Flight Attendant Accused Of Smuggling Rat In Her Underwear

by Libby Zay on

What the what? You read that headline correctly. Coworkers have accused American Airlines flight attendant Louann Giambattista of smuggling a rats aboard a flight. In her underwear. A pilot tells the NY Post he “saw a bulge in [her] pocket” and believes it was a live pet, and a fellow flight attendant is saying she believes Giambattista “fed her pet rats” from a cup on the subsequent flight from St. Martin to Miami.

The story doesn’t end there. Giambattista claims the “absurd” charges have caused her “debilitating anxiety” and blacklisting, and she’s suing the airline for unspecified damages. Giambattista says she’s “an admitted animal lover,” but denies bringing her furry friends along for a ride. We want to believe her, but can’t shake the nightmare of rats on a plane.

[via nymag.com]

Ancient Native American Mound To Be Destroyed To Build Sam’s Club

by Sean McLachlan on

It’s been a tough year for ancient monuments, what with subway workers in China accidentally demolishing 3000-year-old tombs, a limestone quarry destroying part of the Nazca Lines, and pyramids in Peru and Belize being bulldozed by “developers.”

Now Alabama is getting in on the game. The city of Oxford, Alabama, has approved the destruction of a mound of stones and the hill on which it stands in order to use the dirt as fill for a Sam’s Club site. City mayor Leon Smith says it’s a natural formation and was only used to send smoke signals, but the State Historical Commission disagrees and says it’s about 1,500 years old and eligible for the National Register of Historic Places.

Artificial earthen and stone mounds were common features of prehistoric Native American civilizations and are found in many parts of North America. Some were used for burials while others appear to have been ritual sites. There have already been protests against the destruction.

For more on this issue, check out this article by The Institute for Southern Studies, which includes many links to local newspaper articles and official reports.

Solar Airplane Completes Cross-Country Flight

by Chris Owen on

If you have been following along on the journey of Solar Impulse, the solar airplane that was set to fly across the United States, we have good news: the journey is over after a successful flight from Washington to New York on Saturday.

The two-month, ground-breaking flight started in California and took 14,000 viewers along for the ride in streaming video. The “Clean Generation” initiative flight of Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg successfully landed at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport at 11:09 p.m. EDT. Flying across the United States, Solar Impulse was powered only by energy that came from 12,000 solar cells installed on its wings and horizontal stabilizer.Making aviation history, the team of Solar Impulse has come a long way but has even further to go. In 2015, they plan on flying around the world, totally on solar power of course.

The Solar Impulse team will be available to the public at JFK International Airport on Saturday July 13 from 3:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday July 14 from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

5 Reasons Why Living In An Airport Might Be Kinda Nice

by Libby Zay on

Taking cues from Tom Hanks’ role in “The Terminal,” a 45-year-old woman has been living inside Mexico’s Cancún International Airport (pictured) for the past week. While we can think of a few reasons this would not be a good idea — no comfortable place to lay down, soaring food prices, etc. — it got us thinking that living in an airport wouldn’t really be all that bad.

1. It’s Secure
Once you make it past security, an airport is probably one of the safest places you can find yourself. There’s not even a pocket knife in sight.2. Free Amenities
If you play your cards right, you could end up at an airport with free Wi-Fi, power outlets, filtered water stations and more. But that’s just at run-of-the-mill airports. Some of the best airports have exercise classes, art exhibitions, libraries, movie theaters, pools and golf courses to stay entertained. Some also have comfy recliners, sleeping pods and even showers. If all else fails, at least you’ll always have access to a bathroom.

3. Unmatched People Watching
Anyone who’s spent a long layover at an airport can tell you sometimes you don’t even need a gadget to stay entertained. Airports — especially international ones — are like a microcosm of the entire human race (and all its eccentricities). Who knows, you might even end up finding a date while you camp out.

4. Options, Options, Options
One of the reasons we love airports is because many of them provide a gastronomical free-for-all. It’s possible to sample a wide range of restaurants, including national chains and local eateries. Plus, where else can you get a beer at 6 a.m. and coffee at midnight?

5. Duty Free Shopping
Essentially, living in an airport is kind of like living in a shopping mall. (And if you have an international ticket, it’s a tax free shopping mall.) From travel-size toothbrushes to Jimmy Choo shoes, pretty much everything you could ever need (or want) is up for sale.

Video: Man Rappelled Down Brooklyn Bridge

by Elizabeth Seward on


A man rappelled down the Brooklyn Bridge on the morning of July 4, without any safety equipment and not only lived, but had his feat captured on camera. To quote the PIX11 news anchor who covered this story, “They’re not looking at this guy like he’s a superhero; it’s more like he’s super-crazy.” The anonymous man managed to pull off his adventurous morning with only a handful of people noticing. But this story has a funny twist: the man landed on an NYPD building. Of course, with this having happened on the morning of an official and patriotic holiday in New York City, police were initially concerned that the man might have been up to suspicious behavior on the bridge, but now that a few days have passed without any Brooklyn Bridge drama, it appears as though this guy was just a thrill-seeker, squeezing iconic New York City architecture for all it’s worth.

[Thanks, ANIMAL]