Taking Responsibility For Christmas

Repeating History

Anyone who travels regularly becomes acutely aware of how America is perceived by the rest of the world. We are revered, envied, despised, and remain a source of puzzlement to other residents of planet earth.

This year our holiday season has demanded a full range of national emotion. While surrounded by the symbols of joy and rebirth, we have had to come to terms with senseless killing. We are a nation of partygoers who wake, stare in the mirror and see dark circles of anguish etched under our eyes.

Thoughtful people openly wonder why America "just gets crazier and crazier". And, surrounded by immersive media, it is easy to let our collective memory drift to a romantic time and place where Andy talked to Opie and "stuff like this" just never happened.

Now, with the benefit of a little over a half century as perspective, I suggest that the world has always  been coming apart at the seams.

I was born to parents whose childhoods endured the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. Parents who faced world wars on both oceans followed by the advent of weapons capable of ending life on earth.

I remember the Cold War and wondering if the world would end during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I remember an unimaginable string of assassinations: President Kennedy, Dr. King, Bobby Kennedy, Oakland's School Superintendent Dr. Marcus Foster and San Francisco's Mayor Moscone.

I remember the gore of the Sharon Tate and later Nicole Brown Simpson murders. There was the University of Texas sniper, Dahmer, Gacy, and Judge Haley being taken hostage and eventually being murdered in Marin County. I remember the collective terror we all felt thanks to the Zodiac killer.

Then came mass shootings in Stockton, Aurora, Columbine, Fort Hood and Lynchburg. The list never really ends.

So, whats the point?

Just this. "Crazy" has no code date. Yet, I believe that as long as inexplicable murder results in profound national sadness, there is hope. And, with hope we must take the responsibility of mustering the strength and courage to create a better world for our children.

Hope is what Christmas is about for me.

It is the knowledge that we are loved, we remain capable of love, and that every birth renews hope for a better world.


Roadboy's Travels © 2012

2012 in Food

Yum!

As 2012 comes to a close I look back fondly on a year of wonderful food!

The epicureal highlight of the year was found in Spain and Portugal where we immersed ourselves in the wonderful mercats selling fresh fruit, fish, ham and olives. Then there were all of the cafes that incorporated local foods. 

New things to love? Well one of them was Catalan Cream. It is Spain's version of (what in France would be) Creme Brûlée or (in England) Trinity or Burnt Cream (it was served at Trinity College, Cambridge). 

We enjoyed it at Granja La Pallaresa in Barcelona. It differs from Creme Brûlée in that the custard is infused with citrus zest and cinnamon and was traditionally only served on Sant Josep's (Saint Joseph's) day. Now this crunchy top delight is available year round. Also, in Spain the top is caramelized using a hot iron or broiling, not a flame.

Tea Time at Barcelona's La Pallaresa

I also loved the wonderful fresh combination juices at the various mercat's throughout Barcelona. The stalls have hundreds of the brightly colored cups each featuring two or three juices. It is a visual treat as much as a taste treat.

Juice at a Stall at Barcelona's La Boqueria Mercat  

In Madrid we trolled the restored (and very wonderful) Mercado San Miquel. Even in mid summer Its aisles were filled with olives, ham, and those delicious little bocadillo sandwiches (filled with salmon, ham or roast beef). 

In one stall a vendor made me the most amazing lemonade granita ever. But you can also shop for pastry or sip a glass of reasonably priced wine or beer.

The Mercado San Miguel

We left Barcelona with memories and a new cookbook from Spain's most famous avant garde restaurant El Bulli. How avant grade? Well it closes for 6 months of the year to experiment on recipes. When it opens for reservations each January about 1,000,000 people will request one of the 8,000 available bookings.

In Lisbon we enjoyed some wonderful cafe food. We found Lisbon to be a joy. There are lots of parks and each has a little stall selling sandwiches, beer and wine. This is a city that loves to eat, and knows what to do with its seafood (both fresh and canned.)

Lisbon Adores Canned Fish

(And I Love the Packaging)

In Lisbon we also quickly became additcted to their little custard pastry (Pasteis De Belem) which we found everywhere. Luckily our hotel always had a tray of these little gems out for breakfast every morning. 

During the rest of the year I enjoyed other great dinners. In May there was a visit to Bliss in San Antonio which featured a great entree of scallops and finished with Grapefruit Tiramasu desert.

Grapefruit Tiramasu

Other highlights included (another - can there ever be too many?) visit to that mecca of Southern cooking The Wilkes House in Savannah. I also visited Elizabeth's on 37th for the first time. If I lived in Savannah I'd double my weight in record time.......

The year also included great coffee at the Royal at the Biltmore and a few lunches at the Grand Central Market in LA.

LA's Grand Central Market

Soon it will be 2013 and Roadboy looks forward to another year of great markets, street food, and, hopefully, some fine dining thrown in for good measure!

