I’ve always wondered if it’s possible for airplanes to “run over” birds in flight. It appears that it IS possible. Though in this case, the bird ran flies into the plane.

A Southwest Airlines jet has been fixed and returned to service after a bird strike tore a 6-inch hole in the skin of the plane and damaged part of the tail section, the carrier said Thursday.

Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz told The Associated Press that nobody was hurt and at no time was the safety of the crew or customers in jeopardy.

A large bird hit the Boeing 737 shortly after takeoff, at less than 10,000 feet, according to Mainz.

No emergency was declared, but the pilot returned to El Paso as a precaution. Passengers were booked on other flights.

The damage to the fuselage turned out to be on the underside of the jet, toward the front, according to Mainz. The other damage was a minor tear in the horizontal stabilizer on the left rear of the plane.

Bird strikes are common, but it was “extremely rare for that to occur,” to have a tear in the skin of the plane, Mainz said.

Source: MSNBC.com

They never did say what happened to the bird. I wonder, did it:

1. hit the plane and its beak got stuck, as they usually do in cartoons.
2. bounce off the side and continued flying, though slightly dazed.
3. got knocked unconcious and fell to its death.

Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 25% [?]

Depending on your passport, you can apply a working holiday visa in the countries you visit. Why would you want to work if you’re on a holiday? Well, the sad fact still remains that traveling is not really expensive. It *can* be inexpensive, but if you’re traveling in a country that has a pretty high cost of living, you’re left with no choice but to take on a job if you want to continue traveling.

What are the jobs available for backpackers? In Australia, I’ve seen plenty of part-time work open for travlers: servers, bartenders, construction work, shop assistant, nanny, house cleaner, etc. It can range from the usual to the unusual. This list of the best backpacker jobs I saw at the Lonely Planet website certainly makes for one interesting backpacking trip.

Smurf, Nouméa (New Caledonia)
I helped sand the boat for a friend of the hostel owner. It was blue and after a day, so was I. Walking home a boy yelled out, “schtroumpf!” which I learned later meant Smurf.

Dead body, Tokyo (Tokyo)
Lying under playground equipment with a head covered in fake blood, I practised zazen meditation and realised I would never be a star on Japanese tv.

Medical experiment, Melbourne (Melbourne)
Signed up as a subject in a drug test for treatment for a socially-communicable disease. Clean bed for a week, no need to keep food in my backpack in case of dormitory thieves. Come out with a wad of dollars and slightly green nipples.

Read the complete list over at LonelyPlanet.com.

Ah, I can just hear the stories…“I was once a dead body in Tokyo…”

Popularity: 30% [?]

One way of dressing inappropriately in a foreign country is by not dressing up at all.

BERLIN - A naked American tourist raised eyebrows when he went for a walk through a German city and told police he thought this was acceptable behavior in Germany.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18801907/

Apparently, nude sunbathing IS acceptable in public parks. However, walking around the city nude is a big no-no. (Hell, it’s a big no-no everywhere save for nude beaches and naturist playgrounds).

How embarassing.

Popularity: 48% [?]

With the current strict policies regarding carry-on luggage, forums are buzzing with questions: “Can I bring this, can I bring that?”

The TSA has a nice long list of the permitted and prohibited items. Basically, you can bring your corkscrew, 4″ scissors and gel-filled bra in your person or in your carry-on. And according to this article, you can also bring in a buzzing vibrator down your pants.
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 56% [?]

There has been quite a furor over the policy regarding items you can pack in your check in luggage and hand carry. I was going to post something about it, and today, I found the perfect article to highlight:

NO SNAKES OF ANY KIND WILL BE PERMITTED ON A PLANE. SNAKES ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED IN CHECKED BAGGAGE.

This includes all pythons, boas, rattlesnakes, vipers, mambas, adders, and other known species of snakes.

Exception: some limited amounts of snakes may be allowed if Samuel L. Jackson is traveling; licensed snake charmers are allowed to have snakes in their check in baggage only if the name on the snake charming license matches the one passenger’s ticket; people who’se name is Snake will be allowed on board but only after full body cavity search

Read the complete article over at: terminally-incoherent.com.

P.S. In case it’s not obvious, it’s referring to the movie

Popularity: 26% [?]