea pig can die if not treated quickly, so you need to be quick with noticing when he needs to cool down.^[4]
2. Call your veterinarian. Your veterinarian should know when your guinea pig is overheating.^[5] When you call, give the veterinary team as much information as you can about your guinea pig, such as how long he was outside, when you noticed he was overheating, and how he looks now. Calling your veterinarian will also let him or her know that you will be coming in with an emergency case.
3. Remove your guinea pig from the hot area. Take your guinea pig to a cool part of your house and start giving him first aid.^[6] Guinea pigs are not able to cool off by sweating or panting,^[7] so your guinea pig will not be able to cool off on his own.
4. Cool down your guinea pig. You may be scared at how sick your guinea pig looks, but he will need you to stay calm and act quickly to help him feel better. Get a bowl and fill it with about an inch and a half (four centimeters) of lukewarm water. Place your guinea pig’s feet in the water for about 10 minutes, letting him stand if he is strong enough to do so.^[8]
   • Continue to hold him if he is not able to stand on his own.
   • If you do not have a bowl nearby, put the same amount of water in a sink and place your guinea pig's feet in the sink.^[9]
   • It is very important that the water is lukewarm. Cold water could cool your guinea pig down too rapidly and cause him to go into shock.^[10]
   • Slowly dampen the rest of your guinea pig’s body (e.g., ears, abdomen) with the water.^[11] Do not submerse him completely in the water—this could also cause him to go into shock.^[12]
5. Do not give fluids to your guinea pig. Heatstroke plus dehydration equals a very sick guinea pig and trying to rehydrate him on your own could make him even sicker.^[13] For example, if he is having trouble breathing, he could accidentally inhale the liquid into his lungs. However, if the guinea pig is conscious offer him water to drink.
   • Leave the task of rehydrating your guinea pig to your veterinarian.
6. Take your guinea pig to your veterinarian. Your guinea pig will be very sick from overheating, so he will need treatment from your veterinarian as soon as possible. To keep him cool on your way to the veterinarian’s office, place him on a cool, damp towel.^[14]
   
   • Dampen the towel with the same lukewarm water from the bowl or sink. You can also wrap your guinea pig in the towel.^[15]
   • Turn on the air conditioning (AC) in your car. You could roll down the windows if the AC isn’t working, but this may not let in enough cool to air to keep your guinea pig cooled down.^[16]
   • Your veterinarian will continue to give your guinea pig first aid by keeping him cool and rehydrating him with intravenous fluids. Your veterinarian will also give your guinea pig extra oxygen if he is having trouble breathing.^[17]
   • Your veterinarian will monitor your guinea pig intensively for signs of organ damage or failure due to heatstroke. This would involve taking blood samples.^[18]
   • Your guinea pig will recover in a cool, quiet, and dark area of your veterinarian’s office. Put him in the same type of area when you bring him home.^[19]

EditPreventing Your Guinea Pig From Overheating

1. Give your guinea pig plenty of water. Your guinea pig needs water regardless of the temperature outside, but it will be even more important to keep him well hydrated in the spring and summer. Fill his water bottle with fresh, cool water. If you are not home during the day, use a large water bottle that will not run too low when you are away.^[20]
   • Consider placing the water bottle on the outside of his cage, leaving only the tip of the water bottle’s snout inside the cage. This would keep your guinea pig from chewing on and possibly damaging the sipper tube.^[21]
   • Refill the water bottle whenever the water level gets low.
   • When you have your guinea pig outside, place the water bottle in the shaded part of his run or cage. The area of shade will change according to the position of the sun, so you will need to move the water bottle periodically.^[22]
2. Turn up the AC. When it gets hot outside, it is best to keep your guinea pig inside. The ideal temperature for your guinea pig is 64 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 20 degrees Celsius).^[23] Depending on the temperature inside your house, you may have to crank up your AC to keep your guinea pig cool and comfortable.
   • If you are using a portable air conditioner, make sure the air is not blowing directly into your guinea pig’s cage. The direct airflow could lead to an upper respiratory infection.^[24] If you turned down the thermostat, make sure his cage is not in the direct path of the room’s vents.
   • Fans are not recommended for keeping your guinea pig cool, since they tend to just push hot air around.^[25]
   • Fans are good for evaporating sweat. However, since guinea pigs do not sweat, fans are not that useful.^[26]
3. Keep your guinea pig cool when he is outside. Having outside time is important for guinea pigs. You will need to take special precautions when you take him outside in the spring and summer. For example, take him outside when it is a little cooler—early in the mornings or late in the evening.^[27]
   • If you have your guinea pig in a cage outside, cover his cage with cool, damp towels to create a cool, shaded area for him.^[28] Reposition the towels depending on the angle of the sun.
   • Place ice packs or frozen water bottles in your guinea pig’s run or cage. He can lie up against them to cool himself off. Wrap them in towels first so he does not get too cold or damage the skin on his paw pads.^[29]
   • Put a ceramic tile or brick in his run or cage (whichever is most convenient for you to obtain). They repel heat and give your guinea pig something cool on which to lie.^[30]
   • You can also fill a large bowl with ice cubes, cover it, and place it in his run or cage. He can lie against this to keep him cool. Covering it will keep him from falling in.^[31]
   • Consider spritzing your guinea pig occasionally with cool (not cold) water.^[32]
   • Check on your guinea pig at least every 20 minutes when he is outside.^[33]
4. Groom your guinea pig. Taking care of your guinea pig’s coat can help keep him cool in the spring and summer. For example, combing and brushing his coat can remove excess fur and matts that could trap heat and cause your guinea pig to overheat.^[34] Combs and brushes suitable for guinea pigs are available at your local pet store.
   • Use a soft-bristled brush and brush in the direction of the fur, making sure not to pull the fur.^[35]
   • For the matts, you can try to comb them out or cut them out with a pair of small scissors. Have another person wrap the guinea pig in a towel and hold him if you want to use scissors. If the matts are large, try to comb them out over several grooming sessions.^[36]
   • Groom your guinea pig every day,^[37] especially if he has long hair.
   • Take your guinea pig to a groomer if you are not comfortable grooming your guinea pig yourself.

