Caitlin › Comments

"Yes, there have been other mass extinctions. I’m not saying that complex life forms would never evolve again – though that too is possible if the climate was altered too radically, but I don’t think we have a right to willfully make other species go extinct." - Caitlin

A photographer's first impressions of Lightroom 3. - Caitlin

5 ways Apple's Tablet might change the world. - Caitlin

Susie of Arabia on why Saudi Arabia needs its own Rosa Parks (for women's rights, not for black rights). - Caitlin

How the Australian media has failed to properly report on the rising violence against Indian nationals and whether this racially motivated. - Caitlin

The new around-the-world ticket involves a flower pattern. How interesting. - Caitlin

The crowds at Newark airport get creative to deal with the chaos and confusion after someone walked the wrong way. Great video! - Caitlin

"You've had quite a busy, eventful year! I think the Spice Girls were mainly a 90s phenomenon." - Caitlin

"You've had quite a busy, eventful year! I think the Spice Girls were mainly a 90s phenomenon." - Caitlin

In Outback Australia you can tag along with the postman for the day. - Caitlin

"Nothing beats the serendipity of travel. It’s good when plans change or when things are left to chance because it leaves room for new discoveries." - Caitlin

"I love the idea of making the travel agent experience more sociable. I’d also like more suggestions. My experience with travel agents is they want me to know what I want first and then they can book it. But if I knew what I wanted, then I could book it myself. I think the future for travel agents lies in being specialised in particular places. That would be the big drawcard for me to use a travel agent rather than go direct. Report comment" - Caitlin

5 common travel mistakes and how to fix them, from not checking the name on your ticket to not buying travel insurance. - Caitlin

Most influential magazines in British history. - Caitlin

Jamie Oliver recipe for 5-hour roast lamb road-tested. This is consistently one of the most popular pages on this blog. - Caitlin

Top ethical travel destinations for 2010. - Caitlin

"@Dennis Yes, I agree with you that when you decide to publish anonymous information, it does give you some responsibility to that source. I agree that it’s an ethical position to try to protect that source if possible. I just don’t rate it on the same level as making an explicit commitment to a source, which is usually what we’re talking about when journalists go to jail to protect sources. While I respect Chris’s decision in this matter – and he’s come out looking very good – I’m not willing to criticize Frischling’s different decision as some have done." - Caitlin

"I’m glad you decided to stick with it. The travel industry desperately needs its consumer advocates and I love that you are always writing from a place of passion – it’s very authentic and I think that’s what people respond to. Report comment" - Caitlin

"Humans could cause the next mass extinction. In this case, it wouldn’t just be our species that doesn’t survive, it would be countless species of plant and animal. Even if your friend doesn’t think humans are worth saving, what about all the other lifeforms complex, rich eco-systems on this planet? Saying that “nature will survive” is nonsensical. Without life, there would be a bare rock spinning in space. It probably wouldn’t be that extreme but certainly any scenario capable of destroying humans, would severely deplete nature." - Caitlin

"Happy new year, Chris! I’m glad this stress won’t continue into 2010 for you. @Kenneth To be fair, Frischling did speak to an attorney before he gave up his computer. Also, he didn’t know who his source was so arguably he had no obligation to them. You only have an obligation to protect a source’s anonymity when you’ve promised anonymity to that source." - Caitlin

"It’s good news for you to start 2010 with no more stress and lawyer fees. It’s remarkable they’re buying Frischling a new computer. I wonder if they found what they needed from his computer. I still say that the decision to comply or not comply comes down to the agreement you made with the source. If someone just randomly mails you something there is no agreement. But if you make a deal to protect their anonymity, that should be honoured." - Caitlin

"@Aafke Perhaps you have been paying closer attention than me. I have been reading this blog a while but I don't remember Susie saying that. I must say, that if this is true, it's profoundly selfish of Susie's husband. Without such an absolute statement, I would say it's a difficult situation with many perspectives and shades of grey. If he has indeed made such an absolute statement then I have absolutely zero sympathy for the man and I will endeavour to keep the relevant unsavoury adjectives to myself, purely out of respect for Susie. I will give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that he has said no such thing until Susie tells me otherwise. I also don't think Saudi Arabia and the USA should be the only two choices available for Susie and her family. Perhaps neutral territory would be in order. Even Muslim neutral territory. What about Syria or Dubai? Or Indonesia? @Chiara You sort of referenced this being a factor primarily for Muslim countries but it wasn't 100% clear that was..." - Caitlin

"@Steve C Since that was the last time you will see this site, I guess you won’t see my comment but for what it’s worth here goes…. >>I hope they find out who gave you that security directive. Not only did that person violate thier professional morales but possible worse. Possibly. Or it could have been sent by any one of the thousands of people working at airports all over the world who were also supplied with the security directive. It was hardly a confidential document. A scammer from the Bahamas? Er, no. Unless the Bahamas are a suburb in Washington DC." - Caitlin

TSA drops the subpoena against travel journalist and blogger Chris Elliott, who published a leaked TSA security memo. - Caitlin

Darren's favourite travel blogs of 2009. - Caitlin

"I don’t have children yet so I don’t like to judge but I certainly hope I wouldn’t take my kids on holiday and leave them in a kids’ club full time. I’m sure the kids’ club has it’s place but the trip is family bonding time as well as a break from work for the adults. I would, however, send my kids to summer camp – they get more time off school than adults typically get off work, and summer camp can be a fun and valuable experience. Report comment" - Caitlin

"Thank you for including me! What an honour! I’m a fan of the other blogs on the list too. Thanks for reminding me about Velvet Escape – that needs to go in my RSS reader. I already follow the others. Report comment" - Caitlin

"What a good looking pie! With a vegetarian husband and a New Year’s vow to lose weight and eat less meat, I don’t think I’ll be attempting this soon, but it does sound delish. Maybe next Christmas! I’d love to learn to make good vegetable pot pies though." - Caitlin

"(Obviously the beetle is fauna rather than flora)." - Caitlin

"Gorgeous! It makes me wonder about Christmas flora. There's the Poinsettia of course but I'm not that fond of it. And in Australia, we have Christmas bells (native flowers) and Christmas bush (native bush with small flowers) and Christmas beetles (which get an irridescent shine to their shell around December)." - Caitlin

Fascinating read on how a rare African pygmy hippo came to be lost in the wilds of Top End Australia (the Northern Territory). - Caitlin