Travel

Dismaland, while perhaps not the unhappiest place on earth, is a Bemusement Park instead. Dismaland is part of a dystopian and satirised vision of the world, done artistically. Or at least done by artists. It’s part of the dark and suitably pseudonymous work of the artist Banksy in collaboration with others. Located on the seafront of Weston-super-Mare in Somerset, England, Banksy’s Dismaland runs this year from 22 August to 27 September. The less than subtle nods to Disneyland, are likely an antidote for those who’ve choked on too many of the Panglossian viewpoints. Spoon-fed medicine that has been taken with too much sugar to make it all go down. It’s about Dismaland’s attractions harmlessly indulging in some dark thoughts which have crossed the minds of more than a few at some point in time. Though such thoughts may have actually been closer to the original stories than their Disney animated ...

In the great Australian tradition that is the bogan, what better way to celebrate real Aussie pride in a town than to create a Big Bogan statue for it? Because that’s exactly what the town of Nyngan in the middle of NSW, Australia, is planning on doing. The Bogan Shire Council, approved the idea several months back, believing that it’ll bring tourists into Nyngan and the general area. And the Big Bogan statue could be unveiled as soon as late September this year. Now, if some are wondering about the appropriateness of celebrating the bogan, or thinking that maybe having a Big Bogan statue in the middle of town may have a negative impact on the perception of the Nyngan community, these concerns have already been voiced. But the Big Bogan statue is moving ahead like a V8 Holden ute filled with beer and a Southern Cross paintjob on dole ...

The price of oil has slumped from its high back in 2008, and not withstanding the ups and downs in between, from last year into 2015 oil prices have slid again. As prices have slid, along with questioning whether it’s profitable or makes economic sense to keep producing oil at such low prices, other uses of oil have been sort. These other uses are not necessarily new. Far from it. Around the year 1865, as the discovery of oil and petroleum in the US expanded, there was the question of what exactly to do with the new products. Petroleum at the time was marketed as something which had many uses. Such as it being both a hair oil and a boot grease. Its utility didn’t end there, however. Because it was apparently a vermin killer yet at the same time was also hailed as a cure for kidney stones in ...

The Overtoun Bridge in Milton, near Dunbarton, Scotland, has several dark secrets and a shroud of mystery to it. That some 600 dogs have reportedly leapt from Overtoun Bridge, with over 50 canine deaths occurring over the past 50 years, only adds to the enigma. The supernatural and the scientific have both had their say about the matter. Overtoun House stands nearby, a popular tourist destination. In 1931 Lady Overtoun passed away, and some locals suggest that her sadness still lingers the grounds, and the Overtoun Burn stream and gorge the bridge spans. With the dogs sensing this paranormal activity, and that the bridge itself is haunted. That the area represents a “thin place” according to Celtic lore, where the veil between the worlds of the living and the spirits have been known to crossover and into one another. Adding to this, is the case of Kevin Moy. Who in ...

How to manspread: Take one man, two seats on public transport, and apply the man by liberally spreading him over the two seats instead of one. And that’s how manspreading – or #manspreading – is done. Classics of the manspreading recipe include: the man sitting as normal, but spreading both of his legs wide open; alternatively, the man may sit with his legs crossed either normally or diagonally spread across the seats. Either take next to no preparation time. Their costs could vary, however. In the USA, New York’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) even created its own subway etiquette campaign, including a poster saying “Dude… Stop the Spread, Please” in an effort to combat the spread of man. Or at least the manspreading. The MTA also has its rules of conduct prohibiting passengers occupying more than one seat if it interferes “with the operation of the Authority’s transit system or ...

In what may well be a serious contender for the overreaction of the year, one girl found herself more than a little freaked out when a manatee swam past her. Never mind that manatees are gentle and docile herbivores. Of course if you were unaware of what was in the water, and some strange and large creature suddenly swam past, being a little ill at ease can be understood. Let’s not forget that the manatee has a long history of mystery surrounding it. Sailors back in the day were said to have thought manatees were mermaids. Which may say a lot about long voyages at sea and rationing rum. Mistaken mermaid or not, that didn’t stop the girl shrieking somewhere between a Siren and a harpy about her particular manatee encounter. What may defy logic even more was that as she was swimming, she was carrying around her selfie stick with her. ...