Just... Like... Your Opinion... Man

Jeez - I'm Gone for a Month and Now The Russkies are Coming!

2008-08-14T12:30:00.008-05:00

So when are we airlifting Swayze and Sheen into Tblisi to take care of these Commie bastards already?

Not to make light of the situation - there's nothing funny about bombs being dropped on people - but, I'm having the strangest sense of deja vu from my childhood:

1. Nasty-grams sent amongst Russian and U.S. Officials: Check

2. Political demagoguery about "foreign oil", but doing zip about it: Check

3. Day-glo wearing hipster-douchebags (not the 1981 L.A. version, but the 2008 NYC version): Check

4. And then there's this atrocity:

But back to my two minute rant about our current Cold-War flashback. It is truly wondrous to watch how "surprised" everyone is acting about the Russian-Georgian conflict. Everyone on all sides knew this was coming, i.e. knew that:

- Russia had been poking at the Georgians for years now;

- Georgia had been poking back;

- Russia, flush with petro-cash, would soon become bold enough to not just poke, but punch;

- Georgia had co opted the U.S. enough, through its participation in the Iraq cluster-f*!k, to get a little uppity;

- Russia would accurately surmise that the U.S., because of the above noted cluster-f*!k and a desperate need to keep oil below $1000 a barrel, wasn't going to do much.

So my question is, if everyone in the foreign affairs world knew this was coming, why was there precious little done to avert it?

Well, that appears to be the most tangled web of all.

You could argue that this makes Russia a huge winner: the Mother Bear gets to flex her regional muscles, deter further NATO expansion, tighten her grip on C. Asia's energy supplies, and generally shove its way back on the global stage.

You could just as easily argue that Georgia will ultimately get what it wants - no, really. The U.S. now realizes it has to actively stick its nose into the Caucuses to ensure its interests in the BTC pipeline, Caspian oil/gas fields, etc. are secure; U.S. troops are showing up to conduct humanitarian relief, but may just end up being part of a "international peacekeeping force. thus Georgia gets the security it was looking for, but never going to get through NATO previously; plus Saakashvili now gets to look like a hero to his people.

What you can't argue is that this is good for the U.S. - we were completely played by both sides.

To all my peeps at State Dept. - keep your chins up! Someday you'll have people in charge who know what the hell they're doing!

Rant complete...

BEWARE: Your Food is Coming to Kill You During the 7th Inning Stretch

2008-07-24T14:37:00.014-05:00

The end of the world is nigh'! You need proof? The Seattle Times has it:

Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks?

Not in sections 311 and 312 at Safeco Field on Aug. 5 and Sept. 9. Those will be peanut-

controlled zones on those days, the Mariners announced this week, cleaned thoroughly

the night before and all peanut products will be banned on those games. Peanut products

will not be sold at nearby concession stands. Tickets will be $10 each for those days.

It is estimated 12 million people in the U.S. have food allergies, about one-quarter of

them children. The incidence of peanut allergies among children doubled over the five-

year period from 1997 to 2002, according to the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network.

And lest you think this is just some namby-pamby, overprotective, warm and fuzzy Seattle thing, the Cards and Twins have jumped on board as well.

So it's come to this: I may soon no longer have the simple pleasure of watching a ball-game and dumping piles of peanut shells on the guy sitting one row below me? How did this happen?!

Perhaps if we took a moment to look at our disinfected, anti-bacterial, synthetic clothed, poly-sorbate 60 filled, peanut oil fried, corn syrup drenched life-style, we might realize that a number of our technological "marvels" are no biting us in the proverbial ass1 No I do not profess to be an epidimiologist, allergist, or any other manner of "ist", so I have no evidence to back up my wild claims. But this is the Internet damnit, so facts be damned!

I'm just supremely sad for Mr. Peanut...

Jesse Jackson: Black-balled?

2008-07-10T20:50:00.010-05:00

New Jesse vs. Old Jesse

I'm not going to comment on the ridiculousness of this; the blathering talking heads "Will this help Obama with white folks?" / "Will Jesse be invited to the convention?" / "Was this a FOX News conspiracy?"; or the not-so-shocking nature of the comments, given Rev. Jackson's prior off-the-cuff remarks (Hymietown) and long-standing reputation of being a bit of an a#sh*l!.

This is just a reminder that before he became a caricature of himself, the good Reverend could deliver a powerful speech.

Buns and Guns in Beirut - Maybe Just a Little Too Soon?

2008-07-02T11:08:00.006-05:00

Just a few thoughts:

- Would it have a "drive thru" or a "drive by"?

- If you spill ketchup on the table, do they call a "medic" to clean it up?

- How would you determine if there was a "hostile workplace environment"?

So many more bad puns... so little space on the page...

Maybe this is a turning point of some sort? Gallows humor + crass materialism = people realizing the ridiculousness of blowing each other up for all of eternity?

I Wanted to Hate Nader For this Soooo Much

2008-06-30T21:14:00.002-05:00

In the interests of full disclosure, I voted Nader in 2000 (no, not in Florida; I voted in DC where my vote had all the import of an ice cube in the Sahara).

I've always respected his single-mindedness and willingness to speak truth to power. That said, when I saw the "he talks white" blurb posted all over the Net, I figured the old crank had finally gone over the cliff.

However... when you actually listen to what Ralph says, there's more than a drop of truth. I do get the sense that Obama does self censor and as impressive as his "small donor" fund-raising is, we all know that those aren't just auto mechanics and college kids sending in $20 a piece.

Say Hi to Uncle Dave for Me

2008-06-23T14:47:00.002-05:00

I will leave the sentimental bs eulogies to George Carlin for others. He was an ornery SOB and probably would have hated all of the glowing tributes being laid at his feet.

I'll simply say that I'm glad I got to see him perform before he passed, and I don't think I fully appreciated what a great riff this was when he performed it - but I sure do now.

A Clearly Horrible Person(?)

2008-06-20T10:50:00.003-05:00

Just to be clear "the truly horrible person" is this photo is apparently Scott McClellan.

