Polar bear Knut senselessly murders ten carp in front of zoo visitors

by Aaron Hotfelder on

Knut, the once-cute celebrity polar bear turned vicious killer, is at the center of a controversy over his brutal slaughter of ten carp at the Berlin Zoo. The massive polar bear, who has lived at the zoo since birth, apparently fished the carp out of the moat surrounding him and ripped them to shreds in front of several disgusted zoo patrons.

One of Germany’s top newspapers, Bild, ran the headline “Knut Embroiled in Carp Scandal,” and featured an article which quoted animal rights groups who criticized zoo officials for placing live animals within Knut’s reach.

It seems that Knut, the psychopathic killer that he is, eventually chowed down on the fish, but according to the BBC, “There is speculation that hand-reared Knut killed the carp just for fun.” One German newspaper reported that Knut “senselessly murdered the carp” before leaving their remains.

I think Tyler Cowen says it best: “Umm… HE’S A POLAR BEAR!”

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What strange things have been found on planes?


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Anyone been on such a crowded train?

by Jerry Guo on

I thought the commute back to New Haven from New York during rush hour was bad, but check out this train from somewhere in Asia. My guess is it’s Japan, the land of the famed train-pushers? I love how they keep it classy by wearing gloves.

Anyone been on such a crowded train? Tell us about your experience, and why exactly didn’t you just walk.

No Wrong Turns: How to Not Look like a “Gringo” in Mexico

by Kelsey Mulyk on

When traveling I prefer to lay kind of low and do my best to not draw too much attention to myself. This doesn’t seem to be the case with other travelers visiting Mexico. This is mainly due to their questionable wardrobe choices. Years of watching “What Not to Wear”, combined with my love for all things fashion-related, made it easy for me to pick out some of the worst faux pas in “gringo” fashion. Though I think these clothing disasters would be hard to miss!

Shallow or not, what you wear can make you a target when you are traveling. So I give you “What Not to Wear: The Gringo Edition” also known as “How to not be inconspicuous in Mexico.” Please avoid the following:

Wearing a fannypack

Wearing this sad sack of fashion anywhere warrants a citation from the fashion and tourist police. But sporting one in Mexico pretty much screams, “Here is all my money, credit cards and other valuables! Please come rip me off!” This just makes you walking target for theft. Seriously, what’s wrong with a money belt worn under your clothes?

Dressing like a hippy

I swear anywhere you travel be it Mexico, India or SE Asia you are bound to come across so-called hippies. Here is the thing…none of the locals dress like this, so these dreadlock-loving, patchouli-smelling kids look very out of place. The downside of dressing like you rolled out of the ’60s is that, to the Mexicans, you look unclean. Mexico is relatively conservative and it isn’t unusual to see the locals looking amazingly fresh, in a clean shirt and pressed pants, in ninety-degree heat. Looking presentable warrants respect and better service.

Wearing booty shorts

This skanky look is a detriment for all women travelers. This look only furthers the unfortunate belief that western women are easy conquests and encourages the charming catcalls and hissing from the men. Rule of thumb, keep skimpy clothes limited to the beach otherwise keep it covered to prevent unwanted attention from the male population.

I’d be interested to hear any other tips on what not wear while traveling.

For more terrible tourist fashions and a good laugh click here.

“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

Spring photography roundup

by Jeremy Kressmann on

Travel photography enthusiasts will be pleased to hear about the flurry of recent product launches and news floating around the web. Perhaps everything was timed to the warm weather and extra daylight of Spring? Those tricky camera manufacturers – how diabolical. Anyway, here’s a quick rundown of some of the more interesting news.

Panasonic’s Lumix DMC-LZ10

Engadget has the scoop on Panasonic’s new 10-megapixel Lumix DMC-LZ10. I’m not the biggest fan of Panasonic’s digital cameras, but Engadget and Photography Blog both give it high marks, calling it “one of the most versatile compacts in its class.” They were particularly impressed with the camera’s manual controls and image quality. Considering it retails for less than $250, it could be a nice model to snap up for those family vacation photos. Remember, if you’re in the market for a point and shoot digital camera, don’t get too caught up with the number of megapixels. A better optical zoom and a quick startup/shutter speed are much better indicators of quality.

Hacking your Canon digital camera

Enterprising Canon camera owners should also head over to Wired, where they’re offering a cool Wiki on how to modify your camera’s software. Why would you do such a thing, you might ask? Because digital camera hardware can often do much more than is allowed by its standard software. For instance, Canon only allows shutter speeds up to 1/1,600 of a second, but the camera is actually capable of up to 1/60,000! Once you’ve installed the hack, you’ll unlock all manner of cool functions like super-long exposure shots, RAW file format and battery readout. I tried it last night on my Canon SD630 and it worked like a charm. It’s worth noting that the process can get a bit technical – make sure you know what you’re doing and that you have a compatible Canon camera before giving it a try. Jump over to Wired for full instructions and FAQ.

The Ultra-fast Casio Exilim EX-F1 SLR

Meanwhile, New York Times gadget guru David Pogue reviews Casio’s speedy new semipro Exilim EX-F1 digital camera. A typical digital camera snaps about one picture per second, but the Exilim, which is billed as the world’s fastest camera, can take up to sixty. Remember that shot of the cheetah chasing the antelope you missed on safari because you couldn’t get your camera snapping in time? This is the model you’re looking for. It also has a motion detector which will wait, for hours if necessary, until motion is detected and then automatically snap a rapid fire of 60 shots. Pretty awesome. The Exilim retails for $1,000.

Where on Earth? Week 53

by Abha Malpani on

This is one of my favorite little towns. It has strong historical significance and shares the name of a city in Ohio. Unfortunately, it’s more a tourist town now than anything else. Where is it? Leave a comment, and we’ll be back on Friday to reveal the location!