Thos Robert

Náměstí Míru a Kostel sv. Ludmily

2007-09-19T00:17:00.000-07:00

This is the entrance sign (one of them) to the metro at Náměstí Míru in Vinohrady, Prague. In the background, in the darkness, is Kostel sv. Ludmily, or St. Ludmilla's Church.

I took this picture on my way home from work.

Say "Hello" to Mr. Bentley

2007-09-18T23:52:00.000-07:00

This is one very clean car; the yellow building reflected in hood is the Divadlo na Vinohradech or Vinohrady Theatre, located in the Vinohrady district of Prague.

3 Moons

2007-09-17T21:34:00.000-07:00

I took these photos tonight with a new camera; when setting the dial for night photography, I got a message telling me that I needed to keep the camera perfectly still. Well, that's just about impossible, so I thought I would experiment with purposefully moving the camera about. And this is what I got. (I did not edit these at all.) Oh, if you look closely, yes, the sky is filled with stars.

Best Actors of All Time (Almost)

2007-09-15T23:56:00.000-07:00

Attempting to select the best actors from last decade is a daunting task; selecting the best of all time is nearly impossible. That is, unless one imposes some very clear restrictions on the selection process. I have chosen to limit my choices to English- speaking male actors who have worked in the cinema since WWII. So, sorry Edwin Booth, who may have been the greatest American actor ever; you lived in era that didn't have the modern motion picture, so, in the end, we'll never really know how great you were.

I have come up with a list of 10, all deserving of special note and all who can be seen today on DVD.

ROD STEIGER Probably more than anybody, Rod Steiger personifies the acting philosophy of the Actors Studio. He was never a movie star in the Hollywood sense of the word, and he certainly made a lot of mistakes in the management of his career, but few people in this world have been as true to himself as Steiger was as an actor. My favorite Steiger performance was his playing the role of Napoleon in the 1970 film "Waterloo."

HUMPHREY BOGART He didn't create cool, but Humphrey Bogart certainly personified cool. And of course, I'm not talking about cool from the perspective of teenagers. Men want to be Bogart and women just want him. Not too shabby for a short, middle-aged man with a receding hair line. Of course, Bogart was more than cool, he was simply a great actor. The 1942 film "Casablanca" will never be re-made because no actor in his right mind would ever attempt to follow Bogart's portrayal of Rick. On paper, "Casablanca" is a pretty silly movie, which is why it's a testament to the greatness of the actors involved that they were able to make a truly great film out of it.

The complete article at Helium can be found HERE>>>

Bush On Front Page

2007-09-14T12:48:00.000-07:00

My article that speculates about the future plans of President Bush is going to be featured all day long on the front page at Helium. This is the second time this week that an article of mine has been so featured.

To see my byline, click on the photo above to enlarge.

To go directly to the article, click HERE>>>

Bohemia to the Czech Republic

2007-09-13T19:04:00.000-07:00

BOHEMIA is the link to my up-dated article about the history of Bohemia and the rise of the Czech Republic.

Kafka

2007-09-12T00:09:00.000-07:00

I found a new foto of Franz Kafka. I did some heavy editing to it. Oh, I also made some minor changes to my bio of Franz Kafka at Helium.

You can see the article HERE>>>

Things to do in Boston

2007-09-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

I recently re-wrote an article at Helium. The topic was Boston and the interesting things a visitor or local could do in Spring. I came up with 10 ideas with Spring in mind, but most of these activities can be enjoyed any time of year.

A link to my article is HERE>>>

My Guinness Article

2007-09-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

Over at Helium.com, my review of Guinness was featured on the front page all day long on Sunday, and I must say that it did indeed result in a lot of clicks (well in the 100s). You can find it by clicking HERE>>>

Top 10 Fav Cars

2007-09-07T01:52:00.000-07:00

When selecting the top ten cars that I like the most, I must admit that I cannot judge them from behind the wheel experience. I've only owned a few cars in my life, and while I've driven dozens of different models, I really can't find ten amongst those worthy of any special mention. So, instead, I've relied mostly on passive observation to create my list of the top ten cars that I like.

1968 FORD MUSTANG Not to be confused with that cute little 1966 version of the Mustang, I'm talking about the Ford Mustang GT 390 Fastback driven by Steve McQueen in the movie, "Bullitt." If you have any interest in cars, and you have not seen Bullitt, make sure you put it at the top of your "to do" list. A very good overall movie, it is probably most famous for its seminal car chase scene in which McQueen, driving his Mustang Fastback, is after the bad guys in a Dodge Charger. The chase scene was filmed entirely on the streets of San Francisco and reached speeds of up to 110mph. Make no mistake, Steve McQueen put the muscle into the Muscle Car.

CADILLAC ELDORADO What can you say about the fins on those second generation late 1950s Eldorados? The most original, most beautiful ornamentation ever put on a car.

THAT BLACK TRANS AM I'm talking about the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am driven by Burt Reynolds in the movie "Smokey and the Bandit." That t-top, that ridiculously large engine, and Sally Fields; it was the car parents feared their kids would want and the car that every teenage boy dreamed of driving.

FORD GRANADA A rather obscure blast from the past, the Granada was actually a pretty nice car that never really took off in America. I remember it fondly because I once drove one when I was a teenager. It also has special memories because just after visiting Graceland and standing at the gravesite of Elvis Presley, driving down Elvis Presley Blvd, some local Memphis yokel, ran a red light, and crashed into my Granada, totaling it. Nobody was hurt, but because we had chocolate shakes from McDonald's in the car, there was chocolate shake all over the interior of the car, which from the outside was easily mistaken for blood. It was a pretty gruesome looking scene.

