Boot camp yourself to wedding-dress thin

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Any man should know better than to talk about women and weight … especially when it comes to fitting into a wedding dress. But, this idea is interesting enough that I’m willing to risk my safety. Live in Fitness Enterprises has put together “The Bridal Retreat,” which is not as innocuous as it sounds. If you’re worried about looking good for your groom in a two-piece on the honeymoon or need to drop some serious pounds for the big day, they’ll get you into fighting shape.

This “boot camp for brides” situates the victims participants in luxurious one-bedroom suites, with inspiring Los Angeles ocean views. It’s the perfect scene to which to crawl back after putting in your time with fitness expert Eric Viskoicz. After a series of fitness assessments, brides receive custom itineraries that include training sessions, meetings with nutritionists, motivational speeches and tailored meals.

Sounds nice, right?

Well, training starts every day at 8 AM and runs for 11 hours. Meals are served “every couple of hours” – between hiking, kickboxing bouts, spinning, water aerobics and other activities designed to make the fat melt away.

No pain, no gain. Remember, the pictures from your wedding will follow you for the rest of your life.

Playing for Change: The U.S. Tour

by Brenda Yun on

Awesome. If you haven’t heard of “Playing for Change” or its international renditions of “Stand By Me,” “One Love,” or “Don’t Worry,” you no longer have to worry: the documentary’s favorite musicians are coming to a U.S. city near you during the month of March only!

General Admission to all shows are just $20, or opt for the VIP (including a meet-and-greet with select musicians) ticket for $100.

Here’s a little clip of the documentary trailer, which gives just a brief glimpse of how we can unite the world through music.

Proceeds go towards the Playing for Change Foundation, which aims to connect the world through music. The foundation provides musicians around the world facilities to play music and enhance their skills, therefore not only making their lives better but also demonstrating how music brings people together regardless of cultural and socio-economic differences.
Here are the dates for this special (and limited) concert series:

Austin:
Thursday, March 19th, 2009
Momo’s
618 W. 6th St.
Austin, TX 78701

Friday, March 20, 2009
Opal Divine’s Freehouse
700 W. 6th St.
Austin, TX 78701

Los Angeles: Monday, March 23, 2009
The Knitting Factory
7021 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA. 90028
323-463-0204
www.knittingfactory.com
Concert starts @ 9PM

San Francisco: Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Slim’s
333 11th St.
San Francisco, CA. 94103
415-255-0333
www.slims-sf.com
Concert starts @ 9PM

Seattle: Wednesday, March 25, 2009
The Showbox at the Market
1426 1st Ave
Seattle, WA. 98101
www.showboxonline.com
Concert starts @ 9PM

New York City: Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Highline Ballroom
431 W. 16th St.
New York, New York 10011
212-414-5994
www.highlineballroom.com
Concert starts @ 9PM

Those of you in Austin, L.A., San Fran, Seattle, and N.Y.C. are the lucky few who will be able to share in the musical revolution sweeping the globe. If you are privileged enough to attend, please let Gadling know how the concert is!!

Virgin America’s next destination: Orange County

by Grant Martin on

Now that the dust has settled from Virgin America’s Boston route launch, it’s time to move onto the next destination: Orange County. John Wayne Airport, nestled in the Southern Los Angeles suburbs plans to receive service some time this spring.

But why Orange County? The airline already offers service to LA, a mere few miles to the north and plenty of Midwestern and Southern cities would love to entertain the airline. Well, it’s got a lot to do with strategy. Abby Lunardini, spokeswoman from Virgin America puts it as such:

“As the only airline headquartered in Cali, this is an enormously important travel market for us – and the demand is certainly there even in the current economy. The Bay Area and Orange County are two of the nation’s leading innovation-based economies and are more insulated in the current economic climate. We also know that Orange County travelers are a perfect fit for our high-tech amenities and upscale service — like in-flight WiFi and touch-screen personal entertainment.”

The route is also a natural extension of our LAX-SFO routes. We’ve got really great schedules (especially for business travelers) flying into SNA.”

There you have it. We cavemen in the Midwest just don’t fit into the Virgin America model. Kidding aside, Virgin America plans to kick off the first flight in late April. As usual, we’ll be there to give you the lowdown.

Heathrow annoying, Americans rude according to some social network

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The members of social network Where Are you Now? have spoken! Heathrow is the worst airport in the world, according to voters, thanks to passport control lines and baggage problems. The Brits don’t get all the glory, though. JFK in New York and Los Angeles picked up spots #2 and #3, respectively.

The good news, for Heathrow and JFK, at least, is that both were at the top of the list for security. Bangkok, Amsterdam and Rome were at the bottom. WAYN co-founder and joint chief executive Jerome Touze calls the survey results “pretty damning in terms of Heathrow’s reputation for passenger service.” Apparently, he doesn’t realize nobody gives a shit about WAYN’s opinion.

But, Heathrow is worth the wait, with the friendliest passport control officers outside Australia. They’re even nicer than the Canadians! U.S. customs officers were voted rudest, followed by those in India and Russia.

Again thinking that people give a damn about his opinion, Touze believes that “U.S. customs and immigration need address their attitude towards visitors, simplify the form filling, generally be a lot more welcoming and better reflect the personality of the American people.”

Thanks, Jerome. Because of your publicist prompted quote, we’ll get right on that.

WAYN’s survey included detail from 2,250 air travelers, who answered questions about customs, baggage handling and passport matters.

[Via Sydney Morning Herald]

Why are these the world’s best airports?


Click the image to find out!

Beer babe’s favorite European bars

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Katarina Van Derham, the 2009 St. Pauli Girl spokesmodel, doesn’t like to spend all her time in one place. The Slovakia native now lives in Los Angeles and still loves to get out on the road as much as possible. When she’s home, her favorite place to grab a pint is Barney’s Beanery in Santa Monica. She can have a relaxing drink on the patio, which is a prime people-watching spot. Of course, she has favorites on the other side of the Atlantic, as well.

The 2009 St. Pauli Girl spokesmodel‘s European Favorites are:

Morrison Pub (Cannes, France): there’s always live music and a welcoming crowd; Cannes’ “beautiful beaches and relaxed vibe” help

Phanas Pub (Rijeka, Croatia): Phanas is a great party place with rock music piped in; Katarina came here while shooting a music video for a Slovakian band

Mermaid Bar (Ibiza, Spain): this bar caters to an international crowd, has clear water and a great club scene

U Medvédku (Prague, Czech Republic): a house beer and authentic Czech food are served, and you’re only footsteps from the city’s stunning architecture

CK Browar (Krakow, Poland): grab a beer at this bright brewery before shopping at the outdoor street fairs on Saturdays

Salm Bräu (Vienna, Austria): located in a charming old building, this bar is a great stop en route to Slovakia (since Vienna has the nearest international airport)

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