http://www.theworldbyroad.com Drive Around the World Toyota 4x4 Travel Expedition Tue, 03 Aug 2010 03:22:49 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 2006-2007 steve@theworldbyroad.com (The World By Road) steve@theworldbyroad.com (The World By Road) posts 1440 http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress 144 144 http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/?feed=podcast The World by Road - Around the World Expedition The World By Road The World By Road steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2010/08/02/niono http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2010/08/02/niono#comments Mon, 02 Aug 2010 22:00:45 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/?p=706 http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2010/08/02/niono/feed 0 14.22644 -5.984622 3:00 Just after editing this video, I found out that I had malaria.  Since many strains of malaria, including the one that I contracted come on ... Just after editing this video, I found out that I had malaria.  Since many strains of malaria, including the one that I contracted come on somewhat slow, you just start to feel more and more weird and look worse and worse over time.  I realize now that I never actually wrote anything to go along with this video and that it is one of the poorest quality videos we have on the website.  Since malaria attacks your brain and nervous system amongst other things, you have a really spacey feeling and sometimes cannot even compose sentences well. I would guess this is one of the reasons why the interviews I filmed had the wrong mic setup and were out of focus even though I have setup cameras like this hundreds of times before. Later when we were visiting one of our friends in Pointe Noire, Congo (Where I got Malaria and edited this video), he had also gotten malaria.  He speaks french natively, but also speaks nearly perfect English.  However, the day we were talking with him, he could hardly form a sentence in English because of the Malaria messing with his brain.  It is a crazy disease. The video was actually shot in the village of Niono on the way to Timbuktu.  Steve Bouey wrote a blog about this village with a bunch of photos as well. You can read it here: Everyone should have an Entourage.  While Malaria is horrible, Africa still has some incredible things to outweigh its wrath, like these kids we were able to hang out with for a few days.  The simple life of an African village...enjoy! Africa, Countries, Mali, New Videos steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/03/28/tia http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/03/28/tia#comments Fri, 28 Mar 2008 12:44:44 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/03/28/tia http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/03/28/tia/feed 0 4.9593 8.3157 0:09 This journey has proven and disproved many thoughts and ideas I had about the world. Many of the ideas I have come from movies ... This journey has proven and disproved many thoughts and ideas I had about the world. Many of the ideas I have come from movies I have seen. Most of the time when I see an American Hollywood movie about a place I just assume that everything is dramatized and most likely adapted to make the movie more exciting. "Blood Diamond" with Leonardo Decaprio is one of those films. In the movie the reoccurring phrase was TIA, which stands for This is Africa. When I saw the film I knew Africa would be different. I figured this phrase was just some Hollywood BS. I first heard this phrase when we entered Mauritania, and it seems to ring true at least once each day. In Mauritania we changed some money and when the man exchanging the cash gave us the local currency, it was tattered and ripped to the point that we could not believe that anyone would accept it. In Central Asia sometimes they would not accept bills that had even a small mark on them, so we argued with him saying we wanted better bills. He responded by saying, "Man, this is Africa, they will take it." We agreed and moments later they accepted this battered currency without a second look. Later when we arrived at the Senegalese border from Mauritania we were having trouble with the border guards trying to charge "taxes." At the border we met a French Fish Scientist living in Dakar named Antoine. He helped us deal with it, loaned us some money to get in as we had no local currency and escorted us to St. Louis to a hotel as it was getting dark. We talked with him later and asked him what he thought about the bribes we were being asked pay. His response was, "You can try to wait it out and not have to pay, it is all just a matter of time, but it depends on how much time you are willing to give up to save $10 or $20." He went on, "Once, out of principal, I decided I would wait over $20, I waited all night long, this is Africa." Since we have been here we have had trouble finding water, food, a place to exchange money, a place to get money, a place to get gas, and more. Just the other day I was fixing a leak in the tire on Little Pepe. It was a particularly bad hole, so it took well over an hour in blazing heat to repair. Then I needed to get air for the tire, before putting it back on the car. Just for a little adventure, I decided to roll the tire down the street to find a place myself. Immediately, I found a better more African idea...get someone with a pushcart to help me. A young man was eager to make a little money, and with the dirt in my face and more difficult rolling through the dirt than I expected, I was ready for some help. We made our way down to the closest tire shop and the kid working there dropped everything to help. Unfortunately, the setup he had for filling the tires led to a much more involved process than I expected. He had