SKODA 100 The Skoda Auto company in the Czech Republic is a client of mine, so I have to mention them. And of all their models, I'm going to single out the 100, which was produced 1969-77. It's not the sexiest car ever produced, and despite all of its engineering shortcomings, the car has an irresistible appeal. Today, young gear heads in the Czech Republic are snapping them up and fixing what needs to fixed and updating what needs updating. These young people are doing some very fine work, and the Skoda 100 is beginning to turn some heads.

To read the rest of my list at Helium, please click HERE>>>

Top 10 Fav Foods

2007-09-01T00:29:00.000-07:00

When accepting the task of narrowing my favorite foods to a field of 10, I, at first, thought it would be an easy one. But I must now admit that it is much more complicated that I had previously thought. There are foods that I like to prepare, foods that I like to snack on, foods that I prefer in a restaurant. So, narrowing it down to an overall list of 10 was difficult, but I was able to do it.

PASTA I love preparing pasta because it really allows my creative culinary juices to flow. All the different meats and vegetables and sauces that can be put into a pasta, and the myriad of combinations is the stuff, when discovered, of a life-long relationship. I like eating pasta out, but truth be told, I always prefer my own pasta.

To read about the other 9, you can get the complete article HERE>>>

The T for Tourists in Boston

2007-08-31T17:40:00.000-07:00

A common mistake that people make about the "T" in Boston is that it is limited to the subway. In fact, the nick-name "T" (from Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority), covers all methods of transportation offered by the authority, rail, bus, trackless trolley, subway, and boat.

In regards to the T's usefulness for the average traveler seeking to explore Boston's many sites of interest, the T is not nearly as useful as one might think.

First of all, the best way to get around Boston is by foot. Boston's leading tourist attraction is its Freedom Trail, and it's a strictly pedestrian experience.

Secondly, the stations on Boston's subway lines are deceptively close to each other. In the downtown area that interests tourists the most, subways stations are located one to three blocks from each other! In the five minutes you waste standing on a platform waiting for a subway train, you can probably walk to your destination.

To read my complete article at Helium, click HERE>>>

Pete Rose's Banishment

2007-08-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

What is frequently lost in the debate about Pete Rose is the fact that he was betting very large sums of money and doing so illegally. To put it another way, he was do business with people in Organized Crime, and he wasn't doing it anonymously. His bookie(s) knew that he was taking bets from the manager of the Cincinnati Reds! And to think that the bookie involved wasn't selling the information he received from Rose is nave. If Rose has a standing bet of $1000 on the Reds for every game, I could live with that and even excuse the fact that he was dealing with the kind of people that should be kept away from baseball. But that's not what Rose did; he bet heavily on the Reds sometimes, lightly at other times, and sometimes, he didn't bet at all. And Rose's betting patterns reverberated throughout the illicit betting world. They were the kind of inside tips that big-time gamblers dream of. If Pete Rose is not betting on his own team to win, the odds are pretty good that his team won't win. If Rose has placed a large wager on his team to win, odds are he's going to do everything in his power to see that his team wins. Whether Rose's betting pattern affected the way he did his job is probably a question that cannot be answered, but there is certainly an appearance that Rose was better motivated to win some games and not others.

So see my article at Helium, please click HERE>>>

The U.S. Sanctions Policy Against Cuba

2007-08-28T22:53:00.000-07:00

Today's U.S. sanctions policy against Cuba, as laid out in the Helms-Burton Act of 1996, clearly benefits wealthy corporations at the expense of the average American. Driven by special interest lobbyists, American policy in regards to Cuba is meant, at its root, to provide leverage for those large property owners in Cuba who lost their property as a result of Communist nationalization when they attempt to stake their restoration claims after the eventual fall of Castro's regime.

To read my complete article, click HERE>>>

G.W. After the White House

2007-08-26T22:23:00.000-07:00

When George W. Bush steps down from office in 2009, I can only imagine that, after eight years of performing the world's most difficult job, he would like to indulge in a very, very long vacation. Unfortunately, for him, in this day and age, that is impossible. His first piece of business will be his presidential library and museum. It will reportedly cost an estimated $500 million; and Mr. Bush's first order of business when he leaves the White House will be to raise that half billion. Only time will tell how easy or difficult that will prove to be. It's safe to say that much of it will depend on how loyal the President's "loyal followers" will be once he's left office.

To read my complete article, click HERE>>>

The Dead of Mt. Auburn

2007-08-25T19:11:00.000-07:00

When the old burying grounds in Boston and Cambridge starting closing due to overcrowding, an alternative site for burying the dead was sought and found on what was then the rural outskirts of Cambridge. The tastes of the day called for something more special, however, than a typical burying ground, and as a result, the concept of the "garden cemetery" was born. Opened in 1831, Mt. Auburn Cemetery quickly became the place of choice of the elite of Massachusetts to be interred.

To read my article about ten of the most famous, click HERE>>>

Fast Food

2007-08-25T03:22:00.000-07:00

For me, fast food has always held a duel attraction; it is food served up quickly and conveniently, but more importantly, it is food that feeds not just my hunger but a primal need to indulge in decadence. Jared trying to tell me that Subway sandwiches are good for me does not attract. McDonald's submitting to the trans fat police in the making of their fries disgusts me. Yes, I want my fast food fast, but I also want it to be a guilty pleasure which provides great pleasure and about which I feel no true guilt.

At the top of my list of favorite fast foods I have to place street vended sausage. In Prague it's called klobasa, and it's served on a small paper tray with a slice of bread and a dollop of mustard on the side. It's a perfect way to take a break from your work-a-day and indulge in the primeval pleasure of holding a piece of meat in your fingers, dipping it in a condiment and then chasing it with a bite of bread. Nobody knows how many calories are involved, the fat content, carbs, all of that stuff is unknown, and nobody cares.

To read my complete article, click HERE>>>

NFL + LA = ?

