FabSearch – A website for the out-of-the-know

by Annie Scott on

Do you ever read a review of some random restaurant in a national publication and think “gosh, if I ever go to Boise, I should totally eat there?” Some people I know even keep files for this kind of thing with newspaper and magazine clippings, and my friend Josh keeps a spreadsheet.

I’m lazy. What do I do? I go to FabSearch.com.

Then, I click on the random city I’m headed to for the wedding, or the story, or the Eiffel Tower (big cities like Paris are on there, too), and recent articles about hot places to stay and places to eat from local and national publications pop up! It’s like having a friend in that city who lays around and reads magazines for you.

You can totally wow your friends with this wealth of knowledge. You could be all “Oh, I read about it in the Financial Times,” and if they tried to call your bluff and checked the Financial Times, you’d be right, even though you’re too lazy busy to read it.

Check out the site – I looked up my hometown of Minneapolis and the recommendations were all pretty good!

10 more stupid laws

by Annie Scott on

After finding so many outrageously stupid yet entertaining laws yesterday for my top 10 stupidest laws you may encounter abroad, I decided it would be foolish – no, negligent not to continue.

Here are ten more very stupid laws from countries all over the world:

  1. Singapore – If you are convicted of littering three times, you will have to clean the streets on Sundays with a bib on saying, “I am a litterer.”
  2. Sweden – You may only own half a meter down in the ground of any land you own.
  3. U.K. – Since 1313, MPs are not allowed to don armor in Parliament.
  4. England – All English males over the age 14 are to carry out 2 or so hours of longbow practice a week supervised by the local clergy.
  5. Cambodia – Water guns may not be used in New Year’s celebrations.
  6. Australia – It is illegal to wear hot pink pants after midday Sunday.
  7. Denmark – One may not be charged for food at an inn unless that person, by his or her own opinion, is “full”.
  8. France – No pig may be addressed as Napoleon by its owner.
  9. Israel – It is forbidden to bring bears to the beach.
  10. Bahrain – A male doctor may legally examine a woman’s genitals, but is forbidden from looking directly at them during the examination. He may only see their reflection in a mirror.

References:
LawGuru.com
FunFacts.com.au
DumbLaws.com

Top 10 stupidest laws you may encounter abroad

by Annie Scott on

We’ve all heard about the ridiculous, archaic laws of the United States, stuff about shooting bison from trains and grazing your cows on Boston Common and so forth. But it’s imperative to be aware of completely useless laws in other parts of the world, in case you should happen to travel there and find yourself in a really, really unlikely situation.

Here they are, the top 10 stupidest laws you may encounter abroad:

  1. Australia – It is illegal to roam the streets wearing black clothes, felt shoes and black shoe polish on your face as these items are the tools of a cat burglar.
  2. France – Between the hours of 8AM and 8PM, 70% of the music in the radio must be by French composers.
  3. Thailand – It is illegal to leave your house if you are not wearing underwear.
  4. Italy – It is an offence for women of ‘ill repute or evil looks’ to enter a cheese factory in the area of Ferrara.
  5. Scotland – It is illegal to be a drunk while in possession of a cow.
  6. France – It is illegal in Antibes to take photos of police officers or police vehicles, even if they are just in the background. (I hope the photo at right isn’t from Antibes!)
  7. Lebanon – Men are legally allowed to have sex with animals so long as the animals are female. It is illegal to have sex with a male animal.
  8. China – Women are prohibited from walking around a hotel room in the nude. A woman may only be naked whilst in the bathroom.
  9. Hong Kong – A woman is legally allowed to kill her cheating husband, only if she uses her bare hands. The husband’s lover however may be killed in any manner desired.
  10. Switzerland – A man may not relieve himself while standing up, after 10 P.M.

BONUS: In parts of Tuscany, it’s illegal to put something into a minibar.
BONUS 2: We’ve got 10 more stupid laws.


Laws got these women in trouble. What’d they do wrong?

References:
LawGuru.com
FunFacts.com.au
DumbLaws.com

Hot towel? Sure, in my pocket.

by Annie Scott on

In these tough economic times, we can’t always afford to fly first class, or on those airlines that bring everyone hot towels. And we want those hot towels. We want them hard.

Well, now you can bring your own, and in pill form! These crazy pills from Japan work just like those little foam dinosaurs you used to “hatch” as a kid. Submerge them in warm water and they become 11″ x 9″ hand towels.

The pills, or “towel seeds,” as they are called, are harvested every year from the Towel Tree Plantation just outside of Tokyo.*

Know what else becomes a hot hand towel if you submerge it in hot water? A hand towel. But that wouldn’t be nearly as much fun.

You can get a vial of 10 pills on ThinkGeek.com for just $7.99. It’ll be the most fun you’ve had in the airplane bathroom since you joined the mile high club! Seriously, these would also come in super handy for camping and backpacking.

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Travelchic.com brings you some chic and some ridiculous accessories

by Annie Scott on

Travelchic.com makes unusual luggage tags, handle wraps, tassels, and key chains, all desgined to make your luggage stand out on the carousel and to show your unique style and flair.

My verdict? Hit or miss. Some of these items are totally hot, and some of them are absolutely ridiculous. If I were chatting you up on the airplane and then saw you claim a bag with a giant furry handle-wrap on it? I would judge you. I’m just that shallow.

The Orange Synthetic Leather Luggage Tag and Reversible Orange Faux Fur/Orange Synthetic Leather Handle Wrap with Travel Chic Airplane Keychain Set for $26.99 (at right) is reasonably priced insanity. ‘A’ for effort, ‘F’ for execution.

Affort Fexecution.

The kids’ collection is cute, though I wonder how long those puppy and monkey faces last with the wear and tear of travel, and of course, the sticky hands of the little ones.

I don’t mean to be mean. Below, witness the gallery of five totally awesome items from Travelchic.com. They really do make some nice stuff at great prices!
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