to remove the inside of the valve put air in and then scramble to get it all back together before the air leaked out. At 60 PSI this is a very interesting process. Diligent as he was the tire is now full and back on Little Pepe to a perfect 60 PSI. The tire is full, this is Africa. It is Michelin, how can you go wrong. Africa, Burkina Faso, New Videos steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/03/13/national-park http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/03/13/national-park#comments Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:51:15 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/03/13/national-park http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/03/13/national-park/feed 6 14.6953 -17.4439 2:35 When picturing a national park, most of us probably think of rangers that help to protect the wildlife and answer visitors questions about the ... When picturing a national park, most of us probably think of rangers that help to protect the wildlife and answer visitors questions about the surrounding area and the flora and fauna that reside there. As you get farther and farther from the main tourist tracks in the world, the standard and definition of national parks changes dramatically. In Mauritania there is a park called "Banc d'Arguin National Park." It is a World Heritage Site, and like many other World Heritage sites we have visited on our journey, it has a long way to go before one could call it protected. It does, however, offer something that no other national park has that we have been to...vastness. The "entrance" to the park is a GPS coordinate listed on a small map provided by the park office in the small town 200kms away. This map has a list of GPS coordinates that we tested before we left for the park, of which over 30% of them were incorrect. We knew this going in, but figured that we navigated Mongolia with just binoculars and compasses so with the GPS...how could we go wrong? The local population is only approximately 500 Imraguen tribesmen that live in seven villages within the park. We visited most of these villages and with so few people inhabiting over 12,000 square kilometers of space with no real infrastructure, it is safe to say you are on your own if something goes wrong. For three days we navigated the park, digging out of sand traps and motoring over sand dunes with a moderately accurate map and a couple of boards to help drive over soft sand. I would not call this the most stunning or spectacular national park in the world, but it does offer a playground for a real deep in the dunes style Sahara experience. We left the park at the end more dehydrated and dirty than any of us have ever been in our lives, nearly out of gas, with sun and wind burns, but for three days we gave the largest desert in the world our best and came out triumphant. At least you get the beach to yourself when there are no roads to it. Africa, Mauritania, New Videos steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/03/05/mauriwhat http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/03/05/mauriwhat#comments Wed, 05 Mar 2008 22:57:34 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/03/05/mauriwhat http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/03/05/mauriwhat/feed 2 20.8908 -17.0571 1:18 A couple of years ago the TWBR route began to take shape. When first planning a route for a grand voyage like this, the sky ... A couple of years ago the TWBR route began to take shape. When first planning a route for a grand voyage like this, the sky is the limit. Countries that you never even knew existed become possibilities; geography becomes a daily topic of conversation. It is quite interesting just how large some countries are that probably 90% of people do not know exist. Mauritania is one of those places. With a population of only 3 million people in just over 1 million square kilometers, this country is a giant desert with large expanses containing very little signs of life. For most of us the Sahara desert is something that we read about in books or hear about in romantic adventure stories while we are growing up. The last week or so, however, the Sahara desert is the place that we have been calling home and although signs of life are few and far between, they are quite intense when you do find them. A year ago Mauritania was a country that we did not even know how pronounce and was a place that we decided we would not be traveling through. Since our original route became basically impossible as Libya would not issue us visas and Algeria's borders are closed, Mauritania has officially become our second country in Africa and we could not be more pleased with the new route. The first day we spent here is like no other day on the trip so far. We are staying a town called Nouadhibou, and here there is a ship graveyard with well over 40-50 ships that fill the coastline. Ranging in size from small dinghies to giant industrial ships, the coast has a post apocalyptic feel like something really bad has happened here. The beach is full of all kinds of different trash ranging from the standard plastic bags to pieces of heavy machinery. The truth, as we have been told, is that the harbor master over the last handful of decades allowed people to decommission their boats for free here. The "decommissioning" process here is to simply leave the boats on the shoreline to rot. Certainly the large amounts of industrial trash and toxins that are released from these boats are not good for the environment, but the spectacle they leave behind is something that all of us will never forget. Mines are all along the road on the way here. Some people have taken the trash on as a home. It is hard to understand how this ended up the way it did. I heart goggles and turbans Mauritania, New