2007-08-24T14:42:00.000-07:00

The question isn't whether the NFL needs Los Angeles (it doesn't), but rather does Los Angeles need the NFL. Or really more to the point, does Los Angeles want the NFL?

No franchise will be allowed to move to L.A. in the foreseeable future, if for no other reason than the politics of building a proper professional football stadium in Southern California. The process would certainly take too long, and the people of California would not finance a stadium on speculation that a team might move there.

To read my complete article, click HERE>>>

Tough Jobs: NBA Referee

2007-08-23T19:26:00.000-07:00

One of the most difficult jobs in sports is refereeing an NBA game. There are the obvious demands and pressures that come from working in what is essentially a fishbowl. Like all game officials, NBA referees are subject to constant scrutiny and second-guessing, and only their mistakes get viewed on ESPN. And unlike their peers in football and baseball, NBA referees, due to the nature of the game, must work in much closer proximity of potentially hostile members of the crowd, as well as the benches. That said, there are basically three reasons which make working in the NBA as a referee an especially difficult job.

To read my complete article, click HERE>>>

Art Nouveau & Pilsner Urquell in Prague

2007-08-22T01:05:00.000-07:00

To experience a little bit of the Art Nouveau in Prague, the restaurant Kolkovna, located near the Old Town Square, is the perfect place. It not only features classic décor and classic Czech cuisine, it serves what is known as tankovna Pilsner Urquell beer, which is probably the best beer in the city.

Like most Czech restaurants, Kolkovna is much larger than it appears. Just walk right through the bar, and then you'll find the dining area. More importantly, however, its interior décor is a wonderful example of the Czech Art Nouveau style as set forth by the Czech artist Alfons Mucha. It is elegant, and at the same time, very comfortable.

To read my full review, click HERE>>>

Beckham's Impact in America

2007-08-21T01:51:00.000-07:00

I would like to think that the impact of David Beckham coming to America to play for the Los Angeles Galaxy would be beneficial enough to thrust professional soccer in America into the mainstream. But I'm afraid that that result is highly unlikely.

That said, David Beckham does, however, bring something to the MLS that it sorely needs, and that is celebrity. For the first time since the league's inception in 1996, the MLS has a player who has name recognition beyond the sports page. For the first time, an average American chosen at random on the street can actually name an active professional soccer player. David Beckham has, overnight, become the face of the MLS and soccer in America in general. And there is no way to underestimate the need for such a face, a face that soccer in America has not had since Pele.

To read my complete article, click HERE>>>

Beating the Photo Ticket System

2007-08-19T17:40:00.000-07:00

More and more municipalities throughout America and the world have relegated the enforcement of traffic laws to a system of automated cameras. But this system is not only far from perfect, it is full of holes (or loop holes, if you will). As a caveat, I would like to state that the following list of ten proven ways of beating the traffic cameras is specific to the state of Arizona, the camera methods used in Arizona, and the laws in the state of Arizona. If you live elsewhere, perhaps this list can send you in the right direction when doing your own investigation of the methods and laws in your home state.

Read 10 ways to beat the photo ticket system HERE>>>

The Berlitz Method

2007-08-18T22:13:00.000-07:00

The Berlitz approach to teaching foreign languages is nearly universally regarded as wrong-headed and out of date with what is known about how people learn and how the brain processes foreign languages.

In the beginning, Maximilian Berlitz, the recognized founder of the "Berlitz Method" was certainly ahead of his time. By happenstance, he hired a French language instructor for his school in Providence, RI without fully vetting his ability to speak English. As it turns out, Berlitz's new employee didn't speak a single word of English and proceeded to teach his lessons completely in French. Probably, the first immersion language course.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Czech Absinth: How to Drink It

2007-08-17T00:30:00.000-07:00

The Czech, or Bohemian, style of Absinth is different than the style made famous in Paris 100 years ago. First, it is spelled differently; there is no "e" at the end. Secondly, it contains no anise or fennel. And last, the method of drinking it is very different. For a step by step guide to drinking it, click HERE>>>

Doggie Bags in Europe?

2007-08-16T20:50:00.000-07:00

In my experience, the concept of a "doggie bag" is universal. I think only the name "doggie bag" may be a euphemism that only Americans use and may have a negative connotation elsewhere in the world. For more, READ HERE>>>

Museums in Phoenix

2007-08-15T23:01:00.000-07:00

Phoenix has many interesting museums, but there are a few major museums that visitors should know about before planning their trip to Arizona.

The most special, the "must-see" museum for any visitor to the area is the Heard Museum. Founded in 1929 by Dwight Heard, it is dedicated to preserving the expansive collection of Southwest Native American arts and crafts that he and his wife had collected during their lifetimes. The museum houses more than 30,000 works, but the most popular attraction is its collection of 500 Native American dolls. The museum also has an impressive collection of contemporary art by local Native Americans.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Tips for Travel in the States

2007-08-14T01:51:00.000-07:00

Traveling in the States need not be difficult, but there are some things that travelers from abroad should keep in mind.

American paper currency always confuses foreigners because all the denominations are the same size and mostly all the same color. Just remember that the numerical value of the bills is located in all four corners. What are called Bankomats in Europe are called ATMs in America.

For more tips, read HERE>>>

Problem with American Auto Industry?

2007-08-13T03:36:00.000-07:00

The problem with the US auto industry is quite easy to diagnose; but unfortunately not so easy to cure.

Let's compare the American operations of the world's two leading manufacturers, GM and Toyota. In 2005, GM, on average, lost $2331 per vehicle manufactured, whereas Toyota made a profit of $1488 per vehicle. So, the more cars GM sold, the more money they lost.