EditTips

• Poor ventilation and overcrowding can also cause your guinea pig to overheat.^[38]
• If your guinea pig’s heatstroke is moderate (your veterinarian will make this determination), then he should have a good recovery.^[39]
• It may seem like a good idea to give your guinea pig frozen food in the summer. However, frozen food could upset his digestive system and give him diarrhea. It is better to keep his food at room temperature.^[40]
• In your guinea pig’s run, wooden houses or cardboard boxes can give your guinea pig a chance to get out of the sun and cool off. Plastic houses are not good because they can trap heat.^[41]
• Do not worry if you cannot completely manage your guinea pig’s heatstroke on your own. Focus on doing what you can to keep him cool until you can get him to your veterinarian.

EditWarnings

• The onset of heatstroke can be very quick. Take your guinea pig veterinarian as soon as you can.
• Serious heatstroke can lead to organ damage and failure, which could put your guinea pig’s life at risk. If your guinea pig survives a bout of serious heatstroke, he will probably need ongoing veterinary care to treat the organ damage.^[42]
• Cooling off an overheated guinea pig too quickly or submersing him in water can cause him to go into shock.^[43]

EditSources and Citations

Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

On Charles Darwin's 207th birthday, a new study of evolution in a diverse group of wild tomatoes is shedding light on the importance of genetic variation in plants. The work, reported today in the journal PLoS Biology, uses genome-wide sequencing to reveal details about the evolutionary mechanisms that drove genetic divergence in 13 species of wild tomatoes that share a recent common ancestor.

If you have an old t-shirt and a few wire hangers around the house, you have everything you need to make this tent for your cat in about ten minutes. Sure, you want your cat to have toys, but cat accessories aren’t cheap and they’ll just end up in an empty box anyways. Make your own.

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The Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Hotel in Singapore is expanding and that obviously involves plenty of construction. The twist: A lot of it won’t be taking place at Changi but off-site.

Space constraints in the airport area lead the developers to a new approach which is to assemble the new wing in modules that are prepared off site at a more convenient location.

Maybe you have been to the Crowne Plaza Changi before and remember the style of the building and it’s lush tropical garden and swimming pool. It’s probably one of my favorite airport hotels worldwide even though the rooms are quite compact. Now the hotel decided to expand and is in the process of completing a 10-story extension of the current building.

The Straits Times (access here) highlighted in what fashion this project will be accomplished.

Game-changing construction technology, such as a building method that involves stacking fully-furnished rooms together on-site, is crucial for the future of Singapore’s construction industry, said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong on Thursday. …

The extension is being built using Prefabricated Pre-finished Volumetric Construction (PPVC), which involves building entire units – in this case, hotel rooms – in factory conditions elsewhere, then assembling them on-site.

This technology also helped overcome constraints of the building site, noted Ms Irene Meta, senior vice-president of development and projects at OUE Limited, the developer of the project.

The extension site was very small with limited access due to its location within the airport. But the PPVC method meant that fewer vehicle trips were required and less work needed to be done there, making it ideal for the project. Assembly of the modules is also quieter than conventional methods, which means less disturbance for hotel guests. …

This cuts the time taken on-site from installing the first room till completion to four months, compared to 12 months using conventional methods.

For sure this method will vastly speed up the process and at the same time keep the on-site disturbance for guests and airport facilities at a minimum. On top of it it can be done much faster.