Cheers!

Roadboy's Travel's © 2012

Cool Christmas Gifts

Roadboy Shares A Few Secrets

With the Thanksgiving dinner dishes cleared, I can now officially start thinking about Christmas!

So while many fellow American's waited till midnight and lined up to buy bargain toasters at Target, I start a search for gifts that I think people will actually cherish.

One of the benefits of my travel is the discovery of lots of potential gifts. So here are a few gems that could transform you from an average gifter to a hero.

And remember, Roadboy is thrifty (cheap?), so everything I recommend here (in my opinion) represents a true value.

Glasses:

A lot of us must wear glasses. But few of us wear truly wonderful glasses.

Buy someone you love a pair of over-the-top, way cool, handmade Italian frames direct from Venice! Your lucky recipient can take them to almost any optical shop in the US to have lenses fitted for glasses or sunglasses.

These are not just any frames, these are amazing frames created of rubber or acetate. And, if available in the US, would fetch $400-$500 at a yuppie optical boutique. The colors are other worldy and the fit and finish is superb.

And, when you buy them direct from Danilo Carraro they run closer to $120 USD!

After the site loads click the "English" link. I've been to the shop in Venice twice, but have also dependably ordered from Ottica Carraro online. I have three pairs of Carraro's and constantly answer friendly inquiries as to where I got them. 

VooDoo Dolls:

Yep thats right voodoo dolls! You know the little dolls people stick pins in.

Imagine giving a little bit of magic from New Orleans. I'm talking a real honest-to-goodness voodoo doll! I love their rustic construction and abundance of character. Interested? Then visit Voodoo Authentica to order a doll for any purpose.

Enamels from Alaska:
While on the subject of pins....

Arguably the coolest pins (and zipper pulls) in the world come from Alaska. More specifically, from a little upstairs shop on Franklin Street in Juneau Alaska. All it takes is one visit William Speer's Studio and you will agree.

Mr. Speer has designed a zillion little cloisonné masterpieces. There are dinosaurs, little houses, halibuts, even a few inside jokes exclusively for Alaskan's (Spenard Divorce).

These pins are colorful, very inexpensive and make perfect stocking stuffers. The shipping is $3 if you order one or twelve.

Just visit William Speer.

The Art of Ray Troll:
If you have a fishermen (or marine biologists) on your Christmas list consider a tongue-in-cheek T-shirt or framable poster by Ketchikan artist Ray Troll. This guy sees salmon in his sleep. He creates art posters like "Octopi Wall Street" and "Salmanchanted Evening".

The Troll Studio 

Conveniently Located

Just off the 

"Married Man's Trail" 

I proudly have "D is for Dogfish" gracing a wall in my modest little mid-century rancher in Phoenix.

A true original, venture into the wonderful world of Ray Troll here.

Ruby Slipper Earrings:

I love shopping at Museum stores everywhere. After returning from many trips I come to realize that my purchases nearly all came from museum gift shops.

That said, perhaps my favorite museum on planet earth is the Victoria and Albert in London. And, it offers an online store that showcases items that reflect both its permanent collection and its special exhibitions.

Right now there is a special "Hollywood" exhibition! Reason enough to go to London in my book! It also means you can buy a pair of those ridiculously long Audrey Hepburn gloves from Breakfast at Tiffanys, or a pair ruby slipper earrings. I can hardly wait to see what shows up in the shop when the David Bowie retrospective opens!

Visit the Victoria and Albert here.

Chocolate Enrobed Northwest Cherries:
A lifetime ago I lived in Idaho, then Washington and then Alaska and Hawaii. Whilst living in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) I developed some addictions. Halibut cheeks (yep they have tasty cheeks, sable fish (black cod), king salmon from the copper river, huckleberries in jam, pancakes and scones, chanterelle mushrooms, and anything that combines big wonderful PNW cherries and chocolate.

To sate my cravings I simply pick up some dark chocolate cabernet or dark chocolate amaretto rainier's at the "Made in Washington" shop at SeaTac airport!

But you can visit Chukar Cherries online. Cherries so freakin good I double dog dare you to not order an extra bag for yourself!


Hopefully my little list has got you thinking! I mean, a few google clicks can deliver berry cider from Colorado, or maple sugar candy from Vermont, or garlic from Gilroy, or key limes from Florida, Pralines from Savannah.

The world is big. Your gifting possibilities are equally big. Get creative and stay out of those depressing lines!


Happy Holidays from Roadboy!


Roadboy's Travels © 2012 

Why You Should "Opt Out"

Just Say No!

Update: 1-18-2013
The TSA today admitted that its inability to fix privacy issues in Rapiscan Scanners has resulted in the decision to remove all of them from the 30 airports where they are still in use by June 2013.