It takes GM 34.3 hours to produce a vehicle, start to finish. It takes Toyota 27.9 hours. (2005 numbers)

The average line worker at GM makes $31.35/hour; at Toyota they make $27.00/hour. (2005 numbers)

So, Toyota is paying less in payroll but getting greater production from what is ostensibly the same American workforce.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Legends in Prague

2007-08-12T01:55:00.000-07:00

If you're in Prague on a holiday, and you're looking for a familiar atmosphere to drink a beer, eat some food, and watch some sports from back home, you can do a lot worse than Legends Sports Bar, located just off of the Old Town Square in Prague.

The entrance can be a little easy to miss, and that is because Legends is one of Prague's underground restaurants. They usually have an A-frame out front listing the featured sporting events, and there is a sign, but to actually find the pub, you must go through the door, down a short hall way, then proceed down the stairs. That's where you'll find the actual entrance to Legends.

The décor in the main dining hall is modern and is wholly lacking in decoration. Aside from televisions. Many, many televisions. In the center, there is a very long table that is interestingly set at bar counter height and the seating is bar stools. For watching the games, these are the best seats. Around the walls, there is regular restaurant booth seating.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Guinness Draught

2007-08-11T03:23:00.000-07:00

The Guinness brand of beer was founded by Arthur Guinness at the St. James Gate Brewery in Dublin, Ireland in 1759. Inspired by the porter style of beer that was popular in 18th century England, Guinness created a beer in which the malt barley is roasted in a distinctive way that gives Guinness its dark color and unique taste. Guinness began to market its beer as a stout, and today, the name Guinness is largely synonymous with the style of stout.

Guinness Draught was created in 1959, and its complex texture and creamy head would ultimately make Guinness one of the most well known beers in the world. (Guinness Draught should not be confused with Guinness Extra Stout which is far more bitter and closer in taste to what beer drinkers drank in the 19th century.) Today, there are three types of Guinness Draught: the original Guinness Draught that is served on tap, Guinness Draught Cans, and Guinness Draught Bottles.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Cleveland: Rock & Roll and a Whole Lot More

2007-08-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

The Cleveland that inspired a thousand disparaging jokes, from a flammable river to a flammable mayor's wig, the city that was once called the "Mistake by the Lake," has moved on. Today, Cleveland has a nice blend of well-preserved history which nicely contrasts the new and modern Cleveland that has emerged over the last 15 years. For the traveler, Cleveland provides a fun and friendly atmosphere with a nice combination of sites that are thoroughly Cleveland.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Montreal's Biodôme

2007-08-09T22:33:00.000-07:00

Not too long ago, I had a chance to visit the Biodôme in Montreal. And while it is certainly less than advertised, the Biodôme is interesting all the same. It's a kind of zoo, but not quite so. Instead, it attempts to recreate four different world environments.

READ MORE HERE>>>

There's a New Duck in Town

2007-08-08T22:29:00.000-07:00

There's a new tour in Boston, whose vehicles have just started winding their way through Boston's streets and waterways, and it's called Boston Super Duck Tours. And no, it's no relation to the very popular and well known Boston Duck Tours; it's just yet another tour company that wishes exhibit the city of Boston and share the city's wealth with their visitors while trying to stake a share of the increasing tourist wealth in a city where competition for the tourist dollar has history of getting intense.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Holocaust Survivors Protest Czech Govt

2007-08-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

Various International organizations that protect Holocaust victims and survivors have resubmitted their complaints against the Czech government with Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolenek renewing their dismay that the Czech government has allowed a pig farm to stay in place on land that was once a Nazi internment camp for Romanies (colloquially known as Gypsies).

READ MORE HERE>>>

Czechs Angry with U.S. and Canada Over Visas

2007-08-06T17:17:00.000-07:00

When the Czech Republic joined the European Union in 2004, not many Czechs were very optimistic in regards to the United States and Canada changing their tourist visa requirement for Czech citizens at any time in the foreseeable future, but now three years later, the Czech people have become adamant that the U.S. and Canada change their policies or face retaliatory measures.

READ MORE HERE>>>

The Lion's Bar in Prague

2007-08-05T22:56:00.000-07:00

The Lion's Bar is not for everybody. That is to say that The Lion's Bar in Prague specifically caters to a specific clientele, and that clientele is British Sports fans and their mates. Or, to put it another way, The Lion's Bar is considered a "stag bar," whose clientele is almost completely comprised of visiting stags. Many pubs in Prague deny patronage to stag groups, so it is highly recommended that stag groups coming to Prague come with a full itinerary before arriving.

READ MORE HERE>>>

American Beer Tastes Like Water?

2007-08-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, American beer actually did taste pretty good. But because of Prohibition, WWII, and the need for corporate profits, all of that changed. To read about how, you can . . .

READ MORE HERE>>>

What a Writer's Office Needs

2007-08-03T11:07:00.000-07:00

Any writer who spends more time writing than they do in the bathroom needs a good space to write, a writer's office. And creating a good writer's office is really easier than you might think.

READ MORE HERE>>>

10 Fun Things to Do in Boston

2007-08-02T15:21:00.001-07:00

From the Freedom Trail and Boston Harbor to the Back Bay, Harvard Square, and Walden Pond, there are plenty of ways to have fun in Boston.

To read about 10 of them, click HERE>>>

Where is the Statue of Liberty?

2007-08-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

Where is the Statue of Liberty? No, it hasn't been moved. It's still in New York Harbor, but there has been considerable confusion as to whether the "great lady" is located within the borders of New York State or New Jersey. Citizens from both states claim her as their own, but only one side is correct.

READ MORE HERE>>>

ASU Prof Denied Tenue Due to Pregnancy

2007-07-31T21:03:00.000-07:00

When English professor Kathryn Milun first came to Tempe to teach at Arizona State University, she considered it her dream job, a great place to live, to work, and finally a great place to earn tenure, the thing all teachers secretly and not-so secretly yearn for. Job security, academic freedom, one can hardly blame them. Well, something happened to Professor Milun along the tenure track. Milun got pregnant. And as a result, she was not able to fulfill the necessary requirements to obtain tenure within the six-year time frame she was given when she first signed her contract at Arizona State.

