Land of Lincoln

by Erik Olsen on

Despite the conclusion of several “Who is the Greatest American?” contests
(Homer Simpson won one, and
Ronald Reagan won the most recent (and overly hyped) contest
on the Discovery Channel (give me a break!), I still hold that one of if not THE greatest American was Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln ruled. Why? Short answer: Not only was he brilliant, deeply understood the essence of American values and
freedom, he also had some real balls. He made several of the hardest choices in American history and stood by them,
pushed them through despite huge opposition.

So with that off my chest…and as a fine lead
in…check
out this story about Springfield, IL, Lincoln’s early home, which has now been largely taken over by Lincoln-mania.
Several somewhat new museums are there, along with a copy of the Gettysburg Address in Lincoln’s own handwriting as
well as a signed copy of the Emancipation Proclamation. Pretty cool. Some of the Lincoln museum stuff sounds a bit
hokey. There are mannequin-like effigies of Lincoln and family that you can take your picture with and other gaudi
stuff like that. But there is also a museum made from the old
Lincoln-Herndon Law Offices, which I think would be kind of
cool…seeing where Abe hung out and scribbled his briefs (ha!).

Just a little post-4th of July food for thought.

Living Human Treasures

by Adrienne Wilson on

Could you imagine being sought after as a living human treasure?  Imagine being someone who
possesses some of the last known talents, skills, or high
degree of knowledge required to perform or create specific elements of intangible cultural
heritage. Wow!  Sounds something of being the Wizard of Oz or maybe even the Oracle from the
Matrix, but seriously,
UNESCO
has a program where they seek people in countries to teach and pass on their talents to younger generations. The
picture here shows a Filipino living treasure teaching gabbang. 

You can check out their program on the site. There isn’t a whole lot mentioned, but there are tons of other finds on
UNESCO to enjoy and pass the time viewing.

Those Running Bulls

by Erik Olsen on

Well, I guess we can all be thankful and heave a sigh of relief. So far the famous
Running of the Bulls celebration
has gone off without anyone getting
killed. Sure there have been some bruises and scratches, maybe a hoof print in the back or two, but no gruesome skulls
crushed or mangled bodies. Yet. There are still a few days to go after all. Actually,
one Canadian woman running in
flip-flops got injured (flip-flops? hello?), but she’ll be fine and now has a good story to tell her kids.

As usual, the wine is flowing and lifting the exuberant rhetoric to lofty heights: “It’s been the best four hours of
my life, and it’s only going to get better.” gushed one sloshed participant, presumably before vomiting on his
shoes.  As all Papa fans are aware, the festival in this northern town dates gained fame from Ernest Hemingway’s
1926 novel The Sun Also Rises. A fine book, historically accurate, but whose depictions of the event failed to include
modern nuances like brain-dead frat boys chugging Sangria bongs, or the
horde of
semi-nude protestors (come on folks, if you’re going to do it, go all the way!) who took the time to stride around
with their save the bulls banners held high.

The runs, which follow all-night street parties, continue daily, starting at 8 a.m., through July 14.

Photo of the Day: (7/07/05)

by Erik Olsen on

Hey, we’re psyched that we’ve already got some folks joining up to the
Gadling Flickr group, and already we’ve got some great photos to
post as our POTD. Today’s POTD comes
from Weegolo, and is an excellent photo of a children’s shrine
in Ebisu, Tokyo. Really nice.

If you’d like to join the group and have your picture posted as POTD,
please do. All travel photographers are welcome.

Middle East Vacation: Try Jordan

by Erik Olsen on

The ruins of Petra are world-famous for their beauty and historical heritage. They were used, you might remember, in the third Indiana Jones film. Jordan has gotten a bad rap because of the war on terror and because when people think of the middle east they get all weirded out, as if there are suicide bombers around every corner. Not true. They are around every other corner. Just kidding.

Anyway, I just read this piece on CNN.com about the rise of Jordan as a tourist and business destination. The Kempinski Hotel in Amman gets high marks as a (somewhat expensive) place to stay. The country is benefiting from the influx of wealthy Iraqis as well as U.S. servicemen on their way to Iraq, but also from an increased interest from Western travelers. If you want to see the Middle East, this could be a good place to go.