At Gadling, we’re always happy when people read and respond to our posts. It’s just not everyday that someone writes a full-fledged rap song out of them.
But YouTube rapper “JournalRhythm” has taken a couple of recent news events that we’ve posted on and turned them in to a 1:11 rap song. It looks like this guy writes a different rap song based on news events nearly every day. Don’t know why he needs goggles, though (or are they sunglasses?)
Anyway, the subjects of this rap are the snakes on a plane I posted about yesterday, and a man who whipped out his own snake on a Hawaiian airlines flight recently — which Scott blogged about yesterday as well.
There’s a line in the “The Hitchhiking Movie” that made me laugh. Ryan Jeanes, one of the two guys who decided one fine day to hitchhike across the U.S. from New York City to Berkeley, California in one week to test out the kindness of strangers says, after one car dropped them off at what looks like the middle of nowhere, “Three miles further and only 3,000 miles to go.”
There are the rides one takes when hitchhiking because at least a short ride means going further in the right direction, and who knows when there will be another chance to sit down again?
It took Ryan and Phillip Hullquist 23 rides to make it across the U.S., although, I don’t know if they made their deadline. If they didn’t make the deadline, they would have missed their flights back to NY. Ryan had purchased the tickets before hand to add some motivation.
After reading the text on the movie’s website and watching the trailer, I became intrigued about the unfolding of the journey. There are the people they talked with about their trip who thought they were nuts, and the stories of the people who gave them rides. All are woven into the narrative while the scenery adds the backdrop and also highlights the diveresity between the coasts.
Whether they made it from New York City to Berkeley, California within their self-imposed time period is almost beside the point. Having a goal did influence the outcome. People altered their own trips to help Ryan and Phillip out. Because these two vowed not to use any of their own money, their success depended upon others’ generosity.
Their success also depended upon their willingness to stick out their thumbs to see what would happen. Sticking out their thumb took effort. According to Ryan, they “piddled around for awhile” in New York before they actually hit the road. Starting seemed to be one of the hardest parts.
Last spring, there was a story about three friends who were driving through 48 states in less than a week. Some states meant a quick trip through one small section, and in one case, in and out on the same road. At Four Corners, they checked off Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico, for example. “The Hitchhiking Movie” reminds me a bit of that story, except Ryan’s and Phillip’s success involved others’ efforts. In the case of driving through every state, it’s a matter of getting the geography, gas, and bathroom breaks just right.
The “The Hitchhiking Movie” was released on DVD this week. Watching it seems like it would be a great boost to fuel the traveling spirit. Here’s the trailer to get you in the mood. You can buy the film on the 11 Visions Website or pay to watch it online.
I know, I half-promised someone that I wouldn’t write about the stupid movement any more, but the travel news has been slower lately than I’d hoped. So, you get to deal with another BS story about “staycations.” At least, I’ve kicked in a video this time.
For those of you with addresses beneath rocks, a “staycation” is a euphemism for “the financial crisis has left me too broke or too petrified to spend money on travel.” The concern is real. Anyone who sees a silver lining to our current economic situation probably does so through the lens of LSD.
It’s no secret that fewer people are traveling. Instead of conducting its small “Twitter poll,” CNN could just as easily have come to Gadling, where we’ve hit up a large group of real people to understand their travel plans – or lack thereof.
Well, the slow news days of late affecting the travel industry hit CNN as it hit me. So, they interviewed Matt Wixon, author of The Great American Staycation about how to make the most of very little. His prime example is to look at your hometown the way a tourist would … a total rehash of the boilerplate staycation story.
But, how would a tourist view some bland suburb? Sure, you could always head over to the nearest city, which could provide some relief.
Ultimately, a successful staycation is really nothing other than the command your mother gave you when you spent too much time in front of the television: use your imagination. Since you are responsible for the fun you have on your non-trip vacation, you are ultimately on the hook for making the experience satisfying.
Duh.
A great staycation, therefore, is just finding ways to amuse yourself at home.
If you want a great job, move to Queensland. In the ongoing “Best Job in the World” contest, two of the top five are from Queensland – with contest leader Clare Wang from Taiwan. According to international betting agency PinnacleSports.com Wang’s odds of nabbing this cushy assignment are 3.5:1. Queenslander James Hill follows at 5:1 (in the #2 spot). Hailey Turner, from Brisbane, is in fifth, with odds of 13:1.
Unsurprisingly, an American and a German are in a race to the bottom. Greg Reynen (from the United States) has odds of 44.8:1, with Mirjam Novak edging slightly ahead in this immaterial corner of the contest at 43.5:1. The odds for contestants with experience in the porn business were not revealed, but common sense would suggest they aren’t favorable.
The Best Job in the World lured 34,684 applicants as part of a $1.7 million global marketing gimmick. It’s paid off already, generating AU$100 million in publicity for Queensland.
The winner will get a lazy one-year contract for AU$150,000.
Get to know the top Aussie in the contest, Hailey, after the jump.
Back in November and December we ran a series Songs of Travel where we featured our favorite travel songs. This morning with spring flowers blooming in a variety of places, even along I-70 where I saw dozens of daffodils in their yellow splendor just yesterday, and my mother is talking about the redbud trees blooming throughout the mountains of southeastern Kentucky, I’m reminded of Cat Steven’s (aka Yusef) “Morning has Broken.”
Here’s a video I found that captures the beauty of the flowering trees, roadsides and gardens, plus the birds that we can see for free. With birds busy migrating back to their summer homes this month and festivals honoring flowers, this ode to spring and the morning seemed fitting. Hopefully as you travel this week, you’re able to enjoy the blossoms and the singing. There’s a wonderful shot of children about halfway through.