Walking or cycling are the best cardio exercises while you are on vacation. That's the first exercise tip on this video I came across while I was looking for the video on the Push-up Bandit in Santa Monica. The recommendation is to put your car keys away. As the narrator states, bicycling and walking on vacation offer a close-up experience of your surroundings. Considering that this is the time of year where packing on pounds can come easily, this video has a certain timeliness quality.

Despite the tropic theme, as noted by the palm trees and sand, and the incredibly built hard-body of the narrator that sort of distracted me at first, the exercises are doable if one has the notion to exercise while on the road. As the guy who makes these videos points out, you don't need a gym to stay fit. He also give effective explanations on how to achieve success even if you are a beginner. Perhaps I was distracted by the biceps because in Columbus, one doesn't see such a scene all that often, if ever.

All Jim Birch wanted to do was a bit of exercise. He's been exercising for years on the 4th Street median in Santa Monica. As I posted earlier, people are getting cited and fined for such unruly behavior. Doing any sort of exercise except for jogging or walking is not allowed on the medians anymore.

Birch and others aren't too happy about that. This video is a lighthearted, but sort of serious faux newscast where Birch stages a protest by doing a bit of exercising so he can get arrested--kind of. This is such a Santa Monica scene.

Look for the part in the video of people exercising on the sidewalk. There's even a yoga mat.

Here at Gadling we'll be highlighting some of our favorite sounds from the road and giving you a sample of each -- maybe you'll find the same inspiration that we did, but at the very least, hopefully you'll think that they're good songs. Got a favorite of your own? Leave it in the comments below and we'll post it at the end of the series.

If you're going to England, you really ought to make a stop in Liverpool. There's a Tate Museum (with a terrific Auerbach I particularly like), Albert Dock, from whence The Titanic departed, and a music scene you'll never forget.

The Beatles aren't the only band to come out of Liverpool. Here's a list of twelve Liverpool bands from the BBC, which even they confess is "by no means an exhaustive list." Every one has played the famous Cavern Club, which is a great place to visit, even just for a pint in the afternoon.

Macy's in New York City is one of those icons that features into many a trip to the Big Apple.

Our travel agent in Singapore told us when she visited the U.S. that Macy's was her favorite stop in NYC. Of course, she also told us that one week in Disney World was not enough.

This video that spans several years shows just how much Macy's has played into American culture. Ignore that it's an ad for Macy's. I was impressed by just how many movies have made reference to this store. There are shots of the Thanksgiving Day Parade as well. I haven't seen this ad before. Perhaps, you have. At any rate, I am fond of movie montages, so here it is. Regardless of whether one likes Macy's or not, this is sure an example of the cross between consumer economics, travel and culture.

Here is some footage of an absolutely brilliantly performed crash emergency landing. I'm by no means an expert, nor have I ever received training on how to land a plane in an emergency, but it is pretty clear from the video clip that someone was paying attention at pilot training.

The pilot was flying his Cessna 310 this afternoon when he contacted the tower reporting some issues with his nose gear. It took him over an hour of circling Van Nuys to burn up the 80 gallons of fuel he did not want to land with.

You'll notice how the pilot kills the engines before touchdown, keeps his nose up as long as he can, and lands the plane as smooth as possible.

As soon as the plane came to a halt, both passengers opened their doors and walked away. Kudos to the pilot!




Source: LA Times

We love music here at Gadling, and we're always on the lookout for great new sounds to accompany our travels. Earlier this summer, Aaron posted an interesting feature on Asian music, a frequently overlooked source for some hidden pop gems. But for anyone who's hungry for some fresh sounds, there's no greater treasure trove of amazing pop music than the continent of Africa.

When one thinks of Africa, it's unfortunate that the first associations that come to mind are often famine, civil strife and abject poverty. However, the many regions of Africa are home to rich musical traditions. In addition to their homegrown musical styles, 20th Century African musicians played a pivotal role in the development of Western pop, creating a rich cross-pollination with musical styles ranging from the Blues to Psychedelic Rock to Funk. From the Proto-Blues Gnawa music of Northern Africa, to Funk and Disco-laden rock of 1970's Nigeria, to the jazzy Mbalax of Senegal, African pop offers us an unmatched depth and breadth of choices for even the most casual listener.

Over the last few years, I've stumbled upon some hidden gems that have ignited an obsessive search into the annals of African pop. I've unearthed a few of my favorites here - it's by no means a comprehensive listing, but any music fan will surely want to give these albums a listen. Click below for Gadling's top African pop music picks and make sure to leave us some of your own favorites in the comments.

What would life be like if we were able to travel through time? I recently came across an entertaining and creative YouTube video that mirrors the premise of the "Choose Your Own Adventure" book series from the 1980's.



Filmmakers/Actors Chad Villella, Matt Bettinelli-Olpin, Rob Polonsky, and Jonah Goldstein tell a very unique story of three ordinary guys who find a time machine that is wanted by Matrix-like Mr. Smith's. The trio travel through time and have to face dragons and zombies to ultimately avoid the bad guys and return to peaceful life again.

If you're short on time and want to get to the happy ending, choose these adventures when prompted:

1. Get In!
2. Sorry, Rob!
3. The Agents!
4. Sorry, We're Late for a Meeting

If you follow these choices, your viewing time is about 10 minutes. Enjoy your time travels!

In an Absolut World, Everyone Would be Welcomed Home from ImprovEverywhere on Vimeo.

One Gadling post that consistently gets weekly hits, sometimes daily, is the one on ImprovEverywhere's "Frozen Grand Central." The Grand Central stunt is an amazing feat of ingenuity and organization on the part of this improv drama troupe that specializes in creating fun and amazement in public places. I think of it as a more creative, involved version of Candid Camera. Plus, it involves way more people.

My favorite ImprovEverywhere stunt, hands down, is Food Court Musical.

This most recent improvisation comes pretty close. It involved 20 ImprovEverywhere actors who were the greeters, and the unsuspecting travelers who arrived at JFK expecting to be met by a driver and no one else. The drivers (only the first one is shown) didn't know they were in on something a bit unusual.

The result is something charming and heartwarming. Very sweet and very fun. How terrific life would be if EVERYONE had such a greeting upon arrival at an airport. The closest I ever came was arriving in Hawaii and being given a lei. My great aunt and uncle met me, so don't expect a lei if you arrive in Honolulu. Maybe, but don't count on it.

Thanks to Intelligent Traveler for first posting on this gem. It made my day.

A Chinese man named Di Huanran dove his way into the Guinness Book of World Records recently by attempting and succeeding at this dive off a waterfall in Mundanjiang City, China -- the highest ever attempted.

How high? 12.19 meters, or about 40 feet. I know what you're thinking: That's all?

I was thinking the same thing at first. I mean, it's not like I was expecting a video of some guy diving off of Angel Falls in South America, but 40 feet is not that much higher than an Olympic diving platform (which is 32 feet high). But then I imagine standing over the edge where Mr. Di is standing in this video and committing to diving head-first into a tumult of crushing water without really knows what you're diving into. That takes some pretty big stones -- at 20, 40 or however many feet.

This dive was recorded last month.