Wondering out loud

And now from the political news desk, Me.
This may be a one-off post, as politics isn't usually something I dabble in; and I warn you there is controversy ahead (yes really) which is why it may be the first and last post. However now for the news...

Sarah Palin, the new deputy for John McCain is almost a Republican dream-boat:

• Miss congeniality at a beauty pageant
• Married to pro sports person
• One child in the army
• One child disabled
• Member of the NRA
• Anti-abortion
• Pro death penalty

If it wasn't for daughter Bristol things would be hunky-dory (this should test her anti-abortion stance at least). http://www.stuff.co.nz/4677901a12.html
(was that controversial?)

But it isn't abortion or lack thereof that I'm questioning, that issue is infinitely large and emotive and I'm not qualified to comment.
(safe here)

My question is purely based on logic (Vulcan's beware):
How can you support the death penalty, yet not support abortion?
(hey, that sounded controversial)

Abortion - noun - "any of various surgical methods for terminating a pregnancy."
Death penalty - noun - "a sentence of punishment by execution."

From the above definitions it could be implied that abortion attempts to improve the life of the mother by terminating a pregnancy; whereas the death penalty attempts to improve society by terminating an individual. Which may sound similar; but they aren't; or are they; no definitely aren't-are. Which one was correct again?
(argh controversy again)

I have another question:
What about grace* and mercy?
(and more controversy, end it now!)

Just throwing ideas out there.


* Grace is a Christian concept of favour and forgiveness for the undeserving. And you thought abortion was a tricky topic...

Holding on to the travel bug

So I have been back in New Zealand for a week, and my previous post was a 10 days ago (which is almost infinity in email-time). Trouble was I didn't know how to convert a travel blog into something sophisticated like discussing the thematic relationships of Wall-E.

So I haven't.*

When you come back from holiday it turns out there is one, and only one, question that people ask you - "What was your favourite place?"

This is a ridiculous question, as every day I saw something I hadn't seen before (or thousands of things I hadn't seen before) having to rate them on some sort of scale is impossible.
Three things define the experience:
1. What you see
2. What you do
3. Who you are with

If you don't believe me, try going to Disneyland by yourself, go to the Grand Canyon with a paper bag on your head, or eat a romantic dinner for one.

For anything to be enjoyable (and this isn't just for travel) you will be able to have fun with one of the above; can go a long long way with two; and if you get all three then it's probably one of the best days of your life.

So I invite you to take today and use it to appreciate something new, and share it with someone special.

(The Grand Canyon is pretty amazing too)

* The next post I promise.

I went to America and all I got was this stupid blog

As I prepare to leave London for New Zealand, I thought I'd give five quick highlights from USA.

1. Alcatraz (San Francisco)
Touring around The Rock is quite an experience, especially finding out the flaws in the movie 'The Rock'.

2. Yosemite National Park
Having been to Yosemite twice now (winter and summer) I can say it is a beautiful place in either season. Go in summer to enjoy some excellent views and challenging walks

3. Grand Canyon
One of the national wonders of the world and once you arrive it is easy to see why. A simply breathtaking place.

4. Niagara Falls
Another natural wonder, and where the Grand Canyon stuns the eyes with epic scale, the Falls also include the senses of touch and hearing, as the huge flow of water thunders over the cliffs.

5. Lincoln Memorial (Washington DC)
Immortalised in a number of movies, including Forrest Gump; this memorial to President Lincoln is sobering and classic. Turn around for a excellent view up the mall to the Capitol.

PS: Remember that in America the most useful currency is:
One dollar bill - Used in tipping, which means all the time; don't substitute for the one dollar coin.
Quarter dollar - Used in every coin operated machine everywhere

Eye on London

Being back in London again, some things stand out as unusual:

1. Summer
Everything you hear about an English summer is true. Expect to be rained on, blown away, or electrocuted in a thunder storm. You wonder why sun screen is even sold here.

2. Left and Right
English drive on the left (the correct side) and hence overtake on the right, but on the underground you stand on the right and overtake on the left. Nonsensical.

3. Weights and Measures
The English have a 'relaxed' attitude to metric measure. Expect to see litres used on liquid volume; but miles used in distance - unless they use kilometres.
As Daniel also mentioned, a sign saying 5m could mean 5 miles or 5 minutes.

4. Princess Diana Memorial Fountain
With all respect to the late princess, calling her memorial a 'fountain' is a stretch of the definition at the best of times. More apt would be 'aqueduct', 'drain', or more poetically a 'cascade'.

5. Madame Tussards
Everyone knows Madame Tussards, the famous celebrity wax museum (and worth the price of entry). However it isn't quite that easy.
a. The models are made of fibreglass, not wax. Only the original scuplt is wax, and then moulded with fibreglass to make it last longer.
b. Part of the tour includes a dungeon (what's with the British and their dungeons) where live actors frighten the audience. Surely this is a blasphemy for a wax museum.

Tomorrow I leave for New Zealand and back to whatever you call a normal life. Time to sort out my photos

For Your Culinary 'Pleasure' part 2

I have made it back from the front lines, and with only a few hours to go before this campaign ends it seems that we will win the day.

I created part 1 of this list of American 'treats' earlier http://russellpbrowning.blogspot.com/2008/08/for-your-culinary-pleasure-snack-food.html

Here is part 2:

11. Angel Food Cake
I ended the previous post with this lead-in, and it didn't disappoint. A cross between sponge cake and meringue, a sweet tooth delight.

12. Taco Bell
From the mexican fast food chain. They sell cheap tacos ($0.89ea), which, while hardly brimming with options (you get beef, lettuce and cheese), are surprisingly tasty.

