Gadling

Filed under: Asia, Thailand, Photo of the Day

Whenever I pack for a trip, I am always incredibly worried that I will forget to pack underwear. Rather than face several weeks in one pair of underpants (or having to begrudgingly purchase several new pairs on the road), I always pack underwear first. Then it's simply a matter of remembering to put on underwear every morning before setting out for the day.

Heading out sans underwear could lead to an unfortunate penis slip. You simply do not want that to happen when you're in Thailand focusing on your takraw moves like the man in this photo by Flickr user Mark Fischer. Do yourself (and everyone who might see you) a favor and holster your gun with a solid pair of underpants.

Taken any great photos of underwear athletes on your travels? Why not add them to our Gadling group on Flickr? We might just pick one of yours as our Photo of the Day.

Photo of the Day (11.29.10) originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Asia, China, News

Archaeologists excavating during the Three Gorges dam project in China have discovered nearly a quarter of a million artifacts, the state-run Xinhua News Agency says.

The world's largest dam project has created a reservoir that's 410 miles long and more than half a mile wide. Before that reservoir was flooded, China spent $285 million to hunt for cultural treasures, at times using teams of more than a thousand archaeologists. They've uncovered artifacts ranging from medieval statues to early stone tools two million years old. While the sites they came from are now lost beneath the water, the artifacts they yielded will give fresh insight into China's long history.

Now museums across China are busy conserving the artifacts and hopefully soon many of them will be on display for China's growing tourist industry.

The Three Gorges Project is itself becoming a tourist attraction. It's the largest dam project in the world, and the largest electrical generating facility. It's also highly controversial because it displaced 1.3 million people.


[Photo courtesy user Rehman via Wikimedia Commons]

Archaeological treasure trove found at Three Gorges Project in China originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: North America, Mexico, Airlines

Who says print is dead?

The newspaper business may be in trouble, but if you find 10 great bodies, take pictures of them and line them up with the months of the year, you could be in business for a while. This is exactly what a handful of unemployed flight attendants from Mexicana airlines did, according to the Associated Press.

They lost their jobs when the carrier filed for bankruptcy and suspended operations, and the sexy calendar is an effort to "to call attention to their own plight and that of their airline - one of the world's oldest," the Associated Press reports.

The ladies sport bikinis, sunglasses and provocative uniform variations while making propellers, cockpits and other dirty-sounding airplane parts look a hell of a lot hotter.

Interestingly, the hotties shelled out their own cash for the project, investing around $8,000 to get the glossy delight off the ground. It seems this was money well spent: the first thousand were purchased before the calendar's official launch last Thursday, and another run of 3,000 is in progress.

[Photo credits: AP/Getty Images]

Unemployed Mexicana airline flight attendants raise more than cash with sexy new calendar originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Oceania, Australia, Airlines, Airports

It must be those adventure travelers ... they're always so high maintenance.

A rock-climbing rope jammed up some of the Qantas baggage equipment at the Melbourne, Australia airport last night, and as many as 400 pieces of luggage are lying around, waiting to be reunited with their passengers. Of course, the Sydney Morning Herald reports, passengers are welcome to "search through the piles" if they are eager to get their bags sooner.

Meanwhile, Qantas has copped to "bag issues" but nothing more so far. The Sydney Morning herald writes that the airline "could not confirm the number of bags that still needed to be returned to passengers."

Unsurprisingly, Qantas has offered an apology, something to which the airline has become accustomed recently. The article continues:

"Due to an item from a customer bag jamming the baggage system in Melbourne yesterday, the system was down for a period of time," he said.

"As we did everything to move backlog bags, the system experienced another problem and we are in the process of clearing the backlog as soon as possible."

[photo by Skazama via Flickr]

Qantas luggage "all tied up" in Melbourne originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Europe, France, Italy, Transportation, Luxury Travel

Luxury train operator Orient Express is taking guests on an art journey through Europe, starting in April 2011.

"The Art of Travel" is a series of art tours to Venice, Paris and within England, in conjunction with London's renowned National Gallery. Guests will learn about the lives of artists such as Canaletto, Bellini, Titian, Veronese, Monet, Rubens, Turner and Constable, all while seeing the places that inspired their work and notable places that house their work today, accompanied by a National Gallery expert.

