Every summer, those with a yearning to revisit the halcyon days of punk go to Blackpool for the Rebellion festival. Just don't expect the pogoing to be all that energeticEvery August, for one weekend, the arcade punters, ice-cream eaters and donkey riders of Blackpool are joined by a different crowd. But the newcomers don't turn up with buckets and spades; rather, they bring leather jackets and spiked hair. Instead of being at the seaside resort for a holiday, they're in town for the Rebellion festival, an annual celebration of all things punk and spiky at the Winter Gardens."It looks like a scene from Zombie Flesh Eaters," says guitarist Paul Rooney of Vice Squad, the veterans who are regulars on the Rebellion bill. "You walk through the doors and you're transported to another world."According to the band's singer, Beki Bondage, the success of the festival can be measured by the audience's barnets."The mohicans are tall and erect on the Friday. But if they've started wilting by the Sunday, you know it's a good year."Rebellion lineups often read like a who's who of punk, bringing together British and American acts from the scene's various eras. Some ? like this year's headliners Public Image Limited ? aren't particularly punk at all, although the band does feature a former Sex Pistol in the form of vocalist John Lydon."I don't like the word 'punk'," insists Lydon, who once played Blackpool with the Pistols, infamously singing through a pair of Cilla Black's tights he found in the dressing room. "But if I'm not entitled to play a punk festival, I don't think anyone is."The 2012 lineup features other first wave bands such as Buzzcocks, Slaughter and the Dogs and Penetration, alongside US punk heroes Social Distortion and Rancid. Across the eight stages, there are enough other bands to sate the needs of any punk. Not that Lydon is expecting old friendships to be renewed."You've got to understand that bands don't get on with each other," he says. "It tends to be odd little cliques glaring across the room. I'm sure it will be hilarious."Rebellion has fought punk wars of its own. When it started in 1997, as Holidays in the Sun in nearby Morecambe, a petition was launched by unhappy residents and the council banned the festival. "Talk about economic suicide," sighs Bondage, mystified at why the authorities would turn their back on the much-needed tourist income spent in pubs and B&Bs.So the festival changed names and relocated down the road. A few years ago, when Vice Squad played a similar event in America, a ruckus in the audience triggered a police operation, with helicopters and pepper spray. But Bondage insists British punk audiences "have moved on from spitting at old ladies"."The original punks stand out because they're older and fatter, and struggle to do the pogo now," Rooney says. Many once fearsome punk rockers are now cuddly parents, who bring punk rock babies in punk T-shirts and earmuffs. Their parents' record collections or the internet lure slightly older youngsters into seeing what this threat to society was all about.Charlie Harper, the 67-year-old singer of UK Subs, talks of having an eight-year-old on stage with them, singing their 1979 single, Stranglehold, while Vice Squad have ? they hope ? won over even younger fans. "This pregnant punk girl turned up," Bondage says, "and asked: 'Can you bless my belly?'"For bands like the Subs, who still play 100 gigs a year, Rebellion is a key date in the calendar. Other acts reunite specially for the event and then go back to their day jobs. Bondage was fronting the Bombshells when the festival asked her to reform Vice Squad, the band she'd quit in 1982. But rather than phone up musicians she hadn't played with for decades, she stuck with the musicians who'd been playing "toilets" with her for years. So the Bombshells became Vice Squad. "Proper honourable," insists Rooney. They thought the gig would be a one-off under that name to repair their battered Transit, but went down such a storm they carried on. "I thought they'd all have moved on or changed and be into skate punk or cyber punk or whatever," Rooney admits. "But they haven't. They loved us."For bands and audiences alike, Rebellion celebrates punk's continued appeal and relevance. Charlie Harper wistfully points out that the UK Subs' 1980 single Warhead "was about a little war in Afghanistan back then. When I hear crowds singing it today and realise it's still current, it brings a tear to my eye.""If you're singing about being downtrodden, 90% of the population is going to identify with it," Bondage says. "I'd be prepared to kill off punk if we lived in a perfect world. But it isn't. Punk's the modern blues."? At the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, 2-5 August. For details see rebellionfestivals.comPunkPop and rockBlackpoolDave Simpsonguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Friday, July 27, 2012
8 Crucial Tips for Skiing in Chile Pt.1