Videos steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/02/26/you-have-got-to-try-this-once-in-your-life http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/02/26/you-have-got-to-try-this-once-in-your-life#comments Tue, 26 Feb 2008 11:14:36 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/02/26/you-have-got-to-try-this-once-in-your-life http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/02/26/you-have-got-to-try-this-once-in-your-life/feed 1 33.5889 -7.6089 1:47 Have you ever done something that was completely unnecessary and totally necessary at the same time? Instances like these can only really be understood in ... Have you ever done something that was completely unnecessary and totally necessary at the same time? Instances like these can only really be understood in retrospect, but I suppose that is how one might define some of the most memorable experiences in a lifetime. After recently crossing the straights of Gibraltar and officially starting what may prove to be the most intense part of the whole expedition, Morocco has proven to be a place full of color and excitement. The markets, touts, ancient cities and delicious food are enough to keep you occupied for months here and the citizens of this country, although intense at times, are always helping to make each moment more interesting than you planned it to be. In Fes, the city that Lonely Planet notes at the "Soul of Morocco", the first impression of walking through the narrow streets of the Medina is something reminiscent of an Indiana Jones like epic, searching for a lost antiquity or mythic scroll that has the answers to all of your questions about life. These narrow streets are far to slender to accommodate a smart car in places, let alone two oversized American trucks. As the Medina's narrow streets begin widen closer to the city walls, the locals take it upon themselves to fill this extra space with vegetables, car parts, coffee makers, and tons of other goods in a winding loop of a marketplace. Here, although the streets are considerably wider than the streets in the center, they are by no means a thoroughfare to get from one side of the Medina to the other. The first night that we spent in Fes, we were led to a hotel near the bottom of the Medina by a tout. We were tired when we arrived, so the first night we stayed at the hotel the tout had delivered us to, even though it was booked for the rest of the weekend. The next morning the owner offered to take us to another area of town where we could find another hotel. This was the necessary part of the day. Tasks like these are the makings of a normal day, getting the things done that need to get accomplished that day. The twist that made this more than just a transfer from one hotel to another was the ingenious idea of our friendly hotel owner to have us take the not so direct route. This route was actually so indirect that it caused us to go in a complete circle from a point we had already passed on the way to the other part of town. Looking back on this incredible experience, it now seems hard to decide whether the necessary part of this incredible day was moving to the new hotel or driving on this longcut. Have a look at this clip and decide for yourself, and then at some point give this a try... Africa, Morocco, New Videos steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/02/25/how-not-to-get-a-free-hotel http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/02/25/how-not-to-get-a-free-hotel#comments Mon, 25 Feb 2008 11:21:40 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/02/25/how-not-to-get-a-free-hotel http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/02/25/how-not-to-get-a-free-hotel/feed 0 33.5889 -7.6089 1:49 Here at The World by Road, we have many different ways of saving money. From the full service kitchen we can setup out of ... Here at The World by Road, we have many different ways of saving money. From the full service kitchen we can setup out of the back of the truck or even sometimes bring with us into the hotel room for late night snacks to the faring we are working on to increase gas mileage, we have many ways to cuts costs across the board. The floorspace in hotel rooms many times is a sea of foam pads and sleeping bags filled with crew members and in some cases like our latest room in Agadir, Morocco, a 4 little bears setup keeps the four of us just an arms reach away all night long in our $22 per night room. We eat local food and sometimes just don't eat at all. Coca Cola has enough calories to count as a meal, right? At the end of the day we are still struggling for money and sometimes it is nice to treat ourselves to a top notch hotel to break up the monotony of our streamlined budgeting techniques. At place like the Hyatt or the Hilton, everything is taken care of, and there is something to be said for that. All of the backpackers and self-proclaimed hardcore travelers out there are probably scoffing as they read this, but from time to time it is nice to check into a hotel and when we ask the question of where we can park the cars the immediate answer is, "Where would you like the valet to park them, sir?" The truth is that I prefer to camp over staying in a hotel at all, but in a city where there are security concerns about the cars, a ton of work to do and enough grime caking everything you own to raise concerns with the local health department, a couple of nights on the other side of the tracks is welcome. Since the beginning of the trip we have been honing our skills on getting everything discounted or free when possible. In Casablanca we may have gotten a little too confident in our skills of persuasion when we approached the Hyatt in the center of downtown with the grandiose idea of getting accommodation for the entire crew