All tours include at least one night at London's Goring Hotel and begin at The National Gallery, where a specialist gives a guided introduction to selected masterpieces before the journeys begin. The tours include:

Continue reading Daily Pampering: Orient-Express launches "Art of Travel" tours through Europe

Daily Pampering: Orient-Express launches "Art of Travel" tours through Europe originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: North America, United States, Hotels and Accommodations

There's no denying that Las Vegas knows how to throw one rockin party, but when it comes to New Year's Eve celebrations, the Las Vegas hotels work to outdo each other. Newcomer on the block Cosmopolitan Resort and Casino might just take this year's prize.

The hotel, set to open December 15, will host a New Year's Eve celebration with Jay-Z and Coldplay expected to perform. The hotel is, of course, offering a sweet package to ring in 2011 at the new complex. Rumor has it only a few packages are left so get 'em while they're hot:

· A three-night stay in a city room or terrace studio · Access to the Marquee nightclub and Dayclub preview party · Dinner for two on New Year's Eve at the restaurant of your choice · New Year's Day brunch at Wicked Spoon (the hotel's buffet joint) · Two non-transferable tickets to the live concert featuring Jay-Z & Coldplay.

The total package cost is $5,600 and in case you want to think before buying, know that full payment is expected at the time of booking.

Jay-Z and Coldplay ring in the New Year at Las Vegas Cosmopolitan Resort and Casino originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Business, North America, United States, Airlines

Do you think body scanners and TSA groping will keep people off planes next year? Well, the airlines don't think so! Carriers are adding seats and flights, according to USA Today, in the hopes that the travel industry will continue to improve in 2011 as it has in 2010.

Through November this year, the top 10 airlines in the United States added 2.7 percent more seats for passengers than they had a year earlier, USA Today reports, with 90 percent of the airlines adding seats "by increasing the number of flights or moving to bigger planes." JetBlue added the most with an up-tick of 7.6 percent, followed by Delta, which added 5 percent more seats year over year.

Business travelers are leading the charge, it seems, with airline readiness bolstered by a few years of tough times:

Continue reading Airlines add seats on optimism for 2011

Airlines add seats on optimism for 2011 originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Internet Tools

If you're a fan of location-based social networking site FourSquare, chances are you're already a recipient of the "Jetsetter" badge, which you can obtain by checking into five different airport locations.

But did you unlock their newest trave-themed badge yet? It's called the Baggage Handler, which can be unlocked at any airport by using the words "TSA," "Grope" or "Don't touch my junk, bro!" in your accompanying shout.

You'll unlock the badge with the phrase "Looks like you've had your baggage handled. Happy Holidays and have a safe flight!"

Uncover any other great travel-themed FourSquare badges? Send them our way.

Don't touch my junk, bro - FourSquare launches new "Baggage Handler" badge originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: History, Learning, North America, United States

Jesse James was riding high. After the end of the Civil War he had rocketed to fame by committing a string of daring robberies in Missouri and neighboring states. In a region where ex-Confederates still felt bitter over losing the war, this former Confederate guerrilla earned sympathy and support. One of their own was striking back at the Yankees, and it didn't matter that some people got hurt in the process.

The James gang is an early example of political spin. Jesse James wrote angry letters to the press, claiming he had been persecuted by the government and forced into a life of crime, while at the same time insisting he was innocent. He was helped by newspaperman John Newman Edwards, a former Confederate officer who wrote laudatory articles about the James boys and their friends.

So as the James gang robbed trains, banks, and stagecoaches, part of the population cheered. Soon dime novel writers began to write books about them, describing exploits that never occurred, and their fame grew even higher. But in 1876 Jesse James finally went too far.

He had a bold plan. The First National Bank in Northfield, Minnesota, was supposed to have a lot of money, but even more important was that it held the savings of Adelbert Ames, a former Union officer and Northern politician who had tried (and failed) to give blacks equal rights in Mississippi during Reconstruction. Ames was the kind of Yankee Jesse and his friends hated.

Jesse and Frank James set out with a group of fellow ex-guerrillas: Clell Miller, Charlie Pitts, Bill Chadwell, and the Younger brothers Cole, Jim, and Bob. After riding hundreds of miles from Missouri to Minnesota, they scouted the area and on September 7 they struck. Frank, Jesse, and one other entered the bank while the rest guarded the entrance. One robber, probably Jesse, vaulted over the counter and pulled a gun on the three employees.

