This Guy Gave Up on Jet-Setting. Would You?

Posted on May 19, 2013 by Jordan

After reading fellow Vancouver Observer writer Barry Saxifrage’s article, I argued with myself for quite a while.

Upon reading “Is jet-setting compatible with a safe climate?“, you’ll probably go through something similar. If you end up dismissing the piece, is it because you think Barry is wrong, or because you think he’s right?

 

Jet travel gave me a burden of complicity in our climate crisis that I didn’t enjoy. Below I present the charts and facts that led me to take action. Hopefully these will enable you to decide for yourself how big a problem it is and what should be done about it.

I would also argue that the price of fuel gives airline industry a tremendous incentive to change, whether or not it realizes such a thing. Imagine how much the industry could reduce emissions by using hybrid engines to taxi (or use hybrid vehicles to tow them). I remember hearing Richard Branson discuss hybrid jet engines somewhere, but there’s been no real movement.

The concept of slow- and ultra-local travel is a separate idea from the bulk of the article, but is worth exploring on its own. How many of us have been to distant shores, but not 200 miles up the coast?

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The Pornoscanner Song: Johnathan Mann’s Advice to the TSA

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Jordan

Dear TSA,

Sit down, shut up, press play, and take this on board.

Sincerely,

Sensible people everywhere.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOJ3na-PhNw

“Then I’m groped an’ fondled
from SF to JFK–
No one but my girlfriend
should touch me that way.”

Nice work, Johnathan.

If you want to contribute to the public-comment phase on the TSA’s continued use of those silly full-body scanners, you can do so via the atrociously-designed regulations.gov website.

(via Boing Boing)

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Justin Bieber’s Monkey Confiscated in Germany

Posted on April 6, 2013 by Jordan

Deep down, this is the headline you always knew you’d eventually read.

Popstar Justin Bieber given month to collect pet monkey

Will Mally the capuchin monkey adjust to a new life in Germany, no longer surrounded by yes-men and paparazzi? Or will Mally grow sullen and reclusive, lost in the glittery yet ever-fading past?

“If he doesnt present the papers, Mally will be taken to a good animal shelter that has experience rearing groups of young capuchin monkeys and can ensure disoriented Mally becomes a healthy little capuchin,” the shelter currently caring for the monkey said.

 

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Hotello: BYO Hotel Room on Wheels

Posted on March 28, 2013 by Jordan

In exploring how we can reclaim the abandoned industrial space in our cities, architect Antonio Scarponi and artist Roberto de Luca struck upon an odd and oddly brilliant idea: a BYO hotel room.

Hotello is a colorful wheeled trunk which opens to reveal the components of a transient private space: the curtain-wall reminds me of a hospital ward, or the camp tents in Moonrise Kingdom; but the lamp is pretty snazzy. Besides, I’ve lived in smaller bedrooms.

Hotello is a portable space, packed into a trunk. Hotello contains all the necessary elements needed to work and rest. It consists of a metal structure that supports a translucent and sound absorbant curtain. Hotello can be combined and aggregated in different configurations.

De Luca and Scarponi will be presenting Hotello, designed for daskonzept, at Fuori Salone 2013 in Milan from April 9-14. They won’t have to book accommodation.

(via Swiss-Miss)

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Upgrade your flight with ultra-portable booze

Posted on March 24, 2013 by Jordan

BYOB, but YMMV

A great trick from Condé Nast Traveler, via Jeffrey Morgenthaler: pack sample-sized bottles of booze in your toiletries bag. TSA-legal, as long as you’re  over the drinking age in the countries of departure and arrival.

Note that American law prohibits you from bringing your own booze aboard an American commercial flight. Silly but true. Review your local laws when trying this,  and consider how likely ( or unlikely) you are to get caught.

Of course, you could bring it through security, then drink it before boarding. Please do so in moderation, as flight attendants shouldn’t have to deal with your drunk ass at 8am.

Those little sample-sized bottles of gin and whisky aren’t really cost-effective in Canada, where I currently live. However, you can just as easily repurpose one (or use a similarly-sized container) to  carry a sample of the booze currently sitting on your counter.

Until airlines end their silly War on Moisture and we can once again bring hip-flasks on board, this will just have to do.

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Greetings from Kelowna Airport

Posted on March 9, 2013 by Jordan

image

YLW has the cleanest toilets I’ve seen in ages.

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Save the Flying Saucer: Pan Am Worldport Could Become a Parking Lot

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Jordan

Pan Am Worldport: Historic Building Worth Saving

Despite its size and the amount of traffic it gets, JFK Airport is much crappier than you’d expect. Services are sparse and the overall vibe is bland. However, echoes of a grand past remain in the JFK’s architecture: particularly the TWA Flight Center and the Pan Am Worldport.