READ MORE HERE>>>

My 3 Favorite Beers

2007-07-30T22:48:00.000-07:00

These are my three favorite beers, Guinness, Samuel Adams Boston Ale, and Pilsner Urquell.

To read more about them, please click HERE>>>

History of the Coffee Break

2007-07-29T12:34:00.001-07:00

The roots of the modern coffee break dates back a century when social reformers and labor leaders were attempting to introduce such workplace reforms as minimum wage and workers' compensation. Two of the reforms that were adopted were a mid-shift break and the creation break rooms where employees could get away from the job for a short while. At some point, employees starting using this break time to indulge in a cup of coffee, hence the popular contemporary term "coffee break."

READ MORE HERE>>>

Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus

2007-07-28T21:59:00.000-07:00

Alexander Lukashenko is the greatest living President in the world today. The President of Belarus, who won a landslide victory in 2006 to earn his third term in office, Lukashenko has proven to be a truly inspirational leader in the areas of democratic reform and national security, both in his own country and internationally.

To read more of this TONGUE in CHEEK piece of HUMOR, please click HERE>>>

Franz Kafka, a Prague Writer

2007-07-27T00:13:00.000-07:00

Franz Kafka was a novelist, whose major works are universally considered to be among the most important of the 20th century.

His novella "The Metamorphosis" and his novel "The Trial" are required reading at nearly every university.

When he died at the age of 40, however, Kafka was basically an unpublished author. Most of his work was never finished and not published until after his death.

Born in 1883 into a middle-class Jewish family in the Jewish ghetto of Prague at a time when Prague was an administrative outpost of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Kafka grew up speaking German in a city whose inhabitants mostly spoke Czech. This relationship, being a cultural and linguistic outsider in the city of his own birth, informs the sense of isolation and hopelessness that pervades his written work.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Famous People from Winnetka, IL

2007-07-26T13:15:00.000-07:00

Winnetka, Illinois, an affluent bedroom community located about twenty miles north of downtown Chicago, may be best known as the setting for the NBC television drama, Sisters, and for being one of director John Hughes’ favorite towns for location shooting (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Uncle Buck, The Breakfast Club, and Sixteen Candles were all shot in Winnetka), but Winnetka has also been the hometown of some very well known people.

READ MORE HERE>>>

A Neighborhood Guide to Prague

2007-07-25T01:50:00.000-07:00

The Czech capital city of Prague, like any older city, can best be described as being a mosaic whose parts are made up of its neighborhoods. Not every neighborhood in Prague is discussed here, but only the ones that a traveler may visit or an English speaking person might want to find home.

READ MORE HERE>>>

U.S.S. Cassin Young: WWII History in Boston

2007-07-24T09:46:00.000-07:00

Boston, Massachusetts is, of course, full of history, and any casual visitor to Boston can easily find Colonial history, Revolutionary history, as well as history from the Federal and Victorian periods of the 19^th century. But what may surprise you is the fact that Boston also has a strong World War II history, and it is best experienced by visiting the U.S.S. Cassin Young, which is docked at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston Harbor.

READ MORE HERE>>>

New York Beyond the Travel Guide

2007-07-23T09:24:00.000-07:00

As any visitor to New York knows, there is no shortage of things to see and do in New York City. From Times Square, to the Empire State Building, the great museums, the Statue of Liberty, and the Brooklyn Bridge, to name just a few, New York has a seemingly endless number of interesting sites. But for the traveler that has seen all the major sites, or maybe just for the traveler who wants to get away from the crowds of tourists, there are a lot of sites in New York that rarely make into the average travel guide.

READ MORE HERE>>>

The Best Tex-Mex in Boston

2007-07-22T05:31:00.000-07:00

When you're in downtown Boston, and you're looking for no frills Tex-Mex cuisine at very good prices, there's only one place to go, Fajitas & Ritas, located just one block from the famous Boston Common.

A popular destination for office workers who are not dining on the company expense account, local university students, frugal diners, and aficionados of Tex-Mex cuisine, Fajitas & Ritas doesn't bother with anything that is not important. Diners fill out their own order forms, individual napkins have been replaced by rolls of paper towels. The dining area is a mix of booths and tables that have seen better days. The décor is simple, and the lighting is dark. There is nothing extra.

READ MORE HERE>>>

American Cajun and Tex-Mex Cuisine in Prague

2007-07-21T09:34:00.000-07:00

If you're wandering the Center of Prague in search of a restaurant that resembles something like you'd expect to find in America, there is a place for you, Red Hot & Blues, located less than ten minutes from the Old Town Square by foot.

Like many restaurants in Prague, the size of the Red Hot & Blues is deceiving when first entering. In the first section of the restaurant, there is a bar and about a dozen tables. But simply keep walking around the bar, and you'll eventually find the real restaurant. You'll be surprised to see how large it is. The ambiance is very casual, almost thrown together. But it's very friendly and lacks any pretension. There's no need to feel self-conscience if you're not dressed in your best or if you're a little weary from sight-seeing.

READ MORE HERE>>>

How to Make Friends in Prague

2007-07-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

Some of the best memories that travelers have are those of times when they had a chance to meet some of the local people, spend some time with them and enjoy their company. In many places, this can be difficult, and the Czech Republic is one of those places. There are many reasons for the divide that exists between Czech people and tourists, but it is a divide that can be overcome. Below, I discuss three things a visitor can DO to meet Czech people in Prague.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Mistakes Visitors Make in Prague

2007-07-19T11:19:00.000-07:00

When visiting the Czech city of Prague, interacting with the locals can be a little frustrating. You not only have linguistic and cultural differences to overcome, there are unseen barriers. And it is these barriers that usually prove to torment the visitor. Here, I have provided you with three things you should NOT do and why.

