Man arrested for smuggling kangaroos

by Sean McLachlan on

It seems that animal smuggling has become the trendy thing lately. Just in the past month a man was nabbed at LAX smuggling lizards, and another man was arrested in Norway smuggling pythons. Both of these guys had wrapped up the critters and strapped them to their chest.

Now a man in Indonesia has been arrested for smuggling kangaroos. Since roos are a wee bit too big to tie to one’s body, especially when there’s ten of them, he made the logical choice of smuggling them by boat. That didn’t stop him from getting caught, though. Initial reports state the animals were red kangaroos, a protected species from New Guinea. Five were dead at the time the man was arrested.

The international trade in protected and endangered species is a lucrative business. All of the animals in the incidents mentioned would have fetched large sums of money on the black market. It seems customs officials have more to look out for than drugs, bombs, and bottles of water.

The smuggler faces up to five years in prison. The surviving kangaroos have been given to an animal sanctuary.

Chess around the globe

by Kraig Becker on

Wend Magazine, an outdoor adventure/travel mag with an eco-sensitive slant, has a great photo gallery on their Wend Blog today that celebrates the game of Chess and its universal appeal around the globe. In fact, the blog post compares it to soccer when it comes to international popularity, with chess boards bridging cultural and language barriers across the planet.

The classic game traces its origins back to 6th century India, and over the centuries it has evolved into an art form. Learning the moves of the various pieces is a simple affair, and yet it opens the door for complex strategies and intense battles, played out on a black and white checker-board.

Wend warns that when you play a game abroad, you not only play for yourself, but your entire country, and offers up a few things to consider before sitting down at the chess table. That advice includes such things as don’t play anyone over 60, as they are probably better than you and it’s a no win situation no matter the results, and get familiar with local rules before you play, or you may find yourself schooled by some obscure tactic.

Of course, the real highlight of this post is the photographs, and they are fascinating. There are shots from all over the planet ranging from Argentina to Uzbekistan, and plenty of places in between. The photos capture players of all ages in all kinds of settings, and really do show just what an international game chess has become. Checkmate!

Anthropologists told to get out of the wars

by Tom Johansmeyer on

When anthropologists travel to foreign lands, it’s generally for an academic endeavor, intended to enrich the world as a whole. There’s a group in this community, however, with a much different mission … and they’re about to be out of work. Army anthropologists tasked to gather intelligence on the counterinsurgency in Afghanistan and Iraq have been told to call it quits.

A new report by the American Anthropological Association’s ethics commission, entitled “Final Report on the Army‘s Human Terrain System Proof of Concept Program,” says that anthropologists can’t participate in this project any longer. It has involved embedding five-person social scientist teams with soldiers and has been going on since 2005. Three Human Terrain System research team members have been killed during this period.

The deaths, though, aren’t the reason why the association is calling for an end to the program. Rather, it believes that the research violates the “do no harm” ethics of the anthropology field, because there is a “significant likelihood that HTS data will in some way be used as part of military intelligence.”

The House Armed Services Committee is planning to hold hearings on the HTS program next year, in order to see how effective it’s been. Only six of the 49 social scientists involved in the program are anthropologists.

Cheap eats on the streets of Seoul

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Street food may seem like a strange local feature to promote, but in Seoul‘s case, I get it. During my year in Korea, I ate more from the street than I did from those places with tables … restaurants, they’re called. Seoul’s street food is fantastic, and I’m glad the city’s talking it up. After a night of soju kettles, there’s nothing better than some fries and dumplings. If you’re a bit more adventurous, check out the boiled silkworm and blood sausage.

For the best eats, check out the Myung-dong and Insa-dong districts. Namdaemun is great as well, and you’re likely to build up a hell of an appetite while shopping in the city’s largest open-air market. To really bond with the local offer, try a pojangmacha — which translates to “covered wagon.” Think of it as a restaurant in a tent on wheels, and you won’t have to look far to find one.

When it comes time for something baked, look for one of the Koryodong shops. I was thrilled to see one here in New York (in Koreatown), a little taste of what was once home.

[Photo by UNC – CFC – USFK via Flickr]

Get ready for the next A&K online sale

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Get ready for another hot online sale from upscale travel provider Abercrombie & Kent. The rules haven’t changed: you still have to book online, and the discount structure’s the same. Starting at 10 AM (EST) on December 10, 2009, nine itineraries will go on sale at a 5 percent discount. Then, every half hour, the price will drop another 5 percent. By the end of the event at 4 PM, the trips will hit the maximum discount of 60 percent. That’s a hell of a bargain … if there are any trips left by then. Inventory is limited, so sitting on your mouse means rolling the dice. It’s just like the deal run back in February.

This time around, the itineraries being offered are: Eastern Europe, East Africa, Chile, Galapagos, Egypt, Peru, Botswana/Zambia, Jordan and Turkey.