Yeah, Sony will apologize. And if you believe that I have several million dollars I am trying to bring in the country that you might be able to help with.

News of the Weird: Nigeria Demands Apology from Sony for Defamation?

Raise your hands if you haven’t received a scam email from someone purporting to be either Nigerian or a Nigerian governmental-type person. (Don’t worry, I won’t ask whether you fell for it.) The practice has gone on for so long, I sort of figured Nigeria didn’t care.

Nigeria is demanding an apology for a commercial that says, “You can’t believe everything you read on the Internet. Otherwise I’d be a Nigerian millionaire by now.”

New Zealand is the safest country to visit? Have they not seen the videos of all those people jumping off things down there?

The 10 safest countries in the world to visit

The Global Peace Index (GPI) moves beyond simple crime statistics alone, and looks at the actions of a government, the country’s relationships with the world at large, and the attitudes and demographics of its population. 144 Nations are scored yearly using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators of peacefulness. The index includes the number of homicides per 100,000 people, the potential for being the target of a terrorist attack, level of hostility to foreigners, educational attainment and unemployment rates and several others indicators. While subjectively measuring the world’s “most peaceful” nations, the Global Peace Index takes into account many factors associated with personal well-being and safety. The GPI does not factor in natural disasters or acts of God into the equation however, so these must also be considered when debating overall personal safety as well.

Yeah, we just need your help training these new vacation replacements… and we are also trying to bring a couple million dollars into the country from Nigeria.

Hyatt shows how to damage a brand

“Looking for a sure-fire way to do a little damage to your brand? Follow these two simple steps,” wrote the Harvard Review.

1. Make the decision to fire a very important yet modestly paid sector of your work force. Fire the entire lot of them.

2. Outsource their positions to a third-party vendor who will bring in contractors to do their jobs at a lower cost. But — and this is critical — before you fire them, trick your workers into training the people who will replace them.

Ryanair to allow fliers to ‘smoke’ … if they pay about $9

European low-cost giant Ryanair typically grabs headlines by announcing draconian amenities cuts or by finding ways to add fees for even the most basic of services. But, now, the airline is bringing back a flying perk that’s most-often associated with the “golden age” of flying. Kind of.

Ryanair announced this week that it would allow passengers to smoke on board. Of course, there’s a catch. Passengers won’t actually be lighting up. Instead, the airline will permit passengers to use its new brand of “Smokeless Cigarettes” during its flights. And, as you may have guessed, Ryanair says in a press release that it will sell those smokeless cigarettes “for just €6 – or just under $9 per pack.

What was “A Little West Of Center” supposed to mean? Anyone? Anyone?

Reno mayor “embarrassed” by proposed tourist slogan

A proposed marketing slogan for the Reno-Tahoe region was thrown out this morning, after the mayor and other stake-holders in our economy complained: it makes a mockery of the community.

The slogan, “A Little West Of Center,” comes from where Reno is located on a map,which is ‘a little bit west’ of the center of the United States. But the city mayor seems to believe there’s a little too much room for interpretation.

Speaking as a private citizen, Mayor Cashell told the board he hates the idea of being referred to as a little west of anything–in fact, in reference to target Bay Area tourism market, he says technically, Reno is a little bit east. Cashell says the slogan “West of Center” leaves too many openings for negative connotations.

Let’s hope this is not a trend.

British Airways sets seat charges

British Airways passengers will have to pay to choose their seats before they travel from October, the airline says.

The charges will affect those seeking to ensure they sit together on a flight and people with a preference for window, aisle or emergency exit seats.

Prices range from £10 per person for European economy flights, to £60 for long haul trips in business class.

Even the CEO can’t get the Airline employees to work fast.

Airline Employees Call Police On Angry CEO Who Chewed Them Out

This story combines two immutable laws of nature in a surprising twist: that executives don’t always know what their front-line employees are doing, and that airline employees don’t give a f*ck who you are and will call the police if you annoy them.

The incident happened at Manchester Airport in England this weekend, when the CEO of budget airline Jet2.com showed up unannounced and saw a 60-minute wait to check in, and a line of about 200 passengers. He gave his employees a good cussin’ for “sitting there doing nothing.” In response, the employees called the police for breaking the airport’s “no threatening the employees” rule.

Other newsworthy or interesting stories:

• Congressional Bill to Lift Cuban Travel Ban Makes Progress
• Randy Quaid and wife arrested, freed in Texas over disputed, $10,000 Calif. hotel bill
• The 10 least visited U.S. national parks
• Child sex tourism industry has boomed
• Danish tourism official quits over ‘promiscuous’ video