READ HERE>>>

Skoda Auto Deals with Labor Issues

2007-07-18T00:06:00.001-07:00

As Americans are coming to grips with its declining auto industry and attempting to seriously debate the issues of immigration and labor, it is interesting to take a look at how a plucky little car company in the Czech Republic is managing to boost both sales and profits while also having to deal with an intense labor shortage. The name Skoda Auto is a familiar one in the United Kingdom and Europe in general, but in the U.S. it is a complete unknown. Located in Mlada Boleslav, about forty-five miles from the capital city of the Prague, Skoda manufactured its first car in 1905 and is presently a member of the Volkswagen Group.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Cambridge, MA; Harvard, MIT, & More

2007-07-17T00:10:00.000-07:00

Located across the Charles River from its better known neighbor Boston, Cambridge, Massachusetts, a city of about 100,000 people, has been diligently carving out and maintaining its own identity for almost 400 years. Known as "America's First College Town," and home to both Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge is truly a unique city with plenty of history, culture, refreshment and shopping for any traveler.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Montreal's Churches: Where Faith, Beauty, and History Meet

2007-07-16T02:21:00.000-07:00

One of the first things any visitor to Montreal notices is the literal plethora of its grand churches, cathedrals and basilicas. In the French language, Montreal has a nick-name, la ville aux cent clochers, which translates as "the city of a hundred bell-towers." American author and raconteur, Mark Twain once remarked of Montreal, "This is the first time I was ever in a city where you couldn't throw a brick without breaking a church window."

READ MORE HERE>>>

Vaclav Havel to Premier New Play

2007-07-15T02:26:00.000-07:00

It has just been recently announced that Vaclav Havel, the former President of Czechoslovakia and the Czech Republic will be returning to his first love, the theatre, for the first time in 18 years when a new play of his called Leaving will make its international debut sometime this year at a theatre in Prague that has yet to be determined.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Hotel Ostel: East German Nostalgia

2007-07-14T01:16:00.000-07:00

There's a new hotel in Berlin, Germany that not only offers the traveler a bed for the night, but a chance to experience a little time traveling. The Ostel is the latest effort by some former residents of the collapsed German Democratic Republic to take a nostalgic look at the Communist era and recapture some of the benign elements of life in communist East Germany.

Read about it HERE>>>

Recent Coyote Attack Highlights Problem

2007-07-13T01:08:00.000-07:00

The news in Arizona has been filling up with so many stories of coyote attacks over the course of the last couple of years that it's threatening to drop from the news because these attacks have nearly become a daily occurrence. One of the recent stories involved a dog named Lexy (yes, after the car). Lexy was being taken for a walk by its owner in a well-to-do residential area of Phoenix, when out of the blue, Lexy found itself in the grasp of a coyote and fighting for its life. Thankfully, Lexy's owner had Lexy on a leash and was able to pull Lexy away from coyote while threatening the coyote at the same time. Lexy survived the encounter in tact, if not battle scarred.

Read more about coyotes HERE>>>

The Homes of Nathanial Hawthorne

2007-07-12T01:04:00.000-07:00

Nathanial Hawthorne is generally considered the first truly great writer of literature in America. His novels such as The Scarlet Letter, The House of Seven Gables, The Blithesdale Romance, and The Marble Faun set the bar for 19^th century literature. Born in Salem, Massachusetts on July 4, 1804, Hawthorne lived most of his life in Massachusetts, and thankfully for the "literary tourist," four of the homes that Hawthorne lived in are today house museums open to the public.

Read about them HERE>>>

Literary Houses of Massachusetts

2007-07-11T00:58:00.000-07:00

Massachusetts is well known for it Revolutionary history, but it also has a strong literary history, and this history can be experienced by the literary traveler today by visiting the historic house museums of some of America's greatest writers. Briefly reviewed here are the homes of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Herman Melville, Edith Wharton, Emily Dickinson, and Nathaniel Hawthorne.

You can read about them HERE>>>

Literary House Museums of Concord, MA

2007-07-10T00:52:00.000-07:00

The city of Concord, Massachusetts boasts of the being the most historic city in America. Most people know of Concord's place in the American Revolutionary War, the Battle at the North Bridge and the Shot Heard Round the World. But what many people don't know is that Concord has an equally strong literary history. From Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau to Louisa May Alcott and Nathanial Hawthorne, Concord has been home to and has influenced some of the greatest writers in American letters. And fortunately, for us, their homes survive today and are open to the public.

Read about them HERE>>>

Arizona's Chase Park

2007-07-09T00:45:00.000-07:00

Chase Park in Phoenix, Arizona opened ten years ago and is the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball franchise. It is a "modern-traditional" ball park, a style that became popular after the success of Camden Yards in Baltimore. Chase Park, however, is unique because of the special challenges posed by playing baseball in the Arizona summer. And the best way to learn about it is to take a tour of the ballpark. They are given daily, year round.

You can read about the tour HERE>>>

Majerle Knows Sports Bars

2007-07-08T00:40:00.000-07:00

When you're in downtown Phoenix and you're looking for an affordable sports bar where you can watch the game, drink some beer, and perhaps have a burger or sandwich, Majerle's Sports Grill is probably the place for you. Located in the historic Fry Building (dating to 1891, it is the oldest commercial building in Phoenix) less than two blocks from the U.S. Airways Center, home to the Phoenix Suns basketball franchise, it is named for Dan Majerle, who played for the Phoenix Suns in the late 1980s-early 1990s and proved to be one of the Suns' most popular players. Majerle is today a part-time color commentator for the Phoenix Suns.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Sheriff Joe Arpaio Bans Inmate Mail

2007-07-07T00:35:00.000-07:00

Arizona's favorite sheriff, Phoenix's Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, has proven yet again that tough sheriffs can get even tougher. The self-proclaimed "America's Toughest Sheriff" and author of the self-congratulatory autobiography America's Toughest Sheriff: How We Can Win the War Against Crime, has recently decided that mail delivery is not only not a prisoner's right, it's not even a privilege.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Is Moscow the Most Expensive City?

