GADLING TAKE 5: Week of 4-25-2008

by Catherine Bodry on

We celebrated Earth Day here at Gadling with a contest, an ode, and a ticket out of hell. Not bad.

Also this week:

That’s all! Have a fabulous weekend.

Great White Shark. San Diego coast. Not good.

by Iva Skoch on

Until this morning, it had apparently been some 14 years since the last great white shark attack off the coast of San Diego.

This morning, a 66-year-old swimmer in triathlon training was killed by a shark about 150 yards off Solana Beach, near San Diego, LA Times reports. Other swimmers apparently saw him actually being lifted out of the water and drug under and whey went to his aid and dragged him onto the beach. He was pronounced dead almost immediately.

Shark expert Richard H. Rosentblatt from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography said that based on descriptions of the attack and the wounds inflicted “this almost certainly was a great white shark.” A large one, too. 15-17 feet.

San Diego beaches will probably be not-so-popular for a while.

No Wrong Turns: Choosing a Car for an International Road Trip

by Kelsey Mulyk on

In the initial planning stage, we had a hard time finding recommendations about what kind of car would be the best for this type of trip, so we had to muddle through on our own and hope that whatever we chose would be hardy enough to withstand a year long (maybe more) driving trip.

Choosing a car can be a bit difficult — you don’t want to stick out too much, but you also need a car in good, solid condition that will be able to tolerate the demanding roads and sweltering heat.

Here are some things to consider when choosing a car for a long road trip of this nature:

Make of Car

Mexico seems to have an abundance of Fords, Toyotas, and Volkswagens. But we’ve also spotted plenty of Isuzu Troopers, Land Rovers and Jeeps. Some of the most popular models are the Ford Bronco and standard Toyota truck, which we were told are some of the easiest cars to fix. Our VW, a 1991 Golf, has done well, but finding parts has proved to be an issue (at least in the Baja) — something we did not anticipate.

A Ford truck or SUV seems to be the way to go. Whichever car you do choose, try to pick one with a relatively simple engine, this way if you do require a mechanic’s help they should be able to get you back on the road as soon as possible.

Clearance

If you don’t want to see your car’s guts all over the road, pick a car with high road clearance. Roads conditions can be pretty rough with potholes, uneven surfaces, and rocks among other things that make you wonder what the Mexican definition of “road” truly is. Extra clearance insures that the rocks, bumps, and holes won’t knock lose any items that you’d like to keep, like your oil pan. We’ve been lucky and the only part we have lost is the bottom part of our bumper.

4-Wheel Drive

This is something I would highly recommend in your car choice. As mentioned previously some of the “roads” are often barely more than tire tracks. Sand, rocks, and potholes bigger than the car make navigating the roads tough. 4WD will minimize the chances of getting stuck where smaller, less powerful vehicles might have problems. You don’t need 4WD but it might be a nice addition if you are planning to do a lot of back road driving.

Fuel

Gas isn’t cheap so you will want to choose a car that is efficient. The standard fuel options are gas or diesel. Some people may prefer diesel, which can often be cheaper than gas (though not always), and is reputed to be more environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient.

A/C

This is a long going debate between Tom and I: should we have gotten A/C? We don’t have it and though it can be warm (ok boiling!), with the sunroof and windows open we manage to get a really good breeze going. One thing to consider is that in some of the larger cities, having your windows down might not be the safest option. It doesn’t take that much to reach in and grab something through a car window, which means you could end up melting in a hot vehicle while safely driving though town. So if you can’t handle the heat, investing in air conditioning is a good option. Though I have heard if your A/C system breaks you might be out of luck in getting it fixed quickly or at all.

Suspension

As I mentioned roads are bumpy, so bumpy you will be irritable instantly. Make sure your car has good suspension and if your shocks are old you might want to consider replacing them before you leave — you are for sure going to need them!

When choosing your vehicle make sure you think about where you intend to drive and invest the time into making sure your choice is going to be reliable. Have your mechanic give your car a tune-up and replace any part that seems to be on its way out. You might as well shell out the cash to have your car in good working order before you leave, this way you can spend time enjoying the ride instead of worrying about whether you will make it to the next town.

For us our little VW is working out fine: it is discreet, pretty tough and lets us drive some crazy roads. With only two mechanic visits under our belt so far, good gas mileage, and my ability to dig a tire out of sand in record time, we think we made the right choice though some days a little cool A/C and a bit more clearance would be nice.

“No Wrong Turns” chronicles Kelsey and her husband’s road trip — in real time — from Canada to the southern tip of South America in their trusty red VW Golf named Marlin.

Controversy over Scandinavian ban on sexist advertising

by Anna Brones on

Scandinavia is known for being liberal; universal health care, government funded secondary education and open immigration policies are the first things that come to mind when thinking about Denmark, Norway and Sweden. But when it comes to advertising, the Scandinavian countries are a little more at odds.

Sweden recently decided not to put a ban on sexist advertising, something that is strictly regulated in Denmark and Norway. Sexist content used to sell a product has been banned in Norway since 2003. “Naked people are wonderful, of course, but they have to be relevant to the product. You could have a naked person advertising shower gel or a cream, but not a woman in a bikini draped across a car,” said Sol Olving head of Norway’s Kreativt Forum.

In Sweden however, the government cited concerns that such a ban would conflict with freedom of speech and freedom of the press. “I don’t want to infringe on fundamental human freedoms and rights for a legislation the efficacy of which I question. This is not the way to win the fight for gender equity,” said Gender Equity Minister Nyamko Sabuni.

Basically if you want half-naked photos of Scandinavian hotties, better make your way to Stockholm and not Oslo.

TSA Screener caught sneaking gun through x-ray, isn’t fired

by Justin Glow on

I’m a little surprised we never reported on the original story of a TSA screener in Denver who was caught smuggling a weapon past security, but Boing Boing nonetheless provided us an update to the story today. Turns out the employee, Alvin Crabtree (pictured), received a 30-day suspension after the incident, but was allowed to return to his position.

So just to clarify: a TSA employee can sneak a firearm around security and not be fired for it, and TSA officials don’t have to tell us whether or not he was even disciplined for the incident. But really, if he got away with a temporary, 30-day suspension — even without pay — he’s pretty lucky.