This colossal waste of taxpayer money falls directly at the feet of Michael Chertoff (who, as you will read, went on the become a lobbyist for Rapiscan after leaving Homeland Safety) 

So lets start at the beginning. 

Just before his departure as TSA chief Michael Chertoff pushed hard for the purchase of backscatter whole body scanners in American airports.

These are the devices that work like Superman's x-ray eyes. There are two types: an x-ray device made by Rapiscan and a millimeter wave device made by L3.

I currently have no gripe with the L3's other than their cost. 

In the Rapiscan you walk between two big pylons and get x-rayed. In the L3 you walk into a clear glass cylinder and get scanned with waves.

These devices are essentially designed to be electronic stripper poles. They produce imagery that leaves NOTHING to the imagination. The marketing material for these devices states that these devices may be "optionally" used where faces or "key parts of the body" are blurred. That is why their images may never be viewed in public.

Before their implementation if you needed supplemental screening you got a reasonable pat down. Once these devices came on-line, the TSA started administering such punishingly aggressive pat downs that it resulted in the famous "Don't Touch My Junk" You Tube.

The result? TSA backed off fully implementing their new $180,000 toys.

Then little by little TSA started easing them back on line. They had too, they'd spent a king's ransom on them. TSA gently got more and more pushy, eventually resulting in almost everyone getting hustled through them. 

The whole need for them mystified me. No other major country is using them. In Europe I asked why the EU isn't using them. The answer? "They cost a fortune, have not undergone any biological testing and may well pose potential health risks." So before using them on me they were never even tested on a rat?

Slowly, I noticed that flight attendants, airport employees and pilots were all being waived around them. Later I noted that expectant mothers and small kids were also being waived around them. This seems kinda stupid since many well publicized problems have originated by unstable airline employees.

This brings us back to our hero - Mr. Chertoff.

After leaving TSA what did he do? He founded The Chertoff Group, a major DC lobbying firm, representing, drum roll please, Rapiscan!

A good gig since whole body scanner mfr's have more than doubled their lobbying budgets of late. For a bit more on that read this Huffington Post article.

Then most recently came the revelation that Rapiscan may have falsified reports regarding its software.  Click to see Wired magazine's recent feature on that.

So lets summarize:

1. These devices came into being under questionable circumstances.
2. These devices have never identified a terrorist.

3. These devices are illegal in the rest of the world.
4. These devices have never undergone biological testing. 

5. These devices invade of your modesty and privacy.

6. These devices slow down airport screening.

8. These devices cost a fortune.

For all these reasons......

I'll continue to allow a little more time at screening and I'll continue to opt out.

Gosh I'm getting cranky in my old age....

Roadboy's Travels © 2012

Free Wi-Fi Comes to LAX!

Today's Lesson: Happy Flyers 101

Over the years I have been amazed at the number of airports that claim to be "friendly" but then seem to charge exorbitant prices for everything. $6 Big Macs, $6 Starbucks, and $9.95 for an hour of internet hot spot services.

Some (like IAD Dulles) advertise "mall" pricing in stores and cafes (which is appreciated) and many airports now boast free internet. I contend there is no one single thing more appreciated by a modern road warrior than smooth functioning free airport internet! 

Of course "free" can also be an empty gesture if it is impossible to log on to or takes days to load a single page (Yeah, I'm talking to you Charlotte...). But most times with a little wait I can get logged on in Seattle's SeaTac, Phoenix's Sky Harbor, Salt Lake City, Portland, and sometimes....Charlotte.

Airports that are/were Wi-Fi unfriendly: all the DC airports, Saint Louis Lambert Field, Chicago O'Hare, and LAX. In LA Long Beach offered free WI-Fi (and it, like Burbank, is really a cute, old fashioned little airport!).

So I'm delighted to be writing this today on free Wi-Fi from LAX's Terminal 1. 

When I booted up I found a airport wi-fi portal and it gave various pricing options (including "free" if I'd watch a video.) It connected right up without any advertisement!

I noted at 60 minutes I was kicked off and had to reboot. But it was fast and much appreciated!

So much bad news for travelers this week, I'm happy to report some good news!

Thank you LAX! 

Roadboy's Travels © 2012 

The Lincoln Museum and Library

A Home Run!

I recently had the good fortune to spend most of an afternoon in the Lincoln Museum in Springfield Illinois. Although most museum's aspire to creatively preserve and display artifacts, this one goes on to educate and provoke its visitors.

The Museum is part of a two building complex. On one side of the street is the largest presidential library in America. On the other is the museum. Sadly, the exterior of both buildings look vaguely like they were separated at birth from a Cheesecake Factory. 

But once inside the spaces and displays are truly inspired.

Visitors begin by entering a great central space called The Plaza. From there you select and proceed into the various journey's in Lincoln's life. In this museum, you do not passively view each journey. In this museum you experience each journey.

