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music, travel, music and travel (and other cultural ephemera)


Cheat sheets for getting spicy foods at ethnic restaurants

A few weeks ago, Marketplace covered the ongoing story on the (non-)mythical "other menu" at chinese restaurants: "Have you heard that legend of Chinatown? The "secret menu"? The authentic food Chinese customers enjoy, while the American patrons gobble glorified chicken nuggets drowned in gloopy sauce?

The legend, it turns out, is not only true – it’s spreading."

Well, the blog Chopsticks and Marrow has a series of guides to making sure you get the spicy dishes, whether you're traveling or whether your're close to home.

They're up to seven guides:





Indian and Pakistani [via Bunna Cafe]



"Man uses first-class ticket to get free meals for almost a year"

I had heard that  there are people who buy refundable tickets to get lounge access on a one-time basis, but this takes it to a whole other level:

A man bought a first-class ticket and used it to have free meals and drinks at the airport's VIP lounge almost every day for nearly a year, Kwong Wah Yit Poh reported.

The itinerary for the ticket was found to have been changed more than 300 times within a year, and the owner of the ticket used it to enjoy the facilities at the airport's VIP lounge in Xi'an in Shaanxi, China. [via the AA EXP FP page]


February 26, 2009

For native Czech speakers who want to sound like Elvis...

Why not study at Elvis Language school?  And for the english speakers- they're hiring!
(As seen in the Prague Post) 


mmm, cheese. mmm, Murray's cheese webisodes Murray's Cheese is up to webisode 6 of Portion Control:

Portion Control Episode 1: Lightly Aged Goat Cheeses
Portion Control, Episode 2: Bloomy Rind Cheeses
Portion Control, Episode 3: Washed-rind Cheeses
Portion Control, Episode 4: Pressed Cheeses
Portion Control, Episode 5: Cooked Cheeses
Portion Control, Episode 6: Blue Cheeses


February 21, 2009

It took snow in London for me to know there's such a thing as "the etiquitte of snowball fights" The etiquette of snowball fights
With swathes of Britain covered in snow this week innocent folk have found themselves the unwitting targets of snowball attacks launched by grinning children. But how to react, asks Brendan O'Neill?

When police in Hertfordshire warned children that throwing snowballs in an "irresponsible way" could face arrest or a fine, they were branded "winter killjoys". Yet one man certainly struggled to see the funny side after his van was pelted by a snow-wielding gang of children near Alexandra Palace in London. He pulled out a Stanley knife to frighten his woolly-gloved assailants away.

So what is the proper snowballing etiquette? Is it acceptable for children to lob snowballs at adults, including perfect strangers? And should the chucking of a snowball ever become a police matter?


Phoenix, kidnap-for-ransom capital Interesting time to have a first trip to Phoenix planned for next week, as the LA Times reports:

Juan Francisco Perez-Torres was abducted last month in front of his home and ransom demanded. Hundreds of such incidents occur each year in Phoenix, and Mexican drug-smuggling is usually involved.



Black Lips flee India

Had seen already a few articles on public displays of affection in India recently: No kissing please, we are Indians

A court in India recently dismissed criminal proceedings against a couple who were arrested for kissing. The BBC's Soutik Biswas examines India's tangled relationship with the kiss.

India couple's kiss 'not obscene'

Public displays of affection and sex are still largely taboo in India

A court in India has dismissed criminal proceedings against a married couple charged with obscenity for allegedly kissing in public in the capital.

Now (via the MeanRed Productions e-mail), is this letter from the Black Lips:


Dear fans,

And that's only the start...


Feeling gravity's pull: is Peter Arnell the Alan Sokal of the ad world? Ad Age reports:

'Breathtaking' Is One Word for Purported Arnell Pepsi Doc
Mad Ave Buzzing About the Deep Thinking That Supposedly Went Into Brand Logo Redesign
NEW YORK (Adage.com) -- Over the past 24 hours, adland has been abuzz about "Breathtaking," a 27-page document purported to be the thinking behind Arnell Group's recent revamping of Pepsi-Cola's logo. Littered as it is with marketing jargon, images of yin-yangs, mobius strips and Da Vinci's Vitruvian man, you'll maybe wonder whether Michael Phelps wasn't the only one hitting that bong.

See the .pdf for yourself here.

Who was (is) Alan Sokal?

The Sokal affair (also Sokal's hoax) was a hoax by physicist Alan Sokal perpetrated on the editorial staff and readership of the postmodern cultural studies journal Social Text (published by Duke University Press). In 1996, Sokal, a professor of physics at New York University, submitted a paper for publication in Social Text, as an experiment to see if a journal in that field would, in Sokal's words: "publish an article liberally salted with nonsense if (a) it sounded good and (b) it flattered the editors' ideological preconceptions."


February 06, 2009

Crain's NY on the middle class exodus, wall street's compensation structure

Saw this article in Crain's NY Business:

Big surprise, that.

But it reminded me of this infuriating WNYC interview with wall street shill Greg David, Crain's editorial director, on bonus-based compensation. Worth checking out,or at least reading the comments!