Not that I don't think the man is a weasel on many levels - dude, nobody goes to work in the WhiteHouse press office as an "idealist", come off it already.

That said, listening to the esteemed Rep. Lamar Smith (R - TX), you'd think ol' Scottie-boy might just be the bastard love-child of Satan and Osama.

I seriously need to check out the constituents this guy represents. I know Austin falls in this district, so clearly they are not his target demographic, but who the f*@! would actually elect this jackass?

Sigh...

Can You Dig It? The Best New Utterly Useless and Thus Completely Necessary iPod Accessory

2008-06-16T21:55:00.004-05:00

In my continuing quest to be one of those annoying Apple evangelicals - yes I'm already scoping out the right people to bribe to get my hands on a 3G iPhone - I have come upon yet another cool-ass iPod product.

Thus, I give you.... "The Ghettopod Blaster"!!

(that's my politically un-correct nickname, mind you. They call it a "boom-box", but we know the deal)

Note: Does not come with cardboard square, headband, or cassette tape of EPMD's "Strictly Business"

Gotta go... time to hit up Netflix for "Do the Right Thing"

Hot Fun in the Summertime: Musical Edition

2008-06-10T07:57:00.004-05:00

Drumroll please... (sorry, no sound effects - you'll have to put on your imagination hat to hear the drums).

Its now time for my semi-annual, scientifically tested, completely un-biased, FDA-approved round-up of all things musical thus far in 2008.

Top Albums of 2008 thus far:

1. The Black Keys, Attack and Release

Strange Times

2. Death Cab for Cutie, Narrow Stairs

I Will Possess Your Heart

3. Opeth, Watershed

Porcelain Heart

4. Radiohead, In Rainbows (sort of 2008, if you don't count the on-line bit)

Jigsaw Falling Into Place

5. Del da Funky Homosapien, 11th Hour

Bubble Pop

6. Tokyo Police Club, Elephant Shell

In A Cave

7. The Roots, Rising Down

Get Busy

8. R.E.M., Accelerate

Supernatural Superserious

9. Cut Copy, In Ghost Colors

Lights and Music

Cheney to the American Public: Tough S*@!

2008-06-03T08:18:00.003-05:00

In the inimitable words of Jeff Spicoli: "You Dick!!"

This just came to mind as I listened to the replay of our VP at the National Press Club yesterday.

Here's the transcript.

Here's Dick expounding on the high esteem in which he holds the American public:

"That's... I suppose, one of the reasons we have limited terms, and why we go through that process every four years... entrust those you've elected to govern and hold them accountable at the next election."

I'd make this analogy to Dick's reasoning and see if it makes sense to you:

Say you go out and buy a car. The car maker and the dealer say its the safest, most reliable vehicle on the market. You buy it, take it home, and it seems to work reasonably well for about the first 10,000 miles. Then everything slowly but surely starts falling apart - the headlights stop working, the door sticks, the radiator starts leaking fluid.

You go back to the dealer and ask for repairs, and they tell you "Don't worry, it's all for the best, it will be o.k." You return home, and it just gets worse: the stater motor dies, the transmission starts grinding the gears, and finally the brakes start to fail. You go back to the dealer, call the car maker, yell and scream and their response is: "Tough S*@!. If you don't like it, you'll have to wait another 3 years and then you can return your broken down POS!"

Kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Promise - my next post will be all happy and shiny, full of dancing, singing kittens!

Celtics Suck!! Beat L.A.!! - It's Going to Be Glorious... Glorious I Say!!

2008-06-02T10:05:00.017-05:00

Got sidetracked from my earlier post tying together Agassi, Kobe, and McClellan. I have bigger fish to fry now.

This is it baby. the big smackdown. The David Stern "I swear my league isn't fixed but boy this will do wonders for the ratings" Ultimate Match-Up.

I've been waiting 22 years for this. Last time around, my buddy Farhad and I were dancing around in front of his TV putting voodoo curses on Dennis Johnson as he bricked a free throw.

It was baby skyhooks vs. the Hick from French Lick. Showtime vs. the "Ugliest Team Known to Man" (seriously - the current Celtics team is a freakin' GQ show compared the fugliness that hit the court in the 1980s):

No offense intended to DJ (R.I.P.) but he was the only normal looking one out there.

Now we've got

- Kobe vs. KG

- Phil vs. the ghost of Red (smoking chiba vs. smoking cigars).

- Nicholson vs. ??? an Affleck maybe? Someone please tell me who the celebrity Celts fans are these days; and no Tom Brady and his model o' the month do not count.

- Me vs. my girlfriend - you can claim to have loved the Lakers first hon, but as soon as you went Celtics green... there's no turning back. LakerNation will does not abide turncoats! (yep - I'll be spending a few nights on the couch with the cats)

Lakes vs. Celts

Let the smack fly!

Kobe, McClellan and Andre Agassi?

2008-05-30T20:53:00.009-05:00

Andre was right: image is everything

Aside from this giving me an excuse to track down one of the best examples of late 80s mulleterifficness, Andre's catchphrase is a useful starting point for thinking about our obsession with rehabilitating the "image" of our public figures.

Two extremely fresh examples of this:

Kobe Bryant and Scott McClellan are at two different points in long standing image rehabilitation campaigns. What I find interesting is that these two people with seemingly so little in common, aside from showing up on my various RSS feeds this morning, both find themselves being subjected to the age old question as to whether "good behavior" by those in the public eye is motivated by genuine contrition and understanding of prior wrongs, or simply shrewd manipulation of the media machine.

The ol' computer is dying a bit right now, so I'll be commenting on this point more por la manana. But check the two stories linked above and feel free to comment.

MMMMMM - more shmeat please

2008-05-22T08:35:00.007-05:00

A great series in the Washington Post looking at the various angles of the global food supply, intersection with energy costs, political instability, domestic politics, etc.

So as the world descends into turmoil, and a Whopper tops out at $8, a hungry nation turns its eyes to guys in white lab coats. And here's what they've come up with:

NPR asks: Shmeat - its whats for dinner?

Surging Optimism?

