Slumdog Millionaire

Slumdog Millionaire makes its way to DVD this week. It will be curious to see if the Oscar hype has legs, or if bread-and-butter America would rather slap their money down on Adam Sandler’s Bedtime Stories. While the ending still makes us trickle a tear, this take on the final dance makes us figgle a giggle.

PJ Harvey/John Parrish

The new album from PJ Harvey and John Parrish, A Woman A Man Walked By, marks their second collaboration together. Out Tuesday, it satisfies our Polly Jean itch but keeps us scratching for a new PJ solo record (it’s been nine years!).

A Wolf At The Table

Augusten Burroughs leaves his mommy issues for his daddy issues in A Wolf At The Table, out this week on paperback. Reviews of the hardcover were pretty harsh but we think that’s just because he is a light-to-carry, airport-book kinda guy. Long distance drivers take note: the Audiobook release contains music from Patti Smith, Ingrid Michelson, Tegan Quin and Sea Wolf.

Attention Yoga Lovers!

Enlighten Up is a documentary out to prove that yoga can transform anyone, even the film’s subject (a skeptical New York Journalist). The movie opens in NYC this week and goes semi-wide later in the month.

Coast To Coast AM

Just another week at Coast To Coast AM: Reptilian humanoids, haunted funeral parlors, 2012, near-death experiences, telepathy and time travel. If you’re into crazy shit and have never heard this radio show, catch the live stream or catch and old podcast here coasttocoastam.com.

Photo: inhisgrace

I grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and in my youth there were one or two days a year for “Big Trash Pickup.” The entire town put bulky items that weren’t worth holding onto out on the curb; the wilier citizens were free to comb through the discarded belongings before the garbage men picked them up.

This is how my trash picking began.

It was a family affair and I was always terrified that I would be seen with my mom or dad prowling around the front of a classmate’s house in broad daylight. I would torture myself imagining scenarios in which I was spotted by a more popular fifth grader rifling through her family’s discards and the ensuing outing in which I was teased mercilessly for being a trash-picker.

Thankfully, this never happened.

Still, it was hard not to get excited over a wooden swing in the shape of an airplane or a bag of Barbie dolls that had seen better days. Furniture, toys, obsolete electronics, records, sports equipment– the price was right. We had a huge Chevy Suburban replete with unfinished bodywork that left the sides peppered with sanded down patches of red and grey Bondo– never was there a better truck for loading with trash.

Over the years I have found so many great things. I’ve sold some, eaten some, made art out of some, furnished with some and thrown some back where they came from.

Photo: drb62

In the current economic climate, perhaps you’re thinking of making a foray into the world of trash picking and dumpster diving. It can be a rewarding activity, but it has its pitfalls. Caution is in order and it’s not for the squeamish. You want to be safe and you want not to get caught.

In certain places you could be seen as trespassing or even stealing. Chances are you won’t go to jail, but it’s an activity best done under cover of night and it might be advisable not to blast Judas Priest from the stereo speakers in your old beater to rock out while you dive.

Low key is key.

What Will You Need?

You don’t really need anything. The following items are recommended. The more stars they have, the more recommended they are.

• ***No Arrest Warrants
• ***Good Boots with a Non-Skid Sole
• ***Trash Bag
• ***Flashlight
• **Gardening Gloves (rubber fingertips grip and protect)
• **A Vehicle
• *A Co-Diver
• *Dark Clothes

How Do You Get Started?

Do drive bys or walk bys. Run reconnaissance and see where dumpsters are unlocked. You can do this during the day. Groceries throw out food and produce that are still good. Stores change stock and dump out of date merchandise. Dare to dream and have a look behind stores you wish you could shop at more.

Photo: star5112

Don’t exclude thrift stores. Sometimes really cool stuff can be found– I once found a Coach handbag in the dumpster behind a thrift store (not that that’s cool, but it fetches a nice price on e-Bay).

Dive when the store is closed and it’s dark out. Park your car away from the dumpster and approach on foot. Be practical. Wear dark clothes and be quiet. It’s a good idea to wear gloves and jeans and heavy shoes or boots. You want to keep in mind that you could stick your hand in anything (putrid, hazardous) or step on something sharp (glass, nails, needles). Use a flashlight as needed and don’t go shining it up out of the dumpster like your own personal laser light show.

If the dumpster looks promising, go ahead and get in. Piles of trash tend to have all sorts of weird angles and slippery things that are buried. If you aren’t careful, it’s very easy to fall down. Grab the side until you’ve gotten your sea legs. Arm yourself with a trash bag and collect your finds.