Short-term memory is a skier?s greatest asset, and the initial snowy reports from South America have done wonders to placate any lingering bad memories from last season?s dismal snowpack. Our online editor is especially giddy since he?s heading south in July to La Parva, Chile, for the Eye of the Condor Competition. But the countless photos of Andean lanscapes blanketed in the white we missed so dearly in the Northern Hemisphere brought up another question. If you?re going to ski Chile, how do you avoid acting like a jackass? To answer that, we tapped Donny Roth, the owner and lead guide of Chile Powder Adventures. Roth has spent every summer since 2004 traveling, skiing, and guiding clients around Chile including a stint as an athlete and guide for the Sweetgrass Productions crew during the filming of their South American ski epic, Solitare. He knows how to do it right. This is the first of a two-part series. Look for tips 5-8 next week. 1. Welcome Tax Chile and the United States have a reciprocal agreement in which they charge visitors a fee, presently set at $140. This can offend American visitors to Chile, but it?s a historical policy, and it goes both ways, so it?s unlikely to change. The fee is only charged at the Santiago airport. If you enter Chile by ground transportation, you won?t be charged. The payment is good for the life of your passport. If your passport is nearly expired, consider renewing it before heading south. 2. Weather: Move North to South Focus on the northern areas in the early winter, and then move south as the season progresses. It can be very wet and socked in the south in July and August, and it can be very spring-like in the north in September. Historically, El Ni�o and La Ni�a patterns are even more noticeable in the Southern Hemisphere. Fisherman in northern Chile and Peru first caught onto the phenomena when they noticed years with significantly lower catches. Typically, El Ni�o benefits the northern mountain while La Ni�a can bring spotty snowfall. But it?s no sure-fire guarantee. Potential travelers should also note the mythical Santa Rosa storm, the name associated with the year?s biggest storm around the end of August. There?s no science or certainty behind it, but historically, it has proven to be reliable. It brings tons of snow and resort-disrupting winds. Its magnitude definitely affects the mood of the nation. 3. Busses, Kias, and Collectivos Busses are a commonly used form of transportation in country. Getting a ?Full Cama? or ?Semi Cama? seat on an overnight bus can save you the cost of a hotel room and allow you to travel huge distances quickly. Be sure to stock up at the grocery store before the trip to avoid the gastrointestinal effects of bus food. Local buses can feel like the milk route but are worth the cultural experience. Rental cars can get to more remote places like hot springs or trailheads but don?t go straight to chain rental places. Check with your hotel. Often, a local guy rents perfectly good cars at a fraction of the cost. It might be a KIA Rio, but nothing drives like a rental right? Taxis are taxis?the same as all over the world. The ride can be good or bad, it completely depends on the cabby. However, if you?re in town and traveling lightly, you may be able to jump in a ?collectivo.? It looks just like a taxi but has a sign on the top and operates on a fixed route like a bus. There?s a fixed fee you?ll share with other passengers but you can get on and off anywhere on the route. 4. Paper or Plastic In Chile today, credit cards are more commonly accepted and safer to use. Hotels, nice restaurants, car rental places, etc. will take credit cards, but never let your card out of sight. If a restaurant won?t run your card at the table, accompany them to the register. Cash is the safest method of payment, but only pull cash at ATMs associated with banks?they will be plentiful in cities, but absent in rural areas. Get used to dealing in big numbers as the dollar is worth about 500 Chilean Pesos. Always keep some smaller bills handy because it may be hard to break a 10,000 CLP note ($20) in rural places. Foreigners are exempted from the 19 percent Chilean VAT (sales tax). Save some cash and be sure bigger hotel and car rental bills don?t include tax. Want an easy way to log a few laps in Chilean powder? Let Donny Roth take you there. He specializes in backcountry touring trips throughout Chile and currently has space available on his Classic Volcanos Tour. Climb and ski three classic Chilean volcanos in mid-September? Sign us up. More information available at Chile Powder Adventures.com. Follow Donny on facebook here.
America's Vacation Deficit And The Right To A Summer Holiday
Only in America will you find a condition like the "vacation deficit" - a statistic that measures the proportion of people who think that a summer vacation is important, but don't think they'll be able to squeeze one in this year.