2008-05-20T08:53:00.005-05:00

A very well-reasoned piece from this month's Foreign Affairs laying out the continuing follies of our military and diplomatic strategy in Iraq. As laid out by Steven Simon, the Bush Administration's touting of the "troop surge" as the key to a stable Iraq

"fails to account for any sustainable plan for building a viable Iraqi state and may even have made such an outcome less likely -- by stoking the revanchist fantasies of Sunni tribes and pitting them against the central government. The recent short-term gains have thus come at the expense of the long-term goal of a stable, unitary Iraq."

If the anonymous Administration sources quoted in this piece are to be believed, the White House and DoD are once again ignoring the concerns of the career diplomats and foreign affairs experts at State and agencies regarding the medium and long term impacts of strengthening the Sunni tribal leaders without making strong efforts to encourage / demand their integration into the political process.

Looks like McCain's line about 100 years might not be too far off of the mark if we continue down this road...

And Now for Something Completely Stupid...

2008-05-19T20:01:00.003-05:00

Being the good Coen Bros geek that I am, I truly loved No Country for Old Men, moral ambiguity, Bardem wig freakiness, abrupt ending and all.

And this was truly my favorite scene... That said - this kind of puts the melodrama of the whole thing in perspective.

No Country For Gay Men from Lawrence Scaduto on Vimeo.

Immigrants Partying Hard!

2008-05-17T13:29:00.011-05:00

From Today's Washington Post

Detainees Drugged For Deportation

This is just plain ridiculous... are they seriously offering up "exciting travel opportunities" to nurses willing to drug people w/ psychotropics (ie Haldol) while they are shipped out of the country?

Mind you, I completely agree that if there is a safety issue (i.e. big, crazed dude flailing about and threatening to kill people) sedation might be appropriate, but this is just getting waaaay too Clockwork Orange to ignore.

Just another example of the "casual brutality" that seems to have infected our foreign relations of late.

Self Glorification V 2.0

2008-05-15T15:25:00.009-05:00

I just couldn't leave it be.

Deep down, in the darkest recesses of my soul, I knew that the world still cries out for yet another blog.

I hear it in the yearning, pleading voices of the children, the elderly, the mill workers, the veterans, the goat farmers, the fruitbats - o.k. this is devolving into a Python routine. Back to my point.

Suffice to say, Just...Your...Opinion...Man is back, because, well... because their are just too many odd, silly, maddening, and otherwise rantable goings on in the world. Someone's gotta bitch about them.

Of course I will strive to not be bitter and divisive, and occassionaly shed light on matters of import or at least amusement.

So there you have it. The beginnings of a new and... er... improved(?) blog from yours truly.

Let's see if I have the fortitude to sit down at the the keyboard on a regular basis and make this happen!

Just... Like... My... Opinions on Seeing the World

2007-09-06T17:18:00.000-05:00

During the last few years, and most certainly the past few months, I've had the opportunity to reflect at length about the the pluses and minuses, pleasures and pains, strikes and gutters, etc., of wandering the globe, whether for business, pleasure, or sheer nomadic instinct.

In particular, I've been struck by what I would call the "curiosity gap". Put another way, there is clearly a division, a fault-line if you will, between those of the human race with a curiosity about their fellow mankind, and those that may acknowledge the existence of "others", but appear to have little interest in any greater understanding. Thus the genesis of my little essay below:

This division struck me quite clearly just the other day during one of hundreds of encounters I've had with ninos de la calle (street kids) in Peru. A pair of 11 / 12 year old boys came up to me with the usual sale of gum, cigarettes, etc. I gave my usual prepared response (ya lo tengo - I already have it, no gracias nino - no thanks sonny, etc.)

But one kid was particularly inventive and gave me the line - "but you need good smelling breath for your girlfriend, right?" Now I had to applaud the creative sales pitch, so I said "of course, how stupid of me" and told him he made a good sale. Now is was thinking this is clearly a pretty quick kid, so I was curious:

"How many hours do you guys usually work out here?", I asked.

"Around 9 hours per day, normally - 6 days a week", the older one replied, nonplussed by my questions.

"Do your parents work?"

"Yes, both of them work, but we all work, the whole family. But me and my brother are going back to school next year."

"Hey, mister" the younger one asked "Where are you from - England right?"

"No way!", feigning hurt at being confused with a gin swilling Brit (no offense...) "from the U.S., Washington, DC"

"Cool", the older one said, "we have a cousin who lives in New York. Someday I'm going to visit him, and maybe go to other places too - like London, Germany, Tokyo. All those places where you tourists come from!"

At this point, some of my fellow travelers were giving my arm a yank to get going to our next destination, and I had given the kids their soles for gum and conversation, but as I was walking away, the one kid said "see you in America!" in damn good English.

Here's what I'm driving at:

You can travel the whole world and find hundreds of millions of kids just like this - smart kids, living in poverty, trying to find their way through each day, yet clearly possessing an extraordinary curiosity about the rest of the world. Now mind you, I understand that much of this is driven by sheer economics - if this was your situation, and you had an inkling of the "fabulous life" people lived in these far off, exotic places, of course you'd be curious.

But what strikes me as odd, is that the residents of these far off, exotic lands (like you and me) often have so little curiosity about the world beyond there borders (whether actual borders or socio-economic borders)

How is it that those of us with the means, the knowledge, and the time to become better acquainted with our fellow man are the first ones to put up the fence, build the wall, hide the kids, and hope that we don't ever have to encounter the "ugliness" of the "other"?

Again, I understand that rational interplay between "economics" and personal safety is at play here - we've got a lot, "they" have nothing, and we assume that if we seek "them" out, we will be robbed, beaten, killed, etc. or at least feel very guilty for thinking we will be robbed, beaten, killed, etc.

But once again, I don't think its that simple. I can see a clear line drawn between the kids in Lima, and a 12-year old in Pakistan chanting "Death to America", just as I can see a clear line drawn between a well-off Californian family who avoids, Mexican-food, Mexicans, and heaven forbid ever taking a few hours drive to the country on the other side of the border and the American family I met in Namibia who were in the midst of a 3 month back-packing trip through 5 African countries.

