There Is Hope for the Stranded

by Iva Skoch on

Yes, flying is bad. Not flying, however, can be worse. June 2007 was the worst month for taxi-out times (the time between boarding and taking off) in a decade, with 462 planes stuck on the ground for more than 3 hours, today’s International Herald Tribune reports.

Once a while, you hear stories of passengers frustrated with the airline industry who can turn their rage into something productive…while the rest of us fume for a while, possibly write a letter of complaint and then forget. This is one of those stories.

Last December, Kate Hanni and her family were stuck aboard a jet for hours out on the tarmac. After that experience, Hanni decided she would get a law passed making long confinement on a plane illegal and allowing passengers to get off the plane. Like that, she became a passenger advocate. You can get more information and sign a petition at www.flyersrights.com.

The Benefits of Global Warming: Killing off Bandit Marmots

by Neil Woodburn on

Global warming, as we all know, is a very, very bad thing.

There are, however, some unexpected benefits to be gained from our planet heating up. Last month, for example, Backpacker Magazine dedicated an entire issue to the problems of global warming. One of the articles featured in this issue (but, alas, not online) is titled Species We Can Kiss Goodbye. This certainly sounds ominous and my heart goes out to the American pika, wolverine, and Bicknell’s thrush which may all soon disappear. The article, however, also mentions that marmots might suffer a similar fate.

Excuse for a moment; Yeahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you’ve ever been backpacking in the Sierras you know what I’m talking about. Marmots are the cat burglars of the backcountry, pilfering and destroying anything shiny or salty left alone for even the briefest of moments. I’ve seen sweaty shirts ripped to pieces, bota bags torn asunder and even watches ripped off from the campsite (marmots love the salty leather bands). And don’t even think of leaving any food out.
In fact, marmot activities are so bad in Kings Canyon National Park that visitors bring chicken wire to wrap around the base of their cars in the parking lot. Otherwise backpackers return from their time in the mountains to a car whose underbelly of rubber tubes has been chewed open by hungry marmot vandals.

So why are these critters endangered? According to Backapcker Magazine, global warming is wrecking havoc with the marmot’s internal clock, causing the animal to emerge from hibernation more than a month earlier than normal when snow might still be on the ground. This means that there is little food to eat and no backpackers to steal from. This lack of food and a colder environment may ultimately force the critter to burn “muscle instead of fat to jump-start its metabolism–which makes it vulnerable to starvation and predation.”

And, of course, vigilante backpackers tired of getting jacked by these thugs.

Packing out Last Night’s Dinner

by Neil Woodburn on

It’s not every day that the New York Times writes an entire article about poop.

And yet, they did exactly that last week when they sent a reporter to the top of Mt. Whitney to crap into a little plastic bag.

Fellow Gadling blogger Erik Olsen recently posted about the new environmental requirements for those scaling the largest peak in the contiguous United States: pack out what you pack in. And yes, that means your poop.

The Forest Service, tired of cleaning up after the slew of hikers who summit the peak every season and airlifting their poop down to the desert floor, has finally closed up the outhouses along the route and are now handing out baggies with climbing permits.

This change in policy was something the New York Times felt was worth some investigative journalism and therefore sent reporter Felicity Barringer and her bowels out to the West Coast to summit the peak and try out the bags.

The result is a rather engaging article accompanied by a cool video with some amazing footage–none of which, by the way, is of Barringer squatting, thank god!

Air New Zealand to Offer Gay-Themed Flight

by Catherine Bodry on

Bring on the feather boas, shimmery eye makeup, and stiletto heels. And if you want to sleep, maybe some sleeping pills, because Air New Zealand’s gay-themed flight from San Francisco to Sydney promises to be 14 hours of nonstop fun.

The flight is scheduled to depart February 25 for the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in Sydney, Australia, which is one of the world’s most well-attended gay events. Passengers can expect drag queens, pink cocktails, and a cabaret, as well as gay-friendly movies and a “Get-Onboard Girlfriend” going away party.

Air New Zealand flight-tested a similar theme for Sydney’s Mardi Gras in 2007, when flight attendants wore pink feather boas and the pilot donned fairy wings. American Airlines, Air Canada, and other airline companies have become visible sponsors of gay pride events, but none so far have used “campy” programming to appeal to gay and lesbian travelers.

I’m a married, heterosexual woman, but this is one 14-hour flight I just might actually enjoy.

Today is Conception Day in Russia!

by Neil Woodburn on

If you happen to be in Ulyanovsk, Russia today, man are you in luck!

In an effort to boost Russia’s sagging population, the local government has proclaimed Wednesday, September 12, to be Family Contact Day.

What does that mean, exactly?

Well, today is exactly nine months before Russia’s national holiday on June 12. Anyone who pops out a baby on that day will be awarded a ‘valuable prize.” Last year, one lucky mother won a brand new car for giving birth on this special day.

Officially dubbed, “Give Birth to a Patriot on Russia Day,” the pseudo-holiday is nothing more than a gentle reminder to go home and boink. In fact, according to the Moscow Times, the local governor has asked companies to give their employees the day off to help accomplish this patriotic act.

Don’t you just love post-communist Russia?