Month: September 2011

how Nomadic Matt gets cheap airline tickets

On By Rick McIn travelLeave a comment

1. Check Kayak and Travelocity to get your base price
2. Cross-reference with Skyscanner, Momondo or Mobissimo
3. After finding the lowest price, see if the airline’s official website beats it
4. Check the airline’s foreign website to see if the fare is cheaper in another currency
5. Compare results against alternate routes
6. After getting your lowest fares, play around with your travel dates to see if you can get it any lower

Matt via consumerist

I usually start with Hipmunk and/or Mobissimo … and then try to beat the price on the airline site itself.

Hey, Google Flight Search has launched, but works only in the USA, so far. It’s got Southwest Airlines, the only SEARCH SITE that does. Lifehacker gives it a good review.

Know that Charter Airlines are not listed on any site.

the evolution of music by the numbers

On By Rick McIn musicLeave a comment

PR firm SimplyZesty manages to cram the evolution of digital distribution into a punchy three-minute video. Starting in 1970, the video tracks the rise of digital sales, the fall of vinyl, piracy and major milestones like Michael Jackson’s video for “Billie Jean” and the most expensive guitar ever sold (a Fender Stratocaster for $2.7 million). …

Mashable

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

… recalling Iceland

On By Rick McIn photos, product endorsements, travelLeave a comment

I’m still thinking about my 2wk tour of Iceland last June.

I recommend that destination for EVERYONE. It really is magical and wonderful.

morning vista out my inexpensive hostel window

… more Iceland photos

don’t steal my laptop

On By Rick McIn Apple, product endorsementsLeave a comment

I’ve got Prey installed.

Prey lets you keep track of your phone or laptop at all times, and will help you find it if it ever gets lost or stolen. It’s lightweight, open source software, and free for anyone to use. And it just works.

Click PLAY or watch it on Vimeo.

Cirque du Soleil OVO – my review

On By Rick McIn Cirque du Soleil, travelLeave a comment

I saw the Calgary Premiere last week. Highly recommended. Everyone I spoke with liked it.

My review on Gymnastics Coaching:

… I was going to write a review … but Heath McCoy in the Calgary Herald pretty much nailed it:

… as in most Cirque shows, the storytelling plays a distant second to the spectacle, and, happily, the latter aspect of OVO is grand.

The staging, with its vibrant ecosystem, complete with giant-sized webs, cocoons and a monolithic egg (a thematic symbol of the bugs’ life cycle, ovo means egg in Portuguese) is spectacular.

The dazzling costumes — an inspired hybrid of superhero spandex and historical suits of armour — are suitably outlandish.

And the stunts — played out to the Brazilian electro-pop sounds of a cockroach band, which run the gamut between romantic and sizzling — are nothing short of stunning. …

Magnifique! Cirque du Soleil’s OVO must be seen to be believed

Click PLAY or watch the Calgary preview on YouTube.

OVO IN CALGARY …

Overall … the highlight of this show are the costumes. (That caterpillar is enough to give you nightmares.)

The weakest element, as usual, are the clowns. … Though I somewhat liked Flippo. He grew on me as the show progressed.

I’m flying to Tokyo on Sept. 22nd, hoping to see the Cirque show there called ZED. I’m assisting at Cirque auditions in Tokyo Oct. 18th and 22nd.