STAG PARTIES ABROAD? WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE LOCAL BAR?

Geez, am I out of touch. I came across a piece in the Times (UK version, not NY) the other day that quoted a study as saying 74 per cent of men hold pre-wedding parties that go on for more than a day and that 32 per cent of guys hold their parties out of the country.

Good lord, what's wrong with hanging out at the local pub and buying your buddy a couple beers? Or, not that I would condone such a thing, spending an hour or two at a gentleman's club? Do folks really feel the need to go crazy and spend money taking an out-of-town stag?

The Times said grooms-to-be spend about $360 per person, which is insane

London was the top-city for stags, but UK guys also favour Prague, Amsterdam (gee, really?), Barcelona and Tallinn (who knew?).

Brides, on the other hand, were found to desire to stay home, and good for them. Ninety six per cent said they'd celebrate their coming vows in the UK and 28 said they'd stay in their home towns.

Brides in the UK apparently favour London, Brighton, Edinburgh, Devon, Cornwall and Bath. The only foreign city to crack the top ten was Barcelona.

ONBOARD WIFI - WHAT'S UP?

Spotted an item on Aviation Week's website that said Air Canada and other airlines have signed some sort of deal for wireless service. There's been talk of experimenting with wifi on Air Canada jets, but I'm still trying to find out the status of things with the folks at AC. I'll be sure to fill you in as soon as I get the word.

CHECK YOUR BATTERIES, FOLKS

Until Friday, July 31, the CAA of South Central Ontario is offering free, mobile diagnostic battery testsf ro its GTA members. CAA members can call 1-866-740-6421 and get a free battery test before heading out on the road for the long weekend.

Here's a hint: if you want sun, head to Vancouver. It's been in the mid to upper 20's for some time and the forecast is awesome, with no rain in sight. Sigh.

DOMINICAN CONTINUES WITH UPSCALE RESORTS

Once the domain of students and cheap vacations, the Dominican Republic continues to pull itself up by its own bootstraps. I was at ultra luxe Cap Cana last year; a great treat. And I got word the other day that the north coast community of Cabarete will be getting a five-star spot. Called the Palmera de Cabarete Resort and Spa, it's a $200 million project slated to open in 2011.