The Traveling Guys

by Erik Olsen on

I was just browsing around and literally stumbled across this rather amazing site. Called “the Traveling Guys” it is a multi-media tour de force with an activist bent. The site is filled with maps, gorgeous photos, some interesting country-specific descriptions and video to boot.

It is the work of two guys, Lee and Patrick, who have done lots of traveling and are eager ,it seems to spread the gospel of travel…in the strictest sense of the word. The site’s stated mission is to “impact others around the globe” to promote “global change”, an admirable ,if somewhat nebulous concept…one, at least, that we can all latch onto. It does have a fairly heavy religious component, though, notably Christian, so it may not be for everyone, but I admire the quality of the design and the lovely multimedia work.

Let the Blind Hunt!

by Neil Woodburn on

We don’t post very often about hunting here at Gadling, but since, like fishing, it is an outdoor activity which involves travel, we thought we’d bring you up to date on what’s going on down in Texas.

Out of concern that blind people are unable to enjoy the thrill of killing woodland creatures, Republican Rep. Edmund Kuempel has sponsored a state bill which would allow visually challenged, wannabe hunters the opportunity to dispatch Bambi, Thumper, and similarly heinous ilk from the face of Texas.

The bill calls for the legal use of laser sights so that “legally blind” hunters can draw a better bead on their prey and subsequently blow out their furry little brains.

Such a practice is currently illegal because of the deer-in-headlights syndrome that laser sights can cause. If the law is passed, hunters have to prove they are legally blind in order to use the devices. Once they have done so, they will be free to fire at will.

Don’t you just love Texas?

NG’s Adventurer of the Year Award

by Erik Olsen on

Some serious congrats out to two modern adventurers, Magellans if you will, who were recently awarded National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year award. The award went to Colin Angus and Julie Wafaei, a very hard-core couple of activist travelers. The pair pulled off a rather amazing feat, even in this day and age when it would seem so many of the great adventures have been thought of and accomplished. The pair circumnavigated the globe entirely on human power. they began their journey in their hometown of Vancouver, Canada, way back in June 2004 and then via canoe, hiking, biking and skiing made their way through tough terrain and some even tougher circumstances to accomplish their goal.

We blogged a bit about them earlier this year, but there is lots of information about the feat here ,as well as a sublimely cool video from some of their expedition here.

Berkeley’s People’s Park Doomed?

by Neil Woodburn on

One of the places my friends took me on my first visit to the Berkeley campus in San Francisco was the legendary People’s Park.

Located just south of the campus, the 2.8 acre park became famous in the 1960s as a place of protest and the epicenter of the Free Speech and anti-war movements.

Over time, however, the park has taken on a more dubious role in the community. The heavily wooded oasis offers hidden sanctuary for drug users and other reprobates while the homeless routinely use the park for various bodily functions. The area, in fact, has become so dangerous that university officials warn students from even visiting the park.

So, what to do?

The university has created a commission to decide the future of the park. Bulldoze the trees and bushes? Put in a building? Keep it as is?

Naturally, Berkeley being Berkeley, various “save the park” groups have sprung up to protect this historic venue of free speech. Nobody wants to lose a park, but I think everyone agrees that something must be done to improve it in some way. According to the LA Times, the university has “committed $100,000 to study ways to reshape the park to better serve the public.” Let’s hope the university makes the right decision and keeps the spirit of the 60s alive in some manner or another.

Micronations

by Erik Olsen on

A ways back I got my hands on a nifty little book called Micronations and left it on my shelf for a rainy day. The book was published by the good folks at Lonely Planet who, in case you haven’t noticed, have taken their Aussie-based publishing empire way beyond the realm of travel guides. Anyway, it rained last night. Hard. So I plucked Micronations off the shelf and decided to thumb through it. I wasn’t quite sure what it was about, but as I got through it i realized what a clever concept it was.

You know how a man is the king of his domain? Well, that may be an outdated, if not chauvinist cliche, but in a way it’s accurate here. Micronations is all about people who have decided to shun the burdens (tax and otherwise) of their home countries and went out to start their own…country, that is. Sure most of them here are jokes, but some of them, like the nation of Sealand, an island/platform/nation off the coast of Great Britain.

In case you want to know more about what a Micronation is, you can always check Wikipedia.