On some airlines, those new smokeless electronic cigarettes are permitted. Smokers can get their nicotine hit by puffing and breathing in a small cloud of chemicals. Allegedly they don’t bother people sitting next to them, although the jury is still out on that question.

Now, the Department of Transportation is considering a total ban on the Ecigarettes on all flights originating in the U.S. The Tobacco Vapor Electronic Cigarette Association is objecting to the plan, claiming that the devices only emit water vapor and create nothing like second-hand smoke.

If the total ban goes into effect, Ecigarette users will just have to join regular smokers in those little rooms provided for them in airports. Then, whether their flights are for one or a dozen hours, they’ll have to refrain from their habit in the air, get a patch or chew some nicotine gum.

Sorry, smokers, but you may be in a losing battle. Amtrak now forbids Ecigarettes on trains, and the U.S. Navy won’t permit them on submerged submarines.

Cities hitting 100 or more degrees this week, including Washington DC, New York NY, Chicago IL, Amarillo TX, Philadelphia PA and Detroit MI.

With only a mild 108 this week, move over Phoenix AZ.  Council Bluffs IA hit 123.

Advice for senior travelers: If you’re considering venturing away from air conditioning or a cool beachfront: Don’t do it!

The debate has finally reached Congress, and the future of airport security may be in the balance. Many air travelers are getting more and more fed up with the Transportation Security Administration’s search methods.

While it may be a bit exaggerated, people complain about little old ladies in wheelchairs and babies being frisked by gloved TSA agents. They also question the effectiveness of the full-body electronic screening machines that make air travel even more bothersome and time-consuming than ever.

The Netherlands government may pass legislature that bans open marijuana shops. It wants to turn them into private clubs, with membership limited to Dutch citizens age 18 and above. If the law goes into effect, the clubs will appropriately be called Weed Pass.

According to government authorities, the measure will stop those foreigners who come to The Netherlands just to buy the legal pot. They say the visitors are responsible for much of the street crime and other disruptions in Amsterdam and other tourist areas.

However, the mayor of Amsterdam and many local merchants are opposed to the strict law. They claim that the use of marijuana is a symbol of the city’s free style and is actually beneficial to its tourist industry.