I have encountered pre-manufactured rooms, especially bathrooms, in Japan and compared to traditionally built structure it feels a bit different. Not uncomfortable but just different, you know when you step and the floor or knock on the wall and it sounds hollow.

Conclusion

Anything that keeps renovation and building works at a fast pace and minimum distraction level is fine in my book. I used the CP Changi a lot about 6 years ago but recently I’ve only been staying once or twice a year. I’m looking forward to see what came out of this project and how the new rooms compare to the old ones.

Two kinds of bars — candy and cookie — come together in a superhero-worthy pairing that, yes, truly satisfies. A chewy cookie layer replaces finicky nougat in this homemade version, leaving you free to expend your energies on making caramel from scratch. (Yes, it's simpler than you think! Just use that candy thermometer for guaranteed success.)

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Here are nine of the best photos that readers added to the Consumerist Flickr Pool in the last week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or for just plain neatness.

Want to see your pictures on our site? Our Flickr pool is the place where Consumerist readers upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click “Join Group?” up on the top right. Choose your best photos, then click “send to group” on the individual images you want to add to the pool.

It's time to embrace the cheesy side of life. And there’s no better way to do so than to get down with a classic cheese board, complete with all the best fixings.

Here are our favorite pointers on assembling a classic cheese plate, including how to pick the best specimens, which cheeses should make the cut, and what tricks to keep in mind when assembling (and eating) your plate.

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Preserving the environment includes gazetting and protecting our parks and forests.

A beautiful pool, the perfect beach, a fantastic dinner… more and more guests that are fed up having these experiences ruined by screaming and misbehaving children are now aiming at Adult Only Hotels.

While such properties do not protect you against obnoxious, ignorant adults it certainly eliminates the child factor straight away.

At one point any of us have reached the point where we looked at a scene of a child that was acting up and thought to ourselves ‘Really? Here??’. More often than not it’s not just children being children but also ignorant parents who let their kids roam around pester other guests while enjoying their own quiet time.

The Wall Street Journal (access here) had an interesting piece this week that identified Germans as the group of travelers most annoyed by these situations.

Germans are giving adult entertainment a new meaning.

To truly decompress, vacationers from the country are increasingly looking for a specific, relaxing hotel type—one that has nothing to do with traditional amenities. Rather, they are seeking out properties that ban children, along with their crying, tantrums and other distractions synonymous with the terrible twos…

“One single vivacious child can completely ruin your holiday,” says René Weiss, a childless 48-old German who has frequented such establishments with his wife in recent years. Although the hotels can’t guarantee a pin-drop noise level, post-pubescent guests can dine and sunbathe without children splashing and yelling.

Mr. Weiss has traveled to the Caribbean for the calm company of his coevals. “I can relax and read without a horde of children running through the hotel lobby… or some child doing a cannonball into the hotel pool,” he says.

Germans’ demand for more child-free hotels has been seen and heard.

“Adult-only is definitely a rising trend,” says Kathrin Spichala, spokeswoman for TUI AG , Germany’s biggest travel company. TUI’s global network of around 250 adults-only hotels, including its Sensimar brand “created for adults,” is growing.

Rival Thomas Cook Group PLC almost doubled its offerings between 2013 and 2015, to 198 adult-only hotels world-wide.

I’m not surprised about the commercial success of such hotels. Some argue that you push away a large group of customers by excluding certain demographics from your business. I always disagreed with that based on the fact that a business can’t serve the entire community, there is a cap of how many customers you can handle without starting to lack quality. I see nothing wrong with limiting your services and products to a specific circle.

One of the biggest problems with young hotel guests, say child shunners, is parents. Many German mothers and fathers take a hands-off approach that scandalizes calm-seekers.

Hans-Joachim Spröde, a 54-year-old detective and father of one daughter, says he is shocked by how younger German parents let their children “run wild” in hotels, restaurants and other public places.

“Children are a disturbance in spa and bathing areas, which are particularly sensitive to noise, or in restaurants where children are squawking.” says Mr. Spröde, who with his partner Ms. Denz, recently enjoyed a stay in a child-free hotel in Bavaria.

“Parents nowadays don’t mind when their children annoy complete strangers,” he says.

Ms. Denz recalls a breakfast in a four-star hotel in Italy ruined by a six-year-old German boy running around while his parents enjoyed their salmon.

I totally agree with that and it’s not only in hotels but public places and restaurants in general. I don’t know at what point parents became completely oblivious about the whereabouts and behavior of their kids.

Petra and Gunter Bonn, a couple from Frankfurt, loved their stay at a luxurious adults-only resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. The resort’s empty beaches, she says, were only marred by “loud Americans.”

That is indeed a problem. I rest my case.

Conclusion

I find the rise of adult only hotels a great solution. But apart from that many regular hotels and resorts nowadays have adult pools. Now beware, in some cases that means you can bathe topless but in general it means no children permitted on that pool.