When you’re done, peep out of the rim of the dumpster: if everything looks okay, pass the goods to your friend or get yourself out and pull the haul out after yourself. Nonchalantly return to your vehicle or walk away with your scores.

If you get to be a pro, you might start to learn that your favorite grocery turns over its produce on Wednesdays and the knick-knack shop you adore rotates its inventory on the third Saturday of every month. If you pull a great score one day, make a note of the day of the week and the month and see if you have time to follow up on your intuition that similar goods will be on offer the same time next week or month.

If you find that you can’t possibly use the 20 heads of arugula you found but don’t want to leave them rotting there, consider taking them to a soup kitchen. Everyone’s being hit by this downturn. Good luck.

Community Connection:

Feeling the pinch of the economic crisis but not feeling like trying dumpster diving? Read about ways the financial crisis can improve your life here. Or if you’re traveling and need to make some quick money, here are 25 ideas to get you started.

Argentina: Centro, Buenos Aires

USD Price: $149,000

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 1

Notes / Link: This place is fully remodeled and right in El Centro, 2 blocks from Teatro Colon.

Chile: Villarrica, Region 9

USD Price: $110,000

Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 3

Notes / Link: This house is in the town of Villarrica, and has world-class backcountry terrain all around.

Russia: Chystye Prudy Area, Moscow

USD Price: $152,000 (approx.)

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 2

Notes / Link: Right in the center of Moscow.

South Africa: Jeffrey’s Bay, Eastern Cape

USD Price: $152,200 (approx.)

Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 3

Notes / Link: This pad has a barbecue, garden, and you’re close to one of the sickest surf spots in the world.

Australia: Deniliquin, New South Wales

USD Price: $144,400 (approx.)

Bedrooms: 5 Bathrooms: 3

Notes / Links A full on 27-acre farm near thetown of Deniliquin. Extremely affordable Australian home loans are also available.

Portugal: Evora, Alentejo

USD Price: $150,500 (approx.)

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 1

Notes / Link: in sweet village of Viana do Alentejo.

Indonesia: Lovina, Bali

USD Price: $107,000 (approx.)

Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2

Notes / Link: A straight-up private villa on Bali with mature palms / banana trees and some kind of ’split level swimming pool’. Ridiculous.

Croatia: Porec, Istria

USD Price: $150,700 (approx.)

Bedrooms: 3 Bathrooms: 2

Notes / Link: A 3-bedroom apartment with beach only 3 minutes away, along with the yacht marine of Cervar village.

Czech Republic: Prosek, Prague

USD Price: $144,000 (approx.)

Bedrooms: 2 Bathrooms: 1

Notes / Link: A newly renovated apartment with 74 m2 of living space and a 6-minute commute via subway to the city center.

New Zealand: Foxton

USD Price: $125,500 (approx.)

Bedrooms: 4 Bathrooms: 2

Funky designed4 bedroom home.

Photo: fiskfisk

Ten

It’s difficult to believe that Pearl Jam’s Ten is almost twenty. This week’s re-issue will contain a re-mastered version of the original release, as well as new version re-mixed by Brendan O’Brien. We can’t tell if the later is a good idea or a bad one. Do we really want the guy who mixed Limp Bizkit records toying with “Alive”?

The Decemberist’s

Also out this week is The Decemberist’s The Hazards Of Love, which they played live in its entirety at last week’s SXSW Music Festival. Catch the playback on NPR. There’s so much buzz about this “folk opera” that it had better be damned good, because we’re already over the record label’s hype.

Guitar Hero Metallica

Guitar Hero Metallica becomes available this week for Wii, Xbox and PS3. We’re playing this one for the old tunes, as well as the brilliant Mercyful Fate medley that’s been slipped in. It’s also pretty badass that “Whiplash” was included.

Speaking of the bass parts, Jason Newsted definitely has his Lars Ulrich voodoo doll out again – Robert Trujillo is ‘performing’ his parts. His nephews are so bummed.

Bond vs. Hitchcock

This may be a big week for the James Bond Series but our money’s on the restored release of Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief, starring Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.

Yngwie Malmsteen

There are also two, count ‘em, two Yngwie Malmsteen live DVD’s out this week – we want pictures of the guy who pre-ordered them both. Those aren’t mayo stains on his sweatpants.

Foie Graz

It’s hard to imagine people fighting about duck liver but that’s exactly what is covered in a recently-released book called The Foie Gras Wars: How A 5,000 Year Old Delicacy Inspired The World’s Fiercest Food Fight. This one is crying out for some foodie-nerd (noodie?) love.