at a moments notice, but hey, how do you get better if you do not try for bigger fish? Africa, For some laughs, Morocco, New Videos steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/02/22/the-reoccurring-problem http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/02/22/the-reoccurring-problem#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2008 16:02:27 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/02/22/the-reoccurring-problem http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2008/02/22/the-reoccurring-problem/feed 0 38.707163 -9.135517 0:35 Back in my former home of Denver, Colorado, I was once told that the "Denver Boot" was so named because Denver is such a horrible ... Back in my former home of Denver, Colorado, I was once told that the "Denver Boot" was so named because Denver is such a horrible place when dealing with the meter maids. After recently taking the time to research the claim, it is in fact true...and even more to it than I was originally led to believe. The boot was in fact invented in Denver by a violinist with the Denver Symphony Orchestra in 1953, and has since kept its name "The Denver Boot." The city of Denver is so intense when it comes to parking that our current mayor Hickenlooper based part of his campaign on reforming our ridiculous parking laws. When I left Denver, I thought I had left the boot behind as well. Throughout most of the world we have not had to worry about parking laws, because we never get tickets since we do not have local license plates. We do still have to worry about getting towed, which we had a problem with in Barcelona. Barcelona is by far the most difficult city to park in that we have visited yet, and there we had to track down a Toyota dealer outside of the city that would allow us to park so that we would not encounter any more fees. Shortly after we were robbed of more valuable TWBR funds by the Barcelona municipal government, half of the team went to Lisbon, Portugal only to get slapped with the notorious invention from our hometown. Brook put together this short segment about the experience, luckily this boot was not too expensive. It is an excellent way of getting people with foreign license plates to pay their parking tickets. Then again in Casablanca the Sequoia was booted, but now that we are in Morocco, the fee only amounted to a grand total of about $5. Most places in Europe we could not even find an hour of parking for less than this. I would like to give Frank Marugg a big thanks for his car shoe. Since my birthday was decades after his fancy little invention I cannot begin to try to imagine what it was like in the 50s for cars. For now though I would like to give ol' Frank and all of the people that continue to produce his invention a little piece of advice - CARS DON"T NEED BOOTS, THEY HAVE WHEELS FOR FEET. Bouey also wrote a blog about the boot when it was put on...click here to read it. New Videos, Portugal steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/12/01/video-problems http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/12/01/video-problems#comments Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:35:00 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/12/01/video-problems http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/12/01/video-problems/feed 0 2:13 Well, we are still working on the whole regular video thing. Now that we have the new crew it should be much better, but ... Well, we are still working on the whole regular video thing. Now that we have the new crew it should be much better, but for now you will just have to watch our last promo. We are working hard and will have a better system with regular video very soon. New Videos steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/09/26/a-long-time-ago-in-a-state-far-far-away http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/09/26/a-long-time-ago-in-a-state-far-far-away#comments Wed, 26 Sep 2007 11:54:44 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/09/26/a-long-time-ago-in-a-state-far-far-away/ http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/09/26/a-long-time-ago-in-a-state-far-far-away/feed 0 6:54 We did an interview on the radio in Denver, CO.  Have a listen. We did an interview on the radio in Denver, CO.  Have a listen. World News steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/09/25/laos-national-radio-interview http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/09/25/laos-national-radio-interview#comments Tue, 25 Sep 2007 11:51:30 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/09/25/laos-national-radio-interview/ http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/09/25/laos-national-radio-interview/feed 0 3:52 It has taken a little while, but here is the interview that we did on Laos National Radio.  In the more remote parts of the ... It has taken a little while, but here is the interview that we did on Laos National Radio.  In the more remote parts of the province they are not able to get the radio signal, so they take tapes that are played everywhere on a loud speaker.  So imagine this belting our from the PAs all over the countryside in Southern Laos. Laos, World News steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/06/22/the-music-of-the-week http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/06/22/the-music-of-the-week#comments Sat, 23 Jun 2007 04:16:13 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/06/22/the-music-of-the-week/ http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/06/22/the-music-of-the-week/feed 0 00:01:01 One of the things that you need to carry you along for the long days on the road is good tunes.  I am going to ... One of the things that you need to carry you along for the long days on the road is good tunes.  