Richard Branson christens the new V Australia 777 in LAX

by Grant Martin on

V Australia‘s new Boeing 777 aircraft arrived in Los Angeles on its way down to Sydney yesterday. Onboard were Richard Branson, the mayor of Los Angeles and a few other dignitaries, and when the aircraft rolled onto the Imperial Highway tarmac they naturally had to pop a bottle of Champagne.

So after the creature came to a halt in front of the eager crowd, a red carpet was unrolled on the wing and out popped Branson and a few hotties. Take a look at how it unfolded below, and stay tuned for official and unoffical reports from the aircraft early next week.

Yeah, then why don’t you and the Eiffel tower get a room!

by Scott Carmichael on

I’m pretty sure I’m not alone when I say I “love” the Eiffel Tower – how can you not enjoy such a magnificent structure? The design, the sheer beauty of it, and the atmosphere around the tower in such an awesome city make it one of the most popular landmarks in the world.

But there are some people who take their love of the structure just a tad too far.

That is what Erika La Tour Eiffel has done. Not only did she “marry” the Eiffel tower, she actually has sex with it.

Let that sink in for a minute – this lady is so in love with the tower that she climbs it, and consummates her relationship with the Eiffel Tower.

These people are called “objectum sexuals” and their relationships are with objects instead of people. Another lady is so in love with the Golden Gate bridge that she sleeps with a piece of the bridge, and does stuff to it I don’t want to know about.

Click the read more link to see a documentary about these people, and to learn more about how deep their love goes for tourist attractions and other objects.

Watch Married To The Eiffel Tower [Part 1] | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

(Via: TV Carnage)

Bizarrely, this behavior is not against the law in France.

Bob Marley Day and a charming version of Three Little Birds

by Jamie Rhein on

Today is Bob Marley Day. Marley, born February 6, 1945 is the musical genius who put Jamaica and reggae in range of the world’s radar. Starting today through Sunday, there are various festivals and celebrations occuring around the globe as a way to honor Marley and enjoy his music. Here’s a link that lists several events. Five of them are in the United States. The United Kingdom, Finland and Russia are among the others.

When I lived in The Gambia, I remember dancing to “Three Little Birds” one night at a tourist hotel in Fajara. It was a real sanity saver. Difficulties and upset fell away with each note and word. As you’re heading towards the weekend, stand up, close your eyes, listen and move. Except, if you close your eyes, you will miss this charming animated video where Brazilian singer Gilberto Gil and Marley sing the song in a duet. In that case, play this twice–once to watch the video. The second time, close your eyes.

That island dream job in Australia? Osama bin Laden wants it along with 9000 others

by Jamie Rhein on

When the dream job to work as a caretaker of the Great Barrier Reef islands in Queensland, Australia was announced, more than 9,000 people applied–including Osama bin Laden. At least from the video posted in the article in The Sydney Morning Herald, it looks like Osama bin Laden applied.

Full, scraggly beard? Check. White robe with matching hat? Check. A certain droning quality to the voice? Check. The video, though, as real as it seems, is dubbed.

The guy saying that he is versed in “sandy areas” and is experienced in “large scale event coordination” is not really bin Laden. Instead, the application was sent in as a joke. The dubbed voice also claims to have interests in the arts, crafts and renovating. The people collecting the applications did toss this one out. There are loads of legitimate contenders, however.

At this point, people from 162 countries have applied. If you’re one of them, your competition is fierce. As Scott stated in Gadling’s original post that announced this job, the application period closes on February 22. Eleven candidates will be chosen to be flown to Hamilton Island for an interview.

To see the video, go to the article and scroll down. Supposedly, the video is posted on YouTube, but I couldn’t find it. The video reminded me of the video spoofs that David Letterman does on bin Laden from time to time.

Safety Procedures: Funny or scary?

by Brenda Yun on

Who reads the airplane emergency information sheet — I mean, really reads it, these days? When I was young, I actually read it religiously just in case of a water or emergency landing, but now I don’t bother. Should I? This short video would argue we should all be aware of the serious dangers of flying in planes.

I’m not sure if this is supposed to be funny or just plain scary. More than 500 YouTube comments argue for both cases (funny or scary), but writer/director/animator Richard Fenwick certainly made me think a little harder about the importance of flight safety procedures. So I guess I put myself in the “I think it’s scary” group. I know I will be a bit more careful the next time I board a plane.