'Grump' Finds Happiest Places

Paro Airport in Bhutan is in a treacherous location, to say the least

(NEWSER) - If you're a squeamish flier, you may want to stop reading right now. The Daily Mail reports on what is said to be the world's most dangerous airport—at the very least, Bhutan's Paro Airport seems to handily capture the title of most dangerous place to land. To wit, as of October 2009, only eight pilots in the world were qualified to land on this strip; it's tucked between the steep slopes of the Himalayas, which stretch as tall as 18,000 feet around it. Planes are forced to wind their way around the mountainside, and the houses that litter it. Other facts about the treacherous spot: More»

Women need to remember: discontent can be good

(NEWSER) - Achieving happiness has become a national obsession, but no two studies seem to agree on what women need to do to "be happy": Get married as soon as possible! Wait until you’re 25 to get married! Have kids! Don’t have kids! Eat more salmon! “You know what I think? It's all bullshit,” writes Rebecca Traister for Salon . “I'm just not sure that ‘happiness’ is supposed to be the stable human condition, and I think it's punishing that we're constantly being pushed to achieve it." More»

Renewed activity at Icelandic volcano leads to more travel chaos

(NEWSER) - Hundreds of flights were canceled and delayed today as the reinvigorated ash cloud issuing from an Icelandic volcano spread across parts of Europe and the UK. Three clouds are moving in various directions, closing airports in Scotland, Portugal, Germany, and other countries. The total number of canceled flights since the Eyjafjallajokull volcano started erupting April 14 has topped 100,000, the Times of London reports . More»

'The Day I Shot Cupid' is a mess, but an entertaining one

(NEWSER) - Jennifer Love Hewitt wrote a book of advice about love, which is just as ridiculous as it sounds. “Here are 10 completely awesome things that happen in this book,” writes Linda Holmes for NPR :

1. Hewitt admits to visiting and trying on her “dream ring” once a month since she was 12. She is now 31. “If this is true, she has made roughly 225 trips to the jewelry store to try on engagement rings. I do not know where to go with this.”
2. Among her recommendations: Make out with a stranger to get over a breakup—but only if he’s “gorgeous”—and always spray tan before a date.

Bevy of new books strikes more somber, conservative tone

(NEWSER) - Book publishers and sellers are rushing to meet demand for personal-finance titles as the unrelenting economic crisis combines with New Year’s resolutions to prompt consumers to seek professional advice, the Wall Street Journal reports. However, the thrown-together texts might not prove very helpful: Many authors fail to provide specifics and contradict their previous investment strategies and market forecasts. More»