Does This Come With Work Release Privileges?

Jefferson City, Missouri.

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Got Nausea?

Why did the National Science Teachers Association turn down 50,000 copies of An Inconvenient Truth? The answer just might turn your stomach like it did mine. Click the link below to read more.



Orcinus



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Capitol Art

Stained glass ceiling from the Missouri State Capitol, Jefferson City.

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Bar Harbor Sunset

Bar Harbor/Acadia National Park, Maine.

Best wishes and a Happy Thanksgiving to all of my loyal readers.

Patriotism Misplaced?

The connecting corridor between the rental car garage and the old Terminal A at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a mundane affair. Strictly utilitarian; not much to see. Taking the escalator up from the tunnel on the ground floor of the terminal, something caught my eye, and I stopped suddenly.

The painting was hanging on a wall several paces from the walkway, itself confined and not very well lit. The height was curious too, more appropriate for someone in a wheel chair. There was no placard with title or artist. I got the distinct feeling that this was not the original location of the painting. It had been moved here.

The painting was created in early 2002, that much I could tell. I tried to transport myself briefly back to that time. Things seemed to be much more focused in the months after the terrible tragedy. It was a rare time in this country's history that there was this much unity of purpose.

Now, looking at the heroic imagery (notice the POTUS with the bullhorn), I'm saddened. The current administration milked as much as they could, thinking that all they had to do was evoke these images and everything would be alright. But it wasn't alright. And by using the tragedy as currency, and squandering the currency, it has cheapened those who were honored in this very portrait. And I'm suddenly jolted back to 2006. Maybe the caretakers at the airport felt the same way.

Technorati Tags: travel, dca, dc, reagan washington national airport, 9-11, art

Rubens Tube Physics Experiment

Prerequisite: You must be a geek. Guaranteed to entertain.

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Waves and Gulls

The Navy-Marine Memorial, Washington, D.C. For more information about the memorial, click here.

Technorati Tags: travel, virginia, dc, navy marine memorial, sightseeing

Off Season

During the summer, hundreds of thousands of visitors come here to Devil's Lake State Park to boat or fish in the lake, or to climb the bluffs surrounding the lake. So to have the park almost by yourself in the fall seems like a guilty pleasure.

Technorati Tags: vacation, wisconsin, devil's lake, lake, park, sightseeing, camping

Backdoors

A different view of historic downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia.

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Kiwi!

Three minutes that will make you smile, and touch your heart.

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Veteran's Day

The Battle of Chancellorsville was fought April 30 to May 6, 1863. The Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, led by Gen. Robert E. Lee, outnumbered by more than 2 to 1 by Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker's Union Army of the Potomac, won an audacious victory through a masterful division of forces. This is the view of Hazel Grove, site of vicious fighting during May 3 and 4. For more about the battle, click here.

Please take a moment this weekend to remember the contributions of the men and women of our Armed Forces.

Technorati Tags: travel, virginia, chancellorsville, civil war, battlefield, sightseeing, veteran's day

Vastness, On A Vast Scale

You see a picture, full of stars.  But that's not the whole picture.  Dr. Phil has a look at a galaxy cluster, and describes how you need to look beyond the light.  And what you don't see can be just as beautiful.

Bad Astronomy Blog


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Arcs, Shapes, Ellipses, Circles

All depends on your perspective.

Al. Ringling Theater

Baraboo, Wisconsin.

Recognize the name? If the sounds of a calliope and the roar of the lion echo in your memory, then you've got it figured out. The Ringling Brothers, of circus fame, were residents of Baraboo, and even after attaining worldwide fame, lived their lives in this small town north of Madison.

At the same time the Ringling Bros. were gaining their fame, Baraboo was fast becoming a popular resort area. With Devil's Lake two miles south, and Wisconsin Dells 11 miles north, the area was becoming very popular with vacationers from Chicago, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis seeking a break from the heat of summer. And many brought their taste for culture with them.

In his later years, Al. Ringling decided to give a memorial to his adopted home. And he did it in grand style, commissioning the theater that bears his name today. Built in seven months at a cost of $100,000, "The Al." has been open continuously since its opening in 1915, showing movies, live music, and stage shows.

Unfortunately, Al. Ringling enjoyed his gift to the city only very briefly, passing away the following year. Now run by a non-profit organization, the theater remains a jewel in a small town.

Technorati Tags: wisconsin, baraboo, downtown, theater, ringling

Lights Into The Sky

A jet airliner takes off from Washington Reagan National Airport, Washington, DC.

It's Memphis

You know where you're at even before you exit the jetway. The smell wafts down the ramp like a muse. It wraps its tendrils around you like a yoke and pulls you toward it's smoky essence. That's right. You're in Memphis International Airport and it's time for some barbeque.

Memphis International Airport reminds me of "bicentennial" style of buildings built in the '60s and '70s. Brown brick faced walls, earth tones all over the place. The main terminal is a wide open space, but the gate concourses are narrow and packed with traffic. To their credit, the airport operators have focused a lot of energy into improving the traveler's experience with recent renovations to Concourse B. Especially when it comes to my favorite subject: food.

It's very difficult to find your national fast food in this airport (i.e. no McDonalds!). Instead, you'll find much of what Memphis is famous for: barbeque. Two of Memphis' best barbeque shops have outlets at the airport: Corky's and Jim Neely's Interstate. Corky's has three outlets at the airport while there are two Interstate locations.

From this reviewer's perspective, I've had mixed results. I had eaten at the original Corky's store in Memphis, and their product at the airport came up well short. I found the Interstate product at the airport to be noticeably better than Corky's, but I've never eaten at their store in town. Make no mistake, it's all good. But let me recommend the California Beef Links at Interstate. The sausage itself is a bold beef flavor, and the links swim in a tangy sauce. Be sure to include their excellent cole slaw and use it like you would a chutney. Fork your link, then spread a little slaw on it and enjoy. It's an unexpectedly pleasant combination of flavors.

If you find yourself having to make a connection in Memphis, make a point to partake in some of Memphis' finest barbeque, without having to leave the airport.

Technorati Tags: memphis, travel, airport, kmem, food, tennessee, bbq, corky's, interstate