I am going to recommend music that I am listening to in the hopes that if you like it, you go to Amazon and buy it so that we can help to fund our trip. Recently I have been listening to the new album by Spoon.  It is called Ga Ga Ga Ga. Spoon is an American Indie rock band from Austin, Texas with a wide underground following. I am no music critic, but these guys have a bit of Beatles mixed with Indie rock with a little something extra sprinkled on top. Their music is a great way to make it through those lonely days on the road since Bouey and I are driving the cars solo right now. So have  listen.  If you like it, click the link below and you will be able to purchase it through our affiliate program with Amazon. Book and Media Recommendations steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/05/30/update-may-30th-2007-kuala-lumpur-malaysia http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/05/30/update-may-30th-2007-kuala-lumpur-malaysia#comments Thu, 31 May 2007 04:07:37 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/05/30/update-may-30th-2007-kuala-lumpur-malaysia/ http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/05/30/update-may-30th-2007-kuala-lumpur-malaysia/feed 0 1:23 We are now starting a routine of regular video updates.  So here is our first one...go easy it was our first time doing this and ... We are now starting a routine of regular video updates.  So here is our first one...go easy it was our first time doing this and we only did one take. :)You can watch it here on our site with the link below or on Stage6 in higher quality.  http://stage6.divx.com/The-World-By-Road---Around-the-World-by-Two-Trucks Malaysia, Updates steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/05/14/we-have-video-up http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/05/14/we-have-video-up#comments Mon, 14 May 2007 12:17:04 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/05/14/we-have-video-up/ http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/05/14/we-have-video-up/feed 5 2:13 Finally after all this time we have been able to edit video.  We took the liberty of putting together a little teaser clip so that ... Finally after all this time we have been able to edit video.  We took the liberty of putting together a little teaser clip so that you can see a few of the things that we have been doing.  From there we should have the first two segments up in the next week or two.  So please enjoy this little teaser and get ready for much much more...the World by Road is in full swing now. Updates steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/03/12/some-aotearoa-music-for-you http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/03/12/some-aotearoa-music-for-you#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2007 22:04:44 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/03/12/some-aotearoa-music-for-you/ http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/03/12/some-aotearoa-music-for-you/feed 0 3:05 The Maori name for the island that is New Zealand is Aotearoa, which means "The land of the long white cloud."  I personally think it ... The Maori name for the island that is New Zealand is Aotearoa, which means "The land of the long white cloud."  I personally think it sounds much nicer than the European name, but you can make up your own mind while you listen to some traditional Maori Tunes. Uncategorized steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/02/05/cbs-news-4-denver-interview http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/02/05/cbs-news-4-denver-interview#comments Tue, 06 Feb 2007 00:17:14 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/02/05/cbs-news-4-denver-interview/ http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/02/05/cbs-news-4-denver-interview/feed 1 00:01:01 Here is our interview with News 4.  Sorry for the lack of other updates beyond the news, but we are slammed right now with our ... Here is our interview with News 4.  Sorry for the lack of other updates beyond the news, but we are slammed right now with our final preparations for the expedition.  We will get updates very soon, but for now just know that all is going well, but our days are long and stressful.  Everyone send good vibes to the Carnet de Passages gods, we have been have a little trouble jumping through those beaurocratic hoops. Events, Expedition Media/Info, Updates steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/01/26/9-news-live-interview http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/01/26/9-news-live-interview#comments Fri, 26 Jan 2007 05:38:35 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/01/26/9-news-live-interview/ http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2007/01/26/9-news-live-interview/feed 0 2:46 Here is our most recent interview on 9 News. Here is our most recent interview on 9 News. Expedition Media/Info, Updates steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/11/21/our-california-media-trip http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/11/21/our-california-media-trip#comments Tue, 21 Nov 2006 22:17:08 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/11/21/our-california-media-trip/ http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/11/21/our-california-media-trip/feed 0 00:01:01 We have officially finished editing our media trip to California.  To say the least it was a success.  We closed a few deals with sponsors, ... We have officially finished editing our media trip to California.  To say the least it was a success.  We closed a few deals with sponsors, made a lot of great contacts and secured a few deals for content syndication with the media.  