What We Loved This Week: Grizzly Bears, ‘Among the Thugs’ and Matisyahu

Travel Blog  •  World Hum  •  07.10.09 | 4:03 PM ET

Eli Ellison
Guilty of writing superlative-laden tripe about Disney theme parks (hey, I had to pay the rent), I loved finally reading Carl Hiaasen’s wickedly funny book Team Rodent: How Disney Devours The World.

Eva Holland
During a weekend hike in Yukon’s Kluane National Park, my cousin Nathan and I stumbled across a mother grizzly bear and her two cubs. I was alarmed at first, but ultimately—once we realized we weren’t about to be mauled—it was pretty remarkable to watch the three of them interacting in the wild. I kept my hands on the bear spray while Nathan snapped a few photos:

Photo by Nathan Millar

Frank Bures
I’m reading Bill Buford’s Among the Thugs, and it’s fantastic. An excerpt, from when Buford goes to Italy to see a soccer match with a group of Manchester United supporters:

I asked him why he was taking photographs. I was trying to work out why these people had to come all this way, at such expense, to do the things I saw them doing. Drinking large quantities of cheap beer. Endlessly singing English football songs. Photographing their feet.  Couldn’t this sort of thing be done at home?  After all the match that evening would be on television.

He said he was taking pictures so that he would have something to remember the trip by.

It’s a holiday, innit? he said.

I asked if he could tell me where we were.

Italy, he said. We’re in Italy; and then adding, as though for clarification:  Fuckin’ Eyeties.

Michael Yessis
Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirky. I just reached the point in the book where he examines the role of social media and online technology in the organization of the Coalition for an Airline Passengers’ Bill of Rights. Like the guy singing about how United broke his guitar, it’s a good reminder of the power now in the hands of travelers.

Jim Benning
I’ve been enjoying a little Matisyahu. Here’s a taste:

Tags: Shameless Self-Promotion, What We Loved This Week, News and Briefs


1 Comment for What We Loved This Week: Grizzly Bears, ‘Among the Thugs’ and Matisyahu

Julia Ross 07.10.09 | 8:12 PM ET

Frank- “Among the Thugs” is the book that first got me interested in travel writing. One of my all-time favorites. I need to re-read it.

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