The picture featured here was taken in a serene moment (at 6:30am) at the Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi. By 11am the latest this pool transformed into mayhem with squealing children everywhere. And then some parent started to facetime with his ipad in a voice that could sell you anything on the weekly market. Siesta time!

SINGAPORE: US crude tumbled below $27 a barrel in Asia Thursday as the oversaturated market struggled to cope with high inventories in the United States and an increased output from OPEC.

The decline came despite the weekly US Department of Energy report showing US oil stocks fell about 800,000 barrels for the week ending February 5, with traders seeing inventories still at high levels.

US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for March delivery was down 40 cents, or 1.46 percent, to $27.05 at around 0600 GMT after sinking to as low as $26.85 earlier in the session. Brent crude for April fell 14 cents, or 0.45 percent, to $30.70.

On January 20, WTI dipped to a depth of $26.19 a barrel before closing at $26.55 that same day, the lowest since May 2003.

“Given the falls that we have seen over the last three trading sessions, it is a little surprise to see such aggressive selling interest during our time zone,” said Michael McCarthy, chief market analyst at CMC Markets in Australia.

“Given the short positions and the traders involved here, it is not impossible that this is an attempt to push it through the low and induce some technical selling,” he said by telephone from Sydney.

“Swollen crude inventories in the US are putting increased downward pressure on the price of WTI, increasing its differential to the international benchmark Brent,” BMI Research said in a note.

Oil prices briefly rallied after the US commercial crude inventories report was released Wednesday.

However prices soon dropped back as traders took note of higher supplies of gasoline, a rise in stocks at the key Cushing, Oklahoma trading hub and a scant drop in oil production.

Analysts said sentiment was also marred by a report from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries that showed the cartel’s production rose by about 130,000 barrels a day in January.

The OPEC report followed a bearish outlook released Tuesday by the International Energy Agency, which predicted the global oil surplus would be larger than previously expected in the first half of 2016.

– AFP

PETALING JAYA: A Catholic priest from Melbourne, Australia who is on administrative leave after being suspected of child sexual abuse, is believed to be in Kuching and still active on a gay dating website where he is on the lookout for “young Asian men.”

According to the Sydney Morning Herald (SMH), Father Peter Grasby was not only accused of sexually abusing a 10 to 14-year-old boy, but often allowed boys to sleep in his former presbytery at St Michael’s.

He is alleged to have also often surrounded himself with young Vietnamese boys at St Mary Magdalene when he served as parish priest.

According to his profile on gay dating website Planetromeo, the 66-year-old is in Kuching where he is looking for “younger Asian men” aged 18 to 35 but is “not on here looking for sex, because I am getting a bit too old to get hard!”, SMH reported.

Describing himself as a “well-educated and really soft-hearted mature GWM [gay white male]”, Father Grasby’s profile also includes other intimate details about his genitals and sexual preferences. He has had 7907 visits so far.

A former parishioner of Father Grasby’s said he was stunned when he was first contacted by the priest on Planetromeo while still in Melbourne and remarked that the priest persisted in making contact with him despite being told he used to attend his services in church.

“Although I virtually have left Catholicism, this incident definitely help solidify my decision,” said the former parishioner, who wanted to stay anonymous.

“I contacted the archdiocese right after finding out [because], given the allegations of church cover up, I wanted to know if Grasby was still a priest.

“It showed that the Church was clearly covering up.”

Sharing the same sentiments of a cover-up was Helen Last, director of the In Good Faith Foundation, which provides support to the victims of church-related abuse.

She said Father Grasby had long been under suspicion of child abuse and despite the numerous complaints she received of him being surrounded by too many “young men coming in and out of the presbytery and actually sleeping there,” all the church did was remove him from one presbytery to another.

She said the handling of cases like Father Grasby’s and others like him was “sadly far too common” and that there was clear evidence those on administrative leave required closer monitoring.

According to the SMH, priests on administrative leave are given housing, or a housing allowance, and the same wages and insurance benefits they enjoyed before complaints were lodged against them.

The news portal said it is believed there were 30 such priests – half of whom were convicted of child sex crimes, and the other half who are confirmed abusers but not convicted, who have been given financial support by the church.

Hot dogs aren’t currently part of the fast-food menu at major chains, though you can get them at smaller chains like DQ and Sonic. Both Burger King and McDonald’s have experimented with them in the past, and we’ve heard that Burger King has been testing them in a few markets since last spring. The test was apparently a success, and Burger King is adding hot dogs to the permanent menu later this month.

Test markets for this new product, which are called “Grilled Dogs,” also had corn dogs available. Those didn’t make the national menu, but a chili cheese dog variation did. The “classic” hot dog comes topped with ketchup, mustard, onions, and relish, though you can probably order it without any of those items. I say this to avoid a ketchup-related holy war in the Consumerist newsroom.

