Video Of The Day: San Diego Fireworks Fail


Millions of Americans went back to work today after the Independence Day holiday yesterday, and many began tweeting about the July Fourth fireworks display in San Diego. Apparently, due to a malfunction, instead of a 20-minute show, ALL the fireworks went off at one time, lighting up the sky for only a few seconds. YouTube user Andrew92106 uploaded today’s Video of the Day, showing off the short but sweet spectacular.

Hoping for a longer holiday? At least tomorrow is Friday. Keep the holiday mode going and share your favorite holiday travel videos in the comments below.

Video of the Day: Bus stops, passengers tumble

Whether part of your commute or part of your travels, buses are often a convenient (and affordable) way to get from Point A to Point B. The downside of buses (other than frequent stops) is the lack of space. The seats are cramped, there’s little room for your belongings and the movement of the bus jostles things around. For all of those reasons, many people covet the middle seat in the back row of many buses. It has no seats in front of it, so you have ample space for your luggage. The aisle provides seemingly infinite legroom. What could possibly go wrong in the middle seat of the back row? Well, the bus could stop short and you could be hurled halfway down the aisle and left on your back with your shirt flung up. But what are the odds of that happening?

Video of the Day: Zipline Fail

When did ziplines become so prevalent? Somewhere along the way, we went from traveling to places to either relax or explore local cultures to careening through trees on a series of cables. When did this happen? Why are they so popular? Beyond that, I have a hard time believe that everyone staffing these ziplines knows what they are doing. I mean, are there accredited zipline certification programs? If there are, I’m certain that the folks in this video failed to pass the required courses.

Video of the Day: 4 minutes of boat fails

Who doesn’t enjoy a boat ride (except for people with extreme seasickness)? Whether you’re on a schooner, a yacht or a cruise ship, being on a boat makes you cooler. However, no form of transportation is perfect. Cars break down, planes crash and boats…well, there’s apparently more that can go wrong with boats than we ever could have imagined. So, if you have four minutes to kill and want to see boat after boat meet a horrible fate, then this is the video for you.

Of course, we never root for disasters and we hope that everyone walked (or swam) away safely. That said, we’ll be laughing our way to the life boats and making sure that we have a floatation device handy at all times.

[Via Gawker]

Ten clear signs you’re in the wrong city for Christmas

Christmastime is a special time for Christians, and also for non-Christians who don’t mind the excuse to decorate, eat, and exchange presents. One of the main chagrins of perpetual travelers is that they often find themselves in the wrong city for Christmas. Being away from family is one thing, but sometimes, December 25 can roll by without feeling like a “real Christmas” at all. I feel weird even celebrating sans snow.

I understand that not all Gadling readers observe the Christmas holiday, but I do, and this is for those of you who do, too — and who knows? Maybe even some people who don’t celebrate Christmas can appreciate this article in the spirit in which it was intended: lightheartedly. Here are 10 clear signs you’re in the wrong city for Christmas.

You know you’re in the wrong city for Christmas when…

  1. The only smell of pine is coming from the cardboard “freshening” apparatus dangling from your cab driver’s rear-view mirror.
  2. When someone says “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” to you, you feel insecure about not blending in well enough.
  3. You at any point attempt to decorate a palm tree.
  4. None of the shopkeepers seem to understand your impulse to “decorate” a cookie (and they certainly don’t know where you can get some of those delicious non-edible silver dragees).
  5. The only Christmas tree you can procure is below waist-high.
  6. Friends brutally mock you for having believed in Santa Claus ever, like, even if it was over 30 years ago.
  7. You at any point attempt to hang ornaments on something that isn’t a tree (or the friend who mocked you).
  8. You can look around and feel certain that not one person in your vicinity knows the trials and tribulations of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
  9. You forgo inviting friends over for a few days because you don’t know how they’ll react to the oversized socks hanging from your fireplace.
  10. Every time you think you see a nativity scene, it turns out to just be a manger with people around it.

Got more ideas? Put ’em in the comments below, we want to hear!

[Photo by avlxyz via Flickr.]