Is there EVER a United Airlines flight that:
is NOT packed to the gills? I’m surprised that they don’t sell the seats in the Lavatories…
AND
you can actually use your 500 mile upgrades??
None? I thought so. More from Beantown!
Beantown and the Red Eye
It reads like the City of Boston dealing with an downsized Cylon. More Cylon Cillyness (erm, Centurion) here.
I’m off to Boston on the red-eye. I get to attempt to sleep on the non-stop to DC (hope hope hope the plane is empty!) and then change planes to Boston Logan. So I’ll arrive somewhere around 0830.
I’ve never “done” Boston properly, like I’ve done many of my other destinations (HKG, NRT, SIN, et al). On my previous visits, I’ve always gone there to visit people I knew out there and these trips would often be short. So this trip, I’m staying at a hostel (the most EXPENSIVE hostel I’ve ever stayed at becuase Boston lodging is just THAT expensive), doing touristy stuff and (best of all), eating local speciality food!!
Thank goodness the heat wave that’s been baking the East Coast has finally broken…Pix and food coming soon!
Apparently I’m from Bowling Green, Kentucky…
according to the result of this silly quiz,
I’m a Chevrolet Corvette!
You’re a classic – powerful, athletic, and competitive. You’re all about winning the race and getting the job done. While you have a practical everyday side, you get wild when anyone pushes your pedal. You hate to lose, but you hardly ever do.
Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.
Bourdain in Beirut
Most people that know me know that I watch Anthony Bourdain’s show, No Reservations religiously. He’s also got a new book out and he’s doing a tour to promote it. Interview here.
There’s something cool about a chef who smokes and drinks too much and eats almost anything presented to him getting a travel show. If u dun have cable, not to worry. It’s on the iTunes Music Store too.
Anyway, he was in Beirut filming an episode of No Reservations when all hell broke loose. When he got back to the US, he did a webchat. It began with: “…cleaning out the minibar…” and continues with praise for the US Marines and disdain for the local Embassy.
Sounds about right…
Car Shopping (updated)
I’ve got a car. A Nissan SE-R. It’s getting old. 14 years old! And 155K miles on the clock.
If it were a kid, it would be going to high school now…
Anyhoo, I’ve always had a thing for sports cars. And cars that can go topless. Being raised in a 1966 Mustang convertible may have something to do widat. But living in San Francisco, a convertible is not always practical. But this is!
The best thing is that the Miata MX-5 is affordable to start with and this option is projected to be only US$2000 more! Not baaaad. Here’s more info from Mazda.
Except gotta wait until Spring 07! Then they’ll be the rush where the dealer markup is hella high. Then it’ll come down eventually. Maybe 2008. Of course, Alfa Romeo is supposed to be returning to the US by then…hmmm.
UPDATE: But, if you live in Japan, there’s no wait! Roy from Q-Taro.com is an avowed Roadster owner and he got to check out a Hardtop Roadster in the flesh! Lucky…
Mind the Gap
Here’s a page that’s fun (in an intellectual way) if you ever ridden the MTR, MRT, Eidan or the Tube. Because it’s important to under the linguistic background of those three little words…
“Mind The Gap”
It’s an old page and a lot of the links are dead, but if you are trying to learn Chinese, Putonghua or Japanese, this page can be helpful…
Mind Candy
It’s Sunday afternoon here and I’ve finished all my chores. Washed, claybarred, polished and waxed my horribly dirty car, did laundry, vacuummed, cleaned the bathroom and kitchen. Whew.
Guess it’s time for a mindless movie! I watched UltraViolet on DVD.
The acting was not that good and the story was not much better. Five things saved this movie. Milla Jovovich, great wire work, BMW motorcycles, Shanghai location shoots and Milla Jovovich. I wouldn’t have paid US$10 to see it in the theater, but it would’ve made a good in-flight movie.
