Going to Finland via Finnair tonight with zero expectations of the inflight-entertainment even remotely resembling Singapore Airlines' Krisworld.So I'm arming myself to the teeth with books, mags, sketchbook and laptop. Got to remember to pick up a copy of Wired and some trashy celebrity gossip rag later too.
Rua Augusta street and the arch on Praça do Comércio.
Rua Augusta is situated in one of the busiest quarters of Lisbon. Closed to traffic, this pedestrian-only street offers a great variety of shopping options.The Praça do Comércio (English: Commerce Square) is located in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. Situated near the Tagus river, the square is still commonly known as Terreiro do Paço (English: Palace Square), because it was the location of the Paços da Ribeira (Royal Ribeira Palace) until it was destroyed by the great 1755 Lisbon Earthquake. After the earthquake, the square was completely remodelled as part of the rebuilding of the Pombaline Downtown, ordered by the Marquis of Pombal. – Wikipedia
Almudena Cathedral.
Santa María la Real de La Almudena is a Catholic cathedral in Madrid. The Neo-Gothic interior is uniquely modern, with chapels and statues of contemporary artists, in heretogeneous styles, from historical revivals to "pop-art" decor. The Neo-Romanesque crypt houses a 16th century image of the Virgen de la Almudena. Nearby along the Calle Mayor excavations have unearthed remains of Moorish and medieval city walls. – Wikipedia
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Alex Thorp's commitment to battling climate change is taking him places. Last summer, the sophomore environmental science major visited the Polar Institute in Tromsø, Norway, where he got to see the effects of climate change first hand.
While glacier climbing outside Tromsø, Thorp observed "a visible and exponential increase in the melting rate" over the past 70 years. "Our guide told us he goes to the glacier once a week and that every time he returns there are new visible signs of retreat both in terms of the glacier's width and thickness," he says.
Thorp was invited on the trip after winning an environmental essay contest sponsored by the Norwegian Embassy. Essayists addressed the prospect of new natural and commercial resources—including oil, natural gas, fisheries, and sea trade routes—becoming available as polar sea ice melts. But access to these new resources has a price. "Arctic organisms will be unable to survive the changes," Thorp says. "Warmer conditions push habitats farther north and the top tiers of Arctic consumers are funning out of things to feed on. In the case of fish, warmer water feeders are moving north and the Arctic feeders just can't compete with them."
Thorp's winning piece stressed collaboration and communication between the countries ringing the Arctic, Russia, Norway, Canada, the United States, and Greenland, an autonomous constituent country of Denmark. "Cooperation between the five Arctic countries in advance of these resources being made available is the only way it can work," Thorp says.
Thorp is an active member of the student group Eco Sense and participated in the Power Shift 2009 Conference, during which 12,000 young people met on Capitol Hill with an agenda of pressing lawmakers toward bolder, more effective environmental policies. In the Spring of 2010, he will attend Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, as a Killiam Fellow. The fellowship, which funds a year of study at a Canadian university, is intended to foster a sense of community and understanding between the United States and Canada.
An article posted on the American University website about Alex's trip this past Summer for winning an essay contest sponsored by the Norwegian Embassy.
Just got back from a work trip to Austin and Dallas, Texas. I gotta admit, Texas is much better than I expected, but also less than I expected in certain aspects.
I landed in Austin on Tuesday evening and was picked up by Peter in his relatively new, white Honda Accord. We were both hungry so we decided to immediately grab some Tex-Mex food at Guero's. This place, as well as South Congress, really got me into the local scene of good food, good looking people, and cheap eats, and all with this cool, low-key vibe. I had Queso for the first time, but this was no ordinary Queso. This Queso had chorizo and green onions in it. Amazingly good with the tortillas and freshly made chips. My dinner consisted of chicken and steak tacos. Both were tasty, but I got sort of full from the Queso.
Another really cool thing on South Congress was the "Trailer Eateries". This is a little trailer park, but the trailers were actually walk up restaurant-trailers with such places as Hey Cupcake! and The Mighty Cone! (yes, both places have exclamation points in their names). We didn't stop here as most of them looked closed for the evening. Our night, however, did not end at Guero's.. I got a quick tour of all the greatness known simply as 6th Street. Say "6th Street" anywhere in Texas, and probably anywhere west of the Mississippi, and people immediately know what you're talking about. The blocks on and around 6th contain something like 250 bars and music venues.. Wild! 6th (East of Congress, that is) has many of the bars, while the Red River District has some of the most well known music venues. I think this East 6th area is often referred to as "Dirty 6th". As you head West on 6th and cross Congress, 6th becomes a little more foo-foo. A little nicer bars, furniture stores, and a crazy Whole Foods supermarket. I say "super" because that thing took up a whole downtown city block! I was told this is the corporate headquarters as well, so it makes sense.
