British Protesters Campaign For A Rain-Free Olympics

by Jessica Festa on

And I thought the weather was controlled by nature. Recently, a group of bikini-clad female protesters in London headed to Parliament Square to demand sunnier weather and a rain-free Olympics. While this may sound outlandish, the comical campaign is actually part of a bigger project to help a community.

In the hopes that the government complies with the protesters – or that Mother Nature simply supplies some sunshine – brothers Rob and Paul Forkan of Gandys Flip Flops are getting their product ready, and will be putting partial earnings towards the building of an orphanage in Goa, India. The pair, who were orphaned after the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004, are doing the project as a tribute to their parents.

“The poor weather and the current economic climate haven’t exactly put people in the mood for the beach,” Rob Forkan told the Daily Mail. “We thought it would be interesting to combine the two issues with a protest in jest. Hopefully we will cheer even Parliament up!”

[photo via Gandy’s Flip Flops]

Civil War Ballooning Revived This Memorial Day Weekend

by Sean McLachlan on


During the Civil War, the clashing armies used many new technologies to try to gain an advantage.

One military innovation was the balloon. Although the first balloon ascent had taken place in France in 1783 and the French army had already used them in battle as early as 1794, military aviation was still in its infancy and the United States and Confederacy became the second and third countries to use it.

Balloons were handy for spying on enemy movements. Observers would send back information either with signal flags or via a telegraph wire leading to the ground. The more industrial North had an edge in ballooning, but the South used them effectively too. Despite their best efforts, neither side was able to shoot these daring aviators out of the sky.

Now these early experiments are being re-enacted in Virginia. On Saturday, May 26, there will be a Civil War Balloon Observation Exhibit at the Yorktown Battlefield. There will be presentations on how balloons were used by both sides. It’s part of a weekend of lectures and re-enactments.

On Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, at the Gloucester Main Street Center, there will be a Civil War re-enactment featuring a 45-foot diameter replica of the Union’s balloon Intrepid. Re-enactors will portray Union and Confederate balloonists. Those who prefer more recent military history can meet special guest Richard C. Kirkland, who flew 103 combat missions in World War II and whose 69 helicopter rescues in Korea inspired the movie and TV series “M*A*S*H.”

[Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons]

Win A Trip To The Tour de France From Cannondale

by Kraig Becker on

Are you a cycling fan who has always dreamed of attending the Tour de France? Then Cannondale has a Facebook contest with a prize specifically designed for you. The company is giving one lucky fan a chance to attend the race in July and actually become a member of Team Liquigas-Cannondale for a week.

In order to win the contest you’ll first have to “Like” Cannondale on their Facebook page and then click on the Tour de France icon to fill out the online form. In addition to providing basic contact information, you’ll also be asked questions like who your favorite rider on the team is and what your prefect ride is like. Answering those questions creatively will go a long way toward gaining some attention and impressing the judges, who will select 25 finalist for the next round of the competition. If you make the cut, you’ll then be asked to create a short video introducing yourself more fully.

The winner of the competition will receive an all expense paid trip to attend the Tour, where they’ll get to hang around backstage at the race for a week. They’ll also get to ride in the team car, hand out water bottles, help prep the bikes and more. And if that wasn’t enough, the winner will also receive a new Cannondale SuperSix EVO, a bike that is valued at more than $5500. The EVO has been called the “Best Bike in the World,” which means it should be more than adequate for your next spin around town.

The contest closes on May 31st, so you’ll have to hurry to get signed up. With a little luck, you could find yourself in France this summer.

[Photo credit: Steven Eckelberry via WikiMedia Commons]

The Future Looks Hopeful For New York’s Proposed Underground Park

by Jessica Festa on


Back in September, we told you about New York’s proposed Delancey Underground, or “Low Line.” While we were unsure of its future at that time, it now looks as if the city’s first underground park will become a reality.

The park, which was inspired by New York’s “High Line,” an abandoned elevated railway, also makes use of the concept of disregarded spaces. In fact, the project’s founders, Dan Barasch and James Ramsey, are planning to build the park in an abandoned subway station. People obviously love outlandish ideas, as the pair was able to surpass their Kickstarter goal by $50,000, raising $155,000 of crowd-sourced funding. For the Low Line to work, special technology will need to be used, and the pair will now be able to show people exactly how this will work.

For a better idea of what helped the proposed park’s success, check out the Kickstarter video above.

What are your thoughts on an underground park?

Everest Encounter Possible A Number Of Ways

by Chris Owen on
Climbing Mt. Everest is often a lifetime achievement for many travelers. Each spring, some of the most adventurous, daring and physically fit among us attempt the risky undertaking. But summiting is not the only way to experience the highest peak on the planet. One eco-travel company suggests Everest travel strategies that can considerably lower the danger, cost, time or exertion required of summit-focused mountaineers.

“Seeing Everest from any perspective is a thrill,” JOURNEYS International founder Dr. Will Weber said in his blog recently, outlining 6 strategies for a personal Everest encounter.

1. Trek to the Everest base camp in Nepal. Takes eight days of hiking to reach the pinnacle viewpoint of the peak from an 18,200-foot, non-climbing vantage point.

2. Drive to the north slope of Everest in Tibet. Drive from Lhasa to Kathmandu in five days.

3. Trek to the Arun Valley of East Nepal. 12 days takes travelers to a high ridge between Everest and Kangchenjunga where they will have breathtaking views of four of the five highest mountains in the world.

4. Fly the Everest Flightseeing trip from Kathmandu. A comfortable pressurized aircraft virtually guarantees a peak-level view of Everest.

5. Fly on commercial, scheduled jet aircraft service between Kathmandu and Paro, Bhutan; Lhasa, Tibet; or Bangkok, Thailand. Odds are the plane will fly right over Everest but “bring a peak profile image to identify the mountain for yourself and your seatmates,” says Weber. “Views are brief and usually only available on one side of the plane.”

6. Hire a helicopter from Kathmandu. Fly to the Khumbu area of Nepal, have tea on the veranda of the Everest View Hotel, which offers a superb view of Everest, and fly back an hour later. “By several measures the experience will be astounding, but it is one of the more costly options.”

See more on these six strategies at the JOURNEYS International blog.

Flickr photo by Se7en Summits