Visit the LocalTripper Trip Idea here, for more details.

-Frank

The officer will not show up in court: While I myself have gotten out of a ticket because of this, I guess it was just pure luck that my officer did not show up. Apparently, it is part of the officer’s job to show up in court and defend his citations. How unfortunate…

You can go at the speed of surrounding traffic: My thinking to back this idea is that, if there are so many people speeding, why is the police going after me? To combat this, I usually go slow enough to let someone else stay right behind me. I doubt that the police officer will go through the trouble of skipping one speeding driver to catch the next one. In court, the “I was going with the flow of traffic” simply doesn’t work.

You can easily argue radar technicalities: I honestly have not heard of this one until reading Flusche’s article. I guess people argue about radar inaccuracies very often, and just as often lose. According to Andrew Flusche, “As a layperson, you can’t just go into court, talk about radar technology, and allege that the officer’s radar gun was inaccurate due to interference or frequency problems. I’ve seen defendants do this, and the judge almost laughs them out of the courtroom.”

So, the next time you get a speeding ticket, keep in mind not to use these tactics in court, and you might just end up saving a penny or two.

The full article can be found here.

-Frank

photo via flickr/jimw

Summer is an awesome season, for outdoor activities. But being outdoors also means exposing yourself to all the pesky insects. For those of us that live in areas with breeding mosquitoes and other various flying insects, we know how annoying it can be to deal with insects during pretty much anytime of the day. (my favorite being night time, when their buzzing wings fly toward my ears every few minutes keeping me awake all night long)

If you’re like me, who makes the self promise of getting insect repellent during those outdoor hours, but ultimately forget to get it… every day… for several days, then the Do-It-Yourself insect repellent might just be what you need.

The geniuses over at wikiHow have posted up step by step instructions on how to make your own insect repellent with everyday materials.

Here’s a short summary of how to make one:

1. Clean out a small tin that has a lid to it.
2. Soak a small piece of cloth or sponge with one of the following oils: Lavendar oil, citronella oil, eucalyptus oil,  pennyroyal oil, peppermint oil, or lemon grass oil.
3. Put the cloth or sponge in the tin can, cover it with the lid, and let it sit for 24 hours.
4. Open lid and place in area where you want to deter insects. Cover after use.

You can find more details and tips at the wikiHow article here.

-Frank

photo via flickr/rene ehrhardt

Localtripper has officially started its first contest giveaway. If you want a chance at a free summer getaway, all you have to do is think of a creative trip idea, submit your trip idea on our website by July 6, and if your idea is the most popular among the ones submitted, we will give you a free getaway up to a $200 value for the month of August.

Full details on the contest can be found here:

http://localtripper.com/Specials/Getaway%20Contest.htm

-Frank

Photo via flickr/savingqueen_com

The summer season is a versatile one, perfect for many different outdoor activities. A particular undertaking that has always interested me is parasailing. Up until the time I did my research for this post, the extent of my knowledge on parasailing included no more than that a sail is somehow involved and you do it out on the ocean. Imagine my disappointment when I found out that parasailing doesn’t even include a sail.

In actuality, parasailing is ten times more easy and awesome than I had imagined. The general idea of parasailing is that; you strap on a parachute, attach yourself onto a boat, and go fast enough so that the air lifts you and the parachute up to float in the sky. Parasailing takes little training to do, and is relatively safe compared to other activities involving parachutes (the worst that can happen while parasailing is that the rope holding you to the boat breaks and you slowly glide down to the ocean… scary). It also takes little preparation time, costs less than the next parachuting activity (usually around $60-$80), and is a great way to spend a summer day.

Just imagine you and your significant other, floating 400 feet above the ocean on a sunny day while feeling that summer air hit you in the face. Pure awesomeness.

Check out the yellow pages http://huntington_beach-ca.yellowusa.com/Parasailing.html, or your local beach for more information on parasailing.

And if you still don’t believe how easy it is parasail, just look at this eHow article:

http://www.ehow.com/how_9176_parasail.html (I wonder how long it took them to write that…)

Happy sailing.

-Frank

Photo via flickr/mikebaird

One of the things we do most on a vacation or trip is take photos. And for some of us, no matter what we do, we just seem to look worse in photos than we do in real life. Apparently, the writers over at wikiHow also thought of this idea, did some research on it, and came up with a list of things you can do to improve how you look in photos. Here are a couple of tips from the article that can help those of us that aren’t photogenic look photogenic, and those of us that are already photogenic, look even better.