We ended the night at this amazingly cool bar called Lustre Pearl. Oh. My. God. This place was frickin cool. Wish I had the chance to see it on a weekend night. This was Tuesday. It still had a really cool vibe... Chill. Cheap drinks. Fun people. Ping Pong. Hoola Hoops. This place was a converted home that must have been built in the late 1800's or early 1900's. It had that old home charm, but was a bar with full indoor and outdoor areas to hang out. Really cool. Really hot. The neighborhood, though, is weird. House across the street is boarded up. A couple houses down is a beautiful example of the original architecture. Then empty lots with overgrown weeds, grass, dirt, and some abandoned vehicles. In San Francisco, realtors might call this an "up and coming neighborhood".. (sarcasm).. And then... Lustre's sister location, more upscale bar- Clive Bar. We just went to see it because it opened a couple months ago, but wow! I am impressed! Clean. Streamlined. Comfortable. Warm. This is a place, along with Lustre, I would definitely take people visiting, or looking for something different. Similar formula as Lustre with Indoor and Outdoor areas, built from a converted, old house, but you can feel the dial move from casual to "pop your collar". It's interesting because Clive doesn't feel pretentious or overdone, but you can feel the simple opulence around you. From the white, leather bar stools to the clever Patron tequila bottle chandeliers, Clive does a great job making you feel special being there. I just hope the neighborhood finds its identity. Seems like its at a crossroads of high rise condos, old school beautiful homes, run down lots, boarded up homes, and these two bars. I guess we'll see in the near future since I plan on making a visit to Austin at least once per year.
This is the Shubert Theater. Ten years ago, the Shubert Theater had its 15 minutes of fame when it became the heaviest structure ever moved, traveling a block and a half through downtown Minneapolis. Grandiose plans were made for its historical preservation and renovation. Then it sat untouched for ten years—a big, cream-colored brick that hasn’t accomplished anything lately. The Shubert Theater is an apt metaphor for my life.
The big thing that I want to accomplish is moving to London, England. I first visited Europe in 1989. I was just about to graduate from college (anecdote: My mom told her friend that I was finally graduating after eight years. Friend: What’s she getting her PhD in? Mom: Oh no, it’s just her Bachelor’s degree.) and my mom, who collects teddy bears, booked herself, my dad, and me on a group tour. It was a pretty interesting time to be toodling around Europe. We arrived and departed from Frankfurt; we were warned not to smile at the East German border patrol across the barbed wire lest they open fire, spent a few days swooning in Vienna, and got incredibly nostalgic driving our motorcoach past the American Embassy in Budapest on the 4th of July. The second teddy bear tour was to the UK in 1998. I knew I had found my soulmate. I can’t explain it, it was just a gut feeling that I was meant to live there. I’m a firm believer in intuition, instincts, and The Spark. It was a splendid two weeks. We spent the first few nights in London, then Brighton, then headed north. There were two nights in the Lake District followed by three nights in North Berwick, Scotland, just to the northeast of Edinburgh. On this trip, I remember that time in North Berwick most fondly, actually. Our hotel was an old Georgian manor with a golf course between it and the Firth of Forth. I spent two of the three evenings walking the beach, singing Del Amitri songs to myself. We ended with a few more nights in London, and by this time I was acclimated and loving it. I dragged my mom along on my pilgrimage to the Dr Marten’s shop in Covent Garden, where I also discovered Lush Soap. I didn’t get too crazy—it was a group tour with my mom after all—but the seeds were sown. I returned home and embraced as much day-to-day culture as I could from Minnesota. I listen to 5 Live Drive nearly every day (still sad that Jane Garvey moved on, thought Anita Anand is a firecracker in her own right) and Clive Bull on LBC, and at this very moment I am resisting the urge to bawl like a baby at the way Barry’s treating Pat at Roy’s wake on Eastenders (I’m seven years behind). I made a friend because of LBC and rabbits, and made several trips to London until 2002, when the finances collapsed. The point isn’t for this to be a travelogue. I think you understand that I love England, or my slight experience of it. There are three other germane points. I’m coming up on my 15-year anniversary at my job. Groan. I’m comfortable and so don’t make a change, even though I think about doing so all the time now. For the most part, I have liked going to work every day and I have great bosses. If I didn’t and didn’t, I wouldn’t have. It’s hard to roust yourself when your laziness trumps your desires. I know it’s entirely within my power to effect a change. But I don’t. As well, four years ago I bought a condo. What was I thinking? Because not long after I paid too much for my home, the housing market tanked. I’m trapped in a mortgage for at least five years, I figure, until things begin to turn around. I hope I’ll be surprised that it doesn’t actually take that long. Recently, however, some stuff has happened with regard to my mortgage that lessens my financial constraints. So unfortunately, that will put the focus of failure more squarely on myself with regard to actually accomplishing something related to this dream I’ve had for 11 years. The Shubert and I have been sitting on our asses for a long time. But at least I don’t weigh as much.Free Ireland News Headlines for the iPhone: http://ping.fm/cDT7W
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It was time again for me to attend the big annual education conference - in Boston this year. I do enjoy Boston. You can see an image of me videoconferencing with the boys at home. That certainly cuts down on the homesickness.
I tried to take a variety of pictures, including pics of me presenting at the awards ceremony. Overall everthing went well.