Its all a matter of curiosity trumping fear, tapping into what I always thought was one of mankind's better innate drives - the desire to explore.

The question I pose at the end of this little essay is: what kindles or kills that innate drive? Is it culture, education, opportunity, or something else?

I'd like to think that the more we ask these questions, the more we might encourage a little more curiosity in ourselves and about ourselves. One can only hope...

Well that's enough rumination for now. I'm off to do a little more exploring of my own, get to see a bit of the Amazon rain-forest (sadly, I think of this as an opportunity to see it before it's gone), and start prepping for my semi-triumphant return to the U.S.

Stay interested folks...

M

A Little Road Trip and Some Pics

2007-09-02T20:09:00.000-05:00

Chan Chan, Trujillo, Peru

I spent this weekend traveling to Trujillo, a mid-sized city in northern Peru - trying to track down some sun and pre-Columbian ruins.

Regarding the sun, I got almost a day and a half's worth! Even a pale-face like me is really happy to bask for a bit. I did most of my basking at Trujillo's Plaza de Armas, where I also got to do some people watching:

Plaza de Armas, Trujillo, Peru

Street Parade Supporting Earthquake Relief

Scary Clowns

Amazing Colonial Architecture

The hospedaje I stayed at in Trujillo was a trip unto itself - a vintage mansion that has been mostly restored to its former gaudy colonial glory:

Staircase that Would Have Seriously Bothered Mr. James Stewart

The Ridiculous Balcony and Patio

Can You Say Red-rum? The Hallway to My Room

After spending a day exploring Trujillo, and gorging once again cheap seafood (sudo langostinos - shrimp stew with spicy pepper - good s#*t) I met up with a couple of fellow travelers (a Brit and German who were both on the last legs of 4 month and year-long world travels - we Americans really don't do that enough) and headed out to check out the nightlife in Trujillo.

I can report that bands in Trujillo suffer the same problem of 99.9% of the other bands in the world - lousy, preening, uninspired lead vocals. Put it this way - if the band was JBs Soul Generals, the singer would have been Kenny Loggins.

My second day in Trujillo, I headed out on a tour of Chan Chan, the largest pre-Colombian (and pre-Incan) ruins in South America, covering over 14 hectares of desert, with 20 separate complexes, over 400 dwellings, and some truly impressive friezes. Although large portions of this adobe city have been word down by flooding and the ravages of huaqueros (grave robbers). The scale and scope is still quite awe-inspiring:

Arco Iris (Rainbow Temple) Near Chan Chan Site

Central Plaza at Chan Chan site - Only 1 of 20 sites are currently open to public. The rest are still being excavated.

Me and the Ruined "Fish-Net" Decorative Wall - Fish and the Ocean were sacred, and a common motif. Mmm - fish... aghhh...

Artesian Well Built and Maintained at Chan Chan. Pretty impressive engineering for the time.

Friezes

Wooden Idols Keeping Watch Over a Ceremonial Room

One of the local Peruvian Hairless Dogs, Keeping Guard and Looking Heroic - Where's your cape perrito?

Nos vemos

M

Part 1: La Alma de Un Pais Puede Encontrar en Las Mesas

2007-08-28T21:54:00.000-05:00

Poor Translation of - "The Soul of Country Can Be Found on Its Tables"

In case I never mentioned it before, or you've been hiding under a rock recently, you've probably heard someone wax poetic about the wonders of Peruvian food - delicate and refined ceviche bursting with the taste of the sea and tang of lime, a hearty and spicy criolla stew of aji de gallina, italian-style gelato made with the freshest tropical fruits of the Peruvian Amazon, Japanese-Peruvian sushi.

Recently I have made it a mini-mission of mine to test out the hype and see if Lima truly is the new "gastronomic capital of the Americas"

Favorite Cevicheria: Segundo Muelle

Segundo Muelle ("The Second Dock") is now a mini-chain of three exceptional cevicherias in Lima. Ceviche is a lunch-time ritual in Lima (apparently in the old days, you wouldn't eat it at night because the fish might be old and make you sick!) Although not a problem these days, ceviche is traditionally eaten in the afternoon, during a long, leisurely lunch if possible.

For the uninitiated, ceviche is simply fresh diced fish, shellfish or other seafood, in various combinations, "cooked" by marinating it in lime juice (with a little onion, spicy sauce, sweet potato and/or corn on the plate). Deceivingly simple, the best ceviche can be truly food-gasm inducing.

Segundo Muelle is a favorite of local Limenos, and I have no doubt why. My lunch at the sea-side Miraflores branch included tastes of ceviche mariscos (with scallops, mussels, squid, and sole) which were wonderfully sweet and briny and ceviche mixto (bonito, tuna, shellfish) was hearty yet delicate.

Top this off with a few expertly crafted Pisco sours, and a few hours slipped by in a haze of foodie bliss. Although quite pricey by Peruvian standards - my lunch ran a cool $28 with drinks and appetizer - this was perhaps one of the best seafood meals I've had in years and I challenge any of the finest restaurants in New York, London, LA, or Tokyo to top it.

Japanese With a Peruvian Twist: Osaka

Thanks to the strong Asian influence in Peru (over 50,000 Japanese-Peruvians, mostly in Lima, and nearly 200,000 1st and 2nd generation Chinese immigrants) a profusion of "Asian-Peruvian Fusion" food has taken root, both in Peru and abroad. However, "fusion" is usually a death-knell for a decent bite of sushi, sashimi or maki.

However, Osaka, located in the quiet yet trendy San Isidro neighborhood of Lima, managed to defy my prejudice against "Asian-fusion" cuisine. Led there my a local friend (Cristina - my tour guide for all things cool in Lima), I was blown away by the freshness of the fish - think Bay Area fresh for my Californians, the excellent presentation, and the subtle Andean touches that accented rather than overwhelmed the fish.

Of course this should be no surprise - sushi impresario Nobuyuki Matsuhisa (of Nobu fame) began his rise to fame, and his creative experiments with sushi traditions in Lima.

