Sir, There’s a Fly in My Urinal

by Dave Luna on

Here’s something from the “Urban Legend or Not?” files…

It seems the bathroom authorities at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport placed a picture of a housefly in the bowls of men’s room urinals. This simple image gives gents a — shall I say — bulls-eye. The little insect ensures guys aim for the drain and keep off the floor. This supposedly saves time and money in restroom cleaning costs. The folks at TruthOrFiction.com contacted the airport, and the Netherlanders confirmed the claim. That’s what I call dedication to journalism.

I actually saw one of these urinal flies in Schiphol Airport, and I just figured it was some plumbing company’s odd logo. Also, if you wanted to know, their Musca domestica mind-trick worked on me.

Amsterdam to Erect Prostitute Statue

by Dave Luna on

The world’s oldest profession is finally about to get the recognition it deserves. The city of Amsterdam approved a bronze statue dedicated to the world’s sex workers. The figure depicts a “self-assured woman, her hands on her hips, looking sideways towards the sky, and standing on a doorstep.” Officials have not yet determined where the monument will be placed.

The statue is rather good news because I finally have an excuse to tell people if I ever did visit Amsterdam’s red light district: “I wanted to see the local arts.” To which I’d probably have to add: “Who knew I’d need to buy prescription ointment for that?”

Planespotting in Saint Martin

by Justin Glow on

Aside from being one of the smallest islands divided among two nations (France and Netherlands), Saint Martin is a Caribbean hotspot known for its nightlife, exotic hotels, nude beaches, and planespotting population. Wait — one of those doesn’t quite fit. Planespotting?

Maho Beach — located on the western coast of Saint Martin — is situated at the end of the main runway at Princess Juliana International Airport, and planespotters and tourists alike flock to this thin strip of sand to get up close and personal with a jumbo jet in midair.

YouTube has a host of amateur videos, and I’ve scoured through the lot to find the cream of the crop. Have a look, after the jump:

Here’s a 747-400 flying over Maho Beach — it almost seems that anyone with a decent vertical leap could grab onto the wheel for a free ride to the airport.
Here’s that same plane from a different prospective.
…and a shot of some tourists getting sandblasted by the jetwash.
Here’s a view from the cockpit on arrival – it gives you a good idea of just how close the runway is to the beach. Note: there’s a naked mannequin at the end of this one, which may be NSFW.

Frans Lanting Exhibition

by Erik Olsen on

Not sure how many gadling readers out there are outdoor/wildlife photo fans, but I’m going to throw this one out there anyway. Frans Lanting is one of the world’s foremost wildlife photographers, so much so that it is extremely likely you’ve seen one of his photos at some time or another. He even his his own Wiki entry. You can go and visit his site here to see the wide array of shots he’s published over the years, but suffice it to say he’s shot on every continent from Antarctica to Africa. He’s also shot little micro-animals like diatoms as well as large big-eared animals like elephants. Oh yes, Lanting loves animals. He loves them so much, in fact ,that he’s got a new book and exhibit out showing off some of his best work. To get a feel for both the photos and what the exhibit offers (the actual exhibit appears to be in the Netherlands, so unless you’re Dutch….or visiting…well, you probably won’t catch it.. BUT you MUST check out this Web site, which does a wonderful job showing off his photos on the Web. And the book, well that might make a very fine gift.

Aruba Carnival 2007

by Adrienne Wilson on

How I long to wear another skimpy jeweled, beaded and feathery carnival costume on a hot Caribbean island – let me count the ways. With all my pals over in TnT calling and telling me how the band launches are kicking off, parties running into the midnight hour (as if they ever stop) and how the season has officially arrived or ‘reached’ I can’t help getting a bit worked up myself. Take me away! I want to go – now! After my first masquerading experience in Trinidad & Tobago’s 2006 Carnival I’ve been trying to fight developing an addiction, but as I sit and write this I’m clicking back and forth from various island websites scoping out the details for 2007 Carnival. Not to say I didn’t have a phenomenal time in TnT this year, but it never hurts to look around.
So far I’ve been looking at the details of Bahia, Brazil’s popular place to be during the season and stumbled upon Aruba’s calendar for next year. While Aruba isn’t one of my must-see destinations their events don’t look too shabby. Plus they have this music called Antillean tumba which I don’t think I’ve heard before, but appears to be a mixture of Calypso and Salsa with Dutch flavor. Sounds very, very interesting. If you’ve wanted to do something like this, let me tell you now is the time to start planning. It’s so worth it and don’t worry, not all of the costumes are skimpy. Go to the Aruba photo gallery for an idea of Carnival in Aruba. The fesitivies take place the month of February and the big event days are Feb. 17-18.