Unfortunately, plans are afoot to demolish the Pan Am Worldport:

Although the Worldport is iconic, its current tenant, Delta Airlines, is planning to dismantle the structure, now known as Terminal 3, in 2015 to make way for a $1.2 billion expansion of neighboring Terminal 4. The original Worldport space will eventually be used as a parking lot for aircraft.

If you love architecture? Do you pine for the days when air travel was romantic, exotic, and exciting? Are you horrified that sweats and Uggs have become de rigueur in Coach Class?

Don’t let air travel continue its descent into soul-crushing mediocrity! Take a stand!

Save the Worldport needs your help.

My contribution to the petition reads, “The Worldport reminds us of the romance and adventure of air travel, elements that we’ve since thrown away. New York City is perhaps the greatest city in the world, and it deserves the best airport. As an American abroad, I pass through JFK several times a year, always looking forward to catching a glimpse of aviation history on the way to Howard Beach Station.”

Personally, I do not take Delta CEO Richard Anderson at his word that the Worldport is beyond repair. My experience with Delta over the years has left the impression of a company that specializes in Minimum Viable Product. In the case of the Worldport, I think Delta is looking to take the easiest possible path. That path, though, is to the detriment of your JFK experience.

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Buzzfeed’s Packing Tips: Use Mine Instead

Posted on February 26, 2013 by Jordan

Buzzfeed took a swing at some packing tips, as you can see in the video below. Good effort, guys an’ gals, but some of those tips aren’t too useful. (Besides, you just recycled your own article, there, didn’t ya?)

  • The binder clip as a razor cover is cool in theory, but probably quite awkward in practice. Just use the plastic cover the razor came with, or, failing that, a piece of duct tape folded over.
  • Two shoes to pack a bottle of wine? Not space-efficient at all. Besides, aren’t you using those shoes to store your socks and underwear? For wine, just use bubble wrap.
  • Using tissue paper to avoid wrinkles: not sure how well that works, but you’ll end up with shredded tissue paper covering all your stuff in a real-life travel scenario.
  • As Buzzfeed itself suggests, that toothpaste-in-a-straw idea is just silly. You will get stopped at security.
  • A plastic bag will help you save space if you vacuum-seal it. Otherwise a plastic bag will help you keep stuff organized, but that’s about it. I use a plastic carrier bag to sequester my dirty clothes.
  • For hiding valuables, you can also use a pair of y-fronts. Hide cash in the fly of your dirty briefs. Nobody’s gonna check them without kevlar gloves.

Check out some Jet Trash packing tips below the video player, and you’ll be on your way with style and ease.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_gvA670PKaQ

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Travel Blogger Matthew Klint Kicked off United Airlines Flight for Taking Photo

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Jordan

Photo of Seat Gets Gets Matthew Klint Kicked off Flight to Istanbul

It would seem as if United Airlines fucked this one up very, very badly. Travel writer Matthew Klint says he holds no malice towards United, but perhaps he should.

If United wants Klint’s loyalty, the airline should make this up to him. They’re starting on the back foot, though: apparently nobody involved could even look him in the eye as they screwed up his journey.

Klint was very kind not to name the captain publicly.

Read Matthew Klint’s story:

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Ghosts of the Kootenay Boundary: Photos from Big White

Posted on February 13, 2013 by Jordan

Ski Photography: Snow Ghosts in Big White, British Columbia

I just got back from Big White as the token Seppo on a long ski weekend. Day One was the most spectacular: a stellar powder day that ensured first tracks for sidecountry skiers and riders… and I was with some pretty aggressive snowboarders.

The early part of Day One saw extremely low visibility midmountain, which made for some interesting photo opportunities: lots of shadows slowly, silently emerging from the snowy fog.

Below are some of my favorites.

These images are unedited save for cropping: you may have to squint to find some of the hidden objects and figures.

Snow ghosts are trees completely covered in ice and frost, so that no trunk or needle is visible. They’re entirely white. When they’re shrouded in cloud, fog, or snow, these trees become invisible, and are thus a formidable ski hazard.

I took the term “snow ghost” and extrapolated it to every just-out-of-sight object and person I saw during that awesome day on the mountain, because… well, I just did.

Snow Ghost Express, Big White, BC

The Ghost Chair

Phantom snowboarder, Big White

Ghost Rider

Snow ghosts, Big White

Snow Ghosts

Phantom Ski Lift

Phantom Ski Lift

See Through the Trees: Big White, BC

See Through the Trees

Big White: Trees in the Fog

Big White: Trees in the Fog

Not Snow Ghosts, but Ghost Trees. Big White, BC

Not Snow Ghosts, but Ghost Trees

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