We have put together the following video for your viewing pleasure to get a glimpse of the more fun aspects we managed to fit in here and there. Expedition Media/Info, Pre-Expedition Trips, Trip Prep steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/11/13/this-is-absolutely-amazing http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/11/13/this-is-absolutely-amazing#comments Mon, 13 Nov 2006 22:05:00 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/11/13/this-is-absolutely-amazing/ http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/11/13/this-is-absolutely-amazing/feed 1 0:23 I can't say for sure, but this clip most certainly looks real to me.  This must have scared the bejesus out of this guy. I can't say for sure, but this clip most certainly looks real to me.  This must have scared the bejesus out of this guy. For some laughs, Interesting steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/09/06/finally-our-trailer http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/09/06/finally-our-trailer#comments Wed, 06 Sep 2006 23:43:36 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/09/06/finally-our-trailer/ http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/09/06/finally-our-trailer/feed 0 00:01:01 After many months of trying to make something out of nothing.  We have a trailer/teaser for our trip that has not even started yet.  Believe ... After many months of trying to make something out of nothing.  We have a trailer/teaser for our trip that has not even started yet.  Believe me, making a "trailer" before you have real content is one of the hardest things around, however, I think that this gets the point across.  Let us know what you think, we are always up for suggestions to make this thing better, as it is basically our first draft. Expedition Media/Info steve@theworldbyroad.com no no http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/06/30/modern-art-wtf-the-met-really-good-stuff http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/06/30/modern-art-wtf-the-met-really-good-stuff#comments Fri, 30 Jun 2006 17:20:24 +0000 Steven Shoppman http://theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/06/30/modern-art-wtf-the-met-really-good-stuff/ http://www.theworldbyroad.com/wordpress/2006/06/30/modern-art-wtf-the-met-really-good-stuff/feed 0 00:01:01 In the great city of Manhattan, in the great park called City Park, there lies a great Museum, world renowned for its archetecture, the art ... In the great city of Manhattan, in the great park called City Park, there lies a great Museum, world renowned for its archetecture, the art and history it holds, and simply the history of the museum itself.  This place is the metropolitan museum of art.  Outside the museum there are all kinds of street vendors selling art and the musuem is surrounded by Central Park, the park itself was designed around a competition of civil engeneers with ideas for the park.  The park itself is a work of art.After more than five hours of getting lost in its hallways, the museum has officially postitioned itself as one of my most favorite museums and certainly one of the best places to waste away an afternoon.  As you walk through room after room full of everything from statues to ancient armor, it is easy to get lost as the museum itself is almost a maze.  This maze is one of the best places to get lost in, and with a handy electronic tour guide your brain can be filled with as many factoids as you can handle.  Every other peice has a little number on it to punch in and listen to associate curators give you their ten cents on a work.Walking through many of the rooms full of paintings made me realize that many of my core classes that seemed so useless in college prove to be valuable in a place like this.  These are all of the paintings and statues that I had to memorize for Art History and Humanities classes.  Many of the paintings and sculptures were old news to me, I could mouth off the names of the artists and in some cases the year that the work was made.  I could even pair up some of the music of the time with some of the works.  It is easy when you are in school to get tired of taking classes that seemingly have no value to your future, especially when your future amounts to how drunk you are going to get when class gets out this afternoon.  Although two of my humanities classes were the most intersting classes I have ever taken, I still regularly posed the question, "When in the hell is this ever going to be of use to me?"  Overall, it does not really make much difference if I already know the names of the paintings on the walls or the history behind them, they all have labels and explainations.  However, there is no doubt that a place like the Met becomes a lot more exciting when you are your own tour guide.On the other hand, modern art (or at least some of it) is something that I may never be able to understand.  Below, I have critqued some of the installations.Ummm....This one has some paint splotches on the right and left, it also has a white spot in the middle.  The composition is amazing,  seriously I have never seen anyone slop paint on a canvas like this.  And the idea of using two different shades of white...bravo my friend.Holy Shit, I just think I had an epileptic seizure.  I want to talk to the manager about this peice.I am kind of angry about this one.  I thought that the Metropolitan Museum of Art did not allow forgeries of other peoples work at the museum.  I do recall a lad named bejamin moore doing this rendering first.I think that I made something that looks like this in my graphic art class in middle school.  Is this special because they were able to copy it to such a large canvas?I put together a little video/slideshow of some of the photos and video(shhhh, video is not allowed) I took at the museum.  Have a look. Pre-Expedition Trips steve@theworldbyroad.com no no