Photo of the Day (08.23.10)

by Mike Barish on
We send a lot of mixed signals to kids. We tell them not to talk to strangers, then we encourage them to “tell the nice lady how old you are” when some random old bitty on the street approaches us. Or we give them a dollar to tip the creepy street performer who smells like garbage and Axe body spray. How are kids going to learn that all strangers are serial killers just waiting to snatch a child (most likely an attractive white girl under the age of 12 for maximum national news coverage)?

The poor child in this photo by Flickr user Marisoleta was probably pushed towards that blowhard by his overbearing mother. Now he’s deaf in his left ear and terrified of brass instruments thanks to confusing child-rearing methods. The poor bastard never had a chance to enjoy the music of big bands. Though, you could make the argument that he’s better off having an aversion to the rusty trombone.

Have any pictures of bad parents? Or just some amazing travel photos? Upload them to the Gadling Flickr group and we might just use one for our next Photo of the Day.

Sad trombone sound to reflect your worst travel moments

by Jamie Rhein on

What would happen if you could insert a sad trombone sound into your worst travel moments? Each instance where something goes wrong, a trombone woefully sounds out.

Here are ten moments I’ve thought of that would work well with a sad trombone sound as a back drop. Do you have any sad trombone moments to share?:

  1. You are at an airport and find out that you’ve been bumped from a flight.
  2. You’re running to catch a train, but just as you reach it, it chugs away.
  3. You’ve just found out that you have been going the wrong way for more than an hour, and you’re lost besides.
  4. You’ve arrived at your destination but discovered that you left your best outfit, the one you needed, at home.
  5. You thought you were going to one destination, but ended up at another
  6. You’re on your fifth try at ordering off the menu, but the restaurant still doesn’t have what you want
  7. You’re so looking forward to going to a certain attraction, but when you arrive, you find out you’re there on the day it’s closed and your flight out is the next day.
  8. The great place you remembered from childhood has turned into a rundown, half-abandoned attraction.
  9. You’ve looked forward to that beach vacation for years. The week you’re at the beach you have a stomach bug.
  10. You’re standing in line to pay for souvenirs but you discovered you’ve been pick pocketed and your wallet is missing.

Nick Chordas, who edits The FlipSide section of the Columbus Dispatch, gave the heads up yesterday about this sad trombone sound. Doesn’t it seem fitting now that you’ve heard it?