First things first. If you wanted to get free shipping from Amazon or other online retailers and want to get the stuff before Xmas, you need to order today. If you want a signed copy of The World’s Cheapest Destinations in time to give as a gift, I need that order by tomorrow.
In case you missed it last week, here are 10 cheap gifts for travelers .
If you want the mixed feelings of feeling better about your own earnings while also being worried about who is flying the plane, check out this article Downsized: the rise of regional airlines . One of the pilots in the recent fatal Colgan Air crash in Buffalo “was a 24-year-old who lived with her parents in Seattle, earning around $16,000 a year for her work in the cockpit.” She worked part-time in a coffee shop to make ends meet. Another pilot quoted in the article “has worked as a pilot for a regional airline for a decade and who even now earns only $38,000 a year as a first officer (about the starting salary for airport security screeners).” Scary s&%#.
U.S. immigration people hate fusion music. That was the conclusion of this excellent article on musicians trying to get visas to play in America: Send us your tired, your poor, but only if they’re ‘culturally unique.’ Never mind that cultural mash-ups of all sorts are some of the popular types of world music in terms of sales and festival attendance. Mexican indie band Los de Abajo was one of the examples rejected, on the basis that “The group’s biography indicates their music is a combination of music…,” and fusion music is not “culturally unique.” Tell that to fans of Balkan Beat Box, Gotan Project, Karsh Kale, or Tinariwen.
There’s a new edition of The 4-hour Workweek out now. I can’t promise it will change your life, but it’ll at least make you think twice about what your time is worth.
I’ve gotten a surprisingly large number of “Why?” responses now that I’ve started telling people I’m taking a year-long sabbatical in Mexico. I expected a fair bit of this, but I’m continually amazed how many people can’t think outside of the figurative and literal cubicle they’ve jammed themselves into. Here’s a pretty good answer to it all from AlmostFearless: What redesigning your life and traveling around the world really means .
Yes, the world needs trash collectors too, but it doesn’t have to be you or me. ‘Nuff said.
Here’s some advice on the looming British Airways strike over the holidays, and what Virgin is doing to compensate.
Here are some tips on driving in Mexico . It’s a lot easier and less risky than you probably think.
Thanks to a ridiculous number of unfilled rooms, Las Vegas is back to being a bargain again.