Hide your blemishes. The bad thing about photographs is that because they are simply frozen images of one angle in an instant in time, they can’t show all your good attributes. The good thing about them is that you can easily hide certain features you don’t like.

Stick your neck out. One trick models often use is to present a 3/4 pose to the camera (turn your head so that 3/4 of your face is exposed to the camera, as opposed to a full frontal shot) and then lift your neck and slightly tilt your head down, as though you are a turkey sticking its head out (without actually thrusting your chin out). This improves facial definition and helps ameliorate wrinkles and flabby skin

Determine your best angle. Beyond the obvious hiding of blemishes, finding the right angle for your face can be a bit more difficult. The best thing you can do is experiment using a digital camera so that you can immediately see the results of each pose. It will very quickly become obvious which angles are most flattering for you, and you can then use that angle as much as possible in the future. The classic model’s pose is to arrange your body 3/4 toward the camera with one foot in front of the other and one shoulder closer to the camera than the other. This isn’t the best pose for everybody, however, and it can look a little ridiculous when used in a family photo right next to your Uncle Wilber.

Smile with your eyes. Nothing projects happiness and beauty like smiling eyes: a happy, somewhat mischievous expression of the eyes. To achieve this effect, imagine that the camera is a person you have a crush on walking into the room. This will create wider open eyes and a relaxed smile. Chances are you unconsciously do this all the time; the trick is to be able to bring it out on demand, so practice the smiling eyes in front of a mirror.

Fake it till you make it. People are often photogenic because they like having their picture taken. They are therefore relaxed and happy when the camera appears. If you cannot muster up genuine love of the camera, pretend you like the camera. Imagine the camera is someone you love, a long lost friend, an old flame, your child at age three, or whatever you need to look at the camera lovingly. Try it—it really does work.

Keep your face in equilibrium Look at your face in the mirror. That’s NOT actually the face which comes in your photograph. Now stare at your own reflection. After some time your face will reach the ‘normal’ condition. That will be your ‘equilibrium’ face. Now deactivate your eye region and activate your lip region. Don’t clench your teeth, just make sure that your upper and lower jaw molars touch each other. Always smile if your complexion is dark or dull and your smile should be a slight one. At the same time stress the corners of your eyes and raise your eye brows a little. Practice this exercise every day before mirror for a few minutes. In one month it will become a habit whenever someone tries to take a photograph of you. But don’t forget the most fundamental things for a good photograph and those are good cheer and confidence.

For the entire wikiHow article, visit: http://www.wikihow.com/Be-Photogenic.

-Frank

Photo via flickr / zach klein

Localtripper is all about going out and having fun locally. As I was reading a consumer report’s blog post, “Tips for the best staycation ever,” it seem to fit right in with our local theme.

The post, written like a true veteran blogger,  consists of an interesting, (but hefty) lead-in and then goes into the real meat of the post with ideas for a great ’staycation.’ I don’t know about all you readers, but I have the attention span equivalent of a pigeon, so the first thing that I did was scroll down to all the fun idea’s. (although you should read the introduction, considering he must have worked hard on it. I know I want my readers to read my intro’s).

Here’s the list of the staycation ideas directly from Tightwad Tod over at consumer reports:

Behind-the-scenes tours
Formal ones are available at company museums and factories, as well as at fire stations and police stations. But if parents ask nicely, they can also get their kids a tour of a movie theater projection room, the pinsetters at a bowling alley, or other places kids are curious about. Television stations, radio stations, and newspaper production facilities also offer tours.

Museums, observatories, planetariums
Art, science, children’s, aviation, history … there are lots to choose from, and most have areas dedicated to kids. My kids spent nearly two hours at just one exhibit involving golf balls rolling up and down hills to show the science of roller coasters. A new trend is the museum sleepover, a program aimed at preteens and teenagers.

Scenic train rides
Ranging from about 30 minutes long to day trips, they can be a romantic idea for adults but they also often cater to kids. Some have pretend “train robberies” and other shows.

Water parks
They’re easier to find now than they used to be, because many cities have built them as part of their recreation centers and natatoriums. Community swimming pools are another option.

Zoos and aquariums
Young kids love the zoo, of course, and there are some very good aquariums around the country. Many zoos also offer behind-the-scenes “VIP” tours and have special camp programs for kids.

The next five:
• Sporting events (as well as stadium tours)
• Camping (as well as hiking, biking, wilderness viewing areas, state parks)
• Regional amusement parks
• City festivals
• Family fun centers (with bowling, miniature golf, go karts, laser tag, that sort of thing).