“We’re applying over 60 years of flame-grilling expertise with the Whopper sandwich to make Grilled Dogs the next great American icon,” says Alex Macedo, the president of Burger King North America, said in a statement, even though dressed hot dogs and chili dogs are already American icons in their own right.

We asked Burger King about that hot dog from decades past. “This is the first time BK is launching a grilled hot dog in the United States nationally,” a representative told us, which means that either the older hot dog wasn’t grilled, wasn’t available nationally, or was neither.

If your knees ache when you do squats or lunges, don’t despair—there are ways to modify those exercises to take some pressure off while letting you still get that workout in.

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Do you recognize Burberry’s distinctive plaid on sight? The British company assumes that most clothing shoppers do, and has filed a lawsuit against JCPenney for using a similar plaid in scarves and coats that it has sold recently.

The most notable difference, of course, is that the classic Burberry scarf costs $475, and the JCPenney version that’s actually a wool peacoat that comes with a free scarf. That exact item is no longer on the site, but here’s a catalog photo preserving it:

To review, what does a similar-looking scarf in the trademarked plaid pattern look like?

Hmm. There is a resemblance, and Burberry is vigilant against other companies that try to imitate its plaid. The company also sued over quilted coats using a similar pattern on the coat itself.

“Even though defendants’ infringing products are of inferior quality, they appear superficially similar to genuine Burberry products,” the British scarfery’s initial complaint says, according to Reuters, with snootiness dripping off the page.

The company seeks damages, but they appear to mostly want JCPenney to stop selling items in the alleged knockoff print.

Burberry sues J.C. Penney for selling knockoff jackets, scarves [Reuters]

TOKYO: About 150 oil and gas companies tracked by energy consultant IHS Inc may go bust as a supply glut pressures prices and punishes revenues.

LONDON: Takeaway food, cake and even alcohol is helping make British pets dangerously overweight and develop diabetes and heart disease, an animal charity warned on Wednesday.

Veterinary group the PDSA warned that over five million dogs, cats and rabbits are overweight in the United Kingdom as it launched a competition to slim down the pets.

“As well as being high in calories, food like takeaways, cake, cheese, chips and crisps are high in fat and sugars which are bad for our pets’ waistlines and teeth,” said PDSA vet Vicki Larkham-Jones.

“Some owners even admitted to giving chocolate and even alcohol, both of which are poisonous to pets and can be fatal.”

The charity warned that pets fed improperly could develop cancer or arthritis due to being too fat.

It launched a “Pet Fit Club” competition, in which owners could submit a photo of their fat pet before putting them on a diet and exercise programme.

“Pet obesity can be tackled,” Larkham-Jones said.

– AFP

BESUT: Some 100 holidaymakers were stranded in Pulau Redang since Sunday after boat services to the mainland were suspended due to rough sea conditions.

PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court ruled on Wednesday that civil courts can hear interfaith custody cases between non-Muslims and Muslims.

Court of Appeal president Justice Raus Sharif said that the highest court in Malaysia has exclusive jurisdiction to hear custody cases even if one spouse converted to Islam under the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act. “It’s about a civil marriage.”

“The Syariah Court has no jurisdiction to declare an annulment of a civil marriage and give custody order,” said Justice Raus, who read the judgement.

The plaintiff S. Deepa is a Hindu. Her ex-husband, Izwan Abdullah, was formerly known as N. Viran.

Other judges in the panel included Chief Judge of Malaya Justice Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin, Justices Abdull Hamid Embong, Suriyadi Halim Omar and Azahar Mohamed.

However, the panel made a variation to the High Court custody order on the two children which was awarded to Deepa. “We have met them, interviewed them. Nabil (son) clearly state he wants to be with his father while Sharmila (daughter) wants to be with her mother,” said Justice Raus.

“We have set aside the High Court custody order. Nabil follows his father while Sharmila follows her mother.”

For the children’s access, Justice Raus wants the couple to submit on how they want to meet their children. Before handling down the decision, the panel met Deepa and Irwan’s children in chambers.

Fahri Azzat represented Deepa while Haniff Khatri Abdulla acted for Izwan.

Senior federal counsels Suzana Atan and Shamsul Bolhassan represented the Attorney-General Chambers (AGC), the intervenors.

I love the physical nature of having books up there on the bookshelves, waiting to be looked at, admired, and remembered. I used to really enjoyed the library and I still do. But when I look at my shelves I realize that I own so many books that I haven’t read.

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If you want to lose weight, diet and exercise are both important. However, that doesn’t mean they’re equally important. This video explains why changing your diet has a bigger effect on your weight loss than exercise.

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Here are eight of the best photos that readers added to the Consumerist Flickr Pool in the last week, picked for usability in a Consumerist post or for just plain neatness.