Continue reading Jesse James' greatest escape

Jesse James' greatest escape originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Arts and Culture, Africa, Libya, Middle East

So, if you were a Middle Eastern strongman leader, how would you hit the town in New York City? I don't know about you, but I'd want to do it with a real looker on my arm (and everywhere else). Apparently, that's what Muammar al-Qadhafi has in mind. According to confidential diplomatic cables recently unearthed by Wikileaks and published by the NY Times, the Libyan leader prefers to travel in style. Specifically, he can't "travel without his senior Ukrainian nurse, Galyna Klotnytska."

The Wikileaks-released cable continues:

He also appears to have an intense dislike or fear of staying on upper floors, reportedly prefers not to fly over water, and seems to enjoy horse racing and flamenco dancing. His recent travel may also suggest a diminished dependence on his legendary female guard force, as only one woman bodyguard accompanied him to New York. End Summary.
So, what else is on Qadhafi's list of travel necessities? Well, he makes the likes of Axl Rose seem pretty easy to accommodate. Here are ten of my favorites:

Continue reading Ten ways to travel like Qadhafi, according to Wikileaks diplomatic cables

Ten ways to travel like Qadhafi, according to Wikileaks diplomatic cables originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: North America, Mexico, Hotels and Accommodations, Caribbean

Need a little sunshine in your life this holiday season but can't get out on the road? Hey, I get it: we all shell out enough cash this time of year. There are gifts for the kids, unavoidable family travel and those Christmas dinners that get expensive pretty quickly. These costs can sneak up on you, depriving you of a little mental health time out on a beach somewhere.

Well, a travel contest hit my inbox today that can make the whole situation much easier for you to deal with.

How does the Marriott and Renaissance brand sound, especially down in the Caribbean or in Mexico? Yeah, I figured that would get your attention! Marriott and Renaissance Caribbean & Mexico Resorts and online travel agency CheapOair are kicking off a "12 Days of Travel" holiday sweepstakes that could leave you sprawled out on the sand under the warm sun this winter, while the neighbors and family are breaking their backs with shovels full of snow.

Okay, this is a social media contest, so it helps to have Twitter and Facebook open frequently during the contest, which kicks off Wednesday, December 1, 2010 and ends Monday, December 13, 2010 (12 days ... get it?). There are five steps you'll need to follow:

Continue reading Five steps to free Mexico and Caribbean travel from Marriott and Renaissance

Five steps to free Mexico and Caribbean travel from Marriott and Renaissance originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: North America, United States, Airlines

Good news for regulars on Delta Airlines regional jet flights - as the first airline in the nation, Delta has committed to bringing Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi to 223 of its Delta Connection regional jets.

This is in additon to the expedited rollout of Internet access to its entire mainline domestic fleet. When completed at the end of 2011, Delta will offer Gogo Inflight Internet on 772 planes, or 80% of its fleet.

Delta Connection flights operate on routes like New York LaGuardia and Boston, Chicago and Washington D.C.

Recent enhancements to Delta Connection planes include the addition of first class cabins and upgraded meal services. For more on Gogo Inflight Internet, head on over to the Gogo Inflight Blog.

[Photo credit: Flickr/hyku]

Gogo Inflight Internet coming to 223 Delta Airlines regional jets originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Stories

Today is Cyber Monday. It's the internet version of Black Friday. What does all this retail marketing speak mean? Well, it's officially the holiday shopping season (with a special emphasis on the shopping). By now, your Thanksgiving leftovers have begun to spoil and your mind has replaced thoughts of turkey with lists of gifts for family, friends and coworkers. With so much emphasis on shopping, it's easy to forget what the holidays are really about: togetherness, appreciation and, of course, fruit cake. You might find it odd for a snarky, sarcastic travel writer who was raised Jewish and then became agnostic to wax poetic about the holiday season when he's supposed to be writing about SkyMall, but hear me out. Here in the SkyMall Monday headquarters, we just set up our Christmas tree. I love this tree. It has its origins in all the things that make this time of year so special: family, SkyMall and Charlie Brown. This week is a little bit different for SkyMall Monday. Rather than simply reviewing a product, I'd like to share with you my story of the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree.

Continue reading SkyMall Monday: It's my first Christmas tree, Charlie Brown

SkyMall Monday: It's my first Christmas tree, Charlie Brown originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Photos, Women's Travel, Travel Security

Check out Miss March! Email lists across the world are tittering at the Miss TSA Pinup Calendar. We aren't sure where these came from, but they do appear to be real x-rays (says a medical expert friend of mine), and were probably done by a radiologist -- that's why they'd be hitting the medical community first. My medical expert friend (who wishes to remain anonymous) is the one who forwarded me the images.