The Plaza

From a childhood in the wilderness to building and operating a flat boat on the Mississippi. From the horror of witnessing a family being ripped apart in a slave auction in New Orleans, to his adventures in courting, creating a family and building a law practice. 

From The Wilderness

Each presentation incorporates technology effectively. I particularly appreciated the portrayal of Lincoln's life in the White House. 

The White House tour starts with pomp and quickly becomes dark and claustrophobic. There are warped and twisting hallways in the "Whispering Gallery". You hear rumors fly from staff in the dark corners of the White House kitchen. Music from a state banquet eerily plays through the open door as you enter Willie Lincoln's darkened bedroom where the Lincoln's, having been assured their son is recovering, come to realize their son is perishing. Lincoln stands with vacant eyes framed in a doorway clutching his son's favorite doll.

You then move past Mary Todd Lincoln sitting in profound sadness all conveyed with raindrops washing over her face. The Illusion Gallery is filled with endless disembodied faces all speaking over each other in rage at the news of the Emancipation Proclamation.

As you move through the White House you come to realize that everyone abandoned Lincoln during his presidency. Bitterly vilified from both the right and the left, he persevered adhering to his own moral compass. The slave auction had left him with the conviction that all humans, despite the supreme courts morally bankrupt Dred Scott verdict, must never be considered "property".

Lincoln's lesson to us was clear; only a nation unified can stand.  America is the place where even a poor boy or girl from the wilderness can grow up to become president.

The Lincoln's Arrival in Washington 

The main film "Lincoln's Eyes" is presented in the Union Theater. In it an artist describes what he see's in Lincoln's eyes over time. During the presentation cannon's smoke, pyrotechnics explode and your seat lurches with every shot fired. 

The other major presentation Ghosts from the Library also leaves spectators dazzled. The presentation begins with a conservator on stage explaining the significance of the library. The presenter walks, picks up articles and sits in a chair whose cushion moves as he sits. During the presentation someone even called out from the audience to ask if the presenter on stage was real. 

Spoiler alert: That question was answered at the end when he dissolved before our eyes and the stage transforms from library to battlefield.

John Wilkes Booth
Lies in Wait

Alas photography is strictly limited to The Plaza. So I am limited what I can include here.

This museum is worth a special trip. And certainly anyone having reason to visit in Springfield should make sure not to miss it. It presents Lincoln in a way that inspires, and transforms. Visitors will come away with a new understanding of America's greatest president.

I found the implications of Lincoln's term to our modern America provocative. Indeed, how can America remain strong and thrive if we encourage the concentration of wealth and political power in fewer and fewer hands?

While in Springfield try to visit some of its other sights: both the old and "new" capital buildings, Lincoln's tomb, Lincoln's home and law office. Springfield is also home to the Dana-Thomas House (Frank Lloyd Wright's largest commission to date after leaving Sullivan's office) is a Prairie Style masterpiece.

Springfield Illinois - a wonderful first stop on the "Mother Road" Route 66!

Roadboy's Travels © 2012  

DCA Renovations

Hold Everything!

Today I had to wait 4 hours at DC's National Airport. Now, I should preface this by saying that (aside from its totally psycho highway access), once you get to DCA the US Airways section is one of my favorite airports. It is spacious, light, and airy. It has nice shops, a good variety of restaurants and has excellent connections to the DC Metro.

But,

Today they were doing some restroom renovations in the main terminal. And the renovations have lame signage.

All the main terminal signs provide no hint that the restrooms are closed for renovation.

So, when you arrive they are covered in plywood with an arrow saying "go that way". When you get to the next one. Yep! It's covered in plywood with another arrow that says "go that way". When you get to the next one. Hallelujah it is open! I walk in and overuse has resulted in it being both full and filthy. I've now walked the full length of the terminal. I figure I'll just go upstairs. 

Wait for it.

Yes, indeed! The first restroom I come to upstairs is.......

Covered in plywood with another arrow that says "go that way".  So I'm now walking the other way upstairs. The next restroom I come to is - you are good! Covered in plywood with another arrow that says "go that way". When I reach the extreme end of the terminal I find the last restroom upstairs is open I literally squeal!

It is, of course, filled with airport employees who know it is one of only two restrooms open.

So I wait.

When I was a kid once in awhile in the library you'd find some book that someone would have written a note saying "go to this or that page". When you got there, another note would direct you somewhere else. This would continue on and on until you finally arrived at the last page where you'd be greeted by the "F" bomb.

Today National Airport did the same thing to a weary road warrior slowly towing his luggage on wheels.

Please, National, next time, just put a map showing exactly where the ONLY two open restrooms are located.

I know that somewhere in the bowels of DCA is some fat guy in a chair with all the rubber worn off the armrests watching a tv monitor yelling "Hey, Chuckie, we got us another walker!"

Roadboy's Travels © 2012