Want to see your pictures on our site? Our Flickr pool is the place where Consumerist readers upload photos for possible use in future Consumerist posts. Just be a registered Flickr user, go here, and click “Join Group?” up on the top right. Choose your best photos, then click “send to group” on the individual images you want to add to the pool.

While many hotels affiliated with major loyalty programs can seem cookie-cutter, not all properties were cast from the same mold. TPG Senior Points & Miles Contributor Jason Steele takes a look at some historic properties within the IHG brand, all of which can be booked using points.

Today I’ll continue my series of posts on unique properties that belong to a hotel loyalty program with a look at some options for IHG Rewards Club members. As before, I consider a hotel to be “historic” if it has unique architecture that dates from before the Second World War or if it occupies a historic building that was not originally designed to be a hotel.

Intercontinental Hotel Group (IHG) operates Intercontinental, Crowne Plaza, Indigo and other brands that include some classic and historic properties. You can earn points toward redemptions with the IHG Rewards Club Select Credit Card — which is currently offering a sign-up bonus of 60,000 points after you spend $1,000 in the first three months — or by transferring Ultimate Rewards points.

​​Candlewood Suites Terre Haute, Indiana (1912)

Reward Category: 2 (15,000 IHG Rewards Club points per night)

The Candlewood Suites Terre Haute was once the headquarters of the local newspaper, the Tribune-Star, until 2007. After that date, the building was converted into a Candlewood Suites hotel, though it still features the original wrought-iron staircases.

Holiday Inn Resort Deadwood Mountain Grand, South Dakota (1906)

Reward Category: 4 (25,000 IHG Rewards Club points per night)

​The 98-room hotel opened in 2013 as part of the refurbished Homestake Mine Slime Plant, which currently includes the hotel, a casino, an entertainment venue and a restaurant. The plant was originally built to process the remaining gold from the ore slurry, and the city’s Historic Preservation Commission funded the restoration of the building’s façade.

Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown Union Station, Indiana (1888)

Reward Category: 5 (30,000 IHG Rewards Club points per night)

Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, the Crowne Plaza at Historic Union Station is housed with America’s first “union station” and is recognized as one of the finest Romanesque Revival structures in America. ​The hotel is popular for its Pullman train-car rooms, which were rolled into Union Station on the original tracks before the renovation in 1986.

Hotel Indigo Baltimore – Mt. Vernon, Maryland (1907)

Reward Category: 5 (30,000 IHG Rewards Club points per night)

This hotel once housed Baltimore’s first YMCA — the designation still exists in the stone work above the front entrance. The property is a five-minute walk from the Mt. Vernon Place Historic District.

​Hotel Indigo ​Newark Downtown, New Jersey (1912)

Reward Category: 5 (30,000 IHG Rewards Club points per night)

The boutique hotel celebrates Newark’s history of innovation through its decor — there’s even an Edison Room named for the inventor of the lightbulb, who had a workspace in the building at one point.​​

​​Staybridge Suites Savannah Historic District, Georgia (1851)

Reward Category: 5 (30,000 IHG Rewards Club points per night)

Previously known as The Padelford Building and used as a warehouse for shipping, the property has had several incarnations. Since the 1800s, the building has served as the Anheuser-Busch Brewing Association (1900-1914) and the H.J. Heinz Pickle Company Warehouse (1915-1942). The building opened as the Staybridge Suites Savannah Historic District in 2006.​

What’s your favorite historic IHG property? Share in the comments below!

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Lumpur is expected to see an exodus of more than one million vehicles beginning tomorrow in view of the weekend and Chinese New Year holidays on Monday and Tuesday.

Kuala Lumpur deputy police chief Law Hong Soon said today about 300 traffic policemen would be stationed at 20 accident-prone locations for traffic control.

“City folk are expected to leave from tomorrow to Sunday to return to their villages and hometowns.

“We will help to control traffic along with several other agencies such as the Road Transport Department,” he told reporters after launching the “Op Selamat 8” road safety campaign in conjunction with Chinese New Year here.

The accident-prone locations include Jalan Kuching, Jalan Loke Yew, Jalan Klang Lama, Jalan Duta, Jalan Sungai Besi and Jalan Tun Razak.

Law said the focus of the campaign would be to ensure that road users adhered to traffic regulations.

“The offences frequently committed are driving on the emergency lane and driving dangerously.”

He advised the people to complete the balik kampung form, which can be downloaded from the Royal Malaysia Police website, and hand it to the nearest police station so that police can keep an eye on their houses during patrols while they are away on holiday.

At the event, 34 Honda CBR 250 motorcycles were handed over to the Tourist Police Motorcycle Patrol Unit.

– BERNAMA

BEIJING: A Chinese woman heading home for the holidays had a commercial airline flight all to herself after gruelling delays winnowed down other passengers.