After some quick research online, the earliest posting of the images I can find is on Outburst.com, but the site was apparently hacked shortly afterward and has since been taken down (here's the cached page). Still, there's nothing on the page which indicates that they created or own these images, either. Nobody knows where they came from!

With that in mind, if you are the owner of these images and would like them taken down or would like to receive credit, please contact me at ask-at-gadling-dot-com immediately! And also: WELL DONE. This is a hilarious parody of the TSA x-ray capabilities, and plays on our fears about the invasiveness of TSA's latest "security" procedure (substantiated by reports such as Body scanners used as porn by airport security and 100 controversial whole body imaging photos revealed) in a lighthearted, laugh-out-loud-at-the-grinning-skulls coup.

If this were a real calendar, we'd be first in line to buy a ton to send out as holiday gifts for travelers.

Here are the rest. Enjoy!

Continue reading The Miss TSA Pinup Calendar

The Miss TSA Pinup Calendar originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Gadling Gear Review

With just one month left in the year, our search for the perfect travel friendly laptop may finally be coming to an end with the Toshiba Portege R705.

The R705 comes from the top of the range lineup of Toshiba laptops - which obviously means premium features at a premium price. So - what makes this machine so special, and is this the machine you should consider as your new travel buddy?

Inside the version we reviewed (the R705-P41) is an Intel Core i5 processor, 4GB of memory, a 500GB drive and an optical drive. Graphics are powered by a Mobile Intel HD chipset with Intel WiDi technology (more on that later). The screen is a 13.3" 1366x768 LED backlit panel with support for 720p video with a webcam mounted above the display. The R705 supports 802.11a/g/n WiFi. Expansion ports offer eSATA, USB, HDMI, VGA, Ethernet and audio. Battery life is rated for "up to 8 hours".

While all of these specifications sound great (and they are), the real surprise comes from the weight of this computer: just 3.22lbs. To put this in perspective - the new 13" Apple Macbook
Air weighs 2.9 lbs and does not offer the speed, optical drive or battery life of the Toshiba.

Continue reading Review: Toshiba Portege R705 ultra-portable laptop

Review: Toshiba Portege R705 ultra-portable laptop originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Theme Parks

Along with Six Flags New England and Canobie Lake Park, another New England amusement park will be debuting a new roller coaster in 2011. Middleburry, Connecticut's Quassy Amusement Park will be replacing their aging steel roller coaster, Monster Mouse, with a family wooden coaster dubbed Wooden Warrior. The new ride's name was chosen via a name contest that the park held with local schools.

Wooden Warrior was designed by world-class designers The Gravity Group. They're responsible for The Voyage at Holiday World; a coaster thought to be the best wooden coaster in the World. Unlike Gravity Group's previous designs, Wooden Warrior will be one of the company's first smaller, family-sized designs. The ride will feature a rather short 35' tall lift hill that will produce a top speed of 35 mph. In comparison, The Voyage doubles those stats topping out at 67.5 mph with a 163' tall lift hill.



As you can see from the video above, Wooden Warrior doesn't aim to be a white knuckle thrill ride. Quassy's owners needed a coaster that was fun for all ages and from the video, it looks to be just that. Roller coasters don't require a lot of speed to produce those joyous little pops of airtime that make them so much fun. I'm a huge fan of The Gravity Group's other work and it looks like they may have another winner here, albeit in a pint-sized form.

Like many of my favorite roller coasters, Wooden Warrior will traverse Quassy's natural terrain. For example, the initial hill is 35' tall, but will drop riders a total of 45' as the track hugs the park's topography. The new wooden coaster is a huge update for the small park as they'll go from having a 44-year old run-of-the-mill ride to a sure crowd-pleaser that will provide a unique experience.

New Wooden Warrior roller coaster will provide family fun at Quassy Amusement Park originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Activism, Arts and Culture, History, Learning, Ecotourism

With the six-month anniversary of the BP spill now in the rear view mirror the company as well as a variety of officials both federal and state would like the world to believe the oil is gone.

But photos and first-hand accounts from Barataria Bay recently show the opposite - oil still reaching high into the marshy grasslands, baby crabs and adult shrimp covered by crude, slicks on the surface.