Particular favorites at Osaka were the norteno roll - a hand-roll mixing Peruvian sweet-potato and Japanese cucumber, whitefish and a lemon-creme sauce, and conchitas Tai - scallops in a red curry sauce with leek tempura. And of course, the true test of any sushi joint is its hamache nigri (yellow tail) and Osaka didn't disappoint, with buttery, sweet fish that I could talk about for days.

Throw in a few drinks and you will set yourself back a pretty penny, by Peruvian standards - $70 for two with drinks. But if you're going to seek out sushi with a local accent anywhere in the world, you really couldn't go wrong with Osaka.

Chicken Joint Coming to A Strip Mall Near You: Pardo's Chicken

Sure the U.S. has plenty of roasted, braised, bbq'd, etc. chicken joints. We've even had a massive growth in Latino-styled pollo a la brasa chains in recent years (think El Pollo Loco). And certainly, in most major cities with any sizable Latino population, you will find excellent mom-and-pop pollo a la brasa.

That said, if you have the chance to hit the Pardo's Chicken in NYC, or any other soon to open location in the US, I highly recommend it based on my taste-tests in Lima. Of course you may not get the ridiculously amazing view of the Pacific ocean that you get at the Larcomar shopping center in Miraflores, Lima. But I'd put money on the fact that the crispy, tender, spicy and juicy chicken you're going to get will be every bit as good.

And please, for God's sake - use the salsa de aji (hot yellow pepper sauce). It packs a punch, but adds a great sweet and earthy flavor that perfectly compliments the chicken.

So whether you're in Lima, Peru or the West Village in Manhattan, be sure to pop in on Pardo's before the rest of the world finds out how damn good it is.

That's all for now chicos - I'm off to catch some sun and pre-Incan culture in Trujillo this weekend, but I'll be sure to snap lots of pics for the blog - and more ruminations on food to come next week!

Hasta Proxima Semana

M

Charlie Kaufman did not Write "Eternal Sunshine" in Lima, Peru

2007-08-26T17:15:00.000-05:00

Because the phrase "eternal sunshine" falls under the same category here as "government ethics", "early to bed", and "courteous driver".

When even Brit travellers are bitching about the lack of sun, you know it's a serious issue.

By my count, I have seen that big, beautiful ball of blazing fire for a grand total of 4 hours since I arrived in Lima on August 7th.

Picture to remind myself what it looks like...

Well, here's the scientific explanation, for those weather geeks out there:

"The influence of cool, sea-surface temperatures associated with the south to north flow of the Humboldt or Peruvian Current combines with hot, dry Equatorial air from coastal deserts of Peru and Chile. Also important is the influence of strong atmospheric subsidence associated with a positionally stable, subtropical anticyclone. The result is a mild, uniform coastal climate with the regular formation of thick stratus cloud banks below 1000 m during the winter months.

Where coastal topography is low and flat, this stratus layer dissipates inward over broad areas with little biological impact, but where isolated mountains or steep coastal slopes intercept the clouds, a fog-zone develops with a stratus layer concentrated against the hillsides. These fogs, termed garúa in Peru and camanchaca in Chile, are the key to the extent and diversity of vegetation throughout the deserts of the western coast."

Unfortunately that diversity of vegetation does not apply to Lima, where the greatest impact of the garúa can be seen in the rustiness of the cars and the amazingly long time it takes for anything to dry!

The depressing daily view from roof of my apt.

Hasta chicos

Matt

Tales from the Crypt

2007-08-21T18:52:00.000-05:00

The pictures kind of say it all don't they?

But just so you know what you're looking at...

In Central Lima, Peru, there is a Franciscan Monastery - La Iglesia de San Francisco, which I paid a visit to yesterday.

Built between 1546 and 1672 it is purported to have been one of the most elaborate and ornate in the world during its heyday. It is still quite impressive:

However, in addition to its religious functions, the catacombs also served as the first commoner's cemetery of Lima, up until 1810. Thus, when you take a few steps down beneath the ornate wood, tile and gold walls and floors of the monestary, you enter another realm.

Dimly lit, claustrophobic brick passageways and rooms with a series of pits and wells lining them on either side. Each of these pits and/or wells are up to 15m deep - and most are still filled to the brim with skulls, femurs, and other assorted bone fragments, one body piled on top of another almost 45 feet deep.

Apparently, at some point, the caretakers decided to arrange some of the remains in geometric patters - as seen in the pictures above. The guides, as best as I could understand, weren't sure when this practice began. I put my money on a monk who either a) knew a good tourist photo op when he saw one, or b) had some OCD issues and a lot of time on his hands.

Needless to say, I did not necessarily rest easy last night - funny how being underground, surrounded by a few tons of skeletal remains will do that to you.

Ciao for now...

Matt

A few pics from inside and outside

2007-08-19T01:52:00.000-05:00

Here's a few shots of my apartment, the Huaca Pucllana (pre-Incan ruins in Lima) and the view from the precipios (cliffs) of Lima:

My expansive dining area

The office / music room / place to pass out

Where all the "magic" happens ("magic" meaning me falling asleep drooling on my pillow)

The pre-Incan temple of Huaca Pucllana in Lima - Absolutely massive!

The "biblioteca" technique of building walls - looks like library books

The "view" from the top of the temple - kind of ugly, but shows you how big the complex is

The cliffs of Miraflores - looks exactly like a cross between Santa Monica and Palos Verdes (for my SoCal brethern)

Paragliding over the cliffs - I was going to give it a shot, but ended up looking a little tame for
my tastes (Maybe if they shot flaming arrows at you... that would do it!)

More tomorrow!

Hasta

Matt

Peru Earthquake Relief Fund

2007-08-16T15:08:00.001-05:00

For those of you who visited this wonderful country last year for our friend's wedding, you know both what a special place it is, but also how difficult life may be for many of its citizens.

Unfortunately, life has just been made all the more difficult due to the massive quake near Ica in the southern desert.

