Bronx Zoo cobra on the loose takes Manhattan…and Twitter

by Meg Nesterov on

On Friday, an adolescent Egyptian cobra escaped from New York’s Bronx Zoo.

The reptile house closed immediately after her escape, and zookeepers are saying she could take weeks to come out of hiding. While we can’t vouch for the authenticity of the snake taking Manhattan, you can follow her adventures on Twitter, where @bronxzooscobra has been chronicling the travels of the errant snake with over 25,000 followers and counting. So where does a young snakess on the town go?

She first mused over a Broadway show, then taunted followers with her location in front of “the original” Ray’s Pizza (good luck checking all 46 locations claiming to be the first). After taking in the other wildlife at American Museum of Natural His(s)tory, she went downtown for a workout at Equinox Gym and a slither atop the High Line park. The Bronx Zoo cobra then tweeted about getting tickets for Jimmy Fallon before spotting Tina Fey at Rockefeller Center and heading back downtown to Wall Street. Despite asking for a vegan restaurant near Union Square, she ended up way uptown at Tom’s Restaurant from Seinfeld, where she may have found a hiding spot for the night in an unsuspecting apartment. Where will she go today?

Any New York travel tips for the cobress? Have you spotted any snakes, tweeting or just taking in the sights? While she is just 20 inches long, she is venomous, so watch your ankles!

Richard Branson explains Virgin Mobile FreeFest to Jimmy Fallon

by Jamie Rhein on

We’ve written about Sir Richard Branson and Virgin Atlantic before. Recently, as Jeremy wrote, Gadling was on hand to join in a Virgin Atlantic’s 25th anniversary party in New York City. While in the city, Sir Richard took the time to hang out with Jimmy Fallon on Late Night.

It’s not that I was born on another planet, but I didn’t catch who he was a first. Fallon was in a twitter though. The first thing I noticed before I caught Branson’s name was how pleased he is with himself–and life. Very pleased, glowing in fact. Then I connected the dots and thought, well, that explains it.

The celebration Branson and Virgin Mobile is throwing is to help make the hard economic times a little easier for the everyday person. The Virgin Mobile Freefest, being held on August 30th at the Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, Maryland is free. That’s right, free–if you can snag tickets. You need a ticket to get in. Start trying tomorrow, Saturday, June 27 at 10 a.m., you can try for tickets through Ticketmaster or call 1-800-551-SEAT.

There’s more.

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In the vein of it’s great to give back, Branson wants people to donate at least $5 to Youth Homelessness. Also there’s a Karma T-shirt package. For $30 you can get a T-shirt, give your $5 donation and $5 towards delivery. The idea is that you buy a T-shirt and stock up on good karma for yourself. There’s a $5 discount if you order two packages.

Branson mentioned the musical line up and perks to people who have lost their jobs. I haven’t found the details about the perks on the event Web site, but according to what I heard Branson say, there’s some sort of VIP area.

Here’s what I appreciate about the event besides it being free. Kids are welcome. Bringing children is mentioned on the checklist page. So is remembering sunscreen and bringing in two factory sealed bottles of water.

It’s also terrific to have a fundraiser for a change that most everyone can afford. I bet FunFest pulls in a tidy sum for Youth Homelessness. Oprah, have any ideas?