The "vacation deficit" is measured annually as part of Allianz Travel Insurance's Summer Vacation Confidence Index, released last month. According to the report, the deficit currently stands at 18 percent, down from 24 percent in 2011 and 28 percent in 2010. The report also states that 57 percent of Americans either have taken or plan to take a summer vacation this year, defined as traveling at least 100 miles from home for at least a week.
It's hardly surprising that Americans feel such trepidation about their right to a summer holiday. Earlier this month, The Atlantic reported that the United States is the only advanced country without a National Vacation Policy - in other words, we're the only first-world country that doesn't require that companies provide paid vacation leave to their employees. In most developed countries, workers are guaranteed at least 20 days a year of paid holiday and vacation leave, with European nations like Austria and Portugal guaranteeing up to 35 days.
But even if we had mandatory vacation leave, would we take it? The article noted that Americans often don't take advantage of the vacation days they do have, citing a Harris Interactive study, which found that 57 percent of those interviewed had an average of 11 unused vacation days at the end of 2011.
We don't need to go into the mental, emotional and physical benefits of time off. Countless studies have revealed that getting away from your known environment, unplugging your computer and engaging in leisure activities can make you a happier, healthier, more productive individual. It's not too late to reclaim your right to a summer vacation and help reduce the deficit.
[Flickr image via Dr Tr]
America's Vacation Deficit And The Right To A Summer Holiday originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
The "vacation deficit" is measured annually as part of Allianz Travel Insurance's Summer Vacation Confidence Index, released last month. According to the report, the deficit currently stands at 18 percent, down from 24 percent in 2011 and 28 percent in 2010. The report also states that 57 percent of Americans either have taken or plan to take a summer vacation this year, defined as traveling at least 100 miles from home for at least a week.
It's hardly surprising that Americans feel such trepidation about their right to a summer holiday. Earlier this month, The Atlantic reported that the United States is the only advanced country without a National Vacation Policy - in other words, we're the only first-world country that doesn't require that companies provide paid vacation leave to their employees. In most developed countries, workers are guaranteed at least 20 days a year of paid holiday and vacation leave, with European nations like Austria and Portugal guaranteeing up to 35 days.
But even if we had mandatory vacation leave, would we take it? The article noted that Americans often don't take advantage of the vacation days they do have, citing a Harris Interactive study, which found that 57 percent of those interviewed had an average of 11 unused vacation days at the end of 2011.
We don't need to go into the mental, emotional and physical benefits of time off. Countless studies have revealed that getting away from your known environment, unplugging your computer and engaging in leisure activities can make you a happier, healthier, more productive individual. It's not too late to reclaim your right to a summer vacation and help reduce the deficit.
[Flickr image via Dr Tr]
America's Vacation Deficit And The Right To A Summer Holiday originally appeared on Gadling on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.Permalink | Email this | Comments
Thursday, July 26, 2012
London 2012: last-ditch high court bid to halt Heathrow strike
Home secretary, Theresa May, describes threat of action by staff and civil servants at UK Border Agency as 'opportunistic'Home Office ministers are to seek a last minute high court injunction to block a 24-hour strike by UK Border Agency staff and civil servants hitting Heathrow airport on the eve of the Olympics.The Home Office will on Wednesday ask the high court to ban the strike, which is due to take place on Thursday, on the grounds there was a "procedural error" in the ballot conducted by the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS)."We want the PCS leadership to call off this irresponsible strike and we continue to ask members not to walk out at a time when the eyes of the world are on the UK," said a Home Office spokesman.The move follows a letter to the union by the home secretary, Theresa May, describing the planned walkout as "opportunist and wholly unjustified".The union said its preference was for ministers to sit down and talk to them but added: "It is our intention to robustly defend any legal challenge ... there are serious issues at the heart of this dispute."The union has called for a programme of industrial action across the Home Office and its agencies running into the autumn, in a dispute over redundancies, 8,500 job cuts and a two-year pay freeze.The 24-hour industrial action could disrupt immigration and customs services at Heathrow but is likely to have a limited impact on passport control at the airports, as the Immigration