If you didn't know it was November the scene is reminiscent of July, the height of the spill, with haz-mat suited workers rushing around in small boats, booms and vacuums still being deployed in attempts to clean up what is clearly still a mess. According to P.J. Hahn, Plaquemine Parish's coastal zone director, more than 32,000 gallons of oil were sucked out of nearby marshes in just the past 10 days. "People think it's over, but look around," says Hahn.

This oil plaguing Barataria Bay is not newly arrived, but has rolled in since the well was officially capped on September 19th. While the Louisiana coastline considered "heavily oiled" (more than half an inch) has decreased from 54 miles in early July to 28 miles today, the total amount of Louisiana shoreline impacted by oil has grown from 287 in July to 320 miles today.

"In some ways it's worse today," Hahn said, "because the world mistakenly thinks all the oil has somehow miraculously disappeared.

"That's simply not the case."

Bowermaster's Adventures - Measuring the extent of oil spillage originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Gadling's Daily Deal

Today's daily gear deals are a little different from what we usually post - thanks to Cyber Monday. As online stores kick off their holiday season, lots of products are on sale for just one day.

As always, don't wait too long to order anything from this lineup, as inventory is bound to sell out very quickly.

iHome iP38 portable travel friendly speaker system: $49.99
MiniDV digital camcorder with outdoor accessory kit: $19.97
iWave portable iPod/MP3 speaker dock: $8.99
Three pack DCX noise isolating headphones: $0.00
4GB Coby Video/MP3 player with FM radio: $19.99
iPhone 3G/3GS battery pack case: $14.99
SanDisk MP3 player with 1000 pre-loaded songs: $12.79
Creative Live! Webcam Pro notebookm camera: $19.99
Apple iPad case/keyboard combo with free wall charger: $69.99
Logitech Alto notebook stand/keyboard combo: $19.99
Cordless Arch mouse with nano-receiver: $13.99
Solo Classic 15.6" rolling laptop case: $39.43

Cyber Monday gear deals: luggage, headphones, speakers and more originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: North America, United States, Hotels and Accommodations, Consumer Activism

The LGBT community has honored Kimpton hotels as the most friendly hotel, according to a new survey. Of the more than 4,700 people surveyed by Community Marketing, 13% chose Kimpton as the hotel that does the best job of promoting itself to the gay and lesbian travel market. Starwood's W chain came in second with 11%, trailed by Hilton, Hyatt and Marriott, according to USA Today. Kimpton and Starwood tied in 2009. In 2008, Starwood took top honors.

"Of all the hotel brands, (Kimpton is ) the most active in LGBT community," Paisley told USA Today. "They have a website, they sponsor tons of events and they advertise in gay and lesbian media. W is very active and well respected, but they did fall behind."

Headquartered in San Francisco, Kimpton has consistently been involved in fundraising and community awareness events for the gay and lesbian community. The hotel group also co-sponsors an event at one their hotels during San Francisco Pride, and spends quality advertising dollars in LGBT publications.

[via LezGetReal]

Kimpton hotels rank top among gay, lesbian community originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Europe, Czech Republic, Hotels and Accommodations, Luxury Travel

It's true: Prague really doesn't let go--to paraphrase Franz Kafka, one of the city's most famous native sons, who likened the capital of Bohemia to a wicked mother from whose escape (literal, emotional, and mental) was futile. Kafka's Prague was much different than the gleaming hodgepodge of architecture and cobblestoned streets we see today.

Yet that stranglehold persists.

When, in the 1990s, thousands of artistically inclined American and British and Australian slackers planted themselves in Prague, the Czech capital was transformed into the European capital of indulgence; while pretending to scribble out novels, the expatriates were gripped by Mother Prague, drowning in her nectar of hoppy beer and absinthe and other vices. Many travelers turned up, intending to spend six days and stayed six months. It was a Faustian bargain of sorts: in exchange for a lifestyle of officially sanctioned debauchery at freshly opened cafes, bars, clubs, and galleries, there were gray, yet-to-be renovated facades of buildings, linoleum-clad hotel rooms, uninspired restaurants that trafficked in corrupt, mustached waiters and dishes of indifference like "haunch of pork."

Continue reading Epochs of Indulgence: How Prague Became a Luxury Destination

Epochs of Indulgence: How Prague Became a Luxury Destination originally appeared on Gadling on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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