Tag: Politics
Dhaka, Bangladesh
by World Hum | 12.22.08 | 11:28 AM ET
REUTERS/Andrew Biraj Posters of candidates are seen on a street in Dhaka December 19, 2008. Bangladesh troops on Thursday deployed across the country ahead of this month's general election.
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Yahoo! Buzz‘You Could Literally Smell the Tourists Coming Into the Capitol’
by Michael Yessis | 12.03.08 | 11:52 AM ET
Senator Harry Reid’s staff told him not to say that, but, yeah, he said that. During the opening of the new Capitol Visitors Center, he said, “In the summer because of the heat and high humidity, you could literally smell the tourists coming into the Capitol. It may be descriptive but it’s true.” His not-so-populist statement and the opening of the $621 million facility has proved good fodder for writers. My favorite take: Dana Milbank’s column in the Washington Post. He nails Reid, as well as House Minority Leader John Boehner.
He writes:
But where Reid saw toilets and trinkets, Boehner saw history. Recalling the British burning of the unfinished Capitol in 1814, he concluded: “It took 38 years and two wars to truly gain our independence, and it took several generations and a bloody Civil War to end slavery and win freedom for millions of African Americans. And today, we mark the opening of the Capitol Visitors Center.”
So, children, those are the great moments in American history: the Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War and the opening of the Capitol Visitor Center.
The Perils of Traveling by Private Jet
by Jim Benning | 11.20.08 | 2:37 PM ET
This is exactly why we at World Hum always fly commercial when asking Congress for a bailout.
David Sedaris Explains Undecided Voters With Airline Food Analogy
by Michael Yessis | 10.22.08 | 3:32 PM ET
From Shouts & Murmurs in the latest New Yorker: “To put them in perspective, I think of being on an airplane. The flight attendant comes down the aisle with her food cart and, eventually, parks it beside my seat,” Sedaris writes.
U.S. Business Travelers Abroad Facing ‘Blunt Questions,’ ‘Heated Discussions’
by Michael Yessis | 10.21.08 | 9:58 AM ET
It’s because of the worldwide interest in the U.S. election. Says one traveler: “I have been doing this for almost 20 years, and never before have so many people from so many different cultures been so interested in our government and asked my opinion of who I think will win the election.”
For Sale: Mao’s Airplane
by Michael Yessis | 10.07.08 | 2:29 PM ET
The Trident jet currently resides at a shopping mall in Zhuhai, China. The mall’s owner, Wang Zhilei, wants to sell it to free up space for parking. Can’t tell you how much yuan it’ll cost you, though: Wang won’t disclose his price. (via Jaunted)
Related on World Hum:
* Mao Mao Mao Mao Mao. Enough With the Mao Already.
Photo by yeowatzup via Flickr (Creative Commons).
Fox News vs. CNN: What Channel Should Air at the Airport?
by Michael Yessis | 10.07.08 | 2:21 PM ET
A group of Notre Dame professors say authorities at the South Bend, Indiana airport should tune out Fox News, citing its “right-wing Republican voice.”
Videos: Venice Gondoliers, Mariachis and Bollywood for Barack Obama
by World Hum | 09.26.08 | 2:03 PM ET
In that order. We looked for similar videos supporting John McCain and couldn’t find any; if you have any, we invite you to post links in the comments section. We’d love to see them.
Canada Announces Passenger ‘Flight Rights’ Program
by Eva Holland | 09.10.08 | 9:45 AM ET
While the federal passenger bill of rights awaits Senate approval, over the border the Canadian government has launched a similar passenger protection program: Flight Rights Canada.
Hawaii: Too ‘Foreign’ and ‘Exotic’ for a Presidential Vacation?
by Michael Yessis | 08.12.08 | 3:01 PM ET
Barack Obama’s Hawaiian vacation has stirred up some laughable comments, but none as laughable as this: On the pundit circuit, Cokie Roberts has floated the idea that Obama’s trip to Hawaii sends the wrong idea about the candidate and his campaign, implying that his vacation spot—his birthplace, the home of his grandmother and, of course, a U.S. state—puts him out of the American mainstream. “It has the look of him going off to some foreign, exotic place,” Roberts says. “He should be in Myrtle Beach if he’s going to take a vacation at this time.”