As nearly 100,000 people found themselves stranded at train stations in Guangzhou on Monday trying to leave, the woman, surnamed Zhang, documented her unique trip to the city on social media.

She posted photos showing row after row of empty seats on the China Southern plane as it flew from Wuhan.

The flight was delayed for 10 hours, and other passengers departed on earlier flights, leaving Zhang to enjoy personalised attention from the plane’s crew.

The experience was “tuhao”, she said on her social media feed, using a slang term for the nouveau riche.

China Southern schedules show the flight is normally operated using a Boeing 737-700 aircraft, which generally seats 137 passengers.

Statistics on website Flightradar24 show that a China Southern flight from Wuhan to Guangzhou on Monday was due to leave at 0640 GMT, but did not do until 1639 GMT.

The huge movement of Chinese travelling home to spend the Lunar New Year with their families is often described as the world’s largest human migration and overcrowded planes, trains and automobiles are the norm.

Many on social media envied Zhang’s good luck in avoiding the enormous crowds.

“What a fluke that you went against the big New Year’s current”, one comment said, noting that the plane will be completely full on its flight back from Guangzhou, a prosperous city that attracts many economic migrants.

Over the last several days, tens of thousands have been stranded at the city’s trains stations due to weather conditions.

But one commenter saw the glass half-empty: “Even under these conditions, they still didn’t upgrade you?”

– AFP

It pains me to say this, because I’m lazy. But after the umpteenth outbreak of food poisoning from bags of freshly washed greenery, I think it’s time we all stop eating bagged salads.

Read more...

ISKANDAR PUTERI: United Malayan Land Bhd is optimistic of completing the first phase of the Johor Halal Park project in Pasir Gudang near here by year-end.

BANGKOK: A British tourist has been trampled to death by an elephant on the Thai tourist island of Koh Samui, police said Tuesday, the latest deadly attack by animals used to entertain holidaymakers.

The man, identified by police as Gareth Crowe, 36, was riding on the animal’s back with his daughter on Monday afternoon when it suddenly threw them off, police said.

“We suspect that the hot weather made the elephant angry and that he was not accustomed to his mahout,” Paiboon Omark, Samui district chief, told AFP.

A mahout is the person who trains, controls and rides an elephant, usually after years of building up a close bond with the animal.

Paiboon said Crowe had a prosthetic leg and was unable to run away from the marauding pachyderm.

His daughter and the mahout, a Myanmar national, were both injured but escaped and are out of danger, he added.

The elephant, named “Golf”, was tranquilised and is now under control, he said.

A spokesman at the British embassy in Bangkok said they were aware of the incident and were providing assistance to the victim’s family.

Thailand has an estimated 4,000 domesticated elephants, many working in the tourism trade, alongside some 2,500 wild elephants.

In August an elephant killed his mahout with three terrified Chinese tourists still on his back. The tourists survived.

Thailand’s use of animals for tourism is under increased scrutiny following a string of scandals and investigations by rights groups.

The government is currently locked in a battle with a controversial “Tiger Temple” that refuses to hand over hundreds of big cats despite holding them illegally.

In 2013 the popstar Rihanna inadvertently highlighted another thriving illegal trade when she posted a selfie with a slow loris.

The endangered primates are a protected species yet are often found with illegal handlers in tourist regions who charge holidaymakers for pictures.

– AFP

Almond, cashew, hemp, rice, flax, soy and other non-dairy milks have been flying off the shelves since they first hit the market, and the trend only continues to skyrocket. Plant-based milks aren’t just cruelty-free (they don’t come from cows crammed into tiny sheds and perpetually connected to suction machines) – they also offer tremendous health benefits, minus the drawbacks of dairy milk. Ignore those marketing myths telling you that dairy milk ‘does a body good’! Here’s why plant-based milks are what your body really wants and needs:

More calcium
Non-dairy milks often have 50% more calcium per serving than dairy milk. Calcium is important for healthy bones, teeth, keeping your blood pressure low, reducing tension, aiding in overall nervous system health, and for preventing osteoporosis.

Lower in lactose
Unsweetened non-dairy milk is usually free of any sugar, with some containing only the natural sugars found in nuts and seeds. Compared to cow’s milk, which contains anywhere from 13-16 grams in just one cup, plant-based milks are a much better choice. Dairy milk’s sugar content comes from a natural sugar known as lactose, which can cause digestive upset, allergies, and even blood-sugar problems. Plant-based milks that are lower in sugar will naturally be easier on your blood sugar and will not trigger a rise in glucose. Some may even lower the blood sugar response in the body.

Free from IGF-1
Dairy milk contains natural hormones which stimulate an increase in your body’s insulin. This triggers the release of IGF-1 (insulin growth factor), which is directly linked to cancer cell growth, along with other health related issues. IGF-1 has also been linked to acne due to the way it triggers an excessive insulin response in the body.