Services Union, which represents some UK Border Force staff, is not taking part. Speaking before the Home Office announcement, the culture secretary, Jeremy Hunt, said the government had plans in place to ensure any strike would not cause mass disruption. "The vast majority of immigration officers would not want to be associated with a strike on their busiest day," he said.Transport chiefs, meanwhile, reiterated their confidence that the road and rail system would also cope during the Olympics as the controversial Games lanes on London's roads become active on Wednesday, and despite a series of failures affecting services to the Olympic Park and Heathrow. The problems included a small number of trains to Stratford disrupted by hot weather. Lanes in 30 miles of roads around the capital set aside for Olympic traffic ? dubbed "Zil lanes" ? open at 6am on Wednesday. Taxi drivers have led protests against the changes, which they claim will cause traffic chaos, while Transport for London are urging drivers to steer clear of the capital. Tailbacks of up to 80 minutes have been reported on three big roads this week since lanes were closed for preparatory work.Breakdowns on the tube have sparked further fears. At a high-profile test event on Monday night, the Central line linking Stratford to the centre of London was out of service for two hours after a power cut, while the London Overground service was also disrupted. However, the transport secretary, Justine Greening, and the Transport for London commissioner, Peter Hendy, said it proved the resilience of the system. Greening said ensuring 60,000 spectators at a rehearsal of Danny Boyle's opening ceremony got away meant it had been "a successful dress rehearsal". Hendy said the problems proved there was enough "redundancy" in the system to cope. He added that he recognised the disruption the Olympic route network would cause to local residents, and promised the Games lanes within them would only operate when required for Olympic traffic. TfL had put in place hundreds of "ugly" variable-message signs to make clear when the lanes were needed, he said. At peak times 1,300 vehicles an hour will use the lanes, with non-Olympic motorists fined �130 if they stray into them. However, Hendy said a campaign of warning transport users ? including 22m emails to TfL users ? was bearing fruit, and traffic was down in the capital after motorists were asked to stay away. "We are very grateful that people have listened."More transport problems affected the Olympic Park on Tuesday, when Greater Anglia announced some trains would run slowly or be cancelled due to hot weather ? meaning a number of national rail services could not stop at Stratford. A Network Rail spokesman said the heat affected cables, dating back to the 1950s, which are being replaced. Meanwhile tube services to the official Olympic airport, Heathrow, were halted for over an hour on Tuesday afternoon due to a signal failure, and more problems were reported on the Overground. The RMT union called for an inquiry into how cuts to staff and maintenance budgets had affected train and tube services, and warned that similar transport problems during the Games risked turning London into international laughing stock.The RMT is in talks to avert industrial action on South West trains, where staff have voted for an overtime ban during the Olympics. Tube and DLR cleaning staff will also strike this weekend, and London Underground staff will work to rule. Hendy said he believed the action would have little effect.TransportLondonOlympic Games 2012Immigration and asylumHeathrowLondonUnited KingdomTheresa MayAlan TravisGwyn TophamOwen Gibsonguardian.co.uk © 2012 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. 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It Ain?t Over ? Utah Gets Rocked!
..... Snowbird, Utah (Ski Press)-While many ski areas are shutting down after the Easter weekend, it looks like Utah is only just getting started on the ?deep? season. April showers have resulted in ample powder at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort, which has received four-and-a-half feet in the last week, pushing the season total to 440 inches with a mid-mountain base depth of 127 inches. With an additional 30-40 inches forecasted in the coming days, the mountain is in mid-winter form and skiers are raving about the spring storms. ?Just like last year, April is providing some of the best conditions we?ve seen all year,? said resort president Bob Bonar. ?With this deep snowpack we expect to offer skiing and riding well into May, continuing our tradition of offering the longest season in Utah.? And at Solitude (from whence we received a photo collection of nothing but over the head faceshots yesterday ? Thanks a lot Joe and Nick), 58? of snow last week brings the YTD total to 438?!!
The Radar: Inspirational Road Trips, Top 10 Travel Apps, How to Meet the Locals
The Radar: The top travel news, stories, trends, and ideas from across the web. Got Radar? Follow us on Twitter @NatGeoTraveler and tag your favorite travel stories from the Web #ngtradar. Check back on the blog for our roundups. Photograph by Kristian Leven, My Shot.
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