2007-07-06T00:30:00.000-07:00

When I saw the headline I couldn't believe it. "Moscow Ranks As World's Priciest City." The AP dispatch begins like this, "Moscow is the world's most expensive city for the second year in a row, thanks to an appreciating ruble and rising housing costs, a new survey reports." I have yet to travel to Moscow, and while I have known that things are changing in Moscow, from what I've been reading, I would have never imagined that it could possibly be more expensive than New York or London or Tokyo.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Mozart Visits Prague

2007-07-05T00:25:00.000-07:00

Most casual listeners of Mozart know that he was from Salzburg, Austria, and that he moved to Vienna as a young man in order to pursue musical fame. But what most people don't know is that Mozart had a very special relationship with the city of Prague, Czech Republic. Beyond his well known Symphony No. 38, which is commonly called the Prague Symphony, and Mozart's famous quote, "The people of Prague understand me," Mozart always felt a kinship with the Bohemian people of Prague. This, despite the fact that Mozart only spent about 110 days of his life in Prague over the course of three visits.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Beer Drinkers Fear Sale of Budweiser Budvar

2007-07-04T00:12:00.000-07:00

Last week, the European Beer Consumers Union (EBCU) held a press conference to denounce the idea of privatizing the Czech state-owned brewery, Budejovicky Budvar, brewer of the popular export beer, Budweiser Budvar (Czechvar in the United States). Basically, their only argument was that they feared that the quality of the beer may suffer as a result. And why? Because the brewery will clearly be purchased by the American brewing giant Anheuser-Busch, brewer of the beer that much of the world knows as Budweiser, within in the next year or two. They offered no evidence as to why the quality would suffer as result of Anheuser-Busch purchasing the brewery. Only inference.

Read about it HERE>>>

Searching for Isabella at the Isabella Gardner Museum

2007-07-03T00:06:00.000-07:00

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts is one of the most unique art museums in the world. The museum, which contains nearly 3000 works of fine art from many of the world masters, was opened in 1903 and doubled as the private residence of Isabella Stewart Gardner, herself. The home was designed by her (with an architect), and each and every work of art was collected by her and located in the museum personally by her. The museum is her very personal gift to the world.

And a fun way to appreciate the personal side of the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum is to go in search of the " Isabellas," and other references to the name Isabella.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Two Churches From Revolutionary Boston

2007-07-02T23:57:00.000-07:00

Though sometimes confused by tourists visiting Boston, the Old North Church and the Old South Meeting House, despite their cosmetic similarities, cannot be more different. Their histories, architecture, and the roles these two churches played during the period of the American Revolution offer interesting insights to the conflict that would break out into war in 1775.

READ HERE>>>

Two Boston Churches by H. H. Richardson

2007-07-01T23:49:00.000-07:00

Henry Hobson Richardson is, without argument, one of the most important architects in American history, and in Boston, Massachusetts, there are two of his most historically significant churches, the Trinity Church on Copley Square and the nearby First Baptist Church.

You can read about them HERE>>>

Pivovarsky Dum: A Micro-Brew Pub that Serves Up Great Beer and Great Czech Cuisine

2007-06-30T23:44:00.000-07:00

If you're in Prague and you want to go just a little bit off the beaten path and experience a little bit of the local culture without getting completely lost in it, I would suggest visiting a place called Pivovarsky Dum. (It doesn't translate well, it's something like The Brewery House.) The beer is unique, but the food is purely Czech. It's conveniently located in the Nove Mesto section of Prague, one block from Karlovo Namesti (Charles Square).

READ MORE HERE>>>

10 Things You Should Know Before Visiting Prague

2007-06-29T23:17:00.002-07:00

Here are 10 things that any foreign visitor should know before visiting the Czech Republic.

JUST CLICK HERE>>>

Drinking in Prague

2007-06-28T01:48:00.001-07:00

No visit to the Czech Republic is complete without a visit to a traditional Czech pub, arguably the center of Czech social life. And to find out what you should know before sitting down in a pub in Prague, . . . click HERE>>>

History & More in Philadelphia

2007-06-27T09:26:00.000-07:00

Founded by William Penn in 1660, Philadelphia is one of the oldest cities in America. Known as the "City of Brotherly Love," Philadelphia has a long history of promoting personal freedom and is well known as a center of the American Revolution, having played host to many significant moments in the history American independence. Today, the city offers the visitor many opportunities to experience this history as well as providing a wealth of 19th history, sports, and contemporary food and drink.

You can read more HERE>>>

Milwaukee, More than Beer & Brats

2007-06-26T06:52:00.000-07:00

Milwaukee, a city of 1.7 million inhabitants, is a moderately large city that offers more than its fair share in regards to high quality tourist attractions, but at the same time, it can somehow maintain the regional charm of a small city. From its world class museums, to its Flemish Renaissance architecture and German heritage, Milwaukee is a city that likes its culture, but above all, likes its fun. You can read more HERE>>>

Famous People from Oak Park

2007-06-25T01:00:00.000-07:00

The village of Oak Park, Illinois has been the home to some of America's most successful people. Sharing a border with the city of Chicago, Oak Park was one of America's first fully developed suburbs, and historically has been considered one of the most beautiful suburbs in America. To find out who they are, read HERE>>>

Tucson, History in the Desert

2007-06-24T00:22:00.000-07:00

Tucson, located in the heart of Arizona's Sonora Desert is a surprising gem for any visitor, offering much more than its average of 350 days of annual sunshine. A city of about half million people, Tucson seamlessly blends its historic Spanish Colonial heritage with the modernity of the 20th Century. Home to the University of Arizona, Tucson is a much more cosmopolitan city than its size might indicate, offering a vast array of entertainments. You can read more HERE>>>