“I can’t watch TV longer than five minutes without praying for nuclear holocaust.” – Bill Hicks

Nobody ever expected Leno to ask Obama tough questions (he’s been soft around the middle for years).

Still, I’d give anything to hear what Bill Hicks would have said about the show. Hicks, always merciless, had a particular penchant for pointing out that the once-funny Leno had sold his soul to the devil years ago.

Hicks’ run-ins with talk show hosts was not just limited to Leno. He famously ran charged into battle with David Letterman after his act was censored (removed entirely, actually) on that show in 1993.

Letterman fully redeemed himself earlier this year by having Hicks’ mother on Late Show, airing the originally censored piece and apologizing. Apparently feeling the need to repent, Letterman said “It says more about me as a guy than it says about Bill because there was absolutely nothing wrong with it.”

There are plenty of Hicks clips available online, if you’re new to his blistering routines and opinions. His brand of comedy is certainly not for everyone, least of all the audience members who came to hear “dick jokes” and instead became his punching bag for twenty minutes. A true comic visionary, Bill died in 1994 of cancer.

Photo by mag

The rivalry between these two libation titans is long-standing. Tea fanatics preach endlessly about the various health benefits of brewed leaves while coffee lovers consistently chronicle their endless appreciation for ground beans.

What’s a fence-sitter to do?

While the taste debate is still heatedly contested, tea has been scientifically proven to be much healthier for the human body than coffee. Next to its caffeine content, coffee doesn’t do much else for its fans. If you’re trying to decide which drink is better for you in the long run, it’s tea by far.

Below are 10 reasons why you’ll be doing your body a favor by incorporating the ancient beverage into your everyday diet.

1. Tea’s rich in antioxidants.

Photo by R. Motti

Teas contain high levels of polyphenols, which function as powerful antioxidants that protect your body from free radicals. Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are all contributed to by the damage done by free radicals. Antioxidants aid in preventing and repairing such damage.

2. Tea has less caffeine than coffee.

Photo by eyeore2710

High amounts of caffeine can raise blood pressure and health professionals generally recommend a maximum daily coffee consumption of four 8-oz cups. Tea, on the other hand, contains much less caffeine than coffee, allowing tea aficionados to enjoy more of the healthful brewed concoction each day.

3. Tea fights cancer.

A number of scientific studies have found that antioxidants may slow or possibly prevent the development of cancer. Because tea is high in antioxidants, drinking it regularly can help ward off cancer.

4. Tea fights heart disease.

Tea protects the heart by relaxing blood vessels, inhibiting clots, and reducing cholesterol levels. Its high antioxidant levels also help ensure your heart’s health.

5. Tea wards off osteoporosis.

Photo by okinawa soba

Coffee’s high caffeine content can contribute to osteoporosis, but green and black teas can help maintain bone health. Studies have found that people who drink tea five times a week have significantly better bone health than those who rarely drink tea.

6. Tea kick starts metabolism.

Coffee is an effective method of suppressing your appetite, but tea will actually give your metabolism the kick it needs to burn calories and fat. For those looking to lose weight, tea is better and more helpful in the long run.

7. Not addictive

Photo by selva

Coffee lovers know this to be true. The high amounts of caffeine in that delicious morning cup make it hard, sometimes impossible, to resist. Tea, however, contains significantly less amounts of caffeine which frees your wallet from the puppet strings of your local cafe! Add the health benefits of drinking tea helping you avoid future medical bills and you’ve got a drink that protects your body as well as your bank account. Betcha didn’t see that one coming.

8. Tea reduces high blood pressure.

Caffeine can cause a temporary spike in blood pressure, which is bad news for those who have already been diagnosed with hypertension. Because tea helps relax blood vessels, it can actually reduce your blood pressure. That’s good news, no?

9. Tea prevents tooth decay.

Photo by estherase

Coffee can contribute to brittle teeth, whereas tea helps inhibit the bacteria that lead to cavities. Fewer cavities mean a more brilliant smile to catch that neighborhood cutie’s eye. Who knew drinking tea could improve your love life?

10. Tea treats inflammation.

Studies have found the catechins in tea help reduce bladder and skin inflammations. This is good news for your body, inside and out!

