Walking Ixus

If you spend time on flights that last more than 2 hours, noise cancelling headphones are in order.
You. Need. These. Trust me.
You will feel much better when you land because you won’t be tired out due to all the cabin/engine/crying baby noise that make up long hauls. Besides, it’s nice to be able to hear your iPod/Powerbook when you’re flying.
The gold standard are the Bose Quiet Comfort cans (headphones). They work great. Really great. And if I didn’t have to spend US$300 towards the plane ticket, I’d have a set. In other words, they’re the best out there and the price shows it.
As you go down in price, basically US$150 and below, there are many options from the major electronics manufacturers and others that range from almost as good as the Bose to “WTF? Does this work? Ripoffripoffripoff!”
My current set are these, the Sennheiser PXC-250. Despite the fact that the noise reduction unit is the size of a penlight and that they’re “over the ear” headphones, they sound great and filter out much of the rumbling of the treadmills and ellipticals at the gym. Until I get my butt on a plane, the gym is where I’ve been using these. These retail for US$150 but I was able to grab them on Ebay for US$80.
My previous set, Sony MDR-NC11 earbuds work better in some ways. You have three sets of earbud cushions that you use to create a seal in your ear canal. Once sealed, you can (not) hear the noise reduction work and your music. They worked great during my last two Asia trips. My gripe with these are that the earbuds are kind of big because of the noise reduction circuitry and if you move any faster than walking, the seal breaks in my ears.
I can honestly recommend any of the cans mentioned in this post because they work. I’ve owned two of them (only because the first are waaay outta my price range). And I’m pretty darned finicky!

Geez Louise!
Began pricing tix for the spring “get out of town before tax day/allergy season” trip. Tix to Singapore are US$850 for the first week of April!
What gives? Thought they WANTED ppl to fly!
OTOH, flights to Paris are US$500. If only that pesky Euro wasn’t so overvalued…

When I was in London last year, my favourite museum was the Imperial War Museum.
There was a lot of hardware there as well as a lot of well thought out exhibits.
I also visited the War Rooms, which are still in the condition that they were in when they were used for the last time in 1945.
Both museums give (rightly) Sir Winston Churchill due credit for saving Britain AND the world from the Nazi and Communist onslaughts.
His museum is now complete. Here’s a report on it. Here’s the official site. A WaPo article.
Now this is a reason to brave the horrible prices and exchange rate of the United Kingdom. To visit this place. And to respect the deeds of the great man.

Here’s a list of free wi-fi hotspots in Beijing. Considering how friggin’ big that city is, it’s good to have this list and a very accurate map to find things.
Also be savvy on how to connect yourself to the net. Chances are you ain’t gonna get any help to do it. Even if you need it!

Soooo the TSA has made yet another decree.
No lighters shall be brought on board an airplane.
This falls under the category of “annoyance” because I see the reasoning behind it. I just don’t like having to leave my trusty Dupont lighter at home when I’m heading overseas to meet with friends and to enjoy a cigar or five.
How is this going to be enforced? Where is the accountability (regarding sticky-fingered TSA inspectors)? And what happens if I’m in Paris or Seoul and I happen to purchase a Dupont? What happens then?
More questions than answers. That’s why it’s an annoyance…

The title of this post is some wisdom I picked up somewhere a while back.
Last Saturday, on a whim, myself and two friends decided to head up to the
Silver Oak Winery in Oakville (Napa Valley) for the 2000 Cabernet Sauvignon release party.
The party was the usual (big tent, a lot of people, good food) party Silver
Oak throws. It was pretty good. The 2000 grows on you after you have strong spicy meats.
After that event ended, we did what most locals wind up doing. We went to V. Sattui over in neighboring St. Helena.
V. Sattui has an impressive selection of cheeses and meats, keepsakes, t shirts, crackers, beverages and oh yeah, wine. The tastings involved 9 different wines, from chardonnay to port.
I’m not a white wine guy, I looove reds. But their whites weren’t bad.
Afterwards, we picked up some gorgonzola and goose pate and a bottle of 2004 Novello Rosso and relaxed on their picnic grounds.
Three guys, cigars and good food and wine.
That’s what California is all about. Then the sun went down. And it got cold. Then it was time to go home.
Oh yah, the meaning of the title of this post? Well, the weather was magnificent! Blue skies with some poofy clouds here and there. The Napa Valley was different shades of brown and green. It was at least 65 degrees out.
And I forgot the Ixus.
Awww crap!