Obama, McCain and the Politics of a Vacation
by Jim Benning | 08.07.08 | 1:55 PM ET
Barack Obama is headed to Hawaii on vacation. He deserves a break, right? Besides, it’s a summer tradition. Apparently not, at least according to his opponent. A spokesman for John McCain just remarked, “Americans are facing sky-high gas prices, and instead of Barack Obama taking the initiative to call his allies in Congress back from vacation to carve out real energy relief, he’s joining them at the beach.” And to think, on our 2008 U.S. Presidential Candidate Travel Scorecard, we gave McCain a whopping four-and-a-half Air Force Ones out of five. I, for one, now regret that. I know times are tough, but we Americans must stand firm in support of vacations.
Obama’s Transatlantic Travels: Beatles-esque?
by Jim Benning | 07.18.08 | 1:07 PM ET
Just how big a deal is Barack Obama’s 12,000-mile overseas trip, expected to begin in the coming days? Foreign Policy’s Passport blog points out this line from the Times of London: “You have to go back to the Beatles’ first U.S. tour to find a transatlantic trip freighted with the sort of pregnant excitement that attends the one Barack Obama is about to make.” Wow. Meanwhile, John McCain has made three foreign trips in recent months, which U.S. media, it seems, have covered with the all excitement of a Turtles world tour. To illustrate, here’s an audio/video musical comparison of the interest in the two candidates’ travels:
What’s up With the ‘Open Letter to All Airline Customers’?
by Jim Benning | 07.10.08 | 3:32 PM ET
Like many travelers, I received the “open letter” today from the airlines. Mine happened to come from United, but a dozen airlines have endorsed it. They’re asking customers to complain to Congress about oil speculation. So what’s the story? The Politico declares via CBS News that “Airlines are trying to divert their frequent flyers’ fury to a new villain: oil speculators.” Christopher Elliott offers his own translation. Among the highlights: “High fuel costs are going to push half of us into bankruptcy. We need you to bail us out.” (Via USA Today and Jaunted)
Should We Blame the Government for Our Poor Air Travel System?
by Michael Yessis | 06.25.08 | 12:19 PM ET
David Ignatius says yes. “We speak of the airline industry as a market failure, but in a deeper sense, it’s a political failure,” he writes in the Washington Post. “The next time you’re stressing in an airport, ask yourself why government doesn’t start helping to fix this mess.”
Bush-Bashing No Longer Entertaining for Germans
by Elyse Franko | 06.11.08 | 2:55 PM ET
The German tradition of protesting Dubya’s visits has died an unexpected death after six years. Apparently, they’d rather be tanning.
What Does Obama’s Nomination Mean for American Travelers?
by Jim Benning | 06.04.08 | 1:34 PM ET
Photo by scragz via Flickr, (Creative Commons).
My hunch, based on anecdotes like this one: Overseas this summer, they’ll be greeted with lots of questions and—more importantly—greater enthusiasm. FishbowlDC showcases some of the global coverage of Obama’s win.
Politico: ‘Why Congress Can’t Fix Air Travel’
by Michael Yessis | 04.24.08 | 3:33 PM ET
Interesting examination of why air travel stinks these days and what government’s role should be in fixing it. David Rogers writes in Politico: “[F]rustration levels are such that even libertarian think tanks endorse a greater government role in easing traffic congestion. And air travel taps into a larger political theme in this election, as more Americans feel pushed around by often technical forces out of their control.”
Related on World Hum:
* Average Domestic U.S. Airfares Near Record Highs
Paul Theroux on Why He Likes Obama
by Jim Benning | 04.22.08 | 2:04 PM ET
I just stumbled across this recent interview the travel writer and novelist gave in Bangkok on YouTube:
Why the World is Avoiding America
by Eric Lucas | 04.04.08 | 3:00 PM ET
U.S. policies keep many international travelers out of the country. Eric Lucas says he and his fellow Americans are missing out on more than just money.
Mayflower Hotel Gift Shop Cashing in on Spitzer Scandal
by Michael Yessis | 04.03.08 | 8:23 AM ET
Coffee mugs are selling out. Mayflower mints are going by the case. And “[t]here has been a rush on the Mayflower’s luxuriously soft white terry-cloth bathrobes,” writes Ylan Q. Mui in the Washington Post. The price tag on those robes: $69.99. Ouch.