Music and History Meet in Austin

2007-06-23T00:11:00.000-07:00

Despite being the most interesting center of live music in the American southwest, as well as a being center of government, technology and education in Texas, the city of Austin seems to get easily forgotten by traveler. This mid-sized city (population: 1.2 million) per capita probably offers more culture and entertainment than any other city in Texas. You can read more HERE>>>

Texas Beyond the Travel Guide

2007-06-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

Texas is, of course, big and is home to countless of interesting and entertaining sites for the visitor. And nearly all of these sites have been admirably covered in tourist guidebooks and travel websites. But there is even more to Texas. Much more, but for now, we'll have to settle on this list of ten interesting sites that most Texas travel guides miss. You can see more HERE >>>

10 Things to Do in Boston for Free

2007-06-21T00:15:00.000-07:00

Boston is known as one of the most expensive cities in America and for good reason. But there is still a lot a traveler can do in Boston without spending a single dollar. For all the details, look HERE >>>

Boston's Freedom Trail

2007-06-20T00:01:00.000-07:00

There are many imitators in many cities all around the world, but Boston's Freedom Trail is the original. Created in 1951, it has evolved from crude signage leaned up again wooden horses to a line on the sidewalk painted red to what it is today, a red brick line. Contrary to popular belief, the Freedom Trail is not an historic path that some historic person traveled. It is instead merely a line on the sidewalks of Boston meant to guide visitors through the city's sometimes confusing streets. The Freedom Trail has sixteen official sites and is two and half miles long. You can read more HERE >>>

Zürich: Swiss Charm and History

2007-06-19T05:57:00.000-07:00

Zurich is a city of about 370,000 (there are approximately 1.3 million inhabitants in the canton of Zurich) and is the largest city in Switzerland. An internationally known world center of finance, Zurich is also a cultural hub, providing the nearly one million visitors who come to Zurich annually a unique combination of old world charm and new world sophistication.
Perhaps the first thing a visitor should know about Zurich is that the tram system is probably the best way to get around. There are nearly two dozen lines, and they overlap quite a bit, especially in the historic center, but they are clean, convenient, and punctual. If you remember the Matt Damon film, The Bourne Identity, Zurich's blue trams were featured in the movie. You can read more HERE >>>

Vienna: the Art, the Music, the Romance

2007-06-18T17:48:00.000-07:00

For the traveler looking for a crossroads of old world charm and 20th Century modernity, one need look no further than the Austrian capitol of Vienna. Today a cosmopolitan city of 1.7 million inhabitants, Vienna was, for four centuries, the capitol of the Hapsburg Dynasty or what some call the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Situated along the banks of the Danube river, Vienna is probably most famous for its musical heritage (the famous waltz The Blue Danube was named for Vienna's largest river) having been home to musical geniuses like Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Strauss, among many others. Vienna is also well known for being a center of the Jugendstil movement of the early 20th Century, best exemplified by the art of Gustav Klimt and architecture of Otto Wagner. You can read more HERE >>>

How to Get a TEFL Job

2007-06-17T04:18:00.000-07:00

Have you ever wanted to get away for a while? I mean, really away . . . a foreign country, for example. Have you ever wanted to live there and get a chance to meet the local people? Teaching English as a foreign language is a way to live abroad, pay your bills, and meet local people in a comfortable English speaking environment. It will never make you rich, but it's an experience that you'll never forget. You can read more about it HERE >>>

Interview With A Pub Manager In Prague

2007-06-16T04:10:00.000-07:00

Francis Foley is a manager at U Draka, a pub in the center of Prague, and I recently sat down with him over a beer to ask him twenty questions about what it's like being a pub manager in Prague. You can read the complete interview HERE >>>

Boston's Modern Skyscrapers

2007-06-15T03:55:00.000-07:00

The modern skyscrapers of Boston, Massachusetts are not the tallest, nor are they the most beautiful. But their stories do say a lot about the modern history of Boston, as well as America. You can read an interesting article about them HERE >>>

Boston's Early Skyscrapers

2007-06-14T03:39:00.000-07:00

Boston, Massachusetts, unlike New York or Chicago, is not a city well known for its skyscrapers, which unfortunately means that Boston's skyscrapers go largely unnoticed by both the casual observer and architectural expert. But if one were to take a little time to note some of Boston's early taller buildings, they would be pleasantly surprised by both their architecture and their history. Read more HERE >>>

Restaurace U Bulinu in Prague

2007-06-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

If you're in Prague, and you're looking for an authentic Czech dining experience at real Czech prices, in a conveniently located area, and free from the throng of tourists, you really can't go wrong with a restaurant called Restaurace U Bulinu in the Vinohrady section of Prague. I love their potato dishes, and a half liter of beer is only $1. A complete review is here.

King's Chapel in Boston

2007-06-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

The King’s Chapel is my favorite site on the Freedom Trail in Boston for several reasons. First of all, understanding the conflict surrounding the origins of the church helps one to understand that the American Revolution did not happen as a result of the Boston Tea Party. The divisions within American colonial society were more than a hundred years old before the tea was poured into Boston Harbor. Secondly, I like the King’s Chapel because it was able to rebound after the Revolutionary War and reinvent itself as America’s very first Unitarian Church. Third, I like the church because it was never finished. There’s no steeple on the tower. It’s a perpetual work in progress, much like America. Fourth, I firmly hold that its interior is the most elegant extant colonial era interior in New England. Fifth, the lunch time concert series that the church hosts is wonderful. And sixth, I like the fact that they’ve maintained their Anglican liturgy while pursuing a Christian Unitarian theology.

I’ve written a detailed article about the interior of the King's Chapel here