Much better than that horribly-PC flick, Aeon Flux (the old animated shorts are MUCH better), that they’re showing ad-nauseam on most of the mainline carriers…
My LA, Cult Food #2
Before I continue, here’s a disclaimer:
These Cult Food postings are NOT RANKED! I’m just numbering them so you know how many there are. The fact that I write about these places is proof of their innate goodness…
Within 48 hours of my arrival at USC, I was initiated into the sacred rite of the Tommy’s Run. I think I remember how it was pitched to my virgin ears…
“It’s 0130 on a Wednesday night. Let’s go on a Tommy’s Run”
“OK”.
Yeah, like put a gun to my friggin’ head when it comes to late night eats…
Tommy’s is a family owned chain of burger stands that’s famous for good quality food and incredibly dangerous chili-cheeseburgers that melt through ordinary napkins so quickly that they provide paper towels instead. The stuff of LA legends.
“If you don’t see the Shack, Take it Back!”.
Now a word of warning. LA is the land of food knockoffs. Here you will find, Tomy’s, Big Tom’s, Tom’s and Tommy’s of Westwood. NONE of these are the original Tommy’s. Don’t eat at any of these if you want an authentic Tommyburger. I will not be held responsible for any kind of gastro-intestinal distress caused by these knockoffs. Look for the Shack and be happy.
And even though there are genuine Tommy’s restaurants all over the LA Basin, as far as I’m concerned, the only one to go to is on the corner of Beverly and Rampart in Downtown LA. It’s old school. It has two parking lots. There’s no place to sit. It’s open 24 hours. And it’s original. I’ve spent many late nights and early early mornings here raising my blood chili-cheese level. And my “big hunk o’ tomato” and “pickles” level too. Back then, I could do two at a time. Now, cant do so much anymore…
SC ROTCs would do the double time march here (it’s about 5 miles or so from SC), eat 2 or 3 apiece and then double time back (you want to be in the front of that formation). Investment bankers from Downtown, sorority girls from SC and locals just getting off from work would get indigestion together. On Saturday nights, the club and bar crowd come here after the clubs and bars closed. Gangbangers and LAPD would stand together, chowing down and shooting the breeze. Is this the beginning of whirled peas or what??
Yes, it tastes great! Mmmmm.
And if you’re really hardcore, you’ll wind up with Tommy’s fingers; the smell from the chili lingers on your hands for the rest of the night. And then you’re hungry AGAIN!
Tommy’s
2575 W. Beverly Blvd.
LA CA 90057
213-389-9060
My LA, Cult Food #1
I went back to University Park, (home of my alma mater and the Greatest Marching Band in the History of the Universe) Los Angeles during my last visit.
It’s changed a lot since I was a resident student here back in the day. For one thing, they’re building a new events center across the street from campus. Big lah! Used to have a parking lot there.
But no worries, because there’s new structures being built! But not everything is new and trendy. The old traditional stuff is still here. The 9-0. Traddie’s on campus. And Manny’s.
Um, it says Chano’s
OK, I don’t know why we always called it Manny’s when the name on the establishment, the signage, the drive thru and on our credit card bills always says “Chano’s”. I really don’t remember where the name came from. Can anyone refresh my memory as to why?
Manny’s Chano’s is a classy outdoorsy place in the vein of Tommy’s except Chano’s has outdoor seating. You walk up to the front of the shack, order, wait and then when your food is ready, take it over here to eat. There’s a good mix of people here, depending on what time of the day and year you are here.
Outdoor seating that Tommy’s dun have!
This place holds a lot of memories for Trojans of all stripes. Mostly of their “wake-up burrito” that to this day, I don’t know what it’s made of.
Nor do I WANT to know. Ever.
All I do know is that it is effective in the “hangover cure” category. I’ve been there late on weekend nights many times in the past eating here. On other days, I’m here for lunch ordering a “machaca Burrito, sour cream and mucho hot sauce“, por favor.
A machaca is spicy shredded beef, scrambled egg and beans cooked on the griddle hot and then tossed into a waiting tortilla. Then the hot sauce and sour cream (extras) are plopped on and then it’s wrapped up and handed over to you. Mmmmm. Hot mouthburning goodness!
Ready to eat lah! No other pix available cuz busy eating…
Chano’s Drive Inn
3000 S. Figueroa
LA CA 90007
213-747-3944
Coffee!
A gift from one of my frens who I got to visit on my trip. Thank ya!