Though tea surpasses coffee in terms of health benefits by leaps and bounds, coffee does present its own merits for the human body. For example, caffeine can help alleviate asthma and enhance the pain-relieving effects of aspirin. Unfortunately in the long run, the benefits of coffee still pale in comparison to those of tea. So, whether you enjoy green, black, oolong, or Earl Grey, you are doing your body a wonderful favor by brewing that next healthful pot of tea.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

Are you a tea drinker or a coffee lover? And where in the world have you had your most memorable cuppa? Let us know in the comments!

Feature photo by emdot. Photo above by m. s. coleman.

The economy sucks. Fancy political talk aside, that’s the plain truth. And while we’re tight on cash we’re willing to bet that, unless you’re in the world’s oldest profession (which is apparently booming at the moment), you’re hurting as well.

You can’t call in broke to your creditors, and your landlord probably won’t take an IOU, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a side job that will
a) help you make ends meet, b) not leave you wanting to curl up in the fetal position and cry every night, c) involve a pyramid scheme, pay-to-play survey sites, or foot fetishists.

Here are our picks for five lucrative gigs that are perfect for the intrepid traveler:

1. Think like a tourist.

Remember Sven, the foreign exchange student who stayed with your family when you were 12 and took home his weight in Levis? He was onto something.

On your trips, scout out the local hot (and preferably transportable) commodities—amber in Eastern Europe, fashion in Paris, local art anywhere. Buy in bulk and sell at a high markup when you get back.

If you have real DIY prowess, buy little trinkets (think matchbooks, loose stones, figurines, stamps) and turn them into handiwork worthy of your local craft fair.

2. Think for a tourist.

Just because you know every corner of the Mission or Alexanderplatz doesn’t mean that everyone else does. Google the walking/bus tours offered in your city (“Walking Tours New York City” yields over a million hits, “Walking Tours Sydney” will give you almost 400,000) and start e-mailing and calling to suss out their hiring processes.

Having a unique angle gives you a much better advantage over knowing the subway lines like the back of your hand. For extra credit, learn everything you can about your city and see if there is a neglected tour that may fit into a pre-existing company’s schedule. Is Budapest due for a foodie revival? Can you lead the way to the best goulash?

Photo by wickenden.

3. Crash weddings with your Canon.

True story: One rainy day in Prague I came across a wedding party. Struck by the modern bride and groom against the old-school architecture, I snapped a few pictures. Apparently, the bride caught sight of my SLR and, after some awkward translation, I was replacing a photog who’d jilted the couple.

Not only did I get to gorge on dumplings at the reception, I walked off with a few thousand Korunas (which wound up covering my hostel and eating expenses for the time I was in the Czech Republic).

You need to have true talent and equipment to do weddings, but if you’ve got it, flaunt it. With everyone in the economic doldrums, brides are looking for something affordable and reliable to go with their olds, news, borroweds, and blues.

Websites like Craigslist and PhotographyPros.com are great places to search for contacts and set up a portfolio. And if you’re looking to subsidize your travel while on the road, nothing will get you into a culture more than seeing how the locals get hitched.

Allergic to white tulle and cake toppers? You can also print your better travel shots to high quality paper and sell on Etsy.com.

4. Rent out the home front.

In this economy, tourists are looking to cut costs while still getting out of the house, and many are turning to guesthouses and apartments to save on hotels, eating out, and that compulsion to spend every waking minute out of the house (there’s only so much time you can spend watching BBC News in a hotel room or common area).

Craigslist is a superstar in this arena with its Vacation Rental section. Post to your city’s page, set your own price (depending on location, size, and functionality, anywhere between $50 and $200 a night), and make sure to screen any potential guests thoroughly. If you’re wary of Craigslist and spend more time on the road than not, check out vacation rental websites like VRBO.com or HolidayLettings.co.uk.

Just make sure your landlord is cool with your sublet or swap, or find a way to do it without their catching on.

Photo by TheeErin.

5. Find B 11 and 13 in a flash.

While liking the performing arts isn’t a prerequisite, it’s certainly a plus if you become an usher. In major cities like New York and Toronto, you can work through IATSE (the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees) as an usher for theaters across the city.

You can even work up to 30 shows before joining the union and paying the obligatory dues if you’re looking to make some short-term cash.

However, the quarterly fees and one-time initiation pale in comparison to the couple hundred bucks you could make each week and the free entertainment that comes with the job. If you’re able to politely remind audience members that cell phones are verboten and that the restrooms are to the left 300 times in a three-hour period, you’re in the right place.

COMMUNITY CONNECTION:

Looking for more ways to earn money on the road? Check out our Best Seasonal Jobs for Traveling, parts One and Two.