Especially for adults
• Sunset cruises on lakes (usually with dinner)
• Wine-tasting and winery tours
• Community theater and touring Broadway productions
• Historic home tours
• Concerts
• Ski-lift rides in offseason
• Staying at a local resort for a few days
• In-town Bed and Breakfasts

If you want to read the full article, you can find it Here. Enjoy.

-Frank

Here are a couple of the announcements that caught my attention:

• Microsoft announces Project Natal, an interactive camera that will allow players to play the game without a controller.
• Kojima to bring the new Metal Gear: Rising to Xbox 360.
• Sony officially announces the Playstation Portable Go!
• Nintendo announces new Super Mario Bros. on the Wii, including a new multiplayer mode.
• Tony Hawk partners up with Microsoft to bring a new Skateboard controller to the Xbox 360.

These are just a few of the ridiculously many announcements made in the last couple of days. If video gaming is your cup of tea, make sure to keep up with E3 and maybe even drop by the area if you have time. Some publishers are known to throw parties where they invite the public in, you might just get lucky.

For more information on E3, visit e3insider.com.

-Frank

1. Dog parks: They’re a great place for you to take your dog if he or she is usually the only dog in the house. Although our dogs love spending time with us, they like to interact with other dogs, just like we like to interact with other people. Here’s a good article on how to find the best dog park for your dog in the L.A. area from eHow: How to Find the Best Dog Parks in Los Angeles 

2. Dog Beaches: Most beaches don’t allow dogs to be off their leashes due to the risk of them doing their business in random spots in the sand, but there are a select few beaches that allow your best friend to run wild and have some fun in the sun. Hautedogs is a great website that has a list of off-leash dog beaches in Souther California: Off-Leash Dog Beaches

3. Restaurants with outdoor seating: Most restaurants that have outdoor seating won’t have a problem with you bringing your dogs along for your meal. Although depending on how your dog is trained, it might be quite torturous to watch you eat a delicious meal while she just sits there. To find these restaurants, you can use search services such as Yelp to check if they allow pets.

4. Doggy daycare: If your plans are set and you are definitely unable to take your dog with you, doggy daycare is not a bad idea most of the time. However, you should make sure that the daycare center will treat your best friend well. The doggy daycare that I usually take my dog is called GoDogLA. They pay close attention to your dog and do not keep any of the dogs in cages. You can visit their website at: godogla.com

Our dogs show us a lot of love, and honestly, their lives, comprised of mostly eating and sleeping all day can be quite boring. Taking them out on a trip once in awhile is fun, good for their health, and most importantly will make them happy. 

-Frank

So far, this year’s summer blockbusters that have been released include, Wolverine, Star Trek and Terminator Salvation. I have watched both Wolverine and Star Trek, but have yet to watch the new Terminator.

For Wolverine, although the majority of critics and general public have come to the consensus that the movie is terrible, I think it was actually decent. It had some “cool” action scenes including the invasion of the facility in Africa by Striker’s team and the last fight scene. Compared to the other Marvel comic book movies, I would say it is on par with The Incredible Hulk (which isn’t saying much, but the Hulk wasn’t terrible). In the end, Wolverine did not live up to my expectations, but I still enjoyed watching Hugh Jackman dismember people.

Star Trek on the other hand, exceeded every expectation of mine. When I first heard that they were making a Star Trek movie, I thought it was a ridiculous idea and that it was going to just plain suck. As trailers started rolling out, my view on this bold movie endeavor slowly changed, but was never all that interested. Up until actually watching the movie itself, I still wasn’t sold on the idea. But a couple minutes in, I was hooked. The movie had witty humor, implosive action (because of the black holes. ha ha ha…), and awesome casting (The actor who played James Kirk was a cool “debatable main” character, and Sylar played an awesome Spock) The story fell together nicely; there was never a moment where I felt like I was lost with what was going on. And there was enough plot devolution (is that a real word?), or action to keep me interested throughout the entire movie. I would say that Star Trek is a high contender for the best summer movie this year.

Terminator Salvation has just hit theaters today, and I haven’t had a chance to watch it yet. But based on reviews across the internet, I doubt it will beat Star Trek for best summer movie (at least for me). But, there’s always a chance, so I’ll write up an update once I’ve watched the movie (which should be within the next few days).

So for now, Star Trek is your best bet if you haven’t seen any of the above movies.

-Frank