Easy to digest
Plant-based milks are usually very easy to digest, which makes them perfect if you’re looking for ways to optimize your digestion on a plant-based diet. If you have a nut or soy allergy, rice milk is an allergy-friendly option you may want to consider. Coconut and flax milk are other well-tolerated choices as well. Most people with digestive issues notice they feel much better once they get rid of dairy in their diet due to the lactose dairy milk contains.

* From an article published in the world’s first meat-free lifestyle platform, www.kindmeal.my

A LoyaltyLobby reader dropped me an email regarding alcohol availability on Malaysia Airlines flights.

Remember that you can always email me, sent a message via Facebook or use Twitter. I’ll try to cover Reader Questions & Comments here several times a week.

Here’s the email from the reader:

Just arrived at Conrad Bali (very nice hotel!) and came on Malaysia Airlines in biz class via a very good MH upgrade price.

We went to Golden Lounge and had a couple of glasses of champagne before take off – however on the plane there was no alcohol available.

Last flew on from BKK to KUL in August last year and it was available – so not sure what has changed and whether its policy for flights between malaysia and indonesia or this is more penny pinching by Malaysia after the re-organisation.

Was a nice flight but but I did miss a nice glass of red with my beef fillet dinner.

When I flew on Malaysia Airlines last time regionally in 2015, they certainly did have alcohol beverages available in business class.

Here’s what I found when doing some Google searches:

Flew Kul-Bkk today business class and was told by the FA that MH no longer serves alcohol on flights less than 3 hours. Apparently this new policy was effective as of January 1.

I was also at the MH Regional lounge and was told no alcohol before 9am. This second policy appears to be a little fluid as I contacted a manager and this decision (at least for me) was rescinded.

This was posted on FlyerTalk thread (access here).

Conclusion

I have some regional Malaysia Airlines flights coming next month in paid business class (BKK-KUL-BWN return) and it does seem indeed that these flights have gone dry based on information now available. They were serving adult beverages on intra-Asia flights last year.

This decision makes absolutely no sense. How airline tries to attract connecting premium traffic and serves alcohol beverages on some flights and then not on others? Stocking $30 champagne, $10 wines, beers and some spirits cannot be that big of an expense per flight.

I have no problem if the airlines decides to do this and go entirely dry, but they should have information available on their website about this that they don’t currently have, so that passengers could book away. If I am flying on a full service airline, I do expect to have access for a glass of wine or two.

Today the Compensation Clinic makes a stop in Bangkok where yours truly had a brief stay at the Holiday Inn Express Bangkok, Sukhumvit 11.

At the property I was disturbed through housekeeping even though late check-out was noted and Do Not Disturb signage was put on and clearly visible.

Let me start off by saying that I stayed at this property many times before, I’d say 5-6 times and I consider it by HIX standards one of the better properties. Especially the free breakfast is of surprisingly good quality.

I checked in late at the hotel and asked for a room facing away from Soi 11 and the construction side in the back which is both a source for disruption especially on the weekends.

IHG Rewards Club Members, even base level, receive a late check-out benefit until 2pm, all guests receive free breakfast and internet. You could pretty much say this is one of the better deals around in Bangkok especially because the hotel is brand new.

Expecting to have a long sleep I put on the Do Not Disturb sign and for double protection also put the paper hanger outside on the door handle. I had issues with housekeeping knocking on the door before at this property so this time I wanted to be careful.

Sure enough just after 12 noon, I think it was 12:20 someone came into the room. I was sleeping so I can’t really say if they were knocking before or not but it really doesn’t matter. Call the reception and ask if the guest has checked out.

I promptly called the front desk and asked for the Manager on Duty to complain about the disturbance and since this is a repeated matter I asked to work out some form of compensation. Initially I was offered 2000 IHG points but that’s 10% of a free night at the property. After having a pleasant meeting with the lady later on we agreed on a future free night at the property without shifting any points around.

I found this adequate for multiple reasons. First and foremost I likely stay at this property again anyway and secondly the property has to pay for IHG points to be credited to a members account. 20,000 Points would certainly be more expensive than just giving away a free night and I didn’t want to push it too far since I thought it’s a nice offer.

I said it before and I will repeat it: If a hotel wakes me up for no reason I’m not going to pay for my room. I’m there to sleep and not to dilly dally around, showing housekeeping how to observe signage.

Conclusion

This is an issue at many hotels. Housekeeping staff is often completely disconnected from the front desk and not trained in a proper way to check their lists against information of guests that have already checked out with the back-office that has computer access. Hotels simply have to create a proper process for this sort of thing especially if a good amount of guests have late checkout benefits.

An absolute pet peeve of mine is when housekeeping calls the room from a housephone, knowing full well there is a DND sign on the door.