A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

Hotel Chain Offers New Babysitting Service For Guests’ Instagram Accounts

(via) Travelling and Instagram go hand in hand. The trouble is the latter can get easily in the way of the former. Instead of savouring the sights, all too often they’re spoiled in frustrated attempts to capture them. And for what? To further service an edited, commodified version of the self in the name of ‘likes’ and new followers. Wouldn’t it be great if you could outsource such a bullshit headache?

European hotel chain Ibis appears to have figured this out. For the month of November they’ve offered a new service called Relax, We Post. It leases ‘social media sitters’ to their guests staying at their properties in Geneva and Zurich:

“Enjoy your city trip without digital stress. Our Social Media Sitter takes care of your Instagram profile. And you can explore the city in peace.”

In other words, guests temporarily abdicate control of their accounts by paying a stranger to post on their behalf (starting at just over $100 CAD); essentially hiring a babysitter for the facet of their egos that thinks this is somehow a good idea. The otherwise brilliant ad promoting the service feels like it’s in on the absurdity of it all, seemingly celebrating that this is indeed the world we are currently living in, bizarre insecurities and all:

We Want to Play Japan’s Dangerous Game of Bo-Taoshi

Played on sports days in Japanese schools, the brutal game of Bo-Taoshi was originated by cadets in the Second World War.

Brave Birder on an E-Scooter Chases Down Dastardly Bike Thief

This bike thief had no idea what he was up against when he crossed paths with a guy looking for young family of crows.

Short Film Teases Reopening of Characteristically Noisy New York City

As case counts drop and vaccination numbers rise, the loud but comforting crush of urban life is coming back.

What Would Happen If an American President Authorized a Nuclear Missile Attack

Complex 571-7 is all that remains of the 54 Titan II missile sites that were on alert across the United States from 1963 to 1987.