13. In and Out Burger
Another fast food chain, in the California region only. If you read the menu, you will see only 5 things*:
-Burger (beef)
-Slightly larger burger (same ingredients as above)
-Slightly even larger burger (as above)
-Fries
-Soft drink
Given the lack of choice, you would think they would be pretty special. Think again. Think a cross between a fat fried pattie from Burger King and the swept up remains of a Wendy's bun with lettuce; throw in the worst fries ever. Voila.

14. A slice of Cheese pizza
Taking pizza to a whole new level of minimalism (except the portion), the cheese pizza has only one topping - cheese. This may not scream 'tasty'; but much like Taco Bell, it's cheap and what you pay for isn't too bad. I'd add pepperoni for a bit more flavour though.

15. Philly Cheese Steak
Steak coneseuirs will be disapointed, as this is basically a steak and cheese hot roll (or sub), don't expect them to ask if you want it medium-rare either. It's tasty enough, but the cheese is runny and horribly processed (what I wouldn't do for a slice of Edam). Which brings me to...

16. Cheese Whizz
"Cheese What?" might be a better name, due to it's complete indifference to anything resembling actual cheese. First of all it sprays from a can (like dairy whip cream), and second it is orange. If you like your cheese not at all then this is for you.

17. NYC Hotdog
From a roadside stand even. $3 gets you one with everything (cue zen joke), which is reasonably tasty. The portion size is on the small size though so I felt a bit cheated.

18. Soft Pretzel
Also available in roadside stand versions. $3 gets you a large pretzel and enough salt to fill the pacific ocean. Avoid unless you adore salt with everything, or are looking to have a heart attack.

19. Bagels
This high-carb donut wannabe, available with every variety of cream cheese filling imaginable. A fresh one is very nice, and very filling. However this almost doesn't qualify Bagels are readily available in New Zealand.

20. Crispy Creme
If bagels are not for you then donuts have all the sugar you need. The Crispy Creme glazed donut (without a hole) is very nice as a dessert; unfortunately American's haven't figured out the right time to eat them, so the are available any time from breakfast. The glaze will melt in the sun, so eat it quickly.

I hope you can now go out yourselves, knowledgeable of the dangers ahead.

End Transmission

* There is actually a secret menu for those in the know. But it doesn't have 'added flavour' on it.

News report from our man in New York

Time to break up travel reports with a breaking opinion story.

Pick the odd one out:
1. New York
2. London
3. Munich
4. Singapore
5. Auckland
6. Los Angeles

If you said Los Angeles you get half a point because they ARE odd there; but no, the correct answer is Auckland (and not because it's the only southern hemisphere city on the list).
Why then?

It's the only city (or perhaps - metropolis) without a metro train system (yes, even the infamous LA is getting in on the action now); and the Britomart terminal doesn't count, you need to have actual trains for it to work.
If you look at most large 'western' cities they will be likely to have a metro system of some kind, that functions (for better or worse); and the reason they work is that large numbers of people use them daily to: travel to and from work/go shopping/be tourists/...
because they are:
1. Cheap
2. Fast
3. Easier than driving
4. More environmentally conscious than driving (I bet London didn't think of that one when they started the underground in the late 1800's)

Having spent today using the New York subway to get all over Manhattan (for a total of $7), I find them to be generally excellent; and from a statement I heard today, another 5 million people in New York agree with me.

So why not Auckland!

The obvious answer is because of the cost, they aren't cheap. But if the metro will be used for 100 years, perhaps someone should think about how history might value such a decision.
I know I'd like it.

(PS: Aucklander's, take a look at Wellington's example. Electrified rail. The Future. In the 20th Century.)

In other news; being atop the Rockefeller Centre during a lightning storm is not advised.
But the view is excellent.

I'm Russell Browning reporting from New York city, back to you in the news room.

Niagara Falls, never a Mountie when you need one. eh!

If you ever visit Niagara Falls, the following three points will be invaluable
1. Go to Canada
Yes I know, Canada, the country 'immortalised' in such songs as 'Blame Canada'*, 'The Royal Canadian Mounted Yaksmen', and of course Monty Python's 'Lumberjack'. Canada may not scream "visit me", but trust me on this, because:
a. It has the longest unguarded border in the world, to none other than the U.S.A. nudgenudge winkwink say-no-more.
b. If you want to see the Niagara falls, you can't do them justice on the USA side and you will be jealous of the thousands of tourists on the other side looking back at you, and their perfect view of the falls.

2.
Go on the Maid of the Mist
This is a boat (or more correctly-boats) that run up the river to the apex of the crashing water of the Horseshoe Falls (also called Canada Falls). The view from this boat is amazing, and the only way to fully appreciate the sheer volume of water pouring down the otherwise fairly low height. (Niagara is not even close to the highest waterfall in the world, but nothing compares to the millions of litres per minute flow).
Ironically if you board the Maid of the Mist from the America side, you will have fewer tourists competing for views on the boat. Stick with point 1.

3.
Go behind the falls
Can only be down on the Canadian side (see, point 1 is coming in handy already). For $13 (Canadian or US, both are accepted in Niagara) you can don a plastic poncho and walk behind the falling water in a man made tunnel leading to three lookout points.
Two of the lookout points are next to useless. Why? Because the cascading water covers the lookout hole entirely and all you will see is white, and some splashing.
The first lookout point is excellent however; with a decent photo opportunity of the falls (but watch your camera for water damage), and an open area that allows you to get completely saturated (did you remember your poncho?)

Follow these simple three steps and you are guaranteed to lose 10 kilograms in your first week**, I mean, have an excellent time in Niagara Falls.
One last thing on Clifton Hill, a glitzy neon laden tourist road I heard described as "Niagara's Time's Square".
It really isn't.


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*
"...Blame Canada
It seems that every thing's gone wrong
Since Canada came along
Blame Canada
They're not even a real country anyway..."
** Results not typical