GADLING’S TAKE FIVE: Week of February 11

by Adrienne Wilson on

It’s Friday which means it’s time to lean back and reflect on some of this week’s goodies. Without delay here they are:

5. New Gadling Writer Bios:
Some of us have been here forever and some are just getting started. Either way check out the new writer bios to get a taste at what makes the writers tick, itch, scratch or where they like to play when they are not blogging for Gadling.

4. Washington’s Caribbean Phase:
Are you a history buff in need of a break away from stuffy and dusty library shelves? Why not head off to Barbados to retrace the steps of President George Washington who spent some time there himself. Read this piece to see what exactly it was old George did on the island and learn about the upcoming museum opening celebrations.

3. Bob Marley’s Legacy Continues:
Here’s one for all Marley fans to unite over and experience a day or two of one love-ness. Jaime points out upcoming Reggae music fests worth looking out for if not attending. Attending is always better in my book.

2. Baseball Travel Guide:
Now that we’ve covered some history and music trips worth a look, let’s move onto sports. If you’re into baseball you may wish to use it as an excuse or real good reason to get away from the office for a few days to see the boys in training. Check out this guide on where to go to get fired up on America’s favorite past time.

1. Fatpacking: Weight-Loss Backpacking:
If you’d rather be losing weight over watching very in shape ball players do what they do best plan a sports like hiking or fatpacking trip of your own and bring sexy back this spring.

The World’s Most Polite and Rude Cities

by Willy Volk on

I don’t know how empirical this study is, but here’s the skinny. Reader’s Digest dispatched several undercover reporters in three dozen cities across the world. In each city, the reporters:

  • Walked into public buildings 20 times behind people to see if they held open the door.
  • Bought small items from 20 stores and recorded whether the sales assistants thanked them.
  • Dropped a folder full of papers in 20 busy locations to see if anyone would help collect the scattered contents.

The reporters awarded one point for each positive outcome and nothing for a negative one. The results of this “study” show that the top three most polite cities are New York, Zurich and Toronto. Conversely, Asia fared very poorly. Eight out of nine cities there finished in the bottom 11. Could this be a cultural thing?

The least friendly city? Mumbai, India. They may be rude in Mumbai, but they sure can cook.

Statue of Rocky Balboa Might Turn the Luck of a Serbian Village

by Jamie Rhein on

There is a village in Serbia with such bum luck that they are hoping for miracles-and if not a miracle, then perhaps a statue will do. Rocky Balboa is hopefully coming to the rescue. That’s the general idea anyway. As another indication of the power and far-reaching influence of Hollywood, consider this: When Bojan Marceta resident of Zitiste, the town with the no end of weather induced natural disasters recently saw the newest Rocky movie incarnation, Rocky Balboa, he thought a statue of this underdog who never quits is just the solution the town needs. A metaphor for not giving up, if you will.

I looked up Zitiste just to see where this town is and what it’s dealing with. Landslides and floods abound it seems. There is one motel listed that I could find. Located just north of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia and a cultural center, perhaps Zitiste’s residents can hook into some tourist travel from there. If nothing else, the statue may work to keep the land from sliding.

In case you’re wondering about Rocky Balboa statue history (I know I was ) here is a link to Total Rocky.com Fast Facts that gives info about where they are and why they ended up where they did.

Washington’s Caribbean Phase

by Erik Olsen on

We all know of George Washington as the steadfast, brilliant general who led a nation to independence. He was a fair outdoorsman, sure, doing a little cold water paddling across the Delaware, chopping cherry tree wood to pass the time. But did you know old Georgie kicked it old school down in the islands? Yup, our first President spent several months down in Barbados when he was young to sniff the fresh air, get a sun tan and likely to sip a few tasty Daiquiris (rum being, of course, a key export).

Washington came to Barbados at age 19 with his older half-brother Lawrence (aka: “L Dubya”), who had TB. Larry Washington’s doc said that the islands would be good for him, and George figured he’d tag along. George (known in the islands as “Da Wash”) spent two months riding his horse around the islands, apparently he caught his first fireworks shows and he hung out a bit with the governor and some generals. He also caught smallpox, and thus became immune to the disease for the rest of his life.

I guess the long and the short of it is that all this now gives history buffs a good reason to head down to the Caribbean. And to do so quickly, because February 22 is Da Wash’s birthday, and admission to the new Washington museum will be half-price. They will also have birthday cake and songs may be sung, especially when the rum gets broken out, as you know it will.

I cannot tell a lie, that sounds like a pretty good time.

Choose The Krewe That’s Right For You!

by Willy Volk on

Mardi Gras is in exactly one week, which means that — unless you’re fabulously attractive — it’s probably too late to join a krewe this year. That said, I understand the the Krewe of Barkus only requires prospective krewers to register their dog and pay $50 on the day of the parade. Krewe of Barkus? What’s a krewe? A krewe is a group of people who help to ensure that merry-makers actually make merry during Mardi Gras. Yeah, krewes are the sexy ones riding on the floats, tossing out the beads. Though most krewes are open to the public, “open to the public” and “free” are not the same thing.

If you’re interested in kreweing, Blogging New Orleans has a run-down of some of the coolest krewes — and tips on how to join them. While it may be too late to join just any old krewe this year, if you begin planning now, you can join almost any krewe for 2008. From the Krewe of Mid-City (prepare to drop $1000 just to join), to Endymion (which requires that you be nominated by a member and spend $300 on the application), to the Krewe of Zulu (which requires a $1500 membership fee and a commitment to stay up drinking all night), check out BNO if you’re trying to choose the krewe that’s right for you.

[Photo: Maitri]