One for the Road: Our Dumb World – Onion’s Atlas

by Kelly Amabile on

I just finished listening to some short clips from the audio book version of the Onion’s new atlas of planet earth, aptly titled Our Dumb World. After a short introduction, it begins: “Here are audio clips from some of the countries that matter – France: One nation above God.” It goes on to share important facts about France that you really ought to know. For example, that the leading cause of death is turtle neck asphyxiation. It doesn’t get any nicer. While rattling off the facts about Bolivia, the narrator stops to blow a line of cocaine.

In true Onion style, the book prides itself on offering up incorrect statistics on all of the Earth’s independent nations. (They’re just not sure how many there are.) And they guarantee that once you finish listening to the audio book or reading the hardcover, you will, of course, be the smartest person in your dorm room, carpool or cell block. This is anything but your average atlas.

Air France strikes. Again.

by Grant Martin on

What the heck is it with the European transportation network? Last weekend when I was in Germany the rail network was on strike, making my 15 minute journey to The Longest Bar in the World three times longer than it needed to be. That’s beer drinking time, people!

Earlier today, Reuters reports that Air France went on strike, disrupting a fair number of medium-haul flights, although at this rate longer haul flights will soon be affected.

Up to sixty percent of employees are participating in the protest of salaries and working conditions that will be renegotiated later this year.

I’m not going to make any crass comments on unions nor the parallels between the transportation market abroad and the domestic automotive industry (let your imagination run wild). But if you’ve got a ticket on an AF flight in the next few days it would be a good idea to call ahead and make sure that your flight is still leaving. There are going to be a lot of unhappy frenchies in the next few days.

Who owns Antarctica?

by Catherine Bodry on

According to a report from Reuters, Britain plans to submit a claim to the United Nations to extend its Antarctic territory by a million square kilometers. However, the claim could cause tension between Britain and a few South American countries — Argentina is working on a proposal to the U.N. which covers the same territory. The British claim also conflicts with the spirit of 1959 Antarctic Treaty, which prevents all exploitation of oil, gas, and minerals, other than for scientific research.

May 13, 2009 is the deadline for claims that will divide up 7 million square kilometers (the size of Australia). Russia, Australia, France, and Brazil are among the few that have made claims thus far.

Gadling’s European Guide to Drunken Street Hot Dogs

by Grant Martin on

If there is one consistency among the bar scenes in every country I’ve been to it has got to be post drinking pilgrimage for late night food. Whether this is the 24 hour pizza place over on Broadway or the gyro stand under the bridge, nothing hits the spot after a hard night of drinkin’ like three hot dogs, four plates of poutine and a bottle of Powerade.

Over the past year or so I’ve had the opportunity to sample some of the international post-bar hot dog scene. All in the name of Gadling research, my friends. No, I haven’t sampled every street hot dog outside of every bar in every country, but I’d say I’ve had enough ground pig insides to list a few favorites.

  • Third Place: Prague. The standard. The Czech version of late night eats comes from the numerous permanent stands they have scattered between New and Old Town. The dogs are huge, condiments are-a-plenty and the price is a steal.
  • Second Place: Paris (above). The gastronomique. Quality grilled onions and peppers plus delectable core materials knocks this Parisian snack up an order of magnitude on the delicious chart.
  • First Place: Stockholm. The thunderhaus.Three words, ladies and gentlemen, deep fried onions. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it earlier, but the addition if cronions to hot dogs rockets them off the delicious spectrum. I could eat these puppies for breakfast lunch and dinner.

For the record, do not try the late night food in Moscow. You’ll be sorry.

Yard Sales, Parisian Style

by Grant Martin on

Twice a year, residents of Levallois-Perret, a small community on the outskirts of Paris, explode onto the street in a veritable orgasm of yard sales. I came down out of my sister’s apartment last week to discover about twenty square blocks of solid second-hand mayhem, complete with food carts, inflatable Harry Potter moon walks and general French glee.

Naturally, the locals have frenchified the entire operation. When I purchased a set of teacups from these two guys they were in the middle of lunch — with wine and cloth napkins. On the way back when I snapped this picture they were smoking cigars with cognac. It doesn’t really create the same mental image as when you think of an American yard sale, does it?

Among the normal bric-a-brac one can expect at a second-hand sale are a high volume of espresso glasses, copper cookware, wine implements and other vintage, European wares. But the best part about the entire experience is picking up something truly unique to bring home — nothing’s worse than picking up a totally sweet European sweater at the London H&M to find out that they already have stores littered around the US where you can buy the same thing for 1/2 the price.

But as the French verb directly translates, “souvenir” is “to remember”. Either way you reach enlightenment, via yard sales or chain stores, vous allez souvenir.