For those who have yet to visit this unique place, I encourage you not to be scared off by the news reports. The majority of the country remains unaffected by the quake, almost all of the popular (and less popular) areas to visit are open, and of course, your tourist dollars will be most appreciated.

I am encouraging everyone who can spare a little cash to donate it through OxFam (generally well-regarded, non-religiously affiliated charity) as they have an extensive operation set up in Peru.

Go here: OxFam Peru Earthquake Donations

Mil gracias y saludos

Matt

Shakin' That A#@ - Show Em' What Ya Workin' Wit

2007-08-15T21:52:00.000-05:00

Tranquile' dudes and dudettes - everything is ok in Miraflores, Lima. In case you missed it, there was a 7.9 earthquake off the coast of southern Peru earlier this evening, about 90 miles south of Lima.

Now in my experience as a Los Angeleno, 7.9 is wrath-of-god type stuff - freeways falling down, sand liquifying, the Dodgers winning a playoff game (sorry, wining any game). But strangely enough, I was just sitting in a cafe sipping a cappucino con crema when it hit - and I barely noticed it!

There was a little rolling and rockin' and that was it... and I went back to my coffee. However, the locals seemed verrry nervous - I was informed that the history of earthquakes in Peru has been extremely bad. As recently as the 1990s, entire towns were wiped out. So I guess I get it - I'm just a jaded California.

Anyhow, it appears the Lima was relatively unscathed, although some of the poorer neighborhoods have reported power outages, scattered fires, minor damage.

Hoepfully we will remain tsunami free as well...

I'll check back in with further reports.

Tiene cuidado chicos y chicas.

10 Things You May Not Know

2007-08-12T13:04:00.000-05:00

- The Spanish word for "plunger" is embolo. A very useful word indeed.

- Peruvian taxi drivers are very closely related to fruit bats. Similar methods of navigation are used, I think.

- Do not make Sendero Luminoso jokes. This is just plain stupid and insensitive.

- Singing karaoke with a live band in Peru may generate an audience of 300 or so people.

- Singing Sublime's "What I Got" may thin the crowd somewhat.

- Singing "My Way" with a Peruvian dude at 4am will definitely empty the seats.

- If your wife is a Cubana, do not piss her off , she may take the car and leave you with a slightly inebriated American guy.

- Vendors selling fresh paltas (jungle avocados) y choclo con queso (roasted giant corn with cheese) are my new heroes. Hope I can find some guys in DC - 16th St. maybe?

- The signs at the airport in Lima telling you not to sell your children are there for a reason!

- My name has changed once again, to "blanquito"

Lima, Peru: Tocado de la Cabeza... Off on Another Damn Fool Crusade?

2007-08-08T16:12:00.000-05:00

Yep, that's right, the long drought of blogging is over now that I'm semi-comfortably situated in my apartment in Lima, Peru.

It's cloudy and grey, as usual, in Lima, which is appropriate given the cloudiness of my language skills right now. Tourist Spanish is one thing, but trying to negotiate payment of my rent in multiple installments with the apartment owner's Peruvian mother-in-law... whole nuther' ballgame.

Anyhow, I'll be here for the next 6 weeks, working on some anti-corruption research (who knows, maybe I'll decide to write a paper - I hear many of the more respected law journals will be running low on kindling this winter!).

I will also be busy studying at a language school trying to rapidly put a stop to the aforementioned atrocities I have been committing against the Spanish language.

And last, but certainly not least, I hope to find time to see more of this beautiful country. Suggestions are welcome (as long as they aren't of the "how about a long walk off of a steep cliff.." - I've tried that... bit bumpy at the end).

All in all - should be an interesting time.

hasta

See You Down in California Bay...

2007-07-24T19:34:00.000-05:00

Yes.. greetings from sunny, SoCal, where the weather's hot, and the mayor's even mas caliente (at least that's what the papers say)

LA's alcalde Antonio Villaraigosa and his financial femme fatale Mirthala Salinas

Hope he's getting some good advice on how to structure his investments once half of them disappear in a cloud of depositions, tax bills, and settlement agreements.

Meanwhile, the other BIG news round here is the sad, sad tale of Miss Lohan.

As Homer might say.... "DUI'OH"

Oh, how I wish I could have been a fly on the wall of the squad car that picked her up - I hope the officers had a little bit of fun...

"So, Miss.... Lohan, is it?"

"You seemed to have spilled a bunch of sugar all over the floor, can we help you clean that up?"

"Oh, and your ankle seems to be making strange noises, you should really get that looked at, you might have pulled a muscle or something!"

So, that pretty much covers what people are paying attention to in LA.

As a famously weird little rock singer once said...
"Learn to Swim"

Looking forward to getting back to normalcy inside the Beltway... wait, did I actually just say that?

Debriefing and on to the Next Mission

2007-07-16T08:44:00.000-05:00

What I Learned During My Summer Vacation:

- Saddam Hussein is not, in fact, alive and living in the Namibian desert.

- Mentioning the words "anti-corruption" to the man on the street in Africa is a great way to get someone to ask if you are a comedian by trade.

- High-school kids should, absent some sort of qualifying exam, no longer be allowed any vacation time, or generally let out of the house.

- There is such thing as bad Cuban food, it lives in Windhoek, Namibia, and it involves "salami" ; 'nuff said.

- Animals you see at the zoo also make for excellent eating - "Mommy, mommy - can we take a zebra home for dinner?!"

- Despite advertising to the contrary, Jaegermeister is not, "the house wine".

- Sand is abrasive...

- Namibian Germans are even more abrasive.

- Hyenas will eat your face.

Now off to begin writing my reports, holding my meetings, and sorting out the useful bits from my work in Namibia - hopefully it will lead to some future anti-corruption efforts there, but we'll have to see.

Next up - prepping for part II of the summer globe trotting, to Lima, Peru.

over and out...

From Arandis to Zebra - A Few Very Busy Days in Namibia: Part 2

2007-07-12T10:54:00.000-05:00

In a wild and radical change from earlier posts, I will refrain from attempts at witty and insightful commentary and just show you a selection of great pictures I was able to take in Namibia's Etosha National Park:

A really nice sunset pic across the savannah on our first night in the park

A lone jackal. Look like cute little dogs till they're
running through your camp in packs and howling.