February 05, 2009

Punctuation as ideological warfare The globe and mail reports:

The city council of Birmingham, England, has decided to eliminate apostrophes from its street signs. Apostrophes are of course normally quite common in British place names, in constructions such as St. Paul's Square and Acock's Green. Apparently Birmingham has been quietly removing them from official signs since 1950, and now it faces a non-standardized mishmash of usage across the city.

Not exactly as interesting as "No Snickering: That Road Sign Means Something Else," the new york times article about UK place names:


February 04, 2009

US Airways double miles promo through 3/31

Via View from the Wing, US Airways is offering double elite qualifying miles through 3/31; now if only other airlines will match....


February 03, 2009

Oneworld Alliance 10th anniversary specials and chance to win a business class round-the-world ticket To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the Oneworld Alliance (with members including American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and more) is having a series of promotions. Included are 10% off their oneworld products, including oneworld explorer round-the-world tickets (now bookable online, even), and a chance to win a business class RTW.

Then again, it's a pretty good value-for-miles (on AA) to use miles for an RTW....


Another São Paulo guide on the way... Via PSFK, another São Paulo guide is on the way (in addition to Time Out):

Recognizing the lack of true insider looks at Latin America’s largest city, journalist Phuong-Cac Nguyen created “Total São Paulo: A Guide to the Unexpected”, a guidebook introducing curious visitors to the truly hidden, unexpected, and often amazing aspects of the city.


February 02, 2009

Time Out São Paulo on the way... For a city of its size/importance, there are limited options for guides to São Paulo- there's a wallpaper guide, offering their design-y "Cliffs Notes" guide to the city. There are a few local guides- one from Unibanco, and Living in São Paulo: The L&T Guide, by two expats "for expatriates, executive spouses, and visitors to Sao Paulo, here on business or pleasure." And Fodor's combined their pocket guide with one for Rio.

Now, TIme Out (usually my preferred city guide) has a Time Out São Paulo guide on the schedule for 11/4- can't come soon enough!


September 05, 2006

Why don't Arpey and Kellner just have a cage match? (AA vs. CO to China)

Not content to fly ORD-PVG (AA) or EWR-PEK (CO), AA and CO are enlisting the support of the
flying public to support new routes to China.

AA wants to fly DFW-PEK

CO wants to fly EWR to PVG

Posted at 10:01 PM in Airlines, Current Affairs, Travel, Travel- destinations | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)


August 27, 2006

What everyone really wants: free frequent flyer miles...

With the exception of a mileage-earning credit card, my miles in recent years have come from travel related activity (flights, hotels and related bonuses). However, recently I've been dipping my toe back into other sources for mileage earning. So far, miles from Sprint long distance and NetBank have posted without hassle, and I've really benefitted from the help of Gary Steiger's Free frequent Flyer Miles web site. He lists ways to earn miles from credit cards, commmunications, finance, shopping and more, with the considerations to make and his own cost/benefit analyses of various activities.

Posted at 01:33 PM in Airlines, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)



Good news for slackers (and latecomers) re: Continental privilege packs

Once again per the CO Insider on flyertalk, the ordering deadline for CO privilege packs has been extended until 9/15 for NA residents

Posted at 10:07 PM in Airlines | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)



Last call for Continental Privilege Packs

Over the past few years, The Continental Privilege packs have been a good opportunity (IMHO) to earn some CO miles/save some $ on CO travel. According to this post on flyertalk, the current benefits for the deluxe pack are:

Domestic Prestige Pack (USD $135.95)
- 7,500 OnePass Bonus Miles
- $99 Continental Airlines Companion Ticket
- $25/$50/$100 Off Roundtrip Airfare
- Complimentary President's Club Passes (2)
- Presidents Club Initiation Fee Waiver
- Leather document holder and luggage tag
- Complimentary 3-Month Subscription to InsideFlyer
- Caesar Park and Caesar Business Hotels Room Upgrade
- Free Avis Upgrade
- One Car Class Upgrade with Hertz
- 15% off Leisure Weekend Rentals with Hertz
- Earn Triple Miles with Dollar

However, the packs are being discontinued for North American residents, according to the CO Insider:

The Privilege Pack offer will indeed be discontinued for U.S.-based OnePass members. It was just announced internally today[posted 7/5]. If you'd still like to order one, you may do so by calling the OnePass Service Center (713-952-1630). We'll be honoring requests through 15-Aug 2006.

Posted at 09:42 PM in Airlines, Travel | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)


July 17, 2006

The next candidate for "Euroflation"? Slovenia

I think that' I've seen that economists deny the concept of Euroflation, but consumers don't always buy that. I'm sure it will still be a topic of conversation in Slovenia soon enough:

Slovenia begins euro entry countdown

EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS - Slovenian euro coin production has begun as the EU finance ministers on Tuesday (11 July) gave a final formal go-ahead for the country's entry to the 12-member eurozone as of January 2007.

The Slovenian central bank must distribute 155 million euro coins and 42 million bank notes by the beginning of the next year.

