The Force Is Strong With The Iowa Department Of Transportation

It doesn't matter whether you can make the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs -- the Iowa Department of Transportation just wants you to get there safely.

To that end, the government agency is running a variety of "Star Wars"-themed messages on digital signs across the state this week, in honor of Friday's release of the latest film in the iconic movie series.

"Texting & driving leads to the dark side," one sign warns.

Another reads, "The Force is strong with you. Put down the phone." 

"We try to make all our Message Monday signs relevant," Tracey Bramble, a spokeswoman at the Iowa DOT, told The Huffington Post.

"With the big movie premiere this week ... we asked around the Iowa DOT for suggestions," she added. "While we typically stick to just one message per week that runs from midnight Sunday night to midnight Monday night, this week we had just too many good messages to choose just one."

Bramble said the messages are running in a couple of other states as well. Arizona, Colorado and Utah also signed up to run similarly humorous public safety announcements.

The Iowa DOT has a reputation for lighthearted messages.

Earlier this year, it riffed on the famous line from "Dirty Dancing" -- "Nobody puts baby in a corner" -- to remind drivers not to leave children unattended in a car. (The "Dirty Dancing" campaign coincided with performances of the play in Des Moines.)

And if you prefer "Star Trek" to "Star Wars," the Iowa DOT has you covered: Actor George Takei, onetime helmsman of the USS Enterprise, shared one of the department's messages on his Facebook page in October.

"Get your head out of your apps," it read. "Drive safely."

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Here's What You Need to Know About Registering Your New Drone

Back in October, Americans learned that we were going to have to register our drones this holiday season, but the details were still up in the air until today. 

On Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration made official its proposed regulation, publishing an interim final rule laying out the marking and registration requirements for consumer drones.

If you're a hobbyist in the United States who pilots an unmanned recreational aircraft that weighs half a pound, you're going to need to register it with the federal government online at faa.gov/uas/registration. The FAA says this website will be operational on Dec. 21, the same day the new rule goes into effect. 

The regulation will include the vast majority of the 1.6 million small consumer drones that the FAA estimates will be sold in 2015 -- along with the hundreds of thousands of other drones that people already own.

“Make no mistake: unmanned aircraft enthusiast are aviators, and with that title comes a great deal of responsibility,” said United States Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx in a prepared statement. “Registration gives us an opportunity to work with these users to operate their unmanned aircraft safely. I’m excited to welcome these new aviators into the culture of safety and responsibility that defines American innovation.”

The new requirements mostly follow the recommendations of the public-private drone task force convened this fall to advise the government on how to implement a drone registry.

Here are some of the highlights from the document the FAA released Monday:

1) If your drone weighs more than 0.55 pounds and less than 55 pounds, including payloads, you have to register it before operating it.

2) You'll need to provide your name, home address and an email. 

3) If you owned and operated a drone prior to Dec. 21, you must register on the website no later than Feb. 19, 2016.

4) Registering your drone will cost $5 (departing from the task force recommendations) but the FAA will waive the fee for the first 30 days to encourage as many people as possible to register quickly. After Jan. 20, you'll need to pay.

5) Once you complete the drone registration process, the web app will give you a registration certificate and a proof of ownership with a unique identification number that must be marked on the drone. Your registration will be valid for three years. The FAA provided no timeline on how fast the registration process will take.

6) You only have to register as a drone operator once. You can use the same identification number for all of your drones. 

7) You need to be at least 13 years old to register a drone. 

8) This registration process only applies to drones used for hobbies and recreational purposes. In September, the FAA missed a deadline for proposing regulations for commercial drones. Expect those sometime in 2016.

After this interim final rule is published in the Federal Register, the FAA will be taking comments at Regulations.gov and may choose to tweak some of the details in the future.

Unless the FAA follows a key recommendation of the task force to build the drone registry in a way that distributes the crush of visitors, however, this website could be a huge headache for consumers who want to get into the air on Christmas Day. The report recommended that the agency use an application programming interface instead of creating a online bottleneck for drone registration.

“We expect hundreds of thousands of model unmanned aircraft will be purchased this holiday season,” said FAA Administrator Michael Huerta, in a statement. “Registration gives us the opportunity to educate these new airspace users before they fly so they know the airspace rules and understand they are accountable to the public for flying responsibly.”

Here's hoping the agency gets it right. The short timelines to do so aren't promising.

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Burning Man Organizers Are Fighting A $3 Million Tax

RENO, Nev. (AP) — Organizers of the Burning Man counter-culture celebration are challenging the enforcement of a Nevada state tax that they say could cost them nearly $3 million.

Burning Man officials said in a letter to the state Department of Taxation on Friday that the festival should be exempt from the recently amended tax on live entertainment, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported Saturday.

The 25-year-old annual arts festival attracted about 80,000 participants this year to the Black Rock Desert 100 miles north of Reno.

Burning Man attorney Ray Allen said the 9 percent tax would translate into a tax bill of about $2.8 million. He said the tax is known by some as the "Burning Man tax."

"From our perspective, this is the latest attempt by an outside entity to unfairly tap the resources of Burning Man and its participants," event organizers said in a statement posted on their web site. "Some seem to view Burning Man as the 'golden goose' they can turn to when they want money for other projects."

Burning Man officials said they will not set 2016 ticket prices until they hear back from the taxation department because they could be forced to bump up the cost of entry to the temporary village dubbed "Black Rock City." They urged the department to respond by Jan. 15.

In June, the Legislature approved a revised version of the live entertainment tax, which originally came into law in 2004 as a way for the state to gain revenue from Las Vegas's robust live entertainment industry. The revised version became effective Oct. 1. 

Certain events — including school, sporting, racing and nonprofit events attended by fewer than 7,500 people — remain exempt from the tax. Burning Man and the Electric Daisy Carnival, a music festival held in Las Vegas, were the two largest events newly affected by the change.

Burning Man maintains it should be treated as it has historically during the weeklong celebration that culminates with the burning of a towering, wooden effigy the day before Labor Day.

"Black Rock City is not an arena concert, a sporting event or a Las Vegas show; it's a thriving metropolis with all the trappings of a functioning temporary city, with people camping, cooking meals, visiting neighbors, and exploring the offerings of its citizens," the organization said in its online statement.

"While the Burning Man organization provides the space and basic infrastructure for Black Rock City, we simply don't provide live entertainment as defined by the statute."

Burning Man previously was exempt because it was an outdoor event, said ex-House Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-Las Vegas, who co-sponsored the bill in March. No other newly affected organization, including the Electric Daisy Carnival, had qualms with paying the tax, she said.

As is, the tax brings in about $137 million annually, most of which goes toward the state's general fund. About $150,000 will go toward the Nevada Arts Council in the future.

"It's just a sign of the times. Entertainment has changed," Kirkpatrick said. "There's no way we could have predicted in 2003 that there would be an event like Burning Man. It's disappointing that they take it so personal."

Burning Man previously stated that an increase in ticket prices may be necessary to cover the tax. General admission tickets in 2015 were $390, a $10 increase from 2014.

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It's Time To Quit The Rat Race And Become A Freakin' Viking

Are you beginning to deeply resent your boring job and annoying family? Are you drawn to the call of the open ocean? Do you have absolutely nothing going on for a full two months?

Now you can try your hand at becoming Viking — without the violence and pillaging.

The Draken Harald Hårfagre, a 115-foot longship based out of Norway, has put out a call for volunteer crew members to man the vessel during this year’s voyage from Norway to the U.S., stopping in Iceland, Greenland, and Canada along the way.

 The ship sets sail in May, “trying to recreate the historical route the Vikings explored 1000 years ago” and is modeled after the Gokstad ship — a 9th-century Viking vessel uncovered in the 1800s from a burial mound in Norway.

That means there’s no “underdeck,” so the only protection from the elements is a small tent. This sounds mildly terrifying (and cold) to us, but note that a “follow ship” will be trailing behind the Draken for extra security and storage space, and we assume this means folks from this ship will be there to help out in case anything truly goes awry.

The ship also has a hidden engine that the crew has deployed in the past when needed, as well as a modern toilet and stove, which are two major benefits if you ask us.

Anyway, if you think Vikingdom sounds right for you, you can apply here until the end of February, or until the jobs are full. If that doesn’t work out, there’s always becoming an astronaut.

H/T: Wave Train

Contact the author at Hilary.Hanson@huffingtonpost.com

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Watch This Qatar Airways Flight Abort Takeoff At The Last Second

Things got a little bumpy on what was supposed to be a celebratory Qatar Airways flight last week. 

To debut its swanky Airbus A350 jet in the United States, Qatar Airways invited special guests and employees aboard an inaugural flight from New York City's JFK to Doha. Like other invitees, The Points Guy editor Zach Honig boarded the glitzy cabin and settled into his seat. But just seconds before takeoff, the plane lurched to a sudden halt, leaving passengers visibly alarmed. 

Honig caught the moment on video:

But on his blog, Honig said the airline's COO told passengers the plane automatically stopped itself because its computer system deemed the runway too short (Qatar Airways has not yet responded to an inquiry from HuffPost). Rejected takeoffs like these aren't unheard of: They typically occur due to engine failure, direction from air traffic control or system warnings, and they happen about once in every 3,000 flights, Boeing estimates. 

"The passengers around me were clearly startled, as was I," Honig told HuffPost. "It seemed like we would have an opportunity to deplane, but the pilots (or airline executives on board, more likely) decided that everybody would be staying on."

The plane made a successful takeoff nearly two hours later and flew safely to its destination. 

Qatar Airways' Airbus A350 currently flies in Europe and is expected to start regular U.S. flights in January 2016. The airline was named best in the world this year by Skytrax for its "award-winning customer service and amazing seat-back entertainment systems." 

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State Street Ballet Has The Perfect Way To Spend A 5-Hour Layover

Have five hours to kill in the airport? You could check out the selection of neck pillows in the magazine shop. Or, if you have some mad ballet skills, you could use that time to make the best airport layover video ever. 

Members of the State Street Ballet in Santa Barbara, California, used the moving walkways at Denver International Airport to put on an unforgettable show last week.

"This is what happens when State Street Ballet has a 5-hour layover haha," dancer Nick Topet wrote on Facebook.

The group was in town for a performance of "The Nutcracker." 

Check it out in the clip above. 

 

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State Street Ballet Has The Perfect Way To Spend A 5-Hour Layover

Have five hours to kill in the airport? You could check out the selection of neck pillows in the magazine shop. Or, if you have some mad ballet skills, you could use that time to make the best airport layover video ever. 

Members of the State Street Ballet in Santa Barbara, California, used the moving walkways at Denver International Airport to put on an unforgettable show last week.

"This is what happens when State Street Ballet has a 5-hour layover haha," dancer Nick Topet wrote on Facebook.

The group was in town for a performance of "The Nutcracker." 

Check it out in the clip above. 

 

Also on HuffPost:

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A Self-Guided Walking Tour Of Miami Street Art

Miami's art scene is vibrant, and not just during Art Basel Miami Beach, the annual international art fair. The south Florida city's design district is a year-round draw for lovers of fine art and high design. And the artsy enclave of Wynwood has become a popular venue for street art, attracting both well-known and emerging graffiti artists.
Raucously colorful and elaborate, the murals covering the facades of Wynwood are worth a visit. To share the stories behind the art, tour companies like Wynwood Art Walk offer guided treks through the area. For an introduction to the neighborhood, check out the stops on this self-guided walking tour, with background on the works by Wynwood Art Walk guide Anna Vamos.







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A Self-Guided Walking Tour Of Miami Street Art

Miami's art scene is vibrant, and not just during Art Basel Miami Beach, the annual international art fair. The south Florida city's design district is a year-round draw for lovers of fine art and high design. And the artsy enclave of Wynwood has become a popular venue for street art, attracting both well-known and emerging graffiti artists.

Raucously colorful and elaborate, the murals covering the facades of Wynwood are worth a visit. To share the stories behind the art, tour companies like Wynwood Art Walk offer guided treks through the area. For an introduction to the neighborhood, check out the stops on this self-guided walking tour, with background on the works by Wynwood Art Walk guide Anna Vamos.








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