A rare sighting of a spotted hyena on the prowl.

The oryx - national animal of Namibia, and just damn
cool looking.

Giraffes were everywhere we looked. Course, they're hard to miss.

I swear this gal was smiling for the camera.

Zebras cooling off at the watering hole

The Kudu

And finally, I give you... the elephants on parade

I called these guys "Norm" and "Cliff" - they showed up for a drink long before everyone else

A little family photo

The Whole Committee - You know its a special moment
when even the guide was snapping pictures

The tour group at the edge of the Etosha Pan (4000 sq km of flat salt desert)

Other pictures will be available in the near future I hope.

So now, back to work for the rest of the week. Hope to have a few more interesting dispatches from the field.

From Arandis to Zebra - A Few Very Busy Days in Namibia: Part 1

2007-07-12T09:32:00.000-05:00

Now that the satellite is back in orbit, stars aligned, technology gods appeased, etc., I can catch everyone up on my very brief tour of some Namibian hotspots Friday through Wednesday.

First it was a trip to the coast and Namib desert in Swakopmund (Swakop if you're into the whole brevity thing...).

A few things to know about Swakop:

- It is on the edge of the oldest desert in the world, the Namib
- It is the “adventure sports capital of Africa” (at least that's what the brochures say)
- It is verrrrry German

So here's what I did:

A 5 hour combi-ride from Windhoek to Swakop. Anyone who has ridden combis from Lima, to Accra, to Delhi know what this is all about – cram about 15 people in to a VW van, drive like a twitchy poodle on crack, and hope no person, animal, or pothole gets in the way.

Side note on the trip. About 1 hour outside of Swakop, in the absolute middle of the desert, the driver takes a little detour to drop a local off in a tiny town called Arandis. As we pull up, I see three things:

1.A busted-up, vaguely military looking jeep, with what appeared to be a mount that you would put a heavy machine gun on;

2.A few small building with Arabic writing on them; and...

3.An enormous mural depicting, the late, not-so-great Saddam Hussein in all of his mustachioed, beret-wearing glory.

Needless to say, I had two immediate reactions – laughter followed by a brief sense of dread. Not that I really though that I had been taken to a den of Sunni insurgents in the middle of the Namibian desert to be held for ransom, but hey its a weird world out there. Inshallah, we pulled away without incident, but after getting confused looks by the locals when I asked, essentially, “WTF?”, I was left wondering what was going on.

So after my long trip to Swakop, here's how I spent my time:

- Hiking through some of the most spectacular sand-dunes I could possible imagine. Words can't quite capture it, so here's some pics:

My attempt at artistry...

Wow...

Is it just me or does that look like Mos Eisley in the distance?

Obligatory shot to prove I was actually there

And ending with a walk down to the ocean. There is truly something about the sunlight in Africa.

- Sliding down said dunes on both a piece of wallboard and an honest-to-god snowboard, in the Swakop tradition of “sandboarding”. Here's a few pics (with a few truly spectacular wipe-outs to be subsequently emailed to me by the very nice guides):

Preparing to begin our day of sliding to the bottom and
walking to the top... so naive and foolish

- Being talked into tandem-skydiving by a particularly amusing group of college students from Emory U. No pics from the free-fall, but here's an idea of what the dune sea looks like from 10000 feet:

Slightly digitally enhanced, but not much. Again - wow...

I finished off my weekend, by nearly getting pummeled by some less than polite German Namibians when I asked, not-so-innocently, if they knew the back-story to the Bob Marley song “Buffalo Soldier” that they were loudly singing along to (and mocking the local staff about). I know, sometimes I should keep my mouth shut...

Finally, I ended up having far too many shots of particularly ugly tasting “Jaeger Bombs” with a group of scary-looking, shaved-head S. African gents, who it turned out... were in town as extras in the HBO Films production of “Generation Kill” - about the Iraq War! Thus, Saddam poster explained, and I can return to Washington to let the DOD know there's no need to cruise missile Arandis, Namibia anytime soon.

Next up, some hot animal-on-animal action from Etosha National Park...

Highly Slow and Questionable Internet Connection - So No Pics Right Now

2007-07-07T12:37:00.000-05:00

Something about a satellite falling out of orbit??? At least that's been the rumor going round the country. Thus, no new posts with pictures this past week. Perhaps tomorrow? Suffice to say its been a busy week:

- Spent two days observing the high treason trial currently ongoing in the Namibian Supreme Court. Then poof - a two week adjournement. I have been afforded every courtesy by all parties to the case, and yet, I had the distinct, and not too surprising sense, that they didn't particularly love having me there (perhaps the reason the adjournment timing perfectly coincided with my date to return to the U.S.? or am I just paranoid?) Thus, I moved on to other business...

- A few days of meetings and running around hunting down legal texts as part of the World Bank Doing Business Project, specifically, assessing their current anti-corruption legislation, governmental bodies, and practices. I've also been asking the man on the street a bit about this matter - needless to say, the opinions of the citizenry and the govenrment differ somewhat on this point!

- Today one hell of a vacation day - sandboarding the dunes of the Namib desert, and then shortly after, jumping out of a plane above it all. Fingers crossed that pictures will be posted soon!

Off to eat some antelope now (I look forward to a week of eating salads when I return!).

Katatura – A Complicated Relationship

2007-07-01T12:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I visited Katatura, the former designated “black township” during S. African rule of Namibia (note that Katatura is the “new township”; the old township, known as "Old Location", was taken over by Afrikaners in the 1960s when the government forcibly moved the population to Katatura).

Now Katatura is considered a suburb of Windhoek, with nearly 1/3 of Windhoek's residents calling it home.

My guides Nesi and Ricky spent the day taking me around various areas of Katatura and giving me a bit of a history and sociology lesson. What a learned and a few thoughts:

Me and Nesi outside Mama Mabel's Goats Head Restaurant – yes that's what they serve, and yes its actually not bad!