Cartoon from Metropole Paris Posted at 12:20 AM in Current Affairs, Travel, Travel- destinations | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)



Yo, that dude eating lobster ... wasn't he on the Titanic? (What passes for celebrity gossip in Maine)

From the Press Herald:

Most visitors to the Old Port bring along a camera, a baseball cap and an appetite for lobster.

One visitor this past weekend brought along a Victoria's Secret model.

Star-spotters reported seeing Leonardo DiCaprio, the 31-year-old star of "Titanic" and "The Aviator," in the Old Port all day Saturday, one of the first major celebrity sightings of the summer season.

DiCaprio apparently learned what other high-profile celebrities such as Glenn Close and Bruce Springsteen already know - Maine offers a low-key atmosphere where celebrities can vacation without being bothered.

Posted at 10:20 PM in Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)



What's next for Time Out? Manchester, Liverpool, LA, Kiev, Delhi and Barcelona

The Independent has a feature on "Time Lord" Tony Elliott and the history and future of his Time Out empire. Some excerpts:

More than 38 years after he used a £75 21st birthday gift from an aunt to found a magazine named after a Dave Brubeck record, Tony Elliott, the founder of Time Out, has made a discovery that he is especially excited about.

...The discovery is this: that there are other cities here in the United Kingdom with the vibrancy and culture to justify a weekly Time Out magazine of their own. Next February, Elliott plans to launch simultaneously in Manchester and Liverpool.

...his next target is the West Coast. "I believe we can establish a business in Los Angeles and will do it in about 18 months, two years' time. The big question in LA is the relation between online and print. It's very spread out and is maybe a good place for us to explore a slightly different model, with online leading and print being a supplement to online." ...The most recent addition to the portfolio was Time Out Almaty (which, in case you didn't know, is the cultural capital of Kazakhstan). Launches will take place next year in Kiev, Delhi and Barcelona as well as Liverpool and Manchester.

Posted at 09:49 PM in Current Affairs, Media / Advertising, Travel, Travel- destinations | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)



The Scoop on the Wallpaper City Guides

They're no Vice City Guides (now with Austin, Montreal, Vancouver and Chicago), I'd bet, but I had noticed that Amazon had listed a bunch of Wallpaper city guides set for release in the fall. The NYT has the scoop:

Wallpaper's Glossy Guides Get Bookish


For the design-conscious traveler, Wallpaper magazine— the hip architecture and interior design glossy — plans to roll out a series of illustrated pocket guides this fall.

The 6¼-by-4¼-inch guides, published by Phaidon Press, are expanded versions of the magazine's Navigator page — a pullout laminated map and miniguide on a featured destination — which is being eliminated as of the September issue.


For women travelers- the Thelma and Lousie Club

The Guardian's Flyer covers the Thelma and Lousie Club:

Good news for adventurous solo travellers, writes Travel editor Liane Katz
The Flyer's eye was caught this week by the launch of a new women-only online travelling network, intriguingly named the Thelma and Louise Club or TLC for short. The idea, according to promoters of the site, is for members to find their "ideal travelling buddy" to keep them company on anything from a shopping weekend in Rome to the trip of a lifetime.

Users search for any combination of destination, type of trip, or age band and turf up potential buddies to contact via private email or message boards.

Women travelling on business can also search for other members in the city they are visiting, with whom to share their expense accounts.


According to the promoters, the new club is all about "sisterhood and adventure", rather than the tragic ending of Ridley Scott's 1991 film, where the original Thelma and Louise encounter rape, murder and death on their American road trip adventure. Let's just hope that TLC's members have the same idea.

In the meantime, Gridskipper links to Budget Travel's "Girlfriend Getaways" special, including a few featuring current/ex members of the Gawker Media empire.

Posted at 08:12 PM in Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)


Updates on Australian Meat Pies in NYC

I like Tuck Shop on First St. near First Ave. in the East Village- great hearty, homemade pies and rolls, and they're even veggie-friendly- so I was glad to see they've expanded to a mid-town location, as well.

I've never been to the competition, DUB pies NYC, which "is proud to be the first specialty bakery to bring the authentic New Zealand-Australian experience - the culturally iconic meat pie - to New York City," but 423 Smith writes about them here.

In other East Village restaurant news, unfortunately-named A Salt and Battery''s East Village location looks dead (or "closed for renovations," at the very least), but Caracas Arepa Bar has expanded to have a real dining room a few doors down from the original space, which is now "Caracas to go."

Posted at 07:40 PM in Food and Drink, NYC | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)


Who says Americans don't travel well? "U.S. fan forgets hotel location in six-hour ordeal"

From Reuters, via Tripso:

U.S. fan forgets hotel location in six-hour ordeal

BERLIN, June 23 (Reuters) - German police rescued an American soccer fan lost in Hanover and unable to find his hotel again after helplessly wandering around the city for more than six hours after a match, federal police said on Friday.

At least he didn't end up in Hanover (or Manchester), New Hampshire.

Posted at 07:08 PM in germany, Sports, Travel | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)








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