Airport security, as we've often pointed out here at Gadling, is in dire need of a makeover. After a number of close calls in the last few years, it seems that the TSA has finally made some positive changes to keep travelers moving swiftly and safely.

Well, at least according to The Onion. Here are a couple "improvements" our friends at the TSA have made recently, as reported by the crack squad of investigators at America's Finest News Source:

• Instead of broadcasting CNN on the televisions by the gates, passengers in waiting areas will be shown episodes of 24 to get their adrenaline going in case they need to knock down a terrorist.
• Newsstands are to begin selling copies of Modern Terrorist and report people who pick it up.
• Using an ultrasonic frequency imperceptible to the conscious mind, the FAA will broadcast the audiobook of Marley And Me in an effort to subliminally warm would-be terrorists' hearts.

Am I alone in thinking that these ideas sound just as good as something the TSA might actually propose?

More here.

London. Tokyo. New York. Hong Kong. Luanda?

When you think of expensive places to live, Luanda, Angola, probably doesn't come to mind. But according to a recent study by the consulting firm Mercer, the Angolan capital is the world's most expensive city for expatriates. Why?

Well, it's the same reason prices are usually high: too much demand, too little supply. Luanda, a city rife with crippling poverty, has seen several multinational oil companies move to town in recent years, but it lacks the infrastructure, secure housing, and affordable services that many of their employees expect.

"To entice talented staff to [African] cities, multinationals need to provide the same standard of living and benefits that these employees and their families would experience at home," said a researcher at Mercer. "In some African cities, the cost of this can be extraordinarily high--particularly the cost of good, secure accommodation."

Cheeseburgers in Luanda cost about $15, with haircuts running $150, and one-year gym memberships costing $2,500. Quality housing in a safe neighborhood can cost just under $10,000 per month.

The survey placed Tokyo second for cost of living, with N'Djamena, Chad, Moscow, and Geneva rounding out the top five. Karachi, Pakistan, was the world's cheapest city for expats.

More here.

[Photo Credit: Embassy of Angola UK]

According to some psychologists, it might be the part when you're actually on vacation.

A slew of recent studies have found that people are less happy while vacationing than they are while planning and remembering their trips. A study from 1997 analyzed survey results from people who went on several different trips - including a vacation to Europe and a three-week bicycle trip in California - and found that "the respondents were least happy about the vacation while they were taking it." Drake Bennett of Boston.com has more:

Beforehand, they looked forward to it with eager anticipation, and within a few days of returning, they remembered it fondly. But while on it, they found themselves bogged down by the disappointments and logistical headaches of actually going somewhere and doing something, and the pressure they felt to be enjoying themselves.

A more recent study from the Netherlands found that people reported being in better moods just before their vacations than at any other point.

More tough Travel Trivia here.

KFC is one of the most popular fast food chains in China, with more than 2,100 locations in 450 cities. Perhaps surprisingly, McDonald's is not nearly as successful, with only about half the number of restaurants. This is the reverse of the situation in the United States, where McDonald's is often considered to be number one while KFC trails behind.

So why do the Chinese prefer KFC to McDonald's? The blog The China Expat has a few possible answers. One of them is that KFC caters better to Chinese tastes than McDonald's does. For example, KFC's menu includes Traditional Peking Chicken Rolls, Preserved Sichuan Pickle and Shredded Pork Soup, Happy French Fry Shakes (with beef, orange and Uygur barbecue spices) and for breakfast a Chinese-style porridge called congee. McDonald's caters its menu to international tastes, but not to the same extent in China.

In addition, a slick marketing campaign from KFC has some Chinese convinced that KFC is actually healthy. "Their message is that KFC is the 'new fast food,'" says the China Expat. (Does this mean KFC's appalling new "Double Down" hasn't arrived in China yet?)

Finally, and perhaps most importantly in these lean economic times, KFC has better coupons than McDonald's. The coupons are apparently so good that Chinese KFC's are occasionally mobbed by coupon-holders.

Go here for the full China Expat post. Any other ideas why KFC beats McDonald's in China?

Here's a quick look at the latest and greatest posts, articles, and miscellaneous tidbits from the world of travel...

• A wanderlust-inspiring article from BootsnAll on hitchhiking in southern Africa.
• Richard Florida on the least bohemian cities in the United States. Tyler Cowen offers his opinion. (And be sure to check out Gadling's interviews with both Richard and Tyler.)
• World Hum chats with Three Cups of Tea author Greg Mortenson about making a difference through travel.
• Slate interviews the always-interesting Anthony Bourdain. Elsewhere on Slate, riots and machine-gun fire appear to be keeping sex tourists away from Thailand.
• Icelandic Dance Party!

More Gadlinks here.

Time once again for our daily look at the best of the rest from the world of travel. Here goes...

• Our friends over at World Hum take an unscientific, Onion-esque and completely arbitrary statistical look" at travel writing.
• Two views on France's proposed burqa ban: Christopher Hitchens supports the ban; Wajahat Ali opposes it. Where do you stand, Gadling faithful?
• Matador's Dave Francois visits a Russian banya, or bath house, where he endures a "lashing of birch twigs from an obese Russian man." (Where do I sign up?)
• Still haven't seen the "World Map of Touristiness"? Check it out here.
• And if you still haven't checked out Kayak Explore (as our own Scott Carmichael recommended this morning) head on over there and take a look. It's pretty cool.

More Gadlinks here.

More stimulating Travel Trivia here.

Time now for another dose of Gadlinks, the most interesting recent tidbits from around the travel blogosphere...

• If you haven't seen this yet, take a look: 16 Items They Only Sell At Chinese Walmarts, including Dried Reptiles, Pig Faces, and Antibacterial Bikini Underwear for Men. [HT: Radley Balko]
• World Hum's Spud Hilton laments the demise of the cruise ship promenade.
• Going camping any time soon? Boy, do I have a sleeping bag for you.
• BootsnAll lists 10 reasons to get off your butt and head to Spain. Check out the gorgeous photos too.
• Jaunted interviews Brian Kelly (aka "The Points Guy") on how to maximize your frequent flyer miles.

More Gadlinks here.

Admit it, New Yorkers. How many of you have wished that there were separate lanes for tourists and locals on NYC sidewalks? This photo, taken at the corner of 22nd and 5th Streets in New York City, shows that one guerrilla artist is trying to make that happen. Just don't expect the tourists to stay in their lane-- they're too busy looking for the restaurant from Seinfeld.

[HT: Gothamist]