Nearly all black Africans in Windhoek area have relatives who still live in Katatura; surprisingly, many of their children have not moved away, but have in fact made their fortunes as professionals and built new, modern homes in Katatura.

During apartheid, the main ethnic groups, Ovambo, Damara, Herero, were required to live in separate areas. To this day, some of the older houses still have, O, D, H, etc. painted on the door.

Herero Women in Katatura

Interesting point Nesi made was that almost everyone of his generation was sent out of the country during “The Struggle”, from the 60s through the 80s, most to communist countries who were supporting SWAPO, then the rebels, now the ruling party. That would explain this:

Vive Castro!

Katatura is not quite what I expected. Having seen other “informal settlements”, this one stood out for a few reasons:

No garbage in the streets whatsoever

Paved roads throughout almost the entire area

Running water and electricity, though sometimes in creative ways :)

All in one: The bar and outhouse combo - brilliant!

Greenery and gardens!

Dont' know what these are, but they're everywhere - even in Katatura

Ricky explained the relative prosperity as being a result, in some ways, of the apartheid system:

“Because they kept us separate they felt comfortable in investing in their city, unlike the French in W. Africa, and also recognized the need to “appease” the blacks by providing some basic services. So even though we suffered greatly, especially our parents, now the SWAPO government and the people are benefiting from the infrastructure and economy that grew during the apartheid era – it is a very complicated relationship.”

Tomorrow I begin my observation of the Caprivi secession trial for Lawyers Without Borders, so probably no new posts till later this week.

Day 1 in Windhoek - Already Surprised,

2007-06-29T09:16:00.000-05:00

Not counting the lost day yesterday (2 straight baby-filled, red-eye flights, jet lag, and a few scotch and sodas pretty much killed off Thursday) today was my first open-eyed look at Windhoek, Namibia.

A few impressions:

- The scenery is very familiar in some ways - looks like Santa Monica mountains during a drought.

View From My Hotel

- Windhoek was, as expected, quite prosperous, yet I was pleasantly surprised to see it is not quite as "townshipized", a la S. Africa, as I expected. That said, there is a large township, Katutura, just outside of the center city that I will visit this weekend, so I may have a different perspective then.

- Also a very diverse place (I don't think you'd see this in too many other cities in Africa)

The Windhoek LGBT festival gets going

- The city is absolutely full of drunken S. African and British school-kids on holiday. Good news is that I am not "the ugly American" (relatively speaking), bad news is that the Queen's hordes have invaded my hotel. I will try not to make snide comments, I promise (oops, already did)

Alas, my wanderings through the city confirmed that I need to get out into the "veld" ASAP; although Windhoek is a great example of a well functioning, multi-racial African city, which is a great thing to behold, it is sadly.... quite dull. Hope my next round of posts will hold greater excitement!

Things to Do in London on a 12 hour Layover...

2007-06-27T11:30:00.000-05:00

1. Take a nap on the grass in Hyde Park

2. Complain about all of the American tourists to other American tourists

3. Listen to people celebrate the departure of Tony the Tiger.

Personally, I think the accusations against Blair of being a "sell-out" are a bit silly. After all, he has been remarkably consistent in his support of interventionist US policy, whether by Bubba (Kosovo) or Dubya (Iraq). He didn't "sell-out", he's always had a bit of a messiah complex when it comes to "unfortunates of the planet" which dovetailed nicely with both Clinton and Bush. Hence, his new appointment:

Blair Becomes Middle East Envoy

4. Have, in my entirely un-informed opinion, the best lamb curry ever, HERE:

New Tayyabs - East London

Sure someone else found it first, and there were, sadly, a few questioning looks from two patrons when they heard an American accent, but damn if I didn't almost cry, it was so good - of course that also could have been the pepper...

Other suggestions are welcome. Now, off to Africa...

Dispatches from the Beltway - By George, there Were Happy Slaves At Mount Vernon!

2007-06-17T20:47:00.000-05:00

"Hi my name is Eve! I was owned by George and Martha Washington. I worked long hard days in the fields and in the kitchen with my Mama. But I loved Saturdays, where I could play with the owner's children and other slaves, and we had sing-alongs and played hand-clap games..." Paraphrasing the "story" of "Eve", the name of the "slave doll" on sale at the Mount Vernon, VA gift shop for $12.95.

Looked alot like this:

See, I haven't even travelled outside of my metropolitan area, and already, I feel like I'm in a foreign country. Yeesh!!! Nothing against the sons and daughters of the South, but seriously, this is just plain wrong...

And thus it begins

2007-06-10T20:28:00.000-05:00

The World Tour that is...

The office is cleaned out, apartment in Jersey abandoned (Jersey, I hardly knew ya), storage unit procured, piggy bank cracked open.

So lets go through the checklist:

- Vaccinations and non-psychosis inducing malaria pills; CHECK

- Short-term apartment in Lima that does not advertise that it is "perfect for the gentlmen seeking to entertain the lovely ladies of Miraflores"; CHECK

- Figuring out what a SIM card actually does (apparently it does not allow me to simulate interest in a conversation, but merely allows me to do so without international roaming charges. disappointing); STILL WORKING ON IT

All painful attempts at humor aside, beginning in just a few short weeks, I will be flying off to Namibia to participate in a volunteer international legal observation program with Lawyers Without Borders. http://www.lwob.org/.

After that, I'll be spending some time shuttling back and forth between DC and NYC and then off to Peru y otros paises de America Sur desde Septiembre (feel free to start commenting on the atrocious Spanish now - I find brutal, unyielding criticism to be an effective learning tool - and yes I am stealing freely from Judd Apatow with that thought)

Needless to say, my my state of mind is wobbling amongst fear, joy, amusement, with a dash of pride. Pride comes up when I get to tell people I quit my job and am travelling the globe. Sure it's not entirely true, but I say let the haters have their day. I'm sure I'll be coming to some of them for job references, so might as well play along right?

For now - here's a little "Where in the World is Matt?" visual for you: